Sunday, September 6, 2009

Try Optimism

John-

I am suddenly feeling so peaceful. Currently I have read some pretty frustrated posts and am having trouble channeling my inner anger to the degree that some have reached here.

That is not to say that I haven't been angry, but, oh what is the saying... I've been making lemonade with lemons.

2 Examples:
1.Roommate gives angry psychopathic ex our cell phone number. He starts leaving messages everyday. Fills our inbox -DAILY. With screaming ranting epithets of curse words insulting her, us, our mothers. He can leave 40 in a row. One a minute. Why on a phone that can take my picture, and record my voice, can it NOT block calls?

He has his own ringtone now, which used to drive us nuts but is now the equivilent of our favorite tv show theme song. We suddenly get excited because we know what's coming...Bingo.
Yep, the game.

We made swear word bingo cards with all the words and threats he usually uses. Now it's a competition to see who can guess which variation of the F-bomb he'll drop next. The fun part: explaing to our 91 year old friend that we play bingo with a friend of ours who is the caller.

Ex. 2:
Not getting our whole security deposit back from our previous landlord.
Ouch.

BUT, even though we were robbed (while he was changing the locks), and had raw sewage backflow into our washer and flood our basement -twice, we are calmly going to explain to him that we feel he has wronged us and give him the opportunity to end this right now before we take him to court.

This took some time to get settled about. Jesus helped out with that. Now both Justin and I can be at a place where we can pray for him and realize any justice he gets on earth would be preferable to God's justice in the herafter. And then leave it all in God's hands.

No servant is greater than his master. And my master was crucified. How can I expect better? Truly we need no more evidence that humanity is unjust when the hands that created it have nail holes through them.

Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Simple Life Lessons to help with Frustration

Life's 5 Most Important Lessons
By Paula Spencer

Top five life lessons shared by people ages 65 to 104 are:

The simple things matter most.
Humor and time cure most pains.
There's more satisfaction in giving than getting. Service to others is the most satisfying activity.
Choose your spouse carefully. It will be your most important decision.
Work hard and in a field or role that you enjoy.

Monday, July 20, 2009

where do i start?

no seriously how do i post on here? a week ago i spent 35 minutes trying to post something, thinking i was signed up, but i wasn't. it said my old aim account would work but i learned i needed a google account. signing up was easy but it took 6 trys to spell the blurred word verification. i ddn't ''FORQUINGMA'' was a word

-id say at least once every 2 weeks we (gerald or myself) call charter communications. either the internet or cable is not working properly or my father got billed for something we've never heard of. usually pretty helpful after the 10 or 15 minutes of trying to get past the computerized operator

-shin splints: im rested, im hydrated, im motivated, ive got my ipod, im stretching, im limping..

-coworker that was just the laziest pile of sh*t who didn't lift a finger. would have easily been fired if they weren't sleeping with the boss

golf: enough said. its just a coin toss out there every shot. practice is pointless. kevin costner' shovel seems pretty practical

-being surrounded by drunk people.........sober

-people yelling something obscene at you while your jogging....most likely their world class athletes though so....

-4 way stops

-getting chirped by drunk tommy tough guy who conviniently outnumbers you

-"oh you didn't feel like starting today car?''

..........this is fun im sure ill be back..good luck john i love you

Sunday, July 19, 2009

I have found the perfect YouTube clip for what I was feeling below

My computer is a piece of shit.

I am not writing this on my computer because it is a piece of shit.

I am so proud of myself this last week for not smashing my laptop to pieces. I have pictured myself numerous times this week grabbing the screen with 2 hands and smashing the keyboard down on the kitchen table until it folds the wrong way, hopefully having the effect of me breaking it into 2 parts. I even rationalized the consequences for these actions and if it was worth the elation I would no doubt feel from the act. I was weighing the cons: my wife being pissed at me, me feeling like a jackass shortly after, the cost of a new laptop which we don't have money for, I could possibly get hurt having pieces flying, there would be a big gouge or a large mark on the table and could maybe ruin something else in the house with flying debris. With the pros: It...would...feel...so...damn...good. So for now I have decided not to. I cannot say the same for my mouse, that has taken some abuse and does not work properly anymore. For some reason my computer just stopped working. I have reinstalled everything and wiped the computer clean 5 times now to no avail. Vista can go to hell and take Billy Gates with him for ever letting this operating system go to market. I may become a Mac guy. I have fought it tooth and nail, but my next computer may be a Mac. Now I have to see if my computer is still under warranty and if I can get a new one. Not to mention reinstalling all the programs and files that were on the thing.

Why I don't have it so bad (but it still feels good to rant):
We are fortunate enough that my wife has a fully functional laptop that I can use until I get mine fixed, I know some people are not lucky enough to have one computer. Also, I had my files backed up to an external hard drive so I did not lose anything vital.

From Randy Dunne

I remember in the recesses of my memory a certain young suitor of my youngest daughter was visiting. He and a friend as I recall were engaged is some form of male dominance expression and the coffee table upon which they were wrestling was destroyed beyond repair. When I was appraised of the incident although disappointed and angry, held my temper and simply banned the WWE champs from the house for a period of time. The question is did I overreact???

Love Ya

From Nicole Stocking

Recently while doing yardwork I attempted to start the string trimmer...5 minutes after pulling the start cord and several scraped knuckles later, which by the way really added to my frustration, I found myself giving the string trimmer a few slams on the ground and yelling "Work! Work! Work!" It did!

From Marco Fabbrini

John, this is simple. Sergio beat me in a game of tennis today and I was tempted to toss my racket...lol. But I withheld.

Here's an example where I acted on some frustration. One time in high school, I had a bad game. So after the game I took a broken stick and whacked it against a tree a couple times.

Friday, July 17, 2009

Thursday, July 16, 2009

Hell in Fee Simple Absolute

For the last month and a half or so I've been studying for the bar. Here's the thing about the severe frustration that arises from bar study; it's not evidenced by vein-popping rage (you don't have energy for such a display). Nope, ours is an abject form of frustration signified typically by the thousand yard stare. Photographic testimonials forthcoming(?)

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

5k race

for the first time ever i pre registered for the cherry festival 5k race. i got a print out with a bar code to bring to pick up my race packet the day before. i thought that should make it easy. on the sheet it did not say where to pick up the stuff. when i got to the elementary school (i guessed) i showed my bar code sheet to a young lady at the entrance. she didn't know what it was and told me there were names on the wall "down there". i saw names on the wall down the hallway and walked back to ask her what i was to do next. she said, "there's some people through those doors, tell them the number next to your name. i went up to the lady to pick up my number but she told me to wait a minute while she walked to the other side of the gym with another runner. i waited several minutes and asked another lady if she knew how to do what the first lady did. she didn't. i asked a guy on the other side by the t shirts if he knew how to hand out the race numbers. he didn't. i went and stood by the first lady across the gym to let her know i was getting impatient. finally i got my stuff. the next day during the race we got to the lone water station. the same young girl at the door was manning the cups and water. none of them were pre poured. we had to stand in line with our cup and push the button to the big cooler to pour out the water.
i took the cooler and opened the top and poured it over the girl's head. Okay i was frustrated enough to do so but i made that part up.

Razor Scooter

While I was in Boston for work I had a razor scooter and used it to get around town faster. The wheels on it where small - the size of rollerblade wheels - and was prone to accidents if you hit creases or cracks in the sizewalk or road. I fell on it a few times but got up and continued on my way. The third time was a big fall going down a hill. After getting up I kicked the razor scooter and walked home leaving the thing on the side of the road. Those things are dangerous!!!

Monday, July 13, 2009

A playlist on YouTube.com

YouTube.com Frustration Videos

If you have good videos to show, add a comment and post the link.

From Dell

Once I was at a classic ski race and I saw skate tracks on the snow (cheaters). It ticked me off. I got to the finish line, didn't what to do and I removed my skis and flung them into the woods in frustration.

From Julie O'Hearn Cox

Frustration? You want to talk about frustration? Well drive around Traverse City for a day with all the dumb drivers. Love the ones that go straight in a left turn only lane or the ones that that don't know you can actually go around a car if they are waiting to turn left! Love the ones going down the wrong way on a one way. Blinkers? What would they be? How do some of these people get a drivers license when they can't even read signs. I feel my blood pressure rise every time I get in the car to drive to work. Ok I feel a little better now. Thanks for letting me vent. I would really like a big monster truck so I could just run over stupid drivers. Have a mentioned tail gaters? Don't get me going.....

From Nathan John Juett

Frustration for me was put to light last week in the Meijer check out line.
I was behind two other people and the gentleman directly in front of me only had about 20 items. However, the woman in front of him had 2 carts full of shit. Now it took a long fucking time to ring up her two carts full of shit. I watched the lines on each side of me keep cycling and cycling through people. The woman behind me and the man in front of both actually started complaining. Eventually her 2 carts full of shit had finally rung up after what seemed to be an eternity. Then came the god damn coupons. Not1,2, or even 10. It had to be at least 50 coupons. Of course some of them didn't work and a manager had to be called upon. A half hour after(literally) i got in line this woman had finally cashed out. Fucking bitch!!

Sunday, July 12, 2009

From Seth Vinocur

This is easy for me. I threw my racquetball racket on monday because i lost 5 straight games to my buddy osborne. I also recently punched the stearing wheel while sitting in traffic for hours in NYC two weekends ago.

From Thomas Mysliwiec

I hate when I "top" a golf ball off the tee. (slam driver)

When people are in front of you in a line and they couldn't care less that you are waiting. (leave)

people that merge late into traffic when there is road construction. (verbal sarcasm)

-hope that helps, good luck!

From Scott Naylor

I seem to have a all or nothing frustration output. I will brush off most feeling of frustration having a silent reaction. But once I have had my fill I like to over react, breaking things, speeding, etc. Last month our back door was sticking and apparently I had had my fill. I punched the door breaking the latch and handle. I don't even remember what I was frustrated about. Then I had to but a new lock set, in my face, I know. I like to think I am a pretty level headed person, but there are those times when the Naylor rage shows its ugly head. Frustration is a funny thing. It has the ability to teach you great patience, or it can break you.