It was busy and very stressful. I made mistakes at the register, I got bogged down trying to keep up with the clothes that needed to be hung/folded and put back. I was slow because I had a hard time knowing where everything went. Some known shoplifters came into the store and we were very busy at the time. Things are not going to get easier as the holiday season ramps into top gear. I will improve, though. This was just my second selling shift. The hardest thing is remembering everything under the pressure of impatient customers and multitasking.
This may cure me of shopping, however. That would not be a bad thing. In fact, it could be great!
What other paying job can I look for that I could get quickly?
I came home and had warm, delicious spaghetti and red wine for dinner. Comfort food, oh yeah! I am tired, really tired.
Dad was at the Apple Cup today. Go Cougs!! As I said a while ago, almost all of my family that has been to college went to WSU, starting with my grandparents. I was a little rebel, I went to WWU in Bellingham because they had a good music program and a good education department. (Really, it wasn’t a big deal. There was no pressure my family about where I went to college.) I don’t like sports, but I always root for the Cougars. We haven’t beaten the Huskies in the Apple Cup for 6 years! I’m so glad that Dad went to the game in Pullman today. It was a real nailbiter. There were about 5 minutes left when I got home from work. It came right down to the wire because the Huskies had a big rally in the second half. We taped the game so Dad can watch it again, along with the post-game show. At the end of the post-game show they showed the funniest little animated featurette with a song to the tune of "This Land is Your Land". You have to know the schools to get the humor. WSU started as a land-grant agricultural college. They are stereotyped as the country bumpkins. UW is in Seattle and they are stereotyped as snobby, urban, rich brats. The song was just an exchange of taunts between the schools, highlighting the stereotypes and bringing up recent scandals on each side. Thing like "We study law, you study methane (animated cow farts on the screen)". I have to say, though, the UW has many more scandals around its athletics than WSU does. Yes, I’m an honorary Cougar. I stick up for them. Congratulations to the whole Cougar football team. Well done! Especially the freshmen, 2nd string quarterback who helped lead the team to victory today.
November 20, 2004
November 19, 2004
Shopping
Today I spent all my money until my paycheck, which will come next week. Well, I have $5.00. I got my pictures from Oregon developed. I bought pants and 2 sweaters for work. I bought shampoo, a big value size bottle from the beauty supply store. I put some of the new photos in the photo album already. Two of them were so good I decided to put them in the e-cards. Mom likes the red sweater with a pretty neckline that I bought so much that she may go back and get herself one later with the Real Woman coupons that I gave her. I can’t use them now because I get an employee discount. I am glad that I can give them to her and I hope that she uses them to get herself some nice, new clothes. She needs them. I got my schedule for next week while I was in the store. All my hours are on the weekend. Sorry to bore you with the shopping talk. I just get excited about it. Tomorrow I work 4 hours. It should be a busy, exciting shift.
Hope you enjoy the photos. I'm putting some of them up in this journal. Two of them are not even in the photo album. You get rewarded with exclusive pictures just for reading this. We all got bargains today.
Another Friday. The weeks just fly by.
Hope you enjoy the photos. I'm putting some of them up in this journal. Two of them are not even in the photo album. You get rewarded with exclusive pictures just for reading this. We all got bargains today.
Another Friday. The weeks just fly by.
November 18, 2004
203 words
Another average day. I didn’t do much. I want to write anyway. Just nothing much that I want to write about. Writer’s block sucks. Just keep writing and then something will start to click. But it’s not. Jack London used to write 1000 words every day. There is a project that I found on the Internet called 100 Words. You write 100 words exactly, no more, no less. Every day for a whole month and at the end of the month they publish everyone’s collection. I want to show myself but I also hide. Certain things I don’t want to reveal. But I want to be honest. I think I am honest in the essential things that I write in this journal. I am not perfect in any way and I don’t think I present a false "goody goody" face. But I also don’t want to dwell on bad, negative things in myself and this world. There are so many things- like last night on the news they arrested a woman who had starved her children to death. OK, now I have to share something about myself- I might be addicted to TV and I can have a short temper. At the end of that sentence was 203 words.
November 17, 2004
You Can't Go Home Again
Spent a lot of time on the computer today. I was just looking around at some of the journal community sites. I found the journal, Up From Sloth, of one of my friends from the first time in Korea. She is back in Washington State now, since she is from here. Then I found the journal of a well-known journal keeper back when I was writing in my first journal. Her Internet name was Gingko and she wrote Dreaming Among the Jade Clouds. The final entry, several years old now, was written by her husband after she committed suicide. I was a bit shocked and it seemed morbid, but I read the whole entry. I never even knew her except by reputation and reading a few entries and e-mails that she wrote in Diary-L. Nevertheless compelled to read on, I found a fittingly beautiful and poetic tribute to her which also expressed his deep grief.
You can’t go home again. You can’t recapture the old times. Reading, she seemed like a stranger, but there was also a sense of deja-vu. After I was off the computer and doing something else, just thinking, the events and the tone of her last couple of entries that I read seemed strangely familiar. I used to read her journal when I was in Massachusetts and she was still in Korea. I continued reading after she moved back to Washington State. We would e-mail each other every once in a while, but the journal was the main way that I kept up with her. She would also read mine sometimes. I thought, didn’t I read the same thing years ago? Haven’t I seen the pictures that she had on her index page before? I’m sure not, but it felt that way. Her latest entries are from a trip to China. That made it seem more familiar. She was back in Asia visiting a friend or maybe a research colleague. When she came back to Washington State she started working on an advanced degree in Psychology. That is what drew her back here, the opportunity to continue her studies and pursue her goals.
After all this, I decided to write e-mails to some long-distance friends that I haven’t heard from in a while. Once you let too much time pass, it’s very hard to keep in touch. Even doing my best, I have only been able to keep in touch with a small number of the people who have come in and out of my life over the years. I’ve come to accept that and try my best to always appreciate everyone for whatever time that they are in my life. I highly value, though probably don’t show it enough, those precious few who have continued to weave a thread in my life over all the time and distance.
You can’t go home again. You can’t recapture the old times. Reading, she seemed like a stranger, but there was also a sense of deja-vu. After I was off the computer and doing something else, just thinking, the events and the tone of her last couple of entries that I read seemed strangely familiar. I used to read her journal when I was in Massachusetts and she was still in Korea. I continued reading after she moved back to Washington State. We would e-mail each other every once in a while, but the journal was the main way that I kept up with her. She would also read mine sometimes. I thought, didn’t I read the same thing years ago? Haven’t I seen the pictures that she had on her index page before? I’m sure not, but it felt that way. Her latest entries are from a trip to China. That made it seem more familiar. She was back in Asia visiting a friend or maybe a research colleague. When she came back to Washington State she started working on an advanced degree in Psychology. That is what drew her back here, the opportunity to continue her studies and pursue her goals.
After all this, I decided to write e-mails to some long-distance friends that I haven’t heard from in a while. Once you let too much time pass, it’s very hard to keep in touch. Even doing my best, I have only been able to keep in touch with a small number of the people who have come in and out of my life over the years. I’ve come to accept that and try my best to always appreciate everyone for whatever time that they are in my life. I highly value, though probably don’t show it enough, those precious few who have continued to weave a thread in my life over all the time and distance.
November 16, 2004
The Delightfully Ridiculous Irma Vep
It has been a few days since I’ve updated. I worked on Saturday and Monday. It’s been busy. Today I’m relaxing a bit. I had breakfast with my friend this morning. We are trying to do it once a month. I used to see her at BSF (Bible Study Fellowship), but now she goes to another class that meets in the day.
The family friend that had cancer had her second operation last Friday, a full mastectomy. Things are looking good. They got everything and all the tests have come back clean, so she shouldn’t need any radiation or chemo. She is recovering at home and Mom and I went to see her today, just for a little bit. We didn’t want to wear her out. She seems to be recovering well. She is looking forward to being able to get out of the house and drive again. Hopefully when she has her follow-up visit on Friday the doctor will say that she can drive and do whatever she wants.
I got my first paycheck from Lane Bryant. There were only a few hours on it, so it was pretty small. But it will pay for the alteration to the sleeves of the jacket that I bought three weeks ago. (Being short, I always have trouble with pant-legs and sleeves). It will also pay for the stuff that I took to the drycleaner’s. I can’t wait to have the jacket to wear to work.
On Saturday I went to a play with my parents. They have season tickets at a local theatre company. This time the couple that they usually go with couldn’t attend, so I got to use one of the extra tickets. The play was The Mystery of Irma Vep, written by Charles Ludlam. The program said that he was one of the leaders in the Theatre of the Ridiculous movement. An example of a movie director that follows in the Ridiculous vein is John Waters (Hairspray, Cry Baby, Female Trouble, Pink Flamingos). Stylistically they use lots of pop culture references and have an earthy, silly humor. Here is a great Ludlam quote from the program. "I hate minimal art. I am for maximal art." The play was so hilarious. It was a horror farce that took a little bit from a lot of old horror movies. The basic structure of the plot was taken from Rebecca, which was directed by Hitchcock. That is a wonderful movie, by the way. It’s a mystery/drama about a woman who marries a widower and comes to live at his estate, but finds she is under the shadow of the previous mistress of the manor who died under suspicious circumstances. Well this play had werewolves, vampires, a trip to Egypt to uncover a mummy, and a homicidal maniac. Pretty much everything but the kitchen sink all mixed up in a hilarious stew. The performances were stylistic and highly mannered, like the old movies. The lighting and sound design were especially good and gave some feeling of old movies. Did I forget to tell you that two men play all the characters in the story? Impossibly quick changes, cross-dressing and stuff like that added to the fun. One of the characters said, "The mummy princess reminded me so much of you. I felt I was with you". The new mistress of the manor, who was feigning madness at the time, said, "Sometimes I think I am the gardener. We are the same person". Not highly intellectual or even totally unexpected jokes, just funny. I hope that my description gives you some glimmer of the performance and makes you smile just a bit.
A note about John Waters. I have personally seen Hairspray and Cry Baby. I love Hairspray and have seen it many times. Cry Baby was fun, but not nearly as delightful to me. I have only seen it once. They are the tamest of his works. From what I have read, I don’t want to see the others. He does get way out there as far as sex jokes and subject matter. If you are squeamish about that sort of thing, I don’t recommend his other movies.
The family friend that had cancer had her second operation last Friday, a full mastectomy. Things are looking good. They got everything and all the tests have come back clean, so she shouldn’t need any radiation or chemo. She is recovering at home and Mom and I went to see her today, just for a little bit. We didn’t want to wear her out. She seems to be recovering well. She is looking forward to being able to get out of the house and drive again. Hopefully when she has her follow-up visit on Friday the doctor will say that she can drive and do whatever she wants.
I got my first paycheck from Lane Bryant. There were only a few hours on it, so it was pretty small. But it will pay for the alteration to the sleeves of the jacket that I bought three weeks ago. (Being short, I always have trouble with pant-legs and sleeves). It will also pay for the stuff that I took to the drycleaner’s. I can’t wait to have the jacket to wear to work.
On Saturday I went to a play with my parents. They have season tickets at a local theatre company. This time the couple that they usually go with couldn’t attend, so I got to use one of the extra tickets. The play was The Mystery of Irma Vep, written by Charles Ludlam. The program said that he was one of the leaders in the Theatre of the Ridiculous movement. An example of a movie director that follows in the Ridiculous vein is John Waters (Hairspray, Cry Baby, Female Trouble, Pink Flamingos). Stylistically they use lots of pop culture references and have an earthy, silly humor. Here is a great Ludlam quote from the program. "I hate minimal art. I am for maximal art." The play was so hilarious. It was a horror farce that took a little bit from a lot of old horror movies. The basic structure of the plot was taken from Rebecca, which was directed by Hitchcock. That is a wonderful movie, by the way. It’s a mystery/drama about a woman who marries a widower and comes to live at his estate, but finds she is under the shadow of the previous mistress of the manor who died under suspicious circumstances. Well this play had werewolves, vampires, a trip to Egypt to uncover a mummy, and a homicidal maniac. Pretty much everything but the kitchen sink all mixed up in a hilarious stew. The performances were stylistic and highly mannered, like the old movies. The lighting and sound design were especially good and gave some feeling of old movies. Did I forget to tell you that two men play all the characters in the story? Impossibly quick changes, cross-dressing and stuff like that added to the fun. One of the characters said, "The mummy princess reminded me so much of you. I felt I was with you". The new mistress of the manor, who was feigning madness at the time, said, "Sometimes I think I am the gardener. We are the same person". Not highly intellectual or even totally unexpected jokes, just funny. I hope that my description gives you some glimmer of the performance and makes you smile just a bit.
A note about John Waters. I have personally seen Hairspray and Cry Baby. I love Hairspray and have seen it many times. Cry Baby was fun, but not nearly as delightful to me. I have only seen it once. They are the tamest of his works. From what I have read, I don’t want to see the others. He does get way out there as far as sex jokes and subject matter. If you are squeamish about that sort of thing, I don’t recommend his other movies.
November 12, 2004
Friday Night: fashion and the state of the world
I love Friday night. The beginning of the weekend always feels like a holiday. Of course, now I'm working weekends. Tomorrow is my first selling shift. I'm excited and a little nervous. We do have to compete for sales and hours, after all. But I think that when I'm settled in this could be a really fun job. I like helping the customers find stuff and when they are happy with a new outfit.
I'm watching the second episode this evening of What Not to Wear. I love that show. It is fun and I learn good principles that I think about while I'm choosing clothes. Now I can use that to help the customers at work. The best thing is to see how the person changes the way that they look at and feel about themselves. Often, they just haven't taken the time or haven't changed their self-image even though they have grown in other ways, like career or family. They learn to match their appearance and the image they project with their inner-self and their real life. Some of the people find new levels of confidence and can imagine goals and ambitions that they couldn't before. Clinton and Stacy are so fun, too. They are brutally honest but with a great sense of humor. They make it more fun to watch and hopefully less painful for the person who is being transformed.
Mom and I were glued to the Peterson verdict this afternoon. I haven't been following the trial, but when we heard that the verdict was going to be announced at 1:00 today, we started watching. I was a little surprised that they convicted, given that there was a lack of direct physical evidence. But the circumstantial evidence was overwhelming and seemed to convince the jury. From what I've heard in the evening news and passing Court TV when I'm channel surfing, I believe that he did it. I didn't feel like jumping up and down and celebrating, though, like some people in the crowd of spectators outside the courthouse. It's such a terrible and sad story. I feel bad for Scott Peterson's family, especially his mother who I learned today is in ill health. His father couldn't even bring himself to come to the courthouse today. Laci's family is also suffering terribly. And what about little Connor who never even got the chance to experience life outside of his mother. He never got to see the sun or breathe fresh air. The shocking thing, however, was that through the whole thing Scott never showed any emotion. That's how everyone who saw the proceedings described him. All the lies he told. He apparently wished that he were single again and didn't want to be saddled with a family. He didn't want to be a father. He thought that he could just get rid of them and be free. Hopefully he won't be free ever again. He will probably appeal the verdict, and he has the right to. I pray that everything was done cleanly and appropriately so that none of his appeals are successful.
Then in the little running news breaks across the bottom of the screen we saw a story about a 6 year old boy who was stunned with an electric taser by police in the Principal's office of his elementary school. He had a piece of broken glass and was cutting himself. We saw the story on the evening news tonight, too. Unbelievable. This world is so crazy sometimes, I just don't have the words. And then some people say that Christians are weak and silly for believing in God and saying that we need God. How can you look at this world and say that we don't need God? Are we doing such a great job of taking care of ourselves and this world? Are we really good at loving each other? Are we really advancing into a great, enlightened species? In large and small ways, I think the evidence is abundantly clear.
I'm watching the second episode this evening of What Not to Wear. I love that show. It is fun and I learn good principles that I think about while I'm choosing clothes. Now I can use that to help the customers at work. The best thing is to see how the person changes the way that they look at and feel about themselves. Often, they just haven't taken the time or haven't changed their self-image even though they have grown in other ways, like career or family. They learn to match their appearance and the image they project with their inner-self and their real life. Some of the people find new levels of confidence and can imagine goals and ambitions that they couldn't before. Clinton and Stacy are so fun, too. They are brutally honest but with a great sense of humor. They make it more fun to watch and hopefully less painful for the person who is being transformed.
Mom and I were glued to the Peterson verdict this afternoon. I haven't been following the trial, but when we heard that the verdict was going to be announced at 1:00 today, we started watching. I was a little surprised that they convicted, given that there was a lack of direct physical evidence. But the circumstantial evidence was overwhelming and seemed to convince the jury. From what I've heard in the evening news and passing Court TV when I'm channel surfing, I believe that he did it. I didn't feel like jumping up and down and celebrating, though, like some people in the crowd of spectators outside the courthouse. It's such a terrible and sad story. I feel bad for Scott Peterson's family, especially his mother who I learned today is in ill health. His father couldn't even bring himself to come to the courthouse today. Laci's family is also suffering terribly. And what about little Connor who never even got the chance to experience life outside of his mother. He never got to see the sun or breathe fresh air. The shocking thing, however, was that through the whole thing Scott never showed any emotion. That's how everyone who saw the proceedings described him. All the lies he told. He apparently wished that he were single again and didn't want to be saddled with a family. He didn't want to be a father. He thought that he could just get rid of them and be free. Hopefully he won't be free ever again. He will probably appeal the verdict, and he has the right to. I pray that everything was done cleanly and appropriately so that none of his appeals are successful.
Then in the little running news breaks across the bottom of the screen we saw a story about a 6 year old boy who was stunned with an electric taser by police in the Principal's office of his elementary school. He had a piece of broken glass and was cutting himself. We saw the story on the evening news tonight, too. Unbelievable. This world is so crazy sometimes, I just don't have the words. And then some people say that Christians are weak and silly for believing in God and saying that we need God. How can you look at this world and say that we don't need God? Are we doing such a great job of taking care of ourselves and this world? Are we really good at loving each other? Are we really advancing into a great, enlightened species? In large and small ways, I think the evidence is abundantly clear.
November 10, 2004
November 09, 2004
Indescribable
I've been spending most of the day tweaking the new journal, customizing the sidebar. I plan to try the audioblogger option and make a voice entry soon. That could be fun. While I was online, I found two really great knitting blogs. The Red Sweater and Knit Two, Purl Two. I am just trying to finish the shawl that I started months ago. I put it down and didn't do a stitch for most of the summer. All I have left to do is the fringe. These two knitters put me to shame. Looking at their photos and reading about their projects is inspiring, but I have to admit I'm a little jealous, too. If I didn't work and spent all my time knitting all day, I might be able to do some of the stuff they do. Oh, well.
Tonight the worship band practice was especially fun because we learned a new song, Indescribable by Chris Tomlin. The music and the words are great. Here are the words to the chorus:
Indescribable, uncontainable,
You placed the stars in the sky and You know them by name.
You are amazing God
All powerful, untamable,
Awestruck we fall to our knees as we humbly proclaim
You are amazing God
Some bad news from friends. The woman who had surgery for breast cancer will have to go back again. The tests show that they didn't get all of the tumor. Another friend went into premature labor. The baby girl lived for two days. I was so touched by her e-mail because she was not bitter, but instead thankful that she got to see her baby. She said that God blessed the baby by taking her back home. Of course she is sad and it has been terribly difficult for her and her husband, but she is receiving comfort from God and friends. She is not turning to bitterness.
I'll work tomorrow, my last training shift. I'll learn the register. My first selling shift will be on Saturday.
Tonight the worship band practice was especially fun because we learned a new song, Indescribable by Chris Tomlin. The music and the words are great. Here are the words to the chorus:
Indescribable, uncontainable,
You placed the stars in the sky and You know them by name.
You are amazing God
All powerful, untamable,
Awestruck we fall to our knees as we humbly proclaim
You are amazing God
Some bad news from friends. The woman who had surgery for breast cancer will have to go back again. The tests show that they didn't get all of the tumor. Another friend went into premature labor. The baby girl lived for two days. I was so touched by her e-mail because she was not bitter, but instead thankful that she got to see her baby. She said that God blessed the baby by taking her back home. Of course she is sad and it has been terribly difficult for her and her husband, but she is receiving comfort from God and friends. She is not turning to bitterness.
I'll work tomorrow, my last training shift. I'll learn the register. My first selling shift will be on Saturday.
November 07, 2004
Stormy Weather Arts Festival
I opened this blogger account so that I wouldn't run out of space at my free website. I don't want to have to update to a paid account until I have a better, more dependable job. So far, everything I have done for my website has been free. I am really grateful to FreeWebSpace.inc and Bravenet. If you have just stumbled onto this journal, then please visit my homepage. I started this journal on this page. There is about a month of entries there. It's always good to start at the beginning.
I just came back from the Oregon coast. We had a great time at the Stormy Weather Arts Festival. Tom May, a folk singer, was the highlight of the day. There are a lot of art galleries there. One of them that I looked at had some great pictures. One of them I thought was really fun. It was a couple in evening formal dress doing the tango on the beach with a maid holding an umbrella and a butler standing by. It seemed to create a story in your mind. I also enjoyed listening to live music in Bella Espresso. The coffee shop is painted in deep, warm colors with murals of Italian style paintings. Even the bathroom is beautifully painted. There are books and board games laying around, inviting you to relax and enjoy yourself.
When I came home, my Brighton ring was waiting for me in the mail. I am really happy with it and am wearing it now. It's antique looking and chunky, a bold statement.
I read a lot of the book Shadow Divers this weekend. It is really great. Inspiring really, how the divers face their fears and test themselves by diving in extremely dangerous conditions. One of the men in the story is a legendary wreck diver who has fallen into alcoholism and hard-times. He can't dive anymore, but he owns the charter and organized the divers to investigate the wrecked sub. He said that this is the kind of thing that could get him to quit drinking and get himself together so that he could dive see it for himself. I hope by the end of the book that he does get well enough to dive again and learn that he can turn his life around.
I just came back from the Oregon coast. We had a great time at the Stormy Weather Arts Festival. Tom May, a folk singer, was the highlight of the day. There are a lot of art galleries there. One of them that I looked at had some great pictures. One of them I thought was really fun. It was a couple in evening formal dress doing the tango on the beach with a maid holding an umbrella and a butler standing by. It seemed to create a story in your mind. I also enjoyed listening to live music in Bella Espresso. The coffee shop is painted in deep, warm colors with murals of Italian style paintings. Even the bathroom is beautifully painted. There are books and board games laying around, inviting you to relax and enjoy yourself.
When I came home, my Brighton ring was waiting for me in the mail. I am really happy with it and am wearing it now. It's antique looking and chunky, a bold statement.
I read a lot of the book Shadow Divers this weekend. It is really great. Inspiring really, how the divers face their fears and test themselves by diving in extremely dangerous conditions. One of the men in the story is a legendary wreck diver who has fallen into alcoholism and hard-times. He can't dive anymore, but he owns the charter and organized the divers to investigate the wrecked sub. He said that this is the kind of thing that could get him to quit drinking and get himself together so that he could dive see it for himself. I hope by the end of the book that he does get well enough to dive again and learn that he can turn his life around.
November 06, 2004
October 01, 2004
September 25, 2004
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