CafeChatNoir

My mood simply is not improving. Of course, I may have an answer - just happened to look at my pills, and oh look - yes, I think this is what they call PMS. Now, I hate falling into that “Oh, woe is me, I’ve got PMS” crap, but it would explain my rather nasty mood despite the gorgeous weather.

And of course, I’m getting paranoid about the refi. They have all but two pieces of paper, and they’ll have those next week. And they’ve even just marked them as trailing and the big list already has everything marked as “received”.

What if the appraisers are on crack and don’t look at the comps in the neighborhood? What if the underwriters look at the paperwork and say, “Hmmm, give a bunch of cash to a 30+ divorced chick who is probably just a midlife crisis waiting to happen… Do we really want this money going towards a motorcycle and multiple tattoos when she does have the big meltdown? I think not!“

Upside is a 4 day week ahead and a long weekend on the other side. I’m ready for it. :)

When is it time to just say fuck it and give up?

Do I really have so little to offer in a relationship that all that one can see are my flaws?

The garage sales were a bust today. Went w/ the big guy to test drive cars later - Element and Forester. Forester is way smaller inside than you’d expect. Element was very nice. Guy at the Honda dealer was a prick, tho - what part of the word research don’t you understand??

Finally got to changing the oil in my car - now have two working lights and new wiper blades, too. Helped an elderly lady get her glasses put back together while waiting - think about it - you need your glasses to see, how are you supposed to see to get the little screw back in when it falls out??

Home w/ a nasty headache, I think from being out too much w/ no sunglasses today. Laid down for a while thinking it would help, but no dice. Got some minor things done about the house, head still hurts and I am hurtling towards an exceptionally foul mood for it.

Wow, that week sure went fast.

Yesterday’s theme at work was “callers on crack”. Got my first “Prefers Pisceandreamer” call. From a woman who I’d talked to earlier in the week who is so utterly and completely clueless that it is scary. All I could do not to laugh when I saw my name on it. (Two of my coworkers have talked to her - they can back me up on this.) One coworker and I were taking bets on how long she would last in the job. I think she won’t come back after the holiday weekend.

Then there was the woman that wanted to know why a set of code that her DBA had copied out of the software wouldn’t work on it’s own. Well, because it is meant to run AS PART OF THE SOFTWARE. I told her to go use the reporting software that they have to do what she wanted to do and quit mucking in the code. She didn’t like that too much (too bad), and was quite perturbed that I couldn’t explain why the (incomplete) code she was trying to run would fail when it got to building temp table 6. Well, because that is WAY outside the scope of general support, you’re getting into the actual programming and guess what? The programmers aren’t going to tell you either.

Only three pieces of paper left to get to the mortgage company. Pay slip next Thursday, bank statement from savings account that I only opened on 6/2, and the “loan authorization” form that was just uploaded to my loan track site for me to d/l and sign. The first two are just niceties, since they have already marked everything on the documents list as received with the exception of the authorization document. Then it’s waiting for the appraisal folks to call, get that done, and then wait some more!

Garage saling time - enjoy the weekend

Cause I am just beat all to hell at this point.

Made the decision to get on the refinance bandwagon this week. Rate will be a full point lower and cashflow will have a nice boost on the positive side. Time to make the house work for me for a change. Emailed off all the documentation last night, now waiting on the appraisal folks to call and schedule that.

Other than that, not much happening round here.

It ain’t a pretty thing. Sure, I look like Judy the Time-Life operator, but it’s better than the semi-permanent kink in my neck that was starting to develop.

Work is still good. No training this week - all calls, all the time. Tomorrow being Wednesday, it should be busy, too.

We’re supposed to average 8 closed calls a day. (Well, for those of us still in training it’s not expected yet, but it’s good to know what’s in store.) When I first heard that, I thought there was no way I’d be able to manage that. Well, in the past 3 days that I have been on calls all day, I’ve closed 10+ each day. So, I guess it’s doable!

I’ve settled into a nice routine time-wise. In at 8, break at 10, lunch at 12, break at 3, off at 5. But that would be the only routine part. I do like the fact that you just never know what on earth someone is calling about, so it stays interesting.

Cause we’re in training, we can cherry pick our calls and only take ones on subjects we’ve hit in training so far if we want. I’ve given up on that since way too often I’ve taken a call marked Accounts Payable and halfway through talking w/ the client they say, “Gee, I guess this isn’t really about A/P at all, is it?” So, I just take whatever is at the top of the list, since there’s a decent chance that the subject has nothing to do w/ the actual call anyway.

I’m still farming out a fair amount of calls it seems. When I get a call, if it’s something I even have half a shot at being able to answer, I go for it. Otherwise, I just get all the info that I can and farm it out. Now, at times it feels like I am doing that too often, but I remind myself of the following:
- I’ll take any call that is there and needs a callback. *Any* call, since I know that if necessary, I can just triage it and farm it out and someone who does have the answer can see it and snag it right away. So, while someone else may be stuck w/ a call they can answer that is taking a while, I can get at least two or three callbacks done and triaged. Higher volume of callbacks = higher # of farmed out calls.
- My boss keeps telling me how helpful it is. To the point where she IM’d me today and asked “Hey, ya wanna triage a call at 54 minutes on the electronic timesheet queue?” (Heck, why not?)
- I am also actually *closing* calls, too. (Were it not for that, then yes, I would feel VERY crummy about the volume of farmed out calls!!)

I am also lucky in that I have hit on several calls that are folks who just want to bounce ideas off you for things. There is no real “problem”, they just need to think through a setup or process out loud with someone who understands what they’re saying and by the time they’re finished, they’ve already figured it out for themselves.

And then of course, there are those poor slobs who don’t realize that we’re gonna learn the process in question TOGETHER!! Like today…voiding and reissuing a payroll check. Did it this morning w/ some help. Got another call this afternoon on same. WOOHOO!! Except it’s on a different version and the functionality it different. Crap! But now I can do it on both versions. :)

Well, it’s getting late, and I’m a bit on the tired side, so bed would probably not be a bad idea.

Niters!

For you losers out there that have finished Harry Potter and have to be jackasses about it:

(And I don’t mean the losers I know who just read fast and enjoy it, I mean the losers with a capital L on their forehead, LOSERS)

The book has not even been out for a freaking week. Your attitude of “If you haven’t been able to read the entire thing by now, then you don’t deserve to be able to enjoy it” is NOT appreciated.

Yes, I have already narrowly escaped seeing information on the internet that I would prefer to actually read later in the BOOK, and this morning on the radio, they gave it away. Again, I managed to realize what the idiots were up to and changed the station.

I need just one more day of sleeping in. :)

Friday night it was up until 2:30 or so for the HP extravaganza.

Last night I was up again until about 2 AM, since we started watching a movie at about 11:30…

Today we went to see Chicago at the National Theatre.

Pretty good, but I’m not sure it was really all it was hyped to be, but a good show nonetheless. The singing was absolutely terrific.

The casting on one character was a touch off, there is a little more acknowledgement of the audience than I care for, and they hit on a couple of my biggest pet peeves when it comes to seeing things on stage.

- Everyone was mic’d. I hate that. They’re visually distracting and it’s not pretty when feedback hits.

- When a dance number is choreographed and everyone is supposed to be in sync, everyone is supposed to be in sync. Bugs me when the dancers aren’t together and it’s pretty obvious that they should be.

National Theatre is nice. Two small things - wish they had the seats a bit more sloped, and that they were actually center offset so you were looking in-between the two people in front of you. I could only see about 2/3 of the stage because of the head in front of me… (Doesn’t help one bit that I am short.)

All in all, a good weekend, but I am beat, and getting up at the crack of dawn tomorrow just isn’t appealing. :)

That in my next home I will either ensure that the yard is large enough for a lawn mower to work properly, or that there is no lawn at all.

But, the yard has been weed whacked into submission for at least a day or two.

So, last night I got to see up close and personal the phenomenon that is Harry Potter. Went to the B&N over in Fairfax with Tim & Laura. Actually, it was a lot more subdued than I expected! Also ran into Shannon, too. Good to get to catch up with her.

We went over to the Silver Diner afterwards and it was just too funny to watch those two - noses buired in books, constantly asking, “Which page are you on??”, usually followed by “Dammit! I’m behind!” I am amazed that no one poked themselves in the eye with a fork.

Myself, I made a good score at Old Navy. Have more good t-shirts that are work-friendly and a three more pairs of pants that are decent looking and machine washable. (Realized that I only have two other pairs of pants I can wear to work, and there are 5 days in the week, and well, you can do the math)

Just got off the phone with the bank. I moved some money off my HELC into my checking account on 6/14 when E*Trade was screwing around with me, just to make sure that I wouldn’t somehow start bouncing checks all over the place. (One of those things - I had enough in the bank, but I got paranoid.) The deposit cleared through the checking account with no problem. Still hasn’t hit the HELC yet. So, I either managed to get some free money or they are really, REALLY slow in processing things. So, I’ve made the effort to alert them to the problem - if they don’t fix it, I have a clear consciencee.

And, they have gotten all my paperwork for overdraft back and the accounts are linked. So that is GOOD. I can start bouncing checks left and right should I choose. (No, I’m not planning on it, but it’s good to have…)

So, I’m non the way to see the big guy, just past the mixing bowl on the Beltway and the storm hits. IN A BIG WAY.

Everyone is going 30 mps, flashers on, can’t see. Get to Eisenhower Avenue and discover the right lane is totally flooded. It’s kind of like driving in snow - downshift and pray. Then my window completely fogs up, no visibility, so windows down, defroster on, mad swiping at windshield to clear it.

Finally make it to my exit. Get to light, make right turn, get in left lane, wonder why everyone is going so freaking slow. I find out.

There is basically a RIVER coming down the street from the other direction. In retroscpect, I probably should have just pulled th eillegal U and found a different way over. But instead, I powered through a boatload of water.

I’ve now been informed that there is probably a very good chance that my car won’t start in the morning. We’ll sese.

But, damn, what a rush

Part of the reason that the really nice email I got from my coworker just made my day is because of what I do. Right now, I am mainly doing front line information gathering on any given problem more than anything.

Have you read The Chronicles Of George?

Basically right now - I am George, but hopefully with a slightly better grasp of the English language. There have been a couple of times where I swear I have almost typed “havening a problem”… So, it’s very nice to hear from someone that I seem to be doing *something* right. :)

is trying to kill me, I swear.

After E*Trade screwing around with me last week (and I am still awaiting final resolution on THAT), today, it is my credit union…

I got my paycheck this afternoon. Decide to stop and deposit it in the ATM on the way home. Well, it won’t let me. Now, if I was trying to take money OUT and it wouldn’t let me, it might make some sense. But I am trying to put funds IN.

I called, they see nothing going on with my account - it is fine, not frozen or anything like that. So, that’s good, I suppose. The best thing they could come up with was that the ATM network they’re on was overloaded. A possibility, I suppose.

They said to try again in a few hours or in the AM.

Update: Whatever it was, it is fixed now. My paycheck is in the bank. Bills will be paid.

Monday and yesterday were *hard* at work. Not bad, just hard. So the email I got from a coworker this morning couldn’t have come at a more perfect time:

Subject: Just a note

At any rate, I just want you to know your performance isn’t going unrecognized. Keep up the good work…and please feel free to ask for my assistance, guidance or input at any time.

On the “enjoy their jobs” comment - they’ve been shorthanded for a while now and under a fair amount of pressure to still take as many calls and accomplish other things too (training, special projects, etc.) - but overall, things are looking up with more hands on deck.

Not bad - just hard. I swear 85% of the calls were on billing, and all totally whacked out issues, too. Have we hit billing in training yet? Of course not! I figure now that we’re working A/P we won’t have an A/P call for the next 2 months.

I also am wondering if I am messing something up with the call software. Long story short, I think I am hitting buttons in the wrong order, cause some things are looking strange. But, the callbacks are getting made, which is the most important thing.

Very cool thing - we get paid on the 19th. We got an email from payroll today letting us know that everything has been processed and if we want, we can download/print a copy of our payslips now from the employee self service site. Pretty nifty. Also, just nice to be able to see that *yes*, I did make it into the payroll system and got paid.

Accounts Payable training - most of the screens and setups identical to Accounts Receivable, so that was good cause I’ve had near zip experience w/ the module so the familiar sections were good. The gal training us today is a hoot - definitely not quite right in the head, but in the good way - not in the “please stay away from me” kind of way.

Stumbled through the morning - call queue crapped out on me a couple of times, sent a call to the wrong queue (managed to retrieve it right away and get it to the right place), sent off the heads up email to my own support group instead of the tech group (fixed that, too) and generally tripped over myself a lot. But it’s ok, I still really like it, and by some miracle I managed to even close a couple of calls. :)

Helped get a resume ready for distribution tonight (not mine for a change).

I’ve got a cat in my lap, and I’m kinda tired, but I have to say - life is good.

A tiny 18 Karat gold Hello Kitty doll on display at Tanaka Kikinzoku Jewelry KK in Tokyo’s Ginza shopping district June 16, 2003. The three centimetre tall (1.2-inch), 70 gramme (2.46 ounce) kitty character, studded with a diamond and crystal decorations, is priced at 400,000 yen (about $3,400). 50 of the limited edition dolls will be available by mail order starting June 20. REUTERS/Toshiyuki Aizawa
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&u=/030616/170/4eobh.html

So, I finally got off my backside this afternoon and got the overdraft stuff set up for my account. I can screw up to the tune of 5K. (Of course, the whole point of it being that if I actually have it set up, I will not need it.) Gotta love instant approval.

Called the bank to see what has to be done to link it to my account - they’re sending the paperwork, I sign it and send it back and it should be done by the end of the week.

Went to the store to grab a few things for lunch and dinner and I noticed something I’d never seen before…

Smoky Bacon Cheddar Cheese.

Mmmmmmmmm, bacon. So, of course I had to get some. Not too bad. Don’t think you could eat large quantities of it, but it is tasty.

Two paws up from Snoopy-cat for the piece I dropped on the floor.

Is pretty much completely deviod of junk food, which is great for the pocketbook and waistline, but completely blows when you just want something to munch on and there isn’t a damn thing anywhere in the house.

I’ve got a box of triscuits, but that just isn’t cutting it… There is a jar of garlic olive salsa just screaming for a bag of tortilla chips. I see a trip to the store in my future today.

Well, off to run some errands.

Just because it is a weekend, that does not mean I won’t get cranky if I don’t eat. I will still get cranky. The day of the week has nothing to do with it.

Well, today has been a spectacularly unproductive day. Haven’t done a damn thing. Maybe tomorrow…

Mom’s car got rear-ended last night, she’s fine, car not so much it seems. Was going to go over and check it out today - but that is looking like more of a tomorrow thing at this point.

A mother cheetah yawns beside one of her young cubs at the De Wildt Cheetah center in South Africa June 12, 2003 which has just launched a nationwide census to find the number of the endangered big cats living wild in South Africa. Using radio collars, cameras, aircraft and DNA testing, the survey is the first comprehensive study of any country’s cheetah population, says Ann van Dyk, who started the De Wildt Cheetah and Wildlife Trust 32 years ago. The De Wildt is the only approved cheetah-breeding center in the world. The census is expected to take between five and eight years to complete. Picture taken June 12, 2003.REUTERS/Juda Ngwenya
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&u=/030613/170/4dtxt.html

An osprey (news - web sites), holding a freshly caught fish, lifts off from a dead tree and moves to a more secluded dining area near Cedar Key, Fla. Thursday, June 12, 2003 to finish the meal. These hawks feed almost exclusively on fish and can be seen diving into salt and fresh waters from heights of 30 to 100 feet to catch their prey. (AP Photo/Phil Sandlin, ho)
http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&u=/030613/168/4dv5m.html

Fishy : Gold fishes swim in an aquarium at a market in Shanghai. (AFP/Liu Jin)
http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&u=/030605/241/4b3z9.html

A royal Bengal tiger walks in a pond at New Delhi Zoo June 5, 2003 during a heat wave. Indians prayed for rain at temples and mosques as the death toll from the heat wave that swept the country reached 1,200 on Wednesday. REUTERS/Kamal Kishore
http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&u=/030605/170/4b00x.html

TIME makes…

A few years ago, I was with someone who informed me the one time I had “too much fun” to drive home after a gals night out, that it was a good thing I was staying at the local hotel, because he had a tee time at 8 AM the next morning. A few weeks ago, I had someone who laughed it off, picked me up, and assured me it was probably just something I ate that upset my stomach.

A few years ago, a headhunter told me that there was no way that anyone would ever pay me to work for them outside of government contracting. A few weeks ago, I started a new job where not only am I not doing accounting, it’s not for a government contractor, either.

A few years ago, the windows on my car all would go up - now the passenger side just does whatever it wants to do… OK, so that is a pain in the ass, but points one and two are pretty good. :)