Changes

This blog stands a very good chance of--at least in the short term--very much more of a rant blog. I've been called on the carpet yet again for poor communication and lack of tact and general 'meanness' at work.

The latest spark was a convoluted series of events including being very understaffed in Technical Services staff this month, an email asking everyone to please hold off on any new projects that will involve T.S., and finding an email last week when I was off-work from the children's librarian announcing a Big New Fucking Project That Totally Involves T.S.

My original email (the topical part of it):
...Can I request that any project-y stuff in Tech Svc that we've been discussing be postponed a bit till we know what we're doing going forward? I'm not even sure what that entails--all I can think of is "Star Wars"--but if you have other stuff...maybe file it for now?

Last Wednesday's email from Children's Librarian (again just the topical part):
[YA Librarian] started weeding J Fiction for me. We are changing our series over to the same style as the Young Adult department. That means all our series books will have labels like this:
J
Author
Series
Book Number
After some thought, I've decided that all of our series will be like this. I'll update you as [YA Librarian] gets farther along.

For clarification, Technical Service is where all the cataloging, labeling, stamps, etc. etc. happens. So all the new stuff coming in will need to be changed. This is a massive project that absolutely changes how we work. It doesn't necessarily mean more work per se, but there are changes that need to be made--and I don't want to spend time redoing a bunch of labels on things that are currently sitting in the back waiting for attention. In fairness, we had discussed this project about a month ago, but were holding off for now.

My reply (the one I sent--not the 3 or 4 I deleted because they were out of line) to the to librarians involved, and my boss:
When was the new labeling decision made? Tech Services absolutely cannot be left out of this process.

The email I then sent just to my boss:
Did you know this decision had been made?? I certainly didn't. And it certainly affects how Tech Services work is done. Frankly, I'm furious. We absolutely cannot add any more work to our process right now per my email last week.

Frankly, this is far from the first time [Children's Librarian] has made decisions that blow our (T.S.'s) work out of the water, and this is the straw that just broke my calm. The last think we need at this point is another unconsidered decision piled on when we are short-staffed and -houred anyway. But she tends to do this and I'm tired of it.

That's all. Good thing I'm at home today.

Reply from the boss:
Did I know? Yes and no. [Children's Librarian] and I talked about doing this, in a theoretical sense, a few months back-- I think you were actually there for some/all of it. And I approved of the switch as something to work toward, since I do think that the labeling system we used in YA is the best way to go with all of our series, regardless of material/location. I did not know they were at the point of moving forward with it, though, no.

However, talking with [Children's and YA Librarians], they assure me that this will have virtually no impact on you or technical services. Which is why they were going ahead with it without consulting you, or me for that matter. I have expressed to [Children's Librarian] the very real and strong need to communicate with me about things like this prior to initiating them, in part to avoid the type of misunderstanding we are having here. In part to make sure there isn't something they are missing in the process. And in part, just to be respectful of her coworkers. She gets that. She apologized for blindsiding us.

For now, I have given [YA Librarian] the green light to keep working on the prep stuff-- getting some of the series together, figuring out what the labels will be and the like-- while holding off on tweaking the [database] entries until you have a chance to review what they plan on doing and weigh in on the discussion. If, in fact, this has virtually no impact on "you and yourn", I have no problem with the project proceeding. If there is more impact than they realized, we will put a hold on it until things have settled out on the staffing side, particularly in your area.

I replied to him with this:
Yes, I was there for the 'theoretical' discussion awhile back. I knew it was coming. And that is precisely why I sent the email last week saying something to the effect of "no no projects." Apparently, that's not clear enough. And to start it up while I'm gone, which at least LOOKS like she waited for me to not be available to question her.

The immediate effects of starting to work on this right now have more to do with the fact that if we get new series books in, I'd prefer not to relabel them. So, having a look over [the processing] carts--and mine--and pulling off series titles would be helpful in that regard. Also, shifting the way I look at the kids' books as they come through going forward. [Tech Service staff] need to be up to speed on what the labels will look like. We haven't even had a discussion of this type! "Virtually no impact" my left elbow! What do they think we do all day?

Also, from a purely financial point of view, we'll need to stock up on labels again. They do cost money, along with the label covers.

I'm just gobsmacked that there's this complete lack of empathy, awareness, however you look at it....amazing.

So that's where it sat. I posted something on Facebook about not liking it when I get blindsided, ignored, and mentioned the apparent "wait till Cat. isn't here to start mixing things up" thing. I worked with the Children's Librarian on Sunday. She said nothing apologetic to me at all, so I didn't bring up the topic.

The boss's intro to my (one-month late midyear) review was, "So how do you feel about your communications last week about this issue?" [hackles rising, I look for a trap] "I thought it was pretty calm, considering what I didn't send!" He then pulls out these words as clubs: "over-reaction", "paranoid", "defensive", "hurtful comments", "poor communication skills", "angry." He suggested enlisting our Employee Assistance Program to get therapy. He told me that it might actually be easier if I was just angry all the time instead of "everyone" not knowing when I was going to "overreact" to something. Mind you, not one specific example of "over-reaction" and "paranoia" prior to this mare's nest was mentioned, not one concrete option beyond the EAP was suggested (I've been in therapy that started with EAP over two years ago, I just changed and upped the amount of anti-depressants I take daily, and I go to two Al-Anon meetings a week, which I told him after his suggestion of therapy). I asked him three times, "What, specifically, do you want me to change? I am doing my best to not discuss anything not work-related with people here. I'm not gossiping. I'm not 'yelling' at people for being noisy in the workroom. I try to keep up on changes that are made every 10 seconds without communication. I'm doing my best. WHAT DO YOU WANT ME TO DO?"

Apparently someone showed him what I posted on Facebook--he's not on my usual distrib list because this sort of BS has come up in the past about my opinions about City stuff. My Facebook post "makes the library look bad." O--Kayyy. I came home that night and put everyone I work with except two people into "Acquaintance-Land" on Facebook so they will see what the Boss sees now, i.e. not much. He asked if I would apologize for that post on Facebook, and my reply was, "Sure, but I'm not instigating it, because I didn't stir this up to start with." In other words, I'll apologize when I receive one. Still nothing from the Children's Librarian.

As stunned as I was after the original email from her, I am flabbergasted that he can't seem to understand that there are two different games being played here. If I have a problem with someone on staff, or rather with something someone is doing, I talk to them. I do not, ever, run up to his office and whine and complain about how horrible that person is. I actually truly like the people I work with, all of them, and I think they're all good people working toward the same goals. Yes, I vent to him occasionally--that's what those emails to him alone were, venting--but I never, EVER expect him to act on the venting. I've told him that multiple times. It's a point of pride that I don't go up the ladder till I've exhausted my own resources in problem-solving. And it pisses me off no end that apparently other people do, and he listens to them, and gets himself involved in solving the problem.

### Break ###

OK, I needed to get this vented. It kept me awake for a couple (more) hours last night and I need to drop it and focus on work on Monday. And on having a good post-Christmas weekend, too.

Going forward, my plan is to continue the work-only communication, my counting-to-ten (or thiry-four-hundred) every time I feel my blood pressure rising, removing myself from situations that are "not my circus, not my monkeys," not gossiping. Ultimately, what the boss wants is for me to treat my coworkers like I treat the library patrons. Since I'm cordial and impersonal with them, that's where I'm headed with coworkers. Totally unsatisfying, but if that's what he wants, that's what he gets. As I told Beast, my new MO upon walking into work is "Showtime!" This is how I've approached work on days I knew were going to be particularly hectic--i.e. Sundays--but now I guess I'm just going to be "always on."

Family day

Prior to the arrival of the visitors, someone fell asleep on the couch.

As you can tell in the background, we have mostly moved EVERYTHING out of the living room except the big pieces of furniture.

Then Katherine, Alan, and E arrived.

E likes our ceiling fan. A whole lot of like. Pretty much like god-worship. He looooooooves it. He got a tour of the rest of the fans in the house too, but this is the big winner for him. He's adorbs. Just simply adorable.

Beast is helping put shoes on before the departure. They got along famously. Really well. E is at the age of "never met a stranger" and that's a blast. I got lots of cuddles and read 5 books to him. Even Sparky got cuddles:

Yes, that's my idiot son holding someone his mental age. Seriously, he does love kids, although he tries hard not to let anyone know. He might make a decent dad someday. E cracked him up today, several times to the point of Sparky's breathing being seriously inhibited.


Now, we've gotten the dining room emptied. The living room stuff, I guess, will go tonight or maybe tomorrow morning? I'm not sure what the details of the plan are. Beast is leaving for Michigan after the construction guys get here tomorrow. Sparky will be GCing since I have to work.

We got a call about an hour ago from Del saying he's got water seeping into his house (in Dallas), so he's postponing his trip here this week. He needs to get his son (Ham) over to help install a French drain; I have the sense that he's screwed up his back working on rehabbing one of his bathrooms this past week, so the drain installation is beyond him. Anyway, he won't be here till later next week.

Curve Ball

So, this week I start back at work. I was at my desk for a couple of hours today, just making sure it's fairly clear. My plan for tomorrow is to at least double that and focus on cataloging for as long as I can. I absolutely have to talk to my boss--whether he wants to talk to me is undetermined. I'm irritated with him. Can you tell?

This weekend absolutely did not go as planned. Beast fell in the bathroom very early Saturday morning at some point and broke the handle in

Our former shower handle

the shower off -- among other things that were disarranged -- which then sprayed water all over the bathroom for I-don't-know-how-long. When I finally woke up and heard Beast moaning and got up to find him, the water had leaked through the floor and dumbed at least an inch in the dining room, which then leaked through the floor joists into the basement. Fortunately, we have plastic covers on the dining room table and pool table. But a lot of stuff got wet.

Shower handprints

And Beast took the 911 taxi to get sorted out at the hospital. No permanent damage, but lots of facial bruising and a solid smack on the ribs where he separated them playing football 30 years ago.

He's sore. I'm ... all over the map. Still sore on my throat but the dermabond, a.k.a. Superglue, is almost completely gone.

Emotionally, I think Beast and I are all over the map, though. Angry, sad, frantic, glad nothing worse happened, tired, anxious.

It definitely was not my favorite Valentine's Day, for sure.

Living room ceiling

Dining room ceiling

Sparky did come home for the day, which was excellent. We took him out for dinner at a semi-nice place, and it was good to listen to him talk and talk and talk about life. His birthday was the day before I had surgery. My little boy is almost the age I was when I got married. Hard to believe.

Holidailies

12-22 -
Show us your favorite holiday decorations.

I don't usually do photo posts, but I did take a few pictures for this one. Sparky refused to let me take his picture in spite of sitting on the couch next to me wearing a Santa hat. So aside from that....here are four things that mean Christmas to me:

Santa, as painted on porcelain-ware about 40 years ago by my sister Ellen.

"The Beginning of the Birds"--a gift received from a former coworker of Beast over 25 years ago. It's about the size of my fist and made of china.

As far as Beast is concerned, Christmas can't happen unless this candle is burning as we open our presents. It's a German tradition, and this is a German Christmas candle which has burned for about an hour every year for the past 27 Christmases, a gift from FIL and MIL for Beast's and my first Christmas together.

Our crèche. The "stable" is from another set, but I painted all the porcelain-ware figures in 1994.
No Jesus yet--he will arrive overnight on Christmas Eve.

We only put up about half the decorations and ornaments this year. We could probably start a shop with all the stuff still packed up... sigh

What I Did On My Summer Vacation

Beast and I spent Thursday and Friday nights in the City of the Big Shoulders, the Big Onion, That Toddlin' Town... because Friday was our 27th wedding anniversary. Although we've been inside The Loop dozens of times, there are a lot of touristy things that we haven't ever gotten around to. We did some of them, and there are still a kazillion more. Oh, well, we'll just have to schedule another trip.

To start out our weekend, Sparky came home for the holiday on Wednesday afternoon while I was at work. We had our Fourth of July cookout food that night--cheddar brats and curly chips--and sat around the living room on our individual laptops watching...something...on TV.

Late the next morning, after multiple directives to the boy, Beast and I hit the road. Traffic was startlingly nonexistent considering it was a holiday. We got to our semi-posh just off the Mag Mile hotel in record time and because Beast has frequent usage points with the chain, we were upgraded to a corner suite. Which would have been 100% awesome if it had been east-facing so we could see the lakefront without craning our necks with our cheeks pressed up against the window. As it was, it was a mere 90% awesome: leather sofa, zebra-striped comfy chair, big desk and TV in the 'living room' and another big TV and large changing area in the 'bedroom' with windows everywhere. Posh indeed.

Naturally, I noted the weirdest possible thing first about our view. A friend of mine called it "urban ranching" when she saw the photo to the right. Those are cows, formerly of the Cows on Parade display a few years decade-and-a-half ago.

So, released from our luggage, we headed out to walk Michigan Avenue. The only times we've been along here in the past is in December, usually managing to pick the coldest, windiest days to be outside. So this was a whole lot nicer. We wandered up past the Water Tower, passing several homeless people with hand-lettered signs and paper cups for donations. After passing about four of them in 6-8 blocks, we realized that all the signs had the same handwriting. I'm not sure what's going on with that, but I feel for these (mostly Muslim women) people. Especially as they sat mere yards from articles of clothing or technology costing enough to feed someone for several weeks. This is not part of traveling that is comforting or comfortable.

Michigan Ave. was nuts with people window-shopping and taking pictures and generally being everywhere, so we zig-zagged over to Rush street and ended up at McCormick & Schmick's where we had a mid-afternoon snack and a drink. I had bacon-and-jalapeno-wrapped shrimp on a bed of corn salsa, and holy God it was amazing. While we sat there, a valet from around the corner pulled up in a Lamborghini and parked it on the curb outside our window. It was fun for me to watch people walking toward it and seeing their faces when they spotted the car. Lots of stares, and a few people pulled over in their cars to take pictures including one dad who got his daughter out of her car seat to have her picture taken. The valet arrived back to reclaim the car at that point and let the little girl (and her brother) get inside and be photographed INSIDE the car. That's when Beast got actively jealous, I think.

Post snack, we wandered back towards our hotel, people-watching and window-shopping. I loved this store's window and interior displays. This is just about 2/3 of all the sewing machines on display! I also liked the "Spitalfields" reference, and "Jack's Place." You Ripper-ologists might get the connection. Or maybe I'm just weird. ;-)


At some point I realized that wearing flip-flops for this trip was a really stupid idea, and my feet began to concur (loudly). We straggled back to the hotel and relaxed for a couple of hours while we debated placed to eat dinner. We ended up in the Elephant and Castle, which was NOT the best choice as it turned out. My roast beef was delicious and the green beans were perfectly cooked. Beast's shepherd's pie was only warm when served and immediately upon finishing it, he said he was pretty sure it was a bad idea. Best part overall were the signs on the walls.

The crowd by this point was getting pretty thick outside with all the people headed to the lakefront for fireworks viewing. We were staying about 4 blocks from Navy Pier where they are launched, but neither of us felt particularly comfortable in the crowd for several reasons, so we retreated to our hotel room and listened to the booms while watching the show on TV. Yes, we suck. We also realized at about this point that perhaps a hotel a block from the Northwestern Hospital ER didn't bode well for a quiet night. This is the sort of situation for which earplugs are designed, however, so I slept blissfully till about 9:30 Friday morning.

That long sleep meant one thing: PIZZA FOR BREAKFAST! We were yards from the original Gino's East Pizza, and had noticed immense lines the day before. We got over there at 10:55 and were about the 10th group in line for opening at 11. I could eat Gino's deep-dish pizza's every day. In fact, I could eat their crusts alone for every meal. So incredibly good. The waitress was stellar, the drinks were more booze than mixer, and reading the graffiti was as fun as usual. By the time we left, the place was jammed and the line was 50 feet down the block.

Fortified by Chicago-style pizza, we headed south toward the river and then Millennium Park. We passed more stores, more beggars, more people, more odd smells, crossed the river and headed right for the Bean. Naturally, we took our pictures, which won't be posted here, but here's a sort of vertiginous shot of Several Big Tall Buildings instead. The tall building in the back center is Trump Tower, the latest of the 'scrapers.

After (FINALLY) seeing and being seen by the Bean, we scooted over to the Crown Fountain pillars, where all the kids in the universe were splashing and yelling and generally having a great time. Seriously, it was fun to just sit and watch them and know that we didn't have to worry about keeping track of anyone. Then there was this little guy, who had just had it for the day:

This was about the point when my feet, in their flip-flops, started to get very annoyed. However, we plodded along another 5 blocks to the Harold Washington Library Center, because...do I have to explain how embarrassing it is that I hadn't been here ever?? Naturally, we found the doors leading directly into the teen media area which blew my mind with joy. After asking directions, we found our way to the "regular library" which was ... sigh ... just spectacular.

We found a table to sit at on (I think) the 3rd floor and sat trying to get cooled off. One of the best things about libraries is the free wi-fi: we scoped out the CTA site and discovered a bus that would drop us back 2 blocks from our hotel in air-conditioned comfort for a mere $2.25. Once I knew I didn't have a 40-minute walk ahead of me, I perked right up and we wandered a bit more before heading across the street to the bus stop. We ended up seated across from a couple from Sheffield, England, on holiday here. The wife went to uni in the town where my sister and her family lived, on a campus in the village where my sister is buried, so that was all quite weird. We helped them get sorted out for their next activity and discussed their baseball outing planned for the next day.

Upon arriving back at the hotel, I crawled under the covers for a quick nap (the room was Siberia-temperature) and literally crashed for nearly 90 minutes. Beast woke me up so I could get changed into slightly dressier clothes--and higher heels, also unsuitable for walking long distances--and we headed to the Hancock Center for dinner in the Signature Room. Now, we had on a previous trip already paid to go to the observatory to see the view, but it was very fun this time to tell the doormen -woman and -man that we had reservations and essentially get to cut everyone in line and stand by the elevators without waiting for 45 minutes. :-)

Dinner was astounding. Stellar service, good food--I was still stuffed with pizza though, so I could barely eat--and amazing eavesdropping and people-watching. And the view:

I managed to make our waiter burst out in a loud guffaw at one point toward the end of the meal, something I suspect is unusual. I mean, this is a place where the waiter puts your napkin on your lap for you. Quite hoity-toity (and expensive--we won't be returning for another 27 years, probably). And then in the elevator down we got into a rather hysterical conversation with the elevator operator which apparently caused the rest of the people in the car to giggle. I was too busy laughing at him telling Beast he was robbing the cradle, that I couldn't be more than 19 years old. WTH--I was old enough to be this guy's mother...ROFL.

And then we walked, or rather waddled, back to our room and crashed, feet up on the coffee table, and watched Fast & Loud, which I'm sorry to say I have started to pay attention to. I mean, they are SO Texan it's hard NOT to watch. But I loathe that beard...

Next morning, it was Beast's turn to sleep in till I woke him so we could check out and head home. It was a great couple of days.

Upon returning home, Sparky had already left to get back to campus for some Big Thing Saturday night, so we arrived at an empty-but-for-the-guinea-pigs house. The a/c came on while we were getting the last of the things out of the car ... and sounded like a plane was taking off. Beast took a look and eventually found that the housing (?) that holds the fan on the motor had broken so the fan was crashing into the walls of the unit as it spun. The cooling part and the motor are all fine, so he jury-rigged a fix to get us through till Monday when it won't cost body parts and internal organs to have someone come fix it. Or, actually, I think the plan now is that he'll go to the nearest wholesale warehouse for Lennox parts and buy replacement parts. In any case, he spent his first 5 hours home yesterday doing that and he's been outside all afternoon today doing yardwork. I've been...doing this.... Allergy season sucks.

But now I'm done with this, so perhaps I'll start working on dinner and then clean the pigs' cage. Giddyup.

Blog Challenge

Guess what: I'm behind again. I do have a good excuse for missing yesterday, though: I was at work for 12 hours (8 for work, 1 for a meal break, 3 staffing the Scholastic Book Fair we host every year for a large local Christmas charity. So I got home last night at 9:30 and helped Beast take apart the TV area in the living room so I could take our Wii and accoutrements to work with me today. I was in bed by 10 or so, didn't sleep great, and was awake at 5:30 for Bible Study, then directly to work at 8.

So yesterday at some point I was suppose to Put [My Nonexistent] iPod on Shuffle and Write 10 Songs That Pop Up. Since I don't have an iPod, and I haven't used my MP3 player in several years, I'm just going to shuffle my Spotify Stars:

1. Ackee 1-2-3 -- The English Beat. I adore this song! It was played pretty much every time I had a radio show in college. I own the album and hadn't listened to it in a decade, at least not until I dug it up on Spotify.
2. Only You -- The Platters. Nothing like a little dreamboat teenaged slow-dance music....
3. So High -- John Legend. ...unless it's a sexy mature slow-jam.
4. Family -- TobyMac. From his latest album. I haven't heard this a million times, but the first time I heard it, it went right onto the starred list.
5. Ben (Akon Mix) -- Michael Jackson [and Akon]. This song makes me tear up, but this mix is less syrupy.
6. 928 Horn Jam -- Trombone Shorty. If you love trombones the way I love trombones, you'll love this song. Or, really, almost anything by Shorty.
7. White Rabbit -- Patti Smith. Yup, this is "that song" but not the Grace Slick version. Patti Smith has (had anyway) a really wonderful voice.
8. Waka Waka (This Time for Africa) -- Shakira. Yeah, just a silly, sing-along song...
9. Club Can't Handle Me -- Flo Rida feat. David Guetta. ...or two, though this is more of a brainless dance-along song.
10. Fuck You -- Cee Lo. Well, they did ask for ten, which I interpreted as the first ten that came up. ;-)

Today I was supposed to Bullet [My] Whole Day. I'll try to do it from memory.

• I guess technically that waking up at 2 means that's part of today, right. Dreaming about badly needing to pee means waking up on the run to the bathroom. Then Beast is (oddly) a little snorey. And I just can't get settled, so I come downstairs and work on a kakuro, till I get a little more sleepy.
• The alarm goes off at 5:30--ugh! One snooze...
• ...and I hit the snooze again and then slug my pillow in an attempt to push myself out of bed. After a couple of minutes, I turn off the alarm, and plod to the bathroom.
• Shower, hair, clothes, earrings, meds, find the other flip-flop
• Downstairs: look for phone, look for work keys, remember they're in the car, grab Wii bag.
• Plug phone into car charger, make sure I have my wallet, turn on the CD player for more Cry, the Beloved Country, pull out of the driveway at 6:20
• Hit the restaurant, get settled, order breakfast, and spend an hour untangling Luke 7:36-50 while eating and drinking two glasses of diet Coke
• Pay, head back to the car, drive to work, arriving at about 8:05
• Prep two book orders, and one media order and send those in. Listen to a coworker rabbit on and try to ignore her or at least not get riled.
• Firefight various things, including random emails.
• Find out that our local self-appointed Community News Dude has reported the Book Fair to the Fire Marshall for blocking the exit of the library. Because why say something to us when he was here Monday when the book fair was set up? He's a tiny little dick with a Jesus complex.
• Realize my throat is killing me, and my back/shoulders are sore as hell.
• Whinge via IM with Beast about above.
• Catalog all the demand stuff that magically appears on my desk, and a few other things.
• Stand around while our IT guy upgrades my Adobe license
• Take two Tylenol.
• Do an hour penance, er, yeah, in the children's room.
• Lunch with Beast at 6 Balls.
• Back to work, feeling less crappy.
• Kill off some order records that Baker&Taylor has cancelled.
• Put away the review journals I was using yesterday.
• Find out if we are keeping the second large-type copy of a Nora Roberts book (cheaper to keep than return at this point).
• Start watching the weather radar.
• Go through the July Bookletters titles to see what we own. Separate the ones we don't have and order them {SHIT--I just realized I only ordered part of them...dammit!!} after confirming with the woman who usually does those orders that she's ok with me doing it. Which is why I screwed up: I've never done one of them, and I was too excited to do it right. :-\
• Crawl into the online weather radar and start panicking about the drive home from work. Also commence worrying that Sparky may also have scary weather--this is one BIG-FUCKING-STORM--and text him.
• I'm sure there were some other random things I did over the course of the day at work, but in the end I left at 5:40 to beat the weather home.
• Once I arrive, I join Beast in the basement, till we both start dozing off to the dulcet tones of The Weather Channel and the weather has cleared.
• Upstairs. Facebook. Dinner. TV.
• Round Two of the storm whizzes through in 10 minutes, with hurricane-level winds and horizontal rain, and some hail before leaving us in its wake.
• I'm going to bed soon, even though it is currently 8:15. I'm way zonked.

A hurricane in a pear tree.
Five minutes earlier, there was no wind, no rain, and bright skies.
Five minutes later, there was a nice breeze, no rain, and brightening skies.

This made me laugh out loud for real

Why public restrooms can be horrible:

Also, what happens in my house as "panel 5" involves mutilation of people's bodies. It only happens once; it's memorable. :D

Randomosity

Online reading...lotsa.  Note for later.

I've been getting a lot of email for the wrong person at my gmail account. This happens fairly regularly, but it's gotten pretty nut lately. I've given up on "nice" and I'm now going to post their stuff here. Hey, they sent it to the wrong person, right? It's mine now!

[3 dozen people including] ...@gmail.com
date Wed, Jul 14, 2010 at 02:20
subject west hills church youth choir needs a name!
mailed-by ...yahoo.com
Hello everyone!

I pray that all is well. Children are having lots of fun and progressing smoothly. Last Sunday, they were tested one by one by the conductor to see how much they memorized the song. They will be performing this song in October. Sun... was very pleased and proud of all the kids! Please continue to encourage your children to keep up the good work!

Dear parents, our choir needs a name!
Can you all contribute with a possible name? We will narrow it down to 3 best names and present it to the head pastor to make the final decision. Whoever has a good name, please submit it by the 25th of July.

We are planning a meeting for the parents sometime in August. Information will be sent out as soon as possible.

Thank you for your support and prayers!
God bless you!

..., Pharm. D.

...@gmail.com
date Mon, Jul 12, 2010 at 18:08
subject Redbox Receipt for 70#####26
from ...@redboxdvd.net
Thank you for using redbox! The receipt below is for your first night's rental. If you keep your rented disc(s) for any additional nights, redbox will process those charges after all disc(s) have been returned. If you return your rented disc(s) by 9:00 PM tomorrow, you won't receive any additional charges and this will be your final receipt.

Please keep this receipt for your records.

Billed To: PSALM23@GMAIL.COM
Transaction ID: 704580126
Invoice #: 6527####2KJV2HET
Receipt Date: 7/12/2010 7:06:40 PM
Order Total: 1.06
Payment Card: Visa....####
Redbox Location: Royal Farms (see available movies)
4015 N Point Rd
Dundalk, MD 21222-3621 [several states away from me]
Title Barcode Transaction Amount
Love Happens 095889441 Rental $1.00

Subtotal: 1.00
Promo Savings: 0.00
Rent it online to guarantee it's there: www.redbox.com Adjusted Subtotal: 1.00
Tax: 0.06
Total Charge: 1.06

...@gmail.com
date Wed, Jul 14, 2010 at 08:11
subject Welcome to redbox!
mailed-by ....e.redbox.com
Thanks for signing up!

Now you'll receive the latest and greatest information about weekly new releases and upcoming promotions. By signing up, you also will receive your rental receipts, so you can keep track of all of your redbox rentals. Go online at redbox.com to reserve your DVD, then pick it up at a redbox near you.

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...@gmail.com
date Wed, Jul 21, 2010 at 18:46
subject Quill
mailed-by ...montcalm.edu
Hi Angie
Are the handi-bag black trash liner to be charged to janitorial supplies?

Is everything else office?

...@gmail.com
date Thu, Jul 22, 2010 at 09:19
subject Your Catherines statement is ready
mailed-by ...alldata.bfi0.com
Dear Susan...,

Your Catherines Credit Card billing statement is now available.

To access your statement and contact us regarding your account, click here to access the Catherines Credit Card web site. Enter your User ID and Password, then click LOG IN. Click on the Statements link located on the left side of your screen, and your current billing statement information will display.

Thank you for shopping Catherines!

PLUS (pun intended)

...@gmail.com
date Mon, Jul 26, 2010 at 03:35
subject Welcome to Catherines! Here's $50 to shop.
mailed-by ...info.catherines.com
Receive $20 off your purchase of $50 or more, $30 off your purchase of $75 or more or $50 off your purchase of $125 or more. Offer valid online until 11:59 P.M. PT on 8/6/10 and in stores until closing on 8/6/10. Excludes clearance and markdown items, Perfect Price items and Spanx(R) products. Redeemable one time only. Cannot be combined with any other coupon or used toward past purchases, layaways, credit card payments, Gift Cards or Perks memberships. Valid on in-stock merchandise only. Qualifying purchase is determined after discounts and before taxes, shipping and handling. Present coupon (or enter promotion code) at checkout.

You've received this message because you asked to receive Catherines offers via email. ... This email may be considered an advertising or promotional message.

...@gmail.com
date Fri, Jul 30, 2010 at 09:06
subject 1073rd
from ...@greenv....org
Great News!!!!
The 1##3rd are arriving tomorrow morning!!! Just spoke to Chief H.... Buses will arrive approx 10:00am. Driving in on M-57, North on Lur@y, West on C@ss to the Armory on H!llcr#st. (Basically going around Veteran's Park). If you also want to visit the returning soldiers at the Armory, they will open the gate for parking at the fairgrounds. Come out and welcome our soldiers HOME!!!!

We are in need of small flags to hand out, if you can donate or know of someone/some place that can please give us a call at the Chamber ###-####.

Thank you!
Dani

Greenv... Chamber of Commerce

Yeah, people need to be a little less stupid about their email addy, eh?

I love this door.

And I want this as my birthday cake...someday:

REALLY?!

Miscellany

A headline from a nearby paper that I read on occasion; I have kept saved for weeks in my RSS feeds because it makes me laugh EVERY time I see it:

Woman falls out third-story window, found on neighbor's couch

She was fine when found. Just drunk. Surprise, surprise.

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Speaking of which, Sparky informed us there was a WHOLE LOT of drinkin' going on in Germany, among both the American and the German teens. He is appalled. APPALLED! His appalledness makes me roll my eyes and snort.

Wait till college, hon, just wait!

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Pics from our vacation:

Because one really has to stop here when you see this sign, no? I didn't go in; Beast did. I stayed outside and took pictures, because I just oculdn't handle the schlock value. Beast was impressed. I'll bet they have good bathrooms.

Windmill farms have sprung up all across the plains, which is wonderful. However, you can't deny how spooky they are on the horizon.

This is scenery I grew up seeing as a child as we meandered around Wyoming and Colorado. This donkey is in Kansas, but otherwise it looks completely the same as the hundreds of others I've seen.

This is the view driving from Kansas to Colorado Springs. The road waaaaaay off in the distance is about 20 miles away, and still another 20 miles from the Spgs. Bor.Ring.Dri.Ving.

The Beaumont (duh) in Ouray. Our room was the third window from the left, where the curtain is open a bit. I can't imagine there's a boring or bad room in this place. And yes, the street is that steep. lol

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I played hooky from work today, staying home to cull through the pages of "Cookery" changes that need to be made in our catalog while watching NCIS reruns on the USA Network. I made it halfway through in checking (not fixing)...in four hours. I may dream about "Cookery (Tofu)" and "Cookery, Acadian" tonight. Gibbs as a gourmet cook? Ducky making foie gras?

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Germany is out of the Cup race, but I'm kind of secretly glad that Spain is in. I don't know why, and don't tell Sparky; he's bummed that Germany lost.

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And I'm going to bed.

I want a T-Shirt

(or maybe a tattoo)

...using this image:

So proud

My son has hair!I think this was in Physics, something about Tesla coils or something. He was really really mental after school the day they did this.

h/t Alyssa

My son ROX!

"Whiplash" (Metallica)
He TOTALLY has the heavy-metal slouch thing going for him... Guitar Hero is his addiction of choice. Meanwhile, I'm ROFLing (in my head), but also appreciating how much time he's put in to be able to do this without any "clonks" in the middle of the 'tune'.

He asked his English teacher to read over the first page of one of his completed short stories--which he writes on his own time, and has done so for over 5 years. The page with comments is on the kitchen counter, and it is GOOD! Perhaps he'll let me publish it here. I'll ask.

Definitely telling him about NaNoWriMo. Can't believe I never thought of that!! Duh.