notes from the front desk
Nov. 12th, 2004 10:41 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
fearlesstemp1. It is snowing out today, tons of tiny flakes that won't stick. It kind of looks like God's sifting flour or something. Because of this, everyone in the office is obligated to engage in the following conversation at least three times today:
Person A: Hey, it's snowing.
Person B: I know, can you believe it? It's too early!
Person A: And it's only the beginning.
Person C: Hey, it's snowing.
And so on and so forth.
What do people in the south talk about? I wonder if one could do a study: Is the desire to engage in meaningless, excruciatingly boring and predictable banter about the weather related at all to the severity of the weather changes in a particular region? If I lived in a more temperate place, would there be fewer of these torturous conversations going on by my desk? Or would people's desire to engage in excruciatingly boring and predictable banter about the weather transcend climates?
Something to ponder.
2. Another conversation that recently took place.
Fearless Temp: Holy crap, this transcript cost over a thousand dollars! That's, like -- more than five dollars a page!
Secretary: $6.50, actually.
FT: Wow.
S: I could've been a stenographer. (heavy sigh) I screwed it up. Well, that's what happens when you're a drug addict.
FT: [no idea how to respond]
S: But it wasn't really the drugs, it was the alcohol.
FT: [still at a loss]
S: Just generally screwing up my life.
[Awkward pause, during which I worried that she thought I was judging her, which I wasn't, and so thusly felt the need to say something comforting to create common ground. Something like --
FT: I used to drink a lot. Well, a few times. Okay, twice in college with my friends, but one of those times we got SO drunk that we got naked and ran around the memorial in the middle of campus. That sounds weird -- I mean, it was a thing, people did it before they graduated, it wasn't like we just decided to run around naked for no reason.
-- but did not have to, because a nanosecond before the silence got so awkward Fearless Temp would open her mouth, Secretary shrugged and put on her coat.]
Secretary: I'm going to go have a smoke.
FT: Have fun with that!
3. I'm taking the GREs next week (I know, soso late in the year, but what can I say? I'm a poor planner), and have been doing practice tests the last few nights. Horrifying. I think my father is right -- bad TV does rot your brain. It's the only explanation! I used to rock the standardized tests, man, and now I keep coming across words that I remember knowing, but cannot remember now, and find myself resorting to the old, "Hmm...well, there hasn't been a 'D' in a REALLY long time" method of test-taking.
Part of the problem is that I find the tests so boring that I have been doing the practice tests while watching bad TV. Maybe that's it.
4. Speaking of watching TV, on The OC last night, Ryan said, "Oh, buddy. I'm sorry" to Seth (or something like that), which warmed my heart because buddy has been one of my favorite words for the past year or so, and "Oh, buddy. I'm sorry" is something I say to almost any friend's angst. Further proof that Ryan Atwood and I are totally mfeo, and tragically kept apart only by his status as a fictional character.
(Other proof of our mfeo status: The fact that I heart him. Other proof pending.)
5. There are no words to fully express how excited I am about the new Bridget Jones coming out today. Have plans with Jo to go see it after work, and today when I was flipping through radio stations I came across a radio interview with Colin Firth, which caused me to clap my hands and shriek "OH MY GOD! COLIN FIRTH!" at the top of my lungs, almost swerving into another lane.
Am concerned about shrieking "OH MY GOD! COLIN FIRTH!" in the theater upon his first appearance. Almost as concerned as I am about shrieking "OH MY GOD! MATT DAMON!" should there be an Ocean's 12 preview before the movie (pleasepleaseplease).
And that is all.
Person A: Hey, it's snowing.
Person B: I know, can you believe it? It's too early!
Person A: And it's only the beginning.
Person C: Hey, it's snowing.
And so on and so forth.
What do people in the south talk about? I wonder if one could do a study: Is the desire to engage in meaningless, excruciatingly boring and predictable banter about the weather related at all to the severity of the weather changes in a particular region? If I lived in a more temperate place, would there be fewer of these torturous conversations going on by my desk? Or would people's desire to engage in excruciatingly boring and predictable banter about the weather transcend climates?
Something to ponder.
2. Another conversation that recently took place.
Fearless Temp: Holy crap, this transcript cost over a thousand dollars! That's, like -- more than five dollars a page!
Secretary: $6.50, actually.
FT: Wow.
S: I could've been a stenographer. (heavy sigh) I screwed it up. Well, that's what happens when you're a drug addict.
FT: [no idea how to respond]
S: But it wasn't really the drugs, it was the alcohol.
FT: [still at a loss]
S: Just generally screwing up my life.
[Awkward pause, during which I worried that she thought I was judging her, which I wasn't, and so thusly felt the need to say something comforting to create common ground. Something like --
FT: I used to drink a lot. Well, a few times. Okay, twice in college with my friends, but one of those times we got SO drunk that we got naked and ran around the memorial in the middle of campus. That sounds weird -- I mean, it was a thing, people did it before they graduated, it wasn't like we just decided to run around naked for no reason.
-- but did not have to, because a nanosecond before the silence got so awkward Fearless Temp would open her mouth, Secretary shrugged and put on her coat.]
Secretary: I'm going to go have a smoke.
FT: Have fun with that!
3. I'm taking the GREs next week (I know, soso late in the year, but what can I say? I'm a poor planner), and have been doing practice tests the last few nights. Horrifying. I think my father is right -- bad TV does rot your brain. It's the only explanation! I used to rock the standardized tests, man, and now I keep coming across words that I remember knowing, but cannot remember now, and find myself resorting to the old, "Hmm...well, there hasn't been a 'D' in a REALLY long time" method of test-taking.
Part of the problem is that I find the tests so boring that I have been doing the practice tests while watching bad TV. Maybe that's it.
4. Speaking of watching TV, on The OC last night, Ryan said, "Oh, buddy. I'm sorry" to Seth (or something like that), which warmed my heart because buddy has been one of my favorite words for the past year or so, and "Oh, buddy. I'm sorry" is something I say to almost any friend's angst. Further proof that Ryan Atwood and I are totally mfeo, and tragically kept apart only by his status as a fictional character.
(Other proof of our mfeo status: The fact that I heart him. Other proof pending.)
5. There are no words to fully express how excited I am about the new Bridget Jones coming out today. Have plans with Jo to go see it after work, and today when I was flipping through radio stations I came across a radio interview with Colin Firth, which caused me to clap my hands and shriek "OH MY GOD! COLIN FIRTH!" at the top of my lungs, almost swerving into another lane.
Am concerned about shrieking "OH MY GOD! COLIN FIRTH!" in the theater upon his first appearance. Almost as concerned as I am about shrieking "OH MY GOD! MATT DAMON!" should there be an Ocean's 12 preview before the movie (pleasepleaseplease).
And that is all.
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no subject
Date: 2004-11-12 07:53 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-11-12 09:14 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-11-12 11:24 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-11-12 11:24 am (UTC)Oh, that sounds like the best day EVER! The only thing keeping me from doing it as well is the fear that I would never want to leave, and would have to be removed by force. And that would be embarrassing!
mmm. Firth.
I second that.
no subject
Date: 2004-11-12 07:59 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-11-12 11:26 am (UTC)I can't stop laughing at this. But it is accurate! That's exactly how excited I am!
no subject
Date: 2004-11-12 08:11 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-11-12 11:47 am (UTC)I think I might have a seizure if there is one tonight. But I don't CARE because LINUS AND RUSTY and Linus going "ooooh" as Rusty walks away!
Creepy PermaGrin is in place ALREADY! What is going to happen when O12 comes out, E? I seriously think it will kill me!
no subject
Date: 2004-11-12 08:15 am (UTC)The new Bridget is cute (saw a screener months ago), particularly Colin. Though I actually wanted to strangle Bridget once or twice. I'll be curious to know if you feel the same way.
Must See Movie: Finding Neverland with Johnny Depp. Go see it. It's absolutely wonderful. (And bring tissues.)
Good luck with the GREs!!
no subject
Date: 2004-11-12 11:51 am (UTC)As for Bridget -- I am mostly going for The Firth, so I am thinking Bridget annoyance won't hamper my enjoyment too much. I worry that I lack any critical skills at all when it comes to Bridget Jones and anything Firth-reated. :)
Good luck with the GREs!!
Thank you! I need it. :)
no subject
Date: 2004-11-12 09:33 am (UTC)whoah, I totally thought it was the 19th. OH MY GOD! Tell me that it's good when you see it.
The Bandit totally does not understand this, since he says it is EXACTLY LIKE the first movie, which is quite correct. I said I don't care, because I LOVED the first movie, and even if they are just PANDERING to me to squeeze money out of me, I don't CARE, and I want to SEE IT.
er, that is all.
no subject
Date: 2004-11-12 11:58 am (UTC)I said the VERY SAME THING to someone, I can't remember who -- it's a total retread and I LOVE THAT! I mean, there reprising the ridiculous Grant/Firth fight from the first movie! It'll be totally gratuitous and I DON'T CARE! I love the first movie beyond reason. If all they did in this one was sit around reading the same script in different clothes, odds are I would still give it two thumbs up.
whoah, I totally thought it was the 19th. OH MY GOD!
I did TOO! Jo called me and I was all, "hahaha, no, my dear, it comes out next week" and then she READ ME THE MOVIE TIMES FROM THE NEWSPAPER! I was so excited, I can't even tell you. If we show up there tonight and it's not there, I'm suing the paper.
no subject
Date: 2004-11-12 09:57 am (UTC)Oh, no. What you would get are more tortuous conversations more often: in South Florida, as soon as it dips below 60 the local news warns everyone to bundle up and goes out on the streets at night to interview people who are wearing sweaters and shivering. At 50 we break out the scarves. Well, at least we do in Gainesville; people in South Florida do not own scarves. Other things to discuss until the weather itself gives up and goes home: how inhumanly hot it is omfg (see: April to November), how much it has or hasn't been raining lately; how hard it is or isn't raining right now; whether or not it will rain; and if the hurricane is or is not going to come.
I've got to take the GREs soon too, and don't be alarmed by the vocabulary! I mean, you might be alarmed, but apparently nobody knows these words. Also you can feel free to join me in my impotent rage at freaking vocabulary, your ability to recognize and define the lowest-frequency words in the language, being the marker of how well you've done in college and what kind of a mark you can be expected to make in graduate school. Idiots! ETS needs to be stopped. Take it easy and good luck with the studying.
no subject
Date: 2004-11-12 11:48 am (UTC)Despite the cold, people always tend to bring up that damn 1990/1991 winter when there were actual snow flurries. I remember it because I was visiting relatives (still living in NY where it was really winter) and their septic tank froze. We had to go to a gasoline place to use the bathroom!
no subject
Date: 2004-11-12 01:16 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-11-14 10:28 pm (UTC)how hard it is or isn't raining right now; whether or not it will rain; and if the hurricane is or is not going to come.
Hurricanes! I forgot that in the south you guys have the mother of all weather-related-conversation-topics. And that's something that can have lasting, devastating effects on your life! Our boring convos about the snow usually revolve around whether the highways will be backed up and, if so, how badly.
no subject
Date: 2004-11-12 11:45 am (UTC)I'm gonna see Bridget Jones tonight at 8pm with my favorite girl from work and her obnoxious friend. As long as I ignore the latter and focus on the charming, swoony Brits, I should be fine.
no subject
Date: 2004-11-15 06:50 am (UTC)Most definitely! I am very lucky she left to smoke before my inability to endure an awkward silence caused me to open my big mouth and say horrifyingly inappropriate things.
And yes, the power of charming, swoony Brits can overwhelm many things, including obnoxious friends. Ahhhh, Colin Firth!
no subject
Date: 2004-11-12 04:30 pm (UTC)That is all.
no subject
Date: 2004-11-15 06:51 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-11-12 05:52 pm (UTC)Good luck with the GREs! Do you have to take subject matter competencies as well? We have the CSETs out here.
I want to see Finding Neverland. I think I'll have to wait a few weeks to see Bridget, if my best friend wants to see it (she laughed all the way through the preview, so I think she does). Otherwise I'll probably wait until it comes out on DVD since my mom wants to see it too and she works all the time.
no subject
Date: 2004-11-15 06:54 am (UTC)Thank you! And I don't think I do -- the programs I'm applying to only specify the General test, I think. I hope!
I cannot wait to see Finding Neverland. Talk about making one swoony -- my two friends and I all sighed embarrassingly loudly when Johnny Depp appeared on screen for the preview before Bridget Jones.
no subject
Date: 2004-11-15 05:51 am (UTC)Germans talk about the punctuality of trains as small talk. The weather,too, of course. It snowed here last week, also. The next day on the front page of the newspaper was a headline: "Traffic chaos with season's first snow" above a piture of a plow clearing about half a centimeter of snow from the road. I had to laugh. They aren't quite as hardy as we upstaters when it comes to snow I guess. Of course, I guess it could have een icy, what do I know, I don't drive here. Ah, the joy of no car, of a quality dependable public transportation system!
no subject
Date: 2004-11-15 07:07 am (UTC)LOL on the newspaper headline -- wimps! Though I have to say, right now we're in that phase where it's first starting to snow/freeze out there and everyone comes down with winter driving amnesia, so I can't really judge. This morning there were two accidents on 787 and one on I-90 (don't think anyone was badly hurt, but it made even more late than usual!).
Glad to see you made it to Felix's! Hope you have a good day -- and remind him about the fabulous sights and sounds of the Northeast!