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I love these sugar cookies. Actually, I love the frosting. Mmm-mmm. My brother and I grew up on birthday cakes made from this grocery store chain - Market Basket. A slice of cake with large frosting flowers, please!
The one thing I dislike about these cookies are not the cookies, but the fact that they are kept in the bakery case at the store. A staff member is required to get the goods - much like at the deli counter. There is usually never an employee behind the counter. And no bell to ring for service, either. Hmph! The past two weeks I've heard someone in the back, out of sight, washing pans and such - never coming out to the counter to check for sugar hungry customers. I wonder if they are so overworked they just don't want to deal with trying to get their work done and watch for customers. Last week I gave up after waiting 5 minutes. I even doubled back later to no avail. Today I was "lucky" - there were 2 employees in the back washing and chatting when one eventually wandered out, only to pass me off on the other one, who then tried to pass me off to the first one. Just one cookie, please. If you'd like, I'll come back there and get it myself. I think I'm going to have to give up the sugary treats anyhow. Not only are they hard to get, but they are bad for my thighs. Sigh.

And now for something completely different:
So far I am enjoying my job. It is keeping me busy, but it has only been a week and a day. There's plenty of work to do. Hooray! It's the first bookkeeping job I've had where I'm able to deal with clients, which is nice - most of the time. And it feels good to be helping people. Did I mention I'm working for a non-profit? Yes, it is good indeed. Except for the money. It is bad indeed. Need to find another source of income so I can continue living the life I've accustomed myself to. Oh I know! A solution to both of my problems - a sugar daddy! Boyfriend, are you down with that?

Four Day Work Week

For years now, I have complaining about the 5 day/40 hour work week. Everyone enjoys the occasional three day weekend, so why not make every week a 4 day/40 hour work week?
It makes no sense to me that there are 7 days in a week and 5 of them are work days. Only 2 days for ourselves? Doesn't seem fair to me (yeah, yeah - life's not fair, blah, blah, blah). See Jennifer's post - why should we be working more when computers, email, internet, etc. have made our work tasks easier? I agree that a typical work day should include a paid lunch. And a typical work week should be one day shorter.
Last week, the Today Show had this piece: Commuter Tax As Solution To Global Warming. (I can't seem to find this on MSNBC or in any way, shape, or form at the Today Show's website.) Anyhow, if Bloomberg, McCain, and Redford want to cut down on greenhouse gasses -hello!- a 4 day work week would accomplish this. Less days commuting to work equals less pollution as well as less fuel consumption. Not only would a shorter work week benefit us working folks, it would also benefit the environment. That's a (wink) win-win situation.
Do we need to convince anyone else? Your global warming nay saying employer, perhaps? Well, in a way that might suck for us worker bees, the 4 day work week would actually increase productivity for employers and this is why: Monday holidays. Based on a Tuesday through Friday 4 day/40 hour work week (this is actually my preference - I don't mind working on Fridays but do not particularly enjoy working on Mondays) employers would eliminate, depending on your holiday schedule, up to 5 paid holidays a year.

Why hasn't the 4 day work week been implemented nationwide already!? Is the stock market the reason? Would a shorter week have a disastrous affect on the stock market?
Does anyone have a contact at the Department of Labor? I mean, those folks should be in on this. The probably haven't had much to do since the early 1900's when they shortened the work week from 7 to 5 days (thank gawd) and abolished child labor, right? We need them to act on this before we (read: I) near retirement, which is -like- only 30 years away!

Summer Weather

Seapoint Beach April 19

The Raging Exeter River

My co-workers, oops. My former co-workers and I went to the Green Bean for lunch today. (Thanks again for lunch!) We got the window seat overlooking the water. It made me a little dizzy looking at it rushing below. I do feel good about being done there. Since the period when I should have been hired, wasn't and was not given a reason, I felt like I was at a dead end job. The boss could be a nice guy (though he would rarely acknowledge me), but what really bugged me was his inability to make decisions. Frustrating is all I'll say.

*more crumby pics, I know - I was in a rush.

I don't know why it bothers me, but it does.

It bothers me that every news station has set up shop at Virginia Tech today to report about the massacre. Something about it seems wrong...I don't know. I know what happened is important to talk about and report on, but it seems a bit like certain news stations sensationalize tragedies rather than report them respectfully.

Another reason not to smoke

If you need another reason.
*yeah, yeah - crappy pics.

Wet

The park I've been walking on my lunch break. The pathway is by the fence in the distance, usually along the river. It become part of the river at high tide yesterday.

Tomorrow is my last day at the temp job. Aaaah. I quit. I gave notice to the job which did not hire me, but strung me along. I had to fumble and guess my way through the past eight weeks yet I managed to do a damn good job anyhow. Thanks for noticing, boss. No biggie. The important ones did notice (the people I like and enjoyed working with). I've been happy since giving notice, even though I have apprehension about the next job. The next job is an actually real job, not a temp assignment (goodbye, temp agency, I've appreciated your help but not feeling like you were only using me).

We'll see what happens on this next adventure. I'm skeptical. I'm not so sure accounting work will satisfy me anymore on other people's (employers') terms...

Saturday

Ah...that's better

Crocuses minus the snow.
What's that you say? Another snow storm? Thursday? Possibly six inches!?
Sigh.

I definitely need to grow some grass in this part of the yard. I'm also thinking of enlarging the garden bed. Maybe to encompass the crocuses growing outside of it. Last year I grew tomatoes in there - they finally ripened around Halloween.

Springtime in New England

April Snow Showers

I overslept an hour this morning. My alarm clock was all screwed up because I lost power during the storm. Luckily, there was electricity when I rolled out of bed. Somehow I managed to make coffee, poop, shower, get dressed, put on my face, shovel the stoop, clear the snow off the car, make my lunch and was ready to leave a whole seven minutes earlier than usual. I ducked into the bathroom for a quick pit stop when-gasp-I noticed my panties were on inside out. It was kind of a dilemma. I had the time to unlace my boots, take off my jeans and put my undies on right - but then I'd lose my seven minute lead. Lord knows slow poke drivers like me need as much extra time as possible to get to work the morning after a snow storm. (Stupid news announcers kept saying the roads were in bad shape, but they were fine.) I left 'em inside out.

Craving

I've been looking online for pictures of my favorite places in Atlanta. These are not my most favorite, but they'll do. I really want to visit Atlanta soon. I left there six years ago after living there for eight years, and I have not been back once. Okay, I did go back once, but it was strictly business. I flew in, hopped on MARTA, picked up a U-Haul, loaded my stuff, got a burrito at Tortillas (I hear it's no longer there), slept for a few hours, and then spent the rest of the weekend driving to New Hampshire.
Summer is not an ideal time to go. Hotlanta. It's either now or in October, when the weather will be summer like, not scorching. I'm not squared away enough on the job front to go on a mini vacation now. I wonder if a visit will satisfy me. I'm not sure it'll be what I want it to be. I'm not sure if I truly miss my old stomping grounds or my youth. For the late bloomers, that would be 25 to 33 years old. I guess I miss that carefree person that I was. I didn't have as many responsibilities. Not that the life I had was easy and always fun. It had it's miserable moments. And I do like my life now. (Aside from the whole job search situation.) I am happy even though there are greater responsibilities. I think I've lost a part of me.
I do miss the city - so many places. The High Museum, Northside Tavern, Atkins Park, Everybody's Pizza, Piedmont Park... Some places are gone, some have grown, and all my friends have moved away. I also miss the me that could stay out late several nights a week to have cocktails, listen to live music, and shoot pool with friends. Can I be that person again? At 38 and a half? My body is saying, "No. It's time for bed...and it's late."

Welcome to the Dollhouse

I forget how old I was when I got this dollhouse for Christmas...maybe eight? Ten? I have no idea. As you can see, I still like toys. I'm easily entertained.

Valentine's Day

Last year, boyfriend and I were on vacation in Puerto Rico the week of Valentine's Day. Boyfriend forgot about Valentine's Day. I said perhaps we should celebrate Valentine's Day on March 14th instead. I'm not big on Valentine's Day, but I think it's nice to make homemade gifts or cards. This year, boyfriend put together a wonderful photo album of all our trip photos. My only complaint is my being ten pounds heavier in the pics.