My family has a lot of inside jokes. "Whelmed" is one of them. Basically, if you aren't really OVERwhelmed, but are still coping with challenge, you're "whelmed."
On Friday, I was overwhelmed. Today, I'm just whelmed. See, I spent last week moving. Specifically, I spent it moving in with GB, my beau. And I'm not done yet. This is one of those moves where I had to specifically hold every little tiny hair clip, paper scrap, old T-shirt, etc, and decide if it was something I NEEDED TO KEEP. Then I had to look at it again and decide (if I'm not keeping it) HOW to get rid of it most effectively and responsibly (if I'm keeping it) whether it goes in storage or into the limited space of GB's 1-bedroom, no-living room apartment.
Plus there are two teenage cats with NO PARENTAL GUIDANCE living in parts of the house, and there's a hard-headed old alpha dog who MUST HERD CATS. So it's been a bit of a challenge carving out ways for MY cat to transition into the space. As it is, the cats are kept separate for now, but every time my kitty gets off the bed, the dog walks around a half-step behind her and looms with intent to play. She is not amused. Nor is she willing to offer up her butt for daily doggy inspection. The dog is very worried. Not only is he the only one in the household NOT allowed on the bed, but he hasn't gotten to sniff the cat's butt yet today.
The other two hellcats? A little after midnight they tried to jump from my computer keyboard across to the one 5x5 inch empty space on the top of my shelf unit. And knocked everything else off the top of the shelf in the process. Loudly. And if I ever CATCH them (this is not exactly likely-- they are very fast), they will LEARN not to mess with mama. sigh...
The good news is that GB fixed me a yummy breakfast yesterday morning, even tho it wasn't Sunday yet. And he's been very patient with all the boxes and stuff that hasn't found a home yet. Also, nothing broke when the hellcats rearranged my desk and shelf after midnight last night. And I have 25 pounds of fresh kittylitter in the passenger seat of my car. This is a very good thing. Especially since it's still in its litter bag, and I'll be able to bring it into the house later this morning.
And, can I tell you, for all the times I've gotten internet service, not once has it been simple to connect my Macintosh to the internet. There has always been a special fee or a special website that I had to visit and get special instructions. But last night? GB plugged in my Mac, plugged the other end to the router, and VOILA! I had internet.
Oh, happy day!
Ok. Have to go. Mobbed by two hellcats and a very concerned hard-headed old alpha dog. For all the immediate challenges, I can't help believing that this year is going to be a great improvement on 2009. It was such a relief for last year to END! So-- here's to a year that is merely whelming, and not overly so. With a lot of happiness and success mixed in.
Showing posts with label dogs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label dogs. Show all posts
Sunday, January 3
Saturday, December 12
Jobberwhacky
So I'm applying for jobs. And after applying for jobs on and off non-stop over the past oh... FOUR YEARS... I'm kinda burned out on the whole job application thing.
But there's this guy whose specialty is helping folks get their careers going, and he has an awesome website that should give me some great tips to make me more successful this time around. And there's this job that just came open and sounds really perfect-- It's for a Communications Consultant at a local Community College. I'm so good at communicating, it's fugging AWESOME. And the application (all fifteen plus pages of it, including the short paragraph answers to each of eight different "describe this about your experience and training" questions) is due on Monday. Today is Saturday.
So I really need to get going on this. I want a job that keeps me excited and challenged, and that pays an actual living wage. I keep putting off applying for the housecleaning jobs because somehow, I really want a job that pays more than $10 an hour. Maybe my ego is getting in the way of my actually finding a job and working it again... but you know? I have a Master's Degree. And half of another Master's Degree. And I just came off six months of being the Executive Coordinator for a three-prong work project. Successfully. I deserve a high-paying high-responsibility job. I'd do well in a job like that, even.
Mostly, though, I know how hard it is to force myself out of bed every morning when I'm getting up for a job I don't like. And how hard it is to do a quality job on any daily tasks that I know your random stranger off the street could do just as well.
(insert brief pause and complete loss of mental track HERE when I am called to find housemate's keys, since I was the last one to see them-- when I pulled them from the outside door lock upon my return home this afternoon)
In other news, GB and I are discussing the logistics of moving in together. The most complicated bits seem to be internet access for yet another computer, and the fact that his housemate has two troublemaking teenage girl kitties, and I have one crochety declawed matronly girl kitty. And if we confine Abbigale strictly to his bedroom where they are not allowed, how will we keep her cat food away from the dog, while still making sure SHE can reach it, since she has arthritis and can't do a lot of jumping-- and the dog is rather tall. I think we'll figure out the whole computer thing. After all, GB used to set up cable systems for a living.
And, in the meantime, wish me luck on the job front. Again.
But there's this guy whose specialty is helping folks get their careers going, and he has an awesome website that should give me some great tips to make me more successful this time around. And there's this job that just came open and sounds really perfect-- It's for a Communications Consultant at a local Community College. I'm so good at communicating, it's fugging AWESOME. And the application (all fifteen plus pages of it, including the short paragraph answers to each of eight different "describe this about your experience and training" questions) is due on Monday. Today is Saturday.
So I really need to get going on this. I want a job that keeps me excited and challenged, and that pays an actual living wage. I keep putting off applying for the housecleaning jobs because somehow, I really want a job that pays more than $10 an hour. Maybe my ego is getting in the way of my actually finding a job and working it again... but you know? I have a Master's Degree. And half of another Master's Degree. And I just came off six months of being the Executive Coordinator for a three-prong work project. Successfully. I deserve a high-paying high-responsibility job. I'd do well in a job like that, even.
Mostly, though, I know how hard it is to force myself out of bed every morning when I'm getting up for a job I don't like. And how hard it is to do a quality job on any daily tasks that I know your random stranger off the street could do just as well.
(insert brief pause and complete loss of mental track HERE when I am called to find housemate's keys, since I was the last one to see them-- when I pulled them from the outside door lock upon my return home this afternoon)
In other news, GB and I are discussing the logistics of moving in together. The most complicated bits seem to be internet access for yet another computer, and the fact that his housemate has two troublemaking teenage girl kitties, and I have one crochety declawed matronly girl kitty. And if we confine Abbigale strictly to his bedroom where they are not allowed, how will we keep her cat food away from the dog, while still making sure SHE can reach it, since she has arthritis and can't do a lot of jumping-- and the dog is rather tall. I think we'll figure out the whole computer thing. After all, GB used to set up cable systems for a living.
And, in the meantime, wish me luck on the job front. Again.
Friday, May 2
Alarm Bells
I was having a pretty good day. Woke up at 8am. I've been doing this a lot lately, and it occurs to me that maybe I should set my alarm to actually go off around 8am if this trend is going to continue. It goes off at 8:30 right now, just enough time for me to fall back asleep. Not so helpful, really.
Then, I spent a few minutes pacifying the fur ball. I managed to keep her tail out of my cereal at breakfast, and only dribbled yogurt-covered granola on her fur once. I even managed to clean most of it off before she noticed.
And, even better, before I had breakfast, I did a little yoga. I feel good about the yoga, and my sore neck is less likely to digress into a stiff and painful twist of nasty now that I've stretched it out in a healthy and linear fashion. Also, since I'm really trying to incorporate more healthy movements into my day, it felt good to actually spend ten minutes doing yoga for the second day in a row-- without even signing up for someone else to make me do it!
Breakfast was yummy. Strawberry Keifer over nut-and-honey granola (bought in bulk at the store)... And I had an email or two from people I actually wanted to hear from, so that was also nice. One of those emails pointed me to another great job opening to which I really think I'm going to apply. So I visited their website to get more information.
This is a pattern I regularly follow. Track down the original job posting. Read it to make sure I'm at least mostly qualified for the position. Copy the description and application procedure, and paste into a Word document for later review and reference. You know-- later when I actually apply.
Only it didn't work like that this morning.
Copy wouldn't copy, and nothing at all was Pasting.
Shigt!
After much swearing and not a little worry that maybe that "clean up" my dad told me to do to my computer actually hexed the copy/paste functionality... I narrowed down the culprit. Three separate sentences-- in the whole three pages of relevant information --included a specific phrase. And those were the three sentences that could not be copied. So I copied the rest of the document, pasted it, and typed out those three sentences. Grargh.
By now, I was in a really pissy mood. So much for waking up before the alarm, doing yoga, and feeling like I was productive with my morning. ...By the way, I'm sitting cross-legged in my desk chair while I type this, and my cat just jumped off my lap, crouched below my chair, and proceeded to attack my foot as it dangled over the edge of the seat. Huh.
The last two emails I read were from the same person. A good friend of mine. And you know, it just didn't improve my mood any to realize after reading those two emails that I had just agreed to drive an hour out of my way, attend a party I really don't look forward to, and proctor a test... all so I could go for a walk with a friend. I find that I almost prefer to walk alone, without all that hassle, when it comes down to it.
That's when I went into my Bookmarks, and decided to read the latest blog entries for a favorite blogger of mine. And you know, it was a good decision. Because her parents are adopting a Corgi Puppy, and she had posted PHOTOS!!! Now, there are only about three breeds of dog that I've ever really felt I'd want to share my life with-- if I ever chose a dog over a cat at all. Pembroke Welsh Corgis, Great Danes, and Aussie. She's a breed unto herself. Sometimes when I'm thinking of how much I'd love to have an Aussie in my life, I think maybe the third breed is really Basset Hounds... but then I think of all that drooling, and ...well... maybe not.
(Just for the record, I also love the look of French Bulldogs. I mean really-- they have bat ears. What's not to love?! Unfortunately, the only ones I've met have been really snooty, drooly, and a bit too used to the high life to be a desirable pet in my mind.)
So there I was, looking at the cutest pictures ever of a Corgi puppy-- a puppy who'd already found a loving home (the sad "adopt me" pictures depress me horribly for days after I see them)-- and thinking "I WANT ONE OF THOSE!!!" That's when the alarm bells started going off in my head. A dog? Now? Yeah, Right!
I think my cat must have heard me thinking about adopting a dog, too, because there was this sudden flurry of movement on the floor by my chair, and when I looked down, she was rolling around, shoving herself along the floor in a big circle, chasing her tail. She then proceeded to get distracted by: a piece of yarn, a length of basket reed, a plastic bag that crunched nicely, and my toes. Her ears were back the whole time. This is a good sign that I should expect to be attacked, and should not try to do anything that requires concentration-- I WILL be interrupted.
I sat here, watching her antics, thinking to myself "GOOD LORD, my cat is POSeSSED!! I definitely don't need more than one insane pet at a time, thank you very much." That's when she jumped back in my lap and curled up for a nap. sigh.
Then, I spent a few minutes pacifying the fur ball. I managed to keep her tail out of my cereal at breakfast, and only dribbled yogurt-covered granola on her fur once. I even managed to clean most of it off before she noticed.
And, even better, before I had breakfast, I did a little yoga. I feel good about the yoga, and my sore neck is less likely to digress into a stiff and painful twist of nasty now that I've stretched it out in a healthy and linear fashion. Also, since I'm really trying to incorporate more healthy movements into my day, it felt good to actually spend ten minutes doing yoga for the second day in a row-- without even signing up for someone else to make me do it!
Breakfast was yummy. Strawberry Keifer over nut-and-honey granola (bought in bulk at the store)... And I had an email or two from people I actually wanted to hear from, so that was also nice. One of those emails pointed me to another great job opening to which I really think I'm going to apply. So I visited their website to get more information.
This is a pattern I regularly follow. Track down the original job posting. Read it to make sure I'm at least mostly qualified for the position. Copy the description and application procedure, and paste into a Word document for later review and reference. You know-- later when I actually apply.
Only it didn't work like that this morning.
Copy wouldn't copy, and nothing at all was Pasting.
Shigt!
After much swearing and not a little worry that maybe that "clean up" my dad told me to do to my computer actually hexed the copy/paste functionality... I narrowed down the culprit. Three separate sentences-- in the whole three pages of relevant information --included a specific phrase. And those were the three sentences that could not be copied. So I copied the rest of the document, pasted it, and typed out those three sentences. Grargh.
By now, I was in a really pissy mood. So much for waking up before the alarm, doing yoga, and feeling like I was productive with my morning. ...By the way, I'm sitting cross-legged in my desk chair while I type this, and my cat just jumped off my lap, crouched below my chair, and proceeded to attack my foot as it dangled over the edge of the seat. Huh.
The last two emails I read were from the same person. A good friend of mine. And you know, it just didn't improve my mood any to realize after reading those two emails that I had just agreed to drive an hour out of my way, attend a party I really don't look forward to, and proctor a test... all so I could go for a walk with a friend. I find that I almost prefer to walk alone, without all that hassle, when it comes down to it.
That's when I went into my Bookmarks, and decided to read the latest blog entries for a favorite blogger of mine. And you know, it was a good decision. Because her parents are adopting a Corgi Puppy, and she had posted PHOTOS!!! Now, there are only about three breeds of dog that I've ever really felt I'd want to share my life with-- if I ever chose a dog over a cat at all. Pembroke Welsh Corgis, Great Danes, and Aussie. She's a breed unto herself. Sometimes when I'm thinking of how much I'd love to have an Aussie in my life, I think maybe the third breed is really Basset Hounds... but then I think of all that drooling, and ...well... maybe not.
(Just for the record, I also love the look of French Bulldogs. I mean really-- they have bat ears. What's not to love?! Unfortunately, the only ones I've met have been really snooty, drooly, and a bit too used to the high life to be a desirable pet in my mind.)
So there I was, looking at the cutest pictures ever of a Corgi puppy-- a puppy who'd already found a loving home (the sad "adopt me" pictures depress me horribly for days after I see them)-- and thinking "I WANT ONE OF THOSE!!!" That's when the alarm bells started going off in my head. A dog? Now? Yeah, Right!
I think my cat must have heard me thinking about adopting a dog, too, because there was this sudden flurry of movement on the floor by my chair, and when I looked down, she was rolling around, shoving herself along the floor in a big circle, chasing her tail. She then proceeded to get distracted by: a piece of yarn, a length of basket reed, a plastic bag that crunched nicely, and my toes. Her ears were back the whole time. This is a good sign that I should expect to be attacked, and should not try to do anything that requires concentration-- I WILL be interrupted.
I sat here, watching her antics, thinking to myself "GOOD LORD, my cat is POSeSSED!! I definitely don't need more than one insane pet at a time, thank you very much." That's when she jumped back in my lap and curled up for a nap. sigh.
Wednesday, December 5
Dog Days of Winter
A snapshot of my day:
6am
Mrrrrt? ....Mrrrowwwrrr?
THUMP!
...Mrrrr?
6:45am
Something is staring at me. I can feel it, and it wakes me out of a dead and desperate last half-hour of sleep before the alarm goes off.
...oh. It's my cat. She wasn't sure if I was awake or asleep, so she came over to find out. Guess I'm awake now.
8:10am
Shgit! I turned off the alarm, and actually went back to sleep! With the cat!
9am
I call in to my internship to let them know I'm going to be late. This head cold is really slowing me down, and that extra hour of sleep didn't really help much. I can't call in to the library because it doesn't open until 10am. I email my supervisor. I take an expectorant because my ribs hurt from coughing, and this is supposed to help the coughs do their thing more easily.
10am
Yet another reason to demand truth in advertising. I have not stopped gut-wrenching coughing since I took the dagmn expectorant. I can't see straight to find my keys let alone drive to my internship. Guess I'll be later than I thought. (B-HH-HH-HH-CH-HH-*gasp .... cough-cough... BHHH-TOOOHHHH-HHHH-*gasp... blow nose, feel head pound, wait for next big coughing fit to-- BHH-TOOOHHHH-cough-HHHHH)... I think I just gave myself a nose bleed.
11am
Grab 2 skeins of yarn to return to store, along with receipt. Put cell phone in purse. Put on Volunteer Badge. Grab lunch leftovers. Grab warm coat. Grab list of Practicum Goals from start of semester. Grab cat as she slides out the door. Start driving to internship. Dog in road. Lean black dog with collar and mange. Dog looks both ways, crosses in front of me since I've stopped. Dog gets out of road, I drive on.
11:30am
I arrive at my internship. I finish up a few final projects for various librarians. I get some interview advice. I look over my original goals and see what really happened here...
12:30pm
I leave for another local library branch, where we are having our monthly Youth Services Meeting. I realize that I've forgotten my purse. At home.
3:30pm
My coughing is so bad again that I leave the meeting early. I decide to head home for cough medicine and my purse, and then jet back to the library for the last hour of my internship.
4:15pm
Traffic is bad, too. And there's another dog in the road. Same road. I stop for it. A dalmatian this time, also with a collar (but no mange). This dog is stupid, but nice. It trots down the road in front of me. It stays in my lane. It makes good time. I put on my blinkers and roll along behind it. Someone in a parking lot sees the dog. It's her dog. She comes across the road to get the dog. The dog lets itself get got. I start driving again, and I turn off my blinkers.
4:30pm
I'm not going to make it back for that last hour of my internship, I might as well stay home. (cough, hack, wheeze, moan) Oh, look. Here's my purse. Hanging from it's hook as usual. At home.
...Mrrow?
6am
Mrrrrt? ....Mrrrowwwrrr?
THUMP!
...Mrrrr?
6:45am
Something is staring at me. I can feel it, and it wakes me out of a dead and desperate last half-hour of sleep before the alarm goes off.
...oh. It's my cat. She wasn't sure if I was awake or asleep, so she came over to find out. Guess I'm awake now.
8:10am
Shgit! I turned off the alarm, and actually went back to sleep! With the cat!
9am
I call in to my internship to let them know I'm going to be late. This head cold is really slowing me down, and that extra hour of sleep didn't really help much. I can't call in to the library because it doesn't open until 10am. I email my supervisor. I take an expectorant because my ribs hurt from coughing, and this is supposed to help the coughs do their thing more easily.
10am
Yet another reason to demand truth in advertising. I have not stopped gut-wrenching coughing since I took the dagmn expectorant. I can't see straight to find my keys let alone drive to my internship. Guess I'll be later than I thought. (B-HH-HH-HH-CH-HH-*gasp .... cough-cough... BHHH-TOOOHHHH-HHHH-*gasp... blow nose, feel head pound, wait for next big coughing fit to-- BHH-TOOOHHHH-cough-HHHHH)... I think I just gave myself a nose bleed.
11am
Grab 2 skeins of yarn to return to store, along with receipt. Put cell phone in purse. Put on Volunteer Badge. Grab lunch leftovers. Grab warm coat. Grab list of Practicum Goals from start of semester. Grab cat as she slides out the door. Start driving to internship. Dog in road. Lean black dog with collar and mange. Dog looks both ways, crosses in front of me since I've stopped. Dog gets out of road, I drive on.
11:30am
I arrive at my internship. I finish up a few final projects for various librarians. I get some interview advice. I look over my original goals and see what really happened here...
12:30pm
I leave for another local library branch, where we are having our monthly Youth Services Meeting. I realize that I've forgotten my purse. At home.
3:30pm
My coughing is so bad again that I leave the meeting early. I decide to head home for cough medicine and my purse, and then jet back to the library for the last hour of my internship.
4:15pm
Traffic is bad, too. And there's another dog in the road. Same road. I stop for it. A dalmatian this time, also with a collar (but no mange). This dog is stupid, but nice. It trots down the road in front of me. It stays in my lane. It makes good time. I put on my blinkers and roll along behind it. Someone in a parking lot sees the dog. It's her dog. She comes across the road to get the dog. The dog lets itself get got. I start driving again, and I turn off my blinkers.
4:30pm
I'm not going to make it back for that last hour of my internship, I might as well stay home. (cough, hack, wheeze, moan) Oh, look. Here's my purse. Hanging from it's hook as usual. At home.
...Mrrow?
Saturday, November 3
Certifiable
Ummm.... so... About two weeks ago, I took my water bottle out of the car and brought it in to wash. See, the lid is just one of those pop-up squirt kinds (reusable), and I was reasonably sure the dog had licked it. I'd had to leave him in the car alone for a while, and he ended up in the front seat, nosing through everything.
It's taken me until today to actually get around to cleaning it, however. And as I was waiting for the water to get hot, I realized... I don't have a dog. But, hey, the water was hot now, and the lid probably needed a good washing anyway, so I've washed it. And had a good laugh at how I probably confused one of my realistic dreams with reality again... sigh...
My next inclination was to call my friend, SLM, and share my insanity with someone who would laugh as hard as I did. But then I thought-- hey-- why not share it with EVERYONE?! And I'm rather glad I did it this way...
Because I remembered, as I was typing, that I'd taken the water bottle on a hiking trip with a friend, and her two dogs. And I left the water bottle in the front seat when we ate lunch after our hike, and the dogs did indeed jump into the front seat and nose through everything. Including the lid to my water bottle. It just didn't happen in my car.
I'm telling you, I need therapy.
...preferably massage...
It's taken me until today to actually get around to cleaning it, however. And as I was waiting for the water to get hot, I realized... I don't have a dog. But, hey, the water was hot now, and the lid probably needed a good washing anyway, so I've washed it. And had a good laugh at how I probably confused one of my realistic dreams with reality again... sigh...
My next inclination was to call my friend, SLM, and share my insanity with someone who would laugh as hard as I did. But then I thought-- hey-- why not share it with EVERYONE?! And I'm rather glad I did it this way...
Because I remembered, as I was typing, that I'd taken the water bottle on a hiking trip with a friend, and her two dogs. And I left the water bottle in the front seat when we ate lunch after our hike, and the dogs did indeed jump into the front seat and nose through everything. Including the lid to my water bottle. It just didn't happen in my car.
I'm telling you, I need therapy.
...preferably massage...
Sunday, June 24
The Good List
- Getting the internship I really wanted.
- With the Youth Services Librarian.
- Discovering I can wear jeans and sneekers to my internship.
- not caring if I spell sneakers wrong
- Fire-colored Sunflowers
- A big healthy medicinal Aloe plant for $3.95.
- Lighting a fresh candle.
- Hiking up and down a small mountain in the rain.
- Seeing all the places fairies could hide from the rain in the mountain.
- Having two friends crazy enough to hike with me.
- Reaching the top alive.
- Getting complimented on not complaining about the UP part of the hike (this time).
- Letting the dog pull me up the last few yards.
- French fries and hot chocolate after a long hike in the rain.
- Having three different people tell me I give good advice (in the space of three days), and meaning it.
- Finding a thank you card I can send to men and women in a professional setting, and still look interesting. In a pack of 20.
- Popcorn with butter and yeast.
- Tea. Hot tea. With Elderberries in it.
- Peanut Sauce.
- A fluffy warm (DRY) new sweatshirt that was on sale and still looks and feels good.
- Planning to go back tomorrow and by a second one in a different color.
- A purring cat in my lap, batting at my fingers on the keyboard.
- Birthdays. Other people's birthdays. And having people to celebrate mine with.
- Finding out that turning 30 isn't nearly as scary as turning 29. Really. Three people have told me so.
- Having lots of people help you move your boxes and stuff from one house to another. Enough people that no one gets too tired, and it only takes one afternoon.
- Waterfalls. Especially on rainy days when there aren't too many other people using the trail you've taken.
- TigerBars.
- A well-fitted understory.
- Actually looking forward to what my 29th year will bring.
Thursday, May 24
About Joy
I've recently had reason to contemplate joy-- to think deeper than the next corny movie on my hit list, and ask myself what I am truly glad to have in my life. It's not a difficult answer.
The relationships. The good ones. Those people, places, and animals are the Joy of my life. It's very difficult to think about losing even one of them. I think that's why I've tried not to attend many funerals in my lifetime. I'd rather have my memories remain joyful. Not relegated to the past-- behind some horrid memory of black clothes and crying and lots of sniffing because NOBODY thinks to bring enough kleenex for the way your nose runs when you cry. I think life and the people in it are to be enjoyed.
So I decided that what I want to do right now is honor some of the joyful moments I've had in my life-- and thought to capture with a digital camera-- by posting random photos. I know not everyone wants their picture up here, and I know I'm not going to upload EVERY joyous moment I have on film... but I thought it would be something important that I could be happy to review later on-- a commemoration of Joy. (By the way, some of my favorite cousins have 'Joy' for their middle name. I love that about them!)
And since I cannot NOT figure out the formatting of the photos, they are in VERY random order. Sigh.
The relationships. The good ones. Those people, places, and animals are the Joy of my life. It's very difficult to think about losing even one of them. I think that's why I've tried not to attend many funerals in my lifetime. I'd rather have my memories remain joyful. Not relegated to the past-- behind some horrid memory of black clothes and crying and lots of sniffing because NOBODY thinks to bring enough kleenex for the way your nose runs when you cry. I think life and the people in it are to be enjoyed.
So I decided that what I want to do right now is honor some of the joyful moments I've had in my life-- and thought to capture with a digital camera-- by posting random photos. I know not everyone wants their picture up here, and I know I'm not going to upload EVERY joyous moment I have on film... but I thought it would be something important that I could be happy to review later on-- a commemoration of Joy. (By the way, some of my favorite cousins have 'Joy' for their middle name. I love that about them!)
And since I cannot NOT figure out the formatting of the photos, they are in VERY random order. Sigh.
Saturday, January 6
Unaskables
Had a great talk with my best friend today. We stay in closer contact now that we live across the country from each other than we did when we attended the same school... at least in some ways. On the other hand, nothing will ever replace my memories of us going to the grocery store at 10:45pm and frantically picking the bananas out of a giant bin of nerd candy, trying to get a good-sized bag of them before the store closed at 11pm. We actually did this bizarre ritual more than once. And I highly doubt that anyone else would ever stand in the frozen food section of that same grocery store with me after studying for finals all weekend... laughing uproariously at the lima beans.
We ended up talking about how we're getting together at a Library Conference later this year... and what we each needed to know about each other's group of librarian friends, but would not be able to ask. It made me start thinking about all the things you can talk openly about with a good friend... but that would probably make you turn three shades of purple and say "um.. ff-ut--uff...mmm" a lot before you hopelessly affronted the person you tried to discuss it with OUTSIDE your friend group. Especially if you guessed wrong. At least... I think it would be that way. Sometimes you get lucky with strangers, too...
Things like "What is your sexual preference? Does your boss know?"
and
"Do you have an incurable disease?"
and
"Do you practice a Pagan Religion?"
and
"Do you get easily offended? Because you just said the dumbest thing!"
and
"I hate dogs." (Really- nobody would ever speak to you again after THAT!)
and
"Have you ever noticed how funny frozen vegetables can be?"
and
"Do you actually like the fruit-flavored condogms?"
and
"Did you go to school past high school?"
and
"Did you see that movie, Dude, Where's My Car? My favorite scene was..." (I spend a lot of time with intellectuals. We don't admit to watching corny movies with fake-looking aliens.. oh, except the Trekkies... that's different. That's a cult.)
and
"What the heck difference is there between watching dumb fake-looking aliens and watching STAR TREK, anyway??"
and
"So... how many divorces have you had?"
and
"Do you actually LIKE your mom? Because I..."
You get the picture. You probably have more topics to add to the list, too. All those questions that really help you understand and interact the people around you at a much deeper and more respectful level... but that society says you really can't talk about directly with strangers. And, specifically, that people SHOULD BE offended if you DID ask them, because somehow these things are supposed to be shameful. Isn't it sad? They are just part of living and getting through life as we know it... and often these same experiences have greatly enriched our lives and our understandings in surprising ways. For example, I have often noticed that the people who knew what they wanted to do with their lives, and just went out and DID it are often more knowledgeable and easier to learn the job from than the people who had to go out and get a bunch of degrees first.
It's an interesting topic. At least, I think it is. If it wasn't, I wouldn't be writing this. And I am constantly surprised by the people I bump into-- which ones can discuss these questions comfortably and which ones turn and run the other way. I don't have an answer yet, either. So, if you DO... let me know. DO the green ones have more fun? What kind of fun do you think they have? I mean, really. Think about it. They only melt in your mouth, and that's still illegal in several states. How much fun can they be having, and why does the color of their shells matter? In our enlightened age, it's supposed to be what's INSIDE that counts... and how you use it, of course.
We ended up talking about how we're getting together at a Library Conference later this year... and what we each needed to know about each other's group of librarian friends, but would not be able to ask. It made me start thinking about all the things you can talk openly about with a good friend... but that would probably make you turn three shades of purple and say "um.. ff-ut--uff...mmm" a lot before you hopelessly affronted the person you tried to discuss it with OUTSIDE your friend group. Especially if you guessed wrong. At least... I think it would be that way. Sometimes you get lucky with strangers, too...
Things like "What is your sexual preference? Does your boss know?"
and
"Do you have an incurable disease?"
and
"Do you practice a Pagan Religion?"
and
"Do you get easily offended? Because you just said the dumbest thing!"
and
"I hate dogs." (Really- nobody would ever speak to you again after THAT!)
and
"Have you ever noticed how funny frozen vegetables can be?"
and
"Do you actually like the fruit-flavored condogms?"
and
"Did you go to school past high school?"
and
"Did you see that movie, Dude, Where's My Car? My favorite scene was..." (I spend a lot of time with intellectuals. We don't admit to watching corny movies with fake-looking aliens.. oh, except the Trekkies... that's different. That's a cult.)
and
"What the heck difference is there between watching dumb fake-looking aliens and watching STAR TREK, anyway??"
and
"So... how many divorces have you had?"
and
"Do you actually LIKE your mom? Because I..."
You get the picture. You probably have more topics to add to the list, too. All those questions that really help you understand and interact the people around you at a much deeper and more respectful level... but that society says you really can't talk about directly with strangers. And, specifically, that people SHOULD BE offended if you DID ask them, because somehow these things are supposed to be shameful. Isn't it sad? They are just part of living and getting through life as we know it... and often these same experiences have greatly enriched our lives and our understandings in surprising ways. For example, I have often noticed that the people who knew what they wanted to do with their lives, and just went out and DID it are often more knowledgeable and easier to learn the job from than the people who had to go out and get a bunch of degrees first.
It's an interesting topic. At least, I think it is. If it wasn't, I wouldn't be writing this. And I am constantly surprised by the people I bump into-- which ones can discuss these questions comfortably and which ones turn and run the other way. I don't have an answer yet, either. So, if you DO... let me know. DO the green ones have more fun? What kind of fun do you think they have? I mean, really. Think about it. They only melt in your mouth, and that's still illegal in several states. How much fun can they be having, and why does the color of their shells matter? In our enlightened age, it's supposed to be what's INSIDE that counts... and how you use it, of course.
Sunday, December 3
Not Really
Bear with me. I don't always spell things correctly, and I'm not really sure what I'll write in a blog, though my original idea started with this:
"Catta-what? ooh-- I could title each entry with a new word! One could be catta-dict (for how much I like cats), and one could be catta-tonic (about how tired I'll be after this round of finals), and one could be catta-clysmic (for one of the many ridiculous situations my car and I will probably survive in the near future), and one could be catta-racts (for how blind I am without my glasses, and what happened because...), and one could be catta-log (of complaints? of advice? of websites?), and ..."
It was just an idea. Now I'm more interested in making you laugh.
Yes. I like cats-- and some dogs, and even babies, as long as I can give them back after an hour or so. Small drooly soft beings that require us to buy extra equipment for their beds and their car rides and their potty habits and their teeth and their entertainment and their delicate tummies and their need for exercise. I used to be afraid of dogs-- especially big dogs with long tongues. Its really disconcerting to walk up to a friend's house and find that you are the exact height of the dog's tongue (I was five), and he ain't afraid to use it! I was glad to get taller then that. Then I learned that big dogs can rear up on their hind legs, so that they are STILL the exact height of your face-- and if they weigh more than you when they rear up... Its actually more difficult to get away from a dog when it is above you than when it is beside you. I was afraid of dogs because I knew there was no escaping them. Then I was left alone with an 85-pound pitbull mix for a year (I was 25). I was responsible for her physical health, her mental well-being, for cleaning up before and after her, and for keeping her from licking any unsuspecting children. I... was... responsible. I am not really afraid of dogs, their tongues, or their potty habits anymore. There are even specific dogs that I really enjoy. But I like cats.
(Hi, Aussie-- I know you are reading this, and yes- you are one of the dogs I enjoy.) Aussie is very smart. She knows three languages, if you include "Dog." But she's not mine to brag about.
And yes- I'm going to school right now. Graduate School. Its the All-American pastime, and those of us who chose this route do it because we really HOPE it will eventually lead to a job with high enough pay to counteract all the debt we incurred to qualify for the job. I love going to school, but I do often wonder if those people who skip school and earn their qualifications through hands-on experience and basic know-how don't have the smarter career plan. These are the people who will eventually train me to actually do the work my future job requires.
And yes- I own a car. Its been through a lot with me. Five moves. An 85-pound dog. Blinding snow storms that only existed in the five miles around my house, so I still had to go to work. Several different tastes in bumper stickers. A random five-car pile-up that happened on a 25-mph road, squarely in front of a busy emergency room at a major hospital, and everybody refused to ride in the ambulance that the police officer HAD to call anyway. (I was not at fault. Of course, nobody else felt that they were at fault either.) Like I said-- we've been through a lot together.
And so... I leave you.
(I've recently watched the movie, "Much Ado About Nothing," from MGM in 1993. If you've recently watched the movie, this ending may make sense. If not... then sigh no more, and let it go. Passion, love, hate, humor, rumor, sheeps guts, premarital sex, marriage, war, murder, Keanu Reeves, Michael Keaton, and Denzel Washington all in the same movie-- you'd probably find it boring anyway.)
"Catta-what? ooh-- I could title each entry with a new word! One could be catta-dict (for how much I like cats), and one could be catta-tonic (about how tired I'll be after this round of finals), and one could be catta-clysmic (for one of the many ridiculous situations my car and I will probably survive in the near future), and one could be catta-racts (for how blind I am without my glasses, and what happened because...), and one could be catta-log (of complaints? of advice? of websites?), and ..."
It was just an idea. Now I'm more interested in making you laugh.
Yes. I like cats-- and some dogs, and even babies, as long as I can give them back after an hour or so. Small drooly soft beings that require us to buy extra equipment for their beds and their car rides and their potty habits and their teeth and their entertainment and their delicate tummies and their need for exercise. I used to be afraid of dogs-- especially big dogs with long tongues. Its really disconcerting to walk up to a friend's house and find that you are the exact height of the dog's tongue (I was five), and he ain't afraid to use it! I was glad to get taller then that. Then I learned that big dogs can rear up on their hind legs, so that they are STILL the exact height of your face-- and if they weigh more than you when they rear up... Its actually more difficult to get away from a dog when it is above you than when it is beside you. I was afraid of dogs because I knew there was no escaping them. Then I was left alone with an 85-pound pitbull mix for a year (I was 25). I was responsible for her physical health, her mental well-being, for cleaning up before and after her, and for keeping her from licking any unsuspecting children. I... was... responsible. I am not really afraid of dogs, their tongues, or their potty habits anymore. There are even specific dogs that I really enjoy. But I like cats.
(Hi, Aussie-- I know you are reading this, and yes- you are one of the dogs I enjoy.) Aussie is very smart. She knows three languages, if you include "Dog." But she's not mine to brag about.
And yes- I'm going to school right now. Graduate School. Its the All-American pastime, and those of us who chose this route do it because we really HOPE it will eventually lead to a job with high enough pay to counteract all the debt we incurred to qualify for the job. I love going to school, but I do often wonder if those people who skip school and earn their qualifications through hands-on experience and basic know-how don't have the smarter career plan. These are the people who will eventually train me to actually do the work my future job requires.
And yes- I own a car. Its been through a lot with me. Five moves. An 85-pound dog. Blinding snow storms that only existed in the five miles around my house, so I still had to go to work. Several different tastes in bumper stickers. A random five-car pile-up that happened on a 25-mph road, squarely in front of a busy emergency room at a major hospital, and everybody refused to ride in the ambulance that the police officer HAD to call anyway. (I was not at fault. Of course, nobody else felt that they were at fault either.) Like I said-- we've been through a lot together.
And so... I leave you.
(I've recently watched the movie, "Much Ado About Nothing," from MGM in 1993. If you've recently watched the movie, this ending may make sense. If not... then sigh no more, and let it go. Passion, love, hate, humor, rumor, sheeps guts, premarital sex, marriage, war, murder, Keanu Reeves, Michael Keaton, and Denzel Washington all in the same movie-- you'd probably find it boring anyway.)
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