RANT: New agency picking up my account which had 3 departments fight over my services and where I would end up gave me an offer at a salary which was well below market value, and which I had been discussing with my superiors as severely underpaying me for the last 3 months. In response to my inquiry for a negotiation/discussion, they basically told me to suck it and that possibly we could review it in 6 months. This despite knowing for a fact that they offered bumps to other team members, some after negotiation, and some straight up without asking. After multiple conversations with recruiters, I have a better idea of what I could be making elsewhere. So screw them, I'll take the offer so I still have a job, but like hell have they bought themselves any loyalty. RAVE: Found a sick new apartment over the weekend. So glad to be done with the search. 20 floors up, floor to ceiling windows, lake view, large bedrooms. Great spot. RANT: My roommate chose a terrible weekend to leave the country for a wedding in the Caribbean. The leasing agent has called me twice asking for the rental application back cause she is getting calls to see it and wants to finish the paperwork. He doesn't get back till Thursday and has not responded to my emails in the last 48 hours presumably cause he thought we were all set. I don't want to forge his signature on the application, but I don't want to lose this place cause our application is a day late. RAVE: 4 day week.
Rave: I got praise today from some of the biggest wigs at Planned Parenthood's headquarters for handling a stupid sex-selective abortion situation with grace. (It's the latest abortion "scandal" manufactured by Live Action.) Someone just messed up a similar trick just slightly enough that they were fired for it. I would have taken not being fired as a good enough reward, but I like praise. Rave: Soon afterwards, I got a pretty sweet troll fail: "What is DEX?"
Rant: Just an overall shitty work week. But.... Rave: Tom Petty this thursday night. I've been wanting to see him since junior high.
Rant: Damn, sometimes bad news just hits you at the wrong time. Me, my wife, her friend from Germany, and my father were out to dinner this evening while my mom was home sick. She called my dad just as we were finishing dinner to let him know that their neighbor had died. This was a guy who was always happy go lucky, and an all around nice guy. He wasn't old by any means, either. He was always offering to help me out with my house after I purchased it, and was the first person to congratulate me on my marriage. Heck, he was supposed to be joining us this weekend at our big wedding with my wife's family and friends from Germany. 65 years old, and gone. I guess his wife came home to find him already dead. RIP, Tom. It's amazing how much more death affects you as you get older, and how much it makes you appreciate both your parents and elders alike. Hug your parents, kids.
Rant: Look here, dog, if you're going to follow me into the bathroom, don't even think about making faces when my butt makes noises.
Rant/ Plea for help: My mom's dog is missing. She battles some pretty heavy depression and Penelope (Penny) has been really good for her empty nest syndrome. If there's any chance any TiBers live in Nassau County, Long Island and you see this dog, please please please let me know and you will have my everlasting gratitude. My attachment won't load, so here's what little old Penny looks like
Rant: My FWB is mad at me. I basically fell off the face of the earth this weekend, (Casino, party, poker night, hangover, party again) and didn't text her very often. She asked me if my thumbs were broken, and I replied "No, they weren't. Sorry." She took it as a sarcastic answer and isn't talking to me at all. I'm not sure what to make of it. Sometimes women get mad and are perfectly fine the next day; other times they hold grudges and are still mad a week later. I can see why she'd be annoyed, but fuck - I'm not her boyfriend, and she's not my girlfriend. I feel like I just pushed the wrong buttons and now get to pay for it piecemeal over the next three months. In small, measured, agonizing increments.
Rant: Hang power snatches. They sound more fun than they are, and they feel a bajillion times worse than they sound. My arms hurt. My legs hurt. My ass hurts. Rant: The US EPA can suck my left titty. Seriously. Rave: The heat wave broke and it's a reasonable temperature again. Finally got the garden all planted. Tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini, onions, snow peas, wax beans, blueberries, raspberries, chives and basil. I hope I don't kill it all.
Rave: In t-minus 24 hours, I'll be sitting on a lake in Minnesota, fishing and drinking cold beer. And tonight, to put the cherry on top, we're going for all you can eat sushi.
RANT: My fucking dog won't stop eating socks. No matter how hard we try to keep them up and away from her, she still finds them. Dumbass is puking all over the house. I always find them in the yard in her poop but she's getting older and I'm worried that soon she won't be able to pass them anymore.
Rant: Sitting here in my cubicle after spending the past week camping on a remote border lake feels so weird. Getting back into gear will be tough. Rave: What an amazing trip. Despite the challenging weather (we got rain six out of seven days with temps in the 30's when it was dark), we went to some awesome lakes and I have never caught more fish before in the Boundary Waters. Easily one of the best trips I've been on out of 15 now. Rave: I packed my gear right (Gore tex, polar fleece, and merino wool saved my ass) and feel like after this trip I could do a solo trip in or lead a group. I felt like I was in control of and competent at every aspect of the trip for the first time. Next year I may have to bring some friends in and see what happens.
RANT: So my boss has me sit at the desk in one of his new locations in tribeca that is martial arts + yoga in the mornings. I'm fucking great with customers, but this one woman came in and just straight up british bitched me out. I know what the fucking prices for the program are, don't tell me I'm wrong, I just handed you a fucking price list. There is such a thing as a stupid question, and she was full of them. "Why are your classes open level, I need an expert class." "Why can't I tour your studio while there's a yoga class in session?" and on and on and on. She did ask a yoga related question that I told her I couldn't answer because I'm a martial arts instructor, and she dripped sarcasm as she condescended "oh, you. dont. know?" and left in a huff. I get it, you're betternme because you're wearing a silk dress in 80 degree heat and you're british with wrinkles on your face so you must be wracked with wisdom or hatred or something, but goddamn if we put on some boxing gloves I'd show you how much I don't know. Rant- Goddammit, an old wench made me go "my stick bigger than your stick RAWR" edit- Oh look 50 posts! Is that a milestone? Feels like one...
Rave: LaSpadas's sub eating challenge for lunch. I shall destroy all competitors. I will crush them, drive them before me, and hear the lamentations of their women.
Massive Rave: This past Sunday. My first new car. Bought a brand new 2012 Mustang GT Premium, V8, Kona Blue paint job, Manual, Brembo brakes, Rims, etc. Flat out amazing options on the equipment package. Due to my research and knowledge regarding how low the dealer could reasonably go, I got the car for $750 below dealer invoice. Pretty sure I could have got them lower, but I cant be certain given how upset they already were. 3.5 hrs of hard negotiating, and calling them out on their bullshit paid off considering it was 32% lower than they were asking. They were fucking pissed with me by the time this deal was done. I could give a shit less, I hate car salesmen, and they knew that by the time this was all over. There will always be more suckers to make money off of and you still made a little bit, just not the massive grip of cash you wanted. Deal with it. Rave: Traded in my college car for way more than it was worth. Didn't disclose all the shit that's wrong with it. They didn't ask. Rave: I might have to go to the doctor if my rip-roaring-raging boner doesn't go away. The second I started driving the beast I cant seem to wipe the shit eating grin from my face. Rant: My arms are so godamn sore from 30 minutes on the rowing machine yesterday. It's like a combination of burn and restlessness. I'm drinking a ton of water and eating something small every 3 hrs in hopes it goes away. Rave: 412 Horsepower
RANT: I have an employee I absolutely love. In the year I've been here she has become like family, but there are problems with her work performance. When I correct her one of two things happen, either she's fine with it or she takes it personally. It has come to the point that the problems have to be addressed, seriously, again. I have spoken to her about past issues. Things seem to get better but only for a limited time then we go right back to where they were. Anyone have any advice on dealing with passive aggressive behavior in the workplace that is a direct result from being told you've done something incorrectly, but are then shown the right way to do things? I've managed numerous employees in various positions I've held but I'm gropping for ideas and answers with this one. Some may say I'm being too nice but please note who posted this. I'm not exactly warm&fuzzy on a good day and this is job related, which I take very seriously. PM if you think you have something that may help, please.
Rant: I've killed 3 brown recluses since last night. Time to put down some sticky traps, STAT. Did I mention I'm deathly afraid of spiders? Even the stupid little ones that couldn't seriously hurt me with a bite, much less a brown recluse? Yeah, fuck spiders. Rave: Only two days of work left this week then I'm on vacation next week. Rave: I'm finally getting E's pictures taken next Tuesday. I intended to get them done when she was around 6 months and she'll be 9 months in a little over two weeks. Better late than never, I'm pretty excited about it. Rave: I've got nothing going on this weekend. This is a rave because we've had obligations every weekend since April and I'm absolutely thrilled to do nothing.