12.06.2007

My Final Idiot Story

Ok, one more thing about today, and it's also my final "idiot" story.

My cube-buddy Nancy comes over to me in the afternoon and tells me that the idiot partner approached her around 10am and said he was "FUBAR" - f***ed up beyond all repair. She asked why, and he told her that he was suppose to purchase a desk or mantel clock and have it engraved as a parting gift for me...but he forgot to do it.

With the luncheon two hours away, he asked if she could go to the grocery store and pick up a gift certificate for a restaurant or something. Hence the Carrabba's gift certificate I received.

Now I'm not saying that the idiot didn't value me enough to remember to purchase the gift. I'm just saying he's an idiot.

And that is my final idiot story. At least one related to this company.

The Last Day

One of my main purposes of this blog is to keep an electronic diary for myself of important things that I want to remember. So, the following is to accomplish that goal.

Today was a good day. Actually, since the day I announced I was leaving it's been pretty good. After people got past the shock of my announcement, everyone seemed to be really focused on making sure my last days were good ones. Yes, there were still a lot of moments to confirm that I made the right decision, but at least I wasn't dreading going into work anymore. Granted, a large part of that was knowing I was on the way out and not trapped!

Last night after work I picked up some pre-made margarita drink, some note cards and also a framed picture/illustration. You see, the former owner of the company had brought in all of the office pictures, and then took the better ones with him when he left. Though that happened in February, the nails still remain in the gray walls, as well as some of the more ugly, uninspiring photos. One agenda item I've had during my final weeks is to convince the partners to spend some money on paint and new photos, and to get the staff involved in those decisions so it's not such a dreadful place, at least visually. So, I thought the framed illustration was a nice touch; it was classy and would go with almost any decor they choose to go with in the future. I wasn't 100% sure I would give it to the office as a gift, but it was in my car if I felt the moment was warranted.

Last night I started typing out copy for the note cards - one for each of the staff. By 10pm I was drained and called it a night, then started back up around 6am after a hot shower. I wanted what I said to be perfect, so once I had it down electronically I wrote it in the card. I tried to come up with one thing for each person that was special, unique and good about them, as well as thanking them for whatever. I finished around 7am, made sure I had my office keys and building entry key card (for early/late entry) to turn in, and headed out the door.

This morning was great. The partners were in a three hour meeting, which meant the rest of us played. Sandy, one of my favorite co-workers, gave me a gift bag with several items. Not wanting to get too emotional (and knowing some of her stuff may lead me there), she just had me open one item, a little book called "Funny Business: How Climbing the Ladder of Success Works in Real Life." She had then put little sticky tabs on several pages that reminded her of people we work with - it was hilarious! I then went around and showed a few other co-workers so they could have a good laugh, which I could because the partners were still in their meeting.

I then got all most of my work done, noticing that there was a lot of activity in the background. Figuring something was up I stayed at my desk. I then realized our accountant, who was not to be in today, was in the office. Yes, something was planned. One of the partners, the one I've worked the least with, surprised me with a necklace and matching earrings from Macy's. It was tasteful and silver, which are both positives. It was really unexpected as I never felt like we connected on any level.

I was then called into the conference room, where I was surprised with a candlelight room and Italian food that was brought in. There was pasta, breaded chicken parmesan, meatballs and salad. It was so good! They sang a couple of goodbye songs to be - "So long, farewell" and "For she's a jolly good fellow". I was given a card signed by all that had Gloria Esteban singing "Conga". I guess everyone was taking turns going into the hallway, or even into the bathrooms, to sign the card so I wouldn't hear! I was also given a $50 gift card to Carrabba's from the company, which I love.

Then the "Fab Five" as I call them (my favorite five in the office) gave me a gift they bought on their own, a glass and metal faucet sculpture. They wanted it to be unique, something I could have in my new office and be a conversation starter. They also thought since I was a good idea person it would remind me to keep the ideas "flowing". Another unexpected gesture. I of course then brought in the margaritas and presented them with the framed picture. I think they were a bit surprised, so it was nice to turn the tables. They decided to replace a "Teamwork" picture from Successories in the entryway and place the new picture there instead. I felt like I had accomplished a good dead for the day and was glad I had gotten it the night before.

In the afternoon I spent time looking at the accountants photos from France where she had recently visited her daughter, and taking care of those last few details. Around 2pm the goodbyes started - first the idiot partner, who hugged me goodbye and told me "I love you." Then the accountant, then another partner. Hugs were exchanged, and those early ones were easy. The hard ones to say goodbye to were saved for last.

Around 4:30 I broke out the rest of the margaritas and those of us left - my favorite boss and the Fab Five - sat around the conference room table and shared stories. I got out the note cards and started passing them out, telling people that they didn't need to open them now, just when they wanted to. 5pm hit and people started to go home.

First was Ray, the guy who brought me in and the person I worked with the most. He and I made a great team and, when left to our own devices, did some pretty awesome work. We had a great two hour lunch the other day and really got out what needed to be said. Only a few tears there, I was keeping it together...I knew I would see him again soon.

Then Nancy left...she was the person on the other side of my cube wall, and though we had our differences I will miss her humor. Whenever "the idiot" would do something stupid, once he was out of sight one of us would drop a Kleenex over the wall as a signal to say "Did you just hear that? How stupid was that!" She had great taste in music and a love of history, and she was definitely an entertainer. She was crying, which led to a few more tears.

Bill, the person who felt most threatened by me, the person who I sometimes felt held me back out of fear of him looking bad, left next. I think our strengths and skills are so similar that it often put us in a competitive situation, but that guy is smart and really cares about that company; he's been there longer than anyone else. He was the person to impress, and I guess I managed to accomplish that. He had read his note and had tears in his eyes...a rarity. A hug, a promise to keep in touch, then he was gone.

The four of us girls left then started to pack it up for the night. Here's the funny part...my work computer screen has been going "black" at random lately. Over the weekend I couldn't even use the thing. In the morning it was giving me the blue screen of death, and then after re-starting three times it finally started. The screen gave out again, but finally started working mid-morning. So I get back to my desk, ready to shut down the computer. I have a final e-mail from a strategic partner wishing me well. I respond, delete my response, close Outlook...and the screen goes black. Yes, the computer knew. I had that thing for all but five months of my time there, and I guess it decided it won't work for anyone else but me. I sent an e-mail to Bill (who does the IT) and let him know. I know he'll find it ironic/funny as well. That was my last company e-mail.

I said goodbye to Mary, a partner, first. She was closest to my cube and furthest from the door, so it made sense. Mary is the smart one of the group, and she's a leader. The problem is that she doesn't have enough confidence so she let's the other two get their way too often, to the detriment of the company. She broke down crying and gave me a big hug, and that's when I cracked. No more tears in the eyes, I was crying now, too. We're getting together for drinks downtown in two weeks, so we both pulled it together quickly and told each other we would see each other soon.

I grabbed my final possessions; I was happy I had brought all of my personal stuff from my desk/shelves home already, as my hands were full with the gifts. Two people were left - Sandy and Donna.

I went to Donna first, and we both broke down. She's a strong, stubborn, upfront person who speaks her mind, which often works against her. However, she always has people's best interests at heart. She has been very supportive of my decision and is truly happy for me, though I know she will miss the support I provided her. I think I was one of the few people in the office who could work productively with her, so I'm sure that will make things a little difficult. I know I'll see her again, too.

Donna and Sandy both walked me out to the parking lot. Sandy, who is the most emotional in the office, kept it together for the most part. She said she couldn't say goodbye, but that she would see me later. I told her to continue the "cube" traditions even after I was gone (including the Kleenex), and that I would miss her. Gave Donna another hug, we got in our cars and that was that. I was gone.

On the way home I spoke with my parents, and despite the sadness of saying goodbye to several people I care about, it was actually an upbeat conversation. The goodbyes are over, now it's time to move forward. And I have a busy three days ahead of me!

When I got home I opened the rest of Sandy's gifts, which included a little glass dish for trinkets and such, and a picture frame. Her card was so touching - in addition to her beautiful message, she wrote the words she thought described me:

  • Good teacher
  • Creative
  • Caring
  • Kind
  • Patient
  • Helpful
  • Hardworking
  • Dependable
  • Loyal
In her mind, those are the things I will be known for; that is my legacy there. I know I'm far from perfect, but to see those words written down by someone whose opinion I respect, really hit me hard. I'm glad I was able to bring those things to the company and to the people who work there. I'll work hard to bring those same traits to the next place as well.

To end the day, it's fitting to say that I opened up my personal e-mail and found an e-mail from Sandy with a photo of the Fab 5. I guess Sandy had put the camera on a bookshelf, set the timer, and they took a picture to put in the frame for me to remember them by. They were the ones in the trenches with me for 3 years, 8 months and a day, and I will really miss them.

It's not a goodbye or the end...it's just a new chapter. And that begins now.

It's Here

This is my last blog from my cube; in 55 minutes I am officially unemployed, at least until Monday.

It was a good week and everyone has been super-kind. I was surprised with an Italian luncheon, complete with mood lighting (candles) and margaritas (courtesy of me).

I'll write more later, as there is one more thing I need to complete before I leave - a proposal from me to the company to design a sales database for them. You know, since I have so much spare time and all.

Most of my days here have been frustrating and upsetting, but I leave here today with only the good stuff to remember and of course the lessons learned that I want to make sure I never forget.

I'm off to drink more margaritas. A new chapter now begins....

12.02.2007

Final Lap

I'm officially into my last week at work. Wednesday I came down with a horrible sore throat which turned into a cold. Thursday I had to fly to Lansing, MI for my last client meeting, and though the meeting was only an hour it really seemed like the longest site visit ever because I felt absolutely horrible. By Friday late afternoon I was finally home and trying to rest up so I could make it through these final few days and accomplish the big list of stuff I want to get to.

So today I woke up and immediately started getting stuff done. Sending out e-mails, writing out instruction lists and making sure anything I have here at home that belongs in the office (such as my laptop bag, extra power cord, etc.) get back to the office. I'm still not feeling great physically, but mentally it feels good to be closing this chapter of my life. I'm ready.

Also on a good note, my acupuncture on Monday actually did a lot of good. I'm still usually dealing with pain at the end of a day, but given the traveling and everything else my "during the day" pain is down significantly. Good news!

It's off to get more stuff done. Hope everyone had a good weekend.

11.28.2007

Exit Strategy - Part I

So far my exit strategy at work is going as planned. I've managed to put a lot of things together and have handed over to others within the organization. I've been a bit surprised at some reactions, especially one person in particular. She was handling the marketing before I started here, but it was then handed to me as people were not overly thrilled with her work. I think she's always resented me a bit for that, so I thought she would be very eager to take over the marketing stuff again. As it turns out, she wants to be able to do the creative pieces but when it comes to organizing or actually developing anything she has no interest. Basically she told me (and others) that she refuses to hold anyone's hand for anything, and so if deadlines are missed so be it - it's their responsibility, not hers. If she manages to get away with that attitude I guess it's good for her; I just don't agree with it. It's hard for those out in the field to project manage marketing-related activities....it's not going to happen because the skills and the organization is not there and never will be. I'm not confident they will manage to keep a strong marketing focus when I leave, and quite frankly they don't really have any other way to get their name out there.

So far I've had private lunches with two folks here - one of them a fellow co-worker who is one of the top people I will miss here; the other is the idiot boss that I will miss only for the ridiculous stories I get to tell others about him. The Idiot spent most of the lunch telling me how he wants me to come back when I'm through with this next job, as a "partner." Yeah, right. That's a line he's been feeding me for about two years now. Whatever. I would never be a partner in a company that he is also a part of, never. He has high hopes for this company but I know his goal is to find others to help build the business so he can eventually sell it for big bucks. The problem is that right now the company is hardly worth anything, and I doubt that will change. It's quite sad, actually. I was very politically correct during the whole conversation, yet made it a point to try and give him some feedback in regards to the overwhelming need to change the culture and communication methods here. I'm not sure anything sunk in, but I tried. I tried for those I leave behind who do not have the capability or guts to get out of here at this time.

The rest of this week I will spend in Lansing, MI for a project, along with continuing my "notes" for people on various activities and projects so they have them for reference when I'm gone. Next week I'm just here four days and I know that will go by quickly. I definitely have big changes ahead.

11.27.2007

Thanksgiving Holiday

I hope everyone had an enjoyable and warm Thanksgiving holiday!

We left Ohio Thursday morning around 5am and made our way to western Iowa. In Cleveland it was pouring rain and 51 degrees. By the time we reached Indiana the temperature had dropped 20 degrees and it was starting to snow. Luckily there was only about 10 minutes of that, though it was enough to take out several SUVs who had spun off into the ditches - it was probably not the way they envisioned their Thanksgiving! Once we got past the snow it was windy, cold and dry.

By noon (Central time) we crossed the Illinois/Iowa border and hit the Quad Cities. We were hoping we'd find a restaurant open, but no luck. Since we were right on Kimberly Road we took a small detour to my Grandpa S.'s grave site. Spent a few minutes there and then got back on the road. It was not long before we found a truck stop with a restaurant, where they had an $8.99 Thanksgiving buffet. Figuring the food would be better than the junk we had in the car we decided to stop. It wasn't bad; we had ham, turkey, and lots of vegetables. We were in and out in about 45 minutes, if that.

Once we were back on the road it took us a little over two hours to hit West Des Moines, where we stopped at the Marriott and checked in for the night. We had Pricelined the room for $50, and it was a great deal. Got the car unpacked and then drove the final 45 minutes to B's mom's house, where we arrived at 4:30pm. Not bad!

B's mom was sick with a head cold but had still managed to put together a great Thanksgiving feast of turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, rolls and cranberry sauce. We had brought a bunch of stuff thinking she would only prepare the turkey, so we were surprised. In the end we only used the rolls we brought and took the rest back to Ohio with us. It was a great meal with great company. B and I did the dishes, sat around the living room and chatted a bit and then headed back to the hotel around 8pm so my mother-in-law could get some much needed rest.

Friday morning we slept in a bit and made it to the house about 10am. I immediately headed off into a spare bedroom to do an hour-long conference call with my current employer where I went through each client and marketing project I've been working on, giving them status, what needs to be done once I leave, etc. I had already put it all in writing but I know they appreciated me taking an hour of my day off to still walk them through it. At 11am I was officially done with my work and could just enjoy my day off.

For lunch we went to Atlantic, a small city of 8,000 people, which is a larger city in that area. Having lived in a town of 15,000 people for seven years of my life, it felt comfortable. We went to Hy-Vee and had a good lunch, then drove around town and ran some errands. On the way back I was driving and all of a sudden on one of the country roads I saw this beautiful bird fly down and land on the pavement. It was a bald eagle! I can't remember the last time I saw one of those; I think it was in Wisconsin during one of my drive-thrus between Chicago and Minneapolis. It was awesome!

Friday afternoon we just sat around the house and talked. B and his mom swapped story after story about various people in the area who I had no clue who they were, so after awhile it was a little hard to keep focused. We went to Happy Chef for dinner, where for the first time since I've know B he sent his meal back. I didn't blame him! Afterwards we headed to K.C. and Lisa's house; K.C. has been a friend of B's for a long time, and was the best man in our wedding. They have a 7-year old and 3-year old and just moved into a new house in town about three weeks ago. Even at 7pm the kids were wired and couldn't show us around the house and impress us with their toys fast enough! We had brought Cheryl & Co. cookies (an Ohio great) with us, which the kids loved. We had a great time sitting around and catching up, with us girls drinking wine and the boys drinking a vodka and minute maid lemonade combo. Around 10pm we called it a day and headed back to the hotel.

Saturday morning we had to be at my mother-in-law's early as she had an 8am hair appointment. For a small town, this place was really cool. I told B next time we're there I'll probably get my hair cut/styled. They had some great products, and though a little pricey I got a few new things to take back with me. Around 11am we decided it was probably time to head over to eastern Iowa to visit my side of the family.

We stopped at one of my aunt and uncle's house, about 15 minutes from the farm. They had taken my grandma over there for the afternoon since my cousin (and her husband and 9-month old son) were in town. I had not met the 9-month old, so that was cool; he was already so big! We took grandma back to the farm around 5pm and stayed another 2 hours just catching up on things. Despite her major heart surgery in September she seemed to be in good spirits and looked quite well.

We headed to Joliet, Illinois Saturday evening where we have Pricelined a 3-star hotel for $40. Though I've never had a bad experience with a 3-star, this one was dreadful. It should have been 2-stars, max. It was an old, rundown, dirty Holiday Inn. I'm not a fan of Joliet anyway, but it definitely solidified my need to not ever stay in that city again. We were disappointed but were too tired to care. Went to sleep and took off for home at 11am Sunday morning. B drove the whole way in solid traffic, but we still made it home by 6:40pm. It was nice to be home early enough to unpack and unwind before starting the work week.

Overall it was a great trip - we covered a lot of ground by car yet still managed to have a lot of time with our families.

11.21.2007

Turkey Time


First things first. It's my parent's 39th anniversary today, so I have to give a shout-out to them. Not many couples make it to 39 years, so that's pretty darn amazing. They are a great couple and parents, and I'm lucky to have them.

Thanksgiving is officially around the corner. Time to stuff ourselves full of turkey, vegetables, rolls and pie, along with other stuff that is unhealthy for us. I won't even talk about the stuff we have in the car to tie ourselves over for 12 hours tomorrow.

Thanksgiving is a time to give thanks, and since I will be in a car most of tomorrow I thought I would take today to list what I am thankful for:

  • My wonderful husband B, who is not only a fantastic husband but my best friend in this world.
  • A loving family - my parents, brother, grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins - that is truly supportive in everything I do, and would do anything for B and me.
  • Amazing friends that I don't get to see as often as I'd like, but as time goes forward they are just as wonderful as they always were.
  • My health. Yes, it sounds weird that I would say that given my back situation, but I'm grateful every day that I don't have something more serious and deadly. Every day I can get out of bed and have use of my legs I'm grateful.
  • My brain. I've said it before and I'll say it again, without my brain it would have been hard to make it this far in life. I can take not-so-great physical health as long as I still have my brain.
  • My life. I have a roof over my head, food on the table, clothes on my back, and wonderful family and friends. Honestly, does it get any better?
Here's wishing you a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday.

11.20.2007

The Aftermath

I started out the day being wide awake at 3am. I've been sleeping on the couch the last few nights due to an increase in back/leg pain issues, so I decided to put in season 1 of "The Office" to keep me occupied. I managed to fall asleep briefly a few times, but finally gave up around 5:15 and decided to get up.

I got ready and made it into work about 30 minutes earlier than usual. I got settled in and then decided to get the resignation part of my day over with. It went well; almost too well. My boss stated they always knew I would leave at some point to pursue my career goals, it was only a matter of time until they were no longer able to offer me the challenges I desired. I was allowed to tell my co-workers personally about my decision, and they were all very supportive. I will miss most of the people here. Yes, just most, not all.

My day has been spent in meetings for the most part. In between those I've been trying to get down on paper the various projects I'm working on and the necessary details people need to know in order to delegate the workload elsewhere before I leave. It will be a very busy couple of weeks.

Now I need to shift my mental focus to a personal level. B and I are going to western Iowa for the Thanksgiving holiday. We're leaving at 5am Thursday morning, driving 12 hours to his mom's house and hang around through Saturday morning. Saturday afternoon we'll trek back to eastern Iowa to see my grandma for a few hours, then will probably head to Joliet and spend the night. Sunday morning we'll head back home, hopefully before the sun goes down just so we have time to get some things done around the house.

Since we won't be back to Iowa for Christmas, this means I have some Christmas shopping left to do, along with some more grocery shopping as we are trying to bring some food with us to have a makeshift Thanksgiving dinner with his mom when we arrive. It's tough finding things that will survive a 12 hour trip! Besides, we also are concerned as to how many restaurant options will be available during our travel, so that's another thing to prepare. This is definitely not a trip that can be classified as "relaxing", but we're glad we're able to go.

11.19.2007

The Verdict

I left work this evening around 6pm with no call. Needless to say I was a bit down. Went home, made dinner, spent some time on the web searching for jobs and then got an unexpected call on my cell around 7:50pm. It was the verdict.

I am pleased to say that I have accepted the job offer and will be starting in early December.

I'm a bit shocked at the moment...it's really hard to believe, quite frankly. I'm happy, but that happiness is being a bit smothered by the fact that I have to give my notice. I hate this part, especially since it's only going to be about 2 weeks notice, and two days during that time I will not be in the office due to Thanksgiving/a PTO day. In fact, now I'm wondering if they will even let me take that day as a PTO day. I'm wondering if they will even let me stay for those two weeks, or if they will show me the door.

I've always left on very good terms with employers, but this is an usual case. These people can have tempers and pick fights. I guess I'll find out tomorrow and just go from there. In the end, this is really a great opportunity and I know will be a very positive influence in our lives.

Prediction

It's 1:12pm on Monday, and I'm going to make the prediction that I will not receive the job offer from my old employer. Just my gut.

Update - ok...I was wrong after all!

11.16.2007

The Wait

I had a 75 minute breakfast this morning with my potential new (yet old) employer - the President, one of the partners and their business development manager. While the first face-to-face was stressful and a bit questionable, today's event was really enjoyable. It confirmed that this is a great group, a real team, and a place I want to be a part of again. I was asked some questions and given the opportunity to ask some as well. I was very pleased with the answers. There were several times where they spoke as if I had the job, so I guess that's a good sign. At the end of it all I was told they were close to making a decision and would let me know either way early next week.

After today I will be very disappointed if I do not get the position. However, I'm pleased I made it this far and am glad for the opportunity. It's confirmed that I do have something to offer...I just need to find the employer that will value that.

So now it's a waiting game. Of course I have the phone next to me at my desk hoping for that "call", but I doubt it will happen. At least I'll know something before Thanksgiving.

I just have to share something though. We ate breakfast at a restaurant at the hotel, which is attached to the main office building. In March 2004, I interviewed at the exact same restaurant at the EXACT same table where I sat today. That interview, however, was with people from my current company. I'm not sure if that's a good sign or not, but I still found it funny!

11.15.2007

Lesson of the Day: Communication is Important

I got into work this morning and after stopping by several offices to tell people "hi" I hit the mailbox area. Usually the mailboxes are pretty empty, but today I found a memo - "Notice of Blackout Period."

The memo was to "inform me that the 401(K) plan will be changing investment options and investment record keeper." As a result there would be a blackout period, which would "begin on [enter date] and end [enter date]." No really, that is what is said - no dates were given.

Not only does the memo not give the dates of the blackout, but there is absolutely nothing communicated as to what the plan is changing to, when we will be getting investment options, if there will be an educational session, etc.

As someone who once administered/oversaw HR benefits, this is a classic example of how not to communicate a 401(k) plan change. I like the plan we are on now - my return has been great. There IS a difference between plans, and I'd like to know where my money will now be going to. I find it interesting that in an office of 11 people, all of which are here today, that no one can be bothered with communicating this directly in a meeting, or at least in a better-written memo!

Just a lesson in communication, folks. :-)

11.14.2007

Oh, the pain, the pain of it all!

I usually avoid the topic of my back and any level of pain I might be in on a daily basis, but today I'm about going crazy. For about the past 24-48 hours I've been in some serious hurt. I basically feel like I have a few knives in my spine and a whole lot of pins in both legs. Very raw pain, which is unusual even for me. And no amount of drugs is helping, either. Yikes, I hope the rest of my week is better than this!

11.13.2007

Ding! Round Four....

I found out late yesterday that I've officially been asked back for Round Four of the never-ending job interview. It appears it is down to two of us. I was given the first choice of time slots, and I chose the later one - this Friday at 7:30am.

I've done a lot of thinking over these last couple of months, and it's been a roller coaster ride. However, I believe I have come to the conclusion that if I do get the job I have to take it. Yes, it may not be a perfect fit, but it's not a perfect fit where I am at now, either. If I can go to a company where I have a manager title again, make more money, get every other Friday off and have wonderful benefits, I'd be an idiot not to seize the opportunity.

Of course you realize that because I have made the decision to take the job if offered, I will now not be offered the job. Oh well! :-)

Update: I just got the list of who I'll be interviewing/meeting with on Friday. Six people. Yikes.

11.07.2007

Smoke

In May a new law went into effect in Ohio where people can no longer smoke in public buildings. This includes the small, two-story office building I work in.

In April and May this year, there were several times a week where we would smell cigarette smoke. Really strong smoke. We wondered if this smell was coming from a tenant right above us who had moved into the space about that time. Unfortunately their main office door is always shut so it was impossible to tell. We kept complaining to the landlord, who was sympathetic to the situation but told us he could not, as a landlord, go into their space to investigate.

During the warm summer months the cigarette smoke smell stopped and it became a distant memory. However, the cold months are back and so is that horrible cigarette smell. A co-worker has done some investigative work and has confirmed it is coming from an executive's office in the suite above us. The individual has left ashes in his trash, which the cleaning people have reported. However, the landlord's hands are still tied. Today we took the logical next step - we reported it to an Ohio 800 number where they are to investigate such claims. We were told it would be 4-8 weeks before someone would be out. Even once that happens we're still not sure if it will put an end to the situation.

I'm all for people smoking if that's what they want to do, but not in a place of business. I don't have a choice to go somewhere else...I'm stuck in this office from 8am to 5pm, Monday through Friday. What makes this particularly annoying is that I'm allergic to the cigarette smoke, which causes me horrible, burning sinus pain almost instantly, especially when it's in an enclosed area. Today's incident occurred two hours ago and my eyes and face are so dry and burning that I can barely look at my computer monitor.

In the meantime all I can do is boycott the company causing this suffering - Donatos Pizza. No big loss, but it's the only thing I can do for now. To those who read this and have a Donatos in your area I would request you do the same!

11.06.2007

Kudos

I want to applaud B for his recent blog on the Cleveland Clinic. He rarely does a blog; in fact, typically he saves his writings for elections and Christmastime. However, I too think the Cleveland Clinic is over-hyped, and I completely agree with his points so far. I'm looking forward to Part II!

11.05.2007

What have I gotten into?

First things first - I apologize, specifically to my good friend Chrissy, for not providing a timely update as to how my interview went! :-) I also apologize to those few others who occasionally read my blog but don't leave comments.

The interview was a 100 minutes of tag-team questioning that, quite frankly, was so in-depth, detailed and weird that I'm now left pondering my options if indeed I get asked to move to the next round.

For a process that began in early September, it's now been almost two months and they are still not close to making a decision. They spent over a month collecting and reviewing resumes. Then they did phone call interviews, which ranged anywhere from 7-15 depending on who you talking to. This next phase was to be 2-3 people, but I'm thinking it might be closer to 5-7.

During my 100 minutes there I spent about 20-25 of those with the President and one of the Directors in a tag-team interview. That wasn't too bad. Lots of questions, but easy to answer. I felt good about how it went.

After that part I was told I would be meeting with my old boss and their outside accountant so they could really drill me. Honestly, that's what I was told; little did I know how true it would be. I obviously know my former boss pretty well, and I had worked with the outside accountant before so at least I knew the people. This is where it got weird. Their questioning was extensive and a little too in-depth, at least from my perspective. I won't go into detail, but it was unlike any interview I've ever been in. I felt like I was interviewing in front of Congress for a Cabinet position.

I knew my former boss was very detailed, but this was crazy. They had pages and pages of questions. Finally the end came, where I was told that they had several others to interview this week, after which they will get the partners together, go over the responses and then determine the final 2-3 to bring back and meet the other partners and to also answer MORE questions.

After my 100 minute interview I walked away wondering if this was indeed someplace I wanted to work. I had these red flags popping in my head. Granted, I'm not sure I will even be asked to come back for the next round, but if I am, is this something I want to continue to pursue?

So what next? I keep my options open. I sent everyone a follow-up thank you card, but at the same time spent a good deal of time yesterday looking for jobs. Saturday I kidnapped Brad and got us both out of the city to explore northeast Ohio wine country and Erie, PA. I needed to escape, as the only thing I could think about was that stupid interview. The wine was bad but the company was great and it was fun to see some new sights. At the end of a long day we headed back home, knowing that however things work out it will be for the best. Hopefully.

11.02.2007

Nervous

The big interview is today at 3pm. I took PTO this afternoon so it gives me time to go home, eat lunch, change and mentally prepare for the big meeting.

I'm not sure what to expect, as many of the typical interview questions were already asked over the phone. I normally do not get nervous for interviews, since I've been giving them for years so I know how to answer them as well. However, this job could really be a big stepping stone for me in so many ways. I just have to relax, take deep, slow breaths, and not put too much pressure on myself. It is what it is, and what is meant to happen will happen.

Stay tuned....

11.01.2007

Halloween

As a kid/young adult, I always enjoyed Halloween. However, ever since 1999 the day usually sneaks up on me and is really more of an afterthought. No celebrating, no passing out candy, no dressing up. It's just not one of those holiday's I get into, and neither does B.

That doesn't mean that we don't do our own thing, though. Since we moved here, our tradition has been to go out to a restaurant and eat some good Mexican food, which is what we did last night. It's great because the restaurants are usually pretty empty, plus you avoid being home during the treat-or-treat stuff. It's just a nice evening to spend together.

I hope everyone had a great Halloween...now it's on to November!

10.30.2007

Test your Politics

I found this test last week and decided to see where I fit in. Usually I find these sorts of things to be off, but I think in this case it was pretty on target. The best part were these extra questions at the end where the answers do not contribute to results but are more "fun" questions such as "If all eight Democrat Presidential candidates are dropped onto a deserted island to run through various, deadly tests that pit them against each other in battles of wits, endurance, and physical strength, which candidate emerges at the end, bloody but alive? " (I chose Hillary...and that will be the only time I vote for her.)

You are a

Social Liberal
(60% permissive)

and an...

Economic Conservative
(63% permissive)

You are best described as a:

Centrist (63e/60s)










Link: The Politics Test on Ok Cupid
Also: The OkCupid Dating Persona Test

10.26.2007

Fortune

We had Chinese food for lunch today, which ended with a fortune cookie. The message read:

"You will obtain your goal if you maintain your course."

That one goes up on my cube wall!

Waitless

One of my co-workers told me about this site, www.waitless.org. Sprint is promoting it on their site. It's cool! To quote Creed Bratton, "check it out."

10.24.2007

Made it to Round Three

I have an update on the interview process with an old employer for the Controller position.

I've officially made it to Round Three - a face to face interview. I made it through the first round - the resume test. I was one of eight people chosen to do a phone interview. I had the phone interview on Monday evening, and though I was told they were probably going to have their decision on next steps at the end of the week I just found out I made it through round two and will be one of 2-3 people brought in for face-to-face interviews.

The interview will be on November 2, so I have 10 days to mentally prepare. I know I have a lot of things working in my favor, as the President told me three times on Monday that the person I would be replacing was really happy I chose to apply for the position. My old boss was a tough person to please and that means a lot. I know his opinion will mean a lot to the leadership in making their decision.

At this point I'm happy I've come this far. I'll definitely be disappointed if I don't end up with an offer, but at minimum it will provide me with a chance to see everyone again and also provide me an opportunity to practice my interview skills. All will not be lost.

10.21.2007

24 Hours

In the last 24 hours:

1. We went to watch the Indians game on the big screen at the Jake and they lost horribly. Tonight is the final game, amongst accusations of drug use by one of their pitchers.

2. There was a huge upset in Formula One; Kimi took the title. Now there are allegations regarding the fuel levels of three of the top eight cars. If by chance those cars are disqualified then Hamilton would take the title. What a mess.

3. On the way home from the grocery store we were driving through the two-lane country roads (we live on the edge between city and country living). We saw cars slowing down ahead of us, as one of them was making a turn into a driveway. Unfortunately the motorcyclist ahead of us didn't see them slowing down. B started saying "That guy isn't going to make it" but before he could get the whole sentence out the motorcycle hit the back of the car in front of him. He flew above the handlebars, hit his back on the back of the car's rear window and then rolled down the rest of the car onto the street. It was like a ragdoll being thrown up against the back of a car.

Just like that, we were witnesses and also first responders. B jumped out of the car and immediately tended to the guy, asking him his name, where he lived and just keeping him talking. I called 911; there was another big accident about 10 miles away, so there was some confusion amongst the operators that this was a separate accident, but help arrived after a very long five minutes. The guy was bleeding from his mouth, his clothes and hands were pretty cut up but he was alert at all times. We stuck around for about 40 minutes until they had our statement and gave us the ok to leave. B even helped the EMT guys; he did a great job. The smell of gas will stick with me for awhile, as well as the image of that guy flying above the bike and hitting the car. We're glad he's ok; the other accident nearby sounded a lot worse from what we heard from the responders.

When we had left the grocery store I had set eggs and bread in the backseat so nothing would get crushed in the trunk. Though I started slowing down when I saw the cars up ahead break, I must have stopped the car pretty hard once we saw the accident...when we got home the eggs and bread were on the floor in the back. Half the eggs were broken and the bread was pretty smashed. A small price to pay. This has been a very strange weekend.

10.20.2007

Can you say "choke"?

My parents invited B and I out to The Jake to watch the Indians/Red Sox game. The team was in Boston but they opened up the park to about 10,000 people. Most of the seats were free, but my Dad splurged for the $25 seats since they included free, unlimited food. My Grandma B. and her husband also came along.

The stadium seats that were open to the public were full of people who were ready to celebrate their victory. Unfortunately for them it never came. The team, every single member, choked. Big time. By the end of the third inning the people were streaming out of the stands in a mass of red and blue.

On the plus side the weather was perfect, we had great seats to not only see the big screen but also the production team to the right of us. On the train ride back to the burbs we had a group of younger kids that were hilarious - interviewing the people on the train about their thoughts on the game and also providing some sketch comedy, singing and dance moves. It was truly the best part of the evening!

10.19.2007

Sleepy

I have no motivation left for today. Sure, it doesn't help being up since about 3:15am this morning and driving into work while it was still pitch black outside. It's just been a rough week physically; lots of pain, more than what I had before the last acupuncture appointment. Of course that makes the days hard to get through and it causes me to be up quite a bit at night, despite any drugs I might take to counter that. I'll give it another week and if I'm still this bad I might have to return for another visit.

The week has gone by pretty fast, and it's one of those where you look back and wonder where you spent your time. I think 50% of it was in meetings, 40% was preparing for two conferences, one which we are sponsoring a morning coffee break for, and 10% was reading/responding to e-mails. I do not think I worked on any project work this week, but that's mostly because we currently have very few active projects at the moment.

Saturday will probably go by pretty fast. Have to take the car in for it's 35,000 mile service. We are attending the visitation and funeral for my co-workers daughter; I'm going to say right now it will probably be the most heartwrenching service I have attended in my life. At some point will probably have a nice lunch or dinner out with the parents.

Not sure what else we will do, but unless the pain goes down some I might just be laying around when I'm not doing that other stuff. I can't complain, since I really had a few weeks this past month where I felt good. Having one good day is better than no good days.

Next week should be a decent week. Most of the people are out of the office on client travel, so that's a big plus. Tuesday there is a local healthcare conference that I get to attend, so that will give me a little something different to do.

I have officially been asked to participate in a 15 minute pre-interview with my former employer's President for the Controller position, so I'm looking forward to (yet nervous about) that. From there I believe they will narrow the 10-15 candidates down further and then maybe have 5-7 people at most come in for face-to-face interviews. I feel I do really well for the in-person interviews; phone is a lot harder, but I've done it before and had good luck. Since I've been through the interview process with them before at least I somewhat know what to expect.

I hope everyone out there has a great weekend. And, since I've decided I need to show a bit more support for the city, "Go Indians." And for the Formula 1 fans out there who happen to come across this blog, "Go Hamilton!"

10.17.2007

Welcome Back/Weekend

My mom returned home late Monday evening, so Tuesday after work I stopped by the house and spent a few hours with her. It was great to talk to her for more than five minutes and without interruptions. The cat was particularly happy to see her, though it was short-lived; she took him to the vet to have a biopsy Tuesday morning and they had to keep him overnight. We'll know in a week whether it's cancer.

It will take awhile for her to settle back into things, but it's nice to have her back. We have very different personalities and we don't always see eye to eye, but I'm still grateful she's my mom.

In terms of this past weekend, it flew by. B and I went to a big farm south of Youngstown where they have fresh produce - including apples and pumpkins - and fresh baked goods. Their donuts were excellent; the best I've had since we moved here. They also carried a Sumatra coffee which B really liked the smell of, but chose not to purchase it at this time since he already had plenty of coffee at home. We will definitely go back for the donuts and coffee, even if it is a 70 mile drive! We also painted a bit more, and of course did the typical household stuff.

We watched "Blades of Glory" on PayPerView Saturday evening, and Jenna Fisher is officially on B's "list" now due to a scene where she's dressed pretty scantily. I love Will Arnett but overall the movie was pretty bad. I'd rank it a solid "D".

10.14.2007

Sports to Watch

There are several big games to watch this week:

Sunday - Bears vs. Vikings at Soldier Field. Out of all the football teams, I find the Vikings the easiest to hate. Vikings must lose today....take 'em down! (Update: We LOST. Oh, the pain.)

This week - Cleveland Indians vs. Boston Red Sox. Since the Cubs are out of the playoffs, I guess I have to root for the Indians to win. I don't really care, but a lot of people around me do. (Update: It's 3 (Cleveland) to 2 (Boston). Can Cleveland take the fourth win Saturday?)

Next Saturday/Sunday - Formula 1, final race in Brazil. It's a three-way title race; I'm hoping Hamilton can close the door and win his the title his rookie year. It will be an exciting close to a season riddled with scandal. (Update: Hamilton didn't get pole, but he's second. Can he pull out a win Sunday?)

10.12.2007

TGIF

Thank goodness, Friday is here! It's been a busy week with a lot of twists and turns, so I'm looking forward to 5pm.

So what's in store for the weekend? I don't think I feel up to painting, but my body may surprise me. I had another acupuncture treatment Monday and I usually feel pretty crappy for a week or two afterwards, which I'm told is a positive sign. At least that is what I've been told.

My main focus this weekend will be helping my family. Mom is still in Iowa, and my Dad and their cat is suffering. We've had Benny for over 16 years; he was actually a "We're sorry we moved you again" gift for me and my brother when we moved to Austin, Texas in 1991. But since I left home he's really been my Mom's cat; her baby. For the past couple of weeks he has had difficulty eating and has lost a couple of pounds. It's not good. Tests have been run and it's been narrowed down to a curable intestinal disease or non-curable lymphoma. To add to that, my Dad is also not eating much and also losing weight, and he doesn't have a lot to lose; he's now sick, which is really unusual for him.

It's very accurate to say my Mom plays a big part in keeping Dad and the cat healthy, so her month-long absence is really taking a toll. Though I've been trying to help out with the cat this week, this weekend my focus will be on my Dad. He's not a cook and he hates eating out, so instead he just doesn't eat. To solve that problem I've spoken with my mom and gotten my Dad's list of favorite meals, which I'll start making tonight. All stuff I can just freeze and then all he has to do is heat it up and eat.

Besides spending time with B I'm not sure what else we'll do besides typical household stuff. Who knows, maybe I will do a little painting after all.

10.09.2007

On the Lighter Side

House is on tonight! And though I think this photo may be from the episode next week, it's just too cool and I had to put it up.

House is getting rid the potential team replacements "Survivor" style, WITH bunsen burners!

The Aftermath

Three of us had our evaluations yesterday. Though none of them were near bad, those little "side" comments" really ruined the experience. So where are the three of us today besides at work?

#1 has cleaned her desk of all personal belongings as a reminder that "she is just a person paid to do whatever is demanded of her and that's all she is, nothing more or nothing less."

#2 has stepped up her job search (me).

#3 has asked a few of her friends to see if there are job opportunities for her where they work.

The morale here is wonderful! :-) You just have to laugh.

10.08.2007

It didn't last long

Given where I work it makes perfect sense that the warm, fuzzy feeling of last Thursday is long gone. Already.

I had my performance review today. Every year it's the same thing...the three owners get together and rate you. This year it's either "meets" or "not meets," plus a description of why they rank you that way for each item. They also make each person fill out a form for themselves.

Though I had all "meets", it's the descriptions that always throw myself (and everyone else here) in a tizzy. Basically the unofficial rule is that the partners get together and rather than determine to describe you has how you usually are, they pick that once instance from months ago that they barely remember and that's what they put down. You're then left with these weird comments that make you say "Um, when did this happen?"

I had four of those "Where did this come from?" comments today. It was a total joke. For instance, and I kid you not, they feel I "put too much on my plate". Huh??? Um, I don't assign myself responsibilities around here, they do. And most employers I know would love to have someone who takes on a lot and still gets it done accurately and before/by the deadline. I'm not even going to get into the other ones, but it does follow a trend.

I'm proud of myself for speaking up and telling two of the partners who did the review that the big problem is that everyone is always blindsided this time of year with these one-time situations. I told them that if something is a problem then I would appreciate them taking me aside and telling me what they perceived I did "wrong", rather than storing it in their mind and then putting it down on paper months later.

I have told B this every year after every review I've had with my current employer but I really, really mean it this year - I will NOT be around come review time next year. There's nothing holding me back, now. I'm not perfect health-wise but it's manageable and I'm not having to fear additional surgeries at this point. I've been with this company 3.5 years, I don't owe them anything at this point. I've done what I can and it's time to move on for my own sanity.

The good news from today is that I did find out that my old employer has made the first round of cuts from resumes received for the open Controller position, and I did make the first cut. They are anticipating to start the second round - interviews - next week. It's time to get prepared for the interview of my working career. Game on!

Crippled

I woke up Saturday feeling better than I have in months. With B at school with his work group I decided to do something I haven't done in years - paint.

We purchased paint a few months ago; my mom was "contracted" to do the job. She loves painting and it gives her something to do. However, she has spent the last month in Iowa and though she's coming home soon I know she has a lot of projects piled up at their own fairly new home. So when I realized how great I felt Saturday and the lack of pain I had, I decided to surprise everyone including myself and to start painting our upstairs hallway.

Since becoming an adult I have only painted one room; that was my office in Minnesota. When we moved to our house I had surgery four days later, so for three weeks my mom would come on occasion and check on me and painted our main floor rooms while I was recuperating. The only room painted upstairs was our bedroom, which I want to repaint a slightly darker color than what it is currently.

Due to my lack of painting skills I went on the Behr web site and read their painting tips. I then got out our supplies out of our basement and went at it. The end result was about five hours on my feet and a really nicely painted hallway! B came home after about 30 minutes into it and did pitch in a bit, otherwise I never would have gotten as much done as I did. (thanks, B!)

Saturday evening I was sore, but Sunday it was even worse. Though the acupuncture has been helping, I'm still having these horrible pains in my legs/feet whenever I stand or walk for more than a half hour or so. I really do think it's some sort of peripheral neuropathy, aka nerve damage from my back surgery and who knows what else. Last night I couldn't even fall asleep until 1:30am, and that was after hours of drugging myself. It's this stupid sharp nails/pins and a"fire" sensation. I think I might have to bite the bullet and see a neuro guy.

So I woke up wishing I could miss work, only to find that B was in worse shape with his back. The poor guy could barely walk; still not sure why. I made him stay home and take care of himself, supplying him with pillows and some of my better pills before I left for work. I hope it's nothing serious; only one of us needs back problems in this household, thank you very much. But for now we're both a couple of cripples.

10.04.2007

R.I.P.

R.I.P. - Chicago Conference

Since April I have spent a great many hours overseeing, managing and personally handling almost every detail for a conference my company was co-sponsoring in October. Officially as of yesterday, Oct. 3, the conference is now dead.

This was the second year for the conference. Last year had it's challenges but in the end we had a good turnout (about 40) and the faculty and registrants left very happy. I'm not a good event planner when it comes to personal stuff, but I'm actually great at the work-related ones. Developing the program, marketing campaign, speaker list, presentations...it was all in my hands. Unfortunately our attendance only hit 13, so we decided to kill the thing.

So what went wrong? Judging from the feedback we received, it wasn't the program, marketing, location or price. We had a difficult time getting a third sponsor, and once we did everything went on hold for six weeks while my key contact was on vacation. We didn't start the marketing as soon as I wanted to. And once we did, though my company did it's part, the other ones lagged a bit. And, as it turns out, the biggest difference from last year is that a lot of hospitals are now putting freezes on education related functions.

I've been told over the last few days by several people in and out of the industry that this is a sign of the times. There are a lot of conferences cancelling left and right, which includes ones who had sold out attendance for years. Our graphic designer told me the story of a mortgage company who's had sold out conferences for years and this year got absolutely no one...and paid a huge hotel "penalty" of $72k for cancelling. Luckily the final bill for us is a lot less, but for a company that is really struggling it's not the outcome we wanted.

So I've been pretty down this week. Between a bad sinus infection and getting no sleep due to the conference stress and crappy sinus medicine that makes me feel like a jittery, foggy-brained, blurry-eyed mess, I've been struggling to get through each day. And then there is the feeling of "Is there any ting I could have done differently?" and the stomach knots from worrying about how others would perceive the cancellation of the conference at a time where we are trying to build our company's currently weak image. I also worried about it affecting the relationships we have with the other two sponsors since we were the ones who initiated this.

Though I know this is not my fault, at the same time things are not looking too good financially here so this loss is hard for me. However, it appears things should be ok in the end. The sponsors have been calling me personally to cheer me up and thank/commend me for what I've done. No relationships will suffer, thank goodness. Those who had registered are handling the news well, thanks to the communication strategy I developed. At the end of the day we got a lot of great advertising through mailings and e-mail marketing, and that's a big plus. I think we've handled ourselves as well as could be expected, and we'll come through this ok.

So why the flowers?

Those are courtesy of my bosses, as "appreciation for all of my efforts in regards to the conference." It was really unexpected and a very nice gesture. They, and the rest of the office, thought I could probably use some cheering up with everything going on. I know this place usually drives me crazy with the dysfunctionality, lack of communication and passive-aggressive/childish behavior, but at this particular moment I'm ok with sitting here in my large cube with my colorful gift in view. And to remind me of this day I thought I would blog it, since I know at some point soon I'll be going crazy here and will need a reminder that not every day here is a day in hell.

10.02.2007

The Iowa Trip

So this weekend B and I went to Iowa to the farm. Though the travel time was long, the weather was gorgeous and we really enjoyed hanging out with the family.

First things first - Grandma looked as well as could be expected. She's going to be ok, but it will be a rough road ahead. I found out from my Mom during a five minute private/side conversation that Grandma's heart damage is extensive - her heart is now working at 25% capacity. This means from here on out she will be extremely limited in what she is able to do. The end result will probably mean a move to a smaller home - either "in town" or perhaps a modular home on the farm property. Either way it will be a difficult couple of months for everyone.

During our visit we managed to see my uncle Kenny in the fields harvesting the last of the corn. It's been years since I've been around during harvest time, so it really brought back a lot of great memories from my childhood. I've always known farming is one of the most difficult businesses out there - especially for a smaller farmer - but just seeing everything my uncle had to go through just to finish the last 30 rows of corn was unbelievable. Luckily my aunt was available to come out and help him maneuver some of the equipment. After 13 hours the last of the corn was finished; this week it will be the beans.

Speaking in general terms, it was great being back in Iowa/Illinois. Everytime I go back I feel at home. It was great to be surrounded by Cubs/Bears fans; great, friendly people; gently rolling hills that allow for spectacular sunrises and sunsets; familiar meal favorites such as pork tenderloin sandwiches; grocery stores that actually carry the good brands you grew up with but can't seem to find in Ohio; and of course our family was there, so that's the topping on the cake. I know we're stuck in Ohio until B finishes his MBA, but I take comfort in knowing that the time will fly by and soon we'll be able to move back and truly settle down.

9.28.2007

Answer: How to Talk to a Drunken Father

Question: What is the book Lisa Simpson was reading while riding the school bus in the episode "Catch 'Em If You Can"? Thanks to B, that's the question on my Simpson's calendar today. I got that one right!

Busy week, yet the working hours seemed to d...r...a...........g. One of the longest weeks of my life. Though today will likely drag as well I'm pleased to report the car is packed and I'm ready to leave at 3:30pm to pick up B and head to Davenport, Iowa. It looks like we'll have great weather Saturday and it appears we will have my grandma mostly to ourselves. I can not tell you how excited I am.

Since my last post was regarding TV season openers, I must do a quick recap/judgment section:

House A-
The parts with Dr. House and Dr. Wilson were great, and the janitor scenes were funny! Unfortunately a big storm came through so I missed the last 12 minutes do to loss of satellite. Grrr. I looked up the show summary on Television Without Pity so I know what happened but I'm still ticked. I'll have to look for it in reruns so I can see how that final scene played out. The next couple episodes should be brilliant - Dr. House searches for a new team "Survivor-style"!

Kitchen Nightmares C
I've seen Gordon Ramsey's British version of this show and so far I'm liking the U.S. version a little bit less. However, this show is one of my guilty pleasures so I'm not about to stop watching anytime soon. I'm just hoping the moral of the story changes soon - I'm tired of seeing every show focus on the restaurant's failure being the fault of bad management. I want to see some fault on the chef's side as well!

My Name is Earl B-
Not my favorite show and it was also not my favorite episode. They did have to fill an hour though so I think they did a decent job. I'm curious how this "Earl in jail" thing will play out. For now it's fresh but it might start getting old really quick. I'm also still wondering how Jamie Pressley won her Emmy over Jenna Fisher. She's talented but I still think Jenna was robbed.

The Office 1st Half: A+ 2nd Half: B+
This was the show I've been waiting to see since May 24. The first half of the show was brilliant. I was dying with laughter! The funniest parts had to do with Dwight/Angela/Angela's cat Sprinkles. It was hilarious when Dwight gets back from checking on Angela's cat...she asks how things went and his response? "Well, your tv was on. Oh, and your cat died." Yes, it's sad about the cat but the scene was still funny. Great writing! And of course we all knew Pam and Jim would do the secretly dating thing. Works for me.

The second half of the show was mixed. Not as funny as Part I. Pam seeing Michael naked in his office - ugh. The fun run was not that fun. The camera crew confronting Pam and Jim about their secret romance was well acted. I think Dwight/Angela stole the show again when it finally came out that Dwight euthanized Angela's sick cat by singing it's favorite song and sticking it in the freezer. (and Angela figuring it out by finding bags of fries shredded in the freezer by her "dead cat's" claws!) It's horrifying, yet it's Dwight, so it's believable he would do such a thing and think he was doing the noble thing for a sickly cat who has no "food/clothing" purpose in life. I think this is an interesting development in their relationship. Angela being mad/vengeful always makes wonderful TV!

9.23.2007

Season Premieres!

Oops, I forgot. Tonight is the start of some great season premieres. Yeah!

Tonight was The Simpson's premiere. Awesome!!! Great tie-in during the opening sequence to their summer movie. PLUS...Homer & Mr. Burns went to Chicago where Homer bought and wore a #54 Bears jersey - Urlacher!!! Extra brownie points for The Simpson's creative team this week.

So what else will I be watching this week for premieres? House on Tuesday; The Office on Thursday. From what I've read they should both provide some great entertainment. I haven't decided if I'll be watching any new shows this season. We'll see. I like tv as background noise but actually do not watch too much besides my key shows.

Ok, now I'm signing off for the night.

Go BEARS!

Peace and Quiet in W-Town

This weekend was awesome. Relaxing, peaceful, and quiet in our little eight-home neighborhood, which I'll call W-Town. Out of the eight homes only three of them were occupied, which was awesome. The other two homes didn't have a peep coming from them so we literally had the place to ourselves. So what did we do? We took advantage of it!

We cleaned the garage and patio, added mulch to our patio area, planted some mums in a new planter on our front porch, etc. It was awesome. No interruptions, no having to worry about nosy neighbors coming over and interrupting what you were doing just so they could gripe about other neighbors. We had every window open, including the front/screen door, even into the evening. As I write this all I hear is the sound of crickets and the light wind rustling the trees that surround us. Beautiful.

There was really only one negative this weekend - I got a speeding ticket. $145. Yuck. I haven't gotten one in six years, (and it's only my second one) and considering how much I drive on a daily basis I guess I was probably due. Still really sucked, though.

So what's up for this week? Paying the ticket. Trying to get in to the acupuncturist, since I have been feeling pretty lousy pain-wise since my last appointment - he needs to rework things, and I don't want to wait until my next appointment on Oct 8. I think on Friday B and I will be going to Iowa after work. We'd leave a bit early (4pm), and then make the 8 hour drive to Davenport. That would leave us with all day Saturday to spend with my grandma and would also give us time to see my great-aunt who had a stroke about a month ago.

I'm going to sign-off now and enjoy the quiet. I hope everyone out there had a wonderful and peaceful weekend as well.

9.17.2007

Emmy's Part III

So I watched the whole thing, just so I could see the following people/shows lose:

  • Steve Carell for best actor in a comedy (I was still glad he got to come on stage with his Daily Show buddies, though. And his announcer bit with Rainn, John and Jenna was hilarious!)
  • Hugh Laurie for best actor in a drama (I didn't even know Boston Legal was still on the air)
  • The Office for best comedy (though I like 30 Rock too, and I'd rather Tina Fey win that the popular Ugly Betty)
  • House for best drama (though I'm not surprised Soprano's won just because it was their "last year")
Not the best year for my favorites, but at least they were nominated and better yet, they are still on the air.

9.16.2007

Emmy's Part II

The middle. This huge "middle" part of the show that is boring, non-interesting and takes up the most time. Sure, there is some funny stuff. Loved the Steve Carell/Office bit. Conan O'Brien won something. So did Jon Stewart. It's boring but still better than the Oscars.

So as a time out I want to publicly tell Brad that I'm sorry that his Chiefs gotten beaten by my Bears today. He should take to heart, though, that unless they get rid of Grossman or manage to hypnotize him in order to improve his game, the Bears won't be going to the Super Bowl either this year. Poor Urlacher. He deserves to go to the Super Bowl. They just need a quarterback who can actually throw the ball to someone and have them actually catch it. Instead he keeps throwing it to some invisible dude that I never see. That invisible guy must not be able to catch because I see the ball bouncing a lot onto the field or ending up in competitor's hands. Maybe Grossman should try throwing to the visible people. Sure, I'm not football expert, but at this point what does he have to lose?

Oh no, now they are doing a big Soprano's tribute. I think I'll just TIVO the rest and watch it in the morning only AFTER I find out if any of my favorite shows won anything.

Emmy's Part I

Rainn didn't win Supporting Actor (S.A.) in a Comedy. Grrrr.....

But Terry O'Quinn won S.A. in a drama for Lost! About time, that's for three years of great acting on his part.

Jenna Fisher did not win S.A. in a comedy. Two Office shut-outs! Whaaaaaa??? Emmy voters must have just been selecting their votes by closing their eyes and pointing on the paper. I've done that before, but just with road trips. Votes should be taken seriously. Are these same people doing the same for government elections as well?

9.14.2007

Just because it's good to laugh....

Leave town or hide out?

So I've decided to not drive to Iowa this weekend, as I feel it would overwhelm my grandmother as she will already have enough people there at the hospital. Maybe within the next month or so I can, but not now.

I still have this urge to leave though. Somewhere, anywhere. I feel caged. I either have to get in the car and go somewhere or else just hide out at home since I want to avoid the HOA Board members who are driving me crazy right now.

Instead I will probably end up just sitting at home and working all weekend on this big conference I'm in charge of, taking place in November. Plus I have a mailing list to finalize for a direct mail piece and also some web copy to write.

No wonder I want to escape!

9.13.2007

Surprises

This week has been the week of surprises. Some really great, and some really bad.

Today's bad surprise was that my grandma in Iowa was taken in for an angioplasty procedure. Completely unexpected. Luckily the family, including my mom over the phone, was smart enough to recognize she wasn't her normal self and took her to a doctor. Turns out she probably had a big heart attack three days ago and then another one this morning. Three of the aortic "valves" were completely blocked.

She's in her hospital room resting and the doc said things went well and that they got it all. However it's going to be a long road to recovery and there is definitely long term heart damage. Mom is driving there early tomorrow morning; an 8-hour trip. She's packing her bags for an indefinite stay, since she is the only one of the five children that does not work and can stay with Grandma until at least the harvest season is done. Then my uncle (a farmer who lives down the road from my grandmother) can take over responsibilities.

It's hard to know what to say here. A part of me is considering driving to Iowa on Saturday for a short weekend trip, but I feel like I'd probably be in the way. On the other hand, I did the drive when my grandfather was admitted with leukemia just a couple weeks shy of two years ago. It was nice just being with family and being back home in Iowa/Illinois, even if most of it was at a hospital.

I'm not sure what I'll do.

9.10.2007

Wow.

Today I received an unexpected e-mail from a previous employer. Here's the background:

I worked for a service firm in downtown Cleveland for four months shortly after we moved here. It was a great firm, over 100 people, very reputable in the national community. The people were great, I had a private office on the 15th floor, downtown, with windows and a door and I enjoyed my work. The downside was that the company had been in a rut for awhile and they didn't have the work needed to keep me busy. They underestimated my ability to learn quickly, streamline processes, etc., so I ended up with a job where I was really, really, really stretching on daily basis to find things to fill my day.

Then a job opportunity came from someone I had worked with at a freelance/side job I had. I barely knew the guy but I thought he seemed nice and smart, and then he changed jobs. He called me out of the blue one day asking if I'd be interested in a job with his new employer. I did a few interviews and they offered me a job. That same day the downtown firm cut everyone's hours except mine and my bosses to 32 hours a week. I saw others in the department who were close to retirement now at risk to lose their jobs; and here I had this unexpected opportunity. It seemed destined that I take the job, so I took it. Unfortunately I was already miserable even after the first day. It didn't get better...I just very slowly adapted to the negative, completely dysfunctional and at times abusive environment. I made it work, yet always slightly regretted leaving the much more enjoyable environment even though it was extremely boring.

So fast forward 3-1/2 years to today:

I received an e-mail from my former boss at that downtown firm. We had actually spoken in March when I asked him about being a reference for me. At the time he really drilled me about what I was looking for and also offered me advice, telling me to not accept anything below a management position. Well, as it turns out he announced his retirement for the end of the year. During discussions my name came up as a possible replacement so he asked if I would be interested in discussing the opportunity.

Needless to say I am pretty excited. I'm trying not to be because there are no guarantees, but the timing does seem perfect. I'm also very flattered because on my last day at the downtown firm my boss and one of the company partner's, in separate conversations, mentioned that my boss was looking to retire within the next couple of years and when that happened they would really like it if I would consider coming back. After working for a company for 3-1/2 years where they tell you one thing and then never follow through with it, it's nice to see companies/people in this world still follow through with things. I'm just really shocked they even thought of me, mostly because I feel I'm a pretty forgettable person.

So I've already sent the e-mail reply that I'm interested. I'm not sure what to expect from here. "It's just an honor being nominated." If it's meant to be then it will happen. If not then it won't. At least I'll have a job either way.

I'll give updates when I have them. I just had to share!

I hope all of you reading this (all 5 of you or whatever the small number is) had a great Monday as well.

9.09.2007

Sunday...

The Board meeting was dreadful.

The Bears lost, horribly. (thanks to a crappy offense)

My mom keeps calling me about things not pertaining to me.

Those are the three things that make me rank this day as an "ugh."

9.08.2007

Superbad

So tonight B and I went to see Superbad. For me it was my second time, as I saw it with my brother when B was in Iowa. I love Michael Cera (I still can't believe Arrested Development was canceled after three seasons) but watching the movie for a second time was a bit much. B enjoyed it though and the cop scenes are hilarious, so it's all good.

Tomorrow will be interesting as we are having a homeowners association meeting. I'm expecting it to be horrible. I'm the treasurer so I can't skip it. It's been a bit messy these last few weeks as the secretary, who was someone I considered a friend, resigned. Without telling me; I had to find out from another neighbor. He's acting like a 4-year-old over something that is, in reality, not a major issue. For an eight-house neighborhood (and only six of the houses are currently occupied), there is a lot of dissent and childish behavior going on around here. It's getting to the point where B and I are taking day trips on weekends just so we don't have to be here since even if we are locked up in our house it doesn't stop people from stopping by or calling just so they can complain about the other neighbors or Board members.

It sucks I have two days in a row where I have to attend meetings I'm not looking forward to. Tomorrow is the Board meeting, Monday is a staff meeting which we have 2 times (or less) per year. If anyone can think of a good excuse I could use to get out of both let me know.

On a good note the local Fox station is airing the Bears vs. Chargers game. Go BEARS!!!

9.03.2007

Catching Up - Part 2

This past week was pretty packed, tiring yet fun. I decided to make two things this week - chewy chocolate caramel bars for my brother's roommate (and one of his best friends) Chris, since he helped us with our cell phone plan earlier this year and that is what he requested as payment, and also a birthday cake for my mom. Thursday after work I went shopping for the supplies I would need, then I headed home to start baking. Managed to get the bars completed and in the freezer, and since I had time I decided to at least bake the cake. I used a fairly new recipe I found that uses white cake mix as a base but also adds butter, milk, vanilla and eggs. I decided to go the fancy route and bake 2-8" round cakes. They turned out great. As it was after 9pm I cleaned up and called it a night.

Friday I got out of work early, did a bit more shopping, came home and started working on finishing the cake. I had found a strawberry filling recipe, which I did...and it turned out like a jello. Not what I was going for. So I decided to go with my own concoction, which consisted of cool whip, vanilla pudding (just the powder/box stuff) and pureed strawberries. Yum! Much better than the stupid recipe. Once I had the filling I started to work on a quick buttercream frosting, which I've used before from the Food Network. Made two batches, grabbed a quick bite of dinner and then began the frosting process. I'm not the best cake decorator as I rarely make cakes and hardly ever decorate anything, but I do enjoy since I find it creative. I think it turned out pretty well. I didn't know what I was going to do, just started at the base and worked up. Finished around 9:30pm, spent another half hour cleaning up, then crashed on the couch. The important lesson I learned that evening was that I can not handle standing on my feet/legs for that long. I really suffered from nerve pain that evening, and I would say I still haven't recovered.

Saturday (Mom's birthday) we took the cake, gift and other birthday accessories to my mom and dad's house, where we met up with the parents and my brother who is back in town for the weekend. We piled in parent's Camry...or should I say crammed in as there is not enough space for five adults to sit comfortably...and off we went for a slightly less than two hour drive to Port Clinton. Port Clinton is about 15 minutes west of Sandusky, and most of the city is surrounded by Lake Erie. We managed to hit the 11am Jet Express and off we went to Put-In-Bay, a fairly large island located on Lake Erie. Since no one except me had been to the island before I thought it would be a fun day, especially since the weather was going to be perfect - high 70's and sunny.

Put-In-Bay (PIB) has something for everyone. About 450 people live on the island year round, but they have a lot of hotels, bed and breakfasts, restaurants, attractions and parks for visitors. Since it was a Saturday during Labor Day weekend there were a lot of people but it was not overwhelming. Most of the people were at the bars watching the OSU game, or sitting on their boats listening to the game on the radio.

We first stopped to pick up a rental golf cart, which is the transportation option of choice in PIB. We drove through the downtown area and finally picked a place to eat. Nothing fancy, just simple bar and sandwich fare. We all ordered burgers and fries, enjoyed the view out the window at the Lake and the friendliness of the restaurant staff. Once we were done we decided to walk around downtown and hit some of the stores in an effort to find my brother some more comfortable shoes. After 30 minutes the shoes were found, we returned to the golf cart and decided to start seeing some of PIB's attractions.

First we hit Perry's Memorial, which is a big tower that provides a great view of not only the island but of Lake Erie, the other islands and Ohio coastline. I did go up in May and the view was wonderful, even on a not so bright day. We went inside, went up the initial steps that led to an elevator, but found the line too long. We decided to go back to the cart and find something else to do.

We drove around the perimeter of PIB and saw beautiful houses, trees, and more great views of the Lake and surrounding islands. Finally we came across a beach where we took a short walk, dipped our feet in the warm water and enjoyed the cliffs, waves and smell of barbecue from the beach.

After drive around almost the entire perimeter of PIB we finally came upon Heineman's Winery and Crystal Cave. They were giving tours of the winery and cave for $6/piece so we decided to do it. This was an interesting decision considering neither of my parents drink (I had never seen my mom have a sip of alcohol and my dad gave up beer decades ago), and my mom is incredibly claustrophobic.

We go through the winery tour, which is pretty lame mostly because B and I have been to a lot of wineries in California where the process is a lot more detailed and interesting. That took about 20 minutes. Then we got in a line for the cave, which all we knew was that it was down 42 steep steps and is the world's largest geode. My mom, to my complete surprise, decided to go down into the cave.

Now this was a monumental moment. My mom has gotten off of planes before takeoff because she felt too enclosed in, and now she wanted to go into a potentially very small cave filled with crystals. About 30 of us went down the stairs single file to the geode site. The guide, who sounded Russian, asked us to all cram in this small "room", where the walls and ceiling was nothing but geodes. We were crammed in shoulder to shoulder, the air was hot and you could not feel a single, even slight, breeze. My brother and I looked at each other in panic, waiting for my mom to eventually crack, start shoving people out of the way and working her way back up the stairs. It was honestly the worst case scenario; the cave was horrifically small and smothering. My mom was the farthest away from the stairway out, next to a wall filled with geodes that were dripping water.

So the guide goes on about how the geode got there, how there were other parts that were deemed unsafe for patrons (they could cave in at any time), and finally at the end of her long speech she actually says "Now, we should all probably leave room before I get claustrophobia attack." Yes, that is what she actually said. People start filing out of the room, we make sure my mom is the first of the family to go up the stairs...and she makes it. No attack. We were so proud, and I know she was too. That was a really big thing for her.

Part of the wine tour was that we each got a chip for a free sample of wine or grape juice, so we went to the bar area and got our drinks. Mom and Dad had grape juice, the rest of us tried different wines. Mind you, I was stilled pretty shocked about the whole cave thing, but then that monumental event was topped when my mom asked for a sip of my brother's wine. I kid you not. She took a sip. Then she asked if she could taste mine. She takes another sip. She goes back for a third sip from my brother's glass. I about keeled over. Though I didn't get a picture of her drinking the wine, I had everyone crowd around the table afterwards so I could get a picture to remember that big event by.


We decided we had some time to spare so we headed across the street to play some competitive mini-golf. It was a nice course, though we only managed to get in nine holes before we had to hoof it to the cart, drive back to town and hit the JetExpress back to Port Clinton.

Once we arrived back on the main shore we crammed back into the car and back to Cleveland. I had made reservations at a highly recommended restaurant called Carrie Cerino's, an Italian establishment. The place was huge and ornate, and we were seated in a private booth where we could easily talk and share moments from the day. The food was amazing and I think everyone enjoyed it.

We went back to the parent's house to open gifts. It was after 9pm and we were starting to drag a bit. Mom loved her basket. Then after gifts/cards were opened I presented her with the cake, which she liked. We sang "Happy Birthday", she blew out the candles. We served up cake and ice cream, both which tasted pretty good if I do say so myself. By the time we were through we were all stuffed and exhausted. B and I called it a night, packed up the car and drove home.

Looking back, it was one of the most enjoyable birthday "days" I've ever been through. Everyone was in good spirits, we saw and did a lot of new things and we really just enjoyed each other. Even B thanked me when we got home for a great day. I think that says it all.

Lately I've been wishing that I was back living in northern Illinois, but days like Saturday make me glad that I'm here. It's a good reminder that Illinois will still be there in 2-3 years, and for now I need to enjoy the time I am here and take advantage of it.