i don't really like baseball, but there's something about the air on opening day... maybe it's just that there are so many people who are taking time off work that there's more air to breathe.
it's supposed to be beautiful today. maybe i'll take my computer out on the front porch, lock up the baby gate, and get some work done outside today. i'm going to be busy this evening, even though i'm not officially working from home, i have a lot to do, and it will just outright suit me a lot better to be doing it than putting it off.
i think they just turned on the air conditioning at my office... either that or the mother ship has just arrived to take us away. the whole building is humming like anything... it's sort of oogie.
i've only just recently realised how much i really enjoy a good salad (as opposed to a few leaves of hacked up iceberg and some carrot shreds). good healthy mixed greens (or as Q says, weeds), some chunks of carrot, celery, beet, radish, pea pods - - or even peas themselves - - and some peppers - bell or otherwise, just really get me going. i find myself thinking about adding things like fennel and jicima and there's always the spectre of fresh fruit as well, and my taste buds sort of light up. it's weird, is all... mostly just weird that i never noticed.
i'm suffering a very ramblesome brain today. i think it's possibly the promise of spring actually sprining and maybe even that in combination with the relative lack of structure my life has had over the past few (sick) weeks. timing and schedule have seemed very arbitrary lately, so everything else has sort of followed suit. it's not horrible... but it is somewhat unnerving.
sigh... i don't think i really have anything substantive to add
10 April 2006
06 April 2006
end of grouse
i'm not going to complain about my health anymore. i'll just let you all know when i'm feeling better. but before i'm entirely done on the subject of my snout and other ailing parts, let me just let you know that the ONE really cool thing that has come of my illness is that i can now sing along with Peter Murphy (both Bauhaus and beyond) and NOT feel like our voices don't match for crap... as a matter of fact, if i knew someone who was working on a P. M. cover CD, i might even be able to volunteer for a few voice overs... isn't that just the kickiest!?!
i've made the decision - again - just over a year later - that i want my hair cut again. i've realised that when i let it get long, all i do is leave it in a pony tail - ALL THE TIME - and never do anything that makes it look like I actually have hair. the flip side of this is that when it's short i often wear it in a headband or bandana, so there's not a lot of real difference in what i actually do with it, but i do know that when it's shorter, i have a tendency to want to have more fun with it. besides with summer coming (purportedly) it will be nice to have it shorter and more out of the way/off my neck.
baby and mom are taking a nap. hubby and dad are at work. i'm all alone again. i'm thinking of putting together easter baskets while no one is in the position of being able to interrupt me. i'm also thinking of scooping up the cat (also sleeping) and having a good ol' cuddle while i read some more of my book. ah the woes of decisions, no?
i'm also considering the pros of flipping over and continuing my zen-game of chuzzle.
have a great thursday y'all
i've made the decision - again - just over a year later - that i want my hair cut again. i've realised that when i let it get long, all i do is leave it in a pony tail - ALL THE TIME - and never do anything that makes it look like I actually have hair. the flip side of this is that when it's short i often wear it in a headband or bandana, so there's not a lot of real difference in what i actually do with it, but i do know that when it's shorter, i have a tendency to want to have more fun with it. besides with summer coming (purportedly) it will be nice to have it shorter and more out of the way/off my neck.
baby and mom are taking a nap. hubby and dad are at work. i'm all alone again. i'm thinking of putting together easter baskets while no one is in the position of being able to interrupt me. i'm also thinking of scooping up the cat (also sleeping) and having a good ol' cuddle while i read some more of my book. ah the woes of decisions, no?
i'm also considering the pros of flipping over and continuing my zen-game of chuzzle.
have a great thursday y'all
04 April 2006
sinus wave
ugh.
it's been over a month now. i've even gone through the crap of seeing the doctor and getting prescriptions. i just want to feel SOMETHING better than 70% healthy for more than a week.
and when the hell is the sun going to start doing its thing and brighten/warm my days already???
irate.
ok, pissy even.
and what did i do in my haze of illness? i agreed to take on some additional responsibilities at my office. i'm sure a big part of it was the promise of two additional vacation days (probably because i'll need them), but mostly i'm sure it's because my faculties are compromised by an overabundance of slime in my brain.
you'll understand, now, i'm sure, why i haven't been posting more regularly.
it's been over a month now. i've even gone through the crap of seeing the doctor and getting prescriptions. i just want to feel SOMETHING better than 70% healthy for more than a week.
and when the hell is the sun going to start doing its thing and brighten/warm my days already???
irate.
ok, pissy even.
and what did i do in my haze of illness? i agreed to take on some additional responsibilities at my office. i'm sure a big part of it was the promise of two additional vacation days (probably because i'll need them), but mostly i'm sure it's because my faculties are compromised by an overabundance of slime in my brain.
you'll understand, now, i'm sure, why i haven't been posting more regularly.
31 March 2006
hup two three four...
march... two, three, four...
i dislike march as much as some others i know have a disregard for the january... for the bleakness of it all.
march is that not yet spring month. it's the month of waiting for the ground to be ready to accept the seeds, even though the trees are starting to bud. it's a month of too-cold-for-open-windows-at-night - - even though the frogs are already singing. it's the month of winter is over, but it's not yet spring. march is a tease; not even a flirt - april is definitely a flirt...
oh - and march is also the month of college basketball nuttiness (i really don't like basketball).
and even though i'm Irish, i'm not a big fan of st. patrick's day either. who ever thought that a pinch was a good way to make someone feel even worse about forgetting to lay out the green socks (that didn't really go with the school uniform anyway) way back in 4th grade?
what's more, the more i think on it, the more i realise that march is also the ohio-on-a-roadtrip of months... january and february breeze (freeze?) right by... march, on the other hand, drags itself like a zombie's bad leg through the better part of five weeks. march is the traffic jam that hits me like 5 mintues before i get to spring... you know the traffic jam i'm talking about, the one that takes you 31 minutes at a quarter of a mile an hour to get through. and of course, with march, there's no service drive or altnerate route... you just have to suffer your way through it.
all i have left to say is that i'm glad it's over... that and Happy April to all you flirts out there.
i dislike march as much as some others i know have a disregard for the january... for the bleakness of it all.
march is that not yet spring month. it's the month of waiting for the ground to be ready to accept the seeds, even though the trees are starting to bud. it's a month of too-cold-for-open-windows-at-night - - even though the frogs are already singing. it's the month of winter is over, but it's not yet spring. march is a tease; not even a flirt - april is definitely a flirt...
oh - and march is also the month of college basketball nuttiness (i really don't like basketball).
and even though i'm Irish, i'm not a big fan of st. patrick's day either. who ever thought that a pinch was a good way to make someone feel even worse about forgetting to lay out the green socks (that didn't really go with the school uniform anyway) way back in 4th grade?
what's more, the more i think on it, the more i realise that march is also the ohio-on-a-roadtrip of months... january and february breeze (freeze?) right by... march, on the other hand, drags itself like a zombie's bad leg through the better part of five weeks. march is the traffic jam that hits me like 5 mintues before i get to spring... you know the traffic jam i'm talking about, the one that takes you 31 minutes at a quarter of a mile an hour to get through. and of course, with march, there's no service drive or altnerate route... you just have to suffer your way through it.
all i have left to say is that i'm glad it's over... that and Happy April to all you flirts out there.
30 March 2006
consumerism junkie
i like to buy things.
i can't seem to stop myself.
the only thing that's made it even remotely tolerable for as long as it has been is that i have people to buy things for - right now, even, the number is increasing, so i'm safe. but what about when i get older and my friends start dying off, and their kids have all moved away. maybe that's when i'll start my altruistic career for unicef or something like that.
don't get me wrong, i hate shopping. i just like buying things. like i'll get it in my head that i need a new facial scrub, boom, i'm $15 down. or i'll decide that my daughter needs new shoes. like right now, i'm planning on what i'll be doing for the extended family for their kids' Easter baskets... or if they'll get baskets at all, or if i'll do something like bookcards or blockbuster cards in cute little easter cards and be done with it (it's not like a single one of them is going to NEED more chocolate...).
horrible bit is that i'm not overly keen on parting with money. crazy that, no?
oh - and since i drink copious amounts of diet coke anyway - i'm participating in the my coke rewards program. i'm figuring that since it goes through the endof the year, i should be able to get a watch for my mom, a bag for my dad, AND discount coupons for tickets to the Kennedy Space Center for our vacation in September. If you find yourself with a spare cap or two, feel free to contribute!
in the meantime, i'm thinking about the things that are going to be stuffing my husbands and fathers' Easter bags (my family doesn't get baskets, i don't like them...)
i can't seem to stop myself.
the only thing that's made it even remotely tolerable for as long as it has been is that i have people to buy things for - right now, even, the number is increasing, so i'm safe. but what about when i get older and my friends start dying off, and their kids have all moved away. maybe that's when i'll start my altruistic career for unicef or something like that.
don't get me wrong, i hate shopping. i just like buying things. like i'll get it in my head that i need a new facial scrub, boom, i'm $15 down. or i'll decide that my daughter needs new shoes. like right now, i'm planning on what i'll be doing for the extended family for their kids' Easter baskets... or if they'll get baskets at all, or if i'll do something like bookcards or blockbuster cards in cute little easter cards and be done with it (it's not like a single one of them is going to NEED more chocolate...).
horrible bit is that i'm not overly keen on parting with money. crazy that, no?
oh - and since i drink copious amounts of diet coke anyway - i'm participating in the my coke rewards program. i'm figuring that since it goes through the endof the year, i should be able to get a watch for my mom, a bag for my dad, AND discount coupons for tickets to the Kennedy Space Center for our vacation in September. If you find yourself with a spare cap or two, feel free to contribute!
in the meantime, i'm thinking about the things that are going to be stuffing my husbands and fathers' Easter bags (my family doesn't get baskets, i don't like them...)
27 March 2006
ago - away
i looked in my mirror this morning - - my little up close hand held one - - after putting on my makeup (i have a team meeting, and they all look so nice and smooth in the meetings, i just had to do something to not feel so naked...) and i realised that some of the elasticity of my face is waning; and that my skin looks - - well, - - thirsty.
then, i had a brief look at notes on a napkin and at first glance, the "beading" around the vase reminded me of when i was much younger, and used to wear a string of fake pearls as a belt. no... it wasn't a belt made out of a string of fake pearls, it was meant to be a necklace. i used to do a lot of wacky stuff and call it fashion.
i wish my face were a little firmer (my breasts, butt, and stomach too for that matter - - and don't even get me started on the area of my arms that i endearingly refer to as my bat-wings). of course i wish a had a little more money in the bank - - for rainy days, for a downpayment on a home of my own, for whatever. and i wish i had a little more time - - for my family, for my friends, for myself. and i wish i had a little more grace - - for the rough times, and the happy, and the inbetween days. (yes, that was a horribly transparent nod to some music that used to REALLY make me smile.) and i wish i had a little more wisdom - - for sharing, and keeping, and passing along.
but as my dzia dzia used to say, wish in one hand and crap in the other and see which fills up first...
ha ha ha
happy monday, and believe me... i may not have everything i wish for, but i have so much i'm not fussed...
then, i had a brief look at notes on a napkin and at first glance, the "beading" around the vase reminded me of when i was much younger, and used to wear a string of fake pearls as a belt. no... it wasn't a belt made out of a string of fake pearls, it was meant to be a necklace. i used to do a lot of wacky stuff and call it fashion.
i wish my face were a little firmer (my breasts, butt, and stomach too for that matter - - and don't even get me started on the area of my arms that i endearingly refer to as my bat-wings). of course i wish a had a little more money in the bank - - for rainy days, for a downpayment on a home of my own, for whatever. and i wish i had a little more time - - for my family, for my friends, for myself. and i wish i had a little more grace - - for the rough times, and the happy, and the inbetween days. (yes, that was a horribly transparent nod to some music that used to REALLY make me smile.) and i wish i had a little more wisdom - - for sharing, and keeping, and passing along.
but as my dzia dzia used to say, wish in one hand and crap in the other and see which fills up first...
ha ha ha
happy monday, and believe me... i may not have everything i wish for, but i have so much i'm not fussed...
24 March 2006
bizarro world day
move the green magnet to friday, glory be
there were no maniacs on the drive in today. there were actually very few cars in general on the drive in today. i decided that this was because much of the rest of the working class also has "finnitis" but, unlike me, decided to call in sick because they know winter is almost over for this side of the calendar, and hardly anyone ever believes you that you're sick in the spring or summer without a doctor's note because everyone needs to have a non-pre-planned day off just because the air is sweet and the sun is shining and damn it just feels good to not have to go in to that building and pretend i care for another 8 hours.
i think i have a mild sinus infection, and there's a part of me that really wants to go to my docoffice and get a z-pack and be done with it. the other part of me - - the part that was raised by a hypochondriac - - is worried (as i always am unless i'm at death's door) that it's not really a sinus infection, but merely a snotty nose and a bad headache and stiff neck and that if i just rest and relax through the weekend, i'll be fine by monday and that the people at my docoffice will explain to me that it's not a siunus infection and that i should just get some rest, and then think that i'm a genetically predisposed hypochondirac too and will never take me seriously again, even when i'm at death's door the next time. i don't second guess myself about everything like this. honestly. it's just that i HATE spending the time and money to go to the doctor's office when i'm not really sick
like, today, for example, i don't have a fever... so it can't be a BAD sinus infection, right? but then, aren't you supposed to go to the doctor EARLY in an illness to nip it in the bud before it gets to be some horrible weed of an illness??? truly, i never know what to do.
it doesn't help that this is the first year in many - - possibly as many as five - - that i've returned to being that ridiculous nagging half-sick, under the weather, slight malaise, kind of sick all season long instead of having one really big bout of utterly miserable and then back in the saddle after a couple of weeks kind of illness. as much as the latter kicks my ass, it beats the whiney whimpery ass-wipe feeling of getting sick once and holding on to it for the rest of the bad-health season.
why can't we just get a good dose of warm weather and healing sunshine and be done with it?
and wouldn't it be nice if i could shoot laser beams out of my eye sockets and (temporarily) smite the pains in the ass of the world?
have a nice day.
there were no maniacs on the drive in today. there were actually very few cars in general on the drive in today. i decided that this was because much of the rest of the working class also has "finnitis" but, unlike me, decided to call in sick because they know winter is almost over for this side of the calendar, and hardly anyone ever believes you that you're sick in the spring or summer without a doctor's note because everyone needs to have a non-pre-planned day off just because the air is sweet and the sun is shining and damn it just feels good to not have to go in to that building and pretend i care for another 8 hours.
i think i have a mild sinus infection, and there's a part of me that really wants to go to my docoffice and get a z-pack and be done with it. the other part of me - - the part that was raised by a hypochondriac - - is worried (as i always am unless i'm at death's door) that it's not really a sinus infection, but merely a snotty nose and a bad headache and stiff neck and that if i just rest and relax through the weekend, i'll be fine by monday and that the people at my docoffice will explain to me that it's not a siunus infection and that i should just get some rest, and then think that i'm a genetically predisposed hypochondirac too and will never take me seriously again, even when i'm at death's door the next time. i don't second guess myself about everything like this. honestly. it's just that i HATE spending the time and money to go to the doctor's office when i'm not really sick
like, today, for example, i don't have a fever... so it can't be a BAD sinus infection, right? but then, aren't you supposed to go to the doctor EARLY in an illness to nip it in the bud before it gets to be some horrible weed of an illness??? truly, i never know what to do.
it doesn't help that this is the first year in many - - possibly as many as five - - that i've returned to being that ridiculous nagging half-sick, under the weather, slight malaise, kind of sick all season long instead of having one really big bout of utterly miserable and then back in the saddle after a couple of weeks kind of illness. as much as the latter kicks my ass, it beats the whiney whimpery ass-wipe feeling of getting sick once and holding on to it for the rest of the bad-health season.
why can't we just get a good dose of warm weather and healing sunshine and be done with it?
and wouldn't it be nice if i could shoot laser beams out of my eye sockets and (temporarily) smite the pains in the ass of the world?
have a nice day.
23 March 2006
tidbit
this is one of my happiest thoughts for the day.
this morning, looking for a black blazer/jacket that fit (the 20's are now out of the question) i grabbed the one i'm wearing right now.
it's a 16!
(ok - in the name of full disclosure, it's also made of something beautifully stretchy - - like a lycra and cotton blend - - but it FITS, with a shirt under it.)
this morning, looking for a black blazer/jacket that fit (the 20's are now out of the question) i grabbed the one i'm wearing right now.
it's a 16!
(ok - in the name of full disclosure, it's also made of something beautifully stretchy - - like a lycra and cotton blend - - but it FITS, with a shirt under it.)
normally...
i review the blogs on my favorites list before posting my own thoughts... it's mostly in an effort to avoid concurrent blogging, or to point people to other points of interest.
today, however, i experienced something so unbeliveably inane, that i can't imagine anyone else (at least not in my own little blogosphere) would have the exact same experience today... this morning... on the way in to work.
driving down my crazy busy stretch of I-75 (not, mind you in the direction i prefer - - that being all the way south to Florida) i noticed a man, younger, who seemed to be having trouble staying in his own lane, and who didn't really appear to be paying a lot of attention to the road, distracted, instead by something either in his lap or on the seat beside him. i noticed him because he had swerved into my lane, in front of me, and caused me to drop my speed (rather suddenly) by about 15 miles an hour. at first, i was worried... maybe he had dropped something important, or spilled something hot on himself. then i was worried for me, if his erratic driving continued, certainly he'd be killing me before i got to work.
i turned on my indicator, carefully checked my blindspot, and merged into the lane to the right. as i passed him - he was, indeed, still slowing down, i peeked over.
he was eating. his. breakfast.
out. of. a. bowl.
with. a. spoon.
sigh.
today, however, i experienced something so unbeliveably inane, that i can't imagine anyone else (at least not in my own little blogosphere) would have the exact same experience today... this morning... on the way in to work.
driving down my crazy busy stretch of I-75 (not, mind you in the direction i prefer - - that being all the way south to Florida) i noticed a man, younger, who seemed to be having trouble staying in his own lane, and who didn't really appear to be paying a lot of attention to the road, distracted, instead by something either in his lap or on the seat beside him. i noticed him because he had swerved into my lane, in front of me, and caused me to drop my speed (rather suddenly) by about 15 miles an hour. at first, i was worried... maybe he had dropped something important, or spilled something hot on himself. then i was worried for me, if his erratic driving continued, certainly he'd be killing me before i got to work.
i turned on my indicator, carefully checked my blindspot, and merged into the lane to the right. as i passed him - he was, indeed, still slowing down, i peeked over.
he was eating. his. breakfast.
out. of. a. bowl.
with. a. spoon.
sigh.
20 March 2006
Product
just a moment to remind the world that i am, indeed, a product of my childhood.
because i am still locked out of Michigan Radio, i listen today to the NYU version of NPR. their programming is brought to me courtesy, in part, of Jazz at Lincoln Center.
whenever i hear anything about Lincoln Center, i think immediately of Margaret and her trips with her grandmother, in the book about her by Judy Blume.
the price is low enough that i could (and probably will) get this for my daughter - even though she's not yet two, and put it in her "when I get bigger box" from mama.
end of flashback, we now return...
because i am still locked out of Michigan Radio, i listen today to the NYU version of NPR. their programming is brought to me courtesy, in part, of Jazz at Lincoln Center.
whenever i hear anything about Lincoln Center, i think immediately of Margaret and her trips with her grandmother, in the book about her by Judy Blume.
the price is low enough that i could (and probably will) get this for my daughter - even though she's not yet two, and put it in her "when I get bigger box" from mama.
end of flashback, we now return...
Funk - and I Don't Mean Music
there's been a lot of funk floating aroung latey... and even some funk-breaking (and i don't mean dance). here in fin-land too...
i'm working on mine by trying to focus on others and desperately attempting to work up the gumption for a real spring-cleaning... and we bought some flowers yesterday... pretty pink ones. not a lot, but enough to brighten the room.
my daughter helps too... her sensitivity, her humor, and her everything else other than the two-year-tantrums that are beginning to kick in.
i think it helps, too, that i have a lot of plans... the kind that i'm not even tempted to run away from.
and definitely the "retail-therapy" of Easter Basket stuffing shopping has very much improved my mood. there is something exceptionally refreshing about buying butt-loads of very fattening (and nice smelling) chocolate goodies and knowing that you're not going to suffer on the scale because none. of. it. is. for. you.!
we'll also be planting our seeds soon. we have all sorts, and i'm a seed junkie... well, actually i'm a green and growing things junkie. sure, it breaks my heart when half of it doesn't do what i'd prefer it to do, but honestly, how much can you greive a wasting bean plant?
OH - and I think i may have discovered the source of the phantom cigarette smoke. thanks to an online forum peopled by a lot of other smoke smell sufferers, many of whom have been diagnosed with "deep sinus infections". apparently, according to their ENT's, the smell is my brain picking up on the smell of the infection. many of them are reporting "losing the smell" after a round or two of anitbiotics. yes, of course, i intend to discuss this possibility thoroughly with my doctor(s), but just knowing that people out there have found a reasonable explanation has significantly brightened my mood.
and finally, the folks on Michigan Radio (which I can now only listen to on my commute) tell me that today is the first day of spring. So - happy spring to you all... with bright (and warm) wishes for a funk-free season!
love love love...
i'm working on mine by trying to focus on others and desperately attempting to work up the gumption for a real spring-cleaning... and we bought some flowers yesterday... pretty pink ones. not a lot, but enough to brighten the room.
my daughter helps too... her sensitivity, her humor, and her everything else other than the two-year-tantrums that are beginning to kick in.
i think it helps, too, that i have a lot of plans... the kind that i'm not even tempted to run away from.
and definitely the "retail-therapy" of Easter Basket stuffing shopping has very much improved my mood. there is something exceptionally refreshing about buying butt-loads of very fattening (and nice smelling) chocolate goodies and knowing that you're not going to suffer on the scale because none. of. it. is. for. you.!
we'll also be planting our seeds soon. we have all sorts, and i'm a seed junkie... well, actually i'm a green and growing things junkie. sure, it breaks my heart when half of it doesn't do what i'd prefer it to do, but honestly, how much can you greive a wasting bean plant?
OH - and I think i may have discovered the source of the phantom cigarette smoke. thanks to an online forum peopled by a lot of other smoke smell sufferers, many of whom have been diagnosed with "deep sinus infections". apparently, according to their ENT's, the smell is my brain picking up on the smell of the infection. many of them are reporting "losing the smell" after a round or two of anitbiotics. yes, of course, i intend to discuss this possibility thoroughly with my doctor(s), but just knowing that people out there have found a reasonable explanation has significantly brightened my mood.
and finally, the folks on Michigan Radio (which I can now only listen to on my commute) tell me that today is the first day of spring. So - happy spring to you all... with bright (and warm) wishes for a funk-free season!
love love love...
17 March 2006
Green Scene
Happy St. Pat's to everyone.
I have a lot of crap to finish up today, so it's brief, at least for now.
Hope you have a great day and remember that spring IS coming...
... someday.
I have a lot of crap to finish up today, so it's brief, at least for now.
Hope you have a great day and remember that spring IS coming...
... someday.
16 March 2006
Elmo in the Pee
at what is most likely significant risk to my daughters human rights, allow me to recite her ABC's (as she did for the first time for mama and daddy last night)
a,b,c,d,e,f,g,h,i,j,k,Elmo in the pee,q,r,s,t,u,v,double, x, y,z
this was, of course, the highlight of my evening.
a,b,c,d,e,f,g,h,i,j,k,Elmo in the pee,q,r,s,t,u,v,double, x, y,z
this was, of course, the highlight of my evening.
Talking Girl...
a friend of mine sometimes uses the phrase "talking girl, you talk too much." he seldom uses it about me - at least in my company. lately, though, he could without hurting my feelings. i've felt very much like babble-queen... and truly it's all babble.
like -
last night i went down to the dungeon and walked a mile in just about a half an hour. for me, this is an accomplishment... i'm considering considering it training for walk-a-thon (which would mean 20 miles would only take me 10 hours -woo hoo!). though in my defense, more than half of it was at a 4% incline or greater. and i even sweated a little, and the machine used its magic math (fuzzy math?) to determine that i had burned through 135 calories (almost the caloric cost of one of my diet ice cream sandwiches - 150) in that short time. i sometimes wonder if there's a scale and age-determining-device somewhere on-board the machine. that would be cool...
like -
i got behind a cute little yellow beetle this morning on my way to work (late) and saw www.gocoach.com on the bumper and thought it was a really cute (but impractical) alternative to the ubiquitous metro-cabs and metro-cars that normally get in my way on the way to work. i know i have mentioned that i live only moments from an international airport before. still, i was curious enough - about rates maybe? - to go to the website... very much freaked me out to learn that they're not a cab company at all... let alone what they really do. i think they should have put a little more thought into the color and name choices - unless they wanted to be routinely mistaken for a transportation company.
like -
WHY ISN'T IT FRIDAY YET???
like -
today is supposed to be day of snow and cold (still bummed about losing the 70 degree weather) and i desperately want to practice my "today is my best day ever"-customer-service-attitude with someone who's going to be contacting me within the next couple of hours regarding some customer service i need to provide her, and my real mood is more like "today is the crappy day of snow that comes in on the tail of a week that started with 70 degree days so how can i make you happy because you obviously don't care if i am." and i know i need to adjust, but come on...
(read on)
like -
my company recently tricked my work-installation of my yahoo messenger into thinking that it's already logged on, so i can't log on again, and dis-installed some of the codecs i need to listen to Michigan Public Radio on Media Player, and i'm fairly certain that if this trend keeps up they'll be taking down my walls and installing the company mariachi band directly across the hall. the translation to this is that a bulk of my creature comforts have been dismantled which only serves to make me a less than happy employee, instead of making me more secure... whatever.
ok - so the bottom line is that when i talk too much, it almost always denegrates into a litany of grousing instead of me focusing on silver linings and the bright side and whatnot... so, here's the good stuff:
i have a great family, i have a mini-vacation almost planned at the end of may and a real vacation (replete with ocean beach) actually planned for mid september and the snow can't last all spring and summer too, and my cat keeps my feet warm on snowy nights so maybe the oncoming snow isn't such a bad thing and i have a great family and it's likely that i'll be able to find a quick solution for my customer service issue, and possibly even a (not quick but suitable) solution to my Michigan Radio and Yahoo Messenger situations.
thanks for listening...
like -
last night i went down to the dungeon and walked a mile in just about a half an hour. for me, this is an accomplishment... i'm considering considering it training for walk-a-thon (which would mean 20 miles would only take me 10 hours -woo hoo!). though in my defense, more than half of it was at a 4% incline or greater. and i even sweated a little, and the machine used its magic math (fuzzy math?) to determine that i had burned through 135 calories (almost the caloric cost of one of my diet ice cream sandwiches - 150) in that short time. i sometimes wonder if there's a scale and age-determining-device somewhere on-board the machine. that would be cool...
like -
i got behind a cute little yellow beetle this morning on my way to work (late) and saw www.gocoach.com on the bumper and thought it was a really cute (but impractical) alternative to the ubiquitous metro-cabs and metro-cars that normally get in my way on the way to work. i know i have mentioned that i live only moments from an international airport before. still, i was curious enough - about rates maybe? - to go to the website... very much freaked me out to learn that they're not a cab company at all... let alone what they really do. i think they should have put a little more thought into the color and name choices - unless they wanted to be routinely mistaken for a transportation company.
like -
WHY ISN'T IT FRIDAY YET???
like -
today is supposed to be day of snow and cold (still bummed about losing the 70 degree weather) and i desperately want to practice my "today is my best day ever"-customer-service-attitude with someone who's going to be contacting me within the next couple of hours regarding some customer service i need to provide her, and my real mood is more like "today is the crappy day of snow that comes in on the tail of a week that started with 70 degree days so how can i make you happy because you obviously don't care if i am." and i know i need to adjust, but come on...
(read on)
like -
my company recently tricked my work-installation of my yahoo messenger into thinking that it's already logged on, so i can't log on again, and dis-installed some of the codecs i need to listen to Michigan Public Radio on Media Player, and i'm fairly certain that if this trend keeps up they'll be taking down my walls and installing the company mariachi band directly across the hall. the translation to this is that a bulk of my creature comforts have been dismantled which only serves to make me a less than happy employee, instead of making me more secure... whatever.
ok - so the bottom line is that when i talk too much, it almost always denegrates into a litany of grousing instead of me focusing on silver linings and the bright side and whatnot... so, here's the good stuff:
i have a great family, i have a mini-vacation almost planned at the end of may and a real vacation (replete with ocean beach) actually planned for mid september and the snow can't last all spring and summer too, and my cat keeps my feet warm on snowy nights so maybe the oncoming snow isn't such a bad thing and i have a great family and it's likely that i'll be able to find a quick solution for my customer service issue, and possibly even a (not quick but suitable) solution to my Michigan Radio and Yahoo Messenger situations.
thanks for listening...
15 March 2006
Saving Babies wtih Gratuitous Self Promotion
As I do every year, I am walking (either literally or virtually) in the March of Dimes Walk-a-Thon at the end of April. I do the walk because I believe in the joy of motherhood. That's all, no soap box, no pity plea, just the plain and simple fact that being a mom is an incredible blessing, an honest to goodness miracle, and an outright joy. Well, that and I would like to think that I'm helping it be that way for as many moms as I can.
If you are interested and able, please follow the link in my sidebar to access my sponsor page. Otherwise, please send along your happy thoughts...
Thanks!
If you are interested and able, please follow the link in my sidebar to access my sponsor page. Otherwise, please send along your happy thoughts...
Thanks!
Moussaoui-Man
Consider:
A government has in custody a man who is clearly (if indirectly) responsible for the deaths of many citizens of its country.
The citizenry absolutely expects the government to prosecute, to the fullest extent, this assistant-murderer.
If he is put to death, he will most certainly be considered a martyr by his peers.
What can the government do BUT monkey up the case so expertly as to convince the judge and jury that there is no way to impose the death penalty, leaving life imprisonment the only option?
I'm honestly quite surprised the media hasn't already jumped all over this...
A government has in custody a man who is clearly (if indirectly) responsible for the deaths of many citizens of its country.
The citizenry absolutely expects the government to prosecute, to the fullest extent, this assistant-murderer.
If he is put to death, he will most certainly be considered a martyr by his peers.
What can the government do BUT monkey up the case so expertly as to convince the judge and jury that there is no way to impose the death penalty, leaving life imprisonment the only option?
I'm honestly quite surprised the media hasn't already jumped all over this...
3 months of Insurance Premiums
I scammed this from Pink Dot... whose blog, btw, is priceless.
My blog is worth $1,693.62.
How much is your blog worth?
14 March 2006
4WARD
looks like award. i shorthanded this little note on my calendar for April 2: "Spring 4Ward". every time i look up to my calendar, what i see is Spring Award and i wonder what i'm winning. it's unnerving.
my family have decided to kill me, i've decided. last night daughter smaked me in the nose with her head, hard enough that i heard something (most likely cartilage) crackle. i bled a bit. my nose (though not bruised) is swollen this morning, though only enough that i can tell. luck. then, this morning, on the perilous trek through the darkened halls, i smacked my middle toe of my right foot on one of the many errant computers we have lying around the house. no, i'm not kidding. everything from the top knuckle to the tip of my toe is numb, which i count as a blessing because i can't imagine how much it would hurt if i could actually feel it.
all this on the heels of a killer migraine yesterday (special nod to the wickedly changing weather in Michigan this week). sunday we passed a bank that said it was 75, yesterday it was definitely in the 70's this is what we have for the rest of the week:
my family have decided to kill me, i've decided. last night daughter smaked me in the nose with her head, hard enough that i heard something (most likely cartilage) crackle. i bled a bit. my nose (though not bruised) is swollen this morning, though only enough that i can tell. luck. then, this morning, on the perilous trek through the darkened halls, i smacked my middle toe of my right foot on one of the many errant computers we have lying around the house. no, i'm not kidding. everything from the top knuckle to the tip of my toe is numb, which i count as a blessing because i can't imagine how much it would hurt if i could actually feel it.
all this on the heels of a killer migraine yesterday (special nod to the wickedly changing weather in Michigan this week). sunday we passed a bank that said it was 75, yesterday it was definitely in the 70's this is what we have for the rest of the week:
i actually heard on NPR (ok, Michigan Radio) this morning that we should expect between 3 and 5 inches of snow on Thursday/Thursday night.
Pee-Pot! that's all i can say on the matter.
in other news i have a dozen more plastic easter eggs to hand from the ceiling of my office. these have bright colors and happy prints (most are lines and dots, but a few have bunnies and flowers)
i think that's about it for today. until maybe later.
09 March 2006
Library Card
for the first time in my life i own a library card (i'm not counting high school or college, as that was my student id too). it's for the city where i work... they graciously allow membership (for free) to residents, and people who work and study in the city. it makes me smile. hard.
i have no idea what they actually have in the library... i mean, you know, if it's well stocked or full of old boring stuff. my friend Q says it's a great place... full of good stuff. the part i like about it is that there's a LOT you can do online.
i'm actually thinking of hopping over to the website and downloading an audio book to start listening to on the way home this afternoon.
i have no idea what they actually have in the library... i mean, you know, if it's well stocked or full of old boring stuff. my friend Q says it's a great place... full of good stuff. the part i like about it is that there's a LOT you can do online.
i'm actually thinking of hopping over to the website and downloading an audio book to start listening to on the way home this afternoon.
08 March 2006
the doctor is in - $0.05
some days i think about going to a psychoanalyst maybe to discover what it is about me that makes me a distant type person. when i'm in company i'm not cold (i don't think) - at least not actively aloof. i'm not all that reserved, though i try to keep my rabid opinions to myself. i'm actually fairly candid in conversation.
what i don't get, though, is why i tend to avoid instances of conversation.
maybe it's a defense mechanism. knowing as i do that i open up when i'm with trusted friends, and still feeling the "danger" in being exposed, i just avoid the occasion of being around someone with whom i will spill-my-guts?
maybe it's just being accustomed (as an only child) to being my own company and keeping my own counsel?
i am, as i recently wrote in a letter of apology, most decidedly inconsistent company.
i seldom make social engagements because they cause me no end of angst in wishing my way out of them. when i do make plans (knowing that i'm not going to back out if i actually make the plan) i suffer "the anxiety" over being at least moderately more interesting than pocket lint - and still i find myself at a loss for a good ice-breaker or story that actually has a clever or witty ending... or even that has an ending would be good enough.
most of my long time friends (i.e. people who have put up with me and my skittishness for at least ten years) are either like me, or too busy to notice that they haven't seen me in several months, or have gotten so used to the fact that i leave the house less often than the-crazy-lady-with-the-jungle-of-cats-in-her-old-haunted-house that they almost prefer not to see me too often - just in case i start telling one of those stories that doesn't really have an ending.
i actually suck at companionship. i admit it freely.
but not at friendship. just so you know. i have abiding love for the people who i consider my friends... and even more for those brave souls who dare to call me friend.
just so you know
what i don't get, though, is why i tend to avoid instances of conversation.
maybe it's a defense mechanism. knowing as i do that i open up when i'm with trusted friends, and still feeling the "danger" in being exposed, i just avoid the occasion of being around someone with whom i will spill-my-guts?
maybe it's just being accustomed (as an only child) to being my own company and keeping my own counsel?
i am, as i recently wrote in a letter of apology, most decidedly inconsistent company.
i seldom make social engagements because they cause me no end of angst in wishing my way out of them. when i do make plans (knowing that i'm not going to back out if i actually make the plan) i suffer "the anxiety" over being at least moderately more interesting than pocket lint - and still i find myself at a loss for a good ice-breaker or story that actually has a clever or witty ending... or even that has an ending would be good enough.
most of my long time friends (i.e. people who have put up with me and my skittishness for at least ten years) are either like me, or too busy to notice that they haven't seen me in several months, or have gotten so used to the fact that i leave the house less often than the-crazy-lady-with-the-jungle-of-cats-in-her-old-haunted-house that they almost prefer not to see me too often - just in case i start telling one of those stories that doesn't really have an ending.
i actually suck at companionship. i admit it freely.
but not at friendship. just so you know. i have abiding love for the people who i consider my friends... and even more for those brave souls who dare to call me friend.
just so you know
Nibbles n Bits
do you ever get the feeling that half of what you write sounds more like bad band names (or worse, bad album names) because you're just trying to be clever enough to get people to read your stuff?
i've lost a bit more weight... 27 pounds in total, and i am writing to you from my new jeans, one size smaller. it feels pretty good.
this doesn't:
i've lost a bit more weight... 27 pounds in total, and i am writing to you from my new jeans, one size smaller. it feels pretty good.
this doesn't:
i have had my access to a site i particularly enjoyed visiting blocked. at first i thought it was a glitch with the site, but apparently others are still able to enjoy it. what brings me down the most, though, is that i considered the proprietess a friend (at the very least a friendly acquaintance) but i have the shocking feeling that i am mistaken.
sometime soon there will need to be an email from me, wondering what i've done to offend, and what i can do to make amends... but before i put myself out on that limb, i have some thinking to do, to see if i can figure it out on my own. (this is also a ruse on my part, trying to convince myself it's a work-computer restriction, and that if i just make the time while at home, on my own computer, i'll discover that it's all a technical glitch, and not some horrible misunderstanding). and, at the end of the day, if it all falls out poorly for me, i guess i'll just console myself to the fact that she has her reasons, and wish her well as i move on in my own direction.
the week is showing promise of being busy all the way through. i believe this is a good thing. it helps me embrace the feeling that i'm more than just a number monkey and something a bit more like a valuable cog in the machine that is my company. because of this, however, it's going to be a lame blog week.
apologies all around.
06 March 2006
balance
Work / Life
i'm back in the office. it's a lot like i left it... messy, warm and dark, and nearly silent. it seems the world is still sleeping at nearly 8am. i know, from experience last week, that the homestead is still in silent slumber... for at least another half an hour (the absolute earliest the baby will wake for the day is 8:30, and when she does that she's grumpy by noon).
i learned a lot about my daughter over the last week that i thought i already knew... but weekend days with your kid are a lot different than weekday days. for example, she only really likes breakfast when it's weekend breakfast (bacon or sausage, omlettes and toast or pancakes or french toast, and orange juice). on cereal week days that are punctuated only by the inclusion of a few slices of strawberry, or some fresh blueberries... she mostly just east the fruit, drinks some milk, and declares herself "done."
there are a lot of those little nuances that i never really knew about because the only times i've been home with her through the entire course of the day were when she was a nursing infant, weekends and vacations (which are really just extended weekends, and usually not even at home).
Checkbook
i never make as much money as i could use to pay bills, buy groceries, and occasionally spoil my family with little surprises. this time i actually included a new pair of jeans for myself (as my own are falling off my body and hanging in particularly unseemly sags). i have a whopping $20 left in my account. that should cover fuel costs until i get paid again on the 15th and the second half of the billing cycle happens to me.
Health
i'm feeling better. mom and daughter are feeling better... it only stands to follow that husband and father appear to be suffering the ravages now. i think that were i to work from home until we were all of sound body, i might as well just start taking the income tax deductions for home office.
my co-workers are beginning to drop like flies. fortunately, i can say with relative self assurance that this has nothing to do with me.
Mental
i will never willingly admit to any mental imbalance. i may, from time to time, agree that it is a very serious challenge to maintain it, but that's as much as you'll get from me.
Now that i'm back in the saddle you can anticipate something along the lines of daily updates.
i'm back in the office. it's a lot like i left it... messy, warm and dark, and nearly silent. it seems the world is still sleeping at nearly 8am. i know, from experience last week, that the homestead is still in silent slumber... for at least another half an hour (the absolute earliest the baby will wake for the day is 8:30, and when she does that she's grumpy by noon).
i learned a lot about my daughter over the last week that i thought i already knew... but weekend days with your kid are a lot different than weekday days. for example, she only really likes breakfast when it's weekend breakfast (bacon or sausage, omlettes and toast or pancakes or french toast, and orange juice). on cereal week days that are punctuated only by the inclusion of a few slices of strawberry, or some fresh blueberries... she mostly just east the fruit, drinks some milk, and declares herself "done."
there are a lot of those little nuances that i never really knew about because the only times i've been home with her through the entire course of the day were when she was a nursing infant, weekends and vacations (which are really just extended weekends, and usually not even at home).
Checkbook
i never make as much money as i could use to pay bills, buy groceries, and occasionally spoil my family with little surprises. this time i actually included a new pair of jeans for myself (as my own are falling off my body and hanging in particularly unseemly sags). i have a whopping $20 left in my account. that should cover fuel costs until i get paid again on the 15th and the second half of the billing cycle happens to me.
Health
i'm feeling better. mom and daughter are feeling better... it only stands to follow that husband and father appear to be suffering the ravages now. i think that were i to work from home until we were all of sound body, i might as well just start taking the income tax deductions for home office.
my co-workers are beginning to drop like flies. fortunately, i can say with relative self assurance that this has nothing to do with me.
Mental
i will never willingly admit to any mental imbalance. i may, from time to time, agree that it is a very serious challenge to maintain it, but that's as much as you'll get from me.
Now that i'm back in the saddle you can anticipate something along the lines of daily updates.
28 February 2006
the inevitable
so yeah... this was what i was originally going to post about until Heather stirred me up.
the inevitable has happened. i gained weight back.
i could blame it on my monthly terms coming due. i could blame it on the fact that saturday was my husband's birthday.
the short story, though, is that i didn't monitor all that well last week, and because i was sick i didn't work out, and i ate more calories than i burned and i gained back two pounds.
i'm going to have to make some time for the treadmill this week.
the inevitable has happened. i gained weight back.
i could blame it on my monthly terms coming due. i could blame it on the fact that saturday was my husband's birthday.
the short story, though, is that i didn't monitor all that well last week, and because i was sick i didn't work out, and i ate more calories than i burned and i gained back two pounds.
i'm going to have to make some time for the treadmill this week.
Working Mom and Wife
i work hard. some days i work so hard that i honestly think i'm doing whatever the grey-matter equivalent to a sprain is. i have headaches. i have stress knots in my neck and shoulders. i have buried frustrations. sometimes it's not even so much because of the work i do, but more because of the work i inherit because someone else - who actually should have the same capacity to do it as i - has shirked his responsibility to the company, or worse, to himself (as in, can't be bothered to put the brain-power into solving the problem). some days what i have to do at the office almost completely eats up who i am... and who i want to be for my husband, and who i need to be for my daughter. it's a horribly fine line... and i struggle to walk it almost every day.
we need me to work.
i have the only job in our little family that provides healthcare. we need that.
i have a mountain of debt which i resolutely WILL NOT hoist upon someone else.
we like to eat, and even, sometimes to wear nice clothes.
i celebrate holidays with gifts. when there is not a holiday at hand, i make one up.
i want my daughter to have the option of going to college without the panic about it that i faced from year to year (though i do want her to work and earn it...) so i have an account for her that i like to be able to stuff from time to time.
and finally, i like money... having it, spending it, knowing that i have enough to do a little something every now and again and not worrying.
we need me to work. and honestly, I need me to work.
this isn't to say, though, that if i could wave the magic debt-elimination wand and have another one for spending cash, and a third for bill-be-gone i wouldn't take it. i'd really rather love the option of working when and where i chose. i'd love to work as a volunteer for a cause that really moves me... or even not for a cause, but at a vet, or a bakery, or a greenhouse, or a florist... doing something with my hands and my heart... part time.
i want to be home when my daughter comes home from school ( that's just over 3 years from now) to bathe her in the hugs and enthusiasm she showers on me when i come home from work.
i want to be able to have lush dinners that took me hours to prepare, instead of what i could throw together in a half hour of fatigued un-winding after work and before bath and bed time.
i want to have a spark of spirit left in me, so that when my husband says "let's go hang out with K and C for a couple of hours and have some hangin' out fun" i'm not already calculating how that's going to weigh in against my sleep debt for the week.
heck - i'd like to have an hour or so every couple of days to work out that doesn't steal time from the closely regulated precious little that i have to actually share with them.
i won't even talk about cleaning, because truth be told, i'd rather have the money to hire a service than the time to spend doing it myself...
i work for money because i must. if i didn't need to, i'd still work, but it would be for me... for personal whosie-what's. and it would be on my terms... definitely part time, and most likely just for pin money, or vacation fund, or for "spoiling my college bound daughter with a gift certificate from the local grocer so she can make some hot-pot krispy treats and maybe have a nice salad..."
we return now to our regular programming....
we need me to work.
i have the only job in our little family that provides healthcare. we need that.
i have a mountain of debt which i resolutely WILL NOT hoist upon someone else.
we like to eat, and even, sometimes to wear nice clothes.
i celebrate holidays with gifts. when there is not a holiday at hand, i make one up.
i want my daughter to have the option of going to college without the panic about it that i faced from year to year (though i do want her to work and earn it...) so i have an account for her that i like to be able to stuff from time to time.
and finally, i like money... having it, spending it, knowing that i have enough to do a little something every now and again and not worrying.
we need me to work. and honestly, I need me to work.
this isn't to say, though, that if i could wave the magic debt-elimination wand and have another one for spending cash, and a third for bill-be-gone i wouldn't take it. i'd really rather love the option of working when and where i chose. i'd love to work as a volunteer for a cause that really moves me... or even not for a cause, but at a vet, or a bakery, or a greenhouse, or a florist... doing something with my hands and my heart... part time.
i want to be home when my daughter comes home from school ( that's just over 3 years from now) to bathe her in the hugs and enthusiasm she showers on me when i come home from work.
i want to be able to have lush dinners that took me hours to prepare, instead of what i could throw together in a half hour of fatigued un-winding after work and before bath and bed time.
i want to have a spark of spirit left in me, so that when my husband says "let's go hang out with K and C for a couple of hours and have some hangin' out fun" i'm not already calculating how that's going to weigh in against my sleep debt for the week.
heck - i'd like to have an hour or so every couple of days to work out that doesn't steal time from the closely regulated precious little that i have to actually share with them.
i won't even talk about cleaning, because truth be told, i'd rather have the money to hire a service than the time to spend doing it myself...
i work for money because i must. if i didn't need to, i'd still work, but it would be for me... for personal whosie-what's. and it would be on my terms... definitely part time, and most likely just for pin money, or vacation fund, or for "spoiling my college bound daughter with a gift certificate from the local grocer so she can make some hot-pot krispy treats and maybe have a nice salad..."
we return now to our regular programming....
26 February 2006
pajama Sunday
it's about quarter to five and the house is asleep - mom (sick, thanks to me) in her bedroom, the cat in his little kitty igloo, my husband and daughter on the sofa... my dad is out at the orange store shopping for a part for the insinkerator instant hot water device he's installing (i LOVE instant hot water devices!!!) and here i am blogging in peace... at home... on the weekend!
did i mention that there's a lovely fire in the fireplace, the sun is shining in through the windows, and there's a cup of hot tea close at hand? did i manage to slip the word idyll in there anywhere??
actually, to be fair, it's a weird feeling, just now, with the house quiet and me alone, left to my own devices. i recall one visit to my grandparents' house, when i was younger (i'm trying to recall what the exact situation that left me without my mom at her mom's house was, the only thing i can really think of is that it might have been christmas shopping...) when i was finally left alone with grandma and grandpa, my aunts and uncles had gone out to do their own things, they had both fallen asleep, and as i was old enough to know better than to make enough loud noises to wake them up, i found myself rather bored... without playmates or anything, really to do, at least not anything that wasn't noisy. it was one of the few times, as a child, that i actually considered myself lonely ( odd for an only child, i suppose).
my dad just came home to rescue me from the siberian loneliness of a sleeping house. i think i might go make myself useful in the kitchen... te he he.
did i mention that there's a lovely fire in the fireplace, the sun is shining in through the windows, and there's a cup of hot tea close at hand? did i manage to slip the word idyll in there anywhere??
actually, to be fair, it's a weird feeling, just now, with the house quiet and me alone, left to my own devices. i recall one visit to my grandparents' house, when i was younger (i'm trying to recall what the exact situation that left me without my mom at her mom's house was, the only thing i can really think of is that it might have been christmas shopping...) when i was finally left alone with grandma and grandpa, my aunts and uncles had gone out to do their own things, they had both fallen asleep, and as i was old enough to know better than to make enough loud noises to wake them up, i found myself rather bored... without playmates or anything, really to do, at least not anything that wasn't noisy. it was one of the few times, as a child, that i actually considered myself lonely ( odd for an only child, i suppose).
my dad just came home to rescue me from the siberian loneliness of a sleeping house. i think i might go make myself useful in the kitchen... te he he.
24 February 2006
p.s.
FranceyPants...
I'm so so so so sorry about your cold... shall i send you some ColdEze and an old mushy t-shirt hankey?
I'm so so so so sorry about your cold... shall i send you some ColdEze and an old mushy t-shirt hankey?
at home...
back in the day, people used to have "at home" days, meaning days when they were receiving visitors... it was all that luscious society life.
now, i'm at home because I'm recovering from the cold from hell - still - and helping to care for my daughter (who we all think is coming down with it). it's a working from home day. which is particuarly difficult, since the folks who were supposed to set me up to be able to work from home, never activated me to actually work from home...
i'm doing some research on products/projects we may or may not use/embark on. not bad... but painfully boring. not like real work, where i usually get to solve some sort of very real problem.
of course, the problem of ratty diapers, snotty nose, and empty tummy (brought on mostly by a wracked olfactory system) are challenge enough, i suppose.
love to all - have a great weekend!
now, i'm at home because I'm recovering from the cold from hell - still - and helping to care for my daughter (who we all think is coming down with it). it's a working from home day. which is particuarly difficult, since the folks who were supposed to set me up to be able to work from home, never activated me to actually work from home...
i'm doing some research on products/projects we may or may not use/embark on. not bad... but painfully boring. not like real work, where i usually get to solve some sort of very real problem.
of course, the problem of ratty diapers, snotty nose, and empty tummy (brought on mostly by a wracked olfactory system) are challenge enough, i suppose.
love to all - have a great weekend!
23 February 2006
wonderful
small wonders
last night my daughter gave me a big hug and said "I love you." she did it as if it were the most natural thing in the world. my heart soars.
natural wonders
the sun in my part of the world is rising a bit earlier every day now. when i stolled into the office at 5 minutes to 7 this morning, there were already streaks of golden luscious beginning to reflect off the surrounding east-facing buildings. it won't be long, now, before i'm grousing about having to drive east to work and west to home.
the wonders of science
(or - better living through chemistry)
after the NyQuil finally kicked in, i had a very good night's sleep. granted, i woke up with painfully compacted sinuses, again, and have spent most of my day attempting to evolve into something that is not a mouth breather. so far, the off-brand DayQuil are not working to my satisfaction, and i find myself facing the daunting possibility of having to pay the scandalous sum required to get the real stuff. still, thank heaven for ColdEze. I've all but boycotted paper-product-facial tissues (snissues in my house) citing my new mantra "what starts as a tree, ends up feeling like a tree." my nearly raw nostrils flare in agreement. at home i use an old, super mushy, 100% cotton t-shirt. even in it's raw state cottone looks soft and comfortable. i have an old old old washed 1000 times 100% cotton hanky here at work. it's not as soft as the t-shirt, and if the cold lasts much longer, i have a sinking suspicion that i will be bringing out the sewing machine and scissors to remedy the situation. a nose-blowing t-shirt doesn't need sleeves anyway, right?
will wonders never cease
the building is crypt-quiet today. people are out. people are heads-down-working to get ready for the big corporate meetings coming up next week. people are laying low hoping that the people who are heads-down-working won't have the time to bother them with "delegating" work this late in the game.
you can guess where I fall in the picture.
have a nice sunshiney happy filled day
last night my daughter gave me a big hug and said "I love you." she did it as if it were the most natural thing in the world. my heart soars.
natural wonders
the sun in my part of the world is rising a bit earlier every day now. when i stolled into the office at 5 minutes to 7 this morning, there were already streaks of golden luscious beginning to reflect off the surrounding east-facing buildings. it won't be long, now, before i'm grousing about having to drive east to work and west to home.
the wonders of science
(or - better living through chemistry)
after the NyQuil finally kicked in, i had a very good night's sleep. granted, i woke up with painfully compacted sinuses, again, and have spent most of my day attempting to evolve into something that is not a mouth breather. so far, the off-brand DayQuil are not working to my satisfaction, and i find myself facing the daunting possibility of having to pay the scandalous sum required to get the real stuff. still, thank heaven for ColdEze. I've all but boycotted paper-product-facial tissues (snissues in my house) citing my new mantra "what starts as a tree, ends up feeling like a tree." my nearly raw nostrils flare in agreement. at home i use an old, super mushy, 100% cotton t-shirt. even in it's raw state cottone looks soft and comfortable. i have an old old old washed 1000 times 100% cotton hanky here at work. it's not as soft as the t-shirt, and if the cold lasts much longer, i have a sinking suspicion that i will be bringing out the sewing machine and scissors to remedy the situation. a nose-blowing t-shirt doesn't need sleeves anyway, right?
will wonders never cease
the building is crypt-quiet today. people are out. people are heads-down-working to get ready for the big corporate meetings coming up next week. people are laying low hoping that the people who are heads-down-working won't have the time to bother them with "delegating" work this late in the game.
you can guess where I fall in the picture.
have a nice sunshiney happy filled day
22 February 2006
lessons learned
i'm beginning to remember some of the things i liked so well about my pre-motherhood life... like NyQuil... which i wasn't allowed to take for some 27 months, and by then i had forgotten how well it works (though i must admit, i'm fairly certain - - now - - that it works better on those who don't have a diet with a 10 - 15% alcohol content).
i slept SO well last night that i almost felt human this morning when i woke. of course, then i had to go and ruin it all by actually moving. that's when i realised that the inner workings of my right ear had joined the enemy forces. now, not only can i not hear so well, but i'm significantly off.
i know this is my karmic return for having messed with the cray fish in high school biology.
anywho, just so you don't think that i'm entirely anti-motherhood, one of the best things i learned from being pregnant and nursing is to never underestimate the power of pre-natal vitamins. i chalk this current misery up to the fact that in my sieve-headedness last week, i forgot to take my vitamins on a daily basis.
21 February 2006
today
today i have my coldeze, and my cepacol (ultra), and tea, and an extra box of snissues. i may not die.
today i love the IRS, who called (several times) to let me know that i forgot to sign (yes, i am that imbecile) and to tell me that i could fax in my signed page two for faster processing. yay me. yay IRS.
today i have a sore spot in the roof of my mouth from all the zinc in the coldeze
today was NEARLY a stay at home and get your health together kind of day...
i'm supposed to have a lot to do today, too, and there's a lot i'd like to do today too... but i'm flagging in the energy category and it's not even 9am
have a nice today, my friends....
today i love the IRS, who called (several times) to let me know that i forgot to sign (yes, i am that imbecile) and to tell me that i could fax in my signed page two for faster processing. yay me. yay IRS.
today i have a sore spot in the roof of my mouth from all the zinc in the coldeze
today was NEARLY a stay at home and get your health together kind of day...
i'm supposed to have a lot to do today, too, and there's a lot i'd like to do today too... but i'm flagging in the energy category and it's not even 9am
have a nice today, my friends....
20 February 2006
unfit for dogs...
the weather has been god-awful cold.
i'm feeling particularly under the weather - cold in my bones, achey muscles, and something of a head cold. i forgot my Cold-eze by the comfy chair this morning.
my nearly de-tipped left index finger doesn't hurt as much as it did yesterday, though it appears to have broken open enough to bleed again recently. who knew the potatoes would be such slippery little buggers.
i'm elbow deep in Ghostwritten... very much enjoying David Mitchell's writing, and all at once desperate to get to the end, and miserable with the thought of being out of book, again.
i'd give my left toe to be working from home today, but the rotten lousy network isn't my best friend right now, and until i can ensure that i actually CAN work from home, i don't want to say i'm going to, and not be able... maybe tomorrow... especially if i feel like this, or heaven forfend, worse.
i remember being a little kid and liking wearing band-aids. i think it was because they made me feel special, like i was someone to be reckoned with, fearless in the face of skinned knees and busted open elbows. now they're rather unsightly, cumbersome, and as often as not, as much of a bacteria trapping liability as a protective shield against the forces of infectious evil.
did i mention i have a "porkypine in my froat"?
i'm feeling particularly under the weather - cold in my bones, achey muscles, and something of a head cold. i forgot my Cold-eze by the comfy chair this morning.
my nearly de-tipped left index finger doesn't hurt as much as it did yesterday, though it appears to have broken open enough to bleed again recently. who knew the potatoes would be such slippery little buggers.
i'm elbow deep in Ghostwritten... very much enjoying David Mitchell's writing, and all at once desperate to get to the end, and miserable with the thought of being out of book, again.
i'd give my left toe to be working from home today, but the rotten lousy network isn't my best friend right now, and until i can ensure that i actually CAN work from home, i don't want to say i'm going to, and not be able... maybe tomorrow... especially if i feel like this, or heaven forfend, worse.
i remember being a little kid and liking wearing band-aids. i think it was because they made me feel special, like i was someone to be reckoned with, fearless in the face of skinned knees and busted open elbows. now they're rather unsightly, cumbersome, and as often as not, as much of a bacteria trapping liability as a protective shield against the forces of infectious evil.
did i mention i have a "porkypine in my froat"?
16 February 2006
tickety, tickety, tickety... boom
i have no idea where my time goes
i have considered cataloging it, like i do my calories these days, but to be honest, i was shaken deeply enough discovering that one of my favorite lunches contains about the number of calories i now eat in an entire day... i certainly don't need to wake up and realise that 20% of my day is spent making (not-sweet) tea.
i am in the throes of beginnning to be excited about a distant but upcoming vacation.
i've been examining airfare prices, trying to imagine what new size of bathing suit i'll need in September, and effectively "counting" away more than half of my year. still, it's exciting... and moreso because i know i'll have over 6 months to save before we go.
i am on a super-duper prayer kick
i still have 2 close friends who are desperate to have children. i pray for them nightly. i have one dear friend who's trapped in a multi-car-pile-up of a marriage, if i could pray for her hourly, i would. i have friends whose parents are ill, they're in my everyday prayers. i have a husband who's ever so keen on getting a non-contract job with benefits like sick leave and vacation time - you know he's in my prayers. i have a daughter who crowns my tome of thanksgiving every night. i'm considering investing in one of those banked candelabra that they have in the shrines.
i am still freaked out that the end of the month is mardi gras - already
and in the midst of all the slipping time, how could it come to pass that it's less than two weeks till mardi gras and i still don't have a mask...
i have considered cataloging it, like i do my calories these days, but to be honest, i was shaken deeply enough discovering that one of my favorite lunches contains about the number of calories i now eat in an entire day... i certainly don't need to wake up and realise that 20% of my day is spent making (not-sweet) tea.
i am in the throes of beginnning to be excited about a distant but upcoming vacation.
i've been examining airfare prices, trying to imagine what new size of bathing suit i'll need in September, and effectively "counting" away more than half of my year. still, it's exciting... and moreso because i know i'll have over 6 months to save before we go.
i am on a super-duper prayer kick
i still have 2 close friends who are desperate to have children. i pray for them nightly. i have one dear friend who's trapped in a multi-car-pile-up of a marriage, if i could pray for her hourly, i would. i have friends whose parents are ill, they're in my everyday prayers. i have a husband who's ever so keen on getting a non-contract job with benefits like sick leave and vacation time - you know he's in my prayers. i have a daughter who crowns my tome of thanksgiving every night. i'm considering investing in one of those banked candelabra that they have in the shrines.
i am still freaked out that the end of the month is mardi gras - already
and in the midst of all the slipping time, how could it come to pass that it's less than two weeks till mardi gras and i still don't have a mask...
15 February 2006
re-routing
something's gone wonky with my windows media player, and now i'm listening to my not so favorite local NPR station because i can't connect to michigan radio. still, thank goodness for itunes radio.
i'm tired.
i'm not particularly interested in doing anything more than getting a little more sleep...
... and warming up
and getting some caffiene into my system
i'm tired.
i'm not particularly interested in doing anything more than getting a little more sleep...
... and warming up
and getting some caffiene into my system
14 February 2006
little big things...
last night, just as we were settling in quietly enough to be in sleep mode, my daughter gave me the best valentine ever... she just-above-whispered her first unsolicited "I love you, mama", paused, then added "a whole bunch."
yeah... i'm still misty.
yeah... i'm still misty.
13 February 2006
hiatus
sorry about friday, things got kind of busy.
i'm looking down the hall and out the window and seeing snow fly, but the detcam doesn't look nearly as grey...
for those of you who don't know, i rather enjoy the snow, so watching it fall all weekend was rather delightful for me. still, i'm glad i don't live along the north-eastern seaboard - ugh!
apart from the magnitude of work on friday, the weekend was relatively peaceful and very pleasant (if cold). so pleasant in fact that i don't have a lot to say about it. how much sleeping in, yummy breakfast, and fun time with the baby does the web really need?
ok - well then, Elmo's coloring book was a blast. i was giddy with watching bright eyes locked in amazement at the stage full of her friends from "jabba jeep" (which we recentlly determined means "Sesame Street" and is not, in fact, the real name of big bird). i was thrilled to witness her clapping in rhythm with the music. i was tickled to experience (first hand) a new version of oscar the pleasant - even if it was only for the duration of a song. we all had a good time (though i suspect i'm the only one of the 3 adults who enjoyed the show itself as much as the show of my daughter watching the show itself - what can i say, i'm a sucker for monsters...) oh sure, she had a few meltdown moments, mostly when she was surrounded by the in-your-face throngs of other small children and their equally nervous and giddy parents, grandparents, and other spoilsome adult staff. she is definitely my child.
today is my friend bo's birthday. i don't know how old she is, i don't really care to ask. she's a bit older than i, but also a bit wiser, friendlier, and heaps more generous. i'm going to go wish her a great day.
09 February 2006
and the winner is...
a long long time ago i did a stupid thing at work, and i told my boss i felt so low... like something that lived under a rock... and he asked if i felt like a salamander, and i thought, yeah, that's pretty accurate. then shortly after my incalculable error, i fixed everything, and the recipient of the fixedness called me a rock star.
since then, when i do something wonderful, i call myself an R.S.S. which is short for Rock Star Salamander.
not only when i do these great things, but also when people (of similar ilk and appreciation for the out of the ordinary compliment) do great things, i likewise call them R.S.S.
so today i sent an email to my loving husband, who likes to occasionally receive interesting challenges to his artistic temperament (and who with an artistic temperament doesn't like the occasional challenge?), and asked him to photoshop me up an R.S.S. image or logo (though i'm already finding myself leaning toward the logo).
then it dawned on me, that if i had this piece of artwork, i could turn it (with the assitance of a micro-factory somewhere) into any number of interesting items, even, possibly, pins or some such to distribute to the people of the world when they do those things that make them feel brilliant.
then it dawned on me that i could, with a little hard work and a lot of good PR, turn it into my own awards ceremony - and we could all call them
"the Sallies"!
wouldn't it be loverly?
since then, when i do something wonderful, i call myself an R.S.S. which is short for Rock Star Salamander.
not only when i do these great things, but also when people (of similar ilk and appreciation for the out of the ordinary compliment) do great things, i likewise call them R.S.S.
so today i sent an email to my loving husband, who likes to occasionally receive interesting challenges to his artistic temperament (and who with an artistic temperament doesn't like the occasional challenge?), and asked him to photoshop me up an R.S.S. image or logo (though i'm already finding myself leaning toward the logo).
then it dawned on me, that if i had this piece of artwork, i could turn it (with the assitance of a micro-factory somewhere) into any number of interesting items, even, possibly, pins or some such to distribute to the people of the world when they do those things that make them feel brilliant.
then it dawned on me that i could, with a little hard work and a lot of good PR, turn it into my own awards ceremony - and we could all call them
"the Sallies"!
wouldn't it be loverly?
denied...
i tried to give blood today.
a while back i heard that the Red Cross had changed its policy on people who had visited the UK, but in reading the "important to know before you donate" guide, the same old commentary about if you spent 3 months or more in the UK between 1980 and 1996 still lingers.
i'm a mad cow liability
a while back i heard that the Red Cross had changed its policy on people who had visited the UK, but in reading the "important to know before you donate" guide, the same old commentary about if you spent 3 months or more in the UK between 1980 and 1996 still lingers.
i'm a mad cow liability
08 February 2006
scatter
EDIT: scratch the extra card - just realised (courtesy of an old co-worker) that today is another old co-worker's birthday... yay serendipity!
i was just putting on a smattering of concealer and some pressed powder (i have a 9am meeting, and need to not scare the other folks attending) and thought back to this one time in high school when a girl who i thought was insanely lovely - one of the A-group girls, no less - approached me at lunch and asked me what i did to make my skin look so beautiful. at the time, i thought for sure that i was on the verge of my own personal Carrie moment (not that i was that far from the A-group, but i was definitely one of the "artsy" kids in my school) and could nearly feel my shoulders hunching in anticipation of the blood bucket as i explained my detailed application of moisturizer, foundation, pressed powder and loose powder, all in a mish-mash of complementary shades to give a tone on tone kaleidoscope effect blah blah blah. the real answer is that i was obsessed with my weight and was drinking about a gazillion ounces of water a day, and because i wore so much makeup (which, in comparison with some of the girls in my class, wasn't nearly all that much) i kept impeccable cleansing practices, and i just had really REALLY good skin back then. somewhere in my late 20's it started going painfully awry, most likely stress, lax eating habits, and alcohol rather than water did most of the damage.
really funny bit is that i'm currently SO envious of the body, skin, and hair that i had all those years ago, i'll probably burn for a significant number of years just off that one little deadly sin.
i have an old friend coming over for dinner tonight... i'm making a simple chicken and broccoli stir-fry because i'm sure the dinner is secondary to the visit. this will be the first time she's seen the baby since shortly after her birth (shortly enough after that i was still home on maternity leave). i'm looking forward to it, yet i'm a bit anxious... i still weigh more than i did when she saw me last, and it's still an issue for me. she won't mention it, certainly, but at the same time, she met me when I was much smaller, and i believe that every time she seems me when i'm not that size (which was still larger than i ought to be) i have the feeling of a sad, head-shaking feeling going through her... in that "you could be so pretty" sort of way. it's all me, i know, but ugh.
why am i dieting? vanity and health concerns... honestly in fairly equal portions. i seriously want to be healthy enough to not only be around, but be fun while my daughter grows up, that's for sure. at the same time, i have found myself looking in the mirror at my "pretty" face and focusing only on the bubble of fat that sits under what should be my only chin. when that starts receding, i'll start feeling better... i'm sure.
bought a dozen greeting cards yesterday and a pack of valentines. i have one card that's not accounted for - a spare - out of all of that. and that's on the heels of a valentines day card spree a couple of weeks ago. Hallmark loves me... possibly almost as much as K at Pink Dot.
i want a vacation. a good one. Soon enough, vacations are going to be (and not because i don't want it this way) the memorable family trips to the grand canyon, and Niagara falls, and the capitol, and those places that every kid should see when they're still a kid. right now, though, i want a tropical breezes, beach and pool-side, sand and sun extravaganza.
i was just putting on a smattering of concealer and some pressed powder (i have a 9am meeting, and need to not scare the other folks attending) and thought back to this one time in high school when a girl who i thought was insanely lovely - one of the A-group girls, no less - approached me at lunch and asked me what i did to make my skin look so beautiful. at the time, i thought for sure that i was on the verge of my own personal Carrie moment (not that i was that far from the A-group, but i was definitely one of the "artsy" kids in my school) and could nearly feel my shoulders hunching in anticipation of the blood bucket as i explained my detailed application of moisturizer, foundation, pressed powder and loose powder, all in a mish-mash of complementary shades to give a tone on tone kaleidoscope effect blah blah blah. the real answer is that i was obsessed with my weight and was drinking about a gazillion ounces of water a day, and because i wore so much makeup (which, in comparison with some of the girls in my class, wasn't nearly all that much) i kept impeccable cleansing practices, and i just had really REALLY good skin back then. somewhere in my late 20's it started going painfully awry, most likely stress, lax eating habits, and alcohol rather than water did most of the damage.
really funny bit is that i'm currently SO envious of the body, skin, and hair that i had all those years ago, i'll probably burn for a significant number of years just off that one little deadly sin.
i have an old friend coming over for dinner tonight... i'm making a simple chicken and broccoli stir-fry because i'm sure the dinner is secondary to the visit. this will be the first time she's seen the baby since shortly after her birth (shortly enough after that i was still home on maternity leave). i'm looking forward to it, yet i'm a bit anxious... i still weigh more than i did when she saw me last, and it's still an issue for me. she won't mention it, certainly, but at the same time, she met me when I was much smaller, and i believe that every time she seems me when i'm not that size (which was still larger than i ought to be) i have the feeling of a sad, head-shaking feeling going through her... in that "you could be so pretty" sort of way. it's all me, i know, but ugh.
why am i dieting? vanity and health concerns... honestly in fairly equal portions. i seriously want to be healthy enough to not only be around, but be fun while my daughter grows up, that's for sure. at the same time, i have found myself looking in the mirror at my "pretty" face and focusing only on the bubble of fat that sits under what should be my only chin. when that starts receding, i'll start feeling better... i'm sure.
bought a dozen greeting cards yesterday and a pack of valentines. i have one card that's not accounted for - a spare - out of all of that. and that's on the heels of a valentines day card spree a couple of weeks ago. Hallmark loves me... possibly almost as much as K at Pink Dot.
i want a vacation. a good one. Soon enough, vacations are going to be (and not because i don't want it this way) the memorable family trips to the grand canyon, and Niagara falls, and the capitol, and those places that every kid should see when they're still a kid. right now, though, i want a tropical breezes, beach and pool-side, sand and sun extravaganza.
07 February 2006
as if the math isn't enough...
on top of all of the math and determining what you do and don't qualify for, the IRS actually expects you to remember to sign the form before mailing it in.
yeah... i think i was an utter dumba** and totally blanked on signing the form. it should only add about a month to a month and a half for the refund to come rolling in. shudder.
i KNEW i should have done it online - cute little instruction book and envelope and stickers they mail you be damned. it's my own fault, i suppose... i'm such a sucker for stickers.
let's all keep our fingers crossed, shall we, that i don't bonehead up on the state form too.
yeah... i think i was an utter dumba** and totally blanked on signing the form. it should only add about a month to a month and a half for the refund to come rolling in. shudder.
i KNEW i should have done it online - cute little instruction book and envelope and stickers they mail you be damned. it's my own fault, i suppose... i'm such a sucker for stickers.
let's all keep our fingers crossed, shall we, that i don't bonehead up on the state form too.
06 February 2006
time warp
Oddity of the Year (thus far)
since early January i've noticed that time is behaving oddly. these days i can find myself on the tail end of a Friday wondering where tuesday afternoon went, but when i try to think back to what happened last month this time, i feel like i'm trying to remember my 16th birthday... oh so far behind me.
probably i'm just going senile.
since early January i've noticed that time is behaving oddly. these days i can find myself on the tail end of a Friday wondering where tuesday afternoon went, but when i try to think back to what happened last month this time, i feel like i'm trying to remember my 16th birthday... oh so far behind me.
probably i'm just going senile.
the blizzard that didn't - take two
let me just say this first and foremost - ugh
first - because i'm actually resorting to "talking about the weather"
second - because the weather just so isn't
and now the rundown
Friday C.O.B.
in a mad rush to hit the ladies room before leaving for the 1 hour commute home, someone in an equally mad rush (heaven forfend) to make it back to her office, very unceremoniously ran into me on my way out of the elevator. beyond almost peeing my pants, i did a quick sprain on my right ankle (the "strong" one) and hobbled my way to the ladies'. and out to the car. and in to the house once i finally got home.
Saturday Antics
the weather folk said we were supposed to have a doozie of a snowstorm. my head was - for the most part - in concurrence, as was my recently twisted (i downgraded from sprain because apart from the nearly falling on my face incident at potty time at 3am, i actually could walk so it didn't warrant true sprain classification) ankle. anyway, because of the numerous harbingers of precipitous doom, i decided that i needed to do the weekend grocery shopping sooner than later. this, ruefully, meant alone, as my husband was still at his parents' house and my mom is currently indisposed with a back strain that if not treated gently could disable her at any moment. when i say alone, you know, i mean alone with the baby (who would, i believe, gnaw through the sheet metal of my car door before missing an opportunity to go "shopping" - even just grocery shopping). she was an angel, btw, in the store (and on the drives to and from!). i'm convinced this good behaviour was entirely the result of her awareness of my self destructive march up and down every aisle of the store so as not to forget anything (which, of course, i did - kool-aid, cool whip, and chicken stock). my ankle was in tatters.
home for about an hour and i got a phone call from my husband who was on his way home and worried about making it in time for us to get ready for the evenings activities (about which i had entirely forgotten until his call, and for which i was, most definitely, not prepared). shudder. with screaming head and ankle i tried (ultimately in vain) to steel myself for an evening of dinner and bingo. i think i may have cried a little... not for my own sake, but damn i hate disappointing my husband. within minutes of being in the house he knew i didn't relish the idea of going. moments after that he graciously opted not only me, but himself, out of the plans, and spent the time, instead, being present for me and the baby. ooh, i love him so.
saturday night i hobbled around the house trying to make a better than pretty good dinner, my husband helped. it was slightly better than pretty good (one of my cooking experiments... suffice it to say, I will not be serving rice noodles any time again soon).
Pajama Sunday
got up, got outta bed, dragged the cat across my head.
went downstairs and made my favorite new Sunday breakfast, french toasted crumpets. utterly delectable.
after breakfast we took the baby out to make a snowman of her very own (it took no less than 10 minutes to convince her that her stuffed "frosty" couldn't come out with us) the end result was pretty impressive, considering the absolute minimum of snow (about 2 inches out of the "up to 8" we were promised) and the cold (pack inhibitor) and the fact that it was actually two adults over 30 (and not our pre-two year old, who would have certainly done a much better job without us) building the thing. it took another 10 to 15 minutes to convince her to come in (and that she couldn't bring her snowman, because he'd melt)
making dessert, making and eating lunch, a little play time, and just about the crankiest 21 month old in the house later and my husband and daughter and i were on the road, questing for a nap and some chicken stock (i also remembered the kool-aid, and some after-thought carrots, but still no cool whip). she napped for about 45 minutes (at 5-6 pm this is exactly the amount she requires to be utterly sleepless at bedtime). the minute we got home she woke up, and immediately resumed her pre-drive pleas to build another sneman. fortunately it was just getting dark enough that she bought the "too dark, maybe another day" argument (quite honestly, i do hope we get another day - resplendent in fat fluffy snow - and can build her a proper snowman - before winter is officially over). dinner, dishes, and bathtime gone and the drama of bedtime. she actually went down easier than i had expected, but it was still a battle.
this week is going to be busy. THIS is actually the week i'm going to attempt to give blood. i also have about a dozen birthday cards and two birthday gifts to find the time to purchase. add to that that this week is Elmo's coloring book and a new slew of work to get through, and - wow - i'm so looking forward to the weekend...
03 February 2006
quadrameme
no one tagged me
and i don't really have anything that fascinating to add
but my creative brain has been suffering rolling brown-outs this week
that and i have a squirreled away copy of some crap from radioIO80's running on my iTunes right now instead of my regular dose of NPR (sometimes Robin Lostig -sp?- can grate my brain with his voice).
4-Jobs
data monkey
freelance personality
virtual coffee-mug factory operations manager
cage dancer
4-Films
Pride and Prejudice - BBC
The Fifth Element (not about alcohol - whoda thunk?)
Truly Madly Deeply
Finding Nemo
4-Places I've Lived
Michigan - too much all over
Norfolk England
Rhode Island - briefly
4-TV shows
Survivor
America's Test Kitchen
Food Channel Challenge - whatever it is
CSI
4-Vacations
Disney World
Koln, Germany
All Over Australia/NZ
Sunny California
4-Favorite Dishes
Cherry Pineapple Pork Chops
Lamb Salad with Creamy Romano-Garlic dressing
Beer n Curry Night Vindaloo
Hummus and Lamb with fresh pitas
4-Sites I Visit Daily
Dooce
Mighty Goods
PinkDot
Allison
4-Places I'd Rather Be
a sundrenched beach with my family and the salted roar of the ocean
the Criterion Hotel Restaurant, munching on lamb salad with creamy romano garlic dressing
at home in bed cuddling with my family
having that imaginary dinner party where you can invite all sorts of people regardless of their actual status of living...
and i don't really have anything that fascinating to add
but my creative brain has been suffering rolling brown-outs this week
that and i have a squirreled away copy of some crap from radioIO80's running on my iTunes right now instead of my regular dose of NPR (sometimes Robin Lostig -sp?- can grate my brain with his voice).
4-Jobs
data monkey
freelance personality
virtual coffee-mug factory operations manager
cage dancer
4-Films
Pride and Prejudice - BBC
The Fifth Element (not about alcohol - whoda thunk?)
Truly Madly Deeply
Finding Nemo
4-Places I've Lived
Michigan - too much all over
Norfolk England
Rhode Island - briefly
4-TV shows
Survivor
America's Test Kitchen
Food Channel Challenge - whatever it is
CSI
4-Vacations
Disney World
Koln, Germany
All Over Australia/NZ
Sunny California
4-Favorite Dishes
Cherry Pineapple Pork Chops
Lamb Salad with Creamy Romano-Garlic dressing
Beer n Curry Night Vindaloo
Hummus and Lamb with fresh pitas
4-Sites I Visit Daily
Dooce
Mighty Goods
PinkDot
Allison
4-Places I'd Rather Be
a sundrenched beach with my family and the salted roar of the ocean
the Criterion Hotel Restaurant, munching on lamb salad with creamy romano garlic dressing
at home in bed cuddling with my family
having that imaginary dinner party where you can invite all sorts of people regardless of their actual status of living...
02 February 2006
Day of Ugly Skirts
everyone in my office is wearing an ugly skirt, or worse, a lovely skirt paired with entirely the wrong foot coverings (namely inappropriate boots)
ok - i exaggerate - none of the men are wearing skirts, and probably only half of the women, and of that half of the women, only a few of them are in ugly skirts, and a few more with unfortunate shoe/boot pairings
i'm hungry and i don't have any skim milk and i can't eat the oatmeal without the milk - shudder - again
this picture makes me laugh. every time i even think about the notion of toilet training my cat i imagine this in my head an all of a sudden it's not nearly as appealing - even though it would be really awesome to never have to empty/clean a "potty box" (as my daughter calls it) again.
where i am in my day:
manky tea
ratty fingernails
BBC Newshour on Michigan Radio (NPR)
waiting for the milk cart
where my day is going:
lunch with my friend Q at Chang's
some monkey work
dinner with my family at my friend Stef's house
possibly/hopefully Survivor
and with real luck, a good night's sleep
ok - i exaggerate - none of the men are wearing skirts, and probably only half of the women, and of that half of the women, only a few of them are in ugly skirts, and a few more with unfortunate shoe/boot pairings
i'm hungry and i don't have any skim milk and i can't eat the oatmeal without the milk - shudder - again
this picture makes me laugh. every time i even think about the notion of toilet training my cat i imagine this in my head an all of a sudden it's not nearly as appealing - even though it would be really awesome to never have to empty/clean a "potty box" (as my daughter calls it) again.
where i am in my day:
manky tea
ratty fingernails
BBC Newshour on Michigan Radio (NPR)
waiting for the milk cart
where my day is going:
lunch with my friend Q at Chang's
some monkey work
dinner with my family at my friend Stef's house
possibly/hopefully Survivor
and with real luck, a good night's sleep
31 January 2006
scribble brain
contribution:
i have a square in the office superbowl pool. one square. my numbers are appalling. i should just send an email to the office now, acknowledging how pleased i am to have been able to assist someone in his or her compilation of a really kick-butt weekend-fun fund
anticipation:
i'm having my friends over again tonight for our once-a-month foray into the world of "the evil around us" and above and beyond the "gifts" i have for two of them, i'm also just really really excited to see them all and share some fun and laughter
addiction:
my daughter is utterly addicted to Frofy the Sneman (translation - Frosty the Snowman). her stuffed snowman is her all time favorite toy (you know, the one she has to have with her or at least in her line of sight at all times, the one she can't sleep without...), she makes at least one member of the household (usually no fewer than two) sing the song at least 3 times a day, and at 21 months she knows most of the lyrics and can sing them with enough clarity that just about anyone listening would know them as well as she does.
fortunately her addiction isn't so full-blown as to be exclusive, as she still enjoys making mama sing pretty much all the kid songs i can dredge from my memory cells on a fairly regular basis as well
sacrifice:
in spite of some recent contraindicators from my body, i have tentatively scheduled myself to donate blood this Thursday. there is still the chance that something like a non-sinking blood drop will disqualify me from sacrifice, but this time, for some reason, i actually feel compelled to participate. when i get a gut feeling like this, i comply.
temptation:
there are 5 errant sandies (escaped from a 100 calorie snack pack) sitting on my desk. i was unable to find their bag this morning, so I threw them in my pocket and headed out the door. i don't know how many calories they contain, but the little devil on my left shoulder keeps telling me that if they're not in a bag, they're calorie free
distraction:
i have been passing time over the last week "shopping" for a really awesome valentine's day gift for my husband. i have a couple of things that i think he'll like, but i'm still struggling against that one gift that is bound to make him really happy. ... well, other than that.
resolution:
i have resolved that this year i am going to send my last three years' history (probably a la pictogramicon mini photo album) to my friend Mausi in Germany. i miss her more than i can frame in words, and i feel like a serious jerk/loser/crumb for not having resumed contact sooner
that's all for today...
i have a square in the office superbowl pool. one square. my numbers are appalling. i should just send an email to the office now, acknowledging how pleased i am to have been able to assist someone in his or her compilation of a really kick-butt weekend-fun fund
anticipation:
i'm having my friends over again tonight for our once-a-month foray into the world of "the evil around us" and above and beyond the "gifts" i have for two of them, i'm also just really really excited to see them all and share some fun and laughter
addiction:
my daughter is utterly addicted to Frofy the Sneman (translation - Frosty the Snowman). her stuffed snowman is her all time favorite toy (you know, the one she has to have with her or at least in her line of sight at all times, the one she can't sleep without...), she makes at least one member of the household (usually no fewer than two) sing the song at least 3 times a day, and at 21 months she knows most of the lyrics and can sing them with enough clarity that just about anyone listening would know them as well as she does.
fortunately her addiction isn't so full-blown as to be exclusive, as she still enjoys making mama sing pretty much all the kid songs i can dredge from my memory cells on a fairly regular basis as well
sacrifice:
in spite of some recent contraindicators from my body, i have tentatively scheduled myself to donate blood this Thursday. there is still the chance that something like a non-sinking blood drop will disqualify me from sacrifice, but this time, for some reason, i actually feel compelled to participate. when i get a gut feeling like this, i comply.
temptation:
there are 5 errant sandies (escaped from a 100 calorie snack pack) sitting on my desk. i was unable to find their bag this morning, so I threw them in my pocket and headed out the door. i don't know how many calories they contain, but the little devil on my left shoulder keeps telling me that if they're not in a bag, they're calorie free
distraction:
i have been passing time over the last week "shopping" for a really awesome valentine's day gift for my husband. i have a couple of things that i think he'll like, but i'm still struggling against that one gift that is bound to make him really happy. ... well, other than that.
resolution:
i have resolved that this year i am going to send my last three years' history (probably a la pictogramicon mini photo album) to my friend Mausi in Germany. i miss her more than i can frame in words, and i feel like a serious jerk/loser/crumb for not having resumed contact sooner
that's all for today...
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