Confused Woman!

Well, let’s just say it was an interesting day at my new job.  I’m the technical support person at a high school.  It’s a fun job…I love working with the kids and the staff are wonderful.  Every day is a unique day, which I love.  However, the embracing of uniqueness can also bring up interesting situations.

I had to install some software on a biology teacher’s computer.  All was good at first, since the students were sitting at tables and reviewing their test scores.  Once they were finished, it all went downhill.  The students moved to the lab…and brought out the pigs.

When I was in biology class a million years ago, we did not dissect pigs (or if we did, I erased it from my memory).  I couldn’t look past the computer monitor.  All I could hear were the comments from the kids (“Ugh, this is so gross!”, “Wow, look at his stomach!”, “Why is there all of this stuff floating around in the pig?”).

I tried to focus on the computer but between their comments and the smell, I was about to toss by breakfast.  Never did I think software installs would involve fermented animals and squealing teenagers.

Myself, and several other people I interacted with, said this phrase today.  It started to get me thinking….do we “will” it to be one of those days, or does the day just happen and we assume it’s one of those days?

I know there’s the power of positive thinking and if you’re negative, bad things tend to happen. However, can you be on a “bad day” trajectory because one negative incident occurred?  Here’s my example from today…what do you think?

My morning started out fine until my daughter had an epic meltdown right before we left the house. She could not zip up her jacket, so everything after that was the end of the world.  All the way to school it was, “This is the worst day ever.  I don’t want to go to school.  You don’t like me anymore.”

Ugh.  I just want to get to school…really?!  I drop her off and head to work.  I’m on the freeway when a slow poke in the fast lane won’t move over.  I decide to pass on the right and when I move, he decides to move over in front of me.  Bad idea.

I hate slow drivers and I get really mad when they switch lanes in front of me and I’m cut off. Heaven forbid he waits for me to pass.  I didn’t handle that well and let’s just say he knows I wasn’t pleased.

Once I arrive at work, it’s instant attack mode by the students and teachers.  I barely get a chance to drop my bag and they’re on me like vultures.  Luckily, I am actually able to solve their problems and I’m a “hero”.  Things are starting to look up and the rest of the day is great.

Now, I wonder….did I doom myself to a bad day because I was in a negative mindset, or was it just a coincidence all of this crap happened at the same time?

Holy crap, what just happened?  Within 24 hours, we went from highs in the 70’s and thunderstorms to highs in the 50’s and rain.  It’s as if we were literally bitch slapped from summer into fall.  Mother Nature sure has a temper…must be her time of the month?

I love fall, but it would be nice if it would be a gradual process.  Start with high temps in the 70’s, cooling down to the 60’s, leaves slowly changing to their beautiful autumn color show.  This shocking switch from one season to the next is hard on our minds and bodies.

Myself and countless others are fighting nasty coughs and sore throats thanks to this seasonal change.  It’s so fun to start a new job and constantly have to apologize for coughing all over everyone and smelling like a cough drop factory.

Let’s hope this roller coaster ride swings upwards again and we can enjoy some more pleasant weather until the gates of Hell open and winter brings its dreaded misery upon us.  Really uplifting, huh?

Wow.  The only word I can think of to describe the madness that was the busiest day of the 2014 MN State Fair.  It was sheer insanity.  The morning was busy but by early afternoon it was so crowded, we could not move.  The sidewalks and streets near the Grandstand were at a standstill.  It was a Braveheart cry of “Freedom!!” when we escaped the fairgrounds.

Alright, enough bitching about the mobs of people.  Overall, it was a very enjoyable time.  The new West Market was a very impressive and refreshing upgrade from Heritage Square.  Seeing how nice it turned out, too bad they didn’t bulldoze Heritage Square sooner.

The bus loading/unloading area was also much improved upon.  No longer do you have to navigate a prehistoric footbridge and get your heels clipped by strollers.  It would’ve been nice, however, to have had better signage in the ticket area.  There was a line that was cash only, but it was posted on a piece of paper on the ticket booth.  Hit the woods for a stick and wave the sign high in the sky so you can see it from farther than five feet.

As far as new foods and attractions, we tried a few.  At Lulu’s in the West Market, we sampled the Breakfast Lulu and the Prime Rib Taco.  Both were priced at $5.00 and the Breakfast Lulu was by far the better value.  It was also a lot more flavorful than the sparsely filled taco.  Disappointing.

We sampled the craft beers in the Agriculture Building.  There were several different flight selections to choose from.  At first, $8.00 seemed a little pricey, but after walking around and seeing what was being charged at other booths for crappy lite beer this was a bargain.  I would highly recommend checking it out next year.

There were many other items we wanted to try, but by the afternoon the food lines were so long you’d think they were giving food away.  Next year, we will go on a rainy weekday, if possible. No more invasion of my personal space with cheese curd grease on my back and tread marks on my heels.