Not much to write about...I really want some time away from the office; I have been feeling that way for some weeks, and it's getting worse. It seems every little thing is getting on my nerves far more than is warranted. I have 29.5 unused days of vacation so it’s not like I can’t take a break; rather, it’s that there always seems to be some project or contract or initiative going on that I want to get finalized before I take time off but before I can get anything scheduled, another takes its place. Right now it’s credit cards - I needed to get one of the WGB’s companies set up to process credit card transactions so I called our banker, asked her how to do it and she sent over a rep. About a ream and a half of paperwork was completed, merchant identification numbers were issued and I was assured on several occasions that all was ready. However, for the past few days I have been pelted with technical questions from the manufacturer of these devices, about networks, about protocols, about reporting, about data streams, about passwords (which Banking Guy didn’t set up and insists are not used on their system), transaction keys (gods only know what that is) and more. I’m not going into further detail because it’s not even funny at this point, it’s just frustrating. I can’t keep from feeling, though, that it CANNOT BE THIS DIFFICULT. Every hole-in-the-wall clothing store, little old lady knick-knack shop, take-out place, hair salon and foreign-food-restaurant operated by people who may be quite intelligent but are not possessed with an overwhelming command of the English language process credit cards. How do THEY manage? Hmpf - the next call I get on this matter, I’m going to giggle and say, "I doan know" in a vaguely foreign accent, and let them figure it out without me.

Since I can’t take a real break, I was taking a virtual one and came across this site where you can search (among other, more standard criteria) for haunted places to stay! I don’t really care to examine why that appeals to me so much, but it does. Some of the stories are just about lights flickering on and off, and things not staying where you put them - hell, that happens all the time in my own house. The most intriguing stories I saw (at least thus far) are Grove Park Inn in Asheville, the 1891 Castle and La Pavillion in Nyawlins (of course Nyawlins has the most ghosts). My favorite by far of the Nyawlins stories is this one, about Chloe, a girl who poisoned the little girls in her charge (maybe by accident, maybe for vengeance?). Even better, Chloe’s not the only ghost at the Myrtles! Of course, if I’m just dreaming, then price and practicality matter not and I’d like to visit Castle Leslie, Ireland, so haunted that ghosts are commonplace. They’re having a Murder Mystery Weekend in November, which sounds like so much fun to me! Although...I notice their site doesn't say if they take credit cards - gods know I don't want to get THAT started again!

MONTOYA DELENDA EST!