The male portion of the blogosphere may want to scroll ahead a little while I whine about female stuff for a little bit.

I have cramps. Nasty, bad, lay-on-the-couch-with-a-heating-pad cramps. I've had them since yesterday, and my period has yet to start. I've tried ibuprofen, I've tried going for a walk (which helps most times), and I've even tried the heating pad (which I actually think provides more comfort than pain relief). And I still have cramps.

I wouldn't be as annoyed by this if my period had, in fact, started. I'm 95% sure I have PMS. I have the attitude that goes with it at least. I actually flipped someone off tonight driving home from work (he deserved it. I was at a red light waiting to make a left turn, he wanted to make a right turn. So he blinked his high beams at me - twice. Sorry, but I wasn't changing my mind about the direction I was going just to appease him. I doubt he saw my first effort at a public obscene gesture, though - it was dark, and I couldn't bring myself to lift my hand very far).

Plus, I'm tired. Like, bone-weary tired. I only get like this during and right after my period, but let me emphasize tht that monthly (well, closer to quarterly, lately) visitor has yet to visit.

I know my body is screwed up because of my thyroid, and I know that I'm getting old. But I'm still really annoyed that my hormones don't work the way they are supposed to. And I'm annoyed that I'm annoyed.

And I'm still really intimidated by the other new girl at work. She is only three years younger than me, but she is sooooooo much cooler. That sucks, and it sucks more when I have cramps.

OK How 'bout them Steelers?

Guys, that was your cue to come back.

I wish I could tell y'all about the stuff we're doing at work right now, because it's really interesting. Unfortunately, if I want to stay out of federal prison, I can't.

Oh, and I got a postcard from a candidate for judge here who apparrently sent them to all the members of the CCC. It basically says that I should vote for her because she will bring her Catholic values to the bench.

I'm annoyed by that. First of all, I'm wondering where she got the parishioner listing. Now, St Al's does have a parish directory, but there are over 3000 families in there. I doubt she typed that information into a database or spreadsheet for all those people. If the CCC gave her printed labels or gave her a file with all that information in it, I am really, really annoyed.

It bothers me when people try to tell me how to vote based on my religion. In fact, it's part of the reason I no longer identify with the Roman Catholic church. I got tired of those little voiting guides that appear in Catholic publications telling me I should or shouldn't vote for a particular candidate solely because of his or her position on abortion or stem cell research. If I followed all those guidelines, I would have only been voiting for members of the religious right, and the closet liberal in me just can't do that.

OK. My political rant is done. I don't do it often, but I just had to get my annoyance off my chest.

We now return to your regularly scheduled whining.