Guess who!

So I’ve got a new home, and there doesn’t seem to be a deposit check in our future. I’ve just about written it off as bad juju, and I may well let it go…in spite of the ire that old dump caused. My new apartment is glorious! It’s infinitely nicer, has waaaay better amenities, and only costs a smidge more than what we were paying. Better yet, I have space in my room for all of my furniture…including my computer and other office-y stuff…PLUS I have a walk in closet this time! *sighs* This is heaven. I may never want to move. The cat has already adjusted well, but Lauren seems to be having trouble. What with having to be gone every week for work (they’ve been shipping her all over the state and country to train people on new software roll outs), she feels that this new place is almost like a hotel instead of home. I’m hoping that will pass once she’s no longer sent out of town. It’s been a little dull living by myself. She’s in Colorado right now, and will be back Friday. That means we don’t get to celebrate her birthday (which is Tuesday) until Friday evening, and then Saturday I’m celebrating my birthday early with Matt, and Sunday she flies out again for Houston. That should be her last business trip for a while…I hope.

Work is both awesome and stressful right now. Friday was my two year anniversary at the office which should mean another annual review (and perhaps another pay raise), but I’ve asked, and no one seems to be interested in telling me when my review is going to be. I’m pretty sure it’s slipped their minds (since I never remember to ask when they are actually in conversation with me…I only remember to leave messages and email), but I really could use a raise with gas prices being what they are…and the fact that my commute now includes a tollway. Several of my co-workers will either be out Monday or all of next week, which leaves me in a position of authority that I have little interest in having. I teach another training class this week, and the week after next I’ll start training actual sales reps, too, not just their assistants. AND I might get the opportunity to have some investment training at our home office this month. The COO of our office told me they’ve put me on the list for a training course up there in Milwaukee. That would be free airfare and hotel stay if I’m not mistaken. I’ve never been to Wisconsin, so I’m looking forward to it. On top of that, if I get to go, my parents have offered to pay to extend my stay two nights and days, so I can explore the local zoo and museums (happy birthday to me!). I’ve never explored a new city by myself before, and I must admit it’s a trifle unnerving, but it’s thrilling, too! The only instance in which this delightful plan won’t pan out is if there isn’t enough interest in the training school for the home office to pay for it. I’ll probably find out this week, or next at the latest I imagine. In any event, it’s rather awesome that they want to send me off for training like this. That says something about the value they see me bringing the office, and it feels good.

Things on the Matt front are pretty good as well. I was a bad girlfriend this week and didn’t call him after learning that he was in pain that was possibly kidney related. He called me and wanted to talk (apparently to keep his mind off the pain, but he failed to mention that when he called). I only work to keep conversations going for so long before I get put off by the silence on the other end, so I cut our phone call short, and that offended him a smidge. I’ve apologized, and he’s forgiven me. I still feel a bit like a heel, but I also feel a little justified in that I didn’t know half of what was going on. I figured kidney infections are something to see the doctor about, and then work to fix slowly. I didn’t think there was much need to check up on him. As such, I didn’t find out until this weekend that the doctor said it’s not his kidneys, but that he’s pulled or strained muscles in his lower back in such a way that he can’t do a large chunk of his job. He’s restricted to desk work for a bit. I think that it shouldn’t hurt him too badly occupationally speaking. I’m hoping that it gives him a chance to interview for a managerial role at the new Best Buy that’s opening in Allen (muuuch closer to where he lives than where he works now). He says he missed his call for the interview there, but I think he can still try for it. I’m afraid he’s given up on it entirely. He can be defeatist like that.

He and I babysat for his niece last night. That was a trial of strength and patience. She was a delight about half the time, and then 3/8 of the time, she was just shy of okay…and the rest she was a terror. She is being spoiled so rotten that there may be little hope of her growing up as a decent human being. She already has learned that screaming gets her exactly what she wants. Matt and I (thankfully) agree on how to deal with a screaming child, and it’s not at all about appeasement. We ignored her when she threw her one huge fit. When she moved closer to us and kept crying (though looking a little puzzled), Matt and I merely asked if she was through crying and ready to be a big girl. She kept crying. We went about our business. She made herself sick. We cleaned the throw up off the floor and changed her pajamas. She kept crying. We went about our business. When she finally stopped, we asked her if she was ready to be a big girl, and she pointed to the kitchen (she’s not much of a talker yet). We (by process of elimination) discovered she would like some Trix and to watch Shrek, and since she wasn’t screaming or throwing a royal temper tantrum, we gave her just that. *deep sigh* I know that Matt’s mother and step-dad are essentially raising Peyton because his sister won’t take on the role of mom except when it’s convenient to her. I also know that Matt’s mom feels a load of guilt for leaving her kids with Matt’s dad to raise instead of taking primary custody after the divorce. I also also know (yes, the second also was intentional) that it must be difficult to play the role of parent when you want terribly to play the role of spoiling grandparent. However, I think Matt’s mom needs to get over it and grow a spine. She’s the primary culprit in the spoiling of this child (the step-dad doesn’t always appease the screamer, and would do so even less if his wife didn’t demand it). I only wish I could step in and tell her exactly what I think about this without sounding like I’m butting my nose into their family business. I know my parents wouldn’t react well to Matt giving them a piece of his mind if he disagreed with a choice they’d made, so I’m going to keep my mouth shut (except when I’m alone with Matt), and I’ll just watch in silent impotence as a potentially bright and beautiful little girl turns into an annoying and ugly little pain in the ass.

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y: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA”>That’s all for tonight. It’s getting late, and while I do have much more to rant and ramble about, I need sleep. I hope all of you are doing well!