CafeChatNoir

It’s not too often that you get to send business to a company you actually like *AND* get to annoy your former looney tunes boss all in one fell swoop. I just did. :-D

In response to the inquiry for my “expert” services (on a piece of software I’ve not used, amazing how I can be an “expert”), I have recommended a consulting firm that I have worked with. They are absolutely terrific. Psycho ex-boss hated them. (He felt their mind reading capabilites were inadequate.) I’m sure word will filter back to him that I recommended them.

*snicker*

Pics found on the ‘Net

Jim Elliott, executive director of South Carolina Center for Birds of Prey, holds a bald eagle during a news conference March 13, 2003, at the site of a new coastal development north of Mount Pleasant, S.C., where hundreds of acres have been set aside to provide habitat for eagles, hawks and other wildlife. (AP Photo/Lou Krasky)
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&u=/030314/221/3ie78.html

California poppies bloom at the Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve, Thursday, March, 13, 2003, in Lancaster, Calif. Wildflowers are blooming in much of Southern California after several dry and dusty months made last flower season one of the most colorless in memory. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&u=/030313/168/3ib87.html

Gao Gao, an adult male giant panda, sticks his tongue out as he eats bamboo during a media preview of the bear at the San Diego Zoo Tuesday, March 11, 2003. Gao Gao, the zoo’s third giant panda, was born in China and will be on display to the public at the zoo starting on Thursday. (AP Photo/Denis Poroy)
http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&u=/030312/221/3htu9.html

Coffee and croissant later, feeling somewhat better. This morning I could have definitely used an extra 30 minutes of sleep, but the dogs decided that the bed makes a mighty fine trampoline, so that didn’t quite work. I’m taking solace in knowing that I got in a little early, and hence, can leave a little early.

I realized last night that I am double booked for next Friday. Need to check w/ little bro and see if he’d be willing to pick up Mom at the airport.

I wasn’t even out *that* late last night. But dayum, it hurt to have to get up this morning.
Agenda:
Today: Slog through work
Tonight: To bed EARLY
Tomorrow: Continue sleeping

Feeling much better now. Hopped in the shower, washed my hair, got it part way dry when it occured to me that I am going back out in the rain. Decided to just let it go as is.

Snoodle KNOWS I am going somewhere and is giving me the evil eye in a big way. This is why he gets the happy pills. He at least is much less likely to destroy something while I am gone. Eve is in the backyard, and of course, clueless. She always wants to go outside, so she likes being over here where I can just let her run around.

Still having that “forgotten something” feeling. Cats were fed. Dogs were fed, and let outside. And back in. Pills administered. Eardrops dropped. I have my wallet, have money, have keys. Well, some money. Should hit an ATM on the way in.

Guess if it’s not the ATM machine, I find out what it is soon enough. Finally off to HH.

Finally made it over to Mom’s. Dogs are fed, both food and happy pills.

Made the error of not feeding them separately. I’ve always fed them apart, my mom says she feeds them together. Well…..Snoodle finishes first and goes over to check out what Eve’s got. Some growling and flat out snap/snarling and several very loud NO’s later, all is well. Tomorrow we go back to separate dining facilities for the little buggers.

Snoodle’s happy pills are a super mild sedative that he used to get all the time, but he’s adjusted well enough that now we only give them to him when my mom is gone. Just takes the edge off the little guy so he’s not so wound up about her being gone. Given Eve’s perturbance at Snoodle’s intrusion on her dinner, she got one, too. I don’t need to come back home to the remnants of a dog fight. (Eve’s gotten them once before when my mom was watching her for a weekend. Between the fact that they are exceptionally mild to begin with and Eve is about 2x the size of Snoodle, no issues, and a less wound up dog.)

Still gotta go get myself cleaned up before heading out again. Dogs are gonna get *real* suspicious when I don’t put on my pj’s…

Seems that word of my boss’ pending departure has already made a wide loop from inside our division, to outside the company, back to the company in NJ, and then to the woman that is in the cube to my right….

The weather must be turning to crap. I swear, Thursday comes around and I either have to work late and I am too fried to do anything after work, or the weather is so bad I don’t want to go anywhere.

Mostly, snow. Now, it’s black-sky-hail-pouring rain. Hope this passes through before I head out. Bah.

Or something like that. Since I won’t be getting out early today (but not late, either), I need to get my thoughts in the right direction for getting everything done before heading out for HH.

- Home. Cats - dinner. Clothes. Laptop. Garbage out.
- Mom’s. Dogs - dinner, eardrops and happy pills.

Problem is, I know there is something that I am forgetting, but I don’t know what it is.

So, my phone rings this morning, and it’s my mom in Phoenix. She’s got this “Wow, do I feel like an idiot!” tone to her voice.

Seems she needs me to look up her insurance customer # and the phone # for claims when I get home tonight.

Me: “Did you wreck the rental car?”
Mom: “No, but I did manage to kiss the corner of your grandmother’s garage with the bumper…”

Found the phone # online for her right away, and then stunned her with my amazing knowledge of semi-useless things by telling her the insurance customer #. It’s one digit off of mine, I’ve heard her say it once, and it has stuck in my head.

There is some paint on the bumper, but that is it. She now gets to see just how the ‘rental car protection’ thing that comes automatically with her Visa card works.

Whoops! Either the alarm clocks just didn’t go off, or I was able to completely ignore them. Woke up at EIGHT! Was so out of it when I did, I couldn’t even figure out what day it was. But, I can say I got a good night’s sleep! Off to work!

By the time my mom returns next Friday, I’ll have this alternate living arrangement down pat. Just in time to go back home.

Got out of work at 4:30 today (I really need to try to get in that early again tomorrow!!), but had to hit the grocery store for dog and people food, and the house to feed the cats, and get clothes, and then back to the house because I had forgotten the clothes I’d grabbed to wear to work tomorrow, and then finally over to mom’s. It’s not exactly smooth yet… I didn’t get over here until around 6:00.

Made myself a snack, and did a very quick check of email. After a very short time, I decided I was getting rather sleepy. So, a short nap on the couch, covered in dogs.

Also freezing my ass off. Realized that the heat was still set for overnight, which is 64 degrees. Yeah, mom is going to have a slightly higher heat bill when she gets back. I can’t have it that cold!!

There is a happy hour tomorrow night, but I don’t even know if I am going to make it. By the time I run to my place first and take care of the cats, and then over here to take care of the dogs and all that, I don’t even know if I’ll feel like heading back out again. That, and the dogs get rather freaked out if you come home and then leave again. We’ll see.

There has been much talk of boycotting French wines and eating freedom fries and things of that nature.

I’m not much on boycotts, as I can’t say that I think they are terribly effective. In this case, we’re hurting merchants who really have nothing to do with France’s decisions in the UN.

However, in the past week or so, I’ve decided that it’s time for some concerted changes in my spending. The economy is in the tank, so I’ve got to be careful with my spending as it is. But when I do spend, I’ve decided that it’s time to make a concerted effort to deploy my dollars where they will help the US, and wherever possible, the *local* economy the most. So, items manufactured in the US go higher on the list, local shops rather than internet get preference, things of that nature. If enough dollars go into a local business, after a while, another job gets created. Not such a bad thing! Sure, it won’t work for everything, but I think it’s worth concentrating on. :)

I could be online now. Instead, I’m waiting for her to call in and let me know she got to Phoenix OK. I should have told her to just call my cell phone rather than here, then it would be a non-issue. I just don’t know if she’d think to call the cell. (She rarely remembers that I have it, LOL)

So, I’m just writing things offline and waiting. So, that’s why you’re seeing a flurry of posts all in a row.

Can’t beleive they found Elizabeth Smart. I really hope she is OK after all this.

Paul Doran snuggles with a 3-month-old alpaca at his farm near Westerville, Ohio, Friday, Feb. 28, 2003. Doran invested about $100,000 on seven alpacas in 1999 after learning about them at an Iowa farming symposium. Now, he keeps 22 alpacas at his 40-acre farm. (AP Photo/Daphne Davis)
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&u=/030312/168/3hmw7.html

Three female Alpacas poke their heads up from eating hay Friday, Feb. 28, 2003, in the pasture at Paul Doran’s farm near Westerville, Ohio. Doran invested about $100,000 on seven alpacas in 1999 after learning about them at an Iowa farming symposium. Now, he keeps 22 alpacas at his 40-acre farm. (AP Photo/Daphne Davis)
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&u=/030312/168/3hmw8.html

I think I would enjoy having an alpaca farm. :)

Mom has been dropped off at the airport, I’ve got the cool car for 10 days, and I have been at work since 7:30 this morning. Yes, I will be doing everything in my power to get out early today. :)

Yahoo has not shown me any real spectacular pics this morning. Maybe this afternoon.

It’s a good thing that I only live about 10 minutes away from my mom’s place - forgot half the things I needed last night.

Still need to get some canned food for Eve, too. She’ll probably want to eat tonight. (She’s SO needy that way.)

They say it’s supposed to get up into the 60s today - I hope so! Was still rather chilly at 6 this morning when we headed for the airport.

Here’s hoping today is a little less of a rollercoaster than yesterday was!

But I’m not really good at looking out for myself at the cost of others. Bah.

The budget manager has put in his resignation. My boss has also said he will be leaving, but has not put in his resignation just yet.

While I keep getting these cryptic yet positive calls from my agency regarding my position at this organization (I am a contractor), I have not notified them of this most recent development, and that they should probably be looking around for other items for me. (I have a strong feeling that once my boss is gone, my work life will either be hell, or my contract will be cancelled outright.)

Now, I haven’t spoken to them of this because my boss hasn’t made his intentions official yet. If I notify them, it will most certainly get back to Sideshow Bob, and then my boss will probably be in a world of hurt. I simply can’t do that. Breaking that confidence to look out for myself just doesn’t really cut it for me.

So, in doing what I personally think is the right thing, I will probably get somewhat screwed. That kinda bites, but I’ll be able to sleep at night.

Signing off from mom’s very slow dial-up. :)

that anyone actually *reading* these bizarre and random posts is probably thinking…

“MY GOD THIS WOMAN NEEDS THERAPY!!!!!”

But really - I’m OK. I swear!

Mmmmwaahahahahahahahahahahaha

Our budget manager just put in his resignation

Got some good news - one of Tim’s old college classmates is gonna be a Daddy!!

There have been enough minor annoynaces today that have built up that I am getting downright aggravated with people. Therefore, I am afraid I am going to have to spend most of my LJ time on bitching to get it out of my system. Ya know, deal with the stress asap and all that.

The latest? My boss cleaned off his desk. That just isn’t a good sign. (Yes, I’ve been hoping against hope that he would reconsider leaving, even though I completely understand the reasoning behind his decision.)

10 days of hound duty. Have to think through the logistics on that one so I’m not spending 99% of my free time in the car between my place and my mom’s. Gotta remember to grab some food for Eve tonight. I’m not sure going out is in the realm of possibility while I’m taking care of them.

I don’t know how many more times I can explain the cash process before I either start to cry in frustration or my head explodes.

This too shall pass…This too shall pass…This too shall pass…This too shall pass…This too shall pass…This too shall pass…This too shall pass…

Deep breaths and all that. They were actually talking on the radio this morning about how stress must be dealt with immediately (Hmm, doesn’t that just add another layer of stress to it all?), and that holding out for the evening bubble bath to relax just isn’t going to do you any good. So, I am attempting to deal with my stress now. HAHA!!!

I am also in the midst of a complete sneezing fit.

The day has gone somewhat downhill, in that I am PMSing over all sorts of dumb nonsense, I can’t compose an email reply to anyone to save my life (they all start sounding like, “Jane, you ignorant slut”, which is really not what I am going for), and I am generally a fair amount less chipper than I was when I arrived at the office this morning.

Adding insult to injury, the Onion won’t even be updated until tomorrow. I need something goofy to read, dammit!

Continued war talk is starting to get to me.

Maybe I just didn’t get quite enough sleep last night.

A dog presents an evening outfit during a dog fashion show late March 6, 2003 in Moscow. Five various collections of dog clothes for all occasions were presented in one of Moscow’s casinos. Picture taken March 6, 2003 REUTERS/Alexander Natruskin

It is rather fetching…

If I wanted certain pieces of information about myself out on the internet, I would put it there myself. Some people just completely suck. (Update: No, it’s not anything earth shattering, just something that bothers the hell out of ME, and apparently no one else in the friggin’ world.)