Pop Goes Your Internal Music Player

If I have it stuck in my head, you should have it stuck in your head.



You are Gold and Silver.

Someone Didn't Get the "It's All About Me" Memo

You know how they say that the qualities that drive you crazy most in other people are often qualities you yourself possess? Well, I had a conversation today that is a prime example of this. Someone I know was complaining to me that certain people never thank her or appreciate her for what she does for them. This is the conversation we had in my head:

Her: It's just irritating that I do so much for them and they don't even seem to notice.
Me: Ah, like when you don't notice how much I do for you!
Her: I just don't see the point of doing all this work when it's not bringing me joy in life and they're not even appreciating all my work.
Me: Like you.
Her: They have no clue how hard I work for them.
Me: Like you.

This probably means that I don't appreciate people for all the hard work they do in my behalf and that I never say thank you, doesn't it? It's a vicious circle.

Creepy Guy Night

So apparently Monday is creepy guy night at my local grocery store. Just ran out to get a few things, and there was a creepy guy on almost every aisle. And one hot cashier. Who made up for the creepy guy that was two feet shorter than me and gave me the up and down on my way back to the front of the store.

Childhood Memories Mangled Before My Eyes

1. Alvin and the Chipmunks
2. Garfield
3. Another Garfield
4. Carebears with funny shaped heads.
5. Scooby Doo with a new theme song. (although this one is not as objectionable as others)
6. Strawberry Shortcake with a funny shaped head
7. Knight Rider with a KITT voice that is very un-british (Sorry, Val, it's just not working for me).
8. 90210 the next generation. It's DEAD. Let it be dead.

Why must they murder my childhood joys?

How You Know if You are a Good Listener

When I was about 5, we went on some kind of trip as a family. All I knew was that we were parked in a line of cars, and my mom kept saying the Fairy was coming. I was very excited. She said, "look, there's the Fairy!" Try as I might, I could not see any pretty winged ladies with pink tutus flying towards me. I must have been looking in the wrong direction. And then we drove onto a special boat to cross the water to get to our destination. I was listening the best I could, but my little 5 year old ears did not understand what my mom was saying. Of course, as an adult, I'm a super good listener, as I'm sure you can all attest. Since I'm SO good at listening, I will now impart my wisdom upon you.

Some things most adults don't know about being a good listener:

1. You should spend time hearing what the person is communicating to you instead of formulating your next question in your head, or deciding what shirt you should wear today. There's an exercise where you listen to a person talk for one minute about a given topic, and your objective is to repeat back what they have said to them at the end of that minute and see if you got what they were saying. Sounds easy, right? Not always so. Especially if you're paying attention to your inner dialogue instead of them.

2. You should ask lots of questions. Try this: the next time you are talking to someone who is spilling out their guts to you, see how long you can keep the conversation going by asking good questions. You would be amazed how long a person can talk if they feel you are genuinely interested in hearing their thoughts.

3. If you are paying attention, you might notice that someone is trying to spill their guts to you. Put down the remote. Back away from the online chess game. You can do it. I know you can.

3. If the person expresses a feeling you consider a little whacky, don't try to frame that feeling for them by putting it in a context you understand. You should try to find out where on earth they are coming from. Because in their world that feeling makes sense. This is where the questions come in.

4. I know you think you are the Yoda of our day and time, but most likely the person pouring out their guts to you is not asking you to solve their problems. So knock it off. It's irritating. Look for key phrases like "what should I do" or, "what would you do?" If you don't hear those phrases, it is quite possible that person is just talking it out. Also it's possible they are not complete idiots and can see the solution right in front of their face. And you listening for five minutes to their problem does not give you the complete picture, so you are just acting like a big, know-it-all jerk offering a really stupid solution.

Happy 100th Babble!

This is my 100th post. I know that you are glad that you have been gifted with 100 posts of my wisdom, wit, and whatever-else-starts-with-a-"w." I know that it has made my own life richer to bask in the glory that is my superior writing skills.

Things I have learned through my blogging experience:
1. There is a code to make a word a link. And I know it. Also there is a code that is slightly different to make it open in another window.
2. Youtube gives you a code to embed their videos in your blogs and websites. That is so totally sweet of them.
3. At least 3 of my friends love me enough to read my blog on a daily basis. The love of my other friends is questionable.
4. It's really hard to not post hate letters to the person you are mad at on your blog. But not impossible. So far.
5. I like lists.
6. If you comment on someone's group texting habit and how it is ghetto you should not then make them read the post above it the next day when they come over. Because they will scroll down. Sure, they'll keep speaking to you. But you won't get texts from them anymore. At least not often.
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10. Lists aren't satisfying if I make it past 5 and I don't make it to ten.