simply us.: August 2009

Friday, August 28, 2009

The Growler

So I was just reminded of a funny story story that happened to me a few months ago, in the first few weeks that I started my job here in Memphis, and I wanted to share it, because its really too good/weird to not...

So one day, just like any of the rest here in the office, I was drinking some Diet Coke (aka LH) which subsequently caused the need to ahem, relieve myself, in the nearest restroom. Well, I made the familiar trek down the long hallway and to the ladies room. Now, here in the Memphis office at the Fed there aren't many employees, and surprisingly of those, there are very few females, and thus usually when I walk into the bathroom the lights arent on and the sensor kicks in when I open the door. This day was very different. As I opened the door, I noticed the bathroom was already lit up, therefore signifying another lady might also be accompanying me on my bathroom visit, but I still wasnt sure... and if you know me, you know that I am super jumpy and am scared very easily, so I was already a little wary... Anyways, so I opened the door wider and all a sudden I hear a door close behind the wall (where the row of toilets are) and a loud growl comes to my ears. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, a GROWL. So I stop short, still holding the door semi-open so I can make my escape if need be, when a little old lady about 5 foot 1 walks out from around the partition... and growls... again. But this time, she is looking straight at me, with her hands up by her face curled into a claw-like fashion (think: tiger) and then all a sudden bursts into laughter. Laugh-ter. Forreal. At this point, her sudden attack (yes, attack) had scared me not once, but twice, so my heart was pounding a little faster and for some reason my feet, or mouth, wouldn't move. When she notices I still hadn't moved, or recognized her existence with any sort of audible word or blink of an eye, she simply says, "Oh, I'm sorry, I thought you were someone else". Like its completely normal to be growling at other people in the bathroom, but since it was me, someone she has never seen or talked to, that makes it abnormal. No, lady, its never normal and never OK and it never should happen again, sorry. So she turned around and started washing her hands and I, still not uttering a word, walk straight into a stall to escape... the Growler... which my department has now dubbed her.

When I told my boss this story at lunch that day he told me I should have barked at her. Also, I just ran into her in the bathroom 5 minutes ago and that's what reminded me of that story. Hope you enjoyed.

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Drama King...

As most of you know, I am an avid football fan (please refer my blog post last season) Though pro is my forte, I don't descriminate against any others, whether college, highschool or pee-wee.. I enjoy it all... and as we are in the middle of week 3 preseason games, this time around is no different. As most of the nation (lets admit it, the world) knows, there is so much drama and shady crap that goes on in sports, and being the celeb figures they have turned into, NFL players are the drama creme of the crop. Please take for example.. Brett Favre.

He is the epitome of football, and is argueably one of the greatest players of all time. With the records for most career passing touchdowns, yards, completions and attempts (and oh yeah, interceptions...) you can't ignore the fact that football is definitely Favre's forte. But lets step back for a second, behind all his impressive records and rugged good looks (and dont even try to deny it), and please can I ask the question: What in the name of all that is holy is going through his head?!? I don't even know if John Madden could break it down into stupid terms for us, because I'm pretty sure there has been no rhyme or reason to this entire ordeal (which has lasted a painstaking year), other than the bright lights of the media. I mean I know Brett and I arent really on a first name basis and I don't know the exact reason why he's flip flopping and changing his mind every few minutes (oh wait maybe I do.. I used to do that.. when I was 15) but I do know that every football fan across the freakin globe is sick of it. There are a numberless amount of players who quit and are traded and dropped and retire throughout the entire on and off season, without as much of a blink of an eye or a wave goodbye... its football, you switch teams, you get old, you break too many bones, its freakin OK! but to go in and out of retirement 3 (4? 5?) times??! Yeah, maybe even thats ok with me. But to involve everyone else, make a freakin big deal out of Aaron Rogers taking over your spot, leaving the Jets, going back into retirement, and then going to the Vikings (a GB rival, noless) and doing it all in the shining spot light? please, spare me. Not only does it take over sportscenter for weeks at a time, but its a dissapointment. He talks like he's some down-home-Mississippi boy and turns around and pulls a fast one on you (ok multiple fast ones). I'm not ok with that.

Phew. Well now that's out in the open I can also tell you how freakin ridic (i.e. ridiculous) Plaxico Burress is. That's all there is to say about that.

And the world spins madly on....

I remember thinking about a week before I graduated "I can't wait for life to be less stressful so I can finally get some sleep and relax". It never occurred to me, 4 months down the road, I would be busier and (surprise!) more sleep deprived than I ever was during any finals week or procrastination dilemma. But it also never occurred to me, 4 months down the road, I would be moving to Memphis, TN on my own, meeting amazing new people, finding out my strengths..and way too many weaknesses, and learning how to be simply content. Though stability is a little more tangible than it was a few short months ago, things still get shaken up a bit, and I'm still adjusting a little more every day.

People ask me a lot if I like it here, if I feel like I fit in, if I wish I was somewhere else, doing something different...and sometimes I laugh at them (sometimes not the most appropriate reaction, mind you) and confess those questions have never really entered my mind. I never let myself question if this is where I belong, because I've already decided and know that it is, (I mean really, why would I come here if I didn't feel like I should?) and I never let myself focus on the bad (and believe me, there are a lot of crazies here in Memphis), because I know there is so much good and so much to look forward to, and I never allow myself to wish for something or somewhere else, because frankly I am so blessed to be here and doing something I love - why would I wish that?

So. Even though I haven't got the stress-free life I thought post-graduation brought, or a good 8-hour nights rest in weeks, or even took a Saturday afternoon to lounge by the pool... my life is pretty great. I have had a blast exploring Memphrica (as we like to call it), going on my first exam to Hartford, KY, attending my BFFs Ashley (Lund's) wedding reception, visiting my family in NC and going to the beach!!!, and just enjoying the last rays of summer.

Here is a photo log update of the last couple months... (In no particular order...)