Whee

They had a staff trip to Hinton today, to go to the mall (which is smaller than Brantford Mall was, before they tore it down and replaced it with big box stores), so Bean and I went. We saw bighorn sheep and elk on the way, at the side of the road. And I couldn't get over how big the mountains are, or how clean the air is. I could see, high up on an impossibly huge cliff, the individual outlines of douglas fir trees and pines, with a clarity that completely escapes me when I'm in Ontario.

Hinton itself is little more than a strip of houses and bigbox stores, just outside the park gates. I Bean and I convinced our driver (the hotel's HR manager) to take us to Arby's, though we were the only two who wanted to go. So we ended up getting Arby's and eating it at the McDonald's, which is where everyone else wanted to go. I took a picture of our food on the McDonald's table. It was hilarious.

Of course, everything was funny because I was in that special state of mind that only the very tired reach, where everything, regardless of what it is, is funny and worthy of explosive giggles. This is what I get for working a night audit shift the night before.

Speaking of, that shift was a big bag of dicks. The computers decided that they weren't going to open the hotel program that was required to check people in and out. A late arrival, who was supposed to come around midnight, didn't show up until after I'd already done the audit - at 04:00 - so I had to fight with the one computer that was still working to get his reservation reinstated, which ended up with me making three reservations for the same room, under the same name, and then had to adjust the reports I'd already printed to reflect this. On top of that, the debit machine decided it wasn't going to play, and the guest had to pay cash - and I didn't get a cash deposit, because I'm a tool. And then my numbers became screwy and idiotic and didn't behave.

On top of all that, I had used the guest laundry to wash all of my dirty clothes, since it was the cheapest of all the laundries that I have access too (I miss Clayton's house more than anything, right now...Clayton too), and despite putting $4 into the dryer, it didn't actually dry my clothes. So I carried a bag full of wet clothes back to my place and then had to string them up around my room so they'd dry properly.

On the upside, though, I have a day off tomorrow, so I'll be able to do proper laundry at some point. Plus, I think there was something about going skating tomorrow, which might work out so that I can nip over to the thrift store and see if they have any used skates. Failing that, I might have to rent some. I would buy some, proper ones, since my last pair were shitty, but I haven't the money necessary. Plus, I just got a bathing suit, so I can go swimming. It actually fits, too, which is nice since it's got a built in bra thing, and when those don't fit, it's plenty obvious. Especially on me.

I just wish I didn't blorch out the back - though that will change when I actually cut down on my sugar intake and work out more. But it's a one piece, and it was less than $50, and, actually, I think it was the most expensive item I bought today.

Anyway, tonight's audit was much better. It went beautifully and quick and without hitch (*knocks on wood*) and all the computers are still working. We've already had one walk in, and though it was after I'd done the audit, I didn't have much trouble with it. So now I get to while away the next four and a half hours. I have no idea what I'm going to do, since solitaire isn't working on this computer and I can't watch anything...should have brought a book.

Budgeting Budgets of Budgetness...And Stuff.

I had a night audit shift tonight, and instead of sleeping prior to it, I spent a couple or three hours fiddling with my budget and making it work.

And I made it work, too. I don't make too much money in a month; certainly not any sort of spectacular wage comes from $10/hour or even the $11/hour I should be getting for night audit shifts, but it's money, and with a little bit of skull sweat and guess work, I found something that should work.

Of course, now that I've done this, along comes monkey wrench #1.

Apparently, the woman training me on night audit for the past couple of days "Doesn't like to hear herself talk", and so, after the audit was done, decided that she'd be magnanimous and let me say that I'd worked for four hours instead of eight. I was scheduled for eight. It's not like they didn't have money in the budget, or else they wouldn't have scheduled me for eight hours.

So I didn't fuss; she was taking time to show me what I would need to do.

Monkey wrench #2 - she did it again. Tonight. Which means, because of her idiocy, she's done me out of $88.

It might just be the hormones talking, but I kinda just want to thump her upside the head with a brick.

My budget still works, though. I have wiggle room, which is nice, and since I don't want for much, it's a fair amount of wiggle room. I'm still going to put it all into a nice spreadsheet, so I can do all formulas and shit, which should be fun...and right there is a prime indication of how much I've changed. Time was, the thought of doing math would have me out the door, and money management happened to other people. Now, with Wales calling me ever homeward, I actually find myself looking forward to making a working budget and then sticking to it.

It's like the happy feeling I got when I paid my phone bill last month.

Even so: $88 is $88. I'm rather pissed that I won't be getting it, even if the loss will be split between two pay cheques.