Try to remember...(the month of September?) (Sept. minirants)

The BBQ Pit
401

<begin whiny, long self-aborbed rant>

Maybe writing this all out will help. It’s a little multi-layered rant, pretty much coming from a number of directions.

I’m pissed because I’ve been trying repeatedly to get a second job, this one more related to my field/major. I’m getting pretty much nowhere. I currently work in the community I live in on campus, but this job doesn’t pay a whole lot. Considering I was working all summer with 40 hours a week at $20 an hour as an intern, I miss that job and the pay. I’m also pretty damn scared that I won’t be able to afford next semester’s bill, and I’ve been striving to avoid loans as much as possible for the duration of my college years. (Haven’t hit any yet, and I know that’s a blessing or good luck, if you will). But I’m fucking frustrated, and the type that gets anxious and worried about it. I got out of the one job I’ve mentioned numerous times that wasn’t paying shit, but haven’t found anything else, and I’m fearful I won’t be able to afford Christmas presents and the next semester bill.

Next part: I’m goddamn sick of my roommate being here with her boyfriend. They don’t pay for the housing, either, based on their jobs with the university. She and her boyfriend have been here all summer, got used to it (just heard that my twin-sized bed had been pushed up with her’s over the summer to “make it more comfortable” for them to sleep on). I was moved against my will right before the semester started anyway–tried to work with the assignments office to explain that I wanted to be somewhere where someone was NOT there the entire summer, but they were less than helpful). Roommate and her bf are here almost constantly, despite classes and the fact that he has her same job in another community. I’ve talked to my RA about this, but I’m stuck waiting, and I may or may not be able to switch apartments. My ideal would be a single apartment, but I may be SOL. I am fucking sick of hearing their damn xbox blaring. It’s even worse because I’m in an LDR, and they’re virtually a married couple. Just isn’t something you want to see every day, you know? And he’s here pretty much every night. It’s awkward in the mornings. Too bad there isn’t an option for couples to live together on campus, unless they’re married. Their whole relationship basically blocks my ability to form a friendship with my roommate. They’re both really nice too, but God it’s aggravating and I want my own space. I feel like if I tried to confront my roommate, she’d just get defensive. Because, for fuck’s sake, they’ve been there the entire goddamn summer. The apartment entirely to themselves…

Third thing: I think “ok, shopping would be a good idea, get out of the apartment, etc.” I take the bus out to the lovely three-mile-away lot where my car is parked yesterday. Turn car on. Car starts, but before I leave the lot the battery light turns on and the glow plug light starts flashing. Eeep. I get back on the damn bus back to campus after deciding it isn’t the best thing to drive. There’s a home football game today, but I catch the bus and try to get to the store to at least shop a little. Of course it’s raining, and campus is pure hell because the buses that are running are choked by all the people. Not fun.

I’m so stressed right now that I can barely feel cheerful. I just want some goddamn answers and to not have to deal with the obnoxious-ness that is having a third roommate when I only signed up for one.

</rant>

402

While restoring my iPad;

"Hey Chimera, do you know what would be really hilarious right about now?
“No computer, what?”

CRASH

Ok, so it was only a driver error and BSOD, but it did it again on my second restore attempt as well. The third time was indeed the charm.

Fucking Vista.

403

Doing things to kitty tummies can be fraught with all sorts of dangers.
When my grumpy old dude was a young fella I was happily rubbing his tummy and he got a bit excited. In fact, he got so excited he ejaculated on my hand (and no, I wasn’t rubbing THAT part). That definitely has never happened to me before or since. Poor little fellow found himself neutered right quick.
Still loves his tummy rubs though.

404

A mini-rant, now with visual aids! That’s our blue Mustang in the parking lot. I’m not sure you can completely see it from this angle, but we couldn’t move it more than about two feet with that Acura directly behind it. We waited for 20 minutes for the asshole to show up and drive off. “Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t realize…” What? You didn’t realize that you had parked three cars in so there was no way for them to possibly move? You didn’t realize that other people would want to move their cars? You didn’t realize that there were other people in the universe? What, do you park with your eyes closed? Man, some people really, really need to get beat up regularly.

405

Give it up, Dad. I’m sorry mom died. I’m sorry because she finally grew up and turned into a likeable person about a five years ago. But she was not a fucking saint. She was deeply fucked up woman in many ways. She was verbally and physically abusive to me for much of my childhood. She had alcohol and gambling problems steming from the fact that she was really a very stupid human being with extremely bad judgement. Mostly she was a constant ungrateful complainer with rather sad morals who was frankly lucky she wasn’t in jail for child abuse or forging credit card applications.

Ugh. She died in June and he’s basically still fucking yelling at me every time I attempt to call. He’s also not mailing me and my daughters her jewelry. She promised the fucking pieces to my eldest. He should obey her wishes and send the pieces to me. She had some nice stuff and I would like it. Cantankerous old coot. He also has medical issues with abuse of pain meds and he won’t let help him get help because he refuses to admit it. So I get it second hand from his friends after he acts like asshole to them.

It sucks being the old damned adult in my entire family. I spend hours working a full time job, attempting to have a career and caring for my own family each day. Then I try to take care of my father long distance because my lazy, arrogant and stupid brother who lives with him, does not hold down a damned job and does not pay rent can’t be bothered. I worked sixty-two hours this week and then spent ten hours today alone cleaning the house, food shopping, co-caring for a baby and a nine year old with a nasty cold and running errands. I literally do not have time for my father to act this way.

On top of everything else the baby broke the fifty dollar wooden baby gate. She tore the damned thing to pieces. She’s now crying and won’t go to bed past 11 at night because she can’t break the new baby gate or climb up the stairs to wake up her sister who is finally asleep with a nasty fever and a sore throat.

I need a vacation. I need three or four vacations!

406

Dear Upstairs Neighbors:
Remember physics class on the law of displacement? You know, when you fill the tub with water and plop your wide load in the tub?

Guess where the water goes?
My lawyer shall be sending your landlord a nice demand letter.

Signed, your rained on downstairs neighbor.

407

Two words - tow truck.

408

Oh man, and here I was going to rant about my cat dieing. That’s nothing compaired to what LavenderBlue is dealing with.

Cat Whisperer, I looked at the pic and what an ass. Once again, you are nicer than me. Police and apartment/parking authorities would have been called even before I took the pic.

I think I’m still going to whine about my cat. My Fred, the one male I knew would always love me, even if I only had bread to share with him. The cat who lived in my car with me and never, ever peed out of his litterbox. We had 19 years together and its not enough.

Fred was multi-lingual. He could meow in English, Japanese and Mexican. Fred loved living in Hawaii and Okinawa because I’d share my shushi with him. Fresh fish, nomnomnom.

Fred was my greeter. I knew when someone was walking up my driveway because Fred would run to the door and wait for me to let his friend in. Everyone was Fred’s friend, he would start purring like an idling Harley when he was looked at. Touch him and his purrs would increase in volume. Rub under his chin and he started sounding like a mistimed helicopter and then would start to drool.

Fred slept against the small of my back, his purrs and warmth loosened my tense muscles. I don’t know how I’m going to sleep now.

Fred was always polite. He would ask to be picked up, but if I was busy, he would wait for scratches.

Fred liked to look out the windows, but didn’t ever want to go outside alone. Once his hips made it hard for him to jump, I bought him a playpen so he could lay on the porch and warm his old bones in the sun. Fred had to have me sitting next to him, or he would start yammering and trying to climb out.

Fred had his special chair next to my desk. Fred could climb onto the chair if he wanted, he had a nice fleece blanket hanging over the edges so he could claw his way up. I know that he could, because I’d see him there when I didn’t put him there. When I was home, he would sit by his chair and give me the look until I picked him up.

Tonight, Fred ate a good dinner, had a long drink of running water, powdered his nose, then wanted to be on my lap for scratchings. We had our usual after dinner lovefest and he went to his chair and curled up purring.

Then he stopped purring and died. Just that fast. No drama, no panic, just kitty face rubbing my hand and then limp and dead.

I took his body out to the desert and left him under a cactus.

I really REALLY miss my Fred. He was such a good cat.

409

Holy crap, flatlined. Very sorry to hear that.

Makes my next rant rather petty (if it wasn’t already)

I went for a very nice drive in the country. Along the way I pass by Greg’s, a meat market that, long ago, my parents used to take our pigs to when we lived on the farm. Most times I’ve passed it looks like the google street view there and I don’t stop. Today it was packed and I went in.

I pull into the lot and go to pull into a spot and the guy in the passenger seat car next to it makes a show of throwing open his door open as wide as he can and scowling at me. No big deal, I just back up slightly and park in the next spot over. I get out and I have to walk past their car to get to the door. Asshole pulls his door closed and then throws it open as hard as he can like he’s trying to hit me. Of course, it’s nowhere near hitting me. His wife, in the driver’s seat, just scowls at him and they back up and drive away. So no, there never was any point in him throwing open his door like that because they were already in their car LEAVING. Had to chalk that up as “And that’s why he’s in the passenger seat and not driving, because obviously there’s some mental issues going on”.

Walk into the place, which isn’t large, and it’s very busy. Idiots keep walking up to things next to me, then suddenly turning and walking straight into me. Hello? We’re in a 25’x50’ room with a score of other people around freezers. Maybe think to look where the fuck you’re going? Maybe consider that turning and walking without looking is a fucking stupid idea? Maybe consider learning some observational skills to notice the people right fucking next to you?

Bought some beef jerky and Cranberry Wild Rice Summer Sausage. I saw a sign for Blueberry Wild Rice Summer Sausage, but they were out. Damn, would have liked some of that. Was also very disappointed that for a place like that, they didn’t have any buffalo meat (other than Buffalo-Beef Summer Sausage) or any Venison anything.

410

Hugs to you flatlined, and I will snuggle my kitty a little extra tonite in Fred’s name.

411

Hugs you back. I know that our pets don’t live as long as we would like, but heck. Fred was always happy to see me, no matter what.

In the last couple of years, Fred even forgave me for the frequent vet visits and would always purr at the vet tech, even when they were taking blood or his temp.

19 years together. I wanted more. I’m selfish. OTOP, I’m happy that Fred took the choice about PTS out of my hands. I knew it was coming, I just wasn’t ready.

412

I had that happen to me a few times. The one which I remember most fondly was when I was 18, was “rebelling against ‘the man’,” and drove a giant car that could take a lot of damage. A 1979 Impala with a 350. The guy who parked like an asshole at the flea market had an early 90s Toyota. Small, not surrounded by chrome bumpers.

Came out of a small thrift store to find that I was trapped, as were several other customers standing around their cars, wondering how to get out. We had the owner paged over the PA, asked the individual shoppers in the store (maybe 5 at the time) if it was theirs. No luck.

So I got in my car, put it in reverse, nudged it into the offending car, then pushed the thing to the other side of the parking lot. Sideways. Didn’t stop to look at the damage; I merely waved to the other formerly-trapped folks and took off. In retrospect, probably not the best way I could have dealt with the situation, but hey…

413

Oh Flatlined - we don’t know each other but I’m sitting here all sniffly for you. It is really something to be loved like that by an animal. I lost my Katie cat at 19 yrs too, that was 8 or so years ago now and I still miss her. She loved me and tolerated others, I was her person. The hole they leave when they go takes a long time to fill :frowning:

But I have to say I am almost jealous (that’s not the right word, but I think you’ll know what I mean) that your dear Fred got to go in such a peaceful, happy way. The suddenness has got to be hard for you, I know, but I think I’d trade that for the agonizing over making that vet call.

What a lucky cat Fred was to have had you for a friend all these years.

414

flatlined, that made me all teary-eyed reading that. I had a cat that I lost at 21 years old. She was actually my dad’s cat, but she was the one who was around when I was growing up. We think she had a stroke one night, my mom found her in the morning not able to stand up. My dad and I took her to the vet to have her put down, that was the only time I can ever remember seeing my dad cry. And seeing a 6’4", 350 lb guy crying over a cat got the entire vet’s office crying too.

I had something I was going to rant about, but I’ll be damned if I can remember what it was now.

415

Sorry to hear about Fred, flatlined.

Being blocked in by another car reminds me of the time that I walked into a parking lot and found a woman in a pickup truck stopped directly behind my car. When I told her that she was parked behind me, she got out of her truck to tell me all about how she was looking for her daughter’s car because it was supposed to be parked somewhere around there. It took several tries for her to understand I needed her to move, but she finally did.

416

Update:

Today, the basic background was the same as last week, but they’d done something to it so it was more drab and less eye-catching. And I think they’d tweaked the size of the words (or made them all white rather than white with black borders or something).

At any rate, the visibility of the words today was well within the acceptable region. So all is well until the next sermon series starts. (Only sort of joking–generally when a new sermon series starts, they use a new background, and half of them are poor choices.)

417

We thought about that, but we figured the tow truck would show up after the guy already came back and moved his car. I did spit a bunch of gum at his car, and made sure it landed right where he would step to open his car door. :slight_smile:

flatlined, I’m so sorry to hear about Fred. At least he went quickly and painlessly - isn’t that the best we can hope for?

418

This is why you should always carry Vaseline – so you can smear it under his door handles.

419

Well, i’m not staying up the last half hour until October, so if anyone wants to start the Oct. Minirants thread, go for it.

And I don’t have a good name for it.

“The Hunt for Rant October”?

(I don’t have a good pun on “October Sky”, or the “October Revolution”, darn it).

420

I thought about that - I do always have some kind of smearing lotion in my purse. We rejected that idea because we were pretty sure he’d know who did it. :stuck_out_tongue: