A Post From the Salt Mines...

Greetings, readers! I address you today from my lovely office, situated on the "toppest" floor of the U.S. Space and Rocket Center Museum. Well, it isn't all that lovely, being a workroom and all, but it's nice and quiet and I don't have to talk to angry mothers, therefore it's heavenly.

I began working on Monday, where they just kind of threw me into the mix by sending me on a mission to a printing buisness to have some stuff laminated. After that, I came back and started the business of cleaning up the office. To give you an idea of what kind of job that has been, this room used to be a storage area for all of the suff no one needed or used. It was also dusty, and apparently someone had sprayed an adhesive indoors (a production NO-NO) because the dust that had accumulated on the shelves was sticky and gross. A huge plus about my office is that it has windows that line two walls and a door that goes out of the roof in case we have to use a spraypaint or something. A huge minus about where I am is that I have to climb three flights of stairs to get there. THREE FLIGHTS OF STAIRS. If nothing else, I'll achieve some massive calf muscles going back and forth every day. Yesterday I got kind of nervous because everyone left me alone most of the day, so I was kind of at a loss of what to do. I mean, I kept myself occupied, but I guess I'm so paranoid about not looking busy that I didn't realize that until I have a task, I'm pretty much on my own. My friends Jason (who is still extremely talented, no matter what anyone else says) and Roderick are still up here, so I have them to talk to, and there is a new guy named Rodney, who is extrememly nice, so I'm not lonely.

At any rate, I'm beginning to enjoy my job. I'm sure there will be days where I want to burn the place down (as is a pitfall of any job) but I'm hoping those days are few and far inbetween. I did find out something that made me rather nervous. I was under the impression that I would be physically making signs other people design. However, I was informed that because we are now exhibit design as well as publication and sign design, I will be given actual design work to do. Eeeek. I'm scared.

Well, I need to get back to work. : ) I'll post some pictures of my office when I get a chance to take them!

*The halleluja chorus blares from an unseen source. Sunbeams shine on the top of my head and light up the room. Doves and butterflies alight on my shoulders and I run happily through a field of poppies towards the blinding light of freedom.*

Free at last, free at last! Great God Almighty, Free at last!

Now, onward to a whole new set of headaches and problems! : ) Woo-Hoo!

Ick.

Well, I'm properly horrified. Last night I was in the kitchen persuing some rather common domestic chores when I hear a desperate voice from the living room call out to me.

"Spider! Big Spider!"

Now, I promise you that I'm not making fun of my husband, because he is honestly arachnophobic. He's not just scared of spiders, like me, he is terrified of them. To the point of all senses shutting down. Just want to get that out of the way so that you understand why I was the one with the spider killing New Balance sneaker.

Well, I am barefoot, so I run to find a shoe, and when I get into the living room I see this massive (or maybe not so much, but pretty darn big anyways) brown spider making it's way across the floor. I am terrified of finding a brown recluse in my house, so any time I see a brown spider, I try to get close enough to see what kind before I have to make any kind of contact with it. I couldn't tell what kind it was, but it didn't look like any spider I'd ever seen. The front half looked like a grass spider, but the back half looked lumpy and round, which isn't like a grass spider. So in a fit of bravery, which in my opinion is equaled only by Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin, I bring down the sneaker and squash the heck out of it. The minute I bring the shoe up, dozens of little baby spiders pop off of it like popcorn and go skiddering in multiple directions. So I am screaming, trying to squash spiders roughly half the size of pin points with a shoe, and scaring the heck out of the dogs. I'm yelling for bug spray and all Steve can find is the spray we have to get bugs off of plants. I didn't know if it would work, but I went Lara Croft on those critters and started hopping around, spraying everything that moved. It was like a mini arachnid Hiroshima. I cleaned up everything I could, but I have this sneaking suspicion that one of the little hastareds got away and is planning revenge Godfather II style.

The thing I want to know is, how could that thing survive when we just had the house sprayed professionally that morning? The exterminators have some 'splainin to do.

Day Off!

You're probably wondering why I got a day off in the middle of training the new girl for her job. Well, a benevolent and angelic friend (who happens to have access to my time records) realized that I had built up enough time to have a personal day. However, if I didn't take it before next week, I would lose it, so I decided that Today would be a fabulous day to be a bum! Woo-Hoo! I've been sitting here for a while trying to figure out how I'm going to be both productive and lazy in one 24 hour period, and I haven't quite figured it out yet. I need to clean for the bug people to come and spray tomorrow, but I also want to lie on the couch and read all day. Ah well, I'll figure something out!

Last night we went to Steve's parents house for his dad's birthday dinner. It was great, as usual. We got Mr. Lee 10 bottles of salsa from some place in Texas he told us about. Well, we didn't get them from Texas, the salsa was made in Texas...anyway... He really liked them, so I'm glad. It's always fun when you don't get the polite "wow, um, that's great..." look from someone you've given something to. : )

I am kind of disappointed today. Josh's sister is getting married again, and her future mother in law had forgotten to book a preacher. Josh called and asked if I would officiate since I am legally ordained (which just means I have a licence to preside over weddings, as I would not condecend to become spiritually ordained since I don't believe in lady preachers and all). At any rate, I was all excited, but apparently mom-in-law found someone at the last minute who could do the wedding, so I don't get to. : ( I have a feeling that they don't think I"m really -legally- ordained. However, I did some research and my licence is good everywhere except for Missouri, West Virginia, and part of New England. Eh, oh well. At least the ULC can call me The Very Reverend Kelly Pratt. ; ) Heeheehee.

The girl I am training isn't getting along as well as I hoped. I'm not saying she won't get it in time, but it seems like she should be pretty much trained by now, but then again, I'm not very patient. She has only spoken on the phone to a customer twice and the rest of the time she has only been typing in the info. Oh well, I am doing my best. I do have to say one thing, and I'll go ahead and ask forgiveness for being catty. Bless her heart, I don't know if she shaves off her eyebrows or if she lost them in some industrial accident, but she draws them on every day. Now, I'm not saying that is a bad thing, but she draws them on as if she were circling her occular cavity, so they go straight across above her eyes and then curve down at the corners. She looks angry. In mentioning this to someone at church (and you know who you are) they said she was like Mr. Potato head "Putting on his Angry Eyes" a la Toy Story. Now I can't help but thinking of that while I'm talking to her. Also, when I'm trying to talk to her, all I'm doing is staring at her eyebrows. I'm helpless to stop. They are like magnets. It's like that scene in Austin Powers: Goldmember when he sees the guy with a big mole on his face and can't quit staring at it. I can't even make eye references anymore because I'll look at her when I do it. Not only that, but I have always had a habit of doodling eyes, and I can't do that anymore because I keep trying to draw what I wish her eyebrows looked like and I don't want her to know that's why I'm doing it. I have three pages of squiggles where I have to restrain myself from drawing nicely arched eyebrows. I swear, by the end of this week I am going to have to knock her down and use the brown Sharpie to fix them!

Just a breif note.

Sorry for the serious lack of updates lately. I've been training a new girl at work, who seems oddly familliar and very nice, except for the fact that she reads everything on my computer screen. She's already corrected my spelling on a private e-mail and I'm scared to open anymore e-mails or write anything while she's there because I don't know how she'll react if I inadvertantly say something she finds offensive. So, until I am no longer training, things will be a little slim here, Which is a shame because there have been things worth mentioning! Of course, now I can't remember any of them. As usual.

Oooh, I made some chocolate covered strawberries last night to take to the concert on the mountain tonight and they are calling to me. Must...be...strong...

Well, I must goes to get ready for my day. In case I don't get a chance to write again until next week: Happy Father's Day to all of the wonderful daddies out there!

SOME RANDOM RANDOMNESS

1) We went to see Josh's new school in Providence last night. I've got one word to describe it: Stepford. I'm serious. It's very beautiful, very ordered, and very clean. A veritable breeding ground for SoccerMoms, but otherwise a very nice place. Providence is actually a "Planned Community" and it has these beautiful homes and town houses with sort of a plantation/New Orleans feel to them, and it has it's own shops and resturaunts. However, it kind of makes me nervous. I saw a movie once about a place like this. It was about a planned community who used the schools to brainwash the children, and had hidden cameras doing survelliance in every home. It was very Big Brother. The neighborhood association ended up mutilating the family dog and trying to hold them hostage by locking the doors to the neighborhood and becoming self sufficent. Weird. At any rate, ethe school is lovely and Josh will make an excellent Vice Principal. He even has his own nifty little office and everything!

2) Yesterday we were busy, as usual, but when four o'clock came around, we had dead silence. It was eerie until I realized that four o'clock was the time set aside to read the Micheal Jackson verdict. I don't know whether or not to find it sad that everyone had take time out of their lives to hear it, or think it's funny. So, about the verdict? I'm glad for him. I never thought he did what they accused him of, but I kept an open mind and read the testemonies to make sure that I wasn't wrong. I found too many inconsistancies in what the mom and the kid said for me to believe it. I mean, sure, he's a circus freak, but not a child molester. I will give him one piece of advice, though. Micheal, keep the kids out of the bedroom!!! In fact, keep kids out of the wing of Neverland that has your bedroom in it. I don't care if you were accuitted this time, you need to take some precautions to keep this from happening again. Please. Because if I have to hear, read, or listen to another one of your weird, rabid fans cry and slobber over you and how the world is unfair to you because of your greatness, I'll have to go on a rampage.

3) We painted the primer on the garage door yesterday. Since we got our new windows, we are trying hard to do the update on the outside of the house. The primer is a greyish blue, as anyone who looked at my forehead last night can attest (had to scratch, forgot it was oil based), but the actual color of the door will be a dark blue. We are also painting the front door the same color eventually, and we will also repaint the stoop and railings a whole new color. As soon as we can get the brick painted, it will look like a different house all together!

4) The Emmys are this weekend! Go Lauren!

5) I have 8 days and counting before my new job starts. I've already got my bowl of M&Ms for the desk and my Napoleon Dynamite poster for the door. All I need now is my Captain Jack Sparrow poster and my Exacto blades and I'll be set. My cubie looks very bare and sad. I've been bringing stuff home by dribs and drabs, but there are still a bunch of little things to get. A girl who recently left gave me a giant cup full of straws because I was always borrowing them from her. I was trying to decide last Friday whether or not I wanted to take them with me, and I didn't think I did, but I didn't want to throw them away either. So I decided to do some arts and crafts. After constructing an eight or ten foot straw by taping them together and then making it into a hula hoop, I decided to make a hat. Now, in the process of making this hat (and I was taking calls the whole time, so I'm not a complete slacker) I put the skeleton of it on my head to get it out of the way. About that time, the CFO walks in and looks at me. I had two options, I could dive under my desk and hide, or I could play it off. I just smiled at him and pretended that it was normal for people to wear straws on their heads. Luckily he thought it was a party hat of some kind and he asked what we were celebrating. I just told him I was queen of the call center and he nodded and went on his way. I am one lucky freak.

6) We went to Steve's company picnic on Saturday. It was fun, but it rained the whole time. At least I got to go to the Botanical Gardens during the day while there were flowers blooming. Normally we only go when it's night time or during the winter when there are no flowers. It was beautiful. I also got to go into the Butterfly House where they breed the butterflies and they just fly all around you. It's weird, but as much as I hate bugs, I don't mind butterflies landing on me. None did, but it wasn't for lack of trying. Steve didn't like it, so he waited outside. We also had dinner with Steve's co-worker Casey and his girlfriend Mariah. It was a lot of fun, and we watched The Amityville Horror, the new version. It left me pretty cold except when he killed the dog, and that bothered me. I usually don't care how many people bite it during a movie as long as the pets live. Otherwise it didn't bother me that much. I thought it would, but since I found out the whole thing was a hoax to begin with, it didn't bother me. : P

7) The other day I was making a list to post on here that was "10 Things I've done that no one else has". I only got to number 6. I'm so boring. : (

8) I DO NOT recommend the Slim Fast soup in a cup. I had an emergency stash in my desk for those days before I get paid and am broke, but when I tried to eat it it was disgusting. I had to eat a Wet One to get the taste out of my mouth.

9) I wish I were in Key West right now under that palm tree on the beach. I wouldn't even have to get out in the water, just lie there and get a tan. I wonder if I could do it on my lunch break?

10) The lady who works as our switchboard operator has had some problems with anxiety lately, so she leaves for the doc today and comes back with a bottle of Xanax. She asked me if I would look up information about it for her, and to say the least, I'm scared. She already has an attitude problem, but apparently Xanax can cause hallucinations and aggrivated outbursts. I can only say, I hope that I'm not on the phone with her when one of those happen! : )

I got so mad yesterday. I got a call from a woman in the UK that wanted a rule bent for her daughter. I told her we couldn't do it, and in the process of me trying to tell her what I could do, she started talking over me and not letting me finish what I was saying. We all know this infuriates me, but because she was a customer and I couldn't say anything about how rude she was being, it only made things worse. Not only that, but she kept repeating why she wanted the rule bent for her daughter and no matter how much I told her it wasn't possible UNTIL I asked the camp, and she still wouldn't shut up. I'm not sure why this woman rubbed me the wrong way, but by the time I was off of the phone with her, I was so mad that I was shaking. One of my supervisors came out and realized what happened and told me to take over the switchboard and then then go ahead and go on my lunch break. I thought I was fine when I came back to the phones, but I was still so irritated that I was rude to another customer. After that, I was fine. That woman severly rattled my chi. : P

I would like to request prayers for my Grandmother. She had hip problems and had to be placed in a nursing home, and seemed to be doing better, but she has come down with pneumonia (?) and is really sick right now. : (

So, Sunday we got to go to dinner at Shogun. That was so much fun! I'd seen commercials for that resturaunt since I was little, and had always wanted to go. Steve's company was having an appreciation dinner for the people who are working at the Test and Evaluation Days thingie, and Steve (plus significant other-don't you just love the PC-ness of it all?) was invited. I was scared that they wouldn't have anything I would want to eat, but the food was exellent. I even ate part of a zucchini! Go me! I also got to meet some of his co-workers and they were very nice. Now I want to go back!

As I said in the ill begotten last post, we got our new front windows yesterday. They look SO nice. In fact, it looks like a different house all together. Now we have to paint out front stoop and the garage door to complete the transformation! Now, if we can just get the actual house painted and the other window replaced, we'll be in business. Woo-Hoo!

I'm so tired. I don't know why, exactly, but I'm so tired that I got halfway to work and had no idea how I got where I was. Thank God for kenesthetic (?) memory. I have been making typing mistakes all morning too. I haven't been able to focus! I feel like I took a dose of Niquil before work. I just took some Excedrine, so this should be an interesting day. : )

This is sort of a drive by blogging...

I've only sat down long enough to dash off a note and tell you what is going on. In the interest of time, I will do this in a simple outline.

I. Monday
A. Sucked because:
a) I was the only call center agent there until 3:00 and I was training someone.
b) It was busy like I haven't seen in a long time.
c) I didn't get a lunch break
B. Didn't suck because:
a) Since I didn't take a lunch break I was promised to be able to leave early the next day.
b) I had KFC for dinner, and it was good.
c) Made more soap and watched SpiderMan
II. Tuesday
A. Another long and busy day, but not as bad because:
a) I wasn't trying to train anyone
b) I got to leave at 3:00
c) I was able to get my hair cut and I'm even cuter than usual ; )
d) Went to Chili's for dinner
III. We have our new windows installed in the front:
A: They look Awesome.
B: I will have pictures posted ASAP.
C. They make our house look 100% better than it did.
D. Has only one drawback which is:
a) Now we have to do a lot of other cosmetic work around so that the rest of the house is nice.
IV. We gave Bear a bath
A. Because he had been wallering
B: We found a new bite wound on his neck and it needed cleaning
C. Unfortunately he:
a) Doesn't like baths and he didn't cooperate
b) Shook all over the bathroom leaving puddles and fur everywhere.
c) Rolled all over the carpet and now has carpet fuzz in his fur.
V. This format is tedious because:
A. It seems like a lot of trouble to eliminate too much detail
B. I'm having to consult a book to remember how to do it.
C. I never liked doing this anyways.
D. Actually took more time than I meant to use.
VI. I'm going to go to bed.
VII. Good Night
A. Sleep tight
B. Plesant dreams

Oh yeah, I also saw this quote and got a chuckle... "Come to the dark side...we have cookies."
I'm not sure why I find this funny, but I do.

I have found a wonderful thing at Target. It's a Wolfgang Puck Gourmet Latte, but get this...it heats itself up! I know that sounds crazy, but it's really cool! You don't need a microwave or a coffee maker! Whatever it is is called OnTech, and I hope it catches on! I'm just nerdy enough to be fascinated, and the drink is pretty good too. I hope they make hot chocoate like this one day. Although I have to ask, why am I drinking coffee at 10 PM?

I have been trying a new hobby today. Hobby Lobby is having a half off sale on lots of stuff, and I decided to try my hand at making soap. Well, not actually making it, but melting it and pouring it into molds. It is so much fun, but now I have a billion little bars of glycerine soap in various flavors and colors. I'm going to have to take seven showers a day for a few months to get rid of it all! : ) You'll be getting soap for Christmas!

A month! I've got to stay here in my current job for another MONTH! I do not understand this at all. I know the call center is short staffed, but the design department has been short staffed for almost two months, and that is much more complicated than just having a qeue line that you can clear out by the end of the day. I don't know what they're going to do. Can they give my job to someone else?
The thing is, I'm not brave enough to ask anyone to change this! I knew I would be working for at least another two weeks, but now I've got to stay longer and I am helpless and confused and NOT happy about it.
Otherwise, I don't care because I still get to stop being a call center agent in a month!!!

I just got the word, I did indeed get the job. I don't know when I start, but I will find out as soon as my current boss comes back from vacation.

Now if you will excuse me...I need to go run around the building and throw confetti.

I am tense. Tense I am.

I know I shouldn't worry about whether or not I got the job, but I'm getting nervous. I wish I could articulate how I feel, but it all comes out sounding so lame. I've given up trying to tell people. I'm almost positive I should have heard something by now, but I don't know if it would be settled within a week or not. Ack. You know, it's not so much me wanting to get the job, which I do of course, but it's not knowing. I'm not patient at all! ; )

Josh just called me from Ireland. Lucky booger. He's having a great time and he's told me if he meets his wife while he's there that he's not coming back! Well, that means Sam gets to stay! Nah, he also misses Sam, so he'll be back. : ) He got me a snowglobe! He loves me! He's going to be in Scotland from Saturday until next wednesday...I just hope he doesn't come back wearing a kilt. *shudder*

SANCTUARY!!!!!

The third official "Bless Her Heart" award has been given out this weekend, and the lucky recipient is yours truly. Story below.

Apparently I am the worst evesdropper ever. A few years ago I was at church and I overheard someone talking about a homeless man who lived in the church bell tower, who would sneak down to the church kitchen at night and eat the food from the kitchen. That had kind of freaked me out ever since, because our church isn't in the best of neighborhoods and if that could happen once, who is to say that someone couldn't do it again. Well, the kitchen comittee has noticed recently that food has begun missing from the kitchen again. While we were down there talking yesterday morning, it was brought up again, and I said "Could this be like that time the man lived in the bell tower and was eating the food?" Of course, this was met with blank stares all around. The head of the comittee looked at me like I was crazy and had me tell the story. Once again, blank stares. Immediately Steve starts cracking up, and I start feeling as if I have finally gone crazy. I KNEW I had heard someone talking about this, but no one seemed to know what I was talking about. I went and asked several of the people in church if the story was true, but no one else knew what I was talking about. It wasn't until Steve came home from church last night (I had a nasty sinus headache, so I stayed home) that I found out that what I overheard was someone talking about a BOOK they had read that happened to be in the church library. So I've been freaked out for several years about something that never really happend, and looked like a lunatic in the process. *wince*

Steve has had a ball telling people that I thought a man lived in the bell tower of our church. He likes to bring it up at odd times, like if I ask him if he's seen something I'm looking for, he says "I bet the man in the bell tower took it." Well, I got him back when he brought it up at my parents dinner table yesterday. Steve thought that "dolphin safe tuna" meant that there were certain kinds of tuna fish that was safe for dolphins to eat because the other kinds were poisionus! So for that, he gets the Jessica Simpson Chicken of the Sea Award! So there! ; )

I am SO tired of dogs peeing on me! This morning when I let the boys out, I was standing at the garage sink filling up the water bucket, and Sam walks over to me to get petted and he just let go. Now, granted, he didn't actually pee on ME directly, but the ensuing spatter that happens when liquid hits a solid surface with moderate force, got on me. That's two dogs in less than a week. Sort of reminds me of my station in life. Heeheehee. : )

I still haven't heard who got hired for the job. I'm hoping that I did, but I'm wondering if Mr. Boyd isn't going to hire someone with actual paid expirence somewhere. Who knows. All I know is that I hope I got it! I'd hate to think that I can't get hired for an entry level position because I don't have any expirence. It's the age old vicious cycle...can't get hired without expirence, can get expirence without being hired. Oy! At least this time I know I'm qualified and good at what I do. After that, it's up to God.

It's memorial day weekend, and I don't have any plans. : ( I'm so boring! I offered to work for a friend of mine, so I'm here at the call center today (Saturday) and there is a chance that the elusive red-haired Scary Spice (or Sara) will come over and visit with Steve and I this evening, but so far that's it.

I was waxing nostalgic this morning, and I starting thinking of when I was a senior in high school and was first introduced to the internet. My first e-mail adress was Kmarti@elimestone.k12.al.us.edu or something equally as excessive. I could only get e-mail from the people in the other room of the school and my dear friend Kenny, who was at Auburn at the time. I also learned, and was pretty good at, coding html and building websites. I don't remember any of that anymore, but who needs it when I've got a program with a GUI that will code it all for me! I used to print out websites and show people instead of sending them the url. Ahhhh. Good times, noodle salad.

Oh yeah, another piece of proof that Soccermoms are out to get me! Within walking distance of my home is an absolutely gorgeous piece of property known as Jones Valley. I believe it used to be a dairy farm or a farm that raised cows for beef...either way cows are involved. Anyways, it's a beautiful deep valley filled with cows and grass and the farm house still stands in the middle looking like something Martha Stewart would live in to seve out her final days of house arrest. About a year and some change ago, I noticed that there was a large patch of the field, closest to the subdivisions built nearby, that was mown down and fenced off from the rest. What sprouted from that piece of property, you might ask? A flippin' soccer field!!!!!! Like a blob of bird poo on Michelangelo's Pieta, is a big ugly field ringed with safety lights. But that's not all, oh no, because next to that they expanded and built a softball or T ball field and a parking lot. You can argue that it's at least nice looking field with the press box or whatever built in the baffling "Southern Greek" style, but I don't care how many pediments and columns adorn the thing, it's still ugly. However, the simple fact that they ruined one of the most beautiful places around isn't what bothers me. I mean, hey, kids gotta have a place to play. I can dig that. What I cannot dig, though, is the fact that with the new sports fields down the street, it has lowered our property values so much that we couldn't refinance our house the last time we tried. The stupid fields aren't even within sight of where we live, but it still effects us. Just another way they are trying to get to me! Yeah, it's kind of a lame conspiracy theory, but it's the only one I have. Don't judge me!!! ; )

This story makes me so mad. I know that both parents should have rights to their children, but there comes a time when the law should look at the parent in question and realize that just because someone fathers a child, does not mean that they make an acceptable father. I'm not saying that what the mother did was right, but when a man is violent and has never cared for or tried to be a good father to a child, why should he get any rights to the child at all? In my opinion, this man is just trying to get back at the mother and using this little girl as a pawn. What a jerk. To take this little girl out of a family who loves her and wants to take care of her just to make a point ought to be beaten within an inch of his life, taken to a hospital to heal, and then beaten all over again.

I have to deal with arguing parents all the time in my job. I have lost so much faith in humanity just from the way some divorced couples treat their kids. Just yesterday a soldier in Afghanistan called me to make sure his child's camp got canceled because his ex-wife told him she wasn't going to let him send their kid here. I'm thinking, you know...this guy is in danger of being killed every minute he spends over there, but he has to call us to make sure that whatever plans he made for his child were scrapped because the ex didn't want him to have his way. What is wrong with people? I know not every divorced couple acts that way, but it's the bad ones that stick in my head.

Maybe I'm just spoiled because I was blessed to have grown up in a family where my parents loved one another and we were happy. Maybe I just feel everyone deserves that. I guess I am naive.

I can't believe I'm about to say this.

I know I've complained about being forced to watch Star Wars time and time and TIME again, but I want to go on record as saying that I thought the movies were pretty good. I mean, I know I'm not going to a movie that is striving for an Academy award, unless it's the one for special effects, and I'm cool with it.

What bothers me is all the people who have written rants about the movies and talk about how lame and ridiculous it all is. I mean, hello people, they are just movies after all. For folks who seem to hate the movie so much, you know an AWFUL lot about it. Not to mention, if you don't like the movies, don't go see them. Star Wars fans don't go see stuff like Gangs of New York and have a festival of hate over Martin Scorcese (is that even close?)

Now, granted, there are some crazy folks out there who tend to go a little over board with the dressing up and the constant merchandising can get -tiring- but you know something? Let the Star Wars fans have their fun. I mean, this is their superbowl! Only they don't get to see a new one every year. I don't know that a man dressed as a Jedi is any more ridiculous as a sports fan that wears the team jersey or sits shirtless at a freezing cold football field with face paint and a rainbow wig on! I mean, it's all about perspectives. Are we supposed to think that because these writers that have such a disdain for a sci-fi flick that they are better than the people who like it? It's kind of silly in my book.

Anyway, there. I've just defended that which I like to make fun of myself. Oh yeah, and I knew that Aunt Baru wanted a protocol droid that could speak Bacci, when I played Star Wars DVD Trivia last night. Slowly, but surely, I'm being driven over to the Dork Side.

Sigh.

Okay, someone explain this. I found this online, and I want to know!

*Interesting, if Khan died from the Genesis thingy, and Spock was sent to the planet the Genesis thingy exploded on, how did Spock come back from the dead while Khan didn't?*

And I don't want to hear that the guy who played Khan had a TV contract!

Also, there is something I also would like to know. I was, once again, thinking about the people dressed up to see Star Wars, and I started to wonder, what is the ettiqute on that? When is it okay to dress up to see a movie, and when is it not? I mean, sure, Star Wars has a huge fan following and the costumes on the movie are amazing, but why don't other movies have people in line dressed up? What about all of the comic book movies that are out now? Those are just as popular as Star Wars. Why wasn't anyone dressed like Spider Man...or Harry Potter? If anyone understands this, I'd like to hear what you have to say.

Anyways, my interview is over and it seemed to go well. I'd like to say I got a feel for my chances, but Mr. Boyd pretty much always seems to be positive. He did say that it would be something I'm familliar with since I pretty much did the job as an intern last summer, and I found out that I know some software he isn't as familliar with, so who knows. I'd really like the job, but we'll see what happens. He still has a lot of people to interview. : )

I almost had a heart attack last night. I didn't realize that my laptop had been left on for three days (flippin sleep mode), and with the air conditioning out it overheated. I couldn't get it to turn on! I unplugged it and ran through the house until I could hold it over a fan. I all but did CPR on it! However, once it cooled down enough, it was fine. Whew.

I finally got my portfolio in order, but it isn't as full as I wish it was. Of course, I've only got things from school I can put in it, but I had hoped it would be more impressive. I don't know if I've mentioned it before, but my job interview for the graphics position in the museum is Wednesday at 9:30 am. Pray for me! I'm scared!

Speaking of the interview. I've been looking for an outfit to wear that will both make me look professional, but not overly stiff and not totaly outside of my own personal style. Well, I can't find a danged thing. Not only is everything uber-casual due to the season, nothing has sleeves! I mean, was there a congressional ruling that no clothes sold between the months on may and august could have sleeves? Maybe it's just me, but I don't think you should wear a sleevless top during a job interview. Also, and I know it's silly, but I don't want my arms all hanging out because I would hate to know that I'm sitting there talking to the manager and think he's interested in what I'm saying and find out later that he was only mesmerized by the swaying of my arm flap. Geez, and you know what else, unless you want to dress like Laura Bush or look like the whore of Babylon, there is nothing to buy anyways. No middle ground at all. I'm not kidding. I found a skirt, I probably have a top that will match it. Who knows? I was desperate!

I got my sticker from Cafepress.com, which is a lovely little website introduced to me by Kenny. I created a bumper sticker that says "I (heart) my Network Administrator". I know Steve isn't MY network administrator, but that's what he does. Now the computer guys here at the SpRocket are going to think I'm talking about them. Eh, I'll let them think so. They're good guys. Funny thing is, Steve is driving the Durango today, so he's going to look kinda full of himself. Heh.

WEEKEND UPDATE!

Well, at least it wasn't boring.

Friday after work, when I got home from getting groceries, I walked into a sticky, humid, HOT house. Hot enough to melt the chocolate on my cookies. Apparently the power going on and off during that day's storm caused the compressor in our air conditoning unit to blow out. For those of you familliar with our house, you know that our house is a power conservationists nightmare. Our windows let air in and out, our front door has no weather stripping, and our insulation is kind of old. So on a hot day with no air conditioning on, our house turns into a sauna. Well, Steve calls a guy to come check on it, and sure enough, we are going to have to replace our unit. However, that's not going to happen for at least two weeks, so we borrowed a window unit from Josh's mom (THANKS BARB!). Now our room could store sides of beef for extended periods of time, but it's better than being hot.

We also have a temporary new member of the family for the next two weeks. Sammy is staying with us while Josh is overseas. Sam is so cute. I feel bad for Bear, though, because he doesn't like to share or play nice and Butler loves Sam, so Bear is all alone while they play dog games. It's his own fault, though. We've had this talk, so he's just going to have to learn to deal with it. The only downside to sam being here is that he starts his high pitched puppy-bark at 5 in the morning. I have to let all of them out at the same time because if I don't, the ones in the kennel start going nuts. SIGH.

Sunday I had another issue with a dog. Angie and Family went to Florida this week, and they left their little beagle, Bubba, at my mom's house. He is so tiny and cute, but he's a hyper little thing. I went outside and started playing with him and he was jumping all over me. I knelt down so I could love on his ears, and the dang dog peed on me! I had to change into some of my dad's pajamas while mom washed my clothes. It's a good thing he's cute.

I also have been getting quite a few hits on my blog lately, mostly because of the 100 thing list I wrote trying to keep awake. It's funny to see what brings people to my site. Here are a few examples:

*"What to wear with Palazzo Pants"= If you want my opinion, STAY AWAY FROM THE PALAZZO PANTS!!! They are bad. The only time I think palazzo pants are acceptable are if you are on the color guard in a marching band and it's too cold to wear a skirt. Even then....yuck.
*"1999 Dodge Durango Sucks"= I disagree. It may be old, it may be a gas guzzler, but doggone it, it will hold roughly 7 cubic tons of trash, art supplies, and emergency equipment. Another plus is that it's got 4 wheel drive, so if I get the wild idea to drive off into a field, I can.
*"The Sims 2 StarTrek Uniform"= You can make these yourself in Sims 2 Body Shop. With Photoshop and a little imagination, you can pretty much make anything for the Sims to wear. Slacker.
*"How to unblock Sims when they are in the shower." = PERV! Why do you want to see naked computer people? Good Lord. Maybe you should be doing a search for "psychiatrists specializing in weird fetishes".

Well, that's all for now, folks. Ciao!