Cash Prizes and Hypertension

Ok, I got the surprise of my life the other day at work, got called in for my "review" (Goddess, I hate those) and was given not only a nice healthy raise, but a performance bonus as well.

Oh, nothing so huge as to warrant remodeling my bathroom - but a nice chunk of change, nonetheless.

Which is wonderful. What is weird is that I was told I was too much of a perfectionist (you know, MBA201: Don't just tell them they're good - find faults for them to "correct"). Ok, fine. I'm a perfectionist. The bank statement has to balance TO THE PENNY every month or I'm tearing out my hair.... true.

But I'm an accountant!! Wouldn't you think that accuracy and precision would be ... oh... a DEFINING ATTRIBUTE of an accountant? Like, you don't really want me to give you a financial statement that says "I think we have something in the ballpark of $97,000.00 in the bank, give or take a few 1000....", would you?

So I'm having trouble with the other guy in the accounting dept. He seems to think that deep-sixing any problems is the way to deal with them. Unfortunately, I'm finding there are a LOT of unresolved problems, and he's hiding the paperwork on them.

So I go to the VP and ask if he can suggest a way (other than bluntly telling the kid he is a farking dweeb and fork over the paperwork, asshat) to help out with the situation. And the VP tells me "we just showed you how much we want you to stay - can't you believe us?"

I just got a bonus. They never ever give bonuses. This is unprecedented - and MY first thought is "I have to work harder to prove I deserve this" - and he's telling me to "relax" and "take it easy"??????

No wonder I have high blood pressure.....

*sigh*

OWIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Rotary cutters and fingers are NOT a good combination.

Fortunately, the fingertip in question is not as badly mutilated as I first thought, although my bathroom floor is still a biohazard (some blood dripped, but I'm not going to go slopping around with a mop and rags and stuff until this weekend.

The amazing thing is that I did not bleed all over the rest of the house or onto the fabric I was cutting. *smile*

No, no stitches - it's only about 1/4" long - just DEEP. Still hurts some, and bled like crazy on Sunday night when I did it.

Boys and girls - DO NOT try this at home!!

Dinner in the Heat

It's so hot

I did take myself to dinner at the Dysfunctional Denny's. Uneventful, actually, although the monotone waiter was a new twist.

Couldn't sleep last nite - too hot and... I sliced my left forefingertip open with a rotary cutter yesterday and it would start to throb every time I dozed off.

I'm going to be unpleasant at work today, methinks.

*sigh*

Decaf, Tom? Hell no!!!

Birthdays Suck

Really they do.

I actually checked my farking telephone yesterday to make sure there was a dial tone. Nothing from Mom & Dad ... ok, nothing from Dad.. Mom probably doesn't remember I exist. Nothing from Paul - but then, figure the asshat was in town, no more than 1/2 hour drive from my house and didn't bother to even call and ask if I wanted to meet for coffee or something....

Manda... Well....

*sigh*

I got some "happy b/day's" from guildmates in WoW after I mentioned today was the day (no way they could have known) - but really the only person who remembered and was kindly was, of all people, Tom - my boss. He sent me the most sweet little e-mail.

Damn shame he's married and we have NOTHING in common....

*rolls eyes*

Ah well. It's hot up here again and I need to get down and into the dark cool of the livingroom and do some more sewing, I think. Perhaps today is the day I finish what I said I wanted to.

Perhaps.

Or maybe I'll go out and have a nice dinner and stop for ice cream on the way back.

chocolate.
or.... maybe chocolate AND cookie-dough...

*nods*

Just for ZW

Or...

How I lost my alarm clock.


Actually, I didn't really LOSE my alarm clock. It's still around, just not functioning as previously.

See...
I met this guy online in a video game (UO) we got to be kind of friends but... we never really talked much.

Then one day he changed his signature picture in his forum account to something that.. in my sick and twisted mind... resembled a big blue and silver penis.

It wasn't. But I'm pervy that way - so I sent him a quickie e-mail that just said "Love your new sig - bit phallic tho, huh?"... and from that point forward, we have been talking non-stop for years.

At 3:30 in the morning. On " ICQ " - a instant message program. I have his "alert" sound set to be this utterly obnoxious and annoying diesel truck air-horn sound.. BRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP

Well, due to a change in job, he's no longer workin' at 3:30 a.m., so he's not sending me BRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAPPPPPPPPPP "wake up, lazy" messages anymore. We still talk, just not at 0 dark thirty.

Simple, really, ZW - to lose one's alarm clock. *grin*

Considerable Progress

Ok, as long as Vio says nothing, I'm ok here...

The latest project is called "Iroc's Puzzle" - a bachelor's puzzle quilt in scrappy fabrics on an incredibly black background. For those of you who play(ed) UO - think "true-black-dye-tub" black. For those who understand the reference, think "Heart of Gold" Black.

The fabrics aren't really scraps. They were very carefully selected, each one having something to do with our online friend "Iroc" - Vintage airplanes, Muscle cars, tropical birds, computer chips, police cars, the flames of hell, and... cowboy boots.

I have all but finished the quilt top I am finishing for Lea, but I just can't get myself to do that last lil' bit - my brain is stuck on Iroc's, so I've been working on it. The thing is made of 25 large squares - or... 100 small ones. I've been making small ones, which I will then play around with to see where they look best, and then I'll make the larger ones once the colors are balanced and the small ones are all done.

Somehow, however, I think this one isnt quite going to look the way I had exactly planned it. It will be nice, but just not.... what I thought. That's ok. Sometimes they decide to take on a life of their own. *chuckle*

If it wasn't so darn hot again, I could get this done really fast - but as it is, it looks like I can only work on it in the very very early mornings before the sun comes up. At night it's still too hot, even after sundown, to work in that room.

So I have finished 27 of the "small squares" and will have another 27 done tomorrow or Wednesday. I'd call that considerable progress!!

Today I feel productive.

Waking Up is Hard To Do

Meh.

3 day weekends are all good and all, but... Since I lost my alarm clock, waking up is harder and harder to manage.

Especially when the night before, some idiot has been setting off M-80's right outside the window in the street. I hope he blew one of his nuts off. Even better, I hope he blew them BOTH off. I really do. Folk like that should not have the ability to reproduce.

There'll only be 5 of us plus upper mgmt in the office today. Woo. hoo. I suppose this means that I'll get stuck playing receptionist again since I don't have a penis and I'll be the only woman working there today. I guess having a penis makes you incapable of answering the telephone in a polite and business-like manner.

Boy am I grumpy...
Coffee. I need coffee...

Nicks

Nicknames. "Handles" some dorky post-cb-radio-now-internet-users call them.

My friends have 'em. I have a bunch of 'em. Most of mine come from MMORPG computer games (Massive Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game) where I have to name a character, so I come up with some random grouping of letters that sounds "namey".

Sewmouse isn't like that. Sewmouse is the first online nick I ever had. Had to come up with something quick-like, and... well... Sew... DUH. Mouse, contrary to some beliefs that it is from the handheld computer pointing device, is actually from a Lovin' Spoonful song. (No, I will NOT type the whole lyric for you)

Over the years, I have collected a number of nicks from my fellow online folk. My friends - Vio, Leandra, Zombie Woof, Marqueax, Kalshassan, Uncle HBK, Marikus, Ellehcim, Adster.... Part of me thinks of these people as their nick, but I know each and every one of them by real-world name too - and treasure them dearly.

Somewhere on the other computer (Fred), there is my infamous list of really, really stupid online nicks - when I locate it, I'll post them. One of the members of THIS list actually became a RL boyfriend for a while after we met at a party. (Flappy the Wonder Dog - for those who have any idea).

Sewmouse. Arla. Tresennta. Suriana. Angelica Kestrel. Teika Dewsparkle. I could have chosen any of them for my nick for here... but....

This morning I cut tiny pieces from large chunks of fabric for about an hour at 5:00 a.m.

In my heart, I'm always Sewmouse.
*grin*

Patience

As Lea often says, "I have TONS of patience. I've never used any, so I must have TONS of it stored up somewhere..."

The saying also goes "All good things come to those who wait"

I, however, am much more of Lea's mindset. Oh, I don't whack small children for whining, and I don't barge my way to the front of grocery queues, but I am the very first to admit that patience is NOT my long suit.

However.

Someone is trying very hard to prove to me that waiting quietly and patiently is going to pay off in the long run for me. Since this Prince of a fellow is someone I work with (a V.P. of all things!), it's annoying as slick snot to admit that he has been right about something. *grumbles*

But.

Slowly but surely, things at work are improving. VERY slowly. Like "moving a house from one side of town to the other on a flatbed truck" kind of slowly. "Snails making their way from New York to West Virginia" kind of slowly.

Now - you would think, knowing my joy in making quilts by hand, that my ability to deal with things coming together slowly would mean that I had patience....

Stop laughing Pirate. You too, Vio. No - really, I mean it. STOP LAUGHING.

See? They all know. I can count the number of things I have patience for on the fingers of one hand. But maybe... just maybe.... that VP is right about this....

On the other hand - just because I am paranoid doesn't mean everyone is NOT out to get me.

M-I-A

A friend is missing - just disappeared in the middle of a conversation. This message is to this friend:


I know a lot of bad things were happening. I know you read this when you can. Fear has gripped me because of the things you said, both the day before, and right before you disappeared. You know how active and insane my imagination can be - and it is my hope that it's just my insane imagination working overtime.


If you can - contact me. If you can't - know that I am praying and sending all the best VooDoo your way.


Be well, my friend.