I'll dive in that dumpster if I have to

Just because my boss is a jerk and went back on his word, does not mean I'm giving up on my dream to have a Naugahyde curtain. His decision is a minor set back. My next plan of action was put in motion when I put this in the old store today.

Dear New Tenant of 412 FR,

Welcome to your new home in the FR shopping plaza. I hope you are finding everything to your liking and although, at the time of writing this letter, I’m unsure what kind of business this is, I’m still very excited to have a new store here in FR. Every filled store front helps.
As your new neighbor I would like to ask you for a rather large favor. I know this seems a bit rude since you don’t know me but I assure you that I would be forever grateful for your help.
I have worked at the Shoe Store , formerly of 412 FR for several years. There was a point during my employment that I would definitely have regarded this job as the best that I’ve ever had. It was also a time of great fun and friendship, resulting in some of the most significant relationships of my life.
This period was so amazing that my friend and I are writing a book about it. For legal reasons I must insist that it is fiction that is very loosely based on real events and persons.
You’ll have already noticed that your new store home is decorated with lovely green Naugahyde curtains. Although it may seem odd, those curtains are what inspired the title for our novel. I’m not sure what theme you are planning for your new décor but I would be surprised to find that you are keeping those hanging strips of fake leather. If you are not in fact keeping them, I would greatly appreciate it if I would be privileged to take them off your hands.
I’m not sure if I am still employed at the Shoe Store, now 428 FR, since I’m not sure when you are reading this. If it turns out that I am no longer employed there, they will know how to get a hold of me (Providing they’re still in business. Just to be safe I’ll leave my contact info below.) All I ask is that you take the few minutes to call me before tossing them into the garbage bin. I love them enough that I would dumpster dive for them but it would save me a lot of nose plugs and hand sanitizer if you would allow me to pick them up.
If, for some reason, you see past the stereotypical rules of interior fashion and manage to realize the curtains true beauty, then I cannot hold it against you if you chose to keep them. I will be slightly disappointed but happy they are remaining in a loving home. Hopefully, they will bring joy to your store as well.
That is the favor I ask of you, please contact me if you no longer want the curtains. I would have taken them when we moved but the landlord insisted the store remain in “as is” condition. If you do decide to keep them I will stop by to check on them often, if possible. Maybe my novel writing friend and I can even stop by for a few pictures. Either way, we’ll be sure to send you an autographed copy of our book, Behind the Naugahyde.

Sincerely ,
A.S.
Shoe Store Manager and Aspiring Novelist
(Hopefully by the time you receive this it will be “Former Shoe
Store Manager and Published Novelist!")

Instead of fiction, I'm submitting greeting cards and resumes

Well I missed a day of posting but I'm doing better than I usually do. Unfortunately, the only writing I've been doing today, other than this blog entry, is the personal messages in my Christmas cards. I like to try to say something other than just signing my name. Of course, some people are just getting an obligatory card, like family, and with them I have no idea what to say other than a generic greeting.

I'm finished with my stack of library books so I'm thinking about what to read next. Maybe something Christmas related, although nothing pops into my head.

And I've become a crazy person and spent too much time at work making a playlist for many of my writing projects. I know I need help.

Once again, I'm putting a few finishing touches on a resume as I consider applying for another job. Am I the only person that thinks it's odd that this page or two pages that are suppose to be one of the most professional and impressionistic things a person can create is composed of incomplete sentences and bullet points? How can you really judge if someone is competent by this? It's no secret that resumes are often embellished.
Also it just seems so impersonal. I'd really rather just write a letter that states my case. Here's what I can do and here's why you should hire me to do it. Maybe I should make a stand and do an unconventional resume.
Can anyone tell I'm annoyed by the application process and also very tired right now? Tomorrow's Friday, right?

Better brush up on my Spanish

I had a pleasant surprise. A friend of mine, that I haven't heard from in years because she moved to Mexico, just got an Internet connection. I know, why did I not call her all these years? Well I tried but she doesn't have a home phone. I could only contact her at work and guess what? She's the only one working there that speaks English. So needless to say aside from the long distance charges, there were other difficulties.

We were really close when she moved. She threw my high school graduation open house when my parents refused to. That's how awesome of a person she is. Well that's just one of many great things she did for people.

Anyway, I was extremely sad when we lost touch but luckily for me her sister and my sister work together and that's how I found out she now has e-mail. So I spent the good portion of yesterday writing an e-mail to catch her up on the last few years and of course overloading her with questions about her beautiful family and her new, well not so new anymore, home.

And I was happy to find this morning that she got the e-mail and returned it. She wasn't upset with me for not having called her because as she said, the phone works both ways. (I'm sure somebody else said it first but oh well.)

So other than me having a new pen pal, what does it all have to do with writing? Well the story that I wrote a few years ago, Papa's Little Angel, it's based on my friend and her family. Everything except the sci-fi parts of course. Her daughter could not teleport, to the best of my knowledge. So I have to thank her and her family for inspiring to write a story that got me second place in a writing contest.

And I just wanted an excuse to write about how excited I am to be in touch with her again.

Left Behind

I’m getting really frustrated. I keep leaving all my stuff behind. When I was at the hospital last week I left my bag, that had all my reading and writing material, in the car, which my sister parked valet. Do you know how hard it is to get stuff out of your car when the valet has your only set of keys? It’s a pain.
And now today I’m at work. I left behind my notebook filled with notes on Human Decency for the second time now that NaNoWriMo has started. I know I can write without them. I can always go back and reflect on them later. Yet, it would be a lot easier to remember what I was planning on writing, what I’ve already covered and what I need to cover, as well as character names and such, if I had that friggin’ notebook with me.

Also these past few weeks have been that clichéd emotional roller coaster for me. I have a lot going on in my head. There’s been a lot of really good and a lot of crappy stuff going on. I just want to write it all down in my journal. Unfortunately, I haven’t really found a lot of time for that lately. So I figured I’d get to work on Monday morning and let all the craziness spill over into the pages of my journal. But guess what? I left it at home.
This makes me even more annoyed because I have writing paranoia, as some may already know. I’m bad with my fiction but I’m neurotic when it comes to my most personal writing of all, which is my journal. And to think I left it sitting at home where there is a recent flow of house visitors that need to be there when I’m not there. It disturbs me and drives me mad.
I know it seems awful that I have people at my house that I can’t trust with something like this. It’s more me than them. I have issues.
Anyway, so I’m at work while I’m writing this and it is driving me beyond mad, to the point where I want to run home and get it. But I will be strong. I will trust. I will be okay. I think.
I’ll just try to keep my mind off it by working on Human Decency and typing a gigantic e-mail to Jenni.