another kind of HELL...redux, part II

Sasquatch was wild to get my attention. I was in a stupor caused by 3 days of performance appraisal writing. In fact, I was near catatonia or perhaps even cataplexy, but Sas persisted and managed to revive me by smiling broadly and pawing at my knee. She wanted to watch Hawaii 5-0 on the Crime Show Channel. She'd heard of this show, but had never seen it and was curious about Dan-o. Plus, she thought it might help her remember that Hawaii was, in fact, a state and so would improve her geography skills. Sas looks for any opportunity to enrich her education, which is an admirable goal. I still haven't figured out how she knows the television schedule, but she does. So I was brought out of my trance-like state and gradually regained my senses. Sas was dancing with desire to see Hawaii 5-0, so I found the channel and she was content.


I had spent Friday in frustration, writing reviews, dealing with corporate nonsense, and then had to go back to the office on Saturday to finish reviews and make up snow time. As an exempt employee, I didn't think I should be made to make up time, but da man saw it differently, so I did my corporate duty.


Valentine's Day at the office...five more depressing words have never been written...However, on a bright note, there were Valentine's Day Doughnuts! But wait! The box was there, but where were the doughnuts?!? It was just an empty box! Damn! No doughnuts, no Valentines, just reviews. Shit...So, I evaluated, I appraised, I typed and saved and typed some more. It was a long day...And it was only 5 hours! It's amazing how long a Saturday hour is at the office, and yet how short at home...I think its a time warp thing. Finally, I was finished. The last review had been written, saved, and sent. Whew! Mr V and B and I decided to go to lunch to celebrate...Well, Mr V and I were celebrating...B was just taking a break. I was astounded when Mr V said he was treating us to lunch! I felt like I'd gotten a Valentine! A platonic one, of course. Thanks Mr V!
Thus fortified by a delicious hamburger and some home-made chips, I went home. But first, I had to stop by the grocery because I had told J&G that I'd bring gumbo to their house for dinner and I needed bread to go with it. I shopped quickly and finally arrived home! At last! It was wonderful to be there and Sas was happy too! I checked the mailbox and guess what? Valentines! Wow! How exciting! There was this one and that one and the other one, and a couple more and surprisingly, one from Sasquatch! How could that have happened? I know too well that all her credit cards are maxxed out and she hasn't even been anywhere to shop lately. Well, she had some help...Oh, and an assorted chocolate sampler in a heart-shaped box sent through the mail and only slightly squashed (although, to tell the truth, I'd have rather had an imported shoe sampler, but I suppose that would have been too much to ask). I read my cards and put the chocolate somewhere out of sight and then finished up the gumbo, which, you may remember was supposed to be my contribution to the office pot luck. But apathy had cancelled that so I was left with a huge pot of seafood stock.

At J's house, the gumbo happily simmered and I added some frozen scallops and a bag of shrimp, which were peeled, but still had their little shrimpy tails. Well, G was appalled at the shrimp tails...it bordered on disgust! J, always the loving wife, patiently de-tailed the shrimp in G's bowl, while I looked on like WTF?!? The gumbo was extraordinarily delicious. It brimmed with shrimp and scallops and crab and andouille sausage plus onions, celery, and peppers (but don't tell G...he hates those last three things). And so, despite the office, Valentine's Day ended on a happy note. I was disappointed that HELL had not sent me a special Valentine's Day handbasket, but if recent handbaskets were any indication, it would have been a disappointment too.

--Ina