I decked out my desk with a black cloth (thanks Melissa!) and lights and like last week, most of my costume I already had here at home (including the black collars). But the $5 black wig I bought at Wal-Mart this morning was the icing on the cake. I went from punk rock chick to Cher like that *snap* Check out the video of the visit, which includes a couple still photos of me and some video footage of me and my boss in the background at the end.
Halloween hi jinks
Today was an extra-long day at work (I was there for more than 11 hours), but at 10 a.m. we had children from a local early start program come through to trick or treat for Halloween. They were so cute! If I didn't already have my Moo Moo they'd have definitely won me over to having children.
I decked out my desk with a black cloth (thanks Melissa!) and lights and like last week, most of my costume I already had here at home (including the black collars). But the $5 black wig I bought at Wal-Mart this morning was the icing on the cake. I went from punk rock chick to Cher like that *snap* Check out the video of the visit, which includes a couple still photos of me and some video footage of me and my boss in the background at the end.
I decked out my desk with a black cloth (thanks Melissa!) and lights and like last week, most of my costume I already had here at home (including the black collars). But the $5 black wig I bought at Wal-Mart this morning was the icing on the cake. I went from punk rock chick to Cher like that *snap* Check out the video of the visit, which includes a couple still photos of me and some video footage of me and my boss in the background at the end.
Sobering realization
I recently realized that when people say, "Time will make it better," they don't mean that time will make it go away. All that platitude means is that time makes it easier to deal with. If it's come to someone saying that to you, then sadly "it" is unlikely to go away.
Candy casualty
So I had another run in with our candy vending machine today. I won't bore anyone with the details of my bad day but between the needs of our letter writers and the apparent new additions to my job, I needed candy... HAD to have it... and not the chocolate I had on my desk. I grudgingly took a dollar out my purse, upset that I was giving in to to the inflated cost of a pack of Starburst and headed back to the machine.
Of course, the machine never takes my dollar on the first try (after we're done with it, they better never install it in a strip club!), but then when I finally get it in there and hit "D7," it starts making a funky beeping noise.
Would you believe that the inflated-price goods-carrying, dollar-rejecting, loose morals piece of metal had the audacity to demand exact change? After a half dozen tries when I finally realized what was going on, I so wanted to shout, "Exact change yuh mummah!" But I refrained. After all, the associate publisher's office door is right by the machine — a fact that I'm sure makes the machine feel brazen and bold.
So I had to walk up to the cashiers to get the change I needed for the machine. God bless Ms. Rose she made me smile though. I asked for three quarters, two dimes and a nickle and after she gives it to me, she says, "Are you sure that's a dollar?" I had the deer in headlights look for about 10 seconds before I realized she was pulling my leg.
Then it was back to the machine for the Starbursts.
I tell you, next thing you know the machine is going to expect us to reach up inside it to get the damn candy ourselves.
Sad.
Of course, the machine never takes my dollar on the first try (after we're done with it, they better never install it in a strip club!), but then when I finally get it in there and hit "D7," it starts making a funky beeping noise.
Would you believe that the inflated-price goods-carrying, dollar-rejecting, loose morals piece of metal had the audacity to demand exact change? After a half dozen tries when I finally realized what was going on, I so wanted to shout, "Exact change yuh mummah!" But I refrained. After all, the associate publisher's office door is right by the machine — a fact that I'm sure makes the machine feel brazen and bold.
So I had to walk up to the cashiers to get the change I needed for the machine. God bless Ms. Rose she made me smile though. I asked for three quarters, two dimes and a nickle and after she gives it to me, she says, "Are you sure that's a dollar?" I had the deer in headlights look for about 10 seconds before I realized she was pulling my leg.
Then it was back to the machine for the Starbursts.
I tell you, next thing you know the machine is going to expect us to reach up inside it to get the damn candy ourselves.
Sad.
Bitter meltdown
OK, the financial crisis has finally hit home: Candy prices have been hit by inflation. I just got done cleaning out all the pennies in my desk drawer to make up 95 cents for a pack of Starburst. I'd always thought the original 85 cents was a rip off but when I needed candy, I needed candy. But when I went to the vending machine today (after already converting 10 pennies at the cashier), I immediately knew I was in trouble. The prices were off the Starburts, Skittles, Jolly Ranchers and M&Ms. I had to hit the D7 code to see the price - 95 cents.
So it was back to my desk to scrounge for more loose change. I finally had to ask a coworker for a penny to make up the 15 cents I needed. Yes, people, Iceland is at risk of defaulting on its sovereign debt and the U.S. and E.U. are nationalizing companies in droves, but it's finally hit home now. We're in for some hard times folks. It's time to buy an extra mattress.
So it was back to my desk to scrounge for more loose change. I finally had to ask a coworker for a penny to make up the 15 cents I needed. Yes, people, Iceland is at risk of defaulting on its sovereign debt and the U.S. and E.U. are nationalizing companies in droves, but it's finally hit home now. We're in for some hard times folks. It's time to buy an extra mattress.
Wii box for charity!
Baby Moo, work and school, just life in general, have kept me very busy these past few months. It's insane that the baby is already two and runs around the house singing her ABCs like no one's business. Still, I just thought I'd log on quickly to share a few things:
- After my current class, I'll have only three left to complete my masters! I'm on target to make honors, but I'll have to pull up my socks in this class because I currently have a B that could make my GPA slip.
- As J' pointed out, I've now owned a VW in every country I've ever lived :-) This past week, we traded in my stalwart G20 (with almost 200,000 miles) for a spunky 2002 Jetta 1.8T.
- Next month I start program called Leadership Bay. It's a leadership development program that's a joint venture between the Bay County Chamber of Commerce and Gulf Coast Community College. Here's the website.
- Last month I helped out with the newspaper's United Way effort for this year. This is where the title of this blog comes from because one of the fundraisers was a Wii Boxing Tournament. Here's a video about the preliminary matches and here's another with the semis, finals and our first annual Department Head Showdown. You can see me in the videos, as well as all the bloodthirsty people I work with LOL
The balance
It's funny how the cycle of life and death works. Awhile ago I was reading my co-worker's daughter-in-law's blog where she spoke of the pain she felt this past Mother's Day. Last year her and her husband lost one of their daughter's to leukemia. (Read my blog about it here: Abigail Morgan). She was talking about how the pain was almost too much to bear this year. I remember feeling a punch to my gut this year when I realized that there'd be no calling my Mom to wish her Happy Mother's Day (you think I'd know this after 5 years) and I remembered that feeling as I read her blog.
But then a few seconds later, I'm looking at one of my email accounts at a thank you letter from my cousin who I realized finished her A-level exams today. I couldn't help but smile because I remember her as a toddler barely able to see above the dinner table when she came to visit Jamaica. I remember giving her a piggy-back rides and it reminded me that as hard as it is, life does go on and God gives us his grace to balance out the pain.
But then a few seconds later, I'm looking at one of my email accounts at a thank you letter from my cousin who I realized finished her A-level exams today. I couldn't help but smile because I remember her as a toddler barely able to see above the dinner table when she came to visit Jamaica. I remember giving her a piggy-back rides and it reminded me that as hard as it is, life does go on and God gives us his grace to balance out the pain.
The role of the media
With the rampant 24-hour news cycle these days, sometimes even I feel over saturated by the same news. Its as if the media are all reporting the same thing, the same angle, the same way, all at the same time. You'd have to be under a rock to miss the disastrous earthquake that hit China earlier this week, but the angle of this CNN story struck me — maybe because I'm a parent, but I like the way the writer was able to use China's one-child policy as a catalyst to help readers understand the anguish and grief the Chinese are experiencing. It makes the event more real for those who are far away and that for me is one of the hallmarks of a well written story.
Parents' losses compounded by China's one-child policy
Story Highlights
Parents' losses compounded by China's one-child policy
Story Highlights
- NEW: Death toll could reach 50,000, according to state-run media
- China's one-child policy, implemented in 1979, has blocked 400 million births
- Many parents in limbo as they wait to learn whether their sole child is dead or alive
- Schools collapsed on thousands of children Monday when the quake hit
(Click here to read the story, it's short and to the point)
And now for the quote of the day, no make that week, from another CNN.com article:
"There are literally hundreds of situations in which a woman's gut intuition is spot-on, but she talks herself out of it so as not to make waves," Northrup said. "We women are suckers for wanting to be loved."
Taken from 5 mistakes women make at the doctor's office
"There are literally hundreds of situations in which a woman's gut intuition is spot-on, but she talks herself out of it so as not to make waves," Northrup said. "We women are suckers for wanting to be loved."
Taken from 5 mistakes women make at the doctor's office
No stopping in the name of love
Last year I did a blog post about a town in Illinois that had added humorous signs to its stop signs in an effort to get drivers to actually stop. (Read: Stop in the name of love) As it turns out, the signs are illegal. The mayor is not pleased about having to remove the $1,700 worth of signs, but it's either that or risk losing federal funding. Well, it was a good idea at the time LOL (Read: No more 'love' in stop signs)
Deep
Do you think about me now and then?
Do you think about me now and then?
- Chris Martin on Kanye West's "Homecoming"
I've been in two minds about writing this blog for a very long time. But I think it's better to do blog therapy than become a full-fledged stalker. But I'm getting ahead of myself.
Ever think back to the people in your past? Does your mind ever run on someone who you'd like to know how they're doing. If they've made it. If they've found happiness and peave. Maybe you want to apologize. Tell them that you're sorry for hurting them, that you were young and that you were hurting, too. Maybe all of these things? Well, after my Mom died — no, a long time after my Mom died because it's been five years now — I gathered the courage and spoke to those in my past who I knew I needed to apologize to.
One memorable conversation took place on New Years Eve. Another just happened randomly on MSN. Both shocked me to my toes because they wanted to apologize too. How about that? They brought peace. And continuity... D.S. is one of Moo Moo's godparents.
But JVN eludes me. Those initials alone have such a story to them, it would take the rest of the night to type the prologue. JVN—JVM... More questions, does the owner of the initials even remember that play on words? But I digress. Everything in my being is telling me that I need to contact this person and apologize. Self-serving? Probably. Guilt has a tendency to weigh more heavily on one's soul with time. I most definitely want to get this weight off my chest. The funny thing is that JVN and I have had this conversation before, but with age (and marriage) comes immense wisdom and I believe that I am now truly contrite.
Stalking? Well, Google is a wonderful thing and I still remember the website for the telephone directory. But I had to draw the line at sending emails. J' said that he wouldn't have a problem with receiving a phone call — actually, this came up because someone had called him to apologize! Random, but true, I swear — but then the JVN I remember is an intensely private person. And suppose he has found peace? I certainly don't want my phone call to jolt him out of that... or is that me inflating my self worth? Would my phone call mean anything?
Hmm. It's deep. But I suppose there are some mistakes that we don't deserve absolution from. At least I could say it here. I think I'll leave it here, too.
JVN, fuzzy. Doei.
Do you think about me now and then?
- Chris Martin on Kanye West's "Homecoming"
I've been in two minds about writing this blog for a very long time. But I think it's better to do blog therapy than become a full-fledged stalker. But I'm getting ahead of myself.
Ever think back to the people in your past? Does your mind ever run on someone who you'd like to know how they're doing. If they've made it. If they've found happiness and peave. Maybe you want to apologize. Tell them that you're sorry for hurting them, that you were young and that you were hurting, too. Maybe all of these things? Well, after my Mom died — no, a long time after my Mom died because it's been five years now — I gathered the courage and spoke to those in my past who I knew I needed to apologize to.
One memorable conversation took place on New Years Eve. Another just happened randomly on MSN. Both shocked me to my toes because they wanted to apologize too. How about that? They brought peace. And continuity... D.S. is one of Moo Moo's godparents.
But JVN eludes me. Those initials alone have such a story to them, it would take the rest of the night to type the prologue. JVN—JVM... More questions, does the owner of the initials even remember that play on words? But I digress. Everything in my being is telling me that I need to contact this person and apologize. Self-serving? Probably. Guilt has a tendency to weigh more heavily on one's soul with time. I most definitely want to get this weight off my chest. The funny thing is that JVN and I have had this conversation before, but with age (and marriage) comes immense wisdom and I believe that I am now truly contrite.
Stalking? Well, Google is a wonderful thing and I still remember the website for the telephone directory. But I had to draw the line at sending emails. J' said that he wouldn't have a problem with receiving a phone call — actually, this came up because someone had called him to apologize! Random, but true, I swear — but then the JVN I remember is an intensely private person. And suppose he has found peace? I certainly don't want my phone call to jolt him out of that... or is that me inflating my self worth? Would my phone call mean anything?
Hmm. It's deep. But I suppose there are some mistakes that we don't deserve absolution from. At least I could say it here. I think I'll leave it here, too.
JVN, fuzzy. Doei.
Pack it like a pro
My vacation started at 5:36 p.m. That's when I finished work, which was a marathon session because my boss was out today. My coworkers stepped up and helped out though. Even the editor-in-chief was helping out, much to the shock of everyone else. We leave tomorrow night to drive to Orlando to catch our flight to Jamaica. And I've just started packing tonight. One of my friends was in shock that I hadn't started since last week. I have a coworker who feels the same. She started packing a month ago for her cruise... that doesn't happen until May lol
For some reason I've become a pretty good packer since I went off to college. I always forget something, but never anything I can't do without. (It was good Moo and I were only overnighting that time last year when I forgot all her hair clips.) But as my Mom used to say, once you've got the passport and the plane tickets, you're pretty much covered. (This came one holiday when we set off to the airport and realized my passport was still at home. My father was not pleased.)
So here are my packing tips:
For some reason I've become a pretty good packer since I went off to college. I always forget something, but never anything I can't do without. (It was good Moo and I were only overnighting that time last year when I forgot all her hair clips.) But as my Mom used to say, once you've got the passport and the plane tickets, you're pretty much covered. (This came one holiday when we set off to the airport and realized my passport was still at home. My father was not pleased.)
So here are my packing tips:
- Lay everything out on the bed, including hair stuff, toiletries, jewelry, shoes on the floor nearby, everything before you start. It's easier to see what you're packing and ensure that you have everything.
- The earlier in advance you start, the more things you're likely to forget (for me anyway).
- Wrap any liquid toiletries in plastic bags. Run out of bags? Tape down the tops if necessary. (This also works great to ensure eye shadows don't pop open!)
- Wrap your shoes, too. Nothing worse than having those road-tested sneakers becoming intimate with your favorite shirt during the trip to your destination.
- Keep your jewelry with you at all times. I had a lot of mine stolen when I went to Greece because I didn't carry it on with me. Especially because you can't lock your bags in the US anymore, this should've actually been Rule No. 1.
- If possible, carry a spare change of clothes and your can't-live-without toiletries in your hand luggage. It's not cute when your luggage gets lost and all you've got is what's on your back. If you've traveling with a small child, then you know this is just mandatory stuff. (When she was 6 weeks old, Moo Moo went through 5 sets of clothes on our way to Jamaica — including a set of my clothes.)
The black, green and gold
Was surfing the net and came across this and it definitely caught my eye...
Unbeatable Banzuke
Just when you thought Ninja Warrior was a weird but addictive as it gets, G4 rolls out Unbeatable Banzuke. I'm sitting here with a 3,000 word paper due tonight riveted to the television watching the contestants battle the course on their uni-cycles. The Japanese sure do have the knack for getting us hooked on the zaniest things! You should see the sparring matches that go on in here for the Nintendo DS. The most heated ones were over a game called "Elite Beat Agents." Oh, I see you snickering over there, but play it first and then you'll understand. They've got this entertainment thing on lock.
Anyhoo, this is me Saturday night on our way home from a banquet that J' and I got to go to through work. It was great to get dressed up and go out together
Anyhoo, this is me Saturday night on our way home from a banquet that J' and I got to go to through work. It was great to get dressed up and go out together
Class update
Just an update to my Jan. 19 'Makes it all worthwhile' post... the final grades are out and I got an A for my Transformational Leadership class with 99.5%. So all the hard work and lack of sleep paid off!
Meaningful change
Change your inner dialogue
It’s been said that we teach others how to treat us. If we believe that, the message that comes across to others is that we are not worth being liked, loved, or treated with respect. Most of it comes from what we’re not even saying. Choose to believe that you are worth taking care of and that you have the right to be respected and treated with dignity – and act like it!
I got this one from an article over at SparkPeople.com (my fitness and healthy lifestyle website) and it's kind of stuck in my head. If you think about it beyond face value the concept is pretty interesting. How you act to yourself, can change how others act toward you. Normally, you'd think it's how you act toward others that sets the tone for how others treat you. Of course, that plays a part, but social interaction can present lots of difficulty.
Think about it. Unless you're completely self-absorbed or uncaring, most people try to read the other person, adjust their body language, tone of voice, style of speaking and even word choice depending on the situation. Some people can do this effortlessly, for others it's like a game of chess where they try to plot every move. The problem is that the other person might misunderstand what you're trying to say and generally not cooperate.
I'm kind of getting bogged down here but my point is this: It's actually easy to respect yourself and treat yourself better and with more dignity. A "get your mind right" kind of deal. What's amazing how the whole thing is that this causes a cascade effect — and it does — then before you know it, the way others treat you changes, too. I think the trick is not to expect massive change quickly (which is what society has conditioned us to expect these days!), it'll be baby steps and subtle changes. But they do add up :-)
It’s been said that we teach others how to treat us. If we believe that, the message that comes across to others is that we are not worth being liked, loved, or treated with respect. Most of it comes from what we’re not even saying. Choose to believe that you are worth taking care of and that you have the right to be respected and treated with dignity – and act like it!
I got this one from an article over at SparkPeople.com (my fitness and healthy lifestyle website) and it's kind of stuck in my head. If you think about it beyond face value the concept is pretty interesting. How you act to yourself, can change how others act toward you. Normally, you'd think it's how you act toward others that sets the tone for how others treat you. Of course, that plays a part, but social interaction can present lots of difficulty.
Think about it. Unless you're completely self-absorbed or uncaring, most people try to read the other person, adjust their body language, tone of voice, style of speaking and even word choice depending on the situation. Some people can do this effortlessly, for others it's like a game of chess where they try to plot every move. The problem is that the other person might misunderstand what you're trying to say and generally not cooperate.
I'm kind of getting bogged down here but my point is this: It's actually easy to respect yourself and treat yourself better and with more dignity. A "get your mind right" kind of deal. What's amazing how the whole thing is that this causes a cascade effect — and it does — then before you know it, the way others treat you changes, too. I think the trick is not to expect massive change quickly (which is what society has conditioned us to expect these days!), it'll be baby steps and subtle changes. But they do add up :-)
Makes it all worthwhile
Being a working Mom, a good wife and trying to get an honors masters degree all at the same time often feels as though I'm visiting some psycho sadomasochist fetish on myself. Nights like last Monday when I was up until almost 2 am busting my brain over this paper come to mind. J' stayed up with me as long as he could doing his best to talk me out of throwing in the towel — it's much appreciated, Muffin, cause I did well and want to go sleep.
I'm glad he pushed me to complete it though because the paper counts for 17 points out of the 100 for the course. I felt terrible the next morning because I was sure I was going to get a depressing grade, but instead I opened my grade book today to see something that makes all the pain and sacrifice worthwhile:
I'm glad he pushed me to complete it though because the paper counts for 17 points out of the 100 for the course. I felt terrible the next morning because I was sure I was going to get a depressing grade, but instead I opened my grade book today to see something that makes all the pain and sacrifice worthwhile:
(Click to view a larger image)
The List (Dec. 2007 Outcome)
Figured I should look back and see what went down for my Christmas 2007 list:
- No Wii — But I did get awesome crimson on black DS with Brain Age 2 and the Sims 2 Castaways! All thanks to J'. He even teamed up with our old neighbors and friends who got me a sexy black hard case to match! I was running around the house screaming like a little child. Moo Moo was looking so confused, poor baby LOL
- J Crew pea coat — Thanks Dee! It was right in the palm of your hand but they didn't have my size. You're a terrific friend, good looking out! *hugs*
- Sweaters and/or shirts from Long Elegant Legs or Express — Well, LEL's sale prices are a joke and the Express at our mall closed down. So there went that.
- No watch — I found the one I thought I'd lost squished in Moo's car seat two days after I made that blog post.
- No Puma Sprints — The ones I like are apparently only sold in Europe. Go figure.
- As for the makeup — What a joke! So I find back the makeup that was originally missing, only to come down with an eye infection and have to throw out half of that plus most of the new makeup that I'd bought to replace what I thought I'd lost! And I had to throw away my very good brushes. Talk about upset. I'm now eyeing some Bare Minerals but why on earth does this stuff have to be so darned expensive?!
Happy 200GR8!
And to kick things off with some good belly laughs, here are Fark.com's top headlines from 2007:
HEADLINE OF THE YEAR: Bear attack victim had 'tender heart,' according to friends, family, bear
Runner-up: Man who beat his girlfriend with a flashlight charged with assault. Flashlight charged with battery
SPORTS HEADLINE OF THE YEAR: Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro downgraded from Spalding to Elmer's
Runner-up: Skiing champion killed after sudden encounter with a tree, the great white shark of the ski slopes
GEEK HEADLINE OF THE YEAR: Scientists develop an adhesive so powerful it could stick a criminal charge on a rich white guy
Runner-up: Today may or may not be Erwin Shrödinger's birthday
SHOWBIZ HEADLINE OF THE YEAR: CSI team currently at Anna Nicole Smith residence in the Bahamas. After turning on special light that illuminates semen, the house could be seen from space
Runner-up: Congratulations to Larry Birkhead, winner of the 2007 Anna Nicole Smith Vaginal Dumpster Invitational
WORDPLAY/PUN HEADLINE OF THE YEAR: Mom wants schools to ban books filled with sin. There goes my trigonometry textbook
Runner-up: Bingo hall worker B-10 and robbed
POLITICS HEADLINE OF THE YEAR: Barack Obama campaigned door-to-door in Iowa on Saturday. In other news, Des Moines police report that they have received a large number of calls from frightened residents claiming there is a black man standing on their porch
Runner-up: Japanese lesbian begins run for parliament purple monkey dishwasher I once killed a man. Let's face it, you stopped reading this headline after the first two words
HEADLINE OF THE YEAR: Bear attack victim had 'tender heart,' according to friends, family, bear
Runner-up: Man who beat his girlfriend with a flashlight charged with assault. Flashlight charged with battery
SPORTS HEADLINE OF THE YEAR: Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro downgraded from Spalding to Elmer's
Runner-up: Skiing champion killed after sudden encounter with a tree, the great white shark of the ski slopes
GEEK HEADLINE OF THE YEAR: Scientists develop an adhesive so powerful it could stick a criminal charge on a rich white guy
Runner-up: Today may or may not be Erwin Shrödinger's birthday
SHOWBIZ HEADLINE OF THE YEAR: CSI team currently at Anna Nicole Smith residence in the Bahamas. After turning on special light that illuminates semen, the house could be seen from space
Runner-up: Congratulations to Larry Birkhead, winner of the 2007 Anna Nicole Smith Vaginal Dumpster Invitational
WORDPLAY/PUN HEADLINE OF THE YEAR: Mom wants schools to ban books filled with sin. There goes my trigonometry textbook
Runner-up: Bingo hall worker B-10 and robbed
POLITICS HEADLINE OF THE YEAR: Barack Obama campaigned door-to-door in Iowa on Saturday. In other news, Des Moines police report that they have received a large number of calls from frightened residents claiming there is a black man standing on their porch
Runner-up: Japanese lesbian begins run for parliament purple monkey dishwasher I once killed a man. Let's face it, you stopped reading this headline after the first two words
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