Workshop

Work has been crazy this week. We're participating in the state's annual conference today, tomorrow, and over the weekend. So, naturally, everyone has to freak the fuck out for no good reason. Honestly? It's not as if I work in an industry where lives are at stake. If there's a teeny smudge on our display, it's not the end of the world.

Since I have the reputation for being the "creative one" in the office, I got stuck with the job of designing and assembling the 5 foot by 10 foot display space. For some reason, I thought it was only a two day job. Ha ha. Not even close. We can't set up anything in our designated area until after 5 today. Two days ago, the bitch I work with (and hate, can you tell?), was giving me her famous attitude about not having things done. I gave her attitude right back and told her that unless she had the tools I needed on hand, the job was going to wait. I wanted to tell her to pull a rubber mallet and a hammer out of her fucking ass. After that, I wanted to wrap my hands around her throat and strangle her superiority complex to death.

Ah, but I stopped at being snarky lest I lose the job I enjoy.

In about 15 minutes, I'm leaving the office to drive across town to the conference itself and help out (for another cunt I don't like) with a workshop. All I really have to do is check people in and clean up after. But, in between those two tasks is three hours of boooorrrrriiiiiinnnggg. Maybe I'll work on that novel I'm supposed to almost be done with. Or, maybe I'll crochet a throw for my loveseat in the living room. I need to devise a plan to get the matching couch into my new apartment by the time I have my party....ugh...too much to do.

Ugh. Christmas is Lame. And So Are Guys.

Yes, I hate Christmas. Big surprise, right?

This year, I'm totally broke (and that's different how?). Since I'm inclined toward the DIY thing anyway, I'm trying to find make-at-home stuff that won't cost me a ton in supplies or time. The problem is, guys have a tendency not to appreciate the homemade angle on gift giving much. So, I was just surfing around online to see what I could find in the way of manly crafts. What did I find? Nothing but crap. Sure, if I was dating some adorable, hipster type fella, he'd probably appreciate something I made. (and the guy I was dating dumped me for another chick last night.) But the men in my family? Hard to please. For starters, the only thing ever on their Christmas lists is socks. Socks? Well, I sure as hell don't have enough time or patience to try knitting up socks for the uncles and fathers and cousins I have. I've got to finish up things pretty quickly, since everyone except my parents lives out of state. Factoring time for shipping...forget about it!

Oh, and also factor in that I'm trying to do the whole NaNoWriMo thing. I'm so stressed out this week with work and relationships and money that I feel like I'm going to vomit. Maybe I'll lose some weight this way. I dunno.

Maybe I can go the give-everyone-the-same-thing route and just make popcorn balls or something equally as ghastly. Anyone have a suggestion? Must be cheap but not look cheap. Martha Stewart couldn't save me this time. Felt slippers? Nobody's going to wear that.

Transportation

I've moved three times this year. On New Year's, I had a fight with my dad over him being an alcoholic. I moved out, into my mom's house. My mom is nice for the most part, but she's a bit emotionally unbalanced. So, three months later, I moved in with a roommate I found on Craigslist. Six months after that, the management at that place raised the rent and I moved into my own place a month ago. So, here I am, broke, but finally alone.

Anyway, since moving into the new place, I've noticed that the bus downtown stops right on my block. To save money and the hassle of parking, I decided to hop the bus to and from the office. After all, money for a bus pass has been coming out of my paycheck for years.

While waiting for the bus this morning, I marveled at how strange the whole bus situation is. I don't mean the inconsistent schedules or the riff raff on board, I mean the concept of a bus itself. You go outside and stand by a sign. Then, a very large box on wheels stops, you get inside, and the box moves around. For some reason, it made me think of the cat bus in Tonari No Totoro (a.k.a. My Neighbor Totoro). I wish I could ride that to work instead.

Honestly?

So Neko, you think you can come back here, after all this time, and grovel; beg your reader(s) for forgiveness? Do you actually expect anyone to be left here, waiting for a new post? Do you seriously imagine that anyone, anywhere, could be interested enough in your epic blog fail to hang around since May? Pah!!

But...but......I was going to post. Really, I was! It's just...there's this evil thing out there...it's called facebook...it sucked out my brain! I was gonna post lots a times, honest!

I'm sure you were, Neko. I'm sure that every day, on the way to work, a million little post topics swirled around in your head. But they didn't make it onto Little Tragedies, did they? Where did they go, Neko? Into what vortex were they sucked? Did the homework doggie eat them? Face it, you owe the blog-o-verse big time. No more excuses. No weaseling your way out of this one!

But...there's this game....and it has chickens..cute, little, small, little, virtual birdies...they're so CUUUUUUTEE!

Silence! You must now post for at least 15 minutes a day. Or be eliminated entirely from the web!! Bwahahahahaha!

Make Your Own Mondays or When Lettuce Goes to Hell vol. 2

I probably shouldn't have bought myself lunch today, considering that I'm in a bad financial place right now, but Neko's gotta eat! Today's creation was inspired by Mother Italy - spinach, cannelloni beans, fresh tomatoes, kalamata olives and fresh Parmesan cheese with a light splash of port vinaigrette dressing to tie everything together. The beans and cheese provide the protein, the tomatoes and spinach provide the iron, vitamins and calcium, and the olives provide the zing! Damn, do I love olives! The combination of the extra salty olives and the unexpectedly salty Parm were only mildly offset by the delicately sweet dressing. I found the fresh tomatoes refreshing though. I don't normally have them.

I posted my very first items on Etsy today! I've had an account for a while now, but just finally got around to making things to sell. If only I could take better pictures, my items would look a bit more professional.



These are dish-washing travel kits. They only take me about a day traveling to and fro on the bus to finish! Keep your fingers crossed for me that they sell! I totally need the money for my trip this weekend!! My poor, broke ass!! I will have nothing to spend and my friends will think I'm a stupid loser who isn't any fun to hang out with. :(

I took a nice walk in the cemetery near my new apartment. It's really beautiful there! I love all the old statues and gigantic trees. During the summer, I think I'll try to walk there every night after dinner.



I had a frustrating weekend, but a productive one. Just thinking about it right now is giving me a headache though, so maybe I'll save the story for another time. Bleh.

Make Your Own Mondays or When Lettuce Goes to Hell

I've decided that Mondays should be "Make Your Own" salad day for lunch. I usually go to my mailbox on Monday and there's one of those salad bar places nearby. I like to try a custom salad each time, instead of going with one of their predetermined combinations. Naturally, there are very few of them that don't include meat of some kind. The meat-free options are terribly uninspired, considering how many ingredients they have on hand. Today's salad is spinach with jack cheese, roasted corn, avocado and black beans with a roasted red pepper dressing. There were supposed to be pumpkin seeds too, but the salad guy gave me sunflower seeds by mistake. As usual, the whole thing is smothered with dressing - not my preference at all. I mean, there's like a quarter inch of dressing pooling at the bottom of this dish! Next time, I'll have to remember to tell them not to be so heavy with the sauce. To wash the whole mess down with I've selected one of my favorite beverages - a sparkling grapefruit Izze.

Perhaps my decision to pamper myself with this lunch creation was brought about by the date today. Today is the anniversary of my brother's death (his death-day?) and I'm going to visit his grave after work. I'm dealing with it just fine, but taking it easy on myself anyway. After all, I will have to deal with my father later on. Last week, I started the first of many sessions with my new tattoo artist. I'm getting half sleeves in honor of my little bro. Wednesday, we did the outline and some shading on my left arm. It took three hours. I have three more hours under the needle before it will be finished. Then, we will move on to my right arm. They're going to look badass!! I've wanted sleeves forever!

Hell and Tacos

Tuesday nights mean beer bingo and dollar tacos at my new apartment's clubhouse. There's a bar there, which is pretty rockin' since I can get nice and sloshed and wander home on foot instead of worrying about getting a cab. My friend was going to come, but she slipped and hurt her knee, so she had to bail out on me. My roommate complained of not having enough "expendable income", so she didn't make it either. If I let lack of companionship stop me from doing anything, I'd never leave the house. Plus, this gives me the chance to try on different outfits and gauge their effectiveness on an audience (or at least that's what I tell myself).



Mmmmm...dollar taco...they make special bean tacos for me, since I'm a veggie. They're yummy! Of course, I could make better at home, but they're still tasty. I think I ate four of them last night. The first time I went to this thing, I swear that I ate three tacos and drank four beers and only payed about fifteen bucks. Not the case this time! I ate some tacos...drank some beer...did a couple of shots...maybe that's why I spent twice as much this time. It must have been the shots. And wouldn't you know it, since I didn't have any friends there to cheer for me, NOW is when I win at Bingo.



See! I've got all the numbers in an "X" formation! I won a bar shirt! Well...it's kind of a skanky, powder blue muscle shirt, but I won it. It's still a prize!! Of course, I would have preferred something a little more liquid - this is beer bingo after all. So, just when my luck was running high (and it nearly never is), I won again!!



BINGO!! See how all of the spots are blacked out on the lower card? Well, take a look at the other one - I was only one away from winning that one too! The prize this time was a cash prize, which would have been great had there not also been two winners besides myself. So, split three ways, I ended up with $8.50. Considering what I spent on the bill and what I kicked in to the ante for the money rounds, this obviously wasn't a money making deal on my part. Sigh. It felt good to win though.

So, I stumbled home and showered and went to bed. At about three in the morning, my phone rang. I think I must have heard it in my sleep because I remember it, but I also remember not being quite awake. Then, it rang again. Awake this time, and annoyed, I picked it up to see who was calling. Well, lo and behold, it was this guy I hooked up with right before I moved. And if he wasn't who he was, I would have turned off my phone and gone back to sleep. As it just so happens, he's very difficult to get ahold of and, as it also just so happens, he was probably the best sex I've ever had (which is really saying something, because I've been around the block a few times). Basically, this guy has me on a string, but I don't want him to know that. Well, he wanted me to drive to another town at three frickin' AM, just to sleep with him and drive back in time for work this morning. I told him that I like sleeping better and hung up.




(but only because he promised to see me tonight. I'm so weak.)