Thursday, May 29, 2008

annoyances

So I know this is silly, but there is this one little thing that annoys me every Thursday. I work from home for four hours every Thursday, usually from 7ish to 11ish. The weekly annoyance occurrence when I log out:

First I click on the "log out" button.

Then a pop up says "are you sure you want to log out? Yes or no" So I click "yes" because yes, I know what it means when I click on the log out button.

THEN another box pops up that says "You have logged out" I know! I have to hit ok to get past this pop up.

Finally the last pop up box says something along the lines of "this window will now close."

Yes, there are much more important things to get worked up about but seriously this drives me crazy!!

Sunday, May 25, 2008

Buscapades

Heya. Thought I'd update y'all on my bus experiences from this week. So, here goes:

Monday:

I was bright-eyed, bushy-tailed, and perhaps naive. I was sporting my (well, SDB's) iPod and my backpack and I was on my way. The walk was good, the bus was on time. When I got on the bus, I noticed that I was the only one with headphones. I wondered if it was some sort of bus etiquette thing, or simple economics ...it seemed like most of the riders where there by necessity, not by choice.

Tuesday:
Again with the iPod. I discovered a new podcast to listen to. A little unpolished gem from "2homos.com." About halfway through the ride, I noticed that it smelled like pot. It was 8:15am! Was it the woman in scrubs who just got on the bus? Someone in the back?

Wednesday:
I had to run to the bus. Not liking the earlier morning aspect. On the way home, TV 6 was filming and interviewing for a story on CATA, and the millage increase they are looking for. I didn't get interviewed, but the guy next to me did. I wish they had talked to me because I disagreed with what the dude next to me said. Maybe the dang iPOD turned off the reporter?

Thursday:
Ok, time for a little experiment...no iPod this day. Sure enough, 2 guys talked to me at the bus stop. I experienced my first bus stop philosophy... did you know that life goes by fast, so you should live in the moment? A different guy got picked up by a friend in a car. The guy who thought we should live in the moment started living in the past...he was jealous because he would rather take a car than the bus.

Friday:
Oy, shin splints on the walk to the bus. Mama needs a new pair of shoes. I was bummed because there was no hybrid bus on my route all week.

Anyway, it was a good week. The weather was nice everyday. I think my backpack setup is working pretty well. I found out that my company will cover my bus pass (in lieu of a parking expense). I had a lot more exercise, which has already had a positive effect. My favorite part though, is when people ask me what I'm doing about parking. I just smile and tell them I'm taking the bus!!

Friday, May 16, 2008

New catchphrases

I heard two new phrases today that I'm considering stealing for my own use. Let me know what you think:

For showing a sense of understanding/acknowledgment:

"I smell what you're steppin' in."

For calling out your liberal friends:

"No way, that's so FOX News of you!"

These phrases both made me chuckle. Granted, there was some drinking around when I heard these, so everything was "soooo awesome"...I guess that's why I'm running them by y'all before I try to adopt them. I'm counting on you to let me know!

Monday, May 05, 2008

Going green

(My apologies to SDB, who probably thinks that I've finally "come around" to MSU. BAH!)

My office is moving to downtown Lansing soon...like 2 weeks soon. I've lived a mere 1.5 miles from my office for what, 7.5 years now, and I could never quite get into the habit of walking/biking/busing to work. I'm kind of ashamed of that fact. But now, faced with a 5-6 mile distance, plus the pain/expense of parking, and the usual onslaught of road construction, I have decided to take the bus to work!

I am SO looking forward to this. Here's why:

- "me time" during my commute
- no driving, no stress
- more exercise due to walking to/from bus stops
- less gas to buy
- better for the environment (especially if I get one of the super-cool hybrid buses)

SDB and I tried out my route over the weekend. Door to door, it will take about 40 minutes. Not too shabby! I'll need to change a few other (bad) habits of mine...for instance, I'll need to routinely make my coffee at home instead of swinging by Tim Hortons (where I'm known as "large coffee with cream and a toasted 12-grain bagel with peanut butter") or Biggby (where I'm known as "tall coffee and blueberry bagel") for my morning brew. I'll also have to get up earlier!!

How will I do in the face of all this change? Well, I have no freakin' clue right now, but I'll let you know.