An unexpected day off

So I received a phone call this morning from one of my co-workers. As this was completely unexpected, I assumed it was one of those "my name is usually first on the phone so it gets called when the phone is bumped" calls. It wasn't. It was one of those "one of the gang members I work with threatened a co-worker and so we aren't supposed to come to work today" calls. So here I am, with an unexpected day off. Well, sort of. Except that with my job, I can't work from home. It's mostly hands on with the kids or preparing stuff for the kids, or, like yesterday, calling CPS on one of the parents of the kids.

On the positive side, now I get to spend the whole day sewing. Yah!!! It's kinds like the universe is looking after me... I got free tickets to Shakespeare Santa Cruz tonight. But the show starts at 7:30p. And I don't usually get off work until 8pm. So I was going to have to leave around 5:30 to make it on time. But now... It makes my life a lot easier. Really. Now I can spend the day looking up info for work, and still make it to the show on time. Glorious. By the way, I got these free tickets by agreeing to go as a walking billboard for the Nor Cal renn faire. So, I'm going in costume. How fun. Shakespeare dressed in Shakespearian clothing. And we are getting a special box.

In other news, I have started seeing a very positive side of hot house yoga and my gym routine. I am losing weight... Finally. I am down almost ten pounds and, hopefully, still losing. What a good week... Besides the whole gang threat thing.

I have promised my housemate a ride to work. So I need to be off.

Tah.

I wanna be a German

Ok, so I have pushed Chris into the German guild at faire. I would say I am ashamed at forcing someone into faire, but... I'm not. I think he is going to have an excellent time. Plus, big hats.

Adding onto this, I have decided, if I want to walk around with him, I had better get my German on too. (Really cool hats) This means doing a little historical research into propper Frau attire. So, for your viewing pleasure...Lucas Cranach the Elder.




They are just so pretty. I hope mine turns out as well. Speaking of making things... Chris now has a propper shirt and I made my first attempt at a "Starfish" hat. It's pretty cute. We shall see how the next one comes along.

Anyway...
"A'rovin, a'rovin, cause rovin been my ruin.
I'll no more go a'rovin, with you stong lad."

Tah.

1997 Geo

I came home last Thursday is a very good mood. I had just given some pretty cool socks to my best bud, and my man is going to be the cutest German is all the world, but waiting for me on my desk was a little piece of paper that broke my happy bubble. It was a certified letter from the SCPD. My heart did a little flip and I started freaking out (just ask anyone who talked to me or saw me for those few days). There was nothing I could do about it until Friday morning. So, I spent a sleepless night thinking I was being called into court or sued for something. It was awful. (sometimes working with juvenile delinquents is rough on the sleeping.) The next morning I went to the post office. With the letter hot in hand I walked outside to discover... My little 1997 geo was about to be towed and I had ten days to do something about it. Ack!!! I cooled off a little, because, what do I care if they tow a car I don't own anymore? But then, after talking to another friend of mine, I discovered they would charge me for the towing of the car. And I was right back to flipping out.

I called into work and told them I was going to be late, and went right over to the DMV. As I sat and thought about why I should no longer trust people who I have just met, I also figured out something... I hate car salesmen!!! So I walked up to the lady at the DMV (After an astonishingly short amount of time, only half an hour)and informed her I had made a mistake and needed help. They lady asked if I had filled out a transfer of liability form. I said: No, what's that? She gave me a little half sheet of paper to fill out that would absolve me of all payments. Ya! Unfortunately the form needed the address of the guy I sold it to. SO I drove to work feeling a bit better. Once at work I looked him up. He didn't have a listed address. (and I wouldn't either if I was a car salesman.) So I took my sleuthing skills onto the private lookup sites. And for a mere 13 dollars, I now know everything about him, from his criminal history to the last several places he has lived. Ha!

Then I email the bastard. And told him I was displeased and that I was faxing him the letter. Did I mention I did this all to his work since I didn't get his home stuff? And we all know how many people see a fax when it comes through the office... Anyway he called me a little later that day and said: Oh, I'm so mad at my daughter for not changing the title... I said: Really, I don't care. I switched the title myself today. It's your problem now.

One interesting thing he did tell me though... he said his daughter crashed the car two weeks after getting it... I wonder if the air bags deployed. I give it about a 75/25 chance of not going off. The world will never know.

They're not savages...They're poor

This is what I heard walking into the office yesterday. Humm, not exactly what one might consider to be appropriate... But extremely funny. It set everyone off and we ended up making fun of each other and laughing all day. A very good thing.

Last night I followed the office manager to a yoga class. Not just any yoga... yoga in a room heated to 120 degrees! I have never sweated so much in my whole life! I couldn't even do half of the stuff because I was lightheaded. And it's not as if the poses were really hard... It was the poses plus the heat. And today my vacuum cleaning muscles were all sore. I think I will attempt this again next week and if I can see any improvement, I might continue for a while. You never know. Maybe I can do hot house yoga.

This morning my financial planner came over. In thirty two years, when I can touch my retirement plan, I will, apparently, be rich. At least that is what I think she is telling me. Well good. I'd like to be rich at some point in my life even if it's closer to the end than the beginning. She says that I'm smart for planning for my financial future now. Interesting. I was actually feeling like I should have started this a long time ago. I was thinking I was behind. Who knew?

The little clock on the bottom of this computer says it's time to go to work. So I will talk to everyone later.

Tah.

41 backpacks later

This weekend was the first of workshops. It was great. I got to see all kinds of people I haven't seen in a year and Chris is going to be a German! (big hats) And if I don't have anything to do during their parades, I get to be one for a little while too. (really big hat) I'm so excited. (really, really, big hat) Also, and just as importantly, Erin is going to be there too!!! (really, really, really big hat) I am going to have the best year ever!!!!! Did I mention the hats?

I also stopped in SJ on the way home and gave a little speech at a church and in return received 41 backpacks and supplies. (kinda like a parting gift or something) They were really nice people. And they were totally sweet to donate them to us, I know the kids who receive the stuff will be all happy and excited. Yah!!! The speech went really well. Fitting that many backpacks into my car with four people already in it made it a little harder. What I find funny is that people can believe that I work for a non-prof but they can't conceive of me going to church. Wired.

Anyway, it's late and I'm grumpy.

Tah.

A little distracted

Sorry. It's been a little hard to find time to write recently. I don't know why... Perhaps it's the Aug doldrums.

Yesterday I went to pick up all the backpacks for my work. There were 500 of them and each one filled to the brim with goodies for our kids. It was a lot of hard work, but because of it all of our kids will look sharp this up coming school year. I was looking at all the bags and realizing that I would have lots of trouble figuring out which one to get if I were going back to school. There are so many cool bags now.
Ones with built in earphones and all kinds of cell phone pockets and gadgets. I really liked the polka-dot one. It might just live in my office until someone is in real need of it. *sigh*
See how cool these are? Why didn't we get fun things like this when we were kids. By the way the black on is the one in my office.

I need to get some work done right now... Even if I don't feel like it. Oh well, that's why it's called work, right?

Thursday again

This morning I went to the Honda dealership to get another oil change. It took almost an hour, but they reset the oil gage and apparently, made the air bag sensor on the passenger side work. Who knew? Happily I now have 5,000 more miles to go before I have to do it again... You know, next month.

Not a whole lot more going on. Today I went to the Mecca which is Wal-Mart. Now don't get up in arms, I went to buy stuff for the shelter. It's very hard to keep your focus in that store. I kept wandering off down isles without thinking about it. They have so much stuff!!!

A huge positive note, the reading program at work is awesome!!! There are so many reading stars up on the walls that it is actually getting hard for the kids to find new places for them. I'm so proud! The party next week is going to rock!!!

Anything else? No, not really.

Just remember, Hurricane Chris is attacking the Southern coast. *sigh* Chris, get it?

Tah.

Tuesday at the Museum

Today was an adventure in keeping twenty kids all together at the children's museum. On the positive side, everyone had a blast. On the negative side all but two cars got lost coming home and were delayed about half an hour lost in downtown San Jose.

But playing with the water and the bubbles and making a corn husk doll was totally cool. (my doll is currently living in my car) All of the kids and councilors were having fun playing with the exhibits. I love the discovery museum. Watching the kids get all excited over learning makes my day. Plus there was pizza.

Anything else going on? Well, sort of. Chris and I are looking for a house. We have finally decided it's time to be adults and Chris has found a totally cool resource for first time home buyers. We are totally excited, and if we are accepted into the program will be looking for a house in the next few months. So cool!

Anyway, I am at work and should be acting like it.

Tah.