Opening the Energy Valve

For some reason this weekend I felt blah. Not happy, not sad, just kind of flat-lined. I did do work on my papers, but not as much as I wanted. I felt that way again this morning. In order to get my blood flowing I decided to take a walk to PetsMart. My PetsMart is pretty close, so I decided to kill two birds with one stone. Get some exercise and run an errand. Yes, it is pretty darn hot out there, but I am pretty wound up right now. I can probably even pop out some of my homework now.

They were having pet adoptions at the PetsMart and of course I could not resist the kittens. Now, I know that I can't have another at this junction, but they are so sweet. I saw an orange kitty with a pumpkin hat. It was too cute. I don't know how they got the hat on kitty because mine really wouldn't have taken it too well. If I could, I would take them all, but reality dictates they go to another home..........

Thanks to Kevin for finding the Houston Zoo picture for me! I just thought it was funny. Okay, back to work!

Sad News

I just read Jen's blog and found out that her grandmother passed away last night. She had been sick for awhile and is now in peace with God. I know that doesn't make it any easier for Jen. Keep her and her family in your thoughts.

I saw a picture this morning on Good Morning America - Weekend that was kind of cute. I have been trying to find it today, but can't seem to! It was at the Houston Zoo. In order to get some of the animals to safety, they put some of the birds -- geese and a few other types -- in the men's room since it had no windows and was pretty safe. They put the turkeys in the women's room. Just thought that was cute.

Well, my exciting evening includes writing the organizational culture assignment. Woohoo. I did go out last night so I don't think it is too much of a sacrifice.....

Fun From Home

I had to work from home today since our office DSL was out. It as kind of interesting. I think I actually got more done. I did miss the interaction with my co-workers, but I did have a conference call, so at least I got to talk to them! It was funny during the conference call. I have speaker on my home phone, so was set up at my computer, call going. Sierra starts sniffing around the base. I was a little worried she would meow on the conference call. She really didn't need to give her input :-). I need a better set up for a home office though. They are talking about letting us work remotely a few days a week and I need something a little more comfortable!

I went to get gas after my conference call and the lines are already starting to get long! I went by Tom Thumb and they have areas blocked off and men guiding you to pumps. I decided not to wait in that line and went to Shell. I pulled right in but the first two grades of gas were OUT! I had to go to the highest grade and hope for the best. But at least I got it. I was also trying to do work on the cell while at the pump. that was interesting. This working from home thing will take some getting used to.

Okay, now time to make the switch from work to school..............

Later!

My Hump Day

It is hard to believe it is Wednesday. Monday and Tuesday actually went well. No horrible payroll issues, we think we may actually have the system down. Or at least in the process of having less issues so I don't go crazy with something that really isn't in my job description anyway!!! We did have fun today because our DSL line went out and I had an orientation at 4:00. I ended up leaving the office, setting up at home and trying to do it here. Genius me forgot to send the file to myself at home so I ended up just doing it conference call. It was kind of like a comedy of errors, but I pulled it off. The important thing is to tell these people how to do time reporting so I don't have issues in the future. Selfish, I know :-).

I went to a CAT meeting last night, but there were only 3 of us. Busy lives sometimes get in the way. I am actually glad it was so small because I got to talk more to these two ladies. Both are so fabulous. One was telling us about her trip to Crawford during the Cindy Sheehan protests. She left to come back to Dallas and there were 6 people..... she comes back and there are thousands. It blew up that fast! I got to see pictures of that. She is involved with everything and is a pretty good inspiration (and a great source of resources!!!). Plus, she was so sweet, but she just kept glowing about her hubby and how supportive he was. You could just tell because she had that great smile on her face. He must be great because she seems to be everywhere and he is so supportive of that! I can only hope I find a man like that. :-)

The Joys of Monday

Mondays and Tuesdays are usually my busy days at work. I decided to take lunch at my desk and update the blog! If I hadn't done anything to calm my mind, I might just go a tad crazy. Plus, it is nice and quiet. I am so happy right now :-).

Friday night I went out with my co-worker Kelly and Sandra (the gal before me). We had a blast. I actually ended up staying out later than I thought I would. And I also learned I don't need Michelle to get myself into trouble :-). Don't worry, I didn't get into THAT much trouble...... I will let you figure out what that actually means :-). I ended up meeting a guy at the end of the night. It was funny because apparently he noticed me when I first walked in and sat down. I was waiting for Kelly at that point so I was scanning the room and really didn't notice him. So, the lesson here is that you should always present yourself as if someone is watching! He is a personal trainer at a gym here in Frisco (near where I work, not live. That will be interesting). I am pretty comfortable with my body, but it is intimidating to hang out with a personal trainer like that. But, hey, I was thinking to myself I needed to look into getting one. Would be kind of interesting to start dating one :-).

Saturday was spent shopping and lunching with Michelle. We hadn't gotten to hang out for a few weeks, so it was fun. I am apparently an evil influence when she shops because she blamed me for every purchase she made :-). I took mom to dinner for her birthday on Saturday night (Her birthday was Friday). She likes Thai food, which is great, so we had dinner at my favorite Thai restaurant. I did let her pick!!!!

Oh did forget to say that personal trainer did call on Saturday while I was out with Michelle. I talked to him yesterday and it was a pretty nice conversation. How sad is it that I was actually surprised that he DID call??

This week will be study, study, write, write. I am starting to really get into this class. Communications is actually very interesting. I guess because so many places do it wrong. There is a lot of room for good communication consultants (my next Masters degree..... hum.....???). And this is all stuff I like -- the "soft" skills of organizations. I am thinking I can pop an A in this class easily.

Well, that is it for now! Have a happy Monday!

Okay, I feel like a nerd.......

Jen has a hot date tonight and I am going to go home and read the "Consultant's Craft" for my class. Yeah, oh so exciting :-)> . I can't wait to hear about this date, Jen!

Last night I met the gal who had my job previously. She was very cool. I had a blast. I didn't think we'd have so much in common, but we did. She has been to Paris, so you know we talked ALL about that. My current co-worker introduced us. Kelly was rolling her eyes when the Paris talk started. She hears it all day! I did get to hear about all the mess that went on before me. We can only hope that it gets better with time. Today there were a few fires that just kept burning. I put them out, but I really hate being reactive. Gotta get to the point where the team is proactive. We'll get there!!!

Okay, well you know about my exciting evening. At home with the fur babies and Communication in Organizations. This weekend has a few opportunities to meet new people, so I plan to take them! Hopefully I will have some interesting stories to share :-).

Not too much

This week is starting with just the normal. Work is work. We are still trying to work kinks out and get everything normal again. But that is okay. It is a challenge and I love it. Tiring, but I do love it. Of course, it has only been 2 months, but it is okay for now :-).

I looked at the course work for my class that started on Saturday. It looks very interesting. We discuss organizational culture (luckily I already took that class!) and organizational interactions. I am looking forward to it. The teacher is a stickler for the mechanics of writing, so I need to pay more attention to APA style. More will come when I get into the meat of the class!

I am meeting the gal I replaced tomorrow at a happy hour. I am actually looking forward to it. I have wanted to meet her and so this will be cool. Not really to get the scoop of previous times at the company, but just because I hear all about her, all the time.

Yes, I do know that the confirmation hearings for Roberts have begun. I haven't had a chance to read the papers to find out how it is going. Therefore I can't make any comment about it now. Well I can, but it won't be an informed comment...........

Happy Tuesday!

The Lazy Weekend

It was a nice, lazy weekend. Friday was spent at home. I did not really mind. With as much action that happens at work, just vegging is so cool. I had a great massage on Saturday morning. My lady with magic fingers still has it! She told me about another client that she had the day before. She was a mental health worker for the children that were effected by the hurricane. That got me to thinking -- who is taking care of the people who are taking care of the people involved in the hurricane??? She was definitely stressed. Delsi told me something that she told the lady. At night, take off the stress like an outfit and give it to God. God is up all night anyway so you might as well let him take care of it. Actually made sense. Even if the stress is not on the level of taking care of hurricane children, it is still a good thought. It is amazing what I pick up when I go see her. Plus, I felt great when I came home. I ended up at Target afterwards and tried to find the diapers to buy for donation. It is funny when I try to find anything baby anywhere! Found them and dropped them off at the donation center at my apartment complex. I was just set on getting diapers, I don't know why :-).

I did go to church last night at Fellowship. The subject was "How to Have an Affair". Very odd for a church service, but it did make sense. ( He eventually told how to have a love affair with your spouse). I was also wondering how that affected a single gal like me, but truthfully, it was a great talk.

Tonight, I had dinner with Taylor. We went to Two Rows and they had changed their menu. I wanted the Veggie Sandwich, but that is not on the menu anymore! They made one for me, but it still should be on the menu!!! Oh well, they still make good beer, so I can't complain. And they can still make a veggie sandwich, I just have to ask.

Time to get mentally prepared for the week! Have a good one.

The Constant Gardner

We ended up seeing the "Constant Gardner" as our movie outing for the day. It was a good movie, just way too heavy for a Workday Movie. We had lunch at Gatti Town -- a pizza place. It is more geared towards children, but hey, we can act like 5 year olds when given the opportunity to play skee ball. It was fun and a nice way to spend the afternoon. Of course I had 3 messages from the office about a termination I had to do -- just an end of assignment. But still, I am trying to get these managers to give us more notice than 3 hours. Sometimes, you just need to smack them around :-). I do recommend Constant Gardner, just make sure you are in the mood for it! Very, very heavy!!!!

Found another great fundraiser email. The Move Studio is having a Nia Boogie class with donations starting at $15. That is the normal price for a class. I have never taken a Nia class, but it is some kind of dance. I am very curious, so you know what, I might actually do that tomorrow night. Meet new people, learn a new dance, and benefit the Red Cross. I want to split my donation between the human victims and the animal victims. They are also doing a drive here at my apartment complex so I will drop off some diapers too.

Off I go!

Movie Day

Tomorrow, as a reward, we are going to lunch and the movies during work. Now, it isn't all so bad here at the work site. :-). Now there are 9 people trying to decide what movie to go see. I will have to let you know how THAT turns out, especially since we all have different tastes!!! I do have a missing contractor I can't get a hold of. Not sure where he disappeared to. In a way, I hope he just flaked out on us and is not hurt somewhere.

In other news, A&M lost. I was sad. Enough said. School starts Saturday, so I have to get my head on straight. Mom and I went shopping at IKEA last Monday and I have to say it is a little overrated. Just a little though! Nice stuff, but WAY too many people. It reminded me of Toys R Us in Manhatten at Christmas time. Hords of people all moving through the store in one direction. It was very odd. Yes, I did buy IKEA, but who can resist 42 scented tea light candles for $2.50? (And I found another pair of $20 jeans at the Gap. Love the Gap........ or I guess I should say I love the sales rack at the Gap).

SHRM actually came out with an email on volunteer ops to help Hurricane Katrina victims. I need to take a closer look at it tonight and see if it is something I am qualified to do. I might be wanting to do something, but I need to make sure my skills match to what best suits the people.

Gig Em Aggies

My Aggies are playing right now. Hope for a win!!! I know it isn't the most important thing in the world, but the little things have to keep me happy or I will go into deep despair.

I received an email yesterday from a lady in the CAT group. She had an idea that I never would have thought of. The people in that area are in need of Imodium for diarrhea. I might need to stop by Sams and get some in bulk. Along with some diapers. Dallas Yoga Center is having a special Labor Day yoga class with all the money going to The Red Cross. There are other emails that are coming through with different suggestions. I'll keep you updated when I get more emails. SHRM sent one out but I haven't had a chance to see what they were doing to mobilize people. I think it is going to focus more on the work force side of the tragedy. Getting people back to work, etc.

I am going to my parents tomorrow night for a b-b-q. Not sure what mom has planned for me, but I am sure it will be good :-). Might just take my faux riblets. Those are good and I haven't had them in awhile.

Have a great Saturday. Go Aggies!

Random Thoughts (Some from other Blogs)

I read Alternet.org pretty much every day. I have gotten a lot of information and have seen a lot of quotes I want to share. By the way, I try to give the correct credit where due. If not, please forgive!

Joan Walsh, editor-in-Chief of Salon Magazine wrote:

The death toll from Katrina is likely to be higher than 9/11, but most of its victims will be black and poor, and I doubt we'll wage a war on poverty and neglect to match the war on terror launched after al-Qaida struck -- and if we did, I doubt it would be any more effective.

I don't know why this one hit me hard, but man, I wanted to share. It is so true.

Alternet Blog Writer Jan Frel:

What will remain etched in the minds of those who suffer from this event -- and the direct number of victims is at least 7,000,000 -- is that a vacationing, snide president didn't plan and kept playing even as the hurricane struck.

(My own thoughts: Remember that Bush flew to FL the day after Charley hit and toured with his brother the devestation. He immediatly released funds to help. No matter how you feel about Bush, you have to admit his reaction time on this has been lacking. )

I was thinking yesterday that this was like "Lord of the Flies". Pushed into horrific conditions, people turn to basic animal instincts. These aren't even human instincts anymore. Who is to say that in the same situation I wouldn't do the same thing. I would like to think I wouldn't but my world is different from theirs.

And I do love Bush's warning about gas consumption: "Don't buy it if you don't need it." Um, genius, why the HECK would I buy gas. Kind of need it to get to work. (I used stronger language when sending the article to Jen, but my parents read this, so I have to be somewhat nice......).

One last copy and paste. From the blog of Eric Derkacz (pulled from CNN). I really like Jack Cafferty and he really does just tell it like it is. That is why I like this!!! Granted hs is more conservative than I am, but I generally learn a lot from him.

After reading a scathing editorial from one of the nation's most conservative newspapers, Jack Cafferty boils with anger about the administration's handling of the catastrophe in the Gulf (Crooks and Liars has the video):
Cafferty:
...I'm 62 and I remember the riots in Watts, I remember the earth Quake in San Francisco, I remember a lot of things. I have never, ever seen anything as badly bungled and poorly handled as this situation in New Orleans. Where the hell is the water for these people. Why can't sandwiches be dropped to those people that are in that Super Dome down there...This is Thursday...This storm happened five days ago. It's a disgrace and don't think the world isn't watching...

Happy Friday. I plan to go out, appreciate everything I have and everybody in my life. I can't ever look at the news and think my life is bad. take care of each other.

College Football Begins This Weekend!

Okay, it is the little things in these days of all bad news that keep me going. Jen blogged about a shoe sale (gotta love a new pair of shoes) and my Aggies play Clemson this weekend. I don't know much about Clemson, I just know my Ags will whomp up on them :-). I think I have stated before that I work with 2 t-sips (UT), a Sooner, and a Red Raider. Making this fall a fun one. You can tell it is getting closer at work, because that is all they talk about in the morning. I love it. It keeps my mind off of the fact that I have 800 contractors who think they are the only ones that have problems I have to fix. It should be better today and tomorrow since people will start taking vacations. All the ladies will be out of the office tomorrow, leaving me with the men to talk about, what else, college football. :-). I don't mind. I can dish it as well as take it! (But then I will have to be girlie and check out that shoe sale Jen mentioned!!!!)

In good news, cousin Katie is 12 weeks pregnant (well, almost 13). She said she heard the heart beat last Friday. So cool :-). Baby is the size of a lime now, although she is probably bigger now. (We don't know the sex yet, however I hate using "it" when referring to babies!). My cousin Kelsey graduated from the National Guard boot camp about a week ago. I am getting to see the pictures this weekend. Not sure what is up with Cousin Rynnie and Kelly. If you both would like to send me an update, I would be very happy :-).

Later!

My Update

This week has been another long one. I keep praying it will eventually calm down and I can enjoy work instead of running around like a chicken. It seems to be getting easier with experience, but now I have to deal with a client who thinks pantyhose = professional dress. Oh, I won't get started on this, but really, it is 104 freaking degrees outside. Again, since we are their vendor on site, we have to adhere to the pantyhose rule. Don't mind them in the winter, but really, not too comfortable now.

My heart is breaking for those poor people in N.O. and along Katrina's path. I can't even imagine what they are going through. No food, no clean water, no sanitation system. I hope they can get everybody out that they can. The mom of one of my co-workers lives in Mississippi and she was a little freaked out because she hadn't heard from her. Her mom is fine, just missing a fence or two. And some of her trees are gone. But everything else is good.

Well, really, the main goal is to get through the week and enjoy the long weekend. I don't plan on going anywhere. Michelle and I had toyed with the idea of going to N.O. a few months back for this weekend. Luckily, that idea feel to the wayside.

Happy Wednesday everybody!!!

This is just silly

I read an article today about how the CA Attorney General has filed a lawsuit to force warning labels on French fries and potato chips. You know I eat Wendy's fries because they are going to make me healthy...... No, I eat them because they are actually vegetarian (not cooked in animal fat). Nobody ever said they were the healthiest thing. Apparently now, they claim there is a cancer causing chemical produced when cooked at the high temperatures. This may or may not be true. I don't pretend to know chemistry. But, really personal responsibility should count for something in this world. I eat Wendy's fries every once in a while as a treat. I know they contain trans fat -- that is enough to limit my consumption. To me, this whole thing is the same as when people were suing McDonald's for making them fat and unhealthy. Um, I am not a big fan of Mickey D's but they never do claim they are healthy. It is fast food people. I haven't had a McDonald's hamburger in a year, but I do remember it not tasting like the best grade meat ever. Nobody is forcing the hamburgers down your throat.......... Okay, so healthy choices are a tad more expensive. I have no solution for that, but don't blame someone else. It is like if I ran my car off the road and then blamed the car manufacturing company. I knew I was running the car off the road, my own freakin fault!!! (Now, I will never do that because not only do I love life, I really love that car!!!).

Okay, off the rant for the day. I just couldn't keep it in. The cats don't care and I had to share my opinion with someone!!!

A very long engagement

Don't worry, I haven't gone off and gotten engaged without anyone knowing I am dating. The title is in reference to a movie I watched on Thursday night. It is a French movie (drama) about a girl who looks for her long lost love lost in the war. She believes he is alive and this is all about her finding out what happened. It stars Audrey Tautou (Amelie) and she is great in it. I really liked the twist and turns -- it kept my attention. Plus, it had some great shots of old Paris -- so cool to see it! Yes, I am still obsessed with Paris :-). I was surprised in the middle of the movie, because Jodie Foster appears in it. I saw the character and was like "that looks like Jodie". Well, it was her! She played a great French woman. I highly recommend this movie, especially if you like foreign movies.

Tonight is my AOED class --chair dancing. I am looking forward to it. I didn't go to the AOED social on Thursday night, but that was because I had to make a budget choice on what I wanted to do the most. I'll give a full report tomorrow on whether it was worth it!

Last night, I went to Greenville Bar and Grille with Jen and her friend Kim. We saw Elvis T. Busboy. It was so much fun. The band was great. I had a blast and glad I went. I needed a nice release after the week I had. It was a long week. Luckily, being a small company, you definitely feel like my contribution is worth something. And even the CEO appreciates all you do. That is what keeps me going,not the fact that my client is very disorganized. I have a boss as frustrated with them as I am!!! I even got stock options this week -- very cool. With the growth we are having, I am looking forward to the future. It will all even out in the future.

Have a wonderful weekend!

I don't know how I did it!

I received my grades today and ended up with an A. Not sure how I pulled that off, but I am very happy. Now I can relax until Sept 10 when I start school again. Then everyone gets to hear all about it :-)

Tonight is going to be serious cleaning and relaxing. Today has been a very hectic and tiring day. Maybe if I get some stuff done here at home, I will feel productive. I also have to decide whether I want to go to the AOED (Art of Exotic Dancing) social tomorrow night. I want to eventually be a teacher so I might need to go! I also want to take another class this weekend. I don't want to do to much this weekend, but I don't want to miss out on any fun!

Nothing to interesting has been happening. Work has taken up most of my time. When I get home I am too exhausted to do anything! I even think I am going to type my counseling notes from work, and I just crash and don't get it done. Maybe tonight!

later

Movie Time

I have 2 Netflix movies I haven't watched yet, so tonight is movie night. I am so tired that I really can't do much else. De-lovely is on right now. We'll see how it goes.

Later!

Okay, it is over

Class is over. You don't have to hear about school for a few more weeks. :-) Now I feel kind of lost.... time to clean, re-energize and catch up on my sleep (and plot my vacation for next year. Jen and I think we can put some away for a trip to Paris! I would love to go again as you all know). And play with my new computer. Tee hee.

I am not sure how I did on the test. Man, it was a killer. I looked at the multiple choice and almost died. I think I got a few of them. We had to do 4 essay questions -- think I aced those. But without the computer, I am sure there were several spelling and grammatical errors. Luckily, the professor's overlook that. She did get to see the smart a** side of me in my last answer. I am sure she has a sense of humor.:-)

I found out some good news today at work. My boss, Mary, told me that she is grooming me to be the on-site person for our client and she will eventually move to CA. Kind of cool. It would be more of an Account Manager role -- HR, Operations, all sorts of fun stuff. She wants me involved in everything she is involved in. I find that very nice since I have only been there for a month and a half. And I am up for the challenge. I laughed today because she really is like old boss Kelly. They have some of the same quirky habits. Love it! And she is very open to me telling her what I want to do. If there is anything I want to get involved in, she will make it happen. Kelly was like that too. It is nice to go to a boss whose style I am used to. Not some crabby, horrible person.

Hopefully tomorrow I will get out and have a beer with Michelle. Need to celebrate the completion of school. I am not even waiting until I get my grades! I paid for next sessions tuition tonight, so I am all set. Just need to buy the books. That can wait.

Well, that is all I have to say tonight! I can finally get thoughts together and things in order. I always feel out of sorts at the end of a session. I feel a bit lost......... I think that is normal after a school session though.

Later!

Ah, the days of Paris

For some reason, I am so in the mood to go back to Paris. I just found out a friend of mine is going to Paris for 5 days. I think I need to save up and head back over there. I would get to go the places I couldn't with the bum foot :-). Oh well. In the meantime, I will continue to look at my pics of Paris and London and post them ad nauseum :-).

I haven't seen this friend in forever (almost a year) and so it is time we get together anyway. Hopefully I can catch up with her before she leaves. That way I can figure a plan to stowe away in her luggage...........

I really like this picture. It was taken on the Red Bus tour. It was Monday -- the only cloudy, rainy day while we were in Paris. The Eiffel Tower looks so cool in the background!

Later! I have to get back to my project!