GET NERVOUS

…..get nervous….get nervous….get nervous….. (may as well keep Pat Benatar in all my posts from now on, eh?).

So – am I losing my job today?

Yes, I bet that comes as a shock to everyone. Present company included. It remains to be seen, but odds are there is something in the wind. Majorly.

I basically have two bosses. Technically I only have one. I work for a department headed by a physician – he is not my boss, though he thinks he is and which I have much more contact with him than my actual boss. I actually report to someone who works in ‘the division’. My job is to make sure the department runs the way the division and organization want – while trying to appease the clinical staff.

So the secretary for my ‘real’ boss calls me yesterday afternoon to schedule me for a 2p today. No – she says she doesn’t know the topic. The boss doesn’t answer my emails asking what the meeting is about. All ignored.

I should mention that the division is going through some reorganization. The talk has always been how to restructure administratively. Discussions all over the board about how we won’t have traditional reporting structures to there won’t be any significant changes.

My doc (boss) really wanted to talk to me right before I left yesterday. That is his M.O., so I’d normally think little of it. But coupled with the unexpected meeting w/no topic w/my boss-boss, my back was up. My instincts were good. Turns out there will be an administrative reshuffling that he is not liking it all. He’s the kind of guy who could care less if it doesn’t affect him – so if he’s not liking, it means this reshuffling will. I did ask him outright if I was being fired – and the answer was ‘no’. But keep in mind – he’s not truly my boss.

Any movement cannot be based on performance – as in my 10.75 yrs here, all my evaluations have fully met or exceeded expectations. So, I don’t know how exactly they’d base this. I’ve been here longer than some others, though not in this position. But I’m also not the lowest man on the totem pole in this position.

I could be going worse-case scenario. That is my nature. If they wanted me gone-gone, they’d have just shown me the door – right? I mean, that’s how I’ve done it. Or since it’s budget season will they tell me my position has an end-date – like when budget is done, APRs are done etc?

As you can imagine, last night was not a good one for me…and today will drag on for-fucking-ever. I have never been fired or downsized – so I’m slightly queasy. It’s just the uneasiness of not knowing, I guess. That and the possibility of having two people in a household who are looking for employment.

Ironically, I’ve been interviewing for a job within the organization that I really want. Now it turns out I might really need it.

RADIO KILLED THE VIDEO STAR

As I was flipping through channels the other day (and btw….how about a shout-out to whomever invented the remote! I haven’t seen a commercial in 13 yrs!!!) I came across a video for a band I had never heard of or seen. I don’t remember which channel I saw it on – but rest assured it couldn’t have been MTV.

I have to say, the song is ok….at best. But the video was great. Let’s face it – there has been nothing new in music video when Pat Benatar chose to shake her little pine cones in “Love is a Battlefield”.

Robert Longo’s video for New Order’s “Bizarre Love Triangle” w/the complete acting nonsequiter in the middle was a highlight for me. Que asian woman and caucasian man w/caucasian woman looking on:

“I don’t believe in reincarnation, because I refuse to come back as a bug or a rabbit!!”

“You know – you’re a real UP person!”

I know that Fatboy Slim’s video w/Christopher Walken is supposed to be this great great video and it was amusing, but I’m loving the OK GO’s video for “Here it Goes Again”*.

I don’t care if they taped it at an extremely slow speed and sped it up for effect. Though I don’t know that they did. Either way, it’s great. And for the life of me I cannot see/find an edit. You really have to watch the entire thing. Enjoy.

* By clicking on the OK GO link you can see a slightly better resolution of the video. I just couldn’t embed it from there.

…..from the AP

JESSICA SIMPSON ORDERED TO REST HER VOICE

NEW YORK (AP) — Talk about bad timing. At the start of a media blitz to support her new album, “A Public Affair,” Jessica Simpson is on vocal rest.

“It is true that she has indeed lost her voice,” Simpson’s publicist, Rob Shuter, told The Associated Press on Tuesday. “She’s been ordered to rest. … She can talk, she can croak out a few sentences. She sounds a little off, but, you know, she can’t sing.”

NO SHIT!

BOOMER x 2

One of my sisters got a miniature australian sheepdog. Isn’t he cute? His name is Boomer. These pics are from a few weeks back and though I haven’t seen him since, I understand he’s in an “awkward” phase. Welcome to the club, Boomer!

Even two weeks prior to these pics his legs weren’t nearly as long, nor did he has his snout. I hear he is growing out of his puppy fur, but not quite into the fur he’ll have. Tricia says he currently just looks a little ’sad’ (not downbeat – just pathetic).

But he loves his Uncle Blobby – and really – what more can you ask for?

I guess the other Boomer (and Morty is about to be disappointed to whom I do not reference) is a friend of a friend: Michael Beaumier (yes, who goes by Boomer). Todd (whom I cannot link to here for sooooo many reasons) used to date Boomer whom I think I met once in Chicago. It’s all a blur.

Anyhoo…..Boomer, the man, has a book coming out today. I can’t recommend it. I cannot not recommend it. I haven’t seen it or read it. Apparently it is based largely on his experience as editor of the personal section of the Chicago Reader. Along with his personal relationship and family experiences. (the italicized portion is paraphrased from an email I received from Todd.)

I also seemed to have missed that Boomer, the man, was on This American Life in the last week or two.

Becky – exactly how are you parlaying your way onto Ira Glass’ show when your book comes out???

KILL. CRUSH. DESTROY.

As g-d is my witness, if the Thompsons (who sold us this house) ever come within 5 miles of Ambler Hts, I will hunt them down and kill them.

Don’t get me wrong – we love the house. And for the most part the downstairs (and main stairway) renovation is going better than expected. Everything seems to be on or ahead of schedule. Unheard of.

But take a look at this.The morons previous owners painted over the windows on one set of the French Freedom Doors. So Blobby did this most of the weekend:
I scraped glass w/a 5″ razor blade for hours at a time. My knuckles are raw. My thumbs are sore. And yes, while multi-tasking, I put the razor blade into my knee. The silver lining is that it was a dull razor blade. I had been swapping them out every 4-5 panes of glass that had been completed. A newer one might have done more damage – but on the other hand, it might have cut more cleanly.

And this was the end result. Ok. Not the end – because clearly it’s not completed. As each pane takes about 15-18 minutes (yes! I timed it!!), I have an hour or two worth of work to finish the inside.

Just the inside you ask? Yes – believe it or not, this picture was not taken at night, they actually painted both the inside and outside of each pane of glass. Multiple coats!!! on each side. Two things are seemingly clear – the Thompson’s wanted privacy (though they didn’t paint over any other windows!!) and they had never considered curtains/drapes.

We will eventually get the outside cleaned up, but are under the gun to make sure the inside is done before living room painting gets done.

SEND IN THE CLOWNS

The “woman” who would have liked to have decided the 2000 presidential election (no…….Not Sandra Day O’Connor, who actually did!) is at it again. Rockery (not Jonas boss) her stupidity and antics will most likely get her nowhere this time.

While running for the Senate, Katherine Harris says not only did she believe that separation of church and state is “a lie” (which I’m guessing is true of many many many republicans), but she takes it a step further to include that the Founding Fathers also didn’t have this intention. Trust me, under all that spackling, she could be 250 yrs old for all anyone knows. She migh have first hand knowledge of what discussions took place.

Of course there is much disagreement about any verbiage on church and state and in which articles/writings that might exist. Not unlike the 2nd amendment……………or the bible.

Denton found a comparison of gas prices in Cleveland to other states. Now, I don’t know if you know this – but Cleveland is not a state. Really! It’s true!!

So one can compare Cleveland gas prices w/any other U.S. state. Which he did. He chose Massachusetts (for Becca) and North Carolina (for Jon). He didn’t pick Columbus (for Morty or Dith) well…b/c Columbus isn’t a state.

Looking at the price variation, I’m reminded of a line from Airplane (as I so often do during everyday life). It is when Stryker’s altitude fluctuates, first flying too high, then too low. And the guy watching the radar says – ‘he’s all over the place. What an asshole!’.

IF ONLY O.J. NICOLE’S REAL KILLER LEFT A NOTE!


I’m not sure what possessed Denton to keep a note that David left us when we went to visit him and Jack in P-town in 1990. 16 yrs ago – almost to the day! So not only did he find it, he scanned it too.

This was the good old days before cellphones – and no way to reach us to relay he would not be at their house when we got there or what happened to him. So only the primitive, but tried and true communication method of pen and paper towel was available. We figured something was wrong upon arrival w/the bloody footprints going down the stairs. Had the Simpson/Goldman murder happened prior to this visit, I would have been listening for a dog barking in the night or looked for a bloody glove. But we knew nothing of Court TV or forensic science as we do now. What fools we had been!!!

The entire P-town thing was completely weird and showed that as Walt Disney said, it truly is a small world after all.

A few weeks prior to us going to Provincetown, my phone rings at 2:00 a.m. And yes, I answered. It’s Morty. A very very drunk Morty. I know – you’re shocked….but it’s true. He, along with Pat and a few others were in P-town. And being…well….them….got a little too rambunctious a little too late at night (or the next morning as it turned out). The next door neighbor came over to complain. It turned out to be Jack. Jack who had never heard of nor met Morty. The word ‘Columbus’ must have been mentioned and the conversation must have deteriorated to get to the subject of me. Hilarity ensued. It seems, I am the world. I am the children. I do make a day better for you and me! Everyone was now bestest friends.

…though I don’t know how that disturbing the peace thing played out.

(and note how I really mentioned nothing about our trip to P-town. and i think it shall remain that way. Denton? David? Jack? are we all on board w/that?)

RENOVATION

No – not of this space, though that is in the works too. This is of the house.

The house was either built in 1910 or 1920, depending on who you believe. The county says 1920. The research Denton has done at the Western Reserve Historical Society has the house listed in 1911 w/the list of residents.

The last owners lived in the house for 26 years – and while they clearly had money, it is questionable if they had taste. The hardwood floors were in pristine condition when we took ownership 15 mos ago. But a kitty getting sick on those floors stripped off patches of stain. There was no sealant on top of the stained wood, so they don’t look quite so good currently. …but the floors are another project.

The walls were another matter (let’s not even discuss window treatments! – man that sounded queer!) When we were looking at the house, the first realtor told us how much they thought it would cost to do interior painting…..and no, I’m not telling you how much. But, I about choked! Unfortunately, she was correct. As we get assessments on rooms or floors, it adds up pretty quickly.

Painting is the easy aspect of the entire thing. The wallpaper removal is one. The skimming the plaster walls and ceilings is another. Then there is the trim. Lots and lots of trim. And windows w/multiple panes. Not the kind you can snap out. So costs go up exponentially.

We’re doing what we can on our own, but that is turning out to be not a lot. Carpet (a runner going up the central hallway) removal? Not a problem. Wallpaper removal? Easy Peasy….. well…..at least in some areas. But some of the above stuff I know nothing about. I don’t know how to plaster, let alone how to fix molding.

And let me tell you – some of the wallpaper was U-G-L-Y. I can’t say we haven’t grown accustomed to it, but it is not our style. Don’t you people listen to Morty – it’s not good. It’s not even kitsch. It’s F’UGLY (that’s french, dontcha know). Or was. In a fit a few weeks ago, I started taking down the paper in the main entrance and stairwell. Then Denton jumped in – and it was amazing how quickly it all came down. It completely changed the look of the house.

Of course, then we realized that we really needed to do something about the bare bare walls. Ironically enough, this is of where we are little use. This whole queer/decorating thing doesn’t work for me. We don’t have that gene.

In the old house, we went with our gut and it worked ok. This house is more substantial and we wanted to take it back somewhat to its historic colours. …but not in a fussy, late19th/early 20th century way. So we actually sought out a person who works w/these houses who knows what is and is not the correct thing to do. We still have to pick colours, and we are closer to it. We’d better be – as the the plaster guys started yesterday.

Our painter is saying it will take 2-3 weeks for prep to completion. Which is aggressive – or our last guy, who was nice and very thorough estimated 10 days for our bedroom and finished six weeks later. Oy.

To break it down – we are doing the main entrance/stairwell, the hall at the top of the stairs the living room and dining room. Oh – and the 1/2 bath. It sounds like a lot – and it is. But since each room flows into the, it kind of makes sense too. We’ll do the sunroom another time.

It does look like the dining room will need to be wallpapered. The walls under the paper that existed before can be fixed, but it would take a lot more time and money. It just means now having to sort through however many books to find THE wallpaper.

Anyhoooo…….I know I didn’t do it w/the bedroom, but I promise to post pics as we go along. Promise!

RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!!!!!!!!!!

Yes, it’s two years away, but I’m already dreading that fact that Cleveland might even have the slightest chance to host the 2008 GOP Convention (I was going to link to the GOP site, but I went there for the first time in my life. SCARY!!!!! I’d guess snuff/porn sites would be less frightening!!).

We They (I refuse to be in anyway associated w/this) are in competition with Tampa, Minneapolis, New York City (didn’t they just have it?) and Philadelphia. PLEEEEEEEEASSSSSE let it be some other town. ANY other town.

Two days ago when the GOP deciders came to town to see what we were alllll about, they were greeted at the airport by jugglers, clowns, bands – oh and the mayor. Our democratic mayor, from our democratic town. But really, why wouldn’t the Republicans reward us w/this great event? I mean, we fuckin’ handed them the 2004 election. Ok – Cleveland didn’t, but Ohio did.

Though it would seem the right thing to do, if we bestowed the opportunity to host this shin-dig, I should probably stay to protest whatever dastardly deeds they do/have done. However, I’m more apt to plan my vacation around this debacle and get the hell out of Dodge.

To be honest, I haven’t read that much about the sites they are looking at. For all intense purposes, we don’t have a convention center. The convention/travel site lists things to do, eat, go, how to get – but no venue. I guess they’d have to use Gund arena, The Q. The only thing I hear them touting is where to visit and eat. I guess like any convention, it’s about the attractions, not the meeting.

Maybe we can rent the house out for that week or two. Not to republicans. Perhaps to media or some nicer moveon members. We could probably make two months worth of mortgage that way.

….and for the record, I’d choose death!