Happy Trails to you…..

Since I'm awake before I actually have to pack and leave AZ, I thought I'd recount my weekend to you:

Tom and I stayed up all night on thursday night doing the music for my grandparen'ts 50th anniversary presentation, and Tom takes me to the airport at around 5am for my flight at 6:15. There is no Continental checkin counter, so I go to the Northwest counter as instructed. They can't seem to find my e-ticket reservation, so they call Continental to get some more info. They're able to find my returning reservation but not my outgoing. Time passes as they're on hold with Continental and are also trying to check me in at the same time. The security dude checks my baggage, and I'm ready to go except for that little issue of not having plane tickets.

Time passes... I miss my flight... They decide to give me a flight with northwest and send me on my way, but have to recheck me in. In the process of standing at the counter for 45 minutes, I've become a threat to national security and am now a "selectee." Basically, what a selectee is, is someone who gets poked and prodded and searched extra carefully, just in case the person might be a terrorist. It's a good thing I didn't have my knitting needles, and I made sure to properly pack my caddle prod in my checked luggage, or something really dangerous could've happened. At that point, I didn't care, though. I was happy to have a flight. I was tired. I got some coffee, went through security, and sat at the gate.

I got on the plane and found my seat in the exit row. As the flight was about ready to take off, the stewardess came to the exit row to make sure we were aware of our responsibilities as habitants of the exit row. Yes, I was willing to help in the case of an emergency, now leave me alone so I can sleep. However, I was also asked if I was 15 years of age (you have to be 15 to sit in the exit row). I said, yeah, I'm 24, but thanks. So I was wearing pigtails and a hoodie... but 15? Christ...

Getting to Detroit and out to Phoenix was uneventful. When I got off of the plane (2:30 EST), I had about 4 voicemails about the phones at ABLE being all messed up, so I called NEC and put in a high priority ticket. Thanks for giving me a bit of peace and quiet folks. NEC's number is in my contacts. You can get to those. *sigh* After that, everyone that met up at the airport went out to Luke AFB and to run some errands. Later in the evening, we met up with my step sisters and hung out a bit. It was fairly uneventful.

Saturday morning, I loaded the presentation onto my mom's laptop, relinked it, and wrapped some candy bars with preprinted stuff on them for the events later in the evening. We all had some errands to run, but there was some confusion in the plan making which ended up in Mom and Larry fighting, of which no one was too fond. After much kabutzing, we were on the road and running errands. That went well, thank god. We all split up to go get ready and were meeting back at the Officers club at Luke AFB to setup. That went without a hitch, guests started to arrive and then finally Gramma and Grampa came in and hugged everyone in the room. It's really unfortunate that more people from Ohio didn't come. My grandpa's 3 brothers didn't even bother make it. Way to go guys.

Everyone enjoyed the presentations, food, letters, toast, the cake, etc. It was a great event and my grandparents had a lovely time. Afterwards, I went with my step siblings to their suite at the AFB. We hung out for awhile and then ended up waiting at the curb of a circle K (something was afoot) outside of the base for their cousin John, who also lived in Phoenix. He was nice enough to give me a ride home. I was pooped and it was 4:30 EST.

Sunday, we had a brunch with everyone who could make it, at the Heritage, where the Moynihans (family friends) live. It was soooo good. The with Weight watchers thing went right down the tubes. Oh well, how often do you have special occasions like this? Yeah, that's right... not very fricken often. Besides, because of my grammas bountiful excursions to Costco and the grocery store, I had been eating salad all weekend, so maybe I was within points. Who knows. Anyway. Afterwards, we hung out at the Moynihans beautiful apartment and then headed back to our place. The rest of the day was pretty uneventful. Larry and Mom fought again, surprise, surprise.

Now I'm on my way home and I really didn't get to spend any QT with my family. At least I will get to see my grandparents over thanksgiving.

I miss Tommy a lot, but I don't miss work. Now it's time to pack....

09.29.03 9:15am(2 comments)

bitching about my job

I'm overworked and underpaid... and this is okay with everyone. Even me sometimes. I know I shouldn't be bitching. I know that I am so lucky to have my job and many others would love to have my job. I should feel guilty, and I do, rest assured. I love my job. I love what I do. I just wish that there were more of me or more hours in a day. I feel so bad for not being able to get everything done. I want to make it all work without glitches and I don't want random weird shit to happen to printers or to my network. I'm so tired of not knowing enough and never having time to learn or figure it out, or starting to research a problem and getting sidetracked by 5 more problems.

It's such a vicious cycle.

I know that I'm here late nights, always on call, sacrificing much of my personal life, doing everything that I can to make sure the shit happens the way it's supposed to. I know that people have a tendancy to treat me like shit when they're having a computer problem. I know that even though I try to ignore it, I don't. I know that I'm tired and worn out. I know that I'm always thinking about work. I know that I'm slowly getting sucked in. It's so hard to detach anymore.

It would be better if they didn't throw away the 1 1/2 full time employees for whom I had asked, at least that would give me some hope. It would be better if I were actually being paid for the extra time that I'm working because I sure as hell can't take comp time. It would be nice if I weren't made to feel guilty every time I spend the money that has been budgeted for me to spend. It would be nice if I could actually stand up for myself and ask for the compensation that I more than deserve. It would be nice if I weren't quickly turning into that bitter, jaded network admin that stops caring, forgets about client service and starts playing video games.

It's a good thing I'm going to Phoenix tomorrow because I'm about ready to crack.

You ever have one of those days where you feel like you're finally starting to accomplish something and then you're presented with just as much if not more obstacles to overcome?

It is the best of jobs... it is the worst of jobs...

okay I'm done...

09.25.03 5:24pm(0 comments)

You’re all gonna love this one

What do you really think of me?

Don't be afraid, be honest ;)

09.19.03 6:10am(3 comments)

We’ll miss you Johnny Cash

Well, you wonder why I always dress in black,

Why you never see bright colors on my back,

And why does my appearance seem to have a somber tone.

Well, there's a reason for the things that I have on.

I wear the black for the poor and the beaten down,

Livin' in the hopeless, hungry side of town,

I wear it for the prisoner who has long paid for his crime,

But is there because he's a victim of the times.

I wear the black for those who never read,

Or listened to the words that Jesus said,

About the road to happiness through love and charity,

Why, you'd think He's talking straight to you and me.

Well, we're doin' mighty fine, I do suppose,

In our streak of lightnin' cars and fancy clothes,

But just so we're reminded of the ones who are held back,

Up front there ought 'a be a Man In Black.

I wear it for the sick and lonely old,

For the reckless ones whose bad trip left them cold,

I wear the black in mournin' for the lives that could have been,

Each week we lose a hundred fine young men.

And, I wear it for the thousands who have died,

Believen' that the Lord was on their side,

I wear it for another hundred thousand who have died,

Believen' that we all were on their side.

Well, there's things that never will be right I know,

And things need changin' everywhere you go,

But 'til we start to make a move to make a few things right,

You'll never see me wear a suit of white.

Ah, I'd love to wear a rainbow every day,

And tell the world that everything's OK,

But I'll try to carry off a little darkness on my back,

'Till things are brighter, I'm the Man In Black.

09.12.03 7:18am(9 comments)

Shout out to Mark

Since I'm too tired to write anything, I'm copying some good stuff that someone else wrote (it's the American way). I found this on Mark's website and thought it to be particularly insightful:

"Its that day again, the dreaded 9/11.

Let us never forget the horrors of that day, but let us never use it as an excuse for blind patriotism, lest those that suffered and died that day, be lucky in death, for they do not bear the shame of the actions of those that survived.

Sad that so many Muslims in this country have suffered needlessly, in the name of blind patriotism. Have we learned nothing? Is this only the land of the free, if you happen to be a good, white, christian?

I'd hope not, but I am an optimist."

Oh yeah and big Congrats to Mark and Kim on their engagement :)

09.11.03 11:28am(3 comments)