2.24.2009

Remind me to sue someone.

I ran across an article this weekend about a Wisconsin school getting sued for 'falsely imprisoning' a student. Ok, I can get on board with that. Neglectful treatment of kids is NEVER something that should be condoned...then I read the rest of the article...

The kid was 'imprisoned' by being sent to time out. Wait...what? You're kidding, right?
The girl was sent to a 'time out room' where she supposedly hyperventilated and felt nauseous.
So...let's get this straight.

-Act like a complete brat.
-Get reprimanded for being a brat.
-Be a drama queen.
-Get parents to overreact.
-Walk away with college tuition.

In this case...I should probably be a hundred-millionaire because Lex Luthor has spent many, many recesses in class doing homework or in the principal's office.

Hmmm.... *thinking*.

No...I still can't do it-I don't want her to believe that she can get away with everything and not have any repercussions from it.

What is wrong with people? And we wonder where kids are getting their 'sense of entitlement'. It is a sad, sad country we live in if this claim isn't dismissed.

Full story here.

2.18.2009

Douchebaggery

I need to rant....again.

Now, I've already stated that I love men. I love all their inadequacies, their 'issues', their conversation, their smell, their taste...... *ahem*. Ok, I'm back...but when I hear this:

'I've heard nice girls swallow and bad girls don't. Are you a nice girl? '

...I get this feeling in my throat that, unless I try really hard, will end up as my lunch on my keyboard. Get the picture?

Guys-who the fuck taught you to be such a douche? Seriously...where do you come up with this shit? Did some guy write a book that only guys have the opportunity to buy that outlines this crap? (Prob not the book-thing actually. A guy who reads a book? Few and far between...)

Cuz I'd like to know so I can kick down his door and Chuck Norris his ass. Isn't it hard enough to find a guy who can speak in clear, concise sentences that we need to put up with this annoying BS too?

I wanted to respond to this question with 'Can't it just be a pleasant surprise?' But, I thought that might lead him to believe that I actually wanted to be in that position with him. Instead...game over, DO NOT PASS GO, DO NOT COLLECT 200$.

My advice to this guy: Stop, just stop. Stop talking, stop typing, stop breathing...I don't care. Just stop making me suffer through your ego-trip.

Ok....on the other hand-RAVE to the guy who notices the color of my eyes and who can kiss me without trying to clear my air passages with his tongue....when I'm not choking.
RAVE to the guy who asks me out...again!
RAVE to the guy who walks me to my car. RAVE to the guy who is sarcastic, witty, funny and smart. RAVE to my brothers. And RAVE to the guys in my life. :)

Granted, I've been lucky. I haven't come across many douchebags thus far. Men are just confused...and if I don't keep telling myself that, I'll lose hope. None of us want that. :)

2.16.2009

Happy Un-Valentine's Day!

I made it.

...through another single girl's Valentine's Day. I made it without a 'date', I made it without flowers, without doing my hair, without leaving my house and without getting laid.

And I have to admit, it was probably one of the best Valentine's Days I've ever had. :)

Recently I was informed that it's not actually Valentine's Day at all-it's 'Singles Awareness Day'. And boy, is that true. If you don't know you're single any other day of the year-it abruptly smacks you in the face every time you go to a grocery store, watch TV or go to a restaurant in the days leading up to February 14th.

I just wanted to let you all know-I survived.

Thanks Sara! I had a great time!!

2.13.2009

Workplace etiquette

I'm going to rant for a minute here because I've been letting this go for almost a year now...

There is a female coworker of mine that is completely oblivious to any sort of workplace etiquette. Granted there are 4 females who use the kitchenette and bathroom in the upstairs office but I've been here long enough to understand who the culprit is. Here are a few things I run across on a DAILY basis:

-Finding cabinet doors/drawers and microwave door open after using the kitchenette. (I have closed up to 3 doors/drawers after using it after her.) This is a DAILY occurrence.
-Using all the paper towels in the kitchenette and not replacing them. It's not hard-they sit on the counter. I could possibly understand the complications of a 'device' to open and put them in but...they sit.on.the.counter. Enough said.
-Throwing boxes and garbage on the floor in the kitchenette. Ok, so you'd think that if you dropped a piece of cellophane or box scrap from your instant meal, that you'd pick it up and toss it in the trash, right? She doesn't. She leaves it there and, eventually, I do.
-Throwing paper towels on the floor in the bathroom after drying hands. There's even a sign on the mirror that I had our admin put up a year ago that says "Did you miss? Please pick up your trash and put it in the wastebasket." Maybe she can't see the 8"X11" florescent pink paper in the middle of the mirror.
-Not restocking the paper towels in the bathroom. Ditto from above.

Now this one really 'grinds my gears'...
-NOT PUTTING A NEW ROLL OF TOILET PAPER ON THE LITTLE HANGER-THINGY! Sorry I'm not using technical terms here but...are you kidding? I do it ALL the time!!!! Probably 2 times a week and almost always after she's been in there. It's not that hard...I promise. I've been doing it for decades now. If my 9 year old can do it, so can YOU! The toilet paper is even IN the bathroom!

This girl is in her mid 20's...how, just how does she get along at home without doing these sorts of things? Must drive her roommate crazy!

If I have to sit all day long and listen to your stupid, mainstream hip hop crap-the least you could do is clean up after yourself.

*turning up music*
Promiscuous girrrllll!!

Wait...wrong station. Damn.

2.12.2009

May I have this dance?

Last night I went salsa dancing (at Babalu) for the first time. I was hesitant when asked to go because I remember my days as a cheerleader-I am NOT coordinated and lack any sort of grace that might be needed for dance. Balance-challenged, if you may. But, my friend, M, assured me that I'd be fine, he'd show me and that the people were accepting. Easy for him to say, he's Brazilian...with rhythm. So I went...and, surprisingly, didn't suck...much.

Some things I learned:

-White guys have no rhythm...but (bless them) they try...hard.
-American girls do NOT have the hips to salsa dance. Even if you have hips (like me), it doesn't mean you use them correctly.
-Salsa is a great workout! First, the songs are anywhere from 8-15 minutes long and there is so much leg/hip/arm action-how could you not feel like you've just run around Greenlake when you are done?
-You can go dancing by yourself! Lots of people do.
-Salsa is not a Brazilian dance (even though everyone thinks it is), it's Cuban, as is the Cha Cha Cha. The tango is Argentinian and the Samba is Brazilian.
-A guy who can (actually) dance is...HOT!

But...I guess I already knew the last one. ;)

Anyway...after M gave me a crash course in the basic moves, I was ready to dance! Somewhat...

I'll expand on my comment above about going dancing by yourself: After people-watching for a bit I realized that there were many people that came alone! More guys than girls-which was really surprising! So, if you're a girl and you go to a salsa club-DO NOT make eye contact unless you want to be asked to dance...

I learned that the hard way...

Thank you to the long-haired Cuban guy who asked me to dance and promised to 'take it slow'. It was pretty great. :)

Ok-my bitchy side for a moment: To the girl who glared at me when I walked in the door, I know I 'don't belong' as I'm not a 'regular' but I was there with one and just because the guy you were talking to gave me the 'long glance' doesn't mean I was going to try to steal him away. I can't help it if you can't keep his attention. But...I'll tell you what I can do for you-I can help you with the gel to hair ratio you're having some trouble with. I'll give you this though-you are an awesome dancer.

Ok...done.

During people-watching time I noticed this couple that had each come alone. Shortly after the music started, the guy asked the girl to dance (yes, girls...there is hope-it DOES happen!). He was tall and awkward but not unfortunate-looking and the girl was somewhat on the pretty side-they were GREAT together. Both were American and neither were extremely stellar dancers (but still really good)-I guess I just noticed the 'chemistry' they had as they danced. Was it wrong of me to be planning their wedding in my head? :)

This is when my hands are shaking
This is when the rules are breaking
This is when the music plays too loud
This is when it’s now or never
When it goes from bad to better
This is when it all makes sense somehow

2.09.2009

My thoughts on him being 'just not that into you'

Went to see the new movie 'He's just not that into you' this weekend with my gf's and I just gotta say...wow. If you've ever been on a roller coaster or been in a bad relationship, you'll know the feeling I had as I left the theater. It was like being in an off and on relationship for 3 years only to fall out of it feeling totally fucked in the head and not understanding why you still want to go back for more.

Now, if you didn't know-this movie is based on a book titled the same as the movie and authored by Greg Berhrendt (not to be confused with the schmuck you've seen on TV, Greg Behrendt).

But seriously, I didn't know what to think as I left the theater. During the movie, I went through the motions of 'Guys suck! I definitely don't want to deal with that ever again!' to 'Awww, I really want that-maybe they're just confused. Am I the exception?'.

Ok, I'll explain.
The movie is about the fact that there are no exceptions to the 'rule'. The rule being-that guys DO exactly as they FEEL and that they don't want to hurt us. Unfortunately guys are too scared to ever directly tell a woman, 'You're not the one.' But their actions show exactly how they feel. If he doesn't want you, he won't be there...there are no exceptions....usually.

Yeah, I said 'usually'. And that's where I get ticked. Oh yes, I've been the 'exception to the rule' but only for a moment. I guess I feel good about knowing (now) the difference between my FWB's, my friends and my exes. It's VERY clear...no exceptions.

FWB's are guys you sleep with on a random basis-this could be an ex-boyfriend or just a 'friend'. But these guys are people you definitely DON'T want a relationship with. "all pressure's off and we're having a great time (sleeping - or not) together."

Friends are just friends. You've never slept with these guys (and don't see it EVER happening). But...be very aware that he feels the same way...otherwise, it's just complicated and you don't want complicated. "Personally, when I'm picking friends, I like the ones who don't make me cry myself to sleep."

Exes are just that..exes. For some reason or another they are not still in your life. Keep it that way. "Don't give him the chance to reject you again."

But I digress...mostly I'm just confused that I paid money to see this movie and felt like I got hit by a truck afterwards.

Oh and...I know I'm being biased against men but...I really don't have any experience in fucking with the heads of women. And this is my blog...so there. :P

But in reality, I love men. LOVE them. I wish I could have more than one...but at this point-I'm having trouble finding the one that:

A.) Doesn't just want to fuck me.
and
B.) Doesn't just want to talk to me.

Enough said.

From the book:
"It's very tempting when you really want to be with someone to settle for much, much less -- even a vague pathetic facsimile of less -- than you would have ever imagined. Remember always what you set out to get and please don't settle for less. These guys exist because there are a lot of women out there who allow them to."

2.06.2009

Baby lo-jack

Last night my family welcomed it's newest member to the world, little mister Ryan Dean. Who, by the way, is the cutest little man I've seen this side of the Cascades!

It was a long day for my brother and his wife pending the delivery of their first child but they were troopers and my brother kept his wit about him even though he hadn't gotten much sleep in almost 48 hours.

My brother: "What's this on his ankle?"

Hot Male Nurse: "It's a security device we use to monitor the baby's location in the hospital."

My brother: "So, it's lo-jack."

HMN (with an amused look): "Yeah, it's baby lo-jack."

God...military guys are such dorks.

Don't worry little guy-there is hope that you will be awesome in spite of your father...you're a Focken, after all. ;)

Welcome to the world Ryan!

...I still can't believe I could fall in love so fast... :)

2.05.2009

Mapquest fails...again.

Ok so I've had a few instances where Mapquest has been wrong...horribly, make me late by 2 hours, wrong. But...I think this takes the cake...

So, my brother is in the military (the Kitsap Naval base, to be exact) and his wife is severly pregnant. lol...Ok, that's funny.
Anywhoo...she went in to labor last night so I'm planning on going over there after work today to see the new baby (hopefully I'll be there while he's being born!). Now...here's the fun part-I don't know where the Naval hospital is-so I'll just get directions off the internet! (crazy! I know!).
Here's what I got on my first try. Something seems wrong. Isn't that in the middle of a lake? Now, I know the military boasts the 'by land or by sea' crap in their advertisements to get young recruits but...seriously? What? Did they put the Navy hospital on a aircraft carrier in the middle of a man-made lake just for giggles?

That can't be right.
So...I try it again and click a different link. This time...Google maps.

Ok...that seems more like it. *taking wetsuit and flippers out of car trunk*. Funny because I used to live over there and I'm not even sure where the 'Kitsap Lake' is... Maybe Mapquest's way of saying 'fuck, I don't know...just go here, then ask someone when you get close'.

Wish me luck!

Gas station experiences, Volume I

So...I stopped to get gas this morning (way earlier than any human should have to be awake enough to pump toxic fluids into an overpriced machine) and was surprised to find, on top of the gas pump, a television. Yes, at the Chevron near my house there are TV's on top of the gas pumps...and they were displaying 'magic pictures' for all the early birds to view.
When I started to drive again, I wondered this: Did the advertising moguls of the country sit down one day to decide on how they can get people to watch more TV (therefore, having to view their ads) and someone said 'Hey-I know where people have some idle time that they generally can't watch TV! While pumping gas!' (Because we have TV's in our cars, on our phones, in the grocery store check-out lines, in restaurants/bars, on airplanes, streaming abilities on our computers, the breakrooms of the nations businesses, coffee shops, in Times Square, etc, etc)...

So...here we are.
Watching TV while pumping gas.
Because (*insert sarcastic tone here*) Americans need to watch more TV.
And because in the 4 minutes it took to fill up my car, I was able to see a commercial for the DTV changover, one for the TV show 'The Eleventh Hour' and some Nascar highlights.

Yep.

And now I'm going to buy a bigger screen TV and find out what time The Eleventh Hour is on because...for some reason, I really, REALLY need to see it now. Funny how that works.

2.04.2009

Seattle Freeze & me

...I'm writing a book. Maybe. Well...we'll see. And maybe this is just because of the latest implosion of my most recent relationship but like I said before, I've dated lots of guys, most of which I've met online. BTW-dating guys you meet online are not ANY different from guys you might meet in 'real' life. Sometimes it's more simple because you know this person has put a 'profile' out there because they're interested in meeting someone whereas, someone you meet in a bar/concert/supermarket might not have the same idea.
And I've only had 1 instance where I thought I might have misjudged the person and wanted one of those memory-erase sticks like on the Men in Black movie (which I've contributed to the Cranky Monkey's blog).
But...I digress. A book. I'm sure I'm not the first person to think of this (and I do have a good guy friend who has actually started this project) but with the economy the way it is and the fact that Seattle is the worst dating city in the US, I feel I'm pretty screwed (or not...however you take it). No, I'll fix that-it's a great city to find a boyfriend...if you're a guy.
So I figure I could make money on other people realizing that maybe they don't have it so bad. I do.

Ok so I'll be done venting now but ponder this: how many people do you make eye contact with on a daily basis (excluding work)? I'm guessing less than 3. We have a bad rep...how do we fix that?

2.03.2009

What do you want?

I know it's a weird title but you'll understand why when you get done reading. I guess the main reason for this particular post is the question 'what do you want?'. Specifically 'what do guys want?'.

I've dated a hundred guys (I said 'dated', not slept with), from a pretty broad spectrum and I've found that:
1. I have a 'type' I'm more attracted to (per my girlfriends).
and
2. Guys are clueless.

Now any girl reading this is going to say 'uh...duh, you're in your 30's and you're just figuring this out?'. No...I'm just blogging about cuz it pretty much sucks right now.

So...back to my question. What do you want? We all know the things you DON'T want-you are VERY clear on those:
No neediness/clinginess/insecurities (ditto for us girls)
No one 'fat'/ugly (ugh...that's all)
No bad habits/drugs/smoking (anyone over 24 can agree)
No drama (check)

So...what do you want? Or do you even know? Let me guess...you'll know it when you see it, right? I'm sorry to upset most of you guys but think about it this way... You're a '5'...you probably shouldn't be searching for a '9'. Catch my drift? A 'King of Queens'-type relationship isn't reality. Now...I'm not saying you should settle! You should be realistic.

***I have to add a note here. I'm not 'that' girl. I don't really care what guys want for the purposes of changing myself to fit a certain 'need'. I'm definitely secure but...I'd just like to be sure of what I'm getting into, you know? Cuz, in reality, it doesn't matter who I am or what kind of person they are 'attracted to', it's all about timing.

Side note-if any of you guys think Seattle women are crazy...try dating the guys. Bleh.