Let me tell you about my day.

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

In a weird, blurgh mood

I would like to have a redo of the past couple of days. I've made some bad decisions and said some stupid things that I wish I could take back.

Yesterday, someone outside of my department came by and asked me a question that I should know the answer to. I said, "well, this company doesn't do X." Then, I handed him a report that said, "This company does X." See, I am right, because they don't really do X, they just say they do. But, from what he was asking, I sounded like a total idiot and I felt like a complete fraud. Ugh.

Then, I had to borrow money from someone I shouldn't be borrowing money from (don't worry, it's not a loan shark or anything) and, while now I'm not worried about bouncing a check, I am worried about relying on this person beyond what our relationship really can handle. Blurgh, blurgh, blurgh.

In the interest of trying to leave work at work and relax on my last night off before 5 straight nights at my second job, I am watching Golden Girls. The wallpaper in Rose's bedroom is uh-mazing. I want it in my bedroom right now. Maybe my dining room? Anyway, it's fantastic. I did some Google-image-searching, but to no avail. It's divine. I'll have to figure out a way to do a screen shot or something.

I don't know, guys. I really just want to zone out and not focus on anything and try not to think about this. But I just keep coming back to it and feeling kind of nauseated.

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Tights Review

I know you come here for insightful social commentary, so that is what I aim to deliver. Obviously, this includes a review of discount tights. Considering that I need a size most tights manufacturers consider "too big to wear tights," I am fairly limited in my selection.

I wear skirts to work pretty much every day. I have maybe two pairs of acceptable work pants and they've been in the dry cleaning pile for the past oh, let's say year. So, I wear pantyhose or tights almost every work day. Here's my take on them:

  • Spanx tights (bought on sale at TJ Maxx, because holy hell are they expensive) -- they're really, really good. They stand up to anything, fit well without weird color variations, and are pretty comfortable in spite of being control-top. They are pretty expensive, though--on sale at TJ Maxx they were still $14.99. And I had the unfortunate experience of a pair running the first time I wore them, which is weird because I've had another pair for over a year with no visible wear.
  • Target tights -- Merona makes some pretty boss colors and patterns. I have some gray, purple, teal, and fuchsia, as well as some nice chevron-patterned and argyle tights. The solid colors last a good long time (going on three successful Winter seasons), but the patterns tend to run like crazy. At $7 a pop, this isn't something I want to have to rebuy every week, so I'm pretty cautious with them.
  • Wal*Mart tights -- I just bought my first pairs last week and I'm wearing a pair for the first time today. So far, so good. I can't really vouch for their ability to stand up to multiple washings, but I like the look of them. They are, I believe, "George" brand and they were only $5 each. I am wearing brown ones right now. I don't think they are control top (which I didn't really want anyway) although they claim to be, and they are pretty comfortable. There's no "gap." In some leg coverings, there's more space than is comfortable in the fit, which makes me feel like I'm waddling. The Wal*Mart tights mercifully fit closely.

The ultimate verdict is that I wish Wal*Mart tights came in more festive colors, because I like brightly-colored tights, but don't necessarily need mustard-colored tights to last for 10 years. So, I wouldn't mind spending $5 and knowing that they'll probably only be good until March. That's about what I pay for pantyhose, and I put my thumb through those pretty much every time I put on a pair.

I'd also really, really like to get a whole boat load of bright colors from We Love Colors, but $15 each?! I can't justify that for tights I could only wear with one or two outfits.

Tights, tights, tights. Wasn't this exciting?

Thursday, January 21, 2010

Metro Opens Doors

So, this post might be kind of weird and insensitive. I would be interested if anyone has any feedback on this situation, knowing that there is no way a confrontation would ever arise out of this. And now, on with the show!

There is a lady who lives in my neighborhood (presumably) and we frequently ride the bus together. She has difficulty walking (for reasons that are certainly none of my business) and uses a cane to get around. It is obviously labor-intensive for her to board the bus. We'll call her Maude.

The seats near the front of the bus, which face the aisle rather than the driver (got that?), are supposedly reserved for older people and people with disabilities (like Maude). If I am sitting in an aisle-facing seat and Maude gets on the bus, I will move to a front-facing seat or stand if necessary. I want these seats to be available to her. Not everyone does this. Maybe it's not as obvious to other people that she has difficulty climbing the three steps onto the bus? Maybe the signs stating the seats' reserved status aren't obvious to everyone else? Regardless, she often gets on the bus to find that that prime real estate is packed with able-bodied people.

OK. Here is where I state that anyone is completely within their rights at any time to ask someone to move their jacket/bag/feet(!) off of an otherwise available seat. Or to tell someone they're not feeling well, or that they get carsick, or that they're pregnant (bonus points for visibly pregnant), and ask for a seat to be vacated BY A PERSON SITTING THERE. Seriously. I was suffering from a sports injury* a while back, and asked a few people if they would mind giving up their seats because it was difficult for me to stand with the bus jostling so much. Everyone I asked complied.

Back to Maude. As stated, I vacate when I see her coming. I don't want her to have to shuffle down the aisle toward the back of the bus, dragging her obviously heavy ENORMOUS satchel behind her. I don't care if she's faking it--she is COMMITTED to using that cane. Now, on more than one occasion, where my now-vacant seat is calling out to her, she has asked someone else to move so she can sit down.

She is not nice about this. She is not subtle about it. She HUFFS and SIGHS and there might be some moaning involved. My question is, what's the deal? There's a seat about 24 inches away from the seat she wants. Is this her way of standing up for the rights of people with disabilities? Does she want everyone sitting in those choice seats to know that they're usurping what is rightfully hers? It's kind of a strange ritual and one that makes me feel strangely unsympathetic toward her. After all, we're all just trying to ride the bus from point A to point B. Can't we all just get along?

Feel free to tell me I'm being completely insensitive, that I don't understand the plight of people with disabilities, that I used the wrong term somewhere, etc. Also, if you think I am bashing our era's Rosa Parks, let me know and I will attempt to objectively review the situation.

Still related--because I know you can't get enough talk about public transportation--I put in for a parking place at my job a little while ago. The drive to and from my office is really no big deal, and it's kind of nice to have my own private igloo of misanthropy to hide out in. Of course, I have to wait for someone to retire or die to get a parking place, but I put a reminder in my calendar for one year from the request date, and it's coming close! Now I'm a little sad. My commute costs are currently nothing. And I've come to (finally!) accept the realities of using public transportation. And the benefits of it--time to read, stare out the window, Maude-anthropology. I guess I could just turn the parking place down if they give it to me, but I don't love riding the bus that much.

*I fell down the stairs at a restaurant.

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

EEeeEEee!!!

The new hobby! It's time to tell you about it!

So, through Swistle I found Postcrossing, which is my new "hobby." I was unsure of how it would turn out. I mean, the website makes it seem like (a) you get the address of a stranger in another country, (b) you send that person a postcard, and then (c) your name and address go to another random stranger who (d) sends you a postcard! Easy peasy, right?

Well, because I never really trust that things will work out the way the Internet says they will, I was shocked when my first postcard arrived in Germany!

So, now, apparently, I'll get a postcard from another country? This sounds amazing and I am super-excited. I can hardly wait!

In other news, I bought these templates from Paper Source and spent a big part of the weekend making envelopes out of the scads and scads of scrapbook paper I have. I have never really done any scrapbooking. I just like collecting the supplies and admiring them from time to time. I do, however, write notes to people pretty frequently, so having extra envelopes will be fantastic! What a great way to use up my surplus! Of course, this now means that I have to shop for more scrapbook paper to make more envelopes. Quel dommage.

Friday, January 15, 2010

Why I Consider Hiding under my Desk

Can I just tell you that it makes me strangely uncomfortable when the cleaning people come through my office to empty the trash? I'm not really sure why that is, but I feel like I should be helping or something? I mean, granted, it's usually like an empty ketchup packet in my trash can, so it's no heavy lifting, but I still feel weird about it. Thus, I always try to escape to do something else when I hear them coming.

A New Year, A New...ish Me. Just Kidding, I'm Just the Same.

Sometimes I feel guilty for swearing. This is a good thing. I need to act like a lady more. Also, I need to stop saying that I want to punch people in the throat. However true (and appropriate) it may be, it probably gives the impression that I am a violent person.

I made Smitten Kitchen's chocolate chip sour cream coffee cake on New Year's Eve (which was a quiet evening) and it called for a whole bag of chocolate chips, which was way too much. If I make it again (and I will, when more than three people will be eating it), I will definitely use only half that much. The chocolate chips compete with the other delightful flavors too much.

Last night! I made Smitten Kitchen's (man, I love her) black bean soup in my Crock Pot. I put it on to cook when I went to bed and completed the prep work when I woke up this morning--pureeing half of it in the blender. Then, because it was hot, and contains no perishable ingredients, I left it on the counter to cool while I am at work. I will have my first taste for lunch today! My usual black bean soup recipe is "put beans and whatever else is on hand in pot. Cook." So, I am eager to see if following this recipe (which was pretty easy) will have a profound and favorable effect on the flavor. I am hopeful. It did require two cooking vessels and a small appliance (pan in which to saute veggies pre-soup, Crock Pot, blender), so it had better look like being tasty or I will punch it in the throat.

I am going to dinner tonight in the city with my friend and her boyfriend and brother, and I need to go home between work and dinner to pick up my car, put away the soup, and wash the blender. I could also, oh, I don't know--PUT ON MAKEUP? CLEAN SPOT OF OATMEAL OFF OF DRESS? BRUSH HAIR? Yeah, my personal beauty standards for work are pretty lax.

Oh, I may not have to work this Sunday! This would delight me, even though I could use the money, because I really like just sitting at home sometimes and I have been making some progress with decluttering and would like to do a little more of it this weekend.

One of my projects at work today is to Google this woman we are going to be working with and come up with some cogent thoughts on how we should describe our upcoming project to her in a way that matches her philosophies and work styles. Is it weird that I'm really excited about this? She has written a lot of stuff about management, so I am mostly reading a bunch of articles by her and taking little notes. And, this takes precedence over everything else I am working on and HECK YES. I love putting other work on hold to Google things.

Also, I may have found a new hobby, but I won't tell you about it until I know how it is coming together and that will be in about 2 weeks! So, prepare to be excited!