Good morning, damn it!

MorganGrayson · 01-23-2006, 10:27 AM

So there!

(There's a fine line between not enough coffee and too much and I may have crossed it.)

Funbrunette · 01-23-2006, 10:38 AM

Bah I think I got a case of the "mondays"

MorganGrayson · 01-23-2006, 10:41 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Funbrunette
Bah I think I got a case of the "mondays"

Poor baby.

Wanna come over to my house and have Starbucks Verona coffee laced with Baileys Irish Cream? We can tell the whole world ('ceptin' for that hottie you're married to, of course...he can come along) to go away.

He will, however, have to put on the French maid's outfit and bring us cookies on a silver tray.

Funbrunette · 01-23-2006, 10:44 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by MorganGrayson
Poor baby.

Wanna come over to my house and have Starbucks Verona coffee laced with Baileys Irish Cream? We can tell the whole world ('ceptin' for that hottie you're married to, of course...he can come along) to go away.

He will, however, have to put on the French maid's outfit and bring us cookies on a silver tray.

Sounds like a plan...Ever feel like just telling the whole world to er...well you know!

I need thicker skin! Mother Theresa died....No need for me to take over...lol I've saddly realized that the more you give the more people take...And when you need them where are they?

MorganGrayson · 01-23-2006, 10:55 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Funbrunette
Sounds like a plan...Ever feel like just telling the whole world to er...well you know! I need thicker skin! Mother Theresa died....No need for me to take over...lol I've saddly realized that the more you give the more people take...And when you need them where are they?

Oh! Pull up a chair, everybody. This could take a minute or...twelve.

FB...somebody asked me once why I'm so nice and why I help people. (This was so far pre-internet the transcripts can be carbon dated.) I said "it's what I am." (For those of you that pay attention, notice it's not "who" I am, it's "what" I am.) The conversation progressed and I was asked what I expected to get back. I cheerfully said "screwed, usually." There was a silence. A clearing of the throat. And...an obvious question. If I *knew* that all I was going to get back was screwed, why in the hell did I persist in that behavior.

A long time ago I read that people behave in a way that supports their self image. (Most people think it's the other way 'round, that your self image is determined when you look at your behavior, but this psychologist maintained that the self-image came first, followed by the supporting behavior.)

Apparently, some time ago - in childhoold most likely, I looked at myself and decided I was a nice, helpful person and proceeded to behave that way. That is *what* I am. Experience has told me that giving and expecting to get back every time is stupid and fruitless. One gives because that is what one is.

The upside of all this is that every once in a while you run into one of those people that give back automatically. When you do, it's like a drug, and makes up for everyone else. It doesn't take much giving back, either. Listening for a while; talking for a while; hell, an appropriately timed smilie faced e-card can do it.

You're nicer than you have to be, FB. I can tell you *that* right now. However, do it for yourself, not because you believe that anyone else will live up to your standards. They won't. But, every once in a while, you'll trip over someone who will...and you'll be glad that you're the sort of person *that* person wants to hang out with.

Evil Chris · 01-23-2006, 11:13 AM

I'm on coffee number 3.
But I need to remember to put something on my feet. They're cold down here in my office!

MorganGrayson · 01-23-2006, 11:15 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Evil Chris
I'm on coffee number 3.
But I need to remember to put something on my feet. They're cold down here in my office!

*groan*
Always keep something on your feet. Cold feet makes a person grouchy. I'm wearing fuzzy slippers and my heaviest robe...and I live in Southern California! I can't even imagine the kind of cold you must be suffering through!

TheLegacy · 01-23-2006, 12:04 PM

due to my diabetes I am not able to have coffee as regularly as I wish - and having a Tim Hortons right across the street from my condo does not help one bit. I do like your overview and perhaps that is one of many reasons I like you so much.

I hope this week is enjoyable and prosperous for you and that your coffee's will always be freshly imported ground.

MorganGrayson · 01-23-2006, 12:15 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by TheLegacy
due to my diabetes I am not able to have coffee as regularly as I wish - and having a Tim Hortons right across the street from my condo does not help one bit. I do like your overview and perhaps that is one of many reasons I like you so much.

I hope this week is enjoyable and prosperous for you and that your coffee's will always be freshly imported ground.

If you will all be so good as to direct your attention elsewhere, I shall seduce Robert on the floor. Women my age don't handle floors well, so we may be down there for some time.

Robert...I, too, am a diabetic. (Watch your blood sugar, that's how I ended up with diabetic neuropathy, a fun little condition that causes a most specific constant burning-tingling-pain. Luckily, for me at least, it responds well to high levels of Neurontin. I drove the sensations down to my feet, where I can ignore them.)

As usual, I digress.

I drink black coffee now. I kicked the sugar decades ago, when my husband put some arithmetic to the amount of sugar consumed daily due to coffee. So, I always had my coffee with International Delight Vanilla Creamer. I managed to kick that, too. For a while, my coffee tasted horrible. My husband kept saying "you'll get used to it that way." I grumbled, grumbled some more, went on drinking black coffee, and finally one day I made that "first coffee of the morning" groaning sound of appreciation for a cup of black coffee. I *never* thought that would happen.

I've also found that coffee helps the pain. I have no idea why.

TopBuxBrad · 01-23-2006, 12:34 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by MorganGrayson
So there!

(There's a fine line between not enough coffee and too much and I may have crossed it.)

Don't I know it!! I'm jittering like a crack addict on a all night binge!! In an effort to break my RedBull Addiction I have entered a high state of anxiety experienced by only the most hardcore of coffe drinkers!!! HAHAHA

TheLegacy · 01-23-2006, 12:36 PM

fascinating - I have found that watching my carb intake and keeping it to under 60 per meal has a dramatic affect on my readings. I now average between 5 and 7 allowing myself one day out of the week where I can binge a bit. Herbal tea is how I survive now - and similar to being in your presence - coffee is addictive, even the smell and I have to have it.

I am not complaining mind you - I see hope that I will be able to enjoy my wife and future kids well into my 90's. Being 44 (soon 45 in march) I see that life I have a choice to be happy and enjoy my years, which I am doing (sure you read my recent interview). Case in point I woke up to find someone I never heard of attempting to create drama with me. I laughed and talked to my dear friend YNOTBob asking who this person was since I have no recollection - he just laughed saying, "you sure know how to draw them in don't you" LOL. I get alot of people who attempt to "take me on" - I feel its because there are people out there that simply don't like people who have a happy disposition in life. when you have been in the industry for 10 years you naturally become a target I suppose.

Maybe if we are heading to the same conferences this year we can have a nice breakfast by the ocean or mountains and relax - chatting about how lucky we are to have such Friends and hope.

MorganGrayson · 01-23-2006, 01:14 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by TheLegacy
fascinating - I have found that watching my carb intake and keeping it to under 60 per meal has a dramatic affect on my readings. I now average between 5 and 7 allowing myself one day out of the week where I can binge a bit. Herbal tea is how I survive now - and similar to being in your presence - coffee is addictive, even the smell and I have to have it.

I am not complaining mind you - I see hope that I will be able to enjoy my wife and future kids well into my 90's. Being 44 (soon 45 in march) I see that life I have a choice to be happy and enjoy my years, which I am doing (sure you read my recent interview). Case in point I woke up to find someone I never heard of attempting to create drama with me. I laughed and talked to my dear friend YNOTBob asking who this person was since I have no recollection - he just laughed saying, "you sure know how to draw them in don't you" LOL. I get alot of people who attempt to "take me on" - I feel its because there are people out there that simply don't like people who have a happy disposition in life. when you have been in the industry for 10 years you naturally become a target I suppose.

Maybe if we are heading to the same conferences this year we can have a nice breakfast by the ocean or mountains and relax - chatting about how lucky we are to have such Friends and hope.

We have so much in common it's unnerving.

I've spent nearly the same amount of time being the intelligent, verbose, heaven-help-us-all NICE one. It drives some people right out of their tiny little minds. It was a lot worse back in the day. Lately, I try and find places and people that will allow me to babble on happily without getting their panties in a twist.

Hopefully, I'll get to the San Diego conference...as I live in San Diego County and it's not that much of a drive. Even if we took a hotel room, my husband could go home to feed the pets and let the dog out.

Message boards are our "water coolers." (Continued props to Red, from whom I stole the metaphor!

) We talk about what's on our minds. Sometimes it's business, but more often than not, it isn't. A very high percentage of us work alone and have no one handy to talk to. (My dog is a constant companion and a great listener, but doesn't add much to the conversation.)

It's long been an adage: if you really want to piss people off...speak in complete sentences. It will do it every time.

TheLegacy · 01-23-2006, 01:24 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by MorganGrayson

It's long been an adage: if you really want to piss people off...speak in complete sentences. It will do it every time.

I especially like this "It's long been an adage: if you really want to piss people off...speak in complete sentences. It will do it every time.

"

I learned a long time ago when my mother started yelling at me that if I spoke softly to her she got furious thinking I was treating her as a child. Eventually she calmed down and in the future rarely raised her voice to me again. yet today I simply ignore anyone who is negative - rather keep my life filled with positive people. There are times I have refused to work with someone in this industry because they are extremely negative or treat others improperly.

MorganGrayson · 01-23-2006, 01:43 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by TheLegacy
I especially like this "It's long been an adage: if you really want to piss people off...speak in complete sentences. It will do it every time. "

I learned a long time ago when my mother started yelling at me that if I spoke softly to her she got furious thinking I was treating her as a child. Eventually she calmed down and in the future rarely raised her voice to me again. yet today I simply ignore anyone who is negative - rather keep my life filled with positive people. There are times I have refused to work with someone in this industry because they are extremely negative or treat others improperly.

OK...now I'm getting scared. It was the "soft voice" thing.

Once when my children had kids over, I bellowed (I bellow well, I have a certificate, in fact) "If you don't clean that room you're going to get a beating!" One of the friends obviously expressed concern, and I clearly heard my youngest daughter say "oh, don't worry, she says that all the time but she never really does it."
Oops. Busted.
However, if Mommy spoke softly...it was an indication that Hell Had Come To Breakfast. On another day, I walked into a living room full of children, a couple of them my own, and said very softly "get in there and clean that room right now." Ever see kids fly? *All* of them ran to the bedroom and I swear not one foot touched the ground.

Speaking softly is an excellent technique for dealing with screaming people. They have to calm down to hear what you just said, then seem to mimic your delivery.

When I first began posting on YNOT, back in '97, I never got a reply to my posts. I had wanted to appear intelligent, competent, thoughtful...all the things one would want one's business associates to use as an evaluation. Someone at a convention once said "no one answered because no one understood a word you said."

Oh.

Overshot the mark a bit, did I?

Then, of course, the accusation "I don't like you because you talk down to people." I explained rather at length that wasn't what "talking down" meant. If I'd wanted to "talk down" to a person, I'd assume the person was stupid and use very...small...words. I do believe the individual's dislkie deepened to hatred at that point.

One can't win them all.

TheLegacy · 01-23-2006, 01:57 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by MorganGrayson
OK...now I'm getting scared. It was the "soft voice" thing.

Once when my children had kids over, I bellowed (I bellow well, I have a certificate, in fact) "If you don't clean that room you're going to get a beating!" One of the friends obviously expressed concern, and I clearly heard my youngest daughter say "oh, don't worry, she says that all the time but she never really does it."
Oops. Busted.
However, if Mommy spoke softly...it was an indication that Hell Had Come To Breakfast. On another day, I walked into a living room full of children, a couple of them my own, and said very softly "get in there and clean that room right now." Ever see kids fly? *All* of them ran to the bedroom and I swear not one foot touched the ground.

Speaking softly is an excellent technique for dealing with screaming people. They have to calm down to hear what you just said, then seem to mimic your delivery.

When I first began posting on YNOT, back in '97, I never got a reply to my posts. I had wanted to appear intelligent, competent, thoughtful...all the things one would want one's business associates to use as an evaluation. Someone at a convention once said "no one answered because no one understood a word you said."

Oh.

Overshot the mark a bit, did I?

Then, of course, the accusation "I don't like you because you talk down to people." I explained rather at length that wasn't what "talking down" meant. If I'd wanted to "talk down" to a person, I'd assume the person was stupid and use very...small...words. I do believe the individual's dislike deepened to hatred at that point.

One can't win them all.

true, you can't win them all as is my latest situation. But I view it as it's not how many friends you claim to have but the quality of those who claim to be yours. As I said in my recent interview, that it's not that I know everything about this industry, but I sure as hell know those who do - therefore my value to my employer, webmasters and my clients goes up when I can assist them by drawing upon those within the industry who know what they are doing and offer advice to them thru me. I am a strong believer in Karma (which ran over my dogma many years back)

When someone in this industry looses their job - I usually get contacted and ask around and within a few short days find them employment. I don't ask for any money only that we have to stick together to survive and grow. Anyone who chooses to be my enemy is welcome to it - but it is their choice not mine. Should they wish to grow with me then I will gladly join with them. My life is too short to worry about negativity and indifference.

MorganGrayson · 01-23-2006, 02:23 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by TheLegacy
I am a strong believer in Karma (which ran over my dogma many years back)

You are also my sunshine!

(The little smilie with the hearts for eyes needed a little "personal time" at that line.)

The "sticking together" thing, sometimes called "networking," but made small by that word, somehow, is crucial in an industry where a very bad day could consist of having one's door kicked in by an eager beaver local law enforcement type who wants to play "Test the Constitution."

"If you don't know...ask someone." Sound advice for all.

We do have to stick together, not only for business reasons, but for personal ones as well. Sometimes people in a profession can only express their frustrations and fears to other people in the same profession. No one else would understand.

One of my ex-doctors once smiled at me condescendingly and said "if you want to help the pain in your hands, stay off the computer." Uh...no can do. See, that ol' earning a living thing doth intrude. My current doctor comiserates, admits it must totally suck, and prescribed me pain killers. I'm not damaging anything, by the way. It just hurts like hell. The conditions also conflict. Fibro makes them hurt like hell...but if I stop using my hands the arthritis will take the opportunity to make them stiffen up and become totally useless. Kind of like my legs at the end of the day, when I walk like Lon Chaney.

I know that there are a lot of people out there that don't like me, but I'm comfy with that. There are a lot of people out there that I don't like. I collected a bunch that I *do* like, and prefer to give them my attention.

Fatal Attraction · 01-23-2006, 02:41 PM

I don't do mornings, or coffee....but good afternoon!

MorganGrayson · 01-23-2006, 02:51 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Fatal Attraction
I don't do mornings, or coffee....but good afternoon!

Good afternoon, Fatal Attraction!

(I'm jumping the gun a bit, I've got almost 15 minutes until noon, but what the heck, I'll just wildcat a bit and make up my own rules!)

I know a lot of people who don't drink coffee, and I swear I don't know how they function. I can't get the fog out of my brain until halfway into my second cup.

For decades, it was my role in life to wake other people up. (And make the coffee.) I always thought there was nothing worse than having a foggy, grouchy person wake one up, so I perfected the fake, cheerful "Good morning, time to get up!" voice. (That was for the first time and the second time...the third time I had to call someone, it got ugly.)

Somewhere around my 25th anniversary I informed my husband that he was on deck with that "making the morning coffee" thing for the *next* 25 years.

war_ner · 01-24-2006, 03:43 AM

Good Morning! Tuesday here now guys!

Panky · 01-24-2006, 08:59 AM

Morning everyone! I'm by far not a morning person. I'm not grouchy, but I'm not one of those overly cheerful people in the morning. I much prefer to get up out of bed, have little to no interaction with anyone and take my shower. After my shower, then I'm ready to conquer the day.

I happen to be one of those non coffee drinkers. I've always loved the smell of coffee, but have never acquired a taste for it no matter how I doctored it up. My shower is what wakes me up.

MorganGrayson · 01-24-2006, 02:05 PM

Note to self: apparently, part of the "conquering the day" process is "actually waking up." Remember that.

I don't want to conquer today. I want to whimper and crawl back into bed to pull the covers up over my head.

I want to find out why my husband put a mountain of boxes outside our house this morning for the AmVets donation...that is scheduled to be picked up *tomorrow.*

I want to find out who owns that big dog that is now running loose in our neighborhood and attempting to eat my Chihuahua every time she goes outside. My husband left me a note this morning saying "take Dingo outside on a LEASH because of the big dog." I want to beat the owner and the big dog with my cane.

I haven't had enough coffee and the coffee I had seems to have been enfused with the "bad mood rising" beans.

war_ner · 01-25-2006, 01:15 AM

Happy Hump day everyone!

gabrio · 01-25-2006, 05:02 AM

good morning everybody! ;-)

MorganGrayson · 01-25-2006, 01:06 PM

Happy "Hump Day," war_ner, gabrio and everyone else at XNations!

My schedule for today:
Skulk at the window to make certain the trash collectors take away one mountain and AmVets takes away another mountain. There hasn't been this much empty space on shelves, in cabinets, in closets, etc., in my house since we moved in!

Take my little Dingo outside on two leashes hooked together to protect her from the damned big dog that's roaming out there and wants to make a snack out of her.

Finish and submit the "mature" site I'm working on and begin the "upskirt" one.

Work a little on my new linksite.

Try and figure out what else I should be doing...and do it.

MorganGrayson · 01-27-2006, 11:24 AM

'Pon reflection, I've thought it might be fun to make the internet's longest "good morning" thread. Not one for each day, just one for all "good mornings" until perhaps the 'net implodes and we call get splattered with each other's morning coffee...or something.

I see my "pain doctor" for the first time this morning. (I can't think what else to call the guy.) I'm using a standard mental trick to try and cope with the anxiety: think of something fun to do *after* the appointment. (That sort of tells your brain that life will, in fact, go on and the thing you're afraid of won't kill you. Sometimes it works, anyway.) We're going to swing by our new "nest" and check out the new carpet that BETTER HAVE BEEN laid yesterday. (Sorry, got a little "cap lock" tense, there.)

My husband will be working from home the rest of the day, which will allow us to both natter away at our computers. He'll work for the university...I'll finish an Asian free site. It should be raining in our living room....

What's everybody else got on deck for this fine Friday?

StaceyJo · 01-30-2006, 04:25 AM

I think my day is so so boring...

*yawning* I think I need to go back to sleep and recharge, damn why I am so sleepy!

MorganGrayson · 01-30-2006, 11:55 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by stacey_JRN
I think my day is so so boring...

*yawning* I think I need to go back to sleep and recharge, damn why I am so sleepy!

Good morning, stacey!

Yesterday was my "recuperative sleep" day. I went to bed during the afternoon and didn't begin life again until 7:30 this morning. (I nearly killed myself again packing on Saturday.)

I have a LONG list of "Monday" items "To Do" sitting in front of me. I hope I get them all done...especially the ones I've just been copying over from day to day because they weren't done originally. That bugs.

Have a GREAT Monday, XNationers!

war_ner · 01-30-2006, 10:39 PM

I wish everyone a great week.

StaceyJo · 02-01-2006, 05:30 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by MorganGrayson
Good morning, stacey!

Yesterday was my "recuperative sleep" day. I went to bed during the afternoon and didn't begin life again until 7:30 this morning. (I nearly killed myself again packing on Saturday.)

I have a LONG list of "Monday" items "To Do" sitting in front of me. I hope I get them all done...especially the ones I've just been copying over from day to day because they weren't done originally. That bugs.

Have a GREAT Monday, XNationers!

I know it will be a busy week for you since you are the new mod here! hehehehe

have a great day gurl!

cdsmith · 02-01-2006, 12:38 PM

DAMN IT DAMN IT DAMN IT!!!

.... this coffee is good.