How About That?

Contact lenses. Get out! Not me, silly! Nemesis. One thing about the folks down here is (folks anywhere, really), they don't mind asking you your bizness. What a hoot! Nemesis was over to help us with those boxes that are multiplying and a woman walked in and asked her if that was her natural eye color. "Contact lenses," was the reply. "I knew it! Hazel brown, right?" "Yes." "I have the same color." People, I was too through. Haven't I said, or meant to say if I didn't, how pretty her eyes are? Shows how much I know, especially since every other person down here, male and female, have green, blue, hazel eyes.

Abscess in the mouth. Painful as hell. Wednesday night, I thought that I was going to lose my mind. If I could have found a way to lance it without killing myself, I would have. Remember that play, movie, whatever, "They Shoot Horses, Don't They?" That phrase kept bouncing around in my head all that night. Found some super-duper painkillers from the D.C. dentist, probably as old as I am but it didn't matter; all I needed was relief. I'd gotten the names of several dentists in Brownsville and hauled into Dr. Russell's practice Thursday afternoon. A real southern gentleman. The suite is decorated in the English gentleman's club style--woods, leathers, pastoral paintings, etc. I was looking around thinking "How much is this going to cost me?" Yea, Delta Dental. The payment was below reasonable. The good side: antibiotics and painkillers. The bad side: referral to a dentist in Jackson. It is becoming very clear that for anything major (shopping, medical care, you name it), you must go to Jackson or Memphis. I'm taking the antibiotics by the fist-full but it is still there. Jackson, here I come.

So, on Friday, we were to have a team to help us with the boxes. Two of the members showed...one, the HR manager (and did we really expect him to stuff boxes?) was busy interviewing via phone. Me and my cohort were busy handling all of the personnel issues. Nemesis threw up her hands. Unbelievable! The frenetic pace of the office; the inordinate amount of boxes to be sorted. She suggested that he bring in more people 'cause it just wasn't going to happen in the assigned time frame. Now we have a conference call in which it is announced that the hours for the training coordinators are being cut to the bone. Be careful what you wish for, Gwen. At least, I'll have help two days a week.

Now we pile into his car and go to lunch. This is the opportunity to pick his brain. In the middle of eating and talking, this little voice states that our hour is up. All eyes right...huh? "Our hour is up." HR says, "Don't worry about it, you're with me." When we get back to the store, she wants to know how she is to handle the extra time. Lesson #1, when you're with the boss, you don't worry about your time. He'll handle it. Bless her soul.

Think I can get an invite for beer at the WH? Since 44 is under pressure to retract, redact, and otherwise act, he needs someone at the meeting who can clearly articulate the facts. I'm up to the task.

Boys and girls, my Saturday was blown to smithereens. First, a 4-hour-job took all damned day. Secondly, a component of Microsoft Office went on the blink. Install, uninstall, detect and repair (not working), install, uninstall, curse, pray. Finally have to call support and totally pissed at having to pay for it. But, it is fixed. I'm happy.

My letters to the police chief and mayor finally paid off. Found two calling cards from Ripley's finest; one in the mailbox, the other in the door. Of course, they came during their business hours and I'm in another town. But the cards are desktop produced and each has a different theme. What happened to consistency as a means of showing professionalism? What a hoot!

Be blessed everybody. I'm off to see what I can get done today that I couldn't get done yesterday.