Just came back from the open air movies where I saw Good bye, Lenin! which I thought was really nice. Also, we saw satellites (didn't know you could see them at night) and a falling star. Starry Sky of the Day here.
I like looking at stars. You can keep sunsets and other romantic nonsense if you just place me under a starry sky (well, I kind of like sunsets, too, but stars have everything beat). Best place to watch stars was when I was on holiday in the south of France - lying on the terrace of my friend's house in the Provence. Glass of vin rouge, some pain au chocolat and unfortunately, no idea of the constellations. I know Cassiopeia, the Great Bear and Orion and I am working on knowing the constellations I stuck over my bed. Yay for sticky stars.
Anal retentive as I am, I arranged the constellations over my bed just like the real night sky, only they don't look like the night sky as I had two different sizes of stars which skew the view just a teensy weensy bit. I have the aforementioned ones and Taurus (as I am one), Swan and I think Gemini and Leo, too. But that's kind of hazy, I don't remember which ones I chose, as mostly I chose them because of the amount of stars I had.
Easy to recognize there, hard to recognize in real life: Constellation "Dog" which is only one star - I had one sticky star left over and looked for an appropriate constellation in my star map. Strangely enough, the star in constellation "Dog" is not the Dogstar - that is in the Great Dog.
But enough of stars. Though if you're interested I could tell you some more....nah.
Instead, I'll grace you with another observation - one I have made before but it presented itself again to me yesterday and today: Nonsmoking is bad for your social life. Let me elaborate: Everybody had left the office but me, and they had hired this guy to enter some data who was ergo working at the office, too. Now if we had been both smokers, we would have met in front of the office sharing a light, maybe chatting, getting to know each other. As it was, we didn't talk at all. Oh, not quite - when we left he asked me if I was the youngest person in the office (Well, duh, I am the ONLY person in the office right now - didn't say that, just kidding). But by then we were standing outside, it was raining and I had to catch the subway to take care of Pete York. Opportunity missed, I guess.
Then again, he was wearing a purple shirt that looked like a carpet. With patterns on it that hurt the eye. But I am willing to overlook such exterior superficialities - maybe his mom gave it to him. Like the reindeer sweater Colin Firth wears in Bridget Jones. Then again, that's Colin Firth (who by the way I am sure is just on his way over here, seeing his errant ways of marrying the Italian broad). This guy however, he was not only a non-smoker, he was a non-coffee-drinker! These are people I view with some suspicion.
Saturday, July 26, 2003
Friday, July 25, 2003
Met Pete York today who was really nice, too. Quite a step up from Bata Ilic, I must say.
I've decided to add new links to my page. Lots of useful information, if you ask me.
I'm actually in a pretty decent mood today - I remember when I used to be in a good mood all the time. Well, not all the time but most of the time. It has steadily deteriorated since ..hm.. high school, I guess. Since I've been thinking about holidays this morning I also thought about the time when school still was fun. About fifth or sixth grade that was, I think. After that, I got bullied and picked on and such and I started hating to go out of the house. My mom once said: "Well, these kids today...all the peer pressure they have - you can be glad you were young in the 80s." Little did she know that we were told: "I won't talk to you because you're not wearing Levi's 501." Ah, the blissful ignorance of parents.
Same with the drugs - my school was always known for its drug dealers and we knew exactly who was selling what. Incidentally, those were the same people who at the reunion looked slightly off-kilter and bloated. I guess Karma does sometimes catch up on you. No, it doesn't, because then the bullying really mean people would have died a horrible death. And if I ever find myself alone in a room with that one guy and a Magnum revolver I'm not guaranteeing for anything. Really. I think that's the only person I really hate...and I am a pretty peaceful person. All the others were just doing it because they were dumb and didn't know any better or because the whole guy gang was really into it, but he always started things and he looked like he really enjoyed it.
But enough of that. Today I am calm and quiet and I found out that all the exercises we usually do in gym come from yoga and have fancy names.
I've decided to add new links to my page. Lots of useful information, if you ask me.
I'm actually in a pretty decent mood today - I remember when I used to be in a good mood all the time. Well, not all the time but most of the time. It has steadily deteriorated since ..hm.. high school, I guess. Since I've been thinking about holidays this morning I also thought about the time when school still was fun. About fifth or sixth grade that was, I think. After that, I got bullied and picked on and such and I started hating to go out of the house. My mom once said: "Well, these kids today...all the peer pressure they have - you can be glad you were young in the 80s." Little did she know that we were told: "I won't talk to you because you're not wearing Levi's 501." Ah, the blissful ignorance of parents.
Same with the drugs - my school was always known for its drug dealers and we knew exactly who was selling what. Incidentally, those were the same people who at the reunion looked slightly off-kilter and bloated. I guess Karma does sometimes catch up on you. No, it doesn't, because then the bullying really mean people would have died a horrible death. And if I ever find myself alone in a room with that one guy and a Magnum revolver I'm not guaranteeing for anything. Really. I think that's the only person I really hate...and I am a pretty peaceful person. All the others were just doing it because they were dumb and didn't know any better or because the whole guy gang was really into it, but he always started things and he looked like he really enjoyed it.
But enough of that. Today I am calm and quiet and I found out that all the exercises we usually do in gym come from yoga and have fancy names.
Thursday, July 24, 2003
Wednesday, July 23, 2003
Was sort of proud of myself today. I came home and was really tired, but I still went out jogging. Then again, you might call it "stupid" as well :)
My monitor decided it wants to work again.
I need to work on my assertiveness. Is there assertiveness training? It probably consists of yelling a lot and doing lots of exercises that make you feel stupid (I should know as my major is / was "Psycho - Seminars". It really is. Called differently, but that's the gist of it. We design stupid trainings. Stupid-Trainings-R-Us.) I never thought much of seminars...that's one of the reasons I don't want to work as a trainer.
I'm not talking about seminars that actually have a subject (Learn Excel etc.), what I'm talking about is seminars that teach "social skills". Usually people don't want to go there, then bitch and moan at everything they have to do, then bitch and moan about it some more behind your back and then go back to work having learned nothing.
Team building might help a little bit, but probably not very much. Well, actually I attended one seminar out in the wilderness that was fun but also included a lot of the hot air that is common in business consulting. And that's the reason why I don't like business consulting in general. Lots of hot air, everybody (but the person who hired you - and sometimes even those) hates you and the outcome equals zero most of the time.
So much for assertiveness training. There is a fine line between assertive and obnoxious and I can't really tell the difference most of the time. Need to work on my social skills but I covered that already. Then again, I am leaving that for later, at the moment my social skills can wait, I think.
My monitor decided it wants to work again.
I need to work on my assertiveness. Is there assertiveness training? It probably consists of yelling a lot and doing lots of exercises that make you feel stupid (I should know as my major is / was "Psycho - Seminars". It really is. Called differently, but that's the gist of it. We design stupid trainings. Stupid-Trainings-R-Us.) I never thought much of seminars...that's one of the reasons I don't want to work as a trainer.
I'm not talking about seminars that actually have a subject (Learn Excel etc.), what I'm talking about is seminars that teach "social skills". Usually people don't want to go there, then bitch and moan at everything they have to do, then bitch and moan about it some more behind your back and then go back to work having learned nothing.
Team building might help a little bit, but probably not very much. Well, actually I attended one seminar out in the wilderness that was fun but also included a lot of the hot air that is common in business consulting. And that's the reason why I don't like business consulting in general. Lots of hot air, everybody (but the person who hired you - and sometimes even those) hates you and the outcome equals zero most of the time.
So much for assertiveness training. There is a fine line between assertive and obnoxious and I can't really tell the difference most of the time. Need to work on my social skills but I covered that already. Then again, I am leaving that for later, at the moment my social skills can wait, I think.
After being ready to drown myself in the afternoon I have to report progress on my paper. I just couldn't hear my incessant whining anymore myself. (Putz!) Not very significant progress, but still progress. Now my eyes hurt because my monitor is in its "turquoise" phase and apparently has decided red is evil. Occasionally it will waver and the original colours will return, but only to taunt me with their brightness for a New York second and then disappearing into the ether again. If you have a monitor around somewhere and it needs to die, bring it over to my place. Meanwhile, I have three monitors sitting on my desk. One's completely wrecked, one flickers and dies all the time, and now the turquoise thing. Maybe I do need to invest money I don't have into a new monitor.
This reminds me of the tax thing that's still floating around. My cats have removed even the possibility of doing it myself by dumping red wine over my forms GRMPF and FCKU. And unfortunately I need lots of working up before contacting people I don't know i.e. a tax consultant.
It's worst on the telephone - I really suck at phonecalls. Personally, I surmise that's because I don't hear very well. I tend not to understand what people say and then usually am to embarassed to ask a fourth time and just hang up with issues not being resolved. I hate it so much, I will only do phone calls on the hour or on the half hour. If you receive a phone call at odd times that means you're a REALLY GOOD friend.
I have the same resistance about e-mails, too, though. It takes ages for me to compose a mail - I'll read it, reread it, delete stuff, add stuff, copy & paste, add some more stuff, re-type deleted stuff, delete the whole thing and start over again. I don't know why. Maybe it's perfectionism. I don't want anyone to read one of my mails and think "Oh my god, what an idiot." Or some such. It also goes for e-mails to friends, though. Ages, I tell ya. Ages.
Now imagine how long it takes to compose one to a tax consultant. Exactly. One week and counting at the moment.
This reminds me of the tax thing that's still floating around. My cats have removed even the possibility of doing it myself by dumping red wine over my forms GRMPF and FCKU. And unfortunately I need lots of working up before contacting people I don't know i.e. a tax consultant.
It's worst on the telephone - I really suck at phonecalls. Personally, I surmise that's because I don't hear very well. I tend not to understand what people say and then usually am to embarassed to ask a fourth time and just hang up with issues not being resolved. I hate it so much, I will only do phone calls on the hour or on the half hour. If you receive a phone call at odd times that means you're a REALLY GOOD friend.
I have the same resistance about e-mails, too, though. It takes ages for me to compose a mail - I'll read it, reread it, delete stuff, add stuff, copy & paste, add some more stuff, re-type deleted stuff, delete the whole thing and start over again. I don't know why. Maybe it's perfectionism. I don't want anyone to read one of my mails and think "Oh my god, what an idiot." Or some such. It also goes for e-mails to friends, though. Ages, I tell ya. Ages.
Now imagine how long it takes to compose one to a tax consultant. Exactly. One week and counting at the moment.
Monday, July 21, 2003
A Honest Mistake?
Yesterday I submitted my blog to a weblog directory cause I thought "why not spread the fame?". They had all sorts of rules and regulations (I even had to fill out a quiz about them) for the blog description, but of course I couldn't be arsed (I like the expression) to actually bother about them. So I just wrote like always: "Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness." (Why be original? is my motto, too). Today I got a mail that said: "Your description is not adequate, so we changed it. You need to include a verb, it needs to be a sentence, yadda, yadda, yadda." So I look at their description and what does it say???
"Read about a young man and his quest for life, liberty and the pursuit of meat."
Huh??? What the ... ??? I mean, they apparently did look at the blog because of the meat thingy, but hello!!! Look at my picture!!! Do I look like a young man?? (Don't answer that if you 're not inclined to answer in the negative.)
But I actually like the "pursuit of meat." Might include it in future descriptions of my weblog. Though it really isn't about meat. But it could be...
Other than that, pretty eventless day, though I was highly active, I must say. I worked on the paper, went to university, went to work, wrote a couple of overdue e-mails and even cleaned my room a bit (which is saying something). Tomorrow I am planning to (be still my heart) recycle. (Have taken a day off work to focus on the paper. So I'll get some housework done, I guess :)
Yesterday I submitted my blog to a weblog directory cause I thought "why not spread the fame?". They had all sorts of rules and regulations (I even had to fill out a quiz about them) for the blog description, but of course I couldn't be arsed (I like the expression) to actually bother about them. So I just wrote like always: "Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness." (Why be original? is my motto, too). Today I got a mail that said: "Your description is not adequate, so we changed it. You need to include a verb, it needs to be a sentence, yadda, yadda, yadda." So I look at their description and what does it say???
"Read about a young man and his quest for life, liberty and the pursuit of meat."
Huh??? What the ... ??? I mean, they apparently did look at the blog because of the meat thingy, but hello!!! Look at my picture!!! Do I look like a young man?? (Don't answer that if you 're not inclined to answer in the negative.)
But I actually like the "pursuit of meat." Might include it in future descriptions of my weblog. Though it really isn't about meat. But it could be...
Other than that, pretty eventless day, though I was highly active, I must say. I worked on the paper, went to university, went to work, wrote a couple of overdue e-mails and even cleaned my room a bit (which is saying something). Tomorrow I am planning to (be still my heart) recycle. (Have taken a day off work to focus on the paper. So I'll get some housework done, I guess :)
Sunday, July 20, 2003
And I just had to open the door to the police as one of our neighbours is apparently having a dance contest in his apartment tonight. (Not the same neighbour who this afternoon heard music of the kind that makes you think: "I'll soon be giving interviews about how he used to be really quiet and inconspicuous...UNTIL ONE AFTERNOON HE SNAPPED." No, a different neighbour.)
Oh deer
I met one today when I was out jogging in the park.
Shopping rules
Then I went grocery shopping. And I want to introduce to you the two main rules for grocery shopping:
1. Don't go shopping when you're hungry
2. Don't go shopping when you just finished jogging and your blood sugar is really low
Rule 1 is widely known, but I am repeating it here because I bought so much food that when I left the store a packet of Twix fell off my cart because there was no room for it anymore and the cart rolled over it and now I've got squashed Twix at home. That doesn't mention the fact that I had a hard time fitting stuff into the shelves in the kitchen. And the fridge is filled to the brim with yoghurt. Among other things.
Rule 2 has newly been installed as half of the things I bought come from the sweets aisle. Did I mention the packet of Twix? I also have 4 different kinds of chocolate, a variety of cookies and M&Ms. And hard candy. Only no gummi bears but I was sorely tempted and had to remind myself that I hate gummi bears, the beastly things.
Honesty
Today's Jogging Thought Topic (one needs to keep occupied) was Honesty. I was thinking that I am a pretty honest person. I can't lie without blushing (I suck at poker) and I usually like to stick to the truth. Most of the time I only lie because I'm not quick enough to come up with a truthful answer. Like when asked about my age. Now it's easy to remember but then I did not immediately know the answer (I suck at numbers). So I just came up with a random number. And that's how it usually works. Question: "Do you have the book?" Me: [brain works too slow, can't come up with the correct answer] "Yes, of course." (Of course I don't have the book which might lead to embarassing situations later on).
Anyway. Although I am a truthful person, I will hardly ever reveal anything really important about me. And I will lie if asked. Then again, that statement probably is an oxymoronic one, because that seems like an important revelation. Well, it's just one of those "hardly ever" moments, I guess.
Literature
Started reading my Narnia books again and made a sad discovery. I just can't enjoy them like I did when I was little. I used to love my Narnia books and I could quote entire passages by heart even now ... but then I missed the whole christian subcontext. And that even though I had the strictest catholic upbringing of everybody I know (bar nun). Now the christian overtones jump out at me like when you are walking through high grass not expecting anything enjoying the scenery and suddenly a huge grasshoper springs out at you. [sproing] And then the grasshopper stands there and stares at you. Did I mention it was really huge? 5 feet or so? Now you know how I am feeling. I can't enjoy my childhood friends anymore. It depresses me.
Other
What else? I got a message from the guy with the wife saying how he was looking forward to meet me again. (Yay)
And if you're interested in my World Domination Progress: Here's what Europe looks like at the moment. If you forgot, I am Italy (which is green on the map). I did a maneuvre I hereby like to dub the "Balkan Somersault" which is what led to my lonely Army in Serbia. Diplomatic relations to Austria are rather chilly (to say the least).
I met one today when I was out jogging in the park.
Shopping rules
Then I went grocery shopping. And I want to introduce to you the two main rules for grocery shopping:
1. Don't go shopping when you're hungry
2. Don't go shopping when you just finished jogging and your blood sugar is really low
Rule 1 is widely known, but I am repeating it here because I bought so much food that when I left the store a packet of Twix fell off my cart because there was no room for it anymore and the cart rolled over it and now I've got squashed Twix at home. That doesn't mention the fact that I had a hard time fitting stuff into the shelves in the kitchen. And the fridge is filled to the brim with yoghurt. Among other things.
Rule 2 has newly been installed as half of the things I bought come from the sweets aisle. Did I mention the packet of Twix? I also have 4 different kinds of chocolate, a variety of cookies and M&Ms. And hard candy. Only no gummi bears but I was sorely tempted and had to remind myself that I hate gummi bears, the beastly things.
Honesty
Today's Jogging Thought Topic (one needs to keep occupied) was Honesty. I was thinking that I am a pretty honest person. I can't lie without blushing (I suck at poker) and I usually like to stick to the truth. Most of the time I only lie because I'm not quick enough to come up with a truthful answer. Like when asked about my age. Now it's easy to remember but then I did not immediately know the answer (I suck at numbers). So I just came up with a random number. And that's how it usually works. Question: "Do you have the book?" Me: [brain works too slow, can't come up with the correct answer] "Yes, of course." (Of course I don't have the book which might lead to embarassing situations later on).
Anyway. Although I am a truthful person, I will hardly ever reveal anything really important about me. And I will lie if asked. Then again, that statement probably is an oxymoronic one, because that seems like an important revelation. Well, it's just one of those "hardly ever" moments, I guess.
Literature
Started reading my Narnia books again and made a sad discovery. I just can't enjoy them like I did when I was little. I used to love my Narnia books and I could quote entire passages by heart even now ... but then I missed the whole christian subcontext. And that even though I had the strictest catholic upbringing of everybody I know (bar nun). Now the christian overtones jump out at me like when you are walking through high grass not expecting anything enjoying the scenery and suddenly a huge grasshoper springs out at you. [sproing] And then the grasshopper stands there and stares at you. Did I mention it was really huge? 5 feet or so? Now you know how I am feeling. I can't enjoy my childhood friends anymore. It depresses me.
Other
What else? I got a message from the guy with the wife saying how he was looking forward to meet me again. (Yay)
And if you're interested in my World Domination Progress: Here's what Europe looks like at the moment. If you forgot, I am Italy (which is green on the map). I did a maneuvre I hereby like to dub the "Balkan Somersault" which is what led to my lonely Army in Serbia. Diplomatic relations to Austria are rather chilly (to say the least).
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