Show Me Rachel

Oh Yeah, . . . .

2004-11-16T19:01:00.000-08:00

Ok after I just posted, I just thought of some things which have also recently happened to me.

*** CREDIT CARD COMPANIES SUCK.
I happened to get a credit card form a company/store that rhymes with Barget and has a large red and white bullseye as its logo. I also happened to run up to my credit limit and miss a payment. One single payment. Seeing as how credit card statements only come once a month, I figured I would wait until my next statement came in the mail and then pay a little extra. Oh, before that could happen (before it even arrived in the mail) the stupid rhymes-with-Barget Visa people were calling my house. I wasn't home. I think they thought my mother was me, so they chose to harass her. The person (of an undetermined gender, as my mother and I disagree on whether it was a man or woman) kept calling throughout the day, and said things like "Just let me talk to Rachel." Ok. . . . . I would. . . . if she were here! All day Saturday, and I'm not sure about all day Sunday, but they called me on Sunday evening and I was actually home. By this point, I had made a payment through online banking, but it wouldn't go through until the 18th, and this was the 14th. So I spoke to the person of an indetermined gender and told him/her that, and they finally left me alone. These people work all day and night on weekends???
MORAL: Do not get a credit card from a store that rhymes with Barget.

***DON'T GROW OLD.
I miss my being away at college days. Yesterday I went with my father to a surprise birthday dinner thown by my my brother's girlfriend (or maybe girl friend, it's hard to tell some days) . It was funny how I noticed characteristics in each person which reminded me of people from MY dorm days. It made me feel old.
MORAL: Don't hang out with SLU freshmen.

***SONGS THAT MAKE YOU WONDER
I directed a TV show for my TV Production class. It wasn't actually a TV show, more of an infomercial, but it was downright hilarious. I got another guy from the class who had been in my group to be my talent, and he was superb. The premise: Lime Tife (oh yes, Lime Tife) is selling a 30 disc set of 60 songs entitled "Songs that Make You Wonder." They're those songs in TV shows and movies that just don't fit quite right. Roll that wonderfully edited footage: Hannibal Lecter in Silence of the Lambs eating the faces of the guards to "Can you feel the love tonight" from the Lion King. It was an uproar. My guy on the soundboard is pretty serious and stone-faced, but even he was cracking up.
MORAL: I am a creative genius when I want to be.
ALTERNATE MORAL: When you are completely dumbfounded on what to do, make a reference to Silence of the Lambs and everything will be ok.

One down. . . . .

2004-11-16T18:47:00.000-08:00

Well, I had my first internship interview last week, and I think I blew it. I interviewed with a young woman at KETC Channel 9, the local PBS station, for a PR internship. I noticed when I was on the phone with her that she was very softspoken, and she was very much so in person as well. I, on the other hand, am loud and bouncy, and I think that may have contributed to the weird vibe. I felt like I just kept talking and talking and talking, and I didn't know when to stop. I don't know. I honestly don't know how I did, which makes me think that I blew it. So I immediately drove home (and by immediately I mean after one hour of rush hour traffic) and hopped online to search for more. (On a side note, I find it interesting that I find the most comprehensive lists of communication internships on the websites of OTHER UNIVERSITIES) I found some interesting prospects, but it's a little late in the semester, and I imagine all the overachiever kids out there have already landed the ones I'm interested in. I don't know what I'll do if I don't get one, I imagine I'll have to attempt to get in something at the University, like working for the Current or the University PR department. I should email somebody and ask that.

I was sitting outside today talking to two friends I've made in last year at school. We were talking about my friend Michael's family and his wife, and i brought up Travis and my family. Michael commented "We should hand out sometime and I can meet him and you can meet my wife. You know, you and Travis really seem meant for each other." I replied, "Yeah, I really think that we are" and our friend Natalie said in the cutest little girl voice "Aww! You guys are going to get married!" NO word yet on the status of that, although his brother is married and is having a bit of trouble with that, so that may set back that agenda a tad.

Ok, I've updated for this month. :) No, really, I'll try to be more current. I promise.

Oops!

2004-10-10T15:17:00.000-07:00

Oh yeah, I have a blog! Been a while . . . lets see what's going on since I last posted:

1. I'm probably going to put off graduating in May to graduating in August, so I don't have to take 15 hours and do an internship and make money at a job that pays in my last semester of college. What's three more months if it saves my sanity?

2. I did a video for "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" by the Rolling Stones. I put in clips of Pulp Fiction and Blow, and showed them doing drugs and it ruining their life. That's my public service announcement. The project was lots of fun and I learned a lot about the linear editors. Next in that class: non-linear (digital) editing! and shooting my own 5-7 minute film!

3. I'm so busy I just might explode! It's really hard working 25-30 hours a week, going to school full time (and I'm going to all of my classes!) and trying to have a smidgen of a social life. I can't wait to graduate!

Ok, that's pretty much all that's new with me.

Is the semester over yet?

2004-08-30T19:35:00.000-07:00

It's not even September and I'm tired of school already! Not really, I'm just tired of schooling and working at the same time, and trying to fit a boyfriend into the mix, and. . . . and I really am starting to get hateful at work. I wish that I could just set my own schedule and come in when I wanted despite when I'm scheduled to work. . . as so many people do. Argh, it just kills me how my fellow coordinator Jen and I follow all the rules about dress code and coming in to work on time, and we never call off unless we're deathly ill, and no one else gives a crap. One girl gave the excuse once that she couldn't come in to work, she had JackintheBox the night before and it gave her diarrhea. JEZUS! 1. I would be to embarassed to tell my boss that I had diarrhea to use it as an excuse to call in to work. 2. What kind of an excuse is that, really? You take some damn Immodium AD or some Pepto Bismol and you get your ass in to work because you have a job and other people are depending on you. Today I had to cover for the second time in two weeks for this girl who had to be 3 hours late. Her sister was going to the dentist and she had to watch her nephew. OR, it just so happened that her sister was going to the dentist and she didn't want to go to work so early, so she offered to watch her nephew and use it as an excuse to go to work at 11am instead of 8 am. Ironically, 11 am turned into noon, and the girl had fast food with her when she came in. Hmmmm. . . . . the exact same thing happened last week! ARGH!!

Ok, my bitching is done. Back to homework, it doesn't talk back or piss me off nearly as bad as most of humanity.

Sorry, Dad. . . . .

2004-08-28T09:17:00.000-07:00

I went tee shirt shopping last night. From my own computer! I decided that it's time to get political with my wardrobe, so I got three new shirts. The one I'm most excited about is a red and white ragland tee (what I called "baseball shirts" with the different colored collar and sleeves, until I discovered the "proper" name for them) and in purple letters (kind of a child handwriting font) it says "Sorry, Daddy, I'm voting for Kerry!" Oh, how true. . . . . The next is same style shirt with black or gray or red or something sleeves, and it has the Bush/Cheney 04 logo on it, and underneath says "Come on. . . . What else could go wrong?" And my third is same style in pink (I love those kinds of shirts!) and it says in Old English font "Maybe we should have another tea party." (A fitting comment about our current tax situation). If I knew how to post pictures (or links to pictures even) I would put them on here so that everyone could see my wonderful shirts and at the same time I could promote the site, which I have conveniently forgotten the name of, so . . . aw crap, whatever.

Last night I discovered on CNN.com this lovely story about these toys with two towers and a plane inbetween them that somehow made it to market. So of course then I go look on EBay, because the next logical step in my mind is "Hmm. . . wonder how much they're going for." Well, the auction hasn't ended because it's too new, but I'm wondering if EBay ended it themselves because of either traffic or complaints. The last price I saw on the little cheap piece of plastic was $5000.00. FIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS, damnit. Why? Why would anyone want to OWN that? Of course, if I happened to get one, I would sell it, but I wouldn't ever BUY it. ESPECIALLY not for $5k. People. . . . . sheesh.

seriously, NO MONEY ORDERS!

2004-08-27T20:45:00.000-07:00

I had the most horrible night at work yesterday. My third customer was the craziest psycho bitch ever, and she had a downright hissy fit. The new girl was working at layaway and this lady tried to use a money order to pay for hers, and we don't take money orders. So I guess she cancelled her layaway and came over to Customer Service where I was working. I was on the phone giving directions to the store and she was in line making a lot of noise like "tsk tsk"ing and "hmm mmm mmm"ing. I thought she was being weird because I was taking the phone call instead of helping her. So when I hung up I started ringing her out, and she was looking at the plaque on the front of the register. She started naming out loud the types of credit cards we take and that we take personal checks. I rung up all her stuff, and (lo and behold) she handed me money orders to try and pay for it. It was like $320 and change worth of stuff and she gave me one for $200, one for $50 and one for $35 and some cash. I was like "I'm sorry, we don't take money orders," and the temper tantrum began. "Oh Yes you do, and you will!" She was screaming that money orders are the same as travellers checks and American Express. She kept yelling "Call Western Union" and finally I was like "No, I don't have to. We don't take it. Pay another way or leave." Two managers and the other customer service coordinator couldn't convince her A) that we didn't take money orders, or B) to shut up. She was shouting so loud and all the other customers in earshot were just staring at her. She was flailing her arms and clapping her hands and yelling "I WANT TO MAKE A COMPLAINT!" It was a huge spectacle. We tried to get her out of there and said we'd hold her crap till the end of the night, and so we needed her name. She was like "My name is Betty Johnson and I want to make a complaint!" so I gave her the district manager's number (revenge for anything and everything he has ever done to anyone in our store if she actually calls and gets in a "conversation" with him) and she kept yelling her name and finally Stan was like "Alright, Betty Johnson, that's enough, get out of here." My next customers kept making fun of her, which I was thankful for because I needed a laugh right about then. Our security guy called and asked if we needed help. What really is ironic is that you have to have CASH to get a money order, and EVERYWHERE TAKES CASH.

That would be all funny, except that when we got out of work she was waiting on a bench outside, so now she knows which car is mine and what time we get out of work. I could be paranoid but I think she followed me to the next stoplight. Travis said that she's just a loudmouth psycho bitch who probably stole the damn things and wouldn't do anything except shout a bunch and make a fool out of herself. Still, it was scary that she was sitting outside at 10:30 at night when the incident happened before 5:00.

Moral of the story: Don't try and pay for purchases at retail establishments with a money order. If you do try, don't be surprised when they won't take them. Don't make a fool of yourself, don't have a temper tantrum, don't flail your arms and clap your hands and shout and scream (especially your own name) and act like a child. Just say "oh. . . . fuck, nevermind" and leave.

school is cool

2004-08-24T13:31:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I've officially attended each of my classes (at least the ones that hold class - i have two internet-based courses) and things seem to be shaping up rather nicely:
1. Public Relations writing. This may actually be the drag of the semester, but I have cool classmates who I know from prior semesters and I'm pretty familiar with the professor. So far (through the first two class sessions) the class and the material has been interesting.
2. Intro to TV Studio Production. My professor is a former producer for the Jerry Springer show. I get to make a TV show for class.
3. Video Production. I've had this professor before, and he's cool: laid back, sarcastic wit, hints at his political agenda but not really too much. We get to make movies for class.
4. Communication in the 2004 Presidential Campaign. Definetly going to be interesting and keep my attention. Web-based, so I don't have to attend class, which makes it even MORE appealing!
5. Social Deviance. An interesting departure from the rest of my classes, which are either in my major or can relate to my major or a possible career for me. This is just the "I'm a nerd and I like to learn" class of the semester.

I was worried Travis was mad at me because I hardly talked to him on Saturday and hadn't talked to him at all since then, so last night I drove to the lovely community of Madison, Illinois and visited him at the store he'll work at this week. He realized that he hadn't talked to me in a few days and apologized, said that he sometimes forgets that he has a phone and that people may use it to try and contact him. My schedule this week really blows, I work tonight, tomorrow morning, and Thursday night, so my Travis time will be cut to a minimum in order to attend school and work and also fit sleep somewhere in there. I'm still going across the river tonight and staying with him, and if I'm late tomorrow morning for work then I'm late.

PLUS we have bowling on Wednesday night, and I get to use my NEW ball again! It's so pretty! It's purple and silver and all sparkly and it looks like an intergalactic storm. Trav's is red and orange and firey looking. Of course, his is an actual bowling ball like the GOOD bowlers use, whereas mine is a pretty-one-used-to-throw-down-the-lane-but-better-than-the-house ball.

Time to pack for Trav's and get ready for work.

First Post

2004-08-23T21:21:00.000-07:00

Good day, everyone, and welcome to the blog of Rachel! Congratulations, you are reading my very first post in my brand new blog! Aren't you something! Hopefully I'll be more diligent in this than in my past attempts at blogging, although I have Pat (http://www.notoriouspmg.blogspot.com) to inspire me, as he is the BlogGod. More later, I'm going to try and make this thing look pretty now.

2004-08-23T20:23:00.000-07:00

ME!