When you have a total childhood regression and buy halloween candy a good two or three weeks before halloween, and you tip your head back to pour the entire contents of a pixy stix straw onto your tongue, remember to breathe through your nose and not your mouth. Ow.
Author Archives: Cindy
random bits
Job news: Even though I’ve pretty much stopped looking while I focus on studying for the next few weeks, I heard about a possibility today that could be really good. But I don’t want to jinx myself by talking too much about it (or wanting it too much, which doesn’t seem to work well for me either), so we’ll file it away in the back of our minds and just wait to see what happens. It certainly won’t be the end of the world if I don’t get it, it’s just the first good job possibility that I’ve heard about lately. Oh, and I finally heard (only almost two weeks after the fact) that I didn’t get that other job that I wasn’t sure about. Which I pretty much knew, but come on, is it really necessary to take that long to make a decision?
Studying progress: I’m now on chapter 7. Which means I’m over 25% of the way through this book, and that’s in less than a week. So I can deal with that. Maybe this means I could actually lighten up on myself a bit and break up my day by, oh I don’t know, occasionally doing dishes or paying bills or doing something else useful since I’m home all freakin’ day long. But that’s doubtful. I enjoy feeling like I have some momentum, so I think I just want to hammer this exam out as fast as possible, and then I’ll worry about the state of the house. (And it’s bad, y’all. Really. You have no idea the amount of clutter that two people can generate in a week.)
The doctor update: I really like my new doctor. She has the same last name as one of the doctors on “ER”, and I got a kick out of that. No other news. Yet.
Linky-links: I’m doing some blog-cleaning on my link sidebar. I’ve removed several for various reasons. Some I just don’t read anymore (Tattoodles – sorry, and Adam & Sarah I love you guys, but the minute you demand my credit card number to read your very funny message boards is the minute you lose me). Some don’t exist anymore (like Catoptric & Chez Miscarriage). And some of you (Scott and Carl, I’m looking at you) just never write anything in your damn blogs and I’m tired of always clicking over there with false hope. So, it’s tidying time! Whee!
clearly at a loss for decent blog content
I have a feeling that this full-time studying gig is going to wear me out quickly. I was all proud of myself because I’m already halfway through chapter 4 – I mean, come on! Three and a half chapters in two days? That seems like a lot, doesn’t it? Then I realize that I’m on page 70 out of 450, and I want to go lie down and take a nap. Yeesh.
I have a doctor’s appointment tomorrow. New doctor. I’m not sick, I just, um… oh hell, let’s leave that topic for some other time, shall we? I’m not good at talking about my personal health issues (particularly girly ones) on the Internet. I mean, I got totally spooked when some freaky eyeglasses fetish group found this picture of me and I got like 5 different emails inviting me to their message board and wanting to know details about the exact prescription for my corrective lenses. And that’s just my eyes, so I’m really not inclined to talk about this other stuff. We’ll file it under the cool and vague mystery that is me. Trust me, if anything life-altering happens, I’ll write about it. Until then, let’s just forget that I brought it up.
Oh, and for the record, I have no idea how the eyeglasses fetish weirdos even found that picture because it’s not in any of my photo albums, I just stuck it up there so I could send my friends and family a link where they could see a picture of my new glasses. It’s a couple of years old, which you can tell by how short my hair was back then (man, that was kind of a cute look, wasn’t it? But such a pain to style, I think I’ll keep my ponytail-able length for now). And I don’t even wear my glasses anymore, even though I should, as it would probably get rid of a lot of my headaches, but they bug me. I don’t like having them touching my face all the time. So there you go.
Moving on: cat news! And another reason why I don’t like being home alone during the day. Cleo, our normally sweet mild-mannered kitty, brought a dead bird into our dining room & started batting it around. She’s not much of a hunter, so I’m guessing that one of the other cats killed it, and she just decided to play with it afterward. (Btw, I need to get a picture of this cat’s feet on here, because they’re awesome. One paw has 6 toes, the other has 7. Kitty has thumbs, I kid you not.) So I screamed (again, can’t control it, it just happens) and chased her out of the house. There was no birdie to save in this scenario like last time, as this one had clearly long since departed this earthly dimension. Normally I make Dave deal with the dead things that the cats bring inside, but it was the middle of the day and he wasn’t going to be home for hours. So I took a deep breath (and I didn’t cry! Go me!), scooped the bird up with some paper towels, put him in a plastic grocery bag and deposited him in the trash outside. I did a little sign of the cross after I put the lid on the garbage can. I’m not sure why, it just seemed like such an unceremonious burial otherwise. Poor little bird. And then I scrubbed my hands with anti-bacterial soap and hot water for a good couple of minutes, because eww, death cooties.
Oh, and the two cats who do hunt on a regular basis (Beaumont & Greta) apparently have tapeworms. If you don’t know what that’s like, just… God, I can’t even describe it without my gag reflex kicking in. You can read about it here if you have a really strong stomach. (Warning: there are photos of poop and animal nether-regions on that site. I’m not kidding.) Anyway, apparently one of the ways they can get it is from eating rodents. Hooray for my little hunters! So, we got some medication from the vet’s office for them, and I get the joy of trying to shove the rather large pills down their tiny little kitty throats, once today and again in 2 weeks. I got Beaumont already today – I found an empty syringe from one of Teenie’s medications and used it to squirt some water in his mouth as soon as I put the pill in, so he sort of had no choice but to swallow it. It seemed to work pretty well, he didn’t even draw blood. Somehow I have a feeling I will not leave the Greta experience quite so unscathed, as she’s a bit more feral than the other cats. I’m already plotting how I’m going to sneak up on her when she’s sleeping. Yeah, I think I need a hobby. Or a job. Whichever.
more boring work stuff
So I’ll bet you thought I’d have an update on that job I interviewed for last week, right? Well, guess again! I have no news at all, which I’m pretty much assuming means that I don’t have it. First, some background: the Giant Software Company has this rule that contractors can only work there for a year before they’re required to take 100 days off. It’s some loophole so they can’t keep temps forever, and if you really want to understand it, this article explains it better than I can. Ok, here’s the problem: I’ve already been gone 40 days, but that basically means nothing. I still can only work there for another 5 1/2 months (mid-March is my one year anniversary), and then I’m required to take 100 days off. I can’t break it up – 50 days now and 50 days next spring, something like that – it has to be 100 consecutive days in which I don’t work at the Giant Software Company. Which sucks, but that’s what happens when some idiot temps decide to get all uppity and demand benefits, and all they succeed in doing is royally screwing things up for everyone else.
Ok, back to that job that I interviewed for? Apparently the one big strike against me is that I could only work there for 5 1/2 months, rather than a full year. I’m guessing that’s probably the reason why I won’t get the job. Again, I don’t know if I have it or not, I’m just operating under the assumption that I don’t. And like I said before, I really don’t care. Meanwhile, Dave and I have talked it over and I think that since I’m already almost at the halfway point, I’m just going to make this period right now my 100 days off, and then starting in late November or early December, I can take on another contract for a full year. The challenge, of course, is going to be trying to keep my sanity intact for the next 2 months. But since I’ve taken on that new certification, studying should take up a nice big chunk of the next several weeks. So that’s good.
And in less boring, much happier news, I direct you to other people’s blogs – none of whom I have met in real life, but who I am inexplicably joyous for, regardless: Liz got married! Amalah had a baby boy! SJ found out recently that she’s having a boy! Sally got a great haircut, and she has an adorable new kitten! Ok, I think I’m starting to push it, so that’s probably enough. Hope everyone is having a happy Monday.
where is the funny?
So, I feel like I need to apologize for the fact that my last post was not at all even remotely funny, but hey, I guess that’s just the part of my cool mysteriousness, no? I’m not sure that this will be any funnier, because I’ve been in this very strange dark mood for the past couple of days. I’m frustrated with the job search – or rather, the lack of results from it – and I’m tired of feeling useless because I’m home all day while Dave is at work and I don’t really seem to do anything.* Yesterday I made myself feel slightly better by cleaning, but the house is still a mess, and the cleaning lady is coming tomorrow, so there’s really no point in bothering, is there? Normally, when I feel like this, doing something fun like going shopping for a new outfit or a pair of shoes might make me feel better, but I have this little rule about not spending money on extraneous things when I have no income. Call me kooky.
* Disclaimer: Dave has nothing to do with this mood, and I know that he hates that I feel this way. If anything, the guy is just too damn supportive, because he’s constantly telling me to relax and try to enjoy my time at home and think of it as a “vacation,” and I can’t seem to do that. But really, how sweet is that? It makes me feel even more guilty for spending his paycheck on things we don’t really need. Such as, see below.
So! In an effort to feel less useless and more like I’m taking steps to do something positive for my career, I’ve decided to get yet another certification. I won’t bore everyone with the details because I seriously doubt that most of you care, but this one little thing alone should definitely fatten up my resume quite nicely. Which means, of course, that I now get to go to the bookstore and drop some crazy amount of money on a textbook so I can teach it to myself, because that’s a better option than spending even crazier amounts to take a class for it. (Example: There is a 3-day intensive workshop for this certification, which costs a mere $3000. Holy god. I think I’ll just go buy the $75 book and go at my own pace, thanks anyway.) So yeah, that’s what I’m doing. Wish me luck.
Oh, and about that job that I’m not sure about: I got an email from my recruiter (the guy who set up the interview) with the subject line that said, “good news!” Apparently he wanted to let me know that yes, they’re interested in me, and it’s basically a decision between me and one other person. Um, how is that good news? I mean, yay for me being in the final two, but seriously. That still means there’s a 50% chance that I won’t get it, and really, I think I would’ve been happier not knowing that I was that close and missed it.
In happier news: today is my mom’s birthday. I won’t write a big elaborate shout-out since she doesn’t read this site, but I will say that she’s one of my favorite people on this planet, and I feel sorry for anyone who wasn’t raised by her. (So, basically, the entire world minus me and my siblings.) Yay for mama!
Monday update
Ok, the interview today? I have absolutely no idea how that went. I went into it with no expectations – I knew the qualifications that they were looking for, and I knew that I fit the description pretty well. But I didn’t really understand what it is that this group actually does (and yes, this is yet another team at the Giant Software Company), and I’m still not sure that I completely get it, even after being interviewed by three different people. So that’s kind of strange. I honestly just don’t know how well I did in the interview process – that big one a couple of weeks ago really shook my confidence, and these people all had poker faces, so I couldn’t tell at all if they liked me or not.
Bottom line: if they offer the job to me? I’ll take it. It’s a 6-month contract, so even if I end up hating it, it’s only temporary. And we could use the extra income. (More importantly: my ego needs the income to feel like a useful & productive member of this household.) But based on what I know of it, I don’t think I’ll hate it. It sounds like something that I would enjoy, and that I could do well. And if they don’t offer it to me? Meh. I don’t really care. Just have to wait and see, I guess.
In other news, after all that panic and chaos, the hurricane didn’t even cause my brother in Houston to lose electricity. Absolutely nuts. And in other, other news: I did nothing all weekend except play video games (Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker! Aaaaah! I’m reliving my childhood!) and watch season 1 of “Lost” on DVD. We still have a few episodes left, so don’t give me any spoilers. But man, I am totally loving that show.
Remind me again why I'm a cat person?
The scene: our house, this morning. Dave left for work, and less than 5 minutes later, I went to take a shower. I took my clothes off, then I heard something strange. One of our cats, Beaumont (the big, brave boy hunter cat), was yowling a very distinct meow. It was sort of a muffled sound, and one that I have come to know well; it loosely translates to, “Quick! Come see this neat dead thing that I’m carrying in my mouth and want to give you as a gift!” Since I was alone in the house, I went to see what was up. This was very, very stupid of me. As I started to come down the stairs, Beaumont flew past me with – yep, I guessed it – some tiny thing with feet sticking out of his mouth. I screamed, because no matter how many times this happens, I am still not used to it; and even though Dave hates it when I scream, I cannot help it. (See, honey? I really don’t do it for attention, I even do it when I’m alone in the house!) Beaumont ran into my office and dropped off his “gift,” which turned out to be a teeny tiny bird, which was not so much dead as it was still frantically fluttering around and leaving feathers all over the damn place. Somehow, amid much flapping of tiny wings and me shouting obscenities, I managed to separate the cat from the bird. I grabbed the cat, ran down the stairs, threw him out the back door and slammed the door on him. (Just in case you were wondering: on nice weather days like today, we leave the back slider door open a few inches so the cats can come & go as they please. Probably a bad idea when I’m going to take a shower. Probably a worse idea to advertise that we do this on the Internet.) And let’s not forget that I was naked for all of this – so um, hi, neighbors! I really hope you were all at work, but please feel free to send me your opthamologist bill if I inadvertently caused you to bleed from the eyes.
Ok, population of the house is now me (still naked! hello!), the bird, and Teenie – who has never hunted a damned thing in her life and I don’t think she would honestly know what to do with a bird if it flew up and pecked her on the nose. So I wasn’t worried about her, but little Miss Birdie (I don’t know that it was a female, but that what I called her) was definitely injured, and I didn’t know how badly, but she was hiding under the trunk in our living room. I called my vet, who referred me to a different vet – a mere 15 miles away (gee, is that all?) – where they would take in injured wildlife. Fantastic! But I’m still naked, and oh yeah, sort of greasy! I called my mom, who reassured me that I would not be a horrible person if I took 20 minutes to shower and slap on some make-up before I took the bird to the emergency clinic, so that’s what I did. I put on my gardening gloves, caught the bird in my living room windowsill, put her in an Amazon.com box, draped a towel over the top of it (thinking it would calm her if it was dark – I have no idea if it helped or not), and drove off to the vet’s. They took her and said they were pretty sure she’d be ok, so I left a generous check for their donations-only wildlife center, and that was that. On the way home, I stopped at the pet store and bought collars with bells to put on all of the cats, because I’m fine with them killing mice (lesser of two evils – I don’t want mice in my house, soooo….), but the bird thing? Not cool.
End of scene.
Moving on: The phone interview today has turned into an in-person interview on Monday. This could be good, but I’m not letting myself get *too* excited about it, since that didn’t work out well for me in the past, and besides, I’m still not sure that I understand exactly what this job entails. But apparently I impressed someone, since they still want to talk to me after the phone interview. We’ll see.
Meanwhile, scary stuff over in Houston with this hurricane. My brother lives there, but he’s evacuating tonight, and going to stay with our cousin (Cat’s brother) in Austin. Apparently he’s mostly just packing up his clothes and his guitars – I’m not sure he cares about much else.