I FEEL LIKE BITCHING

Why do I feel like bitching Gentle Readers? Because. That's why. Same explanation I used to give my kids when they wanted to do something stupid, except the answer was "because I said so." Sometimes parents don't have to give explanations, so damn it, I'm going to bitch.

1. My property taxes are going way up. I was supposed to apply for something so my property taxes would stay the same or go down, but I didn't know about it. Somebody was supposed to tell me at closing, but I closed by mail and nobody told me. I missed the deadline to apply so now I'm being punished for my ignorance. My fricking house payment will go way up.

2. I accidentally broke my printer today. It hasn't been working, apparently because of a defective cartridge. It appears to be printing but then no words are on the page the printer spits out. I went to take the cartridge out and the little piece that holds it in place fricking snapped off. And it doesn't snap back in. Son of a bitch. I'm a writer. I cannot be without a printer and I can't afford a new one.

3. Why do people who smoke have enough money for cigarettes but then they can't make their house payments, buy food, get braces for their kids, do all the important stuff? What in the hell is the matter with you people? Do you ever stop to add up how much your nicotine addiction costs you every year and what you could afford if you gave up the cancer sticks? People go to AA and other programs to stop drinking and drugging. Nicotine is a DRUG. There are free programs to help you stop smoking. Go get the fricking help you need and cut it out.

4. Why do people who smoke get extra breaks at work? Every single place I have ever worked, those of us who didn't smoke picked up the slack because of the people who did. At one newspaper where I worked the editors and one of the reporters went out to smoke EVERY 20 minutes. When I worked in healthcare some of the nurses and assistants were always out smoking. Once per hour. At one nursing home everybody in the place (not residents; they were tucked safely in bed) except one other person and me went out to smoke and they were gone for TWO FRICKING HOURS. Put that in your cigarette and smoke it.

5. How come some people break the rules over and over and get away with it? Why? Why? Why? And those of us who work hard and try hard end up shit upon. I'm tired of it. I'm tired of a particular business that can't keep track of my insurance paperwork and checks, and I don't have the option of going elsewhere. Quit feeling sorry for the person who lied and cheated on me and do what you're supposed to do with my checks, you sorry, lazy bitch. No one is minding the store, so people get away with murder. I once took care of a woman who was virtually incapable of speaking and she sat in her own diarrhea all day. When I cleaned her up I found a red spot on each butt cheek. Over the months as I treated her bottom I watched it go from bad to worse until she had really nasty bed sores because I was the only one who changed her and cleaned her and took care of her and at last she died and left the misery of the place she was in.

6. More than once now I've had potential employers call and leave a message saying they want to interview me, and when I call back the position miraculously has been filled or it's about to be filled so in the course of just a few hours they go from wanting to interview me to having someone else. I called a potential employer yesterday and left a message asking what email address I should use to send my resume. No call back, so I planned on calling again this morning. But before I could do so the secretary left a message on my phone saying two interview times were open -- 10:30 and 11:30. At 10:00 I got the message and called her back. No fricking answer. At 10:30 she called me back and asked, Do we have your resume? NO YOU DON'T HAVE MY RESUME BITCH BECAUSE I DIDN'T HAVE THE EMAIL ADDRESS TO SEND IT TO YOU. But of course I didn't say that. Anyway, after that she said, Well, she's interviewed several people and she's ready to make a decision and even if you came out here now we're having a big meeting and I'd have to get her out of that to interview you so I don't think there's really any point. Then why in the hell did you call me you moron?

7. People who steal my ideas need to cut it out. I'm sick of hearing my ideas attributed to someone else.

This day has sucked. There's nothing new under the sun, thank you very much Ecclesiastes.

Fuck you. Fuck all of you.

Infinities of love,

Lola