Don’t Start with a Complaint

I take the bus home from the airport because it’s cheap ($1.75) and convenient. Driving makes me cringe, so I prefer being driven around if I can help it. Anyways, I came back from a trip, got off the plane like I normally do, and headed to the bus stop. The bus stops right outside the terminal, so it’s convenient. As a bonus, it has wifi

While I was waiting, a short, fat man came walking towards the bus stop. He looked out of breath and tired. The man was dressed as a pilot, so I presumed he was one. He dragged his roller behind him and stood it upright in front of him.

Two seconds later, he belts out, “so much for on time bus service!”

Woah, buddy. First, the bus was only about 5-10 minutes late at that point. And second, nobody cares about how you feel if that’s all you have to say.

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Back in Season 5 of the Office, I remember a scene where Michael was ready to walk away from Dunder Mifflin to start a new paper company:

Pam: I’m going with him.
Jim: What? Pam!
Pam: I’m going.
Jim: Pam! You can’t be serious.
Pam: Michael, wait! I’m coming with you.
Michael: You are?
Pam: Yeah.
Michael: Okay. It’s going to be great.
Pam: Great. Uh, except, I don’t want to be a receptionist anymore.
Michael: Right… Executive assistant.
Pam: Salesman.

Salesman. Pam was tired of her life as a receptionist. She wanted change, so she joins Michael to start a new paper company. As viewers know, Michael is destined to fail. Pam probably realizes this too. But she sees a sliver of hope. And that bit of hope was a future where she wasn’t a receptionist.
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Black Tie Optional

I had a busy week at work. As soon as I finished something, it seemed like I had five more things to do. Though the amount of work was stressful, I was more concerned about a dinner on Saturday that I was attending. The dress was black tie optional, and I had no clue what that meant – so I had to find out.

What the Hell is Black Tie Optional?

Earlier in the year, I attended an etiquette training session. One of the things we were given was a sheet that stated what different dress codes meant. Under “black tie optional” for men, it said “tuxedo or dark suit.”

I didn’t think this sheet provided enough guidance, so I turned to the internet, and that’s where the information got complicated.

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So I broke my Amazon Kindle. I didn’t do anything other than use it normally. I’ve had it over a year now, but it’s still annoying that such an expensive piece of shit technology can break. Basically, the screen is stuck with a bunch of weird lines on it. Even when I pull the battery out, the screen is still frozen. Weird huh? I haven’t used it in any way other than just carrying it in my bag back and forth to work. And yes, I’ve tried all the various resets with no luck.

I did some Googling and turns out that there are lots of people with this problem. There’s something to be said for a regular book that won’t have the problem of ever breaking, short of, pages falling out.

Anyone else have similar issues?

And… I called Amazon to see if they could be any help. They “offered” to let me buy a replacement for $99. Hmm. No thanks. I know there’s a reason behind warranties, but this is kind of silly. I just put my Amazon Kindle into “sleep mode” and it never woke up. On principle, I shouldn’t have to shell out another hundred bucks for a unit that shouldn’t have broken in the first place.

Instead, I decided that what I liked about the Amazon Kindle was that it’s relatively hands free reading. So I bought a fancy schmancy book holder instead. Review coming soon.

Good riddance, Kindle. Amazon, if you’re listening, just know that I’d be willing to give the Kindle another shot. But not for $99. Sorry.

I was working late one night and came home to my apartment ready to kick off my shoes and relax for a few hours on my couch. I reached into my pants pocket, which normally held my keys, and I felt only my wallet.

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Do you think that you love something when in reality, you only like the idea of it?

I have an example: reading classics. Not long ago, I made it a goal to read as many classics as I could. I figured it would enrich my mind. And besides, aren’t books considered “classics” for a reason?

Moby Dick was on my list, and so were others. I found a great used book store in Wisconsin called the Frugal Muse and picked up dozens of old books for about $20. It was great, and I thought I was on my way to literary enlightenment…

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