Thursday, September 10, 2009

fill in the blank

Cannibal grief devours itself, cracks its own bones, sucks out the marrow. I think about my sister and I don't seem to have room for feeling much of anything else. If you want to get a sense of what we're looking at (and it's pretty bleak) you can read this. (link disabled because it looks like, very, very fortunately, that's not what's going on) I'll let you know if there's any significant change -- one way or the other.

In the meantime, I'd love it if you'd humor me by playing the game that I used to play with her, one I blogged about once, a long, long time ago.

There are three kinds of people: those who can count and those who can't. My sister, who lives far away and has an important and mysterious job, introduced me to another system of classification, which she undoubtedly lifted, without attribution, from some other source. Everything and everyone, she explained, is either boring or annoying.

So, which one are you? Boring or annoying?

Now, this is no place for temporizing. I'm not looking for something like: "Well, sometimes I'm kinda boring, but not really. And other times, I guess some people might get the impression that I'm tiny bit annoying. But on the whole, I think that I'm a good combination of the two and you could even say that, actually, I'm quite interesting and charming." No, no, no. Be bloody, bold and resolute. Pick an unflattering adjective and wave it like a flag.


Are you boring or are you annoying?

I'll go first. I'm boring.

eta: And, really, don't feel that you need to say anything else. I know how hard it is to find the words for someone else's sorrow. I promise that a one-word answer is enough to let me know that you're thinking of my sister.

edited even more to add: Looks like the overwhelming majority of you are annoying. Which, honestly, is not what I would have guessed.

160 comments:

Anonymous said...

Thuddingly boring.

Ellie said...

*bemused*

Oh, annoying, for sure.

Like sand in an oyster.

I am so sorry about everything your family is going through right now. Praying for brighter days ahead.

Carly Marie said...

Annoyingly annoying.

Lindsay said...

I am annoying.

RP said...

Let's see....Unmedicated ADHD, mild OCD, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, and a strong taste for wine. I'm certain I'm annoying.

Emily said...

Boring.

Sara said...

Annoying.

(And so are you.)

Anonymous said...

I wish I were boring, but I am most certainly annoying. Very, very annoying.

Julia said...

I am annoying. Particularly on days where I've logged less than 3 hrs of sleep all told, and am in low double digits over the last number of days altogether. But I am still thinking about you and yours.


(I also wonder what I said last time... Will click over to check after I post, for honesty's sake.)

hudson6803 said...

Annoying. Funny you should ask this, b/c I JUST realized this about myself in recent days.

And did I miss it, or did you not say how your sister came to this injury? I'm not asking you to share, but I wondered if it was still a mystery to your family.

Magpie said...

Boring/Annoying is in the eye of the beholder.

I think I'm boring.

I wonder what I said the last time.

niobe said...

hudson6803: I haven't posted any details because it would be very easy to google them and figure out her identity. In fact, several people already have.

N said...

I am mind-numbingly boring.


Azaera said...

Annoying! And I am thinking of you and your sister. And little A as well. I wish I could give you a hug.

Tash said...

Boringly annoying.

Much love.

Lollipop Goldstein said...

Annoying.

Anonymous said...

Annoying.

jenna said...

annoying

excavator said...

boring as a lid to repress annoying

Superla said...

Boring boring boring.

Mrs. Hope said...

annoying.

Sue said...

Totally annoying.

Aunt Becky said...

Annoying. Obviously.

xoxo

Cassie said...

Annoying. Without a doubt.

Julie said...

Annoying. SURPRISES NO ONE.

JW Moxie said...

Boring (though I'd venture to guess that Frank would choose the alternative).

<3

daisies said...

Utterly Annoying.

Kori said...

annoying.

prayers.

A simple being said...

freakishly annoying, unfortunately

Amanda said...

Without a doubt, I'm annoying,

Liza said...

Annoying. Hands down. Didn't even have to think about it.

Love this classification. Thinking about you and your sister.

SouthernGal said...

Annoying.

Thoughts and prayers are with you. (See, I am annoying - I ignore instructions)

G$ said...

Superbly annoying.

Pale said...

Borishly annoying.

Anonymous said...

ANNOYING

Mrs. Spit said...

easy peasy - I'm annoying. I'd rather be boring.

Alexicographer said...

The opposite of what Mrs. Spit said.

erica said...

boring. but I wish I were annoying instead

S said...

i'm sorry about your sister. sigh.

boring, of course.

Anonymous said...

Horribly annoying in a 'talks too loud on the bus about my boring opinions' way. Except not just on the bus. EVERYWHERE.

chicory said...

I'm terribly annoying.

Linz said...

Annoying.

The Nanny said...

Really, really annoying.

k@lakly said...

Annoying, wickedly so, but still, really annoying.

LawMommy said...

Resoundingly annoying.

Anonymous said...

I'm without a doubt annoying.

Meg said...

Annoying

Alison said...

boring!

dee said...

Boring without borders.

still life angie said...

Boring, though it is easily refuted.

Grad3 said...

I am very seriously boring.

Virginia said...

Seriously boring.

Anonymous said...

BORING :)

Catherine W said...

I'm boring.

Gal said...

Annoying, definitely and without a doubt. I ask too many questions, often can be relentless and nudgy, and I have a hundred annoying habits that involve my fingers and my mouth and a lot of chewing (thankfully not involving tobacco). I can make my voice really shrill so that you can hear it a mile away (annoying for others, useful for me). Thankfully, I care deeply about others and I am a really nice person (guileless, my husband calls it), so the annoying stuff is easily forgiven or overlooked.

Aurelia said...

Annoying.

And still very very sorry.

mayberry said...

Bo-ring.

Wordgirl said...

Boring.

Allie said...

Boring as hell. Full stop. ;)

Mensis horribilis... holy cow. Hugs and love to you and yours.

Allie

painted maypole said...

Annoying, for sure.

Anonymous said...

Boring.

Anonymous said...

Boring, sadly.

Ruby said...

Annoying

Jessica said...

Definitely annoying.

Mer said...

Annoying, no question about it.

Anonymous said...

I want to be annoying, but I fear I am boring.

Yolanda said...

Boring.

Erika P said...

Delurking to say I'm boring. I sometimes teach the laboratory portion of a class at a local university and often have at least one sleeping student. No, they don't sleep through the actual lab exercise (I'm not THAT boring - am I?) but if I lecture first...

hudson6803 said...

Niobe - I suspected as much. I'm just hoping for your family's sake that on top of the poor medical prognosis, you didn't have to wonder what/why/how as well.
~Tara

Clementine said...

Boring. And thinking of you.

debbie said...

I can't just leave a one-word answer. While I'm probably annoying, I can't help but tell you that I am devastated for you and for your sister--for the whole family really. It is just so wrong. I am sending out as many good thoughts as I possibly can and my heart is really broken for you.

Christa said...

Boring

Betty M said...

Definitely annoying.

Thinking of you.

areyoukiddingme said...

BORING

Sunny said...

Thinking of your sister as I say:

Boring.

And it comes quite naturally.

Shinny said...

Annoying and proud of it!
Thinking of you and holding you in my heart.

Anonymous said...

Boring. Unless you ask my husband. He will say I am annoying.

Unknown said...

Totally annoying. And I'm sorry.

Anonymous said...

Delurking to say I'd have to choose annoying.

Thinking of you and your family.

Anonymous said...

Definitely annoying.

Anonymous said...

Annoying

Nikole said...

Boring, for sure.

Anonymous said...

I'm definitely annoying.

And very sorry that you and your family are going through such a hard time.

Anonymous said...

I'm definitely annoying.

And very sorry that you and your family are going through such a hard time.

gretchen from lifenut said...

Annoying.

Anonymous said...

Annoying. And I know it. And I can't stop it.

jill said...

I am most definitely annoying!

Life in Eden said...

Without at doubt, annoying.

xxx

Kristin said...

Boring.

red pen mama said...

Annoying. No doubt.

rpm

Furrow said...

Boooooring. I aspire to annoying.

Anonymous said...

Boring.

charmedgirl said...

i believe i am annoying.
i fear that i am boring.

T said...

boring.

with love xoxo

Anonymous said...

annoying.
and to prove it, she doesn't have diffuse axonal injury, duh

Anonymous said...

and do you really need to use your relative's accident to garner pity from others? think about it

M said...

sadly, i think i'm annoying.

amazingk8 said...

annoyiingly annoying

moplans said...

annoying

Summer said...

Boring with a capital B. And maybe even a capital O, R, I, N and G.

Heather said...

Annoying. So annoying, actually, that people run (screaming) away from my annoyingness.

Lauren said...

Thoroughly annoying.

Hennifer said...

boring
incredibly so, i bore myself

c. said...

Boring...unless I've hit the booze.

Shelley said...

Boring old fart. Thinking of you and yours.

GeekByMarriage said...

Boring.

luna said...

so sorry. and maybe annoying.

Anonymous said...

annoying

Unknown said...

Boring

Rachel said...

Definitely annoying.

Jackie said...

annoying, sometimes I even annoy myself!

Eden Riley said...

Niobe, I am so fucking annoying. SO ANNOYING. Loud and maniacal and fucked-up kind of annoying.

Thinking of you xo

Melissia said...

I work very hard to be annoying, which I am afraid must make me boring.

loribeth said...

Boring. zzzz

Suzanna Catherine said...

Boring, with a capital B.

leanne said...

Annoying.

Bluebird said...

Both. Pathetic :)

MFA Mama said...

Totally annoying.

Also, I'm so sorry.

Twice said...

Annoying

Molly said...

Annoying. Very annoying. I've often said, "I'd rather be a bitch than be boring."

Thinking of you. Hard.

-PiquantMolly

B said...

Boring. Sadly.

Christine said...

annoying. completely, totally annoying.

love you

Stacie said...

I wish I was boring, or at least I wish my life was boring.

Instead I am annoying.

Angel Mom said...

Boring.

Anonymous said...

I have a kind of Charlie Brown teacher voice which perhaps could be congruently boring AND annoying. Je pense á toi aussi.
allypally

diana said...

Boring, of course. How can people google this? It's so annoying!

Anonymous said...

Me? Annoying.

Anonymous said...

Boring.

Paula

Anonymous said...

Boring.

Angela said...

annoying

FattyPants said...

boring

Missy said...

Boring. So very boring that it makes me feel annoying. LOL. Since it is only one: BORING.

Anonymous said...

With a capital B-----BORING!!!!
Dana

Clare said...

I come from a whole family tree of Annoying. and I married annoying both times. and my kids are annoying. I long for boring though.

Clare said...

oh and did I forget to say I am annoying?

Julie said...

Boring

Monica H said...

Annoying for sure! But not as annoying as some of your other commenters.

tee hee.

Jacinta said...

boring.
next game please.

Lauren said...

TOTES annoying. To wit: use of "totes."

Anonymous said...

deeply annoying (and so very, very sorry Niobe)
xxxx

Smiling said...

annoying

Robyn said...

Definitely annoying! And so sorry things are so unrelentingly tough for you and your family right now.

Peachy said...

Boring. Wish I could think of something else to say...but you know, boring.

Kathy McC said...

Looks like annoying is the overwhelming majority. Annoying.

tracey said...

Annoying

Heather said...

Definitely boring. I bore myself.

Kimberly said...

Annoying.
Sometimes sliding over into boring.

Quadelle said...

Boring.

Bea said...

When you posted this question before, I confidently answered "annoying," but I think really it's just that I'd rather be interesting than likeable. In point of fact, I don't know for sure of anyone who is annoyed by me, but my brother-in-law is so crushingly bored by me that he can't actually stay awake in my presence.

Jus and Kat said...

Annoying

Anonymous said...

boring.........

flutter said...

pretty sure I'm both...what a sexy combo

Melissa said...

boring :\

Motel Manager said...

Haven't read most of the comments, but I've always thought "boring" is the worst insult outside of "truly evil." So I guess I'll go with "annoying."

Paz said...

boring. annoyingly so.

continued best wishes for your sister.

Aite said...

annoying

Angela said...

boring

Anonymous said...

so damn boring it's annoying

Chris said...

Both. At work: definitely 200% annoying. At home: boring, boring, boring.

JoC said...

Boring