WOW it's been a bad week for posting! First I don't update for Sunday until 2:30 Monday morning, and now it's 2:30 on THURSDAY morning. I kinda suck at this lately.
Anyway. Nothing new. Just work and writing, as usual. I am definitely getting used to my new co-workers, and my new schedule.
It's funny. At 933, I hated closings and pre-closings, working Front, brewing coffee, and loved working mids and being in Drive-Thru. At Ireland, I don't like mids, prefer Front, am ambivalent about DT, am happy brewing coffee all day, and prefer pre-closing over just about every shift.
I think part of is the physical store, and part of it is how duties are spread out. At 933, everything got cleaned at the end of the day. The big break-downs--front bar, DT bar, cold bar--happened on the pre-closing and closing shifts. At Ireland, it's spread out through the day, so there's an even chance that I'll come in at 3:30 with only brew station and floors and basic stocking left to do.
The way 933 is designed, most of the light from the front windows hits the merchandise area and the wall on the other side of the DT bar. Very little of it makes it to the floor where we are. At Ireland, there's only a small bit of wall between a tiny piece of window and DT, and the rest floods into the cafe and behind the counter. 933 from sunset to full dark made me feel like I was in a coffin...at Ireland, it feels so much bigger and brighter and more open!
Don't get me wrong. I miss 933 so freaking much, mostly for the people. I still go to write several days a week, and it's always an occasion involving squeals and hugs and "I miss your face!" Part of me still feels like I don't belong to Ireland yet, I'm only being borrowed from 933. It's hard to describe.
Long story short: I'm doing just about everything the opposite of what I liked at 933, and loving it, without there being any guilt over 933. Yay!
Tomorrow (er, today) and Friday are days off. Woohoo! Tomorrow is writing and photo editing! Friday is probably more of the same, plus added hang outs with Aurelie and her borrowed puppy! Woo!
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Monday, March 28, 2011
Almost Did It Again!
It wasn't until almost noon that I realized I hadn't written a post for Saturday. And now, it's past 2:30 in the morning, about to go to bed, and I realize I almost did it again. G'ah!
Obviously, my schedule is slewing toward the late end of things again. However, as opposed to my reaction when it started happening last fall at 933, I'm almost okay with it. It's complicated, but I think it boils down to finally being okay with how I spend my time. I don't have to jump out of bed at 9 every morning and get everything done before noon or I'm a complete loser (and seriously, looking at my parents, where did that come from?).
I didn't have work until 3 today. I slept until 10:30, lazed in bed until 11, then spent the next half an hour getting ready, only to spend my last 15 minutes before leaving out on the balcony, on my knees taking pictures of the distressed wood in the bright sunshine.
I was at 933 from around 12:30 to around 2:30. The first half an hour was spent catching up with AD on her meal break, then I wrote for the rest of the time. Actually, it was partly writing and partly fixing and planning and thinking, with some socialization mixed in as well.
I spent my free time before clocking in at 3 sleeping, prepping, arting, and socializing. A year ago, or even a few months ago, I would have been guilting the crap out of myself for "not getting anything done." Hell, even if I did nothing but go in and work for eight hours, then come home and eat and crash, I would chastise myself for not getting some dishes done, not getting up earlier to do laundry, some bullsh like that.
It does help that I usually don't sleep later than 11, which means most days I have at least an hour to do something. That something usually ends up being dishes or poking at art one way or another, and that's okay. My god, that's liberating!
Of course, this line of thinking is thoroughly helped by the fact that I just finished watching The Devil Wears Prada, in which the heroine (Anne Hathaway) battles between her job and her integrity--did I mention she wants to be a writer, and starts the movie with zero interest in clothes or fashion? Ye-ah.
Anyway. Fantastic movie. Meryl Streep is beyond words. Life is stresful but more or less good. I'm still alive.
...yeah. :)
Obviously, my schedule is slewing toward the late end of things again. However, as opposed to my reaction when it started happening last fall at 933, I'm almost okay with it. It's complicated, but I think it boils down to finally being okay with how I spend my time. I don't have to jump out of bed at 9 every morning and get everything done before noon or I'm a complete loser (and seriously, looking at my parents, where did that come from?).
I didn't have work until 3 today. I slept until 10:30, lazed in bed until 11, then spent the next half an hour getting ready, only to spend my last 15 minutes before leaving out on the balcony, on my knees taking pictures of the distressed wood in the bright sunshine.
I was at 933 from around 12:30 to around 2:30. The first half an hour was spent catching up with AD on her meal break, then I wrote for the rest of the time. Actually, it was partly writing and partly fixing and planning and thinking, with some socialization mixed in as well.
I spent my free time before clocking in at 3 sleeping, prepping, arting, and socializing. A year ago, or even a few months ago, I would have been guilting the crap out of myself for "not getting anything done." Hell, even if I did nothing but go in and work for eight hours, then come home and eat and crash, I would chastise myself for not getting some dishes done, not getting up earlier to do laundry, some bullsh like that.
It does help that I usually don't sleep later than 11, which means most days I have at least an hour to do something. That something usually ends up being dishes or poking at art one way or another, and that's okay. My god, that's liberating!
Of course, this line of thinking is thoroughly helped by the fact that I just finished watching The Devil Wears Prada, in which the heroine (Anne Hathaway) battles between her job and her integrity--did I mention she wants to be a writer, and starts the movie with zero interest in clothes or fashion? Ye-ah.
Anyway. Fantastic movie. Meryl Streep is beyond words. Life is stresful but more or less good. I'm still alive.
...yeah. :)
Friday, March 25, 2011
Days Off, With Myself and With Others.
Yesterday's day off consisted of sitting at 933 for several hours trying desperately to piece my story together after getting advice from Ryan on character psychology. However, I couldn't remember most of said advice, so basically it was several hours of socializing and beating my head against the keyboard.
Then I went home, Ryan and I had dinner, he and I watched Get Shorty, and the household watched Megamind when everyone was home. Both were good, the second was definitely the most entertaining.
Today's day off was grocery shopping with Ryan, watching Project Runawy re-runs with Ryan and BJ, then BJ and Aurelie and I going to 933 and hanging out with LeAnna, her boyfriend Brandon, with occasional socializing from E, J, and BS, who were all working at the time, and a quick surprise stop-in from Kitty and Alex. Lots of laughing, lots of fun.
E may come over later to hang out, but we'll see. Until then, I'm not sure what I'm doing besides eating dinner and maybe poking at the book some more, now that I've re-questioned Ryan on the psych advice and have more of a game plan.
Tomorrow I work two more hours to help New Boss Lady cover our currently manager-less store, meaning I lost some writing time but gained some money. Yay!
Sunday, though...Sunday is writing time!
Then next week it all begins again and I lose my mind. Whee!
Then I went home, Ryan and I had dinner, he and I watched Get Shorty, and the household watched Megamind when everyone was home. Both were good, the second was definitely the most entertaining.
Today's day off was grocery shopping with Ryan, watching Project Runawy re-runs with Ryan and BJ, then BJ and Aurelie and I going to 933 and hanging out with LeAnna, her boyfriend Brandon, with occasional socializing from E, J, and BS, who were all working at the time, and a quick surprise stop-in from Kitty and Alex. Lots of laughing, lots of fun.
E may come over later to hang out, but we'll see. Until then, I'm not sure what I'm doing besides eating dinner and maybe poking at the book some more, now that I've re-questioned Ryan on the psych advice and have more of a game plan.
Tomorrow I work two more hours to help New Boss Lady cover our currently manager-less store, meaning I lost some writing time but gained some money. Yay!
Sunday, though...Sunday is writing time!
Then next week it all begins again and I lose my mind. Whee!
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Thoughts on Driving In Indiana.
Recently I've noticed that, since moving to Indiana, I pay less attention to traffic lights.
Don't worry: I slow when it's yellow, stop when it's red, go when it's green. But, unless I am the first in line (a rarity), I don't watch the light as much as I used to. I pay attention to cars more than before--I follow the lead of the one in front of me in lieu of watching the light, I keep an awareness on the ones to either side, I keep half an eye on those ahead turning from side streets or parking lots.
I am surrounded with more cars on a daily basis than ever before in my life--and this is taking into considering that I was on the highway 100% more often in Connecticut than here. Last week I gave a friend a ride to the South Bend airport after following her to her home in Goshen, meaning two long trips on the bypass. It was one of only two times I've been on anything resembling a highway since we got off 80/90 last May and first drove down our street. It took me way too long to realize--oh, right, I have to go 60 now! AAA THIS IS SO FAST AAAA.
Anyway--more cars. Which means more people. Which means more opportunity for miscommunication and accidents. And did I mention this is a college town? The number of times I glance over and see a cell phone in the driver's hand, either next to their head or in front of their face, is terrifying. So I watch cars.
As I said, I pay less attention to traffic lights. I also pay less attention to, well, anything that isn't a car. I don't watch the sides of the road in case a squirrel or deer decides to try and play chicken with my car. I've only seen one deer since arriving--it launched itself out of the woods on Ironwood one rainy night last summer, glancing off my front right bumper as I slammed on the brakes and disappearing into the bushes on the other side--and almost no squirrels, chipmunks, groundhogs, etc. Beside the deer, I've only ever had to brake for other cars and a single dog, a tiny Shitzu lost on a residential street.
The roads are straight and level, so there's no blind corners to watch carefully in case of surprises on the far side. I no longer drive down the one "wooded" section (also dead-straight), and when I did I only had that one incident with the deer. The biggest danger here is other cars.
I think about Connecticut roads--89, 74, 44--and heave deep sighs of longing. There is one--one--mildly swooping piece of road here. It's on Cleveland just past 933, less than a quarter mile long, and gave me an honest-to-God Connecticut flashback the first time I went down it. I will grudgingly admit that, only 90% of the roads are completely straight, but that other 10% is not curvy so much as...jagged and indecisive. As if the two stubborn city planners met up along an intersection and neither one wanted to budge the rest of their maps over a few yards.
Changing subjects slightly, from road differences to weather differences: winter was, as warned, much harsher here. I saw more snow from October to February than I ever saw in five Connecticut winters. However, as much snow as there was, it was almost entirely light and fluffy, almost inconsequential. Shoveling it took a tiny fraction of the time it would in Connecticut, even when the car was out of sight when you started.
The summer was surprisingly hot and humid, the temperature hitting the 90's regularly. I was told about "solar days," when citizens are warned to stay out of direct sunlight as much as possible to avoid the intense UV rays. Fall was a blink, a week or two of mild weather between scorching and freezing.
Sunny days are gorgeous, barely a cloud in the bright blue sky. It never breezes but it blows, never rains but it floods. To sum up: weather in Indiana means it.
Some things never change, however. I am pleased to discover that, despite the intensity of Midwest weather, despite being 800 miles away from the place I spent all my Marches and Aprils and Mays for the past 25 years...spring still feels the same.
Don't worry: I slow when it's yellow, stop when it's red, go when it's green. But, unless I am the first in line (a rarity), I don't watch the light as much as I used to. I pay attention to cars more than before--I follow the lead of the one in front of me in lieu of watching the light, I keep an awareness on the ones to either side, I keep half an eye on those ahead turning from side streets or parking lots.
I am surrounded with more cars on a daily basis than ever before in my life--and this is taking into considering that I was on the highway 100% more often in Connecticut than here. Last week I gave a friend a ride to the South Bend airport after following her to her home in Goshen, meaning two long trips on the bypass. It was one of only two times I've been on anything resembling a highway since we got off 80/90 last May and first drove down our street. It took me way too long to realize--oh, right, I have to go 60 now! AAA THIS IS SO FAST AAAA.
Anyway--more cars. Which means more people. Which means more opportunity for miscommunication and accidents. And did I mention this is a college town? The number of times I glance over and see a cell phone in the driver's hand, either next to their head or in front of their face, is terrifying. So I watch cars.
As I said, I pay less attention to traffic lights. I also pay less attention to, well, anything that isn't a car. I don't watch the sides of the road in case a squirrel or deer decides to try and play chicken with my car. I've only seen one deer since arriving--it launched itself out of the woods on Ironwood one rainy night last summer, glancing off my front right bumper as I slammed on the brakes and disappearing into the bushes on the other side--and almost no squirrels, chipmunks, groundhogs, etc. Beside the deer, I've only ever had to brake for other cars and a single dog, a tiny Shitzu lost on a residential street.
The roads are straight and level, so there's no blind corners to watch carefully in case of surprises on the far side. I no longer drive down the one "wooded" section (also dead-straight), and when I did I only had that one incident with the deer. The biggest danger here is other cars.
I think about Connecticut roads--89, 74, 44--and heave deep sighs of longing. There is one--one--mildly swooping piece of road here. It's on Cleveland just past 933, less than a quarter mile long, and gave me an honest-to-God Connecticut flashback the first time I went down it. I will grudgingly admit that, only 90% of the roads are completely straight, but that other 10% is not curvy so much as...jagged and indecisive. As if the two stubborn city planners met up along an intersection and neither one wanted to budge the rest of their maps over a few yards.
Changing subjects slightly, from road differences to weather differences: winter was, as warned, much harsher here. I saw more snow from October to February than I ever saw in five Connecticut winters. However, as much snow as there was, it was almost entirely light and fluffy, almost inconsequential. Shoveling it took a tiny fraction of the time it would in Connecticut, even when the car was out of sight when you started.
The summer was surprisingly hot and humid, the temperature hitting the 90's regularly. I was told about "solar days," when citizens are warned to stay out of direct sunlight as much as possible to avoid the intense UV rays. Fall was a blink, a week or two of mild weather between scorching and freezing.
Sunny days are gorgeous, barely a cloud in the bright blue sky. It never breezes but it blows, never rains but it floods. To sum up: weather in Indiana means it.
Some things never change, however. I am pleased to discover that, despite the intensity of Midwest weather, despite being 800 miles away from the place I spent all my Marches and Aprils and Mays for the past 25 years...spring still feels the same.
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Fairly annoying work day. There was a ridiculous rush that involved our shift going on his meal, only two of us on the floor, slammed in front AND drive-thru, I spilled not one but TWO drinks, just....ugggggggghhhhhhh. Also, I'm not sure one of the shifts likes me. He's moody and gets a weird attitude with me sometimes. No idea.
I'm exhausted. It feels like a month since my last day off, instead of five days. Oy.
Tomorrow's plan: writing, mad texting with Aurelie (back from vacation, yayyyy!), possible massive amount of laundry. Oh, and sleep.
Such an exciting life!
I'm exhausted. It feels like a month since my last day off, instead of five days. Oy.
Tomorrow's plan: writing, mad texting with Aurelie (back from vacation, yayyyy!), possible massive amount of laundry. Oh, and sleep.
Such an exciting life!
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Climbing Back Up...
Another good day.
Didn't get enough sleep despite sleeping until 11:30, but that's okay. Took some pictures before heading out, since the sun was obliging.
Had just over two hours of writing time before work, and managed to get a good amount of work done. Work was with all cool people, and I ended up being let off early since there would have been four of us there until 9 with everything done at 7. So I got more writing time over at 933! :D
On an odd side note, I left in the wrong direction (the short way home as opposed to the short way to 933), and turned around in the parking lot of an abandoned church I've been eying on the way to work for a while now. There's interesting graffiti, interesting brickwork, nifty-looking banged up and boarded windows and stuff like that...basically, with the right weather, there's a chance this place could be a photographic goldmine.
I know. I'm strange.
I have the same shift tomorrow, with even more awesome people to work with. Yay :)
Didn't get enough sleep despite sleeping until 11:30, but that's okay. Took some pictures before heading out, since the sun was obliging.
Had just over two hours of writing time before work, and managed to get a good amount of work done. Work was with all cool people, and I ended up being let off early since there would have been four of us there until 9 with everything done at 7. So I got more writing time over at 933! :D
On an odd side note, I left in the wrong direction (the short way home as opposed to the short way to 933), and turned around in the parking lot of an abandoned church I've been eying on the way to work for a while now. There's interesting graffiti, interesting brickwork, nifty-looking banged up and boarded windows and stuff like that...basically, with the right weather, there's a chance this place could be a photographic goldmine.
I know. I'm strange.
I have the same shift tomorrow, with even more awesome people to work with. Yay :)
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