Busy Busy Busy

The first week of work went well as did the first official weekend after starting work. Found another kindred spirit and we visited each others homes to ogle each others books. What fun! And tried an Indian place (not bad but not spicy enough). But wouldn't you know it as soon as I relaxed that evil thing called the "Migraine" struck and incapacitated me for three days. *ugh* I really hate them and still think decapitation would work but its just too permanent a solution to really be feasible. I suppose it was just too much change all at the same time.

Week two was topped off by a lovely surprise from my newest book buddy with a copy of Bone Crossed by Patricia Briggs ((((bookbuddy)))). Which I promptly devoured as soon as the weekend started (and of course I read it all in one sitting). Then on Sunday I went and found the nearest Trader Joe's (about one hour and 15 minutes away). A bit far for everyday stuff but close enough that I can stock up on Nuts about Antioxidants trail mix monthly. *happy dance* So its off to week three.

The much anticipated (by me) Doubleblind by Ann Aguirre is out tomorrow. Now the big question is do I go out and buy it tomorrow and stare at it for the rest of the week as it sits next to the reading chair whispering my name (which also sounds a lot like that little voice telling me that ice cream doesn't have calories) or do I wait until Friday to swing by the bookstore? Oh the agony!

And to think I will have to do this next week as well since Demon Forged by Meljean Brook is out the 6th (another Tuesday). *sigh* (And not to mention Deep Kiss of Winter being out the following week then Queen of Song and Souls two weeks after that... nope not mentioning those books and none of those gotta haves in November either... nope no mention of Blaze of Memory here at all... none!)

Much will power will be involved these two weeks since I know once I open the little devils I'll have to read them all the way through. Perhaps is best that I not buy them until the weekend...

but what if they sell out!?

Well it's a college town and there are many bookstores...

and many more readers...

ARGH!!!

Must buy, then hide until the appropriate time...
must not open books until after work on Friday...
*squints eyes and crosses fingers*

And don't forget to come by on the 30th for the Shaymless Aymless Romance Book Club discussion. We will be discussing Almost Heaven by Judith McNaught!

First Day of Work

Had a successful first day of work! Didn't get to meet too many people since I spent most of it with the other six new hires. Had a quick little chat with the boss-type-person who promptly told me that I would be taking over some projects from a fellow co-worker "who sits here" (points at empty cube). So I'll be working closely with Mr/Ms Invisible for the next couple of days. I hope my communication skills are up to it. *g*

My cube-neighbors are funny (especially the one on the right-side) so I think working there will be fun. *crosses fingers* I wasn't able to connect with the one person I know so maybe I'll run into her later this week.

Still have one used copy of Lord of the Fading Lands and Lady of Light and Shadow to give away (just e-mail me your snail mail). And there is still time to enter to win a signed copy of Wanderlust by Ann Aguirre (details here).

Good News and Bad News

Good New:
For those of you who have been following this blog, you know that I have been out looking for work as its required so that I can have book money! Yes I work for books, a place to put all my books and the occasion meal.


I'm happy to say that I will be officially employed once more by Monday (have to look over the offer letter details and other paper work). And thus I will be relocating to Bloomington, Indiana. The home of IU (uh... I think they are the Hoosiers so uh... Go Hoosiers? I so suck at staying in touch with sports). So now I will need to determine how fast I can move and get settled so that I can start earning that lovely book money.

I gave in. I'm now on Twitter. Am ShaymlessAymles (damn Twitter wouldn't let me add another 's' and Aymless was already taken. *pout*)

Bad News:
My roommate, best furry friend, sanity and furry baby has cancer and doesn't have long to live. Currently she is on pain killers to help her eat but even then she is not eating much. So now I must look at euthanasia options. And probably within the next week. I'm not sure I want to put her through the stress of moving on top of what she's suffering now. Do I move her or let her go now? It's a hard decision.

We've been together nearly 13 years and countless ups and downs. She was a scrawny little kitten/cat (not quite a kitten and not yet full grown) when she wandered into my yard and life. After a couple of weeks of eating on my porch, she moved in and took over my bed and stole my heart. And there she stayed. She's been a great cat and friend. I will miss her greatly, my lovely furry purr ball, my little mountain lion, my Terraine.

Work Update

One rejection (the although you are impressive we have gone with another candidate who better fits our needs). Oh well.

One... dunno what to call it. I'm off to do the drug screen portion so it must be going well. Please keep you fingers cross because the alternative, frankly, sucks . I love my parents but have no desire to live with them again!!!!

Interview Time!

I have two interview this week! Yay! Because this week will be very busy, I won't be online much. I have all my stuffy interview clothes ready to go. (Never mind the fact I had to go buy some new one since I've gotten too fat to fit into my old suit. Also wool suit in summer, no matter how stylish, just isn't comfortable).

I'll be up very early Monday to get to the airport to get to interview number one. Tuesday is the big day for interview number one then back on the plane home.

Then it up very, very, early on Wednesday to get to the airport to get to interview number two. Thursday morning is interview number two then back on the plane home.

Friday will be catch up on all the blogs I was able to read because of all the traveling. I think by the end of this week I'll have spent enough time in airports and airplanes for quite some time to come.

Wish me tons of luck on my interview so that I will once again be gainfully employed. I really do like that money stuff. It makes life so much easier.

Yay! Had phone interview. Should know next week if I'm moving along to a face-to-face interview. *fingers crossed* *toes crossed* *eyes crossed* *heck cross everything* *good thoughts*

Non-Voluntary Vacation Again

Yup, it's back to my non-voluntary vacation get again. The contract has been completed and I should get another payday in Mid-Feb so the money won't be as tight as it was before. There was a bit of a discussion about possibly returning to this contract in a couple of weeks. We'll just have wait and see. It will definitely require negotiating a new contract, but we'll deal with it when it comes up.

I have updated my resume and have tossed it out to all the usual headhunters and I have a couple of irons in the fire, hopefully one will get hot soon.





In the meanwhile, this means I will have an opportunity to try to put a dent in the TBR pile, get some exercise, give my aching wrist a chance to heal (carpal tunnel is really aggravating, so its the brace until it calms down again), maybe even go on a little real vacation. We will have to wait and see.

Head to Desk!

This was supposed to be an easy week! ACK! *Head to Desk*

Everyone supposed to be on vacation between Christmas and New Years. But apparently no one told that to this company. They want EVERYTHING this week!!!!

So while all the rest of my team is on vacation (probably drinking Mai Tais on a beach somewhere, or sleeping late in their own beds *grumble*) I am here buried under tons of paper and completing test work that NO ONE told me had to get done! They told me all I had to do was hold down the fort. And NOT that everyone and their mother were going to attack me with requests! *Head to DESK*

I just want to left alone for a while so that I can complete what I can. Hopefully they will be satisfied with that. But as I am only one person trying to do four people's work, they'll have deal with it until Monday when all return (and hopefully my sanity too). But in the meantime, hiding seems to be a great idea (rather than continuing to do *head to desk* as it is giving me a headache)!

Meme and Update

While I wasn't looking, that Alice-Mind tagged me with a book meme!

As I am hotel-bumming again, the nearest book is the phone book (LOL): Page 56, 5th entry is:
Executive Systems Group (address and phone number not included).
The nearest real book is the Wild Thing Anthology:
Then he held her there while the sensations went on and on, and finally began to ebb.
I think Wild Thing is way more interesting don't you? And to think the last time the dictionary was closest. Oh what excitement. Anyway... since I've done this meme before, I am not going to tag anyone.

As for the working bit, lets just say that it is a positive flow of income. Not terribly exciting or interesting, have spend the last week reviewing lots and lots of paperwork. For a place that has not yet produced any marketable product there does seem to be reams and reams of the stuff.

And as for the reading, didn't get much done as I was sidetracked by Band of Brothers thanks to Carrie Lofty and DIK and You Tube. *sigh* I heart Matthew Settle... aka Lt. Ronald Speirs.

Update

One holiday down and one more to go. Again over did it. Thanksgiving has no calories, right? And I really need to buy and get my holiday cards out. Must plan time for this... must get stamps as well.

Whee! Finally back to work. The wallet was looking very, very frighteningly skinny. I start Monday on a new contract in Santa Clara, CA, hopefully it will last as long as they say it will (which is mid January). So for the next month or so I will be a hotel bum during the week and get to sleep in my own bed only on weekends *pooh*. Hopefully that big furry rug I call a cat will actually still remember that I am her human.

And this traveling bit might actually make me read from the TBR and not the old favorites since I am limited on what books I can take with me (since I have not yet broken down and bought a Kindle). I have already located two used bookstores in the area and that could be dangerous. Must read the TBR since room on the TBR bookshelf is running out of space. Resist, resist.

Hopefully later this week I will have time to put together posts for a movie review (Quantum of Solace - the new Bond film) and a book review (Mercury's War by Lora Leigh).

Update

Okay so I have been silent for about a week. Am totally depressed about the whole not working thing (especially when having to pay bills or balance check book)

The job hunting continues. Have I said how much I hate it recently? Not working totally sucks because bills add up and there is no influx of cash. Why can't I win the lottery or something so that money wasn't such a problem? Mind you I don't mind working, but not having to worry about money would be nice. Anyone want to donate to the poor Aymless fund?

On a bright note (well maybe not so bright), I cashed in my change and added it to my Amazon account so I can at least get books without added expense, but this also means that the fatcat bank is now empty *pout*

Got my BDB handbook. Haven't browsed it yet but it will at least take time away from the moping about not working.

And there is always the very large TBR pile which doesn't seem to shrink. Maybe if I actually picked things off it to read it would, but lately I've been interested in reading some old favorites. Lately been going through Marjorie M. Liu's Dirk and Steel series getting ready to read the latest (Wild Road)

And then there are the much wanted books... Nalini Singh's Branded by Fire, Anne Bishop's Shadow Queen and CL Wilson's Queen of Song and Souls (and the excerpt for this one not even available to drool over), to name a few.

Where is my time machine? I really need to get into making one, anyone want to help? I'll even let you use it *g*

Sorry

Hello All! Sorry I that I have been invisible for the last couple of weeks. First it was migraine hell then preparing for new contract starting this week. Talk about headaches!

Yup, that evil that seems to creep up on me unawares has struck again. And this time I was lacking my meds. *sigh* Then had to spend much $$ with doctor for nasty, butt-hurting shots then more appointments to transfer prescriptions and get them re-filled so that this does happen again! Some days I really hate the whole medical community!

In Summary: Shots hurt! Medicines are much $$ but they are necessary for poorer me.

Ahh... that lovely thing that we all can't seem to keep up with our book habits without... WORK! Lately I have been hunting for work (again) and now have secured another contract! Yeah and Boo! So I have been up to my neck in negotiations on the contract (hours and rate) then filling out the endless stacks of paperwork to get settled with a start date and time. Now have a tentative start date (Wednesday or they tell me, it was supposed to be Monday so we will have to wait and see).

In Summary: Work is good because it make $ flow in the + category. Work is bad because it causes the TBR to grow since book input doesn't get slower but the output gets slower since no time for reading.

And on top of all that... DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME SUCKS! I really hate having to reset all my clocks twice a year! It's not like we are a farming society anymore so this whole DST thing totally messes with everything. And now my phone (thus lifeline) has wrong time and I can't figure out how to get the correct time set! *pout*

WTF... now I find out it's not until next week... Freakin' calendar has it wrong. All the online stuff (thanks Alice) says next week. Guess I can live with all the clocks being off by an hour for a week 'cause I'm NOT doing this again next week (not counting resetting them to the right time for this week)

On to more positive things...

Coming to this blog soon...

Drum roll please...


ARC review of Hope's Folly by the wonderful Linnea Sinclair!

In the meantime... ENJOY... Supernatural certainly has nothing on Rocky.

AARRGGHHH!

Okay this week totally sucks and I can't wait for it to be over. So the week (so far anyway) from hell in review:

Sunday: Migraine!

Monday: Flat tire, and didn't get into work and had to spend the day at COSTCO! No internet access to be found in the the total of six life sucking hours.

Tuesday: Flat tire! Again! Same tire! And yet again didn't make it to work, and now have intimate knowledge of COSTCO (more than any sane non-employee should have). And again another wasted day with no internet in sight.

Wednesday: Completely forgettable.

Thursday: Yelled at by employer for not making it into work Monday and Tuesday. Why did they tell me they were "OK" with me not coming in on Monday and Tuesday if they were just going to yell at me for not coming in? And didn't get to the Farmer's market so now have to eat icky store bought fruit for the next week.

Friday: It can only go up.

Saturday: The impeding doom of the parental visit. My mother can spot dust at 500 yards! Have no idea how she does it but then she can also spot the nearest mall and bathroom (two very important skills) so I guess the dust thing had to be balanced out somehow.

Okay... happy thoughts...
1.) Got books in the mail! (thanks sarai)
2.) Only one more morning before the weekend!
3.) Got paid!
4.) Home has been de-furred and cleaned due to the impeding parental visit.

Back into the Groove of Thing

After taking a break from my migraine induced read-a-lon, and still pondering where Wednesday when, and returned to my usual life of enlightening (aka time wasting) activities.

First was the monthly trip to the used book store (Bay Books), where I happily acquired more books to add to the tittering TBR piles and ate some yummy Mediterrean food for dinner.

Then off to do my internet surfing, still increasingly puzzled as to where Wednesday went, and have discovered that PatRack continues to be the best for squadering the hours away until the next feeding (mine or kitty's). In between playing PatRack (since all the items you are looking for are no longer anywhere to be found), its off to Bloggia. At my first stop, I see a quiz to take. Here are my results:

Take this quiz at QuizGalaxy.com

HA! I always said I would be back to haunt people for whatever deed or misdeed they have done, this simply proves it.

Additionally, I am happy to inform EVERYONE.... This Aymless is now once more among the employed! Whee! Now I too can complain about how I never have anytime to do anything and how the boss sucks, and why we HAVE to get up on Mondays! Best of all NO MOM, I'M NOT MOVING BACK HOME!!!!

Interviewing

I hate interviewing. Having the dress-up, smiling nicely and being so PC. Yuck! But the sad thing is that without interviewing there is no jobbing acquiring. And with no job acquiring there is no book/food money. It's really too bad they are all related! At least there is no interviewing on the weekends. And thanks to a turn of luck I have gotten my greedy little hands on Lover Enshrined by J. R. Ward, so things look good for the weekend.

Having finally crawled out of the migraine medication haze, which is almost as fun as migraines, and into the living nearly sane world only to discover that food and medication are running low. So a trip to the grocery store and pharmacy (where they sadly know my name and face and have my medication waiting for me) is due. In addition, my friends now have me on a nearly permanent "maybe" list for outings and the TBR pile is four books shorter (thank goodness I can still read while in migraine mood, not that I can retain much but without which I would be truly insane, not that I had any sanity to loose in the first place). Having replenished my non-perishable food stores and have finally figured out what sunlight is, I cleaned house, reacquainted myself with my cat and let my friends know that I am still among the living.

On the bright side, I had an interview today and it sounds like I have managed to jump this hurdle and am now in position to take the next in the odious process of job hunting. Where is my millionaire hero now? Well life goes on and real heroes are running scares. A trip to the HLO island is definitely a must! Hello weekend and Phury.

Have a nice weekend all. Cheers and alcoholic drinks of your choice all around.