*DEEP BREATH*

i finished the copy for my first client, and evidently she's pleased with my work because she's asked me to do more. i have seven more on the current subject, and i don't mind telling you i'd love a different subject. (*sigh*) the good news is i've gotten MUCH faster at her format, after wailing for weeks it was never gonna happen. heh.

beside the fact this subject was muy difficult.

so that's going well.

****

and, i received my first two assignments for the new client. this means another format in which to familiarize myself, plus this job requires a lot more research. it's a nice change of pace, and i'm looking forward to the challenge. i guess it's too much to hope for to get by without an edit (like the first one) but knowing my anal ass, it won't be from not trying.

****

the snow finally stopped with a total of seven inches. it didn't stop anything here, just slowed it down a bit. Antonino was right on time for his first training shift, and i have to say this kid is BRIGHT. omg, he's so smart! he picked up on everything at almost the first pass, and my heart pangs because he has been in manual labor almost his whole life. i know why this is; he has a history of drinking too much and getting into trouble because he has a temper. he only has a bad temper when he's intoxicated; we had a long talk about what he wants to do with his life and why he's never gotten there.

that would be babies (he has four or five; their names are tattooed on his arm,) drinking, pot, and fighting.

this is your chance, i told him, (thinking inside it's so pathetic that this job could be his ticket, you know?) and you join the Fuck Netta Over crew (complete with a jacket and decoder ring) and death will be the easy way out.

he smiled with his gold teef, and said, Miz Netta, ah would nevah do you laik dat.

heard that before.

regardless, i will believe him until he proves me wrong.

****

and i've thought about that, too. no matter how many times i'm jerked around, i'll still do that. you know, that netta thang.

*sigh*

am i just too stupid to learn, or is it just too much to hope for? Buddy's done well, the Dancer has too. i've run interference for Miss Thang more times than i can count (poor thing is still so sick! she called me last night, so pitiful, just to check on me and make sure i didn't catch it. i know she drives me crazy but i love her to pieces.) and i was also on point when the Night Guy was here (he never calls, he never writes -- i need to kick his ass in gear.)

okay, so now i think about it, i guess i haven't done so bad. (i think it's just that when one thing goes so horribly wrong, it colors other things. i'm getting a new crayon.)

****

to my delight, i had a visitor today -- do you remember TJ? the bright son of a system-wielding mama from Katrina-land?

well, he's been working across the street! for the last eight months, and he stopped by to see me today. he's gotten taller, and thinner -- and he's looking for a job. i gave him my card, and told him about a few places where he can do better than where he's at right now. i have his number, and i'm going to talk to Buddy about spring hiring.

i let Buddy have his head and hire his guys, but if TJ hasn't found anything by then and i'm still here (even if i'm not, i'll make it happen) then i want him on the crew. i think it would be really good for him.

****

Antonino started in maintenance. Miss All That started as breakfast hostess (yes, she's getting a shot at the Front Desk. against my better judgment; that was Gem's call) and Retta started out in housekeeping.

speaking of Retta, she moved back to where her ex-husband lives, and had a job before she moved, in a much bigger hotel with POS and everything. we all were a little worried about her, because we don't have Point-Of-Sale here, and the night audit is a lot more complicated in a bigger hotel. not to mention, she'd been mooning over her ex-husband for all the years i've known her, and her intention when she went back was to Get Her Man.

well, she took to the new job like a duck to water. YAY!!!! i'm so proud of her. AND...yep. she Got Her Man. they're getting remarried on valentine's day.

(*errrp*...sorry. threw up in my mouth a little bit.)

*smiling*

i'm happy for her. she deserves this.


****

i have so much to do, and when training Antonino i can't exactly work on this stuff on the job. (yeah, it might be wrong, but there's some down time and should i be working on sales, instead? yes. and i'm ashamed of myself. but this is worth a whole other blog entry of its own.) anyway, i've been put in the position by recent events to evaluate my priorities and Get My Head Out Of My Ass and stride forth, so that's what i'm trying to do.

there are changes i can make that will help me work better and faster. i will be making those. some have already been implemented.

i seriously considered shutting this blog down. for one, sometimes it takes me as long as an hour or more to compose an entry, which i do raw, right in the JS window. i seldom write in Word first, although you can tell the entries i do because it's all properly capitalized. (i consider myself in my bedroom when i write here. no, get your mind out of the gutter, jeez! i mean my hair is down, my jammies are on, and sometimes i'm naked between the sheets. sometimes i'm snuggled up with Sparky, and sometimes i'm sitting with legs crossed. that's how comfortable i am here.)

it's a big chunk of time when you're working a full-time job and juggling the birth of a brand-new career, not to mention trying to stay on the accepted side of sanity.

and then i said to myself, "Self? You silly bitch. If it wasn't for your daily vomit session, you'd be WAY over on the other side!"

and myself replied, "Self? Lick me where I pee. Don't you think I know that? It's not like YOU haven't walked that fine line for years. But time ain't as cheap as it used to be."

myself nodded, and said, "Point taken. You want to do this logically, and list the benefits, such as staying in touch with your FAMILY, not to mention your FRIENDS, and relieving the pressure on the poor people around you by blatting here instead of in person? How about honing your writing skills and yes, DISCIPLINE that you've attained by writing every day? We can talk about your desire for some kind of DEATHLESS LEGACY. Wanna do it that way?"

"No," i said. "Let's do rock-paper-scissors."

i won.

:)


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