Friday Five and a Big Ouchie Update.

January 30, 2004 | 3 Comments

Fivin’ it, baby. Here we go:

You have just won one million dollars:

1. Who do you call first?

Agent J, of course! And I tell him that we are going on a loooonnnggg vacation whether he likes it or not.

2. What is the first thing you buy for yourself?

A bubblegum-pink Cadillac. Any year would be fine, but I?m partial to drop-tops and ?59?s. Pink leather interior, too, since we?re going all out on the thing.

3. What is the first thing you buy for someone else?

Well, I have a long standing agreement with The Count that should either one of us win the lottery, we?ll buy the other person the car of his or her choice. So whatever he fancies at the moment, he will get. With a big red bow on top. I?ll even throw in a hug because he?s such a dearheart. :*

4. Do you give any away? If yes, to whom?

Yep. If Daddy Bill, Mama Dory or Big Al need or want anything, they got it. If any of my A-list friends need or want anything, they got it. Plus, I would like to put a hardworking kid through college ? all the way from undergrad to a doctorate degree, at the school of their choice. They would have to maintain a B average, though, or the deal is off. (I?m such a meanie. Heh.)

5. Do you invest any? If so, how?

I guess so. I?d have to find a financial advisor I could trust first. Is there such a thing?

My nasty slip on the ice earlier this week resulted in a few injuries, as I found out yesterday at the doctor?s office. A mildly sprained right ankle and a badly sprained right wrist (with possibly a hairline fracture, but doc wasn?t certain, so he?s just treating it as such.) I also have lovely Technicolor bruises developing on my ass and hip.

Apparently, Workman?s Comp will pay for everything, which is cool. And if my notebook computer is irreversibly fucked-up (because I fell right on top of it?heh, Ms. Grace?) I won?t have to pay for it and I?ll be issued a brand new one. I took yesterday off in order to get x-rays and poked and prodded at; I took today off in order to stay home and thoroughly enjoy my pain medications. (I?m sure my students were heartbroken.)

And, my goodness, these are some kind of wonderful, these pain meds. No ouchie could ever exist in their presence. I can see why some people could get addicted to them so easily. Pop one of these babies and the world turns into a soft, woolly cocoon where you drift sweetly in and out of sleep most of the day, and giggle at everything in sight when you are awake.

Cities should spike their water supplies with this stuff and road rage would become a thing of the past. Of course, people would be driving on the sidewalks, too, so maybe that?s not such a great idea.
Anyway, I have to wear this immobilizer brace on my wrist until the doctor says not to, and I go back next week for more x-rays. After all of this, there better not be a speck of ice on those damn sidewalks. If there is, somebody in the Maintenance Department is going to need the pain meds next time. Lots of ‘em.

Surprise, surprise… I’m feeling woozie and sleepy again. I’ll write again soon, kittens. ~ ~ ~

Posted by Christine | Filed Under Uncategorized

I want Springtime NOW.

January 29, 2004 | 3 Comments

I love everything about Winter. The snow is beautiful to look at. The cold doesn?t really bother me. I like the way everything goes dormant and then pops back to life in the Spring. I enjoy the freshness of the cold air and the way the clear nights sparkle in the brightness of the full moon.

I love everything about Winter ? except walking on the ice and snow. Rather, I should say, slipping and falling on the ice and snow.

Arrrrrrrrrgh.

After work today, I was heading to my car in the parking lot. I didn?t get 5 feet outside of the door and I slipped and fell on the ice. Fortunately, nothing is broken. Unfortunately, it feels like damn near everything is bruised, wrenched or sprained. I feel like I tried to jump from my 4th floor office window to get to my car instead of walking out the front door.

Besides the pain, I?m really pissed off about the whole thing. It?s been snowing off and on since Sunday night and the parking lot at school hasn?t been plowed yet. The sidewalk in front of the building has not been shoveled, salted or sanded once. To top it off, when I was walking into the building today I slipped — but didn?t fall ? and immediately called what I thought was the proper office and asked them to salt the walk before someone gets seriously hurt. I even said please and thank you.

The man said they would, but no one ever did.

This is such a pain in the ass. (Literally and figuratively.) I had to cancel my classes for tomorrow so I can go get x-rays. I have to fill out and file an incident report with the school?s Health Center and then probably go see the workman?s comp doctor, Dr. WhoTheFuckKnows. Then I?m sure my chiropractor will want to work me over for the next month. I have too much stuff to do right now and the last thing I needed was to be sore as hell all over and hobbling around like I?m 100 years old.

All because the school wouldn?t throw 50 cents worth of salt on the fucking sidewalk.

After mass-emailing my students about the class cancellations tomorrow, 4 of them wrote back and said that they, too, had fallen on the ice on campus this week. When I called the security office to report what had happened today, the woman I spoke with said that she fell on the ice last week ? in almost the exact same spot I did!

What the fuck?! If I?m going to be working here, the Maintenance Department is going to get it?s shit together. I?ll be cool about it, but they haven?t heard the last of this. Not by a long shot. I hate being in pain and inconvenienced, especially as a result of someone else’s laziness or stupidity.

Time for a Tylenol 3 and some sleep now. More again soon.

Posted by Christine | Filed Under Uncategorized

Color me HAPPY!

January 26, 2004 | 2 Comments

So, I met with Tom today to discuss the schedule for next fall. I told him that the people in the Communication division (from here on known as the Commies) were trying to sign me up to teach a Graphic Design course. He just looked at me like.. ?What the fuck???

Yeah! My thoughts exactly, I told him.

He had absolutely no idea that they were scheming this up ? they never consulted him on any of it. (Most likely because they knew he wouldn?t go along with it.) I said that I refused to teach it, and he said he?ll back me up 1000% on that decision. I think he also got a glimpse of how manipulative the captain-ettes of the Commie ship really are and what I am dealing with here. It would be so nice if my office and classroom were located in the Fine Arts building; right now, they think they can divide and conquer. I really doubt they would be trying all of this bullshit if they knew they were dealing with a united front everyday.

Anyway, we sat and talked about a few classes I could teach instead of their little Graphic Design farce, and there is a distinct possibility that I?ll be able to instruct a studio art course in the fall. That is in addition to 2 art history classes. Tom said that there is no way I?ll get dropped back to half-time simply because I didn?t jump through the hoop they held in front of me.

I?m glad about that. Although it would have allowed me to have more hours to work in my studio, it would have also somehow seemed like a step backwards to teach part-time again.

The schedule has to be finalized and submitted to the registrar?s office by this Friday, so I?ll let you know what I find out then. Right now I am just thrilled to have escaped the drooling, snapping jaws of the Graphic Design monster with my artistic soul intact.

Posted by Christine | Filed Under Uncategorized

Late on a Sunday.

January 25, 2004 | 1 Comment

Mutter, mutter…

Political:: debate
Concentration:: focus
Fish:: stink!
Lunacy:: whacko
Red:: cherry
Imply:: insinuate
Recognize:: familiar
Sexist:: feminists
Commercial:: schlock
Stricken:: disease

I have nothing witty to say about the Mutterings this week. I think I blew my wit out into a Kleenex earlier today. *Snerrrrrt*

Yeah, still congested. Still taking allergy meds and decongestants. Nothing helps anymore. I?m afraid I am condemned to live a snot-filled existence for the rest of my days. There?re worse things, I am sure. I just can?t think of them right now as my head is pounding too loudly.

(Insert pathetic whimper here.)

This is something even more pathetic: I have therapy on Tuesday and I?m looking forward to it. The appointment is even at 8 am — and I don?t care if I miss some sleep in order to get there on time.

I just need to empty my head of some of this work stress and get some advice on the whole thing from Dr. K.

I haven?t seen him in over a month now, and to be honest, it?s hard to believe that I made it through the holidays, a trip to see The ?Rents, and school starting without crumbling into a heap due to lack of therapeutic input. In the not so distant past any one of those events would have called for at least a couple sessions.

So maybe this means I?m getting better. Except when it comes to dealing with career stuff and working with other people, apparently. I still pretty much suck at that.

Other people! The bane of my existence! Bah.

It?s all basically the same shit I?ve been dealing with since childhood, just in a different pile. I?m afraid of people in general, afraid of letting anyone get too close to me, afraid of losing myself to people more powerful than I am, afraid of being controlled, afraid of being in a situation where I feel trapped.

That kind of stuff.

It?s really exhausting to have to be on alert all the time, though. Going through life constantly suspicious, but smiling and being friendly so that no one can tell.

I?m suddenly very, very tired. Time for a deep, avoiding sleep, me thinks.

Posted by Christine | Filed Under Uncategorized

My Saturday slump? and some silliness.

January 24, 2004 | 1 Comment

Gah, I just feel gross. I?m tired. My head is so congested that I sound like I?m talking with a clothespin on my nose. Agent J is making construction noise and dust, thus making my head pound as well. I have work to do, so I can?t leave the house ? unless I want to go to the office and do it. (Hiss, boooo? not going there on a Saturday.)

I wish I could hook the shop-vac up to my nose and let it suck stuff out for about an hour. I know I?d feel better. Or at least 3 pounds lighter and much less congested.

See? Told you I?m gross today.

I?ll stop now. Maybe…

For some reason, this kind of humor is just making me laugh these days:

I think the wind and cold weather is numbing the ?sophisticated humor? part of my grey matter. :)~

And if you thought that was bad, go HERE and play the new Michael Jackson game, Escape from Neverland. Hahahahahaaaa!

(Sent to me by my dearest Zubrovka. He understands the most bizarre parts of my mind. Thanks, Z. *HUG*)

When I meet with Tom on Monday, I am going to propose teaching a studio class in the Fall along with two art history classes. I?d like to teach a course on collage and assemblage, and offer it as a night course. (I?m thinking that way I might get some non-traditional students in there as well, which would be awesome.)

Mind you, I have no idea if this is even a feasible option. All I know is that I?m sure as hell not teaching Graphic Design, no matter how much they try to butter me up. Agent J and I had a long discussion about this the other night. Of course, I was completely wrong when I said the other day that he seemed to be telling me to just keep teaching the courses I know nothing about ? to suck it up and deal with it.

In fact, he?s pissed that the people in the Communication department (Commies ?hehe..) are trying to weasel me into teaching those courses, and would rather I drop back to half-time if it comes down to that.

We?ll see what happens. I?m getting cool shoulders from the Commies right now ? they aren?t seeing me as a team ~~patsy~~ player anymore, I guess.

Screw ?em. Artists aren?t conformists. Sure, we might end up being poor, but it?s not in our souls to be ass-kissers.

Posted by Christine | Filed Under Uncategorized