Death by a thousand cuts

[pphaneuf]

I'm finding that I'm under a lot of stress, and I'm a bit surprised. It's been sneaking up to me, in a bunch of little things, all fairly low stress independently, but they pile up to make a large mound, it seems.

Doing okay at work, but it's sort of boring work. I'm breaking even in what I should be doing and what I'm actually doing, which is fine, but I wanted to get some advance, so eep.

My remote control is broken. It's not really broken, it's just the software, but when I press "play", it doesn't play. I'm switching to Rhythmbox, and I swear, I'll win this war. It might take me some time, but if I can reduce the amount of sucking in the universe by the tiniest amount by fixing my remote control, I'll do it. I like the playlist management, and it's a non-offensive UI at first glance, which is rather rare. I will not breakdown and write another freakin' media player!

I need money. What's new?

I have to scream at a bunch of people to get various things done or stopped doing (like sucking money out of my account for no good reason, not helping!).

My apartment is getting worse and worse, despite me actually cleaning up. But it always seem that when I clean up one corner, I have to have a plumber come and kick my toilet on it's side and put plaster crud everywhere.

My bathtub still gets rusty water.

I have to do large amounts of laundry (I have no dryer, so I have to manage laundry carefully). I think I'll go to a laundromat and just do it all in a single shot. Just need to grab a good book with me...

Lack of time is annoying me. I'm actually glad azrhey is off to England rather than being here, because I feel I'd just have nowhere to slice in time with her, and that would piss me off. I end up just giving up and going bowling anyway, and then working at home until 4am. Smart.

I have to leave now (I'm at the office at 2am, of course), so I can go to bed immediately and get up not so late to run off at the laundromat, possibly to spend time screaming at people on the phone while waiting.

Comments

[sfllaw.livejournal.com]

Sleep well.

[wlach.livejournal.com]

It sounds like you're waiting/pushing for the moment when "everything just comes together". So am I, but it's been so long already..

On a more specific note, this toilet business does sound rather thoroughly unpleasant. I hope it gets fixed soon!

[pphaneuf.livejournal.com]

I know I can't just wait for that moment, I've learned that now. But I have an especially large amount of pushing to do at the moment. I've had a nice complete cut off last weekend, and really, some things are in fact coming together.

The toilet issues aren't that bad. It's the kind of stuff you want reliably working, of course, but it's working well enough for now that I can think about other things and/or wait for my next paycheck to replace it.

I'm more annoyed by things like taxes and having to scream at people (got some form saying I'm "Phil Phaneuf", and "taking care of forms and taxes" is right up there with "slicing my wrists" in my lists of favorite things to do on a friday night)...

[kyotto.livejournal.com]

Yes... I know what you mean...I have been going through trying to unstress due to work and life stuff, and I have decided to reach out to people I want to know better, and concentrate on myself... it does help when you're single... as you are for the next 3 weeks. :)

C.

[http://users.livejournal.com/hub_/]

"Time Enough For Love" - Robert A Heinlein. This book is ready for pickup. I can bring it too.

[taxlady.livejournal.com]

Since you are paying for the plumber, does that mean you own the apartment?

BTW, if you can find a laundromat that has an attendant, you can probably pay that person to take your clothes out of the washer and put it in the dryer for you. That's what I did before I bought (well actually rented) my first washer and dryer. It was in the '80s and she charged me an extra $1/load. She did the whole job for me, including folding the laundry. Some of the best money I eveer spent. ;)

[dcoombs.livejournal.com]

Gyah, I glanced at this quickly and thought the title said "death by a thousand *cats*". I can't think of a worse way to go!

[sfllaw.livejournal.com]

Heinlein was a very odd author.

I like him very much as a youth, but I don't think I would as much anymore. He was even more idealistic than I am.

[sfllaw.livejournal.com]

Cats. I'm being nibbled to death by cats.

[http://users.livejournal.com/hub_/]

I haven't read these.

But I really liked "Gate into the summer".

"Starship troopers" is entertaining, and "Puppet Master" show its age.

[pphaneuf.livejournal.com]

No, I don't own the apartment, I'm just being paranoid.

Well, I do have the screaming to do which could be done while I wait for my loads. The screaming is related to paying the plumber and not owning the apartment, among other things.

Strangely, I couldn't find more than one laundromat nearby, so I don't have much choice, but I think there is indeed an attendant. I'll inquire about that, might come in handy to clear off my backlog of laundry. :-)

[pphaneuf.livejournal.com]

But you have to admit the title is appropriate!

On the other hand, maybe he is too idealistic! ;-)

Only read Stranger in a Strange Land, and I liked it much. Idealistic, yes, but not exceedingly so for that genre...

[taxlady.livejournal.com]

Why the hell are you paying for the plumber if you don't own the aprartment?

BTW, I hear screaming is a good form stress relief.

[pphaneuf.livejournal.com]

Depends on the problem. If it's my fault (say, if I shoved a cellphone down the toilet, like some people have taken to do), then I pay. But if the bloody toilet is broken and needs to be replaced, I'll have nothing to do with this!

And this is the bad kind of screaming, not the stress relief kind. I hate having to deal with people in these ways.