The little things...

Earlier this week, I returned to work in a rather pissy mood with a bad attitude. I was tired from traveling and dealing with insecurities in my personal life. One little thing from a co-worker changed my attitude and made my day.

I always park in front of the store at the risk of getting a parking ticket. Amy had gone out to smoke, saw the meter maid, and also noticed that I did not yet have a ticket. She pulled a dime out of her pocket and put it in my meter.

Amy and I get along professionally, but we don't share any kind of love for each other. The fact that she would do something nice for me, someone she doesn't even like that much really made a difference to me.

The following little things are pieces of jewelry that will NOT be appearing in the store or on my person any time soon:

The penis/vagina pendant:


The vagina pendant:


And the penis pendant:


Seriously, WTF??

Mile high club

I joined the mile high club this weekend as I flew from CoMo to D.C. No, I didn't have sex on a plane, but joined the thousands who have puked their guts out in the sky. Lovely, I know!

As might be legitimately surmised from my drunken posts that precede this anecdote, I thought I was hung over Friday morning, but as I continued to regurgitate FIVE times that day, I now blame food poisening or some other 24 hour flu. Luckily I barely survived, and got well enough to eat dinner with the fam late that night.

D.C. weather was PERFECT, and I enjoyed seeing my family including my 78 yr old grandma who is quite lucid and HILLARIOUS for her age. I'm proud of my sister for graduating from George Washington's PA school.

I also got to see two of my BEST friends from undergrad: Oliver the crazy roommate, and Nicole, the only woman I can say I've had romantic feelings for.

It's good to be back with my baby, from whom I'd had WAY too long a hiatus. However, going back to work has been somewhat difficult. Keri thinks that I sabotaged her in my mid-year review to get back at her for letting Callie go by telling about how she slaps Jesse and me on the ass. Riiiight.... Well, however the powers that be DID find out about it, the result was an 1.5 hour meeting tonight given by a human resources consultant (seriously WTF?) who assured us in a monotone voice that rivaled Ben Stein that while he had a great sense of humor, certain jokes just aren't for the work place. I took copious notes, naturally, and what follow are a few of the highlights:

Is a joke about strangling Janet considered off-color?

My head might explode any minute now!!

I REALLY want to raise my hand and ask, "But what if I WANT to be sexually harrassed?"

I'd rather eat my own vomit than continue to listen to this!

SHUT UP JANET!!

Indian outlaw

I'm an indian outlaw... half cherokee and chocktaw... my baby she's a chippowah....

Drunken posts

Um, yeah... Drunken posts are probably gonna really embarras me, but what the hell!

I've decided the two of the greatest things in life are whiskey and Cher. Chanda (great friend from Utah) is also pretty damn cool.

mammasboy25: i love you cher
mammasboy25: cher and whisky

c_chuon: wow
c_chuon: you really are drunk
c_chuon: oi
c_chuon: stop the madness

I love you Chanda, Cher, whiskey, Rob Thomas, my keyboard, defiant independence, and drunken typing. Yup!

Hand Me Down

Lonely drunken nights suck. Luckily I have more whiskey and Rob Thomas...

Chipotle rules!

Today I slept in until I had to roll out of bed and drag my ass to work. I've managed to avoid working on Sunday since we started being open for many weeks, until today.

To brighten my afternoon, and at Monica's coaxing, I made a Chipotle run. I ordered my food as usual, and the manager started to ring me up while making small talk about business (I've been in enough and my event shirt gives away my place of employment). As he finished entering my food items, I tried to give him my debit card, but he said "Today it's on me!" I stammered thanks, but aked what's that about? And he said, "Oh, just good service." I've always liked eating there for the food and the cool atmosphere, but now I'm a Chipotle junkie for life! It's pretty much made my day. Even the silly political/power-grabbing maneuvering by dumb co-workers didn't really bother me today!

PS
Coffee, scrabble, and Shatterday night with my cute bf ALSO rules!

Evening alone

Sometimes one just needs to spend some quality time with Rachmaninoff cello music and become reaquainted with whiskey sours, even if it means missing one's baby.

Thank God for parking garages

Today I shamelessly ate lunch without my shirt on while sitting on a bench downtown. As I was soaking up some rays and obtaining sustinence, a homeless guy came around the corner and remarked how good the sun felt compared to the freezing rain he had to endure last night. "Thank God for parking garages," he declared. Not something one usually sends praises to a deity for, I thought.

He proceeded to find a dry seat on a bench across from me and tell me his story. Hailing from Naples, Florida, he was trying to get to Branson because he wrote song lyrics. That's what he "does." His pen name is Dudley Ditty, "cuz that's all I write are ditties." He'd been hitch-hiking trying to avoid the "crazies that'll kill ya, and the fundamentalist Christians, which are almost as bad!"

After a bit more jawing in his raspy voice, he asked if I could spare a few bucks so he could buy a beer. Usually I don't give money to panhandlers, but he didn't try to fool me with a sob story. He probably needed the beer like he needed another wrinkle on his worn-out face, but I gave him three bucks. Maybe I'll be inspiration for one of his "ditties."

Protesting the protest

I'll save you the political rant, but I feel obliged to comment on the "immigrant protest" last monday. (The quotes are because that's what it was called by the participants, but it was really ILLEGAL immigrants protesting).

Our custom jeweler in LA, Robert Benowitz, called monday morning to tell us that he was unable to get to his shop due to the crowd of protesters. Cummon Mexicans, LET THE JEWS WORK!!

Surprise weekend

To counterbalance my angsty post from this morning, I'm writing about the happy events of this past weekend:

My sister conducted a cantata-type-thing for church this past Sunday. Originally, I wasn't going to be able to make it due to a singing engagement of my own that day, but I was released from said obligation. I decided not to tell my parents or my sister that I was coming into town.

I drove to Illinois right after work on Saturday. I arrived at the 'rents house at 11pm. I saw their bedroom light still on, so I just knocked on the door. After undoing the bolt, my dad let me in. He said: "Well, surprise! Hi Craig!" I thought "surprise" was my line, but hey... Mom appeared in her night robe, and in a scolding tone told me that she almost had a heart attack because no one calls or knocks after 11 unless it's bad news! Of course that was followed with a hug.

Sunday I had to sit through church, but it was worth it for the following exchange. Before the meeting was about start, a young man was chopping away at the piano for prelude music. An old Navy man/ carpenter friend of my dad's was trying to talk to me, but was finding the piano playing hard to bear. He quipped "Go up there and break his face, will ya?" I about died. After a few more attempts at conversation he offered "He don't play good, but he plays loud. Get's about half the notes..." This was outrageously funny music critique as you wouldn't expect such acurrate, if not disdainful commentary from such a guy.

That night I surprised my sister at her performance. She cried a little as she exclaimed "That's an unfair surprise!" Yes, they were HAPPY tears for all the smarty-pants readers. She did an amazing job conducting the chamber choir and orchestra consisting almost entirely of amatures. It was her first conducting gig, although she has a clarinet degree from Indiana. So, I was way proud of her.

All in all, it was great to see the fam and the puppies. Fun times!

Rainy days and Mondays always get me down

This morning I woke up to a spectacular thunderstorm. The rolling, rumbling thunder was quite impressive. It was one of those mornings that is perfect for sleeping in and cuddling. My bed even seemed ultra comfy this morning. Unfortunately I could not sleep in, and I was alone. The rain is VERY wet, and the darkness is oppressive. Sigh...