glacier_kitty | Entries tagged with bill

Expand Cut Tags

No cut tags

The past few days, this is what it's looked like outside:

610760795_34140366222228439_1921391985771032147_n

Ice fog is "a suspension of numerous minute ice particles in the air," like exhaust..it can definitely smell bad (when I walked to work, the smell would get in my hair D:). It was -42 when I woke up yesterday morning! Today it's MUCH warmer, -13! It felt downright tropical LOL, and the ice fog went somewhere else. The National Weather Service said "Dec 2025 in Fairbanks was the 8th coldest and 12th snowiest Dec on record. Fairbanks has also seen 29 days+ of temps at or below −15°F." Crazy!

Ryan recently quit his job (probably the happiest I've ever seen him!), so he and Jo have been working hard turning his office into a lava tube/cave. How cool is it?

610699014_34158582227073505_6804195813048486175_n

SUPER cool!!! That's amazing (they're going to fill the gaps at some point, I think). I'm really impressed that they did most of it without my parents' help. Here's another view:

612443337_34158582223740172_2579446408276747204_n

So cool! Maybe he'll let me spend time in there too LOL

Tomorrow I go back to work! (2026 is already going by fast!) It feels like I had been at my parents' house a long time haha. Earlier Shelby texted Bill and I and asked us to come over to their building first for a quick meeting. I'm sure they just want to see us after the break and to meet the new manager, but I'm still panicking haha. I've never been good with the "I need to talk to later" thing. :P Bill said he's been sick the last couple of days, and isn't sure he'll make it in tomorrow. I felt like I was getting sick yesterday, OF COURSE because I was like "but I don't want to go back to work and real life!" I should know better by now lol. Luckily, after saying "wait, just kidding, I DO want to go back to work tomorrow!" some of the day yesterday, I feel better today. Phew! Hopefully he gets well soon. Hopefully it'll be busy since we've been closed since December and people miss us and are tired of being cooped inside lol (I definitely needed that break though, I was SO tired and worn out!)

( dec 3-5 )

1. If you were Santa Claus, what might you change about your job without destroying the season’s traditions? I'd go through some type of a portal instead of down the chimney haha
2. If you were Santa Claus, what snacks would you like children to leave out for you? Chocolate chip cookies, gingerbread men, brownies, etc
3. If you were Santa Claus, how would you spend December 26? Sleeping for a very long time, and giving the reindeer some extra pets :P
4. If you were Santa Claus, what would you put under your own tree? Books, cat shirts, gift cards, etc
5. If you were Santa Claus, what songs would be on the playlist you listened to in your sleigh Christmas Eve? "Wizards in Winter," "Christmas Eve/Sarajevo," "A Mad Russian's Christmas" (I miiight like Trans-Siberian Orchestra haha), "The 12 Pains of Christmas" (such a fun parody!), etc

This is Curti's "I want to play!" face

594582518_33661894986742234_1428724010948745768_n

He was looking at the laser pointer in my hand, he LOVES chasing the red dot haha (he's 1 year old this month, wow!!)

Yesterday at work Bill and Juella (the temporary manager) were talking about the move, and Bill said something about me taking time off in the middle of the move, and I chimed in and confirmed it because Shelby said everyone should take time off during the move, to get some rest so we're not overwhelmed. Juella was like "oh, Shelby said you guys blew them off and didn't come in!" WHAT!! I was there in the staff meeting when Shelby said to take time off and Vicki approved it ahead of time. Is that why they treat us so terribly?? That's a lie and SO messed up..everyone is definitely tired of Shelby and Lucie, ugh. At least today is another First Friday 50% off sale, where the bookstore is open until 8. Hopefully lots of people will come and do Christmas shopping!

I'm ALARMED at how many people I see wearing just a hoodie and jeans in below zero weather..that is so dangerous, what if your car breaks down, or somehow get stuck outside?? (Maybe they have extra clothes in their car, but still.) Wind chills as low as 55 below are expected in the next couple days. D: D: Good thing it's the weekend and mom can drive me to work, it would be awful standing outside in that!

( dec 3-5 )

1. What's your favourite TV network? Does Netflix/Amazon Prime count?
2. If you could create your own channel, what would it be? I'd go to glaciers, and find four-poster beds and curtains throughout the world LOL
3. What TV show did you watch as a child, that you wish they would bring back? I really liked Impact: Stories of Survival..I've always been fascinated with survival stories..
4. What show have you always hated, and wonder why they ever made such a dumb show? Arrested Development
5. What TV show's seasons would you buy on DVD? I'm still waiting to find Here Come the Brides haha..Bobby Sherman was so cool, I was sad to hear he died in June :(

I'm not sure why it took so long, but we finally got a picture of the bookstore's grand opening from last summer!

587382192_33490863967178671_7871721631186250191_n

There's me, Amanda (the manager for like a month), Ron (a summer volunteer), Lucie, Adam (without a mask OR hat, an incredibly rare occurrence!), Shelby (huge scissors!), Bill, some guy from the Chamber of Commerce maybe, Jim (he finds vinyl records to sell in the store. They're super popular!), and Chris (a volunteer who usually shelves books). Yay! We did get a bunch of donations on Saturday, but most of them have been shelved already. It was really nice seeing new (to us) books again!

Yesterday at the bus stop a guy walked up, and then a lady walked over, who looked super drugged out (her teeth were definitely rotten D:), and the guy started yelling at her and calling her bad names (apparently it's her fault his hands were cold??). The lady came up to me and said "would you like to help me bury a dead body?" Ummm no thank you. O__o I was so happy when the bus finally drove up, I was so uncomfortable! I have made a couple friends though, two ladies who work next door at the Salvation Army. It's fun talking to them for the short ride and walk to work!

( nov 15-21 )

These last couple months have been especially hard at work..everyone constantly complains and keep threatening to quit. You try to talk to Lucie or Shelby, who don't really listen and just want to be controlling. Business has slowed down a LOT, with customers telling us we NEED to get more new books in. Some good books came in last Thursday, but not enough. Now Bill and I are just to the point of just saying yes to donations, if it's just a box or something..I can't justify saying no anymore. I don't want everyone to forget about us (it's lonely with just Bill there, it was nice talking to my coworkers at the old building!). This has made me depressed, it's been hard to sleep, etc. I didn't think Lucie or Shelby would listen to my concerns, so I've kept it bottled up (not healthy!). It's hard to think of anything else except the state of work lately! Last weekend I took the washcloths we use to clean books to my parents' house to wash them, and brought them back Monday so I wouldn't have to haul them on the bus. I figured someone would be there training the new manager, and sure enough, Shelby and Lucie and Katrina were there, and gave me the weirdest looks! I said "here are the clean rags!" and Shelby said "but it's your day off!" When I told her I hadn't wanted to haul them on the bus, she said "oh." What, not even a thank you?! Then Katrina (who looked very overwhelmed) shook my hand and by now I was feeling super awkward (a common trait of autism is rehearsing conversations ahead of time, and being thrown off when the conversation goes in a different direction), so I said something dumb like "sorry, my sleeve is long." Omgggg. D: I was glad when I could escape back outside haha. I was hurt they didn't thank me. I thought I might have to quit, because I don't want to work with bullies who don't care! I thought I'd wait to see what Katrina was like...

...but when I got to work Tuesday she wasn't there, which I thought was super weird. Shelby and Lucie came over that afternoon without Katrina, and I was thought "oh no...," and that's when they said after training with her for a day and a half, they determined she would not be a good fit and decided not to hire her. Wha..WHAT?? Are you KIDDING ME?!? I took that to mean "she wasn't controlling and bossy like Shelby." If they're looking for someone so specific, it'll be impossible to hire someone (Vicky was perfect, but they drove her away..ugh). So I guess the hunt continues. Me and Bill also got an email about a mandatory staff meeting on Thursday..Lucie said it wasn't a bad thing, but I was still completely freaking out last night. For some reason, me and Bill just knew that Lucie was going to resign..

After a terrible night last night (it was definitely a Clonazepam night), I knew I HAD to talk to Lucie and Shelby today, I felt ready to explode! Lucie indeed told everyone she will be resigning (she wants to be closer to family). She set the "official" date to August of next year, so there's enough time for recruitment, training, etc (the president of the Board of Directors was there, and said they'd be talking about it at tonight's board meeting). I'm glad Shelby doesn't want to fill that position, that would be a nightmare. D: After the meeting, I told Lucie I needed to talk to her and..well..kind of unloaded everything all at once haha. I wasn't screaming or anything, but definitely adamant and firm lol. I mentioned my worries ("we NEED donations! The bookstore is dying! We and the customers are tired of looking at the same stock we've had since April!") and I was actually surprised and impressed at how calm both Shelby and Lucie were! Lucie was like "wow, you've obviously carried this burden for a long time!" and said we should have a meeting next week to talk everything over. She wondered why I didn't email her or tell her sooner..I didn't mention I've TRIED before and they didn't listen, but I did say I was terrified of confrontation and I was afraid I'd get fired for speaking my mind and replacing me. Shelby said "that's called retaliation, and that's illegal!" Phew haha. I do appreciate their calmness when talking with me, and we parted amicably..hopefully we'll have that meeting next week and can talk more about how to receive donations without getting overwhelmed. I was shaky after that, but felt SOO much better lol..Bill said I expressed myself well! I Doordashed a vanilla bean frappuccino and work was fine after that, and it even got a little busy! I keep telling myself things HAVE to get better eventually. It's definitely been a challenging year for the whole organization. "Things must improve," as Cherry's friend Wilson said!

Vicki's birthday was yesterday, and I also got the news her mom passed away. :( Poor Vicki, she's had a hard last few years! I really miss Vicki, and talking about curtains with her haha..I hope we can get dinner together sometime..

( pokemon update )

11. What makes you nervous? Public speaking, confrontation, calling someone, etc

12. Your oldest friend: I've known Meghan (we're friends on Facebook) since we were babies. She still lives in Texas and has a daughter who looks SO much like her!

13. A time when someone helped you: Dad rode the bus with me to scope out the route and make sure I was comfortable with it..very nice of him!

14. Something you never want to own: A bird..too loud and messy! I'd rather watch them be free outside lol

15. The first time you fell in love: In 9th grade, with a guy named Nick. He was super honorable, considerate and nice. I pined for him so much when we went to different schools. Weirdly enough, I had a dream a few days ago where he kissed me and said we should be together. That dream would have completely broke me when I was in high school, but I just get a little sad now. Every once in awhile I'll try to find him on Facebook or wherever, but never do. I hope he's alright!

16. Your favorite sounds: A cat purring, a glacier creaking/calving, epic music, etc

The Wild Robot Protects by Peter Brown (Aug 31-Sept 1). How gorgeous is this cover??

*swoons* I loved the glacier scenes!

Mala's Cat: A Memoir of Survival in World War II by Mala Kacenberg (Sept 2-5). I hate saying bad things about books about the Holocaust, but Mala was super mean to everyone! I suppose it helped her survive, but it still rubbed me the wrong way. Horrible things happened to her family though..such a sad time in history. :( Someone on Goodreads wondered if the cat was real, because it would travel impossible distances too fast. I have weird feelings about this book..

Snow Widows: Scott's Fatal Antarctic Expedition through the Eyes of the Women They Left Behind by Katherine MacInnes (Sept 5-12). Kind of written like a historical novel..pretty cool! Scott's wife seemed insufferable though :/

The Escape Room by Megan Goldin (Sept 12-16). More like escape elevator. Revenge was definitely had in this book!

My Patients Like Treats: Tales from a House-Call Veterinarian by Duncan MacVean (Sept 16-18). Aww, the part where he had to put pets to sleep made me cry. :( It's so hard, but the humane thing to do. He definitely treated some interesting animals!

The Institution by Helen Sarah Fields (Sept 18-23). Kind of like The Sanitarium, with serial killers..creepy!

White-Out by James Vance Marshall (Sept 24-28). Trapped in Antarctica after everyone else dies? Yikes!!

They hired a new bookstore manager! Her name is Katrina and I think she starts on October 13. Hopefully she'll work out better than Amanda did lol. Shelby said she got a "dinger" for the front door, which is HORRIFYING to me..I hate those things and I worry it'll give me a migraine (it's so we can give "top-notch" customer service the instant they walk in the door. Bill and I try to anyway, we don't need a "dinger" for that!). Bill was like "it probably breaks easily..." LOL. They really should ask us our opinion of something before deciding what to do..ugh

( sept 27-oct 1 )

1. Does where you live have regular doorstep rubbish collections or do you have to take your trash somewhere else? I just put the bag down a chute, which I imagine maintenance takes care of
2. Do you separate recycling? What sort of stuff gets recycled from your household? No, I probably should though..
3. Do you take things you don't need to charity shops, or give them away online, or sell them secondhand, or...? I give clothes to Value Village and books to the bookstore..I have left free stuff I didn't want for whoever wants it that lives in my apartment complex. Before my parents moved to their current location, we sold a bunch of stuff online too
4. Do you pick up litter in your local area, from streets or trails or play areas or parks? Have you ever found anything interesting discarded or lost in a public space? Not really, I just have limited energy lol. I found $20 once, and gave it to a coworker who needed it more than I did. Fairbanks also has old cars and other things in random spots lol
5. Are there "repair cafés" near you to help mend fixable items? Have you ever been helped by a community repair service or volunteered for one? Do you do any other kind of upcycling? There's a place that fixes broken phones, but I haven't heard of any others. They have helped me when my phone did something weird. I do not

Yesterday the volunteers (and I came too, because why not lol) met with Lucie and Shelby, to talk about our frustrations we've had after the move. The only positive things people said that was Bill and I are awesome and doing a great job of running the store without a manager, and we're always so calm when other people might freak out (why thank you. :P Haha), and good advertising. People had ideas of what might work better, so hopefully Lucie and Shelby will try the suggestions out. I'm glad it got busier yesterday and today, I was worried for a minute there! Tomorrow I'm working by myself because Bill is walking the Equinox Marathon..he said it took him 8 hours last year..no thanks, that sounds like torture. D: He's in such good shape that he wasn't even sore last year..wow haha

On Wednesday, mom temporarily lost vision in one of her eyes, so she had a bunch of appointments to see what was wrong..they didn't find anything, so they think it was an ocular migraine..she's had them before, but not that badly (I was terrified the first time I had one!). Hopefully it won't happen again!

( sept 18-19 )

Even though the bookstore has been open again since the end of May, today was the official grand opening ceremony. The Chamber of Commerce came over and staff and volunteers gathered for pictures, and Lucie and Shelby cut the ribbon with giant scissors haha (I held the tape roll and kept it taught..very important :P). The bookstore had food (cake, cookies, chips..I ate way too much sugar haha) for everyone, there was a musician, and most everything in the store was 50% off. It was busy, but not as busy as our winter sales, which was fine..we just want everyone to have fun! We made a little over $2000, nice! The sale continues tomorrow as well..it might be busier since it's a Saturday and people have work/school off. Yay, more cake and books for everyone :D

I imagine the pictures of the ribbon cutting ceremony will be online at some point, but here are some pics of me and Bill!

516117744_31942881761976907_1943072404744947087_n

CAKE!!!

537019704_31942880911976992_4984852748004445613_n

LOL

538319717_31942880978643652_2846772642050633225_n

We are ready! (I look so short next to Bill haha)

On Wednesday me and mom and Ryan and Jo went to a Jamaican restaurant we hadn't been to before, and it was INSANELY hot, like 80 or 90 degrees in there! One of my meds makes me sensitive to heat, so while waiting for the food I started feeling very, very odd..I was thirsty, started feeling dizzy and nauseous and shaky, and eventually had to go outside..I was worried I would pass out (it felt the same way when I passed out at Chena Hot Springs from being overheated). I didn't, but still felt weird, even after drinking juice and being somewhere cooler. The food wasn't even that good, which was disappointing for everyone. None of us want to go back. Someone thought of going to Costco to get pizza and ice cream, so we did that. I was still feeling weak and weird, but thought eating something cold would help. After eating everyone was looking at a table, and I started feeling VERY unwell. I told mom to come to the bathroom with me..she said I looked very pale, and took me home after that. Yesterday morning I woke up still feeling shaky, so I took the day off work so I could rest..ugh, no fun! (And this was right after me thinking "wow, I haven't taken a day off work in a long time! Universe, PLEASE stop making me feel sick, if I have those kind of thoughts!) Thankfully this morning I felt better, though tired. I hope that doesn't happen again!!

There is a guy on Patreon/Facebook who has been making a film adaptation of The Worst Journey in the world for the past five years!! How did I miss that until now?? The pictures of the actors/sledges, etc look so authentic! I got to talking about Mark Gatiss' docudrama with him, and told him I couldn't find it anymore, so he sent me an email with the link so I could download it to my computer!! (He got the link from Sarah, who's making the graphic novel version of Worst Journey.) I really missed watching it, and now I can whenever, yay!! That made me SO happy. :D Vicki's been in California taking care of her sick mom, but she wants to watch it with me when she comes back. I can't wait, I know she'll love it! I can't wait to watch the film adaptation too, I'm so happy people still care about Cherry and the sacrifice and friendship of the expedition <3

Abby didn't really care about chasing lasers, but Curti LOVES it. He even knows the thing in my hand is what produces the red dot, and was looking at it like "why'd you turn it off??" when I stopped playing. He is such a smart kitty!

( aug 16-22 )