01 27 00

motivation

I had some time today before work, so I went to Border's Books.

That place is like a crack house/toy store for me. Every time I walk in there I walk out with something more than what I went in for. The Trainer and I are sharing a desk at work, and we don't have a calendar. My purpose was to get one, since I knew they would be cheap.

The selection was pretty slim. They were all ok, but there was nothing that jumped out and said, "Buy me!" I seriously thought about buying the Tattoos and Body Piercings calendar just to squick everyone, but instead I picked up a Tibetan Images calendar. It's pretty, and a nice contrast to the Biblical calendars and quotes and etc that the Operations Manager has plastered everywhere.

The next thing I picked up was a little magazine on writing. They never really help me much, but they get me into the mood to write. So I got a nice cheap one.

Then I found a copy of The Blood Jaguar by Michael Payne. Get this... Remember that I'm getting a story published in Morphic Tales? Well, Payne also has a story in there. And, as icing on the cake, The Blood Jaguar is on the preliminary ballot for the 1999 Nebula Awards! I'm in a zine with a potential award winner!

This is giving me chills.

Anyway, I decided that I had to read the book. So I got it.

I think I got out of the store pretty easy. But there was an Office Max on the way home, and I was so psyched up about writing I stopped there. I was intending to pick up some notebooks, but as I walked through the aisles I realized I have plenty of blank notebooks sitting at home waiting to be filled. So I left without buying any pads, notebooks, pens, pencils, or writing paraphernalia. Whew!

Blah blah. Went to work. The Maintenance Manager put me to work matching fuel receipts to the invoices. For all of 1999. I actually started it yesterday, he worked on it some today, and I spent a solid three hours on it tonight. All that, and I'm still only up to late August (we're working backwards from December.) I was sooooo unhappy about having to do that. Motivation = zero.

After locking up for the night, I was this close to driving home, getting my camera, and driving back to work to snap some photos.

This is actually a pretty funny story, but only if you're not involved. I'm not directly involved, so I can see the humor in it. The Maintenance Manager cannot.

A few days ago unit 46 lost its serpentine belt, a major component in the engine. It was towed to a garage and "fixed." They drove it back. As they pulled it into the driveway, the belt came off again. They towed it back to their garage. Later that day they drove it back to us, with the belt off, and parked it in front of our garage.

It hasn't started since.

Calls were made, and they promised to come tow it back, but it has sat outside for three nights now, gathering icicles. Which is what I wanted to get a photo of. The icicles are hanging down from the top front of the bus, dripping down onto the windshield. Back lit by the security light, they look Really Cool.

I was all motivated to get my camera, but my motivation evaporated when I pulled into my parking lot. Maybe I'll get some pics tomorrow, assuming it hasn't been towed. grin

And now to do some writing...

Looking In my Mailbox

______ of the Day

re: Yesterday