h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Hi all. Still had no internet access at work today- it should be back tomorrow- so this has been my first chance online.

Had an interesting day. Some more CDs I'd ordered came in- got the Mekons' "The Quality Of Mercy is Not Strenen", and old one I always loved and K once owned but lost track of. It's out of print, but I found one on eBay and am listening to it right now.

Also found two more for K's upcoming birthday- an anthology of stuff by Demob on Grand Theft Audio, and an awesome two-disc set with Pan Y Regaliz, Evolution and Cerebrum, three 69-72 era psychedelic-ish bands from Spain. It's really cool.

Got myself two $7 reissues by the Cramps- "Look Mom No Head" and "Stay Sick". Also cool stuff!

Got K two Cds, by Died Pretty and the M-16s, and a Russ Meyer biography for his birthday. Now to survive the suspense till I can give them to him.

Now that the fun stuff's out of the way...

Still no news from FTF, but I have a phone screening for another temporary position which the staffing agent who got me my previous job at the cap & gown company. The pay is absolute sh*t, but it's at least a paycheck a week that's guaranteed not to bounce, and it *is* only temporary. Unfortunately, it's about $4.50 an hour less than I can really afford to do with for very long. But $4.50 an hour more on paper isn't worth anything if you can't cash your paycheck, right?

So maybe there's an end to this crap in sight. It's been a nervous day today because our accounts payable girl told me today that I oughtn't take my check to either Western Union (where I've cashed the last three) or to my bank, because it's 50/50 it will bounce. And I get paid tomorrow and the rent is also due tomorrow, so I need to cash my check and deposit cash straight away to cover the rent. We're still $500 short because of Penguin Killer's refusal to let us pay his deposit back in installments, and if I don't get a good check tomorrow we won't have enough in the bank to cover the $990 rent.

If I go to cash that check tomorrow and it's no good, I am NOT going back. Not until that can pay me IN CASH.

OK, 'nuff ranting about work and paychecks.

Had tapas and sangira for dinner- papas aioli (boiled potatoes in garlic cream), melted goat cheese in a tomato sauce with crusty bread for dipping, and flan for dessert. That was nice. Then we went to get TP and coffee. How exciting! I did get a cheap bottle of - only $3.99 at Trader Joe's for a decent bottle, as opposed to $9.99 at the liquor store down the other corner.

Well, that's about it for now, kiddies. We'll see if I can get online from work tomorrow, if not, we'll see you in the evening. Then on Saturday my Harry Potter book arrives and I will vanish for the afternoon. Hope everyone's weekend is getting off to a great start!

Gosh, hope the dang check does not bounce. Ow, ow, ow. Hang in there girl.

That is such continued bad news about work, I really hope it gets better and you find something else soon.

I wait for the paperback for Harry Potter, it comes out nearly a year later!

came in- got the Mekons' hope you can take medication for them, sounds a bad infection

*smacks Animal's bum*

Mekons better than the Cramps maybe?



They have lotto scratch cards here which really amuse me, called "Morpion"; dear little character, very popular. Morpion menas "crab" as in the pubic type "scratch scratch"

with the work stuff PC.

zdt

So if you buy those cards, you can scratch your crabs in public and no one can make you stop.

It's not too bad here yet and my shift's two hours in already. 6 more to go. But we have limited internet because I have to reconfigure a lot of stuff. I'll let you guys know as soon as I know (1)if this job lead pans out, and (2)if my check can be cashed on the way home.

Holy crap

Pc I'm so bummed out for you.

Mebbe the people whom you rent your place off, if you inform them of your difficulties of your work place cheques bouncing they may give you some leeway - because your payments have always been prompt in the past?

>Mebbe the people whom you rent your place off, if you inform them of your difficulties of your work place cheques bouncing they may give you some leeway - because your payments have always been prompt in the past?<

I hope so! I'm keeping that as a contigency plan. I'll have to ask them for sure today, if my check isn't good. I can offer them $330 today and either make my boss give me cash next week to pay them the balance, or pay them $330 out of each of K's checks the next two weeks.

That would leave us VERY short on funds, though.

I hate this place more and more every day, work-related headaches, nasty customers who have been ripped off or mishandled or strung along for weeks for stuff we can't get but we're told to lie to... and then I can't even get PAID.

Sorry, ranting again! I'm calling that other place in an hour and we'll see what gives!

Bit of comic relief: last night I was having a weird dream, don't remember all the details but it involved me getting very annoyed with someone. Dunno who it was. Anyway, it ended with me swinging my left hand out and punching poor K right in his left eye. We both woke simultaneously, me shouting "OHMIGOD", absolutely MORTIFIED, and he laughing his @$$ off and giggling "my, the unconscious really DOES come alive when you're sleeping..." At which I became even more mortified. He was laughing so hard about it during breakfast he made coffee come out his nose.

I bet he is gonna make fun of you for some time for that one!

I have laughed so much I ended up coughing a pea up my nose!

Wow, a pea would hurt. I am notorious for laughing till whatever I'm eating comes out my nose. And don't get me started on beverages- I've had the *whole* glass of whatever come up.

I gave K a birthday card last year with two cats having a meal together, one with a mouse sticking out of his nose. It says "I hate it when I laugh so hard, my food comes out of my nose". It seemed to fit, and he thought it was great!

Reminds me to start looking for a birthday card for him. I'd found one with Godzilla (reads "at least, someone who can light all the candles on your birthday cake") but he saw it in the bag so now it's going to be for my sister.

Your "birthday" treat, Kaz, should be on its way this weekend or next. My boss is supposed to pay me in cash today!

nose bleed, thought it was blood, bit its'not!


PC hope everything works out ok, my fingers crossed there's a better job is on the horizon for you

let me guess, nasally contaminated tomato ketchup?

zdt

Fanx for the well wishes, all. Boss paid me with a cashier's check, which means he paid for it with cash, so all is OK in terms of getting rent paid and stuff.

But if I need to spend the better part of two weeks a month worrying about whether or not my upcoming paycheck will clear, it's definitely time to move on. I spoke with a lady about a temp job today my agency referred me for. They're going to try to get me in for a live interview Tuesday.

Go for it if possible, even if it's less money in theory, is my advice.

I once worked for a school in the Middle East which didn't pay ANY of its teachers, including the head, for 6 months; it was horrendous. Because of the nature of the job, we were all reluctant to abandon the kids, the longer it went on, the worse it got, but the blackmail effect meant if we walked out there would be absolutely NO CHANCE of reclaiming back pay owed to us 'cos we had "left voluntarily". No such thing as trade unions or the like for English teachers in the Middle East of course & no way of leaving the country since the employers keep your passport.

Ah, and all this in temperatures of 50° & the airconditioning not working, hah, classromm full of sweaty kids & unpaid teachers = recipe for rather a lot of unpleasantness.

Eventually we got about a quarter of what we were owed & we all resigned en masse. School is still going though i notice, they must have found a new lot of idiots....wonders whether to post link to it

zdt

Yeah, that is awful! At least here in the States, if you're not getting paid, and you can document it (or documentation can be gotten to that effect), you can leave your post and file for unemployment. Not earning any wages for working is the same as not working, and over here if you're not getting paid- through no fault of your own is the only stipulation, that and you need to actively look for work while collecting and not get paid income from other sources or have anything like school that prevents you taking another reasonable post- then you qualify for unemployment insurance benefit payments.

Too bad you didn't have that over there. Though staying on for the kids would've been a bit more motivation for me than what I've got now, which is nothing other than the bloody paycheck. I don't feel I owe any of them anything, and the first time I can't recoup my pay, I am quitting and filing. Screw them!!

Employers can be such pr*cks.

Thats great that you have guaranteed pay today!

PCyou keep leaving yourself open for me


"They're going to try to get me in for a live interview Tuesday."
dead interviewers are no good, they don't ask enough questions and you can't get a straight answer





sorry,no disrespect, but can't help it

You can maybe get a straight answer to a stiff question......



naughty Animal, you only encourage me, now let's get off PC's thread 'cos i have something VERY important to tell her!!!!

*looks around for best place....ah yes.....

zdt

Animal, you naughty boy! But I appreciate the humor, it helps me stop thinking about the annoying stuff.

Managed to settle into a worry-less weekend. Deposited the cashier's check and wrote one to the landlord. Picked up some cat food, and chips and soda for K. So now the kitty won't starve. (K says Herman's getting kind of roly-poly. I say he's just fluffy! ) Watched one of our Netflix- got a few heavies in a row but being in better moods, we can enjoy them, and now I'm waiting for UPS to update their delivery log so I know when it's time to go sit on the front steps and wait for Harry Potter. I'm also going to stick a note on the door just in case. *note to self: put a new battery in the bloody doorbell, stupid!*

Just did the online banking and we have $68 that doesn't have checks written against it, out of a $1400 balance- till Tuesday. I love the cost of living!!