On the 90s

After attending last Friday's 80s party I started thinking about my childhood and growing up in the 1990s. According to Wikipedia, the 90s was "the decade that started on January 1, 1990 and ended on December 31, 1999." Thanks, Wikipedia. I can always count on you! Anyway here are a few things I miss about the 90s:



Who loves Orange Soda?! Nickelodeon was so cool. Rugrats (the real ones, not the "grown-up" crap), All That, AAHHH! Real Monsters, Pete & Pete, Are You Afraid of the Dark? and so on. Then there were shows like Sailor Moon, Sabrina the Teenage Witch or The Wonder Years (yes I know it came out in the late 80s but it ran through the early 90s); however my absolute favorite was:



I could never get enough of Cory and Topanga, Shawn, Eric and FEENY. I will be honest and admit I cried during the last episode when Feeny looks out over the empty classroom and whispers, "Class dismissed." Sigh.

There was some good music in the 90s too, mostly grunge/alternative stuff. Again I have to admit that I was a huge fan of the following group:



First of all I was a girl, a preteen girl to be exact. Secondly, shut your mouth! Let's not forget Britney Spears and N*SYNC while we're at it. As I got a little older (and a little wiser?) I grew to enjoy artists such as Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Bush, Nine Inch Nails, Smashing Pumpkins and Depeche Mode. I consider my musical tastes to be fairly well-rounded.



Yet another fad that consumed 95% of the people I knew:



Every time I think of Pokemon I think of all my friends and I walking around with our Gameboys. My Gameboy was turquoise and I had the red and yellow versions, thank you very much. I never got into the Dragon Ball Z craze but I remember that being popular as well. More important than Gameboys were:



I am SUCH a nerd. Just seeing that beautiful machine again makes me miss Donkey Kong, Mortal Kombat, Zelda, Mario & Super Smash Bros. Other games on different systems I especially enjoyed were James Bond: Goldeneye and Soul Calibur. I will stop myself now before the list becomes too extensive...



(Another FANTASTIC show. Yes I still know the entire theme song and probably always will.) One slightly unfortunate thing about the 90s was our style. Grunge and retro comes to mind. Grunge is not bad at all. I do love my rockers and the flannel shirts and Converse, though the greasy hair can go. I am not a fan of the "Unwashed Miscreant" look. I am not condemning Retro either because I enjoy trends from the 60s, 70s and especially 80s but really guys? We could have been a little more original!

Well, that's all for now. I am sure the list could go on and on if I brainstormed a bit more but as I am currently at work I must give the appearance of doing something every now and then. In compliance with this I will go and heat up my lunch.

On the Bane of My Existence

Apparently I have not fulfilled my Dealing With Life's Nonsense quota for the month, so today when I woke up Fate decided I should have a cold. Colds are right up near the top of the list of things I hate since they do such a great job of pissing me off. I am not sick enough to call out of work or lie around moaning all day in bed. Instead I am here, quarantined in my cube with a box of tissues and a cup of hot tea, left to wonder where all of this drainage is suddenly coming from. My head feels as if it is literally swimming in fluid.

The most annoying thing about a cold is how quickly I lose my patience with everything around me. I feel just bad enough that the little things I usually overlook now make me want to snap. Here is how my morning is going:

I had a lady call in earlier to ask a question, but when I began to answer her she kept interrupting me and and arguing with what I was telling her. Why do you call me if you already know every fucking thing? Get off my phone line.

Another guy calls in a few minutes later and needs to be reset in a particular system. I have to take a few moments to log in since our mainframe is always lagging. Pointless chatter ensues. "How's the weather over there? It's not so bad here! Just a little foggy today!" And THEN he starts HUMMING. Stop your jolly nonsense! On a normal day your bubbly behavior might be slightly relieving after speaking to Miss I Have All The Answers but can you not hear my struggle to breathe and my irritable nasal tone?!

I receive stupid emails too. For instance:
"What is this for?

2/19/2010 2/21/2010 GREEN FUSION CO DURHAM NC $212.50"

How the hell should I know what it's for? Do you not keep up with your own charges? Maybe you should call that lady from earlier this morning. I bet she knows.

Here's hoping this cold only maintains a temporary residence. Last time I had one it tried to hold on for a month or two, the clingy bastard. Now if you will excuse me I must get back to blowing my nose...

On a Serious Note

Sometimes I take the time to reflect on what's going on around me, whether the actions are my own or my friends' actions, whether it's something that directly or indirectly affects me or perhaps does not involve me at all. I went to a couple of parties this past weekend for the first time in a while. A few of my friends commented on how I appeared to have fallen from the face of the earth but I needed the time to myself. As nice as it was to get back into the scene and reconnect I find myself frustrated once more with the games people are constantly playing. Everyone does it and I will not sit here and pretend to be one hundred percent innocent myself, but the question is why?

An example I noticed this past weekend: a good friend of mine really likes this girl. He introduced Allie (my good friend and partner-in-crime) and I to her this weekend and we all got along swimmingly. She's a very pretty girl, very energetic and seems sweet. The problem is that she has a long-term boyfriend, and by long-term I mean five years. He is a Marine and I am assuming he's deployed since he made no appearance. The problem with the situation is that this girl, like many others, wants to have her cake and eat it too. She has this alleged great boyfriend who she loves and adores, yet in his absence she feels it is alright to spend ample amounts of time with my friend, cuddle with him, stay up all night having conversations and so on. Am I crazy for finding this so appalling? Luckily my friend is smart enough not to spend (waste) too much time on the situation. He mentioned he's going to give it a few more days and if things do not start progressing in his direction he will let her go. I say good for him. In fact more people should employ logic in these types of situations and learn to set aside feelings. Emotion is what gets people in trouble. The truth is if someone is not willing to put you first and reciprocate, regardless of his or her reason and regardless of how much you may care, he or she is not the right person. I don't care who you are; you can do better.

Plainly and simply I wish it were more common practice for people to be up-front. Say one is in a relationship. Suddenly it becomes long-distance and one feels that it will no longer work, so why does one not say so? It's difficult to let go but is it worth the risk of being unfair to that person or to yourself? Or if one is dating someone and finds interest in another person, why not be honest instead of cheating? Even if one has just met someone why can one not be frank and say, "Hey, you're pretty awesome and I want to spend more time with you," rather than having to "play it cool" and feign disinterest?

Honesty is already extremely important to me; however I am making it a personal goal to be more forthright with people on what I want or how I am feeling, whatever the case calls for. I have a limited amount of time left here in the company of my friends and I do not plan to waste it on silly mind games.

Happy Monday! It's a rainy one here.

On Virginia's Most Wanted List

WANTED:
Girl Scouts Caramel deLites, alias Samoas

Suspect is armed with hundreds of unnecessary calories and considered to be highly addicting. The culprit has been known to lure its victims with a flashy purple box. Once released from its bindings the culprit gives off a delicious caramel and chocolate scent with a hint of sweet coconut and vanilla. Small female children wearing "Girl Scout Uniforms" have been brainwashed by the suspect and are also wanted for questioning.

If you have any information regarding the suspect or its whereabouts please notify Virginia immediately. She will ensure the culprit is taken off the streets and immediately detained in her stomach.

On the Case of the Microwave Plate Burglar

Yesterday morning I was listening to my favorite radio show,
Bob and the Showgram. The topic when I tuned in was the weirdest stuff that had ever been stolen from you. Calls started pouring in, the most amusing of which involved a Glade candle being stolen yet the money in the apartment was left untouched. Apparently today's thieves are concerned with aromatherapy and invoking the appropriately-scented atmosphere when they commit their crimes. Lilac larceny, perhaps?

Anyway I did not think to call this in at the time but here at SECU we have recently been robbed of something that holds extreme value: a microwave plate. Yes, you read that right. Not the entire microwave or even a fancy new toaster oven but a single microwave plate. I really feel this thief knew what he was doing too. See, when you steal something frivolous like a microwave plate it makes everyone think. What's he gonna steal next? The lid to a trash can? A sponge from the kitchen? The button that allows me to select my beloved Sprite from the vending machines?! I swear every time I open that microwave it's like the world's biggest Fuck You. Besides, what is this guy doing with that plate? Maybe he took it home to replace his own broken microwave plate and feed his starving family but I have every suspicion that it is still lurking in this building, perhaps in a desk drawer or a closet. Yeah. I'm on to you, buddy.

On Public Restrooms

Today I want to talk about something I find sincerely disturbing: public restrooms. More specifically, FEMALE public restrooms. Let me just say the idea of men's rooms automatically being worse off is highly ironic. Granted I am not in the business of venturing into men's restrooms so I thankfully remain unfamiliar with urinals, but I have used a single person restroom designated for males and found that as public restrooms go they are pretty clean.

I have held my current position for over a year now and I must say that by far, the women's restroom here in our Operations Center is the single most disgusting restroom I have ever had the displeasure of using. I would make a better effort to avoid it; however the single restrooms are more frequently used and thus have more frightening possibilities. Plus I have this weird issue about all the people walking right by the door while I am taking care of things. Sue me. Anyway, here are some things I have witnessed:


1. I actually cannot bring myself to type the words, but let's just say I recently walked into a stall and wanted to run out screaming. Things like what I saw in there are the reason the "Courtesy Flush" was invented. Get with it, ladies.

2. Urine on the seats. Let me explain how this happens: Women try to avoid sitting on the toilet seats and understandably so, but the common "hovering" method only causes more of a mess in the end. Unless you are extremely talented at finding some awkward balance and managing to direct the stream downward, I promise that you are the reason other women will not sit on that seat. Fortunately there is a solution! They are called Seat Covers and are located in most public restrooms. If not, toilet paper is just as effective.

3. Hair on the seats. What the hell are you people doing in these stalls? Shaving? Rolling your hair? Use your personal bathroom at home if you want to Nair and if when you are finished with your business you notice anything on the seat at least have the decency to wipe it off!

4. Sanitary napkins and the like. These items go IN the little box on the side of the stall or IN the trash can. Not in, on or around the toilet, thank you very much.

5. Not washing your hands. I know this has no effect on the overall cleanliness of the place but seriously?! Ew. Just... ew.


Unforunately my bladder is far too small for me to avoid these germ cesspools but restrooms like the one we have here make me die a little inside each time I use them.

An 11-Year Old Murderer

This blog is in response to an article I recently read on CNN.com. You can find it here:

http://www.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/02/10/pennsylvania.young.murder.defendant/index.html

Eleven-year old Jordan Brown of Pennsylvania has been accused of murdering his eight-month pregnant stepmother in her sleep and now faces the possibility of life in prison without parole if convicted. I felt moved to write after reading the article mostly because of the way this story was presented. I am unsure what one should expect when reading this type of news, but what I did not expect was the great amount of sympathy toward the boy. The people that were interviewed speak highly of Jordan, referring to him as an "All-American boy" and mentioning his good manners. The article goes on to say that his birthday and Christmas holiday were spent in the Edmund L. Thomas Adolescent Detention Center and that he missed a "much-anticipated fifth-grade overnight field trip to Gettysburg." Yet another section states that "his attorneys say Jordan is still unable to grasp the magnitude of what is happening to him."

In my opinion the first mistake was made by Jordan's father, Chris Brown. Jordan was given a shotgun last year as an Easter present so that he could hunt alongside his father. Hunting is not a new concept for me. I was raised in the South and know many families who take their children out for jaunts in the woods. My question is why does an eleven-year old have access to a gun without an adult present? The gun should have been placed under lock and key when Jordan was not with his father or another responsible grown-up who could monitor him.

I understand that this is a sad situation for everyone involved but I do not feel his age is reason enough to shower him in sympathy and fight for a lesser sentence. If sufficient evidence proves that Jordan Brown was in fact the killer then he should pay the full price. A mother of three children is dead; one unborn son and two daughters, aged four and seven. Parents are left without their beloved daughter and a fiancé without his bride-to-be. The grandmother will have to raise the girls and worst of all explain to them how their stepbrother took their mother's life. I am certain they will not "grasp the magnitude" of the situation either; however they will have no choice but to deal with what has happened.

The Court would not ruin Jordan's life by sentencing him to prison. The cold hard fact is that Jordan ruined his own life when he made the decision to end two others.

The Infamous V-Day

With Valentine's Day swiftly approaching I find myself eager to share my opinion on the upcoming event: it's a complete and total crock. I promise I am not bitter and I am not even dateless. I just have this neurotic aversion to phony holidays and false pretenses for expressing love.
The most common legends surrounding Valentine's Day involve various Saints named Valentine. The following is an excerpt from "The History of Valentine's Day" taken from www.history.com:

"One legend contends that Valentine was a priest who served during the third century in Rome. When Emperor Claudius II decided that single men made better soldiers than those with wives and families, he outlawed marriage for young men — his crop of potential soldiers. Valentine, realizing the injustice of the decree, defied Claudius and continued to perform marriages for young lovers in secret. When Valentine's actions were discovered, Claudius ordered that he be put to death.
Other stories suggest that Valentine may have been killed for attempting to help Christians escape harsh Roman prisons where they were often beaten and tortured.
According to one legend, Valentine actually sent the first 'valentine' greeting himself. While in prison, it is believed that Valentine fell in love with a young girl — who may have been his jailor's daughter — who visited him during his confinement. Before his death, it is alleged that he wrote her a letter, which he signed 'From your Valentine,' an expression that is still in use today. Although the truth behind the Valentine legends is murky, the stories certainly emphasize his appeal as a sympathetic, heroic, and, most importantly, romantic figure. It's no surprise that by the Middle Ages, Valentine was one of the most popular saints in England and France."

While the original intent of this holiday may be to honor the romantic Saints for standing up to harsh and unfair Roman laws, we as a society have allowed February 14 to morph into a heart-shaped monster. Men and women all over the world are expected to send greeting cards, flowers, candies and plan out a perfect date for the occasion. The bad part is that companies raise their prices specifically for Valentine's Day, knowing that people will be crazy enough to buy their products anyway. The worst part is that people do buy the goods anyway, knowing they are being ripped off.
What I would like to know is how we let ourselves become so obsessed with this day and the notion that one must show affection for his or her partner, lest one be shunned for not making the effort. Can we really call this a day to celebrate love and honest emotion if the sole reason one goes to such trouble is to follow this unwritten rule? I would prefer flowers or a box of chocolates on March 30, June 8 or even August 21. Others may not share my opinion, but I am not looking for a partner who will only think to send me sweet notes and flowers on the one day that the human race is duped into thinking it is what they should do.
Moreover I find the hypocrisy surrounding Valentine's Day to be especially amusing. I have lost count of the number of my female friends who have said to me over the years, "I hate Valentine's Day! It's so silly and I don't expect a thing from my boyfriend!" and then a week later I have to hear about what a tool he is for completely ignoring the event. Newsflash, females: if you tell a male to disregard something he is going to take it at face value. A good general rule I have learned from previous experiences and from watching others is that guys do not read into and obsess over details like girls tend to do. If you expect chocolates and a fancy dinner, you should tell him. Life is not scripted like movies and fairy tales and no guy or girl is ever going to be able to read your mind to know exactly what you want all of the time.
So as the rest of my friends are anxiously awaiting overpriced bouquets and sending "heartgrams" I will be out with a cute guy eating sushi, and I guarantee it will be to satisfy my desire for sushi and good conversation rather than an obligation to show him my feelings.

Slow Dancing in a Burning Room

This past weekend was well spent in the company of one of my oldest and best friends, Meagan. We met during my freshman year of high school and she was quick to overlook my quirky habits and odd style and befriend me. One of my biggest regrets is that we didn't spend more time together during high school, but luckily we're making up for it now.
A few years ago Meagan and her family moved down to South Carolina. She currently resides in Myrtle Beach with her boyfriend and spaz-cat Spook. I must admit I've never been the girl who surrounded herself with a lot of other girls. My Friday nights were not spent at sleepovers and I was clueless about mani/pedis and the latest gossip. I find that when one is socially awkward like I am, time is better spent in front of a computer writing to no one and enjoying some Tegan and Sara and a cup of Chock Full of Nuts (thanks, Meagan). Anyway, I digress. My point is that it was very enjoyable to be in her company. We woke up when we pleased, stayed in our pajamas and watched lots of comedies. We went shopping and spent too much money but didn't let it bother us. We had a sushi date and cried in public during a sappy movie (damn you, Nicholas Sparks). We even got drunk off of Royal Flushes (try it; you'll like it) and went out to the clubs.
On Monday we spent our afternoon in Charleston. Our navigation skills are not top-notch but even though we got turned around a few times we managed to get where we wanted to go. This was the part of the trip that frightened me more than anything. Let's just say there are a lot of ghosts for me there in that town, in beautiful Charleston, but they are no longer getting the best of me. It may be the same story you hear from a lot of people about a past love and watching it slip through your hands, but when you're the one feeling the crippling loss it's different. I spent countless hours asking myself, "If you knew we could not fly, why'd you let me leave the ground?" I had this out-of-body experience and watched us go through the cycle and saw how we never got the timing down, and everyone knows timing is everything. What I dislike most about relationships and love is the moment of realization when you know that it's gone, or maybe it was never quite there in the first place, not simultaneously, not at the level where both people needed it to be. Yet as I walked those streets and passed the places we'd eaten in or stores we'd shopped at, I saw those things through different eyes. This is what progress feels like; this is me letting go.
The best part of the trip, hands down, was seeing John Mayer live in person. I'm not certain how it's possible to love one person so much since we've never met and we likely never will, but I swear I love that man. He has such a beautiful soul; it is evident in his emotion-filled lyrics and in the sounds of his bluesy guitar-playing. If he makes love to his women the way that he makes love to his guitar I'm at a loss as to how he ever convinces them to leave the bedroom. Meagan and I went from mocking some of the young girls around us ("OH MY GOD WE'RE ABOUT TO SEE JOHN OMG OMG!") to joining right in. I swear we were jumping up and down screaming, "OH MY GOD HE'S PLAYING 'NO SUCH THING!' THIS IS REALLY HAPPENING!" In fact we loved seeing him so much that we may go see him again next month when he comes to Greensboro.



Ah, girl time! Thank you to Meagan, who I am certain will read this. I love you more than you know and I will always be here for you, no matter the distance!

In the Beginning...

Good morning, viewers! Since today marks the start of this new blog I suppose I will provide a bit of an introduction. My name is Virginia Melissa, Gin for short, and I am about to embark on an incredible journey with the United States Navy.

When I first graduated high school I assumed I would follow the beaten path and attend college; however after completing only one year I decided it was not for me (read: BORING). I quit my exciting job at Champps, a sports bar here in Raleigh, to pursue a "real" job at the State Employees' Credit Union. I won't pretend I haven't learned a lot from working here about professionalism, human relations and finances. The problem is just as I did not feel challenged during my brief stint at college I likewise feel unmotivated and disheartened here at SECU. Believe me when I say it's a great job and I will always be thankful for the experience I've gained, but as a wise friend once explained to me no matter how high up on the "ladder" I climb here I will never feel satisfied in life if I chose to stay. I knew I needed something with substance, thus the Navy came into play.

Right now my life revolves around the Navy, or rather readjusting my life to suit the Navy. Another friend pointed out that when you join, the Navy becomes your baby; every decision you make must be made with the Navy in mind first. I still have not felt the full weight of this statement but I'm certain that after I leave on June 8th of this year I will begin to understand. For the first time in a long time, perhaps ever to such an extent, I am focused. I have meaningful goals that will change my life as I begin to accomplish them. I have been studying Naval history and information such as The Eleven General Orders of a Sentry and how to use the phonetic alphabet. I go running a couple of times a week and push myself to do more sit-ups and push-ups (sidenote: I am so not built for push-ups). After only being in the "DEP Pool" for a couple of months my knowledge has already surpassed the other people in my pool thanks to my studying habits, and I am slowly catching up on the physical aspect as well. I'm desperate for the chance to prove to the Navy and to myself how amazing I can be, and now I'm down to just a few simple months before I go. These are the moments and this is the chance I've been waiting for.

I'd like to end this post by telling you what to expect from this blog, in case any of you viewers are wondering. Though I will continue to post updates regarding my upcoming journey and all of the places I will (hopefully) travel, I'm not always so serious or sentimental. In fact I am a cynical person known for my biting sarcasm and humorous rants, which will most likely frequent these metaphorical pages. People will not always agree with my point of view on things, be it a political or ethical issue or something less serious, but I always enjoy feedback. For that reason I have left my comments section open to all viewers and not just fellow blogspot members. Feel free to share anything you'd like or just enjoy my stories. There will be many more to come.