It's What You Don't Say That Matters Most

Me: And then I went to a Leonard Cohen concert and [blah blah something happened].

Shrink: Leonard Cohen concert?! He's still alive?

New Fallback Career

Without even realizing it, I have recently become fluent in super-corporate-speak. I'm like a jargon robot!

I discovered this when a friend from high school asked me how to tell her boss why the maternity leave temp shouldn't be hired on permanently.

MyFriend (4:32:56 PM): but a) what do i say that's a professional complaint b/c "she's a lazy whore who's on her call phone all day and leaves for 90 min to go get massages and plays solitaire when she is here" doesn't seem appropriate
TheImaginaryNurse (4:33:13 PM): "i want to see her take more ownership of the projects and step up in her role"
TheImaginaryNurse (4:33:28 PM): "i feel sometimes when given tasks she waits for me instead of considering herself accountable to the client"
MyFriend (4:33:29 PM): haha it's like a translator!
MyFriend (4:33:41 PM): do it again!
MyFriend (4:34:09 PM): she's always working on personal stuff
TheImaginaryNurse (4:34:30 PM): "i feel she has the capacity to take on more responsibilities and i'm frustrated by her lack of proactivity"
MyFriend (4:34:46 PM): genius
TheImaginaryNurse (4:35:00 PM): "she's so talented nad successful when engaged but i'm not sure how best to motivate her, since she's not a self-starter"
MyFriend (4:35:10 PM): you're amazing
TheImaginaryNurse (4:36:15 PM): "she doesn't seem to feel empowered to make requested changes and participate in various meetings and conversations"

Let me know what I can translate for you!

(photo credit: Crystl, Flickr)

Upsides to Downswings

Sorry to make my blog so insanely personal for a second you know it's not my style but the fact is that for the last two months, I've been alternately super-moony or super-down because of what I'm going to call a Boy Problem (BP). And yeah I'm super embarrassed to admit that.

Still, here is what I've learned, so that you the viewer can take away some valuable lessons:

1. Freud's right. In sociology we learned about his theory of libido -- not as in sex drive but as in a human's energy reserves. They can only really go one place at a time. So the upside is that for a whole two months, as long as I was wrapped up in the BP, I was barely enraged by my job. Miracle! The down/upside is that today for the first time in two months, I felt a little bit of distance from the BP. The up/downside to that is that today, for the first time in two months, I wanted to build a suicide bomb and put my job in it. Jesus god. WTF.*

2. If you love someone, set them free. And also hook up with their coworker to teach them a lesson they'll never find out about. If they come back to you, or if they don't, who really cares, the whole thing is obviously a disaster to start with.

3. I'm a disaster. The good news is that I'm realizing that the same commitmentphobia that keeps me from being with someone is also probably very closely linked to my belief that I have no career future. They are both about having no frame of reference for being good enough to do something the rest of the world totally gets. And filling my time by taking classes and working out (and then drinking when I'm not doing those) serves both of those anxieties so I don't have to think about them. Yay self-medication!

Seriously, I'm pretty sure that most of you knew this and never told me. Sometimes I don't know why I go around bullying my friends and giving them tough love if they're never going to return the favor.

4. Question. Do you think I'm pretty enough to be on Tough Love 2? I mean, me neither, but how great would that be? I think Steve is like a mini Dr. Phil. I love them both. That reminds me, I need to read Love Smarts soon. And also all the career books I bought that I have in my room but never look at because if I'm not at work, why on earth would I want to read about it?!

* My favorite thing about my job is the people there and the relationships I've built there (excluding any references in #2). Except all those people are eight years younger than me, which makes me the pathetic old creepy lady I think, so seriously... FAIL.**

** Don't worry I'm a success at some things. I'm very tan now, for one, and BP was like 140 pounds so I lost some damn weight.

(photo credit, WolfS♡ul, Flickr)

SNACKS

I don't know if I can tell you enough how much you must try Liberte Mediterranee yogurt if you see it. The Plum and Walnut is hello delicious it tastes like purple and NOW THEY HAVE COCONUT FLAVOR TOO.

Also you are all fired for not telling me sooner about sea salt and vinegar potato chips. They almost make up for my complete lack of reason for being.

Hello, Do You Have Google?

Well then good news -- you too could likely pass this "take-home test." (You can see it bigger if you click.)

Just a reminder -- I get COLLEGE CREDIT for this. COLLEGE. The same stuff people spend 20 years paying off.

Also, someone was asking me what classes I had left and after I listed them I was convinced I was missing one, and that's when it hit me -- after next week, I am halfway done with my prereqs! I can apply this fall and start next damn May if I want.

That's really exciting, and also really scary. I might slow down a bit. I dunno. I'm terrified and confused. But, again, halfway done, so yay for that, you know?

This is a Cow Eye

You Know What Nobody Wants to See on the Train?

A 40something white dude who looks sort of like Francis Dollarhyde from Manhunter, sitting by himself with a Hannah Montana backpack and pin on his jacket and reading this book. Eeeeescchchch.