I guess there's a niche for everyone and their little hobbies, isn't there? We used to informally collect the stickers on the fridge. It felt like a natural thing to do, so I can see the compulsion to find new and unique labels to collect.
I swear to god, it's the truth....if you're on the right farm, that is. Place before this cube farm utopia, I had this random cube box in the middle of nowhere with a printer behind me where 30 of my (closest) department mates would congregate. It's like waking up in the morning and having 30 people standing in your bedroom. So, I suppose compared to that, this is pretty ideal.
And don't let my zombie moniker fool you. heh heh...
I really lucked out in the cube farm department. My first ad agency had cubes with walls high enough to be over one's head when standing (unless you were over 6 ft. tall). Lots of space and even a sliding door for privacy. My new agency just moved to a new building that's more in line with the traditional cube farms, but we also have the "privacy" plastic barriers in between cubes and thank god, we have white noise machines everywhere so you can actually hear your phone conversation even if your next cube-mate is 4 feet away. Given the chance, sure, I'd take an office, but our new space was really well thought out and the atmosphere is a lot more convivial than when only the bigshots had offices and the peons had cubes. Now it's everyone except for THE most senior partners.
Oh lord, why do these women we call our friends lose all sensibility and make us wear these things? I've only been in 2 weddings. In the first one, I sported a delightful peach tafetta number, excessively low-cut in front, exposing my first white trash tattoo, big poofy short sleeves, 3/4 length puffy skirt and a very large bow over my ass.
2nd wedding was a skintight purple beauty with faux pearl at the bodice, and some sort of space-age, wired to stand at attention sleeves. Fortunately, the flap of overskirt in the back was quite forgiving to the pear-shaped of the group.
I can only answer for myself, but when I stated I thought 20 was the apex, I didn't mean it in a good way. I just thought life was just so hideous and only going to get worse, that I honestly thought that at 30, I was going to hang up my hat. A lot of it had to do with things like, oh, undiagnosed depression...But, I finally realized what a mess I was and found a doctor to work with, got medication, and over the years learned a lot of coping techniques that make me extremely happy that I stuck it out. But, like I said, that's only speaking for myself.
The term cool is just so subjective. No one's ever going to agree 100% about what/who is or isn't cool. And I don't think people can make blanket statements on age-appropriate behaviour/lifestyle/expectations, because that's pretty subjective and subject to vary too. If someone did a casual experiment and lined up, say 3 people in each age group from 19-65, I doubt you'd get all 3 people in the same group agreeing across the board on almost anything, where as there'd probably be 25 year olds who share the same views with 50 year olds and on and on.
And honestly, who really cares how old anyone is anyway? It's what you do with your life experience. At 20, I was convinced I had hit the apex of life and I devised a little "escape plan" for 30. When 30 came and went, I apandoned my plan. At 34, I realize I'm still on the bottom slope and Ive got an interesting journey ahead of me. I've gone through a number of really shitty experiences that have shaped me into what I am now - finally at peace with myself. I wouldn't trade my last 14 years in for anything in the world. I feel like I'm finally becoming a fully-molded person. It no longer bothers me what people think of me. I'm by and large incredibly happy with how I turned out. If that makes me old and uncool, sign me up!
And for what it's worth, there is virtually no disparity between my mid-20s friends and my mid-40s friends. In my circle, we're all wearing the same clothes, listening to the same music, debating the same politics. Sure, we've all got varying lifestyles, but there are no age-ist attitudes flying around. Maybe I'm just lucky.
I may be incredibly uncool, but I'm really curious if my name (Renee) was every popular at any point. My best guess says no, as I've only met maybe 10 in my 34 years. I can't get the bloody site to work though. My backspace key does absolutely nothing.
Definitely follow everyone's advice on diet and exercise. It's amazing how much better you feel when you're properly nourished and knowing that you're actively taking care of yourself (even when it seems hard...). And I swear by cutting out sugar and refined carbohydrates, as cabingirl said. Personally, I went from trainwreck (I have a long-standing relationship with depression and anxiety) to feeling like I could conquer the world last summer (albeit not overnight) when I started the South Beach diet (which I know sounds like just another "fad diet", but has a really good premise.) Even if you're not trying to lose weight, it makes you really conscious of making good food choices, whole grains instead of refined flour, no processed foods, fresh produce, lean meats, moderation....I even found out that cooking is really fun and reduces my stress even further. Oh, and drink plenty of water too.
If you're not opposed to herbal remedies, I've had a lot of success with some of the tinctures available in any Whole Foods-type place, or pharmacy that has extensive herbal collections. For me, the blend of passion-flower, barley, hops, etc...did the trick.
Abiezer_Coppe, I obviously don't know your ex, but if she's asking you to dinner on V-Day, I would be a little suspicious of the timing. Unless you've got a history of Monday night dinners and she's just keeping with the program. If you two are still on really good, friendly terms, maybe she's just feeling a little nostalgic and lonely and wants to hang out with the last person she was romantically involved with. Don't be scared, though, unless you're afraid of misleading her into thinking that the dinner's got a little more meaning than a regular meal with an old friend. Just my opinion, though.
And I VERY much second Bernockle's "It's time to stop being Hallmark's bitch" to anyone feeling depressed for being single on Feb. 14th. It's just another overrated, made-up holiday. Then again, I'm lucky to be surrounded by a really fantastic group of friends, some obnoxiously happily married or in committed relationships that think the day is pure and utter nonsense, so I've got no pressure to feel like the odd (wo)man out in the corporate sap-fest. And it's my brother's bday!! The whole group of us is just going to go out and celebrate his birth instead. Whee!
I have looked into other alternatives, but as tracicle pointed out, I've pretty firmly made up my mind about the iPod. I've been a Mac girl all my life and I'd love to stick with my Apple products. After reading the suggestions here and doing a little more thinking and comparing, I think I'm leaning very firmly in the direction of the 20GB. Seems like just about the right fit for what I'm looking for. Hopefully, my semi-fat tax refund will come through in another week and that is exactly how I'm going to spend it! Whee! I was poking around half.com yesterday and found a few ranging from the low $200s to around $275 (incl. shipping) from sellers with excellent feedback. Not that they'll still be available in a week or so, but it gives me hope.
Well, my fantabulous Chicago morning commute involves a 10 min. bus ride, a half hour train ride, and about 15 min.walking time. The way home is longer (I get off at a stop farther away to get more walking in). When I'm not dependent on getting somewhere for work, I'm a walker. It seems like both iPods are small enough to be completely manageable under any circumstances. I think the clincher for my raving desire to have this device came last night, when I took the train home and sat for an entire hour underground, at a dead halt, because there was a train-related suicide on the northern tip of the line. During that time, I listened to about 15 French foreign exchange students screaming at each other at the top of their lungs. My New Yorker was no solace, as I could not concentrate with the shouting. There was literally nothing more I wanted in the world than any sort of music to sink into.
Sandspider, nope, no school..I've been out of college since '93. I've just spent the last 2 years living on a really strict budget (moving to England for 6 months set me back quite a bit, financially). And, now that I'm getting my financial sea-legs back, I've got more expendable cash, but I'm still in bargain-shopping mode. If I'm convinced that I can get away with purchasing the mini and not feeling like I really, really, really should have just ponied up the extra 100 or so bucks, then I'd feel more at ease with my purchase.
All: thanks so much for the input! I guess I had a few factors going into my decision-making. Unfortunately, money is still a wee bit of an issue, so I'm looking to maximize my dollars here, which is why I was trying to figure out if it's really worth my extra hard-earned dollars to purchase the biggie.
As I said, fairly big music collection (and only expanding..), but I do get kind of fickle. There was a 3 month stretch where I only listened to 3 albums on repeat. I like the option of having everything archived and portable, though, and I do often have those "I will shrivel up and die if I don't hear that absolute favorite cd of mine right now" moments (thus maximizing my appreciation/desire for my portable friend).
And while I appreciate Possum's advocacy of silence, I'm more in the Wurlwif camp. My brain's on constant hamster-wheel as it is, and music really helps me out, which is why I want something reliable and portable. I always used to listen to my walkman, then discman, then crappy mp3 player, but I want something a little more advanced now that I've got a (slightly) little more income. I wish I had gotten some good reviews re. that site, but I guess it's true that if something seems to good to be true, it generally is. I'm glad for the voices of reason out there! That said, does anyone have any leads on reputable vendors?
One Thanksgiving, when I was about 7, I got creative with sandwiches...my 2 favourite were mashed potato and mixed vegetable (from the can) nestled between 2 slices of white bread. My creative beverage concotion to wash it down was milk and orange juice. I think my taste buds have fully developed since then. Bleah!
I always adored this site which contains the true facts about the general deviousness of squirrels and whether or not, when they die, do skwerls go to heaven? And, appealing to my love/hate relationship with the squirrel, there are some damn cute pictures.
(Warning, music on front page...turn down your volume if you're at work).
At last, my dream of seeing GWB devoured by a giant squid may be materializing....
Failing that, I'm with hicinbaby (the soaking and bringing it on bit...mmm.....calamari....).
I quite enjoyed these! Thanks!
posted by zombiebunny 19 years ago
In "Welcome"
I guess there's a niche for everyone and their little hobbies, isn't there? We used to informally collect the stickers on the fridge. It felt like a natural thing to do, so I can see the compulsion to find new and unique labels to collect.
posted by zombiebunny 19 years ago
In "Build your own office cube"
I swear to god, it's the truth....if you're on the right farm, that is. Place before this cube farm utopia, I had this random cube box in the middle of nowhere with a printer behind me where 30 of my (closest) department mates would congregate. It's like waking up in the morning and having 30 people standing in your bedroom. So, I suppose compared to that, this is pretty ideal. And don't let my zombie moniker fool you. heh heh...
posted by zombiebunny 19 years ago
I really lucked out in the cube farm department. My first ad agency had cubes with walls high enough to be over one's head when standing (unless you were over 6 ft. tall). Lots of space and even a sliding door for privacy. My new agency just moved to a new building that's more in line with the traditional cube farms, but we also have the "privacy" plastic barriers in between cubes and thank god, we have white noise machines everywhere so you can actually hear your phone conversation even if your next cube-mate is 4 feet away. Given the chance, sure, I'd take an office, but our new space was really well thought out and the atmosphere is a lot more convivial than when only the bigshots had offices and the peons had cubes. Now it's everyone except for THE most senior partners.
posted by zombiebunny 19 years ago
In "One Word"
Love this! Thanks forksclovetofu!
posted by zombiebunny 19 years ago
In "Paris got hijacked (hizacked)"
Just when I thought Paris had reached maximum exposure overkill....
posted by zombiebunny 19 years ago
In "The "Worst Bridesmaid's Dress" Competition"
Oh lord, why do these women we call our friends lose all sensibility and make us wear these things? I've only been in 2 weddings. In the first one, I sported a delightful peach tafetta number, excessively low-cut in front, exposing my first white trash tattoo, big poofy short sleeves, 3/4 length puffy skirt and a very large bow over my ass. 2nd wedding was a skintight purple beauty with faux pearl at the bodice, and some sort of space-age, wired to stand at attention sleeves. Fortunately, the flap of overskirt in the back was quite forgiving to the pear-shaped of the group.
posted by zombiebunny 19 years ago
In "Who's old now?"
I can only answer for myself, but when I stated I thought 20 was the apex, I didn't mean it in a good way. I just thought life was just so hideous and only going to get worse, that I honestly thought that at 30, I was going to hang up my hat. A lot of it had to do with things like, oh, undiagnosed depression...But, I finally realized what a mess I was and found a doctor to work with, got medication, and over the years learned a lot of coping techniques that make me extremely happy that I stuck it out. But, like I said, that's only speaking for myself.
posted by zombiebunny 19 years ago
In "In what year was your first name most popular? "
LOL...wow. #457. Thanks Pez!
posted by zombiebunny 19 years ago
In "Who's old now?"
The term cool is just so subjective. No one's ever going to agree 100% about what/who is or isn't cool. And I don't think people can make blanket statements on age-appropriate behaviour/lifestyle/expectations, because that's pretty subjective and subject to vary too. If someone did a casual experiment and lined up, say 3 people in each age group from 19-65, I doubt you'd get all 3 people in the same group agreeing across the board on almost anything, where as there'd probably be 25 year olds who share the same views with 50 year olds and on and on. And honestly, who really cares how old anyone is anyway? It's what you do with your life experience. At 20, I was convinced I had hit the apex of life and I devised a little "escape plan" for 30. When 30 came and went, I apandoned my plan. At 34, I realize I'm still on the bottom slope and Ive got an interesting journey ahead of me. I've gone through a number of really shitty experiences that have shaped me into what I am now - finally at peace with myself. I wouldn't trade my last 14 years in for anything in the world. I feel like I'm finally becoming a fully-molded person. It no longer bothers me what people think of me. I'm by and large incredibly happy with how I turned out. If that makes me old and uncool, sign me up! And for what it's worth, there is virtually no disparity between my mid-20s friends and my mid-40s friends. In my circle, we're all wearing the same clothes, listening to the same music, debating the same politics. Sure, we've all got varying lifestyles, but there are no age-ist attitudes flying around. Maybe I'm just lucky.
posted by zombiebunny 19 years ago
In "In what year was your first name most popular? "
I may be incredibly uncool, but I'm really curious if my name (Renee) was every popular at any point. My best guess says no, as I've only met maybe 10 in my 34 years. I can't get the bloody site to work though. My backspace key does absolutely nothing.
posted by zombiebunny 19 years ago
In "Curious George: Medication Alternatives"
Definitely follow everyone's advice on diet and exercise. It's amazing how much better you feel when you're properly nourished and knowing that you're actively taking care of yourself (even when it seems hard...). And I swear by cutting out sugar and refined carbohydrates, as cabingirl said. Personally, I went from trainwreck (I have a long-standing relationship with depression and anxiety) to feeling like I could conquer the world last summer (albeit not overnight) when I started the South Beach diet (which I know sounds like just another "fad diet", but has a really good premise.) Even if you're not trying to lose weight, it makes you really conscious of making good food choices, whole grains instead of refined flour, no processed foods, fresh produce, lean meats, moderation....I even found out that cooking is really fun and reduces my stress even further. Oh, and drink plenty of water too. If you're not opposed to herbal remedies, I've had a lot of success with some of the tinctures available in any Whole Foods-type place, or pharmacy that has extensive herbal collections. For me, the blend of passion-flower, barley, hops, etc...did the trick.
posted by zombiebunny 19 years ago
In "Valentine's Day Sucks!"
Abiezer_Coppe, I obviously don't know your ex, but if she's asking you to dinner on V-Day, I would be a little suspicious of the timing. Unless you've got a history of Monday night dinners and she's just keeping with the program. If you two are still on really good, friendly terms, maybe she's just feeling a little nostalgic and lonely and wants to hang out with the last person she was romantically involved with. Don't be scared, though, unless you're afraid of misleading her into thinking that the dinner's got a little more meaning than a regular meal with an old friend. Just my opinion, though. And I VERY much second Bernockle's "It's time to stop being Hallmark's bitch" to anyone feeling depressed for being single on Feb. 14th. It's just another overrated, made-up holiday. Then again, I'm lucky to be surrounded by a really fantastic group of friends, some obnoxiously happily married or in committed relationships that think the day is pure and utter nonsense, so I've got no pressure to feel like the odd (wo)man out in the corporate sap-fest. And it's my brother's bday!! The whole group of us is just going to go out and celebrate his birth instead. Whee!
posted by zombiebunny 19 years ago
In "Help, Too Much iPod or Not Enough? "
I have looked into other alternatives, but as tracicle pointed out, I've pretty firmly made up my mind about the iPod. I've been a Mac girl all my life and I'd love to stick with my Apple products. After reading the suggestions here and doing a little more thinking and comparing, I think I'm leaning very firmly in the direction of the 20GB. Seems like just about the right fit for what I'm looking for. Hopefully, my semi-fat tax refund will come through in another week and that is exactly how I'm going to spend it! Whee! I was poking around half.com yesterday and found a few ranging from the low $200s to around $275 (incl. shipping) from sellers with excellent feedback. Not that they'll still be available in a week or so, but it gives me hope.
posted by zombiebunny 19 years ago
Well, my fantabulous Chicago morning commute involves a 10 min. bus ride, a half hour train ride, and about 15 min.walking time. The way home is longer (I get off at a stop farther away to get more walking in). When I'm not dependent on getting somewhere for work, I'm a walker. It seems like both iPods are small enough to be completely manageable under any circumstances. I think the clincher for my raving desire to have this device came last night, when I took the train home and sat for an entire hour underground, at a dead halt, because there was a train-related suicide on the northern tip of the line. During that time, I listened to about 15 French foreign exchange students screaming at each other at the top of their lungs. My New Yorker was no solace, as I could not concentrate with the shouting. There was literally nothing more I wanted in the world than any sort of music to sink into.
posted by zombiebunny 19 years ago
Sandspider, nope, no school..I've been out of college since '93. I've just spent the last 2 years living on a really strict budget (moving to England for 6 months set me back quite a bit, financially). And, now that I'm getting my financial sea-legs back, I've got more expendable cash, but I'm still in bargain-shopping mode. If I'm convinced that I can get away with purchasing the mini and not feeling like I really, really, really should have just ponied up the extra 100 or so bucks, then I'd feel more at ease with my purchase.
posted by zombiebunny 19 years ago
All: thanks so much for the input! I guess I had a few factors going into my decision-making. Unfortunately, money is still a wee bit of an issue, so I'm looking to maximize my dollars here, which is why I was trying to figure out if it's really worth my extra hard-earned dollars to purchase the biggie. As I said, fairly big music collection (and only expanding..), but I do get kind of fickle. There was a 3 month stretch where I only listened to 3 albums on repeat. I like the option of having everything archived and portable, though, and I do often have those "I will shrivel up and die if I don't hear that absolute favorite cd of mine right now" moments (thus maximizing my appreciation/desire for my portable friend). And while I appreciate Possum's advocacy of silence, I'm more in the Wurlwif camp. My brain's on constant hamster-wheel as it is, and music really helps me out, which is why I want something reliable and portable. I always used to listen to my walkman, then discman, then crappy mp3 player, but I want something a little more advanced now that I've got a (slightly) little more income. I wish I had gotten some good reviews re. that site, but I guess it's true that if something seems to good to be true, it generally is. I'm glad for the voices of reason out there! That said, does anyone have any leads on reputable vendors?
posted by zombiebunny 19 years ago
In "Curious George wants a ‘nana. "
One Thanksgiving, when I was about 7, I got creative with sandwiches...my 2 favourite were mashed potato and mixed vegetable (from the can) nestled between 2 slices of white bread. My creative beverage concotion to wash it down was milk and orange juice. I think my taste buds have fully developed since then. Bleah!
posted by zombiebunny 19 years ago
In "Squirrel Stuffing For Beginners."
I always adored this site which contains the true facts about the general deviousness of squirrels and whether or not, when they die, do skwerls go to heaven? And, appealing to my love/hate relationship with the squirrel, there are some damn cute pictures. (Warning, music on front page...turn down your volume if you're at work).
posted by zombiebunny 19 years ago
In "I've been waiting for somebody else to post this..."
At last, my dream of seeing GWB devoured by a giant squid may be materializing.... Failing that, I'm with hicinbaby (the soaking and bringing it on bit...mmm.....calamari....).
posted by zombiebunny 19 years ago
(limited to the most recent 20 comments)