I know this post is coming a little late, but I hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas and is looking forward to a wonderful '09!
I can say without a doubt that this will be the last Christmas I will be spending away from my family. I didn't think it would be a big deal as I am super busy with my intersession class and finishing up end of year projects at work. However, I was utterly wrong.
Overall things ended up going well here in VA (after a bout of pouting and being homesick) but it just wasn't the same as being back in Kansas with the fam. But, might I mention, probably about 40 degrees warmer! So that's something.
Santa gave me all the things I was hoping for and what he didn't bring, I'll be buying in the next couple of days. (Look out Galleria)
As for the rest of the weekend, I'll just be finishing up a bit of cleaning (yes, me!), enjoying the peace and quiet, learning all about Ancient Egypt (required apparently?) and working on my 2008 year in review post.
Until next time, enjoy the holiday weekend and don't tell anyone "I'll see you next year", it's completely annoying!
12.21.2008
all cracked up
Last night E and I headed into the city to see our fab friends Em and Z.
The night started off with wine, laughs and a full demonstration of how the iPhone works. Em is now obsessed with her new toy. If we could only get her to answer it from time to time I might be as equally impressed with the new gadget. (Let's hope she can keep this one out of the toilet.)
After a few drinks and an hour long discussion of where to eat (thank goodness for the Urban Spoon App because I'm not sure we would have EVER found the Argonaut...except that's where I'm fairly certain we had planned to go all along...and yes, Em...the app is fun. I hope your arm has recovered from all of the shaking.) we headed out for dinner and more drinks.
The evening continued back at their place where we broke out the board games. Hoopla was the main event and it. Was. Hilarious. How quickly I had forgotten what alcohol, adults and charades could turn into. Needless to say we quickly threw the rules out the window and made up our own version.
Cha-ching! cha-ching! Tupperware party anyone? (The sound effects were Em's not mine)
Somehow "spandex" involves sticking your crotch in your wife's face.
We all thought he was being a Chippendale.
I have no idea what E is doing here. With the way the night went, I'm sure it involved Lance Armstrong somehow. Or a dinosaur of some sort.
The night started off with wine, laughs and a full demonstration of how the iPhone works. Em is now obsessed with her new toy. If we could only get her to answer it from time to time I might be as equally impressed with the new gadget. (Let's hope she can keep this one out of the toilet.)
After a few drinks and an hour long discussion of where to eat (thank goodness for the Urban Spoon App because I'm not sure we would have EVER found the Argonaut...except that's where I'm fairly certain we had planned to go all along...and yes, Em...the app is fun. I hope your arm has recovered from all of the shaking.) we headed out for dinner and more drinks.
The evening continued back at their place where we broke out the board games. Hoopla was the main event and it. Was. Hilarious. How quickly I had forgotten what alcohol, adults and charades could turn into. Needless to say we quickly threw the rules out the window and made up our own version.
Cha-ching! cha-ching! Tupperware party anyone? (The sound effects were Em's not mine)
Somehow "spandex" involves sticking your crotch in your wife's face.We all thought he was being a Chippendale.
I have no idea what E is doing here. With the way the night went, I'm sure it involved Lance Armstrong somehow. Or a dinosaur of some sort.
After a long night of laughing ourselves to tears, we made our departure back to the burbs. Our hours of laughter quickly turned the corner as soon as we did to a very different tone.
As we walked down the street to our precious Vera, here is how we found her...
And the culprit....
a brick.
As we walked down the street to our precious Vera, here is how we found her...
And the culprit....
a brick. Some jackass actually threw a brick through our window! Now, I'm not sure if this guy was just bored, had seen the iPod cord in the dash or just hates the Jayhawks. But what I do know is that I thought I was going to be sick.
The kind Samaritan that lived where our car was parked had already called DC's finest (and slowest we have learned) when he had heard the crash just twenty minutes before we showed up. We called the cops again for good measure and waited in the cold and sleet for nearly an hour and a half by the time it was all said and done. (I think my toes are still frozen)
The ironic part of the break in was that Em was just telling us on the way back from the restaurant about how they've seen very little criminal action on their block recently and the neighborhood was on the up and up. (They even have a street cleaning team now!!) We later learned that Mr. Good Samaritan had his car stolen from the very same spot (under a street light no less) just two weeks prior.
So much for the no crime but good news was that nothing was stolen (not that we had anything in the car to be stolen in the first place) and it ended up to be a huge inconvenience above anything else. We were just glad Vera was still sitting there.
Other than the disappointing end to a fabulous evening we did learn a few things:
The kind Samaritan that lived where our car was parked had already called DC's finest (and slowest we have learned) when he had heard the crash just twenty minutes before we showed up. We called the cops again for good measure and waited in the cold and sleet for nearly an hour and a half by the time it was all said and done. (I think my toes are still frozen)
The ironic part of the break in was that Em was just telling us on the way back from the restaurant about how they've seen very little criminal action on their block recently and the neighborhood was on the up and up. (They even have a street cleaning team now!!) We later learned that Mr. Good Samaritan had his car stolen from the very same spot (under a street light no less) just two weeks prior.
So much for the no crime but good news was that nothing was stolen (not that we had anything in the car to be stolen in the first place) and it ended up to be a huge inconvenience above anything else. We were just glad Vera was still sitting there.
Other than the disappointing end to a fabulous evening we did learn a few things:
- E learned that the Argonaut was a ship.
- The four of us will never be able to play Hoopla in the actual time allotted.
- CSI is not real and to our amazement a brick cannot be finger printed.
- Don't park on 11th St. NE
12.12.2008
let's say thanks
Xerox is printing cards for the troops overseas. If you'd like to send a card showing your support, it's free!
12.10.2008
i must be high...
Or my expectations are. Is it so wrong to just want things a certain way because that's the way you want them and the way that they should be? Is it so wrong to expect people to do their jobs, what they are PAID to do? Everyone wants a gold star for something these days and quite frankly very few actually go above and beyond do deserve one.
For example, take my server the other day. I ordered soup and salad. Easy right? Well, one would think but living in Virginia where there is no such thing as customer service, it doesn't come as any surprise that he'd manage to screw it up. Not only did he screw it up, but he got pissed when I asked him to bring me what I had actually ordered. After that little stomp and pout performance that he put on, he managed to leave empty dishes on the table for the next 45 minutes as well.
Or my apartment maintenance. I had a leak in my heater two weeks ago. Simple fix? Maybe. Did it end up to be? No. A gigantic hole was left in my wall for a week because apparently you can't fix a leak and patch a wall at the same time. Five days later, the hole is supposed to be repaired. Fine. I was looking forward to going home to see my newly repaired wall and was instead the recipient of a rage filled phone call because our sliding glass door has been left wide open for hours and it's literally 14 degrees outside. The house is no longer 70 degrees but rather 40 with the heater running full blast trying to keep up.
Apparently, it's a good idea to let paint dry in a ventilated area no matter what the temperature. The response from the maintenance department when we called to complain? "I'm sorry, they didn't know the cold air would come into the house". Are you kidding me??? It sounds like a more thorough hiring process is in order on that one. Can't wait to see that bill next month.
(Note: This also doesn't go into how they painted over the screws to the heating unit so now it can't be opened to change the filter.)
(Or how they didn't even use the right paint color or let the spackling paste dry before they painted over it)
Is it really asking too much to get the service that you are actually paying for? Are people really so jaded to poor service that they expect nothing less? I just can't get past expecting that everyone do what they're supposed to and do it right.
I'm not looking for perfection, just a little effort now and again. Though everyone tells me to, I'm just not ready to lower my expectations and I dont' think I should have to.
For example, take my server the other day. I ordered soup and salad. Easy right? Well, one would think but living in Virginia where there is no such thing as customer service, it doesn't come as any surprise that he'd manage to screw it up. Not only did he screw it up, but he got pissed when I asked him to bring me what I had actually ordered. After that little stomp and pout performance that he put on, he managed to leave empty dishes on the table for the next 45 minutes as well.
Or my apartment maintenance. I had a leak in my heater two weeks ago. Simple fix? Maybe. Did it end up to be? No. A gigantic hole was left in my wall for a week because apparently you can't fix a leak and patch a wall at the same time. Five days later, the hole is supposed to be repaired. Fine. I was looking forward to going home to see my newly repaired wall and was instead the recipient of a rage filled phone call because our sliding glass door has been left wide open for hours and it's literally 14 degrees outside. The house is no longer 70 degrees but rather 40 with the heater running full blast trying to keep up.
Apparently, it's a good idea to let paint dry in a ventilated area no matter what the temperature. The response from the maintenance department when we called to complain? "I'm sorry, they didn't know the cold air would come into the house". Are you kidding me??? It sounds like a more thorough hiring process is in order on that one. Can't wait to see that bill next month.
(Note: This also doesn't go into how they painted over the screws to the heating unit so now it can't be opened to change the filter.)
(Or how they didn't even use the right paint color or let the spackling paste dry before they painted over it)
Is it really asking too much to get the service that you are actually paying for? Are people really so jaded to poor service that they expect nothing less? I just can't get past expecting that everyone do what they're supposed to and do it right.
I'm not looking for perfection, just a little effort now and again. Though everyone tells me to, I'm just not ready to lower my expectations and I dont' think I should have to.
12.09.2008
system overload
I've seen all of my friends post about putting up Christmas trees, tinsel and lights and I just learned it was December. Thanksgiving was merely a blip on my radar even though there was enough activity to send me on my current mental downward spiral.
Between full time work and full time school, trying to become an LN guru for work on a system that I hate more than anything (isn't this why we have an IT department?), picking out outfits for Holiday parties this weekend, watching my 401k tank and trying to negotiate that at least ten hours are added to the day in the new year so I can actually have enough time to take the number of hours I'm enrolled in, I barely have time to remember to breathe let alone even consider putting up any type of Christmas decorations. Hell, I'm amazed I even have clean socks to put on every day.
Oh, wait, yeah...I don't have time to do laundry either. E does it for me.
Point is, I'm fairly certain my head is about to explode. All I want to do is have my normal life back. The one where don't do laundry because I don't want to, not because there isn't an extra second in my day. The life where I don't have so many thoughts going through my mind that I drive halfway around the beltway before I realize that I've missed my exit about 15 miles back while driving home.
Let's hope Wednesday turns out a little better. Oh,and hope that someone doesn't walk in the door tomorrow and ask if dinner is ready. Because it didn't end well today when that happened.
Between full time work and full time school, trying to become an LN guru for work on a system that I hate more than anything (isn't this why we have an IT department?), picking out outfits for Holiday parties this weekend, watching my 401k tank and trying to negotiate that at least ten hours are added to the day in the new year so I can actually have enough time to take the number of hours I'm enrolled in, I barely have time to remember to breathe let alone even consider putting up any type of Christmas decorations. Hell, I'm amazed I even have clean socks to put on every day.
Oh, wait, yeah...I don't have time to do laundry either. E does it for me.
Point is, I'm fairly certain my head is about to explode. All I want to do is have my normal life back. The one where don't do laundry because I don't want to, not because there isn't an extra second in my day. The life where I don't have so many thoughts going through my mind that I drive halfway around the beltway before I realize that I've missed my exit about 15 miles back while driving home.
Let's hope Wednesday turns out a little better. Oh,and hope that someone doesn't walk in the door tomorrow and ask if dinner is ready. Because it didn't end well today when that happened.
12.08.2008
meet my blog
I've been inspired. After months of reading a girlfriend of mine's blog and having my family and friends become upset with me for my terrible communication skills, I've decided to start my own so everyone can stay in the loop.
Now, I don't know anything about blogging. I read blogs. I figured out how to write (read: cut & paste) the code to make mine look cute. And I've (fingers crossed) figured out how to post to my blog. However, when it comes to the topic I'm in the dark. So, while I'm getting in the swing of this whole thing, please stay with me. I promise at some point I'll get this blogging thing down and can hopefully keep you up to date on my jet-setting self. Or the life that I actually have.
Stay tuned...
Now, I don't know anything about blogging. I read blogs. I figured out how to write (read: cut & paste) the code to make mine look cute. And I've (fingers crossed) figured out how to post to my blog. However, when it comes to the topic I'm in the dark. So, while I'm getting in the swing of this whole thing, please stay with me. I promise at some point I'll get this blogging thing down and can hopefully keep you up to date on my jet-setting self. Or the life that I actually have.
Stay tuned...
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