Patrick and I bought this CD a while ago... maybe in early 2006, I don't remember. This week I've been listening to it exclusively in the car. It's beautiful stuff: I know people always try to say, "It's like such and such," and then they name two disparate artists, and that's supposed to give you some idea of what this person sounds like. To me, it's like if Captain Beefheart, Cat Stevens, and Jeff Buckley had a baby: this guy would be that (miracle) baby. More after I listen some more: I have flute choir and that's always a good opportunity to really hear stuff in the car. If you click on the title of today's post, you should get taken to a link where you can hear a snippet of my favorite song, the title track of this album, which came out in '04.
Over the weekend, I learned that I scored in Band 1 for all those secretary tests I took way back in January, and that was really exciting, because I wasn't sure how I did. But then while I was on my way in to work Monday, all jazzed about that, I was involved in a little tiny fender bender on my way to work. Nothing serious, totally didn't damage my car at all, and I don't think the other car was hurt, either. The other guy was very nice, and it was, all in all, a very pleasant experience, except for the cars-hitting-cars part. Am still waiting to hear from the insurance company about how much it's going to cost and everything.
Anyway, that took a little bit of the edge off of my test scores! However, my boss was very quick to get right on putting into motion my raise and promotion, and so come next payday, I will be officially, a Senior Secretary II. Very exciting. Except...
As happy as I am to get the raise and promotion, I think I'm feeling a bit let down. I mean, I did really well on the test, and there ain't no Band higher than Band 1, but... Secretary?
I'm a secretary?
I mean... I've been working my butt off at this new job. It's a zoo. The other secretary has her hands full, and we're both basically juggling as fast as we can. Keeping track of my own work plus everyone else's - I'm busy, man. And tired. I love my new 9/80 schedule, but I have no vacation time, no sick time (I used most of it up last year, going to the doctor with my mother. I'm not saying I wish I hadn't done that, I'm just saying: there's no more elective leave for me for awhile), and that's a huge bummer.
So. I'm a secretary. A Senior Secretary II. OK, then.
I'm going to the flute convention in August, which should be fun, but the flute convention is never relaxing. It's like 18 hours a day of stuff, running here and there. And - Patrick isn't going. We're looking into taking a weekend off in July, but we haven't scheduled anything yet. And I don't know. I'm just feeling a bit blah.
Next week, I will be working at City Garage again, doing the lights. For some reason I'm more nervous than I was last time. I guess I did a good job? I seriously need to go there with more confidence than this, and knowing that isn't making me feel any more confidence. I'm a bit worried: last time I worked the lights, for those two weeks of rehearsals, my job was way more laid back, and being tired for two weeks wasn't a big deal. Now I just can't afford to be spacey at work, and I'm worried. I mean, my work is not brain surgery: please don't think I'm trying to sound all important. But I know what I require to do a good job, and enough sleep is number one on the list.
It must be this crazy insane heat wave we've been having. The last few nights, it's been impossible to sleep. And then there are the spiders.
Our neighbors are remodeling their house next door. They started in February. Mostly it hasn't affected us: they work only on the house during the day, during the week, and the mess is mostly staying in their yard. But Patrick has been seeing huge black widow-esque spiders outside, and that's got me a little freaked out. I'm not a spider fan. I mean, yeah, daddy long-legs: they're OK. And I like that spiders eat other bugs. But there have been a few moments, lying in bed, unable to sleep, when thoughts of the spiders and other creepy-crawly inhabitants of the ripped apart house next door get a bit... too creepy.
Patrick is the world's biggest lover of animals, and usually he refuses to kill anything, including spiders: he catches them and lets them go when they're in the house, scaring me. But seeing as I'm a little overly freaked out about this, he has agreed to kill any bad spider he sees.
Isn't that amazing? It's like asking Hiro to kill Sylar to save Ando, isn't it? Only, minus the time travel and shit.
