ONE DAY YOU'RE IN AND THE NEXT DAY YOU'RE OUT

I've been feeling a little schizophrenic at work recently. There are days when I'm sure I'm about to be called into the VP's office and told that my services are no longer required. With the economy, building is down and banks don't want to lend money to construction companies. I've learned that no one uses their own money.

In our office, there are some jobs that need to be filled. Someone's got to answer the phones. Someone has to send out bills to General Contractors, even if it takes a lot to get them paid. Someone has to estimate new jobs in the hopes that we will get something - anything! The one position that is really a luxury in these times is .... my job. If we don't have enough work for a Project Manager, having an Assistant Project Manager is almost excess.

Then there are days where I think the powers that be are ready to give me new responsibilities and that my job is about to get a lot more exciting. Veiled hints are dropped, but nothing comes from them. And unfortunately, those days don't happen often. I still have my job, thank goodness, but there are days where I wish I didn't have to deal with the TENSION - oh my god, the tension - that just seems to be taking over everything! I've even started looking on job hiring sites to see if there's anything open because, when I'm really honest with myself, I am not well suited for this business. And I'm not sure if there's anywhere I can (or want) to go, career wise.

But then, everything changed. Last week we signed a contract for an $11 million Medical Center job. Suddenly, everyone is happier. The head of the office actually laughed - not just smiled, but laughed out loud! And I have stuff to do again (which I should be doing right now, instead of writing this). So, it looks like I'll be employed for a bit longer. And I can continue to play ostrich about my future. Look, there's a nice hole right there to hide my head. It's under all the submittals I have to find. I'm off to figure out which brand of sheetrock is best for a medical center. Yeah, I know ... you really wish you were me.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Today is my birthday and, since I've been fairly miserable at my job lately, I'm taking today and Monday off and having a lovely long weekend. I have use-it-or-lose-it vacation days to use up so why not? Before I left yesterday, I made sure my two key responsibilities (handing out the mail and changing the tape in the server room) were covered. Hence why I' am hating my job. But today is about doing things I like to do. I'm going to go for a walk and take pictures of Fall things, including Fall oceans; I'm going to spend lots of money; I'm going to start a new knitting project; and I very likely will take a nap with a cat or two.

I AM ADDICTED TO BEJEWELED BLITZ ON FACEBOOK

There, I said it. It's a problem. I'm admitting that I have an addiction. It's not stopping me from playing - at all time, some of them completely inappropriate times, like when I'm at work. And I'm supposed to be working on work stuff. Blah, blah, blah - I'd much rather be blowing up little jewels.

There are times when I wonder what the behind the scenes gnomes are saying to each other. You know, the gnomes that line up the jewels to drop every time you clear a group of gems? THOSE gnomes! And if you don't think about the gnomes, then you have a severely under-developed sense of whimsy and really, I pity you. Besides, it's not as if the gems fall in a random sequence. There's order behind that chaos!

Anyway, I think the gnomes are beginning to question my ability to play the game properly. "We just lined up a super-sweet 4 in a row for her and she missed it completely! I mean, does she even want to win?" "You're looking around for a move and it's RIGHT THERE in front of you! Do you think we should suggest she get her eyes checked?" "Really, I don't know why we bother setting these things up for her. Look at that! LOOK AT THAT! She just passed up a star jewel! That's it, I'm done! She's on her own now!"

You're right. I have to stop playing this game because it's affecting my brain! I think I'll try the Breaking Bricks game. I heard the elves over there are much nicer.

Oh My God! I thought I'd finished and just went to play another game of Blitz. It really is an addiction. I need help!

HALLOWEEN SMILES

Some pumpkins I carved this weekend.

We have this one ...

and this one on the table in our backyard so we can enjoy them from the two rooms we use most in the house - the kitchen & the TV room.

This one is in the front yard surrounded by a circle of ghost lights. The fairy lights coming down the back of the picture are attached to a string of large plastic spiders, something that looks kind of freaky in the daylight but not so much when you can't see them any more.

ARE WE LOSING OUR HUMANITY?

I first read about the gang rape of a 15 year old on the school grounds outside her homecoming dance in post entitled A Fairy Tale Homecoming? No. Teen Gang Raped As Crowd Looks On by Erin Kotecki Vest on BlogHer. I usually stay away from this kind of topic on my blog, preferring to keep the subject matter light and, more importantly, about me. But this sickened me so much, I had to say something. Congratulations, gentlemen (and believe me, I use the term lightly), you have overcome my apathy and self involvement.

According to Mercurynews.com (part of the Bay Area News Group), a 15 year old girl left her homecoming dance in Richmond, CA and walked down the street to catch a ride from her father. A classmate enticed her to join a group of other students where they fed her hard alcohol and after she became semiconscious, proceeded to gang rape her for over 2 hours. A crowd gathered to watch, take pictures, steal her jewelry, and for some, even take part in the rape.

To those that participated in the rape, I don't advocate an "eye for an eye" mentality and I don't support the death penalty. But be very glad I will not be a member of the jury when you come to trial. Because I hope you get sent away to a place where the exact same thing happens to you. I want you to feel and experience EVERYTHING this poor girl went through!

To those that watched without reporting this atrocity to the police, I hope they hunt you all down, try you as adults for accessories to the crime (if not active participants) and that you get sentenced to the fullest sentence the court can give you. I don't want to hear any bullshit about how you are teenagers and minors. You don't have to be of legal age to realize how horrific this act was and it should have been stopped immediately. This is not subject to a certain age limit - this is subject to a person's humanity, and obviously you have none!

The quotes in this article from the school board are ridiculous. I don't know whether the news outlet edited the quotes to leave out all compassion and taking of responsibility of the board or whether they are so busy covering their asses that they are effectively playing ostrich and pretending that it wasn't that bad.

"Obviously we've had some breakdowns. Obviously, it was not safe because this happened," said Charles Ramsey, a West Contra Costa school district board member. "Should we have had higher awareness, should we have been more vigilant? Probably."

Probably you should have been more vigilant? PROBABLY??? Oh my god, I want to spit, I'm so mad!

I just took a call at my job from someone at a local rectory asking if someone could come over and give him a quote on some drywall work, for a 10x18 room. We don't do work that small. We don't do work as small as the rectory as a whole, actually. We do hospitals and university buildings and public schools and casinos. And baseball stadiums (Yankee fans, you're welcome! Nationals fans too!)

But I went to check with the head of the office anyway. Because you know the one time I summarily dismiss a rector like that, it will turn out to be someone's local parish and it will be one more strike against me when I try to get out of hell, and I'm already on the 7th level all by myself, so I really don't need any extra help, thank you very much.

As it turns out, we only do commercial work and this is not the right job for us. But you know what? The strike is now against the head of the office, not me, cause I did the right thing. It's called passing the buck!

OUR LISTING IN THE MICHELIN GUIDE

I think we just got our 5th star in the Michelin Guide, or at least as far as the ducks are concerned. We had over 20 ducks in our yard at one time this weekend.

Obviously word has passed that kind hearted women (translation: complete & utter suckers) live here.