| | | | | | Saturday, September 30, 2006 |
Sneaky time bending
| | DO NOT BE A SLAVE TO TIME MY FRIEND!
Because I am too lazy to go back and retro date these!
Tonight I hung out with Sterling. I spent hours today buying new things (things I needed), I also spent my paycheck. Which was regrettable, but I got stuff to make it worth it.
Things I've learned: Sterling does not like perfume… so DO NOT WASTE expensive new perfume (first real perfume I ever bought, proof I'm a grownup lady) on Sterling.
We went out to eat at Katmandu in Sacramento, and it was very, very good. Then we got lost looking for this bar I remembered going to once. Then we found it, and inside they had live music (very pour your heart out with a guitar style wailing), so we had to pay a cover. I had a gin and tonic (fairly reasonably priced for a bar), the well gin was Gilby's (I think) so not so good. Then we drove to club, only we drove to the WRONG club, so we headed back across town to the right club, and… it was lame. I don't know what it is about 815L sometimes it is jumpin' and the music is hot, and others the music is lame or it's deserted. There were good amounts of people there but the music REALLY blew. So we stayed an hour (had another gin and tonic… much more expensive for even LESS gin), then he took me home. It was a nice night; sometimes it's good to have a nice social visit after a few really intense ones. Reminds you of the good part of being friends.
Alright, well I don't have to work tomorrow… so whoo!
2:07am Sunday September 24, 2006
Another internetless night…sigh. Again, another time I question the wisdom of free, but what can one do? Besides sit outside and try and get reception. I'm always certain that this time will be the –last- time, and the internet will NEVER come back. Even right now, out here in the dark (in my pajamas), I'm not getting any reception.
Today was Sunday, and I didn't have to work. And it was nice, I forgot how Sundays can be (slow, really). And lacking internet on the second day off in a row is –hard-. I mean, what do you do with yourself? I'm not hungover and I've slept all I possibly can (good thing, too, I have three morning shifts in a row this week… seven am morning shifts I believe. I should invest in coffee filters and make coffee… but that requires getting up EARLIER, so I usually stick with my get up and run out the door strategy.
Am really bummed that Sterling is anti-cologne. I have spent the last month researching colognes to find something for his birthday. I found the perfect one, too. Now I shall have to think of something else for his birthday. Maybe something for his walls… he never puts anything on his walls. Of course, that's a bonding thing, I guess I can't –force- him to bond with where he's living. This will require MORE research. I should really stop putting so much effort into these things, I know he didn't like what I got him last year (… at least he never said anything about it, and I have never seen him wear it). Garumph.
I think I shall have some tea and watch third rock. That will make me feel better.
11:46pm Sunday September 24, 2006
Oh, bother.
I'm really afraid that the internet is gone for good. Of course, I think this about once a month, so that can't mean –too- much. I just saw Pride and Prejudice again… goodness was a greater miniseries ever made (the answer is –no-)? At the end of it I cannot think anything but “oh, Mr. Darcy” and sigh. I do a lot of sighing (it –is- five hours long),
As to work, ugh. Three days worth of morning shifts. If I had nothing but morning shifts I would –adjust-, but doing both means that when I have morning shifts I do not sleep, and when I have evening shifts I sleep the whole day through. I RARELY have mids, which might make my life perfect. It's so nice out tonight, almost makes it worthwhile to type outside on the power box (or whatever that this giant metal cube is called that vibrates with electricity, Frank would know.). On the upside, we finished our month's goal in kids… for the first time in 9 months. It's actually terribly exciting to the children's department people. I also mopped the floor with shelving (was a poor sales day), so Alura really had very, very little to do tonight. Among the other good things I did: organized the Read and Cuddle section, set up a kids display behind the cashwrap, and found the Spookley bags (and changed the signs accordingly). I deserve some sort of metal… or shrinkydinks. Yes, I'll settle for shrinkydinks.
I bought a cover for my futon chair this afternoon, it was on sale and is very high quality, but is the wrong size (is –much- too big) so it seems like I have taken it in my head to wrap my futon in an ill-fitting sheet instead of a smooth duvet cover. I also discovered how much I enjoy mole (two syllables MO-leh).
I was so exhausted when I started my movie that I called Ed and told him I'd be asleep… and now I'm wide awake and am STILL internetless. I am sitting out on my powerbox getting a crick in… most of my back neck and shoulders (plus my feet have gone all tingly), AND STILL NO INTERNET.
Alright Internet (…well of course you're not there right NOW but you will be…when you read this), I'm going to bed. I think I'll be hobbling (stupid numb dumb feet). Goodnight!
Friday 1:22am September 29, 2006
Sigh,
I miss you internet! I miss you SO much! I also miss being able to talk to Ed easily, and playing games. My internetless life is full of more sitting about, more sitting about doing nothing than a girl really –needs- (in my opinion a girl needs very little of that ).
On the upside: I hung out with Sterling tonight. We played Risk, and it was a LONG ass battle, we didn’t even finish (it was close, but I figured that he would probably win), we got all the way to 55 reinforcements… We were going to get a new game, but he forgot when he was supposed to arrive (5:30) so by the time he showed up, it was too late to go out to buy a game. But Risk is fun, and gin goes surprisingly well with Hansen's mandarin lime soda.
I sang a particularly bad song to Ed’s voicemail.. well the song is really very pretty, but I didn't have all the words, and lacking internet I couldn’t pull them up, and I was tipsy.
Oh well, I'm sure he understands.
Also, my check was really very, very small this week, which is too bad. And I cut open a VERY nasty gash on the outside of my leg, that won't scab up properly. It was on a vein, so it squirts in a most unladylike fashion (lady like wounds… are supposed to bleed prettily? I don't know, but trust me this wasn’t one of those type).
I'm giving this until the 7th to fix itself (this being internetless) and then I'm going to look into BUYING it… That is how desperate I am.
Goodnight!
THIS ENTRY BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE LETTER F THE NUMBER 24 AND THE INTERNET OF SOMEONE NAMED MIKE
I DO NOT KNOW WHEN I WILL HAVE INTERNET AGAIN.
posted by Amber at 12:35 AM
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1 comments
| | | | | | Thursday, September 21, 2006 |
When at a mexican party speak English with an accent
| | So I went to the funeral today. It wasn't AWFUL, but it sure wasn't fun. I worry that I have an incredibly inappropriate response to death. The service was a bit strange, I didn't like the priest, and there was an unfun moment where I had to bring (of all things) jam from the back of the church to the front to be placed on the altar. The priest really didn't like that. Also the music was mexican... but because the sound quality was so poor, you could only hear it not understand it... and it sounded like the beginning of a showdown (as the casket processed down the aisle). Also, a cousin gave this very long poem/speech, that was in PAINFUL rhyme. I hope, for the church's sake that the rhyme pooper/blooper is never used again (I think it drains holiness). The priest during the homily managed to plug the rennovations going on in the church... which was cheesy. I really didn't like him, he gave a really plodding speech (clumsy symbollism and very apparent that he didn't HERlinda [instead of the Spanish pronounciation, "air-LEAN-dah"], I could have done a MUCH better job). Then after mass we went to the cemetary (which, as far as cemetaries go, wasn't so nifty, I really prefer raised headstones to plaques on the ground). Where they couldn't wait for my grandmother to get back from the bathroom to start (my great aunt mary is a bitch... really). Apparently the family decided against the actual lowering of the casket (the guys did that after we left), which sort of bummed me. Then my mother went to find her father's grave... and then the crying (which had been steady bursts throughout the whole day) turned into shaking and wailing. My grandfather died about three months before I was born. Then there was the wake/reception thingy at Mary's house.
Okay, so you don't care, but here it goes anyway. My great-grandmother (Herlinda) had four daughters and two sons: Alice (Alicia), Mary (Maria), Gloria, Linda, Larry and Ernie (Maximo Ernesto). She also has one living sister, Beatrice. My grandmother is Alice, she had three kids Eddie, Mona, Patti. My mother is Mona. Eddie has two kids, Andrew and Colby. Patti has one, Roxanne. Mary has Jose (he's blind and has turrets)... and another son I can't remember anything about. Gloria has three girls, Dinky, Lisa and Christina. Linda has a boy, Anthony. Beatrice has one son, Danny, who has two boys Michael (Mikey) and Robert. I've neglected to include people's romantic partners (too confusing).
AND this is all the family I KNOW. There are many more people, other sons and daughters of the four I can't recall at the moment, Herlinda's other siblings and their kids, and so on. ALSO, to make things -fun-, my grandmother and one of her sisters (...Linda, maybe?) married two brothers (Tino and Angelo... I -think-), so everyone's -title- is confused. So, everyone you don't know and are no more than ten years older than you is your "cousin" otherwise everyone is "Tia" or "Tio"(even if it's patently not so. For example Herlinda's youngest, Ernie, is actually -younger- than Alicia's oldest... meaning that Uncle Ernie was in between my mother and her brother in age).
Just to let you know, there's totally going to be a test on this.
Anyway, it was painful, and overwhelming (I spent a good amount of time apologizing to people for growing up), and there was no liquor only beer (which I hate). A lot of talk, a lot of gossip (I know about half of SO many stories, it's not funny).
Well, I'm home now, that's all that matters.
posted by Amber at 3:16 PM
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1 comments
| | | | | | Tuesday, September 19, 2006 |
for those of us for whom happines is NOT a warm gun
| | Sometimes one says to oneself
"Self, what would I look like in two tone punk wig?"
I don't know about you, but I look awesome.
That's all
EDIT: added picture 11/2/06
posted by Amber at 1:34 PM
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2 comments
| | | | | | Monday, September 18, 2006 |
A death in the family
| | Yes, there has been a death, my great grandmother died. It's okay, she was 86 and had last stage Alzheimers, so no one is surprised. And I never really knew her (got kicked out of the family... well my mother did, and when we were invited back, she was already losing it -bad-), and I have no real connection to that side of the family (that side being my grandmother's sisters and their children). So, I don't want to go to the funeral, but through methods I think should be best characterized as "manipulative" I'm -going-. I spent most of today being pissed about this. I expect I shall continue to be at least irritated until Wednesday evening when I arrive at my parent's house. The funeral is Thursday and I had to tell my manager I couldn't work my shift that morning. She's going to let me know if they need me to come in in the evening.
In other news, I went to sac state today to ask about reapplying. I got horrendously lost and spent about two hours in a car that was in danger of overheating... so I was blasting the heater. It was UNCOMFORTABLE. But, Dr. Simpson remembered me, by -name-, so that bodes well (she also said she was looking forward to my application, which bodes even better!). I feel less sick than I did say yesterday about this.
I came home grouchy (was awoken this morning by an aunt... grrr), but luckily the nap helped my mood incredibly.
Am working a stupid half shift from 7am to 11am... I hate it!
Also, whilst reading Bartimaeus book two (the Golem's Eye... which has very very very little to do with Golems), I read that one of his masters was named Tycho Brahe... and my first thought was, Penny-Arcade -what-? Stroud does some interesting things with history (Disraeli and Gladstone, PMs AND Magicians [which here means, Demon Tamers]!). But yeah, Tycho Brahe... 16th century astronomer, who knew?
Everyone?
Damn
posted by Amber at 10:53 PM
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0 comments
| | | | | | Sunday, September 17, 2006 |
lately I suck at titles
| | A quote from the note I left for Carolyn:
[We] fought valiantly against the shelving/go backs. We fought on the H-carts, we fought on the V-carts, we fought on miscellaneous piles all over the sales floor. And we won. It was the stuff epic poems are made of.
And it's true. From Saturday's misery we came out on top. We shelved EVERYTHING, and PDT'd bays, and dusted and helped customers. No one spoil this by telling me it starts over again tomorrow.
NO ONE.
I'm about halfway through the Bartimaeus Triology by Stroud, and I am enjoying it muchly.
Also, my department was invaded by pirates today. They were friendly, perusing the kids department, chatting amongst themselves, and saying the occasional "ARR!"
They also played the which celebrity would you rather sleep with game... for quite a while.
They were silly pirates, probably a disgrace to piratekind.
posted by Amber at 11:24 PM
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3 comments
rockin' pneumonia
| | So... today was pretty damn lame.
There was shelving, a lot of it. Three H-carts and three v-carts. And a desk full of go-backs. I had to cover customer service most of the day, we had two people who were pretty new at it, so I was helping them AND helping my customers. And I couldn't find five books in a row, IN A ROW. And my lunch was screwed up (get in at seven take lunch at 1pm... would be in violation of federal law). And Marcella quit, so I ended up "picking up" one of her shifts next week (goodbye day off!). And the department was a mess, and I got two very pissed off customers. And we lost about 1/5 of our doctor seuss because we were supposed to get a display 16 days ago (or two months ago if you want to go on -original- plans) and gained thirty squirty million Katie Kazoo Switcheroos! And that section has already been PDT'd this month, so it will REMAIN impacted until the next months due outs.
And outside of work, Frank won't be coming down... anytime soon. So, his birthday gift will have to wait. It's really dissapointing, I haven't seen him since -my- birthday (and he has my west wings!).
I went home and made myself a drink (a stiff one), then took a nap.
GOOD THINGS THAT HAPPENED TODAY: I had lunch with James, and that was nice (we had an author signing so our breaktable was half as big as it used to be. It meant that I was essentially knees to knees with him, so talking was pretty easy). AND (this is the best news) Russ came in! Russ came into the store! And hugged me (a couple times. Sometimes I wonder since he's like six years older if he views me like a little kid... yeah, I think he does, oh well. Better he see me that way than as a lady who wishes very sincerely he were -not- married). Oh, his wife came in, too, I helped her find some books. You know, internet, if you want me to be interested in you, I would suggest becoming an unavailable geek, that really seems to -do- it for me.
I have dance music, and yes some of it is terrible (as in, one doesn't like to admit to anyone that you have Justin Timberlake's single... something I totally didn't type out, and you didn't read, because I would never do something like that. RIGHT?!), but it gets me moving and makes me happy. I stand upon my little footstool (so that I don't injure my arms, it's really sad what you can get used to for free internet), and dance and dance. I might be going dancing next saturday!
Also, That's the way I like it, is really really really cute.
Lastly, I'm sleeping in! I have an evening shift tomorrow!
posted by Amber at 1:15 AM
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3 comments
| | | | | | Saturday, September 16, 2006 |
night after night I try to make it all fit together
| | I found my hopechest today. I'm not really sure why my mother decided to get this chest for me, but I put everything I ever viewed as -valuable- (valuable in the time capsul way)_ in it. I openeed it, and -discovered- me tonight. I have all my corsages all my old makeup (dry eyeshadow in hideous colors I hope I never actualy wore outside, my glitter pots turned to hard gel) I found the postcards I saved. I A picture of a place I saw once, a group of tropical fish, an impressionist painting, a hotel I never visited, the cat version of Queen Victoria. Flowers from being "awarded" the tittle Flora Flowerchild (-some- people get "most most likely to suceed", I got the dirty hippie aware. And I was -most- ungrateful/ungracious about it).
Of all these things, these -artifacts- the most interesting are the letters. I have nearly every letter I ever received in junior high, I have the letter that Josh wrote me telling me he loved me, I have the only bit of correspondance I ever received from Patrick Walker, and other miscellaneous personal things.
It was nice and unnerving
If only I were tired, I have to be up at six thirty
posted by Amber at 1:12 AM
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2 comments
| | | | | | Friday, September 15, 2006 |
in which amber screws with time, again.
| | Sometimes you have a good night
This was one of those times.
I had a fantastic night with Sterling, we saw the Graduate, and he liked it. I made dinner, and it didn't suck! And we –talked- and I rambled but it turned out okay.
And I'm happy, and I was terribly afraid I wouldn't be happy today, but I am.
That is really all.
Now to sleep before work tomorrow!
posted by Amber at 2:24 AM
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0 comments
| | | | | | Tuesday, September 12, 2006 |
buried under books
| | Oy, it has been shelving madness at work. You see (pretend for a while that you care) trying to beat back the shelving in kids is Sissyphian (sure, that's how you spell it). Even if you succeed in getting everything shelved, there's always tomorrow, if you beat it for the week, then there's next week. SOMEthing happened last weekend, we ended up with an insane amount of shelving. Usually by Saturday evening we're done with shelving (making Sunday morning a hell since we can't zone from 11am-5pm), but when I got in Sunday evening (expecting to zone), we had 3 H-carts full of stuff to shelve. We only have 2 H-carts on the busiest of days. It was hell... and of course it didn't get done. Today is Monday... so the week starts over, meaning -more- shelving. Tonight I managed to shelve the leftovers from last week... but didn't get to -today's- shelving. It's Tuesday and already we're a day behind in shelving. It sucks! I worked after I clocked out just to finish stuff (illegal I know, but they've been getting on my case for over time).
Doesn't matter, though. Tomorrow I work in music (lame in its own right) then I have two days off! IN A ROW!
WHOO!
posted by Amber at 3:13 AM
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0 comments
| | | | | | Saturday, September 09, 2006 |
cursed or not?
| | Oh man.
First of all I woke up late for work. Apparently I slept through my alarm twice and I made it to work ten minutes late. I didn't have cute clothes or earrings, I was quite sure I smelled.
Secondly, I nearly died in the belly of a "small" yellow lab. You may know him, his name is Biscuit. I have nothing else to say about that other than my fate SHOULD have been Donene's cousin's fate.
Thirdly, right before the end of my shift I was patronized by a man who thought I couldn't spell "fallen."
Fourthly, Sterling called... and we got into a fight.
so, that's the bad news.
Here's the good news.
I don't have to be at work until three pm tomorrow so I can sleep in.
I'm getting a gift card as an "appreciation" for hideous furry affair.
I was able to read a lady's mind, she came up to me looking for a kid's book written by a guy named Brian Jenkins, and I knew right away what the hell she was talking about (Redwall). AND I bought a CD that makes me happy.
Sterling and I made up really fast (our fight was actually about a week old. He was pissed at me for giving what appeared to be an ultimatum on calling me back, so he didn't call... and then we both felt sad/shitty/ridiculous about the whole thing(by turns and all at once). Now I have his new address (and his girlfriend's cell phone number). And I have a new list for myself:
1. DON'T HARP on his poor communications skillz (wanders into MOTHER TERRITORY), he's TRYING.
2. I will not get pissed worried or otherwise annoyed unless a WEEK goes by (if I start complaining and it's been less than a week I'm in trouble with myself. Trust me when I say I don't want that)
3. My social calendar cannot hinge solely on Sterling... I need more friends, or barring that, a hobby.
So... I think overall it was a good day.
posted by Amber at 5:53 PM
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0 comments
hrm...
| | I saw Waking Life... and now my head is full.
I cannot say yet as to whether or not I enjoyed the film. Our Hero (Wiley Wiggins) wanders about a series of dreams listening to characters talk philosophically. About two hours of that basic premise. It's done the same way Linklater did Scanner Darkly, so animation (painting really) over digitial film.
I think I'm probably better for having seen the film, but I don't think I'd see it again (I'd end up throwing something at the screen when people start talking bollocks... and eventually I'd run out of things to throw). I think it's a bit like La Jetee in that way... except that I really enjoyed La Jetee. Alright then, Night and Fog. Only MUCH longer... Have you ever noticed that when you see a subtitled film, when you remember the film the people speak English?
Okay I'm done with this for now. I might come back to it, or I might not.
I traded my cushy evening shift with Alura for this morning shift I have... six hours to sleep. I'd better get on it.
posted by Amber at 12:26 AM
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0 comments
| | | | | | Friday, September 08, 2006 |
easily amused
| | Okay, open any book you have on hand to the page past the title page. You know the one I'm thinking of, with the Library of Congress information and the legal blurb, and the copyright date.
They're all pretty boring right? You never read them do you?
I picked up Lemony Snicket's the Unauthorized Biography and turned to that page:
No part of the book may be used, reproduced, destroyed, tampered with, or eaten without written permission, except in the case of brief, possibly coded quotations embedded in critical articles, reviews and subpoenas. Allegedly printed in the United States of America. For information, address HarperCollins Children's Books, a division of HarperCollins Publishers, 1350 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10019, although the people at this publishing house have no idea where the documents enclosed in this book came from. If you recognize yourself in any of the photographs or illustrations in the book you find yourself in Very Frightening Danger and/or slightly embarrassed but there is nothing you can do about it. Please note that the author has been called a fraud, a criminal, a bestseller, a corpse, a fictional character, an unreliable narrator, an objective flaneur, an embattled gentleman, a magnetic field, an arsonist, and late for dinner by an odd number of dubious authorities. Send help at once. All rights reserved. Wouldn't you rather read about ponies?
This made my day
posted by Amber at 5:57 PM
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0 comments
| | So I should really be asleep right now, but I saw a movie that made me jump (movies make me jump, I'm like that. One might think I'd be ideal to take to a horror film, but ONE WOULD BE WRONG. I gouge chunks out of my date's arm; it's not cute, it's painful.)
Another day of work tomorrow. Actually tomorrow night would be IDEAL for going out, however STERLING STILL HASN'T CALLED. I really hope he's not dead or injured, for two reasons. One, I care about him deeply and I don't want him to come to harm and two, I'm going to feel like jerk for thinking all these irked bitchy thoughts. Poor Ed has had to listen to me complain about Sterling for the last week.
Ed is a stockboy (apparently they don't use the euphemism "receiving" in Borders, why would they? They dress in basically street clothes, they don't need to fancy-pants language [wasted on people who don't wear fancy pants]) in need of a car. I wish him the best of luck with that!
Alright I'm going to bed, I'm really really really tired and I have a long day of I -think- customer service tomorrow (might be kids, I'm not sure they've been wonky with the schedule).
posted by Amber at 1:07 AM
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2 comments
| | | | | | Tuesday, September 05, 2006 |
labor day!
| | oy, the downside of "free" internet. Here I am it's closing in on one am, sitting outside in the dark to get better reception on my laptop. My legs are buzzy, it su cks. Oh man the pins and needles. The worst thing about Pins and Needles is you can feel them coming but can't do anything to stop them.
ANYway, I didn't come out here to complain. I HAVE A DAY OFF TOMORROW.
WHOO!
Seriously, six days in a row of work. And I totally took it like a baby, complaining the whole way (three evening shifts in a row thursday friday saturday and I couldn't reach Sterling I still can't. I'm getting annoyed with him, he's got until next monday, then I get pissed).
You haven't missed much from my life, internet (I can't read the comment to the post before this one and it bugs the FUCK out of me). I've been working, coming home sleeping waking up and working again. Feeling sorry for myself the times in between. But hey, at least my POWER is working (it won't be soon, if I don't pay the electric company) unlike pobrecito Ed. Hopefully if Sterling checks his email, or his voicemail, he'll contact me and we can do something Friday, otherwise I'm making my own plans, because I don't want another weekend of moping.
And now to go back inside watch Futurama and have a nice drink!
Whoo labor day (WHOO holiday pay!)!
PS Ed is working for Borders... and I'm a tad (only a tad) conflicted. I am proud of my work (crazy as it seems) and I sort of feel like he went to the dark side (or at least the ugly sister), but at the same time I feel like an idiot for caring even slightly AND I am thrilled he got a job (especially one that involves books. Books are my favorite people... you read that correctly).
PPS my butt is really really numb and my legs are like two dead lumps o' flesh, I should go inside. Plus it's creepy out here.
posted by Amber at 1:00 AM
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