offbalance: (supervixen - lauralatham)
offbalance ([personal profile] offbalance) wrote2008-05-13 04:06 pm
Entry tags:

Slayer strength not required.

I don't know why people are so amazed when I can change the big bottle in the water cooler at work. Really, guys. I know I'm 5'4, but I'm of good, hearty peasant stock. My Maternal Grandmother and Paternal Great-Grandmother could totally kick your ass*. Maternal Grandmother carried huge metal bins of coal ash up from her basement to be disposed of several times a week. She was barely 5 feet, but all of my Uncle's friends (who were 6 feet tall or taller) were all scared of her bad side. (And from what I've heard, with good reason. She was a lovely, sweet woman, but you did not cross her.)

My Paternal Great-Grandmother was what you might call a problem-solver. A famous-in-the-family story that best illustrates it is one of my favorites. She was tired of her landlord jerking her around about replacing the cast-iron coal stove in their apartment, and finally got completely fed up. She yanked the stove out of the wall, carried it down several flights of stairs, kicked the landlord's door open, threw the stove at him, then PUNCHED HIM. And you know what she got in return, kids?

A new stove.

You do not fuck with us.

I think I can handle a few gallons of Poland Spring. I promise.


*My paternal grandma could whip the shit out of you verbally, so don't think for a second that she'd be easy to tangle with. The snark is genetic, and goes back generations.
blue_ant: (daniel [bookstore superstar])

[personal profile] blue_ant 2008-05-13 08:12 pm (UTC)(link)
I don't know why people are so amazed when I can change the big bottle in the water cooler at work.
I run into the same thing. Granted, we have people who are physically unable to change it (due to health issues), but mostly people just say it's too heavy. Our new director asked if the guy who came to replace the water changed it and I was like, 'uh, no, sometimes I've even done it.' He gave me a surprised look.

[identity profile] quodlibetic.livejournal.com 2008-05-13 08:20 pm (UTC)(link)
I seemingly am one of 2 people at my job thatcan change the water cooler bottle. You'd think I was Atlas, or something. :P

[identity profile] keightball.livejournal.com 2008-05-13 08:27 pm (UTC)(link)
It's more a matter of aligning it properly than being strong (though that helps!)

I used to leave the empties in the cubes of the people who complained there was no water- until the Poland Spring stud lectured me about doing that, since they re-use the bottles and my campaign was impeding his job function as he had to go hunt down the empties.

[identity profile] firynze.livejournal.com 2008-05-13 08:43 pm (UTC)(link)
I think our ancestors would've gotten along smashingly. Or else had a truly SPECTACULAR row. Whichever.

(I'm beefier now, but when I was really skinny, people were BOGGLED by how strong I am. Uh, it's just a water bottle/30lb sack of apples/couple gallons of milk. Whatever!)

[identity profile] hermionesviolin.livejournal.com 2008-05-14 02:36 am (UTC)(link)
Wow. You come from awesome stock.

[identity profile] feminist-poet.livejournal.com 2008-05-14 12:45 pm (UTC)(link)
That is so funny, because people can't believe how strong I am, either. I mean, granted, I am taller that you, but for some reason, people think I am some kind of delicate flower. I am usually like, hello, no.

Oh Yeah

(Anonymous) 2008-05-15 04:06 pm (UTC)(link)
I guess I should be saying something very snarky or at lease bend a metal bar with my teeth but I just wanted to acknowledge that you actually did listen to some of those old stories. And for the record(not that it matters) the coal stove was free standing and cast iron, God knbows what it weighed and she slipped her key ring over her fingers before she decked the asshole. Jeez I feel like its my duty to go out and pummel someone, any suggestions..................... I guess there is somethuing to this DNA stuff Signed by you know who