MetaChat - 3-point Humpday update

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03 December 2008

3-point Humpday update →[More:]

1. The email address of a woman whose case I'm handling is 'gingerminge@[domain].* There is such a thing as far too much information.

2. I earned serious kudos from a group of junior staff yesterday when I was able (within a nanosecond) to identify pictures of Serious Cat, Happy Cat and Ceiling Cat that were pinned up in one of the cubicles. Pah! Didn't they realise they were talking to the woman who created Sauntercat?

3. I submitted my passport renewal to the Post Office last Friday. My new passport was delivered by courier today! Absolutely unbelievable. Knowing British bureaucracy, I really thought I'd still be waiting for it until the day before my holiday (which is not for another five weeks).

*Don't know what minge is? See here.

post by: essexjan at: 11:43 | 39 comments

1. After Friday, I am on holiday till 5th January 2009!

2. I just got a really disturbing blindspot blurred vision thing, but it seems to be getting better. Think I just spent too long at computers, all day and evening yesterday.

3. I am as unable to focus mentally as visually.

posted by TheophileEscargot 03 December | 11:49

1. Washing up an enormous pile of dishes. (It's worth it, the meal I was cooked last night was worth any amount of cleaning.)
2. Vacuuming. (Or "hoovering" as they say here in England.)
3. I think it's time for tea and Hobnobs.

posted by Specklet 03 December | 12:00

1. Am falling into a good work routine now I'm back. motivation is high.
2. Need to find another job though. Funding is definitely gone for this one at the middle of next year.
3. I will never not love sauntercat.

posted by gaspode 03 December | 12:18

1. I like 3-point updates. It allows my scattered brain to focus for a little while and say, "ok, what IS important to me right now?"

2. My cutoff temperature for going outside at lunchtime is 42° F. (5° C.) It's currently 41° F. Think I'll go anyway, but I won't like it.

3. I wish I could reconcile the fact that I want a boyfriend with the fact that I just don't care for people very much.

posted by Melismata 03 December | 12:19

1. I am behind in most of my classes, which have multiple "things" I need to be done with by the end of the week.
2. This laptop I was looking at online went up in price, I guess you can't buy a laptop for $250 after all.
3. I am hungry.

posted by hellojed 03 December | 12:20

I wish I could reconcile the fact that I want a boyfriend with the fact that I just don't care for people very much.

Huh, I feel the same way. I can't tell if it's genuine apathy or a mild form learned helplessness.

posted by hellojed 03 December | 12:24

Hellojed: in my case, it's self-absorption.

posted by Melismata 03 December | 12:29

1. I just took a handful of vitamins. I'm not usually a vitamin believer but I take these fish oil and flax capsules that are huge. A chewable (adult) multi-vit, a B-complex, and a baby aspirin.

2. I'm about to walk to the kids' school. On Wednesday they have something called "early release" and they get out an hour earlier. I will listen to my book on my iPod. It's all screwed up. When it says Chapter 7 is playing, it's actually Chapter 2, so I spend several minutes listening to determine where I should be.

3. My Christmas tree is up and ready to be decorated. It is a beautiful specimen this year.

posted by LoriFLA 03 December | 12:32

1. It's been cold and foggy for too many days now. I don't know where I'm going to eat lunch, but I need to a) be inside, and b) be able to see outside. The options are surprisingly limited.

2. Need new glasses like you wouldn't believe. Am having a very, very hard time seeing. Might ask Santa for some lenses.

3. Was expecting a huge bureaucratic snafu renewing my prescription. Just got my insurance card (YAY! HEALTH INSURANCE!), so I got the first doc appointment I could in order to transfer the Rx and renew it. Trouble is, first appointment I could get was 4 days after my pills were going to run out. Called the insurance company yesterday to see if they could either find me a new appointment or give me a few pills to tide me over. Expected flak and foot-dragging. Got neither. Instead, got a (creepily) cheerful call from the new doctor's office this morning saying that there was no problem and that my prescription had been called in. For all the complaints you hear about them, I really like Kaiser.

posted by mudpuppie 03 December | 12:39

1. I'm tired and my muscles are sore. Next time I decide to work out at midnight, on a school night, while a little drunk and after I went to a Britney Spears themed party, someone slap me.

2. It looks like NYC might get its first serious snowfall on Sunday which is the day I need to drive up to CT. grrr.

3. I still haven't developed a proper response to people who go "what's being an identical twin like?" when they find out I have one. So far, I usually just say "it's cool". I don't think that does the situation justice.

posted by stynxno 03 December | 12:41

1. Had a great date and tapas last night
2. Stressed about finding a new roommate
3. Wondering what I am going to do with the 4 Dutch people who are going to be visiting me for New Years. I thought there were only going to be 2 of them, and as everyone knows, 4 guests is vitually impossible in a NY apartment.
4. Going to Miami tomorrow and for once not dreading the flight because this time I got some valium from my doctor!

posted by rmless2 03 December | 12:47

1. Motherfuckers finally blocked MeCha at work, so I may not be around much . . . home time = daughter time.

2. And speaking of work, it sucks. My boss is a royal pain in the ass, and seems out to get me for any little thing. She's creating an atmosphere of fear and resentment on our team, and I want her to leave.

3. And, good lord. My nephew tried to kill himself, and will be going to jail (did so by essentially blowing up the boiler room of my sis's apt. building, and was already on probation), my niece and her husband and two-week baby are having serious financial problems and might get evicted, I'm in some serious financial shit myself, one of our cars won't start and is in the shop.

In short, because why go on, life is taking a big crap on me right now. The only thing that keeps me going is my wife and my beautiful daughter.

So, I might not be around much, because I can't visit you folks at work, and I guess because I need to get some of this shit straight in my head and life.

Hope everyone had, and will have, a wonderful holiday season. Honestly - I love this site, and all the people on it.

posted by tr33hggr 03 December | 12:53

((tr33hggr))

posted by rmless2 03 December | 13:03

((tr33huggr)) wow. That's a whole lotta.

1. essexjan, perhaps you could imagine her name is Virginia M. Inge? Brrrr.

2. Fresh air and salad did me good at lunch. I was debating a dr's appt. because it feels like my BRAINZ ARE SWOLLEN and I have quite the headache. It's eased a bit.

3. I filled up for under $14 (gallon price minus fifty-cent discount for grocery store purchases over the past few months times twelve gallons). So I'll drive - who needs a ride?

posted by rainbaby 03 December | 13:14

hugs and wuffles
(((tr33hggr)))

posted by mightshould 03 December | 13:27

1. Mr Blandings is awesome and taking me skiing for a whole ten days at the end of the year.
2. There is Chicago Monthly Meta-Meet-Up tonight.
3. My job is a soul-sucking, heart-blackening pit of despair which does absolutely no good in the world. My master plan to change that goes so very slowly.

posted by crush-onastick 03 December | 13:28

Aw, tr33. I'm sorry for your troubles. That's really harsh.

posted by jrossi4r 03 December | 13:39

(((tre33hggr)))
My mantra: it always passes. And it does.

1. Wednesday afternoons are when I meet with the kids I work with. We give them a healthy snack. I'm sick of apples with peanut butter, veggies and hummus, cheese sticks, and peanuts. I need cheap, easy, and healthy. If anyone has suggestions, excellent. There are anywhere from 9-14 teens who come, and I have maximum $20 each week.

2. I'm worried about being laid off. I only thought about it when my boss decided to tell me that another organization in our community will lay off health educators first, since we're non-revenue generating. Thanks for letting me know, Boss. I did ask her what the heck she meant by telling me this, and whether she was hinting at anything. She said no, she wasn't hinting at anything, that she had no plans to lay anyone off in the near future, and that she only mentioned it because I know the people who'd be getting laid off, so I should be nice to them. That was a very annoying conversation.

3. Tomorrow I'll be out teaching at a school. Those days are always extremely draining. I'm an outgoing introvert, which people often don't understand.

posted by Stewriffic 03 December | 13:43

1. Yoga has been seriously kicking my ass. Which is surprising, because I have done a fair amount of it at different times in my life, and I thought that I was pretty in shape due to the hard volleyball I play 3x a week. But last night, I needed to leave yoga early because it hurt and was not fun and I could not finish all of the sequences.

2. Ski season is coming up. See above.

3. There are maybe 2500 employees in my organization and only one of me and I SWEAR I am on a "name" basis with most of them, that I get shit from a majority of that group.

posted by danf 03 December | 14:11

1. I am really frickin sick. Nauseated, sore all over. I can't hold a thought for more than half a minute. I didn't wake up on time and have to claim half a sick day. Good news is, I'm still employed.

2. I bought my little black Christmas Party dress last night. I've been drooling over the window display for a week, and it FIT! Looks like the sweetest 1950's vintage dress evar! I'm wearing it out for my Birthday as well.

3. Still haven't received my acceptance letter from school, which is only a formality at this point but is preventing me from registering for classes.
3.

posted by sakura 03 December | 14:16

1. I solved a problem at work this morning and the boys were like 'whoa.' I didn't think it was all that spectacular, but I'll take praise where I can get it.

2. I mailed the deposit for an amazing studio apartment in August yesterday.

3. My 35000 fiches have started to arrive. That's the next project and everyone seems to think it'll take forever. It really won't guys, seriously. Quit freaking out about everything.

posted by sperose 03 December | 14:21

1. Dog had/has? a UTI (we had treatment, but must wait for another culture), plus crystals in her urine...

2. What kind? A lot or a few? Urine PH too high or too low? Nobody knows, everybody gives different answers... come on, people, pull it together, learn your microscope and stuff; what I should be feeding her slash worrying about is very different if they are calcium phosphate, calcium oxalate, or struvite.

3. Will have an x-ray tomorrow or the next day to see if there are actually any stones (of whatever composition; cross fingers for no!)... I've learned way too much about crystalluria and uroliths in canines in the last few days - and the really depressing part is that I now seem to know more than our Vets.

Sympathetic hugs and encouraging whuffles to tr33, TheophileEscargot and sakura... And hearty LOLing to Jan's #1!

Stewie, you could try tzatziki (dip) and tortilla chips (and the usual veggies for dipping of course). There are lots of different recipes; this one is closest to what we make, but you can check out different options. I would say use regular yogurt if you can't find strained (thick), but it will be a messier.

posted by taz 03 December | 14:24

3. My 35000 fiches have started to arrive. That's the next project and everyone seems to think it'll take forever.

The first three times I read this I thought it said "My 35000 finches have started to arrive," and I agreed that yeah, a huge flock of tiny peeping birds was gonna be a handful for you.

posted by BoringPostcards 03 December | 14:27

1. Had a job interview yesterday [went ok] but now preparing for a new one on Friday.
2. Not getting my hopes up after being burned so many times
3. Boss got me all sentimental after he wrote me a really thoughtful letter and he dropped me a short email this morning saying how much he's going to miss me.

posted by special-k 03 December | 14:30

gaspode: Yeah, research funding is drying up everywhere, crazy huh?
aw tr33huggr, that sucks. Perhaps you could figure out some proxy?
and finally, some wuffles for taz's puppy.

posted by special-k 03 December | 14:33

Aw, big hugs to all the sick and stressed people and critters.

1. I am now officially one of those people who holds their child's birthday party at a "venue." On the one hand, I'm relieved that I don't have to do a damn thing but show up and let the good times roll. On the other, it seems like a ridiculous amount of money and damned lazy parenting.

2. Rudolph is on tonight!! Asshole reindeer and dentally-challenged Yeti comin' at ya!

3. Why did I join Facebook? It's eating my life and some of the friend requests are freaking me out.

posted by jrossi4r 03 December | 14:58

word, special-k. so that means extra good luck for your job interviews!

posted by gaspode 03 December | 15:13

1. Took my vitamin on a too-empty stomach this morning and vomited while walking to the train to get to a meeting I was already late for. The only thing worse than throwing up is throwing up in public.
2. So much to do before my vacation starts! So little time!
3. Spring Awakening on Broadway tonight.

posted by ThePinkSuperhero 03 December | 16:29

1. Having a very very much needed piece of chocolate. breath in and out slowly.
2. Boss is being an absolute asshole.
3. Have much to do tonight also - helping my Mom decorate, and she's just now reached the forgetful stage where she doesn't remember things from last year. I'm having to find stuff, and re-assemble some things without making her feel bad about it. Bit of a fine line there.

posted by mightshould 03 December | 16:57

4. Got a flu vaccine earlier and am feeling headachey and sore-throaty. I haven't gotten the vaccine for 5 or 6 years, because the last time I got one I got really sick. Thought I should get one this time since I'm intermingling with the masses again. Now I'm wondering if that was wise.

posted by mudpuppie 03 December | 17:00

1. Have become addicted to Twitter. Just found the MeCha list - so if you hear of "bellebelle" following you it's ME! (and you should follow me also, cos I have a total of TWO friends, and the Prime Minister following me at the moment. I'm QUITE sad... as in, a loser, not weepy sad)

2. Have taken up singing lessons! Had my first one last night and really liked it. I have a reasonably good natural tone, apparently, but I lose confidence when singing without the melody being played. One day I might get the confidence to sing in public, but I'm loving having the training!

3. Am counting down til I go to Queensland. Hurry up holidays!!

(also whuffles to all that need them)
(and I LOL'd at the email address Jan!)

posted by jonathanstrange 03 December | 17:47

1. Had wicked stomach upset all day long - I must be internalizing a lot of stress.

2. Found out my contract got extended for another month at my job - so I'm good until February.

3. Getting into a new CD - it's by The Field, and it's entitled From Here We Go Sublime. It's straight robot music, or at least on the edge where lockstep techno meets IDM, but interesting.

posted by Lipstick Thespian 03 December | 17:57

1) I keep reading this as "3-point Humpty Hump."
2) I like the girls with the boom.
3) I once got busy in a Burger King bathroom.

posted by middleclasstool 03 December | 18:19

1. Trying to see what things are going on for Repeal Day.
2. Girding my loins for Repeal Day in anticipation of overextending myself.
3. Annoyed if the trains are planning on still running all stupid post Repeal Day.

posted by kkokkodalk 03 December | 19:03

Lots of hugs and whuffles. Thanks! I didn't, and don't want to turn this into a pity Dirk thread (sometimes you gotta use your real name, y'know?).

And you know what? Fuck it. This shit isn't going to keep me down. I'll still be here as much as possible, on BlackBerry if need be, and for the aforementioned reasons. The important shit - friends, family - are in place and accounted for.

So, LOL at middleclasstool, and I thought the same thing about the finches/fiches as BoringPostcards! So, LOL again goddamnit!

And, a funny story, we have these corporate shuttles that run from one complex/building to another in town. A co-worker was on one today and it was grazed by a car. Apparently the driver took it into his own hands and went in pursuit of the guy, doing like 50 around our IT eomplex. In a little bus, no shit, packed with corporate drones like me. Hilarious!

Postscript - he didn't catch up with the guy, and no one was hurt. But come on, I work for an insurance company. I think we're covered for a scratch!

This is a complete derail, sorry jan. I know, GYOFB . . . :)

posted by tr33hggr 03 December | 19:26

(((all the best tr33... always great having you round these parts!)))

1. Apparently RCN (our cable company) was serious about us needing converter boxes to receive service. I'm watching some very fuzzy Rockettes on Channel 4, the only signal we get at the moment. Someone's coming tomorrow to hook up the boxes. (Must have TV. TV keeps me sane, or at least, functionally insane.)

2. Rough morning. I have this one class with a few students that just look for any way to distract the class. Today it was gum snapping, desk tapping, throat clearing, and the repeated uttering of "Oran," the name of one of the students, pop-corning around the room in any brief pause in our audio book (thank heavens for audio books). Is it Christmas yet?

3. The boo's home! We're ordering in steaks and watching DVDs. (And the cake is no lie.)

I went to a Britney Spears themed party

You really know how to live, stynx. ; )

posted by Pips 03 December | 19:42

2. I earned serious kudos from a group of junior staff yesterday when I was able (within a nanosecond) to identify pictures of Serious Cat, Happy Cat and Ceiling Cat that were pinned up in one of the cubicles. Pah! Didn't they realise they were talking to the woman who created Sauntercat?

You didn't mention that you actually know me, did you?

posted by Ceiling Cat is watching you masturbate 03 December | 20:50

Oooh. Tzatziki is a good idea. I love introducing these kids to new foods. They'd never had hummus before, and one made a point to let me know that she'd gone out and bought some afterwards.

posted by Stewriffic 04 December | 05:25

Oh! I meant to mention that when we make tzatziki, instead of chopping the garlic we crush/grind it into a paste with a mortar and pestle, which I think works a lot better. If you don't have a mortar and pestle, you can probably buy garlic already paste-ified. (And for young people/kids, you'll probably want to go with the low end of the number of garlic cloves.)

posted by taz 04 December | 07:10

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