I have had the flu for a week. I haven't been on the internet for most of that week, and I just opened my inbox (SCREAMS WITH HORROR, albeit weakly, since I still feel like hammered shit.)

If I hadn't started feeling better (Took a shower! Ate some egg drop soup with actual hunger! Didn't puke! No fever! Am drinking ACTUAL COFFEE for first time in 5 days!) I would simply go back to bed with depression.

Anyway, my gripe? Why do spammers call me "buddy" or "dude" or "sir" on my website spam? I KNOW it's spam, bit for fuck's sake, why can't it be gender-neutral?

WOMEN MAKE WEBSITES. I am WOMAN; see me code (badly). I am going to delete your spam, but if you cal me "buddy," it makes me want to contact high-level hackers, just to make your day a Bad One.

Also, I see from my in-box I have woefully neglected some Buffistas. I'm sorry; I was kinda, almost dead. I will be replying this afternoon, as I frantically complete a copyedit job due today that I only had the first 10 pages done before the Flue of Doom hit me and Dan.

Heh. "Flue of Doom."

Interesting visual. I meant "Flu of Doom."

Hey! My sense of humor is back! Imma gonna LIVE!

I missed about 8 zillion posts. I hope everything is OK with all ma bitchez.

So we got TV about a week ago. I haven't actually watched anything yet...I'm so used to getting my TV via the interwebz and Netflix I don't know how to adjust!

But 49ers/Saints tomorrow.

Erin, I'm glad you are starting to feel better. I'm glad you weren't carried off by a bad batch of Flue Powder.

Teppy, I just realized that I probably goofed up on your name responding to a comment you made on one of my facebook posts. Sorry about that. (If I am remembering right that you prefer to not be addressed as Stephanie.)

Lisah, lots of ~ma for Swifty and for you.

(If I am remembering right that you prefer to not be addressed as Stephanie.)

No problem -- I'm used to people doing that on FB, since that's how I'm registered, so I assume they look at my name and type the whole thing.

t edit Lots of Buffistas respond to my FB posts and call me "Teppy," and I wonder what my non-Buffista FB friends/family think about that (if anything).

And then, on FetLife (kink social media site) my user name is Teppy, so I think when Buffistas address me on Facebook as Teppy, it probably makes the people from FetLife who are also on Facebook do a really hard double-take. Because, out of my FL friends who are also on FB, there is an unwritten rule that you DO NOT cross the streams, and so far everyone takes it VERY seriously. I don't think anyone from FL would call me Teppy on FB, so it must confuse the shit out of them when Buffistas do. (Or maybe they think you're people from FL who they don't know.)

kitty~ma to Swifty and lisah.

Will came by and watched Community - Fistful of Paintballs & A few Paintballs more. Then he left (he was in the area) the weather has gotten bad and there was an advisory for the interstate for the area.

I talked to Mom (finally - I called and left messages the past few days) she's doing well. Everyone is getting settled in and my Dad is now thinking about maybe moving to Ashville. I'm not sure if it was idle talk or if he's serious about it. I know he'd not planning on staying at his house forever.

So I don't know what he'll end up doing. But if Dad sells his house and Mom rents out hers then that would be really weird. That would make the beach house the base of operations for any visits. Or staying in a hotel or something.

Steph, my allergies are better, thanks! I've been taking Allegra and Chloro-Trimetron (sp?) pretty regularly and they seem to be making a difference.

Erin, I'm glad you escaped the Flue of Doom! I bet you're gonna email me. I may ignore it out of shame and anxiety. Just so you know!

lisah, kitty~ma for Swifty.

Maria, I'm sorry about the accident.

Hello, darlings.

javachik, best of luck to you.

Erin, glad you're starting to feel a bit better.

I've been tech support for my sister umpteen times, which is sad b/c I am not tech savvy at all.

Oh and I have to cover a $2500 deductible for the insurance on the company car. Fuck it all. I want a do over.

OH HAI. Yesterday, on the way back to the warehouse, driving down a narrow street, my passenger rearview clipped an illegally parked vehicle's driver side mirror and took it off. I was driving the big box truck. Unfortunately and stupidly, I was hanging up on a call. It's not illegal to drive while on a cell here, but we took a defensive driving course and I know I'm not supposed to do it. It might have still happened if I'd not been on the phone, but who knows.

This would not be such a BFD, but our org has had so many accidents in the past that our insurance is threatening to drop us. And I was honest and admitted that I was on the phone.

I was sat down today and informed that this is my third strike, and I could technically be terminated. Strike one was clipping the door in the warehouse in the same truck - I had a guide and was going slowly but turned slightly too sharply. Neither the truck nor the door was damaged. Strike two was having an OSHA-reportable injury, pulling my back, while technically not completely following proper lifting technique.

Now, my boss and our compliance officer have my back. They know that I'm safer than most, and that I'm doing a good job in a tough situation. So we'll see what the Field Ops guy (who is not a nice person) and the CFO (who sits in an office all day and has no idea of the realities of the field) will say.

If they do terminate me, and the compliance person doesn't think they will, I think they'll be making a mistake and they will be up shit creek with absolutely no paddle. But for the time being, I am not allowed to drive a company vehicle.

Then, on the way back, my crew member who was driving the truck with trailer changed lanes without signaling and then started backing the rig into a lot without a guide, which is EXPLICITLY against policy and I'm hardcore about it. He also did it in front of EVERYBODY. He does that a lot. I took him aside and we both lost our tempers. He's such a spoiled brat, ISTG. I freely admit that he's a better driver than I am with and without the trailer, but he is cocky and cavalier and has been in a wreck of his own fault before.

In general he does what he wants and doesn't want to follow policy, and does not play well with others. I have been needing to address this, but time and energy has gone to PB and I couldn't figure out how best to approach him without saying, "You're a fucking spoiled brat and you need to grow the fuck up." But guess what, I'm doing an evaluation of him this weekend, and this will all be reflected.

And so, for the second time this week, I am having a drink on the porch. And Aims, I feel you - I cracked and bought a pack on the way home.

I think scrambled eggs for dinner and an early bedtime are called for. Good things happened today, too - we finished a fast-paced project very successfully and a friend of a friend may stay with me and pay me for it next month. I'm just worn out and raw and wish I had someone to cuddle me and pet my hair tonight.

tl;dr

My root canal complete with gum incisions due to raging infection is suddenly not seeming so bad.

brenda, that still sounds pretty bad to me. Did you at least get good drugs?

Why is the pear cider always gone? I have beer (which I hate) and liquor but no mixers. Neighbor is going to the bar two blocks away in a bit, but that seems far.

Scrambling eggs seems hard to me right now. I have to shower to get the lead paint dust off (you want my life, I know you do) but I really, really just want to sleep forever.