It's 6:00 p.m. and I'm still at The Job.
What's up with that?
Well, I'm working a double shift. Coworker Lucy called in sick and Coworker Jim, who is the standby this week, asked if I could cover the shift because of a family commitment. Nice guy that I am, I said, sure. It's cool though, since I don't think anyone actually expects me to do anything. I mean, I'm a Day Person now, right? All I have to do is sit here and answer the phone. Maybe open the mail.
Let me put that another way.
All I'm going to do tonight is answer the phone and open mail.
After the day I've had, I think that's about all I'm going to be capable of doing.
Still alive and counting the hours. - G.

I was going to post a pic of Anchorage today, snatched from one of the usual webcams, but all of the pics are shitty. Which is sad, because it's a really nice morning. The sky is clear, the sun is out and I'm not wearing a coat. Spring has sprung.
Maybe I can post a nice picture later.
Still alive and enjoying the morning. - G.

Apparently, I have One of Those Faces.
I was heading out to lunch today and Officer Guy, down in the lobby, told me I reminded him of a fellow he used to know, years ago. He said I looked just like him; same build, close resemblance in the face, even the personality was similar. Apparently, this fellow went on to fame and fortune as a radio newsreader.
I, alas, have not gone onto fame and fortune as anything.
Well, not yet, anyway.
But one day I just know I'll win the lottery!
Still alive and living in hope. - G.

A Nice Day

It's a very nice day here in Anchorage. So nice, I should really post a webcam photo to show everyone, but I'm a bit tired of webcam photos. I suppose, if I were industrious, I would go out and buy a cheapo digital camera and upload pics to this blog.
But, not to put too fine a point on things, the last time I had a digital camera the pictures I took with it weren't exactly "family friendly." I'd rather not be tempted to go down that road again.
I went out for lunch and the sky was clear blue with highs in the 50s. There's a little wind, but not much. It seems that spring has finally deigned to show up, here on the Last Frontier.
During lunch, I went to Barnes & Nobles and bought a hazelnut breve from their cafe. Honestly, I wish that I hadn't. They've got a slew of new trainees working there and, to be honest, the quality of their beverages has gone down hill. I think I'll hold off on going there again until they get them properly trained. And I'm not ordering any more of their frapacinos until they go back to the original recipe. The last one I got was absolutely horrid. It tasted of nothing but milk and melting ice. Yuck.
Their bookstore, however, remains one of the bright lights of existence, here in Anchorage. I bought a copy of Stephen Hunter's The Court of Air, which I'm quite looking forward to reading. I've mostly finished the books I bought last week and need some new reading material. And I should seriously pack up some of the books I've finished and haul them off to the used book store. It's getting to the point that I can't see the floor next to my bed. If the stack gets any higher I can retire my bedside table.
Hope everyone out there is having a nice day.
Still alive and enjoying the sunshine. - G.

Splat

That sound you just heard is the sound of me hitting the wall.
Seriously, this Monday has lived up to all the Monday propaganda.
Everyone at The Job is sort of staggering around like a bunch of zombies, myself included.
It doesn't help any that today I decided to try and quit drinking soda.
I am seriously caffeine deficient.
My poor body doesn't know whether it's coming or going.
Heaven help me when I get home. I'll probably crawl into bed and be asleep before 8:00 P.M.
Still alive and really, really tired. - G.

CHIRP!

Home ownership sort of sucks.
Last night, as I was lying in bed, eating Cheetos and reading Bad Monkeys, I started hearing these annoying, high-pitched chirps. Kind of like a steroided-out cricket on speed.
CHIRP!
CHIRP!
CHIRP!
It took me a little while to figure out the sounds were coming from two of my fire alarms. The backup batteries were dying and the alarms were trying to let someone know.
I don't know about y'all, but I don't keep 9v batteries just lying around my house. So, I said screw it, and yanked all the batteries out of my fire alarms.
Not to worry though. My fire alarms are wired into my electricity; the batteries are there just in case a fire breaks out during a blackout.
I suppose I should go buy a pack of 9v batteries and replace them in the fire alarms.
I should do a lot of things.
And I'll get to it.
Eventually.
Still alive and procrastinating like heck. - G.

The Borrowers

I was wondering through the bookstore the other day when I happened to notice a display table showing a mishmash of children's books.
The usual suspects were there: Harry Potter, Alice from Wonderland, Percy Jackson, a few of the Lemony Snickett books. There was also a copy of Mary Norton's The Borrowers.
I loved The Borrowers. When I was younger I read all the stories, checking them out from the town library.
No one ever talks about the book any longer. The last time I heard it mentioned, people were referring to it as the source material for the horrible 1992 movie adaptation.
But seeing it there, on the display table, it just brought back a wave of nostalgia, of happy times spent curled up in bed with a good book, lost in the adventures of the Clock family.
Good times.
Still alive and feeling nostalgic. - G.

It's been a long day.
Got up super early this morning and was on my feet all day.
Got off at 3:30, though, which was nice. Was able to beat afternoon traffic home.
Stopped off at McDonald's and, as usual, they screwed up my order.
At least this time the screw up was in my favor. I got an extra order of fries. :)
Now I'm home, with my feet propped up, glad that the day is pretty much over.
Still alive, with achy feet. - G.

Back at The Job and the day has just flown by.
Nothing much else to report.
My stomach is still a little upset, and I need to go marketing tonight, but other than that the world is pretty ho-hum.
Still alive and waiting for five-o-clock. - G.

Sick Day

I'm sick.
I got some rotisserie chicken from the grocery store the other night and, not long after eating it, got pretty sick.
I'll spare you the gory details, but let's just say that if I ever see solid food again, it'll be too damned soon.
Spent today in bed, resting and reading and sipping lukewarm cola.
I think I'll go into work tomorrow.
We'll have to see how I'm doing in the morning.
Still alive, although I don't really feel it. - G.

A.K.A. Skeletor-Face

Have you ever actually looked at Justin Beiber? I mean, really looked at him?
I did.
His picture is all over the freakin' internet, so it's hard to avoid him.
He's got Skeletor face.
That is one kid who is not going to age well.
Still alive and bein' kind of a dick. - G.

180 Degrees

So, the weather has done a complete 180 degrees.
Gone is the six inches of April snow we received yesterday, replaced by perfectly clear blue skies and temps in the low 40s.
I am not complaining.
Hopefully, this is the beginning of real spring and not another false start.
In other topics, I can't believe it's freakin' Thursday. I swear to God I thought it was Tuesday all day long. This week has just flown right by.
But tomorrow is Friday and the weekend will be upon us. I need to start planning when I'm going to take time off during the summer.
Still alive and enjoying the sunshine. - G.

Just when we thought it was over...

It snowed last night. Woke up this morning and found about six inches of snow waiting on me. Oh joy. However shall I contain my enthusiasm?
Did I mention that I already took my snow tires off my car?
Still alive and miffed at the weather. - G.

Joke Day

What does a cat sleep on?
A caterpillow.

Still alive and making bad jokes too early in the morning. - G.

It's Monday afternoon in April and the weatherman is predicting three inches of snow this evening.
Personally, I'll believe it when I see it.
Went over to J.C. Penny's this afternoon, during lunch, and bought a couple of shirts for work. I'm wearing one I bought there earlier today; it's a stripy affair, all gray and white and purple. I'm not sure it works for me. I thought the purple looked pretty good, but now, as I'm staring at it, it makes me look kind of sickly and pale.
I should so stick to dark colors. I swear, if I were twenty years younger, I would give the Goth look a whirl.
Still alive and wondering if I could pull off a top hat? - G.

What on earth was that woman thinking?

I've been reading about this adoption scandal in Tennessee. You've probably seen it, it's the story of the woman that adopted a 7-year-old Russian boy and then, six months later, stuck him on a plane and returned him to Russia, claiming he was a violent psychopath. The whole affair has led to international shock and outrage.
To be honest, I don't blame the Russians for being pissed.
What kind of person just dumps a little boy on an international flight, alone, and has a complete stranger, someone you paid, to meet him at the other end and drop the kid off at a government building with a note explaining why???
This woman is supposed to be a nurse. Aren't nurses supposed to be compassionate people? If she was genuinely concerned about her family's safety with this child, she should have taken him to a psychologist and had him examined. She did consult with a psychologist, but she never took the kid in to see him. She just dumped him.
What the hell? Why didn't she get the adoption agency involved? Or go to the Russian embassy in Washington and speak with someone there about returning the child to the state through proper channels?
The Tennessee authorities are looking into the matter, trying to determine if the woman broke any laws. Apparently, a lot of it depends on whether or not the child was a U.S. citizen.
Personally, I think, at the very least, local child services should evaluate whether or not this woman is a fit parent. She apparently adopted another child from a foreign country. It might be interesting to find out what his situation is like.
The whole situation is just sad.

Dazed & Confused

So, it's Thursday and I'm still feeling as if it's Friday. Because, on my old schedule, this would be my Friday. But now Friday is my Friday. Have I completely confused you? Because I know what I'm talking about and I still managed to confuse myself just then.
It's been that kind of day.
Lots of synaptic misfirings.
Misspoke words.
Misheard comments.
"Senior moments."
Heh.
I'm still totally blaming any and all of these things on transitioning from nights to days.
Still, that excuse will wear thin a few weeks from now.
Heh.
Still alive and trying to wake up. - G.

Joke Day

Did you hear about the burglar the police caught last night? The fellow broke into a house through a bathroom window, stood on a set of scales, and gave himself a weigh.

Another one bites the dust

Went home last night and found that my computer had gone to that great silicon graveyard in the sky.
To quote, Dr. McCoy, "He's dead, Jim."
*sigh*
At least this one lasted a little bit. I think I got all three years out of the warranty. Am currently typing this at work. Plan on getting new computer this evening after work.
And, yes, I will be getting the warranty.
Still alive and fighting off Internet withdrawal. - G.

Dazed

So, first day on my new spiffy day shift at The Job and things are going well. Went to bed hella early last night, around 8:30ish, and am glad that I did. Got about four or five hours of sleep then woke up and spent the next few hours tossing and turning, trying to get back to sleep. Didn't really work, but I was pretty rested when my alarm went off this morning.
Morning commute wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. Stopped off at Charbucks for the ritual first coffee of the week, then came on into the office. Spent the first part of the day locked away in a windowless room, learning tech stuff as a backup, then went off to lunch.
Do I have to tell you how weird it is to have an actual lunch hour when you haven't had one for almost fifteen years? Tres weird, man! Tres weird!
Am now sitting on the switchboard for the afternoon. The day is going by fairly quickly. Am thinking that, when I get off work tonight, I should do something special as a reward. Take advantage of the new schedule.
Still alive and starting to yawn. - G.

Busy, busy, busy

Yesterday was productive.
Got up at 7:00 A.M. (!!!!) and got my tires changed over. Even getting at the tire place first thing in the morning, I still had a four hour wait. Said to hell with it and caught a cab back home where I amused myself with the Internet.
Then, after the tires were done, I went by the IM place to get my car inspected, but the line was hella long and I didn't feel like waiting around. Went back home and vegged out until about 3:00 P.M. when I headed for the tax place to get my taxes done.
My taxes aren't hard, but I hate doing them myself. Itemizing is for the birds. Plus, the last time I tried to install TurboTax on my computer the motherboard fried. I take that as a sign from God that I'm not supposed to do my own taxes.
I should probably be heading over to the IM place today, to get the inspection done, but I'm just not feeling it. Instead, I think I'll just veg out at home. Maybe pack some books up for the used book store and haul 'em off tomorrow.
Still alive and sort of busy. - G.

Fifteen minutes into the future...

In about fifteen minutes I'll be leaving The Job and entering the weekend.
Tomorrow is going to be quite busy. I need to get my snow tires taken off my car, get an IM test done for my vehicle registration and then, finally, get my taxes done.
On Saturday, I can sleep.
Sunday, I can sleep in too, although I probably won't. I start my new shift on Monday and need to get acclimatized to the new hours.
It's strange, but leaving the office tonight feels like a bigger deal than it actually is. I've worked nights here for the last fifteen years. Now, I'm putting that behind me and becoming just another day person.
I think I'm getting soppy in my old age.
Still alive and contemplating the future. - G.