Murphy Strikes Again.

Yesterday as I was driving from my first job to my second job, I was on the highway when it started to snow pretty heavily. This in and of itself didn't bother me, and I continued on my way as I normally would (albeit reducing my speed to account for the slower moving traffic). Suddenly and without warning, a car in the right hand lane kicked up a piece of metal debris that was in the middle of the lane, throwing it across the highway and into - you guessed it - the front end of my car. Between the heavy traffic, decreased visibility, and suddenness of what happened, there was nothing I could do. Naturally, no sooner had this occurred and I began having a conniption fit, the snow abruptly stopped, the sun was shining, and traffic cleared.

As for saying in my post yesterday that I am thankful I'm not living the same day over and over again, a la the movie Groundhog Day? Well, one of these days, I am going to have to learn to keep my mouth shut - because that is exactly what I would like to do with yesterday. If I had left work a minute later or a minute earlier....If I had been driving a little slower or a little faster....If I had been driving in a different lane on the highway....If I had taken a different route to my second job....If only I hadn't recently bought a new car, and I was still driving my much dented and rusted Cavalier (which I would rather still be driving, by the way, except every time I turned around it needed another repair, and it was not worth the money)....If, if, if....

I know it's just a car, and it shouldn't be a big deal. While I am admittedly a perfectionist, I am by far not a materialistic person; it just makes me ill to still owe over $13,000 on something that is now damaged. Although, technically the car was already damaged, because someone put a huge scratch in the rear bumper while I was parked in the parking lot at my second job (before I even had a chance to get the car plated, no less). It took me forever and a day to get over the sick feeling I got every time I looked at the scratch in my rear bumper. I can only imagine how long it will take me to get over this.

It's Groundhog Day!

First D.J.: Okay, campers, rise and shine, and don't forget your booties 'cause it's coooold out there today.
Second D.J.: It's coooold out there every day. What is this, Miami Beach?
First D.J.: Not hardly. And you know, you can expect hazardous travel later today with that, you know, that, uh, that blizzard thing.
Second D.J.: [mockingly] That blizzard - thing. That blizzard - thing. Oh, well, here's the report! The National Weather Service is calling for a "big blizzard thing!"
First D.J.: Yessss, they are. But you know, there's another reason why today is especially exciting.
Second D.J.: Especially cold!
First D.J.: Especially cold, okay, but the big question on everybody's lips...
Second D.J.: - On their chapped lips...
First D.J.: - On their chapped lips, right: Do ya think Phil is gonna come out and see his shadow?
Second D.J.: Punxsutawney Phil!
First D.J.: Thats right, woodchuck-chuckers - it's
[in unison]
First D.J.: GROUNDHOG DAY!
Second D.J.: GROUNDHOG DAY!


From the Official Site of the Punxsuatawney Groundhog Club:

Hear Ye Hear Ye

On Gobbler's Knob this glorious Groundhog Day, February 2nd, 2009

Punxsutawney Phil, Seer of Seers, Prognosticator of all Prognosticators

Awoke to the call of President Bill Cooper

And greeted his handlers, Ben Hughes and John Griffiths

After casting a joyful eye towards thousands of his faithful followers,

Phil proclaimed that his beloved Pittsburgh Steelers were World Champions one more time

And a bright sky above me

Showed my shadow beside me.

So 6 more weeks of winter it will be.

Apparently, I have been waiting almost two weeks for this day. So naturally, when I woke up this morning, I completely forgot about the fact that today is Groundhog's Day.

Go figure.

At least I can be thankful that I'm not living the same day over and over again.

Un-Snow Day, Take Two

Apparently, our society is one that rewards the lazy and unmotivated, while those that actually care and try get screwed.

Okay, so maybe I am blowing this just a bit out of proportion, but I am miffed/ticked/pissed off. Today at work, we received an email detailing how we should record our time for Wednesday when the campus was closed due to the adverse weather conditions. Individuals who were scheduled to work, but did not make it into work that day, get to claim their hours on their timesheet under the code WTHR. People like me, however, who actually showed up and worked MORE than their eight hour shift, do not get to claim any time using this code. Basically, if I had given in to my desire to say screw it and call in, I would have gotten a paid day off; but because I was one of the few dedicated workers who actually showed up that day, I am to receive no compensation. (Keep in mind, I had no choice but to show up - we have months worth of data that relies on certain things being done each day).

I know I am whining, but I needed to take a minute to complain.

On a completely different note, can I just say how proud I am of my oldest nephew, who is seeded third for wrestling sectionals tomorrow? :-)

Un-Snow Day.

Normally, I love my job. (Well, except for one tiny part, which in reality is not all that tiny.)

Today, not so much.

Working at a university has a lot of GREAT benefits, not the least of which are vacation time, sick time, nine paid holidays each year, and dirt cheap dental and health insurance. However, my position as a research technician, while affording me all of these great benefits, has one major drawback - it doesn't matter what day of the week it is, whether or not it is a holiday, or if campus is closed due to a winter storm - I still have to go to work.

Research must go on.

As I was getting ready to get in the shower this morning, my phone started ringing. Having woken up with a severe headache, I grumbled as I went to see who was text messaging/calling me at such an ungodly hour. I opened my phone to see a message from the university saying campus is closed and classes are canceled due to adverse weather. "That's great," I yelled at my phone, "but I still have to [insert expletive here] go to work!"

Which is unfortunate, because I really could have used a snow day.

WTF, mate?

Yesterday morning on NFL Sunday Countdown, Chris Berman wished Chris Mortensen a Happy Groundhog's Day.

I sat on the couch for several minutes feeling like I was in some sort of alternate universe, a la one of my recent blogs, which can be found here.

Am I missing something?

25 Random Things About Me.

I have now been tagged by four of my friends on Facebook, so I suppose I better get to it.

Rules: Once you've been tagged, you are supposed to write a note with 25 random things, facts, or goals about you. At the end, choose 25 people to be tagged. You have to tag the person who tagged you. If I tagged you, it's because I want to know more about you.

1. One thing I wish I had never done is color my hair.

2. I pluck gray hairs out of my head with tweezers. Unfortunately, there are too many for me to be able to pluck them all.

3. A pet peeve of mine is when people flick cigarette butts out of their car window while driving.

4. I have trouble making the simplest of decisions.

5. I am an emotional eater. Not so much when I am sad, but definitely when I am angry, frustrated, or some other similar type of emotion.

6. My favorite number is the number eight.

7. My favorite color is purple.

8. I often get asked what high school I attend.

9. I am a creature of habit, and I greatly dislike change.

10. One of my biggest weaknesses is my inability to confront people when I am upset.

11. I long to work a single job without having to put in overtime. As it is, I not only work overtime at my main job, but I also have a second job.

12. I am eternally grateful for those in my life who truly accept me for who I am, and around whom I am able to be my complete self.

13. I often correct grammatical errors in books while I am reading.

14. I greatly miss being a college student.

15. Foul language cracks me up (hence why I love Foamy the Squirrel so much).

16. Sometimes I snort when I laugh.

17. I dyed my hair purple once after I lost a bet.

18. I have had my car broken into twice, and my credit cards stolen three times.

19. I rarely like pictures of myself.

20. I have been listening to the new Kevin Rudolf CD, In The City, on repeat in my car for well over a week now.

21. I don't wear a watch. It's not that I don't like watches, I just haven't found a watch I like since my last one died several years ago (not that I have looked too terribly hard for one, though).

22. The color I wear most often is gray.

23. Music has the ability to lift my mood in a way few other things can.

24. While I am by nature not prone to spontaneity, I do tend to be impulsive in matters of the heart, which often results in my being hurt.

25. I would rather spend the rest of my life alone than spend it with someone who didn't place the same meaning and value on love that I do.

26. Reading through the blog entries I wrote on Xanga in 2005 and 2006 seems like a completely different life to me. I have changed a great deal since that time period, and in my opinion it has not been for the better.

27. Recently I have become extremely forgetful. I used to be able to remember great amounts of detail without a problem, but now it seems I can't even remember the smallest things.

So, I threw a couple of extra things in there. What can I say, I was on a roll. As always, I am not going to tag particular people. If you want to do this, then you will. If you don't want to do this, then you won't. It's as simple as that. :-) I hope some people do participate though, because I would greatly enjoy reading your answers!

Say What?!

I woke up today thinking it was Groundhog's Day....

In the shower, I thought about what I would change my blog background to after today. I also thought about writing a blog regarding one of my favorite movies, Groundhog Day starring Bill Murray, as a tribute to the day. I wondered whether or not Punxsutawney Phil would see his shadow, and if we could expect six more weeks of winter or an early spring. On our way out the door to work this morning, I even turned to Brent and said, "Happy Groundhog's Day!" It was when I said this and saw the expression on his face that it finally hit me - it isn't even February yet. I don't know what kind of dreams I had last night, but somehow from the time I fell asleep to the time I woke up, I fast forwarded through almost two weeks. (I hadn't even taken any NyQuil before bed that could explain my perceived jump into the future.)

Wishful thinking? Perhaps, although I can't think of something that is happening in the next two weeks that I would want to avoid so badly I would completely skip two weeks of my life.

What's most disturbing to me is the fact that I didn't just wake up thinking it was Groundhog's Day....I went on thinking that for an hour as I got ready for work. I would understand if I had only mistaken the day in the first few moments of waking up, where your mind is still groggy and disoriented....

Exhaustion must be taking more of a toll than I originally thought.