I didn't write the last few days of the trip because I was honestly too tired and stressed out.
So, from where I left off, it was getting close to taking the final exam. I wasn't sleeping. I was so worried about passing the test. About finishing the final project. About coming home to a house that was hopefully still standing.
I went for another tattoo. The opening line to my favorite a-ha song. It just felt like something I had to do. Almost exactly a year after I got the original. And that helped ground me oddly enough.
So I studied. And I freakin' passed. And with a better score than I even got on the first one. Perfectly respectable scores, both of them. Woah. After that I just wanted to sleep. I had nothing left. The wall had been hit. I was so relieved.
Then we had to go work at the store nearby for a bit, and man am I jealous of that store. They have staff! And then there was the ever-so-fun role play exercise. Damn I really hate those. I've done my bit with improv. Put in my time. And I ended up having to do mine in front of the whole class. I was the only one. But it didn't matter. Knocked it out of the park. The trainer was playing a mean customer and I made him laugh. Yeah. I got that shit.
But we weren't done yet. There was a cocktail party, and the final project still had to be completed. (Yes- some screwy posh cocktail reception instead of the beer bashes they throw in Cupertino.) I showed up so as not to be rude, but I was out in half an hour without so much as an ice water.
When I got back to the room, I passed out. Woke up at nine and started work on the film for the project due the next day. While I was waiting for rendering, I started gathering everything together to pack. Organizing all the stuff and readied the last of the laundry to be sent out. Since they were paying for laundry service, I totally took advantage of that. :)
Stayed up later than I had the whole time. Figured I may as well as I was heading home. I never really did adjust to that time zone.
Finished the silly little film, but was still rendering in the morning. Because of course it was me and I kept making changes up to the last. Always do....
The shit part was being in such a rush that I dropped an earring down the elevator shaft. I know I wear the same silver hoops every single day, but it's because I got those with my sister in Logandale on her birthday at the Native American museum and they were pure silver made by Navajo. But now I only have one. Ordered replacements on Amazon, but it's not the same...
Half the class was hung over from the cocktail do. That was pretty funny. And the fact that they were still trying to teach us things on the last day. Nobody was comprehending a thing at that point. I mean, c'mon. We just wanted to go home. Class was finally over. We had our certificates. And planes to catch.
Packing! Mad dash to get it all squished in. Had an hour suddenly till it was time to load the car. Most of my laundry was there. But they had to go find the rest. And I had to go put my leftover food in the lounge for the next group. Couldn't waste it.
Then the mad dash for the airport, and then the epic waiting. And then our flight was delayed and the waiting was even more epic. Yay. Airports. Emma was just chilling in her little bag. She was fine. The plane was delayed even further after we boarded. They kept letting people in fluorescent jackets on to inspect something in the cockpit. Whatever. I just wanted to go home.
Halfway through, I was asleep with Emma on my lap, all enclosed in her bag as was the rule. But the jackass flight attendant woke me up to tell me I had to keep her under the seat. I was/ am so pissed. They will so be getting a letter from me. As will Apple travel. I have to pay a fee, and I follow your rules, and you make me shove my sleeping dog under the seat for hours? Oh fuck you, Woody-the-flight-attendant. I even got an email survey. They are so gonna rue that crap decision....
And then baggage was forever. And Ayrian was waiting for me. And it was four in the morning.
But finally I was out. And he was there. And because we're the damn same, he said exactly what I was thinking. So the perfect time for Del Taco.
My house shrunk and my dogs grew. Not really, but that's what it felt like coming home. They all looked so huge after only being around Emma. And the hotel was just a teeny bit bigger than my house... Ah but everything smelled right again. And my ice was so much better. And there was my Ayrian and the calm was settling in. I was home. There was my bed. There were weird nightmares unfortunately, but I know where that was coming from. And some of it resolved itself.
Stayed in bed all Saturday catching up on my TiVo. (If you aren't watching The Killing, you're missing out.) And just reveling in being surrounded by my books and my dogs. Mmmmmmm...... Damn I ate a lot of ice. Emptied the ice maker.
And then the day was gone and I had to get up to go back to work. Woke up before my alarm. Ick. It was weird to have to drive after all those weeks of just getting in the elevator. It was weird being behind the wheel at all for that matter.
First day as a Genius. Special 10 year all store meeting. COMPLETELY anti-climactic. They used to give us shit all the time. And after ten years, nothing. Horseshit. Whatever.
And then bar-bitch. Such is my fate. Mobile queue. Got it. And then Mac queue. Weird. Never really spent any time doing that and there I was. But I knew I would be OK because I knew the others had my back. Still a bit weird though. But I got it handled. Ended up helping loads of people that showed up the wrong day or time. That was kinda funny. Tons of new faces. Had no idea what time it was. Still don't. So many things changed while I was gone. And I wonder if I did. Not something I could really see. Unfortunately, some things were exactly the same. But what can you do. Shit is what it is. But I made it through my first day as a Genius, and I think I did OK.
And now on to the fact that my birthday was totally skipped over. I think that needs serious rectifying. I guess that's my next project.
So fond farewell to that chapter. I look forward to what's coming. I don't know what it is, but it's all new and I will face it head on like I always do. No blinking. No shying away. Just feet firmly planted, head down, full steam ahead. Wish me luck.
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Location:Vegas, Baby.
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