And so there we were, in the middle of our “training” session. You see, I had been reading this book that I picked up… “Cat Training in 10 Minutes”. We have had limited success, but enough that I had a bit of hope. I want a well trained cat. One that you just trust. Right? But tonight training was not going well. In fact she was a total rebel in all regards. Richard had told me that she gets like this, but I have never seen it. Little Versace is my baby! She can do no wrong!

But tonight she was terrible. Awful. I was losing my patience! I was… Well *she* was on my last gay nerve and I was gonna explode! She was even unresponsive to her “training”, where usually it goes pretty smooth. She is very smart after all. Anyhoo, so there we were, a soggy chip on the floor and a very naughty kitten. I cleaned up. I scooped up Versace and we went to another room where I could shut the door and eliminate distractions. She still wouldn’t behave. I decided to try a trick Richard taught me. I picked her up and flipped her on her back. I tried to calm her. She fought. I held her in place as best I could and continued. I told her she doesn’t always get her way. did she understand me? No, of course, but in my body language I think yes. After the clawing and fighting she settled at last. I eventually put her down. After a few minutes of pouting (she always pouts!) we had the best training ever and are again BFF’s.

*phew*

In non-cat news I also purposefully pissed off a grocery store clerk today. I know, I am awful. Going straight to hell. Sure. I get it. But the woman was retarded! Look. I was next. All that there was in front of me were these two dudes with like 3 things. Golden. So I waited. Dude #1’s card was declined. He then slowly counted out all the cash in his pockets. Not enough. So then his buddy emptied *his* pockets. After counting, and the recounting (BTW this was the “Express Lane") they were still 84 cents short. So dude #2 says he’ll go to the car and get the rest. WTF? So Dude one tells the clerk to go ahead and “void” the transaction and let us pay. “Oh no”, she says. “Then I’ll have to get a manager to do the void, and just to re-ring you when you get back. No way. Y’all go ahead.”

Again. WTF? Is this woman for real? So she holds up the (only) express line so dumb and dumber can go dig in their car for nickels. So I say something rude as she “apologizes” even tho we all know she has instigated the whole thing to avoid doing a *void*. “This is why I never shop at Von’s” I say. An honest remark. We have complained all the way to regional level with no results. The SoCal Safeway Co. clearly is way different than NoCal. Anyhoo. She snaps back at me. Rudely, of course, but I was not nice and expected a challenge. I was pissed. “But y’all keep on coming back!” She then told me to gather up my things and wait on check-stand #1 because she had called for back-up. I didn’t move, which was good because as expected no one came up. Even after she herself screeched into the overhead. After like an eternity dumb and dumber had found enough pennies in the car to pay and I was finally rung up. Miss Thing at the register and I bickered some more. Dude. I hate that store. It’s always the same. I am a manager in a customer service field and I cannot, will not tolerate stupidity, poor training, AND rudeness all in one transaction! But I feel bad for being so awful. But she was clearly an idiot! But I have guilt.

Gah! 

tagged: work cat service wtf bad versace kitten siamese von's

Damn. It’s only Wednesday. I am so eager to put Black Friday behind me this year. It feels like some huge speed-bump or hurdle that I need to cross this year! And I have been so exhausted the past few days from all the stress and labor of preparing for it at work. I have either gone to bed early or fell asleep on the couch while watching TV all week! Last night I fell asleep while playing Flamingo with my cat (it’s a game we play every night in an effort to tire her out so she’ll actually sleep). I woke up in the middle of the night and my light was still on, Flamingo was still in my hand, and my cat was sleeping!

Anyhoo, I gots to go get pretty for work. Just wanted to check in, since I feel totally productive this morning. 

tagged: work tired cat sleep holidays black friday

Okay, so like nobody said anything, so we must still be good on the NaBloPoMo thing… *looks around* Yup, coast is clear. We are a-okay! But I still hate DST. And not just because of my server time zone. For many, many reasons.

Anyhoo, I figured we should do one more post for good measure. *posts* No I kid. I am going to totally write something!

I am. Srsly. Dude.

So as I was saying. This time of year sucks at work. This year a bit more than usual. Trust. You don’t want a retail career when the economy tanks. But I find that with each bit of holiday decor that goes up at work I feel a bit more bitter, a bit more jaded. It used to be my favorite time of year, but now I just wish I could skip the next 60 or so days. And I realize that this is such an amazing time in our country, what with the elections and all. I should be writing passionately about the election or my feelings on the Prop 8 debacle. But to be honest, I am stuck in a state of self pity. Just like every holiday season. *sigh*

So there you have it. It’s “where I am at” as it were. I am trying to work thru it. Thank gawd for my new baby!

tagged: work politics versace depression election hoiday

I haven’t blogged in like 3 days.

Dude. There was a time where that’d been unheard of. What the hell?

Well, lately there has been a bit going on. I just recently discovered that I have used up all my weekends off till 2009. It’s a matter of a few weeks until the 6-day work weeks begin. Oy. Kill me now, right?

On another topic, we are recovered enough from Chanel’s passing to begin considering another cat. That decision has been put upon me, which makes sense since our 2 cats were Richard’s and were “in the picture” as it were, before me. Heh. So I have decided that I want, no, I need a Siamese. However I do not want a rescue cat or mixed Siamese domestic. I want the real deal. A modern Siamese purebred. A cat that is intelligent, social, and might just learn to talk. A cat descended from royalty. Not show-quality tho. I am not rich, as much as I wish to be every day. So a traditional Siamese is not out of the question.

Is it wrong? Am I selfish? Why not a shelter cat adoption? Well, because I am not a 12 year old looking for my first pet. I am a grown man and will have this cat, if all goes well, for 20 years. I’ll be over 50 when it passes. Hell, it could outlive me! I’d better be happy with it. To be perfectly frank, I am taking a risk getting a pet at all. It could just bond with Richard and hate me. Why get a cat that is less than what I want and resent it all the more because it hates me? If I found a purebred rescue Siamese I’d grab it, but those just don’t exist so far. Well at least not ones born with eyelids. I can afford a cat, but not repeated surgeries from the start.

I have always been fascinated with Siamese cats. I would love having one around, and if it loves me back? All the better. Either way it’ll give me joy just being Siamese. So I have started looking, rather unsuccessfully, for my new cat. You’d think you could just go online and look for a new cat and buy one later that day. Not so much. There is waiting. There are no kittens. They really cost just too much in today’s economy. Like $350! Imagine! But I am a man on a mission. The cost is justified by the end. My dream pet. So I search. And whine, and moan. I can picture the little guy I want it so bad. How I afford it if I do have to go with the 350 model, I do not know.

In the meantime, I do feel bad about the cats needing homes. I feel worse when folks point out the mixed siamese adopt-a-cat areas on sites. I get that there are needy cats. I have been down that road. However, this is something I have always wanted. This is my chance, since there is “room at the inn”. 

tagged: work richard cats pets selfish siamese cats kittens

So I forgot to blog anything yesterday. Dude. I suck. The thing is, I keep thinking I’ll do it when I get to work. The problem is that I just do not have the time. Not only have I been off for twelve days and am a bit underwater, but this time of year is generally crappy-busy like. Just a lot to do, even if business isn’t what we’d like it to be. Just no time to slack!

Anyhoo, so like bad me. I promise to be better. 

tagged: work blogging forgot busy

So here we are again, on International Talk Like A Pirate Day. Do you love it? I do!!

So anyhoo, What has been new here? Well other than being “All Pirate, All Day”? Well, I’ll tell ya. Not much. Between working all those weekends in a row, Richard’s birthday, and getting ready for my parents (who arrive Saturday) I am a busy and tired boy! You never realize how much time you spend at work until you try to have a life outside of work. This November and December will be the toughest yet, for that very reason. I will want to spend lots of time with my peeps, but will be working more than ever! *sigh*

So what do we think of fall decor. I have a few changes that I make around the house every fall. It’s a tiny bit early, but I think it will be fun for my mom to see it all *fall-ish* around here. I don’t think they do fall in Florida. At least not well anyways… LOL. So what? Do I put it out for mom or what?? Who knows… Tell me with a comment? 

tagged: work blogging parents work-life balance visit international talk like a pirate day

Okay, so it was Sunday morning. I had been out a bit to late, but was up early and feeling pretty good. I was opening at work and was due in by 6. I got myself showered, fed, dressed, and smelling good all with a minimal of fuss. I even made a lunch! Richard was ready earlier and headed out the door, even tho we were both due at our respective jobs at the same time. It wasn’t a carpool day, so I was lagging about 5 minutes behind him. I finally made it down stairs and was at the door balancing my man-bag, waters, lunch, and phone all at once. I opened the door to the garage to put on my shoes that are always sitting just outside that door. As I slipped on the second shoe I lost my balance.

Time stopped.

It was in slow motion that I caught myself and heard the door click shut.

Shut.

And locked.

“This can’t be happening” I thought. I blinked. I tried the door. Locked. I shook my head and tried it again. Harder. Locked.

I was in my garage with my man-bag, waters, lunch, and my phone. I had no keys. My car was locked. I was locked out out of the house. My keys were just inside. I panicked.

tagged: work richard morning emergency embarrassed event locked out

Whew! What a week! What a summer!

In fact, where did summer go? I mean srsly? It’s already Back to School! (I capitalize it, because in my industry it’s more than period of time, it’s an event.) I have to say tho, I have been having a blast. Every weekend off Richard and I have had places to go, things to do, and met new folks all along the way. It has been the Summer of Twitter, as we have made a few Twitter friends into real friends. That’s always odd at first. Going from contacting someone online thru Twitter, to actually dialing them up on the phone and getting together for drinks or meals. Heh. I love Twitter. Anyhoo, I think my summer is coming to a bit of an early close, as my work schedule has me booked the next three weekends. I don’t socialize much on my working weekends because the hours are just to extreme, what with the 5 and 7 AM starts or the late closing shifts. After the 3 weeks of work my parents arrive. 7 days of tour guide. Wee! Then we are already into October. Bam. holiday. 2 months of loooong work days, few days off… Another year passes.

Do you see why I am always tense? The passing of time is so cruel for us career retail people! Gawd I am stressed out now. Heh.

tagged: work holiday people twitter retail time weekend parents summer early

Can it be? I’m not coughing? My head… it’s not hot? I don’t feel achey? Whaat?

Okay yesterday I felt better (at least at the start). Today I’d venture that I feel.. good! Still not 100%, you won’t find me at the gym or anything, but I do feel good today. Wow. Hopefully it’ll last this time…

Does this mean I have to not only go to work, but also stay there? Ugh. For my whole shift? Double ugh! Oh well, better than lying on the couch waiting to die. Right? 

tagged: work sick flu better couch

Blog neglect is like one of the main symptoms of the flu. Did you know that?

I have been so sick! I haven’t been this ill since the start of the year. I literally thought I was going to DIE. (Have I mentioned I am am bit of a baby when I don’t feel well?) Anyhoo, I am at least up and around today. Barely. I am still hacking and wheezing and sweaty. Ugh. At least I don’t have a temperature anymore. That was the worst, when your body tries to cook itself from inside out, I hate that the most…

Oh well, back to reality. I do have to work today. I won’t be *doing* actual work. I don’t want to get the associates sick… But I will be there. 

tagged: work blog sick reality cold ill body fever flu