For anyone out there who things that my germ-o-phobia is strange, or takes issue with any of my other myriad of quirks (onions, tomatoes, people on the bus sitting too close, whatever else you can add)… here’s someone who’s just as weird as I am. So there.

popularity: 10%

I threw the shoes away. It was sad, because they were nice, except for the cat pee smell.

was home sick yesterday with the flu. So last night I got some cleaning done, some sewing, some knitting, and shared chicken tacos with . She’s been very talkative lately, mostly because she’s stuck on the couch all day long. There’s only so much to watch on cable, and only so many videos worth renting. Her dad is in town this weekend, so that will hopefully help. I’d be bored out of my mind too.

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1. What frustrates you the most in your day to day life? This week? Chronic back pain. Usually? Co-workers.
2. How do you handle frustration? Do you feel the need to scream, pull your hair out, or find that cabana boy with the lovely Mai Tai? Or is that just me?!! I blog. And indulge in my comfort activities. Like Starbucks. And listening to music on my ipod.html” target=”_blank”>iPod. And if it’s frustration with work, it almost always helps to go home and veg out.
3. Tell us about the most frustrating thing that has happened to you recently! That project I had to work on on Monday.
   

[Editor's note: I just haven't been inspired lately by the usual memes. Plus, all the livejournal sites are now blocked from my work servers, so that knocked about a third of them off my list. Bummer.]

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Anyone have any ideas of what to do with a nice pair of brown leather ankle boots that are only slightly chewed on by the cat on the toes? The only thing wrong with them is that they smell like cat pee. Anyone? Bueller?

I went into my closet this morning thinking I’d try wearing them. Last time I wore them was right after I’d done a bunch of de-odoring several pairs of shoes (as well as the floor, etc) from ’s behavioral disorder, and I thought they smelled funny all day at work, but wasn’t positive that the smell hadn’t just permanently lodged in my nostrils (that’s a horrifying thought). So I pulled them out today, and wham, hit with it right away.

So those need to go. Especially because I’ll need to buy replacements for them now. Shoe shopping, while quite frustrating, still, in the end, makes me quite happy.

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I was just having a conversation with my co-worker about the roommate situation (or the fact that we don’t have any prospective roommates), and he was joking about moving in (or actually that he wouldn’t, and it wasn’t very funny, so if you didn’t laugh, it’s alright). I said that I’ve lived with boys before, and I won’t do it again unless I have some sort of leverage. Now, boys in my reading audience, don’t take offense at this (or, at least, acknowledge that I am not trying to be mean-spirited here or go on a man-hating campaign), but here’s the deal. You’re generally … noisy and occasionally odiferous and often messy to live with. (Now we’re speaking in stereotypes here, so don’t go hatin’.) Guys sweat more and tend to smell more. That’s OK. I accept that as something that comes with the territory. And as far as the cleanliness goes, there’s a whole spectrum there and maybe it’s just the ones I had the privilege to live with that are messy. But, honestly, every guy I know (and this includes husbands of my friends, who concur with me on this), is loud. And y’all don’t even know it. This particular co-worker of mine denied that he’s loud, that of course he’s not, and I told him of course he was. He wasn’t even aware of the noisy things he does (it starts with the belching without excusing himself and moves on towards talking out loud and… just being himself).

And I’m not saying those are necessarily bad things. Just ways that we’re different, as I’ve noticed. They’re not things that would prevent me from sharing living quarters with a guy should the need arise (we’re looking for a female roommate but may not be able to be that picky). All I’m saying is that I’d want some… leverage for compromise if I were in the situation again. The last time I lived with guys, I had no way to inspire change in any of these annoying things (like keeping the shared kitchen vaguely clean and free of grape jelly smeared on random surfaces), and that was unacceptable. Because then basically I was the only one compromising (or so it felt).

Those are my thoughts on that.

My OCD-tendencies have been in full force lately. Since ’s been mostly immobile, she’s had friends over to cook for her and they’ve occasionally unloaded the dishwasher. Plus one of the silverware trays disappeared for a while. This resulted in about 150 pieces of silverware in one big pile in a drawer in our kitchen, and I just hit a point last night where I couldn’t deal with it anymore. They all got pulled out and sorted (since we’ve got 2 1/2 complete sets, it seems ridiculous to hang on to the various mismatched forks and knives that got at Goodwill several years ago) and then I could breathe again.

And earlier today, I spent a good half hour organizing office supplies. Paper, actually. Because I couldn’t handle it anymore. And if I walked into our copy room, I’m sure I could spend the next ten minutes organizing the boxes of copier labels. So I’m going to stay here instead. It’s not a bad thing, necessarily, especially when sometimes it means that I become very productive. My paperwork pile at home is pretty up-to-date at the moment, thanks to psychosis.

Tonight after I go to the co-op, I need to get my act in gear and finish ’s place mats, napkins, and napkin rings. I’m going to lend my sewing machine next Tuesday when she comes over for dinner, and so it’s good motivation to finish that up. Well, all except the two table runners, because JoAnn’s didn’t have enough buttons last time I was there. But those will be hand-sewn anyways. If I get them done (ahem, when I get them done), I’ll make sure to take pictures of the complete place-setting. 8 place mats, red napkins, black napkins, and napkin rings coming right up! And then I should sew up my knitting supplies case that I’ve got mostly laid out and pinned together. I can’t really finish it, because I forgot to buy the piping. But I can get close.

Why am I still here? I should go home.

popularity: 10%

Thankfully, I’m also lazy, and apparently today those two things cancel each other out.

So I did my taxes last night while at Dunn Bros. The paper version, which I used to do all the time but I used a program the last… couple of years. My math was right. It’s just that I failed to read all of the instructions. Here’s what I read, “If line 38 is over $109,475, or you provided housing to a person displaced by Hurricane Katrina, see page 37.” So I left it blank.

But it goes on. “Otherwise, multiply $3,200 by the total number of exemptions claimed on line 6d.”

So, yeah, that reduces my taxable income. And consequently instead of getting back $11, they now owe me a couple hundred. Changed my Minnesota taxes from $69 to a couple hundred too.

How did I find this out? I decided that since I can e-file for free, having not earned nearly enough money to have to pay for it, I thought I’d go that route. So I went on to the State of Minnesota’s website, found the link that would work for me, and presto! At first I was quite concerned as to why the numbers were so drastically different, and then I looked at the print copies and, what do you know, I was an idiot and failed to read the instructions completely. I’d like to say that I would have caught it before mailing off paper copies, but to be honest, I wouldn’t have. And then I would have, for all intensive purposes, overpaid my taxes.

So what did we learn today? Laziness pays. Several hundred dollars. Stupidity, however, does not.

That’s my happy thought for today. Unfortunately, I don’t have my checking account info with me, or else I’d be completely done. Gotta save something for tomorrow.

I finished the heart dishcloth last night. You know, the one I started last night that I didn’t mention because it didn’t exist yet. At SNB, after tearing out the scarf I was attempting to make for for about the sixth time, showed me some basic crochet stitches, which I filed away in my head but didn’t practice. I pulled out the pretty pink variegated cotton yarn and the heart dishcloth pattern that I’d modified earlier in the day from a baby blanket pattern, and started away. Of the 23-row pattern, I got 22 done before we closed the coffee shop. I caught my bus, pulled out my knitting and did the last row (because it was just sitting there, taunting me). Then when I got home, after unloading the dishwasher, going totally OCD-crazy over our silverware situation, and chatting to and , I went to my room, turned on Pride and Prejudice, and started over again. 23 more rows and it was done. Yay! So cute, too.

went home early last night, feeling quite ill. Hopefully she’s much better today. She got job security at one of her jobs and a promotion at the other, so it’d probably be nice to enjoy those two developments in good health.

My co-worker has been particularly… nosy lately, and it’s really annoying. Today’s interaction:

co-worker: You must be tired today.
[Editor's note: I'd been kinda snubbing his inquiries into my every single little action (looking at the Ikea website? reading the front page of the Strib? stupid little stuff that is just grating on me - can I have a bit of privacy, or can we at least pretend that we can't all see and hear and experience every little thing that everyone else does in these cubicles with the 2-foot hallways?)]
me: No, I’m fine.
co-worker: oh. You just seem… depressed.
me: Actually, I’m doing great. The weather outside is gorgeous.
co-worker: [speechless]

Yes, it is just you, I wanted to shout. But I didn’t.

I am in an incredibly great mood (which could only be increased by money magically appearing in my wallet so I could go to Starbucks, but I don’t see that happening, so I’ll have to settle for going for a walk to the park and drinking a can of Coke). The weather really is beautiful. I was actually happy upon leaving my house this morning, simply because I was outside. I’m always a little bit surprised how drastically my mood can be affected by the weather.

The pain in my shoulder from yesterday moved into the middle of my back overnight, and while it feels like it’s in a spot where I should just be able to twist and crack my back and it would magically disappear, it’s not happening. I put on a nice coating of IcyHot before getting dressed this morning. So I smell like old people. Ha.

The co-worker for whom I did that hideous task on Monday came over yesterday and asked where we were in terms of completion on it. I told here they were all done and sitting on ’s desk before I left work Monday night. She was shocked, since she hadn’t received an email to that effect. She wanted to know what was left. I said, nothing. I’ve got nothing left in my inbox or on my desktop or… anywhere. It’s all done. She was shocked and walked away. That’ll teach her.

flew out to California today for some training/conference for work. On her return, she’s stopping by Phoenix to visit a friend. Her return flight leaves Tuesday night at midnight, which is why I secured our lodging at and ’s for Wednesday and Thursday night. One week till our vacation!

I always feel the need for a vacation in April. Since graduating, I’ve taken one every year except last (which was understandable since I was attempting to leave my job at the and figure out a new career). Usually it’s just a trip home, but I get this bug up my butt that I need to be… gone, from work, from the day-to-day, whatever. I don’t know what it is exactly about April. There have been some major changes in my life that have happened in Aprils past. My first year out of college I took a vacation home and on the return trip realized that I was unhappy at that church and needed to look for a new job. (Spent most of the 5-hour drive crying by myself, because it was such a traumatic decision to make.) The next year I was fired on tax day, and instead of taking the vacation I had planned for the end of the month, I immediately returned home to the love of and comfort of the familiar. Can’t remember the next few, so it must have just been uneventful trips to visit my parents. (I haven’t taken a trip anywhere else in years, that wasn’t for church or camping. Boston was the last major one, I guess. May 2004?)

Well, I guess I’m feeling chatty. You must be tired of my prattle by now.

popularity: 28%

I worked for six hours straight on a project yesterday at work. OK, not entirely truthful. I took a bathroom break at 4:45. But other than that, 12-6 I was… busy. And slightly annoyed with the whole thing. That’s probably why I was motivated to stay late and finish, rather than come in and finish this morning. I just wanted it done. Plus, I got in late, so it’s not like I worked overtime. I was the last one to leave, though.

secured the car rental, and I called and to nail down lodging, so now we’re all set. was considerate enough to ask if we were comfortable with the sleeping quarters, so that potential awkwardness is all out of the way and there’s nothing left for me to worry about. has already met (and I wasn’t worried so much about her liking him as I was her interacting with me, and as usual, I was stressed over nothing), and and are going to love him. The car could break down, I suppose, but that would be the joy of a rental car - they’ve got provisions for things like that. We could get lost in Chicago, but that’s what cops and taxis are for. I suppose if I really needed something to worry about, there’s always the issue of spending a quantity of time with while attempting to keep that one tiny thing a secret from her. But whatever. I don’t need to make my life more stressful, so I’m just not going to think/care about it.

returns sometime tonight. Bummer. Not much longer now, though. It’s been so… peaceful and stress-less in the house. Even with recovering from surgery and all the people she’s had visiting.

SNB tonight. Maybe can show me a little crochet.. I tried ever-so-briefly last night to teach myself from a magazine, but it wasn’t happening. I haven’t made much progress on the baby blanket lately, but I did finish the hat for my friend with cancer, and I made a dishcloth. Pictures anyone?

Still haven’t started the project for . Shouldn’t take long. Hopefully between the travel to Chicago and back, and some down-time on our vacation, something will get done.

In other news… there is no news. I already talked about my weekend. I’m looking for a good chicken taco recipe if anyone has one. Specifically a way to marinate the chicken (or use the crockpot) so that it’s fantastic. I’ve got a packet of taco seasoning, but somehow that doesn’t seem special enough. Limes? I can’t put my finger on it.

According to my stylist, my hair has been growing slow. I had only half an inch of growth since I’d colored it, and it’s been almost 2 months. Hopefully it’s just the weather. Did I mention that my sweet boy gave me shampoo? It might sound weird, but it’s these shampoo bars from Basis (can’t find them on the web anywhere) that I really like. He really deserves those Rice Krispy Treats I keep meaning to make (but have none of the ingredients for).

My knees and joints no longer hurt from this weekend. Just my right hand and shoulder from all the computer work I did yesterday.

Tom Jones is singing “It’s Not Unusual” on my iPod. That puts a smile on my face. The picture I have with it does too.

popularity: 13%

[Editor's apologies on the quality of this entry]

Brought to you courtesy of the Word Of The Day:

aubade \oh-BAHD\, noun:
A song or poem greeting the dawn; also, a composition suggestive of morning.

Goodmorning, sun that shines so bright
I can’t stay in bed and pretend it’s night
No more clouds to hide behind
Finally Spring as fates designed

Air, stagnant and stale, is blown away
And fresh winds invite me out to play
In grass so green and specked with mud
Under bright blue skies and trees that bud

I wish that I could sleep some more
But cats are pounding on the door
Demanding food and devotion
I slowly move myself to motion

Sun rising and the start of day
Is wonderful in its own way
My affection would be so much greater
If it could come a few hours later

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just emailed me with news that my cousin Mark’s wife’s cancer has returned. I haven’t seen her since… she was pregnant, and now their daughter is 4. The last time I saw Mark and their little girl, she was getting chemo and felt really sick. Apparently the breast cancer came back and she has spots on her lungs. Hopefully treatment will shrink the spots and she won’t suffer too many side effects. I’ve always thought the situation was sad not just because they’re so young (early 30s), but because they think she originally got cancer from the hormone treatment she had to go on in order to get pregnant, so they are only going to have the one girl. Their little girl, by the way, is one of the most precious little kids I’ve ever seen (though that was, arguably three years ago and by now she could be all sorts of difficult, but probably not, knowing her parents). Anyways, if you’re the praying type, their family would appreciate your prayers.

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And here’s a good reason not to take stock in astrology…. today’s fortune:

It’s no coincidence that emotions have always been your sign’s specialty. You know how to express them, no matter where you are or who happens to be watching, because it never occurs to you to hold them back. After all, aren’t feelings the best part of being human? Well, that’s debatable, from some of our points of view, but at any rate, when a very strong feeling hits you now, admirably, you won’t think twice before expressing it. You won’t even want to.

Emotions are my specialty? Who knew? Always know how to express them, never occurs to hold back? OK, waaaayyyy off base there. I mean, I’d be a horrible poker player, because I can’t hide what I’m thinking/feeling from my face most of the time. But I feel like, at the same time, I hold back a lot.

I don’t think I’m explaining myself well.

***

I feel like an old woman today. We grouted ’s bathroom this weekend, and that means stiff joints and bruised knees and a sore shoulder, and some grunting when getting up and down. We did a lot of walking too, but hopefully that’s alleviated some of the pain my knees would otherwise be feeling, since I’m used to walking. We also… picked out paint, called to fix her computer, and… watched some movies and ate. Slow-paced weekend. We tried to spend as much time outside as we could, since the weather was relatively nice. Hopefully next weekend it will be warmer, the grass will be visible on the ground, and there will be some mud to play in (mud-Frisbee, anyone?). We did go over to a friends’ house and ate crepes with Nutella with a bunch of people on Friday night. That was fun.

popularity: 14%

1. Glass castle :: in the Sand
2. Preserved :: Cryogenically
3. Jealousy :: Distrust
4. Territory :: Uncharted
5. Coffee :: Cake
6. Stephen :: King
7. Slut ::
8. Dynamic :: Duo
9. Daybreak :: Dawn
10. Dew :: Mountain

popularity: 10%

(that’s the sucking noise work is making today) Really. Everyone here knows it. It just sucks. That’s why many of them have left. And several of us still here… well, we’ve kinda left too. Physically, we’re here. But for all practical purposes….

I’ve got my work done for the day. Just waiting for some sign-offs. And, of course, 5 o’clock, because I still can’t leave until then. Even though left sometime around 11. Whatever.

came over last night and… took a nap. He was very tired (and quite cute). I experimented with dinner and it was… disappointing. Oh well. I’ll try again.

’s mom went home today. Yesterday she cleaned the kitchen (the stove top is white again!) and the bathroom. She went to town on the bathroom. I mean, I cleaned it two weeks ago before came into town, but really all I did was wipe down any surfaces I thought she might see. got to take off the wraps yesterday, and I saw the four incisions on her legs - two 3-inch ones on each, but no stitches, just this clear tape stuff. She even went to class yesterday. Now I don’t have to worry about her being home alone in the house all weekend.

Speaking of where I sleep on the weekends… why is it that the conclusion people jump to most frequently is that I’m pregnant? I had to point out my lack of a wedding band to Wednesday. Even people who know me well enough to know I don’t believe in sex before marriage. And the people who don’t now that… seems like they’re just assuming that 1) I’m sexually active, which given today’s society, is quite understandable, and 2) I’m irresponsible enough to not protect myself despite how easy it is to acquire birth control in a myriad of forms. The latter, of course, is the more annoying one. I mean, I basically assume everyone with opportunity is having sex, with the exception of the few people I know who… aren’t. [I tried to find some stats on this, and the closest thing I could get was that 69% of 18-19 year old women have had sex.] (This basic assumption, of course, caused me a bit of… disquiet upon re-entering the dating world.) So I get that people would think that I am too, especially if they just overhear stories or parts of stories. I even understand why ’s dad would think that, given the number of times he’s dropped over on a weekend morning to find us sitting on the couch, watching TV in our pj’s, or even this last weekend when he came over at seven am on Sunday so they could finish tiling the bathroom, and I rolled out of bed at 10:30. (The best one really was the first time that he came over for their weekly lunch and we were still in bed and meandered downstairs in his pj’s while I stayed upstairs and tried not to be mortified at the scenario, which was really actually just kinda funny.) But in this day and age, even taking out the pregnancy aspect, unprotected sex is still just stupid. I really don’t want/need to die of AIDS, or suffer through any number of gross symptoms of STDs. Nor do I have any desire to accidentally bring a child into the world, especially without some sort of paternal guarantee. So why is it that people think I am this kind of person? Do I need to do some image PR?

BTW, while searching for statistics, I found this one:
If a couple abstains from sex before marriage, they are 29 to 47% more likely to enjoy sex afterward than those who cohabit . Sexual satisfaction rises considerably more after marriage (Hering 1994:4).

popularity: 16%

1. What is your favorite time of year? Any time when the sun is shining and it’s warm enough to not have to wear a jacket. Preferably those times when I can wear a tank top and sandals. (Assuming, of course, that there’s some shade nearby, because as much as I love the sun, it does not love me.)
2. What is it about your favorite season that, well, make it your favorite season? In the winter, the days get so short and it’s dark out so much of the day, plus it’s grey and cold, and I just feel like I’m hibernating for months on end, missing out on really living. The sun and the outside and the warmth make me feel alive again.
3. What is your least favorite time of year? That time when to work a full 8-hour day, you have to wake up before the sun rises and you get off of work after it has set. I hate that.
4. Do you do anything to celebrate or recognize the changing of the seasons? No. Minnesota’s kinda weird in that you can’t get too excited when the seasons change (especially winter to spring) because they might quickly change right back. Like the snow yesterday, even though last weekend I walked around without a coat on.
5. What’s your favorite thing to do outside? I really like walking. And listening. And taking deep breaths. Frisbee’s fun too.

popularity: 16%

1. What is the easiest money you’ve ever made? Most babysitting jobs I’ve ever had. Even when it was the parents’ group and there were 7 kids ages 3-8, relatively speaking it wasn’t all that hard.
2. What is the hardest thing you’ve ever had to do to to earn money? It’s a toss-up between when I worked in San Francisco and when I worked in Arizona. In San Francisco, they were long hard days and I made $75/week (so at roughly 6-days a week working 15-hour days, that’s, what, 12-cents an hour?), so in terms of quantity of money made, I definitely worked the hardest for the least amount received. But in Arizona, the work was, like, ten times harder. I made… well, not ten times more than SF, but enough to pay my rent back in Minnesota and a few bills over the summer. I worked harder in Arizona, but earned more. So, I can’t decide.
3. Other than money, what is the best inheritance anyone could ever leave you? The piano at ’s house (though I would argue that it already is mine, I just don’t have possession of it, but not everyone sees it that way).
4. Even if you didn’t need to, would you still work? Absolutely not. I know, I’m lazy. I’d volunteer a lot, and I’d do things, but would I work for someone else, definitely not. I’d rather be my own boss and decide what projects are of value and how I should spend my time, and when I can just lay on the hammock wasting the day away.
5. What is the most you’ve ever spent for something really dumb? Wow, since most of my life could be classified under “poor financial decisions,” I’m really not sure. I have some items of clothing that cost a lot and weren’t worn nearly enough. I’d love to classify bridesmaids dresses as “really dumb” (since they’re freaking expensive for a one-time-use item). Anything in technology (because usually by the time I can afford it, the technology advances so shortly afterwards that my investment is… not nearly as valuable). Cars are just stupid purchases in general because they cost a freaking lot of money and are constantly depreciating. I could go on…

popularity: 35%

According to Astrology.com:

“Your dear ones probably won’t know quite what to do with you today — but hey, it’s good to keep ‘em guessing, right? Your mouth is running like crazy, and your temper is pretty darned hot, too. This just isn’t like you, but you know what? It may be time that it was. You’ve been taking a lot of nonsense from a lot of people for far too long. Let ‘em have it.”

There are a number of things wrong with that. I haven’t been at work that long, so I’m not enraged yet, but even if I were… that is like me. Taking nonsense from a lot of people? Only at work. I don’t like to put up with crap. I can think of a few select situations where I’m letting it roll for the time being. And finally, I don’t think my “dear ones” usually know what to do with me, so that’s not much of a prediction.

It’s freezing here! More later….

popularity: 15%