thoughts running thru my frazzeled noggin

Just a few quick notes to share to help me clear my mind...


1) Leo went to the hospital last night with severe stomach pains (that's better than chest pains, right?). After a battery of tests they confirmed it wasn't kidney stones or appendicitis; he was sent home and told to contact the doctor who has performed his previous GI surgeries. Judea said he wasn't in as much pain this morning--that's good. We'll have to wait to see what the Dr. says...say a prayer that it is nothing serious please...


2) My small work group of 5 people is taking on the development of global electronics software process (which will be both CMMI and SPICE compatible for you techno geeks). Although this is an AWESOME opportunity, it is also a HUGE responsibility--not to mention a GIANT stress. Lots of little odds and ends to wrap up before the effort gets formally kicked off at the end of FY08. Oh yeah, as a result there is a distinct possibility that I may be going to Bulgaria on an expat assignment. I'm all for it, especially knowing someone very dear to me may be across the pond too at that time...


3) One more step (semi) accomplished in the home decorator front...When I bought my bedroom furniture I was limited to the space in my apartment. Now that I've been in the condo (= much more room) for a few years I've wanted to add another piece to the set. Currently, I have the following armoire and dresser + mirror.


These lovely pieces are part of the Stanley Preface collection, which now that I want more of, is discontinued. (something about Murphy....) Anywho while picking up the groceries last night, I wondered through the clearnce area and found a 4 drawer chest of drawers, not quite as big as I wanted, but of matching maple (real wood top, drawer fronts and sides), on clearance for $80! I just need to swing into the hardware store and get the matching drawer pulls tonight. Definite score.

4) I'm a bit behind on my contract work--I have an assignment I need to complete before I leave for Greece...which is another topic I'll have to update you on another day as I am running late to go to lunch with Aimee.

ta-ta 4 now

:)

lights...camera...action!

One of the things I like best about living in a smallish town in West MI is that it is still a mom & pop kinda place. Typically not too much excitement but the view is nice and the people are friendly.

Well, we're having a bit of excitement. One of our more famous locals, Hopwood Depree, and his company TicTock Studios, is filming a movie just a few blocks from downtown. The movie, a comedy, is titled "Tug". According to the studio, it is about "a small town Michigan guy's life [which] begins to unravel as he is torn between staying with his current lovely girlfriend, or bouncing back to his psycho ex." The movie stars Sam Huntington and Haylie Duff.

I've been past the location several times while they were filming--wow, never really knew how much equipment and people it takes to put a movie together. Some residents aren't too pleased with all of the commotion (streets blocked off, strange cars & trucks trapping you in your own driveway, noisy generators running, etc.), but I don't mind (then again, it isn't happening on my front lawn......).

West MI is beautiful and deserves to star in pictures. I just hope making it a star doesn't change it too much. :)

live music + beverages + friends/colleagues = fun

I went out to experience the GR nightlife last night--something this middle aged chica hasn't done for quite some time (yup, that means years...uh-huh, that was plural).

I had the privilege of attending a concert at the Intersection.

***Just to further illustrate my lame old fogeyness, the last time I was out in the GR nightlife the Intersection was still in East GR.***

Anywho, Aaron, a colleague of mine is in a band (5 Minutes Late) and an eclectic bunch of us (~20) headed into GR to check them out. We had a blast. I got to catch up with some people that I haven't had the opportunity to interact with much since I left the Validation group. The band was great too. Aaron and his pals are very talented--I'd go see them again, w/o a doubt.

I'm a little tired today, but it was well worth it!

:)

step 1: moving off the island

I've been living on an island for the past few years.

Unfortunately it wasn't a lush tropical island, but a figurative island. The circumstances surrounding the relationship that I was in, along with the personality traits of the 'X' caused me, enabled me, forced me (take your pick) to isolate myself from all but a very few of my friends (they know who they are). I didn't and/or couldn't talk about my life and the things going on in it--I was ashamed, scared, and to some degree disppointed in myself. From the inside it seemed like it happened gradually, but I'm not sure I can actually trust my perception of reality during that time frame. I don't think I've ever really been that good at reaching out. I play a good 'Doc' as some of you know; asking deep questions about others, but never really revealing much about myself.

That is the past though. I'm working towards a better future. This blog is part of that future. So is moving off the island. I took one of my first trips off the island this past weekend, meeting up with my college chicas while on a trip to Detroit. Angie, Lara, Dee, Nicole, Stacy, Becky (sadly no Jamie). I was really glad to see you. I know I still have a lot of work to do, but I feel for the first time, in a long time, that it is possible. :)

After hanging with the chicas, I went to visit Nanner and my furry nephew Sam (along with another furry house guest, Buddy). I tried to help get Sam and Buddy out of the way while Nanner's new roomate moved in. We ended up just taking them to Nanner's BFs' (Jen & Davey) house. We left the furry friends there to play while the humanoids (including newest edition Devon, and his 'Godfather', Travis) set off to Ann Arbor for some exploring. We had a nice meal at the Prickly Pear and then went on to explore Crazy Wisdom Bookstore & Tea Room (where I was able to pick up some Henna--woohoo!). We rounded out the trip with some ice cream from Kilwin's. We were stuffed, but it was SO hot and the ice cream tasted pretty darn good.

By the time I rolled into my abode, it was past 9:00. So I'm pooped today and the house is trashed, but I was off-island for a little while. It wasn't half bad. I just might do it again sometime soon. :)

cosmic alignment

Let me begin by tying up a few loose ends from a couple of the more recent posts...

1) got my slideshow to work (which you can probably tell if you are reading this)

2) got my title bar to appear kinda how I want it to--I just need to tweak the anti-alias

3) as promised, pics of my home improvement project... I hung two painted glass representations of the works below (by artist T.C. Stuart)...in my sidelight next to my front entry...

Luminosity Rectangle

Luminosity Square

4) I FOUND MY PHONE-WOOO-HOOO!!! :)


On to new stuff. I joined my friend Helen and her older sister downtown last night for a nice dinner. We (along with a couple thousand other people) then went on to enjoy Holland's street performers (guitarists, jugglers, belly dancers, jazz bands, break-dancers, etc.). If I haven't said it before, man do I really love this town. I have never in my life seen such a diverse group of people coming together to just enjoy their community. 95 year olds in rascals, toddlers sucking their thumbs, teenagers having a free hug competition, families lounging in the small corner parks. People from every corner of the earth: Ghana, India, Honduras, Germany. It was so very cool and uplifting.

I bought a lovely necklace at The Bridge, our local fair trade retailer. I also got my first henna tattoo (aka Mehndi) from a street performer artist. I love it! I've always wanted to get a real tattoo, but I've never found anything that I think I would want 4-EVER--think the 'Sandlot'. (hmmm... this just might have something to do with my aversion to commitments...). Anywho, I plan on getting more henna tattoos in the future.

I also had the opportunity to meet up with friends Mike and Aimee and their brood, as well as friends Mike and Kathy and their son Marcelle. The latter will be leaving the great lakeshore area and moving to Texas at the end of the month, so I was very glad to have the opportunity to see them before they left. Sometimes I am simply in awe of the wonderful people that have touched my life. It is amazing how the simple things can remind you of how blessed you are.


:)

Stop! I want a do-over!

If I could figure out a way to do the last 12+ hours over again I would...

It began last night when I ran into Menard's to pick up some cup hooks to hang my latest home improvement project (I'll share pics of that in the next post). I got what I needed, as well as a few items for my next project, pretty quick. However, I ended up trapped in Menard's for an extra hour because, even though the meteorologists had said there was a "slight chance" (Jen's translation = "oh-so-not-gonna-happen") of isolated (Jen's translation = "maximum of 10 sq. ft.") thunderstorms, it was armageddon out there. Mind you, as I randomnly circled the new 62,398,612,854.320 sq. ft. Menard's in my not-for-hiking shoes, fending off 'helpful' Menardites hiding behind every product display, waiting for the tempest to let up, I couldn't help but think of the pile of freshly washed and dried clothes laying on the loveseat in my bedroom--right in front of the open windows that face full west. Nice.

After I got home and got that mess all cleaned up, I checked out my new laser leveler and planned how I would complete the initial home improvement project. I got a good night's sleep and attacked the project. It looks pretty darn good if I do say so myself. :)

So next I ran downstairs to get some clothes for work off of the hang-dryer, as well as some jars of jam that I promised a colleague. The first thing I noticed was the aroma. It wasn't bad or rotten--I'd describe it as musty. At first I made sure the dehumidifier down there was running ok--it was; then I just attributed it to the extended days of 2973% humidity we've been having. That was until I turned the corner to get the jam and saw weird things on the floor in the shadows. I freaked at first, paranoid that the weird things were living things--they weren't. They were large shards of glass. Glass from a gallon bottle of homemade strawberry wine. Well, it was supposed to be wine, but due to the less-than-stellar mental capabilities of the 'X' (he used champagne yeast instead of wine yeast, freakin' Einstein)--I had a time-bomb on my hands. Luckily most of the damage appeared to be the shattered glass. The remains of the champagne leaked out the bottom instead of spraying like a fountain.

So I went back upstairs to call into work to let them know I'd be late, and I can't find my phone (I use only a cell--no land lines). I dump out my purse--no phone. I dump out my computer bag--no phone. I dump out various other bags--no phone. Sheesh! Maybe it fell out at work. So I go back to getting ready for work b/c I've exhausted every place that I think my phone could be; and it's already obvious to whoever is there that I am not. I'll just explain it when I get in.

Fast forward--> I get to work. No phone. Darn--Narbit!!! I can't even call the dang thing from my desk phone cuz I know it is turned off. Son of a!!!! Now I know as soon as I go out a buy a new phone, which I'm going to have to do over lunch, the old one will turn up. Great. Just great.

Is it tomorrow yet?

Day 2 and still ticking...

Well, I've been able to add a thing or two since yesterday. I'm still having a bit of trouble with my flickr slide show and my title bar...but I'll get there. Next I have to break down and actually buy a digital camera. Really, i don't live in a cave--I just pretend like I do. :) I'm actually even toying with the idea of getting cable (rabbit ears for 10+ years!) and internet back at the homestead...man, I'd better just calm down...who knows what too much wild & crazy in one day will do to a girl? :)

Well, I said I'd never do this...

Munch-munch-munch...

Yup, you guessed it. That is me, eating my words.

No one will disagree when I say that I have become immensely lame despite my best 'keep-in-touch' intentions. As part of my 12+ step recovery (I'm sure you'll hear more about that later), I'm embracing technology to help me solve this issue. Hopefully it proves to be the slick, shiny vehicle of communication, automation, fascination, here that I envision it to be...and not another monkey on my back, to-do list item that never gets crossed off, ad nauseum.

I guess only time will tell...but in the mean time I'm gonna try for optimism!

Catch ya on the flip side. :)