25 Things You Might Not Know

I was on facebook today (I know...surprise, surprise there). I saw a notes thing in the News Feed from a former student about 25 Things You Might Not Know. It was a type of chain letter thing...for those who actually remember chain letters! Basically, she received this from another friend...in receiving it, she had to list 25 things about herself that her friends didn't know about her and then send it on to 25 friends to keep it going.

I found her list to be quite interesting...her dry sense of humor really showed through her writing (majoring in English didn't hurt her too much either...). It made wonder...could I come up with 25 things that people might not know about me? So, here is my best attempt...

1. I am a snacker...could do it all day long...which could explain why my ass is definitely not shrinking.
2. I am anal-retentive about the strangest things...for example, I fold my t-shirts in half lengthwise, fold the sleeves in, and then fold them in half again so that the front left chest is always on the top...and I always hang my shirts so they all face the same way in the closet.
3. I am addicted to popcorn.
4. I LOVE to watch people fall down...it is the most hilarious thing to me (as long as they are okay...I'm not THAT mean).
5. I was engaged twice before being engaged to my now-husband...had a habit of trying to force bad relationships to work...I think it might have been a combination of the whole avoiding confrontation trait and the fear of failure...
6. I am my own worst critic...I never consider myself to be simply enough.
7. I sometimes try to manipulate to get my own way...I will often use guilt in that quest.
8. I am NOT a morning person.
9. I am a closet Jim Brickman fan...it's okay if you have NO CLUE who he is...he can make me melt into completely tranquility.
10. I would jeopardize my marriage for Jon Bon Jovi...and maybe George Clooney. Yum! :)
11. I think people can be more attractive because of their personality...and can be more unattractive because of their personality.
12. I never really liked my name growing up because I thought it was too plain...now I would love to name my daughter Kate (but I won't because that would just be too odd).
13. I am stubborn beyond belief...if you've ever seen the Everybody Loves Raymond episode with the suitcase...that is totally me!
14. I think there is a huge difference between loving someone and being in love.
15. I worry too much about offending others.
16. I avoid confrontation.
17. I love logic problems.
18. I find people who are well read to be fascinating...I think you can tell quite a bit about a person by what they choose to read.
19. I use sarcasm often...to diffuse a conflict...to make someone else laugh...to divert attention from myself and my personal issues.
20. I am addicted the news. I check news websites regularly throughout the day and feel lost when I don't what is going on.
21. I like to be in control...and really struggle when there are things out of my control.
22. I sometimes feel like I am a doormat...it stems from the whole "avoiding confrontation" thing. I will often inconvenience myself to avoid telling someone no.
23. If I ever win the lottery, I would hire my own hairstylist, makeup artist, massage therapist, personal trainer, and laundry folder.
24. I am scared of failure and completely and totally scared to death of not being there for McKenzie.
25. This list took me all stinking day to compile...a list of 25 things is really long...a lot longer than I thought it would be. So much for being really productive today...maybe I'll be productive tomorrow...

Why do I even bother???

I wonder why on earth I bother to follow the rules at my job. What incentive is there? It's not like I get paid more for being a "rule follower"...and it's not like I am going to get fired for not being a "rule follower" either. I have co-workers who arrive late and leave early...I see no consequences being handed out for that. I wish I was somehow wired differently so it wouldn't phase me to break the rules like that.

I also wonder why I volunteer for anything at my job. I see co-workers having ZERO extra duties...no committees, no activity sponsorships...NOTHING. Yet I keep signing myself up for all these stupid committees, sponsoring three organizations, keeping the scorebook/clock at games, and so on. Of course I wouldn't want to work with these co-workers on a committee...either they say stupid things or do stupid things...or are just plain don't do anything. I feel like I am being punished for doing my job and trying to do it well. I have told colleagues this statement many times: Start sucking at things...then they don't ask you to do things anymore... Maybe that should become my new personal slogan...

And...when I am gone from school, I go to much effort to leave details plans for the substitute--making sure that I leave enough work to keep the students busy. Then I come back to a pile of paperwork to sift through. I just LOVE to hear the announcement that "Ms. So-and-So's classes should report to library with study materials today." I know that some areas cannot really leave anything for the sub...either because the sub probably has no background in the material (like me trying to teach Physics...now that's a joke!) or for safety/security reasons. However...come on...can't you at least leave them SOMETHING that is related to the curriculum...you can't tell me that you can't find a video or something...a magazine article for them to read?!?!? It all makes me want to kick myself in the shin...and makes me wonder why I even bother sometimes...

And don't even get me started on selfish co-workers who think the world revolves around them...got plenty of those too!

(Can you tell that I am having a "My job drives me crazy" day?!?!? I should probably just be thankful that I even have a job and a paycheck...hopefully that gratefulness will resurface tomorrow...)

I don't mean to dog on all my co-workers. Many of them approach their jobs with dedication and a purpose...being on committees, volunteering for things, sponsoring extra-curricular clubs/organizations/teams. Like usual, it's a small few who ruin it...