What the hell have I been up to, anyway? Not much...
Geeze, it's been 5 months since I posted on here! What the hell, RL? You are interfering with things I like to do!
Sometimes people say, "Hey, what you been up to?" and usually I reply, "OMG, so many things, crazy busy!" But the last few months before the holidays were a special kind of insanity...
September
- Crafternoon event at co-op (planned and hosted)
October
- Trip to Portland (1 part work, 2 parts fun)
- Trip to Island to visit pondside and solomons_pond for Thanksgiving
November
- Business Trip to Nashville
- Marvel Movie Madness event at co-op (planned & shopped for, was sick)
- Christmas Market
December
- Cookie Bake and Swap event at co-op (planned and hosted)
- House filk at Lundervilla
- Work Christmas Party
- Holiday Dinner event at co-op (planned, shopped, cooked and hosted)
- Trip to Island to visit pondside and solomons_pond for (GLORIOUS NO STRESS NO WORK RELAXATION) Christmas
January so far:
- New Year's Day Brunch (planned, shopped, cooked and hosted)
- Conflikt Songbook, final draft due ASAP (almost finished)
- Jan 18: Crafternoon event at co-op (planning & hosting)
- Jan 23: Court (stupid ex asking to lower child support payments AGAIN)
***heading to down to see trystel, tuto and moosaic4 directly afterwards; need to visit with them since only moosaic4 and I are continuing on to....
- Jan 24-26: CONFLIKT! Where hopefully there will be many much songs and singing thereof and resounding refrains of Frobisher Bay and other such singables that I only get to indulge in when visiting with LARGE GROUPS of FILKERS!
So, back in September, Jazzy Girl and I decided to get a table at the Christmas Market this year. I've been (half-assedly) trying to get my jewellery business off the ground and we both make candles. We're also avid bakers, and since the Market was under the Farmer Market rules for foodstuffs, we thought we try selling baked good as well.
Between co-op events, my business trips and the relentless grind that has been completing the launch of various things at work (always something else new on the horizon) it was pretty nuts. Going to Nashville was, in my opinion, a HUGE waste of my time and company resources, but it was the flight back that was truly horrific. It left me feeling shaken and upset for days afterwards.
I think flying is always a challenge for fat people. I am a fat person, it's not like it's any secret
"What, I am not a size 2? WHY DIDN'T ANYONE TELL ME!!! *rolls eyes*
I always try to book early, try to book on the aisle - that way, I am not a blob between two people, I can at least lean away from the person stuck next to me if they are fat phobic. I can put down the divider between the seats, so I am not taking up anything but my own seat. I have had a few people look visibly disturbed that I was about to sit by them, but have never had an issue with anyone. Had someone try to avoid sitting next to me once; I was first seat at the front, and I knew by the look on panic on her face when she walked in she was beside me, but she went to the back and I heard people ask her to move from their seat at least 3 or 4 times (the flight was FULL and I knew that) when she finally came up to the front, I just looked at her and said, "You just had to ask me to move," because she was beside the window. She was so mad, she didn't even look at me or talk to me for the whole flight. *shakes head* What can you do?
Anyway. This was not like that. On my return flight, the leg from Chicago to Vancouver was a nightmare, featuring a very obnoxious person next to me who was BESIDE HIMSELF with disgust that he was stuck beside me. He tried to get the flight attendant to re-seat him, verbally moaned and whined and sighed like I was hurting him, and was so obvious in his revulsion that the flight attendant asked me to come back and hang out in the galley with her. It culminated in an altercation between the passenger and the flight attendant arguing, me in tears, the flight attendant asking another passenger to swap seats with me, and the purser (I didn't know they had pursers on aircraft) calling the police to meet us at the plane and escort the other person through customs to keep him away from me. Between the crying and the upset, I felt very sick and then they went and called the paramedics. And of course, my heart rate was high, BP was up and I was feeling dizzy and nauseated, and they wanted to call an ambulance and take me to the hospital - GAH!
FYI: it is REALLY hard to talk paramedics out of calling you an ambulance if they think you need one. Good god, because the day wasn't already enough of a cluster fuck.
At least my son came to meet me at the airport, which was nice. I ended up saying FUCK IT when we started to walk to the Skytrain - I just could NOT face being on a packed train and then a packed bus and then walking home with all my crap. I got a cab and expensed it to the company.
AND THEN I got sick for a week when I got home (nasty can't-keep-water-down, pass out for 16 hours sick). It was just wonderful. AUGH!
I am never going to Nashville again, no way, no how.
After I got better, Jazzy and I managed to get everything finished the week before the Market (by which I mean I made jewellery and beeswax candles and she baked 4 kinds of shortbread, made pumpkin squares and candied citrus peel AND made tea scented candles in vintage teacups)
While doing the market was a good experience - we've never done anything like that before - and we did sell enough to pay for our table at the market and our baking ingredients - unfortunately, we didn't sell a single candle or piece of jewellery.
The weekend after that we did a big cookie bake & swap event at the co-op, bringing down pans, measuring cups, bowls, spoons, cutters, parchment paper, you name it - and invited others to come out and do some baking with us, or just join in the swap after. The turn out was low, but that was ok, we filled the room with those who came. About halfway through the day, I get a panicked call from Monkey Boy that a pipe burst and he's just managed to turn the water off. I ran home to deal with that - turned out a pipe that burst a few years back had burst again right below the repaired point. The good thing was it was the OUTSIDE store room and so there was no damage to my unit. The bad thing was that just about everything that was not on the shelves - including an old silver screen for home movies that was my grandfather's - was destroyed by the water. *sigh*.
Well. It could have been SO MUCH WORSE, so I really can't complain. But I am sad about the things that were wrecked.
A couple days before Christmas, the social committee (and by that, I mean me and Jazzy girl) did a huge dinner for the co-op. We put in many hours. Jazzy Girl de-boned the turkeys ahead of time and stuffed them so they would cook more quickly and slice more easily. She made a stunning array of fancy appetizers and hor d'oeuvres (Cajun Crab cakes; Salmon canapes; mini tuna-melts; Tarragon Chicken puffs; Roast beef popover bites) plus we had all kinds of veggies, smashed potatoes with creamy goat cheese and chives, cabbage rolls, etc.
And moosaic4 drove ALL THE WAY up from Portland with kids in tow to hang out with me while I rushed madly about getting everything ready! She also let me press her into service (which I did) and make slaves of her children (which I also did) MissA and Girlygirl made meatballs (another appetizer) and helped a lot with fetching, carrying and setting up.
On the Monday morning after, moosaic4 and her brood had to head back down. I in turn packed up my tribe and went to the island to visit pondside and solomons_pond for Christmas. It was lovely and relaxing and low key and really what I needed - a week away from my regular life.
When we got home it was back into the swing of things pretty quick with planning and shopping for the New Year's Day brunch at the co-op; people on the social committee don't grok. They can't figure out why I would do all this work, and I try to explain that hey, I used to do hospitality for conventions, which is like to the power of 10 more complex and also, for a whole weekend instead of just one meal, but... I don't think they get it. *shrug*
Was back to work Jan 2, and have pretty much been underwater ever since. When I was talking to my previous manager (the one I like who still does my time card) I told her I was already at 38.5 hours this morning, and not authorized to do OT (which would have meant leaving at 10am) and she just said, "Screw that, I do your time card, I'm authorizing it!" So. I ended up with about 7 hours of OT today - it's going to be interesting to see what my official boss says about that.
Man, I need to post more often. I don't, and then I have so much to blab about, which maybe I shouldn't bother because really, who wants to read this crap anyway - but whatever. S I go to post, then I think, "Man, it'll take a while, I'll do it later," and then poof, where the hell did the time go?
Sometimes people say, "Hey, what you been up to?" and usually I reply, "OMG, so many things, crazy busy!" But the last few months before the holidays were a special kind of insanity...
September
- Crafternoon event at co-op (planned and hosted)
October
- Trip to Portland (1 part work, 2 parts fun)
- Trip to Island to visit pondside and solomons_pond for Thanksgiving
November
- Business Trip to Nashville
- Marvel Movie Madness event at co-op (planned & shopped for, was sick)
- Christmas Market
December
- Cookie Bake and Swap event at co-op (planned and hosted)
- House filk at Lundervilla
- Work Christmas Party
- Holiday Dinner event at co-op (planned, shopped, cooked and hosted)
- Trip to Island to visit pondside and solomons_pond for (GLORIOUS NO STRESS NO WORK RELAXATION) Christmas
January so far:
- New Year's Day Brunch (planned, shopped, cooked and hosted)
- Conflikt Songbook, final draft due ASAP (almost finished)
- Jan 18: Crafternoon event at co-op (planning & hosting)
- Jan 23: Court (stupid ex asking to lower child support payments AGAIN)
***heading to down to see trystel, tuto and moosaic4 directly afterwards; need to visit with them since only moosaic4 and I are continuing on to....
- Jan 24-26: CONFLIKT! Where hopefully there will be many much songs and singing thereof and resounding refrains of Frobisher Bay and other such singables that I only get to indulge in when visiting with LARGE GROUPS of FILKERS!
So, back in September, Jazzy Girl and I decided to get a table at the Christmas Market this year. I've been (half-assedly) trying to get my jewellery business off the ground and we both make candles. We're also avid bakers, and since the Market was under the Farmer Market rules for foodstuffs, we thought we try selling baked good as well.
Between co-op events, my business trips and the relentless grind that has been completing the launch of various things at work (always something else new on the horizon) it was pretty nuts. Going to Nashville was, in my opinion, a HUGE waste of my time and company resources, but it was the flight back that was truly horrific. It left me feeling shaken and upset for days afterwards.
I think flying is always a challenge for fat people. I am a fat person, it's not like it's any secret
"What, I am not a size 2? WHY DIDN'T ANYONE TELL ME!!! *rolls eyes*
I always try to book early, try to book on the aisle - that way, I am not a blob between two people, I can at least lean away from the person stuck next to me if they are fat phobic. I can put down the divider between the seats, so I am not taking up anything but my own seat. I have had a few people look visibly disturbed that I was about to sit by them, but have never had an issue with anyone. Had someone try to avoid sitting next to me once; I was first seat at the front, and I knew by the look on panic on her face when she walked in she was beside me, but she went to the back and I heard people ask her to move from their seat at least 3 or 4 times (the flight was FULL and I knew that) when she finally came up to the front, I just looked at her and said, "You just had to ask me to move," because she was beside the window. She was so mad, she didn't even look at me or talk to me for the whole flight. *shakes head* What can you do?
Anyway. This was not like that. On my return flight, the leg from Chicago to Vancouver was a nightmare, featuring a very obnoxious person next to me who was BESIDE HIMSELF with disgust that he was stuck beside me. He tried to get the flight attendant to re-seat him, verbally moaned and whined and sighed like I was hurting him, and was so obvious in his revulsion that the flight attendant asked me to come back and hang out in the galley with her. It culminated in an altercation between the passenger and the flight attendant arguing, me in tears, the flight attendant asking another passenger to swap seats with me, and the purser (I didn't know they had pursers on aircraft) calling the police to meet us at the plane and escort the other person through customs to keep him away from me. Between the crying and the upset, I felt very sick and then they went and called the paramedics. And of course, my heart rate was high, BP was up and I was feeling dizzy and nauseated, and they wanted to call an ambulance and take me to the hospital - GAH!
FYI: it is REALLY hard to talk paramedics out of calling you an ambulance if they think you need one. Good god, because the day wasn't already enough of a cluster fuck.
At least my son came to meet me at the airport, which was nice. I ended up saying FUCK IT when we started to walk to the Skytrain - I just could NOT face being on a packed train and then a packed bus and then walking home with all my crap. I got a cab and expensed it to the company.
AND THEN I got sick for a week when I got home (nasty can't-keep-water-down, pass out for 16 hours sick). It was just wonderful. AUGH!
I am never going to Nashville again, no way, no how.
After I got better, Jazzy and I managed to get everything finished the week before the Market (by which I mean I made jewellery and beeswax candles and she baked 4 kinds of shortbread, made pumpkin squares and candied citrus peel AND made tea scented candles in vintage teacups)
While doing the market was a good experience - we've never done anything like that before - and we did sell enough to pay for our table at the market and our baking ingredients - unfortunately, we didn't sell a single candle or piece of jewellery.
The weekend after that we did a big cookie bake & swap event at the co-op, bringing down pans, measuring cups, bowls, spoons, cutters, parchment paper, you name it - and invited others to come out and do some baking with us, or just join in the swap after. The turn out was low, but that was ok, we filled the room with those who came. About halfway through the day, I get a panicked call from Monkey Boy that a pipe burst and he's just managed to turn the water off. I ran home to deal with that - turned out a pipe that burst a few years back had burst again right below the repaired point. The good thing was it was the OUTSIDE store room and so there was no damage to my unit. The bad thing was that just about everything that was not on the shelves - including an old silver screen for home movies that was my grandfather's - was destroyed by the water. *sigh*.
Well. It could have been SO MUCH WORSE, so I really can't complain. But I am sad about the things that were wrecked.
A couple days before Christmas, the social committee (and by that, I mean me and Jazzy girl) did a huge dinner for the co-op. We put in many hours. Jazzy Girl de-boned the turkeys ahead of time and stuffed them so they would cook more quickly and slice more easily. She made a stunning array of fancy appetizers and hor d'oeuvres (Cajun Crab cakes; Salmon canapes; mini tuna-melts; Tarragon Chicken puffs; Roast beef popover bites) plus we had all kinds of veggies, smashed potatoes with creamy goat cheese and chives, cabbage rolls, etc.
And moosaic4 drove ALL THE WAY up from Portland with kids in tow to hang out with me while I rushed madly about getting everything ready! She also let me press her into service (which I did) and make slaves of her children (which I also did) MissA and Girlygirl made meatballs (another appetizer) and helped a lot with fetching, carrying and setting up.
On the Monday morning after, moosaic4 and her brood had to head back down. I in turn packed up my tribe and went to the island to visit pondside and solomons_pond for Christmas. It was lovely and relaxing and low key and really what I needed - a week away from my regular life.
When we got home it was back into the swing of things pretty quick with planning and shopping for the New Year's Day brunch at the co-op; people on the social committee don't grok. They can't figure out why I would do all this work, and I try to explain that hey, I used to do hospitality for conventions, which is like to the power of 10 more complex and also, for a whole weekend instead of just one meal, but... I don't think they get it. *shrug*
Was back to work Jan 2, and have pretty much been underwater ever since. When I was talking to my previous manager (the one I like who still does my time card) I told her I was already at 38.5 hours this morning, and not authorized to do OT (which would have meant leaving at 10am) and she just said, "Screw that, I do your time card, I'm authorizing it!" So. I ended up with about 7 hours of OT today - it's going to be interesting to see what my official boss says about that.
Man, I need to post more often. I don't, and then I have so much to blab about, which maybe I shouldn't bother because really, who wants to read this crap anyway - but whatever. S I go to post, then I think, "Man, it'll take a while, I'll do it later," and then poof, where the hell did the time go?