Card Carrying Member...

It is official I am old.

I got home yesterday evening and after catching up with he BF, petting the dog and cuddling the cat I went to look over the mail that arrived over the past day. Then I saw it....I double checked to see if it was send to the correct address and name or was it a mistake. Nope it had my full name and my correct new address.. There it was, I ran to show it to the BF who laughed (and pointed, I am pretty sure he pointed). I called my parents (to let them know I arrived safe and sound) and told them about this offending piece of mail. Both of them laughed (and I am pretty sure pointed as well)

It was a letter from the AARP asking if I want to subscribe to their magazine with my temporary AARP card! Yep this AARP.

I am going to be 32 years old, is that the age that qualifies you as a "retired" person. Should I just pack up my life and move to Boca, start eating dinner at 3 pm, complain about when there were wooden nickels and wear socks with sandals?

I was telling my mom this and she welcomes me to the club and says "well, I am only 39"!

I know that they say that 40 is the new 20, but is 30 the new 65?

I will give them a stamp!

I have sufficiently calmed down to regale you with a tale of my intense dislike for one post office.

Our door buzzer is not working and as such, the mail carrier can't enter our building to delivery our mail. This has been a problem for about a week. So they have put a note saying as much and that they are holding the mail. (I will get to that point in a second). Well they delivered some mail on Friday because someone buzzed them in. But they did not deliver all the mail (I will get to that point too).

The bf has (had) contacted the developer who has in vain tried to get the electrician over to fix the buzzer. They are making every effort to get it corrected.

In the meantime, today is June 30, which if you live in Chicago, means that you have to have your car city sticker in place by tomorrow. So about 2 weeks ago I went on line to order and pay for the sticker. I need this sticker otherwise they will issue tickets. So I rang the local post office and was told that:

a-they have tried to ring the bell but nobody was home....duh most of the residents in the building work
b-that we CAN'T pick up our mail because it is against policy. Only if you have a PO box or a vacation hold can you pick up your mail.. If they allow ME to pick up MY mail then we won't be getting it fixed and they can't be holding our mail. but after 10 days they return it to sender!
Also how do they know that my neighbors won't be wanting to do the same thing. I mean after all it is OUR mail.
c-When they delivered the mail on Friday it was just that day's mail not the back log because it is too heavy for them So once they are satisfied that it is fixed then they will deliver the rest.

Classy huh? Holding mail hostage.

Well after 20 minutes, speaking with three people my patience was wearing transparently thin. I have names and I was told by a manager that even though it is against policy that I can pick up my mail.

Granted I would like to glance at my mags but more importantly I need that damn sticker.

Update-So I got to the post office at 4:50 and left at 5:30, the line was out the door and they had the slowest people working there. But I got our mail after the wait and the name dropping. Ironically I was told that I could not pick up the mail that was addressed to my bf but in the bundle that they gave me was his mail too. Oh and the buzzer is fixed.

Klutz!

I have been developing this very nasty habit of falling and scrapping my left knee.

A few weeks ago I slipped and fell in mud no less and last night the BF and I broke a chair when I was hugging him. He feel backwards ( and is bruse free). I fell and landed on the same knee and re-opening the same wound.

Gravity does not like me!

Weekend warrior princess

Moving is not fun. This weekend we spent a good portion of time at the old apartment cleaning, throwing out garbage and packing the car with the random things we left behind. Since we lived on the third floor it was a lot of stair climbing. We had so much to do that it physically and mentally wore me out. Then we got to the condo and there are mounds of boxes left to be unpacked. Only one was unpacked!

Yesterday, we went to the BF's niece's 5th birthday and there is nothing like about 15 sugar fueled kids who descend on the gifts like sharks to chum. It was a frenzy. Of course the man who married my BF's sister (the BF does not like to call him his brother in law for many justifiable reasons) made an obnoxious comment to me that in essence told me that he will remember my name when there is a ring on my finger. He has this habit of calling me Christine and does not see a problem with it. I was so pissed with his comment because the BF and I have been together for almost 2 years, we purchased a home for us, we don't owe him any explanations and he is an ass hole. I know that it is coming but we are stuck together because we want to be and one day we'll make it legal.

I should have told him what the BF tells people when they ask about "the ring"...I have to wait for the divorce to be final and break it off with the mistress.

That would have shut him up!

Oh and doing the laundry with a fake diamond tiara is really cool!

Ready to run

I am burned out of the biz! Now that I finished my MBA, I am "supposedly" more marketable and I should have people who want me to work for them. But I know that sprinkling pixie dust does not exist and I have to start to aggressively look for a job.

I am tired of the same ole same ole at the job. I have encountered each problem over and over, I have survived one joint venture and one acquisition. I was told that I would be very valuable and I was wanted...but I have not moved position wise....I am doing the same thing I was doing when I started 7 years ago. Granted I make more than I did back then but, I am on auto pilot.

Plus after dealing with the sales rep from hell (AKA Cousin it) I am really sick and tired of stupid lazy and annoying sales reps. I am tired of it all...

So now I got to make the degree work for me!

I should be home today

I had today scheduled as a vacation day but, I had to give it up because of the funeral last week and as selfish as this sounds I want my day! I planned for this day since August and have been looking forward to it. I had things that I wanted to do at home without any pressure. I wanted to clean up and update my resume! I wanted to go to the gym

Instead I am here at work, cranky and tired and pissed off that I had to get up to come in today.

I just need a "me" day....

Bongos, a baseball bat and two pineapples

Well this weekend for class no less, we went to Swap-O-Rama.

What is Swap O Rama you ask, well it is this huge flea market. In fact there are three in Chicago land and they are huge. We went there for my negations class. We (my team and the BF came because it was not in the safest of areas) had to spend ten dollars and not pay full price. So i started off and got a baseball bat that the BF wanted for $3.00, then we as a team were on this musical theme, got the bongos for $2.00 and two pineapples for $5.00. So then we had to each lug our purchases back to school and discuss.

I got the weirdest looks on the EL heading home...I wonder why!

Magic number...6

Just six weeks to go and then my classes are over. It is killing me, it sucks for me to go to school on Saturday. It is a long day form 7-5 (commute plus class) nad I am really tired. On Sunday it is a mad dash to get all my errands done. Yesterday I have a list of 5; Sephora (check), Visit BF dad (check), Ikea (chek minue...we went to get a book shelf and decided when we were there to not get it beause we did not know exaclty where it would go), look at cats (nope) and work on paper (nope).

Not to mention that during the week we try to get some things like grocery and the rest of the errands that we did not get done over the weekend completed. On top of a full work day and for me homework!

So 6 more classes...I hope I make it!

It costs WHAT?

So I got my new benefits package from the new company yesterday and promptly burst in to tears. I can't believe how fregging expensive they all are, we get to pick from 4 plans one being an HMO and the other three PPOs. I was floored at their costs, one benefit to my previous employer was that they picked a national health care and were able to supplement most of the costs. Not my new one, even with the cheapest bare bones insurance I will be making less....that is right LESS than I did last year.

Is it too late to reconsider this whole prospect?

I am absolutely amazed at how much health care is in America. I am all for socialized medicine like in France, Canada and the UK. Where the government subsidizes that cost of medical care. The reason why prescription drugs are so dirt cheap in Canada as compared to the US is because the government subsidizes the pharmacies so that the cost savings can be passed on to their citizens. That will never happen here, look at medicare and Medicaid. With the new changes in the legislation so many elderly and poverty stricken Americans are struggling to make ends meet. A few months back, NPR had a story about that and they interviewed this elderly woman (I believe that she was in her 80s) saying how she is cutting her medicine in half so that she can afford to eat each month.

It is sicking but, wait....I can't afford to get sick!

I despise the USPS

Ok one more post, I despise the USPS and UPS for that matter but that is more of a work related rant!

I ordered the BF Christmas gift over a week and as of yesterday it still has not arrived. I spoke to the sender the other day who told me that they mailed it and if I don't have it by today to give them a call. She commiserated with me because the same thing is happening to her, she said that in her experience the USPS in the Chicago land region are the worst! No kidding!

I know that it is the "busy season" but at the same time, I ordered it thinking that I would have plenty of time and now, it is late. I feel really bad and the BF says that it is okay but I just would like to give him his gifts before I leave.

Also did you know that it is illegal for your post person to accept any monetary gifts for the holiday. They are technically allowed to accept gifts (preferably perishable) less than $20.00. However, I sincerely doubt they report any extra tips along the way. Well maybe that explains the delay as it is Chicago! No government agency works without a little "gift" or promise of a big gift.

Regardless, this girl is pissed!

Huh??

Ok time for a rant post, here are somethings that I want to vent about that has happened in the past few days:

-I had a dr. appt yesterday and I got there a few minutes late and I was the last appointment of the day. I was excited because I hoped to get home at around 5:30 and throw in a load of laundry. So I get to my appt and they take all my info and I pay my co-pay then a few minutes they take me into the room and I waited...and waited...and waited. I got seen at 5:40 and the whole procedure took 5 minutes. So I got home at around 6:20 too late to do a load and it was raining. I have to go out the back stairs to the laundry room and it gets slippery.
-I have gained about 6 lbs in a year! I know that does not seem dramatic but I am tiny and I have a few rolls now! Plus my jeans are tight! (Hon, forget sephora I need a gym membership for Christmas)
-Button fly jeans, why oh why did I wear them.

Other than that things are good!

I'm late, I'm late

I'm late, I'm late for a very important date, no time to say hello, good bye, I'm late, I'm late, I'm late...(Alice in Wonderland)

That was me this morning, I overslept by about 30 minutes! So I had to scramble to be at work on time (I was 9 minutes late!) but I just wanted to give a shout out to all those who helped me get in those few extra minutes:

-my parking neighbor
Thanks so much for giving me 4 inches of space between my car and yours. I notice that you had a foot on the drivers side, so I hope that you moved with ease into your posh Volvo as I had to climb into my car from the passenger side. I would have blasted my horn to wake you up but I have too much couth for that. Well I hope that you don't mind that I will be taking less care to ensure that my car door does not hit or scratch your car when the wind blows. But I thank you so much for making me twist in uncomfortable positions to get to the drivers seat, I did not know that my hip had that range!

-the cube truck
A big thank you for blocking the alley entrance/exit. You blocked the quickest way for me to get to out of my parking alley to the street to catch the IKE. Thanks so much for putting your hazards on, they really helped me but not as much as your bulk blocking the way. Thanks so much for staying there after I honked for you to move. I really appreciated how you just stayed there and I had to back up and go a different way. Don't mind the fact that the car behind me did not know that you were there too and almost hit me. Really that gets my heart and blood pumping.

Without you I don't think I would have been 9 minutes late....I would have been on time.

Too frigging early!

I was driving home yesterday and I was flipping through the radio stations (I am a flipper) and then I heard it, I did not want to believe it but I heard it...Christmas music not just one song but it turns out for the next 6 bloody weeks that is all that they will play. WTF, I mean it is the beginning of November, we have not even made it past Thanksgiving! So I have deleted the pre-set from its former 3rd preferred station to 6 (which I never really hit).

Come on people it is too damn early. Enjoy autumn, enjoy Thanksgiving before the corporate greed and marketing machines force you to spend way to much money on stupid "must get" gifts for your friends, family, pets, pet-in-law, neighbors brother, mail person, local parole officer, junkie on the street, CTA driver, boss, bag boy, doorman, and other odd assortment of characters that you pass each and every day!

Merry November!