I suppose I should talk about my new job. I start a new job and then don't really say much about it. Can't have people thinkings this is a bad thing.
I started my first 12-hour shifts this week. Not too mention, I actually have to work now. No more two hour lunches. No more rolling in around 9 and taking off around 3. To go from a 4-hour day to a 12 hour day... Whoa...
Yeah... it's a bit of a shock. The hours I'm working I think I'm pretty fortunate to get. I've worked all different shifts at previous jobs and 2nd shift is the worst. Day hours still allow me a social life. Which I'm sure Mark appreciates.
The shift goes by pretty fast as long as we are steady/busy. It's nice to have some days off during the week. It is an adjustment having to work every other weekend tho.
Sorry babe.
I'm not a morning person... getting up at 430am sucks ass! It'll suck worse in the winter when I won't see sun for those days I work. Blerg...
The job itself is pretty stressful. I'm kind of freaked out. It's weird... I can talk a person out of killing themselves, but to talk to doctors (who think they are God anyway) has me a bit flustered.
There is SOOO much that I need to remember. The people that are training me seem to have it all down. I don't doubt that I will too at some point. Yet it's still kind of freaky. I don't feel 'ready' at all.
Girl can NOT get a break. Does she not THINK of what Chris Crocker will do next?
I posted this @ 9/21/2007 07:09:00 PM.............Need a link?..........
9/20/2007
YOU REMIND ME
I'm in a lyrical mood.
Sometimes a song just hits you at right the moment. Music does that for me. I've not been sleeping well. I've had things on my mind. Yadda yadda yadda... *tiny violins play*
It's an ink blot world, a Rorschach test. You make your way. You try the best you can. You remind me who I am.
-Steve Poltz "You Remind Me"
This song has such a gentle feel. An open road. Windows down. Radio up. Just like I like it. Sunny days. All that good stuff... This is a song that I needed right now.
Plus, you gotta love a guy who can write a song about a boyfriend like this.
UPDATE: This song is used in the latest Jeep commercial. A lot of people are finding this song and this site as a result of Jeep & Steve Poltz. So yes... this is the guy and the song you are hearing.
I posted this @ 9/20/2007 07:30:00 PM.............Need a link?..........
YOU GIVE ME FEVER
So Typhoid Mary has struck again...
I might as well embrace my 'title' as it was given to me. It seems that while I don't get sick (usually) I do make other sick. And it's getting worse.
At first it was just when I'd hang out with my best friend, Mike. He'd start feeling ill a day or so later. Then it happened again... I think three times total, I'd go over to his house some afternoon. Then in a day he'd be coming down with a cold. I was blamed since I worked in a hospital around God only knows what kind of sickos who had ebola, SARS, or even the Hanta virus... How I got it is beyond me.
His wife has experienced this effect as well. Apparently I made her sick one weekend some months ago.
Now, the latest example has made another member of their household ill. This can be explained because I came in contact with all three of them this past weekend at a baby shower.
What worries me is that since I'm no longer working in a hospital... I MUST be the cause. So take me as I am. Germs and all.
Hi. Nice to meet you. I'm Typhoid Mary. I'd shake your hand, but.. well... no...
I posted this @ 9/19/2007 03:59:00 PM.............Need a link?..........
9/18/2007
A LOVELY DAY
This is just a quickie post. It may not be much, but it is better than posting You Tube videos and pictures of funny cats, like I've been prone to do lately.
So, the job is going well. I'm having a difficult time adjusting to 1) actually having to be somewhere at a certain time in the morning 2) actually working. No more 2 hour lunches. No more rolling in (or out) whenever I feel like it. I think it'll be a challenge, but it'll also be better for my brain. It won't be turning to mush like I felt like it was.
As in times past, I feel like I have a lot to say, but not sure what to say or how to say it. My mind has been rather introspective lately. I think it's all trying to process the last month or so.
In less important news. I'm looking forward to the new Fall season of TV. Heroes... Lost... Grey's Anatomy... Survivor... It's not like Mark and I don't have enough shows that we gab to each other about. Now, I've got a whole new line-up of things to view.
Speaking of Mark... we are rapidly approaching a milestone. More on that later.
Right now... I'm feeling a bit shaky. I feel like I've not eaten in a while (even tho I had lunch). So I'm going to be two-handing some food in to my food-hole.
So... How're you guys doing?
I posted this @ 9/18/2007 02:58:00 PM.............Need a link?..........
9/16/2007
HIGH ADVENTURE THAT'S BEYOND COMPARE. THEY ARE THE GUMMI BEARS!
Hy-Vee One Pound of gummi bears = $2 Sitting on the couch with your boyfriend watching Amanda Bynes movies = Don't Judge Me Finishing off the whole pound bag in about 12 hours = Priceless
I love me some gummi bears!
For those of you who may not have already seen this...
...and yes I am a sick puppy.
I posted this @ 9/16/2007 04:33:00 PM.............Need a link?..........
9/13/2007
IT WAS A VERY GOOD YEAR
...on my birthday!!
Thanks for letting me take photos, babe!
I posted this @ 9/13/2007 06:44:00 PM.............Need a link?..........
9/12/2007
TAKE THIS JOB AND SHOVE IT
The title comes off harsher than I mean it, and is in no way a reflection on my current job.
So yeah... Quit one job. Start another the very next day. I'm going from 'working' (and I use that term VERY lightly) 8-hour days to eventually working 12-hour days on a funky schedule. I'm freaking out. Different hours. Different pay. Different people. How will this affect my rock 'n' roll lifestyle? How will this affect my relationship? Someone is all kinds of moving my cheese and it's freaking me out.
I posted this @ 9/12/2007 03:22:00 PM.............Need a link?..........
9/10/2007
RAINY DAYS AND MONDAYS ALWAY GET ME DOWN
Actually, I like rainy days; Mondays I'm ambivalent about.
But if you are having a "meh" kind of Monday nothing like a little Lisa Kudrow wearing her balls on the outside (figuratively of course) to get you moving.
Over the summer, Mark's friend Andy got us started on The Comeback and this is one of the hilarious clips from it.
I posted this @ 9/10/2007 07:06:00 AM.............Need a link?..........
9/08/2007
HAPPY BIRTHDAY
Thirty-three isn't much different from thirty-two. Other than I have to remember fewer numbers in my age. :P
Another fine birthday it is!
I posted this @ 9/08/2007 03:27:00 PM.............Need a link?..........
9/06/2007
YOU TAKE THE GOOD. YOU TAKE THE BAD. YOU TAKE THEM BOTH AND THERE YOU HAVE...
There are times when my job as a clinical researcher (survey/data entry monkey) almost seems glamorous. This was a page from an article in a research journal where a video game was used to educate about STDs and safe sex.
HOW ARE YOU DOING? In that section, there were 2 hotspots, and you have found 0 hotspots. so the sperm gets nearer to the diaphragm
I posted this @ 9/06/2007 02:19:00 PM.............Need a link?..........
STEPPIN' OUT WITH A STAR
There is still time to sign up. We've got room for more. I won't say who, but someone has the inside track on the movie industry. Will he prevail? Can he be beat?
If you read this blog, you're welcome to join in! The League Name is Movie Buffs. The password is moviebuffs.
I posted this @ 9/06/2007 08:38:00 AM.............Need a link?..........
SHE DRIVES ME CRAZY
I renewed my driver's license the other day. The Nebraska DMV gave me a nice present. They helped me lose 20 pounds. Just in time for my birthday
*cough* which is on Saturday *cough*
. Even though I filled out the form with my updated poundage, I didn't notice it was incorrect until after I got my license. Oh well...
I also managed to avoid having to wear glasses to take the vision test. Now before you say... "But Cris, if you need to wear glasses to drive, you should! I drive too. I don't want you to hit my car." I wear glasses when I drive. But I don't want my license to state that I have to wear glasses. I can see. Cars and lights and signs aren't an issue. And if I'm in a city that I'm not familiar with and I need to see the name printed on tiny street signs... then yes... I'm wearing my glasses. Again, if I can't get out of having my license reflect this... the happier I am.
Also... Maybe it's just Nebraska, but why wouldn't they want to have it so you could pay with a debit card?
Lastly, anyone who has issues with DMVs should just go early in the morning and in the month. Don't put it off til the last minute. That's when people get cranky DMV workers would rather eat your soul than assist you. The lady who assisted me was very friendly for a state working drone.
I posted this @ 9/06/2007 08:34:00 AM.............Need a link?..........
ACT NATURALLY
CAUTION: This entry is about pee. You've been warned.
As part of a job interview, I was required to give a sample for a drug screening. I've only had to does this on rare occasions, but it's never been an issue of not passing. I typically have a steady flow of allergy meds in my bloodstream and the occasional antibiotic. So unless there is some weird combination that the two produce... I should be fine.
It was a walk-in occupational medical clinic. Even though I had directions to the clinic this did not stop me from driving past it twice. I was expecting a building. Not four sheets of corrugated metal slapped together with temporary walls on the inside. It was a very professional and cleanly run place... I just wasn't expecting to be run out of a machine shed.
While driving around looking for the clinic, I noticed a peculiar sign on some of the posts. "If you notice a strange ODOR please call 911." Odor was the most prominent word on the sign. The sign itself was reason enough to pique my curiosity. I should add that the clinic was in an area of town where there is a rendering plant. So as your driving down the interstate, and go by the rendering plant your olfactory senses are assaulted with the stench of death and cat food. This makes the sign even more curious. I noticed a strange odor, but I knew what it was... Death and cat food. If there is a strange odor, it might just be because the wind is blowing in the right direction and the neighborhood is getting some fresh breathable air.
Just saying...
So once inside the clinic I filled out the paperwork and took a seat. Waiting, I realized something important. How was I going to pee in a cup when I'd just peed before I left? It was morning. It was out of habit. So as I sit there, bladder empty, I start thinking of ways to somehow to magically conjure urine.
My name was called and I went into a small room with a friendly, but drone-like nurse.
"Empty your pockets."
Ok?
"Wash your hands."
Ok...
"Fill this cup to the line," she says as she hands the specimen cup to me. She takes my pocket belongings and locks them in a little cabinet. Instructs me that I am NOT to flush the toilet and leaves me to my business.
Now again... I'd just peed before I left home. I don't have to go. But let me just say it is amazing what a person can manage when the need presents itself.
I hand the sample to nurse, wash my hands, and take back my belongings. I initial multiple forms in multiple places. Then she has me initial the sample container... and it's still warm.
Whatever... roll your eyes... tell me to grow up. Fine... but still. Eeew!
It's at this moment why I realize the nurse is on auto-pilot and has very little smile or perk to demeanor. She has to handle warm vials of pee all day.
A job that I do not envy. Thank you, Pee Nurse. You've brightened the outlook on my day knowing that, well... things could be worse.
I posted this @ 9/06/2007 08:12:00 AM.............Need a link?..........
9/04/2007
THE SONG REMAINS THE SAME
Put your iPod on shuffle and write about the first ten songs you hear.
Warning: This is kind of a long entry!
Music for me has been like artwork. I may not 'get' what it is the song is trying to say. I may have a different interpretation of it. I may be completely off in what it means. But as long as you get 'something' from it... isn't that what's really important?
10,000 Maniacs - A Campfire Song: This is one of the first 10,000 Maniacs songs I can remember hearing. Angie would play it all the time when we would work the closing shift at McDonald's. Her huge crush on Michael Stipe compelled her to listen to the bridge of the song over and over. It's frequently played song in my rotation, even today.
Something is out of reach. Something he wanted. Something is out of reach. He's being taunted.
The Fray - How To Save A Life: This is one of those songs that I like for a reason different from it's meaning. The Fray's music being used in anything Zach Braff has his hands on, this song Loss. The break-up with someone you called someone special. A friend. A lover. A fight. A death. A mistake. A wrong choice.
Step one you say we need to talk He walks you say sit down it's just a talk
Where did I go wrong, I lost a friend Somewhere along in the bitterness
The Knife - Heartbeats: There is a cover of this song that is absolutely beautiful. But I suppose that would be writing about a different song. Life has a soundtrack. And the DJ is full of perfect timing and irony.
Ten days of perfect tunes The colours red and blue We had a promise made We were in love
AC/DC - Thunderstruck: It's time for me to come out of the closet. There is a part of me that love classic rock. Arena rock. Guitar-driven. Eardrum-pounding... RAWK!
I remember being on vacation once and playing with some kids at a RV park who were listening to AC/DC. I was young, impressionable. I was also a pretty regular conservative baptist church-goer. AC/DC was "devil music". And how! It was forbidden ear-fruit. (Ear-fruit. Hee!)
It wasn't until later in high school and college that my love of classic rock would really come screaming through. Thunderstruck is definitely one of those songs. \m/
Jamiroquai - Black Capricorn Day: Little Chris and I were at a friends dance recital when I first heard this song. I was already a Jamiroquai fan and this just strengthen that love. Maybe I'm oblivious, but I still don't know what a Black Capricorn Day is that he is going through.
Ben Folds - Landed: This song for me is break-up set to music. I discovered it about the same time I was picking myself up from a bad relationship.
We'd hit the bottom I thought it was my fault And in a way I guess it was
...and I did. I was the one who didn't have the balls to get out sooner. The distancing of friends because you were in an unhealthy relationship and they couldn't reach you. But in the end, you get your shit together.
And you will be so happy to know I've come alone It's over
Train - I'm Not Waiting In Line: From a 'musicians' viewpoint, I love this song because of the electric piano/Hammond organ that can be heard. There is something funky about it that goes back to why I like Jamiroquai. Playing a bit of piano myself, it seems like a fun instrument to play around on. When you're really into a song and you're just going with the music, wherever it leads.
Lyrically I am amused by this song. A whole song about how he thinks the object of his affection is The Shit. Even then... he's not going to sit around and wait for the guy to figure out that he's crushing on him big time. Conversely, he knows he has other suitors, so why bother waiting around for someone to figure out that he has a crush. Then it's the last almost-whispered coy line, "Unless you want me to."
I'm not waiting in line And I'm not changing my mind for you I'm not wasting my time I'm not waiting in line
Unless you want me to
The Proclaimers - I'm Gonna Be 500 Miles: A good, friendly, loving, drinking song. Sung for a lover... Sung for a friend... A fun jaunty little diddy that gets me feeling upbeat in no time. I always loved to sing the back-up part during the chorus where the guy just shouted almost every other word or syllable.
AND I WOULD WALK FIVE...-DRED... AND I WOULD WALK FIVE...-DRED... TO...A...WHO...A...-SAND... TO...DOWN...YOUR DOOOOR!!!
Oasis - Wonderwall: This is a song that I loved to play on the piano. Oasis is my emo. Wonderwall is one of those songs that you sing about unrequited loves.
Maybe you're gonna be the one that saves me. And after all, you're my wonderwall.
Jefferson Airplane - White Rabbit: I get a contact high just listening to this song. Seriously... there is very little sane about this song. Unless you're stoned out of your gourd and the universe has exposed it's secret to you... and only you... "Go ask Alice... when she's ten feet tall." Any song that is based on a Lewis Carroll story... well, I think you have to be high.
I posted this @ 9/04/2007 12:14:00 PM.............Need a link?..........
WHERE THE GIRLS ARE THE FAIREST, THE BOYS ARE THE SQUAREST
There is no place like Nebraska. Fight song aside, I do like Nebraska, Omaha in particular. I've always enjoyed the 'big' small town feel that it has to it. On a (rare) political note, my views are probably more liberal that what might be common to the state as a whole. I've been told that I don't seem like I come from a small town. Now... having said that, when I'm in a larger city, I certain feel like a small town kind of guy.
But... I'm getting off track.
When asked about Omaha and Nebraska in general, I really don't know what to say other than it's a nice "'big' small town" like I already said. I can tell you about the zoo. Or the college world series coming here every year. Warren Buffet lives here. So that's something... Omaha kind of blends in when it comes to big-time news and events.
So I guess that is why it surprises me to learn that there was a neo-Nazi rally over the weekend. They actually came from Minneapolis to protest in front of the Mexican Consulate here in Omaha. Seriously? This is how you choose to spend your time?
There were counter-protesters on hand and a separate Diversity Day celebration going on elsewhere. It's times like this that my small-townness comes through. I'm surprised that something like this even still happens. Not the existence of neo-Nazi, but just that neo-Nazi's protesting in Omaha. Would this type of thing even be noteworthy in a large city like Minneapolis, Chicago, St. Louis, or Denver? Or would it still occur, but on a larger scale.
As Mark and I were driving downtown, we were diverted because of the protesting. It's sad to note that I even uttered, "Oh it's probably protesters at the Mexican Consulate again." Because it happens so regularly now. When I first moved to Omaha it was noteworthy to see protesters outside the Planned Parenthood clinic just a few blocks away from the Consulate. Now they are old news. It's more unusual NOT to see them there. It is kind of looking that way with immigration protests now.
I posted this @ 9/04/2007 11:35:00 AM.............Need a link?..........
I'm a 30-something student of human nature. A music-lovin', groove-shakin', laugh-inducin', dish-cookin', gossip-slingin', type of guy. This is my diary of sorts...
