Morning mishaps

I’m not having a good morning.

Forgot until yesterday that we had to bake a cake for someone’s birthday today. Didn’t get it done last night, so got up this morning to do it. Had it in the oven when suddenly realized I forgot to add the eggs.

Added eggs on the top and tried to mix it into the batter, but didn’t work, so had to dump back out, mix, then dump back in.

This should be interesting.

Remember that ledge I mentioned in the pie entry? A jar of sprinkles and can of frosting ended up on my foot less than 30 seconds after I’d set them there.

Then, I’d forgotten my sweatshirt in the car, ran out to get it in the cold in shorts and a smitty tshirt… not a wise choice.

Then, I’d forgotten to get the kiddo’s wings from the car while I was out there.

(She wanted to be a butterfly…. I’ve had the Seven Day Jesus song Butterfly stuck in my head off and on for weeks now)

Then I came inside, and suddenly realized the solution to the login problem I’d been struggling with for hours last night…. I’d forgotten the benefits page for work required a “special character” in the password.

So I go to log in, and I know its one of two passwords, depending on if they needed 8 letters or if 6 would work. I try the shorter one first, and suddenly get the “too many logins, see administator” message. After how many tries last night? Probably 25 or so… no message then…. but of course it would be when I know for sure what the right one is. And when today is the last day for changes.

Then I go to do my outfit for today. Had sweatshirt from car. Put hair into pony tail. I go to spray it blue and realize both cans of blue spray don’t work.

I should have known better. You see, I’d bought these for when I went on the Smitty cruise this summer and I’d been threatening friends I was going to have the salon give me a “Bee Lifted Hive” in honor of Be Lifted High, and then I was going to spray it blue.

But of course the cans couldn’t fly carryon. So they have done the pressurized thing in checked luggage twice. Of course aeresol cans don’t work. DUH.

So I decide to just do my mask. Which I then stop to realize only works right if I put my contacts in… cuz glasses over the mask just looks stupid…. and which I really suck at doing.

I gave up.

Disappointing myself

Today has been one of those days.

I’ve disappointed myself more times today than in most entire weeks.

Went to doc for wrist this morning. Got released because basically there’s “not much else (he) can do if (I’m) going to keep working there”. Which, wasn’t a huge deal since the company held me to the same requirements on “light duty as tolerated” as when released to full duty. However… I’ve been getting by ok with the brace and medication twice a day on days I work. Without meds? This might not go well. I really should have stood up for my needs more knowing that nobody at work is going to care either outcome.

I followed this up with a trip to the store, where I managed to end up getting junk I didn’t really need because it was on clearance… after doing so good lately on that sort of thing. Do a really need a remote thermometer? Even if it is only 3 bucks? I then followed up by changing my mind on something I’d decided a while back I wasnt going to get, then followed that up by failing to stick up for myself again when the clearance wasn’t ringing up right, and the clerk was rounding, but not in my favor. I don’t know why I didn’t… maybe jsut pity for her having to mess with it and being bad at math… and it wasn’t like it was huge amounts…. but it probably did make about a 10-15 buck difference when added up.

Then back to work, where the HR person jsut took the paper from the doctor and said ok good and went back to her work. Even though it was written on there that I do still have the few minutes of break each hour, and the original paper she had given me from the company had only said they would honor them until this appointment. So, basically, while I have the docs note, I don’t have the company’s statement that they will honor it for sure if it ever gets challenged again.

Today was just day of the doormat I guess.

One of the biggest disappointments of the day was when I got home. One of the clearance items I got was a new scale, because mine had stopped working a while back. 40 scale, was marked to 30, was supposed to be 75% off of that should have been 7.50, not the 11 the clerk guessed… but 40 for 11 isn’t something I’m gonna complain about. Unfortunately, the numbers have not been going in my favor with the scale in the time I’ve been without a functioning one… really a big disappointment.

But really, the day sort of started off on this foot even before I hit bed last night. At mindnight I was still in 2 pm’s, neither of which were going well. One I got talked into agreeing to make a post for someone on a site she’s no longer a member of, that I pretty much know better than to get involved with her messes related to.

The second is kind of an ongoing thing. A friend, who in a different stage of my life was a bit more. And who makes sure I know the offer is still open to return there if I want to. Instead of just the usual thanks, we got into a discussion. And I had an opportunity to firmly close the door to that option. Which is what I should have done. And not what I did.

I think with that one, I leave the door open because I like to know that its there, just in case I ever want it. Somehow it makes me less likily to feel anxious to seek new doors if I know I have one around should I ever want it. But, its not fair to do that. And its not good to leave myself options open that I know I should never take. It only invites later risk.

But I made the wrong choice.

All day long it seems.

But for the most part, its over. What was done was done.

Goodnight today, and I’m glad tomorrow is a different day.

Ears and cats

We currently have 4 cats in the house. 1 we adopted this summer, who turned out to be pregnant at the time, 1 kitten we have decided to keep, and two of the kittens that people have backed out on taking, so they are still with us while I try to find other homes.

One particular kitten I’ve had to rescue from both near drowning in a bathtub deeper than the kitten was tall, and from the top of the living room curtain rods. I’m rather glad this isn’t the kitten we are keeping!

However, the kitten we are keeping has developed this weird quirk lately of attacking my right ear.

As odd as that sounds.

Seriously, when held, she will climb up my shoulder and start attacking the ear, batting around my hand when I cover it for protection. Or if I’m on my bed, she will walk up and start bothering it.

But only the right ear.

What makes this even more odd has nothing to do with the cat.

You see, back when I had been a Christian for 5 years, I got a celtic style heart and cross tattoo on my right ankle. Maybe not the most productive thing, but I’m a little odd.

At 10 years, I was in the middle of a big rebellion and not even claiming a religion at the time. But this year made 15, so I’ve been wanting to get a new one, but at the time, I had no clue what or where.

Mostly through some teasing from friends, I decided the “what” this summer…. a particular flame symbol. But it still didn’t know where. But I already knew I wanted it to be a tiny, discrete one.

But about a month ago it hit me. It needs to go behind the ear. Like right behind the ear, where hidden for the most part by the ear itself, and completely hidden when hair is down for things that require a professional appearance. Makes sense of where I would want the flame to be, given that the goal is usually to listen to what the flame represents.

But I was considering my left ear. Partially for balance reasons, where the other tat is on my right ankle, partially because in cartoons thats usually the shoulder that needs the help on guidance, partially based on the “right hand” thing.

And about that time it when the cat started attacking my other ear!

Gotta love odd twists like that, leaving you wondering whether its just weird, or if it has a cryptic reason.

Fake-pumpkin pie

I’m not a big fan of pie.

Just never have been. I think mostly its that the difference in texture betweek wettish filling and dry crust bothers me on some level.

Anyway, last year, I got a brainstorm.

On a random whim walking past a display, I picked up some jello pudding mix in pumpkin pie flavor.

Now, every box of jello instant pudding says something to the effect of “pudding and pie filling” and usually has a recommendation somewhere on it that you turn it into a pie.

Which usually makes for a pretty lame pie.

But…. a pumpkin pie pudding pie??? a pumpkin pie with no pumpkin!

I’m weird enough that this sounded like an awesome idea. So I made one. And it wasn’t bad.

Considering that I don’t like pie, that says a lot.

(random baking tip: when using storebought grahamcracker crusts, use fingers to smash it against the side a bit so it breaks up like a normal one instead of being like cardboard)

So, this year, when I spotting the pudding back on the superwalmart shelves, I decided to try it again. And add pumpkin to the pumpkinless pumpkin pudding pie.

(random observation: jello has some “limited edition” flavors of jello out too right now… strawberry daquiri, pina colada, and margarita. i was rather impressed that they at least had the restraint to not put a jello shots recipe on the box, though I rather expected one there.)

So I added a can of pumpkin into my pie this time. This idea was not so brilliant. It doesn’t taste awful… it just didn’t set up as well, and I think it tasted a lot better without it.

How sad is it that I prefer my pie with fake pumpkin?

Well, maybe the pudding has some real pumpkin in it as an ingredient, but you know what I mean.

(random duh: my stove has this drawer thing that the burners slide into, and it makes a 6-8 inch ledge when they are hidden. at least once a month i intentionally pull the drawer out for some reason with something on the ledge and dump it when the ledge disappears suddenly. you would think after a few catastrophies i would remember this, but i never do. my feet almost wore a pie tonight)

Writing considerations

I’m trying to decide if I feel like trying nanowrimo this year.

(For those not familiar, the goal is to write a novel of 50,000 or more in the month of November website)

I haven’t been particularly successful in previous attempts… mainly for two reasons.

#1 I get bored after about the third chapter, mainly because I have a tendancy to describe too much rather than actually letting characters do anything themselves
and #2 I’m overly critical

Both drive me nuts… the second is usually the killer though. And, actually, is probably part of what drives the first.

I absolutely hated my first attempt, because in addition to the lack of dialog thing, my plot just kept reminding me of a cheesy made for cable movie. Or, maybe worse, one of those made to be shown to a youth group cheesy videos. (As a tangent, I’m really dissappointed in the recent 3:16 dvd’s short film section…. for exactly that reason. Even if that’s about the tone my stuff ends up with too.)

I actually only have 2 chapters of the 4 left, because I was so unhappy with 2 of them that I deleted them entirely. And I couldn’t tell you where the 2 survivors are saved.

But…. the thing is, of the people who read it, none expressed the same feelings. Even the readers of my blog, where I was posting it, who always tend to be a bit on the harsh side compared to in person friends.

Which is worse? To be over critical, or to suck in a cheesy muck sort of way?

I’d originally told someone I wasn’t going to try this time because of my wrist. But, honestly, it’s feeling better mostly.

Then recently, I started working on recounting some of the interesting events of the last year or so… which is taking some time, so I used that as an excuse. (I will probably post these here as well fairly soon). And I haven’t even been good about writing here lately, let alone taking on something else.

But really….

I think it’s the mix of issues related to the writing that has me a bit spooked.

And when I get really honest, I think that was more the reason that I quit about 5,000 words into it last year.

I claimed it was because of time. But had I tried, I think I could have made the time.

Do I really want to reopen this can of worms?

10/26

titus 1
15 Everything is pure to those whose hearts are pure. But nothing is pure to those who are corrupt and unbelieving, because their minds and consciences are corrupted. 16 Such people claim they know God, but they deny him by the way they live. They are detestable and disobedient, worthless for doing anything good.

psa 97
11 Light shines on the godly,
and joy on those whose hearts are right.

Recovering

Feeling crummy physically is never fun…. but always worse when you have obligations keeping you from curling up in bed and sleeping it off.

Seems like it always lingers so much longer when you have to fight it on the run.

In any case, my wrist is actually feeling a better…. a bit sore at the end of the day, but no shooting pain! yay!

Though its interesting…. with the combined approach to blogs, only now have I noticed that when I’m not feeling particularly inspired towards writing seems also to be when not much grabs at me in bible readings. Same cause for both I’m sure, but just not really something I’d noticed previously…. and struck me as sort of interesting.

10/22

Psalm 91

1 Those who live in the shelter of the Most High
will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
2 This I declare about the Lord:
He alone is my refuge, my place of safety;
he is my God, and I trust him.
3 For he will rescue you from every trap
and protect you from deadly disease.
4 He will cover you with his feathers.
He will shelter you with his wings.
His faithful promises are your armor and protection.
5 Do not be afraid of the terrors of the night,
nor the arrow that flies in the day.
6 Do not dread the disease that stalks in darkness,
nor the disaster that strikes at midday.
7 Though a thousand fall at your side,
though ten thousand are dying around you,
these evils will not touch you.
8 Just open your eyes,
and see how the wicked are punished.

9 If you make the Lord your refuge,
if you make the Most High your shelter,
10 no evil will conquer you;
no plague will come near your home.
11 For he will order his angels
to protect you wherever you go.
12 They will hold you up with their hands
so you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone.
13 You will trample upon lions and cobras;
you will crush fierce lions and serpents under your feet!

14 The Lord says, “I will rescue those who love me.
I will protect those who trust in my name.
15 When they call on me, I will answer;
I will be with them in trouble.
I will rescue and honor them.
16 I will reward them with a long life
and give them my salvation.”

Job ad

I’ve long been amazed at how the employers have been taking advantage of the high unemployment rate in the area to do what they want with job ads because they will still get applicants.

For example, every fast food restaurant and pizza delivery places has been putting “experienced only” in for years… when common sense pretty much tells you that a person without experience could probably manage just as well with maybe a week or training. Other jobs like to require a education in areas where very little would be required.

But today’s paper had one of the silliest.

“OFFICE to drop off & pick up children from school. Experienced need only apply. No benefits. Apply at Typed Letters Co.”

Hello? Since when is picking kids up and dropping them off an office job? Or one that requires much more than patience and a drivers licenses, neither of which are mentioned. Nor are important details like the general hours, which varies by which schools would be involved, and would probably be a major deciding factor with anyone looking for that few hours as to if it would fit in with other obligations…. since this obviously isn’t a job to support someone.

And with the traffic flow patterns for each school being so different, I can’t imagine experience with transporting kids to one school is going to help you much when dealing with a completely different setup. And it isn’t like someone couldn’t learn in like the first trip or two even if they had no clue.

And why does an envelope printing place hire someone to transport kids rather than their parents (who I’m gonna guess probably happens to be the owner taking advantage of the fact to put someone on the payroll instead of out of their pocket directly.)

The sad thing is, around here, I bet they probably get 50 applicants anyway…

On the shoulders

I don’t think I ever really understood the phrase “weight of the world on their shoulders” until this past year and a half.

I never really realized exactly how much my shoulders tense, and stay tense, with stress.

Where the mental meets the physical… just kind of interesting.

Though, of course, physical loosening of the muscles provides only temporary relief if the stress that caused it still remains. Which is my battle.

Lots of things acting up, never enough time to handle all of them, and extended enough that I’m rather tired ofeven trying.

I used to call this state “zapped”. Which still applies. But I heard someone use a word for it this summer that I find I like better.

Weary.

And so ends another day.