what a difference

my office floor pretty much clears out between 5 and 5:10pm. This morning I had an eye dr. appt and came in around 11am. I emailed my boss and told him I'd make the time up.

Well, when he stopped into my office around 5:30 and saw I was still here this is the conversation we had;

him: do you have to make up time? does someone somewhere know?
me: I don't think so, I just fill out a time sheet every few weeks.
him: so why don't you go home?
me: I still have work to finish.
him: well, only if you're sure and you want to. Everything's on time and looks great, I'm happy. You really can go, I don't care.
the voice in my head: but I'm so used to working for psychos, what if this is trick?

Either way, I like having things done for him that surprise him, he's so nice, I feel like he should be rewarded for it (and there's a lesson to all the assface bosses in the world).

R.I.F(f)

we all know reading is fundamental(ly free) and that I'm always reading a book. Now that I'm employed (but still poor - go figure) I've really been on a low-cost entertainment spree. I've been maxing out my unlimited dvd rentals (Dinner for Schmucks was funnier than I thought it would be, Frozen and The Canyon were taut suspense movies) and pretty much looting the library.

Between reconnaissance strolls through Barnes and Noble and recommendations from an author/blogger I'm in smit with (I'm sure I mentioned her before but in case I haven't her name is Jen Lancaster and she's hilarious) I have been finding new books and authors to read and it has netted me some great reads. I created a spot on the right hand side of this here blog, to tell you what I'm reading or have recently read and as I'm a book nerd, I assume others might be. Here are some recent stand-outs that I think you might enjoy (provided sweeping historical sagas written by depressed Russians/Icelanders with umlauts/priggish Victorians aren't your thing either). Here you go:

Incidentally, I've been into apocalyptic stories lately, maybe it's because I  feel like my world isn't in my control, maybe reading about others who have it worse makes me feel better, but this book blew me away. I saw it at Barnes and Noble after a useless coffee date and I knew instantly that I wanted to read it. I put in on reserve at the library and the minute I picked it up I started reading. There's a blurb on the back from Jacquelyn Mitchard where she said she read the book in one sitting. I laughed at that, I mean really, the book is 405 pages, how do you sit long enough to read 405 pages?  Well, I found out; a day and half is how long it takes to read 405 pages of incredibly suspenseful well written story telling. This is the rare Doomsday book that doesn't involve zombies. No. It's an avian flu pandemic and while it doesn't sound interesting Jacquelyn and I found it riveting and books don't make sounds anyway. This book is author Carla Buckley's first and I eagerly await her follow-up.

Oh did this book blow me away. The moment I closed it I looked for someone to discuss it with. What a great, twisty, gothic story this was. In 1990's London a reserved college student befriends a wildly eccentric classmate who lives in 'Great Expectations' like mansion with her brother and other artsy types. Reserved coed becomes completely enmeshed in the mansion's hedonistic patchwork 'family' and before you know it she's not so reserved and soon after everything has gone off the rails. A grievous act occurs (the book flap will tell you precisely), lies ensue and no one is left unscathed. The book slowly ratchets up the tension while throwing in a red herring or two just in case (like me) you're a smug mystery reader who's surely figured it all out. You haven't. This is Erin Kelly's first novel and another first time author who has me looking forward to novel number two.

This book was a pick up from Jen Lancaster. She recently posted a winter reading list and this was one of the books mentioned. This is a straight up thriller with screenplay written all over it. It was not the most cerebral book I've read but the story was engaging enough that I eagerly kept turning the pages and read it in two days or so. Four longtime friends in their late 20's/early 30's, bored, slightly disillusioned and not where they expected to be in life decide to shake things up. Shaking things up rarely turns out well though (unless you're Julia Roberts in any movie and have a killer soundtrack) and what seemed like a good idea just might end up destroying each of their lives. My only two complaints: the ending was overwrought and the author has Jenn (the only female in the story) constantly brushing her hair behind her ear as though that's the only tic he could think of to assign to a female. She doesn't 'chew her lip', 'bite on her thumbnail', 'bounce from foot to foot'. Nope, she gets nervous she brushes her hair behind her ear. Surely the author could have mixed it up a little. Maybe next time. Still a definite page turner that was enjoyable without having to be a complex mindfuck.

A slower than-Aaron-Sorkin-paced walk through the White House and still a juicy Beltway insider look at the things that go on over the 18 acres which encompass it. Nicolle Wallace (no apparent relation to CBS's Mike or his son FOX's Chris) was the communications chief under George W. Bush and a senior campaign advisor for McCain-Palin. That said, she doesn't use the words strategery or refudiate even once and no one ever shoots a moose! I found the writing to be sharp and witty, her 3 female characters are well thought out, they have individual traits while being smart and interesting. This is no David McCullough/David Halbertstam fare but it kept me entertained.

Your turn, what books do you want to recommend to me?

blahg

I'm bored. Be a dear and suggest blogs for me to read. Only caveat: must be interesting.

ugh shut it

dear bleeding heart Hollywood liberals whom I follow on Twitter (ahem Rainn Wilson I 1000% mean you) where do you get off bitching about HRC's response regarding Libya? There was a guy who was balls to the walls tough on Middle Eastern dictators, you seethed at him daily. Libya is precisely what Iraq was. You voted for the wildly PC lightweight ergo you get a lightweight response to some. Please spare me the indignation.

@rainnwilsonRainnWilson

Ghadafi is waging war on his own people, hundreds dead (or more) & our response is we're 'gravely concerned'.

...ohmygodohmygodohmygod

I'm so incredibly freaked out about finances I think I might hyperventilate to death. How can I be this poor while being employed? How?! Ahhhh I'm dying.

he yells so you know he cares

Heather and I having an Elliot kind of day.

teaching moments & mondays

yesterday in honor of overpaid men playing around in spandex I made (amongst other balanced food groups) chocolate chip cookies. When I left for work this morning there were 16 or so left. So why did I bring no cookies to work with me? Did I not think chocolate chip cookies would enhance my work day experience? Ah, a teaching moment.

etiquette; is this still a thing?

despite the fact that yesterday was a Saturday, it was pouring rain and I was completely not in the mood to do so, I met a friend's (male) friend for coffee. He was on time. By the end of the date punctuality would be his only attribute.

Gentlemen, here's a helpful word or two on first meeting a woman; don't stand at the coffee counter with your hands shoved so deeply in your pockets that others wonder if you're playing with yourself. And for fuck's sake, don't discuss your necrotic skin and all the difficulties associated with your psoriasis. 

Ordinarily I'd assume this was the calculated work of a disinterested guy. In this case I'd be wrong. I've already gotten a follow up email and voice mail informing me of what a nice time he had and sure it's late notice but do I want to get together to watch the Superbowl.

I ask you, what the hell is wrong with people?

and now a little financial softshoe

it's hard for me to wrap my mind around how much I work v. how much (much? no, not much at all, pennies!) I get paid. It seems to me that every time payroll rolls around, which is every other Friday, there is a new deduction my employer sucks out of my paycheck. A brief list of grievances;

• they forgot to pay me the first 2 weeks
• then they gave me a partial handwritten check
• next payroll they deducted the taxes from the prior partial payment
• then they retro-actively deducted health insurance (though thank god I have it)
• then they discovered they overpaid me for a few hours and without telling me deducted it in bulk resulting in an unexpected $200+ drop in my already crap paycheck.

I knew when I accepted this job that the salary wasn't at all what I was shooting for. I just didn't think it could possibly be as meager as it is. So now I'm the ass who will already be looking for a way to up my salary. Namely, being offered another better paying position elsewhere that I can present to HR prepared to take the other job if HR doesn't bite. Awesome. That's how you want things to go in your first two months at a new job, right? Eek. So to up the ante on my assness, with the amazing Heather's help, I've added ads to this site in the hopes of generating anything extra for my sad little coffers. I get that they're not a necessarily attractive distraction, sorry.