Day 365: The End of 2009 & A New Year

In reflecting on 2009, I realize how much I accomplished and how much changed. 

I started 2009 losing about 30lbs and getting into shape again. I started running and biking regularly.  I ran in Beat the Bridge (~6miles), Race for the Cure (3.1miles), and Run Like Hell (13.2miles).  I ran in a monthly first Thursday run for about 4 months in a row where we ran about 4 miles each stint.  Biking wise, we rode in Tour de Lab - a 18 mile ride bike ride.  And then we did a bunch of 14-20 mile rides on Sauvie Island over the summer in addition to our shorter rides in the neighborhood.  To say that diet and fitness has been focus for me in 2009 is an understatement.

In 2010, I want to run at minimum two half-marathons: Half Flat on the 4th of July & Run Like Hell Again.  I am considering the Rock and Roll Half Marathon in Seattle too.  I am signing up for a running group to help me train for them.  While I did well on my own, it will keep me motivated having weekly runs with a group of people. My goal is to stay on the track I'm on - and do more.

Garbanzo and I started swinging in 2009.  We have had great experiences from the start and continue to have them.  I know neither of us have any regrets - other than maybe not having that conversations sooner.  It has been a learning process - mainly about ourselves and our relationship.

And for just Garbanzo and I, we spent more time away from the kids this year than we have in the past.

In 2010, we will be continuing on.  In January, we are going to attend our first house party.  And, we want to continue making friends and continue having fun. I don't know if I have anything specific on my list of things to try as I am learning that people tend to bring out ideas in me better than my imagination alone.

And for Garbanzo and I - I hope we get some more time away on vacation together.  What can I say, I enjoy spending time with my husband.

On the work front, I took on a huge project at work - then (happily) got laid off.  To be honest, having that breathing room to truly sit back and think about what I want out of my next job has been important.  I am truly blessed to have that time without the stress.

In 2010, I want to find a job that gives me that excitement again. I want to feel good about going to work. I want to feel challenged - and I want to continue to build and refine my skills. 

I tackled the 365 Photography Project in 2009.  Doing this seemed like a huge undertaking at first - but I found it wasn't as hard as I thought it would be - and it has been a fun way of not only documenting the year as well as continue to learn more about my camera and develop my own photography skills (and post-processing skills).  I cannot tell you how much I learned about my camera this year - and I've taken some amazing pictures.

In 2010, I'm going to do the project again. I had fun doing it and really don't feel like stopping.

2009 as a family has been a lot of fun. We did a lot of bike rides this year, went camping, played games - and generally were able to do things we have not been able to do before because of the age of Indigo. 

In 2010, we are going to do more of the same.  DJ wants to try to do the kids' triathlon held locally.  Indigo has a list a mile long of stuff she'd like to do.  What Garbanzo and I both look forward to most is doing this stuff with them & watching them learn and grow and have fun with it.

2009 has been my first year of real blogging.  I end the year with almost 700 posts. (Thanks mainly to the 365 project.) I started the year with a couple followers and few subscribers - and end it with 49 followers and over 100 subscribers via feeds.  Not too bad given how I don't really promote my blog the way I could be doing it.  Hell, I was lucky if I got a couple of comments in a week - and now I get comments all the time.  It's funny how these things evolve.

And I have gotten to know many of you, my readers.  I have enjoyed exchanging comments - emails - and the like as we find common ground on topics.  The advice we all have to share has been fantastic - and the support even more phenomenal.  While it is easy for people to hide behind keyboards and fire off snarky, unhelpful comments that do the exact opposite of help or take a conversation forward, I am continually amazed at the number of people who use that keyboard for good, rather than evil. 

And above all, I have enjoyed calling many of you friends as we have gotten to know each other outside of blogsphere. 

In 2010, I plan to continue taking you through the journey that is my brain.  Letting you in on things going on in my life and my thoughts about them.  Letting you learn more about me.  I look forward to getting to know y'all better as we continue down this road together.

May you all have a happy New Year!

HNT: Favorite of 2009

This week's theme to end the year is to post what is my favorite HNT from the year and why.  I went back and forth about mine - to be honest.  But, with some help, chose this one:

click the pic, please.

Why is it my favorite?  From a photography perspective, the contrasts between the blue, my skin, and the gloves are great.  And the lighting is just perfect. These pics outside of cropping were straight out of the camera. I did nothing else to them which is rare for me.

When I solicited help from a friend who knows me outside of blogsvere, his comment was "It just captures your uniqueness. I can't see ANYONE else pulling that off...." 

And, I think that's it.  This is one of most real pictures of Emmy I've put out there.  Others are close - but this one is just me - not just physically but my personality.  It's funny how when you get an idea for a picture - and your personality comes through in a surprising way. That doesn't always happen.

Go visit Os to see other favorites.
Or go to OHNT for some more naughty fun.

Day 364 - Kitty in a Box

Who needs to buy a cat bed?  Like small kids, our cat finds an empty box to work be more exciting than anything that could come in it.  She has been camped out in this one for a couple days now. 

Crying Uncle

My eyes rolled back as the pleasure washed through me.  My nipple was in his mouth, and each time he drew it in further - my pleasure soared. 

I love the way your eyes roll back when I do that.

Fuck, so do I.

I rode those waves of desire - thinking I could not get any higher until his teeth bit down - gently at first. He rolled my nipple with his tongue between his teeth, then bit down a bit more.   As my voice rose higher, the bites got a bit harder.  My head fell back as I enjoyed the sensations and let the moans leave my lips more freely.

I looked down at him and found he was staring at me intently.  His expression was one of curiosity - how far would I let him push me until I cried uncle? 

But, I love the way he boldly played with my nipples - individually, then both in his mouth. How he knew how to push me - how to let my endorphins take over so that he could push harder knowing I would love it.  The teeth, the sucking, the tugging with tongue, teeth and lips - just pushed me further into that dirty spot in my head where I would want him to do more - so that he could see how much more I could take.  And as he continued, I could feel what he was doing deep in my cunt as it tightened in arousal, then I could feel my wetness escape, gushing onto his cock and balls. 

God, I love how wet you are making me!

And even when that round of play finished, I knew there would be more to come.  He had just warmed me up.  Later, he would take advantage of my overly sensitive nipples - rubbing his palms over them, licking them lightly,  making sure they dragged across his chest as he fucked me, blowing on them, squeezing them suddenly as I was blindfolded, even lightly dragging his teeth over them.  Each time he would do it, I could not stop the sharp inhale of air that would follow his actions.  That sound that told him that he had caused my excitement to flare up suddenly.

That response  - that involuntary response my body had to the way he played with my nipples - was what kept me from crying uncle.

Day 363 - SNOW!!

All afternoon, I've had the opening four part harmony of the song they sing in the movie White Christmas while they are on the train to Vermont going thru my head:
"Snow. Snow. Snow. SNOW!"

We had a totally unexpected snowstorm this afternoon.  Once again proving that to be a weather forecaster in Portland, you just need to be able to ask a Magic 8 ball a question & be able to read its response.

Was it a dusting of snow? Nope. It was like 5 inches.  And, we live in the land of not enough resources to deal with it, so everyone was screwed.  (Portland is extremely hilly too which is what causes the issues.)

Thankfully, we were all home.  So we went outside with the girls - and had a family snowball fight that lasted an hour.  DJ is evil during snowball fights.  Indigo knows how to use others as human shields. Garbanzo has tactics - and I just try to do my best Elf impression of rapid make and throw snowballs. 

We came inside after an hour of this - made a fire - everyone changed into their PJs - and we relaxed.  As DJ later said, "that was the greatest family snowball fight ever!"
AMEN!

The Great Music Debate - Final Chapter

Catch up where we are on this list here:
Part I
Part II
Part III

And so we conclude the top 94 alternative artists of all time as voted by the listeners of our local radio station: 94.7 NRK.  TL and I had a discussion recently about how the list was chosen.  I know the listeners voted, but did they get a list of which they were to pick a set number of? Or were they asked to supply their list of 5?  I think it was the latter based on an ad I recently heard, but I'm not sure.  The list was assembled based on the number of votes.  The most is #1, second most #2, etc.  As we've mentioned in the past, this is not our list.  The full list can be seen here.

Garbanzo's comments are italicized.

15. REM - While I am happy these guys did not show up lower on the list, I am sad they are below some of the others on this list.  REM has formed in 1980. How they can appear below some of these other bands is beyond me.  I guess I also have a special place in my heart for REM because I heard of these guys before many people in my small town.  Living in small town Iowa, rarely are you hearing non-top 40 bands.  But, I heard these guys - and fell in love with them. These guys should have been a top 10 band.  They were and are a band that creates sounds as opposed to just following what everyone else is doing.  Like U2, you just never know what it is you are going to get from REM. 

14. Green Day - I'm sorry. I fucking hate these guys.  While I think every band needs a sound of their own, I can ID a Green Day song only a few bars into it.  When their "new" album came out, I could not tell it was new as it sounded like every other fucking song they have ever played.  Yes, they are popular. No, I can't fault them for it.  But, I can call them a sell out that doesn't belong on this list. I agree.  Not my favorite band.  But, when it comes to popularity, these guys are #1 in the 14 - 17 demographic (not to mention Hot Topic shoppers).  (Yet they weren't popular with you - a person we have already established IS one of those Hot Topic shoppers.) So if popularity = greatest, then I am surprised they are not higher.  However, if we really wanted the greatest, we should just listen to bands like The Ramones and The Clash, both of whom Green Day blatantly rips off.

13. Pixies - They are where they belong, IMO.  Here here!

12. Red Hot Chili Peppers - Another band that deserves to be up there.  Formed in 1983, they have more than paid their dues to get where they are and a long term player in the alternative scene. Another Top 10 influential/greatest alternative band.  They got kind of bogged down with their "under the Bridge" sell out song.  But, the bills have got to be paid, right?  These guys can rock and have spawned a whole generation of artists.

11. Modest Mouse - Because of their "local connection", they landed this high on the list.  No other explanation. I like these guys. Hell, the drummer was our neighbor for many years.  But, they appeared above some more deserving folks - like REM, Pixies, Red Hot Chili Peppers, etc. Yeah.  This was definitely a local thing.  Not even sure they are top 75.  I like them, but as for greatest or influential?  Not so much .

10. Death Cab for Cutie - Again, a band I love - they are amazing live too - but too high compared to others who appeared on this list already.  Here is a top 35 band.  Influential.  Paid their dues.  They create good music that pushes the boundaries. 

9. The Killers - I have made it no secret that I am obsessed with The Killers. I think they are doing a great job evolving forward the music genre.  Do they deserve #9 of all time?  Sadly, no.  #9 of most influencial of the past 5 years? Probably. I agree.  They belong with Death Cab. 

8. Muse - These guys have been around since the early 90s.  And they surprise me each time I hear them as I'm never sure if it is them - then am pleasantly surprised. Do they deserve this position? I'm not sure.  Hell yes they deserve this position.  I mean, if bands like the Sex Pistols, the Ramones, and Oingo Boingo are going to get the shaft, then it is only fair that a talented, quality band such as Muse gets this kind of recognition.  Would they make MY top 10 list?  Probably not.  But as skewed as this list is, this is probably a pretty solid and accurate showing. So now you are going to approve of a position on the list because this list is already skewed?? 

7. Foo Fighters - Another band that I love.  I love how they got their start - drummer of Nirvana creating a demo where he did everything - played all instruments and sang.  Because of how people responded, his band formed pretty quickly thereafter.  These guys combine rock and that alternative sound fairly well. That all being said, I'm not sure they deserve this rank above others like The Smiths, the Ramones, etc. I agree.  I think the Foo's are a top 25 band.  Musically gifted.  Incredibly fun to listen to.  But they are just not as influential as they could/should be. 

6. The Cure - Agreed!! I might even flip-flop them with Depeche Mode when it comes to influence and creative expression. Yeah, of course you think they should be flipped. I mean, I just made you get rid of that Cure t-shirt you've had since high school.  Clearly, you are a fan! :)

5. Depeche Mode - Another one I agree with! Oh yeah.  No question here.

4. U2 - Love U2 - but do they deserve this position above other bands? Not sure. Indeed they do!  See my argument for REM.  This is probably where they would have ended up on my list.  Maybe at Number 3. See, I like U2. I do.  And most bands that are up and coming will list them as a band they are influenced by.  But my question is always how - what part of that band's sound is influenced by U2. You can hear the influence from many other bands on this list.  But U2? Really?

3. Pearl Jam - Too high. Nah.  This is right.  I give the edge to Pearl Jam over U2 in this case because Pearl Jam (along with Nirvana) defined the grunge movement. Where U2 clearly defined their own sound and has influenced others, Pearl Jam helped to define an entire genre of music.  Like it or hate it, they were the John Adams of the birth of grunge and the explosion of alternative music as a whole. But, again, here is my rub. "GREATEST BANDS OF ALL TIME".  Yes, they defined the grunge movement.  But, it was one movement in the history of movement. Do they deserve being ahead of other bands that probably influenced them? I think not.

2. Radiohead - Having been around since 1985, these guys deserve being in the upper part of this list.  #2? Not so much. Radiohead is the band that musicians love to listen to.  This is the band that influences the people who make music day in and day out.  It is no surprise that they are this high on the list.  While they may not have had as long of a commercial success as other bands (*cough* green day *cough*), they have had a much greater impact on the overall musical scene. 

1. Nirvana - This, IMO, is a case of "you know you are living in the Pacific Northwest when everyone believes Nirvana is the greatest alternative bands of all times".  But then again, they did put other "local" bands on this list above other more deserving bands so I shouldn't be surprised.  I will be honest.  I hated Nirvana when they were popular, but enjoy them now. I thought this was unique to me, but I've met others who felt the same way.  They deserve to be on the list, but not #1. There was no question that Nirvana was going to be the #1 choice.  More so than any other band, Nirvana defined a genre and an era. they are the James Dean of alternative music, being iconic and burning out before they could fade away.  Their album, Nevermore, changed the musical landscape overnight.  Gone were bands like Bon Jovi and Def Leppard.  In their place were Alice in Chains, Mudhoney, Pearl Jam, and Soundgarden.  Overnight bands that were selling out stadiums were reduced to playing the county fairs while fans flocked to this new music.  Smells Like Teen Spirit became an anthem for an entire generation (yes, the dreaded Generation X/Slacker crew).  Nirvana is the modern equivalent of Chuck Berry, Little Richard, and Elvis Presley ushering rock 'n roll in to the bedrooms and living rooms of the 1950's. So they should be #1 because they helped create the falsehood that all GenXers are slackers? Nirvana was important.  I can't disagree with that.  But, if you look at who Kurt Cobain listed as his musical  influences, they were The Stooges, The Pixies, Neil Young, REM, John Lennon, Sonic Youth, Sex Pistols, The Clash, Blondie and Devo - to name a few.  Clearly there are people on this list - lower on this list or even excluded from it - that contributed to Nirvana and their sound.  While Nirvana was a huge evolution point within the music scene, it wouldn't have happened without the others influencing.  It's that whole "GREATEST of ALL-TIME" problem.

So, who do you think was missed off of this list?  Who should have been #1? 

And for everyone who still does not believe me (Emmy), enjoy this awesomeness!

Day 362 - Nut Cracker

Tonight, for dinner, Garbanzo decided we needed shelled hazelnuts.  So, he set the girls off cracking nuts.  Indigo proved to be most adept at it.  But, her technique did result in some nuts flying around the kitchen.

To add to it, DJ's comments about this were - well, hilarious to the dirty minded.

"I hate it when a nut hits me in the face."

"If I let go too soon, it hits me in the eye."

"No, Indigo, you aren't gripping the nut right."

You get the idea.

The Best Kind of Stress Relief

I felt like I was rushing to meet you.  You were at your house waiting for me - but the icy mountain pass kept me from reaching you as soon as we had planned to meet.  I hate feeling late.  I hated even more the fact I didn't have cell service to let you know what was going on.  Nothing adds to my stress level than that.

When I arrived, you didn't hear me at the door until I sent a text that I was there.  You met me nude  - I had just caught you coming out of the shower.  I would later learn that you were feeling just as rushed. An appointment earlier in the day had been moved to right before we were supposed to meet. You hadn't been home long before I arrived, and you had been rushing to straighten up the house to prepare for our night together.

Our plan of an early dinner was thwarted by all of the running late and rushing around between us.  We opted instead for an early start to our evening.  You wrapped your arms around me pulling my body tight against yours - kissing me passionately - hands in my hair, then on my back.  I was barely three steps inside your front door.

I felt your cock rise between us and could not resist wrapping my hand around it - stroking it to full attention.  And as I did that, I felt your moan - almost growl-like - in my mouth as our kiss deepened with tongues and teeth. 

Your lips left mine and moved to my ear - "You'd better get one of those condoms you brought, " was your suggestion.  So I grabbed one from my bag - the bag that was literally still at my feet - then quickly sheathed your cock.

You pulled me back up and into another kiss.   I felt one hand find the button on my jeans.  You made quick work of getting them pushed down off of my hips.  I felt your thumbs hook the sides of my black thong and slide it off of my hips.  All the while your mouth was moving between my lips, my neck and my ear.  Then you turned me around bending me over the back of your couch and entered my pussy with one thrust -  my jeans still around my knees.

I moaned loudly as you started to move inside me. Your hand found a nipple under my shirt and bra.  I was on my tiptoes trying to keep the angle that felt best while maintaining my balance as you fucked me with an urgency that matched our afternoon.

"Let's move over here," you commanded - and we moved to the chaises part of the couch where I could be bent over the cushion with my knees on the floor.  We immediately found our rhythm again.  You driving your cock fast and deep into me while I pushed myself back to meet each stroke.  Your hand was in my hair pulling me more upright.  Moans leaving both of our lips.  Again, our fucking was almost frantic. Like this was not the beginning, but the end.

But, it still wasn't right - so you moved us onto the floor next to the couch where you could fuck me harder and deeper - my legs on your shoulders.   This was where we continued until we both collapsed.

Even though we had all night together - all night for us to take our time and explore and push ourselves to discover new things about each other - our first fuck was just as rushed as our entire days had been.  And yet, it was exactly what we both needed.  That fast fuck to take the edge off - to get that rushed, stressed feeling out of our system so we could slow down and start enjoying ourselves.  That fuck was the perfect appetizer for our time together. 

Day 361 - The Rec Room

When we walked through this house after it came onto the market, we fell in love with it. We could tell almost immediately that this was a house owned by two gay men who tried to "straighten it up" for prospective owners.  The purple tellitubbi on the fridge, the gay pride flags, the Human Rights Campaign stickers on the window, and the man on man erotic art hanging on the wall gave it away pretty quickly.  What we were ill-prepared for was what has affectionately become known as "the rec room".

The bedroom at the top of the stairs was painted a blood red and had black carpet.  Pride flags hung over the windows in lieu of curtains.  And these enormous macrame plant holder hung from the ceiling. In them were the smallest plants ever.  Clearly they had just been purchased.

They hung from these:

Five I-bolts.  That seemed a bit odd to us.  Or at least Garbanzo and I.  Our Realtor's reaction was "oh, the Plant room! I can totally see why they use this room for their plants - the light is great!"

Garbanzo and I snickered because we were pretty sure a different kind of "planting" was happening in this room.  How we were sure we were correct?

The cleats in the corners pretty much gave it away.  As did the sound proofing they did for when the door was closed. 

Because this was going to be Garbanzo's comic book room, he opted to leave them in place. The ceiling is plaster - the holes left behind would have been a bitch to patch.  And, how can you tell this story without visuals.

We are currently having a debate as to whether to remove them now that the room is our oldest daughter's room.  They are still there for now.  But, Garbanzo may change his mind - especially after she declared how much she loved carrying vibrating things.  Not to imply vibrators will result in a love for bondage - but in Garbanzo's mind, logic is irrelevant.  Anything sex-related plus his daughter is bad. 

Day 360 - Comics from Hell

We decided recently it was time to get DJ into her own room.  I like having a guest room, so we decided that the best thing to do was to move Garbanzo out of the room he's been using for his comic books and move her into it.  It's a good size, it is technically a bedroom, and it has basically been a dumping ground for his stuff anyway. Garbonzo: Not a dumping ground by choice.  It is always, "Here.  Go put this somewhere."  Somewhere ends up being my comic book room. Yeah, it was more like "go put your comics away. I'm sick of knocking them off the nightstand and standing on them as I try to get dressed in the morning."

Garbanzo decided to put his comics upstairs in the attic.  Now that we have stairs, it would be pretty easy to move them up there.  He moved a bunch of the long comic book boxes up there - actually all of them.  Yet, I wondered what else was left - why was the room far from empty?

I decided to help him this afternoon.  I am not sure that this was a good thing for me.  Yes, it accomplished the purpose - getting him entirely moved out of there, but it led to a discovery that I was no prepared for.

My husband has a SHITLOAD of comics!!! Garbonzo: Shitload is a technical term.  Emmy is a technical person, so she speaks in specifics.

Holy fuck!  I mean, FUCK! (Garbonzo: see...specifics!) I cleared off 4 two-shelf bookcases.  Then two tall 5 shelf bookcases - full of fucking graphic novels. (Garbonzo: Not graphic novels about fucking. There are only a few of those.)  I mean, I was finding shit I never knew he bought.  Then going though the piles on the floor, I found more.  It seemed like everywhere I turned I kept finding more comics.

At the end, I was totally dumbfounded - for a few reasons.

1. How did I not notice he had bought so many??  I have decided this is a case of "death by a thousand paper cuts". When one arrives from Amazon, it doesn't seem like a big deal.  But seeing them all together - it's a big fucking deal!

2. How much fucking money has gone into this expansion of the comics? While he picks up many at the local library store (where the public library sells off their books no longer in circulation), I also know he orders them and buys them locally too.  Cost per graphic novel? $1.25 used at the library store up to $20 new.  I start doing the mental math on how much he has spent, and I'm beyond pissed.  Yes, I know he could have spent a lot more on some first printing #1 of some such comic book - but we're sleeping on a bed we've talked about replacing for years.  These comics I moved today, could have paid for that fucking bed!!  Another example of "death by a thousand paper cuts".  It's kind of like buying coffee is for some people. You don't notice it individually, but when you add it up for a period of time, you have that "oh, shit" moment.  Garbonzo: Okay.  Here's the real deal.  I gave up buying individual comics at the start of the year.  Each comic was between $3.50 and $3.99 each.  I was spending mumble mumble dollars a month on comics.  Since switching to trades, I have cut my spending in half.  So, I am cutting back.  My spending is way down and my enjoyment is way up.  I am picking up books from the library shop for a buck or two.  If I like them, then great.  If i don't like them, then I am only out a little bit of money as opposed to the major dollars I was spending.  So, yes, there are a ton of comics on the shelves, but I am saving money.  Except when you consider the storage issue.  I feel like I need to go into George Carlin's "stuff" rant about having stuff, needing a place to put your stuff, so buying more stuff to put your stuff in.  Factor in the number of "new approaches to storage", and the numbers go back up.  Especially since graphic novels are stored differently than comics.

3. Why have I not heard about many of these?  When Garbanzo finds stories he likes, he raves about them much like anyone does about a book or movie they enjoy.  I was finding comics I didn't even know he was into.  He hadn't mentioned them. (Garbonzo: I swear I mentioned some of them.  It isn't like I tried to hide them.)  Garbanzo claims it is because I don't fake interest very well, so he picks and chooses what he rants to me about.  While I agree, I'm not a good faker in any respect - I also call bullshit.  When he's excited about something he's read, I usually hear about it. (Garbonzo:  Maybe I just wasn't that excited.  Maybe my senses have been dulled by the sheer awesomeness of Girls Don't Poop [available for a mere $1 from www.Iknowjoekimpel.com].  After that gem, everything else just seems like a shadow.)

I decided about halfway through this process that I was not going to be able to have a civil conversation with my husband about this one.  I was kind of angry that this has gotten so out of control during a time he continually claims to be "cutting back".  And as a person who continually scales back things just to ensure a hobby doesn't take over every spare spot in the house, it pissed me off seeing how his actions did not match his words when he has claimed to be doing the same thing. Garbonzo: See above for my explanation of cutting back.

When we were done, I walked out into the landing and was struck again by the sheer volume of it all.  Garbanzo knowing I was on the verge of exploding asked the question, then braced for my response.  And, I finally let it all out. 

He has vowed to thin the herd, if you will.  He claims he values quality above quantity.  I am hoping to see that happen as he moves them into the attic.  Garbonzo: For now it is all going up in to the attic.  Better to get it out of Emmy's sight quickly and remind her of how happy she is that the girls made her a kegerator for Christmas than it would be for me to spend countless hours sorting and arranging it all on the landing. Except we have no space in the attic now. 

I should make mention of the fact that Garbanzo has given me permission to rant about this on my blog. (Garbonzo: Yay me!)  We generally have a rule about not airing our disagreements on our blogs - but in this case, he came and told me I could blog about it. I did resist the urge to make the whole damn mess into my picture of the day.  I think it would have just continually pissed me off had I.  Garbonzo: Or you would have been overwhelmed by the outpouring of support and admiration I received from everyone in awe of my awesome comic collection.


If anyone sees any in these piles that they'd like, let me know and I'll "help" Garbanzo reduce his comics. I doubt he will notice they are missing....

Christmas in Review

2am is when the kids got up on Christmas Day.  Yes, you read that correctly - 2am.

At 2am, there was a knock on the door from two kids who had only fell asleep two hours before.  They were declaring that Santa had come - it was time to open presents. 

Yes, we made them go back to bed.  It was funny listening to their comments on the way back upstairs - comments like "Did you see what we poking out of our stockings??  I think I saw what he left for us.  Oh, man!"

Because Garbanzo told them he did not want to see them for at least 5 more hours, we were not too surprised when we got up to find they were upstairs debating whether or not 5 hours had passed. 

They came down, and as is tradition, they tackled the stockings first as Garbanzo and I got coffee.  We had gotten to bed late thanks to their inability to sleep from all of the excitement.  We came back to the living room with the girls surrounded by their loot from their stockings.  Oh, and a shit load of ash from the fireplace.  Damn Santa made such a mess getting out of the fireplace!

We got the ash cleaned up, and they opened their Santa present.  (Santa in our house gives one big present for each kid.) Then we tackled all of the rest of the presents which, in essence, destroyed the living room. 

After Garbanzo and I wrestled free the toys (M had a great idea about tracking down and punching the packaging designers for these toys - and I want in on it), we sat back in hopes of having some quiet time.  Instead, I assembled a Lego kit.  Garbanzo put together these helmets that were not supposed to require assembly. 

I made brunch in the midst of it all - and another cup of coffee.  Their hyper-ness combined with my lack of sleep was making me crash.  We finally sent them outside for a while to run it off.  Garbanzo and I decided to take advantage of the alone time and retired to the bedroom where I was hit with the largest sinus migraine I have had in a while.  It didn't totally disrupt our activities, but it did screw with the rest of the afternoon.  (I still have it as I type this.  I'm hoping sleep will make it go away for good. Fucking allergies!!)

The girls came back inside when I declared quiet time.  I knew they had had very little sleep - and we all needed a time out from each other.  The girls went upstairs, and we relaxed. 

Like waiting for Santa, the "quiet time" was short lived.  They were back to bouncing off of the walls and fighting again.  The dogs gave us this look like we should do something to make them stop.  Finally, they went and hid in the backroom.  We ate dinner - let them play one of their four new Wii games - and finally declared it time for bed at 9pm.

Indigo complained tonight that her stomach hurt - but she wanted dessert.  Thursday, she and DJ ate on the car ride back from Central Oregon an entire bag of M&Ms (big bag), a bag of Oregos, cheese and crackers, and who knows how much juice.  Christmas Day, Indigo tried to repeat the process.  Gee, kid, why does your stomach hurt?  It's a mystery!

All in all it was a good day.  We will be recovering from it the next few days I'm sure.  But then again, there is another Lego kit to be built.  And, more Wii games to play, and some science stuff to explore.  Maybe we won't have time to recover yet.....

Day 359 - Christmas!

This was the "Coal" I got in my stocking for being naughty this year. Guess I did something right!


The girls both got a set of Captain Rex Helmets from Clone Wars & Nerf guns. Not very politically correct, but fun.  They have been running around all day in these things.


Lego lined up and ready for assembly.  We discovered that Indigo has a tad bit obsessive compulsive disorder when it comes to sorting Legos.


Garbanzo trying on his wet suit for when he competes in the Triathlons this summer.  Thanks to a friend, I found them incredibly cheap, so he got it for Christmas.  He was quick to point out that it is compressing him - everywhere.


This is my gift from Garbanzo and the girls.  They have spent the last few weeks converting a mini-fridge to accommodate a quarter barrel keg.  He bartered help along the way.  Inside the fridge is a quarter barrel of Cuddly Panda Porter from my favorite micro-micro brewery.  And when I said that the girls helped - they did.  Indigo got to use the drill press.  DJ cut some of the piping and such.  If asked what they were doing, they would tell me they were in the laboratory "planning to take over the world" - then they would end it with an evil laugh. 

All in all - it was a good Christmas.
Hope everyone had as good of a day as we did!

Merry Christmas

"May the spirit of Christmas bring you peace, The gladness of Christmas give you hope, The warmth of Christmas grant you love."
- Anonymous

May you and your family enjoy a day of peace, goodwill, and love.
Love,
Emmy

Day 358 - Keeping Spirits Bright

It was a bit odd being a beer that smelled and tasted like Creme Brulee - but it was drinkable.  

HNT - Three Christmas Wishes Edition

Wish #1:
Dirty Side of Me - To you both, I gift a woman. One that lives close enough for a 3some, but far enough away that you don't have to worry about being discovered. 


Wish #2:
Single Sex at Sixty - For you I give a pair of sexy women so that you may check off your Sexual Bucket List #1.


Wish #3:
For Osbasso, I grant him beer - a beer that doesn't affect his blood sugar and tastes like good beer.  So that he may drink with friends periodically and not worry that his numbers will get messed up.


To see what wishes were granted by others, go to Os.
Or for naughty fun that is NSFW, go to OHNT.

Day 357 - Church Edition

Nothing rounds out about 22 hrs of naked fun like church.
The good news is that I wasn't struck by lightening upon entering the church.
The other good news is that all seems to be well within the sibling of my family.  Nothing helps more than beer and mead, or so it seems.

My apologies for my readers and fellow bloggers.  This quick trip has left me no time to visit anyone. I will catch up upon my return.  I promise.

In the meantime, think of me as I drive home tomorrow! Think warm thoughts so we may go the short route thru the mountains versus the long route around them.

Day 356 - No Internet Edition

I drove to Central Oregon yesterday, by myself.  The pass was worse than it should have been.  This is before I got really far into the drive.  It was funny seeing where the snow level was.  From a distance, you could see green then a line where it was white above that point.  Usually you don't see it what well defined.

I made it to my destination and met up with TL - the purpose of my driving ahead of the family. (Have I mentioned how much I love my husband??)

Ironically enough, I actually was going to post this picture last night - but the Internet was down at TL's house. (He's an IT person too - thus the irony.)  Plus we had better things to do.

I'm sure I will have more to write later about this trip.....but today is about the family.  We are having Christmas with my parents, my brothers and their family tonight. Then it is back home for our own Christmas.  Hopefully this trip finishes as well as it has begun for me.   

Better Late than Never...

Our friend who we met in college is perpetually late.  When I say late, I'm not talking 5 minutes late or 10 minutes late, I'm talking 90 minutes late.

Much to her credit, she will always call and let us know. But, when you are planning dinner, it can make it a bit sketchy as you try to figure out timing of things being done, etc.  Knowing this, I made chili tonight. I mean, it can sit there and simmer if worse come to worse.

As we were drinking wine and telling lies, she mentioned how she used to get in trouble in high school for tardiness. She could never get to school on time.  So she just got used to detention.  It's funny to hear this since this is our perfect friend - always the perfect student, always the perfect appearance, always perfect in every way.  This is what I love about her.  She is truly a study in never judging the book by its cover.

When she was in medical school, we would always bring her food while she was studying for boards and other major exams.  She would hole up in her apartment, and not emerge unless it was for class or for the test.  We would bring her non-ramen noodle foods.  Garbanzo got creative one day and got her foods that should inspire learning about medical topics.  It was a bag of gummy worms - a popular way for people to represent either DNA or germs.  A drink that had tapioca the shape and color of red blood cells.  We also made them homemade bread and other good foods to keep them going.

She was slap happy when we got there.  Sleep deprivation combined with being holed up with her cat and her roommate (another medical student) had clearly taken it's toll.  She answered the door in a tshirt that looked like it had been worn for several days in a row, sleeping pants and slippers.  Her long (LONG) hair was carelessly tossed back into some make shift bun. It didn't look like she had showered for a few days.

She picked up the bag of gummy worms and started laughing hysterically.  She handed it to her roommate who joined her in laughter.  Finally after they could talk again, they announced that the gummy worms reminded them of what intestines feel like. Yeah, think of THAT next time you pick up a bag of gummy worms!

Then they read us the "leprosy rap" - a device for them to remember the drugs used to treat leprosy.  I just remember this line "Hey man, you left your hand, on the door, when you came in".  It went downhill there.  Let's just say the whole things was a lot funnier to them than it was to us.  Garbanzo and I chuckled at the fact these were our future doctors.  Thank God no one saw them now or else they would never have patients in the future.

But this is our friend.  Always late, but brilliant.  She got through medical school with flying colors - in true form.  A trend she does nothing but continue now as she researches cancer.

The funniest part about tonight - the gift exchange.  After too much wine, we exchanged gifts as we usually do each holiday.  As she opened the one we got her, I opened our gift from them.  As we ripped open the paper, we both started laughing.  We had gotten each other the same book.  And, what is funnier is the fact we had both wanted the book but figured we'd pick it up down the road when we thought about it.  In the meantime, it was the perfect gift for our friend.  A great minds think alike moment.

Despite the late start, we had a good time catching up with her. We drank too much wine. Ate too much food.  And Garbanzo, true to form, gave her son a stash of sweets to "drive his mother crazy with."  And we thanked her husband for being the designated driver.  Garbanzo gave her a lot of wine.  She has been on-call the past month, and this was her first night off.  He figured she should enjoy a bottle of wine. 

It's amazing how a great time can help forgive the tardiness. 

Day 355 - Marshmallows

The girls and I made marshmallows today. I've wanted to make them for a while, so figured it would be a fun rainy day activity for them.  I saw this recipe, and decided I had to make them. I mean, an engineer re-wrote it to make it more fool proof.  What could go wrong? Right?

Actually, nothing went wrong. My only mistake was having Indigo grease the pan which made it a bit stick - but it wasn't a big deal.  They are awesome though.  Might have to make some more.

How NOT to Do Business

One of the goals of my former company was to "radically simplify" their processes to ensure business cost savings and to make doing business with the company easier for our customers.

As a contractor for them working on a key project, I have found this initiative to be a contradiction.  I was a cynic about it while working there, but as a contractor, it is fucking hilarious!

Why?

My project is to replace the provider between the company and several partners. For this example, I'll use the number 5.  Forgive my chicken scratches, but this is a better visual of what I have been tasked with:

My job is to replace the green.

As part of the simplification, they actually decided to outsource the server and network stuff, so it really looks like this:

The dotted square around the Host Provider and Company is to group the stuff that should look and act like one company, if you will, to the partners and the provider.

But, it isn't that simple.  The host provider doesn't support everything. They provide the boxes and the cables and some of the software - but not the key software support I need. So, it looks more like this:

The company had to hire a support provider that will supplement the hosting company and what they provide.  But, the support provider acts like two separate organizations - the part the supports what is already in place, and the part that helps with changes or new stuff. So, it really looks like this:

So, now let's count the number of people involved in this radically simplified model.


There are 7 entities involved which could include at minimum 1 person or several.  (I have 9 total people involved at a minimum).  I have to include myself because I'm not part of the company per say either.

And with the exception of the partner - everyone else gets paid for this project. It's not free, and it isn't cheap either.

Radically simplified?? Failed.

I have been working on this one project (which is like 5 projects because each partner is handled separately) for 3 months.  No one is really any closer to having this done today than it was in October.  Why? You can only go as fast as your slowest partner or company in this diagram.  Just takes one person not responding to an email or voice mail one day to delay the entire project. 

And, the partners - the partners who should look at the company and think the company is easy to work  - are getting the exact opposite impression.  And they, correctly so, do not care how many people the company has chosen to involve from how many different entities. It isn't their problem - they just want it to be done when it should get done.

Easy to do business with?? Failed.

This project of replacing the provider represents quite a significant savings to the company, but the company cannot achieve it because too little control has been retained over the moving parts. Instead of telling someone to make this a priority, they have to negotiate that and keep their fingers crossed that the person doing the work doesn't get replaced.  (In this case, #4 has been replaced 3 times now which means I have to start over with the new person.)

Ensure cost savings?? Failed.

When people ask me if I am sad I no longer work there, I have to reply that I am not.  They have created such a complicated model that no one can truly manage it and get results in time frame that the company truly needs.  The IT organization needs to be maneuverable like to a zippy car not a tour bus.  And in a company of 50-150 people, you (rightly so, IMO) expect responsiveness.

Oh yeah, execute changes quickly was another key objective.  Failed again.

Any guesses why the company is struggling? Anyone??

The upside for me? They are still paying my invoices. They are also not getting any closer to being done. In true form, this 3 month engagement could last 12 months. Let's hope that the job market improves during that time.

Day 354 - In-Laws

The afternoon with the in-laws actually went better than I could have expected.  They can be the nicest people on earth or the craziest.  It makes visiting them so stressful because you don't know which you are going to get.  And if it is crazy, you hope it is crazy during a time when they are serving alcohol.  You need something to take the edge off.  I wasn't much of a drinker until I did family events with them.

Today, we showed up 3 minutes late.  I braced myself for the lecture.  I discovered years ago that you show up early when visiting them.  Starting the day off with a lecture on being late is never fun.  But, they were just happy to see us and the grandkids.  It was a good sign.

They showed us their house - a 1970s ranch with an amazing view of the Columbia River.  This view is the only reason they bought the house.  Hell, I don't blame them.  We sat there watching the huge cargo ships going by as we chatted with them.  Beautiful even on a crappy rainy day.



We ate lunch and exchanged Christmas presents.  They are going down to see Garbanzo's grandmother tomorrow.  They got Indigo an official Mexico National Team Soccer jersey which she LOVES. While DJ loves soccer, Indigo just gets soccer in a way DJ struggled with for years.  They got DJ a great friendship bracelet kit. They know their son though as they brought him back another mask.


DJ dubbed him the crazy hippie guy.

All in all, it wasn't a bad afternoon. I suspect I will be roped into wiring their new house for internet, wifi and the like. It should be interesting because, like usual, my father-in-law has big plans.