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one should never have to use the word feces at work

First, I received this email form my lovely assistant:

“I’ve decided to place a formal complaint with you. There is smeared feces on the porcelain… again. Obviously someone was sick, or incapable of efficiently handling the toilet paper and squatting method that comes so naturally to all of us. I’m tired of saying feces out loud as I feel dirty by having to occupy my mind with such “matter”. Anyway…… I’m done. My head hurts. I hate feces. “

Once I stopped laughing, I sent it along to tenant services, with whom I have been having an on-going battle over the conditions of the women’s washroom. Interestingly, the condition of the men’s is just fine (at least that’s what I’ve been told, not having first-hand knowledge):

“I placed a call 20 minutes ago to tenant services in the building and we saw that they sent a cleaner to the 16th floor washroom. There is still mess on the porcelain. I have received the following formal complaint from one of my staff:

"I’ve decided to place a formal complaint with you. There is smeared feces on the porcelain… again. Obviously someone was sick, or incapable of efficiently handling the toilet paper and squatting method that comes so naturally to all of us. I’m tired of saying feces out loud as I feel dirty by having to occupy my mind with such “matter”. Anyway…… I’m done. My head hurts. I hate feces."

This is completely unacceptable and we would appreciated having our concerns addressed is a quick and satisfactory manner.”

Unless one works in a hospital or with the sanitation department, one should never, ever have to use the word “feces” in the workplace. Come on, admit it, you’re jealous -- first my dog gets lice and now I have to deal with this, excuse the really bad and obvious pun, crap.

Funnily enough, though, I am still smiling.

everything and nothing

Another chapter in the ongoing saga that is my romantic life:

Last we checked he was doing some personal counselling work and getting some rather important issues, like um, getting divorced, dealt with. This involved lots of alone time which of course resulted in not much us time. That's been a blast as you can imagine.

But whatever, it's not forever and quite frankly I would rather him deal with this stuff now and then we can get on with the business of getting on.

So tonight we actually went out, together, for a couple of hours and it was really nice (though we talk and email on a pretty much daily basis, we have only actually seen each other once since New Years). It was good to see him and whatever counselling, personal work or navel-gazing he's doing seems to be working. This is all very positive.

We talked and talked and talked about pretty much everything under the sun except what I really wanted to talk about, needed to talk about. That is -- where do I fit in when this personal exploration is done? It's not like I am siting home by the phone waiting for him to call, because I'm not. However, I'm also not exactly out there exploring my options either.

What I really need to ask is: is this all worth the wait?

As they say, only time will tell.

Translink/Coast Mountain Bus Lines can bite me!

To whom it may concern at the Translink Bus Place:

I take the XXX to and from work every day. Last night I worked later than usual and planned on taking the last bus home, the one scheduled to be at Granville & Georgia at 6:08 p.m. Imagine my surprise when, by 6:40 it still had not made an appearance! I had not missed it as there were several other people waiting for the same bus. I wound up taking a XXX and when I commented to the driver of the bus that the XXX had never showed, his reply was: “there is a hockey game so traffic's bad".

And that’s my problem because why exactly?

I finally arrived home cold, tired and very, very grumpy a full hour and fifteen minutes later than expected which completely messed up my evening plans --- including missing my yoga class.

To say that I am not impressed would be an understatement.

Also, from what I understand from fellow commuters on this route, this is not an infrequent occurrence. Would you please explain why exactly?

I would appreciate a satisfactory reply to me email.


Dear Ms Casey,

Thank you for your email regarding the incident the missing 605pm XXX trip from downtown Vancouver. Correspondence from customers who take the time to send us their concerns such as yourself are an integral component of our efforts to raise our level of customer service and to rectify our shortcomings. I have reviewed your complaint and regret that the customer level of customer service that we strive to provide for all our customers, on this occasion, was less than what our customers have come to expect. (yeah, whatever)


This matter was investigated and it was discovered that the bus in question did not arrive at its terminus until 643pm. This was due to heavy traffic. I do not know if the hockey game was a direct cause of the traffic volume, but it may have had an effect. Please accept my apologies for any inconvenience that was caused to you.

Yours truly,

Keith Butterley
A/Supervisor Service Delivery
North Vancouver Transit Centre

I'm sorry, but that in no way shape or form is a satisfactory reply. Ergo:

Mr. Butterly,

Thank you for taking the time to respond to my email but I am sure you will also understand that I find your explanation to be less than satisfactory.

Heavy traffic? Shocking being that it was rush hour and coming from the North Shore. That's just simply not a valid excuse.

There are only 4 busses that make that run each evening. Chances are there is going to be a significant amount of traffic coming off of the North Shore. Here's any idea -- why not have all 4 of them already on the downtown side ready for their run?

And yes, the sarcasm is intentional.

From what I understand, and I have experienced it myself, busses are randomly pulled off this route in the evenings with some regularity. Quite frankly that is not acceptable.

Regards

bath, round 2

de-lousing bath number 2
(kinda like anti-biotics -- even if the symptoms are gone, you have to complete the full course of treatment)




by number 3 she'll be able to do it all by herself

10 seconds in my head

I just went down to the drugstore and since I was going that way my assistant asked me to grab her a caramel frappucino thing from Starbucks (hello, about 900 calories!!!!). Anyhow, as I was carrying it up in a relatively full elevator wherein the other passengers were all men, I was really self-conscious of carrying this calorie-laden and nutritionally deficient drink and wanted to tell them all "listen, this isn't mine. It's for my assistant. Do you think I would actually drink this??"

Man, I hate being me sometimes!!!!!!!

random thoughts

I hate when they show you the gifts on television shows and movies but then never open them -- I still haven't gotten over Maria and The Captain returning from their honeymoon, laden with gifts for the kids, and you never got to see what the gifts were

I wish there was a 3 minute delay on emails - that way you could get it back once you hit "send" and then wish for it back --- most relevant in the 21st century phenomenon "drunken email" and generally involves emails sent to exes or potentials or crushes or a combination of all three

books like "He's Not All That Into You" and the Mars and Venus series can really fuck with your mind (and lead you to eat all sorts of chocolate) and shold be avoided at all costs

the sound of Maggie snoring is one of my most favourite ever

Bruce Springsteen still rocks my world

it's good being a girl

because you can do things like hang pink chandeliers in your bedroom

or, rather, you can buy pretty pink chandeliers and then have a handsome man install them, complete with dimmer switch

happiness is .....

LICE!!!!!

I thought you all might want to share this joyous time with Maggie and me. After receiving the dreaded phone call: "Maggie has head lice" and then spending $120 on Revolution that may or may not work but will deworm her automatically (good to know) the following ensued:

came home to find that a) the outside taps have been turned off due to the unseasonably cold
weather we have been experiencing and b) that my landlords were out for the night so I couldn't turn the water on nor use their bathtub for the de-lousing bath I have to give Maggie I c) resorted to using my (thankfully larger than normal) shower stall.

Soaped her up, wrapped her in towels to keep the medication where it has to work for the requisite 10 minutes (we did 20 just to be absolutely sure), then back to the shower
stall for the big rinse.

On the plus side, I will be able to pee in private from now on --- I had to actually pick her up and carry her back to the shower for the rinse. Even the extra special cookies didn't entice her to
come in under her own steam. And then I had to go into the shower with her, fully clothed, to get all the shampoo off of her. That was an experience I don't soon wish to repeat!

One thing I have to say --- Maggie is a trouper!!!!!

Bath complete, dog towel dried and Revolution applied (fingers crossed), we got cosy by the fire, enjoying our rewards --- a free-range, organic chicken carcass and cookies for her, wine for me.

We thought it a good idea to photo-document the ordeal, just to make sure you get the complete experience.

Fondly,
Kathryn & Maggie

scary things are bound to happen

laptop + digital camera with recently discovered video function + cute dog = two cute, albeit potentially boring, videos "now showing" at YouTube. Not sure how this whole thing works, so fingers crossed, here they are:

The first one is our first attempt, Maggie's Close-Up (she really is THAT cute)
The second one is video proof that Maggie does love her new Mouse-Bear and that I am not a total failure as a mother.

Enjoy (and I promise they will get better)

Maggie's Close-Up

The Mouse-Bear - the scrap of dirty looking fabric in the bottom left of the frame is her original bear, so you can understand why it is time for an upgrade.

mes deux sous

I know she's super popular and on the "A" list and does all sorts of great things in Africa (for which I truly applaud her), but I mean really. Those tatoos all over her body just make her look cheap.

you have your therapy and I have mine

Let me start by stating, rather emphatically actually, that I do not, as a general rule, like shopping. Period. My sister actually goes to such an extent as to say "oops, look at that! we drove around aimlessly for an hour and wound up in the mall parking lot. Well, seeing as we're here ...." knowing full well that if she had asked if I wanted to go to the mall I would have run from the room. €

That said, this week I have purchased the following:

A Lulu Lemon hoodie
A chocolate brown cashmere sweater from Banana Republic
A pair of jeans
A coat from Banana Republic
Various and sundry cosmetics
oh, and a new laptop.

Why? Because the Sailor is "doing some serious personal counselling" (as mentioned in my previous post) and every time I wanted to see him, I bought something instead. Instant gratification and all. A true example of retail therapy.

Only thing is, though, is that retail therapy, unlike regular therapy, is not covered my extended medical benefits.

I think I might just present him with an invoice for it all. He is the source of my need for the therapy after all.

what a difference a year makes

I was sorting through some old emails last night and came across one that I had sent to, well let's call him the Sailor, after finding out through the office grapevine that he had gone on a romantic getaway over the Christmas holidays.

an excerpt:

"either you are just plain stupid or are really good at acting it or are just plain mean --- I can't quite decide which

listen, I know you don't owe me anything in the way of an explanation, but common courtesy might be nice ---- how do you think it felt to hear about your booking a romantic getaway over the Christmas holidays as part of office gossip?? you move on pretty damn quickly which makes me wonder all sorts of things

if you wanted to hurt me, you did. congratulations.

quite frankly, I expected better of you and this just makes me question everything about you and everything that you have said and makes me feel like a complete idiot for having actually thought you were a decent person and for caring about you at all. you know I actually thought that there was an outside chance that we could have at some point been friends again, but I guess not. and that makes me very sad, because I did so value your friendship. "

his reply (part of it anyway):

"Please accept my apologies for having acted in a way that was hurtful to you. I have always treated you honestly and with integrity and will continue to do so.

I too had hoped we could see a friendship survive what has happened, and still hope for that. I also would be happy to support you as you look to move to another organization, presuming that is still your intent."

All the pain and anger and hurt that I felt at the time came flooding back and made my head spin. And I am involved with this same man again? Am I insane?? Maybe. But wow, have I changed since that email a year ago. I am stronger and more confident and self-assured and happy.

He, the Sailor, is dealing with some residual baggage from his marriage and the wreck he made of his own life last year. He is taking some time for some intense "personal counselling" but I see a light at the end of this tunnel and don't feel any of the hurt or anguish or uncertainty that this would have caused me last time.

Seriously, what a difference a year makes.

holiday dogs

we don't have kids, so ......

yet another example of why it is such a very good thing that I do not have children

When I brought Maggie home to live with me I bought her a cream coloured fleece teddy bear. She has suckled that teddy bear on a pretty much constant basis since that day. It is now more a scrap of dirty fabric than a bear, but still we refer to it is her bear.

She has a toy box full of toys, including several she received this Christmas, that go virtually ignored by her. Visiting dogs are pleased with them, but she couldn't care less. It's all about her bear.

Maggie turned 8 yesterday and I bought her a new toy -- a really weird looking rat type thing dressed in blue and white striped footy-pajamas. It was on sale at Old Navy for like $2.00 so I couldn't resist. Apparently Maggie can.

I washed her bear last night with the doggy towels and put it in her toy box. I then put her new rat in front of here everywhere she went -- on the couch, by the front door, in my bed. NOTHING.

It's like I am forcing her to love this new rat and her not obliging me is an indication of some sort of huge failure on my part.

And this is with my dog.

Can you imagine the damage I would inflict on a child???

faith restored

It has been a crazy winter, weather-wise, for us living out here on the left coast of the country -- rain, snow, sleet, hail, sun, we've had it all in spades ! (and then some)

This morning broke with 6 inches of fresh snow and it hasn't yet stopped coming down. Yes, Maggie was beside herself with glee this morning when she saw that the ground was once again white but all I could think was: man the commute is going to be a bitch! (one of the drawbacks of living pretty much at the base of a ski hill, though I live in the city, is that we get snow, lots of it, and the roads are steep and Vancouver is not at all prepared to deal with this combination).

Having faith that I would indeed get to work, I trudged out to the bus stop at my usual hour, only to wait with "the gang" for a good 50 minutes or so, in the cold and snow, while no busses came in any direction. Just when we had about given up hope, a truly lovely soul stopped and offered 3 of us a ride down the hill to catch the city-bound bus.

Bless her heart!

Thanks to that I was less than an hour late for work and have a warm and fuzzy story to tell.

2007, day 2

So far the beginning of 2007 is a whole heck of a lot better than most of the first half f 2006.

My mother commented that I wasn't as "cranky" this Christmas as I was was last. I pointed out that I was not "cranky" last year. The truth of the matter was that I had just had my heart broken by someone I was very much hung up on (I realize now that it wasn't really love), I HATED my job, I wasn't eating and was pretty much crying at the drop of a hat about anything and everything you can think of.

This year it's different --- I love my job, I am eating again and am, quite possibly for the first time in my life since I hit double digits, actually almost happy with my weight and how I look (note that I said almost, 20 pounds or more will make me happy), and am in a relationship with a wonderful man, surprisingly the same one that caused me such heartache last year, that is healthy and honest and well, wonderful.

Here's to a fabulous 2007!