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.

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!

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!

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. :-)

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!

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.

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!

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!

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.

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....

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!

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

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."

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.

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.

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!

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!"

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".

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?)

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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?

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!

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.

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.

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."

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!!!

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.

Catching Up - Part 1

Today is one of those great days where you wake up, it's a Monday, you're getting paid to be at work yet you don't have to show up. I love days like these.

It's been a busy past couple of weeks. Work always consumes a great deal of my time, but on top of that I had to deal with home association issues and preparations for my mom's birthday two days ago. These last two weeks I've spent traveling quite a bit around the area so that was fun. Last weekend B and I went to Pittsburgh on Saturday, where we hit The Waterfront for lunch and IKEA for some good deals. On Sunday we went south through "Amish Country" in Ohio, though I did not see a single Amish community. We headed to Longaberger Basket Company and I'll be honest, that was a pretty terrifying place.

I'm not really into baskets, crafts, etc., so that's the first problem. I went there because my mom loves baskets and I wanted to get her a basket since they are "the basket" to have, so I've heard. B and I arrive on their factory site, which is nestled between hills and trees...really in the middle of nowhere. The factory looked like a typical factory building, but then we got to the Longaberger Homestead. We walk into the Welcome Center, which has a modern, perfectly spotless design yet just doesn't belong because you're in the middle of nowhere. It's too nice, too perfect, too clean and too quiet. And it's just too big for the surrounding area. The staff get you right away, telling you about The Homestead area, which includes a huge building with 16 shops, a large barn with more shopping, a Victorian house that is a "tea house", a small ice cream parlor building and a two story building which has a large restaurant.

After we leave the welcome center we enter this courtyard where you get the full view of The Homestead. A ton of landscaping, all perfect. Huge buildings in perfect shape and design. There were only a few small groups of people walking around the grounds, slowly, not talking. It was eerily quiet, I can not stress that enough. You get this feeling you're being watched by cameras and that any minute someone will throw a bag on your head, grab you, brainwash you and before you know it you are now a Longaberger employee working in the factory or at one of The Homestead shops.

We hit the big building with the 16 stores inside, which was basically one big store with 16 different sections. Some stuff was reasonably priced, but most of it was outrageous. I found a Christmas gift for my mom, B bought some tea and we also decided to purchase some soup mix. As it turns out very few baskets were for sale in this huge building; they were all in the factory building in their outlet store. B suggested we go to the factory but I wanted to see the Crawford Barn. I don't know why. So we walk toward the barn, and right before you get to the barn there is a huge sign saying that any video collected on the property can be utilized for Longaberger promotions. I KNEW I was being taped! So we head to the barn where a family was heading in right before us. The man held the door open for me so I had to walk through.

B and I got through the door and our eyes were attacked by country merchandise. And I'm talking deep southern country merchandise. I took one look, turned back towards the door where there was a rack of big rhinestone-studded cowboy belts. Yup, that was it. We left the building laughing hysterically, with B reminding me that I was the one who wanted to go to the barn. I'm glad we did because it was just too funny.

We do a quick walk around the rest of the property but at this point neither of us want to try out one of the other buildings. We came across this big "basket" of apples" and I think that was it for us, we wanted to get out. They had a shuttle that would take you to the factory outlet store (so they claimed - I think it was part of the brainwashing plan), but instead we got in the car and just drove there. Not a big deal, and much safer. We go in the main door; to the right is a make your own basket store where a lone saleswoman stood waiting for her next victim. I mean, customer. To the left was another welcome center with two employees talking and waiting to welcome us there, I assume. I avoided contact and went immediately towards the stairs leading to a second floor. I assumed that was where the outlet store was. I was wrong. It was one big concrete "plank" that went from one end of the factory to the other, where you could see all of the equipment. No one was working and most of the plant was dark, since it was a Sunday.

We decided to do the long walk, as at the very end you could see a store of some kind. Maybe that was where the baskets were. After all, this is a basket company. They should be selling them everywhere, right? We are walking along and see this huge, Sam's Club like area that appears to the factory outlet, which is on the floor below us. We went in the wrong entrance. Oh well, we keep walking. Along the path are reading boards regarding the history of Longaberger and their baskets. We get to the very middle of the building and all of a sudden there is an employee with a piece of equipment, ready to show people how a basket is made. Note that Brad and I are, at the time, the only ones there. He says hello, and his eyes try to get me to stay there and watch him showcase his basket-making talents. I move on, because I'm just not that compassionate. Unless he's going to let me buy the basket when he's done I'm not interested.

We get to the end of the plank and reach the store. Which only has a few very small baskets for $80+. Ugh, what a waste. We now head back across the plank, past the basket-making guy, down the stairs, past the other employees who have nothing to do, out the door. We walk around the side of the building and find a very small, not very well marked door for their factory outlet. Finally.

The interesting thing about the factory store is that they were set up for mass shoppers. There were at least 30 registers, there was rope in place for "line control", and there were hundreds of carts in the entry way. During the time we were there I would say there were less than 20 people in the store. So it was weird. I walk around and to my disappointment, there are still very few baskets. And the baskets they do have are the ones that did not sell well or the ones they call "Second QualitE" - meaning they are reduced in price because they do not meet Longaberger's high standards. I finally found a "lower quality" basket for my mom that I think she'll like, even if it's not perfect. The price is a lot more affordable than the other baskets I had seen up until that point, so I took it. We went to one of the five registers open and checked out. Honestly, is that place really that packed at any point in time during the year? They hardly even had anything to purchase other than a few baskets, a ton of basket protectors and basket linings. That whole place was just messed up.

We finally got back to the car and drove home. Safe, wonderful home. It was a good day...we drove down some really cool back roads, saw new sites and towns and managed to survive our time at Longaberger and even got a gift for my mom. Plus I got to spend the day with B so to me it was a good day.

I'll write more later on what we did this weekend for Mom's birthday. And it will have pictures!

Florida

The Florida trip is going well. I'm in the northern/central part of the state so it's extremely hot and muggy. Despite the lack of direction/data from the client my Finance presentation went very well; it's always a good feeling when members come up and thank you, telling you that you did a great job and that it was very informative. It's a really great group of people up here and I'm glad I got to come.

My travel partners have actually been very great to be with. They are much better outside of the office than in. Hmm. I was upgraded to a "VIP" room at the hotel because they gave away my king-sized bed, which meant a comfy robe, free bottled water and free access to the lounge drink/food. I do think my boss was a little miffed about it at first, but I made sure to invite her and my co-worker up to the lounge after our meetings for free drinks. Everyone was happy.

I'm looking forward to going home and seeing B; it's been almost six days since I've seen him. And let's face it, the only time a Florida trip is enjoyable is when you can spend most of the day in the water cooling off. Yes, it will be good to be back home.

Flying Free

I found out from my brother this evening that he was accepted to Ohio University in Athens. I am absolutely thrilled for him and very proud of him. He has struggled (as I did) finding his path in life and I think he's finally figured out his true direction and calling. It will be his first experience away from the family (I don't count Kent because it was less than an hour from home), and I'm really happy for him. He will have ups and downs, good days and bad, but I have 100% faith in him that he will succeed in making his dreams come true. Though it's not like I see him every week or anything, I will miss knowing that I can't just hop in the car, drive 10 minutes and see him. He is always welcome to crash at our house anytime and I can't wait to go down there to see him in his new environment.

It's a big step, younger brother. But you're up for the challenge and you'll do just fine. Remember, home is always here for you and so am I.

Left Behind

The husband left this morning for Adair, Iowa to see his mom. His sister and her twins are coming, too. It sucks I can't be there, but it just didn't work out. Instead I'm stuck at work. I should be working but I just find myself thinking of B. and of Iowa. I think the photo represents the town pretty well. Brad will be crossing that bridge around 5:45-6:00pm or so.

Is it a sign?

Dunder Mifflin now has an official web site for all of your paper needs.

The best part? The NYSE name for Dunder Mifflin is actually the name of the company I work for. Is it a sign? I think so!!! It's all coming together now....

No wonder I find it so darn easy to relate to that show.

Looking Back, Looking Forward

Looking Back (Last Week)

• The County Fair was awesome. It was great seeing all of the farm animals, and more importantly it was great to see so many little kids in the 4H program. Maybe the small farmer isn't becoming a rarity after all. The best part was that I rode on the Scrambler and during the ride I noticed most of my low back/right leg pain go away. So, I have a plan. If the acupuncture doesn't work I will officially become a carni-groupie and follow the Scrambler everywhere it goes. I will ride it once a day to help promote less pain, and then during my down time I will play Slingo and try to earn some of that daily/weekly/monthly jackpot money in order to support my new carni-groupie lifestyle.
  
• Speaking of Slingo, is there a more mindless game out there? I remember playing Slingo 10 years ago when it was on AOL. It was a great game to have in the background at 3am while I was IMing various friends across the country. Well, I have rekindled my love of Slingo. I was doing really well on the game at first, but I think maybe I was doing too well because now my most recent scores have been half of what they once were. Or maybe I'm over thinking it?
• Had a good afternoon with B. and my brother yesterday. Went out for lunch, got a birthday gift for my grandma B. and also an anniversary card as it's grandma B. and her husband's anniversary. We met up with the rest of the Ohio family in the evening for dinner at Brio. Food was good, company was decent. It's a bit weird to be celebrating an anniversary for your grandmother and husband #4, not even knowing how long they had been married (21 years) or where they were even married (Reno). Obviously they have been together a long time and always seem happy together, but it's just not your typical family situation.
  
• I think I've found a new medicine to help me sleep at night - Unisom. Not bad stuff. So far the only bad effect is that I had a hard time waking up this morning. I still don't feel awake, and that's after a Diet Mt. Dew. This wouldn't fly during the work week.
  

Looking Forward (This Week)

• Work is going to consume my time this week. I have a bunch of marketing initiatives I'm in charge of that need to happen, plus I have a big financial presentation to prepare for a Florida client. I'm most nervous about the financial presentation because I'm still waiting on data, and I'm actually going down there next Sunday evening so I can present it on Monday morning to their Finance committee for approval. I hate these last minute things. Luckily I feel pretty comfortable with presenting, so it shouldn't be that bad. I just hate doing financials in a rush as you're more likely to make mistakes.
• B. is leaving for Iowa on Thursday morning, and will not be back until Sunday evening. I'm glad he's going so he can spend time with his mom, plus his sister and her twins which are coming from Texas. Unfortunately I have to leave for Florida before he will be back, which means I won't see him until Tuesday evening. As always I'll really miss the guy.
  

Acupuncture

So today I went to an acupuncturist.

Now I would be the first person to admit that I have been skeptical about acupuncture for years. I've heard of people who go in weekly for treatments, if not multiple times within a week and swear by it. As it's not something covered by most insurance it's mostly a cash business. It just comes across as something that could easily be a scam by a non-talented doc to make some money.

Over two months ago a nurse practitioner at a pain clinic was telling me about an acupuncturist in the area that she had known for years and even trained under at one point. She said he was a miracle worker. And I, who have been looking for some miracle of pain relief for years, was at the point where I would try anything. Besides, if I'm going to try something why not go to the best?

I tried to set up a time back in June but was put on a waiting list. In July I finally got a call to schedule my appointment, which was today. During that time I've seen myself free-fall into a never ending pit of constant agony, where no pain killer or activity would even produce a noticeable improvement. So as you can imagine I have literally been counting down the days.

So I'm back home. The verdict? I'm impressed but not a true believer yet. The doctor was a gentle, soft spoken Chinese man. He spoke pretty much the whole time and had a great sense of humor. He was always moving. After I explained where the pain was and my history he started with my "pulse points." Magnets that looked like a band aid with little metal grooves in the center were going on and off various points of my hands. He'd place a magnet, feel the pulse again, adjust and check the pulse again. I was so busy just observing the process that when he asked me if I felt any leg pain, it was then that I realized that I had no leg pain. None. I've had leg pain every day of my life since July 2005 but as I was sitting there in the office my leg felt painless. It felt like my leg was on a floating cloud.

Once the leg pain was taken care of the focus was on the back pain, which today was focused more in the middle of my spine. I can't say that I felt a lot of improvement on the back pain during the visit. Finally it came to the point where the needles were used: one in my right elbow, one in my left forearm, one in my right ankle, one in the left side of my neck and a final one in my right ear. You could barely feel them. I'm fine with needles as long as I don't look at them. They stayed in about five minutes. The needles were removed and the magnets were taped over with a real band aid to keep them on. I have eight magnets taped to my hands at the moment, which I am to leave on until morning.

So what is this process all about? Well, my doc says it's about reprogramming my body's energy. The various areas have lost their natural programming throughout the course of time, especially given the surgeries, procedures, etc. It's not mean to cure anything. It's to realign the energetic properties in the body and hopefully get things working with me and not against me.

Do I believe in acupuncture? I'm not about to go out there telling anyone else to try it. It's been three hours since the appointment and the leg pain is back a little. However, it's still a lot better than it's been. The doc told me that I would still have bad days but they should be less frequent. I'm going back in a month, at which time the doc will see how my body has responded to this reprogramming. Adjustments will need to be made, but the goal is to bring me closer to a point where I have pain that's manageable and not unbearable or driving me out of my mind.

I'm not sure if this is the long term solution I've been praying for, but I'll take it. It's certainly better than the few remaining options I have left out there. It will be interesting to see what the future holds.

To go or not to go

Thank goodness it's Friday and I officially have less than seven days until my acupuncture appointment. Though most of weekend I plan to spend getting my spine in a better place, our neighbors/friends did extend an invitation to us for the Medina County Fair on Saturday and we should probably let them know whether we are going.

I have not been to a County Fair since, well, middle school. Or maybe it was ninth grade, my memory is a bit fuzzy. I'm a little hesitant to spend a bunch of money or my limited physical energy on a Fair, yet there's something drawing me to it.

I think it's because to me a Fair is a big event that typically honors the farmer. And coming from a farm family, I have a great deal of respect for those small farmers gamble away almost everything to grow food and raise livestock just so the rest of us have something to eat.

The County Fair is a tradition that gathers family and friends in celebration. It's the only place where you can smell the combination of livestock waste and fried foods in the air. The only place where you can hear pigs snorting and kids yelling with glee on rides. It's a happy, fun place. And yes, you unfortunately you can't avoid hearing the continuous country songs, but it's a small price to pay.

Now I just need to talk B. into it....

Shocked

I really just don't know what to say.

This is just astounding. As a former Twin Cities resident for six years, I'm really in shock that the I-35W bridge over the Mississippi River just collapsed. Here's hoping our family and friends are all ok; I'm saying a prayer for all of them.