Week 1, Day 4 and 5 and 6 and 7

Holy Crap, I hate catching up.  Except that I love this.  

I always thought about having a blog, but didn't think it'd be all that entertaining, but as I write and just let myself DIGRESS however the hell I feel like, well, it seems to work.  I guess.

Anyways, now we're on Thursday.  I actually took notes on my iPod touch for you guys on this day.  Why?  well, you'll see.

We woke up late Thursday (so typical of us), and I had to get the BBB to work.  Also, there was a....thing that my Xemployer set up for everyone in this area who got laid off.  They extended the EAP benefits longer for us (if you need a hug, the EAP will give you one), hired a company and gave each of us a 4 hour career planning session, and both of these companies were doing an introduction seminar.  It was also a nice way for us to say goodbye to people we didn't get to say goodbye too.  This was at the Radisson downtown, and was starting at like 930 i guess.  

But, as usual, we were LATE!!!!!  

So, I dropped off the BBB at a bit before 10 am, hit El Starbucko's (my usual Starbucks, which I love, employs 90% Spanish women.  They are wonderful, and very good to me,

 but I just can't help but call it El Starbucko's!) and got my 4 shot 3 pump vanilla latte on my Starbucks Gold Card (which I got for free, cuz i'm insane and spend money at Starbucks), and went on my way.  I got to the session a bit late, and I knew I had to leave early too, but it started late.  There was about 35 people there (less that I had expected, though I wasn't surprised), and the EAP lady was spouting her crap.  

And that brings me to my notes, which I will now transcribe for you:

• Woah.  This must be the EAP person.  She's talking about the stages to acceptance!  Denial bargaining acceptance anger!  This is hilarious.
• Only goof off for a couple of days???  but I have months planned for that!  OK, I'll admit it, I'm one of the lucky few in a position that I may be able to do that, but still...
• She's talking about nutrition now.  Do people really get THIS Fucked up from job loss?
• There's about 35 people here.  Someone brought up relief.  Everybody laughed.  I think most of us are relieved.
• Don't blame the company or ourselves.  CHECK!  I blame the company for so many things, but this isn't their fault.  I actually really loved that place for a lot of reasons.  6 jobs in 5 years no dress code lots of fun people it was like college plus I got away with my fair share of slacking!  Now, I worked really hard, don't get me misinterpret.  I had some damn hard jobs and I WORKED!  But, over time, I learned to balance working my ass off with absolute slack!
• Ut, she just said our job search was a mountain and we can't climb it with one step but ooooohhh someone carved stairs!!  VOMIT  Does this work for people???
• What she's saying is the importance of the journey.  Now, she's a pile of cheese, but the lesson is important.  Life is a journey and thats where we learn and grow.  Where you end up in unimportant.  
• Someone just brought up being numb.  Ooh, its queen negative.   Moving on.
• Ron mentioned being past anger.  That made me crack up.  Ron?  Love you, but when have you ever been past anger?
• I love Jen Grindl!  We just keep giving each other that pompous 'I'm enlightened and this woman is full of shit' smile.  Glad she's here.  Her silent giggles keep me going through crap like this.
• Is it fucking worth it YES IT IS

There.  That was it.  Fun, eh?  Then I had a few minutes to talk to people and collect email addresses, and I had to be off.  See, each week I read to this 3rd grader on my lunch break!  Its a program called Everybody Wins.  For 45 minutes a week, we read as much as we can.  It helps the kids develop reading skills.  We're currently reading about Vermicious Knids.  name that book.

Then, stopped by the office since I missed my morning visit.  Saw a few friends I hadn't seen yet.  

Off to Newbury Street.  

Its time for the story of my boots:

Sometime in the fall of 2006, I finally got this pair of John Fluevog boots that I had always

 wanted.  Aren't they excellent?  Yes, they are.  So, after 2 winters, all of the stitching in the front had come apart.  So, in about April of 2008, I brought them back for repairs (they have

 some sort of guarantee).  I picked them up later that month, and put them in the closet until winter came.  So, sometime in December 2008, as I'm wearing them, I notice my back hurts.  I also notice that one of the boots feels taller than the other.  I look at the soles, and one is way more worn down than the other.  I've never done that to shoes before.  I look a bit closer, and things look weird.  Strange markings, things like that.  Then I notice the size is on the inside of the tongue.  The boots I bought are size 10 1/2, as was the right boot.  The left boot, on the other hand (not foot, though, yes, foot) was only a size 10!  yup, they gave me someone else's boot!  And it had been 8 months before I noticed!  DAMMIT!!!  So, I had been meaning to do something, and now...well, now I have the time!!!  I had called on Wednesday and spoke to the manager, and she thought it was bizarre, and promised some sort of solution by Thursday when I came in.  So, we talked and laughed about it for a while, and she brought me out a new pair.  They went back to their original manufacturer since the new one they had been using wasn't as good (hence the stitching falling apart in my boots).  So, these new boots should actually last me.  I got to keep the old ones in case the other poor soul with my boot happens to come in, and got a brand new pair at a HUGE discount.  SUCCESS!!!

So, that made the day worth it.  Especially since, when I got to back bay, I was starving, and decided to go to California Pizza Kitchen in the Pru mall.  I never go to malls, and thought as I was wading through the muck and mire that is the general populace of mall shoppers, shit, how do I even know if CPK is still there?  And, of course, when I got there, it was temporarily close for remodeling!  DAMMIT!  In hunger desperation, I stupidly went to Legal Sea Foods.  Here's my notes from that:

• Stuck at Legals.  Clam Chowder n Crispy fish sammich
• Good service so far.  Drinking a Julius Echter.  He did the bottle roll, but didn't leave enough beer to really catch the sediment.  oh well.
• Chowder is ok.  good thickness, but needs bacon and more clams.  Bland at first, but got better.  
• Roll with Cabot foil wrapped butter.  a bit low class.
• Wow, organic ketchup!
• Listening to two woman probably in their forties cluelessly talking about facebook.  "I don't lke people to be able to see what I look at and that I'm online"
• Sammich HUGE, greasy, tall, too greasy, very bland, thank god for tartar n lemon n vinegar.
• Full now.  Waiter was excited about my beer choice.  Points for him.
• Never eat Legals again!!!

So, now that that's over, I have to pick up the BBB for a doctors appointment to look at the broken foot.  I'm so early, I stop by my Xoffice to see more friends, cuz why not.

Then, to her office.  Of course, she's in the middle of stuff and I wait, and wait, and wait.

Needless to say, we drive to the doctors very late and they are closed.  So, time to go home.  

I don't remember what is for dinner, oh well.  But there's the season premier of Hells Kitchen is on tonight.  Love it.  Watched a bunch of other stuff too, Flight of the Conchords, a bad movie, etc.

DAY 5

TGIF!!!  NOT FOR ME!! Everyday is Friday.  Actually, everyday is Saturday, suckas!!!!!!

This day is much easier to document.  And I'm sure you're getting tired of reading!  I do appreciate your interest, however.  So, I'll try to list this day out for you!

• Drive BBB to work
• El Starbucko's
• Stop by Xoffice and see peeps.  Every time I see someone else, which is nice
• Drive an hour to my Father's house in Ashland
• Hang out with him, have lunch, secretly hope he'll give me money (to no avail)
• Get my LAPTOP!!!  Yes, my Father, who has used Mac computers since the beginning, was talking about getting a new MacBook Pro since his was 2 years old and he uses it lots for work.  I have a 9 year old G4, so I said PLEASE DO, and give me your old one.  SUCCESS!!!  I now have a 2 year old MacBook Pro.  Psyched!!!!!!!!!!
• Go to the Mall, so I can return a pair of way too expensive way too fancy boots that I bought in leu of my Fluevogs, and then ended up hating (yes, Xcoworkers, the Prada's are GONE).  Returned to Nordstroms no questions asked, cuz they love me there!
• Joined my dad in the Mac Store.  He was having some computer issues, and needed to buy a few things.  Got all my questions answered about how to move everything from my G4 to my MacBook.  Now I just need to find the time.
• Back to my Dad's, got the car, stopped at the Citizens bank near his house to deposit my severance check that came in the mail on Thursday, and the $500 in gift checks from my 5 year anniversary at my Xemployer.  Yay, I have money!
• Drove back to Boston, to the BBB's office.  Of course she was busy, and I waited....and waited... and waited......
• Finally left, and went straight to Ten Tables!!!  Yes, its Friday, which is Ten Tables night.  Had a nice bottle of Beajoulais, a charcuterie plate of Chicken Liver Pate and Pork Rillet with homemade mustard, pickled shallots onions and cauliflower, and apricot compote, Then a Moroccan spiced swordfish, then a yummy steak with Salsa verde and rosemary spiced polenta cakes.  YUM.  Finished with a cup of coffee and Ginger cake.  
• Home.  Bed.  Friday, DONE (watch the F word and you'll understand the whole 'Friday, Done' thing

Weekend:

• Saturday, sleep in a bit.  
• Drive to Needham, Acupuncture
• Trader Joes in Needham, cuz we has need
• Bed Bath and Beyond, cuz the BBB needs a shower seat
• Home, make fire, eat frozen TJ's pizza
• Pick up Patrik, drive to friggen Groton Ma (didn't realize there WAS a Groton Ma) to see Scott perform a few songs with an old college friend.  Pretty good show.  They played M by the Cure, Dancing Barefoot by Patti Smith, and (!) Love is a Battlefield by Pat Benetar.  Oodles of fun
• Dropped them both off, Home, Bed.  Saturday, DONE

• Sunday, sleep in a bit.
• Start getting laundry together and doing it
• Coffee in my french press with TJ's Soy creamer (actually good)!
• Start cooking and cleaning!  Kitchen needs a sprucing, and we've got things to make.  You see, I volunteered to pick up my friends Mimi and Steven (who own O2 Yoga) and their 2 kids from the airport as they end their 6 week Mexico trip (jerks) and drive them to Rye, New Hampshire where they live.  So, BBB and I decided it would be nice to cook them dinner, since they've been gone so long.  She's also a vegan, as are the kids I guess (at least Veg), and we had a great recipe in mind.  From the book Vegan with a Vengance (from the Post Punk Kitchen), its a casserole I guess, Maple Mustard Potatoes, but basically its Potatoes, Onions, and Green Beans with Garlic, Dijon Mustard, Maple Syrup, Olive Oil, and Tamari.  So easy, and So yummy.  We've made it from a side dish to a main course by adding Tofurkey Sweet Italian Sausage, which are really good in things!  We also made Vegan raspberry chocolate cookies from the same book (or perhaps their other book, the Veganomicon).  Made 2 things of the casserole, cuz we wanted one for us (in fact, I'm eating it right now, so yummy!).  I'm going to post the recipe at the blog I created for Mimi, the O2 Yoga Vegan Exchange!
• So, cooking, and cleaning up while cooking.  And eating while cooking!  
• Left the house at 6pm, drove to Logan.  Things were clusterf*cked, but I won't go into detail.  
• Picked up the family, and began the trip to Rye, about an hour.  Fun drive.
• Got to their amazing house, which I'll tell you about some other time
• Joined by 3 of their friends, and everyone LOVED the casserole.  And the cookies.  We also brought salad fixins (I made the salad dressing myself - Olive Oil, Lemon Juice, Rosemary, Oregano, Thyme, Basil, and fresh minced Garlic with salt n pepper), a bottle of Allagash Interlude (which is amazing, and better be at $20 a bottle), a bottle of Unibrou's Trader Joes special anniversary ale, and a bottle of Cisco's Celebration Libation that I've been aging since my wedding!
• Fun was had by all.
• I left at about 1030, drove all the way back home, got here about midnight
• watched some bad TV, Bed, Weekend DONE