Crotchety

First of all, can I just ask how this makes any sense at all: My hours at work are being cut. Before they were cut, I was bombarded with work and responsiblities. I was swamped. Now, with less hours, I am even more swamped. So, my boss gives me more responsibilities. What the F&*$%??

Needless to say, I'm still pissed.

In other news, we had a wonderful Christmas this year. I got my mom a collage of pictures of our family and had it matted and framed. She cried.....mission: accomplished!! I also got a $50.00 gift certificate to the new Overture Center in Madison so I can go and watch any "cultural" act I want. The opera, ballet, musicals, broadway stuff, or the orchestra. I'm super psyched!

We get Kayla this weekend so we'll get to open presents with her. I didn't really spoil her this year, but I spoil her throughout the year, so it all balances.

Thanks to all who wrote me Christmas cards. I was lazy and did not write a single one. But I do appreciate those who thought of me.

Pissed beyond belief

My hours are getting cut at work. This is wrong for more than a million reasons, but I'm so pissed off right now that I can't even bitch about it!

Thank goodness I have all next week off!

Death By A Magic 8 Ball

I love getting things in the mail. And, as I posted a few posts ago, Kristen sent me a wonderful "goodie bag" package in the mail. Along with the usual chocolate items and bitter greeting cards, there was an 8 ball included (and not just any 8 ball, a tiny pink love 8 ball)

Now, according to this 8 Ball, I am going to die dateless, sexless and loveless. I hate that 8 ball. Every question I've asked it so far has received a negative response. I don't so much mind the dateless part or the loveless part - I've grown accustomed to that. But the other part.........

Well, let's just say that sometimes I'm human.

10 Things I Hate ...... Continued

The other 9 things I hate:

1. Anonymous people who make fun of my spelling (and, really, it was just that I was too lazy to really care if I spelled it correctly.) (And I'm totally kidding)

2. People who tailgate me during a blizzard (or, as April's mom would say at DQ, a "buzzard")

3. Unibrow (but that's just a given, along with Jeff, Torry, Mike, etc. etc.)

4. Being extremely hot or extremely cold.

5. The wrappers on mini Reese's Peanut Butter cups.

6. Dusting.

7. The fact that I bite my fingernails.

8. When people insult my intelligence.

9. Feeling inadequate.
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I had a really great dream last night. It even had a plot. It was like a mini-movie in my head. I even had one of my favorite actresses playing the lead part in my dream. Usually, my dreams are not very vivid and they don't last very long if I have them. But last night it was long, very vivid, and quite interesting. I don't even know where the idea came from, either.

The best part of it was the kiss. *sigh* Since it has been so long since my last kiss, it was nice to at least dream about it. And the guy in my dream (I have no idea who he was or who he was based upon) was a really good kisser, and had really strong arms. Even though someone else was playing the 'lead role' in my dream, I got to experience the kiss.

Someone needs to yell at me, though, because I've been feeling down lately. This has been the first holiday season in 2 years that I have not been with a boyfriend, and it is kind of sad for me. Not that I would want either of them back just so I could share the holidays, but it just seems a little more empty than before. But then again, maybe this year will be wonderful, and I'm down for nothing. It's just that there's a lack of prospects, and it makes me nervous. And not that I'm nervous about the lack of prospects, I'm nervous that I'm not freaking out about it. My biological clock has seemed to stop ticking. What does that mean?! I don't want to be alone forever, so shouldn't I be at least a little scared that it seems that's the way my life is going?

Whatever.

I just almost sliced off my finger. With a piece of paper....Who knew papercuts could be so deadly? Thankfully I found a skin-colored band-aid. Yay for me!

10 Things I Hate About You

Saxaphones. Can't stand them.

Welcome to my tyrade on saxaphones. I don't know why I have an aversion to them, but it is a deeply rooted aversion, and I will not change my mind about them anytime soon. I only bring up this subject because I was reading a book the other day (and not an educational or literary book, a smut book is what it was) and in one of the 'romantic' scenes, the guy put on "sexy saxaphone music."

Okay.

I would have gotten up and walked out if I were the girl. Saxaphones aren't sexy, they're annoying. It's like turning on "the most annoying sound in the world" from Dumb and Dumber. It would have totally ruined my mood. And I would have ditched the guy. Saxaphone music. Sheesh!

My mom can't stand clarinets. My stand is that they're more tolerable than saxaphones.

Adventures of Unibrow: Part 2

The BEST bitter greeting cards, you guys!

I got my package from Kristen last night. Upon viewing the box, it was pre-printed with "handle with care" to which Kristen added "chocolate inside". Classic!

I had to fight off Nathaniel for the chocolate (I won, there was minimal bloodshed). But the best thing was those bitter greeting cards. Missy, Nathaniel, Mom and Dad loved the "If looks could kill.....well, let's just say you're really ugly" card. I loved the picture of the burning unibrow on the other one. So hysterical. Thank you both so much!!

"Just so you know ma'am, I'm not wearing any underwear"

It's funny the conversations we have at Curves while working out. The above comment came from an EMS driver following a conversation about shaving our legs. Audra started it all by asking us how often we shaved our legs. Everyone (meaning the 5 of us in there) except Julie and I said they do it every day. I only shave my legs when I'm dating someone, and since I'm not right now, I don't shave. Julie says she does it once a week - if her husband's lucky. Then, someone said that they do it every day because if they were in an accident, they wouldn't want someone to see their unshaved legs - kind of like the clean underwear thing.

But then, the EMS lady spoke up and said that they really don't notice those kinds of things in an accident situation. They are too focused on other things. So, no noticing dirty undies or unshaved legs.

However, she said, that they do notice weird things. Like piercings. On guys. You know where. To which I say, ick. Also, one guy said the above quote to her. She didn't really believe him - thinking he was out of it. And she was totally wrong.

Sometimes, it's just funny the things that women discuss.

...and I want to jerk the wheel!!!

My brother came over this morning for toast. Must be nice. Still not working.

My boss' (at the gallery) daughter was on TV the other night. It's such a sad story. She (Abby) signed up for the Army Reserve after high school, thinking that she'd be able to help Americans in natural disasters, etc. when, or if, they happened. She wanted to do something good for her country, but joined the reserves because I don't think she wanted to make this a full time deal.

Well, a 2 years ago she was deployed to Iraq. While there, she was in a mortar attack, had to save someone's arm while being attacked, and had to endure other various horrible excperiences. Now that she's back in the States, she is having a hard time adjusting because of these experiences.

She told her mom that she can't sleep at night because she's scared. For a year, mind you, she had been sleeping with a gun to protect herself. And now, she doesn't feel safe in a town that has 1,000 people and no stop lights. She has suicidal thoughts. And she isn't the same happy, outgoing person she used to be. In her own words, she's "still trying to find that girl."

I can't imagine what people see over there in Iraq. And those who come back are changed. Some a little, some a lot. But no one talks about it. It's as if people (meaning government officials) think they (the soldiers) can come back and transition into a 'normal' life again. But how can they after the horror they have just been through and seen?

Abby's mission is to make people more aware of this issue. She wants to speak out and let others know that they are not alone, and that they need to get help. I think it's a very courageous thing she's doing. After all, the people who send others to war don't have to change their lives - it doesn't effect them. Everyone else gets to stay in their comfortable little 'worlds' and can tune out what is going on by simply switching off the TV. However, it effects the people who actually go to war. And they should be held in a little higher regard than they currently are.

In one clip of her story on the newscast, she was talking about having a conversation with a WWII vet and a Vietnam vet. One said that he thought about his experiences every day. Abby laughed and the other guy said, "It's not funny. He's right. You think about it every day." To which she replied, "I'm not laughing because I think it's funny. I'm laughing because I was hoping you'd tell me it would get better."