Category: Life

So I heard on a radio home show today …

The couple who sold their house couldn’t figure out why they weren’t getting any of their mail – no catalogs, no glossy magazines, no bills … nothing.

They emailed the radio show host to ask if it was illegal to not forward their mail to them. Didn’t the new owners of their old house know they needed to forward their mail??

They admitted, in their email, that they hadn’t filled out a forwarding address form, but STILL. Don’t the new owners know they have to take it upon themselves to address their mail with their new address? What was WRONG with these people … GAWD.

The radio host, very kindly, explained to the people who wrote the letter, that it wasn’t against the law to throw away catalogs and glossy magazines, but it was absolutely a felony for someone to throw away first-class mail.

I can just imagine the smug looks of satisfaction that crossed the people’s faces of whomever wrote that letter. “See?” They knowingly nudge each other. “Told you!”

However. It wasn’t the responsibility of the new owners to fill out a change of address card for their new address. All the new owners had to do was write “return to sender” or “no such person exists” on the envelope and put it back into their mailbox.

This story absolutely got my blood boiling – IT’S STILL BOILING. I have a tendency to let a lot of things roll off my back and I’m already convinced that a large chunk of people are honest-to-God stupid nowadays, but I have no patience – ZERO – for people who refuse to take responsibility for themselves and/or are too lazy to fill out a freaking change of address card and take care of their own damn business.

Instead, these stupid people spent the time and energy to write a radio talk show host to find out if there were legal ramification to get someone else in trouble for something they should have the brains to do themselves.

This is where we are in America today.

Doesn’t it give you the warm and fuzzies??

So I took the personality test that is going around Facebook …

I’m an independent thinker. Let’s analyze this, shall we?

Independent Thinkers are analytical and witty persons. They are normally self-confident and do not let themselves get worked up by conflicts and criticism. They are very much aware of their own strengths and have no doubts about their abilities.

Completely agree with this. I can’t STAND drama, of any type. I do get worked up a bit by criticism, but only when it comes from Kevin … not sure why that is. Everyone else? Meh.

People of this personality type are often very successful in their career as they have both competence and purposefulness. Independent Thinkers are excellent strategists; logic, systematics and theoretical considerations are their world. They are eager for knowledge and always endeavour to expand and perfect their knowledge in any area which is interesting for them. Abstract thinking comes naturally to them; scientists and computer specialists are often of this type.

Yes. I take great pride on my work. No matter what I’m doing, I strive to be the best (insert name of whatever I happen to be doing) that my employer has ever seen. It’s a personal challenge to me and I thrive on a job well done.

Independent Thinkers are specialists in their area. The development of their ideas and visions is important to them; they love being as flexible as possible and, ideally, of being able to work alone because they often find it a strain having to make their complex trains of thought understandable to other people. Independent Thinkers cannot stand routine. Once they consider an idea to be good it is difficult to make them give it up; they pursue the implementation of that idea obstinately and persistently, also in the face of external opposition.

Not sure about the specialist part, but I think I only say that because I haven’t really stuck to any one thing long enough to BECOME an expert. I absolutely prefer to work alone – though I can absolutely work in a group, if forced to. I tend to take control and just prefer to do something myself as opposed to relinquishing the control over to someone else. I don’t agree with the last half of that paragraph, though. I like routine. I get BORED with routine and will often tweak it, but for the most part, I would rather have routine than not. And I’m more than open to considering other peoples’ suggestions on how to make my idea better. I’m never too proud to listen.

Independent Thinkers are not the type who easily come out of their shells. Speaking about their emotional life is also not one of their strong points. Anyway, social relationships are not particularly important to them; they are happy with just a few, close friends who find it easy to share their intellectual world. They find it difficult to establish new ties. In love, they need a lot of space and independence but this does not mean that their partner is not important to them. Independent Thinkers often make a cool and reserved impression on others; but this impression is deceptive: they can hardly bear it if people close to them should reject them. They prefer a harmonious, balanced relationship with a partner who shares their interests and with whom they can realise their visions.

Very true. I have a pretty thick shell and I’m absolutely okay with it. I don’t regret it and I use it – often. I don’t like to speak about my emotional life too often, which sounds weird considering this blog, but there is A LOT I don’t say on this blog because I take my audience into consideration (believe it or not). You have to pay attention to what I’m NOT saying. I’m actually okay with not having ANY close friends. Kevin is my only close friend and I’m perfectly okay with that. I’m selfish with my time, I’m not afraid to admit that – and friends simply demand more time and energy than I’m willing to dole out. I’m a cool and reserved person and don’t care what others think … unless it’s Kevin, then I care. A lot.

Career Advice

Like all Thinker types you tend to lean towards perfectionism and in the work place you are always striving for as much knowledge and expertise as possible. You are rarely or never satisfied with your accomplishments and that applies to yours as well as the achievements of others. Sometimes that makes it pretty difficult for your colleagues and subordinates to please you. Once you have privately tagged somebody with the label of incompetent, they will not have an easy time in your working environment. However, for those who manage to gain your respect with ability and intellect, you are an equally quick-witted as well as sagacious colleague who is ready to solve even the most difficult problems without apparent effort.

Wow. This sums me up perfectly. I take a moment to savor whatever goal I’ve accomplished and then I’m off to make bigger and better goals. And yes, I have no patience for incompetent people – none. Especially those who always have a ready excuse for not doing something or not learning how to do something better. Lazy people completely turn me off.

Hardly any other type is as interested in wielding power. However, the Thinker is less interested in wielding power over other people but rather considers controlling nature and his environment to be much more interesting. This is the main motivation for your continuous hunger – almost an obsession – for more information. Improving your capabilities and expanding the store of your knowledge and experience is your life’s main objective.

Oh my gosh, this part gives me goosebumps. I don’t think I even realized I WAS actively controlling my environment until I read this. I’m happiest at my job when I’m in a position to CONTROL every aspect of it. Then I can comfortably accept responsibility for my success, and my failures.

You are as hard on yourself and your own achievements as on others, and you put great pressure on yourself in your work environment. Sometimes you agonize over self-doubt thinking that you may not accomplish anything after all. Occasionally you stand in your own way obstructing your superior capabilities instead of being able to utilize them. In case it actually happens that you make a mistake, you mercilessly exercise self-criticism and double your efforts for perfection. Your coolness may occasionally appear to be arrogance, and that often deceives people around you about what really moves you.

Again – SPOT. ON. There’s nothing to add to this – this is me, in a nutshell.

Adjectives that describe your type
introverted, theoretical, logical, planning, rational, independent, intellectual, self-confident, analytical, structured, dogged, witty, resolute, self-critical, visionary, inventive, independent, unsociable, reserved, nonconformist, quiet, visionary, honest, demanding, hardworking

Really – what more can I say? You now know me better than most of the people in my life know me.

Congratulations.

So. It snowed.

What does that look like, six inches? Eight?

Luckily, it’s a soft, powdery kind of snow; there’s very little ice.

Thank God.

If all of that precipitation had been ice, we would have been in deep trouble (again).

I really hate winter. I like the cold, but I hate the snow and ice and that comes along with it. I hate to drive in it, but I REALLY hate our boys driving in it. And yes. I need to get over it. Blake is now 21, and Brandon is 18 – hey – they’re not kids anymore, we can drop the pseudo names. So they’re old enough to start living their own lives – it’s time for me to stop babying them – fly little birdies, fly.

For example: it’s slick today – like REALLY slick – like ICE RINK slick and Kevin calls me from the rental house (what? I haven’t told you about the rental house? Good Lord people, I’m so BEHIND, I need to catch ya’ll up) to tell me that someone slid off into the deep ditch across the street from us:

Oopsie. (They ended up hauling it off on the back of a tow truck so I’m assuming falling into that crevice did some damage – what a terrible time of year for that to happen).

And Blake is heading out – to drive – to Wal-Mart.

I confess, I panicked.

“You do realize that it will be like your driving on an ice rink, right?” I asked him, my eyes as big as saucers and my heart beating out “The Little Drummer Boy” song.

“It’ll be fine,” Blake answers back.

And he leaves.

But I catch him, “Hey – do you have your phone?”

“Oops.” He says.

*SIGH*

“Dude. You HAVE to take your phone every time you leave the house now. K?”

He just shoots me a grin, grabs his phone and I watch the growing twilight swallow him whole.

I try not to worry but come on, I’m mom – it’s sort of my job to worry.

But he makes it back in record time (he went to Wal-Mart to buy some techno gadget) and he’s in one piece.

I’m just going to have to accept the fact that he’s a young MAN now and he has to start taking control of his life.

Actually. I’ve been better. Honestly. I’ve been letting go and working 40 hours away from home has really helped me sever the maternal ties.

Kevin made the boys go out and clean/scrape off their cars today. It was a mild 13 degrees. Brr. They had to use the broom to sweep off the snow, then I took advantage of the free labor and handed Blake a snow shovel and they took turns shoveling off their driveway and then our driveway. The thing is, I think they enjoyed it. They got out of their rooms, they got a little exercise and a whole lot of fresh air.

Blake was going to go out in just a leather jacket and slippers.

SLIPPERS!

Sometimes, I seriously wonder about that boy.

Me? I vacuumed the house and finished decorating the Christmas tree.

It’s been up for a week. Kevin put the lights on last week, but I’ve been too lazy to finish it. I made the boys help me today and we got ‘r done.

I don’t know – I just haven’t been in the Christmas mood this year. I think I’m in denial because didn’t we just have Christmas like … a few months ago? It’s scary how fast time flies.

So life has happened these past months. Nothing terribly exciting … just busy. I’ve been so tired lately! I think part of it is my job, well, most of it is my job, it’s just mentally draining, but I think I have to blame part of the problem on the fact that I’m going through the change and I haven’t been sleeping very well since my body decided to declare war on me.

We went on a cruise to Alaska, hosted Thanksgiving dinner and bought the house across the street from us since the last time I blogged (we plan on renting it – but it needs MAJOR renovation before that can happen).

Blake is still working with Kevin, and Kevin couldn’t run his office without him.

Brandon is now working in the restaurant industry (and hates it) and is enrolled to begin school in January.

That sounds like a lot but it all feels so … normal.

I’ll write when I can. It stresses me out when I feel like I HAVE to write but honestly, it sort of scares me when I let my blog go because life just moves so freaking fast … I want to record as much of it as I can.