Who among us has not tested a 9-volt battery by touching its leads to our tongues? I discovered this as a child–taking the 9-volt, sticking out my tongue, touching the exposed leads to the tongue, and getting a shock as the current flows. At a recent inventory, after I’d pulled a weak 9-volt battery fromContinue reading “On Testing Batteries”
Category Archives: Work
On a Really Bad Odor
The worst thing about working next to three restaurants in summer is the rancid smell of their garbage after a day in the sun. The whole of the shopping center reeks of rotten food. Gah.
On Prank Phone Calls
The phone rang at work today. I answered it. The voice on the other end was high-pitched, a boy whose voice hasn’t yet broken. “I have Halo,” he said, “and I don’t like it.” “What’s wrong? Why don’t you like it?” Innocuous questions, to be sure, but they’re asked to narrow down the reasons forContinue reading “On Prank Phone Calls”
On Evaluating the Week
Today I feel mildly awake. It’s been quite a long week. Shore Leave over the weekend, inventory prep at the store–convention, lengthy drive, twelve-plus hour days at work. Suffice to say yesterday I was exhausted and unable to move, and not just from the seventeen hour shift I pulled on Wednesday due to performing theContinue reading “On Evaluating the Week”
On My Bad Day
A quick summation. I've been suffering panic attacks. Since Saturday, to be exact. Long-time Allynologists will tell you that I have a lot going on in my life right now, and very little of it is stable. Saturday afternoon at work, I tensed up, my breathing tightened, and I felt a fight-or-flight response building insideContinue reading “On My Bad Day”
On Exhaustion
I am feeling massively, monstrously exhausted. The last month–from the long hours at work to the emotional devestation I felt when Perceval was gone those eleven days–has taken its toll. I've had some sherbert, lime flavored. My grandmother likes sherbert, and I usually buy her orange. Today, I felt like lime. All things being equal,Continue reading “On Exhaustion”
More on The da Vinci Code Game
From something I wrote a few weeks ago: “I don’t think anyone knows there’s a da Vinci Code game, sorry.” It seems that the da Vinci Code game has sold so well that we marked the price down twenty dollars on the game this week. Twenty dollars. Half-price. No, I don’t just think anyone knowsContinue reading “More on The da Vinci Code Game”
On Trying to Do the Right Thing
Yesterday at work a young girl came up to the counter with her father. She handed me a game, BMX XXX. It's a BMX biking game, but crude, rude, and outright crass. As you beat levels you unlock video footage of strippers. I looked at her. She was maybe seven. Maybe. I looked at herContinue reading “On Trying to Do the Right Thing”
On Predictions
Tonight is the decisive game seven in the Stanley Cup finals. Raleigh, naturally, has gone hockey-crazy. I, on the other hand, couldn’t really give a toss. At work on Saturday I asked a kid, wearing a ‘Canes jersey, if he were excited about game six in Edmonton that night. “The ‘Canes have to lose tonight,”Continue reading “On Predictions”
On My Strange Weekend
My sister got married Saturday. That's not what's strange. One of the bridesmaids gave me her phone number. That's not what's strange. I had a dream about work. That's what's strange. The dream, and I'm not clear on all the details because it's a dream and they have surreal logics all their own, involved meContinue reading “On My Strange Weekend”