Brunette once more!

I got tired of red... and besides, the itch to bleach a chunk of my hair and cover it in Special Effects Pimpin' Purple or Electric Blue has been growing stronger. I can't very well do that with Crayola Red hair, can I?

Also, super happy thing -- tomorrow is the first day in weeks that Jeremy and I have both been scheduled to be off! I don't think we've had an entire day off together since the day we helped his parents finish packing for their move to California at the beginning of April. We had originally planned to take a trip to Bridge Street Town Centre in Huntsville to see an evening showing of The Avengers in the 21+ theater at the Monaco, but the local ticket prices are so much cheaper that we'd rather have a meal out, go to a matinee showing, and skip the two hours of round-trip travel time. We are so ready for a day of relaxation and nerdy superhero movies!

TGIF

 Working where I do makes it easy to lose sight of what's important. As is typical of (I imagine) every person who has a job in customer service, I spend eight hours a day interacting with people who are in some way dissatisfied. Their order hasn't arrived, their item was damaged, they typed in the wrong address, their credit card declined and they're insulted because we didn't ship their order anyway... I could go on with more detail, but you get the idea. I am completely and utterly immersed in negativity each and every day, via email and phone calls.

I read somewhere once, before I started this job, that most people who work in a customer service call center don't stay more than 2-3 years. I completely understand why that is. When I began working here, I was perky and happy on every call and I bent over backwards to help every customer, rude or not. Now, on my especially 'meh' days, I don't even care whether the nice customers get help. It wears you down and you get so frustrated with fighting against your own company to try to help the customers they claim to care so much about, you just eventually give up, conform to their crappy rules and policies they put into place, and you stop trying to make customers happy... and that really isn't fair to the customers who truly need your help (only those customers, though -- to hell with the ones who scream and yell and call you names and throw fits that would put TODDLERS to shame).

The only phrase I can think of using to describe what the job has done to me is "kicked puppy" syndrome. At first I was bouncy and happy and eager to please, but people have been so terribly mean (USUALLY unjustifiably, though there are customers who have justifiable complaints who fly off the hinge when we tell them we are unable to help them without breaking policy) over the past two and a half years I've been here, I basically pick up every phone call with a guarded mentality, and I feel that just about every person I speak with is out to get something for nothing. That is not a good philosophy to adapt, because it makes you bitter and it makes you dislike people in general.

It has begun affecting my off-time. When I'm off, and I'm at home, I don't want to see or speak to anyone unless it's Jeremy (bless his precious heart -- the man is my only solace). I don't go out when I'm off, I don't socialize unless it's via text, and you can forget about reaching me by phone on an off day. Part of that could very well be because I'm still a completely over-the-moon newlywed, but mostly I feel that it's because of my numerous interactions with people who are jerks on a daily basis that I decline to socialize even with people whom I know to be good friends and positive influences.

I think it's time for a job change. Hopefully something can shift around soon. Jeremy has some promising job leads -- one local, a couple of others out-of-state -- and if he gets any of those, I wouldn't really have to work unless I wanted something to pass the time when he's not around. Being married to a chef is tough -- six days a week, 12-14 hour shifts... it really stinks not being home during the time he gets to be home! A girl can only clean and read so much! If I get a part-time job and go back to school (which is what he wants me to do), I think I'd be happy as a clam. Truthfully, I could be a "professional student" - haha. I loved college, despite how much I used to gripe about it. I truly do love to learn. I'd take a class every semester from now until I die and I doubt I'd run out of fun classes to take or things to learn. I'm such a nerd.

Anyway. The entire point of this entry, aside from venting frustrations, was going to be that I am actively trying to see the positive in things. I don't want to be a Debbie Downer. I don't want to be one of those people who has something snarky or judgmental to say. I want to be fun to be around and enjoyable to talk to. I want to continue to appreciate little things and see beauty in every day life. When my ability to do these things is challenged, it gets me down, and I know it's time for a change... and I feel that changes for Jeremy and I are coming very soon.

30 Songs

01 - your favorite song - Asking me to pick a favorite song is like asking a parent to pick a favorite child. It just isn't fair. As of right now, my most-played song on both my phone and my iPod is "Some Nights" by fun. It may stay that way for a month and it may change tomorrow. It all depends on the mood.

 02 - your least favorite song - This could be any number of songs.  I'll listen to anything once and I can tolerate about 95% of the music out there, but the rule of thumb for me, musically, is this -- if I can't understand your lyrics, I'm not listening to your music. If your song consists of gibberish proclaiming to be rap, no thanks. If your music is nothing but high-pitched screaming or gutteral grunts, it's not happening. I suppose that since I am such a word-centric person, this makes sense, as I am also unable to listen to songs in other languages, no matter how beautiful the music itself might be. I connect on a lyrical level, not a chord level.

 03 - a song that makes you happy - "Sugar Magnolia" by the Grateful Dead (because it's the first song I ever remember hearing by the Grateful Dead).

 04 - a song that makes you sad - "Breathe Me" by Sia (THANKS, "Six Feet Under") and "Miss You Love" by Maria Mena.

 05 - a song that reminds you of someone - "I Don't Want this Night to End" by Luke Bryan is the first song that popped in my head, because it's "our" song, but there are a hundred more answers to this.

 06 - a song that reminds you of somewhere - I was listening to "Raspberry Beret" by Prince when I saw the ocean and walked on a beach for the first time. I was fourteen.

 07 - a song that reminds you of a certain event - "Can't Fight the Moonlight" from the "Coyote Ugly" soundtrack was playing when my friends and I were in a seriously scary wreck when I was seventeen. I'd like to take this opportunity to note that I wasn't in charge of the musical selection on that particular evening.

 08 - a song that you know all the words to - My brain just twitched. It's 75% song lyrics. Are you kidding me? I'm going with "anything I've heard more than once." The one I may me a little proud of is "We Didn't Start the Fire" by Billy Joel.

 09 - a song that you can dance to - Most songs, as long as they aren't unbearably slow.

 10 - a song that makes you fall asleep - "The Only Living Boy in New York" by Simon & Garfunkel.

 11 - a song from your favorite band - "If Work Permits" by The Format. "China Cat Sunflower" by  Grateful Dead.

 12 - a song from a band you hate - "Photograph" by Nickelback. Ugh.

 13 - a song that is a guilty pleasure - Dude. "Toxic" by Britney Spears, "Sexy Back" by Justin Timberlake, "Invisible" by Clay Aiken, and now I'm going to stop because you get the point. In my defense, they're catchy as hell.

 14 - a song that no one would expect you to love - Rap. Hey, I have some. I listen to it. Just not often.

 15 - a song that describes you - "Imperfect Is The New Perfect" by Caitlin Crosby.

 16 - a song that you used to love but now hate - Panic! at the Disco's "Lying is The Most Fun a Girl Can Have Without Taking Her Clothes Off" ... which is odd. I love Panic!, truly I do, but some of the stuff on "A Fever You Can't Sweat Out" just no longer appeals to me ("hate" is a strong word).  I've grown to love their "Vices & Virtues" sound much much more.

 17 - a song that you hear often on the radio - Since I keep my XM station tuned to the 90s station, I jam out regularly to "Follow You Down" by the Gin Blossoms and "Semi-Charmed Life" by Third Eye Blind, among other awesometastical hits from my adolescent years.

 18 - a song that you wish you heard on the radio - Anything from The Format.

 19 - a song from your favorite album - My favorite album is The Format's "Dog Problems" -- "Inches & Falling (I Love Love)" is one of their best songs, in my opinion. ♥

 20 - a song that you listen to when you’re angry - "Seventy Times 7" by Brand New ... some of the most angry, melodramatic lyrics ever ("I've seen more spine in jellyfish; I've seen more guts in 11 year old kids / so take another drink and drive yourself home / I hope there's ice on all the roads / & you can think of me when you forget your seatbelt / and again when your head goes through the windshield"). Also, very fun to sing-yell along to.

 21 - a song that you listen to when you’re happy -"Crayola Doesn't Make a Color for Your Eyes" by Kristin Andreassen (hat-tip to Bethany for that one -- I've been hooked on it since she introduced me!)

 22 - a song that you listen to when you’re sad - "Colorblind" by Counting Crows and "Keep Breathing" by Ingrid Michaelson.

 23 - a song that you want to play at your wedding - I'm married, so I don't really think this applies, but the a sweet song to play at a wedding is Ben Harper's "Forever" :-)

 24 - a song that you want to play at your funeral - I don't think it's really proper for a funeral, but I've always kind of loved "Brokedown Palace" by Grateful Dead as a farewell song -- "Fare you well, fare you well, I love you more than words can tell ... Going home, going home, by the waterside I will rest my bones; Listen to the river sing sweet songs to rock my soul."

 25 - a song that makes you laugh - "Just Like my Dog" by Billy Currington -- mostly because of the way my husband sings along to it. It cracks me up when his super-duper country comes out.

 26 - a song that you can play on an instrument - I never learned to play an instrument. Sad panda.

 27 - a song that you wish you could play - "Tiny Dancer" by Elton John.

 28 - a song that makes you feel guilty - "Southern Belle" by Elliott Smith

 29 - a song from your childhood - Michael Jackson's "Thriller" is the first song I remember loving with all of my heart.  Mom and I used to dance to MJ music-video marathons in the living room. Best childhood EVER.

 30 - your favorite song at this time last year - Around this time last year I got really heavily into The Civil Wars, so basically the entire "Barton Hollow" album, with emphasis on the beginning track, "20 Years" ... and also a lot of Mumford & Sons, particularly "Awake My Soul."

Appreciating the little things...

...like the gorgeous weather we've had recently.











(taken by Jeremy)

Happy Easter!

Well, sort of.  I'm at work. I've been writing out thank-you cards for wedding presents that are still trickling in and I've been catching up on "Big Bang Theory" instead of dying and hiding brightly-colored eggs in cute little baskets.

Speaking of which ... I kind of miss dying eggs.

It boggles my brain to walk through a store that is stocked with Easter goodies and to see the plethora of various egg-dying kits that are available now.  Forgive me for sounding old, but back when I was younger, I believe the most fancy kits we had a available were the glitter kits -- and those came about around the time I was losing interest in partaking in holiday traditions. I wonder if the hubs would humor me if I picked up a clearance-priced egg-dying kit due to nostalgic longing. Probably. He's a chef. He could figure out something to do with the boiled eggs after I'd dyed them and taken photos of them and subsequently lost interest.

At least Jeremy gets off work in time to have lunch with me today.  I'm thankful for that because sometimes when we work opposite shifts, there's just enough of an overlap that it causes us to miss my lunch hour. There are days when I kiss him goodbye at 7:30am and then I don't see him again until nearly midnight when I get home. Those days stink.

Mom is cooking for Easter -- actually, she's been marathon-cooking all weekend.  My sister called her and asked her to cook, so Mom went into a whirlwind and ended up cooking basically every signature meal she has.  This is a Big Deal(tm), because her back has her down so often that she rarely ever cooks anymore. She called yesterday to inform me that any we wanted to stop by, we would have ham, chicken and dressing, sweet potato casserole, green bean casserole, stuffed eggs, corn, potatoes, and strawberry shortcake to graze upon. Nom! 

...and now my stomach is growling. I'm going to return to the thank-you cards.  Maybe the next hour and a half will fly by and I'll be able to calm the cravings.

What was your favorite Easter tradition as a kid?