yammering
September 26, 2005, 6:02 P.M.

Weekend? What weekend?

It seems like I spend the whole workweek looking forward to something that isn�t really there. When Friday rolls around, it�s a twenty-hour day, and Saturday isn�t a day off�it�s just the day I work my other job (the one without a paycheck), as a domestic servant. And that leaves a very small window of time to relax, do the shopping, spend time with Spouse, and do little personal things I enjoy. Or have a social life. This week, I had to have a social life.

Saturday had the phone obligations�2 hours with my mom, another two hours with W, and even about 15 minutes with T.

Now, I hate the telephone, and spend as little time as possible with one to my ear. So that really ends up being about my complete and utter upper limit per month, right there, in one day.

It was exhausting! Even my ears were tired. And sore, actually. I don�t have the toughened ears of a phone pro, and they were both bright red after my phone marathons.
Phone time makes me feel less productive than I like, as well. As much as I want and need and even enjoy talking on the phone to my mom and my best friend, it is time that I didn�t spend getting my work done. Except for cleaning the bathroom�I did that while W and I had our talk. Hey�my hands were bored, and the cord could reach, so why not?! W didn�t mind.

But I was still doing laundry at 11:00 pm, so those four hours did take a bite out of the day.

I need to look at the calls as a being a necessity and put them on my things to do list. That sounds rather cold, but I would probably be more conscientious about making them, and less guilty about taking the time for them, if I did. Mom would be pretty pleased to hear from me more often. So would W. And I could check them off my list with the same feeling of accomplishment I get from finishing the vacuuming.

Hmmm�Maybe I should do that with playing my piano and beading, too�

Breakfast was with TS and F, and special guest appearance by the SOTS (son of TS), who had a bagel and coffee with us before heading out to his early morning bowling league. Lots of silly, funny talk, and goofing with Lynn, our waitperson. (actually, a co-owner, but everyone does everything at Franks.) We had a good time. And I had the French toast of the gods, along with much fabulous, serious coffee.

TS and SOTS share with Spouse the special bond of surviving the Psycho-Boss. Unfortunately, TS is still stuck with Psycho-Boss for a brother-in-law, and SOTS is even more unfortunate�he�s still got Psycho-Uncle. But now that the guys are all out from under the Psycho-thumb, they are healthier, happier, and a lot more fun.

F and I are a hell of a lot happier, too! We just wish that every get-together didn�t turn into a survivors support group meeting. Gets a little boring, continually hearing about that place.

But you know what? I�d appreciate it a hell of a lot more, if they would charge $55.00 for the damn thing, and include the black ink cartridge!. They included a �trial-size� color cartridge, but no black.

(I had to go pick one up after work today. Grrr. Naturally, the @*%$ local Hell-Mart didn't have one. So I went to next door to K-mapart instead, and stood in line for a ridiculous amount of time to pay for my one damn item. But--at least I didn't have to drive clear back out to the office supply store.)

After we picked out the printer, grabbed a few other items we needed, and fought our way through the newly installed and rather buggy self-check, we headed to the grocery store. Spouse decided that he wanted to love me back on Sunday, so he got the stuff for his wonderful �chop suey�, and we did the weekly shopping.

After I got home and got everything put away, I barely had time to sit down and check my emails before I had to head over to W�s surprise party. I had been tasked with making sure the balloon bouquets got picked up, so I stopped at the party store, where they din no nuttin� �bout no steenking balloons. Oh, yay. They had no order on file, they had no balloons for me, they had nuthin�. Well, I couldn�t really do anything, so I just headed over for the party and decided to leave it to T to sort out when she got the chance.

When I got to the restaurant, it was just noon, and guess what? They had fucked up the reservation. They had taken it for the wrong (previous) day, and were not at all ready for our party of 25-30 people. How bad did that suck?!

Surprisingly little, actually. They were very apologetic and accommodating, and got us set up and in place in plenty of time for the big entrance. The food was good, plentiful, and cheap, and all went well enough. As I told the fusspots from W & T�s work�The only detail that�s important is that we are all here together, to shout surprise when she walks in. Because that�s the only detail W is going to care about.

Which rocked. W was as close to floored, and as close to tears of joy, as I have ever seen her in 17 years. Totally surprised.

It was a nice party. The food was good, plentiful, and cheap, and all went well enough. I just kept hugging T and telling her how great she did, because goddammit, SHE DID. She was tasked with the impossible, and sonofabitch if she didn�t pull it off. That�s golden. I�m so proud of her for rising to the occasion and pulling it off. I�m made sure I sent a thank you right away, and told her so.

Me�I�m not crazy for parties, but it was good to see some old pals from my retail days, and to meet some of the folks W and T are working with nowadays. I enjoyed myself.

Then I did kitchen, laundry, and assorted other chores while he watched KotH and The Simpsons�two shows I just don�t care that much for. We had dessert during Family Guy, then I walked the dog and kissed the Spouse and went to bed. Jeesh, I was tired!

But chain-letter emails that ask me to pray for you are a little bit much. When they make the outrageous assumption that I want YOU to pray for ME�that�s a lot much. When they command you to inflict their horror on five other people, that�s just too much.

I need to get this dealt with in as tactful a manner as possible, because I find myself in the most unfamiliar position of being thoroughly and completely aghast at that email.

It is amazing how regularly this meek little mouse can manage to send me �round the bend, with the screaming mimi frabjous heebie-jeebies. Why can�t she just leave me alone? How can she so unerringly pinpoint the things that make me nuts, and run them to a touchdown? And why is she the one who gets away with upsetting me, and if I say boo to her, it�s practically a firing offense?

Oh�and did I ever happen to mention that she�s a toucher? Yeah. Kill me now.

As I said, I grabbed a little extra time to work out. Only to find that my muscles were in no mood to cooperate! I wanted to really push, but I had to settle for what I was making last week, and tack on an extended cool-down stroll at the end. Which was not without reward. Y�know, two full miles and all.

I�m just sayin�.

weight: 251 lbs Yeah�I know. I told you I was out of control last week.