Right on Amazon!

I went visited the Amazon site today and look what I found!!!

How did they know I suffered from 'wrap rage'???  How did they know I was screaming to no one in particular yesterday as I attempted to free a timer for the living room lamp from the plastic prison it was in.  How did they know????  It's a shame there are more items...but hopefully this will catch on.

The solution to the economic crisis...

I couldn't agree more!!!

If only I could crochet better...

I could have my own debates!  Don't you just love the comb over???

Boss' Day

So Thursday (Oct 16) is National Boss' Day. A day when your minions, uh I mean employees are supposed to be happy and celebrate what a great boss you are. Clearly it is just another holiday that Hallmark invented to buy more greeting cards (and there are lots).

I of course did buy a card for my (male) boss. I always do. Remembering silly things somehow is what I'm good at. But in all the almost 10 years that I've been a manager I've never once got a card, a shout out...nothing! It's never really bothered me and I've always made a joke about it. Of course what I realized is that for the majority of the time I've been managing the number of women I had on my team was a whole whopping 1! Yep, that's what happens in the technology field...still!!!

So imagine my surprise when I returned to my office from conducting an interview (with a man of course) to find a beautiful vase of flowers and a balloon from my team. Wanna know why I suddenly got flowers? For the first time I actually have 4 women who directly report to me!!! That made me laugh.

Fun Fact Friday #18

Ahhh....Politics and Halloween...two of my favorite things...

Did you know...

In 1985, the candy lobby (yes, there is a candy lobby) tried to convince Congress to move the end of Daylight Saving Time to AFTER Halloween so that the kiddies could have more time to trick-or-treat.  Of course resulting in more candy sales.  In fact, according to some, The national Confectioners Association even left pumpkins full of candy on Senators chairs.  It never passed in '85, but did in 2007.

Fun Fact Friday #17

Around this time each year the Nobel Prizes are awarded. So in keeping with this annual event..

Did you know...

Alfred Nobel, who through his will called for the establishment of the famed awards, invented the explosive nitroglycerine.

Although Nobel put it in his will that he wanted to start the awards, it took 5 years post his death for the first awards to be given out because he didn't put anything in his will on how to do it!

Mr. Puddles? Where are you Mr. Puddles?

So as evidenced by yesterday's post I was cranky (and sleepy) about the debate.  Well, my love Jon Stewart knew exactly how to cheer me up.  The whole thing was hysterical (of course).  But my favorite...

What was McCain doing when Obama was talking...skip to 07:24 in the video clip...

I literally almost fell off the sofa.  

I love you Jon Stewart.

Is it wrong...

...that I fell asleep during the debate last night. Literally, snoring away. If it wasn't for the fact that the phone rang, I probably would have slept right through the night!

Now yes, this is showing I probably need more sleep, but to me what it means is that these two guys don't having anything new, different, exciting to say to keep me awake! How sad is that? We are in the middle of the worst financial crisis of our time. We are literally less than one month away from Election Day and no one is saying anything. Well, I take that back...they are saying lots of stuff. Lots of nasty stuff. And they are saying it over and over again. This is sooooo frustrating!

You know, if it was for the fact that I made my voting decision a while ago AND I paid attention for the last year or so, if I was just checking in now on this election I just wouldn't vote...THAT'S how frustrated I am right now. I wonder how many others have just had it too???

Fun Fact Friday #16

This week Mr. Clean, or at least the actor  that portrayed Mr. Clean, is now scrubbing the big kitchen floor in the sky.  So of course my fact needed to be on Mr. Clean... compliments (again) from one of my favorite sites, Mental Floss...

Mr. Clean has a first name...it is Veritably.  

If you as me, that is lame.  It should be 'Squeaky' or something,am I  right?

Where or Where are you TV Tuesday???

So I'm a bit behind on my TV posting. Heck I can hardly keep up with my TiVo!!! Plus I'm a little frustrated with some of the returning shows, but more on that in another post. So what have I been doing lately...work, work and oh did I mention work?

Yeah, work is crazy...lots going on, same old-same old. But I've also got a whole list of home projects going too. I'm right now in the middle of a project to make crib bumpers for a very good friend who is expecting twins so that actually means TWO crib bumpers!!!! Surprisingly, they are coming out really, really cute. I need to take some pictures and post them.

So hopefully I'll catch up on the TV thing soon...and get those darn bumpers done before the babies go off to college!!!

Oh and tomorrow I find out if I've been selected to go to the Women's Conference.

Fun Fact Friday #15

My sister's name is Joey (hi Joey!) and so as kids she always got anything related to kangaroos. Even today if I see something with a kanagroo on it I have to get it for her. So when I saw this posting on Mental Floss I couldn't resist.

Tony the Tiger beat out several other spokes-animals to become the mascot for Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes. Newt the Gnu and Elmo the Elephant were top contenders, but they never made it into stores. Katy the Kangaroo, however, was displayed right next to Tony. The tiger swiftly clobbered the kangaroo in sales, and Katy was relegated to the bargain bin of history.

Even in the wilds of advertising, a Tiger will always win!

Life Imitating Art

This op-ed piece was in the New York Times the other day. I always wished Bartlet was really president...now we know what he would have thought of the craziness today...

Fun Fact Friday #14

This Sunday is yet another one of my favorite sporting events. That's right, it is the Emmy Awards! I think I appreciate the Emmy's more and more in recent years because I have seen a lot more of the nominated shows; unlike the Oscars since I never go to the movies anymore :(

This year's hosting should be interesting...it's being hosted by reality TV hosts like Ryan Seacrest and Heidi Klum. I sure hope this doesn't break the record of longest show (which BTW is 4 hours...that was is 1987). There is only so much Seacrest one should be subjected to!

Anywho...here's today's fun fact honoring the Emmy's.

The name "Emmy" is a feminization of the nickname "Immy," which was named after the image orthicon tube, part of a TV camera.

I'm sure you are as satisfied to know that as I am ;)

TV Tuesday Bonus: Whatever Martha

This couldn't wait a week! Here's a little math problem for you:

Overexposed Lifestyle Goddess * will do anything for $/prison + bitter daughter =

So here is the premise...Alexis Stewart and her friend, Jennifer Koppleman Hutt, take Martha Stewart show clips and provide commentary on them and the queen herself (Think Mystery Science Theater 3000 crossed with an episode of classic Martha Stewart Living). And trust me, NOTHING and I mean nothing is held back. These gals are vicious! Is Alexis just a little bitter...I think so!

This was funny...and if you ever tried Martha anything (guilty as charged) you will at some level appreciate this. If you ever watched any of her million shows and yelled back at the TV at how ridiculous it was(case in point the segment they showed in the first episode about twine - yes, twine) you need to watch this.

This show is based off the Sirius satellite show that Alexis hosts of the same name. After episode two Alexis really started to bug me...her hair was freaky and seriously, this girl is really bitter! The other thing that bugs me a bit is that the show is executive produced by Martha herself...which for some reason takes the fun out of it just a wee bit. But these gals let it rip, so I'll have to give Martha some credit for being able to laugh at herself...of course she's laughing while carrying all her bags of money to the bank!!!

Whatever Martha is found on the Fine Living network Tuesday nights 9pm e/p and if you go to the site, there are a couple of the segments there to watch.

TV Tuesday: 90210

OK I tried...really I did...honest. I was totally NOT going to watch this show but in a haze of food poisoning with my trusty MacBook and furry pup I curled up on the couch and I caved. So sue me....I enjoyed it!

Yes I was a fan of the original and I think that is why I wasn't too interested about watching the 'new' 90210. Add on top of it all the media hype and the Shannen this and Tori that I was just not interested. But I watched and after just 1 episode I think I'm on the verge of getting seriously hooked. Oh God, please forgive me...

So the premise is pretty much the same as the original...small town brother and sister move to West Bev-er-ly. There are definitely some twists like Dixon, the brother, is adopted and African American (and played by cutie Tristan Wilds of The Wire fame). The sister, Annie is far less brooding that her predecessor Brenda. The Dad is the new principal at West Beverly and has returned to help his aging movie star mother, played deliciously by Jessica Walter (oh how I miss Arrested Development). Oh and Dad also has a connection to Kelly and an illegitimate kid with one of the West Bev parents - whew, that was a lot!

From there you move into the array of new and old faces. There's your mix of evil spoiled brats, jocks, nerds, druggies and outcasts. Sounds like high school to me, right? Returning faces include theatre star (yes, you are supposed to say that with a fake English accent) Brenda; guidance counselor Kelly, in toe with a 4 year old son whose father is mysteriously out of the picture...hmmmm; Kelly's Mom who is still very high maintenance; little Erin (Kelly's baby sis) who is now all grown up and goes by Silver (and falls in the outcast catagory, but I like her); and last but not least the Peach Pit is back with good ol' Nat and boy has the Peach Pit grown up too.

I've only watched the pilot, but I finished wanting more. I'm not exactly sure why I did...I was annoyed by a lot of the new characters, the story lines are kinda predictable, but for me I think it's like driving past an accident on the highway...you know you shouldn't look, but you just can't turn away. If you are into very cheesy, soap-operay, TV, than this is your show!

90210 is on Tuesday's at 8:00pm on the CW. The 2 hour pilot and last week's episode are available online at cwtv.com

Sarah vs. Hillary

Did I catch your attention? Nah, I'm not going to add to the debate, but I couldn't help but laugh after seeing this...

Tina Fey...you crack me up!

Fun Fact Friday #13

It's back....yup, I know you've missed my tidbits of useless information so here goes...

"According to doctors, humans suffer an average of 14 episodes of flatulence per day."

I found this interesting considering Ruby (who although isn't a human) was totally in that range yesterday. Oh that and I'm suffering from a case of stomach poisoning today (Fromage, that damn fromage!!!)

Here's hoping the air clears...

TV Tuesday: Sons of Anarchy

In an effort to try and keep blogging, I thought I might give take a stab at being an arm chair critic to give me something to write about on a somewhat regular basis. And to finally give up the ghost of saying I'm NOT addicted to TV ('Hi my name is Michele, and I'm a TV addict). Since it is the start of the new TV season I figured I'd give my 2cents on the new and the old and the good, the bad and the ugly! This week, I'll talk about the new FX series, Sons of Anarchy (SoA).

First a note on FX...FX has some smokin' great shows. I know Jen is a huge fan of The Shield and if you haven't seen Damages you really need to check it out. Also there is of course Nip/Tuck, The Riches and Rescue Me. FX is definitely not afraid to go out on a limb with their programming. So when I saw previews of SoA I thought I'd give it a chance and in a word, I'm intrigued.

Here's the premise...
The SoA are a motorcycle 'club' from the small town of Charming, CA (yep, a real place, I googled it!). The gang was started by two friends, Vietnam vets John Teller (deceased) and Clay Morrow current president. The SoA are intent on keeping the 'brotherhood' alive, keeping their town safe and keeping their livelyhood, let's just say lively. As you can guess their liveyhood is less than on the up and up...they run guns.

The V.P. of the club is Jax Teller son of the founding president John (and Clay's step-son) and in the pilot we find Jax dealing with a junkie ex-wife who just gave birth to their premie son. Jax it seems has a conscious...trying to figure out if this was the path his dad had wanted for the club and him. The club itself is also under siege with a rival gang destroying their stash of guns which were due for delivery to a 'customer'.

In the pilot you meet the various different characters including Jax's Mom and Clay's Wife, Gemma, played by Katey Sagal in a very un-Peg Bundy-like turn. Gemma is all about protecting her son and later you find out the way of life of the Sons too. The great Ron Perlman, finally gets to take off the make-up of the Beast and Hellboy, plays Clay. You don't learn too much about Clay in the opening ep. but you definitely know there is more to learn about him. Jax definitely has the bad-boy with a heart of gold thing going and is played by Charlie Hunnam of the original UK version of Queer as Folk...I knew he looked familiar. In fact there are a lot of familiar faces in the cast including Drea de Matteo, Mitch Pileggi and relative new comer (but great in Mad Men) Maggie Siff.

This show really does intrigue me...I think it's because it reminds me a heck of a lot of The Sopranos (oh how I miss you Tony). I guess I've really missed my weekly supply of guns, blood, controlling mothers and bad guys with a concious. I think this show definitely has promise and I'll keep watching for now.

You can catch Sons of Anarchy on Wednesday's at 10:00pm E/P. If you have Comcast Cable, it is available ONDemand and is also being rebroadcast tonight at 11:00pm E/P on FX.

Cross your fingers...

So my company is a co-sponsor of the Women's Conference which is a pretty big conference with some very cool speakers. It's a pretty big deal to be nominated within my company to go. They pay for you to go, you get great seats, etc. I found out today that 'my boys' aka my boss and the 3 male directors on my team have nominated me to go!!!! I'm pretty psyched about it. I really want to go!!! I think with the election and the speakers on tap it will be really really exciting

Of course there are 8,000 people who work in my company... many of which are in fact women, I don't know what kind of a chance I have, but just think...I could get to meet Bono...OK, I might only get to see Bono...but wouldn't that be cool?

It's the little things...

OK, OK, I know...'Where the hell have I been'? Well it's been crazy...I think a lot of you know that. So I won't go into details other than to say I'm gonna give this blog thing another shot.

---
What compelled me to finally sit down and post is something cool that happened today...a little background first. I consider myself pretty easy to please - some may actually disagree - but I really think I am. I mean the littlest things make me happy. When my co-worker Jen brings me in a cool notebook from Target, or when my friend Yvette likes some new recipe I made (usually from Rhonda) or when Ruby actually comes to me the first time I call her. It really is the little things...they can keep me going for... like hours.

I bring this up because today I had a monumental 'little thing' that I think might actually take me through till at least next month! I know, imagine that!!!

Today I had to go to a management meeting...urgh. Add on top of that it was billed as 'leadership building'...double urgh. So I wasn't holding too much hope for my day. Well when the agenda came out yesterday I saw that our guest speaker was some dude named Paul Kingsman. Who the heck is Paul Kingsman you might ask? Well of course I Googled him and found that he was an '88 Olympian from New Zealand who won the bronze in the 200m backstroke. The first male individual swimming medal for NZ. Kinda cool...but still, I just knew it was going to be some lame kumbuya session.

Imagine my surprise that it really wasn't. The speaker was totally engaging. Had very relevant examples for what our company was going through. Honestly shared his Olympic experience - which I absolutely ate up being the total Olympic geek that I am. But here is the best part...he brought his bronze medal! And I got to actually hold it!!!! Seriously, I was so excited I could barely contain myself. Lame, I know (can we say 'get a life Michele?')...but seriously, this is going to last me for at the rest of the month...maybe two. Now, imagine if it was a gold medal? Or maybe an Oscar? See, it really is the little things that make me happy!

Fun Fact Friday #12 & a Meme

So I was tagged by Blue earlier this week for a meme and it got me to thinking...what the heck IS a meme and where did it come from. So here you go...all about meme

The term and concept of meme is from the 1976 book by Richard Dawkins, The Selfish Gene. Though Dawkins defined the meme as "a unit of cultural transmission, or a unit of imitation," memeticists vary in their definitions of meme. (from the Wikipedia)

For us crazy bloggers, a meme is some kind of list of questions that you saw somewhere else and you decided to answer the questions.

Now on to the meme...

Five things on my to-do list:
---which one LOL

1. Finish newsletter article (work)
2. Laundry (home)
3. Finish reviews (work)
4. Vacuum (home, but work could use it too!)

5. Make split pea soup with the leftover ham bone from Easter (home, but will eat for lunch at work - yay)

Five Snacks I enjoy:

1. cheese

2. peanut butter and chocolate

3. cheese

4. fruit (any)

5. did I mention cheese?

Five Things I would you do if I was a Billionaire:

1. Pay off all my, my Mom's, my sister's and my pal Yvette's bills

2. Build my dream house

3. Open up a yarn shop

4. Go back to school...just for fun

5. Do a world tour to visit all my blogging friends...and bring Ruby of course!

Five of my bad habits:
---but there are so many!!!

1. Letting laundry pile up until I don't have anything to wear!

2. Not exercising enough

3. Not responding to emails from friends (excuse...all I do is send emails all day, don't want to do it at home)

4. Not getting out more (just staying home with the dog)
5. Snacking instead of eating a proper meal

Five People I will tag:

1. Jen

2. Jessica

3. Maryann

4. Ami
5. Rachelle

I actually have another meme in mind with I will share next week...I think it will be an easy and fun one!

Fun Fact Friday #11

Although you might celebrate your birthday every year, your actual birthday only occurs once every 7 years! Not counting the leap years, the date you were born on moves each year to the following day of the week. This means your annual celebration is actually for your birth date - not your birthday - and in truth your birth day i.e. the actual day you were born on occurs only every 7 years!

Well that's right the ol' birthday was Wednesday...yup, the big FOUR - OH! I didn't do much celebrating because I had the flu...but I did get me one of those cupcakes...mind you I felt too yucky to eat it so I had it yesterday and it was delish!

My birthday wish for myself was to try and blog...so we'll see what happens!!!

Fun Fact Friday #10

OK, one day I'll get back to posting about me...soon I hope. In the meantime you'll have to settle for yet another installment of Fun Fact Friday. Today we celebrate that somewhat annoying and sleep depriving Spring event...Daylight Savings Time!

Did you know, Daylight Savings Time was the brainchild of Benjamin Franklin. However it wasn't until WWI in Germany that it was officially instituted to help the war effort.

Fun Fact Friday #9

In honor of the sad news about the demise of Polaroid Instant film I give you this bizarre fact:

A Polaroid emulsion transfer is an image made by 'cooking' a Polaroid in hot water until the image separates from its paper backing. The emulsion of the image can then be placed on practically any surface.

Guess you won't be able to do that for much longer. And pray tell who figured this out?

Oh and happy leap day! Guess I should have had a fact for that, huh? Well I guess you'll have to wait four years for that! LOL!

Fun Fact Friday #8

This weekend marks my SuperBowl...yep, the Oscars. In honor of this most special of events, I give you an Oscar inspired Fun Fact...

Four best-picture winners won an Oscar in every category for which they were nominated: 2003’s “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King,” 1987’s “The Last Emperor,” 1958’s “Gigi” and 1934’s “It Happened One Night.”

This year's telecast is being hosted my one of my major TV crushes Jon Stewart - yay! And if you are in need of more Oscar Trivia, you can find it here.

---

I'm still REALLY behind on catching with you all...things are still really crazy with work (and if you can believe it got even crazier this week). I know...deep breath!

Fun Fact Friday #7

A raisin dropped in a fresh glass of soda will bounce up and down continually from the bottom of the glass to the top.

Now that is something I think I might need to try this weekend...just because!

So sorry I've been 'blog-silent'...it is CRAZY! Although I knew it was eventually going to happen, my boss/best friend is out to celebrate the birth of his very beautiful daughter Madeline! She is just the sweetest little thing! I just love babies!!!

Unfortunately, he didn't completely transition over some of the work, so not only do I have more work (which I had tons already), but there's a lot of extra work to try and 'figure it out'! I know I could call him (heck, I've been over his house practically every night to get to know my 'niece'), but I just want him to focus on his wife and new daughter - gosh, it's weird to say that!

Hopefully I will be able to catch up with you wonderful ladies this weekend!

Fun Fact Friday #6

Happy Birthday Legos!!!  It's been 50 years since Lego building bricks first hit stores!!!  And according to Time Magazine, 7 sets of Legos are sold every second by retailers worldwide.  Not THAT'S a lot of Legos.

I have to say...to this day, Legos are STILL one of my favorite toys!

If you call me...

A friend of mine just sent this to me and I'm seriously considering adding this to my incoming voicemail at work...

Hi, you have reached the voicemail box of XXX...

If you are obsessive-compulsive, please press 1, repeatedly.

If you are co-dependent, please ask someone to press 2.

If you have multiple personalities, please press 3, 4, 5, and 6.

If you are paranoid-delusional, we know who you are and what you want. Just say on the line so we can trace the call.

If you are schizophrenic, listen carefully and a little voice will tell you which number to press.

I have found that in my new role I've become mother/sister/daughter confessor-problem solver-go to gal. Part of me really likes this, likes to be in the know, but part of me is like - "leave me alone I have my own work to do dammit!!!! Go solve your own damn problems!!!!" Ahhhh, I feel better now.

It's just been so crazy/hard. I mean I still work on the same team, with generally the same people but there is just SOOOO much to do and a lot of it is new (financial stuff and I suck at math!) so there is a learning curve. Add to that 2 people about to go have babies and me covering for them, you get the picture...I'm doing the job of like 4 people!!! Plus I'm a perfectionist, hate to fail and hate to let people down. I know, I just need to remember to breathe, right?

These guys crack me up...

In case you didn't catch this...



Sit back, relax and laugh your ass off!

Fun Fact Friday #5

This one is for Maryann...

In Disney’s Fantasia, the Sorcerer to whom Mickey played an apprentice was named Yensid - Disney spelled backward.

And a bonus since this is Super Bowl Weekend...

Apparently Super Bowl Sunday is the least crowded day of the year to visit Disneyland!

Happy Birthday Ellen!

I'm really not one to wax poetically on about a specific celebrity.  OK, so I have admitted that I'm into celebrity gossip, but as far as admiring any celebrity in particular...nah, not really into that.  Except maybe for Ellen Degeneres and today is Ellen's 50th birthday - W00t! (had to let a little Ruby in for that one)

Seriously, if I had to pick one celebrity I would want to meet...Ellen. If I could pick a celebrity to be my best friend...Ellen.  And if I were ever to decide to swear off men and switch teams...Ellen.  I really just think she's a very cool lady.  She's funny and clever, seems to be really genuine, has a great collection of Converse sneaks, and gushes about Justin Timberlake!!!  What's not to like!!! 

Everyday I record and watch her show.  It really is one hour where I kinda just sit back and let the day go and usually laugh, laugh, laugh...oh and sometimes I'll even dance!  During yesterday's birthday show in her opening nonologue (a monologue without her striking writers) she brought up some stuff about turning 50 that at least for me, really hit home and made me reflect...especially as I approach my own birthday milestone...

1 - It's just a number!  

For Ellen, this was NEVER what 50 was supposed to look like.  So true and I feel the same way right now.  I used to get so hung up about the 'number'...in fact I thought my life was over at 25!!!  I really can't believe I'm actually turning 40!  Although I do have days where I feel like I'm 90 (work, work, work)...I know I don't look almost 40, or generally feel almost 40 and ask anyone who knows me,  I certainly don't act like I'm almost 40!   Sure we all  have responsibilities and I can turn on the grown up when I need to...but as Geoffrey the Giraffe always says..."I don't want to grow up, I'm a Toys-R-Us kid!"  Definite words to live by!

2 - Be happy with who you are.

To me, happiness is all relative.  Am I a happy person?  Do I feel happy?  I guess so.  I think for me it is not necessarily about being happy so much as I am not unhappy.  To me there is a difference.  That might sound a little weird, but heck I'll blame it is my east coast, jewish/catholic guilt ridden upbringing to lean more towards the negative.  

3 - Don't try and be anyone but who you are. 

Frankly I'm on board with that.  I know I'm not perfect, or look perfect or done exactly what people thought I should or what I thought I would do but I'm really OK with that.  Actually I'm more than OK with that because who and where I am is exactly where I've chosen to be.  I know so many people who try and blame others for their lot in life and I'm so not about that (at least 98% of the time I am).  Everything I have ever done...every decision (good or bad) has brought me to my where I currently am today, the life that I have and the person I have become.  Have I made some bad decisions?  Sure.  Would there be things I would do differently?  Yup.  Is there definite room for improvement?  You betcha!   But I did that and I'm good with it!

4 - Live everyday to the fullest! Don't take anything for granted and you never know what tomorrow brings!

Yeah, yeah, yeah...everyone knows this, but how many people can actually say they do it?  I know I don't that is for sure.  I get so bogged down with, well, LIFE that it is sometimes hard to live it.  I'm not talking about bungee jumping or skydiving.  For me it needs to be about making sure I am doing the things I like to do, spending time with the people I love, learning new things, eating great food (that is healthy of course) and loving my Ruby.  So this is a definite area of improvement for me or an area where I continually need some positive reinforcement.

Gee...I got all this from a 2 minute nonologue - LOL.  Well, happy birthday Ellen!  Thanks for making me laugh and reminding me that life truly is what I make of it!

Friday Fun Fact #4

Useless tidbit of the day...

The dot over the 'i' or 'j' is called a tittle

Did you know that?  I didn't...I just can't believe I've gone through life without knowing that!!!  Seriously.

Tag!

I was tagged by Jessica...something to think about other than work...YAY!  Here goes...

4 Jobs I've held...

- Ice cream girl

- Demo Dolly - ehm Sales Engineer (gave technical demos at trade shows)

- Technical Project Manager

- Web Development Manager

4 Movies I'd Watch Over and Over...

- Godfather II

- When Harry Met Sally

- Sunset Boulevard

- Garden State

4 Places I've Been...

- Sydney Australia

- London England

- Edinburgh Scotland

- Kennbunkport Maine (No, I wasn't visiting the Bush Family, but I did see their little 'cottage')

4 Places I've Lived...

- Newark, NJ

- Princeton, NJ

- San Jose, CA

- Fair Oaks, CA

4 TV Shows I Watch...

- Project Runway

- Law & Order (all of them)

- Gray's Anatomy

- The Office

4 People Who eMail Me Regularly...

- My sister Joey

- My mom

- My boss

- My boss' mom (ok, so my boss is one of my best friends and his mom is kinda my CA mom)

4 Favorite Foods...

- Fruit (any and all)

- Green Beans

- Cheese (any and all)

- Sushi

4 Places I Would Rather Be...

- Aptos, CA at the Spa

- Coffee shop with my 4 best girlfriends dishing it up

- At any yarn shop feeling up the yarn!

- On the couch with a cup of tea, my latest knitting project and Ruby curled up beside me napping

4 Things I'm Looking Forward To...

- The birth of my best friend's daughter next month (who I made that cute sweater for)

- End of June...my work life will get easier at that point (I hope)

- My sister coming to visit (not planned yet, but will happen this year...probably over the summer)

- My birthday trip...SO not planned yet, but I want to go somewhere with a few friends and just kick back to celebrate the big 4-OH!

4 People I'm Going to Tag...(only if you have the time)

- Maryann

- Jeannie

- Jen

- Valerie

100

1) I was born in 1968 - yep, the big Four-OH is soon.  Scary.

2) I have one sister and one nephew and if you count my sister's pup I also have a niece.

3) I was born and raised in NJ, but moved to California 10 years ago.  I don't think I'll ever move back.

4) I L*O*V*E the rain and especially thunderstorms!

5) I have never been married, nor do I think I want to be.

6) I don't have kids, nor do I think I want any, but I love my nephew and all my friends kiddies because I can give them back!

7) I hate to clothes shop.

8) I love to shop online.

9) I am a serial crafter, but I think it's getting serious with knitting.

10)  I have more skeins of yarn than I do shoes.

11) I love the grocery store.

12) I love gourmet food shops.

13) I love to cook, but seem to only be able to cook for a crowd. (Thanks to Rhonda, I'm getting better at that)

14) I love NYC!

15) I've been to Australia.

16) My favorite trip of all time was to Scotland...what a beautiful country.

17) I would love to take an African safari one day

18) I have visited 33 states, 17 more to go.

19) I love Mission style furniture.

20) I have been to a Star Trek convention but I am NOT a Trekkie

21) I'm addicted to TV.

22) I love all Law and Order shows.

23) My current favorite movie is Garden State.  I could watch it over and over.

24) I'm allergic to cats.

25) I'm 5'2" on a good day.

26) I graduated from Rutgers University with a BA in Political Science, but I work in computers, go figure.

27) My favorite color is blue.

28) I visited the set of Saturday Night Live for work once and saw Dana Carvey, John Lovitz and Chris Rock.

29) I love 'school supplies' - paper, pens, folders, notebooks.  Yes, another addiction.

30) I could eat roast chicken every night!

31) I survived on diet coke and Lorna Doone cookies for breakfast in college.

32) I love kitchen gadgets.

33) I love to visit Disneyland!!!  One year I visited 5 times!!!

34) I like to read historical biographies.

35) I love celebrity gossip.

36) Kermit is my favorite muppet.

37) My favorite drink is tea - iced or hot.

38) I hate to exercise, but when I do I feel so great.

39) I was once Martha Stewart for Halloween.

40) My favorite season is fall...I love the color of the leaves.

41) My least favorite season is summer...I hate to be hot and you can only take so much off!

41) I haven't worn a dress in at least 9 years!  It's all about the pantsuit if you HAVE to dress up.

42) I love Hollywood awards shows.

43) I love my iPod and couldn't live without it!!!

44) My favorite band of all time is the Police, but I like all types of music.

45) I love soup!!!

46) I hate the snow! (see #41)

47) I have never done illegal drugs or smoked a cigarette.

48) I hate to go to the doctor.

49) I really don't like parties or socializing.  I'm much better in small groups.

50) I am pro-choice.

51) I am pro-gay marriage.

52) I am pro-military, but I hate this war.

53) Hillary Clinton kinda scares me!

54) My favorite drive is 17-mile drive 

55) I hate LA.

56) I once participated in a county mock trial in high school.  I was the defense attorney. I lost.

57) I was presented as a debutante at 17.

58) I went to a somewhat snooty all girls catholic high school.

59) My nickname in grammar school was Webster (like the dictionary)

60) I studied 2 semesters of Russian in college.

61) I wanted to work in Washington, DC and be a professional bureaucrat when I left college, but got obsessed with computers instead.

62) I worked for Apple Computer for 6 years.

63) I was a paper millionaire for 1 day thanks to the start up I worked for going public.  They tanked before I could cash in!

64) I just got a promotion to being a Director.

65) My job doesn't excite me anymore.

66) I'd like to write a children's book one day

67) I thought blogging was silly until about a year ago!

68) In the 6th grade I tried to fail a test, but only managed to get a 70!

69) I love to read magazines and have had subscriptions to Vanity Fair and Entertainment Weekly for over 15 years! (see #35)

70) I love my TiVo!

71) I love socks...and so does Ruby.

72) I had a problem with my legs growing up and didn't have to take Phys Ed at all in high school!

73) My high school principal (Sr. Anne) thought Madonna was a role model.  This was in Madonna's 'Like a Virgin' days.  It still makes me laugh!

74) I'm not a big drinker, but do enjoy a nice glass of wine every now and than.

75) If I didn't color my hair I would be completely gray...and it's been like that since I was about 24.

76) I think tattoos are cool, but would never get one.

77) Reality shows generally annoy me, but I do like Top Chef and Project Runway.

78) I took Polish folk-dancing from the age of 4 till I was about 13 and hated it!

79) As a kid, most of my summer vacations were on trips to historic sites (Valley Forge, Gettysburg, etc) and I hated it.  My dad was a history buff and now I regret not paying more attention.

80) My favorite TV show of all time has to be Sex and the City.

81) I love Italian and Mexican food.

82) I am generally lazy.

83) I love to take naps, but have terrible insomnia.

84) I love my crocs and wish I could wear them all the time!

85) I'm an early riser and always have been.

86) I usually go to bed early, 9:30pm, but rarely sleep thru the night (see #83).

87) I hate coffee, but I love the way it smells.

88) I love polar fleece.

89) I've never been camping, but would love to go one day.

90) I hate stupid people.

91) I hate people who are late.

92) I can be ready for work in under 30min.

93) I think I would like to teach one day.

94) I have food texture issues.

95) I have a potty mouth, but am working on it.

96) I once bit my sister (she has the teeth marks to prove it too)

97) I love the train.

98) I am a spas at reading maps.

99) I hate to unload the dishwasher.

100) I love how happy Ruby is to see me when I get home.  I just melt.

Friday Fun Fact #3

OK, now this is just silly...

Again from the  'Page-a-Day Living Green 2008' online calendar...

"Put a lid on it...Lose a little less energy through your stovetop (whether gas or electric) by applying the simplest of expedients - a lid over a saucepan to contain heat and warm food faster."

Is it me, or is that just like 'duh...of course it will'???  Hat on head, top on pot...both keeps the heat in....H*E*L*L*O???  I think I need to find better fun facts!!!

Time...

 There really is just no time to do anything..at least for right now.  Yesterday (oh and Monday and Tuesday too) I literally had to walk out of meetings/conference calls just to go to the restroom!  That is just crazy!!!

I used to be so much better at having a handle on my time...not necessarily scheduling specific time to go to the bathroom of course although I am thinking that might not be a bad idea right now. Rather not allowing my schedule at work to be so overrun that I don't have time to literally breath!!!  I sure hope this is a passing phase and NOT how it is going to be going forward.

It really is a vicious cycle...meetings all day that I can't get any other work done. Coming home and having to do the work at night - which I hate doing.  Even if I don't come home and do work, I get home and am exhausted.  I don't do anything at home (cleaning, cooking, blogging, crafts) because I'm exhausted.  Oh, did I say I was exhausted?  I begrudgingly deal with a very energetic dog when all I want to do is sleep.  That really is no way to live... I hate it...I hate that I am too tired/grouchy because of a crappy day at work to roll on the floor with the beasty girl (which always makes us both very happy) and rather resort to reading all the emails I didn't get to during the day on the sofa while robotically throwing a ball to get the pups just a little exercise!!!

 AAAARRRGGGGGHHHHH!!!

So that's it..I have no time right now.  Yes, this too shall pass...I know, I hope.  In the mean time thanks for letting me rant.

In the midst of madness...

I actually managed to complete a knitting project!

As expected, this week was a mess.  I won't go into too much detail (I'm sick of it) but not only was it tough to get back after 2 weeks gone, but there were meetings, a pending re-organization and layoffs!  Yes.  Crazy way to start the new year.  I'll share more on this at another time.

But like I said, in the middle of all this, I managed to complete a knitting project.  As much as I adore knitting, I sometimes am WAY too ambitious and never seem to finish things.  I also seem to have a sweater phobia. Anyway, for those of you who are Wonder Ruby readers, you know I started this a while back and at one point, just had to give up due to time.  Well I finished it!!!!  And I have to say I'm really happy with it.

This cute little number is going to one of my very best friends (who also happens to be my boss) who is about to have his first baby.  On Friday, I managed to escape the madness of work for a few hours to attend a baby shower thrown by his Mom.  It was a very nice afternoon and had tons of fun and again a really nice break from the work craziness.

Here's another close up of the buttons.  They match the booties I gave at the first shower!

So although NOT a project for me, I feel really good about this one and it's one project closer to me getting to knit something for myself!  Oh, and soon as the little critter is born, I'll get a picture of her in it and post.

Friday Fun Fact #2

Yesterday was actually Fun Fact Friday, but I was Way Too Busy to post. But in an effort to stay true to the blog, here we go...

Did you know...

A healthy mature maple tree has about 200,000 leaves.

OK, I never said facts would be relevant or all that important...all I said was they be facts and maybe sometimes fun ;) I happened on this tid-bit while visiting the Yarn Harlot...who is currently obsessed with leaves.

The Party's Over...

Well, maybe not the party, but the vacation is.  Two whole weeks...that's the longest vacation I've taken in a long time and boy did I need it!  Now it is back to work...I'm SO not looking forward to it either.

I start my week tomorrow with a 2 hour rush hour commute to the Bay Area for a meeting to discuss a reorganization my team is about to undergo.  I know, nice way to start the year AND great way to spend my first day back.  It's been in the planning stages since November, but now the 'fun' begins.  As hard as this will be, I'm hoping it will really help improve things at work...but we will see.

So...if you don't see me post for a couple of days, don't give up (at least not yet).  It will probably just me be trying to dig out from the madness!

Friday Fun Fact #1

For years I've been known (more aptly accused) of being the purveyor of useless information. You know, the stupid little things you hear and seem to always remember versus remembering something useful, like say your phone number??? So I thought I would start a little feature to share some of these little tid-bits.

In keeping with the 'Get Green' resolution for 2008 I give you this little item hot off my 'Page-a-Day Living Green 2008' online calendar...

"...by bringing your own reusable basket or mesh bags to the supermarket. If you go grocery shopping once a week, in five years you’ll have kept anywhere from 250 to 1,000 grocery bags out of our landfills."

The trick for me is remembering said reusable bags...that and getting rid of the 250 to 1000 paper grocery bags I already have!

New Towels...

For as self-indulgent as I can be, towels are the one thing I never seem to get for myself. It's weird...I have so many sets of sheets I could go without washing linens for at least 6months (and that's changing sheets every week!!!), but towels... let's see, well I can't remember the last time I bought myself new towels!

So I had to go to Linens & Things for a gift card for a Christmas gift so I thought...well why not? So I got these really cushy cobalt blue towels and even got new bath rugs too - woo hoo! So I've had them for at least 3 weeks, but haven't used them! I know, I know, crazy...but I wanted to white tornado the bathroom first.

Don't get me wrong, the bathroom was relatively clean...but you know, new stuff, you just want to make it...well...perfect. So I spent the morning cleaning the bathroom, putting out the new towels and rugs...ahhh...it was great. What's even better is Kelly got me this great towel warmer for Christmas...how did she know I got new towels!!! Well, she didn't...she just bought something she knew I would never buy for myself...which is typically towels!

Happy New Year...

OK, so I've toyed with the idea of a personal blog for a while but always changed my mind. Who would want to read about me? Well, maybe no one...but that's ok...I should just do this for me, right? Well, we'll see how it goes...

So new year, resolutions, right? Well, I've never been very good at resolutions...except that one year when I actually accomplished 2 things off a list of 20! I think I set the bar too high, what do you think? Well Ruby made some resolutions for herself on her blog, I might as well give it a shot..

• Get Green: Ruby covered this one as well. First step, I actually bought 100% recyclable paper towel- Yay!!! I'll miss you Bounty Select-a-Size. Not sure I can do the same with TP?

• Eat Local - Eat Healthy: Two not necessarily connected, but I'm thinking local farmer's market = fresh fruits & veggies = eating healthy.
  

• Clean the Clutter: I'm a clutter bug. No matter what I try and do there is always a bunch of stuff EVERYWHERE! The only way I seem to get rid of things is when I move and no real plans for doing that right now so I need to de-clutter!
  

• Get Moving (aka exercise): Doesn't need explanation just need to do it. Does the Wii count???

• Knit more for Me: Now that the beasty-girl is older, she lets me knit. Now I just need to start knitting for me. A few scarves over the last few years doesn't count...I need to knit me a sweater...after Maddy's sweater, Andre's baby gift and Yvette's sweater and purse...maybe that will be a back-half of the year resolution!

So...there you have it. First post and resolutions all in one!!!