Tuesday, September 11, 2007

Do you ever feel bloated... You, know irregular...

Have you ever had one of those weird weeks, where you just feel... off?  This has been one for me!  This "week" started last Tuesday when one of my associates quit.  No huge loss really, but it came as a small shock to me.  To follow that up the ladies toilet backed up and was flushing with dirty (smelly) water.  I found out what the problem was (which I'll mention in a minute) and called a plumber.  The poor bastard that came out was required to tell me what the problem was before he could fix it so... I'll paraphrase... 'it seems that some one has put, how can I put this, fecal matter  in the upper tank of the toilet.  I'm just gonna have to get something to break it up and that should fix your problem.  If it doesn't you're gonna have to get a new toilet.'  I tried my best to look shocked and amazed when he described it too me, but I had actually found the pile before I called him... poor bastard.  So he comes back in with a metal stick (the official tool I'm sure) and pokes it until it flushes into the bowl.  EW!  I had to hold back so many giggles I could hardly stand it.  We had been upper-decked!
Moving on... I was trying to reach Luke on the way home Sunday night and didn't notice the car in front of me put on their breaks (at a green light mind you) and... SMASH! I hit the silver sedan ahead of me... in the new car!  I was going less than five miles per hour but still it was devastating.  I've never been in a fender-bender before much less in a new car.  I was furious.  The first thing out of the other driver's mouth was 'I've, like, never been in a wreck that wasn't, like, totally my fault... hang on, let me call my dad...'  So she calls, tells dad its just a scratch (which it was!) and he says 'call the cops'.  So I wait for twenty minutes with the 19 year old when low and behold the motorcycle cops show up.  A little 'what happened' and 'license and insurance card please' and I drive home.  I was so pissed, sad, weepy, the whole deal.  Really and truly the car is fine.  I broke the front plate holder (it was empty anyway) and what damage was done will be covered when we get a replacement.  Still... it sucked!
THEN... We really busted ass last week and still didn't make our sales goals.  It was a HUGE disappointment.
This week I have to open and close every day to get my hours because I'm schedule for a long weekend (Friday-Monday).  To kick that off my alarm didn't go off this morning and I was late!  I couldn't shower, put on make-up anything... sigh.  I haven't been late in a long time and it just wasn't a good way to start off the day.  To finish the day I did something even more dumb than not waking up on time... I killed the studio mini-fridge.  Trying to be ever vigilant with studio cleanliness I decided to clean out the freezer.  The freezer has never been cleaned or defrosted and there was only about a half inch clearance between the ice and the top of the freezer.  So what do I do?  I go at it with a screwdriver like an IDIOT.  And the story ends with me puncturing the freon line and having freon spray out onto my hands and face!  GUH!  So I had to call our fabulous supply guy, Henry, and explain to him how I killed the fridge and beg for a new one... at least he got a good laugh.
So there you have it... one of the weirdest weeks ever.
Please tell me its not just me...

Sunday, September 2, 2007

Off time... and medium-sized news

So after a couple more weeks I've managed to come up with a little off time, just in time for Labor Day.  I spent most of yesterday preparing for yesterday.  Sound a little odd?  Well, it was.
I woke up late yesterday morning and decided to give Cassie a call suggesting that we go to Costco for supplies for our little opening game get together.  Unbeknownst to me this turned into a five hour trip.  First, it was just going to be there and back.  Then my mother called... 'sure we can me you at Starbucks for a cup of coffee.'  Which turned in to a great little lunch and trip to the home goods store.  Then we were on our way to the big store so we could buy big snacks.  Then Cassie wanted to go to Wrapsody, a local shop that sells up-scale odds and ends (Vera Bradley purses, personalized stationary, blah, blah, blah).  We spent another exciting half hour there.  Well, finally, on to Costco... were we debated for another hour (plus) on whether or not Luke really needed 72 Bagel-bites, whether boneless chicken wings were really chicken wings at all (five pounds it still too much, I say), or if we should go to a real grocery store.  Finally we purchased our over-sized goods and headed to Publix to spend another 40 bucks on food for four people.  Sure the case of Samuel Adams Oktoberfest was great, but geez, we had enough food for a small army!  Finally the game started.  We all gorged ourselves on over salty food (funny how that pound of baby carrots remained in the fridge) and Auburn won.  phew.
Today?  Well, most of today I've spent watching the fabulous TV phenomenon Heros.  I love it!  Does it count as the exercise that my body so desperately needs... maybe not.  But I am exhausted if that counts for anything.
Tomorrow we will be happily travelling to Montgomery for an Upchurch family gathering.  I'm really excited!  (And thanks to Costco I now have 165 sturdy paper plates for the family!)  I feel like we haven't been home in ages, even though that's not entirely true.  We will, unfortunately, be taking the bean as our sweet ride tomorrow.  The Sentra has less than 100 miles before it needs an oil change and we don't want to go over (for the sake of the warranty).  Lets hope its not a hot one tomorrow!
On to the medium-sized news...
I've been promoted!  Not the big promotion I'm hoping for this time next year, but it will definitely do for now.  The company has created a new position, 'travelling manager'.  That pretty much sums up the job description too.  I'll be able to appoint an assistant manager in my home studio and travel to other studios in the region helping out, trouble-shooting, re-training, etc.  The new position comes with an increase in pay and bonus potential and also increases the likelihood that I may have a region of my own before too long.  I'm pretty excited about it professionally, but the prospect of being away from home more is a little troubling.  I do wish that Luke could come with me when I have to travel.  He may be able to come every so often, but in between those it'll just be a fat orange fluff ball and a particularly patient husband at home awaiting my return.  I won't be the only 'traveling manager' in the region so I won't be gone all the time, but I do think that amongst all the benefits there's a little guilt built in too.  But this is the next step for me professionally and who would have guessed that it could have come so quickly!
I can't wait to see all of you in Montgomery (if possible) tomorrow, and Jason I promise we will bring you your magnet one of these times...