Gonzai Gallery

We've been contending with longterm construction around work, and it's getting worse every day. In large part because they're working in a busy area 8am to 6pm, when they should be doing the other way around. This morning I sat in my car for 15 minutes without moving. And it was clear we weren't going anywhere anytime soon, so I gave up, pulled onto a side street, and walked the last mile to the office. It was 28 degrees, windy and there were a couple substantial hills involved. By the time I got to the office I was exhausted and frozen, and then my legs stiffened up. And then I got to walk all the way back after work. Now, I did get where I was going before the other drivers even got to the next intersection, but I'm not sure it was worth it.

Sending the Monster on its way started fortuitously - I filled out the form online, and within an hour I received a call explaining the process, how to do the paperwork, etc and was told I'd get a call about arranging the towing, which I did an hour later. Now things start getting wonky. I thought the tow was coming today, and I needed to get home to remove the plates and turn over the title, because the title was at work with me. And I was supposed to stop by the animal hospital to meet with the clinical coordinator after lunch (he said he'd be there until 4). So I fibbed a little on the time to meet the tow truck so I could sneak over to the hospital. (My current job has no idea I'm training in another field, and I'm trying to keep it that way.) But I can't go anywhere unless my supervisor is there, and she had her own errands to run, so we agreed she'd go at noon and I'd go at 2. Well, boss shows up and wants this that and the other thing, NOW, and supervisor can't go until after 2pm. She doesn't get back until 3pm. I bolt straight to the hospital. Where they can't find the coordinator. Finally someone says 'oh, he left at 2 today.' News to not just me, but the receptionists. Terrific. They suggested I come in at 8am tomorrow. I am not a morning person. But I'll have to. I left there and headed for home, but just minutes later the tow company calls. At this point I discover we've had a disconnect in communication; they can't come today, they want to schedule for tomorrow. But I don't have to be there as long as the title is there. If I'd known that...so I schedule for tomorrow, and go back to work because I'm closer to that than home. Sheesh. Adding injury to insult, it was near impossible to get the front plates off the van. My hands are killing me.

I better get a LOT off my taxes for this...

The boss spent his birthday in lawyering hell - mediation, in the District of Columbia, fending off a nuisance lawsuit from a woman who is suing us because we tried to make her pay for her luxury vehicle.

This, in turn, meant a quiet, mostly boring day at work. Fortunately we had Sky to barf for us. Then he tried to steal my lunch. Like I'm giving him food after he pukes. We got a new copier...with a 100-plus page manual. Great. (What's wrong with the old copier? Everyone together: "It's not working!" People who watched Leverage this week, will chuckle.) I amused myself most of the day by reading political bloggers who were dumbfounded by the dumbness of a certain current Texas governor.

Now for my latest unsuccessful attempt at sleep...

I got serenaded at work (poor Sky was scared) and I also got a chocolate cake and a crysanthemum turkey. Don't ask. My nephews just called and serenaded me as well, presumably the cat was afraid. But honestly, I've spent half the day sitting in traffic. Rainy traffic. Ah, what a day.

Long a landmark and one of Baltimore's most popular 'hot' spots, the Mt Washington Tavern took the hot part literally and burned to the ground this morning. Besides eating there occasionally (we did happy hour at the Tavern just prior to seeing Springsteen a couple years back) for some odd reason if you put my office's address into a GPS or Garmin system, it sends you to the Tavern instead of our office. And apparently at least one navigation system sent people to our office if they asked for directions to the Tavern. Weird, as the Tavern is two blocks away and a bridge divides its street and neighborhood from ours.

Meanwhile, I got to work this morning by pleading my case to the police. Really. They blocked off considerably more than the immediate area, to include the road that accesses it. Nobody in. I wound up pulling up to the cops and pretty much begging them to let me go to my job. (Yes, it boggles my mind.) After I explained in detail precisely where my office was and how I would not cross paths with the firefighters to get there, they relented and let me through. That's how the boss got in this morning as well. And meanwhile it's very hazy and smoky outside, and as of half an hour ago the road is still closed. They shut down the electricity and internet to the area for a while, but it's back, and so far so good on water supply.

The most tragic thing for me? The Tavern was home to a vintage Galaga machine. Not even a Ms Pac-Man anniversary version, but the original game. Damn.

And oh yeah, just to make it a full on Monday morning, for tonight's class I was supposed to bring a stool sample from CJ. Do I remember this at 7 in the morning? Hell no. So I didn't see where she did her thing this morning, which left me traipsing around the backyard in the dark and 30 degrees searching for fresh dog poop without stepping in it. That was joyous...

The weather sucked. There is flooding all over the area, again, although interestingly the area around work wasn't bad. Usually we're the first to flood. It was nasty near home, though, and gaming was full of horror stories about closed roads and horrible backups. (Took us all of 5 minutes longer than usual. I kept my yap shut.) The scanner, one day short of its warranty expiring, decided to expire itself. Canon's tech guy gave several suggestions, and they worked. For three hours. Then right back to non-working. I think the thing has given up the ghost. Spent the entire afternoon poring through file names and numbers and could barely see straight by the time 5 rolled around. Was barely awake for the games, although I somehow managed to cook my banana bread for the gang correctly and lay a smackdown on four guys at Ticket to Ride. We're talking 75 points ahead of the 2nd place finisher. Now home and ready to drag myself to bed, hopefully to sleep for 12 hours.

Yesterday was medical day. I had an appointment with the orthopedist - who I swear is needle-happy - and he sent me out for x-rays as well. He thinks it's still just an impingement, but the pain in my biceps and elbow makes me doubt that. Still, he gave me a needle full of cortisone...directly into the space we had already determined wasn't big enough. (It's absolutely killing me today.) Then Mom had an appointment with the same doctor. Went to have blood drawn per last week's doctor. We had breakfast, drove around a bit and went to an open house (turned out the homeowner used to represent me in the Maryland legislature, and yes I voted for him), went to Borders only to find out it closed a few days earlier than it was supposed to, then off to the dentist. He wanted me right back next week to fix a cavity which was odd as I was the last patient of the day. Don't know why they couldn't just do it then. But he also wanted to do cosmetic work to the tune of two grand. I do NOT have two grand lying around. Sheesh. Went home and watched a couple movies - 'The Kids Are Alright' was just that, alright. 'How To Train Your Dragon' was a complete surprise and delight. Might even have to get it some time if the price is right.

Back to the office today, Tuesday had been crazy busy and apparently yesterday was as well. So we went for 3 straight days of chaos, and all signs indicate tomorrow will be the same. Terrific. Watching 'Up In The Air' now, how could anyone turn down George Clooney? And he's nowhere near tops on my list, but I couldn't say no.

Right after I posted last night, Mom came home. With my nephews in tow. School had been cancelled again and Mom was on grandson duty for at least another 24 hours. So instead of getting some sleep, I was shanghaied into Dominion and a late night. Then this morning, it took me over an hour to get to work due to traffic, then when I got to the office it turned out we had no internet at the office. You don't know how dependent your office is on the net until it's gone. We couldn't get much of anything done all day and there's no guarantee we'll have the net back tomorrow. Sheesh.

Hurricane-proofed the office yesterday, and finished prepping the house today. Also managed to get Mom over to the MVA for registration renewal (she lost the stickers), went to the gym, and went to Borders, probably for the last time. It was packed, and the line to checkout stretched to the back of the store. No games left, not much by way of books or CDs, but most of the DVDs I wanted were still there. Now we're holed up and watching television/using the internet while we still can.

Why didn't anyone tell me Dr Who was back today? I thought it was coming back in the fall, not August.

As a receptionist, I love it when I can completely stump people with questions like 'What is your name?', 'What is your number?' and 'Why are you calling?' Especially when the stumpee is an attorney. Heh.