In this article the CEO of a health benefits company extolled the virtue of companies recognizing employees’ needs to “balance their lives with their family.” I distinctly remember a former emploYEAr of mine telling me distinctly that nothing could be accomplished with a balanced life.
spike
Gotta Love Texas
Texan Killed Friend Who Drank Last Cold Beer
“There was only two beers left, so I took one, and I told Willie not to take my last beer,” Brasher said in a taped statement that was played during the trial.
What it wrong with people? I don’t understand. There are just so many stupid people in the world I can’t bear reading the news anymore. Let the stupid people get the guns they want. Then they can kill each other off. But before they get these guns, these stupid people should also buy more lottery tickets.
Odd, Odd, Odd
I’m not one for posting conversations I have with other people, but I’ll make an exception for a strange moment that took place jus a few minutes ago. I called our corporate travel agency (located in sunny South Carolina) to book a flight for my boss.
Me: Hi, I’d like to book a flight for [boss’s name].
Travel Rep: No problem. What’s your name?
Me: [My name].
Travel Rep: Oh, hi [my name]. Everyone on the floor here talks about you.
Me: …
Travel Rep: Everyone says you’re such a nice guy. [Pause] So, when is he looking to travel?
Severe Weather Alert
Here comes winter. According to People in the Know, we should be gettting four to seven inches of snow tomorrow. Getting home from work will be “fun.”
The US Postal Service…
… really screwed things up, at least here in New Jersey. I guess you could say that suburban housing development did as well. They were all in it together.
A long time ago, in a state close to home, there were boro(ugh)s, villages, cities and townships. For example, Princeton borough, Village of Toms River, Trenton, and the Township of Windsor were very different types of communities. As houses were built in former farm areas, the Post Office Department (and later the US Postal Service) created ZIP codes. For each ZIP code and post office, the group assigned a name, possibly linked to the name of the surrounding area. While it helped to standardize the spelling of place names, it also changed the way we think about where we live.
I used to live in Cranbury Manor. My house was located in East Windsor Township, but since I was closer to the post office in the Village of Cranbury, my mailing address was Cranbury, NJ. Suddenly Cranbury (which was no longer just a village but also a township adjacent to East Windsor Township, but that is irrelevant to me) was everywhere.
In addition, while I live in Lawrence Township, I am forced to use Lawrenceville in my return address when I send letters. The township and the village used to be called Maidenhead. I think I prefer the current name. When someone asks you where you live, do you tell them your mailing address or where your house is actually located?
NOTE: I know of only one town without a ZIP code.
Giving Thanksgiving
Inspired by a sentence written by Sarah B. here is a task for you. Sum up your Thanksgiving (or Hanukkah or whatever else you want) in ten words. Here is mine: Bond (James Bond), get flashed twice [link may not be “safe for work”], turkey, brisket, and latkes.
Add yours here if you haven’t already!
Forward
I have a feeling I’m going to have a busy week ahead of me at work. If only I could get more pleasure out of being an administrative assistant. I don’t feel like I’m going anywhere…
Anyway, I don’t understand the way my alma mater works. When I graduated with a degree in music education, after student teaching, they really didn’t point me (or the other music ed graduates) in the direction towards certification. Maybe they just forgot. And since then, it’s been a bit of a farce trying to get it. I took the PRAXIS exam over a year ago, and got a great score. After turning down one job and being turned down for another last year, the district that was supposed to put through my certification forms for me didn’t. I requested the forms from the county a few months ago and still haven’t received anything.
Finally I spoke to someone on the phone today and hopefully there won’t be any more delays. My plan is to teach instrumental music in a high school, gain some experience, get a Master’s degree for educational administration, become a district supervisor of music somewhere, and at some point, become a principal. I think that’s where my interests are most suited… at the moment, anyway.
Rent In My Sleep
I dreamed this morning that I was playing the character Roger in Rent on Broadway. Of course I didn’t know the lines so I was improvising. I guess this is a step up from the dreams I’ve had in the past. During college I dreamed I was on stage in a college play (without knowing any lines). In high school I dreamed I was on stage in a high school play (without knowing any lines). It’s only appropriate that I’m on Broadway now.
The dream started out on stage, with a recording of Leonard Bernstein‘s Mass playing in the background. Eventually people entered the stage and we started Rent.
Of course, this is all tied to real life. Our rent payment for the apartment is due today. Unlike the musical, I can afford it and we’re not in danger of being evicted.
One Time At Thanksgiving
Back when We Were A Family, it was Thanksgiving tradition to go to Longuyland to visit my cousins and aunt and uncle. They were a bit poor, I think maybe even bankrupt, but my cousins always seemed to get the latest, hottest and most expensive toys. So did my uncle come to think of it; every year my uncle had a bigger television and a louder stereo system. Neither he nor my aunt had a steady job. (He booked musicians for performances at weddings and such, she was a musician who performed at weddings and such.)
In any case, we always went to their house for the day which included the turkey meal and football on the huge television. One year we had Chinese food instead of turkey.
That’s it. That’s my story. Chinese food. On Thanksgiving.
Weather Update
The Weather Channel has upgraded tonight’s snow forecast from less than one inch of accumulation to one to three inches. Not nearly as much as I would like. It will also be too warm for any of the snow to stay around the entire day. For some reason I’m in the mood for a storm along the lines of the “Blizzard of ’96.”
Back in the winter of early 1996, I was home from college and I found my self stuck at a high school friend’s house during the blizzard. She wasn’t a particularly good friend, but she was a friend nonetheless. A bunch of people were stuck there and with nothing else to do (Xbox Live had not yet been invented) we started doing things like confiding in each other and being honest.