How long is the probationery period?

3 months, and the trip is in June.

I see. Unpaid leave of absence, negotiated up front.

You never know. I happened to mention my brother's wedding when I interviewed here (regardless of when you start you don't get vacation until Jan 1 of the next year @@).

I had planned to use the days I had earned freelancing (I took vacation instead of $$, because of said @@ policy) and my boss said, no, you mentioned that before starting, don't worry about it.

So it ended up that I actually was able to go to my brother's wedding in Minnesota and take a vacation in Hawaii, all without actually having any vacation that year.

I have no idea how I say appalachian. I had a prof who grew up in the backwoods of appuhLATCHuh. But they are APpahlaychin mountains. Beats me.

Under 10 swimming lesson kids remind me so much of puppies. The teachers are always laughing by the end of a session.

I need more hours in the day.

For World Cup fans: The Eliminator

Someone's car horn won't stop going off. It doesn't seem to be an alarm. If it doesn't stop soon, I may take it upon myself to bash a window so I can get at the fuse box.

Mister Kitty's breath smells like a dead thing. Uhg.

So, I have solved my party anxiety by going shopping myself and cutting up the veggies and most of the fruit ahead of time, and making the salad dressing. So now when I get to the party, I only have to set stuff out, and cut up apples and such. P now just has to buy deli meat, rolls, chips, hummus and cheeses. I also bought napkins and a plastic salad bowl with a cover and a server. Now I just have to wash my serving things and pack them. Of course this means I have to carry vagetables, fruit, salad and serving things on the bus tomorrow, which should be fun.

I have also realized that perhaps my anxiety issues have not resolved themselves as much as I have made my life avoid situations which provoke my anxieties. Oy! This is a totally normal thing to do, and it has caused e such agita.

Also, my cat has been yowling and making all sort of unholy noises in front of the attic door, so I finally let her up there. Now she is yowling and making unholy noises in the attic. And I suspect her breathe may soon smell of dead things.

And the man who was sitting next to me on the bus with my four bags of groceries and screaming in Spanish and pointing and making obsene hand gestures at the lady across the aisle, and spittingon the floor ALSO had breathe that smelled like dead things.