Since my assigned office was vandalized, I've been sitting in a temporary space. It's an upgrade for me, since I get a window. This window looks out toward a very popular breakfast/lunch café.
Since it's so darned popular, there are lots of people who parallel park near it. And I get to watch them. HILARIOUS! I tell you, most people do NOT know how to park.

You've got people who think they can get their big cars into small spots. The most popular method for this is to dump out your passenger and make him/her tell you when you get close. This is funny.

You've got the "small moves" types, who go two inches forward, two inches right, two inches back, rinse, wash, and repeat. Those are pretty funny, too.

But the best are the hopeless ones. Not to be sexist, but these are usually women in SUV's. They get a plenty-big space, and still can't make it. They make me laugh when they decide that their terrible parking job is "good enough" and leave the car, cock-eyed in its spot. I'm not too proud to admit that, when I have an off-day, I join this category.

Just thought I'd share.

I had to go to the dentist today. They needed to fix a couple of fillings that were old and not done very well. Of course, the two fillings were on opposite sides of my jaw....great...
Don't cavities know that they need to coordinate, so I only need to get one side numbed at a time?
Anyway...they numbed one side of my jaw, because there was some major drilling planned. I'm cool with that. Then the dentist started in on the other side, because he thought that he might be able to get the bad parts out without needing anesthetic. About halfway through, I start to feel it. I make it known that I'm uncomfortable...mostly by cringing. Dentist notices and says that he's almost done and gets back to work. I get even more uncomfortable. It's starting to hurt! I make THAT known to the dentist, and he takes a moment, then asks me if I want anesthetic, or if I think I can do it.
Well...when you put it that way... Its almost like a dare, and I can't resist a good dare. Before I made my final decision, I asked if it would get worse, and he said that it shouldn't. So I went for it. And succeeded. The dentist couldn't believe that I did that.

This was the day for everything to go wrong. Not so much wrong, but weird, I guess.

It started off okay. I didn't really want to go to work, but I'm trying to save up leave so I can vacation. So I go to work. I was planning to work through lunch and leave early, so I could go to the gym before going to my second job. Then it started.

At about 11:30 today, the lady at our reception desk was opening mail. Normal so far...then she gets a weird letter. It was from a guy who sends threatening letters to the Attorney General fairly frequently, so even that wasn't so weird. Unfortunately, this particular envelope had white powder in it. The end result of this powder was lockdown for the entire office building, thanks to the lovely recirculated air system we have. It's about 11:45 by the time they tell everyone that we're not allowed to leave. Like most, I figure it will be a fairly simple thing. What with three fire trucks, the better part of the police department, and the FBI on scene, surely it won't take that long... Meanwhile, the entire block was sealed off, cordoned off by crime scene tape. I really thought it would just be a minor inconvenience. They'll run some basic tests, determine that the substance isn't anthrax, and we'll go on our merry ways. I don't take lunch, because I'm optimistic that I'll be back to enjoying freedom within four hours.

WRONG.

I'll grant you, that was a little dramatic. I left the building at 4:30, after five hours of lockdown. Mind you, I was the first one out the doors. Very much ready to get out of there, and on to my second job. They never did tell us what that powder was, by the way. At 4:30, all they could say for sure is that there were no spores in it, but the gas chromatography was inconclusive as to what three substances were in that darned powder.

I went to the store to buy some dinner before going to my second job. On my way out, there's a squad car, lights activated. There's a bum just outside the liquor store who's trying to die of alcohol poisoning. The officer's trying to wake him up, but it isn't working. I figure that it's just that kind of day, and go on my merry way. Not trying to be insensitive, but...I've seen that before, and it's never pretty. I didn't want to stick around for the really un-pretty part.

I make it to my office and wolf down my rice bowl. Before I even clock on, there's a guy who sneaks into the bathroom with a stereo. We don't see any indication that he'd paid for it, but we also can't prove that he didn't. We got a detective into position in case we could make a clean apprehension, but we have to let him go. Puts definite damper on our evening. And I was just getting started.

Turns out, so was the weirdness.


While scanning the parking lot, I saw a guy who looked like he was duct taping something to the hood of a car. That's pretty weird. Especially when the object was a bottle with a medicine dropper! Duct taped right where a hood ornament would have been, if the car were a 1980s Chrysler. For an extra dose of weirdness, the guy walked over to a minivan that was parked in the fire lane, got in the car, and sat in the driver's seat. He started smoking a cigarette. My boss went out to tell him that he needed to move the minivan, because he was blocking the fire hydrant. He didn't do anything; just sat there. We started watching other things, but I do know that he sat there for a good ten minutes. I so very much wanted to know what in the world he was doing, taping medicine to the hood of a car, but alas. There were other things to do.


A few minutes later, we get a call from the auto guys. They tell us that their fire extinguisher doesn't work. Naturally, we're curious as to why they were using the fire extinguisher in the first place. There's a Ford Bronco in the middle of the road engulfed in flames. I'm not even talking about it was smoking a little. It was blazing. Smoke was billowing everywhere. The fire department was on scene, doing their best to put out the fire, but it was bad. For the second time today, the entire block in front of my workplace was sealed off. I had to go outside to help direct traffic, since everybody was trying to use our parking lot as an alternative to the closed roadway. Insanity. Turns out, you kind of have to be a police officer in order to direct traffic effectively.

After all that was over, I went back to the office to try to do my job. Didn't work out so well. Little, random things kept happening, tiny less-than-ideal choices were made, and the end result was that we didn't manage to catch a single shoplifter. Grrrrr.

Hi, Kathleen.
I hope this email finds you well. Although I'm not the best correspondent, I do think about you and the folks at UND on occasion. I will admit that the frequency is highly dependent upon those lovely Alumni letters, but, still...

This occasion is a little different.
You see, I've finally figured out what I want to do.

As you probably noticed, for a while I really thought I wanted to be an actress. That didn't pan out so well for me. Although I did make it out to Hollywood once, that was for dancing, and I didn't get paid. Something about not having the right look, or enough talent or some such thing.
After that, I really thought that I wanted to be in the legal field, and I've been working in law offices for the past several years. Up until recently, I believed law school would eventually be in my plans, but I never could bring myself to commit to that. I knew that I didn't want to devote that much of my life to studying something so...dull. It fit in with my intelligence and analytical ability, but never felt like a great application of my personality or multi-disciplinary approach to life.
Now, I have a better idea, and I think, one much more suited to my personality and skills. I am, indeed, going back to school (I hope - I'll need some help). My goal now is a Master's in Anthropology. Studying people, their arts and their laws is much more exciting to me than I ever realized, even deep down in my nerdy little soul. Plus, I always harbored a secret fantasy of being an archaeologist, and in anthropology, I could actually make that happen.
Since UAA is right in my neighborhood (that's University of Alaska, Anchorage), I won't even have to sell my house!

Remember how I mentioned help a little earlier? That's kind of where you come in. I know you've been reading this whole thing, dreading what I may ask you, but it's really quite simple, I promise. If you would feel comfortable doing so, the graduate school needs a few letters of recommendation. Something about wanting to make sure I'm an okay student and that I might be capable of a modicum of success.
They tell me that most people are terrified of the GRE's, but I really think that this is going to be the most difficult part of the application process for me. I've been out of school for so long, that I'm pretty sure 99% of my professors don't remember me. If you think you might be one of them, just let me know, and I'll do what I can to scrounge up some other letters. It's been a few years, and I very much understand.
Also, if you have any questions for me about my ambitions, plans, or what have you, I'll happily answer them.

Thank you for your time. I really do appreciate it.
Nicole Hillstrom,
class of 2003

As most of you know, I've been driving an old car for a while now. It's a decent car, and has served me well, but I am pleased to announce that the Chariot is being retired.

That's right, folks, I'm buying a new car. Brand spanking new. So new, in fact, that it's not even in Alaska yet. It's exactly what I want, because it's custom-ordered. A steel-blue, heated-seated, auto-started, all-wheel drive-ed Dodge Caliber. The best part? I'm going to be paying dealer invoice.

I'm so exited. I put my deposit down today, and it should get here in about 6 weeks. I can't wait to drive it!

Okay, so I know I haven't been posting much at all, but that's just because I'm a busy busy girl. I'm still alive, though, lest you be worried.

Here's a bit of randomness:

In a Past Life...

You Were: A Blind Belly Dancer. Where You Lived: Portugal. How You Died: In Childbirth.

For What it's Worth...(a work in progress)
There's so much to say, but it's all just words.
I want you to know that your voice was heard.
And more than heard; I feel your hurt.
I'd take it away, for what it's worth.

I don't want to make promises I can't keep.
You haven't misplaced your trust in me.
Even though I can't give you the Earth,
I promise to try, for what it's worth.

There's not a word I can say
To make your pain go away
If I knew the magic word
I'd say it loud, for what it's worth

In this work in progress called life,
I wish I could say everything will be fine,
The best I can do is stand beside you and work,
I love you, for what it's worth.

There's so much to say, but it's all just words.
I want you to know that your voice was heard.
And more than heard; I feel your hurt.
I'd take it away, for what it's worth.

I don't want to make promises I can't keep.
You haven't misplaced your trust in me.
Even though I can't give you the Earth,
I promise to try, for what it's worth.

There's not a word I can say
To make your pain go away
If I knew the magic word
I'd say it loud, for what it's worth

I just couldn't risk it.  There's too much at stake.

You opened it!!!! Good Luck! Tonight at
midnight your true love will realize they
love you. Something good will happen to
you at 1:00-4:20 pm tommorow, it could
be anywere. Get ready for the biggest
shock in your life. If u break this chain u
will be cursed with relationship problems
for the next 12 yrs. post this within 13 mins.
Repost with; Fuck (Your city)
haha!

I saw this on Yahoo News, and it seemed appropriate for the way things are going in my life, and in the lives of special people around me.  I hope they read this, too, and that it helps them.  I love you.

 

NEW YORK - Keith Urban, who entered a rehabilitation center for alcohol abuse last month, has some advice for people struggling with addiction and sobriety: Communicate.

Best Life, a men's magazine, interviewed Urban in Nashville, Tenn., 2 1/2 weeks before he entered rehab. The Grammy-winning singer, who has publicly acknowledged a former addiction to cocaine, says his advice for "souls at sea" is to "start communicating with the people around you."

"Everyone gets overwhelmed at points, but it's when you think you can handle it yourself and you don't reach out for help. That's when the end is near," Urban says in the December issue, on newsstands Nov. 17. "Recognize that you are about the tire, that drowning is looming."

He adds: "I've definitely been that drowning guy, and in the midst of drowning, I thought, `I wonder if I should put my hand up?' ... I'm just really grateful to be present and doing what I can. And if it overwhelms me, I speak out and say, `There is too much going on.'"

Urban won male vocalist of the year for the second year in a row at the Country Music Association Awards, presented in Nashville on Monday night.

His award was accepted by Ronnie Dunn, who read a letter from Urban in which he thanked his friends and family and his wife, Nicole Kidman. The couple were married in June.

"I'm looking forward to coming home and seeing you all soon," Urban said in the letter.

His new CD, "Love, Pain, & the whole crazy thing," was released Tuesday as scheduled, but it was announced last month that he would postpone all upcoming promotional appearances.

Urban won a Grammy this year for best male country vocal performance for "You'll Think of Me."