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Monday, June 29, 2009

Turn, turn, turn.

June is coming to an end, and July beginning. What whines and anti-whines are on your mind as you flip the calendar page, Pixies?

48 comments:

kathy a. said...

Dr. Redzils! How ya been?

My whines are:
- State budget rodeo + IOU's being issued starting this week.
- Too much work, not enough cash.
- All these bizarre insurance hoops to get my followup mam scheduled. And this one will have to be at the hospital, because the imaging center no longer has radiologists around. [wtf?]

In anti-whines:
- I'm not MJ.
- Enjoying the rare sightings of daughter while she is home this summer [she is rather nocturnal].
- Dinner out tonight!

Liz Miller said...

W: RIF at my office
AW: I'm not in the RIF.
W: I should have been (last hired), mgmt seems to have no rhyme or reason re: WHY they chose the RIFed.

Madeleine said...

liz, much sympathy. Working in a RIF'ing organization is no fun even for those who survive.

kathy a., your MJ anti-whine is award worthy.

Me? I'll have to see how I am in a few days. Coming down from a pile of running around being anxious. Not feeling quite normal yet.

purple_kangaroo said...

Graveside service and memorial service today. No time to write, but would appreciate thoughts and prayers.

esperanza said...

AW: Back on the internet! I missed you, pixies.

...but don't worry, I have saved up many a whine:
Moving.
Pregnancy...let's see: unrelenting queasy pretty much since the positive test; episode of Very Scary Bleeding (VSB) on Moving Day, another episode of VSB two days later, esperanza convinces herself she's having a miscarriage, resulting ultrasound shows twins. Holy crap. One baby is doing perfect, the other has a slow heartbeat and is measuring small. Holy crap in a whole different way. Ten days later, ultrasound shows what doctor expected--one perfect baby and one sac with a little blob who has no heartbeat. Bladder infection. Stomach bug. Continued queasy and throwing ups. Lost four pounds (I am in no way big in the first place.) More VSB. Which brings us to last Friday's ultrasound, which showed one very perfect baby. The doctor says the remains of other baby will be absorbed by my body and/or pushed out of the way by the growing baby.

And did I mention moving?

Humongous antiwhine: my mom has been taking care of the sweet baboo, packing, unpacking, cleaning, cooking, washing dishes, and generally doing everything while I am planted in bed and/or on the couch moaning pitifully.

AW: the queasy is slowly retreating. Slowly. I am at week 9. In theory, it should be significantly better by week 12.

AW: hubby's new church has been wonderful--bringing food, fixing things, helping unload, etc.

it's good to be back. Can you tell I've been saving my whines?

kathy a. said...

(((( PK )))) thinking of you and your family. xoxoxox

(((( esperanza )))) omg, so much. you stay planted on the couch; we're sending saltines, and many blessings on your mom.

Liz Miller said...

What kathy a. just said.

Big time.

KLee said...

Esperanza -- many gentle hugs for you. Everything you're dealing with is MAJOR OVERSTIMULATION. I would be a quivering pile of Jello, and I have no idea how you've held it together. You can whine any time you like.

I won't mouth platitudes at you about the baby, but will say that if I were anywhere near you, I'd be heading over with a box of tissues, the biggest Whitman's sampler they make, and a shoulder. We'll keep our fingers crossed that Baby A has enough personality and health points for three or four babies.

I was going to post a personal whine about random bullshit, but that's put it all in perspective, and I will just quietly thank The Powers That Be and lug my big behind onward.

kathy a. said...

klee -- this space is for whines big and small, so bring 'em on!

esperanza's got our love and strong good wishes, for sure. xoxo

amy said...

Heavens! We are off to an early start with substance whines this week!

I'll be back with hugs and whines later, but for now, I thought I'd offer this:

If any of you need a laugh, head over to Ask Moxie, where today's topic is unsolicited advice from strangers. Some of the stories in the comments are LOL-worthy.

http://www.askmoxie.org/2009/06/qa-strangers-giving-unsolicited-helpful-advice-on-the-street.html

Liz Miller said...

AW: Senator Franken.

Susan Anne MacKenna said...

I whine the whine that can only be whined by a woman whose spouse / SO is one month away from taking the bar examination, who sits home with three children every night while he goes to class, who waits on any hint that he will land some sort of gainful employment before we run through the remainder of our cash on hand.

Antiwhine: we leave on vacation (the kids and me - hubby is too grumpy and has been Sent To His Room Without Any Supper! until after the bar-zam) tomorrow. Hooray!

kathy a. said...

second liz's AW. assuming there isn't further litigation.

DMD, living with a bar examinee definitely deserves an award! good plan, getting the hell out of dodge with the kids. foraging for food will be good for him.

kathy a. said...

stupid small whine: i am so cranky and moody and distractable. it feels just like adolescent PMS moodiness, spinning out about small things, but i'm just about exactly 5 [hypothetical] cycles into the 12 month countdown to blessed official menopause. stupid hormones, and if i have to start the 12 month clock again, it will not be pretty. that is all.

Liz Miller said...

W/AW A local newspaper is following me on Twitter.

Which is fine and all but was a little weird when I responded to Jo(e)'s tweet today.

Sarah at ratatat said...

Wow Esperanza. Hugs and sympathy.

Kathy A - good luck with the IOUs. T better tomorrows.

DMD: enjoy the vacation!

Liz - the newspaper thing would be unnerving.

Hmmm...I am happy that my whines feel small this week - my external keyboard for my laptop is going crazy.

Anti-whine: we're off for a kitsch-y trip to the local waterpark capital.

W: I still suspect my brother may ruin it.

I wanted to end on an AW...hmmm...hugs to the pixies who need it?

Sue said...

Esperanza - please stay glued to couch. I'm so sorry about all the troubles, especially the loss of one of the twins. (((((you))))

Sending hugs and thanks to your Mom.

PK - hugs to you too.

Pixie dust to make all the other pixie whines just whisk away into the wind.

Whine: July. It promises to be the longest month of the year. Rough month at work. Long story - just bleh.

Anti-whine: Today is Canada Day so it's a stat holiday. Yay for stat holidays!!!

Old Skool Hardly Worth Mentioning Whine: I have a bunion.

Whine: I'm old enough to have a fireplacing bunion. Crap. How did that happen?

Liz Miller said...

Sorry to be giggling, Sue, but the word, "bunion" gets me everytime.

Sue said...

Ya - who decided on the name "bunion" anyway??? *snerk*

This is, without question, the coldest fireplacing Canada Day I can remember. I have THREE, count 'em, three layers of clothing on. A t-shirt, a long-sleeved t-shirt, and the sweatshirt I had to put on to go for a walk outside.

Dude, that's just wrong.

Liz Miller said...

Totally. No one in the Northern Hemisphere should have to wear a sweatshirt during the sunlit hours on Canada Day. Let's get the weather goons out here and cluestick 'em.

kathy a. said...

sarah, crossing fingers that sibling angst doesn't rear its ugly head! you know i mean it.

sue, happy canada day! are you celebrating in any special way?

kathy a. said...

nominate liz for something, for cluesticking the weather goons!

KLee said...

kathy a. approved of my whining this very whiny whine, so if any of you (like me) feel it is too piddly/whiny for words, feel free to chuck stuff at HER. I lay blame directly at her doorstep.

I got my first grades from my class back, and while I'm happy with the two Quiz grades (93.34 and 100), I'm disappointed with the first project grade (80). Granted, this is a subject matter that's completely alien to me, and I'm lucky it wasn't a 50, but I wanted to totally Rock Star the grades, and that's just not happening. I guess it's more the disappointment in myself that's really irking me. Plus, I think I wanted to do well because I have a lot to prove (both to myself and others around me) and to feel worthy. I guess I should take this grade with a grain of salt, and let it make me more determined to grasp those elusive concepts and make them my bitch. Yeah, that's what I'll do.....

Liz Miller said...

KLee, you should TOTALLY make those elusive concepts your bitch.

And, HOLY GUACAMOLE!!! LOOK AT YOUR QUIZ GRADES!!!

Did your prof explain WHY you got an 80 (still v. v. respectable, btw) on your project? Was it not what zie was looking for? Was there something missing or gone in the wrong direction? And will zie let you redo any part of it for partial credit?

esperanza said...

Ah KLee, I would want to rock the grades too, and I understand your disappointment and the resulting irk.

Thanks for the hugs and sympathy, everyone. In the week or so I had to get used to the idea, I was extremely apprehensive about a twin pregnancy. The whole I'm-not-very-big problem, as well as the previous preemie problem. I apparently don't do "routine" pregnancies. So, while there is teh sad, there is also quite a bit of relief, if I'm honest. And then I'll whine about feeling guilty about that.

And Sue: I once knew an 11 year old with bunions. "Bunion" sounds like something on a fast food menu. And you can just come visit here--it's been over 100 for two weeks straight, at least. Blech.

Sue said...

Hmmm.........the bunion as fast food. Interesting concept. The 100 degrees sounds pretty good about now. I could do my hot yoga in those temps!

We celebrated by watching a "Corner Gas" marathon this afternoon and watching the fireworks display tonight. Very cool.

KLee - I remember coming home with my first "B" in my undergrad. I was so determined that if I was going back to school, I was going to do it perfectly that I saw the B and started to cry hysterically. My husband actually laughed and said, "Do you realize how ridiculous it is to be disappointed by such a good grade?"

I felt like I'd been walloped, but he was right. From then on, "B" stood for Balance. As in, going to school and still having some semblance of a real life too.

Ya done good. Really good.

Sarah at ratatat said...

KLee - I think this is the perfect place to let the whines out on your grades. I think I'd feel the same way. Hugs and study aids like cookies and ice cream?

Happy Canada Day Sue!

Kathy A - thanks for the sibling good vibes. I'll need them.

The baby has day weaned and I think she is only nursing at night to make me feel better. A really short drink and I am not sure she even needs it as much as I want her to keep nursing just a little bit more. But the day weaning feels right, so over all, anti-whine!

Happy Independence Day to my fellow Americans :)

kathy a. said...

klee gave me a really good laugh, with her recommendation that you throw things at ME if her whine was too whiney! and i needed that laugh, so here's a toast to the siblings we choose, and their humor and grace! [that would be all of you.]

kathy a. said...

also, klee -- like everyone said, totally valid whine, even though you're doing pretty darned well. i'd send some GS cookies for morale support, if i had any left.

purple_kangaroo said...

Hugs to all, and healthy-from-here-on-out pregnancy wishes to Esperanza.

We are all really really tired here. The services went well. Now the hard part comes. Sorting through stuff, making decisions, trying to communicate among a huge family, figuring out what MIL is going to do now and where she's going to live, etc. There have already been some communication glitches and minor hurt feelings.

I am in a full-scale flare-up, so I stayed home and slept tonight while DH took the kids to the daily family gathering. DH said that the few siblings were there got into some rather "interesting" political discussions, and that I can be glad I wasn't there.

My dear sweet hubby is the king of conflict avoidance. So can I just say how proud I am of him that when one of his sisters began waxing eloquent that women shouldn't really even be allowed to vote because they're too emotional, DH stepped up and said that if she was going to say such things, to please save it for when his daughters weren't there to hear it.

He didn't want anyone saying such things in front of HIS girls.

It's probably a good thing I wasn't there. I would not have been so gentle in my response.

amy said...

KLee - I'm with the others in declaring this to be a Whine About Your Grades Zone. If not here, then where?

Sorry for being late to the party, pixies. Last night, I had plans with the kids and my mom, which - while usually fun - ran really late because my mom does not have either the internal How Close Is Bedtime? clock or the When Is The Baby Going To Need To Nurse Again? clock. To be fair, that's my responsibility, not hers, and I forgot to verbalize it. But, it meant both kids were an hour and a half past bedtime when we got home.

I'd type more, but my daughter is up now and she seems to need to have every square inch of her body applied to mine like wallpaper, so no more typing for mama.

P.S. Is there some kind of award we can offer PK's husband, in Absentia? Because there is NO way I'd have come up with such a good response until after I was home, if at all.

(I love it here. I learn so much from you ladies.)

Liz Miller said...

PK's husband should definitely win the Susan B. Anthony Award for best support of women's sufferage.

Kathy a., "The siblings we choose". YES!!! Thank you for saying that so well.

There are tons of good options here for Mullet, Redzils, how will you ever choose?

Name Under Development said...

Once again late to the party. Klee, whine away! I totally get where you’re coming from—when I am in a class, there are A’s and every other grade.
My hair is slowly growing out and I hate a great time w/my kids in the big city. I am so proud of them.
DG is doing an internship in the city right now, and that leads to my current whine—her bosses. They appear to be overgrown frat boys, with similar (lack of) sensitivities and outlook. One in particular has been fond of making borderline remarks—nothing too overt, just right up to the line. Then this week he kicked things up a notch and sent her something in writing that was a good deal less borderline. He could still talk his way out of this if he had to, but there was a noticeable difference and DG has had enuf. She called me last nite to use me as a sounding board—she knew she wanted out, but she wasn’t sure how/when.
AW #1—We have the kind of relationship that she could call me about this
AW #2—She may have a line on another internship, actually closer to her interests and goals.
Esperanza, stay on the couch and allow others to keep supporting you while you sort out your feelings. Hugs to all others I’m out of space/time to mention.

NUD

Liz Miller said...

NUD, make sure she keeps all correspondence w/ him and have her alert HR.

kathy a. said...

what liz said. i did not learn of the inappropriate behavior of someone i supervised until a couple of years later -- by then he had left the office. i would have enjoyed the opportunity to kick his sorry butt.

Sue said...

I just want to second PK's DH receiving the Susan B. Anthony award, and perhaps a crown or at least bonus cookies for not allowing his daughters to hear such nonsense. Honestly, there are still people who don't think women should VOTE?????

And amen to the "siblings we choose"!

KLee said...

Guys, thanks for making me feel a little less persnickety about the whole grades thing....I'm glad to know that even with such a petty whine, you guys will be there to support me.

I feel pretty silly with being upset on the one hand, but on the other, I think my feelings are fairly normal for someone in my situation.

So, like I said, I will take all this with a grain of salt, work harder on the next project, and give thanks that I know some fabulous people who tolerate me when I complain about the small stuff.

(Oh, and Liz -- I could talk to the professor, but his criticisms were valid, and I didn't *earn* a better grade. If I thought his grading was unfair, I'd be all over it, but he was right, unfortunately.)

kathy a. said...

another vote for PK's hubby's award. and more hugs for PK and family.

nominate amy for the wallpaper award! what a perfect description.

klee -- that attitude right there [the prof's critizisms were unfortunately right] distinguishes you from those youngsters who figure that showing up is enough for an A. go, klee, go!

Liz Miller said...

Actually, I wasn't suggesting you grub for a different grade on what you handed in, was just wondering if he'd let you fix the deficiencies now that you know what he expects for a grade boost.

purple_kangaroo said...

I nominate KLee for Old-Skool whine. And Kathy A. for Elevated Risk of Mullet for "the siblings we choose" and Amy for the wallpaper comment. I have a wallpaper child too.

And I love the idea of giving DH a Susan B. Anthony award.

And the cluestick posse needs to go after that guy, NUD.

Name Under Development said...

Thanks for the support, pixies. I knew I could count on the cluestick posse. I've talked to my daughter again since I posted. She went in to talk to her advisor at the University this morning & zie basically validated everything I told her (including keeping a paper trail). I just received a copy of the emails DG wants to send to the jerk and to his business partner. DG can’t go to HR because there isn’t one—this is a small start-up. But she is definitely calling them on their behavior, and now campus people know, which should protect future interns. DG plans to wrap up one specific project and turn in her keys. Bert does NOT have plans to borrow weaponry from any of his co-workers and *convince* these yahoos to treat his daughter appropriately, but he has enjoyed mentally playing with the concept.

BTW—I had a typo in my earlier post—I *had* a good time in the city with my daughters, not *hate* a good time.
NUD

JenR said...

(((esperanza)))

Late to the party again for me too. Today's my birthday, and my dear hubby didn't get me a present. I think he forgot... especially since my birthday card came from a stash I keep in the closet for emergencies. Oi.

kathy a. said...

happy birthday, JenR! sending hugs and cake and flowers, and permission to just treat yourself to something! that's right, no guilt on the do what you want to do.

purple_kangaroo said...

JenR, happy birthday, and maybe he's planning a fabulous present or surprise party or something for later?

Sue said...

Happy, happy birthday JenR. I suggest a massage as a special treat for your birthday. Or perhaps a mani/pedi???

redzils said...

Wow, we Pixies are having a week! I just drove four hours to my parents' house, after bursting into tears at the Retirement and Benefits guy for my new job's office this morning. Good thing I can blame hormones - I just started my third cycle in the last six weeks. Ugh....

Anyways, hugs to all and awards will go up late, late tonight or tomorrow.

kathy a. said...

stupid hormones. 3 cycles in 6 weeks is all kinds of unfair. hugs and chocolate for you, dr. redzils!

redzils said...

Comments are closing, while I craft Awards. Thanks for your patience, Pixies.