I need a four day weekend. This is bad. It's only Tuesday and I'm already whining about work. I'm counting the days until Memorial Day when I get a whole day off and paid to boot.

I think I need to work harder to focus on the positive instead of the negative. It's so much easier to see negativity sometimes though. Maybe if I list out the recent things that I've been pissed off about, I'll see how petty they are and then feel better. Hmm. Worth a try:

- My Co-worker:

Sometimes I just want to strangle her. I think deep down I'm a little jealous of her. She was hired while I was part time going to school to learn more about computers so that I'd be a better employee. And while I struggled and worked my ass off to get to the pay rate I was at, the boss started her off at slightly lower than where I was. Then after a month raised her to the same level. It took me two years!

She also is very unreliable. She comes and goes on her own schedule. I'm working to get steady benefits as an employee, such as medical and paid holidays, but she always throws it out of whack by saying she's willing to sacrifice those bennies for flexibility in schedule. Since there's only two of us that are employees, the boss takes the easy way out. He allows extreme flexibility but ignores benefits. I couldn't give a rat's ass about flexibility. I'm here all day every day and rarely take time off.

So the boss finally gives me a raise! Hooray, a whole $.50 an hour (not too shabby). But guess what? Come bonus time, the co-worker gets a bonus, but I do not, based on the fact that I "chose" a raise over the bonus. Turns out I lost on that one.

*phew*!

Seems I have a lot of hostility here. I need to think on this some more. I'll post more later.

I like to measure my past and recall my memories with songs. Some of these songs still play on the radio today and some of them can even still make me cry! I've heard that smells create the strongest and most vivid memories, but I don't have many smell-associated recollections I guess. On the other hand, music is not only a great inspiration in my life but also an excellent historian.

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My first Ex Boyfriend:

Baby Baby – Amy Grant
I was good friends with his sister before he and I dated. One night, while hanging out with her, I called the radio station and dedicated this song to her brother.

Everything I Do – Bryan Adams
On our first date we saw Robin Hood. This song became “Our Song.”

Heart & Soul Inspiration – Righteous Brothers
We used to listen to this tape while driving around in his car. He used to like to sing along with this one.

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My Ex Husband:

To Be With You – Mr. Big
He was great at ad-libbing parodies to songs. This was a favorite: “Waited in a line of Geeks & Losers”

Tears in Heaven – Eric Clapton
This was another parody favorite. “Would you know my name if I forgot my American Express card.” It eventually went on to become our Wedding Song. Should've known that the marriage was doomed.

How’s it going to be? Third Eye Blind
When we first split up he sent me an email that had this title in the subject line. I’m not sure if he meant it to be a “deep thought” or not (maybe he just happened to be listening to this song on the radio at the time) and I’m sure that he doesn’t even remember that particular email…but I do.

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My Ex Affair of the heart & body:

Killing Me Softly – Fugees
He liked to jam along with this song. I remember how he used to hold his fingers up for the “One Time,” “Two Times” parts.

All I Want – Michelle Branch
He once told me that this song reminds him of me. I’m not sure how or why he thinks that, but hey, it works for me.

Follow Me – Uncle Cracker
We first met when I was married. It’s a complicated story.

Not a Day Goes By – Lone Star
This song so accurately describes how I feel about him.

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My second Ex Boyfriend:

I Don’t Wanna Miss a Thing – Aerosmith
During our time together, which involved a lot of drinking, while I would be sleeping it off, I would wake to find him watching me. He would say it was because he didn’t want to miss anything. Then this song came out.

Hope Floats – Garth Brooks
What can I say – he was a romantic. He wanted to be my knight in shining armor. He was for a while.

Never Ever – All Saints
He dumped me, out of the blue. Boy was I confused. That was the first time in my life I ever ordered a drink at the bar and said, “Make it a double!”

Chances Are – Bob Segar & Martina McBride
We talked about getting back together. We didn’t. It was better that way.

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My current Husband:

Unbelievable – Diamond Rio
He used to sing this song to me in bed on weekend mornings.

Carlene – Phil Vassar
He liked to substitute my name for “Carlene.”

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I am in a surprisingly good mood for having such a crappy night and morning. The babe woke up three times last night. Just standing in his crib and yelling. I'd leap out of bed and race into his room. All I had to do was lay him back down and tuck him in and he'd be asleep before his head hit the pillow. Strange the first time. Slightly annoying the second time. Downright aggravating the third time.

This morning, the 10yo called from school. She forgot her dance uniform and could grandma please bring it to school for her? Nevermind that the uniform had been packed and placed right at her eye level the night before so that she couldn't get out the front door without seeing it.

Then just as I was leaving for work (late) the babe chucks his bowl of cereal onto the floor creating a huge mess. Poor grandma.

I locked my keys inside my car. Luckily I did this at home so that it was just a matter of scrounging up the spare set. Then I was off to work (later than late).

I get to work and WONDERFUL! ...The coworker has brought her 13yo son who is covered head to toe in poison ivy. *sigh* I am incredibly allergic to poison ivy. In fact, I believe that the serum lays dormant in my blood just waiting to break out in large nasty itchy blisters at any excuse.

If she can't send him to school with poison ivy, then what makes her think she can bring him to work??

Maybe the secret to happiness is not have "deep thoughts." Maybe I've just got to accept life at face value and go from there. Hmm...

I love music. All kinds of music. Well, almost all kinds of music. Pop, rap, new age, soul, disco, country, oldies... I keep thinking I'd like to get into trance but haven't had the time needed to devote to that genre yet. (I also love to dance. Unfortunately I've completely lost all my tolerance for alcohol and alcohol is a prerequisite for me and dancing.)

Recently, I was saddened, dismayed, and yes, outraged by a list of the worst songs of all time as compiled by Blender Magazine where they listed such classics as Wang Chung, I'm Too Sexy, and *gasp!* Don't Worry Be Happy.

Now maybe the quality of the songs aren't that great. Perhaps the rhyme, rhythm, and meter don't measure up to whatever standards the author of the article have set.

But the memories, people!!

I can even taste pizza when I hear "We Built This City" and oh the buzz of margaritas to the opening notes of "Kokomo".

Perhaps the title of the article should have been "The Most-Overplayed Songs of All Time" because they were defnately heard too often. But if they were so bad, then why were they played so much??

Just another day. Another Monday of another week in another month (well actually it's still the same month but it doesn't really matter). Time goes by, sometimes faster and sometimes slower.

Sometimes I think that my life is so boring and how can I stand it for one more minute but then I realize that I can barely handle what I've got going on...I'd go completely bonkers if I had a wild exciting life!

Maybe that's the key to happiness: boredom. Hmm...