As I write this, the hill outside of my office is on fire. Smoke has filtered through the ventilating system and it stinks. My computer has frozen. And there is a lingering odor from an oddly-smelling woman who was camped out in the office next to me trying to see the fire.

Yet I am not annoyed by any of these things. I am annoyed because….well…..let me explain.

Yesterday as I pulled out of my parking spot in the garage, Honda puttered her way backward and then I paused for a passerby. The woman for whom I stopped, rather than waving and moving on to her parking spot, came, instead, toward my car. She leaned toward the front of my vehicle and with a long, pointed finger yelled:

“That is a SAD looking vehicle!”

Not generally expecting such behavior from a complete stranger, I laughed, smiled, and continued to lurch along in my undulating little putter.

Today in the lunch line, that same woman showed up next to me. I was stunned. Before I could think of something to say, she was rude--again. What did she do?

She CUT ME OFF AT THE SALAD BAR!!!! She kept going around and cutting in on top of me, grabbing the tongs practically out of my hands. Jumping behind and before me until people in the line were beginning to furrow their brows.

I was thinking: "good Lord Woman, are you one of Hitler's illegitimate spawn????" Who treats human beings like that--on a regular basis? She didn't even recognize me but I was THIS close to confronting her. I held it back---that red-head fury----and resisted. ;-)

The sheer blatant and apparently consistent (since she didn’t recognize me) disregard for common civility by that woman is what annoys me. Not the fact that I’m trapped inside a building with a huge fire outside.

Also of note today:

I had an interesting meeting with the head music lawyer here. He is long, lanky, subtly effeminate, red-haired---and (this is the kicker) -- he was a drama major. That should tell you something about his personality. I can say that without malice because my parents met in drama and I gratefully grew up around the theatre.

His computer froze repeatedly and then he'd stop the meeting, turn, and yell at it (while we're all sitting in the office) "FU--A!!! fu--a!!" I sat with my eyes widening to enormous dimensions. Was he having a panic attack of some sort? Like, seriously? Who DOES that? In the workplace?

He then calmly turned back to us and told us he was at a meeting recently explaining why a certain music company would probably sue for this and that. Then someone asked "Why is [Music Company] being so difficult with us?"


He responded:


"Because they are shi--y, awful, lying, miserable people. And they're the biggest crooks in Hollywood."


To that an attendee piped up:

"Wait, who's their President?"

He replied: "Jo Schmo (or whatever his name is), and HE is the biggest shiester crook in Hollywood too and a total piece of sh--t."

“Really?” a voice said from the audience, “He’s my Godfather.”

How he is STILL the head lawyer, I do notknow.