heartfelt thoughts

First off, many congrats on the arrival of Molly Josephine!



What an awesome birthday present! She is absolutely gorgeous!!!
Hope mom and dad and big sis are doing great (btw, Happy Belated Birthday Ang!).



Conversely, sending prayers and hope and oodles of love and hugs and positive thoughts to Jamers and her fam in their time of need. As all the chicas said, the distance may limit our practical help, but it in no way diminishes the absolute love we are sending out to you. I sure hope you can feel it.

shameless adopted hometown plug

If you are bored tonight and are just jonesing to know more about where I live, check out The Weather Channel's "one-tank trip from Chicago" spot tonight at 5:00 pm EST and again at 11:00 pm EST, and one last time tomorrow morning (25-Mar-2009) at 8:00 am EST.

Holland MI is the featured destination. Apparently TWC people were here filming a snow storm earlier in the year and they like the area so much they wanted to feature it--pretty sweet.

:)

projectile minutiae disgorgement - part 1

Man, so many little tidbits to share, my head is spinning. I’ll start with my amusing dinner this past Tuesday night. I was invited over to Aimee and Mike’s for dinner to make up for me having to ditch them this past Sat (big hugs and kisses to the persons who invented pamprin and heating pads--w/o them I’d have quickly plotted and carried out my own demise). Anywho, the evening’s main event was the celebration of Big D’s (7th) and AA’s (4th) b-days. Both boys got Star Wars kites. Big D also got a build-your-own-monster-truck kit and a paper airplane kit. AA also got a matchbox fire engine ladder truck and a beautiful book, Brava Strega Nona! --a nod to the Italian heritage (I think mom will like it even more than he does). Aimee and Mike are AWESOME (in every sense of the word) peeps who work with me. They have 4 munchkins ages 11, 7, 4, and 2. Entering a house like that is almost like going to a foreign country for me--alien beyond compare. Lots of action, loud noises, and juggling. My favorite highlights included:

1) a dinner conversation that went something like this:

4 yo = “Mom, when you hurt your eyes, you are supposed to put mud in them. And then you brush them off like this...[demonstrating]” (referring to the biblical story of Jesus healing the blind man)
11 yo = “You know Jesus made the mud using His spit!”
7yo = “Dad, is that because they didn’t invent napkins yet?”

2) while homework was being checked and dishes put away, the 2yo running around the house in her pink piggy pjs sporting the toy welder’s goggles shouting, “Alleluia” at the top of her voice and laughing.

After the kids were put down for the night the adults dialed up the movie The Diving Bell and the Butterfly on the Roku box--very, very interesting, but definitely not a Tues night movie. We were all fighting the nods not even 20 minutes into it so I packed it up and headed back to the south side. I’ll have to try and watch it again on another night.

There are so many other things to share I don’t even know where to begin. It will all come across as a random prattle of disconnected, jumbled experiences--but hey, that is my life. :)

First off, before I forget…

Happy Birthday to:
Becky - hope you are over the flu and having a great day lady!

Happy Belated Birthday to:
Dee--your b-day week plans sounded Marvy-luss!
Elaine--looking forward to the celebratory night on the town!
New Maurer--Are you here yet?

Work. Work is going well. Very busy. Still a bit disjointed, but well. We’ve implemented a bunch of cost savings notions that are helping us reverse the trend. The company has ceased tuition reimbursement--I am SOOOOO thankful my MS is completed. That would devastate me to be on that path and then have the rug pulled out from underneath. Also, we are modifying our main building here to fully utilize the square footage--looks like a big wall is going in about 20 paces south of my desk. Fortunately, I won’t have to move my desk--that is only slightly less tedious than moving my home. We were able to score some deeply discounted Wings tix (~$17 a ticket for the Joe) thru an offer made to the company, I couldn’t use them so I passed the deal back on to the fam on the East side--but everyone is so busy I don’t think anyone got to use them. Other than that, I helped throw together a quick (very quick) fundraiser for our Bulgarian Orphanage Aid project. We sold green root beer floats--and we able to bring in profits totaling over $500. I has extremely pleased with the turnout. My colleagues have bigger hearts than I ever thought possible. It makes me so proud of them. I’m very lucky.


Last Friday I took a vacation day to spend with Judy here in town. The day started off great cuz I got to see U2 perform live on GMA at Fordham University in the Bronx. Man do I still like them. Bono is a intriguing as ever. Anywho, the weather here was Bee-U-Tif-Full! We hit Great Lakes Furniture. It is my FAVORITE furniture store. I’ve bought all my BR and LR furniture from them. Due to the economic situation they are going out of business. It makes me very sad. Altho I didn’t need or want new furniture, I wanted to walk around the store one last time to say goodbye. It may sound kooky, but it was one of those stores I would wander around and gain ideas and inspiration from. I’m really going to miss it. I brought one last small piece home with me--a small planter shelf for the master bath that will completely compliment my ancient ruins motif going on in there. Good-bye GLF. :(

Judy and I hit Good Earth for lunch and then toured DT Holland. Altho I live here, I rarely take the time to enjoy the inherent beauty and charm of my adopted home unless I am entertaining guests. So, it was really nice to stroll the streets with my mom. The DT association was holding their “No boys allowed” shopping weekend featuring deals and specials. I bought an autographed low country B&B cookbook (my heroin) at one store. We then stopped into The Bridge, our awesome fair trade store where Judy bought me some groovy necklaces and a scarf. My mom spoils me. All of us kids. Her grandkids too. But she really enjoys doing it. I’m almost to the point where I don’t try and stop here. Almost.

Judy and I then went to Moynihan Gallery. They were holding a b-day celebration where they had a MI puzzle all complete except for one piece. Every customer got to try their luck and pull a puzzle piece from a big jar to see if they could pick the missing piece. The grand prize was an original oil by Ms. Kate Moynihan herself. Altho I wasn’t a grand prize recipient, I picked a silver star puzzle piece winning me a Big Red print by Randall Higdon, a doors of DT Holland poster, and a collapsible/reusable shopping bag. I was happy with it. :)

We then went and got our tickets for the 7:00 showing of Taken at the local multiplex (action packed and fun for those who enjoy revenge based violence, but not altogether believable). We headed back DT for a quick dinner at CityVu Bistro, followed by a nice stroll along the Heinz/Lake Mac Walkway--then back just in time to catch the movie. We made an early night b/c we had to be out of the house by 5:45 the next morning to pick up Elaine and catch the bus in GR for our shopping trip to IL.

My luck continued on the bus as mom’s name was drawn in the raffle and she won certificates for free videos from a local place--which she gave to me. She then picked the next winner’s name out of the bowl--Me. Nice job Mom! I won a $20 gift certificate to Applebee’s--I just may have to take Kyle out to his fav place. Elaine and I had some good girl chat time on the bus on the way there--the assigned seats had us sitting together and Judy up a row and across the aisle. Mom is good at making friends so it was no biggie.

We made it to Gurnee Mills just as it was opening. None of us 3 were on a mission. Just exploring. We scored some good deals at the Bath & Body Works including some 90% off shopping/beach bags--originally $40. For $4 it was worth it just not to have to carry multiple shopping bags from all of the stores. Other than that I got a few over-the-shoulder-boulder holders and 2 more cookbooks (one on preserving year round and another on Shelburne Farms in Vermont). We headed back to the hotel at 5:00 for some snacks and toddies. Decided we were done shopping for the day--the bus was making 2 more trips back and forth to the mall. We chilled in the room for a bit (pretty decked out with a fridge, microwave, lay-z-boy, and air-hockey table) and then went across the parking lot to Timothy O’Toole’s for dinner where I excitedly ordered one of my favs, Guinness & Black (alternate names depending on where you order it, but essentially a Guinness with a shot of Chambord). This place was brand new, so I should have known better, but it was Irish themed so I just presumed they’d get it right. They didn’t. They served the Guinness ice cold. I had to wait forever for it to warm up to room temp. The consolation was that they were handing out free 6oz samplers of both Harp’s and Guinness. We all 3 took one or the other, but neither Judea nor Elaine are beer chicas, so they gave me theirs. We returned to the hotel to call it a night, but not before I sharpied a lovely stick-people couple and their dog into one of the ultra-cheesy mass produced kaka oil paintings in the room. I picked up that little habit at a funky motel up in Chassell, MI. (Angie M. -- Remember Caroline, Brandon, and you and the snowsuit sleeping bag? hahaha!)

The next am we boarded the bus for Light House Place in Michigan City, Indiana. The weather did not cooperate--shifting between drizzle and violent downpour every 20 minutes. I got a few work shirts, a potato masher at Le Creuset, and some Harry & David treasures for me and my colleagues. I spent more $ than intended, but I felt altho I may not have totally honored my less-spending/less excess plan, I made no frivolous purchases.

After we got to GR and dropped Elaine off, mom and I headed back to my place. We were whipped and made a pretty early night of it. Next am we got Judy packed up and headed out to grab breakfast before she hit the road for home and I reported to the Center for Women in Transition (CWIT) for my week of volunteer work.

Working at CWIT was an AMAZING experience. I was blown away by how good it felt to do something for people in need in my community. I can TOTALLY get the draw of working for a non-profit. It felt truly purposeful. It also made me realize just how complex my responsibilities at my primary job are. I gained new respect for many things:

*my ability to jump in and use some design/computer skills that I just take for granted everyone possesses (b/c I see us all as such unique and creative beings)
*people who sacrifice big $ paying jobs, for jobs that pay big in other less tangible, but no less valuable ways
*myself--he inner self-critical me tends to see myself as a glorified secretary at times. This being the only ‘real’ job I’ve had since college. I wasn’t sure what else I was qualified to do. I was able to prove to myself that I have skills and talents that people do indeed appreciate and value. It may seem weird, but that was a fear I have carried around inside for quite a while.

On top of all those wonderful things, I got to work with some wonderful people--Sherry and Jean in particular. Holland is really a small town at heart and I was delighted to hear Sherry needed to call someone about the DT St. Paddy’s Day parade--someone we both knew, so I got to give him a surprise hiya. I learned Sherry also dreams of opening a B&B in the very exact house I’ve had my eye on here, Windy Ridge Estate (sorry, there are no links to this at this time b/c they took it off the market--it looks like it would fit right in on Mackinaw Island). Sherry’s hubby is a Schoolcraft College Culinary School grad (uber-yeah!). While at CWIT my tasks were to design and prep things for the Volunteer Appreciation Open House (hard invites, evites, mailing labels, welcome sign, flower tags, etc.--the annual fundraiser program had already been completed). To express her gratitude, Sherry took me out to lunch on Friday to the Curragh where I got to meet her good friend, who also happens to own/run the establishment, and who happens to hail from Greece, by way of Chicago. She travels often back home to the Peloponnese to visit her rents. Altho we didn’t have much time to talk (the prepping for the big SPD shenanigans was in full swing) it was some cool kismet.

That Friday night I headed to Dan and Nadine’s for a fine dinner of raclette, wine, and scotch sampling. We had a great time and look forward to getting together again soon.

Okay, I made it half way thru my list of mundane tidbits and this is already too long, so I’m gonna cut it off here and put the rest in another post.

Wishing you all health & happiness!

a multitude of things

I like to think of myself as a very practical person. I never understood the faux pas in giving a vacuum or blender as a gift. As said practical person, I also never understood the idea of collecting--be it baseball cards, Precious Moments figurines, or Longaberger baskets. Sure, as a kid I had my sticker collection and even a few garbage pail kids cards to boot. But as an adult, my thought is more--where is the practical sense in having a multitude of the same thing? Puh-leez. Just more crapola to dust.


***Disclaimers***

#1 Please know that if you happen to be a collector--I am not judging you. It just ain’t my bag. It is your duty to do what makes you happy, and if collecting civil war memorabilia gets your juices flowing, by all means, knock yourself out. Just don’t expect me to go gaga over it.

#2 I’m sorry to say, but if you ever gifted me with such a collectable it has long since been recycled via good will, a garage sale, or the much disdained re-gift (don’t knock it, it’s green).

Imagine my surprise then when I discovered I was indeed a collector--albeit, of practical things (okay, I can understand you might think I’m somewhat biased on the notion of practicality, but it is my blog so dems da berries).

My collections…
*110 candles in my house (not in boxes, but out in candle holders)
*356 cookbooks (including a few I have loaned out to some friends)
*8041 fonts (used in all my moonlighting gigs, campaign flyers, b-day invites, etc.)
*23 throw pillows (a gal has gotta be comfortable)
*50 pairs of black shoes (no, you can’t call me Imelda)
*146 bottles of nail polish (77 base colors, 69 sparkly, and yes absolutely necessary and practical when you have Flintsone feet--yes that HS comment still rings in my ears)
*11 silver rings I wear at all times (just fingers and toes--Leo’s wrath still isn’t worth it)

Looking at these numbers helps me to realize why this country is in such a state of economic distress. It is simply ludicrous. I’m going to do my part to try and put a stop to it (not the fonts tho, I get those for free).

I hereby am making a vow to seriously decrease my retail therapy sessions (if I was already past menopause I’d go cold turkey, but I know my hormonies too well). Now, the fact that I’m heading out on an overnight shopping trip here soon might appear a skosh contradictory, but I look at it as more of a test (not to mention an opportunity to reconnect with my old pal the Captain).

Also, Mount St. Garage Sale (whose basecamp is in my basement) is either going to be used in a fundraiser at work to help an orphanage in Bulgaria, or it is being taken to goodwill. I can’t stand the thought of profiting off of excess goods I don’t need when people are struggling so hard to make ends meet.

I hope this hasn’t given you the wrong idea that I am a money spending oinker. I am still koo-koo for cocoa puffs frugal, in my own way:
*Rabbit ears for 10+ years (I’m not paying to watch TV!--at least until that dang transition happens)
*Thermostat in dead winter gets a high of 62 degrees Fahrenheit for a couple of hours every day, then sinks back to 50 degrees before I go to bed (why heat the house when I’m at work? plus, I can always blame the extra pudge on ‘layering’ to stay warm)
*The blue box college dinner still graces my plate now and then--it is the cheapest..errr..uhhh…cheesiest.
*Pro haircuts, happen on a yearly basis at most (I’m in the process of trying to get it long enuf for locks of love while still keeping it shoulder length for me...just about 3” to go…) Dye jobs are either by moi or Nanner.

So there you have it. That's my plan, what's yours?

Konbanwa (see, that Japanese class is already paying off...)

gratitudes

Nanner, thanks for being a wonderful nagging lil sista. I love you!

Angie M., I’m glad you were able to use the six word memoir with your students. I do hope you share what they come up with (even if you have to keep it anonymous)! Also, isn't it about time for you to push?

Beth, thanks for your kind words--you rock! Somehow, the possibility of that travel book seems a wee bit more real…

Alex, your words and outlook hit me like a lightning bolt the other day little dude. I was thinking about the time I got to spend with you and your big brother over the holidays. I don’t know why in particular, but playing ‘Guess Who’ with you popped into my head. Your voice asking me, “Aunt Jenny, is your person’s skin color black or white?” kept playing over and over in my head. You asked that question, just like that, every time we played a round. It took a while for me to realize that at the tender young age of 5 your penchant for the precise use of words held a deeper symbolism, at least to me. I phrased my question to you the way you hear it in the mass media, “Alex, is your person black or white?”

five-year-old version = assigning skin color as just another physically descriptive feature, like eye color or hair color

adult version = assigning black or white as definitives; absolutes in and of themselves--implying we are our skin color

In the adult world where the best intentions can easily get lost amid the maze of political correctness, or worse, drowned out by the crowd, it was SO refreshing and poignant to see the world through the eyes of a five year old. Thanks pal for opening my eyes and showing me that a few simple words can make a huge difference.

:)

what is your six word story?

I went to the B&N last night to use my “Thank-you for renewing your membership coupon.” That place is like primo 100% crack rock straight from Columbia for me.

I wanted to sit there all night and pour through the new releases I put in my basket. The shopkeepers there know my game. I leave stacks (9+ books in each) around the store in various spots while I’m browsing (they really need shopping carts). I then slowly move my purchases to the café (if the staff hasn’t already), where, more often than not, I occupy way more space than a single customer should. I make my café dinner order of a half-sandwich and a cup of soup (skipped the Godiva Cocoa this time--exhibiting iron will) and then lose myself in my treasures.

There are typically two piles into which I sort my treasures: “not gonna do it” & “you will be mine. Oh yes, you will be mine.” Sometimes there is a third nebulous pile: “I REALLY shouldn’t, but if my ‘oh yes’ pile is small, I don’t wanna lose you in the ‘not gonna’ pile.”

Now that you have the fascinating OCD back story--last night the book Not Quite What I Was Planning: Six Word Memoirs by Writers Famous and Obscure made it into my ‘oh yes’ pile. I’m probably way behind the ball on this one and everyone has already heard about it (anyone else out there still roll-n-peg your jeans? j/k).

Just in case you haven’t…I read it last night (during the commercial breaks on the new Lost, of course). It was awesome. I loved it. It was put together by SMITH online mag way back in 2006 based on the notion that supposedly someone challenged ole Ernie Hemingway to tell a complete story in six words or less. Legend has it he came up with, “For sale: baby shoes, never worn.”

SMITH encouraged people all over the globe to share their own six word memoirs and post them on their site (www.sixwordmemoirs.com). This book is a compilation of some of their favorites from both celebrities (Mario Batali, Amy Sedaris, Stephen Colbert, Joan Rivers, etc.) and everyday joes and janes. I ate it up. In many ways it reminded me of PostSecret.

I’m not quite comfortable putting mine out there on the SMITH site, but in the relative safety of my own little world, here are some I came up with (although I’m sure someone, somewhere out there, had similar thoughts)…

warp speed ketchup (as opposed to catsup—I REALLY dislike that spelling)

It has been awhile since I’ve posted, and every day that I don’t because I lack the time, I get further behind in my posting. I feel like the chicken. And the egg.

Caution, projectile updates to follow…

As many of you know the axe was indeed swung at my place of employment last month. Although I still have my job, my little group looks like Lizzie Borden’s latest victim. My colleague/counterpart Michelle got let go. That was weird and scary and painful. I’ve never had anyone that close, both in proximity and work relation, get let go in such a manner. In addition, my boss’s boss was also let go. Feels like we were both pruned at the branches and hacked at the roots. I’m sure my bewilderment and frustration pales in comparison to those no longer here. Throughout the rest of my department there were eight other people let go. My heart and prayers go out to them. I was fully expecting to be shown the door myself. The tension from waiting all week for the phone call or tap on my shoulder was palpable. Knowing that my industry cannot sustain the losses it has suffered w/o getting bloody. I don’t like this aspect of life/work and I never want to experience it again. Unfortunately that isn’t very realistic. I don’t want to dwell on it anymore—at least right now.

In addition to the latest round of lay-offs, we are required to take a week off this quarter w/o pay. I am honestly happy to do it, especially if it means we get to save more jobs. Instead of sitting home on my plentiful backside and watching Days that week, I decided to volunteer at our local women’s crisis center. My colleague Michelle inspired me to do so—thanks Michelle. I’m excited to be able to be doing something positive that may actually help people. Last I heard I would be working on the layout for the Spring fundraiser’s program. Last year’s guest speaker at the program was Jeanette Walls, author of The Glass Castle. I am very excited to see who it will be this year. I am also excited to spend some time outside the realm of engineers—it will be refreshing to get a swift creative kick in the hinder.

The holidays went well. My team at work adopted a holiday family—a mom, a dad, and a little boy. I, along with the rest of my colleagues, went overboard in decking them out for the season. It was the only way I could find some semblance of joy with all of the other depressing stuff going on in the area/country/world. The weather caused me some last minute scheduling readjustments, but I made it to the Motor City to see the rents, the siblings, and the nephews. A good time was had by all. The rest of holiday break was spent vegging and worrying and planning. Didn’t really do any of the projects I was supposed to at home, but my mind needed to rest and I’m ok with it. I learned I watch too much TV when I need to zone out. I learned I hate NBC’s commercial for 30 Rock that says, “What is 10 rock times 3 rock?...30 rock!” No it isn’t—It’s 30 Rock squared. Duh! Nanner dyed my hair for me over break too. Apparently growing the black dye out from Halloween is going to take (MUCH) longer than expected. So on any given day my hair is at least 3 different colors (black, red, and gray *sniff*). Sometimes there is also a stripe of brown or purple/burgundy depending on how bad my roots are showing and what color I’ve tried to cover it up with last. I’m thinking of bleaching the tips blonde just for good measure in the color spectrum.

I was invited to my pal Noahs’ for his b-day last month—which falls right around my nephew Alex’s b-day—I’ll have to catch him next time I’m in the city. I was happy to gift Noah with The Dangerous Book for Boys. What seven y/o doesn’t need to know how to build a treehouse, or skip stones, or decipher a secret code? I also got to see how well Noah’s rents’ house expansion is coming along. It is truly shocking how much more space they have. It is really beautiful. I’m so happy for them. We all (friends, fam, neighbors, colleagues, etc.) had a nice time hanging out and talking.

Next month I have a shopping trip to IL planned with Judea and my friend Elaine. We found a deal that’ll be right around 60 wampum per person including lodging and transportation. I’m not really in the mood to shop. I don’t really need/want anything. However, it is an excellent excuse at an excellent price to get the heck outta dodge and spend some time with my mom and my pal Elaine. Judea is a natural born shopper and she needs an outing just as bad as I do. Between her nightmare students and taking classes on the weekends, she is definitely looking forward to a mini-escape.

I already confessed my embarrassing reality show sin to my MTU chicas, and honestly, I’m too ashamed to repeat it here. Lara, I’m there warped in the brain with ya! Solidarity Sista!

We (Elaine, Helen, Loretta, Bolay, Leah, and I) had a hens’ night at my friend Helen’s the week before last. We did a potluck and got to see Helen’s new kitchen remodel and spend some time out of work together. I finally got my butt in gear and shared some Greece pics with them—not just Athens, but Mykonos and Santorini too. I still have to post the island stories here…but that will just have to wait for another day….

Oh yeah, Helen and I found our GR Antiques RoadShow experience will be airing on our local station in three parts: 20-Apr, 27-Apr, and 04-May. Check your local listings if you are interested. :)

I came in last week, while there was even more hijinx going on at work that I can’t get into here, to find an email from a head hunter wanting me to apply for a position down in Chi town. I’ve been putting feelers out since last fall, just to be prepared. The position sounded VERY appealing. VERY, VERY appealing. However, I really like my job. A lot. I know how difficult that is to come by, and I don’t want to leave unless I have too. I especially don’t want to relocate. I like it here. It is home. It was nice to be reassured there are jobs out there tho. And that someone thinks I’m qualified to do something other that this.

Recently, as I’ve shared with some of you, I have discovered the singular pleasure one can derive from a fine single-malt scotch served neat. Seriously, who’d have thunk it? :) The subtle complexities are as intriguing as the floral bouquet and delicious hint of berry you can find in a big fat cab. I’m currently taking delight in a bottle of 15 year old Glenfiddich. Luck upon luck, about a week after my new found interest, I was invited to dinner at some friends’ (Dan and Nadine's) house who happen to be single-malt scotch aficionados. Very serious ones—they spent their honeymoon traipsing across Scotland staying at B&Bs, and collecting rare and unique bottlings. Dinner is scheduled for next month, we’ll be supping on raclette and sampling some scotch—I’m pumped. :)


The most exciting thing that happened on V-day this year was receiving a single red rose from a stranger. That made me smile. :)

I had brunch on Sunday with my friend (Beth) and her 2 y/o daughter (Harper) and her newest coming attraction (scheduled to arrive this summer) at AlpenRose and stuffed myself to the gills--including a complimentary mimosa. Us chicas then took a stroll in the mid-morning sunlight around downtown. It is amazing how differently you see the world when you walk thru it with a 2 yo. Unfortunately, while out, I missed an invite to come to G’s that night and hang with another of my colleagues that got let go last month. I’ll catch em next time.

My friend Aimee’s grandmother (Nana) passed away last week. My prayers go out to her.
Both big bro Nick, SIL Stacy, MTU chica Lara, and pal Helen had b-day celebrations already this month--collective best wishes for another happy year!

I just got signed up today for a 10 week intro to Japanese class that kicks off next week. I’m also going to try to make knit night at the north-side li-berry next week. Okay, I’m outta words and the tummy is grumbling for dinner, and I have piles of laundry to do, and you’ve spent too much time reading this already.

Toodles