Sobering realization
I recently realized that when people say, "Time will make it better," they don't mean that time will make it go away. All that platitude means is that time makes it easier to deal with. If it's come to someone saying that to you, then sadly "it" is unlikely to go away.
Candy casualty
So I had another run in with our candy vending machine today. I won't bore anyone with the details of my bad day but between the needs of our letter writers and the apparent new additions to my job, I needed candy... HAD to have it... and not the chocolate I had on my desk. I grudgingly took a dollar out my purse, upset that I was giving in to to the inflated cost of a pack of Starburst and headed back to the machine.
Of course, the machine never takes my dollar on the first try (after we're done with it, they better never install it in a strip club!), but then when I finally get it in there and hit "D7," it starts making a funky beeping noise.
Would you believe that the inflated-price goods-carrying, dollar-rejecting, loose morals piece of metal had the audacity to demand exact change? After a half dozen tries when I finally realized what was going on, I so wanted to shout, "Exact change yuh mummah!" But I refrained. After all, the associate publisher's office door is right by the machine — a fact that I'm sure makes the machine feel brazen and bold.
So I had to walk up to the cashiers to get the change I needed for the machine. God bless Ms. Rose she made me smile though. I asked for three quarters, two dimes and a nickle and after she gives it to me, she says, "Are you sure that's a dollar?" I had the deer in headlights look for about 10 seconds before I realized she was pulling my leg.
Then it was back to the machine for the Starbursts.
I tell you, next thing you know the machine is going to expect us to reach up inside it to get the damn candy ourselves.
Sad.
Of course, the machine never takes my dollar on the first try (after we're done with it, they better never install it in a strip club!), but then when I finally get it in there and hit "D7," it starts making a funky beeping noise.
Would you believe that the inflated-price goods-carrying, dollar-rejecting, loose morals piece of metal had the audacity to demand exact change? After a half dozen tries when I finally realized what was going on, I so wanted to shout, "Exact change yuh mummah!" But I refrained. After all, the associate publisher's office door is right by the machine — a fact that I'm sure makes the machine feel brazen and bold.
So I had to walk up to the cashiers to get the change I needed for the machine. God bless Ms. Rose she made me smile though. I asked for three quarters, two dimes and a nickle and after she gives it to me, she says, "Are you sure that's a dollar?" I had the deer in headlights look for about 10 seconds before I realized she was pulling my leg.
Then it was back to the machine for the Starbursts.
I tell you, next thing you know the machine is going to expect us to reach up inside it to get the damn candy ourselves.
Sad.
Bitter meltdown
OK, the financial crisis has finally hit home: Candy prices have been hit by inflation. I just got done cleaning out all the pennies in my desk drawer to make up 95 cents for a pack of Starburst. I'd always thought the original 85 cents was a rip off but when I needed candy, I needed candy. But when I went to the vending machine today (after already converting 10 pennies at the cashier), I immediately knew I was in trouble. The prices were off the Starburts, Skittles, Jolly Ranchers and M&Ms. I had to hit the D7 code to see the price - 95 cents.
So it was back to my desk to scrounge for more loose change. I finally had to ask a coworker for a penny to make up the 15 cents I needed. Yes, people, Iceland is at risk of defaulting on its sovereign debt and the U.S. and E.U. are nationalizing companies in droves, but it's finally hit home now. We're in for some hard times folks. It's time to buy an extra mattress.
So it was back to my desk to scrounge for more loose change. I finally had to ask a coworker for a penny to make up the 15 cents I needed. Yes, people, Iceland is at risk of defaulting on its sovereign debt and the U.S. and E.U. are nationalizing companies in droves, but it's finally hit home now. We're in for some hard times folks. It's time to buy an extra mattress.
Wii box for charity!
Baby Moo, work and school, just life in general, have kept me very busy these past few months. It's insane that the baby is already two and runs around the house singing her ABCs like no one's business. Still, I just thought I'd log on quickly to share a few things:
- After my current class, I'll have only three left to complete my masters! I'm on target to make honors, but I'll have to pull up my socks in this class because I currently have a B that could make my GPA slip.
- As J' pointed out, I've now owned a VW in every country I've ever lived :-) This past week, we traded in my stalwart G20 (with almost 200,000 miles) for a spunky 2002 Jetta 1.8T.
- Next month I start program called Leadership Bay. It's a leadership development program that's a joint venture between the Bay County Chamber of Commerce and Gulf Coast Community College. Here's the website.
- Last month I helped out with the newspaper's United Way effort for this year. This is where the title of this blog comes from because one of the fundraisers was a Wii Boxing Tournament. Here's a video about the preliminary matches and here's another with the semis, finals and our first annual Department Head Showdown. You can see me in the videos, as well as all the bloodthirsty people I work with LOL
The balance
It's funny how the cycle of life and death works. Awhile ago I was reading my co-worker's daughter-in-law's blog where she spoke of the pain she felt this past Mother's Day. Last year her and her husband lost one of their daughter's to leukemia. (Read my blog about it here: Abigail Morgan). She was talking about how the pain was almost too much to bear this year. I remember feeling a punch to my gut this year when I realized that there'd be no calling my Mom to wish her Happy Mother's Day (you think I'd know this after 5 years) and I remembered that feeling as I read her blog.
But then a few seconds later, I'm looking at one of my email accounts at a thank you letter from my cousin who I realized finished her A-level exams today. I couldn't help but smile because I remember her as a toddler barely able to see above the dinner table when she came to visit Jamaica. I remember giving her a piggy-back rides and it reminded me that as hard as it is, life does go on and God gives us his grace to balance out the pain.
But then a few seconds later, I'm looking at one of my email accounts at a thank you letter from my cousin who I realized finished her A-level exams today. I couldn't help but smile because I remember her as a toddler barely able to see above the dinner table when she came to visit Jamaica. I remember giving her a piggy-back rides and it reminded me that as hard as it is, life does go on and God gives us his grace to balance out the pain.
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