Friday, July 26, 2019

Five on Friday #204

EINS - Random Shit


I have a confession to make...

I was well into my 20s when I realized that I would not be arrested for removing the tags off blankets and pillows,. as I am the consumer....  For real though, as I kid, I read on a blanket or pillow the part about "Under penalty of law this tag is not to be removed...." and never read the end part because I was afraid I'd get arrested, so I always just left the tags on, despite how annoying they were.


You're welcome for this useless knowledge.

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It's almost 2020 people.  We've had cell phones with cameras in them since 2002 so it's been EIGHTEEN YEARS.. and before that all our mamas and daddys had cameras and/or video cameras or you've at least been in front of a camera at some point in your life (I make some assumptions because it is 2020 and you are reading this on some type of electronic device with an internet connection)... so LOOK AT THE CAMERA LENS PEOPLE!

It makes me irrationally angry to see people looking at themselves in their phone rather than looking at the camera lens.  I often have to do more than one selfie/group shot because the first one everyone is looking all wonky eyed and then I announce, "Look at THIS spot!" and we retake the photo and no one is wonky eyed and it's great because it's a good photo.

Fun fact, after you take a selfie looking into the camera on your phone, you can then pull up said photo and stare at yourself for as long as you like.  Literally, like we used to say, "Take a picture, it lasts longer!"

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Apps for iPhone only or Android only make me irrationally angry.  Like, I get it, they are different platforms, but again, it's 2019.  #EqualOpportunityForAllApps!

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I ordered 3 of my textbooks for the Fall 2019 semester this week.  I have feelings about it.
1- I'm grateful for my most pain in the ass professor who had the books selected and shared with the bookstore over a month in advance.
2- I'm depressed because books for school.
3- I'm confused because the bookstore charges so much money for the same books that other places are offering for significantly cheaper.  Like, sometimes more than $50 cheaper... Uhhh why?

That leaves books for my other 2 classes that I will have to get closer to the start of the semester.  This is annoying because then the demand will be higher and books will be more expensive and potentially not available.

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More in shit that makes me irrationally angry:
Restaurants that I would really like to try out (despite having recently come to the decision that we are going to try to lighten up on how often we go out to eat) only having business hours Monday through Friday from 0600-1400 (2pm).

So I was scrolling through the menu, anticipating the brunch plans that Teh German and I were about to have when I checked out the hours and was completely crushed.  Additionally, this place is in a super inconvenient (for us) location, which means that unless it's a week day we both have off, it's not likely we'll ever get there.  #RUDE

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When I was at DCA waiting for my flight back to CHS, I went to the 5 Guys at my terminal and got a delicious strawberry oreo milkshake.  Since then, I've been craving said milkshake.

Fun fact: Only "participating locations" sell milkshakes.
Another fun fact: None of those "participating locations" are in the Charleston area..
SO FUCK YOU 5 GUYS.

Siiiiiiigh, I'll just go to Cookout and eat my milkshake with a spoon.
Or maybe I'll try and see if Ye Old Fashioned can make something similar that isn't too thick to drink via straw.
#MeganProblems #FirstWorldProblems

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THERE WAS A COLD FRONT THIS WEEK THAT CAME THROUGH CHARLESTON.


It took me by surprise on Wednesday, but I made sure to message the Outside Sitting Coworkers and let them know that when I arrived after class, it was outside time.  Concurrence was given.  That evening, Teh German and I agreed that we'd be riding the bikes on Thursday.


It was fucking GLORIOUS.
I'm not used to not being oppressed by the heat.
Like, I was on Bageera, in the direct sunlight, NOT sweating my non-literal balls off, AND I was SMILING because I was HAPPY.  Me being outside in July, smiling AND feeling joy is an extremely rare occurrence.  Because in addition to hanger, I also suffer from Heatrage.  If that's not a term, it is now.  I just made it up.

Being hot makes me ANGRY.  I mean like.. to an extreme.  I'm uncomfortable and my optimum conditions are NOT being met and this makes me angry.. but the hotter it is, the more uncomfortable I am, and the longer I'm uncomfortable, the angrier I get.  So when I sit outside with anyone at a time when it's over "feels like 90°F?  Those are lucky and potentially unlucky individuals.  It's a high risk situation.

And I know y'all Northerners share those "Why do I live where the air hurts my face?" memes in the winter.. but let me tell you something.. You live there because you do NOT want to live where everything becomes moist by looking outside during the summer.  You do not want to spend 6 months out of the year with wet underwear from just walking to/from your car, inevitably fighting off a yeast producing factory.

I should create a meme that says, "Why do I live where I need gills to breathe?"  Because that's what it's like when it's 98°F and 100% humidity.  When you walk outside and you literally struggle to breathe because the air is so hot and wet (and not in a sexy way, trust me and my swamp ass).  Give me that thin mountain air any day.

Also, to the Northerners who endured that heat wave last week.
Welcome to our EVERY.SINGLE.DAY during the summer.

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On a serious note.  In the realm of mental struggles and brain things.  Maybe this will sound vague, but maybe someone else has the same problem or understands what I'm trying to say and can help me construct my thoughts better.

I suffer from "clear" and "not clear" days.  This has become more and more obvious the longer I'm in school.  It also happened before I started school, but it was less obvious then.

There are the "clear" days that I show up and I rock out everything.  Every question I answer is correct, problems aren't a morale defeating struggle, complicated topics are still understandable.

But "not clear" days are rough.  Nothing the teacher says makes any sense.  None of the topics that I learned on a "clear" day can be waded through without great difficulty or even at all.  All my answers to questions are incorrect.  Often, I can't even follow step-by-step instructions.  These days are generally back-to-back and often cause me to have an extreme spiral into depression over how stupid I am, how I should just give up doing school because I'm no good at computer science.. if you've been here long enough, you've seen the exposé-s on this.

This has become extremely obvious during my chem class when my professor has noticed my "clear"/"not clear" struggle.  I think she thought, at first, that I was just joking around when I told her that I was having a "good" (clear) day or a "bad" (not clear) day.. and this week, she finally got it.  But it was when she said to me during lab on Thursday that she could tell I was having a "clear" day that I realized, this is actually a thing.

Up to this point, I thought it was just a matter of timing and things going on and my being distracted and maybe medications and maybe sometimes the phase of the moon or mercury retrograde..  But I'm starting to think it's something more, but IDK what.

I will admit that there's something to the distraction of taking multiple classes that causes problems and how busy my life is.  It's nice to take one class at a time to be able to focus on a single topic.  But, even with being able to focus on a single topic, I'm still having "not clear" days.  Also, my medications haven't changed in over a year, so I don't think it's the medications I take (which is actually just LoLoestrin for my hot flashes, nexium for the GERD, and a handful of supplements (biotin, multi-vitamin, probiotic) causing the problems (and also I have the IUD for no babies).

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If I hadn't been 100% clear on the fact that I hate summer since April 2011, when I started this blog.. I fucking hate summer.  It's hot, I'm disgruntled, as I get older I'm more disgruntled.  BUTTT Gentle Readers... when July and August roll around and I receive our power bill... I am validated about why I hate summer.

Our power bill was $209 this month (which is from 20 June - 20 July, or something like that, it was a 32 day period, which was weird also).  I'm not sure if it's because the fish tank or the heat or what.. but I actually made the decision to turn the AC up from 73°F to 75/76°F.  We were actually COLD in the house and we were wearing long sleeves and pants and I seized this opportunity to run the AC less.  Teh German didn't have an issue with it. 

Please also know that I'm bitching about this expense in relation to our other power bills.  I know there are people that pay WAY more based on where they live/the size of their dwelling/etc factors.  Also, in the winter I can just set the heat to 67/68°F and then pile on blankets.. I could actually turn the heat down more, but I wasn't willing to make the change last winter, although I did consider it.

BUT FOR REAL.
FUCK SUMMER.

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Teh German and I went to our first date place, Home Team BBQ, on Thursday night to commemorate our 4th dateaversary.  I know, 🤮.  Not sorry.


Here's the real facts.  It's such a rare treat for it NOT to be "feels like 100°F+" during the summer that we were already kinda celebrating by riding the bikes to work in the AM.  I know that Teh German likes getting to spend time on his bike(s), which often means riding out to dinner.. even if it's on a school night.  I enjoyed my ride from school to work sooo much that even I wanted to spend more time with Bagheera.  Also, sometimes I like to do spontaneous things.. like celebrate our dateaversary a week early.  Also, I've been wanting to go to Home Team for a while, but it was a low key desire, so I've put it off for several months for other options, knowing that our dateaversary was coming.

We got "our" parking spot, the same spot we parked on our first date, which always makes going to Home Team feel extra special.  Going out to dinner meant that Teh German got to ride BOTH his bikes in the same day, so he was pretty pumped about the opportunity.  We took the long way home because the Bobber bike is a super rough ride, so Teh German tries to avoid I-26 at all costs.. but ya know, it looks cool.  I guess this is the man version of high heels?  IDK.

When we got home, it was fish tank time for Teh German and study time for me.

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I woke up at 0100 on Wednesday morning in a fucking RAGE about the fact that my windshield wipers didn't traffic correctly anymore.  Like, irrational rage.  AND IT WAS ONE AM. WTF?  I had to literally talk myself down from being so mad... and it's 1am.

Rage: How fucking hard is it to put something back the way you found it?!  You had a simple job to do and at least 3 hours to do it.  Take the 3 fucking hours and DO IT PROPERLY.  Not only did I have to be out of the office to get the damn thing replaced, I had to be out of the office to go back the FIRST time to get the windshield washer fluid working again... and NOW I have to be out of the office, yet again, to get this issue fixed.
Sanity: You can telework, it's not that bad.
Rage: I'm already "barely" in the office as it is.  It just doesn't look good to not be in the office.
Sanity: It's 1am, do we have to discuss this right.now?
Rage: YES WE FUCKING DO.  I'M SOOOO ANGRY ABOUT THIS, RIGHT NOW.
Sanity: Is it really the time?
Rage *blank stares at Sanity*
Sanity: Siiiigh, fine.  Tomorrow, we'll go to the place and have it fixed and then the problem(s) will be resolved and it will be fine.
Rage: I don't WANT to go back to that place.  They should come to me to fix it.
Sanity: Do you want to call Safelite right now to schedule it?
Rage: No, I'm tired and they probably aren't open.
Sanity: I'm tired too, which is why we don't need to be doing this right.now.
Rage: YES WE DO.  No, we don't.  You're right.
Sanity: We'll just deal with it tomorrow.  You're making a bigger deal out of this than anyone else.  No one really misses you in the office.  You're there as often as you can be.
Rage: THIS IS IMPORTANT!  The visibility through the windshield was affected and IT COULD BE DANGEROUS, MEGAN.  YOU NEED TO TAKE THIS SERIOUSLY.
Sanity: I am serious.  Seriously tired.
Rage: Fiiiiiiiiiine.  Tomorrow then.
Sanity: Tomorrow.  Now go back to sleep.
Rage: Can't sleep, blood pressure too high.
Sanity: You suck.

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In addition to new watch bands, I also ordered a case and screen protectors for my watch, which I installed last night.  Uhhh, here's the difference between when Teh German does something and when I do something, in this instance, installing a screen protector...

It will take me 2 tries.  It will only take Teh German 1 try. 
Oh well.  There were 4 screen protectors in the pack.  I used 2.  I got it done.


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Since switching to Google Fi, when I have an incoming call, my phone rings, my watch rings/vibrates, and if I'm on the computer, the Gmail tab will also ring.  It was a bit overwhelming, but I didn't think to see if there was a remedy the first 10 times it happened.  Well, I finally fixed Gmail not to ring when I have an incoming call, and I feel like I've earned my IT Gold Star for the week.

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There's a girl in my Chem class who is just home for the summer and taking Chem at the Citadel.  We often try to tell the non-Citadel students, there are 2 or 3, about Citadel life.. but they don't really get it. 

I think it finally hit home just how different The Citadel is from other schools when 3 of us referred to another student as "The Wrestler" because none of us knew the guy's name.  She knew his name.  She called out "The Baseball Player" (whose name I actually know because he's a CS major) since she thought they were friends.  I had to clarify for her that they had the athlete bond, not a friendship.  Totally different. 

I didn't have the heart to tell her that The Wrestler just wants to gets in her pants.  I saw it the first time he actually talked to her.  Whatevs, not my business.

BTW, I do know this girl's name.. but only because it's so fucking weird.  Like, I think her parents were hiiiiiiigh.  But other than the other transit female (who has a common, but weirdly spelled name) and the other CS majors, I do not know the names of anyone in my class.  Including the vet student who was stationed with me at VX-1.  Sometimes, I'm lucky to remember the professor's name.  Sooooo, that's a thing.


ZWEI - Money Shit

This weekend we had a money discussion to better allocate money to savings/money market accounts because free money via interest, interests me highly.  Additionally, my spending has been, one might say, a bit excessive, not really, but it feels like it, which means that I need to better allocate dollars so funds are NOT where I can see them.  That seems silly, but it is what works for me.


-Principle payment on Willow.  Might be more of these in more of these in the near future because, ideally, I'd like to have her paid off before school ends, when that GI Bill money dries up.  It's bittersweet.
-Car wash subscription
-Groceries
-Watch screen protector and face protector
-Shipping for a return of the Sparkle Skirt capris
-Bojangles for Monday.. and Friday breakfast. 🤷
-Audible subscription, which I forgot to cancel.  UGH.
-Textbooks for Fall 2019 semester (which was quite alarming when I couldn't figure out what those charges were on my credit card statement)
-Walmart things.  I had a coupon code for $10 off a $50 order and I made it a Grocery order so we can just pick it up.  Money spent and money saved.  All the items were items that we actually use/needed (dishwasher tabs, sunscreen, creamer, Nexium, decent sized (larger than 1GB) USB drive), so I didn't feel bad about spending the money just to use the code.
-360° rotate/tilt stand for the Amazon Show.  I used cash back rewards to purchase it, so it cost me $0, which was the plan all along... Thanks Prime Day purchases for all dem rewards.
-Thursday sweet tea, since someone was willing to deliver it since they were already going to Chickfila.



-Received the return $$ from my Fossil smartwatch I sent back at the beginning of the month... after having to call them to ask where my money was... andddd thennn... on Wednesday, I came home to a box on the counter with a "warranty repaired" Fossil watch.  Uhhh wut?  So now I have to decide if I'm going to do the honest thing and return it back to Fossil or just try and sell it on Marketplace without a box or instructions.
-Returned the Garmin smartwatch.  That was a happy $300 back to my account, unfortunately the return hit before the rewards could hit.. but ya know, that figures.


DREI - From My Phone Shit

Former Coworker Snapped this to me because she gets me..

Thanks, Brit!
Apparently you can't use beef stew as a password.
It's not stroganoff.

When someone shares a photo of you with their newborn from 5 years ago and posts a photo for current reference and you respond with your current reference photo.  I crack me up.

There is a bag at the gym.
#GameOn
I brought my gloves with me on Wednesday and got some punches in.
It was extremely satisfying... until my torso started getting sore from going too hard.

This is still cracking me up.

The "I'm too lazy to make dinner" x2 (1x from Megan, 1x from Teh German).

I did a beef stirfry type of thing another night to make up for cereal night.

When a classmate doesn't want his entire biscuit and you help him remedy the problem.
#NoRagrats

It's like in the summer, the hamper becomes a magical reproduction place and more clothing than normal generates between washes.  Really.  I used to do a few loads of laundry on one day per week.  Now I do 1 load of laundry every other day just so the hamper doesn't overflow.  Ugh.  I hate summer.

When the trash bag just collapses on itself in the bin, I get irrationally angry and refuse to fix it.

Snuggles with Meri during Tuesday night's thunderstorm.
See also: That one time when I stupidly allowed myself to be mosquito bait and had welts on my legs and feet for the next week.

When the dry erase markers are a knock off brand and don't erase...


VIER - From the Internet Shit

Cosmo is life.
Also, Cosmo is a borzoi, which part of me still wants, despite the shedding.










FÜNF - Things that made me happy this week

  1. 93 on my Chem test last week.  Wewwwtttt.
  2. Surviving this week.  IDK why, but Wednesday, it was a test of will to get out of Willow to go into the building for lab and class.  
  3. A motherfucking COLD FRONT IN JULY.  Filed under: Shit I never knew I needed.
  4. An early date-aversary celebration with Teh German. 
  5. Helping a coworker not waste food by eating all the watermelon.
  6. When someone else's plans falling through gets me an invitation to go to Hall's Chophouse for dinner.  BISON STEAK AND TRUFFLE BUTTTTTTTEEERRRRRRRR... YYYYASSSSS.
  7. Seeing that the succulent babies that I took from the CS/Math teacher lounge are about to make more babies!  It means that I'm thinking about transplanting some to the outside succulent box, I just don't know if they are strong enough yet....
  8. ONE more week of Chemistry.
  9. Planning an NC weekend.
  10. Solid playlists on Spotify.



Happy Friday, Gentle Readers.

2 comments:

  1. -I made it on to the whiteboard!!! Bahaha.
    -I kind of understand the clear/not clear days. Yesterday was a day when everything was ridiculously smooth- I made it to church EARLY for the volunteer huddle, my house was clean, I MADE A COBBLER, I took Babycakes to the library and the park. It was a freaky twilight zone of a day. But just before that a friend texted to see if I was okay because I had been "off" for a while. It's crazy how some days are just...different.
    -Side note, it was amazing to go to the park and not IMMEDIATELY sweat. I mean, I don't hate summer as much as you do but yesterday was kind of perfect around 80ish.

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  2. LOL I was today years old when I read the rest of the "do not remove."

    Apps that are only on Apple or Android make me stabby as well. Mostly because I have an Android, & I really do love it, but more & more I think that once I'm ready for a new phone I may switch to Apple just because the camera is better & there are generally more apps.

    LOL I kinda wanna put that pick your battles one up in my classroom.

    ReplyDelete

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