And then...

I'm currently sitting at "work" on Christmas Eve. It was generally decided that there was no point in calling anyone today. So no one has done any work what-so-ever. I have surfed the Internet until I could surf no more, finished a magazine and now moved onto a book (and writing this). My co-worker literally has her head down sleeping.

Horrible Helen on the other hand is chattering away to a new victim. She is giving a blow-by-blow account of a trip to Greece. This woman must be able to remember events in such great detail because she recounts them as often as she can. It's really not a bad strategy for remembering things in your life. But she is so damn loud. And it will never end.

She is recounting all the men who hit on her. I'm not sure how much I believe this...

Yesterday we had more people in the apartment than we ever had before (the record prior was about 5 total). I think we reached out maximum last night at 9.

We also had to attempt the mall yesterday to use a coupon that was on the verge of expiration. Good god I hate shopping on the holidays. I quickly remembered that this mob I was trying to walk in, was exactly why I do my shopping in late November and early December. I could feel panicky feelings as I tried to elbow my way to a cash register. Presents are so not worth the hassle of a mall on Dec 23rd.

Winter Break: sorta

Christmas is almost here. At work I actually received a couple gifts from co-workers who make a lot more than me working for the state. Of course others gave out gifts and excluded the lowly temps who have only been here a month or so.

Horrible Helen has latched onto me (more accurately my car) and now doesn't even bother to ask for rides home. I guess she figures the one day she asked counted for all the following. So she is becoming a little more bearable, mostly due to the fact that I can tune her out easily (a skill mastered growing up with a hyper-verbal younger brother). The woman is now repeating all the stories she told Tyler in the first week to the rest of us.

I will be returning to the Mitten State the day after Christmas. I'm glad to be making the trip home. I just wish I could afford to stay a bit longer. There is no way I can see all the friends that I'd like to. Basically if you read this and want to see me while I'm in Michigan call me for the 26th or 30th. But quality time with family and Bailey is most important.

ghetto-fab

Well I knew it was going to happen eventually. The first day we started at work Helen told us she lived very close by. I simply stated I lived "close", knowing that Helen and I lived only a block or so apart. But sadly I was discovered on Friday and the inevitable occurred...she asked for a ride. I'm sure that this will now continue for the rest of the winter. I now feel guilty about not offering her a ride earlier, except I don't really, I hate talking to her. Ugh.....

She has been showing us what she is bidding for on E-bay. Most of it is clothes she wants for a cruise she will be going on with her family. It is a rule that they wear as many "sparly" items as possible to the "nice" meals on the ship. On viewing pictures of the blouses,skirts and dresses, in my head all I was hearing was the movie Mean Girls, "That is the ugliest f-ing (insert Helen's purchases here) I've ever seen!"

At "ghetto" Price Chopper (much like "ghetto" Meijer, but maybe not as "ghetto") I saw a man fall to the ground unconscious not two feet in front of me. His head knocked loudly on the tile and I saw all of my first aid training flash before my eyes. I got out a good "Call 911!", before the man woke up and stumbled, half falling, out of the store. I was really frightening and I hope I never witness anything like that again. He truly fell straight back like a broom falling to the floor. When I got home I saw an ambulance slowly driving down the road. I'm pretty sure they were looking for a man unconscious in a snow bank.

We had the first two big snow falls this week. They came within a couple days of each other and consumed all media attention. There was a lot of snow, but at GV we got snowfall like that many times each winter. It really didn't phase me too much, and I was hoping for snow before Christmas. I was also hoping that the plowing here was up to snuff, with further worry about the plowing of our parking lot. The side street we live on was 'ok' at best and our lot did get a few decent plows. So that's going for us this winter. A nice neighbor even came over to help me scrap my car and shovel a bit behind my car. Nothing like holiday spirit. The holiday spirit often moves me to wave people into traffic, this is how I build up life-long karma.

MTV had no comment

I forgot to mention one of Horrible Helen's funniest qualities...she doesn't like to be called Helen (or horrible). Vienna is her professional name and what she prefers above all other. One guy in the office calls her that but no one else bothers with such silliness.

I've been pretty bored at work which leads to lots stealth internet usage (including this blog writing). Here are some of the interesting nuggets I've found recently:

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2007/12/photogalleries/wip-week58/index.html
Look! Tiny frogs! I like to check National Geographic to see if I missed any new animal updates.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/04/health/04well.html?em&ex=1196917200&en=317598468b2847ed&ei=5087%0A
An article about Heather, my favorite America's Next Top Model...model. She was really weird, also really great in pictures, of course this meant she had to go. Tyra always reasons this out in some manner of crazy talk.

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/vote2008/state.php?state=MI
And finally stats about Michigan! The mitten state strikes again! Or not with #1 unemployment...

http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20165361,00.html
And finally, a Lauren Conrad interview. I really can't think of anything better. She offers up this insight into her exciting life on TV, "I mean, it's not lying to anyone, it's telling what really happened, but it's just the way they film reality shows." Good one Lauren, good one.

Don't gimme no pop, no pop

Let me start out by saying I really miss the family dog Bailey. I think I miss the dog more than I miss my brother. Bailey is a great dog. One of the first things I will do when I get home is talk him for a sweet walk. I know I was the only one that gave him the exercise he deserved. On a side note I would find myself making conversation with Bailey on said walks, perhaps it's not so bad they ended...

Sooo I wrote a post or so ago about what I would be doing at my job and the other temp that I detest. Well from now on we'll just call her Horrible Helen. That's what she is - horrible. She is a very tall, huge woman with a long blondish ponytail down to her butt that doesn't look like it's ever met a brush. It also has about two inches of grey roots. Her outfits are also destestable: tennis shoes, jeans or black corduroys, and often a yellow shirt with gold sparkly sweater (why not, they match so well). I'm just thanking god that she is laying off the heaps of green eye shadow she choose for our first day.

A few days ago she told me lots and lots (joy!) about a novel she is writing. When she started all she had was an opening line, "We always kept Aunt Bernice in the shed". Sound good to you? Yup me neither, the story follows a big family going to the dentist and back. Many people are dead, but still hanging out and talking. There are lots of cool animals talking too! It was one of those conversations that you keep trying to get out of and Horrible Helen sucks you back in.

There is truly not enough work for us to do. The situation seems to be that they budgeted for us temps, so work or no work, we stay. The crappy thing is I feel really weird about reading a book or anything. The boss lady would be pissed. I spend a lot of time thinking of lists I can make and generally day dreaming.

I did not yet mention that this office I am in, is housed in a NY Mental Health Patient Facility. This means lots of cool things: 1) I get an ID badge to wear that differentiates me from patients (we all look the same I guess).
2) To go between the building and the parking ramp I swipe the badge to enter a tube/portal thing that opens on one side, closes and lets me out the other. Seriously the thing is about 2.5 feet wide some people don't fit.
3) We get security training and they give us an important key. The keys let us out the fire exits which are locked. You see the patients can't get out and we aren't supposed to let them out if there is a fire. I guess they don't want loonys running around free.
4) Over the loud speaker once and a while (record is three times in one day so far!) we hear a "Code Grey". This means some sort of problem is occurring with a patient and security is needed. I always pause for a moment to imagine what could be happening to warrant a "Code Gery". The possibilities are almost endless.
5) We have a deck to sit outside when the weather is nice. THE DECK HAS PRISON BARS! The bars go all the way overhead in a cage like fashion.

I've been educating people at work (and by people I mean my desk buddy Alex and the other guy Peter) on all things Michigan. They now know about:
-Pop, oh the shame of saying it here!
-Pointing to your hand for locational purposes
-the term yooper
-that Flint is no fun
-there is a Troy in Michigan too!

You love it you know-oh

Oh the sweet smooth sound of Al Green. Nothing gets older than the same three songs played on full blast over and over from somewhere close by. Who knows what apartment it comes from or who is playing that smooth sound, but I would appreciate if they kept it to themselves just a bit.

The new job is going pretty smoothly. The most unlikeable thing about it would be one of the other temps that I started with. This woman talks endlessly telling her stories. Stories which her tone would imply are the most amazing thing you ever heard, full of revelations...but in reality, suck balls. I hate her stories. They go on and on. At first I thought it was just me, but now the whole (about five people) office has been chattering about it. The only ally she has is the other temp who likes to encourage her. I try to distance myself from them as much as possible, mostly to avoid being sucked into storyt ime, but we all need to work an the same projects so I get sucked into the vortex.

On a bright side I am very close to being done with Christmas shopping. If I can avoid pulling myself across less slush covered parking lots than I did last year than I have succeeded.

Thanksgiving went well but was a little exhausting. It was wonderful to see some great Fowler friends. Congratulations to our friends Eric and Miriam :)

Info Everyone Needs

I'm leaving the Beyond and I wanted to pass on the information I learned to all of you. Read closely this is important.

YOU CAN RETURN ANY SORRY THING

Really, if you don't have the packaging, no problem.
If you're missing the receipt, no problem.
If it's used, no problem.
If it's mangled and destroyed, no problemo, hand it over we'll gladly take it.

You can get store credit!

Use it love it and return it. As they say at BBB, everything has a lifetime warranty here.

I'll pass you a buck...But you won't like it

Soooo I hate working at the Beyond. Therefore I went through a temp agency and got a contract job with the state almost immediatly. I'll tell more about the job in a minute but first...

The Things I Won't Miss about BBB:

-getting many many paper cuts and various scrapes
-climbing ladders
-lifting heavy things down from high place while standing on ladders
-being nice to really mean people
-the old technology
-telling people "yes" when the deserve a "no"
-old nasty women
-old nasty women who return used things
-used toilet bowl cleaners
-used shower curtains
-used pillows
-used sheets
-used pots
-giving people $ for their used crap
-working with people who eat fast food all day long
-watching the lines get longer and longer
-the host center going down daily
-the customers (now I can't believe I thought the museum was bad)
-brides returning gifts for $
-giving people free packaging
-explaining the registry
-directing traffic
-paging people
-answering the phone while on register
-standing for 8 hours
-the dust
-the dust balls on the floor
-the way my hands feel after working (dirty as hell and dry)
-only one break
-people wanting coupons
-never getting the next weeks schedule until Friday

Things I Might Miss:

-a couple co-workers
-the discount (only 20%, I have coupons)


Thank god I got out before the real holiday rush, I might have gone postal on someone. When someone is treating you like a piece of crap I don't want to deal with it. A customer threw shards of glass onto our counter at the customer service desk last week and we still are supposed to be nice? No thanks, I'm glad to be done with that.

My new job goes until March. I'll be at the research portion of the State of New York Mental Health offices (or something like that, I'm from Michigan, this is my excuse for everything). They do a big survey of all the institutions they fund every two years. This is the first year that they are going electronic with the survey and need help. So I am going in to reel in whoever is getting funding and not doing their survey or needs help doing their survey. Should be pretty simple work. The pros are good: more money than the beyond and less than a 10 minute drive. If I don't like it, hey it's done in March.

Got a ticket to Ride

So I have finally been interviewing for some sort of jobs. I kind of hate it. I don't like talking about myself this much. I really hate recalling scenarios that fit the "Tell me about a time you...." questions. I don't know, I'm sure it will become less painful with time.

Since I had an interview coming up (the first since 2003) I had to buy a suit to wear. Oh my god, it was a horrible. I do not fit into regular women's size on account of never growing after 8th grade. And no one (me) likes to shell out 300 dollars for something they aren't going to wear that often. But I had forgotten about H&M. I stumbled upon them at Crossgates and was immiediatly thankful they existed (they don't in Mich). This cheap Dutch girl found something that fit her and the price was oh so right.

I also purchased plane tickets to GR for the week between Christmas and New Years. I am looking forward to the visit and not driving.

Verdict for the Plantiff

We don't have cable in our apartment. As I had expected this has turned out to be just fine. I can watch the Hills and the Real World online easy enough and no Bravo is livable. I read all of our magazines (we have multiple subscriptions) and books to pass the time when I'm not looking for real employment. The unexpected result of out limited tv channels has been a new fascination with courtroom tv shows. They're on all day long and never fail to entertain. People are always watching Judge Joe Brown at work, very enjoyable, but my personal favorite is The People's Court. Things I have learned: it is very rare that a defendant wins and get everything in writing

I saw a squirrel at the park today with a broken tail. His tail just dragged behind him like a sad piece of string. But he was still living his life finding nuts and running around. Way to be.

It looks like I will not be home for Thanksgiving which is weird. But ugh, it sucks that any time I want to visit it costs at least $200 and two days of full driving time. Add on top of that cost the student loans I have to pay back, and I want to crawl into a hole until I get a real job.

Everyone should check out this great new artist, I know them personally and they are fantabulous - http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=256737865

So the Beyond is my own little square of purgatory. I don't get sore like I did at first, but my feet are still mad at over this job. Most of the customers are nice, but about 8% are downright rude. I don't like rude people treating me like crap. The museum had their own brand of rudenss in the form of stick-up-their-you-know-what moms, but I had no idea the general retail public would be worse.

My parents came for a visit last weekend. Hopefully they feel better about the move now that they saw my surroundings. We went to the museum (my mom likes them more than me), and a brewery. Five years ago I would have never predicted visiting a brewery with my parents, and it was worth the wait. I was glad they came and look forward to a trip home myself.

I do miss school. Right now watching Brian busy with homework, I could use something to keep me occupied. But I also miss the learning, the reading, the discussion. I"m a dork.

Pick up lines

Apparently blue eye like mine are not as common here in Albany as they are in the Dutch lands of West Michigan. I have been asked more than once if I am wearing colored contacts. Nope these baby blues are 100% the real deal.

Something I miss from good old Michigan is Meijer. I'd heard from others who have left the area, that Meijer is hard to replace. It's true, those great one-stop-shop stores have no equal here. I miss shopping for food, goldfish, and furniture all at once. Not that I often shopped for items other than food often, but the option was there.

Also the squirrels here are different. In the park we live by there are many smaller grey squirrels. In our backyard and in the park across from the museum in Mich there were fat brown ones.

A couple weeks ago I had the best kid encounter. It overtook many cute expereince at the children's museum. We were resting for a minute in Target on their display chairs, when I glanced over at a young boy pushed in a cart by his father. They boy looked right at me and said loudly, "Hey Beautiful!" Wow, quite a compliment from one so young.

Hilarious. I wonder where he learned that one. It remeinded me of a boy at the museum who walked up to the desk peaked over and asked, "Do you come here often?"
Ummm I work here? How old are you?

The Hill

Well tomorrow marks my three week anniversary living in New York. So far so good I guess. I was really really bored and a little down for the first week. After unpacking I found myself with nothing to do and no internet. Worrying about money didn't help. Those days were the first since 9th grade that I have not had a job. So I got one. I am now a cashier at Bed Bath and Beyond.

Working there is loads different than working at the Museum. But I think all my experience from the Museum helps me to adjust quickley to this new job. I don't know if I will love it there, but it's a job and they don't pay too badly either.

We went apple picking today, something I havn't done since maybe middle school. A very enjoyable time. So now we have tons of apples and delicious apple cider.

Pleasant Peninuslas

Today is my last day in Michigan

My little focus will be seriously packed to the gills when I leave tomorrow morning for New York. As I was putting all my boxes and things into a pile I found myself wondering if it could all actually fit. Dear God I hope it does. I don't want to choose what clothes to bring and which to leave.

I have my last day at the museum today. I'm expecting some people to cry (there are three of us going at once, all old-timers) but I don't plan on crying. I'm pretty glad I will never have to facilitate there ever again.

The hardest part will be saying goodbye to my parents. As glad as I am to be moving out, I know I will miss them from time to time.

Keep cool

Packing/moving is taking up most of my thoughts lately. I've packed away most of my clothes in the last couple days. I've always hung up all my clothes, so it was strange to see all the space they took up when folded together in boxes. I may have to downsize my wardrobe even further. In the past its been difficult for me to get ride of clothes (I never outgrown them, they always fit) but in the last year or so I put things in the give-away pile without much remorse.

I've been saying a lot of goodbyes. There is a general feeling in all of them that I am falling off the face of the earth. I guess I kind of am. A 11+ hour drive between place is nothing to scoff at, and Michigan and New York have Canada in between. Its had to say I'll visit when I don't know when. But I will visit eventually.

Our new place will not have cable. Heartbreaking really, I've become pretty addicted to the television this summer. Living in my parent's house hasn't proved very stimulating. I turn to the TV for company most of the time. Luckily my summer favorite Big Brother is on CBS so I can still watch it. I'm sure I'll miss MTV and VH1 the most. I love that crap a little too much.

So Soon

So I'm moving very soon.

I feel some mixed feelings about the change. But mostly I am very excited and hopeful for the future. Myuneasiness comes from the fact that I don't know how I'm making any money once I get there. That's a big deal but I'm trying to be calm about it. I'm sure something/anything will come my way.

I am very sad to be leaving my friends at work. Buuuttttt I am pretty glad to be leaving work otherwise. Yesterday (while I was working) I came up with a new game - "Things I won't miss!".

Things I won't miss!
-Facilitators not picking up crap
-Facilitators messing up on desk
-LeAnne
-Todd
-Teaching people the same thing over and over again
-Small office politics
-Overflowing toilets
-Cleaning puke
-Cleaning
-Cleaning days
-Exhibit load in days
-Exhibit load out days
-The people in charge of loading days
-Stupid volunteers that come to loading days
-Giving volunteers tours
-Doing busy work at my internship
-Doing nothing at my internship (I'm doing that right now)
-Dusting
-Broken exhibits
-Cloud Soaring
-Come on Over! songs
-Guests complaining
-Guests yelling
-Kids screaming
-Witnessing spanking
-Birthday parities
-Birthday party moms
-Spoiled children
-Snotty noses
-Field trip intros
-Field trips coats
-Peed pants
-Wearing clothes that you can't care about (Old Navy)

I know I will miss (most of) the staff, but I am very ready to move on. Five years on the floor of the Children's Museum is enough for me.


On a different note I was a counselor for AAA week at Fowler a couple weeks ago. It was a wonderful experience. I had a great cabin of girls who had a lot of fun together. Being a counselor was really different than being a staff member. I enjoyed it very much and will try to volunteer in the future. I was also able to see that not returning for another year as staff was the right decision. All those people in Pine, I would have gone crazy :) But mostly it was great to see old friends and be at camp again.

Almost there

Saying bye to a great old friend is hard. But not so hard when you will be a couple hours away in a months time. Considering you both are moving far away from home. It will be a comfort and a blessing to have Anna and Rachel within visiting distance when I move.

Anna and I saw No Reservations. It was pretty good.

For anyone who doesn't know (and if you know me you probably do) I am moving to NY labor day weekend. I was looking forward to change and it looks like I'll be getting it soon.

The Birthday Bash was great. We had over 1,500 people show up just for the evening event. It was 97 degrees that day and I was grouchy in the heat, but through the humidity it was really cool to see the party go so well. We had free food, dancing (I kinda went into Aunt Sandy mode with hand motions), parachute play, obstacle courses, face and banner painting, drawings, etc. I feel really proud to work at the museum some days, and this was one of them.

I have to pack everything tonight to drive out tomorrow morning. Nothing like a 11+ hour drive ahead of you.

Oh boy!

Should be a very busy night. There is nothing West Michigan dutch people like more than something free. I will be taking pictures in the 90 degree heat the whole time. At the moment the tent guys are setting up the tents and all the women in the office are watching out the window.

Bigonzo

Today is the tenth anniversary of the Grand Rapids Children's Museum's first day open to the public. We are having $1 dollar admission all day and then a huge party in the park with free admission from 5-8 p.m. Unfortunately I am interning all day and the woman I work for is freaking out about the event. Our event person, who is always calm, cool and collected is off on maternity leave, so Lindsey had to take this one over. Hopefully all will go smoothly, I really have no doubt that it will, it's only three hours.

On a horrible note: my dad has to shave his beard. I might actually have to post some pictures. His job is becoming more service oriented and they are really pushing image, which is not a bad idea, but damn. Everyone has to lose their facial hair. My dad has been bearded my whole life. I cannot imagine how bad this will look. He is going to have a sad half-tan face. He won't look like Dad anymore.

I'm leaving for Fowler on Friday. I'm pretty excited to go out again. Seeing everyone will be great, I've definitely missed their company this summer. Being in a cabin with high school girls will be different, but I look forward to the experience. Plus I get to see Brian, not a bad deal.

Before I leave I have to say goodbye to my good friend Anna. She have left for Seton Hall by the time I get back. Both of us are starting new times in our lives, but the changes are for the best.

Tell me about it

So Harry Potter 7 is at my house now. My dad pre-ordered it. I have to work all weekend so my assigned day of reading will be Monday (which is my day off this summer). I plan to go to the beach and read in the sun. I read a lot of HP 6 at camp on the beach. Not a bad combo a good book + beach times.

I saw the 5th movie with my family last weekend. I really enjoyed the film. What I did not enjoy was my brother's groaning and moaning about the accuracy of every scene and detail in relation to the book. If he had his way the movie would be 9 hours long and slow as hell.

I've been walking/running my dog Bailey almost every night. I say "my dog", because I think I'm the only one that really cares about his health. If it wasn't for me he would get maybe 3 walks a month. Bailey is a springer spaniel which means you get the added bonus of compliments when you take him out. People think he's beautiful. I do too.

"Jesus Christ"

I'm back in action with a new blog. Xanga and Livejournal were just not doing it for me anymore. I will def try to be more regular about this.

So far it has been a very strange summer for me. I am back with my parents after two years of only coming home for a couple weeks at most. The adjustment was a bit much for me at first. In the Stevens household you need to get used to a constant food shortage and practice not taking the Lord's name in vain. But my plus side is a sizable TV with cable in my large attic bedroom. If I had a hotplate/sink/toilet I might never need to leave my room. The one very unsettling thing about my room is the significant dip in the middle. With my bed where it is I am constantly on the left side, the right side is to far uphill. I seriously think that my room might fall in one of these days and I will end up in a heap under my bedroom rubble in our living room...probably dead or significantly injured.

Speaking of my bed, I don't know if the problem is the incline but I have been having nightmares ever since I came back to my parents. My dreams have always been really wacky (Muppets sometimes show up) but they were never bad dreams before. I don't know what the cure is for nightmares but I need to nip it in the bud.

Work is work. I'm pretty over the museum. I've spent time there regularly since September 2002 and now in July 2007 I'm ready for something new. I thought doing an internship there would help me get excited about the museum again, but instead I think I ended up seeing a side I wasn't expecting.

Usually I'm wary of change but lately it seems to be more and more alluring.

1st Times the Charm

The dance is tomorrow. She's a cheerleader, you've seen Star Wars 27 times. You do the math.