I think I'm skipping 10 on Tuesday today. I'm just not feeling it.
I had a great weekend with the exception of having to work on Saturday. My home life has been pretty fantastic lately. I think after almost 4 years of marriage Hubs and I are finally starting to understand each other and express ourselves better. We're fighting less, we are more patient with each other, and we're more giving of ourselves. I like this.
If only my work life was so wonderful. I've been going nonstop for about 4 months straight now, and although the sudden tearful outbursts in my cubicle have subsided, I know I'm still stretched too thin. What really sucks is between all the extracurricular activities I have going on and generally not wanting to sit in front of a computer after I get home, I haven't been looking for a new job. I still get a couple of emails a day with job alerts, but I haven't applied for anything in weeks. There's really not much out there anyway, which makes it even more frustrating - knowing the one thing I could do to help myself right now probably won't help.
I guess I'm back to feeling STUCK. I don't know what to do. I think about a career change and taking a certification program of some kind, but what? And how do I afford that? And where do I find time to do that in addition to everything else? I don't have any answers.
Then there's the safety net option of trying to take a stress leave. Though I know that would be the nail in the coffin for me at work. Not that I want to stay here, but it means I'd have to find a new job while I was on leave because no one would respect me at work after I came back. They might even find a way to fire me. These thoughts freak me out at first glance, but when I imagine them actually happening the truth is I don't really care. It would almost be a relief. As long as I don't quit or get fired for cause I could take unemployment and Hubs and I would find a way to make it work.
My thoughts on the matter change daily based on my mood and state of mind, and today I'm leaning towards stress leave. It wouldn't hurt to just ask my doctor her thoughts, right? I think I'm going to call and make an appointment today. At least that would be something that could potentially help me out of this mess.
3.29.2011
3.23.2011
Drumroll, please...
I'm here to satisfy your anxious anticipation for the results of last week's poll:
Yes, I realize you can see the results for yourself any time you feel like clicking on the "view results" link, but you can't get my priceless commentary and in-depth analysis on the subject unless you keep reading. So keep reading!
First off, there were a total of 30 votes. To answer your question, no, I didn't vote. Why? Because if you'll recall, I couldn't decide what I thought and I wanted your input in order to make an educated decision... about my own opinion... Anyway, yeah, so 30 votes. That seems like a lot considering I only average about 5 comments per post. Who are you mystery people voting but not commenting? (I kid, I kid. Read, comment, vote, do what you will. I'm just glad you stopped by!)
The results:
3 People (or 10% of voters) answered YES.
20 People (or 66% of voters, also known as an overwhelming majority) answered NO.
6 People (or 20% of voters) are as indecisive as I am and answered MAYBE.
1 Lonely person (3%) asked if I would REPEAT THE QUESTION.
Here's a pie chart for you visual learners (sorry for the fuzziness, I'm working in MS Paint here):
Let's break it down now, shall we?
To the YESes: I applaud you for your conviction, though I hope you're wrong. Which I guess makes me one of those hellbound folks, because if I felt sure of my heaven-bounded-ness I suppose I wouldn't fear the apocalypse.
To the NOs: I tend to side with you on this one and not just because you're the majority. I'm also siding with you because I'm afraid the YESes might be right, but I don't want to admit it.
To the MAYBEs: What kind of answer is that?? Do you secretly agree that recent natural disasters could be a sign of the apocalypse, but are too afraid to say so? I'm guessing that's what it is. And I don't blame you one bit. If that's the case, my pie chart should look more like this:
Unfortunately for the YESes, the NOs are still in the lead by a long shot.
And to whoever voted I repeat the question - bless you. If I had a prize to hand out, you'd get it. I always think I'm hilarious but it's nice to know someone else appreciates my humor too. Unless you really wanted me to repeat the question, in which case, please see the hot pink bit up above. Too bad voting's closed now so yours won't be counted.
So my OFFICIAL opinion on whether or not these natural disasters should cause me to fear the apocalypse...
I'm going to go with option D: "Can you repeat the question?"
A cop out? Maybe. Sure. Probably. But if the apocalypse is coming, it's coming regardless of whether or not I think it is. So I might as well spread a little humor around while I can. And if I can't spread it around, well at least I made myself smile!
Oh, and since I'm sure you want the OFFICIAL official pie chart, here you go:
"Do you think recent natural disasters may be a sign of the impending apocalypse?"
Yes, I realize you can see the results for yourself any time you feel like clicking on the "view results" link, but you can't get my priceless commentary and in-depth analysis on the subject unless you keep reading. So keep reading!
First off, there were a total of 30 votes. To answer your question, no, I didn't vote. Why? Because if you'll recall, I couldn't decide what I thought and I wanted your input in order to make an educated decision... about my own opinion... Anyway, yeah, so 30 votes. That seems like a lot considering I only average about 5 comments per post. Who are you mystery people voting but not commenting? (I kid, I kid. Read, comment, vote, do what you will. I'm just glad you stopped by!)
The results:
3 People (or 10% of voters) answered YES.
20 People (or 66% of voters, also known as an overwhelming majority) answered NO.
6 People (or 20% of voters) are as indecisive as I am and answered MAYBE.
1 Lonely person (3%) asked if I would REPEAT THE QUESTION.
Here's a pie chart for you visual learners (sorry for the fuzziness, I'm working in MS Paint here):
Let's break it down now, shall we?
To the YESes: I applaud you for your conviction, though I hope you're wrong. Which I guess makes me one of those hellbound folks, because if I felt sure of my heaven-bounded-ness I suppose I wouldn't fear the apocalypse.
To the NOs: I tend to side with you on this one and not just because you're the majority. I'm also siding with you because I'm afraid the YESes might be right, but I don't want to admit it.
To the MAYBEs: What kind of answer is that?? Do you secretly agree that recent natural disasters could be a sign of the apocalypse, but are too afraid to say so? I'm guessing that's what it is. And I don't blame you one bit. If that's the case, my pie chart should look more like this:
Unfortunately for the YESes, the NOs are still in the lead by a long shot.
And to whoever voted I repeat the question - bless you. If I had a prize to hand out, you'd get it. I always think I'm hilarious but it's nice to know someone else appreciates my humor too. Unless you really wanted me to repeat the question, in which case, please see the hot pink bit up above. Too bad voting's closed now so yours won't be counted.
So my OFFICIAL opinion on whether or not these natural disasters should cause me to fear the apocalypse...
I'm going to go with option D: "Can you repeat the question?"
A cop out? Maybe. Sure. Probably. But if the apocalypse is coming, it's coming regardless of whether or not I think it is. So I might as well spread a little humor around while I can. And if I can't spread it around, well at least I made myself smile!
Oh, and since I'm sure you want the OFFICIAL official pie chart, here you go:
3.22.2011
10 on Tuesday
1. On my day off last Friday I took a friend up on his offer to show me around his start-up company. We've been talking about the potential for me to work there when they start opening up positions for several departments in the coming months. The company is only 8 months old and still unstable, but at least they're making money; that's huge in this economy. So if all goes to plan, I may very well be out of the bank in just a couple of months!
2. I went with a metallic blue instead of the usual reds and purples for my pedi on Friday and I'm loving it! It's so refreshing. Nail polish is a cheap thrill for me. Whenever I need a pick-me-up I head over to the drug store and buy a new color. And now I know what my next nail polish purchase will be!
3. Hubs and I went out with some friends on Friday night and discovered that we're old and boring. Sigh... I guess we've been cooped up in the house for too long because we've both lost the gift of gab around our friends. Overall we had a good time and stayed out way past our bedtime, so at least we know we're not total geriatrics yet.
4. Our raised veggie garden is sooo close to being done! We couldn't finish it this weekend because of the rain, but we have the space for it all cleared out and the holes for the posts dug. Now all we need to do is pick up a truckload of soil and get planting. We should be able to finish it this weekend.
5. Saturday night I went to a yoga and meditation class with my friend A (of Consider Bliss fame). It was definitely outside of both our comfort zones, but it ended up being a really positive experience. Let me see if I can freak you out a little with the details: We started off with Kundalini yoga, which is apparently different from "regular" yoga in that it's much faster and there's more sweating involved. There was some chanting and singing, and the meditation portion centered around an "Earth Gong bath". The gong was really cool actually, it went on throughout the meditation and the sound seemed to fill every inch of the room. I don't know if it cleansed me like it was supposed to, but I liked it. I'd do it again sometime for sure. Only I'd bring my own blanket next time because the "house" blankets smelled like feet.
6. After the class, A gave me a copy of the Spring 2011 issue of Bitch magazine. I'd never read it before, but there was a short article about IF blogs (immediately preceded by a longer article about mommy blogs, but that's neither here nor there) that I found somewhat interesting. Check it out if you come across it.
7. I need to gush for just a minute about what an awesome time Hubs and I had together on our rainy Sunday. I mean it was pouring and windy and just awful outside, so we were stuck indoors for most of the day. To entertain ourselves we dragged a bunch of blankets out to the living room, made some popcorn, opened a bottle (or two) of wine, and hung out on the floor watching movies and talking (and... other stuff) for hours. I guess there's really not much to tell, but it was such a good time. Totally a Top Ten kinda day.
8. Actually, the whole weekend just pretty much rocked. If only every weekend was like that! Only problem was dragging myself out of bed and tothe seventh circle of hell work on Monday morning.
9. I'm excited about my group's next meeting, which is this Thursday, because the topic is Goals. I have so many goals for myself right now, but the main one - finding a new job - is really frustrating me. Not only because of the job search itself, but because I have no idea what I want to do. I think about going back to school, getting some kind of certificate (like today I found out a dental hygienist makes as much in three days per week as I do slaving away full time at the bank!), but I don't want to commit to a program that I'm not 100% sure I'll be interested in. So what do I do? I'm hoping I'll get some inspiration on Thursday night.
10. Oh - I got out of the baby shower this weekend easily enough - I have to work! Seriously, I was hoping I'd have a better excuse than that. Or at least a funner excuse. ;) Oh well, it could be worse; I could be working and going to a baby shower!
2. I went with a metallic blue instead of the usual reds and purples for my pedi on Friday and I'm loving it! It's so refreshing. Nail polish is a cheap thrill for me. Whenever I need a pick-me-up I head over to the drug store and buy a new color. And now I know what my next nail polish purchase will be!
3. Hubs and I went out with some friends on Friday night and discovered that we're old and boring. Sigh... I guess we've been cooped up in the house for too long because we've both lost the gift of gab around our friends. Overall we had a good time and stayed out way past our bedtime, so at least we know we're not total geriatrics yet.
4. Our raised veggie garden is sooo close to being done! We couldn't finish it this weekend because of the rain, but we have the space for it all cleared out and the holes for the posts dug. Now all we need to do is pick up a truckload of soil and get planting. We should be able to finish it this weekend.
5. Saturday night I went to a yoga and meditation class with my friend A (of Consider Bliss fame). It was definitely outside of both our comfort zones, but it ended up being a really positive experience. Let me see if I can freak you out a little with the details: We started off with Kundalini yoga, which is apparently different from "regular" yoga in that it's much faster and there's more sweating involved. There was some chanting and singing, and the meditation portion centered around an "Earth Gong bath". The gong was really cool actually, it went on throughout the meditation and the sound seemed to fill every inch of the room. I don't know if it cleansed me like it was supposed to, but I liked it. I'd do it again sometime for sure. Only I'd bring my own blanket next time because the "house" blankets smelled like feet.
6. After the class, A gave me a copy of the Spring 2011 issue of Bitch magazine. I'd never read it before, but there was a short article about IF blogs (immediately preceded by a longer article about mommy blogs, but that's neither here nor there) that I found somewhat interesting. Check it out if you come across it.
7. I need to gush for just a minute about what an awesome time Hubs and I had together on our rainy Sunday. I mean it was pouring and windy and just awful outside, so we were stuck indoors for most of the day. To entertain ourselves we dragged a bunch of blankets out to the living room, made some popcorn, opened a bottle (or two) of wine, and hung out on the floor watching movies and talking (and... other stuff) for hours. I guess there's really not much to tell, but it was such a good time. Totally a Top Ten kinda day.
8. Actually, the whole weekend just pretty much rocked. If only every weekend was like that! Only problem was dragging myself out of bed and to
9. I'm excited about my group's next meeting, which is this Thursday, because the topic is Goals. I have so many goals for myself right now, but the main one - finding a new job - is really frustrating me. Not only because of the job search itself, but because I have no idea what I want to do. I think about going back to school, getting some kind of certificate (like today I found out a dental hygienist makes as much in three days per week as I do slaving away full time at the bank!), but I don't want to commit to a program that I'm not 100% sure I'll be interested in. So what do I do? I'm hoping I'll get some inspiration on Thursday night.
10. Oh - I got out of the baby shower this weekend easily enough - I have to work! Seriously, I was hoping I'd have a better excuse than that. Or at least a funner excuse. ;) Oh well, it could be worse; I could be working and going to a baby shower!
3.17.2011
St. Paddy's Day Two-fer
Happy St. Patrick's Day, friends!
I'm channeling my inner Irish today, which isn't easy to do because it's buried somewhere under a bunch of Greek, German, English, Danish, Welsh, Dutch, Swiss, Scottish, and French. Yep, I'm a true American mutt! But the Irish usually manages to fight its way out from under the dogpile - at least in time to drink, which I definitely plan on doing tonight. Not only because it's St. Paddy's Day, but also because it's my big brother's birthday and the family's getting together to celebrate! And if you'll recall, I'm off work tomorrow and have nothing to do until my 1:00 pedicure. That should be plenty of time to sleep off a few beers. ;)
Cheers to all my friends and family, and a special shout out to my bro!
I'm channeling my inner Irish today, which isn't easy to do because it's buried somewhere under a bunch of Greek, German, English, Danish, Welsh, Dutch, Swiss, Scottish, and French. Yep, I'm a true American mutt! But the Irish usually manages to fight its way out from under the dogpile - at least in time to drink, which I definitely plan on doing tonight. Not only because it's St. Paddy's Day, but also because it's my big brother's birthday and the family's getting together to celebrate! And if you'll recall, I'm off work tomorrow and have nothing to do until my 1:00 pedicure. That should be plenty of time to sleep off a few beers. ;)
Cheers to all my friends and family, and a special shout out to my bro!
Lucky stars above you,
Sunshine on your way,
Many friends to love you,
Joy in work and play.
Laughter to outweigh each care,
In your heart a song,
And gladness waiting everywhere
All your whole life long!
3.16.2011
It's the end of the world...?
Generally speaking, I have a healthy sense of skepticism. I don't take email forwards to heart when they tell me my lipstick will give me cancer or that there's some sort of cosmic, mystical connection between Abe Lincoln and JFK. I've never believed in Nostradamus's predictions and never gave a second thought to the Mayan calendar ending in 2012.
But what the hell is going on with all these natural disasters lately? The tsunami in Southern Asia, Hurricane Katrina, the earthquake in Haiti, and now Japan... Hubs told me he read the other day that the Earth's rotation is slowing down by like 1.3 microseconds every 24 hours thanks to that earthquake. (Granted I don't have a very good grasp of what that means but it doesn't sound good to me.) All I'm saying is it seems like there have been a lot of particularly disastrous disasters in recent years. I'm starting to think maybe the Mayans were right after all.
Or maybe the world has always had these kinds of massive disasters and I just never paid attention before to how frequently they occur.
I'm hoping it's the latter, but I have to admit I'm starting to get nervous.
What do you think? I'm posting a poll just for kicks (directly to the left). Vote early, vote often!
But what the hell is going on with all these natural disasters lately? The tsunami in Southern Asia, Hurricane Katrina, the earthquake in Haiti, and now Japan... Hubs told me he read the other day that the Earth's rotation is slowing down by like 1.3 microseconds every 24 hours thanks to that earthquake. (Granted I don't have a very good grasp of what that means but it doesn't sound good to me.) All I'm saying is it seems like there have been a lot of particularly disastrous disasters in recent years. I'm starting to think maybe the Mayans were right after all.
Or maybe the world has always had these kinds of massive disasters and I just never paid attention before to how frequently they occur.
I'm hoping it's the latter, but I have to admit I'm starting to get nervous.
What do you think? I'm posting a poll just for kicks (directly to the left). Vote early, vote often!
3.15.2011
10 on Tuesday
1. Atticus is driving me insane. He's always been very food-motivated (to put it mildly) but lately he's taking it to a whole new level. He wakes us up before the alarm goes off every. single. morning. with nonstop whining and jumping up on the bed to meow in our faces. Then God forbid I have to go to the bathroom before I feed him, he'll follow me in there and keep whining at me until I'm done. And there's no point in kicking him out because then he scratches incessantly at the door to be let back in. And it's not just the morning feedings, it's every feeding. Thirty minutes to an hour before mealtime he sits by the kitchen and meows loudly, gets in our faces, and scratches at the back door (wanting to be let outside so he can eat the grass and then barf it up on my kitchen table, naturally). It's getting to be ridiculous. I am seriously reconsidering my interest in getting another cat.
2. Hubs, on the other hand, has not lost his interest in getting a dog. He told me yesterday he was looking up Shiba Inu puppies online again. I'm ready for something to irritate the cat as much as he's been irritating me, so I guess at this point I'm all for it!
3. I finished planting my marigolds and pansies last night. They look lovely in my new pots on the steps by the back door, if I do say so myself! (And I do.) Next I'll be planting some pink and red cyclamens.
4. I was feeling very sensitive last night when I read a post on FB from a seven months pregnant friend that said, "It's going to be a long two months." (Queue the peanut gallery of recently-pregnant women airing their late pregnancy woes. Cry me a frickin' river.) I almost commented, "It's been an even longer three years, but I'm glad to hear everything is going smoothly." Instead I think I'll just hide her.
5. I got an invitation to #4's baby shower in the mail last week. I'm trying to come up with a response that's more polite than, "Oh, HELL no."
6. Work is crazy, crazy, crazy. I'm mostly holding it together, but it's still just stressful enough to keep me motivated to look for a new job. Well, in theory anyway. It's been a couple of weeks since I sent out any resumes. I need to get back on that.
7. Spring starts this weekend! And I see it's supposed to rain here starting Saturday and going through most of next week. Greeeaaat. Way to ring in the season, Mother Nature!
8. Speaking of spring, I have big plans for spring cleaning this year. So many plans, actually, that I'm not sure where to begin. I've never done a real spring cleaning before. Have/do any of you?
9. Hubs is pretty happy that I'm becoming more "domesticated" these days. (I love it, it's like I'm a housetrained animal now.) First with the gardening and now with the spring cleaning... Next thing you know I'll be baking from scratch and knitting little Atticus outfits while I memorize the Joy of Cooking.
10. Wow, I think I'm totally out of things to say! Happy Tuesday, at least it's not Monday :)
2. Hubs, on the other hand, has not lost his interest in getting a dog. He told me yesterday he was looking up Shiba Inu puppies online again. I'm ready for something to irritate the cat as much as he's been irritating me, so I guess at this point I'm all for it!
3. I finished planting my marigolds and pansies last night. They look lovely in my new pots on the steps by the back door, if I do say so myself! (And I do.) Next I'll be planting some pink and red cyclamens.
4. I was feeling very sensitive last night when I read a post on FB from a seven months pregnant friend that said, "It's going to be a long two months." (Queue the peanut gallery of recently-pregnant women airing their late pregnancy woes. Cry me a frickin' river.) I almost commented, "It's been an even longer three years, but I'm glad to hear everything is going smoothly." Instead I think I'll just hide her.
5. I got an invitation to #4's baby shower in the mail last week. I'm trying to come up with a response that's more polite than, "Oh, HELL no."
6. Work is crazy, crazy, crazy. I'm mostly holding it together, but it's still just stressful enough to keep me motivated to look for a new job. Well, in theory anyway. It's been a couple of weeks since I sent out any resumes. I need to get back on that.
7. Spring starts this weekend! And I see it's supposed to rain here starting Saturday and going through most of next week. Greeeaaat. Way to ring in the season, Mother Nature!
8. Speaking of spring, I have big plans for spring cleaning this year. So many plans, actually, that I'm not sure where to begin. I've never done a real spring cleaning before. Have/do any of you?
9. Hubs is pretty happy that I'm becoming more "domesticated" these days. (I love it, it's like I'm a housetrained animal now.) First with the gardening and now with the spring cleaning... Next thing you know I'll be baking from scratch and knitting little Atticus outfits while I memorize the Joy of Cooking.
10. Wow, I think I'm totally out of things to say! Happy Tuesday, at least it's not Monday :)
3.14.2011
The weekend and stuff
Don't you love it when you're sitting at work on a Monday, all miserable because it's freaking Monday and there are all kinds of issues popping up and it seems like nothing is going right, when you suddenly remember you're off on Friday and your mood is instantly improved? I do!! I'm so glad I decided not to wait until Hubs could take time off with me to request a much-needed vacation day. Knowing the week is going to be one day shorter than usual just brightens me right up. I think I'll get up just a little later than my normal time on Friday so I can spend the morning with Hubs before he goes to work, then I'm going to get a pedicure and maybe see a movie with my friend K. Ahh... Yes, I feel much better now!
Of course, don't ask me how I feel about this week when I'm working (unpaid) overtime on Tuesday and Thursday.
Anywho. I had a very nice weekend. I slept in way too late on Saturday, which was absolute bliss, and then proceeded to do very little throughout the day. I think I did something productive, but I can't remember what it could have been... Oh yeah - I made brownies. Really, I think that's about it. After Hubs got home from work we went out to dinner, but it was an early night since we had big plans for Sunday and wanted to be up at a decent hour. We got a late start anyway, but we managed to get almost everything done that we wanted to. After a trip to the nursery (the kind with the plants, not the kind with the babies) and the hardware store we spent the afternoon in the backyard where I potted some plants while Hubs built a gorgeous raised garden bed. We should have it totally "installed" and ready for planting this coming weekend. I can't wait to start planting my own veggies!
I also did a lot of thinking over the weekend. I really want to write a book (a novel), and I came up with what I think is a great idea for a story. It'll draw from my IF experiences, but with a twist, and will hopefully come off as fun, funny and a little sentimental. Ya know, your typical chick-lit. I've been mulling it over and bouncing ideas off Hubs, and now it's time to get an outline going. Who knows, I may actually reach my goal of publishing a book one day!
Okay, back to the grind for me! What am I doing blogging? I have a boatload of work to do! Hope you're having a great Monday. :)
Of course, don't ask me how I feel about this week when I'm working (unpaid) overtime on Tuesday and Thursday.
Anywho. I had a very nice weekend. I slept in way too late on Saturday, which was absolute bliss, and then proceeded to do very little throughout the day. I think I did something productive, but I can't remember what it could have been... Oh yeah - I made brownies. Really, I think that's about it. After Hubs got home from work we went out to dinner, but it was an early night since we had big plans for Sunday and wanted to be up at a decent hour. We got a late start anyway, but we managed to get almost everything done that we wanted to. After a trip to the nursery (the kind with the plants, not the kind with the babies) and the hardware store we spent the afternoon in the backyard where I potted some plants while Hubs built a gorgeous raised garden bed. We should have it totally "installed" and ready for planting this coming weekend. I can't wait to start planting my own veggies!
I also did a lot of thinking over the weekend. I really want to write a book (a novel), and I came up with what I think is a great idea for a story. It'll draw from my IF experiences, but with a twist, and will hopefully come off as fun, funny and a little sentimental. Ya know, your typical chick-lit. I've been mulling it over and bouncing ideas off Hubs, and now it's time to get an outline going. Who knows, I may actually reach my goal of publishing a book one day!
Okay, back to the grind for me! What am I doing blogging? I have a boatload of work to do! Hope you're having a great Monday. :)
3.11.2011
A-Z of me
I'm playing along and you should too. Hope everyone's Friday is going swimmingly.
A. Age: 30
B. Bed size: California King (and upgrading was one of the best decisions we've ever made!)
C. Chore you dislike: All of them. But cleaning the kitchen in particular. Oh and vacuuming the cat hair off of the couch.
D. Dogs: What about them? I have a cat, but I've had lots of dogs too. And Hubs wants one. That's the end of that story so far.
E. Essential start to your day: Shower
F. Favorite color: Teal
G. Gold or silver: White gold
H. Height: Aaaaaalmost 5'8". I never got that last 1/4 inch.
I. Instruments you play(ed): I used to play the piano and sing. I'm getting pretty terrible at both now that I never practice.
J. Job title: It's ridiculously long: AVP Wire Operations Manager and Cash Management Support Supervisor. But don't I sound important?
K. Kids: Hopefully
L. Live: Sunny Southern California
M. Mom’s name: Sheila
N. Nicknames: My name is a nickname, but I also get Kitten and Kit pretty regularly. There used to be many more as you can imagine, but I guess I've hit the age where people don't use them so much anymore.
O. Overnight hospital stays: None.
P. Pet peeves: People who use their windshield washers on the freeway.
Q. Quote from a movie: "Mmm... I look good. I mean really good. Hey everyone! Come and see how good I look!"
R. Righty or lefty: Righty
S. Siblings: Three - two brothers and one sister (I'm #3).
T. Time you wake up: 5:45 or whenever Atticus decides he's waited long enough for me to get up and feed him.
U. Underwear: I wear it regularly and I go for comfort.
V. Vegetables you don’t like: Hmm, there aren't many... Squash I guess.
W. What makes you run late: Just generally lagging while I'm getting ready. (And P.S. this is a total cop-out question, using the word "What" for W! How about "W: Where's the imagination?")
X. X-rays you’ve had: Teeth, neck/spine, and head. (Believe it or not, there's a real live human brain in there!)
Y. Yummy food you make: Veggie fajitas, artichoke dip, French toast... everything I make is yummy! Well, except when I burn it. :)
Z. Zoo animal favorites: Giraffes, monkeys, and big cats.
A. Age: 30
B. Bed size: California King (and upgrading was one of the best decisions we've ever made!)
C. Chore you dislike: All of them. But cleaning the kitchen in particular. Oh and vacuuming the cat hair off of the couch.
D. Dogs: What about them? I have a cat, but I've had lots of dogs too. And Hubs wants one. That's the end of that story so far.
E. Essential start to your day: Shower
F. Favorite color: Teal
G. Gold or silver: White gold
H. Height: Aaaaaalmost 5'8". I never got that last 1/4 inch.
I. Instruments you play(ed): I used to play the piano and sing. I'm getting pretty terrible at both now that I never practice.
J. Job title: It's ridiculously long: AVP Wire Operations Manager and Cash Management Support Supervisor. But don't I sound important?
K. Kids: Hopefully
L. Live: Sunny Southern California
M. Mom’s name: Sheila
N. Nicknames: My name is a nickname, but I also get Kitten and Kit pretty regularly. There used to be many more as you can imagine, but I guess I've hit the age where people don't use them so much anymore.
O. Overnight hospital stays: None.
P. Pet peeves: People who use their windshield washers on the freeway.
Q. Quote from a movie: "Mmm... I look good. I mean really good. Hey everyone! Come and see how good I look!"
R. Righty or lefty: Righty
S. Siblings: Three - two brothers and one sister (I'm #3).
T. Time you wake up: 5:45 or whenever Atticus decides he's waited long enough for me to get up and feed him.
U. Underwear: I wear it regularly and I go for comfort.
V. Vegetables you don’t like: Hmm, there aren't many... Squash I guess.
W. What makes you run late: Just generally lagging while I'm getting ready. (And P.S. this is a total cop-out question, using the word "What" for W! How about "W: Where's the imagination?")
X. X-rays you’ve had: Teeth, neck/spine, and head. (Believe it or not, there's a real live human brain in there!)
Y. Yummy food you make: Veggie fajitas, artichoke dip, French toast... everything I make is yummy! Well, except when I burn it. :)
Z. Zoo animal favorites: Giraffes, monkeys, and big cats.
3.10.2011
What might have been
I've been dreading today for months, and now that it's here I'm... actually okay. I called in sick and although Hubs couldn't do the same we had a few lovely hours together before he left for work. There have been some tears and I expect there will be more. I'm just going to allow myself to feel what I feel, and not force myself to feel one way or another.
To my Peanut on what might have been your birthday: You would have loved today. The sun is shining and there's not a cloud in the sky. It's warm and beautiful out and it would have been the perfect day to meet you face to face. I will always love you and miss you.
To my Peanut on what might have been your birthday: You would have loved today. The sun is shining and there's not a cloud in the sky. It's warm and beautiful out and it would have been the perfect day to meet you face to face. I will always love you and miss you.
3.08.2011
10 on Tuesday
1. Happy Fat Tuesday! Lent starts tomorrow and even though I haven't been to church since...umm...I can't remember, I was thinking about partaking in the season. Instead of giving something up, though, I am going to try to meditate every day. I'm feeling a little low on spirituality lately.
2. As promised, here's the logo I slaved over on Saturday for my women's group. Feel free to gush over how glorious it is:
2. As promised, here's the logo I slaved over on Saturday for my women's group. Feel free to gush over how glorious it is:
(Obviously the copyright notice won't be there when it's in use.) I'm pretty proud of her! And A has already turned it into transfers which she ironed on to some shirts for us. We're all official now!
3. Speaking of the women's group, after work today I'm joining up with them for the event I mentioned last Tuesday. We're going to be in a very public place which makes me a little nervous, but it will be a good thing so I'm sucking it up! I'll share pics with you soon.
4. I thought I had a dentist appointment this morning so I set my alarm to go off 45 minutes later than usual and dozed away... Then while I was getting ready I thought, "Hmm... I should probably check the time on the reminder card, just in case." Well I did have the time right, but I was off by two weeks on the date! Crap! Oh well, so I was 45 minutes late to work and told my boss they had to reschedule at the last minute so I didn't look like a complete idiot.
5. I've been bowling for crap lately! I started off this season really strong (well, strong for me), which, if you've ever been in a bowling league you will know is a bad idea. My average was high, my handicap was low, but since I haven't been able to maintain those good scores Team Aardvark isn't doing so hot. Okay, it's not entirely my fault, Hubs and my brother haven't quite been pulling their weight either. But we're halfway through our second season and I thought I'd be better by now! I keep telling myself it's just for fun, but let's face it, I'm a poor sport.
6. A little over a month ago Atticus did something he's only done one time before: He peed outside of the litter box. Where, you ask? On my BED! So I had to take our down comforter to the cleaners, and you will never guess what happened next. They lost it! Not only that, but they refused to admit they lost it, even though they've supposedly been looking for it for the past 4 weeks. I'm pretty sure they gave it to someone else - how else does a king size comforter disappear? The owner finally agreed to replace it for us (although he tried to get us to split the cost with him since it was "used." Please. What would my other option be, scour garage sales for a replacement?? I think not.) so Hubs is heading over there today to pick up our money. I'm NOT happy with this service, especially considering we spend a pretty penny bringing them all of our work clothes every month for the past 3 years.
7. I need a haircut. I'm getting really bored with my style, plus it's too long for my taste. I just feel BLAH.
8. AF is due any day now and I find myself wishing she wouldn't show up - not because I want to be pregnant so much, but because I just really don't want to deal with it right now.
9. I'm hungry and have no idea what to have for lunch. Fascinating, right? Hey, I'm running out of ideas for things to talk about here, don't judge! ;)
10. Last night while we were bowling, for some reason I decided to look up our team's Chinese Astrological signs. I found out my brother is a Fire Snake, I'm a Metal Monkey, and poor Hubs is an Earth Goat. Not nearly as hardcore as bro and me.
Sorry for the cop-outs toward the end there! I hope you're having a fabulous Tuesday! And if you're not, well, at least the day is almost done. :)
3.07.2011
The weekend wrap-up
Why are Monday mornings so rough? I think it's because of the anticipation of an entire new workweek. Five long days stretch out ahead of me as far as the eye can see (or the mind can imagine) and the potential for misery seems endless. But by the time Tuesday rolls around and Monday is a memory I usually feel better. Just gotta make it through today!
How was your weekend? All in all mine was pretty good. The weather was beautiful on Saturday so Hubs spent the day mowing and edging the yard while I was cooped up in the office/lounge/Atticus's room creating the logo for my women's group. We just upgraded to Photoshop CS5 from CS2 and I didn't realize how many things can change in three upgrades until I took on this little project! It ended up taking me about 4 hours to get it done enough to be usable for now, but I think it came out pretty nice. I'll post it here after it makes its debut on the group blog so you can judge for yourselves :)
Grandma's birthday party on Sunday was fun. I'm so glad my whole immediate family was able to make the 3 hour drive down to San Diego for it. It was nice to see my cousins, aunt and uncle, and of course Grandma too! She's struggling with Alzheimer's, but she's been on that medication that's supposed to slow it down and it seems to help. She still forgets whose kid is whose and couldn't remember who gave her the lovely wrap she received 20 minutes after opening it (it was my mom, in case you were wondering), but overall she still has her faculties about her, remembers who we all are, and is reasonably "with it."
My sister and her family brought their new puppy along for the ride yesterday as well, and she's just about the cutest thing ever. She's an 11 week old Shiba Inu, which is one of the dogs that Hubs would like to eventually get. So of course he fell in love with her and immediately started looking up the cost of Shiba Inu puppies on his phone. If only he were that excited about getting a kitten!
In an interesting turn of events, a friend recently mentioned this website and it got me thinking about IVF vacations. They're cheaper than most standard IVF cycles plus you get an almost three week Costa Rican vacation out of it included in the cost! Even if it's not quite like a "real" vacation (no drinking, sex, or much sightseeing since I'd have to rest most of the time) at least I wouldn't have to go to work; I could lay by the pool and read for days instead. Hubs and I spent a good amount of time talking about it on Saturday and we figure once we pay off our debt it may be something we can pursue. So it looks like our quest for a little bio VonD may not be over just yet after all...
In an interesting turn of events, a friend recently mentioned this website and it got me thinking about IVF vacations. They're cheaper than most standard IVF cycles plus you get an almost three week Costa Rican vacation out of it included in the cost! Even if it's not quite like a "real" vacation (no drinking, sex, or much sightseeing since I'd have to rest most of the time) at least I wouldn't have to go to work; I could lay by the pool and read for days instead. Hubs and I spent a good amount of time talking about it on Saturday and we figure once we pay off our debt it may be something we can pursue. So it looks like our quest for a little bio VonD may not be over just yet after all...
3.04.2011
Loving it
Oh my gosh, I can't even tell you how much I love this women's group! We had our second meeting last night and it was just the perfect ending to my day. I was in such a good mood last night, and I still am this morning. We have two new members and at least one more who will be joining us at our next meeting. Pretty soon there'll be too many of us to get together at each other's houses anymore. Everyone is really excited about it and seem to enjoy our group quite a bit. The sister of one of our members is even thinking about starting her own chapter in NYC, she's been so inspired by the things she's heard about us! Check out our blog: http://www.considerbliss.blogspot.com/.
Obviously, my day got a lot better after I posted yesterday. I was pretty down in the dumps about realizing my EDD is coming up next week, but I just threw myself into my work and ended up having a decent day. I'm getting more familiar with my new boss, she's actually kind of cool. She needs to work on her listening skills sometimes, but my employees and I are getting more praise and recognition than we ever have, which makes such a difference. I'm still job hunting though, since I'm not yet entirely convinced this place isn't pure evil!
Everything also worked out for my grandma's birthday this weekend, and it turns out my ENTIRE immediate family is going down to San Diego to celebrate with her at my aunt and uncle's house. I'm excited about it! Hubs and I will be road-tripping down there with my little brother (he's actually taller than anyone else in the family and 28 years old, so maybe it's a tad strange to still call him "little"), which I'm looking forward to. He's one of the funniest guys I know, so that should be an entertaining drive.
Other than that, can you say TGIF??? I'll be working a little late tonight, but whatever - I'm just happy I get to sleep in tomorrow!
Obviously, my day got a lot better after I posted yesterday. I was pretty down in the dumps about realizing my EDD is coming up next week, but I just threw myself into my work and ended up having a decent day. I'm getting more familiar with my new boss, she's actually kind of cool. She needs to work on her listening skills sometimes, but my employees and I are getting more praise and recognition than we ever have, which makes such a difference. I'm still job hunting though, since I'm not yet entirely convinced this place isn't pure evil!
Everything also worked out for my grandma's birthday this weekend, and it turns out my ENTIRE immediate family is going down to San Diego to celebrate with her at my aunt and uncle's house. I'm excited about it! Hubs and I will be road-tripping down there with my little brother (he's actually taller than anyone else in the family and 28 years old, so maybe it's a tad strange to still call him "little"), which I'm looking forward to. He's one of the funniest guys I know, so that should be an entertaining drive.
Other than that, can you say TGIF??? I'll be working a little late tonight, but whatever - I'm just happy I get to sleep in tomorrow!
3.03.2011
Nervous Nelly
I woke up this morning with a stomach ache. That's pretty much par for the course lately, although for the past several days I've been feeling less anxious than usual. All good things must come to an end though, and the butterflies came back about 30 minutes before my alarm went off. Perfect timing! The stupid thing is the things that disrupt my sleep and make me want to yak are usually really small. For example:
I decided last night that Hubs and I would join my siblings in a trip to San Diego this Sunday for my grandma's birthday. I haven't seen her in... well, I'm ashamed to admit how long considering she only lives about 3 hours away. There's no excuse. But this Sunday is also the first Sunday of the month, which is the day my immediate family usually gets together for dinner at my parents' house. Which we haven't done in months. And my parents tend to take it really personally when we can't make it, even if the reason is the birthday of one of their parents. So I'll call my mom tonight and let her know, and hopefully she'll decide that she and my dad will come down to SD for grandma's birthday too and solve that problem. I know I shouldn't feel guilty about this, but I do.
The ladies are coming to my place tonight for our bi-monthly meeting. I'm not really worried about it, but it does cause a certain amount of anxiety. I'll have about an hour after I get home to straighten up, de-cat-hair as much as possible, put out the drinks and decide what to say for my toast. And I would have come to work early so I could leave early, but I have to help the new hire do end of day... only she called in sick today. Oh, Murphy and your law! You got me again.
Before I left work last night my boss told me (again, which is nice) great job, and that she might have something for me today depending on how our projects are going. Well, with the new hire here and it being the time of the month when I have to do my bajillion reports, I haven't had much time to work on the projects. I'm not worried that I won't get my "something," whatever it may be, I'm worried the status of my projects won't be acceptable and she'll find out I'm not really the amazing employee she thinks I am.
Last but not least, as I was contemplating all these things while going through my morning routine, I realized that exactly one week from today is March 10th. My EDD. And oh yeah, I'm supposed to start my period that day. Fuck.
And this is why I have a prescription for Xanax. Thank God for pharmaceuticals.
I decided last night that Hubs and I would join my siblings in a trip to San Diego this Sunday for my grandma's birthday. I haven't seen her in... well, I'm ashamed to admit how long considering she only lives about 3 hours away. There's no excuse. But this Sunday is also the first Sunday of the month, which is the day my immediate family usually gets together for dinner at my parents' house. Which we haven't done in months. And my parents tend to take it really personally when we can't make it, even if the reason is the birthday of one of their parents. So I'll call my mom tonight and let her know, and hopefully she'll decide that she and my dad will come down to SD for grandma's birthday too and solve that problem. I know I shouldn't feel guilty about this, but I do.
The ladies are coming to my place tonight for our bi-monthly meeting. I'm not really worried about it, but it does cause a certain amount of anxiety. I'll have about an hour after I get home to straighten up, de-cat-hair as much as possible, put out the drinks and decide what to say for my toast. And I would have come to work early so I could leave early, but I have to help the new hire do end of day... only she called in sick today. Oh, Murphy and your law! You got me again.
Before I left work last night my boss told me (again, which is nice) great job, and that she might have something for me today depending on how our projects are going. Well, with the new hire here and it being the time of the month when I have to do my bajillion reports, I haven't had much time to work on the projects. I'm not worried that I won't get my "something," whatever it may be, I'm worried the status of my projects won't be acceptable and she'll find out I'm not really the amazing employee she thinks I am.
Last but not least, as I was contemplating all these things while going through my morning routine, I realized that exactly one week from today is March 10th. My EDD. And oh yeah, I'm supposed to start my period that day. Fuck.
And this is why I have a prescription for Xanax. Thank God for pharmaceuticals.
3.01.2011
10 on Tuesday
I got the idea to do 10 on Tuesday from Junebug's Musings (who, in case you were wondering, got it from this blog, who has apparently gone private). Seeing as I'm low on inspiration (and yes, high on perspiration as a matter of fact, thanks for asking) lately, I figured this could jumpstart my creative juices and get me blogging more frequently. So here goes!
1. Our new employee starts today. She's currently sitting in HR getting the skinny on theSeventh Circle of Hell our fine institution here and will be joining me in Outer Purgatory my wonderful department shortly.
2. My women's group is going full swing! Over the weekend my friend/partner in crime, A, heard about this event on Women for Women (http://www.womenforwomen.org/) and signed us up. So next Tuesday evening we'll be standing on a bridge in our town, taking a stand against the injustices and brutal treatment of women in Afghanistan, and generally engaging in a symbolic movement to "bridge" women all over the world. Our next meeting is this Thursday, so we'll see how many people we can get to join us. There's only one other bridge event in the county, so we may even try to get the local paper to come out.
3. On Sunday I was talking to a friend of mine and Hubs's about a potential job opportunity. This guy is a partner in a graphic design startup, and though they've only been around for about a year, they're growing fairly quickly. He said he would hire me and even let me come in to test it out if I wanted to before I commit. It's not entirely stable at this point, but if it works out there's HUGE potential. I'm very, very seriously considering this option.
4. I think I'm wearing Hubs down on the subject of getting a kitten. I've been bugging him about it for at least a year and he always telle me no. Sigh... Yes, I even try pulling the IF card from time to time, but I tell you that man has no soul. (Just kidding, he totally has a soul. Mine may have been stolen from me by my employer, but he's managed to keep his intact thus far.) BUT! On Sunday, I brought it up while we were at breakfast with some friends and they kind of took my side. :) Hubs is worried that bringing a new cat into the house will upset our chi and Atticus will hate it; to be honest I worry about that too. We have a very mellow home and Atticus is happy. But he's over 5 years old and lazy as shit so I think a playmate might be good for him. And dammit, I want a kitten and it's never going to get any easier to introduce one into our home. So now Hubs is sort of considering it!
5. Jeez it's hard to come up with 5 things to talk about, let alone 10! Can that be my #5? K, thx.
6. The man cave (a.k.a. garage) is coming along! Did I already tell you this? Well, it's almost completely insulated now, and we just have one wall left to drywall. Hubs hung up some lights so we can finally stop using the floor lamp that we set up ages ago by the door. We have big plans for this thing! I want to get my piano in there (currently housed at my parents'), put the futon and a rug in, put in a basin sink next to the washer and dryer, and hopefully, you know - if there's any room left over, be able to park my car in there. Slowly but surely...
7. It is COLD here. Rainy, cold, and COLD. I'm tired of it. Spring needs to hurry the F up already.
8. I think Hubs solved the problem we've been having with stray cats. We discovered a gap between our back fence and the next door neighbor's where the cats were getting in and out. Hubs patched it up a week or two ago and we haven't seen any back there ever since. Good thing too, if I found one more cat turd next to my half-dug-up rose bush I was going to put out the antifreeze for them to feast on. (Okay not really, Hubs was about to do it and I stopped him. I'm not an animal killer, I just have some anger issues.)
9. Seriously, this is hard. Have you ever tried to come up with 10 things to talk about in a row? Or am I the only one with no life?
10. I've taken so long to write this that the new employee is here and at her desk! She's very nice and seems very capable. Better yet, she has lots of experience using our system! I have high hopes for this chick... not that it matters, since God willing I'll be leaving the company soon. Until then, hopefully she'll make my life easier!
1. Our new employee starts today. She's currently sitting in HR getting the skinny on the
2. My women's group is going full swing! Over the weekend my friend/partner in crime, A, heard about this event on Women for Women (http://www.womenforwomen.org/) and signed us up. So next Tuesday evening we'll be standing on a bridge in our town, taking a stand against the injustices and brutal treatment of women in Afghanistan, and generally engaging in a symbolic movement to "bridge" women all over the world. Our next meeting is this Thursday, so we'll see how many people we can get to join us. There's only one other bridge event in the county, so we may even try to get the local paper to come out.
3. On Sunday I was talking to a friend of mine and Hubs's about a potential job opportunity. This guy is a partner in a graphic design startup, and though they've only been around for about a year, they're growing fairly quickly. He said he would hire me and even let me come in to test it out if I wanted to before I commit. It's not entirely stable at this point, but if it works out there's HUGE potential. I'm very, very seriously considering this option.
4. I think I'm wearing Hubs down on the subject of getting a kitten. I've been bugging him about it for at least a year and he always telle me no. Sigh... Yes, I even try pulling the IF card from time to time, but I tell you that man has no soul. (Just kidding, he totally has a soul. Mine may have been stolen from me by my employer, but he's managed to keep his intact thus far.) BUT! On Sunday, I brought it up while we were at breakfast with some friends and they kind of took my side. :) Hubs is worried that bringing a new cat into the house will upset our chi and Atticus will hate it; to be honest I worry about that too. We have a very mellow home and Atticus is happy. But he's over 5 years old and lazy as shit so I think a playmate might be good for him. And dammit, I want a kitten and it's never going to get any easier to introduce one into our home. So now Hubs is sort of considering it!
5. Jeez it's hard to come up with 5 things to talk about, let alone 10! Can that be my #5? K, thx.
6. The man cave (a.k.a. garage) is coming along! Did I already tell you this? Well, it's almost completely insulated now, and we just have one wall left to drywall. Hubs hung up some lights so we can finally stop using the floor lamp that we set up ages ago by the door. We have big plans for this thing! I want to get my piano in there (currently housed at my parents'), put the futon and a rug in, put in a basin sink next to the washer and dryer, and hopefully, you know - if there's any room left over, be able to park my car in there. Slowly but surely...
7. It is COLD here. Rainy, cold, and COLD. I'm tired of it. Spring needs to hurry the F up already.
8. I think Hubs solved the problem we've been having with stray cats. We discovered a gap between our back fence and the next door neighbor's where the cats were getting in and out. Hubs patched it up a week or two ago and we haven't seen any back there ever since. Good thing too, if I found one more cat turd next to my half-dug-up rose bush I was going to put out the antifreeze for them to feast on. (Okay not really, Hubs was about to do it and I stopped him. I'm not an animal killer, I just have some anger issues.)
9. Seriously, this is hard. Have you ever tried to come up with 10 things to talk about in a row? Or am I the only one with no life?
10. I've taken so long to write this that the new employee is here and at her desk! She's very nice and seems very capable. Better yet, she has lots of experience using our system! I have high hopes for this chick... not that it matters, since God willing I'll be leaving the company soon. Until then, hopefully she'll make my life easier!
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