Dreams Unwind

unwindingdreams — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 00:18:42 GMT

Not to be all dramatic or anything (well, yes, actually, to be totally dramatic), but it sort of feels like the world has changed or shifted in some palpable way. Michael frakkin' Jackson, people. Damn.

One of the very, very first memories I have is of 'Thriller'. I was three, and I loved that album, so my mom played it for me in the afternoons. And I'd hide on the couch, scared of the song, and wait for my dad to come home. So it's like all wrapped up in one of my all-time favorite people (my daddy), and I have really strong emotions and feelings tied to his music.

okay, so that was way melodramatic, but come on. This is pretty big, right? This is our generation's Elvis! I'm bummed, I admit it. I'd have sold my middle sister to have the chance to see him live.

I'm dreaming of a pink Christmas...

unwindingdreams — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 04:04:28 GMT

Greetings, flist! It's been, oh, I believe something like six months since I've been around, but I won't bore you with the details. But I will show you a picture of my pretty Christmas tree, which unfortunately loses something in the picture translation. But it's pink, white, and silver, and what more could anyone ask for?

So, before Christmas comes and goes, I wanted to take a few minutes and wish you all a very happy Christmas. I will do my best to pop in on each of your journals to catch up, but if I don't get to that before Christmas, know that I am wishing the very, very best for you and yours this holiday season.

A plea...

unwindingdreams — Thu, 22 May 2008 03:49:59 GMT

I need to your favorite (or even not so favorite) 80s songs. Aaaand go.

Also, a bit of randomosity for your Wednesday reading fun, list style.

1) My desk at work has bugs. It has some tiny little mite like bugs that skitter across my desk freaking me out at the most annoying times. Sooo gross. Luckily they're on a few other desks now, too. Seriously, I worried it was me. I even checked my clothes today to see if they'd come in with me. Freaky!

2) My sister is a douche bag. She showed up on my doorstep last Thursday night and left her baby with Patrick. I wasn't even there, and she was all 'Oh, just take him for like ten minutes until his other grandmother shows up to pick him up.' She's such a fucking asshat that I can't even believe we're related. I left her the nastiest message you'll never hear.

3) I'm having one of those disconcerting fundamental crises where you wonder if you're where you want to be for the rest of your life. That's just stupid because I love Seattle and I love my job, and it'd suck relocating and starting over, but some days I wonder what it would be like to pack up and move somewhere else. Just to do it. Not a good reason, no, but still.

4) My friend is moving home to Spokane, and we're having an Italian themed party for her. Somehow I got stuck making the tiramisu. For Friday. Bleh.

5) I'm exhausted. It was so hot this weekend, and I was outside like the whole time and I'm just beat.

And that's it. Seriously people, 80s songs. The more random the (more) better!

OBAMA

unwindingdreams — Sat, 09 Feb 2008 04:31:07 GMT

I saw Barack Obama today! And, I mean, I've known for quite awhile that he is my choice for our next president, but seeing him in person? He's incredible. He is moving and inspiring and he makes you believe that change is possible and that we can all be a part of it. I cannot wait to vote.

Decisions, decisions....

unwindingdreams — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 04:12:22 GMT

Do I blow off work tomorrow (I came home sick today, so there would be a tiny basis for it...) to go to a Barack Obama campaign rally tomorrow?

It is very, very tempting!

This week is not good...

unwindingdreams — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 06:16:11 GMT

Well, the lady at work that I mentioned yesterday? Her baby died this morning. They had to induce labor because of an infection that was going to cause serious problems for my co-worker, and so she had to deliver the baby. She was only 1 lb, and she died 20 minutes or so after being born.

And that's depressing. Really fucking depressing.

On another note, a more positive, uplifting and yet cruelly ironic note, a different co-worker (one that I hang with a lot) gave birth to a healthy 8 1/2 pound baby girl in the same hospital, just three doors down. And I want to be so, so happy for Tiffany because we've sat next to each other since she started working with me and I like her a lot, but it's hard to be happy right now. That's so unfair, but you know how it is. I'm just glad in a way that she'll be on leave for a couple of months. It'll be bad enough for the other woman to come back to two other pregnant women, but to come back and have to deal with a mother of a newborn getting all the questions and stuff, that would be too rough.

Okay, so that didn't end up being quite the positive note I thought it would be. :) Go figure, right? Yeah, I don't really have anything positive right now, but I just needed to talk about that a little. I don't know why, but I needed to get it off my chest a bit. So...thanks for reading, if you've read it.

Sunday, Sunday...

unwindingdreams — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 02:44:02 GMT

We had my grandma's seventieth birthday party today. It was kind of awesome since about 60 people showed up. It was a surprise party, and while she knew something was up, she didn't expect the whole to-do that we had for her, so it was pretty cool. I think she was a little overwhelmed, so when 80 rolls around, we probably won't do anything that might be bad for the heart. :)

I posted a new chapter of 'Approaching Normal', and I'll post another one tomorrow. That is a promise. I am going to do the prep work on it now and get it tag-ready, and I'll post it probably in the morning. The second of these two will probably clear a lot up, so be sure to catch that one! **ETA: I posted a new chapter of 'The Limit' tonight, as well. Be sure to catch that one. More is forthcoming!**

Collette and I started a list of what we'll need to buy for an apartment. Since I've been living with my cousin, I have sold a lot of my furniture or just given it up because it was getting older. So there is a lot to buy. Oy. Well, that is a good and bad thing, I suppose. We'll see how it shakes out. At least she agrees that we won't buy anything together; I think she is currently learning that painful lesson with the girl she's got a duplex with at school. I wouldn't be as bothered about sharing expenses on appliances or furniture with her as I would other people, but it is still just easier to have one person as owner to everything because we won't live together forever, obviously.

Alright, I'm off to do a few weekend chores that need to be done. I also want to try and catch up on y'all's journals provided I have the time. I shall do my best.

Mindless thoughts of randomosity

unwindingdreams — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 05:42:36 GMT

I was remaking my bed today, and I realized that the stuffing in one of my comforters was all lopsided and wouldn't fix. I decided it was time to toss it. And then I realized I got it when I was FOURTEEN! That fucking blanket has been with me for 13 years! That thing has ~~probably~~ definitely seen some thiiiings. Whew. Kind of gross, though. I mean, I wash my bedding obsessively often, but still. Ew. That's a rough blanket.

One of the ladies at work, who I work on a trust with, was out the last couple of days with an abscessed tooth. It was so abscessed that it had spread to her eye. Her eye. The doctor figured she was lucky it hadn't spread to her brain. And she's an older woman, past 50 and pushing 60, and my understanding is those things can really easily translate into bigger and far badder infections in other major organs or systems. Not good. And really, really gross. I'm sure it hurts like a mother, but I have a hard time with sympathy when people don't take care of themselves. And I know she doesn't. Anyway.

I've been getting a lot of writing done lately. I apologize for not posting any updates recently, but I get so engrossed in the writing part that I forget the posting part. The main drawback to posting on LJ is the formatting stuff. Such a pain. I'll try and post tonight or tomorrow morning, though. It's only right. :)

When my sister gets back, we've given ourselves a deadline of May 31 to find a place. (Or more likely June 1st, as it goes.) I'm so ready to get out of my current living situation, and she's already about to kill herself at the thought of living in a house where our other sister comes and goes and just leaves her baby with you, with or without your permission so she can go chain smoke whilst talking on the phone with her skeezy friends.

And that's about all I have to talk about right now. Because I am dull and uninteresting. I hope you all are more exciting and fabulous than me, 'cause I'd have to pity you if you weren't!

A few days worth of notes...

unwindingdreams — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 05:10:10 GMT

Oy. It snowed...Monday night? That sounds right. It wasn't heaps of snow, but it was enough to make the hills really miserable and dicey. Of course, I work in a very hilly part of the city (but really, and Alix will back me up here, most of the city is pretty hilly), and I heard the following conversation while waiting at the outdoor (and best damn) coffee stand:

Dumb guy: 'I grew up in Iowa, so I know all about driving in the snow. It's kind of different here, though.'

Stupid lady: 'OMG, I KNOW! It's like, so much scarier to drive in the snow here than in Chicago!'

DG: 'Right? I was in my FWD truck, and I was still sliding all over the place.'

SL: 'Can you believe how much worse it is to drive in the snow here?'

Okay. Look. *deep breath* First of all, go back to Iowa and Chicago, you dumb asshats. Hello, yes, hills are hard to drive on in the snow! Particularly steep ones when there are stoplights or stop signs every block. Funny how that works. Second of all, really? Iowa is flat as a third grader, of course it isn't scary to drive in snow there! Plus, you probably don't see quite as many cars as you do here. Is the math in this equation really that hard?

Aaaaanyway.

Flirty guy at work is married. I guess that's fine, but it kind of takes a little of the fun out of it, you know? Bleh.

My phone died today. I was pushing the end button after leaving a message, and instead of ending the call, it apparently ended...everything. Sniff. I loved my phone. I'll take it to AT&T store and see if they can do anything, but I think we're looking at a new phone. C'est la vie. I guess.

I think there were some other things I was going to post about, but I'm so suddenly tired that I think I'm going to head to bed. I'll catch you all soon, I hope!

Early Saturday Morning

unwindingdreams — Sat, 12 Jan 2008 16:35:28 GMT

Well. Today is going to be an interesting day, I think.

First, I am going to return a Christmas present. I hate doing that because it feels so ingrateful, you know? But just the same, some people should know better than to pick out bedding for other people. Anyway, I'm looking at about $700 - 800 in returns, and since Macy*s is having a huge sale right now, I'm really hoping to score. (That was a happy surprise - I did not plan that!)

Then I'm off to Whole Foods to stock up on fruits and veggies. And perhaps get a little thing of their creme brulee, which is sooo, so good. But mostly fruits and veggies. Mostly veggies, at that! I'm trying to do more and more healthy cooking, so I want to get lots of flavorful vegetables and herbs and spices to make it interesting.

At 11:30, the Cougs are playing UCLA at PP. That should be a pretty great game. 4 vs. 5? It doesn't get much better than that. After that game, the Seahawks are playing. Patrick is having a little gathering at his brother's place (I guess technically it is Rob & Katie's gathering, then) for both games, so that will be fun. Provided I finish my shopping by then.

Okay, this is kind of random. Yesterday at work, I got an email from a girl who sits upstairs. I've never met her in person, but we talk on the phone a lot. She takes a lot of the calls for my Vision trust. Anyway, apparently her birthday is next Friday, and she invited me to her party...? It was nice, really, and I'm not trying to be a brat by mentioning it, but it seemed odd. Maybe she's just got a way better perspective on things like that than I do. I guess it was something I wouldn't have thought to do, but now that it's been brought up....lol Strangers everywhere!

Also, I updated DoG and AN this morning because I am ever so sweet. :)

Alright, I am off to get ready. The mall opens at 9:30, and I'd love to get in, get out, and get everything taken care of quickly! I hope you all have a great Saturday!

Oh, my weird, weird ways...

unwindingdreams — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 03:53:06 GMT

So there's this thing I do, every so often. It's a weird thing. Well, of course it is. It probably wouldn't much be worth talking about it if was a perfectly normal thing in absolutely all contexts. But alas, there's no worry of normalcy in this.

See, once in awhile, probably once or twice a year, I'll wake up and get ready for work. I will shower, feed the dog, force the cats to go out into the cold, wet WA morning, and I will generally get ready for the day. And I will be in a dead panic because I've woken up 10 minutes before I usually leave, when I'm usually up an hour or two before.

Then, something will catch my eye or I'll just have the realization that it is not morning. That it is actually midnight or 2 AM, and that there really wasn't much of a reason for me to get up and shower, get dressed, search for my keys. And it explains the total WTF look my dog gave me when I tried to make her go out to pee when she'd just gone 3 hours ago.

Yes, so that's my thing. Once, when I was in high school (the first time it happened to the point where I showered), my parents were out of town and I woke up freaking out. I got ready in record time and was out waiting for my ride before I realized that it was 2:40 in the morning, not 6:40. Crazy, that. I'd do it in a semi-sleepwalk, too. When I was living at home, I'd sometimes wake up when my dad would be awake, and I would never remember the conversation later. I honestly think that I'm not awake during the showering, dressing, caring for the animals part and then bam, something wakes me up. So weird.

I posted a new chapter of 'Approaching Normal' at scattered_fic last night. You should check it out. Because I'm a sleep freak and I need some damn positive reinforcement in my life, thanks.

Is it wrong to flirt with a coworker? There's this guy on the third floor, who works in the claims service center (fancy words call center or phone bank), and whenever he calls with a question, we flirt like mad. He's actually pretty cute (I had to sit on the third floor for a few weeks a few months ago, and his desk is right by the window and I saw his name tag and I swear, I'm not a stalker at all, well maybe just a little because I was curious), but it's mostly just in good fun. He's fun, and a lot of the calls I get from the call center are not fun, so it is always enjoyable when he calls. Anyway.

Oy, so Hillary is going to take NH? I was finally ready to jump on the Obama bandwagon, and she has to go and throw a wrench into that? Niiice. And typical. Sigh.

Monday update

unwindingdreams — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 05:22:20 GMT

I'm procrastinating typing up a bit of what I wrote today, so I thought I'd drop by with an update, perhaps expound a bit on my weekend.

On Saturday, though sick as can be (fever, sore throat, nice little head cold), I went to the Seahawks game. Luckily it didn't rain because sitting out there with wet hair would not have been a good thing, I'm thinking. But it was so fun, so damn fun to be there. Now, you all know how much I lurve the football. So of course playoff games with my favorite pro team are going to be top of the line, right? And it was, it was great in every way. We had so much fun, and it was so worth the ticket prices.

After that game was over, we trekked from Sodo up to the U-Dist to watch my much beloved Wazzu Cougs (#4 in the nation, baby!) take on the Huckin' Fuskies. It was a good game, as close as you would expect a rivalry game to be. And since we won, it was just that much sweeter. Between football and men's basketball, we've now beat them nine out of the last ten times we've played. There were days when that was totally, completely unfathomable. Things are different right now, and I'm just enjoying it while it lasts.

I have done so much writing lately. Definitely a good thing, I think. I'm excited about the product, and I'm excited about just indulging in the creative process, so it is very good. Of course, that'll cut into my knitting time, but it's not like I ever finish any of that anyway. Oh...kind of like some of my stories. Heh. Not a good comparison, though, because I swear I'll finish my stories. That scarf with the knit, knit, knit, purl plus one knit? Maybe not so much.

Work is going well. I mean, as well as work can go. There's a lot to do, but I kind of like that it keeps me busy. I sneak in a little writing (by hand, ugh) when I can, but mostly I'm just busy, busy, busy.

Collette has decided to move back here in March after her current quarter ends. She'll be applying to a vet tech school rather than going to the additional three years vet school would take post-graduate. It's a good idea for her, because she hates her school, she's not having a good time living off-campus (and she can't move back on-campus because she done went and got a dog), and she's just such a homebody. So, I think she and I will probably look for a place together, which would be interesting, to say the least. At first I was worried that meant I'd see a lot more of my mom (because Collette is soooo her favorite, besides my nephew), but then I remembered that she doesn't like to drive in the city, so yay! I get Collette and NO extra Mom. Good times, good times.

Alright, well, I do need to finish typing this chapter up tonight so I can send it on to Becky for a beta. And now that I'm taking to posting around here a little more, I'm going to try really hard to be a better commenter. To be the best damn commenter that I possibly can! :)

A teensy favor...

unwindingdreams — Sun, 06 Jan 2008 08:49:02 GMT

Okay, so I just posted the start of a new story tonight, and in honor of that, I totally re-did my profile page for scattered_fic. Of course, before I save my changes, I clicked back a page and lost all my changes.

So, what I had done was write up little blurbs for each of my stories. Now, what I'm asking is for you, my lovely readers and even lovely OTH friends, to contribute a summary for one or more or all of my stories, if you are so inclined. Really, now that I'm thinking about it, this sounds way more fun and hopefully more personal than the very, very dry and clinical write-ups I had come up with. If you have anything, you can just post them here or email them to me. I'd do anything for you if you did!

Well, now that my shameless begging is out of the way, let me tell you what I did today. I went to the Seahawks game today at 1:30 which was awesome because we ended up winning. After that, we drove across town and went to the Cougar/Husky basketball game at HecEd, and we (the Cougars) took that one, too. All around great day, even if I didn't get the chance to get a done of writing done like I had originally hoped. But I did get some done this morning, so I am hoping to have updates to a couple stories tomorrow or Monday, no later than Tuesday.

Now? Well, now it is late and I am tired. I also have to be at my parents house early tomorrow (er, today) to say goodbye to my sister who is leaving for school. I think this will be her last quarter, as she has decided to go to a school to become a vet tech rather than going to school for another five years to become a vet. So soon I wont be saying goodbye to her, but probably get the 'f' out of my house! Not really, I love her dearly! :) Alright, that is all for tonight. I hope you are all enjoying your weekend!

Merry Christmas!

unwindingdreams — Tue, 25 Dec 2007 23:11:58 GMT

Merry Christmas, Flist!

Hopefully you all are having as wonderful and interesting and funny and joyful of a holiday as I am!

(Since I have no Christmas icons this year, I shall use my Coug icon in honor of our #4 basketball ranking. Yes, yes, I will.)

A long, long time ago...

unwindingdreams — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 05:05:58 GMT

...I used to post here!

But hey, I've been busy, and even the times I haven't been busy, per se, I've had other things to do. Wholly unimportant things, but things nonetheless.

So, I think last I posted, I was wishy washy on my new job. But I'm so not wishy or washy on it anymore. It's kind of a weird place, and there are a couple of freaks there, but it's a good job, getting more challenging, and there is a lot of room for advancement. And boy, do I ever like to advance. Erm, that's another story. Anyway, it's just a good situation for me, I think, in a great part of town. Hopefully when I get to move back into the city, I can move into this part of town and walk to work every day.

It's good, though, to have a job that I actually like. And I do like it. So...yay? Jobs seem so lame to get excited over, but when you spend as much time at them as most of us do, I guess it is a good thing.

I've been writing again. N/H, even, which has been...wow, so long I don't even know. But many months, to say the least. I have written about ten pages, though. That's a good start for a couple of days.

Umm...I've traveled to several football games this fall, with Patrick. I've spent some time with my nephew, but I have so much intense dislike for my sister that it is really hard for me to spend too much time in that situation. She just irritates the ever-loving shit out of me.

Gosh, I was going to be all update-y and interesting and talk about some of the cool things I've been up to lately, but I just realized that it is getting late, and I should get some sleep. And I can't think of any of those interesting things at the moment, so I'll settle for a HELLO and a *hug* to my pretty, pretty flist.

If you have a second, let me know how you are doing!

Dilemma time!

unwindingdreams — Tue, 14 Aug 2007 03:29:27 GMT

Oh, y'all. I've gone and done it this time, okay?

So, here's the deal on my career front: Friday the 3rd was my last day at the job I hated. On Monday the 6th, I interviewed for a position and was offered it at the time of the interview. I accepted. On Tuesday the 7th, before I even got to work at the job I accepted the previous day, I got a call offering me a different one that paid significantly more. I took that one, called the other place, and regretfully declined and apologized for the inconvenience.

Today I started at the replacement job. Now, here's the issue. Today, I got two requests for interviews for clinic manager positions. This is what I want to do, or more in line with it than the position I accepted. When I accepted this current position, I did so because I hadn't heard back on these two. And now...now I want one of these two jobs.

What do I do, y'all? Part of the problem in this is that the job I have now is through a temp agency, and I have really nice rapport with the rep who placed me. (I would be hired on full time, permanent after 6 weeks.) I don't want to wreck my relationship with her, nor do I want to hurt her relationship with this company I'm at. But the job isn't really in line with my career goals, and I don't even think it is something I have much of an interest in.

Is it terribly, unconscienably awful to think about quitting this job if one of these interviews pans out? One of them is for a group of four surgeons, and I'd be managing a staff of four or five. That would be a really great opportunity for me. The other one is a private partnership of two internists, and managing their office would be another great step for me, too. I don't know what to do.

If anyone is still reading this, if you need a resume template that is apparently gilded and smells like roses and just begs people to call you for interviews, let me know your email, and I'll get that to you!

Much love, I hope you're all doing really well!

Quick bit of randomosity

unwindingdreams — Tue, 06 Mar 2007 02:16:44 GMT

I know that I'm way behind on commenting, and I'll try and get to that in the next day or so, but I had to share this bit of an email I got from a college friend who found me on MySpace awhile ago.

Whenever I tell WSU stories, it seems like you are always in them! We had some wild, crazy and some somewhat stupid times! College wouldn't have been near as fun without you. Actually, if you hadn't heard me crying through the walls of Regents and befriended me, I might not have stayed past the first month. Really, I'm not kidding.

This is the girl whose wedding I didn't go to a couple of years ago. At the time, I was able to convince myself that it was because we'd grown far apart, that it was too far, an inconvenience, blah blah blah. But the truth is, I probably put way too much blame on her for how we drifted apart. It's so easy to do that, you know? And how big of an asshole do I feel now to know that I was that important to her? I mean, when we were together in school, and we literally spent about six or seven hours a day together, it was easy to know that. And she's the girl who'd get you a card just because she wanted you to know that. (We actually used to go to Hallmark together and buy cards for the other. Such dorks.) She was important to me, too, don't get me wrong. I joined a sorority because of her, and that gave me a ton of other friends.

I just never, ever would've known that she'd considered leaving. She was the one who always seemed like she loved college, loved Pullman and WSU. To know that I had an effect on her, however profound, just really breaks my heart and makes me feel like a superstar at the same time. It is nice to know that I meant as much to her as she meant to me.

I've missed out on a lot the last few years because I was an asshole. But she has an adorable 3 month old, and I'm not going to miss out on anything else.

unwindingdreams — Mon, 05 Feb 2007 21:53:26 GMT

Suddenly, I'm a squirrel stockpiling chapters of my story without posting them. I'm four ahead. When did I become such a horder? I don't like squirrels.

You want to know what's sad? My middle sister, the one who is basically homeless, jobless, and dumb as a fucking rock, has elected not to get healthcare through the state, but has found a program where they'll pay for her cell phone. WTF? I guess next the state (um, hi, me) will be paying for her cigarettes, too. This whole deal just makes me irate in ways you can't even imagine.

Yay for the Colts. I enjoy the Peyton Manning, and was very pleased with the results. And you know, I'm not even a big Prince fan - I appreciate the man and his talents, especially his guitar abilities, but he doesn't do a whole lot for me - but he was the best part of the whole thing. At least he sounds great live, Rolling Stones. Hmph.

Oooh, I got my job review today. Very exciting. I got excellent scores, exceeds expectation in every single category they score on. Even better, the next time a supervisory or upper management position comes open, they'd like me to apply for it. It's very flattering, you know?

Okay, I have nothing else to talk about except that I'm cold. V. cold.

Randomosity, as usual

unwindingdreams — Fri, 02 Feb 2007 05:32:55 GMT

Weird week. Just very random, I guess. Maybe it's because I've been eating a lot of yogurt. No, I don't know. But I have had a lot of yogurt. It's like dessert with no fat. White chocolate raspberry? I'm so there.

On Tuesday, I almost got smashed into by a car that lost control on an icy bridge. On a very obviously icy bridge. Like, if you can clearly see ice on the road, do you really need to go 65 MPH? I mean, personally, I slow down (becauseIhavebaldtiresanddon'twanttopayfornewones). Just a thought, though. But he was in an exit only lane, didn't want to be there, and ended up careening through traffic, spinning to face the wrong way, and hit the median jersey barrier. Fucking bastard was about a car length away from me. Let me tell you, I was shaking like a leaf. So scary.

And yesterday at work, one of the supervisors in my department - she's not really my supervisor anymore, though - who is putting together employee reviews told me that other people were getting marked down because the CFO, who is above our department, didn't think they matched up well enough to me. And I'm like...Ang? I've talked to him half a dozen times in person. How would he even know that? She's all, oh, it's the emails you send, he swears you're the most literate and competant person who has ever worked here. Which, okay, that's probably true, the first part - because English isn't a huge thing, right? But it just makes me uncomfortable for some reason. I should probably be glad or proud or something, but it's like pressure or something. I'm a freak, I know this. But you can tell me anyway.

I got sooo much writing done at work today, it was great. (Okay, that is why - I feel guilty when I know I spend at least half my damn time writing. Of course, that begs the question - what kind of idiots do I work with? Big ones. Big, fat, lazy ones who do NOTHING. So, yeah.) I actually revamped two chapters completely and spread them out to three, so that was like bonus material. And it just worked better. Becky has been helping me with that because I was just a little lost on some things. Sometimes I can't see all the pieces because I'm too close to it, I think. But we were talking on AIM a few nights ago, and she said something about the story, and then I quoted a line from a song: 'Sometimes to keep it together, you've got to leave it alone'. I can't remember exactly what we were talking about, but I think it had to do with sending Nathan to boarding school. Anyway, the song is Wasted Time - The Eagles, and if you want to hear it, help yourself. The more I thought about the song, the more I realized that there are several lines in it that really struck me as appropriate. Oh, and I updated.

My bud Rachelle is getting me Filipino food tomorrow for lunch. Yummy, delicious Filipino food. It's sort of hard to find restaurants (I know of four now, though!) that are exclusively Filipino, so she's my scout. There's a bajillion and half Thai, Chinese, Japanese, Indian, Vietnamese, Korean, etc, which is great, I especially love Thai and Korean barbeque, but you know. Anyway, I flove pancit. One of my favorite foods ever. So I'm happy. And she talked me into trying the Halo Halo again. I just...beans in a drink? I dunno.

And it's really sad that I'm looking this forward to food, but in my defense, we've been talking about it since last payday. Hee. And I only work until 3 tomorrow! Woo!

Okay, nothing too terribly interesting here. I hope that y'all are doing great and life is exciting and shiny and fun!

Random story of the day....

unwindingdreams — Wed, 24 Jan 2007 05:22:38 GMT

Okay, not to be all spammy spam alot here, but this is the story that sums up how most of my conversations at work go:

I was faxing a few things this afternoon, and we were talking about cars. And so I said that I wished my car would wash itself, because dude, it's brown. But it's really silver. Seriously, from the de-icer and the sand and the fact that it hasn't been washed since, oh March, it's really dirty. And I hate washing cars, and the car wash drive-thrus aren't really worth it, so I said I'd invent a self-washing car if I could, right? Great way to become a millionaire. So we bantered, bantered, bantered about that.

Then I changed my mind, and said that if I was going to invent something, it would totally be like on Star Trek where they can just de-materialize from one spot and re-materialize in another. How cool would that be? I wouldn't have a forty minute commute each way! Awesome!

And Romeo, the doofus whose position I took over when he was promoted before he was demoted back to our department in a job below mine, goes...."Well, I think that would take very much concentration from you to be able to do that." So I look at him for like five seconds, just staring him down in this way that he hates, and then go...."Are you calling me fat?" Oh, gosh, the poor guy, he starts sputtering and trying to backtrack, and everyone else knows I was totally joking and just crack up. He actually gave this practically dissertation length explanation on why he thought that would be a hard thing to do, regardless of weight. It was great.

Other sample conversations:

Me: *picks up Jose's stress balls off his desk and juggles them* *perhaps whistles innocently*
Jose: Stop playing with my squishy balls!
Dionne: God damn it, you two!

Okay, just one for now...I'm tired!

Remembering is as remembering does

unwindingdreams — Thu, 18 Jan 2007 05:07:40 GMT

So, I do a lot of writing at work, okay? Like the vast bulk of it. And...yeah, that probably says less about me as employee than you think, because I really do a kickass job for them, I swear it. But I can write 10-15 pages in an hour at work, and I just can't focus like that at home. I think it's because I'm more relaxed, in sweats or jeans or whatever, no shoes. I don't really know. Anyway, at the end of the day, I usually email myself what I've completed for the day. Well, today, I forgot. And I have tomorrow off. So that means I either rewrite what I wrote yesterday, or I wait two more days to post a new chapter of TL. Now, I didn't get a lot done today, so there won't be a whole lot to make up for, but it's a hassle. And I liked what I had, you know?

Anyway, I don't know what I'm going to do, and the point of this post is that I won't be updating tonight. And that? Is bleh.

And the snow and ice is finally starting to melt! I know that Alix (thisholymess) loves it and gets snow days, but right now, my work thinks that I should at least make an effort to get there. Bitches. But...I'm applying for a job with the school district out where I grew up, where I would move back to (it's only a 1/2 hour outside Seattle), and that? Would be a kick-ass job to have. Vacations, snow days, flood days, oh, my! But for now, I'm just happy I can drive to work without having to pray that I can get off the street I work on. (On Friday, the ice was so bad I needed a push. That was nifty.)

Alright, I should probably get going. I'm really beat tonight, but I'd like to write a touch, before sleeping. So I hope that you all are having a great week so far!

unwindingdreams — Thu, 11 Jan 2007 21:50:36 GMT

Well, the last twenty hours have pretty much been a complete nightmare. When I was leaving work last night, it was hailing little pieces the size of marbles. Okay, no biggie, sometimes the way it rains here can be worse to deal with. I go to get on the freeway. Well, shit. The entrance to I-5 in Georgetown is backed up onto Michigan. Damn, okay, I'll just go up over Beacon Hill, get gas, and then get on I-90 at Rainier. Yeah, that seems like a good plan. Wow, it's really snowing up here. Huh, it's accumulating. Like, inches. Don't like that too much. Okay, good, good, get gas. Hmm, better get some water. Food? Nah, I don't need food. How long could it take to get home?

Nineteen hours. No lie, dudes. So, the rest of the story goes a little something like this....

Wow, I've been sitting on Rainier in the lane to turn onto the freeway for 40 minutes, and I haven't moved. Okay, new plan, bypass the Rainier entrance, go back down past the stadiums and get on at Fourth. That can't be worse! Who would've thought? This is just as bad, if not worse. Okay, so I'll go...well, I don't want to get on I-5 now, and 520 is just as bad as I-90, so...hmm, okay, maybe I can try 405. Wow, ooookay, that was an even worse idea, can't even get down that way. So I'm close to the mall. I could pick up a skirt, shirt, and razor (I'd thought ahead and packed jeans, sweatshirts, mittens, makeup, hair product...well, there is always some of those in my car!) and just grab a cheap hotel room for the night, and then get ready and go to work in the morning. Yayz, new plan!

An hour and a half, calls to eight different hotels with no vacancy, and a reservation for a family suite for $169 later, fuck it. I'm going to the hotel, and I'm sleeping.

Y'all, it was 8:40 when I got to the hotel, which is 8 miles from my work. Now, granted, I took a dopey way trying to figure out a way to get on I-90, so I really went about 20 miles, but still. Over the course of three hours and forty minutes, I went twenty miles last night. And I paid two hundred dollars for a hotel room with two separate rooms, three beds, two tvs, and a pullout couch. Will you shoot me now?

When I left the hotel this morning, there were over 6 inches of snow on the ground there and three inches of compact snow and ice in the parking lot. The freeway was okay, they'd sanded and deiced the shit out of it, and most people weren't assy enough to be out driving. So I just called work, said I wasn't coming in, and hauled it out here to my parents. I drove past my exit on the way, and it was still blocked by abandoned vehicles.

This is what I don't get: yes, driving in the snow sucks. And yeah, we've got a butt-ton of hills out here. The whole city is a series of hills, basically. So DEAL with it. Learn to drive in the snow on a hill. It's not that hard. Okay, it is, and I guess the midwest is lucky like that. Yeah, they get a lot of snow, but they're flat like pancake. So when you combine hills and snow and ice and people who rarely have to drive in the snow, you will have problems.

But yeah, I'm safe now. And much happier, too. The temperature is not supposed to get above 30 tomorrow, so everything will still be on the ground. All I did last night was talk with Alix (thisholymess) and watch crappy tv and then sleep. And then talk to Alix again. Hee! She had a fun drive home, too, last night! It was just messed up, as we were supposed to get it very early Wed. morning and it didn't show up until peak travel time. Bad, bad, bad.

Alright, that's my story. Of woe and snow.

I was going to say 'Weird Wednesday'....

unwindingdreams — Wed, 10 Jan 2007 05:14:50 GMT

But then I remembered it is only Tuesday.

So I will say this instead:

Sweet, sweet pinot noir....how I heart thee. Too bad Patrick is here trying to kill my buzz....or do other things.

Hello again, friend

unwindingdreams — Mon, 08 Jan 2007 03:57:48 GMT

Well, it's been awhile. Yes, it has. And okay, I've been busy and sick and tired and working and playing, but that's not really a good excuse for neglecting my pretty, pretty LJ, now is it?

So here's what has been going on lately:

Up to mid-December, there was weekday work, and then weekend tree farm. It was fun, and I made a lot of Christmas shopping money by working at the tree farm, of which I spent all. Collette and I bought a flatscreen TV for our mom, and a photo printer for our dad. And they both loved their gifts. This was the best gift we've given Dad in a long time, so that was cool. And I got Collette this expensive ass vest from A&F and some awesome jewelry. I got Pat (my worst enemy slash whatever) some cologne and a Wazzu basketball jersey, which was just in time since they're actually freaking good this season. And then I beat myself up for getting him anything. I know I got a few other people things, but those were the main gifts. The fun ones.

I got some fun stuff myself. Collette, knowing me so well, bought me some cookbooks and wine glasses and a very large makeup case. My parents gifted me with a digital camera, very nice, some shoes, a guitar (an awesome Fender acoustic guitar), and a bunch of small things. All in all, it was very fun and they really went out of their ways to get me things I would like, and I hope they think the same of what I gave them.

During the time there was no power (for seven very, very, very long days), my middle sister (we'll call her Lucifer) showed up at my parents' house. She's homeless, so she's been sporadically crashing there. She stole from my dad this weekend, and hasn't shown back up to face the music. I'm trying to hang out there a lot because I want to see the shit hit the fan when she does. She just does not deserve all that they give her. She's evil, and she steals, and she lies, and she just doesn't deserve anything.

My great-grandmother turns 96 on the 11th. That is so old! She's sort of having memory issues, but when we were there on Saturday for her birthday, she was doing really well. That was so nice to see. And then we had fun watching the Seahawks game, even though both teams were rather inept. Still, it was a fun ending, and we had a great time teaching my aunt about the game and she's always a good time. Patrick came with me, as a friend (enemy), and I swear, I'm going to cut ties with him soon.

Over Christmas, I was sooooo sick. I actually started feeling it on the 22nd, and by the 24th, I was ill. By the time I made it to the doctor, they thought I had pneumonia because he heard fluid sounds in my lungs. They did a chest X, but they didn't find anything. I did have an ear infection though, and he kindly pointed out how usually only children get them. Yes, thank you, rub it in.

Work is grinding away at me. I'm going to try and find something closer to home, and better paying. The main drawback about working at a CHC is the low pay, and I'm tired of it. I can do better, and I should start trying to find something that will let me. But the good thing about this job? I've written so, so much, and I'm currently nearly 4 chapters ahead on 'The Limit'. That's...a lot, for me.

I've decided to go back to school. I'm going to, spring quarter, start taking Spanish classes at one of the local CCs. I have such a strong foundation in it, I just need help putting it all together. And then I'm looking into online degree programs - I want a master's in healthcare administration. It seems like this field I fell into is where I'm going to be, so I might as well make the most of it. That's my goal.

An old college friend found me on myspace, but I haven't emailed her yet. It's just weird. I skipped out on her wedding, and I know there was a reason, but I can't remember it now, but we haven't talked since, and it's just weird. And I think I've been bitter because we were such good friends, and she didn't make an effort to keep in touch. But I didn't either, and I need to suck it up and stop being a bitch, I think. It's just, that's easier said than done, at least for me.

But yeah, that's just a brief bit about the goings-on in my life. So I will let you go, and say that I hope you are all having a great start to 2007!

Just another whining and complaining session...

unwindingdreams — Mon, 18 Dec 2006 15:52:11 GMT

Still no power at home. This is the fourth day, and it kind of sucks. At least at work I can get online and stuff. The bad - the really bad - part is that they're now saying it might take until the end of this week before power is restored everywhere. And I get that this is a huge job - not only do they have to go out to all the individual power grids, but they have to clear a lot of debris that is strewn over the downed lines and just plain blocking the road in a lot of cases. It's frustrating because the power lines are mostly underground in our area, so we're actually just waiting for them to clear and restore in other areas before making it to us. It is so hard to wait, because people? This means cold showers. Now I have a wood burning fireplace (yay!), so warmth isn't a problem and I was able to take a nice hot one at my grandparents' house this morning, but tomorrow? Is going to blow. Totally, irrevocably, and completely blow. I'm already bitchy like woah right now, and cold showers are only going to make that worse. Plus, I forgot my cell. Bitches!

Okay, sorry, I'm just really grouchy. And tired. I hope that y'all are having a better pre-Christmas week. :)