noisy

I'm at work, doing something repetitive.  This offers the opportunity to listen to a book on tape (Audible is my friend).  I talk to the characters.  I don't always realize I'm doing it.  I'm kind of in the zone of work and book.  
I comment on the story or a plot twist...
"Oh my!"
"No!?"
I laugh.
Sometimes people ask me if I'm talking to them.  Um, no, I'm actually talking to my book.

I listen to books when I'm out and about too.  I talk to the people (in my book) while in public.  (I now wonder if people just give me a wide berth or if they assume I'm on the phone since that's a thing now.)

I realize... I am noisy.

I laugh loud and often.  My laugh is rather instantly recognizable as my own.  In fact, I've been recognized by people having just heard my laugh bursting forth (while perusing humorous greeting cards, alone, in a store, just for the sake of enjoying them).  

I talk loud.  Lord only knows what I'll be like when I start losing my hearing.

Wait, what?
Oh, 12:30.

Sorry, that's an ongoing joke I have with my Mom (69) who is losing her hearing, and my daughter (15).

I have a friend who I describe to others as "making me look quiet or introverted."  What I find so fun about this description is that she describes me the same way.  (I wonder who's right?)

I find that I often whisper what I'm writing.  I catch myself doing this all the time.  Is that normal?

One thing I do that I know everyone does is talk to other people while driving.  I'll admit, I'm not always saying the nicest things, but sometimes I say... "Oh go ahead, you're probably having a bad day and I hope my letting you get over at the last possible minute helps you get to where you're going on time."  But... that's probably not the most common comment I make.

I talk to the TV.  I comment on what's going on, or that person should look behind them, or really, did they just say that?

My husband doesn't really like to sit near me in the movies.  I sincerely don't even realize I'm doing it.  I make comments while in the theater.  Honestly, I would probably drive myself crazy if I were more aware of it.  I do try to be quiet.  Maybe that's why I started whispering to myself when I write or type.  A way to use up more of the words I have stored for daily use inside my brain.  

Once, another friend and I ended up at the same IHOP for breakfast with our kids.
They heard me laugh

Kids:  "Oh Miss B is here!"
Mom:  "Oh, wow, is my laugh that loud?!"
Kids:  "No Mom, you're louder!"

Then my kids had the exact same conversation with me... but in that conversation, I was louder.  I guess that goes to slight embarrassment factor.  Though my daughter claims she is now inoculated against being embarrassed by me.  (I could totally get my son though!) 

So... this is me saying... yes.  I'm noisy.
I talk to myself.
I talk to the radio.
I talk to the TV.
I talk to my audio books.
I LOVE talking to people (I don't mind listening either...)
I talk when I'm writing.
I talk in my sleep.

But I'm OK with it.

(possibly because I am not on the receiving end of most of it... but, possibly because I'm just mostly OK with me.) ♥

thoughts on the business of work

i so love reading.  One of the reasons I'm in love with the internet is the ability to find so many ideas and opinions.  What's especially exciting is finding sites where the writing and ideas are well thought out, intelligent and even witty.  That, my friend, is a gold mine.

The newest site to thus far fall under that category is medium.

My first post from this site was sent by a lovely friend.
I'm nice, so I'll share it below.  it does help if you have already been following the 'tiny house' world and even better if you've found yourself imagining living in one.  Perhaps a small commune of tiny houses (that's a particular favorite idea of mine with maybe a little club house to fulfill the larger gatherings we sometimes choose to be a part of.  And of course, a craft room because there ain't no way all my craft stuff will fit in a tiny house.)
Tiny House Humor here (note language involved)

So having worked in various sized companies in corporate America and smaller companies, and working for myself... I have perhaps a different view (or perhaps the same view as everyone else... it's not something I've had much opportunity to discuss yet).

I read the following article.

Grilling the Government about the On-Demand Economy

I have thought about the 'on demand' economy and now have a term for it.  Thank you.  I tend to lean towards the opportunity for people to work for themselves and yet totally see the importance of protecting people/employees/contractors on the lower rungs of the workforce.  Not everyone is in a position to protect themselves.

I appreciate the tension between contractors and employees and am frustrated by the lack of morality that allows people to pursue the almighty $$$ over being fair and taking appropriate care of your people (contractors or employees).  I thought the laws on the definition were reasonably clear.  I don't personally think Uber drivers are employees.  However, I can see a housekeeper, who has hours and a set schedule, who comes daily/weekly could be one.  We just need to do the right thing.

Perhaps the problem is that nobody asked ME! :)

I also learned a new word.  It is an attitude I'm sad to say I have seen run rampant at many companies.  

fungible
adjective
(of good contracted for without an individual specimen being specified) able to replace or be replaced by another identical item; mutually interchangeable.
"money is fungible--money that is raised for one purpose can easily be used for another"

People really aren't fungible.  There should be some of this, cross training, ability to switch roles and learn new things, but you can't swap out a 20 year veteran at a company for a 20 year old on his first job.  That experience and knowledge have value.

Upon further thought, our governments do this with earmarked funds all the time.  Remember when California voted to allow the lottery with the understanding that it would "fund education" and thus would be this boon to our state?  Well, the government just took money out of the education budget in other ways leaving education without this anticipated financial benefit.  Way to go California.  (note sarcasm if it isn't one of your languages)
 

"overheard" office humor

T:  haha yes well
T:  I think you should make me a meal plan with recipes
T:  hahaha

E:  haha

T: you laugh
T:  but I'm serious

E:  I think you confuse our friendship with indentured servitude

Comment of the day

IM conversation...

J: Can you send me the itinerary for the Cincinnati trip?

B: I don't know,  how much cash do you have on you?

J:  I have about $3 mil in bit coins

Overheard...
S & T are talking about the lunch S made.

T: That was so good. What did you use? Double  virgin olive oil?

R: (pipes in from another row)
That's the kind I am.

B: LOLs Loudly!

high maintenance

A group of people in my office regularly take turns doing a Starbucks run.

 

I want peach ring tea

If they don’t have that I want a very berry hibiscus refresher

If they don’t have that I want an orange spice iced coffee sweetened with a whisper of cinnamon

And if they don’t have that I want a dark roast with no room for cream

 

The name on her cup...

 difficult

Word of the Week

Because the world is too serious (and because I work in corporate America and I don't necessarily fit in here) I try to add a splash of color and fun to our offices and now I'm sharing that with you.

Feel free to print and share.

why we need friends

At work, I am a square peg.  I don't quite fit in.  I'm too loud, too fun, too -- everything.  I ultimately think that these qualities have a good impact on the work place.
 
Sometimes I feel a bit "picked on" because my foibles stand out a bit more than those of the next 10 people.
 
today, I was pulled aside and told to clean my desk "before somebody says something."
Um, but you just said something...
 
So I complained to my friend K.
 
Me:   They told me to clean my desk AGAIN!
K:      again?

Me:   And I look down the aisles at some of the desks here and think REALLY?  I need to clean my desk?!   Why is the standard different for me?  Like I used to get picked on for things I wore and now there's that one girl and she dresses so unprofessional.  Does anybody say anything to her?

K:     That I don't know.

Me:   Oh no, K! I've become one of THEM!!!

K: 



 

Me: 

 

 

 

 

They've gotten under my skin and I'm becoming...

ack...

corporate!

 

K:    Come on... don't be a douche canoe*

(insert very loud 1 note laughter as I catch myself from being "inappropriate" at work)

 

Me:  did you hear that?

OMG...

I totally LOL'd

 

K:  thought so

 

B:  now I'm crying!

oh man!

I applaud your perfection!

 

K:  I try, sometimes I'm on.

 

Me:  OK, all that stress -- gone!

 

K:  YAY!

K:   wait til the day they come to you and say you don't look busy enough because there's nothing on your desk

 

 

*you're welcome!



 

 

when is it too much?

What does it say about me that this bugs me?

Stars and Their Pricey Cars

I have a problem with someone affording a $200,000 car.  It seems...excessive! 
Am I wrong? 
I have to ask myself "Where is the line?"
"At what point does something cross over from OK to greedy?" 
I don't know.  But this feels wrong somehow. 
You know what comes to mind?  There are children starving in the world and he's driving a $200,000 car.  That's not (wait for it...) fair.

Yet, I tell my kids daily that life isn't fair.  We were never promised fair.  Even in the Constitution, we are given the right to the PURSUIT of happiness.  There's nothing about fairness or even a promise of happiness itself. 

So is this just jealousy on my part because I want something better?  Except, I don't personally buy things that are expensive (at least not to me).  Perhaps someone who makes significantly less money than I do thinks my spending habits are out of control.  That my living in Irvine is excessive. Where I see that I've worked hard to live someplace I like.

Yeah, I do think people should be free to pursue their dreams and work hard and earn a fair wage.  Perhaps my issue is that certain industries don't seem to have a fair wage?  Entertainment and professional sports seem out of control to me.  Yet, people are willing to pay and who am I to say they cannot spend their money on that?  I'm willing to say I love movies and TV.  I appreciate a really well written and produced show and those people should be rewarded for their talent and work.

It is interesting to me how many topics ultimately come back to God for me.  Perhaps because so many topics ultimately come back to some kind of morality and how does one measure morality without a standard?  That standard comes from God for me. 

Then I wonder, how do we fix these things?  How do we fix extreme poverty?  Why, when we know that on a global scale we have enough food for everyone do people still starve to death?  I believe it is because people can be evil, selfish, greedy, self-serving.  Because they seek to further themselves vs helping those around them.  Corruption in the countries suffering the most where there are extreme differences in what the have's have and the have not's don't.  That corruption ultimately kills.  Greed is bad.  (sorry Michael Douglas)  There is such thing as enough. (?)

However, I don't ultimately believe in socialism because people are not basically good.  We have the same problems with socialism because greedy, power hungry people want to be in charge and often are.  Those who are more motivated by such things often make their way to the top.  Which would be OK with me if they were "fair."

I don't ultimately believe in capitalism because people are not basically good.  (same argument as above with the exception that there is perhaps more opportunity for the have not's to rise)

hmmmm



I think this one is going to take some more thinking.

(don't even get me started on Congress...)

stuff you need to know

What I'm Reading

http://www.clarkhoward.com/news/clarkhoward/travel/mac-users-being-fed-pricier-hotel-searches/nPfRc/

...and if you were thinking that a Cruise would probably be a great deal right now...
you're right!

http://www.clarkhoward.com/news/clarkhoward/travel/italian-cruise-ship-disaster-and-its-impact-indust/nGTx5/

I found an Alaskan cruise for less than $500 and am now attempting to work out the airfare and convincing my husband that we need a vacation.  (wish me luck)

I even asked a couple of friends if they would like to go do this on the off chance my husband says yes.


Update:
Darn... husband said no.
Any of you have luck with it!?

humor and weightloss

IM from today....

me:  I think my mantra this week should be NO COOKIES

K:  that's doable

K:  remember: attainable goals

me:  I'm not even hungry but those crack cookies are down there SINGING TO ME
me:  wooing me

me:  calling me

me:  they have to be one of the best cookies ever

K: My sis likes the deep fried cakes of EVIL

me:  that's what they are, deep fried cakes of EVIL

K:  think of the cookies as the EVIL brother to the donuts
K:  only baked

me:  I used to not ever have them (deep fried cakes of EVIL), then slowly started partaking them again

K:  not too big on the EVIL death cakes

me:  same with french fries

me:  though I find those easier to have just a few and stop

K:  and they are soooo tasty

K:  EVIL deep fried potato sticks

me:  I'd honestly rather have "sweet potato's" (quotes because they are really yams.  Yams = orange, sweet potato's = white, slightly yellow)

K:  silly

me:  COOKIES SHUT UP!!!!

...later...

K:  are you working late tonight?

me:  what cookies?

me:  honest, I walked by and they JUMPED into my mouth

me:  chased me even

me:  Horror Movie Cookies

K:  you are a baaaad girl

K:  just remember, everyone usually dies in horror movies.

stupid deep fried EVIL's baked brother

I had to buy tape today for work

Whenever I look for tape products, the Tape Sketch from SNL comes to mind and it always made me sort of sad to think of someone being so foolish as to sell only scotch tape (or as they say in the UK ‘cello’ tape.)  so, I’m scrolling through 3 pages of tape options (thinking my life, really?!  This isn’t breakfast cereal we’re talking about!) and I come across this.

And I think to myself… what could this POSSIBLY do that would warrant spending over $500 on a tape dispenser!  A manual one at that.

Let’s look at the product description:

• Sturdy yet portable dispenser produces sharp, accurate cuts from 4" to 42" in length
• Easy-pull, snap-back handle and drop-in tape loading

I am going to need a bit more information…

So Amazon gives me a better description at least  (and a lower price):

United Facility Supply Manual Tape Dispenser For Gummed Tape w/48-oz Reservoir, Steel Blades, Black

An industrial-strength, portable dispenser that produces sharp accurate cuts ranging in length from 4" to 42". Made with stainless steel blades that will not rust or corrode. Features a large 48-oz. water bottle with a rubber valve to both reduce spillage and downtime. The easy-pull, snap back handle and drop-on tape loading is ideal for fast-paced working environments. Manually powered dispenser is designed specifically for reinforced and gum paper types. Global Product Type: Tape Dispensers-Manual; Tape Dispenser Type: Manual; For Tape Length: N/A; For Tape Width: 1 in to 3 in.

Obviously this is for packing and shipping in an industrial/volume manner.  I guess now we know part of the reason why all those companies charge such a high rate for shipping and handling!