breathe in ….breathe out…..breathe in….

Today is a test of my new determination to not let little things get to me. Also to see how many times it’s possible to use the word "to" in your opening paragraph, obviously.

Agggghhh. I think I need a nap. It gets very warm in my office in the afternoon, and although I love being very warm, it also makes me very sleepy. If I start saying "akaiweuoruiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiozzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz", you’ll know what happened.

Anyhow. I’ve been going to a new Yoga class that Health Promotions has just started offering at 5:15 on Tuesdays and Thursdays, a time that it’s actually possible for me to attend, so I’m also attempting to embrace the whole yogaistic lifestyle and to think nice healthy healing thoughts about my fellow humans. And not obsess over things like Aggravation Receptionist, who was out Monday and Tuesday with the flu (the phone hardly rang for two days) and who is back today, hacking and coughing and sneezing all over everything and informing us with obvious delight that this is the strain of flu that the flu shot doesn’t stop. And she feels just horrible still! And wants to tell us all about it!!!

So I’m yet again washing my hands 18,450 times a day and coating myself in sanitizer. And trying to think nice things about her. Healing thoughts. From far far away.

If you’re going to cough yourself to death I really wish you’d go outside to do it and get the hell away from me…  NO NO NO!!! Poor Aggravation Receptionist, I’m SO sorry you’re feeling unwell! Healing thoughts, healing thoughts, healing thoughts!!!

I also want to smack embrace the students who don’t listen to their voicemail message when I’ve called to tell them to come in and review their graduation audit, but instead just see they’ve missed a call and hit callback. And say to Aggravation Receptionist, "Somebody from this number just called me!"

Weeeeeell, there are at least five people from this number who could have called you. Since you don’t know who called or what the call was about because you hit the call backbutton instead of listening to your message (which would have also meant you didn’t have to call back at ALL) now Aggravation Receptionist has to go around to each of us in turn (looking very put-upon) to ask each of us if we called this student and why we called them.

L admitted she does this too – hits callback instead of listening to her messages – and so does Kim who NEVER listens to her home or cell messages – but duuuuuuude, it’s ANNOYING. Don’t do that when you don’t know who called you. It’s one thing to hit call back for your friends, but not for strange numbers.

And while I’m on the subject of annoying cellphones…how about ringback tones. That horrible option where you can set your phone to play music for whoever is calling in, instead of ringing. I’ve had to call a lot of students lately to tell them to come in for their audits, and this is the WORST. Dialing the number, and having the little voice say, "Please enjoy the music while your party is being reached!" And immediately having your eardrum blown out by loud obnoxious rap. Or loud obnoxious country. Or loud obnoxious pop. Seriously, I’ve decided to just hang up when I get that. Of course yesterday I’m about to click the phone off when I get the "Please enjoy the music!" message, and before I can hang up it starts playing Vivaldi. Of all things.

When I’m queen, we’re emailing everyone. I’m actually already emailing most of them and not even trying to call. They check their email, and according to my informal and very unscientific research where I put a dot on the folders that I just emailed and didn’t call, the emailed ones come in just as quickly as the phoned ones. If not quicker.

Well, time to get back to work. Too bad there’s no yoga today. So far it’s a good class – not too easy, not too difficult. And the teacher tells us "Namaste!" at the end which of course always cracks me up thanks to Lost.

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January 30, 2008

I wouldn’t mind listening to Vivaldi, but no one I calls seems to know who he is!

January 30, 2008

Thanks. This cold is a humdinger…

January 30, 2008

Re: first noter…oh, so sad, so sad.

January 30, 2008

Parents do that too with the messages. They never listen to the msg I just left them.

January 30, 2008

Umm, hold that first breath and let it out slowly. I got to tell you if I don’t recognize the number calling me I don’t hit callback and if an automated voice asks me to please contact them, no, no, no. In fact if I pick up and it’s automated it goes down. If I listened to a message that used “come in” and “audit” I’d likely hide from it. Just sayin’.

January 30, 2008

I haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaate those ringback calling tunes. HATE THEM. I’m always stuck listening to screechy pop music.

January 30, 2008

Good luck staying well!! Maybe you could do a round of emails and then the second round could be phone calls?

All my co-workers have christian pop ringback tones, AND ringtones that they have set to HIGH that blare loudly in the office all day for their many calls. God help us.

January 30, 2008

why oh why oh why do people insist on going to work to spread the misery when they’re still sick? It’s bad form, truly. Yes, wish her well, but be sure to increase your intake of vitamin c and maybe echinacea to protect yourself!

January 31, 2008

it’s the opposite here. they keep the temps close to arctic. so dumb! did you ever catch up with “six feet under”?

January 31, 2008

College and high school persons respond even faster to text messages. Too bad I haven’t figured out how to do it yet. Truth is – I dont’ want to have to pay extra for it.

January 31, 2008

Oh I hate it when Im sleepy at work. While I was fostering Erin I had to be up at 6 AM as opposed to my normal 8 and I was always fighting off sleep.

February 1, 2008

So, what did you think of Lost last night?

February 1, 2008

God I’d be the exact opposite – looking for any excuse NOT to call anyone back!! RYN: Yes it does make you feel somewhat rejected – just a tad! I did think afterwards though – what are the odds of Janice & him being on the bit of that street at exactly the same time? Maybe it was a bit of help from ‘above’ to enable me to get my head round the whole separation issue easier! And letme know which corner the perfect house is around – it would be soooo helpful – I’ll give you a list of streets if you like & when you’re doing your yoga, shut your eyes & visualise ……. then let me know the result! I think the noise issue really depends on neighbours at the end of the day – your experience was the same as Mam’s – they all worked in an Indian restaurant as well & made a racket when they came home from their shifts. All 20 thousand of them. According to her.

February 1, 2008

Just seen E’s note – have you got LOST already? I’m jealous! We’re getting trailers here but I’m worried – it’s Series 4 and Series 3 hasn’t been on yet as far as I know. I should have bought that boxed set of Series 3 when I saw it at Christmas. Maybe it’s only showing on Sky though – we don’t have Sky and if I keep making over-budget offers on houses we won’t have a telly to watch it on either so it won’t matter!!

February 1, 2008

I have never heard one of those ringback tones. I try very very hard not to call people. I think it is a Highly Sensitive Person thing. It is so cool you found a class that is a good level for you! My Friday class is so difficult, everybody can do impossible things and I am always amazed but the teacher lets us play. I feel more comfortable trying things, absurd things in her class than I ever have in an class before.

February 2, 2008

RYN: I discovered TESCO DVD online has Series 3 – don’t know why I didn’t think of looking there in the first place. So I’ve put them at the top of my list. Wooo-hooo!

I love yoga. I only have taken classes when I was pregnant. After the children arrive, there is no time. I find it amazing that she is still sick. Could the university do some research on her condition….hmmmm….

February 5, 2008

I prefer loud hold music because I can put the phone down until the day finally arrives that the person picks up to speak to me. It’s like automatic speakerphone. I have a coworker who brags about never taking sick days, talking down to us about how everyone should have perfect attendance like her, yet she comes in REALLY sick and exposing the rest of us to it.