Me back

I just can’t face going back to work at the moment and facing truly mean people who revel in the unhappiness of others. I haven’t felt this way about a job since I worked for PWsleaze years ago and knew that it was time to make a conscious moral decision NOT to work for a company that didn’t understand the nature of the word “integrity”. Funny that corporate "conscience" doesn’t extend past the corporate PR/BS strategy (to look good/win contracts) to translate into decency towards a company’s employees. (yada yada) All this means that I have just extended my vacation by a few days to readjust myself before going back to work.

So now I have insomnia. I tried to eat some Dancing Deer brownies (made near Boston yet available at TSC), but that just upset my stomach. I’m also on Phucking Cat Watch – as the cat has taken the opportunity to dump on my welcome mat – and several other places – while Desert Dawg and I were not on duty. My terrace is covered with chili powder and orange slices. Bastard cat from hell!

I arrived a few days ago on the kick-ass United flight from Virginia. A semi-inebriated (and quite large) firefighter (ergo the “firefighter” t-shirt) sat next to me and immediately asked me digging questions about my marital and financial status. Best to keep to firefighting, dude. “I don’t see a wedding ring… Oh, you’re not married? Can I borrow some money? Seriously can I? ….. At the risk of not sounding too bold – want some of my nuggets?” WHO brings chicken nuggets on a plane?! Ok 10 year olds perhaps. The smell just isn’t plane-worthy. Yuck. Maybe I understood it wrong and it was a double entendre for the other nuggets. I don’t know. Luckily, his tummy full of (beer?) and nuggets, he drifted off to sleep for the next 10 hours. I can usually sleep on the plane, but this trip had me missing my family so much that I found myself waking up on and off.

It was a great trip. It was one of those trips that felt like I was there for a month (in a good way) and that in actuality – didn’t last very long. It was just wonderful. I spent time with my sister and my mother and my nephew. I still haven’t gotten my brother in law to say “I love you” yet when I do, but I am working on it. I have a feeling that he is from a family that doesn’t let it out that easily; similar to my 86 year old aunt. I say it all the time because I think you should let people know when they are dear to you.

I saw “Marley and Me” twice while I was there – and bawled my eyes out (right along with everyone else in the audience) both times. My nephew sobbed. I loved that movie. If you can get ahold of a bootlegged copy in Kuwait, I highly recommend it. The only people in the audience who weren’t crying was an Indian family who didn’t get the whole dog thing; which made me wonder how it would go over with a Kuwaiti audience. It is a very American thing to have a dog at some point in your life – and to love it like a family member. Even cat lovers have dogs at some point. It is part of growing up. It definitely taught me discipline and respect for living things. My step father dragged me out of elementary school one time to go home and give my dog (a black lab) water because I had forgotten. I never forgot again with any animal (or my nephew while I was on watch). {Just a disclaimer here: Please don’t write to me to discuss the religious ramifications of dogs in this part of the world. Heard it before, thanks. Personally, I think a lot of dogs are cleaner and kinder than a whole lot of people and a lot can be learned from them. As for angels not visiting your home - well, everyone is entitled to their beliefs and I have mine too.}

The weather was gorgeous in Virginia. I saw a snow shower – nothing that stuck to the ground. My sister, husband, and my nephew all went to Vail to go skiing. I didn’t want to go because it would be too much travel to pack into a short vacation. They said it was beautiful and they have never seen so much snow before. They did get snowed in at Denver airport and ended up taking a hummer stretch limo to Vail. They had vodka and carry out from Taco Bell so it wasn’t such a terrible trip.

It was a very nice Christmas. I think the one gift that was the best was a star machine that I bought over the internet (cool site called Perpetual Kid - www.perpetualkid.com) for my nephew. It is amazing and I wish I had one here. Maybe I’ll buy one. So cool. It is a laser light show, but of stars and clouds in random, moving effects. It looked like the heavens. Totally cool. I never know what to get people who have everything so I try to find different stuff.

So now I am back in my new apartment and feeling completely lonely. I miss the crowded house a lot – just having people around. I think I’m getting too old for this living alone stuff – although I do like my space.