Ironic
So, I finally finished almost all of my magazine. (I am just waiting for the final OK from a few people in the office.)
Really, this should make me happy. It should get to Travis (our printer) no later than tomorrow, and we should be right on track with our printing and mailing deadlines.
So, why do I have a migraine now?
I do have to clean up my office and I have been worrying about other stuff like work, money and whether or not my roommate will hate me if she actually has to spend time with me in the house. It's not so much that as I'm worried that she'll want her house all to herself again, and I'll end up on the street. Carol just rented my old room last week, so that's out of the question.
I am going to go eat lunch and drink a Coke Zero in hopes that my migraine will subside. If not, I guess I only have a few hours until I get to go home, and I'm not sure that I'm going to do anything more challenging than clean out of my magazine-created hell that is currently all over my office.
I'm hoping that maybe I'll have more to say soon. I know that I want to tell you about my favorite customer at Toys R Us. I am debating whether or not to tell you about my current angst in KennyLand. I probably won't. It's just a chapter in the book I'd rather not re-read. I've just had a lot of hostility lately with all the crazies arriving in my town later this week.
Also of note: I thought I would mention that this week is the one-year anniversary of when I met the guy who is now permanently referred to as "Married Guy." I had it bad for that son of a bitch, in case y'all didn't notice. He was so sweet, but a constant reminder that my gut is rarely wrong. That night that I left him back at Legends, I said to Kay in the car on the way home: "He has to be married, because no guy that awesome wouldn't have gotten snatched up yet." He was hot, too. He would've been perfect had his wife not changed her mind about leaving him.
They're still together. I know this because I looked him up online recently, just for kicks and giggles. His telephone is now listed as "Mark A and Hollie J" rather than just under his name. I'm glad that he's trying to make it work, since he didn't want to be divorced and all, but I wonder exactly how happy he is when she's obviously doing lots of little things to remind the ladies that he's unavailable.
It was a nice run while it lasted, and it's not like I sat around for the past year and pined over some married guy who lives 200 miles away... But, he was a good friend while he was around. He even tried to be one after Hollie came back, but I knew if his marriage was important to him that I needed to let him go so that it wouldn't cause trouble with her. I'm not sure I could've just been his friend anyhow, even though I do worry about him terribly, especially knowing how many jobs and shifts Ford has cut at the plant where he works (worked?).
Adventures in Toyland
I rarely blog about work, especially since I demoted myself and kicked that asshole Special Events John to the curb. I don't even think I told y'all about the time that guy accused me of hating Mexicans because I wouldn't take back his opened Playstation game. Yeah, I'm racist.
Basically, new Toyland is pretty stress free, and there are so few customers that no one has really amused me yet.
No stress. No asshole coworkers. No crazy customers.
At least not until Saturday.
I was standing there talking to one of my co-workers, because that's what you do in low-volume toy stores that actually staff Saturdays like they're supposed to. So much better than working my ass off at the service desk because there are only three people closing on a $30,000 day, right?
Anyhow, this guy comes up to me and my co-worker and asks us if we have Rubik's Cubes. Of course, we do. So, following Land of Misfit Toys policy, I take him to the item rather than point him in its general direction. I make small talk as we wander down the game aisle and stop in front of the Rubik's Cubes. I take one off the shelf, hand it to him and say, "Here you go."
The guy thanks me and I start to walk away.
And that's when it happened.
He looked at the shelf and in a distinctly-not-indoor voice he shouts, "Oh my god, it's $10!!!! I didn't think it would be $10!!!!!"
He put it back on the shelf and walked out without purchasing anything.
I'm sure he probably spent $10 worth of gas for his little excursion. Maybe that was it: two gallons of gas OR a Rubik's Cube.
I looked online, and $10 is actually kind of cheap for a Rubik's Cube. I know the last one I bought, which I'm sure was in the 80s, cost about 8 bucks, so I wasn't nearly as shocked as he was.
But the minute he left the store, we all burst out laughing. It wasn't worth getting that worked up.
Random things...
So, I had a good weekend, but now it's time for super-busy time at work. My big, giant magazine has to be designed by Monday. Eek.
It'll be fine. It might take a million hours, but it'll be fine.
I'm really upset about Tim Russert passing away. First of all, he was so young and so close to his family, a life cut short. Secondly, he was one of my professional heroes -- a journalist, a Congressional aide, a lawyer, taught by nuns -- he was everything I have ever hoped to be. I just wish I could be half the journalist he was or that my political analyis was taken half as seriously.
For example, I'm really itching to have all kinds of analysis and commentary about Obama's new strategy to get other states instead of Florida and Ohio. His only real hope with that strategy is that McCain picks equally decrepit and inept Fred Thompson to be his running mate.
No, siree Bob, I cannot believe that we have to finish this election cycle without Tim Russert. I agree with Matt Lauer that perhaps this will all really hit us on election night when no one is scribbling "Florida Florida Florida" on a whiteboard. (Barack, did you catch that?!) It seems so surreal right now.
What else is going on? Busy at work. Sad about professional hero dying. Hmmm...
Oh, Michelle lent me her entire collection of House episodes, so I'm hoping to get all caught up with that. Eventually. (I did mention the big pile of work, didn't I?)
Now that you have all seen my bathroom, maybe I will take more pictures of my house. Of course, that would require me to tidy up just a little bit. It looks like a tornado landed last night...
I'm going to go do some more work. I'll try to check in when I can.
Bathroom makeover
So, everyone has been asking me about my bathroom makeover, and I wanted to show you all.
The bedroom is next, although aside from vacation photos, I'm not really sure how to fix it up.
This is the shower curtain. Can you see the little flip-flop curtain holders?
This is a close-up of the decorations on the curtain:
Towels, tiki hut tissue dispenser and Martha Stewart "Island fruits" pillar candle:
All the sink stuff (ignore my fatness and all the clutter and just enjoy the soap dispenser and toothbrush holder):
Lastly, the surfboard rug and you can kind of see the palm tree trashcan next to the toilet (also ignore the fact that I need to sweep, please):
Help?!?
Attention talented blogger types who might be reading this.
I would like a little graphic for the top of my blog. I have an idea of what I want it to look like. Or maybe I want to change the whole thing.
Anyone who knows has to make this happen, please let me know. I have neither the graphic ability nor the technical know-how.
I'm actually toying with the idea of changing the name of my blog. Although not too much.
I have no idea what has inspired my temporary burst of creativity or why it has not been translated into inspiring stories about nursing home volunteers (what I'm supposed to be writing).
My VP pick
So, it is time for Barack Obama to pick a running mate. (Yes, I shuddered a little when I said that out loud.) As much as I love Hillary, she is not the right gal.
He needs someone Southern. He needs someone with military experience. He needs someone who can be a superstar on a global stage.
He needs General Wesley Clark.
I'm not positive that he can win, even with someone super awesome like Wes Clark (my 04 primary pick), but it'd really help.
Seriously, Barack should give me a call. I have ideas.
Since you miss me...
It's been a week, so I am sure that you all miss me.
I don't have too much to say. I'm not sure if I still need to be grateful or not, but I am grateful for the Red Wings winning the Stanley Cup last week. That was nice.
I'm really tired today. I went to a really fun charity concert last night. It was nice to see Chris again.
Sometimes I wonder if I had been someone else if I'd have been more worth the effort. Occasionally I still get a text making sure I'm alive, but I miss a relationship that was full of passion and -- more importantly -- friendship. I wonder if we can be friends, that's why I haven't walked away completely, but I know I'm not as loved as I once thought I was.
It's OK. That happens a lot. And things have changed for me, too. It's not looking like it's for the better, but it was worth a try to see what happens.
Basically, I have decided if the good Lord wants me to not be alone, he will find someone for me. I am not looking online. I'm not texting boys from long ago out of nowhere. I talked to a lady yesterday who met her husband in line at McDonald's -- at 72 years old!
I think I'll die if I'm alone until I'm 72, but I trust God has a plan for me, and He knows that I don't want to be that way.
But I don't think He wants me to be the way that I have been lately.
I'm just really hoping that he didn't send that strange man who asked for my help at Walmart and told me that I was pretty, because while I appreciated the compliment, I couldn't get away from him fast enough.
I'll know. When it's the right person, I'll know. All the pieces will fall into place.
And maybe until then, I should just lock my goodies in the fort.
One big, giant grateful
The people at new Toyland are very nice, and we are done by 9:05 every night. I was home in time to watch the last 69 minutes of the hockey game! (Hee hee.)
Still grateful...
I had a pretty good weekend, although yesterday was a bit dicey. I know what I need to do now, not that I think it'll be easy...
I'm grateful for lots:
1. My bathroom makeover is complete and looks very cool. Maybe this week I'll finish unpacking and stay at Jane's for a while...
2. I have some really great friends who are always there for me.
3. Even though things are very, very rocky, we can always count on "free liquor guy" for a kick-ass cosmo recipe.
4. I love my new martini glasses, and they were only ten bucks at Target.
5. Catfish nuggets, cole slaw and biscuits from Popeyes. Super yum!
6. Our team raised $350 for the Vision Walk Saturday, and we are ready to rock it for next year.
7. I am going back to the gym tomorrow.
8. Even when I do them for myself at home, manicures and pedicures cheer me up.
9. So do brownies...
10. Dinner Saturday was a great success, and I'm glad it's time for grilling season even though the grill never really got hot enough yesterday when I did my chicken for all week.
11. I start at the new branch of Toyland today. My schedule there is much more bearable. Plus we started our carpool at work, so I won't be spending so much on gas. Yay!
12. I decided this weekend that I'm not going to try so hard with the boys. I truly believe I am not meant to be alone, and God has a plan, so it's all good.
13. But I still want to find a date to go to Blue Moon Lagoon tomorrow, because I found my coupons that expire this week.
14. Sunday morning water aerobics.
