Rainy days make me feel one of two things, either A) hungry or B) sleepy.
Today, I feel both and to top it off I had no one to go to lunch with and ended up eating a rather delicious microwave meal of cheesy potatoes and broccoli with some sugar free (wouldn't have it any other way) raspberry chocolate pudding. In fact, as I am typing I am attempting to secretly lick the cup.
I'm feeling pretty good because I completed my first ever 8K with a time that I feel was pretty good for my first try (okay, so I ran a 10:35 mile, but for the first race of the year and having only run outside one time... the day before the race, I'll call that good. Plus it gives me a time to beat).
*Warning: Slightly off-subject material to follow*
Last week I decided to make plans for an early dinner and a movie with some friends on Friday and wanted to check out this new wine bar that opened a few months ago. I was a little scared that I may be dragging them into the depths of food hell and since the place is so new that it had no website, I was on a mission to find some reviews that weren't related to the restaurant that used to be in the same space.
Well, I found my review and it turned out to be even better than that (the review, that is) because it's an entire blog of EVERYTHING in the south metro! The writer is a little crass, but highly entertaining and he reviews everything from city council meetings to restaurants. So, on my sleepy, starving afternoon I have been attempting to read some of his entries and learn a little more about the place that I live (and find some good date night adventures).
The jury is still out on whether I always agree with the writer or not, but it's always worth exploring another point of view, isn't it?
So for your reading pleasure, I give you this...
Also, were you aware that hotel room pricing is highly negotiable? Man, I am the most under-traveled person in the world!
Monday, March 23, 2009
Friday, March 20, 2009
My New Neighbor
Well, I have a new neighbor in the cube next door and I am just thrilled (take with full sarcasm).
Back story: This "lady" (I use that term loosely) used to work at our office for years and years and years and she scared the pants off of everyone for years and years and years. She's what the French like to call le crazy. She's a wonderful combination of high strung, immature, a suffocating control freak and bad tempered. One blissful day in early spring, she was finally terminated. We are not fully sure of what the "reasons" were, but we definitely know what the reasons were (wink, wink, nudge, nudge) and celebrated joyously.
Well, she's back as a consultant to help us clean up after her disastrous replacement and, as I said before, I am just thrilled. That's right, after terminating her we now have to insert foot in mouth and hire her on an independent contract to fix the boo-boo that was created by hiring someone completely incompetent to do our accounting.
She's supposed to be working remotely from her own office (her home) while we live in harmony at our office. Unfortunately, she has so much damage to repair that this will not be possible for months.
At first she was in a different office in a place far, far away from my quiet santuary, but due to musical offices, which we seem to play about once every other month, she has now relocated next door to me.
Let me just say that when she gets stressed out her evil personality comes out of hiding. You can see such behavior as screaming violently and then falling into her office chair in a pile of heaving, sobbing, messy tears or slamming doors, stomping throughout the office stabbing people with her dagger eyes and loudly adjusting papers on her desk. She is also notorious for eaves dropping and popping in on conversations with no shame of repeating what she was illegally listening to.
As I type, she is berating someone on the phone for not knowing that she must be given the best quote for a service because then she will make their life easy (I kid you not, her exact words).
Let us all celebrate the day (Wednesday, March 18th of 2009) when I became the proud owner of a drinking problem as the result of the new neighbor!
Back story: This "lady" (I use that term loosely) used to work at our office for years and years and years and she scared the pants off of everyone for years and years and years. She's what the French like to call le crazy. She's a wonderful combination of high strung, immature, a suffocating control freak and bad tempered. One blissful day in early spring, she was finally terminated. We are not fully sure of what the "reasons" were, but we definitely know what the reasons were (wink, wink, nudge, nudge) and celebrated joyously.
Well, she's back as a consultant to help us clean up after her disastrous replacement and, as I said before, I am just thrilled. That's right, after terminating her we now have to insert foot in mouth and hire her on an independent contract to fix the boo-boo that was created by hiring someone completely incompetent to do our accounting.
She's supposed to be working remotely from her own office (her home) while we live in harmony at our office. Unfortunately, she has so much damage to repair that this will not be possible for months.
At first she was in a different office in a place far, far away from my quiet santuary, but due to musical offices, which we seem to play about once every other month, she has now relocated next door to me.
Let me just say that when she gets stressed out her evil personality comes out of hiding. You can see such behavior as screaming violently and then falling into her office chair in a pile of heaving, sobbing, messy tears or slamming doors, stomping throughout the office stabbing people with her dagger eyes and loudly adjusting papers on her desk. She is also notorious for eaves dropping and popping in on conversations with no shame of repeating what she was illegally listening to.
As I type, she is berating someone on the phone for not knowing that she must be given the best quote for a service because then she will make their life easy (I kid you not, her exact words).
Let us all celebrate the day (Wednesday, March 18th of 2009) when I became the proud owner of a drinking problem as the result of the new neighbor!
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Sections & Page Numbers
Well, I'm not the most Microsoft Word savvy person in the world, but today I conquered my issue and became a little more proficient... and it's only 9:30 in the AM!!
Long story short, Word and I had a little falling out over formatting a document and how this would effect the page number sequencing. Word won and I was reduced to making two columns by using tab instead of the column formatting (ah, just like in seventh grade... cue music - memories, like the corners of my mind, misty water-colored memories... of the way we were). Silly, really.
However, I stumbled on the most delicious little train wreck in the help/troubleshooting section and it made my morning.
Obviously, when creating help sections, any company makes it blatantly obvious that giving you helpful info is not worth their time and therefore leave you more confused with their lack of direction and explanation. Once you are thoroughly confused and disgruntled, they invite you to leave a question that will either be answered by them or by some other user who has nothing better to do than to peruse the question boards and give helpful advice.
I began to click on these questions when I realized that the help section was incorrectly titled. I fell upon a question from a woman who claimed that Microsoft Word 2003 was the "bane of (her) existence". This made me laugh as I could relate. Another woman (with a confusing name & title which made it appear that she worked for the loathed company) replied with a short and simple "the program has not changed" and then posted a link to an article that answered the question with step-by-step instructions. Apparently, clicking this link was missed by another disgruntled user, whom replied that said woman from the previous reply was unhelpful and snide. The fight that proceeded was beautiful and I read the entire set of posts from beginning to end.
Next time I need a little entertainment, I know where I'm going!
Long story short, Word and I had a little falling out over formatting a document and how this would effect the page number sequencing. Word won and I was reduced to making two columns by using tab instead of the column formatting (ah, just like in seventh grade... cue music - memories, like the corners of my mind, misty water-colored memories... of the way we were). Silly, really.
However, I stumbled on the most delicious little train wreck in the help/troubleshooting section and it made my morning.
Obviously, when creating help sections, any company makes it blatantly obvious that giving you helpful info is not worth their time and therefore leave you more confused with their lack of direction and explanation. Once you are thoroughly confused and disgruntled, they invite you to leave a question that will either be answered by them or by some other user who has nothing better to do than to peruse the question boards and give helpful advice.
I began to click on these questions when I realized that the help section was incorrectly titled. I fell upon a question from a woman who claimed that Microsoft Word 2003 was the "bane of (her) existence". This made me laugh as I could relate. Another woman (with a confusing name & title which made it appear that she worked for the loathed company) replied with a short and simple "the program has not changed" and then posted a link to an article that answered the question with step-by-step instructions. Apparently, clicking this link was missed by another disgruntled user, whom replied that said woman from the previous reply was unhelpful and snide. The fight that proceeded was beautiful and I read the entire set of posts from beginning to end.
Next time I need a little entertainment, I know where I'm going!
Monday, March 2, 2009
Gray Hair and Wedding Weight Loss
1) Gray Hair: I'm getting them and it was pointed out by my hair stylist. However, I feel very fortunate to have made it this far without having more gray hair than I do. My mother, at the ripe old age of 22, had a sizable percentage of her locks in the silvery hue of maturity. I count my blessings for being 26 and having only 10 of those nasty little suckers.
2) Wedding Weight Loss: I'm getting there!!!!!!!!!!!!! I had another meeting with good old personal trainer lady and it was another round of high fives for me! I'm down another percent of body fat and this time I actually dropped a couple of pounds and more inches than usual. Of course I immediately drove over to the 'rents and tried on the dress.
Let's reminisce for a moment, shall we? When I picked up the beautiful gown a mere six weeks ago, I had to try it on before leaving the Wedding Shoppe premises. No big deal, right? Well, even though I had lost some weight since ordering/purchasing my attire for the big day, it took my matron-o-honor and the blushing mother of the bride to hold both sides of the back together while I sucked in as hard as I could. After getting my dream dress all zipped, snapped and buttoned, I felt like I was going to burst through the seams! My shoulders were scrunched into football pad proportions. There was some puckering on the hips that could be seen from a mile away and the seamstress said that would need to be let out.
Okay, back to the present, I slipped the dainty little frock over my head and began talking about the hair clip that I will be attempting to make for the ceremony when ziiiiiiiiippp!, without so much as a single breath or thought! It took one person and no sucking in! There's a little bit of puckering, but not bad at all! I may be able to do this thing!
New Goal: Instead of having the dress let out, having it taken in! How wonderful!
2) Wedding Weight Loss: I'm getting there!!!!!!!!!!!!! I had another meeting with good old personal trainer lady and it was another round of high fives for me! I'm down another percent of body fat and this time I actually dropped a couple of pounds and more inches than usual. Of course I immediately drove over to the 'rents and tried on the dress.
Let's reminisce for a moment, shall we? When I picked up the beautiful gown a mere six weeks ago, I had to try it on before leaving the Wedding Shoppe premises. No big deal, right? Well, even though I had lost some weight since ordering/purchasing my attire for the big day, it took my matron-o-honor and the blushing mother of the bride to hold both sides of the back together while I sucked in as hard as I could. After getting my dream dress all zipped, snapped and buttoned, I felt like I was going to burst through the seams! My shoulders were scrunched into football pad proportions. There was some puckering on the hips that could be seen from a mile away and the seamstress said that would need to be let out.
Okay, back to the present, I slipped the dainty little frock over my head and began talking about the hair clip that I will be attempting to make for the ceremony when ziiiiiiiiippp!, without so much as a single breath or thought! It took one person and no sucking in! There's a little bit of puckering, but not bad at all! I may be able to do this thing!
New Goal: Instead of having the dress let out, having it taken in! How wonderful!
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
My Annual Tradition
Today I am proud to say that once again I have signed up for my favorite (and only) half marathon of the season. The Heart of the City Half Marathon in Burnsville is awesome! I am especially excited because this will be the first year that I have run it having actually TRAINED all winter!
In previous years, my times have been decent enough to pass and last year I really bombed, but I have high hopes for this year!
So, on that note, I had better skedaddle on out of here to get to the gym!
Friday, January 30, 2009
If you give a mouse a cookie, Part II
In typical Friday fashion, I am almost done with my design and have also found something that I NEED. Continuing with my office work out quest, I found something that I have decided is a necessity in my cube. I think I would be ultra productive in both losing weight and working...
How is one of the these puppies not in every office?!
Now, I just need to convince the owner of the company that we need to spend about $2,000 to keep me sane... I think it will work, don't you?
How is one of the these puppies not in every office?!Now, I just need to convince the owner of the company that we need to spend about $2,000 to keep me sane... I think it will work, don't you?
If you give a mouse a cookie
Okay, I've hit an all time low. This morning I came to the office with full intentions of finishing a design I started yesterday. I opened the site pictures and began to surf through to find a picture I needed when I realized that I was in a lot of the pictures. Since I was writing measurements while a co-worker was taking pictures on that freezing cold site visit, I happened to be standing in many of the shots and what I saw made a tear role from my eye.
Yes, you may think I am just being hard on myself and yes I have been working out 4-5 times a week and I'm back on the low-to-no carb diet, but this picture... THIS PICTURE! Oy vey! What a mess!
So, being the self-deprecating person that I am, I immediately saved a copy and began to work on a new version of myself in Photoshop (petty, yes I know). However, this did not make me feel better and since it's a Friday in the winter and no one is really here, I took 10 minutes and did 100 squats behind the security of my cubicle walls.
This got me interested, do they have websites for office work-outs? Well of course they do! I don't even have to leave me chair! So I scrolled down the list and found some ab workouts and immediately grabbed my water bottle, scooted my not so little butt to the end of the chair and did some twisting movements for about five minutes.
Then I was curious, how many brides-to-be can you find secretly sweating through a mini-workout in their office? Of course, I turn to Google again to see what I can find. Not much.
So, then I decided I would write about it and here I am. Well, that's how I spent an hour freaking out on a Friday in my windowless cube hell.
Yes, you may think I am just being hard on myself and yes I have been working out 4-5 times a week and I'm back on the low-to-no carb diet, but this picture... THIS PICTURE! Oy vey! What a mess!
So, being the self-deprecating person that I am, I immediately saved a copy and began to work on a new version of myself in Photoshop (petty, yes I know). However, this did not make me feel better and since it's a Friday in the winter and no one is really here, I took 10 minutes and did 100 squats behind the security of my cubicle walls.
This got me interested, do they have websites for office work-outs? Well of course they do! I don't even have to leave me chair! So I scrolled down the list and found some ab workouts and immediately grabbed my water bottle, scooted my not so little butt to the end of the chair and did some twisting movements for about five minutes.
Then I was curious, how many brides-to-be can you find secretly sweating through a mini-workout in their office? Of course, I turn to Google again to see what I can find. Not much.
So, then I decided I would write about it and here I am. Well, that's how I spent an hour freaking out on a Friday in my windowless cube hell.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Wintertime Blues
Lately I have been really, REALLY bored. It's not that I have nothing to do, because I have a lot of projects both at work and at home. I have the ailment that many suffer from at this time of the year, Cabin Fever.
I feel like I want to tear my hair out. I feel so blasé. I feel like crying, but then realize that I'm too tired and depressed to muster the energy to secrete a single drop of that saline fluid.
A couple days ago, the finance and I were sitting on the couch playing a rousing round of Pixel Junk Monsters (a small obsession of mine) when I became antsy and was about to make a suggestion until I realized what I was about to say... "Wanna go for a walk?" Pretty sure that wasn't an option as the temps had dipped well below freezing. Darn!
I'd give anything to go for a jog around the neighborhood or to sip a glass of wine on the patio.
I feel like I want to tear my hair out. I feel so blasé. I feel like crying, but then realize that I'm too tired and depressed to muster the energy to secrete a single drop of that saline fluid.
A couple days ago, the finance and I were sitting on the couch playing a rousing round of Pixel Junk Monsters (a small obsession of mine) when I became antsy and was about to make a suggestion until I realized what I was about to say... "Wanna go for a walk?" Pretty sure that wasn't an option as the temps had dipped well below freezing. Darn!
I'd give anything to go for a jog around the neighborhood or to sip a glass of wine on the patio.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Wedding Dresses are Fun!
I picked up my dress last weekend and it was amazing! It felt so great to try it on and then play with the veils and other hair accessories!
I am keeping it at my parent's house and I wish it were at mine! I would try it on every day!
Now I have to make arrangements for any alterations, although, as long as I lose an inch or two within my mid-section... no alterations needed! I hope I can do it!
I am keeping it at my parent's house and I wish it were at mine! I would try it on every day!
Now I have to make arrangements for any alterations, although, as long as I lose an inch or two within my mid-section... no alterations needed! I hope I can do it!
Monday, January 12, 2009
My Oatmeal Tastes Like Soap
When I was a tot, my parents threw me a birthday party at McDonald's and invited all the neighborhood kids. It was amazing (well, to a two-year-old, at least)! And, as an added bonus, McDonald's treated me to a present as well! They presented me with a plastic bowl and cup (with a sippy type lid) that had pictures of all the great McDonald's characters. It was love at first sight.
To this day, I have my little bowl (the cup and lid were lost to two separate and equally devastating incidents in the dishwasher) and I have it kept neatly away in my office desk drawer. Of course, the little characters have long since disappeared, but the bowl remains. I use it to eat a multitude of meals requiring a bowl and I wash it by hand in our little sink with a dollop of dish soap after each and every use.
However, sometimes I can't wash the bowl right away and it requires a little soaking. I have learned that you cannot soak with the soap in the bowl as it is very old plastic and it seems to eat any material cradled in it's aging arms. This has not been a problem with my salads or my soup, but for some reason the magical powers of oatmeal have seemed to be able to draw the soap back out and into the creamy oats, which find their way into my mouth.
I have never had my mouth washed out with soap, but I can understand why it is such an unpleasant experience. I think I will requiring a different bowl specifically for my oaty breakfast.
To this day, I have my little bowl (the cup and lid were lost to two separate and equally devastating incidents in the dishwasher) and I have it kept neatly away in my office desk drawer. Of course, the little characters have long since disappeared, but the bowl remains. I use it to eat a multitude of meals requiring a bowl and I wash it by hand in our little sink with a dollop of dish soap after each and every use.
However, sometimes I can't wash the bowl right away and it requires a little soaking. I have learned that you cannot soak with the soap in the bowl as it is very old plastic and it seems to eat any material cradled in it's aging arms. This has not been a problem with my salads or my soup, but for some reason the magical powers of oatmeal have seemed to be able to draw the soap back out and into the creamy oats, which find their way into my mouth.
I have never had my mouth washed out with soap, but I can understand why it is such an unpleasant experience. I think I will requiring a different bowl specifically for my oaty breakfast.
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