This is where I bitch.

Things are looking up, a bit. The post office has offered me a part time, but ongoing job sorting mail in a different area. I will start in January and it could last as long as a year maybe more. This is a huge surprise, as everyone I talked to there said they didn't extend work for casuals anymore. I'll be making the same as I am now, working from 5am to about 10am, Monday through Saturday. So about 30 hours a week. Which leaves my nights for working at the mall and my days to go to school for my web certificate. I probably won't be able to get unemployment anymore, as I'll probably make too much between the post office and the mall, but I will still look into it.

I was wounding why Laserwords, Apex and the mall job all got forms to fill out for a back ground check on me. Seemed silly to do it when I thought I only had 4 more days of work. That explains the mystery.

I need to check this out, but I totally believe exarian when she says as long as I'm not making 80% of what I was at Laserwords, I can still be a part of the TAA/TRA retraining program. So I can go to school and have a part time job. I am trying to set up a meeting with the TRA people for January.

Next week we go to the twin cities to see Paul's family for 5 days, and then I need to figure out when we can go north to see my family. Mom and dad should be back from Saudi today or tomorrow. I'm hoping their flight was uneventful.

I forgot how nice it is to pour pages in a nice simple monograph. Text books tend to be full of problems and special cases and issues. But monographs are just nice a clean design, a few images, maybe a table if we are getting crazy. I really haven't had to do any of that here, not since Apex. I'm helping with someone else's project today and getting to work on some art history pages, which are very monograph like.

Having some issues coming up with character ideas for the new game I'll apping for. One character is like a duplicate of someone else's character (on accident, we both just had the same basic idea). The other was so far off the mark on matching the world setting I have to scrap and start over. I want to do a Druid, but ideas just aren't coming. Might have to rethink, drastically. I'm hoping teaming up with another player might help me figure it out.

Last night was kinda random. After my haircut and color, and picking up Paul (who ended up being like an hour late due to work issues) we went to the Tornado Room for dinner with Mitch. The steak was awesome.

We heard that the Cardinal had a new "gay" night that we'd check out. I wasn't surprised to se Lore working the door, but it was nice to see her again. But I randomly ran into an old Apex/Impressions coworker, Carmen. We screamed hello to each other for a bit (Carmen is like that). Nice to see her too.

Am tired today, need more sleep. After working the mall the girls will be come over and we will cook out, then head out to see the new Narnia. Tomorrow I have off from both jobs, which hasn't happened in a while. Will relax than play volleyball. Maybe some yard work. No commitments.

Oh well, so much for the gym tonight. Have a rush Apex project instead. After I make all this money I'll just get liposuction or something. *g* (kidding)

New art over at pollyjuiceboy

Probably a late night since I'm registering people at the Shamrock. Hopefully I won't get plastered and can chat with Rob some more.

Once again, my good intentions were derailed last night. Now this week if I don't get the gym any more, I can't complain about it. Cause I could have said no. But after I got home from the stint at Apex, Sam called me and asked to sub on his bowling team. The lanes really do make a difference, Dave wasn't lying. I bowled really well, and got my life time high game.

Talked with Em a bit after working at Apex. Poor girl. She has no one to complain to and her job just gets worse and worse. Being yelled at by her boss and her staff. She's gonna go insane. Good reminder to me why I left. Even if I don't like everything at this job, it's better than there.

I'm very blah today. Randomly worried about house/financial stuff again. I'm not sure what sparks that fretting. Usually it's bills time, but this was just random. Buying the paint was a bit more expensive than I expected, maybe that was it.

Volleyball was fine last night. We played well, even with only 5. Lost the last game, which we shouldn't have, but got too far behind and couldn't catch up. It was fun to check out the volleyball guys with Ben. Never really had another gay guy on my team before. While it's fine to check out guys with girl friends, its totally better with another guy. We each had favorites, agreed on some, disagreed on others. Fun times.

Tonight is more registration stuff. I'm getting tired of doing softball things, but Ben realizes that the two of us are picking up a lot of slack from the other two. I want to hit the gym and go grocery shopping after the Shamrock, so I think I will not drink while there.

Behind on Apex stuff. Which I feel bad about, cause that means Julia will get yelled at. I will try to do that tonight also.

I don't understand these companies that wait until two weeks before a convention to make th first call to me for a booth. Early registration prices are over, the block of rooms at the hotel are over. It's just bad business. Which means I daily have to juggle booths as people sign up and cancel.

My support to Em, her life continues to beat down on her.

Last night was OK. Got roped into more Apex work, and I was pissy enough that I kinda snapped at Em over email. She doesn't deserve that. It's not her fault I hate that place so much. I have decided that if they don't let her go on the trip to Jamaica I will never work for them again. Got Laura's wedding invitations done though, and some BSG. I should have gone directly to the extended cut of Pegasus and not watched the original. I did buy the piolet for Fallen on iTunes (being as it was $4). So now I will see how it works to watch shows on the iPod screen. Almost bought Season 2 of Avatar, but didn't want to wait for the download.

Today seemed it would go well until after my shower. Then I had to watch 10 minutes of Anna Nicloe and her death. I'm sorry she died, it's bad when anyone dies young, especially if they have dependents. But I'm sure a lot of people died yesterday. And a lot of them were more important or tragic than she was. So having the top story on the morning news her death, and then have it go for 10 minutes is stupid. Then we finally get to actual news, like the war. And 8 minutes later, back to A.N.S.

Then I get hit with more theater stuff on the poster I'm doing. This will be the last one I do for a while. I'm not enjoying it and need to drop activities. Being too busy makes me a bitch.

I've kinda given up with thinking I'll enjoy this job. But I do not have the energy to look heavily for a new one yet. Hopefully it won't take me 2 years like it did at Apex.

Honestly, what idiot thinks that morning rush hour when the roads are covered in snow is a good time for trains to go though a city as large as Madison? And did that one car really have to be moved right that second? They moved one frelling car from one side of the busiest road on the east side to the other at 7:50. I wish someone would just stop and think about that. Really.

Em is back but so overwhelmed at work that she won't be playing volleyball or doing much until next week. Was nice to see her though.

We are actually tied for first place on the Tuesday league as of last night. We lost 2, so depending on how the other team is did, we might have dropped a place. But still, doing good. Only 5th on Wednesdays, and that's the easier laegue. Last night we played well, for us. The other team just out played us in every category. Hitting, serving, digging, all better than us. Was kind of frustrating. Gina seems frustrated with her team also, maybe I'll get an invite to move up a level. I'm not sure if I'm that good either, though.

I also didn't know that this softball position would take up so much time. I guess it's just that I'm letting it fill my time, the other two board members don't go to near as much as I do. But Ben needs the help, so I'd feel bad skipping out. Though I might tomorrow, need to do apex work and invites for Laura.

Had to cancel In Nomine today due to AFB work. But today was the only day I had time. Bugger. Also, damn cold, didn't really want to drive that far.

Tonight, after working, will go out bowling, I think. If plans don't fall through.

Tom got out of work today at 9:00, which looks good for me getting done early too. Going to go to Marcus' to watch the game. Looking forward to seeing that group.

Nice day to sit inside and make lots of money, I think.

I had the most bubbly tax agent at H&R Block last night. Very excited woman. But as she said, if someone has to pull a 14 hour shift doing taxes, they have to make taxes fun. I basically sat there and was amused. She did, however, almost double my deductions, so I should be getting a nice refund check. I have to go back in and give her my closeing cost numbers, the person at the front desk that I called and asked what I needed to bring in for house taxes forgot to mention that. So we will wrap them up on Monday.

I would like to go out tonight, I'm in the mood to do it. After In Nomine dinner, of course. But I should stay in and work on AFB stuff. That money is really nice to have coming. And they will wait only so long before they get really pissy. Not that I care if they dislike me, but it'd be nice to keep that job going. So I will try and be good and stay in. Mostly since I won't have time to do it at all this weekend. Maybe I'll bribe myself with wine.