Oh I waited in a chair for a good two hours, went up and processed my paperwork, and now I'm in a line that goes on forever to get my picture and thumbprint taken. After that I have to wait in another line to take the written test. Then another line to pick up the actual license.
My daughter and I got sneaky. We took her up to a town about 30 miles from Madison. They only give their driver's test once a week, but even so, there's never more than one person in line so it's in and out. But that was because she had to take an actual road test. The wait for a road test in Madison was something like two months by appointment. Ridiculous.
Kristin, I totally saw someone that looked like you today! But it wasn't you.
Being in the military while I was out there I was able to thumb my nose at CA
That was
you
?!???!
(Nah, we're a Navy town. Everyone does that.)
That was you ?!???!
Hee, I was the one with the "California Alien since 1982" bumper sticker.
the "California Alien since 1982" bumper sticker.
I've never seen one like that. I think I would be seriously amused if I did though.
What's the story on your tag?
I did good at work. Why can't I go home yet?
I was hoping for something else.
But only because I don't watch
Lost.
Sail! Yesterday's tornadoes were on ABCs National News.
The main thrust of the story seemed to be, "Why didn't more people die?"
skip skip skip skim
"I will resist your cephalopodian wiles."
...You do know that there are
Harry Potter
fanficcers who write squidslash, yes?
Aaaand let's talk about me.
I'd appreciate your input on the following letter, before I email it back to the travel agency that sent it, and cc the guy at NewEmployer with whom I have had erratic email contact, and the Bill Gates figure at the NewPlace.
Now I do understand why my travel arrangements are low down on the To Do list for the company, what with the whole OhShitWeCan'tOpenUpTheSchoolForAnotherTwelveMonths horror that they're experiencing. I understand that. But you know what?
Not. My. Fault.
I've calmed down quite a lot now that I've had a hot bath and read a lot of Guy Gavriel Kay, but I'm still ready to spill blood.
...oh, fucking
marvellous.
And now gmail refuses to let me cut and paste the body of the text. Fine. Fucking BRILLIANT. Thanks for that, universe. 'Cause I need a little more shit to land on me.
Right. Fine. Let me sum up: I've been waiting to hear about travel details for two months. My flatmate was given HER travel details in mid June. I wasn't. No explanation, but I wasn't worried, and I just waited patiently. I've been asking my NewEmployers, politely, for travel info for the past month. I've been getting increasingly emphatic as time has passed. Eventually I got a telephone call, after I finally sent a decidedly terse letter and cc'd the Bill Gates figure of the company in on it. The phone call was from a Very Important Minion/BigCheese, and I was alerted to it by his son emailing me to ask for my home phone number. The phone call, which I'd been expecting to deal with travel arrangements, was actually informing me of the whole "Whoops we can't open" scenario, and the following day I got an official letter from the Bill Gates figure.
So, SonOfBigCheese emailed me, asking for my phone number. Upon that basis I figured that his email address was likely my best bet as a means of communicating. I've not been nagging the Bill Gates guy about my travel arrangements, because I do understand that it's not exactly his top priority right now. Instead I've been emailing SonOfBigCheese. No answer so far.
Now my problem is this: I'd expected to return to Egypt in early August. This was my wish. But having had no contact from the travel agency, I was unable to express this wish. I'd hoped to be back in Egypt (where I left my cat alone in the flat on July 26th, with the maid popping in to feed him 3 days a week, insh'allah, and leaving masses of biscuits for him to nibble at in the interim [which should be fine, 'cause he doesn't wolf through the whole pile of biscuits and then wait for more, he nibbles at it gradually]) in time for my birthday, on August 20th. (Oooh! Now, in fact, here in Britain! I'm 32! Shit!) Obviously, that ain't happening.
So, making the best of this whole still-hanging-around-in-the-UK business, I bid for, and won, a pair of tickets to the August 24th showing of
Serenity.
I figured that if my employers turned around and told me I needed to be back in Egypt already by that point, that I could post them to my mate E (who got sucked into
Firefly
while he was visiting me in Cairo, and with whom I'll be staying in Edinburgh, and with whom I'm going to go to the movie). Or even sell them on ebay, maybe.
And I kept asking for info about travel.
And nobody answered my emails.
Now, okay, they've moved campuses, maybe he's not receiving the emails,
but what the fuck else am I supposed to do by way of communicating with them? They have my email address. They have my phone number.
Time passed. Eventually, by August 15th, I sent a pretty damned terse email to SonOfBigCheese, saying, look, I'm happy to arrange my own travel details, just tell me when you need me back at work and I'll sort it out. Because right now? I'm putting my life on hold. I'm unable to make commitments or plan my movements within the UK. I'm treading water. TALK (continued...)
