Dear Diary/Journal/Bob 3.0

[starlooker]

Dear Bob,

Whew. That could've been much, much worse.

I am never touching another evaluation where there is the smallest, tiniest, itty-bittyest question regarding custody. Ever again.

[Jeesh_girl15]

Bob,

I cried in the darkness of the car earlier with my sisters sitting right next to me completely oblivious. My neighbor, who had had cancer for at least the past year, past away last week. It wasn't unexpected, and my family had been/is still praying for her and her husband, but I was still extremely sad about it. We brought food to to her husband earlier today, and he just doesn't know what to do with himself. It's his first night alone, alone, with all his relatives having gone, and he just hates it. It's not like I know him to well, but my dad does, and this still hit me pretty hard. When I first heard the news, I started crying right then, and when I was reminded of it, I get emotional all over again. I can't help thinking that when I'm older and married off, and have grandchildren and all that, I really don't want to have to bury my husband. If I could, I'd wish that we would just die together at the same time. That's pretty selfish of me... But I can't help at least thinking that. I'm not ready for the real world.
And the people of Haiti... My homeroom teacher updates us every morning about the people and the aids being sent and everything. They lost everything. Their families, their homes, their lives. Just Everything. I just want to go over there myself and do everything I can for those poor people. But, all I can do right now is pray. Pray for my neighbor and for the people of Haiti.

-Me

[Confessions]

Bob,

Some people are off to a great start here

Part of me can't wait to see a certain members response.

[Gravity Defier]

Bob,

She passed away today.

[Jayelle]

Bob,

This summer Paul went to Uganda. He worked there with a priest from our sister church in a small, rural village. The two of them made plans for a future visit, and he had all kinds of exciting plans for the church and for the village. It was an amazing visit. Since the, the priest has called us many times (often late at night because of the time difference), always excited for Paul to come back to Uganda with a group of people from our church. I talked to him on a few occasions and he wanted me to come and bring our daughter.
Today we got the news that he is dead, apparently of suicide.

Why? Why? I don't understand. I am in shock, and Paul is in way more shock.

JL

[Eaquae Legit]

*hugs* I'm so sorry Jan. Tell Paul we're praying for you both, and for your friend.

[Jayelle]

Thank you so much. He has a nephew and a grandson who were under his care.

On a very stupid happy note, we found Ginny's boot.

[Luet]

*hugs* I'm so sorry Jan. I've had to deal with the suicide of both a friend and family member and it always leaves so many questions unanswered. Mental illness is terrible.

[locke]

Bob,

I can't express how angry I am at Massachusetts right now. I already didn't like the state because of ex-girlfriends and the dude who got a gf to cheat on me and dump me for him, but really, this seals the deal, f*** off massachusetts and your stupid f****** incompetant attorney general who can't run a goddamn campaign to save her own f****** life and doesn't know who the f*** Curt Schilling is. And f*** all the f****** f****** idiotic mother f****** newspundits out there who have made the most conservative attempt at healthcare reform in forty years as some sort of evil unamerican plot full of dangerous scary, but undefined demons. f*** the stupid f****** populace for being too f****** stupid to understand anything and only following f****** hyperbole and breathless chatter. I wish we had a liberal media, f****** conservative as all hell CNN and the extreme right wing f****** fox news piss me off so much with how f****** pandering they are and f****** vile they are in every respect for being so goddamned hateful and f****** conservative in pretty much every respect. They can all go burn in hell. And there is really no f****** reason at all for me to be so f****** upset, by the end of the week its like the house will pass the senate bill unchanged and we'll still get healthcare reform, but f****** sake it's goddamned depressing that the f****** republicans with only FIFTY ONE f****** SENATORS GOT EVERY f****** THING THEY EVER WANTED PASSED WHILE DRIVING THE WHOLE COUNTRY AND OUR WHOLE COUNTRYS FUTURE OFF A CLIFF WITH UNRESTRAINED SPENDING MASSIVE f****** EXPANSION OF GOVERNMENT AND STARTING TOO TOTALLY USELESS AND INCREDIBLY STUPID WARS. THEY PASSED EVERY f****** ITEM ON THEIR GODDAMN DOMESTIC AGENDA WITH JUST FIFTY ONE f****** SENATORS AND THE f****** DEMOCRATS CAN'T f****** PASS A SINGLE f****** ITEM ON THEIR AGENDA WITH f****** SIXTY f****** DEMOCRATS. f*** YOU JOE LIEBERMAN YOU COCKSUCKING SON OF THE DEVIL YOU'RE AN EVIL AND VILE f****** SONUVABITCH AND I HOPE YOU f****** BURN IN HELL YOU f****** s*****. SAME GOES TO THE INCOMPETENT HARRY REID.

Hopefully Obama will grow a f****** spine and start actually being liberal if he's going to be an extreme moderate that is nearly a republican in most respects and get hammered for being an extremist liberal he might as well go whole hog and actually be what he's vilified as by the f****** moronic press and the racist motherfuckers out in america who are scared of a black president.

I need to punch something, a lot. and yell, and scream, and wish I lived in a country that wasn't determined to run itself off a cliff. f****** morons in this country want taxes cut, more torture, entitlements increased, debt reduced and cheaper healthcare and higher wages, and wars waged on every non-white non-christian country. I hate them all so much and their fox news fairy tale land they f****** live in where they think this is possible. We are in this f****** mess because of the f****** republicans they should all die of some horrible plague becuase they f****** ruined this country and it looks like, today, that they probably ruined it forever and we'll never be able to fix the giant f****** mess left by Bush, Reagan and company. We had a f****** chance, and instead we f****** wasted our lives on youtube and farmville rather than care about our country. f*** f*** f***.


I f****** hate people

[Luet]

You know we do have a screaming anger thread...

[starlooker]

I hear you, Adam. I hear you.

[Gravity Defier]

Heya, Bob.

Just an update on the thing I said in DY: I've found someone to further investigate on Friday and by that, I mean see if they're still covered by my insurance and if they're taking new patients. I thought I would be more of a slacker about this, in all honesty, but I'm actually following up on the promise I made to myself to look before too long.

[powerfulcheese04]

Dear Bob,

YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!!

Matt Baker is guilty!!!!!

YAY YAY YAY YAY YAY!

This makes me so unbelievably happy.

I hope Linda and her husband get custody of the girls. I hope they both, but especially the older one, get into counseling ASAP. He's been manipulating their minds for years, and there is suspicion that there is also some sexual abuse (especially of the older girl.)

Finally, FINALLY, this man is having to pay for some of the horrible things he's done to people. Finally, there's enough proof and enough will to prosecute.

He raped a girl when he was in seminary school and got away with it. He was inappropriate with female parishoners at several churces. Kari had suspicions that he killed their middle daughter during her fight with cancer (she was on a respirator that became mysteriously unhooked not long after Matt complained about how Kari was paying too much attention to Cassidy.) He cheated on Kari. He killed her and staged it as a suicide. He has played his remaining 2 children against their grandparents. He has isolated them. He has made the 13 year old assume adult/wife-like responsibilities.

But, finally, he's guilty. Finally, he loses.

[daPyr0x]

Dear Bob,

I got a second interview. Unfortunately, before getting a first interview for the job that I want. I'm kinda nervous, I fully expect this will be where they offer me the position (yeah, I'm cocky like that), and I really don't know if I want to work there.

First there's the ever present question of money. I don't know if they'll pay me what I asked for, but for a glorified call center job I'd be surprised. Barring that from being an issue, this really isn't a position that's going to further my career any. It won't strengthen my resume, I don't see much room for growth internally (though I intend to question that further), do I really want to dive in?

This wasn't even a question until I got myself on unemployment. Suddenly I feel empowered to take longer and find something more worthwhile, but to that I can't help but question, "can I?" It's not that I'm insecure in my capabilities, but I live next to the top computer science schools in the country, somehow I don't think someone like me with no credentials can land something IT in that region. The available postings, and lack of responses to my resume, can attest to that.

Truthfully I can't justify either course of action to myself. I don't even know what I'm prepping for. I'm in school for 2 more years to get a diploma so I can...well, so I can put some words on my resume. I don't know what I'll do with it, just that I hope it pays well.

I want to matter.

I don't want to be a nameless, easily replaceable employee. I want my thoughts and opinions to be of influence. There are a lot of positions that offer that, but a glorified call center isn't one of them. I can take it for a while - it does sound kinda nice to work M-F 9-5 and get paid well for a while - I just... I'm scared of where I'm going.

Or not going.

This is another one of those times when I wish I had a real male role model. Both of my older brothers are broke, both at their own accord for making poor employment choices, they're not people to go to. I've always been the one to make it work one way or another. I'm the one to buckle down and just get the job done, and that method has proven monetarily viable for me. Just...boring, and not driving me anywhere I care to go. It's like trying to get somewhere after you pass it on the highway. So close, yet forced to drive past and find a way in somehow.

It just...the job doesn't fulfill any of the things I was hoping for out of my next job, outside of money, assuming that isn't going to be an issue. It's not IT, it's not career-building, it doesn't have room for growth, and the training isn't going to be relevant for crossover to other jobs. And even in my worst-case, where I couldn't find anything, I was going to a retail job where I could at least work on my sociability.

But, if the price is right...

Bob, I'm not sure what I'll do.

--Cam

[powerfulcheese04]

Cam, my mom (who teaches HR/hiring/management classes) says that it's easier to find a job if you have a job. So, maybe take it and continue searching.

[Mich]

I fixed my car! Yesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyes!

Turns out it was the fuel pump, after all. And after waiting all of that time, choosing the right fuel pump, going out of my way to spend extra money so that I wouldn't waste more money by getting the wrong one, getting the old one out (yuck), putting the new one in, replacing the battery that had died during the three months of not doing anything, and biking with the dead battery all over town with the battery slung over one handlebar (sooooo hard, my arms hurt two days later), it works. And it didn't! That was the worst thing. I had done all of these things to fix it, and the car still wouldn't start, and acted just like it did before I replaced the pump. Apparently I just needed to pump out some air bubbles, and it ran, and I'm elated.

Yes.

Love the Waxo.

[Gravity Defier]

Bob,

In this particular case, I lose no matter what I do.

I'd elaborate but...you know.

[Jeesh_girl15]

Hey, Bob,
Went into anaphylactic shock yesterday after eating some catfish that was fried with shrimp, which I'm highly allergic to. I took a Benadryl a couple of minutes after I found out, and seemed fine for about an hour. Then I went to basketball practice, and we think that made it worse, all the exercise. I started getting red and swollen in the face, and my mom pulled me aside and gave me two Benadryls. I didn't get much better, so she took me to the bathroom. My chest was tightening a bit then, and I was freaking out. After a few minutes of it not getting any better, she gave me an EpiPen. Someone called 911. I remember the oxygen mask on my face and getting in the ambulance... Then I was in the ER and it was all bright and everything. It was actually only a mild case that was exercise induced. My parents actually did most of the work... I stayed in the hospital for a few hours, so they could watch my vital signs and the effects of the Epi. Got to go home about 8:30. I'm just glad I didn't eat any more of the fish, and that my mom had the EpiPen in her purse.

[Jayelle]

Wow, JG, that's scary! I'm glad you're okay!

[buckshot]

Hi Bob ! A fine friend just brought me a fine box of Cuban Diplomaticos , would you join me? lets burn up a few !

[Young Val]

Dear Bob,

Um... an NYC vendor is interested in carrying my baked goods. I'm supposed to talk with them this week and perhaps ship a sampler? This is all long-distance from MN, mind you.

Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat?!?!?

[Mich]

That's awesome, Kelly! Super-duper awesome!

[daPyr0x]

Dear Bob (and Kim )

I got that job offer today. The interview I was worried about went well, but with no discussion of wages or offers or anything. I got the feeling that I didn't impress the VP as I had the department manager and HR, and I wasn't sure whether or not I'd get the offer I expected. I did make a point of questioning where I could go with the company and was pleasantly impressed by the response I received. I knew the company was a small-ish subsidiary of a larger corporation, which itself is a subsidiary of a large corporate conglomerate - you know, the type that has their hands in the pockets of every product on the planet. In other words, it certainly seems as though there would be a lot of opportunity throughout the organization. Not neccesarily local, though - but worldwide is pretty cool, too. The offer is slightly less per hour than I was making previously, but an additional week of vacation (along with a regular 40 hour work week) make it really appealing.

But I want the law firm job. I've been constantly convinced by my classmate that somethings going to come of it rather soon - supposedly now by the end of the week - but I've not gotten anything yet. Many people have told me just to take it and leave if the other one pans out - but I'm just not like that. i know how much that sucks as an employer.

I just hate missing opportunities, especially one that's going to put me exactly where I want to be. I don't know what I'm going to do.

[locke]

Bob,

Amanda may have gotten food poisoning from the restaurant we ate at last night. I ate everything she ate, but she ate most of the duo of tartars (tuna and swordfish/smoked mussel) I'm thinking it may have been the mussel in the tartar that did it.

[Jayelle]

Dear Bob,

Um... an NYC vendor is interested in carrying my baked goods. I'm supposed to talk with them this week and perhaps ship a sampler? This is all long-distance from MN, mind you.

Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat?!?!?

Congrats! That's amazing.

[Petra456]

Dear Bob,

Um... an NYC vendor is interested in carrying my baked goods. I'm supposed to talk with them this week and perhaps ship a sampler? This is all long-distance from MN, mind you.

Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat?!?!?

That's awesome, and i'm completely curious how that would work.

Ya know, you should totally be dominating the "smells in my kitchen" thread!

[Rei]

Dear Bob,

It's not fair that I get sick every time I get a day off. It's not fair at all.

~Rei

[Eddie Pinz]

Dear Bob,

Um... an NYC vendor is interested in carrying my baked goods. I'm supposed to talk with them this week and perhaps ship a sampler? This is all long-distance from MN, mind you.

Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat?!?!?

See good things happen when girls stay in the kitchen where they belong. Now, if only you were barefoot and pregnant.


But honestly, that sounds amazing.

[Young Val]

See good things happen when girls stay in the kitchen where they belong. Now, if only you were barefoot and pregnant.


But honestly, that sounds amazing.

Barefoot? Yes! Pregnant...well, David and I are trying to do things in order, so we'll probably tie the knot first.

I'm so nervous and excited. And already SUPER overwhelmed about all the formalities involved in opening my own business...

And this isn't even a done deal, yet.

[Eaquae Legit]

Kelly, that is the coolest thing I've heard all week! Major congrats, and I hope it all goes through!

[Wil]

Bob,

Sometimes people just don't make any sense.

My extended family (that is, my Aunt's kids, significant others, kids, etc) are going to Sequoia in July. They asked if I wanted to go along. I found out that two of my cousins are splitting the cost of a room at the lodge. So I found out what lodge, and looked up the price of splitting a suite (that sleeps six), and going thirds with them. Turns out, it's $100 less for six nights to go thirds on a suite over my cousins going half/half on a regular room.

One of the cousins doesn't want to do it.

The suite has two queen beds, and in a separate room where the door closes there is a sofa sleeper. Meaning, they can shut me away in the sofa sleeper room and they can act as if I'm not there and it is just the two of them sleeping in the same room, except they're doing it for $100 less

It doesn't make any sense. The room is much larger, it ends up saving them $100, and... they don't want to do it?

Come on, people. All I ask for is a little rationality. What's the problem? Afraid I'll cramp your style by spending eight hours of my day unconscious with you in the same vicinity? Afraid I'll take a smelly dump in the bathroom? What?

*sighs*

What's wrong with people, Bob?

Wil

[steph]

Kelly, that is the coolest thing I've heard all week! Major congrats, and I hope it all goes through!

Yes. Me too!

And you're welcome to ship any samples to me for critiques.

[Jayelle]

Hey Steph,
When are you due? Are we getting close to baby time?

[steph]

My c-section is scheduled for March 8th. Just under 6 weeks to go! Baby room improvements will be finished tomorrow, so I can start decorating and organizing clothes. I think I will feel ready then. I'm not sure what I'm going to do with a girl, though. My life is ALL boy, so Jan, I may need some advice! I'm a little nervous about it.

[Jayelle]

Hmm, well... they still pee on you, but instead of spraying everywhere it just goes in a big puddle that soaks everything.

Also, the nice thing about girls is you can dress them in anything. People kinda frown on boys in frills, but nobody cares if you stick your daughter in overalls.

Really, I don't think it makes that big of a difference in the first few years.