Why haven't you heard from me in a week? Is it because i won the lottery and i've been out of the country hiding from the paparazzi? Well, no. It’s because i've been busy. But wouldn't that first reason have been so much cooler?

Having a very busy week at john l. scott. A whole bunch of changes that have created more problems for us, and basically a bunch of things that are just a big mess. The fact that the entire accounting department is dressed up today as the cast of 101 Dalmations doesn't seem to make things any less chaotic…

I turn the Max in tomorrow morning to have the rear end repaired. It’s been almost a month since i got rear-ended in kent, but at least this time i'm not paying for anything and i also get a 3rd gen. maxima as a loaner, which is pretty cool. Had kind of thought i'd be working at the bellevue club by this weekend, but so far they haven't figured out what shifts they'd like, etc. And since i haven't been in to fill out a w4 or anything and haven't been trained and saturday is two days away, i'm guessing it’s not going to happen. That’s ok, tho - i wouldn't mind the weekend off. I'm tired! Oh, and like happy halloween and some junk. Ever since i've been too old to pig out on free candy, this holiday just doesn't have the same appeal… but have a happy one, anyway.

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I don't have to work tonite! And i didn't have to work last nite either! And i don't work tomorrow nite, or friday nite, or saturday, or sunday. Gasp! I have a weekend off! So in case you were wondering, yes, tuesday nite was the longest nite of my life! That last shift took forever, but all my coworkers were really cool and didn't give me a hard time for leaving. I've got a paycheck there waiting for me tonite (which i spent today on tools at sears! Floor jack on sale for 28 bucks! Whee!) but tomorrow’s friday again, which means another chance to win the lottery, and this might be my week! I certainly could use it, but not so much for me. I have so many friends and family who are out of work, hating their jobs, not getting hours, neglecting their dreams, and just otherwise struggling and i feel really helpless to, uh, help. I can be supportive times a zillion, but that doesn't make the world any less cruel or unfair or frustrating for them, and i just don't have the means to change that part. Which is why i need to win the lottery, so i can hire all my friends to do what they love and not have to worry about stupid things like money. Perhaps if i explain that to the lotto commission…

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So, what’s the big news today? Well, i quit working at thriftway today. It wasn't a bad job, and the extra money was nice, but it was just keeping me up too late on weeknights and causing more stress than the money was worth. And i think it was going to get worse before it got better, with the busy holiday season coming up and everything. And besides, that’s part of having a second job - if it isn't working out, you have the luxury to leave and find something else, since it isn't your livelihood. I still work tomorrow night, a 6 hour shift until midnight (ugh!) but at least it’s the last one! My coworkers are very good people and i do feel bad, but most of them want more hours than they get anyway, so they should be happy. I know my last post says it was going okay (but that was like a week ago!), and i actually only worked two shifts last week, but after working until midnight sunday nite and then trying to go to work monday morning… let’s just say i had a red bull with breakfast, a triple-shot mocha mid-morning, and a large dr pepper at lunch, and i was still completely wiped out with no sign of recovery. I can't let my days at john l scott suffer that much. Plus i can't afford to buy coffee that often! :D So i might end up doing something else, but nothing that keeps me working that late on weekday nites, or that is so chaotic and stressful (and requires me to memorize produce codes - augh!). Maybe that was it - the produce code quiz sunday nite just pushed me over the edge :) Maybe in some way, too, after all the jobs that turned me down and all the interviews that were dead ends in the past year, i needed to do this once. To walk into someplace that wasn't necessarily hiring, ask for job, ace an interview and get hired, work for a bit and decide they weren't right for me and resign. To turn the tables for once, and reject an employer, for all the times i was rejected. I think it’s good for my fragile career-ego to know that there’s at least one job out there that i could have but don't because of my choice, not theirs. So maybe i am in control of my own destiny, or if not in control at least taking an active role in looking out the window as life’s highway flys by. Either way, it felt really good and tomorrow nite’s going to be the longest 6 hours ever!

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New stuff for ya in the photo gallery! Homecoming weekend pics, mostly. Some of you might be in there! Other than that, what else did i do this weekend, you ask? Well, i worked at thriftway saturday nite. It’s not too bad working two jobs; my coworkers are fun, and seriously only about 1 in 200 customers is crabby; most of them are super nice.

Annie and i also headed up to Queen Anne to hang with Libby. We took a coffee walk (drive, get coffee, walk around with it, drive home) and Annie climbed into Libby’s cupboard for a roll of photos. You'll recall, i did this too - i'm really happy with how the series came out. It’s a very big cupboard, and Annie and i actually crawled in there for a couple shots together. And of course we walked down the hall to harass Hillary and Lexie, who were right in the middle of watching teen movies and using the new swiffer on the kitchen floor. As they were still wearing their slippers, they opted not to join us for coffee…

Today (sunday) after sleeping in until 11 (yeess!) i hung out with some fellow Maxima-heads, installed a free-gift FSTB (thanx, John, you ROCK!) and helped Terry play with his new aero kit (okay, mostly watched and chuckled and took pix). He wasn't ready to drill holes and mount it today, just wanted to get the idea, so he opted to use black duct tape instead. I'm not kidding. The pics are in the photo gallery. Super fun(ny?). Oh, for those who didn't catch it, an FSTB is a front strut tower brace - it stiffens up the front end of my car, helps it to corner less like a school bus… :) So that was super cool, and i'm now convinced i need a transmission cooler and a Y-pipe, so those bumped up the want list, right below CAI and clear corners. (Translation for non-motor-heads: blah blah blah i want toys for my car blah blah blah). I work tomorrow nite again at t-way, but i'm glad i'm doing it, cause my budget projections show me being slightly less broke by the end of the month, instead of being continually more broke every month like i have been. So that’s a super good thing.

And so it’s been like a week, but i just wanted to share that i had a great time in MT for homecoming weekend. It was excellent to see all 3 of my grandparents, and to spend an evening with Mom and Dad, and to hang out all weekend with Danielle and my friends in Bozeman. It was nice to go back, if not a little weird, and i managed to not spend much money and still enjoy myself. I think the highlight was probably the bbq at Tim’s farmhouse, where Danielle, Michelle, Sasha and i laughed the nite away and ate the largest hamburgers i've ever seen in my life (they had to be over a pound each). It was genuine, friendly and relaxing, the type of gathering that is bozeman’s trademark and the one thing i do miss about that town. So thanks, Tim, you throw a fantastic party! The drive home sunday was a bit long - Annie and i just about went crazy by the end, and if it hadn't been for the celebrity alphabet game i think we would have given up and just stayed in Moses Lake. But we made it back to our sparkling city intact, vowing to fly the next time no matter what we have to sell on ebay to afford it.

Oh, and i didn't win the lottery friday nite. But there’s always next week!

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What is with the universe lately, anyway? I think it’s trying to tell me something… that i need to win the lottery.

So my car was rear-ended today, not too serious, but enough to make me think taking the bus to work might not be such a bad idea. Surrounding my car with bumper-car-style rubber guards also crossed my mind. Anyway, I already have an estimate for about 1400, and the kid’s dad called me and wants to pay the body shop directly and get me a rental car. Which is cool, i guess.

So then i get home tonight, and i'm flipping thru tv, and i see frasier get in a car accident and miss his flight. But then on that 70’s show, they went to chicago and went disco dancing. Not sure what that’s supposed to tell me. I think the universe might have it’s signals mixed… In any case, i bought a mega-millions lottery ticket with the last dollar in my wallet. Drawing is friday nite. So i could either have a really great weekend, or just a weekend. We'll let the universe make that call, eh?

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I know, i know, i've been gone for like a week. I just got back from MT sunday night, and i worked until midnight at t-way last nite, so i'm still totally wiped out. Let me get some sleep, then i'll update you on the MT trip, get some pix up, etc. Saright? Saright.

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The longest work day ever! I'm totally going nuts here, waiting until it’s time to go home! And by home, i mean home to montana. My long weekend is finally here; my car’s packed, dinner’s in the cooler, i've checked traffic and weather, cell phone’s charged… now i just need it to be go-time! Augh! Stupid clock, tick faster!

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