You know, I can't decide if it is a good thing or a bad thing that I have too many books to fit on my bookshelves. On the one hand, no one can have too many books, on the other storage is always an issue in apartments. I shall have to make a trip to IKEA and purchase some of their oh-so-wonderful bookshelves. Oh IKEA, your floor-to-ceiling bookshelves shall be a lifesaver.

If only I had more place for all of the stuff I've collected over the years. Things friends have made me, things I've made me...I am having a hard time deciding what to keep and what to get rid of. Alas, I believe I am a pack rat. I might just have to get a bookshelf just to hold my stuff.


 

My boyfriend and I finally have our own apartment and we're moving in this weekend! YAY!
 

I won first place in a contest! I usually get 2nd or 3rd. I'm completely pleased that I won, actually, because it gave me confidence in my writing again. Not that I thought I was a bad writer, per say, but it's good to know that other people think I'm good. I'm sure everyone here knows what I mean. Except my boyfriend (who never has enough time to read my stuff), hardly anyone besides y'all at W.com is allowed to read my stuff. So I'm kinda proud of myself that people I consider to be my peers validated my belief in myself.

Huzzah to me!
 

So my boyfriend and I are getting ready to move in together. And we just turned in the application for our screening. The hoops these people make you jump through--it's absolutely ridiculous! I mean, I know it's all a money-making scheme. The easiest way to tell if someone is right (re:wealthy enough) for your development is to make them pay erroneous fees on every little thing. But jeeze...

Hopefully we get approved and all of this isn't for naught.
-Quaddy
 

I have nothing in my own life worth saying, really...it's all horribly mundane. But if people like the sheer normalcy of my life, I guess this is for you.

I have a man that loves me and whom I love in return. Michael and I have been dating for just about a year. It's actually 11 months on Valentine's Day. In nerd parlance, that means, of course, that our Anniversary is Pi Day. We're moving in together soon, probably around the middle of March the way this whole background check is going. It's kinda slow and ridiculous. But whatever happens, we'll be living together eventually.

I'm also a graduate student in History. I have no idea what I'm going to do with it, except that I love History. Unfortunately, American society has decided that History is a useless endeavor. It's not like the study of History is essentially the study of how to do research and organize it into a cohesive paper. No, not at all. We're useless and have no skills that might be applicable to anything. Pfft.

I do admit that I'd be happiest as a writer. So I plan on taking my historical knowledge and writing stuff. Anything anyone would like to see, please ask and I would be totally cool with working on it, lol. American History is my specialty, but I know enough about the Medieval period to create a pretty interesting fantasy world. I think.

I am happy with Michael. Happier than I thought I'd be with anyone, actually, given that I've always assumed that I would end up a career woman, or something. I'm totally happy just churning out a poem or two, cleaning the house, and cooking. I love to cook. Too bad none of that will pay the bills. Oh well. *sigh*

I'll figure it out. But I'm still cool. See? Told you. My life, the mundane.

Quaddy Out.
 

Does anyone else find it ridiculous that people are expected to be completely inoffensive at all times? I do. Because what constitutes offensive? What I find offensive is different from what someone else finds offensive, yes? Tongue-in-cheek, light-hearted poking fun at someone is not offensive to me at all. But apparently, I'm supposed to be all fluffy and Smiles Mcdougall all the time. Giving someone the "Real Housewife of Broward County" award when they've stated that their goal in life is to marry a rich man and lay by the pool all day...NOT OFFENSIVE. And getting offended on behalf of the person getting that award because you have the sense of humor of a dead fish when I KNOW FOR A FACT SHE'LL THINK IT'S FUNNY is ridiculous.

So please, people, calm down. Spending your entire life worrying that every word you say might offend someone is wasting your life. Sometimes, you gotta be tongue-in-cheek. Sometimes, an off-color joke is ALRIGHT. Just check your audience, you know? When someone tells me that I need to completely change my sense of humor because they don't get it...I kind of want to knock their teeth out. I know who my audience is and I know how they'll react to something, so please don't feel the need to warn me that tongue-in-cheek humor could possibly be offensive. Because, in reality, giving people really sincere awards is more likely to piss someone off. Seriously, if I give one person the "Nicest Person" award, I think someone else who thinks they're nice will be a lot more offended than if I handed out a "Most Likely to Trip Over Their Own Two Feet" award. Sometimes tongue-in-cheek is much less offensive than sincerity, especially when a lot of people are involved in a public setting. Plus, it's a PARTY. Sometimes it's fun to poke fun at people.

For example, the girl I'm talking about it pissed because she's getting the "Tokidoki Titan" award. She didn't know what a titan was and was like "why are some people getting queen and empress and god when I get titan?" I told her that the people getting queen and empress and god are being made fun of. The person getting the 'god' award is getting the "God of Drive Thru" award. How is that NOT being made fun of, exactly? You're the GOD of a DRIVE THRU! Seriously. She needs to calm the heck down and grow a pair. She tells me in one breath not to treat anyone special and give some people really good awards and some not-so-good awards (when they're ALL equally tongue-in-cheek) and then, in the next breath, asks me to give her a special award that's not poking fun at her at all (roasting, she calls it, which is ridiculous because people are downright cruel and crude at roasts). How is that not special treatment? Especially since she's a TITAN. That's a fricken GOD. It's ridiculous. Basically, we're calling her the goddess of fun and quirky, because Tokidoki is a fun and quirky brand. How is that offensive? How could that possibly BE offensive?

SOMEONE TELL ME WHAT IS WRONG WITH THE WORLD?! This PC crap is driving me NUTS! In my opinion, as long as what you say is mildly appropriate, someone has to ALLOW their feelings to be hurt. No one can DO anything to your feelings that you don't ALLOW to happen. So, if you realize that everything is meant in a light-hearted poking fun sort of manner, there is no reason to allow your feelings to be hurt. This girl needs to grow a pair or she's going to have a really, really hard time in this world. If her feelings are that hurt by a stupid paper plate award, what's going to happen when she gets a real job and someone starts screaming at her? Seriously.

I've tried really hard to be especially nice to this chick. I cut down on the sarcasm, I cut back on the caustic sense of humor, the dry wit, the political snark...I've basically completely changed my sense of humor around her so her feelings couldn't possibly be HURT...and I'm sick and DAMN TIRED of it. She can pretty much go suck a nut. I'm her supervisor, so I'll treat her with the respect she deserves as a coworker and someone I need to supervise, but she's not going to get anything from me but professional efficiency. She's burnt her last bridge. I'm twenty-two...she is thirty-three...why do I seem to have more maturity than her? Seriously?
 

I keep forgetting I have this thing despite the almost daily reminders that it exists. I suppose I don't have much to really say, when push comes to shove. I got a promotion and I'm in the process of learning how to be a Shift Supervisor at Starbucks. I've done two shadow shifts, which means I run the store while there's another shift supervisor there to keep an eye on me. I don't really need him, but it's helpful just in case I come across a situation where I dunno what to do.

Also, NaNo is kicking my ass. Why? Training at work is taking precedence. I have 40 hours this week, which is more than anyone except the Store Manager. It's ridiculous. I was at the store from 10am to 11:45pm yesterday! So NaNo...I'm behind. But I should be able to catch up Thursday. Hopefully.
-Quaddy
 

Hope everyone had a great Halloween! I know I sure did!

Now, on to NaNo!
 

So I went to an early Halloween party today and mostly just sat around and talked. My favorite kind of party, actually, 'cause they're chill and cool and stuff. Had a long conversation with two of my girlfriends--both of whom are older and wiser and much more experiences than I--about relationships and dating and whatnot. The conclusion of this conversation is that I probably won't date any time soon unless I lower my standards because...wait for it...boys are stupid.

I agree. Boys are stupid.

I will remain single for the foreseeable future.
 

I adore the random read feature. This is amazing. I've reviewed, like 10 things today because of it and discovered a wonderful new author whose stuff I *adore*.
I love W.com!