Fabulous Miss S.

A day in the life of this working girl

Well, my working-girl career has gotten off to a wet but decent start.

I like my boss. I like my coworkers. I love my cubicle. I have the biggest cube in the whole office!  Shhhh! Don't tell anyone, cause I hate to brag.  I have a table and chairs inside of my cube!

I work for a man who tells me to go home at 5:45 because I've stayed too long. gaaahhhhhh.

A woman's work is never done.  I knew this before but somehow, this time around in the "real world" I feel wiser, I am a bit older, but I have definitely had a roller-coaster of experience with which to move forth and prosper.  It wasn't until today that I realized just how much I'd grown and just how much I'd learned.

I am just not sitting down, at 9:33pm to write an entry.  I have fed three cats. I played with each cat. I gave Gary/Murray extra attention 'cause he is new to the family.  I am waiting for Ms. Snake to finish her mouse.  She finally ate!  Thank GOD.  I am totally cool with holding her now, but watching her eat is just... blech... it makes me shiver.  Although, from the nature standpoint, it is truly fascinating.

Marc has a fever and is getting a cold. I took his temperature, brought him orange juice and Tylenol, then sat with him. 

It's 9:35 and I just want a few minutes to myself to chill out and absorb my day.  No one is on IM tonight, I guess the seven hundred inches of rain we got in the last 28 hours somehow caused them to melt away from the world of Instant Messenger.

I have to go put Ms. Snake back in her tank and email FABbrother the good news.

Every new beginning is some beginning's end.

Every new beginning is some beginning's end. ~ Bon Jovi lyrics

In exactly nine and a half hours I will report to my new job. 

I have been unemployed since April 14th, when I voluntarily resigned from a job that left me questioning my integrity, my abilities and very soul on a daily basis. 

Unemployment was good to me.  I used my time well and I have no regrets.  In recent weeks I kicked my ass into gear and started working out hard-core.  I've been running 3 miles on a regular basis, swimming a mile several times a week and being overall, much more aware of my health, my body, my strength and my mind.  I needed these eight weeks of rest to regroup and ultimately gear up for my next chapter. 

I'm very excited about my new job.  I feel valued. I feel needed and I feel that ultimately, this will be a long and prosperous mutually beneficial relationship. 

On a more pressing note, what should I wear tomorrow?

I have a new kitty too!  On a whim, and perhaps due to some PMS hormones, I adopted a three year old fat boy cat.  He gets along well with the others.  We've only had a few hisses and odd moments. 

Now, I must read my  (riveting, I tell you!) Employee Handbook so I can be adequately prepared for my day tomorrow. 

Latest addition to the family ...

This is Gary. He is three years old. So far he seems to be adjusting quite well.  Guinness and Gromit don't seem to mind too much.

The one where all good sense escapes me.

Yeah. See, I don't have the good sense god gave me sometimes. My common sense is, at best, fleeting. Yet, I can navigate the NYC Subway, study a map and remember it, and cook a damn fine meal any day.

A recent addition to my home is a pet we will call, Miss Snake. Uh, yeah ... I have a paralyzing fear of snakes, but I now have to care for and feed one on a regular basis as FABbrother has flown the coup for a few months.   

Miss Snake, a red tailed boa.

While I can't seem to pass up one damn meal, Miss Snake eats once every few weeks.  She has experienced some serious upheaval in life recently what with moving from FABbrother's house, to the rent's and now to the top of my bookshelf. I hear it takes a snake a few days and even longer sometimes to adapt to a new environment.  I play with her every few days. Her tank temperature is steady at about 85 degrees.  She has water and a clean tank.  I think that's all she needs, right?  I'm seriously very open to any suggestions and/or tips on caring for a RED TAILED BOA. 

If you are a reptile, you will eat on Saturday's in my home.  I got her a new box, she eats in a cardboard box to avoid any territorial-ness with her tank. I warmed the box first.  I thawed the small rat, but, due to an aborted feeding attempt last week, and a thawed rat being refrozen, the rats were stuck together and today's thawing caused a little tearing of the fur.  Is this a deterrent?  I don't know.

Please, fill my comment box with snake-care tips!

I calmly dig her out of the tank and she crawls over my hand and through my fingers and I talk to her in a baby-like cooing voice telling her she is beautiful, a good little snakey, yes you are, pretty little girl.

I innocently (by innocently, i mean, utterly stupid and senseless) placed the ceramic-bulbed reptile heat lamp, heat-side down on my bookshelf.  We're talking about a particle-board Target bookshelf. 

Just, keep this little tidbit in mind and keep reading.

I put her in the box, the apartment is relatively quiet, no shadows in the box, rat ready at hand.  After poking at the rat and pointing it towards her a few times, she showed some interest but soon looked away.  After moving away from it twice, I took the rat away and trashed it.  Miss Snake then hung-out on my hand for a few minutes and then returned to her tank.  I closed the lid and went to wash my hands.

My parents arrived. 

Joanne came over. 

I changed into my baseball game clothes. 

I thought I smelled something a little... woodsy? hummm.....

I went to the tank to replace and adjust the heat lamps and found that the main heat lamp had been left face down on a wood shelf!!! 

Who the hell could be so absent-minded goddammit? 

Durrrr..... me? 

Why stop there? In a demonstration of even further insanity, I touched the shelf!  It burned my hand I tell you!  OUCH. Yeah!

Some people are into wood-burning as a craft. Me? Just dumb-ass homeowner error.

With my bookshelf smoldering, I had a semi-panic attack and did what any logical adult would do... I screamed for my Daddy.  With visions of a bookshelf a-flame ... I thought to get a few ice packs and put them on the burn.  We put ice on burns on people, right? So, why not on my shelf? 

The smoldering died down, my bookshelf cooled off under the ice packs and off we went to the ballgame. All's well that ends well, eh?

Tomorrow? I have to visit PetCo for a few small rats. Ick.

I swear ya'll !!  This is a damn fine exhibit of my love for my brother.   

GOD.

Oh! The places you'll go dear brother ... don't forget to email your big 'sis!

Dear Corey --

Congratulations!
Today is your day.
You're off to Great Places!
You're off and away!

You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes
You can steer yourself
any direction you choose.
You're on your own.  And you know what you know.
And YOU are the guy who'll decide where to go.

You'll look up and down streets.  Look 'em over with care.
About some you will say, "I don't choose to go there."
With your head full of brains and your shoes full of feet,
you're too smart to go down any not-so-good street.

And you may not find any
you'll want to go down.
In that case, of course,
you'll head straight out of town.

It's opener there
in the wide open air.

Out there things can happen
and frequently do
to people as brainy
and footsy as you.

And when things start to happen,
don't worry.  Don't stew.
Just go right along.
You'll start happening too.

OH!
THE PLACES YOU'LL GO!

Therefore ...

Kid, you'll move mountains!

So, be your name Buxbaum or Buxby or Bray

or Mordecai Ali Van Allen O'Shea

you're off to Great Places!

Today is your day!

Your mountain is waiting.

So...get on your way!

(with help from Dr. Seuss, of course) ...

I love you and I'm ridiculously proud of you ... have fun and call if you need anything, even money.

Love, Deedee

This posting is taken from Dr. Seuss' OH! The Places You'll Go.