Another March, Another Battle...

Tomorrow marks my official one-year anniversary as a blogger! Yes, it was really a full year ago that I was telling my first few loyal readers just how I planned to beat that dreadful month of March. I hope that since that time I have at least a few people laugh, and hopefully helped a few more people get through those long, boring days at work when there is absolutely nothing to do other than check your friends' blogs in hopes that they have updated them. I am noting with considerable interest how long my blog is, and how long my final master's project is not. This all will need to change soon, as I am currently slated to graduate on May 11th, only one day after my big quarter-of-a-century birthday. Phew, at least I will have accomplished something...

I'm sure that the next year will bring more adventures and ever more misadventures in the life of Erinn, especially now that I am working on a dementia unit and soon to be moving out on my own! Already a couple of weeks ago I lit my entire thumb on fire trying to help someone light their cigarette in the smoking lounge! (It matters not that I am against smoking in principle, I still have to help from time to time...) Who knows what blog-worthy occurrences the next year may bring? I appreciate all of you staying tuned during the last year, and hope that I'll see you back this year, same time, same place! Love to you all and word to your mothers,
Erinn ;-)

Another March, Another Battle...

Tomorrow marks my official one-year anniversary as a blogger! Yes, it was really a full year ago that I was telling my first few loyal readers just how I planned to beat that dreadful month of March. I hope that since that time I have at least a few people laugh, and hopefully helped a few more people get through those long, boring days at work when there is absolutely nothing to do other than check your friends' blogs in hopes that they have updated them. I am noting with considerable interest how long my blog is, and how long my final master's project is not. This all will need to change soon, as I am currently slated to graduate on May 11th, only one day after my big quarter-of-a-century birthday. Phew, at least I will have accomplished something...

I'm sure that the next year will bring more adventures and ever more misadventures in the life of Erinn, especially now that I am working on a dementia unit and soon to be moving out on my own! Already a couple of weeks ago I lit my entire thumb on fire trying to help someone light their cigarette in the smoking lounge! (It matters not that I am against smoking in principle, I still have to help from time to time...) Who knows what blog-worthy occurrences the next year may bring? I appreciate all of you staying tuned during the last year, and hope that I'll see you back this year, same time, same place! Love to you all and word to your mothers,
Erinn ;-)

Scandal at Starbuck's

Ok, so perhaps scandal is a strong word. However, things at Starbuck's have indeed taken a disturbing turn as of late. Just to give anyone who doesn't follow my schedule closely some background on the situation (haha :-)), 7 of my best friends and I all meet at Starbuck's every Monday night at 8:45 for coffee, and of course a generous cup of conversation. We have been doing this for the past several years, and have come to enjoy a certain sort of "regulars" status at this particular location. (Think of the show "Friends" with Central Perk....) Occasionally, the person who takes our order also gives us a postcard, letter, or package that has been addressed to "The Monday Night Coffee Girls, c/o Starbucks." We practically own the leather couch that replaced our former chartreuse-colored sitting area. The employees who used to work at Starbuck's knew our names, our orders, and probably a fair amount about our lives, as we don't usually do a very good job of keeping our conversations either quiet or appropriate for public consumption. Then, over the past several months, our favorite baristas like Paula and Zach were slowly but surely replaced by generic blond high-schoolers who seem to be planning to learn the art of coffee-drink mixing next week.

Although this is upsetting, his doesn't bother us nearly as much as the newest phenomenon that seems to be sweeping our weekly hang-out. There seems to an alarming trend toward people using Starbuck's as their own personal office, or worse, bedroom! Last week when we walked in, we found that not only was OUR very centrally-located, not-at-all-tucked-in-a-corner couch taken, but it was taken by a very overly amorous couple who did not seem to realize the discomfort that they were causing other patrons. They were not young, foolish middle-schoolers who had nowhere else to express their affections, but people who were probably approximately ten years older than I am! People, it is never appropriate to make out in a coffee shop, especially not in a place that is visible from virtually everywhere else in the store. After they FINALLY relocated their tryst and we were able to reclaim our spot, we were distracted by a group of men doing a RADIO BROADCAST from the next table over. It took all of my willpower not to run over shout something into the microphone. "Get a bedroom!" "Get an office!" This would be very good for business. Just as long as they don't make us stop using Starbuck's as our group's PO Box..... :-)

Random Thoughts-The Vignette Series

***I absolutely adore the word "vignette."***

"Global Warming"
I rarely watch the news, because frankly, I find it depressing. I know that it's important that a person is at least somewhat aware of what's going on in the world, which is why once a week I read the headlines of the newspaper before flipping straight to the crossword puzzle. However, the other day I accidentally left the TV on after Jeopardy was over, and happened to find out that scientists are relatively certain that half the world is going to be underwater by the year 2100. (Perhaps "half the world" is a slight exaggeration, but they did mention in particular The Netherlands, Belgium, and Florida...) Apparently there is nothing we can do about this, except for perhaps relocating Disneyworld to Omaha, Nebraska, and trying to cut our losses. Undoubtedly, by that point the globe will be warm enough to support the year-round visitor appeal that Disneyworld has always held. As for here, it is nine degrees below zero today. The wind chill is minus twenty-four. I am wearing long underwear. Cheers.

"What's New?"
On Wednesday, I signed the papers for my very first real job ever! It was strange to think that I wasn't signing the papers for one semester, or six months, or a year. Maybe I will work there for six months, or maybe I will work there until I retire. Hmm. I am both really excited and just a little terrified by this thought. I then bought a new guitar to celebrate my new job, as well as some new pants to wear to work. (I am still too short for average length pants and too tall for short length pants, at least some things never change.) I bought new glasses in hopes that I would look like one of those smart and sassy lawyers on cable TV. At church, we took the green LBWs out of the pews and replaced them with the new "cranberry-colored" ELWs. Talk about alot of changes all at once. :-)

"Meowing"
My family has never had a cat. My dad is allergic. However, my mom and my sister both like to use "meow" as a standard answer to almost any question. Actually, more often than not, the meow is not even preceded by any type of inquiry, rather it just comes out of the blue. Today, the three of us found ourselves meowing the ABBA song "Mamma Mia" in perfect three part harmony. Just wondering if this has ever happened to anyone else? I somehow doubt it...