Indata Valid
Sunday, July 15, 2007
JULY JOURNAL JOLLIES
Camera-shy Cat?
You didn’t think I’d have a post without a picture of my wonderful kitty, did you?
Water-cooler Withdrawals
In order to increase revenues and cut costs, Longs has been undergoing a few changes. I normally wouldn’t have anything to say about any of the changes. I am just a summer employee and I’m not in any kind of a position to bitch about my work situation. But this, well let’s just say that this is different.
Longs tries to make sure that no one works OT (obviously) and they are trying to minimize shrink. And those are very legitimate fronts to attempt to increase revenue on. I think they are doing pretty well at minimizing store losses. But taking out the water-cooler out fo the breakroom is another matter entirely.
They pulled the water-cooler from the breakroom last week sometime. The store manager had no say in it, so I can’t blame anyone but the highest up. The Arrowhead water-cooler cost the store $33 a month ($396 a year).
The CEOs and other executives of the company make $30 million a year or more. So how is it that they can’t spare $33 a month for us to have water? I mean, is $29,999,967 really that different from $30,000,000? And it’d be different if we had never had water, but we have. And it be different if the tap water did not taste like copper mixed with mule vomit, but it does. And it would be different if bottled water were cheap at the store, but it’s still expensive even with an employee discount. Shit.
I mean, what’s next? The TV? The free napkins? The free plastic forks and spoons? The fridge? Where does it stop? Will I have to pay per sheet of toilet paper I use to wipe me bum? What if I want double-ply? Will I have to pay double?
And to top it all off, they ruined the old pastime of sharing stories at the water-cooler. Congrats, Longs. I greatly encourage you to read the comic below.
Well, nothing was wrong with my truck mechanically. The AC evaporator shot its wad on the trip home from Pocatello. So for $850, I got that fixed. Jesus, the prices I’ll pay to keep pit stains at bay. And then I had the crack in my window fixed (which also happened on the way home from Poky). Bye-bye to another $45. Hopefully I won’t have to shell out any more money on it this summer.
Beach Bums
My family is going to be spending a week at South Carlsbad State Beach Campground per usual. We’ll stay from 7-29-07 (Sunday) to 8-5-07 (Sunday). Everyone is welcome to come down for the day(s) or night(s). Just call me and let me know when you’re coming.
I went to the beach a couple weekends ago and the waves were poop-tacular. I hope they’re good during the beach week. I mean, it’s OK if they’re not, but it’s just more fun to catch bigger waves.
But of course, the best part isn’t the ocean, the sand, the waves, the campfires, or the eating out in fine dining establishments like Karina’s or Cap’n Kenos. I would have to say that the best part is getting to see Katie. I know it’s sappy and such, but too damn bad. I miss you, babe. Two and a half months is too long to go without seeing you. I guess next semester is going to suck too. :(
No, my hair isn’t going gray anywhere. I just have a nice pattern of alliteration going for my subjects and I wanted to keep the ball rolling with this one.
I can tell that I feel older now than I did in high school. Here are the things I’ve noticed lately:
I used to be able to play 36 holes or more of golf in a day and not feel anything the next day. Now, if I can even finish 36 holes without feeling I’m going to die, then I’m stiff and sore the next day. And if you don’t think 36 holes of golf is tiring, go stand outside for 9 hours. See if that alone doesn’t drain you.
I used to able to make it through the night without waking up to pee. Now I have to make at least one trip to the toilet, if not two. I never sleep through the night anymore. Goddamn prostate.
If I get a cut (like I do multiple times at work every day- papercuts are a daily occurrence), it takes forever for it to heal. I used to heal really quickly. Not so much anymore.
I eat a lot more fruit to....uh....you know.....maintain....regularity.
I used to be able to eat what I wanted and as much of it as I wanted. Now I have to watch my portions and what I eat or else.
I would say something about my eyesight going down the tubes, but that happened in 9th grade. I’ve never had good vision. Bah. Shitty genes.
I have heartburn now. If you had told me when I was in high school that I would have chronic heartburn by the time I was 21, I would have laughed and eaten another chip with fiery salsa and downed it with a soda. Now that just burns my throat thinking about it.
More Movies
Life Aquatic: I heard a lot of good things about this movie, so maybe I had too high of expectations. But I was soooo bored the entire time. I really can’t believe I watched it all the way through. Waste of my life.
Traffic: Very, very, very predictable, but a good movie nonetheless.
Beckham Bullshit
Maybe it’s because I think (no, I know) soccer sucks. I just can’t stand it. It’s a game (not even a sport) for the people not quick enough to run track and not coordinated enough to play other sports. I know there are soccer fans out there. Sorry. It’s lame. It’s time you found out.
It’s so slow to watch too. I mean, games end 1-0 all the time. How is that exciting? You might say the same about hockey, but at least they allow contact. There are scoring chances. In soccer, they just bounce it around midfield most of the time. Wow.....thrilling. Halfback passes to center, center holds it, holds it, holds it......
Anyways, back to the topic at hand. Why should I care about Beckham? First of all, British folks are lame. Their accents make them sound semi-retarded. They usually have awful teeth. I know he’s a pretty boy, but Americans can have good looks too. So yeah, I’m not sure I understand the attraction to this guy.
Soccer = lame
British = lame
Soccer + British = 2 lame for me
Different Dreams
I know I said that I haven’t been sleeping the night through, but I am dreaming when I’m asleep. I’ve had some weird dreams lately. I dream about shaving at least once of the week, so that’s nothing out of the ordinary for me. And I still have nightmares that I got from watching Jurassic Park when I was little.
But lately, I’ve had some very vivid dreams. I wake up and remember nothing, then have the feeling of deja vu throughout the day. Someone will say something and it will trigger a "memory" from my dream. I don’t remember the whole dreams, only bits and pieces. And even in my dream, I know they don’t make sense.
Here are some fragments of my recent dreams:
I was golfing at Colton (where I basically learned the game) when the winds came up and blew my contacts out. I couldn’t find them. Then Annika Sorenstam showed up and offered me a pair.
I was driving to Pocatello (I think) when I slid off the highway and rolled my truck until it turned into a Volkswagen Bug. I shit you not.
I was riding my scooter on a street somewhere in LA (I think it was LA- there were lots of Latinos around and no one looked happy with my gringo ass) and someone shot out my back tire (even though I don’t have tires, I have wheels). Weird shit.
I don’t know if I believe that dreams have meaning, or if it’s just your mind getting bored while your body recharges. But hell, those at least keep my brain entertained.
School’s Starting....
I start school on the 27th of August. So if anyone wants to hang out before then, give me a call on my cell or drop by Long’s (I tend to be there every day during the week). I’ll probably leave for Idaho about a week before school starts.
I have one more year of lectures/classroom work. And then I have one year of rotations (basically internships). Sigh. I wish I were closer to being done, but I still have 2 years. And then boards. Bah. The shit just never ends.
Current mood: dreading work tomorrow
Current music:
"...but why talk about the weather when we could very well be selling umbrellas..."
-Closer by The Fold
Camera-shy Cat?
You didn’t think I’d have a post without a picture of my wonderful kitty, did you?
Water-cooler Withdrawals
In order to increase revenues and cut costs, Longs has been undergoing a few changes. I normally wouldn’t have anything to say about any of the changes. I am just a summer employee and I’m not in any kind of a position to bitch about my work situation. But this, well let’s just say that this is different.
Longs tries to make sure that no one works OT (obviously) and they are trying to minimize shrink. And those are very legitimate fronts to attempt to increase revenue on. I think they are doing pretty well at minimizing store losses. But taking out the water-cooler out fo the breakroom is another matter entirely.
They pulled the water-cooler from the breakroom last week sometime. The store manager had no say in it, so I can’t blame anyone but the highest up. The Arrowhead water-cooler cost the store $33 a month ($396 a year).
The CEOs and other executives of the company make $30 million a year or more. So how is it that they can’t spare $33 a month for us to have water? I mean, is $29,999,967 really that different from $30,000,000? And it’d be different if we had never had water, but we have. And it be different if the tap water did not taste like copper mixed with mule vomit, but it does. And it would be different if bottled water were cheap at the store, but it’s still expensive even with an employee discount. Shit.
I mean, what’s next? The TV? The free napkins? The free plastic forks and spoons? The fridge? Where does it stop? Will I have to pay per sheet of toilet paper I use to wipe me bum? What if I want double-ply? Will I have to pay double?
And to top it all off, they ruined the old pastime of sharing stories at the water-cooler. Congrats, Longs. I greatly encourage you to read the comic below.
Truck Troubles
Well, nothing was wrong with my truck mechanically. The AC evaporator shot its wad on the trip home from Pocatello. So for $850, I got that fixed. Jesus, the prices I’ll pay to keep pit stains at bay. And then I had the crack in my window fixed (which also happened on the way home from Poky). Bye-bye to another $45. Hopefully I won’t have to shell out any more money on it this summer.
Beach Bums
My family is going to be spending a week at South Carlsbad State Beach Campground per usual. We’ll stay from 7-29-07 (Sunday) to 8-5-07 (Sunday). Everyone is welcome to come down for the day(s) or night(s). Just call me and let me know when you’re coming.
I went to the beach a couple weekends ago and the waves were poop-tacular. I hope they’re good during the beach week. I mean, it’s OK if they’re not, but it’s just more fun to catch bigger waves.
But of course, the best part isn’t the ocean, the sand, the waves, the campfires, or the eating out in fine dining establishments like Karina’s or Cap’n Kenos. I would have to say that the best part is getting to see Katie. I know it’s sappy and such, but too damn bad. I miss you, babe. Two and a half months is too long to go without seeing you. I guess next semester is going to suck too. :(
Going Gray
No, my hair isn’t going gray anywhere. I just have a nice pattern of alliteration going for my subjects and I wanted to keep the ball rolling with this one.
I can tell that I feel older now than I did in high school. Here are the things I’ve noticed lately:
I used to be able to play 36 holes or more of golf in a day and not feel anything the next day. Now, if I can even finish 36 holes without feeling I’m going to die, then I’m stiff and sore the next day. And if you don’t think 36 holes of golf is tiring, go stand outside for 9 hours. See if that alone doesn’t drain you.
I used to able to make it through the night without waking up to pee. Now I have to make at least one trip to the toilet, if not two. I never sleep through the night anymore. Goddamn prostate.
If I get a cut (like I do multiple times at work every day- papercuts are a daily occurrence), it takes forever for it to heal. I used to heal really quickly. Not so much anymore.
I eat a lot more fruit to....uh....you know.....maintain....regularity.
I used to be able to eat what I wanted and as much of it as I wanted. Now I have to watch my portions and what I eat or else.
I would say something about my eyesight going down the tubes, but that happened in 9th grade. I’ve never had good vision. Bah. Shitty genes.
I have heartburn now. If you had told me when I was in high school that I would have chronic heartburn by the time I was 21, I would have laughed and eaten another chip with fiery salsa and downed it with a soda. Now that just burns my throat thinking about it.
More Movies
Life Aquatic: I heard a lot of good things about this movie, so maybe I had too high of expectations. But I was soooo bored the entire time. I really can’t believe I watched it all the way through. Waste of my life.
Traffic: Very, very, very predictable, but a good movie nonetheless.
Beckham Bullshit
Why is everyone so hyped up about this? Why should I care that some British soccer player is coming to the US? Someone please explain this to me.
Maybe it’s because I think (no, I know) soccer sucks. I just can’t stand it. It’s a game (not even a sport) for the people not quick enough to run track and not coordinated enough to play other sports. I know there are soccer fans out there. Sorry. It’s lame. It’s time you found out.
It’s so slow to watch too. I mean, games end 1-0 all the time. How is that exciting? You might say the same about hockey, but at least they allow contact. There are scoring chances. In soccer, they just bounce it around midfield most of the time. Wow.....thrilling. Halfback passes to center, center holds it, holds it, holds it......
Anyways, back to the topic at hand. Why should I care about Beckham? First of all, British folks are lame. Their accents make them sound semi-retarded. They usually have awful teeth. I know he’s a pretty boy, but Americans can have good looks too. So yeah, I’m not sure I understand the attraction to this guy.
Soccer = lame
British = lame
Soccer + British = 2 lame for me
Different Dreams
I know I said that I haven’t been sleeping the night through, but I am dreaming when I’m asleep. I’ve had some weird dreams lately. I dream about shaving at least once of the week, so that’s nothing out of the ordinary for me. And I still have nightmares that I got from watching Jurassic Park when I was little.
But lately, I’ve had some very vivid dreams. I wake up and remember nothing, then have the feeling of deja vu throughout the day. Someone will say something and it will trigger a "memory" from my dream. I don’t remember the whole dreams, only bits and pieces. And even in my dream, I know they don’t make sense.
Here are some fragments of my recent dreams:
I was golfing at Colton (where I basically learned the game) when the winds came up and blew my contacts out. I couldn’t find them. Then Annika Sorenstam showed up and offered me a pair.
I was driving to Pocatello (I think) when I slid off the highway and rolled my truck until it turned into a Volkswagen Bug. I shit you not.
I was riding my scooter on a street somewhere in LA (I think it was LA- there were lots of Latinos around and no one looked happy with my gringo ass) and someone shot out my back tire (even though I don’t have tires, I have wheels). Weird shit.
I don’t know if I believe that dreams have meaning, or if it’s just your mind getting bored while your body recharges. But hell, those at least keep my brain entertained.
School’s Starting....
I start school on the 27th of August. So if anyone wants to hang out before then, give me a call on my cell or drop by Long’s (I tend to be there every day during the week). I’ll probably leave for Idaho about a week before school starts.
I have one more year of lectures/classroom work. And then I have one year of rotations (basically internships). Sigh. I wish I were closer to being done, but I still have 2 years. And then boards. Bah. The shit just never ends.
Current mood: dreading work tomorrow
Current music:
"...but why talk about the weather when we could very well be selling umbrellas..."
-Closer by The Fold
