Saturday Morning Reflections

This last week at work was nothing, if not stressful. Talk about cramming a shitload of work into 4,5 hours. Got the results for Wednesday, a whopping 109% efficiency delivered. Acceptable results are actually 65%. Yeah, we get measured on efficiency at my workplace. Unless we deliver, the client can fine us for not doing a good enough job.

Apparently, no one had anything to say about my performance, in the face of, apparently, unbeatable odds. I worked my ass (and arms) off, and they knew it!

I was fortunate enough to be allowed to hide under my headphones, with my own choice of music blaring in my ears. Thursday was all Korn, Friday was a little bit of Korn and a whole lot of BLS. Yep, I love working with music in my ears. I work faster, I'm not bothered by chatter around me and the only thing I have to fight is the urge to get up and dance...

The other veteran was back at work, yesterday, meaning I had a normal day again. It was heavenly! I only had my own shit to worry about, as he was up to his eyeballs in his, as usual. I still had to take whatever came form the main office, though, as he was pressed enough for time. Thankfully, it was only one case that required my attention, so it was dealt with accordingly.

Kiri was extremely quiet yesterday. But then, so was I. I opted not to bug her too much, and wound up not bugging her at all. See? I can be quiet and considerate!

Today, I plan on staying off the computer, mostly anyway. I have a load of new DVD's that's been begging for my attention. I'm gonna have to answer that call and declare a movie marathon, of sorts. I'll just have to step outside and get some more Ginger Ale (only sugary beverage I drink) and a new batch of microwave popcorn... Preferably buttered! I'm already set with chocolate...

I know I'm gonna be watching the Transformers movie. Also I should probably watch Extreme Justice, as I had a hard enough time hunting it down. Even harder to Find was Striking Range, had to get them both from the US. Thank the makers of zone free DVD players! Or in my case, Harman/Kardon. Punch in a code and off we go on zone 1 movies, punch the code in again, we're off on zone 2 (Europe) movies. I love my DVD player, it's old and trustworthy. This is the first DVD player I bought, and I dread ever having to replace it. It's a player, not a recorder, so in that respect, I'm way behind the rest of the DVD world. I'm still happy with the quality of sound and picture it offers, so until it goes on the fritz, it stays where it is!

It started raining yesterday, just a light drizzle. It must have intensified during the night, because there's no trace of snow any longer. I'm not complaining. The snow came late, and had everyone groaning. We were so ready for Springtime, it was almost ridiculous. It's still raining, though...

My arms are still angry with me for the punishment I put them through this week at work. Another good reason to stay off the computer today.

Well... Duh!

Obviously, I have discovered that white writing on black background, is boring. So I'll do mine to brighten things up around here by using all sorts of colors.

Today was, thankfully, calmer at work. Still more than enough to do, but our beloved team leader had returned from her Caribbean Cruise and gave me the 'all clear' to take refuge under my headphones in order to better concentrate. Korn blaring at top volume, kills every other sound around, quite effectively! Also, the beat and drive in their music, makes me work faster, for some reason. I try to work in rhythm with the music, and it ain't slow, I'll grant you that!

I woke up this morning to a horrible noise. Seems The Empress had decided that the heavy glow ball I had bought her more than a year ago, was suddenly the new 'in thing'. She was busily batting it around on the floor making a racket. I hoped it was almost time to get up, that way I could let her keep it and I could stay in bed till the alarm went off... One quick look at the time, no joy! It was 6 freaking AM and I didn't have to get up for a loooooooooong while, yet!

I stumbled out of bed, stubbing my toe in the process, muttered a few choice words under my breath while trying to get my bearing. It was kinda dark and very cold! Got my bearings and headed out to the living room to hunt down the offending racketmaker. The ball, not the cat. Hunted around a little and found it, wrestled the cat for it and returned triumphantly to my nice, warm bed, glow ball in hand.

This means disrupted sleep, my favorite, as it means I'll be dead on my feet, even though I took an earlier night than usual.

The alarm went off on schedule, and true to form. I was dead on my feet. Took me a while to get up and the coffee started and even longer to actually wake up!

Got to work, and had no sooner parked my mitka on my chair, then a team leader from private solutions taps me on the shoulder and orders me off to an information meeting with our client. Gah! I told her, 'No! I don't have time for shit like meetings, I have a shitload of work to do.' She just gave me her shit-eating grin and told me to go. 'Everyone has to go this thing, it's not your fault if something gets left undone today, it's theirs!' Fine, I huffed over to the meeting room only to discover that the prior meeting was still in session. 'Great! They're running late, and I get an even more hectic day because of it.' Finally getting into the meeting, and now we discover that team leaders everywhere had sent people, too many people for that tiny room. Then there was hunting around for more chairs. Took me an hour from when I came in till I could actually get any work done. These things happen, we all know it, but it's still inconvenient.

Don't get me wrong, I have no problem with the team leader in question, she's hilarious and I get along with her, just fine.

An hour later, I look up and see our beloved team leader. 'Hey? What are you doing here? Weren't you off until Monday?' Apparently not. She's brought loads of chocolate for everyone and were handing them out within five minutes of arriving. Told me to stay under my headphones and ignore everything else. Got to love her!

Came home, did the dishes, taqgged Kiri's blog and decided to make a little post. Now to get some dinner started, girl's gotta eat before she keels over, right?

The Gods are CRAZY!

The weather Gods, that is...

Late March, and now we get all the snow they forgot to dump on us all winter.

I did mention in my post yesterday, the blizzard of Thursday. Well, it started up again yesterday evening, in full force. It's still snowing... I have to say that this is not amusing. I was ready for springtime, and so were the little birdies that had started to come back from their winter migration. Poor things are freezing their little tail feathers off!

My living room looks like a dumping place, right now... The old kitty toy stands in it's corner, demolished. No more than half a minute after my brother and I had finished putting the new one up, she crash landed on the old one, breaking it once and for all!

Old toy...

Meet new toy!

It was the darnedest thing, almost as if The Empress realized that the new toy was all hers and she could get rid of the baby toy. She took one look at the new toy and attacked the old one without abandon. Result, demolished baby toy and pieces of wreckage all over the kitchen and living room area. Oh well, at least my mom and brother got a kick out of it...

Downside is, and yes, there is a downside... The box that made all sorts of funny crinkling sounds is no more. She took a dive into it, as she's been prone to do, and went straight through to the bottom. The contents that had kept her on top of it was gone. All we saw was a silver furball that disappeared into a seemingly bottomless pit. Then the crinkling noises started, louder and wilder than ever before as she rummaged around another new toy. Boy, was she insulted I collapsed the damned thing later that night. I think she's gotten over it this morning, as she's spent the majority of the morning in her new bed on top of the new toy.

Aaah, this be the life...

Wonder if this spot is just as comfortable as the penthouse bed?

Yep, just got to keep it steady, I can totally snooze here!

Mine, ALL MINE! Muahahahahaha...

What can I say? The Empress is spoiled rotten. She knows she's a beauty and she knows how to get what she wants, when she wants it... Belly rubs, butt rubs, tail rubs... a hand, foot, finger, toe, arm or leg to nibble on... Oh yeah, she wants, she gets! I really have minimal say in the matter.

Well, better get ready for work. A new week starts today!

That went by fast...

... What did? Easter! Five days went by so fast, it made my head spin!

Thursday was probably the calmest day. Never even got out of my pajamas. Spent a big chunk of my evening tagging with Kiri and really not thinking about anything else.

Friday I headed to Sweden with my friend. We spent more than four hours wandering around the mall there. Having our 'shopping trip dinner' was also nice, but my how my feet, hips, back and tush were hurting by the time I got home. Yikes!

Saturday, off and running. Had to shop for a few more groceries as everything would be zipped closed tighter than Uncle Scrooge McDuck's wallet for the next two day. I had to have milk and such before that time! So, off I went.

Did I mention we had a blizzard Thursday? Yay, after the warmest winter anyone can remember, we get snow! Lot's of snow... and wind, gale force winds that kept it up all through Friday and Saturday.

Sunday, the wind lets off a little, but it's so cold I didn't want to leave the apartment. I had to, I had told my mom I was coming over for Easter dinner. It was nice, and took the opportunity to ask my brother to swing by today to help with a few things.

He arrived today, with our mom. They'd visited our Grandmother at the nursing home before arriving. We got my carpet mostly sorted out. Something that's gonna have to be a work in progress, as it's curled itself behind my recliner. Seeing as the recliner is heavy, I can't move it alone and fix it, so it's been that way for some time now. The he installed the second DVD burner into my cabinet, as it's been eluding me how the hell to get the freaking front off. We managed, and I'm happy to announce, It was actually me that figured it out! Yay! I'm not so dumb after all!

Then, the coup de grace, if you will? The Empress got her new toy put up!

Yay, this is so much better than the old one...

Hmmm, what's down here...?

You dastardly mouse, I'll get you yet!

Shhhh, this is snooze time...Zzzzz...

This doesn't mean that she's about to surrender her other hang-outs to me, heaven forbid I'd actually be allowed to use my kitchen windowsill for anything so mundane as a flower pot or anything else decorative...

Yeah? And I should care because...?

End of the day, The Empress really loves her uncle. He even took time out of busy schedule (well, her new toy was most important, y'know) to play with her. So now, she's snoozing on top of her new toy, all played out!


Well, that was my update, back to bugging Kiri on Yahoo! messenger...

Oh Happy Day!!!

Yay! Not only do I have a long weekend, what with Easter and all, Kiri is back!!!
::Does another happy dance as The Empress looks on... unimpressed::

My new keyboard arrived last Saturday, along with my new cellphone. Way earlier than I expected either. So, more joy. And the real kind, not the kind Kiri's harping on about... The kind that's, y'know, not?

I need to snap off some more pictures with this new phone, 5 mega pixels as opposed to the 3,2, that the old phone gave me.

Gonna let Kiri explain herself on her own blog, about the absence and all. Seeing as she only gives cliff notes when prodded.

I had to go the way of Yahoo messenger to get her back, though. Something I had chosen not to install on this computer, what with having Live Messenger and AIM loaded. But alas, it was Yahoo or no joy. I chose the joy part.

Ylva have come back down from her refuge on top of my wardrobe, where she enjoys some quality time with my various bags, boots and shoes. Now she's trying to tell me how to type... sheesh.

Keeping a close watch on her domain from her vantage point atop the wardrobe-tower.

I keep having to swat her grubby little paws away from the keyboard. Seems she's miffed it's not completely covered in her fur yet.

Today has been a day of complete relaxation, tomorrow there are plans for a trip with my friend. We're heading out on a shopping trip to Sweden, again. We always have a terrific time when we do.

Kiri tells me (quite proudly) that she's made not just one, but two entries on her blog. So I should just stress down and quit bugging her about it. Gonna have to go have a look-see, so I'll wind this babblefest up right now.

Unfinished Work...

... of which I seem to have a lot... ::Shuffles off::

In the absence of having Kiri available online, I have been going through several back-up CD's. Seems I do have a penchant for starting something then abandon it. I have three or four stories that I started on, then walked away from. I tend to start of strong, with a vivid idea in my head, then my interest dwindles and I forget about it. Pulled one out yesterday and started looking through it. The idea still strikes a chord in me, so after rewriting some of the paragraphs, I've decided to try to get back on track with it. Which is hell, right now, as The Empress saw fit to destroy my old keyboard. I've hooked up the keyboard that came with the computer from the store, and I can honestly say, I HATE the freaking thing. They keys are hard and uncomfortable, so typing can no longer be done as I'm used to as the keystrokes don't register. I practically have to pound on the keys to get anything. It's tiresome as well as painful, as my Carpal Tunnel inflammation has come back with a vengeance.

I have ordered the new Logitech Cordless Desktop MX 5500 Laser keyboard and mouse set, but they won't get it in stock until 19 March, then I'll have to wait a few days longer for delivery. My old keyboard was Logitech wireless also, so it will probably be more comfortable than this thing I'm pounding on now. Making a split second decision, I also ordered a new cellphone. I've been drooling at the SonyEricsson K850i for a while now. Only reason I haven't bought it, was because they only had the blue light version in stock. I've been holding out for the green light version, as I'm really not too fond of the color blue... I know, it's only a cellphone, but I want my choice of color, or I'll wait! Can't wait till I get my hands on the thing.

Work has been a weird combination of hectic and calm, this week. Calm, because I had the later shift which meant more sleep, hectic because we're plagued with absent people. Illness and vacation robbed us of half the unit this week. No fun for those of us left to pick up the slack. Not that I have any reason to complain, I'm one the 'sick' people working 60% because of these damned arms. And yes, I do feel guilty about it. I know I'm not supposed to, but I do. It means more work for the others when I'm not there.

Apparently I'm getting a nice bonus this month, as I raked in a bunch of sales in February, and that was without even trying! I lack the selling gene. I hate feeling like I'm pushing stuff on customers, so instead I make suggestions that will save the customer money. No lies, just information and they tell me to sign them up seeing that I'm right. It's what a customer support person is supposed to do, anyway. My team-leader agrees that I'm not actively selling, so she was quite happily, floored by the size of my sales bonus. I nearly fell out of my seat, myself! It'll come in handy, no doubt about that!

Crap, I miss Kiri. I have so many ideas I need to fly by her. I can only hope she gets her tush back online soon.

I'll wind this up now, need to fix myself something to eat before I fall over...