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:>