And the hits just keep on comin'

Last night as my boss and I were debriefing each other after Dancing With the Stars, Fillip called. I didn't answer figuring if he had an emergency, he would leave a message. Well, he did. While at his friend's house, somebody broke the windows on both sides of his cars! It's not even like his friend lives in a bad neighborhood, but I guess it's just as fun, if not more, to smash the windows of a strangers car in front of a beautiful house. By daylight today it looks like it was a bee bee gun. Whatever...that's a $500 deductible we didn't want to have to pay.

Oh, and on the job front...I didn't get lucky like last time.

It's My Blog. I Can Gripe if I Want To.

It's not often that I really gripe on here, but there have been a couple things on my mind. Generally, I try to go about my day in a way that not only accomplishes what I need to do, but also takes other people into account. Seemingly in this city, this way of conducting oneself is not universal.

1. On the road. How much does it change your day to just let me the fuck over? I mean, really! When I put my turn signal on, I am basically giving you the courtesy of saying "Excuse me, but I will now be occupying that space in front of you in that lane." Not your lane. That lane. Therefore, it accomplishes nothing but pissing me off to immediately floor your gas pedal to prevent me from merging. Actually, it is a waste of gas, environmentally irresponsible, making you a very bad person. Additionally, to that person who was nice enough to let me in, then called me bad names when I smiled and waved- I hope all 5 feet of me scared the living daylights out of you when I came knocking on your window at the next stoplight to clarify my sincerely friendly gesture of gratitude. I thought you were nice. I was wrong.

2. The gym. Yes, I have been going to the gym. In order to avoid anyone one forming any expectations of my gym attendance, I have refrained from mentioning this, as my attendence and rapid lunchtime workouts are both feeble, thereby meeting no expectations at all. Except mine. So, in the locker room at the gym, it would seem there should be some common ground rules. Obviously, I expect to see women in various states of undress. I have no issue with this. There is a locker area provided with conveniently placed benches for dressing and undressing, as well as free towels. So, if I am standing at the vanity mirror blow drying my hair to rush back to work, please do NOT strip down right next to me at the mirror instead of at a locker, just so you can watch yourself undress, then leave your sweaty clothes on the counter *next to me* while you go get in the shower. This is not your personal dressing room and nobody should have to move your smelly clothes to get ready to go back to the office.

3. Again, the gym. Like many people, my gym clothes fit like a second skin. I'm not terribly self concious about this as I'm there to be healthier and I'm fairly lucky in that my rarely worked body is a healthy weight. I'm certainly not one of those super hot chicks, but fall well within the range of average. Correct me if I am wrong, but I thought there was a code on the gym floor. If you are going to watch other people, you are supposed to do so surreptitiously, not make them uncomfortable. We are all doing what we need to do and I suspect very few people there are interested in being brazenly ogled. Many of the weight machines require sitting with legs apart to ensure correct posture, or an effective movement. Repeatedly sitting across from me throughout the gym just to watch me do these exercises is despicable. Please, just go rent a dirty movie and leave me alone.

4. Doors and elevators. Just hold them, will ya? When hundreds of people are flowing in and out of an office building, you can't tell me you didn't know I was behind you when you let the door slam in my face. Because, you may not have known I was there, but you should have known somebody was there.

Ok, that's enough negativity for now. Carry on.

Yet Another Reason I Don't Talk Politics

Some might argue that I am a bit high maintenance. Fillip lovingly calls me Sally, harkening back to one of my favorite movies, When Harry Met Sally. I don't necessarily agree since I just like it the way I like it and consider myself low maintenance due to the fact that I happily leave the hair dryer at home to go camping, but whatever. :) Anyway, I was feeling like my mani/pedi was way overdue after not going to the nail salon for the last several months. This is something I like to do on my lunch hour, feeling like I am sneaking away for a little bit of luxury at the cheap nail place below the Weight Watchers Center after I weigh in. So, even though the Center was closed today, I just didn't want to wait another day. I can get the bad news at my weigh in tomorrow. Maybe my pretty toes will console me so I don't turn to candy. Yeah, right!

Everything started off perfectly. I was nice and relaxed as my toes were trimmed, my feel scrubbed and massaged, and the nice lady doing all this asked me superficial questions about my life. When she was almost done, another lady came over to do my manicure to save time. Well, I really wish I had not been left "alone" with her. The first thing she asked me was who I voted for. Not. Cool. I told her I'd rather not say. Instead of seeing the red flag and changing the subject, she proceeds to tell me that she likes Hillary, but doesn't like Obama because, you know, he's black. Yes...she really did say that. No, I didn't stand up then and there and demand another non-racist manicurist, but I should have because she was just getting started. She ignored the fact that by now I literally had my head turned 180 degrees the other direction and was no longer responding as she spewed on about the fact that only blacks like blacks and that if he is elected, being black and all, the economy would end up in bad shape. Hello!!! Has she noticed our less than booming economy? Has she ever heard of something called the Civil Rights Movement? I finally had to tell her that whatever my opinion of Barack Obama is, that opinion is most definitely NOT based on race, but on the issues that matter to me. Finally, I turned it around to see who she voted for which is when she told me she can't vote because she isn't a citizen. So, I guess since she can't rock the vote, she is waging a grassroots campaign of hate via people who just wanted a stolen hour of cheap pampering. Just to make sure the experience ended on a bad note, when she gave me my change, she made sure to comment on the tip I left that was to be shared among the girls who had helped me. I slapped down two more dollars to make it even and told her she was lucky to get anything. I also made sure to let one of the ladies who runs the shop know about that conversation and said she should really let that awful manicurist know to keep her opinions to herself. The whole incident really shook me as I am rarely exposed to that kind of hateful attitude.

Honestly, had she brought up the subject of candidates and told me she was backing someone I don't like because of how she feels about certain issues, I would have felt it was not the appropriate forum, but not been offended. Difference of opinion is what our system is all about. However, it was just so irritating to listen to a woman who has come to this diverse country to have a better life go off about an entire race of people, as if she is somehow superior. Clearly, Barack Obama has been significantly more successful than either of us, and has my respect for what he is achieving in his life. Whether I vote for him or not, I recognize that he has a lot of great qualities in a human being. That lady who did my nails could learn a lot from that black man.