Some New Year's ponderings

Just thought I'd share a few thoughts of
guilt and shame as we start a new year.

• Is it possible do die as a result of smelling the stench of cat whiz for extended periods? One of my two male cats went AWOL New Year's eve (suffice to say I was lurching in the door near midnight, bathroom bound, and the little monster escaped thanks to my lack of mental / visual acuity). Been gone ever since. Guilty Me left a can of cat food on side porch last night in case he wandered home. Was greeted this morning by half-eaten can of 9-Lives and a mighty gust of cat urine. Whether mine was the guilty party or not, I'm still livid because now my only new pair of shoes and my good rain coat BOTH now reek of the smell because it must have been on the porch and I walked / brushed through it and got it on me. Puke.

• Today is supposed to be the day I move into my new office (in a different building. But...

1. Some fartknocker STILL has his boxes stored in the space (small to begin with) despite warnings to have them cleared out before today.
2. Phone line / internet STILL not connected in space (thanks to holiday delays) despite a month's advance notice that it needed to be done.
3. Painting needs to be done BEFORE I move my stuff in (but AFTER Fartknocker removes his crap). Grrrrr...
4. Am feeling very guilty at the moment (shut up Mel... I can HEAR what you're thinking right now & it's neither pretty NOR accurate ;-). The above three facts all smacked me in the face during the first 45 minutes of my workday today, at the same time that I learned that the co-worker who had inspired my recent "Parole" themed entries lost her father to a sudden heart attack yesterday. NOTE: I lost my own father over a decade ago, and am more than cognizant of her current pain and sadness (she's from a large, close, bizarre family). But am I such a bitch for thinking, "I'm very sorry for her loss (truly), but at least she will be out of my rectum while I get things straightened out." I know, I know... It's all about me...

• I finally crystallized what my 2006 personal motto should be: INITIATIVE I received criticism in recent months that I did not exhibit as much "initiative" in the workplace as my boss might have wanted to see, so my goal in both personal AND professional circles will be to exhibit initiative in 2006.