December 19, 2005

Holiday Party

December 15 was our holiday party. Now, we aren't suppose to call it Christmas or Winter Solstice party or Haunukah party. No siiireee. HOLIDAY. (whatever. I don't really care what it is called. Just give me food, fun and booze!)

As part of the M team I was helping coordinate some things to do. December was quite a busy month. We had a bring-your-cookies-to-work day. I made my vomit clusters, which went over very well. Some people brought in some really awesome cookies. We are suppose to share the recipes, but only one person gave me his. We were all able to share in the joy of eating cookies. That was really nice. Laurie's department had the idea and invited the whole company to participate. Even some of the tech dudes submitted cookies.

Then there was the Giving Tree. Our team came up with the idea to have a tree with ornaments that represented kids wishes. It then turned into gifts for one family. (Again Laurie's coordination efforts.) I was amazed at the response. There were people in the office who pretty much stick to their crew who reached out to the family. It was really great.

I also set up the kitchen for making greeting cards for the kids in a juvenile hall facility in Sylmar, CA. I have done it for years with friends back in LA. We take the cards to Juvey and pass them out on Christmas Day. It's always such a rewarding experience. I had hoped that people here would participate in making cards, and they did. Even Laurie took the idea home to her family and they made a bazillion cards. It was so cool!


THE PARTY
We had the party at a pretty decent Mexican restaurant. I have been struggling to find a decent Mexican restaurant in Vermont since I moved here. This one had really great guacamole, which is a good sign to me. The KJ (karaoke jockey) was already there when I arrived. A few of the Team M people helped me set up little candy bags and pass out raffle tickets.





Towards the end of dinner, Mark G. dressed up as Santa and had a few special gifts for the THREE ENCHILADAS. It was hilarious! Then we did the raffle. Though I think it went too long, we had a really nice variety of gifts thanks to Company X for giving us a budget. The gifts ranged from a leprechaun statue from the dollar store to an iPod Nanno, DVDs, and gift certificates to a variety of places. We then launched into the karaoke. It's a good thing that most of us have day jobs. It was so funny. One of the Enchiladas, MB, sang his heart out solo
and again with his fiancée, MM. I thought I would sing, "Material Girl", but as I a) don't really know the song that well and b) didn't know the key, I brought up some backup dancers to distract the audience. That went over quite well. I would say that the two kamkazi shots helped too. All in all, it was soooooo much better than last year. Last year MB had us answer a bunch of questions earlier in the day and then he read them at the party. We had to try to guess who did what. It was fine for the first 10 minutes but dragged on waaaaaaayyyyyy tooooooooo long. So this year with good food, Santa, karaoke, the raffle and gift bags - everybody had a great time. No arrests. No accidents (that I know about.)

December 15, 2005

Grocery store life

So I have completed my first weekish at the grocery store. I thought it went pretty well. I am not use to being on my feet in a stationary position for multiple hours, but I survived. I had a good time hanging out with the kids, and I mean kids. On Saturday night, I was the oldest one working there. In fact, I was old enough to be everybody's mother if you count all of the people working on the floor. Okay, late-teen mother, but still... Some of the people have been there for years, which has been nice and helpful for my training. The store is pretty big, even for CA standards. It is the biggest G store in the state of that store family. Life at the G store is filled with interesting co-workers and customers. There are a couple of chicks there who are pretty cool and I have been having a great time working with them. As I just gave them my blog, I have to come up with names for them to protect their identities. ha ha ha.

Working with customers face to face is refreshing. At my day job, I have interaction over the phone, and with co-workers. At night, there are all kinds of people at the Gstore. I think it will make for good material. There is the typical mom with the unruly kid(s). The Couple who have separate accounts but shop together all the time. The Old Married Couple who bicker over items in the cart or prices. The Family Gatherings - they bring ma, pa, kids, grandpa to shop EVERY TIME. There is also the College Dudes - beer, beer, beer. The Single Girl/Guy who buys the same thing every week. Grandpa/Grandma who can't afford that extra thing they thought they could. Then there are the welfare/food stamp recipients. They also have their range of people - the mom with a plethora of kids, the single guy/gal who wishes they could buy their alcohol and cigs on their food stamp card. The seniors who can't seem to work the punch pad (which doesn't work half the time anyhow.) It's a place chock-full of material. I haven't even begun to really dig into the employees. I still need some time to evaluate that. However, there are deffinately characters. The ones that stick out the most in my mind are the teenagers and early 20 year olds who think they are da bomb and have little to no respect for adults. But there are some teens/early 20 somethings who are really cool and amazingly mature for their ages. It has been a pleasure getting to know them.

I am tired and exhausted, but having a good time. Now if I can just get some better leg support...

December 13, 2005

Holiday Representation - a letter from a teacher

The following letter is from a close friend who is a brilliant, caring, high school teacher with a politically active mind and a biting sense of humor. I found this quite poignant for the times we live in. I hope you enjoy.

He sent this out to his district's federation of teachers organization.




"Subject: Re: "Holiday" Flier

I noticed that the latest FT [Federation of Teachers] December bulletin had a Dreidle and Menorah for the Happy Hanukkah message whereas Kwanzaa, Ramadan, and Christmas were represented by a snowman that said "Happy Holidays". While I realize that Jewish holidays are inherently distinct from and superior to all other world holidays (and, of course, must be shown respect as such), I was confused by the Snowman used to represent the three other major holidays in December. After pondering this for a bit I was further baffled as to why Kwanzaa was represented by an all-white snowman. That seemed a bit offensive to me, until I realized that maybe it was a subtle reminder that whitey has been oppressing the colored peoples of the world for millennia. Likewise, why the key religious observance of Islam, with it's roots in the deserts of Arabia and the Middle East, along with its prohibition of graven images or human representation was summed up in a man of snow? Perhaps it was to emphasize that the material things of this world are but passing dreams compared to Allah, blessed be He, the Eternal. Or perhaps this was to remind us of the need to stay hydrated even during a month of fasting? Finally, I was confused as to why the second or third most significant Christian holiday was represented by a coal-buttoned, carrot nosed, snowball. Was this a subtle reference to gold, frankincense and myrrh? Maybe the cuteness of the snowman has allegorical parallels to baby Jesus? Did the idea of the snowman who could be re-rolled into existence the day after he melts pre-figure the Christian dogma of Christ's resurrection?

At any rate, I defer to your well-reasoned rationale for these iconic choices. And I am certainly glad that the OFT, by using these carefully selected visual reminders of the world's great traditions (and not-so-great ones as well), is quelling any incendiary fuel which the religious right (of any stripe) might invoke to complain that they are being "discriminated against" by the left-wing liberals who dominate education.


Cheers and Happy Holidays and Hanukkah!"

December 09, 2005

Grocery store - who knew how exciting it could be!

This week I started a part time job working at a grocery store. I am doing it for several reasons.
  • Meet people
  • Keep me busy at night, something to do
  • Make some extra $

One of my co-workers at Company X was working there and suggested that I give it a go. So I signed up, had an orientation and - WHAM! I am a checker/bagger. Never worked in a grocery store in my life. It's fun, though it is still the first week. I use muscles I usually don't use. Bagging is an art. I know how to back by type. I know not to put the eggs underneath the potatoes and put the fresh cut of steak in it's own bag (leaks). I know to ask if plastic is okay over paper (the paper bags are cheap and stick together.) I just don't have the fast paced bagging skill yet. I am also still going through training, so I don't actually check people out yet. I did have the opportunity to clean the employee lounge and restock items.

They are totally okay with my schedule, which is nice. If that job becomes a problem with my main job, I will quit. But so far, I really like to have something to do after work. And why not make money doing it?

Houston Part 3 - The rest of the week

I realize you probably don't even care now about Thanksgiving and Houston but here ya go.

Highlights for the rest of the week -

  • I worked for 20 minutes
  • Karaoke with Sarah and her friends
  • We got the dog (Tucker)
  • Went to a real Hispanic grocery store and made burritos
  • Shopped at the 99cent store (There aren't any here in Vermont)
  • Thanksgiving part 2 (more cooking, more eating - deep fried turkey - yum)
  • NASA!!!! Johnson Space Center - That was pretty cool. We saw a little show on what the astronauts routine is in the space shuttle, an IMAX on being an astronaut, some space suits and had a tour of the Space Center. One of the funniest moments was when we were ushered into Mission Control. That's right - THE Mission Control. We came into a room with theater-style seats that all had ash trays attached to the backs. In front of us, behind glass was the center of operations where they had rows of old computers and big screens at the front of the room where they could monitor a mission from launch to landing. The gal who was giving the history schpeel was talking about the various missions that were launched from that room as well as rattling off some of the various dignitaries who sat where we were sitting. Ambassador Such-in-so, Prince what's-his-name, etc. The best one was when she said (very importantly), "Queen Elizabeth the First also sat here. That's right. The first queen of England." I was so amazed. Who knew that in that very room the daughter of Henry VIII graced the very place I was sitting in? I didn't think she made it to the Americas, but what do I know? All in all, I was glad to have checked out the space center. I will post pictures. Really I will.

December 01, 2005

I need a pat on the back...

As a blog is a place to vent, let me take a moment....

I worked my ass off on Client Dutch with the help of several co-workers. I did in 3.5 weeks what normally takes 6-8. I completed the project not only before vacation, but on time.

So where is the thanks? Not a word from the executives that I/we did a great job and things went really smoothly. Nothing. That sucks. I am in need for attention and acknowledgement for a joob well done. With the lack of response, it makes me really want to go back to working my 8 hours and leaving. (Which I suppose I should do anyhow.) Is this asking for too much? Maybe I am being a baby about it, but when it is drilled into your head that the project MUST BE DONE ON TIME and it is not only done on time, but EARLY (okay, only a couple of days...) I expect some form of thank you from my superiors to my team.

It's so annoying and frustrating.

Thanks for listening. I am done, for now.... :-)

November 25, 2005

Houston Part 2 - Sunday to Tuesday

SUNDAY -
After sleeping in I had some cinnamon patries with Sarah and Rose. We began cooking for an early Thanksgiving with her in-laws and brother + his family. It seemed as though we cooked non-stop until we ate around 2pm. I was the pie and cake baker. I made two cheesecakes, a pumpkin and a red velvet cake. The in-laws (Sue and husband) were the first to show along with Barton's grandson, who works for Haliburton. Shortly thereafter, Sarah's brother came with wife and their two kids. For dinner, we had a smoked duck, turkey, stuffing/gravy, ambrosia, rolls, cranberry stuff and of course the desserts. OMIGAWD. So much food. I think we could have served another 10 people. After dinner, we hung out at the house. I think we were too full to do anything else.

Brett's dog of 13 years had died a few weeks earlier and he wanted to get another dog. A boxer rescue shelter had one that they saw and liked, but had given it away before they could go back and get it. Still, Brett was undeterred. The woman at the shelter had a few more that might need homes....

MONDAY -
We ate lunch at a nice, big TEXAS BBQ Buffet! It was pretty good. We did some errands and also worked on setting up curtains in the kitchen. We also saw some of the model homes like the house Sarah lives in. They are all HUGE (like everything in Texas.) Though there were a few single story plans, none of them were smaller than a three bedroom, three bath. They all had breakfast nooks, formal dining rooms and dens. Some had nice, big backyards. All had attached garages and decent front yards. Whew. And to think, I could get one of those for $178k! In Los Angeles, you couldn't even find something at that price in the worst neighborhoods. Now that its been a week since I was there, my brain is a little foggy. Nothing with the potential boxer, though there was a potential to get one during the week.


TUESDAY -
We lounged around the house, did a few more errands. By noon, Brett had called the woman at the dog shelter probably about 5 times about getting the dog. He was bothered that she hadn't called him back. He REALLY wanted to get the dog this night. Sarah and I were having a bunch of ladies over for an adult novelty party and thought having a new dog wouldn't be a great idea. Brett was convinced that the dog wouldn't be a problem. Sarah was convinced that it just wasn't a good idea. When the woman called back, Sarah was able to pursuade her to let them come on Wednesday morning ("7am!" Insisted Brett) to get the dog. She agreed. Sarah and I got the house ready for the party.

Now, gentle readers, I will edit details of the contents of the party for those who might be offended. Let's just say it's like a Tupperware, Princess House or Pampered Chef party. There is a hostess, speaker and merchandise. We played a few silly games (even Sarah's mom and a few of her friends joined in.) Had a few laughs. Ate food. There's lots of eating in my week in Houston, you see. We had fun. The sales lady was entertaining and understood her audience, even the more senior ladies. There were about 12 people who came. Sarah has always had a wide range of friends and it was nice to meet so many of them. Brett kindly stayed upstairs so as to not interrupt the proceedings.

November 21, 2005

Launching Client Dutch, Harry Potter, Houston Part 1

Friday - It was a really busy day. There were moments when we thought we might not launch Client Dutch, but we did. Whew! I have another large client to work on when I get back from vacation, and I will also have to wrap up some things with Client Dutch.

After work (and I actually got out on time for once!) I went home and got my stuff for Houston. Elissa drove me to her house where we dropped off my stuff and picked up Rocky to go see "Harry Potter - and the Goblet of Fire", which is the 4th of the Harry Potter series. I really enjoyed the movie, though they cut out a bunch of stuff that I think should have been in the movie. However, considering the movie was already over 2.5 hours, I understand paring it down for time. I hope the kids and other regular cast members make the fifth book into a movie. It's one of the rare times when a series of books make good movies. Much like James Bond and the Tom Clancy books.

After the movie, I went back to Elissa's for a brief night sleep before heading off to Houston.

SATURDAY - At the butt crack of dawn in 28 degree weather, Elissa dropped me off at the Burlington Airport for my flight to Houston. I grabbed a poppyseed muffin and juice. The hour long ride to Newark was uneventful. I had about a 45-60 minute wait before my flight to Houston. I read and people watched. The ride to Houston was pretty good. I sat in one of the exit rows, which allowed for lots of great leg room, for which I was really thankful. I sat next to a woman and her husband on their way to the Carribean. She did some sort of paralegal stuff. They showed "Batman Begins" on the flight out. I watched it a bit but mostly read. I just don't get Katie Holmes. I think she is a so-so talented actress, who is marrying her childhood person of her affection or should I say obsession. It's no coincidence in my mind that she and Tom became engaged the same month their movies opened. I am not suprised that she is also expecting their child. Hmmm. Anyhoo, I love Christian Bale and enjoyed watching the movie.

I landed at the airport in Houston and called Sarah for a pick up. It was great seeing her. I don't think I have seen her since she got married TWO years ago. She looks about the same. We came back to her new house (just moved in here about two months ago) in a new housing development. It is a gorgeous house. HUGE too. Brett was off hunting, so I didn't see him until the evening. Her mom, Rose lives here too. They have a nice sized back yard, 4 bathrooms, launcry room, two car garage, office, and 4 bedrooms! As we were hanging about, her mother-in-law, Sue, and Brett's step father, Barton arrived. They had a horse in a race at the Sam Houston Race Track which was only about 5 minutes from Sarah's house.

We piled into the car and went to the race track to see Angel of War compete. I bet $3 on her to place. She started out of the gate wayyyyy too fast, though she kept a steady lead for 3/4 of the race. Then I think she got tired out. She places 2nd to last, I believe. Still, it was a really fun time and I am so glad that Sue invited us to go.

It was a really nice way to start my vacation.

November 15, 2005

My weekend and Emily's Ghost...

I had a great weekend. Sporty Girl is making a nice recovery and Kdar has been beaten up a few times. If you have no idea what I am talking about, nevermind. Just know that I am merging out of my aforementioned depression. The weekend was great. I went to a ladies' retreat in Stowe with Carrie and people from the church I have been attending. I met some really cool people - ladies of all ages, shapes and sizes. I even met a gal (Dina) who went to my high school in CA. OMIGAWD! I played a few rounds of Speed Scrabble, learned Speed Uno and took a swell 4 mile walk around. It was a gorgeous weekend weather-wise, which was nice. It was wonderful being outside and with positive people. Got more in touch spiritually speaking too, which has helped my mood.

Client Dutch is almost over. They aren't really Dutch, but their name lends itself to me thinking that, plus one of the owners looks tall, supppppper blond with blue eyes. Very Nordic. Anyhoo, that project is going well. I worked last night a mere 13.5 hours. Tonight it won't be as long. Phew!

So my friend Stephanie and some of her peeps took a journey to a haunted bridge. After they took this picture, they saw the face. The mist wasn't visable in person. Only showed up on the film. No, it hasn't been touched up. Can you see the face? Eyes, nose.... creepy. To find out more about the ghostly bridge - read

http://www.hauntedhamilton.com/gotw_emilysbridge.html

November 10, 2005

Happy Bday Helen! No snow, but rain and cold...

Winter is here.

It is also Helen's bday! Yippee!! I called her to wish her a happy birthday and she told me some very disturbing news. She is seeing Michael Flatley tonight perform. He's the dude who made famous LORD OF THE DANCE. Luck her. ha ha ha! I escorted him at the Oscars one year. He's a little arrogant. Love those kind of people. Anyhoo, HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

It's cold outside. In the 30s. There was some sunshine, but I stayed inside all day. Lots of work to do with Client Dutch. Things are going pretty well, just busy. But tomorrow, I have to leave work early (that's on time for you regular, non-work aholic people) to go with Carrie to Stowe.

HA

November 08, 2005

Smells like snow and happy bday Sarah!

From Mr. Weatherman, it just might snow today here in Burlington. Wouldn't that be exciting? Last year, it didn't snow until after Thanksgiving. I am looking forward to it. Though, I could do without icy walkways.

Here's a birthday shout out to Sarah. I will be visiting her in Houston NEXT WEEK!!! I am so excited. Now, if we can just wrap up Client Dutch, everything will be grand.

:-)

November 06, 2005

Happy Anniversary to ME!

It was a year ago October 29, 2004 that I arrived in Burlington, Vermont. I can't believe it's been a year. I would have liked to say that so much has gone on, but it really hasn't. But I am proud of myself for driving out across the country. I am thankful for the friends and family who supported me and the friends I have made here. I like my apartment, the cats aren't too bad and the car is holding up really well. I survived my first set of seasons just fine. I am looking forward to some snow this time around.

November 05, 2005

It's dark outside and inside.

The sun is just about gone now at around 6pm. Welcome winter.

But this post is mainly about giving into my depression. Now don't go off with concern that I am so depressed I would do something drastic. Have no fear. I am not that stupid. And there are lots of things I really enjoy about life. So hang up from calling 911. I am just going through a year of adjustment and with that comes some depression. (Plus I think I am PMSing, which blows EVERYTHING out of proportion. ha ha) There is hope. There is a very, very tiny spark that I think was once Sporty Girl. She's a-fightin' to survive. Right now though, evil Kdar really enjoys being depressed. Yeah, there's therapy. But with my time management issues, I just can't find the time to call anybody. I know. Most therapists have voice mail or some form of leaving messages. Maybe I will work on that tomorrow. Today I am blogging about being depressed. So there.

I have this really big project with Client Dutch that has just two weeks more. It has been beaten into my head that this MUST go by November 20 (which is a Sunday, fyi). That's fine with me because I will be going out of town on the 19. Anyhoo, it's not as complicated as Client D was, so I think I will be fine. It gives me something to do instead of thinking about how depressed I am. But in my wallow of self pity (I do like those pity parties now and again...) I tell myself that I really have nothing else to do, so if I work 12-14 hours a day, that's something to do.

But you are probably saying,"There are plenty of things to do outside of the office! What about the bowling you did last winter? (yes, I may do that again, but I won't be able to do it until Dec. 1) What about your writing? (I just don't feel like writing, though that is probably EXACTLY why I SHOULD write.) What about your friends? (Uh - I can't even get into that one as it is one of my big issues spawning the depression.) What about joining a club? (I look from time to time and haven't found anything.) What about church? (I go. I am in fact, going on a retreat next weekend. That should be nice. I haven't gotten involved though with anything from that church. That's a problem for me. But as of today, this moment, I don't want to put out the effort.) What about hanging out in bars? (Too expensive and who wants to go to a bar ALONE?) What about prostitution? (Seriously, I am not THAT much in need of attention.) What about Bingo on Monday nights at the Elks Lodge (Okay, I said before I was going to do that. And I still will. Really I will.)"

Then of course there is the conversation I have with myself about getting into therapy. "Make the time. It's important to your physical and mental health." Blah, blah, blah. I know that. I don't need anybody telling me that I need to do that. Not to sound psycho, but I have enough conversations about what I should and shouldn't do with myself.

I do know that one thing that might help a little bit will be getting a part time job. I could do a seasonal thing. I know I have mentioned that before. That also goes to my time management I guess. I have been looking in the papers, but not too hard. I also should just go to the mall and fill out job apps. That might work. There is also Kmart, and grocery stores. That would be swell. Who knows what will come up? I also had a brief fantasy that I would be so inspired to pull my head out of my ass of depression that I went to the gym EVERY DAY! I know, you don't need to tell me that excercise can help with depression. I KNOW THAT! But I go back to being lazy and the evil Kdar enjoying the strangle hold she has on Sporty Girl.

Plus, I have this big project...

October 31, 2005

Happy Halloweeeeeen!!!!!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Here are a few links where you can carve your own pumpkin.

Pumpkin Carving 1

Pumpkin Carving 2

I will post some pics from the Halloween festivities later today.

October 24, 2005

Smoking while pregnant? WHY THE HELL....

There is a woman in the doctor's office downstairs who is about 7 months pregnant. And I just saw her smoking away. I am really bothered by this.

I don't have a problem with the several friends of mine who smoke. They are considerate about us non-smokers when smoking around us. To each his/her own. But when it comes to pregnant women smoking, I am extrememely bothered by it. Here's a Q & A from the American Lung Association about smoking while pregnant.

WHY???

October 21, 2005

I see SKY!! I see SKY!! (and ice on my car)

This morning, it was a chilly 34 degrees when I went out to my car to start it up. There was a thin layer of ice on the windshield. Welcome to FALL.

There is a HUGE silver lining in the clouds today. It's called SUNSHINE and BLUE SKIES. Really lovely. I am doing an errand at lunch just to be in the sunshine.

:-)

October 17, 2005

Rain, rain, go away...

Here's a recap of the weekend. But first, I must speak on an opportunity I let go. We just got a new phone system in the office. Along with a new phone system meant new recording for the company's general voice mail and extra lines. I was given the opportunity to do it. I passed it on to another co-worker who I felt had a better voice. In retrospect, was that a completely dumbass thing to do? Perhaps it was. I only regret not doing it a little bit. I guess if I am blogging about it, it meant more to me than I care to let on. I am sure Evil Kdar is laughing about it as I speak. Anyhooo, I really think my co-worker has a better voice. I am also so out of practice and touch with doing professional sounding VO. Sigh.

Onto the weekend recap....

Due to thunderous flooding and rain in the Southeast area, Sherri didn't come up. It was for the best. The weather was really sucky. REALLY sucky. I spent the whole weekend inside watching tv and movies. I did go see "The Aristocrats" at an 11:45 pm showing Saturday night. It's not a movie for the faint of heart, morally sound, or people who hate South Park humor. I have to say that I thought great moments of it was HILARIOUS. All rather gross, but I knew that going into it. Freakin' ass funny. OMIGAWD. So wrong, so wrong. But funny. But so wrong.

Sunday I went to church, saw "Elizabethtown", which my friend Alex worked on. That was his 3rd film with Cameron Crowe. I would put more down here about it, but I really want to talk with Alex about his experience on it first. It wasn't spectacular or life changing. I thought the music was pretty good and there were a few scenes that I really, really thought were great. (More on that later.) Overall though... hmmm. Not the best Cameron Crowe movie. I wish he would break out and do something really crazy and different.

It rained Saturday. It rained Sunday. Oh, another fun thing I did Sunday was help my landlady decorate the front of the house with Halloween stuff. Not sure if I will be setting up shop to pass out candy or some other junk to the kids this year. I probably will. I don't have anything going on.

I do need a costume. Any ideas? I am looking for something timely/newsworthy and possibly politically incorrect.

October 11, 2005

Apple Fest and No More Client P!

HOLY MACKERAL! It's been ages since I wrote. Well, here's the latest from the other week... I will post the apple fest pics later.

Saturday 10.8.05 -

I was off to a late start. I didn't get up to Meg and Wick's until almost noon. As she had to leave for work by 1:30, we zipped through the Apple Festival. There was a long street blocked off with vendors along the side of the road with their wares. There were lots of non-apple related things - food like the Blooming Onion to those doggone craft things that all look alike with a country theme. You know the ones I am talking about. You see them at EVERY fair/festival across the country. I am curious to see what kind of crap you can get at fairs around the world. We had a good time. I also had an apple doughnut and cider. I also bought a pumpkin pie and ate a nice 1/4 of it by the end of the evening. It was soooo gooooood! Didn't have time to pick apples, but I will do that with Sherri this coming weekend, I expect. After the festival, I came back to my apartment and watched a blitz of movies. I also went to the movies in the evening. I am almost movied out.

Sunday 10.9.05-

Carrie joined me at church. I signed up for a retreat that is in November. A)I hope I remember I signed up B) I hope I have a good time. I think Carrie will go too. After church, I came home and ate lunch. I had some errands to do and spent the afternoon lounging and watching the rest of my Netflix. I actually started reading "The One Minute Manager' for inspiration

Tuesday 10-11-05

WONDERFUL news! As of the end of the day, I am FINALLY done with Client P! Onto more crazies!!! Let the games begin!! Wait - they are still going on. The funny thing with Client P was that the problem was on their end the whole time (well, at least for the past two weeks). I LOVE it! I so wanted to tell them to F-off but realized that might not be a good thing to do with my time.

October 07, 2005

TGIFFFFFF!

First I have to say that I can't wait for Client B to be gone. We are finishing up a little project for him. He was upset because it wasn't done EXACTLY like he wanted it, which I understand. But he just aggravates me, so no matter how legit his changes are, he annoys me and I find that I am a little snappy with him. Just so tired of nit, nit, nit picking. LEAVE ME ALONE. I suppose when I am actually done with the project I WILL be done with him as well. Whew!

Client P - I sent them some information based on my chat with Vendor A yesterday. I kept checking my email for a lashing or beating from the information I sent. Nothing. Nothing at all. We get to have a chat with them in the morning on Monday. I can't wait!!!!

Client S - Good bunch of people. I have been enjoying working with them. But like most car salespeople, they want to get as much as they can for as little as possible. (Who wouldn't?) I MUST get them done next week, or somebody will have my hide.

Friday. Did I mention it was Friday? Not only is it Friday, but it was also PAYDAY! I am going to book my flight for Houston!!! Yippee!!! And tomorrow there will be apples to pick with Wick and Meg. And though I know I have gained more weight, I am releasing myself of guilt for tomorrow's eating. Maybe I won't even go to WW. No. I have to go. But PMSing that I am, I don't really give a rat's ass what I weigh this week. Nope. Don't care. Would rather feel bitter, depressed and crave chocolate and other sugary delights. Sunday, I can commit to eating better. Yes, yes. I can do that with the next meal I eat. However, I am throwing the whole day out the door. I am going to buy some apples to mail out to my CA posse.

And more leaves are turning. I am sure I will see some lovely ones when I drive up to the Apple Festival. Yippeeee!! Apples!!!

October 06, 2005

Something thoughtful...

It's not easy being green.
Having to spend each day the color of the leaves.
When I think it would be nicer being red, or yellow or gold,
Or something much more colorful like that.

It's not that easy being green.
It seems you blend in with so many other ordinary things.
And people tend to pass you over because you aren't standing out like flashy sparkes in the water or stars in the sky.

But green's the color of spring,
And green can be cool and friendly like.
And green can be as big as a mountain or as important as a river
Or as tall as a tree.

If green is all there is to be
It can make you wonder why,
But why wonder?
Why wonder?

I'm green
And it will do fine... it's beautiful
And I think it's what I ought to be.

My brain is churning and leaves are turning...

So, against my boss' preference and my better judgement, I am still working on a Client P issue. I have control issues, I think. It's not that I enjoy being tortured. But I am one of the few people with the knowledge. The amount of time it would take to explain it I could be working on the resolution of the problem. The problem Client P is having is legit. They are not being asses about it. The "fleeting" thingy, isn't showing what they want it to show. However, when talking with our Vendor Ohio, they tell me that the info isn't even there. So, now we have to explain that to an already annoyed Client P. That will be fun. I can't wait for that chew-out session. Hopefully they will be able to see for themselves that the information isn't in the place they think it is. Bottom line is that I spent too much time with their issue when there are other people who should be handling it. I have other projects to work on, so now I feel I need to make up the time spent on Client P so I can deal with Cient E and Client PL and the other people. Never a dull moment. It's another day of being overwhelmed with too much to do. Got to meet the monthly goal. Don't forget to check the QXA12-4 box when you are setting up a Princess Package. You must alter the flux capacitor when uploading the whozzimagiggit that is part of the Pauper Package. And please wipe your ass before leaving the bathroom (I just had to throw that in...) On the plus side, we had a meeting about Halloween stuff. Sounds like we will have some $$ to play around with. Ouch. My brain hurts.

The leaves are slowly beginning to turn. That is neat. I was driving to work this morning and saw that there was a bunch of yellow where just Monday had been green. I think I will bring my camera tomorrow and take pictures. This weekend I will try to take more scenic pictures as I stroll around the Apple Festival.

October 05, 2005

Client P and Montreal relief – pour les films!

These past few weeks, you might have been able to guess from my blog that I have been a bit depressed. No, it wasn't PMS. It’s depression. And yes, I know there is help for it. And yes, I suppose I should get my head examined. Some of it was spawned by Client P’s seemingly never ending project. Some of it is crap in my head. In any event, I think I worked about 12-14 hours every day over the last few weeks to catch up with the Client P project which was due last week. Two Fridays ago, I was scrambling to get things done, but the time flew by and so did the deadline to turn on Client P’s new sites. I felt bad, but I am the only one to blame. Let this be a very big lesson to me. I postponed some of the work on her project to the point that I ran out of time. Plus the client is bi-polar and can be a real bitch. That should have been the main reason to NOT procrastinate. But that’s just the way I am. Something I really need to work on.


I had decided earlier in the week to not work this past weekend and to go check out the International Film Festival in Montreal. Elissa was interested in going with me, so we planned to meet at her house Saturday morning. After I went to WW (no gain, no loss) I packed up a few things (as we didn’t know if we would stay or not) and headed to Elissa’s house. I think we got on the road around 11:30. We got to Montreal in under two hours. At the border, the border dude/guard asked me why I had California plates. (Note to self: next time Elissa drives!) I told him I had just moved to Vermont. I showed him my passport and he didn't ask for further identification. I did have my Vermont DL available but hoped he wouldn't ask for that. I could just see the questions. Then I had visions of being tagged or flagged somehow. Maybe the next time I go they will tell me that I need to get the plates fixed? But he didn't ask any other questions and we were on our way! Viva La Canada! Fantastique! We had no trouble finding the theater, thanks to Elissa’s keen sense of direction (and the nice street map.) The area the theater was located in is full of shops, restaurants, lounges and clubs. It reminds me of downtown Burbank, but with a few high-rise buildings mixed in. The Cineplex Odeon was one of the theaters hosting the festival. Between Elissa’s and my French, we were able to successfully park the car, pay the parking dude AND buy our tickets for the first screening. There was a schedule that helped out with our film plan. It was hard to decide as we didn’t know the directors, actors or even really the story or theme of the films, but that didn't matter. We were in Montreal!!!

We decided on a Chinese/Canadian film called "Eve and the Fire Horse". It was a really great story about a young girl faced with two different religions and cultures. We took a break after the film to wander the streets of downtown Montreal. Made me wish I had kept up my French. If only I could read what was on that sign.... We opted to check out a few cathedrals and a few stores and in one I found two snowglobes and come chocolates. It was a swell dollar store.

The second film we saw was a German documentary called,"Winter's Children - the Silent Generation". It was about a filmaker's journey to reveal the secrets that his mother held about her Nazi father. I thought it had a good premise. However, the story really wasn't edited very well and the mother really didn't have that much to say about her father, who was a director of re-education for the Nazi party in his small German village. Just not that interesting. I am sure somebody will try to get it nominated for an Academy Award.

The third part of our film adventure brought us to a series of shorts made in the Middle East. There were about 10 films. Mostly the themes were about terrorist bombings. There was one really good one about a pregnant woman who turned out to be a suicide bomber on a bus. No dialogue other than ambient background noise and breathing. The last story, "Rain is Falling" was a sweet and sad Morracan story about a little girl who carries water miles from a well to her sick mother. Then, just after the doctor leaves, the rain begins to leak through the roof. The girl puts containers all around the dirt floor to gather the water. Then she checks on her mother who is in another room. A single trail of water begins to gather and starts to fall just over the mother's head. The girl takes her mother's water glass and holds it over her mother's head to protect her from the rain. At the end of the film, the water glass is just about to overflow, and the girl takes a sip. The end. I really enjoyed watching the films as they inspired me to get on the ball with my short script. I think I will see if I can get somebody to make it. I don't really want to make it myself. Then again....

After the movieating, we strolled down the boulevard and stopped in a
restaurant for dinner. We could read the menu easily for under the French it had a rough translation of what the food was. I took no time in ordering something so touristy of me I am sure you are rolling your eyes - quiche and crepes. OMIGAWD. They were delicious!! I would love to go back there and have more. In fact, I think I could have eaten a whole quiche pie myself! It was really tasty! Elissa and I split the food and after a little café au lait we hit the road for home. Had no trouble passing through the border.

The drive home was thanfully uneventful. I was glad Elissa had her Ipod. We had fun playing tunes. I would love to get one of those. Maybe Santa will bring me one for Christmas. I think I was in my apartment by 11:30 or 12:00. I would really love to go back to Montreal really soon. Maybe Sherri will want to pop up there with me in a few weeks?

October 03, 2005

This past weekend - Nickel Creek!!

This past weekend I found cheese nirvana. Cheese Traders is the most awesomist cheese place ever. They have cheese ends and pieces from Cabot cheese at incredibly low prices. Unbelieveably low. At the regular grocery store it costs $2.79 for 8oz of Cabot cheese. At the Cheese Trader, you can get about 2 lbs for $3-4!!! Sure, it's an ugly lump to look at. Might even be hard to grate. But it is cheese. And good cheese at that. Who cares what it looks like! They have all kinds. I also bought spatzel, which I have been looking for ever since I found it at Ikea ages ago.

THE FOLLOWING IS FROM NOTES I TOOK WHILE WAITING FOR THE SHOW ON SATURDAY NIGHT...

7:40. I am sitting on the stairs to the bar of Higher Ground wating to see Nickel Creek. I had forgotten to buy a ticket today at work so after the Cheese Trader, I came over (it's right next door) and waited in line, hoping to get a ticket to the second night of the show. There were signs everywhere that said it was sold out. That was sucky. Then after about 15 minutes of waiting in the line, they began to let us in. A bouncer dude asked if anybody was looking for tickets. I raised my hand and he motioned me out of the line. A woman had 4 tickets she couldn't use and they were for last night's show (which had been delayed by about 2 hours as one of the performer's flights was reeeeeaaaallly late.) I wrote her a check and was in!
MOMENTS LATER...
The woman talking to the guy behind me said that on Tuesday night they had Drag Bingo. I have got to check that out at the Red Square bar, if they still have it. LOVE IT!
8ish - The first act is Leona Ness, she's a guitarist chick with dude who plays just about everything else - drums, percussion, trumpet, keyboard etc. She plays for about 40 minutes and it takes them about 20-30 to set up for NC. I am thinking back to the days when I went to the Lido with Kitty to see some comedians and saw NC for the first time. They were still in their teens. I remember being really impressed with their talent though I was not a bluegrass fan. Their album came out about 4 months later, which I got as soon as I could. I remember they had to carry their own equipment at the time. I am so happy to see how they have grown. I saw them last year at the Hollywood Bowl. They are on their 4th album. Glad they are in Burlington. I was going to hang out with Sherri this weekend, but she's not a fan of the band or music so we rescheduled for two weeks from now. We will go apple picking.

9:10 they play! They have so much energy and play long riffs (I don't know my music vocabulary for jamming for long periods of time, but they did it.) They played mostly from their new album, which I bought. Burlington was amongst their first stops on their Fall Tour. Isn't that nice, to think of us? I never really liked bluegrass until I heard them. It's toe tappin' tunes. Even the ballads are really good. It's ALL good. (How do you like my really articulate description of the show?)

They played until about 11:30. I am so glad I went!

SUNDAY

I can't say much about Sunday. I went to church where it was Missions Sunday. There was a woman doctor who talked about her experiences in Africa where she helped people for two weeks. Very tough job. She seemed really eager to go back to help next year. She is finishing her residency at the university here. After church I took a three hour nap, which was a pity as I had only planned on a little snoozer. It was a lovely day out, but by the time I got up, I didn't want to venture outside. I did watch a whole bunch of movies and even managed to go to the theater.

Really exciting weekend, wasn't it?

October 02, 2005

Fair and art pics - my exciting city!

I should have posted this stuff ages ago, but at least they are here....

A few weeks ago, I went with Carrie and her brother, Jim to the Chittenden County Fair. Here’s Jim.

According to my sources, this is the biggest fair in the state. It ain’t no LA or Orange County fair, nope. Even Ventura’s fair is massive compared to this. Still, they had some pretty big headliners come and perform – Tim McGraw for example. (No, I didn’t see his show.) There were pig races, lots of cows (see photo) and the mid-way section had some decent looking rides,

All in all, it was a good fair. I had a good time.

After the week of the fair, Burlington had what they call the ART HOP. Around the few blocks where my office is, various buildings and businesses displayed artwork. It ranged from metal sculptures to wall hangings of oil, pastel and… stuff like this wonder. The talent of the artists varied from my kind of first grade drawing (I can only make stick figures) to some people with real, marketable talent. I walked around with Wick and Meg for a couple of hours to see the sites. There were a few bands and refreshment stands. I was really impressed with just how many people showed up for it. In my office building, the three of four floors’ hallways are covered in artwork. It’s really cool to walk around every day and see this stuff. Here are a few more examples.

October 01, 2005

A PARADE FOR A STREET?

Omigawd, this morning the neighborhood had a parade for one of the streets, which I guess turned 100. A PARADE FOR A STREET? It's an annual event. There was a band, firetruck, Shriners, and a bunch of people whose purpose was unclear. Very odd. Took about 10 minutes. Then it was over. Nothing there. They had done a bunch of repaving over the spring and summer. That was another reason to celebrate. The whole rennovation cost about $6 million dollars in state and local $$. Maybe I missed something, but I don't understand why it cost that much to repave a street.

I have been productive - did my laundry, went to WW (gained) and went grocery shopping. Now I am off to see "Junebugs". More on that later.

September 30, 2005

I donated blood today!

This morning I went to the Red Cross and donated. I was a fast pumper. 6.5 minutes. What a record! I think next time I go, I will shoot for less.

If you want to make an appointment to donate, go to http://www.redcross.org/

It's a blast!

September 23, 2005

MALIBU TRIATHLON - THIS WEEKEND!

It was a year ago this past Monday that I participated in the most challenging event of my excercise life - the Malibu Triathlon. It's this weekend. I have several friends participating in it again. Best wishes y'all for a safe and wonderful event!!!! I wish I was there with you!

It was one of the most amazing moments in my life. (Now if I could just kill of Evil Kdar and be the Sporty Girl I know I can be....)

For more information on this year's event, check out: http://www.nauticamalibutri.com/

For more information on the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation: http://www.pedaids.org/

Worked until 10pm...but there is Montreal tomorrow!

I totally did it to myself. That's what happens when you procrastinate. Let that be a lesson to all you with or without ADD.

The exciting thing is that tomorrow, Elissa and I are going to MONTREAL!!!
VIVRE LES FILM FESTIVALS!

Click on the image to see what the festival is all about. I am really excited to not only see Montreal (since the Ikea trip of way back when doesn't really count...) but to see foreign movies in a foreign land. DYNAMO! Plus, isn't it so chic of me to say that I have been to Montreal for the weekend?




September 20, 2005

14 hours at work - are we having fun yet?

Heck, it's not as bad as that night at McElroy when I slept in the office for three hours working the whole night through otherwise. It's also still WAY better than managing a Santa booth at Christmas in the mall. Been there, done that!

I was really behind on that blasted Client P, and it is due to launch this week. She's pissed. (Some of it is legit, some is because she's crazy.) And though I worked this weekend and have been doing OT last week a bit, I had a shitload to still do. I really feel like Winnie the Pooh, a bear of little brain. Sheesh! I completed all the crap that was left to do. We have to have a chat with her tomorrow (ick) and I am glad Tom is going to be on the call. I hope to send her the links WAAAY before the meeting.

Time to go home and get drunk. I kid. A) It's a work night. B) I don't have any alcohol in my apt. save a mini-bottle of Malibu Rum. How drunk can you get off of that? Not at all. C) I would rather eat my problems away than drink them away. ha ha ha

By the way, this coming weekend is the anniversary of the Triathlon. I am fatter and more depressed than I was this time last year. However, I am in a much, much better job. (Nobody is forcing me to stay late and work....)

This weekend, I will try to get out again. There is a big film festival in Montreal this weekend. I MUST go!!!!

Oh great! I am breaking out in stress-hives. Nice. Time to go home.

September 19, 2005

Client P - what's up?

After working 10ish hours this weekend and coming in early to work on Client P's project, I emailed her at around 1pm. It is now 4pm and no word from her.

What to do, what to do? I will be here for another 12 hour day, because like a child I procrastinated and am now paying for it.

Sigh.

What do you do when a co-worker smells?

On one hand, I would like to go to them and say, "Hey, X, you smell." But that is rude. It's not like I am close enough to them (location) where I am constantly smelling B.O., but every so often (but often enough so it's an issue) I am near them and - OMILAWDY!

It was suggested to me that I tell their supervisor that this is an issue. Maybe that's what I should do. The only thing is, what if the suuper comes back to say I was the one who told? Then it gets really awkward. See my quandry?

No Albany, rain, work

Guess what? I am still fat. Perhaps one of these days there really will be a magic pill that when taken, one wakes up 50lbs skinnier overnight. Maybe if I actually ate better and excercised the weight would come off too.

I didn't go to Albany - rain, loneliness and work prevented me. I am so far behind on Client P that I worked Saturday and Sunday. I did get things done, but not as much as I'd like.

More on the weekend and pics to post another time. Too much to do now.

September 16, 2005

Headache, Friday, Fat and Hungry

That about sums up how things are today for me. I am glad it is Friday, though the rain is beginning to dash my great weekend plans to go to the Albany Irish Festival to see some of my CA Irish bands. We shall see. I still might go.

Headache and then the choices for eating at home just aren't appealing. I need to go grocery shopping but I do have a roast. That will take an hour to cook, but I have thawed it for two days now so I really should do something with it.

Fat. That's all I can say on that one.

September 14, 2005

Two weeks, so much going on!

I can't believe it's been about two weeks since my last post. I swore I wouldn't be so neglectful. Well, as you know, life just keeps moving foward and sometimes there is no time to stop and write. I really admire those people who don't let anything stop them from their goals. That is not me.

Two weeks ago, I went to the county fair with Carrie and her brother. I have pics. I will write up about it later this week. I also had a little adventure this past weekend that I will also write up about. But seeing as it is early morning, and I have a long day at work ahead of me, I must go.

I am also going through a bit of a depression. I wish I was able to lie in bed all day and feel sorry for myself, but if I did that, I am sure I wouldn't be working at Company X much longer. Work is stressing me out, which is another reason why I haven't been writing. They want to start up the Wellness team thing again, but I won't be joining it this round. I just have too much going on and don't feel like being a company cheerleader right now. We have to reach our weekly and monthly goals, and I don't have time to sit around and plan activities and fun crap to do.

More on this perhaps tonight or tomorrow. I MUST jet off to the office.

September 01, 2005

TY - KICKED OFF OF ROCK STAR - no mo for me

Ty performed really well Tuesday night. The band sang his praises, thought he was awesome. I guess America felt differently. However, Wednesday night, he was in the bottom 3 again. After singing alongside Jordis and that dumbass JD Fortune, he was ousted by the members of INXS. Though I didn't feel INXS was right for Ty, I CAN'T BELIEVE he was let go. It is sad for me. I know Ty will survive, recover, blah, blah, blah. But unlike Angie on the Apprentice, Ty's job IS music. (Angie had a job whether or not Trump wanted her.) Though I am hoping he gets an agent, makes a record and sells more than any of the other contestants, I am still being a pessimist. Nobody remebers #6. You are lucky if you remember #3 from these shows. I know Ty will become the success he wants and will be. I'm just bitter that the band chose JD over Ty. Jordis also sucked last night. Sigh. Well, that's two hours of tv that I won't be wasting in the coming weeks! Sigh.

August 29, 2005

This is Sammy.

Ain't shee darling? My other name for her is Psycho Kitty, but that doesn't fit her that well. She's a pretty good cat. If I could ever get Taffy out from her hiding place, I'll put her picture up too.

It's 6:40pm - I am still at work! What the @#$%?

Thoughts from Mrs. Han Solo:

  1. I came in at 8am ,so why the @#$% am I still here?
  2. I ate lunch at my desk, so why the @#$% am I still here?
  3. Though I talked on the phone to a client and inventory dude for about 45 mins and didn't need to (it was informative and I am glad I did) I already made up for that time, so why the @#$% am I still here?
  4. Client B is irritating the hell out of me. (What does that mean "irritating the hell out of me" anyway? Is that like having a excorcism? I guess so, because I am swearing like a sailor. Maybe the demons ARE coming out of me. Then again, maybe I am just PMSing. Now if any of you remind me I am PMSing, that will REALLY irritate me. Why the @#$% am I still here?
  5. I swore to myself that I wouldn't work past my 8-9 hours. So why am I nearing the 11th hour? (okay, I have taken 10 minutes to blog, but that is no different than a smoking break.)

I can't believe it is almost 7pm. I still have a daily report and two conversations to document. I spend a good 25% if not more, on documentation. It's good if it ever comes back to bite me in the ass. That's right. I said ASS.

Fininished Nanny Diaries and at work early

Last night I read the Nanny Diaries until I was finished. Yes, for me it was that exciting. One of those fictional stories with a large degree of truth in it. I really enjoyed it. The authors have written another book that I just might have to get. Anyhow, I was up until 1AM! Sheesh! Yet the Screwtape Letters are a much slower read for me. I am enjoying it, but it is a deeper read.

I couldn't sleep this morning past 7, so I decided to come into work early. It's 8:25 and I have been here for almost a half hour. Back to work I go. I doubt I will actually get out of here at 5.

August 28, 2005

Not much blogging to be had...

If you thought with the end of Client D on my project list I would be as free as a bird to flit around and sing Disney tunes, you are very much mistaken. I can still sing Disney tunes (much to the chagrin of my co-workers) but I still have traces of Client D around. I also have plenty of other things on my plate.

The week went by pretty quickly. Earlier in the week, I gave one of my co-workers a ride home to his neighborhood which is about 30 miles from Burlington. I had never been in that part of the state, so I thought it would be a good op. He showed me the fancy houses by the lake, some lovely marshlands, fields and trees. There was a house for sale that we got a flyer from. It is a 5 bedroom, one bath, TLC (which spells MONEY PIT) on about 2 acres of land. Guess much? $825k!!!! Can you believe it? Granted, if it was LA, it would go for at least $1Million. What a bargain! Not! My co-worker and his wife live about a block from the lake in a cute little white house. They have some apple trees in their backyard. It's really beautiful there. I understand why people WANT to live outside of the hustle and bustle of the big city. Oh, I also bought some liquid iron and vitamin B supplements. I had gone to donate blood and was rejected because my iron levels were low. I need to pump it up. I will try again after it-who-cannot-be-named passes. I was really bummed, but I know I can try again.

I rented movies from the library and watched a couple of corset dramas and watched in horror as Ty was bumped to the bottom 3 on Rock Star: INXS. He had done such a great job the day before! I think Dave Navarro was actually suprised at that as well. Thankfully, the band kept him in. I really am thinking that JD will win because he struts around half naked, is white and has an attitude. He is talented, but tries to sound like Mick Jagger. It's pathetic.

Thursday Treat
Our department reached and exceeded our monthly goal, so Enchilada A paid for our lunch on Thursday. I am going to take a moment to look a gift horse in the mouth. I appreciate the recognition by Enchilada A as well as the kudos from my boss, but being told we didn't have a choice of where to dine was a sad moment for me. I am not that fond of the food from where we ate, but Enchilada A had promised the place we would get our food from there. No, we didn't pre-order mass quantities which caused them much work. It was lunch for 5. I did have a nice chat with a couple of my team members actually eating OUTSIDE (it was a lovely day!) There was also a picnic Thursday, but I declined for a couple of reasons. I am having a bad attitude and don't want to pretend to be enjoying myself with people I don't want to be with, and I had to get on top of a couple of my projects. It was a good use of my time. I did a bunch of work during the time that would have been picnic time.

Saturday
I met up with Elissa at 8:30am (blowing off WW, because I am bloated, bitter and would rather stuff my face) for breakfast at Penny Cluse (click here for reviews). They had great breakfast fare. Then Elissa and I walked to the farmer's market (open only during the summer, of course). I got some corn, chard and saw red and yellow carrots! Crazy! We strolled around Church Street and then parted ways. I wandered around and found my way to the library (the theater wasn't open yet.) I checked out "Nanny Diaries", which has been a great read. I hope to finish it by the end of the weekend. It's about a woman who nannies for a New York family and the chaos, antics, and behaviors of "ordinary" people. For those of you who have ever babysat, or known nannies, this is a great book. After reading for about an hour, I went to the movies to see "Ladies in Lavender" , Starring Judy Dench and Maggie Smith. They are both great actresses with long theater and film resumés. I wasn't too keen on the movie by seeing the previews, but I ejoyed seeing it. It was much better than I expected. Judy Dench's character was sad to watch. She was an odd little bird. The violin music was played by Joshua Bell, who is an extrememly talented musician. After the movie, I went home and watched "Good Bye, Mr. Chips". It's a delightful story about a teacher. I really think it is such a good story about a man who learns to love and is loved by so many people. I also watched "Love Object", which is a horror movie suggested by a co-worker. I think he is cracked. He insisted I watch it. I hated it. It was a little like Boxing Helena. Ick. I read some more and then joined Stephanie and Carrie at the movies to see "The Brothers Grimm", directed by Terry Gilliam. I really didn't like it. I thought with Matt Damon and Heath Ledger it would be pretty good. Nope. It really lacked some pinache. The special effects were good, and the story concept was good. But it just didn't pan out to be a good film. Sad. I like Terry Gilliam - "12 Monkeys," "The Fisher King," "Brazil" - all pretty good movies. There was a character in this who was not quirkly funny, but quirky obnoxious. The bad French accents were so damn annoying. I give it a thumb's down. What do you think about it? I did have a nice time before the movie with Stephanie and Carrie at the Asian Bistro. We each ordered crab cakes and Stephanie and I had green tea ice cream.

Sunday
Today has been a pretty good day. At church this morning, there was a guy talking about working with people in Jordan and Iraq teaching them English. Though I don't think I would go anywhere near that area, I wouldn't mind going to a foreign country to learn about people and teach English. I have always wanted to go back to Easter Island. Wouldn't that be an amazing place to live? Even if it is just for a litte bit? I really should take Spanish before thinking about traveling anywhere below Texas. :-) After that, I went home and read a little more of the Nanny book before meeting up with Elissa at work. I worked for about 5 hours. Got a bunch of stuff done, but nothing on Client P, which is why I went in. I guess that means all day Monday will be devoted to Client P. I am going to plug myself into the book again and watch some tv.

August 21, 2005

How the week flies by...

This was a really uneventful week, which is fine. Busy at work. I am still dealing with Client D, but should be done with him by the end of this coming week. Then Elissa gets to have him. I worked on launching a few clients, and even had the opportunity to talk with Client P. If you recall, she's the new crazy one I have, who thinks we need to cater to her every whim. I spoke with her on Thursday and we had a really great conversation. I was shocked. I think I was reeling for about an hour after I spoke with her because the call had gone so well. Go figure. Tom says it was because I was straightforward, and to the point. I didn't let her push me around. Yippee for me!

I watched a few Netflix movies - Avanti and The Machinist. Avanti stars Jack Lemon as a unhappily married man who goes to Italy to claim his deceased father's remains. He meets the daughter of a woman who had a long time affair with his father. They fall in love, have sex and the ending clearly leaves them open to return to their passion every summer like their parents. Blech. It was directed by Billy Wilder, who wrote such greats as The Seven Year Itch, Some Like It Hot, Stalag 17 and Sunset Boulevard, to name a few. The story was not to my liking, but I have issues with infidelity, even if it is a comedy. Acting was fine, and I thought it had some good dialogue. The Machinist was a far cry from comedy. Christian Bale pulled a DeNiro, and lost a HUGE amount of weight for the role. He admitted later, he went too far. The Director, Brad Anderson, had suggested they thin him out with special effects, but he chose to lose weight. Christian Bale has had some winner films (Empire of the Sun, American Psycho) and some not so good (Reign of Fire, Equilibrium), but I still like him. It was really hard to watch him in this film because he was so deathly thin. But it made it work. I thought it was a pretty good movie. Though, I kept wanting him or somebody to get him some help (he's an insomniac who hasn't slept in over a year.) Wow. It ain't no Avanti! that's for sure.

It is now the weekend. There are a few things to blog about, but I want to be sure to add a picture or two to the story, so it will have to wait.

Saturday = fun day!



On Saturday, I met up with Stephanie (from Company X) to join her and some friends (Stephanie, Julie, Kelly, Amanda, Scott) to celebrate Amanda's 25th birthday. We took a cruise out on Lake Champlain around a few islands and surveyed the land. It was a lovely time.


We saw no wildlife to speak of except for some gulls, but that was okay. The weather was overcast, but warm. Nice breeze was blowing as we sallied forth. The rock layers are a rare thing in Vermont. Most of the rock around here is from the granite family. (Now, I am sure somebody reading this would be able to identify this rock.) There was some formation that was suppose to look like an Indian Chief head. Now isn't that politically incorrect? Who is to say exactly what an Indian Chief's head looks like? What tribe? Are you assuming it's NORTH AMERICAN Indians?

After the lovely boat cruise, we met up at the Olive Garden where I stuffed myself with breadsticks, salad and shrimp pasta primavera. There were a few more people at dinner. We then lost a few as we headed for the Church Street bar scene. We sat around talking, drinking and laughing. It was a really fun time. I am so glad I went. Stephanie's friends Dan, Scott and Jamieson joined Carrie, Stephanie, Amanda and myself. I had two ciders AND a kamakazi shot. I think that was more alcohol than I have had since I moved here. What a lush!

August 17, 2005

Four states, two friends and a partridge in a pear tree…

Friday
Friday after work, I was able to shut my work life down. I went to the movies with Meg and Wick to see “The Dukes of Hazzard”. Though it wasn’t top on my list of films, I have un piquito crush on Johnny Knoxville, who played Luke Duke. Sean William Scott played Bo. He looks like almost a dead ringer for a college friend, Steve. (One of the Four Steves, for those of you who know what I am talking about.) But he ain't no John Schneider. And, it starred the brilliant, Oscar-caliber actress and singer, Jessica Simpson. I am sure the close pans up and down Daisy Duke had nothing to do with her body and everything to do with her mind. What acting! It had lots of car chases with the General Lee. I remember a couple of years ago seeing about 4 General Lees on a flatbed truck in Hollywood. I couldn’t believe that some studio actually thought making “The Dukes of Hazzard” into a movie. What ever happened to creativity? In any event, we had a good time. Rick and his wife were sitting behind us.

Saturday
After a better controlled and balanced week, I had success at WW. 3lbs! Yippee! I came home and packed up a few things before heading to New Hampshire to hang out with Sherri. It took me about 3.5-4 hours to get there. I met her at her office in Portsmouth. We decided to do some errands (she is evil that way and compels me through ESP mind control to spend money whenever I am with her…) and then went to Maine. That’s right. I said MAINE. Actually, Portsmouth is pretty close to the border. We ended up in a town called York, where we ate at The Lobster Barn. It was a goal of mine (no matter how silly it may sound) to eat Maine lobster in Maine. I also had some delicious chowdah. It was a very yummy meal. We went back to Sherri’s house in North Hampton, which is south of Portsmouth. I think we were up until about 1am chatting.



Sunday
I got up early to let out Sis (the cat) and couldn’t really go back to sleep because we had a big day ahead of us. We ate breakfast (cheap, thanks to the Entertainment book) at a restaurant/hotel buffet. OMIGAWD. Again, with the tasty food. So much for the 3lbs. I think I must have eaten that much at the buffet. Buffets and WW are not friendly things that easily go hand in hand. But it was very filling. We came back to the house and changed for the beach. She lives about half a mile from the beach. It was a nice stroll, overcast and hazy sun. We planted ourselves and attempted to get into the ocean. It was damn cold. Sherri said that it gets warmer in September and October. I might have to try it again. Still, it was so incredibly rejuvenating to be at a beach. Peaceful. Very comforting. We hung out there for a few hours.

On the way back, I thought about ditching my earlier idea about going to Trader Joes. But after more thought, I knew I had to go. Sherri opted to go to her boyfriend’s house, so I ventured into yet another state – Massechucetts. It took about 30 minutes and rained heavily most of the time. I made it successfully to the store and shopped to my heart’s content. I bought some things I had never tried before, like one of their instant packaged no-refrigeration Indian dishes. Of course I also bought my favorite grapefruit soda. I love that stuff. The drive home to Burlington was very rainy. I would have enjoyed it more if I wasn’t driving. It was very distracting. I love watching the big, huge raindrops smash like suicide troops against the windshield. Plop, plop, plop everywhere. The visibility at times was very low with the rain and mist swarming all over. It also made the drive longer. I think I got home around 10:15. I talked with Gail and my family for a bit and went to bed. I was pooped.

Monday-Tuesday
Back to work on Monday I was very tired. I had such a lovely weekend that the thought of working was a real downer. Both yesterday and today were really busy. I still had Client D to deal with here and there. I worked late both nights. I really need to stop that. If I walk to work tomorrow, I will leave earlier. That’s the plan anyway. I watched Rock Star tonight. I thought Ty did a good job. I like Mig’s and Jordis’ performances. I think JD is an ass.

August 12, 2005

Work dinner - Yippee!!

Tonight was work dinner for Client D. His site is live and thank heaven! Though there will be about a week or so of transition, it is pretty much done. I asked the big cheeses at Company X if we could have a dinner since a) the client is bringing in a bunch of $$, b) my team worked really hard and c) you never know unless you ask. Much to my suprise, they agreed. So, there were about a dozen of us who went out to dinner, including managers. It was a really nice time. We went to Auggie's Island Food, where they serve tropical flavor.... and killer Hurricane drinks. I think there were a few people who had about 4-5. I had one, and though I am paying for it with a rum-provoked headache, it was soooo tasty!

After dinner, Scott, Wick and I putzed around Church street until it was time for Wick and I to movieate. We ended up seeing "Wedding Crashers". Vince Vaughn was hilarious. I thought the movie was entertaing in a crasss, sex joke filled way. Friday night we have movie night where Meg will be able to join us. She was at a party for a co-worker. (Melissa, my wonderful hair stylist who is graduating...) This weekend it will be Vermont on the road as I go to New Hampshire to hang out with Sherri.

August 09, 2005

Ty did well, and another neighborhood altercation...

Ty did so much better this week! I still think Dave Navarro doesn't really like him and thinks JD is da bomb, but I thought Ty really did a great job. I even got chills! Ooohhhhh!!

There was another altercation involving my neighbors across the way. This time it was the drug dealer bald man and some punk kid (late teens, early 20s). They were yelling in front of the damn, old, chipped white van that is parked in front of my house. I can't tell you exactly how many times they yelled,"Fuck You" at each other, but I was getting ready to call the cops when they stopped. One was yelling something about taking the other one down. I couldn't really tell what the hell was going on. I did see one of their people who lives in their building sitting on her porch watching the action and not seeming alarmed. Baldy goes into his apartment (which aparaently he broke up with his girlfriend who lives there too) and back outside. He opened the van doors and clunked around for some tools. Went back inside just now. No, wait. He is back outside fixing a motorcycle. It is 11:18pm. What the hell are you thinking working on a motorcycle this time of night? Thank heaven I am a late night person and you and the kids won't be waking me up like you did the other night. (Sheesh. I am such a crab apple.) Now he is gunning the motor to see if it works. Thankfully, it is. I hope he keeps it up for at least an hour. Better yet, if he stops working on it and comes back in two hours, that'd be even better.

Nice neighborhood. Makes me think about how sweet the rent deal is and if it is worth the aggravation of the neighbors and their antics. Things to think about. Hmmmm.

Oh, and I can't tell you how excited I am to go back to work tomorrow and work on Client P's project. Thrilled. At least I have a possible movie night with Meg and Wick to look forward to. And there is always the neighborhood entertainment.

Oh, I spoke with the guy who I got the cats from. Seems his partner wants one of them back. That would be Tabby, who is harassed by Psycho Kitty (aka Sammy). I think it might be a wise thing. They don't seem to get along well. Now if I can get Psycho Kitty to stop shedding so much... I'd be set.

Walking to work tomorrow. It would be good for me plus they are repaving the parking lot, so parking might be a slight challenge. Ahhhh. The aforementioned motorcycle just zoomed by. What a delightful sound.

Two good things to note in my griping ways - I got my Netflix movies today AND tonorrow is payday. Good thing too.

Clients and where is my margarita?

Sometimes in one's life when one deals with clients, one gets a client that is a real charmer (okay, that was sarcasm.) I got a new client today. Let's call her Client P. She is a real pain in the gazoink. She has been a great challenge to her sales rep, account person, current project manager as well as having a reputation in the support department as being a... how shall we say it? Challenge. I LOVE IT! I called her introduce myself because I am working on a new project for her (standard operations).

My call -
Me: Hi, Client P. My name is Mrs. Han Solo. I'm with Company X and I am working on your new project.
She: Look, I'm really busy. I just want to know when it is going to be done. (She has been told by several people that I will supply her this information.)
Me: September 20 is our target date. Of course, if we can get it done sooner, we will.
She: That is unacceptable. It HAS to be done in 4 weeks.
Me: Well, you do have lots of custom work -
She (cutting me off): I was told it would be done in 3 to 7 weeks. Why is it taking so long? (After weeks of negotiation, which is NORMAL, it just got into our queue this week....)
Me: Today is the official production start day...
She: I need it in writing. You need to email it to me
(I get a document with this information from my boss, which he prints out and puts in the project folder. Again, our normal process.)
Me: I can fax it to you.
She: What? You don't have email? (Like I am an idiot or something. It's all in the tone, as my mother would say.)
Me: Of course I have email. I will send it to you electronically.
She: It needs to be done in 4 weeks. Your sales person said that it would be done. I don't understand what is taking so long.
Me: Let me talk to your sales rep and we will call you back.

So, she has issues with patience. I can tell. She is nagging the account person, sales and the guy working on her other project about this. She seems (from what they have indicated) to make changes all of the time. She has no patience. Did I say that already? I freakin' love it! I really want to tell her where she can stick it, but that'd be rude. After all, she IS a client. So I emailed her a very polite response after the sales guy left her a message assuring her we will do our best to accommodate her scheduling needs. At the time, her only reason for 4 weeks was because we were taking too long. Hello! Custom work takes TIME. Shut up!!

Time for a margarita. Where is my cabana boy? I am so firing him for being inattentive.

On the lighter side, I have Client El, who tells me he can't remember much of our conversation yesterday because the day before he was in the jacuzzi too long. That was the beginning of a hilarious conversation with him where I had to repeat almost everything I had reviewed with him yesterday. He seems like a SoCal skater dude who got stuck in a job he doesn't have much love for. (I think he likes talking with me too.) He cracks me up. He said his controller was out taking a smoke and he didn't know when she'd be back. I asked him if she was smokin' weed. Uh, I am sure it is inappropriate for the workplace, but he loved it. ha ha ha

August 08, 2005

Peter Jennings has passed away...

Peter Jennings was the long time anchor of World News Tonight and one of the cornerstones of the ABC news bureau. http://abcnews.go.com/WNT/story?id=126542

I remember years ago, I was working as a page at ABC and met Mr. Jennings. He was handsome, articulate and made even the little people (pages) feel special. It was a pleasure to have met him. When I was working on "Into the Night Starring Rick Dees" (defunct show, lame) the host, Rick Dees, was interviewing Sheena Easton. I don't remember how or why they were talking about Peter Jennings, but I remember very clearly Sheena's take on him. She said, that if he announced that the world was coming to an end, she would believe him and believe that everything would be alright.

He had a way, as few anchors today have, of calming people. He talked to us as if we were good friends sharing knowledge. With the overproduction of news, especially junky news, Peter Jennings was one of the few news voices I listened to. He will be missed.

Good weekend, bad movies

Okay, I am sure you read the last post and thought that I was really full of myself. Well, sometimes that happens. I appologize to you who might have been bothered, but I was having a moment. If you can't blog moments like that on a blog, what's the point in having a blog? I am feeling less full of myself today. :-)

I had a pretty mild weekend. I watched a "Vera Cruz", starring Gary Cooper and Burt Lancaster. Sure, some of it was very 1954, with the dialogue, action and women wearing pointy over the shoulder boulder holders (to quote Bette Midler). But some of the dialogue and story were pretty good. I think I liked the scarcasm from sassy Burt. I think I was going through a Gary Cooper thing in my Netflix.


I also saw "The Stranger" which starred the great Orson Welles, fab Edward G. Robinson and the over acting Loretta Young. I am just not a big fan of Loretta. Never have been. Now Orson plays a mysterious small town professor who kills off (right near the beginning) a man from his past. There is a little anti-Nazi thing going on in this 1946 flick. For some reason (probably Orson or the price of about $.99 I bought that at Target on one of my Sherri trips. Well, we knew from the beginning he was a bad man. And we just wanted Loretta to figure it out. Boy, was she willing to risk her whole life on that killer. Sheesh! She hadn't even known him all that long, from what I could gather. I think the store owner, who also seemed to be the town crier, should have figured something was wrong with the Orson Welles character, Professor Charles Rankin. The dude kills his old friend just HOURS before his wedding to Mary! AND he kills the dog (poison) because the dog knew where the body was. I think I will mail this one to my parents. Maybe they will like it.

Saturday was also filled with sunshine. I didn't spend the entire weekend watching movies or tv. When I went to WW, I met up with Terri, who is a woman I have seen at WW knitting. I had asked her last week if she could teach me to knit and so we met up a little early for instruction. I had learned ages ago, but it never went anywhere. With the winter weather not so far off, I figure learning how to knit would be a good supplement to crocheting. Look out world, here come more scarves! After WW, I thought about going home and sulking (yes, another weight gain) but I didn't. One of the other gals and I made a committment to each other to stick with the program. Between that promise and my Five in August from Gail, I knew I needed to get off my butt and do SOMETHING. So, I walked myself down to the waterfront and found a nice swing and read. I am still working on "The Screwtape Letters" but picked up two other books to read in-between - "The Snows of Kilamanjaro", by Ernest Hemingway (a classic short story!) and "A Child Called It" by a man who lived the story of his abuse as a youn child. The Hemingway short story was made into a movie starring Gregory Peck. I borrowed both the book and the movie from my brother because it is considered a classic on both ends. It was a very painful experience. Not because the subject matter was upsetting to read, but because it was BORING. VERY BORING. It was hard to get through. I think I sped read it just to get through it. I still had the movie to watch, which I had hoped would be a better thing.

As for "A Child Called It", that was a quick and compelling read. It is amazing to me that the author's mother did the things she did to a child, HER child. Horrible. It was the 3rd worst case of child abuse in California history. The author, David, has come out of it amazingly well. He wrote two sequels which I am interested in reading.



I sat and watched the boats and read. Then I hiked up the small hill towards downtown, where I went to see a romantic comedy starring John Cusack - "Must Love Dogs" . At the theater, they gave away passes for a future screeing (just not on the same day.) I couldn't be more thrilled. Though I like John Cusack, this film wasn't all that great. Of course Diane Lane meets a great guy online, even though it isn't the first guy she meets on the Internet. It encourages people to lie to get more dates, even if the lies might catch up with you. And it also emphasises that the beautiful people always get the beautiful people. Nice and honest look at online dating, eh? I had a delightful stroll home through downtown (Church Street) and to my casa. Saturday night was tackling the Hemingway-into-film. Again, I found I was speeding through it. There were times when it had the same dialogue as the book, which I was impressed by. It followed the basic story, but changed the ending. So Hollywood, to change a perfectly sad ending to a happy one. I have to say that I did prefer the ending of the book to the one in the movie. I don't feel it was one of Gregory Peck's shining moments. Plus, the print was in really poor shape, probably due to natural deterioration. I can't even say I am glad I saw it. I guess I am, as it is suppose to be a classic.

SUNDAY
After church, I went to see a movie with the free pass I got when I was there Saturday. This time, I wasn't sure what to see - penguins or more human relationships? I went for the humans. Another mistake. I saw "You, Me and Everybody We Know," starring no names. I am all about supporting the independent films. I like movies where I don't know the stars. But I thought this one sucked. I thought the main woman in the story (who also wrote and directed) was so kooky it was creepy and not interesting. I was tempted to walk out several times, yet I was also enjoying the air conditioning and popcorn, which kept me firmly in my seat. I am glad it was free. It was a good waste of my time otherwise. I went home and ended up watching "Strictly Ballroom" to purify my mind. Bleechh. That other film was awful. I am curious to hear what you who might have seen it think about it. As for Strictly Ballroom, I love that movie. I am really glad it was one of the movies I brought with me.

All in all, it was a good weekend. Not smashingly crazy and busy. Nice and calm. Lovely weather. Some good books and good movie watching. I give it a "thumb's up." to quote Roger Ebert.

August 05, 2005

Sometimes I am one of the smartest people I know...

Let's face it. I am good at brainstorming and coming up with ideas. That's not conceited. That's a fact. So when I come across people who don't know how to use their out-of-the-box thinking skills (I am not talking about being analytical - I don't have much of that in my head) it bugs the crap out of me. I understand if you are unfamiliar with a particular process, way of doing something, and might have lived a very sheltered life. But when you are my age and you have no idea how to even ASK the questions to find out what you need to know, it drives me crazy. Back to being sheltered.... I get it if you have never had the experience - how to boil water, how to renew your license, what to do if you have a flat tire, but THINK, DAMNIT. You have a brain, which obviously you don't use much of.

Of course, you may wonder why I am on such a seemingly hostile tangent. I can't give you specific examples. I just know several people who just don't have the know-how to trouble shoot (I guess it IS analytical!) their problems and issues. It's sad. If you are 20, that's fine. You are young and haven't honed in on that part of your brain. I am not talking to your age group.

Whew! I could go on, but it wouldn't really be productive. I have to get back to work anyhow. I just needed to let off some steam.

I am not saying these people are stupid, but I just don't get how you can NOT KNOW or NOT KNOW HOW TO ASK QUESTIONS!

(Boy, after Client D, I REALLY need a vacation...)

August 04, 2005

Rock Star, Client D and where is my boyfriend?

So, Ty managed to stay afloat another week on Rock Star. This time, he was up on the chopping block with two others. The song he sang Tuesday, wasn't a good song for him, but he didn't have much of a choice. I felt bad for him. He's a very talented guy. I hope he at least gets a recording contract out of this when it is all done. I think Jordis was amazing. She was the best female singer on the show. Mig did a good job too.

Client D - FINALLY went live! We had a huge surge in our system with traffic, but that was smoothed out by our tech dudes. The client, seems to be fairly happy with the sites. There are now little things to fix, but overall, it is finished. That is a huge relief. It's been a good time for me. Great learning. I feel more confident about what I am doing now. I have four other clients, so I am hoping the tasks with Client D slow down and I can move him over to the account people and support.

Okay, it's time I put this out there. I would like to know where are all of the single-available guys? Maybe I need to become a barfly. I know, find an activity that you like and you will find people who like that activity too. Fine. Back to trying online dating I guess. I was told by friends ages ago to ask your friends to help you. Nobody ever does. It's depressing. I do take comfort in knowing that several of my single friends around the country are experiencing the same thing. I would name them, but you know who you are. As for you single/attached and married/attached people, help a girl out! No, I am not desperate, though I am sure I sound like it. Just lonely. The cats can't make me dinner, and aren't very good conversationalists. According to the psychic on Leeza's show AND at the Choo Choo festival, something is suppose to be happening this summer. Well, it's August already. I am running out of time, if the psychics are right. But come on now, since when did you believe a psychic? I am all about working on making it happen for myself, but would appreciate any help out there. And don't send me links to dating websites. I practically have those all memorized. Hey, friends usually have friends, who have friends. The possibilities are endless.

Pathetic? Maybe. Desperate? No, just looking. I have my two cats? What more could I want? ha ha ha - don't make me laugh. It hurts. ha ha ha. ROTFL