Things are weighing heavily on the brain this week, as Mr. Random starts his new job at what shall now be known as the Random Publication.
It’s a very big transition – so big that we won’t be sure what it all means for several weeks. We have to wake up much earlier, since Mr. Random now has to drive into town. I arrive at the Random Non-Profit much earlier, since Mr. Random drops me off in the morning. Lunch will probably be me wandering off to the strip mall or me huddled by my desk. I’m really not that social at work – having Mr. Random there at least allowed me to interact with folks on a looser basis. I’m not very chit-chatty – I just like to do my work and go home. I’m helpful and friendly as I can be, but I just have a lot of stuff to do, stuff on my mind.
It’s causing me to reflect a lot on my relationships with people. Now that Mr. Random is not close, that means we see each other much less, and with him going to graduate school for another year, it means many evenings of him studying and me off reading somewhere or watching TV during the week. My teaching is ended for the summer and does not start again until fall. Many of my friends are busy with families and/or work and/or traveling. One sister is in Iraq and not accessible. The other is off being 23 years old somewhere . . .
Usually I am so busy, but I do value having other people around, having people to talk to. Not small talk-y stuff though – I just have so many questions right now and not many answers . . .
Transitions are not easy. Mr. Random has such much to deal with and my grumbling – my whining, my complaining, my bitching – would not be very helpful to him.
It is a gorgeous day here in Northern Virginia – summer is almost here. Everything is green and the sky is blue. There is much to be thankful for and happy about. I need to remember that and keep it close right now . . .
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Kvetching Allowed
Philosopher’s Playground has a really good post today about the differences between whining, complaining, bitching and kvetching.
I am trying to analyze which of those I do most here on the blog. I always hope it’s kvetching, but it often does seem to devolve into whining and bitching.
I bitch about the admin guy all of the time – especially to Mr. Random, who in a highly entertaining way can also do a spot-on impersonation of him.
I whine about a lot of things, because I guess deep down I want someone to go “oh, poor Random Kath . . . there, there now.” I mean, in a way it’s human nature to want to have your misery validated. Who wants to think they are paranoid for no reason? Who doesn’t want some love shared their way?
One thing that I do not do a lot is complain. If I see something wrong, I try to fix it myself. If I go to a restaurant and there is a little puddle of schmutz on the table, I’ll just get a napkin and wipe it off myself – I’m used to cleaning up myself and other people – it takes more time to flag down a busy person and make them get a wet towel to wipe off a little spot. I’ve been on the other side in similar situations and no one is perfect, so I try to cut others some slack. If I can’t do it myself, I ask for help – then half the time people take over the task anyway. . .
~ Time passes ~
Oh, I’m back. I went away for a while – not that anyone would have noticed – to participate in Mr. Random’s good-bye party here at the Random Non-profit. I was the one assigned to keep Mr. Random busy until the party, which was pretty easy since he had to show me a few office procedures this morning and that activity took up over an hour. He was very surprised! I took many pictures, however I was not able to immortalize the look on his face when he walked into a room full of people with balloons, confetti and silly string. He received many cool going away gifts and started choking up when he was asked to give a speech. I started crying too . . .
This day has been quite surreal for the both of us, and I don’t think either of us will fully realize that he isn’t working here anymore until a couple of weeks from now. A chapter of his life is ending and a new one is beginning – very scary and exciting stuff!
I guess today is a lame posting day – I’ve been pretty low on sleep – but I’ll try to do better next time . . . But my Question of the Day is this: Of kvetching, whining, bitching and complaining, which of those do you find yourself doing most often?
I am trying to analyze which of those I do most here on the blog. I always hope it’s kvetching, but it often does seem to devolve into whining and bitching.
I bitch about the admin guy all of the time – especially to Mr. Random, who in a highly entertaining way can also do a spot-on impersonation of him.
I whine about a lot of things, because I guess deep down I want someone to go “oh, poor Random Kath . . . there, there now.” I mean, in a way it’s human nature to want to have your misery validated. Who wants to think they are paranoid for no reason? Who doesn’t want some love shared their way?
One thing that I do not do a lot is complain. If I see something wrong, I try to fix it myself. If I go to a restaurant and there is a little puddle of schmutz on the table, I’ll just get a napkin and wipe it off myself – I’m used to cleaning up myself and other people – it takes more time to flag down a busy person and make them get a wet towel to wipe off a little spot. I’ve been on the other side in similar situations and no one is perfect, so I try to cut others some slack. If I can’t do it myself, I ask for help – then half the time people take over the task anyway. . .
~ Time passes ~
Oh, I’m back. I went away for a while – not that anyone would have noticed – to participate in Mr. Random’s good-bye party here at the Random Non-profit. I was the one assigned to keep Mr. Random busy until the party, which was pretty easy since he had to show me a few office procedures this morning and that activity took up over an hour. He was very surprised! I took many pictures, however I was not able to immortalize the look on his face when he walked into a room full of people with balloons, confetti and silly string. He received many cool going away gifts and started choking up when he was asked to give a speech. I started crying too . . .
This day has been quite surreal for the both of us, and I don’t think either of us will fully realize that he isn’t working here anymore until a couple of weeks from now. A chapter of his life is ending and a new one is beginning – very scary and exciting stuff!
I guess today is a lame posting day – I’ve been pretty low on sleep – but I’ll try to do better next time . . . But my Question of the Day is this: Of kvetching, whining, bitching and complaining, which of those do you find yourself doing most often?
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
My Throbbing Brain
I hate going a week between posts, but I’ve been trying to get a lot of work done before the Memorial Day Holiday weekend.
I have a huge headache though . . . I’m pretty sure it’s stress . . .
My first night of subbing last week went really well – everyone was really responsive and seemed to get a lot out of the class. I don’t know how well I’ll do tonight, although the adrenaline does do wonders for my teaching abilities. I can feel flat out horrible, but somehow seem to get it together long enough to last 2 hours . . .
I will try to update you on Mr. Random’s last day at the Random Non-profit as soon as I can . . .
I have a huge headache though . . . I’m pretty sure it’s stress . . .
My first night of subbing last week went really well – everyone was really responsive and seemed to get a lot out of the class. I don’t know how well I’ll do tonight, although the adrenaline does do wonders for my teaching abilities. I can feel flat out horrible, but somehow seem to get it together long enough to last 2 hours . . .
I will try to update you on Mr. Random’s last day at the Random Non-profit as soon as I can . . .
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Enter Messenger with Two Heads and a Hand . . .
Last night I went to see “Titus Andronicus” at the Shakespeare Theater Company in DC. (http://www.shakespearetheatre.org/plays/details.aspx?id=97&source=l)
It definitely wasn’t a play for the kiddies – lots of blood and gore, more like a slasher film really, but with a slightly better plot and spoken in iambic pentameter. It is a play I highly recommend reading before you go to see it, if only to (a) be able to follow along a lot easier, and (b) know when the sick and bloody parts are coming so you can turn your head away.
It was great (if queasy) fun to watch. When I saw “Coriolanus” at the Kennedy Center, some of the people sitting in front of me noted that before someone in the play would get stabbed, he or she would always be found wearing a white shirt or dress. “Titus” definitely proved that rule . . .
I am truly enjoying the Shakespeare project that my friend, J, and I are doing. It is so much fun to read a play, get to see it performed, and then be able to discuss it later. The last two plays have been rather expensive, but worth it. I enjoy being a theater-goer and I hope to be able to continue the streak – there are a few more plays left in the Shakespeare in Washington series, plus some other plays coming up later in the year that look really interesting. If I can see one a month, I would be quite the happy camper . . .
That reminds me – the DC Fringe Festival is coming up in July! I don’t think that I’m going to volunteer this year, but I do want to buy a several play pass so that I can go see more than one performance. If you have a Fringe Festival in your community, I say GO! It’s a great way to see a lot of the performing arts for very cheap prices . . .
It’s been a long week, but I just wanted to share my Theater experience with the world. I start my two weeks of ESL subbing tomorrow night, and I was at a conference for most of the day today, so I better go to bed soon before I pass out from exhaustion . . .
Friday, May 11, 2007
Coming Up for Air
I haven’t dropped off the face of the Earth . . . It’s been super busy this week - there’ve been a few new developments in the Random Household that have kept my attention . . .
The first announcement . . . Ta-Da! Mr. Random has found a new job and is leaving the Random Non-profit! The new job is a very exciting position in the field that he is currently going to graduate school for. It is not much more money, but it has a lot of potential for growth. He will also be working in the downtown DC area, but in a not very Metro accessible section, so we will need to work out how were are going to handle our work commutes.
We are both very excited and very sad. Mr. Random has worked here for more than a decade and has a lot of history here – he was working here when I first met him and this place has been an integral part of his make-up. You can say in a way that he grew up here. But we both know that this place is not good for anyone, and that it was time for him to move on. It will be weird not having him walk into my office every few hours, or having lunch with him, or just checking in with each other during the day. It will be weird to everyone else because he was the person on staff who had been here the longest and he just knows all and has always been around . . .
The staff is planning a big shindig for his last day – everyone adores him and wants to wish him well, they know this is a great move for him. I am trying to keep minimally involved, so as not to accidentally spill the beans about something. I will let you know how it goes – his last day will be the Wednesday before Memorial Day . . .
*****
The rest of what is going on is just random stuff. Both my boss and our admin person are out most of this week and all of next week, so I am the only one in the department having to respond to everything and go to umpteen meetings – also meaning that I can’t get MY work done. I’ll probably have to come in on Sunday and do some catching up. This would not usually annoy me SO much, but the admin guy very slickly did not let my boss know that he would be gone for two whole weeks . . .
You see, he told my boss in February that he needed the two weeks off for a vacation with his parents, but she told him then that he couldn’t have the second week off, because she was going to be first, at her daughter’s graduation in Illinois for a few days, and then traveling on work visits to some of our sites that next week, and she didn’t want me to be here alone for a long period of time. He then insisted that his parents had already paid for the tickets (mind you, this guy is 29 years old), but my boss said, “well, you are just going to have to work that out yourself.”
Now, a normal person would have taken that as “No” and not gone on vacation. However, I can see how there was a teeny-tiny bit of wiggle room in that last response – but still! So on Wednesday, when I was meeting with my boss before she left to see her daughter, talking about the things that I would have to cover in her absence, and then I also mentioned that admin guy was going to be gone all next week too. “Oh, no – he’ll be back on Monday,” she said. Um, no . . . he told me he’d see me in two weeks. She looked stunned for a moment and said, “What?” Then we both ran into his office to check his calendar, and sure enough, he marked that he would be gone until the 21st. My boss was livid and we have to figure out now what we are going to do when he gets back . . .
I’m already ticked off because he left a huge project sloppily done, which I then had to spend all day Tuesday redoing and sending out. I also have to do all of the follow-up that he is not here to do. We had moved this particular project over to him for this quarter, since I was taking on a few larger projects, but it has turned out that I still have to shepherd this thing through myself. Arrgh!
*****
I also just found out that I will be subbing for some evening ESL classes in the next two weeks. I had decided not to teach over the summer, but I told folks I would be willing to sub . . . and of course, they actually do need me to sub. Why, the nerve! (just kidding) It actually shouldn’t be so bad – the main teacher will have already made up lesson plans, so all I’ll have to do is show up. Knowing me, however, I might think up a few little fun things to supplement each class – but that won’t take much time. I was going to miss teaching a little anyway, and this will allow me to get it out of my system before my brain gets fried again . . .
*****
Going to see another play next week, too: Titus Andronicus, which is one of Shakespeare’s most violent plays. It will be very interesting to see how all the blood and gore will be portrayed – I may spend half of the play looking through my hands . . .
Just a whirlwind of activity going on the next few weeks . . . what will you guys be up to?
The first announcement . . . Ta-Da! Mr. Random has found a new job and is leaving the Random Non-profit! The new job is a very exciting position in the field that he is currently going to graduate school for. It is not much more money, but it has a lot of potential for growth. He will also be working in the downtown DC area, but in a not very Metro accessible section, so we will need to work out how were are going to handle our work commutes.
We are both very excited and very sad. Mr. Random has worked here for more than a decade and has a lot of history here – he was working here when I first met him and this place has been an integral part of his make-up. You can say in a way that he grew up here. But we both know that this place is not good for anyone, and that it was time for him to move on. It will be weird not having him walk into my office every few hours, or having lunch with him, or just checking in with each other during the day. It will be weird to everyone else because he was the person on staff who had been here the longest and he just knows all and has always been around . . .
The staff is planning a big shindig for his last day – everyone adores him and wants to wish him well, they know this is a great move for him. I am trying to keep minimally involved, so as not to accidentally spill the beans about something. I will let you know how it goes – his last day will be the Wednesday before Memorial Day . . .
*****
The rest of what is going on is just random stuff. Both my boss and our admin person are out most of this week and all of next week, so I am the only one in the department having to respond to everything and go to umpteen meetings – also meaning that I can’t get MY work done. I’ll probably have to come in on Sunday and do some catching up. This would not usually annoy me SO much, but the admin guy very slickly did not let my boss know that he would be gone for two whole weeks . . .
You see, he told my boss in February that he needed the two weeks off for a vacation with his parents, but she told him then that he couldn’t have the second week off, because she was going to be first, at her daughter’s graduation in Illinois for a few days, and then traveling on work visits to some of our sites that next week, and she didn’t want me to be here alone for a long period of time. He then insisted that his parents had already paid for the tickets (mind you, this guy is 29 years old), but my boss said, “well, you are just going to have to work that out yourself.”
Now, a normal person would have taken that as “No” and not gone on vacation. However, I can see how there was a teeny-tiny bit of wiggle room in that last response – but still! So on Wednesday, when I was meeting with my boss before she left to see her daughter, talking about the things that I would have to cover in her absence, and then I also mentioned that admin guy was going to be gone all next week too. “Oh, no – he’ll be back on Monday,” she said. Um, no . . . he told me he’d see me in two weeks. She looked stunned for a moment and said, “What?” Then we both ran into his office to check his calendar, and sure enough, he marked that he would be gone until the 21st. My boss was livid and we have to figure out now what we are going to do when he gets back . . .
I’m already ticked off because he left a huge project sloppily done, which I then had to spend all day Tuesday redoing and sending out. I also have to do all of the follow-up that he is not here to do. We had moved this particular project over to him for this quarter, since I was taking on a few larger projects, but it has turned out that I still have to shepherd this thing through myself. Arrgh!
*****
I also just found out that I will be subbing for some evening ESL classes in the next two weeks. I had decided not to teach over the summer, but I told folks I would be willing to sub . . . and of course, they actually do need me to sub. Why, the nerve! (just kidding) It actually shouldn’t be so bad – the main teacher will have already made up lesson plans, so all I’ll have to do is show up. Knowing me, however, I might think up a few little fun things to supplement each class – but that won’t take much time. I was going to miss teaching a little anyway, and this will allow me to get it out of my system before my brain gets fried again . . .
*****
Going to see another play next week, too: Titus Andronicus, which is one of Shakespeare’s most violent plays. It will be very interesting to see how all the blood and gore will be portrayed – I may spend half of the play looking through my hands . . .
Just a whirlwind of activity going on the next few weeks . . . what will you guys be up to?
Saturday, May 05, 2007
The Random Vanity
Finally . . . Here are pictures of the new bathroom vanity that it took us forever and a day to get installed.
The bottom picture is of the new mirror we bought to match the dark wood of the cabinet. It is still in the "packaging" because we need to still buy special wall screws in order to install it. We don't want it crashing down on the Random Cat one day while we're out . . .
Also, you might be able to make out Yours Truly in the mirror. I had to stand in the shower to take the pictures . . . our bathroom isn't very big . . .
Thursday, May 03, 2007
Do the Limbo Rock!
I can’t wait for this week to be over. Tonight I’m going to see the Royal Shakespeare Company at the Kennedy Center, which I have been looking forward to ALL week. However, the rest of the week? Ugh.
Mr. Random has a final exam on Saturday and also has a final project due, so he is beyond stressed out right now. I just try to stay quietly out of the way . . .
I’ve been having mini-anxiety attacks every morning this week. I am trying to figure out why – is it that I just need some time off? There’s nothing too horrible happening at work at the moment, although a lot of things do weigh heavily on my brain – too much to do and no motivation . . .
Last night I had choir practice and I hadn’t been in two weeks. I felt like I really didn’t need to be there, my allergy was affecting my throat, and I wasn’t really feeling the songs. It was very disappointing – I was hoping to be very happy to see everyone, but there was something missing that I could not put my finger on . . .
O Spring! What am I looking for? What am I waiting for?
I’ll try to be peppier next time. I’m just in an odd mood today, but I wanted to say that I’m glad you all come by and comment. It does perk up the day a bit . . .
Mr. Random has a final exam on Saturday and also has a final project due, so he is beyond stressed out right now. I just try to stay quietly out of the way . . .
I’ve been having mini-anxiety attacks every morning this week. I am trying to figure out why – is it that I just need some time off? There’s nothing too horrible happening at work at the moment, although a lot of things do weigh heavily on my brain – too much to do and no motivation . . .
Last night I had choir practice and I hadn’t been in two weeks. I felt like I really didn’t need to be there, my allergy was affecting my throat, and I wasn’t really feeling the songs. It was very disappointing – I was hoping to be very happy to see everyone, but there was something missing that I could not put my finger on . . .
O Spring! What am I looking for? What am I waiting for?
I’ll try to be peppier next time. I’m just in an odd mood today, but I wanted to say that I’m glad you all come by and comment. It does perk up the day a bit . . .
Tuesday, May 01, 2007
Let's Dance Around the May Pole
It’s May already! April went by so quickly . . . too quickly. There was a project that I meant to finish last month, which I had not yet started on. I definitely have to finish it this month or else I won’t have certain options available to me in the Fall . . . options that might be able to get me away from the Random Non-Profit sooner, rather than later . . .
My thoughts today go out to all those folks who lost their businesses in the fire at the Eastern Market on Capitol Hill yesterday. As much as I disliked the place, it was a DC icon and many folks loved its traditional ways. I was reading in the paper how for many years people wanted to upgrade the place, but the community wanted to keep it the same un-air-conditioned, un-improved building. In being resistant to change, those intentions may have contributed to its destruction since the place did not have sprinklers. I do hope the building can be saved and the place is rebuilt – I would definitely go to a new iteration of the Market.
I had a very lovely weekend. On Saturday, my friend J and I went to Goodwill and I found an awesome sweater for $4 and some great, comfy jeans for $6 (and these jeans are usually a LOT more than that!) I also saw a Michael Kors long grey pinstriped-skirt for only $5, but darn it! It was too small. It was spring cleaning day, so the Goodwill parking lot was full of cars and people dropping off clothes, furniture, books and other stuff, so I should go back in a few weeks and see what other goodies I might find there . . .
On Sunday, I went to visit my Grandmother out in the boonie-ville part of Virginia. She is always very happy to see me and Mr. Random, and this time I brought a homemade tuna casserole for us to have for dinner. She lives alone and doesn’t cook for herself much anymore, so she mostly microwaves dinners. She really enjoyed the dinner, which made me very happy. I wish she didn’t live so far away – it is an hour and a half drive down – otherwise I would be able to do more stuff with her.
I am overwhelmed with stuff I don’t want to do. Ugh! It is much too nice outside. I am lacking motivation . . . other than the need to get paid. What do you all do to pick up your spirits? I need some ideas fast . . .
My thoughts today go out to all those folks who lost their businesses in the fire at the Eastern Market on Capitol Hill yesterday. As much as I disliked the place, it was a DC icon and many folks loved its traditional ways. I was reading in the paper how for many years people wanted to upgrade the place, but the community wanted to keep it the same un-air-conditioned, un-improved building. In being resistant to change, those intentions may have contributed to its destruction since the place did not have sprinklers. I do hope the building can be saved and the place is rebuilt – I would definitely go to a new iteration of the Market.
I had a very lovely weekend. On Saturday, my friend J and I went to Goodwill and I found an awesome sweater for $4 and some great, comfy jeans for $6 (and these jeans are usually a LOT more than that!) I also saw a Michael Kors long grey pinstriped-skirt for only $5, but darn it! It was too small. It was spring cleaning day, so the Goodwill parking lot was full of cars and people dropping off clothes, furniture, books and other stuff, so I should go back in a few weeks and see what other goodies I might find there . . .
On Sunday, I went to visit my Grandmother out in the boonie-ville part of Virginia. She is always very happy to see me and Mr. Random, and this time I brought a homemade tuna casserole for us to have for dinner. She lives alone and doesn’t cook for herself much anymore, so she mostly microwaves dinners. She really enjoyed the dinner, which made me very happy. I wish she didn’t live so far away – it is an hour and a half drive down – otherwise I would be able to do more stuff with her.
I am overwhelmed with stuff I don’t want to do. Ugh! It is much too nice outside. I am lacking motivation . . . other than the need to get paid. What do you all do to pick up your spirits? I need some ideas fast . . .
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