What did I say?

I got a call from a lady today, and i answered, "Capital management, this is Ann." She proceeds to give me her account number and started talking about her account being messed up. I'm like, who are you looking for? are you calling from the stores? She said, "The stores? What are you talking about?" and kept berating me about her account. Finally, i said, "This is Kroger, who are you looking for?"

She wanted an account manager with Bank of America. how do you confuse that? Geez, if i get yelled at, i want it to be for something i did.

Even new friends tease me :)

Witgen, Ann E [8:37 AM]: Good morning!!
Warmin, Drew [8:38 AM]: Morning
Witgen, Ann E [8:38 AM]: I was running late this morning, so i drove downtown. If you want a ride back home this afternoon, i'd welcome the company
Warmin, Drew [8:38 AM]: missed you this morning
that would be good
I will be driving in on Thursday, if you need a ride then
what time and where would like to meet later?
Witgen, Ann E [8:39 AM]: barring any complications, i'll be ready to go at 5, so i could meet you in the main lobby at 5 after 5
Warmin, Drew [8:40 AM]: that works for me
Witgen, Ann E [8:40 AM]: thursday is that happy hour, right?
Warmin, Drew [8:40 AM]: yes it is
Witgen, Ann E [8:40 AM]: going?
Warmin, Drew [8:40 AM]: yes
Witgen, Ann E [8:41 AM]: that would be cool if i could catch a ride with you. i was planning on going too, so i would need a ride home too.
Warmin, Drew [8:41 AM]: i guess
Witgen, Ann E [8:41 AM]: if not, i can drive myself
Warmin, Drew [8:42 AM]: of course you can ride back... wouldnt leave you stranded downtown
how was your thanksgiving?
Witgen, Ann E [8:42 AM]: it was good. i was ready to come back by friday though
well, maybe sat morning
how was yours?
Warmin, Drew [8:52 AM]: it was good. quite which was nice
Witgen, Ann E [8:52 AM]: not sure what that would be like, lol
Warmin, Drew [8:52 AM]: mary came up and after her drive we decided to stay in, just the two of us
Witgen, Ann E [8:53 AM]: awww
Warmin, Drew [8:53 AM]: did your family behave?
Witgen, Ann E [8:53 AM]: for the most part. my mom kept asking me every time i received a text who it was from and what it was about
went bar hopping wed night with friends- they took my keys and my phone so i behaved
Warmin, Drew [8:55 AM]: good
sounds like fun
Witgen, Ann E [8:55 AM]: but apparently, when i got home, i got on facebook and sent the following message to about 10 people:
good morning starshine, the earth says hello!
Warmin, Drew [8:56 AM]: hahaha
that is really funny
Witgen, Ann E [8:56 AM]: yeah, they thought so too
Warmin, Drew [8:56 AM]: i'll bet. not a message you receive everyday
Witgen, Ann E [8:57 AM]: it's a line from charlie and the chocolate factory
Warmin, Drew [8:57 AM]: i think it is also a line from a neil diamond song
Witgen, Ann E [8:58 AM]: it's possible. i don't listen to neil diamond
Warmin, Drew [9:04 AM]: its ok. we all have our faults
Warmin, Drew [9:07 AM]: (actually I dont listen to him that much either)
Witgen, Ann E [9:08 AM]: i have so many songs on my mp3 player, i just checked to see if i had one. nope, i don't
Warmin, Drew [9:08 AM]: that is surprising. not even sweet caroline?
Witgen, Ann E [9:09 AM]: i have the version from glee
Warmin, Drew [9:09 AM]: not sure that counts
Witgen, Ann E [9:09 AM]: well, then, i don't have any

I've only know him two weeks, and he's already teasing me about Miley Cyrus, bus surfing, and my ginormous purple coat. I love my friends!

Because she thinks we're dating

From D: Tell your mom I'm too much of an asshole for you lol. At least I admit it :). I'm a dominating asshole in relationships.

Do you pay attention as well?

Thursday, I'm sitting in a meeting, and we're all listening to the conference call. The people on the other end go off on a random tangent, so we stop listening. Somehow, the conversation in the room turns to personal grooming for men, and all of the guys are chiming in with their two cents: how best to preserve the razor, what type to use, how it's a hassle, etc.

The girls are basically silent through this exchange, but when one guy mentioned he heard olive oil was the best at keeping the razor lubricated, I'd had enough. I waited for a pause in the conversation, then said, "I don't know what the problem is, I just wear pants." Dead silence for at least a minute. All of the girls start laughing, and finally, the guys do too.

I'd consider this instance of getting past the filter, a big fat WIN.

Part III: The Hockey Game

A little time, distance, and resolve have made this entry bearable to write. And cathartic in the end.

As you can see from the pictures I posted on Facebook, the people that went to the Cyclones hockey game are AJ, Jess, Stan, J, D, Misty, and I. I should have known better with those two guys and dollar beer night, but apparently I have a broad learning curve. I didn’t watch much of the game, but I do remember having a good time during. D, J, and I were very drunk. D was trying to get me to put the moves on J (sample: “he’s drunk, try to fuck him”), and Misty was trying to stop me (sample: “don’t pay any attention to him tonight. Act like you’re not interested!!! And I mean it!!!!!”). Mind you, most of this was taking place via text, so the rest of the group was basically unawares. J had some inkling because every chance I got, I was in his space: I drank out of his beer, I was touching his arm (or smacking it, as needed), I fell asleep on his shoulder, etc. I know he didn’t mind.

So the game is over, and we decide to head to Haufbrau Haus across the river. Stan took the five of us in the car, and J and D walked across the bridge to Newport, which was probably a bad idea as drunk as they were. They beat us there, and Misty grabs me and doesn’t allow me to stand with them because she was cutting off all of my contact with them. She buys me a mega beer (like 64 oz!), and we head to the table where everyone else is sitting. Both guys start texting me to ask what is going on, and if Misty is mad at them. I told J that she was mad at him for the way he treats me, and I told D she was mad at him for getting in the middle and being an instigator. He does enjoy starting shit, then sitting back and watching it hit the fan.

They ended up leaving because she made them feel unwelcome, but continued to text me. Both of them went to J’s place and were having conversations with me via text. J wanted to know how he had treated me and I told him that he was afraid to man up and actually try a relationship with me. He told me that he wasn’t afraid, just that he didn’t want a relationship with me. He said he wasn’t interested in me that way, but it’s apparently okay every time he gets drunk to call or text me to try and get me to come over. I told him at this point, we either needed to go out, or cut off all contact.

D kept telling me to try something with J, and then he asked if he had a chance with Misty and asked me to give him her number. I didn’t and told him he didn’t have a chance in hell with her. He texted back, “Good I don’t like loose whores anyways.” At this point, Misty took my phone away and started texting with D. They both were writing really mean things to each other and both got really pissed off. At the same time, Misty and I are up on the table dancing with a couple of older guys that were sitting next to us (this is allowed there). If you can imagine the picture: a bunch of people up on the table dancing and my purple phone getting passed back and forth between us, then a lot of hollering and exclaiming over what was said.

About this point, our beers were gone, and before we could order more, Stan said we had to go (he was DD) because he had to work in the morning. Misty was ok to drive, so we dropped her off at her car, and then headed home. I passed out on the floor of the bathroom because the tiles were cold and felt good on my face. My phone ended up in the kitchen somehow, which is probably a good thing since the guys started texting again. D asked me if I wanted to fuck (seriously, dude?), and J started a text with, “Did I mention at all . . .” Who knows what I would have done if I could have heard my phone. After about 2 hours, I woke up and got ready for bed.

Misty called me the next morning to make sure I was okay, and to reiterate I needed to cut off all contact with both of the guys. I lasted until Tuesday. J sent me an IM at work that said, “I know you’re pissed off at me, but I got taken off the Fry’s list.” Referring to the contract I’m working on and the strike duty he was going to be sent to Arizona for- which he got removed from. Of course I responded, and basically we’ve been chatting every day since, just like before.

I began talking again to D about the same time. I know he likes to cause trouble, but he means well, and I can’t stay mad at my best friend in Cincinnati. He’s aware of the entire situation with J and me, and is friends with both of us, so he’s trying everything he knows to do to try to get us together. Mostly because it amuses him, but a little part because he does means well.

As far as the future, I’m realistic. Right now, I’m a little heartbroken, but it hurts more to cut them out of my life. I’m not going to wait around for J to grow up, but I’ll probably never completely discount him. I do have oodles more of confidence now, and I’m taking every opportunity to get out there, so I feel like I’m on the cusp of something great in my life. Plus, my Christmas present to myself (and partially because I got a raise) is a paid month on chemistry.com. I feel like if I remove all of the bullshit barriers, and both parties are at the same point in their life, I could have some real luck. Besides, there’s a lot of single men in Cincinnati, and I can’t wait to dive in!!

Glutton for punishment

Well, I'm back to the same old cycle: talking to J every day without fail. I have no willpower whatsoever.

Still not ready to talk about the hockey game.

Not quite part III

So, I really want to explain about what happened at the hockey game this weekend, but I'm suffering from a mental block. It was so emotionally draining that I can't make the words reach my fingers. I'm already expending too much energy getting through the day.

My heart hurts.

Part II: The Day Before the Hockey Game

11/05/09
10:56pm Ann i will be coming to michigan two times in the next month. i won't be able to make it to midland over thanksgiving, but i may the following weekend.
10:56pmHeather sweet! i miss u bunches
10:57pmAnn my family christmas is dec 5th, and provided it ends early enough, i can come crash at your place, and hang out that Sunday. we could have a party! in celebration of meeeeeeeeeee
10:57pmHeather that'd be sweet
10:57pmAnn lol
10:57pmHeather yay! i love celebrating ann. no captain for me tho i got wild last night
10:58pmAnn so lets plan on sat night party on dec 5th. i will be there, and invite your crew and the old crew.
probably want to take the following day off from work to recover
10:59pmHeather sweeet
10:59pmAnn like how i'm taking over your house?
11:01pmHeather i love it. someone has to be in control cuz u know i am crazy
11:01pmAnn pass the word on, and i'll remind you again closer to. i miss your craziness. i'm a little jealous hearing about everything you guys are doing
11:03pmHeather we have been partying it up since arick left his gf lol
11:03pmAnn do you mean partying or "partying"
11:04pmHeather theres a differernct?
11:04pmAnn yes. one means sex. i'm going to create a facebook event for this shin dig and i'll bring the cheesy poofs
11:05pmHeather OH! no i have been amazingly not fucking himits weird
11:05pmAnn well it's not 30 days yet
11:06pmHeather haha exactly! i have alrady broken my record with the last 9 days
11:10pmAnn yay!!
11:11pmHeather i am doing great. we have had some heavy make out sessions and maybe a little oral.... haha... but no SEX.
11:11pmAnn did i tell you I almost got laid this weekend? oral is great! actually, either giving or receiving
11:16pmHeather recieving is better lol
11:16pmAnn yeah, i know, i lied. but i was not grossed out by giving, and i always thought i would be
11:16pmHeather REALLY?????????almost lost the vcard?
11:17pmAnn nah. i'm a big pussy. i got drunk on saturday and drove home from an event, and then called j to apologize for yelling at him for driving drunk since that would make me a hypocrite. he took it as a booty call and told me to come over right away and bring condoms. some other drama went down bet. him and me and d, and by this point i was sobering up. i told him that as much as we both wanted to, he knew that i wanted more out of the relationship, so i couldn't come over
11:20pmAnn he really likes me too, and has said so, but feels like he needs to play the field some more
11:22pmHeather its a guy thing. they're stupid and don't see a good thing when it is right in front of them
11:23pmAnn so basically, everyone around us knows that we like each other now. d teases me about it mercilessly. i didn't speak to him for two days until he apologized after saturday because he told j a bunch of things i had told him in confidence. he said i never clarified it was off the record, and he couldn't understand why i was mad when it was all stuff j already knew. the point was that he betrayed me, and j didn't need to be reminded when we're working on being friends
11:25pmHeather wow. u do have drama. i thought i was the only one
11:25pmAnn i know, i'm sorry i'm venting, but it's not done
11:26pmAnn he actually must have said something right because j has been talking to me even more at work, and today was especially honest and a good conversation. i was in the middle of negotiations yesterday and put up my do not disturb signal on my IM, and he sent me a special message: "does the dnd mean me too :( "
11:28pmHeather well thats good
11:28pmAnn my friend misty is convinced that d is using deliberate sabotage on us because he likes me too. sooooooooooooooo
11:28pmHeather cuz u sexy lol
11:29pmAnn tomorrow's hockey game, we're all going together and those two are getting wasted
11:30pmAnn apparently, taking them both to keeneland started a huge bromance and d is crashing on j's couch after the game and they're hanging out all weekend
11:30pmHeather wow lol
11:30pmAnn i've also heard from both of them separately that they text each other about me, so i can only imagine what's been said. probably that i'm a tease, or something. so, i think that's it, for now.
11:32pmHeather thats never good news
11:32pmAnn oh, i almost forgot, jared bought me pizza and a drink on saturday at the event. he may just have been being nice. i really wish i could read him better. j said the sex was an open invitation though, but he wants to do the friends with benefits thing, and i want a relationship.
11:33pmHeather cuz thats the right thing to do
11:34pmAnn i know. why am i still hung up on this dumbass after two months?
11:34pmHeather cuz we feel deeply. me and u are alike in that way
11:36pmAnn i refuse to put any label stronger than "like" on this
11:36pmHeather fo sho.
11:36pmAnn cause i know he could break my heart
11:38pmHeather yup. i was telling arick that last night. that i am so into him and i am scared he might move on without me
11:39pmAnn and guys say we're not honest

Part III: Hockey Game to follow

Part I: Halloween Weekend

10/31/09
5:53pm Ann ??
5:53pmD u just want some, call j back
5:53pmAnn he said he had to go, he was in the middle of something
5:53pmD haha he's texting me
5:53pmAnn you're so full of crap
5:53pmD im serious
5:53pmAnn nuh uh prove it
5:54pmD how? lol he just said if you want a bootycall to call him back
5:54pmAnn no he didn't
5:54pmD i promise. call him lol
5:54pmAnn i've never heard him use the word "booty call"
5:55pmD quit being a pussy and call him
5:55pmAnn if that's true, have him call me. lol, i almost fell on my ass slipping on the tiles in my bathroom
5:56pmD lmfao
5:56pmAnn holy fuck
5:56pmD ?
5:56pmAnn you were talking to j
5:57pmD yea lol. did he call you
5:57pmAnn i so didn't believe you. he sent me a text
5:57pmD lol whatd it say
5:57pmAnn "did you call me for a booty call"
5:57pmD haha. and your response was "yes" uhhhh you didnt reply to him?
5:59pmAnn i had to think about what to say
5:59pmD lol
5:59pmAnn it took a minute
5:59pmD say 'yes i want some'
6:00pmAnn i do, but he doesn't want the same thing
6:00pmD lol. he said if its just a bootycall he would do it. lol
6:01pmAnn yeah, that's what he said
6:01pmD so get you some. lol
6:01pmAnn i'm a fucking pussy
6:01pmD jesus. quit whining about wanting some if you wont get it when its offered lol
6:03pmD :D
6:05pmAnn i've lost a little bit of trust in you
6:06pmD why
6:07pmAnn has everything i've said been passed on?
6:07pmD no? just that you want him
6:07pmAnn i thought i was speaking to you in confidence
6:08pmD psh you never said "off the record"
6:08pmAnn it's ok, i guess. he knew that at one point. god, i'm embarrassed
6:08pmD lol why
6:08pmAnn i am stupid while drunk
6:09pmD lol. go to a bar alone. promise you can find some dick if you ask
6:09pmAnn that's no fun. i mean the going alone
6:09pmD lol
6:10pmD go and be like 'who wants pussy'
6:13pmAnn no
6:13pmD awww
6:35pmAnn ok. please tell me that you're not going to say anything to jared about anything.
6:36pmD lol no. jackson says hi
6:39pmAnn who's jackson?
6:39pmD da puppy face doggy head
6:45pmAnn sorry to ignore you- i was talking to my main gay
6:48pmAnn when i said on my text it would be losing a friend, i meant it was going to be awkward at work and yp events with j until we can get back to where we were again
6:49pmAnn so it's like we're not friends
6:54pmD sure you are. i dont let shit get weird :D
6:54pmAnn not us, moron. j and i

7:03pm Misty if he honestly thought he could get that from you today...without being devoted to you..he's a fucker. im not saying you need to be mad at him, but you do need to recognize
7:03pmAnn the funny thing is, if we had still been going out from august, he could have been having regular sex. i know. he's playing me
7:04pmMisty yep...he's a little smarter than he looks. and he's a guy-which means hes a fucker. and not just literally
7:04pmAnn true dat lol
7:04pmMisty i hate boys
7:04pmAnn i hear you. but i would never make a good lesbian.
7:05pmMisty be cool with j if you have to work with him...be mature...but don't socialize with him outside of work.
7:05pmAnn and stop responding to his daily im's?
7:05pmMisty haha. im not really into the lesbian thing...bc im sure girls play games as much as boys...but i do hate boys. I would, don't be rude...just say hey-im in the middle of something...let me get back to you. then dont
7:06pmAnn isn't that a game too?
7:06pmMisty yes.
7:08pmAnn i may need you to remind me daily, lol
7:09pmMisty nope...you're just gonna have to learn how to get what you want
7:09pmAnn why am i still hung up on this dumbass? it's been two months
7:10pmMisty bc you like him...he's smart, has a good job, is a decent guy outside of a relationship, and isn't bad looking. duh.
7:10pmAnn all good qualities. i think he just needs to grow up
7:10pmMisty yep.
7:12pmMisty he could be boyfriend material...you just have to play your cards right...to make him want you like that...enough to be committed. he obviously likes you and is attracted to you, but like they say, "why buy the cow, when you can get the milk for free?" he thinks he can get free milk.
7:13pmAnn so besides politely ignoring him. what else should i do?
7:14pmMisty be short and to the point. don't elaborate on much...if he ask you what your doing...give a short response...skip the U? no open ended questions. always be polite...just act a little less interested.
7:15pmAnn ok, i think i can do that.
7:15pmMisty i know you can
7:16pmAnn i feel like previously, i've been a big tease
7:16pmMisty don't play too hard...i tend to over do it. so what? it's okay to be a tease. not all the time
7:16pmAnn and i don;t want to be that either. i value honesty and openness, and that hasn't really worked for me thus far. well, poo. now i'll have no one to talk to- no im's at work, and no texting. lol
7:17pmMisty i know...i like being honest and telling ppl exactly how i feel...but you have to be in the right position...relationship wise to do that-or that's how i feel anyway. you can IM me. lol...i can't IM back all the time-but i will when i can. :)
7:18pmAnn that makes sense. we have to be at the right step to be open and honest
7:18pmMisty yep. they freak out otherwise. speaking of freaking out...i might do something with tyler tonight-im not sure yet...he's supposed to call after he takes his little girl trick r treating.
7:19pmAnn how is that working out for you? was he totally pissed after wednesday?
7:19pmMisty i dont know...friday he IMed me and asked me how us was...but i never answered bc i was in interviews. but only jessica and i went. i didnt take anyone and she didnt take alex
7:21pmAnn i'm sure you still had fun. so you guys haven't gone out since last week?
7:22pmMisty since...keeneland
7:23pmAnn wow. i bet he's in withdrawl. lol
7:24pmMisty ummm, i bet he's reconsidering how his actions from now on...he knew i had other options before....know he KNOWS i have other options. im not going to sit around and wait on him
7:24pmAnn good for you. i need to look into those other options of which you speak
7:25pmMisty unfortunately, he also knows how full of games i am...and i get the feeling he doesn't think he can trust me. there are downsides to these games
7:25pmAnn that is true.
7:25pmMisty i've never lied about anything...but still...
7:26pmAnn i think i can fly under the radar for a while since i haven't tried it at all
7:26pmMisty with the other options...i think he thinks im not serious about him...and i am. i really do like him
yep. i think thats a good call
7:26pmAnn i'm sure he'll chalk up monday to me just being embarrassed about tonight and not the start of my backing off
7:27pmMisty i just cant believe he said that...and wtf with d?
7:28pmAnn i don't even know
7:28pmMisty thats def a break of trust...
7:28pmAnn it's almost as if it was deliberate sabotage
7:29pmMisty i wouldnt trust d anymore with anything
7:30pmAnn yeah. i'm not even talking to him for a while.
7:30pmMisty i wouldnt. and i think this is a good time to evaluate your friends and who you can confide in.
7:31pmAnn you're still good, right? lol
7:31pmMisty yep!
7:32pmAnn i guess my problem was that i tried having a straight male as a platonic friend
7:35pmMisty you have to be very selective with those...its very hard to have a platonic made friend...usually there is some kind of physical attraction...when girls are friends with boys...so likely he's interested in you thats why he sabotaged you
7:36pmAnn it's on his side then, i do not have any romantic feelings towards him
7:36pmMisty that may be true...but its fairly common.
7:37pmAnn man, i have been so out of the loop with relationship stuff
7:37pmMisty cosmo...pick them up, read them, don't take them too literally.
7:37pmAnn i feel like i'm 16 or 17 instead of 29 when it comes to this stuff
7:38pmMisty bc it doesnt get any better as you get older-only worse
7:39pmAnn lol, something to look forward to
7:40pmMisty i feel like it was so easy when i was younger...i guess i just didnt know then what i know now
7:41pmAnn i appreciate the advice
7:41pmMisty i try. take the things you think fit your situation...
7:42pmAnn i will. i think i have a handle on things now- being sober helps too. :)
7:42pmMisty yeah, drinking doesnt help much really
7:43pmAnn it's funny. it brought up a bunch of stuff that i had been suppressing. didn't know i had it in me.
7:44pmMisty bless it...another tip...i've been reading your notes. just a suggestion, but i think its best to keep your frustrations about not being in a relationship off fb. i know its really how you feel, but at the same time, if an interested boy reads your notes, it may come off desperate and make them run the other direction.
most boys freak out about commitment
7:45pmAnn ok. i was afraid i was giving off the desperation vibes. i guess i was, ha ha.
7:46pmMisty ah, not really, it was just becoming a consistent msg
7:47pmAnn yeah. i see that. someone should come up with a better set of questions.
7:48pmMisty haha, you should!

Why I'm a lame ass

D is in Mississippi and J is in Los Angeles for the next week. Apparently, I'm in withdrawl from talking to my boys daily. Even though most of the conversations are inane, they still have the ability to lift my spirits. Plus, I was so frustrated by the Bridges walk that I was forced into spearheading, and it's not even an organization I support. Then, I was doubly pissed when the guys bailed on me by not walking in it, and instead of the 25 people I signed up, there were 8 of us walking. Grrr. I have to put it behind me, or I'll end up pissed all over again.

All of this put a damper on my weekend, so when I was invited out three times, I turned every one of them down. I'll have to blame it on being tired and in a bad mood, and hope those people invite me again for things.

On the plus side, my horrible neighbors moved out, and I'm hoping the nice couple I met in the clubhouse the other day are moving into that apartment, because I will befriend them if it kills me.

How would you know?

"What time is your flight?"
"8:15"
"flying at night is kind of sucky."
"I like it. You can't tell if you're crashing."
"Except you can feel the plane falling out of the sky."

Life is better inside my head

1. So apparently I created all of the scenarios in my head in regards to this weekend.

2. Jared didn't come. As told to me, "Jared hates Keeneland even more than children and old people."

3. D and J are having a bromance. Thanks to me.

Story of the day

So i get on the bus this morning, and there's one seat left. There are no bars or handholds to hang on to if there are no seats left, so i was relieved to see one. I walk to it, and the lady there doesn't want to slide over or have me sit there. I tell her it's the only seat, and the bus driver won't move until everyone is seated. So she gets up with a big huff, and says, "Fine," and lets me in the inside. The funny thing is, we get off at the same stop, so there was no need for that.

She glared at me the entire ride here this morning, but, part of that could have been the fact that my phone kept buzzing. I didn't care, she left me standing in the aisle for like 5 minutes.

I can imagine her side of the story- "man, there was this obnoxious bitch on the bus this morning that insisted on sharing my seat and texted the entire ride. Kids these days."

Dun dun dun, now with extra drama!

I have this premonition that everything's going to come to a head this weekend, and my life will change. I'm not sure what this means, or if it will change for the better, but I'm going to think positively.

The lowdown: I'm going to Keeneland (race track in Lexington, KY) with a bunch of friends this Saturday, for an all day trip of drinking, gambling, and debauchery. :) With me on this trip are my friend Misty, and her mystery man from the Young Professional group at work, J (the old), D (the new?), and Jared (the future?), to name a few. With alcohol involved, and how the parties act under the influence, this could be very good for me, or very bad.

I'm planning on limiting myself and staying clear headed, since it doesn't take much, and I am oh so easily swayed. Look for updates on Monday.

Edit: I decided to include below parts of the conversation I had with Heather earlier today.

7:27pm Ann
my boss was telling me the other day that my problem was i can't say no to anyone, so i get overloaded and stressed out
7:27pmHeather
i have that problem too.we should just say NO!!!!
7:29pmAnn
as a result, i'm picking up not one, but two of my friends in my car for the trip this weekend
7:31pmAnn
they are two of the boys on my radar, so it's not a total hardship
7:31pmHeather
car trip where?
7:40pmAnn
not far, just going to the bar where everyone is meeting up downtown to ride a bus to keeneland race track in lexington, ky
7:42pmHeather
i love ky lol
7:43pmAnn
it's going to be so much fun, and i will probably be really bad.unlimited beer is included in the trip priceand all three boys are on the trip; the old, the new, and the wannabe
7:44pmHeather
omg you get on with your bad self ann!
7:44pmAnn
if i don't make out with one of them, i will be really sorry
7:46pmAnn
the old: omg, j is still hanging around. he calls me constantly and messages me all day at work, which i think my boss has noticed and is a little miffed.i do still get my work done, even if i have to work through lunch. i'm giving him a ride this weekend cause i can't say no.
7:48pmAnn
the new: d i met the saturday before last, and we hung out all day at this event. he asked for my number, and we've been texting and talking on facebook every day since, morning til night. his sense of humor matches mine and he has a dirty mind :) i'm also giving him a ride this weekend, and he's going to crash at my place. we'll see if it's on the couch or my bed
7:50pmAnn
the wannabe: there's a guy in my give back cincinnati group that i've been crushing on hard, and we had a really good conversation a few days ago. he is single and looking and hot!, and is a little shy around girls. i'm not sure if he likes me though, but we have been making coy comments on facebook. so now you are up to date oh, and his name is jared and will also be on the trip
7:54pmHeather
nice. jill said you better tap some ass and get rid of that V card
7:55pmAnn
did you read her my book i just wrote on here?
7:55pmHeather
yes lol
7:56pmAnn
i kid you not, i had to go from 500 messages on my phone to unlimited, i have been texting so much
7:57pmHeather
i love my unlimited i txt ALL the time
7:58pmAnn
i used 410 in the first four days of the new cycle, so i thought i'd better

Why I don't have kids

I walked to Subway today, and when I entered, I saw a family with a mom, a teenage son, and a smaller son. The little boy was wearing a batman helmet and had a plastic sword that he was beating his brother with. I stepped up to the counter and proceeded to give my order. Next thing I know, the kid is whacking me in the butt with his sword, repeatedly! I told him, "Kid, you really don't want to be doing that." He continued, and giggled while he did so. I told him again, "Kid, if you don't knock it off, you'll be sorry." The whole time the mom just sits there and doesn't stop him.

Just when I'm at the point where I'm going to rip the sword out of his hands and beat him with it, he notices his mom has left him in the shop, and he goes running out the door after her. I turn to the next guy in line, and tell him, "I'm glad that brat's not mine." He agrees with me, and we both go on our way.

What kind of parent lets their kid do that to a perfect stranger, and then leaves him with me?

No, that's not lipstick

I flew to Houston yesterday on the company plane with one of the big wigs. He had me sit across from him so he could grill me on my numbers for the meeting. I knew this was going to happen, so I was prepared with my laptop. I set the bag on the tray table between us, unzipped it, and pulled my laptop out, cracking myself in the mouth in the process.

I may have a fat lip today, but nothing works better as an ice breaker, especially when you're intimidated by someone with power.

It's official, but not in the way you think

I am completely and irrevocably over J. He told me today that he has chewed tobacco since he was thirteen years old. Then, proceeded to describe it to me. I don't know if that was his objective, but whatever, it worked. I am so disgusted, I don't want to even think about doing anything with him again! At this point, I don't really want to talk to him or see him either.

Sometimes God works in mysterious ways.

Bait and Switch

I got invited to a party at one of my work friend's. The invite said "Come enjoy a FUN party" and "Kendra is going to blow the roof off the joint!" Now, I don't know who Kendra is, but I figured I would meet her through our mutual friend and felt excited to be invited to a lovely wine and cheese party (we all were supposed to bring some alcohol). I even baked brownies.

Imagine my surprise when I walked through the door, and a "Pure Romance" table was set up. You know, one of those parties that sells adult toys and lotions. WHAT THE HELL!!!

Here's the kicker: not only did I stay, even though I was a little perturbed by not knowing the truth in advance, but I actually bought something! Am I a great friend or what?

It was shave lotion, if you want to know. Get your mind out of the gutter.

No willpower whatsoever

Dammit, I can't even make it two days. I blame Microsoft for the ease of using their IM feature.

Oh, and he started it. So there.

Turning over a new (old) leaf

I was going back over some of my entries recently, and I thought, "wow, I've gone off the point of this blog." What was originally a funny concept of me sticking my foot in my mouth has turned into a maudlin review of my love life. When did I turn into such a whiner? If this is depressing to me, I can only imagine how it seems to the reader. So, going forth, no more touching on the drama, but plenty more of the funny. And continuing in that vein, today is the first day of officially ignoring him on IM. I realized this weekend that I will never get him out of my system if we continue to talk every day, and I let him string me along. However it turns out is in the hands of God. I will not stress over it anymore.

I do feel better.

Telling a story with pictures

Witgen, Ann E [3:35 PM]:
do you get to leave early for your trip this weekend?
Smith, Jason T [3:35 PM]:
I had to cancel my trip
I was supposed to have today off
Witgen, Ann E [3:36 PM]:
oh, that sucks.
Smith, Jason T [3:36 PM]:
that whole no money thing sucks
I can't wait fro wednesday
Witgen, Ann E [3:36 PM]:
i hear you.
well, it was supposed to be crappy weather almost all weekend anyway.
horrible for driving
i'm sure that's no consolation
Smith, Jason T [3:37 PM]:
yeah it wouldve been horrible on the lake
I was going to my grandparents lake cottage
Witgen, Ann E [3:41 PM]:
you'll be able to take your boat next season- that's something to look forward to
Smith, Jason T [3:41 PM]:
nah, their boats and jet skis are all better than my boat
Witgen, Ann E [3:42 PM]:
jet skis look dangerous
Smith, Jason T [3:42 PM]:
oh my god theyre so much fun
Witgen, Ann E [3:42 PM]:
i've never been on one, but with my luck, i would flip it and hurt myself
that's what i manage to do every time i go tubing
Smith, Jason T [3:43 PM]:
tubing is like the most dangerous thing to do on water
you have no control whatsoever
Witgen, Ann E [3:44 PM]:
oh, that's what it is. works for me, blame the sport, not my lack of ability
it's still fun, but the next day i have bruises in strange places and muscle aches.
Witgen, Ann E [3:47 PM]:
here's a mental picture for you: one of those huge 4-man tubes and me causing it to flip during a turn. the other three people fall off into the water, more or less right there. Me, on the other hand, bounce across the water on my face about 4 or 5 times, then sink like a stone, despite the life jacket. i surface, and the boat was no where in sight, that's how far i flew.

Guess you had to be there

Witgen, Ann E [2:00 PM]:
i can't save anything now
is my status still green?
Smith, Jason T [2:02 PM]:
no
Witgen, Ann E [2:03 PM]:
well crap, i was messing with my settings and apparently i'm in a meeting
Smith, Jason T [2:04 PM]:
good for you
Witgen, Ann E [2:06 PM]:
i know. it's with myself, so no interruptions
Smith, Jason T [2:07 PM]:
hey look me too
and now I'm not
Witgen, Ann E [2:09 PM]:
i can't get it to stop
Smith, Jason T [2:10 PM]:
you're a semi smart girl I'm sure you'll figure it out
Witgen, Ann E [2:10 PM]:
semi??
ha
ha
HA
Smith, Jason T [2:10 PM]:
:)
:P
Witgen, Ann E [2:11 PM]:
just because you have me on IQ by 7 points, does not make me semi
Smith, Jason T [2:11 PM]:
well you are pretty smart...........for a girl
Witgen, Ann E [2:12 PM]:
you need a bigger shovel
for that hole you're digging
Smith, Jason T [2:12 PM]:
is it really a hole if you know you're doing it
Witgen, Ann E [2:14 PM]:
that depends. when you look up, do you see ground above your head?
Smith, Jason T [2:15 PM]:
never
Witgen, Ann E [2:16 PM]:
then i'll just have to beat you with the shovel
lol
Smith, Jason T [2:16 PM]:
yeah its a risk guys like me have to take
I am Jason T Smith you know
Witgen, Ann E [2:16 PM]:
Mixer extraordinaire!
when i send you an email, i specifically type out jason.s.smith and by the time i hit send, it's converted the name to Jason T.
apparently it still works.
Witgen, Ann E [2:25 PM]:
ta da! no more meeting!

If the shoe fits . . .

Today I feel weird; like a general sense of unease. I think it has something to do with my dreams last night. Of course, I don't remember anything I dreamt now, except for the feelings they drew out of me: loneliness and longing. You don't need a dream dictionary to interpret those.

I'm really anxious today, like I'm anticipating something happening. There's nothing on my schedule or anything I know about, but try telling my nervous system that. It's very weird and I wish I could relax.

On a different note, I think Chris would like to set me up with her son. While this is all well and good, he comes with a lot of baggage- two kids and a psychotic ex. Not to mention the fact that, as much as I adore Chris, they are way too close. She's on the phone with him right now, and usually every day multiple times.

This weekend should be good; another Give Back event tomorrow, and I'm dragging AJ to it. He needs to get out and meet people, even if they're my friends first.

Lo chupas.

You know, I'm a at good place right now. But, it would be all the more nicer if I wasn't bugged every morning when I get into work on IM by so-and-so. It does put a small wrench in my "getting over you" plans. Stupid boys.

"I don't date girls I work with." Apparently, it is okay to write me every day instead. Yeah, I'm the one that's not adjusted here.

PS- I won the bet. JK Rowling totally counts, even though it made me look a little pathetic for spending so much research time on it.

How did you meet?

I've been told by several people that I am crazy to think I will meet the person I will marry at work. Every one of them rushes to tell me their horror stories about it not working out. When I point out several people that have had success stories, I am told they are all flukes. Even though, for every horror story, I can match it with a success. That's a lot of flukes.

The way I figure it, you spend half your life working, and another quarter sleeping. If I left it up to the remaining 25%, it makes for a bleak future indeed. I suggested to the chair of the Young Professional group that we have a singles mixer. Maybe give it a theme like "the 80's." We'll see if my suggestion is take seriously. Or if I remain single forever.

It's okay, it's all right.

Yesterday was interesting. We worked together for three hours on the United Way bag stuffing and managed to get along. Apparently, ignoring the whole thing is the way to go. I was super nice and cheery, and shortly it became easy to do. Although, it was strange talking to him after everyone left and we were waiting for a dolly to transport the boxes. He struck up a conversation about work to fill the awkward silence. We have to sell the bags on Friday and Monday, so it will get easier. I would like us to be good friends again (Notice in the first picture, J on the right and me on the left. I wasn't exaggerating about working side by side.).





I feel a little ridiculous for last week, but maybe what I needed to get him out of my system was a small drunken binge and some shopping. Check and check.

Whoopsies.

I've kind of told my boss the gist of what was going on with me recently, without using names or specific details. Now she's got it in her head to figure out who I was seeing. She keeps asking me anytime I greet someone in the elevator, or in the building, "Was it him? Is it him?" I don't think she'll figure it out- she's only seen him the one time.

It's a good thing we get along so well, or I'd be a lot more annoyed. One of my work friends figured it out right away, and I didn't have to tell her anything. She noticed how J and I were acting at various events and group outings for the past couple of months, then the fact I was really quiet Wednesday and Thursday (which everyone knows now is not like me). I shudder to think how she's treating him right now, since she's on my side and he works on her floor.

Although, the thought of her giving him the stink eye all day gives me a bit of a mood booster.

He may have figured out I'm pissed since he wouldn't sit with me at the luncheon yesterday, and he's turned his IM off to me. I know he's there, since M is there and active.

Okay, this has clearly been a week of drama, and I'm fed up with it. It's not my norm, so I aim to stop dwelling right now. Tuesday should be interesting. J and I have to work side by side on an event. I will be pleasant if it kills me.

J is stupid.

That is all.

Another day of . . .

I just ate a yogurt. Usually I enjoy them, but with all of my recent problems, it's just not sitting right. I'm also getting sick of oatmeal. I've had a packet every morning at work for the past eighteen months. I'm not sure what I'll do for breakfast now- it was the perfect situation. I could keep the packets in my desk, and we have hot water in the kitchenette. Plus, since I never get up in time for breakfast, it gave me a chance to eat at work, no matter what time I arrived.

I wish I didn't have to play the waiting game. I want everything now! I know I should let things progress normally, in their own time, but it's really hard for me not to turn obsessive and bother him every hour of the day (i'm restraining myself to one IM conversation a day, like we had beforehand). We'll have lunch together tomorrow with a group of people, and I'm sure my face will be red most of the time. I blush so graphically, everyone is going to wonder what the hell is wrong with me.

Friday and this weekend are up in the air, which is what is really bothering me. I thought we had definitive plans, but life and work have gotten in the way. We were supposed to go to lunch privately today, but I am reworking a contract from scratch, and J just got a huge project with a deadline of tomorrow afternoon. Because of this, the weekend is up in the air. I sure hope he doesn't bail on the luncheon, because it's been a week now since I've seen him, and I'm getting a little cranky. People at work are starting to notice, and ask me what is the matter.

Maybe I should get drunk and call him Friday night, since that seems to be the MO of the relationship. :)

I'm trying to stay positive, especially in light of the fact that this is such a minor thing with everything else in the world. I found out my boss' grandma passed away yesterday, and here I've been acting like a fool. I'm going to stop by my bible study group before the luncheon tomorrow for a little peace of mind. I always feel better afterwards. Is it selfish to ask them to pray for me?

I'm on the verge of tears.

I am so stressed today. I'm involved in so many groups at work, and they all are coming to a head right now, so I'm needed immediately for all of them. Also, one of the contracts I'm working on, apparently I made some severe mistakes way back at the beginning, and now nothing is coming out right. Back to square one for that. Plus, I'm still on an emotional roller coaster with J, and I want to smack him more than kiss him! Everytime we take a step forward, he takes two steps back.

So, since I'm all over the place with that issue, work is stressing me out much more than it ever has. I've handled twice as much, and on a deadline, without this turmoil. I'm starting to fear for my health (in particular, my hair) because I have to force myself to eat. Anytime I do, I feel sick to my stomach, but I know if I don't, my hair will start to fall out because of protein deficiency. If it doesn't already because of stress.

In summary, boys suck.

BLARRGH!!!

Isn't it great when it all comes together?

I don't consider myself picky when it comes to men, but apparently, there are people out there that think I am. I know I come off as standoffish because I have difficulty meeting new people. I know I have a strange sense of humor, and I don't want to spring that on someone before they get to know me. I would make a lot of dislikers that way.

Anyway, my point is this- I have just four criteria when looking for a man:

1. Must have the illusion of all of his teeth. I'm okay with any kind of dental work, or even teeth missing in the back. I do not want to see a hole in the front.
2. Must be taller than me. I'm not talking a lot of inches, just that I'd like him to be at eye level or above.
3. Must have a good sense of humor. Very helpful in "getting" me.
4. Must be able to hold their own in a conversation with me. I know I talk fast, argue, and create general mayhem. If they can't keep up, I'm not wasting my time.

Now is that picky? I think not. And sometimes, it just works. ;)

Oh, and BTW, so NOT frigid! I was afraid I might be, and others have intimated it as well.

Cleaning out my mailbox

Newton, Chris [2:15 PM]:
it's not my day- with bzo
i'm about ready to pull my hair out!
Witgen, Ann E [2:15 PM]:
i would try a full reboot
Newton, Chris [2:17 PM]:
it's not the computer- it's the blonde behind the wheel!! i started pulling in the jobcodes just a few at a time, and somewhere along the way the doe filter got changed back, and i didn't notice. so i pasted a bunch of partial answers into excel. now i have to rerun them!!
OMG! this is a real employee name: AREZOO MOGHAREBIN NAJAFABADI
Witgen, Ann E [2:17 PM]:
well, crap
Newton, Chris [2:18 PM]:
wow! that would be a hard one for a little kid to learn
Witgen, Ann E [2:18 PM]:
you could shorten it to armen
Newton, Chris [2:18 PM]:
sorry... i get bored while i'm waiting for the report to run
he may want to shorten it. i thought mine was long.
never could put my whole name in the little boxes on the tests in school
Witgen, Ann E [2:19 PM]:
you must have a long maiden name, cause christina's not bad
Newton, Chris [2:19 PM]:
christopher ended up being christophe a time or two as well
my maiden name isn't really that long eigther, compared to AREZOO MOGHAREBIN NAJAFABADI
it was bettridge
but it was too long for those tests
they weren't very inclusive back in those days. haha
Witgen, Ann E [2:21 PM]:
i got my kfc rain check back addressed to ann wilson, so even a short name is bad. i wanted to write back that she was a member of "heart" and may not appreciate the chicken
Newton, Chris [2:21 PM]:
that's funny
it's not just the report that takes forever, it's the copy all

Newton, Chris [4:17 PM]:
can i get any more weird messages in one day???
"FILE NOT LOADED COMPLETELY"
Witgen, Ann E [4:19 PM]:
how about: "Fourth of July weekend- are you REALLY trying to run a report this size?"
Newton, Chris [4:19 PM]:
you are probably right

Witgen, Ann E [9:15 AM]:
have you seen allison this morning?
Newton, Chris [9:16 AM]:
no
?
Witgen, Ann E [9:16 AM]:
she got a haircut and it looks exactly like molly's down to the length, highlights, and style they're both wearing today.
Newton, Chris [9:17 AM]:
no kidding. i will have to check it out
Witgen, Ann E [9:17 AM]:
i pointed this out (of course it got past the filter), and they both denied it and pointed out the minute differences in the hairstyles
Newton, Chris [9:18 AM]:
haha. oops, the filter is not working today?
Witgen, Ann E [9:18 AM]:
apparently not
Newton, Chris [9:18 AM]:
doesn't sound like it was too bad
Witgen, Ann E [9:18 AM]:
i told her it was really cute, which it is. i like it on molly's head too. lol
Newton, Chris [9:19 AM]:
funny!

Witgen, Ann E [1:36 PM]:
on their employment page, west virginia has information about a marble factory
Newton, Chris [1:36 PM]:
hmmm
Witgen, Ann E [1:36 PM]:
as in the little balls, not the building material
Newton, Chris [1:36 PM]:
weird
u mean on the west virginia gov site?
Witgen, Ann E [1:37 PM]:
yes
Newton, Chris [1:37 PM]:
interesting
Witgen, Ann E [1:37 PM]:
Did You Know?
More than 1 million marbles are rolled out each day at Marble King Inc. in Paden City, a marble factory since 1949.
i can't make this stuff up
Newton, Chris [1:38 PM]:
i did not know... and how could you make up something like that?
Witgen, Ann E [1:38 PM]:
lol

Why, yes, the windows WERE open.

I was hanging out with AJ the other day. Hell if I can remember where we were and what we were doing, but I remember I was getting louder and yelling at people, and he had to remind me that the windows were open and people could hear me. I'm guessing we were in the car.

Oh, I remember now. We were pulling into the parking lot at the Kathy Griffin show, and I made some crack about people walking in the middle of the road. I don't think I have a quiet volume.

Sometimes, I'm the only one laughing.

Witgen, Ann E [9:43 AM]:
chris is back
Buller, Drew L [9:47 AM]:
phew thanks
did you have a killer weekend?
Witgen, Ann E [9:47 AM]:
i SO did
Buller, Drew L [9:47 AM]:
cool
Witgen, Ann E [9:48 AM]:
hyde park blast was fun
Buller, Drew L [9:48 AM]:
cool
i forgot ab that
Witgen, Ann E [9:48 AM]:
how was your weekend? did you go camping?
Buller, Drew L [9:49 AM]:
nah
too hot
just pooled it up a bunch
tennis a bunch
and chillaxed
Witgen, Ann E [9:49 AM]:
cool- do you have one at your new place?
Buller, Drew L [9:49 AM]:
yeah
but friday we went to my moms
private and nobody was there so it was cool
Witgen, Ann E [9:50 AM]:
i did the pool friday night, but one of the guys there was drunk and very huggy so i left
Buller, Drew L [9:50 AM]:
lmao
Witgen, Ann E [9:50 AM]:
only me
Buller, Drew L [9:50 AM]:
aw not feelin the love?
Witgen, Ann E [9:51 AM]:
he was 50-something
and his wife was there too
Buller, Drew L [9:51 AM]:
nice
swingers
Witgen, Ann E [9:51 AM]:
i'm blaming the alcohol
Buller, Drew L [9:52 AM]:
lol ok
i've been there
Witgen, Ann E [9:52 AM]:
very huggy? or blaming alcohol?
Buller, Drew L [9:52 AM]:
both
Witgen, Ann E [9:52 AM]:
lol
i get sleepy and fall down a lot
kind of like when I'm sober, so no change there
Buller, Drew L [9:53 AM]:
yeah
did you gte cut off from the stairs
Witgen, Ann E [9:54 AM]:
not completely. i have 2 flights of stairs to my apartment, so i have to climb those
Buller, Drew L [9:54 AM]:
did you get your glasses fixed?
Witgen, Ann E [9:56 AM]:
i did. they bent back into place without having to be replaced. it may still be a weak spot, but they're working so far.
Buller, Drew L [9:56 AM]:
thats good
frames are expensive

I am smart

Now I can actually update this as things happen to me. I have linked my phone with the blog so this happens. Now, when I have something to say, I can say it and text it too!

I wish

I have a burning desire to write, but nothing to say. Poo.

Food Kryptonite

Hee hee. I'm a follower of my own blog.

Anyway, here are the top five food items I can't live without, and have been brought to the brink of a killing spree at the thought of going without:

1. DIET COKE!!
2. Mancino's Seafood Grinder
3. Cool Ranch Doritos
4. Any type of Mexican food
5. Cheese anything. All kinds. All ways. I love cheese.

The caveat to the list is that they all have to be bad for you. I could have included some of the things I love that are okay, like watermelon and green peppers, but those are considered good for you. Although, considering what happens to your pee after eating a green pepper, I'm less inclined to believe it's good for me.

Edit (12:16pm):

I can't believe I forgot stale peeps! The Lenten season is barely over, and I inhaled these by the pound! Best to open the package, put it in the cupboard (so the cats that aren't supposed to be on the counter don't lick them), and wait three days. Also wonderful microwaved for 30 seconds. Man, I can't wait for the next holiday so I can stock up!

The windows were closed, I swear!

The other day, I hollered at a guy in a truck trying to cut me off on the entrance ramp to the highway. The two lanes merged into one, and he waited until the last possible minute to attept a merge, but the spot he tried was already taken. I swear, he was only 6 inches from the vehicle. The windows of the vehicle were all closed, so I'm certain the guy in the truck didn't hear me. The problem is that I was riding the bus home and everyone on it heard me yell, "MORON!!!"

Thank you very much, Mr. Roboto.

Yay! I have a second follower! Although, given the user name, I'm inclined to believe it's a bot. That's okay, I welcome their comments, too.

And now, for the story of the restaurant . . .

Karen and I went to Rock Bottom, in the heart of downtown Cincinnati, and a restaurant I love. I gave her a bunch of recommendations from the menu, and chose a favorite for myself (Sonoma chicken wrap for her, Southwest burger for me). We gave the waitress our order, and proceeded to wait. We were talking so much, and yelling at other patrons (me), that we didn't notice an inordinate amount of time had passed. I mentioned that I was really hungry, and could start gnawing on the table. This was about 4pm, and we had been there since before 3:30pm.

I've mentioned previously about the pigeons (I can't believe they used to be a delicacy in Olde England). There was one that was walking around in front of the door to go inside Rock Bottom. Another server opened the door and the pigeon flew up in his face and he screamed a little. I told him I was waiting for that to happen, and he kind of glared at me. What I meant was I was waiting for someone to hit the pigeon with the door, and he thought I meant I was waiting for someone to be startled by the stupid birds. Oops, forgot about the windows again.

The waitress came over and noticed that we didn't have any food. Apparently, another table had came in after us and ordered the exact same thing we did, and a different employee (just a food runner) took our food out to them. When our server checked with her, she asked if the food had gone out, not to whom it went. She apologized profusely to us, and put our order in again. The manager came out to our table and apologized, and said that they would make it up to us.

Meanwhile, Karen orders another beer, and we continue talking, and complaining about being hungry (mostly me). Our food finally comes out shortly before 4:30pm, and we devour it. I think I finished my burger in less than 5 minutes. Both the waitress and the manager came out again to apologize and bring us our bill. After 3 beers, $5 apiece, and 2 meals, $10 apiece; the total bill came to $14.84. They charged us $2 total for the beers, since they served us, they had to charge us something, then gave us a hefty employee discount on top of it. I left a good tip based on the original total, because, really, if not for the extreme hunger we felt, we would have never noticed. She did give us good service, good food, good company, and with that total, who's to argue?

Why I changed the title of the blog

Funny story . . .

Karen came to visit this weekend, and got to experience driving around Cincinnati with me. Part of the reason I now ride the bus to work is because I have become a very aggressive driver and can't stand the rest of the people on the road. I tend to yell things, call names, and get frustrated with everyone else's driving. Anyway, she got to witness all this, and may have been slightly amused/horrified.

I was driving downtown, and pulled into an underground parking garage. There was a large white pickup trying to maneuver into a space meant for a compact car. I yelled, "You're too big!" and Karen noticed both my windows, and his were wide open. There was no way that he didn't hear me. Then I felt bad, because a great big guy got out of the truck, and he had no way of knowing if I was insulting him, or his truck.

Later on, while we were waiting for our dinner at a restaurant with an outside patio (a story for another day), there were some pigeons flying around grabbing at scraps on the ground. Karen noticed they were being fed by some guys at a table behind me. Not knowing who was the culprit, I turned around and yelled, "All right, who gets a beatdown for feeding the rats with wings?!?!" I turned back; Karen looked at me and said, "maybe you need to pretend the windows are always open and people will hear you."

Hence, the title of my blog, and a reminder to keep my big mouth shut unless writing here.

Is it still considered work?

A fun sample of the conversation I had with my boss today:

Witgen, Ann E [10:46 AM]:
did you see the note from Darleen?
Newton, Chris [10:46 AM]:
about the baby?
Witgen, Ann E [10:47 AM]:
yeah. it made me laugh because the middle name is edward, which has seen a resurgence on the top baby name list because of the movie Twilight.
Newton, Chris [10:47 AM]:
ahh
Witgen, Ann E [10:48 AM]:
sometimes things are just amusing to me, and no one else.
Newton, Chris [10:49 AM]:
i understand. there are many things that are VERY interesting to me that other people don't get at all.
i get the edward thing though... he was a hottie
Witgen, Ann E [10:49 AM]:
i had to relaminate my list after Twilight
Newton, Chris [10:50 AM]:
what list? you have a laminated list of potential baby names?
Witgen, Ann E [10:52 AM]:
no, it's a reference from the show Friends. there's an episode where every talks about their lists- 5 celebrities, that if the chance ever happened, they could leave their spouse for, for one night
Newton, Chris [10:52 AM]:
i see
Witgen, Ann E [10:53 AM]:
anyway, the whole episode, Ross agonizes over his list and changes it constantly, finally laminating it, to prevent changing it again.
Newton, Chris [10:54 AM]:
kate and catie would have gotten it... i was never into friends
Witgen, Ann E [10:54 AM]:
the joke of the episode was that an actress he left off the final list walked into the coffee shop at the end
Newton, Chris [10:54 AM]:
that is funny
Witgen, Ann E [10:55 AM]:
my friends and I always talk about our laminated lists, not that any of it is close to reality.
Newton, Chris [10:56 AM]:
i c. i don't think i could choose just 5
Witgen, Ann E [10:56 AM]:
therein lies the joke

Believe it or not, we have discussions like this all the time. It drives Drew nuts because he definitely feels left out, and probably a bit resentful that Chris and I are closer than him and Chris when he was here first. He especially hates when Chris im's me, and I laugh, then I sent her a response, and she laughs. All he gets are the laughs, not the joke itself. I've tried explaining, but I guess some things are not funny after the fact. Example below:

Witgen, Ann E [9:11 AM]:
i'm meeting some people for lunch and they want to go to that thai place across the street. after you told me about the bugs, i'd rather not. do you think i should pass that on or suck it up?
Newton, Chris [9:12 AM]:
wow. i'm not sure
i try not to even think about the dang bugs, bcz i know that they all have them (downtown anyway) i just have a hard time going to the places where i actually saw one. that thai place has really good food- if you like thai
Witgen, Ann E [9:14 AM]:
i do like thai. how many bugs was it?
Newton, Chris [9:14 AM]:
one
Witgen, Ann E [9:14 AM]:
lol, if there's one, there's more
Newton, Chris [9:14 AM]:
i know
it ran across the table. haha
yuck!!
i can't even think about it. creeps me out!!
Witgen, Ann E [9:15 AM]:
same here!!
Newton, Chris [9:15 AM]:
i was sooo upset, bcz i loved that place
Witgen, Ann E [9:15 AM]:
maybe i can steer them elsewhere without mentioning the bug
Newton, Chris [9:16 AM]:
but really... if they have them, i'm sure skyline does too- it's right next door... and i still eat there
Witgen, Ann E [9:16 AM]:
yuck, i will not eat at skyline.
Newton, Chris [9:16 AM]:
i don't like their chilli- it's not chilli- but they make a great buffalo chx salad
Witgen, Ann E [9:17 AM]:
i've had trouble finding good tasting buffalo
Newton, Chris [9:18 AM]:
haha -don't know why, but that sounded funny
just pictured u eating a buffalo
Witgen, Ann E [9:19 AM]:
nom nom nom

I almost fell on the floor laughing, and Drew asked what was going on. I told him we were laughing about me eating a buffalo (with a little more explanation), and he was not amused. I think he pouted for a while that day. I've tried including him, but he just doesn't have the same sense of humor that we do. Poor guy.

Already hating parts of the blog

I need a new title that conveys the meaning of the current title, but sounds catchier. Also, why are there no purple templates for me to use? I would love a light lavendar, and keep the text black, or a dark purple with white text. I also need to establish a theme, or I will never make it past May. I've thought about talking about what pisses me off each day, but that is a very negative bent to continue each day. Not that it would depress me, but others that may read this. And I do hope to have random strangers following me, just not all of the people I actually know. I should have put more thought into this, but hey, if everyone else jumps off a bridge . . .

Why am I unmotivated?

I was going great guns with exercise, working out at least 3 or 4 times a week, for over an hour. I was up to running 5 minutes at a stretch. I was on top of the world! Then, I broke my pinky toe (*see below), and I couldn't work out for two weeks. Most of what I do is cardio and on my feet, so of course it never occurred to me to do another form of exercise. I got out of the habit so easily, and now I never feel like it, and two months have passed. My original intent was to run part of the Flying Pig 5K this weekend, but now I have no stamina for running at all. I'm still going to walk it, but now I won't be able to keep up with Karen and finish in less than 45 minutes. I can't even run two blocks to catch the bus when I'm running late!

I have the desire to work out when I'm at work, but by the time I make it home, I'm exhausted. I've even gone so far as to change into work out clothes, then I sit around in them until it's time for bed. I wish I was one of those nauseating morning people that could get up at 5 am, get in a workout, and be ready for work on time. But then, I would probably be asleep by 9, and that would seriously cut down on my tv watching. I'm not sure what would motivate me at this point.

*I refused to turn on the light while walking in the living room, and slammed the side of my right foot against the ottoman, which happens to be made of solid plywood and wins when pitched against bone. Who knew?

Roommate

God, AJ pisses me off. Why is it, when he has a bad day at work, does he have to take it out on me? I happened to mention that he would have to move his bed to the side to get the air conditioner fixed, and he threw a hissy fit. Just the mere thought of moving his stuff a foot was enough to send him over the edge. He threatened moving out in September when Stan’s lease is up, and I for one, cannot wait. I may not be able to afford living here on my own, but a random stranger off Craigslist has got to be better than the slob I have for a brother.

Resenting the exclusion

April 23, 2009

I need to get over this resentment I’m feeling. I wasn’t invited to a luncheon my department was having for the sister of a deceased woman that used to work with everyone. I didn’t know the deceased, I don’t know the sister, and I did have bible study already planned for the lunch hour. Still, it would have been nice, even courteous, to be asked to attend. It was a formal invitation, planned out weeks in advance to all of the girls in the department, save myself. I did not know anything about it until an hour beforehand. I know my resentment stems from the exclusion, and I’m not even sure I would have accepted if the invitation was extended. It also irritates me that two girls didn’t know the guest either, and they were invited. I’m not sure if it was after the fact, since I was already in the study room at this point.

I know of a couple deliberate attempts by the organizer to exclude me from things in the department, and this feels like another. Once, the majority of the department was going out to lunch, and she saw me coming out of the bathroom, said “bye” and continued to the elevator, where, as the doors were closing, I saw the rest of the group behind her. Therein lays the root of my resentment: the feeling that it was a deliberate exclusion. It could have been an unintentional oversight, like she didn’t think of me when planning because I didn’t know the women, but previous interaction leads me to believe otherwise.

My hope is that in starting this blog, I can come to peace with a person in my department, regardless of her treatment of me, and learn to hold my tongue in situations where she could make my life miserable. Basically, pouring my frustrations out on paper instead of expelling them verbally. I hate having to watch my step all the time, but when a small person has amassed great power, it’s the measures I have to take.