Secret Single Behavior

SSB

Last night I officially watched my first episode of Sex and the City. I know, I know, I'm a little behind the times. Anyway, Sarah Jessica Parker brought up SSB's. These are your Secret Single Behaviors. These are things that we do alone that we would never do in front of any guy, like Charlotte said that she liked to stare at her pores in a magnifying mirror for at least an hour every day, but now she couldn't because her husband would think that it was weird. (which he would). So I was thinking about my "Secret Single Behavior" and realized that I definitely have some. My biggest one would be that I like to lay in the middle of my floor and stare at the ceiling while listening to music, for at least 30 minutes when I get home from work, and I definitely don't want to talk at all. So I figured this would be a good chance for you guys to chime in on what your "Secret Single Behavior" is....

Long Day at Work

So I think that everyone is back at work today. The bus was packed, traffic was bad, and I'm back to my regular routine. Its so hard to get back on track after being off for basically two weeks. Also, I'm bored with my cubicle. (mostly I'm bored being in a cubicle) But the good news is that our head office sent us a memo about how to keep our work place clean and it included an article with Vern from Trading Spaces organizing someone's cubicle. The sad part is that I read the whole thing and thought it made some interesting points (how old am I??). Anyway, I have to get back to work, after all that's what this day is all about.

A Blog a Day...

This is our slow time at work, so I'm bored during most of my day. And I have to say that I'm disappointed. Most likely I'm disappointed with you... Yes I said you. I take a section of my day and read people's blogs. Some of you might not even know that I read them, but I comment on some people's, anyway... no one has posted anything new in several days. I guess I can't say no one, Angie posted today (thanks Ang) but to the rest of you... PLEASE POST A NEW BLOG. And to those of you who read this and don't have a blog, GET ONE. Can't you see that I'm bored??

Saying Goodbye

There comes a point in everyone's life when they must say goodbye to someone near and dear to them. This time came for me today. My hair dryer died today. It was a quick and painless death I think, just a quick spark and some smoke. I think that my flat iron is effected the most by this. But here's to you hair dryer, you have been there for the good times and the bad times for several years. No matter what, you've always made me look the best I can, and for this you are truly appreciated and will be missed.

~Carrie

Before and After

Cosmetic Dentistry... this is the new fad around here. I have always thought that Americans took pretty good care of their teeth, but pictures would have us believing otherwise. Now it is the style for dentists office to display before and after pictures on their signs outside of the office. Now don't get me wrong, I think its great that people are getting their teeth fixed, but really do we need visuals of this. There is one sign on the road that I frequently drive down on my way to get something to eat. And the pictures on the sign are not just someone with crooked teeth that had them straightened, these are people with teeth that can only compare with those of the devil. Here's a hint, if I am interested and want to see what other work you've done, I'll come in and ask. I know what "Cosmetic Dentistry" means, I don't need a visual. You don't see plumbers putting before and after pictures on their signs... take a hint.

Don't Hate the Playa... Hate the Game

This might possibly be the worst advice that was ever offered to me. But it has nothing to do with my blog today. Today I have an update in my search for a Christmas Party Date. I have found the best date a girl could possibly ask for. Ladies... try not to be jealous, but I am taking the one and only MATT THOMAS. Actually there is another Matt Thomas that I accidentally wrote an email to when I was in school and confessed my undying love to, fortunately he was nice enough to forward it on to the person for whom it was intended.

Matt has already begun putting together a list of stories that we can tell as our "how we met" story. So here is the list he has provided to me. Please feel free to vote on your favorite.

(Written by Matt Thomas)

1. I could be the foreign exchange student your family hosted years ago (except I can't fake an accent.) I missed you so much that I had to come back and see you.

2.We met on a random cruise for singles and have stayed in touch ever since.

3.I am the tow truck driver who took your car most recently from downtown. I felt bad about the $200 charge so you asked me to be your date

4.We met on eharmony.com and when anyone asks at the party I will say that I just flew into town and this is my very first time to ever meet you or see you. We didn't exchange pictures while talking for the last year.

5.We met at college and....oh wait..that really did happen.

6.I was backpacking thru Europe (or whatever country you have been to) and you were there vacationing with some girlfriends. We met in a tiny European market as you were frustrated that some guy was ripping you off price-wise on a bag you wanted and I intruded and spoke the local language to the guy and you got a fantastic discount. You then went on to wink at me and asked if you could "tip" me by buying me a drink at the nearest café. And from there it's history.

7.We could tell everyone we're on a blind-date and yes you're taking me home afterwards.

8.I am the father of your child that you gave up for adoption five years ago.

9.I am living in Florida, but these horrendous tropical storms and hurricanes came thru earlier this year and destroyed most of my belongings. I quickly learned that it "served me right for living on some land that just sticks out in the ocean like that," and so I'm looking for a place to buy in Houston and met you on the sidewalk in your neighborhood.

Waiting on Mr. Right? Why Young Career Women are Putting Motherhood on Ice

This blog really has nothing to do with people freezing their eggs. But I thought that this article was very interesting and weird.

So I have to find a date to my work Christmas party. I feel like I'm in college all over again and I have to find a date to banquet and you all know how well that worked out for me. So a few people in the office are making bets on who I'm going to bring. I don't see why I have to bring anyone. Its not that I don't have anyone to bring. I know some people that I could ask and they would go with me. The problem is that our office Christmas party is notorious for being boring, and I'm not sure that I want to subject people that I like to that kind of misery. So if anyone has any thoughts or ideas, I'm open for advice.... I know what I'm going to wear... why is the date part always the hardest???

~Carrie

I GET A KICK OUT OF SOCCER

Soccer

So, my brother broke his arm playing soccer on our indoor soccer league. Up until now, the biggest injury we had is when I got smacked in the face by the ball being kicked as hard as this big man could kick it. I was just getting over my fear of that happening again when my brother broke his arm. I don't want to say that he got knocked down by a girl but that is what happened. My fears would also be calmed a little if our ref didn't have a glass eye. This is kind of freaky if you actually think about it. Anyway, in honor of my brother, here's the top five freakiest times in my soccer career...

5. The first time I played and I wasn't in very good shape and I thought I was going to die after just being out there 1 minute.

4. The first time that someone got the bright idea to kick me the ball (possibly they thought that I was going to be able to do something with it) and everyone started running towards me.

3. When I got smacked in the face with the ball... my brother said that you could hardly tell that it hit me though.

2. The game that the ball got passed to me and I started running down the field with the ball. This was cool until I realized that I was doing something cool and then I freaked out.

1. Last game when I was walking off of the field and I saw a blood stain on the wall... c'mon we can't clean that up... really?

Don't Forget to Vote!!!

Some Bathroom Humor

I work in an office type setting, and I like to think that I'm pretty up to date on the latest office etiquette. So here's a few tips in case you're not sure how to act in an office setting...

1. Its rude to have inappropriate conversations with your boyfriend while you're in your cubicle. Don't they know that other people can hear them?? Not only is it rude, it should be embarrassing for the person doing it.

2. Don't come around at 5:25 on a Friday expecting to go over a lot of work that was given to you 4 days ago and you're just now getting to. Some of us aren't trying to avoid going home.

3. If you are a receptionist and someone calls for Fred, and you can see that Fred is on the phone, don't go over behind Fred and whisper his name over and over again so you can tell him he has another call. He's on the phone... TAKE A MESSAGE!!

4. Don't touch other people's computer screens. Treat them as sacred.

5. Don't take magazines from the breakroom into the bathroom (this has really happened). You should not need reading material in the office bathroom. A trip to the bathroom at work should always be a short one. And whatever you do, DON'T return the magazines that you took to the bathroom, to the break room... that's just disgusting!!

And this is what I know so far. I thought that these things were common knowledge but after working at this freakshow of a job that I have, I guess its not!!

~Carrie

We'll get 'em next year!!

Way to go!!

My Big Tow

My Big Tow
I don't always ride the bus to work, sometimes I drive my car, but only on special occasions when I have something going on after work. A few Friday's ago, the Astros were competing for the Wild Card pick in the playoffs and I had tickets. So I drove downtown on that Friday with plans of meeting Marilee and Kara for the game. I was even trying to be productive, thinking that I could work late (on a Friday) and then just walk over to the ballpark. Since the day I started working downtown, whenever I drive in I always have this big fear that I will come down to the location of my car and it will be gone. Well on this day, that nightmare came true.

I park in this lot that has numbered parking spaces and then you put your money in this big box in the slot with the number that corresponds to your parking spot. After work, I decided to take a few of my bags to my car so I wouldn't have to run around downtown looking like the bag lady. I walk to the parking lot, look around and realize, that my truck is gone. I immediately have to give myself a pep-talk so that I don't end up crying and I try not to look too stupid because there is a cute guy who is paying for his parking and I don't want him to think..."ahh look at the retard who lost her whole car". So I call the towing company and find out that they towed my truck for "failure to pay" (which I definitely did pay) and they tell me that it will be $200 to get my car back.

Now, I like to think that everyone works hard at their job and is paid accordingly... but really, hooking my truck up(falsely, might I add) and dragging it a few miles away does not constitute $200.

So anyway, I still went to the Astros game and they made it into the playoffs. I did almost get in a fight with this guy that wouldn't move out of our seats. At which point Marilee suggested that I might be a contestant on a show called "Boiling Point" where they see how far they can push you before you go crazy. My friend Kara and I went and picked up my truck at about 11:00 that night. It might possibly be classified as the scariest time in my life. But we managed through, paid the $200 and went to Applebee's where the manager paid for my whole meal because he felt sorry for me... he's a pretty cool guy!!

So the moral of the story is... never drive downtown... EVER!!

Here's To You Sports Fans...

Houston has the greatest fans ever. So here's to you...

Here's to you lady with the Rum. Way to share your secret of how to sneak in your own alcohol.

Here's to you bird man, when asked if you were drunk when you made your costume, you said "no I was just doing what the Lord told me to"

Here's to you towel head. You know all the words to the touchdown song and sing them with pride.

Here's to you paper mache mask guy. You took being a fan one step further than everyone else.

Here's to you divided family. Parents with Raiders jersey's and kids with Texans jersey... no matter what you know that it will always be a long ride home.

Here's to you drunk chinese guy. Way to be pumped up about the astros.

Here's to the Astros ... way to pick it up in the end and make it to the playoffs!!! Go STROS!!

The Simple Life

I've noticed that people always sit around and talk about how complicated their lives are. In fact, that's quite the topic of conversation. Its almost a competition to see who has it off the worst. So... In light of this, I've decided to de-complicate my life or simplify it for those of you that are grammar Nazis (Riz). In order to do this, I've decided to create three lists. One of people that don't cause me any complications whatsoever (the white list if you will) one of people that are definitely complicating my life (the black list) and one of people that are on the bubble. These are people that could go either way. Eventually these people will either prove themselves to be simple or be black-listed forever. I haven't decided yet if I will notify people and tell them that they are on probation or just let them know once they are moved over to one of the lists. But, I am definitely going to start living the simple life!!

~Carrie

Songs by the Hollies

Well a lot of you might not know this, but I take the bus to work almost every day. Its quite an amazing thing since I never rode the bus to school when I was younger, mainly because my mom thought that all trouble started on the bus. Anyway, everyday I get up and go to the bus station (which the rich people call a "Park and Ride" to make themselves feel better). I get on the bus and try to act like an adult. I read some or act like I'm deep in thought about my job or whatever it is that grownups think about. To tell the truth, usually I'm sitting there praying that I don't have a panic attack from the person that is sitting way too close to me and smells like bacon.

Aside from that, I like the bus. I especially like it in the afternoons. One of my favorite things is to sit at the bus stop and just watch people while I wait for my bus. I'll see buses stop and pick people up and then drive on to the next stop. Every once in a while, a bus will stop and let people on and I'll look down the street and there will be a grown man in a business suit running as fast as he can with his arms flailing about as if they were going to fall off. As he looks frantically at the bus and the light, praying that it won't turn green, people at the bus stop start yelling at the bus driver to hold the bus for the crazy running man (not to be confused with the dance move). The man will breeze past me and just make in time to get on and pay before the light turns green and the bus takes off to its next stop.

This always makes me smile, because I feel like man kind has joined together to accomplish a common goal. Then I think "maybe world peace can be achieved, if everyone just treated the world like one giant bus stop."

~Carrie

Dear Diary...

When I was younger I always had ideas of keeping a diary. I always started out great and wrote down everything. Then, as the days passed by I suddenly lost track, until it was too late and I had to start all over again. So this is what has happened to my blog. I was planning on writing in it almost every day with whimsical stories and, well, you see how that has gone. But not to worry, a new post is coming soon... one that will be way better than this one.

~Carrie

So this internet thing looks like its here to stay...

So this is my first "blog". You can probably tell by the way I used quotations around the word "blog". When everyone started this, I refused to give in because I thought it was just a fad, but I said the same thing about capri pants and look how that turned out. Anyway... for my first entry let me point out a few things.

First off, I'm not as funny as people think I am so don't be surprised if my entries are really boring.
Secondly, I'm a math person... so my spelling/grammer/punctuation might not be that great and, just between you and me, I don't really care. I work with numbers it doesn't matter what my words look like.

So now I'll tell you what I do for a living. A lot people think that I'm an Actuary, but I'm not. I'm an Actuarial Analyst. You might be asking your self... what is an Actuarial Analyst. Well, I'm going to tell you. Basically, I stare at spreadsheets all day long. OK not really. I do mathematical analysis on pension plans. Exciting huh? I also take exams so that someday I can be a real live Actuary. (doesn't my job sound exciting??)

Well this is my first entry. Hopefully they'll get better than this (I'm not sure it could get much worse), but this is the best I can do for a Friday morning.