You want some cheese with that whine?

Monday, November 19th, 2007

I know it’s boring to read whiny, self-pitying blog posts, but man, I’ve had a really long, trying, generally crummy day.

I’m right in the middle of a project that I really, really hate, and things are probably going to get more irritating before they get better. I also took on more work on another project than I probably should have, so once I finished up the irritating work during normal working hours today, I had to tackle this whole other thing. And to top it all off, when I thought my work was wrapping up for the day and I was ready to just vegetate mindlessly on the couch, I got one last work email that has really rubbed me the wrong way and which I will now proceed to stew over for the rest of the evening when I should just be relaxing. I really, really didn’t need that.

It doesn’t help matters when it’s wet and gusty out for the second day in a row, and it gets completely dark at 4:30 p.m., and there’s no one to watch University Challenge with. Jeremy’s up in London for a few days, and I was expecting to be able to go with him. But no: the Project That Would Not Die has put the kibosh on that. (Just as an aside: what kind of crazy word is “kibosh”? Awesome.) So instead of larking about in London, I’m stuck alone in front of the computer in Brighton, listening to the pounding of the rain and my horrible upstairs neighbor, eating solitary meals in front of the TV and doing work that no one appreciates—not even me.

Wow. Cue the sound of a million tiny violins.

To prevent myself from sinking completely and utterly into a mire of self-pity, I will end this post with a few of the things that I’m grateful for today. As always, I’m grateful for my friends and family, as far away from me as they might be. I’m grateful to have a cozy apartment to protect me from the elements, even if I’m surrounded by idiots in the apartments around me. I’m grateful to have had a lovely soup from the River Café cookbook for dinner, even if my dining companion was Jeremy Paxman rather than Jeremy Keith. I’m grateful to have a job I generally like, even if it’s supremely frustrating at times. And I’m grateful to have rocked all of the language-related questions on University Challenge tonight. All of them. Oh yeah.

There, that’s better.

Comments

1

"The Sun Will Come Out….Tomorrow…."

Or Not.

But you’ll feel better for having had a rant. I’m a true believer in ranting. Chicken soup for the soul…and all that rot.

Posted by Sillysocks

2

So what was the soup then? It’s definitely soup weather, something meaty with barley perhaps.

Is ‘kibosh’ a particularly British expression, or more universal?

And if you need somewhere to vent, and can brave the weather, pop into the office anytime you like.

4

Thanks Michael - I wasn’t sure if kibosh was just limited to British vocabulary or if it was more widely used. From the article you link to:

"[M]ost authorities seem to agree that the word originated in Britain in the early part of last century but that it was soon taken to America and became naturalised there."

5

I didn’t realize "kibosh" was particularly British until I looked it up last night (first I had to look up how to spell it - apparently the more British spelling is "kybosh", which looks really odd). My mom’s always said it, so that’s where I picked it up.

Richard, the soup was "tomato, chickpea and sage" - very easy and extremely hearty, since it’s basically mashed up chickpeas with some pasta mixed in. Legumes soothe my soul.

And thank you for the offer to vent in the office. If the weather hadn’t been so god-awful and, more to the point, I hadn’t been completely tied to my computer and the phone for the past two days for this project, then I would have come in and sought solace with you guys.

6

Clients huh? Can’t live with them, can’t dispose of the bodies without fear of being caught.

7

Yeah, it’s probably a good thing all my end clients are in Germany—far, far away from me. :-)

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