Dynamic Calories

To bring you up to speed, Madison was a great success. It hasn't changed too much, and the air of familiarity was sweet-smelling indeed. Felt odd to drive across town without moving 5 feet at a time. Favorite restaurants are still there. Our hotel was nice but waaaaaaaaaay on the east side. They had a 'hospitality hour' on saturday from 5 to 7. The place was packed with the elderly, so I decided to get in the spirit by demanding my free old fashioned. Well, perhaps it was the bartender's inherent suspicion of anyone born after 1955, but the amount of alcohol in my (small, plastic) cup couldn't have given a fruit fly a buzz. However, two beers and two bowls of pretzels later, I had my revenge.

Then occurred a four day workweek, followed by a four day weekend, followed by another four day workweek, a pattern I wouldn't mind following indefinitely. The first four days kind of sucked, but during the second I made was has lately been a semi-annual journey to the land of my birth. M was working something fierce, and her reaction when I asked if I could take her car for four days was fierce enough to cause old people, pregnant women, and those with heart problems to drop dead immediately. My youth and vitality prevailed. I ended up getting a ride with a coworker and her friend to a town an hour west of my hometown. This journey, delayed by someone's lateness, someone's crazy hangover, and someone's poor driving skills, took about 9 hours. Finally made it home, and was treated like a king, with a giant steak from the grill and some brews. The next day I ate venison bacon for brunch, watched the amazing 150th anniversary of my town parade, won 3 of 4 games of HORSE at the driveway basketball hoop, and found a dead squirrel in my grade-school baseball glove. I caught a ride to the foxy cities with Dave and his wife, then marveled at FFL Nate's new bachelor pad, which is new enough to not be completely trashed. There was much of hanging out over the next 24 hours, soon Corey arrived and made me get enough actual exercise to cause soreness (or was that from sleeping on the floor?). Decadence continued until monday early afternoon, when I celebrated our nation's independence by waiting two hours for my late greyhound bus. I further rejoiced by enjoying an unnecessary 50 minute layover in Milwaukee.

This week I've had to work like a crazy person. Exciting news = I'm getting a 'promotion' of sorts at work. This promotion entails the following:

1. No more easy or boring work
2. A new cubicle in a heavy traffic area, meaning no more websurfing
3. Doing a new job (insurance broker) which will teach me valuable new skills by being so far over my head that I keep being told not to panic.
4. While doing new job, also do all the IT stuff I've been doing the past few months, except instead of having it take up 75% of my time, it should now take up 25%.
5. Being moved to salary, which means no more overtime.
6. Not getting a raise.
7. Not getting any sort of bonus.

Today I was told to meet with our division's CEO about this. I was expecting possibly #7 on the list from this, but instead all I received was the imperative "Work Hard." That was fulfilling.