emergency supplies

One of the guys at work was so concerned about me being alone during this winter storm, he made sure I had emergency supplies. Um . . . yeah . . . really concerned. :)

i have a stalker

Today there are more and more creepy people with unhealthy fascinations with others. Usually we hear about celebrities who are stalked by fanatics. But, let me tell you, celebrities aren't the only victims.

Now first, I need to clarify that I'm not being stalked by a person who scares me. I'm merely being stalked by a person who is obsessed with when I get to work, what I'm doing, and when I leave. No, he's not my boss. Just a co-worker. No, what I do has no bearing on him whatsoever. So why is he so obsessed? Good question.

For the past couple of years this person has ranted on and on to other co-workers about my tardiness or if I leave early. No, he's never said anything to me, but why should he? He's not my boss. My boss knows when I'm going to be late and why. My boss knows if I have to leave early. My boss is the only person that needs to know.

The great thing about the guys I work with, though, is that they all know how absurd this man's obsessions are. He isn't doing or saying anything that hurts me, but rather it just makes him look like a fool to everyone else.

four more weeks

I think I'll be ready!

:o)

NOTE: 500 "Amazing Blogger" points awarded to the first person to give correct answer for x in the comments.

never give up

You know when you're in a marathon and you're running along thinking, "Wow! I just might actually finish this race!" And then all of a sudden, BAM! You "hit the wall." No? I haven't run a marathon, but I have hit the wall.

Last Thursday, while I was studying (like I do anything else -- sheesh!), I came across a problem that I could not figure out. It was so extremely frustrating, because I knew it was something I should already know. But I kept reading these same two paragraphs and I might as well have been reading Chinese; it made absolutely no sense!

To make matters worse, I started crying. Really. Big drops of tears were streaming down my face right onto the pages of the book I was trying to read. I began to frantically wipe my eyes, my face, my book all the while hoping the guys wouldn't notice. Yep. I was at work. I finally composed myself and was able to talk to the two guys on my crew about my frustrations and later I talked to RL and it was unanimous: I needed a break from studying.

For the next four days I didn't crack a book. Everytime I even thought about one of the problems or the exam I would quickly dismiss it and think about something else. I was determined to give myself a break and, dang it, I deserved it!

Yesterday I started back with a little reading and a little review. This morning I was back at it with enthusiasm. Then out of nowhere, BAM! Another wall. "CRAP!!! This is driving me crazy!" And I began to wonder if all this stress is even worth it. You know, I'm not going to get a pay raise or anything like that if I pass the exam. It's not really going to make any difference one way or another. I began to question why I was even putting myself through all of this -- aside from the non-refundable $125 examination fee.

Here's the deal: If I told you all I had decided not to take the exam it really wouldn't be that big of a deal to you, but it would be completely humiliating to me. But if I take the exam and fail, well at least I can say I tried. Because, let's face it, if I don't pass there is no way I'm going to put myself through all of this for another 6 months and take the exam over. I know myself too well. When it's over, it's over.

When you train for your first marathon they tell you not to worry about you time, just finish. So that's what I'm doing. At this point I'm not too concerned whether I pass or fail, I just want to make it to the finish line.

speaking of convenience stores

I would say I spend more time than the average person at convenience stores over the course of a day. (No, not that kind of convenience store! What kind of girl do you think I am? Never mind that . . . So to make sure there's no confusion, the store hereafter will be referred to as QT) And, let me tell you, there are some really interesting, strange, and dumb things that go on there. (I guess I should explain, to those of you who may not know, my work takes me outside. So I go to QT for coffee in the morning, potty breaks, lunch, potty breaks, etc.) Anyway, I've spent so much time at QT and seen and experienced so many things there, I've decided to share a few of them with you. Aren't you excited?

First and foremost, because I want you to know not all things that happen at QT are bad. No, actually, I met RL at the QT. Really? Really! Back in the days when he was a fresh college graduate, still looking for the right job, he worked at QT. One day I walked through the door and into his life forever.

But back to the strange . . .

At QT there's just about anything you could want for your morning drive into work. Breakfast burritos, egg & sausage buiscuts, and, of course, COFFEE. One morning, as I was standing in line to pay (there's always a line, because everyone and their dog goes to QT in the mornings), I was patiently waiting my turn when I noticed an older woman scanning the breakfast choices offered. She made up her mind, picked up her selection, and quickly slipped it into her coat pocket. As a nice cover to the petty theft, she stood in line to pay for her chocolate milk.

Then there are the people who rarely, if ever, actually enter the QT, because they are standing out front (usually near the pay phone) trying to run a scam. One, I watched from my own front row seat in the work truck, involved two young "stranded" females. They walked up to the pay phone, one picked up the receiver, and proceeded to act as though she was having a conversation. The other one scanned the parking lot for a victim. A woman walked passed them and they completely ignored her. Next a young man came walking towards them and the one woman elbowed the other on the phone. She immediately went into full damsel in distress mode. The other woman stopped the man and explained they had run out of gas and didn't have any money and could he just give them a couple of dollars. He did, walked away, and the two women had a good laugh behind his back as they spied their next victim.

Not all things that happen at QT are criminal. Some things are just a little weird. Like someone who randomly walks up to people and asks them if they can take a picture of their tatoo to show their daughter. Or people who actually let some stranger take a picture of their tatoo. The really weird thing was when the girl was asked if a picture could be taken of her tattoo she said, "The one on my neck?" Well, um, yeah. Cause that's the only one I can see and cause I'm not gonna ask you to drop your drawers so I can get a pic of the rose tatooed on your butt. Weirdo!!

still here

Wow! Well, all I can tell ya is I've been busy. Busy at work and frying my brain with school. Did I tell you guys I'm taking Engineering computer programming this semester? Yeah. And I have a test this week and I'll study for about 30 minutes and I feel like my heads gonna explode!!

Last weekend RL and I went to an outdoor concert. Got some great pictures that I'll post in a day or two. Other than that, not much is going on.

OH! Except, remember about 6 months ago the stray cat had kittens in my back yard? Well, this morning she brought her 4 week old new kittens to us. All EIGHT of them!! OMG! So this morning there were 3 cats (from her first litter), the mama, and 8 kittens. That's right, TWELVE cats in my back yard!!

Yeah, don't ya wish you were me?

it's a party

I'm on a new crew at work and that is a good thing. To say this crew is a lot more laid back would be an understatement. It wouldn't be too much of a stretch to say that they strive to live up to the description of survey party; there's a lot of fun and games. The other day I was telling the guys that in just two weeks I'll been on a plane headed on vacation. As if on cue, they both broke out singing, "Leavin' on a jet plane." They're crazy!!

Sure, we get the work done, but we might as well have fun while we're at it. If we're having a bad day we can get a hug from the dancing monster on the dashboard or celebrate Frosty Friday. There's trivia games, name that artist (from the oldies station), and, of course, the practical jokes. We've even talked once about trading our hard hats in for party hats.

chairman of the bored

Sitting in the office the other morning, one of the engineers walked in and, seeing us sitting around the table, asked if we were having a staff meeting. "No," said one of the guys, "we're just bored!" I asked him if that made him the Chairman of the Bored." Everyone laughed and we decided that'd make a great t-shirt.

Surely, I thought, this can't be an original idea. Someone must be more clever than me to have already thought of this. So I did a quick google search and, sure enough, I'm not that clever.

The most interesting link, though, was to the Crass lyrics to Chairman of the Bored. (I'm not going to link it here, so you'll have to google it yourself.) Now, you probably should realize I've never heard of Crass and they were probably very popular . . . Just a second, let me check . . . Well, my, weren't they the naughty boys? I've never really cared for political bands, so even if I had heard of them back then I wouldn't have listened to them.

So, anyway, I thought the lyrics to the song were very interesting and could fit well with how I feel a lot of times reading the paper or listening to the news. I might not verbalize it quite the way they did, but I do understand the emotion behind it. And, though Chairman of the Bored isn't orginal, I still think it would make a great t-shirt.

Dang it! That's been done too!!

technologically challenged

Ok, this is gonna be kind of a rant, so I just thought I'd warn you.

There's this guy I work with that is technologically challenged. Not that there's anything wrong with that. But it does get seriously annoying. Not only do I have to continually refresh his memory on how to set up some of the equipment, but now he's got a new cell phone and he doesn't know how it works.

So, today, every five minutes his phone has made this strange little ding-ding-dong tone and it's driving me crazy. The first time it went off he asked, "What was that?!" I told him it was his phone, but he doesn't know what it's for or how to shut it off.

AAAaaaaarrrrrrrrg!!

just until he gets home

The ceiling fan blows overhead. It's been a long hot day. The baskets of laundry in front of me to fold are like mountains I still must scale. I walk into the kitchen to get a glass of ice water, but the dirty dishes beside the sink only make me turn and go back out the door.

I wander down the hall to the bedroom. It's the darkest coolest room in the house. As I walk through the door, I'm thankful for the darkness; makes it harder to see the clutter in the corner. The hunting bow. The unpacked luggage. The empty DVD box. The winter jackets. I think for a moment that I'll put it all away and then realize I have no idea where I'd put it.

I surrender to the bed. The cool sheets feel good against my bare legs. My mind drifts to summer days when I was a kid, stretched out on the cool grass under a shade tree. I smile a little and fall asleep.

it's a tough job

If you've been reading this blog long, you know I don't work in an office. So I thought it would be fun to share some of the advantages of working outside -- aside from not having to sit under fluorescent lights eight hours a day.

Year-Round Tan - My arms and face anyway. I use a shake-n-fake tan on my legs. And by vacation time, I'll hit the tanning bed for a week so the rest of me can catch up.

Reading Days - There are some things we could do when it rains, but for the most part we don't. No, on the days it rains, I get to ride around (because I'm not the driver) while I read books, blogs and anything else I find on the internet.

Outdoor Plumbing -- Being the only woman on the crew has it's advantages. The guys are nice enough to me that, when it's absolutely necessary, they'll stand guard outside the port-a-john on construction sites. The facilities pictured here, in the back yard of a recent job, is where I draw the line!

Gardening Ideas - There are days I have to work in the street, but my favorite jobs are in the ritzy neighborhoods with the beautifully landscaped gardens. Usually, if the homeownwers are outside, they will answer questions about the types of flowers and care they need. Last year a woman even gave me a couple of plants.

Domestic Animals -- Of course, working outdoors there's always the possibility of having to deal with dogs barking at you (hopefully from the other side of the fence). But depending on where you are in the city, there are the occasions when you can see some of these . . . .

Aside from the bathroom thing, I never thought in my wildest dreams, I would ever have a job that I would get paid to get a tan, catch up on my reading, get gardening tips, and see cocks up close and personal. I love my job!

i love my job

One of the things I love about my job is meeting people. Sometimes there are people that are angry about this or that, but for the most part I meet very nice people. Today I happened to meet two.

Brad is an 87 year old retired professor (commercial art I think) from the University here. He had lots to say about how things have changed his life (technology and such) and his views on the local, state, and federal government. He even told me about his daughter who is developing a new show with Lilly Tomlin for HBO. Very interesting man.

Then I met V, Brad's neighbor, who just recently moved here. She has the most wonderful flower garden and was quick to tell me all about it. And you know I was eager to listen. She even gave me a plant to take home with me.

Sometimes I think about asking people like this if I can interview them for my blog. But I'm afraid they'll think I'm some kind of whacko. A lot of people I talk to don't even know what a blog is. It's just that usually I meet elderly people (because they're usually the ones home during the day) and they have such interesting stories. They are so anxious to talk to whomever will listen. This is just part of the reason I love my job.

fashion police -- i'm busted

Just to show I'm not exempt from being ticketed by the fashion police, I want to tell you a story. This is a true story. The names have not been changed because no one was innocent.

When I had an office job the required attire was the usual skirts or slacks, no jeans, and as a general rule I would wear high heels. One particular work day I was delivering some mail to a woman, Marian, in the office down the hall.

We chatted a little and she was telling me what a horrible morning it had been. So horrible, in fact, she had gotten to work before she noticed she was wearing one black shoe and one navy blue.

I felt for her, but laughed and laughed. I explained how I could understand how that could happen, because I had a pair of black and a pair a of navy shoes. At that moment I looked down at my feet and . . . yep, you guessed, I had done the same thing. The worse part is we couldn't even exchange shoes so that she was wearing black and I was wearing navy, because we both were wearing the same shoe: left, black and right, navy.

Got any fashion mishaps of your own?

apply yourself

There is no telling how many miles you will have to run while chasing a dream.
-Anonymous

When I was in about the 4th grade, I remember my teacher sitting me down and telling me that I could do much better in class if I would apply myself. I remember hearing the same thing from my parents. "You just need to apply yourself." But they never really explained to me what that meant. No one ever told me how to apply myself. I didn't have a clue what they meant.
Now (don't laugh too hard) I think I've finally figured it out.

I've been working on an Associates degree in Survey Technology for six years. Yeah, really, a two year degree and after six years I still have about four years before I'll finish. I can only afford one class a semester and it's helped me keep a 4.0 GPA. But it almost seems like such a waste of time, since two years after I get my degree I can retire. But I keep pressing forward. I keep enrolling in classes and getting dressed and showing up.

Next Spring I will have an opportunity to take an intern exam. It seems so silly, at my age, to be taking an exam of any kind. But as an intern! This is when I realized I have to apply myself. Because I could just sit back, go to work, collect a paycheck and it would all be good. But what if? What if I take the exam and pass? I would be the first Surveyor Intern where I work.

So I will apply myself. I mean literally; I have to apply to take the exam. And that's where the difficulty comes. I'm afraid I won't be accepted. They'll turn me down. I won't get to take the exam, so why even try. And even if I do, I'll probably fail. Those are the things that go through my mind. Those are the things I have to overcome so that I can 'apply myself.'

Part of me wants to give up and say, "Who cares?!" The other part of me says, "If I keep going, I wonder how far I will get?"

work: a day in pictures

The other day it was kind of rainy, so at work we got out the GPS equipment. On days like this I spend most of my time in the middle of the street. But there are opportunities to enjoy some of the surrounding landscape.

Aside from the obvious hazards on the job, there are the occasional dangers of . . . African bees? Actually, I've never known this to be a problem in this area, but apparently it is.

never bored

I've been out of it the past week. It's been so dang hot! Work has been miserable and by the time I get home I really don't feel like doing much of anything. It feels so good to get in the air conditioning I don't want to move.

But life goes on and I have to at least cook dinner. Then I've done that much, I might as well clean up the kitchen a little. Oh and I needed to . . . Every time I turn around there' something else that needs to be done.

That's ok, though. I start another class (AutoCad 2) in a couple of weeks and I'd like to get caught up as much as I can before classes start.

I could just kick myself for not getting our bedroom painted this summer. There's just so much that needs to be done before I can even start painting, though, and that's the real problem.

Sometimes I envy those people who have tv shows come to their homes and completely clean and renovate the whole house in just a couple of days. I wish they'd do my house.

No, actually I think it's best I do it myself. Otherwise I might die from boredom.

when it rains . . .

I don't know that I've talked very much about my job, but today was one of those days that just makes you want to slap someone.

Occasionally, I have to work in the street. It's not that I want to be in the street, but sometimes you just have to do what you have to do. The thing that makes it bad is when drivers think I'm some kind of wacko for being in the street and get mad.

Today I was standing on the yellow line, doing my job and my party chief was directing traffic. Now, it's not like he was making them take a huge detour or anything, he was just making sure they slowed down a bit before going by me. But this one woman in a white minivan comes to a complete stop, rolls down her window, and yells, "What?!"

My boss just waves her on, trying to keep from holding up traffic (which was pretty heavy). But she just sat there and stared at us. Then finally she went on by, but you could tell by the look on her face she was very upset that she had to slow down and turn the wheel a half an inch.

Just let me say that if you happen to be driving by someone who is working in the street, give 'em a break. They're out there in the blistering heat just trying to do their job.

from under the covers

I haven't been too inspired to write this week. I haven't been too inspired to do anything! For some reason I just can't seem to shake this flu bug. No amount of NyQuil and vitamins seems to be working. No amount of sleep makes me feel better. The other day I thought I had it beat: resumed my workout schedule on Tuesday, had quite a hike at work on Wednesday, worked out Thursday morning, and by Thursday night I was hit with all the symptoms all over again. It's the second time in a week I just prayed, "Lord, take me now!"

The worst part about it, I just don't have time to be sick! There is just too much I need to be doing. And thinking about all that needs to be done, I can't get the rest I need. How am I supposed to get better?

What's ironic about all of this is, just the other day, I was telling (actually I was complaining to) a friend of mine about all the shtuff I have to do and how I wish I would get some debilitating illness that would completely incapacitate me and everyone else would have to step in and take care of their own shtuff. Hmmmmmm . . . I wonder if I can get them to do my algebra homework.

lake view

This was taken from atop a hill (Elev. 800') overlooking the lake. Luckily, the guys didn't make me hike down the slope (it would've been easier to repel). We found a gravel road that took us down and around to where we needed to be. And even then, I didn't hike as far as they did. (I can hike up a hill; it's going back down that scares me.)








The lake is dammed in and, when the water level is high enough, spills over into the creek. It's a lot prettier in the summer, with the water running over the spillway and the trees green with leaves. So I guess I'll just have to go back up there in the summer to get more pictures.

on the job

We've had a job out of town and it looks like we're going to be working there for a while. So, since I finally got a case for my new camera, I got some shots on the job today. A lot of shots. So for the next few days I'll be posting pictures.

These pictures are of the guys I work with setting up the GPS units for today's job.