Exercising self control

Some days that is very, very difficult. A month or so ago, Boss Lady tells me that she won't be hiring any help for the holiday season. Oh yay. Last year, it took three of us and we were still overwhelmed. This year it's gonna be me and her, and she is busy with a baby and other stuff. So really, it will be/has been mostly me. No wonder I'm so loopy lately.
The day before Thanksgiving, she tells me I have a four day weekend because I won't get anymore time off until after New Year's Day. Of course, she waited until I was leaving for the day to tell me, as usual. She always waits until one of us is leaving to tell me something like this. Usually, she waits until 6 p.m. on Thursday to tell me I have Friday off because she will be out of town on Saturday. I've had to cancel plans a lot.
Yesterday, about 5:50 p.m. Boss Lady says something about being free Saturday since I would be working. First I'd heard that I was supposed to work Saturday. I told her I had already made plans so I couldn't be there. I said I could work Friday. She tells me she has stuff to do Saturday morning. The end result: I work Friday all day and half of Saturday. She says she'll be in around lunch time. Last time she said that, I didn't see her until 3 p.m. So today I reminded her that I needed to leave around midday tomorrow. She apparently was confused and thought I was working tomorrow afternoon. I'm pretty sure it's all straightened out now, but I guess I'll know for sure tomorrow morning.
Back to the holiday thing. Boss Lady told me she was planning to have two girls she knows help out. Mind you, neither knows how to use a register, look up books on the computer, calculate trade credits or what books go in which sections. So the only thing either of them can do is shelve books that I've stamped, sorted and placed on the appropriate aisles. Oh, and gift wrap. I've been waiting for these two kids to show up and I haven't seen them yet.
Today, I found out why I haven't seen the girls. Because they aren't coming. Both of them are too busy with school and other stuff. Boss Lady says neither will be able to help at all, probably not even with end of year inventory. Wonderful.
The last thing she told me today? "Don't forget, I'll be gone Tuesday through Friday of next week." But she is going to call someone and see if they can come at least one day next week and give me a hand, at least for part of the day. Thanks, really.

I really love my job, and Boss Lady isn't that bad. She just has a very unusual view of time. I suppose it could be worse, I do get that discount on all my books and anything else she decides to stock. I guess it all evens out. Eventually.
Pretty sure she is not going to be thrilled when I remind her that I will need a few days off for T's surgery. Which still hasn't been scheduled.

Update: When I got to the store on Saturday, Boss Lady had been there since 8. She fooled with stock and paper work for a while and I shelved and waited on customers. It was so dead I was able to catch up on shelving and do some other stuff. There were 3 Christmas parades in the area scheduled between 10 and 2, one of which was right down the street. Which meant that very little traffic passed. I think we had less than a dozen customers in 2 hours. So at 12:30 Boss Lady told me I could leave. Really, what was the point of making me get out of bed to work 3 hours? At least I had the afternoon off to go out to eat with T.

One damned thing after another

Let's see if I can do this. First, there was Thanksgiving. The Barbarian Horde decided to play football about 8 p.m. Since they didn't have enough barbarians for even one full team, it turned into Tackle Tag fairly quickly. I had a blast watching them, only took a few pics, I was laughing too hard. Here's one:Then it was Shadow's birthday on Nov 28th. Then T's birthday on Dec 1st. My dad's birthday is Dec 4th. Some of my family got together for Dad's birthday, and I took a few pictures. This one is my younger brother (aka Toothpick), his girlfriend and her son. My dad and his wife, the same day. Continuing the birthdays, Sarge is today, AC was yesterday, Toothpick is the 15th, Wes is the 18th, JJ is the 25th......I know I missed someone, I just can't remember who it is. In the midst of all of this, I am trying to get ready for Christmas, working waaay too many hours, and dealing with T. He has a torn rotator cuff which requires surgery. Soon. So, he is home for a while, with nothing to do. That's a bad thing. The gods only know what he will decide to fill his time with, but I can guarantee it's going to be unexpected. I'm just hoping he doesn't decide to reorganize my books again.
Just for grins, I thought I would include this picture to prove there are advantages to living in the boonies. This is part of my route to work: Pretty nice, huh? I think I am one of the few people who enjoys driving to work. When I compare my commute to my friends' all I can do is smile. I get to speed down empty back roads lined with trees and you guys get wall-to-wall, bumper-to-bumper traffic. It takes me 20 minutes to go 23 miles. Plus, I see things like hawks sitting on power lines and deer meandering across the road. By the way, there is so little traffic that I was able to park my car and stand in the middle of the road to take that picture.

One last thing. For fellow PAN fiends, here's my latest ugly chef sighting. Found this in Hell-mart and then tried to explain why I was giggling my head off to T. The funniest part was realizing that this is a FRENCH chef! Ugly chefs go international:Ok, I think I am as caught up as I can get. Maybe I will be able to find some time to actually post something good, but I am not counting on it.

Poetry.com

I recently submitted a second piece to Poetry.com. This one isn't entered into the big contest, since only one entry per 6 month period is allowed. I don't care, I just threw it out there anyway. Here it is:

Elegy

Contemplating freedom

spread my wings, and fly

so far away, gone

leave this pain

behind

Embrace the next

world, turn away

from the emptiness

of my present, the

grief of my past and

the despair of my

future

Such fragile bonds to

hold me here

staring at nothing

with my blind eyes

I liked it, and I ran it past a friend who understands grieving for a spouse. We e-mailed back and forth this afternoon about dealing with this. I wish I could do something more to help him, but I know there is absolutely nothing that helps. I'm just so lucky I have T, Wenchy-woman and Dad. So, my hope is that my buddy is doing a little better at the moment and that he will remember that I care about him, good days, bad days, even pain-in-the-ass days. Hugs to ya. Lots of hugs. And always a willing ear to listen.

Desires and dreams

Dreaming

Days,

craving your touch

Nights,

burning in your arms

Dreaming

of your embrace

Dawn wakes me

and you vanish like

a mist, leaving only

a haunting melody

a whispering sigh

to remember you

And I lie here alone

praying for night

Wondering if my dream lover

will find me again.

Distraction found

OK, HERE ARE YOUR WORDS OF ADVICE FOR TODAY...
Never,
Ever,
Ever
~EVER~
Under ANY Circumstance

Kiss A Monkey!!

Thanks Mz_Pitbull, I really needed that! (I always wanted a self-fellating monkey!)

I'm whining

I am, to be honest, unbearable when I don't feel well. Depending on how rough I feel, my attitude ranges from whiny all the way to homicidal. So don't bother reading any further unless whiny doesn't bother you much. Because today, I was pitifully whiny.
Here's why:
See the area marked "Maxillary"? Normally, that would be open, as in sinus cavity. Unless, of course, you've had so many sinus infections that it is scarred almost completely shut. Like me. Allergies and sinus problems are pretty common on both sides of my family. What that means for me is year-round misery, punctuated by episodes of severe pain and lots of doctor visits. I usually end up with a severe respiratory infection at least twice a year. Guess what time of year it is?
I woke up about 2 a.m. today with my head pounding so hard I had to doze sitting up. Yes, I took something. As a matter of fact, I took lots of something. The only thing the medicine helped me do was sleep through all my alarms so I was late for work. At this point, the pain has subsided a bit. Now it just feels like someone punched me in the eye, beat the inside of my head with a baseball bat and finished up by scrubbing the area behind my cheek and eye with steel wool. Believe me, that is an improvement. So, I will be calling my doctor to make an appointment, even though she and I both know exactly what's wrong, and I know word-for-word what she will tell me. Just as long as she writes a prescription, I am willing to listen to the lecture.
For the moment, however, I am going to go spend another 40 minutes under a hot shower, steaming my head open. And then find something to distract me until it's time for more pills.

Bad choices - but at least they provide amusement to others

I always wondered why people vandalize property. Especially when the vandal does something like spray painting their full name across the back of the police station. Somebody got dropped on his head too many times as a child. This one was a little different. If the police ever catch this guy, the attempts to identify him and prove his guilt are sure to be entertaining.
The second story is about yet another man caught in a public display of affection. His chosen love interest, however, was a mannequin. Personally, I think this one is the fault of the security guard, who should have respected a closed door.
The Smoking Gun has some of the most entertaining mug shots I've ever seen. Speaking of poor decision making skills, these folks' problems apparently started well before their arrests.

This last one sounded like a great idea. Anyone who has had to endure some of the spelling and grammar atrocities so prevalent today will probably cheer these guys on every step.