I'm going to keep a running tally on how many people comment on the fact that I'm wearing color today. Extra points to anyone who comes up with the phrase 'hippie-goth', but that's probably just me...

How do I manage to get a rock inside my boots when they go halfway to my knees?

This is the year of cards and treats at work. I'm starting to feel like I'm in an elementary school Valentine's party.

Another person who doesn't get it: "If she loses I ain't voting no more."

I don't think it'd go over well, but sometimes I want to say to someone, "Your shirt looks like my socks!"

I got a random message on AIM, "do I know you?" Apparently I showed up on his buddy list. Someone from Seattle, with 'Seattle' in his name, 40, neither of us recognize the other. Either an AIM bug, weird twist of fate, or someone hacked an account... He insists no one has access to his, but I'm thinking I'm not the one who has to worry if he's the one getting random new friends.

I know this isn't a popular view, but I'm getting really annoyed by smokers who think they have a right to any outside space. It's getting where I can't find any place to stand at the bus stop where I'm not directly in the path of someone's cigarette smoke. They space themselves for maximum coverage.

This morning in the bus tunnel—smoking not allowed, but since the ends are partially open, people will anyway—a woman sat smoking directly upwind from me, with a moderate wind at that.

Then I had a coworker stand right next to me, and start talking to another, comparing notes on their sickness. I do not need to be picking up any nasty germs before my vacation!

Why must people infect the air I breathe??

Oops, someone seems to have broken the internet.

I was wondering if our bonus yesterday was the reason Karla was in such an uncharacteristically good mood. I also forgot she has today and tomorrow off.

Bonus came in today! New video card, new toys...

Gah, the psycho-girl drives me crazy even when she's not being psycho. When I tried to clarify the current rules (if she gets two orders when I have a large one, does that work for me as well?) she tried to get out an, "Oh, you know I don't care..." Don't care!—She would try to bite my head off for such a thing, in the wrong mood!

Goals for my day off:

Christmas shopping: accomplished. I went out completely uninspired, and got all my Christmas shopping done in one day. All of it, minus wrapping paper and postage.

Cut/dye hair: Wasn't bothering with my hands full of shopping, and I'm not going to not wash my hair (necessary for dying) after going to the Vogue.

Level some job or another in FFXI: accomplished one level of White Mage and determined that I am horrible at the job. My linkshell was trying to comfort me that it's the Dunes and no one died (an ideal situation) but I want to be good at every job I play.

Nothing like a day off to remind me how much I hate my job...

Sometimes I have to wonder how I'd survive not living upstairs from my boyfriend. Besides the random stealing of peanut butter and jelly, because I haven't bothered to buy my own...

They are replacing the water heaters in the building. I ran out the door to do Christmas shopping while they were working on ours, and so I didn't need to think about keys to lock the door. When I got back I had to wake Izzy up to let me in, then wait around their apartment for Selina to get home.

Then as a result of the water heater changing, we ended up with no hot water! Another trip downstairs to shower... If it wasn't for all the gamers around on Monday nights, I'd be running up and down the stairs in my pajamas!

I snapped a lace on my favorite pair of boots this morning. I'm half considering scrapbooking it.

I've been really bad with holidays this year, from my no inspiration for Halloween to forgetting both of my parents' birthdays. I don't know what to get anyone for Christmas. I don't know what I want for Christmas.

I just had an idea though. The ">last three books of Stephen King's Dark Tower series came out recently. I think they're still only in hardcover. I don't usually buy hardcover books, both because of the cost and the extra bulk to carry around. But I want at least book five for reading on my trip to Mexico. (I might want to reread book four as well, since I had a nice copy of it that got stolen with Gryphon's backpack years ago.)

If someone wants to buy me books for Christmas I just need to know in advance, since Christmas day will be too late to know if I need to run to the book store. The plane leaves early on the 26th.

I just noticed Baresquare is updating again. This is good because Baresquare was one of the only weblogs I was loyal to reading on a regular basis.

You can blame it on not taking my drugs, but there were two things on Livejournal today that made me sort of emotional in a happy way. The first was from an amazingly coherent post by Pete on gay marriage in Canada,

'Some little girl will be reading in her history book and be like, "Mommy, I can't believe those people were so afraid of nothing at all. When is second mommy coming home?"'

The other was some beautiful photos from Michael.

Michael needs to move to Seattle and teach me photography... or even to just drag me out of the house with my camera.

Yesterday was FFXI patching day which meant no chance of playing last night (only 2 hours remaining... wait.. 7 hours!) Andrew and I were forced to do normal couple things like... watch a movie.

All of you geek-boys don't realize how much you take for granted, with your Mountain Dew diets and all. Being forced to give up caffeine for a week at a time, when you have no intention of quitting, is painful.

The new holiday smell for the office is Lysol.

I've been terminally braindead since last week, trying to get by without caffeine again. I allowed myself one cup of real tea yesterday which let me think about my script again. I'm still trying to figure out the safe level.

I got tricked into making an appointment for a pap smear again. (I know it's a good thing to have done, but I'd like it to be my own choice. I feel like I've been tricked or blackmailed into having them done each time since I first got on the pill.) The doctor I've been seeing to keep my lithium coming suggested I come in for a general checkup, which I agreed to. The receptionist scheduling my appointment then asked me when my next period was and I realized what I was actually being brought back for.

My appointment isn't until January, so she asked if I've been having any problems, and I answered 'no' out of habit. I'm going to have to start keeping a list, so I don't end up just saying "bad cramps" which doesn't do justice to the feeling that my body is trying to self-destruct for a week and a half a at a time.

Karla was putting up Christmas lights this morning. I've had mine up around my desk for so long I forgot they were there... stopped turning them on a long time ago.

Karla's on vacation for two days, (next Thursday and Friday as well.) I thought I was going to enjoy the time alone, but the salespeople are each managing to be infuriating as well. Joanne, specifically, outright refuses to use the assistants they hired to help the salespeople out, because she can dump her unfinished orders on us and expect us to fill in the blanks.

I tried to go to bed early last night so it was just before midnight instead of just after. I'm want to curl up under my desk and nap... I'll have to redefine 'early' for tonight.

I got another email from that American Family Association, this one asking me to help The Passion of the Christ win best movie of the year. Apparently the state of the free world (or family, I suppose) depends on fowarding this email to as many people as possible.

Someone beat me to my idea, but that doesn't mean I can't still do something with my stolen airplane safety cards.

dilinger7337: you kids and your games
dilinger7337: i remember when i was your age
Styrdyst: um. no you don't
dilinger7337: with my gameboy, playing tetris in the parking lot
Styrdyst: aren't you younger than me?
dilinger7337: what does that have to do w/ anything?