Rotten employers...and employees, for that matter...
Mood:  don't ask
I'm so ticked off. The owner of the company I work for is a real jerk. I got my w2 today, but it's only for half the time I've been working here. See, the company changed hands, the original owner was bought out by this current guy. Well, apparently the first guy still owes money from the changeover, so the owner now thinks that he doesn't have to issue the w2s from the previous company until he gets his money. I think that's a load of bull, and very possibly illegal. I shouldn't have to wait to get my money just because he does. That's not the way it works. He still has to give us our paychecks, this shouldn't be any different. ARGH!!! Does anybody know of anything I can do to rectify this situation?

And just when I think things can't get worse, they do. The guy we fired for using and dealing drugs WHILE AT WORK just came in to sit with his girlfriend, who still works here. As I was told yesterday, I asked him to leave. I told him he was not allowed in the building, per company AND building management. He refused, saying that we had let someone else who had been fired come back in. I told him if he didn't leave, I would call the police. HE calls one of the other supervisors (the manager's phone is off), who tells him that I was out of line and should not have said what I did. Well, maybe she should have talked to her sister, the manager, before she made that kind of a statement. This just isn't my day...

And now for something completely different...
Mood:  happy
We went on a daytrip yesterday. Made a big circle from Norfolk to Yankton to Mitchell to Niobrara to Yankton to Norfolk. Ok, so it's not really a circle. More like a tomahawk-type-thingie.

We left right after work Tues morning, had breakfast in Yankton, then headed to Mitchell to go to Cabela's. Bought all kinds of fun stuff, including a new pair of chest waders for Jim. Also got some new teardrop ice fishing lures and some huckleberry honey. We had lunch there, Jim had a bison brat, and I had a roast buffalo sandwich. Pretty good stuff. We decided against the more exotic items like ostrich and elk. Jim and the salesman laughed when I called the color of his new waders hideous. Well they are! :) Essentially, they're the color of rotting grass with some cattails and other stuff thrown in. He should blend in nicely, which is a good thing, I guess.

Next we headed to Niobrara State Park to drive around and look at the deer. Saw quite a few, but not as many as we usually do. Jim says that's because it was a full moon. Apparently they stay bedded down longer when it's a full moon because they can see better at night, so they don't have to eat as much before the sun sets. While we were there, we visited the "Group Lodge" which, if all goes according to plan, will be the site of our reception. Jim says it's supposed to be big enough for 200+ people to be inside, I don't buy it. Unless there's more than can be seen from the doors (it's locked, I've never been inside), there's just no way. I could be wrong, we'll have to wait and see...

After the sun set, we had to decide where to have dinner. Our choices were: a B&B in Crofton, the Quarry, or the Black Steer (both back in Yankton). We had originally planned to go to Crofton, but we changed our minds and headed for the Quarry. However, as is our luck, we weren't aware that it's closed on Mon and Tues. So, we were stuck with the Black Steer (or the Argus, as it was once called, and still is by some people), much to Jim's angst. Apparently, he severely dislikes some of the wallpaper. The men's restroom is covered in red velvet-like paper, with white foil golf tees and other golf stuff. For the record, the women's isn't much better. I had to look at orangey-gold foil greek goddesses on two walls, and orange, gold and green splotches on the other two. The redeeming factor here is that the steaks were great. We both had ribeyes.

After dinner, we headed home. I slept some, but had to keep Jim awake for the last half. He'd been awake for well over 24 hours at that point. Add to that a full belly, and you have a great recipe for drowsiness. We finally resorted to singing (loudly, and not well) a wide variety of songs. We'd turned off the radio, so it was whatever popped into my head. Pretty dangerous, I know. But, we got home safe and sound in the end, and piled ourselves into bed. A good day, if you ask me.

I feel yucky, Oh so yucky, It's unlucky how yucky I feel....
I would really like to be at home in bed right now. The fact that I've only been OUT of bed for 3 hours is immaterial. I was an hour late to work, thought I had to be here at 11, turns out I was scheduled at 10. I'm freezing, I can't get warm. I'm fighting the urge to vomit, and my eyes are droopy. I have 6.5 hours left of this shi(f)t, I don't know how I'm going to make it.

OK, I'm not going to pretend to understand this one...
Mood:  quizzical
Now Playing: twilight zone music
I'm beginning to think that my computer is haunted. Yesterday when I tried to bring up my blog editor, neither one of my blogs were there. I don't know where they went, but they're both back now. Whatever.

Found out this morning that my brother Matt is in jail, for driving on a suspended license. Don't know how soon he'll be out. To make things worse, he was supposed to be a member of the party helping my sister move next weekend. I doubt he'll be there now, because I know he doesn't have the money for bail, neither does my mom. I don't know about my dad, he might. Again, whatever.

Another Jim Story...
Ok, here's the deal. When Jim was in the Navy, he and Steve (a good friend of his that we still keep in touch with) decided that together they made the perfect asshole (don't ask me why, he didn't say). During the same time period, Marlboro was running a promotion: send in a certain number of carton flaps and get a personalized Zippo lighter. Well, at that time, Jim was dating a girl who worked at a convenience store. So, within 3 days they had enough flaps for 2 lighters! They decided that Jim's would be engraved with the letters A-S-S and Steve's would read H-O-L!!! What a riot.

I'm moving out...eventually : )
Jim and I drove to Plainview today and looked at a couple of houses for rent. They were ok, but Jim thinks we can do better. He'd like to live in Hadar or Hoskins, because, as he says, "you get all of the benefits of Norfolk with only half of the cost of living." Our goal is to be in our own house by April (or thereabouts). Jerry (Jim's dad) is planning to put the house we're in on the market about a week later.

Jim's being a doodyhead. I told him that I'd ordered a sample invitation, and he said (under his breath, but that's beside the point) "OH NO." What the heck is THAT all about? I told him he's grounded.

I've been a bad, bad girl...
Now Playing: Criminal
Topic: Wedding Plans
I've had so many other things on my mind lately that I haven't paid any attention at all to my blogs. Oh well, it happens. However, I am happy to say that Jim and I have been talking about the wedding while we are at work together, and things are starting to happen. Yay! We've decided that having the reception 2 weeks after the ceremony is too long. We're going to shoot for a Friday ceremony and a Saturday reception. Hopefully this will make it easier for the people attending both events.

Whew! Glad that's over with...
Now Playing: Anything BUT Lohengrin : )
Topic: Wedding Plans
Had a tough talk with Jim the other night. I couldn't shake this feeling of doom in regards to our wedding. To be more specific, whether we had enough time to plan (not to mention save enough money to PAY for) our wedding, which was going to be in May. Notice I said WAS. No, no, don't panic. We're still getting married, and in May nonetheless. May of 2006. I feel much better knowing that I have 16 months to plan, and save, and get every tiny little detail as close to perfect as possible. Trying to rush through it in less than 4 months would only have left me too stressed out to function. I want to remember our engagement as a happy time, not that one time when my hair suddenly all fell out. So, Jim has graciously agreed, and the new date is May 6, 2006. According to our online countdown, we have 480 days to go. :) Oh, speaking of online, Jim and I have a wedding web page now. The address is: http://www.theknot.com/ourwedding/JessTannehill&JimVaughn

Leave it to Jim...
He says "You know who Mama Cass was right? And she had that song, 'Dream a little dream of me', right? No way in hell." What a mook.

Dinner Conversations
Now Playing: school fight song
We were talking about things that happened while we were in school tonight. In the process, I learned a new (new to me, anyway) cheer. Goes like this: Rick 'em Rack 'em Rock 'em Ruck 'em, Get that ball and really FIGHT! Heard a story of a modern day shotgun wedding. Ok, so the only person armed was the naval guard, and he wasn't really involved, but still. I guess Jim was standing guard on the quarterdeck one day, and a real live hillbilly came up to him. Jim asked what he could help him with, Read More...