when i was little
i was forever getting splinters
or
ya know, whatever
and i lived with my grandmother
and, for some period of time
her mother was living there too
but when my gran gran went into the hospital
to have her cataract surgery
her brothers came and put their mother into a nursing home
anyway
that's kind of sad
and it isn't about that
that's just kind of background
that my great grandmother was living there with me too, briefly
and she may have
in fact i think she was
the instigator of
the poultice
whenever i got anything in my foot
there would be a poultice slapped on it
with double socks
and
i'm tellin ya
that shit worked
it felt extremely yucky
but it would pull whatever out of wherever
and
many times since i've been an adult
i have wished i had learned how to make em
i know it was made from flax
i assume flax meal
because it wasn't seedy
it was mushy
and kinda slimy
and hat's what flax is like
i don't remember it smelling like anything in particular
so, maybe no herbs or essential oil
then again
this was like three-ish
so
maybe i just don't remember the smell
and
it could have had castor oil or linseed oil, maybe
but it could also just be the flax
my gran gran was a firm believer in hydrogen peroxide and triple antibiotic
deborah was a believer in monkey blood (Mercurochrome)
my mom liked bactine
i apparently came down on the side of hydrogen peroxide
but not necessarily triple antibiotic
i tend more toward just straight hydrogen peroxide
since i'm not much for bandages
unless i'm working
then they are to keep contaminants out of the wound site
but i was surprised once
my mom hurt herself
and i'm all like where's your hydrogen peroxide
and she's like
no, i don't use that, it kills tissue
that surprised me
if it killed tissue
my entire body would be one big lump of dead flesh
i swear to you
it's perfectly safe
i like tea tree oil too
and tamanu oil
and
i really should give neem more play
but it smells kind gross
and it's thick and gloopy
maybe this isn't interesting
but
ya know
i was thinkin about it
goodnight sweetheart
Monday, January 29, 2018
i've been thinking about famous people i've had encounters with
and
what i found is
i don't have a file titled that way
i have met people
i know i have
but
i have to think back through the logs
who have i met
and
i remembered one i forgot
when i was working at the bookstop
karleen koen came in for a book signing
when she wrote through a glass darkly
that was, at the time
the largest advance anyone had received for a novel
no, not right
largest advance for a new novelist
and
maybe it went on the nyt bestseller list right away
it's not like i was sitting there with her
i'm sure i was ringing people up
but
maybe i got her set up
i'm just not sure now
but
when she was finished
i was there
and she said
my sister's name is elizabeth
and then she hung out with me
and told me what it was like
getting her book published
and i could have asked her questions
or
advice
or whatever
but
i just did what i mostly do
i let her tell me what she wanted to tell me
and asked facilitating questions
she was really really nice
and it was almost like we knew each other
but we didn't
and
i still haven't read any of her books
i should really have read at least that one, ya know
but
it just wasn't the kind of thing i read, i guess
and i was pretty young
what i found is
i don't have a file titled that way
i have met people
i know i have
but
i have to think back through the logs
who have i met
and
i remembered one i forgot
when i was working at the bookstop
karleen koen came in for a book signing
when she wrote through a glass darkly
that was, at the time
the largest advance anyone had received for a novel
no, not right
largest advance for a new novelist
and
maybe it went on the nyt bestseller list right away
it's not like i was sitting there with her
i'm sure i was ringing people up
but
maybe i got her set up
i'm just not sure now
but
when she was finished
i was there
and she said
my sister's name is elizabeth
and then she hung out with me
and told me what it was like
getting her book published
and i could have asked her questions
or
advice
or whatever
but
i just did what i mostly do
i let her tell me what she wanted to tell me
and asked facilitating questions
she was really really nice
and it was almost like we knew each other
but we didn't
and
i still haven't read any of her books
i should really have read at least that one, ya know
but
it just wasn't the kind of thing i read, i guess
and i was pretty young
Tuesday, January 23, 2018
so he played the cat card
he said he really didn't care
when I went to bed
he
wasn't really ready
so
he didn't come to bed with me
and he didn't sleep behind my knees
apparently it's only good for him
if he makes me go to bed
I really
do not like this trait
mornin sweets
when I went to bed
he
wasn't really ready
so
he didn't come to bed with me
and he didn't sleep behind my knees
apparently it's only good for him
if he makes me go to bed
I really
do not like this trait
mornin sweets
Monday, January 22, 2018
i'm not sure why i keep telling you about my cat
i guess
because it gives you a view into how
i problem solve in relationships
so, remember
he was cutting me
because he wanted to be fed
and i wasn't feeding him
because he eats before bed
and i wasn't ready to go to bed
but
he'll want to eat again
if i feed him early
but
then i relented
fed him early
and he came back and cut me anyway
so i chased him around with the water gun
ok
you're remembering the scenario
well
i've figured it out
or he has made it clear
or something
the first thing he wants is dinner
about 9pm
the second thing he wants is to go to bed
about 10pm
and i have to go to bed too
he can't just go alone
so
it's like that unstoppable force meets an immovable object thing
i'm not going to be made to go to bed
they couldn't do it when i was 3
and the cat cannot do it now
i told him
he's gotta be more flexible with me
so
we've had some battles
and he has tried to punish me
by withholding affection
and i have chased him around with the gun
but then last night
i gave him dinner
a little later
and he came to me at midnight
and said hey can we please go to bed
and i'm like yes kitty
see
ya catch more flies with honey than ya do with vinegar
and we went upstairs
and he curled up behind my knees
and it was all good
and i thanked him for being such a good kitty
i don't want him to be unhappy
but jesus
ya know
so tonight
he was really hungry
so he got bedtime dinner at 9pm
and i told him i wasn't gonna stay up as late
so
he hasn't come back yet
but i was planning for about now
so i'm gonna surprise him
wherever he is now
by not making him ask
hopefully
that will let him save a little cat face
good night sweetheart
because it gives you a view into how
i problem solve in relationships
so, remember
he was cutting me
because he wanted to be fed
and i wasn't feeding him
because he eats before bed
and i wasn't ready to go to bed
but
he'll want to eat again
if i feed him early
but
then i relented
fed him early
and he came back and cut me anyway
so i chased him around with the water gun
ok
you're remembering the scenario
well
i've figured it out
or he has made it clear
or something
the first thing he wants is dinner
about 9pm
the second thing he wants is to go to bed
about 10pm
and i have to go to bed too
he can't just go alone
so
it's like that unstoppable force meets an immovable object thing
i'm not going to be made to go to bed
they couldn't do it when i was 3
and the cat cannot do it now
i told him
he's gotta be more flexible with me
so
we've had some battles
and he has tried to punish me
by withholding affection
and i have chased him around with the gun
but then last night
i gave him dinner
a little later
and he came to me at midnight
and said hey can we please go to bed
and i'm like yes kitty
see
ya catch more flies with honey than ya do with vinegar
and we went upstairs
and he curled up behind my knees
and it was all good
and i thanked him for being such a good kitty
i don't want him to be unhappy
but jesus
ya know
so tonight
he was really hungry
so he got bedtime dinner at 9pm
and i told him i wasn't gonna stay up as late
so
he hasn't come back yet
but i was planning for about now
so i'm gonna surprise him
wherever he is now
by not making him ask
hopefully
that will let him save a little cat face
good night sweetheart
Saturday, January 20, 2018
good morning
I hope your day goes well
would you believe
I'm bleeding for the third time
maybe
maybe it's trying to get me
to beg it to stop
it does have a sense of humor
one time
when I was twelve or thirteen
and going on a beach holiday
it lasted for ten days
and that was before
I managed to get tampons to work
I had issues
and my mother wouldn't help me
so I had pads
and couldn't go in the water
at all
very funny, huh
anyway
good times
Tuesday, January 16, 2018
Wednesday, January 10, 2018
sometimes i think about
if we were together
what kind of stuff would we do
and
i think some things are very
like almost a given
but then
there's a whole lot of extra time
and so
every once in a while
i see something
and i think
WE would enjoy that
and
this is one of those things
what kind of stuff would we do
and
i think some things are very
like almost a given
but then
there's a whole lot of extra time
and so
every once in a while
i see something
and i think
WE would enjoy that
and
this is one of those things
i think we would enjoy
film subscription box
now
not that i'm saying we couldn't pick out our own movies
sure, we absolutely could
but
this curation seems well done
and, in this example at least
although i've heard of these films
i've never actually seen them
also
when i was younger
the river oaks theater wasn't a regular movie house
instead it showed double features
which were curated to have some common theme
and i love love loved it
i don't remember when it changed
i know, by the time i was in college it was
like an art movie house
i saw blue velvet there
i saw the unbelievable truth
fool for love
other stuff too
but those were the first three things that came to mind
but i also saw
romeo and juliet
gone with the wind
the seven percent solution
and
so much other stuff
that was just the first three that popped into my head
now
i rarely go to the movies
and there is no classic movie house here
although the museum does show some
and i think rice still shows some
but
i don't go out much
when i leave work
i tend to go home to my cave
rather than out where there are people
i avoid the people
and the traffic
i hate traffic
but
this would come to our door every two months
like an unexpected surprise date
or rather
i guess
expected
but
not scheduled
a double feature of some theme
classic films
it watch
and discuss
and work through the landscape of creative thought
these don't seem like very happy movies
and
i'm not trying to make any sort of statement of theme
like
i'm not depressed
or unhappy with you or anything
but
look how the time they were made
is captured so perfectly
in just these little clips
doesn't that make you want
to see more of them
or maybe you've seen these movies
maybe
maybe you'd rather watch
like
a jim jarmusch film festival
i'm totally down for that too
i could talk about dead man for hours, probably
and
i've never yet seen the vampire one
i'm not travelling for my birthday
I am still broke
I can't afford to go anywhere
but
I am taking off tomorrow
so it's a two day birthday
and
I intended to get up early
and do lots of stuff
but
then I stayed up til 4:30
so
not so much
plus
I wanted to go to the museum
and it doesn't seem
to have any exhibits that I particularly want to see
I want to have
breakfast
isn't that strange
not
anything fancy particularly
and
I'm trying to decide
whether I want to buy cake
now, normally
cake is not optional
but
I'm just not sure I want it
so
is that a good sign
like oooo healthy thoughts
or
is that a bad sign
like lost interest in things that previously gave joy
?
also
very congested
and the flu is starting in Texas this year
so, that's a little unsettling
although it's been bad
off and on for a while
and we're all just hoping the freezes
kill off all the flooding mold
which is rampant
hope all is well with you
I can't afford to go anywhere
but
I am taking off tomorrow
so it's a two day birthday
and
I intended to get up early
and do lots of stuff
but
then I stayed up til 4:30
so
not so much
plus
I wanted to go to the museum
and it doesn't seem
to have any exhibits that I particularly want to see
I want to have
breakfast
isn't that strange
not
anything fancy particularly
and
I'm trying to decide
whether I want to buy cake
now, normally
cake is not optional
but
I'm just not sure I want it
so
is that a good sign
like oooo healthy thoughts
or
is that a bad sign
like lost interest in things that previously gave joy
?
also
very congested
and the flu is starting in Texas this year
so, that's a little unsettling
although it's been bad
off and on for a while
and we're all just hoping the freezes
kill off all the flooding mold
which is rampant
hope all is well with you
Sunday, January 7, 2018
if you get a hankerin
you should check out
oh, for tv that is
godless
it's on Netflix
and an excellent western
well written, acted
and very very good visuals
clever visuals
I seem to be having
happy happy blood time
again
maybe I wasn't careful enough
with the progesterone cream
idk
but every two weeks
is definitely not gonna work for me
sigh
hope everything is good with you
I love you
and I wish we could
lie in bed together and listen
to this amazing thunderstorm
together
it's warmed up here
goodnight sweetheart
oh, for tv that is
godless
it's on Netflix
and an excellent western
well written, acted
and very very good visuals
clever visuals
I seem to be having
happy happy blood time
again
maybe I wasn't careful enough
with the progesterone cream
idk
but every two weeks
is definitely not gonna work for me
sigh
hope everything is good with you
I love you
and I wish we could
lie in bed together and listen
to this amazing thunderstorm
together
it's warmed up here
goodnight sweetheart
Friday, January 5, 2018
Thursday, January 4, 2018
i had toast with peanut butter
i haven't been into peanut butter for a while
i go through phases
but
i had some
and i had some
dave's killer bread, white bread done right
which is the kind of bread i buy
you should try it
anyway
that was very satisfying
and not even really junk food
i go through phases
but
i had some
and i had some
dave's killer bread, white bread done right
which is the kind of bread i buy
you should try it
anyway
that was very satisfying
and not even really junk food
i wish i'd heard it
i hope it was fun
i wish i had some junk food
i really want junk food right now
i mean
not enough to go out in the cold for it
but still
in previous christmas seasons
i ate stollens and whatnot
but this year
what i've wanted
was cheetos
i didn't even have
a pumpkin spice latte
or
an eggnog latte
like at all
i
hurt myself at work today
i wasn't sure how bad
i smashed my finger in some shopping carts
i'd been using them to move stuff around
and i needed to clear them up and put them away
because i had to punch out and go home
i again reduced the beer section
anyway
it really hurt
and it's probably good that i haven't taken the blood thinning things
for a couple days
but
i had like a flashback to when i smashed my hand in the folding stool
and when my mom slammed my hand in the car door
and i was sure i'd get a blood blister
or fuck myself up real bad somehow
but i iced it right away
and took an aleve and an ibuprofren
to reduce inflamation
and
it seems fine
i was icing it down
and i'm all like:
look, i think this is probably going to be fine
every time i've badly damaged myself
i could pretty much tell right away
but
if there's some incident report that we need to fill out
i'd like to do it
just in case i get a blood blister, or need some kind of medical intervention
i'd like workman's comp to cover that
turns out they call it in now
do we have to do that now
no, dennis says, we've got 24 hours
ok, great
blahblahblah
more conversation
but
when it happened i could see it turning purple
and i was concerned
because my bruises generally develop over time
i thought: shit, this is gonna be bad
but
the ice was a good instinct
because it has faded
it's just pink now
and, if i didn't point it out
you might not even notice it
yay me
i wish i had some junk food
i really want junk food right now
i mean
not enough to go out in the cold for it
but still
in previous christmas seasons
i ate stollens and whatnot
but this year
what i've wanted
was cheetos
i didn't even have
a pumpkin spice latte
or
an eggnog latte
like at all
i
hurt myself at work today
i wasn't sure how bad
i smashed my finger in some shopping carts
i'd been using them to move stuff around
and i needed to clear them up and put them away
because i had to punch out and go home
i again reduced the beer section
anyway
it really hurt
and it's probably good that i haven't taken the blood thinning things
for a couple days
but
i had like a flashback to when i smashed my hand in the folding stool
and when my mom slammed my hand in the car door
and i was sure i'd get a blood blister
or fuck myself up real bad somehow
but i iced it right away
and took an aleve and an ibuprofren
to reduce inflamation
and
it seems fine
i was icing it down
and i'm all like:
look, i think this is probably going to be fine
every time i've badly damaged myself
i could pretty much tell right away
but
if there's some incident report that we need to fill out
i'd like to do it
just in case i get a blood blister, or need some kind of medical intervention
i'd like workman's comp to cover that
turns out they call it in now
do we have to do that now
no, dennis says, we've got 24 hours
ok, great
blahblahblah
more conversation
but
when it happened i could see it turning purple
and i was concerned
because my bruises generally develop over time
i thought: shit, this is gonna be bad
but
the ice was a good instinct
because it has faded
it's just pink now
and, if i didn't point it out
you might not even notice it
yay me
Wednesday, January 3, 2018
baby, it's cold outside
i didn't want to write about work today
there is one more scene that i definitely have to write
but it doesn't really flow from the others
so i have to figure it out as a separate thing
anyway
i haven't done anything productive
i did a peel
i'm doing those every week-and-a-half-ish
to try to keep the dead skin down
and clear my pores and whatnot
mostly
i've been sitting in front of a heater
i have central set on maybe 58 degrees
and then i'm sitting in my chair with heater-fan
i don't like to think how much this will raise my electric
because heat is generally more than air
it's just that who needs it generally
the cat is under the chair in his heated cave
i really want a fireplace
i used to have one at my last place
but i had to leave there because i couldn't afford it anymore
they got bought by a corporation and just kept jacking up the rent
plus i wasn't signing more than a six month lease
because i kept thinking we were gonna happen
so
i priced myself out of it a lot faster
i never even really decorated this one
my masks are all still in boxes
and i've lived here like six years or something
since right before you got married
i guess i'm not in as a good of spirits today
this sounds a little maudlin
i don't really mean for it to sound that way
oh, wait, let's see if i won the lottery
hang on
nope
estimated cash value $278,300,000
that coulda come in handy
the question is
if i won what would i do
i used to buy lottery tickets only on the day of the draw
so i would think about what i would do if i won
for just a few hours
and that was the fun
but then i stopped
but i started saying things like i want to win the lottery
and i was asked
did you buy a ticket
and i'd have to say, no
well you can't win if you don't buy a ticket
and i don't believe i'm gonna win
but they're right
you can't if you don't play
so now i buy them
but super randomly
with quick pick numbers
and
sometimes i don't check them for a couple weeks
but
if i win
i'm calling in rich to work
and probably i'm going to marfa for a month at least
maybe i wouldn't like it there to live there
maybe it's not diverse enough
or maybe i wouldn't like a small town
or maybe it's too hipster
idk
but i could be there for a month for sure
and that would answer those things for me
i've always wanted to live off grid
idk if i could handle that, really
but it's been calling me since i was a teen ager
i've also always wanted to be an ex-pat
where would i like to live
idk
nova scotia, iceland-- those are both cold
australia seems nice, but not a very ex-pat type of place
where would i be a good ex=pat, do you think
also
i really really want to have an ayhuasca ceremony
i really want the vegetal mother to tell me how i've fucked up my life
and how i can fix it
i might live another twenty years
i got time to do some stuff
maybe not much
but
i feel like there might be great things still ahead
if i could just get my act together, somehow
man, i wish i could smoke some dope right now
it's not legal here yet
they have made some steps in that direction
and i mean i guess people get it even when it's not legal
but i don't know anybody
and it's been so long
but
i'm pretty sure
that's what i need
right now
there is one more scene that i definitely have to write
but it doesn't really flow from the others
so i have to figure it out as a separate thing
anyway
i haven't done anything productive
i did a peel
i'm doing those every week-and-a-half-ish
to try to keep the dead skin down
and clear my pores and whatnot
mostly
i've been sitting in front of a heater
i have central set on maybe 58 degrees
and then i'm sitting in my chair with heater-fan
i don't like to think how much this will raise my electric
because heat is generally more than air
it's just that who needs it generally
the cat is under the chair in his heated cave
i really want a fireplace
i used to have one at my last place
but i had to leave there because i couldn't afford it anymore
they got bought by a corporation and just kept jacking up the rent
plus i wasn't signing more than a six month lease
because i kept thinking we were gonna happen
so
i priced myself out of it a lot faster
i never even really decorated this one
my masks are all still in boxes
and i've lived here like six years or something
since right before you got married
i guess i'm not in as a good of spirits today
this sounds a little maudlin
i don't really mean for it to sound that way
oh, wait, let's see if i won the lottery
hang on
nope
estimated cash value $278,300,000
that coulda come in handy
the question is
if i won what would i do
i used to buy lottery tickets only on the day of the draw
so i would think about what i would do if i won
for just a few hours
and that was the fun
but then i stopped
but i started saying things like i want to win the lottery
and i was asked
did you buy a ticket
and i'd have to say, no
well you can't win if you don't buy a ticket
and i don't believe i'm gonna win
but they're right
you can't if you don't play
so now i buy them
but super randomly
with quick pick numbers
and
sometimes i don't check them for a couple weeks
but
if i win
i'm calling in rich to work
and probably i'm going to marfa for a month at least
maybe i wouldn't like it there to live there
maybe it's not diverse enough
or maybe i wouldn't like a small town
or maybe it's too hipster
idk
but i could be there for a month for sure
and that would answer those things for me
i've always wanted to live off grid
idk if i could handle that, really
but it's been calling me since i was a teen ager
i've also always wanted to be an ex-pat
where would i like to live
idk
nova scotia, iceland-- those are both cold
australia seems nice, but not a very ex-pat type of place
where would i be a good ex=pat, do you think
also
i really really want to have an ayhuasca ceremony
i really want the vegetal mother to tell me how i've fucked up my life
and how i can fix it
i might live another twenty years
i got time to do some stuff
maybe not much
but
i feel like there might be great things still ahead
if i could just get my act together, somehow
man, i wish i could smoke some dope right now
it's not legal here yet
they have made some steps in that direction
and i mean i guess people get it even when it's not legal
but i don't know anybody
and it's been so long
but
i'm pretty sure
that's what i need
right now
Tuesday, January 2, 2018
customers have all-of-a-sudden started calling me by my name
which, i mean
i have a name tag on, but still
is unusual enough to be a sign of some sort
my manager had something come up so she wasn't working
so i was working with dennis
there's some display i was supposed to execute
which made no sense
but he was telling me about it
wait, it's on the rounder, i say
i just moved all the stuff from the christmas displays onto the rounders
i don't have any place else to put them
but that doesn't even really look good
can't you just clear it off
look, if you are telling me that's what needs to go there
i will make it happen
i can box it up and put it in the back if i have to
why don't you put those boxed sets here, he says pointing to the
very bottom shelf under seasonal sips
we had previously decided to keep the bottom shelf clear of bottles
and just use dummy boxes or wine racks that read as box-like
yeah, ok, i can do that
if i move stuff around again, i might be able to fit the rest of that stuff in
well, i'm better than i thought i was, i say as i walk into the office a while later
because i fit that all in
i also actually cleaned the rounder
because the "really good" dusting i had given it before i put the christmas stuff on it
had not taken and they seemed revoltingly dirty to me
so they are clean
and the three items that i could find that goon it are set up
although not in the jars they are supposed to be
because we can't find any
the other things are showing in stock
so either that's an error
or more likely-- because i don't remember seeing any of them before
more likely they are still in the pallets waiting to be unpacked
dennis put me on the sweep log for 1pm
but in the spirit of cleaning
which i was actually feeling
and since i was going to lunch at 1pm
i started sweeping at noon
it's supposed to be a 10 minute quick pass through
with the idea being it never gets bad if you do a shitty job three times a day
but it was slow and my back hurt from "team lifting" an emerson shelf alone
so i did a more through job of my department
after lunch i stayed on the register while chanel went to lunch
myrka said she didn't mind staying up there, that she didn't have anything important
but i said, no, my back hurts, and i would just as soon stand in one spot for a while
all during christmas i was straining at the bit to get off register
so i could do my job, only, i'm the only one who seems to care
whether i do my job or not
and today
today i felt like i had done enough
this whole christmas thing reminded me how much i kinda like the register
because what you can do on register is cheer people up
i like that
one woman came through
giant bottle of olive oil, that's all
olive oil, i say
going through the holidays, you can use a lot of oil, she says
yeah, i say, especially if one of the holidays you celebrate happens to be hanukkah
then it's kinda a thing
then you know pretty much what happened
absolutely, i say, and happy new year
karl comes in and he's asking myrka and i if we know the explorer percent signup goal
30% i say without thinking
30%?! he looks at me incredulously
oh, yeah yeah, right, used to be 30%
they've lowered it, what is it now 15%
14% karl says
the manager is always leaving notes about how we should know what our percent is
although, we can't know unless they look it up and tell us
can you tell me what my percentage is, i ask
karl goes and gets the sheet
he asks me what my number is, he reads across
41% he says somewhat flatly
dennis who has since walked into the room wolf whistles me
karl goes back to myrka
you are only at 4%, you need to fix this or
they will start having performance conversations with you
this is really bad form
as this is kind of a pre-performance conversation and it should not really be happening
in front of other employees
but that just if you care about that kinda stuff
which this company most emphatically does not
just remember dennis chimes in sign up 5 per day
if you can do that you should be fine
this is some number they just pulled out of their ass
it depends entirely on the percentage of the people you ring up who are not already members
5 per day may be safe or it may not
my personal goal with it is a little different
i want everybody to know about the program
and sign up for it if they want to
but, of course, i have a rough number goal too
and that number is 50%
this is basically what i say:
you're a member with us, right?
if they aren't i say, most of the time:
would you like to sign up to get really good coupons through email? it's free!!!
normally my numbers are between 25%-30%
which is good
i figure i'm a fucking team player
i'm bringin up the group numbers
but, lately
idk
people's responses to me have been
surprising
like, literally, surprising to me
they've started calling me by my name
during christmas several people asked me why the person with the human interaction skills
was at the furthest register
and i feel like several people who were drowning in the holly daze
looked at me like i was the lifeguard coming to save them
sometimes there are a bunch of open cashiers
but they gave us these llama signs to hold up
this register open
and most them
will just stand there holding up the stupid llama sign
and i'm trying to get the poor people's attention
saying something i never ever let anyone say who was working for me
i can help the next person here
waving semi-hysterically
why can't we say that
they used to ask me
it's a straight line, it's right in front of you
you can see who is next
this is not the post office
the polite thing to do is to make eye contact and say
i can help you here
besides, if you leave it up to them who's next
you might get into some sort of social darwinism situation
you gotta be in control
there's more but i might write it tomorrow
need external stimuli
i have a name tag on, but still
is unusual enough to be a sign of some sort
my manager had something come up so she wasn't working
so i was working with dennis
there's some display i was supposed to execute
which made no sense
but he was telling me about it
wait, it's on the rounder, i say
i just moved all the stuff from the christmas displays onto the rounders
i don't have any place else to put them
but that doesn't even really look good
can't you just clear it off
look, if you are telling me that's what needs to go there
i will make it happen
i can box it up and put it in the back if i have to
why don't you put those boxed sets here, he says pointing to the
very bottom shelf under seasonal sips
we had previously decided to keep the bottom shelf clear of bottles
and just use dummy boxes or wine racks that read as box-like
yeah, ok, i can do that
if i move stuff around again, i might be able to fit the rest of that stuff in
well, i'm better than i thought i was, i say as i walk into the office a while later
because i fit that all in
i also actually cleaned the rounder
because the "really good" dusting i had given it before i put the christmas stuff on it
had not taken and they seemed revoltingly dirty to me
so they are clean
and the three items that i could find that goon it are set up
although not in the jars they are supposed to be
because we can't find any
the other things are showing in stock
so either that's an error
or more likely-- because i don't remember seeing any of them before
more likely they are still in the pallets waiting to be unpacked
dennis put me on the sweep log for 1pm
but in the spirit of cleaning
which i was actually feeling
and since i was going to lunch at 1pm
i started sweeping at noon
it's supposed to be a 10 minute quick pass through
with the idea being it never gets bad if you do a shitty job three times a day
but it was slow and my back hurt from "team lifting" an emerson shelf alone
so i did a more through job of my department
after lunch i stayed on the register while chanel went to lunch
myrka said she didn't mind staying up there, that she didn't have anything important
but i said, no, my back hurts, and i would just as soon stand in one spot for a while
all during christmas i was straining at the bit to get off register
so i could do my job, only, i'm the only one who seems to care
whether i do my job or not
and today
today i felt like i had done enough
this whole christmas thing reminded me how much i kinda like the register
because what you can do on register is cheer people up
i like that
one woman came through
giant bottle of olive oil, that's all
olive oil, i say
going through the holidays, you can use a lot of oil, she says
yeah, i say, especially if one of the holidays you celebrate happens to be hanukkah
then it's kinda a thing
then you know pretty much what happened
absolutely, i say, and happy new year
karl comes in and he's asking myrka and i if we know the explorer percent signup goal
30% i say without thinking
30%?! he looks at me incredulously
oh, yeah yeah, right, used to be 30%
they've lowered it, what is it now 15%
14% karl says
the manager is always leaving notes about how we should know what our percent is
although, we can't know unless they look it up and tell us
can you tell me what my percentage is, i ask
karl goes and gets the sheet
he asks me what my number is, he reads across
41% he says somewhat flatly
dennis who has since walked into the room wolf whistles me
karl goes back to myrka
you are only at 4%, you need to fix this or
they will start having performance conversations with you
this is really bad form
as this is kind of a pre-performance conversation and it should not really be happening
in front of other employees
but that just if you care about that kinda stuff
which this company most emphatically does not
just remember dennis chimes in sign up 5 per day
if you can do that you should be fine
this is some number they just pulled out of their ass
it depends entirely on the percentage of the people you ring up who are not already members
5 per day may be safe or it may not
my personal goal with it is a little different
i want everybody to know about the program
and sign up for it if they want to
but, of course, i have a rough number goal too
and that number is 50%
this is basically what i say:
you're a member with us, right?
if they aren't i say, most of the time:
would you like to sign up to get really good coupons through email? it's free!!!
normally my numbers are between 25%-30%
which is good
i figure i'm a fucking team player
i'm bringin up the group numbers
but, lately
idk
people's responses to me have been
surprising
like, literally, surprising to me
they've started calling me by my name
during christmas several people asked me why the person with the human interaction skills
was at the furthest register
and i feel like several people who were drowning in the holly daze
looked at me like i was the lifeguard coming to save them
sometimes there are a bunch of open cashiers
but they gave us these llama signs to hold up
this register open
and most them
will just stand there holding up the stupid llama sign
and i'm trying to get the poor people's attention
saying something i never ever let anyone say who was working for me
i can help the next person here
waving semi-hysterically
why can't we say that
they used to ask me
it's a straight line, it's right in front of you
you can see who is next
this is not the post office
the polite thing to do is to make eye contact and say
i can help you here
besides, if you leave it up to them who's next
you might get into some sort of social darwinism situation
you gotta be in control
there's more but i might write it tomorrow
need external stimuli
Monday, January 1, 2018
meteors
I looked at my phone
it seemed to be saying
tomorrow
meteor hitting the earth
upon closer inspection
it was a thermometer
tomorrow
it will be 24 degrees
it seemed to be saying
tomorrow
meteor hitting the earth
upon closer inspection
it was a thermometer
tomorrow
it will be 24 degrees
Sunday, December 31, 2017
anyway
I don't mean that mean
not like I'm trying to get away from you
I just want that for me
and
I haven't figured out how
besides
I've mentioned it before
so
not new
not shocking
not like I'm trying to get away from you
I just want that for me
and
I haven't figured out how
besides
I've mentioned it before
so
not new
not shocking
Saturday, December 30, 2017
for new year
I want six months in the desert
in a trailer
or a shack
or something
I want minimal distraction
I want
to set free
the magical realism
that's always in my brain
how can I make that happen
I can't just move there and get s job
I need to be
free to be
open
and
when I work
I'm closed
in a trailer
or a shack
or something
I want minimal distraction
I want
to set free
the magical realism
that's always in my brain
how can I make that happen
I can't just move there and get s job
I need to be
free to be
open
and
when I work
I'm closed
i stayed up too late
was hoping for answer
but that's not why I stayed up
to much computer
the cat and I have escalated
he's been cutting me
if I don't get him food fast enough
like I'm on computer
and
since the serrapeptase
nattokinase
and horse chestnut
all thin my blood
sometimes I have a problem
with stopping bleeding
which has also led to me reducing
my dosing of those things
but still
I don't think it's right
and
he shouldn't still be so violent
so
I got a water gun
and
after he cut me up
yesterday
I chased him around and shot him
which he didn't like at all
but
again
tonight
I had to chase him
but
he learned
that he wanted to use evasive tactics
and
maybe
part of why I stayed up so late
was to make him
wait
for dinner
little fucker
I look like a fucking cutter
I've got like 8 cuts in various stages
of healing
but the reason why I finally
squirted him
yesterday
I specifically got up from the computer
to feed him
but since I didn't go to bed
he just came back and cut me
a couple hours later
I miss my little surfer dude cat
this one is very intense
and still
way too violent
in my opinion
good night sweets
but that's not why I stayed up
to much computer
the cat and I have escalated
he's been cutting me
if I don't get him food fast enough
like I'm on computer
and
since the serrapeptase
nattokinase
and horse chestnut
all thin my blood
sometimes I have a problem
with stopping bleeding
which has also led to me reducing
my dosing of those things
but still
I don't think it's right
and
he shouldn't still be so violent
so
I got a water gun
and
after he cut me up
yesterday
I chased him around and shot him
which he didn't like at all
but
again
tonight
I had to chase him
but
he learned
that he wanted to use evasive tactics
and
maybe
part of why I stayed up so late
was to make him
wait
for dinner
little fucker
I look like a fucking cutter
I've got like 8 cuts in various stages
of healing
but the reason why I finally
squirted him
yesterday
I specifically got up from the computer
to feed him
but since I didn't go to bed
he just came back and cut me
a couple hours later
I miss my little surfer dude cat
this one is very intense
and still
way too violent
in my opinion
good night sweets
Wednesday, December 27, 2017
front's coming through, i guess
woke up
with a terrible headache
still have it
but
I've had some coffee
I've taken a shower
washed my hair
watched several youtuber's
winter day and night skincare routines
petted the cat
ate oatmeal
not necessarily in that order
gathered some laundry
the amount I'm likely to do today
but
first
I got some errands
I really intended to tell you
some of the weird images
from recent dreams
walking on all fours on the sand
driving a car and when I said I liked it
being told it was an Alfa Romeo
going on some college trip
sleeping in room long beds
with lots of other students
trying to keep straight which
packets of moisturizer were mine
there were lots more
and they're all new symbology
or new variants
not
the kind of stuff I'm used to
don't know what that all means
wish I could laze around with you a little
wish I had a neck and shoulder massage
do you do that?
are you good at it?
I would be the happiest woman alive
right now
if I just had that
with a terrible headache
still have it
but
I've had some coffee
I've taken a shower
washed my hair
watched several youtuber's
winter day and night skincare routines
petted the cat
ate oatmeal
not necessarily in that order
gathered some laundry
the amount I'm likely to do today
but
first
I got some errands
I really intended to tell you
some of the weird images
from recent dreams
walking on all fours on the sand
driving a car and when I said I liked it
being told it was an Alfa Romeo
going on some college trip
sleeping in room long beds
with lots of other students
trying to keep straight which
packets of moisturizer were mine
there were lots more
and they're all new symbology
or new variants
not
the kind of stuff I'm used to
don't know what that all means
wish I could laze around with you a little
wish I had a neck and shoulder massage
do you do that?
are you good at it?
I would be the happiest woman alive
right now
if I just had that
Monday, December 25, 2017
i'm not gonna do laundry today either
I'm not gonna do
anything
well, I ate
I took a long long bath
I may mask
it's on the list
but
idk
I'm just feeling
super lazy
I can wear one of those shirts again
not most of em
most of them have already
gone through all the sniff tests
that they'll pass
but
I wore a few shirts
that I wasn't planning to wear to work
and they've only been worn once
and
I have pants
or a skirt
so
I'm golden
weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
no work today
anything
well, I ate
I took a long long bath
I may mask
it's on the list
but
idk
I'm just feeling
super lazy
I can wear one of those shirts again
not most of em
most of them have already
gone through all the sniff tests
that they'll pass
but
I wore a few shirts
that I wasn't planning to wear to work
and they've only been worn once
and
I have pants
or a skirt
so
I'm golden
weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
no work today
Sunday, December 24, 2017
good night
hope your day
was great
I'm like
exhausted
I'm going to bed
tomorrow
I'm off
I might sleep in a bit
and
god damn
I gotta do laundry
it is so much
I have no dress code clean shirts
and I'm down to dregs on underwear
which is what I usually do
for happy happy blood time
anyway
I've been thinking
you like cheater eves-dropped
and it makes me think
how can I inject some passers-by
I'm not sure
what it is you like
about my random interactions
lurker variant, maybe
anyway
I'm pondering that
so you know
love you sweets
was great
I'm like
exhausted
I'm going to bed
tomorrow
I'm off
I might sleep in a bit
and
god damn
I gotta do laundry
it is so much
I have no dress code clean shirts
and I'm down to dregs on underwear
which is what I usually do
for happy happy blood time
anyway
I've been thinking
you like cheater eves-dropped
and it makes me think
how can I inject some passers-by
I'm not sure
what it is you like
about my random interactions
lurker variant, maybe
anyway
I'm pondering that
so you know
love you sweets
Saturday, December 23, 2017
sorry
had to be here at 6
today
and tomorrow too
I volunteered to work
on Sunday
so family types could do Christmas shit
hope you're good
I think
I'm starting happy happy blood time
and then I have to laugh
at my self
when I say
oh no
because that's such a mess
and I'm so busy
but
ya know
it's always had a sense of humor
Friday, December 22, 2017
i think it must be because something was talkin to me while i snoozed giving me positive thoughts
I hope you're having a great day
I'm actually
in a pretty good mood
although
I can't think why
happy holly daze
Thursday, December 21, 2017
Wednesday, December 20, 2017
Monday, December 18, 2017
Sunday, December 17, 2017
WARRIOR POSE
moving on to other things
before I saw the Mira Sorvino thing
I was going to write this:
I don't understand people
I guess
I was a the register
I was being friendly
this lady was checking out
we had a nice little exchange
while I rung her out
then I said
and you have a happy holiday
do they make you say that, she asked
I mean happy holidays
instead of merry Christmas
no, I say
I say that because
I feel it is more inclusive
well, I don't agree with that
she doesn't agree
that it's more inclusive?
you should say merry Christmas
I probably gave her a look
I've never been very good at that
'you have too expressive a face'
I was told a lot
as a child
if you want to
I think she said this
but it may really just have been
her expression
I couldn't say for certain
anyway, merry Christmas
she says
you have a Merry Christmas
I say
and she adds
or Happy Hanukkah
or whatever
and she kind of rushes away
happy solstice
I mutter under my breath
as she walks toward the door
and I wave the next person over
yes
it's much more efficient
to offend people
that's why I just say have a nice day
myrka tells me later
when I'm complaining
it makes me just want to
say happy kwanza
I reply
but
when is kwanza exactly
I think it's January
so we look it up
no
it's the 26th thru the 1st
every year, I ask
check the google
yes
same every year
but
I'm not actually gonna do that
but
I hate it when people get offended
that you aren't privileging
whatever they believe in
I think it's rude
it's not enough I've had to listen to
I want a hippopotamus for Christmas
like four times today
I have to say Merry Christmas
to people it might offend
just so random you
can confirm your rightful place
at the center of the universe
or else
I'm against Christmas
before I saw the Mira Sorvino thing
I was going to write this:
I don't understand people
I guess
I was a the register
I was being friendly
this lady was checking out
we had a nice little exchange
while I rung her out
then I said
and you have a happy holiday
do they make you say that, she asked
I mean happy holidays
instead of merry Christmas
no, I say
I say that because
I feel it is more inclusive
well, I don't agree with that
she doesn't agree
that it's more inclusive?
you should say merry Christmas
I probably gave her a look
I've never been very good at that
'you have too expressive a face'
I was told a lot
as a child
if you want to
I think she said this
but it may really just have been
her expression
I couldn't say for certain
anyway, merry Christmas
she says
you have a Merry Christmas
I say
and she adds
or Happy Hanukkah
or whatever
and she kind of rushes away
happy solstice
I mutter under my breath
as she walks toward the door
and I wave the next person over
yes
it's much more efficient
to offend people
that's why I just say have a nice day
myrka tells me later
when I'm complaining
it makes me just want to
say happy kwanza
I reply
but
when is kwanza exactly
I think it's January
so we look it up
no
it's the 26th thru the 1st
every year, I ask
check the google
yes
same every year
but
I'm not actually gonna do that
but
I hate it when people get offended
that you aren't privileging
whatever they believe in
I think it's rude
it's not enough I've had to listen to
I want a hippopotamus for Christmas
like four times today
I have to say Merry Christmas
to people it might offend
just so random you
can confirm your rightful place
at the center of the universe
or else
I'm against Christmas
i know you probably want me to talk and i'm feeling pretty non-talkative generally, but i read something that made me mad and i want to tell you about it
i have mixed feeling generally about this metoo stuff
yes
it would be great
if all the sexist problems were solved
but
i see other problems
on the horizon with the way it's all coming down
and
the whole thing makes me uncomfortable personally
but
i read a thing about mira sorvino
and i find myself kind of filled with rage
if a man says
hey baby do x,y,z for me and i'll put you in the picture
well, i mean, that's bad and all
and of course there are circumstances where it might not be
presented in those terms
but
leaving aside those cases for a moment
if a man offers a quid pro quo
and a woman takes it
well, she might have reason to complain
or she might not
there are factors, ya know
in ethics,and equality, and the inequality of life
to get where i think i deserve to be
where my talent should take me
i have to degrade myself
that is a human problem in the broader sense
because people have power
and are fucking assholes and whatnot
but
in her case
it seems verified
that what had certainly seemed like
the first part of a trajectory of a meteoric rise
was cut off
because she refused to have sex
with
what i can only think of the words an odious man
to describe him
she already earned her fame
she was on the way up
she might have wanted to work on his picture
but
it sure wasn't important enough to debase herself
and she said no
and good for her
of course she said no
so the asshole blacklisted her and ruined her career?!
and everyone just went along with that
she's hard to work with story
when there were other people to verify with
what kind of shit is that?!
what kind of town is that place?!
now
i was never really a mira sorvino fan
when she disappeared
i didn't notice
but
i think she should sue him
i think
i think he should have to pay her the hundreds of millions of dollars he probably cost her
i think
there's a lot of gray area
that people want to read as black and white
like, for example
my last boss
one day i was working in the office
and he was in there too
and
all of a sudden i could feel him touching my hair
that was weird
so i said
why are you touching my hair
he stopped
he didn't say anything
it was never mentioned
now
in today's environment
i would be "coming forward" about this
but
there is no need for that
i wasn't harmed
he did something
i didn't exactly tell him to stop
because it didn't even escalate that far
i figured he just wanted to see what my hair felt like
we were on friendly terms
maybe he wanted it to be more friendly
idk
but it was weird
i have touched people
hugged them
or rubbed my hand across their shoulders
and not thought anything about it
just expressing affection for someone i felt affection towards
and if they had asked me to stop
i would have apologized and never done it again
the louis ck thing bothers me
like he asked people if he could masturbate in front of them
i assume they were all women, but i don't know
my understanding was that he just asked them if he could
they weren't involved
he wasn't doing anything to them
and masturbation is essentially a vulnerability there
i would think
and he asked
but they didn't feel safe saying no
and now his career is over
but
that seems like the opposite of h.w.
he didn't understand the power he had over them
he thought he was having a free exchange between equals
or maybe not
,maybe that's all bullshit
it's hard to know how much of what people are saying after the fact is actually bullshit
me
if he had asked me if he could masturbate in front of me
i probably would have said
why?!
before i could stop myself
i don't know why the mira sorvino thing
makes me so angry
but
it does
yes
it would be great
if all the sexist problems were solved
but
i see other problems
on the horizon with the way it's all coming down
and
the whole thing makes me uncomfortable personally
but
i read a thing about mira sorvino
and i find myself kind of filled with rage
if a man says
hey baby do x,y,z for me and i'll put you in the picture
well, i mean, that's bad and all
and of course there are circumstances where it might not be
presented in those terms
but
leaving aside those cases for a moment
if a man offers a quid pro quo
and a woman takes it
well, she might have reason to complain
or she might not
there are factors, ya know
in ethics,and equality, and the inequality of life
to get where i think i deserve to be
where my talent should take me
i have to degrade myself
that is a human problem in the broader sense
because people have power
and are fucking assholes and whatnot
but
in her case
it seems verified
that what had certainly seemed like
the first part of a trajectory of a meteoric rise
was cut off
because she refused to have sex
with
what i can only think of the words an odious man
to describe him
she already earned her fame
she was on the way up
she might have wanted to work on his picture
but
it sure wasn't important enough to debase herself
and she said no
and good for her
of course she said no
so the asshole blacklisted her and ruined her career?!
and everyone just went along with that
she's hard to work with story
when there were other people to verify with
what kind of shit is that?!
what kind of town is that place?!
now
i was never really a mira sorvino fan
when she disappeared
i didn't notice
but
i think she should sue him
i think
i think he should have to pay her the hundreds of millions of dollars he probably cost her
i think
there's a lot of gray area
that people want to read as black and white
like, for example
my last boss
one day i was working in the office
and he was in there too
and
all of a sudden i could feel him touching my hair
that was weird
so i said
why are you touching my hair
he stopped
he didn't say anything
it was never mentioned
now
in today's environment
i would be "coming forward" about this
but
there is no need for that
i wasn't harmed
he did something
i didn't exactly tell him to stop
because it didn't even escalate that far
i figured he just wanted to see what my hair felt like
we were on friendly terms
maybe he wanted it to be more friendly
idk
but it was weird
i have touched people
hugged them
or rubbed my hand across their shoulders
and not thought anything about it
just expressing affection for someone i felt affection towards
and if they had asked me to stop
i would have apologized and never done it again
the louis ck thing bothers me
like he asked people if he could masturbate in front of them
i assume they were all women, but i don't know
my understanding was that he just asked them if he could
they weren't involved
he wasn't doing anything to them
and masturbation is essentially a vulnerability there
i would think
and he asked
but they didn't feel safe saying no
and now his career is over
but
that seems like the opposite of h.w.
he didn't understand the power he had over them
he thought he was having a free exchange between equals
or maybe not
,maybe that's all bullshit
it's hard to know how much of what people are saying after the fact is actually bullshit
me
if he had asked me if he could masturbate in front of me
i probably would have said
why?!
before i could stop myself
i don't know why the mira sorvino thing
makes me so angry
but
it does
Saturday, December 9, 2017
norman, dark, moon
I dreamed
I was driving around
in the pitch dark
there was a sign
that had a moon
it glowed in the dark
Norman
a guy I went to high school with
was in the car behind me
but we had a com system, somehow
so we could communicate
I can't remember Norman's
last name
or what he did after hs
I remember
he was the cowboy kid
and
that his mother had remarried
and was only allowed to keep him
til he turned 18
then he had to get out
they weren't helping him
with college
or
anything else
and
I judged his mother pretty harshly
for choosing her new husband
over her kid
not
that I ever met her
or
got her side of the story
and
not
that I was besties with Norman
I don't think I've thought about him
unless I've mentioned him before
i don't know what it means
that I'm thinkin about him now
I was driving around
in the pitch dark
there was a sign
that had a moon
it glowed in the dark
Norman
a guy I went to high school with
was in the car behind me
but we had a com system, somehow
so we could communicate
I can't remember Norman's
last name
or what he did after hs
I remember
he was the cowboy kid
and
that his mother had remarried
and was only allowed to keep him
til he turned 18
then he had to get out
they weren't helping him
with college
or
anything else
and
I judged his mother pretty harshly
for choosing her new husband
over her kid
not
that I ever met her
or
got her side of the story
and
not
that I was besties with Norman
I don't think I've thought about him
unless I've mentioned him before
i don't know what it means
that I'm thinkin about him now
Friday, December 8, 2017
Thursday, December 7, 2017
Tuesday, December 5, 2017
so now i'm being haunted
I can't remember
this morning
yesterday morning
when I got up
on the shelf beside my bed
where I keep the phone
there was a jade jaguar
all blocky and Mayan looking
that looked up at me
hey mom
you kinda messed me up
but
I'm back
didn't go anywhere else
or
maybe I did and it didn't work out
but
I'm all free to help you with that book
you're always talking about writing
you recognize me, right?
it's the puppyfish
this morning
yesterday morning
when I got up
on the shelf beside my bed
where I keep the phone
there was a jade jaguar
all blocky and Mayan looking
that looked up at me
hey mom
you kinda messed me up
but
I'm back
didn't go anywhere else
or
maybe I did and it didn't work out
but
I'm all free to help you with that book
you're always talking about writing
you recognize me, right?
it's the puppyfish
Saturday, December 2, 2017
also, i almost forgot
there was another dream
where I called in
on some show
and
talked to a politician
I'm not sure it was
someone
who is a politician in real life
but
in the dream they were
and I was taking them to task
about something
and
then afterwards
everyone was talking about
what amazing stand up
I had done
but
it wasn't intended to be
I was really
just
taking her to task
but
whatever
maybe that's a career path
comedy
where I called in
on some show
and
talked to a politician
I'm not sure it was
someone
who is a politician in real life
but
in the dream they were
and I was taking them to task
about something
and
then afterwards
everyone was talking about
what amazing stand up
I had done
but
it wasn't intended to be
I was really
just
taking her to task
but
whatever
maybe that's a career path
comedy
good dreams
I had an antique truck
and I went to stay on a farm
the guy that ran it
took one look at my truck
and decided I was the girl of his dreams
which didn't do much for me
because he was kinda like
Joe Rogan and didn't appeal to me
on multiple levels
but
the fact that somebody else
was interested in me
made you
finally
serious
so we were talking
and
then you were on your phone
and somebody came in
and stole your sandwich
so
I made you a grilled cheese
with guacamole
it was huge
and
there was something with wine
I've forgotten
and I went to stay on a farm
the guy that ran it
took one look at my truck
and decided I was the girl of his dreams
which didn't do much for me
because he was kinda like
Joe Rogan and didn't appeal to me
on multiple levels
but
the fact that somebody else
was interested in me
made you
finally
serious
so we were talking
and
then you were on your phone
and somebody came in
and stole your sandwich
so
I made you a grilled cheese
with guacamole
it was huge
and
there was something with wine
I've forgotten
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)