The New Musings of a Quiet Geek

1. Took the cat to the vets for nail trim. Paid $20! For 5 minutes of work! (Those against raising the minimum wage, don't comment. The tech won't see much if any of that money so the argument is beyond moronic.) Officially, I have a roommate who's never here and has a severe cat allergy anyway. Also, it takes my aunt coming over just to get him the carrier so doing it at home isn't an option. Plus, he's at least 11 years old and isn't as cooperative as he was when he arrived at age 8; which was hardly at all anyway. The point is, if I ever could do it at home I certainly can't now.  This is the second issue I've had with this local clinic. A few years ago, they stopped stocking the cat's medicine in a form he'd actually take due to lack of popularity. (Those who know me know how I hate this explanation...) To their credit, the first time (first 2 times actually) I brought Amos in after my medical issues of last year, they actually asked how I wa...

I have been eligible to vote for about 17 and half years. This is the first year I can remember, living and in two states where a lot of stuff actually happened during the primary elections.  This is the current state of affairs in this country of ours.  Sure, incumbents moving on to other things or retiring leaving seats open has always happened and are one thing but this year, people are turning on the incumbents. Oddly, in offices as in innocuous as county sheriff. Here in Cumberland County, Maine, the democrat Kevin Joyce had two incidents at the jail where where prisoners sneaked into the other part to "get to know" another prisoner better. This seemed to be challenger Mark Edes entire reason for running. (The fact, to me, that security is a Republican issue yet there isn't one running speaks a volume or two about my county.) I admit I voted for Edes since if he felt he could do a better job might as well give him a shot. To be clear, I have no problem with Joyce a...

I have now been back in Maine for over a year now and wanted to share my thoughts on how my life is now. The temping just didn't work out. I wouldn't say that the opportunity to transfer to the temp agency's office up here was too good to be true but there were some factors I didn't, and probably should have, considered. The bus system isn't nearly as extensive up here and, more importantly, I don't have the access to rides I did down in Connecticut. I think also their policies on typing speed, etc., also have changed but I could be wrong. Things I do enjoy about living up here is my church and my volunteering at the seminary library. It so great to go in every day to a job I enjoy with people that I not only enjoy working with but enjoy just hanging out with. This is a first for me. One thing I'm really getting sick of, though, is all the drama that is my roommate's life that I've gotten sucked into time and time again simply because I live here. (I...

Ok, lately I've been addicted to the Internet Checkers game that comes with Windows. As you know, I've had broadband access for awhile but something about my new life makes me want to play this game. I certainly can't be more bored than I was in Connecticut so that can't be it. Any ideas? Anyway, I'm not that good at it. I severely beat some French-speaking person once and, another time, I was losing badly then the guy, or gal, made one stupid move allowing me to triple jump him causing the game to end in a draw but otherwise it's been not good at all. And yet, I'm compelled to play. Did I tell everyone we finally figured out how to access the network printer so there will be no repeat of that Tuesday morning fiasco. (Well, the boots thing will probably happen again knowing the PCA help around here but...) Can I get a "Woo Hoo?" I went to church this morning. I still church shopping but I think I'll try this church again. Probably through the m...

Since I mentioned that I was going to see my agency yesterday, I thought you might want an update. I woke up early and was doing well with time until I was trying to find my boots. I hunted high and low and couldn't find them. It turns out, apparently, that some idiot put them in the closet by the door which I would never think to look for them. That problem solved, a new one arose when I realized that I needed to print a copy of my resume to bring with me. Since I don't have a printer of my own (that I can hook up to my computer anyway) and we can't figure out why I can't access my cousin's printer through the network we set up, he was able to get files I put in the shared folder. (The reverse still isn't true but we're working on it.) This wasn't working yesterday. So I tried e-mailing it. The first two or three tries didn't show up in his inbox until after I left. The next try finally worked, however. Yay! Right? Well, after all that, it must of f...

Well, I think this quiz proves I won't starve in this new life: Familiar with Foods You scored 50% Food Knowledge! You had an okay score. You obviously know a bit about the foods of the world, but not near enough. There are so many ethnic cuisines out there. Travel or try some local ethnic restaurants. Link: The Foods of the World Test written by coronacarina on OkCupid Free Online Dating , home of the The Dating Persona Test I had a woman call me from Boston I guess but there was so much commotion neither of us could hear so she just e-mailed me instead. She had seen my resume and thought I might be good for an administrative assistant opening through a Maine client. Unfortunately, it wasn't on the busline so I had to say no but she'll keep me in mind for something else. I called my agency's Portland office today and set up a meeting for tomorrow morning so thing's are shaping up even better now.

Hello from the snow-covered state of Maine! I have actually moved and am pretty well moved in. I have the new bank account and bed and the bus pass. I have my computer and internet set up (as you can see) and I have food. Monday, I should be able to get things set up with my agency so yay! I need to still figure out where to find a DVD case and an adapter to hook my old printer up to a USB port but, other than that, things are going well. I even encouraged my cousin to get a blog of his own. Check it out!

Last night really, the preparations for my move to Portland has commenced. We've decided February 1st and 2nd. I've already figured out how much a bus pass would cost and and I believe I know how to get to my grandmother's apartment. As you may already know, it seems like a simple process to transfer to my temp agency's office up there so I will have some work. It may not be enough at first we'll work it out. Even though my attempts to contact other agencies have been apparently ignored, I'm hoping they'll be more receptive when I actually move. We worked out a budget this morning and I'll still need financial assistance from my parents for the time being if the job situation isn't drastically different up there. The new complication is that my bank isn't in Maine. (Coincidentally, my bank in Maine before the move down here isn't down here.) So I think I've found a suitable replacement although there seems to be some confusion as to what ...

Here's a blow by blow account of my recent Christmas and subsequent vacation for you all to peruse. Christmas Day-I woke up rather late as my cat decided to spend the night before with me and that is difficult for many reasons. We had our stocking and presents and then hit the road for Maine. When we arrived, we had a present exchange. Tuesday- My aunt, who arrived at my grandmother's just before we did the day before was down and a cousin came over so there was a Christmas party of sorts. The downside was that my intestinal thing from Thanksgiving returned but more on that later. That night, we watched the movie The Upside of Anger . I really can't say you should definitely see this movie or that you definitely shouldn't. Overall, it was very well acted and isn't about time Kevin Costner put out a movie that was at least Tin Cup good? The best line came from the writer/director: "Who should I sleep with, Terry? Women like you? Your age? My age? I don't. Y...

I don't have anything to say of any import except to say the career is still going nowhere so the move to Portland is looking good. Now what I really wanted to comment on today was the political scene here in Connecticut. There are only two congressional incumbents who's jobs aren't being threatened; my district congressman being one of them. The other three districts however seem quite heated and so I'll have to watch a buttload of political ads that have nothing to do with me for the eternity until election day. Being from the two district state of Maine, I didn't have this problem there as the incumbent of the other district never had a serious challenger so this is rather new to me. (Not my first election down here but it seems especially annoying this year.) I will say this: the Republican incumbents all seem to stress their opponents will raise taxes. First off, not very original. (Not a cigarette tax! No!) Secondly, one of the main reasons I can never be a ...

I was waiting to post until I had something worth talking about but I realized I have no idea what you'd find interesting so here's what I can share with you now. On Sunday, I saw Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby with my father. I expected it to be incredibly silly but I did not expect to laugh so hard. The whole cast was hilarious but especially Gary Cole in his best role yet I think and Molly Shannon who I admit was not my favorite SNL castmember. (Her "Best of" special was only funny because of the other people in the sketches with her.) Here, she was so funny. John C. Reilly wasn't as funny as he was in The Good Girl but I think we all know the writing was much better in that movie... This afternoon I finally got around to watching the movie I borrowed from the library almost a week ago. I had wanted to see Flightplan with Jodie Foster for awhile but it was always checked out so after talking with my grandmother who asked me if I'd seen it ...

I don't know who will read this let alone care as everyone seems to be having their own problems, some anyway being way more important but writing here has always helped at least little just writing it down. I need a change. No, not just a short vacation. I need something to happen that will last at least 9 months. I'm not interested in getting more education as I'm stilling paying off the so far useless education I already possess. I've considered taking up the suggestion of my cousins and move to Portland but their are issues that I need to work out first. (It is true my temp agency has an office there.) One: I can't do anything like that until I get the knee situation figured out. If I do end up having surgery, I want to be home during my extensive rehab. If that sounds a bit childish, so what? The second reason is more of a lasting complication and probably even more childish but the reason I do enjoy living at home is that I can do temp work to pay my tw...