I am currently obsessed with this song, Set Fire To The Rain, by Adele. Listen to it! [No, I'm not aggressive, just do what I tell you and nobody gets hurt. :-) ]

At this time last Sunday, I was in tears, so stressed out about all the things that have been going on in my life (my job, my car), but this Sunday I am happy to report that I am so chill I am virtually comatose! But despite my new lack of stress there are still some things that concern me, and the biggest one is persecuting others.

Certain events of the last week have reaffirmed the dangers inherent in persecuting others. When we take it upon ourselves to act as judge, jury, and executioner we leave ourselves open to receiving the same treatment. Never forget that there is always someone at least as well, if not better qualified than you, to take your place, and when you have the attitude and/or personality of a poopy diaper, you open the door to all sorts of payback.

Belittling, stereotyping, and undermining others will never get you where you think it will, and every time you do it you move closer to becoming what you think they are. Clean up your own yard before you criticize the yard of your neighbor, and just because you don't care for the way someone else dresses, that doesn't give you leave to criticize that, either.

Be aware; people do watch you and they do take note of what you say and do...just as much as you do it to them.

Well, I think this week has finally caught up to me, here I sit, listening to 70's love songs with tears in my eyes...But then I look at my most recent blog posts and realize that "this week" has actually been going on for more than a week! No wonder I'm headed for a straight jacket and padded cell.

You can read my previous three posts to see how my week and a half started out...but let me update from Wednesday...

Wednesday morning went okay, but on the way to work that day I started to notice some potentially serious issues with my vehicle (it's an old van). It seemed as though I had lost a lot of power and the transmission was having trouble shifting gears. If you know anything about cars then you will understand why I began to seriously freak out.

I made it through work fine, but on the way home I really paid attention to the car, and, sure enough, I had been right about it having trouble shifting. It freaked me out enough that when I got home I emailed my boss and asked to switch my day off so I could take my car into the shop and have it looked at (of course she said that was fine).

So, all day Thursday I felt (and probably looked) like I had ADHD...I couldn't sit still, when I got on my computer I went from one program to another to another to another to the first to the third to the first to the second; at about that speed. I had taken the van to the local mechanic and he had initially agreed with me that it sounded like a transmission problem..."but let's not worry until there's something to worry about." Great advice...too bad it turns out there's something to worry about.

When I called him at 12:30 (because I couldn't stand waiting any more -- believe me, it was torture to wait that long) he said he couldn't find anything wrong with it...ehm, what? I told him the problem really shows up between 40 and 55 mph. So he said he'd take it back out and get it up to speed and see what he could see...

Two hours later, fit to be tied, I put on my coat, left the house and walked to the shop...the van wasn't there, so I knew he was out driving it around. I walked around the block, and when I got to where I could see the shop, I saw that the van was back. I walked back up there, and as soon as he saw me he said, "there she is," in a manner that filled me with dread...(this is my only transport and it is vitally necessary for me to do either of my jobs!)...we walked out and he told me that once he got it up to highway speed he could finally understand what I had been telling him...I was right -- it's a transmission problem. ...

So that was my Thursday...or was it?

Actually, the torment began bright and early Thursday morning when I did my papers...it seems as if at least once/winter we get this crazy, psychotic weather that produces some of the worst paper-delivery conditions possible. This year has been no different. We've had roller coaster temps that produce sheet ice. Both of my routes are on the side of a mountain and people tend to not bother with snow and ice removal. I was a little surprised I managed to live through that morning. What with my van rolling down hills and such...

Yeah, so, Thursday...it was probably a good thing I didn't go into work that day.

But it's not like the next three days have been much better...Friday was another horrible delivery day (not as bad as Thursday, but bad enough), and the drive to work was a misery. Had I not spent the day yacking with my co-worker I'm pretty sure I would have wound up curled into the fetal position crying.

Saturday, papers were better...but it rained and then snowed all day. Pshaw! There's no problem with rain turning to snow! I took back roads to and from work so I wasn't quite so freaked out about the worsening transmission...(did I mention it's already getting worse?!)

And then there was this morning...thanks to the bipolar weather, papers this morning were crap. But it gets better! See, my boots disintegrated yesterday...y'know, the boots I wear to do the papers? I didn't realize just how bad they were until I got home, but I couldn't help but be a wee bit ticked off when I stepped on the grass and suddenly my left foot was soaked to the ankle...

So I had to find some new boots. I have a pair of combat boots that I haven't worn for ages because I'd never properly broken them in. Now I'm breaking them in the hard way. Figures.

I'd make some stupid comment like, "it can't get any worse," but I've said stupid things like that before and always been proven wrong. Yes, it can get worse. But can it please, oh please get better?

While delivering the papers on Friday morning I came up with my own version of "If You're Happy And You Know it." I'll end today with my new version, as it pretty well sums up my last week and a half...

If you're stressed out and you know it, drool a bit.
If you're stressed out and you know it, drool a bit!
If you're stressed out and you know it catatonia will show it,
If you're stressed out and you know it, drool a bit.

If you're stressed out and you know it, rock a bit.
If you're stressed out and you know it, rock a bit!
If you're stressed out and you know it rocking back and forth will show it,
If you're stressed out and you know it, rock a bit.

If you're stressed out and you know it, chew your nails.
If you're stressed out and you know it, chew your nails!
If you're stressed out and you know it chewing to the quick will show it,
If you're stressed out and you know it, chew your nails!

This week has already felt long and it's half over! But some things have happened already this week that have helped to make it long.

Obviously, the first couple of days you've already read about (if not, what have you been doing, if not reading my blog?!), but then there was Pee Your Pants At Work Day, yesterday. What? You didn't know it was Pee Your Pants At Work Day yesterday and you missed out??! Oh, what a shame! You missed out on the joy of spending the day with wet pants...okay, you're right, it wasn't fun, and for the record it wasn't intentional, either.

What happened is that our cleaning lady was mopping the floor (during business hours...why anyone would think that's a good idea, I don't know -- the company is just lucky it was me, and not some law-suit-happy customer who fell on the wet floor) and I had to use the toilet. I made it into the restroom and, not realizing she has also mopped that floor (there were no signs up and the door was shut) I slipped and fell...and peed my pants. Yes, that's right, I peed my pants at work...needless to say, I was quite pissed off (no pun intended).

But my experience has taught me a few valuable lessons:

1. The toilet is not my enemy. Had I not been holding it because I hate going to the bathroom, I probably would have avoided the unintended voiding. I've never liked going to the bathroom; it seems like such a total waste of time...isn't there some other way to expel metabolic waste products?

2. If you see someone mopping the floor, don't assume (see, it happens to me, and when it does...) that just because the cleaning lady has never bothered to clean the restrooms before, she won't suddenly decide this day will be the one! Proceed with caution...

AND

3. Take a change of clothes. That way, if you're dumb enough to ignore points 1 and 2 on the list, you won't have to spend the rest of your work day in peed pants...

After my unfortunate experience (yes, yes, it's hilarious now that it's no longer happening to me) there was one bright spot...when I got home from work I found Scavenger Hunt in my mailbox! Woohoo! If you have never seen this movie then you are missing out! Along with such greats as Clue: The Movie, and Murder By Death, Scavenger Hunt is just good fun. If you have seen it, and are looking for a copy on DVD, you can find it here for a good price.

A recent Facebook argument has got me in a bit of a lather. In my extreme boredom over the weekend I watched the beginning of a program about how to avoid shark attacks (seems pretty obvious to me really, but there are those who don't seem to understand the correlation between being in the ocean and being bit by alpha predators). One story was of a woman who, at seven months pregnant, made the conscious decision to life guard on a beach in waters that she knew had a heightened threat of shark attack on that particular day. But, by her own admission, as well as the admission of her husband (the baby's father), she chose to go that day because she was going to do whatever she wanted to.

That's irresponsible, and I said so. Someone had suggested (before I added the information about it being her choice) that maybe she couldn't afford not to. I told him that there is always a choice. I was then informed that there are, apparently, circumstances that are beyond choice...

That is wrong. There is always a choice. Your options may suck, but you always have a choice. As I told this guy, even if someone holds a gun to your head and tells you to, "do this," (where "this" is something unpleasant) or they will kill you, you still have a choice! Sure, your options are horrible, but you still have them. Whatever happens once you've made your choice is not a choice, it's the consequence of your choice.

Don't confuse choice with consequence, because they are different. You will always have a choice, what you must deal with after that choice is the consequence.

Perhaps you think that someone wrapping their car around a pole is an unavoidable choice. It is not. It is simply the consequence of a choice that person made earlier.

Everything we do is by choice. Remember that Rush song, Freewill? "[Even] if you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice." The only time we no longer have a choice is when we, ourselves, have taken that away. Everything in life is a choice, we must simply decide which consequences we can live with.

Yeah, so it's been a while since my last post...a lot has been going on and, even though I've thought about posting something, when I get to the computer I just lose all motivation to do it. So I'm really dragging this one out of myself.

This last month and a half has been a real roller coaster for me...and not the fun kind. I got a second job; that hasn't turned out to be the stress-reliever I had hoped. I got a new cell phone; and found out the only places I want to text don't get unlimited texting from any cell company. I now get a day off from the paper; but still have to go to another job so still don't get a proper day off. I know, I know, you have to take the lumps with the laughs, and all-in-all these aren't things that will kill me (although, that which does not kill us makes us angry and weak).

But by now, if you've been keeping up with this blog (or you happen to actually know me), then you know that there are a plethora of things that make me angry and weak. I'd like to share two of those things with you today: assuming and not doing research (do I sound like a broken record yet?).

I've come up with a list of things that have irritated me this month (and we're only halfway through it...joy) and a bit of advice for those involved.

1. Don't make assumptions about the nature of a relationship based solely on one observed interaction from years ago. If you don't know what's been going on in the intervening years, then you are not qualified to make judgments.

2. Just because you think something is worthless, doesn't mean it actually is; selling a $200 tray for $20 makes you look stupid...or maybe you're just malicious, I haven't quite decided which yet.

3. Don't assume you know all the details based on one vague Facebook post; ask questions before making a silly comment that turns out to have absolutely no basis in fact.

4. The vast majority of Facebook "share this" posts are hoaxes. Don't be a blind follower; there is a handy little website called Snopes that checks on stuff like this. Do yourself and the Facebooking world a favor and check before reposting.

Each one of these incidents could have been avoided by simply doing research. An old maxim, from who-knows-where (but often attributed to Mark Twain), fits perfectly here: It is better to be thought a fool, than to open your mouth and remove all doubt. Before you speak, sell, type, or repost, do some research. That way, when the fool is exposed, it won't be you.