Three day weekends are never long enough!

Yessireee bob I had a hee day weekend by default due to the fact that the electricity was not working at the job.

Do you think I was productive...go on make a guess....

Well if you said yes, you are partly right:
-I weeded out one closet
-I worked on the list of things for NY
-I cleaned and scrubbed the hardwood floors and the tile floor in the bathroom
-I swept and dusted

If you said no, you are partly right:
-I went to Sephora, Lush and Bare Essecentuals and purchased items in each
In fact I went to Lush twice one yesterday for moi and one today for a friend of the BF
-I did not clean my part of the office
-I have not got my pedi yet
-I have not packed

So, hopefully the lights will be out tomorrow too!

Rain rain go away...on second though

In case you didn't hear the news, there was a major rain storm in the Chicago region yesterday. I mean it came out of no where and it poured. I was at work where it hit like you wouldn't believe, the wind was clocked at 74 mph. Our lights started to flicker then they went out at around 3:30.

I had to head to class so I left at 3:40 and made my way home it took a little long than normal but there was no traffic on the highway! But there were tornado warnings in the loop and all over parts of Chicago. There was a lot of wind damager, windows broken, and tree limbs all over the street.

So I went to work as normal today and the electricity was still out with the power coming on within 72 hours! So about 20 minutes later we were all sent home by our managers and i was home by 9 am. So let the fun things that I have to do this weekend get started....

If you are in the Midwest be safe and careful....there is more rain coming!

Dear Chicago Public works...

Dear CPW,

Thanks so much for finally deciding to pave the street in which we live in. It will be a pleasure driving down it without hitting pot holes, weird bumps and asphalt irregularities.

However, if you are going to close the street from 6-3:30 for almost a week, it would be kind if you give us more than a 12 hour notice. I understand the cost of paper can be quite expensive but considering that you put a huge bright orange posted on every other tree, lamppost, and tall stationary object, would it kill you to put a sign a few days ago on the apartment/house doors. I know that the budget cuts are killing you guys so I hope that the street will be done quickly without much overtime that you are famous for. Well a girl can dream anyway.

While we are at it, why the hell do you have to start at 6 am? Is it because it is cool or because you say you will start at 6 am so that you can tow the stragglers, sit around and watch and then really start at 9 or 10 but claim an 8 hour work day?

Glad to see my tax dollars at work...will the workers who sit around lazy have to pay for the bottle water tax too or is that a perk?

Toodles,
Christina

GF may I

The BF has a new video game toy. I was not too keen on it actually because I see them as wastes of time and they just don't make any sense to me. But it was his money and his time so he did get it. After much debate, my fears were that he would spend hours trying to defend the Lego warlock pinata against the evil dragon goddess superball (or whatever) that the house chores would end up being my responsibility. Now to be fair, he does do a fair share of chores around the house but there was a few occasions when I came home late from school after a hellishly long commute and there was a bunch of chores to be done so it made for a long night for me (and added to my crankiness).

But we talked about it and he knows where I stand in regards to his gaming and I know how it fits into his life (as a stress relief, get your mind off of work scenario). So he got the game and its components over the weekend.

He has been very good with the chores especially yesterday! He did so much that was a huge help.
Now that school is winding down, I can also contribute a bit more each day so that they can be split a bit more evenly and he can go defend the alternate universe galaxy space war craft or whatever....

My chore for tonight, go through the clothes that made the closet bar fall down oh and study for my final....fun

Two days my ass!

Who decided that when there are weekend that it should be just 2 days. I mean seriously, just as you get your groove on and your stress level has decreased, i tis Sunday and you have to go back to work so the stress starts to rise.

It seems that I sleep so well on Friday nights but when Sunday nights come around, I just sleep so poorly. either I have weird dreams, or I toss and turn or I wake up every hour to see what time it is. It is annoying.

This weekend it poured and I mean poured. There was no sun and just grey skies all over the place. On top of that it was the Air and Water show, which is a nice summer even in Chicago. Basically, they have speedboats, water skiers, jet ski stunts on the lake in the morning. In the afternoon they have an air show which fighter planes, and biplanes. The fighter planes basically fly at maximum speed in some areas so that means that it is loud, the sound barrier is broken and no matter where you are you can hear them. So the weather apparently put a damper on the events. Not that we went but we were privy to the noise and an occasional plane sighting. We heard them more than we saw them

I was so lazy this weekend. I have a final on Thursday and did not prepare. So now I have to hussle...just two more classes!

Blurrrrr

This week has been somewhat of a blur with so much things going on for the two of us. I am already pooped and we have not gotten to our weekend plans yet!

I have a group presentation for class tonight and the prof is a stickler for time so we had to review what we prepared on Tuesday after calss. After watching the first group it was imperative that we make sure we are on the top of our game. so I did not leave DU until 10:30. then the Red line was not running north bound so I had to take the Brown line which took forever. But the BF was sweet and met me at the EL stop so we can walk home together.

The BF has been attending an off site meeting so he has been schlepping up further north and then the meetings run overtime. So yesterday he got home much later than he wanted. But, his friend was dowm from WI visiting so I entertained him and plied him with booze until the BF came home. We then went out to eat and hit a bar for their friend's birthday. I bowed out early because I had to get my ass here at 7.

Tomorrow is another b'day party as is Saturday (pending confirmation).

This girl needs her sleep and to study and to clean the apt and to go shopping and to get a pedi and to get the eyebrows waxed.

I need a clone

Cake

We went out to West bumblefuck in the burbs to my bf's niece's birthday party. So pretty much it was a bunch of kids and their suburban parents. Here are just some snippets of conversations:

Mom-So my kids teacher called me in to tel me that she suspects that my child is dyslexic. I told her that it is because she can't teach!
Other Parent-God I hate when they blame their own failures on our kids

G-So the neighbor died, had a heart attack at his grandson's birthday party. I saw his daughter today and offered to give her the obituary that was in the paper, she did not want it for some reason.

Parent-If you don't eat your pizza you can only have the cake no ice cream!

All the parents at one point-Hey did anyone see my kid? (then the mad search begins)

When the birthday girl was blowing out her candles:
Her father-Wish for a baby brother!
(side note he does this all the time! He has 3 girls but wants a son)

Let's just say...I am glad to be back in civilization!

Auntie Em, Auntie Em....

Yep, there was yet another tornado spotted today but it was dangerously close to the office. So apparently the siren rang and we were all herded into the interior lunch room. We all sat there mumbling about how stupid this is because there are no windows in the area where we work, it was an hour and half before quitting time, we had stuff to do and the obligatory because we can.

We were out of there 5 minutes later.

I am not used to tornadoes, they were extremely rare when I was a wee lass. Yet, we did have one a few years ago, it knocked a big branch from a teen in the back yard to the middle of the front yard. but other than knocking out a few traffic lines it was relatively minor.

Here it is not taken so lightly, it is a real source of fear and panic.

I am not used to that....

Plus if it hits, and I see a house on a pair of ruby red shoes...they are probably not in my size anyway

UPDATE: the tornado that hit NYC in Brooklyn was just blocks away from my old apartment!

just tired

I was so tired this past weekend. I took two naps on Saturday and I still was exhausted. I could not fall asleep at night because I was too tired and when I did I was out cold. I am not sure why I was so tired. Frankly, it does have me worried because in the fall I will be taking classes on Saturdays all day and I am not sure how I will physically be able to manage it.

Yesterday, I was feeling better but some damage was done. I tried to salvage what I could but I am not sure if it was enough. Sometimes it is never enough.

On Friday, I hung out with my blog buddy. It was so much fun, we went to a local haunt called Andies and we just had such a blast. She is hysterical and we just laughed our way throughout dinner. We will get together in a few weeks to catch up and hang out with the drag queens!


Just a seemly long week ahead...

taking back the night

I meant to write about this last week but did not get the time....

Last week NPR had a two part series about Native American women. Native American women have a greater percentage of being raped than any other type of women in the U.S. want to know why, because if the rape happens outside of Indian territory, the Native American police can't arrest the perpetrator. So men rape women when they know that they are out of the territory. As such many women don't even report the rape because they know that the "white" police hesitate to get involved with the Indian Nations partly because of skepticism and partly due to the federal laws with regards to Indian territory.

They interviewed the police chief in a native community and he was saying how hard it is for them because they want to help their community but they feel so helpless. In one case the woman called the police telling them that she was raped and the guy was hiding in her closet. The Indian police department and the "White" police were outside her home arguing over where the territory line was and was the man who raped her on the "white" side or native side. They had to let the motherfucker go!

I was so enraged! Every time I hear about how women get sexually assaulted it just breaks my heart. I lost count of how many women I know who were sexually assaulted. I believe that the count is 1 in 3.

I just don't know what to think! Females in this country and world are living their lives and are assaulted as a means of violence. Those are women who had a part of them taken away from them in so many ways. It just upsets me...my heart goes out to all women (and men out there) who have had to go through a horrible crime.

Tonight when you look at the stars, the sun and the moon~part of the religion for many native American societies~please send them a message of hope and sisterhood.

Seven things You don't know about me

OK I've been tagged by Another bad hair day

1-I don't admit to it much but I watch reality shows but not the ones like Survivor but more like the ones on VH1. Scott Baio is 45 and single is my newest train wreck of a reality show!

2-I used to live in London. I lived there for a semester in college where I worked and went to class. I lived in Camden town which is and expensive trendy part of London. It is where the Kate Winslet Amex commercial was filmed.

3-I love pasta. Especially when I make my red sauce yum!

4-I have been thinking that the dog needs a pet. Specifically a bunny rabbit, the BF says no....yet! I taunt him with bunny's who need to be adopted emails

5-I decided that i won't be getting the shoes I've been drooling over. My car insurance is due and August gets to be a bit tight money wise for me.

6-I bumped into Yoko Ono , literally. In Strawberry fields in Central Park years ago. she and Sean were walking their dogs

7-I want to spend a month in Italy and just linger and eat throughout the country.

Gosh this was fun!

More shoes saga

I resisted for one day...i don't know how much longer...

They come in black, grey and brown!

Big ole tease...

Nordstrom's semi annual sale...the shoe department....I want a cute pair *sigh* but the credit card is resisting.

Who will win shoes or my will power? Take yer bets!

At least I can have will power and a cute pair of shoes.

Oh who am I kidding we have no storage space for more shoes.

*sigh*

Indifferent

I think that word sums up the way I feel about the job-o!

I could care less about my job, my boss, my clients and my sales reps (with the exception of two). I just got so fed up with the work that I just turned of all emotion. I feel a bit like a robot, I do what I have to do and don't give a crap about it. I am so out of there mentally that I might as well be working somewhere else.

It is a dangerous place to be when I am indifferent because I just don't care

Smoke

I nearly had a bout of PTS (post traumatic stress) this evening. i was along the lake with my class (my professor wanted to make a point) and we were walking to a covered venue because it was starting to rain and my phone rang.

It was a friend telling me about the explosion in NYC. I used to work near there, I would take the train to my parent's house at Grand Central. I was in the city during 9/11 and so when I first heard what happened I froze.

My annoying bother his finance are OK. I located some friends and left messages for others.

So far CNN is reporting one death and a few serious injuries. It is astonishing how one event can alter life...

Getting ready to give them a beat down

I am talking about Comcast. They fucking SUCK.

Here is our history with them:
-The first guy they sent to get us up on cable was here for 4 hours and he chained smoked in the alley and was not able to get us all set up. We had to do the Internet ourselves, he could not give us the proper cable box for the tivo.
-The second team of men gave us the same box that the first guy did and it worked. They told us that it would work
-Then our cable went out for a day. They remotely fixed it
-Then our Tivo was not working, so they told me to disconnect it after the cell died.
-The woman who I spoke to decided to send a repair person but did not tell us that he would be coming!
-the Internet died last weekend, our Tivo was acting up again
-They sent someone to work on the Internet and it was working
-Tivo is still acting up

We have had it. i am afraid to go to call Comcast because i will go off on them.

We are calling RCN!

Words from an invisible mouth or hear no evil?

Well work has gone from bad to worse. It is not the job per se it is the lack of respect that I am given. Now they are not outright rude to me but when it comes to my customers, I have a certain sense of knowledge, experience and expectations. so when I email a department it is to advise them. But of course the assumption (key word there) is that they will read it and then include me on anything that I need to know about.

do they....nope. Case in point, I sent out this message using the KISS method (which means "keep it simple stupid") and asked for some job to be out the door today. do they do that? nope they send it on Saturday. another case in point, we had this huge test that had to be out and I asked them when if it arrived. Oh no, we don't have it....well we did have it for 10 days, nobody knew where it was or what it was for.

I am at the point where I question every email asking myself how can I make it any more easier than i had.

Then I have this prick of an ass hole who claims that I said something which I never did. I know that product so well that I would NEVER say what he claimed I said. So now, every conversation that I have with regards to that product, I send him an email, cc my boss and his boss.

I mean really people! They are so working my last nerve.

the kicker I got a call from a recruiter yesterday but the job is 40 miles away!

I just can't win!

Don't stand to close to me

The other day, the BF and I went to the Police concert at Wrigley field. That place was packed with people of all ages. The concert was fun, we had a good time and they opened with my favorite song..."Message in a bottle". It was a lot of fun and all the way home I kept humming Police tunes!

So of course I had Friday off and I did something that I have not done in a long time....I took a nap. That is right people I crawled into bed and slept for almost 2 hours in the afternoon! It was weird but soooo nice. But I did spend most of the day cleaning the apartment so it was well deserved.

Today feels like Sunday but it is not (hooray) and we braved 90 degree heat to go to the Taste of Chicago. It is in Grant Park and they have restaurants from all over the city with some of their popular offerings. It was so yummy...I had a Billygoat cheeseburger (From the Saturate night live fame), Italian fries, chocolate covered strawberries, sweet potato salad, a Spanish sandwich that used fried plantains instead of bread, a bite of a pizza and a mojito. It was soooo good. Plus they had special "taste" items that you could try so that is how I ate around the fest. It was hot though and it is good to be in AC!

The fourth

Have a happy and safe 4th everyone!

Lazy like Sunday

We have had a very lazy weekend! It was great sometimes you just need that.

Yesterday we just did a few things around here which included me going off on Comcast (they are fuckers) and a nice BBQ at one of the BF's friend's house/

Today we did nothing well not really nothing we ordered our tickets to NY for my brother's wedding, cleaned the office a bit, making pasta sauce, and watched the Diana concert on VH1. I am in awe that it has been 10 years since her untimely death.

But at least this week will be a long slow week with a few highlights like the fourth with friends, the Police at Wigley and I am off on Friday so a three day weekend!