yo ho ho and a bottle of rum

Did any of you ever watch The Pagemaster obsessively? My sister and I did. Really cute movie. We loved the little misshapen book Horror. He said the above line, "YO HO HO and a bottle of RUMMMM."

That one was for you, chicarita.

So it looks like M, G and I will be trekking OUT of the wastelands of northern Indiana for a date with destiny....or the lucky random culmination of William Had a Headache Day 2005. We're heading to see the Chieftains in the Midwest's greatest attribute, the city of Chicago.

Just got the confirmation e-mail from one of the dancers tonight...woo-hoo!

Things at work have been ridiculous this week, which reaffirms to me the silliness of corporate America. A new woman has taken charge of the Ann Taylor corporation and we're seeing a few picky little changes here and there that are naturally more irritating than helpful, although hopefully it will work out well for the company as a whole. Our little store in Mishawaka ought to be the model for Ann Taylor nationwide; we have a tremendous leadership team and a great group of associates. I'm not a company girl, but I'm a loyal girl to the women who work hard to maintain an environment of integrity, fun, and fabulous service to our clientele. These are the women who took me in and gave me a family, and my respect for them is pretty much boundless. (This isn't to say that I don't get irritated with them from time to time...or that I'm not similarly irritating!)

That's been one of the surprises in the working world. It's not my strongest suit, but I'm paying the bills and I've built unexpectedly strong relationships with my managers and coworkers. God couldn't have planted me in a better place. These women keep an eye on me, love to see me grow, take joy in my successes, encourage me in my weak spots, and have fun with me. (Mom, I'm sure you thank God for them every day, and you should; I sure do. If you can't be immediately nearby, Lisa and Deborah are the next best thing.)

So it's a Friday night, I'm plenty tired, but I don't have to work eleven hours tomorrow as I had expected, so hooray and huzzah, I'm turning in early and getting some much-needed sleep.

Night all.

* * *

Horror: (creepily) Fifffteeeeen men on a dead man's stomach --

Fantasy: Chest, chest, it's chest!

Horror: --Chest, chest. [Evil chuckle.] YO HO HO and a bottle of RUMMMM.