Insert evil laugh here

Happy Friday Dance!

I'm going to hell here for this one. But I would have LOVED to have been able to add the commentary "Don't let the door hit you in the ass" when they escorted one of my co-workers out of the building yesterday.

I should feel bad but I don't. Finally, one of those people that make everyone else's life miserable actually got what was coming to them.

It got to the point that I was starting to wonder who she was sleeping with or blackmailing that allowed her to stay employed.............

Hats off to my new boss. She started a month ago. She recognized we had a very serious problem on our hands and she took care of it.

And now, my entire group will be happy people all getting along.

It's like the sun is shining again. Like a big weight has been removed from our shoulders. It's like we can breathe again.

Yes, I'm a bit callous here. I admit it. But sometimes, hey, you gotta calls em as ya sees em.

Happy Peeeple

I work in a hectic, deadline driven environment. One in which most of my co-workers are either tackling, solving, or digging up problems. It's the nature of a software implementation. We are combining multiple divisions, multiple methods, personalities, styles, techniques, philosophies, etc.

Through it all, no matter how bad it gets, it seems that the group manages to keep spirits high, stay friendly, goal minded, and for the most part, positive.

And everyone has learned to develop pretty thick skin.

People will yell, rant, ask the impossible, and leave patting each other on the back and laughing.

The only thing that perplexes me is the total lack of "personality" in the majority of the work spaces. At most there might be a picture of a kid and a coffee mug. Other than that, nothing, nada, zilch, zero.

If it weren't for the presence of name signs and a monitor turned on you wouldn't even know someone worked at most of the cubes.

Our cubes aren't temporary. Neither are the employees.

Some are consultants, but they are long term consultants, like, years worth of consulting.

Anywhoodle, why am I babbling about this?

Well, I had been away for three weeks. We moved to a brand new area while I was gone. As soon as I got in on Monday I set up my work area.

My boss (who is located in a different building) came over to visit. As she came around the corner I hear:

"Oh, I knew I could depend on Newt to have the happy cube, everything else around here looks like a morgue"

Is it the IT world? I'm new to geekdom. I just can't figure out the sparseness. I mean, we are at work more than we are awake any where else. Why woudn't you want a happy place to work.

So, this is my happy place, and apparently the one ray of sunshine among a sea of nothingness.

Don't I have the prettiest puppies in the world?

***

This weekend the hubster and I are going to go to Como Conservatory. Drink in some green, some moisture, some heat. We can't wait.

A complaint

Ok, so, how many people out there work with people who are SO busy policing what other people do, criticizing how they do it, and letting them know all they ways they could be doing it better that they completely neglect to actually do their own job?

Is there a special place in hell reserved for those people?

And why don't they get fired?

I only ask this because someone that spends a great deal of time trying to tell the executives how much my group sucks caused me to spend an hour and a half today dead in the water and unable to teach my class.

Seriously, I really hope the karma cow helps me out on this one. Cause, damn.................

Off to Austin

Hey kids,

I will be in Austin TX for the next week as I begin to see the fruition of my project at work. I put in 14 hour days but I think I am ready to roll with it. At this point there really isn't anything more I can do to be ready.

It's in the hands of Kinkos now. As well as all the good people back home still churning out data for me. I think I will show up at Kinkos with doughnuts and coffee. I'm sure they aren't really fond of me given that I just ordered about $10,000 worth of bound, tabbed, and labeled manuals, very few of which were duplicate jobs. But given that more of the data I need will be coming in last minute I'll need to ask a few favors regarding speed from them. As in, here's 8 more 700 page manuals none of which are the same. Can you have those ready by 7 am tomorrow? I know it's 6:30 pm now...................I know, I know, the copy machines do the majority of the work these days and they can print, what, a zillion pages a second. But still, they are the ones that ultimately are the hero's of the project. And I appreciate that.

This would be why I picked a 24 hour location.

Anywho, as I was scrambling last night to get the last of the files I could send over to the print shop ready I was getting messages from our data team letting me know that they were still making changes to functionality so the rest of the information I need really will be coming in last second.

Oh, the wonders of SAP implementation...................

Despite still being on the computer working at 10 at night I am having fun. The adrenaline is pumping. And I'm excited.

We don't actually "Go Live" till March 30th. My boss said something about all of the training team being in Calif. for it. And she mentioned the beach, a lot of drinks with umbrellas in them, and something about not remembering April fools day.

I like that kind of thinking......................

So, Homebloys, know any good places to eat in Austin? I have a few picked out but if you know of any in particular..............

We were sad to learn that at this time of year the bats are down in Mexico.

Dear fellow Homebloy's

The Newt was named "Project Manager" at work. What that really means is I get to work, worry, and agonize my ass off for the next few weeks. I love ya, I'm reading as fast and as often as I can. If I don't comment or post regularly, I swear I'm not going any where or snubbing anyone. I'm just currently buried up to my neck in getting ready for a big training blitz.

Thank god I get to take the project manager hat off in one month. Come February 8th everyone is welcome to stop by our place for a beer or 10.

I love my new job. This is a great feeling to have a project that I actually care about. That has a purpose. And that means something.

It's wonderful. And I'm excited.

I'm just also a little buried.

Love you all though!

Overheard Above the water cooler

My company has what I earlier referred to as a rustic campus. It is composed of 7 dilapidated fantastic buildings off a county road in a relatively rural setting. For whatever reason they still use a paging system over the loud speakers. So every so often you hear "Sam Stone, there is a call for you on extension 1324". I've already learned to tune it out for the most part. Hopefully no one ever actually needs to get a hold of me. But today, for some reason everyone tuned into the page, it went something like this:

"All employees in building 7 must exit the building immediately, there really is a fire."

We are in building 6 so it wasn't any big deal for us. But I wish I had my camera for all the heads that popped up out of the cubes. And the subsequent discussions.

"Did I hear that right?"
"Should we go check on everyone?"
"Shit, there goes the project"
"Huh, I wonder if you can see any flames"
"So, is anyone going to go check?"

And all the heads popped back out of site and we resumed working.


Tomorrow night I am meeting with Girl J for some quality girl time and people watching at Mall of America. Fan-fucking-tastic people watching.

Then Saturday morning I fly off for California to see my family. Yes, one week on the job and then off on vacation. Life is good!

So, kids, I sign off for now. I will see you Tuesday for WWC.

Hugs to all!

Newt's First Day

First, I had to go to the corporate office to do my paperwork. I was greeted with the most impressively presented little benefits book and informational packet, very nice people, a nice leather portfolio and a book bag. Their corporate office is gorgeous. It's in a fantastic woodsy setting and the building has lots of glass, beautiful woodwork, and lots of polished stone. It's simply impressive. From start to finish I was wowed by them.

Then it was off to my campus at the other end of town. Let's just say it's a titch more rustic. More industrial. I was greeted by the Admin/Coordinator for our group. He's fantastic. I liked him from the second we met. He took me to my cube. It's in a sea of cubes. My co-worker that has the same position is officed in a small office with two other people. It gives cozy a whole new meaning. I'm not sure what I did to deserve my own little cube, in fact my boss is in a cube next to me and she has the exact same shabby chic little cube. I think that is the best word for our area, shabby chic. But everyone has a smile on their face and everyone is friendly.

I have a laptop. The building is wireless enabled but the network cable works a little faster. I realized quickly why they are set up for wireless. Everyone goes everywhere with their laptop. They go to other people's cubes to do work with their laptops. They go to meetings with their laptop. It was fascinating. But, I guess when your job is the computer systems you just might need to have those resources.

Then they told me I will be getting my Blackberry in a day or so. A what? At my last job the only people that got those things were the ones in bed with the CEO. You had to be more than somebody to get one. I don't know what to do with this much technology. Damn.

So, for the rest of the day I got hooked up to all the programs I'll need. I got access to a bunch of stuff. And spent a few minutes on the phone with the helpdesk because a few bugs couldn't be worked out of my laptop. And Matt was wonderful.

So, our facility is rustic, my cube is shabby chic, and the people I work with are wonderful, goofy, and all about working as a team to accomplish our goals. I couldn't be happier. I felt instantly at home. I felt like I belonged.

And then to confirm that I was in a whole new world in the work place I noticed that my boss reads a book during lunch. As does my partner in crime. As does our admin. And then I noticed there is a bookcase in the lunchroom full of well read paperbacks. And there's one in the hall, and one in another hall, and one in the next building. And by paperbacks, I mean horror, mystery, adventure, drama. A full selection of pleasure reading books, no business crap books. OH MY GOD! I've joined geek heaven.

And then, I noticed the next thing. Everyone, was dressed my type of business casual. I didn't see one dark suit, white shirt, and red power tie. In fact, I never saw a tie. Or a suit. And the outfit I wore, my partner in crime told me it was as fancy as I would ever need to be. That business comfort was more the style of the day.

So, when all was said and done I felt like I had made a good decision. I have a lot of reality ahead of me. It's not going to be all smiles and happy thoughts. But I think I am in a work group more suited to who I am. I adore the friends I made at my previous job. I wouldn't trade my experiences in for anything because of the people I met. But I have never been cut out for the sales world. I'm not a good schmoozer. I'm not good at B.S. I'm not good as selling a bridge in New York to make a quota.

So, there you have it, my first day. I'm excited. I'm invigorated. And I'm encouraged.

I also found out that the ultimate plan is to move us all to the Corp. Office when the new additions are built. They figure around 2009 sometime. So my commute will go down to 15 minutes. And the direction I will have to go is exactly opposite the commuter traffic. I don't know if it will ever actually happen but it's nice to know that my long commute might not be forever.

A Quickie

Monday is the big day. I'm so nervous and excited and just a bundle of butterflies. They called Friday afternoon. I was just praying their weren't taking back their offer. They just wanted to make sure I was still planning on joining them.

Got my hairs cut - went for the same sassy but easy to handle short hair

Hubster will be coloring the hair in a few moments. I've chosen a bronzed brunette color whatever that might be.

I have my 2 forms of ID ready.

My paperwork originals they told me to bring.

Map to get from Corp. office to my regular location as I have to visit both.

Outfit picked out. A fabulous autumn number with browns, golds, and reds in the top. Should accent the bronzed brunette color quite nicely.

Shoes, fun yet practical since I'll probably get a tour etc. I can't wear the sexy but unwalkable shoes.

I even have a nice business bag to carry it all in so I look professional yet hip and stylish.

First impressions do count. I'll wait till Wed. or so to shock them with my true Bright Goth tattooed white trash self. :-)

Wish me luck. I'll let you know how it goes Monday night.

Bittersweet Freedom

I will miss Nettie. There is no question about it. Yes, we will remain the best of friends. Yes we will see each other all the time. But not having her 8 floor away will kinda suck. We are each other's anchor and crutch. We take care of each other. We keep each other from going postal.

I will miss BFFM and our trips in the morning to get coffee.

I will miss all the wonderful people I met there.

I won't miss the politics. I won't miss the desperate struggle to stab co-workers in the back. I won't miss the gang pile of people who have given up everything else in their lives to get ahead.

It was a bittersweet last day. So weird to be closing a chapter in my life that seemed to take up so much of my life.

Nettie gave me a travel mug. It's fantastic. It's got a girl on it and she is surrounded by shoes. It says "It's not shopping, it's retail therapy" Funny thing is, I wanted a new travel mug because our old ones are looking a little gross. No matter how much I clean them, soak them, etc. they still have that old stale coffee smell.

Amy made me a tiny little pillow with pink flamingos stitched on it. She actually made me a cross stitch of pink flamingos for my collection. It is incredibly sweet. I love it. And I can't wait to set up my new office. There will be pink flamingos everywhere.

Ok, I interrupt this post to mention something on MPR right now. There is a new super bug ear infection. I can only guess that might be what I had. I had an ear infection for almost a year. Nothing I got from the doctors would clear it up. 9 kids in Rochester MN have had it and they couldn't clear these infections up. Oh, gross, to test for it they have to insert a needle in the ear drum. Alright,, good thing it cleared up on it's own. Grant you it SUCKED to have an ear infection for a year. But that would explain why I couldn't get it to go away. I'm not a hypochondriac, honestly, it just makes sense. My doctor was totally baffled as to why we couldn't get it to clear up. This would explain it. They reported that none of the usual antibiotics could clear it up. They had to use a super high dose to get rid of it.

Oh god no, they are going to go live to the Bush conference in a while. NOOOOOO - I won't ruin a perfectly good day by having to listen to Commander Coo-Coo Bananas.

Back to the normal post:

So, ultimately yesterday was really nice. I went to lunch with three girls I worked with in my sales group. We went to a wonderful Thai place. Ok, it took them an hour to bring us our food but it was damn tasty.

When I finally headed for home it was weird to know that I would never be going back.

Well, except for meeting BFFNettie for lunch and stuff.

I took the bus home. I gave the super wonderful bus driver lady Pat a card with a gift certificate to Target in it. The card said "Thank You for being such a sunny and delightful person" and it had a big yellow sun on it. It was the perfect card for someone as wonderfully sweet as she is.

She opened it while she was driving. I didn't think she would do that. And while she was opening it I could hear her

Pat: "Oh, oh what is this? Oh my goodness"
Pat: "DID YOU MAKE THIS CARD?" she yells to the back of the bus
Newt: "No, I don't think I could have made one that perfectly expresses who you are"
Pat: Oh, THANK YOU SO MUCH THAT WAS SO NICE, I"M GOING TO KEEP THIS FOREVER!"

When I got off the bus we said good-bye and she said she would miss me. I told her I wish I could take her with me and if she ever wanted to drive an express SSP to Minnetonka I would be her most loyal rider.

So there you have it. Once chapter closed. And I am looking very forward to the new one opening. I can't wait.

It's a little weird that I can't wait to go to work.....................................

Taking the office out in to the WAY TOO OPEN

I decided I might as well continue the work theme with another observation I have made lately.

First there were pagers and people would have themselves beeped just so they would seem important

Then there were cell phones and people would talk on them even if there was no one on the other end just so they felt important

Then there were those tiny hands free ear pieces that started to blur the line between crazy people and someone talking on the phone.

And now there is Bluetooth. And it seems to be primarily men that feel a need to hold meetings all by themselves in VERY public places. Apparently no longer having a chord between your phone and ear piece is some sort of liberating experience. So much so that they feel the urge to pace around, hand motions all over the place. And using a vocal volume somewhere between screaming and rock concert screaming. I know they do it for show. I know they think it makes them big and important. They sure as heck let everyone know what color they bleed. And damned if I don’t feel the strongest urge to walk over, grab that damn ear piece off their head and grind it underneath my beautiful sexy blue Nine West heals.


***Addendum to yesterday's discussion about bleeding the company colors:
I was reminded during a conversation today with Nettie that there is a third sub-category for those people that bleed company colors. And that would be the people that don't think they bleed company colors but in reality do so.

Bleeding other colors

I’ve noticed there are two types of employees, those that bleed company colors and those that don’t. Each of these fall into two sub categories. If you bleed company colors you either do it at the cost of any life outside of work, or you bleed the company colors on the outside of your body. Bleeding on the outside is also known as the pathetic brown noser.
For those that don’t bleed company colors the two sub types are those that are just bitter and hate their job and those that have their priorities elsewhere.

We all work with people that fall into each category. And in terms of relating to one’s co-workers I find I relate best with those in my sub-category. I find some of the other’s either annoying or infuriating.

I was invited to a lunch and learn that focused around balancing home and work. When I declined the offer I actually got some pretty snotty responses.

I decided that they are simply jealous of those of us that still bleed good old blood.

Now, just because I have chosen to not devote my soul to the company store it doesn’t mean that I am not happy in the workplace. I still love what I do and do my job to the best of my abilities. I have just decided that it doesn’t need to be my life. And I find that I don’t’ always respect or admire those that do give up everything else.

Life is too short to worry so much about work. Yes, it gives us the money to live our lives. But what kind of life is it if we give everything we have to work?

I know there are some careers that people choose because it is what they want to do with their lives. Their careers are their lives. But those are the doctors, the scientists, the artists that leave a legacy behind.

But come on, if you sell furniture for a living, or you work for a company that makes cars. Is what you do REALLY that important? SO important that you forget your family, your children, your dog?

Please don’t misunderstand me, I sell chemicals for a living. No one died because a box of soap didn’t reach its destination. SO I am not belittling ANY career choices. I’m pretty much just rambling senselessly.

We have had a few people die at work here over the past couple of years and I find it interesting that the person is remembered for what they sold, the accounts they brought to the company etc. But no where in the often full page layout does it mention what kind of person they were. How many kids they had, the wife or husband left behind. The hobbies, the pets.

And I find that a little sad.

I don’t want my tombstone to read: “She sold a lot of soap.”

I prefer “She lived life to the fullest.” “She danced” “Loving mother of 4 dogs and 4 cats.” “Cherished wife” “The world will be a darker place”

Something, anything, that showed that I LIVED.

Lucky Number

13

Or at least I hope it is.

I moved there this morning

Just after I got a hot cup of coffee from Caribou

And a scone

The three people standing in my cube let me know that Friday's were not for fun

They were for work

The moving kind

So in other words, I should leave my sneakers on eh?

Keep the sexy black heals in the bag?

And where am I moving too?

We dont' know

So, basically just pack my shit and go sit in the corner

Exactly..............................

I can't believe I'm not dead yet

So today I went to "school" to get ServSafe Certified. And in 2-3 weeks my certificate might come in the mail. I sorta doubt it. I am not a good crash learner. I don't have very good short term memory. So basically I retained 10% of what they taught us. Probably not enough to get me through the test. 90 questions about Foodborne illnesses, symptoms and causes of diseases I can't pronounce let alone remember details on. You also learn about the importance of food temperatures, storage and handling.

After taking this class I did learn one major thing. The health department should have shut me down a long long time ago. You are supposed to get hot food down to 70 degrees within two hours and then refrigerate it and get it down to 41 degrees in under 4 hours. I leave dinner out till the next morning and then remember to throw it in the fridge. WAY WAY WAY past the safety time. I'm not sure if I have ever cooked a meal that wasn't time temperature abused. Not good.

So, like I said, I can't believe I'm not dead yet. I should have gotten a few major illnesses over the years.

And if you want to talk about preventing cross contamination. Yeah, I have never done anything to prevent cross contamination. I cut up my chicken and then my carrots on the same board with the same knife. I don't clean and sanitize the surface and the knife before switching food. I guess I like mixing up my micro organisms and spreading them as far around as I can.

About the only thing I don't do is smoke over food, prepare foods with my hands with open cuts, nor do I sneeze in the food. But aside from that, what can I say. You take your life in your own hands coming over for dinner at my place.

Or, perhaps for those that have been eating at our house for a while and have remained healthy, it's more of a immune system strengthening program. Our bodies get so exposed to little nasty creatures that we have become SUPER human. Yeah, that's it. I make my guests into super humans.

The good news for the world out there is that I don't actually work in the food industry. I just have to be able to advise people that do. I promise I will preach though I don't necessarily practice.

Just Stuff

So, I know I have mentioned this before but I have to say it again. There are a bank of elevators in one of our buildings that completely freak me out. Rather than the old fashioned up or down buttons on the outside wall this elevator system has a panel with a button for each floor. Then you push the floor you want and a display tells you what elevator to get on. After that you walk around the corner to the actual elevator area. You stand in front of the designated elevator. It will open, you get on, and take a leap of faith that it will stop on your floor. I'm not sure why this freaks me out but it does. I feel somewhat out of control. Sort of like stepping into a horror film every time I have to utilize them. My imagination starts to run wild. But from simply loosing the visual control of choice? It's very odd. They are after all just elevators. They always work. You don't hear horror stories. Yet I get bothered every time I have to use them.

Now that I have been a regular bus rider I have noticed a few things. The people that ride the bus are from all walks of life. You can't assume any annual income or net worth range just because people ride the bus. But you CAN tell a lot about the person doing the riding.

Some are quiet commuters like myself. We don't talk, typically we read. Or in a few cases, apply our make-up for the day.

Then there are the apparent down and out. And those tend to come in two forms. Kind and courteous or downright nasty and "entitled". As in we are all apparently "entitled" to hear their conversations at full volume. Sometime they are only talking to themselves. We are also "entitled" to their opinion about everything going on around them. The bus, the driver, the people getting on or off, the street, a business, whatever. I've also noticed that riders will look out for other riders that might be seconds late for the bus. They will let the driver know that someone is trying desperately to make the bus. The driver will stop and the person will get on without incident. And then, like yesterday there are those that think that people are "entitled" to that particular bus regardless of where they are. Or how much this will hold the bus up from getting on with it's route in a timely manner. In yesterday's case the person was at the other end of the block and across the street. And sauntering slowly while waving their hands. They were not disabled in any way. They just felt "entitled". To hell with schedules, they were "entitled" to this bus. Thankfully for us all the driver didn't wait for the sauntering and thoughtless person. But BOY did we have to hear about it from someone sitting on the bus who was probably themselves one of the sauntering "entitled" She bitched for a good 3 miles.

There are also kids. Good kids and soon to be in jail kids. Kids that ride the bus quietly and respectfully and kids that scare you just a little bit because they are too young to look so angry and jaded.

And there are kindly elderly people that know the bus drivers by name.

For the most part it's an uneventful adventure. And I am loving the 40 or so minutes every day of undisturbed reading time. But I've noticed every once in a while we get quite the entertaining rider.

On the Puppy front we had friends visit us last night that just adopted a Grey Hound named Cicada. He's a beautiful and very sweet dog. They brought him over last night to visit our dogs. They muzzled him as they aren't sure how aggressive he is toward other dogs. But all seemed to go well. Of course he's 4X the size of any of our dogs so it was funny to watch the interaction. Every dog we have could actually walk under him. And I think Soc's our kitty was in love the second he saw him. I mean, Soc's LOVES dogs but man, he didn't know what to do with THAT much dog. He's was SO happy. Rubbing up against Cicada back and forth, back and forth under his legs. We could only laugh at the cuteness of it all.

Oh, and Caleb and Lily both greeted S & S. They did some fear barking and growling but over all they handled the strange company very well. S even commented on how much they have improved. She even got to pet them a little bit. Which is pretty huge considering the last time S&S visited the dogs hid in the kennel.

That's enough for today.

Hugs to everyone!

Sex Parties, The Great Equalizer gets better, and an apology

First, the apology. Due to a whole mess of things I want to apologize to everyone out there. I have been doing a whole lotta lurking, and no commenting. Please don't think I don't love you, I'm keeping up, just not speaking out.

And now on to what you really want to hear: Sex Toy Parties.
Yes, they exist, and they are fun. They are a Tupperware party only well, um, with a whole different kind of rubbermaid product. Basically just like a Tupperware party, or a tastefully simple, or a pampered chef party someone comes to your house with lots and lots of cool things to show you. You pass them around. And just like tastefully simple you smell stuff and sometimes even taste it. Ask Girl J - her arm tasted deliciously like white chocolate. How would I know you ask??? I'll leave that one to your imagination...........

Anywho, so you learn about and pass around all sorts of flavored oil, sexual lubricants, sensation enhancers, body perfumes, massage oils, and yes, a dildo, a vibrator or 20, and even some things you didn't know existed out there to enhance your sexual pleasure. The items are meant for enjoyment alone or with a partner. It's totally crazy and totally fun. And you learn things about your friends you NEVER wanted to know.

So there you have it, a sex party.

And now on to the Great Equalizer gets better. Since the hubby started his new job which is of course in the opposite direction of my work we had decisions to make. If he continued to drive me into work our day ended up being close to 11 hours. If I drive myself in we are looking at parking fees upwards and over $100 per month. Or, for $40 I can get myself a bus pass, suck it up and start riding the Great Equalizer. Only ladies and gents, there are improvements to this great adventure. The Ipod is my best friend and greatest invention since the circus peanut. Yes, I mean those sugary orange peanut shaped things. I walk out the door and the Ipod is on. The walk to the bus stop (it's a block and a half from my house) is fabulous, as is the wait. I can't believe how wonderful that silly little bit of electronics makes this entire experience. Once the bus comes I grab a seat, change to classical music. Get my book out and happily read for the 20 minute ride into work. It's total and complete peace for the Newtster. I love it. I LOVE IT!

I miss the ride too and from work with the hubster, don't get me wrong. But still, if I have to do it, at least it is a wonderful and relaxing experience.

And speaking of the great equalizer. Since the hubster gets home before I do, he has been making me dinner every night. How absolutely wonderful is that? I come home and something hot and wonderful is cooking in the kitchen. And the food is pretty good too.

Say Hello to Caleb everyone, he's nosing the computer screen. If you could only see how cute my little man is right now.

Anyway, last but certainly not least, I picked up the first book in the Dresden series by Jim Butcher. It's called Storm Front. I didn't realize that the Sci Fi series Dresden Files was based on a book, or I should say books. This is so incredibly cool. I've read the first three pages and I'm hooked. I LOVE the guy that plays Harry Dresden in the show so I'm pretty happy just sticking the characters right inside my head as I read. It's almost as good as a sex party :-)
I'll let you know if it stays good past page three.

Hugs all around

Newt

Loads of nothing

It would appear my Muse is on vacation. So, here's some "stuff"

Dinner tonight: Tater Tot Casserole

1 can of chicken broth
1 can of cream of chicken
1/2-1 can of milk
about 3 cups of chicken - we shred up chicken from a grocery store roasted chicken
1 cup of shredded cheese - pick your favorite flavor
1-2 cups of peas or your favorite veggie
1 bag of tater tots - I like the mini's

Mix the soups together till they are well blended - heat a little if you have to to get the cream of chicken to break up nicely
Add veggies, cheese, and chicken
Mix it all together
Cover the whole mixture with a layer of tater tots - about 2/3 of the bag

Bake at 400 for 30 minutes or so - until tater tots are nice and crispy brown

Eat

This ends up tasting like a modified version of chicken pot pie. I love it.

************************

I mentioned that I made whole wheat cookies. The hubster didn't like them at all. He said they tasted funny. I guess I expected the "wheat" taste so I thought they were good. But I would guess kids wouldn't really like them. So, back to the drawing board. If I figure out a good way to make them I'll post the recipe.

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I'm going to start investigating the feasiblity of opening my own business. We probably don't have the capital to do it but there are good business loans for women out there so I'm going to at least investigate this. I swore to myself that if I found myself job hunting again I would consider it. And do more than just wishfully ponder the idea. So, since work isn't as satisfying as it used to be I found myself checking out the job sites on the web. Which means I have to be true to my promise to myself and at least see if it's possible. The hubster asked me what sort of business I would open and I told him a girly store. I would model it off a store not too far from here in Wisconsin. Basically I would want to stock unique jewelry, clothes, shoes, accessories, gifts, books, cards, etc. Stuff to make a girl feel unique and pretty. I have a dream of where I would put it. But affording that area of the twin cities will be a whole other matter. I have sent away for a small business guide for Minnesota and once I get that the ball will get rolling. I'm kind of excited. And it would appear that the hubster will support me 100%. I think he really liked the idea when I told him I would take Tinker to work. She could be the token cute store kitty.

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As it stands I may be getting to meet a fellow blog buddy this coming weekend. I am SO excited.

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I'm just over half way through The Bookseller of Kabul. It's very good. I am learning a lot about Afghan culture. It's fascinating. Much like The Kite Runner it's a great story as well as an educational insight into a culture I know very little about.

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The puppies are chasing each other around. They are so cute. Caleb is doing great. He's so much more social. We have a long way to go but we have come so far.............

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Well, holy crap. I guess I had a lot more to say than I thought.

Random Thursday

* My friend Girl J was saying that she hadn't figured out the perfect song for me on her cell phone. So I told her that I wanted my ring to be the theme song from Sesame Street.

* I called her to remind her that Friday was casual jean day and when she answered the phone she was laughing.

*When she calls me my phone sings out Cindy Lauper's "Girls just wanna have fun"

* Dad and I have already figured out when we can go to In & Out Burger during my stay with them.

* On Tuesday when the hubster picked me up he handed me "Pirates of the Caribbean 2" - I just love that man.

* Work has been insanely busy - but the day is over before I know it. So that's a good thing.

* My current project at work had me a little worried that I was in for several days of being yelled and sworn at. But be it because I am a girl in a man's industry, or that I am low grunt on the totem pole they have been incredibly nice to me and not venting their frustrations on me. Most of the time when it is their turn to talk they begin with "I know this wasn't your idea." and they stay calm from there.

*This entire mostly sleepless week makes me wonder why I even care so much about the job I do or how my clients feel about all the changes coming there way. Some days I wish I had thicker skin and less of a conscience.

*5 days till I go west.

Stenches, lab coats, and more

*Good news: the stench has not reappeared. So our guess is that it was the combination of chemicals my buddy on the other side of the wall was using. Yippee! Yahoo! SOOOO glad it wasn’t something newly dead in the ceiling or walls or under the floor. Did I mention there is a hole in the floor big enough for a large rat? You’d think an umpteen billion dollar corporation could at least plug the holes in the floor.

*As for the lab coat. It is the signature apparel of our company. All our sales and service techs are supposed to wear them. They don’t, but they are supposed to. I work for a chemical manufacturing company. In a nutshell we clean the world. Funny story that lab coat. The one place we have been asked NEVER to wear them is when we are performing service calls on cruise ships. They are afraid we will be mistaken for coroners.

*I have managed despite constant dog watching, chasing, and pee cleaning to get back into the swing of things with my reading. This morning I just decided to give up on a book that I had been looking forward to. I just don’t think I’m in the mood for it’s subject matter. It’s about inner city life, gangs, mafia, spousal abuse, animal abuse. Just not what I need right now.

*We have been watching the NBC/Sci Fi series Heroes. Last night they ran a marathon. I am impressed with the story, how intriguing the whole idea is. And trying to figure out who the bad guys really are.

*It’s finally gotten cold here. We basically went from sweatshirts outside to down parkas. But my mantra this winter will be: “At least November was warm” We’ll see how long that works for me before I go screaming to the Como Conservatory, rip off all my clothes and dance in the humid tropical heat.

*My dad is excited to have me coming. He wants us to go to the Weiner Wonderland Parade (pull your minds out of the gutter people!) at Balboa Park the day before I leave. I think that will be a blast. I went last year and it’s too funny to see hundreds of little dressed up dachshunds running around. Dad thinks Lily will have fun. I have a reindeer costume/coat that I got for Sophie last year for holiday pictures that was too small for her. It might fit Lily just right. Groan all you want but we’ll feel like the odd ones out if we aren’t in costume. Or perhaps I should make her a weiner dog costume so she will fit in with the rest of the puppies. And besides Balboa park is one of the most beautiful places in San Diego and it has an amazing artist pavilion to shop in.

Sorry but no pictures today. I was thinking I might run around down town and take some pictures today if it warms up at all. The city is just beautiful in winter.

In Search of: The Stench

I shower daily, I swear, so I know it’s not me. But let me tell you, something stinks in the Bat Cave. Damn! And I mean DAMN! It’s not a constant stench. For that I would be more grateful. It would allow me to zoom in and find le’ stench. It’s more like the faint waftings of dead mouse. VERY dead mouse. Soon to stench worse dead mouse. The annoying part is the faint and wispyness of the smell. It’s not remotely constant. And I smell it in a few different directions. So, here was me, crawling around under my cube smelling this that and the other thing hoping to find the source.

It’s not in the file cabinet
Not the sneakers I keep here for my walks
Not the duck shoes I wore today into work
Nor the new fuzzy cute shoes I wore for the actual work day
Nor the other file cabinets.
It’s not under the desk
It’s not my clothes
I didn’t step in anything
It’s not on my desk surfaces
Not the fake plant in the corner
Not the other fake plant on the shelf
It’s not the holiday decorations I brought in this morning
Nor is it in any of the computer bags I have
It’s not my jacket
Or my sweater
Or my lab coat

I have scrubbed down all surfaces on my desk.I canned air cleaned the keyboards.

I might go insane…………………..

The guy on the opposite side of the wall is playing around with a bunch of chemicals. I am PRAYING that maybe it is him causing this smell. He has assured me his little project is finished tomorrow at the latest.

If not, then either I have a dead animal problem or my cube mate has an odor problem.

Speaking of the bat cave, here ya go:

Just so you can see how we are located in a room on the floor













If you look past the cubes in front you'll see the glass topped walls with white corner polls, yep, that's the Bat Cave. The picture below is looking into the batcave.
















My lab coat:




















My life's motto:



















My babies cuddling:




















It's blurry because she moved at the last second but it's still a funny pic of Lily:

Monday Mayhem

RUSH RUSH RUSH

Have to get to work for a meeting at 8. Has anyone ever tried to get MY hubster out the door early? It’s impossible. I even dragged my sorry ass out of bed at 5:30 this morning to try to help the process along. I was shooting for a 7:15 leave time. We got out the door at 7:35. I arrived at work at 7:50. So I had just enough time to go up to my office, change shoes, de-fur my clothing and run upstairs for the meeting.

This did not give me time to get REAL coffee for a four hour meeting. Yes 4 hour meeting. All I had was the swill in the pot here at work. And that is NOT a good thing.

DAMN DAMN DAMN

How is it that I have nothing to do 364 days a year. But then there comes one day, one night actually in which all good things that I would love and enjoy doing all happen at once.?????

The St. Paul Chamber Orchestra is giving this amazing concert of Beethoven’s Ode to Joy this coming Saturday at the absolutely incredible St. Mary’s Basiclica in Minneapolis. We bought tickets in February. And it has since sold out. It’s one of those once in a lifetime sorts of concert spectaculars!

But then I was looking at when I could go see a new gallery show at the Minneapolis Institute of Art. And they are having a gala evening with wine, food, dancing, etc. all surrounding this art show. It’s after hours. It’s all adults. And because we joined the museum it wouldn’t cost us anything. A perfect adult evening. But, yes, it is on Saturday night.

And now, my boss just emails me and asks me if I wanted to go to the Wild game. There are two tickets available. And these aren’t just tickets. They are seats in the company box. The very exclusive, very good view, very NEVER going to be offered again to me club seats.

LOVE LOVE LOVE

At Victoria’s secret they have these nightshirts. It’s a long sleeve sleepshirt and I am in love. I got one a few weeks ago and I have been living in it. I picked up another one last night and let me tell you, it was very hard to get out of bed this morning. Go out and treat yourself girlfriends! They are $22.50, they are located on tables right when you walk into a store. They are wrapped up with ribbon. And they really are FABULOUS!
Oh, and they run big (too big). So go a size down from what you normally wear.


CALEB CALEB CALEB

My little boy decided to revert back to day one this morning. We couldn’t go near him. And he wouldn’t go near us. I have no idea what caused this set back. He has been doing so well. I am confident that he will be okay when we get home. But this morning he didn’t want to play ball. And he always plays ball with me in the morning. And he wouldn’t go outside to go potty. Nor would he come in once we got him out. It’s very odd. But just like Lily bounced back from her weird day I am sure he will too.