This Yule has been a good one, so far. I am still employed. My weight is holding steady at around 385--which is a good thing, because it means I'm not gaining anything back.
One of my co-workers has taken an interest in my heathenry--not a "ooh, I want to play!" interest. Just a "hey, that's cool" interest. Which is nice, because at least there is one co-worker of mine that I know won't hassle me. And of course there's a Pentecostal that just started--I haven't spoken to her yet, and I don't know that I want to, because I don't really want to be "witnessed to". I was a Christian once, I found it to be an abusive relationship, and I do not wish to go back to it.
Let's move on.
Yesterday I put the sheets in the washer as part of the "12 Cleaning Days of Yule". I couldn't find my cell phone. I figured it was on the floor in the bedroom, and paid it no mind. Then I went to get the sheets out of the washer--and there was Emil (my phone), at the bottom of the washing machine...dead as the proverbial doornail. And did I have Device Protection on it? Of course not. So now, because I don't want to have to pay $300 to get a new phone when I'll be eligible for an upgrade in January, I'm just going to wait until the first week of January and get a new phone...and put Device Protection on it.
Have a joyous Yule, all.
Showing posts with label work. Show all posts
Showing posts with label work. Show all posts
22 December 2010
11 April 2010
Sunday Update
It's a funny thing about life--it loves to throw you a curveball just to see if you'll take a swing.
Thursday I was on the way for my lap-band consult when my husband's car died. Ugh. So it's in the shop until at least Tuesday, and we have a rental. The downside is that the cost of the rental combined with an outstanding bill that needs to be paid ASAP has pretty much killed the grocery budget--which means that I've been digging deep to come up with stuff that's cheap and good for me. Husband got all bitchy with me when I pointed out that we (specifically I) have no money for groceries until I get paid next, even after I pointed out that when we go to the store I buy enough for exactly two weeks. It's called a budget.
So...yeah. I suspect everything will be better once we get the news from the mechanic about what the issue is, and that it's not nearly as expensive as husband thinks it will be--but until then, I have to put up with him freaking out and immediately assuming that we're going to have to have something drastic done to his car like an engine replacement.
I'm not letting it slow me down that much though. If worse comes to worse, I have rice and a stash of Soyjoy bars. (which isn't much good, but still)
I've been having issues with the back and the knees lately. The back is an ongoing thing that has gotten better, but still hurts like a sumbitch from time to time. The knees, OTOH...they've only recently started killing me. Walking makes them feel better though, so I do more walking to offset the pain I feel when I'm sitting and having those knees flexed. I've been going to see a physical terrorist--turns out her husband went to school in Fargo, which amused me greatly. PT gave me some exercises to do, and I've been trying to do them at work--though it looks funny when I have my left leg up on my filing cabinet doing exercises while I'm on a call.
I think I'll get through the week just fine.
Thursday I was on the way for my lap-band consult when my husband's car died. Ugh. So it's in the shop until at least Tuesday, and we have a rental. The downside is that the cost of the rental combined with an outstanding bill that needs to be paid ASAP has pretty much killed the grocery budget--which means that I've been digging deep to come up with stuff that's cheap and good for me. Husband got all bitchy with me when I pointed out that we (specifically I) have no money for groceries until I get paid next, even after I pointed out that when we go to the store I buy enough for exactly two weeks. It's called a budget.
So...yeah. I suspect everything will be better once we get the news from the mechanic about what the issue is, and that it's not nearly as expensive as husband thinks it will be--but until then, I have to put up with him freaking out and immediately assuming that we're going to have to have something drastic done to his car like an engine replacement.
I'm not letting it slow me down that much though. If worse comes to worse, I have rice and a stash of Soyjoy bars. (which isn't much good, but still)
I've been having issues with the back and the knees lately. The back is an ongoing thing that has gotten better, but still hurts like a sumbitch from time to time. The knees, OTOH...they've only recently started killing me. Walking makes them feel better though, so I do more walking to offset the pain I feel when I'm sitting and having those knees flexed. I've been going to see a physical terrorist--turns out her husband went to school in Fargo, which amused me greatly. PT gave me some exercises to do, and I've been trying to do them at work--though it looks funny when I have my left leg up on my filing cabinet doing exercises while I'm on a call.
I think I'll get through the week just fine.
04 April 2010
The Mighty Cup of Awesome
The week has been kind to me so far. Walking has begun again, with no palpitations. This is a relief to me, because I missed my walkies.
My taxes are going to be filed soon--I'm looking at getting about a grand or so, which I am seriously considering investing in either a stationary bike OR in a down-payment on a used car (so I can go to the Planet Fitness a few miles down the road). Thoughts? Yesno?
My birthday is coming in about 4 months. I'll be getting my Hammer then, at Blue Flame tattoo on Peace Street--it'll piss off the husband, which I don't care about. My body, my choice, yadda yadda. The Ansuz rune will come the night before I go back to uni again, which will hopefully be sooner rather than later. But we'll see.
That's all for now.
My taxes are going to be filed soon--I'm looking at getting about a grand or so, which I am seriously considering investing in either a stationary bike OR in a down-payment on a used car (so I can go to the Planet Fitness a few miles down the road). Thoughts? Yesno?
My birthday is coming in about 4 months. I'll be getting my Hammer then, at Blue Flame tattoo on Peace Street--it'll piss off the husband, which I don't care about. My body, my choice, yadda yadda. The Ansuz rune will come the night before I go back to uni again, which will hopefully be sooner rather than later. But we'll see.
That's all for now.
19 March 2010
I'm a Nightside Girl in a Dayside World
Breakfast: 1 bowl Fiber One w/oatmeal raisin clusters, 8oz 2% milk
Lunch: 1 piece fried flounder
Snack: Bagel w/2oz strawberry cream cheese, 1 pkg Karr's trail mix (peanuts, sunflower kernels, almonds, raisins
Dinner: TBD
Did two circuits of the 2nd floor on break, did the same outside over lunch and I'm planning to do three on second break. It's kind of a pain in the ass sometimes, because I get stopped by co-workers with questions and so—but at least on lunch I have an hour. NO PRESSURE, RIGHT?
This morning I basically had to get up and get right in the shower, and then I had five minutes to get dressed and get out the door so I could get to work early. Fortunately, this morning I had no blood sugar issues that I knew of, but of course dumbass me not only forgot to check my blood sugar, but I left the glucose meter at home. Err...oops?
I told Genghis that for Yule I want a stationary bike—preferably one that I can camp in front of my monitor so I can watch hockey while pedalling gods only know how many miles. If I could figure out how to rig it up, I'd be able to play WoW while on the bike too. I'd do everything on the bike. I'd even do my work on the bike, but then my customers would be all “Damn, woman—they got you running laps or something there?” I love cycling and hockey. The first day of the Tour de France is a holiday for me, as is the first day of hockey season. Years ago, I had a bike and would ride it everywhere. Then I fucked my knees up and had to stop riding. Hockey was different—there, I kinda had to watch. Not easy being one of only four hockey fans in a tiny-ass town of 1500 in the middle of damn nowhere.
So my goals are thus:
Drop to 190
Start skating
Start cycling (again, and over the objections of Genghis, who is convinced I'll get pasted by a truck or a city bus)
Play hockey
I am the AcidQueen, and I am a defenceman like my Harry before me.
Lunch: 1 piece fried flounder
Snack: Bagel w/2oz strawberry cream cheese, 1 pkg Karr's trail mix (peanuts, sunflower kernels, almonds, raisins
Dinner: TBD
Did two circuits of the 2nd floor on break, did the same outside over lunch and I'm planning to do three on second break. It's kind of a pain in the ass sometimes, because I get stopped by co-workers with questions and so—but at least on lunch I have an hour. NO PRESSURE, RIGHT?
This morning I basically had to get up and get right in the shower, and then I had five minutes to get dressed and get out the door so I could get to work early. Fortunately, this morning I had no blood sugar issues that I knew of, but of course dumbass me not only forgot to check my blood sugar, but I left the glucose meter at home. Err...oops?
I told Genghis that for Yule I want a stationary bike—preferably one that I can camp in front of my monitor so I can watch hockey while pedalling gods only know how many miles. If I could figure out how to rig it up, I'd be able to play WoW while on the bike too. I'd do everything on the bike. I'd even do my work on the bike, but then my customers would be all “Damn, woman—they got you running laps or something there?” I love cycling and hockey. The first day of the Tour de France is a holiday for me, as is the first day of hockey season. Years ago, I had a bike and would ride it everywhere. Then I fucked my knees up and had to stop riding. Hockey was different—there, I kinda had to watch. Not easy being one of only four hockey fans in a tiny-ass town of 1500 in the middle of damn nowhere.
So my goals are thus:
Drop to 190
Start skating
Start cycling (again, and over the objections of Genghis, who is convinced I'll get pasted by a truck or a city bus)
Play hockey
I am the AcidQueen, and I am a defenceman like my Harry before me.
04 December 2007
Yuletide update
OK, so Yule isn't for another two weeks-ish. Deal.
Anyway: I no longer work at the Stop-n-Rob, for reasons that I will not go into in this public forum. I now have my weekends and evenings back, so I can once again have a life.
What this means is that I'm actively getting ready for Yule this year and planning to spend time with my fellow heathens, rather than spending time in a convenience store in a rough neighbourhood wondering if this will be the day I get plugged by some wannabe who's upset that I carded him for a dollar blunt.
Yesterday evening I was at the SuperTarget near where I live. I heard a couple of middle-school age kids talking, and one of them said "What does 'yuletide' mean? Like, you hear it all the time--but what's it mean?" I was going to explain it to them, but they left before I got up the bollocks to turn around and tell them about Yule and the pagan origins of Christmas trees, holly, mistletoe, and so forth. All those fun holiday traditions that the Christianists claim are under attack by us wicked pagans.
And speaking of holidays: this time of year is always rough for me, because I'm so used to spending it alone. Either I've had to work, or I've been by myself (because I was single or--after I got married--because the husband just sleeps all day). So it's always been very painful for me, especially when the alternative was always family drama.
This year, I'm trying to do different. Leave some porridge (well OK, some Malt-O-Meal) out for the wights, try to make some kind of gifts (read: baked goods and other comestibles) to give to local friends, try to clean the house (which is always hard when you have trashed joints and low energy)...I want to do something other than mope, knowhutimean?
And I'll have another craft update soon.
Anyway: I no longer work at the Stop-n-Rob, for reasons that I will not go into in this public forum. I now have my weekends and evenings back, so I can once again have a life.
What this means is that I'm actively getting ready for Yule this year and planning to spend time with my fellow heathens, rather than spending time in a convenience store in a rough neighbourhood wondering if this will be the day I get plugged by some wannabe who's upset that I carded him for a dollar blunt.
Yesterday evening I was at the SuperTarget near where I live. I heard a couple of middle-school age kids talking, and one of them said "What does 'yuletide' mean? Like, you hear it all the time--but what's it mean?" I was going to explain it to them, but they left before I got up the bollocks to turn around and tell them about Yule and the pagan origins of Christmas trees, holly, mistletoe, and so forth. All those fun holiday traditions that the Christianists claim are under attack by us wicked pagans.
And speaking of holidays: this time of year is always rough for me, because I'm so used to spending it alone. Either I've had to work, or I've been by myself (because I was single or--after I got married--because the husband just sleeps all day). So it's always been very painful for me, especially when the alternative was always family drama.
This year, I'm trying to do different. Leave some porridge (well OK, some Malt-O-Meal) out for the wights, try to make some kind of gifts (read: baked goods and other comestibles) to give to local friends, try to clean the house (which is always hard when you have trashed joints and low energy)...I want to do something other than mope, knowhutimean?
And I'll have another craft update soon.
20 July 2007
On Faith
I was chatting with a friend about the aforementioned video--which led to a conversation about faith and religiosity and what makes a "real" believer.
I made the point that a lot of Christians do speak out against charlatans like Benny Hinn, but nobody listens to them because it's apparently easier to laugh at the silly Christians as a whole than to say "not everyone is that way".
That should sound very familiar to us heathens, by the way--remember it the next time you see a Nazi with a valknut tattooed on his face plastered all over CNN.
Melly was telling me about how she went to a Catholic service when she was 12, and was creeped out by the ritualistic chanting and mass praying and so forth--it all smacked of brainwashing to her. I told her about how, when I was a born-again, I was quite neurotic because I was never able to give in to the mass hysteria--a whole church full of people would fall down shaking or speaking in strange tongues, and all I could do was stand there and wonder why I wasn't being "slain in the spirit". Did Yahweh forsake me?
The answer, of course, is no--I simply am one of the few people that is highly resistant to mass suggestion and hysteria. Were Benny Hinn to blow on me, I'd just stand there and tell him "Dude, Altoids--look into them."
But the whole thing gave me a neurosis. I used to kneel in my room at night and beg Jesus to save me, crying that I didn't want to go to Hell and begging for an answer about what I was doing wrong--the answer, of course, was that I wasn't doing anything wrong. I was simply immune to fakery. That, and Yahweh in all his three forms wasn't my god to begin with--so of course he wasn't going to talk to me. Sure, he'd listen--but the response was pretty much "my dear, I have all the sympathy in the world for you but you're really barking up the wrong tree."
One common thread throughout my spiritual life is that the trappings of religion never appealed to me overmuch. Pouring out an offering to one of the Aesir or Vanir (or to the spirits of the land or ancestors or what have you) has never been a super-formal thing to me. I'm just sharing a drink or dinner with them--which is what an offering is.
"Thor, I brewed this fine Imperial Stout, and I'd like you to have the first drink."
That's such a beautiful thing, an offering like that. Such an uncomplicated and wonderful thing...and something that I think a lot of people lose sight of. Ritual is nice, sure--it helps to focus the mind. But I think that some lose sight of the why when they get caught up in the what.
Hmm.
Getting back to "faith versus religiosity". To me, faith is life and life is faith. They're inseparable. I try to do the right thing, always. I try to live by the virtues that many heathens hold dear: industry, loyalty, honor, truth, hospitality, discipline, perseverance, courage, and self-reliance. Sure, I'm not perfect--but I fully and freely admit that. I don't pretend to be better than I am or try to be something that I'm not. I am who I am: somebody who's trying to live a life that her descendants (in this case, my nephew) will be proud to look back on and be inspired by.
And hopefully making a little luck for the little bugger doesn't hurt, either.
I don't need church for that. I don't need a hof or formal blots or anything for that--they have their place and their time, and I like being involved with them whenever I can, but I don't see them as requirements to be heathen.
I just wish more people would understand this.
I made the point that a lot of Christians do speak out against charlatans like Benny Hinn, but nobody listens to them because it's apparently easier to laugh at the silly Christians as a whole than to say "not everyone is that way".
That should sound very familiar to us heathens, by the way--remember it the next time you see a Nazi with a valknut tattooed on his face plastered all over CNN.
Melly was telling me about how she went to a Catholic service when she was 12, and was creeped out by the ritualistic chanting and mass praying and so forth--it all smacked of brainwashing to her. I told her about how, when I was a born-again, I was quite neurotic because I was never able to give in to the mass hysteria--a whole church full of people would fall down shaking or speaking in strange tongues, and all I could do was stand there and wonder why I wasn't being "slain in the spirit". Did Yahweh forsake me?
The answer, of course, is no--I simply am one of the few people that is highly resistant to mass suggestion and hysteria. Were Benny Hinn to blow on me, I'd just stand there and tell him "Dude, Altoids--look into them."
But the whole thing gave me a neurosis. I used to kneel in my room at night and beg Jesus to save me, crying that I didn't want to go to Hell and begging for an answer about what I was doing wrong--the answer, of course, was that I wasn't doing anything wrong. I was simply immune to fakery. That, and Yahweh in all his three forms wasn't my god to begin with--so of course he wasn't going to talk to me. Sure, he'd listen--but the response was pretty much "my dear, I have all the sympathy in the world for you but you're really barking up the wrong tree."
One common thread throughout my spiritual life is that the trappings of religion never appealed to me overmuch. Pouring out an offering to one of the Aesir or Vanir (or to the spirits of the land or ancestors or what have you) has never been a super-formal thing to me. I'm just sharing a drink or dinner with them--which is what an offering is.
"Thor, I brewed this fine Imperial Stout, and I'd like you to have the first drink."
That's such a beautiful thing, an offering like that. Such an uncomplicated and wonderful thing...and something that I think a lot of people lose sight of. Ritual is nice, sure--it helps to focus the mind. But I think that some lose sight of the why when they get caught up in the what.
Hmm.
Getting back to "faith versus religiosity". To me, faith is life and life is faith. They're inseparable. I try to do the right thing, always. I try to live by the virtues that many heathens hold dear: industry, loyalty, honor, truth, hospitality, discipline, perseverance, courage, and self-reliance. Sure, I'm not perfect--but I fully and freely admit that. I don't pretend to be better than I am or try to be something that I'm not. I am who I am: somebody who's trying to live a life that her descendants (in this case, my nephew) will be proud to look back on and be inspired by.
And hopefully making a little luck for the little bugger doesn't hurt, either.
I don't need church for that. I don't need a hof or formal blots or anything for that--they have their place and their time, and I like being involved with them whenever I can, but I don't see them as requirements to be heathen.
I just wish more people would understand this.
25 February 2007
Heathenry in the Workplace
In a comment on my last post, I snarkily made mention that I don't use my real name in bloglife because I don't want it to negatively impact my yob. This is true. I don't own a hammer, but if I did I would have to either leave it at home or keep it inside my shirt where nobody can see it.
Why?
Because my place of work is owned by people who are pretty strongly Christian, and though they don't seem to have a problem with Hindus, Muslims, Jews, and Buddhists working for them (to name some of the religions that have been represented at the company), it's been made clear to me by others in the company that it's not wise at all to advertise that I'm a heathen--especially since several of our customers are pretty stolidly funformentalist Christian and have been known to try tracting employees who they know aren't Christian.
I've been able to hide behind company policy ("Thanks, but company policy doesn't allow the distribution of literature on the property. I appreciate the thought, but I'll have to decline"), but that only takes one so far, really. The closest I've ever come to putting up the big flashing neon hammer over my head was when I smilingly told one chap "And may Odin bless you, too" after he replied with "Well, may Jesus bless you then" after I politely told him that I couldn't allow him to leave tracts in our place of business and that "I have my own beliefs, thanks."
I find myself forced to ask how long I can go on perpetrating what I feel is a charade. I mean, it's not like I'll get strung on a rack and have a bowl of burning coals placed on my gut until they burn right through or anything, if I advertise that I'm heathen. But at the same time, I don't want to borrow trouble.
Knowhutimean?
Why?
Because my place of work is owned by people who are pretty strongly Christian, and though they don't seem to have a problem with Hindus, Muslims, Jews, and Buddhists working for them (to name some of the religions that have been represented at the company), it's been made clear to me by others in the company that it's not wise at all to advertise that I'm a heathen--especially since several of our customers are pretty stolidly funformentalist Christian and have been known to try tracting employees who they know aren't Christian.
I've been able to hide behind company policy ("Thanks, but company policy doesn't allow the distribution of literature on the property. I appreciate the thought, but I'll have to decline"), but that only takes one so far, really. The closest I've ever come to putting up the big flashing neon hammer over my head was when I smilingly told one chap "And may Odin bless you, too" after he replied with "Well, may Jesus bless you then" after I politely told him that I couldn't allow him to leave tracts in our place of business and that "I have my own beliefs, thanks."
I find myself forced to ask how long I can go on perpetrating what I feel is a charade. I mean, it's not like I'll get strung on a rack and have a bowl of burning coals placed on my gut until they burn right through or anything, if I advertise that I'm heathen. But at the same time, I don't want to borrow trouble.
Knowhutimean?
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