It's Thursday night...

and after a long week of crabby customers, exciting news, and job interviews. I really wish I was here tonight:

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

I haven't blogged in forever. I just don't seem to have the energy. I don't have to energy to break down my thoughts into words. Into cohesive and coherant phrases. Don't have the energy to really think about what I'm thinking about. That sounds dumb...lame. Ever since I got back from my vacation I've been so busy. Busy with work 50-60 hours a week and its draining physically and mentally. So here a some pics of a more relaxing time!


Seal Beach



Enjoying the sun on Seal Beach



I loved this guy!



Eating out of the fish hut



So tubby!



Just after snorkeling at Lovers Cove on Catalina




The casino on Catalina Island



Catalina Bay at sunset

Get me Outta Here

In 8 days I'll be going on vacation. It can't come soon enough. Things have been hectic at work and I'm pretty much losing my position (temporarily) at work as soon as I get home from California. Hopefully it will help my attitude to come back from a relaxing vacation.

I'm really excited to see Henry obviously and get out of here for a while. We're going snorkeling off of Catalina when I'm out there, so in about 2 weeks, I'll be seeing this:

I'm pretty sure that's a Garibaldi which i believe is California's state fish and Henry told me they are abundant where we'll be snorkeling. We'll also be heading to SeaWorld again thanks to our season passes and I'm definitely going to be feeding the bat rays and dolphins again. Other than that its going to be a lot of relaxing and also taking a vacation for my LOW Low low carb diet.

Thank god.

Very Scary

I've been getting lots of emails and texts, and calls....I'm ok, Matt's ok, everyone I know is ok. Matt just found out that his cousin was on the bridge when it collased. He fell about 40 feet but is ok and was able to to the hosptial with no serious injuries.

I had another friend who luckily decided to take 280 last night instead of 35W like usual.

Its very odd to see pictures of a bridge I've been on hundreds of times laying in pieces and broken in the river. I'm just really glad that Minnesota emergency personnel were so quick to act and so many people were rescued and moved quickly to the hospitals.

I'm sure all of our thought and prayers are with those directly effected by this tragic accident.

Whaaat???

While I'm working with a customer today, I hear over my headset, "I'm heading up to 4th floor to look for the racoon". Since I'm with a customer, I don't react, thinking i must have misheard. Then a few minutes later, "Ok, I'm up on 4, where did the customer see the racoon."

I'm thinking to myself. This is Macy's. We don't carry racoons here. There can't possibly be a racoon in the store.

I was wrong.

Apparently racoons like Macy's sales too. And he thought he'd wander in from the parking ramp to check out the deals. Luckily he never got into the customer parts of the store. Mainly he was just in the entrance from our parking ramp roof, but that also means he missed out on the amazing linen sale!

So to recap, there was a racoon in my store today. I didn't get to see him, but John did, animal control was called, and the racoon did not buy any of the clearance Ralph Lauren sheets. Though at 60% off I'm sure he would have enjoyed them.

The Many Worlds of Macy's

Department stores have stupid names for things.

Food Avenue? Target, come on it is not an avenue. It is a dirty place to buy a roller dog and a slushie.

Panty world? Yes, that's right Panty World. Tuesday morning I went into work at 7am to rearrange "Panty World". Panty World is this magical place where you can find anything from tiny strings to giant parachutes to put on your bottom. By the way, at Macy's we don't actually refer to these things as underwear or even panties. They are simply "pants" as if panties is too risque. But how do we then distinguish these"pants" from real pants? And then why in the world do we call the department Panty World??? This just confuses me. So yes, I spent my morning in this world of panties. I sized the little tiny lacy thongs, I folded the comfortable cotton boy shorts, and I hung the giant nylon granny panties. The granny panties that were a least a foot tall (I'm not exaggerating here. I held them up to myself and they literally would have come up to my boobs). The granny panties that ranged from S-XXL and the small would have fit me. I should never be able to wear a small in anything....especially not something that's supposed to cover my ass. Panty World is now well organized. It looks good. The mannequin butts on the wall "create interest". Because we freed up some space in the department, we have room for "guest seating". That's right, you can now sit in comfortable chairs in the middle of Panty World. I don't want to know what kind of person sits in that department surrounded by panties. At that my friends is Macy's Panty World.

We have another world at Macy's. Women's World. I am now managing petites and plus sizes. But we don't call it plus sizes, or even just the womens department. We call it Women's World because if you are a size 14+ you need a separate world to shop in. So as I rearranged women's world yesterday, I pondered this. Why is it a world? The misses department isn't a world. And speaking of misses, why is it misses and women's. Just because I'm a size 16 does that mean I'm not a misses. Or if you are only a size 6 are you not a woman? Why not stick to plus? I'm plus size...I know that. I know that there is more of me than there is of other people. Therefore, I am plus. But then again, if you are petite, does that make you negative? or minus? Why aren't the departments negative, regular, and plus? or petite, average, and big? These are the things I think about while I'm arranging racks and dressing mannequins at 7am. I also pondered why our "plus size" mannequins are a size 14 but the don't actually have any lumps or bulges. They are simply larger version of the size 4 mannequins. If we're gonna be accurate in showing what things look like, shouldn't they have fat rolls or something. Then I could say, "yes that will cover it up!" or "no...that wrap dress simply hugs every bulge i have". That would help.

I could also talk about how we call the department for our dishes and glassware The Cellar and yet I would never keep my dinnerware in a cellar, but I need to head to work!

a View from Saint Paul

I've definitely become like everyone else regarding the major lack of blogging. Not sure why that's happened...its not for lack of material. I've thought about writing restaurant reviews of places I've been recently. I could write about work and how i'm getting shafted there. I could have written about how excited i was that Henry was coming here to see me or how sad i've been since he's left. I think i just haven't had the motivation to write anything....i'm not even journaling anymore. Sometimes it just feels like too much pressure to write...especially in this public format where there is this unwritten requirement to be witty or profound or deep or inventive. I haven't felt any of those things. But I'm getting tired of the peacock post (not that i don't LOVE Lance chasing around that poor bird)so here's some new pictures.

Henry always takes a ton of pictures. I think its his Japanese genes coming out. While he was here, he took quite a few....mostly of all the green! He was confused by all of the green and the fresh air here in MN. Anyway, here are some of the pictures from his visit to St. Paul. I love that he's taking pictures of things I see everyday and would never photgraph...enjoy!


1st view of Saint Paul

I love these pictures from Mounds park...who else would take pictures of the tornado siren???




Going to the Metrodome



Inside the dome


Praying the Twins don't get killed by the worst team ever, the Nationals


After the Twins game


The IDS tower at night


Henry was soooo excited about White Castle


I was a little scared

Como Park Conservatory & Japanese Gardens







Mickey's Diner, a Saint Paul Landmark


Landmark Center &1st Bank Building

These are at Mears Park, right across the street from my apartment




A surprise kiss by the river

Long Awaited Peacock Post

A couple of weeks ago, Lance, Jean, Mom, and went to the Schell's Brewery tour. Now, sadly, the tour was LAME. VERY VERY LAME. But, for the low price of $2.00 we were able to play with peacocks, make fun of tour ladies, and get a little buzzed. The best $2.00 I've ever spent!!! And here is our day at Schell's.....

A happy peacock, minding his own business.


And along comes Lance.


This can't be good.


I'm gonna kick ya!


I'm not puttin' my tail up! Stop chasing me!!!


Do these turn you on Mr. Peacock???


I hate brewery tour assholes.


Well after successfully pissing off the Schell's peacock, it was time to go on the tour. The tour, however, was not good. We stood outside of the buildings and listened to the robotic tour guide talk about them. She didn't not appreciate our humor....not many people do. So we all decided to rebel against the tour and play in the coupln booth. My mom was supposed to be supervising us...does taking pictures of us misbehaving count as supervision?

Look out Jean!!!

I would like to buy another case of delicious Grainbelt Premium please!

Right about now is when the tour lady caught us.

And then the best part of the tour...



Look what I can do!!!


Budweiser, I'm sorry, but I had to...


It was a good day.