Merry Christmas

I know not everyone had a good Christmas...some people were stuck thousands of miles away from home without family to spend the day with. Other people spent the day with family and still had a crappy time and felt more alone than ever. I was luck enough to have a good day (mild illness aside). Somehow my brother and sister-in-law managed to find a doughnut shop open this morning and I was able to continue the Christmas cinnamon roll tradition! I got some great presents like laptop accessories and kitchen gadgets. But I got to give some great presents too! My sister-in-law has always been hard to please (long story), but this year I had a great idea that my dad helped me execute and I was able to give her an awesome gift. Of course mom one-upped me with her gift, which made my s-i-l cry! She loved it so much she couldn't even speak. It was pretty awesome to see those to get along so well...kind of a relief really.

I definitely missed seeing my sister, my best friend and her family, and a few others too. Especially those that had a crappy day. Hopefully I will see everyone soon!

Holiday Shopping

Have you ever seen the aftermath of a hurricane? I haven’t personally, but I am pretty sure the mall I went to Monday night would be a good example! December 22nd, with two days left to shop it was mayhem in the mall. First of all, good luck getting a parking spot! I am certain the only reason I was able to find a spot was because I didn’t want one. I really did not want to spend the evening in the melee of Christmas shoppers, but Aggie had some shopping to do… Once inside we hit up the first major store we could find. I think Aggie ended taking pictures to document the aftermath! The line was about 20 people long and the store looked like all 20 had gone on a shopping spree. Clothes falling of shelves, all mixed up in different sections, stuff on the floor, and nothing where it was supposed to be. Oh let the fun of shopping begin… Of course we couldn’t find what Aggie needed in that store, so we walked down to a department store. While passing the mess of kids waiting to get their pictures taken with Santa, Aggie proclaimed his hatred of all santas, kids, and the idiot parents who waited to the last minute to have little Johnny sitting on the pedophile’s lap. The department store wasn’t much better, nor were the other five stores we had to stop in. Walking down the strip, I half expected to have children calling out “chicle, chicle” while their siblings are trying to pick-pocket the crowd! (This is the down side of living so close to a second-world country) Eventually Aggie found some options for his sister, but only after assuring him repeatedly that he was making a good choice (I hope I was right!). Thankfully, this was all followed by a couple hours of me kicking Aggie’s butt in MarioKart! Even Christmas shopping can have a happy ending…besides Christmas, I mean!

Back to the Grind…

I’m one of the lucky ones. Out of the now millions who have been laid off this year, I was lucky enough to snag a decent position and get out of the cesspool that is unemployment. And to date, I think I have landed well. I have pretty cool coworkers, decent responsibilities, managed to get a title bump and a respectable raise. Overall, can’t really complain.

Ok, maybe you know me too well. I can always complain! Not necessarily about work, although I am not stoked about having to work both Christmas Eve and the day after Christmas. Seriously though, I have a job, which is far more than I had two weeks ago. So I will grunt and bear it. The part I can complain about is the fact that I woke up sick this morning! Sparing the details I have a version of the flu that doesn’t affect the head or chest. There are certainly worse things to have! Besides the consequences of this particular ailment aren’t all bad, I mean once the pain and nausea go away. I can also complain that for as much as I would like to be, I am not in bed. I heart bed. I miss bed… Its not Thanksgiving anymore, I don’t have to be thankful!

But I am thankful about a recent conversation with family friends. My roomies and I have a little extra protection from the boys in blue. Turns out they check on us frequently, along with several other friends, just to make sure we’re safe.

Big Little Town Parade

How many Girl Scout troops would you say are in Chula Vista? 15? 20? 25? I think its closer to 100! I think every little girl for miles around was strutting her stuff down Third Avenue that night! Boy scouts are not nearly as well represented, apparently its just not cool. Saturday Morning and I went to the Chula Vista Holiday parade a while ago. In typical small town fashion the celebrities were all of the local politicians and some newscasters, all riding bundled-up on the back of convertibles. Similarly, every high school and junior high school band and color guard were out in force. I am proud to say BVHS rocked and looked like a band should! But then I don’t think they brought along the little kids from the middle school to screw everything up!

Its always interesting to see who is in the parade. Nameless groups get together to wave and toss candy to confused parade watchers. Of course you see some veterans, they know how to represent. But then we were convinced that one particular “float” was a travelling AA meeting…well maybe NA, its hard to tell from a distance. Then there was the guy from an environment activist group who threw his cigarette from the float as he was passing by! Still lit, too. Only you (not environmental weirdies) can prevent forest fires! Lucky, there is not a forest in sight. But what if it rolled down the sewer and torched some noxious potty gas or something?!? Either way, it’s a serious no-no to claim cleanliness and tout concern for the future when you’re littering the streets in front of the same crowd!

We had an interesting night numbing our butts on the sidewalk and trying to get through the throng of people to get back to the car. We did enjoy a little banter with a short-strawed officer on the back road. I think he really was hoping Saturday Morning and I would fight just so he would have something to do. Sorry dude!

Oh yeah, and Ronald McDonald was there...I was more than a little scared!

Want Mail?

www.postcrossing.com

I never get good mail. I get the usual piles of junk mail: coupons I will never use, mail for previous tenants, credit card offers, etc. Occasionally I'll get a bill (I get most of them online) or the bank statement. But real mail generally eludes me. So I found a way to get something interesting in the mail box every now and then. The website above is a neat way to send and receive postcards! You sign up and the site randomly generates a user for you to send a postcard to. Likewise, your name pops up for people in other places to send a postcard to you. So far I have received postcards from India, New Zealand, South Korea, Germany, Finland, and Italy. And I have sent cards to Finland, Germany, China, Australia, Norway, Canada, Estonia, the Netherlands, and Slovenia. Its always interesting to see what kind of cards people want and what they want you to say. I asked for cards of their towns or anything really. My special request for the writing is that they tell me how to say a bad word in their language. So far only one person has complied... Oh well, can't get everything you want! (If I did, I'd be a long way from home with the love of my life and an endless bank balance!)

And by the way, in case you didn't get the hint - I get all excited about receiving mail, so send me something! Or post a comment!

Lost November

I am still finding things I missed in November! This time around it was the electricity bill...awesome! Nothing like a huge bill in December to get you in the Holiday Spirit! I don't remember much of November, but something tells me I wasn't much to remember last month. Between being sick, being a flake, and general nondescript behavior, I wonder if I even existed last month. I am ready to exist again and I definitely need to get out of the house!

This month is off to a better start. I finally have some job prospects! One company is even checking references at the moment. Okay, fine, they are not checking references right at this minute, it is 1am on Saturday morning after all! But they did call my old VP. As expected, he had wonderful things to say. I wish I could work for him again, he's been my best boss so far. And ironically, he wasn't really even my boss. He was my boss's boss, but its all the same, right? Either way, the job front at least has some activity.

The school front has definitely kept me busy. Last Monday I turned in a 2600 word paper on Leadership Models. This week I am working on a leadership profile of a "leader who had a profound effect" on me and who I model my own leadership skills after. Any guesses on who I'm writing it on? Well, let's just say it was a short list to pick from. But I would have picked VP anyway, he was just that good. So far I have it about half designed, the essay that is. This one won't have me completely incommunicado on Sunday like last week's essay did. I was so engrossed I even forgot about football! Turns out, so did my team, so we're ok!

Tomorrow (today) we have another person coming to look at the house. We've already scoped out her myspace and facebook profiles. She may be too much of a party girl...

A Bad Friend?

I'm having a bit of fight with myself lately. I have severely conflicting thoughts causing arguments with myself and most likely sending mixed messages to those around me. If I can't figure out how to handle something within my own head, I have no idea how I would properly express it to other people. Either way I am feeling like a loser, a bitch, and eternally single - simultaneously. This is not fun. None of those are pleasant emotions!

Caught somewhere between needing to say something before I explode and not wanting to hurt people for (most likely) a stupid reason seems to be a frequent spot for me. For now, I'm chalking it up to my own insecurities and issues. There are bigger monsters involved, but part of growing up is tackling your own monsters without killing the villagers in the process, right? Dragon, be slayed!

16 Year High and Maybe Hope

I am not alone! Nationally, unemployment has hit a 16-year high! I know at least 65 people who have lost their jobs in this recession and it looks like more coming down the line. And it sucks. But CNN is reporting that W may do at least one good thing before leaving office. It appears he is vying to extend unemployment benefits an additional 13 weeks. For those who have never been in the unemployment line, its a bit much to handle. When all is said and done, you are left with 6 months of moderate assistance to find yourself a job. Sounds easy right? It shouldn't take that long to land your bum in a new seat, right? Ideally, yes. But as more and more jobs drop like flies and the holidays make their way through town, hiring is extremely unlikely for the next three months. Traditionally employers do not hire between Thanksgiving and MLK Day in January. By giving an extra 13 weeks of pay, you may have some serious slackers enjoying an extended vacation. But you may also be providing just enough to get people through the hard times with hope that the markets will turn around before their money runs out. I can't say I like the guy, he certainly didn't get my vote. But if it passes, I may just appreciate him for a few weeks.

Christmas in November

You know those crazy people who just have to put their Christmas tree up the day after Thanksgiving? The ones who go a little hog wild about the season and have super-coordinated decorations everywhere? Well, my name's Ally and I'm a Christmas-aholic.

Since this is my first year on my own in a home I will be in throughout the holiday season (as in not going home for the holidays - they live 15 minutes away), I was a little excited about decorating my place. I have been gathering ornaments and other decorations for a little over a year. I realized about this time last year that I had no ornaments of my own. Deep into my "this is not MY house" phase. I was desperate to have a few things of my own. So I set a theme of mooses and snowmen and set to work finding my own stuff. Well after several orders from Terry's Village, pillaging Michael's and Joann's stores, and the on-going search by my mom, I now have a pretty decent collection of Christmas stuff. And I wanted to put it up!

After a little bit of a tree fiasco, I was ready to create the first Ally's House Christmas. With a little help from Saturday Morning and a cute little elf, its Christmas at my house! But hey at least I didn't go this crazy!

So this sounds great, right? My only concern is that we are still roommate hunting. I hope don't scare off any potential roommies with the early Christmas! We have someone coming to look today, we'll see if she is as understanding!

Merry Christmas Y'All!

I'm Back

I know it has been a long while since my last post, but don't worry, my life has still been boring. Nevertheless, it is time for some updates.



The Lay-Off

My last post centered around a major occurence in my life, getting laid off from my job. Someone close to me is now experiencing something similar to my weeks of hell. While this person is not losing their job, they are finding out just how it felt to know the list of who is going to be laid-off and not be able to face them. It is indescribably hard to talk to some one and look them in the eye and pretend not to know what you know. Now, you're not sentencing that person to death, but you are cutting off their livelihood. I feel bad for this person, I've been there.



On the flip side, I had to go through all of this and then lose my own job a week later. I at least knew my position was ending and had time to prepare myself. Looking back on the last two months, I thought I handled it pretty well. I had a good attitude about my future and maintained my composure at work throughout the ordeal. Only recently have I really come to terms with the situation. I knew the situation took a toll on me and was obviously difficult, but it affected me so much more. I've had several people convince me that losing my job was not my fault, but I couldn't shake the feeling that I was a bad person for having this happen to me. FOr those who know me, know I take somethings pretty hard. Even when I don't know how hard I am taking it! The good news is I am starting to come out of the blue funk the situation caused and am ready to take on the next challenge, either positive or negative!



Sick For A Month

In true Ally fashion, I have been sick for mostly a month. And in keeping with recent tradition, getting sick means something happens to my car. This time around someone was actually driving my car when it was involved in an accident. Again I was no where near the vehicle when the damage occurred! This time my dad was backing my car out of my driveway when he managed to run it up the curb of the driveway and bent back a part under the rear driver's side door. At least this time it was a different spot and didn't warrant a few grand in repairs. All the same, my car was involved in the three accidents in less than a year! Arg! Anyway, I am still mildly sick and all the changes in the weather aren't helping! On the plus side, San Diego's not on fire this time due to the Santa Ana's - but good luck to Santa Barbara and LA where the fires rage on.



Roommate Situation

Always a source of interesting stories, we have another doozie on our hands. I mentioned Boards and his hooker girlfriend in an earlier post. Well they are no longer associated with this address. Thankfully, their dogs are no longer associated with this address either! After some interesting nights with Boards locked in his room drinking, his dog's non-stop whining, listening to him and his hooker argue about why he couldn't love her anymore, and Boards making himself at home in inappropriate places, we finally asked him to find a new place to call home. Well the night we gave him notice to find a new residence, he also lost his job - another lay-off victim - he went on a bender. For a guy of about 160 lbs to drink two fifths of alcohol by himself in less than two hours, well that's when you know a guy has a problem. Boards managed to get wasted, fall-down drunk right in his own front-yard. Unfortunately, he was doing it in his car, with the keys in the ignition, and the engine running. I hung out inside for an hour before I decided to check on him. I knew he would need his space to deal with the whole eviction, I dind't know about the job situation. So when I found him ish-faced, I knew I needed to get him out of the truck and into the house. I got him out of the truck and told him to hold on the side of the truck and stay still, he managed to fall down and smack his head on the pavement. Nice. Either way, I finally got him inside and had a fun evening listening to his drunk ramblings and getting him sober (not to mention the stop at Tacos del Gordo).

Its been a few weeks since he moved out. We didn't have any other crazy nights with him or his girlfriend, but Saturday Morning and I were relieved to see them go. So my mom gets a call from Boards earlier this week inquiring about his security deposit. In the coarse of conversation, he mentions that the home he moved to he is no longer associated with and that he is getting help for his "problem." Some thing happened in the few weeks since he left that opened his eyes enough to see that he's an alcoholic. We have no idea what it is, or why the sudden change, but its a good thing for him. Hopefully in rehab he'll find some peace and realize that hookers make bad girlfriends. Best of luck to Boards.

Moving on...
Now the hunt for a new roommate resumes. The job hunt continues. Life goes on...

It's Done...Almost

What's done is done. Aside from being physically exhausting and emotionally wearing, yesterday was not as hard as I thought it would be. I was so busy getting people into the rooms and calling managers and dealing with potential check issues that I didn't have time to feel anything. The reps and the managers definitely felt everything, having to deliver the news can't be easy. But last night I was exhausted and had no trouble sleeping even though it felt like it was 100 degrees in my room. My poor dog is probably going to withdrawals sicne she has barely seen me this week.

Today is another story. Its a weird vibe around here today, especially for me. Our president made his "its over" announcement and encouraged those that remain to begin a new era for the company. But its not over and I don't know when it will be. Its very hard to operate in this environment knowing my days are numbered. Its a little easier when you are a temp with the possibility of full time, but when you're full time and told you have a temporary stay...its awkward. I feel like I should be bowing out of meetings and projects. I should be handing all of my work over to other people. I should be exiting the building for the last time...but I'm still here, waiting and wondering.

Now it is altogether possible that I am still exhausted from yesterday and just can't think straight. But I feel like I shouldn't be here anymore. My boss' reasoning is the need for assistance through the process and then hand-off of necessary information and procedures. However, the same could be said for every other person who was walked out the door yesterday. They didn't have a chance to call vendors and tell them of a new contact or clean out their files or answer last emails or even to really say good-bye. What makes me so special? I kind of feel like this extra time was a bargaining chip, but I wasn't in on the bargain. Don't get me wrong, I need all the money I can get. But is it worth it? Or is it necessary? Really, why am I here? Can't we just get it over with already? Everyone can exist just fine without me, its no big loss, so why make it out to be that way?

I just wanna go home....

It Happens

It Happens - Sugarland

Now it is poor me, why me, oh me
Boring the same onld worn out blah blah story
There is no good explanation for it at all

Ain't no rhyme or reason
No complicated meaning
Ain't no need to over think it
Let go laughing
Life don't go quite like you planned it
We try so hard to understand
Irrefutable, indisputable
The fact is
Psssh
It happens


Sometimes you don't have the right words, but some one else does. I think this may be my new theme song. Although I am also considering "Far Behind" by Social D. "i'm leaving you far behind...."

Watchin' & Wishin'

Watching the San Diego Bay on a Tuesday afternoon while perched high on a hill in Pt. Loma sounds like a vacation right? Just a random day in the life of this UnInteresting Girl. But don't get jealous at that, I know a guy who spends every day at a resort on Mission Bay. Just as MorningScramble who stayed at his hotel last week! But this is like a mini-break, a whole 20 minutes of escape. The San Diego skyline in the background, a thin layer of haze show just the tops of the nearby mountains, it really is a postcard! Too bad I only had my camera phone.

I sat there watching a cruise ship slowly pull out of the bay, surrounded by 20 or so much-smaller sailboats. I love how majestic the ship looks sliding through the bay. I almost wished I was onboard, but they're probably heading for Mexico. Not my first choice as destinations go. Although if its the ship heading to Hawaii and four days at sea...well then count me in! I would love to just disappear for a few days. With the ups and (lots) of downs in my life lately, I could really stand to get away again. Makes me wonder if its stopped raining in Ireland yet...

Beating a Dead Horse

Now I would never actually do that, I mean what is the point of beating something that's dead? I would beat inanimate objects, as long as they weren't previously animate, at least I think I would. And then there's the whole I love horses aspect. And besides a dead horse is laying on the ground, wouldn't it be easier to kick it? I would think you could get more aggression out by kicking it, especially if you can find the soft spots so your don't hurt your foot... But I could be wrong.

Bottom line: I am hating life at work and wish I did not have to be part of this. In this case though, I think I am the dead horse and my boss and the company are continuing to beat me.

Kicking and Screaming

My best friend is pregnant. For a girl who has tried to be the antithesis of a girl for most of her life, she is now committing the girliest act known to man (any species really). It's been an interesting experience to watch, but mainly because of how calm and cool she has been throughout the process. She's traversed the morning sickness phase and picked up a whole host of maladies along with a growing belly. Right about now the baby is starting to kick and its time to start picking out baby stuff. The name has already been decided and we cannot wait to welcome Jordyn Diane Hall. But in the meantime, we're having a few misadventures of our own.

Have you ever been to Babies'R'Us? Its a lot like Toys'R'Us meets Best Buy meets Wal-Mart. The layout is all Best Buy, there's plenty of toys (and of course the name) like Toys'R'Us, and like Wal-Mart, it has just about everything you would ever need! I've never been in one, never had the need! Its a little overwhelming! Pregnant women every where, plenty of screaming kids, men who like they would do anything to run screaming from the building, and customer service reps drowning in sweetness. I don't know whether it would be effective birth control, as everything you look at in the store screams "I love babies," but it definitely makes you wonder, how much is this kid gonna cost me?!? Quiet an experience, I'm kind of scared to go back....

I've never felt a baby kick before, just never been in the right place at the right time I guess. I missed out on another friend's pregnancy and haven't been around enough other pregnant women to get the experience. So with Baby Momma in town and little Jordyn figuring out some new moves, I knew I might have a chance to see the kickin'. After two days of hanging out with my hand on my friend's belly, I did feel a little movement! Too cool! Based on standard data for a fetus of that age, she should be about 10 inches and a little over 1 pound. She's a strong one pounder, that's for sure! A few seconds after my first kicking experience, she kicked so hard I thought something was coming out and Baby Momma nearly fell of the couch! Okay Jordyn, I know you're in there! See you soon!

The Blog Monster

We may have created a monster. Scratch that, we have created a monster! All it took we a few words regarding the misidentification of generation and prior lack of adherence to peer pressure related to internet presence! Really a simple few minutes and since then, I am pretty sure this monster has conquered the WWW. But cheers to him for finally joining the information age. Check him out at www.morningscramble.com.
And good luck to the McCabes on their biggest loser quest! I always knew you were losers! ;-)

My Poor Brain

For those that don't know, I have recently started a doctorate. I am going to University of Phoenix (online) for a Doctorate of Management in Organizational Leadership (DMOL). Exciting right? Proud of me yet? I am proud of myself, but still think I am entirely crazy!

Now, let me preface this by saying that this, NONE of this, absolutely none of this is my roommates' fault.

So I am trying to complete my first doctoral essay and I can already feel my brain changing...its not that I think I am getting smarter or absorbing more knowledge. Its that my poor brain has no idea what to do with the knowledge and can't spit out a decent thought! I really am going crazy. I spent a few hours last night trying to start the essay on information literacy and anyone who's ever written a paper knows that just getting started can be really hard! Well, I did all my reading and located relevant sources I thought I could use and sat down to get to work. That's when I noticed my roommate's music was up kind of loud. And when I noticed that my other roommate's TV was kind of loud. And that's when I realized I can't think with all this noise! I tore up a piece of Kleenex and made my own version of ear plugs to drown out the sound. This solved the problem of the noise, but exaggerated my inability to think! The noise wasn't the problem at all, I just had no idea where to start and was becoming increasingly frustrated! To make matters worse, I finally did get started when Boards and Ditz decided to make dinner. Fair's fair, we share the house, right? Yeah, it was already hard enough to concentrate on my essay, but when the stench of onions started burning the heck out of my eyes, I knew I was doomed. I am not entirely sure how I got through the evening without biting some one's head off! It could have been that I couldn't open my eyes enough to see who to go after... But, I was so frustrated that I couldn't even think straight.

Its my own inability to lock and load. Seriously, I think this is the hardest and most convoluted essay I have ever written! And my poor brain is tired and kind of hurts...

The List

I know "The List." I know who is on the list. I see them in the hall and I want to tell them they are on the list. I know a few people on it pretty well, I try and send it to them via ESP. My mental powers must not be strong, because they still don't know they're on the list. I want to scream at them "start looking for a new job, you're on the list!!!!!!!" But I can't. And hopefully I won't.

I feel like a horrible person for doing my job. I will feel even worse when we actually tell them and walk them out the door. And if I ever see one of them again, I will feel even worse. The only comfort I could offer would be to say "me too." But I think then they would make me feel even worse for having nothing to lose, and still not telling them. But I do have something to lose...but is it worth the guilt and anger I have to carry with me from now to god knows when?!?

I know the list and I want to tell!

I hate this!!!!!!

The Temp

Call me what you like...
The Temp
Dead Man Walking
The Outsider
Walking the Plank
Or just the girl getting kicked out!

Either way it all reads the same to me. So what esle do you call it when reverse-seniority kicks in and you're out? I call it losing my job. I also call it some bad names, but that would be rather tasteless of me to post. At this point I have already felt the separation process begin. Whether its just me or a shared feeling, I am now the odd-man out. I feel like I have a sign on my forehead declaring my dwindling presence in the building. But the funny thing is, I am the only one of us to be cut who already knows my fate. For everyone else, its just a cruel game that they don't even know they're playing. But business is just business, no cruelty intended.

The bottom line, I need a new place to work as of October 15th. I've (for the most part) enjoyed my run with my current employer, and I am not looking forward to starting all over (again) somewhere else. At least this time I'm being sent packing with something worth packing! And I have time to plan for it, but that doesn't make it any better or any easier to swallow.

P.S. I glad they didn't tell me before vacation, because that would have killed it for me!

Back to the Grind

Vacation is never long enough, but when you get back to the real world and get a few bombs dropped upon you...a permanent vacation sounds even better! My whirlwind tour of Ireland and the Baltic & Scandanavian countries left me cultured, worldly, and relaxed. Top it off with a five-day weekend before heading back to work, and well, you've got a happy girl! If only it could have stayed that way.

I should have known things wouldn't stay peaceful when I came home to an empty garden. I literally started yelling expletives as the car came around the corner and my beautiful vines were nowhere to be seen. Somehow my new roommate's puppies enjoyed the buffet of plants and managed not to die from massive thorn and flower ingestion! Anyone who knows me, knows I put months of work into making my house and yard my own. To have all that hard work just eaten up...well, its still eating at me! I have forgiven my roommate, Boards, and his dogs are too cute to stay mad at, but really, it a bit depressing to come home to a boring yard. They ate almost all of the flowers! I had a big bush with a ton of thorns and now I couldn't find where it was planted (you know, if I hadn't been the one to plant it). I am afraid of putting anything new in until I get a better fence to keep the pups out.

But the yard is just one thing. The other bomb came from work. I'm not allowed to discuss it, and no I don't work for the CIA. But its not fun walking back into work and being slammed with one of your least favorite tasks...that lasts over 4 hours! Only to find out afterwards that the previous task was just a pipe bomb and the near future has nuclear potential. As any seasoned HR professional will tell you, keep an eye on the job market for your position and industry. Even if you are happy where you are, its still important to know what is happening in other companies and know when you've got it good or when you're getting the short end of the stick. I check out the market regularly, probably once a week recently. With a nuclear bomb potentially exploding in my path, I am now looking daily! All I can really say is that September is going to be a long and frustrating month. I just want to know the answers already!!!!!!!

Can I go back to Ireland now???? By the way, check out pics of my trip at www.myspace.com/sweet_ally.

A Real Vacation

It is going to be a long while before my next post. On Friday morning I'm leaving (on a jet plane), for Europe for three whole weeks! I am sure I will have a lot of photos and stories to tell upon my return. I can't wait!

I've started counting down the hours:

Work hours left: 13.5 (Damn, hurry up already!)
Overall hours left: 43 (OMG!!!!!)

Bittersweet Holiday

This past weekend I had the opportunity to have a mini-college reunion. I say that like I've been out of college for years and years, but its been more than 5 years already! A college buddy of mine, Steel, has two places less than a block from the beach in beautiful (only slightly sarcastic) Oceanside, CA. Or at least his dad does. Aggie, Flirt, Steel, Saturday Morning, a couple other people got to hang out in a $1m+ home for the night. So what do we do? Get drunk and screw? Well, no screwing, but definitely drunkenness! And some nearly skinny dipping in the ocean at 2am and some "telephone pictionary" and some irish car bombs and some scandalous dancing and...well you get the point. After Saturday night, we have pictorial evidence of why Aggie will never be voted into public office.

Its always fun to get back together and see what we've been up to since the last time. Flirt I had seen last weekend out at the lakes, but Steel I hadn't seen in over a year. Its funny how some things never change. We all immediately fell into our old roles within the group. Its nice being able to settle in and know exaclty where you stand, in some ways its like coming home. And we all wanted to call this place home. We woke up to waves crashing on the shore, so close we can hear it. Breakfast on the veranda on a clear morning with the surf in sight. A girl can definitely get used to this!

As much as we were getting together to catch up, we were also getting together to bid adieu. Aggie will be leaving the likes of So Cal for a coveted spot in the UC Davis Vet program. We all know he's coming back, but its strange to see him going somewhere with out us. When we were all Mustangs, we graduated or moved on one by one and left Aggie to finish up. But this time, he's doing something without us entirely. Has the village finished raising the child?

When it came time to say our good-byes in Oceanside, and again later after a few rounds of MarioKart, it all just felt so final. Its going to be a long time before we have more scandalous-ness from Aggie, and probably longer still before we all get together agian. I don't know what else to say, but see you at Christmas. Go get 'em, Aggie!

Restless

I am now just 4 days away from a much needed vacation!!!! FOUR DAYS! Only 30 more hourse of work!! Only four more nights to get everthing together!! OMG!! I am starting to get extremely excited and moderatly nervous about the trip. Of course I am waiting to almost the last second to start freakin out about our ability to plan the travel everywere and what we're going to do when we get there! I mean, we have no clue as to what we're doing! We are so gonna get lost and god help us in making all the connections!

I'm sitting here at work making lists and getting some last minute hand-off stuff together and I can't focus on anything. I feel like I should be packing at this very moment. I should be getting everything together and comparing suit cases and making adjustments and running last minute errands. I should be heading to the airport to get in line for security, I don't want to be late!!! Are you sure we're going to Europe?!? Friday's not just another day at the office?!? (Don't get me wrong, having Friday off is awesome even if you're not going anywhere)

I am entirely restless and completely useless! AAAAAARRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGG!

What Did Production Do Now?!?

Here's a sad fact, I almost couldn't tell that we were having an earthquake. I am on the second floor of a building about 100 miles from the epicenter and we ended up feeling the quake pretty good. But my first thought was that our manufacturing group, located on the floor below me, was moving heavy equipment again or the furnace exploded or the co-gen plant blew (again) or some other minor disaster. I've become so desensitized to vibrations because the building vibrates all day, every day. Luckily, the quake just had a bigger vibe setting than the building! But hey, that was fun! Let's do it again!

Annoying the Neighbors (At the Park)

One of my best friends is leaving town, moving on to bigger an better things. For him, and the village that has helped "raise" him, its the time when dreams start coming true. And what better way to celebrate the dream than with drunken kareoke in the park on a Sunday afternoon. Yes, its a little white trash, or WT, but oh did it make for an interesting afternoon!

So my friend, Aggie, has a wide array of people in his life. Here's his receipe for a good time: combine one part professional coworkers, three parts rough-and-rowdy east county boys, a few beautiful girls, a couple girls who think they're beautiful, a family as crazy as the rest of us, a kid or two, a baby that can (apparently) sleep through anything, a ton of beer, horsehoes, fishing poles, and a pinata - shake vigorously and turn it up!

While the afternoon was more than entertaining, a few highlights stick out in my mind:

• Stage Show - it is always work a second look when you get some drunk guys with a mircophone on the picnic table singing country music and waving their beers. I'm still not sure how no one ate it off the tables, I thought for sure we'd have some concrete action!
• Lap Dances - I took Saturday Morning with me to the event, the boys read this to mean fresh meat. Having never met Aggie and his friends, she had no idea what she was in for. She was subjected to a lap dance and crooning by Aggie's brother and then what can only be described as drunken humping by Aggie himself, all without ever leaving the bench! I must apologize to Saturday Morning for any back pain and bruising (and certainly the molesting) that may have come out of that one! But at least our cheeks hurt for a good reason, since we didn't stop laughing for about two hours!
• Feet in the Fountain - As with any drunken fiesta, sometimes things aren't what they seem. Apparently for a certain guy-in-mourning (fresh out of a very long relationship), the whole pee in the urinal concept got confusing. Not being a guy, I don't know how well the plumbing works when you're intoxicated, I would guess not well... What would be your first thought when you see an intoxicated guy fresh out of the bathroom trying to pull off a ballet move to put his foot into the drinking fountain? Yeah, he peed on his foot. And yeah, we laughed our butts off. Oh, and don't drink out of the fountain at the bathroom on Lake 5 at Santee Lakes!
• Manscaping - I don't want to go into too much detail here, but let's just say Aggie definitely gave us the...ahem, low down.

We managed to create quite the spectacle at the park, although the lime green bridesmaid dresses that kept walking by definitely gave us a run for our money! I think somewhere across the park someone said "I do" with the country version of "gin & juice" provided as their (unwanted) background music. But hey, what do you expect for getting married in a park in Santee?!?

Anyway, Saturday Morning managed to not run away screaming from Aggie and his friends/family. But you know, sometimes I wonder why I haven't done it myself...

Bye-Bye Slam!

Slam has done it! Well actually Boyfriend has done it! Boyfriend came over yesterday (when no one else was home) to move all of Slam's stuff out of the house! While I seriously doubt that Slam was too busy to do this herself and I'm not a big fan of someone other than a roommate being alone in the house, I am just glad it finally happened. After a cursory check of my belongings, it was definitely time for a (mini) celebration. Saturday Morning could not be happier. She can leave her toilet paper in the bathroom, she won't have to clean the bathroom everyday, she doesn't have to be afraid of what's in the trash can, and the floor may actually stay clean for a while! Beyond that, no more slamming doors, no more blaring tvs, and certainly no more gettin'-it-on noises at midnight!

I'm not sure how I left this out, but a little over a week ago I wrote Slam a letter. In this two page letter I tried very, very hard not to sound like I was attacking her or that we were ganging up against her, but it still probably came off that way. In this letter I discussed some of the things that needed to change. I know some people may have thought I was exaggerating about Slam, so I've included a couple sections of the letter to share, no joke, direct excerpts:

1. 
   Now I don’t use the bathroom myself to know, but in regards to complaints I’ve received, here are some suggestions:
   The floor should not be covered in hair
   The sink/counter should not have toothpaste or hair or make-up messes, etc.
   The toilet should be flushed after each use
   i. I get the whole “if its yellow let it mellow, if its brown flush it down” philosophy, but when you share a bathroom and when guests use that bathroom, it just comes off as unsanitary.
   Like many things toilet paper needs to be shared expense, so find a way to take turns buying and making sure there is always some available.
   Trash should be taken out at least once a week.
   i. We do have the recycling container for recyclable trash, but not everything is recyclable. ANYTHING with human waste on it is trash.
   ii. Toilet paper should be flushed, we have a good sewer system (that we pay for), so we should use it.
   iii. When putting pads and tampons in the trash, it should really be wrapped or covered some way. As familiar as we are with that stuff, we still don’t want to see it. And for a guest to see that is downright embarrassing.
2. Other noises – (I’m sorry if this section embarrasses you, but it makes us extremely uncomfortable as well.) There are certain things your roommates don’t want to hear and shouldn’t have to hear. I can appreciate your attempt to drown out the sound by turning your TV up, but its not working. Having the TV that loud is annoying when other people are trying to sleep, but to have to listen to the TV in addition to other unwanted sounds, well frankly its rude. I’m all for a healthy sex life, but your roommates shouldn’t be a part of it. For example, if Kerstin can hear you over your TV, through two doors, and over her TV as well – then it is definitely too loud. This is something that has to stop, especially when we are trying to sleep. Please do it quietly, when we’re not home or take it somewhere else.

So we are looking for a new roommate, and this time around we have some clear standards for the next person who moves in. And, hey, if you know some one interested, let us know! As long as they are nothing like Slam, we'll all be just fine...

UnInteresting Girl's Friday Night Out

What does an UnInteresting Girl do on a Friday night? I mean besides when she stays home or hangs out with her parents, duh! She hangs out at the local Costco...

First of all, their pizza is awesome! Second of all, why would they bother putting in a seating area next to the food counter if they didn't WANT you to hang out for a while? And third, have you seen how many hot (okay, and mostly married) guys are in line at Costco?!? I had a fine time "people" watching with Saturday Morning on Friday night.

We were in that damn store for over two hours, and all I went home with was a bunch of juice and a new bluetooth! Maybe that's why I went fishin'.

Leave A Light On - Flip the Breaker

No this isn't a post about electrical problems, its a post about an energy nazi becoming an energy glutton.

It has been a few days since Slam gave notice. While we aren't sure when exactly she plans to move out, it really can't happen soon enough!

Slam has decided to come out of her shell a little bit, although not socially if that's what you're thinking. She's tapped into her inner bad girl. I've tried to give her the benefit of the doubt for most of the lease, but I am really beginning to wonder if I should have bothered! Slam's added a few more bad habits to the door slamming behavior. In an apparent quest to stick it to us on the utility bills, she has been leaving everything on! Not just a light here and there, we're talking everything she can possibly leave on, is on.

I woke up a few days ago to this mild roaring sound. It took me a while to realize it was not, in fact, the next door neighbor's air conditioning unit (I've successfully learned how to tune that out). No it was something close, a likely smaller, but still annoying. After being kept awake for most of the night by Slam's blaring tv, I was in no mood for more unwanted noise. When I stepped outside my room, the noise got louder and a little clearer. At this point, I was pretty sure it was a fan. I know Saturday Morning has a fan, and her room probably has the worst ventilation, so I was over it. But as I walked toward Saturday Morning's room, the noise got quieter, not louder. Ah, of course, Slam found a new way to be loud! Don't know why I didn't see that one coming. Figuring she was home, I just kept on walking and went about my business. A little while later, having looked out the window and noticed that Slam's car was nowhere to be seen, I got a little mad. As I walked back towards my room (and hers), I noticed her light was on, too. Okay, I can see leaving a light on accidentally, but that fan is hard to ignore! So I knocked on Slam's door, no answer. I went around back and peered through the window, and imagine my shock (yeah, right) when I see that not only is the fan and light on, so is the tv! What the hell?!? I go around and knock again, still no answer. So I open the door. As the door hits her entertainment stand, which is blocking the door, I have to laugh. Because by now, there is no doubt this is intentional. My question is, what kind of idiot thinks its a good idea to leave their tv, fan, and TWO lights on, with the door blocked when they're not home?!? Oh and who does it several days in a row? Her name is Slam, and by now she's just plain dumb.

But wait, that's not all! Saturday Morning, being both amused and annoyed, came home Monday to find Slam's latest bad acts. Wasting energy in her own room has proved not enough for Slam. She's now taken to leaving the water on in the kitchen sink, bathroom sink, and in the shower, as well as leaving the microwave open and the house unlocked. Okay, the microwave may be a mistake, but leaving three faucets running? I don't think so. We came home later Monday night to find the door closed to the bathroom with the water running. When I opened the door, I was hit with a blast of heat. Thankfully she hadn't set the house on fire, but I wouldn't doubt it if she's trying! She had left the water running, hot water!

As much as Slam would like to think she's 'burning' us, pun kind of intended, the joke is on her. Being new to this whole renting thing, she didn't understand the concept of a security deposit. She, per her notice of intent to vacate, is expecting a full refund of that deposit. Well, as any experienced renter could advise her in this situation, "Ain't gonna happen!" I am not-so-secretly anticipating the moment when she figures that one out! She's going to feel like quite the idiot for running up the bills when she has to pay for it, too!

Oh, and Slam, turnabout is fair play!

Fishin' In The Dark

You know when you're driving around sometimes and you see a hot guy (in a nice truck) driving the other way? And you think about following him but decide to rein in your stalkerish impulses instead? Satruday Morning and I did that the other day. Aren't you proud we didn't chase him down? While no chase ensued at that moment, we both noticed a fish sticker on the back of the cab, and so "fish-boy" was born.

Luckily, (for us, maybe not for him) we passed him very close to our house, so we knew he could still be in the area. In true bored-girl fashion, everytime a truck drove by our house, we had to stop and see if it was him. While there was many a discussion about the color of the truck (Saturday Morning swore it was blue, and I was too busy looking at him to notice), and therefore how to find him, we both agreed he was hot! So we continued looking. We even drove around the neighborhood, all four streets, on Saturday night to see if we could find him again, but no such luck. Now, let me cut you off at the pass here...we were really just trying to kill time and give Slam more time to leave the house by driving around a little more. Our intentions weren't purely stalkerish! I promise!

After pausing to look at the bajillions of trucks that drove by our house (that we saw anyway), we finally saw him again! He drove by last night and were both excited to know two things, the color of his truck (no more discussion on that one, its white) and that he's still in the area. We went about our business for a little while before heading out to do some exercise, a whole trip around the 3.5 mile golf course, thank you very much! We just happened to take a little detour around the neighborhood before heading to the golf course, and who do we find?!? Fish-boy! Okay, well we found his truck, he must have been inside the house. But we know where to look now, that's the important part! We may have to hike up the big hill on a "walk" to see if we can catch a real glimpse of the elusive fish-boy...nothin' like a little fishin'!

One quick note, Saturday Morning is currently "attached," therefore not really interested in catching the fish-boy, but she's definitely along for the ride to see what kind of shenanigans we can get ourselves into! Besides she's already got a good catch!

Something to Talk About

So Slam finally had a good idea, she's decided to move out. And in typical Slam-fashion, she couldn't handle this in a normal way.

A little back-story here, I share a house with Slam and Saturday Morning, but my parents are the "landlords" according to the lease. While I handle things like utilities and gladly pass along the rent, my parents are the ones paying the mortgage. This being said, it was still a little weird when Slam decided to show up at my parent's door to inform them that she was moving out. Slam had never been to my parents house, never had reason to go to my parents house, and certainly wasn't invited. My parents, needless to say, were pretty surprised to see Slam standing there, letter in hand, talking about moving out. My mom tells me later that Slam has decided that the rent is too high and she has found a cheaper place. Her letter says that she expects full refund of the security deposit and will likely be out of the house prior to the 30 deadline, as required by the lease. (More on that deposit later)

Given our lack of communication with Slam, I am not surprised that she didn't want to Saturday Morning and me. I did have a strange voicemail from her saying that she "um....well, kind of would ....I guess...like to talk..." Nothing ever came of it. I made myself available both that night and the following night for "discussion," but she must have either lost her desire or her nerve. It is mildly entertaining that she has yet to even mention to us that she is moving out. She has to know that my mom communicated that information to me, and that I would tell Saturday Morning, but doesn't common decency (and common sense) prompt a person to tell her roommates that she's moving out? Okay, my bad, I forgot for a moment that I was still talking about Slam, normalcy, and certainly common sense, doesn't apply to her.

Anyway, Saturday Morning and I are quite excited to see what Slam does in the next few weeks. When she first moved in, we thought she would be friendly, social, and kind of a sweet girl. We should have known when she said she doesn' even know where her twin lives anymore, that personal connections aren't a priority. How do you lose track of your twin? In this age of cell phones and myspace, how do you lose track of anyone? Have you heard of Google?!? Ok, so maybe her roommate isn't cool enough to be on Google yet, but with Slam's identical genetic material...chance's are she's being blogged about too somewhere!

A Quick Thought

I know I can be pretty quiet in the mornings at work ( I am seriously not a morning person), but I'm still VISIBLE, right? I'm not exactly an easy person to miss, so I've got to wonder why my boss walked right past me and standing not five feet away, asks my coworker if I am here today. Um, hello, sitting right behind you!

Now I know I am bored and work, but I am still here, doing my job! I am choosing to take this as further proof that my boss pays me no attention! No wonder I never have anything to do...

Paper Thin: Walls and Toilet Paper

Life with my roommates has continued to be a sore source for entertainment. I can't help but laugh as one roommate experiences the 'joy' of the other, but I can't help but cringe as I experience my own 'joys' as well. The short of it - Slam ain't right!

One of the constant complaints from Saturday Morning is that Slam leaves the toilet seat up. Ok, now when Saturday Morning first mentioned this I thought, 'Slam's a girl, she could fall in!' Well, in Saturday Morning speak, leaving the toilet seat up means not putting the lid down. I didn't really see a problem with that (as long as the toilet's clean). There is a dog in the house, but as long as there is water in at least one of her bowl's, she stays out of the toilet. However, there is more to the story of Slam and the toilet, its just been trickling out... Saturday Morning noticed that not only is the toilet seat being left up, the toilet's not even being flushed. Again, ok, I thought 'yellow let it mellow, brown flush it down.' But when you share a bathroom, shouldn't you at least discuss this option with your bathroom-mate? And when said toilet is the 'guest' toilet, wouldn't you reconsider that policy altogether? Well, not if you're Slam!

I really do feel for Saturday Morning in this situation, but when she brought this up to me in one of our (many) long talks, I did make one connnection. Where else do people (close-by) not use toilet paper, or really not put toilet paper in the toilet? Given our proximity to a third-world country with a poor sewer system, it was easy to make the Tijuana connection. But here's the thing, Slam's not from Mexico. And I am pretty sure she's not fresh off the boat from her Pacific Rim nation. I mean she speaks like a native and by all outward appearances is through-and-through classic all-American twenty-something. So what's with the toilet paper in the trash routine? (BTW - Eeeeeeeewwwwwww!) When I mentioned this to Saturday Morning, she almost puked! Weak stomach or not, its gross. It's a logic leap to assume that the ever-overflowing trash can in their bathroom is the depository for the 'missing' paper in the toilet, right? Yeah, Saturday Morning is very concerned about some disease she could catch from being in close proximity with the trash can! Its unsanitary people! We have a decent sewer system, for the L.O.G, use it!!!

If only that were all... Bathroom issues aside (although don't get me started on the bathroom floor!), Slam continues to be, hmmm, how do should I say...well....'loud.' And while I am partially referencing the continued slamming of doors (recent text messages informed me of a mini-quake that dropped a frame from the wall at 7:32 this morning - thank you Slam!), there is more unappreciated 'noise' in the house. And this time, I wasn't the only one suffering through it! Saturday Morning shared in the 'joy' of overhearing Slam and Boyfriend at 11pm last night. Now, overhearing may be the wrong word. Saturday Morning could hear them over their tv, which was blaring, and over her computer, on which she was likely watching tv online. That's four sound barriers broken for Saturday Morning to 'overhear' them - two walls and two tvs! Lucky me, I just have one wall. Oh, and either she didn't get it all the first time, or they went for round two.

Saturday Morning finally figured out what Slam is missing, common courtesy! Although I may argue she's missing common sense, a normal hearing range, and the knowledge of a world outide her own clueless (possibly overly-selfish) head! Here's a great idea, fresh from an ongoing text-versation with Saturday Morning - we should get a quote from a contractor on sound-proofing Slam's room and slip it under her door.

The girl ain't right, that's all I have to say!

PhD of Birthday Cards?

What is the best way for someone with a Master's degree to be spending their time at a job that (supposedly) values their education? According to my place of employment, the answer is stuffing envelopes with birthday cards! I spent no less than an hour and a half of my time at work today stuffing envelopes. I spent additional time on a wild goose chase to prove the President wrong, at the request of the Controller and the Human Resources Manager. That could have been fun if I wasn't researching buses. I can smell the exhaust from here!

As I try to remain alert and responsive, I can't help but feeling terribly out of place. Nothing screams "stuck in a rut" like severe under-utilization. I've tried to talk to my boss about development and advancement opportunities, but she is too busy trying to get out from under her job (and responsibilities) that I never get a real response. The latest target date is after mandatory vacation (don't get me started on that one). We'll see.

Until then, I have been researching my own means of career advancement. While I do check the job boards almost daily, I am reluctant to leave the cushy path in front of me. So in the meantime, and at my employer's expense, I plan to return to school. I started my search thinking how easy it would be to get another Master's degree on the company dime. I already have one, and while somewhat challenging the first time around, I don't find the academics daunting for a second one. Honestly, I was thinking how nice and easy it would all be - I get another degree, my company foots the bill, and I'm maybe out a couple grand once tuition reimbursement runs out. I didn't count on what I would stumble into at University of Phoenix.

Doctor of Organizational Leadership - that could definitely be me, well after 3 1/2 years, a dissertation and a heck of a lot of time online, that could definitely be me. Who knew you could even get a PhD online these days! After the initial shock of THAT school offering THAT degree, I did some research on other programs in the country. Turns out, this one is pretty solid. Yes it has very minimal in-class instruction, but a PhD is all about the research anyway, so why not??? Besides, I just moved into a new house (as in the family just purchased a new house for me), so I have no real desire to head out East to Boston University or Clemson to get a degree I can get at home. And quite literally, at home! Clemson sounds cool and all, but Khalil Greene doesn't actually walk the halls anymore, so the attraction fades quickly. And Boston would be cool, and cold, and maybe even colder!

So for now I am still examining my options, but my mind is fairly set. I've always wanted to go after a PhD, just could never figure out in what topic - I think I've picked one now. Oh and certainly not a PhD of Birthday Cards! I'll leave that for the next unsuspecting admin to deal with!

Slamming Doors

Monday night I woke up with a start at 10:59pm, I'd only been asleep for 10 or 15 minutes, but I must have been passed out! It took a moment to figure out what snapped me out of sleep...but the stomping in the hallway gave me a pretty good clue. Apparently one of my roommates had slammed the door hard enough to shake the whole house and almost gave me a heart attack. The slamming of the front door and the heavy-footed hallway stomping were immediately followed by the slamming of another door, this one to her bedroom...right next to mine. If only it ended there. Now that I am wide awake, I am alert enough to follow the phone conversation that can be heard through the walls. You would think that the closets between us would provide some sound absorption, but either the walls are that thin or she is that loud. My opinion is defintely the latter.

Luckily I had already been updated by my other roommate regarding the weekend's prior slammings. Now let me say, when it is someone else's drama - it can be quite entertaining. But when you get pulled into it, it loses the novelty factor pretty quickly. I guess while I was away for the weekend (baking in the heat of El Cajon) there were a few noise issues within the house...

So one roommate goes to class on Saturday mornings and well the other is an oblivious, loud slammer. And on Friday night, when "Saturday Morning" was trying to sleep, "Slam" managed to slam closed everyhting she touched - or so thinks Saturday Morning. Now Saturday Morning is non-confrontational (ex:the lack of toilet paper in their bathroom), but she was annoyed enough to be ready for a fight. Thankfully, she ran into Boyfriend in the hallway. Its far easier to bitch at Boyfriend, seeing as how he doesn't live here...although he "sleeps" here frequently. Unfortunately, this may have led to additional slammings...as the problem proceeded throughout the weekend. Saturday Morning and I are convinced that Slam didn't know I was home, so she may have literally thrown the dor at the house to get it to slam so hard (and loud). I am pretty sure most of our neighboors heard it as well. But, being new to the relationship, you have to give people the benefit of the doubt.

Now, Saturday Morning has several more complaints about Slam, but I really only have two issues. Since we've covered the slamming, the next topic is the lights and door locks. For whatever reason, Slam cannot stand to have a light on in a room without poeple, nor can she leave any lock unlocked. I am all for energy conservation, but when I take my dog out for her last business of the night and Slam locks the doors and turns off all the lights when I am outside...I tend to lose my sympathy a little. It has happened twice so far. Both times I have been lucky enough to have left the slider to my room unlocked, so I was able to get back in the house. But next time...I am so waiting ten minutes and then pounding on her window to come let me in! Nothing like freaking someone out to teach them a lesson!

In all fairness, I decided to talk to Slam about these two grievances. I didn't want to make her feel attacked in any way, especially since she's the odd-girl out in the house to begin with. She claims to have had no clue about her noise level and pledges to leave a light on for me. I feel I should believe her, but only time will tell.

Old Friends, Good Times

Last night was the most fun I've had in a long time, certainly the most laughing I've done in a while. We didn't even do anything special, we just sat around, and talked, and laughed.

With my best friend Mel in town, who I only get to see about once a year, I know I'm due for some good times. We did our usual "welcome home" dinner at Rubio's. Mel spends all of her time away craving chicken tacos and especial burritos, and all Bryan (Mel's hubby) can think about is his next fish taco. As we're consuming the wonderful baja-flavored drug (ok food, but still as addictive as a drug and intoxication is nice and spicy), miss Kylie makes a quesadilla mountain and we begin to catch-up.

This is going to be an interesting year for my friend, and, to a lesser degree, for me. Mel is 10 weeks pregnant, and this is the first baby for either of us. For someone who has been the perpetual tomboy, it is so strange to see her performing the most feminine of acts. Mel has always been friendly and loyal to a fault, she doesn't seem to even feel the pressure to conform to societal norms. Once you understand that and accept that this is just how she is, you find yourself getting a bit jealous of her "freedom." So pregnancy for her may be a very candid discussion...

As we're sitting at the table in Rubio's, enjoying some "fine" baja cuisine, Mel starts to say "so my uterus..." I must have given her some half-crazy, half-shocked look because Bryan nearly fell off his chair laughing at my expression, but Mel just kept right on going. I think this statement ended with some declaration of the size of her uterus relative to that of a grapefruit. She lost me at uterus. After a moment to "digest" the words (and push away my food), I, too, was laughing. Only Mel would be so blunt and open about this kind of thing. Although the conversation got worse with some comments about fingers and pregnancy....this is really not something you want me to explain further, trust me. Either way, this has been a completely knew experience for both of us. "Jelly Bean" as she calls the baby (a name I am sure will stick with the kid for a long while) is growing well and will likely pop out just after the new year.

Once we begin to move away from talk of the future, as exciting as it may be, like all old friends do, we reminisce about the past. And with Mel only in town every once in a while, we are slowly joined by her mom (Kathie), her dad's ex-girlfriend (now mom's good friend, Kathy), and Adam (Kathy's son). Since we have all know each other for 10+ years, its easy to recall the good-times. Soon we're laughing about Adam's school-boy crush on Mel's sister Ali, me inadvertently jumping on a Samoan grandpa during a scary movie, and about all the friends who have come and gone along the way. Just like old times, we're hanging out at the Eastlake house, Mel's mom is showing us her latest project, we've got homemade fudge, and all seems right with the world. We're a bit of a strange mix, but they're my second family. And coming home to family is always a good thing.

It's the simple times like this that remind me of how much I miss the old days when good friends were never far away. These days a phone hardly covers the distance. A half an hour on the line is nothing like running errands together or hanging out on the couch watching Saved by the Bell. It also used to be so much easier to make friends. Although, through the grace of time and maturity, that little kid we used to take trick-or-treating somehow became a peer with great conversation last night. Granted he's 7 years our junior, but we can start forgetting about all that now. So one new friend made, but in two weeks, one old friend disappears again.

So for the next two weeks, I will enjoy every moment I can with my best friend and her family. I will stay out late, I will leave work early, I will drop-out of other plans, just to enjoy what little time we have together. While I may get crap for backing out on long-made plans, I doubt I will regret that decision even for a minute.

An UnInteresting Girl's Guide to Navigating Life

As I sit here trying to stay awake as I enter 401(k) changes for my employees, I realize that my life is simply too exciting (read boring as heck). This is nothing new, I've known for quite a while, and been in denial about it even longer. So here I sit wondering how I can spice up my life...but as an UnInteresting Girl, I know that spicing up my life is simply an impossible option. So I reevaluate the challenge and decide to navigate the life I currently have, and if I can possibly bear it, splash in an uncomfortable moment or two.

Now I know you're thinking 1) What is an UnInteresting Girl? 2) Why is this called the Boring Blog? 3) Why am I reading this?!? Hey, my question is still, why am I writing this?!? So let me break it down for everyone, myself included.

An UnInteresting Girl is eaxactly what you think. A girl who is uninteresting (read boring, uneventful, dull, unexciting, stuck). A girl with not much going on, with not much happening in life, a girl who wishes more would happen in her life, but does nothing to make things happen.

This is called the Boring Blog because I am bored and "if you're bored, then you're boring." I am, in general, bored with life. Bored with the endlessness of work, the emptiness of life-after-work, the dreariness that is my life. And really, what else should I call it?

As to why are you reading this, well that one you have to answer yourself. My guess is that you, too, are bored. But maybe also you can relate, we'll have to wait and see on that one.

So why am I writing this? Because I can, because I want to, because I need to have something to do, because maybe it will make this girl less UnInteresting, but mainly because I can.

Okay, back to entering 401(k) changes. I know, you're jealous.