Words, Words, Words, Words

My company holds its party in the afternoon at a restaurant. They do that because they know most people don't like doing work things after they get home for the day. I think this is pretty swell, and besides we get out early (party starts at 3).

Because this is a late lunch/early dinner sort of thing, people in the office bring in food today so we don't die of hunger before the big meal.

slammerkinbabe used to work with a woman who would moan loudly every time people brought in food, worrying about calories and such. I often have to stop myself from doing the same thing. Still, it's amazing how often food turns up in the kitchen.

This makes me feel doubly good about my mystery story, since that's the beginning premise.

Anyway...

I've been meaning to bring this up, and never got around to it. I was suprised that more people on my flist didn't talk about that whole 'My Space/Suicide' thing when it was in the news.

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I'd like to hear your opinions on this matter, if you feel like sharing them.

I may have mentioned how I was given the opportunity to make some extra money last night by working a party.

Yeah...that sounds a bit slutty.

What I meant was, the Big Boss Guy at my work hosts a party every year for the executives of the company at his Rittenhouse Square Apartment. (which by the was is not where they live. They keep the place for entertaining purposes only. Good to be the king.)

In addition to the caterers and the butler (I met a Butler. One more thing to cross off my list of things to do before I die) he likes to hire a person to make sure the bathrooms (3) are stocked and kept clean, and to make sure the floors don't get messy with dropped food, etc. In the past he's had the college age cousin of one of my co-workers do it, but this year the cousin couldn't and my co-worker, knowing I'm a bit skint, asked if I wanted to do it and naturally I said yes. He pays $200 for this, you understand.

So last night I put on my pretty cranberry colored dress and went off to the party. I suppose there was potential to feel a bit, what's the word, not humiliated...humbled, I guess, being in something of a 'maid-like' position, but oddly enough, my ego got stroked on many occasions.

First off, Big Boss, when asked about me (I'm assuming) told people that I was an actress, which I thought was really nice.

Then, I was chatting with the wife of my superior, and when I mentioned I had a 10 year old son she said, 'You must have been a young mother!' and I said, well, I was 30 when I had him, and she said she was shocked because she thought I was only in my twenties.

As part of the entertainment, there was a man who did a (dead-on) George Burns impersonation, and George said I looked like Sigourney Weaver.

So, yes, lots of ego stroking. Also, lots of people said I was doing a bang-up job making sure there wasn't a crumb on the floor. And there were some spills, so I did feel like I earned my keep.

Not for nothing, but it says something that I spent much of the night composing LJ entries in my head, complete with nick-names for some of the guests. For example, There was Hot British Guy with his girlfriend Push-Up Bra. Seriously, she was weariing this empire-waist dress with spaghetti straps, and her breasts were practically spilling out the top. Sheesh.

There was also Inappropriately Dressed Girlfriend of Some Guy. She was wearing knee-length black boots over black stockings and a really short dress that looked more like a tunic, and to call the neckline 'plunging' is being generous. It went down to her navel.

The best part, probably, was a the end end of the night I went home with a gigantic chocolate cake and a check for $350.00.

I can buy Christmas presents. Yay!

Well, I survived my first week back at work. It's fine. The people are nice. Can't say much about the work yet, as I'm really still learning, but so far it isn't horrible. It's a pretty good atmosphere and like I said, the people are nice.

I'm exhausted, however. It's really hard to get back into that groove. It doesn't help that every day I've come home I've had to cook dinner, even though the husband was home and could have done it, and that every day I come home as well as trying to keep up on the housework.* I know I could ask him to do it and he would, but that's not the point. You'd think it would at least cross his mind. And I don't really want to ask because I'm sure he'll take it the wrong way, and we'd get into an argument. Especially since, knowing me I'd probably phrase it in a bitchy way.

In good news, I got the new Terry Pratchett book. It was awesome, as usual. I wasn't sure I thought Moist would be able to carry a 2nd book, but I quite liked him. It worked well.

I haven't seen Heroes yet. I had rehearsal this Monday and missed it. Someone was supposed to TiVo it, but I don't know if I'll ever get a chance to see it.

I'm sure I had many more interesting things to say, but my brain is ded.

*We'll see how long that lasts...

Cookie to anyone who gets the quote in the subject line. (To be fair, the last bit should read 'cast into the pit for all eternity' but I ran out of room)

First day was good. The woman who is training me said it was 'hard to get fired from this place' so, should it happen to me, I shall assume the mantel of the biggest loser in the universe. Just giving you a heads up.

Really though, I'm hoping the work will be something I don't screw up, because I quite like this company. The people are nice, the company as a whole is very laid back and flexible. The CEO is Russian, as is the tech guy, which for some reason I think is kinda cool. The tech guy's name is Vlad, even.

Hope you all have a swell day.

So, in a few minutes I will be off to my new job. It isn't an exciting job, it isn't a mid-life career change that will give me fufillment and peace of mind, but it will pay the bills.

Hopefully I won't screw this one up.

At any rate, I won't be able to leisurely peruse my friends list today, not until I get home, so I hope you all have a good day, and I'll catch you up in the evenings.

PS. Does anyone in the UK have an easy Hot Pot receipe that they could send me? Possibly one that substitutes the lamb for something less, er, lamby?

Have a good day everyone.

Apparently the company I intervivewed with wants me to start on Tuesday. It's 'temp to perm' so if they don't like me or I don't like them, it won't go into permanent, which is a good arrangement, I guess. And hopefully I won't screw up too badly and they will want me on permanently.

I can get health insurance from the agency that sent me there for not too much money, so that's good.

So, my stay at home momness is over. That is sad. It was doing Charlie so much good not to have to be in any kind of afterschool thing. Now I need after school care again.

The good thing is the job is literally only 5 minutes away from home, and the company is very family oriented and therefore flexible and understanding.

So yay. It's not what I wanted, but it's getting me out of this rut. Hopefully we'll be able to catch up on our bills and stuff.

Oh, PS. elfmanfan - they have Doctor Who toys action figures collectible items at the 'Hall of Heroes' store in the Cherry Hill Mall! The nice man who works there showed me this totally nifty TARDIS playset that's coming in soon too. No, not playset. Collectible. Yeah. Collectible.

The nice thing about being a temp is you can come in and do a fabulous job and the people think you are awesome, and then you leave before you can screw it up.

Charlie would also like the "ABC" song by the Jackson 5, but frankly I'm not so sure I want Michael Jackson anywhere near my iPod, even as a child.

I finally got to see the last episode of Gilmore Girls. It was nice. I got teary.

Have I mentioned yet I actually am going to be singing in public during the run of The Tempest. Scary.

Hope you all had a good day. I was on the computer for about 9 hours solid today, but didn't get to check the interweb once.

Sleep now.

I have a one-day temp job tomorrow; they need someone to work in Visio. I've not worked in Visio in about 40 million years, and I said so but apparently the fact I know what it is counts for something, so there you go.

I believe once I get this one-day paycheck I'm able to sign up for their health insurance, so that's good. And then I have the interview on Wedensday.

Currently I'm working on getting over the resentment I'm feeling about the fact that I have to find someone else to watch my child. Millions of women do it; I did it for most of his life, it will be fine, but still...resentful.

But money...yay money. That's a start.

I just read this book called The Jane Austen Book Club.* It was good. There's discussion questions at the end, written by the characters, and one of them asked Do you ever wish your partner had been written by some otehr writer, had better dialogue and a more charming way of suffering? Which writer would you choose?

I thought that was an interesting question. The first half of the question is a definite yes. The author? I wouldn't mind Terry Pratchett writing me a partner. Or Jane of course.

How about you?


*Oh, good lord there's going to be a movie. Why? Whywhywhywhy? Can't books just be books? Isn't there anyone in Hollywood who can write an original screenplay? Gah.

ETA: And the character Jocelyn who is supposed to be in her fifites is now 40. My age. And they guy who is supposed to be in his late 40s is now in his mid 30s. I think I'm going to cry.

Ya know, I'm not against pornography, really. I think it has a place in society, and sexual fantasy can play a vital role in any good relationship. So why is it the majority of those spyware things are horrible pornographic things that get stuck on your computer? They are annoying and do nothing to change the preception that the people who run the porn industry are nothing but horrible, evil, leeches on society.

Anyway...

Have a job interview on Wednesday. A 'temp to perm' situation. It's basically an admin position but they need someone who knows her way around a sentence, so it may be okay. It's in Pennsauken, which isn't far, and the hours are 8-4:30, which is also good. So, wish me luck.

I had other things to say, but now I can't remember what they were. I'm sure they were full of wit and wisdom though.

Incidentally, this is my favourite photo of Charlie from his birthday party. He'd just opened the musical card I got him. He loves those things, and this had his other favourite song, "ABC" by the Jackson 5.

I'm off in a few minutes to meet with an employment agency, Office Team. It's all temporary and 'temp to hire' office worker stuff, I think, but it's necessary.

It feels quite a bit like giving up, to tell you the truth. I really hoped that this, the 2nd half of my life, I'd find work I really enjoyed, but unfortunately I need money too much. I can tell myself this time it will be different, but it will probably be the same old cycle - I'll get an Admin job, get bored, start making mistakes, and get fired.

I get to take a 'skills' test, i.e. a typing test. Woo hoo.

Wow, this came off a lot more bitter than I meant it to. Sorry.

Let's see, good things...Charlie's actual birthday was nice. His paternal grandparents sent him a present - a Vilgax battle ship - so now he pretty much has every Ben 10 toy a child could ask for. He got the Alien Laboratory, which doubles as Grandpa Max's RV, with his Toys R Us gift certificate.

We went to Friendly's with my friend and her kids last night because I had a coupon for a free kid's meal, and they sang to Charlie, which he really enjoyed.

And he seemed to enjoy his first day of school, so that's nice.

Anyway, I'll let ya all know how it goes, if you're interested.

Later.