Monday, August 18, 2008

Bit of a Break

I needed to take a bit of a blogger break.  Nothing was really on my mind, which was exactly the reason I needed a break.  Very little is happening in adoption land and my personal life has become rather boring so I decided to take some time off.

I did celebrate my 18 month LID last Tuesday.  Honestly, it's hard to believe it has been that long already.  Currently the wait is now 30.5 months for a referral, so as you can see, I still have a ways to go!  That's ok; I'm patient.  It will be interesting to see what happens after the Olympics.  I don't believe that the flood gates will open per se, but I do believe that we might see a few more referrals or LIDs trickle through in the coming months and hopefully next year we will actually see things improve.  18

I have been working a lot of overtime at work--and evenings--and weekends--and on-call.  I don't like it, but it is only temporary and I remind myself that the money goes right into my baby fund.  I was scheduled to come off on call this morning at 7 am, but I woke up at 6:48 and decided to pop the battery out 12 minutes earlier (yes, it's easier to pop the battery out than figure out how to turn it off).   

My birthday is in less than two weeks and I'm looking forward to spending some time with my family.  This time of year is my favorite in this city and my favorite festival of the year is being held on my B-day this year.  How special am I?   

Wednesday, August 6, 2008

The Belly of the Beast (or Why there is no cure for dumb)

I've had an ass-kickin', lip smackin' good day.  Warning the following post may contain words not suitable for children under the age of 13. 

I was in a meeting this morning with some colleagues when my boss blows in with steam coming out of her ears.  Her voice was slightly below a yell and she was obviously pissed.  She said, "I was just on the new unit and I can't get the main desk computer to work."  I just kind of looked at her dumbfounded--of course the computer doesn't work, it's not fully installed.

She was still mad and asked why I hadn't already tested the devices (our term for the the multitude of PCs, laptops, tablets, printers, PDAs, and other handheld devices) last week.  Simple answer.  Because until last night/early this morning they hadn't been installed.  She couldn't understand how the installing department hadn't been able to put them in when it should have been done last Wednesday.  Another simple answer: because the contractors were still working yesterday.  Honestly, how do you install computers when you don't even have countertops to put them on or jacks or power outlets?  The construction guys were literally painting around me today as I worked.  I'm half stupid from inhaling all the fumes and killing my brain cells. 

I explained all this to her, but she was not appeased.  She didn't like being kept out of the loop--I tried to gently remind her that I asked her on Monday if the unit was going to be ready considering it didn't even have a functioning toilet.  After she left, I proceeded to print out all the e-mails over the past week concerning the delays.  Every email I started began with "are the printers set up yet?"

Despite her attempt smooth her over-reaction (apologies aren't really necessary in the work force, don't you agree?), I was already on way to being a crankysaurus.  Granted, I tend to be funny when I'm cranky, but only because I'm mean.  Just last week our secretary turned to me and said, "You're short, but you're mean".  I guess you aren't supposed to be both. 

Fortunately I genuinely like the people I work with.  Honestly, most of us are good natured and are cognizant of the fact that we are going to get tossed into the rubbage heap and we have to work as a team to get the hell out.  Kind of like that scene from Star Wars when Luke, Han Solo (ahh, Harrison Ford) and Princess Leia are stuck in trash compactor with the weird snake lurking under the garbage water.  They yelled at each other the whole time, but they managed to get out together.  I think.  It's been years since I've seen it.

Anyway, by 5 PM I'm getting pretty hungry and that 15 minute snarf session 6 hours prior is a distant memory.  By 6 PM I'm down right snarly and each time I have to test print a Word document it says something like let me out of here, do you hate me or something, how come I am still here when everyone else got to leave?  Evidently when you educate yourself on multiple applications you became that girl, Ms. Popular.  At this point I know I can say pretty much anything to anyone and they can't say a word about it because I don't have a replacement. 

At 7:15 PM I finally announce that I am leaving.  I walk back to my building and wouldn't you know it, it is locked up tight.  I'd like to say I didn't use any "language", but then I'd be lying.  I walked back over and decided that after all the assistance I have given the Help Desk they had better loan me their spare key.  The last time I got locked out I had to call security and it wasn't pretty.  After waiting 20 impossibly long minutes the security guard walks over, unlocks my door, opens it for me, proceeds to follow me and locks the door behind us.  I kid you not.  I thought I was about to be raped.  He then asked (gag) "is there anything else I can help open?"  Yeah, you can open an incident report and save me the trouble of reporting you.  Gross.  So not really a fan of calling security and getting stuck with Officer Sicko. 

It's just been one of those days after a series of one of those days.  So what do I do when I am stressed and should either be walking it off or sleeping it off?  I started cooking and baking.  At 9:30 at night.  I must be crazy, but at least I should have a lot of extra food to stock my freezer with. At the rate I'm going I shouldn't have to work very long on Friday--actually, I may be home by 9 am because I have run out of hours!

Saturday, August 2, 2008

Laments of the Lonely part II

I woke up this morning with a hickey and realized two things:

  1. I am a deep sleeper
  2. I sleep alone

Close inspection revealed the hickey exactly matched the jade necklace that I wear every day right down to the gold inlayed message.  I wasn't sure whether I was relieved that I hadn't been molested by an alien in the middle of the night...or a little disappointed. 

   (I'm not really lonely, I just noticed the hickey this morning and thought it was kind of funny.  I was talking to Sarah yesterday right before I walked into the Chinese restaurant and realized that some of my behaviors are very lonely/single girl behaviors.  Then tonight I went to Kroger and got one of the basket...and a big box of cat litter.  Oy, I'm the very stereotype of a single girl.) 

Friday, August 1, 2008

Hi, my name is Erica and I'm addicted...

to Chinese food.  I'm starting to get embarrassed because I am now visiting my local establishment about once a week.  Perhaps I shouldn't be embarrassed, but I get tired of pretending to actually browse the take-out menu when I have absolutely no intention of even trying most of those foods.  It's not that I think I won't like it and it's that I am afraid of it (puh-leeze, I've eaten chicken's feet prepared every possibly way in Hong Kong in addition to duck's tongue, duck's brain and an assortment of other unidentified foods I'd rather not know about.  I'm not gustatorily shy), but for $8 a pop I want to have the most enjoyment out of every meal I buy so that means buying what I really, really like. 

For the longest time I celebrated my Friday nights going to an east-side establishment because they most resembled the HK style noodles I have grown to love.  For some reason it has become my comfort food and by Friday nights, baby, I need some comfort.  But after a little Chinese restaurant opened less than 2 miles from my home with a similar style of food I began frequenting it.  A couple of weeks a go I was slightly embarrassed by the frequency of my visits so I attempted the east side only to learn they were under renovation.  I swallowed my pride and returned to the neighborhood place. 

Has it been 10 minutes yet?  I think my order is ready.  I'll talk to ya'll later.