Weekend update

I'm Chevy Chase, and you're not.

Well, I had my last day at Atwood Dental Labs yesterday. It was odd to leave a job I enjoyed, and was doing a good job at. J and R both told me I was the best driver they ever had, and were sorry to see me go. They bought me pizza for lunch. That was nice. The most amazing thing was J left as I was finishing up the Friday cleaning of the lab, telling me to lock up when I was done. Very trusting of someone who is about to be a former employee!

I got to keep the teeth I made. This pleases me far beyond any reasonable level. J told me that when I get my benefits and see a dentist about the massive reconstruction work I need, to bring the order to him and he'll give me a huge discount. Very, very nice man. I'm going to miss working for him. Now I'm just suffering from new-thing anxiety. I've never driven a truck like this (closest I've come was Army 5-tons and SCCT buses) and as usual my brain is playing out various "complete screw-up" scenarios in 70mm THX. Ah, well. Trust in myself, my Creed, and drive on!

Getting back behind the wheel has been one of the best things to happen to me in years. I missed the challenge of getting from Point A to Point B in a timely manner during rush hour. I missed using all the tricks of the trade: hopping parking lots, the little-known side streets, the back ways. I was getting paid to cruise around and listen to the radio! (The PODS trucks have CD players. Sweet.)

By the way, here's the website for my new job. I go in Monday for orientation. After that, things are fuzzy, but there is a week where I ride along with another driver to get the basics down, then a three day visit to San Diego for formal training. Updates to follow! Any San Diegans on my flist want to get together while I'm down there?

Last night, Kiri and I had our second weekly date. It was her turn to choose, so we saw Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Kirsten liked it more than I did, but I enjoyed the film. Well, that was an awkward turn of phrase! I liked the movie, but portions left me flat. The Trailer for King Kong severely rocked. As Kiri put it "Jack Black in a dramatic role? Who knew!"

After the film, we were supposed to go over for the Harry Potter midnight sale, but I was exhausted. I could barely keep my eyes open during the last twenty minutes of the movie. So I got dropped at home and crawled off to bed (after a little SimCity 2000 noodling) and sort of stirred when Kirsten got home.

Today, we need to get me steel-toed shoes/boots for the new job. I'm also getting a cell phone, since as a driver I'm going to be away from landlines most of the day. Tomorrow, I'm doing laundry and sleeping.

Supreme Irony department: Because we need to save up for some means of transportation for me, we canceled the cable. The Giants immediately start kicking the Dodgers' sorry butts all around the field.

But we didn't get a piston engine.

Well, half of the days goals were accomplished. Still too broke for a cell phone for me at this point, but I did get some nifty steel-toed sneakers (black, of course) on sale, along with some really nice sport slip-ons, black with a skull and crossbones. For $5! Even with a pile of (desperately needed) new socks, we got out the shoe store for under $50 dollars.

Then we went to lunch. Denny's was nearly deserted, and the service was atrocious. We had to flag somebody down for our drinks (after waiting ten minutes from the time the order was taken) then our food took a while, then after we were obviously done (plates pushed back, silverware on the plates) we sat there waiting for our check. Meanwhile, I watched the staff gossip, do sidework slowly (when she wasn't standing around with her hands in her pockets) and pretty much ignore the customers! We finally got up to talk to the manager, and then server appeared with our check. We complained, and the idiot manager told us "It must have been because of the rush."

What rush? I pointed out that the tables of two other parties who had left 15-20 minutes ago were still piled high with dirty plates. The Asshat Manager seemed confused and didn't know who he had busing tables! Seems someone had just clocked out and gone home and his relief hadn't come in! Needless to say, no tip and I'm writing to the corporate office.

Having been fed, we could safely enter Costco. Stuff was gotten. Babies were ooohed over.

And the damn Giants lost today on a bad call.

WinAmp has made a good call for a day that hit 98 in our neighborhood.