Lots of Talk

I am in the mood to write, but no one-topic posts were coming to mind. So without further ado, here’s a smorgasbord of thoughts:

• IP abandoned me tonight in order to hold a few professional conversations at his society’s happy hour. I could have tagged along and chatted with others, but to be honest, I’m not in a happy hour kind of mood, so I’m fine with staying away while he looks into his job options. So I walked home all by my lonesome, ordered a perfectly palatable pizza, had some Diet Mountain Dew, and am now alternating between reading running blogs, 1bruce1, and writing. I am also contemplating watching Jurassic Park for the hell of it. I should be reading my books (working on a new book and finishing The Aeneid), but my browser is currently parked at Castle of Spirits. I haven’t read anything yet, though, and I’m not sure that I should. I should try not to think of zombies and ghosts while IP is gone—I should especially avoid any trailers for Diary of the Dead, as I’m sure that as soon as I watch the trailer, a zombie previously undetected in our apartment will burst through a closet door and attempt to devour me. But the zombie, he’s not unreasonable; I mean, he’s not gonna eat my eyes, right?
• Yesterday, I floated over to one of my fave blogs and saw that the blogger and her family were traveling through Arizona and New Mexico. The pictures are great and it makes me want to be anywhere in the Southwest right now. There is nothing like feeling the fresh, dry air in your hair and the push of the sun on your shoulders when you’re out west. When IP and I tire of D.C. (or just the Metro, whatever comes first) we’re hoping to move out to Colorado, where we’ll have a big backyard, a view of the mountains, and no humidity. If we have them, we will take our little poof-cheeked stinkers for nature walks and road trips all over the region. It will be Rocky Mountain High bliss.
• I received an email from the New York City Marathon organizers telling me that I was eligible for the 2008 event and that the application for entry would be available on February 25. Woohoo! See, Marine Corps, this is the way to get the masses motivated—tell your participants you look forward to handing them a finisher’s medal in November. Not just a confirmation email and that’s it—snore. Sometimes the days around the marathon and the run itself all come flooding back to me: checking in at the expo center, joking with Canadian runners at the starting line, walking towards the family reunion area, falling into the deepest sleep I think I’ve ever known that night. I will do my best to train for that day, kick ass on that day, and enjoy that day. Then I’ll vote in the general election two days later.
• I was mildly upset this morning Actually I was pissed this morning with my immediate supervisor. Prior to leaving yesterday, he indicated to me and everyone else that he’d be calling us to make a determination as to whether or not we’d be working from home today. Given that D.C. winter weather is pansy-ass, I was kind of smirking inside but wouldn’t have minded a day at home (with nothing to do at work, I don’t feel like much use there). I never received a call this morning, so I assumed we had the all-clear to go in today. At precisely 9am I received an email from my immediate supervisor asking what my plans were for the day. Uh, already in? I told him this and he was happy; another co-worker would be in, also. So my co-worker comes in and says, “Yeah, when immediate supervisor called me at 7:30am—” “Uh, excuse me?” I politely interrupted, “what?” “Yeah, didn’t he call you?” Turns out he called everyone except me. I’m a manager in the company, so our big bosses ask that I or immediate supervisor be on the premises during business hours. Fair enough—but what happened was that immediate supervisor deliberately waited to contact me so that he could enjoy a day away from the office. What pissed me most off was that he told me that he was going to call me in the morning and he said he’d be in if the roads were fine (which they were). I was slow-played, obviously, and I was furious. My position is so nebulous that, although I’m a manager, I’m never treated like one unless it’s time for some shit work or shit situations. I have problems with some other employees thinking I’m a secretary precisely because I’m not regarded as a manager until it’s convenient. I find the pick-and-choose treatment I receive highly disrespectful and I will call him on his slow-play on Monday. I asked IP to please tell me I was overreacting, but he agreed I had been slow-played. However, he also cautioned me not to associate this with the other frustrations I’ve been having at work, but it’s really hard not to when it happens so frequently. When IP was telling me this he was chuckling at what my immediate supervisor had done, so my reaction to IP’s reaction was far from positive. I acknowledge his take on the situation and sort of agree with it, but the chuckling I did not need. Anyway, the fact that the weather was fine is besides the point for me; I think I deserve some respect and courtesy when it comes to these situations, and to be acknowledged as a manager at all times, not just when people feel like staying home. I think I feel a one-day illness coming on—cough, cough.
• Because I either eat or shop when I’m pissed off, and because my eating habits are moderate in nature nowadays, I chose shopping. Dockers Online was having a massive sale and I ended up buying three pairs of work pants, a jacket, and a dress. I can now get rid of some of my older work pants and now have a jacket that’ll work well in the spring. I also have a new dress which my sister says she’s also going to buy. She says she plans on wearing it when she visits me (with my mom) in April.
• I have finished Then We Came to the End and will be posting the first book list of 2008 this weekend. Be proud of me, I’m finally reading!
• I have to admit that I am still over the moon that Mathgeek got into Michigan. I had no doubt he would, and I’m not sure that he’s going to go there, but the fact that my family is four for four at one of the best universities in the country delights me to no end. I am so proud of us! And so proud of our parents for taking life by the horns and giving us the best in everything. My mother and father were never able to finish their formal schooling but they made sure that we had the best when it came to our education. It wasn’t always easy—by choosing the school district that they did, we faced and continue to face a lot of racism and idiocy, but I think we’re persevering very well since Mom and Dad gave us the gumption and courage to confront those challenges head on. I’ve been bragging to everyone I can think of—Mathgeek got into Michigan! Now comes the next generation. Should we have them, I hope I can give my kids the support that my parents gave us. Oh, those little poof-cheeked stinkers might go to Michigan one day, too! Is it wrong that I’m going to dress my kid up in a “My First Michigan T-shirt” tee? I know IP might frown, but hell, it’s so damn cute. But no, no cheerleader outfit for a girl—everyone knows how I feel about the Athletics department at Michigan.

That is all for now. Nope, I haven’t started reading the ghost stories and I think I’ll watch Jurassic Park. My hot paleontologist isn’t around at the moment, so I’ll have to go gaze on Sam Neill playing a paleontologist for now.