Rachael on Snakes

Don't you hate snakes?

I'm not talking about your garden variety of snake here... I am talking about the big, pompous ones you work with.

"Snakes?" you may say. "Rachael, I don't work with any snakes." But, surely, you do. Snakes are the ones who sneak in and eat your lunch out of the fridge. Snakes are the ones who get the best coffee when they supply the worst. Snakes are the opnes who sneak in and take all of the extra hours, leaving you nearly broke and terribly bored.

I work part time. I think this must be obvious as I took two days last week and drove across the state. Currently, I work Monday and Thursday from 1-8. I used to work every Sunday as well but we close on Sundays for the summer. With just those hours, my bills are paid and I have about $100 a week. Living with Mommy and Daddy really does help. I usually put about 50 in my tank and 30 in my tummy, leaving me with 20 to do as I please. I buy a lot of second hand and clearance items. If I want something a little more expensive, I don't drive around on my days off and I don't eat steak. This works well for me.

And when there are extra hours, well, you had just better watch out! I put all of that extra money away or pay extra on my bills and sometimes I stock up on expensive alcohol. I had a big check right before I went to Frankenmuth with J last time, and I bought a bottle of my favorite wine which is a whopping $15/bottle. I love extra hours. It's not necessarily the money. I like feeling a little more professional, a little more needed, and a lot more stable. I like being able to take care of dinner for my friends. (The last time I won on Keno, Michigan's resident bar lottery, I put $40 on the table and told everyone to eat and drink). I like being comfortable, not just all right.

Something horrible has happened. Early in the year, when I was working incredible amounts of hours, I got sick. I got really sick. I had a fever of 103. I could not even stand to watch TV or read. I just slept. I had to call in. Unfortunately, I was pretty much the sub clerk and there was no one to cover me. (Everyone else is older and most of them were in Florida). IN such trying times, they promoted The Snake. The Snake worked under me before, when I was a page. They promoted him because he worked the front desk at the college library. However, this is a whole different ball game and he seems to hate the job. He makes patrons cry. He always leaves work for the next person. What's worse, he goes to our superviser everyday to ask for hours.

I refuse to do this. I think that it is rude and I think that I am above it.

What gets me is the The Snake always gets his way. There is nothing for it. I can try my best to outwit him and he still comes out on top. My new plan is to be classy me. F**k him. I need a shot. lol

Bookshelves and Boot Camp

I like to think that I got a lot done in my self-fashioned Writer's Boot Camp. Actually, I got a lot more done than I would have if I had stayed home and a lot more got done than I really expected. Still, I wish I would have done more.

What did I do in Rachael's Writer's Boot Camp?

Tuesday I waited for J in the room and played on the wireless internet. We went to Pizza Hut for dinner, went for a swim, and watched the Piston's game. Wednesday we went to breakfast then J went to work. I went for a swim then heard housekeeping coming up the hall and halled out to the nearest Target where I bought all kinds of useless stuff and hairdye (which is not useless). Went back to the room. It was not clean. I edited about 30 pages of YA1 when I heard housekeeping enter the room next to me. I packed up and went out for lunch but could not find anywhere to eat and ended up at a couple of thrift stores. I got lost in Muskegon but found a library and stopped to check it out. I finally found a BK about ten minutes away from the hotel. I went back to the room. It still was not clean. Frustrated, and out of money and things to do, I drove around for about a half hour then sat in the parking lot and edited. I went back to the room. It was clean. I changed my myspace page twice. J came home. We worked out then went to Pondrosa then watched meaningless TV.

You know, I had a great time. Even editing was fun. I hate to admit it but this was the first time that I have edited anything. Because I was terrified that it would suck. It doesn't. While I was reading, I was struck by how good the writing actually was. I noticed the kinks in the story right away and noted how to even them out. I liked it. I found myself with tears in my eyes and a grin on my face. I think this could be the one.

This morning, I did not want to leave. J didn't want me to leave. I could have just called in and stayed an extra day. I would have loved it. But I was responsible and made it across the state way too quickly. I am indifferent to going home. I don't even miss the cats that much. Don't tell them. They have claws...

I need some damn bookshelves.

Self Imposed Writer's Boot Camp

I am going to be taking off for a few days.

By taking off for a few days I mean that J is working in Michigan this week and is close enough for me to force myself upon his hotel room, wireless internet, pool, and TV.

Still, J will have to work. I know, I know. I have often tried to pursued him to skip work for me and he never does it. I have skipped work for him, of course. Rotten double standards. Lovely sick hours. Anywho...

I have decided that I will use my day at the hotel to force myself into editing and writing. Editing YA1 and writing YA2. It could be good for me, right? AND, it goes along with my goals for the week. (Except being frugal as gas is EXPENSIVE and I am driving across the state for no real reason except t hang out with my Honey.) In preperation, I skipped writing today and worked on a quilt I started something like 2 years ago.

Woohooo!

(P.S. Do brains explode? Mine kind of feels like it might.)

Pigs are a flyin'...

I got up Monday morning determined to change my life because I had been in such a rotten mood all weekend. I do this sometimes, just wake up and decide that everything must go...

First, I set an alarm for 7 AM, Monday through Friday. More hours in a day, more I can get done.

Second, I pledge to eat low fat and work out.

Third, I pledge to be frugal.

Fourth, I promised myself that I would write.

Fifth, I swore that I would finish up some of the random projects left half finished...

Monday was swell. Tuesday was peachy. Wednesday I got another cold and gave up. Damn cold.

The fact that I failed after Tuesday is not the point of this story at all. The point is that I did super well until I got super sick and that is super better than usual. So, this wekk I am going to try again, now that I can breath and don't have to take a nap every two hours.

Sometimes, it's kind of nice knowing that I can do it...

Past + Past + Past = Future?

There has been a lot of frustration lately on the home front and the work front and, since there is always frustration in the form of caddiness and gossip on the friend front and the boyfriend front, it is needless to say that I am frustrated.

For one, I can pretty much divide myself up into those four categories; Friends, boyfriends, work, and home. I feel utterly simplified by this.

Just received word from my real estate agent that the house we were waiting for some information on just went into pending. For someone else. Again. This is the third house we have lost because listing agents feel not need to return calls to my agent, even if she is the president of the county's realtors' association. I would think that real estate agents would have a little more class than that. I mean, when I mentioned to a mortgage guy that we were working with said agent, he began returning calls immediatly and saying things like, "Please let T know that I called you back!" At this point, I just want a house. That we have been trying so hard and finding so little is very frustrating. T's voice was shaking with anger on her voicemail. "Rachael, I have more bad news..."

It has been implied that I should seek a new agent, that she may not have our best interests in mind, but T has been in my family for years. She actually managed to convince a lady to gift my grandmother her house after discovering the Grandpa lost it in a poker bet in the 70's. (Sorry, Grams, if you are upset at me for sharing this story but it is so classing and all of the parties involved (with the exception of T) and dead.)

I just feel so stuck right now. J and I have been engaged for SIX YEARS. We have been house shopping for months, in a buyers market. There are no extra hours for me at work and no openings available even though I have a higher degree and am ready to move up. My ex-sister-in-law just had a baby and my ovaries are working double time, kicking me in time with my biological clock. The cats are gone all of the time because it is nice out and when they are home they are just balls of complete exhaustion and previously-alive-puke. My car is old. My wine is cheap. And something horrible just occured to me...

I want to do it alone.

I want to write my book. I want to get my degree. I want to buy my own house and decorate the whole damn thing in purple. And I want a kitten! That's right, a kitten.

Basically, all that this adds up to is that I have a lot of work and a lot of waiting to do. And since I have no patience and am lazy, I might just drink a bottle of wine tonight, bum style, and lean on my friends...

Spring has Sprung

I was sitting in the chair that I have claimed as my own, my nose in a book, waiting for lunchtime to roll around. Suddenly, I heard a sound. It was slightly familiar but I couldn't place it. Was my father working on something in the garage? Was there something flying overhead? Was there something driving past? I was so cunfused by this sound. I didn't know what it was but it made my heart feel a little lighter.

Then, it hit me.

I jumped up and dashed to the sliding door. Sure enough, that's what it was. The wind had picked up and that sound, like a thousand coins dropping from a slot machine, was actually leaves! I mean, I knew that there were leaves on the tree but not enough to rustle. It was such a long, cold winter that I found myself staring out the window thinking about the glorious sound of leaves. And now, I have them!

A few weeks ago, I bought a clearanced summer dress for $5. It was black and white and very skirtiliscious. When I got it home, I noticed that there were huge pockets on the skirt. What were these mysterious pockets for? I discovered only when a friend walked into a party with one of these contraptions on, a beer in each pocket. Suddenly, it all makes sense.

Too Cool for School!

I have decided to go back to school.

This happened sometime last week when I found out that they were interviewing people who were just starting their masters for a position that just became available. I would have started at a very nice salary but, alas, somebody wanted to take a little time off.

So, the plan is that I will return in the fall to Wayne State, which has just launched an online Library Science program. No driving to Detroit? I am in. The classes look simple. I'll be focusing in Children's Services.

If I tell enough people, I can't back out!