Strange Things are Afoot at the Circle K...

Time traveling in a phone booth with the Wyld Stallions aside, (name that movie reference) it has been a strange few weeks.

I am convinced that the London/Wales trip has changed me. And for the better. I am more confident, more open and much more excited to try new things and meet new people, even if it means doing them alone. I have always said that I am a late bloomer, and I keep proving myself right.

The past two weeks have been enlightening for me, the work trip to Vegas, coming back and being selected for jury duty this week... it's all this strange mix of somehow linked happenings. It's times like these when my faith is renewed. When I realize how connected things are and that I am indeed in the place I am supposed to be right now.

Jury duty, did you catch that? Yep, I have been selected to serve on a Federal Criminal case. It is very interesting. I am at work today and tomorrow and then the court is back in session on Friday. I am digging being in that position of deciding someone's fate, but in a responsible way.

Vegas was good. The work was OK, as OK as tradeshows and being on your feet all day can be. I did get to site-see a bit and I brought my new HDD video camera with me. It was my first time using the camera, so I need a little more practice before I can enter anything at Sundance. :) I am currently editing my footage and will post it here, perhaps on my you tube channel and then link it to here. I will do a post about my Vegas trip (the site-seeing anyway) when I have that done.

Work-wise, I feel like I am completely over it. I have decided that working with Texas Asshole (who Lamby and I now call TAP) and his "bullying" techniques to get people around him to do his work and the fact that I am not the least bit interested in the product I market (or at least any I had has worn off by now), are grounds for me to take my work ethic, experience and personality someplace that's else. Maybe not today, or 3 months from now, but within the next 8 months I can see myself making a change, as long as the economy permits.

Let me give you an example of TAP and his bullying:

The scene is the tradeshow floor during set-up, Union guys are working to set up the booth, I have been filling in for TAP supervising since 8am, since he had a panel to speak on until 9:30am. He arrives and since he is there, I figure I can take a bathroom break and go grab a coffee. Before I break, I mention my plan to help a coworker when she arrives:

CC: "I texted EB to let me know when she arrives at the hotel. When she is in I will head over, help her check in (since she was putting her room on my corporate card) and if she cannot check in yet, she can put her bags in my room for the time being and then I will bring her to the booth"

TAP: "UHH??(grumble, grumble) You need to be here to make sure these guys are setting up everything correctly!"

CC: (thinks to herself WTF? I am helping YOU out, this is YOUR GIG you big Texas asshole!) "Well, where are you going to be?"

TAP: (pauses) "Well...yea, I'm going to be here..."

CC: "Well, then it's not a problem if I leave for 30 minutes and help EB get settled and help her find her way to the booth"

TAP: "Uh... (grumble, grumble), Yea... OK"

CC: (thinking to herself:) "Ha! Shut down!! Take that you big BITCH!"

I can't FUCKING stand him. It is a constant fight to step up and shut him down. I have shut him down on many occaisions and he never seems to get it. BE GONE! YOU HAVE NO POWER HERE! YOU CANNOT BULLY ME. I HAVE MORE BALLS THAN YOU DO, AND I KNOW HOW TO USE THEM! He will be the death of my employment here. He will be the reason I give when I do my exit interview. I waste so much time dealing with him that it's a wonder that I can actually get anything done.

All these new experiences and happenings are really making me wake up to the fact that I am not stuck here, (THANK GOD) and that I have many opportunities and I just need to get out there and go after them. I have known this all along deep down, but now I feel like I have this renewed sense of myself and confidence. I hope this one lasts long enough to improve my situation!