Social Media Paranoia

Is it odd that I never check Facebook while I'm logged into my email account because I'm afraid Facebook will hack into my email account if I'm signed in?

I would just stop using Facebook (one of these days Facebook, Starbucks, and Wal-Mart will combine forces to take over the world), seeing that I don't trust it, but it's the only way I stay in touch with some of my friends and relatives.

In other news, it's hot outside, y'all. It's really, really hot.

Incident Report, 6-6-2011: Noraebang, A Wasp, and Water

My friend MJ is moving. She went out of the country for the summer, and when she comes back, she’s moving across the country. I was fine with it at first because I didn’t really accept it. Then, the weekend before she left, we went to lunch with my family, and MJ mentioned I was taking her to the airport and we would say goodbye there. And that’s when it hit me. And I was really, really sad.

To help offset the sadness of MJ leaving, JLR and I packed in a lot of activities with her the few days before she left. One of our activities was to go back to the noraebang one more time, since we enjoy it so much. JLR and I surprised MJ with a song in Korean that we had worked really hard to learn ahead of time (okay, JLR worked hard to learn it), and MJ seemed quite touched. We found plenty of songs we all liked, we were getting great scores, which none of us thought we really deserved, and everything was going so well, it seemed as though the universe wanted to make sure we had a good time at the noraebang before MJ left.

There was just one thing wrong with the evening: the videos. Have y’all been to a noraebang in the States? And if so, may I ask what the videos are like?

If case you haven’t been to a noraebang, allow me to provide a brief description. Essentially, it’s a karaoke place. But instead of having to sing in front of strangers, you and your friends get your own room (“noraebang” translates to “song room”). You can order food and drinks, and it’s a lot of fun. Except…jim-i-neeee, the videos. While the song is playing and the words roll across the screen, they play videos, but the videos are not for the song you’re singing. And my word, are they ever depressing. In the course of a 2 or 3 hour stay at the noraebang, only one or two of the videos are not depressing. And by “depressing,” I mean they depict loss and betrayal, and many, many of them are about loved ones dying in tragic ways. I hate to admit it, but by the end of this last trip to the noraebang, it was hard not to feel really down. And not just because MJ was leaving.

Also, there was a wasp in the car with me for part of the drive home from work today. A WASP! IN THE CAR! A WASP IN THE CAR! WASP IN THE CAR! ON *MY* SIDE OF THE CAR! I hope the all caps adequately portray how upset I was.

And I spilled water on myself at work today while trying to drink from a spill-proof cup. Sadly, I couldn’t figure out how to open the spill-proof top, so I removed the top and promptly spilled on myself.

Other than that, everything is okay.

On dealing with big companies

I don't like The Phone Company. I appreciate that they provide my phone service, but apparently they don't provide any other kind of service, and in particular they don't provide good customer service. My phone line isn't working, so two weeks ago, I filled out a report on the company's website. Online seemed better for reporting a problem because I knew if I called, I would sit on hold for a long time, and the problem might still go unresolved (see link below concerning previous experience). The website popped up a message saying that the line would be reset by 7 PM the following Saturday. I knew this was not true, as the problem had to be fixed at the network interface thing inside my house, and no one from the phone company had proposed a visit. Previous experience with this same issue let me know this is not something to be fixed remotely. Sure enough, Saturday came and went, and the phone line still is not working. Sure wish I could remember to call The Phone Company. Maybe reporting it over the phone would encourage them to come out and fix it after all. Maybe. But previous experience also tells me that The Phone Company doesn't respond well to phone calls, either.

Also, I'm sending some student loan-related paper work to A Large Bank. My online login security image looks, to me, like a side of bacon. I'm not sure what they're trying to say about me. Anyway, they asked me to send a copy of my most recent W-2 and a pay stub. I scanned and emailed a pay stub but couldn't find where I'd put my W-2, so in the body of the email I said that I would send the W-2 the next day. In reply, I received an email message saying I needed to send a W-2. Yes, I know, I said to the computer. I told you that yesterday. I started to replay "Dear nitwits, attached to this message is the W-2 I told you yesterday I would send today." But I figured that might make the Large Bank mad, and they might mess with the student loans. So I sent the W-2 with no attachment.

I spilled coffee in the hallway at work today. It was a mild spill, no damage to clothing or flooring. But I did manage get something non-coffee on my pants, don't know what. And last week I knocked over my coffee cup with the phone cord. It's what I get for using a disposable cup.

Lately and Other Things

So, my grandfather passed away on Tuesday night. We found out about it last night. We tend to have delayed emotional reactions in my family, so I'm fine right now, but I know later (maybe in a few months, maybe next year), I'll be really, really sad and will grieve then. In the meantime, there is my family to deal with. We're not ones for communicating well with each other, and in fact, I'm almost surprised we already know Grandpa passed away.

I went to the grocery store last night to buy allergy-safe food for the road trip to the funeral. I'm in the process of filling up my ipod (thanks again, Deals!) so that I don't have to listen to my family members in the car. We love each other and usually get along very well, but on a road trip, we turn on each other (see this description from ImpatientChicken).

In other news, I am taking a tai chi class with JLR and our friend MJ. Last Monday, I was waiting for JLR at the entrance to the gardens where the class is held, and the instructor happened by. He made the mistake of saying hello. I started talking. Five, maybe ten minutes later, I saw his eyes make a very familiar motion. They made that surreptitious sideways glance that says "I want to be in *there* (eyes pointing in the direction of where the person wants to be), but I'm stuck out here because that person won't stop talking (eyes looking at the person--me--who won't stop talking)." And then I tried to figure out a way to turn off the verbal faucet, but I'm not good at that sort of thing. And then, praise God, one of our classmates walked up, and we had someone else to talk to (with whom to talk).

That's all for now. I'm signing off to go pack for the road trip.

I spent a lot of time last night saying, "I can't believe I'm *that* stupid."

Last night, in a moment of sheer genius, I forgot I was allergic to tomatoes. No, actually, that's not true. I forgot that barbecue sauce is made with tomatoes and that I am therefore also allergic to barbecue sauce.

Took an antihistamine, probably no real harm done on the EE side, but still! I can't believe I'm that stupid.

In other news, I love kabocha squash. Come to think of it, that's not really "news," since it isn't new information. So I will amend my statement to say, On a different topic, I love kabocha squash.

Song in My Head

JLR posted the other day about songs that get stuck in her head. It made me think of the songs that get stuck in my head on a regular basis, and then I decided to share them with you. They are: Good King Wenceslas (not just at Christmas!) and The Night They Invented Champagne. Go figure.

So, the other day, I accidentally sprayed vinegar in my hair just as I was about to leave for work. Needless to say, I was a bit late that day.

Those of you who know me know I loved Veronica Mars and Pushing Daisies and Life, and how mad I was when Life was cancelled (I think it was the last of the three to go), and I pretty much swore off network television after that. But the other day something made me think about other television shows I wish had stuck around longer, and do you know what show I miss right now? This one.

It's plain as it can be, they thought of you and me....

Ack! That song is still stuck in my head.

Mmmmmmm, mochi.

Um...can you tell I'm procrastinating? I guess I should get back to work.

Incident Report, 2.21.2011

Today's post isn't so much an incident report as it is a Fatcident Report. I ate way too much. I started off the day with homemade cinnamon rolls with cream cheese frosting. JLR and I made these last evening based on a recipe for cinnamon bread. We made 6 rolls and then a mini-bundt cake loaf with the rest. We each had two rolls last night and then ate the rest today, so I pretty much had half a loaf of bread (with frosting) for breakfast. And then for lunch, I was not hungry, but I still had half a cup (?) of rice, half a piece of mackerel, and a whole lot of greens. And *then* I wasn't hungry for dinner, but since I was meeting a friend for sushi, I ate dinner anyway. And then when I got home, I had some yaksik. Just because it was there. And now I sit here typing with my jeans unbuttoned because my stomach is uncomfortably full.

*Sigh.*

In other news...there is no other news. So here are some incidents from a couple of weeks back:

The weather has been rather icky lately. The past few days have been lovely (ah, mid-February, I love your 70-degree wonderfulness), but the early part of the month? Not good. On Tuesday of one particular week, weather conditions were bad enough that many cities in this metro area were closed for business, but not the one that employs me, so I had to go in to work on the icy roads that had not yet been sanded. It was scary. And I got to the office only to discover that half the building had decided to stay home from work. Folks, I cannot express to you how angry I was. All the employees in my department, which provides no emergency services whatsoever, felt pressured to come in, but the other departments were allowed to stay home? So. not. happy.

Anyhow, I tell you about the bad weather to lead up to a series of incidents, to wit:

So the next day, roads were a bit better, but I was delaying going into work because my car door locks had frozen. George (my car) sleeps outside, you see, not in a garage. And the awful cold was just too much for him. I could put the key in the lock, but it would not turn. I marched the 50 or 60 feet back to the house, got a lighter, went back out to try to warm up my key and then maybe warm up the inside of the lock. Lighter wouldn't stay lit in the wind. Went back inside to get a different lighter, trudged back outside. This lighter fared marginally better, but still wouldn't work to unlock the doors. Back inside to figure out what to do, and JLR said I could take her car to work. Go to work in her car. JLR texts me later to tell me she managed to get the back passenger side door unlocked. After work, sit in car with engine running trying to warm up the car enough to unlock the doors. While car is running, I take a seat in the back. Close the only unlocked door to keep out the cold air. Realize door handle is broken on the inside, and I have just trapped myself in my car, since the other doors won't unlock. Call JLR on my cell phone and ask her to let me out. After a few minutes, press the unlock button repeatedly and manage to get the other doors unlocked.

The next day, JLR needed her car, so I had to take George to work, but not to worry! We had left my car unlocked the night before, so opening the doors wouldn't be a problem. Closing them, on the hand, was another matter. Went out to car in the morning to go to work, opened front passenger side door to drop purse, lunch bag, etc., in passenger seat, swing passenger door to, and passenger door will not close. Repeated attempts to close door, with no good result. Try warming the car up and then closing the door. Nothing. Go inside house, eat breakfast, text co-workers with "I'm late again because of my car" message, work on report due the next day. Go back out to car, finally get passenger door to close, but not without the driver's side door first failing to close on the first attempt, just to mock me, I think.

So that's the kind of week I was having. Then one day the next week, we decided to bake some things. We baked a loaf of bread, which requires a humid environment in the oven, so we did our usual trick of putting a glass baking dish with ice and water in the oven while we pre-heat, to add moisture. After the bread was done, we turned up the heat to 500 degrees for the pizza I was going to make. The oven was supposed to be at 500 for at least 30 minutes before we start baking the crust. After a little while, JLR comes downstairs and says "What's that burning smell?" I wonder if I've accidentally left something in the oven, open the door, and there's the glass baking dish, all dried out and angry. I carefully remove the baking dish. And that's when I did something extra stupid. I thought, 'Oh, that dish is too dry, it's going to be ruined, I need to put moisture in it.' So I poured in some water. From the tap. Some cold water from the tap. Despite having learned in elementary school that adding a cold liquid to a hot glass container is a bad, bad idea. And the baking dish broke into many pieces.

And that's when JLR and I did something even more stupid. We immediately reached down and started cleaning up the hot, hot pieces. And then stood up and ran our hands under cold water and put neosporin on our minor burns.

So it's been like that lately.

I think I misspelled a word in this post somewhere. Just so you know.

This is why I don't like going new places.

The other day, I discovered that near my office is a health foods store where I could buy gluten-free food. I've been driving past this place for nigh on two years and had no idea it was there. On the way back, I made a wrong turn down the street to back to the office, figured out I was going the wrong way, looped back, decide to go to The Starbucks to get a banana, turned the wrong way again, decided, oh forget it, who needs a banana, if I get desperate, I'll just eat my peanut butter by itself.

And this is why I don't like to go new places. But at least at this point in my life, I've reached an "I'll just wing it" attitude instead of my former "I'm absolutely terrified I'll get lost and never see anyone I know again" mental state.

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January, I'm Glad to See the Back of Ye

This January has not been my favorite month. In fact, it's about the worst few weeks in recent memory. Every week, I kept thinking it would get better, but instead every work day involved me crying on the way home because I was exhausted and couldn't see how there would be a time would I be not be exhausted. And the weekends were filled with chores and work and very little relaxation or fun. But January is over! And although February promises to be super busy as well, I'm cultivating an "I don't care what projects have to get dropped" attitude for work, and I think things will be better because of it. I'm not going to be rude or disrespectful, but things are just going to take longer to get done, and my co-workers and supervisors will have to accept it. I'm not going to work 10- or 12- or 14-hour days every work day and then a few hours on weekends, as well. I don't make enough money to pay someone to do my cooking and cleaning for me so that although I work a lot of hours, at least I don't also have to take time for chores.

In other news, I have no other news because I have no personal life. Well, that's not entirely true. I'm training to run a 5K in April. I'm excited about it.

Also, we're having a bit of warmer weather, and one of my plants is still alive.

Also, I have more food allergies now. Darn it. Or rather, I've had them for some time, but my body just recently realized it, I guess. But at least I'll feel better now that I'm avoiding those foods.

And I bought two new sports bras, so I feel all sporty and athletic. Still can't do more than one push up or run more than a mile, but at least I have the right clothing for working out.


So, the other night, my supervisor and I needed to make a site visit after an evening meeting, and he went out to warm up the city vehicle. I dashed out a minute later, and as I climbed into the vehicle, he laughed and said, "You're so cute." And I thought, 'Oh, great, not again.' You see, I recognized the tone of voice and the smile behind "You're so cute." It's not the "I would want to date you" smile or feeling. It's the same laugh or smile my dad gets when I do or say something that makes him think of me as still an 8-year-old. It's the same smile and tone of voice Hils uses when I say something, and then after a pause she says, "You're so pretty." I don't mind it, 'cause it's not as though they're suggesting I'm mentally deficient, but it is, as JLR puts it, the reason my mom suggested when I was looking for a place to live after college, that maybe the assisted living center would have a spot for me.

*Sigh.*

*

Coffee Desperation at Work Today

There I was, wandering down the hall shortly after 10 AM for my first cup of coffee of the day (first cup all day, y’all). I heard the sound of fast-moving footsteps behind me, turned, and saw my co-worker K. running down the hall in my direction.


“Why is she running?” I wondered. Then I thought, “Aw, she hasn’t seen me much today and is hurriedly coming to give me a hug while she’s on a break from her morning-long meeting.”


Then I noticed the head-down, determined look on her face...and the coffee cup clutched in her hand. And that’s when I realized she was trying to beat me to the break room to get the last cup of coffee in the pot.


Fortunately, I had a head start.

Nothing gets between me and the coffee!

Happy New Year, Everyone!

In celebration of the new year, here is a clip from The Hudsucker Proxy of Norville Barnes (played by Tim Robbins) having a bad New Year's Eve and trying to get a martini from a character played (very briefly) by Steve Buscemi. I'm posting it because it's my favorite Steve Buscemi role ever, and that's saying a lot, since I thought he was fantastic in 28 Days. He does such a great job as a beatnik.

(On a side note, Have Suitcase, Will Travel -- I miss you! If you were still active in the blog world, you'd leave a lovely beatnik/Clue-related comment).

Incident Report, 12-16-2010

Things have been incident-y lately. Well, sort of. Monday a week ago, here was my day:

1. Arrived at work about 10 minutes late.
2. Opened up email, and my calendar popped up a reminder that I had a doctor’s appoint in 15 minutes. Doctor’s office is 45 minutes away. Called to cancel doctor’s appointment.
3. Went downtown to pick up tax certificates to file a plat. Was told the tax certificates wouldn’t be ready that day and I would have to come back.
4. Went to Starbucks for a compensatory coffee and waited patiently, and then impatiently, while the barista flirted with a co-worker who was distracting her, causing her to first get my order wrong and then forget about my order completely. Eventually another barista thought to ask me what drink I was waiting for.
5. Couldn’t find car in parking garage. Went to three different levels before I found it, with poor, not-feeling-well JLR trudging along beside me.


Came down with a cold over the weekend. It made me miserable, but I had too much work to do to stay home (although I did leave work 30 minutes early this past Monday).

So around the day of the missed doctor’s appointment and lost car in the parking garage, I noticed a spot appear on my abdomen that looked to me like maybe it was a hive. I have limited experience with hives, and I chalked it up to stress since I’d been working late a lot and have had a pretty tough schedule at work lately. Then, a few days later, another one appeared. And then a third. All on different parts of my body. I looked up pictures of ringworm online, just to be safe, and it didn’t look like that’s what I had. Went back to thinking it was hives. Scheduled appointment with allergist. Talked to my mom on the phone two nights ago and described the problem to her. She said, “I’ve never known anyone to get just one hive at a time. Ever.” I’ve known people to get just one hive, but I guess people don’t usually get one and then another one a few days later.

Went to the allergist today. She peered at the spots, touched them, gave me a look, and said, “Yeah, that’s not hives.”

Apparently, I have a fungus.

Bother.

Startling Food Realization Today

Today, JLR and I realized we like candied ginger and ginger-flavored candy more than we like chocolate.

Very, very strange for us.

Stop. Talking. to. Yourself.

Do it. Your co-workers will thank you.


In other news, third graders from the local elementary school toured city hall today, and I welcomed them into my office, giant aerial map in hand, eager to talk about planning. The first question out of their mouths? They wanted to know why my office is so messy.

At least they didn't ask me how old I am or how much I'm paid, which is what two lucky co-workers were asked.

It's Not Pink Eye.

It's just irritated, that's all.

No need to worry.




*

Ginger Spit Ouch

Accidentally aspirated some ginger-filled spit today. Coughed, of course, as one does in such cases. It burns, y'all. It burns.


*

Recent chat with Impatientchicken

[13:49] bee: Yo.

[13:49] bee: What up?

[13:50] bee: Saw that you were logged in. I just logged in to see if I could catch [friend from grad school] for a minute. I don't know when he logs in, but it's never at the same time as me. Aaaanywho, just sayin' howdy.

[13:50] bee: Howdy!

[13:50] chicken: whadup!

[13:50] chicken: I have a korean question for you!

[13:52] bee: Lay it on me!

...[chicken asks, and bee answers]...

[13:59] bee: Hotdog, I could answer a question.

[13:59] bee: I feel good.

[14:00] chicken: It took me a minute to realize that you were saying "hotdog" as an exclamation.

[14:00] bee: Ha!

[14:00] bee: Hahahahahahahahahahah

[14:00] bee: It says "hotdog"

[14:00] bee: Trust me.

[14:00] chicken: :)

[14:01] chicken: Actually, it's better than that. FIRST I thought you were saying that she said hotdog.

[14:01] chicken: Then I thought you were using one of your famous nonsequitors. randomly saying "hotdog" (like maybe you wanted one?) and then, "I could answer a question," as in, if you have one, I could answer it. Then I thought maybe you meant, if you had a hotdog, you could answer a question.

[14:02] chicken: and THEN I figured out what you meant.

[14:02] chicken: So my thoughts were, "that does not say hotdog," (2) ???, and (3) I'm sorry you don't have a hotdog.

[14:03] chicken: And THEN I figured out that you had answered my question and were excited. But for a few minutes there, it was really interesting.

[14:03] chicken: well, seconds, not minutes.

[14:06] chicken: And also, for about a nanosecond, I wasn't sure that you weren't calling me a hotdog.

Why Are So Many People Against A-Few-Hours-Old Coffee?

Conversation with co-worker, as I walked into the office late this afternoon from the general direction of the break room:

Co-worker: [with suspicion] Are you drinking old coffee?
Me: It's not old. It's from today.
Co-worker: [pause] I made it late in the morning. I'll give you this one.

*

So Far This Morning

The alt + left arrow key feature on my computer isn't working this morning, and it really bothers me that I have to move my mouse all the way over to the back arrow on web browsers. We lazy people like our shortcuts.

But now it's been 30 minutes since taking my medication and it's finally time for breakfast! Wheeeeee!

All That Effort, and Nothing to Show for It.

Yesterday, I had a meeting at 10:00, and I figured I'd prepare for it in the morning when I got to work. I didn't have anything else on my calendar, so I mentally reserved the time between 8:00 and 10:00 for meeting prep. But not too long after I'd sat down at my desk, my boss came in and said, "I have a meeting at 9:30. Can you make a developer packet for me?" And I thought, "Oh, that's what I'm doing this morning." And the rest of the day went like that.

Today was our office health fair! We had the results of our fitness challenge. Although I didn't win the challenge, I did walk more than my supervisor, so he had to wear my school colors to the health fair. All that hard work was worth it...if only it had made some difference in my actual physical appearance. Still the same size. Still can't fit those clothes I bought on sale last month because they juuuuuuust managed to fit, before I gained a couple of pounds.

And then I found out that I came in 2nd place in the fitness challenge!

And then I had toffee for lunch.

In other news, nothing interesting in going on with me.

(But the good news is that the toffee was recently found in the office fridge by a co-worker. I'd forgotten all about it! Sweet! Don't worry, it was still good.)