Flashing Cougars

It has rained for 2 days now.  How wonderful!  Our latest utility bill came...it has the water/sewer/electric/trash on it.  Half of it is still covering the extra electric use from the nephew...and he used A LOT himself, plus the extra water/sewer... but it also covers all the extra water usage from watering the lawn and flowers.  It is a BEAUTY!  ugh.

I was contacted by the electric company that covers areas south of us about a job I had interviewed for...went through the info session and screening interview, computer testing, then the grueling hour and half, 3 panel interviewing process.  They wanted to offer me a job.  I will be getting my 'instruction' letter in the mail in the next few days.  It tells me where to go for the background check and drug testing.  IF I pass both of those (HA!) then I should begin training on Aug. 13.  Training is 40 hours a week for 4 weeks.  It starts the Monday after the bus tour vaca with my parents/sisters.  My mother is relieved.  My daughter is disappointed becuz she selflessly volunteered to take my place had I not been able to full fill my obligation.  To which my youngest sister said, "REALLY?  She WANTED to go on a bus tour with a bunch of old people?"  She just wanted to go on a vacation!

While the training period misses the vacation trip schedule, it will run smack into the first two weeks of my college classes.  For 4 of my classes it will not be a problem...3 of them are online, a 4th one I can reschedule for Thursday night instead of Tuesday morning...but the MAIN pivotal class I can do nothing about.  It is late Tuesday afternoon.  My son had this particular instructor for a few classes and he assures me that she can be flexible within reason and considering the reason...she could archive the class online for me to view.  It would be the first 2 classes.  Once training is done, I only have to work one full day and then 2 four-hour days...with the option to pick up an extra shift.

This is the job where one of the interviewers happened to also be an x-teacher, liked the a facts that I used to work in a bank AND am going back to college for computer programming.  She said that my teaching background and banking background will be very helpful for what my job would entail AND once I get some computer programming classes under my belt she would like to use me to help her design an updated data base system for their department.  No pressure.

I am waiting until I get the letter and look things over before I put in my notice at the store.  Poor Aaron...he is not going to be a happy camper.  He will be losing me and Ryan (he's going back to college) and Larry, who is transferring to another store closer to where he lives.  That leaves him with Quizzy who is kinda light on reasoning abilities, and Pat who is nice but lazy, Erica who only wants to work 2 shifts a week, Jeremy who can only work 3rd shift a few times a week, Zack who works ONLY 3rd shift cuz he is a computer geek that likes to sleep all day, Ashley who can only work in the kitchen becuz she can't get along with the customers, and Kylie.  Kylie might be able to work more.  But she breaks things.  Guess he's going to be training some more ppl!

And when Aaron asks me why I would want to leave...let's see...more pay...I don't have to empty the trash or clean any bathrooms at any time...or make coffee.  No coffee...at anytime.  LOL!!! 

I could essentially ride to work with my next door neighbor Derek on Mondays!  yeeeaaahhhh....no.  He tends to get on my nerves...he's a bit too nosey and know-it-all for me.

On another note...my Sirius radio subscription for my car came up for renewal.  I told my husband to cut it.  While satellite radio has its perks...the price isn't one of them.  As I pointed out...i'm not in my car all that much and there are a bazillion radio stations to listen to in this area PLUS I have an mp3 player I can plug in and listen to. 

Took my daughter down to a local show arena to buy her and TJ some XFest tickets for their birthdays again (like last year...xfest is between their birthdays).  She was so excited and talked a mile a minute all the way there (it's first thing in the morning!  SHUSH!).  We got there and her fave radio station was set up there streaming live.  We were stopped before entering the building by some youngsters in black t-shirts, black hair, gauges, and tattoos handing out demo CDs...one of the bands for xfest.  I was surprised that they handed me one as well.  I told them while I appreciated the thought I would be handing it on to my son for whom I was also buying the ticket cuz I'm old and their music is a wee bit out of my realm.  The one kid laughed and said, 'you never know...you might like it if you give it a listen."  I laughed and said, "I'm pretty much guessing you are not on the same block as Gavin Degraw."  He laughed too and said, "My girlfriend likes Gavin...he's not too bad.  You might want to listen to us on your CD player in your car!"  I said, "both my kids will have one of these...I'm sure I'll hear it."  and went inside to get the tickets.  I stepped up to the lady at the window, who was grey haired and looked grumpy and I said, "Nothing like getting accosted first thing in the day!"  I think her face cracked cuz she suddenly started laughing!  I asked her for 2 tickets, and then handed them to my daughter and said, "Happy birthday to you and your brother."  The woman got this look on her face like, "oh...that's nice" like she was relaxing.  Once I got outside I kinda understood why.  There were grown women of the 50-60 age range dancing around in little tops and little shorts, sporting some questionable tattoos and flirting with the disc jockeys (please...the tattoos are fooling no one...the spider veins still show! and tank tops don't help the flapping arms!)  The disc jockeys were looking slightly uncomfortable but being kind.  And I was thinking "who said being a cougar was sexy?"  Do they KNOW how ridiculous they look?  I know I was depressed and cried for 2 weeks when I turned 50 but somewhere along the line one must come to grips with reality.  Show some dignity!  If you can rock a tank top and daisy dukes at that age, congrats.  BUT don't be hitting on guys young enough to be your son/grandson!  As for the tattoos, it is no secret that I am not a fan of them at all BUT at least don't use them to try and camoflage the varicose and spider veins and stretch marks cuz it is just pathetic.  LOL!

Anyhow, I dropped an entry paper into the box for Ms. Bethany to win a prize.  You had to be present to win and there was only 20 more minutes.  They ended up drawing her name and she won a Black Keys CD...I know she listens to them and I don't find them entirely annoying.

On the way home she was talking even more and even faster (think Chip and Dale...LOL!  I love my daughter, I love my daughter).  She put the demo CD in and it sounded like someone trying to sing and barf at the same time.  She tried another song...it started out nice...then the barfing began.  yeah...eject. 
So...what do Sick Puppies sound like?  I've heard Seether and Dropkick Murphies (on the list of bands to be there) and then there is something called 'falling in reverse' that Amber says she LOVES (I'm not sure if she meant the band or the actual act of it).  But if they are a barf and sing kinda band...I don't get it.

My youngest sister Melissa says her husband Matt loves Dropkick Murphies and every time he puts the CD in the player they all run and hide.  LMAO!  Perhaps he would like XFest...where he can get some music and a peep show all at once.  According to TJ there was a lot of the Cougars doing some 'flash' dancing last year.  ew...again...HOW OLD ARE YOU???  gaaaahhhhhh.

and yes...I bought them tickets for that A-GAIN.