No More No Whining Wednesday?

Hiya!  So, I started the whole No Whining Wednesday thing about 6 months ago and frankly, it lasted about 5 1/2 months longer than I thought it would.  The enthusiasm and participation has been WONDERFUL and greatly appreciated.  Seriously, I really can't begin to express how many times you guys have yanked me out of the Bitter Barn with your positive comments and how appreciative I am - thank you! 

That said, I think it's run its course and it may be time to try something else; a new day with some sort of alliteration and theme.  I, of course, have not actually spent any real time thinking about this, so I'm putting it out there for you.  What should be the next day/theme?  I'm open to all suggestions and I'm looking forward to your ideas!


I'll still continue to observe the spirit of No Whining Wednesday, on Facebook and in my fleshlife, and I absolutely encourage everyone else to keep it up if you're feeling it, but I'm also looking forward to a change.  I'm looking forward to a new challenge and I hope you are, too!

Happy No Whining Wednesday and lay your suggestions on me!

Quick and Dirty

Quick and dirty and short and sweet - I'll let you make your own joke.

Ok, so, even though Cindy's on vacation and isn't around to nag me about my blog, I feel obligated to post something anyway. 

It's like seconds away from being Wednesday, so I'm not really allowed to whine about how MEG keeps kicking my ass in Scrabble and making me wonder why I continue to play with her and I'm not really allowed to whine about how that boy's flight got canceled last weekend, so we didn't get to make the kissy faces at each other.  INSTEAD, I'm going to focus on how I WON a game of Scrabble (not against that damn Meg though!) and how that boy's flight got rescheduled for this weekend, so I'll get to make kissy faces in THREE days!

Yeah, so if I can just get through the next 3 days (AGAIN), things will be good. 

Here are a few more of those calendar things (holy BALLS, thank god for that damn calendar so I don't have to think!)

• Meatballs
• Barbie doll hair (Seriously, it says this)
• The smell of popcorn (Ok, but not the microwave kind.  Sometimes it smells VILE.)
• Whimsical toothbrushes (Is this a thing?)
• Having pizzazz (Oh man, I love that word!  Could you even have that word in Scrabble?)
• High ceilings (Unless you have to paint them)
• A hemidemisemiquaver note (Anyone?)
• Toasted and buttered English muffins (Mmmm, with blackberry jam!)

What's going on with YOU kiddos?  Do you have anything fun planned?  Are you looking forward to anything?   Do you have anything to add to the happy list above?

Happy No Whining Wednesday!

Extra Whinyless No Whining Wednesday

Today's No Whining Wednesday post is going to shock you!  You should probably make sure you're sitting down.  If you have a nervous condition or startle easily, you may not want to read this.  Are you ready?  Are you SURE?  Ok, don't say I didn't warn you...

Thirteen is being helpful and is only barely getting on my nerves.

I know, right??  None of you saw THAT coming, did you?  Me either!  I don't know if she changed medications or has just finally settled into the job and relaxed a bit or if I've finally gotten used to her, but I've noticed that the last few weeks (I don't know how long it's been - I have no concept of time) she really doesn't seem to bother me.  She asks questions still, but not stupid questions and she doesn't babble about Robert Pattinson or fucking Twilight, so there's a huge improvement right there.  Plus, you can ask her to do anything and she'll just do it.  It's awesome!  She doesn't question it or complain, she just does it.  It's so cool!  We're working on a giant, icky project our boss gave us and she whined a bit about how stupid it is (and she's not wrong!), but she buckled down and did it and didn't bug me once.  I'm gonna' give her a sticker tomorrow if she keeps up the SUPER attitude!

So, yeah, that's pretty noteworthy, right?  Hmm, what else is going on?  Not much.  Life in 2010 is pretty much like 2009.  I still have my Christmas tree up, which really shouldn't surprise anyone.  Um, what else?  I've been watching "The Wire" and it's good, but I'm not blown away.  Uhhhh, what else...

Oh , here's some more of those things to be happy about from that calendar:

• Picnics around the fireplace
• Using chopsticks
• Chocolate fondue
• Commonsense folk sayings
• Sea monkeys
• Pockets of tranquility (which I originally read as "tranquilizers" - I like mine better.)
• A terrific hair day
• Lyrics sung incorrectly
• A glassed-in sun porch (which I think some people call a "Florida Room" - how cute is *that*?)
• Short naps

What else?  Oh YEAH, that boy?  He's coming to visit me this weekend!  Hugegianthappyface!

What's going on with you?  Did you have a good New Year's Eve?  Has your 2010 been good so far?

Happy No Whining Wednesday!

Zoom, Zoom, Zoom!

Holy crap, this year has come to an end in a quick hurry!  Like all of a sudden.  It seems like the appropriate time to do an end-of-year post, but I don't really feel like it.  I'm not feeling introspective and I'm not making a bunch of resolutions, so it just doesn't really feel like that would be a good post to write or read. 

Instead, I would like to talk about how small my cat's head is.  Seriously, you guys, it's tiny.  She looks like a seal.  Big round body;  bitty, little head.  And then these giant eyes.  She sounds kind of creepy when I describe her like that, but she's really not, she's just terribly unfortunately proportioned.  She's actually cute.  Angie describes her as grand.  It's fitting.

Also, I would like to talk about what a fucking nutjob Sarina is.  I know this doesn't really come as a shock to anyone, but sometimes it just needs to be said.  Sometimes people might wonder if she's truly crazypants or if it's just an act - I'm here to tell you that girlfriend is beyond batshit.  Of course, I should also say that I love her more than anything else.  Well, not more than waffles, but a LOT.

Oh and not related to anything, I got a calendar for Christmas.  It's called "3,650 things to be happy about.", so you can all just pretty much COUNT on that shit getting sprinkled around the joint when I have nothing good for No Whining Wednesdays.  Here's an example of what EVERY page is like:

• an owl hooting
• milk with your meal
• an unexpected job offer
• the patience to untangle a knot
• finger painting
• helping out a neighbor
• the vocabulary of pasta shapes
• conserving electricity
• stories behind photographs
• relishing the preparations

So, there's that.  I don't know that those things make me *happy*, but they don't make me *sad*, so I'm going to go with it. 

In case you haven't figured it out yet, I'm just babbling at this point and I have no idea how to finish this, so I'm just going to wish you all a happy No Whining Wednesday and ask if you have any big New Year's Eve plans or resolutions?

I Wasn't SLACKING, I Was BUSY!

 

 

So, there's this boy (although, maybe he would rather be called a man...)  Ok, so, there's this MAN and I'm maybe kinda' sorta' smitten with him and I *think* he's a little sweet on me, too.  Well, if he's not, he spends an awful damn lot of time on the phone with me when he could be doing ANYTHING else (seriously, y'all, contrary to what I'm SURE you're thinking, I am not really all that fascinating to talk to.  I know, shocking!).   He's SUPER smart and funny and sweet and I just really enjoy getting to know him.  My days are way more fun (and way less productive - sorry, boss!) and my nights are filled with entertaining conversations and lots of giggling.  Unfortunately, we don't live in the same place, so our time together is limited to gmail and the phone, but it's nice because we're actually having some good talks instead of just having the non-stop sex.  Please don't misunderstand, I'm not OPPOSED to the non-stop sex, but I'm also loving the extended foreplay of hearing his slight, little southern accent talk about my thiiighs...  Oh and also talking about politics, child-rearing, Oxford Commas, work, religion, and other hot-button topics on which we actually mostly agree (much to my surprise, frankly).

I'm not prepared to really talk about details, but I needed to say something, because I haven't had the flutterflies in a long time and it's awfully fun.  I forgot what it was like.

And now that I've rambled on and on, how are you?  Ready for Christmas?  Anything fun YOU want to talk about?

Happy No Whining Wednesday (late, but it's 11:59, so still totally counts) and a very Merry Christmas to you and yours!

Little Things That Make Others Smile

Last week I asked you all to list little things that make you smile and I sat here grinning like a fool reading them all - thank you!  So, today's post started because of a conversation Cindy and I had on a Facebook comment.  Today, I'm offering up a challenge - what little thing can you do to make someone else smile?

Nothing major or insincere, but if you feel like playing, try to compliment someone today.  The lady in Accounting who always smiles when you see her or that guy who sits in the corner of the lunchroom by himself, or the cashier at Target or the counterperson at Chick-Fil-A (true story, the guy who rang up my order last week at Chick-Fil-A told me I had really pretty nails. I was kind of surprised because I don't do anything to them; I just let them grow and keep them fairly even, but his off-hand comment brightened my little day a tidge).   When you think about it, how often do YOU get a sincere compliment from a co-worker or stranger?  Does it make your day a bit better or am I that easily amused?

Anyway, you can share it in the comments here or you can keep it to yourself or hell, you don't even have to do it if it seems disengenous.  I'm judging our company's Cubicle Decorating Contest this morning, so since I'm going to be all over the building and talking to employees I don't usually interact with, I'm going to try to notice little things and make a point to mention them.  Who knows, maybe they'll just think I'm weirder than they thought, but maybe it'll make one person's day.  Maybe it'll make MY day?

Happy No Whining Wednesday!!

Little Things That Make Me Smile

(From Passive Aggressive Notes - I have no idea why they don't exist on Wednesdays, but it makes me smile!)

• Watching my big piggycat chase after the laser pointer and listening to her purr while she's playing.
• Listening to (and maybe chair dancing to) the songs from "Glee" in my office.
• Blueberry sorbet mixed with lemon gelato or (it is surprisingly tasty) chocolate gelato.
• Turning on my Christmas tree lights.
• The #1 search that brings folks here is, "what's the opposite of exciting?"
  
• Diet Barq's root beer.
  
• Singing the "lalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalala" part of Lily Allen's "Smile".
• Misery Night
• My cinnamon chai candle with the wooden wick that sounds like a crackling fire.
• Fuzzy socks.
• DOODLEBOBBERS!
  
• Laying my jammies on the radiator while I shower & then putting on toasty jammies.
• Toast and jam.
  
• Hilarious texts and emails from Sarina.
• My new Miche purse with its 6 different covers (or as Sarina calls them, "purse pants").
• Pineapple.
• My Jersey Shore nickname is L-Scream.  Awesome.
  
• Snooze alarm dreams.
• You fuckers.

What are 2 of yours?  Or 5... or however many you want...

Happy No Whining Wednesday!!

No Whining Wednesday

So, yeah, um I have nothing to write about, so instead I'm going to post a picture of my Christmas Tree.  I haven't had a Christmas tree since I was 12, so I had no ornaments for it.  I spent an assload of money at the Target (which, I'm not even lying when I say that I should NOT be allowed to visit Target without a chaperone) and bought festive decorations and lights and I picked a theme!  I went with silver and teal and I like it.  The silver stands out way more than the teal does, but I like the little pops of color from the blue.  For a first timer, I think I did an ok job.  LOOK!

Yeah, that's it.  I got nothing.  I am SOO sleepy that my wee eyes are closing on me and it's taking everything I have to sit semi-upright to type this.  In fact, I'm actually typing this with my eyes closed because they hurt.  I'm very old.   Seriously, so sleepyyyyyyyyyyyyy.
 
Do you guys have anything good to talk about?  I know Miss Lizzie's taking the GRE today and I know she's going to knock it out of the park!  I know Ms. jamiepants's Saints (who dat?) are whuppin' all the other teams in the NFL and she is LOVIN' it!  I know mr. gp has some fun stuff going on that makes him all giddy and bouncy, which makes *me* giddy and bouncy (but not TOO bouncy, because I have the PMS and my bewbs hurt like a motherfucker right now.  Oh, hi, welcome to my overshare).   I also happen to know another handsome gentleman who has some fun stuff going on...hmmm, coincidence??

Here's what I have to look forward to:  New episode of "Glee!", the jammies that I ordered should be arriving Thursday (seriously, this is the SLOWEST online order ever!), I have Friday off, so I have a 3-day weekend in which to lounge in the aforementioned jammiepants, "Better Off Ted" Season 1 dvds are on their way to my house RIGHT NOW (I really can't explain why I'm SO excited about that, I just am.)  What else?  Tell me your good stuff so I can look forward to that, too!

The Pilgrims DIED So You Could Eat Sweet Potatoes!

My grandma actually said that to my cousin one Thanksgiving when we were little.  We've never forgotten it and it's become a holiday greeting at my family's house.

I was going to try to write up something nice and/or funny, but then I dicked around and went to the grocery store and put gas in my car and talked on the phone and made a grilled cheese sandwich (you're totally right, AvB - a LOT of work!) and then made some pumpkin dip, checked my work email (because I am DUMB and never learn), took a shower, picked out something to wear to work, packed my lunch, patted myself on the back for doing all of these things, and now I'm too tired.  So, I'm going to make YOU do the work for me (this is also how I get through most of my work days, but no one has figured it out yet - YAY for me!)

Thanksgiving (US Thanksgiving, the *real* Thanksgiving, not like that Canadianastukian "holiday") is Thursday - what are you most looking forward to about the holiday or the weekend?  For you Canadatians, pretend it's a month ago, what was your favorite thing about it?

For me, it's getting 4 days off.  The food and family part doesn't really interest me all that much, but the 4 days off is exactly what I need right now and I'm just so THANKFUL (see what I did there) that I can sleep in and lounge about and just be not at work!

Your turn! 

Sometimes Laziness DOES Pay!

First - Everything about Paheeba Day was incredible!  Thank you, you amazing, delightful, lovely ladies of Pajiba!  Thanks for all of your planning and writing and editing and Photoshopping and general awesomeness.  I feel privileged to be among your members.

 

Second - I was a giant, whiny baby on Monday.  GIANT.  So giant, in fact, that I actually *cried* in front of my boss.  My boss and I are also friends, so this isn't as tragic as it could have been, but still - come ON, we mock people who cry at work!  In the past couple of months, 7 of my friends have entered into relationships (some with each other, which is just about the cutest thing EVER) and I'm definitely happy for them.  However, my stupid girl-self also spent some time in the Bitter Barn feeling sorry for myself and lamenting my lack of a love life.  On Monday morning, my boss greeted me and said, "Hey, you look sad; what's up?" and then you know how when someone's nice to you it just makes you cry like a girl?  Yeah, so that happened.  At the end of my little Pity Party, she said, "I know you know this.  I KNOW you know this, but Lainey, no one's just gonna' just show up & knock on your door.  You have to get out there and make yourself available to meet people.  It's not just going to happen by sitting in your jammie pants and watching teevee."

 

Oh realllllllly?

 

So, Angel-ica sends me a text Monday afternoon, "Hey, would you be interested in going out with a 28-year-old guy"?  WhutWhut? 

 

I wrote her back and we played text tag for a few minutes until I got irritated as crap with that (GOD, I hate extended texting, unless it's of the dirty, sessy variety) and called her.  Her husband, M, works with a guy who said to him, "I'd just like to meet a nice, funny, cute, kinda' nerdy girl who's independent, kind of a homebody, has some meat on her bones and a brain in her head." and M exclaimed, "I KNOW THAT GIRL!" I told Angie that I'm not a nerd though and then she laughed and laughed...

 

Angie said that her husband was SO excited that he'd actually already emailed my picture to the boy and they were planning our first meeting/date.  I *jokingly* asked if he would mind if I showed up in my jammiepants and Angie shrieked, "Ohmygod, yes!  Yes, let's do that!"  So now, the 4 of us are going to get together at the boy's house, in our jammies, and watch movies, eat Mexican take-out, and play with the Wii.  I think it sounds like a lot of fun and even if it's not a love connection, it'll be good to have some interaction with a guy who isn't my dad or the janitor at my office.

 

Also, the fact that I get to keep saying to my boss, "Neener, neener, neener - enjoy working hard while I sit on my ass and do nothing!" has not grown old.

Third - Speaking of sitting on my ass and doing nothing - evidently that pays off at work, too!  I got a promotion (well, technically I got a better title & more vacation time) and a raise today.  Cool, right?  I'm sure this will come back to bite me in the ass as it can really only mean that more work is coming and they're trying to butter me up to do it.  Whatevs.  Not like I was doing anything anyway.

Fourth - I started Weight Watchers again a couple of weeks ago. I've lost 5 pounds and while I'm aware that it isn't much, at least the scale is going down instead of up for the first time in a really long time.  I'm freaking STARVING every afternoon around 4:30, so I need to find a way to deal with that, but otherwise, I'm doing pretty well and it's kind of fun to treat my daily points allotment as a scavenger hunt.  Now I just need to get off my lazy ass and throw some exercise into the mix.  Baby steps, baby steps...

Fifth - I tagged this with "waking up with things in your mouth" because it makes me laugh.

Sixth - I have to go to an Employment Law Review all afternoon on Friday, BUT, I get to go with my boss to Red Robin for lunch and I have been saving my extra Weight Watchers points this week so I can have a burger, fries and freckled lemonade.  I'm way more excited about this than I should be.

Seventh - After this Friday, I will not be required to wear pants on Fridays until next January!  Yeah, bitchez!  Between Thanksgiving and New Years, I will have every Friday off work.  Suh-fricken-weet!

Eighth - I don't have an eighth.

Ninth - My pajama date means I get to go shopping for new jammie pants - YAY for new jammie pants that actually serve a purpose for once!

Tenth - What do you squirrellybutts have going on this week?

Best No Whining Wednesday Ever!

We'll return to your regularly scheduled random blatherings tomorrow.  Today, it's all about Paheeba Day.  Enjoy!

Umm, Hey There Wednesday...

Noooo, I totally didn't forget you!  How could you think such a thing?

(Pssst, you guys, I totally forgot about Wednesday!)

I didn't write up anything last night, like I normally do, and I will be going out after work to meet up with the HR ladies, so I won't be able to do it later.  So, yeah, um, I'm at work, not having Veteran's Day off, because my company *obviously* hates America and trying to write a blog post while I'm trying to pretend to do work and not get fired, so you guys are kind of on your own today.  Talk amongst yourselves. 

Here are a few good things going on with me, so there's NO whining from this lady today!

• I made a giant pot of chili, so I have leftovers for days - awesome!  I also made a spaghetti squish, so that'll feed me with chicken or with vegetables or in Chinese food or just a bowl of squish!  I don't remember if I posted it here or if it was on Facebook, but I told Cindy to nuke the spaghetti squash for a few minutes to make it easier to cut - yeah, don't do that.  I've done it that way a couple of times and it makes it kinda' mushy/slimyish.  I recommend doing it the old fashioned way and risking loss of fingers and/or hands by trying to cut the damn, hard thing. It'll make you appreciate it more if you have to bleed work for it.  This is one time the internet wasn't helpful for me.
  

•  GLEE! is back on tonight!  Oh Finn and Puck, how I love your pretty faces and voices.  Glee, glee, glee, GLEE!!!
  

•  Every time I walk by my living room I see the beautiful, fuzzy, warm blanket (infused with LOVE) that Sarina made 'specially for me and it makes me all gooey and happy & I have to stop and pet it.  For real, you guys, I don't know if you understand how much this blanket means to me.  Sarina does NOT enjoy working and she did actual WORK on this blanket.  I loves it!
  

•  And finally, one of my employees has to get rabies shots because a raccoon sneaked into her house through the roof and she woke up with its PAW IN HER MOUTH!!!  So, I think that all things considered, I have nothing to complain about and frankly, neither do any of you unless YOU woke up with a raccoon's PAW IN YOUR MOUTH!

So, other than that whole raccoon thing, what other good stuff do you guys have  going on?  Anything you're excited about or looking forward to?  Any stories about waking up with things in your mouth? 

Happy No Whining Wednesday!!

My Heart Is Filled With Glee...

And my head is filled with snot!  (No, you would not be wrong in thinking that I am klass-ay.)

Ok, so I've been Sicky McGee for the last week and I'm about tired of it.  But, that's not what this is about.  It's about how awesome my friends are.  I didn't go to work on Thursday or Friday and I was stressing HARD, because Thursday was the Employee Appreciation luncheon and I felt *awful* for leaving Dana alone to handle it all.  She took it amazingly well.  Way better than I would have, I'm sure.  In addition to being super nice to me about ditching her, she sent a care package home to me.  My lovely friend Angel-ica called me around 3:00 and asked if she could stop by after work to drop off something.  I said sure, because I was half asleep when she called and honestly, I would have agreed to a sack of angry badgers almost anything just to go back to dreamland where my throat & lungs weren't on fire.

She showed up with a GIANT care package from Dana of cheesy potatoes, chicken, a caramel apple, 3 cookies and a card.  Ang also brought me veg-e-table soup & french fries from my favorite fast food place, AND she brought me a cd she made with the songs from Glee!  It's so awesome to listen to Finn & Rachel sing their little hearts out to "Don't Stop Believing" and "No Air" and Mr. Shu and the Acafellas singing "Poison" (Never trust a big butt and a smile...)  As crappy as I've felt, I can't help but smile when I listen to it.  Also, the kid who plays Finn is 27 and therefore not a kid kid, so it's totally acceptable for me to have dirty, nasty, whorish thoughts about him....I'm just sayin'.

Friday, my neighbor Heather sent me a text asking if I was ok.  A few hours later she sent me another text telling me to check my door.  She hung a bag on my doorknob with Puffs w/ Lotion, Nyquil, Dayquil and Hall's cherry cough drops.  Aww, how sweet!  Then, about an hour after that my doorbell rang.  My boss sent me flowers to thank me for working on Employee Appreciation Week.  Nice, right?  Oh and so, remember how I said that only 11 employees would appreciate our efforts?  Well, I was wrong.  I got FOURTEEN emails saying thanks!  Ha.  Suck it...um, self!  And I would have been sad and sick if it weren't for my lovely (and weird) Pajiba/Facebook friends who kept me company while I was home and made me laugh.  Thanks, kids!

And this is completely not related to anything above, but it makes me enormously happy - my Denver Broncos are 6 and 0!! 

Ok, sorry, back to other non-sports stuff.  What do you kids have going on?  Fun stuff?  Happy stuff?  Are you planning any Halloweeny stuff?  I hope you're all well and have a happy No Whining Wednesday!

The World's Second Smallest Violin...

The world's smallest violin actually belongs to a co-worker.  She has a "bad" day, every day.  Seriously, how do you have a bad day every day?  If every day is bad, you're doing it wrong. 


All that aside, I'm about to bow the strings of my runner-up, wee violin.  Tomorrow is No Whining Wednesday and yet, all I can do is whine.  All I want to do is whine  Whining just sounds SO good right now.

I feel that I may be coming down with bronchitis.  I'm actually certain of it.  When I smoked, I used to get it every year and it suh-hucked!  Since I quit, almost 3 years ago, I haven't gotten sick, but I recognize that burn in my chest;   that scratchy burn in my throat that spreads down to my lungs.  Ugh.  So, yeah, not that there's ever really a good time to get sick, but now is the opposite of a good time. 

 - Job Fair with Stupid Thirteen (I've expanded her name) all day on Wednesday.  I have to talk to people and smile and be friendly.  I have to coax people to talk and I have to talk loudly over the din of the crowded room.  Army Douche better not be there, that's all I'm gonna' say about that.

 - After the job fair, I'm meeting with the HR ladies I befriended.  We've already postponed our get-together twice now, so I'd feel really sucky if I had to reschedule it again, but the idea of talking to job seekers and Stupid Thirteen all day and then going out to talk about work for another couple of hours just fills me with dread.

- Thursday we're bringing in lunch and serving it to our staff as part of Employee Appreciation Week.  I just don't think my hacking and throat clearing is going to be appetizing for 300+ employees trying to eat their food.

 - The Vice President offered my services to one of the Vice Presidents in the Denver office (because he doesn't have an assistant  - I don't know why, I only know that he should have one) to help him edit his budget presentation.  I helped our VP with his and I'm certain it's karma's way of teaching me a lesson because, you guys, I totally gloated about red-lining his presentation on Facebook.  Now, I'm paying for it.  In addition to being out of the office for a full day and then doing employee relations shit all week and OH YEAH, heading that damned committee that he assigned me to a couple of weeks ago, what I really need is to get loaned out to another executive.   

 - Angel-ica and I are supposed to get together this weekend to play with the Wii Sports Resort and maybe watch Drag Me to Hell, but unless I can do this while laying in bed, doped up on antibiotics and cough syrup with codeine, this doesn't sound the least bit appealing to me.

- And FINALLY, my sexyfuntime friend is back in town next week and DAMMIT, I was looking forward to making the sessy with him and generally not coughing up phlegm globs while he's ripping my clothes o.... ahem...I mean, while we're playing a rousing game of Yahtzee!  Naked!  We've been sending dirty, sessy texts and emails for the past week in anticipation of seeing each other & now instead, the only thing I want in my mouth is a lozenge.  Yeah, I just said that, 'cause I'm a filthy hoo-er.

So, now I need you guys.  At the risk of sounding even more obnoxiously dorky than I normally sound, I need your positive energy today to be my "medicine" (or I'll take codeine cough syrup if you have that instead).  What good things are going on with you?  How's your life?

Mid-Week

So this really has nothing to do with No Whining Wednesday, but I don't have anything else to write about. Well, I DO have other things to write about, but they'll take effort and thought and editing and I'm just not feeling super excited about any of those words, so you'll get this. And you'll LIKE it.

The grocery store by my house employs "special" folks as, I'm sure, lots of grocery stores do. One of the gentlemen who works there is named Dan and Dan falls somewhere on the Autism spectrum. He talks a mile a minute to you as soon as you get to the register and he does it with a completely flat tone with no rises or falls. He doesn't laugh, he says, "HA HA". I have no idea how, but half of the times I'm at the store, I wind up in Dan's line.

So, the other day I'm standing in line checking out and Dan's rambling on and on and saying, "HA HA" after every 3rd sentence. I saw my boss's 17-year-old daughter run in. I said, "Hey, Debi, whatcha' doing?"

She stopped and said, "Oh hey! I'm running in to get money and then I have to go meet my mom. She's REALLY mad at me. Like REALLY mad!" I asked why. She said because she was getting her nose pierced and her mom was not happy.

I laughed and said, "DEBI - you are not! I'm telling your mother!"

Obviously, I'm kidding.

Not to Dan. Dan stopped ringing up my groceries, lowered his eyebrows, looked at me scornfully and said, slowly and clearly, "You shouldn't tattle. It's NOT nice."

Dan had nothing else to say to me for the remainder of our checkout time together.

Yeah, so my recollection of this fascinating story probably isn't nearly as amusing as it was at the time, but you guys, it was really funny. Seriously. HA HA!

Happy No Whining Wednesday!  Anything make you laugh recently?  

No Whining Wednesday

Can you believe we've been playing No Whining Wednesday for 3 months now?  That's 12 weeks of making a concerted effort to focus on the positives (for one day a week) rather than the negatives.  That's pretty damn impressive, mon petite chou-chous!   For 1/4 of a year we've all chosen to turn our frowns upside down (okay, maybe not - but we've TRIED and that's the important part)!

My dad told me a lot of shit over the years (seriously A LOT of shit), but one thing he consistently told me is, "what goes around comes around" and he's not wrong.  It may not happen immediately, but I've seen it happen enough to believe it's true.  It's kind of the same concept with No Whining Wednesday. I'm a big believer in "you get what you give".  I can't speak for the rest of you, but for me, I both look forward to and dread Wednesdays.  I dread it because I know that I have to watch my stupid mouth and not be an asshole even though it's my automatic response and I look forward to it because I know that all of you are watching your mouths and not being assholes, too! 

I want to clarify a couple of misconceptions about NWW for people who've been around since it started and also for new readers (Hi, new readers!  I don't know why Blogger doesn't tell me when new people start following, but don't you think that would be a good idea?) who may want to participate, but aren't sure of the specifics.  You don't have to be sprinkles and light and not have a bad day.  I think I may have given the impression that you have to *only* talk about positive and happy things even if your day sucks beyond the telling of it.  That's not true.  Just try to find a way to focus on the up-side or find one good thing in that shitty day.  Find the good in the situation.  Even if you have to really s t r e t c h to find it, I promise you'll feel slightly better (if only for 2 seconds) when you identify the positive spin.  Like the cartoon above illustrates, your mood is up to you.  Also, I think some people think that by NOT posting about anything positive, they're not playing.  So not true!  If you're just refraining from bitching about how rotten your day/life is, you're TOTALLY playing!  That's really what it's about.  It's not about only having a good day; it's about not letting your bad day overcome you or seep into everyone else's day.  Does that make sense?

There's a website I found this past weekend that sorta' exemplifies what No Whining Wednesday is about.  It's called, "It Made My Day" and it has some entries that are totally in line with the sentiment I'm trying to get across.  A lot of the entries lean toward the petty-ish, but a lot of them are about finding the silver lining without being all psycho pep squad about it.  Check it out and let me know if you agree.  Also, as usual, if you're feeling it, please let me know what good things are going on with you. You have no idea how much I look forward to your happy moments!

Happy No Whining Wednesday!

FANfreakinFABULOUS Fall!

Happy No Whining Wednesday and Happy First Full Day of Fall!  (I love alliteration so much because I am a doofy dorkface!)

You guys, I love fall so much.  SOOOOO much!  The trees are just now starting to change and having grown up in San Diego with palm trees & perpetually green leaves, it's still breathtaking to me every year when the trees here change color.  I drive over a bridge (well, two bridges actually, but I'm usually SPEEDING over one of them and I can't look around at the scenery...sorry, tangent...) on my way to work and watching the valley change colors during the next month will make me happy every single morning, if only for an instant; I look forward to it every year.  

I start cooking in fall.  Crock Pot meals that cook all day and smell amazing when I walk in the door after work.  Giant pots of chili simmering.  I might buy a bread machine and see if that's something I like.  I see the pictures Figgy posts (oooh, happy birthday, figster!!!) of the gorgeous loaves of bread and I can only imagine how fantastic fresh baking bread would smell....mmmmm.....yeah, I'm gonna' buy a bread machine! 

I love wearing my fuzzy socks and my flannel jammie pants. I can't wait to wrap myself in my pretty fleece blanket (Sarina's making me a blanket.  Why?  Because she is AWESOME and because she loves me even though I yell at her and shun her.) and curl up with a book.  I love rolling down the windows in my car and turning on my heated seats.  I love wearing darker colors because I look really good in dark purples and dark greens and because I often spill shit down the front of my boobs and I feel darker colors hide it better.  There are just so many things to love about fall!  Even the name, "autumn" sounds beautiful, doesn't it? 

Ok my little sweet potatoes, what's your favorite thing about fall?  (And don't say summer's your favorite season - I don't give a shit.  We're talking about fall.)   What do you look forward to each autumn?

No Whining Wednesday Whatchamajiggy

Ok, quick and dirty (no, Cindy, it's not the SEX story...sorry!  BUT, keep checking back.  You never know when the SEXY SEX story might pop up)!

I was at the Amish Market after work today (I got a basket of the most delicious strawberries and this wee basket of tiny pears for 99 cents - I have no idea why I even go to the regular grocery store) and I'm perusing the asparagus when one of the stockboys walks by and kind of trips on ...nothing?... There was a woman about 35ish and her daughter standing next to me.  The mom (quietly & in a sing-songy voice) said to the daughter, "toe pick!"  I giggled like a dork because ...well, because I'm a dork, but also because *I* say that in my head every time I trip (which is a lot, granted, but I don't trip on *nothing*.  I trip on real, tangible things, like lint and dust and AIR!  I'm not a total spaz.)   If you've never seen "The Cutting Edge", you probably have no idea why this is funny to me, but I've seen it 5320 times and I love that stupid ice skating movie so much!

So, there was that little giggle and my bowl of strawberries, grapes, pineapple and pears and I'm pretty content.  It's in the low to mid 70's all week, I have a few new readers (HI there, new readers!!  I don't like saying "followers".  It sounds all Charles Manson-y)  and I'm ready for Wednesday!  I'm not even going to mention (I'm such a lying liar.  I'm TOTALLY gonna' mention it.) how excited I am about new episodes of Bones, The Office, Glee, and It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia this week, because there's more to life than teevee, ya' know? (No there's not)

Tell me kids, what good things do YOU have going on this week?  Tell me, tell me, tell me!!

09/09/09

 

Happy No Whining Wednesday, y'all!

I don't have much to add to this week's entry, but I'm going to dig deep and come up with something.

1)  My skin is really soft right now.  I have no idea why, but I like it and I keep petting my face.

2)  My inappropriate crush on one of the Directors at work is now shared by one of his subordinates!  It's so awesome.  She's the supervisor for his department and we act like dorky, giggly 16-year-olds; calling each other in the morning, "Have you seen him today?" "YES, he looks so adorable!  He's wearing your favorite shirt." "OMG, teeheehee!"  And then I find a reason to go upstairs to her office so we can casually stroll by his office to say "hi".  Yep, I'm a spaz and I don't really care.  It's amusing as hell and the supervisor and I are having a ball acting like moron teenagers.  I'm fairly certain that this will be HILARIOUS when I'm packing my personal belongings in a box and being escorted out of the building...

3)  The President of the United States addressed school children today and I have yet to see a parade of zombified, Commie kids roaming the street attempting to round up Death Panels to kill all the old people - ooh, like "Children of the Corn"!  OUTLANDERS!!  So, yeah, I think that's something good, right?  I mean, think of the HORRORS that could have occurred from THE PRESIDENT addressing innocent schoolchildren and encouraging them to stay in school, work hard and take personal responsibility for their successes and failures.  Oh no, just IMAGINE the horror!!!  Holy balls people are retarded.  

(Ok, so that last one wasn't really a No Whining Wednesday thing, but it needed to be said and it's my blog, so fuck it, I said it.)

4)  Blogger has a new editor, so I can write in red and I can cross out strikethrough and write really big or really small and I can change the font to different styles now.  There are no limits to the AWESOME things I can do ... but, yeah, I'll probably still write in the default style with bold and italics and *s because I'm very lazy and I don't really embrace change.

What's going on with you guys?  Anything new and fun?  Anything sorta boring, but not sucky?  Anything?  Anyone?  Don't be shy! 

Whatcha Watchin'?

I think I watch too much tv. Yeah, I'm actually pretty certain that I do. I am WAY too excited about the new tv season starting! I'm already planning my tv events. I *cannot* wait until "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" comes back on September 17th and I'm looking forward to the new Joel McHale show "Community", which I think also starts on the 17th. I watched the pilot online and it was pretty funny. I really liked the pilot for "Glee" that aired in May and am looking forward to seeing more of it. I think the pilot is being re-aired tonight at 9:00, so if you missed it, you should check it out. It's pretty darling.

I've also succumbed to the "Doctor Who" peer pressure over on Pajiba. Steven Lloyd Wilson's articles really piqued my interest and then Dustin's ringing endorsement finished the job - I need to watch this show. It's available on Instant Viewing through Netflix, so I may try to get in a season or two before the fall network season kicks in and I allow it to suck up all of my free time.

I haven't watched the season finale yet of "Fringe". It's stored on my DVR and I was holding off until right before the new season starts up, but I'm getting antsy because I forgot that stupid FOX doesn't usually start their fall season until after the World Series, which is when? October? I don't know. The fucking Indians are never going to be in the stupid World Series, so I don't really pay any attention. OOOH and then there's basketball - I think that starts up again in like October, so I'm going to be tied to the tube watching the Cavs with the new combo of Lebron and Shaq. Until they start losing and then I'll get bored and unless my dad gets me loge tickets again, I'll go back to not giving a shit about basketball.

It goes without saying (except obviously it doesn't, since I'm going to say it anyway) that I can't wait for "30 Rock" to come back and "The Office" (but only episodes when they don't actually leave the office. Those episodes outside of the office tend to get on my nerves because they're SO slapsticky and over the top). I'm curious to see what Joss does with the second season of "Dollhouse" and to see if Eliza Dushku's acting improved over the summer. I'm betting it didn't, but I'm going to be POSITIVE and hope it does (there's my No Whining Wednesday contribution)!

I'm sure there are other shows I'm missing. "Friday Night Lights" and the final season of "LOST" don't air until next year, so I'm not including them. What am I forgetting? What are you looking forward to watching and are there any returning shows you recommend checking out?

Oh and happy No Whining Wednesday! I've been off work for 4 days in a row, so Wednesday is either going to be a piece of cake (mmmm...cake...) or it's going to irritate the crap out of me to be back at the office. If things start going south, I'm going to really try to remember that it's only a 3-day workweek and then it's a 3-day weekend.

I want to hear from you kids. What are you looking forward to? Tv stuff? Holiday weekend plans? Just general life stuff? What keeps you going through the week?