musings, graces and fate

Still here?

2012-01-27T11:14:00.002-06:00

I do We-Verb then disappear for almost a month. Part of it was holiday recovery, part of it was due to some disappointing news, part of it was because I was fighting with the insurance company and part of it was I had other things to focus on.

The job that I alluded to in December is on hold. I got the news before the new year and it shook me up. Thus began the whole process over again with a bit more tears, frustration and self-doubt. Right now, I am falling down the proverbial rabbit hole. My stress level is high, I am constantly worried and frustrated, I am hard on myself and internally saying horrible things.

This is one situation that I can't control and even though I focus on good, it is this fear that can stop me in my tracks. I hate this so much.

#31 Forsee

2011-12-31T10:53:00.001-06:00

Where do you hope to be on Jan 1, 2013?

Sometimes I do wish that I had a crystal ball to see what will happen but, life is an adventure. But there are a few things that I can say that will probably be true this time in 2012. I hope to focus on being happy, to be in a meaningful job, to continues on working towards a happy and positive relationship with my husband. I would love to travel and see friends and family more than I did this year.

It is really the simple just focus on the small things that mean so much. Cheesy yes, but it is the way that I want to look at things.

So as this is the last Weverb11, I want to thank those who were on this adventure with me. I met some amazing bloggers that I plan to continue to peek in. Special thanks to the regular readers who also provided support as I did this challenge.

I wish you all a very Happy and Healthy New Year!

#30 Meditate

2011-12-30T10:47:00.002-06:00

Were you happy with who you were in 2011? Who do you want to be in 2012 and beyond?

Yes and no. This year consisted of a number of pity parties, feeling sad, useless and unwanted mostly due to the unemployment and some outside factors. I tend to see the proverbial glass as half empty so that feeds into the way that I see myself.

A few months ago, I just had to get out of that mind set, so I started to think of a few things that make me happy and thankful. It helped me pull out of a rut and focus on what I do have rather than what I don't have.

In 2012, I want to work on seeing the glass as half full and to be nicer to myself. It is a work in progress for sure

#29 Gush

2011-12-29T10:49:00.000-06:00

Begin to create a plan for “My friends day out 2012″ – tell us what you envision

When I saw this prompt, I thought of one person my friends who lives in NYC. While I can say it would be so much fun to heal to NOLA or Miami or even Vegas the reality is simpler. There is a good possibility that I will have to have some medical procedures in 2012 and my good friend has already told me that she is coming in to hang out during the recovery. So while we will spend time in Chicago before, afterwards it will just be movies in our sweats.

If I don't need the procedures then maybe we can think big. We all just want to hang out and laugh!

#28 Pay it Forward

2011-12-29T10:41:00.002-06:00

Describe a random act of kindness that you benefited from in 2011. How will you pay it forward in 2012?

Earlier in the year, a pin fell off of my watch. So I went to a local jeweler and they put a new pin in, the charge was $5. I handed him my debit card but their machine broke, so he said just take it and enjoy (even after I offered to go to the ATM). I now have a place where I will support when jewelry needs to be fixed.

I try to pay it forward it can be the simplest thing from holding open a door. I also pick up things that have fallen in stores, if you have a few things at the grocery store I will let you in front of me. I hope to be able to buy someone's coffee behind me at the drive thru though

.

#27 Spend

2011-12-27T15:44:00.000-06:00

Where did your money go this year? Where do you want it to go in 2012?

We were cautious with money this year and only plurged on a new bedroom set in the beginning of 2011. We saved a bit and only bought essentials like food, gas, pet food and necessary items. The end of the year had us hitting some sales and getting a new living room couch and chair.

Having garage sale brought in a bit of cash that was used as vacation fun money.

For 2012, we want to save, save, save. We also want to invents in our condo and are looking to add a humidifier, a screen door, paint for our bedroom and possibly refinish the floors. But, they can be done in stages and none of it is essential. The rest will be added to our saving account to build it up. We have goal in mind for 2012 and we hope to meet it!

#26 Revive

2011-12-26T11:04:00.002-06:00

Share a favorite photo from the past year. What was happening behind the scenes? What were you thinking or feeling? What could you smell, taste, see, hear at that moment?

I took this shot in Hawaii after dinner with Hubs. We had some cocktails and just spend the evening together. Afterwards the two of us just wandered around the beach and took some more photos. The sunsets in Hawaii are surreal and we were fortunate to stand on that beach at this moment to capture it!

#25 Celebrate

2011-12-24T15:25:00.000-06:00

What did you celebrate in 2011? Are you looking forward to any celebrations in 2012?

This year we had a few celebrations, I had a "big" birthday, we celebrated my husbands "eve of a big birthday" birthday, our anniversary and my neice's First Communion. Each milestone was spent celebrating each occasion, my birthday was in Hawaii with my husband and friends, my husband's birthday was celebrated with his favorite dinner and cake with friends.

Our anniversary was a weekend lon g celebration of our marriage. The first communion was celebrated with almost all of my in laws in one place followed by a great celebration.

Of course today, we are celebrating Christmas just the two of us with the fur babies then we are off to celebrate with the in-laws.

Merry Christmas!!

#24 Control

2011-12-24T15:17:00.000-06:00

What did you finally let go of in 2011? What will you let go of in 2012?

It is still a work in progress and probably will continue on for the next few years but it is fear of the unknown. I tend to over think things, over thinking leads to what ifs, the what ifs then turn into worries of what would i/we do if it does happen.

I had to learn to just step back and take each day as it comes. So that means that sometimes I just have to let go, other times it is ok to stress out, other days things just worked out.

I hope that each of you have a very happy Holiday season!

#23-Grasp

2011-12-23T16:14:00.001-06:00

Describe something that you actively engaged in learning to do this year.

Being unemployed forced me to pay attention to my skills and experience. Every few months I updated my resume and in looking for a job it caused me to think and to refine it. I also had to learn how to sell myself to companies, which is hard for me to do. So I practiced interviews, went to a few networking events and eventually I got the hang of how to sell my self, highlight my skills and "read" an interviewer.

Entering 2011 it was not something I expected to learn but, I learned a lot. 2012 will be a bit of the same as I decide to get certified in my field.

What did you grasp?

#22 Accomplish

2011-12-22T17:37:00.002-06:00

What is one thing you want to do before you bid adieu to 2011? How will you make it happen?

I try to be a tourist in my city. Living in a city such as Chicago offers all kinds of museums, theater, sports and art events. I try to hit a major spot at least once a year. So one thing to do this year was to hit the Shedd Aquarium. It is one of my favorite places and they were having a jelly fish exhibit that is going to end in a few weeks.

Well, we were able to cross that off our list today. My husband and I took the afternoon and heading down to the Shedd. We had a nice afternoon of just wandering around. It was nice to spend some time during our crazy holiday schedule to chill our and just enjoy ourselves

What is left on your 2011 bucket list?

Day 21-Ripple

2011-12-21T08:40:00.000-06:00

The butterfly effect posits that a small change can ripple across whole ecosystems. Who do you credit for the small action that made all the difference in your life this year?

There are a few people who had this effect on me but two in particular are my husband and a close friends. Both have done or said things to cheer me up and pull me up by my bootstraps. They both did not allow me to fall down the rabbit hole when things got bad and were always there to talk. My friend calls, skype or IMs with me daily and when I had to give her some sad news she was on the phone with me in minutes.

My husband has been my rock and was just there when I needed someone.

These two helped me so much.

What about you, who were your butterflies?

#20 Plug in/Un plug

2011-12-20T08:45:00.000-06:00

How has technology affected your life (positively or negatively) in 2011? Do you want this to continue for 2012?

With all the technology that is now accessible on smart phones, I find myself more connected than I want to be at times. I have email, fb and twitter all at my finger tips. While it was good when Iw as looking for a job or waiting on an email it is also a great time waster. It takes a conscious effort not to constantly check my phone.

So I wam trying to unplug and focus on other things that technology. i turn off my computer and my phone for a few hours each day and sped time doing other things like cooking, playing with the dogs, errands, chores and reading. It is shocking what a time such being connected can be.

My goal in 2012 is to continue to be plugged in to life around me and not online.

What is your plug in or unplug goal?

Day 19-Laugh

2011-12-19T08:34:00.001-06:00

Tell us about your biggest belly laugh in 2011.

There were a few moments of hysterics this year but I can't remember specifics. Most of it is laughing with my husband or one of my friends. My animals make me laugh daily, for example, my cat likes to be tucked in. So the other day she was in our bed, with her head on a pillow and tucked in. I am not sure how long she stayed there.

I hope to have many belly laughs in 2012!

Day 18-Teach

2011-12-18T10:25:00.002-06:00

What lesson or advice were you able to pass on to others this year? Why was it important to share this information? (Or… what lesson would you like to pass on to others that read this?)

This is a tough one to answer. I know that there were lessons and advice I gave this year but none of them really stand out. So let me take some time to think about it.

Here is one lesson, if you have onion or garlic smell on our hands rub them with stainless steel, like the inside of sink and wash them, it removes the smell.

There is a lesson for ya!

Day 17-Discover

2011-12-17T10:49:00.003-06:00

What did you discover (big or small) in 2011?

For me it was a small discovery and it was how to paddleboard. While in Hawaii, there were a few things that I wanted to do and paddleboarding was on top of my list. So as my birthday gift, my husband got me a lesson and off I went. It was a lot of fun and it was just so peaceful to just paddle around. Sure I fell off a few times but kept getting up. I can't wait to do it again!

What did you discover?

Day 16 Persevere

2011-12-12T10:38:00.003-06:00

Describe something that disappointed you in 2011 and how you persevered.

Losing my job was not the disappointment, I saw it coming and I was glad to go, things were getting bad within the company. Finding the job was the disappointment, it has taken a number of months to finally land a position. I did not expect it to last that long especially since I got calls the week that I got laid off for meeting and interviews. There was a period of time when things got bad, after a number of interviews were I was a top candidate when it fell through the cracks for various reasons. It has been very tough.

But I picked myself up and moved on and finally found a position that fits my skill set and can lead to other possibilities. I had a great support system with my husband, my family and some of my friends cheering me up and cheering me on. I found strength in them sometimes and had to lean on them in others. But thankfully, I made it through.

What was your 2011 disappointment and how did you persevere?

Day 15-Surprise

2011-12-12T10:29:00.004-06:00

What event of 2011 affected you in an unexpected way?

My anniversary was amazing. My husband made our anniversary full of surprises and I was not expecting any of them (well other than dinner). We hit a rough patch last year and came through it and he wanted to honor our anniversary and how we pulled through. He also knew how being jobless was affecting me and planned a fun filled weekend to celebrate us. We started off the weekend at Ovo. It was amazing what these performers can do and just how fun it was. The next day we had a romantic dinner at one of our favorite place where we ate, drank and talked about our wedding (and some chaos that happened before the wedding). Sunday, he surprised me with a couples massage, where we found our zen. And Monday (our actual anniversary) he surprised me with a pair of earrings and then a necklace before he left for a business trip.

He put such thought and effort in each activity that it made everything so surprising and special. We reconnected that weekend and it made me feel so fortunate to have him as my husband.

Day 14-Breathe

2011-12-12T10:19:00.003-06:00

How did you make space + peace for yourself in 2011

I have started this ritual a few weeks ago and it has given me some "me" time. It is such a simple solution, take a bath. There is something about it being a ritual. From turning on the water, to figuring out what bath bomb, salt or even bubbles to use and just sitting there and being forced to relax. I find that it calms me down and makes me ready to face the days ahead. It puts me in a better frame of mind, and I try to focus on the positives and how to deal with the negatives.

It is something that I want to continue in 2012.

How did you find peace?

Day 13-Read

2011-12-12T10:02:00.005-06:00

What article or book changed your outlook on an issue or life?

One book that really got me thinking was The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks. It was a stellar book that had me thinking about how your cells cease to be your property once they are removed and how one set of cells went on to help develop some of our modern medicines. Yet, as historical as the impact of these cells became famous among the medical community, the story of the woman and her life were insignificant and how her family fought to get her recognized.

It kept making me think that behind every new discovery or invention there is a person who has ups and downs and who thorough direct or indirect have altered our lives. And it made me want to learn their stories.

What did you read that was though provoking?

Day 12 Thrive

2011-12-12T09:48:00.002-06:00

What was your healthiest habit of 2011? What would you like to change or do differently in 2012?

One benefit of not working is that it allowed me to focus on hitting the gym. I love taking classes but my work schedule left me with little time to take the classes that I wanted. So I got to take a number of classes and find my favorite, Zumba. I also liked a stability ball class and a few strength training classes. I also changed my eating habits and a combo of working out and eating better caused me to tone up and lose weight. However, I fell of the gym wagon once it got colder and I need to get motivated (and stay motivated)

For 2012, I want to continue to work out and focus on tone. I also want to stop ordering out once a week. It can reek havoc on my body sometimes. I want to continue to be healthy.

What was your heathy habit?

Day 11 Try

2011-12-07T17:06:00.003-06:00

What 12 new things do you want to do/accomplish in 2012?

1. Get my PMP certification

2. Master pie crusts

3. Sneak into NYC to hang out in the city with Hubs

4. Head to San Diego with friends

5. Paint our bedroom and living room

6. Clear out the second bed room and turn it into a bedroom or den

7. Paint

8.learn to sew

9. Improve my photography skills

10.Take more baths

11. Snowshoe

12.Finally hit the Adler Planetarium

Your turn, what is on your list?

Day 10 Create

2011-12-07T16:58:00.007-06:00

Share a creative project you undertook this year (art, writing, DIY, cooking home decoration, crafts, photography … whatever comes to mind). How do you use your creativity to express yourself?

There have been a few projects that I undertook this year. I have made a few beaded jewelry pieces, made a Christmas wreath and cooked some new and yummy dishes.

I tend to experiment more in the kitchen than any other room. I made some amazing short ribs pasta this past winter, learned how to make chili, made tapas and made these amazing baked s'mores that have become my signature dish among my neighbors and any party that they have. I love to cook and create things that I can watch people enjoy. Not to mention we have about 20 cookbooks we have a number of experiments in our future)

How did you channel your creativity?

Day 9- Appreciate

2011-12-07T16:53:00.004-06:00

In which moment did you find yourself flooded with gratitude? How will you rally around gratitude in 2012?

During the spring, there was a lot of upheaval, I lost my job and I had some no so positive medical news that shifted the way I treated myself. It was not a pleasant time for me but, in the midst of all this my husband stepped up to the plate. He has been my support and my rock for the past few months and there have been a few really tough days.

Each day I am so thankful for him. He reminds me of why I married him each day, he reminds me of the good things that we have like a condo, dogs and a cat, friends and family. Over the past few months, I have learned to appreciate the little things and the meaningful moments.

My heart is full of thanks and I am a lucky person!

What (or who) are you thankful for?

Day 8-Choose

2011-12-07T16:44:00.004-06:00

What was the biggest choice you made in 2011? What caused you to choose what you chose?

It is ironic that this was today's question because yesterday I made a significant decision, I accepted a job offer. It is still surreal and I am in shock, partly because I was so used to the "Thanks but no thanks" that to get a yes was unexpected (even though I should have more confidence in myself). There have been a number of interviews over the past two weeks after weeks of little responses. There may be other offers upcoming but for now I said yes.

Another choice that was made this year was to get a cat. Last Christmas, we lost our beloved cat. He was such a special and wonderful cat and we miss him. We decided in May that we were ready and so we added a cat to our family. She is totally different and took some time to learn about her and her quirks. Like pouncing on your feet at 4 am, she is more vocal and likes to announce herself when she walks into a room and her lack of using the scratching post. But, she has added another spirit in the house and the dogs have become her friends.

What was a big decision that you made this year?

Day 7-Travel

2011-12-06T12:44:00.007-06:00

Where did you travel this year? What was your favorite part? If you didn’t get to travel, where do you want to go next year?

this past September we went to Honolulu for a week's vacation. After visiting Maui last year and feel in love with Hawaii, the Hubs and I caught the Hawaii fever. In the beginning of 2011, we put it on our if only list but then the airfare prices plummeted, and our friend had a condo time share and they wanted to go too. So plans were made and off we went.

We spent the week sitting on the beach, exploring Pearl Harbor, wandering around the city. Swam in the pool with fancy drinks. I learned to paddle board and for a week we were just so relaxed. We got to share the experience with our friends so that there was always someone to hang out with.

Next year we have a few places we want to hit but, it will depend on circumstances. So for now, I will remember the island.

What whas your favorite travel event in 2011? And what is on your travel wish list for 2012?

Photo by me

Day 6-Favorite

2011-12-01T23:16:00.005-06:00

What was your favorite month of 2011? Why did it beat out all 11 other months?

September, simply cuss it was my birthday and I got to spend it with friends and My husband in Hawaii. That week, we spent time doing nothing but sit by the pool or the beach. We woke up to warm weather, rainbows and sunshine. My birthday was spent learning how to paddle board, floating in the Pacific and having an amazing night out.

September always seems like a new start, I suppose that is because when I was younger, it meant the beginning of a new school year. So I guess that feeling still lingers when the calendar turns to September. It was full of hope, interviews (that eventually did not pan out), and relaxation.

I am trying to keep that month and the hope I feel at the start of a new year.

What about you, what month stands out in 2011?

Day 5-Befriend

2011-12-01T22:59:00.006-06:00

Did you meet any new friends this year? How did they impact your 2011?

I met a few new friends this year, one of them is my husband's co-wroker who is fun to hang out with.

We really became close with a few sets of neighbors. One duo in particular have become one of our dearest friends. They adore our dogs and insist that they come with us when we visit. They have a basket full of dog toys that Rosie jumps in and sits there playing with her favorites. We all have shared a number of bottles of wine, have been snarky and silly. We introduced them to some new places to eat they took us to MarketDaze. We hang out almost every weekend for impromptu movie night, game night, or dinner.

We have had dinner and nights out with other sets of neighbors. One who is a wine distributor and always has some new wines to try. We shared a number of summer nights talking until the stars came out and then talked for hours more. Last week we went out with our upstairs neighbors for tapas and movies. And made plans for the coming weeks

It has given us piece of mind to literally be surrounded by some amazing people!

This year re-connected with a friend from elementary school. Although plans did not work out to meet last year, we still message each other and she has a great spirit.

Of course there have been a few others who I rely on for a laugh, support and a dose of reality. I don't know what I would have done without them

What about you, what did 2011 teach you about friendship?

Day 4-Haiku Sunday

2011-12-01T22:49:00.004-06:00

Sum up your year, via haiku:

Surrounded by change

Tested my resolve and strength

I am still standing

Day 3-School of life

2011-12-01T22:34:00.004-06:00

What lesson did you learn in 2011 from “The School of Life” rather than a classroom?

Ahhh school of life....there were a number of lessons:

It is ok to be sad but not dwell in it otherwise you will be too comfortable and won't get out of it as quickly as you got in
Friendships take work and sometimes people who don't reciprocate may not have been your friend to begin with
Cats can really damage your sofa if left unattended or if you just go to the grocery store
Unemployment sucks
Being creative can unleash positive energy
Reoja is a red that I can drink without getting a headache
You meet some cool people walking your dogs every day
No matter how old you are being forgotten about by people you care about sucks
I like hosting parties, I need to have more

What did the school of life teach you in 2011?

Day 2-Listen

2011-12-01T22:26:00.006-06:00

What song did you listen to in 2011 to completely change your mood?

This is tough since there was some great music that came out in 2011. However, the one artist that really had me gobsmacked was Adele. Her voice, her songs and her aura really got to me. It enveloped me. Of course there was Lady Gaga too, her pop music helped me get my groove on. I like her message and an in awe of her talent...perhaps a wee bit envious

This year has been the year for dance songs, thanks to Zumba class. I got introduced to new songs and just helped my mood. Dancing for an hour can really lift your spirits.

After seeing Paul McCartney in concert, it reignited my love for the Beatles. No matter when or where, they are timeless.

WeVerb-2011 in one word

2011-12-01T22:05:00.004-06:00

I decided to join WeVerb this year. Basically for each day in December there will be one verb prompt and I will blog about that verb.

Day 1 is Choose one word that encapsulates your year.

Simple....Roller-coaster. It has been filled with ups and downs. The last few months of not working have played havoc on me. I have been scared, worried, depressed, upset, optimistic, pessimistic and lonly. A whole jumble of emotions, thoughts and feelings.

Yet among the lows are the simple highs. My husband, my fur-babies, my family, my friends. There have been some amazing nights out with friends, a birthday in Hawaii, a fun visit from my parents, we adopted a cat, BBQs and nights in the summer our on our back deck laughing with neighbors, walks to the lake at dusk.

My goal is to try a find more happy to counteract the sad. 2011 has been a hard year, but I am making it, day by day sometimes hour by hour but I am still standing

If you are interested in participating check out #WeVerb

So as the time of the feast is upon us...

2011-11-22T13:28:00.002-06:00

We are just a few days away from Thanksgiving. As a kid it was a meh holiday it was filled with cousins and food. It is as I have gotten older do I appreciate it more.

Now more than ever, I have been trying to focus on the things that I am thankful of.

-My husband, he has been my rock since the beginning of our relationship. He is honest, caring, funny and just there whenever I need him.

-My family, without them I don't know who I would be.

-A few friends who have been reaching out to me and let me be me. Especially, my bff who calls, emails and IMs me every day or nearly so to make me laugh and to listen to what is going on within the depths of myself.

-My beasts, their have been some recent dark days when I felt that I could not get out of bed. But with two dogs there is no option but get up and go out for a walk. I am thankful that they are healthy, happy and so loved.

These days, I have to keep remembering them.

And thank you for checking in I appreciate the emails and comments.

So what have I been up to

2011-10-19T13:29:00.003-05:00

So it has been quite some time since I have updated my blog. There has been so many times that I have sat in front of an empty space trying to figure out what to write about. There are a few things that I want to write about but have chosen not too because they will ruffle some feathers and frankly, I am tired about the situation that I am not wasting any more energy on that.

So just know that I am still here trying to hang on, dealing with not working has affected me in a number of ways. I have lost a great deal of weight (10% of my former total weight), I have been hibernating over the past month and rarely leave the house and I am stressing out over things big and small. It has not been pretty.

Through it all I am still looking for a job but each day it gets harder and I did not think that I would be out this long. I am losing hope but manage to find it here and there.

So I am still here.

It was a beautiful day (re-post)

2011-09-11T09:50:00.000-05:00

It was a beautiful day in NYC, blue sky with a few wisps of clouds.

I took the train into the city as per usual, but I was by myself. Dad had to go to a funeral and would be on a later train.

Instead of heading to my office , I went to my doctor's office.
I wrote this two years ago...

It was there that I heard whispers "Planes….World Trade Center"
It was in my doctor's office when he came in and told me what happened.

I had to head to mid-town, the subways were empty as they passed by, finally one stopped
I headed to Herald Square and walked towards 5th
My cell phone did not work

It was on 34th and 5th that I saw tower 1 fall
It was there that traffic stopped…the world stopped
It was there that I heard silence and screams in a matter of seconds
It was there that the woman standing next to me fell on her knees and the man next to me started to cry
All in front of the Empire State Building…the tallest building on that island.

I ran across the street that was motionless to my office a few doors down

I walked in and all my co-workers were on the phone and watching the TV.
We had only 5 working lines
I had 7 messages on my phone
My friend could not find her husband, an NYPD officer
My co-worker could not get in touch with her friends that worked downtown
My other co-worker remembered that his cousin was in the building

It was there when I called my mom and finally got her
I was in the office when I heard her say "Your father went in to the office after the first plane hit, he has to check on his staff"
A few moments later "Tower two fell
My dad worked in tower two.

My VP walked out and told us that he was leaving the city and we all could go
My boss and I went to Grand Central to find it closed with police all around
"Harlem", I said," we have to make it to Harlem"

We took a bus to Harlem
It was packed, people wanted out of the city
People were crying
People in private cars, pulled over and let pedestrians into their cars
Strangers were crying and hugging each other on the streets
People just stopped to stare

There was the train at Harlem to take me home
It was standing room only
People in the vestibule were listening to the radio
We heard….Pentagon…plane down in Pennsylvania….terror….World Trade Center
I got home at around 2:13 in the afternoon
We had 21 messages on our answering machine.

The phone rang within minutes of me getting home
My aunt began to cry when she heard my voice

I turned on the TV and paced
I was in shock
I called my friends who I knew had family and loved ones in that area
I took messages for my mom
I had no idea where my dad was

A half hour later, he walked through the door, slightly covered in some dust

For 100 days there was dust, smoke and a smell that you can't ever get out of your skin and to this day, the memory burns my nose
Sirens were a constant but when it reached a certain pitch, I began to shake still

It was like a dream, a bad dream
The stories came pouring out with the tears, some of luck others of misfortune
My friend's sister was ok
My friends husband was at fashion week in Bryant Park so he was not patrolling downtown
My other co-worker lost 5 friends and spend days looking for her former fiancée in all the area hospitals… she found him a few days later with short term memory loss
My co-worker's cousin was found alive and was the last one of the survivors to leave the hospital

But there were people who lost their spouse, partner, friend, child, parent
Pets lost their mom and dads

I have not worn the beige blazer that I had on that day ever again.

But that is all I remember.

Still

2011-09-02T13:55:00.001-05:00

Still here

Still standing (barely)

Still interviewing

Still spending a lot of time waiting

Still having nightmares

Still going to the gym

Still considering canceling my trip in a few weeks

Still freaking out

Still hoping

Facing the uncertain reality

2011-08-12T11:09:00.002-05:00

I have a tolerance for small doses of patience. I can sit patiently at the DMV or the doctors office. when they are running late but, sitting around waiting for the phone to ring is something that is running my patience down.

Since April I have had a number of interviews or rather conversations with recruiters. Some pop up with this great job that I would be perfect for and then I never hear back or I hear back get an interview with the client and never hear back or I hear back with some opportunity that turns into a dead end. I have had a handful of interviews all but one has been a result of my applications directly to the source rather than a recruiter.

But every conversation or interview ends with, we'll let you know in about two weeks. Most of the time they disappear off the face of the planet or respond with the position was dropped or the position was filled after I call or email.

I have been getting calls since the beginning so my resume is doing its job. But nothing has happened and I am losing my patience. Or rather it is fear, fear of not paying my bills, not contributing to the house hold, not being able to participate in activities. It has been hard and upsetting. Each day I sit down and spend hours on job boards, applying (and in some cases re-applying) for positions, reaching out to network contacts and just getting sadder and more panicked at the end of the day.

There have been weeks that I get out of the house to go to the gym or run errands and other weeks that I don't (Partly thanks to a really sprained wrist that still has not healed after a month). I think in terms of goods rather than money, for example, a shirt that I see for sale is worth a portion of my grocery bill or gas or prescription costs. My attitude towards spending money has gotten so conservative. When my car got broken into, I cried more for the fact that I have to pay to get the glass replaced and that money was embarked for a bill.

Things are going to change in a month when the income is tighter. In my mind, I have a list of expenses that I can cut or reduce to cover the bills. My upcoming vacation is just going to be me on the beach. I can't afford to take the paddleboard classes or snorkel adventures that I was looking forward too. And it upsets me but, it is the reality of being unemployed.

Who knows maybe one of my recent interviews will turn into job position. But I have to be ready for them not to and work on my plan B. In April, I did not expect to still be here jobless but more so I did not expect to be depressed and on the verge of panic attacks either.

the en with the good

2011-08-03T17:51:00.004-05:00

So an update on my interview, it went well and the job was not as bad as I though however, it is still not what I want to be doing. They did mention this intensive 5-6 week training that is mandatory and the problems with that is that my vacation is in the middle of that. So while they really liked me the vacation was a deal killer so I did not get to the next round. And I am ok with that, I did not burn any bridges and I can keep looking for something more appealing to me.

I had a few interviews and chats with rewriters since then so at least I am getting calls. I just hoe that there is something out there soon.

On to happier news, Hubs and I celebrated our anniversary this weekend. This year had some up and some downs and there was a rough patch but, looking back it made us more committed to not just each other but making our relationship work better. IT has taught us how to value each other, built trust and increase communication.

This year, hubs decided to make the weekend full of surprises. He did not tell me what or where were may be going until the day before. So On Friday we went to see Cirque Du Soleil OVO. It It was just spectacular. Saturday we went to dinner at one of my most favorite restaurants for tapas. Sunday he booked us a couples massage where we found our Zen. Monday was our actual anniversary and he gave me some pretty presents.

On Sunday night, we had tickets to see Paul McCartney. I have always wanted to see him and when the opportunity came up I jumped at the tickets. I was determined to get them. He was utterly amazing. He just played for three hours and there were times that I had tears in my eyes because I was just so overwhelmed. To say I loved it is an understatement.

Source

So who is on your concert bucket list?

Riding the wave

2011-07-25T14:44:00.002-05:00

Two weeks ago, I had four interviews, four. Two with recruiters and two with actual companies, I felt so positive and hopeful.

Out of those four turned into something but, it has left a bitter taste in my mouth. The recruiter's minion called me a day after the interview and asked what I t bought. I said that I was not too happy with the pay and the job is not really what I want to do. But, I was willing to speak to the client to see if maybe they could better describe it. This assistant just went from nice to rude in seconds. She starts saying that obviously I am not serious about my job search, that I may never have another opportunity like this again, how do I like not working etc?

My mouth hit the floor and I was just so pissed off. I kept my cool, corrected many of her assumptions and stood my ground. I was just so turned off by her and at the company.

Ironically, they met my salary requests and I have an interview with the client on Wednesday. One thing remains and it is the fact that the position is not what I want to do. It is what I did years ago and got burned out on. It is the reason I got my M.B.A, to get out of that dead end job. I did it, I was great at it but I don't want to do it again.

So now I am on the fence (assuming I get an offer) do I take it or not. Sure I can take it and keep looking but at the same time, I know that it will suck the life out of me. There is no way around that. I will be so unhappy doing it and I don't want to be stuck. Sure it may lead to different positions and up the chain but, I want to project manage. I love that and this position is not it not even close. Plus, I get paid hourly with no sick, holiday, vacation pay.

I am trying not to get ahead of myself but, I am so confused. My husband is supportive if I want the job or not but I see his panic when we talk about what happens in a few months. We'll be ok but it will be hard, we will have to scrimp more and cut more things out.

But is it worth my mental well being? I guess everything has a price. I am having nightmares, I am panicking, I am going though books, CDs, clothes to see if I can sell them.

I hate this ride so much, I want it to end. I want this to be okay. I just hate this!

Good, Meh and Networking

2011-07-06T13:02:00.003-05:00

I haven't been by in a while. There are a few things that are going on some have been good and some meh. So here are the bullets:

Good

-Went to Pride this year for the first time in seven years. Hubs and I had fun but we won't go again for a while, it was hot and crowded and I got this weird sunburn. We had more fun with our neighbors at the local Pride North street fare where we hung out with some of our friends listening to this very cool 80s cover band.

-Got Tickets to see Paul McCartney. He has been on my concert bucket list for years and when I heard that he was going to play Wigley Field, I HAD to go. I was able to score a few tickets and to say I am excited is a major understatement

-We had amazing weather for the four of July weekend. So on Saturday we had a BBQ with neighbors and friends, I made s'more cookies from the recipe that CBN had given me. They were a huge hit and my husband went bragging into work yesterday that I had to make more so he can take them in.

-I had an interview, I think it went well but it is the waiting game at this point. I am not getting my hopes too high because I then crash hard if it does not go the way I hoped that it would.

Meh

-Still not working, it has gotten to me but I have pretty much accepted it for what it was. People keep telling me it can take up to a year. That freaks me out. I am still having nightmares about being laid off again or not paying our bills.

-My career councilor wants me to network but that is so hard for me. I have a limited circle of friends here and I am not outgoing to say to a stranger"Hey how are you? I am unemployed..." Any ideas? I have joined meet up and Linked in groups

-My husband has a lot of travel coming up and I am not thrilled. He wanted me to go with him but he will be in meetings all day so I will be alone and I would have to pay for airfare and eats and right now spending is not my objective.

-To the last point, my husband will be traveling on our anniversary so he will miss it. Boo on him. My neighbors are going to take me out to celebrate and although it takes two men to replace him, I am looking forward to the cocktails and the fun.

-My car got broken into last week. The ass hats took a dog carrier. So that was a fun jaunt to a shady section of Chicago to get my window replaced. Although it was not bad, it was money that I needed elsewhere

So what is good and meh with you?

the latest and somewhat greatest

2011-06-10T10:24:00.003-05:00

It has been a while since I have blogged. I kind of had a moment where there were not so many things to blog about. I am still looking for a job, still applying daily, still had a few phone interview that went nowhere and still freaking out.

But in spirt of all that, I have been finding some positive things even or more precisely, making positive things happen.

The first and long lasting is that we adopted a cat. After losing Chaplin in December we missed having a cat around. He was a sweet guy who we still miss daily. But after a few weeks of me begging, the Hubs agreed that maybe it was time and we can look at cats. So off we went to our favorite no kill shelter to look at cats. We know that cats choose you rather than you choosing them, so we went in with an open mind and with the knowledge that we may not find the right one. We started with the younger ones and got to play with some older kittens. Then we walked into another room with a friendly cat and a very shy one. Then we walked into the room with the teenagers. Hubs was having a blast playing with this one cat. I sat down on a chair and within a second, this head popped up and slowly crawled into my lap and promptly got comfortable. I began to pet her and the purrs were non stop. I whispered to the Hubs that she may be the one. So we traded places and she made herself comfy on his lap without the purrs letting up. She was ours.

So we adopted her, came home and she primly hid in our kitchen for a few hours. We turned out sunroom/office into her room and put a baby gate in to prevent the dogs from getting into her space. We covered the gate with cardboard so that they all could be aware of each other's presence but not overwhelm anyone. Within a few days, we removed the cardboard so they can see and sniff each other. She was not a fan of the dogs and hid in a covered space. Slowly we added chairs to each side of the gate so she can come out if she wanted to. A few days later I woke up to a kitty on my head.

She has come out of her shell and is out more and hiding less. She is still a bit cautious around the dogs but, each day they are sitting closer and closer to each other. I must say, that I am proud of the dogs, they have respected her space and leave her alone. Although Rosie tests the limits (and has gotten waked a few times).

So we have to announce that Jade has joined our family! (I will post a photo soon)

The other happy happy joy joy news is that we are going on vacation. Last year we were fortunate enough to go to Hawaii and had an amazing time. We wanted to go back and earlier this year we were considering it but the flights were so expensive. A few weeks ago, Hubs forwarded me a link and the flights were cut by more than half. So it became an option. I posted on FB to see if anyone wanted to join us and in seconds my friend said yes. She moved back to the east coast from Chicago early this year and we miss each other. Turns out that she and her husband have a timeshare credit to use and Hawaii was an option. After a few calls, looking on line and discussing the options with the men in our lives. We pulled the trigger and the four of us are meeting up in Oahu! Oh and I will be celebrating my birthday there!

We are so excited because we all need a break, the stress of not finding work has pushed me dangerously close to the edge. The hubs has been frustrated with the traits and turns his job is taking. The two of us budgeted for a trip and this one worked within our means. So the stars lined up for us, even if it was just for a moment and life (and its disappointments) goes on.

a dose of sanity

2011-05-11T11:56:00.002-05:00

Since the lay off, I have been very strict to maintain a schedule. I get up early take the girls out, and a few times a week head to the gym and run errands. Then in the afternoon, I apply for positions. If I deviate from the routine, I find my self feeling bad, or rather I have more negative thoughts than positive. I get very down and discouraged on myself and my situation.

I did not realize how necessary a schedule is for my sanity. But it really has become a saving grace for me. The weather has helped too, forcing me outside for long walks along the lakeshore and more pleasurable doggy jaunts. The situation is rough and there are days that are rougher than others but, I am trying to stay positive.

Although I still want to get back to work as soon as possible, spending the day working on me is not so bad either.

The Greater Good

2011-04-28T09:39:00.003-05:00

Sometime we have to take one for the team for the potential of the "greater good" and for me that sometimes is now. I am not pleased with something that is going on and yesterday I had a huge vent about it with Hubs. It was filled with sadness, anger, frustration and self pity something everyone wants to come home with. But it is something that I *have* to do if only for a possible shot at reaching a goal.

After my meltdown, I picked myself up and will move on. My new reality is just forming a new habit and it is something that I will get used to doing but not liking.

I just want some good to happen. Some good news, some happy news about anything, I am tired of all the bad crap that has been going on lately with the job, the funeral, the weather and some other crap. So I am trying to find the good in baby steps, a dose of sunshine, my puppies, my new and improved sunroom filled with plants.

All I want is some good to happen. Tell me something good maybe it will rub off on me.

(I do apologize for the vagueness of what is going on but, I really don't want to go into the details right now it is a self preservation thing>)

Bookends

2011-04-18T16:06:00.003-05:00

I am coming to realize that I am entering a strange part of my life at this point in time. While friends are getting married, having babies they are also dealing with sick parents and ultimately death. The media has coined the phrase "the bookend" generation, to describe those who are taking care of their kids and their parents.

Late last week, my sister in law lost her father, it was both unexpected and tragic. He was a very nice guy and he loved his family and his new grandbabies. This loss has shaken both Hubs and I because it made us realize that we will be in that same boat one day. Hubs lost his mother a number of years before we met and had some experience empathizing in a different way than I. Yet, the two of us realize that as we are getting old so are our parents. Since I only see my mom and dad a few times a year, I am often struck about how much older they look each time that I see them. My father in law also is getting older and has started to mention that his eye sight i getting weaker. It is not easy to see, in fact, I try to deny that it i happening even though I know it can't be denied.

I have a number of friends who have lost one or both their parents. It amazes me how they were able to deal with that because it can't be an easy thing. I know that my dearest friend still has issues about that and it comes bubbling up at different points where it leaves her in tears.

Basically, I am thinking (or maybe preparing) myself for the eventual day where decisions have to be made, decisions that I don't want to be made (thankfully they are decisions that all our parents have made via their wills).

I guess it is making me feel more grown up than I want to be.

Making the best of it

2011-04-12T13:30:00.003-05:00

It has been a bit strange to be not working. At first it felt like I had a day or two off. I was productive and got things around the house done and they as the week progressed it got weird, it hit me that I did not have a job to go back to. I have slowly been getting used to the new (abet temporary) reality.

The main thing that is keeping me on schedule is getting up early in the morning, walking the dogs, applying for jobs, running errands, going to the gym. I have to make it a point to actually get out of the house rain or shine. Otherwise, I find myself just sitting at home wasting time. I have my to do list and am ploughing my way through it and now that the weather has improved there are a lot of seasonal projects popping up.

This morning I had an interview with a recruiter and I have been telling friends, family and neighbors that I am looking for a job. I am also shopping to updated interview clothes. I have not found too much, possibly because I am not sure what one wears to interviews anymore. What do you think would work?

I think that this is a way that the universe is telling met o chill out but, I am a bit any to start working again.

The cage is open and I am ready to fly

2011-04-04T18:42:00.003-05:00

So as I alluded to in previous posts I was wondering what was happening to my job and now it is over.

I was laid off today.

And I am ok (so far), it is a kind of relief I am no longer waiting to see what was going to happen. I am no longer jumpy every time my phone rang or got an email notice. It is going to be so weird not having job to go to tomorrow morning after all I have been working since I graduated college.

Hubs thinks that this is a great thing and that good things that will happen. He, my family and some friends are thinking that I will find another job that will appreciate me and my skills. So I have polished up my resume and am looking at networking opportunities. (If anyone knows a good headhunter/recruiter let me know.)

Tomorrow I plan on getting some things organized and I have a long list of things to do at home and classes at the gym that I want to take advantage of.

So sure I am a bit freaked out but, there will be good things happening. I got plans, I will be ok...all will be well.

Fingers crossed.

The Start of Spring Fever

2011-03-18T10:49:00.002-05:00

The weather in Chicago has taken a beautiful turn and the sun has been out and the temps are rising. So the dogs have a dose of Spring fever and it is contagious.

We are going to finally paint the bathroom this weekend. I am so excited for that to happen. We did the paint test and used three samples of yellow to figure out what color and we immediately decided on a lovely rich butter yellow color. In the next few weeks we will do our bedroom and we decided on this light silver color. I am sure by the time it is all over, we will be all painted out.

We are also starting to plan out our sunroom and how it will become the office. It is a small space and we are working on possibilities so it has been a bit of a challenge but it seems that we are on the same page.

Our nephew came home last week after 23 days in NICU. According to his mom, she is thrilled to have him home and at this point does not mind being sleep deprived and walking into doors. We are hoping to visit with them this weekend.

Also, thank you so much for suggestions that you made for the care box. I am currently collecting some items and will be including some music, socks and other lovely things.

Care package

2011-03-02T17:51:00.002-06:00

About 10 weeks ago a friend and co worker suffered a stroke. It left her in a coma and on a ventilator for about four of those weeks. She had countless surgeries to drain fluid in her brain. I lost count after five shunts that they had to put in her brain.

After a transfer to another hospital, she began to come out of her coma three weeks ago. She is now breathing on her own, has limited mobility on her right side, has made attempts at speech and can smile and follow you with her eyes.

Since she across the country I want to send her a care package. Here are some things that I want to include:

Cozy cute colorful socks

Hand and body lotion

lip balm

Big jumbo crayons and art paper (she use to watercolor)

I want to send her positive colorful things but things that she can use in the rehab facility.

Any ideas on what else I can send?

Thank you but no

2011-02-25T14:55:00.002-06:00

I heard back from the job and got a "thanks but, no thanks" or a GFY letter. It was a disappointment and I got upset about it. Over the past few weeks, I have gotten quite a number of them and after a while it gets to you. I know that the job market is competitive and rough with so few jobs, too many applicants, people who will take less salary or had a different set of experiences.

Still, I am trying to stay positive and feed myself the tidbits like "It was not meant to be", "there are other jobs out there", "the job did not fit you" but it is hard to take it and stay in a positive state of mind.

My current job is just making me feel so useless. While I can't get into the details it is sufficient to say that there are a lot of changes that have happened and the powers that be don't fully get our niche and are imposing a vision that just does not fit. With this new power change, my role has yet to be utilized and I see it no longer existing. My projects have all but dried up and I sit there doing very little if anything at all. I want to be busy, I want to be utilized I want to feel accomplished.

But most of all, I want a new job.

Bits and bobs

2011-02-21T13:28:00.002-06:00

It has been a few weeks since I blogged and here are some snippets of what has been going on:

Last week I applied for a job that I would be great at, it combines my two main job experiences into a unique role. I am still waiting to hear back but I have my fingers crossed. My current job is less than stellar on so many fronts.

I became an aunt, a few weeks earlier than expected. The Hubs' brother and his wife welcomed a baby boy last week. The baby and mom are doing well, he is going to spend at least another 10 days in NICU.

We are starting to plan our vacation(s) this year and are looking at few places including San Francisco, Boston/NH and Miami. On the long "would be nice list" we have Spain, England, Ireland, Virgin Islands and Italy. So the research has begun.

Our taxes are done and can we say helloooooooooo refund.

So what is going on in your world?

Digging out

2011-02-07T10:52:00.002-06:00

So I am sure everyone has heard of the top three blizzard that hit the Chicagoland area last week. Hubs and I hunkered down and rode it out. We are both fortunate to be able to telecommute so we were able to remain functional in our sweats and only venturing out to take the dogs out.

Yukon was in snow heaven, she adores this type of weather and was so happy to be able to bounce around in the white goodness. Rosie, not so much, even in her pink coat and her shoes, she was not a happy camper. Wednesday morning, she had to be carried out because the snow was taller than she was. So each walk consisted of one good dog who went immediately and one dog who did not, thus requiring many more walks and each walk with a plea to "do business" even bribery of treats did not always work. So subsequently, there was some extra laundry last week.

We dug out the car a little each day. The plow finally came down our street on Friday. I was all set to go to work today but I have been having a case of the dizzies. It probably was best to work from home today.

Well spring is 5 weeks away and I can not wait!

Furniture and an insight

2011-01-26T09:52:00.001-06:00

So since I last left you we finally pulled the trigger and got our bedroom furniture. We went to ten stores since November and had countess discussions. On Saturday we went and rented a van to pick up our purchases and over the past few days, Hubs has been assembling and moving the heavy big stuff in and out of the bedroom. Right now, our condo is a bit of mess, with boxes and odd furniture pieces here and there but, after this weekend with my planned purge and organization everything will be back in its place and we will have a new looking condo (well at least two rooms) until we decide to paint which will be in the spring.

My goal is to be focused on keeping the house tidy and clean because when it is messy and chaotic it makes me stressed and a bit crazy. Then that feeling on top of the craziness that is my job and some other life issues have put me close to the edge. Last week, after getting some not so great news, I just has a meltdown which is a combo of shutting down and crying a pure basic pity party. Except I have been having them more often than not and I realized that misery love misery and I can continue down this path or I can change it. So after a long talk with Hubs, we have decided to start doing thing that make us happy to attract more happy and positive things. Sure there are situations outside our sphere of influence but, we can change ourselves.

Granted, this is not a huge revelation but, the changing anything including our mid set will be an undertaking. I am feeling better about things and yes, things still bum me out but I am trying to spin them into good things. It works on more situations that it used to.

Also, I know that I have not commented on some of your blogs as much as I used to. I am still reading and in fact star number that I mean to comment on. Work has become big brother and I have not been on the computer when I get home lately. I will catch up soon.

2011 Condo to do list

2011-01-09T20:10:00.002-06:00

With the new year came a list of things that we hope to accomplish in 2011 in our condo. So far the first two weeks of the year have been productive. We purchased a rug for our living room and an affordable one at that. This weekend we had our backsplash installed with the help of a friend or ours. Actually, Hubs and our friend did most of the work. I just picked up lunch. But the backsplash looks amazing and we are happy with the results.

The rest of the list we hope to get done throughout the year they include:

-getting a humidifier installed

-paint the bathroom

-re-do the office

The one that we though would be easy but has turned into such a project is finding a bedroom set. We have looked but have not found any that is within our budget and that is stylish. Any ideas??

A fond farewell

2011-01-02T21:40:00.003-06:00

The last few months of 2010 sucked. There is no other way to wrap it up other than saying it sucked. It started with Hubs in the hospital and then just rolled on. I was looking forward to saying a fond fair well in 2010 saying good bye to the suck and looking forward to a fresh start a new year with new possibilities.

But 2010 did no go quietly, when we though that it could not get any worse...it did. On Christmas day, while we were in NY our cat Chaplin passed away at the age of 7. To say we are devastated is an understatement. He got ill before we left and we went to the vet, they told us he was sick with kidney disease and we made plans to have him see a specialist when we got back. Our pet sitter sent us daily email updates but, he did not make it and it just crushed us. My heart is broken and we miss him so much. The to top that off, we got stuck in NY for an additional two days thanks to the blizzard and we were going stir crazy. We just wanted to get home.

When we finally did, we were greeted by two happy dogs but Chaplin's presence was missing. We were all missing him. I catch myself trying to find him or one of the dogs is looking for him. And then it hits you, he is gone.

I was never a cat person and he was a compromise with Hubs. Yet, once he picked us out because he did, we were hooked. Chaplin was a sweet, funny, loving , patient and brave boy who fast became part of us.

We are missing him so much

So while 2011 has unlimitless possibilities. I am finding it hard to close the door on all the crap that was 2010.

Finally feeling the season

2010-12-20T11:01:00.002-06:00

I am spending a Monday in my PJs, catching up on the Daily Show and relishing the fact that I am off until the new year. The past few months at work have been less than stellar and I am glad to be out of the toxic-ness that is slowly becoming contagious.

Wo today and tomorrow we will be wrapping up some shopping, some cleaning, some gift giving and some packing because we are heading to NY in a few days for the holidays. I am so glad to be spending Christmas with my family, it has been three years and this is the first Christmas that Hubs will be spending with my family. My mom is very excited at first it was going to be a quiet holiday with my parents, my brother and my aunt but, once my other aunt got wind we were coming she and some of her family are now coming. So we went from six to 12 and two of them are kids. So that means more shopping but that will be done in NY.

We are also going to spend a day with a number of friends at an after Christmas lunch. I can't wait to see them. I have been missing them so much lately, my homesickness has reared its head over the past few weeks. With all the other crap that is going on in our lives, it will be good to catch up.

So for the first time in a long time, I am looking forward to Christmas!

The only constant in change

2010-12-14T19:43:00.002-06:00

Over the past few months I have been feeling like a situation that I have dealt with when I was a lot younger. The difference is the people and the common element is me. So I have a few choices, I can continue to let it bother me or I can change how I deal with the situation. I tend to lean towards the negative but then it festers and I get more upset and then start to close up.

I want to lean towards letting it go, letting the thing that is bothering me go. It is so much easier to write than than to actually hit on the tried and true solution of releasing the feelings. It is something that I am trying to figure out not just with this particular situation but with a few other situations as well. It is something that each person has to deal with it their own way.

Usually it heads towards blaming and doubting myself and I beat myself up. Sometimes it turns into a full out pity party.

I want it change the cycle. I want to let some things go or better yet accept things for what they are and (a big and) be ok with it.

Maybe I have my 2011 resolution.

Vacation recovery

2010-12-13T14:16:00.010-06:00

Well we are back from Vegas and all I got was a cold. Actually, I suspect it is from waiting over an hour in the taxi line at 11 pm when we got back to Chicago. Our flight was early but there were a number of flights that were delayed and landed around the same time that ours did so the line was way too long for my liking.

However, Vegas was a lot of fun. We ate so much good and bad food everything from fried pickles to sweet potato tots to the most amazing hot chocolate that I ever had!

But we worked most of it off by walking just to get to the front door of our hotel required a 5 minute walk from the elevators.

We spent our days just hanging out with no real plans. One night we saw the Penn and Teller show at the Rio. They were really amazing and down to earth. After each show they hang out in the lobby for photos, autographs and a quick chat. They were very gracious and that Teller is quite a flirt!

While the guys went to shoot some machine guns, my BFF and I took her daughter to the Mirage's secret garden where they had dolphins and the white tigers and lions from the former Sigfried and Roy show. Their 9 month old daughter was a blast, she was so easy going and we actually had a good time with her. She would go with the flow and if she was tired she would take a nap while we did what we did (which was mainly walk).

Hubs won big, well big enough to pay for our hotel room with a comp spin of a slot machine. I did not come out on top I lost but granted I only played with $20 dollars a day so it was not too bad. My bff and I were drooling over the various stores and let me tell you if I won big I would have come home with some really beautiful clothes.

So we had a good time and just have to survive this week and then I am off for the rest of the year.

Oh and recover from this cold

A pre Holiday vacation

2010-12-03T14:07:00.002-06:00

We have decided to get out of Chicago for a few days and hang out in the neon oasis in the desert...V-E-G-A-S. We are going t meet up with my best friend her husband and her baby...yep they are bringing my "niece" (I was given the title of honor of "aunt"). I am in such a need of a bf fix. I have not seen her in ages and I have really been missing her over the past few weeks. She is truly my soul sister

I am getting more and more excited as we get closer to departing. It seemed like it was so far away and then it is just days away. We still have a lot to do before we actually leave so we hare cramming a bunch of things in the next day and we still have to pack. I am not sure what to bring, it will be in the 50s and sunny. I have a feeling that tonight, tomorrow and Sunday afternoon will be a packing un-packing and re-packing frenzy.

The best part is that we have no definite plans other than a show and dinner one night. We are just going to play it by ear and pig out. One stop is going to be this place actually we may be there a few times.

Have you been to Vegas, any suggestions of things to do?

Post turkey day

2010-11-29T08:58:00.002-06:00

We had a great low key Thanksgiving weekend. We packed up the girls and headed for the burbs. They had such a fun time with their grandpaw. He had secret treats for them and they got to run and run and run all over the back yard. Not to mention, they got an extra lap to sit in and he allowed them to climb on to the sofa! So yea, they were spoiled but, came home so exhausted that they slept all day Friday and most of Saturday.

We humans ate, drank and were merry. We had a feast with way to much food and three pies for four people (duct tape sister in law did not show up, she had to work at 8 am on Black Friday and eating at 4:30 was apparently too late for her). So we had tons of leftovers which lead to a number of mini turkey comas throughout the weekend.

On Saturday we braved the crowds and headed out to do some Christmas shopping. I have got my brother and my dad their gifts. Hubs wanted some shoes on and we found some so he got a few early presents which he will need when it starts to snow.

We just have to get through the week and then we are on vacation. I am trying to figure out what to pack, apparent it will be in the 50s in VEGAS. That is right we are heading to Vegas for a few days with my friend , her husband and her daughter. I am looking forward to being away for a few days, work has been so drama filled and slow that it is sucking life away.

So just a few more days....now what to pack!

A quiet holiday

2010-11-19T13:12:00.004-06:00

I can't believe that next week is Thanksgiving. The fall just flew by but thankfully we still have some leaves and the fall crispness (rather than freezing) is still in the air.

This yer, we re staying in town or rather in the 'burbs for the day. It is typical an event where my in laws convene and the kids are hyped up on various degrees of a sugar high. Which leads to fights, tears and insanity. This year they will be spending the holiday in Florida at a well know kid friendly amusement park. My other in laws are spending it with the other side f the family or out of town.

So it just leaves Hubs, his dad, his brother, his wife and me. So enter the low key holiday. We are going to spend the day and night with my father in law. He is in charge of the turkey and stuffing and we will be making the rest of the side dishes. So we have our menu planned out except for the veggie.

Oh and we are bringing the two dogs with us. They love their grandpaw. He always has treats ready and tends to feed them under the table. As soon as we say grandpas, they wag their tails and Yukon (who has know him the longest) starts to herd us as to tell us to hurry up and let's go.

We are not sure if my brother in law and sister in law will be there. There has ben a lot of tension between them and everyone else. So they have been known to make excuses as soon as they are invited and sure enough they made one last week. But then they ma have changed their mind and will show up. But they may change their mind again.

I will have to post all about this particular sister in law in another post. She is quite a character in fact at our wedding she wore a dress....and used duct tape to keep it up. As she started to dance after a few trips to the open bar the dress kept getting shorter and shorter and the duct tape was more and more apparent. To t his day we have people w ho still talk about the girl in the duct tape.

So what is your favorite veggie side dish?

Looking at the other side of the coin

2010-11-03T19:27:00.002-05:00

I am feeling like i have been caught up in the spiral of unhappiness and only I can really do anything to change it. So I have decided to take a good hard look at what it means to be happy and what I can do to make myself happier.

The simple thing is to look at the things that I am thankful for so here is a list:

My husband
My family
My beasts, no matter what they make me smile
The funny random e-mails that I get from my dad and my father in law
My friends
Wacky messages on FB
The ability to pay off bills each month and how I am starting to accumulate savings
My fireplace
Hot Chocolate
Shoes, make up and girly things
planning vacations
Julia Child and how she stated cooking in her 30s,
the down comforter that I get to curl up in each night
The upcoming holiday in NY
Pasta
White wine
sleeping in
the last of the fall leaves

What are you thankful for these days?

Waiting for the end...of October

2010-10-29T09:57:00.003-05:00

I am looking forward to the end of this month, it was just not a good month, there was more sadness than I expected....

The low lights:

-A lot of tears

-Stressed eating (or non-eating) habits

-Gaining weight

-A troubling blood test

-Feeling useless at your job and no new jobs or interviews on the horizon

-Being slighted by friends

-Saying bye to a good friend as she moves back to the east coast

But the things that I am looking forward to

-Halloween party with the neighbors

-The dogs' costumes

-Finding "our" groove again and the mutual feeling that we will be better than before

-That we are going on vacation in a few weeks with my best friend, her husband and baby

-Knowing that I will only work 6 days in December

-Holidays in NYC

So I want to focus on the positive and say see ya to October and know that the rest of the year will be so much better.

down the ladder

2010-10-19T20:15:00.002-05:00

So, I have been looking for a job for almost a month. I have polished up my resume, had it reviewed, drafted cover letters and started to apply for jobs. I was thinking that I had some time and that my current job would remain in a holding pattern.

But it has gone bad to worse. so much so that today, I was asked to revert back to my admin days. Not just a step back, but like a decade step back. I was asked to "pitch in" and help since a number of people were laid off and or quit that two departments are short staffed. It is not surprising that this has happened, my boss warned me about this a few weeks back. I told my boss that I have no problem helping out but it must have a defined end date that must not exceed a few weeks. He agreed. However, with today's "offer" 9think Godfather offer you can't refuse) that this is indefinite.

Pissed does not even cover what I feel. the person who offered me the job is not my boss nor in my department and I have helped him with projects in the past. But he burned me badly a few weeks back when I was pulled from my major all consuming project so, as you can imagine, I am not in the mood to do him any favors.

So, I have a call with my boss to discuss this new turn of events. He knows that I am not happy nor have I been over the past few weeks. He also is not too thrilled with the way things are playing out. But I suspect that his power has diminished and his hands tied.

This month has been one for the records, I really can't take any more stress. My body is feeling the effects.

I am not sure how much I can take.

making it about us

2010-10-05T20:51:00.003-05:00

Relationships are hard, they ebb and flow they get crossed up in the cross hairs of arguments, laughter, communications and silence.

Marriages fall into that category, except perhaps they are a bit more complicated because you add this layer of intimacy or rather many layers of intimacy. It is a sacred friendship, one that you don't have with your parents, your siblings or your friends, it is a different creature..

So when your marriage is rocked or when your world is broken, how can you deal? How do you deal?

Right now, things are rough. Our world has been rocked, our life turned on its head and we are trying to each figure out what to do.

I came very close so close to walking away. That would have been the easy thing to do. But when something means so much to you, you fight. The things that matter are worth fighting for. And regardless of the outcome, we tried and we fought to stay together, to rebuild.

He and I want to become "us" again. It is not going to be simple nor quick but we want "us" back and are each willing to fight for "us" to exist.

We started therapy tonight and I feel a bit better. I have some glimmer of hope that this hiccup in our relationship will make us stronger. There will be a lot of work to do, more tears to be shad, thoughts to be thought. But we can only try to make "us" whole again.

I wanted to thank you for all your support. The comments, text messages, calls and email were so appreciated. When you go through this, you can easily feel isolated and alone but, I feel connected to you all and I thank you. It means so much!

I am also keeping the cause of this rough patch to myself (our self) I consider it a part of what we have to deal with and want to work on it rather than expose it. Maybe one day I will but for now, it is the catalyst to change.

Broken

2010-10-04T11:52:00.003-05:00

I am so broken right now. The tops of my cheeks are so puffy from crying on and off all night and all morning.

I am trying to figure out if I can forgive and forget. Can you forget how in a moment your world shattered into splinters? Or forget the way things used to be? Can you forgive the greviance and forget the unspeakable pain?

I am at a major life crossroads and all I know is that my world is changed and I will never be the same.

Won't you be my neighbor?

2010-10-01T09:24:00.003-05:00

The other day I did something uncharacterist , I invited a neighbor over for dinner.

I am very introverted and it sometimes takes a lot of mental prep to get out of my shell. I am used to be a homebody and being alone. I never had a large group of friends but a handful of close ones. And most of them live on the east coast and our lives sometimes make it hard to connect. It was (and still is) hard to make friends. I have a rough history of people who I considered friends turn and decide not to hang out with me anymore...Kids can be cruel. so that has left some scars and had made the saying "once bitten twice shy" more and more relevant as I got older.

When C moved in and we met, I said to myself (in my head) she seems nice and is someone who I would like to know. Then wedding planning and my intorversion (is that even a word?) took over. A few weeks ago, we had a condo meeting and she happened to sit next to us and we started making small talk when she mentioned that Tim Gunn was coming to Chicago and as I was about to mention that we should go, the meeting began. She had to dash as soon as it was over.

So I sent her an email asking if she wanted to go. She was onboard and started to work out the logistics only to realize that she was going to start a class that day and could not go. But we made tentative plans to get together.

So the other day, I pulled the trigger and asked her over to dinner. She accepted and we made plans. On Wedensday she came over with a cheese tray and a lovely bottle of wine. It was a bit awkward at first but, we soon warmed up and began to laugh and chat. I was so glad to have company since Hubs was travelling and it was nice to just get to know somebody.

She dropped me a note telling me how much fun she had and invited me over next week for drinks and a movie night.

The next part of my plan is to have her and her husband over to hang out with us I feel a game night coming on.

Tidbits

2010-09-26T14:51:00.002-05:00

So it is another lazy Sunday. The Hubs just left for his third trip to Canada so it is just me and the beasts. I have gotten used to it but, it does not make it easier. I have found myself antsy at times but, I have found some things to keep me busy and we have our daily video chats.

One of the top thins on my "to do" list is my resume. It is official, I am looking for a new job!

I have not been let go but, one of my major project that I was working on as a PM was pulled from me by my bosses new boss. I was 97% complete before it was pulled form me and I was not happy. The past few weeks have been incredibly weird and stressful. With the loss of some key players of our executive team and the quiet acquisition by a sister company it has become apparent that the way we have been doing things are not the way things will be done now.

The change is palpable and with some ears on the ground and with some honest conversations with my boss. I am seeing more and more that I may not fit the new mold. And I am okay with it and decided to make change happen so I am going to start to look for a new job.

I was encouraged after a number of conversations with my husband and then speaking with one of my neighbors. She is very well connected and helped talked me through some ideas and has given me the push that I needed to pull myself together and take the plunge.

As nervous as I am, I find myself very excited about the possibilities. The initial search that I did has netted me some job leads and really amazing opportunities out there for my skill set.

So what are your job searching tips?

Week one, day one

2010-09-13T19:45:00.002-05:00

This week starts the Hubs six to eight week sojourn to Canada for work. Granted he will be home on the weekends but, I am not used to being alone. It is strange to thank that a couple of years ago I was living by myself and did not depend on anybody. It is not to say I depend on him but, I am so used to having him around to help with the dogs, help with dinner or even just have a conversation with. So it will be weird at first but, we will get used to it.

So this weekend, he had a list of things to tackle around the house. This was done, of course, after the Renegade art fair. If you have never been the Renagade art fair is a done at various weekends around the country and features crafters from all over and their unique goods. Almost all of the vendors are on etsy, so it was fun to see the variety. I thought that I would be the one burning through the cash but it turned out that Hubs took the cake. He had so much fun, and loved the quirkiness of it all. He kept looking at the different booths saying I want this, or we should get that. He restrained himself to a really cool graphic print, a laptop case and some quirky postcards. But we ended up with a number of business cards and websites for future purchases.

Looking back at the summer, we had some really great weekends together and with friends. Last weekend, we took the dogs and went to the burbs to visit friends. She invited Yukon and Rosie to play and run with her dogs. She has two big dogs and they were so thrilled to have friends over. As soon as we got there and took Yukon off her leash she took off and ran and played then pooped out before her second and third and fourth wind. You would never know she is going to be 12! Rosie ran the joint. My friend has an alpha female dog who is the boss but, when Rosie came along there was a wee power struggle and Rosie won. So there is this 8 pound dog running and playing with a 60 pound dog who would drop the toy if Rosie ran up to her.

So it starts, a few days each week without Hubs.

Any book recommendations?

Ramblings cause I am sick

2010-09-01T09:00:00.002-05:00

I have this weird plague thing going on. OK it may not be an actually plague but I am sick. It started off with a sore throat that lead to a runny/stuffy nose that lead to a slight on-again off-again fever. Jealous much? I have been working from home in my pjs and whining to the dogs about how miserable I am. They just look at me and go back to sleep.

I am just glad that I am sick the week that Hubs is home. Because for the next 6-8 weeks, Hubs will be commuting back and forth from Chicago to Toronto. Meaning that he will leave for Canada on Sunday or Monday and be home on Friday. He has been working on a project for over a year and it is taking a direction that requires people on the team to work in Canada and he was chosen.

He suspected that this may happen and when it happened, I was not happy I am ok with business travel, hell I spent two weeks in NJ last year for a project (that never happened) but 6-8 weeks when it was suppose to be two weeks max. Then I realized that he may not be home for my birthday but, he assures me that he will because he has a sleep study the day before my birthday. Smart man.

So, I have been thinking of ideas on how to keep busy when he is in Canada*. here is my list so far

1-Clean the floors in all the rooms,
2-Clean the grout in the bathroom
3-Bead
4.Work with Rosie on her doggy manner class homework

I don't want to spend most of my time watching television, I want to be somewhat productive. I admit that there will be times when I will plop on the couch and turn on the tube but, I want to try to make that the exception rather than the norm.

What ideas do you have? Mind you, I can't do anything immediately after work because I have to come home and walk the dogs.

*We did talk about me coming up to visit him in Canada but I have to get my passport changed. Since I took his name my passport has my old one. Plus we are trying to watch our pennies.

Nine lives

2010-08-17T10:33:00.000-05:00

I think that I have nine lives and right now I am in life five. Last week, we had a round of layoffs in my office. I knew they were coming and I knew who would be given the pink slip. I wasn't "in the know" as a manager or was told by somebody but I read the writing on the wall. See, I have been in this position before when you know that things are bad, you know that they are letting people in different offices go, you see the public financial reports and then whoop, here is another acquisition. This particular acquisition had a catch, it had a number of people who did the same thing and a few jobs that would not be relevant. We were warned that the top brass was looking for the best of the best. And last week, those who did not make the cut were let go.

It sucks to watch this unfold, seeing HR call people one by one and seeing them come out in tears and packing up their desk and heading out in less than 10 minutes start to finish. I have seen it four times before and probably will see it over the life cycle of my career. It sucks, survivor guilt I suppose.

Then to top this all off, our senior management was shaken up and the results have wrecked morale and stirred up the rumor mill. And thus began the chain of events, after the all of the layoffs; a few people quit. Our office when from a lively place a few months ago to a very quiet one. We lost staff to the other office and the lay offs. I

So where do I stand, I am safe for now and probably will be for a few more months. I hold a unique position in the company and right now I am busier than ever. It is not to say when I am done with my projects, they won't show me the door. It does say that I have to get a few ducks in order so that I am prepared to do what needs to be done for me. It has given me time to reflect on my job(s) and what I want to be when I grow up.

But at the same time, the opportunities are endless.

Have you been through a lay off? How did it affect you?

------------------------------
Hubs is doing much better, he saw a top notch cardio last week who thinks that this was an isolated event give the fact that Hubs is healthy. However, he does want to rule out a few things so the Hubs will have to undergo a stress test, wear a heart monitor and have a sleep study over the next few weeks. Better safe than sorry!

Thanks for your kind words and thoughts!

Our second year and our first adventure

2010-08-06T09:14:00.003-05:00

Hubs and I celebrated our first anniversary this past weekend. It is so strange to think that we celebrated a year, in a way it feels that we got married just last week but, have been together for a long time.

We celebrated a day early with an indulgent dinner at one of our favorite restaurants. We had wonderful wine, a great dinner and a luxe dessert We even got our neighbors to take our photo, prom style. It was a nice quiet evening that we just celebrated our marriage. Sunday was the actual day and we spent the morning in doggy school. Rosie has been signed up for intermediate doggy manners class to work out some behaviors. After class, we picked up my gift for Hubs. a replica wedding cake. For our wedding we had a small cake to cut and had cupcakes for our guests. So I had our cake replicated.

That evening we had cake and sparkling wine with one of my bridesmaids.

But, that evening started one of the scariest moments of my life.

Hubs went to bed complaining that his heart felt like it was racing. He did not sleep and when he got up in the morning he was not feeling better. He took the dogs out and came back all sweaty and exhausted for a simple walk. He did not want to go to the hospital or the doctor, he thought that it would pass. So we went to the store and after he made it past the front door red and sweaty, I made him call his doctor. So right in the paper good asile, the nurse told him to go to the ER

After a quick trip home for a shower, to pack a few things and grab a sandwich. We have both been to the ER before and knew the wait could be a while.

so we got to the hospital and they took us in right away. Within minutes, he was in a bed with electrodes on his chest an IV in his arm and a bunch of nurses and a doctor in his "room". His heart was in a fib. His heart was at 177-200 beat a minute! A normal heart is around 77-89. They started to rush around him adding meds to his IV and talking him through the process. We all stood by the monitor watching the numbers work their way down. At the same time, his blood pressure dropped. So they slowed down the med and he was made to lay down.

It seemed like an eternity before the numbers started to get into the normal range but, reality was only a few minutes. They had to give him a does a blood thinner to prevent clots due to his low BP. This gained him admission to the hospital. Once stabilized, he began to make jokes with the nurses and the doctors and tried to make me laugh.

I was so afraid, I could not believe what was happening. I got scared and began to get tears in my eyes. There was no way I could lose him, there was no way, we were just starting. He assured me that he was not going anywhere! He began to tease me how he always promised me adventure and I teased him that he had to stick around to kill bugs and reach the high shelves.

He got a room a few hours later and I went home to grab a few things for him. He stayed in the hospital for a few days for observation and got released on Wednesday evening. His brother and sister in law came by to visit, our neighbors took care of our dogs in the evenings so I could be with Hubs and our phone and facebook had messages of support from our friends and family.

He got released with orders to see the cardiologist. The doctors could not find a reason why this happened but we just have to make sure it does not happen again. So he is not allowed coffee or booze and is on some meds.

So our first week of our second year together began with a wild adventure. I told him that this is the worst that I will allow this year to be so only good things from now on. We made it through this together, he leaned on me, and I had to be brave. He always promised me an adventure, and together we will face it all.

Happy anniversary, babe. For better and worse, in sickness and in health. I love you always.

Spinning plates

2010-07-21T18:27:00.002-05:00

Have you ever watched the circus performers spin plates, they strat to spin them on their finger then transfer them to these long sticks and them try to spin more plates while kee[ong the previous plates in motion?

Yea, that is what has been going on with me lately. I am working on this huge high profile project at work and was doign well, until someone else dropped the ball and handed it to me and then went on vacation. I was dreading today, I had a restless sleep thinking about spreadsheets. But ya know, it was not all that bad. Once I organized the info, worked out a plan with my counterpart, and started to get responses to my email things started to move. And I was able to breath. I know that I can do this and do it well and I so so glad that the higher ups are noticing what I have been doing.

So while I am appearing calm, my brain is all over the place and I feel a bit loopy and out of it (sorry I have not caught up on some blogs!). At the end of the day, I am just glad to come home see three furry faces, have a nice glass of wine and veg out with the hubs.

Plus there are some exciting things that have popped up in the past few days that we will have to wait and see if they pan out but, I am not going to over think, if it happens it will happen....I just hope that it happens.

So what plates are you spinning?

Sucks

2010-07-14T08:40:00.002-05:00

Sometimes it sucks to be so far from your family.

Sometimes it sucks to get a phone call telling your grandmother in another country passed away.

Sometimes it sucks when you can't speak to your mom because she is on a plane.

Sometimes it sucks when your stoic dad gets emotional on the phone.

Sometimes it sucks to realize that the last time you made a trip there was 14 years ago and that money and lack of vacation time prevented you from doing so.

Sometimes it sucks that you could not say good bye.

So yea, sometimes it sucks.

Her-story epeats

2010-07-12T09:42:00.002-05:00

As a kid, it took me awhile to understand the phrase "History repeats". Sure enough though out many years of history classes you learned about it (Like never invade Russia in the winter!)

It was recently that i noticed personal history also repeats. A few weeks back I got contacted by a former friend of mine on FB. We were close growing up and then we went to the same school and things did not go well. She became part of a group that ignored me, teased me and were cruel to me. It was not an easy time for me and my self esteem took a hit.

As I debated whether to accept or not,I stopped and looked at my life now and realized that this incident has happened to me throughout various parts of my life. It was not an exact story but there have been a lot of common elements that exist even today.

The only thing that changed is my reaction to it. I get over it easier or at least faster. I don't dwell on it and try to move on with my life (it is not always easy) or I just remove myself from the situation. Self protection perhaps, but I can anticipate how the story will go.

I did accept her friend request, I am glad to see that she is doing well. Now I have to figure out how to break the story I am currently in.

What about you, do you see trends and history repeating in your life?

Not as busy as a bee

2010-06-30T09:17:00.002-05:00

So my lovely three day weekend last week was not what I expected. I had to work for half a day on Friday. I did accomplish a few things like going to my doctor, went to the fabric store (although I did not find a fabric I liked for the big secret project) and started to work on our wedding album.

Lately, work has been very busy. I am glad though because ti makes my days fly by the downside is that it is getting harder and harder to take some time off. I don't mind checking in ones or twice but, I don't like to be teathered to my laptop or phone when I am suppose to be out and about.

I do have a great boss who has granted me a half a day on Friday to make up for my hours "in the office" last week. So we are thinking about venturing into to the Taste of Chicago for lunch.
We also have a call with our financial planner, hopefully we can find a balance that will work for us.

I feel that I am making a lot of sacrifices and am still feeling a bit over my head. I question sometimes was the grad degree worth the costs? Of course it is but it takes a while to pay off both professionally and financially. I have seen some benefits and I am lucky to be in the position I am now because of that degree.

Lately, I am in a spendy mood, I want to buy a bedroom set, a screen door, tile our backsplash re-do our office and get a proper desk, replace some clothes that are old or too small (yea lets add go to the gym to that one) and go on vacation. We will probably get the door and figure out a back splash. The rest will wait...until we win the lotto!

Two three

2010-06-24T10:13:00.003-05:00

I have two three day weekends in a row. I am taking tomorrow off and it has been much needed. I have so many things that I want to do and have to do and I wanted some time to do it without sacrificing too much of the weekend so tomorrow I plan to:

-Go to the doctor for a check up (Ugh it is all the way downtown, in the early morning because traffic is going to suck!)
-Go to the fabric store to pick up a button for a blouse, some thread for the dog toy triage center I have in my office (they tore up some of their favorite stuffed toys) and look at upholstery fabric for a super secret project that I will blog about soon
-Go to the dry cleaner to drop off clothes that have accumulated for months, yea not too proud of that one
-Go through the wedding photos and pick a few to frame
-Print said photos and actually frame them
-Start to create a wedding album
-go to my neighbors contemporary dance show

So that is a full day and I hope to cross many off of my to do list.

What is your to do list if you had tomorrow off?

Spotless

2010-06-22T08:19:00.002-05:00

I am in a cleaning/decorating mood. I want to scrub down the condo from top to bottom and then I want to get rid of stuff.

I have this habit of putting things in (separate) piles and pretend that they are not there. Clothes, paper, shoes etc. It is getting to the point where the piles have piles! so I am planning on taking this Friday off. I have a doctors appointment then I am woman on a mission, going to the fabric store to get a button and look at some fabric for a project, the off to the dry cleaner and home by noon.

Having an extra off day makes my weekend feel more productive.

What would you do with an extra day off this week?

Just so personal;

2010-06-09T10:09:00.005-05:00

The other day, I had lunch with a good friend of mine. We haven't seen each other in a few months and we wanted to catch up. Over lunch, she leaned back, took a breath and then began to tell me what has really been going on. I could tell it was not something that she talked about a lot and she began to talk more and more about this particular situation. As she did, she seemed to relax a bit more. I told her that she can always call me and talk about this and other situations anytime, that I am here for her.

She seemed really relived and then leaned in from across the table and whispered "It is such a personal thing, that I just did not know if I can talk to anyone about it."

That statement sums up the way I have been feeling about my blog (yep one of those blogger talking about blogging posts).

In the past few months there have been some things going on that are personal. My husband reads my blog and I am okay with that because it is not things that he hasn't heard before. But since getting married there are some issues that we are in the midst of that affect both of us. By blogging about them, I am exposing part of his life too.

Yet, at the same time, these are the things I want to talk about, I want input on them but, I just can't. It has really eaten me up inside because I do want some different perspectives that comments provide.

So I am trying to find some sort of balance. Yet, it is leaving me feeling that I am writing about superficial things like random weekend events.

I am working on finding that balance, finding the zen between personal and public. How do you do it?

Fluttering

2010-06-01T09:20:00.002-05:00

I am now becoming entrenched in a new project at work that involves an acquisition. It is strange to be on the other side of an acquisition (the winning side so to speak). But that means that there is a lot of work and integration will be a long and bumpy process. So I have been traveling between my original office and the "new" office a few miles away, I have been on conference calls that start when I begin my commute home and often end with me sitting on the top of my stairs in front of my door (if I go in the dogs go nuts).

I get home so drained and tired. So this past weekend was a chance for me to rest and recoup. Except that Rosie does not have a snooze button and is awake every day at 5:45 which means we are all awake at 5:45 and I have been out on walks at 6. But we finally figured out a way to trigger her snooze button. Let Yukon sleep with her! She slept in yesterday to 8:30 but, we think that the long walk along the lake shore had something to do with it too.

Saturday we spent the day with my in laws. My sister in law and I went to a wine festival in Elgin to support a charity that her sister works at. We got to try about 12 wines and considereing that we swapped, it was about 24. There are an amzing amount of local wines (produced inIndiana, Michigan and Illinois ) most were fruit wines. There was this lovely rhubarb wine and an almond champagne.

After the festival we went back to their house for a nice BBQ where my brother in law served as the neurotic grill master. But to his credit, everything was wonderful!

The rest of the weekend was spent at home, cleaning sleeping, catching up on some movies, playing wtih the dogs and going for long walks.

We need more long weekends.

What was your highlight?

Not quite myself

2010-05-20T08:53:00.003-05:00

I am feeling "off" lately. It is a mixture of feeling unappreciated, underwhelmed, tired, helpless frustrated, anti-social and stressed.

The frustrated, helpless and stressed feelings I can dive deeper into I know why I am feeling this way, I know the causes but unfortunatly there is no quick fix. It is a daily reminder of "Hi, here is your life now, here is the life you want and there is no way at this time to bridge the gap" My life is not that bad at all, I know that. I am quite fortunate in many respects but, there are things that I want (not necessary material goods although a Mac book with be nice) and I know that I can't get them. It is just beating me up.

Tired well that is due to the lack of a full nights sleep. I tend to wake up at least once during the night. The cat likes to scratch the door at the wee hours for attention or he decides to be sick at 3:14 am. Or the thunder wakes me up or I am too hot/too cold or I had a nightmare, or a siren goes off etc.

All of this makes me just want to hibernate and hide and try to figure my way out of this funk. I just don't know how.

Note: This is not a reflection of my marriage. I am very lucky to have my husband for so many reasons.

Putting away the suitcases

2010-05-18T07:42:00.003-05:00

We got back yesterday from our weekend in NY. It was one of those trips that we did not plan to do anything. We both had to plug into the office on Friday so we stayed near my parent's house. My friend, her husband and her cute baby came up to visit we along with my dad and brother. I was able to satisfy my pizza requirements and it was a lot of fun catching up. We both new that the baptism would be crazy and when there is a baby as good and cute as Baby V, you will get no baby time.

We spent Saturday at the zoo and just strolled around the park. We had a good time and as my Hubs puts it, "the residents were lovely it was the visitors that were not". It was so true, some parents and kids were just out of control.

My dad took us out for Portuguese food that evening and it was so good. Hubs is determined to find a Portuguese restaurant in Chicago, any ideas?

Sunday we headed to Staten Island for the christening*. And on the way we went through all 5 bouroughs, one was not on purpose! We crossed 7 bridges round trip (two not on purpose). But ithe whole ceremony and party were worth it. Baby V was so well behaved she slept through most of it and at the part was passed around. She would just sit on you lap and look around. I tried but she would not fit in my purse. But she is going to come with her mom to visit us soon! WE were able to catch up with some friends and make news ones.

One of the people at our table is a filmmaker and my friends business partner. Their short file has been shown in 4 film festivals so far and has gotten some great reviews. He was very interesting to talk to! They are busy with four more films that they are hoping to work through this year.

Yesterday we came back to Chi town to tow very excited dogs and a pleased cat. It was good to be home and share a bed again. My parents ave kept my room and my brother's the same, with one twin bed so Hubs and I had our own room!

*I did wear my black dress but paired it up with my hot pink shoes and a hot pink flower pin. It looked great!

Black?

2010-05-05T08:02:00.003-05:00

In a few weeks, Hubs and I are heading to the big apple to attend the christening of my best friend's baby. This is her first and she loves being a mom. She was my matron of honor and we joked that it was good she chose an empire waist dress since she was 8 weeks pregnant then. Her biggest regret was not having champagne at the wedding so we will be bringing her a bottle.

Her daughter was born in February during the worst snow storm of the winter and I was one of the few people that they called an hour after the birth. I have been given the title of Aunt.

Needlessness to say, we can't wait to go.

I have a question though, is it appropriate to wear a black dress for a christening? I would wear it with pink heels.

So what are your thoughts?

Hoping for a harvest

2010-05-03T09:25:00.002-05:00

We spent our weekend doing the typical one day of errands and second day of chores. The bathroom and back deck are spotless, The floors cleaned (Until tonight when Yukon's shedding form fur tumble weeds) and an outright avoidance of the room that really needs attention...the office. We have too much stuff there, paper, desks random stuff. We need to get rid of most of it. We have two tables that we use as desks and then we have 4 bookshelves we realized that they take up too much space and that room is suffocating. So we are trying to think of a way to reduce clutter and open it up. Any ideas?

We planted our tiny deck box. We decided on basil, strawberries and stevia. While we know the basil will grow, we are wondering how the rest of the two will do. It is an experiement. Last year we did not have a deck box garden because of the stress surrounding the wedding. So this year, I wanted to have one. I wish we had a little patch of soil to work on because I would love to grow tomatoes and cucumbers with a few more herbs. But we will make do with what we got.

There has been some passive aggressive behaviour that is affecting our condo and last night we were in the middle of it. As with most condos, noise is an issue especailly if you have back decks, a few friends, a few drinks and open windows. One neighbor sent out a snotty, insult filled request for parties to be done by 10. This said neighbor has been the author of a number of these types of emails, he has this huge sense of entitlement and has not made any effort to come to any condo meetings. So the emails and insults continue.

Last night, many neighbors decided to rebel against this tenent by holding an impromptu drink/ bbq session, under our bedroom window. Normally, we do not mnid but the smoke, noise and unleashed dogs were getting a bit out of hand. Thankfully a few neighbors approached us and told us to let them know when we need them to quiet down. I said as long as they wrap up at 10 we are good and they did.

Communication is key but, I suspect that this type of passive aggressiveness is going to be a shot across the bow and we expect a few more rounds in this battle. We want a house.

Paradise lost

2010-04-26T08:43:00.003-05:00

We are back from our amazing trip to Maui and have been for almost two weeks!

When we came back to work, things seemed to have exploded in our absence. It made us wonder, why didn't we stay? So all last week, we had a few late nights, working from home and plenty of meetings to get us back in the game. It was all worth it!

Our trip to Maui was just perfect. It was a great combo of activities and relaxing. When I am on vacation I can never really relax because there are things that Iw ant to do and see. This time we made it a point to do both!

Here are some highlights

We got up early to watch the sun rise over Haleakala, a dormant volcano and by early I mean 1:30 in the morning. We did a tour and that was when our pick up time was. Our guide picked s up and I swear he was shooting espresso! I have never in my life met some one who was so up and at them for 8 hours. He was just pumped and excited. He has done this for 5 years and it was so refreshing in a way to see someone who loves their job.

On our way up to the sun rise, we stopped at a rest stop and there were no lights and the stars were endless. We saw the milky way and it was beautiful.

We spent the next day snorkeling. I found a company that only goes out with no more than 6 people rather than a huge group tour. Hubs and I had so much fun with our guide. she was patient and knowledgeable. It was so awesome to see her get excited when we saw a puffer fish.

The most surreal moment was when we were swimming with sea turtles. We saw one and Hubs and I were so excited. then about 15 minutes later, we were surrounded by at least 8-10 of them, they were next to us, below us and above us. Since they are endangered we could not approach them but, it did not stop them from approaching us. They were so graceful and inquisitive. There was one who was swimming towards us and was just a few feet away before he swam away. I have a deep respect for those creatures now.

We went hiking in one of the rainforrests. I though it would be more casual than it was. It was challenging, we were climbing up and down rock cliffs only holding on to hhibiscus roots. We saw a number of waterfalls but, were glad when it was over.

Pineapples, so good, we could not stop eating them. Passion fruit gelatto was another yum. Apple bananas were delish.

Seeing the Hubs get formally recognized by the executive team. I had the opportunity to meet his co-workers and some people in his company. Mostly everyone was really nice and we had a good time.

Winning the coveted tiki trophy as part of the Hub's team building exercise. We won all our team events by the half and then killed in in the sand castle final. Our winning sand castle...sea turtles. but Hubs rocked the blow darts and I rocked the coconut toss.

Sitting in by the pool overlooking the beach and seeing humpback whales play in the ocean. It was a mom and her calf having fun

Seeing Jennifer Aniston jogging on the beach path at our hotel

Meeting and getting our photo with Adam Sandler also at our hotel. He was so nice and genuine and called me "Short legs!"

I want to go back. The Island, the people, the drinks, the air was exactly what our souls needed. My skin and hair never felt better. The hubs and I reconnected without the distractions of our daily lives and got to spent time hanging out and just having fun.

Aloha Maui! Mahalo!

Now just the fingers

2010-04-05T08:10:00.003-05:00

We are very close to getting ready for our trip. We were supposed to sit down and plan this weekend but then we had to clean the condo and yesterday was a wash because we spent part of the day with the in laws.

But this week, you would think we would have time but think again. We are busy from Wednesday onward with events, meetings and concerts.

So if any of you have been to Maui what are the must dos? We are planning to do the sunrise tour and a road to Hana tour. But what else, what do we have to try activity and food wise?

~~~~~
And just to show you how busy we were, try doing this:

Almost just hands and toes

2010-03-24T09:20:00.002-05:00

We have been counting the days until our trip to Hawaii. Sure we are excited to go and get to be somewhere new and exciting but, more so, we really need to get away. Things haven't been that great for us lately, we have been going through a down time with so many stressful things. Here are just a few in the last week:

-Hub's uncle passed away after a short illness, my father in law was able to see him before he passed and was there for the funeral. As sad as this is, his uncle passed away on his terms and had all his wishes and requests followed. It also ended some family strife that has been haunting the Hubs and his siblings.

-The Hubs has been stressed out from his job which translate to being stressed at home.

-We've been having some dog issues, one of which I can't talk about. The other one is that they have been eating paper, not just any paper but bank statement, tax document, old MBA papers. We have no idea how Yukon has gotten into them. So after two years of being crate free, she has now been put back in her crate.

-Money, but then again who is not stressed out by money. We are beating ourselves up on past money mistakes and the lack of foresight in other matters. But hey, we do not have crystal balls to predict the future but have to deal with the present. Thank goodness for the huge tax refund we got but it will require us to continue to live frugally.

-My grandmother is quite ill, very ill that I had to call my mom in Egypt. Thankfully, she has had a slight improvement and my parents got back from the Middle East yesterday.

Thankfully, the two of us are stronger together than ever. We've been there to support each other as the pieces being to fall.

So in a few weeks, we will be in the middle of the Pacific together celebrating the Hub's accomplishments and each other and not a moment too soon!

Green and Gold

2010-03-18T08:23:00.004-05:00

Put on your old green bonnet
with your yellow ribbon on it,
and we'll drink 6 friars to the grave
We ain't got knowledge
But we are a DAMN good College

S I E N A

Go Saints!

Note worthy events
-Jimmy Fallon picked Siena to go all the way
-Obama picked Siena to beat perdue in the rirst round
-NPR sport guy picked Siena as the one to watch out for

From a small college in the Capital District of NY to being in the national spotlight I am proud to be an alum in so many ways!

Go Siena

Photo credit

Ugh, colds suck

2010-03-15T09:03:00.003-05:00

I am being kicked in the ass by a nasty cold. Hubs got it from a co-worker and last week was his time to be miserable and now it is my turn. I am dealing with a head cold that affected my ears, nose and throat.

However, the hubs has been so wonderful. He made me dinner and dessert (lemon cake) after cleaning the apartment on Saturday. He did the grocery shopping so that I can rest yesterday and took the dogs out all weekend without me. I helped out by making chicken stock (the best smell when you are sick) and washing the floors. He was just wonderful.

Since I can't take any cold meds because they cause some negative reactions. I have been resorting to home remedies:

-Teaspoons of honey for my throat
-Chicken soup
-Lemon juice (a lemonade basically)

What are some non drug remedies that work for you

Random but good

2010-03-09T09:26:00.003-06:00

There is no major big stuff happening so here are some highlights

The hubs and I have decided to de-clutter the condo. I would love to get a dumpster and just toss out things but that is not going to happen (for now). So we spent part of the weekend going through old paperwork, cleaning out the front closet and the cabinet under our bathroom sink.
On a related note, we have enough body wash and soap to last at least 3 years...I wish I was joking
We found our bug spray and sunscreen (not expired) for Hawaii, so no need to go shopping
I have so many dresses from my pre-wedding "I need dresses for events" shopping last year that I do not have to go shopping for Hawaii. I am so happy about that!
Because of our upcoming trip, I got motivated to go to the gym. I ran and took an abs class. I am not as sore as I expected to be. The abs class was kind of a bust, I may replace it with pilates again.
My puppies have been so good lately! They have been really loving the warm weather and the new smells that they have been using their energy outside which makes inside time a lot less crazy. (Now watch, I put it out in the universe and for the next week they will be demons)
My parents are going to Egypt next week on a tour. It is so cute to hear how excited they are. My dad was telling me that he is glad he does not wear contacts because of the sand and he read that in his guide....and he found in his guidebook a small shop he wants to check out that sells papyrus, oh and that he can't wait to see what souvenirs they sell at the Sphinx. Mom is more excited for all the shopping that she did! It is really cute

So what is going on in your world?

Aloha Recoginition

2010-02-25T10:06:00.002-06:00

Hubs has been working on a strategic transformation project for almost a year, in addition to his day to day tasks. This project has taken off like gangbusters but has had him in the office late, coming home cranky and frustrated and put him in front of some executives. His boss's boss hand picked him to participate in this project because she sees his potential.

Last week, Hubs was extremely frustrated and snappy. He could not relax or sleep with all the pressures of work on his shoulder. He (like many others) felt unappreciated and was dealing with a number of personalities with their own agenda that is making him do more work than necessary. It was not good.

On Monday, he grumbled into work. When he came home, his spirits were lifted. He asked if I had looked into any vacations this year (I have been on and off looking a places to go) and when I replied no, he said "That is good because we are going to Hawaii!"

*Insert my mouth hitting floor*

His hard work was recognized by the person who placed him on the project as well as the executive team. He was selected with a few others to join the companies excellence club and will be recognized in Hawaii.

And I get to go! All expenses paid (well except for my taxes).

I am so proud of him and all the blood, sweat and swearing that he has done for his company. I am so glad to be his support! He deserves this!

Of course, now it means I have to hit the gym....well for him, it is worth it!

How did I get here?

2010-02-24T09:11:00.002-06:00

Last week, this lovely blogger asked me a question " I would love to hear more about your old life in NYC and how you ended up in Chicago!"

So picture this, early 2002 in NY a 20 something woman happily moving though life. It was like the stars aligned, I was in a happy relationship, I had just moved into my first apartment in Brooklyn with my best friend and work was decent despite a lot of turmoil.

Then it all fell apart, one by one. My boyfriend broke up with me via VM while I was away at a wedding in Scotland. (this was before the even classier move of breaking up via text). We were together for almost a year and a half and this came as quite a shock. I was devastated, I became a shell of my formers self. I just got up went to work, came home and went to bed. During that time I lost 15 lbs by not eating because I was not interested in food.

My best friend got seriously involved with her boyfriend and it just added salt to the wound to see how happy they were together while I was miserable. Then they got engaged on what would have been my anniversary. So I was a mess.

Then my job took an unexpected turn. The VP of my division decided he did not want to be bothered with managing my team so he turned us over to another VP who decided that we were of no use to the company in Manhattan so we had to move to the operations facility in Long Island or get laid off. Fun hun?

I am not a fan of Long Island and never wanted to commute to that office. It was, to put it nicely, a dump. Nor did I want to get laid off, I have a huge fear of not having a job even if I hated it, I am fearful of what would happen if I did not have one.

Prior to this news, I was realizing that I needed to make a change in my live, in my environment. My apt was filled with ghosts of memories and I was stuck in a rut that I knew if I remained there, it would really do more damage than it has already bestowed. During this time of reflection, I was sent out to California to visit a client of mine (known for their couch jumping celebrity spokesperson) and I got to stay in Santa Monica. I fell in love with the town, the idea that it was warm and that the Pacific ocean was different. I decided that I wanted to move to California.

Then my job situation became undone. So California was not a possibility now because I would not be able to move so quickly without money. But a new opportunity opened up for me. My company had an office just outside of Chicago and I asked if I could be transferred there. To my surprise, they were delighted and did everything possible to get me out here. I must say, I negotiated a very sweet deal.

So in August of 2003, I moved to Chicago. I had my own apartment, a new car and only one person who I knew. It was hard, very hard. There were a lot of days when I got home and just cried. I shook my life up for sure but, I was not sure if this was what I wanted or if this is where I wanted to be. But then I slowly made friends at work. I forced myself out of my apartment and took flamenco dance classes. I even joined a dating site to get myself out (whole other blog post).

And I began to blog.

Now the move that was only suppose to last a year has turned into almost 7. I met my husband here, I have met some great friends here and one of my good friends from college moved out here a year and half after I did.

It was a hard road to get where I am but, I had to challenge myself, I had to make it happen I had to survive...and I did.

What about you, what have you done to shake up your world?

A Random 5

2010-02-15T08:18:00.002-06:00

Things have been very quiet lately. It seems that all we have been doing is getting up, walking the dogs, work, walk the dogs, eat dinner, walk the dogs, sleep and repeat.

But here are a few questions that I have been wondering about:

1-If you could compete in an Olympic winter sport, what would it be?

I always longed to be a figure skater, I used to take skating lessons yet, did not have the skills nor patience to even attempt to make it.

2-Do you think valentine's day is overrated?

In a way yes, I think that it is just another day. when I was single it would sometimes sting, especially when your co-workers would get flower boquets that were non stop. But as I have gotten older it is just another day with my loved ones.

3-What are you tired of hearing about (news wise)?

I am so tired of the health care debate. All this talk of us vs them really annoys me and then when they talk about bipartisanship while pointing fingers....well who is calling the kettle black?

4-What is your quick go to homemade dinner meal?

It is tacos! Although I never underestimate a good panni or grilled cheese sandwich.

5-What is the best piece of advise you were ever given?

People will never act (or react) in the way you want them to. But you are in charge of how you will respond.

Your turn...and are there any answers to questions that you want to know?

My head hurts

2010-02-03T08:15:00.003-06:00

I rarely discuss my job in the blog. I never mention the company nor specific details about what I do. However, work has become such a pain in the ass for me. It is not the job per say, it is the people. Here are some highlights from the past week:

-Yesterday, the whole company got a spam email. I did not open it, it went straight to my trash box. However, a few did and then people started to "reply to all". We have about 12,000 employees around the world. Our email was clogged for 2 1/2 hours. The sad part, most of the reply to all and then the emails telling people not to reply to all, were written by managers. At last count it was up to 300 emails!

-Would you tell your co-workers that you are on an anti depressant? Would you tell you boss? Would you start crying at your desk (and some of your co-workers desks) complaining about menopause, your doctor and insurance? Yes, this was the same person!

-I am trying to wrap up a project. A project that was to be completed by the end of 2009. then was pushed back to the end of January and is now pushed back till March. Why the hold up? Well the team leader has decided to "check out" and is not being as active as she was in the beginning. So as the project leader I pick up the slack and all I hear are crickets. People don't get back to me, they do not get back to my boss. It is beyond frustrating. What kills me, is that this project has affected my 2009 performance review. Thankfully, my boss is very understanding and has supported me through out. Which is a good thing otherwise I would have flown out east to kick some ass.

-IT is overworked and not communicative. So they do not respond to my requests for info and updates.

-Our office is overdecorated for Valentine's day. I am a fan of a few things here and there, but it is over the top. Not as bad as Christmas, when Ms. Prozac wrapped all the pictures on the wall.

-I am over the passive aggressiveness.

I need a drink.

What is giving you headaches?

French onion soup

2010-01-25T08:15:00.003-06:00

So this is my favorite recipe, it is from the Chopping Block:

2 tablespoons of butter
4 Medium yellow onions thinly sliced
1/4 teaspoon thyme
salt and pepper
1/2 cup sherry*
5 cups beef stock**
French bread
Gruyere Cheese

Heat your pot, when it is hot add the butter. Let it melt and then add the onions, let the onions saute for 20-25 minutes stirring occasionally (Christina's note, our onions were huge so they filled the pot all the way to the top, do not worry as they cook, they reduce in size. I also added a pinch of salt at this step to heap the onions sweat)

Add the thyme, salt and pepper.

Add the sherry and use it to deglaze the bottom of your pot. Make sure you get all the yummy brown bits. Let the mixture simmer a bit until the sherry has evaporated.

Add the beef stock and bring to a boil. Then reduce the heat so to a simmer. Let the soup simmer for about 10 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning (Christina's note, if you are using a regular stock, you can reduce some of your salt. I also love extra thyme so I add more)

Get your oven proof bowls, cut the bread about 1/2 inches thick. Grate the cheese.

Ladle the soup into your bowls. Fill only 3/4 of the way, add the bread and then sprinkle the cheese. Set the bowls under your broiler for a couple of minutes (Christina's note watch the bowls as different ovens have different heat levels. It is a good idea to put them on a rimmed cookie sheet, because they are hot).

Remove, and add extra cheese if you wish (um yes!)

Let it cool for a moment and enjoy!

Serves about 6

*Use regular sherry not cooking sherry
**Vegetable stock can be substituted

Notes:
-This is even better the next day, you can make the recipe up to adding the soup to the bowls.
-You can substitute thyme for herbs de Provence

If you make it, let me know your thoughts.

Just the points

2010-01-19T08:30:00.002-06:00

Rosie has had two puppy training classes and has shown a lot of confidence and is food motivated so is quick to learn. The downside, is that she is food motivated and interrupts other puppies and their owners for a treat. It has been a fun class and we've learned a lot. This week's homework is the sit (leading to stay) command and a review of the "come" command.
Ever since the burglary, it seems that all our neighbors are watching out for each other and for us. People have really stepped up and are checking in with each other and sharing notes. It is great to be a part of that.
The downside of that is some entitlement issues and passive aggressive comments that have been going back and forth. We are all adults, if you want your upstairs neighbor to turn down his TV, knock on his door and ask him!
spend a lot to get my car maintained, more than I planned, and we still have a few more issues to take care of. Well when you are almost at 30k miles, stuff happens.
Bought a new blender for $0.38, thank you gift card.
Making onion soup today....can we say yum.
Can't believe that my best friend is having a baby in 6 weeks, I am an honorary aunt and can't wait to see them in the spring!
My parents are going to Egypt for Spring break (they work in a college). they have been so funny about planning and researching. According to my dad, never buy alabaster in the streets, it is fake and there is one store in Cairo that sells papyrus as done my the ancient Egyptians and he may have to go check it out.
I am so over the late night wars!

What are your bits and bobs?

Help

2010-01-14T11:51:00.002-06:00

With the news about the earthquake that devastated Haiti, there is a onslaught of generosity.

Before you donate money, make sure that it is a reputable organization. Sadly, as with most recent disasters people have been scammed and their contribution does not make it to the country in need. To check if your charity is a legitimate one please check out this website.

Check with the local offices to see if they are collecting food and clothes. The Red Cross in Chicago is requesting financial donations as it costs them time and money to sort and send clothes. Also, they like to stimulate the local economy by purchasing items there.

Check if your company is offering matching donations to maximise your donation.

Some other relief and charities organizations that are collecting are
Doctors without Boarders
Habitat for Humanity
Red Cross
Mercy Corps
Care
Save the Children
World Food Program

Check to see what they are looking for (although most are seeking financial donations)

You can also text "Haiti" to 90999 to donate $10 to the International Response Fund of the Red Cross.

Staying safe

2010-01-11T09:29:00.001-06:00

Our neighbors were a victim of a day time home robbery over the weekend. It happened between 1-3 pm, most of the neighbors were out (including us) and did not see anything suspicious until about 3:45. They lost their laptops, a gaming system and some custom jewelry. They crate their dog so she was okay, shaken up but okay/

It got me thinking about some things that we all can do to protect our homes. The first thing it to add layers to make your home less appealing:

Here are some tips to keeping your home safe.

Structure:

-Alarm system

There are so many options available that can be suited to your house/condo (make sure they are reputable, do your homework). Many are offering discounts or free options that help to mitigate the cost. Put the alarm stickers on your doors and windows, it is a major deterrent (Plus, it reduces your homeowner’s insurance)

-Doors:

How strong are your doors, are they reinforced with steel or just a simple hollow wood door? Can you replace them? If not, the simple thing it so add a metal plate, like a book cover, they glide over your door and then you bolt your locks and handle in, it is hard to drill to open the lock. You can also consider some drill proof locks.

-Windows

-Do you keep your shades open to show the world what you own? Invest in blinds, curtains and keep your windows locked when you are not home.

-Assessment

Time yourself give yourself 5-15 minutes, what is in plain eye sight and can easily be taken? Try different entry points. Secure those items to make it harder.

Personal items

Serial numbers

Keep a record of your serial numbers for your computers, gaming systems, TV, DVD players etc. Keep the record on an internet based system such as Google Docs. Print and keep a copy for yourself (perhaps in a book on your bookshelf or taped to the back of some artwork that is hanging in your home)

Jewelry

Do you want your sentimental jewelry taken? Place those special pieces away from your everyday pieces. Keep it somewhere unusual that would take a lot of time and effort to find but not hard for you to remember.

Insurance:

From homeowners to renters insurance make sure you have your items covered. Be honest, look at the value of your bit ticket items and get coverage. It is a small price to pay

Safe

Invest in a strong secure one, one that is too heavy for a person to carry comfortably. Keep your passports and important papers in here but keep a copy of your passport somewhere safe, Scan it to your email. A safe deposit box at a bank is another option.

Buzzar/doorbell:

Make sure you know who you are letting into your building or home. It is okay not to let people in that you do not know even if they say they are friends of your neighbors.

People

Know your neighbors

You need to keep each other informed of any suspicious activity. Don’t be afraid to speak up

Know your local police officers

Invite them to your association meetings; let them know your concerns. They have tips and suggestions to keep you safe and you develop a relationship with them.

Pets

Ensure that your pets have the electronic ID system. Make sure you keep those numbers handy. Call all shelters if they go missing

Be aware,

Know your surroundings, know the people who live in your neighborhood and report anything suspicious.

What are other tips?

Gone to the dogs

2010-01-08T10:29:00.002-06:00

Since we added Rosie to our family, we have had our hands full. She is very quick, nimble and has a stubborn streak. But she and Yukon are good friends and entertain each other for a few hours a day. She and Chaplin can share our bed during nap time.

We've been working from home for the past few days due to the snow storm and she has decided that she would rather spend all day on a lap rather then in her warm crate. She is not a fan of the cold weather and loves to wear her jacket. Her dad is looking at doggy boots since she is very sensitive to the salt.

Yukon has been such a good big sister. She tolerates having a playmate and has taken on this matronly aura. I am so proud of her.

We all start obedience school this weekend and I can't wait. We need to work on a few things but, we can't imagine our life without her.

Changes to work for

2010-01-04T09:17:00.000-06:00

The past two weeks have been lovely! It was great staying home doing little things to make our house neater and spending time catching up on movies and playing with the pets. I got most of my list done but not all of it. I have been procrastinating on finishing up cleaning the office and my bedroom closet though.

But with 2010 brings some things that I want to start to do. I don't like to call them resolutions because I feel so bad when they fail but, rather call them changes to work for. The top of my list is to get my body in motion. I have not exercised in ages and am feeling the effects so instead of wallowing about it, I need to get moving. Back to the gym for me and perhaps start running (perhaps). I also have to watch what I eat, the holidays wrecked me so now we have to go back to eating good things. Work has a program to help you get started so I signed up to keep me motivated and accountable. I was so good early last year but, stopped. Now, I have to get back on track.

I want to stay organized. I get so freaked out sometimes by not having a neat and tidy house. So I want to work to maintain and do little things that help keep it looking good. I have already started, I organized all the cleaning products by usage, accessibility and if it is dry vs. wet. I also take at least three things that don't belong in a certain room and put them back when I leave the room I am in. Finally, I conditioned our chopping block and it looks so pretty that nothing is allowed on it. I plan to clean for a few minutes each day so that the weekend is not a cleaning marathon.

Simple changes I suppose but I hope these work to make things a bit easier for me in the long run.

what are your "changes to work for"?

Ringing in 2010!

2009-12-31T08:38:00.002-06:00

It is hard to believe that another year has gone by so quickly (as it feels sometimes). It was a good year all in all for me. Getting married was the highlight! But there were a lot of little moments that made the year for me. I get to hang out with an amazing person each day, I get kisses on the nose from my cat, cuddles and hugs from my dogs. I got to see a lot of family and friends this year.

I hope that 2010 brings each of you a lot of love and happiness.

Happy New Year!