As you all know, I work at the Haircuttery. It's not so bad, I'm used to being around people with different views than I have, but I never bargained for what I've found there. I also know I'm a snob and consider my opinions and ways of doing things quite a bit higher than other's; but sometimes there is no reasoning with people (aka convincing them that they are wrong).
At work last week on a particularly slow day three of us were in the back "reading" Elle and Glamour magazines. In them there is an add for Skechers with Tori Spelling in it. She looks weird, especially in those adds. This began a discussion that led to me telling the other girls of my hatred for Sketchers. Usually I'm around fellow haters (with the exception of my mother who thinks they're wonderful looking shoes but bad on her back), but unknown to me I was in the presence of people who actually like Everything about Skechers. I tried to explain that they are cheaply made (of plastic), have that horribly huge S on them, generally ugly, etc. but there was no reasoning. Then one girl started complaining about her back - this particular girl is cheap, very cheap, and overweight. If you wear cheap shoes with absolutely no support and carry a few extra pounds, in addition to being on your feet at work everyday, of course your back is going to hurt.
I've tried to explain to her several times that she needs to get inserts, to which she replys, "I have. I've bought those Doctor Scholl's ones." No, I tell her, you need to see a podiatrist and get custom ones made. She then complains about how much that would cost, but she's considering getting back surgery!?!?!?!?! Three hundred dollars on something that could help you a lot and avoid the surgery or thousands of dollars on an avoidable surgery. This is the same girl who tells me that she knows losing weight would help her but she's just so lazy. She has told me that she is lazy. AGH!
Moving on/going back, that conversation led to us discussing trailors, and me of course in my typical nature telling everyone that I hate trailors, too. Trailors are generally crappy, trailor parks are gross, and the people that live there aren't usually much better. I feel I can say this because I've spent plenty of time (not lately) around/in trailors growing up with family in the south where a double-wide is the standard of living. Ms. Cheapy apparently grew up in a trailor, and was now offended. I almost felt bad... almost.
The other girl with us could see where I was coming from but thought that I was being a bit harsh (haven't heard that before). I love this girl, she is one of the sanest people that I work with, exceptionally talented and should be doing so much better than the Haircuttery. And then she had to drop thie awful bomb on me a few days ago when we were discussing music. She knows that I go to shows fairly often, and asked what my favorite band was/is - that she's heard of. I told her the Killers. Her's is Nickelback. NICKELBACK! She thinks that his voice is one of the best of today, and that Brandon Flowers' voice is whiney! Whiney!?
I'm not going to waste my time explaining why Nickelback is the worst band of all time (and Creed, and Korn).
please watch this
I get a little bit too excited about the 4th of July. I get a little bit too excited about a lot of things. I get excited the same way a typical five-year-old gets excited about going to Chuck E. Cheese's and staying up past their 8:30 bedtime. Today I am five and America is 232.
Dear Burt Reynolds,
These past few months have been a whirlwind of emotions for both of us. Probably you more than me, seeing as everything you're dealing with right now, I was dealing with three years ago.
I recognize that you hate me right now. I also realize how irrational you are being. I have never done anything to intentionally hurt you, you know that - even if right now you won't admit it. You probably think I was leading you on, but that doesn't make sense either because until this past Friday I had not seen you in person for almost a month.
Until this whole thing happened you didn't think I was a manipulative bitch, you thought that I was this really strong person who wanted to help you. I did, at the time, and maybe I got a bit carried away, I think you did too. Somehow I became this person that you wish you'd had all along. But you didn't want to date me, at least not seriously, that was understood from the beginning. You said that you weren't "in love" with me, which was fine because I wasn't ever "in love" with you either. I thought, about two months ago that our relationship may take a romantic turn, but it didn't.
You decided that you were going to move back home, see if you could work from there and come to the city maybe once a month. While you've been going home on the weekends, and I've been working seven days a week, my life continued. Besides that, though, it couldn't have worked out for us. You're too co-dependent and I just would have become your therapist, and that's unhealthy.
Now, you've told me, many times, that you feel completely out of control, that you hate who you are, etc. I've seen a few sides of you, Burt, I've seen the side that you should hate, but I've also seen the side that's so sensitive he can hardly bare it. I know that if we were to sit down and discuss this you would probably cry, and to avoid that you've sent me quite a few mean, even nasty messages. You probably don't want to cry in front of me because you're trying to be strong. But strong people aren't afraid of their emotions, they embrace them and experience them. They don't go to their room and hide while getting high with someone that doesn't have a clues what's going on in their life. Strong people don't hide.
In your efforts to have control of something and perhaps to make you feel a bit better about yourself you emailed me, texted me, and called me, and told me how awful you think I am, that I'm not "allowed" to talk to, hang out with, or pretty much associate with any of your friends. I'm not allowed to message them, and I suppose I should just pretend I don't know them if I see them. I'm not allowed to play softball with your company, and you've made it clear to them your hate for me.
I'm not one to do what other people tell me what to do, you should know that as well as anyone, so I'm not sure what you thought would be different. When I ran into a guy from your office on Friday, we chatted and he invited me out because they needed more girls, I have more experience, etc. I had also been told that you wouldn't be at the game yesterday, but somehow I knew you would, just to make sure I didn't play - and yet, I was still a bit surprised when I saw you yesterday.
You had the audacity to accuse me of stalking you. Wow. If I was interested in stalking you, I'm sure if wouldn't be that difficult, but, wow, no, that wouldn't happen. Don't flatter yourself. But that wasn't it, you told me that I needed help! Good, God! I need help? Burt, you're running in circles around things you wish would die, but you won't let them. I've had a lot of friends that were getting help, but never have I had one that needed it so bad, but wasn't getting it.
I should hate you right now. This is twice you've made a scene. This is twice you've done everything in your power at the time to belittle me and generally hurt me. I don't hate you. I feel sorry for you. I'm not going to try and fix this, this time like I did last time. I still care about you. And I hope for the best in all you do. You have so much potential, but you have a lot to work through before you can use it.
To each of you texts and messages, if I've answered, I've been very nice about it. I've told you that you're a great guy, to which you responded, "I already realize that. You just weren't good enough for me. I guess you realized that and that pretty much explains everything." I may not be good enough for you, but I'm not being juvenile, immature, etc. as you said I was yesterday. I'm upset that your victimizing yourself. I'm not pathetic, you're being petty.
I look forward to the day when you have successful band. Your first single will, without a doubt be a song about a past relationship that went awry. Maybe not about me, but I'll hear it and smile to myself. I hope you do the same when your then wife comes home with my book.
Good luck!
-AP
People in Manassas do not know how to drive. Everyone here goes the speed limit, takes their time, looks both ways...I am of the understanding that if it takes longer than half an hour to get somewhere it's really not that pressing. Actually, believe it or not I am about to praise my little town of Lake Ridge, in Lake Ridge everything (except for D.C.) is within a fifteen minute radius. I have no idea what that amounts to in miles, but I do know that if this family lived in there instead of Manassas I would not have to drive their kids to a pool half an hour away.
When driving down Liberia one gets the impression that everything is right there, but it's not. It's far away, outside of a fifteen minute radius. And when you see the that the speed limit is 35 mph you (being me, that girl that always goes at least ten over the speed limit everywhere else just fine) assume that you can go 45, but that person in front of you is actually going 35 and so is the person next to them, forming a blockade, forcing you to go 35! AGH!
What is wrong with these people!? Don't they understand that this is technically part of Northern Virginia? Don't they know that you're expected to be in a hurry all the time? That it's part of living in this area? Apparently they didn't get the memo.
It's really quite a shame that I don't appreciate Manassas more, the Old Town is quaint, but not nearly as wonderful as Old Town Alexandria, and I can get there in the same amount of time, if not faster via I95. I love 95. It allows me to go places fast, without worrying (too much) about the possibility of getting a ticket because while I'm going 75 (okay, 80) the person next to me is going the same, if not faster, especially if they're on a crotch rocket.
Guys, Manassas isn't dead, its got a good number of people, lots of strip-malls, car dealerships, etc. the usual stuff you find in the suburbs, unfortunately it's the fact that they are not close to 95 that allows them to maintain that more rural feel. It has something to with their being closer to 66, I'm sure of it, and I want it to stop.
Can you believe that there are people in this world that are paying me to watch their kids five days a week, all day long? Is that not one of the most absurd things you've heard? I don't think so, but there are many people that come to mind whose jaws would drop upon hearing that information.
It's only two kids. They're pretty chill, for the most part, if not a little over-dramatic; but that's to be expected of all ten and seven year-olds.
Today is day number four. Monday we went to the library and got them signed up for the county's summer reading program. Tuesday we attempted to go to their friend's pool in Herndon, but because of crappy directions (ahem, a misunderstanding) we ended up in Old Town Leesburg. And yesterday we went to the National Air and Space Museum and Ben's Chili Bowl. Today they cleaned their rooms and are playing Monopoly as I type this. We've had reading time every day. Amazing isn't it? It's lasted for at least an hour and fifteen minutes, today it lasted about two hours. My sister didn't believe me when I told her, but, and excuse my bragging, my kids are better (not that I've met the kids she nannies).
On the Metro yesterday, mine weren't the loud annoying kids asking stupid questions, they were reading, with the occasional comment. And walking around the city, they were wonderful - no complaints at all! We're going to try and go at least once a week, I hope. Yesterday we didn't spend nearly as much time in the city as I would have liked, and we had to get back so they could go to their Karate class, by Dulles Expo Center.
Luckily it's not my car that's doing all this driving (though it does get plenty of driving around) they've provided a Mazda Protege, that gets great mileage to boot!
The parents and I are still working things out as far as how much money they're going to leave me and the kids each week, and I'm still learning my way around this end of the county (Manassas is confusing, hence the reason I've stayed away from it in the past), but I can navigate DC, and if I have anything to do with it these kids will be city-savvy by the end of the summer.
These past few days have also got me to thinking about my babysitters growing up, and what I thought about them. I didn't like them for the most part. One in particular had the dirties car known to man and used plastic tablecloths. Her kids also would end up breaking my things, and they never replaced them, so I eventually had to resort to playing with their crappy toys (because she was wicked cheap!) that she found in other peoples trash. We would drive around sometimes just to see what people were throwing out. She was unfortunately exposed to this brand of frugality by my mom (my mom has since learned better).
Anyway, I always thought my babysitters were kind of stupid and I'm hoping that the kids I watch don't grow up to think badly of me. I'm going to try to give them the best summer they could have locally, and do things that would have been awesome, but alas I didn't have awesome, young, intelligent, city-smart babysitters - so I think I've got a good start.
When I take them to Karate, there is another nanny who I've talked to a bit. And let me just say, she doesn't have half the stuff planned that I do for this summer.
Amanda 2398473298432794, the rest of babysitters/nannies everywhere except for Mary Poppins 0.
