Tuesday, December 9, 2008

Already this Week

We haven't even reached Wednesday and there have already been events.

Events during which some things have happened.

First, our landlady finally came and took the large creepy bed out of the apartment. Since I didn't get any follow-up calls from her saying "Sorry but we broke ------- and ------- and --------- and ---------" or "You better pray to God that masking tape on the wall doesn't strip the paint", I assume everything went well. With the big bed there's enough room to put together the individual beds – I took care of mine first thing after work. In the process, I was reintroduced to the joys of "building" IKEA-like furniture and was reminded (more so the day after) that my hands are not, in fact, hammers.

Today, Tuesday, was normal enough except that I was 10 minutes late in meeting up with friends because I was busy leaning into the apartment dumpster trying to punch the cardboard box of said bed into submission. A big thanks to the guys carrying chairs out of the furniture store for not stopping to stare.

I was going to continue by explain how I experienced some kind of weird coca-cola poisoning at the restaurant, wherein I got waves of dizziness and nausea, but then I remembered just now that I ate a yogurt and fruit thing, which completely explains everything. It wouldn't be the first time yogurt made me feel like I had been hyperventilating in a room pumped full of helium.

Berlin is in four days - tomorrow I go to buy plastic boxes for transporting of German goodies.

Friday, December 5, 2008

I'll Show YOU Puddle!!!

While on the way to pick up three pairs of my long-ill shoes from the...cobbler? That's pretty archaic. Anyway, on my way to the cobbler through Friday afternoon weather that just couldn't be bothered to be a little bit colder so the rain would turn into snow. At the door of the cobbler's I remember they want cash and I have none, so I about-face and head back in the direction of the nearest ATM. As I'm walking I reach an area where there are several shallower puddles at the same time as a car. This car driver is obviously a jerk, as I have no steps to jump up on or any doorways to duck into as he or she drives by, right through the puddle. Luckily I had my purse and computer on the left side of my body, because right side was tidal-waved (in a big city sense).

WHY do people do that? I understand driving through puddles on empty streets, I used to do it all the time. But here... luckily most people don't act this way. There's a puddle the size of four Mastiffs lying back to back at the corner of our street, and no one drives through that. Because they're most likely not jerks like today's person. Today's person probably has a thought process along the following lines:

"I am approaching a group of shallow puddles on the passenger side of my vehicle. These puddles have been put there by rain. Rain that wants to spite me and make my driving experience that much more of a hassle. Rain puddles that need to be retaliated against. Ergo that pedestrian there, who looks like she probably forgot to get cash on the way to the cobbler's, deserves to be punished as an extra."

At least I live around the corner so I didn't have to experience sitting or standing on the train home with people secretly eyeing me with pitying stares.

All I have to say to that driver is this: be happy I forgot to buy marinated gherkins at the store because if I had done so, I would have retaliated and had a fun time seeing how quickly you could U-turn on a one-way street in Friday early evening rush hour traffic. And you would have had a fun time explaining "pickle damage" to your car insurance company.

Thursday, December 4, 2008

On (e-)Spam

I'm tired of filtering through spam comments regarding free porn, gold jewelry and pizza bagels. CUT IT OUT.