vindication

I recently connected with an old friend and co-worker who used to do shifts with me at the group homes. I have been trying to explain these jobs as if they are old war stories - and I'm sure I sound like an over-sensitive freak. But!! This friend was there with me and even after I left he stayed and talking about this stuff is like a vindication. Yes, Shelley - it happened.

Ok. And! He made a coke-snorting prostitute manager in a movie he made and named her Shelly. I will choose not to take that personally. No really. ;-)

Work is going well. I have a crazy co-worker (not the racist one) who is insistently trying to usurp my position - to the point that I come in and she is ensconced at my desk, using my computer and phone - and it's tough to get her OUT. Can we say....NUT case? I've never before had anyone envy my position in life or employment. That is just weird to me.

I am hosting karaoke this weekend and next. I feel odd about it because I did a song by Ben Folds the last time I was there and there were a LOT of fucks and shits in the song. I think I shocked people and while it was avoidable - my defense is that I sort of forgot about all the fucks and shits until I was up there singing, then I was committed and could not just quit. Plus, the song is in the character of a poor beleaguered middle class white boy and the black part of the audience was 1/2 and 1/2 getting it and NOT getting it. I was feeling awkward as shit, and I'm worried about Saturday because it's hard enough to pull a show together without feeling like I've made a giant faux pas. *sigh*

I'm very lucky to have connected with my old friends and I'm very lucky to have my new job, and I'm very lucky to have the karaoke hosting job, and I'm very lucky to have tickets to FUCKING AMSTERDAM, WOOOOOT, and I'm very lucky to have my fantastic partner for almost three years.

And then, my 17.5 year old cat started shitting in the closet. I do NOT want to lose him so we are giving him some time to stop whatever it is he's doing and fucking behave. We lost the Mojinator and I do not want to lose Xerox too. He's a smelly old fart but I love him.

Changes!

Wow, have I ever been busy lately. Ever since leaving the residential agency and joining the ranks of the Feds I have been working and sleeping, sleeping and working.

Updates? Hm...the man and I have our tickets to Amsterdam, woo hoo! I told my new boss that I always go to Amsterdam in the spring and she agreed to give me leave to do so. Mainly this was because I told her about it in the interview so it wasn't something I sprung on her after the fact. So, come April 22nd (23rd with travel time +1 day) I will be sipping a nice hot beverage and practicing my EXTREMELY poor Dutch. No, seriously. Anything more than please and thank you or even...ik heb geen idee...and I'm a loser. And a geek, since it just occurred to me that I could make a character name in Warcraft using that now so tired phrase.

I haven't had to fill my gas tank in almost two weeks, yee haw!

Ok, full stop. I do *not* use words like yee haw.

But you know, I haven't had to fill my tank in almost two weeks because I get to ride a bus to work now. It's pretty fantastic and I can't wait for warmer weather so that I can stick my bike on the front and ride it either part-way or all the way home. I've been getting lots of exercise what with the hospital being three blocks UPHILL each morning, and I don't mind that at all.

For the most part I like my co-workers and they have a sincere dedication to the patients we support. These guys certainly deserve respect and help, considering they gave up limbs and mental health in the service to Uncle Sam. What's really great about working in this environment is that politics is a non-issue. Nobody gives a fuck who is voting for Hillary Clinton and whether David Vitter paid a prostitute to spank him while he wore diapers. We are all there to help the patients, period.

Of course because of the racism thing I'll be a pariah come Monday or Tuesday. What racism thing, you ask? Well I trained with a long-timer who went on a rant to me that was filled with racist vitriol, and I vented to a co-worker afterwards...a co-worker who went to my supervisors. Both of them. And I had to document the "incident" for them and I can bet they'll talk to her Monday or Tuesday...after which she'll label me a rat and I will be lower than the bottom of a pair of shoes. Even though I didn't go to the bosses it's still on me. I was just venting. As I do. Gah.... this is stressing me out a little bit, but surprisingly less than managing staff within a residential agency.

What's nice about things right now is that A. I got a seriously kick ass pair of Maryjane's today, and spent a good hour polishing them while I watched In the Shadow of the Vampire. And!! I wasn't even on drugs while I did it. What's the story with that, you say? Well...I used to use speed and shining my Doc Martin combat boots was usually an all night task for me, and a very enjoyable one. No drugs now, but I do have a crazy-awesome pair of new shiney shoes.

Oh yeah! B. In addition to shiney shoes I haven't thought of politics ALL DAY. Fuck politics. It gives me a fucking headache with all the inherent misogyny going around. No, goddamn it I do not like Hillary - but jesus christ on a stick there are too many elements of women hating on the blogs and in the media instead of people looking at her RECORD. Ok, there, see what that makes me do? CAPS.

C. I went shoe shopping and out to dinner with some good friends and it was just nice to share their company. I miss that when I crawl into Hermit Land, pick up some knitting needles, and space out the world. It's no great secret that as fucked up as I've always been it has evolved into me becoming more and more reclusive as I age. I want the benefits of friends but it's so goddamn hard for me to want to leave the house sometimes. So, tonight with shopping and dinner was great. Of course I ate too much but damn. I took the stairs all damn day.