Posts (page 2)
This diversion brought to you by Portrait Illustrator.
I love anything pertaining to coffee, and I also love old ads. So, in my surfing today, I came across an awesome sticker on Geek Fury. I think I need to order several of these.
- The phone rings. Who are you hoping it is? Anyone but Verizon; they keep calling to get back my business. Piss off!
- In a social setting, are you more of a talker or a listener? Social setting? What's that?
- If abandoned alone in the wilderness, would you survive? Uh, probably not. It's not likely I'd ever even be in the wilderness. Is a state park considered wilderness?
- Do you like to ride horses? I rode on a pony when I was about three or four. Haven't been on a horse/pony since, and the equine world is most likely better for it.
- Did you ever go to camp as a kid? Oh yeah. Girl Scout camp (Camp Itcheegoomie or something like that). I remember streaking with another camper through some tents. But, I don't know if it really counted since ALL of the other campers were at the lake. So...is it really streaking if no one sees you?
- What was your favorite board game as a kid? Ouija!
- If a sexy person was pursuing you, but you knew he/she was taken, what would you do? Probably wake up from my dream...'cuz this couldn't possibly happen in waking life.
- Are you judgmental? Who, me? What the hell are you saying? Who the hell do you think you are? WTF?
- Would you date someone with different religious beliefs? Absolutely. Political views, however, are another story entirely.
- Do you know how to shoot a gun? No, and I don't want to know.
- If your house was on fire, what's the first thing you'd grab? Assuming my GF is running outside with me, we'd each grab a cat.
- How often do you read books? Every day, baby!
- Do you think more about the past, present or future? Yes.
- What is your favorite children's book? The Velveteen Rabbit.
- How tall are you? 5'7"
- Where is your ideal house located? Far away from George W. Bush and his handlers.
- Last person you talked to? My GF.
- When was the last time you were at Olive Garden? A couple of years ago. However, I live vicariously through their incessant commercials.
- What are your keys on your keychain for? For keying cars that park too close to my car.
- What did you do last night? Eat, watch the Simpsons, read crap on Craigslist, go to bed.
- Where is your current pain at [sic]? My former boss is at work right now.
- Do you like mustard? Yes, in many different variations.
- Do you like your mom or dad? I not only like them, I love them.
- How long does it take you in the shower? To do what?
- What movie do you want to see right now? Freedom Writers
- Do you put lotion on your dog or cat? No, they put it on themselves.
- What did you do for New Years? Stayed in. Blah.
- Do you think The Grudge was scary? I try not to carry a grudge. Because if I do, I CAN be scary.
- Do you own a camera phone? I own a camera and a phone. However, they are not connected. Does this make me uncool? A luddite?
- Who did you vote for on American Idol? I don't watch reality shows. The daily/nightly news is all the "reality" I can handle.
Since I don't get paid for any unused time off at my current job, I'm taking this week off as "vacation." When I go back next Monday, I'll give my notice. Yay! I have my resignation letter (or, as B calls it, "quittin' letter"!) ready to go.
This week, I don't have anything major planned except a trip to the local independent bookstore and a local cafe. I'll take my Moleskine pocket journal, my Lamy Safari fountain pen, and the realization that I'm taking my life in a new direction now with a new job.
Speaking of that, here's a fun quiz:
You are The Tower
Ambition, fighting, war, courage. Destruction, danger, fall, ruin.
The Tower represents war, destruction, but also spiritual renewal. Plans are disrupted. Your views and ideas will change as a result.
The Tower is a card about war, a war between the structures of lies and the lightning flash of truth. The Tower stands for "false concepts and institutions that we take for real." You have been shaken up; blinded by a shocking revelation. It sometimes takes that to see a truth that one refuses to see. Or to bring down beliefs that are so well constructed. What's most important to remember is that the tearing down of this structure, however painful, makes room for something new to be built.
What Tarot Card are You?
Take the Test to Find Out.
I've seen this on various blogs and thought it would be fun to do. Because I'm up at 5:30 on a Saturday and am needing something to do apparently.
1. YOUR ROCK STAR NAME: (first pet and current street name)
Ginger River (ok, it's feasible)
2. YOUR PORN STAR NAME (second name, the street where you lived the longest)
Ellen Brown (ohmygod, could that be any more boring?)
3. YOUR MOVIE STAR NAME: (grandmother/grandfather on your dad's side, your favorite candy)
Jennie Godiva (actually, pretty much any chocolate candy name could apply)
4. YOUR "FLY GIRL/GUY" NAME: (first initial of first name, first two or three letters of your middle name)
E-El (no...uh...no)
5. YOUR DETECTIVE NAME: (favorite color,favorite insect)
Crimson Firefly (this sounds more like a porn name)
6. YOUR SOAP OPERA NAME: (favorite grandmother's/grandfather's name, city where you were born)
XXXX Norwich (it's hard to answer this because all of my grandparents died before I was born, so I didn't know any of them)
7. YOUR STAR WARS NAME: (the first 3 letters of your last name, first 2 letters of your first name,first 2 letters of middlename and first 3 letters of the town you grew up in.)
Rot-El-El-Nor or Rot-Li-El-Nor (not a Star Wars fan, so this matters not)
8. TERRORIST NAME: (middle name spelled backwards, your mom's name spelled backwards)
Nelle Sillyhp (sounds like it should be on kids' cartoons)
9. SUPERHERO NAME: ("The", your favorite color, favorite drink)
The Crimson Yoohoo (ha ha...maybe my favorite!)
10. DRAG NAME: (first family's pet's name, your mother's maiden name)
Ginger Loveland (yeah, ok, this might work)
Anyone else care to waste five minutes??
Thanks to It's Come To This...for mentioning this game to me! Check out Bullshit Bingo for a good laugh.
I just got out of a department meeting. I tried to get our Assistant General Counsel to admit that our company is outsourcing work to India. Apparently we tried to purchase an Indian company but they wouldn't go for it. So instead, we're opening an Indian entity. I (innocently) asked, "So, we're outsourcing work to India?" to which Dumb-Ass replied, "Well, no, they'll be OUR employees." I (again, innocently) responded, "But they'll all be Indian employees, right?" He stumbled over some stupid response about "to my knowledge they will be." So, Dumb-Ass, we're outsourcing work.
Oh, I'm SO over this...
Forgive me if I wrote about this before, but it bears repeating.
I really have to laugh at all the corporate lingo that has been coming out of our executive management lately (you know, those overpaid duds who are SO out-of-touch with what us peons are doing). A couple of phrases that I'm hearing every stinking day include:
"reaching out" to someone about something
"performance management" (i.e. figuring out who's the dead wood and cutting them loose)
"matrix" or "9-block" (more phrases for performance management. The 9-block consists of a 9 block grid; A B C are assigned across the top and 1 2 3 down the side. Each employee is "fit" into a box. If someone is an "A1" for example, that person is on her/his way to greatness. If, however, someone finds themself in "C-3" it's best that she/he starts looking for gainful employment elsewhere.)
"customer intimacy" (I think this one should be renamed in light of our recent Sexual Harassment training)
Ok...so I'm not concerned about the "matrix" since I'll be out of here soon. But, still, all this corporate mumbo jumbo gets under my skin.
Crazy crazy weather. It was 60 degrees not that long ago! We didn't get the ice and snow buildup here as predicted. We had some, but not like we expected. Now, today, we're actually getting snow and the ground is covered. This better not mean that "winter" is going to extend into April or May. Ugh.
I don't start my new job until the end of February, so I won't be giving my notice at work until the first part of the month. I'm taking some time off before then which I'm looking forward to more than I can express.
I've been moving out of my comfort zone more lately. For the past three weeks, I've been checking out the services at the local Unitarian Universalist Fellowship. It's been a welcoming, comfortable experience so far. I was raised as a Catholic but distanced myself from it as a teenager. Then, in my 30s, I became a Buddhist. Although Buddhism, in general, makes a lot of sense to me, I didn't like the "restrictions" on what I should/shouldn't read and find value in. For instance, the particular practice that I belonged to NEVER discussed the teachings of other Buddhist leaders outside of that particular sect. All other Buddhist teachings were deemed inferior; I took that to mean there was no value in them. I tried, a couple of times, to make myself "fit" into that practice, but it never felt quite right to me.
Fast forward to about a month ago when I starting searching online for some religious communities in my area. I came across the local UU group. When I lived in Syracuse, NY, I remember attending a couple of GLBT events at a UU church, and I knew of their openness to GLBT issues. Still, I thought they were a Christian group. Much to my pleasant surprise, they are non-creedal and welcoming of all beliefs. Though the UU historical background is Christian, they welcome Jews, Muslims, pagans, Buddhists, atheists, humanists...it's a pretty wild concept for me to accept, but I'm slowly understanding their purpose and principles. It's such a refreshing change.
So, not long after my last post, I got a call. Yes, I got the job! What a great way to kick off my Friday/weekend! Getting this job means far more than starting at a new place in a new role. It really helps B and I start some big changes in our lives. It means I can start doing work that means something to others. It means I'll be able to utilize more of my job skills. Since B is leaving her job shortly, she'll be able to do so with a clear conscience because she'll still be working part-time, going back to school, and I can put her on my insurance (which, by the way, will cost me far LESS than I imagined!). So...lots of big changes a'comin'. Not that buying a house in 2006 wasn't big! But, to use this phrase once again, we're trying to get our lives right. Woo-hoo!
No news yet on the job. I'm hoping it's because it's a state job and they're v-e-r-y slow at wrapping things up (red tape?) and not because the last interviewee rocked. I guess if I get a phone call, that's good. If I get a letter, that's not good.
I took yesterday and today off from work as vacation days. I got a lot done around the house yesterday. I even took a
short walk. It's awful to admit, but I've only walked ONCE up the road behind my house since we moved in on July 1 of 2006. So, I went out in a sweatshirt (no coat) as the temperature was around 52. That's crazy for upstate NY for early January! But, I'm not a snow person, so I'll glady take it. I snapped a couple of pictures on my short walk. I felt inspired by one of my favorite blogs, Hoarded Ordinaries, where Lorianne is always capturing moments while she's taking her dog for a walk, or running errands, etc. So, I took this photo. I'm just fascinated by what is called "rural decay" by some. Seeing these steps and part of a foundation elicits so many questions. What happened to the building that was attached? Why are the steps left? Who lived there and when?
