Guess what guess what guess what guess what!!!!!

The last time I was on the internet, I got a phone call while I was updating my blog. Unfortunately, being in the library at the time, I couldn't answer the call. After I finished using the internet, I went outside and returned the call, which was to a lady named Alice. She wanted to know if I was still interested in working at the SeaLife Center and if I could be down within the hour for orientation. YAY!!!

So I have a job now, finally! I'm so excited! So far, everyone I've met who works there seems totally nutty. The Chief of Security, who helped me get my badge, is a nutty policeman... or maybe retired policeman. Anyway, he's the kind of guy who throws insults left and right, but manages to do it without making everyone hate him because of the sparkle in his eye. Then there's Steve, who is my boss's boss, I guess? He's an Australian with a long gray ponytail and a constant smile on his face. Bonnie, the receptionist, often talks about books and funny or interesting things she's read. Alice, the lady who gave me the orientations, seems a little scatter-brained, but totally cool. She says if she could have any job in the world, she would like to mow lawns for a living, because she loves to mow the lawn.

Safety orientation was funny. It was a Powerpoint slideshow I had to flip through on the computer while answering multiple choice questions on a quiz. Some of the questions were things like, "Who knows the most about the evacuation plan? a) Your supervisor. b) Chief of Security. c) The 8.5" x 11" piece of paper posted around the building. d) The little Microsoft Office paperclip guy," and "The top two rungs of a ladder are: a) The greatest temptation of the devil since the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden. b) NOT STEPS. c) Great places to put little red and white stickers that nobody ever reads." There were pictures of unicorns all throughout the presentation, used as bullet points and stuff... and there were slides that told about symbols that would tell you stuff, and then there would be a picture of a unicorn and it would say, "the symbol doesn't look like this." The final question said, "Final question. Very heavily weighted!! How many unicorns were in this slideshow? a) Ten. b) Eleven. c) Twelve. d) None; I don't believe in unicorns."

Basically, I'm pleased. I start work tomorrow morning... at six. Nice and early. Eek!

I also have my laptop working now, which is exciting, because it means I can use my own computer instead of having to wait in line at the library and only have thirty minutes. This can be good news or bad news for you, depending on whether you read my blog because you enjoy it or because you feel obligated to, because it basically means I have more time to write longer posts.

Oh yeah. I did kind of a silly thing. I went to Stylin' Stitches, where Beth's aunt works, because my first year at the resort, Beth got me a t-shirt with a lint monkey embroidered on it, which she and her aunt had designed. (I'm still not clear on who exactly designed it, actually.) So I went back, brought the t-shirt, showed it to Beth's aunt, and asked if she could make the design again for a hat or something. Cheryl (the aunt) flipped out. She works at the bank too, and I know her, mainly because she always calls the PIN number (for my debit card) a "super secret squirrel code," and how can you forget something like that? But she never realized I was the Lint Monkey she made the shirt for, so she was really excited. "Oh wow! That's so cool! I designed that! I remember that! Oh wow! YOU'RE the one Beth had me make this for? Oh, that's so cool! I never knew! Oh wow! It's so nice to meet you! Well, I mean, I've met you... but... but... oh wow!"

Anyway, the design was too big to put on a hat (sad day!), but while I was looking through stuff at the store, my eyes fell on a messenger bag big enough to serve as a school backpack and spunky enough that I wouldn't feel like a sissy-girl carrying it around. So I went over to look at it and found another, smaller but otherwise pretty much identical, which could serve as an everyday bag: it was just big enough to hold a book in addition to wallet and cell phone and other stuff, and it looked pretty cool. So Lint Monkey finally got what could potentially be called a purse. Well, I don't actually have it yet, because it's getting the lint monkey put on it. I shouldn't have blown the money, I guess, but girls are supposed to spend a ton of money on purses and shoes and makeup and stuff like that, right? Isn't that some kind of law? Besides, nobody else can make the lint monkey, and what if I never come back to Seward after I leave next month? Wouldn't that be tragic? I don't know. I didn't really feel particularly guilty about it, even though I'm a little short on money right now. Well, not right now, per se, but I will be after I pay tuition.

I guess I'm babbling a bit. Sorry, I haven't been able to babble in writing for the last two weeks. Give me a break! :P Actually, I haven't been able to babble much at all. I'm used to having quiet time for reading or playing the computer or talking on the phone or whatever I want to do, but in a small house with five people and a dog, I hardly have any quiet time at all. The kids think I'm the most fun toy in the world, and it's like pulling teeth to convince them to let me leave most days. I like playing with them, but I wish I had a place to go hide when I want to be left alone.

I guess I'll stop babbling now. If you actually read all of this, I'm impressed. You can have a gold star! Toodles!