I'm still here...
Mood:  down
Now Playing: I Don't Care Anymore - Phil Collins
Well, it's happened. I am now among the ranks of pepper spray carrying women. After the little confrontation at the front door the other day, I really started to worry that I might get attacked here. So, while we were in Yankton on Monday, I picked up some triple-threat spray: tear gas, red pepper, and UV dye, all in one convenient little spray canister. It sits ready just below my monitor. I've barred all of the doors except the one I can easily see from my desk, and I may close that one after my two flunkies get here at midnight.

Jim was really pressing me to get a handgun, but I don't think it would do me any good. I'd be shaking too badly to hold it up. Besides, my aim with a pistol is shoddy. Needs much work. I'm happy with my spray.

Let's see, what else is new...

Monday was Jim's 37th birthday. We went fishing in Niobrara. Well, I guess I shouldn't say "we" went fishing. The truth is that I couldn't shake the pounding headache that was keeping me from sleeping, so at around 3am Monday morning, I got stupid and took Tylenol PM. Didn't occur to me that it might make it difficult for me to get up and moving at 5am. At the time, all I wanted was to get some sleep, so I took something that would make it happen. Silly me. The darn stuff didn't wear off until noon. Yup, that's right, I got out of bed, got dressed, went out to the van and slept most of the way to Niobrara. Then I crawled into the back seat and slept until noon. In the meantime, Jim caught a 5 pound catfish, and Jerry (his dad) caught a smaller one, maybe a pound and a half. We went to get some lunch at a small cafe, where I ate my first hamburger in over a month. More on that subject later.

After lunch we returned to the river, and I supervised a whole lotta nothing. Was windy, cloudy, and pretty cold if you ask me. The guys didn't seem to have any trouble, but I was chilled to the bone. I had on jeans, a t-shirt, a thick fleece shirt, an insulated men's coat, and a blanket poncho. Oh, and a handkerchief and a boonie hat on my head. Even with all that, I was shivering. Jim was laughing at me, he said I looked like a cross between Nanuk of the North, and the local bag lady. Jerry took a couple of pictures. I don't like them, so I'm not going to share. :P Anyway, I decided I'd had enough fresh air after about half an hour, and returned to the backseat of the van, where I camped out with a book, then took another nap!

Well, it turns out that it was a good thing I'd slept that much, because despite the approval stamp on our time off request, the doggone manager scheduled me to work Monday night. I was not a happy girl. I'm still not. And to make matters worse, I had to fight to keep my darn coworkers awake! Again!!! I've decided that I'm not going to put up with it anymore. When they get here tonight, I'm going to tell them that if they fall asleep, they're going to get written up. I've had it. And since the last write up I asked for hasn't been done yet (I'm not authorized to do them myself, but that may change), I'm going to talk to the manager about it it the morning. If the one I previously asked for isn't done within a week, I'm going to write to the owner. I'm tired of the slip-shod management style here. If I'm going to keep working here, I'm not going to sit back and let things slide anymore. And if they don't like it, they can fire me. I don't care anymore. Something's gotta give!

Now Page 2...
I really don't enjoy being a supervisor. I don't like being responsible for keeping people in line. But, here I am. I do the best I can.

Miss Thang didn't even last an hour before she laid her head down on her desk and dozed off tonight. Several minutes later, I was less than 10 feet away. I said "(name), you need to sit up, please." No response. So, I went over and shook her shoulder. I said "I'm going to say this the simplest way I know how. You're at work. You're not getting paid to sleep. I want you sitting up." She hasn't been back to sleep yet (it's amazing how she perked up during her lunch break). I'm not kidding around anymore. I've asked nicely. I've tried telling her instead of asking. If it happens again, especially if it happens again TONIGHT, I'm writing her up. I know she's not the only person who falls asleep on the clock, but she is the only person on MY shift that consistently falls asleep, and sleeps through CALLS! I don't know what else to do. Argh!

Trying
Mood:  irritated
I'm so tired. And my two coworkers are merrily napping (and snoring) away, despite my polite request that they not do that very thing. How am I supposed to stay conscious at the only person in the room attempting to remain that way? It ticks me off. Why do I have to be the responsible one? What really gets my goat is I specifically asked her to stay awake (my exact words were "I need you to stay awake, please.") and he knows better. She managed to keep her eyes open for one whole hour before she turned her chair to face away from me and promptly nodded off. She must think like my cat does: if I can't see you, you can't see me. I'm so sick of this job. I've spent the last six months giving everything I have, filling in whenever I'm needed, working 9-14 hour days. I seldom get more than one day off per week, and Jim usually doesn't even get a day off. The only real time I get to spend with Jim is either at work, or at the expense of time I should spend sleeping. I haven't been to church in over a month, more like 6-8 weeks. I'm not supposed to be working Saturday nights, or Sunday during the day, but I've done both in the past 2 weeks. My life is a shambles. I have no energy, no motivation, and no joi de vivre. I am seriously considering walking out right now. Unfortunately, I'm more mature than that, and I realize that I have bills to pay. Adulthood sucks. I don't wanna do it anymore. I want to go to bed for a month to get my sleeping habits back, then spend the next month on the couch watching TV and reading books. I want to remember what feeling good is like. I want my life back. I want my mommy. I want to cry until I can't cry anymore, then start all over. I want three wishes, and a fairy godmother. I feel a little like the end chorus of "Meet Virginia" by Train:
Well, she wants to be the queen.
Then she thinks about her scene.
Well, she wants to live her life.
Then she thinks about her life.
Pulls her hair back as she screams.
I don't really wanna be the queen.
I, I don't really wanna be the queen.
I, I don't really wanna be the queen.
I, I don't really wanna live this [life.]

Hah Hah, very funny
After visiting Bill Amend's website, I have learned that the whole thing was intended as an April Fools Joke. Well, they sure got me.

Mood:  incredulous
Now Playing: Theme from Twilight Zone
Ok, weirdest thing I have ever seen. Not one, not two, but THREE comic strips today have the same basic concept. Go to Yahoo News and read Foxtrot, Get Fuzzy, and Pearls Before Swine. Creepy. Foxtrot is drawn by Bill Amend, Get Fuzzy by Darby Conley, and Pearls Before Swine by Stephen Pastis.

FYI
Just updated my website, check it out if you're interested. Here's the link.

Oh, and one other thing...
Mood:  irritated
ROLL CALL!

Everyone, and I mean everyone reading this had better comment. I know you people are out there, and so far, Amanda's the only one commenting. I'm not posting again until I see comments. NO MORE PASSIVE READING!!! If you don't know how to comment, here's your primer: At the bottom of each message there's a line of small type. Click on "Post your comment." That will take you to the "comments" window, which will contain the entry you are commenting on, and any current comments. At the bottom of that window is a form. Enter your information: name, email (optional), website (optional). Then type your message. When you're done, click the "continue" button. This will bring up the refreshed "comments" window, with a preview of your comment. To finalize your comment, click "post", to change your comment, click "edit". Get it? Got it? GOOD! Now you have no excuse. :)

The Bog of Eternal Stench
Mood:  smelly
Props to anyone who knows the origin of my title.

I've introduced Jim to the wonders of blogging. We'll see what he does with it. In the meantime, I've coined a new term: quasi-Orthodox. That's my religion. As I only make it to church about once every 4-6 weeks, and I'm certainly not participating wholeheartedly in the fast, I think it's appropriate. Oh, and I'm living with a man I'm not married to. I'm just one big no-no.

If you're wondering about the significance of my title, here's what you've been waiting for. I work in a "historical landmark" (read: old building). As such, it is only natural that the plumbing is, shall we say, archaic. Well, the owners aren't doing much to keep it up to standards, and as a result, it's not doing so hot. We are frequently inundated with what Jim calls "swamp gas", meaning sewer fumes. They're so strong today that the little headache I had when I got here has blossomed into a doozy. Thank God for Tylenol. Anyway, that's what made me think of the bog of eternal stench. Now you know....the rest of the story.

Inconceivable!
Ok, so it's official. The manager called Mr. Creep today, he didn't answer his phone, no surprise there. She left him a message saying that if she hadn't heard from him by 5pm, he would no longer be working here. Well, he didn't call. Again, no surprise. What I'd like to know is what she was planning to say to him. I was under the impression that he was going to be terminated regardless of what he said. Apparently, he did get in touch with the assistant manager, I'm not sure when. At that point, I think he was told that he was terminated. I don't know everything he said, but I've been told that my name was mentioned. Wanna know what he said? Here's a quote, from what I hear: "Good, then I won't have to work with that (expletive)ing b(rhymes with itch) Jess." What the hell did I do to him? Up until last night, I've been nothing but nice to him. Ok, so I did complain about him feeding me that line of bull about Jim a couple of months ago, but I think that's it. Granted, I am a woman in a position of authority. My sources say he has trouble dealing with situations like that. I never asked to be put in this position, they came to me. And it's not like I'm this cruel taskmaster. I even go as far as asking when people want to take their breaks, instead of just scheduling them any way I please. I try to be accommodating, but I have no tolerance for people with bad attitudes (especially if they're inebriated at WORK). I know I'm getting worked up over nothing, but I just don't understand why people act that way. And now I'm worried that he'll try to do something in retaliation. My car's right there in the lot, and I'm pretty sure he knows where we live. I wouldn't put it past him to get drunk in one of the bars down the street, then come lumbering up here for some criminal mischief. I have to keep the doors locked here at work just in case some moron lets him in (the building is supposedly secured, locked at all times). At least I have blog therapy. It helps just to get it all out in the air. I feel a little better now, but I'm still a bundle of nerves, and I probably will be for a while. Can't we all just get alooooong?... :)

Fame! and the end of an era
Of all the goofy things to get stuck in my head, the Old Navy commercial touting Bermuda shorts with the adaptation of "Fame" has got to take the cake. (Singing) You'll want to wear them forever...
Speaking of Fame!, I've never seen the movie. Now that I'm obsessed with the song, I might have to. :)

On a more subdued note, I'd like to relay the passing of Jim's Scoutmaster, Dale Kube. Just looked outside and noticed it's snowing. How appropriate. "Oh what a beautiful morning..." Godspeed, Dale. You'll be missed.