Shrinking My Brain... With Any Number of Methods

When your TiVo starts telling you it can't record a program because it's out of room, you should:
1) watch a few things just to delete them
2) go through the List and get rid of things Jon set it to record
3) stop recording such crap
4) all of the above

OK, so it hasn't happened to me tonight, but I'm expecting it to any minute. I have these Wishlists set up on my TiVo. The keywords are: "Movies & 2007", "Movies & 2006", and "Movies & 2005". Geez... you'd think I like movies or something. Well, I used to. Nowadays, I don't like watching anything that takes longer than an hour. Just don't have the patience for it. I feel like I'm wasting time sitting here watching a movie. Well, unless the movie is stellar... like the few I've watched recently. OK, bottom line, I do like movies... I just think I won't when I'm preparing to sit down and watch one. And when I feel that way going into one, I tend to shy away from the long ones. Therefore, the movies (especially the long ones) pile up on me on TiVo. But I cannot resist the draw of periodically checking out the Wishlists (Movies 2007, 2006, and 2005). It's just so intriguing to know what new (or new-ish) movies are going to be on regular TV... or the mega package we have from DirecTV. (Who even knows how many channels we get??!! I bet it's in the thousands. Who can watch that much TV? So, see? I have to make it semi-worth my while by grabbing movies left and right to save myself the trip (and cash) at Blockbuster.)

Anyway, here's to not getting up at 3:30 am with an overwhelming urge to hug the toilet. And here's to not having to spend all day lying down so as not to re-experience the overwhelming urge to hug the toilet. From this blog to God's ears. Bulemia would SUCK if you're me. That's all I'm saying. Too much? Well, SORRY. You're just reading it. I had to LIVE it.

Can't Buy Me Loyalty

Every once in a while, I get TOO comfortable. I appreciate the job I have, I do. I count it among my blessings every time I start naming them. There are so many things about it that I adore... the flexibility, my boss, the positive reinforcement, some of the work itself, the money, etc. But every so often, something comes along to remind me not to take it for granted. This job may not be there tomorrow. Tomorrow, it's not there for one of my good friends and favored colleagues. The job (and the company) has no loyalty to you. And with that said, it's hard to muster up any loyalty for the job/company in return. I was floored when I learned of Pat's fate. I guess I should've seen it coming. All of the corporate departments have had to downsize (one person for most) after the divestiture of one of our most frustrating and time-consuming business units. After all, how could we justify keeping everyone when this one business unit was taking up at least one full-time employee per group (usually more)? Still... it was hard to watch Crystal go out the door. It'll be harder still to watch Joyce leave. But Pat... man, Pat's been the COR constant. Truthfully, yes, you've probably seen his name before. He's a perennial thorn in my side, asking questions and pushing me to do things that irritate me to no end. But it's always been a rosy thorn! And we've always (for the most part) worked really well together. I guess I just never thought they'd give up on him. Today they did. Boo. Hiss. And there goes just a little bit more of my own loyalty out the door with him.

Pat - I hope you land on your feet and find that perfect job you've already been seeking for so long. Truthfully, you're probably much better off. That perfect job... I simply don't think it exists here.

Meanwhile, after getting over the tiredness and soreness of this morning, I decided to do several activities today (much to Cooper's enjoyment)! We took a walk at about 5, a bike ride at about 7, and I ran at about 8:30 (2 in 20:12... getting better still).

These Boots Were Made For Running

It was just the slightest bit cooler today (thanks to the God-sent rain that we finally got yesterday... and later tonight), so I thought, "Why not? I'll take Coop & Kona for a run outside." I left dinner on the stove while I was out, though (well, Jon was watching it... kinda), so I only did the first mile out there. And who knows how long it took?! Because I don't have a stupid stopwatch! But it was... well, okay. Not great... because SE Georgia is a freakin' sauna... but okay.

Anyway, I ran the 2nd mile inside on my fancy treadmill with its bells & whistles (including the built-in fan to keep my hair out of my face). Since I had no idea how long the first mile took, I was too lazy on the second. Drawback of running outside. Ugh.

So, I was organizing in my closet today and started playing in my shoes. I don't wear very many of them (or many of my clothes)... since I work from home and all... but I still like them and would have a hard time tossing them. But I was trying. When Jon made a comment about me having too many, I counted. Anyone want to guess how many pairs of shoes I have? 15, 30, 50, 75, 95, 125, 200? It's one of those numbers. :) Anyway... I was trying very hard to clean out and pare down... and I was pretty successful. I thoroughly enjoy preparing boxes for Goodwill!

This must be THE weekend for good movies. I ♥ Ricky Bobby. Those kids are so funny! I swear... the younger one is a mini-dad... I could just imagine. This blows, Grandma Vicki. How long do we have to pick up trash by the side of the road? Well, little Elster, when are you boys going to stop tossing Grandma the radio in the bathtub?

Okay, well, Coop & I are tired. We had a bike ride and a run earlier. (Coop also had a swim in the pond... just think, if I had made it to the pool -- like I was considering doing -- earlier, I would've had quite the triathlon day!) Nighty night.

Happiness Trumps Rightness... All Days of the Week

"I'd much rather be happy than right any day!" (Slartibartfast)

Have you seen Hitchhiker's Guide? Funny, I tell you. Best movie I've seen all day. Well, only movie I've seen all day. But it was still pretty darn funny.

How's your weekend? Good?


UPDATE: Oops... spoke too soon. Hitchhiker's Guide is no longer the best movie I've seen all day. I accidentally flipped through the guide to see what movies were on in the 500-channels before heading to bed (2 hours ago) and noticed the BEST movie on TMC. Had to stay up and watch The Usual Suspects. So. good. Almost as good as that Spanish movie... but not really. ;)

The Friday Routine

It brings me great joy to cancel my two alarms on Friday nights. I think it's one of my favorite routines in a life full of routines. Well, maybe that's pushing it. I'm sure I could think of many other routines I hold much dearer. (Is dearer a real word? Well, whatever... I'm using it.) I relish the idea of sleeping in tomorrow morning. Yes, I sleep in every morning... but Saturdays are different. Unless Cooper & Kona find a reason to wake me up, they'll usually leave me alone... and the quiet, blissful, lazy rest is exquisite.

Have a wonderful weekend of sunshine and quiet time. Or recuperation. Regardless, all good things.

Might Even Be Today

I would like to step out of my heart & go walking beneath the enormous sky. -- Rainier Maria Rilke

Well, I improved. 2 in 20:40. Again, still not sub-20, but I am determined to get there. My body is saying no, no, no, though. My legs especially... they think I'm too old for this. But they hate me anyway; so, who cares about them.

So... my latest attempt at self-improvement... being a better coworker (or colleague, if you want to copy me and call them that). Yesterday, I went out of my way to teach someone how to do something (instead of just doing it for her). However, today, I went ahead and delegated a task without thinking about my colleague not having the Excel expertise to complete it efficiently. I unintentionally made her do a look-up manually when my vlookup function would've taken about 5 seconds to write and copy down. She told me later that she felt like she'd already asked me to do too much and didn't want to burden me with an additional request for help. Am I scary or otherwise off-putting? I don't try to be. I know I can be short... and have quite the sharp tongue when in just the right mood. But I didn't think it was enough to keep people from approaching me. Note to self... be nicer.

Haley - thinking of you. Bounce back quickly, please.

Thoughts and Ideas in a Duel... One Says to the Other, "Why the Long Face?"

The interweb is a virtual melting pot of rampant I'm-right-no-I'M-right discourse. Looking for support for your side of an argument? Look online. Of course, you're going to find just as many pages against what you want to "prove". I guess the same is true for books and other forms of communication (as long as we have freedom of speech, we have the right to disagree... until our government overhears our phone conversations saying we disagree and we all get sent to Gitmo... I digress). But, with Google making it so simple to find the exact phrase (or the algorithm's closest match... oh shoot, I'm mixing my metaphors/corporate conglomerates again -- Ask.com for those of you who don't know) of how you've articulated your argument, it's simply a snap to have a veritable army of yes-men at your fingertips in under one-half of a second (my last one took 0.27 seconds).

Now, while the interweb is a wonderful place for finding supporting material after you've formed your opinion, don't come to it seeking answers to your own personal dilemmas. Sure, if you look hard enough, you can find "message[s] of acceptance, forgiveness, and not taking personally the slights (or dalliances) of others" anywhere. You can also find harsh holier-than-thou "crazy psychoconservative" judgments and discussions of contagious craziness. Possibly even on the same page. Especially in these days of Colbert-Report-popularity when the general populace seems to be eating up thinly veiled (or heavily masked, for that matter) sarcasm. Ahh... I ♥ Jezebel. It takes me all night to catch up on the day's feed, but at least the writers over there 1) keep me entertained and 2) make me think. And these, in my humble opinion (IMHO for those of you with special today-only super acronym abilities... kinda like my too-awesome-for-words, you-wish-you-had-'em hyphenated phrasal adjective super-powers), are the two BEST things a blogger -- or any old writer, FTM -- can do.

Welcome To My Hyphenated-Phrasal-Adjectives Extravaganza

Someone please remind me that I don't NEED any more media to suck up my time! I already have beaucoups of RSS feeds over on the left, tons of buddies/contacts on the right, an e-mail inbox that overflows on a nightly basis, and thousands (literally, thousands) of songs in my reduced library iTunes (reduced on this computer). Yet, I cannot... CANNOT, I tell you... keep myself from subscribing to additional podcasts and RSS feeds. I'm a clicker. I've told you this before. If it's got a catchy headline or hook, I'm on it. In today's notable viewables:

• Seinfeld's Productivity Secret: What a good idea... a tangible don't-break-the-chain reminder to work, write, play, exercise, practice, etc. every single day. By the way, if you didn't notice (or understand) my previous post, I get to start my own unbreakable chain I-ran-today calendar. Kudos to me for actually doing what I said I was going to do. If only I could do that all the time.


• Another notable quotable on Back in Skinny Jeans: "The thing that is really hard, and really amazing, is giving up on being perfect and beginning the work of becoming yourself" (Anna Quindlen)... I should really go back to reading some Anna. I had it out and halfway read when I got bored or distracted or something.


• Jay Bakker has a church: Revolution NYC, and it's probably not what you'd expect from the son of Jim & Tammy Faye. But I'm a fan. Jay strikes me a a good guy; and from the one "sermon" I listened to (via podcast, which got me started looking for other interesting podcasts that I won't have time to listen to), he's a good minister, too.


• OH YEAH, and the one site I probably spent the most time exploring today (I know... don't worry, Haley has already explained to me how much of a nerd I am for loving on this... of course, she's just as guilty!): The Chicago Manual of Style Online. Okay, so I don't use Chicago style all that often (I think I have my own style, truth be told); but most of you know how much I appreciate the rules of style. My colleagues sure as heck know... I'm known around the office for my maniacal editing. If you need to know Chicago style for writing out numbers, abbreviating degrees, italicizing/underlining/whatever titles of published works, making collective nouns singular or plural (with appropriate verb agreement) based on whichever trait (group/individuals) you want to emphasize, or (my personal VERY-fave) utilizing hyphenated phrasal adjectives, I'm your girl. I'm SUCH the fan, by the way (as, of course, you already know), of hyphenated phrasal adjectives. I'm sure the good folks over at the online CMoS would call me a too-obsessive over-user. I love that my random join-these-words-to-make-an-adjective tendencies now have a super-scientific enjoyably-lengthy name: hyphenated phrasal adjectives. It just sounds so pretty!

So, I have an idea for Blogger. I tend to keep Merriam-Webster up in another tab/window of my IE browser as I'm writing a post. It's kind of a badge of honor for me that I use at least one hard-to-spell (or should-be-looked-up-for-proper-usage) word in each of my posts. I enjoy expanding my mind by writing with a decent vocabulary (and yours by reading it). Anyway, why doesn't Blogger have a built-in spellcheck and set of reference tools like the Microsoft programs do? I love my M-W.com, but built-in would be BONUS! Have any of you used the Google Docs online apps to know whether/not they have such added blessings? I can't tear myself away from Word and Excel to find out for myself. Anyway, just a thought.

It's a Start

2 in 22. Not exactly what I'd hoped for... and worse than what I kind of expected (what with the I-have-to-stop-because-my-liver's-going-to-fall-out)... but it's not often you can pick right back up where you left off after taking 6 months (or more!) of vacation. Okay, so it's work-up-to 19:50. But I can work.

Just a Few More Things to Say

I know I posted earlier this evening, but it didn't feel like a real post. (What does a real post feel like? I mean, having been out of practice for a week now, I'm a little out of sorts, I think, anyway. Regardless, I'm going to trust my gut on this one and write some more.) Plus, so much of my day today was wasted whining, it just wouldn't be an accurate weblog of my true Monday without a little bit of whining here. AND... I know I haven't told y'all much about my "vacation" from Pawpads last week. No worries... I'll keep some of the details to myself... hopefully, this will just take a second and then you can get right back to your job or whatever enthralling activity you tore yourself away from to read this little bit of drivel-on-ye-olde-web. (FYI... because it really is a nice word to know... drivel ['dri-v&l], intransitive verb, to talk stupidly and carelessly.)

This morning was the worst morning. I think I brought it on myself by posting last night about the scraping/sliding pinky toes I was "used to" at the cabin over the weekend. Complaining begets reasons to complain. Thus, another bullet to add to the "list of things I wish I'd known" that I'm determined to work in a reference to somewhere in this here post. Remind me if I don't mention it later. And yes, I am aware of the overabundance of prepositions in the sentence two sentences ago, grammar nazi; but thanks for thinking it. I'm a bit of a fan when it comes to prepositions. See? Three without even breaking a sweat. Speaking of breaking a sweat, I need to start working out again, I think. I considered doing it today, but the day has come and gone without so much as a thought toward doing any extra moving. So, I figured... I'll write it down here and have something to hold myself to when tomorrow comes. If tomorrow comes, that is. There is a special no-workout-necessary caveat if the world happened to end tonight, I believe. If we make it through to tomorrow, though, I'm on a renewed health-kick. No more fast food. Severe cutback of DCs. And running. I hate being healthy. That already sounds like a big old pain in the rear. Oh well... I wanna live to see 32 (since I'm so close to 31 already, I figure that wouldn't be much of a goal... and I like a little bit longer-range goals... even though the plans necessary to reach said longer-range goals always sound like more than I can handle. Regardless... I'll make it. I'm strong. Planning will not kill me. But, again, the world might end.) Okay, I have obviously gotten off on a number of tangents. (Isn't is sad when you can't just use the singular "tangent" and you have to slap the "s" on there because you KNOW how obvious it is that you've deviated WELL off-course?!) Let me refocus for a second... must scroll back up to beginning of post to see what I intended to write about... Oh yes, whining.

So, I came back to El Boro last night knowing that I had a doctor's appointment sometime today. I thought all week last week about calling to check on the time of said appointment, but... no excuses... I just didn't. This morning, I finally rouse myself at about 8:50 (yes, eat your heart out, in-by-8-workers) and think, I should check on the time of that appointment. Oh no, the girl at the doctor's just told me my appointment was at 8:45. As in, "Oops?" I asked? "Yes, but come on anyway," she told me. No shower. Very little prep (I did remember to slap on a little bit of deodorant). Clothes from yesterday's long drive. Out the door as my little alarm clock was calling me (hate to blame her, but if she'd been a little earlier, I might've had a chance at being on-time to my appointment!). Anyway, I hurry out there (not even really knowing where "there" was) only to have to wait and wait and wait. Details of appointment... eh, whatever... not the best in the world, but it was what it was. Anyway, I didn't mean to miss the whole morning of work, but dang if it didn't turn out that way. Once I got back toward the house, it was getting close to lunchtime, so I figured a side-trip to the grocery store to refill at least a portion of our barren fridge wouldn't hurt. I figured I was finally hitting my stride at the check-out when I noticed I'd forgotten my just-broken-at-the-doctor's-office wallet in the car and had to have the cashier suspend the transaction for me to run out to the car & retrieve some form of payment (good thing I know that's possible from my previous living-hell scenario, huh?). Anyway, one thing after another, but I did finally get home and make it "to work".

Well, now that the complaining took so long, my sleepy eyes aren't going to stay open to allow me to tell you about the vaca. I'll just post a few pics for you and get back to telling the story/ies later.

Some people hide their faces behind any old wedding program at their finger tips when they find themselves at the business end of an aperture, but not my dad. He says, "Please take my picture while wearing this oh-so-cute purple wig." Or something like that. I personally think I look just the slightest bit hotter in it than he does... but no one ever wants to take my picture. ;)



And from the booming metropolis of Hot Springs (which is Haley's favorite place in the world), here are a few from our tour o' the town. It took us nearly ALL DAY to see the whole town... well, minus most of the hours in a day. Boy, were our feet tired. We walked up one side and down the other of the town! Actually, "up one side and down the other" is literally visible in the 2nd pic of Me-maw and me (the one where I look like I'm about to pick Me-maw up and chuck her over the side of the bridge). Yep. We're standing on the bridge that heads out-of-town, and the railroad crossing thingamabob (what IS that up-and-down thing called?... well, according to wikipedia, they don't really have a name... they're just crossing gates) is where "town" officially begins.


I have just reached too-tired-to-proof status in my search for more sleep. Therefore, please excuse any typos or silly mistakes, and know that I would typically fix 'em myself. Nighty night, folks. Happy Tuesday!

Brought To You By the Letter M

Oooh... the M word. I hate it. It makes me weak in the knees and tingly all over (kinda like the word "liver" does to Haley... sorry, Haley). I wish we could just eradicate it from our vocabulary. No other word in the English language has such a visceral effect on me.

MENINGITIS
(shiver, shiver, ewwwwww)

And yet, there it is, staring me in the face while catching up on my CNN headlines today. Great... now I'm gonna catch meningitis on my next flight. AirTran seeks fellow passengers of teen with meningitis. Imagine that phonecall. "Hello? Yes, I'm calling from AirTran. Thanks for flying with us... but, you may possibly have contracted bacterial meningitis from the sickly girl in the seat beside you. Get yourself to a hospital right away. And, again, thanks for flying with us. Come back soon."

While we're on the letter M (today's mid-afternoon post must be brought to you by the letter M), poor old Mindy McCready still can't seem to get her ducks in a row. She seems to want to head back to the pokey after another weekend arrest... this time for scratching her mother in the face (although, from the mug shot, it looks like her face took quite the scratch too) and resisting arrest (she claims her facial scratch actually came from the arresting officers... oh yeah, and they tackled her -- supposedly -- while she was holding her 15-month-old son). Wait. When did she have enough out-of-jail time to have that son? Again, I say... poor old Mindy McCready. Bless her heart.

Back For a Moment... Don't Expect Much

One of life's little blessings that I simply must count "aloud" tonight: a comfy bed without noisy housemates overhead at bedtime (and after!)... with none expected in the morning either!!! Y'all... I don't begrudge your games and late-night chats. I hope you all had fabulous vacations. But, I sure am glad to be home where I don't have to listen to every little brush of your pinky toe against the floor-ceiling!

Although... I miss my bunkmates; even you, AWOL. Thanks for being you and putting up with me.

I'm Outtie, Dee.

I'm...
... on hiatus.
... on vacation.
... gone to lunch.
... gone fishing.
... gone whitewater rafting.
... otherwise engaged.
... just not here.

If you can possibly break the habit, take your own vacation from your everyday checking for the week. I probably won't be posting anything new anyway.

Later gaters.

Another One Bites the Dust

I did a little impromptu celebratory housekeeping tonight. Dusted some of the furniture, swept up a few cobwebs from the corner of ye olde pawpads. Did you notice? Or do you just skim the latest (possibly even on an RSS feed reader) and move on with your life? Silly readers. You really should take a moment to stop and smell the dogwoods and gerbera daisies. Speaking of, I actually got my daisies to bloom recently! And the blue bell too! And the geraniums (gerania, geranioxen), but you had already seen that. The latest on those, though, is that we had a big mean storm blow through here yesterday. While I remembered to move the daisies and blue bell from the back steps, I figured the geraniums (gerania, geranioxen) were safe on the covered front porch. No such luck for one of 'em (the GOOD one, too, dang it). He took quite the tumble from the 2-3' porch onto his noggin'. And I didn't find him until this morning. Not sure he's going to make it. The doctors are doing what they can for him, but put yourselves on notice. It's not looking good.

You know how you can tell you've been a sourpuss lately? When the Subway guy tells you, "You seem a lot happier today than you did a few days ago." Thanks, Subway guy, for noticing. Although... not sure what you see in me today. Perhaps just the wild-eyed, frantic, but having a blast look in my eye of I-wanna-knock-someone-on-their-rumpus. Okay, you got me. I just wanted to say rumpus. I just smiled politely and said thanks... because, really, what else is there to say in that situation? Well, my friend Barbara and I were hanging out just prior to dropping by here to grab this veggie-laden sub and cookies. Maybe her good mood rubbed off on me a little.

Seriously, Subway guy, you're nice. Keep up the good work.

Born, Bred, Dead... Bleeding Carolina Blue

I like reading Jack. He always throws a Carolina-ism in there... even when his point could've been made without it. True Tar Heel. His latest post: A Look Back to 1996.

Nothing's Going to Stop Me But Divine Intervention

I actually just said, out loud, "I wish I could write like him." The dogs raised their sleepy little doritos-smelling heads and thought, "What an idiot. Doesn't she know we don't understand what she just said?" Silly dogs, I wasn't talking to you anyway. To have the capacity to just reach up, grab a thought as it whizzes by, and actually explain it in such a way that someone happening by would completely understand what I'm trying to say and be awed by the beautiful imagery I used to describe it would be incredible. Instead, I try to explain the same tired old ideas in the same tired old ways. And I wonder why I'm so tired all the time?!

I was thinking today about what might be appropriate to write tonight. Could I pick one of the virtues I so adore in a friend and expound upon it? The willingness to listen, the sweet attempts they make to understand my b-a-l-o-n-e-y, their patience and compassion, or their extra efforts to look through the many faults and failings and just plain love me anyway. Would I wax poetic about good times, good people, and good music? Or should I just get it over with already and sing a chorus of... no, never mind... no one wants to hear me sing.

And, by the way, the "him" to whom I was referring is Jason, of course. X to tha O.

You Know You Know I Know

Gosh, it takes forever to read all the news o' the day. Well, that and get all the e-mail and other work caught up from last week. I still have unread RSS feeds. Darn it. I'll catch up sometime. And then I'll get the dogs to the vet for their booster shots and Kona's stitches out. Hopefully, tomorrow.

I've meant to go to bed early for the past two nights. And failed miserably both nights. Same reason both nights, too. Darn internet. Anyway, once again, I'm going to say very little and get on with it. It's already 12:45, dang it. And I'm sure I'll find stuff to keep me busy again tomorrow. The reminders from my task list in Outlook are already driving me crazy again. Don't you hate it when you make your to-do list interactive... where you have to snooze the item over and over again... all the while thinking you'll have your I'm-determined-to-get-this-done hat on later? I know tasks are good things... you know, reminders of things we must get done. But, personally, I hate to-do lists simply on principle. You know me... I'm much more of a fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants, if-it-doesn't-get-done-who-cares kind of girl. And with that, here's to telling you too much. G'night, all.

The Things We Do For Grandmas

By special request, some pics from the wedding:

Strength Undefeatable

Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature,
nor do the children of men as a whole experience it.
Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure.
Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing.
To keep our faces toward change and behave like free spirits
in the presence of fate is strength undefeatable.
- Helen Keller

While Driving in the Oh-So-Common Rain

In your experience, has a song ever changed its meaning on you? I mean, you hear songs, you think of things in your life, right? Songs evoke memories, feelings, blah blah blah. Ever have a song that is clearly one thing and then, all of a sudden, it's another? Happened to me tonight. Just wondered if any of you have ever experienced the same thing?

Haley... pics'll be posted in two shakes of a lamb's tail (I must admit... before Google, I never would've remembered it was "two shakes of a lamb's tail". Heck, I probably wouldn't have known it was a lamb in that idiom. I swear, I was thinking pig.). Anyway, have at 'em.

Letting My Clarity Define Me, Part II

Why do we allow ourselves to get so wrapped up in negatives? I'm the world's worst. I freely admit it. I'm sad on the way to a party because it's eventually going to end. Seriously. And yes, I know I'm dumb.

I do have much appreciation, however, for the small "little wonders" in life. Despite being a glider (yes, that was the "official" answer to that question in my previous post), I do try to enjoy the moments that make my heart sing and "let it shine until [I] feel it all around [me]". Thpse moments sneak up on me unexpectedly, though. But aren't those really the best kinds?

Let it slide.
Let your troubles fall behind you.
Let it shine
Until you feel it all around you.
And i don't mind
If it's me you need to turn to.
We'll get by,
It's the heart that really matters in the end.

Our lives are made
In these small hours.
These little wonders,
These twists & turns of fate.
Time falls away,
But these small hours,
These small hours still remain

All of my regret
Will wash away some how.
But I can not forget
The way I feel right now.

- Rob T., Little Wonders

Sign Me Up... You've GOT To Know What I Want Now

So, our former-webmaster-turned-IT-something-or-other-manager asked me to send out a global announcement to all employees (yes, that's part of what I do) yesterday. He's always funny about asking me to do this. He consistently IMs me first to make sure I'm sitting by my computer (which, let me just take a second to say... that's why God invented away messages/status, people. If I'm showing as online & available, guess what?! I'M REALLY HERE! It kills me that so many of my colleagues open their IM conversations with me (when I'm online/available, mind you) with: Are you there?). Anyway, so, he asks if I'm here. I say yes. He says an all-employee announcement is coming my way. I edit, gather approvals, send out to employee base. Meanwhile, just after reading it one time, I made a very special decision. The announcement was about how the company cannot support e-mail through the iPhone and how employees should not run out and get one. My decision? I'm SO replacing my Samsung i730 with an iPhone. So, let's reword your announcement here, IT-something-or-other-manager: the company cannot support e-mail through the iPhone YET and employees should not run out and get one YET. :) Thanks for the idea, buck-o. Now, HURRY UP, Apple & Microsoft... and make nice so that those of us who are very desirous for the neatest gadget around these days can hurry out and snatch one up (when the new shipments arrive, that is... well, IF the new shipments arrive). I want my iPhone NOW.

I've actually been thinking about replacing my "old" i730 for a while now. I've had to stop using the bluetooth altogether now since it evidently mutes my voice to inaudible when I talk with anyone from the office (perhaps with others and they just strain to hear me instead of saying anything). I kinda appreciate that since I don't like my voice anyway... but I guess when you're doing business via phone, it's kinda important to be heard. Anyway, so that's my initial reasoning... then I hear from the boss tonight that she's been playing with her new Blackberry. We got both our computers and phones/pdas/smartphones/blackberries at the same time. She uses her stuff a lot... probably not quite as much as I use mine... since she works from the office and all. Anyway, my point was going to be... she and I both have $$$ in this year's capital budget for a new laptop. And it turns out she just got a new Blackberry. Cool. Perfect timing. I'm excited now! I love my gadgets.

Imagine All the People

Imagine Heidi were a flying object. Which would she be?
1) blimp
2) biplane
3) glider
4) frisbee
5) lear jet
6) brick

When the options are sit in the truck in a long row of cars waiting to get out of the fireworks viewing area or play board games, we choose board games. Who am I kidding? I choose board games almost every time... regardless of the other choice. Also, FYI, girls are better than boys at actually knowing people, so it shouldn't come as a surprise that I tied for the win in tonight's Imaginiff. What should surprise you is that I tied with Andrew (clearly, a boy). Funniest part about us tying for the win? We were the only two (well, I guess except for Kim's mom, but she was blind guessing on just about everything anyway since she doesn't know any of us but her daughter... and the slightest bit about her daughter's closest friends) who don't have PhDs! See? I guess that proves it. The higher the education, the less you really know about people.

Missed you guys tonight, Fun Mel & Steve. But, as I'm sure you already know from Barry's texts, you were in our thoughts and prominent among topics of conversation! Thanks, Steve, for providing 500-calorie fodder for our amusement. I will forever have the visual of your attached-to-the-back-but-already-counted-for-daily-caloric-intake slurp of sauce.

You guys also missed one of the funniest pictures-not-taken (sorry, I wasn't a camera hawk this time... didn't even get it out, so I can't show you anything). We're all standing around after the fireworks, and the cackling laughing is abundant. Amy has a cat toy for Sophie... kind of like a fishing pool with a little toy on the end of the string. So, Suzie thought it'd be funny to dangle the toy above Jon's head for him to paw at it. Jon obliged and everyone giggled. Then Tony walked up and took the fishing pole from Suzie's hands and lifted it up h-i-g-h-e-r (as only Tony, at 6'9", can do). He dwarfs us all anyway, but when he extended his fishing-pole-in-hand arm above Jon's head, it was just this caricature of small people and one big giant holding a toy for them to play with. Yeah, I can't do it justice in a description. I should've just whipped out my camera!

So, ends up Tony is funny. I mean, I've heard him tell jokes and really cute/funny stories before. But tonight was just about the first time I've been around loose-Tony. He makes me laugh.

Other items on today's agenda: do some "Friday" work, mow lawn, pool for an hour, try on new dresses again (still don't make decision), go to party. Check, check, and check. Hope y'all had a fabulous 4th and that the fireworks were of the enjoyable ilk wherever you were.

Happy 4th!

Do you have what it takes to become an American citizen (assuming, of course, you aren't already)? Take the MSNBC citizenship test to find out! I know, I know... I've posted something similar before. But the questions are different here, and we could all stand to learn a little bit more about our country, eh? In case you were wondering, I only got 85%... barely a citizen. G-r-e-a-t!

Take Off That Darn Cool

The random common thread today? Honesty. I click on a lot of stuff in one day. Some day, when my clicks are "clean" enough (in other words, don't de-privatize anything I want to keep privatized... among other things), I'll show you a day's worth. Eh, maybe not. But the idea is there. Anyway, after I click, I skim. An article, story, web page, whatever has about 10 seconds to grab my attention... either with a really great picture, a kickin' headline or hook, or some random other-ness. If it doesn't catch me, I'm gone. But if it does, I've been known to keep IE windows up for days just waiting for the opportunity to share my "find" with someone who might also get a little joy out of it. Every once in a while, there's a theme. Now, I know it typically takes more than two to make a theme, but these two rang true with me yesterday and today. And after tonight's movie choice (Idlewild... couldn't not love it with the down-home name it shares with [privatized]... but I also just loved it for its goodness), I'm reminded yet again of the importance of honesty, good tunes, and the darn foolishness that is brevity of life. You only get one, ya know. And how many times do we have to be reminded to grab ahold before the ride's simply over?

• Something that we have to work on recovering from... from even earlier in life: Baby Deception. I've told y'all before... I seriously remember flat out lying to my mama when she'd catch me red-handed. And since then... well, and with other things to convince me, I'm a truth convert.
• And... a little quote from Mark Twain (via Back in Skinny Jeans) to help reinforce your commitment to honesty today and get your day started on the right note: "If you tell the truth, you don't have to remember anything."
• UPDATE, NEW ADDITION: Okay... those of you who know me know that I tend to shy away from political discussions these days. I'm more than a little embarrassed to be a Republican in these times, so I often call myself a conservative liberal or a progressive or an Independent. But I'll listen. I'll listen to anyone who speaks with conviction. In fact, that's one reason I've continued to defend Bush... I still do believe that he, bottom line, does what he believes is right. Well, today I listened to Keith Olbermann, and I think you should, too. Even if he's dead wrong, takes it too far, and is a crazy man taking up the airwaves, he sure is passionate... and eloquent... while proving his point. What does that have to do with honesty? I simply loved the "lies upon lies upon lies" comment Keith O. threw in there. And, in his opinion, Bush needs to take a page from the book of L.A.'s mayor and Telemundo reporter (okay, I'm taking a leap of faith here... Keith makes no mention of Antonio or Mirthala in his tirade... but, c'mon, it's not that far of a stretch). Can you imagine having to come clean on an L.A./national/world stage? And you thought you had it bad.

Finally, on a completely unrelated topic, to my sweet SLS (second little sister... if ever there was a second little sister to be had, you were she, my friend): Happy Birthday! I hope you got everything you wished for today! :)

Random Notes of Insanity While I Wait On My Rocket To Come

It's been a while since I uploaded any pics to the blog. I've been concentrating on tagging and cataloging them instead. Now that I've made good progress on that (thanks, Mom, for helping me identify some of the last remaining dates tonight!), I'll pull off the latest from my camera.

First, my little shadows. The invalid, Curious George, and taking time to smell the geranium.



Then... Yes, I know they're all the same. But I had trouble picking just one of these to post. So, I'll post all four, and you can pick your fave. How well do you know your SE Ga. horticulture? Can you recognize the plant?



Today was finally a rainy day. Evidently, we had some severe-ish storms in the area on Saturday afternoon/evening. Trees were down in other neighborhoods and Wal-Mart lost power (!!!), but JoRun barely got a little sprinkle. We missed the whole thing, though, while tootling around Hilton Head for the afternoon/evening. Sunday was nice enough for a pool day. There was more lightning in the area as we were leaving the pool for an early dinner, and we did finally get some rain last night. And today, gray and rainy pretty much all day. Thank goodness... my yard was starting to get all yucky-brown again. But, it's not so good when coupled with the fact that my new tanning salon is closed all week! Who closes all week for July 4th?! Just FYI in case any of y'all Boroians were planning on getting a haircut before the holiday... don't bother going out there. They're CLOSED. Oh well, maybe the sun will come back out tomorrow, and I can sneak away for an hour at the pool.

So, have you ever heard of Parkinson's law? Kinda like Murphy's law, but altogether different. I saw it discussed in a blog today, and the context was interesting enough to make me look it up on Wikipedia. Basically, the "law" says if you give yourself more time to solve a problem, you'll use more time. Pretty much the same philosophy as you spend what you earn, huh? Anyway, it's my new favorite law. Because it's so true, isn't it? If you think of something as complicated, it's going to be complicated. And if you think it's going to take you an inordinate amount of time to make a decision, it takes every live-long second you give yourself. That Parkinson, he was a thinker.

Peace out, Monday. You're gone once again, little buddy.