- I read an article about how Great Britain is no longer shipping chocolate to the United States. I'm a little depressed this might mean no Cadbury eggs this Easter (not the cream eggs, just the chocolate and shell). I was terrified enough to run to the grocery store yesterday to buy up all the eggs they have... but there is no Valentine's Day equivalent!
- I'm burned out on exclamation points. I read a missionary letter where every sentence ended in one or more (usually more). So, I've been making a conscious effort to use exclamation points sparingly. I hope people don't think I hate them without that extra oomph at the end of every sentence.
- I wonder what it says about me that I'm more worried about breaking my diet than I am about a blind date I've set up for next week. Or maybe I'm just trying to relieve the stress I and the setter-upper might otherwise put on myself.
- In a meeting at work yesterday, we spent 15 minutes shooting the breeze, and then seven people gave status updates in a 15 minute period. The rest of the hour was used up by one person. This happens often with this guy. I'm not sure he is assigned the most difficult and conversation-needed assignments, or if it's his way of presenting things. Either way, it drives me nuts.
- I dreamed the other night that I was eating some amazing chocolate cookies. I dream these sort of things often in the second half of the Personal Trainer Food diet. I think it's my body's way of tricking itself into thinking it's still consuming the sugary treats that I love. Most of the time I am horrified and feel guilty about breaking the diet -- I only ever catch myself after it's happened. However, on this night, I became lucid and realized I was dreaming, so I indulged as much as I wanted! I was still relieved when I woke up and confirmed it had been a dream, but that might also be because I dreamed some of my closest friends were treating me terribly.
- It's nice to know that I'm not the only one who thought the Serial podcast was frustrating. It helps to know it's a real case and it ended on a fairly positive note... but I'm not sure that I'm interested in listening to season 2 if there is one.
- And sometimes you get a company-wide e-mail about an award that you aren't eligible for. No, it's for people who already get bonuses and free trips but apparently deserve more. Meanwhile, those of us who actually create the product quietly take our paychecks and go home (and wonder why Christmas parties were done away with). Welcome to the middle class.
And now for some that I found in an unpublished draft from May 2013. They're out of date, and yet I see no reason not to share 'cause they were relevant at the time (some still are):
- I'm a pretty good driver. Not terrific, but not terrible. Just pretty good. But I haven't been in an accident, or even gotten any kind of ticket in at least 6 years. So it really irritates me when I give someone a ride and they immediately start "backseat driving." Then I just get jumpy and nervous and make more mistakes that prompt them to police me even more... ending in my not wanting to drive them around anymore. Please, just trust that I care as much about your life as I do my own.
- I don't think Project Manager B understands that every time she gives me a new "do this additional thing ASAP" project, it delays the ongoing writing I'm also trying to complete. Since she's also seemingly concerned about me finishing up the writing, I would think she'd ease up on the frantic ASAP e-mails. I would also appreciate if she'd stop consulting with the person who previously did the writing for her team (I already feel like I'm not doing well enough). Then again, she's just doing her job the best way she knows how. It's not her fault I don't like feeling stressed and micromanaged.
- Sinus infections: How long to they take to heal for normal people? I'm on antibiotics, a decongestant, and neti pot, and stayed in bed for the better part of eight days, but I don't seem to be making much progress. I've decided to return to real life again and hope that my body catches up quickly, because I'm not missing another week of beautiful Spring weather. What's that you say? It's supposed to be coldish and rainy this week? *Puts fingers in ears* La, la, laaaaaaaaaaa! I can't hear you!
- I've been getting shots to help immunize me against my allergies. I have to get a shot in each arm each time, because I'm allergic to so many things (thankfully not pets or dust -- phew!). I'm at the point where I only need to go about once a month (it was twice weekly for awhile there -- my pocketbook said "Ouch" far more than my arm did). Even so, every time I go, my arms swell painfully AND itch for about two days. Still, I've had a couple of testimonials that these shots will help me out. Someday soon, I'll be able to enjoy Spring, and not be sick on my birthday in the Fall. Can't wait!
- Anyone else object to automated toilets? I don't mind almost any other automated thing: faucets, doors, soap dispensers, traffic lights, regular lights. But the toilets are so iffy. The only thing worse than it flushing while I'm sitting on the seat is having the thing flush MULTIPLE TIMES while I'm just trying to put a toilet seat cover down. I feel so very wasteful! (Ew, no pun intended). Side note: I think toilet seat covers are brilliant.
- There are few things worse than knowing a secret, and not being able to tell anyone. Most of the time, I'd simply rather not know and be surprised along with the recipient. If you MUST tell me the secret, wait as long as possible. I like to think I'm good at keeping them, but sometimes I lose track of who I can say something to and who I can't. I'm convinced I outed my brother to our grandma, but to be fair he had, like, three years to tell her (he also wasn't at all concerned when I called to tell him -- he figured she already knew).
- HOWEVER, if the secret is about me... well... I don't much care for most surprises, especially life-changing ones. I need some kind of hint that it's coming, if not a full-on conversation. I don't deal well with change that affects me personally.
C'est tout!
