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Friday, June 27, 2008

Trying so hard not to flip the bird

People in Manassas do not know how to drive. Everyone here goes the speed limit, takes their time, looks both ways...I am of the understanding that if it takes longer than half an hour to get somewhere it's really not that pressing. Actually, believe it or not I am about to praise my little town of Lake Ridge, in Lake Ridge everything (except for D.C.) is within a fifteen minute radius. I have no idea what that amounts to in miles, but I do know that if this family lived in there instead of Manassas I would not have to drive their kids to a pool half an hour away.

When driving down Liberia one gets the impression that everything is right there, but it's not. It's far away, outside of a fifteen minute radius. And when you see the that the speed limit is 35 mph you (being me, that girl that always goes at least ten over the speed limit everywhere else just fine) assume that you can go 45, but that person in front of you is actually going 35 and so is the person next to them, forming a blockade, forcing you to go 35! AGH!

What is wrong with these people!? Don't they understand that this is technically part of Northern Virginia? Don't they know that you're expected to be in a hurry all the time? That it's part of living in this area? Apparently they didn't get the memo.

It's really quite a shame that I don't appreciate Manassas more, the Old Town is quaint, but not nearly as wonderful as Old Town Alexandria, and I can get there in the same amount of time, if not faster via I95. I love 95. It allows me to go places fast, without worrying (too much) about the possibility of getting a ticket because while I'm going 75 (okay, 80) the person next to me is going the same, if not faster, especially if they're on a crotch rocket.

Guys, Manassas isn't dead, its got a good number of people, lots of strip-malls, car dealerships, etc. the usual stuff you find in the suburbs, unfortunately it's the fact that they are not close to 95 that allows them to maintain that more rural feel. It has something to with their being closer to 66, I'm sure of it, and I want it to stop.

Thursday, June 26, 2008

Mary Poppins wannabe

Can you believe that there are people in this world that are paying me to watch their kids five days a week, all day long? Is that not one of the most absurd things you've heard? I don't think so, but there are many people that come to mind whose jaws would drop upon hearing that information.

It's only two kids. They're pretty chill, for the most part, if not a little over-dramatic; but that's to be expected of all ten and seven year-olds.

Today is day number four. Monday we went to the library and got them signed up for the county's summer reading program. Tuesday we attempted to go to their friend's pool in Herndon, but because of crappy directions (ahem, a misunderstanding) we ended up in Old Town Leesburg. And yesterday we went to the National Air and Space Museum and Ben's Chili Bowl. Today they cleaned their rooms and are playing Monopoly as I type this. We've had reading time every day. Amazing isn't it? It's lasted for at least an hour and fifteen minutes, today it lasted about two hours. My sister didn't believe me when I told her, but, and excuse my bragging, my kids are better (not that I've met the kids she nannies).

On the Metro yesterday, mine weren't the loud annoying kids asking stupid questions, they were reading, with the occasional comment. And walking around the city, they were wonderful - no complaints at all! We're going to try and go at least once a week, I hope. Yesterday we didn't spend nearly as much time in the city as I would have liked, and we had to get back so they could go to their Karate class, by Dulles Expo Center.

Luckily it's not my car that's doing all this driving (though it does get plenty of driving around) they've provided a Mazda Protege, that gets great mileage to boot!

The parents and I are still working things out as far as how much money they're going to leave me and the kids each week, and I'm still learning my way around this end of the county (Manassas is confusing, hence the reason I've stayed away from it in the past), but I can navigate DC, and if I have anything to do with it these kids will be city-savvy by the end of the summer.

These past few days have also got me to thinking about my babysitters growing up, and what I thought about them. I didn't like them for the most part. One in particular had the dirties car known to man and used plastic tablecloths. Her kids also would end up breaking my things, and they never replaced them, so I eventually had to resort to playing with their crappy toys (because she was wicked cheap!) that she found in other peoples trash. We would drive around sometimes just to see what people were throwing out. She was unfortunately exposed to this brand of frugality by my mom (my mom has since learned better).

Anyway, I always thought my babysitters were kind of stupid and I'm hoping that the kids I watch don't grow up to think badly of me. I'm going to try to give them the best summer they could have locally, and do things that would have been awesome, but alas I didn't have awesome, young, intelligent, city-smart babysitters - so I think I've got a good start.

When I take them to Karate, there is another nanny who I've talked to a bit. And let me just say, she doesn't have half the stuff planned that I do for this summer.

Amanda 2398473298432794, the rest of babysitters/nannies everywhere except for Mary Poppins 0.

Thursday, June 19, 2008

Brainmush

I should probably be getting ready for work right now. Not because my scheduled hours start in ten minutes but because I came in last Thursday at one. Because I had the time to spare and could use the money.

That was a mistake.

After graduation, and before I start nannying next week, I've had these two weeks to do almost anything - if only I had a car. I made the mistake of telling my boss this tidbit of information, and she being the crazy nasal speaker that she is took it as, "Please have me work 24/7 for the next two weeks, I would love to do anything to please you." That is not what I meant in the least.

So I've been picking up extra hours. That would be all fine and dandy if we were understaffed, but she has hired four more stylists, and now we're overstaffed. And she still wants everyone there all the fucking time.

Last Friday when I so graciously came in at one, there were ten of us there, with nothing to do. Same on Saturday, and Sunday.

I understand that the salon has to work a certain amount of hours each month, but instead of saying hey, we're down this many hours this month, who can make up a few? she says, "I need you to come in at this time and stay until this time." And then she has the nerve to put those in as your regular hours, and she knows they are not.

I'm really growing to resent her, and the fact that when I'm there I feel like I'm wasting my time because the commission I'm making doesn't amount to what it would if we had people in the waiting area rather than stylists bitching in the back.

Now, don't get me wrong. I love what I do. I love doing hair. I just don't like not having clients, or having clients that have bleached blond hair that's naturally dark and curly, or clients that don't know what they're talking about, etc. People are so stupid. Sometimes I can feel my brain shrinking at work. I'm not kidding. I'm also not sure if it's the incompetence around me or the overabundance of trash magazines, or both. For some reason when I try to read anything intelligible at work I can't focus, but the moment I pick up InTouch I can't focus on anything else.

Tuesday, June 3, 2008

That guy from work

I cut this kid's hair the other day. He came in a few days later to get my card. I gave it to him, but made the mistake of writing my full last name. Not good. He went home and added me on Facebook. Now he sends me messages, telling me how much he likes his hair, that he hopes I'm doing well, etc. What's worse is that my current "status" says that me feet are recovering from this weekend, and he sent me a message inquiring about my feet and that he hopes that they're alright and that he'll pray for me.

People he has his favorite scripture listed in his favorite quote section. I'm down with other people being religious, but if you even glance at my profile, you know that I'm not. I hope this boy doesn't try to "save" me. That would be bad, veryvery bad.

I had a dream about this recently (so weird). He came in with his mom. He sat in my chair and as I started cutting his hair, he started "speaking in tongues" and when I asked what he was doing he said that he was giving me a blessing. Then his mom, who was sitting in the waiting area, stood up and started gibbering, too. We asked them to stop, but they didn't because they thought we were heathens and need the Lord, and so I didn't finish the cut and we escorted them out.

I hope this never happens.