The Crazy Interview!

Had a bizarre day today!


I was on the panel for what might have been the most bizarre interview of all time.

It started with my manager asking this man for an example of diversity in the workplace that he has found a challenge and how he dealt with it. The answer ended, no lie 20 min later after he told us how his wife left him for another woman she met online, how she filed restraining orders against him, how he was living in his car, and the fact that he has been out of work for two years because he was being garnished for child support. He further explained that he should not have to pay child support since SHE was the one that left and took the kids. He ended his story with looking at the other female interviewer in the room and myself and saying “You women are evil!”

Seriously! I almost lost it. So I of course was trying to keep a straight face during this very long, long story. I’m pretty sure he did not know what the word diversity meant. My favorite part of the interview was when my manager asked him why he left his last job and he point blank said out loud that his previous boss was trying to make him do work he didn’t want to do.

It was my turn to ask a question. I explained what I needed in a tech person and asked how he would update an Access database to meet the specific need I described. He said (and I couldn’t make this up if I tried) “On the computer.” All I could do was stare, nod and blink at him in disbelief.

Here’s the kicker! I was actually talked to about my body language by my boss. He told me I need to hide my emotions better during the interview. Really? I asked him if he had ever met me. I don’t do that well…I’m pretty much an open book. He laughed and said when I folded my notes in half and put down my pen that everyone in the room knew I was done.

Um…yeah…that was kinda the point. That was my way of saying:

“This guy is a crazy restraining order nut job…let’s wrap this up people!”

I was told that even though the guy was a serial stalker to his lesbian ex-wife, I should not have rolled my eyes when he was professing his love to her…furthermore the staring off into the distance while he was talking about “the drama” of finding a good-looking woman who would accept his kids was quite rude.

I told boss-man I appreciated the feedback and moved on. I must say I kept giggling to myself all day.

I came home and made an amazing dinner.

Turkey-bacon wrapped scallops over red leaf lettuce, fresh cucumber and sliced tomatoes. It was delicious and the whole family loved it.

This Is Why Some Animals Eat Their Young!!!

It’s Friday and holy cow what a crazy week! I am currently wrapped up in my super fuzzy red Snuggie I received as a gag gift. Don’t knock the Snuggie till you’ve tried one. Given the options of “AS Seen on TV” gifts I could have received, I am grateful I did not receive the obscene Shake Weight or another Magic Bullet blender.

Today was filled with melt-downs. It started at 8:00 am with a hysterical phone call from my 7 year-old because he forgot the special flowers we bought his teacher last night in honor of Teacher Appreciation Week. He spent 30 minutes printing “You’re the best teacher ever!” on the tiny little card then struggled to get the card between the prongs so he could stick it in the flower pot. I had to call in a favor from a neighbor to deliver the flowers to The Boys and Girls Club so my son could proudly present the flowers to his teacher.

Crisis solved.

I had a few free moments before a meeting and decided to open the mail I have been carrying around in my purse for a week. I started with my Verizon Wireless bill and had a mini stroke at my desk. No Lie…$604.32!!! HOLY GAWD! Here’s a little tip from me to you…free of charge. When you order a replacement phone and they ship it to you in that little box, they are dead serious about wanting the old phone back. I tasked my usually responsible 15 year old daughter with placing her old phone in a box, putting the label on it, and dropping it off at Post-Net. Surprise…She forgot.

After begging and pleading and escalating the call to a manager, I received special authorization to return the phone late. I will be handling this return personally.

Crisis Solved

Not an hour later I received a phone call from JRA (Juvie Prison) that my son was hysterical and they were wondering if I could talk him down. Sure…I excused myself from my cubicle and went out in the hallway where I used the Mom Soft Tone to get him breathing normally again. Apparently some of the gang members in prison had pushed him just a bit too far and he snapped. He went ballistic on the two other boys and now my son is in solitary for 24 hours. We talked about using communication skills and bullies and how to avoid them, but honestly I am glad he finally stood up to the boys. He is suffering the consequences of his actions, but hopefully the other boys in the unit will think twice before messing with Joe Joe for fear they will release his “crazy”.

Crises Solved

After coming home I spoke sternly to my loving daughter about the cost of “OMG Mom I forgot about the phone…you got it fixed, what’s the big deal?” I am convinced she had lost her mind…she obviously forgot who she was talking to. Our little discussion turned into a full fledge mom/ daughter showdown. I ended the conversation telling her that she needed to retreat to her room immediately. I told her I was protecting her from my inner bitch...that normally I keep my inner bitch locked up tight. My daughter tried to release her inner bitch on me and I warned her that her inner bitch was no match for mine and she better run because I was about to let my inner bitch fly! She ran.

She is lucky I love her so much, because I’m not sure I would have stayed so calm if any one else spoke to me the way she did.  

Earlier my husband asked me what I wanted for Mother’s Day. I told him I wanted to be alone in my house with a pot of coffee and a good movie for no less than 4 hours. He looked puzzled and asked “Don’t you want to spend the day with the kids?”

I replied with “Um…no…I spend 364 days a year with them…I’m taking the day off!”

Question: Do any other mom’s feel this way or is it just me?

It’s not a question of IF you’ll get hurt, But WHEN you’ll get hurt!

I pulled or strained my thigh muscle last night while rowing 3000 meters on the rowing machine and I can barely move. It’s a sport injury and the reason I am not tore up over the whole thing is athletes get injuries, and I guess I am an athlete. I have been icing the muscle all day. On the plus side, I took the day off work and spent the day catching up on my TVO.

Not that it matters...

Not that it matters or I even care but my weight was 224 pounds this morning.

So in one month I lost 5, gained 8, then lost 6 total...but like I said...it doesn't matter! :)

Here we all are...We survived and look fabulous!

Janel, Lacie Charlie and Brendan!

What If?

Nothing cures a good case of Writer’s Block like a trip to prison!

I should probably clarify that statement. My 17 year old son was sentenced to a year and two months to Juvenile Detention (JRA) in February for Burglary and Possession charges. He currently resides at Maple Lane JRA run by DSHS in Chehalis, WA. I drive down on the first Sunday of each month to visit him. The round trip takes about 6 and a half hours and it is exhausting. I’ve had people tell me that a visit is too good for him and if he treated his family better and followed the rules; he wouldn’t be in that situation. And I agree completely. If he didn’t start rebelling…if he chose the love of his family over the love of his friends…I can compile a whole list of “If’s.” I can justify not spending an entire day driving, just to get patted and wanded down and searched, then escorted to the visiting room filled with metal stools where we get exactly 120 minutes to reconnect with each other. But let me ask all those people who so freely give their advice to me and offer their opinions.

What if Joe Joe recovers from this life of rebellion? What if 120 minutes a month is enough to keep him engaged in his Drug and Alcohol treatment program? What if my visit on the first Sunday of the month helps him to practice his skills and be cooperative to staff so his visitation does not get revoked? Joe Joe has been in trouble with the law for years and has blown up literally every bridge in his life. I am the only person left in his life that will visit him. I refuse to give up on him and I refuse to give up hope.

As always, I have to relate this to my own battle with addiction. What if people gave up on me? I have probably quit the same amount of diets as my son has been arrested; somewhere around 17 each.

What if Cameron said “I’m sorry Lacie, you’ve been given too many chances and I don’t believe you will ever change.”

Or

“Lacie…you quit the last time you tried to write a blog and were fired from the Lake Stevens Journal and TeamFitness.”

But he didn’t say that to me, what he said was “You’ve never tried CrossFit”

Cameron believes in my ability to change, he continues to have hope, he encourages me, yells at me and sometimes wants to throw things at me…similar to me with my son. My son thanked me today for not giving up on him and talking to him clean and sober was a blessing to a mom right before Mother’s Day. I would like to do the same for Cameron.

Thank you Cameron for believing in my ability to change even when I screw up…that being said… I couldn’t write on Friday because I fell off the wagon and binged big time. We will discuss that at a later date. I am a bit nervous about my big weigh-in tomorrow.  

Change is a process…