Today on the news I heard our esteemed mayor say how upset he is that factories are leaving our fair city and moving to China.
Today on the news I heard our esteemed mayor say that he saw nothing wrong with allowing Walmart to open a store in our fair city.
I see a contradiction here. Does he? Do you?
Wednesday, March 31, 2004
Sometimes I'm not all that bright. Yesterday I ran 3 miles, at a slow pace, with my brace on. Felt pretty good. So this morning I ran 5 miles at a quick pace (though still with the brace). The result: my knee is sore again. Stupid, stupid, stupid. This reminds me of the time in Georgia when I tried to prove that I could hop one-footed (on my left foot) over several log thingies. At least that time the only thing injured by my stubbornness was my pair of jeans. I'd like to say that someday I'll learn from past moments of idiocy, but we all know that's not the case!
Tuesday, March 30, 2004
Further proof that running is unnatural: today I lost two toenails. Perhaps it's a good thing I can't make it to the bridal party manicure/pedicure session on Friday. On the bright side, my knee is feeling much, much better. I might not need to wear my brace under my bridesmaid dress.
***
My hallway smells like fish. Actually, like fishy eggs. (Though not like fish eggs.) The problem: I hate the smell of fish. And the smell of eggs. I started to wonder if maybe I dislike all protein scents. I definitely hate the smell of meat. And soy. But then I remembered yummy peanut butter, and my theory was disproven.
***
Today I almost printed out an email out of spite. A girl I'd never seen accosted me in my office and said she had a grievance. Now, I did mess up. I made a very small and basically inconsequential mistake. But she made one too, one that could have been much more consequential (though wasn't). And she claimed that she'd told me the right thing in the first place. So I really wanted to print out the email that proved that I was right and put the printout in her mailbox. But of course I didn't. I just smiled and promised to make everything right. And let it go. Or something like that.
***
And hey, are secretaries usually called at home to answer work questions? Do they usually charge work expenses to their personal credit cards when someone else is late in getting them crucial information? Or do I just take my job way too seriously? (Don't answer that! I already know what you're going to say!)
***
I decided on a new career path. I want to study urban traffic patterns. Because I just don't understand the drivers in this city. Is it really that much more difficult to drive in the rain? Is it that hard to remember that there's a cop in the same spot on the same street every single day? Are traffic signs that difficult to read? Do people forget how to merge from day to day? I need to start biking to work!
***
My hallway smells like fish. Actually, like fishy eggs. (Though not like fish eggs.) The problem: I hate the smell of fish. And the smell of eggs. I started to wonder if maybe I dislike all protein scents. I definitely hate the smell of meat. And soy. But then I remembered yummy peanut butter, and my theory was disproven.
***
Today I almost printed out an email out of spite. A girl I'd never seen accosted me in my office and said she had a grievance. Now, I did mess up. I made a very small and basically inconsequential mistake. But she made one too, one that could have been much more consequential (though wasn't). And she claimed that she'd told me the right thing in the first place. So I really wanted to print out the email that proved that I was right and put the printout in her mailbox. But of course I didn't. I just smiled and promised to make everything right. And let it go. Or something like that.
***
And hey, are secretaries usually called at home to answer work questions? Do they usually charge work expenses to their personal credit cards when someone else is late in getting them crucial information? Or do I just take my job way too seriously? (Don't answer that! I already know what you're going to say!)
***
I decided on a new career path. I want to study urban traffic patterns. Because I just don't understand the drivers in this city. Is it really that much more difficult to drive in the rain? Is it that hard to remember that there's a cop in the same spot on the same street every single day? Are traffic signs that difficult to read? Do people forget how to merge from day to day? I need to start biking to work!
Monday, March 29, 2004
After Spikey diagnosed my knee pain as an IT-band problem, I did a little research into causes and treatments. And I think I figured out what happened. Yes, I was on a long run yesterday, but my knee started hurting about 4.5 miles in. I've gone that far before without problems. But I do a lot of my running on a treadmill. I'm used to a flat surface. A little over four miles from my house, the lakefront path is pretty steeply banked, unless you run right up by the lake. So many people were out running and walking yesterday that the flat section was quite crowded. So I ran on the steep bank. Not my best idea.
In any case, my knee is feeling somewhat better today, though all the damn stairs at work didn't help much.
In any case, my knee is feeling somewhat better today, though all the damn stairs at work didn't help much.
Every once in a while even bad TV has good moments.
From Still Standing:
"Isn't that what faith is all about-- believing in something without a guarantee?"
"Oh, like the Cubs. I get I now."
***
Now that I'm home, with food in my stomach and my knee brace on, I feel almost human again. There for a while it was pretty touch-and-go. It should never, never take over an hour to drive 13 miles. Ever. I could bike 13 miles in that time. Humph.
It didn't help that I left the office in a bad mood. I know I should be glad I have work to complain about (and I am), but really, people are just stupid. Part of my job involves customer service. Granted, I don't deal with a lot of actual "customers," but whether or not they are spending money, I do represent the department, and I have to be nice.
Today I had trouble with that.
There was a woman coming to campus to meet with one of the professors. I got stuck trying to give her directions over the phone. I've worked there three weeks. I didn't know what the hell I was talking about, but I still did a damn good job. She kept talking about how she'd heard it was a really bad neighborhood, and she didn't want to go through any dangerous areas. Driving, mind you, not walking. I promised her that it would be perfectly safe, and I even took her a little bit out of her way just so that she wouldn't have to see any sketchy sections of town. And then she called back from the road after she went the wrong way, missing a very clearly marked sign. And then she called again. And again. And again. And she just kept saying how she was scared of bad neighborhoods. And then she had the nerve to ask if she had to go such a roundabout way on the way home. At one point I had to stay on the phone with her while she drove, saying yes, that is the next street you should be passing. Yep, still right.
Now, I'm not saying I've never gotten lost. I know sometimes you can get turned around in an unfamiliar area. I would look at a map first... Actually, this crazy woman said she tried to mapquest our address and couldn't find it, which is ridiculous because I've mapped it before. And hey, they make paper maps these days... What really drove me insane was that she seemed incapable of thinking for herself or making decisions. I mean, if someone told you to head away from downtown and turn onto 89th street (hypothetical numbers here), and you hit 91st street, wouldn't you kind of figure 89th had to be behind you somewhere? C'mon, it's simple math.
***
I also get to deal with academics all day long. I know they make a lot more money than I do. I know they're more educated than I am. I know what they're doing is more important than what I'm doing (well, sort of). I have a lot of respect for them. I know for a fact I can't do what they do. But really, is it that difficult for them to do their own menial tasks? One guy took time to come down to my office and describe a problem he was having with his phone. The solution? Press pound-6. Took about three second on the phone with tech support for me to get the answer. It took him longer to walk to my office than it would have to call for himself. I just do not understand that mentality.
***
And now my neighbors are playing ridiculously loud-- and bad-- music. And I can't go run because I need a rest day. GRRRR.
From Still Standing:
"Isn't that what faith is all about-- believing in something without a guarantee?"
"Oh, like the Cubs. I get I now."
***
Now that I'm home, with food in my stomach and my knee brace on, I feel almost human again. There for a while it was pretty touch-and-go. It should never, never take over an hour to drive 13 miles. Ever. I could bike 13 miles in that time. Humph.
It didn't help that I left the office in a bad mood. I know I should be glad I have work to complain about (and I am), but really, people are just stupid. Part of my job involves customer service. Granted, I don't deal with a lot of actual "customers," but whether or not they are spending money, I do represent the department, and I have to be nice.
Today I had trouble with that.
There was a woman coming to campus to meet with one of the professors. I got stuck trying to give her directions over the phone. I've worked there three weeks. I didn't know what the hell I was talking about, but I still did a damn good job. She kept talking about how she'd heard it was a really bad neighborhood, and she didn't want to go through any dangerous areas. Driving, mind you, not walking. I promised her that it would be perfectly safe, and I even took her a little bit out of her way just so that she wouldn't have to see any sketchy sections of town. And then she called back from the road after she went the wrong way, missing a very clearly marked sign. And then she called again. And again. And again. And she just kept saying how she was scared of bad neighborhoods. And then she had the nerve to ask if she had to go such a roundabout way on the way home. At one point I had to stay on the phone with her while she drove, saying yes, that is the next street you should be passing. Yep, still right.
Now, I'm not saying I've never gotten lost. I know sometimes you can get turned around in an unfamiliar area. I would look at a map first... Actually, this crazy woman said she tried to mapquest our address and couldn't find it, which is ridiculous because I've mapped it before. And hey, they make paper maps these days... What really drove me insane was that she seemed incapable of thinking for herself or making decisions. I mean, if someone told you to head away from downtown and turn onto 89th street (hypothetical numbers here), and you hit 91st street, wouldn't you kind of figure 89th had to be behind you somewhere? C'mon, it's simple math.
***
I also get to deal with academics all day long. I know they make a lot more money than I do. I know they're more educated than I am. I know what they're doing is more important than what I'm doing (well, sort of). I have a lot of respect for them. I know for a fact I can't do what they do. But really, is it that difficult for them to do their own menial tasks? One guy took time to come down to my office and describe a problem he was having with his phone. The solution? Press pound-6. Took about three second on the phone with tech support for me to get the answer. It took him longer to walk to my office than it would have to call for himself. I just do not understand that mentality.
***
And now my neighbors are playing ridiculously loud-- and bad-- music. And I can't go run because I need a rest day. GRRRR.
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