Going Postal

I just want to say that the guy who works the counter at my local post office is a tool. Everytime I'm in there, he's bitching about something. Today it was that one of the mail carriers left something outside last night. Dude, it's so unprofessional to do that in front of me. Really.

Every fucking time I have to send a certified letter, he bitches because the name of my company in the return address corner stretches way out to the middle of the envelope and he has a hard time putting the certified sticker on. Other postal workers have had the same complaint. So typically, I just take the sticker and letter and let them put it on to their own statisfaction. Today I had four letters. You would have thought it was a fucking bag of them.

He was like, "Are you going to help me with these?"

And I felt like saying, "No. You are a public servent. I pay your salary with my taxes. Put the fucking stickers on yourself. I don't ask you to make my collection calls, you fucking lazy asshole"

But I was nice and just got my dig in by saying, "Well, everytime I put them on myself someone complains. I just figured I'd let you do it the way you want." Then he went on to show me where to put it on. Fine. Except he didn't show me that the one part is supposed to fold over the edge of the envelope and he started bitching when I did it wrong. So I said, "Yeah, see, that's why I figured it would be better if you did it."

Jerk.

My Fair Lady

The state's biggest fair is this week. It's in the town where Paul and I went to college. I don't know why, but I always feel obligated to go every year. I have lots of weird stories about going to the fair, some years better than others (Ha! Karen, remember when you jumped out of my car in McAdoo on the way up?).

So yesterday Paul and I took our inlaws to the fair. We split up when we got there. It was ok, I guess. We ate and then we saw some big fat cows. Then we went to look at the animals (Ha! That old gag! Ha ha *cough* yeah). We played the candy wheel then saw the usual stuff that's there every year and made our way to the exhibits, typical quilts and stuff, except for this one.

There was a display made by the Danville Middle School called "Catch the Energy. Release the Potential." I loved this! On the display were a bunch of paper fish...some just taped to the fake ocean, others hanging from mobiles. They all had things written on them. "Be kind to others" "Listen" "Help each other" "Donate." Then, there was a little bucket hanging from the gate around the display. It was full of paper fish. It had a note on it that said to take one if you wanted to catch the energy and then to put it back for others if you want to release the potential. Naturally, I picked a fish. It said, "Play. Hang out with friends. Enjoy life." I kept it thinking I'll release the potential by following through with it. Paul picked one and it said, "Choose your attittude. Don't throw a fit when you don't get your own way." He rolled his eyes, put it back and said, "That one was supposed to be yours." Jerk.

So then we met up with the inlaws and went home. I decided to drive home through Tamaqua. My father inlaw always asks about the Last Chance because one of his old co-workers owns it (for those of you who aren't from the area, the Last Chance is a bar in town conveniently located across the street from the high school). I told him I'd drive by it so he could see it. Then he offered to buy us a beer if we went in. Weeeelll, who am I to turn down a beer, right? But just one little draft. I was driving. So we went in, drank and he talked to his buddy and then we left. My mother in law had a beer, too. I don't believe I've ever seen her drink a beer before. I can honestly say that was the first time I was ever in there as an adult. Thank God hardly anyone was in there because I looked like such a grit.

Today I took my mother in law to the mall to find a dress for a wedding that we're going to next month. Then I bought her lunch at Panera. I'm such a good daughter in law. I tried to find a dress, too, but the only one I liked didn't look right on me. I'm really picky I guess. Then I came home and took a much needed nap. Now I'll be able to stay up later tonight! But I should probably do some homework. Bleh. Better get going...

I'm Outraged Over the Outrage

So the polls are coming out that an astounding majority of America is outraged over the way the president has handled the crisis in the Gulf of Mexico. A little too late now to realize, don't ya think?

Y'know what, America? We tried to warn you. I specifically remember having conversations with many of you regarding my absolute disdain for Bush and how anyone could possibly like him at all. "I just like him. That's all." "He's likable." "He's like an everyday person."

Yeah, he sure looks like one now, doesn't he?

Louisianna, Mississippi, Alabama, you voted this fucker in. Way to go! Look how you're making out. I know I'm being harsh, but maybe if you, oh I don't know, got your Baptist asses away from your 10 hour services and read a book called Origin of the Species by this guy named Charles Darwin you'd see how his words relate to all this. You were dumb and easily mislead. You didn't check your facts and do your homework. Now you fight to hang on while the strong and (although I hate to admit it) clever survive.

Some people say that this whole thing is God's way of punishing the city of New Orleans for its debauchery. I disagree. This is pure Darwinism to me. And I realize that there are excpetions to this and not everyone down there voted for Bush. For those people, I feel truly bad.

With all this said, I have already given to the Red Cross and I will continue to give as I can. I'm saddened to see a city that I enjoyed so much with its fun, food and music completely destroyed. My heart aches to go see the Spotted Cat one more time, have a hurricane from Bourbon St. Liquors and eat some aligator off of a stick at the French Market. I hope someday it's all restored.

And I hope we all learn from this.

He Fought the Law and the Paul Won

Thursday we fought the speeding ticket that we got on the way home from the Pixies concert (see "Talking Sweet About Nothing" blog entry). Paul got off on the technicality that the date was wrong on the ticket. I thought I would help the case, seeing how Paul was giving me a lecture about speeding on the road we were on, but it turns out I hurt his case. The judge said, "I know when I'm in the car having a conversation with my wife, I don't always watch how fast or slow I'm going." He also said that Paul should be thankful that the cop gave him a break by reducing the speed an not giving points. Paul said he understood and would not be fighting it if he didn't truly believe that he was speeding. The judge said that if the date on the ticket had been right, he would have lost. Paul's pissed about that. He really wanted to win on his own terms.

So then we came home, I made the pork cutlets that I was supposed to make Monday and drank a whole bottle of Riesling myself. I guess the food turned out okay. Tommy had two cutlets. But then again, that guy must be starving because we never feed him. (For those of you who don't know, Paul's brother Tommy left his wife and has been staying with us for the last month. It's much better than having a kid. My dishwasher is fixed. He takes the garbage out and he stays up late and drinks with me on the weekends).

School started this week. The first class is in conflict management and looks interesting. The other one, well, eh. There's a group presentation. I hate working in groups. I chose to work with a group of three men, basically based on where they live. But they seem okay, I guess. One of them is originally from Hazleton. The paper is not a group project, which makes me happy. I've had too many disasterous group papers from people who are too comma happy or form these insanely complex sentences that are impossible to follow. I like to write (despite my inability to spell), but I hate having to deal with the bullshit of the incompetent.

Went to the Allentown fair last night and got sick. I don't know what is wrong with me lately, but this has been happening quite a bit. My appetite is dwindling, too.