Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Michael Buble is DREAMY

I'm at work listening to my coworker's Pandora station and it's a lovely slow version of "Always On My Mind", which is one of my (confession) favorites anyway, but this one is by Michael Buble and it's DREAMY. As in "I could fall asleep listening to this song while someone played with my hair" dreamy. As in "slow dancing in the snow" dreamy. As in "hearing him say I have beautiful eyes he could get lost in and my freckles are perfect" dreamy.

NOT as in "wow, this client is awesomely hitting on me" dreamy. No. Not at all. Because A. that isn't dreamy and B. I actually did the "ring switch" under the desk. You know, the "ring switch", wherein a threatened female surreptitiously moves the ring she's wearing on her right ring finger to her LEFT ring finger in order to get someone to stop annoying her so much. I have done this before. It's easy for me because I'm always wearing a ring and have a vast array of sparkly rings from which to choose. [aside] This one time when I was engaged, my then-fiance didn't have any money or a job yet and so we used the pink sapphire and diamond ring I bought myself when I turned 30 as an engagement ring. [/aside] I don't remember the last time I actually did it, but I do remember that I started doing it when I was waiting tables many moons ago. I bought a cheap fake gold band and kept it in my apron pocket just to stave off people who creeped me out.

Now, bear in mind that I'm usually nearly completely oblivious to a man's efforts to hit on me and most of the time I don't really know someone is interested until he actually asks me out and even THEN I'm not sure for a couple of weeks what's going on. I only become aware of these things (Creepy Crushes, I call them) when something inappropriate happens (I had to pry a 14-year-old off me once), when someone points it out to me ("Strange Old Man stayed forever because he has a crush on you," she pointed out), or when the behavior turns a little confrontational ("Why HIM? Why can't you like ME that way?" he said). So something must have tipped me off about the most recent encounter with someone. Perhaps it was how, when he noticed me behind the desk, ponytailed hair and glasses and all, he said "well, heLLO there!" and kept going on about his awesome/different sense of humor ("I speak in rhyme") and how he was eyeballing me or something. Perhaps it was that. Perhaps. I got the distinct feeling that I really needed my Pretend Boyfriend (hi Josh!) to call me right then, or that I needed to have a visit from Ash (hi Ash!) or that I needed to (gasp) act.

Guess which slackers didn't get my Bat-signal? Yeah. THANKS, guys. I had to act, and act I did! I ring-switched and immediately did some character development that involved how My Husband and I met, what we did for our first date, how we had a fight about his crazy ex-girlfriend giving him a Christmas present, how we made up after that email from my crazy ex-boyfriend, how he proposed, what the wedding looked like, how the flower girls (so superfluous in LDS weddings) got sick eating cake all evening, where we honeymooned (Venice!), and how our apartment has a leaky faucet. Oh yes, friends, I had the back story all worked out before I was halfway through with the conversation.

This is how pathetic my life is.

If by "pathetic" you mean "super AWESOME"!! Who else gets awkwardly hit on by crazy old men and teenagers? Who else gets either blank stares, polite nods, or indulgent smiles when she tells people enthusiastically why she's going to New Mexico? Who else no longer gets a reaction besides a slight roll of the eyes from her family when she buys more jewelry? Who ELSE, I ask you, can pull out of her brain the year the metal eyelet was patented?

That's right, kids! The object of inappropriate adolescent and geriatric affection, that's who!

Yeah, I'm pretty awesome. :)

Thursday, September 25, 2008

Humble Pie

You know, it tastes pretty good with some sugar...especially after you do some mental readjusting. :)

Now for the rant:

I can't log in to my other blog and I'm annoyed. I'm scared that I'll lose everything because (stupidly) I didn't back it all up. I'll do that tomorrow and hope it's not too late...

Friday, September 19, 2008

More than kind of.

Over the last 24 hours I've thought long and hard about something I wrote in my "Random Rantings", and I realized that I shouldn't have said anything. It has since been deleted, and I've spend the last day trying to reconcile things within myself. It hasn't been easy, but I know I need to apologize for hurting anyone's feelings. I learned long ago not to discuss politics or religion on a public forum, and now I've learned when to keep my big ranting mouth shut...

I apologize for turning into Mean Fran yesterday. I don't like Mean Fran, because she's not funny. She's not kind. She's bossy and opinionated in a bad way, not the usual funny way. I have strong opinions about a lot of things, but I figured out yesterday that some of them aren't worth sharing or even dwelling on.

Thanks for being patient with me while I work through some residual weirdness from the last 6 years. :) You are all pretty darn awesome!

Thursday, September 18, 2008

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

Random Ranting

Even if you wear a t-shirt under it, it's still a tube top and it's still usually ugly.

Nasty-a flip-flops aren't sexy, especially when you have nasty-a heels and eventually they give you nasty-a plantar fasciitis and possibly nasty-a fallen arches.

If you are not Pat Benatar or appropriately awesome, the "cuffed shorts/high heels/leg-warmers" look is something to avoid.

I thought trucker hats went out of style four years ago. Apparently I was wrong.

Sometimes facial hair doesn't make you look cooler, it makes you look weirder.

If you're over 40, you should probably avoid shopping at Charlotte Russe; bits and pieces here and there are fine, but your closet probably shouldn't look like their sales floor.

The sign says "no same-day appointments or walk-ins" and I MEAN IT.

Just because you can zip the pants up doesn't mean you should be wearing them.

Jocelyn Wildenstein is a walking horror and should have been in therapy instead of a plastic surgeon's office.

Do not illegally pass me on your stupid motorcycle at 35 MPH in a 20 MPH school zone. You're not sexy when you do that.

If your shoes hurt your feet so much that you're limping after only 4 hours at your DESK JOB, you should probably rethink them.

Cell phones should be turned to silent, not vibrate, if you have a front desk position.

Sometimes you should just put down the foils and step away from the color. Especially you in the quad. You there. Your hair looks like bad wig hair.

I will never understand the girls who bring a huge backpack AND a huge purse to school. I understand if you're a dancer or an actor, but for school? I just don't get it.

Slips are good things, especially when you're wearing a white or light-colored skirt and have your favorite flowered panties on. Not so cute.

Put shoes on your kid. Shoes and pants. Thank you.

Uggs. No. Unless they're the real shoes Uggs makes and not the glorified slippers...comfy as they appear.

If you're teaching a class and want to look professional, a corset top over a white button down shirt (with too many buttons undone) and a pleated miniskirt are PROBABLY not your best options to be taken seriously, unless you want to be taken seriously as a stripper. Then it's totally ok.

I am not impressed with your highly sexist beer t-shirt. Nor am I turned on by your highly sexist mudflaps. They don't make me think you're smooth and charming and sexy, they make me think you're a pig.

Don't buy into the "cute girls aren't very smart" nonsense. Either of you.

No, I am not the receptionist for the entire hallway. Look at the sign on the front of my desk and use your reasoning powers.

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

What makes you creepy.

This is something that needs to be ranted about, but I'm not sure how to compose it yet. I honestly hope feelings don't get hurt; I hope I can put some love into this so that hurt feelings don't happen. However, if they do, I sincerely apologize because it is not my intention to make anyone feel bad...unless you deserve it. Because, my goodness, I'd really appreciate it if someone told me I was being creepy.

More to come...

Friday, September 12, 2008

Tactful time intervals

You know how, sometimes, you're just dying to pull out the Lysol and disinfect because maybe someone with poor hygiene skills just came into your office and inflicted their very poor hygiene skills on one of the chairs? You know that feeling?

Well, how long do you wait after the Catbox Man leaves to soak the desk, chair, and carpet in Lysol? If you don't wait long enough, he'll come out and smell it and possibly be offended (but really, if you don't have the awareness to know you smell bad, is it going to occur to you to be aware of a distinct Lysol smell and therefore assume the catalyst for such a smell is you?), and if you wait too long, you eventually have to stop breathing through your nose and may pass out on your keyboard.

Poor Catbox Man. But maybe it's better to live in ignorance...too bad I have to deal with it.

Tuesday, September 9, 2008

Tips For Grown-ups

After posting something at least slightly amusing on my other blog, I think it's time for a rant.

Being a current member of the local LDS singles "scene" (if you can call me or it that, seeing as how I don't participate in sanctioned activities and the "scene" can be rather dismal), I do believe I have enough experience under my belt (three single adult firesides at which minute observation occurs counts as "experience") to post some Tips For Grown-ups. Now, I understand that not everyone is financially solvent, and not everyone places a high value on appearances, and not EVERYONE is guilty of the things I'm going to list, but I know some of us are, some of us do, and some of us are, including me.

Tips For Grown-ups:

1. Men. The general rule is that if you're dressing up, your socks should be as dark as your shoes or slacks. This means no white. You wear white socks with nice slacks and dark shoes, and I will automatically ignore you. Shallow, I know, but please. You're over 30--put some effort into finding something besides the white crew socks your mom bought you before your mission. Tan is totally appropriate with brown slacks and cordovan shoes.

2. Invest in good shoes. Save your money for a decent pair of shoes. All you need is one pair (this goes for men AND women) of nice dress shoes. If you can bring yourself to spend good money--believe me, I know how hard this is--on good shoes that will last more than a few months and actually be kind to your feet, it will be less expensive in the long run. Some quick math: $100 on good shoes (give or take) that will last for 5-10 years, if not longer, equals $10 a year over 10 years. $40 on cheap shoes, replaced at least every year, equals $40 a year, or $400 over 10 years. Think about it. Invest. Find your size at a pricey store, and check eBay or wait for them to go on clearance, if you can't afford them now.

3. Don't be "Brother Pays Attention By Nodding After Every Point the Speaker Makes". It's obnoxious and distracting. Likewise, don't be "Sister Laughs Too Loud". Now, if you just DO that without thinking about it, that's fine, but don't become affected because you think it's charming or flirtatious or reassuring or something. Be yourself. If you don't like yourself, figure out why and try to fix it.

4. I don't care if you still live at home (because who am I to judge?), but I really do think that by age 30 you should at least be working full time, if possible. Full-time can mean working part-time and raising kids as a single parent, or it can mean putting in 60 hours a week, or it can mean finishing school while working part-time, or it can mean working part-time at a crappy job while trying to find something better. Have a plan, have at least some education, and have marketable job skills. My degree doesn't really have a lot to do with my current job, but because I HAD the degree, I was able to get the job. And, for goodness sake, don't be a loafing moocher. Pay for utilities or groceries or whatever comes up.

5. Along with that, a car is a good thing to have. Have a car that runs well and is (mostly) paid for, unless you just barely drove it off the lot. In that case, have the means to PAY for said car. If we lived in New York or DC or some other huge metropolitan area with excellent public transportation, a car wouldn't really be a big deal, but here...it is. Please have a car.

6. Update your look every once in a while. I don't mean going out and buying stuff at Forever 21 (because most of it isn't really appropriate if you're over 100 pounds and/or 21), but I do mean keeping track of what's current, what's classic, what's trendy, and what's you. Take a friend shopping. Hire an image consultant. Read some books. Pay attention. Laura Ashley dresses of the 1990s are pretty, but very dated. Look for something similar that is a little more current. And, men, please. Experiment with ties and different suit cuts and shoe styles. You never know unless you try, right?

7. Once you find your style, wear it proud! If you're the only guy rocking a 3-piece suit (well-tailored, of course) and a fedora, you're going to get noticed in a good way. Own it, but don't let it wear you. There's a fine line between personal style and costume.

8. An earnest, two-hand handshake is fine if you're running for office, but if your hands are small and clammy, it's probably best to avoid such a gesture when trying to impress single, attractive women because it makes us feel icky.

9. Hygiene. Brush your teeth, wash your hair, shower. Please.

10. Being well-read can only help your cause. If all you've read in the last few years is the "Twilight" series, it's time to hit the library for something else. Branch out a little.

11. Hobbies. I cannot stress this enough. Scripture reading, while important, does not count. Learn new skills, find new interests. This world is full of things to learn and do--find something and learn it! You also meet new people and get out of your own head for a while.

12. Speaking of getting out of your head, it's so sad to me when women hit a certain age (such as 27, to pick a random number), haven't found "the right one" yet, and give up. They stop caring about how they look, what they eat, what they do for a living--they get old. Don't get old, not like that! It's not worth it! If you haven't found "the one", work on becoming "the one". Take a class, travel, garden, train for a marathon. Remember what you wanted to do as soon as you were old enough, and do it. Take that first step. Don't give up on yourself just because it seems the world has given up on you. Show the world how wrong it is.

13. Take care of yourself. Life is busy for everyone, but find a few minutes each day to go for a walk or lift some weights. Get regular hair cuts, wear some makeup every once in a while, use lotion. So much of attractiveness comes from attitude, and I think you have a better attitude about yourself if you're doing regular maintenance. Our bodies aren't perfect, and some of us will never read Adonis/Venus stature, and that's ok! Do the best you can with what you have, and love it.

Now, I know some of these sound trite, but it's so important to take care of our bodies, minds, and spirits. It's not like we can trade them in if they don't work the way we want them to. Sometimes I want to shake "older" singles and say "stop feeling sorry for yourself and DO something about it!" I recognize, however, that depression happens. Things go wrong. The only way I got through it was to just keep putting one foot in front of the other. Looking back, I'm glad I kept moving and I'm glad I found hobbies, took care of myself, got my degree, paid off my car, traveled, planned, dreamed, and planned some more. It's ok if plans go awry--at least you have plans! Plans change, and this life is a time to learn and plan and do and become. Don't waste it.

Saturday, September 6, 2008

Weddings

Oh, there will be ranting in this post. BUT not yet--it's a placeholder until I can sit down and compose without offending anyone, because I really don't want to do that. :) This rant about weddings will be about what bothers ME, and not what other people should do. If you want to do the things I don't want to do, that's awesome! Isn't it great that we live in a place that allows us to do what we like? Yes, it is!

Stay tuned...