Money Money Money

The past week can be pretty much define as 'money coming in and money going out'. Money going out started while hanging out with Carolyn last week. She took me to Dave and Andy's for celebratory frozen yogurt, then we came back and made spinach-and-artichoke dip and rented Rope and The Shop Around the Corner (which is about 100 times better than You've Got Mail). Money coming in was from Starbucks, of course, where I spent 12 hours on the register last weekend, screwing up a bit now and then but, according to my co-workers, not as badly as they did.

Yesterday, Carolyn, Laura and I hit Kennywood for the first time (for me, anyway), for about 7 hours. We hit all the big coasters and a couple of the smaller rides. I got soaked on the log flume, slightly sunburned and was nauseous by the time we finished the Thunderbolt, as it had been a while since we'd eaten. It was a major boobage day, as well. Laura and I had to make some, ahem, adjustments after a couple of rides, and Carolyn's shirt flew up on the Pitt Fall and she flashed the waiting crowd (I begged off that one - afraid of heights). Quote of the day came from Carolyn - while waiting in line for the Exterminator (awesome ride - slightly painful but totally worth it) - to explain her technique for demolishing a jawbreaker the size of a softball: "You just suck." Stated emphatically and matter-of factly, I might add.

As the sun started to set we piled back in the car and hit TGI Fridays for some mixed drinks, an appetizer and dessert. After having eaten nothing but a pretzel and a lollipop that turned my lips blue in the last 6 hours, the strawberry daquiri hit me a little harder than normal and I had Carolyn drive just to be safe. We hit Geagle for chips and dip and rented Thoroughly Modern Millie, which we - thoroughly - enjoyed (although I was the only one to stay conscious throughout).

I had another shift at Starbucks today and made plans to work nearly 20 hours this weekend, including almost 12 on Friday alone. It's gonna suck, but I don't work until then so I need the hours. Ran into Samantha H. (of CD 2002 fame) today while working. Chatted briefly - she says her contract at CMU is up soon, she'll probably stick around in Pittsburgh until October or so doing freelance. I should really spend the next few days figuring out another source of income, and getting started on some projects which will justify part-timing it for a while. I would feel a bit better about my current setup if I was knocking out some design stuff in the meantime. Maybe some furniture or art projects, at least.

I also need to decide on a second income. I'm guessing I'll have to just get a second job for at least a while, until I can find some artistic endeavor which provides extra cash every month to balance my budget. I didn't feel like I could concentrate on any design-stuff until I had a steady job, and now that that is off the hook, and I know my schedule at least a few days in advance, I can start to think about these things.

I started keeping a dream diary. We'll see how long it lasts. If nothing else, perhaps I can make some cash in the future as a screenwriter, using the plots from my crazy-wacked out dreams.

I have an appointment with the vet on Thursday to get kitty's stitches removed and ask the doctor a few questions about some things I've found on kitty. I don't expect the news to be good, and it's making me sick to think of it. Since I can't do anything until then, however, I'm trying not to think about it. At least I don't have to worry about the job situation as much as before. It's a comfort, at any rate. I still get a little heartsick at various things, though. Missing my friends who seem to keep getting farther away, missing my cat before he's even gone. Wondering where my life is going, and how far off-track I am.

I have never been so keenly aware that I am the only person currently controlling my life.

Approved!

Finally, the iBOT got the FDA approval it's been seeking for the past few years. I saw this wheelchair on one of its field tests while I was working for the NPS. We took it up to Marin county for testing (well, they did, I tagged along). Rough wooden stairs, gravel paths, black sand beaches (the last one gave them some trouble, and they blew a tire on the bridge over). Raising it up to full height and trying to push him over - all taken in stride, er, so to speak.

Seriously though, this thing is ultra cool. I hope insurance companies cover it like mad, because it solves so many accessibility problems.

Starbucks training is proceeding apace. I found out that in addition to insurance, I get 401K, stock options, paid vacations, personal days and, most importantly, an assload of free coffee. After tasting 6 types of coffee today (including Brand X!!), I was jittery until 7 o'clock, then went over the caffeine cliff and crashed until 9:30. Now it's time to tackle the kitchen. *shudder*

Audial Voyeurism

I can hear a woman crying through my open window. I mean really sobbing her heart out. I think it's coming from one of the apartments in the building next door but with all these windows around it's hard to tell. I really want to go give her a hug or something. It sounds like she's alone, I can't hear any other voices and she's obviously not trying to be quiet. I wonder what happened... sad movie? breakup? bad news?

Just leaving your window open in a city is an interesting social experiment. Especially when you don't really have a view to speak of, except a blinds-covered window across the alley. It leaves you with nothing but sound to interpret what's going on in the outside world. Snippets of conversation. Blaring music from passing cars. Various sound effects. It'd be a cool idea to record them or write a story, based on sound alone.

Kitty's recovering nicely from his surgery. No pain meds, no collar, just a big-ass scar across his *other* shoulder. Now he has 3 different lengths of fur in his head and neck area.

He was also intrigued by the crying woman, if his dash to the window was any indication. I wish I could lend him to her or something, although he'd probably be a shit and not allow himself to be cuddled.

So... any suggestions on how to tell my mom that I spent *another* $400 on my cat?

(By the way, I point my finger and laugh at you Xanga fools. Blogger rules.)

Very Bad News, Redux

Last night when I woke up from my nap, my cat settled on my stomach for a good neck-scratching and purr session. While I was scratching his neck, on the opposite side of his surgery scar, I found a lump, approximately marble-sized.

The denial was hard to get over. I kept convincing myself that I hadn't felt it, it wasn't really there, I was just being paranoid. I checked him again while he was standing up and couldn't feel it, until he turned his neck and bunched his muscles together.

I wish I had known about this before all this happened, but it's too late now, as it's a pre-existing condition and too late to get coverage.

I'm taking him to the vet in a few hours. Possible surgery scheduled for Monday morning, depending on what the vet says. It shouldn't be as big of a deal as it was before, but I really don't want to keep putting him through surgery and 2 week recoveries every 3 months, that's ludicrous. He should have at least a few years to get to the average age for indoor cats, but he is already considered 'senior'. And I know as well as anyone that average age doesn't mean you don't go sooner.

I can't say it enough. I hate cancer.

Employment!

Yes, it's official. I am now an employee for a member of the Fraternal Order of Evil Corporations Bent on World Domination^TM. Well, at least it's not Nike or Krispy Kreme.

PSA

I'm in the middle of preparing my Andrew account for meltdown, so the blog will be slightly messed up for a bit. Pictures will be missing, etc.

Not sure where it will be going until we get the server situation figured out. Possibly my Verizon webspace. Check this page or fly.to/dragongirl to find out where it goes.

By the way, contact info is as follows:
email: wendybuffett [at] yahoo [dot] com
or: wendybuffett [at] alumni [dot] carnegiemellon [dot] edu
AIM: wendybesigner
phone: 521.3647 (home)
cell: 512.7667 (never charged)

Music of the Moment

The past few days have been rather music-laden. Instead of doing car-stuff today I ended up downloading a bunch of songs (RIAA can spank me), mostly stuff I've heard from WYEP or Joel. So my current playlist includes erin mckeown and Fountains of Wayne, from the radio, and Prefuse 73 ala Joel, although I think my appreciation of it is rather shallow. Also a couple of other random ones, Gillian Welch, Susan Tedeschi and The Doors (Peace Frog). Eventually I may get around to Sigur Ros, since I really loved one of the videos on their DVD (which I will not even try to spell here) - the one about the boy playing with dolls, if you've seen it.

Hopefully between my newly discovered audio influxes I can begin to address that embarassing problem of being musically ignorant.

I started buying new treats for my cat because they were on sale. Now when he throws up, it's bright orange. I'm not sure how worried I should be about that.

I am the Whore of Babylon

Quiz created by Polly Snodgrass.

WATER OF WATER. Pretty lady! Fair and gentle, your empathy attracts others to you. Possibly psychic, you are pure emotion and are more likely to act on feeling rather than practical thought or logic. You think that's just fine because imagination is important. You are the Whore of Babylon with her cup of abominable things, the Medium of Endor and in the mundane world you usually make a good wife and mother. You shine when you are able to give emotional support to others.

So, will Satan be signing my paychecks personally, or....

Apparently, as long as I have guaranteed medical benefits, my soul is a bargain at $6.50 an hour.

The interview at Starbucks went well, I think, but not as well as the pet store in Monroeville. I should hear back from both of them in the next week.

At this point I have no real desire to get an actual job. I'm not sure if it's fatalism, desperation, fear or laziness. Probably all of the above. I feel like slacking off for a bit, working nothing jobs and waiting for the economy to pick up. When the jobs arrive, I *strike*!

Where's an Animated Skeleton When You Need One?

Bad Idea:
Riding your bike uphill when you haven't done any exercise in months (puff puff)

Really Bad Idea:
Riding with bike fanatics who race each other up the big hill on Forbes (wheeze)

Really Really Bad Idea:
Riding at midnight after a long day, when the only thing you've consumed in the last 5 hours is Guinness, wine and vodka (whump)

If I don't wake up tomorrow, you'll know why. Urgh. That little idea lasted about 2 minutes (after I made Joel fix my bike and held everyone up).

On a more positive note, I am now resolved to move about strenuously at least once per day, even if I don't change into the proper clothing. And I still really want to go hang out in a graveyard, possibly at night, even more possibly with alcohol involved, the temptation of which made me overlook that pesky little sledgehammer of reality until it hit me in the chest, quite literally. :(