Yes, we have no bananas...

I just got back from opening day of the latest REAL Great Canadian Superstore. They built it on the site of some old army barracks in the east end, rather nearer to my house than the one I presently frequent. This one is a seven minute drive as opposed to a twenty minute scoot up the road to the pricier one in the shi shi part of town. The only thing missing is the Chapters/Sbux Money-Sucking Combo next door. I'll look for a comment card box next time I'm in, as they should be aware of all my addictions.

Once I got inside the door, I just stopped and took a beat to appreciate the newness of a spankin' new store. All the fruit was just so, the fish counter looked beautifully laid out and there wasn't a box of anything out of place for the first minute or so. I'm guessing you can tell I enjoy my grocery shopping time, esepcially when I'm carrying The Boy's debit card!

I got a message from my old boss yesterday that I'm afeared to return. I suspect she wants to call me back temporarily to help with the buildup of OSAP applications that the other Old Biddy Slackasses in the office haven't been able to manage doing. The applications always take a back seat to the stirring up of shit among the college support staff and the writing up of grievances. Yes, it's a job and yes, I do it well but I want to weep when I think that this is the only job I've been able to procure in almost five years. Is it possible it's the only job I deserve?

Not so much success

"College is something you complete. Life is something you experience. So don’t worry about your grade, or the results or success. Success is defined in myriad ways, and you will find it, and people will no longer be grading you, but it will come from your own internal sense of decency.."
-the lovely Jon Stewart

I'm feeling very much like I'd love to go back to college and bury my head in the sand right now. In college I got good grades without much effort, worked three jobs and spent the rest of my time glued to the hips of my friends. I ate bad food and took impromptu road trips to Cleveland. I was still relatively fearless and took very little guff from anyone.

Today, I don't recognize the person typing this wee missive. I don't much like her either. She is fearful of the ramifications of everything and is therefore too much of a chicken to try much that is new. She takes piles of shite from everyone, even strangers.

She fails left, right and center.

Lots to do today.

I must pester the friend who was silly enough to mention over drinks that there might be a proofreader job going at her place of work. I don't want to stalk her but she leaves me no choice. I dropped off my resume six days ago and haven't heard anything yet, so in I go to make a personal appearance.

I've been idling wondering over the past week what it would be like to wake up in the morning actually looking forward to going into work. To bound out of bed ready to face the day, anxious to hit your desk running. I imagine it must be nice.

Then it's on to the transmission place to put the Jeep up on the hoist. Most of the men in my life assume it's going to be the ball joints and/or the tie rod ends; I only know I have the Speed Wobbles. Fingers crossed that it doesn't cost the earth. I'm bribing Steve, our family's mechanic friend, with goodies from The Boy's work to give me a quick diagnostic so I can take that information home and hopefully TB can do most of the work himself.

Lastly, it's off to the printer to get more business cards done. I'm also going to get a quote on some letterhead. Exciting, non? Well, it really is for me, since places like that have always put me in a good mood. All those reams of pristine paper and the smell of various inks waiting patiently to be combined in a way that will send yet another satisfied customer out the door with a song in their heart and a box of fliers under their arm. It's all good.

Ideally, I'd love to stay in today and put tea tree oil on the myriad of blemishes that have chosen this day to make an appearance on my face. I wish everyday veils would become the trend, I really do.

Man, I am losing it.

I just sent off an email to a journaller I read regularly in response to her notify list offer of a free gmail account. In her words, the request had to be 'pretty'. Mine just ended up being scary, I think. Now I'll spend all day worrying I've alienated yet another person out there in the ether and how this will affect my already slightly dented karma. I'm such a spaz.

I have so much to do today and not a whit of energy, so I'm going to sit here until some is magically delivered to me.

My niece turned seven today. Seven. I remember the day Mom and I drove to the hospital and sat in the waiting room watching The Price is Right on a crappy television, only to be startled into the present at 11:48 a.m. when Kate let out her first mighty wail.

Fifteen minutes later we got to nip in to the room and meet her. Sandra looked like she had gone ten rounds in the ring with Rocky and all she wanted from me was Chicken Nuggets with mustard sauce. She virtually begged me, so who was I to say no? After doing what she had just done she deserved as many as she could eat, I say. Her nurse quietly suggested to me that Kate probably wouldn't want mustard sauce-tinged breast milk so early on.

What a crazy memory, huh? One I'm sure I'll share with Kate at a most inopportune teenage moment...

Falling Spirits Ahead

I'm dozy today. It's hot, I have the tummy rumbles and I had the first shot of the new cycle last night so I'm the slightest bit grumpy. It's rumoured to be 42C (with the humidex) today, which is just beyond exciting; I'm expecting an asthma attack any moment now...

I find myself wanting to use this blog for the minutiae in my life. Who the hell is interested? I have no idea. Let's see, shall we?

I've not gotten an email, ANY email, since yesterday afternoon.
The business is too damn slow for me right now.
Murphy freaked out and ripped up the livingroom yesterday morning when I left him alone for 20 minutes to go get coffee.
I don't get to see my good friends again until August, then November.
My head is throbbing.
I want a McGriddle, but what I need to do is to shut up and do Pilates already.
The right front tire on the Jeep has a slow leak.
I need a refill on my inhaler.
AlphaBytes is kicking my ass.
The Banana Nut Biscotti will not make itself.

Oh, it's all just too gripping isn't it? You don't know what to do with yourself now that you have this VIP insider's look into my wonderful life, I can tell by the look on your face. Call the tabloids? Text message your friends? Send me stuff from my Amazon Wish List to console my sorry ass so I don't find the nearest bridge or overpass and do a swan dive that would result in perfect 10s across the board but what does it matter because I'm now just a puddle down there and the world is probably better off anyway?

Okay, McGriddle it is.

I took a stab and left Murphy alone in the livingroom while I went for my baseline blood test. I risked it even further when I got in the drive through line for a coffee on the way home.

I'm so, so, so sorry I did that.

I'm already crashing and burning big time with AlphaBytes 2004. It's not too late, though, for I shall power through this weekend to come up with my delinquent entries and be all set for the fresh, new opportunity not to suck that is Next Week.

Murphy endured The Big Snip on Thursday, but had to stay overnight at the vet since I can't yet handle him and Bailey in the truck at the same time. The nurse receptionist made some offhand comment about him thinking yet another family had abandoned him, but I'm sure she didn't mean for it to sting quite as much as it did. I wish there was some sort of doggie language I could learn to tell him we'd be back to get him after only one sleep, but all the loving he's gotten since he bounded from the back room on Friday morning is simply going to have to do.

Today, I plant (late) cherry tomatoes and hit the yard with the Weedeater. Maybe later I'll take Murphy out for a walk with the Gentle Leader, since he's absolutely more manageable when he's got that contraption on. Plus, he loves the fact that I feed him turkey weiners as I'm trying to coax it over his nose.