For the last week I've been fighting a head cold. I think it might even be a sinus infection. I try to will these things away but this one's hanging on. Then yesterday I felt great. I wasn't lethargic, my ears didn't hurt, and I for once, I didn't have a clogged up nose or sore throat. And I could actually walk without feeling woozy. So this morning really sucked when I woke up to the sinus pain-wooziness again. Just when I thought it was gone for good. After an internal struggle to get my ass out of bed and get to the gym, I got dressed and headed out the door in record time.
As I pulled out of the driveway, I thought I will be fine, the fresh air on the ride in will really help. A few minutes and a big bump in the road later I found my coffee splashing all over the steering wheel, across my sweatshirt - white of course, down my pants - nothing like wet, cold thighs, and dripping onto my new running shoes. I did want to break them in quickly because I hate how white they are, but having coffee spots on them less than 24 hours after I got them wasn't exactly what I had in mind. Not to mention that I just cleaned the coffee grunge out of my car from the last time I spilled it.
So now I'm a whole three-quarters of a block away from home thinking just drive! And as luck would have it, it didn't matter which lane I was in, it was always the wrong one. It didn't take me long to give up any notion of smooth sailing to work so I just stuck it out behind the slow guy not paying attention to where he's going, probably because he has coffee in his lap.
By the time I pulled into the parking structure, I discovered my access card to the lot had slid under the car seat. Trying to dig around for it while in gear is very dangerous for my short legged self. After a struggle that in reality lasted about a second but seemed like an eternity, I was finally in.
A funny thing happens once I get into the fitness center. Everything melts away. Running cleared my head. Watching the sun creep up higher in the sky is so soothing. The seagulls provided extra entertainment as they danced around each other and performed their grooming ritual. It never matters what happens once I'm in that door, I just wish that when the next day comes, I would remember the feeling so I didn't have to convince myself to get up and go all over again. I need to find a way to remind myself...
Jeff and I went out to a company sponsored event. So he asks me what I want to drink knowing very well that the offerings would be limited. I'm thinking to myself, "Wouldn't it be easier to tell me what they have, or even better, he knows what I would choose. Or I would think he should know by now!" So I ask for my usual first choice.
"Do they have Corona Light?" I say.
His response, "No."
"Do they have Corona?"
His response, "No."
"How about Rolling Rock Green Light?"
His response, "No."
I say, "Ok so that must mean no Rolling Rock either."
His response, "No."
I'm thinking I'm tired of playing this game, so I start rattling off the list in the exact order that I always choose them. "So how about Mike's Hard Lemonade, or Fosters, or Michelob Ultra?"
His response, "No."
"Don't you know my pecking order by now?", I say with a half-smirk.
He peers in the fridge and hands me a Heineken. Well now he's thinking! And was that so hard? Why did I have to go through all that? Oh well, I'm sure I will repeat this scene more than once more.
"Do they have Corona Light?" I say.
His response, "No."
"Do they have Corona?"
His response, "No."
"How about Rolling Rock Green Light?"
His response, "No."
I say, "Ok so that must mean no Rolling Rock either."
His response, "No."
I'm thinking I'm tired of playing this game, so I start rattling off the list in the exact order that I always choose them. "So how about Mike's Hard Lemonade, or Fosters, or Michelob Ultra?"
His response, "No."
"Don't you know my pecking order by now?", I say with a half-smirk.
He peers in the fridge and hands me a Heineken. Well now he's thinking! And was that so hard? Why did I have to go through all that? Oh well, I'm sure I will repeat this scene more than once more.
One of my co-workers (I will call her CW) wants me to go on vacation with her. I don't know why. We have absolutely nothing in common. Nothing. For God sakes, she drinks Miller Lite. How boring is that! She keeps mentioning Vegas and I really would love to go there but not with her. She is a very nice woman, she has a great smile, but no fun. I agreed to go with her to a Packer game last fall. It was awful. The game was great, the tailgating was great, but my experience with her - awful.
It started when she was 2 hours late to pick me up. I took the afternoon off of work because we were supposed to leave at 12:30 - this was a Monday night football game. We were going to stop for lunch halfway between Milwaukee and Green Bay so we would be ready for some serious drinking. She showed up at my house at 2:30. Plus we had to stop at her bank, gas station, and the post office. And not just any post office, it had to be the 24-hour one by the airport because her local one loses her mail. Plus she forgot the maps so we had to go back to her house. So now we're stuck in the start of rush hour and we have to hurry because the plan was to get to our hotel, check in, and get on their bus to the stadium in order to avoid the congestion and having to drive around in an area we are not familiar with.
We checked in to our hotel and the bus was leaving in 5 minutes. 5 MINUTES! I have to get my snow pants on and my heavy winter gear. As we got dressed I noticed that her stuff was packed in grocery bags. She had off all day and she still couldn't find the time to pack, not to mention, bank, gas, mail... but I digress. We ran to the bus in the nick of time. As the drivers took roll call, we waited with a group of 6 guys. They were funny, flirty, and cute. She refused to respond and kept her head down. No wonder she never gets a date. Did I mention we had noting in common?
We got to the game where we were meeting some of her friends. I know these guys and they are a blast. She forgot the map and looks at me like what should we do??? I tell her to call them on her cell phone. She gets her phone out and dials. She must not have the network following her around because her phone kept cutting her off. She would connect and the call would drop within the first 30 seconds. So she kept redialing. Every time she connected she would whine about the previous dropped call. I finally said, "JUST ASK THEM WHERE THEY ARE!!" She got the information, they told her they were in the parking lot of the curling club. OK. So now she's whining because she doesn't know where the curling club is. I walked up to a guy parking cars and asked. He pointed directly across the street! I'm thinking duh. So there they were, steaks grilling and bloody marys flowing. Yippee!
As we got introduced to some new people in the party I felt an immediate sense of belonging. CW's friend, John handed me a plate full of steak, I headed over to a woman I just met and asked her if I could sit down. She cleared me a place and I proceeded to eat..I was starving since we couldn't stop for lunch. When John handed CW her steak she stood there looking at me whining about where she was going to sit. Did I mention that she can't make decisions? Her other friend, Bill pulled up a chair for her-there were four empty ones so I don't understand why this was so difficult. When I finished eating, I thanked John for the steak and complimented him on how good it was. CW whined, "My steak was cold cuz it took me so long to find some place to sit." Did I mention that she is a complainer?
After we ate we headed into Lambeau. Something happens when you walk in. The energy and electricity flow and you enter a euphoric state of camaraderie with everyone else there. You are even one with the Minnesota fans, believe it or not. CW is now worried...what if we get separated? I reminded her that her seat number is on her ticket and I would end up right next to her. Geez. If you've never been to Lambeau there's one thing you have to be prepared for. You are sitting on steel bleachers. And since more than half of America is very fat, chances are that your little piece of prime real estate containing your seat number will get swallowed up like a twinkie at a fat farm if you don't stake a claim. So we rent the stadium buddies for $5. I prefer renting them to bringing your own because when the game is over you can just get up and walk away. CW is now complaining about the 5 bucks. Did I mention that she never has any money?
So we get to the seats, plop down the stadium buddies over the seat numbers and we're all set. We have four Minnesota fans in front of us and Packer fans all around. Then Brett Favre takes the field. This has the same effect as the Pope entering the church at the beginning of mass. I can hardly contain myself I'm so excited. And the game begins. We trade jabs with the Minnesota people along with some high-fives and some body slamming just for fun. It was even a little on the flirty side. CW just sat there. Everyone is standing, jumping, clapping, cheering, and she just sat there. I started to wonder why she wanted to come. Did she understand football? Not that I'm an expert but I know enough to blend in with the 'fan'atics. I asked her if she was having a good time. All she said was, "It's so crowded and cramped." I joked that it was a good thing, it was keeping us all warm. I think I already mentioned the complainer thing.
We got back to the bus in time and headed back to the hotel. I asked her if she wanted to go to the bar, she said no. OK so all the Packer fans are in the bar and you want to go to bed. Arrrghhh. I can roll with it. I said that it's fine, we'll get up and head to the fitness center, swim a few laps and hit the hot tub. She forgot her swimsuit. Now it was her idea to bring swimsuits. She said she couldn't find hers and kind of ran out of time to look for it. She took the entire day off today! I wondered what she did with all that time.
I knew CW was not a morning person like I am, so I let her sleep, I put on my running gear, grabbed my swimsuit and headed to the fitness center. I ran for 45 minutes, swam laps, grabbed a cup of coffee and soaked in the hot tub. By the time I got back to the room she was getting out of the shower. Perfect timing. I got in the shower and we were off to breakfast by 10.
We headed to the casino in Green Bay to meet up with John and Richie. I am not a gambler. I thought CW was because she really wants to go to Vegas and she really wanted to go to the casino today. I am usually up for an adventure so I thought fine. We got there and she stood there not knowing what to do. Richie turned her by the shoulders and set her down in front of a machine. I think I mentioned the inability to make a decision thing. John was playing some card game and I asked him if it would be OK if I watched. He was gracious enough to take the time to explain it to me so I started to play. CW came to watch. I asked her if she wanted to play and she said she didn't know. I wondered if this was the money thing again.
We left a few hours later and headed home. I really did have a good time but CW wasn't the reason. It's hard not to have fun at Lambeau. And I really believe where ever you go you can make your own fun. But that doesn't mean I am going to go to Vegas with her.
It started when she was 2 hours late to pick me up. I took the afternoon off of work because we were supposed to leave at 12:30 - this was a Monday night football game. We were going to stop for lunch halfway between Milwaukee and Green Bay so we would be ready for some serious drinking. She showed up at my house at 2:30. Plus we had to stop at her bank, gas station, and the post office. And not just any post office, it had to be the 24-hour one by the airport because her local one loses her mail. Plus she forgot the maps so we had to go back to her house. So now we're stuck in the start of rush hour and we have to hurry because the plan was to get to our hotel, check in, and get on their bus to the stadium in order to avoid the congestion and having to drive around in an area we are not familiar with.
We checked in to our hotel and the bus was leaving in 5 minutes. 5 MINUTES! I have to get my snow pants on and my heavy winter gear. As we got dressed I noticed that her stuff was packed in grocery bags. She had off all day and she still couldn't find the time to pack, not to mention, bank, gas, mail... but I digress. We ran to the bus in the nick of time. As the drivers took roll call, we waited with a group of 6 guys. They were funny, flirty, and cute. She refused to respond and kept her head down. No wonder she never gets a date. Did I mention we had noting in common?
We got to the game where we were meeting some of her friends. I know these guys and they are a blast. She forgot the map and looks at me like what should we do??? I tell her to call them on her cell phone. She gets her phone out and dials. She must not have the network following her around because her phone kept cutting her off. She would connect and the call would drop within the first 30 seconds. So she kept redialing. Every time she connected she would whine about the previous dropped call. I finally said, "JUST ASK THEM WHERE THEY ARE!!" She got the information, they told her they were in the parking lot of the curling club. OK. So now she's whining because she doesn't know where the curling club is. I walked up to a guy parking cars and asked. He pointed directly across the street! I'm thinking duh. So there they were, steaks grilling and bloody marys flowing. Yippee!
As we got introduced to some new people in the party I felt an immediate sense of belonging. CW's friend, John handed me a plate full of steak, I headed over to a woman I just met and asked her if I could sit down. She cleared me a place and I proceeded to eat..I was starving since we couldn't stop for lunch. When John handed CW her steak she stood there looking at me whining about where she was going to sit. Did I mention that she can't make decisions? Her other friend, Bill pulled up a chair for her-there were four empty ones so I don't understand why this was so difficult. When I finished eating, I thanked John for the steak and complimented him on how good it was. CW whined, "My steak was cold cuz it took me so long to find some place to sit." Did I mention that she is a complainer?
After we ate we headed into Lambeau. Something happens when you walk in. The energy and electricity flow and you enter a euphoric state of camaraderie with everyone else there. You are even one with the Minnesota fans, believe it or not. CW is now worried...what if we get separated? I reminded her that her seat number is on her ticket and I would end up right next to her. Geez. If you've never been to Lambeau there's one thing you have to be prepared for. You are sitting on steel bleachers. And since more than half of America is very fat, chances are that your little piece of prime real estate containing your seat number will get swallowed up like a twinkie at a fat farm if you don't stake a claim. So we rent the stadium buddies for $5. I prefer renting them to bringing your own because when the game is over you can just get up and walk away. CW is now complaining about the 5 bucks. Did I mention that she never has any money?
So we get to the seats, plop down the stadium buddies over the seat numbers and we're all set. We have four Minnesota fans in front of us and Packer fans all around. Then Brett Favre takes the field. This has the same effect as the Pope entering the church at the beginning of mass. I can hardly contain myself I'm so excited. And the game begins. We trade jabs with the Minnesota people along with some high-fives and some body slamming just for fun. It was even a little on the flirty side. CW just sat there. Everyone is standing, jumping, clapping, cheering, and she just sat there. I started to wonder why she wanted to come. Did she understand football? Not that I'm an expert but I know enough to blend in with the 'fan'atics. I asked her if she was having a good time. All she said was, "It's so crowded and cramped." I joked that it was a good thing, it was keeping us all warm. I think I already mentioned the complainer thing.
We got back to the bus in time and headed back to the hotel. I asked her if she wanted to go to the bar, she said no. OK so all the Packer fans are in the bar and you want to go to bed. Arrrghhh. I can roll with it. I said that it's fine, we'll get up and head to the fitness center, swim a few laps and hit the hot tub. She forgot her swimsuit. Now it was her idea to bring swimsuits. She said she couldn't find hers and kind of ran out of time to look for it. She took the entire day off today! I wondered what she did with all that time.
I knew CW was not a morning person like I am, so I let her sleep, I put on my running gear, grabbed my swimsuit and headed to the fitness center. I ran for 45 minutes, swam laps, grabbed a cup of coffee and soaked in the hot tub. By the time I got back to the room she was getting out of the shower. Perfect timing. I got in the shower and we were off to breakfast by 10.
We headed to the casino in Green Bay to meet up with John and Richie. I am not a gambler. I thought CW was because she really wants to go to Vegas and she really wanted to go to the casino today. I am usually up for an adventure so I thought fine. We got there and she stood there not knowing what to do. Richie turned her by the shoulders and set her down in front of a machine. I think I mentioned the inability to make a decision thing. John was playing some card game and I asked him if it would be OK if I watched. He was gracious enough to take the time to explain it to me so I started to play. CW came to watch. I asked her if she wanted to play and she said she didn't know. I wondered if this was the money thing again.
We left a few hours later and headed home. I really did have a good time but CW wasn't the reason. It's hard not to have fun at Lambeau. And I really believe where ever you go you can make your own fun. But that doesn't mean I am going to go to Vegas with her.
I've been thinking about this list I've had in my head for a very long time. It's a list of 50 things I want to do before I turn 50. There was a time I never thought I would get close to 50 and now it's rearing its ugly head. Since my birthday earlier this month, I've been giving that list alot more thought. Maybe I should review it to see how I'm doing so here we go:
1. Get a degree. (almost done)
2. Go to Hawaii. (done)
3. Do Times Square on New Year's Eve.
4. Ride in the Oscar Mayer Weiner mobile.
5. Be one of the racing sausages at a Brewer's game.
6. Learn to ride a motorcycle.
7. Shop on 5th Avenue in NYC. (done)
8. Go to the Democratic National Convention.
9. Take golf lessons. (done)
10. Become a Webmaster. (done)
11. Go to Vegas.
12. Bungee jump.
13. See a Broadway show. (done)
14. Stand at the top of the Hancock Building in Chicago.
15. Touch one of the Green Bay Packers. (done)
16. Learn how to do home canning. (done)
17. Buy a Mercedes. (done)
18. Lose 25 pounds. (done)
19. Learn to dance.
20. Become a regular volunteer. (working on it)
21. Join a board of directors. (working on it)
22. Get a tattoo. (done)
23. Enter a quilt in the Wisconsin State Fair.
24. See a Packer game in a stadium other than Lambeau.
25. See the Eiffel Tower.
26. Get my own Harley.
27. Visit a foreign country besides Canada and Mexico.
28. Spend $300 on a scarf in SoHo.
29. Go to a poetry reading and read a poem that I wrote.
30. Run a marathon.
31. Work on a presidential campaign.
32. Get Brett Favre's autograph.
33. Become a lay liturgist at church.
34. Hike across the Grand Canyon.
35. Touch the Vietnam Memorial Wall.
36. Swim in all the oceans.
37. Publish a book.
38. Take an Alaskan cruise.
39. Learn to knit.
40. Stand at the top of Pike's Peak. (done)
41. Complete a triathlon.
42. Open my own business. (done)
43. Tour the White House.
44. Climb a rock wall. (done)
45. Run through Central Park.
46. Adopt a kitty. (done)
47. Buy Jimmy Choo shoes.
48. Become a travel agent.
49. Start an organic garden. (done)
50. Hand make all my Christmas presents.
1. Get a degree. (almost done)
2. Go to Hawaii. (done)
3. Do Times Square on New Year's Eve.
4. Ride in the Oscar Mayer Weiner mobile.
5. Be one of the racing sausages at a Brewer's game.
6. Learn to ride a motorcycle.
7. Shop on 5th Avenue in NYC. (done)
8. Go to the Democratic National Convention.
9. Take golf lessons. (done)
10. Become a Webmaster. (done)
11. Go to Vegas.
12. Bungee jump.
13. See a Broadway show. (done)
14. Stand at the top of the Hancock Building in Chicago.
15. Touch one of the Green Bay Packers. (done)
16. Learn how to do home canning. (done)
17. Buy a Mercedes. (done)
18. Lose 25 pounds. (done)
19. Learn to dance.
20. Become a regular volunteer. (working on it)
21. Join a board of directors. (working on it)
22. Get a tattoo. (done)
23. Enter a quilt in the Wisconsin State Fair.
24. See a Packer game in a stadium other than Lambeau.
25. See the Eiffel Tower.
26. Get my own Harley.
27. Visit a foreign country besides Canada and Mexico.
28. Spend $300 on a scarf in SoHo.
29. Go to a poetry reading and read a poem that I wrote.
30. Run a marathon.
31. Work on a presidential campaign.
32. Get Brett Favre's autograph.
33. Become a lay liturgist at church.
34. Hike across the Grand Canyon.
35. Touch the Vietnam Memorial Wall.
36. Swim in all the oceans.
37. Publish a book.
38. Take an Alaskan cruise.
39. Learn to knit.
40. Stand at the top of Pike's Peak. (done)
41. Complete a triathlon.
42. Open my own business. (done)
43. Tour the White House.
44. Climb a rock wall. (done)
45. Run through Central Park.
46. Adopt a kitty. (done)
47. Buy Jimmy Choo shoes.
48. Become a travel agent.
49. Start an organic garden. (done)
50. Hand make all my Christmas presents.
MEME OF THE WEEK
THIS WEEK'S QUESTION:
List up to seven dog breeds that you really like and would consider owning. (And indicate whether you've actually owned that breed before.)
1. Jack Russell Terrier
2. Yorkshire Terrier
3. German Shorthair Pointer (owned)
4. Basenji
5. Austrian Shorthair Pinscher
6. Peagle (Beagle/Pekingese)
THIS WEEK'S QUESTION:
List up to seven dog breeds that you really like and would consider owning. (And indicate whether you've actually owned that breed before.)
1. Jack Russell Terrier
2. Yorkshire Terrier
3. German Shorthair Pointer (owned)
4. Basenji
5. Austrian Shorthair Pinscher
6. Peagle (Beagle/Pekingese)
I know it's way too early to complain... but really, I've had enough. I want to swim in the pool not ice skate on it. I want to walk across the deck barefoot. I want to enjoy the endless of shades of green found in the leaves on the trees. I want to hear the birds chirping and smell the scent of cut grass. I want to feel a warm breeze and the hot sun on my face. I want to hear the sounds of children laughing and playing at the park. It doesn't look like it will be today. Or tomorrow for that matter.
I usually leave for work at 5:30 AM so the number of cars on the road is minimal. And it's dark so they aren't that noticeable. Today I went to work later, I left the house at 6:30. Not only is the sun up, but the number of cars on the road has considerably increased. After the third pick-up truck passed me I realized I was naming them as they went by. Realization turns into a game of name that driver. So here we go.......
- Teal (yes, teal, not green) Chevy S10 with black, gray, and white geometric shapes in the custom paint job, driver had gel in his hair. Name: GAYBOY.
- Black Isuzu Hombre with a white tool box built into the truck bed, driver was going 18 miles over the speed limit until he got to a curve where he was going 20 under. Name: PUSSY.
- Rusted out to the point where I think it was blue Dodge Ram with naked lady silhouette mudflaps and a confederate flag painted on the tail gate. Note: the tailgate had no rust, driver wearing a flannel shirt and smoking a cigarette. Name: RACIST REDNECK.
- White Toyota Rav4, male driver has flat-top crew cut hair. Oops. It's a female! Name: DYKEMOBILE.
8:43 Only half an hour later than usual. Blame it on being sick since I took a sick day Tuesday.
8:45 Head down to Sodexho to get my medium-sized cup of Starbucks coffee.
8:50 Enjoy coffee and a poptart to start off the day.
8:59 Read e-mail. Major irritations in there so I will ignore them.
9:00 Can't ignore them, must respond to one in particular. Stupid accountant tells the accounts payable clerk to use a wrong account number on a batch of corrections she's doing. I need to know why I have to correct the accountant's corrections.
9:03 Annamarie called to say she will meet me tomorrow to go to the Italian Community Center at 7:15. I'm gonna bet that she will be late…not uncommon.
9:05 Must go to the bathroom.
9:07 Jennifer e-mailed me and wants me to find the hotel link she sent me last week because she is too busy to look back through her sent e-mails to find it. Sent her the link.
9:10 Jennifer wants the link to the hotel her dad wants to stay at because it's not in the list I sent in the first e-mail. Sent her the link.
9:15 Wrote out checks to pay some bills. Got up to drop the bills in the mail bin and walked back to my office by taking the long way around - through the kitchen. If there was a newspaper in there I would have stopped to peruse it but there wasn't.
9:17 Actually checked out the hotel link I just sent Jen, I think that place will be OK.
9:20 Did some real work by taking care of three requests from accounts payable.
9:22 Updated my really cute new address book.
9:30 Stupid accountant came by to argue her case stating that accounts payable is doing it wrong. This chick is not stupid after all, she's lazy.
9:45 One of the accountants wants some travel detail from the journal entry I made last month. While looking up the information, her boss calls and wants me to come to his office. When it rains, it pours. I told her I would look up the info when I got back from his office.
9:46 Went to the accountant's boss' office and gave him information he wanted. While I was in there I took the time to squeal on the lazy accountant.
9:50 Chatted with a co-worker about the state of the fitness center. She regaled me with a story about how she lost her access card under the treadmill last night.
10:09 Created a worksheet with the travel data for the accountant.
10:12 Argued with accounts payable about an answer I gave her, referred her to an accountant for clarification. In other words, got someone else to tell this woman I am right.
10:13 Got caught up with online class discussion. Don't have to log in for the rest of the day!
10:29 Back to the bathroom, stopped and filled my water glass.
10:32 Went through my junk mail from home, ripped it all up and threw it away.
10:39 Bought a diet coke. Tired of drinking the water. Maybe the fizzy soda will help my sore throat.
10:41 Made notes in my calendar: Trip to Office Max - the red stapler is on sale!
10:43 Login to instant messenger to see if any of my buddies would like to chat.
10:45 No one wants to say hi, I guess I'll cleanup my e-mail…delete, delete, delete!
10:57 Back to the bathroom, too much water and diet coke!
11:01 Login to text twist, it makes me look really busy.
11:03 An accountant wants me to produce a report for him. Cool…some work!
11:16 Back to text twist.
11:31 Lost first game. DEMURS - I should have known!
11:32 Chat with online buddy. All that dating angst. I wish I could tell the guy he's ugly and should stop going after hot chicks. He needs to lower his standards or be lonely forever. But I have to give him credit for trying.
11:53 Back to text twist.
12:18 Jennifer e-mailed again. We're back to discussing hotels. Greg wants to know right now where we are staying.
12:19 Left a message on Jeff's cellphone to see if he actually booked a room.
12:31 Decided to book the room on Expedia since they have a generous cancellation policy.
12:32 E-mailed Jennifer back and told her that indeed we had a room booked.
12:33 Rifled through the refrigerator and debated heating up soup.
12:34 Heated up soup.
12:36 Ate soup at my desk.
12:41 Made copies of quilt patterns for my next project.
12:45 Printed hotel confirmation from Expedia.
12:46 Asked accountant if there are facility job openings for C N A's. She made a phone call to her facility administrator friend and told me yes and who to contact. Good luck Sharisse. In return for the information I check to see if she made bonus. And as usual, she did. Administrator books trip to Cancun. I hate her.
12:49 Lost second game of text twist.
12:53 Walked to the café to hang out with accountants during their lunch hour.
1:59 Back to the bathroom and more water.
2:00 Checked e-mail. Responded to two requests. Followed up on a problem request.
2:08 Still waiting for Jeff to call back.
2:09 Checked the online discussion for school even though I've met my requirements for the day.
2:10 Steve sends me e-mail jokes about beer. He has to run over to watch me laugh. Ha-ha.
2:13 Jeff finally calls back.He did not book a room so I'm glad I took care of it.
2:17 Steve sends more e-mail jokes. This time they are co-worker jokes.
2:32 Shop online for new running shoes.
2:44 Steve sends more e-mail jokes. This time they are women vs men jokes.
2:52 Back to online shopping.
4:10 Ordered new shoes.
4:11 Walked across the department (very slowly) to make an appearance.
4:14 Packed up my tote bag to get ready to go home.
4:16 One last visit to the bathroom. Note to self: my boss is in the conference room across from the bathrooms. Make sure to leave the building through the kitchen in order to skip crossing in front of the conference room with coat on.
4:18 Time to go home, I'm really tired!
After being so smug over the past few days I made a mistake when I did my assignment for class. The assignment was to write a workflow from the time a customer service representative answered the phone. I mapped my original workflow from the time the phone was answered by the automated answering system. So I had to revise my work and remove the first five steps in the phone answering process. My arrogance has turned to humility for about an hour. But now I'm back to my unabashedly unremorseful self. Don't think too terribly of me, I have plenty of self-loathing episodes to make up for how I feel now. And after all, I still got the assignment right, I just added more work to it than was originally necessary.
This morning I logged in to my online class discussion to see these two morons posting totally wrong answers then congratulating themselves on their 'great' work. The assignment was to map a flow chart (which I mentioned yesterday-and I did post my assignment in the afternoon but I was not first, I was third) based on a detailed description of the phone answering system of a specific company. The document had 13 steps detailed in the process. Although there were many steps, the document was written very clearly so it was easy to map but at the same time somewhat putzy. Part of the assignment was to determine the minimum and maximum waiting times on the phone. My answers were minimum 13 minutes, maximum 40.5 minutes. These two idiots made up a flow chart that wasn't in the assignment. One just copied a website and attached the link! How stupid can you be??
I'll tell you how stupid! Last week one of these two idiots was on my deliverable team. The assignment was to find marketing information (demographics) for online gaming. So this chick posts her answer and it says that the largest group of consumers is the 18-year old males who don't work or are students. When I did my research, I used the Nielsen ratings and other reputable sources I discovered (and it really surprised me) that the largest group of gamers is 40-ish women who make between $50 and $150K per year. A far cry from young poor boys. So I asked her where she got her information because mine was so off. The next thing you know, the entire class gets an email from the instructor about being sensitive in statements we make to other classmates. I'm thinking the professor is talking about me. I'm also thinking you got a problem with me then tell me otherwise it's business as usual, baby.
It seems this chick likes to make things up. Why research anything when you can just pretend you know what you're doing? It amazes me that schools will give people like this degrees because they certainly shouldn't. To top it off, we have to do peer evaluations. It makes me cringe to think they are evaluating me when they can't even follow the simplest directions. I hate this class. If the lesson is to get along with others no matter how stupid they are, I don't want to learn anymore. 5 weeks and 5 days to go.
I'll tell you how stupid! Last week one of these two idiots was on my deliverable team. The assignment was to find marketing information (demographics) for online gaming. So this chick posts her answer and it says that the largest group of consumers is the 18-year old males who don't work or are students. When I did my research, I used the Nielsen ratings and other reputable sources I discovered (and it really surprised me) that the largest group of gamers is 40-ish women who make between $50 and $150K per year. A far cry from young poor boys. So I asked her where she got her information because mine was so off. The next thing you know, the entire class gets an email from the instructor about being sensitive in statements we make to other classmates. I'm thinking the professor is talking about me. I'm also thinking you got a problem with me then tell me otherwise it's business as usual, baby.
It seems this chick likes to make things up. Why research anything when you can just pretend you know what you're doing? It amazes me that schools will give people like this degrees because they certainly shouldn't. To top it off, we have to do peer evaluations. It makes me cringe to think they are evaluating me when they can't even follow the simplest directions. I hate this class. If the lesson is to get along with others no matter how stupid they are, I don't want to learn anymore. 5 weeks and 5 days to go.
I do my homework at work. At least most of it. If there's a big assignment due, I will polish it up on a Saturday but for the most part, it all gets done during the week. Some people here in the office know I'm doing homework, some have actually offered a hand when I struggle. During my finance class I had to work with the time value of money. I thought it was fun but sometimes I wasn't sure if my thought process was correct. So I asked Steve to review my work. He is one of the accountants here and generally he has less to do during the day than I do. He was so excited about having to think about this stuff, he said he hadn't used the time value tables since college. So he reviewed my work, said it was correct, and stated as he left my office, "That's the most accounting I've done since I started working here!" Funny guy.
There are other accountants I've asked for help over the years but I've learned a long time ago to never ask a question in a group. They are all so helpful and willing to give me their best answers, but the problem is their answers aren't always the same. This creates arguments over best practices and general philosophies. In the end they left me confused but honored that they want to help and at the same time frustrated by the complications of their competitiveness amongst each other. Needless to say, I now ask one person, the one with the master's degree in accounting who is philosophical, generous, patient, and most importantly very knowledgeable.
So this morning I've downloaded my assignment for the day - write a work flow - but I just don't feel like doing it. I'm hoping my competitive nature takes over so I get it done quickly enough to be the first one to post the answer, but I'm just not feeling it at the moment. My thoughts are on graduation, 5 weeks and 6 days to go. And what will I do with my work time when I'm done with school? I know I need to get better organized so that will come first but then what? I guess I will cross that bridge when I come to it.
There are other accountants I've asked for help over the years but I've learned a long time ago to never ask a question in a group. They are all so helpful and willing to give me their best answers, but the problem is their answers aren't always the same. This creates arguments over best practices and general philosophies. In the end they left me confused but honored that they want to help and at the same time frustrated by the complications of their competitiveness amongst each other. Needless to say, I now ask one person, the one with the master's degree in accounting who is philosophical, generous, patient, and most importantly very knowledgeable.
So this morning I've downloaded my assignment for the day - write a work flow - but I just don't feel like doing it. I'm hoping my competitive nature takes over so I get it done quickly enough to be the first one to post the answer, but I'm just not feeling it at the moment. My thoughts are on graduation, 5 weeks and 6 days to go. And what will I do with my work time when I'm done with school? I know I need to get better organized so that will come first but then what? I guess I will cross that bridge when I come to it.
Yesterday Bailee and I went to my mother's just to visit. Bailee likes to go through Uncle Dennis' movie collection, they both had a thing for horror flicks and she wanted to borrow some from his vast collection. Which got me thinking about movies in general. My first thought was how my movie collection is minimal compared to most and I definitely can't stack up against Uncle Dennis' collection. That's a pretty sad indication of the status of my collection since Uncle Dennis has been dead for more than two years. I just don't think there are many movies worthy of a purchase, even when Target has them on sale for $5.50. As Bailee read the DVD titles from the collection, I was surprised at how many bad ones there were. I started thinking about the movies that I did like and I think there's something in common about most of them - they are from the 80's.
These thoughts brought me back to a conversation I overheard earlier in the week between two college-graduated 20-somethings. One was telling the other that he met this woman online and the quote she had on her myspace.com site said, "So I got that goin' for me, which is nice." This guy was thrilled that he was special enough to know where the quote came from. Of course, I'm thinking to myself, doesn't everyone know it came from the movie Caddyshack.? Not to burst his bubble the other guy just nodded, "uh-uh" (chuckle, chuckle under my breath).
Now comes the fun part, between that conversation and going through Uncle Dennis' DVD's, I started thinking about all the good quotes from the 80's movies.
"I want my two dollars!" ...Better Off Dead
"Screws fall out all the time, the worlds' an imperfect place." ...The Breakfast Club
"And he says, "Oh, uh, there won't be any money, but when you die, on your deathbed, you will receive total consciousness." So I got that goin' for me, which is nice. " ...Caddyshack
"Here is the primate example. You raise a doll-chopping homicidal maniac, and what do you do every time you see him? You give him money. Great!" ...Can't Buy Me Love
"Ladies and gentlemen, you are such a wonderful crowd, we'd like to play a little tune for you. It's one of my personal favorites and I'd like to dedicate it to a young man who doesn't think he's seen anything good today - Cameron Frye, this one's for you." ... Ferris Bueller's Day Off
"That was my skull! I'm so wasted!" ...Fast Times at Ridgemont High
"Hey, Hoops, you ever notice how people die in alphabetical order?" ... One Crazy Summer
"I'm a short, fat slut." ... Overboard
"Hello, my name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father: prepare to die." ...The Princess Bride
"Let's have some action! Let's have some asses wigglin'... I want some perfection!" ...Purple Rain
"Oh my God! I've been kidnapped by Huey and Dewey!" ...Ruthless People
"This movie was shot in 3B - three beers - and it looks good, eh?" ... Strange Brew
"Look, you don't know me from Adam. But I was a better man with you as a woman than I ever was with a woman as a man. Know what I mean?" ...Tootsie
"An accident? An accident? Do you realize it's snowing in my room goddammit!" ...Weird Science
I could go on and on...
These thoughts brought me back to a conversation I overheard earlier in the week between two college-graduated 20-somethings. One was telling the other that he met this woman online and the quote she had on her myspace.com site said, "So I got that goin' for me, which is nice." This guy was thrilled that he was special enough to know where the quote came from. Of course, I'm thinking to myself, doesn't everyone know it came from the movie Caddyshack.? Not to burst his bubble the other guy just nodded, "uh-uh" (chuckle, chuckle under my breath).
Now comes the fun part, between that conversation and going through Uncle Dennis' DVD's, I started thinking about all the good quotes from the 80's movies.
"I want my two dollars!" ...Better Off Dead
"Screws fall out all the time, the worlds' an imperfect place." ...The Breakfast Club
"And he says, "Oh, uh, there won't be any money, but when you die, on your deathbed, you will receive total consciousness." So I got that goin' for me, which is nice. " ...Caddyshack
"Here is the primate example. You raise a doll-chopping homicidal maniac, and what do you do every time you see him? You give him money. Great!" ...Can't Buy Me Love
"Ladies and gentlemen, you are such a wonderful crowd, we'd like to play a little tune for you. It's one of my personal favorites and I'd like to dedicate it to a young man who doesn't think he's seen anything good today - Cameron Frye, this one's for you." ... Ferris Bueller's Day Off
"That was my skull! I'm so wasted!" ...Fast Times at Ridgemont High
"Hey, Hoops, you ever notice how people die in alphabetical order?" ... One Crazy Summer
"I'm a short, fat slut." ... Overboard
"Hello, my name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father: prepare to die." ...The Princess Bride
"Let's have some action! Let's have some asses wigglin'... I want some perfection!" ...Purple Rain
"Oh my God! I've been kidnapped by Huey and Dewey!" ...Ruthless People
"This movie was shot in 3B - three beers - and it looks good, eh?" ... Strange Brew
"Look, you don't know me from Adam. But I was a better man with you as a woman than I ever was with a woman as a man. Know what I mean?" ...Tootsie
"An accident? An accident? Do you realize it's snowing in my room goddammit!" ...Weird Science
I could go on and on...
I recently discovered the joy of memes. If you don't know what a meme is check out this link... http://thedailymeme.com/what-is-a-meme/ . It's not that I am so self-absorbed that it's all about me. Oh, wait a minute, this is my blog, it IS all about ME! The memes get me to ponder my own thoughts and opinions about different things, even things that aren't usually worth pondering. I think I might have to make this a weekly blog thing.
Here's an example of one:
Today's questions are about collecting authors.
1. Are you currently collecting any authors? Why?
2. Do you have all of their books? If not, why not?
3. Did you buy all the books in the collection at the same time, or did you buy a book here, a book there?
4. Have you actually read all the collection? If not, why not?
My answer:
1. Yes, I collect Sue Grafton alphabet mystery books.
2. I have all of her books. And I have read all of her books. I've even read her short stories.
3. I did not buy the collection all at once.
4. I started reading the first one, A is for Alibi and I loved it so I bought B is for Burglar then the rest was history. I never bought the next one until I finished the one before. I think I was all caught up by the time she wrote H is for Homicide. After that I had to wait for each one to come out. I never realized it until I read an interview in the newspaper from her, but a new one comes out every 18 months. I have her newest, S is for Silence but I haven't starting reading it yet. I prefer to shorten the length of time before the next one comes out by holding off on reading this one until summer.
It's St. Patrick's Day. Whatever that means. I never quite understood its charms or the reason for its existence in American culture. I succumb to peer pressure and wear green today. I don't know why. Must be my inability to practice individuality on a day that bears no special meaning for me. Or it could be that my green pants are really cool, comfortable and great Friday casual wear. I am planning to go out for corned beef and cabbage with my co-workers tonight. No green beer though, the bars usually turn that domestic swill like Miller into some green concoction. So there will be none of that.
I went to the monthly HOG meeting last night and had a blast. Normally these things are so boring I find myself belittling most of the people that show up. From the speakers with their penchants for spewing about Harleys like they were some sort of God-like devices to the "fans" in the audience that are really pencil-pushing-never-getting-their-hands-dirty-geeks pretending to be hard-ass bikers. Even the prez of the chapter seems like a sell-out with his thick bearded look and his ability to turn his monthly talks into a sales push for the Harley dealership that sponsors our chapter.
So back to the fun at the meeting... There's this team we played late last year during HOG bowling night, we clicked and have been hanging out ever since. These guys were at the meeting and we spent the entire time goofing around with them. I admit, I have an ulterior motive, one of the guys is an IT manager at NML (please, please give me a job!). They urged us to sign up for the SPAM ride in July so we did.
As I went up to the sales table to write a check for some patches I bought, I could feel eyes on me. I knew what it was instantly. It was one of those feelings of old fat men staring at my ass type feelings that I've sensed many times before. But there's this one guy in particular that I haven't decided whether he's scary-weird or weirdly-harmless. But Jeff does not like him much. He stares at me constantly. It's the kind of stare that Billy Pratt (aka Michael Hagerty) used on Annie Profitt (Goldie Hawn) in the movie Overboard when Dean asked Annie if she still had feelings for Billy and Billy sat there staring back like he was either going to drool or barf. Of course after Annie took one look at him she instantly shook her head and said, "Nuh-uh!" (I will watch Any movie with Kurt Russell in it but I will save that for another day.) So I always get that "look" from this guy. At bowling last weekend I accidentally rubbed (boobs first) up against him while trying to navigate the crowd. I apologized for bumping into him and got the response, "Thank you." And now I know for sure he's also a great conversationalist - NOT!
I don't know why I go to these meetings. It must be some sort of eternal hope they are going to do something interesting. Almost every ride involves food. There's the Sunday brunch ride, the ice cream ride, and the fish fry ride. "Live to ride, ride to eat" should be the HOG motto. Occasionally they do come up with some good ones like the bike blessing and the ride to the Valley of the Kings, which is a wild animal sanctuary with lions and tigers that you actually get to feed. (Bring your own raw chicken legs!) So there it is...hope springs eternal.
So back to the fun at the meeting... There's this team we played late last year during HOG bowling night, we clicked and have been hanging out ever since. These guys were at the meeting and we spent the entire time goofing around with them. I admit, I have an ulterior motive, one of the guys is an IT manager at NML (please, please give me a job!). They urged us to sign up for the SPAM ride in July so we did.
As I went up to the sales table to write a check for some patches I bought, I could feel eyes on me. I knew what it was instantly. It was one of those feelings of old fat men staring at my ass type feelings that I've sensed many times before. But there's this one guy in particular that I haven't decided whether he's scary-weird or weirdly-harmless. But Jeff does not like him much. He stares at me constantly. It's the kind of stare that Billy Pratt (aka Michael Hagerty) used on Annie Profitt (Goldie Hawn) in the movie Overboard when Dean asked Annie if she still had feelings for Billy and Billy sat there staring back like he was either going to drool or barf. Of course after Annie took one look at him she instantly shook her head and said, "Nuh-uh!" (I will watch Any movie with Kurt Russell in it but I will save that for another day.) So I always get that "look" from this guy. At bowling last weekend I accidentally rubbed (boobs first) up against him while trying to navigate the crowd. I apologized for bumping into him and got the response, "Thank you." And now I know for sure he's also a great conversationalist - NOT!
I don't know why I go to these meetings. It must be some sort of eternal hope they are going to do something interesting. Almost every ride involves food. There's the Sunday brunch ride, the ice cream ride, and the fish fry ride. "Live to ride, ride to eat" should be the HOG motto. Occasionally they do come up with some good ones like the bike blessing and the ride to the Valley of the Kings, which is a wild animal sanctuary with lions and tigers that you actually get to feed. (Bring your own raw chicken legs!) So there it is...hope springs eternal.
Last night I finished a quilt I had started 5 years ago. When I inspected it, I wondered what made me put it down and never pick it back up again so long ago. It was almost finished. All the quilting was done, all it needed was the binding. It took me about 3 hours to finish it. I washed it and threw it in the dryer before I went to bed and I couldn't wait to see how it looks when it gains some fluffiness. As I spread it out in the kitchen Jeff grabbed the opposing end to straighten out all the wrinkles and asked what it was for. The funny thing is I have no idea what it's for. It would be really pretty on a bed but it doesn't match my decor. Maybe I'll throw it over the sofa but I don't want it to become the cat's new quilt, after all I just made him his own. I'm excited about the prospect of choosing the next one to make. Nothing like endless possibilities to drive me crazy.
I don't know why I think this way but I have these expectations of Jeff that some might consider unreasonable. He went out to The Packing House for dinner and took the kids. I stayed at work later than usual so I had no intention of joining them. After dinner they stopped at Kopp's for some custard. When he got home I asked him if he got me anything. Bailee handed me a bag with some raspberry custard in it.
The look on my face must have said it, "no dinner, huh?"
Jeff responded to my look, "I should have called you and asked if you wanted a burger. I feel bad."
I did my best to smile when I said, "Just remember this next time I come home with something to eat and there's none for you. " I was trying to joke about it but deep down he knew I was serious.
You see, I would never come home without something for him. Whether he wanted it or not, I would always pick up something. I think I was disappointed because he doesn't think of me like that. I know it's unreasonable because men think differently than women but it still gets to me. I should be content that he was considerate enough to bring home the custard but I bet that was Bailee's idea.
The look on my face must have said it, "no dinner, huh?"
Jeff responded to my look, "I should have called you and asked if you wanted a burger. I feel bad."
I did my best to smile when I said, "Just remember this next time I come home with something to eat and there's none for you. " I was trying to joke about it but deep down he knew I was serious.
You see, I would never come home without something for him. Whether he wanted it or not, I would always pick up something. I think I was disappointed because he doesn't think of me like that. I know it's unreasonable because men think differently than women but it still gets to me. I should be content that he was considerate enough to bring home the custard but I bet that was Bailee's idea.
Why is it that I have all this energy while I'm sitting here at work, listing all the things in my head that I want to do when I get home then when I get home I don't do any of them??
I need to do my taxes which terrifies me.
I still have some files to organize.
I need to finish my quilt.
I need to do some homework.
I need to organize my work clothes.
I need to create new playlists in Itunes.
These are not difficult tasks but I just fade away when I leave here.
I need to do my taxes which terrifies me.
I still have some files to organize.
I need to finish my quilt.
I need to do some homework.
I need to organize my work clothes.
I need to create new playlists in Itunes.
These are not difficult tasks but I just fade away when I leave here.
Bowling last night was great. BJ was back on his game and Jeff had two great games. Too bad for Khan though, he was consistently 20+ pins below his average. And I had the best night of the entire season. My first game was a 200 and it could have been better if I wouldn't have opened in the tenth frame. I really struggled in the second game but still pulled off a 171. We lost that game to the other team and emotions were low since we weren't sure we would take first place with this loss. The third game was much better, in fact, it was my best. I bowled a 216 and even at that it could have been better but I got a nine count on my second shot in the tenth frame. This score meant I took over the top women bowler spot - unless someone else bowled better that night. BJ did some quick math and it looks like I will also take high series for the league. We congratulated each other BJ said, "Next season let's change the team name to X-outs." I responded, "So you want to come back and do this again. That's great!" The banquet is in two weeks and it should be sweeter because we'll take home the big prize.
This morning I woke up with the after effects of spending a few hours at the bowling alley. I don't mean drinking. It felt like there was a huge weight on my chest and I coughed a deep, hacking cough. The second-hand smoke has poisoned me to the point where I've been wheezing all day. Taking a deep breath is hard, at least as the day goes on it's getting easier as my lungs clear.
This made me think about the smoking laws and the ban some cities are placing on public places. Since I truly hate the smell of smoke I would be happier if every place banned smoking. I hate having to shower when I get home or tie my hair up in a pony tail just to sleep in order to keep the rank odor from getting in my face. Those type of effects although annoying, are somewhat bearable but this hacking painful cough is something else. The last thing I want is some life-threatening disease because of something I can't stand in the first place.
The city of Milwaukee is proposing a smoking ban in restaurants and bars. I really hope it passes. I get a kick out of the denial tactics of smokers. They respond with their ridiculous remarks as if they have a shred of validity which is ludicrous.
Argument #1: Second-hand smoke is harmless. It is a fact that one in every eight people who die from lung cancer is a non-smoker that suffered the effects of second-hand smoke.
Argument #2: Restaurants and bars will go out of business. The fact is profits were up 23% in the Madison area when the city went smoke free.
Argument #3: Alcohol and tobacco are legal substances so why persecute smokers. Alcohol is legal but you will be ticketed if you drive drunk. Maybe we should change the laws so you don't get a ticket for drunk driving, might as well make drinking and smoking OK anywhere.
Argument #4: The government should spend more time worrying about regulating food since there is an epidemic of obesity. This is my favorite excuse. But the reality is that an overweight person can lose the weight and be healthy. A thin person who smokes will have black, carcinogenic lungs forever.
This morning I woke up with the after effects of spending a few hours at the bowling alley. I don't mean drinking. It felt like there was a huge weight on my chest and I coughed a deep, hacking cough. The second-hand smoke has poisoned me to the point where I've been wheezing all day. Taking a deep breath is hard, at least as the day goes on it's getting easier as my lungs clear.
This made me think about the smoking laws and the ban some cities are placing on public places. Since I truly hate the smell of smoke I would be happier if every place banned smoking. I hate having to shower when I get home or tie my hair up in a pony tail just to sleep in order to keep the rank odor from getting in my face. Those type of effects although annoying, are somewhat bearable but this hacking painful cough is something else. The last thing I want is some life-threatening disease because of something I can't stand in the first place.
The city of Milwaukee is proposing a smoking ban in restaurants and bars. I really hope it passes. I get a kick out of the denial tactics of smokers. They respond with their ridiculous remarks as if they have a shred of validity which is ludicrous.
Argument #1: Second-hand smoke is harmless. It is a fact that one in every eight people who die from lung cancer is a non-smoker that suffered the effects of second-hand smoke.
Argument #2: Restaurants and bars will go out of business. The fact is profits were up 23% in the Madison area when the city went smoke free.
Argument #3: Alcohol and tobacco are legal substances so why persecute smokers. Alcohol is legal but you will be ticketed if you drive drunk. Maybe we should change the laws so you don't get a ticket for drunk driving, might as well make drinking and smoking OK anywhere.
Argument #4: The government should spend more time worrying about regulating food since there is an epidemic of obesity. This is my favorite excuse. But the reality is that an overweight person can lose the weight and be healthy. A thin person who smokes will have black, carcinogenic lungs forever.
The weather today is amazingly beautiful for March. The temperature is 67 and the sun is shining. I've thrown the windows open to get a real whiff of the outdoors. It rained this morning and the musty scent of wet road is in the air and the breeze feels damp. It feels like the beginning of something new and fresh. As if the rain is washing away winter and the wind will dry it all off. It alters my mood and gives me a feeling of new beginnings. I can't help but think about things like planting some seeds for my vegetable garden and painting my fence. I took Toby outside so he could chase leaves in the wind. I love to watch him breathe deeply like he's getting a taste of the outdoors and memorizing the experience. He scampered and scurried along the yard until he heard a sound that frightened him enough to send him running towards the house.
A trip to the House of Harley felt like the beginning of the new riding season. Even the people there were more upbeat than usual, I would guess the winter blues just melted away with the snow. Even though it's winter, there were so many bikes there. The place was packed. It was tough to find a place to park the car. There were new chrome accessories available and I wondered if the updates for the bike would ever end. I'm thinking no. We tried a shot at the Leprechaun launch, where we took turns catapulting a little stuffed Leprechaun over a balcony to (hopefully) land into the pot of gold or at least on a shamrock on the floor for a discount on merchandise. With no success, it seemed that New flame fork covers were the deal of the since they were already discounted without the Leprechaun launch fun money.
We chatted with some HOG chapter members that we knew and headed out the door. We'll see most of them tonight at bowling. For my team, this is the most important night. We're in first place with another team on our heels so we have to win all 7 points. I haven't bowled well all season so I'm not hopeful for any fantastic season-ending finish tonight. I just hope BJ bowls well. He's one of the stars of the league and I think he enjoys the little bit of status it brings. Here's hoping for the luck of the Irish to take home the trophy.
A trip to the House of Harley felt like the beginning of the new riding season. Even the people there were more upbeat than usual, I would guess the winter blues just melted away with the snow. Even though it's winter, there were so many bikes there. The place was packed. It was tough to find a place to park the car. There were new chrome accessories available and I wondered if the updates for the bike would ever end. I'm thinking no. We tried a shot at the Leprechaun launch, where we took turns catapulting a little stuffed Leprechaun over a balcony to (hopefully) land into the pot of gold or at least on a shamrock on the floor for a discount on merchandise. With no success, it seemed that New flame fork covers were the deal of the since they were already discounted without the Leprechaun launch fun money.
We chatted with some HOG chapter members that we knew and headed out the door. We'll see most of them tonight at bowling. For my team, this is the most important night. We're in first place with another team on our heels so we have to win all 7 points. I haven't bowled well all season so I'm not hopeful for any fantastic season-ending finish tonight. I just hope BJ bowls well. He's one of the stars of the league and I think he enjoys the little bit of status it brings. Here's hoping for the luck of the Irish to take home the trophy.
For the first time since I started attending DeVry, I don't feel like I have to hurry to beat everyone to the punch. I tend to want to be the first person to respond to questions and get the work done quickly. Especially when it comes to group projects. I hate them. There is a reason that I work with computers, there are no other people involved. Group projects require you to work with morons whose only comments are "I don't understand what we're supposed to do!" To me this translates to mean, "I'm too lazy to actually read the material and even if I did I would be too stupid to understand it anyway. Can't you just tell me what to do so I can pay you false compliments and then give you a shitty peer evaluation while you do all the work?" Plus you have those zealots who all want to be the leader and will step on each other to be on top, usually while they are dukeing it out, I am doing the actual work. I prefer to stay out of their way and then no matter what they decide, I turn in my version of a completed project and tell them to feel free to add, change, delete as they see necessary. This is my way of including them. Of course they never change what I do, sometimes they add more which is a good thing. I understand the reasons that instructors do this. They want you to develop the skills necessary to work with others but at the same time I see this as a way for them to get out of actually teaching anything. My cynicism hasn't changed since I started school.
After reviewing what I just wrote, I realize that I am beyond burnt out from school and ready to get it over and done with. It's odd. I should be excited to finish but I am too exhausted to care. I've been a maniac about maintaining A grades to the point that I didn't just want the A, I wanted a perfect score. If I didn't get one, I wanted to know why. But no more. I am not busting my ass for this class and I don't care what my grade is. Maybe that is the lesson I was supposed to learn all along. No matter how hard you try you have to put up with others and good work in a group is all you need to get by. Nope. That doesn't sound like me. Maybe I'm just ready to take on the next challenge in my life. But first I have to finish this one. 7 weeks and 2 days left to go.
After reviewing what I just wrote, I realize that I am beyond burnt out from school and ready to get it over and done with. It's odd. I should be excited to finish but I am too exhausted to care. I've been a maniac about maintaining A grades to the point that I didn't just want the A, I wanted a perfect score. If I didn't get one, I wanted to know why. But no more. I am not busting my ass for this class and I don't care what my grade is. Maybe that is the lesson I was supposed to learn all along. No matter how hard you try you have to put up with others and good work in a group is all you need to get by. Nope. That doesn't sound like me. Maybe I'm just ready to take on the next challenge in my life. But first I have to finish this one. 7 weeks and 2 days left to go.
My family says I spoil my cat. I did make him this quilt but it didn't happen on purpose. I went to my favorite fabric store, Calico Canvas and Colors in Racine so Bailee could get some new kids' fabrics. While we were there I was browsing and I found this oh so cute fabric with kitties and doggies all over it. The patterns included little paw prints in bold colors and so many fantastic color combinations that I could not resist. So I picked out 5 fat quarters. And yes, I know that CC&C doesn't sell fat quarters-they have half-yard cuts but since they look like fat quarters I will continue to call them that! I took the fabric home and stared at it for a long time. As I continued to think about it during the work day I started surfing for quilt patterns when I was bored. I found this really cool triangle pattern that looked busy yet had some consistency to it. And the quilt was born. Bailee fell in love with it as well and is in the process of making a baby quilt with the same pattern. I spent two full days completing the project and it is adorable. Plus I think Toby likes it.
I read this on another blog. I would give credit to the original author if I could remember who's it was. It made me think about what my version would look like and how each year some things on this list should change. At least I would like to hope that I would broaden my horizons enough to make it change...
5 snacks I enjoy... peanuts, carrots & dill dip, granny smith apple slices, chips & salsa, chocolate teddy grahams.
5 bands that i know the lyrics of MOST of their songs... (sadly enough they are all bands that have been around forever) The Eagles, Pink Floyd, Johnny Cash, Hall & Oates, Michael Bolton (I can't believe that I am admitting to this one).
5 things I would do with $100,000,000... set up a trust fund for each of my children and other family members that they can immediately draw upon, pay off the church's mortgage, quit my job, do volunteer work, travel the world.
5 locations I'd like to run away to... Tahiti, New Zealand, Italy, Galapagos Islands, Alaska
5 bad habits I have... rolling my eyes at people, being judgmental, impatient driving, criticizing and complaining about others, untangling my hair by running my fingers through it, yanking it out and leaving it where it lay.
5 things I like doing... laying in the sun, reading good books and magazines, cooking and baking, running, touring the country on a Harley.
5 current TV shows I like... Deadwood, Entourage, Bill Maher, Rome, Six Feet Under (do you see a pattern here?).
5 past TV shows I like... Cybill, Thirtysomething, Northern Exposure, Evening Shade, St. Elsewhere.
5 movies I like... Life or Something Like It, My Blue Heaven, Drop Dead Gorgeous, Doc Hollywood, Le Divorce.
5 famous people (who are still alive) I'd like to meet... Bill Clinton, Jesse James (West Coast Choppers), Lance Armstrong, Janet Reno, Muhammad Ali.
5 biggest joys at the moment... I'm graduating in 6 weeks, my family, Toby, springtime, planning my next vacation.
5 snacks I enjoy... peanuts, carrots & dill dip, granny smith apple slices, chips & salsa, chocolate teddy grahams.
5 bands that i know the lyrics of MOST of their songs... (sadly enough they are all bands that have been around forever) The Eagles, Pink Floyd, Johnny Cash, Hall & Oates, Michael Bolton (I can't believe that I am admitting to this one).
5 things I would do with $100,000,000... set up a trust fund for each of my children and other family members that they can immediately draw upon, pay off the church's mortgage, quit my job, do volunteer work, travel the world.
5 locations I'd like to run away to... Tahiti, New Zealand, Italy, Galapagos Islands, Alaska
5 bad habits I have... rolling my eyes at people, being judgmental, impatient driving, criticizing and complaining about others, untangling my hair by running my fingers through it, yanking it out and leaving it where it lay.
5 things I like doing... laying in the sun, reading good books and magazines, cooking and baking, running, touring the country on a Harley.
5 current TV shows I like... Deadwood, Entourage, Bill Maher, Rome, Six Feet Under (do you see a pattern here?).
5 past TV shows I like... Cybill, Thirtysomething, Northern Exposure, Evening Shade, St. Elsewhere.
5 movies I like... Life or Something Like It, My Blue Heaven, Drop Dead Gorgeous, Doc Hollywood, Le Divorce.
5 famous people (who are still alive) I'd like to meet... Bill Clinton, Jesse James (West Coast Choppers), Lance Armstrong, Janet Reno, Muhammad Ali.
5 biggest joys at the moment... I'm graduating in 6 weeks, my family, Toby, springtime, planning my next vacation.
Today I saw a disturbing story on CNN about a group of people from Kansas who go to the funerals of our soldiers to protest. The disturbing part is the hatred they spew about how God hates homosexuals and the soldiers are fighting for a country that allows the homosexuals to take over. Thank goodness for the Patriot Freedom Riders - a motorcycle group that blocks the funeral procession's view of these awful people. I just can't get over the idea that this "preacher" who leads this group of hate-mongers believes that God hates anybody. God doesn't hate people. I'm certain he will even forgive this guy and his followers for all the disgusting things that they are doing. I'm grateful to live in a state that has a law that prohibits protests at funerals so those people can grieve in peace. But if we didn't, I would join the motorcycle group and be part of the group blocking these awful people from being seen.
I got to the gym this morning even though we are still one car short. I made BJ get up at 5:30 and drive me to work. He did appreciate how light the traffic was at the early hour. Getting in the gym first thing is such a mental cleansing for me. Physical health benefits aside, the emotional strength it gives me is worth more. Now I just have to figure out how I'm going to get home.
So today I will calmly try to figure out how to get my music moved to my new drive. And take my time about it. Also on the agenda for this week is getting my taxes done, balancing my checkbook, and cleaning up my home office. And I'm going to the UWM game on Tuesday and the Bucks game on Wednesday - something fun to look forward to. Thursday is a trip to St. Vinnie's to feed the homeless.
It's employee appreciation week at work and they waste their money on such junk. We all have balloons tied to candy bars on our desks. Thanks for the sugar and fat that I won't eat. You can bet I will find more sweet crap every day this week, again, thanks for nothing. How about a diet Coke, or a cup of Starbucks coffee? They also offered 10-minute massages on a first-come-first-served basis. Of course they are all filled up, a co-worker put it eloquently when he said, "It's like Communism, they make you stand in line to offer you something they don't have. " Hmmm, interesting analogy.
So today I will calmly try to figure out how to get my music moved to my new drive. And take my time about it. Also on the agenda for this week is getting my taxes done, balancing my checkbook, and cleaning up my home office. And I'm going to the UWM game on Tuesday and the Bucks game on Wednesday - something fun to look forward to. Thursday is a trip to St. Vinnie's to feed the homeless.
It's employee appreciation week at work and they waste their money on such junk. We all have balloons tied to candy bars on our desks. Thanks for the sugar and fat that I won't eat. You can bet I will find more sweet crap every day this week, again, thanks for nothing. How about a diet Coke, or a cup of Starbucks coffee? They also offered 10-minute massages on a first-come-first-served basis. Of course they are all filled up, a co-worker put it eloquently when he said, "It's like Communism, they make you stand in line to offer you something they don't have. " Hmmm, interesting analogy.
My new hard drive is in and I'm struggling with my music files. I can't seem to get them to the new drive without removing them from iTunes. I've tried uninstalling iTunes from my local (C) drive and then reinstalling it on the new drive but when I move the music back into iTunes, it wants to reside on the local (C) drive. In the process I lost all my playlists. I think I should give up on working with music files, I have nothing but bad luck. The good news is the old and new drives work without any data loss so I shouldn't complain. I haven't checked the other files that I've moved, I think I will wait until I am in a better frame of mind.
Class started today and I get so frustrated. There was an online class discussion and it was highly recommended that all students attend. The instructor also suggested that we read the syllabus thoroughly to make sure we understand everything because the class is set up differently than any other online class, so there's no comfort in any previous online experience. So I read everything available. Apparently I was the only one. Every question in this online discussion session I could answer. It always amazes me how some of these people can obtain a degree when they can't even follow simple instructions. At this rate, I should be in charge very soon. I have my assignment done so I can relax until Tuesday. 8 more weeks.
Class started today and I get so frustrated. There was an online class discussion and it was highly recommended that all students attend. The instructor also suggested that we read the syllabus thoroughly to make sure we understand everything because the class is set up differently than any other online class, so there's no comfort in any previous online experience. So I read everything available. Apparently I was the only one. Every question in this online discussion session I could answer. It always amazes me how some of these people can obtain a degree when they can't even follow simple instructions. At this rate, I should be in charge very soon. I have my assignment done so I can relax until Tuesday. 8 more weeks.
It was my turn to bake for church fellowship today. I like to try new things so I made these brownies that had a layer of marshmallow cream topped with a mixture of melted chocolate chips and peanut butter with rice krispies thrown in. They looked a little weird with the little rice krispie lumps on top. Even though they were good I'm not sure I'd make them again.
Whenever I have to do fellowship bake I am also the communion assistant. It is extremely rewarding. I've tried to make the bread from scratch but I struggle with getting the nice round shape to the loaf that is acceptable to share with others. They usually come out misshaped or a little too dense. So I've caved and started ordering sourdough from Great Harvest bread store. The loaves are perfect, I just have to remember to order a day in advance and sometimes my organizational skills are lacking and I forget. During the service I get to give out the wine (the blood of Christ...amen). I make sure I keep eye contact with each person who comes up for communion. I can't really explain how good it feels except to say it makes me feel connected with everyone in the church.
I made sure I signed up to go to St Vincent's Thursday to feel the homeless. I want to give more to others and since I don't have much cash, my time will have to do.
So now that I'm home I'm negotiating with God - as if He owes me something just because I did some good works today. Jeff is installing a new 200 gig harddrive (yes, I do mean 200!) in my computer and he is having some trouble. And in my own arrogance I decided not to back up my system before he started. I lost everything on my harddrive once before so I should have learned my lesson but no. So instead I'm pleading with God that it all turns out. Most of the stuff on my computer is of no real consequence except for the 1,726 songs that are in my iTunes file. And actually, it's the reason I wanted another harddrive. I couldn't make a backup copy of my music files because of their large size. So once this is over, hopefully I can....please God, let it work.
Whenever I have to do fellowship bake I am also the communion assistant. It is extremely rewarding. I've tried to make the bread from scratch but I struggle with getting the nice round shape to the loaf that is acceptable to share with others. They usually come out misshaped or a little too dense. So I've caved and started ordering sourdough from Great Harvest bread store. The loaves are perfect, I just have to remember to order a day in advance and sometimes my organizational skills are lacking and I forget. During the service I get to give out the wine (the blood of Christ...amen). I make sure I keep eye contact with each person who comes up for communion. I can't really explain how good it feels except to say it makes me feel connected with everyone in the church.
I made sure I signed up to go to St Vincent's Thursday to feel the homeless. I want to give more to others and since I don't have much cash, my time will have to do.
So now that I'm home I'm negotiating with God - as if He owes me something just because I did some good works today. Jeff is installing a new 200 gig harddrive (yes, I do mean 200!) in my computer and he is having some trouble. And in my own arrogance I decided not to back up my system before he started. I lost everything on my harddrive once before so I should have learned my lesson but no. So instead I'm pleading with God that it all turns out. Most of the stuff on my computer is of no real consequence except for the 1,726 songs that are in my iTunes file. And actually, it's the reason I wanted another harddrive. I couldn't make a backup copy of my music files because of their large size. So once this is over, hopefully I can....please God, let it work.
I think it's time to do a head-to-toe evaluation. I let things get out of control and spending this week without a car only made things worse. I've realized how much I am into routine. Since I've spent the week at the mercy of others' schedules my routine has been so messed up. I like going to the gym before work. It's always been the best way to start the day, a sort of endorphin rush followed by euphoric feelings of satisfaction from getting the workout done. I feel like I deserve the cup of coffee that always follows.
Since I missed most of my gym time this week, I’ve struggled with lethargy and loathing. I certainly could have worked out at home but I was too busy feeling sorry for myself. Not to mention, the many planned events after work each day that filled up most of my extra time. So back to my head-to-toe evaluation.
I need to have some moles removed. I have one that’s making me nervous.
I need to make an appointment for my six-month mammogram. I'm a few weeks overdue.
My heels are so dry that the skin is cracked open. I need to soak my feet and cover them with lotion every single day.
Speaking of feet, I need a pedicure. I like my toes pretty and polished.
I need to go tanning. It’s not that I want to be really tan, that’s kind of gross. I just want to get my skin to produce more vitamin D to stop the winter itchies.
I need to lose extra weight I’ve gained from deviating from my diet. It’s time to pay more attention to vegetables and less attention to snacks.
My hands are so dry that I have cuts all over them from the skin cracking. I need to take better care of them.
And as for a routine, I like it, I need it, I have to get control of it.
School starts on Sunday; I will get the lectures done on Sundays. And I will be back in the gym first thing Monday morning car or no car.
It’s comforting to realize how much more manageable things seem when I write them down.
Since I missed most of my gym time this week, I’ve struggled with lethargy and loathing. I certainly could have worked out at home but I was too busy feeling sorry for myself. Not to mention, the many planned events after work each day that filled up most of my extra time. So back to my head-to-toe evaluation.
I need to have some moles removed. I have one that’s making me nervous.
I need to make an appointment for my six-month mammogram. I'm a few weeks overdue.
My heels are so dry that the skin is cracked open. I need to soak my feet and cover them with lotion every single day.
Speaking of feet, I need a pedicure. I like my toes pretty and polished.
I need to go tanning. It’s not that I want to be really tan, that’s kind of gross. I just want to get my skin to produce more vitamin D to stop the winter itchies.
I need to lose extra weight I’ve gained from deviating from my diet. It’s time to pay more attention to vegetables and less attention to snacks.
My hands are so dry that I have cuts all over them from the skin cracking. I need to take better care of them.
And as for a routine, I like it, I need it, I have to get control of it.
School starts on Sunday; I will get the lectures done on Sundays. And I will be back in the gym first thing Monday morning car or no car.
It’s comforting to realize how much more manageable things seem when I write them down.
Today is my birthday and I plan on spending it quietly. BJ took me out for lunch, Bailee and Jen both called me at work to wish me a happy birthday. My boss is always good to me, she is one of the nicest people I know. And tonight Jeff is taking me out for a nice little dinner early enough to get home so that I can relax before getting ready for work in the morning. It's exactly the way I want this birthday to go by. No big celebration, no big event. I think a birthday can be sort of like new years' day where you make your resolutions and reflect on past accomplishments and disappointments. Maybe that's why I feel so down this year. I don't feel like I have many accomplishments to take credit for over the past year. But this next year will be different since I will be graduating in 8 weeks. One of the biggest accomplishments of my life and long overdue. I am looking forward to thinking about what happens next. A bigger better job, a marathon run, some financial success. I know it's all up to me. I just have to make a new commitment to my next big accomplishment...or maybe it will be some small accomplishments. I just don't and won't be able to get anything into focus until graduation is over.
I took my integrated computer applications final exam last Thursday night. From taking these on-line exams for so long, I've developed a few expectations from having the same experience with each exam. The time limit is always three and a half hours. My average for finishing any exam is about three hours and fifteen minutes. And yes, I'm usually sweating it out when I know I am getting close to the end. So this exam took me 50 minutes from start to finish. I thought I missed something so I checked the web site carefully to make sure there were no links to another page of the exam. Since I didn't find one, I reviewed the total value of the exam (270 points) and I went back and counted the value of the questions I answered. There were 18 questions at 10 points each (180 points) and 3 essay questions at 30 points each (90 points). OK we got 270 points. I guess I'm done. So I submitted the exam with a completion time of 51 minutes and 27 seconds. I've been living on the assumption that I totally hosed the thing since I finished it so fast. Today I checked the gradebook and I got an A! I did get a few points off but amazingly, I did well. I guess this proves I have chosen the right path as a computer geek. Maybe there's some sort of meaning in this since this was my very last final exam. I have one more class but I've checked the syllabus and it's an 8-week project culminating in one final report so it won't have an exam at the end.
Just a side note....the hanger is not on the floor anymore.
Just a side note....the hanger is not on the floor anymore.
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