Friend of the Week

at work we have this thing called Friend of the Week - someone is the friend, they answer a bunch of get to know you questions and then pick where they are going for lunch and others come. I am this week's friend. The guy running it sent questions and I answered them. I think they are pretty funny.
1. So, how are you?
Overcaffeinated. All lights and colors are leaving little trails on my retinas.
2. So you are leaving for the OR application next week…what does that app have on our app?!
All the excitement of contact creation, but without any of that bothersome guarantor/coverage stuff to worry my pretty little head about. And the challenge of working with the people in the surgery department. Registration directors have nothing on surgery directors for sheer obstinacy.
3. What are you going to miss the most about our app?
Well, of course you. And Ken, and how he and I aren’t ever in the office at the same time. And Kristin, but she and I get to continue together with Premier.
4. What are you going to miss the most about TDS?
Hehe. I can’t answer this with a straight face.
5. Who is winning the Super Bowl?
After the Packer loss I felt like my soul was dented. I tried to pop it out with beer, but it didn’t work. I have now focused all of my energies on the new NASCAR season (COT is going to be even more important this season!). This is Jeff Gordon’s year, not that Jimmie Johnson winning makes me sad. One of my dogs is a diehard Jimmie fan.
6. Who is dreamier… Tom Brady or Peyton Manning?
Peyton Manning sort of looks like this dodgy guy that I once had living in my house, Big Head. He was a bit of a burden (funny stories there), so Tom. If he is good enough for Giselle, I guess he is good enough for me. – but, I would have to tell him that if we were going out on a date, not to wear all of the superbowl rings all at once (Patriots will win this year), it is tacky.
Also, don’t you think the question should be Eli Manning, since he is the one in the Superbowl? He is cute!
7. It’s Thursday, you don’t have to work today or tomorrow. Or Monday. Where are you?
I would get a head start on my trip to the Kank (it really is where I am going this weekend!). Kankakee, Illinois (named the worst city to live in the late 90s) is where my first job out of college was. I was a chemist at a pharmaceutical manufacturing facility. My friend Todd still lives there and a large group of people are going with me to tear up the Kank (think shady city, and us tooling around in a party bus on Sat night…. Silly).
8. It’s now Tuesday after your mini vacation…how do you feel?
Rearing to go. (I don’t know how to spell Raring, Rearing,?) my 630am customer call is a delight on Tuesdays.
9. (Buddy the Elf) What’s your favorite primary color?
(Shannon the Gnome) Orange.
10. How much wood would a woodchuck chuck, if a woodchuck could chuck wood? No lie, 5 typos trying to type that out, you try it!
A woodchuck would chuck all the woood that a woodchuck could chuck if a cwood chuck could chuck wood.
I left my typos in. not too shabby.
11. A train from New York leaves the station heading east at 80 mph. Another train leaves San Fransisco heading west at 90 mph. When and where do they meet? Do you want to be on these trains?
They meet in Young America, MN –my favorite city in demos (got it from Amanda) b/c the zip code is 55555. Never fails to get some excitement going in the crowd.



You may have noticed that the train question was a trick, but I justify as the government has been secretly developing trains that can fly so they fly around the entire world and still meet in MN.
Also, the guy called me out on Orange not being a primary color. I think that is sort of crap.

I am worried that no one will show up for lunch. or just the annoying guy on our team. sigh.

also, I wore the racy little red shoes to work today to get them ready for this weekend. problem is, they do look too racy with jeans... and I am walking a little weird in them. - I feel stupid.

explanation - 30 for 30

I made my new little counter over there on the right, but I never explained.
There are some things you need to know about my life...
1) I dislike my birthday. Don't ask why, I don't really know. I wasn't abused on the day, no one I know has died on the day, but I just get sad. I don't mind getting older, I think it has to do with the expectations on your birthday. you are supposed to be happy. and pleased to be the center of attention. oddly enough, it is the one day of the year I don't like to be the center of attention.
2) I turn 30 in 2008. sometime in 2008. I am not telling you the date.
3) I once yelled at my mother for calling me on my birthday and wishing me happy birthday. everyone who knows the actual date is expressly forbidden to acknowledge it in any way.
4) Many others that I hang out with have gone on group trips to a destination for their 30th b-day. Like Loud went to San Fran, Gerald is going to Amsterdam.
5) 2008 is sort of a bad year to schedule a trip though... there are a squazillion weddings, many destination weddings and there are so many tickets to be bought and vacation days gobbled up.
6) every idea I had for my birthday seemed to small for the wonderfulness that is me.

So, how am I going to celebrate my 30th b-day?

I am going to shotgun 30 beers in 2008. You are welcome to join me if you like on one or as many as you can stomach. If you join me for at least one, then you have helped me celebrate!

We already got started. Future posts will catch you up with pictures and all.

I am a crack addict

I am a crack addict. except that my crack is terribly expensive furnishings for my home. and the dealer that keeps me hooked is Horchow/Nieman Marcus. Based on Whitney Houston's famous Diane Sawyer interview, the correct analogy should be that I am a cocaine addict, as crack is for poor people per Whitney. (side note: What is up with Whitney Houston these days? she went into rehab, did she ever come out?)

You will remember that I bought my bed from Horchow. They seem to have taken that as proof that I am a great candidate for future sales. This sort of thing is common, it happens with all catalog sales, you buy a coat from L.L. Bean and all of a sudden you are getting 700 outdoorsey paradise catalogs.

However, Horchow has taken it a bit far. They sent two catalogs yesterday, and consistently at least 1 per week.

Most of them are different, some overlap of merchandise, but different covers and different pictures/layouts.

I cry a little each time I see all of these things that I love and don't want to spend all of my money on. I want to do other things, responsible things, with my money... but oh, it is so hard!

for instance, this blue velvet couch! look how deep, how beautiful it is. I don't even have a good place for it, and dog hair would attach to it like a magnet, and Finn drool would ruin it forever! but I don't care. I want to curl up on this couch and never, ever leave. I would devote the entire spare bedroom to this couch if I bought it. Of course I wouldn't let anyone sleep on it. but I would let them sleep on a blow up mattress placed on the floor next to it.

I love this couch.

then, why, oh why!!!! damn gods! is it 3000.00?

sigh.

Shoes headed my way

To keep you up to date - I have the following shoes headed my way - note that there are two pairs of the former #7 because there were two manufacturers with shoes that looked nearly identical and the shipping both ways is free, might as well find a pair that are comfortable and fit well. the last shoe comes in a luxurious red lamb suede, but I can't keep anything suede in good condition, certainly not on my feet!

I see how the open toe red ones are a bit too racy for work (and I can now clearly see that the red patent pumps from my previous post would make me look like an overweight Marilyn Monroe wanna-be), but I need to be a little racy. I am boring in my all black work outfits.

Random Quotation of my day

I was passing two men in a hallway at work.

Man 1: Hey, how are you doing now?
Man 2: Surviving, which is better than before.



uh, dude, that means you died before. dumbass.

lab partners. when you realize that you aren't the good one, so you must be the dumb one.

I read Jobonga's post about lab partners and started to write this really long comment. Then I realized that this is funny enough for my own blog. Why waste it as a sad note at the bottom of her blog, it deserves it's own post. So, here you go:

My degree is in biology (with religious studies and chemistry minors), so I had lots of group projects and lab partners.
I like to think that I was the good lab partner, but I just realized that there are only like two bad ones that I can remember, but there were several groups were I think I was the loser. one funny story - my freshman year in college I was in a group for my intro to bio for bio majors (read 75 pre-med big fish in their little hometown pond freshmen) class. I kept sleeping through their daily meetings (note, we didn't need daily meetings, these people were uptight!). this was when I realized that my most productive time of day is NOT 4pm to 4am and that I love naps. My famous three hour nap was perfected during college. When the presentation day came I turned on the charm and my portion was fun, engaging and energetic. My archnemesis, Theresa Dup--- (privacy), the instigator of the daily meeting overkill, was stilted and boring. I presented after her and the professor immediately sat up and smiled about four times during my portion.
Theresa and I spent the remainder of our college years together in the biology dept (only 6 majors so lots of time together). and the entire time I was comparing myself to her. I coined the phrase: my archnemesis Theresa Dup--- and my senior year even revealed to Theresa that I called her that.
There are many more stories about my archnemesis Theresa Dup---. next time you see me, let me know you want to hear that one.

Virtual shoe shopping - sexy shoes still appropriate for work

Here is what I need: help picking some sexy, wearable and yet work appropriate shoes. The shoes should be pictured under black work slacks or perhaps going out jeans.
What do you think of the options from Zappos below. Vote for your favorites

What is my word?

This essay topic given by Loud and coordinated into a group activity by 11Frogs.
Essay topic:
What's your word? You have to describe yourself in one word, such that a complete stranger would get an accurate picture of your personality. Oh, and your friends have to agree with your choice.

This came up at the Jade Monkey the other night with R and Loud. I was thinking intense, or passionate, but R jumped in and said that mine would be:

In the Moment

more than one word, but captures the spirit of the assignment and of me.

this got me thinking about some other words that I wish were mine:

Gracious

Elegant

Eloquent

Easy Going

Graceful

some that I worry might be mine:

Bitter

angry

overbearing

delusional

conceited

self-centered

pathetic (most likely for indulging my insecurities in coming up with this list)

this week - all operating rooms all the time

Have you ever worked with surgeons? They are nearly as fun as intraoperative nurses, one of the most tightly wound groups in the entire hospital.
And this week at my customer site I get to spend three fun filled days with these folks.
I can only hope the Medical Records dept management stops by to round out my days of high impact business meetings.

Packers' loss

all I can say is that all day I have felt like my soul is dented.

dude, what happened to me

I haven't posted in forever.
contributing factors:
1) I haven't been traveling and I have definitely found that I am more productive when I have more activities. - I have had lots of free time and no gumption to get anything done.
2) camera - damaged by some undefinied stickiness at New Year's Eve. very sad, and I never realized how the camera leads to blog posts before.
3) probably just fat and lazy time of year. -but I am now up and running.... walking at least.

I have a lot going on now -
1) Sat mornings I take Deuce to agility class. She is SOOOOO cute! she loves it and gets all excited. It is good exercise and so wonderful to spend time with just her each week.
2) Thursday nights I have Irish Jig dance class. Last night was our first class. I am terrible, but vow to practice until I can at least be on the correct foot! hopping isn't my strongest suit lately though, so I imagine I won't ever be recruited for an irish dance troupe. Check these little kids out.
3) 30 for 30 years - we already have three down. see next post for more details.
4) New Year's resolutions - many to do and many to ignore - see future post for more details.

first customer trip in a long time - Day 1

Last night –7pm, I am excited.

8pm – watching election results and doing work

11pm – finally make myself go to bed, I am still excited for tomorrow’s day on-site.

 

Today

6am – waking up isn’t as much fun

7am – breakfast at the new hotel is pretty good.

830am – we still haven’t started the session, why?

1030 – excitement ebbs

10:35 – thinking about freaking out and biting people on the face.

10:40 – spend 5 minutes diverting the attention of the group to the difference between discrete and discreet – ah, relief

1045 through 1200 – face biting tendencies resume

12:05 – finally! Lunch.

12:55 – sigh, time to return

1:10 – uh, still haven’t resumed session.

3:25 – minor freak out about PAT – not the androgynous SNL character, but rather surgery related.

3:29 – I actually sing (to the tune of Justin Timberlake’s Bringing Sexy Back) “I’m bringing PAT back” and do a little dance move in my chair.

3:30 – I bite my paper pile and declare that I have to leave the room immediately. But don’t get up. 

3:48 – discussion seems to be wrapping up – early reprieve?

3:50 – they force me to review yet another poorly constructed Microsoft Visio workflow document

4:15 – I raise my voice and tell them that they can’t have this development for go-live

4:45 – still sitting there while they tell me over and over about this development – I nearly concede but hold my ground.

4:50 – I turn off computer and stand up. The clinical staff have already departed.

5:55 – I sit in hotel lobby working on writing up issues from the day and plot which alcohol I will consume to dull the pain.

 

I heart my job. He he.

 

So sad, I actually do.

I am not a political geek, but I do like it

I am sitting here in a Courtyard (the new year apparently brings me an unwelcome change in the hotel and airline that I am forced to use....gnnnrrr) in Dayton, OH watching CNN and doing much fist pumping, a little jumping, and a lot of excited wiggling in my chair since Hillary is winning in New Hampshire.
I was excited all day long about this primary.
I have been monitoring the race for months now. 11Frogs said that she doesn't pay any attention until a month before Wisconsin's primary - I would never be able to do that. The excitement of the entire thing is over by mid January.

I am mostly excited about Hillary's lead because - how exactly did she do it? After Iowa (and her loss to Obama) there was much frustration in the Clinton camp and discussion of the frustration in the media. It seemed that they were angry and suprised by the turn of events.
In the last two days that has come through - Bill Clinton has even made angry rants about how the media has unfairly targeted Hillary, but neglected to ask the same tough questions to the other candidates.
My interest is - did that help? Does that put those questions into peoples' minds? What does help? How do you manipulate the opinions of large groups of people?
I can't help it, I am giddy tonight. How fun.

What to buy your dad's girlfriend

let's just say it - my dad has a girlfriend named Rita. who wears blue eyeshadow.

She is pretty good at taking care of him and that is what he needs. She is only minorly nasty to me and my sister. To my brother she is a bit more mean, but hey, as we have discovered on this blog, he might deserve it.

Once a year I have to buy her a present. sigh. Luckily I have no idea when her birthday is... so it is only for x-mas that this happens.
I never know what to get for her. And, typically the present buying falls to me as I have the most money out of my siblings. Once or twice I think my sister carried the load. I doubt my brother has ever bought her anything.
One year we got her a foot massage bath thing, last year a gift certificate for a massage. I can't seem to recall any other years. The gifts must have been less than stellar.

Anyhow, it is now four days from the appointed x-mas with my father/Rita and I have a concept for my father (gifts from Wisconsin - mustard, cheese, sausage, etc), but no idea for Rita.

You have been waiting, and now...my breasts!

I am wonderful and I should be allowed to see everything!

http://www.strictlynophotography.com/index.php
a site to post the photos you take in forbidden places. I wasn't really turned on until I got to a picture of Mugabe's palace. I was titillated.