Carpool

The HusBand and I are heading out to run Saturday errands.

Me: Which vehicle are we taking?

He: We're gonna use the travel van, if that's okay.

Me, dramatically: Nooooooo!

He: Let me put it this way. *I'm* taking the van. *You* can sit in whichever car you want.

🤣

October Butterfly on Late Blooming Lilac

Thought you'd appreciate this October 9th burst of spring.

I know. It's technically a moth. Sue me.

Didn't Respond

You might be pleased to hear that Tomorrow Me handled things brilliantly. 

And All Of Me is still gainfully employed.

Don't Respond

It is sometimes hard to convince Today Me not to respond to my boss' late-in-the-day annoying emails. Even knowing Tomorrow Me will be less triggered and will probably have a better response that is less likely to get Me fired, Today Me argues that she has some interesting things to say right now.

Girlfriend. You are right, and you are brilliant, but at this stage in our lives, we like making money more than we like making a point. We're gonna let Tomorrow Me handle this one, 'k?

Old Lady Collections

The young man two cubicles away asked sheepishly, "Do any of you happen to have a plastic fork?"

"Do I?!?" I cackled maniacally. 

I reached into my desk, and presented him with this: 

Some old ladies have bowls of hard candy. I have a cup of plasticware.

Radio Reunion

A few weeks ago, the radio station I used to work for began running announcements promoting its 70th anniversary. Past and present staff members are assembling for a one-day special broadcast retrospective at the end of the month. What I said to The Husband upon hearing this was, "Hm, I guess my invitation got lost in the mail." I grumbled a bit about being left out, being not important enough to be included, or being just plain forgotten, and then I thought nothing more about it.

Until yesterday. When I received a text from my former radio boss. "Huh," said I to The Husband nearby, "It's Radio Boss."

"Oh," said The Husband in a tone that suggested it was going to be bad news, "I think I know what that might be about."

"Oh," said I in a tone that suggested I figured out it was going to be the invitation I had previously been offended by not getting.

Which it was. Was I available, Radio Boss wanted to know. Could I join them? I told him I'd have to check my schedule, ask time off work, would get back to him.

I checked my schedule. I'm available. If I asked for time off, it'd be granted. 

Before we went to bed last night, I told The Husband I wasn't going to do it. The last time I participated in a reunion-type production like this one, it hadn't gone well. I had come prepared with things to talk about, entertaining memories, and questions to ask. But after I'd been introduced to the audience, the floor was never opened to me to speak. They talked to me and around me. They even asked me questions to which they provided their own answers. They didn't care to hear anything I had to say. Didn't even notice that they hadn't allowed me, a guest of the show, the opportunity to talk. Afterwards, I felt like crap. I wished I'd never been invited at all.

They're radio people, they love the sound of their own voices. I get it. So, I know this time won't be any different. My answer is no.

I'm typing this at 1:30am. Woke up thinking about the situation, getting upset about it even though I've already decided to send my regrets later this morning. 

Yes, I eventually got the invitation.  But, it came after *weeks* of promoting the event on the air in announcements that listed some of the personalities that would participate. Yet, I'm invited with four days to spare. An afterthought.

These people don't deserve my time or any of the emotion I'm currently spending on them.

Deep breath. Let it out.

Go get some rest, Roses. 

Stranger Than Fiction

Coworker 1 walking toward me: Hey, Stranger!

Me to Coworker 2 walking next to Coworker 1: He and I have met, but he knows I'm strange.

Working Up an Appetite

The Husband and I have been treating ourselves to fudgicles and ice cream over the past few weeks.

We had the following conversation Sunday morning.

He: We should weigh in today...

Me: Oh no.

He: ...then watch the news...

Me: Mm, even more fun.

He: ...get depressed and eat our feelings.

Me: I don't know about you, but my feelings are delicious. 

Poor Support Systems

There are two things that never cheer me up when I'm struggling: Facebook and my boss

Knowing this, I nonetheless insist on trying to squeeze water from those stones.

While today's problems became compounded the choices I made in seeking support, I am learning from these mistakes, and I am now less likely to repeat them.

Still gonna repeat them, for sure, but hopefully not so often.

The One With the Live Stream

The garden hose has no nozzle, so I placed my thumb across its mouth to aim water into the garden. The Husband watched in silence as I moved the arched stream from plant to plant.

"Marvel at my accuracy," I said.

"I am," he said. "You're as good as any boy."