Celebrating with Cheap Champagne
John and I had occasion to toast on Friday night. I can't reveal my details now - not until I get confirmation - but he also had something to somewhat celebrate. Both are bittersweet, his news and mine. I don't mean to be so mysterious - I guess I mostly wanted to talk about having a meal with great wine and my favorite, champagne - cheap champagne this time, in keeping with my recent vow of thrift.
And I guess I want people to guess. ;-)
UPDATED: Well, I can't make it public yet, but I officially have good news! Let me just say that I'm a big believer in unions, but it's the people in them that make the union work. I was looking on YouTube to see if anyone had posted the song "Are You Happy in Your Work?" from the abysmal message movie I Accuse My Parents via Mystery Science Theatre 3000 - and it's not there. So enjoy this, a MST3000-mangled 1950's short propaganda film about majoring in Industrial Arts! (This link is dedicated to you, Rev. Barking Nonsequitor.)
And I guess I want people to guess. ;-)
UPDATED: Well, I can't make it public yet, but I officially have good news! Let me just say that I'm a big believer in unions, but it's the people in them that make the union work. I was looking on YouTube to see if anyone had posted the song "Are You Happy in Your Work?" from the abysmal message movie I Accuse My Parents via Mystery Science Theatre 3000 - and it's not there. So enjoy this, a MST3000-mangled 1950's short propaganda film about majoring in Industrial Arts! (This link is dedicated to you, Rev. Barking Nonsequitor.)
posted by Kristine | Saturday, July 21, 2007
40 Comments:
Did the tests show that you're not related to JAD?
But that you are related to DaveScot?
Bob
Silly you. I am related to both (and to lampreys) through common descent. You know that!
But I'm not having DaveScot's baby, that's for sure. ;-)
Oops, that's rather misleading. I'm not having anyone's baby!
That is right out.
Hotel reservations?
And was the cheap champagne pink? Was it on ice? Are we all just prisoners here of our own device?
Was there a feast and an un-killable beast?
New jobs? A film picked up by a major motion picture studio?
ooo. I know. You are doing so well at school that decided you could just skip the rest and have your doctorate tomorrow!
I'm so proud of you!
Kisses
Job opportunity/travel?
I'm guessing a new job too.
The bittersweet part might be that you have to make a move that will make it harder for you to see your sweetie without putting some miles on the car.
Whoops! You don't have a car...hopefully, if I'm right, the job isn't too far away from where you are now.
Nope! I love my job (see the post below this one) and don't want to leave, so that's not it. (Admittedly, not having a car can place limits on where one works, although I get around and do things more than the people I know who do have cars!)
I'll probably know for sure Monday.
I do have travel in my future as well.
I must confess that I know the secret. My lips are sealed.
So, are we talking Asti? Sparkling wine? Surely you can afford some Brut.
If you are really hard up try some rubbing alcohol and straiin it through some wonder bread - then add some club soda. King of the Rails Champaigne!
Yes, Rev. Barky and Tangled Up in Blue Guy are my confessors.
;-)
I can afford Brut! Indeed, I will drink nothing else, and I don't care what's on sale at Surdyk's. But as it happened, Brut was on sale, so Brut and strawberries it was.
If I had remembered to bring the stupid Action Hotline phone number home, I'd know by now if I have good news or not. Oh well, I'm senile. Anyway, John's good news is that the personnel situation is better now - although it meant the departure of someone whom we knew for a long time and considered a friend - if only he acted like one lately.
We are both very fortunate in our jobs.
(I must confess, though, that I considered letting my initial comment dangle so that people could speculate that I was actually preggers. But the idea rather revolts me. I'm as maternal as a stone. I don't know why I'm like that.)
You've been elected to head some kind of atheist group in MN and they going union (for some reason). LOL!
Nope.
Ha! An Atheist union - I wonder what our demands would be and to whom.
"We will accept Jesus Christ as our Savior and praise his holy name until you meet our demands."
Okay, okay, if people are dying to find out. I’ll put it here in the comments instead of in the post because it isn’t public information yet.
We were looking at a possible stike at work and I was really scared (but I’m no scab, no siree, if people vote to strike I’m behind them 200%).
Our union, after voting the initial contact down a few weeks ago, just approved the latest offer from management. Raises across the board. Not where we wanted but not bad, and this with no concessions from employees. Great benefits package. I know we’re fortunate here. In all, though we still have issues, a great contract. I am so relieved!
Plus, I have been at the museum now for 4 years and that’s the longest I’ve been anywhere (little grasshopper that I am). So, the more I think about it, the more sweet than bitter it is – I don’t think anyone wishes to have spent more time at the office in their life but at least I can say that any extra time I put in is truly a pleasure because I believe so strongly in what we do. Throw a rock in the Twin Cities and you’ll hit someone who asked me how I was lucky enough to get in to work here. (Gee, I don’t know, either – just answered an ad. How many people get to say that, after four years of employment, they’re still in the “pinch me” stage?)
Art is a great unifier – like dance and theatre and music – and we truly have supporters from all areas of the spectrum. The Twin Cities is very arts oriented and I think it helps civilize us. Add to this the fact that our museum is free – you only pay for special exhibitions – otherwise anyone can just walk in and they do. We expose art to people who often don’t think of themselves as a museum patron. I’m so proud of our outreach – we don’t want to be some ivory tower.
Plus, I occasionally get to dress up in a costume from one of our paintings and pose so that little kids can sketch me. I admit that my job can be stressful and busy, but that was fun, lemme tell you!
So a toast to how much I love my job, even when it’s hard, and to my brave co-workers, and to all the little kids who make faces at me in the hall, and to the elderly men who flirt with me outrageously and love it, and to the elderly women who flirt outrageously with the guards and love it, and to the parents of small children who tell me, “Monet/VanGogh/Picasso is a great baby-sitter. He just stares at that painting/sculpture, and I get to sit down for a change!” and to management, who appreciates us after all. It's nice to work for human beings. I wish that on everyone in America.
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And speaking of dressing up in costumes, doesn't this kind of resemble our MN Ath t-shirt this year? ;-)
Congrats. I'll have to admit the suspense was killing me...no idea why, but there it is.
Sounds like a great deal. My husband is quite artistically inclined. My boys have picked it up from him, and all three make the most beautiful drawings. They love the museums.
Me...I'm stick figure girl.
Thanks.
I'll have to admit the suspense was killing me...no idea why, but there it is.
Ha! T'was part of my diabolical plan, manipulating people's emotions with my cliffhanger plots!
Me...I'm stick figure girl.
But how are you at Industrial Arts?
I made a lopsided trowel once.
By the way, Rev. Barky, I always thought that atheists were forming a kind of union - you know, of humanity against the (Son of) Man - metaphorically, of course. I think humans should quit talking about God like he's some kind of celebrity, like someone who's more important than they are, and realize their own importance.
Congratulations, Kristine.
I love that the museum is free. It was pleasantly shocking when I was in London, and saw only the donation box at the door. All the museums I visited there were that way.
I gave more to the donation box than I would have had to pay for a ticket back home, and though I wasn't keeping track, I didn't notice anyone passing it by without sticking something in there.
It was wonderfully refreshing.
Kisses
Thank you, JanieBelle.
We love that the museum is free, too. We also partner with the Minneapolis public schools. We have a program called Art Adventure in which volunteers (usually parents) bring reproductions of works in our collection to the schools and lead kids in a discussion about them, and then the children come and take a free tour to see the originals. All of our tours are free, too.
Unions have screwed workers time and time again.
My dad an uncle for two.
And a lot of people know it, so don't think you are kidding anyone, no matter how much you delete.
Good, Anonymous. They probably deserved it, as do you.
Don't want to be deleted? Grow up then. Don't just say "Fuck unions" like that's something original. Don't like my blog? Start your own. Don't like unions? Don't join one. (But you'd have to get a job, first.)
This blog is a member of The Unified Outspoken Women Against Sexist Lovesick Stupid Trolls, Local Number One.
Unions rule! You know that, or you wouldn't be a-ninny-mous.
And just so you know -
THE INTERNET IS FOREVER. All lot of people know that too, so quit this melodramatic whine about your swearing snipe being deleted by me.
All of the comments sent to my blog also arrive at my e-mail. I see them all, even if the commenter decides to remove them him/herself. Oh believe me, I save your comments. Don't you worry about that.
(For those of you who have removed certain comments with the idea that I would never see them - don't be concerned - the only one who offends me is this resident troll. There was one quite racy comment in particular that flattered me very much, from someone I like very, very much, that was removed by the author out of propriety and respect. I must say that the behavior of MOST people at my blog has been exemplary, this person included. It's only trolly here who's pissing me off.)
Maybe if you spoke honestly and specifically about your encounter with unions, I would have empathy and patience. I always do when people are honest and don't play games.
Tell you a little story... I was once in the AFL/CIO/Teamsters when they were one big happy family. I worked for a closed shop, and a real shit of an employer (Bradlees. I dance on their grave!) I paid Union dues for the privilege of making minimum wage! I am still pro-union. If our corrupt and ever self-serving government had done its job, and protected its citizens from equally corrupt but politically lucrative robber barons and corporations, then trade unions would not be necessary. But they didn't and they are. Every time you get paid, and don't go home to a tarpaper shack to launder your one outfit and go do it again the next day, thank the unions.
Almost forgot: Ethanol, not rubbing alcohol, club soda, and Thunderbird. That's the recipe I heard for King of the Rails Champagne
I once paid union dues for the privilege of making under minimum wage ($2.90/hour). We had no meetings, no caucuses. The employees were not involved. That makes all the difference.
The unions were a powerful lobby in the 1970s - now they have nothing like that power. The union national leaders can screw over the local union members, yes. That's what happened at the end of the Hormel strike in Austin, MN.
I was trying to think of a recipe based on a Hobo drink called "rubadub"
It's rubbing Alc. strained through bread. Should make you sick, but its easy to buy and cheap and if you are an Alc, you can probably deal with it.
I got a degree in Industrial Technology in 1986 - I think it originally was a program based in just the phenomenon we saw in the film - kind of a glorified shop class, but was morphing into engineering coursework. Many of the classes and instructors were like out of the early '60s.
Post war america and emerging technology - how things have changed. I woder if they show this film in India?
I doubt that they show this film - not good PR for the U.S.! ("Why are the Americans so ugly and inarticulate? Where are the graphics and dance music?") Maybe I should hunt down the "other film" that the girls had to watch in the auditorium and outsource that!
What's with these hooch recipes? Is that what you were doing in your Industrial Arts classes, Rev. Barky and Breakerslion? ;-)
John used to make beer in college. Now he makes his own wine. (I can't remember if we foisted any of that on you last year, Barking Nonsequ.)
Speaking of which, we haven't had a movie party in the yard this year yet - John wants to show A Man and a Woman but I want to have a semi-crappy horror fest - The Leech Woman, Lair of the White Worm (which actually is not a crappy flick), etc.
Any suggestions?
I'll bring the champagne.
The Unions failed.
They sold out the lower level workers.
Wake up and smell the coffee. You are over 30 years too late.
Kristine, please do not ban Goldy. It is too much fun to jump all over the pink bunny rabbit.
Janine
It's already been banned, but it keeps slithering back for more abuse, like the snake in the B.C. cartoons (before Johnny Hart became a religio-bore). Hell, skewer the creature, be my guest. Legion obviously wants it.
Legion get tied to the whipping-post beginning here. (Scroll down.)
Legion's been quite in a snit lately. I wonder if it is preggers.
Kristine, Lenny got with his buddy the moderator to have some of us banned.
He couldn't kick our butts! Thats why, like the has been Marxist fool he is, he engaged in the quite Marxist technique of forcibly eliminating the opposition.
And come to think of it, Lenny is 46. Anyone that old who still gives credence to Marxist ramblings has to be a complete fool.
Hello Blair/Goldy/Legion whateverthehell you are. Lenny had you banned. WOW! He must pull a lot of weight with the moderator. "Forcibly eliminated". HA! No bodyguard threw you out of a door nor were you taken out back and shot. You are still free to babble. Oh! The force used upon you.
The "fact" that Lenny had you banned. Shit! It could not have been your fault. You are so blameless and pure. Anything bad that happens to use just has to be someone else's fault. It could not be because the moderator get tired of your foolishness.
Rest assured, I will not act to have you banned from this site. that is up to out gracious host. But I cannot blame any moderator from not wanting to dealing with you. It is like dealing with a screaming toddler. They get headaches from you.
Kisses,
Janine
Kristine, Lenny got with his buddy the moderator to have some of us banned.
Nope. Try again.
I have more information that you do, you twit. That is so off.
He couldn't kick our butts!
Of course not. He wouldn't do that, now that you are pregnant with DaveScot's baby.
Congratulations, I think.
And come to think of it, Lenny is 46. Anyone that old who still gives credence to Marxist ramblings has to be a complete fool.
Eh? What'd you say? Speak up, you young whippersnapper, I can't hear you.
I wonder how old the Intelligent Designer is. 15 billion years? 6000 years? Perpetually 29?
What? I can't hear you. SPEAK UP!!!
Oh holy mother of crap that preggers comment w/ link was funny, Kristine.
Well played, dear.
Kisses
Thank you, dearie. Kisses back at ya.
To quote a line from the musical that we saw today (Spamalot), "I'm not dead yet!"
"I'm getting better!"
Please spread the "Legion is preggers" meme far and wide. Let's see if I can entice Dave-o back here for laughs. Now that he said I looked preggers, body gloves are off. ;-)
Not to get too geeky here, that line was first used in "The Holy Grail". But it does not reduces the funny.
Janine
Yes, but "Spamalot" is basically "Monty Python and the Holy Grail" performed onstage, with a little "Life of Brian" and a whole lotta Vegas thrown in.
I recommend seeing it if it comes to your town.
Unfortunately, the delectable man who stars in it on Broadway, Tim Curry, was not starring here in St. Paul! :-(
Tim! How could you stay away! After all those naughty fanatsies that I wrote about you! Well, I guess I'll just have to cross out your name and fill in someone else's. ;-) I know just the man.
NO, it's NOT LEGION!!! :-D
I live in the city that Spamalot opened, Chicago. I am afraid I am not much of a theater goer. But I did go see "Too Much Light Makes The Baby Go Blind' regularly.
As for Tim Curry, which one do you like? I am hoping it is Dr Frank N Furter.
Janine
Is there any other Tim Curry? :-)
Delish. But I had more of a crush on him in the 90s. Celebrity crushes - ugh. Not rewarding.
More fun to stalk real prey! (JK, everyone.)
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