It has been quite a week.  A week where it's GO GO GO and when you finally get the chance to stop, you STOP, full STOP and sleep the sleep of utter exhaustion, only to wake up and have to do it all over again.

Work was a bit of a nightmare, starting way back last Friday.  This coming week is going to be quite similar, but at least I have a better idea of what I'm jumping into, whereas last week I was completely blindsided.  The situation is like this - our affiliated American location got seized and locked out by the bank a week ago.  When I got into work on that Friday, there was this hushed sort of buzzing drone around the office.  I knew something big had gone down or was going to go down, but had no idea of what.  There still hasn't been any big sort of announcement.  It's known to everyone NOW but then it was really annoying not to have the full story, especially when I was getting panicked calls from American customers and I had NO CLUE what was going on or how to even begin to help them.

The ricochet effect of the American business closing has been a monumental increase in the amount of work I have to do daily.  Normally, my job is to enter new orders into the computer, create invoices, and fax order acknowledgements to customers.  I fix any errors that might come up in the order process, create quotes for custom work, answer the phone, and do basic clerical work for my supervisors as they require it.  NOW, I'm expected to do that PLUS the same for American customers.  Sounds simple, but there are quite a few problems involved.  The first problem is the fact that few American customers are in our data base so I have to request their entry before I can process the information.  One of the next problems is finding out whether or not each order is a duplication of one that was already entered into the American database.  My personal favourite issue (and by favourite I mean LEAST) is the fact that the American company had a lot of different items in their inventory, and a completely different way of listing them.  Trying to enter these orders frequently feels like trying to decode an ancient language.  A lot of guess work and a lot of time spent on ICQ with the American customer service reps trying to ferret out what the heck I'm supposed to enter.

Oh, and let's not even mention the number of errors I'm creating and having to correct....

GAH

And in amongst all this fun I have the sales rep, who has a completely different set of priorities than the rest of the team.  For instance, the other day I was up to my Pixie ears in orders and error corrections, when the rep decides that getting catalogues out to customers has become the main priority, and I'm to stop everything and track down who has had new catalogues shipped and who still needs them.  Other times she's slowing me down with completely redundant information or trying to teach me procedures I've been handling fine for six weeks or more.

So that's work.

And on the home front, Jordan's been given a two week graveyard stint.  I see him when I get home until I go to bed, and then he leaves for work and gets home after I've left.  This morning I actually awoke to another body in the bed and it was so foreign!  I miss him :(  but at least it's only for another week.  I've tried really hard not to let him know how much I miss him, because I know that would only stress him out.  It's nothing he can fix, so why make it an issue.

Anyways, like I said, only one more week of this absolute chaotic craziness.  Here's to making it through to my next weekend paradise.

Jordan and I had a lovely date last night.  We went to see X-Men Origins: Wolverine.  Great movie.  Horrible anxiety.

Poo.

I'm either going to have see more movies, or just stop going altogether.  I did all my mitigation techniques, but still there were many moments of panic during the movie.  When it was over I was jittery, wound tighter than a spring, and shaky.  Oy the nausea.  Not fun, not fun.

Oh well.  In the future I will have more time to deal with that situation, now that my life is getting itself back on track.  And seriously, if that's the WORST I have to worry about - not being able to go to movies - then I think I'm still living a blessed life! :D

I'll let everyone in on a little secret.  It's not all that secret for my regular readers, but it's not something I blurt out to every schmo.  Anyways, February was a bad Bad BAD month for my little store.  So bad that I thought her days were totally numbered.  I worried if I'd be able to stay open long enough to finish the Wicca 101 classes or not.

Yeah, THAT bad.

So I entered March with a do or die kind of mentality.  I scrimped and saved and worried and fretted.  I freaked out when I realized that I'd double-paid one credit card instead of separate payments for separate cards back in February.  This meant that I had one card without a lot of room on it, and another with a bit more breathing space, but I couldn't use until I'd paid it off.  I worried and fretted some more.

But in amongst all this fretting, something happened.  Actually....some THINGS happened:

• People were SHOPPING.....a LOT.
• Special orders would show up at EXACTLY the right time for the sales to be made.
• Events were packed with people.
• My continuing ed. cheque showed up so I could cover bills
• A PAINTING sold!
• I took time off and relaxed....and sales were STILL good!
• 2 new dance students who want to be regulars!
• The economic downturn has caused me to have better rates on my loans, which means that I'm paying LESS each month now on my loans!

All of this put together means that March was an AMAZING month.  MARCH!  Seriously!  March is NEVER a great month for sales.  We're talking OCTOBER/NOVEMBER kinds of sales.  Wowie!  I pulled it out of my ass, but I think that the Gods were looking out for me.  

So what have I learned after all this?  I get the feeling that I'm supposed to be in business, and that not only does the Pagan Community stand behind me, but the Gods do as well.

*feeling blessed*

C'mooooooon APRIL!

I apologize to dreamhope , but these are too funny not to share.




( For more poorly translated English...... )( Read more... )




I know that we get our cats high with catnip, and that's socially acceptable....but I'm not sure how I'd feel about giving him some smack.  I think that would make me a bad person.



I know way too many guys who'd want a ride on that train.



Really....nothing to say to this one.



It's like shirts by Shatner.



I don't know which is worse....the scary statues or the name of the clinic combined with the scary statues.....WRONG WRONG WRONG!



Are you pleasantly surprised by the grope?  Or is the grope pleasantly surprising?  And are YOU doing the groping?  So confused.




paganjoy , this is the new ANGOLA!
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Why is it that I only seem to get bladder infections at night just when I'm about to tuck in for the night?  It really doesn't make sense to me, because it's at a time when I am utterly unable to do something about it aside from truck my ass down to emerg for meds.  But I didn't do any trucking last night.  I grabbed tea, a book, and sat in the loo for several hours waiting for the ibuprofen and gravol to ease the pain and knock me unconscious.

Anyways, got up early this morning (very sleep deprived and groggy) and trucked down to the clinic.  Even though I was there at opening, it was still quite the line up before my turn.  Thankfully the infection had eased somewhat so I wasn't forced to wait out my time while doing the pee-pee dance in my seat in the waiting room.  Really, nothing worse than sitting and wriggling in obvious distress in public first thing in the morning.  An hour and a half later *gah!* I was down the hall at London Drugs to fill my prescription.  While in line an older gentleman decided to chat me up while we waited for prescriptions to be filled.  He was nice enough, chatting about my hair, his lack of hair, and the joys of having a partner who makes you laugh regularly.  There was a certain awkwardness to the whole thing, as I'm standing with a prescription for bladder meds, but m'eh....it made the time pass.

Waited and waited for the prescription to be filled.  By this time I KNEW I wouldn't be making it to work on time.  I'd held off on breakfast until apres clinic visit because I knew the meds had to be taken with food (you know you've had a few too many bladder infections when you know the ins and outs of taking the meds by heart!).  So there was still breakfast to make and consume, lunch & dinner to make (because of COURSE I have an event tonight....), and quick tidying before I could get out to work.  I shrugged my shoulders and decided not to worry (very unlike me).  I couldn't get to work on time, and that was no biggy, so why worry?  (Is this ME saying this?).

That was when my phone rang.  It was Jordan on the line. 

J:  Hello hon-ey.  How's you?
Me: Oh, just waiting for my prescription to be filled.
J:  Anything you want me get done for you?

And that was just what I needed.  When I got home (around 11am), my dinner was cooking, my breakfast stuff was out (oatmeal, oatmeal accessories, bowl, spoon, mug, glass), and the kettle began to sing just as I was taking off my shoes.  Isn't that fantastic?  I was able to glide through what needed to be done without anxiety, without stress, and without problem.  And he kept me company while I ate.

My Jordan truly is the best of men.

Jordan is writing up a cover letter, but isn't comfortable doing it.  In his frustration, this is what he sent me:

Hi I'm jordan, and I'm awesome.  Hire me and I will bake you biscuits.  They are quite delicious.
In closing, I am awesome, and come with biscuits.

Jordan the Magnificent - Associate God of Biscuits.

I love him.

Good morning ladies in the lobby. 

I know you were all so busy talking about buying cheap books for your widdle schnookums and picking up spilled goldfish crackers, but would it have hurt you to move out of the way of the huge ladder I was awkwardly trying to get back into the stairwell?  Or maybe even help hold the door?  I realize that menial work may be below one of your raised yuppy stature, but it would have been nice to have at least a brief hand.  Besides, that would have gotten me, the lowly menial worker, out of your sight quicker.

That's okay, I managed to bumble along and do it myself.  And I didn't even hit your preshussssss widdle schookie-ookums even though he seemed determined to run around the tail end of the ladder.  Don't worry about stopping him for his own good, you may impede his all-natural flow of childish energy output, and I'm pretty sure Dr. So-in-So from TV land says that it's very important not to waylay your little Indigo-Crystal-Diamond-Spark-of the-Universe preshuss on his adventure of life.

Sorry to have bothered you.

Dear little pagan newbies.....

Please stop crowing about your amazing FAM-TRAD (yes all capitals...I think it needs a cape blowing heroically in the winds of the apocalypse to top it all off...) and all of its glory as the all-knowingness of all....and then asking for help with your spells.

If you really believe that carving a hole in a quartz point, filling it with aluminum shavings, baking it in your oven for an hour at 350F, casting it in resin and placing it under hydro lines will stop the negative polarization ghoulies and carcinogenic ju ju properties of said power lines.....um....please don't consider that Paganism....That's just stupid crazy.  Try Play-Doh next time.....it's less toxic than playing with metals at least.

If your power centre is between your genitals and your navel.....don't expect me to accept anything EVER that has been charged by you....or...what the Hell.....anything TOUCHED by you.  It's just safer that way.  

Taking a stance of power in my store and casting an incantation is just RUDE.  I don't care if you "didn't mean to", you still did it.  And if you don't know how to UN-DO it.....don't DO IT in the first place!

And finally.....I don't care how many cringeing cronies kiss your hand Mr....um....sorry I missed the name but I'm sure it's important because you only go by the ONE name...but a computer geek from Saskatchewan is still a computer geek from Saskatchewan no matter how flowing your blonde locks may be, nor how aloof you hold yourself.

I'd give you a cookie.....but I don't like you.

I have the WORST case of unrelieved boredom.

My mental state has been rocky at best the past couple weeks.  Trying to figure out exactly what is going on with ye olde wonky brain.  So far can't figure it.  Wondering if it's simple depression or depression compounded by stress and boredom, or my anemia returning to lend its helping hand to my lethargy.

No idea.

All I know is that I'm not me right now.  Anyone seen "me" lately?  If you have, let "me" know that I need her back.  Thanks!

Had a doc's appointment yesterday.  *sarcastic yay*  Got to get up early and get poked and prodded.  I haven't been back to see this doc since the summer when I asked for assistance for my growing anxiety and panic, and was told bluntly to go back on my meds because I can afford them.  I decided to give the guy another chance, as I believe that everyone has a right to a bad day here and there, and before that incident he'd been a great doc.

So after my physical, he asked if I had any questions/issues, and I told him I'd like it if we could work on getting me a proper diagnosis for my anxiety/phobia/panic issues.  You know what he said? 

"With anxiety, I've found that if it looks like a duck, and quacks like a duck...."

SERIOUSLY!  My diagnosis is that I'm a duck.  What a moron.  I was then given the run around of my life choices being: A: cognitive behavioural therapy or B: medication.  And since I can't afford A.....

He also let slip with a certain flippancy that he doesn't have much empathy for anxiety sufferers:  With anxiety you have it, it goes away.  It comes back, and then it goes away.  You ride it out until it goes away.

Oh really?  As easy as that?  And here all this time I was suffering needlessly, especially when it made it impossible for me to eat, sleep, read, watch tv, work, FUNCTION.  When all I had to do was wait for it to go away.

GROWL

Sheesh.  At least he conceded that if I researched a group/clinic/trial that I wanted to try, he would refer me.  Gee, thanks doc.

Still at square one.  What on earth does it take to get a leg up around here?  Trying to help myself.  Hello?  Doesn't that COUNT for anything?!