1. Two or three months ago, I submitted something to the Class Notes section of my college magazine (along the lines of "hey, I wrote a book, suckas!"). The winter issue of the magazine finally came today and...there were no Class Notes in it for the class of 2004. There were notes for 2003, there were notes for 2005, and there was nothing in between them. And the magazine only comes out three times a year: fall, winter, and summer. Not spring. So it'll be six months before the next issue. By which point the book will have been out for an entire year already. Jesus.
2. Did I mention that my book's arrival conveniently coincided with the "Faculty and Alumni New Book Releases" section of the magazine being moved from the printed page to the Rhodes website? Where no one would ever see it? For this issue, there was an e-mail sent to all alumni alerting them to the change. But not for the last issue, which was when my book was actually on the website.
3. And how annoying that this was the issue with Kara's obituary. The one issue that didn't have any news whatsoever from our class.
4. I was so excited because I thought I was going to get to (finally!!) replace my FIVE-YEAR-OLD phone tomorrow. I got screwed over - twice - on upgrading, but February 24, 2011 was my day. Yeah, until I checked online just to make sure and...no, that date is actually February 24, 2012. I can steal my brother's next upgrade in a month but...God, another month...
5. I got a letter today from the unemployment office that I couldn't make heads or tails of. But I did recognize the words "ineligible" and "attorney" so, er, fuck...
6. Gas is over $3 a gallon right now, as I found out while filling up earlier today. That's just not cool.
7. I have to take my car in to get the oil changed tomorrow and every time I take my car in to get the oil changed, something horrible happens and I wind up having to pay thousands of dollars. I'm looking forward to the day when I can buy a new car, but considering I'm incapable of procuring a new phone or even getting my goddamned book in a freaking alumni magazine, I don't have my fingers crossed that that day is coming any time soon.
And to think, I woke up with such optimism about life this morning...
:( think this is the antithesis to my 'things are rarely as bad as they seem' post. Yay to optimism on a morning...serious boooo to a day that piles so much crap on you. Maybe it sometimes pay to be pessimistic and then get pleasantly surprised by nice event. Hope your week gets better.
ReplyDeleteJust to try cheer you up, it could be worse, you could be filling up in the UK..if i've got my calculations right (and I think I have) one gallon is more than $10!! Definitely not cool xx
How...? I just... how?
ReplyDeleteHUGS!!!
OMG, totally relate, PG. I almost felt like I was reading about my shit. I know this isn't any consolation, but at least you aren't alone. Everything I own right now has been breaking down, one after another, even though I managed to upgrade my very old outdated phone right before Christmas, (thanks to my Best Buy charge card). I just got hit with the new bill from AT&T, with all those damn extras they tacked on & I thought what the fuck was I thinking when I upgraded to a damn iPhone? I love the stupid thing, but it is way too expensive to use unlike that old POS I had for years.
ReplyDeleteI can't believe that everything went awry with your book not being recognized or advertised properly for you in your college magazine. That's like crazy rotten luck. WTF? ISJ was an excellent read & I wish there was some way I could help. I have told everyone I know to buy it, even refused to loan my precious copy to my friends, so they would have to buy it, etc., etc.
BTW, even here in Houston where gas is usually cheaper than the rest of the country, it has gone up over $3 a gallon & I have just resigned myself to having to stay home & not drive anymore. This totally sucks, don't even want to watch the news, since there is no optimism out there about the oil prices. I am torn, since I want the Libyan people to overthrow that garbage POS that is killing his own people to maintain power, but on the other hand, they are fucking with our gas prices.
Better sign off now, didn't mean to bring you down more. I have faith in you, you're brilliant, a gifted writer, & I'm sure it will work out soon. Good luck getting the unemployment benefits back & everything else! ((Hugs))
Clarabel, when I sat down to write this, your post was in the front of my mind. But I thought...no, I'm just going to plow full-steam ahead with complaining on this one! :) I was supposed to go out to a bar with a friend last night so all day I focused on having at least a pleasant evening...but yeah. He canceled on me. Dammit! (But par for the course!)
ReplyDeleteToday, however, things are looking much less annoying! Well...sort of. At least the oil change went well... :)
Vanessa, I know that things are not great in your world either right now and because it can't be said enough, I sincerely appreciate everything you've ever done to get ISJ! into the hands of as many people as possible!! I'm just the victim of bad luck on the alumni front, but I'll get over it. Eventually... :)
Thanks to all three of you for your sympathy and for (odd though it may sound) cheering me up by commiserating with me!
Kyle needs to stop his globetrotting and do his damn job!
ReplyDelete^^^ AGREED. :(
ReplyDeleteHey, whatever works to lift the melancholy... sometimes its a focus on what's going right some times its a good moan about what's going wrong. Either way if that makes you feel better..mission accomplished!
ReplyDeleteI hate it when people cancel on an event you've been really looking forward to. I also hate letting people down, so always feel obliged to keep to plans I can't be bothered with..
Got to echo Vanessa in emphasising what a great writer you are, and an inspiration. I would have never started blogging if it wasn't for coming across JW and ISJ. Keep with the writing going, and even if the alumni association aren't wise enough to see it, you are destined to be recognised...Hell you're a published writer for goodness sake!! ;) x
Clarabel, I want to take that comment and stitch it on a pillow where I'll see it every day. :) Thank you.
ReplyDelete(And I am the SAME WAY when it comes to canceling plans! I usually freak out trying to make sure I can follow through even if it's something I don't want to do. It's like as soon as I say I'll do something, I'm driven by a compulsion to follow through with it. My friend had a legitimate excuse, but I was minorly ticked that I didn't know he had an excuse until I sent the obligatory, "Are we still on for tonight?" text. And Alex, if you're reading this, just know I meant that in the sense of it already being a rough day...I know you well enough to know that that's how you roll, bro. ;))
hugs you tight!
ReplyDelete^^^ Thanks, Jess. :) **hugs back**
ReplyDeleteoh how I love those kinda days ... and they always come in dozens - for me that is.
ReplyDeleteahhhh well, I haven't come a tenth (1/10) as far as I wanted to be by this time of the year .... for all these shitty days that seem to make sure you don't pass your own timeline *rollingwitheyes* or things pile up and go wrong on any possible occasion ... and sometimes it is like: huh seems I'm doing alright - just to find yourself an hour / a day / a week later and ask yourself: huh when did that go downhill???
Sasha
^^^ SO TRUE, Sasha. I was on a total high the day before this (even leading up to that morning) and then all the sudden it was like...UGH. Why does nothing ever go right?!
ReplyDeleteBut now things have evened out again for the most part. Sometimes I just get sick of all the ups and downs! But I know I'm not alone in that. :) I guess sometimes it just helps to complain solely so that you know you're not alone in feeling the way you do!