What's in a name?

Well, everything, if you ask me. And since this is my blog, my opinion reigns supreme here--bwah-ha-ha!

Last week I was helping some co-workers assemble a mailing to some of our rich-y rich donors and I noticed that many of the invitations were addressed to Mr. & Mrs. Man's First Name Man's Last name. I commented that I was so surprised to see that since Mr. Man's First Name & Mrs. Woman's First Name Man's Surname is more common and not as egregiously patriarchal as the first option. This comment sparked a discussion about name changes and was I going to take Michael's last name when we marry. When I said that I wouldn't dream of changing my name, someone commented "Oh, you're one of THEM." Them? Who the hell is "them?" If by "them," you mean someone who doesn't feel bound by the patriarchal tradition of changing one's name to her husband's, then I guess I am one of "them."

Changing your name or not changing your name is a deeply personal decision and each woman (and some men) has to do what is right for her. For me, changing my name would mean losing my identity. I have been K.A.S. for the last 26+ years (28 by the time we get hitched) and my name is just as much a part of me as anything else. I will be K.A.S. for the rest of my life. Michael taking my name or both of us adopting a new name is not really an option as neither one of us wants to change our names. And hyphenation is so not an option. Our names combined are just way too comical, even if we wanted to consider it.

So, after I state my case for not changing my name, I get the "But what about the kids?" question. What about them? Who said we were going to have any? Why do we all have to have the same name? Why do we have to decide right now especially since he/she isn't even a twinkle in my eye? That is a decision to be made when we need to fill out the birth certificate. In, oh, about 5 years. Or more.

The most recent study I read showed that fewer than 20% of women change their names after marriage, but still 20% is nothing to sneeze at. It's approximately 1/5 of all married women, so it's not like keeping my name is all that uncommon, like Lucy Stone keeping her name in the mid-1800's. Although, it's not like I didn't expect people to be surprised (not sure if that's the word I'm looking for), but I guess I didn't expect people to care so much. And it will only get worse as we get closer to actually being married (which is still over a year away). Durr....

Back at the ranch...

The bad thing about vacation is that all this work piles up in your absence and at times it seems like vacation only makes life harder, not easier and more pleasant.  This is not to say that our 4-day weekend in Rehoboth wasn't lovely or pleasant.  Actually, it was very good, and I got to see my favorite people all in one place (except for Hefk--we missed you), eat some really bad stuff (by bad I mean oozing with cheese or fried or sprinkled with powdered sugar), and spend some quality time on the beach with 5 lbs. of sand in my bathing suit. 

But, boy was I tired when we got home!  So we had a low-key weekend and spent some quality time taking naps, going on walks and cooking meals.  Very relaxing.  And now it's Monday (and thank goodness the day is almost over) and here I am at work with a million things to do and never feeling like I can catch up with all of it.  Such is life during campaign season.  I do have a new admin., and I'm very excited about her.  So far, anyway.  She has a great attitude and is smart and good with computers.  Especially navigating our database.  This makes me very happy and reduces my stress level significantly.  Keep your fingers crossed that she works out okay;>

So, that's about it.  Thank you to everyone for a wonderful vacation and I look forward to seeing as many of you as possible over Thanksgiving!

A little of this, and a little of that

I really should be doing something work-related, but I'm going to take a few minutes and catch up on some stuff I haven't had time to talk about.

1. I got engaged! We don't have a date yet, but will keep everyone posted. It would help if one of the sites we're interested in would be open when they say they're going to be... Aside from that, I couldn't be happier and I know I couldn't find a better man than Michael.

2. The John-John show last week was awesome! Even though we were standing pretty far from the stage, I was occasionally able to stand on the base of a lamp post (with Michael to help keep me from slipping off) to see, but mostly I was trying to stand on my toes and hope that people with hats and kids on their shoulders would stop moving into my field of vision. And, luckily, I only got one small patch of sunburn. All in all, a very worthwhile experience and I'm glad I took a half day from work to check it out. As for their message, it wasn't anything I haven't heard them say on the news or anything else: roll back the tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans, increase the number of jobs, increase aid for college tuition, etc. I think Edwards complements Kerry very well and I feel hopeful that we can take the White House.

3. I saw the Pants on Fire mobile a couple of weeks ago when it was in town. Not as many people showed up as I had expected, but then it hadn't been advertised much. Still, it was fun and we got ice cream! And in a conservative town like Cinti, it's even more fun b/c there are more conservatives to piss off around here;>

4. The beach. 5 more days. Crabs to pick, sand in my bathing suit, 4 days with my favorite people all in one place (we'll miss you Hefk). I couldn't be more excited!

Oh dear goddess...

Amish in the City

I'm speechless.

No time to blog

I have exactly one minute to blog and then I have to get some work done. Who knew that getting *engaged* would create such a hoo-ha at the office such that you can't get any work done? But, no time to talk about that right now, I need to get some work done before I go into a 3.5 hour long meeting followed by a meeting at and then running home to grab the dog and driving to Dayton. And while the *fiance* lives in Dayton, the reason I'm leaving work in the middle of the day to go up there is because Kerry and Edwards are going to be there this afternoon for a rally. I really need to stay at the office so I don't get my @ss kicked tomorrow for not getting my work done, but this opportunity doesn't present itself very often. I'll report back tomorrow...If I haven't had my @ss kicked first;>

Have you heard of the NO-CARB Diet for 2004?

NO C-heney

NO A-shcroft

NO R-umsfeld

NO B-ush

and "Absolutely NO RICE!"

Hee hee! So, Michael and I went to see Fahrenheit 9/11 on Friday night and it was...powerful. After we walked out of the theater, I cried all over M's shirt. Now, I can't do this film justice here on my blog. I would recommend that you see it yourself. But be warned: take some tissues with you.

I will say this, M.M. does go overboard with the whole conspiracy theory thing a la the X-Files in its last couple of seasons. But. So much of what he presents is highly compelling and disturbing and horrific and I could go on and on. Yes, he pokes a lot of fun at Bush. And it's funny. But he recognizes that Bush alone is not responsible for this mess in Iraq. I don't want to spoil it for you, but one of my favorite parts of this film is where M.M. discovers that only one member of Congress has a child serving in the military. So he hangs around waiting for Congress-people to walk by and when they do, he approaches them to ask if they would be interested in having their children enlist in the armed services. He hands out brochures for the various branches and he even has a member of the Marine Corps there to assist him. He actually engages one person in a brief conversation, but the rest pretty much run away from him.


I won't say any more about it other than to encourage you to see it. And remind you to get out and vote. Unless you plan to vote for Bush or Nader, in which case, please stay at home. I'm just teasing...or am I...? No really, I am. Everyone should exercise her/his right to vote (see also A's blog).

Smacked upside the head with Adulthood...

That's Adulthood with a big capital 'A.' And it's really not enough for me to be freaked out and overwhelmed by all of it, so I am going to share that feeling with you, my friends. First, let me say that it was a very positive experience and I am glad I did it. Second, the consultation was free and that was appreciated. But. Despite having been an official adult since the age of 18 (according to the government, not my state of mind)and thinking that I was doing pretty well as an independent person, a young professional, I got smacked upside the head with real Adulthood. Now, you might be thinking, "what is 'real' adulthood, anyway?" Oh, it's stuff like: here's a timeline of you, starting at the age of 26 and let's say you're going to live to be 95, and now let's plot your goals on this timeline. And then you get asked if you plan to have children and how many and when you think you might have them. What!?!? I have to think about this? Are you kidding me? I have to plot when "Kelly Jr." may come along? WTF?!? This is more reality than I am prepared to deal with at the moment.

But it gets worse. Much worse. I (and Michael, too since I dragged him along. Hey, it was free and we may as well take advantage of it), well, we start talking about goals like retirement at a decent age and graduate school for me and things like that, and that stuff was okay. But then S. (the advisor) starts asking things about what our individual life insurance policies are and short- and long-term disability benefits. Eeek! Right now, at this stage of my life, my life ins. is enough to cover my car/student loan debts with a little left over for my parents. But someday I plan to get married and start a family and owe a home, and then I'll be in trouble.

And then I think about Judy and how I could very easily have an accident while out walking the dog and my LT disability is only 60% of my pay (which is a huge cause for concern b/c working in non-profit, 100% of my pay only just keeps me in the black). And I don't have a savings account or a 403(b) or a TDA or any of that stuff that needs to be in place now for future retirement. So...it was a lot to think about. I'm still digesting it all, in fact.

Despite the anxiety attack I thought I might have sitting there and realizing that I have no assets and 2 big debts, it was a very good opportunity to start thinking about what I want out of life and how I'm going to get there. Most of the people that read this blog are well aware of the money issues my parents always seemed to have and I don't want that for myself or my children. And even though money problems weren't the only issues responsible for my parents' pending divorce, it was the one thing I can remember them arguing about time and again. I don't want that to be the case in my relationship with Michael (who, fortunately, grew up without these issues).

So...there it is. Adulthood. When did we get here? I don't really remember how I got here. Michael and I went to Fr!endly's last Saturday for dinner and I got a little nostalgic thinking of Fr!endly's after football/basketball games in high school and a time when our biggest concern was developing our plans for prom. Now I'm faced with developing plans for "Kelly Jr." and retirement...sigh... How did I get here?

Finally joined the techie age...

Thanks to the Best Boyfriend Ever (dammit! that was for you, Ang) I am now the proud owner of a PDA and... I love it. Really. I was so silly for putting it off this long. Of course, now I need to take the time to enter my address book (long an un-alphabetized little notebook purchased from My Sister's Words many moons ago) but then it will all be alphabetized and neatly typed AND I can BEAM the information to someone else's PDA. Whee! And the BBE even came to my office to install stuff and show me how to use it. I might have joined the techie age but that does not mean I can navigate myself thru all this information without LOTS of assistance. Now, if only I could get it to vacuum, I'd be all set.

Well, I survived...

But that doesn't mean I want to do any of that again any time soon. My parents were good (sort of, and it was really great to see my brother get his diploma but I don't need to do that again for a long, long time. I'm just glad to be back and have that experience behind me. In truth, things went fine, but I'm still mentally exhausted from it all and I'm not ready to relive it in my blog. Yet. Maybe never. Hee hee.

So, for now, it's back to the same old, same old.

Running, running, running...

To get everything done before I go on "vacation." Why is it "vacation" and not vacation, you ask? Because I'm going to see my brother graduate from college (a big shout out to Stimpy!) and both of my parents are going to be together in the same place (but not under the same roof) for the first time in almost a year and a half. Unfortunately, their divorce still isn't final, although that wouldn't necessarily make things any easier.

Anyway, I don't consider babysitting my parents a vacation so it's a "vacation." I'm going out of town but it won't be for some non-stop fun and excitement. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm very excited for my brother and I am looking forward to seeing my parents and I'm excited about introducing Michael to the rest of my family...it's just...I don't know. Weird. The whole "my parents are going thru a divorce" fall-out isn't complete yet, and everybody's tense about it. But. Michael and I have decided that we are going to have fun this weekend even if no one else is. I'm going to stop complaining about the situation (starting now) and stop complaining about how annoying my parents are (G, I feel a lot better now after our conversation the other day) and just enjoy myself. It's the last time we'll be together as a family, fractured tho it may be, until someone gets married or dies, whichever comes first.

So, I bid you adieu for the next few days. Have to get some work done so I can leave at 4:30 today. Love and miss to all and hope you have a great weekend.

Panties vs. Underwear

So, I come home yesterday and check my mailbox, as usual. Nestled among the circulars, the "Have you seen me?" flier and a solicitation to become a member of Triple A, is a V!ctoria's Secret catalog. Not that there is anything unusual about this since they send them to me about 3 times a month (why bother since I only shop there about twice a year?), but I couldn't help but flip through the pages of pretty underwear and it got me thinking: only VS calls underwear "panties." I never say "panties." Unless I'm talking about how I never say it because I prefer "underwear." Panties just sounds way more sexy than underwear but underwear is way more practical than something called panties. But even when I wear something a little more sexy than plain briefs (even though they were purchased from VS) I still call it underwear.

Normally I have deeper thoughts than this, but I figured this subject would provoke absentee commenters to show me some love. So, which is it: panties or underwear?

Still a cubicle dweller...

So the big move at the office finally arrived and many of us are still unpacking and sorting and finding new places to put everything. While I am in a new location, my cube is configured pretty much the same as it was before except that my big filing cabinet is in a new spot. Not very interesting. And the cube walls themselves are totally disgusting b/c we've had them for 20+ years b/c non-profits are poor and are always getting hand-me-downs from for-profit companies that can afford to buy new stuff every 3 years. Anyway. At least my new cube is close to the fun people in the organization. And I'm not in a pod.

So I guess I should try to get some work done before I leave for the day. I no longer have the excuse that my computer isn't hooked up yet to justify not getting anything done. T.G.I.F.

My boyfriend rocks!

Yes, yes. Gag. Barf. Retch. I know. But he is so awesome and here are a few reasons why:

- he puts up with my tendency to be bossy
- he genuinely likes my dog
- he taught me to drive a car with a manual transmission and doesn't flinch when I stall out or make the car jerk around trying to get into first gear
- is a feminist man who believes in the freedom of choice so much that he went to the March for Women's Lives with me last month
- let me drive his car to work today so he could take my car to get the brakes done someplace across town and then took the bus to get to work this morning
- serenades me with songs (but never THE song from "Cheers")
- introduced me to "The H!tchh!ker's Gu!de to the G@l@xy" and books by @l Fr@nken
- is sweet, kind, super-smart, romantic, and one hot babe!

And so, amidst a chorus of retching sounds, Michael, I love you.

Inefficiency Part II

Well, now I have a title memorandum for my car and once I get my emissions check, I can go get my registration and new plates. You'd think they would offer e-check at the title agency or the license branches but they don't. Instead they want you to drive all over the state of Oh!o to do all this crap and write lots of different checks all in the name of Inefficiency. So, for today, I will get the e-check done and possibly go take my driver's license test (depending on how long the e-check takes). I have studied the rules of the road and took a practice test so I can demonstrate that the only difference b/w the rules of the road in PA and OH are...wait! There is no difference! Even the B.A.C. is the same! Wow...how about that?

Then there's the whole car issue. Most of you know already that my car has been in the shop 3 times in the past week for transmission trouble. The service mgr. says it's all fixed and even offered to drive it home and back as an additional test-drive before returning it to me later today. I hope I don't have to take it back to the dealer again until it's time for another oil change.

I sort of feel bad that the last couple of postings have been so negative, but dealing with the BMV has been a royal pain and last week, I really did have particularly bad luck with the car, dog and apartment. But, the car is (supposedly) better, the dog is better (I'll spare you the details on what I had to do to find out what was wrong with her), and the apartment, well, I haven't figured that one out yet. But. At least I am in good health (knock on wood or rather faux wood and plastic), I have a good job and friends and family are doing well. Relatively well. And we got to go to the March for Women's Lives last weekend and it was awesome! I really couldn't do the experience justice here but I will say that it was even better than I remember it being in '92. I am really excited going forward and expect that the energy from the March will inspire others to get involved b/w now and election day. Love to all!

Who DOESN'T love inefficiency?

Of the 3 states where I have had to go through the process of registering my vehicle and myself with the state, Oh!o is the worst. Talk about inefficient. You might be asking yourself why I haven't done this sooner, I mean, I only made the decision to stay here back at Thanksgiving, but I kept putting it off until the middle of the month in order to avoid long lines at the BMV. And, funnily enough, I was planning to go to the BMV tomorrow, but yesterday a cop saw my car parked on the street and ticketed me for having expired plates. Oops.

Anyway, so as of this morning, I have completed the second of four steps to becoming an official resident of
Oh!o. I have my new car insurance and temporary license plates on my car. This is where the inefficiency begins. I go one place to get my temp. plates. I get the form for my lienholder to fill out and submit to the BMV from another place. Next I go to another place to get an emissions check. Then I will go to yet another place to take my out-of-state driver's license exam b/c the first place I went is only able to administer the exam to first time test takers. And there are only 3 locations that offer the out-of-state test and of course they are all way out of my way. Like I have nothing better to do...

Ah, but when all is said and done, I will be an official resident, I will be a registered voter and an organ donor. And who doesn't love that?

Can you pass the third grade?

http://www.pibmug.com/files/map_test.swf

I did, but just barely. I thought the fact that I still know all the words to "Fifty Nifty" would help me more than it did.

Honk for Choice!

Michael and I put on our political activist hats, well, actually they were shirts, on Saturday and encouraged people to attend the March for Women's Lives and, yes, honk for choice. It was so cool! We went to 2 high-traffic spots to hold up signs a la the B*rma Sh@ve campaigns of the 1950's (http://www.fiftiesweb.com/burma.htm) and flanking each end of the group we had Honk for Choice signs. And lots and lots of people honked for choice. We had a few nasty responses and saw many a flipped bird, but for the most part, people seemed very supportive. Which is especially exciting in the conservative Queen City. Interestingly, derogatory comments were made by white middle-class men. A few white middle-class women gave the finger (at least the ones I saw fit that description) and there was very exuberant honking from African American men and women on more than one occasion. It was neat to see that supporters were both old and young, some rich and some poor, comprised of various ethnicities and I'm sure religious convictions. I grow more excited as the March draws near. Keep your fingers crossed for good weather!

It's kind of funny...

the way some parts of life work out. I think I might finally believe that expression about when a door closes a window opens. I'm not going to comment further at this time (clearly I am also on Alissa's "be as vague as possible in your blog" plan--hee hee!). I'm really only interested in musing publicly at the way things work out...and you never end up where you thought you would be. Which is perfectly fine with me b/c I feel like I'm where I'm supposed to be even though "this" and all that "this" is, is not what I saw for myself 8 years ago. Then again, I had no idea at the age of 18 of what and where I would be in the future and all that would happen along the way. Funny... Of course, I would never have gotten to "this" without my best and closest friends, so a big thank you to all of you for your support and love whether it's after the door has closed or when the window opened.

And a big thank you to FB for being amazing and wonderful you. I am so very lucky.

Quilt Show Carnies

Ah, yes....the "carnie." In particular, the "quilt show carnie" is the subject of this posting today. While quilt show carnies belong to the same species as the craft show carnie, there are a few distinctions: quilt show carnies do not smell like patchouli, nor do they resemeble hippies, and there are few men found within their tribes. The QSC can be found at "shows," usually a high school gynmasium or convention center, selling or trading various textiles and highly advanced metal artifacts. These shows attract hundreds, even thousands, of "quilters." Quilters and carnies alike are easily spotted by their puffball hair-dos in various shades of gray, wearable art, and really bad fashion sense. They carefully garb themselves in garments reflective of their different tribes as they prepare for the hunt. What is is that they hunt....? That all too elusive thimble made for fingers with long nails? That half yard of fabric in the perfect shade of orange to complement the car-themed quilt she's making for her husband? Or is it just a quest to increase the wealth of her stash?

Stay tuned to find out....

sneak post
who's my favorite fummer? who is she? :)

The City of Sisterly Love or Fun Girly (+ Michael) Weekend

What a fun wonderful weekend with my favorite people and a picture of Gwen's head on a stick...sigh...I think I need a day off to recover from our whirlwind weekend:> I would rehash the events of the trip to Phila., but I'm not sure I could do it justice and I'm at work and really should be doing something constructive for which I get paid. Thank you to those of you who could make it and hope to see many of you again in April (www.ppaction.org/PPMarch04/join.html).

Haiku anyone?

They are so tasty
I could eat them all day long
Thin Mint cookies, yum!

Love the lovely GS cookies...mmmmm...I only ordered one box so I have to make them last a while...

Be nice to me today...

I gave blood. Which I have been doing every 10 weeks. This time, however, I did it as part of the blood drive at my office instead of doing it at one of the blood centers like I normally would. There is something about that bus that makes me nearly faint every time I give blood in there. I can go to the center by my house and do the whole thing within 25 mintues. I get on that bus to give blood and I'm in there for 45-50 minutes. I'm thinking I may have to stop participating in the blood drive at work....only 3 more donations and I'll be a member of the Gallon Club. :>

In other news, I'm very excited about my upcoming trip to Phila. with Michael. I'm so excited to see my friends and do a Lanky-town drive thru....hell, I'm even looking forward to seeing my dad. Oh man, if I actually believed in Hell, I would be going to hell for saying that about my dad. Of course, since we are going to see my dad, now a trip to see my mom has to be arranged at some point. Life is a lot easier when your parents live in the same state. Anyway, can't wait to see those of you who can make it, and for the rest of you, we'll be in D.C. for the last weekend in April. See you soon!

And now for the weather report...

It's going to be a balmy 53 degrees with partly cloudy skies on Thursday. Well, it's about time it started warming up around here. I am so ready for spring...the warm sunshine, light breezes, daffodils....I want to put away my winter coat and sweaters in favor of jackets and t-shirts. I want to read the Sunday paper on my back porch while sipping coffee and feeliing the sun warm on my skin. I want to take Shana to the park and not worry about muddy paws when it's time to get back in the car. I'm even ready for our not-so-stellar softball team to start practicing for this year's season. All I know is that I'm tired of big piles of dirty snow, scraping frost off of my windshield, and chilly winds that make it feel like it's 10 degrees outside instead of 30...sigh....how much longer until spring is finally here?

Sign up now

"The March for Women's Lives on April 25, 2004, promises to be one of the largest public demonstrations in support of reproductive freedom in history." I'll be there and hope many of you will be, too. PPFA hopes to get one million supporters on the mall that day, and I promise it will be very exciting. So, break out your "This is what a feminist looks like" t-shirt and make arrangements with your pet sitter to watch your dog.

http://www.ppaction.org/PPMarch04/join.html

Ewwwwwww...

So, I go to the ladies room and what happens? I sit down in someone else's pee. That is just unbelievable disgusting. We're all adults here, we have a cleaning crew to clean the bathrooms EVERY DAY, and yet, women are peeing on the freakin' seat. If everyone just sat down on the seat like they're supposed to, we would not have this problem. Now, I expect to find this in a public restroom, but really, to do that at the office? Wrong, wrong, wrong. What are people thinking? $10 says the same woman that pees on the seat is also the one who doesn't wash her hands before leaving the bathroom.

The GBC

So....what happened to The Great Blogging Challenge? Here we are, mostly discussing the weather (what are we, retired people with nothing else to talk about?) when there is a plethora of topics to discuss. Since Scott complained about the topics from last time, I vote that he gets to pick the first one. Who's with me?

Not much to say.....

Like Ang noted on her blog, I don't seem to have much to say at the moment. I could write about the problems I'm having with my old health insurance company and the fact that they owe me $90 for a dentist visit from Nov. 5th. Or that property mgmt. at my apt. complex made a ridiculous mess in my bathroom yesterday when they fixed the leak in the ceiling over the bathtub. Or that my job has become more stressful lately. Or that there is nothing like the affection of a man who knows how to act like an adult. But I think, perhaps, I'll just leave it at that.

My best friends have furry legs.....

Well, my baby girl is getting old. The vet took some x-rays of her today and discovered that she has hip displaysia and arthritis in her hind legs. My poor baby....but she'll be okay. She has to start eating senior dog food and taking a daily supplement to help with the arthritis and sometime down the road we will probably have to consider pain medication. In the meantime, she's on restiricted activity for 2 weeks and should be fine....sigh.....I'm such a crazy dog lady......

Whew.....

Well, I'm glad that's over.....all the crap that makes up X-mas stresses me out. Why can't it be more like Thanksgiving? You still get the insane travel part and family dysfunction BUT, you get a yummy meal and time spent with friends with no giving of gifts to get in the way. Admittedly, it is fun to buy gifts for the people you really love but that's what birthdays are for, right? Nevertheless, I had a nice holiday with just my mom and my brother and Shana and found a lovely new set of luggage and some kitchen utensils with my name on them under the tree. Very nice, very nice, but still, I wish X-mas more about spending time with loved ones than worrying that they hate the scalp tingler (a very fun gift, btw) you got them.

Anyway, tomorrow I return to Cinti (there's no place like home) and my carpet that needs to be vacuumed and dry cleaning that needs to be picked up. As nice as my holidays were this year, I am ready for everything to return to normal. This time of year will be upon us again before we know it.

The power of language......

I'm not usually one to find fault with PPFA and the choices they must make to continue the wonderful work they do every day. But. I think they have made a huge mistake in renaming *The March for Choice* to *The March for Women's Lives* as a "reflect[ion] [of] the urgency of the issue and the huge diversity of thoe groups co-sponsoring the march. The new name better represents the broad agenda of those who support women's reproductive health, justice, and freedom, as well as access to family planning and abortion." Frankly, I just don't see how "March for Choice" is NOT inclusive of these issues. To me, "Choice" is more inclusive of the co-sponsoring groups but apparently PPFA does not share this opinion. I just feel like this is a means of de-radicalizing and neutralizing the purpose of this march. Further, why didn't they do this a few months ago? Here we are, almost 4 months away from the event and we are changing our message strategy. Not smart. And if affiliates decide to stick with the "choice" title, then we lose out on consistency....sigh.....

And now that I'm finished with my little rant, I would like to make a plug for the march and encourage you to register at www.marchforwomen.org. April 25, 2004. I hope I will see you there:>

Most of you know....

that I have quite the sniffer. I can smell someone in the room before I see him/her. And Angie's recent posting about not being able to preserve smells got me to thinking that while you can't actively preserve smells, you can be walking along and suddenly a smell takes you back to some moment in time that you weren't actively thinking about 3 seconds before. For example, I was in the stairwell at work and I smelled something that I couldn't immediately place but then realized that it was the smell of the building where I had pre-school. That and the smell of tempera paint. Or, one of the admins at my office wears W!ld Musk by C@ty and that's the smell of my mom from 1984-2000. You know, you walk into the copy room and suddenly you smell your mom and you remember sitting on your parents' bed watching her get dressed and put on make up and thinking that someday you will have a big girl job and will have to wear make up and high heels to work.

I wish we could preserve smells in an album of sorts. Like scratch and sniff photographs or something. Like the smell of your prom date (before he gots sweaty from dancing around like an idiot), the smell in the Gaul house family room on a Saturday night (a mix of taco dip, chlorine and ashes from the fireplace), and the smell of my dog after she's been bathed and fully dry (otherwise she just smells like wet dog). I bet there's a lot of money to be made in scratch and sniff technology. Maybe that's what I'll do after I retire to the spinster lodge in VT.......in between working on the maple tree farm and quilting.......

Family Ties......

Hmph. I'm adopted, I swear. Ah, I needed to get that out of my system before the holidays. My grandma gets upset when I ask if I'm adopted. If that's not quality dysfunctional family fun, I don't know what is......So. The X-mas season is upon us and a.) it doesn't feel like X-mas and b.) I haven't done any stressful shopping or card writing and c.) I have to deal with my mother's family. Oh god. The holiday is 2 weeks away and we are already having issues that I will not go into here although most of you are aware of them by now anyway. All of this is a result of having one's parent live with you and your family and then dealing with the stress by exposing other family members to the insanity. I'm seriously starting to think I might boycott X-mas this year and stay in Cincinnati. Except then my mom would be mad and I haven't seen my brother since Labor Day.......please just tell me I'm adopted.

This is for Scott.....

Go visit this website. I guarantee it will make you feel better:>

http://www.patheticpersonals.com/homeslice.shtml

I need a vacation to recover from my vacation......

Well, as most of you know b/c you were there, Thanksgiving in Lanky-town was by far one of the best holidays I have had in a very long time. There was Roots and whoopie pies, taco dip (without onions on one half), potato casserole and cheese to cut. Yum, yum, yum! I hung out in the hot tub with Angie and Alissa and later Tom stopped by to dip a foot in, I didn't make it to the craftshow b/c I forgot to bring my earrings to be fixed and that was my only reason for going, saw old friends and co-workers and had dinner at Isaac's twice. We had pictures taken with *Santa* and purchased funny (irreverent) Amish Country knick knacks. And there was lots of hair brushing:> Unfortunately there wasn't much sleeping but I can do that at home. Even dinner at my dad's was less dysfunctional this year. I didn't have fun, but I didn't spend the entire drive back to the Gaul house trying not to cry, so that was good. All in all, a truly fabulous time spent with my best girlfriends and family of the heart. I could not have had a better time. Love you all!

Lanky-town

I'm dreaming of a Lanky Thanksgiving....Hee! Can't wait to go to Roots and get a whoopie pie, have lunch at I's, hang out in the hot tub, have taco dip, go to the craftshow, see old friends and co-workers, and spend quality time with my very favorite people in the world. (Scott, sorry I'm going to miss you:<) Safe travels and see you all soon! Mwah!

I'm waiting......

for the other shoe to fall. It's inevitable, really. Now it's just a question of how much longer it will be. And I had really hoped that for once, that would not be the case.

This is for Carl.....

Here it is--my something worth publishing (well, not really, but something a little more substantive than say spam re: topical creams;>). So, last month J. and I went to see a photo exhibit featuring images taken during the war in Iraq. We went in support of the son of someone I work with who had recently returned from a TOD in Iraq. Dr. D is an M.D. in the Army and he put together this exhibit as the result of a promise he made to many soldiers to show these snapshots of what they were seeing everyday. Apparently, the Army now issues small cameras along with BDUs and supplies and the photos we saw were taken almost exclusively by soldiers in the Army, with the exception of a few taken by Marines.

Now, what we saw really does defy description, at least in my opinion, but I am going to try and explain as best I can some of what we saw. We saw images of children burned by phosphorus whose faces were horribly disfigured; soldiers playing soccer and football in the sand; patients being operated on on top of a dirty floor; soldiers sharing bottles of water with women and children; crying soldiers standing at a memorial of a fallen friend; a bloody leg that lay smoking in the middle of a road; bombed vehicles with burned bodies scattered about; Iraqi's kissing the hands of American soldiers; and more children with phosphorus burns. I cannot do justice to the images we saw, but I can tell you how very difficult it was to see and I was glad that I didn't see it alone. It's taken me a month to even put this on my blog because it has been hard to share what we've seen, albeit from the safety of an art gallery in Cincinnati.

And despite the few images of Iraqis who were obviously grateful for the presence of the American soldiers, there is nothing that I saw that ever made me feel that this war was justified. Not that I ever felt that it was justified, but here we are *trying* to rebuild Iraq, more soldiers are dying, and our government is too chicken to admit that we screwed up. And to me, the good that may result in the long run (new goverment, improved quality of life for women, etc.) will never be enough to justify the death of the innocent. So, there's my something worth publishing even if it did take me a month to get it up here.

The Offer......

Well, I got *the offer* on Friday. It's a great offer and, more than likely, the only one at this point. It's just not a good time to look for jobs in the UW system. I plan to accept in about 2 weeks once a few remaining details are hashed out, but now I'm struck by the realization that I will be living in Cincinnati (where 3-way means chili) for at least the next 2-3 years. Not that this is a bad thing, I really like it here, but it feels sort of strange. I had been hoping to return to the East Coast so that I could be closer to my favorite people and places but I guess that will have to wait a couple more years. I really do like it here. I like my job and my friends and the town (conservative though it may be) and the new boy (everyone, say hello to Jeff) and it's really nice not having to move. Well, I might move, but just to a bigger apartment. So, the offer......it's a good thing, as Martha would say. Time to get back to work.....

Greetings from Slacker-town.....

Well, it's been busy around here, that's for sure. If only I had a computer and internet access, I wouldn't be such a crappy blogger-type person. Anyway, my subject of choice for today is fall. I love fall. LOVE IT! It is absolutely my favorite time of year. I love the crisp feel of a light breeze that makes leaves do that cool swirly thing in the street. I love the indian corn and the pumpkin that I bought over the weekend. I was so excited to carve my pumpkin that I couldn't wait until until Halloween! I love that it's time to break out all my sweaters and end their summer exile in the closet I love fleece pants and sweatshirts on the weekends. I love, love, LOVE burning my Spankee Candle (Harvest is the best scent ever) while I lounge on the couch in my fleece pants with a good book in hand and a nice view of the falling leaves outside my patio door. Oh, and a cup of orange spice tea/hot apple cider too. I wish it could be fall almost all year round.......

Yes, yes, I am a slacker. I still intend to post something worth publishing but it will have to wait until next week. I would do it now but I am having a less than ideal day at work and desperately wish to order a large swirly alcoholic beverage....sigh.....

Earliest Memories....

I have a few early memories and while they are very fragmented they remain quite vivid. I remember my grandma's 50th birthday (most of you know she was very young when she got married and had my mom) and standing on a chair in the kitchen at her house and helping her blow out her candles. I remember that the cake had butterfiles made out of blue and purple frosting......and then I can remember an Easter Sunday, I was probably 3 or 4, and my mom made M and I stand at the front door while she carved our silhouettes into the wood with an exacto knife. I wore a fluffy white dress with lots of lace and a little white hat tied under my chin with a blue bow......I also remember my dad getting us ready to go to Nancy's house (the babysitter) and he would sit us on the toilet so we could watch him shave. The best part was after he finished shaving when we both got to have a little aftershave on our cheeks just like Daddy....And on days like I had yesterday, I wish more than anything that life could be as simple and joyous as they were when I was four.

My Fictitious Weekend....

Well, what would have been nice would be to wake up Saturday morning to discover that I did not have to give a presenation and could instead go back to bed for a few more hours. Then, when I woke up, I would find that my entire apartment have been cleaned by mysterious fairy people or similar, and even the dog would have been bathed:> Then there would have been a scrumptious breakfast and the words "fl*x points" would not have been uttered once. Oh, and someone would have done all the grocery shopping for me so I could lounge on my couch (no longer a crummy futon but a big fluffy couch for sitting and napping and more sitting and napping) and read books all day.
Other than that, I really did have a nice weekend and thanks to all of you for your many birthday wishes! Almost forgot--having a yummy massage from some hot shirtless guy named Manuel would have been nice;>

Now for a digression from the pre-planned GBC topic.....this year, I finally felt as though I was older. Normally, I don't feel any older after a birthday but this year was different. I don't know if it's b/c I am that much closer to 30 (which I believe to be the magic age so I am not upset about that) or if I finally have a place of my own and ergo I pay rent (that's a rather adult thing to do) or if it's b/c I have embarked upon a real life career path.....I'm not sure. Either way, it's been an exciting year and much has happened. And, funnily enough, I am in the same place I was last year regarding employment. At least this time I know I will have a job, but I don't know where. And I have real health insurance this time. Very exciting!

Anticipation.....

an-tis-i-pay-shun? Well, we've all had times when we eagerly anticipate something: an event of some sort, a new HP book, good news about a job, etc. Of course, there is the other side of that, the self-doubt, that occasionally plagues fun anticipatory thoughts. Currently, some of the things I am anticipating are: job offers from this organization and others (but what it I only get one offer?), my date tonight (wouldn't it just be nice to curl up in front of my new DVD player and finally see the first season fo SITC?), seeing my parents over the holidays (seeing my parents over the holidays?)....
Oftentimes, anticipation is the fun part b/c the event/situation is over so quickly, but you know, I'm starting to feel a little stressed. Just about the job thing really. Dates and HP books are fun and exciting (HP is on a consistent basis but dates aren't always) but the job thing is a little unnerving.

That's my bit on anticipation--it's hard not to let the job issue cloud my entry but that's what's going on here in my part of the world.

I am anxiously awaiting G's pick for "themed blogs" for our group o' friends. Until the designated theme for the week becomes known, I better do some work. Have a good day!

....and another one bites the dust....

This is the 3rd time I am entering this post....durr....need internet access at home. Maybe next year when I am a full-fledged employee instead of a "Fellow" (see intern in the dictionary). Anyway, I had one of moments this week that reminds you of why you put up with the sucky parts of your job and validates your career path of choice. I was at a well-known company headquartered here in Cinti giving a presentation. Part of the presentation involved hearing from a service-recipient (let's call her Ruby) from one of our funded agencies, and I cannot tell you how excited she was to be there. First, the company sent a black stretch limo to pick her up and then presented her with brand new glasses (guess what the company does...?) after her portion of the presentation. The company even paid her a day's wages b/c she had to take a day off of work to come do this presentation. I will tell you, Ruby has had a very exciting year. She got to meet a Hall of Fame baseball player last month and this week she had her very first limo ride. It was a very touching moment for everyone and expecially b/c Ruby was so genuinely thrilled to be there and the employees were obviously affected by the happiness and joy that Ruby shares with everyone she meets. This is why I come to work everyday (I know I didn't want to get out of bed this morning, that's for sure). It is such a beautiful thing when you can meet a person whose life you have touched and to work with a company that is so committed to this community.

In other news, I have removed my personal ads and have begun a dating hiatus. The emotional f*ckwittage was becoming unbearable and I know I deserve better. Bunch of freakin' crap, I tell you. Besides, with the end of my fellowship fast approaching, it's better to make that decision to stay here or go to another organization without the distraction of some cute boy....Given my last post, maybe I should start migrating toward New England to facilitate the building of my Spinster Lodge in VT......

Blarg...it's the end of the day and I am ready to go home. I wish I could say that I got to visit an amusement park over the weekend (like some people I know) but I had an equally nice time in Chick-a-go with my mom. We saw M*mma M*a and had a great time. And it turns out that we had dinner next to the male lead at the faboo Gr*nd L*x Cafe. For once my brother works at a decent restaurant (altho the OG does make a good strawberry margarita).

And yesterday I had a date with a nice boy with whom I have a lot in common but I'm not feeling any sparks. Durr. Now I know why people get married--so they can stop dating! To be honest, I don't really like all this dating stuff. Bleah. And who the heck knows what men are thinking when they go from calling you everyday to falling off the face of the earth. Whatever. G & A, we may as well start building our house in VT....

Good vs. really truly good....sigh...community service project or free tix to a R*ds game where I will be sitting 4 rows behind home plate...? I think I am going to the ball game. I am so bad...so very bad.

In other news, I agree with G, I'm not sure I could do justice to last weekend here so I will just say that it was truly fabulous and that's that. So good to see my very favorite people...love you!

And now for the weather report--it's raining men. But not the kind I was hoping for. It's raining men that are in their 40's (and are pervs), men with kids, and men from NYC. WTF?!? I live in the mid-west for pete's sake...sigh...not sure why I wanted to do this. There have been about 3 that seem decent so I am off to pursue that. More updates to follow...

Two trips down, one more to go...and I've saved the best for last. At this time next week, I will be laying in the sun and listening to the waves hit the shore...but no crazy sunburn allowed. Wedding pix are forever and I don't want to be the idiot with some crazy-looking sunburn in any of the pictures.

Had a great week here at UWA. Lots of new stuff to take back to Cinti and lots of excellent career advice. And a suitcase full of materials to lug home. Thank goodness I brought the big suitcase for this trip. We had a great week that was chock-full of fun activities. We got a tour of the W*st W*ng (the Ov*l Office is a lot smaller than it looks on t.v.) and I even got my picture taken at the podium in the press room. Last night we had a roof-top party at the tallest bldg in D.C. (besides the W. Monument, etc) and talk about a fabulous view. Someday I will move to D.C...not that there is anything wrong with the Mid-West. Well, time to go to the airport...

Well, another whirlwind of travel is upon me so this will be the last entry for a few weeks. Not that anyone would notice as there are never any comments (hint, hint, nudge wink). Have to go but feel free to comment in my absence...

It's monsoon season in Cinti...love the lovely monsoons. I haven't felt properly dry in 5 days. Weather man extraordinaire, LH, says the storms will be moving out my midnight tonight, but that means another day with bad hair and splash marks on my stockings. Life could be worse, I know, but a week of bad hair is just...bad.

So, I took the plunge and had my first date with someone who responded to my profile online. He is very nice and we had a good time. Unfortunately, we had a particularly nasty thunderstorm right before we met and it knocked out the power at all the restaurants at the complex where we met. So he had a drink in the dark and hoped the power would return but then after a while it became apparent that if we stayed, we'd never get anything to eat and so we went elsewhere. Stupidly I forgot that he isn't that much taller than me and I wore 2"heels. Oops. Anyway, it was a good experience and I'm sure we will go out again once the two of us are both in Cinti at the same time. Travel season is upon me, and him, so no dates for a while.

First off, Happy Birthday to Scott! Hee hee, you old man:> Anyway, I would like to remind everyone that I have known Scott for forever (or so it seems) and I can still remember him in his Mark Twain get-up for the 5th grade presentation thing we did on the 50 states (...fifty, nifty United States from the 13 original colonies...). I was Benjamin Harrison from Indiana. You know, I still remember that darned Fifty Nifty song. So, Happy Birthday Scott and can't wait to see you in a month and 4 days (not that I'm counting)!

So...HP5. I read it twice in one week. Why, yes, I am a nerd. But that's okay by me. Out of respect for those who have not finished their copy, I will refrain from mentioning specific details, but I do want to say that Rowling did an excellent job of capturing the angst-y and moody (no pun intended) parts of the teen years. Okay, I guess I should have said angst-y and moody 24/7, but at any rate, quite an enjoyable book and of course, I can hardly wait for the 6th installment.

Ok, it's Friday. And there is absolutely nothing on my calendar. What a beautiful day! Well, I have 3 "to do" lists sitting in front of me but this means I might plow through most of the items on my list. Yay!

I'll tell you, I could have slept in today. I did not want to get up at all. Now, this is a bit unusual for me as I have become an early riser and am up no later than 6am, but today, I didn't get up until 6:15. The problem is getting out of bed, because once I am up, I'm awake. I mean, I stumble into the bathroom and try not to fall back asleep while I relieve myself, but then I go make my coffee and life is good. And, my dog always comes to get me up when the alarm has gone off more than 2 times. She's good like that. And this morning, I could hardly get her to stop sticking her wet nose in my face.

So, this weekend I have much organization and cleaning of my apartment on my agenda. No HP marathon reading sessions. No taking 5 hour naps like I did a few weeks ago. Just cleaning and trying to figure out what the hell to do with my stuff. Now that it has finally stopped raining 24/7, I can put some stuff in my storage closet. There is definitely a flooding problem in the storage room but I think that I picked a closet that is in a drier spot. Let's hope so b/c I have a massive pile to remove from my living room.

We're having a blood drive at work today and I'm all signed up! I have found that the best thing to do is not look at the blood coming out of your arm and into the little bag. This is my good deed for the day, I suppose.

Not much else to mention except for HP5. Loved it! Loved it! I read my book in a total of 14 hours over the weekend. Of course, my apartment didn't get cleaned and my dog didn't get a lot of play time, but all is well now that I have my HP. Can't wait to read it again!

Must stay positive...I love my job. I really and truly love my job. But...I have come to the realization that I HATE events planning. HATE it. So, when today's golf outing is over and I am driving home to my dog, I will be done with events planning for the remainder of my internship. Yay!!!!!!!!!!!

In other news, after grousing about how difficult my father is to shop for and that Father's Day was just around the corner, guess who forgot to call her dad on Father's Day before he left for the airport? I am a doofus. And now today I must call and apologize for being an asshole and not calling my dad on F. Day. My brother didn't call either, so I am not alone in the asshole boat.

And in response to A's blog, I need to work on making new friends, too. I have some friends here but I want to make friends outside of the office. And a date wouldn't be so bad either. They have these young professionals groups that do social events and volunteer projects and everytime they are doing something cool, I am out of town somewhere. But not this month! This month I plan to do a couple of activities with the YP group. But not until after I've read the new HP book. That is definitely the first priority:>

Ugh...aerobics totally kicked my ass last night. Looks like an *dvil kind of day...of course, one does not shed 10 lbs. by sitting on one's ass. But we have a good time and I guess that's as good a reason as any to keep putting myself thru torture twice a week.

So, Father's Day is this weekend. My father is so hard to shop for. He could always use a new pair of pants or a shirt or something, but he's so damn picky and never wears the nice stuff I get him. Like the nice khakis I bought a few years ago that are still hanging in his closet with the tag still on...I suppose I could just take the easy way out and send him a new chamois. He likes those. I was trying to do a "Best of Cinti" type-gift-thing, but I am running out of non-perishable goods to mail to him. I could send him a car jar and a box of malted milk balls and call it a day. Darn him for being so difficult to buy for.

In other news, it's time to start thinking about "what next" after my internship is over in, like, 7 months. The organization wants to help us with finding new (permanent)placements (can't be an intern forever) and they have already started that process by telling us we need to at least start thinking about what cities or geographic regions. Now me, I've pretty much come to accept that I will need to be mobile for the next 10 years. I don't mind so much where I live so long as the position can take me to the next step. I'm NOT going to Arkansas. Or Texas. Or Florida. I do have my limits. I just can't believe it's already time to start thinking of what next. Even my CEO here in Cinti has asked that question. And of course, everything depends on the offer that he will make. I wouldn't mind staying here for 2 more years before moving on...sigh.....

The Fummer is back...I had the lovliest weekend. I got a full night's rest Friday and Saturday nights and had 2 naps that lasted 3-5 hours in length. It was...lovely...I went to the grocery store and the bank and the car wash and that was it. The rest of the time was spent lazing about my apartment. I did do laundry, tho. I had to, I was out of underwear. And now I am out of quarters.

So, yes, I did the moving thing and cleaned out my mom's house. I brought home an entire car load of stuff and my uncle took, like, 6-7 boxes with him to be picked up by me next weekend. How have I accumulated so much damn stuff? Part of it is b/c I am a woman and women get strapped with things like, china, for example, and tea sets and music boxes and tons of shit I don't need. But since it's worth $60 a plate, I'll keep it. And so I gave away the crib M and I both used, as well as the bassinette, and the B*rbie corvette (that was mine). Also, the CP Kids, stuffed animals out the wazoo, board games and the like. And then I went thru the boxes in my closet with letters from Andy B***n written in marker, old M*rch*nd*ser's with the marching band group photo on the front, notes, notes, notes folded in various shapes, group notebooks (that reminds me, where is the CJ?), and about a hundred birthday and holiday cards. I found more pictures (Ang, the ones from the night we stuffed our bras--little did we know that someday we would be so naturally and fabulously endowed) and old yearbooks and you name it, I saved it. It's so funny to look back on that time in my life, our lives. And here we are now...I wonder what's next?

Just to let you know that I will be out of town this weekend and half of next week, so I will be on a blogging hiatus. I have to help my mom move this weekend and I am attending a conference next week in Indy. Can't wait until my life is back to normal and there is no more out of town engagements. Not that travel isn't nice, but not for 3 weeks straight.

So, this is the weekend where I send my childhood toys to G**dwill. In fact, I was supposed to drive up to my mom's last night, and here I am at the office today when I should be going thru the G**dwill pile right at this very moment. I better get my work done so I can get going. Be back in a week or so!

Had a great time in Boston (So proud of you Manda!) despite the rain and chill...now must never take a vacation again b/c work piles up in my absence. Blarg.

This is a very sad day, indeed. My academic advisor, mentor, and a favorite professor has turned in her letter if resignation and is packing up her office. She will be moving back to NY and taking a research assoc. position at C*rnell. When an institution of higher learning denies tenure to an outstanding scholar and well-loved professor, it defeats its very existence as an instituion of higher learning. They should change the name from F&M College to F&M Money-Making Machine. That's how it seems to me. It's a very, very, very sad day....

Okay, no more complaints about my blog if no one is going to leave comments...This will be short anyway since I have yet to prepare for my monthly evaluation and I need to get crackin'...Work is good but busy, as usual. And I can't believe it's time for another evaluation. Time passes so quickly...I can't believe I have been here 3 months next week. Crazy.

Well, I am very excited about Amanda's graduation in 2 weeks--and not just because I get to go to Boston to see her graduate. An Ode to Amanda is forthcoming, I swear, but I just wanted to say how excited I am. Amanda, I am so proud of you! I am looking forward to time spent with my second family (Mrs. P included) and since this is really the only vacation I get this year, I intend to enjoy myself. And then, the following week, I have to help my mother move into her new apartment. While I am very excited about said apt. I am not looking forward to moving all this crap again. And it forces me to move out the rest of my stuff...even tho I have no place to put it...And not only that, but I have found that it is no longer practical to save childhood toys and whatnot for the imaginary future children that Matthew or I may have. I saved all my C*bbage P*tch dolls and furniture and the B*rbie corvette, etc. and now I am going to give almost all of it to G**dwill (a very fine UW agency). I am kind of sad at having to do that but I can't store it anywhere without paying an arm and a leg to do so, nor does my mother have the space to keep it for me, and who's to say any kid will want to play with this stuff in 10 years anyway? So, I picked out my favorite ones and will have to find someplace to hide them from dog-that-destroys-all-things-soft-and-furry. Suddenly, I find myself missing my 8 year-old self...

Alright. You complain that I don't blog frequently enough and then you don't even have the decency to come and comment. Darn you! Darn you!

Ahem...Ode to my dog on her 8th Birthday...I guess Shana can now be a member of AARD (retired dogs, get it?)...anyway...to my faithful animal companion who gets fur all over my bed and ocassionally gets in my hamper (little stinker)...who is always excited to see me even when I'm only gone long enough to take out the trash...who greets me with hugs and kisses when I come home from work...who loves me unconditionally and has outlasted a number of boyfriends (and even vomitted on one of them, hee!)...who never forgets to take me on our daily W-A-L-K (I dare not say the word)...who is so kind as to "help" me cook my dinner by standing under my feet and trying to catch anything that falls...who helps me spend my hard-earned money by eating foregin objects that force me to take her to the emergency animal hospital and pay to have said object removed or be forced to place a $30 phone call to animal poison control...who is a loyal, faithful and loving pet (kid with fur) who hates baths but loves to play and makes me the crazy dog lady I am so proud to be. Happy Birthday Shana!

Ahem...An Update by Kelly...well, you know who I am already. Yes, I apologize, I am a very bad blogger. Bad Kelly, very bad Kelly. Anyway, I will spare you the reasons for my poor blogger posting habits and I will now launch into my Ode to Angie and big, huge, enthusiastic congratulations to Alissa for a job well done. 3 more years to pillow hats. Sorry I couldn't be there:< I am so very proud of you!

Ahem...Ode to Angie on her 24th Birthday (are you really that old?) Happy Birthday to the person who: remembers every foreign object eaten by my dog...always helps me with the job application process...made pet resumes for Shana (loved those)...is a tireless cheerleader...talked me thru many a moving-back-to-Lanky strategy...remembers that I love yellow roses...whose *butt* calls my cell phone and leaves funny "ketchup, please"-type messages on my voice mail...is also a crazy dog lady like me...writes down predictions for the last 3 HP books and tells me all about them on a train ride to the F**ld Museum in Ch*cago...spontaneously decides she wants to make homemade soap in the Br*dy B*nch kitchen at 11:30 at night...shares almost all the same fun, fearless feminist values I do. Happy Birthday sister of the heart! I love you!

Bad Blogger Kel-ly. Durn it. Just been so busy. So, here I am on a Monday afternoon and seriously dreading the meeting I have to go to in an hour. I swear time stands still during those meetings. I wish I had some candy to make it better...left all my candy at home and now will have to purchase candy from evil vending machine upstairs...

So, if you are looking for something to do this summer, why not come visit me? There's tons of stuff to go see and do and besides you'd be spending time with me...Doesn't that sound like fun? But don't come after the 3rd week of July. This is a strictly first half of the summer kind of offer. I miss you all so much and wish I could have come to Lanky for the so-called holiday weekend. Instead I did a mountain, yes a mountain, of laundry and attempted to find creative ways to store things in my tiny storage-less apartment. Really I should just put in giant shelving units on all the walls and eliminate the storage problem but then I couldn't have furniture. R-Maid needs to come up with a line of storage couches/chairs and the like. At least I have a roof over my head...

It's good to be back in Cinti. Only have a second here but I had a great time in Nashville and hope to attend this conference again in future years. Very busy week ahead and to make it worse I rec'd the news that my academic advisor/mentor/favorite professor was denied tenure. Needless to say I am very upset by this and seriously considering a big F**K OFF to the Professional Standards committee. And to the institution as a whole that will not be receiving any more of my money if they do not repeal this decision. That being said, I need to go home now and start writing some letters.

Ah, the Fummer returns from a brief foray in the Windy...very busy weekend and very glad to be home. Esp. now that I have *my own place to call home*. Love that! I had a nice time helping my grandma with her show but I don't think I plan to do any more this year. I just dread the whole packing up and loading the van part that comes at the end. My grandma always brings more than she needs (or has ever used--at least to my knowledge) and insists on loading the cart so full that it tips in the middle of the street. And then we have to go to the storage facility and see the creepy old guy that works there. Anyway, I'm glad to be back although it was nice to see my mom and my friends.

I'm happy to report that I have not seen any bugs en mi casa lately. A little spanglish anyone? My supervisor is taking a spanish class and it is so funny to hear her speak--you know "hab-lo." Too funny. It makes my espanol sound close to fluent, I'll tell you. We went to Ch*potle last week and I taught her how to give her order in spanish. At least she tries. I keep saying that I will take a class one of these days. I'm settled in to the new job and apartment...I need to get my rear in gear. But there's always some reason to put it off. There's softball starting next week and book club and...crap. I'm running out of things. Maybe I could buy a CD and listen to it in my car. But that cuts down on NPR time. Well, I need to go home and starch/iron my blouses and pack my stuff. By goddess, I'm going to go see Minnie Pearl's hat on display if it kills me!

The bad blogger returns to make a short entry...it's Tuesday and I have a very busy week ahead. I'm going to Chick-a-go on Friday to help out at my grandma's quilt show, having brunch with friends on Sunday and then making a mad dash back to Cinti since I have to be at work Monday morning. At least I'll get to raid my grandma's huge stash of fabric. Time to start a new quilt. Except that I sort of didn't finish the last one so I better get my rear in gear before she comes to visit my in April. Must have a finished product. Really I have no excuse for not having it done.

Things are good here in Cinti. Nice weather and grass is a-growing. Of course, the bugs are a-coming in my house b/c of the warm temps so must take some extreme bug deterrent measures. Besides just squishing them on my wall and leaving a lovely brown streak on the white paint...Not a fan of those uninvited guests and my dad isn't around to kill/spray the critters for me. Now being the independent and self-sufficient woman that I am, I will squish/spray the critters and hang the art work and all the other stuff that dad's do. Much as I love my dad, and appreciate his help, I am glad to be 492 miles away:> And 280 away from my mom:> Which is almost, but not quite, as good as being in Siberia or something.

Yes, I am a bad blogger. I only have, like, 2 minutes and then it's back to work. I am suddenly very busy with work and starting some really exciting projects so things are good. I have made some friends and have been quite social. I have to make myself sometimes but it's just that I really enjoy time to myself in my BIG GIRL APARTMENT where I LIVE ALL BY MYSELF!!!! Hee hee. The weather is quite nice and I can't wait to put some potted flowers on my porch. I'd plant some but there are some tennants whose cats run loose and will trample my beautiful landscape:> Also, I booked my tix to Boston after 1.5 hours trying to figure out why I wasn't getting a confirmation. Silly me ended up with a total of 8 attempted reservations on D*lta flight whatever I picked. Oops. So, going to Boston and am so very excited. Must run but be sure to leave lots of comments...

Happy (belated) Birthday to Manda! I mean, I didn't forget but I am belatedly posting it on my blog. And Happy (very belated) Blog Birthday Posting to Alissa and Hef, for that matter! So much love to all of you and just remember that you will all turn *50* before I do, or Gwen, thus making G and myself the Blanches (think Golden G*rls) of the group. Without the gratiutious sex with many partners, serious denial about our age and no blue wrap-around dresses with huge shoulder pads. Hee hee!

Am a bad friend! Hee! Not much going on her in Cinti...I still haven't kept my kitchen table clear of clutter for more than a day at a time. I think I have turned into my mother and that scares the bejeebies right out of me. Hmm...I am fully insured now! That's reason enough for celebration in my book. I should have a party for myself. Maybe now I can afford some thera-pie;> Must run...be sure to make lots of funny comments!

Okay, blog is back to normal. Hee hee! I just read G's blog about the day she spent in my hotel room. Hee hee, testing fire alarm system. Guess I should have mentioned that to you...Except that I didn't know about it until the end of the day when I saw a paper shoved under my door advising of said event. Anyway...

Well, I am back in the world of work. So far there is no data entry and probably there will never be any for me to do (whew)! So much has happened in the 3 weeks since I have been in blogging-country that I am in a mad dash to catch up. Unfortunately I do not have the leisure to write a nice long passage about my exploits but I will say that I have been having a great time. With the exception of spending too much time with my family during the moving process. Def. too much bonding time. I think I might be ready to see my dad again in July. Not that anything bad happened, but it was 24 hours a day, every day for 4 straight days and I just can't stand being around anyone for that amount of time. So anyway, things here in Cinti are good. Big girl apt. is shaping up nicely. I am going to spend fab. gift certificate to P**r 1 this weekend and buy one of those nice dresser thingies that G has in her room. I still have a crap load of laundry sitting in laundry baskets. But they are NICE laundry baskets. The nice R-maid kind that you can hold against your hip and has the sturdy handles on them! Yay for laundry baskets!

Have already started making friends--v. excited about this! I will be going to an art gallery this evening with another intern (she's interning for credit) and her friends and we will be having dinner and then going to the gallery. I expect to see some other co-workers in attendance--some of whom I spent Wed. evening with at a happy hour, or POETS, as they call it here. Must go and prepare myself for a day of meetings. Meetings ARE good!

testing...

...Whew...in a terrible rush. Sorry my blog has lay fallow for a while. Hmmm..where did I get that choice of words. Will blog again soon. Cinti is good so far. Must find a pcp and a dentist. CANNOT fly to Lanky just to see Dr. G. Just not feasible. Also, cannot fly to Lanky to see Kim or Dr. W. Definitely out of the question. Bleah!

Big Girl apartment is good and Big Girl Cubicle is, well, good. It the first time that I've had a whole desk all to myself. No one to put their germy hands on my keyborad or mouse or to breathe their germs all over my phone. Ick! Must dash but love to all and please send lots of comments! Still don't have a new name for the fabulous blog!

Okay. Going to have to change the name soon...still no proper suggestions (no offense). Maybe Fummer Trying to Find Herself. Or Fummer who is about to take a blogging hiaitus. Did I spell that right? So, yes...Moving Day is fast approaching and will commence on Feb 3 weather permitting. I think I may have ironed out most of the wrinkles in the moving plan but it will all remain to be seen, huh?

But I am officially unemployed at the moment. I was given the boot yesterday after lunch. No more data entry and no more auditing. I remember when I thought I would never be done and then suddenly, it was finished. Now I can properly deal with the anxiety that accompanies the start of a new job. Yikes! Promise to blog again before starting hiaitus.

You know, I never REQUESTED that I get email solicitations for p*nis enlargement. WTF?!? Really. And since I'm on the subject of p*nises (is there a plural form, I wonder), this morning on my favorite morning show in Chicago (I can listen to it on the web) they had a guy on from "P*ppetry of the P*nis who can make his p*nis into different shapes. Now, how does one discover that he can make his p*nis into the shape of a turtle, hamburger, or Loch Ness monster? And I guess that the show is so popular that they are holding casting calls for men to be in the show in Chicago. I think he said that the shows have pretty much sold out world wide. He also says it doesn't hurt to perform p*nile manipulation. Not sure what I think about this. But since I'll be in that area in the next 2 weeks, maybe I should get some tix and see for myself...

I finally went. I saw it in real life. It was...beautiful. I saw the butter sculpture at the Farm Show. Hee! Actually, it was really cool and I had a good time with H. We had a baked potato and the best milkshake I've ever had. We saw lots of cows and horses and rabbits and of course, the butter sculpture. It was a cow this year and I got a picture of myself posing with it. We saw tractors and combines and horse pulling contests. Clydesdales are the biggest animals that I have ever seen in real life (not counting the elephant I saw at the Philly zoo when I was 12). It was so cool. I wish I had time to go back for "Sheep to Shawl" but I just couldn't make it.

And here I am in the Land of Data Entry with a stack of pledge forms 3.5 inches high...sigh...I think I'm only here for another week or so. I still haven't started packing or anything. I have so much crap to sort and put in boxes or throw away. I don't really like moving b/c it just involves so much packing and unpacking and it forces you to own up to your pack-rat tendencies. I guess it's a good thing in that respect. I should hear this afternoon if I'm approved for this apartment that I want. Keep your fingers crossed:> Yay! Big girl apartment for me! The imaginary apartment will finally be reality. Except for the decent furniture part but that will come in time. Besides, I'd just have to move it again in 11 months when I get relocated for a permanent placement. And next time, I'm hiring movers, dammit!

So much to do and too little time to do it all. Bleah. I'm still looking online for apartments and out of all the ones I've searched, only 3 are within 10 miles of my office. And I meant to start a little packing this weekend but I didn't get that far. By packing I mean dumping the papers out of my vegetable bin (soon to be a sock and underwear bin) and taking the bin to my dad's house along with the dog food and books and knickknacks, etc. Packing won't be so bad since I don't have all that much stuff here in Lanky and almost all the stuff at my mom's house is already packed in a box and taped shut. So I am leaving this week to go look at some places and hopefully sign lease by Friday pm so that I can head back to PA on Saturday. A big thank you to BANG! for the great pet resume for Shana:> Which reminds me that I have to call the vet. Gotta go!

Perhaps I should resolve to be better at blogging this year...I would like to note that I have successfully kept a resolution from last year and have continued into 2003. Brace yourself for this one: I floss regularly b/c of a resolution I made for 2002. I also made it in 2000 and 2001 but it didn't seem to stick. I am oh so proud of myself:> I'm still working on resolutions for this year, one of which will be to take more time for reflection which I am sucking at already...So, I guess I'll have to change my blog title now that I'm moving again. Any ideas, G? "Fummer in Cincinnati"? That's lacking some...punch, perhaps. It could be called "If Ya Smell What the Fummer is Cooking." Hee hee hee. I am so funny:> Well, back to work...

I.Finally.Got.A.Job. Wheeee!!!! Yay me! I am so very excited about getting a job and no longer being *second choice* for everything I interview for. La la la la la. And now that the waiting is over and I know that I am going to *Cincinnati* (yes, WKRP and all that) the panic has set in as I think about all that I have to do within one month's time. But I have health and dental insurance!!! So much to think about...And to think that I have to relocate within a year to a new organization is something that I cannot even begin to entertain. One thing at a time. Must find a new vet, bank, doctor, residence...whew...But first I must get back to work as there is trouble in the Land of Data Entry.

...sigh...My vacation is over. I had a great time in Chicago with my mom and wish I could have stayed a little longer. We went downtown and did some shopping on the Mag Mile and looked at the holiday window displays at Marshall Field's and had lunch at the restaurant where my brother works. It's a really snazzy place and I had a yummy pot roast sandwich with horseradish and a baked to order strawberry shortcake that we shared. I wanted to go to Navy Pier but they didn't have anything interesting at this time of year and it's too cold to run the big ferris wheel. Daley's big freakin' money pit, I mean Milleneum Park, looked like it was just about finished. They had this big snowglobe thing that I think you could walk thru...hm...still not sure what I think about that. Even X-mas day with the family was normal and relatively non-dysfunctional. All in all, a very nice holiday and a nice weekend spent with friends when I returned. I loved that we *smudged* the fast approaching New Year! I hope it helps;>

Time for some naughty blogger fun. I should be working but I think I need a break from all the stress. Hee! At least the work keeps me from stressing over waiting to hear if I got this internship or not. I will feel like the world's biggest idiot if I get rejected. I mean, here I am with a college education and *some* post-undergrad work experience and it's still not enough. It's hard to keep hearing that "we hired someone who had a little more experience in XYZ area but we really liked you and we will keep you in mind for future openings." Crap, crap, crap. Being second best does NOT get you a consistent paycheck or real health insurance. Whatever. Trying to stay positive and not wish to hurry up and be *thirty* already. 30 seems to be the magic age, I think. Your 20's are behind you and you (hopefully) have a job you like in the career of your choice (or one of the many that you will have in your lifetime) and you have a little freakin' stability. So, that's that. Hmmm. I think I feel a little better. Yay blog! I knew you had a purpose.

...sigh...Just taking a break from data entry. It's just so stimulating that I can hardly tear myself away from it. Aren't you just so jealous? Hee hee hee. I went out and cut down my first X-mas tree this weekend. For the first 10+ years of my life, we had an artificial tree and when it finally kicked the bucket, we started buying fresh ones, but I've never gone to a tree farm and cut it down myself before. It was fun but then when I got home, I started to feel guilty for cutting down a tree just so I could put lights on it and present beneath it and then turn it into mulch in 4 weeks. But it is a very nice tree and it smells very pine-y and fresh. Well, must get back to the data entry. Wish me luck on Thursday--I'll be having THE interview in the afternoon:>

Hope everyone had a nice Turkey Day...I think this is the first year that I hardly ate any leftovers since Shana swiped our turkey 7 years ago. Anyway, I had a nice holiday with all of my favorite people present at some point or another. Good to see all of you!!! Can't wait to see you again in a month:> I finally got my drivers license/license plate thing taken care of and now I am good to go. Of course, I find out AFTER election day that I am still elegible to vote in PA at my usual polling place. Jeez. And now that I've switched everything over, I just know that I will end up taking a job that requires that I move out of PA. I have one interview scheduled for tomorrow and expect to have another one scheduled within a week or so and HOPE to schedule THE interview very soon. They are all social services positions and I hope that at least one of them makes an offer. The job thing is all that's happening at the moment. I'm starting to feel a little ambivalent about visiting my mom at the end of the month. Actually, it's not my mom but rather her family. It's only for a week so I'm sure I can deal. I can't believe that I am leaving my baby girl with my dad while I fly out to see my mom. It won't be the same on X-mas morning without her always trying to take off with wads of wrapping paper in her mouth or putting her nose on all the gifts and leaving little snot marks on everything. Dear goddess, I am a crazy dog lady! Better to be crazy about dogs than kids, if you ask me. All in due time, I suppose...

Today was my last day at my job at the UW. It doesn't feel like it's over yet and I can't believe that I don't HAVE to go into the office on Mon. or Tues. of next week. I say HAVE as opposed to SHOULD because technically, I don't have to go in but I should just to tie up a couple loose ends. Hey! That qualifies as volunteer work and that's okay, too. But for now, I will spend the holidays with friends and adopted family and try to relax and enjoy myself. I go to the temp agency on Friday to take my typing test so that I can get myself some temp work while I wait for my interviews to start. And that's pretty much it around here. I already got my PA drivers license and am just waiting on a title certificate for my car to arrive so that I can get my car registered in PA. I am totally psyched about my new car insurance. I have a great plan and my agent is really nice and super helpful. Yup...I've definitely reached adulthood. Only adults would be excited about car insurance. And health insurance. And all things having to do with insurance, I suppose. Did you know that they even have *cancer insurance*? Crazy...but then again, maybe not.

Bbbrrrrrrrrrrr! Ok. It's officially cold outside. But here in the House of G., there is a fire in the fireplace and a too hot hot tub to sit in. The too hot part was my own stupid fault. I quite enjoy t.v. or books in front of the fire with my baby girl curled up against me...yak, yak, yak. So, it looks like it is going to be a very Lanky Thanksgiving and a very Dysfunctional X-mas with the fam. Did I just write "fam"? WTF?!? Anyway, looking forward to being present for the annual fight b/w Nanny and Aunt Mamie over the neck and the wings (Nanny corrected me a dinner last night, Ang:>) and Larry saying "This is delicious, Dollllllllll" in that nasally Larry voice of his. Hee! This year will be a little odd since normally I go the G house for pie after dinner with my parents but this year I will do dinner with the G's & Co. and have pie (maybe) with my dad and his girlfriend. You know, I think that having your parents separate/divorce when you are an adult is probably more difficult in some ways. When you are a kid, and your parents split up and you start splitting the holidays between them, it's just something that you have to do. But when you are an adult, you don't HAVE to do anything and you have to make a decision to attend or not. Because then you have to take the high ground and go be nice to your mom/dad's new boyfriend/girlfriend and his/her kids and grandchildren even tho you don't want to. Bleah. And if you're my brother, you get to skip out on it entirely b/c you are 700 miles away. But he'll get his when he has T-giving with my mom's dysfunctional family;> Aren't I a downer? The only thing worse than holidays spent with your dysfunctional family is not having a job yet and having to say "No, I'm still looking" to everyone who asks.

It's a rainy Sunday afternoon and all I want to do is curl up with my dog and take a nap/read a book/watch t.v. or maybe do all three. I must, however, do job stuff and cannot allow relaxation to commence until I have finished with my appl. and essay. Fun, fun, fun...I suppose I should be thinking about holiday cards, as well. I always get really excited when I buy the cards and writing the first few is fun but then I get bored and wish I hadn't bought any at all. Maybe I should stop sending them...But then, how often do any of us send "snail mail?" And so it begins...

This time I made a list of things to mention, so here goes...First, I have to say that often times doing the right thing is hard. Really hard. I did not get the job offer that I was hoping to get and today the person who got the job over me had her first day. We were all expected to congregate in the lunch room for a "meet and greet" type-deal with fruit and bagels, etc. I had planned to sleep late and then take a leisurely stroll (ha!) to New Holland to pick up $$$$$. Then this morning I decided to take the "high ground" and not let them get me down. After all, it's not the new person's fault that I applied and interviewed for the same job twice within 2.5 months and got rejected twice within 2.5 months. So, bleah. She's very nice but that doesn't mean that I am volunteering to hang out with her. So, that's that. I am currently looking for employment elsewhere and hope to find something soon. I don't really want to have to talk about the Stamp Act to a room full of 8th graders:> I guess I could be Alissa's assistant...Second, I went to church for the first time since I was 12 or 13 years old. Well, not including weddings, etc. I tried out the UU church in Lanky and it was a very nice service. I didn't get that feeling like I was going to be struck down where I stood like I felt in my former church of long ago. I think I could get into this...it's a lot about community and tolerance and "thinking globally and acting locally" and that's something that really appeals to me. Third, I think that instead of being cremated and having my remains tossed any old place (upon my death that is--not just taking a stroll down to the old crematorium for fun) I think I'd like to have my remains made into diamonds. They did an article in the Sunday newspaper here and it was quite interesting. I think funerals, on the whole, are a ridiculous waste of money. I mean, you're dead. Why would you waste thousands and thousands of dollars to prolong decomposition? Just a plain old pine box costs $700. WTF?!? Put my ass in a cardboard box and shove me in the oven. Besides, burials are such a waste of space. I mean really. You're dead. What are you going to do about it? Use the life insurance money (if there is any) for a vacation or give some to charity or fund a scholarship for a family member or something. Or use it to create diamonds from the remains of your loved one. They reported in the paper that it only costs about $2-3k to do it. That is so much cheaper than a funeral and you could have a little piece of mom or dad or whomever to carry with you, unless you lost it and that would be bad. And they say that these diamonds are frequently of higher quality than diamonds found in nature. Interesting. Definitely some food for thought...

No time to blog today. Must be up at 4 am (well before the butt crack of dawn) to do some presentations. Only 2.5 weeks left of insanely early presentations. Then I will have a week off for the holidays and it will be back to looking for a job/temping/whatever the hell else comes along. I always have lots of things to address in my blog, but like Alissa and Scott have already mentioned, it's hard to remember what you wanted to say by the time you get to sit down and blog...sigh...Another day perhaps. Will blog soon--I promise:>

...sigh...I'm a bad blogger. Anyway, I think that the worst of the campaign is behind me. I had 3 ridiculously busy weeks and now things are slowing down and it's time to start getting the $$$$$. I interviewed with a total of 5 people in the last 2 weeks and hope to hear their decision by the end of this week or early next. Hopefully they will want to hire me and I can get on with my life. I need to get a PA driver's license, change my plates, get PA car insurance, and a place to live. I can't do any of this until I get a permanent job. So, it's been an eventful 3 weeks since last I blogged. I've done close to 30 presentations, walked in 2 parades, and my dog was sprayed by a skunk. Oh, and by the way, tomato juice does NOTHING for the god-awful stench of skunk. Shana has had 5 baths and will get a bath once a week until the smell is gone. She smells okay right now, but when you are sitting next to her you can kind of smell it a little. We've taken to spraying a little perfume on her:> Poor baby.

On Saturday I went to Sugarloaf Crafts Festival with Alissa. Very nice show with lots of fun things to see and taste. The maple syrup stand was yummy:> I did a little holiday shopping--always nice to support craft show carnies (HA!). Some of the vendors had bright blue or neon pink hair--interesting. I visited the silver bracelet lady that I visit every summer and fall at the Guild show at F&M. Someday I might actually buy one of the bracelets I try on every time I see her. We had a nice time, tho and then it was time to return to Lanky. I cleaned my car inside and out on Sunday and ran some errands and now I can cross a bunch of things on my "to do" list. I feel betty already. One of these days I hope to cross "move into own apartment" off my list...

What a busy week...of course I say that every time I get on here but it's the truth. Better than being bored out of my mind and wondering when I am going to get a job. Speaking of job, I had my interview at the UW yesterday and I hope to make it to the second round. I will keep you posted. In the meantime, I am doing the Panheim Marade tomorrow night. Woo! Aren't you so jealous? Hee hee. Going to walk beside the raffle car and throw candy and try not to get mobbed by greedy ill-mannered children (and adults). I had a lovely time on Sunday with Gwen and Amanda. We didn't do much but we did get to Cactus and I had half of a swirly margarita. Hey, I had to drive home after that. It was a gorgeous day in D.C. and stupid me wore a black turtleneck. Duh. But once the sun started to set I was in good shape. Gwen's new place is so neat! I loved the orange bathroom:> Too bad your fireplace is tiled up, G, that would be so cool! Thanks for a nice time, G and A! It's always nice to see your friends. Time to go do some vegging out before bed. Ta!

MAJOR kudos to Gwen or fixing my f-ing blog!!!!!! Wooo! So, yeah, new blog with new name and now I have comments so there better be some mad comment action going on here. Is that what the kids are saying these days? Life continues to be a whirlwind for me but I'm okay with that. I still really like what I'm doing but I am so glad that I am wrapping up presentations at Sigh Hteel this week. Last night I had to give a talk at 11 pm and 12 am, which was fine b/c I can leave work early the next 2 days to make up for it, but the 2nd talk was kind of amusing. I was doing my thing after the various supervisors gave their safety talks and now I know not to expell bodily fluids near my co-workers and that if I MUST chew tobacco, that I must also carry around a bodily fluids container in which to place said bodily fluids. Eeeeeewww....Anyway, job is good but FT and P job is better. I have applied for another open position with the UW so we will see what happens. Not too much else is going on since all I do is give presentations at odd hours of the day and night. Hung out with Phil and Larry (oh, God, I can't believe I wrote that) Saturday night and actually had a nice time. Larry totally cracks me up:> This Sunday I am going to D.C. to see Amanda and Gwen for the day and I hope we are doing something that involves Cactus Cantina (hint, hint, nudge, wink).

testing archives.

now we're really testing, baby. watch me change color.

Ooh, I am a bad blogger. I'm also very busy now and so that's my excuse. My new job is great and I'm very excited about what I'm doing. I gave my first presentation on Friday at LGH. Well, we've been practicing in front of each other for a week so this was my first real presentation to people that haven't heard the "dog and pony," as my boss calls it. Yesterday was the Day of Caring and I am proud to say that Lanc. UW has the highest volunteer turnout per capita in the nation. That is darned cool! Over 3,000 people participated this year and we were all very successful. And we got cool red t-shirts to wear. I almost participated in the mucking out of the Conestoga River but I was on food detail instead. I'm glad my years at I's really did count for something b/c I can make a sub in record time. It was just like doing the sub fundraiser for ORCA. I should call Doc. Hmmmm. I went to the HHS vs. MC football game Friday night. Go Black Knights! We kicked some serious Barons butt. HHS won 26-10 and it was a really good game to watch. Except for the guy kicking the field goals (I thought Mrs. P was going to go down there and show him how it's done) the team played well and it was very exciting. Both the team and cheerleaders had new uniforms as did the MC band. Remember how ugly their uniforms were? They have white ones now with maroon and gold sequined sashes. V. nice. We got there late and missed the HHS band but I'm sure we'll catch them another time. And the line for Finks' was as long as ever. And after I waited in line forever to get mine, the bag split open and all the fries fell out on the ground. I guess I'll have to trek out to Roots this week for more or (gasp) I might have to go to another football game. Go Black Knights!

Greetings from the Land of JOB! Yay job! I was going to complain about my suspicion that F**d M****r Co. is conspiring against car owners who want to do an oil change themselves but it seems so ridiculous now that I did it and it's done and I don't need to do it again for another 3,000 miles. Whatever. I think I'll just pay somebody else to do it for me b/c it wasn't worth the headache of trying to find the unusual type of oil required and it cost me almost as much as having it done at the dealership. Anyway, my new job is really cool so far. We are all still in training until Monday but I think we will be very well prepared to go out and get the $$$$$$$ for the United Way of Lancaster County's 48 member agencies and services. I am really excited about this opportunity to do something that really makes a difference. One of the great things about UW Lanc.Co. is that in Lancaster County, one person DOES make a difference as opposed to Philadelphia who has thousands and thousands more people. We were able to tour a few of the member agencies on Tuesday and we will be going again on Friday. It was really neat to see how UW support can do so much at these agencies, and in turn, for the clients and no one is ever turned away. I really think this is going to go well and hopefully it will turn into something permanent after the campaign is over. Keep your fingers crossed for me:>