This post is going to be solely dedicated to riding the metro during the summer. Now, I know some of you think that you know the metro like the back of your hand and think that anytime is a good time to ride the metro, but you're wrong. Way, way wrong. If you think that riding during rush hour is the best idea because there will be more trains, you're in over your head. I have complied a few tips you can use, should you choose to ride the metro during the summer like a typical tourist.
1. Ride between 10am and 4pm. First of all, it's cheaper and metro is about to hike its fares this summer, and second, you won't have to deal with as many people going to work. I've said it before and I'll say it again: people during their morning and afternoon commute can be mean. They'll shove you aside if that means they make it in the train before the doors close.
2. If you are going into the city to see the museums and stuff, go during the week. School is almost out for summer, and that means no more field trips with hundreds of children pouring off yellow school buses. The middle of the week (Tuesday through Thursday) is the best time to go. Everyone who took an extended weekend has already left or haven't made it into the city, and thus, you get more of the museum to yourself.
3. If you're bringing a stroller, do not take it on the escalator. Yes, I know you're thinking "who would do that?!" and believe me, I've seen it done, many many times by ignorant people who think that blocking the entire escalator with their stroller that is housing their little angel is a good idea. Personally to me it screams that you're a negligent parent, and it kind of reminds me when I saw this woman leave her baby in a Target shopping cart while it went down the cart only escalator that has the big sign that says "REMOVE ALL CHILDREN." This is a bad idea on so many levels. First, there is no way to not block the entire escalator (remember: stand right, walk left), and other than that it is just the most unsafe thing you could do. I've seen children fall out, the stroller slip, and so on, and if you lose control of the stroller and it hits someone in the back, be ready for the third degree from some woman who claims to have all kinds of disabilities. Remember, the law doesn't help stupid. Please use common sense and take the elevator.
4. If you're bringing a stroller, don't travel at peak times. People have to jam onto the cars as it is, and you will get no sympathy because you have a child. And if your child is screaming or crying, get ready for everyone to look at you like you're the worst parent in the world and then make similar remarks under their breath.
5. When you hear "Step back, door's closing" you get out of the way. If you're about to miss the train, just miss it. If you make it on and your kid doesn't, metro doesn't care. If you are on an already packed train and something (your backpack, stroller, or purse) gets caught in the door, move it quickly. I've been on a packed metro car where someone couldn't move their bag out of the way and refused to get off the train, so they kicked us all off. Don't be that guy.
6. Take a look at the map online and figure out where you're getting on and off. There are maps available at every station. Also, if you are going to be walking all over the city, you should probably just buy a day pass instead of trying to calculate how much it is exactly going to be for your ride. You could walk all over and discover you're closer to one station than the one you got off at, or you could be a running a few minutes late and then get stuck in rush hour when the prices get jacked up. And dealing with station managers is no fun. I've maybe run into one nice one in the year I've been riding regularly.
What I hope you take away from this is that while riding the metro into the city is probably the best option (because parking can be a bitch), you have to be smart about it. Metro is about to change up a bunch of things with their scheduling (apparently more trains at the busier stations -- I'll believe it when I see it) and you can get turned around and confused incredibly easily. If you do come into the city, I hope you enjoy it. I really do enjoy working in the city, but not riding the god forsaken metro.
Happy travels and always remember.. STAND RIGHT WALK LEFT!
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
A Year
Well I figured since the time is upon us yet again to celebrate my escape from the womb (credits to Stewie Griffin), I would share a little of what happened this past year to me, since I know so many of you are oh so interested. Let's begin with this time last year:
I was working for a really neat paper company and was really enjoying the perks of my job and the people I worked with. However, the store was poorly managed by a manager who didn't like to work past 4pm or on the weekends, like, at all. So I usually got stuck with the closing shifts and worked all weekend long. There were a few weekends where I worked Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, all open to close. Then in early August I was offered a position at my current job and was more than happy to put in my two weeks at the paper store. Once the district manager heard that I was leaving, she was anything but happy. I was supposed to do an exit interview, but I think my manager knew that if I did, I would expose the fact that she never worked weekends and had taken a bunch off recently, leaving me and one other girl to run the store. Right before I put in my two weeks, the other supervisor had put in hers, pretty much having the same basic problems I was having with the store manager. And then the third supervisor was out because she found a full-time internship and she could only work about 4 hours a week. Now don't get me wrong, I enjoyed my time there and enjoyed the people I worked with (all girls) and the manager was nice, but she was bad at communication and just taking random entire weekends off.
Now for those of you who are keeping track, I was dating someone at the time, but I don't feel that I can write anything positive right here, right now. It was a joke of a relationship and it was only an emotional crutch for me since my relationship of two and half years had just ended. I will shed a little light on what happened in the months that followed: Well we broke up in February, and I'm not going to waste anytime telling you why, since many of you already know and it is not worth my time or energy anymore. But in August when I first started at my new job, I started getting emails from my ex's new girlfriend demanding that I leave him alone. So I was totally shocked because: 1. I haven't spoken to him since February; 2. I have no idea who she is; and 3. I haven't made any attempts to contact him other than one time to tell him I accidentally shipped something to my old address and didn't realize it (which I never got back because either him or his new whatever she is took it and threw it away). She sent me a very nasty email calling me every word in the book demanding that I leave him alone. So I wrote her a simple email back saying: "I have no idea who you are or what you are talking about, I haven't contacted him since we broke up and don't want to. Please leave me alone, thanks." And the nasty emails just kept coming one after the other. I stopped responding after the second "leave me alone" email, and she kept sending long, nasty emails saying how I'm fat and ugly (you know, since we are still in high school) and just generally rambling about how much my ex hates me. I also got messages from his brother's ex girlfriend who is also his best friend or whatever (basically, the town psycho). She was a major instigator in the problems that I had with my ex's family. But I just ignored them all and eventually sent them all to a spam folder in my email. Since then, I haven't heard from them, but I have a feeling they will come back in the future and annoy me since they all have the mind of middle schoolers.
Move on to my new job: totally love it. I started August 15 and right now we are in the middle of administrative professionals appreciation week. So yesterday I got breakfast on the firm, today I got flowers from my attorneys, later today I get an ice cream social, and then tomorrow I get lunch! So yeah, this week is pretty sweet. I work in the telecommunications department and have learned a lot about things that I never thought I would ever know anything about (if that makes sense).
I have also moved to College Park into a beautiful apartment with my life-long crush (now boyfriend), Andrew, and my dog, Charlie in February. The apartment is very spacious and the kitchen is the size of the bedroom I had in my apartment in Baltimore. I've cooked just about every single night, unless Andrew has mercy on me and takes me to dinner, which is usually the Buffalo Wild Wings right in front of our apartment. I finally got around to hanging some pictures and stuff, but we are still lacking a picture to go over our couch in the living room. However, yesterday I purchased the poster to the left, which will be framed in a quality IKEA frame and then placed over our couch with other various pictures.
I am incredibly happy with the way my life has turned out so far. I'm still at a crossroads on whether I want to go to grad school because I don't really want to be upwards of $30,000 in debt with a tanked job market. I'm also considering becoming a paralegal, but not sure if I want to devote the time to it yet since I would rather get into city planning. I think I'm going to play the next few years by ear and just wait and see where everything takes me. I've always been a planner and had everything perfectly laid out, and now, I'm just going to throw caution into the wind and wait and see what happens. I know I don't want to live in Maryland my entire life, and Florida seems to be in the horizon in a few years. We have another year on our lease here in College Park, and then, who knows where we will go. I do love my job and the people I work with, and leaving would be really hard.
Sorry this isn't a regular post complaining about the Metro, which I PROMISE I will do again soon!
xoxo
I was working for a really neat paper company and was really enjoying the perks of my job and the people I worked with. However, the store was poorly managed by a manager who didn't like to work past 4pm or on the weekends, like, at all. So I usually got stuck with the closing shifts and worked all weekend long. There were a few weekends where I worked Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, all open to close. Then in early August I was offered a position at my current job and was more than happy to put in my two weeks at the paper store. Once the district manager heard that I was leaving, she was anything but happy. I was supposed to do an exit interview, but I think my manager knew that if I did, I would expose the fact that she never worked weekends and had taken a bunch off recently, leaving me and one other girl to run the store. Right before I put in my two weeks, the other supervisor had put in hers, pretty much having the same basic problems I was having with the store manager. And then the third supervisor was out because she found a full-time internship and she could only work about 4 hours a week. Now don't get me wrong, I enjoyed my time there and enjoyed the people I worked with (all girls) and the manager was nice, but she was bad at communication and just taking random entire weekends off.
Now for those of you who are keeping track, I was dating someone at the time, but I don't feel that I can write anything positive right here, right now. It was a joke of a relationship and it was only an emotional crutch for me since my relationship of two and half years had just ended. I will shed a little light on what happened in the months that followed: Well we broke up in February, and I'm not going to waste anytime telling you why, since many of you already know and it is not worth my time or energy anymore. But in August when I first started at my new job, I started getting emails from my ex's new girlfriend demanding that I leave him alone. So I was totally shocked because: 1. I haven't spoken to him since February; 2. I have no idea who she is; and 3. I haven't made any attempts to contact him other than one time to tell him I accidentally shipped something to my old address and didn't realize it (which I never got back because either him or his new whatever she is took it and threw it away). She sent me a very nasty email calling me every word in the book demanding that I leave him alone. So I wrote her a simple email back saying: "I have no idea who you are or what you are talking about, I haven't contacted him since we broke up and don't want to. Please leave me alone, thanks." And the nasty emails just kept coming one after the other. I stopped responding after the second "leave me alone" email, and she kept sending long, nasty emails saying how I'm fat and ugly (you know, since we are still in high school) and just generally rambling about how much my ex hates me. I also got messages from his brother's ex girlfriend who is also his best friend or whatever (basically, the town psycho). She was a major instigator in the problems that I had with my ex's family. But I just ignored them all and eventually sent them all to a spam folder in my email. Since then, I haven't heard from them, but I have a feeling they will come back in the future and annoy me since they all have the mind of middle schoolers.
Move on to my new job: totally love it. I started August 15 and right now we are in the middle of administrative professionals appreciation week. So yesterday I got breakfast on the firm, today I got flowers from my attorneys, later today I get an ice cream social, and then tomorrow I get lunch! So yeah, this week is pretty sweet. I work in the telecommunications department and have learned a lot about things that I never thought I would ever know anything about (if that makes sense).
I have also moved to College Park into a beautiful apartment with my life-long crush (now boyfriend), Andrew, and my dog, Charlie in February. The apartment is very spacious and the kitchen is the size of the bedroom I had in my apartment in Baltimore. I've cooked just about every single night, unless Andrew has mercy on me and takes me to dinner, which is usually the Buffalo Wild Wings right in front of our apartment. I finally got around to hanging some pictures and stuff, but we are still lacking a picture to go over our couch in the living room. However, yesterday I purchased the poster to the left, which will be framed in a quality IKEA frame and then placed over our couch with other various pictures.I am incredibly happy with the way my life has turned out so far. I'm still at a crossroads on whether I want to go to grad school because I don't really want to be upwards of $30,000 in debt with a tanked job market. I'm also considering becoming a paralegal, but not sure if I want to devote the time to it yet since I would rather get into city planning. I think I'm going to play the next few years by ear and just wait and see where everything takes me. I've always been a planner and had everything perfectly laid out, and now, I'm just going to throw caution into the wind and wait and see what happens. I know I don't want to live in Maryland my entire life, and Florida seems to be in the horizon in a few years. We have another year on our lease here in College Park, and then, who knows where we will go. I do love my job and the people I work with, and leaving would be really hard.
Sorry this isn't a regular post complaining about the Metro, which I PROMISE I will do again soon!
xoxo
Monday, April 2, 2012
How to Ride the DC Metro
For those of you who have never ridden the DC Metro, or just have no idea how to and are constantly getting mean looks, cursed at, and bumped into, I have compiled a little "how-to" including tips on how to ride the labyrinth nightmare that is the DC Metro. Sure, one could argue that our system here is nothing compared to that of Paris or New York, but they all are born and bred how to ride the underground transit systems, and it is very apparent that we here in the DMV area, were not. So here is my list for all of you to use and share with your peers:
1. Never ride during rush hour unless it is absolutely necessary. You are going to encounter the everyday riders who don't have time for your stupid sh*t. Most of them have not had enough coffee to be polite to their fellow humans, and can become angry at an accelerated rate due to the lack of knowledge one must possess to ride during rush hour. The best times to ride on the week days are from 10AM to 4:30PM, and then from 6:00PM until the last train leaves the station. Avoid the metro at all costs between the hours of 7AM to 10AM and 4:30 to 6PM.
2. When exiting the train get out of the way. The last thing you want to do is exit the car, come to a dead stop and either get shoved out of the way or yelled at. I've seen both happen to innocent tourists who wanted to step one step off the car and look around. This is the worst possible idea. When you are exiting a train car, get off the car and walk as far away from the car as you can. Walk to the middle of the platform or get up against a column, a wall, or anything else you can put your back against. Then, and only then, should you consult your phone, map, or look around to figure out where you are going next. Failing to do this will result in having many people run into you, shoving you out of the way, and yelling at you.
3. Stand right, walk left. Stand right, walk left. STAND RIGHT, WALK LEFT. I cannot stress this enough.
4. If you have rolling luggage or any kind of big bulky luggage accompanying you on your Metro trip, keep it as close to your body as possible. Not only for the fear of it getting stolen, but because if you have your big bulky bag on the floor in the middle of everything, it will get stepped on and tripped over. The last thing you want to do is trip a regular Metro rider, trust me. When getting on an escalator with your luggage, always put the luggage on the stair in front of you, and stand behind it. DO NOT put it next to you and block the entire escalator, you will get yelled at.
5. If you are claustrophobic, consider another form of transportation. Trying to take up two seats because you can't have someone sit next to you because you're claustrophobic will not fly.
6. Do not put your bag on the seat next to you and block a seat. Someone will walk up and sit on your bag or demand that you move it.
7. Keep cell phone usage to a minimum or speak very softly. No one wants to hear your conversation about how your 'roids have returned. Plus, it's bad manners to talk incredibly loud on the Metro because not everyone wants to hear your conversation. Than again, it's bad manners to talk loudly anywhere besides outdoors.
8. If you decide to ride during a time of high traffic and get stuck near the door, please remember that you may have to step off the train so people can unload when it is not your stop. Blocking the door's is a major no-no and if people are trying to get off but you're blocking them, just simply step off and to the side where the other people are waiting to get on, let the people off, and then step back in. Simple as that. If you don't you will get yelled at or shoved out of the way.
9. Again, if you decide to ride during high traffic and you're going to be on for awhile, board the train and move towards the center of the car. Do not stand near the doors if you have 6 stops to go. Get on the train, get to the center and either find a seat or stand.
10. If someone bumps into you and you are following all of the rules and tips above, let it go. I get bumped into all the time when walking because people are dumber than rocks and can't seem to walk in a straight line or stay with the flow of people. If this happens, and unless they don't throw you into a wall or onto the tracks, let it go. As Chris Rock said: "If someone steps on your foot, let it slide. Why spend the next 20 years in jail cause someone smudged your Puma?"
11. Never depend on the station managers to be helpful, in the station manager office, or polite. Go to the WMATA website and calculate your fare, what stop you need to get off on, and any other inquires you might have.
12. Try not to carry much cash and don't have your nice new portable electronics out while you're riding during a low volume time. Your risk of getting robbed goes way up when there aren't that many people around.
I hope that you have all found my tips and rules helpful. Maybe you learned something new, or maybe you're sitting there thinking to yourself "holy sh*t, people are really this stupid?" The answer is yes, yes they are. The recent influx of Cherry Blossom tourists has really been riding my last nerve, as well as everyone else. If there is only one tip that I hope you take away from this entry, it's this: stand right, walk left.
xoxo
1. Never ride during rush hour unless it is absolutely necessary. You are going to encounter the everyday riders who don't have time for your stupid sh*t. Most of them have not had enough coffee to be polite to their fellow humans, and can become angry at an accelerated rate due to the lack of knowledge one must possess to ride during rush hour. The best times to ride on the week days are from 10AM to 4:30PM, and then from 6:00PM until the last train leaves the station. Avoid the metro at all costs between the hours of 7AM to 10AM and 4:30 to 6PM.
2. When exiting the train get out of the way. The last thing you want to do is exit the car, come to a dead stop and either get shoved out of the way or yelled at. I've seen both happen to innocent tourists who wanted to step one step off the car and look around. This is the worst possible idea. When you are exiting a train car, get off the car and walk as far away from the car as you can. Walk to the middle of the platform or get up against a column, a wall, or anything else you can put your back against. Then, and only then, should you consult your phone, map, or look around to figure out where you are going next. Failing to do this will result in having many people run into you, shoving you out of the way, and yelling at you.
3. Stand right, walk left. Stand right, walk left. STAND RIGHT, WALK LEFT. I cannot stress this enough.
4. If you have rolling luggage or any kind of big bulky luggage accompanying you on your Metro trip, keep it as close to your body as possible. Not only for the fear of it getting stolen, but because if you have your big bulky bag on the floor in the middle of everything, it will get stepped on and tripped over. The last thing you want to do is trip a regular Metro rider, trust me. When getting on an escalator with your luggage, always put the luggage on the stair in front of you, and stand behind it. DO NOT put it next to you and block the entire escalator, you will get yelled at.
5. If you are claustrophobic, consider another form of transportation. Trying to take up two seats because you can't have someone sit next to you because you're claustrophobic will not fly.
6. Do not put your bag on the seat next to you and block a seat. Someone will walk up and sit on your bag or demand that you move it.
7. Keep cell phone usage to a minimum or speak very softly. No one wants to hear your conversation about how your 'roids have returned. Plus, it's bad manners to talk incredibly loud on the Metro because not everyone wants to hear your conversation. Than again, it's bad manners to talk loudly anywhere besides outdoors.
8. If you decide to ride during a time of high traffic and get stuck near the door, please remember that you may have to step off the train so people can unload when it is not your stop. Blocking the door's is a major no-no and if people are trying to get off but you're blocking them, just simply step off and to the side where the other people are waiting to get on, let the people off, and then step back in. Simple as that. If you don't you will get yelled at or shoved out of the way.
9. Again, if you decide to ride during high traffic and you're going to be on for awhile, board the train and move towards the center of the car. Do not stand near the doors if you have 6 stops to go. Get on the train, get to the center and either find a seat or stand.
10. If someone bumps into you and you are following all of the rules and tips above, let it go. I get bumped into all the time when walking because people are dumber than rocks and can't seem to walk in a straight line or stay with the flow of people. If this happens, and unless they don't throw you into a wall or onto the tracks, let it go. As Chris Rock said: "If someone steps on your foot, let it slide. Why spend the next 20 years in jail cause someone smudged your Puma?"
11. Never depend on the station managers to be helpful, in the station manager office, or polite. Go to the WMATA website and calculate your fare, what stop you need to get off on, and any other inquires you might have.
12. Try not to carry much cash and don't have your nice new portable electronics out while you're riding during a low volume time. Your risk of getting robbed goes way up when there aren't that many people around.
I hope that you have all found my tips and rules helpful. Maybe you learned something new, or maybe you're sitting there thinking to yourself "holy sh*t, people are really this stupid?" The answer is yes, yes they are. The recent influx of Cherry Blossom tourists has really been riding my last nerve, as well as everyone else. If there is only one tip that I hope you take away from this entry, it's this: stand right, walk left.
xoxo
Monday, March 26, 2012
Hypocrites
I've dealt with my fair share of hypocrites in high school and my college life, but I never thought they would follow me into my adult life. I mean, I did kind of expect it, but at the same time, you are an adult, you need to act like one. I always try to practice what I preach, and I will admit, I sometimes do fall short, but I think I have made a lot of progress. I am no longer in a self-destructive relationship, I am taking better care of my self health wise, I got a good job that I love, and I try not to take too much offense when people are passive aggressive with me. I used to be very confrontational when someone was passive aggressive with me, but lately I've just been letting crazy be crazy. Yes, it does sometimes bother me, but I've used my better judgement, mostly because the people being passive aggressive are family or friends. I can think of a handful of people that I would love to call up and tell them to go to hell because they are passive aggressive with me and have been getting away with it. I am not a doormat, I just don't give enough f*cks to get into it with you.
Also, if you are going to give advice, please practice what you preach. I understand why people give advice. Maybe it's from a life lesson they've learned or maybe they have someone they know going through something similar and are giving insight into what you can do. However, if you are dishing out advice, you should stand behind your advice and practice what you preach. Recently I have had some people in my life give me advice, and I've seen (and heard) it given to many people, yet the person giving the advice doesn't seem to follow their own advice. I am a big believer in karma, and there are a huge list of people that I'm waiting for it to hit. I know I shouldn't be vengeful, but seriously, if some of you have heard the bulls*it I've been hearing, you would patiently be awaiting sweet lady karma too.
I have recently decided that if a family member or a close friend is being passive aggressive with me, I am going to confront them. I am not going to be passive aggressive or nasty back, I'm going to simply tell them they are really being very rude and being a hypocrite and shouldn't tell me what to do or judge me for my decisions. I am sick and tired of hearing people say one thing and then turn around and do another. I know, it is their decision on how to run their life, but seriously, grow up. It was very hard to write this entry without going into too much detail on the people I've been dealing with, and I'm not going to call them out on my blog. But just be warned, if you are going to be a jerk to me, I am going to call you out and tell you to go to hell.
And now a puppy in a sink...
Also, if you are going to give advice, please practice what you preach. I understand why people give advice. Maybe it's from a life lesson they've learned or maybe they have someone they know going through something similar and are giving insight into what you can do. However, if you are dishing out advice, you should stand behind your advice and practice what you preach. Recently I have had some people in my life give me advice, and I've seen (and heard) it given to many people, yet the person giving the advice doesn't seem to follow their own advice. I am a big believer in karma, and there are a huge list of people that I'm waiting for it to hit. I know I shouldn't be vengeful, but seriously, if some of you have heard the bulls*it I've been hearing, you would patiently be awaiting sweet lady karma too.
I have recently decided that if a family member or a close friend is being passive aggressive with me, I am going to confront them. I am not going to be passive aggressive or nasty back, I'm going to simply tell them they are really being very rude and being a hypocrite and shouldn't tell me what to do or judge me for my decisions. I am sick and tired of hearing people say one thing and then turn around and do another. I know, it is their decision on how to run their life, but seriously, grow up. It was very hard to write this entry without going into too much detail on the people I've been dealing with, and I'm not going to call them out on my blog. But just be warned, if you are going to be a jerk to me, I am going to call you out and tell you to go to hell.
And now a puppy in a sink...
xoxo
Monday, March 19, 2012
Drama
I don't understand some people. Why can't everyone just live by the rule "if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all"? Sure, when I scroll through my Facebook feed I have plenty of comments about peoples statuses, but I don't post them, because I'm nice like that (ha). My top comments that I either share with Andrew or say in my head are:
1. Whorebag!
2. Do you think picture is really the best representation of who you are as a person?
3. Oh great ANOTHER baby picture. Yes, it appears that your kid did move a half inch so you must take a picture!
4. What the actual f*ck?
5. Just Google it!
6. OVERSHARE! Tell me more!
7. Oh you are SUCH a hypocrite!
8. Oh what a clever saying you have there, I bet you worked really hard on thinking that up ALL BY YOURSELF.
There is a huge difference between sharing your comments with someone else and actually saying them to the person. I know that some people simply don't have a filter between their brain and their mouth, which is a whole other issue within itself. It just really bugs me when someone has to go the extra mile to make you feel bad. Sometimes you may think that what you say is constructive criticism, but in reality, you're just being a huge douche. Is this how you want people to treat you too? If it is, I will gladly return the favor. In the past year or so I've had to deal with people who were mean and condescending to me, and the best part was that they were being a huge hypocrite. There are some people in my Facebook that I should just unfriend, but if I did it would start a sh*t storm of epic proportions because they are friends with a family member or another close friend. I rather keep them than delete them and say "I deleted you because you're a huge ass and think that you can say one thing and then do another" when they text me confronting me about why I unfriended them. Especially because I will see these people in upcoming social situations. I recently encountered a situation like this with someone that I could not unfriend because, like I said, epic shit storm. So I decided to just not confront the person (that would have made it even worse) and just let crazy be crazy. I let them say their crazy shit to me, and I just moved on. It wasn't worth my time getting involved in a confrontation with this person. I just simply got a throwaway Reddit account and shared my story on there.
Another thing that drives me NUTS is when people start drama on Facebook, and like the little comic says "The amount of times that you say you hate drama is directly proportional to the amount of times you actually create it." I could go on for days telling stories of girls I have known who preached this to me, but then would turn around and start drama with me if I didn't follow them blindly. I have dealt with the nastiest girl this side of the Mississippi and from the beginning I wanted NOTHING to do with her. She was a friend of my ex's and she just lived in a drama filled cesspool. And when I wanted nothing to do with her, all the drama started. The lies, the accusations, the fights, all from this one person that I had met maybe twice. She sent me threatening Facebook messages and called me every name in the book, yet when I came face to face with her, she would stay as far away from me as possible. I finally got rid of her, but it took a lot of ignoring and patience, even after she was contacting good friends of mine talking trash to them. SMDH. Oh and no one (including my ex) would come to my defense when she started trying to start all this drama with me, so I just let crazy bitches be crazy bitches, and in the end, I made out so much better.
I recently had an issue with someone that just came out of left field, but my better judgement told me to just leave it alone, let crazy be crazy, and all and all I think it was the best decision. I also can't stand it when people post something like "Urgh, been crying all morning" and then when people ask whats wrong, they say "I don't want to talk about it" or "its personal." Well then, continue listening to your Fall Out Boy and Dashboard Confessional in the dark, but don't post it on Facebook if its "personal." People love drama, hell I will even admit that I love the occasional juicy gossip story and all the drama it entails, but I never get involved. Every girl loves drama. If you meet one that says they don't, they are a liar, and most of the time they're the ones that start the drama. I have a list of a few of the nastiest people I've ever dealt with that started "drama" with me and they were girls who said "oh no, I don't like other girls, they start too much drama. I hate drama." If any girl says this to you, RUN! This is code for: "I live to fuel the fires of drama and start as much drama as I can and then cry victim." Usually when someone writes me a condescending message on a crafting site I'm on, I just respond with a nice simple answer and not even acknowledge that they were incredibly rude to me. I've gotten a few mean messages from members who think that since they have been there longer their sh*t don't stink and they can talk down to me, which is incredibly frustrating, but now I just leave it be. If they want to think they are queen bitch, I'll let them. Someone else can deal with their crap.
Back to my original point: if you have nothing nice to say, just shut your damn mouth and don't take it the extra step. It will never end well for you, so just zip it. Working in retail for so many years I have experienced some of the nastiest people who just can't shut their mouth. I could tell story after story about the ridiculous shenannegans that I've heard from customers, but that's for another time. But seriously, why can't people just be NICE? I will admit I haven't always been the nicest person, but when someone is acting normally and being calm, why start something? Like if someone posts something on Facebook (the current trending topics are: female reproductive rights, politics, and sports) and you don't have anything valuable to add to the conversation, i.e. you are a troll or just in the mood to be a douche, don't post. You look like an idiot. Also, men: stop commenting on female reproductive rights. I'm sure you have a stance on it, but unless its "women should have the right to choose," please do not comment. I know, it involves you since it takes two to tango, but right now this is a hot bed issue that women are VERY passionate about, and since men have NOTHING to compare this to, it's really not your place to comment.
So please, be nice to people, there's some saying about smiles and going miles, but just chill out and be calm.
xoxo
1. Whorebag!
2. Do you think picture is really the best representation of who you are as a person?
3. Oh great ANOTHER baby picture. Yes, it appears that your kid did move a half inch so you must take a picture!
4. What the actual f*ck?
5. Just Google it!
6. OVERSHARE! Tell me more!
7. Oh you are SUCH a hypocrite!
8. Oh what a clever saying you have there, I bet you worked really hard on thinking that up ALL BY YOURSELF.
There is a huge difference between sharing your comments with someone else and actually saying them to the person. I know that some people simply don't have a filter between their brain and their mouth, which is a whole other issue within itself. It just really bugs me when someone has to go the extra mile to make you feel bad. Sometimes you may think that what you say is constructive criticism, but in reality, you're just being a huge douche. Is this how you want people to treat you too? If it is, I will gladly return the favor. In the past year or so I've had to deal with people who were mean and condescending to me, and the best part was that they were being a huge hypocrite. There are some people in my Facebook that I should just unfriend, but if I did it would start a sh*t storm of epic proportions because they are friends with a family member or another close friend. I rather keep them than delete them and say "I deleted you because you're a huge ass and think that you can say one thing and then do another" when they text me confronting me about why I unfriended them. Especially because I will see these people in upcoming social situations. I recently encountered a situation like this with someone that I could not unfriend because, like I said, epic shit storm. So I decided to just not confront the person (that would have made it even worse) and just let crazy be crazy. I let them say their crazy shit to me, and I just moved on. It wasn't worth my time getting involved in a confrontation with this person. I just simply got a throwaway Reddit account and shared my story on there.Another thing that drives me NUTS is when people start drama on Facebook, and like the little comic says "The amount of times that you say you hate drama is directly proportional to the amount of times you actually create it." I could go on for days telling stories of girls I have known who preached this to me, but then would turn around and start drama with me if I didn't follow them blindly. I have dealt with the nastiest girl this side of the Mississippi and from the beginning I wanted NOTHING to do with her. She was a friend of my ex's and she just lived in a drama filled cesspool. And when I wanted nothing to do with her, all the drama started. The lies, the accusations, the fights, all from this one person that I had met maybe twice. She sent me threatening Facebook messages and called me every name in the book, yet when I came face to face with her, she would stay as far away from me as possible. I finally got rid of her, but it took a lot of ignoring and patience, even after she was contacting good friends of mine talking trash to them. SMDH. Oh and no one (including my ex) would come to my defense when she started trying to start all this drama with me, so I just let crazy bitches be crazy bitches, and in the end, I made out so much better.
I recently had an issue with someone that just came out of left field, but my better judgement told me to just leave it alone, let crazy be crazy, and all and all I think it was the best decision. I also can't stand it when people post something like "Urgh, been crying all morning" and then when people ask whats wrong, they say "I don't want to talk about it" or "its personal." Well then, continue listening to your Fall Out Boy and Dashboard Confessional in the dark, but don't post it on Facebook if its "personal." People love drama, hell I will even admit that I love the occasional juicy gossip story and all the drama it entails, but I never get involved. Every girl loves drama. If you meet one that says they don't, they are a liar, and most of the time they're the ones that start the drama. I have a list of a few of the nastiest people I've ever dealt with that started "drama" with me and they were girls who said "oh no, I don't like other girls, they start too much drama. I hate drama." If any girl says this to you, RUN! This is code for: "I live to fuel the fires of drama and start as much drama as I can and then cry victim." Usually when someone writes me a condescending message on a crafting site I'm on, I just respond with a nice simple answer and not even acknowledge that they were incredibly rude to me. I've gotten a few mean messages from members who think that since they have been there longer their sh*t don't stink and they can talk down to me, which is incredibly frustrating, but now I just leave it be. If they want to think they are queen bitch, I'll let them. Someone else can deal with their crap.
Back to my original point: if you have nothing nice to say, just shut your damn mouth and don't take it the extra step. It will never end well for you, so just zip it. Working in retail for so many years I have experienced some of the nastiest people who just can't shut their mouth. I could tell story after story about the ridiculous shenannegans that I've heard from customers, but that's for another time. But seriously, why can't people just be NICE? I will admit I haven't always been the nicest person, but when someone is acting normally and being calm, why start something? Like if someone posts something on Facebook (the current trending topics are: female reproductive rights, politics, and sports) and you don't have anything valuable to add to the conversation, i.e. you are a troll or just in the mood to be a douche, don't post. You look like an idiot. Also, men: stop commenting on female reproductive rights. I'm sure you have a stance on it, but unless its "women should have the right to choose," please do not comment. I know, it involves you since it takes two to tango, but right now this is a hot bed issue that women are VERY passionate about, and since men have NOTHING to compare this to, it's really not your place to comment.
So please, be nice to people, there's some saying about smiles and going miles, but just chill out and be calm.
xoxo
Thursday, March 15, 2012
Metro Manners: Men
This post will be dedicated entirely to men and their horrific manners on public transportation. The picture I have inserted is from when I was on the train not too long ago. It was a crowded train and this man decided "F everyone else, I want this bench all to myself!" So once the person sitting next to him got off, the woman standing next to me with a baby in one of those front baby slings tries to go and sit down, only to have him move more towards the middle and then spread his legs out. REALLY?! Where did you grow up? Did your mother teach you no manners?!?! And this isn't the first time something like this has happened. So here are the metro manners that men need to learn:#1. When a lady has a baby, you move, or you get up and let her sit down. That is an unwritten rule of being a man and being polite. Hell, even I have gotten up to give my seat to a pregnant woman or a woman carrying a baby.
#2. You ALWAYS offer your seat to a lady. Even if a woman is not with child or carrying one around, you should always offer your seat first. That is one of the top rules of etiquette. That is just common sense. And let me guess, I bet you're single, you think there's a reason? This kid didn't and look what happened to him: Bus Driver Beatdown.
#3. Never shove a woman out of the way so you can get the seat. You should never EVER put your hands on a woman, period, especially to get her out of your way. I had an incident this morning where I was walking along the platform with the flow of people, minding my own business, when all of a sudden a short man comes running through the crowd the wrong way (instead of walking with the crowd next to us going his way) and put both hands on my sides and shoved me out of the way. I slammed into the side of a Metro car, and if the car hadn't been there, I would have fallen off the platform onto the tracks. REALLY GUY?!?! Really? Where were you raised to treat a lady like that?!
#4. As the picture shows, sometimes men will take up an entire bench to themselves because they feel they're entitled. Well let me just set the record straight: NO man or woman is entitled to have an entire bench to themselves. Now I guarantee that if the situation was reversed and they were denied a seat, all hell would break loose. Once when riding (I actually put a picture of this on my FB a few months ago, I think around Halloween) this guy decided that he needs an entire designated handicapped bench for himself and his laptop case and his lunchbox. The man was later identified by a friend as someone who prides them self on being involved with the government. Total douche. I think if I remember correctly, the caption was something like "well apparently this asshole is going as a big fat fatty jerk for Halloween, as you can see, he needs the entire bench for his dough-boy ass and his precious computer case and lunchbox." Something along those lines.
Those are my top four most annoying things that men do on the Metro. In addition to that here is: hocking a loogie and spitting it on the platform, usually indoors, but you should NEVER spit in front of women anyways, and on an indoor floor none the less. Staring is one of my biggest pet peeves. I've had a few men stare at me like they wanted to take me home and chain me up in their basement, yes, super creepy men that you hear about in these child kidnapping stories. And lets not forget the douche who can afford the newest iPhone, but can't afford the headphones, even though they come with the thing. There is nothing I hate more than some jerk sitting in and enclosed space blasting his music from his phone because he just HAS to listen to it and can't put on his damn headphones. Thank you for raping everyone's ears with your terrible "music."
So men of the world who ride public transportation, please for the love of all things holy, grow a pair and act like a gentleman. Go and check out Peter Post's "Essential Manners for Men." Hey and maybe if you do that you will learn other helpful things that will not make you repulsive to women, so you know, you can have someone in your life that cares about you.
xoxo
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
Three Books I've Read
Over the past few years I've read a few books, and after I read my most recent book, The End of Everything by Megan Abbott, it inspired me to write this post. I'll post a summary and a review of the book at the end.
The first, which I actually read two years ago, is the autobiography Stolen Innocence by Elissa Wall. Elissa Wall is a former member of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (FLDS) and gave a powerful courtroom testimony that help put Warren Jeffs behind bars. It describes her upbringing with several mothers, brothers and sisters, and only one father and their day to day life. Forced into marriage at the age of 14 to her first cousin, she recounts the nightly rapes she endured from the man that was 'appointed by God' to be her husband. Elissa finally broke free when she turned 18 and has since gotten married and had two children with her now husband. There is so much more to this book and to her story and I really do encourage everyone to read it. It is an eye-opening, heart breaking work, and I am amazed that she had the strength to confront not only Warren Jeffs, but her former 'husband' in Jeffs trial and then write a tell-all about it. I encourage anyone who is curious about the FLDS to read this book. Another book that I have and have yet to read is Escape by Carolyn Jessup, who was also a member of the FLDS who escaped the grasp of the church.
The second book I'm going to talk about is one many have already read, A Stolen Life by Jaycee Dugard. This is a phenomenal book. The fact that someone could go through what she went through for more than 18 years and still live and have the courage to tell about, is beyond incredible to me. We all know the story, she was kidnapped on her way to the bus stop when she was only 11 years old, held in captivity by two people, Phillip Craig and Nancy Garrido, gave birth to two daughters, and was finally rescued after police noticed suspicious activity. The things she wrote about brought me to tears, yes, I was actually shedding tears on the Metro (where I do most of my reading). I know people who have children, daughters mostly, who have read this book and it has rocked them to their core. This could happen to any child, anywhere at any time. I don't think I would have been able to make it all the way though this book if I had children. I recently read some reviews for it on Amazon.com and mostly focused on the ones that gave the book a 1-star review. I was shocked and disgusted by what some of the people had to say that gave the book a 1-star rating: "It doesn't evoke emotion, it simply beckons boredom. I started skipping over parts because I just couldn't read another paragraph in extreme detail about another cat or dog and how much she loves it or it loves her, or her wondering about her mother in no actual terms, just generically speaking. The whole story felt vacant - generic. So I would not recommend this book" and "It's nearly impossible to accurately describe how badly this book is written. Possibly the worst book I've ever had the misfortune of reading, certainly in a very long time. The author's utterly harrowing story is presented so ineptly, so disjointedly and awkwardly, you just keep skipping ahead hoping it gets better. It doesn't." Many people criticized her writing abilities, which if you hadn't been in school since you were 11, do you think you could do better? I really didn't find any flaws in her writing. I understand that SHE wanted to write the book, not hire a bunch of writers to do it for her. She prepares the reader for her skipping around and how the book is somewhat disjointed, because this is how she remembers it. She does go into great detail about the dogs and cats on the property because these were the only things she felt loved her and she loved back. It really amazes me at how many people are out there just critiquing her writing abilities and not the fact that she survived daily torture from a man and woman who kept her in their backyard like an animal for almost 18 years. If you haven't read this book, and are up for an emotional challenge, I would recommend it. I will warn you though, you will cry and it will really make you realize how lucky you are that you or your children were not abducted and held like she was.
The book I just finished yesterday, The End of Everything was a novel set in the 1980's, told from the perspective of a 13-year-old girl who's best friend is kidnapped one afternoon after school. Lizzie, the main character, takes in upon herself to investigate what really happened to her friend. No, this is not some sort of 13-year-old detective story, but more of an emotional ride of what a 13-year-old would go through if her best friend was kidnapped and how she would find out what really happened to her. Discovering things about her best friend made her realize that maybe she didn't really know her as well as she thought she did. I would recommend this book to fans of fiction. It's not necessarily a mystery novel, but it is on the dark side of fiction.
The first, which I actually read two years ago, is the autobiography Stolen Innocence by Elissa Wall. Elissa Wall is a former member of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (FLDS) and gave a powerful courtroom testimony that help put Warren Jeffs behind bars. It describes her upbringing with several mothers, brothers and sisters, and only one father and their day to day life. Forced into marriage at the age of 14 to her first cousin, she recounts the nightly rapes she endured from the man that was 'appointed by God' to be her husband. Elissa finally broke free when she turned 18 and has since gotten married and had two children with her now husband. There is so much more to this book and to her story and I really do encourage everyone to read it. It is an eye-opening, heart breaking work, and I am amazed that she had the strength to confront not only Warren Jeffs, but her former 'husband' in Jeffs trial and then write a tell-all about it. I encourage anyone who is curious about the FLDS to read this book. Another book that I have and have yet to read is Escape by Carolyn Jessup, who was also a member of the FLDS who escaped the grasp of the church.The second book I'm going to talk about is one many have already read, A Stolen Life by Jaycee Dugard. This is a phenomenal book. The fact that someone could go through what she went through for more than 18 years and still live and have the courage to tell about, is beyond incredible to me. We all know the story, she was kidnapped on her way to the bus stop when she was only 11 years old, held in captivity by two people, Phillip Craig and Nancy Garrido, gave birth to two daughters, and was finally rescued after police noticed suspicious activity. The things she wrote about brought me to tears, yes, I was actually shedding tears on the Metro (where I do most of my reading). I know people who have children, daughters mostly, who have read this book and it has rocked them to their core. This could happen to any child, anywhere at any time. I don't think I would have been able to make it all the way though this book if I had children. I recently read some reviews for it on Amazon.com and mostly focused on the ones that gave the book a 1-star review. I was shocked and disgusted by what some of the people had to say that gave the book a 1-star rating: "It doesn't evoke emotion, it simply beckons boredom. I started skipping over parts because I just couldn't read another paragraph in extreme detail about another cat or dog and how much she loves it or it loves her, or her wondering about her mother in no actual terms, just generically speaking. The whole story felt vacant - generic. So I would not recommend this book" and "It's nearly impossible to accurately describe how badly this book is written. Possibly the worst book I've ever had the misfortune of reading, certainly in a very long time. The author's utterly harrowing story is presented so ineptly, so disjointedly and awkwardly, you just keep skipping ahead hoping it gets better. It doesn't." Many people criticized her writing abilities, which if you hadn't been in school since you were 11, do you think you could do better? I really didn't find any flaws in her writing. I understand that SHE wanted to write the book, not hire a bunch of writers to do it for her. She prepares the reader for her skipping around and how the book is somewhat disjointed, because this is how she remembers it. She does go into great detail about the dogs and cats on the property because these were the only things she felt loved her and she loved back. It really amazes me at how many people are out there just critiquing her writing abilities and not the fact that she survived daily torture from a man and woman who kept her in their backyard like an animal for almost 18 years. If you haven't read this book, and are up for an emotional challenge, I would recommend it. I will warn you though, you will cry and it will really make you realize how lucky you are that you or your children were not abducted and held like she was. The book I just finished yesterday, The End of Everything was a novel set in the 1980's, told from the perspective of a 13-year-old girl who's best friend is kidnapped one afternoon after school. Lizzie, the main character, takes in upon herself to investigate what really happened to her friend. No, this is not some sort of 13-year-old detective story, but more of an emotional ride of what a 13-year-old would go through if her best friend was kidnapped and how she would find out what really happened to her. Discovering things about her best friend made her realize that maybe she didn't really know her as well as she thought she did. I would recommend this book to fans of fiction. It's not necessarily a mystery novel, but it is on the dark side of fiction.
The next two books I have up on my plate are: Graveminder by Melissa Marr and 77 Shadow Street by Dean Koontz. I'm really hoping that this book by Koontz is better than his last one, "What the Night Knows." I personally didn't like it because I felt like it dragged on, and in all honesty, gave up 3/4 of the way through. His Frankenstein series however, whats phenomenal! Happy Reading!
xoxo
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