Stuff, Just Stuff

“You need an iPod.”

So said IP to yours truly. He is never one to encourage me to spend extravagantly, but I think my getting an iPod would ease his pain considerably. Since my poor iPod nano broke (err, got stepped on by my 1-3/4″ heel), I’ve been yelping nonstop about the noise in my office. Said noise shouldn’t be so irritating given it’s usually music, talking, and people asking me for help, but it is irritating because it comes from one single source who I cannot stand. Thank God she is not part of my actual company or I would be forced to hang myself from my cubicle somehow. Yesterday was the kicker–she brought in her four-year-old son, who then proceeded to ring a small bell for a good 20 minutes while she chatted away on the phone with a friend. He also ran wild, screaming and shouting around my cubicle. I desperately wanted to punch her. I desperately wanted to take her kid and march him down to the child care center on the first floor. Alas, I could do neither because, in one instance, I don’t want to get fired, and in another instance, I don’t want to pretend to be the mother of this obnoxious little kid. Thus I sent a message to IP complaining. He promtly called to soothe my anger and suggest that I get an iPod to block all this out. “Sooner rather than later,” he added, citing my runs at the gym and this woman’s tendency to be very, very loud. “Where can you get one?”

“Online, but also at an Apple store.”

“Where is there an Apple store around here?”

“Two Metro stops from me.”

“You should go.”

I think IP is getting a bit weary of my KILL ME NOW! emails. Yet, my brother is encouraging me to wait for the next generation of iPods.

Decisions, I tell you.

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I just got back from a weekend in Chicago. I actually have been away from my apartment for nearly a week, something that made me a bit sad. “Good bye, apartment,” I said sadly last week as I closed the door. It was a rough week in terms of hours (many–yay since I’m hourly!) and stress–got to make sure everything goes right you know? Well, everything did, more or less. It is quite nice to be back in the D.C. area, but I have to say I didn’t mind Chicago at all. I did enjoy my long run there (yes, got it done–I rock the casbah) and got to do some shopping and general ambling around. Quite fun, but I ate too much.

I also saw a friend from my old Dyn-o-mite! days. IP was correct in asking if the entire conversation was a one-upping of each other, because it kind of was. This is the friend who was constantly dogging me about her successful job searches (not so much–I got my job before she got hers), frowned on my manipulation of the Dyn-o-mite! rules of vacation/sick leave (though she was quite content to ignore them when it suited her), and just generally tried to do everything better than me. In a snarky aside meant to make fun of my boss back then, I sort of let slip my salary range. Given her reaction, I think I’ve won the battle of who the hell makes more. There’s a reason why IP sees me as his sugar-momma to-be.

Going on, I invited her to our evening events, and my boss invited her out to dinner with us. She didn’t show up for either, nor did I get a call saying she couldn’t make it. I don’t really care that she didn’t show up, to be honest–it’s either because she was busy or didn’t want to see my kickass company at work. Whatever the case, I’m finding myself more and more disconnected from my Dyn-o-mite! friends. But my new company friends? I love them to death. This is the best group I’ve ever worked with, gotten along with. Period.

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After this post, I’ll be posting an update of the Book List. I think I’ve read three since I last posted.

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But that post will have to wait a little bit longer. I’m off to clean the kitchen, then sleep. Yes, you heard me, I’m one tired woman.