Sweet Catastrophe

…well frankly, today sucks.

# I’m in pain. I’m off birth control and I now 100% remember why I was put on it to begin with. Not even cramps, it’s just straight up pain. And every few hours I get cramps on top of that. And I’m getting angry at the drop of a hat.

# Something went wonky with my PayPal card so my Kindle hasn’t been paid for yet. =( It’s straight now but now my Kindle is estimated to be here between the 7th and 13th *sigh*

# It’s been storming all day, which I love, but I wanted to go play in the park. Been looking forward to it all day and there wasn’t a single flash of lightning until I finally got out of work.

# Work was….ugh….. I can’t even remember all the ridiculously complicated transactions I got involved in today– discounts that didn’t work correctly, receipts that weren’t being recognized, orders that disappeared, credit card companies who decided they needed a 20 minute phone call before they’d approve a sale, Lowe’s accounts with insufficient balances for purchases, and my god at all the people who decided mid-sale that they weren’t actually ready to make the purchase…to name a few, haha.

I just…. I want to eat and go to bed, and I really might. I have to be back at 7 a.m.

I don’t think it’s any secret how much of my shopping I do online. I’d say about 99% of gifts I buy or toys for myself are purchased online. I’m realizing now, though, that one of my favorite online retailers isn’t as widely known as I’d thought it should be!

I’ve been shopping on Buy.com for years and was surprised how many of my friends weren’t really familiar with them. Guys, this is where it’s at! They even list competitor prices even if they’re lower, so this should really be at the top of your list of places to check when you get ready to shop prices for something!

They’ve also got a banging sale going on with their Weekly Deals. More often than not, I’ll find a deal there that actually shocks me.

For instance, when I bought Ryan’s Zune, I was just checking around prices on Thanksgiving night, seeing if I could get out of getting up early on Black Friday and trying for one up town. Buy.com had them cheaper (shipping included) than the Black Friday deals! I was so thrilled that I could get Ryan’s Zune with a few clicks, rather than getting up at 3am, fighting a crowd, and still having to go to work later. They saved me that year! And he has really gotten more than my money’s worth out of that Zune; I couldn’t have picked a better gift for him.

Add them to your bookmarks, guys; I guarantee you’ll eventually thank me.

I did it! I saved up some money and we got our year-end bonus (fiscal year) on this paycheck so I just ordered my Kindle!! There’s the slightest tinge of buyer’s remorse but only because it’s been so long since I spent so much money on a single item. I’m happy though. I’ve already got a ton of ebooks ready to load up and this weekend I’ll prep a bunch of online reads to put on as well. I just can’t wait to take all my online loves away from this glaring computer screen! *squee* My inner book dork is having a party right now!

Believe it or not, I actually had a great Monday. I got a little bit done around the house before I left for work and work was actually peachy!

I got to train someone on the POS system (point of sale/ aka register) and time always passes pretty swiftly when you’re teaching someone how to do things. At Lowe’s cashiers are capable of doing much more than I’ve been able to do at past jobs so there’s really a lot to explain. Basic functions are pretty easy since you can really just follow prompts on the screen, but I’ve found that when you’re doing something new, it’s a lot easier to get through when you’ve at least been told about it before; it’s more familiar then.

The rest of the evening was just busy enough to keep the clock moving, but not crazy.

Me and my two favorite Lumber associates went to Denny’s after work. We actually wanted IHOP, but it was closing when we got there. I’m absolutely against going into a restaurant 10 minutes before they close!

Denny’s turned out to be perfect though and I laughed more than should be allowed while eating. I think we spent like two hours bs-ing about work.

I got a nice ego boost when I found out I came up at their meeting the night before as a suggestion for a replacement in the department, haha, the guys love me because I don’t sit on my ass at work. There’s not a lot I can do because I’m confined to an area where I can clearly see my register, but I’ll help customers load, answer questions, flat stack lumber, spot them on the forklift, and I don’t call them to help a customer until I know they’re actually needed whereas most cashiers just call them only to find out the customer has a question they could’ve answered themselves, ya know? Anyway, they like me! They really like me! lol

After that I came home and relaxed, knowing I’d have today off. Love it. I wish all Mondays could be as nice.

I love this song for a few reasons– for one, it just sounds great, but I really love the meaning I pull from it. It makes me think of when you’re in a relationship and you just accept things for what they are and assume that there are times when you just have to settle. There are things about this person you don’t particularly like, but no one’s perfect, right? The relationship ends and eventually you move on and (if you’re lucky) find someone who’s actually right for you. Of course there are things about them that remind you of the old relationship because they have the traits you gravitate to in a person, but they seem to lack all those down sides and you realize that maybe in love, you really don’t have to just ’settle.’

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I met her in a room of strangers
Laughing as I painted her with mind
Now we meet in darkest places
More sacred than any place
You and I could find

Just like you, only sweeter
Just like you, but more refined
Just like you, without the bitter
Unlike you, she never lies

It’s a fresh touch, a new way
A language of our own brought to life
A slow serenade to the broken
Drowning out the years
Holding back the tide

When she turns in the shadows
She calls to me
And seems to me
Like you from time to time

(She’s) Just like you, only sweeter
Just like you, but more refined
Just like you, only deeper
Just like you, but more alive
(She’s) Just like you, but I can feel her
Unlike you, she never hides

The soft pulse
Shakes the whole room
Quiets the sound of the crowded mind

And then she comes in the shadows
She feels to me
Like it used to be
Before we had to try

(She’s) Just like you, only sweeter
Just like you, with more inside
(She’s) Just like you, without the bitter
Unlike you, she never lies

Ressurrections just a whisper from your lips
And it’s coming through
Hard to think of even one thing that I could miss
When it comes to you

Just like you, only sweeter
Just like you, but more refined
Just like you, without the bitter
Just like you, with nothing to hide
Unlike you, she never lies
Unlike you, she doesn’t hide

Just like you, only sweeter
Just like you, with more inside
(She’s) Just like you, only deeper
She’s just like you, but more alive
(She’s) Just like you, but I can feel her
Unlike you, she doesn’t hide
Unlike you, she never lies
Unlike you, she’s always right here..

Not that I agree with them all, but still funny!

Your last name stays put.
The garage is all yours.
Wedding plans take care of themselves.
Chocolate is just another snack.
You can be President.
You can never be pregnant.
You can wear a white T-shirt to a water park.
You can wear NO shirt to a water park.
Car mechanics tell you the truth.
The world is your urinal.
You never have to drive to another service station restroom because this one is just too icky.
You don’t have to stop and think of which way to turn a nut on a bolt.
Same work, more pay.
Wrinkles add character.
Wedding dress $5000. Tux rental-$100.
People never stare at your chest when you’re talking to them.
New shoes don’t cut, blister, or mangle your feet.
One mood all the time.
Phone conversations are over in 30 seconds flat.
You know stuff about tanks.
A five-day holiday requires only one suitcase.
You can open all your own jars.
You get extra credit for the slightest act of thoughtfulness.
If someone forgets to invite you, he or she can still be your friend.
Your underwear is $8.95 for a three-pack.
Three pairs of shoes are more than enough.
You almost never have strap problems in public.
You are unable to see wrinkles in your clothes.
Everything on your face stays its original color.
The same hairstyle lasts for years, maybe decades.
You only have to shave your face and neck.
You can play with toys all your life.
One wallet and one pair of shoes — one color for all seasons.
You can wear shorts no matter how your legs look.
You can ‘do’ your nails with a pocket knife.
You have freedom of choice concerning growing a mustache.
You can do Christmas shopping for 25 relatives on December 24 in 25 minutes.

No wonder men are happier.

I keep forgetting to tell you guys about a nifty little site I found called Crap, I missed it! Primarily it’s for television shows– you go through and click on shows you want to set reminders for and it sends you one lump email first thing in the morning for any of your chosen shows that are supposed to have new episodes that night! (You can also choose to be alerted the day before, or after instead)

It’s really, really helpful for me since I rarely get to watch a show as it airs and therefore don’t normally see if there’s a preview for the next week (which is the quickest way to know if there’s a new ep coming.)

They also offer alerts for new albums, books, or you can choose categories and get periodic alerts on the top 10 or 50 corresponding items on digg or youtube.

It’s not on the main page yet, but in the sidebar you’ll find a place to subscribe for movies and video games as well.

I haven’t looked through those lists yet, but I know the list of TV shows seemed fairly comprehensive to me. Someone mentioned it on a forum I frequent and I’ve been using the subscription for almost two months now and it’s been really helpful =)

I had a crappy day at work today and for one of the few times I can remember in my life, I wanted some shopping therapy, but I was good, I came straight home and settled for some online shopping. I don’t know why I do that, I just end up looking over my wishlist again and torture myself thinking about ways I could justify buying any of them. A lot of things on my list I could afford, but I can’t justify getting any of them until after I’ve taken care of my teeth and other stuff like that.

But I can look at all the pretty sale stuffs, dammit!

I’ve forbidden myself from any electronics department because everyone has this Xbox 360 deal with Kung Fu Panda and Lego Indiana Jones. We’ve been talking seriously about killing our cable almost altogether and if we do, we want a good Netflix package, which we could fully utilize with Xbox live! The boys would play it a lot more than I would, but I’d have the upper hand if it was mine ;)

There’s some fantastic deals for refurbished Garmins up as well. I actually put one in my shopping cart, but talked myself out of it. I’m still holding out a little hope for getting a fair insurance settlement. A few of the cars I’m into come with GPS already, but if I don’t get one, I’m snagging one of these immediately. Their refurbished ones are always ridiculously low-priced!

Then there’s the e-readers. Jeeze, if they were a little cheaper I absolutely wouldn’t be able to talk myself out of one! I’ve been reading tons online and would just love to be able to take this stuff with me and curl up on the couch or go sit in the park to read.

Of course, I could also do that with a badass notebook! That dream is much, much further away, but after years of having no real interest in owning a laptop, I’m really starting to get the itch.

*sigh* I can dream, right? If I could just have like, $10,000 next week I’d love to get lasik, fix my teeth, go to the doctor and buy all these pretty things!

If I was really good, I could convince like 60 people to give me $5 each and maybe buy myself an e-reader. I could settle for just that ;)

I had a glorious weekend off that flew by before I blinked, but today it was back to the barcode scanner, the concrete floor, and more importantly, the idiots.

I swear working in retail is destroying any prior faith I had that there were intelligent lifeforms here…

For instance, the woman who proclaimed that our random memory loss was something the Russians were doing to us… She was completely normal until we started talking about how she’d forgotten how many blocks her husband wanted her to pay for even though he’d just told her and I was playing it off, telling her it happens to me all the time. She told me the Russians were doing something to our brains and just left. *shifty eyes*

Then I found out that one of our new guys, one we all think isn’t going to last very long, busted a bag of Quikrete outside and tried to clean it up. This is a concrete mix. I’ll give you two guesses on how he tried to clean it up….

Give up? Yeah he used water. Luckily there wasn’t a lot so it just looks like a butt-ton of spilled paint, but that’s not coming up, period. It’s concrete on concrete.

Special people, I tell ya.

I wish I could innocently say that I have no idea where all my free time has gone this week, but I do.

I know exactly what I’ve spent literally hours upon hours doing, looking at the clock only to realize it’s 3 or 4 hours later than I genuinely thought it was.

I’ve been absolutely consumed by fan fiction! It gets such a bad name for the sheer volume of completely random stories out there written by any and everyone with opposable thumbs, and the ones that read worse than I imagine a script for cheap late-night cinemax films do…why these people bother, I have no idea.

But this week I fell into all these fics with simply incredible stories! I’ve been so pleasantly surprised, but at the same time, I’ve gone through every light setting on my monitor to save my eyes! I honestly can’t count up the hours I’ve spent here reading this week.

Of course, I’ve been toying with the idea of purchasing an e-reader of some sort, but I’ve put it off, wondering if I’d really miss my normal books. I love having them fill my shelves.

This new fic love is starting to sway me though…I can upload these stories online to my e-reader as well and not be confined to this computer screen, or sinking to reading them on my phone! By now I’ve sort of promised myself to keep checking up for one on sale so I can more easily justify buying one. I think both my computer chair and my eyes could use the break… I just wish I could really try one out for a few days, just to get a feel for whether or not it’d be something I’d really want. Could I give up endlessly filling my shelves?