kapachino

Author: Kathleen

  • a good day

    I went to church yesterday, and then went over to David’s parents’ house for lunch as usual. David grilled hamburgers and hot dogs for us. I had a hamburger with cheese and some baked beans. I love baked beans. After some nice conversation at lunch I settled onto the couch, pulled a blanket over me, and started to read while David went to pick up his dry cleaning. After a few pages I began to doze so I put the book down and closed my eyes.

    When David came home a little while later we got our things together and drove over to his house. Once there we just relaxed a bit more before we tried to be productive. Then David began doing schoolwork and I did some wedding research. After awhile we gave it up and just sat together, talked about silly things, and I laughed until I had tears coming down. I looked at him and said, “I’m so happy.”

    When we got hungry again I cooked us breakfast for dinner – eggs, bacon, and English muffins. I tried to make hash browns and it didn’t work out, but that didn’t matter. We ate and then I had a bit of ice cream, because I found out that Sundays aren’t part of Lent. And I think it just might be worth it to give up sweets for two weeks just because Ben and Jerry’s Chocolate Fudge Brownie has never tasted so good.

    After dinner David and I said a loving goodbye and I drove home. Then I spent the next couple of hours chatting with my roommates who are also two of my bridesmaids. When I got into bed, not too late, and Cleo curled up next to me, I knew it had been a good day.

  • office drama

    This was the big drama that unfolded in the office last week. So classic. These are actual, real-life e-mails that I will reproduce for you here, although the names have been changed to protect the innocent.

    ~~~

    From: Jennifer K.
    To: All
    Subject: SMELL IN LADIES RESTROOM ON FIFTH FLOOR.

    For the past week, I have noticed a STRONG odor in our ladies room – it reminds me of Lysol disinfectant. It is so strong, that it makes me nauseous while in the restroom. I called the office downstairs (that takes care of our building), and they said that they do not use Lysol, and nothing new or different has been used to clean our restroom.

    My big question is: is anyone using their own personal Lysol – or something similar – to spray our restroom?? If you are, then PLEASE don’t spray anymore of “it” in our restroom. I am not the only one who detests this new smell. Several other ladies have voiced a complaint about the new, Lysol-like smell.

    Jennifer

    ~~~

    From: Lauren A.
    To: All
    Subject: Lysol?

    Who took the Lysol out of the bathroom?

    Lauren

    ~~~

    From: Lisa S.
    To: Lauren A.
    Subject: RE: Lysol?

    Jennifer has it but don’t tell her I told you. She sent an email yesterday about the odor and how its bad for Mandy and the baby. Just FYI.

    Lisa

    ~~~

    From: Lauren A.
    To: Lisa S.
    Subject: RE: Lysol?

    The Lysol was not in there yesterday. I bought it from Walgreens this morning and placed it in there. I would really appreciate her returning it to me or the bathroom.

    P.S. Thanks for letting me know.

    Lauren A.

    ~~~

    From: Lisa S.
    To: Lauren A.
    Subject: RE: Lysol?

    I know it wasn’t in there yesterday. She sent the email asking that no one Please don’t spray it anymore due to the smell. She is trying to put this off on Mandy and Mandy feels bad about it. Please take this up with Caroline [office manager], cause I don’t want to get accused of starting something. I just wanted to let you know where it was. ok….

    Lisa S.

    ~~~

    From: Jennifer K.
    To: Lauren A.
    Subject: RE: Lysol?

    I have confiscated the Lysol from our Ladies Room. The fumes from cleaners like this are toxic to breathe, and I have been worried about Mandy who is pregnant breathing these fumes, which could harm her unborn child. This is no laughing matter! The strong fumes have been making me and several other ladies nauseous, including Mandy. Whoever owns this large can of Lysol is welcome to come get it from my office, and I will ask PLEASE to limit the use of this toxic-smelling chemical, and PLEASE don’t use it in our Ladies Room in the future.

    Jennifer

    ~~~

    From: Lauren A.
    To: Jennifer K.
    Subject: RE: Lysol?

    We have gone through 3 pregnancies over the past 1/5 years, not including Mandy, and it’s never been a problem. The unsanitary part of it is when someone takes a poop and you have to smell the bad odor, or they leave feces & blood residue on the toilet seats. I think getting a bacteria infection from unsanitary conditions is far more fatal than using a sanitizer. Not only that, but the flu has been spreading around the office as well.I appreciate where you are coming from, but what you have been smelling over the past couple of days was the perfume that was left on the counter, which has been thrown out.

    The Lysol was purchased by me this morning. I, as well as many other in the office, am not interested in smelling stinky poop or dealing with unsanitary conditions and will continue to use a sanitizer when needed, unless Caroline states otherwise.

    No hard feelings, but I think it was wrong for you to simply remove the Lysol when so many others rely on using it.

    Lauren A.

    ~~~

    The end result of the scandal is yet to be seen…

  • IM

    David and I are watching a video online together when I receive an instant message from a friend, which makes a noise.

    David: What’s going on here?

    Me: My friend Lauren just IMed me.

    David (frowning): I don’t even know what that is.

    Me: Instant message? You’ve never heard of it?

    David: Oh. I have, I’ve just never seen it happen.

    He’s only a few years older than I am, but he’s from a different generation…

  • My Most Prized Possession…

    …used to be my computer. Now it’s this:

    Hands

    Every year the youth group at my church puts on a “Sweetheart Banquet” as a fundraiser for the summer mission trip. Last year David and I attended together and even though we had been dating for a few weeks beforehand, it was the first night that I realized I was truly interested in a relationship with him as a potentially serious thing.

    David and I spent the entire day together Saturday at his house doing schoolwork. In the evening as we were getting ready for the Sweetheart Banquet his dad called to ask if we would swing by their house on our way to the church to let out their dog, Niko. They live only a minute from the church, and they had been gone awhile because they work with the youth group. So we went over, and when we got there both doors were locked. (This was not part of the plan.) We had to drive to the church, get a key, and then go back. On the way David told me that he had to go to the bathroom and asked me to get Niko.

    I walked into the room where Niko was in his crate, and I went straight to let him out. I didn’t even notice at first that there was a little table set up not two feet away with roses, candles, flower petals, and Hershey Kisses on it. I didn’t see it until I heard David come in the room behind me and I turned around to face him. When I did, he got down on his knee and asked me to marry him. I said, “Of course!” It was perfect timing because then we got to go up to the church and tell my family and all of our church friends at once.

    Sweethearts

    My dad’s reaction to our engagement:

    • Asked David’s mom, Alice, how much French blood David has in him (my dad was born in England, and Alice’s mother is French. He had to come to terms with the fact that his grandchildren will be 1/8 French).
    • Ordered us not to schedule the wedding on a Saturday afternoon because it’ll be college football season.
    • Announced that he wants three kids minimum out of us.

    Cleo was also excited for me when I told her. She’s going to gain a daddy and two new sisters, Eddy and Sydney!

    I let her try on my ring:

    Cleo wearing ring

    I think it fits me a little better.

  • Zzzzz

    I’ve had a problem for as long as I can remember with falling asleep when I shouldn’t. It happens basically anytime I’m not actively engaged in an activity. For example: in class, at work, while driving. It’s not that I stay up late or don’t get enough sleep. I get at least 6-7 hours of sleep a night, and I start getting very tired around 8:30 or 9 p.m. In fact, I am pretty much starting to shut down right now. This drives Boyfriend David crazy because he is a night person.

    Obviously the falling asleep while driving thing is dangerous, and I’ve gotten better at handling that by calling someone or pulling over when it starts to happen. Falling asleep in class isn’t the end of the world to me. It’s not good when it happens at work, though, and I really hope no one catches me.

    But today my clinical group of 8, plus my instructor, met for pre-conference. A man from APS came and showed us a video and then talked to us about the services they provide. We were in a small room with only ten people present, and I was sitting right next to the guy. I wasn’t bored – he was interesting – but the sleep came over me and although I fought it with all of my willpower I could not overcome it.

    I thought that I was concealing it, but after the presentation was over and the man left, my instructor pulled me aside. “Are you getting enough rest?” she asked me. In a very polite and concerned manner she proceeded to tell me that she has noticed me sleeping on multiple occasions and at different times of day. She said that it was embarrassing when I was sleeping during the presentation. She told me that I should talk to a doctor about this issue because people will perceive me to be rude or lazy when that’s not the case.

    I was so embarrassed. I seriously doubt that I have any kind of medical issue that makes me especially tired because I don’t have any other symptoms. David says I just do too much and that I need to take in more caffeine if I want to continue my current lifestyle.

    Do any of you struggle with something similar? I don’t understand why I’m tired all the time. It is extremely frustrating.