Category: grumptacular

Cha-cha-changes

2008 is ending up being an oddball year. I mean, we’re a third of the way into it and bizarre sh*t is goin’ on.

In January, The Good Man and I celebrated a year of living together, which is STILL quite a change to me (in the best possible way).

In the first part of February I up and got engaged. Hell, I was never even sure that the whole “marriage” thing was part of the plan for this crazy life of mine, and yet, here it is, all up in my grille.

At work I was up for a promotion but instead in March they hired someone else. My new boss. Who is a VAST change from my last boss, and not in a good way.

On Friday of last week, the entire department I work for up and moved buildings. We’re now in a building at the far reaches of the same town where headquarters is located. You have to drive to get there from here. We’s in the back forty, as they say where I come from.

And in this move, I had to give up my beautiful office (with a window!) and move into an 8×8 cube. As a matter of fact, I think they bought these cubes used off of a veal rancher, because I tell you, wedged in here, my rump steaks are getting mighty marbled.

The fabulous Feline got that weird spot taken off her nose…that had been with her for many years, so even my pet got caught in the winds of change.

It’s an election year = change

I filled up my car this morning and for the first time paid $4.00 for gas. Ouchie change.

And for some reason, I’ve suddenly taken up drinking wine vs the usual mixed drinks I’ve enjoyed for years. What is up with THAT?

That’s it, I’m pulling out my Ziggy Stardust gear, strapping on the platform boots, and singing….

Cha-cha-cha-changes….(Turn and face the strain)

Because you know what?

Time may change me

But I can’t trace time

Inauspicious start to the week

As mentioned before in these pages before, I have become a full blown commuter, taking a train and shuttle bus to get to and from work.

It’s one of those “when it works, it works great” type of deals. To be honest, the whole thing usually just works. Easy. Since my company subsidizes the cost of using commute alternatives, I can ease my pocketbook from the pinch of $4 gas.

However, this morning was one of those days where it didn’t work. Oh, all seemed fine. I walked to the station. The train arrived on time. I climbed on. Hey, I even got a good seat!

Then I overhead the conductor on his cell phone. “Hit, huh? At Menlo Park? Ok. Delays of up to an hour. Ok, I’ll make the announcement.”

Ruh rho.

Yup. The train in front of us hit a pedestrian. And since dancing with a train never goes well, the whole operation had to come to a halt.

My train stopped at a station that was just far enough from both home and work as to be troubling. The conductor told us to get off and figure out what bus to use or whatever. Ugh.

With a cell phone on the last vapors of battery charge, I called a cab and paid an inordinate amount of cash to make it in to work about an hour late.

*sigh* All’s well that ends well.

In other, better, news, I’m happy to see in the ABQjournal that it’s official as of today, the New Mexico quarter is OUT. If you are in Santa Fe, there’s even a little ceremony.

Yay! I can hardly wait to have one in my hand! W00t!

We’re going big time, Oh Fair New Mexico!

Time Zone Zombie

I got approximately three hours of restless sleep last night. See, while it was midnight on the right coast of the country, over there on the left coast, it was still early evening. Prime time for me!

So there wasn’t much sleeping. And then there was getting up early to make a 7:00am breakfast-slash-meet-‘n-greet for this meeting. The meetin’ and greetin’ is useful, very useful, but I’m afraid I wasn’t *quite* on my game today. God bless Starbucks for getting me through.

Now I’m sitting in a stuffy hotel conference room, breathing stale air and the odor of drying, toughening “hotel chicken” wafting in from the kitchen.

But hey, a hard day hotel conferencing still beats a good day toiling at my desk at work. And we will actually finish at 5:00pm today. Go figure! I can’t complain…or rather, I can, but I shouldn’t.

I think it will be early to bed tonight. Right around the point I’m used to living la vida Eastern Time Zone, I’ll hop a west-bound plane.

Good times…

Bouncy, bouncy, bouncy…

No, I’m not doing an Easter bunny impression. Tho Easter is nigh…can you JUST believe it? Easter already. To where do the months evaporate?

Meanwhile, back to my anticipatory restlessness.

I have truly become an internet consumer. I ordered something *really cool* online last week. They said it would ship the next day. It did not. My expectation was one day ship. I demand one day ship!

Yesterday I navigated an awful call tree at Big Conglomerate (and I work for a different Big Conglomerate and procure call trees as part of my job, so I know from which I speak) and when I finally got a real person on the line, I screwed up my righteous indignation and demanded to know where my not inexpensive product was.

I was told, “huh…we can’t figure out why it didn’t ship. I need to contact the warehouse. It will take 24 to 48 business hours to get back to you.”

Business hours? Ok, where I come from “business day” is eight hours. I’m no good at math, but 24 divided by 8 is THREE DAYS.

To which I replied, “I am NOT happy with that estimate”.

They said that was just to protect in case of a weekend, but they really meant one to two days.

One day has elapsed. No response.

Back on the phone. In an endless hold queue.

How ’bout this to ponder. Why does on hold music universally SUCK? It is the soundtrack to my insanity. It really is.

Meanwhile, my leg is bouncing.

I reeeeeally want this item I’ve ordered. It’s not like air or food or something. I just have internet buyer lust.

Plus, by buying something, I’m, like, helping the economy, maaahn!

*sigh*

“Please continue to hold and your call will be answered in the order it was received.”

: hostile :

The healing powers of lunch

I just got back from having lunch with a good friend. A real lunch. Off site. At a restaurant where you sit down at a table, are served by a gracious waiter and use a cloth napkin.

No hurried dash to the company cafeteria for food placed into recyclable plastic containers and dining over my keyboard. I actually got UP from my chair, went out of doors and had a meal cooked just for ME.

And I have to say, my outlook on life has improved a lot today.

Like. A lot.

I feel less tense. More satiated. I’m less growly and grumpy.

They say breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but lunch ranks right up there. Lunch sets the tone for my whole afternoon. Yesterday, squinched at my desk slurping tomato soup and picking at a salad, I was cranky, uncreative, surly.

Today, I’m cracking jokes, feeling reasonable and creative. I’m happy. My team is happy. Hell, I even cancelled staff meeting, much to their joy.

Better living through Honey Walnut Prawns.