Twentysomething Ruminations

Nice People......Apparently There Aren't Many in the World of Customer Service

2008-07-15T14:00:00.000-07:00

I just got off the phone with a customer service rep from my piano rental company. He said "thank you for being such a nice person." Wow. I was just being a normal person, but apparently that is nicer than some? I didn't know how to respond to that, so I went with the classic "no problem." Hahahahaha. How would you respond? :)

Prank Calling Fun

2008-06-03T08:46:00.000-07:00

I was just introduced to "Little Becky," an eight year old from Dublin who makes prank calls on a radio show. The calls are hilarious, especially in her cute little Irish accent!

http://www.johntedwards.com/2006/11/03/more-becky-the-prank-caller/#comment-31841

RANT

2008-05-01T10:53:00.000-07:00

Do not EVER EVER EVER EVER EVER bank with Wells Fargo!!!!!!!!!!!!!! They are horrible and they will steal your money and won't admit it. According to my account register I should have $1000 more than their online statement says I have. I've double checked all my math, as have they, and found no problems. Yet, they still will not admit that it is a mistake on their end, and say there is nothing they can do. I am LIVID.

The Next Adventure

2008-04-21T12:44:00.000-07:00

Well, I just got back from my very first trip to our nation's capitol. And it's decided. I'm moving there for grad school. As scary as it is to admit that change is in fact going to occur, I did manage to mail in my acceptance at George WA University and my non-refundable deposit.....so I guess that's it! It's going to happen! It's a strange place to be in now though - wading through all the details the next few months will bring up, trying to enjoy the remainder of my time in Seattle while still being excited to move, balancing the anticipation of the future with the sadness at leaving the present. Sigh. I haven't figured out the emotions yet. They are fighting. But I think it is the best place for me right now!

Consider this:

2008-03-21T15:26:00.001-07:00

What if you could candy coat your tongue? #1 You could have built in candy (as long as you refrain from biting your tongue) #2 Everyone would want to kiss you all the time

The point of all this - I would like to kiss someone with a candy coated tongue.

christina is not at this point permanently exiled from sweden

2008-03-18T14:41:00.000-07:00

New fun website: www.googlism.com

Check it out!! I've found out some very interesting things about myself.....

christina is a fascinating lady confident bright and intelligent with a whole range of interests
christina is abducted by the ghoul
christina is trapped in a loveless marriage to the german prince hans
christina is livin' it up with rappers she considers her big brothers
christina is the best "sleepy girl" that i have ever seen
christina is the biggest slut
christina is a soul diva

Two pieces of great news!

2008-03-14T08:22:00.000-07:00

1. Thanks to some guys from church who like to fix cars (who call themselves "Auto Angels"-how cute), I will soon have a new engine for my poor little Focus and some lovely mechanics to put it in for me, for the low low price of $2000! Instead of the $4800 I was originally quoted by the dealership! Yay Auto Angels!!!

2. I managed to convince my boss that the firm should send me to work in our DC office for the week right before the Museum Studies Open House at George WA U. I feel so sneaky! So instead of being there for a weekend, I get to go for a whole week, and pay less money out of my own pocket! Suh-weeeeeeet!!!

My car

2008-03-07T16:34:00.000-08:00

needs a new engine. I'm considering investing in some draft horses and a wagon instead.

My apartment complex is famous!.....?

2008-02-20T18:18:00.000-08:00

Apparently Barack Obama's mama grew up on Mercer Island and lived in my very own Shorewood Heights apartment complex. Check out this article if you want more info. :) Kind of random!

http://archives.seattletimes.nwsource.com/cgi-bin/texis.cgi/web/vortex/display?slug=brodeur05m&date=20080205&query=memories+of+obama%27s+mother

I've been tagged

2008-02-19T12:22:00.000-08:00

It's time for the purse content report:

-Nordstrom designer shoes receipt (in its own very cute envelope)
-Bandaids
-bobby pins
-kleenex
-business card
-more bandaids
-sudafed
-gas x
-book lists
-international calling card
-nail file
-pen
-wallet
-more book lists
-Orbit White peppermint gum
-GAP lipshine (sugarplum)
-Boots chapstick (zingy citrus)
-grocery list
-coinpurse
-more kleenex
-ipod
-keys
-checkbook
-Nutritive Lip Balm (honey and shea)
-Starbucks After Coffee peppermints
-dollar bill
-two card keys for work
-gift cards
-museum volunteer pass
-eyedrops
-floss
-huckleberry lip balm
-Bigelow Mentha Lip Shine
-Zara lip gloss (peach jam)
-Borders card
-Victoria's Secret bra fitting card

Wow. And my purse isn't even that big!!! Apparently it's a Mary Poppins bag, and next thing you know I'll be pulling a lamp out of it....

Love of Heels

2008-02-07T10:17:00.000-08:00

Every once in a while (or lately, very often) I feel the need for a little pick me up in the form of dressing up for work so I feel attractive. There is nothing that makes me feel more attractive than a pair of sexy high heels, even when my toes are squished and I worry that I look awkward waddling down the hall because my feet hurt. Why is this? What kind of magic do high heels possess that works its way into my psyche and convinces me that I am indeed an attractive woman, even though no one else gives my shoes a second thought?

The Day of Rage

2008-02-04T12:17:00.000-08:00

http://www.qwantz.com/archive/000270.html

The Waiting Game

2008-01-29T08:33:00.000-08:00

My applications are all turned in!! Yay! Now to settle in for the long wait until my hopes and dreams are either given a chance to come true, or are dashed to oblivion....

One down, two to go

2008-01-18T12:16:00.000-08:00

Well, I managed to submit one complete grad school application last weekend. Including, wonder of wonder miracle of miracles, my transcript from the University of Aberdeen! It arrived on my doorstep from DHL with one day to spare. Phew! It is a relief to have one app done, but I won't breathe easy until I hear back from all the schools and am accepted by at least one of them. Oh the stress of it all. In the meantime, I have stupidly allowed myself to start looking up apartments in DC on craigslist. Anyone know anything about the different neighborhoods?

The longest hour.......

2007-12-21T16:02:00.000-08:00

It is 4:00 pm, friday afternoon, and I have one hour left at work. Most people in the office have left for the holidays, and apparently so has everyone on gchat. How am I to get through this long hour?? The answer, it appears, is by writing a boring blog...

Confusion

2007-12-10T16:16:00.000-08:00

If one is told by a member of the opposite sex that said opposite sex member had a make-out dream about one, and opposite sex then proceeds to talk about speedos, what conclusions can one reasonably draw about the intentions of the opposite sex?

It's SNOWING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2007-12-01T13:57:00.000-08:00

And I mean real snowing, not wimpy Seattle snowing. Big fat flakes swirling down, sticking on the ground. And it makes me soooooo happy!! As happy as if it were sunny!!!! I LOVE snow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A very enjoyable website

2007-11-21T15:59:00.001-08:00

from the dude who brought you Dino Comics.

http://www.everytopicintheuniverseexceptchickens.com/

Feeling Single in Seattle

2007-11-14T08:29:00.000-08:00

I have been sufficiently chastised for not posting, so here is a new post. No guarantees on its entertainment value though. :) As the holiday season approaches, and the days become shorter, I begin to notice more and more how much I would appreciate having someone of the opposite sex around to cuddle with. Lacking any real options at the moment, I've had to settle for merely staring at this picture http://www.wentworthmiller.ch/img/wentcap.jpg
Not quite the same thing, but still enjoyable.

Friday night blues

2007-10-26T18:27:00.001-07:00

Excited to leave work and start the WEEKEND, I arrived home to an empty apartment tonight. My excitement diminished somewhat as I reconciled myself to the fact that I was on my own for a bit, as the roomates were out and not answering their phones. This is hard for me on fridays, because I want to be social! I decided I should be productive whilst waiting for the roomates to return. So far I have balanced my check book, written some bills, checked my empty e-mail inbox numerous times, hair-dryered my soaking wet mattress (I spilled a whole water bottle on it this morning), and eaten an entire bag of skittles. I'm ready for people time! Come home, roomates, and play with me!

You know you're bored at work when

2007-10-19T13:51:00.000-07:00

You start typing with only your left hand, just to make the one task you have to do (that normally would take about 2 minutes) last as long as possible, because you have nothing else to do at work for three more hours........
What do you do when you're bored?

Looking for Interpretations

2007-10-18T13:59:00.000-07:00

I was just washing my hands in the bathroom, when another woman came in and went into a stall. A couple of seconds later she said, "Save, save, and save again." I was the only other person in the bathroom. What was she talking about........and who was she talking to......?

A Day in the Life

2007-10-02T08:50:00.000-07:00

(of Christina, Attorney-sitter extraodinaire) - do not confuse these real life events with something you may have seen in a sit com......
Part 1
Attorney: I looked for Mr. X's deposition folder where it was supposed to be with the rest of the file, and I just can't find it. Do you have it? Can you find it for me?
Me: No, I don't have it. If it's not with the rest of the file, I don't know where it is, but I'll look for it.
Two minutes later: I have located the folder in question - on the shelf with the rest of the file, and in alphabetical order exactly where it is supposed to be.
Part 2
Attorney: (frantically) I have a deposition in an hour and I can't find the witness folder! Where is it????
Me: I haven't seen it in months. I assumed you had it.
After four of us have been searching everywhere we can think of: The attorney finds the folder sitting right in front of her on her desk.

P.S. It was the same attorney both times.

Poem

2007-09-27T09:12:00.000-07:00

A couple of friends and I have started a writing group, and have been meeting to share our work and give each other suggestions. I've been experimenting a little with some poetry, and thought I would post a little poem here that I recently finished. If you like, I will keep posting more as I finish them. :)

Puzzle

Broken
Jagged
Pointing to the

core that knows.
Does it show
me, or am I
waiting.

Mending
Growing
Not yet closing.

Will I hold
together,
clasping pieces

lost,
how they cost
dearly found
repaired.

Set-up Part 2

2007-09-20T08:19:00.000-07:00

Apparently, yesterday was "Set Christina up day," because in addition to the work episode, a guy at the bus stop tried to set me up with his 41 year old co-worker!!! He even had a picture to show me! What's going on?

Set-up

2007-09-19T14:32:00.000-07:00

I feel a bit like chattel right now. Apparently I have been "viewed" and approved of, and I think I might be back in junior high. Here's what happened:
I went to lunch as usual with my friend from work, and didn't think twice about riding the elevator with another co-worker and her son. I returned from lunch to hear the news that the whole thing was a set-up to try to hook me and my co-worker's son up! Everyone knew about it except me! I've been told (by Cathy the receptionist, who heard it from his mom, who I guess heard it from him - see the junior high aspect coming in here? :) ) that he might be interested and wants to know what I thought. What?! That's like the note: "Do you like me? Yes, no, maybe." Been there, done that, don't really want to go back.......Seriously, I might consider it, except that he's 38!! If you need math help, that is FOURTEEN years older than me! I can't believe this just happened! Oh the farce! Please tell you you all are getting as much of a laugh out of this as I am! :)

Note to Future Lawyers

2007-09-13T08:21:00.001-07:00

(and current lawyers)
Don't use pictures of barnyard animals in your closing arguments. You look like an idiot.

Scenes from the Bus Stop 2

2007-09-06T08:23:00.000-07:00

There's a middle age woman who occasionally rides the same bus as me. I think she is autistic. Whenever I see her on the bus, she always asks the same questions and makes the same comments. However, she doesn't like to be in conversation with anyone for very long, and gets defensive if you ask her too many questions.
This morning was definitely the most interesting, cute, and blog-worthy conversation we've had so far. She began by asking if she could play me something that she had in her backpack. I nodded, curious about what it might be. She pulled out one of those singing Hallmark cards with a song from Sister Act! And proceeded to play it through in its entirety - twice. I made the appropriate, "Oh that's fun!" type comments and smiled, thinking she would soon tire of the conversation. Then she asked if she could show me something else, so I said, sure. She pulled a piece of choir music out of her backpack and told me it was her favorite song. Then she said, "I'm going to sing it for you." And she did. The whole thing. Standing outside at the bus stop, with about twenty other people around. I said, "Thanks for singing for me." She said, "I don't feel like singing anymore, ok?" put the music back in her backpack, and then ignored me.
Ah, the bus stop. Can't beat it.

New Job

2007-09-04T14:40:00.000-07:00

According to today's work duties thus far, I have received a promotion and raise so that I can now print things, instead of copying and scanning them. Sweet.

Scenes from the Bus Stop 1

2007-08-22T09:07:00.000-07:00

Often at the bus stop in the morning, I am still in the throes of an abnormally long phase of sleep inertia, and so am not very observant. People come and go, and I stare into space, oblivious to their presence. However, every once in a while, something seems out of place enough that I actually notice it.

Today, for example, a woman on the opposite side of the street caught my attention, even across the numerous dump trucks parked in the turn lane and the usual flow of morning traffic. She had her back to the street, and appeared to be doing some sort of exercises. Her arms were straight in front of her, zombie-like, and she kept squatting and then slowly standing up. Let's be honest, it looked weird. I would definitely be too self conscious to do that at the bus stop. After a few squats, she starting alternately lifting each leg straight out in front of her - arms still zombie-like. At this point, I noticed a few other people curiously watching to see what she would do next. Soon, the squatting and leg lifting wasn't enough for her, and she began full out tai chi (at least, I'm pretty sure that's what it was). Instead of being stationary in her exercises, she was now moving back and forth down the sidewalk, completely oblivious to everyone else.

The bus stop is a great place to people watch.

Word of the Day

2007-08-02T09:50:00.000-07:00

Metrolove (term courtesy of Leonard, definition extensively added to by me)
Occurs when you see someone on the metro (or at the bus stop) from a distance, and become smitten with him/her, proceeding to imagine all possible opportunities for introducing yourself and all possible interactions you could have, but are too chicken to actually do anything about it. Therefore, you live for each morning and evening when you might possibly catch a glimpse of this person, and spend all day in agony over what you will say if you do. When you do see this person, but wimp out on the interaction front, you dwell on your failure for the rest of the day, then proceed to go through the same process the next day. Of course, the day that you prep yourself for some serious interaction is the day that you don't see him/her. And the day that you are exhausted and grumpy is that day that you do.

Suggestions for overcoming these obstacles are welcome.

Ways to Keep Employees Happy:

2007-07-25T15:28:00.000-07:00

Dear employers:
Here are some suggestions for keeping employees happy. They may seem common-sensical, but believe me, they do not always occur!
1) Smile at your employees. No one wants to come to work for a grouch.
2) Say thank you. It helps to feel appreciated!
3) Utilize your employees' skills. The employee will get more done, and lo and behold, so will your company!
4) Pay your employees if you want to keep them!! A 30 cent raise, not gonna cut it!
5) Provide free daily massages.
6) Give lots of vacation time.
I promise these things will help!!
7) Also, if we could "work" from home, that would be great.........

Public Restroom Etiquette

2007-07-19T13:37:00.000-07:00

I don't know about anyone else, but I appreciate a certain amount of privacy when using the restroom - especially a public restroom. I mean, it's a rather personal part of daily life. If I can, I try to avoid using a stall right next to an already occupied stall, for my own sake as well as out of respect for the unknown bathroom patroness. I believe this should be common restroom etiquette, but I think I may be alone in this opinion..... I entered the restroom at work today slightly ahead of another woman, and she promptly entered the stall adjoining mine, even though there were numerous other empty stalls! Why did she do this?? Obviously, male restrooms pose completely different issues, and I am uninformed to comment on those. But for female restrooms, I think a rule of thumb should be: Allow as much privacy as possible to fellow restroom users, and if possible, do not use adjoining stalls if other options are available.

Stomach Training

2007-07-18T14:46:00.000-07:00

As I mentioned to a friend earlier today, I think I've inadvertantly trained my stomach into feeling hungry when I'm bored. I got into the bad habit at work of eating when I'm bored (which is most of the time), and now I feel constantly hungry! It's like Pavlov's dog.....as soon as that bored bell is triggered in my brain, my stomach starts salivating and grumbling. Even as I sit here, though I ate lunch a mere two hours ago and will proceed to eat dinner in another 2-3, my stomach tells me I must have food - preferably junk food loaded with sugar. :) Well, how can one ignore that need? I must give in.......