Gluttons for punishment.

Well, I got the job (insert exclamation point here). I have no idea how this happened. I didn't do a SINGLE thing to cater or bend and here I am. With a new job. I can't believe it. I'm actually going to be working about half an hour from home. It's like a dream....

I gave my notice today and JG said the greatest thing to me: "I'm really going to miss you around here. I like the way I am around you." (You complete me? hahahahaha) Seriously, he said everything except the brackets. I was floored. That is probably one of the nicest things ANYONE has ever said to/about me. I hope he knows how much I've enjoyed working with him.

Tomorrow's my biggest hurdle; the company picnic and telling Someone that I'm quitting. She's gonna shit her ill-fitting pants. Stay tuned.

Hi! My name's Carol. I'm a pisces. I like long walks...

Just came back from a delightfully retarded experience. I'm in the process of interviewing for a job closer to home (about 30 minutes away-as opposed to 90 minutes away) and their hiring system is jacked up.

Keep in mind that this is for a staffing consultant position at a staffing agency. During my first interview, the boss-lady escorts me to a phone and asks me to role-play (uugghh...I cringe when I think about it). She tasks me to dial her extension in the other room and wants me to call her and try to find a way to let her group know about opportunities within X company. I find it odd, but I do it anyway. I figure I've got a decent-paying job-even if it is going to give me a heart attack or bleeding ulcers within 6 months; so, what do I have to lose and what the heck. I do a bang up job and I'm asked to complete a questionnaire on my own time and e-mail it back to her. I'm also advised that they just think I'm the cat's meow and would really like for me to come to their 'hiring simulation' (I'm saying that part really slow in a Dr. Evil sort of way and making quotation marks with my fingers.) next week. I humor her and answer assinine questions, like, "What's the single most significant accomplishment in your life?" Bite me.

Anyway, I go to this simulation crap today and it's ridiculous. They get four of us in a room and make us 'role-play' (Dr. Evil/quotation marks) while 5 of their staff watch and take notes. Oh my GOD! What the hell is that? I had big-time Jerry Maguire fantasies about standing up and telling them it was the biggest waste of my time right in the middle of it.... I just had to make sure I nailed down another person from our group who would stand up right behind me and support my decision whole-heartedly. "You had me at 'hello' "...

I didn't stand up or storm out. I was complete true to thine self and I'm sure they hated it. I did almost exactly the opposite of everything they wanted. Hey, at least I did it with a smile.

So, tomorrow's back to the grindstone. Maybe it's time to redirect my energy/hostility/frustration/anger. Maybe...

Pull my strings.

Sometimes (today) I feel like a puppet. I drive a ridiculously long way to work (crossing a national border along the way, mind you) and an equal distance back home in the evening. I work ridiculously long hours and I feel as if I have nothing to show for it. Sure, I've learned a heck of a lot in the past year when it comes to blue-collar HR shit, but I have nothing to show for it. I don't feel as if I'm making the world a better place in any way. I don't feel as if my marriage has benefited from it. I don't feel as if my family and friends would think I'm a better person. If anything, I've become more of a jaded ass. I honestly try to forget and push past all of the shitshitshit that goes on daily at work. I don't remember anyone's birthday because I always feel too busy. I'm always rushed and I think I'm getting an ulcer. My ass feels as though it's spreading each second I sit in the car. I just feel like a fucking puppet.

Like some dog chained to a tree - life will seem great one moment because the sun is out and it's a beautiful day. Then BAM! It's starts pouring rain and everyone's in the house leaving me out in the rain soaking wet---calling it a learning experience.

Ready to move on.

This job is for the birds. I commute 90 minutes one way to deal with bullshit people day in and day out. This job has taken enough of my life.

Whew, I feel better.

Onto something happier... if you've been debating whether or not to live the carb-free lifestyle, go read this article about low-carbing. Probably one of the most poignant pieces on the matter. I wanna find this person and give them a HUGE hug. Makes me want some pie.

Nest.

John was trimming the bushes outside when he came upon this:

After clearing things away a bit, he showed me this:

You can just barely make out the little blue eggs inside. It seems too late for babies to hatch now and he said that they look a little 'mottled' (sp?). I read somewhere that the mom robin will discard or ignore any eggs that haven't hatched within a certain period of time. It's taking everything inside of me to not fiddle with the nest. I'm so curious to see the inner workings and get a closer look at the eggs.... Oh well. If there's no activity before we leave for Korea, I might remove the nest and finish the yardwork. I keep waiting to see if any robins are even paying attention to that area --- they're not.

Dirt.

This is my nephew, Caden. I read somewhere that 'Caden' means earth, so I've been calling him 'dirt' as long as I can remember. Don't tell my husband, but he has a crush on me.....

I ran and I ran and...

It's hot as a mug' out there. I had pretty much made up my mind that I wasn't going to run yesterday. I figured I would lazily read my latest addiction, Korealife Blog, and maybe do a little cleaning up or something like that. (yeah, that's it...) John talked me into running 6 miles - he started with 10 miles and negotiated his way down. I wanted to do nothing. He promised me a luxurious, oily massage and inappropriate behaviour if I got out there and pounded some trail.

Well, I'm an ass.

From my living room couch, the weather seemed deceptively mild so I hit the trail at 4:00p. It must have been in the 90's out there in the sun with no shade. My poor skin was screaming at me to take cover (I'm a fair-skinned redhead) or at least put some freakin' sunblock on but it was too late. I was already lumbering down the trail with my MP3 player and new NorthFace water-bottle carrier. (I'm not that impressed with it.) There was a point where I thought that I was doing okay and might even be able to eek out 10 miles, but then my sanity kicked in and I realized that even 3 miles was too much out there in the heat. I turned around at the 5k mark and headed back to the car. After about 10 minutes, I had to walk-something I RARELY do during a run. I kept trying to conserve my water and try to jog a bit. I hate feeling 'stuck' on a run and then walking. It just takes longer to get back to the car. One time I had to use the bathroom (not #1) and just ran faster so that I could get back to the car faster. If I slowed to a walk, I'd just be out there longer...

Anyway, I passed a couple gas stations and some stores and seriously thought about calling John and asking him to come pick me up, but I had no money on me and I knew that he was out in the garage and wouldn't hear the phone. I continued with my sad, little walk, jog, ask God for mercy, walk, jog, etc... routine until I got the car. I don't think I'll ever do a full-sun run like that again. Ever. (this is a good time to fade to a post in the future where I do the exact same thing) Ended up doing about 6 awful miles and I won't even report my ridiculously long time.

Decided to head out again this morning for and easy 3-miler and do the same trail, but at 8:00a instead. The weather was quite nice for summer and I ran in a new pair of Columbia technical shorts and a New Balance jersey-type shirt. I normally only run in spandex shorts, but thought I would give these shorts a try. They did well and didn't bunch up to much in the inner thigh. I never felt any akward rubbing or anything else, either. I think they're a keeper.

However, I did run in some Steve Madden low-cut socks that became the bane of my existence. They have a logo that is placed right smack on the instep/arch and normally never bothers me. Today, it felt like there was a needle pressed into my shoe everytime I stepped down. Oh my God - it hurt so much. I also managed to develop a nice, little blister on my achilles because I these stupid socks. As soon as I got home, I tossed 'em.

Separately, I don't know what's happening to my shoes. I must be running really weird, because there's MAJOR wear going on with them in a really odd place. I don't get it because I got them in March and I haven't logged any crazy mileage in them, yet. They are my first pair of Saucony, though. Hmmmm.... maybe we have mice that actually like to chew symmetrically.... whatever...