I am starting a 5 day break today at 5pm, and anytime I have a lot of time off I am reminded of my attempt at housewifery, and why I will always have a job.
When I got out of the military, I had 4 weeks off - paid by using some of the leave I had saved up during my 4 years - before I started my new job. I didn't have a whole lot of money, seeing as I was relocating from Del Rio, TX to Washington, DC and adjusting to the cost of living, renting a house, buying work clothes, etc. So travel was not an option, otherwise I would have been long gone, at the very least, visiting family. Nonetheless, I was looking forward to 4 weeks off to do as I pleased, relax and all in all be peaceful. Well, that didn't work out as planned. This is the 4 weeks off at home, as I remember the experience.
Week 1: Wake up at 0730. Get paper. Drink a glass of water. Walk dogs on a nice, long walk through the neighborhood, stopping to chit chat with friendly neighbors. Come home, read paper, drink coffee. Shower. Eat light lunch. Go to store/organize house/clean/do yardwork. Begin baking something - either muffins, cookies, cake or bread. Finish baking. Start dinner for husband. Husband comes home, eat dinner together. Hang out with husband, go to bed.
Week 2: Wake up at 0900. Slurp coffee. Walk dogs on abbreviated walk, waving at friendly neighbors. Eat sandwich, peruse paper. Shower. Either go to store, organize house, clean or yardwork. Watch TV for awhile. Start dinner. Husband comes home, eat dinner together, drink some wine. Hang out with husband, drinking more wine. Go to bed.
Week 3: Wake up at 1000. Drink coffee. Let dogs out in backyard. Read paper while eating chips and salsa for breakfast/lunch and dripping on paper. Shower. Watch TV. Do laundry or something to not look like a complete good-for-nothing. Make something quick for dinner while drinking. Leave plate out for husband for when he comes home. Drink wine while he eats. Watch more TV. Go to bed.
Week 4: Wake up whenever. Let dogs out in yard. Watch TV and drink coffee. Screw the paper, no need for the new neighbors to see me in this state. Eat tortilla because it's there and requires no effort. Watch more TV. Shower. Tell husband he can make himself a sandwich, I'm too tired and who does he think I am anyway - a maid/personal chef? Drink wine. Stumble to bed/sleep on couch.
Cheers to those who can be productive and happy without the structure of work. I will never be able to be one of you. And if I ever decide to be a housewife, my husband said he'd leave me.
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Cubicle, Oh Cubicle
I work in a cubicle farm. Lots of workers pounding away at their keyboards, efficiently working like little wind up toys. Or so the theory goes.
I sit next to the loudest woman in the world. This LWITW talks on the phone like she is yelling across the room, even when it is a normal conversation and she is actually not trying to yell at the person (although she does actually yell at people quite often). It's pretty hard to concentrate with her yelling and all, but what really takes the cake is her mispronunciation and misuse of words and common phrases. Twice I have heard her tell someone that what they were doing 'would not pass the mustard'. I am fairly certain she meant 'would not pass muster'...but now I have started saying it because I secretly make fun of it in my head so much. Someone told LWITW a joke a few weeks ago that included the phrase 'y'all', but she misunderstood and thought that they had said 'mule' so now she refers to our organization as 'the mule' - thinking it is an insider term that she now has in her vocabulary. I am such an easily influenced person when it comes to pronunciation that I fear for my own words...it's like LWITW is taking them all away from me!
One final gripe...I hate, hate, hate loud chewers/open mouth chewers. And as such, it is my lot in life to be surrounded by them wherever I go...so either a) there are a lot of loud/open mouth chewers or b) I still have really bad karma for that cat I hit 10 years ago and then buried and cried over. It's the only bad thing I have ever done (yeah...right...but it's probably one of the worst, and I still feel bad to this day for it)
Anyway, LWITW not only talks loudly, she also chews with her mouth open, smacking her food around. And she is contantly eating 'squishy' things like oranges and 'crunchy' things like apples and cookies and sucking on suckers. Who sucks on suckers - besides kids, 20 something chicks trying to be sexy, and ex-smokers? LWITW, that's who. It makes my skin crawl, I imagine that on the other side of the partition is a woman sucking the internal organs out of a chipmunk...because that is exactly what it sounds like to me.
I hope you pass the mustard today.
I sit next to the loudest woman in the world. This LWITW talks on the phone like she is yelling across the room, even when it is a normal conversation and she is actually not trying to yell at the person (although she does actually yell at people quite often). It's pretty hard to concentrate with her yelling and all, but what really takes the cake is her mispronunciation and misuse of words and common phrases. Twice I have heard her tell someone that what they were doing 'would not pass the mustard'. I am fairly certain she meant 'would not pass muster'...but now I have started saying it because I secretly make fun of it in my head so much. Someone told LWITW a joke a few weeks ago that included the phrase 'y'all', but she misunderstood and thought that they had said 'mule' so now she refers to our organization as 'the mule' - thinking it is an insider term that she now has in her vocabulary. I am such an easily influenced person when it comes to pronunciation that I fear for my own words...it's like LWITW is taking them all away from me!
One final gripe...I hate, hate, hate loud chewers/open mouth chewers. And as such, it is my lot in life to be surrounded by them wherever I go...so either a) there are a lot of loud/open mouth chewers or b) I still have really bad karma for that cat I hit 10 years ago and then buried and cried over. It's the only bad thing I have ever done (yeah...right...but it's probably one of the worst, and I still feel bad to this day for it)
Anyway, LWITW not only talks loudly, she also chews with her mouth open, smacking her food around. And she is contantly eating 'squishy' things like oranges and 'crunchy' things like apples and cookies and sucking on suckers. Who sucks on suckers - besides kids, 20 something chicks trying to be sexy, and ex-smokers? LWITW, that's who. It makes my skin crawl, I imagine that on the other side of the partition is a woman sucking the internal organs out of a chipmunk...because that is exactly what it sounds like to me.
I hope you pass the mustard today.
Monday, December 22, 2008
Holiday Mish-Mash
We went to Handel's Messiah on Saturday night at the Kennedy Center. The music was amazing, however we left at intermission...3 hours of music in a warm theater with old people passing gas was just a little too much for us...
I'm having a holiday party on Friday (maybe you've heard, it's the must-attend party of the season...) and I'll try to bring the camera out. I'm getting a trim on my unruly hair on Wednesday (took the day off, yay for a 2 day work week!) because at this point my hair and I are disagreeing on everything. It wants to flip out, I want it to flip under, so apparently we compromised and one side flips outward and the other sits right and flips under. Did that even make sense?
We exchanged gifts early this year, the husband is working through the morning of the 26th. I got J a fish tank that now weighs approximately 300 lbs and has 10 goldfish in it as test subjects for the water quality. J was like, you know - people treat fish differently than other pets. No one would buy 10 kittens to see if they all survived. I would, but that's another story for another day that involves Texas puppy and kitten hunting. I feel badly about the fish though, and if they survive I would like to bring them back to the store so they can find a new home. I don't expect a refund - they were 10/$1.00 anyway, poor things are basically food for other fish. But from what the super cool fish store guy told me, keeping them is not an option, they will make the tank dirty. Yuck.
My wedding anniversary was yesterday. 4 years! Only 6 more until we go through crisis and start having affairs with college students. Happy Anniversary sweetie, if you read this!
Happy Holidays all!
I'm having a holiday party on Friday (maybe you've heard, it's the must-attend party of the season...) and I'll try to bring the camera out. I'm getting a trim on my unruly hair on Wednesday (took the day off, yay for a 2 day work week!) because at this point my hair and I are disagreeing on everything. It wants to flip out, I want it to flip under, so apparently we compromised and one side flips outward and the other sits right and flips under. Did that even make sense?
We exchanged gifts early this year, the husband is working through the morning of the 26th. I got J a fish tank that now weighs approximately 300 lbs and has 10 goldfish in it as test subjects for the water quality. J was like, you know - people treat fish differently than other pets. No one would buy 10 kittens to see if they all survived. I would, but that's another story for another day that involves Texas puppy and kitten hunting. I feel badly about the fish though, and if they survive I would like to bring them back to the store so they can find a new home. I don't expect a refund - they were 10/$1.00 anyway, poor things are basically food for other fish. But from what the super cool fish store guy told me, keeping them is not an option, they will make the tank dirty. Yuck.
My wedding anniversary was yesterday. 4 years! Only 6 more until we go through crisis and start having affairs with college students. Happy Anniversary sweetie, if you read this!
Happy Holidays all!
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Drifting
Lately I've been drifting...I am drifting away from people, drifting through life, drifting and just going where the world steers me. I don't think this is what I want...and it's certainly not what I had in mind for my future. And it has made me depressed - and I don't have much to look forward to these days. Even the weekends are all the same, boring and unfulfilling - and isn't that the time that is supposed to make the work week seem worthwhile?
So let's make a list of what I can do to regain control:
~Assert independance. I was always a very independant person growing up, I never listened to anyone - and did what I wanted to do, sometimes it was the right choice, and sometimes it most definitely was not. So I need to regain that control in my life. I'm not a 'we' person, and somehow I became one. What the heck happened to me?
~Work out. Yup, it seems like an old-as-time patch to any of life's problems, but I feel that working out really does help me feel stronger inside as well as out. I need to get back into that! Lately I've been putting it off because I have limited time at home with my long work days - but I think I should go to the gym instead sitting at home from 6:00 on and doing nothing.
~Enroll in classes. I need to get working on my degree again. It's true that my job is far from my dream job, and my degree is certainly not my dream degree. But I need something - and then maybe I can go on to do something else. (Like a master's in something I actually want to do...)
~Volunteer. I think I want to start volunteering, preferrably with an organization that I can attach with. I'm thinking the humane society...but I'm undecided and need to do some research.
I think that's enough for now - it's a pretty hefty list and I need to get started on it, and nothing changes over night. I'm tired of drifting and being 'blah' all the time. I need to re-energize, re-charge and become who I want to be instead of just being this boring run of the mill person. I want more...and I need to work for it. And maybe by starting on at least some of these things, opportunities will appear that will help me on my journey. Maybe a service trip, maybe a career in helping people, maybe a life somewhere else. Who knows? Maybe I will not get any of these things - but the life I have now will begin to become more of what I want and less of what I now realize I don't want.
So let's make a list of what I can do to regain control:
~Assert independance. I was always a very independant person growing up, I never listened to anyone - and did what I wanted to do, sometimes it was the right choice, and sometimes it most definitely was not. So I need to regain that control in my life. I'm not a 'we' person, and somehow I became one. What the heck happened to me?
~Work out. Yup, it seems like an old-as-time patch to any of life's problems, but I feel that working out really does help me feel stronger inside as well as out. I need to get back into that! Lately I've been putting it off because I have limited time at home with my long work days - but I think I should go to the gym instead sitting at home from 6:00 on and doing nothing.
~Enroll in classes. I need to get working on my degree again. It's true that my job is far from my dream job, and my degree is certainly not my dream degree. But I need something - and then maybe I can go on to do something else. (Like a master's in something I actually want to do...)
~Volunteer. I think I want to start volunteering, preferrably with an organization that I can attach with. I'm thinking the humane society...but I'm undecided and need to do some research.
I think that's enough for now - it's a pretty hefty list and I need to get started on it, and nothing changes over night. I'm tired of drifting and being 'blah' all the time. I need to re-energize, re-charge and become who I want to be instead of just being this boring run of the mill person. I want more...and I need to work for it. And maybe by starting on at least some of these things, opportunities will appear that will help me on my journey. Maybe a service trip, maybe a career in helping people, maybe a life somewhere else. Who knows? Maybe I will not get any of these things - but the life I have now will begin to become more of what I want and less of what I now realize I don't want.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Changes
Life has really changed since I started this blog a year ago. Not that I've been great at keeping up with it, but you know - life is busy!
So I changed course with my education and gave up Nursing for a degree in Emergency Management. It's what I do - it's what I did in the military, it's what I've been doing for the past year, and it's what has gotten me promoted to a position where I work with generals and chiefs. Yeah...I feel pretty out of place most of the time, especially since everyone has a good 20 years on me - but I also have to admit I feel pretty darn proud of myself for working my way there.
Still not pregnant, huge shocker, I know. I'm starting to consider adoption at this point, we'll see what happens with that. I really am a true believer in that people should not have more than 2 kids (one to replace you, one to replace your significant other) - because the rate that population is expanding is alarming and we are working ourselves into more and more economic and environmental pitfalls, and eventually extinction. I know that this view would enrage a lot of people, so I generally keep it to myself when talking to others. So, along with that view - comes a hefty anti-fertility treatment perspective. My heart aches for a baby, but I also think that if I feel that the population is expanding too much, I shouldn't contribute to the problem. Maybe my path is adoption, not procreating. Like I said - we'll see what happens. I'm not sure that I will ever be able to completely give up hope, but I'm ready to start looking into other options.
Finally, Happy Veteran's Day to all how have served or are currently serving! Your sacrifice is appreciated. A special thank you to those who have been injured or lost their lives in this or past wars. There are too many of you...and it makes my stomach sink to think of the loved ones you leave behind or the journeys that you have to face to get well. Simply and whole heartedly, thank you.
So I changed course with my education and gave up Nursing for a degree in Emergency Management. It's what I do - it's what I did in the military, it's what I've been doing for the past year, and it's what has gotten me promoted to a position where I work with generals and chiefs. Yeah...I feel pretty out of place most of the time, especially since everyone has a good 20 years on me - but I also have to admit I feel pretty darn proud of myself for working my way there.
Still not pregnant, huge shocker, I know. I'm starting to consider adoption at this point, we'll see what happens with that. I really am a true believer in that people should not have more than 2 kids (one to replace you, one to replace your significant other) - because the rate that population is expanding is alarming and we are working ourselves into more and more economic and environmental pitfalls, and eventually extinction. I know that this view would enrage a lot of people, so I generally keep it to myself when talking to others. So, along with that view - comes a hefty anti-fertility treatment perspective. My heart aches for a baby, but I also think that if I feel that the population is expanding too much, I shouldn't contribute to the problem. Maybe my path is adoption, not procreating. Like I said - we'll see what happens. I'm not sure that I will ever be able to completely give up hope, but I'm ready to start looking into other options.
Finally, Happy Veteran's Day to all how have served or are currently serving! Your sacrifice is appreciated. A special thank you to those who have been injured or lost their lives in this or past wars. There are too many of you...and it makes my stomach sink to think of the loved ones you leave behind or the journeys that you have to face to get well. Simply and whole heartedly, thank you.
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
She don't need to look pretty...
I hate being a bridesmaid. I didn't do this to my friends (since I eloped in Germany) - yet they almost all have done it to me. I get it, it's their day, they can act out whatever wedding plans they made. But the travel, the dress, the time spent, the catty comparing of so-and-so's wedding to theirs, and of course the gift...and I am usually dateless because my husband is often unavailable. So I end up getting hit on by creepy men, because although I am not one to think of myself as attractive, I generally clean up well.
The Current Bridesmaid Experience:
Speaking with one of the other bridesmaids, I remarked on how pretty she looked all dressed up. She said that she hated dressing up and wouldn't do it again for a long time. Her fiancee was standing there, and I said something along the lines of 'Doesn't she look pretty? You two should take a picture dressed up together' He says, verbatim: 'She don't need to look pretty to mow my lawn'. It was a conversation stopper, so I went back to my glass of wine and husband. Earlier in the festivities I had endured a painful story by a 'self proclaimed Jesus Girl' that ended with 'and homosexuality is so wrong'. Later on in the evening I ended up calling her a bad word to her face, and she deserved it. Woudln't have done it without copious amounts of wine, but I can't say I'm sorry for being honest :) I.could.not.wait.to.get.home. Seriously. But the wine did help. A lot.
The Current Bridesmaid Experience:
Speaking with one of the other bridesmaids, I remarked on how pretty she looked all dressed up. She said that she hated dressing up and wouldn't do it again for a long time. Her fiancee was standing there, and I said something along the lines of 'Doesn't she look pretty? You two should take a picture dressed up together' He says, verbatim: 'She don't need to look pretty to mow my lawn'. It was a conversation stopper, so I went back to my glass of wine and husband. Earlier in the festivities I had endured a painful story by a 'self proclaimed Jesus Girl' that ended with 'and homosexuality is so wrong'. Later on in the evening I ended up calling her a bad word to her face, and she deserved it. Woudln't have done it without copious amounts of wine, but I can't say I'm sorry for being honest :) I.could.not.wait.to.get.home. Seriously. But the wine did help. A lot.
Sunday, April 20, 2008
Karma
Okay, so I bought some stuff from Ann Taylor and I had all these vouchers for $20 off $50 or more, but I only spent $100 (well, $60 with my sweet coupons), and I had two left. So I left them with the cashier to give to the next customer, I mean why waste them, right? And she was like, wow, that's so nice of you - she was in shock and kept going on about it. Why can't people be nice? Seriously? Why is being kind the exception, not the rule???
I found a check on the ground while I was at work today and I am mailing it back to the originator (I didn't want to leave it, it had their DL#'s and obviously their address and account number). And I helped a girl out with directions who was in tears because her cell phone died and she couldn't find anyone to help her. So maybe some of this good karma will come back to me! MAYBE, but I'm not counting on it. If karma is listening, I would like my payback in the form of a healthy baby. I only want 2 kids, so one now and another in about 2 years please. Thanks, karma.
I found a check on the ground while I was at work today and I am mailing it back to the originator (I didn't want to leave it, it had their DL#'s and obviously their address and account number). And I helped a girl out with directions who was in tears because her cell phone died and she couldn't find anyone to help her. So maybe some of this good karma will come back to me! MAYBE, but I'm not counting on it. If karma is listening, I would like my payback in the form of a healthy baby. I only want 2 kids, so one now and another in about 2 years please. Thanks, karma.
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Socks
When I first met my husband, he had this terrible habit of taking off his socks anywhere and everywhere, and just leaving them there. He 'claims' they pull the hair on his feet and legs, making it uncomfortable. As a female, I have hairless feet to I can't pretend to know if this is truly an issue that the hairy footed experience. So essentially, back to the point, his apartment floor was carpeted with stray socks.
I slowly broke him of this habit, so he would actually put his socks in the dirty clothes hamper. I was thrilled that by the time we moved in together, I didn't have to deal with dirty socks everywhere.
About a year later, the socks started reappearing. I was NOT happy, all that work down the drain, what could have caused this regression? Suddenly, my socks also started appearing in random places around the house, why would my husband put my socks everywhere too? It was our new dog, Z...to this day, she fishes through the dirty hamper for socks to carry around in her mouth. My best friend came to visit, and after she left, I found one dirty sock of hers in Z's bed. When my mom came to visit, again, one dirty sock of hers in Z's bed. I am guessing she holds on to these mementos to remember some of her favorite people :)
I slowly broke him of this habit, so he would actually put his socks in the dirty clothes hamper. I was thrilled that by the time we moved in together, I didn't have to deal with dirty socks everywhere.
About a year later, the socks started reappearing. I was NOT happy, all that work down the drain, what could have caused this regression? Suddenly, my socks also started appearing in random places around the house, why would my husband put my socks everywhere too? It was our new dog, Z...to this day, she fishes through the dirty hamper for socks to carry around in her mouth. My best friend came to visit, and after she left, I found one dirty sock of hers in Z's bed. When my mom came to visit, again, one dirty sock of hers in Z's bed. I am guessing she holds on to these mementos to remember some of her favorite people :)
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Blogger Virgin
A little bit about myself for those of you who are bored and stumble upon this:
~I try to be a good person, and I try to do random acts of kindness. That doesn't always work out so well, and sometimes it backfires...
~I firmly believe that wine can solve any and all of my life problems
~I like my dogs and cat more than I like most people
~When I truly believe in something, I can get pretty heated
~I love hummus
~I get annoyed at metro riders who are unfamiliar with the rules and get in my way
~I am sarcastic, and some people take that the wrong way and think I am a witch
~I dislike people who drive in the left lane of 495 going the speed limit
~I love cheese, especially fried cheese and beer cheese fondue
~I have no interest in sports
~I can be very awkward in social situations until the booze kicks in
~I don't like when people simply blog about their daily lives without an interesting take on it, and refer people to 'their blog' because it's simply too exhausting to email/call/post to their friends about it.
~I like prison shows and true crime, maybe too much
~My guilty pleasure is the E! channel, especially 'The Soup'
~I love my best friends, even though they live far away, they are my favorite people in the world
~I love all of the mistakes I have made
~I think Tom Cruise is crazazy
~I think reality TV show stars get far too much coverage and credit for being douchebags
~I try to be a good person, and I try to do random acts of kindness. That doesn't always work out so well, and sometimes it backfires...
~I firmly believe that wine can solve any and all of my life problems
~I like my dogs and cat more than I like most people
~When I truly believe in something, I can get pretty heated
~I love hummus
~I get annoyed at metro riders who are unfamiliar with the rules and get in my way
~I am sarcastic, and some people take that the wrong way and think I am a witch
~I dislike people who drive in the left lane of 495 going the speed limit
~I love cheese, especially fried cheese and beer cheese fondue
~I have no interest in sports
~I can be very awkward in social situations until the booze kicks in
~I don't like when people simply blog about their daily lives without an interesting take on it, and refer people to 'their blog' because it's simply too exhausting to email/call/post to their friends about it.
~I like prison shows and true crime, maybe too much
~My guilty pleasure is the E! channel, especially 'The Soup'
~I love my best friends, even though they live far away, they are my favorite people in the world
~I love all of the mistakes I have made
~I think Tom Cruise is crazazy
~I think reality TV show stars get far too much coverage and credit for being douchebags
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