Crazy Is As Crazy Does

Spent most of yesterday in a line. At least that's how it felt.
New game system release day. And Woohoo! My persistance paid off; I was eighth in line and they had 26 of the "Gold" ones. I got the X-Box 360. All is good. I was a hero.

Spent a lot of time in line problem solving and trouble shooting. Apologized to fellow line people in advance for calls I knew I'd receive from work. They were all cool though. The guy behind me was a customer.

*****

While in line I got a crisis call from one of my young employees letting me know he was headed to the emergency room. Poor kid. 20 years old. He was bleeding urine. OUCH!
Apparently his brother had kicked him where he shouldn't and hurt one of his "boys". Man, I'm a girl and I only fight that dirty with lots of warning and after some seriously unforgiveable stuff.

I told him to call me when he got to the ER and let me know what was going on. The doctor told him that usually, in situations like this after leaving "the boys" untreated for more than a couple of hours, there isn't much that can be done. Often, the only option is to remove the damaged "boy". He was terrified that he was gonna lose his testicle, especially since they believed it to be fractured.

It wasn't till AFTER his final test, an ultrasound, that they found it was salvageable, just swollen. He got lucky.

Little Moments

I talked to Patrick today. He's THAT guy for me. The one guy I can sit in silence with and still feel at peace. The one who reads my thoughts before I even think to give voice to them. That one who really appreciates me for me...quirks and all. And the quirks somehow make me more appealing to him. He sees the secret me that I work so hard to hide. He also lives 3 hours away.

'Little Moments' by Brad Paisley makes him think of me. We laughingly say it was written for me....especially the part that says..."It's the little imperfections, it's the sudden change in plans when she misreads the directions and we're lost, but holding hands. Yeah, I live for little moments like that."

Our first date...I got lost. Our second date...I got lost. It's become a running joke.

So today I visited one of my locations...and on my way home I accidentally exited to the interstate heading south instead of north. And I knew where I was supposed to go. Normally, the perfectionist in me would kick in and get worked up. Not today.

Today I called Patrick. I didn't realize how much I've missed his voice, his laugh.

Just that laughter at telling him what I did....It was like getting a hug from a long distance friend.

Latino Heat

It may not mean much to many people, but it meant a lot to me.

I used to watch him in my living room. At first he annoyed and irritated me. I couldn't wait till he went. Then, like most things that hang around, I got used to him. Pretty soon I found myself amused by him, drawn into his innate sense for what entertained. He sure knew how to make me laugh.

I was there during his ups and downs. Cheering him on when things got rocky, sure he'd see things through to the other side. I admired his dedication to his work and his family.

Most of all, I admired his dedication to me....His fan...one of many.

Eddie Guerrero, you will be missed.

God Bless, Godspeed, and my prayers go out to your family.

I'll miss you Mondays and Thursdays the most. The wrestling world won't be the same without you.

Teen Marriages

I just got a text from my 18 yr old former employee. His 16 year old girlfriend just proposed to him. She had a ring and everything. For him. Of course he proposed to her months ago.

Two things about all this strike me as odd. 1.) Since when do both parties propose? Usually one proposal is enough. The other party accepts. End of story. But no, not with these two. 2.) Why does it seem like EVERY kid in FL is in a hurry to either get married or have babies or both?

I guess there's a 3rd....Why are neither of these kids' parents tweaking out? They're still so young! But apparently, as long as they wait 2 years...which gives her time to graduate high school and him time to get some college under his belt...they're thrilled. The girls' parents have already welcomed him into the family...and vice versa (and it's not even reverse psychology as they appear to think this is normal behavior). Their pastor seemed to be the only one who had the slightest problem with all of this.

Part of me is all...how sweet....young love...still innocent, like that song by the Judds. The other part wants to knock their heads together and scream....do they have any idea what a tough road they're edging toward? Are they CRAZY? But I've been good. I've held my own council. It's not my business, and they're good kids. I just can't imagine actually WANTING to get married right after high school.

Am I wrong, thinking like this? Does this mean I'm jaded? Does anyone else get why you'd want to get married so young?

I suddenly feel ANCIENT!

The finished product

It's finally done! Got to have my first swim yesterday. ::sigh:: I love my new pool. And just in time for Christmas. Thank goodness it's heated! :-) Of course in Florida I'll only have to turn the heat on for a couple of months.

But it's nice to know I can.

Impromptu Party

This isn't the best pic in the world...it's from my Camera phone, but these are the boys...LOL! It's been a while since I've had time to blow off steam, so doing so Friday night was great. Chris (boy in blue) and Jared (white tee) came over to watch a work video I had to monitor with me. They're good friends like that. One thing led to another...Grey Goose bottles were opened...Ice and OJ were mixed in...

Chris and I are both managers...and apparently we both needed to blow off steam. I was showing off my new pool. Then I mentioned the punching bag I had in my garage. Chris wanted to see....and put in a few hits. So he punched...I held the bag...and Jared got nervous that Chris was going to get carried away and accidentally punch me. He had A LOT of aggression to work off. He was yelling at his employees with every punch. Better the bag than them.

Then back into the living room.

I have a karaoke machine. It's one of my not-so-guilty pleasures. It's great for parties...especially impromptu ones. And there's nothing funnier than watching a white boy try to sing a Nelly song. Mike, Jared's beau (the guy in the red shirt) came over...and the merriment continued...and alcohol flowed. We danced around my living room. We sang at the top of our lungs...songs like "You Gotta Fight For Your Right To Party" and "I Love Rock And Roll". I can sing...grew up doing it. So did Mike and Jared. Chris? Eh, not so much...but sometimes that brutally off key sound can make things that much more fun. So I played Sandy to Jared and Mike's Danny in "Summer Nights". The pic is actually the three boys getting all revved up singing Backstreet Boys...LOL! They're so predictable...that and Y.M.C.A. and they were going nuts. Steriotypical gay guys...LOL! I love them for that! Nothing like spending a Friday night singing at the top of your lungs, dancing around the living room...with guys who aren't afraid to sing with you...and are closet boy band fans...throw in a little alcohol and talk of Brad Pitt and James VanDerBeek and a few kisses... It was a blast! I needed it, too. It was so relaxing to put my hair down, take my bra off, and just chill.

Plus, they said I've got great tits.... God love 'em!

Freaks and Geeks

I'm in love....

I'm in love with technology....electronics....and now...Oakley just made my nipples hard. They came out with this AMAZING new pair of shades... And they're Bluetooth enabled, too. They were smart about it...partnered up with Motorola. Now I'm thinking I may have to shell out a few hundred bucks for a new pair of shades. I NEVER spend that much on that stuff, but I can justify it if there's built in technology.

Yes, yes....I'm one of those geeks. I got a microwave with a fancy touchscreen panel that could sing to you and give you recipes. I've been dying to get this smoothtop range that has a built in convection oven...AND...a built in refrigerator. I know. I know. Insane, right? But say...I want fresh cinnamon rolls in the morning for breakfast (I love to bake to relax)...I can chill them in the oven, then set the oven to turn on at a certain time...and to shut off, too...so that the smell of cinnamon buns can be the first thing I smell. How cool is that?

Then there are the PDA's....and the Cell phones....

Don't even get me started on the cell phones. :-)

************

And now the pool is almost done! They laid the quartz, they smoothed it out. They filled the pool with water. Tomorrow they turn on the pumps and start the treating process. I'll be able to swim in it by next week! Notice the pool bench? I'm thinking it looks like the perfect spot for a bootie call! :-x

Hey, I figure work hard, play harder! And I've been busting my bootie, so I'm taking my playtime seriously.

************

You know what else amused me?

The Carolina Panthers cheerleaders' story. They come down to Trampa and get in a drunken barroom catfight in the ladies loo.... Well, two of them did. And wound up getting arrested. What's this world coming to?

Apparently they were performing most every straight man's fantasy together...alone...in one of the stalls. The other patrons didn't appreciate it because they had to wait in line to use the lavatory...and I'm also guessing they could hear the noises and one or two uptight types got their knickers in a twist.

Go figure!

Guess they should've used the mens room! :-D

Battle Of The Sexes

Was watching the Simpsons. Funniest little scene between Bart and Robot...

Robot: "It's not uncommon for robots to be abandoned?"

Bart: "I'm a human not a robot."

Robot: "What is it like to have feelings?"

Bart: "I'm a human, not a GIRL!"

Yesterday's Trash

There's a young lady I know. We met at work. We used to be close. Once upon a time. I stood up in her wedding. I threw her bachelorette party. Now....I hardly talk to her. And when I do, I walk away feeling irritated. Everything she says or does feels manipulative. I know she's trying to use me.

She and I used to laugh, a lot. I was a combination big sister, friend, sex therapist...and a bit of innocent flirtation thrown in just for fun. I still remember the first time she asked to join me on lunch. She wanted my advice. Apparently I exude sexual awareness. Because she had some questions to ask me with reference to oral sex and her boyfriend. Made me feel like Dr. Ruth...but I guess the advice worked...LOL! Yeah, I have to laugh about things because otherwise I'll just be sad and disappointed.

She seemed like such a sweet girl. She was a temp with our company for the holidays...working on trying to get her foot in the door. And I went to bat for her to help get her in. And now, 2 years later, I'm removing the dagger from my back and seeing her for who she really is.

As I got closer to Jared, our friendship began to sour. She was jealous. Somehow, she couldn't get it through her head that I was capable of having room in my heart for more than one friend. Initially she was friendly to Jared. He thought she was nice. Till she showed her true colors... Initially I took it for Newlywed Mania. She suddenly didn't do anything but spend time with her hubby and her family. I made allowances. I wasn't upset.

But then I got promoted. And suddenly, now that I wasn't at that location anymore...she became very unkind to Jared. And still she didn't have much time. And I still made allowances. Until I started hearing that she was throwing me under the bus to her current management staff. Always, of course, behind my back. And the only time I heard from her was when she had an interview she wanted help prepping for or when she wanted me to check out a resume or an email she was sending out to her boss or co-workers.

So I hadn't heard from her for months really...

And then I got the news. With my most recent promotion and the management restructuring, I, once again, am in charge of that location...their supervisor will be my direct report. And she's applied for the supervisor position along with a few other people including a couple of co-workers.

So I really shouldn't have been surprised when she called. And I guess I wasn't. But when I was sitting at home last night, IMing with friends and posting on message boards...and I suddenly received an IM from her...after the months of dormancy...yeah, I was a tad surprised.

I swear, she must think I'm the most naive person...and that I'm completely incapable of seeing through her very obvious ploys. She "claimed" that she wasn't IMing me to find out if I'd made a decision. But she asked. And I anticipated that she'd ask. And then suddenly it was all about missing hanging out...a decision SHE made. She told me how she missed our friendship and that she felt like she didn't know how to talk to me anymore. And you know how the whole thing struck me? MANIPULATIVE!!!

This girl is just sooo self involved. It took me longer than usual to notice it because she's kinda quiet and mousy and passive aggressive. And it took till last year to notice it. And I thought maybe it was just a bad week. Last year, after hurricane Charley, lots of people in this area were displaced, homeless, powerless (both literally and figuratively). Her family lost their pool cage and a few shingles. The company we worked for was an integral part of the whole thing. Afterall, we work for a communications company...the only one up during that time. Anyway, we were asked to help out at the emergency call center while our location was closed for business. Our company paid us our hourly salary plus overtime and quota relief. And she was complaining. She felt she should be with her family in "their time of need". I thought it was selfish.

My best friend is ill. He confided in her about his illness. After I left...she made a crack to another employee about being sick of him and his illness and that she found it to be bull crap. Nevermind that it's a legitimate illness and life threatening. So he's been sick a few days. She's gone on multiple vacations, then had a shoulder injury, then a foot injury...both required her to be out for a longer period of time...and they picked up her shifts with no complaint.

After I heard about the comment she made...behind his back, I was sick to my stomach. And I realized that I never really knew her. I was a part of her life as long as I was convenient and I could help her and her career.

When she asked me if I'd want to go shopping with her again for her newest wedding gown (because she's only been married a year, but apparently the wedding was more her mother-in-law's than hers), she thought it would be simple...and another way to "bond" with me since we hadn't spent time together in ages. In my new position, I was forced to turn her down. I don't want anyone misinterpreting my actions or thinking I'm playing favorites. And frankly, it wasn't a hardship. I didn't want to go. When I explained why, she acted hurt...(and I'm sure she was). And then she proceeded to tell me how all that I taught her months ago contributed to the skill she shows at her job now.

She started asking me if I knew anything about filing workers comp papers, etc. Fortunately, I wasn't lying when I said I had no idea. And if I hadn't, I still wouldn't have helped. She hurt her shoulder again. She claims it happened falling on the job. Funny thing about that....the tapes were reviewed...never saw a fall of any kind. It'll be interesting to see what happens there.

So how in the HELL could she...for one second...think that I would offer a supervisor role to someone like this? She went the extra mile in the beginning to get a recommendation to get hired. After that she just acted entitled. She wasn't willing to take on more responsibility, and what responsibility she DID take was all grudgingly taken. Then there's the fact that she's thrown every manager she's had under the bus....including me...the only one who really ever had her back. She isn't even willing to take a full-time position unless it's management because it's easier to make more money if she doesn't. It's like she's afraid of going above and beyond. And she doesn't exactly have the respect of her team. So why would I bother? Why would I go out on a limb and put MY business in her hands? Sorry, I've lost faith and she broke trust. It's done. I'm done.

I hate users. And the worst thing? She doesn't even see how transparent she is. And it's too bad. I'm a pretty good friend. And as a boss....I'm GREAT at getting people promoted.

Oh, well. Her loss. Maybe if she grows up she'll get an opportunity again.