| Monday August 5, 2002 -- 3:40pm Today, at work, I received something in the mail that came with the following warning: "Dust from this product can form an explosive organic dust cloud." Hmm. Saturday August 3, 2002 -- 2:15pm Ok. I know there is a great deal of stupidity in the world, and, having spent much of my adult life in the arena of customer service, I have actually been able to experience much of it first hand. I have even done one or two stupid things myself, but what I just saw takes the cake. I pulled around the corner into a one way road. A fairly well-used one way road. Blocking the entire width of this road was a gigantic moving truck, with no driver anywhere to be found. There was already a taxi stuck behind it, and I became hopelessly trapped as another vehicle flew around the corner while I was attempting to make my escape by backing out of the one way street into 40 mile an hour traffic. (This was, arguably, one of those aforementioned stupid things that I've done.) Luckily, right behind that person, a police car came barrelling around the corner, joining our merry trapped crew. (The taxi was, by this time, attempting to drive around the truck on the sidewalk in an effort to escape.) The cop found the truck's drivers and informed them that they really couldn't just block an entire one way road. They actually put up a fight! The only explanation I can think of is that these were fairly young boys. Maybe they just haven't gotten far enough along in life to understand the laws of physics. Friday August 2, 2002 -- 5:15pm Peanut butter and orange juice do not go together very well, just in case you were wondering. Someone was in this apartment today. I'm sure it was only the land lady, but still, it was disconcerting. I suppose it's also possible that I forgot to lock the deadbolt when I left this morning. Hmm. I am not enjoying my job. This is unfortunate, because it was pretty much the only thing in life that I did enjoy. Sigh. Thursday August 1, 2002 -- 7:10pm I opted not to go see Trout Fishing in America tonight. It just didn't feel worth the drive to Guilderland to stand in the rain by myself. In place of attending the soggy show, I have purchased a CD and added them to my Music Links page. They are hysterical, and anyone who names their group after a Richard Brautigan novel is ok by me. -- 2:10pm I have consumed an alarming amount of caffeine this day. There are a lot of songs about Georgia. I'm listening to Jim Crocce sing about his sweet lovin' Georgia girl now. If it wasn't 95 degrees out (and in) right now, it might inspire me to move to Atlanta. Eh. I'm way too uptight for the south anyway. -- 10:00am Some complete idiot just parked his truck directly across the entrance to our neighbor's driveway. Even if he hadn't blocked 100% of their driveway, he would still be an idiot because he left room for exactly 3/4 of a car between him and the car in front of him. I have half a mind to call the tow company myself. I like these neighbors! We voted for the same presidential candidate! Then, at precisely 10:00, someone started playing the Theme to the New World Symphony outside... on the bagpipes. (I swear to God, I am not drinking!) They played one verse, then stopped, possibly because I was hanging out of my living room window trying to figure out where it was coming from. My theory is that the bells at the Lutheran Church on the Corner are out of order and they felt compelled to replace them with something equally out of tune. I mean, as far as bagpipers go, this one was pretty good. However, he/she did manage to play the same note consistenly one half step flat throughout the performance. I admire people who can assuredly play their music, as loud as it might be, without worrying about what anyone else thinks. Lutherans. Dvorshak. Bagpipes. What can it mean? Wednesday July 31, 2002 -- 6:35pm It is ludicrously hot today. So my boss and I decided to walk to the office of the artist who illustrates our calendar for us. We are not all that smart. Troy is one enormous hill, and our museum is most of the way up it. So going to the artist's office was not so bad. Hanging out with the artist while he made funny obnoxious comments about the director was not so bad. Walking back up The Approach (mammoth staircase leading from downtown to the top of the hill and the museum) was bad. Luckily my boss is highly entertaining, and had just received news about a former co-worker of ours who found out her boyfriend was a cross-dresser when he showed up for their date in drag. Since my boss is gay, we feel completely at liberty to derive great pleasure from this, and to come up with possible uses for The Gay Building, located in lovely downtown Troy. (Disclaimer: Yes, I know that most transvestites are straight. Do not deny us our simple pleasures.) Yesterday, after the director heard me lamenting the fact that jumping off the roof of the museum probably wouldn't kill a person, he bought me a coffee from Dunkin Donuts, that sanctuary of caffeine. (Really, I think it was a bribe so I would get him his incredibly high maintenance beverage of choice: medium iced decaf with sugar, no cream, and an extra cup of ice. I felt this was too much for the drive through to handle and was compelled to actually go into the D.D. Never a pleasant experience, truth be told, unless it's the one near me in Arbor HIll.) -- 8:10am Lately I have been waking up in the morning and thinking things like, "Oh.... I don't really have to get to work on time." It's kind of true, I guess, but still. My Inner Puritan is mortified. I woke up with a splitting headache this morning, after a night of bizarre, Indiana Jone-ish dreams. Time for a day off, definitely. Had a visit with Natalie last night. I don't feel too guilty about skipping wing chun this week, because she gave me a pretty good work out. She's such a great kid. Time for the weekly staff meeting hoop-la! Have I mentioned that the coffee maker at the museum broke? Ugh. Tuesday July 30, 2002 -- 10:30am Heh, heh. The museum is funny. Sunday July 28, 2002 -- 3:15pm It never ceases to amaze me how one negative statement can overpower 1,000 positive statements. It's yucky out today. The good news is the museum is experiencing a rare Sunday with good attendance. The bad thing is that I know this because I had to go in for a few hours due to someone calling sick. Saturday July 27, 2002 -- 11:35am Yawn. I'm at the museum. Jen's doing her yoga thing. It looks like it's going well. I'm happy about that. Otherwise, I kind of feel like crawling under my desk and hiding for a few days or at least the weekend. I went to the pub with some people from work yesterday. It was fun, mostly. A couple of them started talking about what guys they could set me up with though, and that kind of spoiled it for me. I don't want anyone to set me up with anyone. I don't even want them to talk about it. I try to explain, but no one understands. I'm not feeling very good about myself today. Thursday July 25, 2002 -- 5:40pm But then I drink a lot of coffee and everything is fine. -- 9:00am I'm like a little helium balloon. I start out full and floating every morning and then slowly deflate throughout the day. Only it's not because I have a leak. It's more like a change in air pressure. Wednesday July 24, 2002 -- 6:55pm Today we received a lease. In the almost 3 years that we have lived in this apartment, we only had a lease for the first 6 months. The lease we received today contained a rent increase and a stipulation that we could have one cat. I really didn't expect a rent increase, considering that our building was broken into 2 weeks ago. Luckily, it's not a major increase and we can handle it. The one cat clause freaked me out until I remembered that Bennett is terrified of things like the doorbell and knocks on the door. The land lady would never see him unless she stayed for an hour or two to quietly read or watch TV. The real problem is the lease itself. It's one-year lease. Now, the plan, recently developed, was for me to move out on March 1st and for Scott to move in. He and Dee would stay here, leisurely looking for an apartment which they would find before next summer. (Summer is challenging in this part of town due to the noise.) So now we're all foiled. We have opted not to think about this today. Call me obsessive, but I just have to say that Larry Kirwan (Black 47 main dude) is an exceptionally cool person. If I were a famous musician, I'm not sure I would find the time to respond - within the same hour even - to email from fans. Tuesday July 23, 2002 -- 7:20pm I am sure my neighbors are getting sick of Black 47, but I really don't care. I went to Wing Chun tonight. I was late, so I missed about half the workout, which was perfect. I have to start doing that at home so I don't feel like I'm going to die every time I go to class! Now and then I engage in some activity that reminds me of just how low my tolerance for frustration really is. Wing Chun is such an activity. Ok, so it's only my 3rd class, but I am not good at it. I am not the best in the class. My therapist would tell you that this is a good thing for me, but it aggravates me. (Yes, I know this runs counter to my claims that I just want to be "normal." Don't bother me.) I think I suck at it because it is a fairly aggressive activity. Well, it's kung fu! Obviously it's aggressive. I, on the other hand, am not aggressive. I can't throw a punch to save my life. Not surprising. Aggression goes against my oh-so-carefully constructed nature. Also, I am scrawny, and this bothers me. I like being thin, but I hate seeing myself in the mirror at Wing Chun. I look ridiculous with my skinny arms standing in between all of those beefy guys. I am all elbows and wrist bones. Yick. Today, when the Fed Ex guy came, I saw the box and said, with genuine dismay, "Oh. It's nothing interesting. Just crickets." This is basically why I still like working at the museum. Also, this woman came in and let us put things in her liquid nitrogen. We put in marshmallows. -- 8:05am I just made a bunch of copies of this thing, but left the "Original! Please do not use!" sticker on it. Help! Help! The stupidity is contagious! -- 5:15am ARGH. |
 |
 |