31 March 2009

Actual Conversation

Phone rings.
ME: "(Company name), This is Heather."
Voice on the Phone: "Yes, I need to speak with the person in charge of purchasing printer supplies."
ME: "That's me."
Voice, suddenly nicer: "Hi, how are you doing today?"
ME: "I'm fine. How can I help you?"
Voice: "Oh good--glad to hear your day is going good. This is Jason, at (company name I can't remember). I just wanted to bla, bla, bla. Bla, bla, bla. Bla, bla, bla. What machines are you running most down there? Is it an HP, or--"
ME: "It's a Brother."
Jason: "Is it a multi-unit?"
ME: "Yes."
Jason: "And what's the model number?"
ME: "I don't know off the top of my head." (I'm lying. It's a 8660.)
Jason: "Oh, that's alright. You know, I really don't mind being put on hold while you go check."
ME: "You know, I'm actually really happy with my supplier, so we're not interested."
Jason: " That's cool. You know sometimes in life people hand us a life preserver. If you were swimming, and I threw you a life preserver, would you take it?"
ME: "Probably not."
Jason, laughing: "No? So you'd just drown?"
ME: "Sure." [Thinking about the fact that (going along with his analogy) I'm "swimming" just fine right now, and that being the case, why on Earth would I take a floaty from a stranger who's just trying to get his hand in my wallet?]
Jason: "...Ok. Have a nice day."

23 March 2009

Adventure: March

I wanted to visit my friend's family, and Chris wanted to go to church at boot camp, so we made a trip down to the San Diego area to do both. I had to work/volunteer on Saturday afternoon, so as soon as I got off we headed down and spent the weekend there. On Sunday we went to church at the MCRD in San Diego--It was weird being pretty much the only girl there. I mean, the branch presidency's wives were there, but that's it. Let me tell you: singing was weird! Haha. But it was interesting to see everyone and it really was a very spiritual meeting. I got a personal tour of the facility, from the yellow footprints
From Picture of the Day
(where recruits line up when they first arrive) to the graduation quad. I even saw the McCain Family seats
From Picture of the Day
at the "taco hut" (I don't really know why, but that's what the building is called...probably because it kinda looks like a taco hut in TJ or something...) where they watch the graduations. Some day we'll go back on a Friday so I can see a graduation.
I also went to the gun show...not really exciting because it's less a show and more a swap-meet. So unless you are buying parts for your gun* (I don't have a gun) you're really just wondering around and looking at shirts and bumper stickers that insult Obama, or warn that there is a gun on the premises, or in support of the troupes. Some were really funny and others were kinda deep. Don't get me wrong--It's always fun watching people at these things!
On Camp Pendelton there is a beautiful beach! It's really clean because you have to get on base to get there. I was really looking forward to getting some time in a swimsuit and the sun, but it was pretty windy and cold, so maybe next time. Instead we went to the shops and I bought myself some tax-free perfume! :-) Then on our way home we stopped in Vegas. Ok, so Vegas isn't on our way home...and we didn't really go there, but I felt like I was in a Vegas casino when I entered the South Coast Plaza--very fancy. We ate burgers at the Rainforest Cafe...As classy as we get. Hahaha.

*I just though I should let you know that I went to the OC show and was way more entertained...but then I did buy a part for a gun, so that might have made the difference. I also made some friends by letting 2 men take my place at the ammo table because I wasn't actually buying anything, so I could stand behind my party, and then they ended up taking cuts--and spending over $600 each!?! On ammo! Sick. But they made sure we were helped next, so that was nice. We got our $40 worth of ammo and continued on our way.

16 March 2009

Catch up

I decided that this will be a year of adventure! I want to do something every month. It was originally going to be a trip every month, but I missed January, so I'm counting the USS Green Bay because that is probably a once in a lifetime experience, at least for me. But apparently I didn't blog about it, so I'm going to cheat in the blogging world and post date some blogs, just so I can keep track of what month they were in. As I said, January was the USS Green Bay. February I took a road trip to UT. And for this month I was supposed to have my adventure last weekend, but I ended up having to work, so we'll see if I can reschedule the road trip I had planned, or if I will have to come up with something else...Either way, you'll have to wait and see!

09 March 2009

Knights of Columbus

Well, they're of Golden Trail, actually, according to their blog, The Grail. Apparently in Cincinnati, Ohio there is a castle with knights who take care of it! Who knew? I think we need to make a visit--Who's in? There are several other small castles sprinkled around the world. My favorite is the one in GA with the swimming pool moat and drawbridge garage doors. A truck driver had always told his wife that someday he'd build her a castle--and he kept that promise!!!

04 March 2009

You can trust me.

On my last road trip I made a quick stop at The Gun Store in Vegas. I know, it's not somewhere you'd expect me to be, with with the new year came a new me. Well, actually I've kind of been reinventing myself for the last...5 years or so. I just reached a point where I was sick of all the things I was too afraid to do. So now I'll do just about anything, because if nothing else, it's a good story to tell (I think that's one of the things motivating me too--one day I realized how uninteresting I was. Why would anyone want to be my friend if I had nothing to talk about? Now my problem is talking too much, but I'm working on that too.)
From Picture of the Day

Anyway, back to Vegas. The thing that's special about The Gun Store is that you can rent big scary guns. Like the MP5, pictured above, which is what I rented. That's right--I shot a Machine gun. And I gotta say it: I'm pretty good.
As you can see, the target chosen for me was a picture of a hostage situation. If you want to see the target after I finished killing it, just click here. I really only killed the hostage once. I mean, she'd be seriously dead because I shot her in the forehead...but one out of 50 rounds is pretty good odds. So, have no fear--if you are a hostage, and I have a machine gun, there is a 98% chance that I can save you. The odds are in our favor.
From Picture of the Day