MY LIFE - JULY

Friday, July 26, 2002

I'm sitting up at 1:30 in the morning, not because I want to, but because while getting ready to go to sleep (I do work at 8 in the morning), I smelled burning rubber and it wasn't long before my mom smelled it.

Upon walking next to one of the vents that was feeding us the air conditioning, I smelled the same thing, only very strong and it wasn't long before I realized that the smell was coming from the vent itself. Moments later, a call was made to the front desk and right now a maintenance man is looking for a part that may be the problem.

It only figures that this happens. It's only 77° and muggy outside and we've just been informed that it will be 7 in the morning before the piece will be replaced and we'll just have to live with a fan for the night. This is just our luck though. No matter where we go, problems seem to follow us and it just never ends.

Such is the tradition of our family though.

In the meantime, today was Jim's last day and he went out with a bang as was expected. Today was a day where we had muffins, bagels, and ice cream cake. We all signed a card for him that when you open it, it makes this crying sound that eventually turns into a laugh.

Everyone signed with a smart comment for him. Paula asked him if he had fun using her to get some laughs. Jen thanked him for his digusting humor. Steve said we'd miss his wit and "clean" humor (an obvious shot at Jim's perverted humor). Nate mocked one of our customers that's been part of an inside joke, and he also thanked his "jedi master" for his tutelage. Yes, it's another running joke.

Jean's was the best though. For the last couple years, the joke between Jim and Jean was that she was his bitch and he was the pimp and he was always "pimping" her on the schedule when he needed help. So she pretty much called him every name in the book of pimping and it was probably the funniest thing ever.

The best part was when Jim realized that when you open and close the card quickly, it makes this sound that sounds a little too closely like someone having sex. Jim caught onto this and was doing this for about 15 minutes before he finally stopped because we were laughing too hard.

Finally we got to the ice cream cake and needless to say, everyone ate pretty well today at work. Jim finally left at 2, but not before we got a chance to desecrate his picture how felt necessary, Jim pitching in. He blacked out a couple of his teeth in the picture, Nate poked out the eyes, and Nate also added a mustache.

As a parting message in the grand Jim tradition, he left us this note on top of a vial containing two marshmallow peeps (another inside joke) that said "suck it hoes."

It was strangely appropriate for a man who was constantly calling the women that worked there hoes and everyone else every name imaginable. When he left, it was both a relief (no more of his gay jokes) and a sad thing. Jim brought something to the store that can't be replaced, and that something is the ability to make us laugh over the most incredibly stupid thing that you could possibly imagine, and make us laugh all the time.

Oh, and he did a pretty good job as a pharmacist too. I guess I should mention that.

After he left, it was pretty much business as usual. Peggy was wound up, Nate was in a strange mood, and Steve, well, Steve's always got something up his sleeve.

I am going to miss him. I knew when he was working that I'd be laughing my ass off during the day and there was no level too low for him to stoop too. Jim's the kind of person that doesn't care if he looks stupid and he also does have very quick wit, able to respond to an insult with one that's ten times as funny as what he was responding too.

Jim's one of a kind and he will be missed, even if he was a pain in the ass sometimes.

---

For tonight's "Tribe Watch," all I have time to say is that they lost to the Detroit Tigers 8-5, but Jim Thome hit two home runs, including a massive 470 foot shot that went halfway up the second deck in right field. He got a standing ovation from the fans and afterwards, he talked about how much he apprieciated the fans support and why he wants to stay in Cleveland.

The Indians aren't going anywhere this year, but they never quit and that's as big a thing as anything else.