Saturday, January 31, 2009
Friday, January 30, 2009
Day 30 - A Good Day
Indigo got to spar today. So, DJ helped her get familiar with her gear.
This is the kind of beer I drink. This is a chocolate stout. An interesting combo for the homemade refried beans - but it's good none the less.
Week in Review
subtitle: Emmy has a lot of things bouncing around in her head and can't figure out one thing to write. (This is what a conversation with me can be like.)
This week was much shorter than I initially intended. Garbanzo has a teacher development day at school today which means it is just me and the kids. I had already planned on taking today off, but I had not planned on taking yesterday off - or at least part of it. Okay, most of it.
I have dust allergies. And as our old cat Garbanzo gets older, his dander will also bother me. Have I mentioned that cat has to sleep with us at night? The hubby loves him sleeping with us - and the cat has an unnatural love of him (I think the cat wants me out of the picture) - so he sleeps with us. And, if I'm really "lucky", the cat sleep next to my face. When the dust and the dander get bad, I take medicine. When I don't take the medicine and it's bad, I have mornings where I don't feel well. About a couple hours after I get up and going, I'm usually fine again. But during that two hour window, I just can't tell - so I assume all is well.
Yesterday, I did that. I got to work. I started staring at the computer. Started trying to get some things done - all the while I was feeling worse and worse. I finally said screw it and went back home. My big mistake of the day - going back into Portland during rush hour traffic. It took me an hour to get home. (I usually do rush-hour going the opposite way which means I see rush hour, I'm just not in the middle of it.)
I didn't feel bad about leaving. I have had to work too much lately. Between a couple of major system outages/issues, I have been sleeping with my Blackberry. The company can give me a sick day....and since I'm salary and did work a bit yesterday, the company did give me a sick day yesterday. Thank you, loop holes!
But I suspect work is going to be interesting for the next six months. We are doing a major systems project - interesting enough in itself. But, the PM (update -sorry, realized I used an acronym - PM = project manager) from our team is already struggling....two weeks into the project. I will be honest. I wanted to do it from our side. But, I already had two projects on my plate. This guy had credentials and experience, so it made sense. So, when asked my opinion by the big boss, I gave it my blessing. What I am finding is that he lacks the experience of managing projects. (Hmm...someone exaggerated on their resume.) I spent an hour with the guy and consulting team where he kept bringing stuff up that made me go "huh?". He's worried about getting it all perfect for the business but without holding the business accountable to what they tell us. You run a project like that, and you end up with a project that won't end. And a project of this size could put a company out of business if that were to happen.
I spent the meeting explaining what you do when that happens. If the users forgot to mention they can't live without seeing this report everyday, you put it before the change committee. The change committee will decide if it should be brought into the scope of the project by looking at what the change introduces in terms of increased time and budget. It's project management 101. Or, what if the people won't give us what we want? You escalate it up to their manager, their business owner and the project sponsor. They are in the way of progress, someone with real authority over the person needs to do something about it. Again - basic stuff. I hate being on projects being run by people who aren't experienced at the basics.
And, it is situations like this that make me recall my favorite phrase that describes my career at this company:
Changing subjects, Indigo has gotten positive feedback from her teacher about her behavior. So, she gets to watch Sponge Bob again - much to my dismay. It is getting better. And last night's display at taekwondo testing shows everyone including her that she can do it if she puts her mind to it. Today, she's even showing good choices. I hope the buzz of getting her Orange belt lasts!
Garbanzo and I are back in synch. If you read his blog yesterday, it summarized up well what happened. It was something that kind of took us both by surprise. We are rarely that out of synch with each other sexually. I chalked it up to something that just happens. Maybe we needed a night off, so to speak. He tends to be more of a worrier in the relationship. For me, it was more of a "what the fuck" moment. I think when you have had such good communication with a person, having a moment where communication has failed can throw you back. He summarized it well - it was just sad. I always approach these things as "tomorrow is another day". No need to over analyze something until it has shown to be a problem repeatedly.
For Garbanzo, he worries it could mean bigger things. He worries it was something he said, did, or didn't do. No matter what I say or do, he worries. What can I say - he had poor examples of relationships in the past (his parents, his dad and step-mom, his parents again). No communication. Always waiting for the other shoe to drop because it will. It could be a year or two from when the situation in question occurred, but it will have another shoe drop. When you have spent your entire life like that, it is hard to believe it won't happen in your other relationships.
But, last night - all was well again. We decided this morning though that we need a weekend away - just the two of us. No kids to interrupt. No taekwondo schedule to worry about. Just the two of us. And we agreed - no bed and breakfast this time. While it was nice, not emerging from your room for the day is noticed by all. I guess we'll have to see what we can line up. Even with the grandparents close by, their schedules don't always allow for them to take the kids on the weekend. But, my brothers may be able to be coerced. Hmmm....
This week was much shorter than I initially intended. Garbanzo has a teacher development day at school today which means it is just me and the kids. I had already planned on taking today off, but I had not planned on taking yesterday off - or at least part of it. Okay, most of it.
I have dust allergies. And as our old cat Garbanzo gets older, his dander will also bother me. Have I mentioned that cat has to sleep with us at night? The hubby loves him sleeping with us - and the cat has an unnatural love of him (I think the cat wants me out of the picture) - so he sleeps with us. And, if I'm really "lucky", the cat sleep next to my face. When the dust and the dander get bad, I take medicine. When I don't take the medicine and it's bad, I have mornings where I don't feel well. About a couple hours after I get up and going, I'm usually fine again. But during that two hour window, I just can't tell - so I assume all is well.
Yesterday, I did that. I got to work. I started staring at the computer. Started trying to get some things done - all the while I was feeling worse and worse. I finally said screw it and went back home. My big mistake of the day - going back into Portland during rush hour traffic. It took me an hour to get home. (I usually do rush-hour going the opposite way which means I see rush hour, I'm just not in the middle of it.)
I didn't feel bad about leaving. I have had to work too much lately. Between a couple of major system outages/issues, I have been sleeping with my Blackberry. The company can give me a sick day....and since I'm salary and did work a bit yesterday, the company did give me a sick day yesterday. Thank you, loop holes!
But I suspect work is going to be interesting for the next six months. We are doing a major systems project - interesting enough in itself. But, the PM (update -sorry, realized I used an acronym - PM = project manager) from our team is already struggling....two weeks into the project. I will be honest. I wanted to do it from our side. But, I already had two projects on my plate. This guy had credentials and experience, so it made sense. So, when asked my opinion by the big boss, I gave it my blessing. What I am finding is that he lacks the experience of managing projects. (Hmm...someone exaggerated on their resume.) I spent an hour with the guy and consulting team where he kept bringing stuff up that made me go "huh?". He's worried about getting it all perfect for the business but without holding the business accountable to what they tell us. You run a project like that, and you end up with a project that won't end. And a project of this size could put a company out of business if that were to happen.
I spent the meeting explaining what you do when that happens. If the users forgot to mention they can't live without seeing this report everyday, you put it before the change committee. The change committee will decide if it should be brought into the scope of the project by looking at what the change introduces in terms of increased time and budget. It's project management 101. Or, what if the people won't give us what we want? You escalate it up to their manager, their business owner and the project sponsor. They are in the way of progress, someone with real authority over the person needs to do something about it. Again - basic stuff. I hate being on projects being run by people who aren't experienced at the basics.
And, it is situations like this that make me recall my favorite phrase that describes my career at this company:
"No good deed goes unpunished"
Yes, it is cynical. But, if you deal with performance problems, you tend to get the harder to manage employees. (I know how to fire people versus just laying them off when the opportunity presents itself - so I have had my share of performance problems over the years.) If you can pick up a flailing project and get it on track and across the finish line, you will be handed flailing projects. I have come back from vacation to find out I got the project no one could get completed.....not once, or twice....but three times. I love vacations - but I hate coming back to work because of this. My point....and I have one.....I expect this one my land in my lap. I don't think the consultants are very happy with our guy either. The head architect who I met with for the past two days told me I'm the kind of manager he likes working with - one who will make decisions and remove obstacles. Consultants who have a reputation on the line will usually not sit back as someone messes up their project. We'll see what happens.Changing subjects, Indigo has gotten positive feedback from her teacher about her behavior. So, she gets to watch Sponge Bob again - much to my dismay. It is getting better. And last night's display at taekwondo testing shows everyone including her that she can do it if she puts her mind to it. Today, she's even showing good choices. I hope the buzz of getting her Orange belt lasts!
Garbanzo and I are back in synch. If you read his blog yesterday, it summarized up well what happened. It was something that kind of took us both by surprise. We are rarely that out of synch with each other sexually. I chalked it up to something that just happens. Maybe we needed a night off, so to speak. He tends to be more of a worrier in the relationship. For me, it was more of a "what the fuck" moment. I think when you have had such good communication with a person, having a moment where communication has failed can throw you back. He summarized it well - it was just sad. I always approach these things as "tomorrow is another day". No need to over analyze something until it has shown to be a problem repeatedly.
For Garbanzo, he worries it could mean bigger things. He worries it was something he said, did, or didn't do. No matter what I say or do, he worries. What can I say - he had poor examples of relationships in the past (his parents, his dad and step-mom, his parents again). No communication. Always waiting for the other shoe to drop because it will. It could be a year or two from when the situation in question occurred, but it will have another shoe drop. When you have spent your entire life like that, it is hard to believe it won't happen in your other relationships.
But, last night - all was well again. We decided this morning though that we need a weekend away - just the two of us. No kids to interrupt. No taekwondo schedule to worry about. Just the two of us. And we agreed - no bed and breakfast this time. While it was nice, not emerging from your room for the day is noticed by all. I guess we'll have to see what we can line up. Even with the grandparents close by, their schedules don't always allow for them to take the kids on the weekend. But, my brothers may be able to be coerced. Hmmm....
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Day 29 - Success
Indigo getting her Orange Belt. We are so proud of her. If you have asked me yesterday, I would have said she shouldn't be testing for Orange today. But, she pulled it together and showed everyone (including herself) that she can do it if she focuses. Surprised the hell out of us! Indigo is happy because she gets to spar tomorrow. That was her carrot.
DJ doing her AX kick in preparation for the breaking test. She's flexible.
DJ demonstrating the ridge hand strike.
(These two picts look funny because I had to use the mirror's reflection. The room is not set up well for parents to take pictures.)
DJ got her blue belt! She was disappointed though. She would have gotten an outstanding student patch if she had cleaned her bedroom. On the way home, she kept saying over and over again that she's cleaning her room tomorrow since she doesn't have school.
We got home at almost 10pm (see below), but the kids are still bouncing off of the walls from the excitement. Thank God I don't have to work tomorrow - I can sleep.
The testing that would never end...
Tonight is testing night for both of the girls. DJ tested for her blue belt, and Indigo tested for her orange. Notice I used the past tense. They are both done, but the results won't be given until everyone is done. We know indigo already passed. They thankfully let the younger belts go. But everyone else has to wait.
I don't mind waiting. There are some pretty spectacular kids we get to see. But, (and you knew there was a but), this started at 6pm. Most kids barely ate before getting here- and I should mention it is after 8pm now.
Thankfully for my kids there is not school tomorrow. Garbanzo has an inservice day, so I get to sleep in with the girls. But most of the other kids aren't that lucky. They go to school in the neighboring district.
But I am thankful for technology. I can blog and send inappropriate text messages to Garbanzo who ended up on the other side of the room from me. So I guess it isn't all bad. We get two hours of messaging foreplay out of it.
I don't mind waiting. There are some pretty spectacular kids we get to see. But, (and you knew there was a but), this started at 6pm. Most kids barely ate before getting here- and I should mention it is after 8pm now.
Thankfully for my kids there is not school tomorrow. Garbanzo has an inservice day, so I get to sleep in with the girls. But most of the other kids aren't that lucky. They go to school in the neighboring district.
But I am thankful for technology. I can blog and send inappropriate text messages to Garbanzo who ended up on the other side of the room from me. So I guess it isn't all bad. We get two hours of messaging foreplay out of it.
Technology Thursday
No - this will likely not be a weekly segment. While I am a geek, the stuff I keep up on is likely not very interesting to most people.
But, with things like this:
How can I not comment? Really? A Blackberry for a kid? While I am forced to use one in my job, I would never give one to my kid (or buy a Blackberry for myself). I am all for learning games, but I don't need them to become text messaging fiends before they turn 10.
I do like this keyboard though:
But then again, like Designer Steve Lee at Apple, I am a touch typist. Those around me hate how quickly I can type. I always tell them they are jealous. But, really it is the result of being forced to take typing in 7th and 8th grades -- and spending so much time in front of a computer. Anyway, I like the fact my kids wouldn't be able to use it thus eliminating the risk of them using my computer without permission.
These are for those geeks who aren't as well versed in the art of lovemaking. Yes, they are the Love Trainer Headset. And no, this isn't a joke. Go to their website to learn more and hear examples of the "coaching" (NSFW). The pictures are what bothers me. Can you imagine? "Come on, honey. Let's put on our Love Trainer Headset for a night a fun!". Yeah, doesn't work for me either. But then again, if you are a geek in need of coaching or ideas, they may appeal. But I have to ask: why not use the internet? I mean, at the vary least, there is no shortage of porn.
I am happy to see this:
I love iPhoto which is part of the Apple iLife application suit. While it doesn't give me all of the editing features of GIMP or Photoshop, I do like the organization part of it. And, this facial recognition feature for tagging people (or pets, I guess) is pretty nice. Maybe I'll look into getting it when I get a new Mac.
And last but not least, I want one of these:
While I am not a fan of the name, the Sony WebbieHD is the latest entry into the camcorder world. While it doesn't shoot "true HD", it does shoot 720p which is pretty good. I have heard mixed reviews about this particular one, but I do want a camcorder that records video without requiring tapes. Converting tapes to video while not hard is time consuming, and I am an impatient person. I would rather pull video off in a manner similar to how I do it off of digital cameras today. The market is getting flooded with these, so I should have my choosing soon.
Oh and I spoke too soon....I found one more thing I have to comment on:
It's a camera. For those patriotic folks that want to capture images like a spy......I think I'll pass....
But, with things like this:
I do like this keyboard though:
I am happy to see this:
And last but not least, I want one of these:
While I am not a fan of the name, the Sony WebbieHD is the latest entry into the camcorder world. While it doesn't shoot "true HD", it does shoot 720p which is pretty good. I have heard mixed reviews about this particular one, but I do want a camcorder that records video without requiring tapes. Converting tapes to video while not hard is time consuming, and I am an impatient person. I would rather pull video off in a manner similar to how I do it off of digital cameras today. The market is getting flooded with these, so I should have my choosing soon.
Oh and I spoke too soon....I found one more thing I have to comment on:
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Day 28 - Happiness
I received my new, larger SD card today. I ordered it a couple weeks ago when woot.com had a sale on them - a sale I couldn't pass up. I have been using my 1 GB card for a long time and have been happy. But, recently I began shooting RAW. Sounds kind of risque, I know.
Because there are a lot of situations where I do not have control over the light, I have found that shooting RAW allows me greater flexibility when fixing the exposure. There are lots of great reasons for doing it, and I won't pretend I know all of them.
I decided I needed a larger card though because shooting RAW creates larger files. When shooting high quality JPG, I could get almost 250 shots - but shooting RAW puts it at about 50 shots. Digital photography spoils us, doesn't it? I mean, I'm complaining about 50 shots.
Regardless, I'm happy....it's the simple things in life, isn't it?
Getting to Know You
Here's a fact I believe I missed in my various lists about me:
I am one of ......35 grandchildren on my mom's side of the family.
At least, i don't think there are any more than 35. I've kind of lost track to be honest.
My mom was raised in a good Catholic family born to farmers. German immigrant farmers to be more specific.
My mom is one of nine kids. Her youngest sibling is the same age as my oldest cousin. And, I cannot recall how old the youngest cousin is.
We were the black sheep of the family - my mom married a non-Catholic. So, I really never got to know but a few of my cousins. I know the upper quarter since I am in that group, but very few I knew well.
Until now.
Thank you Facebook.
I am now connected with cousins I haven't seen since they were 10. Heck, I'm even "friends" with a couple of wives of cousins that I have never met. Are we really getting to know each other? Not really. I think I am the odd ball...the circus side show in their world that doesn't really extend outside of Iowa. I think this fulfills their voyeuristic side - they can go to family gatherings and act like they know what's going on in my life.
If they only knew....
Many of my cousins are refered to by our family as the "inbreds". My mom's family is so huge overall that none of us are convinced some of our aunts or uncles haven't accidentally married relatives. The last funeral of a great uncle that I attended (or was forced to attend by my mom - how my brothers got out of it is beyond me) the reception was held in the gym of the Catholic school. And it was packed. And we were related to EVERYONE.
My dad and I were introduced to each and every one of them. Later if I asked my dad who someone was, he would admit he had no idea. He just pretends. It's how he has gotten through the marriage. Doesn't help me, Dad.
We tease my mom all of the time that she had to leave the county to find my dad because it was safer. She usually yells at us for saying that as my dad silently laughs behind her.
The first year my sister-in-law attended a family Christmas with that side of the family, she decided next year, she would bring a box of condoms for the annual Christmas exchange. A few hours amongst them made it clear to her that they should stop breeding. Garbanzo has had the same feeling.
Thanks to Facebook, I can now follow the family antics from far, far away. And, I don't have to pretend I know who they are - or at least I don't in person. I'm a horrible liar in person. Ahh...technology is good.
I am one of ......35 grandchildren on my mom's side of the family.
At least, i don't think there are any more than 35. I've kind of lost track to be honest.
My mom was raised in a good Catholic family born to farmers. German immigrant farmers to be more specific.
My mom is one of nine kids. Her youngest sibling is the same age as my oldest cousin. And, I cannot recall how old the youngest cousin is.
We were the black sheep of the family - my mom married a non-Catholic. So, I really never got to know but a few of my cousins. I know the upper quarter since I am in that group, but very few I knew well.
Until now.
Thank you Facebook.
I am now connected with cousins I haven't seen since they were 10. Heck, I'm even "friends" with a couple of wives of cousins that I have never met. Are we really getting to know each other? Not really. I think I am the odd ball...the circus side show in their world that doesn't really extend outside of Iowa. I think this fulfills their voyeuristic side - they can go to family gatherings and act like they know what's going on in my life.
If they only knew....
Many of my cousins are refered to by our family as the "inbreds". My mom's family is so huge overall that none of us are convinced some of our aunts or uncles haven't accidentally married relatives. The last funeral of a great uncle that I attended (or was forced to attend by my mom - how my brothers got out of it is beyond me) the reception was held in the gym of the Catholic school. And it was packed. And we were related to EVERYONE.
My dad and I were introduced to each and every one of them. Later if I asked my dad who someone was, he would admit he had no idea. He just pretends. It's how he has gotten through the marriage. Doesn't help me, Dad.
We tease my mom all of the time that she had to leave the county to find my dad because it was safer. She usually yells at us for saying that as my dad silently laughs behind her.
The first year my sister-in-law attended a family Christmas with that side of the family, she decided next year, she would bring a box of condoms for the annual Christmas exchange. A few hours amongst them made it clear to her that they should stop breeding. Garbanzo has had the same feeling.
Thanks to Facebook, I can now follow the family antics from far, far away. And, I don't have to pretend I know who they are - or at least I don't in person. I'm a horrible liar in person. Ahh...technology is good.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Day 27 - The Cat
This is the morning routine. Katchoo, sitting by the front door, trying to get us to let her outside. I'm not normally a huge "outdoor cat" person especially in the city near busy streets, but she is MUCH happier sleeping in the flower beds or getting pets from the passers-by. My brother joked once that half of our neighbors probably believe they are taking care of our cat. She is very friendly and visits everyone. A few months ago, one of our neighbors asked us about our cat. I guess she would go visit them, so they had named her Patches (which ironically enough was the name the Humane Society had given her).
The great thing about Katchoo is how she doesn't get excited about anything. The dogs can charge right up to here, and she just sits there. No hissing, no meowing, no scratching, nothing. She just gives them a bored look which generally makes them go away - she's no fun for them. She tolerates the kids manhandling her too. In fact, if she gets locked outside in the summer, she climbs up to the roof outside of their window on the second floor and meows until they open the window and let her in. She's a great cat.
Locks
Yesterday I told the Hubby that I was going to change then work out. I had been feeling like crap and decided to try the exercise route since nothing else had worked. Our bedroom is off our living room, so I walked in shutting the door behind me. But the door didn't shut because he had followed me into the room "to help". He shut the door and pushed me onto the bed as we started making out - while he was helping me undress for working out.
Things were getting pretty hot until we heard someone come into the door. We both exclaimed "one second" just as our 6-year old Indigo flung the door open.
I asked her if she had knocked.
"No. I just want a hug."
"I don't care what you need. You need to knock before coming into our room."
"But I need a hug."
I should point out that I am not a heartless bitch where my children are concerned - this tactic "I need a hug/kiss/to-tell-you-I-love-you" is her most recent attempt at diverting our attention when she's in trouble. This tactic was becoming a pretty major problem lately as she thinks a hug means she gets out of trouble.
"You need to knock before coming into the room. Then you need to wait for us to say 'come in' before opening the door."
Thankfully it was our daughter who makes noise wherever she goes. Our older daughter DJ is part ninja. Neither one of us can figure out how she can get down the old stairs making no noise. The cats can't even do it.She has scared the crap out of us many times. We contemplated making her wear a bell at night so that we at least have some warning she is coming. Let's just say, you move quick when you hear a child's voice. It is the only thing that has saved her from seeing too much.
So, this weekend, we will be finding locks. We actually have two doors into our bedroom which creates a double problem. The Hubby wants locks for the bathrooms too. This scares me a bit right now given Indigo's history of playing in the bathroom. We need a bit more parental control over the access.
It amuses me that child-proofing doesn't stop the older the kids get - it just changes flavors, so to speak.
Things were getting pretty hot until we heard someone come into the door. We both exclaimed "one second" just as our 6-year old Indigo flung the door open.
I asked her if she had knocked.
"No. I just want a hug."
"I don't care what you need. You need to knock before coming into our room."
"But I need a hug."
I should point out that I am not a heartless bitch where my children are concerned - this tactic "I need a hug/kiss/to-tell-you-I-love-you" is her most recent attempt at diverting our attention when she's in trouble. This tactic was becoming a pretty major problem lately as she thinks a hug means she gets out of trouble.
"You need to knock before coming into the room. Then you need to wait for us to say 'come in' before opening the door."
Thankfully it was our daughter who makes noise wherever she goes. Our older daughter DJ is part ninja. Neither one of us can figure out how she can get down the old stairs making no noise. The cats can't even do it.She has scared the crap out of us many times. We contemplated making her wear a bell at night so that we at least have some warning she is coming. Let's just say, you move quick when you hear a child's voice. It is the only thing that has saved her from seeing too much.
So, this weekend, we will be finding locks. We actually have two doors into our bedroom which creates a double problem. The Hubby wants locks for the bathrooms too. This scares me a bit right now given Indigo's history of playing in the bathroom. We need a bit more parental control over the access.
It amuses me that child-proofing doesn't stop the older the kids get - it just changes flavors, so to speak.
Monday, January 26, 2009
Day 26 - Annoyance
The angle is bad, but trust me, the car is blocking our drive way. I came home late tonight and could tell someone had done this almost a block away. Yet this idiot, could not tell sitting there.
The guy left soon after thankfully. Part of me was hoping that he would be there in the morning. Last time a neighbor did this, they came out just as Garbanzo was backing out of the driveway. Seeing how close he was to hitting their car, they got the hint. Like the dog in the backseat?
In Love
Let me just first say that most of the links in this blog post are probably NSFW (unless you are an IT person who happens to know how often, when and how they "monitor" the network for inappropriate browsing, like I do - thus the reason I'm actually doing this at work).
I have decided I am in love this this cartoonist, illustrator, storyteller - whatever you'd like to call her...she amazing! Her name is Erika Moen, and she is fucking hilarious.
Here is a link to her blog , if you'd like a bit of a preview.
Erika is a lesbian who fell in love with a man. They are married now. She still describes herself as lesbian because she like "titties" as she puts it. Here comic strips/blocks are amazingly open and honest and give you the ability to laugh at yourself in the situation too.
Like this one. -- ASM will definitely understand this one. :)
Or this one. --- the definitely illustrates what its like showering with a man.
I liked this one too ....because sometimes it is actually the woman who is too zealous.
And this one so totally describes the male/female dynamic where shrinkage is involved.
And her euphemisms are hilarious!
She has a whole lot of non-sexual ones like...
This one - which so makes me wish it were June...hmm...fresh Oregon strawberries...
And this one ....which makes me wonder if I actually saw this accident...
And this one too.
I'm so glad I got to work way too early for a conference call that was waaaayy too short. I got to spend quality time doing this.
I have decided I am in love this this cartoonist, illustrator, storyteller - whatever you'd like to call her...she amazing! Her name is Erika Moen, and she is fucking hilarious.
Here is a link to her blog , if you'd like a bit of a preview.
Erika is a lesbian who fell in love with a man. They are married now. She still describes herself as lesbian because she like "titties" as she puts it. Here comic strips/blocks are amazingly open and honest and give you the ability to laugh at yourself in the situation too.
Like this one. -- ASM will definitely understand this one. :)
Or this one. --- the definitely illustrates what its like showering with a man.
I liked this one too ....because sometimes it is actually the woman who is too zealous.
And this one so totally describes the male/female dynamic where shrinkage is involved.
And her euphemisms are hilarious!
She has a whole lot of non-sexual ones like...
This one - which so makes me wish it were June...hmm...fresh Oregon strawberries...
And this one ....which makes me wonder if I actually saw this accident...
And this one too.
I'm so glad I got to work way too early for a conference call that was waaaayy too short. I got to spend quality time doing this.
A Secret Identity
The Hubby decided tonight that I need a secret identity. I have been having a bit of a conflict of self recently where I'm trying to figure out how to reconcile the different sides of me into one cohesive one. I have concluded that my work/profession is the problem. And, I have also realized that it hasn't always been the case, but it has been for the past 4 years.
Let me explain a bit better. I have been at the same company for almost 14 years. While on the surface, that is a long time at one place, I must mention that every few years when I start getting itchy feet, I get a new opportunity dropped in my lap. And, it is usually something that I couldn't get experience doing elsewhere. So, I stick with it for a 18-24 months to build up the resume, then a new thing drops in my lap. Throw into the mix a couple of economic downturns where IT jobs become scarce, and staying has been a good deal.
Since I came up through the ranks, I went from being peers with my coworkers to being their boss. Friends who I went out for a beer with, become someone to have limits with. There was one peer who also moved up the ranks with me, and we remained friends professionally and personally. We remained friends until he got hit in the face with a soccer ball during a soccer game we both were playing in. He had a pretty good concussion and started having issues afterwards. Then, while on his motorcycle, he hit lose gravel, went over, and fucked up his ankle to the point he had 5 screws and a metal plate installed. He began having issues with depression and anxiety after that. Since I knew him so well, I forced him to go to his doctor when he was starting to become suicidal. And, I got his friends involved as well because I knew he had guns in the house - and didn't want to hear news that he had taken his own life.
After he was on meds and in counseling, things got really weird between us. I should mention at this point that he was single. And, my suspicions at this time were that he had a crush on me. While he never would admit it himself, his counselor did ask him why we weren't dating which threw him into a tail spin. He realized, I think, that he had never mentioned the fact I was married with kids. And, because of another incident which I won't recount now but which is also relevant to this post, I was rather touchy about people getting the wrong idea about men I was friends with. He twisted it that the counselor didn't think that men and women could be friends.
Then a couple of his jokes went sideways. And, being the person I am, I told him they went too far. He apologized and felt bad. Then he got into his head that I was going to never talk to him again. He started texting me one night and wouldn't stop. I was dealing with a crisis at home, so kept telling him to leave me alone - we could talk later. I finally got mad, called a friend of his and asked that he go deal with him - that he had made this up and I didn't have time for this shit. When he wouldn't stop, I thought Garbanzo was going to go over there and kick his ass which, if you know Garbanzo, means he was extremely pissed which to be honest was something I had not seen before. By the next morning, I had over 40 text messages from this guy, 5 emails, and two voice messages. When I couldn't sleep at 5am, I sent him an email telling him that this is his problem. That nothing that had occurred was remotely connected to me or the incident that he was worried about. That he needed to leave me alone until he dealt with the elephant in the room, the fact he had a crush on me. He called in sick the next week or worked from home.
Things were going well until he started trying to draw me into things again. By this time, others were getting concerned with his behavior especially where I was concerned. He was talking to people about it including HR, but was twisting the story to make it look like a misunderstanding. The shit hit the fan when he started telling me that other people were against me in the group. That they were telling him things - and he was just trying to let me know so that I can be more guarded around them. I fucking flipped out at him. He expected me to thank him, I guess, and I flipped out at him (not them as he had hoped). The next day, my HR friend and I had a talk. She asked if I had evidence, and guess who had all of the text messages and emails? Yep, me. (This is also a bit of insight as to why my brother N called me about text messages on cell phones.) I had saved them initially because I wanted to show him what an idiot he was that night. Good thing I had them.
I'm sure ASM is probably wondering what the hell was up with the HR person that was dealing with this in the past. In her defense, she didn't have the full story from either of us. Since most of the issues happened outside of work, I didn't make a big deal until it was affecting my work. Once I started gathering the evidence for her (and she started reviewing her own notes), we both realized this was a much bigger issue.
My manager and I chatted soon after that. I had to let her know that I couldn't work with him and why. Since we were the reason the two sides of IT worked so well together, this was a huge surprise. I was happy because I was worried I was becoming a performance problem by not working with him recently. Not the case at all thankfully.
In the end, this guy was given the choice. Either sign a corrective action plan that stated he would not bother me either professionally or personally while he was employed at the company and risk termination due to sexual harrassment if he didn't - or leave quietly with a severance package in hand. I was happy he chose the latter.
At that time, I was thankful for the friends we both had. They all saw exactly what was going on - so they kept an eye out for me. He was a huge gun owner, and I had learned he got his guns back a month before this occurred. He knew where I lived, and I didn't know if he would sink into depression or get angry. He had the potential to do both - but did the former thankfully. (I would normally not celebrate someone sinking into a depression, but the alternative was worse for me.)
Since that time, I don't get close to anyone at work. I know enough to be friendly. I share enough to be friendly. I don't do beers after work. And I now have more of a work personality that no longer meshes up as well as it did with my non-work personality.
And, as I have come to realized, spending 9-14 hours 5 days a week in this mindset makes it difficult to make peace between my work self and my non-work self. This is where my loving husband, the comic book geek, has suggested I begin thinking of it as having a secret identity. A way of giving myself permission to be who I am - a way of looking at everything not in a negative light, but in a positive one. A way to reconcile things. I may have to try this out.
Oh, and you want to hear what happened to the guy? After almost losing his house because he wouldn't go out and find a job, he met a girl on the internet. She is from the Philippines. He went to visit her, proposed two days later, and flew her back to the states after the wedding. None of his friends believe she wants him, just the green card. Too bad really, but goes to show that if you don't deal with your problems, life will just keep going in circles.
Let me explain a bit better. I have been at the same company for almost 14 years. While on the surface, that is a long time at one place, I must mention that every few years when I start getting itchy feet, I get a new opportunity dropped in my lap. And, it is usually something that I couldn't get experience doing elsewhere. So, I stick with it for a 18-24 months to build up the resume, then a new thing drops in my lap. Throw into the mix a couple of economic downturns where IT jobs become scarce, and staying has been a good deal.
Since I came up through the ranks, I went from being peers with my coworkers to being their boss. Friends who I went out for a beer with, become someone to have limits with. There was one peer who also moved up the ranks with me, and we remained friends professionally and personally. We remained friends until he got hit in the face with a soccer ball during a soccer game we both were playing in. He had a pretty good concussion and started having issues afterwards. Then, while on his motorcycle, he hit lose gravel, went over, and fucked up his ankle to the point he had 5 screws and a metal plate installed. He began having issues with depression and anxiety after that. Since I knew him so well, I forced him to go to his doctor when he was starting to become suicidal. And, I got his friends involved as well because I knew he had guns in the house - and didn't want to hear news that he had taken his own life.
After he was on meds and in counseling, things got really weird between us. I should mention at this point that he was single. And, my suspicions at this time were that he had a crush on me. While he never would admit it himself, his counselor did ask him why we weren't dating which threw him into a tail spin. He realized, I think, that he had never mentioned the fact I was married with kids. And, because of another incident which I won't recount now but which is also relevant to this post, I was rather touchy about people getting the wrong idea about men I was friends with. He twisted it that the counselor didn't think that men and women could be friends.
Then a couple of his jokes went sideways. And, being the person I am, I told him they went too far. He apologized and felt bad. Then he got into his head that I was going to never talk to him again. He started texting me one night and wouldn't stop. I was dealing with a crisis at home, so kept telling him to leave me alone - we could talk later. I finally got mad, called a friend of his and asked that he go deal with him - that he had made this up and I didn't have time for this shit. When he wouldn't stop, I thought Garbanzo was going to go over there and kick his ass which, if you know Garbanzo, means he was extremely pissed which to be honest was something I had not seen before. By the next morning, I had over 40 text messages from this guy, 5 emails, and two voice messages. When I couldn't sleep at 5am, I sent him an email telling him that this is his problem. That nothing that had occurred was remotely connected to me or the incident that he was worried about. That he needed to leave me alone until he dealt with the elephant in the room, the fact he had a crush on me. He called in sick the next week or worked from home.
Things were going well until he started trying to draw me into things again. By this time, others were getting concerned with his behavior especially where I was concerned. He was talking to people about it including HR, but was twisting the story to make it look like a misunderstanding. The shit hit the fan when he started telling me that other people were against me in the group. That they were telling him things - and he was just trying to let me know so that I can be more guarded around them. I fucking flipped out at him. He expected me to thank him, I guess, and I flipped out at him (not them as he had hoped). The next day, my HR friend and I had a talk. She asked if I had evidence, and guess who had all of the text messages and emails? Yep, me. (This is also a bit of insight as to why my brother N called me about text messages on cell phones.) I had saved them initially because I wanted to show him what an idiot he was that night. Good thing I had them.
I'm sure ASM is probably wondering what the hell was up with the HR person that was dealing with this in the past. In her defense, she didn't have the full story from either of us. Since most of the issues happened outside of work, I didn't make a big deal until it was affecting my work. Once I started gathering the evidence for her (and she started reviewing her own notes), we both realized this was a much bigger issue.
My manager and I chatted soon after that. I had to let her know that I couldn't work with him and why. Since we were the reason the two sides of IT worked so well together, this was a huge surprise. I was happy because I was worried I was becoming a performance problem by not working with him recently. Not the case at all thankfully.
In the end, this guy was given the choice. Either sign a corrective action plan that stated he would not bother me either professionally or personally while he was employed at the company and risk termination due to sexual harrassment if he didn't - or leave quietly with a severance package in hand. I was happy he chose the latter.
At that time, I was thankful for the friends we both had. They all saw exactly what was going on - so they kept an eye out for me. He was a huge gun owner, and I had learned he got his guns back a month before this occurred. He knew where I lived, and I didn't know if he would sink into depression or get angry. He had the potential to do both - but did the former thankfully. (I would normally not celebrate someone sinking into a depression, but the alternative was worse for me.)
Since that time, I don't get close to anyone at work. I know enough to be friendly. I share enough to be friendly. I don't do beers after work. And I now have more of a work personality that no longer meshes up as well as it did with my non-work personality.
And, as I have come to realized, spending 9-14 hours 5 days a week in this mindset makes it difficult to make peace between my work self and my non-work self. This is where my loving husband, the comic book geek, has suggested I begin thinking of it as having a secret identity. A way of giving myself permission to be who I am - a way of looking at everything not in a negative light, but in a positive one. A way to reconcile things. I may have to try this out.
Oh, and you want to hear what happened to the guy? After almost losing his house because he wouldn't go out and find a job, he met a girl on the internet. She is from the Philippines. He went to visit her, proposed two days later, and flew her back to the states after the wedding. None of his friends believe she wants him, just the green card. Too bad really, but goes to show that if you don't deal with your problems, life will just keep going in circles.
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Day 25 - Surprise
We woke up this morning to this:
To quote the weather guy a day or two ago, "there will be no snow in the valley". Wonder what he calls this? I mean, I don't claim to be a professional, but I think this is snow.
We are waiting to hear the weather report to see if the Hubby and the kids have any chance of not having school tomorrow. It is so odd to me that I'm even thinking they may not have school. As I have mentioned before, I grew up with weather similar to what Jennybean reports. Not having school because it is 32 degrees out with an inch of snow seems so....wrong.
To quote the weather guy a day or two ago, "there will be no snow in the valley". Wonder what he calls this? I mean, I don't claim to be a professional, but I think this is snow.
We are waiting to hear the weather report to see if the Hubby and the kids have any chance of not having school tomorrow. It is so odd to me that I'm even thinking they may not have school. As I have mentioned before, I grew up with weather similar to what Jennybean reports. Not having school because it is 32 degrees out with an inch of snow seems so....wrong.
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Day 23 - Dinner Party
Tonight we had a dinner party with some friends from college. Four of the six of us went to the same college in a small town in Iowa. It isn't too surprising that one person ended back up here as this is where she grew up and her family lives. The rest of us ended up out here because of jobs.
Even though we live in the same city, yet we can very rarely get together. Of the six of us, three are teachers, one is a doctor, one is an architect, and I am the IT person. And, all of us love to cook and love wine. So, the night usually involves great food, great wine, and lots of stories.
Tonight was no different. While the kids played games, we drank about 4 bottles of wine and discovered about 4 bottles of our old wine had gone bad. Everyone brought soup in honor of soup night. A potato corn chowder, a curry lentil soup, and the soup I mentioned earlier were all on the menu. I made ciabatta bread from scratch and some great mini coconut cakes.
At the end of the night, we scheduled the next dinner for Valentines Day. The guys are going to cook. They were planning the menu already. Should be a fun night.
Happy Birthday Hubman!!
May you always be untied after being teased by sexy women,
And never left behind for housekeeping to find.
Happy Birthday, Hubman!
Go over and wish Hubman a happy birthday!
Soup Swap Day!
Today is National Soup Swap Day! The idea of this day is to gather your friends around you and share soup with each other. I will be doing that later today when we have some friends from college over for dinner. While we all live in the same city, we don't see each other enough. We have been trying to get together for a month now, and I suggested we meet on Soup Day. We are all making soup, bread and salad. I'm sure lots of wine will also be involved. I'll have pictures later.
Here in the virtual world, we have our own soup swap going on. Below is my contribution, and several others have also decided to play along. And with the weather as cold as it has been for many people, a nice warm bowl of soup is just what the doctor ordered!
Like Jennybean, I usually don't have a recipe - I tend to be a chop-and-dump sort of soup maker. My soups are always made from what is sitting in the fridge. I've made a vow to myself to start writing some of them more successful ones down. Maybe one day I will.
So, I present a soup I am going to make tonight. I chose it from the January 2008 Cooking Light Magazine. I love cooking with lentils and beans, so this one caught my eye.
Anthos Lentil Soup
(serves 6 people)
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 cups cubed peeled baking potato (about 8 oz)
1 cup finely chopped carrot (about 2 medium carrots)
1 cup finely chopped celery
3/4 cup finely chopped parsnips
1/3 cup finely chopped shallots
3 tablespoons sherry vinegar
6 cups fat free chicken broth (low sodium if you can - I'll be using veggie broth)
3/4 cup brown lentils
2 bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Directions:
1. Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add potato, carrots, celery, parsnips and shallots to pan. Saute for about 7 minutes or until tender. Add sherry vinegar to pan, scrape pan to loosen brown bits. Add broth, lentils, and pay leaves to plan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 45 minutes or until lentils are tender. Discard bay leaves.
2. Transfer half o the lentil mixture to a blender (or use a hand blender). Blend until smooth. Return mixture to pan, stir in salt and pepper.
Serving Size: 1 cup
Calories 203 (23% from fat); Fat 5.2g (sat 0.8g, mono 3.5g, poly 0.7g); Protein 10g; Carbs 29.6g; Fiber 10.7g; Chol 0mg; Iron 2.8mg; Sodium 501mg; Calcium 55mg -- Weight Watcher Points: 4 points per bowl
Here in the virtual world, we have our own soup swap going on. Below is my contribution, and several others have also decided to play along. And with the weather as cold as it has been for many people, a nice warm bowl of soup is just what the doctor ordered!
Like Jennybean, I usually don't have a recipe - I tend to be a chop-and-dump sort of soup maker. My soups are always made from what is sitting in the fridge. I've made a vow to myself to start writing some of them more successful ones down. Maybe one day I will.
So, I present a soup I am going to make tonight. I chose it from the January 2008 Cooking Light Magazine. I love cooking with lentils and beans, so this one caught my eye.
Anthos Lentil Soup
(serves 6 people)
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 cups cubed peeled baking potato (about 8 oz)
1 cup finely chopped carrot (about 2 medium carrots)
1 cup finely chopped celery
3/4 cup finely chopped parsnips
1/3 cup finely chopped shallots
3 tablespoons sherry vinegar
6 cups fat free chicken broth (low sodium if you can - I'll be using veggie broth)
3/4 cup brown lentils
2 bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Directions:
1. Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add potato, carrots, celery, parsnips and shallots to pan. Saute for about 7 minutes or until tender. Add sherry vinegar to pan, scrape pan to loosen brown bits. Add broth, lentils, and pay leaves to plan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 45 minutes or until lentils are tender. Discard bay leaves.
2. Transfer half o the lentil mixture to a blender (or use a hand blender). Blend until smooth. Return mixture to pan, stir in salt and pepper.
Serving Size: 1 cup
Calories 203 (23% from fat); Fat 5.2g (sat 0.8g, mono 3.5g, poly 0.7g); Protein 10g; Carbs 29.6g; Fiber 10.7g; Chol 0mg; Iron 2.8mg; Sodium 501mg; Calcium 55mg -- Weight Watcher Points: 4 points per bowl
Friday, January 23, 2009
Day 23 - Coffee!
Each and every morning, without fail, I get up, turn on the espresso machine, and make myself a latte for the drive into work. If you had told my 22-year-old self that I would be a coffee addict, I would have laughed hysterically. Yet, the Pacific Northwest - coffee on every corner - crept into my veins.
About four years ago, the Hubby and I did the math of the coffee addiction and discovered exactly how much money we were spending at coffee shops. Then bought a good espresso machine. It took a while to get used to, but my inner barista eventually came out. I can pull a good espresso with the best of them. And, I can also get milk the right amount of foamy.
Notice the grinder in the upper left hand corner. That would be the Christmas present I ruined for my husband. I got it about a week early because I was a bit too insistent about buying a grinder. It has made a huge difference.
I have no idea why I have a pile of caps on my counter. The girls as they were dealing with the recycling made a pile of the caps (as they cannot be recycled). When I went to throw them away, I received shrieks of "it's for our project". Guess we will have the "get your project out of my kitchen" talk. And the cat food is another mystery. I'm not sure where it came from (Hubby?). The bottle of wine is something I know exactly where it came from. It's another Pacific Northwest addiction - but for another day.
I Do Not Like It, Sam-I-Am
As many may be aware given the national coverage, our new, openly gay Mayor, Sam Adams, has apologized for lying about having sex with an 18-year old intern in 2005. Why is this news? When confronted about this in 2007, he lied about it. Why? He was getting ready to run for mayor and was worried about how this could play out. Sam is currently 45, so you can start seeing how this would play out.
Why did he admit he lied now? Guilt. The desire to start his term with a clean slate. The fact he hated asking the guy to continue to lie about this feeling it was unfair to him. Plus, I believe there are the rumors that wouldn't go away. I guess rumors and story ideas about this have been circulating since 2007.
Now, the gay community of Portland has mixed feelings. Should he resign? Should he move on? There are people on both sides.
And his non-gay supporters are just as mixed. Some still love him, but can't see him overcoming this scandal - and are calling for his resignation. Others are not. There doesn't appear to be a common consensus one way or another.
Some say the fact he lied means he could lie to the public again, and in this time of economic crisis, we can't have that. I think that's quite a leap to move from lying about your private life to lying about the local crisis. One is his job while the other is his personal life.
Some can't get over the age difference between he and the guy (whose name is Beau Breedlove, by the way). They feel it was no different than if a teacher had sex with an 18-year-old student. The teacher would love his/her job so why shouldn't Sam.
Let me tackle my thinking about this issue first. I am not going to claim to be an expert on the sociological inner workers of the gay community, but I have had this conversation v before with a friend of mine (C) who is a gay man. And subsequent conversations with other gay men have confirmed this for me. I asked him why there are wide ranging age difference in some male gay couples specifically. His response as someone who dated a lot of older gay men between 18-30 was simple. Young gay men fall into two categories: those who are out partying & doing that club scene where they are picking up guys every other night - and those who are looking for a relationship. C was definitely in that category at 18. He wasn't into the club scene, so when he found someone to have a relationship with, the guy was 35 or older. Most of his long term relationships until he hit about 30-35 were with older men. As he said, it becomes easier to find someone your own age to have a relationship with as they grow up and grow out of the club scene.
And, generally speaking, I have found this to be true. I look at the gay men I know, and those in long term relationships with people their own age are both professionals who can afford a foray to the bars once in a while but really have aspirations of buying their first place and starting a family. Others who are in relationships and are young, but with similar aspirations of settling down and having a family, are in relationships with older men. This is why the age thing doesn't necessarily bother me. And, when I hear that Beau is currently in a relationship with an older man, it reinforces this idea my friend C put forth. Do I wish the Beau was 25 when this happened? Absolutely! I'm not a fan of anyone trying to have a serious relationship with an 18 year old, but as someone who has always acted "older than her age" I can't judge the circumstances or the maturity of Beau at 18.
The lying thing is where I have mixed feelings. I guess because if my work collided with my personal life, I may actually lie about my personal life. Why? Self preservation mainly. Many of us who have blogs should be able to understand that. I mean, imagine going to work and having someone ask if a particular blog post was you...and imagine it was a more risque one. Would you tell the truth and risk losing your job and possibly your career? Or you would you lie about it?
Amanda Fritz, our newest County Commissioner, commented that in her years as a psychiatric nurse, she has seen a lot of people lie under stress. She has challenged the public to think about whether or not they have made a mistake and lied about it. She has asked another question about the public relevance of this story. I think the larger question is "should Sam be held to a higher standard than the rest of society?"
And, I guess that is my other point of concern with this issue. An old boss of mine once said that a company is truly a microcosm of society. If in Portland, 1% of all people are addicts, we probably have the same demographic internally. If 10% abuse alcohol, we probably have it internally as well. Every area of society has it. If you go looking for it, you will find it. I'm not trying to be Pollyanna by saying we should only look for the good in people instead of the bad. My point is you will always find this stuff in regular life, in business, in schools, in politics, in medicine, in non-profits, everywhere. If you go looking for it, you will find it. And in politics, they always seem to be looking for it. Why? To give someone the political upper hand over another politician.
This isn't an easy issue. But, despite my mixed feelings, I say leave Sam alone and let him start his job as Mayor. The guy had a lot of guts to stand up publicly and tell the truth despite the fact the lie was firmly in place. He really didn't have to do it, but he did to clear his conscious and to stop the lies and to stop people from having to continue to lie for him. I would rather judge his performance as Mayor not by his choice of candidate in the bedroom but by his choices while in the office as Mayor. Until I can see that in action, I don't really feel I have much to judge about him as a politician.
Why did he admit he lied now? Guilt. The desire to start his term with a clean slate. The fact he hated asking the guy to continue to lie about this feeling it was unfair to him. Plus, I believe there are the rumors that wouldn't go away. I guess rumors and story ideas about this have been circulating since 2007.
Now, the gay community of Portland has mixed feelings. Should he resign? Should he move on? There are people on both sides.
And his non-gay supporters are just as mixed. Some still love him, but can't see him overcoming this scandal - and are calling for his resignation. Others are not. There doesn't appear to be a common consensus one way or another.
Some say the fact he lied means he could lie to the public again, and in this time of economic crisis, we can't have that. I think that's quite a leap to move from lying about your private life to lying about the local crisis. One is his job while the other is his personal life.
Some can't get over the age difference between he and the guy (whose name is Beau Breedlove, by the way). They feel it was no different than if a teacher had sex with an 18-year-old student. The teacher would love his/her job so why shouldn't Sam.
Let me tackle my thinking about this issue first. I am not going to claim to be an expert on the sociological inner workers of the gay community, but I have had this conversation v before with a friend of mine (C) who is a gay man. And subsequent conversations with other gay men have confirmed this for me. I asked him why there are wide ranging age difference in some male gay couples specifically. His response as someone who dated a lot of older gay men between 18-30 was simple. Young gay men fall into two categories: those who are out partying & doing that club scene where they are picking up guys every other night - and those who are looking for a relationship. C was definitely in that category at 18. He wasn't into the club scene, so when he found someone to have a relationship with, the guy was 35 or older. Most of his long term relationships until he hit about 30-35 were with older men. As he said, it becomes easier to find someone your own age to have a relationship with as they grow up and grow out of the club scene.
And, generally speaking, I have found this to be true. I look at the gay men I know, and those in long term relationships with people their own age are both professionals who can afford a foray to the bars once in a while but really have aspirations of buying their first place and starting a family. Others who are in relationships and are young, but with similar aspirations of settling down and having a family, are in relationships with older men. This is why the age thing doesn't necessarily bother me. And, when I hear that Beau is currently in a relationship with an older man, it reinforces this idea my friend C put forth. Do I wish the Beau was 25 when this happened? Absolutely! I'm not a fan of anyone trying to have a serious relationship with an 18 year old, but as someone who has always acted "older than her age" I can't judge the circumstances or the maturity of Beau at 18.
The lying thing is where I have mixed feelings. I guess because if my work collided with my personal life, I may actually lie about my personal life. Why? Self preservation mainly. Many of us who have blogs should be able to understand that. I mean, imagine going to work and having someone ask if a particular blog post was you...and imagine it was a more risque one. Would you tell the truth and risk losing your job and possibly your career? Or you would you lie about it?
Amanda Fritz, our newest County Commissioner, commented that in her years as a psychiatric nurse, she has seen a lot of people lie under stress. She has challenged the public to think about whether or not they have made a mistake and lied about it. She has asked another question about the public relevance of this story. I think the larger question is "should Sam be held to a higher standard than the rest of society?"
And, I guess that is my other point of concern with this issue. An old boss of mine once said that a company is truly a microcosm of society. If in Portland, 1% of all people are addicts, we probably have the same demographic internally. If 10% abuse alcohol, we probably have it internally as well. Every area of society has it. If you go looking for it, you will find it. I'm not trying to be Pollyanna by saying we should only look for the good in people instead of the bad. My point is you will always find this stuff in regular life, in business, in schools, in politics, in medicine, in non-profits, everywhere. If you go looking for it, you will find it. And in politics, they always seem to be looking for it. Why? To give someone the political upper hand over another politician.
This isn't an easy issue. But, despite my mixed feelings, I say leave Sam alone and let him start his job as Mayor. The guy had a lot of guts to stand up publicly and tell the truth despite the fact the lie was firmly in place. He really didn't have to do it, but he did to clear his conscious and to stop the lies and to stop people from having to continue to lie for him. I would rather judge his performance as Mayor not by his choice of candidate in the bedroom but by his choices while in the office as Mayor. Until I can see that in action, I don't really feel I have much to judge about him as a politician.
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Day 22 - Insurance
For some reason, I think if this happened to us, it would be a hell of a lot more embarrassing. To ensure it does not happen to us, I decided to take precautions. And, I like the fact it looks like a small piece of luggage. We just have to make sure we don't lose the key.
Thursday Odds & Ends
This week has been an odd one. Not necessarily odd good or odd bad...just odd.
Before I get into it, I want to thank those who said they would be part of the Soup Swap on Saturday. Here is who I have so far:
Indigo, our 6-year-old, has had a bad week at school. We were really hoping it was just behavior we were seeing at home, but not the case. Her teacher, a woman who has been teaching forever & who was a bartender in Eugene during the filming of Animal House and served John Belushi, found the Hubby after school to talk about her behavior. For our kids, this is the downside of your dad teaching at the school you are attending. If you are in trouble, your parent will know - immediately.
Indigo is not following directions in the classroom. Again, we are not shocked because we have this issue at home. I guess yesterday, she grabbed the Hubby's Allen wrench set and took it to school. She kept playing with it despite being told to put it in her bag. It was eventually confiscated and returned to the Hubby. Her punishment is no TV, computer, or Wii until we get a solid week of good reports from her teacher. I've been noticing lately that when she is "plugged in", she is a pain in the ass to get to do anything. And, she's a jerk about it. We'll see how this goes.
Also, in Indigo news, she lost a tooth yesterday. And, being the great parents we are, we forgot about the tooth fairy. Right as the Hubby is getting ready to wake them up, he remembers. In our house, the tooth fairy brings a little trinket or toy or something small. No cash - mainly because we never have any on us and they will just spend it on junk. Thankfully, I remembered I had a small box of presents. We found something perfect, and the Hubby pulled off the tooth fairy with a slight of hand. What's ironic about this is the fact a week ago, Indigo was telling her older sister how there was no tooth fairy; it was us. I thought DJ was going to cry. We talked our way out of it, DJ was happy, and the tooth fairy was restored. Thank God! I was not ready for it to end yet. It's fun surprising the kids.
Work has been calmer this week. So far, we have not had any major systems failures or anything. We still have a few lingering issues we are trying to resolve. And, overall, the users are quiet. Either that means they are happy or they have given up.
In talking with my boss, the CIO, she is at wits end like I am. I guess she has been having some pretty good battles about these failures at an executive level. As I told her, I am glad those are talks she is having because I am pretty well done with listening to how much I don't understand. In the last two months, I have been checking systems around the clock during the nights, weekends, and days off. Most of these guys accusing me of "not understanding", bitch and moan - then go home where they don't think about it until the next business day. Yet, I don't care or understand. We also had a good talk about accountability and the lack there of in this company. I gave her my accountability ladder - and I think she will be presenting it to the CEO tomorrow. Like me, she found a lot of explanation as to why we are meeting obstacles. Should be interesting.
We have to get DJ a new passport this upcoming week. My in-laws are in Mexico teaching and are hellbent on getting at least DJ down to see them. So, for spring break, DJ and the Hubby are making the trek. I will spend some good 1x1 time with Indigo. I'm just happy that DJ had a passport that expired because it will make getting a new one a bit easier. It's just a matter of taking off early to do it and making sure I have cash since they don't accept anything else.
My brother N is coming up next weekend. I don't know how January became visit Emmy month, but we have not had a weekend without visitors this month. N's girlfriend is going to attending her best friend's wedding. N is not a fan of the best friend. He wants to build out his portfolio of recipes for interviews and will be using our kitchen (and my photography skills) to do it. It will be fun.
Tomorrow night is the school carnival. Should be fun....and crazy. Thankfully we can't stay for the entire thing. DJ has taekwondo bright and early Saturday morning. I love having that as an excuse. Without it, we will be there until late in the night and get roped into everything. The joys of being a parent as well as a teacher's wife....
Before I get into it, I want to thank those who said they would be part of the Soup Swap on Saturday. Here is who I have so far:
- ASM
- JennyBean
- Another Ordinary Girl
- Garbanzo
- Mexi
On to my week....
Indigo, our 6-year-old, has had a bad week at school. We were really hoping it was just behavior we were seeing at home, but not the case. Her teacher, a woman who has been teaching forever & who was a bartender in Eugene during the filming of Animal House and served John Belushi, found the Hubby after school to talk about her behavior. For our kids, this is the downside of your dad teaching at the school you are attending. If you are in trouble, your parent will know - immediately.
Indigo is not following directions in the classroom. Again, we are not shocked because we have this issue at home. I guess yesterday, she grabbed the Hubby's Allen wrench set and took it to school. She kept playing with it despite being told to put it in her bag. It was eventually confiscated and returned to the Hubby. Her punishment is no TV, computer, or Wii until we get a solid week of good reports from her teacher. I've been noticing lately that when she is "plugged in", she is a pain in the ass to get to do anything. And, she's a jerk about it. We'll see how this goes.
Also, in Indigo news, she lost a tooth yesterday. And, being the great parents we are, we forgot about the tooth fairy. Right as the Hubby is getting ready to wake them up, he remembers. In our house, the tooth fairy brings a little trinket or toy or something small. No cash - mainly because we never have any on us and they will just spend it on junk. Thankfully, I remembered I had a small box of presents. We found something perfect, and the Hubby pulled off the tooth fairy with a slight of hand. What's ironic about this is the fact a week ago, Indigo was telling her older sister how there was no tooth fairy; it was us. I thought DJ was going to cry. We talked our way out of it, DJ was happy, and the tooth fairy was restored. Thank God! I was not ready for it to end yet. It's fun surprising the kids.
Work has been calmer this week. So far
In talking with my boss, the CIO, she is at wits end like I am. I guess she has been having some pretty good battles about these failures at an executive level. As I told her, I am glad those are talks she is having because I am pretty well done with listening to how much I don't understand. In the last two months, I have been checking systems around the clock during the nights, weekends, and days off. Most of these guys accusing me of "not understanding", bitch and moan - then go home where they don't think about it until the next business day. Yet, I don't care or understand. We also had a good talk about accountability and the lack there of in this company. I gave her my accountability ladder - and I think she will be presenting it to the CEO tomorrow. Like me, she found a lot of explanation as to why we are meeting obstacles. Should be interesting.
We have to get DJ a new passport this upcoming week. My in-laws are in Mexico teaching and are hellbent on getting at least DJ down to see them. So, for spring break, DJ and the Hubby are making the trek. I will spend some good 1x1 time with Indigo. I'm just happy that DJ had a passport that expired because it will make getting a new one a bit easier. It's just a matter of taking off early to do it and making sure I have cash since they don't accept anything else.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Day 21 - Worth Many Words
I had a whole other reason for taking this picture, but when editing it, I realized it tells more of a story.
The original reason was to capture something that has been happening now for 3 weeks. For at least 5 times a week, I get on that big thing on the right - the Schwinn Elliptical. For at least 30 minutes, I try to beat my best time. I have recently hit an 8 minute mile which is something I haven't seen in a LONG time. To give you perspective, I was doing 10 minute miles less than a month ago. I knew I could do better. I continue to prove that to myself. Nothing like tapping into my own competitiveness to find motivation.
Oh, and because I said I would publicly admit this:
Yes, honey, Miley Cyrus is a good CD to listen to while on the elliptical.
But, I realized this picture tells other things. Such as the fact a flash makes my Under Armor shirt see-through. Who knew.
Also, it shows my distain for socks while running. I hate socks when I'm running. I have tried many types all promising they will work well - and all rub me the wrong way. And, despite that, my shoes aren't nearly as stinky as DJ's shoes which are about to be banned from the house....again.
Behind me, you see the fact I have given up on keeping the back windows clean. Two dogs, living in the land of rain - I have better things to do than keep up on nose prints and muddy paw prints. I'll wash them again in July after the rains end.
And, that freaking molding below the door needs to be dealt with. It looks like crap. But, that is a debate I will have resume with the Hubby. He claims if it gets properly caulked, it will look fine. Yeah, I don't believe it. (Sorry, honey!)
A Reminder & Honest Scrap
First the reminder - Saturday is the National Soup Swap. I am asking for volunteers to have a virtual soup swap in blogsphere. The idea is that on Saturday participants will post a soup recipe and an accompanying story, if you have one. I have a few people who have said they were participate. Leave me a comment, if you are interested. I'll post the list of participants on Saturday.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
The lovely and talented Another Ordinary Girl tagged me with the Honest Scrap Award!
I decided as I was coming up with things that it would have been a lot easier had I not just done 100 Things about Emmy a few weeks ago. So I had to dig deep.
The rules are simple...
List 10 honest things about yourself - and make it interesting, even if you have to dig deep! Then tag 7 bloggers that you feel embody the spirit of the Honest Scrap. Simple. Or not.
1. I have only been drunk once in my entire life. My family has a huge history of alcoholism which I have watched fuck up many people. As a result, I never drank until I was 21, and I have never found alcohol in excess to be fun like other kids my age. It is also why high school was not very fun for me - drinking was the only thing people did on the weekends. As an adult, I do drink periodically - but only a glass or two. And I prefer to do it in the safety and comfort of my own home.
2. I used to let what people thought of me or how they were feeling dictate my life until I connected with the quotation by Eleanor Roosevelt: "I am not inferior without my consent." Once I started realizing that allowing others to treat me in a way that I would never treat them was much like handing them a permissions slip saying "treat me like shit". I really found my voice after that, and needless to say, people who treat me poorly don't usually stick around long.
3. While I am independent and am self-sufficient, I worry that my parents and siblings interpret that I never need them. I find I give lots of emotional support to them, but when I need an ear - I rarely find it because it is assumed I will just take care of things. I worry there will be a time when I really need something important, and they won't be there.
4. I believe I have a guardian angel. And, for some reason, I believe it is either my grandma or my grandpa. I have had several situations while driving where I have done something that has resulted in me avoiding a major accident. And afterwards, I can never pinpoint what made me react the way I did. It was like someone tapped me on the shoulder and said, "hey, you should pay attention - this idiot driving the huge truck doesn't see you and is going to switch lanes crushing you and your car against the median". I would love to say that it was only once or twice where this has happened, but it has happened at least half a dozen times.
5. I like weird combinations of food. I like to eat cantaloupe with black pepper on it. I like eating saltine crackers with the left over chocolate frosting.
6. I believe Garbanzo has mentioned this in passing on his blog, but I feel I must say it myself....I like sex. I like fucking, I like love making. I like it slow, I like it hard, I like it fast. I always have and am grateful I found someone who has the same drive. I don't know what I would do if I didn't. Probably have a larger toy collection that we already do. ;)
7. While most kids have imaginary friends when they are young, I had imaginary pets - a cat and a dog to be specific. I used to walk around calling back to them to make sure they were following me. I guess that's why animals following me around the house today rarely annoys me but actual is somewhat comforting.
8. I have a thing for odd packaging. I'm not talking the crazy plastic things that are impossible to open, but the tins that Altoids come in - or the neat way Starbucks sells gum. I appreciate the aesthetic of it, and appreciate the thought that some industrial designer put into it. And, I love the reuse factor. And yes, they do get reused.
9. My requirements when I get my hair cut is that it has to be wash and go - and it has to look right with my face shape. Other than that, the sky is the limit. I don't know trends or what's popular or what would look good on me. I always leave it to them to make a recommendation. And, it freaks out 99% of the people who have cut my hair. In the end, they usually clean up the previous cut. The only exception being the person who cut my hair a couple years ago. I went in and had them cut a 14 inches of hair for locks of love. (My friend was battling breast cancer and had commented that no one shaved their heads for her. I cut my hair off and donated it to surprise her. I couldn't shave my head, but I could do that.)
10. I'm happy with how our kids are growing up. I always struggled with defining myself when I was growing up because there were a lot of pressures to be the stereotypical girl. I feel we've struck a balance with both of our girls . I hope this translates well when they become teenagers. I don't want them to allow themselves to be limited by gender stereotypes. I want them to know themselves and have that define who they are.
So there you go - my 10 honest facts.....
I will now tag:
Hmmmm...I need three more to tag. Since I know I have visitors who lurk, leave me a comment if you'd like to play along, and I'll tag you too.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Day 20 - Friends
On our window sill in our kitchen sits Buddy Christ (from Dogma by Kevin Smith) and Buddha. I decided they should sit together. In our house, it represents the fact the Hubby finds connection with Buddhism while I was raised Methodist. It also represents our belief that if they had met, I think they would have found a lot of common ground.
The Hubby will go a step further and say that Jesus would have made a good Buddhist. And, that is true. Jesus did share some of the same beliefs. I like to believe that they would have had a great series of conversations while sitting in the shade of a tree.
Plus it has the added bonus of reminding my parents that the Hubby believes in something they don't understand so they can skip the testifying....a definite bonus for him. ;)
Hate is NOT a Family Value
There is a story that I have heard at least a hundred times as a kid. I think it was my dad's way of relaying why he has never tolerated racism, and he used it to show that racist beliefs don't always get passed along.
When my dad was about 7 or 8 years old, they were having Sunday dinner at their house with his grandpa in attendance. His grandpa had grown up in the South where his family had settled after arriving to the US a generation before. Even though he had married and raised his kids in Iowa, he still held onto many of the Southern beliefs towards race at that time.
After dinner, the family was gathered around the TV watching Laurence Welk. Midway through the show, Mr Welk introduced a young black woman who was going to sing. My great grandpa flipped out. "How dare they let THOSE people on TV!" You name the racial slur; he said it.
During a pause in his rant, my dad's mom looked over at him and asked him to stop the rant now or get out of the house. Her kids were not going to be raised like that. This gave my great grandpa considerable pause. This was his daughter-in-law, not the man of the house, telling him to leave the house if he didn't hold his tongue.
He looked at his son and asked, "Are you going to let your woman talk to me like that?"
My grandpa shrugged and replied, "Yes, sir, I guess I am."
My great grandpa stormed out of the house, and my dad said that next time he was invited back, he was on his best behavior.
My grandma, I would learn later, had discovered as a teenager that her father (the Sheriff of the town) was involved in the local Klu Klux Klan. She and her sisters were so outraged that she confronted her father about it. She pointed out the teachings of the Bible, his job, and their values as reasons this was wrong.
My grandma died when I was 10, so I never learned how her father reacted. And, her sisters were pretty tight lipped about that time which is pretty common of people during that age. All I do know is that her kids, her grandkids and her great grandkids have not followed the cycle of racism she broke back when my dad was 7 or 8. That day she told my great grandpa to shut up or get out, remains firmly with us to this day. And, on this historic day as our 44th president is sworn in - the first Black president, I hope that the cycle breaks for others out there when they see there is no longer a racial barrier to becoming president.
When my dad was about 7 or 8 years old, they were having Sunday dinner at their house with his grandpa in attendance. His grandpa had grown up in the South where his family had settled after arriving to the US a generation before. Even though he had married and raised his kids in Iowa, he still held onto many of the Southern beliefs towards race at that time.
After dinner, the family was gathered around the TV watching Laurence Welk. Midway through the show, Mr Welk introduced a young black woman who was going to sing. My great grandpa flipped out. "How dare they let THOSE people on TV!" You name the racial slur; he said it.
During a pause in his rant, my dad's mom looked over at him and asked him to stop the rant now or get out of the house. Her kids were not going to be raised like that. This gave my great grandpa considerable pause. This was his daughter-in-law, not the man of the house, telling him to leave the house if he didn't hold his tongue.
He looked at his son and asked, "Are you going to let your woman talk to me like that?"
My grandpa shrugged and replied, "Yes, sir, I guess I am."
My great grandpa stormed out of the house, and my dad said that next time he was invited back, he was on his best behavior.
My grandma, I would learn later, had discovered as a teenager that her father (the Sheriff of the town) was involved in the local Klu Klux Klan. She and her sisters were so outraged that she confronted her father about it. She pointed out the teachings of the Bible, his job, and their values as reasons this was wrong.
My grandma died when I was 10, so I never learned how her father reacted. And, her sisters were pretty tight lipped about that time which is pretty common of people during that age. All I do know is that her kids, her grandkids and her great grandkids have not followed the cycle of racism she broke back when my dad was 7 or 8. That day she told my great grandpa to shut up or get out, remains firmly with us to this day. And, on this historic day as our 44th president is sworn in - the first Black president, I hope that the cycle breaks for others out there when they see there is no longer a racial barrier to becoming president.
Monday, January 19, 2009
Day 19 - Visitor
The spider came and visited the girls while they were taking a bath.
Their reaction: "Mommy, I don't think its poisonous because it doesn't haven't have spots. She can stay."
I'm glad my girls aren't afraid of spiders.
When Life Gives You Broken Crayons...
Make Crayon Cookies!
Indigo and I had a couple of hours to ourselves yesterday. While DJ and the Hubby were gone, Indigo and I made Crayon Cookies. I had seen this idea on a blog I follow called This Mama Makes Stuff and have been waiting to try it. As luck would have it last weekend, I found old muffin tins at the Goodwill Bins. Old tins are kind of key unless you want to use (and ruin) the ones you use for muffins.
On Sunday, Indigo gathered up the broken crayons she could find, and we begin taking off the papers. I was quite amazed at how few crayons she found. I know there are more and am a bit scared if the kids can't find them, but that's a worry for another day.
Once we got the papers off, we sorted them by color. We then took one of the small muffin tins I found and started layering in various colors into them. This is where I was torn. Part of me wanted to put like colors together that way they could be "new crayons". But, the other part wanted to see what would happen if we put all of the different colors together. I gave Indigo the choice, and she decided we were mixing up colors.
Earlier in the day, I found a bottle of glitter someone had given me. (And I thanked God that the girls had not found it before me because I'm sure the upstairs would be full of glitter.) Once the crayons were in the tins, we sprinkled glitter over top, so they would be a bit glittery.
Then it was into the oven for melting. (225 degrees worked best.) I kept a pretty close eye on them and probably pulled them out a bit early. They were about 90% melted, and I had hoped the heat of the melted crayons would finish melting the rest. It didn't quite happen that way. Regardless, they turned out pretty well once they set up hard.
I was a bit worried because I didn't read the instructions very closely.
(Let's make this #101 in the About Emmy list - I rarely read directions or instructions for anything. And, I must say that it rarely prevents me from getting something put together, a recipe made, or able to play a game. This can be a pretty frustrating if you are like the Hubby and feel that directions/instructions are there for a reason and must be thoroughly read.)
Anyway, I didn't read the instructions closely enough and missed the suggestion that you spray the non-stick muffin tins with a little oil to ensure the crayons would come out. It really didn't matter. For the one that didn't come out, I threw it in the mudroom where it is colder, and it came out without a problem.
Now the girls have "new crayons". Sure they are a little chunky - but they work. And, we had fun doing it. I think I'm going to encourage the Hubby to bring home his huge bin of broken crayons at school. It's easy enough to melt them back together, and it would make them more useful than they are today (in tiny pieces).
Instead of throwing away the broken crayons, give this a try. It's a nice alternative.
Indigo and I had a couple of hours to ourselves yesterday. While DJ and the Hubby were gone, Indigo and I made Crayon Cookies. I had seen this idea on a blog I follow called This Mama Makes Stuff and have been waiting to try it. As luck would have it last weekend, I found old muffin tins at the Goodwill Bins. Old tins are kind of key unless you want to use (and ruin) the ones you use for muffins.
On Sunday, Indigo gathered up the broken crayons she could find, and we begin taking off the papers. I was quite amazed at how few crayons she found. I know there are more and am a bit scared if the kids can't find them, but that's a worry for another day.
Once we got the papers off, we sorted them by color. We then took one of the small muffin tins I found and started layering in various colors into them. This is where I was torn. Part of me wanted to put like colors together that way they could be "new crayons". But, the other part wanted to see what would happen if we put all of the different colors together. I gave Indigo the choice, and she decided we were mixing up colors.
Earlier in the day, I found a bottle of glitter someone had given me. (And I thanked God that the girls had not found it before me because I'm sure the upstairs would be full of glitter.) Once the crayons were in the tins, we sprinkled glitter over top, so they would be a bit glittery.
Then it was into the oven for melting. (225 degrees worked best.) I kept a pretty close eye on them and probably pulled them out a bit early. They were about 90% melted, and I had hoped the heat of the melted crayons would finish melting the rest. It didn't quite happen that way. Regardless, they turned out pretty well once they set up hard.
I was a bit worried because I didn't read the instructions very closely.
(Let's make this #101 in the About Emmy list - I rarely read directions or instructions for anything. And, I must say that it rarely prevents me from getting something put together, a recipe made, or able to play a game. This can be a pretty frustrating if you are like the Hubby and feel that directions/instructions are there for a reason and must be thoroughly read.)
Anyway, I didn't read the instructions closely enough and missed the suggestion that you spray the non-stick muffin tins with a little oil to ensure the crayons would come out. It really didn't matter. For the one that didn't come out, I threw it in the mudroom where it is colder, and it came out without a problem.
Now the girls have "new crayons". Sure they are a little chunky - but they work. And, we had fun doing it. I think I'm going to encourage the Hubby to bring home his huge bin of broken crayons at school. It's easy enough to melt them back together, and it would make them more useful than they are today (in tiny pieces).
Instead of throwing away the broken crayons, give this a try. It's a nice alternative.
Sunday, January 18, 2009
The Greatest School EVER!
Indigo went to the same preschool for about 3 years. It was near my work, the rate was right, and the staff was great. She loved it. She loved it so much that she continually talks about it despite the fact she stopped attending last June.
These days, her discussions about school are usually in response to something new someone gets to try. My first born DJ will be talking about wanting to see a movie like Snow White, and Indigo will respond "I saw that at my old school".
If I mention we should make pie, she'll say "we did that at my old school once".
Once, we saw a game for the Wii....yep, you guessed it, she played it at her old school.
According to her, her old school allowed her to watch movies all the time, play any game she could ever imagine, play with fire, and do death-defying stunts. It was one hell of a school....and we occasionally wonder if maybe we should have paid a bit more attention, especially if there was any element of truth to some of her assertions.
We have gotten to the point that anytime she starts a sentence with "I did that once"; we all chime in with "at your old school?"
I'm glad that she is pretty good humored about it. Indigo knows we are teasing her.
Today, she told us at her old school, her teachers were robots.
I guess it was one hell of a school with the greatest rates ever!
These days, her discussions about school are usually in response to something new someone gets to try. My first born DJ will be talking about wanting to see a movie like Snow White, and Indigo will respond "I saw that at my old school".
If I mention we should make pie, she'll say "we did that at my old school once".
Once, we saw a game for the Wii....yep, you guessed it, she played it at her old school.
According to her, her old school allowed her to watch movies all the time, play any game she could ever imagine, play with fire, and do death-defying stunts. It was one hell of a school....and we occasionally wonder if maybe we should have paid a bit more attention, especially if there was any element of truth to some of her assertions.
We have gotten to the point that anytime she starts a sentence with "I did that once"; we all chime in with "at your old school?"
I'm glad that she is pretty good humored about it. Indigo knows we are teasing her.
Today, she told us at her old school, her teachers were robots.
I guess it was one hell of a school with the greatest rates ever!
Day 18 - Sunrise
Over the past week, I have been looking at this gorgeous sunrise from my car window as I am going over the bridge shown in the second picture. I had to get up early and go take some pictures of it today.
The top one is a view of Mt Hood.
The second is a view of Mt St Helens.
It was an amazing morning for views.
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Day 17 - The Winner
DJ was declared the winner of her bracket - light weight 8-9 year old blue belts.
She lost her exhibition match though. You can read about it on Garbanzo's site.
Technically, she has qualified for the National Tournament in Austin, TX in April.
I'm really proud of her. She's improving, showing confidence, and trying her hardest.
Can't ask for anything less.
The Tourney
My first born DJ is warming up for her second taekwondo tourney. She is sparring again. The first one she did was good experience but she was pretty ill-prepared. Today should be interesting as she has been working hard as part of the tournement team. Anyone who saw her a few months ago, would not recognize her today.
Of course, I am going nuts. As I posted several months ago, I now totally understand my dad's chain smoking during my softball games and cross country races. You want it all to go well. You want them to be happy with how they do. It's hard as the parent on the sidelines.
She is guaranteed one match today. I know if she tries she can go further. I guess we will see how it goes.
Of course, I am going nuts. As I posted several months ago, I now totally understand my dad's chain smoking during my softball games and cross country races. You want it all to go well. You want them to be happy with how they do. It's hard as the parent on the sidelines.
She is guaranteed one match today. I know if she tries she can go further. I guess we will see how it goes.
Friday, January 16, 2009
Day 16 - Seaweed
My new favorite salad - fresh seaweed, shredded Daikon radish, sprinkled with sesame seeds and dressed with some rice wine vinegar. The taste is much sweeter than expected which was a pleasant surprise. Simple. Beautiful. Yummy.
Friday Field Trip
I haven't done a Friday Field Trip in a while, but I saw this and couldn't pass it up.
Legoland in California has created a miniland of the upcoming inauguration.
One of the brick designers has a blog and posts more info about it. Check out the blog and pictures. They are amazing. You don't have to spend a lot of time trying to figure out who the lego people are in some of the scenes.
Happy Friday!
Legoland in California has created a miniland of the upcoming inauguration.
One of the brick designers has a blog and posts more info about it. Check out the blog and pictures. They are amazing. You don't have to spend a lot of time trying to figure out who the lego people are in some of the scenes.
Happy Friday!
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Day 15 - Riding in the Car
He claims he keeps missing the gear shift, but I know the truth.
He just likes to grab my thigh.
Depressing
Here is what the technology news looks like in my world:
- Oracle (ERP company) to lay off 500 jobs - mostly affecting the sales and consulting side of their business. This is consistent with what we are seeing in the local market. I truly believe that I am keeping a former coworker from getting laid off simply because I have him engaged in a project.
- Google to lay off 100 recruiters and close satellite engineering offices.
- Seagate (hard disk manufacturer) to lay off 2,950 people globally or 6%.
- Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple, is taking a 6 month medical leave. Last time he was not at the helm, Apple almost went under. Apple stock fell sharply after the news yesterday.
- Microsoft is working hard to reduce cost in hopes of avoiding layoffs.
- Nortel (manufacturer of large phone systems) filed for bankruptcy yesterday. It is rumored that the Canadian government will bail them out. Given their US footprint, it will likely lead to layoffs in the US. (Last time they had something like this happen, they laid off 50% of their staff in their huge bay office - and did it in one day!)
- Intel expects to announce a 23% drop in Q4 earnings when they announce later this afternoon. UPDATE: They announced a 90% drop!!! Holy shit! I've been hearing some rumblings from friends and former co-workers that it will likely mean some more layoffs.
- Motorola is laying off 4000 employees.
- Autodesk (as software company) is laying of 750 employees.
Doing some quick math, that is over 8000 jobs lost this week with more potentially occurring later.
And, the news will just get worse each day.
How fucking depressing!
Don't Mess with Family
Three years ago, my brother B moved out to Oregon with his (now) wife J. She got a job, and being the good man that he is, he followed her to greener pastures. A year ago, my youngest brother N moved out here too. N realized he was going nowhere fast living in rural Iowa, so decided to make the jump out west. They all live in Central Oregon.
N is a chef. And, finding a chef job in a pretty established area is hard. After a few false starts, he found a restaurant with an owner/chef who he could respect. About four months ago, there was talk about N buying out the owner's ex-wife share of the business and becoming a partner.
In early December, N came to work to take over the breakfast shift from the owner. After the owner left, he went into the back to get something and discovered the guy left meat out to thaw, but didn't put it in a container. The result was the water and blood all over the floor. N turned to tell the waitress something and slipped in the mess. As he said, "I heard your voice in the back of my head saying - Take pictures!". He used his cell phone to document it just in case. In the end, he messed up his back and was told by his doctor he couldn't work for two weeks. He was also advised to submit workers comp paperwork given it was an on-the-job injury.
The owner felt bad. And over the course of the next week, he was in continual contact with N trying to find ways for N to get more hours, etc. About two days before going back to the doctor, N started hearing from people that the owner was going to fire him. The waitress who is notorious for starting rumors had started speculating that N was drunk when he came to work that day. My brothers are both HUGE Chicago Bears fans, so she knew that N had gone to the local bar to watch it on their satellite feed before coming to work. While everyone else drank a beer, he had coffee since he had to work. Sure enough, the morning he was to see the doctor again, N received EMAIL from the owner terminating his employment. Later in the day, the doctor released him to go to work - and advised he find an attorney. N talked to an attorney who gave him great advise, and he followed it.
When N filed for unemployment, the owner challenged it. The investigation and ruling were in favor of N. N found out two days ago that he was appealing the judgment, and a follow-up hearing was scheduled for yesterday.
N called me immediately freaked out. I had him read everything, told him not to worry that the evidence the State found was pretty damming for the owner, and predicted that the owner wouldn't show up for the hearing. N started telling me about all of this evidence he wished he could provide - text messages the owner sent to him up to three days before the firing. All were plans on what changes he was going to make once N got back to work. (I should point out that the owner stated in his evidence to the state that he had planned on firing N on the day of the incident two weeks prior, but had to wait until he was released back to work.)
I told him he could get them off his phone easily. I gave him a couple of options and told him to just make sure he had the matching phone bill records that prove N received texts from the owner's number at the time and date on the text messages. Better yet, I suggest he go to his cell phone company's store and ask for help. This would also give him a witness who could show that what was on the phone matched everything. All of these things, he did. After he submitted them as evidence, the guy didn't show to the hearing. N won, the guy lost, and the door to all of this was finally closed.
Because it pissed B off that this guy is still trying to ruin N's reputation, B composed a letter to the owner suggesting that he cease the lies or else he will hire an attorney to go after him for defamation. Additionally, he pointed out that N has at least 3-4 credible witnesses to the fact he drank coffee and had not consumed alcohol. B, as N, ended it with "This obviously means little to you, but reputation and respect is all that ever keeps any of us successful long-term. I wish you the best of luck with your successes." Have I mentioned that my brother B is a writer and editor?
Yeah, we take care of our own. It must make my parents proud to see that despite the spats and typical stuff, we will also stand up for each other in the end. And, we do it without their prompting or intervention. As N would say, now my parents can die knowing the kids won't fight. Actually, he would probably just recite some rap lyrics as though they are poetry.
Have I mentioned we all have a very odd sense of humor?
N is a chef. And, finding a chef job in a pretty established area is hard. After a few false starts, he found a restaurant with an owner/chef who he could respect. About four months ago, there was talk about N buying out the owner's ex-wife share of the business and becoming a partner.
In early December, N came to work to take over the breakfast shift from the owner. After the owner left, he went into the back to get something and discovered the guy left meat out to thaw, but didn't put it in a container. The result was the water and blood all over the floor. N turned to tell the waitress something and slipped in the mess. As he said, "I heard your voice in the back of my head saying - Take pictures!". He used his cell phone to document it just in case. In the end, he messed up his back and was told by his doctor he couldn't work for two weeks. He was also advised to submit workers comp paperwork given it was an on-the-job injury.
The owner felt bad. And over the course of the next week, he was in continual contact with N trying to find ways for N to get more hours, etc. About two days before going back to the doctor, N started hearing from people that the owner was going to fire him. The waitress who is notorious for starting rumors had started speculating that N was drunk when he came to work that day. My brothers are both HUGE Chicago Bears fans, so she knew that N had gone to the local bar to watch it on their satellite feed before coming to work. While everyone else drank a beer, he had coffee since he had to work. Sure enough, the morning he was to see the doctor again, N received EMAIL from the owner terminating his employment. Later in the day, the doctor released him to go to work - and advised he find an attorney. N talked to an attorney who gave him great advise, and he followed it.
When N filed for unemployment, the owner challenged it. The investigation and ruling were in favor of N. N found out two days ago that he was appealing the judgment, and a follow-up hearing was scheduled for yesterday.
N called me immediately freaked out. I had him read everything, told him not to worry that the evidence the State found was pretty damming for the owner, and predicted that the owner wouldn't show up for the hearing. N started telling me about all of this evidence he wished he could provide - text messages the owner sent to him up to three days before the firing. All were plans on what changes he was going to make once N got back to work. (I should point out that the owner stated in his evidence to the state that he had planned on firing N on the day of the incident two weeks prior, but had to wait until he was released back to work.)
I told him he could get them off his phone easily. I gave him a couple of options and told him to just make sure he had the matching phone bill records that prove N received texts from the owner's number at the time and date on the text messages. Better yet, I suggest he go to his cell phone company's store and ask for help. This would also give him a witness who could show that what was on the phone matched everything. All of these things, he did. After he submitted them as evidence, the guy didn't show to the hearing. N won, the guy lost, and the door to all of this was finally closed.
Because it pissed B off that this guy is still trying to ruin N's reputation, B composed a letter to the owner suggesting that he cease the lies or else he will hire an attorney to go after him for defamation. Additionally, he pointed out that N has at least 3-4 credible witnesses to the fact he drank coffee and had not consumed alcohol. B, as N, ended it with "This obviously means little to you, but reputation and respect is all that ever keeps any of us successful long-term. I wish you the best of luck with your successes." Have I mentioned that my brother B is a writer and editor?
Yeah, we take care of our own. It must make my parents proud to see that despite the spats and typical stuff, we will also stand up for each other in the end. And, we do it without their prompting or intervention. As N would say, now my parents can die knowing the kids won't fight. Actually, he would probably just recite some rap lyrics as though they are poetry.
Have I mentioned we all have a very odd sense of humor?
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