Gotta tell you, this winter is looking to be a really cold one, and I for ain't looking forward to it. I'm finding myself wondering what it would be like to be an animal that hibernates during the winter; the idea of hibernating is starting to look very attractive. The downside, of course, is that one misses a good chunk of the year and many opportunities for partying by hibernating. It's a no-win situation, I guess.

Things might be a little better if customers would stop complaining about the cold weather and bitching to us about whether their drinks are hot enough. Our coffee machines only makes coffee so hot, folks! Too hot and it'll burn your tongue--and then you'll bitch to us about that, too.

Well, the temperature ain't getting any warmer outside, so I guess this means I finally need to give up the hopes that I may get to wear those sleeveless and short-sleeved shirts again this year and just pack 'em away, and bring out the sweaters and sweatshirts instead.

Got a call from the family last night, insisting I either visit them during the winter holidays, or take some time off from work to visit them. Couldn't really refuse, since I haven't made plans for winter vacation yet (that's over two months away!), but meh, I guess visiting 'em once in awhile won't kill me.

It's almost too cold to practice my guitar outside today... Pfsh...

Kyaah! I walk outside this morning to get the paper and very nearly freeze my a** off. Though I guess that's what I guess for not putting on a jacket. It's nice that it gets warmer as the day goes on, but why the hell is it so damn cold in the mornings? At least it's sunny outside; I'd be twice as miserable if it were cloudy and gray. Though it ain't fun having to come to work all bundled up, though I guess cold weather is the friendlier season to work-appropriate clothing.

Well, as to be expected, we haven't been getting many orders of iced drinks down here in the coffee shop. Most folks have been coming in in the mornings, shivering from the morning cold, and ordering hot drinks. Occasionally at lunch time we'll get someone ordering an iced coffee or iced tea (like that kid from tech support, who seems to be one of the few people enjoying the colder weather), but we might as well just take the iced drinks off the menu. We ain't gonna be making much money off 'em.

Just when I was getting a little excited at the idea of a beautiful, sunny week, the sun goes away and the sky starts weeping. It's ugly outside, that's all I have to say.

Working in the coffee shop, I get a front-row seat to the Company Gossip drama; people sit down here to chat over a cup of coffee, and inevitably end up playing along in the telephone game. And I will confess, sometimes the rumors that one overhears are entertaining. But there is a point at which rumors need to stop. I think some people have crossed that line. That is all I have to say about that topic.

On another note...

I love summer and all its glory, but this heat is just getting to be too much. It's sucking the life out of everything and everyone. Makes me wanna take lunch break early...

Being upset about shortages I can understand (although taking it out on the employees when it's not their fault is bullsh*t), but why the f***ing hell would people be upset about a surplus? Y'all are supposed to be thrilled that we have twice as many cinnamon scones and coffeecake as usual. We may be good at our jobs, but for god's sake, we're only human. Give us a break.

Oi, Kisuke, whose bright idea was it to make everything half-priced in order to make up for yesterday's shortages? Why don't you come out of the back room and give us a hand, eh?

Oy, Kisuke, what the hell is wrong with our delivery service that they can't deliver on days when the weather report promises bad weather? I must have had at least five people this morning ask me for that cinnamon scone that seems to be so popular...yet we don't have any because we haven't gotten our delivery yet!

Well, with thunderstorms in the forecast, I had to leave the cats inside today. They were yowling when I left, which means that when I get back home this evening, they will most likely be standing somewhere near the front door, glaring at me like toddlers ready to throw tantrums.

I'm going to need to do something this evening to get over what's no doubt going to be a stressful day. (And I don't necessarily mean drinking.) Hey, Kuukaku, got any plans for the evening?

What idiot forgot to turn off the sprinklers this morning? (Aren't those things part of a system that's on some kind of timer, anyway?) It was nearly impossible to get to work this morning without getting wet; there is a sprinkler right outside the coffee house entrance, and one outside the main building entrance. I ended up having to take off my shoes and leap across the sidewalk barefoot in order to stay as dry as possible. (I kinda feel sorry for those who aren't quite as nimble as I.)

Well, the plants may be happy (the flowerbeds looked more like swamps than beds), but I don't think there has been a single customer today who has not bitched about the heat in one way or another. We might as well take the hot drinks off the menu, because nobody is orderin' any. A few people have even ordered two iced drinks. (Y'all have A/Cs in your offices, dontcha? You can't get that hot sitting at your desk all day.)

I hope this heat spell ends soon. This is one spell that ain't so magical.

Well, I said yesterday that if today was as hot as yesterday was, then I was going to spend the weekend indoors, draped over the A/C. Well, it seems mother nature wants me to spend a little time outside, 'cuz the weather today is much more bearable. There is even the promise of rain later on; that should cool things off. (Maybe I'll sneak some time outside on the porch to play the guitar. Gotta use that giant umbrella when I can.)

But of course, things around here are always cookin'. What's with all these rumors about our company hiring mafia members?

I have decided that summer may not be my season after all - not when it's so hot that the only articles of clothing that make this bearable are the two things that the dress code forbids me to wear to work: a bra top and boy shorts. The A/C does little good when you're forced to run around serving people who keep crowding your café begging for ice-cold drinks to cool them down because their heat-blasting computers are making their offices a little too warm.

If it's still this hot by tomorrow evening, then I am going to spend the weekend holed up in my house, draped over the A/C.

Since Kisuke will complain if I don't look on the bright side... At least the increase of customers means more tips.

At last, summer is here! Mother Nature, it took you long enough! It may be scorching hot and humid outside, but gettin' lazy and sunning in the sun is what a cat likes - and does - best! Kisuke, I don't suppose there's any way I could take more breaks than usual in order to enjoy the beautiful weather to the fullest?

Those rumors that the Vizard employees would be joining SSI? It was true. They came last month. I don't know where the higher-ups put them all - there ain't enough office space for them to have their own office - but it seems they've pretty much settled in wherever they ended up.

Of course, more employees means more customers for the coffee shop. So I guess I'm not surprised that they gave us another hand. But damn, that new girl - she's got a hotter temper than Kuukaku! The moment she set foot in here, she's been like a bomb constantly going off. I'm just waiting for an argument to break out between her and Kuukaku or Karin. I wouldn't be surprised if she even manages to hit a wrong nerve with Ururu.

Just as I was wondering whether or not we'd get any more snow this winter, we get another foot of it. Barely managed to get to work this morning. What a mess.

Went out drinking with Kuukaku Friday night. I think I went a little overboard - I had one helluva hangover Saturday morning. But we haven't had a chance to socialize (or whatever ya wanna call it) like that in a long time. We should really do it again sometime, Kuukaku. And next time I won't drink so much. How about this Friday? My treat.

Kisuke, you're welcome to join us if ya want though I highly doubt you will, unless you're really that bored.

In other news... Heard some customers chatting this morning, and apparently SSI just bought Vaizard, Inc. Guess that means we'll be getting more employees soon - or, rather, more customers. And damn there goes one of my naps. On top of that, Hueco Mundo dropped their lawsuit against us because they realize their case was, in short summary, full of crap.

It must be at least 10 degrees colder today than it was yesterday - there was frost on my windshield this morning. FROST! Kyah! Does the goddess of weather have a grudge against me? Why must the temperature start dropping? Why must the sky remain perpetually gray; why must the air be such a ridiculously biting cold? I gotta go with the neighbor's kids on this: If it's going to be this cold, it'd better damn well snow, at least. Make the cold worth something.

Speaking of the neighbor's kids... I don't know what his deal is, but their teenage son, for some reason, thinks that coming home in the evening with his car radio blaring for the entire damn block to hear is perfectly normal. Yeesh...

Kyah! This dreary weather and constant damp chill in the air is making me sleepy. Cats don't do well in wet weather - I need sunshine, dammit! I function so much better when the sun is out and the air is warm. Damp, chilly days like the ones we've been having tempt me to take the day off and go back to sleep, but an adult has to support herself, y'know. Which may be why I was possessed to show up to work on time early for once. I think I even managed to surprise Kisuke, and it's really hard to surprise that man.

I'm still tempted to take my lunch break an hour early and go sleep in the back room, though.

On another note, I was at the mall last night, and it seemed like every tenth person who was talking on the cell phone was using a Jigokuchou phone. I even saw a group of teenage girls gathered around one girl who was showing off her new phone - sparkly pink case and all. (Seems that pink is the new "in" color. Must be due to all that breast cancer awareness.)

(So, I hear that Hueco Mundo, Ltd. is suing SSI for plagiarism, claiming that the design for the Jigokuchou phone was originally theirs. What the hell. Did we really steal their design, or is just their excuse to tear us a new one?)

I hear the elevators are broken again. I hope no one is stupid careless enough to go get stuck in them.