Employee Assistance Program

aka: Horse Shit.
Never try anything new or touchy feely with people who are, cynical, in contract disputes, or mad at management. 2 hours for a training that talked about how to build a better work sight, with plenty of managers around. Followed by harassment, diversity, "how to talk to people" role play. "I feel offended when you grab my ass and I would like you to stop." Although nothing like the occasional smart ass remarks to break up the almost constant crap.
Diversity is this...Which leads me to Question, Why the hell do I care? Not that I don't care that Shelly is an 40 yr old, black, single mom, but maily that she is a good worker and I treat her like an adult. I don't care were she went to school or if she has an extra arm. I don't frigging care. I don't think about my fellow employees in the terms of diversity, it's prejudicial. I think them as workers and people. Wait, that only makes me seem a little crazy. Does anyone at work care, or should they treat me different because I may have Indian heritage? Does that mean I can discount Steve? Who know, maybe some people were raised goofy. Maybe I don't understand it in terms of a frick' company. I have never been introduced as the white male employee, heterosexual, pagan, pre-operative, transgender, muppet loving, ska fan.

Sunlight

okay no naughty camping pictures, but good nature shot.

Decisions

Life is like a box of chocolates...
Well put that up your ass. That's right. I can say that. It appears that I am trapped in a cubicle. The mother of bastardly devices. Who "created" the cubicle. Why doesn't some one make a film about that? And who else would complain about it but me or anyone else that ever had to work in the damn thing. Although I fear there is someone in a Gap factory in Thailand, who is make .29 cents a day that would trade me, sure he is probably 8 years old and doesn't dress as nice as me, but poop on a stick, I bet he would trade.
What about the $8 million dollar a year athletes who don't want to play hopscotch, because they have to do what is right for there family. I bet there is someone in a burned out building in Iraqi who would play hopscotch...
But I digress. I am beginning to hate my cube. And I mean hate. I don't like the look of it. I can't put enough things I like in it to make me forget I am at work. I don't see enough people, (and don't get me wrong the 6 over 60 year old ladies that work "near" me are people but come on I don't knit, I don't have grand children, and I rarely say "sweet" unless I am being sarcastic {don't tell my co-workers, they haven't figured it out}, so they don't count) to have an above average day. Sure I get phone call.
example:
"I don't understand why I have to do what the court says?" Subject A
"Well, the court can direct you do things. And you have two choice do them or not do them" me
"Why, would you send me to court." A
"Sir, you choice not to do what the court directed you to do. So there are consequences."
"But, I don't understand how one person could do that to another. How could you do that I have medical issues." A
"Yes, I remember you stated that and you were supposed to contact the court, send them the medical documents and still finish what the court directed you to do. So did you do any of that?" me
"No, I have medical issues that prevent me from doing what the court ordered." A
"Yes, but if you don't contact the court, like you were asked to do 6 months ago, you have chosen to be out of compliance. Besides you can't sit in a room and listen, because of your medical issues , but you can take college classes and work at you family business?" me
"I don't understand how a human could do that to another human...You sound like a robot.. A computer." A
-Which is a new one usually the call me a jerk, say I ruining their life etc etc...

Or this conversation:
"I want to go out of state and do what the court wants" B
"Fine, you need to pay and have an appointment, then you can go where ever, as long as we have the contact info." me
"I don't have any money." B
"Unfortunately, that excuse does not work" me
"Well, I talk to the judge and explained my situation and he said fine and we could have a hearing right there (and a pony and ice cream too!), but he said I should contact you and work it out." B
"Fine, You need to pay, have an appointment, and give us contact information (like everyone frickin else). Just like the 3 letters I sent you stated and the 2 times I spoke with you in person. You haven't done that so we are going back to court." me
"Ok then, You need to ask for Judge X." B
"Sir, I don't do that."
"Why? Type a note requesting Judge X for the hearing!" B
"The procedure is I type it up and send it to the court and it gets assigned a judge" me
"Yeah, so request Judge X!" B
"That would mean preferential treatment and I will not treat this matter any different from any other matter." me
"But Judge X know the whole deal and said we could have the hearing!" B
"I understand that, but that I do not request specific judges."
"So what you are saying is that you won't do it!" B
-DUH
"That is correct sir, do you have any other question? I will not argue about this." me
"WHY, WON'T YOU DO THIS? YOU GUYS ARE SCREWING WITH ME. I HAVE HAD TO ..." Click.
End of conversations. The only satisfaction I get is hanging up on people who want to argue in circle and take up my time. Although I get to explain to my boss what happened, so there is no seagull manager type shit happening.

how could a movie like Office Space, be so right. Not that office space is a bad movie, but to be so right on about some stuff.

In better news, going to a beer tasting thingy about an hour away. Not the big one which is 3.5 hrs to get there. I would love to go, but saving all my vacation time for Reno!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Did I mention mea and the mrs. Are going to Reno? Well we are! 3 more weeks. Although the dogs will not be going. Which will be the first dogless vacation in over 2 years.

This just in Looby weighs 63 lbs! As Chris said, "where is looby? This dog looks like it ate looby." If you have met Looby, she has come a long way in the year we have had her. She was adopted from the animal shelter. She weighed 35lbs. We were about to leave the shelter and notice her returning from play time. We had brought Ripley with us, to see if any of the dogs got along with her. Looby paid no attention to Ripley and very to us.

So we got her. We got her home and noticed things, like you could see all of her ribs, she had collar burn, and several odd hairless patches. Looby was very unsure of what was going on. It took a couple of weeks to get her used to peeing outside. She warmed up to the Mrs right away, but was very guarded around me.

I was still making a front yard, at this time, and kept the dogs with me in the front unleashed. They would dig and lay around. I would not allow them to go into the street and whistle and they would come back. Well, one time (actually the only time) I was hoeing (yeah baby) and Looby wandered into the street. I called her name and she continued to sniff in the street. I walked over to her, got about 10 feet away, and that is when she turned saw me and the ho and took off. There was the worst look on her face as she saw me and the ho. I quickly ditched the ho and went after her, she was running down the middle of the street. I manage to catch up with her and she just kept backing up, giving me the "I know you want me to stop, but I know you going to kick the shit out me, so I'll just keep slow moving out of striking range" look, because who ever had her before us had done that to her. That was the way she used to be. Looby still dislikes strangers and bark at almost everyone (men and people who grab for her head, without letting her sniff). But she is great dog. Happiness is a dog

camping bitches

I complain about work, but I rather talk about the fun I had camping with the clan of freaks. Went with Kim + Sam, Christa+ Chris, Corin, Carla+Chloe+Beau, and Jared + Ginna (rockin floaty), plus our dogs, Ripley, Looby, Ozzie, and Jared's two small dogs. We left the 104 degree weather in our area to go to Diamond Lake. It was 80 degrees at the lake and it was 30 odd feet from our campsite to a nice part of the lake.
Toni and I got there set up our tent in a nice shady area, get out the coolers, and go look at the lake. We got there first, so we were excited and took our dogs to the lake. Ended up in the lake, no huge algae blooms, removed any huge snags from the area we were planning to swim in. Nothing worse than swimming and getting a nice stick up your arse.
Beau and Carla arrived shortly after that and we helped them unload and set up. Everyone else arrived shortly after that, except Sam who came the next day.
Nothing beats a week like a weekend with friends. Drunken Cartwheels in the lake are the best. Although my flashlight has asked to see a therapist....
most of the pictures are too dirty for the internet