So.... I stayed home from work today. AGAIN. I've been doing it entirely too much, I would probably be fired by now if it weren't for FMLA. But my colitis has been acting up extra lately. It's sad, though, I prefer horrible bowel pain to working. Like.... I would definitely take my job as a whole over colitis as a whole (you can't quit or get a day off from colitis, it causes more complications in the long run, and I don't get paid for having it), but yes. A day of agonizing physical torture is better than a day of agonizing mental torture. So.... maybe it's the stress of HAVING this job that is making the colitis worse, I'm definitely about at the breaking point where I consider quitting all the time.

HOWEVER, I don't have to! I'm sooo happy! I recently found out that I got a position I applied for in another department. I've been trying to get over there for about 2 years now. It's not any more money or prestige but it's a waaaay better working environment. I.E.: not a call center. It sounds like I occasionally have to take a call but most of the job is doing stuff on the computer and not actually talking to people.

It's funny.... when I first started working at Borders, I'd get bummed if I had to work all alone in the back, but by the end of it, I would get really upset if they took any time back there away from me, just because I was so burned out on talking to customers. And then I've been working 3 years of a job with much more intense (i.e. more plentiful and more abusive customers) customer service since then.... so getting switched off to not talking to customers so much sounds beautiful to me. I was literally jumping up and down when I got the news.

Oh, anyway, RE: bowel issues: I do think the less customer stress will help, but I REALLY think the new drugs my doctor wants to switch me onto should help a lot. I guess they're 1) checking with my insurance to see if they're covered and 2) waiting for me to have a good time to take a tuberculosis test, of all things. I guess this is yet another drug that kills my immune system (not looking forward to taking that during winter, but whatever) so they want to make sure I don't have latent tuberculosis or something so I don't die of tuberculosis because of their drug.

So here's what I've been up to:

1) Planning a wedding! Just kidding, Jeremy did propose to me yesterday but he was high as a kite because he was coming off of anesthetics at the doctor's office. He had to have a colonoscopy (good news: they didn't find anything like colitis or cancer bad news: they didn't find anything at all so they don't really know what's causing his digestive issues). Here are some of the awesome things he said whilst under the influence:

J: I love you, my little chickadee (no, he doesn't normally call me that). You're so nice. You're so sweet. Will you marry me?

Me: Yes. What date?

J: Now.

Me: You didn't give me a ring.

J: *shows me a loop in his IV* here! I'll get you a better one later

Me: Thanks!

J: We're going to get married in Japan.

Me: Cool.

J: Kyoto. We're going to wear Japanese outfits.

Me: Awesome!

J: Where am I?

Me: The colonoscopy place.

J: When are they going to do it?

Me: They already did it.

J: No they didn't.

Me: The doctor told me they did.

J: I don't trust that doctor. He had an evil look about him.

Me: Really?

J: He cut me open with a light saber. I'm like humpty dumpty.... all my eggs fell out!

J: Darth Vader hates the gremlins like I do, but I don't trust him. Harrison Ford is on Darth Vader's side now too. He said, "Here's looking at you, kid!"

Me: Harrison Ford doesn't say that, Bogart says it in Casablanca

J: Nooo.... Bogey stole it from Harrison Ford

Me: Harrison Ford wasn't even born yet...

J: Noooo!!

J: The gremlins are trying to steal my blanket

Me: You keep kicking it off yourself

J: *pointing at my wallet chain* They're going to steal that too

Me: What would gremlins even do with a wallet chain?

J: They'll sell it to ghosts.

Me: What would ghosts do with a wallet chain?

J: They rattle it, to scare people, like with other chains

Me: The nurses said to sit up

J: I can't sit up, the gremlins will steal my soul

Me: I'll protect your soul

J: They'll steal your soul too. They have a machine, they'll suck it right out of your nose. *gestures at his nose and makes a slurping noise*

J: Where am I?

Me: The colonoscopy place

J: When are they going to do it?

Me: They already did it

J: No, they still have to do it. The gremlins are going to steal my soul out of my butt.

J: I'm superman and I'm in the hospital for kryptonite poisoning

Me: Oh?

J: Where is the justice league? I need them to fight crime. Oh nevermind, they're a bunch of lame-asses, they never do anything.

Me: Like aquaman?

J: Where's catwoman?

Me: She's not even part of the Justice League

J: She is now, but I don't trust her. Call Spiderman! Call spidey on the spidey phone!

J: What is that? *points to the plastic bag full of his street clothes*

Me: Your clothes

J: No it's not, only a lame-ass would wear that bullshit. I wear a cape! And sunglasses (starts describing the outfit of a guy from an anime he likes, Gurren Lagann).

Me: It's jeans, and your shoes...

J: No one wears jeans!

Me: Everyone wears jeans, except for like, me

J: I drive a mecha!

J: This is the best apple juice ever!

Me: I'm glad!

J: Write down the company name! I want to write them a letter telling them how awesome they are!

J: This pizza is like everything good in the world is in my mouth

2) Applying the fuck out of job postings. Does anyone have anywhere they think I'd fit in? I'd apply. Though.... it is relatively non rewarding looking at wanted ads in the paper. So lately it's mostly been jobs at ISU or my current employer I've applied for. So, I have an interview with my current employer for a position I've been trying to get for like two years now. Strictly lateral... I should fucking have it by now, but whatever. I've really been trying over there and have even sort of "played the game," by networking. So we'll see.

As for ISU, I guess they're on a hiring spree because it's the beginning or end of their fiscal year or something. I've applied for 5 jobs there the last month. The first, I got an interview (yay, first time I've gotten an interview with ISU in all the times I've applied there), but didn't get the job. I've got 4 more to go... (dunno if I would get an interview or not, a couple of them have been progressing slower than the first one).

So... today I talked to someone, and they said the Chipmunk version of Zombie was bunk, someone probably just chipmunkized the orig. song on their own and posted it as from the motion picture. I should've known better. Internet, why would I trust you?

Speaking of music, I've been listening to Pandora a lot lately. I think I've finally gotten my main station, "Randomness" to the point where it plays things I mostly approve of.... it takes awhile to add everything and weed everything out. It still isn't perfect (but what is?) esp. since it really focuses on certain things, esp. if they are more popular. You click "like" on one motherfucking Beatles or Coldplay song, you get ALL of them. Annoying because there are a LOT of Beatles songs on Pandora. And I only like two or three Coldplay songs, max. Plus, the thing has a fuckload of live songs, or ones that are also included on the band's greatest hits or something, so if you click like on a band or song, you might get several versions of it over and over. And it will play the more popular songs off an album a bunch of times but none of the others.

Gah it sounds like a complaint. But I like it. Esp. since I probably confuse the poor thing, my main station is pretty much EVERYTHING I like, not everything from a certain type. So it swings from oldies to emo to indie, to popular 90's/early 00's songs, and everything in between.

Okay, well, nothing in between, those are probably the only four categories of music I like, when I think about it. Still, can be somewhat contradictory.

My 4th of July was okay. I had to work but we did pot luck and so I had some good food, and the phones were slower than usual. They gave me the day after off, and I had dinner with my dad, his gf, and Jeremy. It was cool.

Of course, I was pretty sore through all of this because the Saturday before, Jeremy & I went swimming and I overdid it. It sucks... the older you get the easier it is to fuck up your body. I can't wait until I'm 50 and do one backstroke and kill myself. Of course, what I should do is just stay in shape but that seems like too much work. But the swimming itself was great, since I didn't get sore till later.

Let's see, what else have I done lately? I'm so bad at keeping up my blog these days.... back when I blogged all the time I wondered why other people didn't remember to do it every day, but then I got a life and it became harder to remember. Plus my ass hurts so much from the chairs at work I hate sitting at my computer to type.

Well, Ryan & Brooke visited in June. When I picked them up in Chicago we toured the city. First, we went to this mexican place called Xoco. I wasn't sure why they ate so much Mexican when they visited (esp. from random chain restaurants like Chevy's and Chipotle), given that they're from AZ, but whatever. Xoco was awesome. They had Jamaica with lemongrass (mmmmm) and awesome churros--might I add it was my first churro?

We went to Navy Pier and saw the Shanghai circus. They were awesome, though I decided to be dickish and whisper "I want my money back," to Ryan every time someone fell or dropped something. But it was rare--all in all they rocked.

Then we went to a hot dog place for an "authentic chicago dog." What we hadn't expected was an "authentic naked bike marathon" right outside the door. As someone observed, "dinner AND a show," for us.

Then we did a lot of chillin' that week, watching TV (invader Zim, yay!) other random things on netflix, playing games (despite Ryan being a lame-ass!). But we did go to a U pick strawberry place, and to matthiesen park.

And we ate well, we went to a variety of restaurants and I cooked meatloaf, pork chops, turkey roast, potatoes, and Jeremy cooked noodles & his famous chicken parm & spaghetti.

...it's so wrong that it's right.