RANT: My back is crapping out on me lately and I'm really worried about my ability to earn a living. It hurts nearly every day, which I can usually manage through a combination of treatments, but lately it's been harder and harder to do that. Once it gets to the point where I have to hit the muscle relaxers, there is no way I can go to work. They make me sleep all day, and I'm supposedly on the ones that don't to do that. Being on my feet and constantly working short handed is taking a real toll. I don't understand why every nursing home has a staffing problem. The one I'm working in now is supposed to be a non-profit, one of the main reasons I wanted to work there, figuring staffing would be less of a problem, but nope, it's actually one of the worst staffed places I've been in.
Rant: Almost saw an old blind woman who was crossing the street get run over by an asshole in a truck who ran a red light and honk at the world like she was at fault. It's just bothered me since and I can't get the image of her being inches away from death out of my head. I hope whoever was driving the truck is re-evaluating their life at the moment.
Rant: Father in law has cancer. Rant: I probably havent been as supportive as I should have. After having dealt with it in my family, I should have initially been better about it for her sake since shes never been through anything like it before.
Rant: Back at school at 28 for a comp sci degree, and I just shit the bed on my first midterm. Fucking great. To make matters worse I got home and tried the questions I fucked up on, and they weren't even that bad. So all my complaining after the exam about how it was unreasonably hard was mostly just me being a bitch. I'm pissed at myself because I've been putting an A effort into the class, and I feel like I MAYBE got a C on this. I need a C+ in the course to advance in the program, which should still definitely be doable, but this was a real confidence dick punch.
Rave: I'm feeling very vindicated right now. A week ago, I got into a tiff with my boss because, despite continually lowering my pay, she finally stopped hinting at wanting me to keep doing all the work I had been doing for her at the start and straight up asked me to keep doing it. I told her no, not unless she started paying me again for it, and she was pissed that I dared wanted to be compensated for my work and not just do it to help the business while it's struggling. I've earned my rate and am done working for free and a for-profit business that's been screwing me over for months is not really a cause I'm willing to volunteer for. I was really proud of myself for sticking up for myself, and stand by everything I said, but of course there was that little voice in the back of my mind that was saying "I don't know, what if I am just blowing smoke up my own ass and should just be doing this to help anyway." Within the week, I've been working on 7 freelance projects, got referred to a new project by one of those clients, interviewed or asked to interview for 4 new jobs, and just today got an offer. So, yes, I have earned my rate indeed.
RANT: ESPN Shuts Down Grantland. 4 years of great articles, stories and people I would have never known otherwise. Everyone jokes on this board that I am Bill Simmons in secret, but I really hope Bill can use his HBO situation to grab these people up. Those writers there weren't the shitkicking idiots you see on other sites that talk about nothing for the sake of getting hits. The podcasts were great and after so many years their audience felt pretty tight with everyone. The actual hard sports writers are going to either stick with ESPN or land pretty cushy somewhere else, but the pop culture guys are going to be scattered and that is going to suck as they played off each other so damn well.
Rave: Hah, apparently a bunch of people failed the shit out of that test, so he scaled the grades and I ended up with 84%. Stupid teenagers, I'm so much better than them.
Rant: spent all day cleaning, because it hasn't been done since football season started in August. Turns out working 14 hour days, plus 4 to 5 hours every Saturday and Sunday isn't conducive to housework. Rave: Resigned as football coach after a clusterfuck of a season that nearly saw multiple assaults by parents on other coaches and each other. Luckily no one gave a shit about me, but the number of times I had to back up another coach who nearly got assaulted was far too many (I.e. More than zero). Officially done with coaching in that school forever. The parents there are batshit insane. Rant: saw two dads start to scream at each other about how the other guy's son "fucking sucked" and his kid should have been starting. There were multiple arguments in the stands at any given time between the parents. Good thing these people care about the team and the kids, huh? Oh and those kids are sophomores and juniors so the new coaches have 1 to 2 more years of those guys to look forward too. Rave: Guy who is likely taking over is a manipulative douche of the highest order who spent the entire season talking shit about the other coaches (note: He was on staff with us) and generally trying to stir shit amongst everyone to get the head coach fired. Head coach wasn't fired, but he is quitting cause fuck all that shit. New guy is inheriting a dumpster fire of his own design. He'll be lucky to win 2 games next season, and he'll have all the same batshit insane parents to answer to. After my time there, I am confident saying this team will never ever be good, not because of lack of talent in the kids or because of coaching, but because of the community atmosphere that promotes ignoring coaches and backstabbing teammates. I literally watched a kid purposely whiff on a block to get another kid he hated destroyed and keep him from scoring. This is what we were working with this year. I finally understand what others told me abou coaching at this school before I even took the job: my school is where coaches go watch their careers die. Rave: Job just got a thousand times better without football, and I was never that attached to coaching anyway. I know some of the other guys will land on their feet, too.
Rave: Wife showed me her Harlequin outfit on Friday. This one: http://images.halloweencostumes.com/products/12117/1-1/arkham-city-harley-quinn-costume.jpg We left it on for the ensuing hijinks. Rant: This morning started with an annual review with a client. Basically, I meet with clients at least once a year to check on financial status and give updates, like a financial checkup. Anyway, pretty simple meeting, no changes to make or report, but! in comes one of the mothers of one of the clients to ask me a barrage of super detailed and anal retentive questions. No heads up from any of them until I got there. "Oh, my mom wanted to ask you some questions so she'll be joining us" Gee, thanks. Rave: I am fucking awesome at my job and know my shit. Answered all her questions, managed not to tell her that while she worked for SBLI for half a decades years ago, SBLI is a shit company. And we all parted on genteel terms. Rant: Client relatives with just enough knowledge to be dangerous and not enough to really help.
Rave: I got laid off so I didn't have to resign. Ended up with a little severance and I'm eligible for unemployment so I'm not in a financial panic. Rave: I've already paid for next month's trip to Jackson Hole. Rant: It's clear after this weekend that I'm in my 30s and cannot recover like I used to.
Rave: Finally got a call around 5 last night that he had been taken to a vet, and other than some scrapes he's good to go. Thanks for the well wishes and ideas y'all. Rant: Buying/Building a new fence is going to be a pain in the ass.
Rant: Bought a coffee from whole foods this morning for 27 cents. Wasn't about to put it on the credit card and had to break a $10--which left me with a fist full of change. What a stupid fucking amount to charge for a coffee. Did they really need the extra two cents? Fuck whole foods. Even when they're cheap they're annoying. /the firstest of first world problems
Rave: A buddy of mine won his election for a city council spot in a popular Minnesota town. We don't always agree when it comes to politics but he's a really good guy and I'm happy for him. Rave: Deer hunting with my brother this weekend. Going target shooting tonight. Rant: Broken toe is getting a lot better but still very swollen and not fun to walk around with. Rant: Just spilled yogurt all over the front of my pants at work and I have a meeting with my boss soon. Shit.
Rant: When I woke up this morning it was snowing at my cabin, I hate snow. Rave: Drove back to Phoenix and it is nice
Rave: I signed the papers on my Missouri property today! Rant: I'm now in debt. For the first time in over 10 years. On the plus side, I plan on making triple payments and should have it paid off in about 42 months or so. Crossing my fingers nothing comes up and screws up my plan.