Blargh, This Is A Holiday?

Well, I'll start with the high point from yesterday. I called Comcast to pay my (large, overdue, final notice-type) bill, with the intention to cancel my internet service to save some money. Of course, I can't drop the cable TV service down a level, because of Smurfette's precious Animal Planet... So, I thought about temporarily terminating my internet service through them until I can get back up on my feet. Speaking to the person in Retention, "Theo" was very cool, and helped me work a deal that actually saves us a few bucks more than just cancelling the internet service; but lets me keep everything... Actually, we even managed to get an extra set of channels back (G4!), along with a free promotional run of HBO, for a YEAR! Again, all for less than we were paying before!

If it weren't for the Customer Service people like "Theo", I don't know what I'd have done... He even gave us his personal extension in case we have any issues pop up, or have questions about anything. This is the first Customer Service person who's done that, and it's definitely an inventive for me to stay with Comcast.

Anyways, TODAY hasn't felt like much of a holiday yet. I didn't sleep well last night, my stomach was bugging me at 4 in the morning, I was awake at 6 (although Smurfette woke me up at 10:30 like she always does), and told me that she'd called the Nurse's Care Line because her stomach's been bugging her (again), and they wanted her to come into the Urgent Care Clinic and get checked out. So, at noon we headed out to Woodbury and sat in the waiting room for a little over an hour, she chatted with the doctor about all the meds she's been put on over the last week. Now wonder her damned tummy's bugging her!

We went, she sat, she had some blood drawn for tests, and were sent on our merry way. Got home about 2:30, (it's now 2:50) and got a call from a friend of ours we were thinking of hanging out with for the fireworks... We're more than welcome, as long as we bring up our own food... I'm fine with that, but I don't know if I'm going to get everything done at Papa Smurf's...

Hang on a second, all I'm hearing from Smurfette in the shower is "DO THE DISHES!!!!!!!" and "If you don't do the dishes, I'm not going anywhere; we'll just sit at home and argue all night". I don't care *if* she's got her damned 'friend' right now, or not feeling great at the moment. WTFOMFGBBQ! I guess I'll be right back, I'm going to do the damned dishes.
-Which consisted of 4 glasses, 1 small plate, 4 pieces of silverware, and a measuring cup. Jeebus Christ!

Anyways, where was I? Ah yes... Papa Smurf's fire pit. Remember the one I put in last week? Well, apparently he's not happy with how it currently stands. It sits at about hip level, 3-4 feet wide, surrounded by flagstone block stacked 6 rows high. I think it looks pretty nice, and fits with the profile of how often he burns wood in the pit. The last pile he burned was larger than my P.O.S. '97 Hyundai, if that gives you any indication.

I'd figured (hell, so had *he* since I was following HIS instructions when I was working on it), that he'd use it to burn bigger piles of wood, as opposed to smaller ones that he'd be able to do in a shallower pit. However, now it sounds like what he wants to do is dig the whole deeper, and have an recessed (or UNDERGROUND) fire pit. So, all that work I did was for naught! I haven't had much of a chance to work on it over the last few days, and it actually looks like it's raining right now (and I'm pretty sure that's thunder I heard in the distance and not fireworks), so there's not a great chance that I'm going to get around to it today either...

Blah, some holiday, eh?

The only *decent* news I've heard was when speaking to "Blu", a friend of mine I've known since '97 or so; who said that the company he's been recently hired onto is still looking for more people. It's a security outfit, who apparently likes to hire current & former military (good for me), who has or *had* an opening at a power plant about 5 minutes away from me... I'm going to get the information from him today and start calling my references & getting my past employment history together. I really enjoyed working Loss Prevention at the Big Blue Box, as well as previous employment at the Harbor Attendant Company, where I worked overnight 'security' for a decently-sized marina for a year or so... So, wish me luck!