Oh, hi

Oh geesh! I just realized that I haven’t written in more than two weeks. What a weiner I am! I stop by this website every day, but I’ve been lacking the creativity necessary to actually produce an entry. I hate that! I’ve just been working a lot as usual, but I feel extra out of it because I’ve been working a variety of shifts during the week–sometimes I go in at 630 am, sometimes I go in in the afternoon and stay until 10pm or so. I think it’d be easier if I consistently went in during the mornings, or consistently worked in the evenings and at night. I guess my schedule is the same from week to week, but it’s hard to get into a rhythm from day to day. Well, this is boring, but this is usually what my schedule ends up being:

Monday: Co-op 1pm-930pm

Tuesday: Park 9am-6pm

Wednesday: Co-op 630am-3pm

Thursday: Park 9am-6pm

Friday: Co-op 630am-3pm (though this week I’ll be working at the Co-op until 130, then at the park from 2-6)

Saturday: Co-op 2pm-930pm

Sunday: Park 9am-6pm

So… yeah. I think the 60 hours a week plus weird schedule has been a reason I’ve been kindof distant/cranky/not updating or noting lately. Just so you knows!

Work has been going alright though. The parks have been busier with the changing of the seasons, and I recently got my third raise at the co-op (I’m up $1.70 from when I started a few months ago, and will probably be getting another raise soon). I do worry about the co-op though because there is potential there for some serious drama. Not with me exactly, because I am a good worker and think the management likes me, but a lot of the people in authority positions are related and if one of them doesn’t like you you’re pretty much screwed. That’s what happened with Tom, and is happening with other people now too. They’ve had it out recently for one woman that I actually like a lot–she was accused of doing something, and when she tried to explain that she didn’t do it they said it was insuboordination and she was written up. Peoples’ hours also get slashed with no explanation.

That almost happened to me. Well, someone else was getting some of my produce department hours last week, and I was being made to cashier (even though I told them I definitely don’t prefer cashiering), and I think they just did it because that manager has some kind of personal friendship with the dude taking my hours. I was kindof ticked and asked the manager about it, but instead of being defensive I said something like, "Aw man, I bet it’s because [the dude] is more stylish and fashionable than I am!". She laughed a little, and since then my hours have been returned to normal. It’s just… an environment that can have a lot of drama sometimes, which is really draining when I see my friends treated like crap. Bleh. It’s money though.

Oh, I never really talked about my birthday. It was on May 4th, and I turned…. 24! I feel so old. Twenty-flippin-four. Almost 25. Eeeeeee.

Anyway, I worked until 2pm or so, and Tom called me and had me park on some street by one of his friend’s houses. He came out with a violin and stood in the street and played "Eye of the Tiger" , then, per my request, "Starts and Stripes Forever". He got me some gift certificates to some local used book stores, and a hand written coupon for a free bike (which I’ve been wanting for a long time). We went out to eat, saw a movie, and ended the night with pizza and an episode of Mystery Science Theater 3000. Renee also made me a birthday sign that was really awesome, but I’m scared to touch it or move it because I don’t want it to smear. Maybe I can wrap it with… plastic wrap or something? That would probably look strange though.

Oh, so I know that some of you already know this, but Tom and I are engaged. We don’t have any date set because there are things we need to do first, but it’s something I’m really happy about and didn’t think I’d ever want to do (marriage, that is. It’s something that has scared me for the longest time because I grew up seeing lots of divorces). But yeah, things have been a little more stressful recently because we’re trying to look into what we should be doing in this situation, and are also trying to budget and see how much we need to be saving, etc. He’s also stressed because he’s working 60-ish hours a week now too because he’s trying to save up for a ring (the one I want is really expensive, and he’s determined to not settle for something cheaper. I don’t even like jewelry that much though, but he’s pretty , a possible move we’ll be making soonish, and he also wants to travel a bit: to Georgia to see my relatives there and hang out, and he wants to celebrate our engagement or whatever by taking me on a vacation… to Greece! He’s been looking into it and trying to see how much he needs to work, save up, plan out, etc. 

So there’s that. I guess I’ve been pretty busy lately. I’ve been applying to AmeriCorps programs all over the country, and have been trying to search for other non-profit jobs as well. I feel that, aside from AmeriCorps, using the internet to look for jobs is pretty much hopeless. It did work with my park job, but they only accepted online applications, so I didn’t really have a choice. I think there’s usually just such a flood of applicants online that it’s sometimes impossible to get noticed or to get your application even looked at.  

Hmm…. what else…. I just drank some coffee and have to pee pretty badly! Yup… I’m also thinking of taking Sally (the turtle that I included pictures of, many entries back) outside if it warms up a little today. She really likes crawling along the rocks and looking at the birds as they fly and squawk above her head. Sometimes she her eyes get irritated and they start to water. I’ll probably just hang around here for 7-ish more hours, and then paint the town red tonight (a.k.a. watch a cartoon or two).

Anyway, I’m at work right now so I should probably get off of this site. I can’t think of anything else to mention right now either. I feel boring!