(no subject)

When you work for a University, it's true you don't get bonuses, or expensive parties, or any of those type of things more common in private corporations and businesses.

But oh, the software discounts. Students, faculty, and staff can buy stuff soooo cheap.

We got our entire Microsoft Office Suite for $29. That's Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Frontpage. And yesterday I just bought a $1000 software package (Visual Studio .NET Pro) for $50. SPSS and Endnote were both discounted (although not dirt cheap). The list of available discounted software is long. Hardware too. Ooh la la.t

Yeah, Okay.

Since Kyla mentioned it...

It's getting easier to buy Girl Scout cookies (in some cities, they sell boxes outright on the street, rather than taking orders) but if any of you need a fix and can't get them, my neighbor is selling them right now. They'll be delivered 2/12 or so and hell, I'll ship 'em to you for a reasonable fee if needed.

Oh, and they are $3 a box. Cookie choices may be viewed at:

http://www.girlscoutcookiesabc.com/atc/o

Personality Types and Being Social

Mr. Blue, this is only sort of inspired by your recent post. I have thought about this topic (in a general way) quite a bit, in that I am loud and my husband isn't, in that I am a social butterly and my husband is more of a mud wasp. I know there are some other LJ people who can relate, either because of their spouses or their own personalities.

I am a fairly outgoing person. I'm introverted at times, but I like people and I can get revved up to be around people. I like hosting things.

My husband is not. My husband is very quiet. It takes him a long time to warm up to people. My casual friends never get to know him--and some of my better friends don't either.

This means I go through life without everyone knowing what a fabulous mind he has, what a great sense of humor, what a delightful personality. It also means that sometimes I go to parties alone. Or if we go together, I don't have the pleasure of seeing loads of people flocking to him. Sometimes we leave before I'm ready to because he's not having fun. It means sometimes he hangs out in his office instead of making an effort to meet people I have over. It means he doesn't like going to certain places where we might be stuck with people we don't know well.

Is this a bummer? Well, sometimes. When I was in college, it really mattered to me how fun a guy was in a crowd. I wanted the loud funny guys, the guys everyone else invited everywhere. The guys everyone liked right away.

But when I got older, I found myself clicking more with quieter people. Yet I fretted about their lack of outgoing tendencies. Finally I asked myself "Is your life about going to parties? Do you care about how he treats a crowd, or about how he treats you? What's more important, that he can get a room laughing, or that he makes you happy?" And the answer to me was clear.

When I met the man who would become my husband, several people commented to me about him, They asked if he was right for me, they asked why I got someone so quiet. One of my friends complained that she felt like he hated her because he never talked to her. But I knew what really mattered was who he was to me, how much fun we had together, how well we understood each other and interested each other.

I admire those of you with outgoing spouses. I even envy you a bit. But I relate to those of you who have a quiet S.O. It doesn't matter to me that they don't talk a lot. I know that given time, I may get to know them better. In the meantime, I'll trust your excellent taste and judgment and know that underneath the quiet exterior is someone extraordinary and worth knowing.

Incidentally, the people who were most questioning and most critical of my then-so-shy boyfriend have each gone out of their way to tell me how wonderful it is to get to know him. I just smile, because I know..