We finally got our California State Driver’s Licenses. I actually like my picture. It’s a miracle! Eric did his “I’m not smiling with teeth” photo and it always kind of looks like a mug shot (which he actually posed for in the Beverly Hills Police Department, when we visited my cousins in LA!).
Anyway, it’s good to have because everywhere you go they’re always asking to see your driver’s license (yes, they ask to see it every time you use a charge card!) and I HATED my NY picture, so this is definitely an improvement! PLUS, you actually need a California driver’s license for some jobs – they don’t accept out-of-state licenses. So, this was a good thing.
I have now read 750 of the 900 pages in my book. I cannot bring it home, because I would read until it was done. I am now obsessed with this book. I can’t stop thinking about it. It’s SO good. I’m definitely going to read his other book – SHE’S COME UNDONE. He’s such a good story teller, this Wally Lamb. I’m actually dreading finishing it, which is often how I feel when I’m reading a great book. I just don’t want it to be over!
So, today my boss was in, but it seemed like he went from meeting to meeting, from conference call to conference call, and he gave me a few projects to do, but then I don’t have time to discuss anything with him, or show him the fruits of my labor! I worked on something all morning and then when I went to show it to him he says, “Just keep it on your desk.” I thought that was a little rude, but I told myself I wasn’t going to let it bother me.
He’s only going to be in for 2 hours tomorrow and will be in Vegas on Monday for a conference. He’s supposed to tell me what needs to be shipped (tomorrow) for his conference, but he hasn’t yet. I emailed him earlier in the week, asking him to let me know what he needs, and how many copies. No response. This afternoon I emailed him and reminded him that I needed to ship out the stuff tomorrow. I was actually worried about it – about the fact that it needs to be shipped tomorrow and he still hasn’t let me know what I need to do.
Then, in the late afternoon, I said to myself, “Peppy! Are you crazy? What are you stressing over? You’re a TEMP! You’re JUST a temp!" I get so invested in my job that I’m actually worrying about a stupid conference in Las Vegas. Who CARES? Really? I decided I wasn’t going to say another word. He’ll probably tell me, right before he leaves tomorrow, that he needs 50 copies each of 10 different documents, and I’m sure I’ll get it done, if I have to. I just need to stop worrying about this stuff, because it really has no impact on my life. None at all. I was mad at myself for caring so much!
So, I must tell you about the Tamale Man. I don’t think it’s every week, but once in a while an email will go out from the receptionist that the “Tamale man” is in the lobby downstairs and will be there until 11:30am. The first time I saw this, I just drooled a little and deleted the email. The second time I was tempted, but I resisted. Today, I didn’t bring a salad with me and actually thought about going down there to see what kind of tamales he had, but – unfortunately – by the time I read the email he was already gone. Darn it! I LOVE tamales and I can imagine how good they are – fresh from the Tamale Man!
I’ll never forget when I flew to LA by myself in 1998 to perform at the Betty Boop Festival in Montebello. I stayed with my friend, Leslie Cabarga, the artist who designed my logo (and just redesigned my new business cards!). He and his wife live in LA with their young daughter. Well, she’s not that young anymore. She must be about 13, because she was about 3 back then!
Anyway, he took me to an open market where they sold all sorts of fresh fruits, vegetables, crafts, clothing, and – Tamales! Leslie told me they were the best tamales in the world. I never tasted anything so wonderful in my life! Any time I’ve ever had a tamale since then, I always hope it will be as good – and it never is! I am wondering if this Tamale Man can fulfill my tamale desires! Since I don’t eat meat or chicken, it would have to be a vegetarian tamale, so I’m going to see if he comes next week and I’ll spring for one! It won't be THAT bad for my diet -- just a few extra carbs!
When I got home from work, I made soup and NUTRISYSTEM flat bread pizzas for me and Eric. I added onion and cilantro to mine, but Eric just wanted his plain. Then, I watched DR. PHIL which was all about pageant-obsessed women. I’ve never understood that whole thing, but these women had it BAD!
For dessert I made us NUTRISYSTEM chocolate pudding. It wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t that great either. Their cookies are really good, and the bars are good, too. I used to make us JELL-O sugar free/fat free cook and serve chocolate pudding and it was delicious. This is instant, which I think has something to do with it, but you can’t ask for a faster dessert. Just empty it into a bowl, add 4 oz. of water and stir! What it REALLY needed was a big dollop of whipped cream!
Tomorrow’s Friday already. I really can’t believe how fast time flies and how quickly the weekend arrives. I feel like it was just the weekend and it’s already here again! I have completed 5 weeks at this job. In some ways it DOES feel like I’ve been there forever, but I AM happy that I’m not there permanently and that there is an end in sight. It’s just that it is pretty boring and, even when I’m busy, the subject matter is nothing I am even remotely interested in (investing). I guess I’ll get a lot of books finished in the next month or two and that’s a good thing!
We are going back to COSTCO on Friday night or Saturday afternoon, and I’m going to the SAN DIEGO NORTH PARK CRAFT MAFIA show on Sunday. I just discovered this wonderful craft group by looking online. Don't you love that name? They sound tough and dangerous! There are Craft Mafia’s all over the country, and I’m lucky that there’s one right here in San Diego! They have craft fairs, encourage creativity and inspire each other!
This is a small show – just for their newest members to be introduced and sell their stuff. It’s at a coffee house called THE OTHER SIDE. I am going to go meet the people who run the shows and see about selling at a future show. I am really interested in selling my own stuff, because Gili Anna doesn’t seem to be doing that well with my mirrors and has only sold one in a month. She’s a wonderful person and believes in my work, but they’re just not moving. If I can sell them myself, I’ll probably make a little more money, and have the joy of seeing people fall in love and buy them!
I can also talk more about my commissioned pieces and might get some future work, too! I would also sell my jewelry boards and the larger pieces, which Gili Anna doesn’t have room for – my pearl lamp, the big clip-on earring mirror, and my perfume screen/room divider. I would only sell that for a great price, because I really love it, but for the right price…
I want to make a vase that matches the clock tray. It’s just such a pretty subject matter and I have so many cut out already, I figure I may as well use them!!! Oh, if only I could just do my crafts all day long – day in and day out – I’d be the happiest girl in the whole U.S.A.!