I can't brain today
Or at least I could, earlier, at, oh, I don't know, somewhere before lunchtime came around in another devastating example of just how stupid things are right now at my workplace, because it's been two weeks -- going on three -- and I've had every single one of my lunches interrupted. By the time I got back to my desk, in my office, which has a door and a lock that I should probably use, my food has gone cold, someone's taken a bite (because as much as people make faces when I remind them that I'm vegetarian and my lunch does not include meat, they all love my food, however much they deny it) and it's time to go home.
Except, today, I didn't get to go home at my usual time, and it's been an 18 14*-hour day; I got home 30 minutes ago. I've snarfed down the reheated pea soup and the grilled cheese sandwich (only moderately burnt) that my spouse handed me when I got home instead of making the lentil-and-leek-and-kale-and-pasta bake that I was originally going to make until I hit the 4 PM wall and texted him with fukkit, hope you don't mind yesterday's leftover potpie for dinner? But pea soup and grilled cheese are comfort food, and I knew I married the guy for a reason.
I mean, he even let me have the last butter tart. Yeah, he's definitely a keeper.
So, before I continue on this ramble -- I ramble a lot when I'm tired, and it's one of a few warning signs that I'm tired (the other one being crankiness and intractability and heels-in-the-dirt stubbornness) -- I want to say:
Thank you to everyone who's read Part 10 and for the lovely comments that have been left, and for the kudos that have been plastered on AO3. I'm flattered and embarrassed and grinning a lot at all the sweet things you've said, even the flailing and the pseudo death threats over the ending. I'm going to answer comments as soon as I have two working brain cells to rub together, so I hope you don't mind the wait.
I will answer a few things that I saw in the comments, though, and that's, well, to apologize. I didn't mean to break anyone. I'm sorry. I have duct tape? I can fix you! I promise. Obviously Part 10 isn't the last one, and it was never going to be the last one; I'd originally planned on 10 parts, but then that became 15, and by this point? Fuck if I know.
Have I started writing Part 11 yet? No, because I am letting it sit in my head for a while. I have the title to Part 11, though, and I have the beginning (even if it's not written down), and I have at least something floating around and tapping me in the head and telling me to hurry up and finish with merlin_horror soon, because Part 11 wants writing.
Which brings me to this: merlin_horror is the only fest I've signed up for the remaining of 2012, and I'm almost done with that, so that means after I finish, I will start Part 11.
Also, to the anon commenter (FYI: anon posts are screened, but only to avoid spam, otherwise I unscreen everything when I get to it) who said I should check the loaded-march tag on tumblr, I'd love to, I really would, but I can't figure tumblr out and from everything I've heard, it's a giant brain-suck, anyway, and I highly suspect that if I did get a tumblr, and started rooting around in there, I wouldn't come up for air. Ever.
Anyway, here's a funny from the day -- sadly, the only one that really stood out. I received an email from a supplier about an equipment inquiry I'd put out, and he emailed me back with some very impressive examples. I forwarded it to my coworker (the coworker of me measurement units fame) with a single word:
"Thoughts"?
He responded with:
"Oooo... shiny. Pretty. It has lots of flashing buttons."
I used to share an office with this guy, so please understand that my suppressing my first reaction -- scrambling around in search of something to throw at him -- was difficult. Eventually, I stopped facepalming and eyerolling and replied with:
"... constructive thoughts?"
I eventually did get those constructive thoughts, by the way. I've requested additional technical information on one item, a quotation for another, and a potential demonstration of a different piece of equipment. I hope suppliers and manufacturers out there know the eye-rolling frustration I have to go through to get feedback from my coworkers.
And now I'm for a hot, scalding shower and bed and hopefully by the time I wake up, the clusterfuck that was today will be gone. If it comes back tomorrow, I will stab it.
Repeatedly.
* Apparently a symptom of tiredness is an inability to count properly. I had a 14-hour day, not an 18-hour day. STILL.
Except, today, I didn't get to go home at my usual time, and it's been an 18 14*-hour day; I got home 30 minutes ago. I've snarfed down the reheated pea soup and the grilled cheese sandwich (only moderately burnt) that my spouse handed me when I got home instead of making the lentil-and-leek-and-kale-and-pasta bake that I was originally going to make until I hit the 4 PM wall and texted him with fukkit, hope you don't mind yesterday's leftover potpie for dinner? But pea soup and grilled cheese are comfort food, and I knew I married the guy for a reason.
I mean, he even let me have the last butter tart. Yeah, he's definitely a keeper.
So, before I continue on this ramble -- I ramble a lot when I'm tired, and it's one of a few warning signs that I'm tired (the other one being crankiness and intractability and heels-in-the-dirt stubbornness) -- I want to say:
Thank you to everyone who's read Part 10 and for the lovely comments that have been left, and for the kudos that have been plastered on AO3. I'm flattered and embarrassed and grinning a lot at all the sweet things you've said, even the flailing and the pseudo death threats over the ending. I'm going to answer comments as soon as I have two working brain cells to rub together, so I hope you don't mind the wait.
I will answer a few things that I saw in the comments, though, and that's, well, to apologize. I didn't mean to break anyone. I'm sorry. I have duct tape? I can fix you! I promise. Obviously Part 10 isn't the last one, and it was never going to be the last one; I'd originally planned on 10 parts, but then that became 15, and by this point? Fuck if I know.
Have I started writing Part 11 yet? No, because I am letting it sit in my head for a while. I have the title to Part 11, though, and I have the beginning (even if it's not written down), and I have at least something floating around and tapping me in the head and telling me to hurry up and finish with merlin_horror soon, because Part 11 wants writing.
Which brings me to this: merlin_horror is the only fest I've signed up for the remaining of 2012, and I'm almost done with that, so that means after I finish, I will start Part 11.
Also, to the anon commenter (FYI: anon posts are screened, but only to avoid spam, otherwise I unscreen everything when I get to it) who said I should check the loaded-march tag on tumblr, I'd love to, I really would, but I can't figure tumblr out and from everything I've heard, it's a giant brain-suck, anyway, and I highly suspect that if I did get a tumblr, and started rooting around in there, I wouldn't come up for air. Ever.
Anyway, here's a funny from the day -- sadly, the only one that really stood out. I received an email from a supplier about an equipment inquiry I'd put out, and he emailed me back with some very impressive examples. I forwarded it to my coworker (the coworker of me measurement units fame) with a single word:
"Thoughts"?
He responded with:
"Oooo... shiny. Pretty. It has lots of flashing buttons."
I used to share an office with this guy, so please understand that my suppressing my first reaction -- scrambling around in search of something to throw at him -- was difficult. Eventually, I stopped facepalming and eyerolling and replied with:
"... constructive thoughts?"
I eventually did get those constructive thoughts, by the way. I've requested additional technical information on one item, a quotation for another, and a potential demonstration of a different piece of equipment. I hope suppliers and manufacturers out there know the eye-rolling frustration I have to go through to get feedback from my coworkers.
And now I'm for a hot, scalding shower and bed and hopefully by the time I wake up, the clusterfuck that was today will be gone. If it comes back tomorrow, I will stab it.
Repeatedly.
* Apparently a symptom of tiredness is an inability to count properly. I had a 14-hour day, not an 18-hour day. STILL.