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Monday, September 13, 2010

Whine-tember Fest

Cranky! I'm so cranky!
I feel crabby and grouchy and blue...
Can't sleep at night,
Work's behind by a sight.
How 'bout you?


Daughter and her dad will begin the drive to her U on Thursday; I'll fly up Friday to help her get settled in the First Apartment, and supervise the hunting and gathering of household items. Tres exciting, no?! She has not started packing, or even started the mountain o' laundry. She has not finished unpacking from last year, and does not know where items she needs are located, unless you count the stuff covering her entire bedroom floor. Oh, well.

I'm particularly crabby because her visit from Auntie Flo resulted in some award-worthy PMS; and in other hormonal news, my hot-flash-o-meter has been stuck on the "broil" setting, accounting for the sleeplessness.

AW: Daughter and I had a great time at a big, fun annual street fair yesterday!

AW: Son and his lovely girlfriend came by yesterday, unexpectedly stayed for dinner; we rustled up approximately 3 times what we had planned for dinner, every bite was eaten. And he finally picked up the quilt I made for his neighbor, who just started chemo.

Passing tiny, tasty quiches. What's the news for you?

26 comments:

kathy a. said...

Also, I am super-cranky because of the political season, and disgusting stuff like somebody's screed on girl scouts. What is wrong with people???????

I still have one box of thin mints, and will share them as needed.

Madeleine said...

Tiny, tasty quiches sounds good to me, thanks. I'll share my dark chocolate M&Ms. Yes, I am at the airport again.

amy said...

The sum of my whines is greater than the whole.

1. Inadequate feminine hygiene product.
2. PMS, weepy, overemotional.
3. Feeling rejected after two people have declined to write me letters of recommendation. One is legit -- she's on the hiring committee. The other? Well, I think he just doesn't want to instigate a fight with his wife, who is also applying for the same position but for whom he cannot write a letter (conflict of interest). She's territorial, so I get why he'd make that choice. Still. It leaves me with only two people left in the department to ask, and everyone hates one of them.

I have a couple of ideas for what to do next. I'll keep you posted, pixies.

Miranda said...

A tiny whine, on behalf of (Nearly) Teen Daughter:

"It doesn't matter what I do because I can't handle a simple little project with paper and crayons and gluing pictures so I am going to get straight F's and grow up and work at McDonalds and have a cat and live alone in a one room apartment. A one room apartment! Do you hear this?"

Madeleine, the travel, it is soul wearying after awhile. Sending you a travel pillow and a good magazine selection at the airport book store.

Kathy A, I offer you a blindfold that only works when you gaze upon all the mess your sweet daughter still needs to sort through and pack for a successful year. I've started making offspring bring lists on shopping trips and if it isn't on the list, it doesn't get purchased.

Then she made a grand exit by stomping up the stairs.

AW: She has an excellent imagination! My poetry/creative writing instructor in college would have loved the energy and imagery in that speech.

Amy, your post reminded me why I decided not to go into academia. Here's hoping that you line up some solid letters of recommendation from non-crazy, non-loathsome, non-married-to-loathsome people.

esperanza said...

Wow, it's quite the hormonal week already!

I have a draw-your-own-conclusion whine: Pre Family Visits, Mini Baboo was a dream napper. I took her to her bed, laid her down, and she fell asleep. Easy peasy. Post Family Visits, Mini Baboo simply does not nap without being (a) in the car; or (b) attached to my boob. Removing her from said boob results in screaming fits (hers, and occasionally mine). As I said, draw your own conclusion; I've drawn mine. AW: at least there's someone else to blame.

AW: at least I don't live in a one room apartment and work at McDonald's.

Miranda said...

Can I whine about distraction? I generally type things out of order but I fix it before I hit post or send or save.

Generally. (just imagine my earlier whine in a more sensical order).

Esparanza, you forgot THE CAT. ;)

I hope Sweet Baboo gets her sleep groove back soon.

kathy a. said...

Miranda -- I'm all excited about daughter's move to a studio apartment! The only downsides are that she can't have a cat there, and I'm such an ogre that I expect her to get a job. Any. Job. But I totally hear you about the stomping, door-slamming imaginativeness of the angst.

Madeleine -- best with the travels, hope they are over soon.

Amy -- that is a weird and sucky situation. The person on the hiring committee and the person whose wife is applying really can't do letters of rec, but hopefully they will feel good enough about you to weigh in your favor informally.

Esperanza -- isn't it something, how some intense family time can throw things off? Mini will settle down -- meanwhile, passing the thin mints.

Sue said...

Wow, many excellent whines already! Sorry to all with hormonal whineage. Been there, done that. Over it. (Yup, eventually the sleepless sweaty nights end. Funny, those nights used to be fun once - I recall that they began with dinner and a nice bottle of merlot....)

Whine: Unbloggable work stuff. Le sigh. I *was* thinking about taking a resume over to the local Macdonald's, but I'm re-thinking that particular option. ;)

Anti-whine: Sunday's service wasn't awful.

Anti-Whine: In preparation for upcoming meeting of regional Presbytery, I'm seriously considering ordering a shirt I found online that says: "Whatever it is, the answer is NO."

I would get far too much personal bliss out of watching all the Presby-keeners try to hide their shock and awe at such a bold statement.

I am SO going to hell. Whatevs....

Madeleine said...

Two nights in hotel, forgot to pack something that I don't recall ever forgetting before. My pills. As in, The Pill, pills.

Two nights. Just off the no-hormones hormonal week. Should be OK. Right, pixies? It would be way TMI if I told you whether or not I have any reason for concern.

kathy a. said...

oy, sue.

oopsie, madeleine...

last night was the PMS meltdown of the year. unfortunate things were said loudly [not by me], and there was signficant stompage. this is so not cute in a post-teen.

i know part of it must be anxiety about going back to school, but a person who has spent the better part of 5 weeks sleeping most of the day and playing on the computer all night could reasonably devote a little time to mental and physical preparation, one would think. not that i'm saying that out loud in the current political climate. lips = zipped. she'll be ready, or she won't.

esperanza said...

Sue, I saw another shirt that might work, on an adorable little boy yesterday. It was one of those "hello my name is" stickers, with TROUBLE written on it. That might keep folks away...

Sue said...

Nice one esperanza! That might work!

kathy a. said...

apparently the storm is over, and daughter has accomplished laundry, sorting both books and clothing, and some actual packing. also, we are speaking again.

the funniest part is that she bought underwear a month ago, bonus value pack -- and she only noticed today that it is my size [big] instead of her size [mini], but it is also a brand and style i can wear. so i'm gifted with quite a supply of undies.

esperanza said...

I think I have Separation Anxiety Anxiety.

Sue said...

Questionable whine/anti-whine: I'm not sure which category this falls into. Last week when the funeral family met with the funeral director to do the planning, they told him that I had already agreed to do the service.

This particular funeral director has told me that I'm his favourite minister to call because I always make the services so personal and the family always goes away feeling that both the funeral home and the church have served them well. Nice, yes?

Well, last week he said to the family "You're in great hands then. Sue is really organized."

Huh.

Organized.

Is that a good thing? Or is it more like an OCD thing? (Yes, my pens are lined up like railroad ties on my desk. Why do you ask?)

Like I said - Whine/Anti-whine.....

Liz Miller said...

It's a good thing. It means he works with people who flake out on him and mourning families are more apt to flake than the general population. So an organized minister is a blessing.

Liz Miller said...

W: am wearing a sleeveless dress. Should probably have shaved my pits.

kathy a. said...

sue, what liz said. also -- don't forget the other thing he said about making it so personal for the families.

liz is truly in contention for old skool!

kathy a. said...

this isn't really a whine, just something weird. my sister's ex died in february, and she only just found out. by accident. nobody told her, even when she received her community property portion of his retirement. no, it was not one of those "good" divorces, but they were together 15 years. i guess they didn't keep any mutual friends.

Anonymous said...

Kathy a.--that *is* weird....
Liking Liz for old skool

for me the whine is that we are busy busy busy in the next two weeks, running here and there, with choir practices for two people, multiple temple services, doctor appts, curriculum nights etc etc.

antiwhine: still LOVE my job

Hugs to all the pixies.

And Sue, I definitely agree it is a compliment. Families at that time *need* someone organized. It's hard to organize and grieve (how DO you spell that word??? I've written it seven times and it still doesn't seem right to me!) at the same time.

--Neighbor Lady

Liz Miller said...

W: Not enough sleep. Woke with a stress headache. Am cranky.

AW: A co-worker brought in bagels.

JenR said...

liz - bagels. I wish there were decent bagels somewhere on my way to work.

Back from vacation and back to busy busy work. I must not be too miserable though, because a recruiter called last night and I realized that I really don't want to leave this job.

Now if I could just get my house clean - or at least not messy. I am almost willing to hire someone to clean, but it's not worth it if there are no un-messy surfaces in the house.

esperanza said...

W: I made too much oatmeal this morning and can't finish it. Leftover oatmeal is teh yucky.

amy said...

Oooh, esperanza comes in with some late competition for old skool with the old oatmeal!

Here's the happy update to my letter whine. I need three letters. All but 4 of the full-timers are on the hiring committee, and of those 4, one doesn't know me, one turned me down, one agreed, and the last everyone else hates. So, yeah...

Fortunately, one of the full-timers I asked (who declined because she is -- you guessed it -- on the hiring committee) suggested I ask the department chair to suggest people I could ask. The chair is on the hiring committee, but maybe he'd have an idea? Well, his answer perplexed me. He said, "This is a tough spot, but I don't see why you couldn't ask someone on the committee..." What a weird reply. How can this be ethical? The people I had asked who were on the committee (two) already cited conflict of interest when they declined. Additionally weird was that this man never ever uses ellipses.

I decided it was either an opening or a bluff that needed calling. So I called it and asked him. He replied within a half hour that he would be glad to write one.

I hope it doesn't reflect poorly on me, but I don't think it will. If anything, it'll be on him because he's the one with the conflict.

Sarah at ratatat said...

Yay Amy, at least I think it is a yay.

I am feeling lazy and wistful. Ugh. I need to do something and stop sitting. What time is it? Oh time to go to work where were are in a weird lull and there is nothing to do.

Hugs for all of the pre-teen and post-teen girl child angst. I feel for you.

And Sue - compliment, definitely compliment.

Liz Miller said...

Am wearing sleeveless top today (again!), showered,and yet still didn't shave (see above, re: not enough sleep + headache).

Looks like I'm rockin' the fuzzy pits!

Of course, I'm wearing a suit jacket, 'cause it's colder than a polar bear's nose in the office, but still.