All posts by Iris

Thanksgiving

Me and My Life

Things are quiet here. Pippin and my parent’s new puppy are, for once, not engaging in a massive battle of wills (and contests of speed). My dad is doing something on his laptop (probably involving the database he’s been designing and tweaking), my mom is cooking (preparing for the Big Meal, which we’ll have tomorrow rather than today), my bother is sleeping with his homework splayed across his chest, and well… everyone in my family seems to be settled comfortably into quietness.

Well, everyone but the pets, that is. Their quietness qualifies more as watchful than comfortable. We thought at first that they might get along. Pippin sniffed Sophie’s ears and Sophie didn’t move. Pippin even won the first staring contest. Unfortunately, Pippin then ruined any advantage he might have had by running away. Running instantly branded him as prey, or at least the Best Squeak Toy EVER. Now they spend some quality time running flat-out through the house, skidding out around corners, and then growling at each other from either side of the barrier we’ve set up across the stairs. The rest of the day, the cat lurks upstairs, behind the barrier, and glares at anyone who approaches and disturbs his grand sulk. He remembers fondly the days when he had Toby trained to turn and look docilely at a wall whenever in the Grand Catly Presence. He’s also pretty sure that it’s my fault for not explaining his Grandness and Catlines to the shepherd mix pup that is now causing him so much anxiety.

Meanwhile, the rest of us will continue to revel contentedly in each others’ company and, during this lull, I will skim some of my favorite posts, sip tea, and think gratefully of the friendships that have sustained me through this year. I don’t think I’ve ever been as grateful for good friends as I have been recently, so I expect this activity to fill a good stretch of time.

Oh, and if you’re interested, here are some of the posts that I’m re-reading:

Randomness: a Post in Several Unrelated Paragraphs

Randomness

I’ve had an incredibly productive day today, probably the most productive day in weeks. Of course, some of that feeling is due more to the fact that a bunch of projects were timed to be done today. Finishing things always feels more productive than slogging away at never-ending projects, and empty email inboxes are far most satisfying than I could have believed.

Winter weather is wonderful when frost tinges the air and decorates the trees, but when the temperature hovers just above the point of being actually and uncomfortably cold. At this point in winter I do not yet resent my coat and the fact that it is only the outer layer of many, many buffers between me and the elements. At this point in winter I can still decide to go coatless for short stretches without risking my health, and the weather forecasters have not yet gotten into the habit of telling us how many minutes exposed skin will last before becoming frostbitten. At this point, winter does not yet hurt.

I’ve discovered that I hate having random people offer me their opinions about what I might have after hearing only one or two symptoms. This must be the kind of fruitless and somewhat crushing frustration that pregnant women feel when the whole world feels it has free license to pat their bellies. I hadn’t really experienced this frustration until last week when, in a couple of separate conversations, very well-meaning people offered their diagnoses. But since I can’t change the world, I suppose I’ll work on being less frustrated. These people really did mean well. They just weren’t aware of the over-long list of other symptoms that I just had to compile in preparation for my next doctor’s appointment. This isn’t their fault. I’m just not in the habit of listing everything down to my thinning hair when people ask what’s wrong.

The cat is going to hate the holidays and the dog that these holidays will bring into his well-ordered life. Unfortunately for the cat, I fully intend to be amused by the goings-on. It’s time he learned that he cannot, in fact, bend the entire world to his will.

I just sent a check to the electric company for $8.21. I have never, ever seen an electric bill that low. Not even close. I had to look at the “amount due” box several times, and then the breakdown of kilowatt hours, and then back at the amount due before I believed it. Maybe I misunderstood the price hike they were talking about? Or maybe all the not-cooking I’ve been doing made that much difference?

Twizzlers used to be a guilty pleasure of mine, so I bought some yesterday as a reward for going shopping after work. As it turns out, I no longer like them very much. However, I learned that I absolutely love ham and cheese on rosemary sourdough bread.

Nice: A Clarification

Me and My Life

Apparently, I am very nice. At least, that’s what people keep telling me. Which is good, I suppose. I mean, it’s nice to have people think you’re nice even when you didn’t work at convincing them of this.

But apparently there’s also a down-side. Not once, not twice, but three times this week good friends expressed their fear that I’d be “too nice” to tell them if they were bothering me. Three times in one week is quite a trend, so I thought I’d just lay this out straight: I’m not that nice.

I know it can be hard to tell the difference between polite conversation carried on for the sake of not hurting feelings and real conversation carried on for the sake of pure enjoyment of another person’s company. Goodness knows I worry all the time that my friends just put up with my conversation because it’s easier than telling me to go mind my own business and leave them in peace. I suppose this is just part of being human. So in the interests of clarity, here are two questions to ask yourself if you think I might be merely putting up with you:

  • Do I initiated conversations with you that aren’t just work related?
  • Do I tell you when I’m miserable or mad?

If either of these is true, I like you enough that I’m not just being polite. It’s that simple. You probably don’t know that these are hallmarks of great affection because you’ve never seen anything different from me, but they are. I’m usually pretty passive and don’t volunteer much when I’m just being nice (which, again, you wouldn’t know, never having experienced that).

Occasionally, I’m not in the mood to talk even if I normally enjoy your company. When this happens, I’ll say so. I promise.

Lost

Randomness

Turning on the TV tonight, nothing seemed familiar. There were commercials for things like tissues, movie releases, degree completion programs, and toilet bowl cleaner. These commercials did not inform me who had approved this message. They did not help me figure out if I’m for or against their opponents. In fact, I’m a little unclear who their opponents even are.

How am I supposed to react to these commercials?

From the Department of Random Sunday Musings…

Randomness

Things I’m thankful for:

  • The internet, and the way it keeps people connected in spite of the stubbornness of physical geography.
  • The usual (food, shelter, family), only this time with less taking-for-granted and more actual thankfulness.
  • Polar Fleece. What on earth did people do before they invented this stuff? The couch is one big pile of polar fleece blankets right now.
  • The way the cooler weather transforms P. into a cuddle-bunch.
  • Text messages. Cell phones still thrill me even after all these years.
  • Good friends. This could fit under “the usual,” but at the moment it really deserves its own line. I’ll stop now lest I get insufferably mushy.

Things I look forward to:

  • Spring (I know, I know. It’s a long way off, yet.)
  • The end of this election season. If I hear “I’m so-and-so and I approved this message” one more time, I’ll probably explode.
  • Being undaunted by stairs.
  • Meeting a friend for the first time IRL* in a couple of weeks.
  • Having at least a few Things Of Substance to say on my other blog.
  • Walking briskly. I used to love walking briskly. Especially in Fall.
  • Making Macaroni & Cheese this Wednesday. Yummm… (though I’m not looking forward to the grocery shopping that will have to precede this activity)
  • Not having to rely quite so heavily on the patience of a good friend. I despise being needy. (Though I am more grateful for the support than I can ever say.)
  • Traveling to see my family in a few weeks (and meeting my parents’ new puppy).
  • A day off of work tomorrow. Depending on how things go, it might be full of equal measures of pampering and house work. Of course, it might be full of a whole lot of Nothing At All, but hopefully not.

* translation: “in real life”