Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Cruisin’ the Crimson Tide

Ms. Wim came in my office today to tell me all about her pending travel plans.  She has decided that she will start marking things off her bucket list and is eager to get started.  First on the list is the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade.  Then Saturday she leaves on a Caribbean cruise.  December will be a trip to North Carolina and then Vegas after the New Year.  All very exciting things. But you know that nothing Ms. Wim does can go off without a hitch and this week is no exception.  For those of you sensitive to “woman” issues, consider yourself warned!
Ms. Wim was telling me all about her travel arrangements and her packing strategy.  Then she casually mentioned that she unexpectedly got her period “of course, right before my trip.”  She also told me that this will last the entire length of her cruise.  Totally unfortunate, but not unmanageable, right?  Wrong!  I said “Oh, that sucks.  Thank goodness for tampons.”  To which she responded, “I’ve never used tampons.”  Wait….what!?  Yes folks, she is 40 and has never used tampons.  I guess this could be more common that I think, but I am still just amazed.  She then went on in detail about her menstrual problems.  At one point she told he about how she slept over at a guy’s house and in the morning the bed  “looked like I had a miscarriage.”  Friends….how do you respond to that?!  I die. 
Safe to read again………Interesting note:  she has to bring Immodium instead of Pepto for digestional upset because Pepto turns her tongue black.  Apparently she learned this after going crazy on cheese fondue in Switzerland (before she realized she was lactose intolerant) and they gave her Pepto.   She ended up missing out on a few days of the group tour because her black tongue was concerning and no one knew what was the cause.  I guess it is now a known side effect of Pepto.  http://www.nytimes.com/2004/04/06/science/q-a-084760.html  File this one under Jeopardy knowledge.
She will be gone for the next 10 days or so, but I’m sure there will be plenty of updates when she returns. 
Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

Monday, November 19, 2012

I'm Baaaaacckkkkkk

Hello my faithful blog readers!!!  It has been too long.  Between work, work, and work, I’ve been unable to get you the latest news. Do not worry; plenty of drama to go around.  I promise I will be better from here on out.
So, to get us back into the groove, I present for your reading enjoyment and update on Ms. Wim and Ms. TMI.

Can You Hear Me Now?

Our local TV station has a segment called “on your side” that does investigative consumer reporting and helps locals settle long standing disputes with businesses.  Well, last week Ms. Wim was practically jumping up and down when she learned that they were interested in helping her with her complaint.  About what you ask?  Well, 2 years ago her apartment complex switched to Fios and Verizon needed to go into all of the apartments to do the wiring. While Verizon was in her apartment they broke and/or damaged several of her items, all of which are irreplaceable!!!  They owe her money for her damaged goods!!
Before I continue this tale of woe, I would like to tell you about her apartment, as I have recently had the joy of seeing it firsthand.  How do I put this delicately?…….She is a hoarder.   Every square inch of her place has clothes, tchotchkes, plants, books, movies, etc. etc.   She would be an excellent candidate for a home makeover show.  Ms. Wim also has an extensive collection of vintage clothes, hats, and cameras, all of which are strewn all over the place.  I’m pretty sure it is a 2bedroom, but one of them is completely full of stuff. Here is an idea of what we are dealing with (not her actually place).


I have lived in apartments for over 10 years, and I know that when you have service people scheduled to come to your place, they usually tell you when they are coming, what they are going to do, and anything you need to do in advance (lock up pets, clear an area).  I don’t know what they did or did not tell Ms. Wim, but I do recall her coming to work after her lunch break a few years ago crying about how these service people just “ripped” her place apart and that everything was "destroyed."  Since this incident 2 years ago, she has continued to contact Verizon demanding reimbursement for her damaged property.  Initially they weren’t taking any responsibility and said that the installers were a contract company and therefore they were not responsible.  She did not accept this and Verizon eventually wrote her a check for ½ what she was asking for, I’m guessing a goodwill gesture to make her go away (I would LOVE to know how much that is!).
In any case, this was NOT enough to make up for her lost personal effects.  Ms. Wim is sure there is a conspiracy abound because every time someone from Verizon would finally agree to help her settle her claim once and for all she would soon after get notification that that person “no longer works for the company.”  She finally reached her boiling point and contacted the local news station to help her out. 
The "on your side" producers said they were interested in her story and expressed so in an email to her.  Ms. Wim then took this email and emailed it to Verizon HQ to let them know if the matter wasn’t resolved by the month’s end, she would go ahead with the story and her lawyers would be in contact with them.  She was very excited at the prospects; however, she also noted that she hopes they actually settle, because she doesn’t have a lawyer and probably couldn't afford one.  Any bets on how this will turn out?
I report, you decide.

The Secret

Ms. TMI has been playing it cool lately.  Every now and then I get to hear her belittle STBBD on the phone or lay down the law for one of her friends.  Nothing too entertaining..... until this awesome exchange.
Ms. TMI:  So, you know I’ve been feeling like a broken woman lately because I can’t get pregnant.  I’m just so frustrated and I don’t think it is ever going to happen.
Me:  nodding
Ms. TMI:  Well, my friend was telling me about this book she read and I started to read it too.  It all about getting back from the universe what you put out.  So, like, if you put out positive energy, you get positive energy back.  The book also talks about visualizing what you want. I really want STBBD to read it too….he doesn’t read though, so I looked on Amazon and they have movie! I’m going to make him watch the movie because I think it will be good for him too…
Me:  interrupting  Wait….are you talking about “The Secret”?
Ms. TMI:  YES!!!! OMG, have you read it?  How have you heard about it? 
Me:  How have you NOT heard about it!?  It came out in like 2006 and was ALL over the news.  I’m pretty sure Oprah was obsessed with it too. 
Ms. TMI:  You know I live in a bubble!  So you’ve read it?
Me:  Hell no! 
Ms. TMI:  Why not?!  It’s amazing. My friend says it changed her life.  I am really liking it too.  I bet you would really benefit from it.
Me:  uhhhhhhh, no thanks.  Let me know how it works for you though!
Ms TMI:  Whatever.  I like it.
and scene
So, now we can put “The Secret” to the test and see if she can manifest herself a baby.  Side note:  If you are still looking for some time to kill after reading this blog post, you will find great entertainment in reading reviewer comments for “The Secret” on Amazon.
Until next time friends!
Cheers