Every Day Quotes Week 45
Title: Every Day Quotes
Rating: K
Nov 11
Do not employ handsome servants.
Chinese Proverb
Tony DiNozzo was having a good day. He was up to date on his paperwork, for once, and Gibbs and Director Shepard had disappeared together an hour ago.
He wasn’t risking any headslaps by leaning back on his chair and putting his feet up on his desk. He deserved a break after catching the killer yesterday. The wife. It was always the wife.
“I’m thinking of hiring a maid,” he announced to his co-workers.
Ziva instantly dissolved into a fit of giggles, while McGee sighed and looked up from his work.
“You need to look around and get a good deal,” the Probie informed him solemnly. “Not necessarily the cheapest, but someone with good references. You don’t want her running off with your television.”
“Good point,” Tony conceded as Ziva struggled to breathe through her laughter. “Know any good ones?”
“You think I need a maid?” McGee snorted, returning to his computer screen.
Tony turned back to his partner. “What’s so funny?” he demanded.
“It is just…” Ziva paused to wipe the tears from her eyes. “You. Spending money on someone to clean up after you. Money that you could otherwise spend on movies and wooing women. You do know this maid will have to touch your belongings, right?”
He nodded, still confused.
“You almost took my hand off after I touched one of your precious James Bond DVDs,” she pointed out, continuing to giggle. “I cannot see you voluntarily allowing someone to go in your apartment when you are not there.”
He glared at her. No matter what she said, he was still hiring a maid.
~*~*~*~
Nov 12
A problem well stated is a problem half solved.
Charles F. Kettering (1876 - 1958)
Ducky knew that some problems seemed insurmountable. Some problems were too big for anyone to handle. And the saying that sharing a problem was the first step to solving it was quite correct.
To be able to share a problem, one had to accept that such a problem existed. He knew far too many people who denied their problems to themselves and thus would never be able to solve them, or people who buried their heads in the sand and hoped it would either go away or someone else would solve it for them. If one could articulate a problem to someone else, no matter who it was, acknowledging the problem was a given.
But articulating it helped in other ways too. In order to be able to articulate it clearly, one had to understand the essence of the problem at hand. It was necessary to understand exactly what the problem was, without being vague or unsure. The problem had to be considered from all angles, which often helped to work out how to solve it in the first place.
Not to mention sharing the problem lightened the load. Someone else would now help out. Someone else could consider it too, and work out a way to solve it.
Yes, to state a problem clearly certainly helped to solve it.
~*~*~*~
Nov 13
If the shoe fits, you're not allowing for growth.
Robert N. Coons
Jennifer Shepard laughed as she strolled down the street, arm in arm with Ziva and Abby.
After a very long and stressful month, Abby had appeared in her office this morning and demanded an afternoon on the town. Naturally Ziva had been roped into this makeshift female time; Jenny had taken Ziva’s arm while she was in the middle of explaining part of their case to Gibbs and propelled her out of the Navy Yard.
She had never been more thankful for her protection detail; they would have to prevent Gibbs from killing her later if the messages he had been leaving on her Blackberry were any indication.
“A shoe shop!” Abby squealed, dragged them through the door with her. Jenny and Ziva exchanged looks and smiled. Only Abby could be so enthusiastic about something so mundane.
“I do need a new pair of heels,” Ziva conceded. “I broke a stiletto on my last undercover evening by stamping on our suspect’s foot.”
“I hope it hurt,” Jenny murmured quietly, not willing for Abby to overhear. Then louder, “I need a new pair too, for the dress I bought last week.”
“Look! A sale!” Abby was practically bouncing up and down. “Lots of heels on offer.”
Jenny laughed again as she began to look at the shoes. So much choice…
~*~*~*~
Nov 14
The wrong thing to do about any given circumstance or situation is to do nothing.
L. Ron Hubbard (1911 - 1986)
Ziva David disliked stakeouts. She understood the need for them; to gather useful information through covert means. It involved being sneaky, something she was very good at. And it provided intelligence that would be difficult to gain any other way.
She did not mind the locations, the empty, dingy apartments or cramped cars that she was required to remain in for twelve hour shifts. She did not mind the lack of freedom, the inability to move around and exercise or simply stretch. She did not mind the junk food that was practically required eating, or the smell that built up after a few days of being unable to open a window. She had been trained to ignore all of these things.
No, what she disliked was that she felt she was doing nothing. She could be knocking down doors, chasing after suspects, interrogating them. She could be questioning her contacts or developing new ones. She wanted to feel as though she was actively doing something, rather than sitting on her backside for hours at a time and staring gormlessly at a fixed point.
Why did she have to sit and wait? Why could she not stir the pot a little? She understood the theory, but it was difficult for her in reality. To remember why she was doing what she was doing and to remain calm.
~*~*~*~
Nov 15
When men exercise their reason coolly and freely on a variety of distinct questions, they inevitably fall into different opinions on some of them. When they are governed by a common passion, their opinions, if they are to be called, will be the same.
Alexander Hamilton (1755 - 1804)
“Special Agent Gibbs!”
Leroy Jethro Gibbs glared at his ex-partner. Why did she have to be his boss? She’d been able to rile him up without effort when they had been partners, and she hadn’t lost her knack. If anything, the power had gone to her head and she had learnt how to annoy him even more.
He wanted Morrow back. He couldn’t pull any fast ones, but at least he knew where he stood. Hell, some days he thought he’d even take that slimy Assistant Director Vance.
“You, sir, are a sexual harassment lawsuit waiting to happen,” Jenny warned.
He ignored the ‘sir’, knowing she’d dropped it in to piss him off even more. “What did I do this time, Director?”
Her glare intensified. “How can you not know? You flirted with a suspect. A married suspect. A Senator’s wife.”
“So? Needed the information.”
“You practically slept with her, Agent Gibbs.”
He shrugged. “Semantics.”
She allowed herself a tight smirk. “I see you’ve been using that dictionary I bought you. How about this then? The wife complained. The Senator complained. Their lawyer is calling me every hour on the hour and threatening to slap you with a sexual harassment suit. How am I supposed to clean this up?”
“Why are you asking me?” he questioned, turning away from her and storming towards the door.
“Agent Gibbs!” she called after him. “You will apologize in person or I will make sure your firearms certification disappears!”
~*~*~*~
Nov 16
Eat before shopping. If you go to the store hungry, you are likely to make unnecessary purchases.
American Heart Association Cookbook
Timothy McGee shoved half the sandwich in his mouth while keeping his eyes firmly glued to his computer monitor. Too much to do, no time to do it in.
Gibbs had tasked him with hacking into the FBI to retrieve details about their current case. Fornell had turned over the investigation with surprisingly little complaint, and the whole team knew from experience it meant the wily FBI agent was keeping something back. Something they would prefer to know sooner rather than later.
Accessing the FBI’s mainframe wasn’t difficult, not for someone who estimated he hacked into the CIA four times a year. The trick was in not getting caught, especially as Fornell knew of his skills and might be watching. With a time constraint, it made things a touch harder.
Not too hard, but enough of a challenge for him to relish.
He was supposed to be on his lunch break. However, Gibbs had promised him a break later if he worked while eating now (not in words, but his expression had been easy enough to read). And so he ate the sandwich the Boss had collected (he wasn’t going to ask how Gibbs knew his favorite sandwich) over his keyboard while typing furiously.
A jalapeno dropped on his keyboard and he brushed it into the trash can without a second thought. There would be time to thoroughly clean his keyboard later.
~*~*~*~
Nov 17
Mountains inspire awe in any human person who has a soul. They remind us of our frailty, our unimportance, of the briefness of our span upon this earth. They touch the heavens, and sail serenely at an altitude beyond even the imaginings of a mere mortal.
Elizabeth Aston, The Exploits & Adventures of Miss Alethea Darcy, 2005
Sometimes, Tony DiNozzo thought his partner was part dog. Or possibly mountain goat. There was no other way she could practically run up the side of such a steep hill.
He was following in the dust she left behind, trying not to watch her. It was too depressing to see her plough onwards, never missing a step, almost leaping from one spot to the next. How was he supposed to keep up with her? How was anyone supposed to keep up with her?
As he continued to force one foot in front of the other, he wondered idly if this was part of Mossad training. Did they run up mountains in Israel? Did they have to climb Everest in under a certain amount of time to become Officers? Or was it simply a Ziva trait, one that had been forced into her by her father. Was the mother she never talked about a mountain climber in her spare time?
He began to pant, almost completely out of breath. Damn Gibbs for sending him up this hill. Damn Ziva for coming with him. Damn McGee for not offering to take his place. Surely his heart shouldn’t be beating this fast. Would Ziva even notice if he had a heart attack?
“Come on, lazy skeleton!” Ziva yelled behind her without turning around.
Tony didn’t even have the energy to correct her. Oh well. It could wait until he reached the top.
Rating: K
Nov 11
Do not employ handsome servants.
Chinese Proverb
Tony DiNozzo was having a good day. He was up to date on his paperwork, for once, and Gibbs and Director Shepard had disappeared together an hour ago.
He wasn’t risking any headslaps by leaning back on his chair and putting his feet up on his desk. He deserved a break after catching the killer yesterday. The wife. It was always the wife.
“I’m thinking of hiring a maid,” he announced to his co-workers.
Ziva instantly dissolved into a fit of giggles, while McGee sighed and looked up from his work.
“You need to look around and get a good deal,” the Probie informed him solemnly. “Not necessarily the cheapest, but someone with good references. You don’t want her running off with your television.”
“Good point,” Tony conceded as Ziva struggled to breathe through her laughter. “Know any good ones?”
“You think I need a maid?” McGee snorted, returning to his computer screen.
Tony turned back to his partner. “What’s so funny?” he demanded.
“It is just…” Ziva paused to wipe the tears from her eyes. “You. Spending money on someone to clean up after you. Money that you could otherwise spend on movies and wooing women. You do know this maid will have to touch your belongings, right?”
He nodded, still confused.
“You almost took my hand off after I touched one of your precious James Bond DVDs,” she pointed out, continuing to giggle. “I cannot see you voluntarily allowing someone to go in your apartment when you are not there.”
He glared at her. No matter what she said, he was still hiring a maid.
~*~*~*~
Nov 12
A problem well stated is a problem half solved.
Charles F. Kettering (1876 - 1958)
Ducky knew that some problems seemed insurmountable. Some problems were too big for anyone to handle. And the saying that sharing a problem was the first step to solving it was quite correct.
To be able to share a problem, one had to accept that such a problem existed. He knew far too many people who denied their problems to themselves and thus would never be able to solve them, or people who buried their heads in the sand and hoped it would either go away or someone else would solve it for them. If one could articulate a problem to someone else, no matter who it was, acknowledging the problem was a given.
But articulating it helped in other ways too. In order to be able to articulate it clearly, one had to understand the essence of the problem at hand. It was necessary to understand exactly what the problem was, without being vague or unsure. The problem had to be considered from all angles, which often helped to work out how to solve it in the first place.
Not to mention sharing the problem lightened the load. Someone else would now help out. Someone else could consider it too, and work out a way to solve it.
Yes, to state a problem clearly certainly helped to solve it.
~*~*~*~
Nov 13
If the shoe fits, you're not allowing for growth.
Robert N. Coons
Jennifer Shepard laughed as she strolled down the street, arm in arm with Ziva and Abby.
After a very long and stressful month, Abby had appeared in her office this morning and demanded an afternoon on the town. Naturally Ziva had been roped into this makeshift female time; Jenny had taken Ziva’s arm while she was in the middle of explaining part of their case to Gibbs and propelled her out of the Navy Yard.
She had never been more thankful for her protection detail; they would have to prevent Gibbs from killing her later if the messages he had been leaving on her Blackberry were any indication.
“A shoe shop!” Abby squealed, dragged them through the door with her. Jenny and Ziva exchanged looks and smiled. Only Abby could be so enthusiastic about something so mundane.
“I do need a new pair of heels,” Ziva conceded. “I broke a stiletto on my last undercover evening by stamping on our suspect’s foot.”
“I hope it hurt,” Jenny murmured quietly, not willing for Abby to overhear. Then louder, “I need a new pair too, for the dress I bought last week.”
“Look! A sale!” Abby was practically bouncing up and down. “Lots of heels on offer.”
Jenny laughed again as she began to look at the shoes. So much choice…
~*~*~*~
Nov 14
The wrong thing to do about any given circumstance or situation is to do nothing.
L. Ron Hubbard (1911 - 1986)
Ziva David disliked stakeouts. She understood the need for them; to gather useful information through covert means. It involved being sneaky, something she was very good at. And it provided intelligence that would be difficult to gain any other way.
She did not mind the locations, the empty, dingy apartments or cramped cars that she was required to remain in for twelve hour shifts. She did not mind the lack of freedom, the inability to move around and exercise or simply stretch. She did not mind the junk food that was practically required eating, or the smell that built up after a few days of being unable to open a window. She had been trained to ignore all of these things.
No, what she disliked was that she felt she was doing nothing. She could be knocking down doors, chasing after suspects, interrogating them. She could be questioning her contacts or developing new ones. She wanted to feel as though she was actively doing something, rather than sitting on her backside for hours at a time and staring gormlessly at a fixed point.
Why did she have to sit and wait? Why could she not stir the pot a little? She understood the theory, but it was difficult for her in reality. To remember why she was doing what she was doing and to remain calm.
~*~*~*~
Nov 15
When men exercise their reason coolly and freely on a variety of distinct questions, they inevitably fall into different opinions on some of them. When they are governed by a common passion, their opinions, if they are to be called, will be the same.
Alexander Hamilton (1755 - 1804)
“Special Agent Gibbs!”
Leroy Jethro Gibbs glared at his ex-partner. Why did she have to be his boss? She’d been able to rile him up without effort when they had been partners, and she hadn’t lost her knack. If anything, the power had gone to her head and she had learnt how to annoy him even more.
He wanted Morrow back. He couldn’t pull any fast ones, but at least he knew where he stood. Hell, some days he thought he’d even take that slimy Assistant Director Vance.
“You, sir, are a sexual harassment lawsuit waiting to happen,” Jenny warned.
He ignored the ‘sir’, knowing she’d dropped it in to piss him off even more. “What did I do this time, Director?”
Her glare intensified. “How can you not know? You flirted with a suspect. A married suspect. A Senator’s wife.”
“So? Needed the information.”
“You practically slept with her, Agent Gibbs.”
He shrugged. “Semantics.”
She allowed herself a tight smirk. “I see you’ve been using that dictionary I bought you. How about this then? The wife complained. The Senator complained. Their lawyer is calling me every hour on the hour and threatening to slap you with a sexual harassment suit. How am I supposed to clean this up?”
“Why are you asking me?” he questioned, turning away from her and storming towards the door.
“Agent Gibbs!” she called after him. “You will apologize in person or I will make sure your firearms certification disappears!”
~*~*~*~
Nov 16
Eat before shopping. If you go to the store hungry, you are likely to make unnecessary purchases.
American Heart Association Cookbook
Timothy McGee shoved half the sandwich in his mouth while keeping his eyes firmly glued to his computer monitor. Too much to do, no time to do it in.
Gibbs had tasked him with hacking into the FBI to retrieve details about their current case. Fornell had turned over the investigation with surprisingly little complaint, and the whole team knew from experience it meant the wily FBI agent was keeping something back. Something they would prefer to know sooner rather than later.
Accessing the FBI’s mainframe wasn’t difficult, not for someone who estimated he hacked into the CIA four times a year. The trick was in not getting caught, especially as Fornell knew of his skills and might be watching. With a time constraint, it made things a touch harder.
Not too hard, but enough of a challenge for him to relish.
He was supposed to be on his lunch break. However, Gibbs had promised him a break later if he worked while eating now (not in words, but his expression had been easy enough to read). And so he ate the sandwich the Boss had collected (he wasn’t going to ask how Gibbs knew his favorite sandwich) over his keyboard while typing furiously.
A jalapeno dropped on his keyboard and he brushed it into the trash can without a second thought. There would be time to thoroughly clean his keyboard later.
~*~*~*~
Nov 17
Mountains inspire awe in any human person who has a soul. They remind us of our frailty, our unimportance, of the briefness of our span upon this earth. They touch the heavens, and sail serenely at an altitude beyond even the imaginings of a mere mortal.
Elizabeth Aston, The Exploits & Adventures of Miss Alethea Darcy, 2005
Sometimes, Tony DiNozzo thought his partner was part dog. Or possibly mountain goat. There was no other way she could practically run up the side of such a steep hill.
He was following in the dust she left behind, trying not to watch her. It was too depressing to see her plough onwards, never missing a step, almost leaping from one spot to the next. How was he supposed to keep up with her? How was anyone supposed to keep up with her?
As he continued to force one foot in front of the other, he wondered idly if this was part of Mossad training. Did they run up mountains in Israel? Did they have to climb Everest in under a certain amount of time to become Officers? Or was it simply a Ziva trait, one that had been forced into her by her father. Was the mother she never talked about a mountain climber in her spare time?
He began to pant, almost completely out of breath. Damn Gibbs for sending him up this hill. Damn Ziva for coming with him. Damn McGee for not offering to take his place. Surely his heart shouldn’t be beating this fast. Would Ziva even notice if he had a heart attack?
“Come on, lazy skeleton!” Ziva yelled behind her without turning around.
Tony didn’t even have the energy to correct her. Oh well. It could wait until he reached the top.