Killing two birds with one stone

Once again, it's time for the spam-list-LJ-entry!

In other words, I haven't had time to write down what's really going on, and I have too much to do, so, by way of a snapshot of what's happening in my life, you get to read my list of Things to Do, instead of getting an actual journal entry.

1. Right now, I'm just about to start washing the cars.

2. I also need to do laundry again (which I never finished from last week).

3. At some point, I need to call the Burger King where I accidentally left my work shirt Friday night (when I changed shirts in their restroom before going to the movies with Amy -- "Cowboy Bebop," yum!), and find out if any of the morons over there actually held onto it.

4. I need to write to the Dragon*Con newsletter people and tell them I want to get in on that gig. I told them I'd tell them before the end of the week, and guess what....? (It's the end of the week. Time is up!)

5. As a result of looking for a mileage log book in the office supply store, I now know that I've been keeping my work mileage log incorrectly, so I need to look up tax information, organize the information I have for the past five weeks, and plan for something that works better in the upcoming weeks. I need also to get some kind of information that will allow me to estimate how much money I should actually be withholding for taxes and SSI.

6. Tired of running around doing impossible chores all weekend, I have decided I need to make a chore schedule so that my housecleaning doesn't have to be either put off or done all in one burning frenzy.

7. From the big wish list, I'd like to start (continue?) organizing the art supplies in the garage downstairs. There are crayons, markers, colored pencils, paint and brushes, various types of paper, a vast array of scrap fabric, stickers, beads, numerous sewing "notions," feathers, pom-poms (sp?) and Goddess-Only-Knows what-all in various boxes, bags and suitcases. The only consistent feature at the moment is that they're too disorganized for anyone to actually do anything creative without making a big (huge) mess. Since I have enough messes, I am hoping to actually get to organizing instead.

Meanwhile, Puck will be making barbecued ribs and corn-on-the-cob. Whee!

( All this breaks down into smaller steps, too, something I need practice doing. )

Update

3. I called Burger King and talked to the same idiot I talked to yesterday.

Yesterday, the conversation (which happened at 3:30 in the afternoon) went something like this:

Me: "I'm looking for a shirt I left here yesterday."

Fat, white guy: "What?"

"I changed out of my work shirt in the restroom and forgot it."

"Well, I don't know where it would be."

He turns to ask the other employees whether they've seen it, but makes no move to check any place it might be in the store. Unimpressed with his concern about my plight, I look in the women's restroom on my own. It's obviously not there: the room is spotless, obviously cleaned the night before.

I go back, and wait for him to come back to the counter.

Fat, white guy: "We don't have it."

Me: "Could it be in the office?"

Fat, white guy: "I don't know where it could be."

Me: "Where do you usually put lost-and-found items?"

Fat, white guy: "We don't usually have lost-and-found items."

I don't remember when he got this helpful, but somewhere in here, he mentions that the "manager" will be in tomorrow morning.

So, I called about 20 minutes ago, expecting to talk to the manager.

/ring/ /ring/

"Thank you for calling Burger King. This is John."

"Hi, I'm calling about a shirt I left there." (no response) "Can I speak to the manager?"

Fat, white John: "This is the manager. You talked to me last night. Nobody here has seen it."

Me: "I don't remember talking to anyone last night. I talked to someone yesterday afternoon."

Fat, white John: "Yes, that was me. I'm the manager."

Me: "Yesterday you told me to call today and speak to the manager."

Fat, white John: "The store manager. He worked until 2. I come on at 2."

Me: "Well, yesterday, I didn't find you very informative or useful."

Fat, white John: "Well, okay then." /hangs up/

So now, gentle reader, I will be following this up with the district manager. I know, I know, the guy wasn't egregious, it was mostly his attitude. I cannot describe here the complete apathy, the pulling-hen's-teeth effort it took to get minimal information from him. In fact, the reason I am so angry is that I have used this very attitude to get rid of people I did not want around. Usually homeless people. Since he's the manager, his job is to deal with me. Since I haven't been rude (ok, you can make an argument that the last comment might be rude, but it was me trying to explain that I needed another option. He was really giving me no openings), or asked for anything unreasonable (look in the office, or where other employees keep personal items for a white shirt... or, well, that would have been my request if he'd given me the opportunity to make it), I find his attitude appallingly like he doesn't give a darn. Since he doesn't give a darn, I'd like to ask that we reward his not giving a darn by not giving him any problems like customers that might interfere with his coast-along apathy.

That would be the Burger King right outside of I-285 on Chamblee Dunwoody Road, folks.

I know, my vendettas on PMS or a low-medication day probably interest none of you, at all, but if you happen to be in the neighborhood, please, do not let fat, white John at Burger King have the benefit of your pleasant customer interaction.

I only care because these shirts cost me about $22 a piece and I've had a horrid time keeping up with things lately and do not want to embarrass myself by having to ask my boss for another one.

I think I've been well-behaved, considering the kind of emotional turmoil embarrassment causes me.

Update

1. The cars are washed. I even scrubbed the floor mats and removed stains from the upholstery inside my car. I am inside right now, waiting for the large puddles we've created to dissipate and the cars to dry so I can spot check them before I put all the cleaning supplies away.

For those of you who care, the cleaners we were using are supposed to be environmentally safe and biodegradeable, not to mention safe for car exteriors.

A small child, who appears to be named Cedric, came over on his bike while we were washing and entertained us with an ongoing commentary, interrupted only by nearly continuous questions. We discussed parents and where they lived, not being able to move body parts that got sick, germs on your hands, worms and how they come out when it rains, how you can't catch rainbows, what butterflies eat, and how much dirt there is.

Before the car washing, Puck and I ate barbecued beef ribs, which were very good, but did not have enough meat on them. So we're considering repeating the barbecue experience for supper with the chicken quarters I purchased last week. Much less expensive. And the corn on the cob was excellent. Puck is a great cook in the tradition to which I am accustomed. His father also threatened to feed me when we had dinner with his family a couple of weeks ago. Eep! I like his father, but one family dinner was scary enough!

Right, I never mentioned that. I have met Puck's parents finally, although he has yet to meet my mother. My mother has been sick with kidney stones, and, oddly enough, my own doctor found two small kidney stones on the CT scan I had done a couple of weeks ago. Anyway, we were going to go see my mother two weeks ago, but she wasn't feeling good, so we went to the zoo. While we were at the zoo, Puck's sister called to say they were going to take their mom to dinner for her birthday. So we went home and changed and I went with them. His folks liked me and so did Missy, his sister, according to Puck's later reports. Because I was a good Southern girl. We had to laugh at the ironies. I can't wait to introduce him to my mother.

Now, I think I'll work on the laundry a bit and then look for that email address for the D*C people.

?

LJ Barcode LJ username:

Next update...

1. The cars have been spot checked, touched up, and the cleaners brought inside; the rags and bucket are still outside, drying.

2. Laundry has begun, folding is happening.

3. Looks like I'm not getting much further with that today.

4. Finished! Yay! Of course, doing it has reminded me that I need to work on my portfolio and send these people some writing samples. We can put that on the Things to Do list for tomorrow.

RIght now, I'm not doing further things on the list, I'm going to instead research on the Web for sources Puck can use for his students, who are apparently products of the public education system and do not understand the words "thesis" or "research" or "argument" or "support" or "conclusion."