Bad Mood

Today was an off day. I think it started last night when I ran a hot bath that turned out to be lukewarm.

It started at 7am when I discovered that while I remembered to reset the alarm clock, I did not remember to move the switch two spaces to the right, thus triggering the sound of the alarm at 6am.

So I was an hour behind before my feet even hit the floor this morning. Not a good way to start the day.

And naturally, since it was Monday, most of the clothing I put on did not fit. My t-shirts have shrunk to a size appropriate only for a pre-pubescent boy. As J pointed out to me this afternoon, the primary market for the well-known-store that I purchase the t-shirts is pre-pubescent boys, so the shirts were merely returning to their natural state.

And the evil rash has returned in a slightly weaker from, so any clothing that did fit irritated my skin endlessly. The hair was a wreak and I could not decide what coat to wear. Unfortunately, my indecision over the the coat caused me to miss the bus this morning.

So I walked into work in a bad mood. I skipped my morning stop at Starbucks (I felt guilty after the jersey purchase of yesterday) and got straight to work.

Only to be faced with the candid photographs from the company outing earlier this month. Me in candid photographs is a very bad idea. Bad, bad, bad idea. Ugh.

And the hockey card has yet to arrive.

Martin Straka

I'm a little bit irritated with an eBay seller tonight. I have waited over two weeks for a hockey card I purchased to arrive in the mail. It has not arrived yet and I am starting to believe that I have been fleeced to the tune of $2.51.

I am a fan of the player Martin Straka, a fact that provides an endless source of amusement for my friends. He is not a superstar like Mario Lemieux or Jaromir Jager. He is simply a solid, talented player who you can depend on in a clutch.

On January 15th, I bid on an Upper Deck Martin Straka 2005-06 Jersey card for a whopping $0.01. I won and promptly sent the seller a message requesting a total, since the card was coming from Canada and I wanted to verify the shipping.

It is now January 29th and I have not received the card. I did receive the Tomas Surovy card I won and paid for on January 19th. This card also came from a seller in Canada.

I am not sure who I should be more annoyed with. The seller for so obviously dragging his feet? The postal service? Which one, Canada or the United States? I recently read that the Department of Homeland Security (a name I cannot type or say without mentally snickering) has been opening mail sent to United States citizens from overseas. Does Canada even count?

If someone from that illustrious department has intercepted my mail, will you please send me the fucking card. Thank you.

On a positive note, I am now the very happy owner of a game-worn, autographed Martin Straka Penguins Jersey. I probably paid too much for the thing, but it was hard to pass up. It has a slash mark across the Penguin logo and sweat stains underneath the arms. It is also so large that I could fit two of me in it.

Yay Me!

I swam my first mile today.

Women Currently in Powerful Positions

Women currently in powerful positions..

Verónica Michelle Bachelet Jeria – President of Chile
Ellen Johnson Sirleaf – Preside of Liberia
Dr. Angela Dorothea Merkel – Chancellor of Germany
Michaëlle Jean – Governor General of Canada
Tarja Halonen – President of Finland (up for re-election)
Mary McAleese – President of the Republic of Ireland
Queen Beatrix – Netherlands
Marie-Noëlle Thémereau – President of New Caledonia
Dame Silvia Cartwright – Governor General of New Zealand
Helen Clark – Prime Minister of New Zealand
Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo – President of Philippines
Dame Pearlette Louisy – Governor General of St. Lucia
Maria do Carmo Silveira – Prime Minister São Tomé and Príncipe

I just thought it was an interesting list.

Ouch

Now that it is the depths of winter (and 50 F outside) I thought I would indulge in a little rant of one of the downsides of cold weather.

Dry Skin.

I'm not talking about ordinary dryness. I'm talking about itching, burning, heat producing dryness. I'm talking about the enormous patches of ugly red scales that have blossomed inside my right arm, across my chest and down my left arm, with a detour across my abdomen.

I'm beyond miserable at this point. I can not bend my right arm properly. I itch all the time. The nickel in the button on my jeans is making my stomach burn. My thighs and underarm itch also.

There does not seem to be any relief in sight. I use one of the world's most mild detergents - All Free Clear. Free! No dyes or fragrance. I don't use fabric softener. My lotions are low-alcohol, my soaps are glycerin, my deodorant is Dove. What more do I have to do to be comfortable in my own skin? Baby oil has not helped. Soaking in oatmeal has had a marginal effect. I've resorted to sleeping in an old cotton t-shirt so my skin does not irritate further. It is so bad that I am scratching myself in my sleep.

Help!