help

Ok, so those of you that know me know that "letting a sleeping dog lie" really isn't one of my strong points. I'm more of a "beat a dead horse" kind of girl, which is not something I'm proud of but hey, at least I'm aware of it and can usually control it. But there's something that's been eating at me for, oh, the past 8 months and I don't know what to do. Here's the scenario: I work in a building with roughly 28-30 people, each of us with our own office. Now, as those of you who know me know, I have a...well...rather um, loud and (so I've been told) infectious laugh. On more than one occasion, complete strangers have approached my table at a restaurant and said something to the effect of "I just had to tell you that you have the BEST laugh!" Well, my office is situated between two men who do not find me or my laugh entertaining in the last. They used to, but then I met David, fell in love, and had one too many goofy, laughy phone conversations that they couldn't help but overhear. I'd like the record to show that this is not a high-pressure office; no one is under dead-lines and there is much joking and laughing amongst everyone. I would also like the record to show that both these men are of the grumpy-uptight-middle-aged-never-had-children-and-never-will variety. Which I point out simply because once you've had children, all need to control your environment goes out the window, right? So these two decided to get together and complain to my boss. Once he mentioned it to me, I was appropriately mortified (because I want everyone to adore me, I'm afraid) and immediately stopped taking ALL personal phone calls at work (even though everyone, including McGrumpy 1 and McGrumpy 2 do so). But the damage was done and McGrumpy 1 completely stopped speaking to me and won't even make eye-contact with me if we happen to pass in the hallway. Furthermore, he MOVED HIS OFFICE so that he didn't have to be in my general vicinity. For the most part I've been able to laugh it off; I have a great relationship with literally every other employee in the building and they roll their eyes about the entire silliness. But I have to admit, it eats at me. I've started dreaming about it, which I understand is my mind's way of telling me it is unfinished business and I should do something about it.

So. What do you think? Should I go to McGrumpy 1 (#2's already been dealt with) and apologize for my lack of consideration (even though I really think he over-reacted), or should I just let time do it's work and let him stew in his own miserable juices? I'm pretty sure the correct answer is to go talk to him, but I loathe confrontation and will do pretty much anything to avoid it. Help.

STU PID

PORTLAND, Ore. - Snake collector Matt Wilkinson of Portland grabbed a 20-inch rattler from the highway near Maupin, and three weeks later, to impress his ex-girlfriend, he stuck the serpent in his mouth.

He was soon near death, with a swollen tongue that blocked his throat. Trauma doctors at the Oregon Health and Science University saved his life by cutting a hole in his throat.

"You can assume alcohol was involved," a doctor said.




I think I went to high school with that guy. He was the one standing in the back of a moving pick-up yelling "KEGGER!!!!"

So What Can I Do?

All my life, my family has teased me about being (waaaaayyyy before it became cool or hip to be so) a "tree-hugger" or "crunchy" or "granola". And yet I still struggle with making constant, mindful, green choices. Our society is so geared toward convenience and quantity vs. quality. Just going to the grocery store can be overwhelming (WHY is there so much packaging?!) Yes, I have cloth bags and I try to remember to take them, but sometimes I forget them at home and then I'm faced with the dreaded bag decision: paper = trees, plastic = petroleum. (The answer, I believe, is PAPER. At least trees are renewable and then you can take the bags back to the store and reuse them. If you remember to.) Anyway, there a thousand choices we make throughout the course of a day that can make a difference, from recycling everything we can, of course, to switching all lightfixtures to compact florescent bulbs (CFLs) and using cloth napkins instead of paper (so much nicer, anyway!)

I found this (click to link) website titled, appropriately, So What Can I Do? It's full of wonderful ideas and suggestion to get started toward making the world a better place. And what's not to love about that?

So what changes have YOU made toward living more "green"?

he

...came into our lives as a 48 year old man who had never had children, didn't think he'd be a good parent. And yet he is the most tolerant, loving, supportive and gentle man. She lights up around him.

...believes it is part of his "job" to help Bug grow up knowing she is capable of anything and everything.

...says, when it's taken too long to get Bug to bed because she cried for me to stay until she fell asleep, "You must be exhausted. Let me rub your shoulders."

...says, when I tell him how grateful I am that he doesn't ever make me feel like I have to choose, "You DO have to make a choice, and it should be your daughter first, every time."

...welcomes my ex into our home and offers him a beer. He wants us all to be a family, and we are, because of him.

...grew up in a large east-coast city in a family of wealthy, highly educated liberals and yet he is perfectly at home in a hut in the Alaskan tundra, eating fresh seal meat with a native family.

...is respectful and does not judge anyone, even when someone believes something completely unfathomable to him.

...is the most mature, fair-minded person I've ever known. When I am struggling with something (or some one) he will listen to me vent and then gently steer me toward a more loving and reasonable response.

...loves me despite my love of sappy romantic comedies and attraction to all things retro. :)

...speaks Russian and is an opera buff...who also loves Cracker, the Replacements and X.

...wants to make the world a better place.

...is halarious and witty and smart...my very own "witty, intellectual Jew". Who needs Ira?

...is the love of my life.

Edited to add: The subject of this post would like it noted that while he enjoyed the company, he did NOT enjoy the seal meat.

Dear Mr. President

You may have seen this before, but since I don't really watch tv, I haven't. Nichole sent this to me today and it's pretty powerful. This man has blood on his hands and it's not just "the bad guys'". It's going to take a long, long time to repair the damage to our country and our reputation.

A lovely place to visit, but...

Several times during our weekend spent on the Oregon coast, someone would ask me if I missed living there. The answer: a resounding "Hell no!"

We had a wonderful time with my family (and even got a "bonus" visit with Uncle Ra Ra) and we thoroughly enjoyed our time at the beach. What's not to love about the soft sand between your toes, the roar of the ocean waves, noticing the change of tides, spending hours walking the beach, hunched over, looking for "treasures".... But at home, as we prepared for our trip, we were having temperatures in the mid-70s, with crisp, cool nights and the leaves are just starting to change and flutter down the street. You know, AUTUMN. That's the thing that I probably missed most, during our 8 years on the coast: the changing of the seasons. Just about the time I've decided I've had enough of HOT, sunny weather and wearing shorts, flip-flops and tank-tops every day, the weather changes and it's time for pants and even the occasional sweater. I dig out my knitting needles and yarn and dream about sitting in front of the fire-place with a good book. Then, a few months from now, we'll wake one morning to the first snow. The Ponderosa Pines covered in a blanket of white and we'll bundle up and go outside to see if we can work up a snowman. Then we'll go inside, have something warm to drink and settle down under the blankets. What I know about myself is that I NEED to live where there are distinct seasons, to notice the passing of time by the different smells, the migrating birds, the flowers coming and going, the change of temperatures. The ceremony of putting summer clothes away and bringing out the socks, boots, and sweaters.

But the coast IS a lovely place to visit. Anna, sweet Anna, ran down to the beach and said "Home! I'm home!" We moved just as she turned 3; she doesn't really have a memory of it. But during the first 3 years of her life, we spent so much time on the beach that I often wonder if, once she's grown, the mountains and high-desert will feel like home to her or the coastal climate. Hopefully both.

now all we need is our own crest and tartan

Last night, as we were winding down for sleep, Anna and I were talking about some of the names I dole out to the people I love. I often call her Skippy von Skippenheimer because she loves to skip everywhere. And my friend Jennifer, who recommended a SHITTY overly-fruity wine is now known to me as Fruity von Fruitenheimer. Anna decided that she, David and I needed new names; she needed to know my two favorite things to do....and I became Snuggle von Bikerton. Anna is Ride-Wing von Skippenheimer.

And David, poor innocent David, became Bikey von Tooterton.