I love Fridays!!!

1. I found my glove! It was sitting on the security person's podium. Eureka!

2. J is back from nabbing bad guys (or, so I believe...) and we had some IM love (nothing dirty... though I'm sure he would have liked that).

3. I see P and N today!

fascinating books

Today I came across a book of pet names. It listed pet names alphabetically and by sex. The first two sentences of the introduction follow.

How does one choose a name for a pet?

Some people like to choose a name based on the physical characteristics of the pet - "Spot," or "Whitey," or "Stubby."

I can't believe this was published. So ridiculous.

foiled again

I wanted to flush out my system today because I have not been putting good things into my body. I had some cereal this morning, a sandwich at lunch (definitely nowhere near the typical amount of food consumed at work) and TONS of water. I decided that I could use some more calories, so I picked up some cookies. Uncle Al's Duplex Cremes, $1 from the vending machine. When I had three cookies left, I checked the nutrition facts.

Serving Size: 3 cookies
Servings Per Container: About 5
Total Fat: 4.5 grams

Jinkies!!! That comes out to be about 20 grams of fat. Ewwwww... so much for flushing out my system.

one glove

I think someone needs to be reflecting my face back to me at all times because I know I look at people and think horrible things in my head like "When is he going to get to a point?" or "He's really dorky." I hope my thoughts don't read on my face, but from what I've heard, they do. I will never be able to play poker.

Anyway, perhaps I'm just feeling mean and bitter because my morning got off to a not great start. I lost my glove. And I even realized it within 30 seconds of its absence, but I couldn't get it back. Elevators and crowded streets are nowhere to take off your gloves. I spent about 15 minutes waiting for the elevator I rode in to come back up to the 5th floor so that I could search for my glove. *sigh*

The last time I lost a glove was in New York City, either in a crowded department store or on the street. I will have to look for deeper pockets in my next coat, but first I'll need a new pair of gloves.

what would i do without MM?

This past weekend, ok... this past week, I was PMS-ing hardcore. I was shoving sweets in my face and crying like it was my job. I did not know what I was going to do with myself. I don't want to be a constant basketcase for roomie to deal with, so I resorted to sobbing in my bed for a few hours on Saturday. Then I napped.

Thankfully, MM called and saved me. He knew something was up.

"What's wrong?" (in that deep, stern voice of his)

I don't really remember if I said I had been crying or if there was nothing wrong. Either way, it came out that I was a miserable mess.

"I've never seen you show emotions. You're the Ice Queen."

MM... you're right! I am the Ice Queen. He made me feel like my old self again. He then drove from Richmond to hang out with me. I love MM.

When he left he said "Don't cry anymore."

And for the most part, I've stopped. When MM gives orders, I listen.

sitcom star

JO always jokes that work is like a low-grade sitcom.

"Don't delude yourself, HT. You're one of the stars."

Hahaha.

I hate talking to people from work outside of work. Well, no, I take that back. I don't mind with the girl that's around my age, but I hardly ever see her. So, instead of walking and chatting with co-workers or Jefe, I tend to lag behind or take a different route. Is that crazy? I hate small talk. It's ok at work, but outside of it, there's something awkward about it to me. I'll work on it, maybe.

R. Kelly

I went to see R. Kelly this past Sunday. Yeah. I love R. Kelly. It wasn't the best concert that I've been to, but it was exciting to hear all those songs live. I'll be back to see him again.

I could definitely get it on during an R. Kelly concert. Yeah.

"I don't see nothing wrong..."

red beanie man

I was walking behind this skinny guy wearing a red beanie. He was reading a book or something while as he is walking. He wasn't paying attention and walked smack into a pole. Hahaha... that gave me my morning chuckle.

chair dancing at work

Chair dancing to "freek-a-leek"... might not be the most professional look.

weeds

weeding... it's a necessary task. in gardens. in libraries. so, i'm thinking that it needs to be employed in relationships. weeds are simply taking up space. they don't provide anything to sustain a relationship. they are essentially a nuisance and they can also stifle the growth of other relationships and make things ugly.

so, yeah. where's my hoe?

it's not the first time this has been said about me...

I was in a really bad mood this morning. I couldn't get dressed and I felt all around grouchy.

So, I finally get my arse to work and I don't really talk to anyone. At the end of the day, JO comes up to me and says, "See you tomorrow HT."

I say bye, but then we somehow engage in a conversation and he says, "You didn't say a word to me all day, I thought you were mad at me."

I told him that I was feeling grouchy and avoided people for the most part.

Jefe then jumped in and said, "I look forward to seeing you every day. You're always so cheery. I wouldn't have guessed that you were cranky."

I had no idea that Jefe felt this way. Apparently, I AM a burst of sunshine. :)

mikes here

soooo mikes here. he left philly at 1pm, its now 7pm, he just arrived. he told me there was a car accident on 95 that blocked off all the lanes. not just 95 but 695. maybe you heard of this accident. or maybe you were stuck in traffic with me. (this is mike writing, not HT) so when i finally beat the traffic by taking 40 (pulaski highway), i see my good friend kevin horrigans brother. we make eye contact, and we meet up at the next exit. we sit and talk about iraq, life as an aide, and then he tells me his wife is in labor as we speak. and i go "i know shes pregnant." and he says, "no, her water just broke." so i'm thinking good thing you're talking to me right now.

anyways, so now HT is telling me you're not supposed to double space after a period, i think thats horse shit. so what about after a colon, do you not double space then?

i dont know what else to write. i'm on my way down to richmond to visit my friend luke. we're going to get drunk.

thats it

Mike

"you can't rome without caesar"
-kanye

friends and lovers...

What would you do if your family and friends did not like your significant other?

I know this is not a wholly uncommon dilemma, but imagine your love interest being the butt of everyone's jokes or perhaps everyone telling you that he or she isn't good enough, cute enough, or interesting enough. If your friends and family all feel the same way about someone, it is perhaps worthwhile to examine why you are with that person.

Relationships are deep and personal matters and no outsider can fully understand the inner-workings of another couple's relationship, so that alone is reason enough to rebuff someone else's opinion. However, you must also consider that those people are the very ones that do want the best for you and want to see you happy.

A relationship needs to be supported by friends and family because if it is taken to the level of marriage, the families will be coming together and that harmony lends to the success of the union (though, I suppose they could have the us against the world mentality... but I'm sure that gets awful lonely). Also, there are some things that a couple can't handle on their own. Each individual needs outside forces to bolster him or her in order for a relationship to endure. It is not helpful if outside influences try to tear you down or dissuade you from your happiness or worse sabotage your relationship (ok, that's an extreme... but I'm sure it's happened).

What do you do when you have a friend who's dating someone that isn't good enough for them? How do you go about expressing your opinion? It is a dangerous line to straddle. And if they get married, you're stuck! And then doesn't that eventually cause a demise of your friendship? This is one of many reasons why I'm trying to hook up one of my good friends with my roomie (yeah... I'm putting it in the blogosphere... how you like that?). Hahaha.

The only time someone didn't like me was during my high school relationship. His mom had some outrageous opinions. I did not like her nor was I trying to be a brown-noser. To this day, I have no idea why she didn't like me, not that I made a huge effort. Her dislike for me wasn't completely overt, but I got the sense. *shrug* Oh well, her son will never have a girl cuter than me. :) Perhaps she thought her son wasn't cute enough for me! Hahaha. Things worked out for the best in EVERY way (though I regret the wasted time). So, maybe you should listen to your mom, or sister, or best friend - that is, if they are willing to tell you the truth (and by the way, why didn't someone tell me he wasn't cute enough for me?!)

"You need a girl that's A-list, not one that just barely made it on a list" - Kanye West

NG quit

He got a job in Winchester. And we had just so recently bonded over Asbestos Awareness.

Oh! Jefe is leaving in a month! Sad times. I was really interested in his dating adventures.

*sigh*

At least I still have JO (though he made a terrible joke on Friday that I am still not comfortable with... nothing nasty, gutterbrains!).

Revisiting RRs

I was thinking today, I don't even know what makes an acceptable Asian. Is there a code of conduct? vocabulary? costume?

Yeah, I know to take my shoes off when coming in the house, but aside from that I have no clue. What rules am I breaking? What rules am I breaking that are purely a function of my personality? Does anybody know the rules?!

new relationships

Today NG came back from lunch with a box and said, "I shouldn't have gotten this." Intrigued, I asked him what it was. He opened the box and showed me...

a slice of pizza.

Yeah, not that interesting, but I was touched that he displayed such enthusiasm. It takes our relationship to a new level.

Jefe has a new friend. Well, maybe it's an old friend, but regardless, B pointed out to me that they are body doubles. That would mean round and of average-height - stocky, if you will. I've also been meaning to mention that Jefe's love life has picked up. I'm happy for him. It puts a little pep in his step.

NNG

That's New New Guy, if you weren't following. He showed up today. I'm unimpressed. He looks super nerdy. He makes B look good, which is sad. I didn't interact with him a whole lot because I only worked a few hours today. Meh.

Finally gave my presentation for class. Yay... it's all gravy until the final. :)

drowning in my own sweat

I went to my first Bikram Yoga class yesterday. When the doors finally opened, out came a man wearing just shorts and sporting a porno patch of hair on his chest. Sweat was beading up all over his back and down his chest. I was not enthused about all that perspiration.

I don't know what the temperature was in that room, but I started sweating within about 5 minutes of sitting in there and this was before the class began. During most of the class, you're supposed to focus on yourself in the mirror. For the first 30 minutes, I had a nice flush to my cheeks and I thought I was looking pretty cute. In another 10 minutes, my hair was all over the place, sticking up in about 17 million different directions and my entire face was red - red like it's never been in my life. I don't get Asian glow when I drink, so I certainly didn't expect this shade of crimson.

It was intense. My shirt and sports bra from last night have still not dried. They were soaked.

Throughout the entire class, I kept thinking, "I'm not going to make it" and "I'm not coming back." I survived the entire class though and I am going back sometime this week. They say you should try to go at least twice. Whew... I'm exhausted just thinking about it.

you are who you hang out with?

Do you ever find yourself being a different person around different people? Do you feel more fun around certain friends and then a wallflower with others?

When it comes to hanging out with people, I wonder if we choose them based on how they make us feel or perhaps how they engage us. If we feel comfortable with them, then we probably don't mind hanging out with them whenever. If we feel bored or boring around them, then we probably don't want to hang out with them at all. I think it might also have to do with how the individual perceives you, which in turn affects how they treat you. When someone holds you in a certain regard and actively seeks your opinion, you feel that you matter. Knowing that you matter to someone on some level can be a foundation for friendships.

You notice how you only do certain things with certain friends. Just like there are foods that you only eat with certain people and there are places you only go with certain people. Even topics of conversation vary based on who you are hanging out with.

Ok... that's all I got.

hashbrowns

I got hashbrowns today. When I ordered, I asked the lady for one, not knowing that they came in pairs. There was a man next to me and he jumped in and said, "I'll take the other one!" I sort of chuckled at him, knowing full well that I was not about to give him my other hashbrown. He obviously didn't know who I was, nor the fact that eating is one of my hobbies.

So, I went and paid for my two hashbrowns and was about to make my exit. And the man stops me in my tracks and said, "I'm waiting. I'll take that hashbrown now."

Excuse me...

I could NOT believe that he was badgering me for my hashbrown. A stranger! I told him that I intended to eat both of them and left.

What was the man thinking? Sheesh, mister.

will you be my grandpa?

Today JO and NG were attempting to photocopy something. I was at my computer and JO comes to my desk and explains that only blank pages were coming out. So, being the copy saavy girl that I am, I went to assist.

Long story short, I got it to work. Afterwards, JO came up to me and said, "You proved my point. Men are stupid." He stands firmly by this opinion. Men just aren't as flexible in their thinking, JO said so and I have no choice but to accept the fact that I'm of the superior gender. :)

squirrel antics

I saw a squirrel with half a donut this morning. He scurried off - most likely to his cup of coffee. I think it might have been the same squirrel that had the chicken bone.

teeth brusher

Is it common for people to brush their teeth at work? I find it so bizarre. Every morning in the ladies room around 9am, it is a guarantee that you will encounter this old woman who I have dubbed the "teeth brusher". It's not a bad thing, she just makes me feel awkward. There is something disturbing to me about brushing teeth in a public bathroom, especially one in DC, where we have a lot of homeless people that like to hang out here. And having a toothbrush and toothpaste to carry could be a burden. My bag is heavy enough. Sheesh.

update on new guy

So, I had NG pegged as a bachelor. I already imagined his whole bachelor life, what his place looked like, what foods he eats, what he does at home...

Come to find out... he's married! I have already imagined a new version of NG. It is a much happier existence. Though I hate making assumptions, I believed that he was single because he didn't wear a wedding band (when does that become okay? does his wife not wear one either? are they in an open marriage? oh dear...). He is more or less put together, wears clothes that fit him, nothing too crazy. JO, who I believe is a bachelor, wears his own uniform, white shirt, black pants, brown belt. Very plain, sometimes a navy v-neck sweater. But yeah, NG doesn't wear the same outfit every day.

Today he said something quite shocking. We had a meeting about a higher-up who is returning from Rio and we were warned to watch out for her because she likes to yell. NG said to me, "If she yells at me, she has something else coming... a lawsuit." *gasp* NG, I had no idea.

We're getting a New New Guy next week, should be interesting, maybe? We'll see.

JO loves me

Today I had to switch teams for work. This involves switching locations and also leaving the co-workers that I've grown so accumstomed to working with. Our teams aren't fixed so we are shifted around quite a bit and the duration of the stints on one team vary depending on the workload.

Anyway, that's the background info. Here is the story.

As I was leaving to head over to Team 1, I told JO that I was leaving. He asked me why I was going over there and I informed him that Jefe told me that they needed me over there. It took a few seconds for it to sink in (JO is an old man after all... the processing capabilities are one of the many things that slow with age and I think he was actually cc'd on the email that Jefe sent me) and then he said, "But what about the jokes? Can we email jokes?"

It was so cute. He really acted as if his work day was going to change just because I wouldn't be there. He then said that he would just have to start talking to himself again. Yeah, JO totally satisfies my love of geriatrics.

no minutes

So, the alma mater just called. Asking for money, naturally. I let the kid talk for about 30 seconds...

Then, EUREKA! I got my excuse!

"Sorry, I don't really have any minutes."