Customer Service?

Here's what I've noticed lately... I am more surprised when I receive good service than I am when I receive bad service. Twice today I received good service and both times I walked out of the office in a bewildered, what-just-happened kind of daze. It's sad that I expect to be ignored my first few moments in an office and then get an, "I can't do that, what you're asking is impossible or it's not my job." attitude. I didn't have to beg or anything, it couldn't last all day though.

Sammy's friend is going to spend the night Saturday, I'm a little afraid. I'll report back Monday on how it went. We're going to go see Curious George this weekend so that should kill a couple hours.

Yagopuchae and I are progressing on the wedding and honeymoon. I got my passport pictures today for the Visa application. I'm going to make him promise he'll still marry me before I show them to him.

A Discovery

Last night I had to bring Sam in to work with me. I had to attend an online collaborative meeting so I picked Sam up from soccer practice and returned to the office. I warned him to be very quiet, no talking. I gave him an apple, a pen and a pad before donning my headsets and bringing up the website. He did amazingly well.

I just noticed the legal pad this morning. Across the top in big letters... WE TOOT YOU TOOT with stick drawings of us underneath. Nice. Thanks Yagopuchae.

Lots to do...

It's Thursday and I have tons to do. Yagopuchae will be here tomorrow night so I'd like to fold the laundry that's been sitting in the corner before he sees I still haven't done it. I should shave my legs before tomorrow night too. I have to get orders done for people coming to support the departure ceremony, update the weekly calendar, get my official passport (sounds like they want to send me tdy), get a letter from Leonberg stating I'm allowed to live in Germany... the list goes on. As you can see, I'm working on all this like a firecracker (you know, on blogger).

This morning I did manage to start a load of laundry, make Sam scrambled eggs and bacon for breakfast, and pack our lunches. If nothing else I feel like a good mom this morning.

Interesting Conversations

Here's an excerpt from a conversation this morning:

"Whoa, Sam look at all those cool motorcycles!" (me)
"Wow. They look cool. (pause) Someday I want to work for them." (Sam)
"What would you do if you worked for them?"
"You know, go with them to motorcycle class..."
"Oh yeah, I bet that'd be fun."

Here's another from Sunday:

"You didn't even notice the thing I did for you in your bathroom." (Yagopuchae)
"Yeah, right." Eye roll. (me)
"No, really."
"What'd you do?"
"I used milk to shine the leaves on the plant in your bathroom."
???? "What are you talking about? You did what with what?"
"Really, go check out how shiny they are!"

I have to give him credit, I don't know if I've ever seen plant leaves that shiny.

Fest or No Fest

Sam spent Saturday night at a friend's house so Yagopuchae and I had 24 hrs alone together. Unheard of. We went to the fest but got there too late and couldn't get in the tent. We had busted out butts walking to the train station in the rain and then searching for our tent at the fairgrounds. I was mad (and soggy). We got some food with a couple beers and I realized I was happier sitting and relaxing with him than I would have been crammed in to a huge drunken tent PACKED full of people. It really turned out better.

I'm losing motivation by the day, it's not good. I know the board results will be out in a couple weeks and I find myself not caring about tasks.

Sam starting calling Yagopuchae "dad." It's cute and gives me a warm little feeling inside. Like I finally did something right...

How do you spell fun?

Short Fuses

I don't know what's going on lately but everyone seems to be a little on edge. I had my outburst at the housing office last week but I've noticed EVERYONE seems a little short on patience lately. People get grumpy with me, I get grumpy with them. I think it's odd.

Complications

I got a surprise four-day weekend for Easter, that was nice. I got to take Friday and Monday off. Yagopuchae took the train here late Thursday night so we got an extra day together.

We all went saw Ice Age 2 on Friday, it was a really cute movie. I think the rest of the weekend we just hung out, Sunday we made a roast for dinner.

Apparently, getting married overseas is more complicated than Yago and I thought. Even in Denmark, where they're supposed to be lax, it's more work than we anticipated.

Hopefully, three weeks from tomorrow I'll get the board results. It'll be nice to actually get started on moving and getting settled in.

Susie Chapstick, or not

My lips are chapped. I mean CHAPPED. I'm not sure how it happened since I'm never too far from a tube of Chapstick. I have the peeling, annoying, bloody, stinging chapped lips. Very annoying.

There are about a thousand (maybe only 10) other things I'd rather be doing right now. Going to the legal office, housing office, cleaning up my apartment, doing laundry and putting my spring bedding on, running, grocery shopping, eating lunch with Sam, shopping for Sam's Easter present, planning a nice meal, shopping downtown... Any of those things and not in that order.

My board starts today and is scheduled to run for 3 wks. Hopefully everything goes as I have it planned and I'll be out of here soon. Maybe I'll miss working, maybe not.

What to do?

I've been pondering what I really want to do with myself when I have the opportunity. I'd like to own my own business one day but what would it be? I'd love to study different languages and how they're learned. I'd like to work with disadvantaged children, it'd make me feel like I was making a difference in the world. Hmm. Seems like most people have this figured out when they graduate college at 22. I could get my master's in something marketable and try to make a ton of money but I don't think I'd get much satisfaction. I wanted to go to med school but it'll demand more of my time than I'm willing give. Maybe I'll become and astronaut or a cowgirl.

Spelling

Sam wants to learn how to spell Schmitty. Why you ask? Good question. Seems that was a nickname he was given. By whom? Another fine question that I, myself, asked last Saturday morning over breakfast. Apparently, Yagopuchae decided a while back to nickname Sam Schmitty. In return, Schmitty gets to call Yago...hold on, this is good...The King. That's right, they are now known as Schmitty and The King.

When I tried to pin Yago down on why and how this came about he couldn't answer. The best he could do was say, "Everybody loves a nickname and Schmitty is a good one. Have you ever met someone named Schmitty that you didn't like? That's a cool, come-on-over-and-watch-the-game name."
"Okay. And The King?"
Crickets chirping.

That Was Fun

Just once I would like to have a cool boss. You know, someone that gave me projects and then gave me the authority to complete them. That'd be awesome. Instead, I get ass clowns that make ME look like an incapable ass clown.

I had the Colonel that I've been playing secretary for show up at a meeting today. I am the J6 Directorate rep and have attended ALL the meetings, which is more than I can say about my counterparts. The good Colonel shows up (late), takes my copy of the handouts and asks questions that were answered three weeks ago. I tried to tell him where we're at and he waved me away and proceeded to ask questions like, "I talked to the G6 and know the VISE team is locked in. Does anyone here know who initially reserved them?" Sir, that was ME. Your secretary for the last two days. The Lt who is sitting RIGHT NEXT TO YOU. The one you assigned the task to.

Thanks, Jerky. I don't have enough problems getting anyone to listen to me.