Month: August 2018

The Crap-Ass Thing About a Good Economy

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housekeeper

Finding employees. That’s the crap-ass thing about a good economy.

So, you know how sometimes you just have to bury your face in a pillow and give a good yell?

Here it is….

I prefer to have a housekeeper. I LOVE having a housekeeper. I pay cash, and only need someone to come in 2 or 3 hours a week usually… sometimes another hour or so but really, it’s not that big a job. Two bedrooms, two baths, 1050 square feet of home lived in by two people who are relatively clean.

Hell, they don’t even have to do dishes OR laundry, because I prefer to take care of the laundry myself, and my best friend “pays” for the food he eats when he visits by doing my dishes. I even provide all the cleaning supplies for the job.

So there you go. You would THINK, being that I’m offering $13 an hour paid in cash, that I’d have people jumping for the job.

When you work for one of those house cleaning companies, they cleaners don’t even get paid that much because most of what they make goes to the company, and what’s left is taxed.

And yet… not one person with house cleaning experience has contacted me about the job. Not one. The guy I almost hired didn’t have any experience at all in cleaning, which was a huge drawback for me because it means I’d have to -teach- it all. I don’t really have time for that, and so I really want someone who already knows how to clean a bath tub. Is that so much to ask?

I’m frustrated. I’ve had ads out there for 2 weeks now.

Back when the economy was bad, finding a housekeeper was -easy- as pie. I put the ad up and had multiple replies within hours.

[End of sulky, frustrated rant.]

Self Reflection on Prejudice

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Suk1

I’ve never really considered myself a prejudice guy, yeah? I mean I guess I am in some ways, but it never really stood out to me until I decided to hire this new worker to come in and work for me as a housekeeper and helper.

I feel all kinds of awkward about him being East Indian… or, maybe you’re right and it’s about the whole “it’s a strange guy that will be coming into your house and touching your things. I know you’ve had housekeepers before but they were also females”, thing.

But what does it matter if the person working for me is a guy or a girl as long as they do the job? Hell, what does it matter if they’re East Indian or whatever, for that matter?

It doesn’t.

So the question is… it either of these things? Neither of these things? Am I making excuses for that internal instinct of mine that likes to speak up a warning when someone is bad news?

Suk2

Now that I think of it, I wonder if it’s neither the guy thing or the East Indian thing. It has that “fighting my instinct” feeling.

Damnit.

Considering that I know better than to ignore my instincts, I guess that means I’m still looking for a housekeeper and helper.

Favorites… 132 Questions

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Gideon – Linette insisted I fill this out.  And, since I had to fill it out, I figured I might as well share it with you.  I’m pretty sure most of this stuff you already know, but… here goes.

Food

food

Favorite Restaurant – Denny’s
Favorite Fast Food Restaurant – Jack In The Box (their Oreo shakes are the BOMB)
Favorite Ice Cream Flavor – Chocolate
Favorite chocolate candy? Reece’s Peanut Butter Cup Minis
Favorite Fruity Candy? Creme Savers Hard Candy in Orange & Creme
Favorite dish at Olive Garden? Chicken con Broccoli
Favorite kind of sushi? Sake Nigiri
Favorite Asian dish? Bibimbap with Bulgogi
Favorite Italian dish? Chicken Florentine Lasagna
Favorite food of all time? White Rice
Favorite way to cook a steak? Medium Rare
Favorite pasta dish? Fettuccine Alfredo
Favorite cookie? Chocolate Chip (homemade only)
Favorite fast food French fries? McDonalds
Favorite cereal? Capt’n Crunch w/ Crunchberries
Favorite breakfast food? Eggs
Favorite pizza toppings? Pineapple, Pepperoni, Mushrooms, Black Olives, Canadian Bacon
Favorite fruit? Oranges
Favorite vegetable? Broccoli
Favorite dessert? Ice Cream
Favorite comfort food? Grilled Cheese & Tomato Soup
Favorite way to eat bacon? Crispy but not Burnt
Favorite thing at a buffet? Shrimp (as long as it’s deveined)
Favorite dish at Thanksgiving? Deviled Eggs
Favorite cake? Raspberry Swirl
Favorite ice cream sundae toppings? Crushed Oreos, Chocolate Syrup
Favorite thing to cook? Stir-Fry
Favorite alcoholic drink? Vodka
Favorite non-alcoholic drink? Ice Water

TV and Movies

movies

Favorite classic movie? The Women (1939)
Favorite movie quote? “Look at me, jerking off in the shower. This will be the high point of my day. It’s all downhill from here.” – American Beauty
Favorite 80’s movie? Breakfast Club
Favorite Family Guy character? Stewie
Favorite cartoon? Vintage Looney Tunes
Favorite scary movie? Night of the Living Dead (1968)
Favorite movie you’re embarrassed to like? A Cinderella Story (young Chad Michael Murray is HOT)
Favorite chick flick? 10 Things I Hate About You
Favorite Leonardo Dicaprio movie? Catch Me If You Can (2002)
Favorite actress over 50? Gena Rowlands and Betty White (it’s a tie)
Favorite Marvel movie? The Incredible Hulk (2008)
Favorite TV show? Big Bang Theory
Favorite cancelled TV series? Perry Mason
Favorite YouTube video? Screaming sheep

Music

music

Favorite instrument? Cello
Favorite band? Dave Matthews Band (runners up include Matchbox 20, Deathcab For Cutie, JYJ, and Silversun Pickups)
Favorite solo music artist? Kim JaeJoong (although Bi Rain is a close runner-up)
Favorite music genre? Indie
Favorite style of dance? Ballroom Freestyle
Favorite boy band? Big Bang
Favorite 80’s song? Love Song by The Cure
Favorite cover song? Love Song by 311
Favorite lyrics? The first stanza of I Will Possess Your Heart by Silversun Pickups
Favorite Song? Everybody Knows by Leonard Cohen
Favorite one-hit wonder? Touched by Vast

Travel and Fun

travel

Favorite state you’ve visited? Montana (actually, Washington, but I live there so it’s not a “visit”)
Favorite thing about America? Lack of Authoritarian dictatorship
Favorite kind of vacation? Cabin in the Rainforest (w/ a safe, accessible water source)
Favorite car? Toyota Prius
Favorite way to travel? Driving
Favorite beach? Kalaloch, WA
Favorite hiking trail? Mt Rose in the Olympic National Park
Favorite ride at a carnival? The Zipper
Favorite thing to do at the beach? Wading in the shallows
Favorite United States national park? Glacier National Park (Montana)

Animals and Nature

nature

Favorite dinosaur? Velociraptor
Favorite breed of dog? Labrador
Favorite flower? Nerium oleander
Favorite bird? Hummingbird
Favorite exhibition at the aquarium? Sharks (followed closely by the jellyfish)
Favorite type of bear? Black
Favorite sea creature? Sharks
Favorite color rose? Dark red
Favorite small mammal? Sugar glider
Favorite big cat? Snow leopard
Favorite animal? Any of the big cats
Favorite reptile? Black caiman
Favorite thing in the sky? Rain clouds
Favorite thing about a rainy day? The way it makes the world feel clean.
Favorite thing about spring? New growth
Favorite natural disaster? Volcano
Favorite season? Fall

Sports

sports

Favorite sport? Swimming
Favorite Olympic sport? Ice Skating
Favorite sport to watch in person? Hockey

Childhood Memories

childhood

Favorite children’s show? Sesame Street
Favorite childhood memory? Learning how to play Gin Rummy with L, TJ, and Z on a camping trip.
Favorite board game? Scrabble
Favorite toy as a child? Water
Favorite thing about school? Out of the house and away from home.
Favorite Halloween costume you’ve worn? The Gender Switch with Lins. I felt silly but very fucking pretty.
Favorite playground fixture? Merry-go-round
Favorite lunchbox snack? Samgak Kimbap
Favorite video game? Dragonfire (Atari 2600)
Favorite superhero? The Hulk

Books and Literature

books

Favorite Winnie the Pooh character? Eeyore
Favorite nursery rhyme? Ladies First by Shel Silverstein
Favorite fairy tale? Sleeping Beauty
Favorite Dr. Seuss book? The Giving Tree
Favorite Book? Little Brothers by Rick Hautala
Favorite Book Series? Bunnicula
Favorite Poem? The Dash by Linda Ellis
Favorite Artist of All Time? Alphonse Mucha
Favorite Current Artist? Yevgenia Watts
Favorite Piece of Artwork? MC Escher’s Relativity
Favorite Author? Stephen Hawking
Favorite Fiction Genres? Paranormal Romance, Apocalypse scenarios (zombies, pandemics, natural disasters)
Favorite Quote? Creative activity could be described as a type of learning process where teacher and pupil are located in the same individual. – Arthur Koestler

Other Random Stuff

questions

Favorite color? Green
Favorite perfume/cologne? Old Spice (original) – not on me
Favorite soap scent? unscented
Favorite shampoo? Pantene
Favorite article of clothing? well worn jeans
Favorite place for a piercing? Helix/Pinna/Auricle
Favorite piece of jewelry? Gideon’s collar
Favorite luxury brand? Joico (at least, it’s luxury to me)
Favorite brand of toilet paper? Charmin
Favorite candle scent? Nag Champa
Favorite extracurricular activity? Roleplay with Gideon
Favorite day of the week? Saturdays
Favorite holiday? Samhain
Favorite way to communicate? IMs and Texts
Favorite kind of house? Large ranch style
Favorite car color? Gray
Favorite thing to do when you’re sick? Sleep
Favorite place to meet up with friends? At home
Favorite hobby? Jewelry Design (a job can also be a hobby, right?)
Favorite way to cheer you up? Water (whether rain, or swimming, or in the shower, etc)
Favorite thing to look forward to? Snow
Favorite kind of gift to receive? The thoughtful kind
Favorite Christmas present? Copper Wok (Gift from Gideon)
Favorite way to relax? SLEEP
Favorite place to shop? thrift stores

OKAY!   Done.   So… did I miss anything?