The Totally Radical Thread for Crotchety Old Bitches

Mark: Ouch. Hope it works out for you.

Kyle: I know exactly what you're talking about. I, too, need constant feedback, and it needs to be more specific than "you need to improve your work". Yes, but how? Would it kill 'em to give me a list?

Hang in there, and I hope you find something better.

Incoming new manager is here today.

When I started here, I thought the manager that hired me had been around for a while, but apparently he'd only been here a few months. And then he got moved to a different store just before my one-year anniversary. (That was really great, knowing my raise was going to be set by somebody who didn't know me yet.)

Now they're moving that guy and giving us somebody else. And at the same time, the second commercial lead since I've been here is moving away.

There's two people who were working here when I started and still are, and they're both drivers. At least we have an assistant manager again now.

That's always fun. Sounds like you have some staying power though.

Ok fess up. Which of you knew about a new season of Red Dwarf and did not tell Tuefel? Come now no harm will happen I just wanted to know who left it off.

Seriously though more Red Dwarf Woot! Table flipping excited. (ﾉಠдಠ)ﾉ︵┻━┻.

I quickly lost interest when they got a budget in the third or fourth series.

I've been afraid of getting too much responsibility at work for over a year now. I'm very happy with my job except for the political climate and the fact that it's not a creative field. Also the pay and benefits could be better, but I could suck it up and get a roommate and make at least 300 dollars a month more room in my budget.

Well, me and Dungeon Mistress are over. Good news is it's a mutual, good terms split, and we're gonna stay friends. We had an honest conversation about a week and a half ago and we more or less agreed that the romantic spark ain't there anymore. Plus we have different life goals; she wants kids as soon as possible and I'm not gonna be for that until after college.

While it was mutual, I'm still kinda... I dunno, I'm feeling weird. I'm in an odd emotional state. Like, not morose or really upset but more like... I guess kinda bummed out.

edited 25th Jan '17 1:56:51 PM by MarkVonLewis

When you can break up without thrown crockery, trying to steal pets or targeted smashing of DVDs, you know you've hit maturity. <hugs> Still sucks and feels as empty as a stadium three hours after the game's finished, but... hey.

That is a bummer Mark. But hey it ended on decent terms just hang in there man.

The Monday before Thanksgiving, I alerted maintenance to a crack in the paint on my wall, a small hole that had fallen through the ceiling in the closet on the other side of that wall, and a dribble of water on the counter in front of the crack.

The Thursday after Christmas, a maintenance crew member came by, took one look at the damage, and said, "yeah, that's clearly not your fault. We're going to need to get a contractor involved, you should be getting a call, maybe by the end of the day."

A week ago yesterday, I put in another ticket to say that I hadn't seen any action being taken since that time, and in that time, the entire ceiling in the closet had fallen in, the small crack had become a huge flap, and there were spots of mold growing on the wall. The next day I got a call from the head of maintenance saying they were very close to finalizing the agreements with contractors and they should be starting work by the next day at the earliest, Monday at the latest.

I just got an email saying there would be a plumber working in my home tomorrow, and then after the plumber is done, they'll send a carpenter to do the cosmetic repairs.

But at least I haven't hung any pictures in my apartment since I've been here. That would be damaging.

edited 26th Jan '17 2:45:20 PM by TParadox

I've started a camera class which will be focusing mostly on commercials.

I hate commercials. The teacher is great, and I learned stuff, and I had fun, and I respect people who are good at commercials. But I just hate working on them myself. I will be so glad once I get to a point where I don't have to do commercials anymore.

The way I make commercials palatable to think about is as sketch comedy written around a product or call to action.

I was thinking the same thing when I read leradny's post.

My dad made his living partly by making commercials. He met Ridely Scott (before he broke into film — around '71) on the Mackintosh Toffee ad that followed the more famous Hovis one Scott had directed (and, cemented the style Hovis used for over 30 years).

Dad learned a lot and won many awards. Partly by dumping a lot of water on things, but mainly because he took time to learn how to pace and frame from a master of the craft while he had him there to learn from. Don't knock it.

Scott Free as a name started as a joke over pints near Pinewood trying to make a set look like Victorian York. Between two young men descended from Clan Scott who went different ways with how they liked to play with people's emotions and expectations.

edited 27th Jan '17 8:44:31 AM by Euodiachloris

I'm not knocking it, I'm just saying it's my least favorite media to perform. It's only the first week in a month long workshop. Who knows? After doing eighty thousand more repeat takes of the same thirty seconds, I might even like them.

Leradny: Well break a leg and hopefully it at least proves useful.

Leradny: Kinda sounds like when I had to learn operatic singing. I didn't like operas. I still don't like operas. But there was an upside: one reason the operatic style sounds the way it does is that it's a way to sing loudly for long periods of time without straining your voice. So while I don't use the style, the techniques I learned definitely come in handy.

So you might still hate it, but I'm willing to bet there's aspects that'll be useful to you later.

You know what, fuck relationships. That shit made me feel more alone than BEING alone. Fuck that shit, I'm gonna focus on getting my microbiology degree. Then study viruses. Because relationships, much like viruses, infect healthy cells. Then leech resources, expending the cell to reproduce. Then the viral cells move on to do it again. Hell I' Fuck it, I'm aiming to be a drunk mad scientist like Rick Sanchez. Hell I'm gonna shoot myself at 55, so who cares.

edited 29th Jan '17 7:50:43 PM by MarkVonLewis

...You have got to stop letting the alcohol and self-loathing do your talking for you, Mark.

Well then who will talk for me?

Sober Mark that we have interacted with on a regular basis without much of an issue.

Mark, instead of drinking yourself silly, channel your heartbreak, your anger, your infinite sadness, your feelings into something beautiful. Like art. Write, draw, paint. Or just see someone about it. Or read. Or sleep a whole bunch of it off.

Look, I've sworn off relationships in general because EFF people. I'm not the type of person who goes beyond the realms of friendship with people outside my family. But at least you had good times in this period. Sure, there were rough periods but you kind of have to look back sometimes. Why didn't it work? How much time do I need to work things out herself. For all you know, she could be taking this extremely hard now, probably more so than you.

Heartbreak sucks. Some of us have been there. I don't want to be in that position again but at least it helped me grow up and growing up effing sucks hard. I don't want you to become Nicolas Cage in Leaving Las Vegas. Lord knows I don't want that. Just take some time, don't burn all your money on alcohol. It'll lead to alienation from your peers and lead to horrible consequences.

Please, relax. Drink moderately at least. Listen to Radiohead's A Moon Shaped Pool and cry. Just take your time. It'll take time. You'll still be here. And people will help you get through it.

The pain will lessen.

Fuck Radiohead, and you know fuck this sadness shit. (puts on Sabaton) Fuck this mopey shit. I'm gonna finish painting my Imperial Guard army. Fuck being hopeless and feeling sorry. Time to do something about. Get in college. Then go on to cure some fucking viruses.

I may be low right now, but the only way forward? UP.

Well. That's the spirit.

Should see if my health insurance covers counseling; I need to find a better way to deal with emotions than bottling them up until they explode in drunken ranting and raving vents.

That's definitely a good idea. Therapy was one of the best decisions I've ever made.

Therapy needs to happen for longer than a few weeks too.