Xeyli’s Newest Ramblings of Nonsense

What gifts are you planning to get this year for the tech-geek in your life?
Sponsored by LifeScoop: Bringing You Tips for a Connected Lifestyle.

I am not at liberty to say, for my tech-geek might read about it, and then ruin the surprise.

... except for the vegetarians out there.  To you, Happy Tofurkey Day.

Something has been on-and-off irritating my eyes, mainly my left eye.  It's been itchy, even while I'm taking Allegra every night, along with Singulair, too.  I try to avoid rubbing my eye, but sometimes it's just too itchy to ignore.  I've even been using the Japanese mentholated eyedrops to soothe my eyes, but it doesn't seem to be working today.

I haven't really started Xmas shopping yet... really need to get on it.

There's a chill in the air. Show us your favorite coat.
Submitted by jacolily.

Says YOU there's a chill in the air... it's been humid hot here still.  It normally cools off by now, but it hasn't quite gotten there yet.  Oh, and when I say "cool" here, that means low 70s, maybe high 60s.  Hurricane Season can be unpredictable.

Someone from my temp agency sent this in an e-mail.  Might as well share it here.

Helpful hints to assist in knowing the difference between Cold and H1N1 Flu Symptoms

The only way to stop the spread of the epidemic is to spread the awareness. 

Today is "Evaluate Your Life Day." So, tell us: how do you think you're life's going so far?

I wish Vox would have their grammar corrected on this question (I left it unedited to let everyone see it).

Anyway... how do I think my life's going so far?  Not bad.  Not great, but it's pretty good.  Debt is still looming over me, so that's causing it to be not great.  but I can only blame myself for that, so I live with it.  It'll get fixed eventually, so things are good.

• Tsunami hitting Samoa and other islands... unexpected natural disasters suck, because... well, they are unexpected.
• Starting to feel a cold coming on.  I have a performance on Friday night, and I can't be sick for it.  Need to get better... need to stock up on the vitamins.
• Because I was starting to feel sick, I canceled my breathing test appointment.  I had to schedule this breathing test about a month in advance, and now I have to cancel it or get an inaccurate result due to the sniffles.
• Not having enough time in each day.

• Getting praise from Dad on my playing.  The person in the gagaku group who usually plays lead on one of the pieces will not be at the performance on Friday, so I get to do it.  I've been practicing a little here and there with a recording of Togi-sensei, one of the gagaku masters in Japan.  I'm trying to make sure that I practice the correct way, since my dad says the other guy who usually plays it, does so incorrectly.
• Finalizing the preparations for the concert.  Sometimes I don't like having such responsibilities with the group, but if not me, who will do it?
• Having less than five minutes left of the work day.
• Feeling a little better after having hot ramen (with hot soup) for lunch.  Normally, I go out to get Chinese Hot & Sour soup when I'm feeling sick, but I went for ramen instead (it's closer to where I work).
• Taking a break from a Community Band rehearsal.  I like playing with the band, but it can get real tiresome to go to the rehearsals every week.  This week, I decided to take a break, so I don't mess with my embouchure for gagaku.

Did you ever run away from home?

I don't do much running at all.

Bad:

• Having no direction in life, as far as a career goes.  I definitely would enjoy running/owning my own café, but will it be enough to pay the bills?  Will I ever get tired of it?  Actually, I don't think I would get tired of it... but is it a safe career choice?
• Debt.  No change here!
• Working a boring office job.  Sure, it pays me (not well, but it does pay me), but it's not really what I want to do for the rest of my life.  Plus, it's a temp agency job that is only guaranteed until the end of December, possibly a portion of January 2010 (there is good news linked to this).
• Seeing too many people being taken away by cancer, especially the kinds that are hard to detect until it's too late.  Yeah... it sucks for everyone.
  

Good:

• I finally asked about being promoted to Shift Supervisor, and got it.  Go me.  I'll soon be making about $9.18/hr, rakin' in the dough!  Haha... yeah, so since my attempts at applying for Assistant/Store Manager position with CBTL never worked out for me, I'll take the proper progression of moving up to Shift Supervisor.  We'll see where this takes me.  Oh, and the weird thing is... I didn't get an official word on it.  Basically, I called to ask for my next week's schedule, and the supervisor said, "Oh, congratulations on your promotion."  My name was moved up into the Shift Supervisor section of the weekly schedule.  That's how I got my notice.
  
• The section I work for at the Dept. of Health recently got a federal grant, which may give me a more permanent position.  The federal grant from the FDA will guarantee one of the workers will continue their job (up until now, he was going to be laid off), and the budget includes a Data Entry position, which would actually put me on as an Exempt State Worker (officially work for the state, but don't get the whole benefits package).  This grant is good for 3 years, so I might have a guaranteed job (with higher pay than my current pay) for another 3 years.
• Seriously considering going back to school for my Master's in Education: Secondary Education.  I'm not sure whether to list this in the Bad or the Good, hah.  I guess it's leaning more toward Good, since it would actually get me moving into a real career.  I've already learned that I don't think I can handle an office job unless it constantly has new things going on (monotony is killing my brain).  I think teaching would be good for me, although I don't know if I can go back to Music Education; it will take me longer to finish the program and I would have to take actual courses at UH, instead of signing up for an ALL-online plan at Chaminade University.  So, the previous Good news gives me a 3 year job, which should give me the time I need to get my Master's finished.
  
• Thankful that I never did get offered a permanent state job with Unemployment Insurance or any other ones I had applied to.  With the RIFs and bumping and whatevers that is going on in the state right now, I would've been booted for sure.  Since I'm working for the state THROUGH a temp agency, being paid for by federal money, I didn't have to worry about losing my job.
• Having good great friends.  It's always nice to get a chance to hang out with friends.  We need to get together again soon!  Who's free on Saturday night?

What are your fitness goals? What is helping or preventing you from accomplishing them?
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Fitness goals... hah.  That's funny.  Really, I would like to lose weight (or body mass, whatever), but I'm having some difficulty finding enough time to go to the gym while trying to work a full-time and two part-time jobs, while also still having some time to relax and hang with friends.  I guess my fitness goals aren't very high on the priority list right now.  They should be, though.