Ok, I am obviously a bit of a cranky pants today. I don't know why, but let's start a list, shall we?

1. My elbow hurts and it's all bruised from where I gave blood. I know this isn't supposed to happen, but the nurse told me that it is probably due to me picking my 30 pound child up. I actually have to USE the arm, that sucks.

2. No one likes to debate with me. Why is this? I wanted to debate the pros and cons of gay marriage, which was recently passed through the House of Commons here in Canada. Well, gay marriage wasn't passed, but the law ruling it to be legal was. I wanted to discuss it! That's why things happen... so we can discuss them!! No, work friends do not care. They don't want to discuss. Being the Extroverted Feeler that I am, this translates directly to "we don't care about you or what you think on anything."

3. Everyone seems to be down on my favourite test, the Myers-Briggs test. Why this makes me cranky I do not know. I love this test. Take it. Take it, please?

See, there are those who like to understand themselves and those who feel it pegs them into a hole... I think. See, right there? I pegged people, didn't I? Anyways, I took the test a year or so ago and it helped me to totally understand myself. The BF took it and he actually changed careers! We both believe that it is very true to life. In fact, we use it to help our relationship. Because he and I are opposite types, there are often miscommunications.

We use the MBTI to help us navigate our relationship. There are hints and tips that we turn to rather than remain frustrated. Here's a typical one:

ME: "Wanna come to the store with us?" Translation: I want you to come to the store with us.

BF: "Do you want me to?" Translation: Do you want me to come or are you asking if I want to come?

ME: "Yes" Translation: I want you to want to come with us.

BF: "Then I will come with you." Translation: I will go to the store because you want me to.

The thing is... we know what the translations are now... before the MBTI test, it would have opened the door for arguements like "I thought you wanted to come!" "No, I only came because you wanted me to!" But not any more. Now I just ask "Will you come to the store with us?" and he can say yes or no.

But for some people, they run screaming away from this test. Even the mention of it makes them react in a negative way... and usually they thing I'M the evil person trying to pin them down into one of 16 types and they totally resent it!

I guess I don't get what is so wrong with knowing how you tick.

If someone takes the test and it comes out 'wrong'... as in they totally disagree with it, then there is a pretty good chance that they answered the questions the way that they WANT TO BE as opposed to the way that they truly are.

See, I'm an ENFJ. If I take the test the way I would like to be, I'm an ISFP...

For example, thrill seekers are generally Ps.... I'd LOVE to be a thrill seeker... but I'm a bit too much of a chicken... doesn't stop me from riding the biggest roller coaster or wanting to jump out of an airplane... but taking a risk on a new job or starting a new business? That's where the thrill seeker in my dies off ... and a true P thrives.... like the boyfriend who is ALL P... and he up and changed jobs in a very risky manner....

I'd also rather be a bit more of an 'I'... because they I probably wouldn't care so much about 'discussing' everything with people....

I should just call this Heather's Rollercoaster of Moodswings and be done with it.

I had a great birthday, turned 28. I'm not really one of those people who rolls her eyes and says "ack, I'm 28, I'm so ooooooold!" Because I'm not, I'm still young. Ask me when I'm 30 though.

I will admit to having a rough time of late. I'm not on the track, I'm way off the track. Thirty suddenly feels like it's bearing down on me and I'm not where I should be. Thirty is where I have two children and a house. Not one child that I'm parenting on my own in an overpriced apartment.

So I did something I probably shouldn't have. I talked to a mortgage broker. I'm sure that it was the muffled laughter that gave it away. I just knew before I even talked to him that it wasn't going to work. But for some reason I figured that if I just wanted it enough and hoped enough that someone would take a chance. No, probably not. He suggested that I go get a $10,000 line of credit from my bank and then I'd be sure to get a mortgage. I didn't have the guts to tell him that I tried that last week and they said no. No soup for you!

It isn't that I have bad credit. I have pretty good credit. I have a loan I paid off for about 4 years and never missed a payment. I have a car that I've been paying on since 2001 and missed one payment when my ex was in charge of the payments. The car is still in our name, but I had been trying to get the line of credit to get it in my own name.

The thing is - I'm terrified of banks and money. I don't get it. I go in there and I know that they look at my piddly little bank account and .... I just don't rate. I have no power in today's society. I'm the typical 'couple paychecks off the street' single mother and I hate it.

Excuse the pity party, but I just feel like I'm never going to get ahead.

Really, they are.

This whole Protestant vs Catholic thing is insane. When it comes down to it, they are very similar. I mean it's not like we're talking about Muslims vs Buddists or Taoists vs Wiccans... we're talking same God, same Book, same Son...

Apparently, every July, the Protestants gather to march down some street and the Catholics gather to throw things at them. And this accomplishes....?

The City of Calgary has just been put under a state of emergency due to flooding. They will have mandatory evacuations along the Bow and Elbow Rivers - which run right through downtown of course.

Is it wrong that I was just involved in a conversation with my boss where he used the sentence, "turn around, let me see your butt"?

Is it?

Would you change your mind if I said I turned around?

Just checking.

We're pretty open around the office. I've had conversations about toilet habits, swinging (not on the swing set), and medical issues - and that's just with my boss. He came to my desk the other day to discuss prostate health and I had to inform him that I did not have one, so I knew nothing about it.

So the butt thing... I bought new pants and I am pleased to report that they are size 10s. Now, the issue is that they are a wee bit baggy (yay!). Now, do I stick with these pants for those fat days? Or do I go for the size 8s and risk the camel toe?

I think I'm sticking with the 10s.

And this should be required reading for any one entering a debate!

I was thinking about this post and then thinking about the fact that work people read it. But that's ok because I'm sure that they also have dreams beyond their work. I don't think there are many people that look around and say 'yes, I have gone as far as I'd like to go'. And if you say that and you're under, say, 50. Shame on you. Plenty of life left to live.

Anyways, last summer I got it in my head that maybe I should just look to see what is out there in terms of school. I have never gone to post secondary, and I'm almost thirty. I worry about going through the rest of my life with the sign "uneducated" hanging over my head.

So I sent an email or two to the local college to inquire about their writing programs.

Yeah, the next day my boss calls me in and asks me if I want to go back to school. Hmmmm, I think, this is too much of a coincidence. So I let him know that I was looking for some part time courses to learn more about writing.

His wife is the head of the writing department and I'd basically sent her the email.

Ooops.

But there was no fallout, I hadn't done anything wrong other than examine my options. Plus, I was (and still am) looking at a Technical Writing Certificate, something that would fit well with my job already. Just for the heck of it, I've already started a training manual for the new hires at work. That is technical writing. Taking something and explaining it to others. Plus, there are other manuals that could be re-written because things change all the time in any business...

I would like to write for a living. There, I admit it. I can't help it. The thought of being able to get paid all the time for writing... wow... I think that would be IT for me.