It's gonna be a good day when...

Well, I knew it yesterday as I was volunteering myself for an early shift, pushing the time up from 9AM to 6:30 to 6AM (b/c one girl is still in pain after last week's falling-off-the-dock incident). I was scheduled until 10PM last night.....yeah, not much sleep can be had in between. Work went well, even though it rained the ENTIRE TIME. Seriously, non-stop water. Poor Rollie and I had three sets of runs, one at 7AM, one around 11AM, and the last around 1PM. Each time, completely soaked. When we finally made it back to GC I had to change almost all of my clothing (except for my socks which were amazingly dry, thank you waterproofed-by-Mom hiking boots!). Absolutely freezing when I went anywhere indoors. I would've had a work jacket but they are too heavy (more for spring/fall weather) so I did without. Oh well, that's what my work locker is for - extra clothes, dry food like EZmac, and candy in bulk. I left work at 3:30PM, headed home to write out the rent check and other mailables, and then headed off to the guitar lesson which went well. All about strumming and he actually got the thing in tune (until about 5 minutes later when it went back out of tune again). Then on to mixing class, where I accidentally spilt a rum-and-coke on the table and my pants (oops).

The Wisconsin Union offers "mini courses" in such things as gardening, photography, chair building, drum making, salsa dancing, pottery, kung fu, guitar lessons, and food and spirits. I am going to a bartending class to learn how to make certain drinks (which means I sit in a room and watch the instructor do it while I take notes and during the breaks can try my hand at it too). I figure this is an important skill for a few reasons: 1. know what to order should I go to a bar (don't want to pay $4 for something I don't like), 2. work b/c we have a few bars where we have to mix the drinks and I know I'd mess it up otherwise, and 3. my roommates are talking about having a party sometime and I want to be able to offer a couple of other alternatives to the usual mixes. It's really interesting....I'm the dummy who didn't know that scotch and bourbon were types of whiskey and exactly what 1 proof is equal to (1 proof = 1/2 % so 80 proof = 40% alcohol). A shot is = 1.5 oz. See, I'm doing well already. That and I don't seem to like anything with gin, tonic (different from club soda b/c it has more of a citrusy flavor and club soda has no real flavor), or grapefruit (but I knew that one already b/c I don't like grapefruit period). Yeah, I'm learning lots. And I also learned that I shouldn't do much when I'm too tired. Like trying to mix, carry, set, or even keep a drink on the table. Yeppers, that's a good lesson that I and my poor pants learned today.

Yesterday was the pig roast, and my poor pants got pig juices on them. I also spilt lemonade on myself when I made the 5 gallons worth. It was a crazy night, the pig roast picnic for over 200, a smaller picnic (no pigs) for about 40, and then the usual SOAR break (freshmen and parent orientation). I got to do the SOAR break by myself (usually 2-person job) and still get down to the picnic area to help them clean up. We did really well all around and got out 15 minutes early (usually we are at least 15 minutes late b/c groups stay late/something goes terribly wrong, etc.). Fun fun.

Ok, in non-work related news (since all I've been doing lately is reading and working, that's what I get to talk about) Mom and I (and Matt sometimes) had a REALLY LONG Saturday. Mom came up and we walked around the Capitol looking at the "Art Fair on the Square"booths. Artists from all over the States come to Madtown to display and (hopefully) sell some of their works. There are photographers, painters, woodcarvers, metalworkers, glass blowers, pottery peoples, jewelry peoples, knitters/weavers, and so much more! We went into this one booth with the most beautiful pictures of Italy, England, Norway, and IRELAND!! Woo hoo, I have actually seen where some of his pictures had been taken! I wanted to buy a packet of his postcards but he was no where to be found so I had to content myself with the memories of both visiting his booth and the memories his pictures brought to mind (the photos were lovely, there was even a castle in Co. Galway!). Mom and I made it all the way down State St (after stopping at Lands End where I got a pretty pink dress jacket on sale) to see the rest of the downtown Madison "Cows on Parade" cows that were sitting on Library Mall. We went to the Terrace to talk and wait for Matt's call. He took the State placement test for human resources. His score will determine what kind of job he could get in the state in that particular field. Mom was thrilled. I really hope he can find a job that he likes in the State b/c once you are past the 6 months probation period you can transfer a lot around the state. It's a good place to be! We went to lunch at Smokey's (the staff sang tv show theme songs like "Fresh Prince" and "The Golden Girls" in the kitchen) Wal-Mart, and Woodmans. Then Matt went home and Mom and I finally went to see "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest" which is actually like part 2 of 3 with the last movie due out next Memorial Day. It was good, kinda overloading. I need to see it again, b/c so much goes by so quickly. On first viewing it was much too long but again with more viewings the length will probably be better. I wanna see the ending!!!!!!! Mom went home but only made it to Verona when I figured out why the total I was charged for my bulk candy seemed too high. See, I bought about 8.5 pounds of candy (for work, they go through it too!) and was charged around $27. That seemed a little high for something that should've cost less than $16 (in actuality around $13) but I was too stressed, pressed, and tired to care both at the store and before the movie. Only after I had started to put things away did it finally dawn on me that I was charged for the higher priced candy (around $3/lb) when what I buy is only $1.69/lb. I was ripped off!!! Mom high-tailed it back to me, we went back out to Woodman's, I got my $13 back, to Culver's drive-thru for a burger (yum!) and back home. Whew! What a Saturday!

Now onto tomorrow! Morning, work, break, work, sleep (nighttime), morning, work, HOME!!!! I'm going to Dodgeville Thursday afternoon, having my hair done Friday morning, and coming back early on Saturday for another whirl-wind jam-packed Saturday with Farmer's Market (on the Square this week), Maxwell Street Days on State St., an afternoon wedding (my second cousin Tim Lange), usual weekend shopping, and a wedding dance (same wedding). Who could ask for anything more? I could: Sunday off of work!

Lots of love, Christi and Galway Bay the fishy