From One Black Hole to the Next

I�ve had two days off from work.

Two. Whole. Days.

This is a drastic change from the seven days a week that I�ve been working, since at least the beginning of December.

I want to work... good lord, do I want to work... but... I�m not allowed to.

Not allowed to, you ask? Disney is telling you, a minimaly paid peon, that you are not allowed to work?

Right.

So... Disney�s been screwing me for weeks... 30 weeks, to be exact.

As a part-time person, I�m supposed to be working 24.9 hours, or fewer, each week. But I�ve been schedule far more than that... which has actually worked out quite well for me and my bank account.

But now, in order to avoid turning me full-time and giving me benefits and a pay raise, my hours have been capped. In other words, I�m only allowed to work 24.9 hours per week... or less.

Good thing they screwed up and scheduled me more hours than I�m allowed... because after next week, because they�re having me work over my allowed hours, they�re going to have to turn me full-time.

So... now that I have been screwed... I will be able to screw the mouse back!

I never thought I�d actually be excited about screwing a mouse...

So... what do I do with my two days off?

Well... I�ve been attempting to clean my room... which is really more of a challenge than one might imagine. For anyone who�s ever been in my room, you know the pain that I�m going through... for those of you who don�t... let me just tell you some of the things I�ve discovered in the past 48 hours...

• I have carpet in places other than the straight line from the door to my bed.

• The carpet is a taupe color... like the rest of the apartment.

• My ex actually did return my favorite black shirt.

• The top of my desk is white.

• I have eight picture frames on my desk... not two, as previously thought.

• I saw the Bourne Identity back in August. I also had some sushi at Downtown Disney, that night.

• I didn�t lose the Christmas present that I bought for Cece or the vibrating tongue ring that I bought from Hot Topic.

• I got Altoids in my Christmas stocking... both in 2001 and 2002.

In the character realm, I found five sets of head gear, four chin straps and six sweat bands. I also found the sweatshirt that I argued with costuming about being on my record card about a month ago. And, the most notable discovery, I found my favorite pair of sweatpants that I thought I had left in the Elephant Tails breakroom at Magic Kingdom.

Yay! for things not being sucked into the black hole of Elephant Tails and emerging from the black hole of my room.

Why all the cleaning?

It�s because I�m going to be riding a horse.

A horse?

Yeah. A horse.

Well... it all started with a trip to Las Vegas. I was supposed to be going for a nice little leisure trip February 16th � 19th. But... of course... something came up... namely I�m getting trained to ride a horse.

I�m not really sure what�s going on, yet... but from what I understand, I�m going to dress up as a samuri and I�m going to ride a giant horse so people can take pictures in the Japan pavilion at EPCOT. But, of course, the training necessitates me being in town while I was supposed to be in Vegas.

While I was weighing the pros and cons of going to Vegas and staying to be trained to ride a horse, my friend Ardelle from Chicago calls. I haven�t seen her in about two and a half years... and she suddenly called to tell me she was coming to visit... February 14th � 16th.

And then Cousin Lisa calls to tell me she�s bringing her clan down to visit February 13th � 17th.

So... Vegas trip out the window, I had to turn my efforts to cleaning for a definite houseguest, as well as a potential family visit.

Nothing like an imminent visit to start cleaning frenzies.

Why can�t I go to bed at a decent hour, anymore?

More and more, lately, I find it virtually impossible to get to sleep before 4am.

I don�t really understand. I mean... I guess I just don�t really have anything to do, generally, before 1pm... so... waking up before then seems, almost, well, pointless.

I need a day job.

And money.

And a life that begins before noon.

later, kids...

~robert