Thoughts from the week

Look at me, I'm posting!! (I feel like a little kid bragging because I used the potty or something...)

I don't really have anything specific to blog about, work is work, and other than that not a lot has been happening. Though one major thing since last time I blogged is that I met a young man who I shall love for the rest of my life. In my completely biased opinion he is extremely cute and very well mannered.

Lynola, since you will be one of the first to read this, I hope your arm continues to heal!

Since I don't blog much, I thought I would break the drought, but didn't have much to share, so I figured I would write some of my observations from the week.

1. The metro would be an awful place to get sick. Not only because you are in a terrible location, but I would feel so guilty and embarrassed on top of being sick, that I had been the cause of other people dealing with metro delays. This week two days in a row I dealt with sick people on the metro. One time our train got stuck waiting while someone was removed from the train in front of us, and then the next day someone passed out on the platform, next to an escalator that was blocked off, and thus there is under four feet of platform. Needless to say, for safety reasons trains also got delayed until she could be moved. Given the disgusting stale air present in many of the cars and stations (especially now that they feel the need to turn the heat on) I am surprised this doesn't actually happen more often.--To those two ill people, I hope you are feeling much better.

2. I have learned that around here, even more so than in a lot of other places in the country, you do NOT open your mouth about politics unless you want to have a full blown discussion. This week on the metro I got to watch one such discussion, and it demonstrated many points. You do not need to have any prior acquaintance to have a full blown political discussion. A discussion between someone who doesn't do their research but just buys into everything the commercials from one side is feeding them, and someone who has done their research and can fact check the commercials from both sides demonstrates many things...the strength with which one will hold onto their beliefs even when faced with the facts, the scary reality that all too many voters are extremely ignorant of many of the issues and rely on commercials and rhetoric as their main sources of information, some people are brilliantly good at countering all unsubstantiated arguments of another, recognizing the other is never going to change their mind, and patiently putting up with the other person constantly raising the same point, then diplomatically saying, "this is my stop, but you have a nice day," without the other person realizing they have been completely dismissed. --To the army Captain and the guy who decided to pick a political fight on the metro, thanks for 20 minutes of entertainment on my commute.

3. What is generally called "the American Dream" (the idea that in America, if you work hard you can succeed) is so vastly different from the all to prevalent American attitude (Here I am, and because I am me, I am entitled to__________ (fill in the blank, rights, wealth, entertainment etc.)). Where on earth has all this entitlement come from? (and American here would generalize to Canadians as well, I've seen it there just as much)

4. Man do I miss having more than two major political parties. This is for many reasons, but one that is really getting driven home courtesy of living in a swing state right by the "swing counties" of the state and receiving lots of extra commercials, flyers, etc. is that when there are more parties, just "proving" that the other party is bad doesn't necessarily win you the votes of those you convince. When there are more parties, you need to convince them not only to not vote for the other party, but that they should switch there vote to you and not one of the other parties. Of the advertisements I have seen lately there has been very little information on what the party sending the flyer stand for. Ironically I think more of my Democratic flyers have had pictures of Romney, and more of my Republican flyers have had pictures of Obama...

5. I still really hate standardized testing. I never do well on standardized tests, yet tend to succeed in school just fine. Standardized testing is one of the things in life that makes me feel stupid. Only 5 more days and I can put standardized testing behind me again at least for awhile...though I may need a few days of recovery before I am over being irritated by being represented by a number.

6. I greatly prefer being at work with far more work than could ever be accomplished in a day, with some of that being work I have no training in or idea what is supposed to be done, than being paid to sit around because there is not enough work. When I am sitting around, even though I have been told to do that I feel extremely guilty for getting paid. When I have too much work, including stuff I haven't been trained for I see a challenge and I find challenges extremely motivating.

7. Studying down by the monuments gives you a great view for while contemplating questions, and a very sore but if you study too long. I know the marble looks good, but really, must you also make the benches out of marble (at some they are nice enough to be made out of granite or some softer rock).

8. I find it amusing that the NoVa area is predicting when our electricity will be back on...when the storm hasn't even hit and the power isn't even out. (I think they just want to reassure people that they will be able to vote). They are predicting that hurricane Sandy will meet a low pressure storm front coming from the west, which will suck the hurricane inland, at the same time as the cold flowing down from Canada gets here...thus creating what they have nicknamed a "Frankenstorm" (I think that nickname was partially a result of the fact it is supposed to hit around Halloween). They are saying that it could combine hurricane winds with rain, and snow and just all around fun (ok, they didn't actually say fun). I'm hoping for the snow...and for my power to stay on.

9. I do not listen to music very often, but when I do I often get stuck on one cd and listen to it over and over and over again. Lately I have been stuck on Ramin. I got it for my birthday...and it is still the most common thing I am listening to (mixed in with the occasional Les Mis).

10. I had a strange need to finish on 10. Hence the useless music fact (though I really do enjoy that cd). And I really don't have a lot to say in this fact either, but it just feels more rounded out. Hmmm, a tenth fact...OOOh, the 25th anniversary production of Les Mis is coming to town. now if only I had $54+ dollars to spare just lying around...ok, that isn't really a thought, here goes, my last brilliant (or not) thought for this list. Sometimes I know that I am working towards something I actually really want (not something I think I am supposed to want, or have been told I should be working towards), because I get so terrified I might not be able to do it that I want to quit. This is different because if it is something I am working towards for some other reason I make excuses for why I might not reach the goal. When I am striving towards a goal that I want, something I feel called to do, I make no excuses; not because I would not be able to come up with any, but because I have to spend all my time and energy overcoming my terror of failure and convincing myself not to quit. Dreaming is a frightening thing.