This is a topic that Paula and I can agree on. I have always been a sappy romantic for sure! See my numerous pinterest boards if you aren't convinced. Sometimes the real life dating thing gets so frustrating. Especially as I grow older and watch all of my friends get married, so I find a new group of friends, then they all get married... it's actually quite amusing in some ways.

I just think this is the sweetest thing!

 So of course, dating tends to come up in my conversations. From family, from married friends, and with other single friends in the same boat as myself.

Love the shadows!

 Of course, Paula has to join in the fun in the conversations when we discuss dating. For example, my friend Kayla and I were discussing our recent dating escapades. She had a particularly cute story and Paula jumped in with, "Oh lala!"

He was such a great date...

First of all, sweet. Secondly, I do have a love for Korean dramas...

My thoughts exactly Paula, my thoughts exactly.

Oh Mondays...

I am actually a huge fan of Monday. I like them. It's a chance to start a new week fresh, just like the beginning of the year, or beginning of the month. Paula seems to have a very different opinion than I do on this topic. She seems to be of the general opinion that most have when it comes to Mondays and sometimes even work in general.

A few weeks ago, Paula seemed to be very... shall we say active? She was quite rambunctious if we are being perfectly honest. Then one of my bosses walked past. She cut off mid-squeal. True story. Kind of a weird experience for me. She then murmured a subdued, "meh-meh" which can be interpreted as either "sorry" or "uh-oh" though either seems applicable!

Today, she was unusually quiet most of the day. Once I got home and started book work (and some playing around with various music and internet shenanigans), she suddenly popped up. It also wasn't her usual cheerful antics she does at work. She sounded more like a contented child babbling to itself as it plays. I just can't help but chuckle and shake my head. Oh Paula Jean.

Construction Workers and Opera Singers

I've mentioned before I work in a pretty great place. It appears I am not the only one to think so. We have been expanding and growing at an incredible rate and we can barely keep up. this means lots of new employees, as well as trying to make space for them in our tiny building. We are going through a bit of construction work right now trying to tear down walls and add more desks... It's quite an exciting process.

With all of the construction workers around, it gives Paula plenty of opportunities to be her creepy self. Halloween is her favorite for a reason, right? One particular worker was so confused as to what was going on. I just happened to be hidden behind a beam, so he couldn't see my face, or really identify where the noise was coming from. Once he learned it was me, he confessed to thinking it was some kind of phantom that we had gotten used to in the building! So Paula has now become the Phantom of TaskEasy. Good thing I can trust her not to break any chandeliers. I think. She can get pretty high pitched...

Paula might even give Gerard Butler a run for his money!

Where's the Bird?

So right now, I work in a call center. I like my job and I work with some great people, both in and out of the office. I deal with calls from the contractors partnered with my company, and some of them I deal with on a regular basis. Being in an office setting, we work in cubicles and in close quarters. You also know Paula can be quite loud when she wants to be! I don't do it often when I am on the phone (though it has happened once or twice), but she has popped up a few times while co workers are on the phone.

Every once in a while, I will hear a co worker crack up right after and explain to the contractors that I have Tourette Syndrome. Once they are off the phone, we have some good laughs about the various reactions. One contractor asked, "Do you guys keep a bird in the office?" Another simply wondered, "What on earth was that*?" Just like in person, sometimes they don't believe my co workers. It's kind of fun to watch them be the ones to tell my story for a change and to have them "walk a mile in my shoes," if you will.

*censored version. ;)

Best. Coworkers. Ever.
That cake was HUGE!

Consistency Check In

So I wanted to give a quick check in from my New Year's goals. So recap: I was wanting to be more consistent in my life. This was in regards to my health, my blog and every aspect of my life. I was so excited to have 50 posts this year! I was hoping for one blog post a week, but considering I have 28 posts once this is published. Three months in and I am more than halfway to the goal I had set, although, not quite the picture of consistency I had pictured!

What I failed to realize when I set those goals was that part of the diagnosis of Tourette Syndrome is a complete lack of consistency. There are some days when Paula appears often and I can get ten good stories in one day and spend several weeks trying to record all of those stories. Then there are days where she doesn't show up much. Maybe she shows up, but it's the same story I have already told. Paula is not exactly helpful when it comes to my consistency goal.

I guess I should at least be grateful I get stories at all from her! She can at least keep me stocked for a while with stories I simply haven't recorded yet before she disappears on me! She's kinda hard to keep tabs on, but that is just what makes her so... Paula. can't help but love her anyways!

Paula's Full Name...

So I'm writing a book, right? I wrote a post last year in September about making Paula a co-author. I've since decided it would be more fun to simply publish under a pen name. Paula would be the pen name of course, but I don't have a full name for her. It's been harder than I thought trying to come up with a full name for this crazy personality known as my Tourette Syndrome.

She already has a full personality, and I have to find a full name to match! Addy suggested Paula Jenkins... but it didn't fell quite right, as nice as it sounded. I have put a lot of time and ideas into this, so this is ever present in my mind. Today at work, we had a "soul-food" potluck. Fried chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans, pie, mac n cheese and all sorts of goodness. Leading up to the potluck, Addy and I were coordinating who should bring what. "Anything fried and/or covered in butter!" The comment on butter got us talking about none other than Paula Deen.

Well, at the mention of the name Paula, of course my Paula would appear. This made Addy a little tongue tied as she tried to chastise my Paula. However, saying her full name, it came out Paula Jean. Deen + Jenkins = Jean. I liked it. As did Addy! I had also been toying with the idea of putting a family name in there somewhere. I have lately been doing a lot of family history on my Italian side and am currently obsessed with all things Italy related. The only Italian family name I can find is Tagliaferri. (Tahleeuhfehrree) I promise it's pretty. Ask me when you see me. Might be a bit complicated. However, when my great-grandfather came through Ellis Island, he changed it to Ferri.

Paula Jean Ferri.
Paula Jean Tagliaferri.

The second option (when said correctly) is simply beautiful! The first option is more simple... This is not an instance when I can choose my default answer of both. Tell me your favorite and help me decide!!

Paula is Contagious? Or Motivational?

Medically speaking, Tourette Syndrome is NOT contagious. I promise. Sometimes it sure seems like it is though. I find that some will speak back to Paula in here Paula-ese. Sometimes I will just hear Addy, who sits next to me at work, make random noises trying to see if she can spark a response from Paula. Little kids are the best though. I will make a noise, and then we have a mini staring contest while they try to figure out what just happened... some will make noises right back at me.

By all appearances, it might seem like it is contagious. Once you hang around me for a bit, funny noises just start coming. I was speaking about this phenomenon with my friend Melanie. She told me that I "help release [her] inhibition." Well, who would have thought that Paula is a motivational speaker? At least in her own little way.