// Crankypants & Rants //
April 25, 2005Even my Cranky Pants are Grumpy....
I'm determined, however, not to fall off the blog wagon for so long again so you will just have to come along for the ride!
Even though we had a very nice weekend - which included an actual dinner and movie date on Friday night, as well as a SF adventure on Saturday and yummy Korean foods on Sunday - I think there is real danger of my head exploding in the near future.
Hint: Here's where you stop reading if you don't want to listen to some serious crankypantitis
For starters there is the fact that we have to move some time between now and July 1 because Miss B's big new job (which is amazing and wonderful and I'm so PROUD of her) means no more student housing. We have outgrown our treehouse apartment and can't wait to get into a bigger, nicer, non-motel-like place but the process of apartment hunting and moving is never easy. Especially if you just moved across the country, like, yesterday!
Then there is the fact that there is all kinds of wacked out business going on at my job right now. Its one of those times when there is big change coming but only certain people are supposed to know, so there is this really weird vibe because everyone is trying to figure out what's going on and whether or not it affects them, which leads to a general sense of paranoia and ill will. I happen to know what's on the horizon, but i'm not supposed to know which makes it weird to be in the middle of all the speculation. There's a chance, by the way, that this change will be very posititve for me but thats all pie in the sky until things actually change so I don't know what the hell to think, or say, or do.
And...my poor poor girl is so tired and burned out and just wants to be done with school even though she totally totally loves it, and I wish I could make it all better but I know that basically we just need to get through the next 6-7 weeks without losing our minds. I guess the one good thing is that her last rotation is at the psych hospital so if we need to check ourselves in it will be very convenient (and would solve our housing problem. hmmmmm....)
You all will come visit us in our padded cell right? Or at least send cards and letters....
Posted by Loody at 01:38 PM
February 07, 2005If I'm going to be a chauffeur, I'd like a nicer car!
Even though I was supposed to be at work today, I spent 2/3 of the day in my car. Driving to....
The airport, where the parking and the gate were at the very opposite ends. The principal's office for a tardy slip for the child, picked up at the opposite end of the airport, to get into school. The grocery store for a turkey lunchables and bbq potato chips, to be delivered on a second trip to the school of the child, picked up at the opposite end of the airport...who didn't have any lunch.
Then...the liquor store in search of 18 year old french scotch, not really believing that there is such a thing as french scotch. My parent's house, to deliver to my mother, who is certain that there is such a thing as french scotch, the news that if french scotch does exist, they don't carry it around here. The deli, to obtain sandwiches for my mother, who claims that there is such a thing as french scotch, even though it is not sold in stores, and my father, who has decided that a one month recovery from pneumonia means one month lying in exactly the same spot on the couch...because they, too, didn't have any lunch.
And the best part of all? I never got any lunch.
I did, however, get to get in someone else's car and drive to Starbucks for a Chai and a snikerdoodle.
Which kind of made it all ok.
Posted by Loody at 03:58 PM
January 26, 2005Damn Spamsters
In a flurry of deleting evil spam I accidentally deleted a bunch of real, lovely, warm and fuzzy comments.
It was one of those "wishing you could turn back the clock...like...just for 5 seconds" moments.
I hate those.
Posted by Loody at 10:58 AM
December 23, 2004You better not shout, you better not cry, you better not pout...
Family dinner at my parents house (since won't all be together on Christmas).
So far there is bickering, pots and pans banging, and big put-upon sighs...
and the kids aren't even here yet.
I know it will be nice once everyone is here and we are sitting down to dinner, but I think the holiday hustle and bustle is getting the better of some people!
Yay for getting on a plane tomorrow morning...and makin' my way towards my little bundle of sniffles.
Posted by Loody at 05:31 PM
December 21, 2004Oooops!
I had a minor "interaction" with another car on my way back from lunch today. I was stuck behind someone trying to take a left hand turn and when I went to change lanes, lo and behold, there was another car. I still can't figure out if she came up really fast (not realizing I was changing lanes) or she was already there but totally and completely in my blind spot. Also can't decide whether the fact that her trunk was held together with duct tape should give me any clues....
Anyway, no one was hurt, and only minor swipe type damage to her car and mine (the whole thing was really very civil) but I'm not sure I will ever get my new work friend to ride to lunch with me again!
Posted by Loody at 09:09 PM
December 13, 2004Sushi + Mayonnaise = NOT SUSHI
I'm not sure where things took such a bad turn that Japanese restaurants started trying to cater to "American" tastes by making sushi (or really maki) with things like mayonnaise and cream cheese. I'm no expert but it's my best guess that people in Japan are not actually eating tuna salad in a hand roll.
What's next? A Roast Beef sandwich maki?
I'm on this little rant because my boss took us out to lunch today, for our semi-monthly staff meeting, to a somewhat sketch Japanese restaurant. The food wasn't great but it was a nice change of pace and it was nice that she wanted to give us a little treat.
We are a pretty new staff so we have a little teambuilder/ice breaker at the beginning of each meeting. Today we did "two truths and a lie" here's what I said - you can guess which is which:
I started playing the cello when I was four
I gave academic advice to an oscar nominated actor
I know how to ice skate backwards
No cheating, Miss fitsandstarts!
Posted by Loody at 04:40 PM
December 10, 2004Sorry in advance for large blocks of text!
Lame computer that I am stuck using since SOMEONE took their laptop away seems not to recognize paragraph breaks. I promise that post below is supposed to have some pauses (instead of sounding like I was on speed when I wrote it). Of course I just realized that maybe the whole problem is my computer and it really looks fine to the rest of you so right now you are thinking 'she's not just on speed she's on CRACK!" must. stop. talking. now
Posted by Loody at 10:32 PM
December 06, 2004If you build it, they will come. Not.
Just got home from staying at work late to hold a workshop for students on "Preparing for Final Exams" (Study Tips and Test Taking Strategies - sounds interesting to you doesn't it? You know it does...) but alas, not a one showed up.
Its just the way it goes, I've been in higher ed long enough to know that. Its not the first time, nor the last, that this will happen...but it's still disappointing. They need this kind of stuff, they just don't always know they need it. Or they do know, and they even plan on coming but then something (the rain, a good gab session in the cafeteria, video games, or pure unadulterated inertia) pulls them just a little harder.
On the way home, Miss B (who came with me to help faciliate the workshop) reminded me that if they don't come to you, well gosh darn it, you just have to go to them! So tomorrow, I'm going to hike up the hill, set up a table in the cafeteria, and bribe them with candy to take my handouts.
So there.
Posted by Loody at 09:11 PM
December 01, 2004It's a travesty of a mockery of a sham...AND highway robbery
So we are having a some crazy issues with plane tickets for the holidays. It's too long and complicated a story to go into here but lets just say that I am NOT handling it very well, or very maturely, at all.
I was going to rant here about the price of plane tickets (hence the title) and how it's so crazy to me that they can charge three times as much for the same flight just because it's the holidays. That two people could be on the same flight, one having paid $99 and the other $299 for the same thing is just wrong. Now I know that if we had bought them in, oh, september, we wouldn't have this problem, but that's beside the point. It just stinks. Supply and demand, blah blah blah. Stinks.
But that's not what I really want to write about. I want to write about how sad I am that all this messy business (my foolishness, our collective frustration, logistics beyond our control) is putting a damper on what is usually a very special time for Loody and Miss B. Our anniversary (3 whole years!) is December 19th, and the time leading up to that is filled with with so much nostalgia for that crazy, heady, filled-with-promise time when we were falling in love (without even knowing we were falling in love, but that's another story). That time changed my life and I love that we get to celebrate it at the same time that the world around us is celebrating. It's one big giant warm fuzzy. With presents.
So Miss B (and I apologize to the rest of you for speaking just to her for a moment), know that this time is so important to me and I want to find a way to celebrate it. Together. I'm sorry I haven't shown you that lately.
I love you more than anything in the world. Always.
And now.. back to our regularly scheduled programming.
Posted by Loody at 02:36 PM
November 29, 2004Get down with your funky self....
I wish I was feelin' that George Clinton/Parliament kind of funk, but instead I'm feeling that good old fashioned cloud over my head kind of funk.
So I'm going to write this post, get it out of my system, and then all will be right again. Ok?
I couldn't sleep last night (even with Miss B playing sleepy tunes on the the lime green harmonica) so woke up tired and, to make matters worse, I never got my coffee. My 9:30 meeting which I stressed about being late to the whole time in the car (hence the skipping of the coffee) was cancelled at the last minute, and my mother called me no less than 4 times today. And, you know what else? The fact that I have to be at work while a certain someone is on vacation just stinks.
You know what I needed today? One of those super crabby lunches that frecklegirl, our wonderful friend Jenn, and I used to have. We would fly out of the office, pile in the car, bitch and moan all the way to the restaurant, complain all the way through lunch, and bitch and moan all the way back. Doesn't sound like much fun to anyone else - but boy did we feel better. Some days it was the only way to get to the end of the day.
But, since I didn't get a crabby lunch, you all get a crabby Loody.
I do feel a little better though.
And now its time to go home.
That's always good.
Posted by Loody at 04:41 PM
November 15, 2004Ants in my (pajama) pants
Tonight is one of those nights when I am equal parts restless and lazy. There is so much to do (dishes, laundry, other stuff that I'm sure I should be doing) but I just can't seem to drag myself away from the bed/tv
Self...am I boring you????
Posted by Loody at 08:57 PM
November 14, 2004I'm not so fond of Sunday nights....
Cause next comes Monday morning, and back to reality.
Safely home and watching tv in bed. Too tired - and technically challenged - to post pics tonight but hopefully tomorrow (hold your horses frecklegirl!!!)
Night Night.
Posted by Loody at 09:07 PM
November 08, 2004Oh my god the talking......
I just ever so innocently tossed out a "how are you doing" to someone dropping off some papers in my office and ended up with an avalanche of talking that started with "I just broke up with my boyfriend" moved through stories of her ten year high-school reunion, and ended with the story of her sister-in-law's mother's third divorce. Oy.
Don't get me wrong...I'm not sorry I asked her how she is, or that she felt comfortable (or maybe just needy) enough to talk about it. I just wasn't expecting everthing but the kitchen sink...plus the kitchen sink.
Loody's got her listening ears on.
Posted by Loody at 06:52 PM
November 03, 2004Loody's back..and blue
I figure if anything can get me off my butt to start writing again its the heartbreaking events of yesterday. I'm with my friend Jess in saying "who are these people?" not because I dont think they have the right to think what they think but just because, as ususal, the election makes me realize that I live in a bubble (a very BLUE bubble). I live in a blue state, having just moved here from a blue state (heck I was even born in a blue state) and working in higher education for 20 years also means that I have tended to move in more liberal circles.
So I'm genuine in saying "who are these people" because I really don't know them. The hard part is...they also don't know me but that doesn't stop some of them from wanting to make decisions about my life or or to dictate what choices I can and cannot make.
What also puzzles me about the exit polls is how many people who voted for Bush DONT ACTUALLY THINK HE'S DOING A GOOD JOB!!
I can totally respect that some (ok..obviously MANY) people think differently than I do. What I can't respect is validating a leader who isn't doing what you want them to do on most issues....just because you think he has "strong moral values".
It scares me that there are people who are willing to risk the future of our country (and the respect of the rest of the world) to make sure that gay people can't get married (or women can't choose, or whatever "moral" issue it is). But of course, what I'm not considering (fingers in ears..la la la la) is that to those people gay people getting married (or other so called examples of the erosion of "american" and "family" values) ARE a risk to the future of our country. And that makes me sad.
As usual in our household...Miss B was in tears while the madness was unfolding and I was the one saying it was all going to be ok...then I woke up with a crushing sense of sadness and she had to hold my hand all the way to the car just to get me to go to work this morning.
Now we are both just blue...
Posted by Loody at 04:45 PM
June 23, 2004Loody sings the blues
I'm sad today. Miss my sweetie....so much
SO MUCH
blah.
Posted by Loody at 04:51 PM
Things that make you go hmmmm.....
So i just got of the phone with the second parent I have spoken to today who had NO idea that their child was failing out of school. How does that happen? Do the kids just lie or do they just not talk to their parents at all? I guess I never talked to my parents about my grades when I was in college but I'm thinking that if I couldn't go back it would have to come up. "Gee mom, I'm leaving for College now - dont call me in my room..I'm never there!"
On another note: I was "encouraged" to write a sentence on all the letters going out to students about their academic standing saying that I am leaving. I did it, but I'm still not sure "You are on probation...and by the way, I'm leaving...Best of luck to ya!! Just seems like kind of bad timing. But i guess that's better than having them come back in the fall looking for me.
Had steamed chicken and broccoli with peanut sauce while the other ladies had noodlies. *sigh*
Knock Knock.
Who's there?
Non-noodly Loody
Posted by Loody at 01:55 PM
June 22, 2004You made her a what?????
Why is it that people insist on doing things the way they want to instead of doing things FOR other people? All it takes is a few minutes of thought...really thats all....
So somoene is getting married on Thursday, someone quiet and reserved and private. People from work are throwing her a shower. Thats nice, gives people a chance to wish her and her partner well. I'm all for that...all for celebrating someone's happiness.
But another someone (who I won't name but is known for her candy bucket) insisted on making a GIANT baseball that that says BRIDE across the front and from all (ok just frecklegirl's) reports is totally over the top. So now poor lovely quite person has to sit through that and, no doubt, games for an hour and a half. I wish I understood these customs but I just don't. Why can't we just sit around and eat snacks and open gifts? That would be nice.
So... that leads me to say that no one, I repeat no one better make us do any of that kind of stuff. Nice tea party? Sure. Fancy Martini party? Sure. Champagne punch with a sherbert ring and bride bingo. NO fucking way.
And that is Loody's lament for the day
Posted by Loody at 01:44 PM
June 21, 2004Loody's nuts
I'm like some kind of giant urban squirrel - nibbling on pecans and sucking down decaf iced coffee...hard to know how long this will last!
Speaking of nuts. Certain people are making me just that... you know who they are, with their "hmmm" and their "well" and their castles in the sky. Some people just live in an alternate reality - what I want to know is why can't they just go live there for real (as kenny would say) and leave me the hell alone?
Loody, baby loody, and pookaloody all just want to be alone. together. with sweetie.
knock knock?
who's there
Crrrazzyloody
Posted by Loody at 03:33 PM
Is it lunch time yet?
ok..so i'm hungry...i have to figure out more snacks (a girl cannot live on cheese sticks and nuts alone) and cranky from having decaf coffee this morning (did I mention that caffeine is out too?)
I'm also kind of a loss about what to do with myself today, its hard knowing that I'm leaving this job and should be starting to wrap things up but I have no motivation to do anything except look for a new job. But I've checked all the postings and its not like there are going to be any new jobs to apply to between 8:30 this morning and now but I'm obsessive about checking anyway. And trust me, that can take up many hours in the day.
I just know that any minute the perfect job posting is going to come online. In the meantime I guess I'll pass my time reading resumes for the search committee I'm on. Why do that? Because:
1. It makes me look all busy and shit
2. It makes me appreciate my own resume and cover letter. they may take hours to write but they are damn good!
3. It makes me optimistic that if we are just reading resumes now for a job that starts in August that means I can still get a job by August. Get it?
Knock Knock.
Who's there?
Don't-really-want-to-work-at-Starbucks Loody
Posted by Loody at 11:48 AM
June 20, 2004Loody's Peevish Post....
THIS SUCKS. I miss my sweetie. Isn't it amazing that I lived by myself for ten years and now I can't stand to live by myself for ten minutes? What did I used to do with my time? It seems like things just aren't as interesting/funny/exciting/fulfilling without her. I guess that's what it means to have found your soulmate - that your vision of the world is partly shaped by seeing and experiencing it together. But what about when you are not together...what the hell are you supposed to do then? GRRRRRRRRRR
I want to enjoy this time in Boston, to transition out of it in a way that feels good but I feel like I'm missing our life out there. Its crazy how quickly it felt like we had a home and a life there and I'm ready for it to start. I'm ready to share this amazing experience that she is going through...every tiny detail of it. Its hard to get that over the phone.
AHHHHHHHHHH....somebody give me a job! Being on the job market sucks too. I'm so confident in the work I do now, so confident that I'm good at it and well respected by my boss and my colleagues. Why is it so hard to be confident in convincing someone else that that will be true? Everyone at work is telling me how great I am, how good a reputation I have, and how much they will miss me. This leaves me with two questions:
1) why don't people tell you that along the way instead of when you are leaving? we dont give people enough good feedback in this world (not just at work but in any kind of relationship)
2) why can't those people just call up some places in California and tell them to hire me??? :) Its so hard that you dont get to use your references until you have already made it through to the interview. It leaves so much pressure on the cover letter and resume which, I think, can barely scratch the surface in conveying ME. Maybe that's why it always takes me about 5 hours to write a cover letter... hmmmm.
So thats what I think.
Knock Knock....
Who's there?
Impatient Loody
Posted by Loody at 08:53 PM