O is for overtime! Ain't Summer Camp great? Where else can you easily work 55hr weeks and only get paid for 37.5hrs? At least they compensate us with "comp time" when we work more than 40hrs per week (yes, your math is right, we donate 2.5hrs for free). For our department, you can save up all that extra time from Summer Camp and use it as vacation time in the weeks between Camp and school starting when we have very little to do. The catch is, you can only use it in August and you lose it if you don't. But it's REALLY nice to have because there is no possible way to run Summer Camp and do all our paperwork if we only work 37.5hrs. And since the overtime is "mandatory," it's nice that they compensate us for it.
This summer, I earned a whopping 45hrs of comp time! That's six full days off from work without having to take annual leave! Yay! I am using it to visit the Florida Family for Granddad's 90th birthday party.
Saturday, July 31, 2010
ABC Catch-Up
I is for... I don't know! Rraarrrrg! I don't have anything for I! Epic Fail!
J is for... John, of course! :-*
K is for... knitting! So sue me, I went for the cheap and obvious choice; I have no excuse other than that I am behind on my alphabet. But, I do have a bit to say that's new and interesting: I am aiming for "12 projects in 12 months" this year. I noticed that I was churning out finished projects this spring, so I decided to set myself a goal. Admittedly, I have gotten a little sidetracked, what with having to pull out Mom's copper sweater and then Summer Camp giving me no free time or energy. BUT! I am decided and determined. I have so many half-finished project lying around that I think I can whip a few of them into shape and still meet my goal. (And if all else fails, I have a 24hr round-trip car ride coming up next week. That should definitely give me time to knit!)
L is for... lifting weights! I know, technically I am bragging when I report my lift successes, but I don't really care. The other day, we were doing deadlifts and the guy resting behind us actually applauded me after I lifted 185lbs-- it was not even my personal best! Score one point for tiny girls everywhere! And if you combine the magic of Deadlift Fridays and the euphoria of No-More-Summer-Camp, you will get me rocking out multiple reps at my max weight (225lbs, thank you very much). PLUS, after establishing that my calves are freakishly strong (my back starts to crumble under 315lbs, but my legs don't feel it), I felt even stronger when a muscle head stereotype was working 315lbs on his calves, too. Me and the muscle heads! Haha! ... I'm sorry, it's just too funny.
M is for... Martin! Martin the new kitty has settled in quite well and is developing a personality of his own. He is very twitchy and always seems to be mobile; I call him our little tap dancer. He is very different from Winks, but they still get along. They make me laugh at least once a day with their stereotypical "brother" attitudes. For example, one kitty can be on the floor ignoring me, but if the other jumps up and starts purring because he is getting attention, then you better be sure that floor-kitty will soon become "He's getting loving, I want loving too!" kitty. :) Such brothers! Though Martin meets my criteria for defective kitties: he has herpes. No, cats don't get the genital kind; the feline virus lives in their eyes (ewwwww! gross!). Soon after we got him, he started losing weight and had the worst eye-goop discharge I had ever seen. The vet recommended oral antibiotics, eye drop antibiotics, then eye drop anti-virals for more than three weeks. She said that cats, like people, will have the virus forever, but may only have outbreaks every now and then. So, to date, I have chosen a cat with Feline AIDS, a cat with one eye, and a cat with herpes. I am apparently the protector of medically defective cats. Go, me!
N is for... new games! This summer has seen the release of a much-anticipated sequels for both John and me. John (and 99% of Korea) have been WAITING for Starcraft 2 to come out for over a decade and they all squealed in fanatic joy last week when it was finally released. I didn't play video games back in the day, but apparently Starcraft is a real-time, war-strategy game where you command various troops and support units. The original game has such a cult following that it is still sold in stores... 12 years after the initial release date! So needless to say, there was much excitement when the sequel was released. John has turned me into a video game widow this past week... but I don't care because my Puzzle Quest 2 was released too!! Yay, PQ! Puzzle Quest is basically Bejewelled with a plot line. The battle mechanics are just a Bejewelled board, where matching the different colors charge up various attacks. It's pretty stimulating because you take turns with the enemy, so you don't want to set up a great move only to have him steal it. I LOVED the first one and was very excited for the sequel. :)
J is for... John, of course! :-*
K is for... knitting! So sue me, I went for the cheap and obvious choice; I have no excuse other than that I am behind on my alphabet. But, I do have a bit to say that's new and interesting: I am aiming for "12 projects in 12 months" this year. I noticed that I was churning out finished projects this spring, so I decided to set myself a goal. Admittedly, I have gotten a little sidetracked, what with having to pull out Mom's copper sweater and then Summer Camp giving me no free time or energy. BUT! I am decided and determined. I have so many half-finished project lying around that I think I can whip a few of them into shape and still meet my goal. (And if all else fails, I have a 24hr round-trip car ride coming up next week. That should definitely give me time to knit!)
L is for... lifting weights! I know, technically I am bragging when I report my lift successes, but I don't really care. The other day, we were doing deadlifts and the guy resting behind us actually applauded me after I lifted 185lbs-- it was not even my personal best! Score one point for tiny girls everywhere! And if you combine the magic of Deadlift Fridays and the euphoria of No-More-Summer-Camp, you will get me rocking out multiple reps at my max weight (225lbs, thank you very much). PLUS, after establishing that my calves are freakishly strong (my back starts to crumble under 315lbs, but my legs don't feel it), I felt even stronger when a muscle head stereotype was working 315lbs on his calves, too. Me and the muscle heads! Haha! ... I'm sorry, it's just too funny.
M is for... Martin! Martin the new kitty has settled in quite well and is developing a personality of his own. He is very twitchy and always seems to be mobile; I call him our little tap dancer. He is very different from Winks, but they still get along. They make me laugh at least once a day with their stereotypical "brother" attitudes. For example, one kitty can be on the floor ignoring me, but if the other jumps up and starts purring because he is getting attention, then you better be sure that floor-kitty will soon become "He's getting loving, I want loving too!" kitty. :) Such brothers! Though Martin meets my criteria for defective kitties: he has herpes. No, cats don't get the genital kind; the feline virus lives in their eyes (ewwwww! gross!). Soon after we got him, he started losing weight and had the worst eye-goop discharge I had ever seen. The vet recommended oral antibiotics, eye drop antibiotics, then eye drop anti-virals for more than three weeks. She said that cats, like people, will have the virus forever, but may only have outbreaks every now and then. So, to date, I have chosen a cat with Feline AIDS, a cat with one eye, and a cat with herpes. I am apparently the protector of medically defective cats. Go, me!
N is for... new games! This summer has seen the release of a much-anticipated sequels for both John and me. John (and 99% of Korea) have been WAITING for Starcraft 2 to come out for over a decade and they all squealed in fanatic joy last week when it was finally released. I didn't play video games back in the day, but apparently Starcraft is a real-time, war-strategy game where you command various troops and support units. The original game has such a cult following that it is still sold in stores... 12 years after the initial release date! So needless to say, there was much excitement when the sequel was released. John has turned me into a video game widow this past week... but I don't care because my Puzzle Quest 2 was released too!! Yay, PQ! Puzzle Quest is basically Bejewelled with a plot line. The battle mechanics are just a Bejewelled board, where matching the different colors charge up various attacks. It's pretty stimulating because you take turns with the enemy, so you don't want to set up a great move only to have him steal it. I LOVED the first one and was very excited for the sequel. :)
Hello Again!
Well, it's been a grueling seven weeks, but I have once again survived Summer Camp. For those of you confused about my absence for two months, I work with the local community service board providing Therapeutic Day Treatment for children in the school system. During the summer, we run a day camp to continue services to these kids. Yes, it all sounds like a bunch of fun when you think back to your own childhood summer camp adventures.... but you were the camper then, not the counselor. Now, with that mental adjustment, also think of being a counselor to children who are medically diagnosed with hyperactivity and defiance disorders (among various others as well). Let's just say, it's about four tons of stress in a two-pound bag. Not to slander our kids too much, I should admit that the "good" days can be lots of fun; we take them swimming and to the skating rink, do crafts, and watch movies. But when our kids decide to have "bad" days.... (shudder). 'Nuff said. On top of all that, our days are MUCH longer than we get paid for and we don't get any breaks at all. (Because if you scamper off to use the restroom, who is watching the kids now?) Having not done any marathons personally, I can only liken it to running the Iditarod... without dogs.... or shoes.... or sleep... while still trying to maintain "therapeutic" reactions to the children's bad attitudes.
That being explained, I AM NOW FREE!!! I only have to work this upcoming week, then I can use my overtime to take a long vacation. And then school starts at the end of August. Woohoo! Who would've thought that a person would be happy to see the school year approaching? Haha.
That being explained, I AM NOW FREE!!! I only have to work this upcoming week, then I can use my overtime to take a long vacation. And then school starts at the end of August. Woohoo! Who would've thought that a person would be happy to see the school year approaching? Haha.
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