A Few Good Things

How was everyone's fourth of July weekend? Mine was good. Last year for fourth of July weekend I was sporting a sinus infection and my right ear was swollen shut for 3 weeks.  Since my ear was swollen shut, it was throwing my equilibrium off, causing me to be dizzy and miserable the entire weekend. Come to think of it, that infection didn't go away until the following weekend hours before a friend's pool Luau party.  I remember I was dreading going because I'd been looking forward to it for a month and my ear was still swollen shut, actually at that point the swelling had went away but it was still blocked with mucus.  That day, Ben and I were on our way to PetCo to search for what would soon be Poster, our cat, and I sneezed.  Suddenly, it was like a whole new world was brought before my ears and I could hear again.  Apparently the sneeze had jolted the mucus build up from the infection in my ear I couldn't have been more elated. We went to the party that night and had a great time. Booze, jello shots, slip and slides and mosquito bites to my hearts delight. I think I was celebrating the end to my 3 week sinus infection more than the party itself.

Since my fourth weekend was practically ruined last year, I decided this fourth, I was going to make up for the lack of one I had last year.  Don't get me wrong, last year I still managed to have some fun, faked a few laughs, still managed to drink a few beers, but on the inside I was miserable. 

Last Thursday (July 1st), I went to the gym after work, feeling absolutely fine.  I got home, and had 3-4 beers out on the back porch with a girl friend, went in about 8:30, had a few triscuits and went to bed. No big deal.  Shortly after getting in bed, I started to feel sick. I got up 4 or 5 in fear that I was going barf all over, and finally after not doing this, I fell asleep. I tossed and turned all night, waking up on the hour, having weird dreams and hot flashes and what not. All I kept thinking was, "My weekend is ruined...I have the stomach flu, I know it..".  5 am finally rolls around when Ben leaves for work and I discovered that I was now covered in itchy, blotchy hives as far as the eye could see. What the hell was going on there?  First I'm awake all night with stomach cramps and flu symptoms and now hives? I'm not even allergic to anything. So I went back to sleep for a few hours hoping when I woke up they would be gone, but they weren't.  In fact they didn't go away until Sunday morning, but I digress. 

I called off work that morning, took some antihistamines, forced myself to do a little housework, and passed out on the couch for 4 hours. I started having a dream that my boyfriend called me and told me he was going out with his buddies after work for a beer, when I am abruptly awoken to my phone ringing. I groggily answer to my boyfriend who says, "Hey, I'm gonna go have a few beers with the guys." Ironic huh? Once I woke up from my 4 hour nap, I felt like a whole new person.

The rest of the weekend went swimmingly.  Saturday we decided to venture out and try out a new water park close to home.  Normally we go to Deep River water park in Indiana that's a solid 2 hours away, but we gave this one a try. This, 'Aquatic Center' was about 20 minutes away, and generally did the same job as Deep River, which is cool you off.  They had a lazy river, which I called the turbo river, because the thing was going about 25 miles per hour, and a few dinky slides.  I felt stupid going on the slides because there were swarms of tiny children surrounding the slides entrances, and Ben and I towered over them like the Stay Puffed Marshmallow man. It's sad when a small child looks at you like you don't belong there instead of the other way around.  They also had a lot of really dumb rules. For example, the park attendees are given about a half hour in the pool before an announcement is made that everyone must get out so the lifeguards can cool off.  I get the point of this, but the lifeguards can't just come down off their beach thrones and dip their feet in and what not? You have to clear 60 or 70 people out of a gigantic pool so 7 lifeguards can cool off? The first time this happened I only saw one go in, 2 others didn't even move, and the remaining ones just jumped down and dipped their feet in for a few minutes. Everyone just stands around the sides of the pool clearly annoyed. In the lazy river, you have to sit with your butt in the hole only or get a whistle blown at you 456 times. It was just dumb. We only made it about 2 hours before we were bored and ready to leave. We agreed that next time we would just go to Indiana.

So, I have greats news for those of you who have read my posts about the 'Concerned Employee'.  You ready for this?

She quit!

I guess her many failed attempts at trying to get the rest of us fired really pissed her off and she's moving on. She hasn't told anyone yet, but my boss told Rochelle (co-worker) who helps him with the hiring, and of course she had to tell us.  We were all giddy.  We immediately started thinking of ways to celebrate. Her last day is July 30th, so I'm going to bring a cake the following Monday that says, 'Good Riddance Concerned Employee'.  I have a friend who makes cakes and I've already made arrangements with her on what it should look like and say. It's going to be great. I even considered making T-shirts that say 'You're friends are not your friends" and giving them to the girls.  The reason being is because after the first 'Concerned Employee' e-mail surfaced about my co-workers and I being on Facebook, and even had the nerve to get on my Facebook and copy and paste all my personal info to management, I blocked off my entire facebook, since it wasn't before and I didn't know, and only left the 'About Me' section visible to strangers.  There, I posted this: CONNIE, STAY THE HELL OFF OF MY FACEBOOK! We are all well aware that you are "The Concerned Employee". And when I say 'we all' I mean EVERYONE. Do you realize how completely psychotic that really is? How many times are you going to try and get Lynnette and I fired by making up elaborate lies about us? I don't like you, for lots of reasons, but I would never try and get you fired like you did to us. It has just gone way too far. You have serious issues. Just remember, what goes around, comes around. So keep it up, 'cos you are only hurting yourself.

The very next morning after I post this, I get an e-mail that says, "It's not Connie, get your facts before you accuse, your friends are not your friends'. "You're friends are not your friends" has been giving us girls something to laugh about for months now, and we'd often talked about getting t-shirts made with that slogan to wear on casual Friday, every Friday.  We started openly talking about 'The Concerned Employee' right in front of her. Except that we would actually say 'Concerned Employee' and not her actual name.  What does she do when we do this? Nothing. She's completely silent.  She just sits at her computer and looks straight ahead like she hasn't any idea what's going on.  First clue that gave it away, is why would you be completely silent? It just makes you look more guilty.  You'd think she'd ask what was going on, or want to be involved in some way, but no.

So it's over...at least we hope so.  It's very possible that she could still send her crazy e-mails even after she's gone but who knows.  For the time being I'm just going to smile and enjoy the sweetness of it all.

Second good thing that's happened is that Ben and I decided to adopt another kitten. A friend of Ben's moms works for a shelter and had a whole litter of medium haired, 8 week old kittens, up for adoption.  We jumped on that because we have a thing for long haired cats.  Poster is a medium haired too and you'd never know the way his long locks gets touseled and tangled and create a perpetual tornado of fur that whirls about the hard wood floors.  I swear I vaccum twice, even three times a week sometimes and the fur just doesn't stop. You wanna know something funnier then the picture? Is that Poster isn't even fat, but he has so much fur it makes him look colossal.

Anyway, I feel like I've been typing for way too long. Have a good weekend friends.


PS: Our newest addition...