Whine and Cheese

I slept twelve hours last night. I really have no idea why I was so tired last night, but I needed the rest apparently. The dream last night/this morning is odd enough.

I was a groomsman in a wedding, along with Brian (cincycub) and a coworker of mine from Chicago named Eric. I have no idea who was getting married. It seemed like I was in a constant state of trying to get ready. Brian had put in my boutonniere and I had put in Eric's. Everyone was sitting around in a fancy hotel ballroom waiting for the wedding to begin.

In a side room, I was trying to get my hair under control and it was very unruly for some reason. I had taken my jacket off and, through the open door, everyone was starring at me. I thought the wedding was starting and so I jumped, grabbed my jacket, and rushed back to the main ballroom, only to find everyone still waiting.

I left the wedding, thinking I had time to rush to my home to get my hair tamed. When I arrived at my apartment that I apparently shared with the twin, there was a party being thrown. Rooms of people just roaming about the place. I was furious that he'd do this while I was gone as I'm wondering how much of my stuff was being stolen by these gaggles of complete strangers.

I got to my room, which I shared with my twin college-style, as a group of party-goers were leaving. One guy, a younger, clean-shaven man, stayed behind and started talking with me.

"Where is my brother?" I asked.

"Who is your brother?" He asked back.

"The other guy who lives in this room," I said sternly, "I'm the first guy."

He stated that he didn't know, which made me realize that he was just dragged into the party. I remembered the wedding and grabbed a brush to try to get my hair fixed. I looked in the mirror and my hair was wild. Unable to get it under control, I decided to wet my hair down in the shower and removed my jacket.

The guy in the room was chatting with me still. Telling me that he was in college, majoring in chemistry, which struck a chord with me as that was my degree as well. However, in this dream, I was not in college, but had my career as I do now.

As I was towel-drying my head, I told him that I obviously didn't have time to chat as I was in a wedding, but gave him some advice. The advice was that it was a good degree to have as it opened doors to jobs that may not be lab-related that were just as satisfying and well-paying (obviously the path I had taken).

At this point, the dream ended, but I'm wondering if I'd have made it back to the wedding in time and what kind of fight I'd have had with the twin over the party when the wedding was over.

This summer has been so busy with work and work travel that I really had not realized how quickly it was passing. August starts tomorrow, stores have back-to-school stuff out already, and everyone is already looking forward to Halloween. My time off has been almost non-existent, mainly due to having a co-worker out on maternity leave and training her temporary replacements.

I've been working on the next issue of my comic book in the evenings after work, so my days have been incredibly full. I should have it done in a couple of weeks. I've been going through my horror movie/TV show DVD's while coloring pages, ending this evening watching "Kolchak: The Night Stalker."

Once my co-worker returns and my comic book is posted, I imagine myself having some significant time off and what I will do with it is up in the air. I would love to go somewhere, but the idea of traveling makes me cringe right now.

So many mixed thoughts right now. No particular rhyme or reason, just having a stream of consciousness moment this evening.

Last Friday, one of my coworkers retired after 30 years of service. It was a good party. The planning committee did a great job, setting up the food and decorations. The retiree has been a friend of mine for years. She and I often laugh about TV, work, etc.

The retirement cartoon that I drew for her was pretty good. It was well received. And the planning committee even had it put on her retirement cake. I had the original in a frame to give to her.

I did a five minute standup routine when I presented her with the cartoon. I wore a Hawaiian shirt that she despised, which is a joke between the two of us. I made jokes about her inappropriate Abercrombie and Fitch lunch bag, her inability to understand multiple driving paths to work, and, naturally, fart jokes.

I was sitting at a table of past retirees, when one of them decided to point out that she did not get a retirement cartoon. The lady is one of questionable temperament. I have passed her in the hallways at work, said hello or good morning, only to have her completely ignore me. I told her that I drew retirement cartoons when I had the time. I told her about other retirees who did not get a retirement cartoon, because I was either busy or traveling or on vacation.

Later that day, it occurred to me that the lady who questioned her lack of retirement cartoon, did not have a retirement party because she just left one day and didn't return.

I don't feel guilty about failing to draw her a cartoon, since no celebration was held. Still, it did bother me that she chose to point this out in front of everyone.

Oh well.

I was listening to a past BTalk podcast this morning while doing some odds and ends at work and they discussing part-time jobs and it made me think of jobs I've had in the past. I've been a waiter, a library worker, stockboy, salesperson, chemist, etc. However, there is only one I truly hated, which I thought I would have loved at the time.

( Lengthy stuff -- Cut for the uninterested )

Well, that's my worst job ever. What is yours? :)