Foiled again!

I KNEW I shouldn't have said anything about the security pass. They took it back today. Now how the hell am I supposed to work "overtime" this weekend? (You know, "overtime", where you come in and play on the internet and do random rearranging of papers and files and stacks of things so it looks all organized and shit.)

I'll find me another one, yes I will. 'Cuz I'm resourceful like that.

I think I have the links thing figured out, so look for links soon. In the meantime, please support www.freecycle.org by signing up if you have things you'd like to get rid of. Yes, they are international, before you complain that you're not in the US. It's a very cool and environmentally friendly way of recycling things that you no longer want or need and that others may want or need, thereby keeping this stuff out of the landfills. You join a listserv through Yahoo Groups, then you'll be able to see what people are offering, requesting, or you can list things you'd like to pass on. If you're offering, you don't do a thing except receive e-mails requesting the item. You decide who gets it and arrange for them to come pick it up. You don't have to move any farther than your front step. Tonight I'm going to pick up a nice black halogen floorlamp and after I sort through the clothes I set aside this weekend, I'll be offering those to whoever wants them. Go on, do something good for the environment. And you can get some cool stuff in the bargain. Another little pressie from me to you.

Right gotta go catch the bus now. More on public transportation tomorrow.

And the world goes round and round

Yep, it keeps on spinning, and my life continues to spin with it. One day I keep thinking it will settle down and stop being a top, but I'm not too optimistic about that anymore.

So my cuz is better, although very skinny. She lost a lot of weight in the month that she was sick, so now I'm trying to fatten her up. (At the same time that I'm trying to lose weight again - makes cooking interesting.) She got fired from her job bartending, not a huge deal as she wanted to leave anyway, but a crappy thing to do when she was really ill.

As a result, we're basically living on my income right now. I joked before about feeling like a single parent when she was ill and I was coming home and taking care of her, trying to make her drink and eat. But now it's more about working overtime to meet the bills and feeding 2 people and 2 cats on about $50 a week. (Surprisingly, I'm doing it. I am the master bargain grocery shopper, I am, I am.) She's looking for a job, but it's going to be tough. Discrimination in hiring is outlawed in this country, but I know what she's going to face as a transgender person trying to get an office or retail job.

You know what's kind of strange about being really skint? I eat tons better than when I have more money. I don't drink nearly as much wine (maybe once or twice a week, and then only a bottle). I eat fresh meat and vegs and fruits, flavored with herbs and spices and sauces. I cook from scratch, not from a box. Maybe I should write a new diet book, but what could I call it? The Money Diet is already taken. Maybe "The Overdraft Diet" or "Skint Is Slimming; a Budget Diet". Anyway, I've been eating well and have lost 3.5 lbs since Saturday. Not too shabby.

And the money picture is filling in well. Working overtime this week and next, I'll have all the bills paid up to date, rent paid up to date, and money for my weekend excursion to New York to meet up with the internet freaks. But then, of course, I had to cut it close to the bone again - I got a Movado watch that I've been lusting after for years off eBay yesterday for less than $200. I'm super excited to get it, but of course it does make things a bit tighter again for next week. Ah, well, you only live once and I intend to enjoy it as much as possible!

In other news, my car Bianca suddenly decided to go again, so that's put off the repair costs there for a bit. Thank God I don't drive that much anymore, because gas prices here are getting really ridiculous. I know they're not as bad as a lot of places in the world, but they've increased dramatically and I know that it's hurting a large segment of the population.

I've finally got a security pass for the building and office, even if it is only a temp one. I got it 2 weeks ago to work over the weekend and was supposed to give it back on the Monday, but of course I didn't. I'm a bad, bad temp and I still have it. And I intend to keep it until the person in charge of the security cards asks for it, with the full support of the group I'm working with. So there! Bwahahahahaha! I think she knows I still have it, though, and just doesn't want to say anything. We'll see.

Our cable went out at home, so no internet there until I pay it on Friday. Actually, the cable company kind of screwed up. At first, we still had the first 13 channels, enough to keep us mildly entertained. Then, all of a sudden, yesterday the rest of the channels up to the 60s started working. I was very excited thinking that maybe, just maybe the broadband would be working again, but alas, no dice. So I'll just have to suffer and watch crap tv and Netflix movies until Friday.

Still no BSG. Haven't seen him for at least 2 weeks now, maybe 3. Either he's going in earlier or he's moved. Maybe he's trying to avoid me. Maybe he wasn't really flirting with me at all. Maybe he even moved to get away from me. Alright, that might be going a bit far. It would be nice to see him again, though.

And to end, here is my new addiction: http://animal.discovery.com/cams/pandavidr.html. Go watch the panda cub. Especially if you're in a crap mood. And don't say I never gave ya nuthin', alright?!

I wonder if they know

Now I'm wondering if the people upstairs know that I put that notice on their door. They were already home when I did it. I'm sure they would be embarassed - who wouldn't be?

On the other hand, I could care less if they know. We don't have a good relationship. A has literally yelled at the guy up there because we do all the yardwork, mowing the lawn so we're not "that house" (nobody wants to be "that house" on the street, you know?), putting the trash and recycle bins out for pick up every Friday morning, picking up the crap that random people walking by feel like they can dispose of in our yard.

Should I care?

PS - why does blogger always have my time off by one hour?

Update - because people have been bugging me about it

So I came home the other day and found, to my horror, a notice posted on our door. It was a 30 day notice of lease termination. Shock!

Oh, but it was for the people upstairs, and the sheriff's department posted it on the wrong door. So I took it off our door, and put it on theirs. Now, I'm sure if the people upstairs were legally savvy, they'd be able to protest this on procedural grounds and win, but I doubt they know enough to do that.

I'm just so chuffed that they'll be moving. They are SO noisy - sounds like a herd of elephants stomping around up there! Maybe we should have chosen the upstairs apartment after all. Oh, well.

Job is going well, but after working 19 days in a row, enough was enough and so I'm taking a sickie today. At least I was responsible enough to wait until after the major hearing yesterday.

Very good friend has finally got a job that he's been holding out for for a year and half, so I'm very happy about that, too.

Oh, and my job is talking about sending me to Mississippi for the trial. Now, surely they wouldn't do that for just a temp? And they're scheduling training on a certain software package that I need to do litigation work. Again, surely they wouldn't do that just for a temp? Surely they're looking to hire me. That's what I keep telling myself, anyway.

Haven't seen Bus Stop Guy in a week or so. Maybe he's on holiday, or working different hours now. The bus rides are boring now. Ho hum.

Yeah, that's about it. I have other ideas to write about, but need to flesh them out.

Oh, and you'll be seeing a blogring link on here soon, so stay tuned.