What made you smile today?

Trying hard to calm me ...

Just spoke with Budai ... think she's another Hakima, but we'll see. She's from CWI - that's the "get me back to work" people, as opposed to the "welfare" people.

I'm having the most ridiculous conversations with people:

me: hello, I have a strange question - maybe a difficult question -
her: yes?
me: you see, I have this contract with my boyfriend - I have the samen-wo ... samen-leven - wij wonen samen - nee - ik heb wel verblijfsvergunning, "verblijf bij partner" - and because of that, I can't get uitkering. (that's welfare AND unemployment insurance - they call it the same thing ... ed) But now I ALSO can't find a job, and I was wondering if there's an organization that can help me with that? I know you guys can't, because I have to be eligible for uitkering, but ...

She told me I probably AM eligible, for unemployment insurance, but the problem is that I am still employed by this uitzendburo (temp agency) that won't call me because they found out my best friend there is an illegal from bulgaria, and she's talking, and I'm a writer.

that's what I'm telling myself, anyway, and it COULD be true - I don't think they'll call me when the work begins again - they won't be calling Sany, either - she's found a way to get legal, and so she'll be in bulgaria a couple months. She wants to tell me her story so I can write about it. <s>

anyway ...

I may become a welfare case at 2 pm ... wish me luck!

(short answer: what made me smile today? feeling valid. <s>)

I can't say that I understand that tangled web,
but I certainly wish you good luck and gainful
employment.

that's why I broke it down, george - thanks!

<s>

if you want to read my posts quick, usually what I say at the end is my point.

often, actually, it'll be written in a second post following the first one.

I have trouble stating things clearly and directly cuz I'm a writer, and now I very confused one.

(Imagine how the woman on the phone felt! <g>)

What made me smile?? Life

glad YOURS does. heheheh.

that makes ME smile, actually.

A new mall opened in Atlanta today and one of my favorite stores that sells my brand of cosmetics is it's anchor so now I won't have to go too far to avoid Macy's, which is in another mall only a few blocks away from where I live but I'm staging a personal protest against Macy's and have vowed to never ever ever shop there again. (sorry for the run-on sentence.) So the new mall is most welcome. And I'm smiling.

Wow, Beth... New York City right now!!!! Cool.

Good luck, Anastasia.


I was walking the dogs at the Tacoma Narrows beach early this morning. It was gorgeous out -- the tide was a few minutes from being at its highest flood, 11.6 feet. The water was like glass which is very unusual -- these waters can be extremely rough with strong currents, tidal flows and white-caps. It was so still that I could hear the murmuring voices of the workers high on the new bridge and the snorting of a seal when he rose to take a breath.

Only two other people were on the beach, both fishermen. One remembered that I had given him a fishing fly a month earlier and was very pleased to see me again, which made the morning brighter for both of us. The other, one I hadn't met before, chatted with me a minute and then as I stood there, got a strike and quickly landed a beautiful silver salmon. He said that I must have been a lucky charm. He had his camera so I took a photo of the proud fisherman and his beautiful fish.

This photo may or may not be working... last time I looked, it seemed a little under-exposed.

Springfield to Medford this morning: 1 hour flat. (over 80 miles)

Motorcycle or car?

Explaining Cinderella Rocks to my french housemate. Joyce Culhawick (however you spell her name) was there, she's the entertainment reviewer on a local news show.

That's be Kulhawik. She's the entertainment anchor for channel 4 news.

The biz-ike. It was kind of cold and I wanted to get back like NOW.

You'd like this...my car broke down at the intersection of Mass Ave on the Arlington/Cambridge line yesterday, at the Mobil. Had to push it off the road by myself. This is around 4pm on Friday.

Holy cow! Not a good place to break down. Or time. Funny, if I had taken the route I almost took, I may have been there to help you.

I was watching for you...but you let me down.

It's not the first time someone has broken down in that mess. I've seen it more than once. I dunno what it is about that intersection.

I never do pet posts, but so, I'm sitting in this Internetcafe, and somewhere behind me I hear this sound of chains rattling or something. Turn around to look but dont see anything.

Ten minutes later, the sound is coming my way. It belongs to the cutest little doggie, who's walking around the place at random and drags his leash behind him. He happily lets himself be scratched behind the ears, waiting patiently. More sound and hopp, there's his little brother/sister, also carrying his leash along, jumping over him to get in on the act. Cute little bugger, with big eyes in a pointy face and mouth open, kinda like a teddybear version of Gollem. This one's all active and enthusiastic, up on his hind legs with his paws on your chair or coat, "hello!".

Aw.

On the same theme - well, kinda - I passed by Gerbeaud coffeehouse this afternoon, and looking through the window something odd struck my eye. I looked and saw a Japanese man, having squeezed himself between chair and windowsill - the windowsill being low, at knee-height at most. Why? He was brandishing a camera, of course. He'd put his slice of cake, on its saucer, down on the windowsill, and was now torturously positioning himself to make a good picture of it.

I guess the lighting on the table wasn't good enough.

I did a search for my name on google for some silly meme somewhere, and came up with an ancient mention of myself here.


It's been so long I almost forgot this place was home!

Hey there Mcat!

Hi littlek!

How are you these days?

marycat! I was just thinking of you the other day! Damned if I can remember the context, something about Texas perhaps, wondering where you are now and what you're up to.

How's life?

Oh and meanwhile I came here to say that littlek just made me smile by calling me one of her favorite A2Kers. :-D (Likewise!)