Midweek Update

Greetings. I've been wanting to put up an update for a few days now, but the past two nights, I was watching the Westminster Dog Show on USA Network, which was great as always. I don't really tune into these dog shows, since they run all the time on Animal Planet, but several years ago, I started watching Westminster, and well, there's just something about that show that keeps you watching. Not only to see your favorite breeds of dogs in each grouping category (working, herding, toy, terrier, hounds, nonsporting and sporting), but the insight and over all feel that the broadcasters bring to the table is something to behold. Anyway, by the time those were over, it was 10, and shortly after that I was headed off to bed. So, that's my excuse, in part, for not getting the update up sooner, not that anyone's keeping count aside from me, :) I'll start from last Friday, since that was when I tackled the door with the two locks in shop class.

Friday. In a way, the door was easier I thought, since it was stationary, more or less, than the movable blocks of wood that I worked with leading up to the door. However, since several hundred people have worked on the locks and door before me, it wasn't in tip top shape. And, finding the holes that the screws went into, inside the door, was challenging as always. I completed the project within the 2 hour period, but much of that was spent poking and prodding the screws around inside the door, where you couldn't have used sight even if you had it. However, I stil feel like I can fix the dead bolt on my apartment if I had too, and I couldn't have said that at the beginning of last week. Tomorrow, that's Thursday, we're all going to Lowes where I'll buy some screw drivers, and look at some tool boxes. Not sure I'll actually get one; it depends how much they are. Not much else happened on Friday, that I can remember anyway.

Saturday and Sunday. Not much happened here either, mainly rest. This was the first weekend after a full week of work for me, and I quite literally spent at least half of Saturday sleeping. Saturday night I had an interesting mishap at the laundry room. I put my money in the first washer and pushed the button, but nothing happened. I had used these same kinds of washers and dryers in college, so I knew how to work them. So, I got a few quarters returned, and put them back in and pushed the button with the same result: nothing. I then reluctantly moved the clothes, dripping with detergent, to the next washer and repeated the process, with the same nonresult. By this point I was getting pretty frustrated. So I did what any other normal person would do: I pulled out my cell phone and immediately called the apartment complex's after hours answering service to inform them of the problem. I expected to hear a whoosh when I pushed the washer's button, but I didn't hear anything, except a slow drip of water. Then I was faced with the task of what to do with my clothes. I went back to my apartment, eventually--after I navigated through the maze of sidewalks that always seem to be around the laundry room, and retrieved a plastic trash bag to put the clothes in. I figured that I could either remove the clothes, which I didn't want to do, or I could go down the line of washers and try each one, which I really didn't want to do, since that would mean putting in $0.75 each time, and probably losing it.

I returned to the laundry room, and to my astonishment and partial relief, the washers that I had attempted to start, were both running fine. Remember though that one had clothes in it and the other was full of water and detergent. I then called the answering service back and apologized and explained what had happened. Sunday night I did a load without any trouble, except for struggling with the sidewalks that led everywhere. The good thing about the sidewalks, is that they were in right angles. The bad thing was that there's more than 3 of them. It was not uncommon for me to turn down a path, run into a T-intersection, not know which way to turn, and then retrace my steps. To add to the confusion, nearly all of them are very narrow. By the last few trips back and forth, I started to figure out the pattern, but I still wonder each time I try to find the laundry room.

Monday. This day started out interesting, mainly because I accidentally knocked the basket I have on the top of my kitchen bar, off and spilled the contents into the sink. Most of the items, which were just odds and ins, landed in one half of the sink. My spare keys however, which were still in the small envelope they came in, landed in the other half, with the open disposal. I must have reached down at just the right angle because I nudged the envelope just enough to make the keys slip into the disposal. I have large hands, so it took me a good 5-10 minutes to get them out. I thought about leaving them there, but was afraid that I'd forget they were there and turn on the disposal at some point. Plus, I wasn't exactly sure how I'd explain it to the complex if I ground up my spare set of keys. Fortunately the bus driver saw me come out of my apartment and waited for me. When I told one of my coworkers on the bus what had happened though, after we got finished laughing about it, she said that she was concerned about putting her keys on her bar now. As a side note, I asked her yesterday about this and she said that she had moved her keys to another place. I've moved my keys as well, to one of my kitchen drawers.

One other notable thing happened on Monday: I went out to lunch with several people in my department, to Chipotle, which was great. We walked down there from the Center and that was fun as well.

Tuesday. I used a circular saw in shop class. This was a little nerve wracking, since I knew in the back of my mind that the instructors wouldn't let us get cut and would be watching closely. But then again, there's that nasty thought that creeps back in, which says, "Yes, but its still a circular saw." It was a good experience though. Not sure I'll buy one at Lowes though, grin.

Today. The big thing that happened today was I finally was able to file my benefits with the state benefits group. For various frustrating reasons, this has been delayed since I've been hired, but I finally got it done this afternoon. It feels good to be fully covered, even though some of them don't start right away.

One final thought before I close: I realized this afternoon that I've been at the Center for 2 weeks now. I'm settling into the deily and weekly groove of full time work and about two weeks into my immersion training, and am enjoying immersion. There are two things that I don't think I'll lose sight of, no matter if I'm at the 2 week, month, or year points. First, my comfort and fondness with the place I work at, especially since I remember being a consumer there and feel like I can better relate to the consumers. And second, the process, answered prayers, and circumstances that brought me to this point and to the Center in general. I only hope that I can live up to the high standards that I've set for myself, and to the consumers' expectations.