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!
</lj>

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?!

When wearing pants with complicated multi-button fastenings, it is not in one's best interest to wait until the nth hour to use the loo, lest one be forced to perform a most frustrating and awkward pee-pee dance in the stall while trying to unfasten said pants as quickly as possible.

Note taken.

OMG  I just heard through the family grapevine that my brother's ex, Karine (mother of my niece, Mackenzie), was driving my brother's car last night - DRUNK - and she hit and killed an elderly woman.

I'm so absolutely shocked.

Fortunately, Mark and Mackenzie were not in the car at the time.

Karine will most likely go to jail for manslaughter.  The thought of my niece having to go to jail to visit her mom.....it's just so sad.

And so the sad saga of the car continues.

My mechanic, Johdy (a God of automobiles if ever there was one), and I discussed viable options when I went and picked my baby up on Wednesday.  We came to the conclusion that I would drive the shit out of her, have her re-tested after a long drive, and then call him with the results.  If it was a pass, then HALLELUJAH, if not, I would apply for a 3 month extension on the insurance and we would go from there with the repairs.

Okay.

Looking at my schedule of after-work events and the like, I figured that a Friday morning drive was my best course of action.  So yesterday morning I got my little arse outta bed at 7:30, dropped my food off at work, and headed out for Abbotsford.  My timing was good, so I didn't hit any bad traffic spots, and could really open up my zippy little car on the highway.  Helloooooo 120km/h!  I turned into the Abbotsford Air Care facility without too much difficulty......tested her.....and....

FAILED.

*sigh*

Disappointed, but not surprised after my discussion with Johdy.  He explains everything so well that I'm a better driver for it.  It's my little girl's computer which has gone kaput.  Anyways, went over to Autoplan this morning (yet another early morning....grumble grumble) to request a 3 month extension due to Air Care failure.  That was when a bomb was dropped which I had NO idea about:  You can only get one extension per car....ever.  CRAP!  I got an extension on her like, 4 years ago.  I almost shat myself.  My car would become undrivable in one day unless I was willing to shell out HUGE dollars ($34/day) for permits.  SHIT SHIT SHIT!  I told the ladies to please be sure it was THAT car, because suddenly in my mind I couldn't remember which car I had had the extension on.  Then I tried to remember the man who had told me about getting the 3 month extension, and he had mentioned NOTHING about a one-time deal  SHIT SHIT SHIT!

The ladies behind the desk called somewhere (don't know where, and didn't care....please let her pass!).....and YES!  She was eligible for the extension!

YAHOOO!!!!!

Of course, that meant shelling out another $300 this morning.  Oh I am sooooo broke.  But at least we have 3 months now to save up to replace her computer, which will be about $350 - $400.  And then she needs shocks....  I asked my mom if it was all worth it, and she reminded me of all the other work done on the car, and that if this is all it takes to keep her on the road, then I'd be a fool not to go for it.

Oh, so broke.  So soooooo broke.  There is no money here.  And everywhere I turn I'm shelling out more.  My meds are up and have to be picked up tomorrow....so more money out.  Gah.

Such is the way.

I've tried very hard to keep my chin up about recent events, but this week seems absolutely resolved to grind me under its boot heel.  Hormones are making it even tougher to see the bright side of things.  I'm huffing balancing and uplifting oils, but right now I'm just wallowing.  For the time being I've given up trying to be anything other than miserable.

• Still haven't figured out what to do about the retarded survey.
• My car cost triple what was anticipated to get her to pass Air Care....and she still won't pass!
• Last night's event had 2 people show, 2 people call, and SEVEN no-shows....and it was SOLD OUT.
• I have a headache and cramps....not exactly end of the world stuff, but doesn't make life any easier or fun.

Pbbbbbt.  That's my official statement.  Tongue is out and I'm blowing a big 'ol raspberry at the world.  I left here last night crying.  Jordan met me at the door of our apartment and ushered me into the living room for cuddles and Invader Zim cartoons.  I was offered cookies as well.  Apparently I can emotionally eat right now, as I've been stuffing my face with various confections because I feel at least I can get SOME small joy out of things.

I'm writing off this week as a bad job.  Hopefully next week will be better.  Start of the month and all.  But right now, I think I'll just wallow in self pity for a bit longer.  Would only be better if I was on my couch with my kitty and my man.  But we can't have everything, now can we?

Okies, so here's the follow-up on the Landlord stupidity.

Jordan came to work with me on Saturday so that I had some support and a witness.  Holly also showed up to play "customer" and help distract from things if it looked like I required it.  I have to say that things worked out absolutely smashingly and I couldn't have orchestrated stuff better, because my friend Jeff and his friend Nathan also showed up and decided to hang out with us for the morning as well.  Hee hee.

So....when the landlord showed up, my store was full of people, and I was busy at the counter looking through a catalogue with a "customer" (Holly).  Totally legit too!  This part of stuff wasn't even staged.  So instead of finding a little woman by herself, my landlord was met at the door by my looming "husband" who barricaded their way at the entrance until I gave the okay that they could enter.  In this capacity, the Landlord had to ask if I had a moment for them.

YES!

Turns out, the Landlord wants to bully me into re-filling out my survey/questionnaire "properly" and perhaps less "caustically".  Essentially, he wants to use my questionnaire as back up opinion in his court case against John.  This wasn't stated, but the man's truly transparent.  So here's the deal.  I could play nicey nice and do as the man asks.  I could play hardball and refuse to answer, because I'm not actually being forced.  I could fill it out and refuse to sign as that constitutes a legal document. 

I could play all sorts of tricks.  What I love about the whole thing is that I now possess the ORIGINAL survey once more.  He now has NOTHING of mine about this whole issue.  Interesting, eh?  And this new survey won't be able to truly be held up in court because it was "coerced" out of me....in front of FOUR WITNESSES.

So now I have to decide how to proceed.  I really don't want an open declaration of war, but I also don't want to lie.  My mother told me to answer with integrity and truth, and that that is the best course of action to follow.  I will be cautious with this document now that I know the weight being placed upon it.

As if I didn't have enough political crap on my plate.

Good grief!

My landlord is a coward.

Actually, I ought to explain that a little better.  My store's landlord is a coward.  And he's cheap.  And he's being sued by the restaurant's owner, John.

Anyways, why am I stating these facts?  Because I've been told that the landlord will be coming in tomorrow with his minion (the Property Mismanager) to discuss my "apparent misinterpretations of the Common Area costs".

Iiiiiinteresting.

This could very easily be remedied in a phone call or an email.  A registered letter even.  But no, they feel they need to come down in force and bully me.  How very interesting.  So tomorrow Jordan will be coming into work with me as an extra witness as well as a male presence in the store.  Another friend will be coming down to be a rather needy customer.  All are welcome to come and help me be "busy".  Hee hee.

I spoke with John this morning about this little show of force.  We laughed.  Apparently the landlord now knows that his counter-suit is a sham and will fail in court, so he's trying to settle with John out of court.  I guess this has the landlord completely freaking out, so he feels that he has to keep any potentially troublesome tenants (mainly me) in line with a show of force.

*snort*  Whatever.

I've checked through my lease with a fine-toothed comb.  It's contradictory, and may not be able to stand up in court if there was a real problem.  He's already in violation of an entire section of the contract, but I won't point it out unless necessary, because it could play well later on if he decides he wants to start charging me extra for costs.  This also plays well with the fact that he's been double dipping on certain common costs.  Yet another ace I have up my sleeve.

I don't really want to have to play my aces, and instead will rely on the tried and true "dumb female" routine unless truly necessary.  I really don't want trouble, but I also don't intend on having my rights violated, nor do I plan on being embezzled for money I don't owe.

*cracks knuckles*

Let's play.

I came in to work this morning to the most disgusting and horrifying scene:

My willow trees are being killed.

The willow to the right of the stairs, the one which lost a branch last week is completely gone.  The one outside my window is shorn of all branches, just a gnarled trunk.

These were my friends.  We made offerings to them.  I greeted them every morning and said good night to them every night.  They helped me with spellwork, and they protected me from harm.

I mourn their loss.

Such a tragedy.

Got to work on Tuesday with my zippy little Pixiemobile, and looked for a parking spot.  Normally this isn't a chore because the parking lot is large enough to accommodate a lot of people.  Unfortunately, the snow made parking more than a little iffy and people were parked askew in a lot of places and so I had trouble finding a spot.  I turned into the fire lane to go across to the other side of the lot, when I was faced with this:



Yeah, one of the willows dropped a HUGE branch on Sunday night.



You can see the enormity of the branch which fell.





What makes me kind of mad about the whole thing, is that it's now Thursday, and the branch is STILL there across the fire lane.  A dumpster truck ploughed through it yesterday.

This whole incident reminds me that not even Mother Nature is safe from the ravages of Mother Nature.  She's sooooome Mother!

Pissy Post #2!

Because when you're having a dumb day.....it just HAS to continue!

Alrighty.  As many of you know, I teach bellydance classes from 6 - 7pm on Monday nights.  Yay.  So far it's been an absolute blast and I love my students.  Anyways, the building itself closes on Mondays at 5pm, so I've just been putting tape across the lock on the door so that my students can get in.  Easy easy.  My building manager Tak, is 75 years old, and is the least reliable person I know.  Trying to get something changed around here takes several attempts, so I didn't even try to get the building hours changed.  This way, if I don't teach, I don't have to call and get the building locked earlier, or have to sit around and babysit the building until it locks.

Okay, so last night I came in to teach and the building owner, Jim, was here shoveling snow.  I put my tape on the door and my students got in like usual.  Except that Jim saw the tape and apparently got rather pissed off.  So pissed off, in fact, that Tak came all the way to my store today to have a little "chat" with me.  A very contradictory chat in fact.

First he says that the tape on the door was what pissed off Jim.  So I apologized, and said that I hadn't wanted to be a bother, but if it's such a problem, we can just get the building hours extended.  Then, I was told that that WASN'T the problem after all, instead it was the safety issue of the tape on the door.

Um, okay.....

So Jim and Tak have concocted the idea that I am in personal danger by coming in on Mondays and teaching bellydance.  Apparently, rapists (or as Tak calls them, cuckoos) will see the girls coming for dance, and will hide in the stairwell.

Um, okay.....

And as a result of this danger to my person (but, as Tak pointed out, not my customers because they don't care about my customers) they want me to install a private buzzer outside - at my personal cost, of course.

Um, okay.....

I said no.  I am not in danger, I have my ladies with me, we leave together, and I have a panic button on my alarm system.  Thankyouverymuch.  Besides, I used to work in a rough neighbourhood, where a sales associate had been beaten within an inch of her life a few years before I started working there.  THIS is not a rough neighbourhood.  Sheesh!

In the end, I've had the building hours extended to cover my ladies getting in on Mondays.

On another note, here's a great example of Tak's incompetence.

Saturday night, I had Pagan Meet up coming in.  The building is open until 9pm every night except Monday.  The weather was bad, but my Pagan Peeps still showed.  I got a rather angry phonecall from Tak because I hadn't called earlier to say that I didn't need the building to be closed earlier than normal.

Wrap your brain around THAT little bit of genius.

Anyways, wish me less dumb for the remainder of the day.....

Okay, I'll be the first to admit when I've made a boo-boo....and apparently, my wording to people about the sold out status of the mead workshop with paganjoy  was poorly worded.  I told people that if they hadn't received a confirmation email yet, they weren't on the list.  Apparently, the people who'd confirmed face to face took this to mean that they were no longer invited.  One confused person I can pass off as not having read the message properly, but FOUR?  Okay, my bad.

So I sent off another email explaining.

Still I'm getting worried people: Am I on the list?

*smack forehead*

My favourite though, has been this fucktard:

"I'd love to come with my wife. But $20.00 to give a way good mead and a limit on attendance?"

Wait wait wait....give away mead?  Dude did NOT get the memo that the mead was being PROVIDED.  *rolling eyes*  He also missed the NOTE at the end of the Facebook invite which read: 

NOTE: Due to the popularity of this event, we have to insist that you email grimoiresbooks@yahoo.ca OR Pixie here on Facebook to get on our list of attendees or the waitlist. Responding just to Facebook is not a guaranteed spot at this event.

Because today I got the following ARROGANT email from him:

Hi Jennifer,

Thank you for the invitation. From previous conversation at the store and here I was under the impression that you wanted me to teach a mead class. I have taught many classes and won awards for my mead. I am the official Mazer to two Kings and a Baron in the SCA. Plus I was awarded an Abbottry title back in 2006. Please give my spot to an enthusiast who will benefit from Joy's experience.

Um....first of all, I don't give a flying fuck what awards you've won, we never agreed that you'd be teaching anything at my store EVER, and you were NEVER EVER on the list of attendees.

Now you, gentle reader, may be wondering why so much animosity towards this misguided soul....well he happens to be the husband of the hypnotherapist who fucked me up.

Capiche?

So I told him that he was never on the list, and sorry for the confusion.  See?  I can be diplomatic even when I want to spit in someone's eye or punt them in the junk.

Wow, there's my violence for ya, lizjoydav .  Apparently my oatmeal also had some feisty in it this morning.  Go figure!