Yoinked from LJ... but posting it here...

1. Elaborate on your default icon. Blogger doesn't have "icons" but the two pictures up are one of Smudge looking waaaay to angelic for her true self that it makes me laugh. The other one is of me on a boat when I was in Hawaii. That was the only no family/friends vacation we have been on and I loved ever minute of it.

2. What's your current relationship status? Married three years this past October.

3. Ever have a near-death experience? Don't think so... just the usual falling off jungle gym scares

4. Name an obvious quality you have. I'm a great listener.

5. What's the name of the song that's stuck in your head right now? Don't have one at the moment... too tired. But JP keeps singing the 5 dollar foot long jingle

6. Name a celebrity you would marry. Hrmmmm... I wouldn't kick Denzel to the curb.


7. Who will cut and paste this first? no one 'cause everyone has left for Christmas vacation!!!

8. Has anyone ever said you look like a celebrity? Yeah, when I worked in a theater everyone said I looked like Sandra Bullock.

9. Do you wear a watch? Yes, daily it's an armani JP gave me for my 30th (he got tired of the Pepe Le Pew watch) and for formal I have a ladies Omega.

10. Do you have anything pierced? yep, earlobes and a cartilage

11. Do you have any tattoos? nope

12. Do you like pain? Nope... I want DRUGS come delivery... or whatever they offer these days I have no illusion about a fully "natural" child birth. I am a chicken.

13. Do you like to shop? Yes, and I miss it.

14. What was the last thing you paid for with cash? Hrm... our breakfast on Saturday.

15. What was the last thing you paid for with your credit card? My new diaper bag.

16. Who was the last person you spoke to on the phone? My mother.

17. What is on your desktop background? At work it's me & JP at a lake in Ireland. At home it's just the default.

18. What is the background on your cell phone? Miss Keiko!

19. Do you like redheads? nope... can't stand 'em!!!! HAHAHA! I'm related to several, I don't get the ginger hatred that has jumped the pond.

20. Do you know any twins? lots and lots

21. Do you have any weird relatives? Yes, an aunt who seems to be on another bad spiral. she's not "weird" she is mentally unwell.

22. What was the last movie you watched? Oh geez... well in the theater we saw Avatar... and it's basically Dances with Wolves on an alien planet with cute blue kitty people. It's okay... and JP put the Marine on last night and I fell asleep even with all the explosions... never ever pick up a movie with a pro-wrestler as the lead. OMG it was horrible.

23. If you had $100 to spare, who would you give it to? My church to suppliment the food pantry. It's scary the number of people who come for food on Wednesday nights.

24. What was your favorite book as a child? OMG... too many. James & the Giant Peach, Howladay Inn (the second Bunnicula book), my whole set of the Narnia books.

OMG!

Oh how I love Samantha Bee...

Some thing to do...

Well my inboxes have pretty much dried up... I'm more than a little surprised as typically we don't go quiet at any time of year, but this has been an odd year. With zero new drilling since the middle of the first quarter I've been rather dependent on strictly Accounting & Tax related issues to keep my desk busy.

With the external inquires drying up for the holiday and the internal ones grinding to a hault with the system upgrade it's gonna be very difficult to justify my space here. Yeah it's temporary but the big boss can get really wierd about stuff like this.

Very very different from where I was this time last year... drowning and having to ask for assistance. Little did I know that if I just waited 4 more months I'd have plenty of breathing room.

JP returns this afternoon from Colorado. Sounds like it's been a productive trip. WIth the amount of traveling that JP... it's another reason why I feel I should stay home with the baby. Daycare and all that would be so stressful on the weeks I'd have to do all of it myself.

So yeah... well I did get an email inquiry from a flake at Big Big Oil company. I had sent her some info and then she responded by calling me Mitchell and I dropped her email 'cause she pissed me off. I've worked with her for years and then she gets ugly in response and calls me by a guys name?! I meant to email her back the following day which would have been earlier in the week but I totally blanked on her.

As usual this Big Big Company doesn't know what they own and when you then tell them they have the nerve to say you're wrong... um... well since you called and asked me I'm surprised that you'd know my information is wrong and what justifies that statement. Sheesh.

Well at least it's work... of a sort.

Awesome world...

I had heard about this earlier in the week, but I didn't see a video of it until this morning. Too awesome.

I just remember lecture talking about how only primates use tools blah blah blah... many more species are smarter than we give them credit for.

First things first...

check it:


How I love the Muppet YouTube channel...

What did I do the last few days... Hrmmm... oh yes I went to see A Christmas Carol at the Berry Center. It was a version of it I hadn't seen before with some extra scenes and carol singing. I was plesantly surprised how much JP enjoyed it.

Of course the skies opened up at leaving time which left me running to the car to avoid getting too drenched & then my Mother getting overly worried that I'd get sick from it.

Saturday I went and got my hair done. Just crown foil highlights, bare minimum due to smell. But it's nice you have options since the foil highlights has nothing getting in contact with your scalp and she can leave more of a gap instead of doing them tight.

JP went out Saturday night with a guy that was in town. I was crazy tired so while I did give him a hard time for it I was glad to stay home and not have to venture out myself.

Sunday we went to see Invictus, which I do recommend. Eastwood makes a great film. Plus it was nice to have the poem Invictus taken back. Last time I heard it it was tied to that McVey arsehole who used it as his last words.

For the last several days we've been under a fog and it's getting weary. Ugh, even rain would be better than this inbetween-ness.

Oh yes, and if anyone is still reading this... have you ever used a neti-pot? I finally purchased one as I've heard it's excellent for sinus health and it's popped up several times as recommend for pregnant women too. I meant to give it a go on Saturday but was just too tired by the time JP left. He's gone for a couple of days this week for work so I'll probably try it do it while he's gone. I'm just so prone to sinus problems I'm trying to do any natural care & preventative I can this winter season.

Slogging through a very slow week...

You'd think I'd be much busier with the system cut off approaching this Friday. We'll be unable to update to Revenue for 4-5 weeks... so of course that means I'll get something that absolutley has to be updated now now now... on monday.

I was late late late on Monday. I think the sudden cold temps did a number on my sinues and Ihad a headache and iritation up in my head... lovely nosebleed that goes with. Fun. But I came in because I figured there'd be tons to do... nope.

Yesterday i left early for a Doctor appointment that didn't happen. I waited for like only 35 minutes in the individual room when a nurse popped her head in and said the doc just called and she'd be at the hospital a whole lot long, I guess a baby decided to slow things down. They asked if I was having problems, and I said not really just wanted to mention the right ovary pain from mid-cycle but that I wasn't terribly concerned about it... just wanted it noted.

I believe this month I have to register at either hospital... sigh. Memorial Hermann lets you do it online and they have one of those fancy Women's Centers... plus it's right across the street from the doc's office which for some reason I like the idea of.

Nothing else terribly exciting... just doing my thing and watching lots of movies and Christmas specials. I did watch SyFy's Alice... which I was very happily surprised to find Andrew Lee Potts staring in as Hatter. British actor from various shows and some movies... just a cutie in that scruffy kind of way. It was okay, he saved it for me as usual the plot jumps were beyond "Say wha...?" moments. I recorded that new special Prep & Landing since JP wanted to watch Sons of Anarchy finale last night... it looks really cute. I did manage to see A Charlie Brown Christmas so I don't mind missing Rudolph now.

Still working on the present wrapping. I'm just doing a bit at a time. Smudge is just asking to get a toe pad cut off the way she goes after the scissors... nutjob. JP and I were wondering if it's possible for a kitty to have like post-partum depression... we think she's all crazy now because of the pregnancy so we're kinda leery about what she'll be like after. Keiko has no clue what's going on... and if she does she doesn't care... she's just sitting in my lap more since Smudge is snubbing me ever since the baby kicked and got her... oh and she didn't like that I sneezed when she was in my lap either. I guess she's afraid of swine flu... she would listen that I got the shot.

Houston Snow Storm of 2009!

Ha! Not much of a storm but it was proper snow not just flurries.

I ended up running to the HEB early on Friday to at least get some of my weekend errands done and out of the way. Was home long before it started, and glad to be out of it.

I basically sat in the front room and watched the snow. It was a solid 2 & 1/2 hours with a little break and then another hour. The teenage boy across the street built a Snowman during the break and it's still standing. He got it a good size too.

It's all slowly melting this morning as we didn't get over 32 degrees until after 9 this morning.

This afternoon I'm supposed to head to the outlet with Olga. She's working this morning, from home I believe, and then she'll send me a text when she's on her way. I should get off my butt and try to figure out how to layer today. My boobs don't fit in any of my jackets so it should be interesting.

But I need to get out and see people today. Yesterday got to me by the early evening.

I did hear from JP, he couldn't believe we were getting serious snow. Sounds like he was having a good time with Keith & Edith though.

Off to update my Christmas shopping list. I have two presents I have to get, with no ideas, one item I know but need to pick up... no rush... and then continue with the small stuff for JP. I'm way behind my usual schedule for Christmas shopping, but I can't be bothered to get off the sofa most of my free time. I love my ratty blue sofa so much these days, always comfy.

Pregnant Hobo... yes that IS the look I was going for today

OMG! I woke up this morning and the clock said the temp was 39! Brrrrrr!

So I tried to do the layering thing... and well... It looked okay when I was half asleep at 5:15 this morning. Not so much after a cup of caffeine and florescent lighting. D'oh. Oh well.

And JP was sleeping in since he leaves today for Edinburg so I didn't get his usual, "What are we dressed up as today?" line like I do when something just doesn't work.

Well... good thing I work Oil & Gas... not the most trendy people so they might not notice until the end of the day.

I also forgot my office badge so those errands i was going to run at lunch will have to wait until after work. Greeeaat. Unless I can snag Theresa's.... hrm...

Well that's strangely familiar...

I ran across this article this morning. Just change the school year to 10th and minus the physical intimidation and that's really really familiar territory. Except I refuse to search for those girls on FB (well I do know one died right after high school and that messed me up 'cause we never set things straight) If I wasn't good enough then I don't care to be good enough now. But yeah "Kids are cruel" doesn't begin to cover the messed up stuff people do to each other be it at a young age or supposedly mature adult.


Things have gotten a bit chilled here today. I believe we have possible lows in the upper 30s. Whoa... that's like the coldest we ever get and it's the first week of December.

Today I'm wearing my one pair of warm maternity pants. Flattering they are not, but they are knit lined so they're warm. Without the sun it'll get really cold in the office as the day goes on.

Better get to work. Have to notify accounting of a correction that will make me wildly popular. Oh those accountants just LOVE me I know.

To be jabbed or not to be jabbed...

I didn't have to really think about the H1N1 shot because it wasn't really available to me since we got back from Australia.

Every place here that had the injection was a WIC clinic and in parts of town I wouldn't normally venture (Like Acres Home... home to it's own serial killer who was only recently caught).

So today I just a call from my GP's office. I had been put on a list and was basically going between Tschudia and my ob/gyn to see who got it first. I hadn't called the ob last week so she might have it this week too, who knows as she's not contacting her patients.

So now I actually have to think about it... I'm scheduled to go tomorrow afternoon, but to say I am not nervous about the shot causing harm to the baby would be lying. I know it's made the same as the seasonal etc etc... but I've never taken a flu shot ever because I never gotten it in my life. Typically I have a robust immune system except when my sinues are involved, then I'll catch anything and everything.

it's like... if you don't get and you get sick you're in crazy trouble... and if you do it and some thing happens you'll feel wretched too. Damned either way... of course you could take the shot and nothing happen.... and I believe plenty of preggers have taken the shots in these last couple of months. And at least I'm getting it at the GP who yearly does these types of shots as opposed to the ob/gyn who never does...

Back at work...

So Thanksgiving weekend went really well. We were only an hour late sitting down for the meal and everything turned out really well. Everyone brought something so I didn't have to make everything myself.

I didn't do Black Friday this year. I was way too tired. Must have overdone it on Thanksgiving. I did get a little Christmas decorating done. I'm not putting much up this year because I don't think I'll be up for taking it all down in January.

I found a present for my Aunt on Overstock. A pretty gold hinged bangle and then some similar earrings. I was on the sight to get a matching necklace for some earrings I got Mom for her birthday.

So that leaves me with my Uncle, my Dad and the little gifts for JP. I've gotten JP a couple of movies to go with the GPS Golf dealie that's his big present. I also got him one of those digital photo keychains so he can take pictures of the baby with him easily when he travels.

I know what my big present is already, JP got me a Kindle! Whoo-hoo! And a wall calendar that's set up for keeping better track of baby appointments.

JP leaves on Thursday afternoon for a long weekend. The boys are just giddy as I overheard their phone conversations this weekend. It appears that the trip to London for a week from today has been called off, but I'll believe that when he's back in H-town without a return trip.

Last morning in the office!

A benefit of a small Thanksgiving gathering... a smaller turkey that only requires 4 hours cooking time. Oh yes, I will be sleeping in tomorrow. Score!

I got the bird all seasoned up last night. JP was worried about me doing that in "my condition" but it's a small bird by previous year standards and was easy as pie to deal with.

Today I tackel the new item, a chocolate cheesecake. I got a yummy sounding recipe from one of my Kraft Food magazines. Yes, I know Kraft is one of the huge corporate evils... but their recipe magazine has so many recipes that don't intimidate a non-cooker like me. I'm slowly learning to expand what I can make relatively stressfree.

Of course, nothing beats my turkey chili but that came from Women's Health. Which I did tweak a tad.

Hopefully we'll get out a noon or earlier (lunch time) and I'll quickly hop up to Stone Mill for some bread and possibly lunch. Then it's home to crush oreos and soften up some cream cheese.

I will say my love of cheese has returned full force with this pregnancy and I've actually been able to deal with dairy with no issues too... and there is just something about cream cheese slathered on whatever that is too yum right now. I didn't buy any extra or I'd be in trouble so I am trying to control that. All I need to end up with sky high cholestrol after these 9 months. HA!

Just random silliness

How could I forget the coyotes!?

Around 1:45 Monday morning I woke up to howling and yipping coming from just outside my window. Three coyotes where having a meeting of some sort in the green space dividing my neighborhood from the one next door.

I had read that coyotes were spotted on the nearby golf course this summer, I'm assuming it's related to that sudden spike in the raccoon population we experienced.

Thankfully, no one is talking about killing them... just advising you keep your pets inside at night and don't put your trash out the night before to void the raccoons coming too.

My Mom was freaked saying that someone could get hurt... sorry you shouldn't be walking around a suburban neighborhood at 2 am period, especially with the vandalism and whatnot that's been going on where I live. If you're out at that time you are probably one of those teens doing mischief and I have no problem with a coyote giving you a scare or taking a chomp out of your butt. Bigger plus, the coyotes will keep the raccoon and possum (I hope they are a predator to possums!) populations in check as those boggers are getting too bold.

Mom was all, but raccoons are cute... yeah, until they dig up your yard or get into your wall. They won't get wiped out, it's just natural population control.

I will say the coyotes were beautiful. The size of a really well fed medium size dog, but so much more graceful than any pure bred domesticated dog.

Smudge was not pleased with the ruckus and moved to her safe spot in the center of the house. JP said she must have know she'd be an appetizer to the crowd outside.

Short week! Short week!

Morning meeting was canceled... I think like 4 people are out for the whole week and one is the big boss, so we got lucky

A rather quiet weekend. Took care of the car Friday morning and just a quiet day after that.

Saturday we did bits & pieces around the house and JP finally got over the idea of trading in his car. That was a big eye opening experience for him. High end cars suck and I was against that car from the beginning so yeah... he now understands that he'll have to drive it for much much longer.

We had a few people over Saturday night for just wine & nibbles. Was a night laid back sort of night. I was beyond worn out by the time everyone left though. It's going to be an interesting holiday season.

Sunday was even quieter, as I just laid on the sofa after church and finished reading my book... The Vanishing of Esme Lennox. Interesting as it's written from the point of view of an elderly woman in a nursing home with advanced dementia and her sister who has spent the last 65 years in a mental insitution. Picked it up in Australia.

Now today I don't have a whole bunch I need to get done. I do need to venture out on a slightly early lunch hour to pick up a few Thankgiving items I'm gonna need. Can't deal with HEB until after Thanksgiving. That place was INSANE on Friday so I can't imagine it getting any better... unless I'm just buying a few things and can walk there that is... even then.

Back in the game...

The pain from my ovary is totally gone, finally, restoring my energy levels. Of course I was still crazy late this morning. that's got to stop.

Nothing terribly exciting going on... yesterday was our Thanksgiving luncheon. At the end Romona said she expected me to make an annoucement. I was kind of surprised because best I can tell everyone knows and if they don't know it's because I don't know them and we don't work together or talk. Seriously, who else here cares? Am I supposed to write an email and mass notify the entire company?!

I just think that's odd. People know, and it's not like she can't talk to others about it now so yeah... a bit confused. Unless she thinks I should be talking about it non-stop... but I'm not that kind of person. Especially with co-workers.

I'm not the first person to use my uterus... and I'm pretty sure I won't be the last. It's special and exciting for me and my family and close friends... everyone else... why would they care?

Speaking of special... color me very special last night. Keiko curled up in my lap for 20 minutes. I stayed downstairs and watched some weird sit com on tv so I wouldn't disturb her little nap. This happens once in a blue moon, especially when she snuggles down and makes those "ahhhhh comfy" noises.

Reign it back in...

I told Olga yesterday about the "Rogue Ovary" and she said I should name it "Sarah Palin" and smack it when it mis-behaves. HAHAHAHA!

The pain is lessening so I'm hoping in another day it'll be totally gone and back to normal.

Yesterday I got home just before 1 and pretty much slept until 4pm... well after watching Big Bang Theory. That was hilarious, Soft Kitty sung in a round.

But I managed to get to work and I've gotten a few things done this morning. Starting on another set up, which of course seemed easy enough until I realized the burdens aren't tied and the gross interest are crap... *sigh* I hate load data.

Today is our departmental Thanksgiving Luncheon, and the second year in which it is fully catered. Whoo-hoo! Just need to head downstairs and get a drink. Will be useless later today all full of turkey... HA!

Tomorrow is my 20 week ultra sound. LBP tends to be more active in the late moring while the appointment is at 1:30 so I'll have to get some peppermints or something. Of course it could be like last time and LBP won't cooperate for anyone.

Going to be a quiet weekend, looks like. JP tried to invite some peeps over but one couple double booked adn the other hasn't responded which is their passive/aggressive way of saying no. I don't get why they don't just say it, but they never ever do. Oh well, I don't care... just means I don't have to make any dips or nibbles. Totally can live with that.

Rogue ovary...

UGH!!!

My right ovary still insists on doing it's thing. I'm guessing after 22 years of being lazy it's trying to make up for lost time. Talk about painful.

It's happened every month about mid-cycle. The clinic sort of warned me it would happen because of the drugs, and the ob confirmed it on my first visit to her with an ultra sound. Stupid thing choses now to regularly produce/release an egg. sheesh.

So with less room each passing month, this one has been a doozey. Probably why I felt so tired/bad yesterday and I know why I'm struggling today.

My boss told me to go home at 9 this morning but I insisted I could work until lunch and then I'd boogie, I figure I can get one payout set up in the system before I go... and I did. Go me.

I'll do the other two tomorrow. One I have to discuss with Gerry.

*sigh*

off to Ziggy's and then home to nap the afternoon away. Maybe I'll try a little stretching excercises too.

The Next Mia Hamm or David Beckam

Well, Little Baby Pearson decided to start kicking yesterday. To the point where I could see my shirt pop during church.

This combined with mid back pain and I didn't sleep well last night... so don't tell JP but I left work early. I couldn't think straight I was so tired, and that didn't seem a good way to work on an after payout calculation.

I didn't tell JP 'cause he has this crazy insane work ethic and if you aren't puking you should be at the office... I don't think so. I've managed not to skip out this whole time and was doing really crap work today so yeah.

Typicaly guy response....

So I've been home since lunch time and spent 2 hours dosing on the sofa. Feeling better but just really worn out.

Innocuous...

While no feline would approve of being called innocuous, Miss Keiko's heart murmur is.

When I picked her up yesterday they could tell me right away that it wasn't caused by heart disease which made the vet very happy. So, once they had that crossed off they drew blood to test the thyroid. Something called the T4 level was being checked as both the specialist and the main vet thought it was due to hypothyroidism.

Got off the phone a little while ago and Miss Keiko's thyroid came back just fine. Innocuous heart murmur it is. Just needs to be monitored yearly, and me being paranoid wanted to suggest every six months, but was told that's okay if we just keep an eye on her.

Maybe she's had a very slight murmur all along and it wasn't noticed. I've heard of that happening with people. But it makes sense since Miss Keiko's personality hadn't altered at all and had actually perked up with new food 6 months ago.

We'll just get some weight off her and keep her on track with her check ups.

It's a day for Morrissey...

I'm blasting my iPod with Morrissey's latest album... just what I need on this moody day. His voice is still beautiful after all these years.

Yesterday was one of my monthly OB visits. Wasn't there very long as it was just pee in this cup, blood pressure, and check the heart beat. She said they included two other tests with the amnio, spina bifida and something else so I'm free from having some other kind of check. Was just glad no one got to take more blood. Nice change of pace.

She's also happy with my weight gain, so I guess I haven't gone overboard. I've gained like 11-12 lbs so far. But since I got home so early I took a nice long walk. Haven't had the energy to work out after a full day in the office so it was nice to do.

She said to watch out at Thanksgiving, I guess she thinks I'll pig out... I had to laugh because I still have the weight watchers mentality of portion size etc. I'm just making sure I eat three meals and snacks are fruit. Could do better on the green leafy veg front.

Say what...?!

Miss Keiko went for her yearly on Friday. I was holding my breath because I feared at her age, 8, she'd need a dental and that ain't cheap.

Instead I headed home in tears because they found a slight heart murmur.

It's very slight, as the vet had to really focus to find it and she said getting an ultrasound to check it out wasn't a rush situation. So I'm hoping that means whatever has caused it (and the possibilities are pretty wide) can easily be treated by medication.

I've known since I got Keiko that being a tortie meant she'd be weird even by cat standards and that her life span wouldn't be like those 18+ kitties either. But the mere inkling that something might seriously be wrong with her and I loose it.

She is probably the sweetest animal I've ever know. period. and I'm not just saying that because she's mine. She's just always been a great cat and as long as the number of people in the house were low she was never a pest, never gets agressive with anyone (except when Smudge needs to be knocked down a peg or two), and just a lovey mush in her own, touch me but don't pick me up way.

I have to remind myself that time in on our side since this has been caught early and no invasive testing needs to be done at this point. I'm just not willing to subject her to anything really intensive because she can't possibly understand why something like that was being done and it would scare her to death and for what.

Who else is gonna race me up the stairs at night when I say, "Time to go meemees!"

When your pants stretch out funny...

I'm wearing a new pair of maternity pants today, and boy howdy are they stretching out wierd.

They're a full panel, which means the stretchy bit covers you to above the belly button (or a bit more). But where the panel meants the actual pants is a total design flaw that would leave Tim Gunn very annoyed, they did NOT make it work.

That's the part where the pants are stretching out, and if my belly was bigger it probably wouldn't matter, but the elastic at the top of the panel is VERY snug already so as my belly gets bigger I don't know how comfortable they'll be.

Next time I wear 'em I'll pull on a bella band. For $25 I can't complain too much.

Sleep is the word, its the word that you heard...

Very tired today and probably will have to sneak a nap around lunch time.

JP is a very light sleeper and Smudge knows this. She's been taunting him through the night, because he responds and basically plays her game.

I don't respond and I've learned to sleep through most of her antics, and so JP feels the need to wake me up to control "my cat." someone still doesn't understand living with a cat.

Chasing after her just makes it worse. As long as it doesn't sound like she's getting ready to pull the TV down on herself you just roll over and keep on sleeping. I don't understand why he doesn't get it.

She ONLY does this for him. When he travels she doesn't do any of this stuff. At worse she'll headbutt me trying to snuggle up under the covers when he's gone or knead on my arm.

And I don't think the time change helps because she doesn't understand why were still sleeping when we're usually waking up according to her internal clock.

yep... naptime shortly.

THANK YOU GOD! THANK YOU JESUS!

Got the test results back this morning and the baby is fine! Whoooooop!

The chromosome that's effected by Down's is fine, what a relief.

The lady from the clinic called a little while ago and I could tell by the tone of her voice it was good news. You could tell she was smiling on the other end of the line. It must be a good day for her when she can deliever great news like that.

Oh sweet Jesus, it's like a ten ton weight has been lifted from my shoulders. Staying positive for so long is no easy task for sure... and I'll admit it I was really struggling there on multiple occassions.

But we are past this hurdle! Thank God!

Imagine that! I want to go home and sleep!

Quiet short weekend. We went out to dinner with the Reid's on Friday and boy howdy does Dave's work situation sound stressful. He works for really big oil, he's upper level sort of like JP but in accounting/internal auditing and everyone at his level and higher have to reapply for a job through the companies intraweb site.

craziness. This is what a company does when they don't have the balls to actually layoff people when they need too. Yeah it sucks, but you have to do especially in oil which tends to bloat their staffs during those short times of plenty.

Saturday we just ran a couple of errands during the day.

We didn't have many trick or treaters so we headed over to see Tony as they were having a block party. We left the bowl of candy out like we've done before just in case and wouldn't ya know it... they stole the bowl. at least it was a $2 bowl, but man I hope they didn't throw it down a storm sewer like a real turd.


Yesterday I finally made it to church. That extra hour of sleep really helped. I finally told the people at church that we're expecting and they instantly asked to pray for the baby. They reminded me that God knew this baby before she was even concieved which sad to admit I needed to hear since this is the week I should hear my results of the amnio. Would be nice if it's before Thursday/Friday.

Speaking of the wee one... I've started to feel the little "butterfly" flutter. It started on Friday and seems to be after I eat, usually 30 minutes or so, and strongest around lunch time. Totally floored.

HA!

Of course you have to watch Real Housewives Atlanta to get this, but OMG Bonnie Hunt is just too awesome. Oh and Niecy is from Reno 911! just without the fake booty.

How to...

Yes I'm a big ol' weenie and I haven't told my boss the big news yet. I keep balking...

I've been thinking next week will be good. I'm only telling her that I'm expecting, nothing about my future at the company. I figure if I tell her now I can say that we're discussing our options and will have a better idea by the new year... we just don't want to rush into anything. *sigh*

She's not going to get angry or have a wacked out reaction, I just don't like telling just anybody my private business. Shoot the people at church don't even know yet!

Plus once I tell her then everyone will basically know... well I think most of the women suspect and as I've said before the guys think I came back from vacation chubby.

I'd like to talk to Romona about it, but everytime I try to swing by her office someone is in there. And after today she's on vacation for a week!

Weekend plans are pretty light, and I'm down with that. Tonight is dinner with the Reid family and tomorrow we are just hosting any trick or treaters that might come by. We didn't have many last year. It's dying out... everyone goes to the mall or those festivals now.

Hopefully I won't sleep the weekend away like I have the last two. Just sleepy sleepy these days. and I was already a sleepy head to begin with.

Day Seven

I found out about a new movie called Gentleman Broncos, and this is one of the screen shots on the website. It sounds totally wacky and has not only Sam Rockwell, but Mike White and the above photographed Jemaine Clement 1/2 of The Flight of the Conchords. Oh I hope this movie shows up in Houston.

If you don't know the Conchords and you like wacked out yet understated humor you must put them on your netflicks. It's one of the few shows JP and I agree on, except he loves the manager Murray. Alas I could not see all of season 2 since we got rid of HBO and now they aren't doing any more. *sigh*

And yet again I totally slept through my alarm. I woke up after 5:30 when JP's alarm went off so I actually had to call in because I was 30 minutes late. D'oh. I don't know if my alarm did go off and I just turned it off or if it just didn't go off.

But I will say waking up at 5:30 was a bit easier so I might have to change my hours to 7 to 4:30 with a half hour lunch... which totally sucks about the half hour lunch...

And I am officially in the clear... seven days since the amnio and not problems! Whoo-hoo! No excuse for not working out now...

I can't help it...

Everytime I read the mini-headlines about "This Is It" that Michael Jackson movie I start singing "If This is It" by Huey Lewis & the News one of my FAVORITE songs EVAH.


Day is taking forever, didn't get much done because I spent too much personal time on the phone tracking down places I might can go. *sigh* I'll just bounce between the two possiblities every other day or so and take it from there.

Seems wrong that the doctors who have ordered the vaccine don't have any idea when or if they'll get it. In this day an age of text messages telling you the status of your latest shipments from Amazon or flight delays it just seems... wrong and out dated.

My back up plan is to convince JP to let me quit now and then I'll avoid the office sickies all together... HA! Like that'll happen.

I need to convince my diabetic friend to take this seriously too. Not panic but take it seriously. Stubborn girl that she is.

Stress the trying...

I've spent part of the morning calling around to find out where I could possibly get the H1N1 flu shot. Looks like my best bet is my GP if/when he gets his order and when I get a permission letter from the ob.

All this blustering about get it, get it, get it and yet you can't get it. WIC clinics have it but they're all in really not so nice areas of town and according to a posting, they're taking care of thier patients first. *sigh* oh well.

Would figure the year I actually need to get one, it's the year of swine flu.

Now I'm trying to get back to work. Stupid acquisitions with junk files... *sigh*

Tired too... I'm gonna have see about coming in later or something.

"Something is squeezing my skull..."

Oh geez, it's only Tuesday out of a 5 day week. Not good.

Didn't sleep well last night and so it's a struggle now at my desk. It doesn't help that it's NPR pledge time so instead of news its donation pleas. I do a sustaining donation... well until I stop working.

Nothing else going on. All is quiet... I wonder if the big boss is out again and if it's work related.

I have had to order some clothes. I've found that Old Navy & Gap maternity have some of the better prices for the quality of fabric. Plus there is always an online promo for a percentage off or free shipping.

My grip is the same as always. Why is petite or "ankle" length so friggin short and "regular" is like amazon long?! ARRGH! Regular in the jeans works fine but for the slacks it's crazy long?! *sigh* while I won't be the most stylish, I'll have enough pants to get me through a work week and a couple I can save and "grow" into. Yeah, because there is no consistancy so say a size 4 pants in cream fit fine, but in black... HUGE. What the heck?! clothing will make you go insane...

What do you say...

A much younger friend miscarried yesterday. She's only 25 and I think the couple got over excited and as soon as she did the at home test they started telling people. JP was worried about that since it was barely 6 weeks...

At this point I don't know if I should say something to her or not. We don't hang out, or really talk just our husbands are friends.

Plus, she knows we're pregnant and I might be one of the last people she wants to hear from. It would be different if it was like an infertility issue as I've had people ask me about it since I've been pretty open about what I went through.

And I know how it's helped me recently with people sharing with me...

I just haven't had this particular issue...

Maybe I'll send her an email via FB, that's private and unobtrusive. I'll ask JP what he thinks.

She's young and probably will be put on prenatals by her doctor, and everything will be fine I know. It's just gonna be rough on her in the coming weeks..

Oh it was no big deal was is?!

Boys can say the dumbest things without even thinking.

Yesterday was the much worried about Amnio. I had to speak with the councilor before hand, and no it wasn't the one who left the horrible message on my voicemail, so they had enough snap to put me with someone else. Basically she went over what I already knew... strange what you remember from high school biology suddenly. Then she went over the procedure and since I said flat out no termination we didn't go there.

I've seen my baby every week since I went through a fertility clinic... how could I if baby wasn't going to be suffering in pain or some other really horrific issue.

JP was with me the whole time, being SUCH a guy. If I got chocked up he'd talk to me like a kid telling me to calm down. I don't pretend to know how guys operate, they just compartmentalize everything... it's weird but it's how they're wired.

They did a full ultra sound, even though I'll have to go back anyway for the 20th week scan... but I guess since you're there might as well then they can charge you. They were able to see everything since the baby was stretched out horizontally facing outward. Just couldn't see the spine clearly since he was positioned that way. We did see 10 fingers & toes, 4 chambers in the heart, etc. And at one point the baby waved and then seemed to flash the Westside gang signal. Hilarious.

No soft signs were seen to elevate our risk either.

Amnio, was not fun. During the 2 minute procedure I would say it totally ranked up there with the x-ray of my uterus back in April. Difference being once the needle and other stuff was out the pain faded to discomfort and then gone much quicker.

I'm just 3 hours shy of the 24 hour mark and so far nothing. No spotting or other signs of problems. Just the next few days making sure I don't develop an infection, so flu like symptoms are to be watched for.

JP did confess this morning that he is worried. He said that he can't help but feel something like this would happen to his baby because as he put it, "Things don't work out for me." I was a bit shocked because that boy has lived a charmed life as far as I can tell. But maybe he's coming from a smilar place as me. I know he's been treated shabby by previous girlfriends and who know what ugly things one of them might have said to him. Been there.

So today is my Friday off and I am still in jammies. JP hasn't recovered from jetlag and was up and making a crazy loud noise by 4 am. I did nap on the sofa for a while, but just taking it easy today. Good thing I had so many shows recorded as day time tv is horrible after the Today show. Seriously, ugh.

Before he left this morning, JP did say, "At least the amnio was no big deal..."

Oh really? I don't remember a needle being plunged into the tender bottom half of your belly, into your innards... was I wrong about that? I'm so glad it was no big deal for you sitting in that chair by the table.

I informed him, that's the sort of comment that will come back to haunt him at EVERY family gathering for the rest of his life. I'll be in my 80s... "that silly man said it was no big deal!?"

Rain is a'comin'...

Just in time to mess up the drive home too. Fun.

In the last week I've gotten so many messages and emails letting me know that people have "been there" and assuranceses that everything is gonna be alright... I just wanted to say a blanket Thank You... Thank you for your prayers, thank you for your advise, thank you for sharing your own stories. It has helped more than you can imagine.

As I've mentioned before I that I have this thing about my own happiness. And really I have no reason to think this way as truly I have lead a blessed and uncomplicated life... but when it comes to certain things, mostly the stuff I really yearned for (partner in life, my own family etc) I have a hard time accepting that not only would they'd happen for me, but that they aren't going to be taken away instantly or that some how I don't deserve them, or that I'm not supposed to have them.

Like I said, I don't know why. I've never experienced any profound loss... yeah the usual ups and downs in a family but no huge tragedy, nor any other event that would make sense... so yeah. Wierd I know, but yeah

Job or money issues, I don't sweat 'cause it'll work out... always has for me. But personal... I'll collapse like a house of cards over the mere fantasical thought... no good. But maybe all of this is a crash course to sucking it up and moving forward no matter what is thrown at you.

So JP should be arriving in LA in the next hour or so. the worst part of his trip over, 18 hours from Sinapore via Tokyo. Yeah they put him on the route that would save the company $3k... jerks. Unless the weather takes a really bad turn he should be back in Houston by 10 tonight. I'll be asleep when he makes it to the house, but if he can wake me up I won't mind very much today.

Oh and when I said I'm not sure about JP in the room with me tomorrow, it's because he's more of a ninny about needles and medical stuff than I am. Seriously, the THOUGHT of a tongue depressor is enough to turn him green. I was amazed he could give me that final shot in the butt. He probably thought of the cost of all those drugs and being Scottish wasn't about to waste it.

Heading home shortly, gonna be a long drive as it's getting dark out my way.

and then...

Oy Vey! I'm tired and cranky and not wanting to try and recalculate a property at all. Ugh...

It took me forever just to write a letter this morning. Problems staying focused.

So I'm catching up on my recorded shows. Lost a few episodes so I went online to watch them. I have one more episode of Supernatural to watch and then all I have left is Dexter and Sons of Anarchy.

I also finished Season 5 of Lost and all I can say is whoa... It doesn't help that Jacob is played by the same guy who is the current skin suit for Lucifer on Supernatural. Extra creep factor there.

Book wise I finished two while on vacation: The Prodigal Summer and Bound. Recommend them both and I liked Bound much more than The Widow's War probably because it didn't wander in the middle of the book.

Still trying to remain positive and upbeat about Thursday. It helps that JP is coming home late Wednesday night. I don't know about him taking me but he insists on it. I'll probably just leave him in the waiting room.

So Friday I'm off from working and supposed to take it extra easy. Luckily it's my Friday off and JP will have to work anyway so there is nothing I have to do or cancel so aside from the few people I've told no one needs to know what's going on.

I seem to have difficulty accepting something good happening without something bad happening as some sort of payment. My first thought when it comes to me and my life is to go to the negative. I don't know why I do that, and I don't know how to teach myself not too either.

Ah well... continual prayers for the baby.

Here we go again...

Productive weekend, while I was awake that is. I slept a crazy amount of time. I'm guess that was the last of getting over jetlag.

Finally got my closet a bit organized. I dumped my regular clothes into one of the other bedroom closests so now in theory all I have hanging is stuff that fits currently. I'll move stuff out as it stops working for me.

Met up with Olga for dinner on Saturday and we had a good chat. She's got some family issues going on right now and any minute she could be off to Laredo.

Got a text from JP and it looks like he might be back on Wednesday. Best anniversary present if he actually can.

Right now work wise, I just have a bunch of really messy issues. Nothing straight forward. Fun. So happy to be back. I was hoping my trip away would renew my enthusiasim for work, but so far that ain't happening. Ugh.

And I forgot my badge today. Great. I had stuff to do at lunch but unless someone can loan me theirs that ain't happening now. *sigh* it was one of those mornings.

"Only the Japanese could design a thermal mug this cool!"

That was JP's comment this morning regarding a present he picked up for me. A ridiculously priced thermal mug that will blow me away with it's awesomeness. HA!

He called this morning and it seems like he won't know until next week when exactly he'll be home. He's hoping he'll be home at the end of the week by the latest and says if he's home in time he wants to take me for the test regardless of what work might schedule for him.

For his sake I hope he's home by Friday so he can get some rest.

The U2 concert was supposed to be his anniversary present but btwn travel and other stress inducers that didn't happen. So now I have to scramble for something. Can't be anything to posh since I'm out the money for the tickets (bought them months and months ago.) I am at a loss... and now how can it compare with the thermal mug of awesomeness.

I'll check Target for any new DVDs he might like and there is always the iTunes card which he loves. I see a trip out to Katy Mills as well tomorrow. Gotta do stuff out of the house as I'm on my own this weekend. Mom & Dad are off to another wedding in San Antonio and Olga is dealing with a family crisis of her own. Theresa is doing the Quilt Show and no thank you on that... so yeah I'm on my tod and JP would say and without a clue of what to do.

Hrm....

Emotional dumping...

For the past few months I've been censoring myself and today that stops. I need a place to vent my frustration and fears and my blog is the best place to do it. I've always used my LJ for that and for awhile this blog, but I stopped and I need it back.

So, those few friends who stop here, I'm warning you now for the next several months this site will be filled with hormonally induced rants and general crazy verbal expulsion of anxiety because I need it. So if you want to check back in April, I'll understand.

I'm pregnant. 3 1/2 months or so at this point. Due on April 2nd.

Some people know, but I'm not one for loud proclemations so not EVERYONE knows.

So yeah, the one round of IUI was successful and evidently that's pretty rare. Works for me 'cause that medication was not cheap, but the procedure thanks to our insurance was nearly fully covered as we owed less than $200. So I guess it balanced out that way.

The scary time started just before I left for Australia, but I didn't realize it was a scary time until I landed in Brisbane with a voicemail on my phone.

See, I'm 33 and to cover her butt from any lawsuit (please I have no illusion that doctor's really care all that much, except maybe your GP who sees you more often) the ob/gyn sent me for a Nuchal Fold examination and blood work. I didn't know what the blood work was for at the time, but I had heard of the nuchal because of Jodi Picoults last book.

It's the measurement to supposedly identify Down's Syndrome.

The blood work, it turns out was also to pick up some kind of signifiers for Down's as well.

I land in Brisbane a full week after the exam, my Nuchal measurement is 2.4 and at the time a doctor came in (I was at the women's genetic clinic at UT medical) and told me everything was just fine with that measurement, perfectly in the range. So I went home confident that at least that was one hurdle down for my baby.

Oh no, I've had a crash course in the last few weeks that those tests don't mean squat.

See, the message I got was from a woman who identified herself as a Genetic Councilor with UT and that there were some results from my blood work that we needed to discuss. She left the message about 4pm Thursday Houston time so I got it Friday morning when I made to to my sister in laws house well after the office had shut for the day.

Now, getting a message from someone with that title is gonna scare the crap out of you, I don't care who you are. And the corker... the bitch who left the message doesn't work on Fridays and no one else there will talk to you.

Long story short I spend the next day trying to get a hold of someone who can tell me what's going on which isn't easy given the time difference. Even longer story short, my blood work came up with a weird result meaning that according to the blood my baby as a 1 in 50 chance of having Down's. Or roughly a 2% chance (if only they'd word it THAT WAY!)

According to the ob/gyn the only way to know is an amnio, both these other tests don't mean anything. You can test fine on both and still have a baby with Down's or test badly and everything be fine. So my question is, WHY THE FRAK DO IT THEN?! How about instead ask the person Hey if you have a kid with Down's would you choose to terminate? and then do the fraking testing.

I'm not willing to abort a baby for Down's. While I'm praying my baby is genetically fine, I know that Down's doesn't mean a kid can't lead a full life. Yes, they have bigger medical issues like respiratory issues, and heart problems... but they can go on to hold jobs and be semi idependent people depending on their individual ability. I've know Down's kids (more so when I was in school) and they were some of the sweets kids you'd ever know. And plently of genetically "normal" babies have gone on to have horrible medical issues like cancer so being non-Down's doesn't mean a healthy kid either.

But, at the same time the bell has been rung and I need to know. That means an amnio. I've been told that since I'm thin that my risk with an amnio is very low 1 in 270 or .37% risk of miscarriage.

There has been some issues arranging the amnio as the medical office staff at the ob/gyn and at the genetic place seem to have their heads wedges far far up their asses, not unlike what you find at the pharmacy... Ever want to feel like less than a number on a page, deal with a specialists office for real.

I was originally supposed to have the amnio today, but because of their lack of snap I have to now wait until next week. Again, they don't care they aren't dealing with this. One day they will be a patient be it for a baby or a cancer test or whatever and THEN they will know what they've dished out to others. LIke that movie The Doctor. I know it's not personal against me, they just aren't very good at being orgainzed and instead of saying sorry we messed up, but let's get this organized now I was made to feel like this was my fault that I should have know.

I'm gonna end up like Elaine on Seinfeld and black balled from all medical offices... I wasn't rude or cussing but I told them what I thought. I told them, "look I'm not angry at you, and I'm not blaming you. I know I'm just a number on a page and that you don't care, I get that. But I've been going crazy for 2 and a half weeks and now you're telling me I have to wait another week. This is MY LIFE you're messing with here. MY.LIFE. Please can we all be on the same page from here on out because I can't take this anymore."

I expect lousy service when I walk in a McDonald's or any other store. Stupidly I expect more with dealing with "medical professionals." I guess it's harder to find decent medical help outside of your GP than I thought. Specialists can SUCK IT.

Like you don't wallow and beat yourself up enough with stupid questions like, Am I being punished? Did I do something wrong? Could I have prevented this? when the answer is no of course not. Get real, this is the reality of how people reproduce, splitting cells are messy messy things.

So yeah, I'm a bit wound up but I don't think without cause. And it doesn't help that even little things like oh getting dressed are getting to be more of a pain as from day to day my regular clothes stop fitting but maternity is still to big. I did go up a pant size, but that's now down to just two pair of pants that work and a bunch of capri pants that I'm not supposed to wear to work.

I thought buying pants was annoying before this thanks to my non-industry liked body shape. Seriously the only pants that have EVER fit well at the blakley "curvy" fit pants from Eddie Bauer...oh if only they did maternity. Plus maternity tops are WAY to big but my new found boobs don't fit in regular tops anymore. Fun.

Speaking of newly developed boobage... I don't like guys staring at them. I never really had that before because as an A cup seriously if they were looking it was to see if I had anything. But I had to laugh when JP asked, "Can we keep 'em?!" Oy vey! But yeah, I'm not liking how any tops fit when you have boobs. Don't like 'em not one little bit and hope I go back to normal quickly afterwards.


So get ready blog, it's gonna be a bumpy ride as I'm sure the ob has plenty of other ways to scare the crap out of me... if I don't kick her scrappy ass first.

Of books and hand sanitizer...

Well, I ordered two books from Amazon and they should be here today. I went with Prodigal Summer and Bound. Reading the description of Water for Elephants I knew I'd be bawling on the plane or grinding my teeth so I opted to save that one for later.

I didn't realize Prodigal Summer was by the same writer as The Poisonwood Bible so hey there ya go. And Bound is the new historical fiction from the writer of The Widow's War... it's a semi-sequel so yeah.

If I get to meet up with Olga before I leave she's going to loan me Pride & Prejudice & Zombies. She claims she laughed all the way through and she loves Austin as much as I do so I'm hoping it's my kind of funny.

I also bought my travel size stuff to take on the plane, and I found a pump spray hand sanitizer at Target. Score. I do tend to have an awesome immune system, but I just find airplane toilets beyond nasty (and I worked in a movie theater for a couple of years) so it's more to cover that gross out factor. My last time on Quantas they were above and beyond the best Continental plane I've been on so I'm hoping its more like that trip... but just in case.

I also picked up a new pair of workout/loungy pants and I plan on changing into them for the long flight, and yes I'm even gonna pack my house slippers... my older pair not the nice ones Mary gave me. I will be comfortable! Talked JP into getting two aisle seats, I'll sit behind him so we both can easily walk around too... last time my feet swelled for a bit and that wasn't fun.

Mary wasn't happy we wouldn't be sitting right next to each other, which made me laugh.

So what I have left to do it buy some snackies. I thought, to try and avoid some travel discomfort I typically have, I would take fruit to eat at the LAX airport before the flight, so I don't get in trouble for accidently having foreign fruit in Oz, and then see if I can find those smaller bags of like wheat thins and goldfish crackers for the flight itself. Last time they gave out like high fat granola and candy bars... not what I'm really wanting to eat ya know.

I also broke down and bought season 5 of LOST for my iPod. It comes out too late on Netflix for me to watch the last season on TV so I justified it as it only cost me $35... and I'll have something that really grabs me. I want to watch the last season on time and maybe Olga and I can catch a free showing at the Drafthouse at some point. Those always look like a blast.

And before I forget, STEVE INSKEEP is in Houston!!! *Swoon* NPR is doing a week long report on Houston and it's massive growth etc. Today he was out reporting at the construction point on Beltway 8. I believe he's supposed to take one of those bayou boat tours and of course he's going to The Breakfast Klub. HA!

At least it's quiet... like the begining of that Bjork video

It's very very quiet here again today. Yesterday the supervisors and the big boss were gone most of the day, and lots of people are out sick. I don't know what they're home with.

I'm not Chicken Little about the swine flu, but we do have this one person who ALWAYS gets sick, comes into the office for a couple of hours and walks around and basically infects everyone else before she heads home again. She does it every year and it's been everything from seasonal flu, to other lovely contagious illnesses. She just doesn't get it. At least she's on the other side of the half floor from me now.

Nothing else going on, just trying to fly low and not stumble into any major issues. One nearly came up, but turned out that well nobody listened to me months ago and it turns out to be a marketing issue NOT me having to come up with ownership outta the blue. Fun.

It was an overall quiet weekend too. JP met up with his former boss on Friday and I went shopping with my Mom and Aunt on Saturday. Trying to help Mom find a dress for two upcomming weddings. We had the sales ladies thinking we were nuts. Such a good time. I believe they are coming over on Sunday for some Indian at Mantra. Num!

Nothing else going on, just working... oh Smudge has finally forgiven JP for wrongfully blaming her regarding a spilled can of orange fanta. Smudge does not take the blame for a hairy humans mistake... and boy did she let him know it. For having a brain smaller than a walnut... that cat is freakish in what she seems to know and remember. I doubt she remember why she was angry with JP, she just knew she was shunning him (for 5 days!).

...gotta figure out when I have time to go buy some new pants. fun. And I still haven't bought any books!?! i see Amazon in my very near future.

Hormonal pity party....

Yeah I'm having one right now... I just need to vent a bit.



Not that I've ever been popular with oodles of friends, but I used to actually have more then a couple. It seems that some time in my mid to late twenties it was decided I wasn't worth being friends with. Those I was friends with in college stopped wanting to hang out with me... possibly because by then the migraines where so bad that I couldn't drink and they couldn't hang out with me sober or at least not in a non-bar setting.

new people that I've met through JP have been a disaster and I've learned these expaite girls don't like making new friends. You're ok to hang out with at the occasional bbq, or baby birthday party but that's it. It's a totally closed off world. Even the ones I thought were friends I've found out they never thought of me that way, and that has probably hurt the worst out of all of this.

I get it... really I'm a huge pain the ass and a killjoy of some sort. Too much of a geek and not in a hipster cool way.

I do treasure the few precious friends that I do have, and I hope they really do know that I would do anything for them because I would. This isn't the first time this sort of thing has happened to me... junior year of high school, senior year of college, and now again as a supposed grown up.

Rejection just hurts. Big time.

oh well... I'm off today and got my hair cut early this morning. Came home to do laundry and haven't decided if I'm gonna take myself to see a movie or not. I don't think I'm really in the mood and the only new funny movie out is Extract.

I was supposed to go out to dinner with Olga but a family medical emergency popped up yesterday. If you pray, please keep Olga's Uncle Dicky in your prayers he's got kidney cancer and dealing with pneumonia as a complication at MD Anderson. I haven't heard an upday since yesterday so I don't know how he's doing.

So I'm a bit at loose ends, which didn't help the blow of what I found out this morning. Oh well. People suck... move on.

Laundry is buzzing so I better hop to, or I'll have to iron on top of all the washing.

Depeche Mode!

I totally forgot to post about seeing Depeche Mode on Sunday with Olga!?

OMG!

Anyway, it was a GREAT show. Considering what those guys have done to themselves Gahan & Gore have not ruined their voices at all. And Martin Gore is like the hardest working musican, he never took a break. When the band would take a break he'd do one of his solo songs either with no backing of just the guitar.

Gahan's performance was like a naughty Freddie Mercury, the only way I could describe him.

I never crushed on any of the band memebers, just loved their music ever since a girl played "Flys on the Windscreen" for me in 7th grade.

There was a massive cross section of people, and lots brought their little kids which was funny to see. I'm going to assume the tots had ear plugs 'cause it was hella loud. Sitting next to me was a boy who was 19 at best and he was belting out all the old school DM songs and The Policy of Truth seemed to hold deep impact for him because he was doing the finger pointing dance of emphasis during that one.

So yeah excellent concert, so so glad I went. Next show is U2 in October. Whoo-hoo! I'm gonna have to check out who else is coming.

Reading suggestions...

Okay to my small group of readers...

The loooooong trip to Australia is fast approaching and that means I need some book suggestions... paperback so they're easier to pack. Typically I like a little bit of everything, but I can't deal with that serious level of chick lit where it's all about the designer stuff they're buying etc. I have been on a memoir kick as well.

So if you please, drop me a line here or on FB with your suggestion so I can hit up the bookstores. Thank you!


It's nearly empty in the office. The Big Boss, who has been out since last Thursday came in today. Only that lady would come in on a Friday after vacation. So there goes any chance of early dismisal (or just plain-ol' sneekin' out). *sigh*

We aren't doing or going anywhere for the long weekend. It doesn't work when we're working on the Friday. So we are just home with the Netflix dvds.

Tonight we are off to dinner with the usual suspects, so I'll get to see little Eva and Cole. At least they aren't late nights anymore with the tots in tow.

Sunday I pick up my parents after their week in England. They went to visit some friends, our former Pastor who had to move back. Sounds like they have been having a great time and only one rained out day, so not bad.

I can not WAIT for my vacation. A week of nothing but Noodle Leggs and Coolum beach followed by shopping and the pokies in Brisbane for a week. Whoo-hoo! Not to shabby. We aren't doing a weekend trip anywhere which is a bummer. I would have like to visit Sydney or Melbourne but internal flights are too expensive so there went that.

Nothing new on the work front, nothing to add to the rumor front of the other DO group getting slashed.

I am hoping that when I get back from my vacation that I'll be more into my job. We'll see.

This ain't Mad Men up in here...

For some time now the three decanters of the office coffee have been spotty. Some times they leak, if they aren't under the drip just so nothing goes in... etc.

Multiple times, I a non-coffee drinker, have cleaned up or helped to clean up the messes as it goes everywhere and it's the "Floor's" kitchen so yeah, it's what a grown up should do.

Now... since the steady trickle of Land Negotiators have come to our floor (they are all men) there is more turn around in the coffee consumption and therefore more chances for a mishap.

Today I broke.

I walk into the kitchen to make my morning peppermint tea and it's about 8am. I am following my friend Theresa. We walk in to find a Land Negotiator filling up his coffee mug and telling us about the mess and laughing as we are left cleaning it up. Can you say WANKER. Can you say LOSER. Can you say ASSHAT. Yes the man witnessed the overflow and walked away from the mess with a merry heart that the women folk were cleaning up the mess for him so he could get back to that important work of our land negotiators... like drilling wells for other companies and causing lawsuits.


AND... while we were cleaning up another Land Negotiator came in and was just standing behind us waiting for a us to start a fresh pot of coffee since the last pot was all over the counter. I admit it, I glared at him over my shoulder and told he we were going to be a while... and we did NOT make a fresh pot. (There was no way of knowing which decanter was jacked up as they were empty)


It's not the first time this has happened either... it's just the last time it's happening to me. If it's good enough for the menfolk to ignore it's good enough for me to ignore.

One guy actually had the NERVE to go into Laura's office and tell her that she needed to get someone in the kitchen to clean up the mess. Really I'm surprised she didn't rip his face off because she usually is a tasmanian devil about lesser such things... I'm assuming her lack of maiming was a result of shock.

Romona sent out a memo but I know these men won't change as I'm sure that their behavior at work reflects how they behave at home. I am lucky enough to live with a man who more than cleans up after himself. Typically he has to remind me to pick up a magazine or whatnot I've left on the sofa instead of putting in the basket. And never has he left a huge mess in the kitchen for me to clean. At worst he doesn't put away the clean dishes and likes to float the dirty dishes in super hot soapy water. I can totally live with that.

But I am done... done.done.DONE. with these messy men. If they are married and their wives let them get away with acting like that, SHAME ON THEM. We aren't talking coffee rings on the counter but standing liquid covering a communal area.

SHEESH!

There are lots of other incidents but I'm not hashing them all out it'll just piss me off more.

Not much...

Nothing terribly exciting personally speaking. Things have been quiet since the Chris Isaak concert really.

JP and I did go see District 9 and I can't recommend it high enough. The cast is amazing especially considering that the majority of the lines are improvised. Yeah it's not just an alien movie, it shows how horrible people can be to "the other" whatever that might be.

JP is off to possibly the last Austin golf weekend. The social dynamic has been changing for a couple of years now, but the last full year especially. It's not just people moving to other countries for their careers, but I think the loss of Ian from his fight with cancer sent some of the more... less emotionally strong/grown up/developed individuals down an A-hole spiral of Me-me-ness. Sad.

I also came across this link this morning. I don't have an opinion about Frank one way or the other, but it was nice to see an elected offical stand up to this. I wasn't the best student in high school, I tended not to pay attention and skate by but I'm pretty sure these people throwing around the word "nazi" to describe in a blanket statement a complicated policy is being used wrong. Obvs they paid less attention in history class than me, and they don't know where "nazi/facsim" falls on that political spectrum chart we had to learn back in the day or what their policies/ideaologies really stood for.

And don't get me started on the whole "Death Panel" scare tactic... if you ever have the difficult task of putting an elderly relative into a nursing home or any kind of assisted living facility, one of the many many forms the director throws at you during this very difficult and emotional time are DNR forms and the like. It's about counciling people, it's about knowing your options so what YOUR LOVED ONE wants is done. I have had several co-workers go through this over the years and it's not easy and they feel adrift because their elderly relative typically hasn't been all there to fully discuss their wishes. I'm lucky enough to have a very precise Father who many years ago drew up his own living will, which is 100% opposite from my Mother's so I know what they want and how they want it done.

I'm not saying that what's being proposed is the direction we should head in. I don't claim to be that smart to know all the possible fall outs. But I know enough that the system is failing to many people these days. The cost is growing faster than the average person can keep up with. But to leave it as is... that won't work either. When a child dies because his Mother can't afford to see a freakin' dentist there is something wrong... when 1/3 of bankrupcies come from catstrophic illness or accidents cleaning out a family there is some thing wrong (well that might be less after the housing collapse... d'oh). I think it's a multi-pronged problem that's going to require lots of changes and many of those might have to be us taking on more of a responsibility for ourselves not just the government, the insurance companies or "big pharma" we all have our changes to make... but to be a supposed wealthy idustrialized nation and to be so ignorant about the need for change is just scary.

And don't get me stared on the morons with the signs that say, "Keep the Government out of my Medicare" or the really scary people showing up with guns to Town Hall meetings... Yeah I get it that it's perfectly legal where they're doing it, but the message they are conveying is FRIGHTENING.

sheepels, please.

...if you've read this and think I'm some far left-liberal and you're gonna school me... don't bother. I'm not and you're not so just move along. I just think we should do right by each other. Agree to disagree and do so civilly without name calling or trying to scare people or throw out hate speech coming from knee-jerk reactions to fear of change, fear of something different, fear of whatever the heck it is they're so friggin' wigged out about.

Very sleepy... Like sleep under the desk sleepy...

I've been struggling with sleepiness for the last couple of weeks. I've never been a morning person, but this is beyond the norm for me.

I tried going to bed even earlier and ended up just waking up an hour earlier than my alarm. Ugh. Sleepy... I just want to nap all day long.

Good thing this is my Friday off coming up... I plan on sleeping as late as possible and napping after that. Call me Keiko.

More work stuff... I believe more Ops people are moving to our half floor. I'm not really jazzed about this as it means more than likly we'll get booted off the floor once they decide they need more room, not unlike what happened last time. This floor has less room, since it's a half, so I don't understand the "logic" in moving them slowly down here.

Too tired to think about it...

Office shenanigans... shenanigans I say!

There have been several creeping sorts of changes over the past couple of years here. Bit by bit, responsibilities that were in the domain of a Land Tech have been parcelled out... either to our two more clerical staff or to the DO Landman.

Some of the more recent changes were, to me, a bit odd because to some extent they should have always been dealt by the new rules. See, now if something is very complicated or requires a crazy amount of research it's supposed to go to the Landman, along with certain transfers that have a crazy number of recipeints and other type requirements.

Now, as far as I'm concerned really difficult issues should have already been going to the Landman. But researching regular issues... I mean that's how you learn, that's how you gain the experience to move up the ladder or at least demend a raise. Basically, the way it looks to me, the position is being stripped down to a clerical position of answering the phones if this keeps up.

I understand that we are beyond understaffed and pressed to do even more with every passing day... but I don't like the way that slope is sliding.

Wow...

I stumbled across this earlier this morning...


Wow...

I've read a few articles talking about Hughes movies and it got me thinking why, for me at least, his movies still hold up. Today the movies are really all about the snark... funny comes from cynical and snarky nowadays which is fine, but wearing. These movies weren't so tied up in being so ironic and not so mean as you see now. OR they're soooooo unbelievable cookie cutter that they drive you nuts.

I'm gonna be adding some movies to my Amazon wishlist...

Personal top 5, in no particular order: The Breakfast Club, Plains, Trains & Automobiles, Uncle Buck, Somekind of Wonderful, and 16 Candles. (noticed I only put down 4)

RIP John Hughes

How I loved your movies... I loved the pretty constant theme that being an "oddball" wasn't odd at all. We're all a bit weird and that's okay...

and he gave us some of the best line ever... I think I need to find my DVDs.

I can't be your woobie...

My co-worker, Y, the one who has been having the health issues since the beginning of July came in here recently... and I feel bad, I had to send her right out.

I'm going through something rather scary and difficult myself and I can't discuss it with people. Especially with people in the office. So right now, emotionally I can't be anyones security blanket for serious. I have to be selfish and think about my own health and emotional wellbeing.

People like this have often sought me out. I become the person they attach too whenever things are bad, and most of the time is is legitimate (just as often not)... but right now I can't do it.

I just can't.

And God forbid she asks me to take her to the emergency room. I can't do that for certain either.

If you're the praying sort, please think of my co-worker Y. and for me.

Monday, Monday... la laaaa la lalaaaa

Oh three day weekends how I wish you were every weekend. *sigh*

Friday was very low key, which was probably why it was the only day that didn't need a nap. I just ran a few errands and then did laundry.

We did go see Harry Potter that night, and really as usual the movie is so light. Of all the books HBP was probably my fav so that didn't help. The girl who played Lavender was hilarious though.

Saturday I went with my Mom & Aunt to the outlet. After a couple of hours I had to drop them off and head home for a nap before the plummer arrived. Had a great nap, but then the plummer was 4 hours late. D'oh!

Turned out it was something called the P-trap, or at least that's what JP called it, was dried out and so you were hearing the drips and echos from all over the house, not a leak somewhere. Was also why it smelled musky from the tub too, so we have to run some water through the pipes once a week or so. Not for long but just enough to keep things happy.

Sunday was Church, with Pastor Freddy coming for a visit. His niece & nephew from Florida were with him and I was so surprised to see how grown up they are. Sunday afternoon was another nice nap, me leaning on JP and Smudge leaning on me.

Ended up going to see Tony and Rosslyn briefly to check out the final sketch before she starts painting. Looks really good, she is amazing. I did ask her to "air brush" out my chicken pock scars. HA!

So today is Monday and at least there isn't a meeting. I was very good and made spaghetti last night so I have lunch for today. One less thing to deal with. I do have to run a kitty errand but I might do that later in the week.

I could so go for a nap already...

Fun night...

Went to the Alley Theater last night for this years Summer Chills show. It was a Sherlock Holmes for a change from Agatha Christies. It was so fun! Lots of good humor and the full cast was the Alley regulars so that's always a treat.

Todd Waite was Holmes and Chris Hutchenson (the spitter) was Watson. Blast.

Looking over the coming programs there are two I'd like to see, Hitchcock's 39 Steps and Harvey. There are a couple of others that sound interesting so it'll depend on the price. The only big Broadway production I'm interested in is South Pacific is coming. whoo-hoo! Hopefully not when I'm on vacation.

So today I get to go have bloodwork yet again. Oh fun. Tonight we're going to see the Harry Potter movie. So the rest of the day I'll just take it easy and get some household chores done. Maybe I'll go food shopping too.

Well... I better think about showering etc...

Wednesday.... really?!

I'm having difficulty getting it straight that it's Wednesday. Probably partially due to me falling asleep at like 8:15 last night.

Yes I fell asleep watching Warehouse 13. At least I had already gotten ready for bed and didn't miss brushing my teeth etc. Must have been tired.

It's funny I doubt JP would admit it but he does like Warehouse and is quickly getting hooked on Eureka. HA! Geeky sci-fi will eventually wear him down!

Not much else going on really. I think I'm heading to the outlet with Mom on Saturday. They're supposed to have some big sales this weekend and she's looking for stuff for the friends she's visiting in England next month. Hoodies and that sort of thing.

Tomorrow night I have the Summer Chills play. Some Holmes play, no idea as I never read any of the books.

Very very tired this week. Glad I'm off on Friday.

Pin Cushion part deux

Aargh... more bloodwork today at 9. *insert Monty Python-esque "yaaaaay" here*

Hopefully the person who draws the blood today is gentle. But at least I can say no one has missed the vein yet, so that's something. Of course if you miss my vein their is something wrong with you. It's HUGE and these veins don't roll.

JP is back and Smudge is giving him what for... as he said this morning, "She's making it very obvious to me that she knows I'm home and want me to know that she knows and that she's unhappy with me." Smudge is hard on JP, and I let her be.

She is very aware of sitting with her back to him no matter how much shifting around that means.

Yolanda is back at work. The occupational nurse just came by to get her release documents etc. She was gone for 3 1/2 weeks total! I hope she's feeling up to a full day in the office.

I'm off on Friday, and I'm thinking I'm gonna go see a movie. Probably Harry Potter, but I'm very tempted to see that guiene pig movie G-Force. I had a piggy as a kid, loved that little guy. I think all pocket pets with fur are cute... we'll see. If Rosslyn is back i might have to sit for the portrait instead. She is worried about getting the skin tone right.

Now I understand...

about a month or so ago a girl from my college days, who I'm pretty sure never liked me at all added me on FB. Now I understand why...

I've been spammed all day via FB to donate blood, evidently she works for the Gulf Coast Blood bank and is behind on her monthly quota of donations.


Sheesh.


Whatever... I'm horrible and don't donate blood, but right now I doubt they'd want it anyway.

Ohmmm and some junk...

Weekend was too short. Two day weekends don't allow for enough down time.

Friday night, I treated myself to Chinese take out and the finale of Season 4 of Lost. Shocker of an ending, not as emotional as the finale of Season 3 but still excellent in other ways.

Saturday I was lazy for as along as possible but did manage to do some laundry before heading out for lunch with my parents and then some shopping with Mom at Kohl's. She's looking for gifts for the friends she's visiting in August.

Saturday night was a birthday party. I stayed for a couple of hours because between being so tired and the distance I didn't want to head back home in the dark. houston drivers are scary like that, and boy did I see som shenanigans on the road! This one SUV in particular should have his license taken away from him and he should be banded from driving until he can prove he's a mature adult. Sheesh.

Crashed early with the tv on and everything.

Sunday was more quiet time and the only outing was for Church. Just went to lunch and then home so I could do more laundry and take care of the kitties with the fountain and whatnot.

Nothing terribly exciting this weekend. Lots of sleeping and quality kitty time. Sunday afternoon Smudge stayed in my lap for over an hour and purred the whole time. Very snuggled in too.

Today there is no Monday meeting, excellent. The boss is out until tomorrow. A couple of others are out as well. Yolanda still hasn't returned to work, which is getting worriesome. It was the 8th of July when she had her episode and asked to be taken to the emergency room.

Oh one thing I did yesterday. Made an AWESOME turkey breast to have for lunch the next few days. OMG it came out as a good as Thanksgiving turkey. But my banana bread sucked... I think the nanners weren't over ripe enough but I was tired of seeing them as JP hasn't eaten them. Should have waited, but I think he shoved them in the fridge too soon. Don't bananas rippen better in a brown bag? or is that pears...?

Really not feeling well...

Today I go for my bloodtest... I'm like 99% certain it's going to come back negative. I just am... but MAN do I feel like 100% crap today. I think it's a combo on the progestrone, which blocks your cycle if you're not preggers, and nervs because I can't fully squash the little voice that's saying... "what if..."

I've basically felt like crap since Tuesday afternoon with the cramping and lower back spasams... and if this is what a monthly cycle was supposed to always feel like, sheesh I'm glad I've been out of sync.

It doesn't help that JP is away for work and squeezing a weekend to Edingburgh... it's that selfish boy-gene flaring up and not caring that I'm an emotional wreck. I kid you not, on Wednesday in my head I was yelling at him for having lazy swimmers because out of 50 million counted we still aren't in the family way. I blame the progesterone... cause when it's just me and my own bodily produced hormone crazy I fully blame myself (and have been for over a year) and something that I have done to warrent this.

Maybe I should take Ro's advice and go home early today...

But if I get the okay to stop the progesterone I really home I'll be back to "normal" in short order...

Only to start the shots again which made me feel so sick and dizzy for the first 3 days...

And it continues...

Jon Stewart is made of AWESOME! This is related to the post from Tuesday, with these whackadoodles known as "birthers." If a white democrate who was born in Hawai'i, lived in Guam, etc etc etc had won this would never have been brought up once. At least that's how I see it. With some of the hedioius crap I have over heard when out and about in uber conservative areas of H-town I have no choice. Not to mention the fact that some of the whackadoodles on the internet saying you can't be "natural born" if your parents aren't citizens... Um moron obvs didn't pay attention during civics. And don't get me started on the whole "manchurian candidate" dealie of some people that all this was planned by his parents 40 some years ago. Paranoid much? sheesh.


I was home yesterday with a migraine. It started on Tuesday afternoon and was totally related to the fronts moving through the area.

I watched a little tv, rewatched a movie or two, and tried to read when the mini-auras weren't popping up. Tylenol stinks for getting rid of a migraine and day time tv is crazy boring.

Read a bit more of my book, The Heretics Daughter. It's getting really good, but I couldn't stay focused. Plus everytime I opened the book Smudge wedged herself between me and the book.

Feeling very crampy today... pretty certain the first round of IUI did not take.

You can't fight crazy...

Seriously? I mean... Seriously?!


Quiet week seems to continue. So much of the drilling schedule seems to have fallen off the rails that I don't have much to do. Requests for ATUs started up again so I'm hoping that means I'll get some set ups from that by the end of the year.

I have an appointment for bloodwork on Friday. Eep.


JP has made it to Norway. I think it was like around 11:30 am Norway time. So today he'll just settle and try and get some rest and the work starts tomorrow. He probably won't be back until Tuesday or Wednesday of next week.


Very hungry... didn't have breakfast this morning and now I'm crazy hungry. I have dinner tonight at Aka for Karon's birthday. Managed to make a card last night so we're good on that front.

Hotel, motel, Holiday Innnnnn...

This weekend was the Orlando Florida trip to meet up with JP's friends and their kids. There were 6 kids ranging in age from 7 to 15 and it was amazing to see how well they all got along.

Having that little gang also made it easier for all the kids to ride the rollercoasters as they seemed to gain strength from knowing the others were doing it... well minus the youngest as most of the rides really did scare him. He did like the Toy Story 3D shoot out one and then he was given ribs for dinner so he was happy.

We stayed at a Best Western motor court type place. Never again will I take a "pool side" room. People just can't be trusted to govern their own behavior... oh like when it says "Pool Closed at 11pm" and they let their kids scream and scamper playing Marco Polo at Midnight and beyond. SHEESH!

The parks will filled with some many English tourists too... JP didn't have much nice to say about that. Heh. Plus there were HUGE Brazilian school groups at the park as well. Packed OUT!

Both ways JP was upgraded to First Class and he was kind enough to let me take the seat while he stayed in cattle class. It really burns me though that they continually separate us... I mean we're booked together and they sever the booking and bump him to 1st class all the time! Grrrrr.

Today he leaves for a week in Norway. =( It may or maynot go through the weekend we just won't know. This kind of throws things socially into that ackward area when invites are for both of us as I'm the one left... and I enough of a friend to be allowed on my own...?

Tomorrow is Karon's birthday dinner. It looks like it's turned into a girls night so that's a bit better... but yeah JP can't go but I do like Karon, she's very nice... no we don't do things just us but we're friendly etc. Social situations can be so difficult to manuver...

I'll have to see if I have the stuff to make a birthday card. I think I still have a bit of card stock left.

The glass was half full this morning...

The meeting this morning, was a surprise to congradulate the boss lady on 35 years with the company. The VP even brought cake & ice cream... yeah at 9 am.

I saved my cake and had it for lunch.


Went to Target and got a few things and forgot a few more. I found a small travel container for soap which I'm going to use for the medication. I'll only take two with me that way and not run the risk of ruining all of them if something goes wrong.

I also found another pj set. I have this weird thing about jammies, I seriously don't think you can own too many pairs. Got a very cute sock monkey & palm tree design from the Nick & Nora collection. Very comfy as a bought a size bigger than I need. Hee.

Came back and had enough time to read a bit more of my latest book The Heretic's Daughter. It's about the Salem witch trials told by the point of view of the writer's anscentor Martha Carrier. It's starts out when she is 9 and her family is faulted with bringing small pox to the town.

Not light reading, but it's good. I can do silly movies and sillier tv... but silly books I can't deal with. funny stuff yes fine, but just truly silly fluff books can't deal with.

And dinner tonight is on with Bayou City. Yum! They have a HH menu with all kinds of tasty treats. I had suggested we go to this pub Olga has mentioned, but she said that it's all fried food & she's not in the mood for it... but most of what's at Bayou City is fried too... hahaha. Oh well, if there are crawfish invovled it's all good.

Hopefully, I'll be hungry by then.

Office Friday, you arrived at last!

In about an hour we have our meeting with the VP. According to Jerry it really is just a meet & greet, but I have to wonder if he will mention the summer reevaluations we were told about earlier in the year.

I treated myself to an egg sandwich breakfast this morning. I deserved it.

Tonight I have to get to bed as early as possible for I am up at 4:15 tomorrow morning to get to the airport by 6 for our flight which is at 8am. That is one thing JP and I have in common we have to get to the airport crazy early.

I also have to figure how to take the progesterone with me. I don't want to take the whole container to avoid all of them melting, so I figured I'll just take two in a ziploc bag and keep them in the front pocket of my Kipling bad. If I only had some kind of tube to put them in to keep them from getting squished. Hrmmm...

Maybe a trip to Target is warrented... a full toothbrush case might do the trick.

Saw the sketch last night. It's really coming along well. She needs to work on the mouth and muscles around the mouth which she'll do when they get back from vacation. Luckies get to spend 10 days at Turtle Bay Resort in Hawai'i... so jealous.

So yeah, I'm supposed to go to dinner with Olga but I haven't heard back from her yet for confirmation of a location.

I'm just so tired...

Only Wednesday?!!?

Something wrong here... this week is seriously dragging. Seriously!

JP came home like crazy early. He was there by 5:20 which never happens, but since this is a weird week he was able to slip away early. Of course I'm smack in the middle of my "relax w/ tv hour" before my workout and watching an episode from Season 4 of Lost.

JP is totally lost *heehee* as to what's going on. He doesn't like serial programs (except for Sons of Anarchy - he thought the lead guy would become a good guy for some reason) so he's only watched a handful of episodes. Season 4 is not the season to try and jump in with the jumps to the future.

But yeah I'm nearly finished so I'll just wait now for season 5 to come out, hopefully before the final season starts. Gotta love Netflixs.

Got to watch Warehouse 13, and it's silly scifi... not Eureka silly (love me some Sherrif Carter) but still silly. And I quickly fell asleep afterwards. Still tired today.

I'm going to chalk it up to the second phase of medication... maybe I'll get used to it like I did the shots.

Very sleepy... very...

Wow, am I crazy sleepy this morning. Smudge did wake me up twice last night/this morning. Once at 1:45 am and then again some time after 3.

Nothing exciting from yesterday. Just the continued whispering about Thursday's meeting. The big boss lady is gone on vacation until then, she's cutting it short to be back for it. Probably not a good sign.

We're heading for Florida later in the week. Cooler temps there & rain so I'm kinda looking forward to that.

So I'm expecting a quiet and slow day with a nap under my desk at noon.

Back in the office... but for how long.

While I was out, I believe it was Thursday... an email from our Big Boss went out that on Thursday we are to have a meeting with the VP. This guy has been VP since the spring I believe and never showed any interest in the department.

See, there was a bit of a shake up and for a while after we were divided away from the engineers (it's nice to report to engineers 'cause they don't know what we do and leave us be) we were then moved to report to an Accounting VP which sucks to high heaven and we all knew there would be problems.

Well, that particular VP up and left the end of last year, so we were shifted again with the accounting world to this other guy who no one in the supervisor positions had much info about. Scary.

So yeah, now the accounting VPs never include (I'm assuming they have them) us in the quarterly meetings. Thursday we're supposed to all meet with him in the conference room at some crazy early hour of the morning if this truly is a meet and greet.

I might be a lady of leisure sooner than expected.