Paying the Piper

So, my blog and the blogging world at large have been communicating with me, requesting an update. They use Elka as their medium for communication.

It's amazing the difference having a job makes. Especially when it's a job in a place where you feel comfortable and can laugh... a LOT. I have some of the most hilarious stories from this job, and I've only been working there 3 weeks! And to show you what I mean, I'll share one with you (which actually leads to another one... in true Nilla fashion).

Okay, so they are moving the file room to a huge 45-foot long container. The container has been purchased, moved, and fixed up. It's not quite done, but they have the insulation in, the walls up, the heater in, the electricity in. It's HUGE compared to the small room I've been working in the past 3 weeks. This is a much-needed change, and we are excited about it. Okay, so in this morning's meeting, R (the boss) decides to tell everyone what happened that morning, since he figured that since one person knew, eventually we'd all know. Hahahaha... It's seriously a good thing R has such an awesome sense of humor. Anyway, so this morning was frigid. Dumb windows were iced over again (not yesterday, when I went out early to start my car for that purpose -- but today, when I didn't go out, because I figured they wouldn't be icy since they weren't yesterday -- don't you hate that?), so that tells you it was cold. It was probably below freezing when I left for work at 8:20 this morning. But I don't think it was in the 20s. Anyway, so at the funeral home, R gets this idea to go into the container to see how well the heater worked. While he's in there, the door closed -- locked, because they hadn't replaced the knob. And it locks in such a way that you can't get out from the inside. Don't ask me how, I just know that's the situation. So, there aren't even any chairs in there, and R isn't sure when anyone would go looking for him. So he ends up kicking the door open -- and bending something in the process (he has 2 master's degrees in karate). Someone in the meeting asked if he tried his cell phone. He confirmed that he had, but that he didn't have service (I mean, he's enclosed in a steel container). Apparently the cell phone said SOS. (SOL would have been even funnier, but even so). So he says, "I probably could have dialed 911, but do you think I was going to do that?" And so there is me... With my big mouth and fiesty attitude... And I say, "Well, you did call for toilet paper that time." And the room exploded with laughter. And he said, "And by the way, we have an opening in the file room." And we all laughed some more. Okay, so the toilet paper story... So, one day, my mom gets a phone call at her desk. It's R on his cell phone. He asks her to bring toilet paper to the bathroom and leave it outside the door. Hahahahaha.... My mom starts laughing her head off, and everyone else in the office can hear her. R is saying, "Don't laugh." She says, "I'm not laughing." All the while laughing. So, everyone hears the story, and one of the ladies goes laughing down the hallway and throws toilet paper at the bathroom door. And so, he's never been able to live that story down. He says, "I called the one person I thought I could trust to keep it quiet, and what do I hear? I hear everyone else busting out laughing!" And so when I made that comment about him calling for TP... Well, the whole room just exploded. The TP story was before my time. But it's one of the most hilarious stories ever. Ah... What a funny day. And lunchtime was even funnier. But, that's another long story. There's a lady there I really like and we share 80s quotes and stuff. She says, "Good times, good times" a lot. Which got us on the topic of SNL. Oh my... I laugh a lot there.

Okay, so that was a long story. Basically, I'm enjoying work. It's sweetly flexible too. Yahoo!

In sad news, though... I discovered today that my first student loan payment is due on March 2nd. I'm shedding a tear of irritation that I've already accrued $13 in interest. ARG. I despise paying more than I need to. So, my goal for 2009 is to be completely out of debt. I'm planning to be credit card debt free (again -- thanks expensive Washington move!) by June at the latest. And then I will transfer the money I'm paying on that to my student loan. Of course, that's assuming all things remain equal. You never know... Miracles could happen and I could end up with a great-paying job (in this economy it's doubtful). Or I could find my dream-man and he turns out to be a millionaire. (Okay, so when you stack those two possibilities up against each other... The job looks more likely, even in this economy!).

*Elka, Christina, and Tarylyn have guessed the movie quote.*