Okay, time for work. Just FYI.

Not like I'm gonna start working right away. I do enough shit off the clock, and Zeus fuckin' knows it.

The festivities are arriving, oh joy. (Sense the bitterness?) Holidays at UPS always mean only one thing: stress. Bosses ride your ass that much harder, certain clauses with Customs change temporarily, influx of volume everywhere else while my department's work load shrinks, and all the while, you know you gotta work the holidays. No kidding, 'cause people want their presents up until Christmas day. We only get the day of Thanksgiving off, and then Christmas Day itself, and New Year's. But there's always a skeleton crew at the warehouse during those times, and yep, I've been present at all of the above during the past four years. Not that I'm complaining, mind you. Not really. But the stress does build up. As time has gone by I've gotten a lot better at handling it all.

Hate the fact I still gotta work with Whatsherfatface. But I digress.

On other, family-related news, the females in my family are fucked. I have an aunt on my mother's side who died of uteran/ovarian cancer when I was in fourth grade. I loved that woman. She taught me poker between chemo sessions. Well, now my mother's other older sister, my T�a Cristina, from Houston, was diagnosed with breast cancer. Brenda (cousin) says she has a 99% chance of survival because it was caught early. That was a relief. I'm not too fond of the Houston branch of my mom's family, but that doesn't mean I want them to die or anything. And despite the differences that we've had with them, T�a and Ara did show up for my dad's funeral. These past few months, T�a's been trying to throw together a sort of family reunion for New Year's. Cousins only, spouses allowed but not their kids.

[finish later]

22:12
Shit, talk about a full day. As soon as I logged off this shit earlier today and walked out the office... well, I walked outside right in the middle of one of Ribelin's Rants. He was going off at the entire Local Sort. Kinda reminded me of the way I get with my sister's rugrats when they misbehave. Except the Sort's been misbehaving by stealing packages out of package cars, including some containing drugs. Well, honestly, the whole drug thing I think is a crock of shit. We have security posted at every exit gate, and we get scanned and searched as we leave. If someone tried to take off with ten pounds of weed, I think they'd notice. But man, was he ever pissed!

Part of it is understandable. That part where he went off about people coming in at whatever time they felt like it, or not calling in at all and just not showing up to work, that I get. I've been wanting someone to write up Aaron for months. (Among others.) Ruben said that from now on, they'll be on our ass about hours, but he told me not to worry too much. I'm pretty secure on my end, both because of my seniority here and because I know my shit. I've never been busted doing something I'm not supposed to. Other than jamming out to rock on the computer, and updating this thing sporadically, I keep to my work.

The only weird thing that came of today was that I somehow ended up on direct speaking terms with Whatserfatface. Nothing personal, of course, strictly professional because I still can't stand her ass, but I was actually pushed (socially) to interact with her again. I was on such a good streak of ignoring her completely. It made me kinda sad how she instantly accepted contact with me again as though I hadn't been an ass to her all this time (no self-respect, that one). She even seemed kinda happy, which made me feel worse. Sometimes I start to feel sorry for her, because I know the kind of utter bastard I can be. Then I remember my father's funeral, and how hard the Dud took it that she didn't show up to show her support for the family that tried to take her in as one of our own. If I could, I'd kick myself in the balls for getting her a job here. That's why I'm an asshole with her. For fucking over my family. For being one of us and then turning away at the drop of a hat. Bitch. See? I don't feel sorry anymore. Knowing my flawed self, I'll probably be especially nasty to her tomorrow. (Bad, bad me...)

Well, back to the relatives, though. (Gotta keep myself on track... a bit too late for that, huh?) When T�a called to tell us about the cancer, she for some reason chose me to break the news to. Said she was worried my mom's sugar level would skyrocket if she found out straightaway, and left it up to me to deliver the news. And the Dud, being pregnant (oh, yeah, she's pregnant again), maybe she shouldn't know the news yet either, T�a said. So yeah, you decide whether to tell your family these shocking news, I leave it all to you, Gis. Gee, T�a, thanks. But naw, 'Ama walked in on me while I was on the phone, and her sugar's been really good lately, and since I had faith that T�a'd pull through, I let the sisters talk. Sometimes siblings just gotta be there for each other, even (or especially if) the news is bad. I know that's how I felt, anyway, when the Dud tried to off herself. (Oh yeah, she tried to kill herself a few months back. Damn, how long's it been since I made a real update?)

I know I didn't put any of this shit down recently. And I guess I was putting it off precisely because of Whatserfatface, who has access to this thing. The Dud doesn't want her knowing anything about our family anymore, but there's only so much I can bottle up for so long, and I'll be damned if I make this shit private. Personally, I don't much give a shit if anyone knows what's been going on in my life. I respected the Dud's wishes as long as I could. Anywho's.

So the Dud's better now, and she and the kiddos are living with us now. They make life hectic and noisy, but a hell of a lot more worth living. Of course their deadbeat father's not with them. And neither is mine, because he's dead. Hrm.