| Friday May 2, 2003 -- 5:15pm Well, it's official. As of May 23rd, I will no longer be employed by my beloved museum. I got a great job that I will love and which pays $3500 more a year. This is A Good Thing. However, right now I feel like I have just abandoned my sick and dying baby, so I'm just going to go cry for a while and see how that turns out. 10:15am A shout out to my idiot boss who, this morning, alleviated the brief feeling of guilt I was having about my attempts to find other employment. I cannot understand why he would do this, but it really and truly seems as though he is actively trying to get all of his staff - full and part time - to quit. He's getting dangerously close to success. On a slightly different topic, I am woken up at ungodly hours of each morning by the sound of elephants being dragged down the street by their tails. I do not know what becomes of these elephants during the day. Wednesday April 30, 2003 -- 6:00pm I got a parking ticket yesterday morning. I was parked illegally, but I am still annoyed. First of all, I parked illegally because I got tired of driving around and around and around endlessly looking for a legal parking space. Also, I completely failed to notice the "No Parking" sign I was parked directly under. But perhaps the most irksome thing about this particular parking ticket is the fact that my car was parked in this illegal spot for a day and a half, and I only got the ticket 15 minutes before I finally went to move. Tomorrow, in case you have nothing better to celebrate, is Space Day. This means that I spent today running up and down stairs, trying to prepare all of the things I've had no time to prepare during the last month of museum pandemonium, and strategically avoiding people like the director, silly men from the sponsoring company (although, of everyone involved, he is my favorite by a long shot) and frantic Board members. One goal I have for whatever my next job may be is to not be completely exhausted at the end of each day. I put a few new pictures up on my photography website last night, so go check them out. Monday April 28, 2003 -- 8:20pm That conference was complete ass. It couldn't even redeem itself via the free lunch, as it was chicken, which I don't generally eat. I actually was going to eat it, because I was hungry, and because the three over-boiled carrots and teaspoon of rice (probably containing chicken broth) didn't quite do it for me. But the chicken was not worth compromising my principles over. The cookies weren't bad though. The best part of the conference was definitely going home and having a few drinks and a delicious taco from Bomber's with Jake, who had managed to escape early with me. -- 7:50am Today I have to go to a pointless conference. I am predicting that it will be highly boring, and hardly related to anything I do at the museum. The only saving graces are that (a) I only have to attend one session without a co-worker, and (b) I am not in any sessions with the director. Incidentally, the director chose for us which sessions we were going to attend. Apparently we are not capable of deciding which sessions would be most useful for us. There's a free lunch though. I hope there's something I can eat at it. Saturday April 26, 2003 -- 8:05pm Sometimes I worry that life is really all about painting the light switch blue and making sure the cats are fed. I grew up believing I would be something special. It makes ordinary life seem like a bit of let-down. And, at this point, I think I'm a bit sub-ordinary. -- 4:45pm I am paying all of my bills on time this month! Yee-haw! (I know this is what you're supposed to do, but I take my victories where I can.) When asked the question, "How are you?" these days, I am genuinely stumped. Wednesday April 23, 2003 -- 7:30pm Oh, for the love of God! It was just snowing!!! -- 6:50pm Ah... two blissful days without the director. If only it didn't have to end. Steven Wright, the comedian, used to say that he lived on "a one way dead end street." My analytical mind always enjoyed rolling over the impossibility of that. Well, guess what. Oh yes. Life is just that bizarre. As of yesterday, I live on a one way dead end street! I am pleased. The break week appears to be going well at the museum. Over 300 visitors today, which is a freaking lot. I find the place to be so incredibly stressful when there are that many people in it that it amazes me anyone has a good time. But they do. It's going to be so hard to leave. Monday April 21, 2003 -- 6:30pm My boss is apparently a Republican, which explains a lot. I don't understand how you could be a Republican and work for a non-profit children's museum. Hello? It's the Republicans who chopped the budget to Hell. The Republicans are the reason we will have almost NO volunteer youth staff this summer, because they gave that program the axe too. He tried to joke with me, like a comrade. Come on. Could you know me for two seconds and think for a minute that I am a Republican? Shit, sons! I'm not even a Democrat! I bought an enormous burrito from Bomber's for dinner, then didn't have any interest in eating it. I ate about half, without inspiration. It was good though. Burritos were a good invention. I really want to lay down and take a nap right now. It's perfect nap weather. But I am experimenting with Consistent Sleep Patterns, and taking a nap would mess that up. Also, someone rang my doorbell earlier. I assumed it was a mistake, because who would ring my doorbell? But if it was you, I apologize. Saturday April 19, 2003 -- 4:30pm I am listening to the easy listening station. I know. But I was in the mood for Frank Sinatra, and this is the only place to find it. Sadly, I am going to have to turn it off before all of the little "patriotic" ads make me vomit. Yellow things are happening outside! Tulips and daffodils popping up here and there, and forsynthia (?) bushes sprouting little yellow buds. It's almost enough to make a person think it's Spring. But here in Upstate New York we are very careful about such security. The radio announcer whispered "snow" for Wednesday, the bastard. Friday April 18, 2003 -- 7:30pm I am feeling substantially better. I even think I know why, but I'm not telling. Let's just say it's useful information, but not something I have much control over at this time. Although I am feeling better, I do have the strange feeling that somebody should be taking me out to dinner right now. Any volunteers? C'mon... I'm dressed kinda sexy, and I have excellent table manners. No? Well, then I am just going to have to change into my jammies and eat more left overs. Sigh. -- 9:30am Facts: Chocolate is delicious first thing in the morning. Chocolate is also delicious pretty much any other time. I have friends who cannot be trusted with gum. I should be getting ready for work right now. I am going to be late to work today. My cats are the main source of joy in my life. Coffee is the Magical Elixer of Life. I hate interviewing people. Today I must interview 4 people. Coffee with chocolate in it is the Delicious Magical Elixer of Life. Thursday April 17, 2003 -- 9:30pm Hahah! Screw Depression photos! This is funny! -- 8:15pm Newsflash: Depression SUCKS. Pictures to follow. I am really only updating to plug Mama Rosa's. I would link to their web site, but they don't appear to have one. Anyway, they're on Lark Street, and I just ate some vegetarian garbage bread from there, and - despite being 6 days old, re-heated, and setting my smoke detectors off - it was delicious! Everyone should go there immediately. You can bring your own wine, which I think is very quaint and European-feeling. Now, back to the task of freeing space on my camera so I can document Depression for you. (I'm trying to put it to good use, see?) (The Depression.) Wednesday April 16, 2003 -- 9:50pm Dear Powers That Be: Would you please take this bad mood away from me? I am sick of it, and, also, it takes up too much time. I would like to replace it with an energetic, good mood, model GX150, please. In red. Tuesday April 15, 2003 -- 9:20am Ugh. And furthermore, blah. The party was good, despite the absence of a few key people. Saturday was good - things went really well at the museum, for a change. Sunday and Monday were rollercoastery. I'd been hoping that the change in weather would improve my mood, but so far I'm holding steady at Blah. I got my taxes done though! And I applied for a job that I think would be really exciting to get. But right now I suppose I have to get my butt to my current job. Sigh. I think I need some time away. Thursday April 9, 2003 -- 9:10pm The "Take Back the Night" march was tonight. They just marched up my little stretch of street chanting, "Yes means yes and no means no!" and "No more date rape!" In the spirit of passive activism, I flicked my living room light switch on and off over and over. A cheer went up, and the guy across the street with the huge windows looked at me with a perplexed expression. Over the course of this week, they came and cut down every single tree on Lark Street. ("They" being people with big machines and bright orange vests.) It makes me sad. Where will the holiday lights go? Where will the larks go? Not that I'd know a lark if it pooped on my face, but still... how can you name a street after birds if you cut down all the trees? Maybe I can think of it in terms of "as gay as," because Lark Street will remain, I hope, gay as a lark forever. My housewarming party is tomorrow night. I did the right thing and invited all the scary and aged neighbors. I left little notes in everyone's mailboxes (except for Bob, whom I ran into in the morning and chatted with). When I got home from the store tonight, there was a postcard sitting in front of my door. In my grandfather's handwriting. This freaked me out a bit, as my grandfather died many years ago. I quickly realized it wasn't actually a message from beyond, but a note from Joan, the wisp of a thing that lives next door. She's actually going to come! I am both frightened and impressed... and intrigued. (Side note: Why isn't there a word like "both" for when you want to list three things?) Things I Know About Neighbor Joan: She listens to NPR and has different political views than Bob. These are both positive things. She leads a fairly active life. She is interesting and spunky enough to live yards away from Lark Street, despite being of an age when most people ship themselves off to Florida to die. I hope she doesn't come and meet me and see my weird place and the plethora of beer in my fridge and decide she hates me. Wednesday April 8, 2003 -- 8:30pm Oooo! My firewall has intercepted an attacker! I've been attacked! I suspect the Al-Qaeda network, personally. In other exciting news, I got a new light switch today. I don't like it. It's new, and all plasticy. But it always works on the first try, and it doesn't make Bad Electrical Sounds. Monday April 7, 2003 -- 9:15am Today was nice. This was largely due to the fact that there was no work involved. Well, work tried to be involved, but I let the voicemail pick up and then refused to call back. It was not anything that couldn't wait until tomorrow. I've decided that I don't much care for going to work anymore. I do like my co-workers, and that presents a problem. I wonder what will happen. Will we remain friends? I rarely see any of them outside of work. :( But wait! I was supposed to be writing about my good day. Ok. So I went to the used bookstore (luckily without enough cash to buy anything) and a new store called "Viva Lark Vegas" which had many very silly things in it, such as Jesus action figures. Then I went to the flower store and bought these. I'm pretending that it's Spring. Accumulations tonight of 1 to 3 inches. At least it will be of snow and not ice this time. Now I'm off to bed early so I can be at the airport at 9:20am to see the museum's exhibit there. Sadly, it appears they have requested that we museum folk leave our guns, hatchets, and other weapons of mass destruction at home. Dang. Sunday April 6, 2003 -- 8:30pm Amusing Driving Stories of Today: 1. I saw a small fleet of NiMo (utilities company) trucks driving north on the highway this morming. Power outages anyone? 2. I spilled hot coffee down the front of my shirt... on the inside of the shirt! Hahahaha! 3. Coming home, all of the snow/ice on the roof of the little red car behind me slid off the roof and completely covered the guy's windshield. His wipers were useless. He had no choice but to get out in the middle of traffic and clean it off. I am ultra-cranky today. I can't explain it. I keep thinking I am bored, but I think that must be the wrong word. When I'm not cranky, there is plenty to do. Today, nothing is interesting. Ah well. At least it's only once in a while now instead of the status quo! |
 |
 |