highlights

Someone lent me "Pride, Prejudice and Zombies"... I'm only 28 pages in but it's hilarious.
I got my QST cheque. Woohoo to being 87$ richer!
Pumpkin Spice Lattes are back at Second Cup. My mouth is happy.

I gave my 2 weeks notice to Stikeman, and I'm writing a letter to QA now. I don't have another job lined up but I also don't care.
Tuesday I was told by Scott that he would be taking over 10-6 on the photocopy side, except on Wednesdays. I talked to Mike and got the usual humming and hawing trying to come up with an answer. Apparently, QA doesn't make enough money to pay their employees and so in their new contract they want to charge a fee for supplying employees and then charge Stikeman my salary. Stikeman "can't afford" to pay me, and they don't want to hire me straight out either. If Sylvie hadn't had a brain aneurysm, I would be sent back to QA (Mike said they told QA that they had to find me another job... that's not really how it works; you can't boss a company around like that). Now that Sylvie is on medical leave for an indeterminate amount of time, I get to stay until she recovers, but I don't want to sit around and wait to see what happens. Plus I am taking 4 classes this semester and 4 next semester so I don't want to work fulltime anymore. Friday I cornered Mike and said I was extremely dissatisfied with the way they were jerking me around and that I had found another job and was giving my 2 weeks notice. As we were talking he answered his phone, so I stormed off (he's so rude and disrespectful). Afterwards he came to talk to me again and gave me the same story he had said before, and then was like, "So you understand, right? You're not going to leave?" and I was like, "Nope, still going, 2 weeks." I thought he was going to have an aneurism, because we are SO short staffed it's pathetic. (Me, Erin and Dave work on mail; Barb, Francine and Scott work on photocopy, and MP works in Sylvie's place as buyer, Myway works in B1 thank god, and Nancy is the floater).
I predict that tomorrow (and possibly the rest of the week) will be filled with people harassing me to stay and trying to soothe me and make me do what they want. Or I'll get laid off or something. Also this week I was doing B1 and Myway was working there and he complained to Mike that I was rude to him because when I bring down the stuff I don't acknowledge him. Um I'm not going to stop and chat with you every half hour. I don't like you and I don't care about anything that you might have to say. I say hi to you in the mornings and that's all I need to say to you.
Can't wait to get out!!!

Nothing new to report. I am still boring and dull. I could start an exciting new medication but I opted not to, for now.
I can't stop listening to Blue Foundation - one of their songs was on the Twilight soundtrack (lame thing 1) and then that same song was on the only ep of So You Think You Can Dance that I saw this season (lame 2) and I am like the gayest person ever jajajaja!
I am absolutely DREAMING of packing up everything and moving out. Oct 31 my friends. All I need is an apartment.
OMG THE CATS ARE GOING INFUCKINGSANE. These mins are coocoo for sure.
My sister gave me a bottle of tequila from Mexico, complete with the worm. I'm scared to open it in case I crawl into the bottle and never come out and become Michael Williams, the most vile person on earth.
Don't get me started on work - all I will say is that the fact a 38 year old woman and a 19 year old boy get into daily fights over the radio is sad and pathetic. Said 38 year old woman is now very clearly heading towards a nervous breakdown. ANOTHER nervous breakdown. Good lord.

I AM ERIN

I just started to cry because Maxime Gagné brought me 2 rush binders to finish (then said I was doing them too slowly and said he would bring them back tomorrow), and Maïte Murray brought me 15 books to bind which have to be done tonight.

I slept 4 hours, I'm fucking hungry and I just want to go home and lie down. I am so tempted to just leave my pass, walk out and never talk to any of these people again.

bullet points of my life

• coughing so hard i'm gagging is a really fun new symptom to this random cold/allergy/infection I've had on and off since like January.
• can't sleep, brain won't shut off despite anti-anxiety pills.
• been reading F My Life way too much and thinking about how much my life sucks. ex: Rob came home from visiting his parents in Ottawa for the day, for his birthday. 50 relatives and friends went and partied with him and his mom made him a cake. He complained because he hates chocolate cake. I see my parents twice a year at most and the last time my mom made me cake was for my 6th birthday - technically that's a lie because I discovered recently that my aunt made it, and she actually made it to celebrate the birth of her second child but since everyone had forgotten my birthday - including my mother who thought until I was 15 that my birthday was in August - she donated the cake to me.
• I watched 6 straight hours of Jon and Kate +8 today, which is one of the most retarded shows ever.
• I was forced to hang out with blissfully happy couples all weekend, especially the one who is getting married in like 3 months and turn the conversation around to things that only pertain to them. ie "Is your dessert good? We picked out our wedding came today and it is going to be so amazing!!!" followed by 30 minute long description of cake.
  
• Really REALLY have to find new job. Really. I have a fucking BA and I speak 3 languages, and read/write in a 4th, and delivering mail/making photocopies is SO BORING.
  

I don't have anything new to mention. Same old same old, need a hobby, etc... Saw Angels and Demons today but I didn't think it was that good.

Went to the Dr Friday, I have an unspecified infection somewhere and thus am on 10 days of penicillin, and then I have to go back for more blood tests because my thryroid might be failing, yay. At least this time I have anti-anxiety meds for the blood draw, so maybe I won't pass out in the street.

I would say yay 3 day weekend but I pretty much squandered it and did nothing. I have lots to do but am very low energy - I slept ALL DAY Saturday, then last night I couldn't fall asleep and then woke up at 8 for no reason. I'm going to get up at 9 tomorrow, because it's good for me to not sleep all day no matter how much I want to. I think I'm supposed to go for a picnic tomorrow and a walk on the mountain but nothing was ever finalized.

If I feel up to it and clean the kitchen/living room well enough, I do have 2 projects: perfect my chocolate chip cookie recipe/make butter tarts, and turn my 2 pairs of jeans and 1 other pair of pants into capris, and use the extra to fix the holes in the crotches (and also sew the buttons back on my cardigan).

saturday night

Rosanne went to Ottawa for the day and is "super tired."

Carolyn has school this weekend and thus doesn't want to go out.

Rob never invites me anywhere even though he goes out all the time.

Therefore I am home, alone, on a Saturday night, yet again, after a day of watching movies in my pjs. I am officially the most unexciting person on the planet. I can't even bother to go out and get any food.

I spent about 2 hrs mixing, baking, cooling and icing this delicious 2 layer cake. Kitkat had kept sneaking to the kitchen to eat pieces of it (the fact that I stopped him from eating an entire cake is a miracle, no joke). Just as I was finishing the icing, and talking to Rob, Kit FELL from the top of the cupboards ONTO the cake because he was trying to get down directly near the cake. He was covered in icing, the kitchen is covered in icing and cake and Rob did absolutely fucking nothing. There is icing in the living room on the floor and the couch, but he just saw I was near tears of frustration and went into his room, instead of grabbing and wiping off the cat.

I just noticed that I have icing cat prints on my pj top. I think I'm going to go cry some more.

i hate mondays

Had Dr appt this AM, have to go for blood tests (can go to CLSC any time between 7 and 11) and then to the allergist as well (have to make appt). I hope we shall soon know what is wrong with me.
That's really all I had to say. I couldn't sleep last night and I feel like I woke up too early, so I'm in a bizarre sleepy universe all by myself. Tonight is Canada's Worst Handyman so I'll probably stay up for that...

haha love it!

a million days of ice cream

In general, my favourite flavour of ice cream is Heavenly Hash - I like the mix of chocolate, marshmallow and nuts. However, Ben and Jerry's doesn't really have anything similar. Since I live fairly close to the B&J's, I usually get a pint once a week and savour it each night as I watch a movie or tv show. I plan on reviewing all of the flavours that I can. I do refuse to eat anything with fruit, especially bananas, on the grounds that it's gross (and the only fruit I like is apples). Sadly though, I know that the US gets more flavours than we do, and I might never get to taste them all. Also, the only sorbet that I would ever have would be the lemon one, and I hate frozen yogurt although if there's some interesting flavours I might at least do a sample.

Here are all of the flavours listed on the site - these are only the "Original Ice Cream" ones though.

Banana Split - no thanks
Brownie Batter - might try
Butter Pecan - must have
Cake Batter - not sure
Cherry Garcia - hate cherries, because I hate pieces of fruit in anything
Chocolate - too boring to try
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough - I don't like the cookie dough they use, it's too globby.
Chocolate Fudge Brownie - it might be too chocolatey, but a might try
Chocolate Macadamia - will probably skip
Chocolate Peanut Butter Swirl - no
Chocolate Therapy - must try it, when I was young my aunt always had chocolate ice cream with a fudge swirl and chocolate chunks
Chubby Hubby - the most terrifying flavour I have ever read about: "Fudge Covered Peanut Butter Filled Pretzels in Vanilla Malt Ice Cream Rippled with Fudge & Peanut Butter"
Chunky Monkey - no way
Cinnamon Buns - pretty good... there's little buns in a delicious ice cream, but the cinnamon made it kind of grainy
Coconut 7 Layer Bar - coconut makes me sick
Coffee - don't like coffee ice cream
Coffee Coffee Buzz Buzz - Rob's favourite, but it scares me
Coffee HEATH Bar Crunch - maybe
Creme Brulée - I don't like custard
Magic Brownies - raspberry ice cream and brownie chunks, eh
Dublin Mudslide - MUST TRY
Fossil Fuel - could be good
Half Baked - my third favourite of the ones I've tried
Imagine Whirled Peace - I think I had it once but I'll try again, I don't think I was impressed
Karamel Sutra - will try
Mint Chocolate Chunk - don't like mint ice cream or mint + choco combo
Mint Chocolate Cookie - no
Mission to Marzipan - I broke a tooth eating marzipan once, no thanks
Neapolitan Dynamite - no thanks, cherry ice cream
New York Super Fudge Chunk - must try
Oatmeal Cookie Chunk - sounds delicious
One Cheesecake Brownie - SO DELICIOUS. My #1 ice cream
Orange and Cream - gag
Peanut Butter Cookie - I don't like peanut butter that's sweet
Peanut Butter Cookie Dough
Peanut Butter Cup - no
Phish Food - the closest thing to Heavenly Hash but without nuts. My #2 ice cream.
Pistachio Pistachio - could be yum
Smores - probably won't like
Americone Dream - will try
Strawberry - ew
Strawberry Cheesecake - no
Sweet Cream and Cookies - not terrible but not the best I've had
Triple Caramel Chunk - the one I got this week. Not really loving it.
Turtle Soup - I do love turtles!
Vanilla - boring
Vanilla Almond - boring
Vanilla Caramel Fudge - will try
Fudge Brownie - will try
Vanilla Heath Bar Crunch - I was thinking of getting this one tonight but I went with Caramel.
Peach Cobbler - no way

I would love to try Gingersnap, maybe Pumpkin Cheesecake, and some "International Flavours" like Baked Alaska, The Vermonster, and some that have been retired :(

Vitamin D

I should be outside soaking up the sun, but the only park near me, aside from the one near the Tim Hortons which is now just a cement square with a statue and a bench, is the one near the off and on ramps to the highway, which is not really an ideal place to relax.

I have my only exam for the semester on Thursday, and then I am unofficially done my BA. I'm not actually graduating because I want to do another BA, but I think I'm going to take a year off to really think about this. And since I don't have to worry about my school schedule, I am free to look for a new, more interesting, better paying job.

I need a life overhaul.

Next weekend is the museum thing on Friday night, followed by the Old Dublin; Darrien's 2nd birthday Saturday and Love + Hate at night, and I guess a Sunday of relaxation, hopefully in the sun. I need to find a good park.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

Piz, William and Jacob (?) are all 1 today! NO MORE KITTENS FOR US :( It seems like just yesterday that I was cutting Piz and Jake out of the couch where they had fallen, due to their mother's unwatchful eye. They are now 16 in human years, apparently. I'm going to get Piz a scratching post and a new toy as a present, since I have a gift card from Zellers thanks to "employee appreciation week" and I have to go get my glasses in Dorval anyways.

I've been thinking more and more about moving lately. This apartment is gross and constantly smells like cigarette, smoke which is making me sick. Also, they moved the laundry room to the garbage room so don't ask me how THAT'S going to work out in the summer. I don't want to live with Rob because he sucks, but I don't think I can live by myself - I'm too poor and too used to having someone around now.

I'm so tired of work too. I need a life overhaul.

I don't want to go back to the Evil Place tomorrow. I want to lounge in my pyjamas for a week, write my paper and review for my exam. I would love to have a long weekend after my exam, but I can't since I have to work on the Friday when Scott isn't there, for some reason he told Mike that he finishes school in JUNE when um classes are done now and I don't think there's a final exam for PHOTOGRAPHY.
I also need a new job with actual insurance since apparently I'm not covered by school anymore (???), and QA paid me 36$ for my eye exam and 0$ for my glasses (I haven't had a new pair in 6 years and I need ultrathin lenses because my eyes are -7.5 so it's not vanity it's NECESSITY - the glasses cost about 670$)

Other than that, I had 2 Easters Saturday, one with my alcoholic aunt and assorted family members and the other at Rosanne's with her assorted family members. The family one went fairly predictably - it was my cousin's weekend home from rehab but she and her boyfriend just never showed up, and then everyone left by 4 so I had to sit with my aunt and my cousin's 2 year old son for 2 uncomfortable hours. She got all sappy and started talking about how much she missed being with our side of the family (um you divorced us and then ran away with a pedophile and assorted other men), but at least the food was good. Rosanne's house was less food oriented (especially since I had just eaten like 1 lb of millefeuille and butter tarts, but also because her mom made this beef thing) but then her aunts and uncles were there and her dad was hilariously drunk so it was cozy and familiar at least (we watched the hockey game while we ate).

Sunday Rosanne and I had our SATC marathon, for lack of something more interesting to do, and when we went to get Pharmaprix to get batteries I saw Roman and ended up talking to him for like, 20 minutes. QA still hasn't paid him so he's not impressed. We agreed to hang out soon, although who knows, and as we were leaving he came to the window and waved so that was sweet.

I have to get up early tomorrow to dye my hair. I also have a lunch date with Nadine, who I don't really want to see but I can't say no because she is so excited to be out of the house and at a new job and she doesn't have a lot of friends (she reminds me a LOT of Nancy, down to the nasty bf/husband and adorable kids).

SLAVE

At work today they decided to inform me that I will now be working 9-6. And that extra hour isn't overtime either, apparently it's just MY SCHEDULE and therefore they do not have to pay me overtime. According to Bossy, QA employees are SUPPOSED to work 40 hours a week, and that's why it's not overtime... except that I've been doing overtime which was paid, and so has Roman, and we both have regular 35 hours schedules.
I didn't really feel like I had a choice but to accept, but in retrospect I wish I had held out for more money or something. I don't even know anymore. But if you know the boss in question, then I'm sure you understand - he just sort of springs things on you and then usually brings someone to back him up so you feel kind of cornered.
All of this, of course, is the result of Erin refusing flat-out to do any more overtime, despite the fact JP wants to get a second job because they don't have enough money (and they moved into a cheaper apartment). (Although some of you will be happy to hear that FRANCINE ended up doing overtime today lolz. She was still there when Scott, Roman and I all left at 6.)
In more positive news, I'm apparently semi-permanently being moved to the photocopy side because Scott has vacation next week (random), and someone has to finish at 6. So basically I have this week to learn everything else about photocopy that I didn't already know (and that MP forgot that she had taught me, because she is retarded). No more floors for me... hopefully. At this job you never know though.

http://fima-psuchopadt.livejournal.com/2564781.html

If you click the link above, you will find a set of picture mashups where someone put together photos of Leningrad from WWII and modern St Petersburg. Very beautiful.

Example:

depression

I know I should be actively doing something about my sucky life but I can basically just crumple at this point.

- I make the least amount of money of everyone in my office.
- I'm not even a real employee.
- I made a budget the basically includes ONLY the bare essentials (rent, hydro, internet, food, cat care) and I am -57$. It's also Caro's birthday and so technically I can't really afford to go, since I have no budget for entertainment anyways (it's like... 16.50 + alchol and snacks, basically... we're going to the Biodome and then to the observation point in the big O, then downtown to a bar.)
- It was actually a very conservative budget that kind of assumed Rob would pay half the cat bills, which he clearly won't; he has no interest in helping me out despite the fact he wanted to keep Piz and said that he would pay for her care. (When I told him it cost 200$ to fix her, he was like "Wow, that sucks.")
- I already have debt and I wish not to add to it, but sadly I'll be using my credit card to buy groceries.
- My mom basically told me "I told you so" re: Rob because she says I never should have moved out with him when I knew he was unreliable. (I almost hung up on her.)
- I hate this apartment; I am constantly tripping over furniture and cats and I feel claustophobic. I don't even have access to all the stuff I wish I did.
- My head is spinning and hurts, and has hurt for the past 3 weeks, along with my ear. My back STILL hurts and I've been having nosebleeds again. No real time to go to the doctor.
- Can't afford to go back to school next year, that's for sure.

I could move, with my imaginary money and/or free movers. I could get a new job (have been trying for months, no responses yet). I will probably have to give a cat away (I can barely afford to feed myself).
I just don't understand how I can work full time and still be unable to afford food and laundry money. I don't understand.

sunday

Poor Kit kit wants to come in... too bad!
Should be an ok week at work... Wait, that's a lie! No more Basil, but lots of people taking days off and getting different trainings, we're going to be short-staffed even more than usual! ♥ Disorganized office!!!!

(Basil was let go by us and also by QA, and then *someone* wrote a threatening email to Mike - or so he had Erin and I believe - and so we got to leave early with security on Friday. No real idea why, Mike is kind of a drama queen.)

Fuck my back hurts :(

don't ask

I was just reading up about Satanism (what better to read before bed?) and one of the essays that the founder, Anton LaVey, wrote was about psychic vampires. This is of interest since we clearly have one in the workplace. (From Wikipedia)

One of the most famous essays from The Satanic Bible, it is here that LaVey coins the term "psychic vampire". LaVey defines a psychic vampire as one who attempts to psychologically manipulate others by systematically playing the victim; for example, a person who constantly uses some minor physical flaw as an excuse for their shortcomings and a means of gaining sympathy and favor from others. LaVey believes that people who use a victim status as a means to induce guilt in others are fundamentally weak, and therefore to be shunned by Satanists. (LaVey does not imply that anyone with a flaw is automatically weak, but rather that the use of that flaw to gain sympathy and favor is weak.)
LaVey advises that such people are psychologically draining (hence the term "psychic vampire") and should be dealt with mercilessly and discarded before they are permitted to take control of the lives of vital individuals.

As a rather un-vital individual (thanks to this person), I would love to deal with him mercilessly.

Besides, Satanism is all about selfishness so if it benefits me, perhaps I should clonk him on the head and concuss him further.

taste test

So apparently, accord to a message board post wherein a woman whines because her child will only eat chicken soup, mac and cheese, and ramen, there are different types of tasters. 1 in 4 people is a Supertaster, which means that they have too many taste buds - chili tastes hotter than for the average person, and sugar sweeter. These people, most likely women or people from Asia, Africa and South America, won't eat vegetables because they taste more bitter, for example. Therefore they also have problems with coffee, cabbage/kale/spinach, grapefruit, alcohol, soy, or anything carbonated. Apparently because of the lack of vegetables in the diet, supertasters have a higher chance of colon cancer.

On the other hand, nontasters have too few tastebuds and therefore prefer very spicy or sweet food. Therefore they are more likely to have heart problems or be obese. On top of that, alcoholics are more likely to be nontasters because they don't taste all the nuances of the beverage as a supertaster would.

To add to that, children taste more than adults do, which explains why they are so fussy. And, of course, if you're a smoker then your taste buds are even more dulled than usual, and as you age your tastebuds get less sensitive. However, the more you are exposed to something, the more you like it.

Supposedly 25% of the population are supertasters, 25% nontasters and 50% average/medium tasters. I think I'm probably a medium taster.... I don't love spicy things but I don't mind them, and I can drink alcohol and coffee. I like sweet and salty things (which could maybe make me more of a nontaster since I like to taste just eat salt and sugar). However, and this is apparently semi-common, I am mildly allergic to basil and cilantro. Anything that has them in it (tomato sauce, pizza, most Mexican food) tastes like soap and makes my throat close up. Cilantro is coriander leaves (I don't know if I've ever had coriander), which is part of the parsley family (which is a pretty non-descript herb but I don't really like the way it tastes either). Oddly enough, basil is used in many herbal medications as an allergen relief product. AND in another bizarre turn of events, basil is part of the mint family, which is something that I love (maybe because I associate mint with sweet, like in candy and gum?).

You can do a test to see what you are, as well:
All you need to perform this test is blue food coloring, cotton swabs, notebook paper hole reinforcements, and a magnifying glass. After swabbing the tip of the tongue with food coloring, place a reinforcement ring there and count the number of raised pink dots (papillae) within the ring. Fewer than 15 papillae mean you are an insensitive "non-taster", between 15 and 35 indicates an average "taster" and over 35 papillae then you are a "super-taster".
I think my tongue is just fucked up.

finally friday

Currently munching on extra-buttery popcorn with lots of powdery cheese topping, and sipping on some RC cola while listening to a mix of the Killers and kittens playing under my chair. I had a healthy supper of everything-left-in-my-cupboards (so basically random crackers, rice cakes, old dry carrots and mushrooms plus some random bread that I found) dipped in hummus, so I figured that I deserved a treat in popcorn and caramel form.
Work today was predictably awful, although it could be considered worse than most days since we were short-staffed, then even shorter-staffed and then skeletally staffed. Vagisil (which is a great nickname for him since he is both a pussy with mega problems AND his name in Russian is Vasili) was fine until he spontaneously concussed himself (???) then barged into our boss' office and pretended to faint/go blind. He SUPPOSEDLY ended up going to the hospital but since he was a) probably only hungover from his lameass show the night before and b) his girlfriend also had the day off, I think we know exactly what (who?) he did (poor girl, I would NOT want that thing hovering around me, even for the splitsecond it probably takes for him to finish). In a rare, brilliant moment of lucidity, our boss decided that he was probably faking, but it's unlikely that anything will happen to him. However, this was a refreshing change from the usual bumbling inefficiency we experience on a day to day experience - case in point: I got in trouble for being 1 minute late for work, further impeding my workday for about 2 minutes while I tried to decipher what I had done wrong (esp since my boss mumbles like Ozzy) and why I was getting told off while Vagisil sits for at least 45 mins a day, sometimes all in one chunk, and gets told nothing because he claims to know one of the CEOs of the company or something... like some 60 year old man is going to come down to our department and angrily berate everyone because some 28 year old twerp was let go because he couldn't do his job....). Anyways we were already short a person, then he "went to the hospital" and then someone else had to go work in another department, and then with 45 mins left to the day our supervisor (or whatever she is now) leaves so Stef and I were left to do everything, much like usual. I also picked up all the mail in the world which is fun to do at the last minute. On the upside, everything worked out much more smoothly without boys. Work life, at least, is better when it's all girls.
Surf the Channel is the devil, and since I have a nice computer screen that is close to my bed, I have been watching lots of TV before sleeping. This is bad because it leads to very vivid dreams, cuts into my sleeping time by at least an hour, and also means I typically now fall asleep with my glasses on and without having brushed my teeth or anything. So it's super fun to wake up at 4AM because you have to pee so badly you don't think you can make it to the bathroom and your mouth tastes like ass. But... classic TV!!! Plus a lot of the sites they link to have Chinese or Japanese subtitles so I feel like I'm getting smarter by watching. If ever I were ill in Asia, I could make that fact known by drawing the character for "doctor" and also "no" just in case they take me to like... somewhere else....
That said, the end of House season 1 is calling me.

oh boy

Suffice it to say, today sucked. Fortunately I spent part of my lunch hour in the Body Shop enjoying some essential oil purchases, as well as a new oil burner, so now I have some delicious sandalwood floating around my head. Hopefully tonight will be a good night's sleep since I have to get up early (well, earlier than I have been getting up) to welcome a new addition to our home... A kitten!!! I think we decided on the name Echo, but knowing us we'll change the name multiple times (Piz was Runty, Crosseye, Baby, Tangerine and something else before she was Piz. And actually her name is Piznarski Tangerine, just for full effect. My other cat's name was Pebbles Elaine Adriana, because I got her when I was 8). I also like the name Pumpkin but the cat is all black and also a boy...
Anyways I don't want to go to work tomorrow. I might get arrested for Sean Connery style slapping someone. Or maybe Bale-ing out? Or better yet, pulling a Chris Brown (though not on my girlfriend... since the person in question is uglier than the midgets they hire in the circus. I am a terrible person and I'm ok with it.).

omg!

Look at me, bloggin' my little heart out for the last few minutes of an awful, vile Friday at work. If it were Monday, I would seriously be begging for death but alas it is the last day of the week and I can go home, put some pyjamas on and lounge.
At least until I am forced to feed a cat, or to make something to eat for myself.

I am a seriously dull person.