Past Couple Weeks

Work:

I have been working at the same company as my dad since the beginning of summer. I've always known it was a temporary job, but I never knew the exact date I'd be leaving. Around August 9, my manager told me that whenever I was finished the current project on which I was working, I had one more small project and then I would be done for the summer. This would have made August 14th or 15th my last day. On Thursday, the 10th, I was asked if I would be able to stay and help another manager with a project. Since I don't have another job, of course I said, "sure." However, when I met with him the following day he told me that he would be needing immediate help, but since I was not finished with the other projects, he probably wouldn't need be by the time I was finished. He told me he would let me know on Monday if had any work for me. Sure enough, he (and another woman) had some crap for me to do. Tuesday afternoon, he brought me down to meet the woman who need help. She had a couple projects for me to work on, then I had to help someone else, and then the following week, I'd be back helping her. On Friday (Aug. 18) morning, I had some training on the project I would be working on in two weeks. Then after lunch (2pm) I was called into the manager's office and was told that the projects he had wanted me to work on, had incomplete programs, so they were not ready for me. This would be my last day. I inquired about the the job I had been trained that morning and he told me that he did not have authorization to have me do that project, only the one I had finished. He did say that in a few weeks if the programs were ready, they might be needing my help. So basically, I'm officially unemployed. My plans: be a bum (and I'm sure I'll actually look for some jobs too).

Play:

August 11: Dashboard Confessional Concert at the Tweeter Center

August 12: Ocean City, NJ with the 'rents

August 15: Dorney Park

August 18-20: Ocean City, MD

Concert:

I surprisingly did not enjoy this concert as much as the other three I've been to. Beck and Shem agreed. The first problem was the sound. I'm not sure exactly what was wrong, but the I think the vocals needed to be louder and/or the instruments softer. The second problem was that most of the songs were from the newest album. Not everyone in the group knew all these songs, plus it's really not my favorite album. Don't get me wrong, I do enjoy it (and I think a few songs are really good), but I like the "classics" better. He only played a couple older songs. The concert did end on a good note: After the ten-minute (probably an exaggeration) wait before the encore, he ended with "Vindicated" and "Hands Down." I think that's how he ends all concerts now, because he did the same thing at the last two as well.

After the concert we headed to Top-Dog since we were already in Jersey, Beck and I keep hearing about it on the radio. As we were pulling into the parking-lot, I went into my wallet to take out money, debit card, and ID to put in my pocket. The first two were there, but the ID was not--the worst thing to forget when going to a bar in this country. At first, I had no clue where it could be and it occured to me I had been driving around all day without my license. Finally I remembered that on Wednesday night, I went with a friend to Shampoo because he works there. I didn't bring any money in with me because I wasn't planning on spending any. The fact that there was no money in my pockets that needed to go back into my wallet, plus that I was dead tired when I got home (barely able to change and take out my contacts before passing out) led to me completely forgetting about the ID. I'm beginning to think that my friends and I are destined to never go out together.

Dorney Park:

Since I wasn't sure if I would have a job, I told the girls I would go to Dorney Park with them on Wednesday. When I found out I did have a job, I just told my manager that I had made plans when I thought I didn't have a job, so he let me take off.

I had a blast, but it is definitely better to go to an amusement park on an overcast day instead of a sunny one. Besides no (or very short lines), the sun is not beating down on you all day. I am so unaccustomed to waiting for rides. We waited nearly an hour for one. The line for the Talon wasn't that long and neither was the line for the front row :-D We tried the new (well new since the last time we were there), Hydra. I didn't like it. It seemed very slow, and it was very shaky (kinda like a wooden coaster). The one cool part was the slow corkscrew in the beginning of the ride. We finished the night with Shem and Fabs going on the log flume and getting soaked, then we went on Steel Force, twice. That's still my favorite ride.

After leaving the park, we went across the highway to McDonald's to grab some food. It was around 10:45 and I wasn't sure what time the restaurant part close and needed to use the restroom. I told April to drive through the drive-thru while I went inside. When I got back in the car, April said, "I think we missed ordering...we waited for about five minutes, then figured the machine was broke, so we planed to just go up to the window, then we heard it work for the person behind us."

Instead of going up to window and saying, "hey bitches, you never asked for our order, take it now," which cause all kinds of problems and probably not even get us our food, we decided to just go around. We were back in the same spot as were were went I left. Then we got charged for barbecue and sweet and sour sauce because no one had ordered chicken nuggets. This isn't the first time I've been charged for sauce, but it's this first time in a long time (in this country). Who made this "nugget rule" and why isn't it only enforced occasionally?

Anywho, after eating, we headed home. Luckily there wasn't any traffic. We got home pretty late and it really sucked having to go back to work on Thursday. But I had something to look forward to: OCMD on Friday. Read about that trip (and my OCNJ trip) in a future entry.