how do you live so happily while i am sad and broken down?

Ugh. Training takes so much out of me! Eight hours a day on your feet, then I spent another three hours tonight sorting out my expense reports. I sort of skipped doing them for, oh. Six months. Oops. So I'll probably get reprimanded for that, and they might not pay the December one. Guess I'll see! I really thought I'd done them in March but I guess not. I've set an auto reminder now so I won't miss again.

So now it's 10:30, and I'm going to read and then go to bed. I have zero mental energy right now.

I saw this guy in concert last week. Mucho enjoyed! Graham Colton: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lih2DDDuzSc

Day 27: This month, in great detail

December 28:
Slept in, had lunch with Mom & Dad. I went to Wal Mart while Dad went to the doctor's - he's come down with a bad sinus infection/bronchitis thing. :( I picked up all the things on their list, and bought the birthday/anniversary cards for tomorrow's dinner, as well as a pastry brush for my mom for her birthday because she mentioned this week that she'd had to throw her old one away but kept forgetting to get a new one. Never say stuff like that around me, it tends to get you that thing, no matter how silly it is. Also, I almost bought a jigsaw puzzle set because for some reason I've been really wanting to put one together over this vacation, but I talked myself out of it because I knew my sister wanted to play cards tonight. Maybe I will look for it on sale at my Walmart when I get home. Anyway, I was wandering around the store, killing time waiting for my dad to get done at the doctor, and I saw the craft aisle so I looked at the yarn for a minute. Then I saw that Electronics was nearby so I thought I'd see how much a small TV would cost as I want one for my office. Then this happened:

My Internal Voice: "Damn, this cart has a wonky wheel."
Part of My Brain That Actually Pays Attention to Life: "Um. Wouldn't it have been wonky the entire 45 minutes you've already been shopping? Why is it just now bad?"
I look down, see the yarn that is quickly winding its way around one of the wheels. "SHIT."
I pull into an aisle and start tugging uselessly at the yarn.
My Internal Voice: "Ugh, it won't come off. Ew, I'm touching wheel grease, this is gross."
Part of My Brain That Actually Pays Attention to Life: "Um. The craft aisle was about 8 aisles back. Have you been trailing yarn this entire time like a dumbass?"

For the record, I had not. I had only been trailing about 15 feet of yarn like a dumbass. I had to get TWO Walmart employees to help me, one of which I asked for assistance and the other who FOLLOWED THE TRAIL OF THE MOVING YARN TO SEE WHAT THE HELL WAS GOING ON. This is my life.

I managed to not have any more accidents and Dad came and got me, and we went to the pharmacy to get his medicine. We chatted with Emory Melton, one of the few people I recognize in town these days and I helped find batteries for his hearing aid because the pharmacy was packed! Then we came home and I got on the internet for a while, then I helped make soup, and then we played cards. My sister and I won three games in a row - we were unbeatable! So we stopped to buy lottery tickets on the way home in case our good luck continued. We then learned that you cannot buy lottery tickets after 10 PM in Cassville MO. We are not sure if that was a state law or a gas station rule. I kind of lean toward it being a "the lady in the back didn't want to teach the new girl how to do it" rule, but that's just me. So we bought 4 scratch off tickets instead. Then my sister had to teach me how to play because I had never bought one before (still haven't, as she paid for them) and didn't understand. 4 tickets at $2 each, and they were all a bust except one, where we won the $2 back. No free money for us! :(

December 29:
Met my best friend's mother in town for lunch and caught up with her - she seems much happier than she has been any time I've seen her post-divorce. Then I went to Springfield with my parents and went to Best Buy. I am going to get a new radio for my car, because I am tired of messing with FM transmitters. Oddly enough, replacing the radio is not that much more expensive. Okay, it's 2-3 times more expensive, but has less chance of me dying in a fiery crash because the damn thing went staticky. Coming soon: Free to good home, one FM transmitter. Works well if you do not live in a major metropolitan area. Ugh. Anyway, I selected the radio I wanted only to find out that they couldn't install it that day, so I will have to do it on Friday after I'm home so that I don't miss the sale price. Also, may have talked my dad into getting a wireless router by telling him it would make us all want to hang out at their house when we're home. True, and sad, I know. I miss wifi. I miss internet. But I love my family. Speaking of which, we then went to our annual Birthday/Anniversary Extravaganza at Jimm's (first time at this restaurant - I realize that made it sound like we do this annually at Jimm's but I'm too lazy to fix it.) I was not expecting Jimm's to have two M's. But the food was decent and it was good to see everyone one last time before I have to head home in the morning. I came back to my sister's after saying goodbye to my parents (sniff) and packed everything up. I am definitely leaving with more than I came with! My mom gave me a knife tonight because I commented on how sharp it was when I was slicing veggies at her house. So far, I've nearly stabbed myself in the foot with it; perhaps I should not have sharp things.

December 30:
Driving, driving, more driving. I let the cat out to stretch her legs in Conway and she peed on the car seat. :( It wasn't her fault though; she was trying to use the litter box but just missed. After 13 lovely hours, many of which were filled with yowling cat, we are both happy to be home. And in anticipation of my New Year's resolution (more coming soon!) I have unpacked and put away almost everything. Then I stayed up far too late embracing the marvel of wi-fi. Oh, how I have missed it!



Day 28: This year, in great detail
Day 29: Hopes, dreams and plans for the next 365 days
Day 30: Whatever tickles your fancy

So I didn't work at a cafe today.

I overslept, then I got stressed thinking about how I was going to swing being out and about and having to get myself to a tennis match at 6:30pm. Did I try to get back to the house in time? Did I take clothes with me? And by then it was noon, so instead I just ran to get my dry cleaning and grabbed some lunch and came back to the house.

I am going to go out tomorrow though. I already have my stuff gathered up and in one spot, and a list of cafes to try out. *determined face*

I'm worn out from my match though - it was my first singles match of the fall K-Swiss season. Singles is soooo much more work than doubles! Which is why I wanted to do it, and why I don't actually enjoy it as much. I had a lot of unforced errors, and I spent most of the first set trying to remember singles strategy. I lost, but it was a close game - 6-7, 6-7. However, it took FOREVER. We got there at 6:30, and then had to wait about an hour for a court to become available. And we didn't get done til about 9:45pm. So that was my whole night gone.

Now I'm in that weird place where I haven't eaten dinner, but if I don't eat I'll get hungry just as I go to bed. Plus according to the website I'm using to track my food intake, I am apparently dead even on calories - I've eaten the amount I'm supposed to for the day, but the tennis burned it all off. Maybe I'll have a pudding cup.

Zzzzzzzzz. Sorry, are you still awake. Boring entry is boring. :)

Ok, so all I want to do is read the stuff from bandombigbang, but that is sooooo not gonna fly. As of this moment, I am not allowed (yes, I'm a child and I have to do stuff like this to corral myself) to read another story until I have:

1. Opened all the mail that is lying around my house from the last month. done!
2. Put away said mail.
3. Cleaned the kitchen. done!
4. Completed my work documentation/training invitation. done!

ETA: And on that note, I'm officially calling 3 out of 4 not bad, and I'll pick up with the mail tomorrow. I also managed to make macaroni salad and go to the bank to deposit a couple of checks. *goes off to read*

I have two Amex accounts, one for personal and one for business, and I just realized I sent my payment to the wrong one. Ugh. It's the second time I've done this, so I know I just have to call them and tell them I'm a moron but ugh, ugh, ugh.

I finally got out of the hotel! We got done with work about 6pm, so it was still daylight a little. And everyone assured me it was very safe here, even the corporate reps from the US office. So I ventured out the ten blocks to the city center and did some shopping. I want to go back during the day and take more photos. I got a few things, one in particular I was hoping for - a nice onyx domino set for my dad for Christmas.

I continue to be amazed at the stupid shit I do when I'm out. People talk to me, right? I just have one of those faces that says 'hey, she probably won't tell you to fuck off, you should talk to her.' So I had about five different conversations with different vendors. Not so bad, except. I. Cannot. Shut. My. Mouth. I tell them things like my name, how long I'm in town, where I'm staying. And the second it comes out of my mouth, I think, you moron. Ah well. I made it back safe. Now I'm just waiting for my dinner and wishing my feet didn't hurt so much.

... was pretty awesome!

( In which I ramble on about the Con and Gerard Way )

Pictures are here.

Busy weekend! Flew in from Niagara on Friday, with just enough time to get ready for my friend Hazel's Christmas party. It was fun, met a couple of new people, drank way too much wine and forgot that even the smallest amount of champagne always gives me a headache.

Saturday, I got to have lunch and spend the afternoon with Scott. With his new job and my travel schedule, I haven't gotten to see much of him lately. I still think of him as my roommate, even though we don't live together. I guess he's just my Scott now :D We met up with some of his boyfriend Jon's friends for dinner, before heading off to watch Jon perform in the Atlanta Gay Men's Chorus Christmas special. It was fun - they did a lot of international songs, so lots of stuff I'd never heard before.

And most of today was spent cleaning my house, getting ready to fly out for this week, finishing up holiday-related tasks, etc. I left the house with every intention of having a late lunch and then heading to the airport, only to realize that I didn't have a coat with me. Two weeks in a row that I've forgotten, and I keep getting farther from the house before I realize it. Last week, I was just down the street, this time I was miles away. So had to head back to grab that.

Okay, and thus ends this boring entry! I nearly erased it, because I was boring myself, but I haven't updated in a while, so you're getting it anyway. Um. Go listen to My Chemical Romance on YouTube - watch all their videos (Helena, I'm Not Okay, Ghost of You, Welcome to the Black Parade, I Don't Love You, Famous Last Words, Teenagers) and then listen to Mama incessantly, and you'll have a clearer vision of what I'm doing with my time lately because that's all I'm doing with my time lately. Wot? They are pretty, and they make violently emo music.

Definition of sheer panic:
Realizing you sent your July mortgage payment to Wells Fargo Financial instead of Wells Fargo Home Mortgage.

All is sorted now, mortgage payment sent off to the right place, and refund headed it's way to me from the other place, which is a credit card company that I bought something from in 2002. Sheesh. But everyone was very helpful about the whole thing, and I have now set up reoccuring payments to the right place on my online banking. And cleared out all the payees that I don't use anymore, except the Wells Fargo one - want to make sure I get that check back before I delete the info, then it's going too. Yikes, yikes, yikes.

I had so much to say about my day, but all of that has been eclipsed by realizing that I have arrived at my hotel in Oregon without a pair of dress shoes to go along with all my nice business clothes. Oops.