Power.

I have it.  Finally.  After being without it for 48 hours.

 

We had a wicked storm blow through, and much of the county was without power over the weekend.  It actually wasn't too terrible.  I spent Friday night in front of the gas oven, surrounded by candles reading "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire."  I slept just fine, but it was 45 degrees in the house when I woke up on Saturday.  Turned the oven on again for a few hours, and then went to Susan's house for the afternoon.  We talked and cooked dinner and watched movies.  Spent the night at her place and when I came back again on Sunday, still no power and 44 degrees in the house.

 

I turned the oven on again for a few hours and made plans to go see The Man.  He was without power on Friday, but managed to get it back on Saturday.  I didn't know what I would do ... when I left the back bedroom was 39 degrees and I could see my breath.  I just hoped it would come back on, and if it didn't, then I was going to borrow The Man's kerosene heater.  Really didn't want to have to deal with burst pipes.

 

As luck would have it, I got power in the late afternoon, and I was able to return to a fully warmed house and enjoy a long hot shower this morning.  All in all, it could have been much worse.

 

Just finished a quick GChat with Maria.  She's not blogging anymore (at least, not where she used to be) and I hadn't heard from her in quite a while.  Nice to know that she's doing well.  I have been somewhat lax in keeping up with my blog and my blog friends, for two reasons.

 

First, my laptop is still on the fritz.  It works, if I have it hooked up to an external monitor.  But the set-up is in that back bedroom (the one that got down to 39 degrees over the weekend) and it's just not fun to sit there and use the computer.  I need to correct my computer situation.  And I will.  Eventually.

 

The second reason I'm not blogging as much?  I sit in front of the computer all day long.  Typing.  Editing.  Switching back and forth between applications.  Sitting in front of the computer screen is the last thing I want to do when I get home at night.

 

So, my job has taken the fun out of blogging.  Time to find a new job.

Cheney Plays Folsom

I love quick thinking creative folks like these ... includes profanity and is not work safe!

 

Particularly timely for me - I just saw "Walk The Line" on Tuesday.

Gmail Ads

Have any of you noticed the Gmail ads that appear abover your inbox?  I got this one today:

 

Menstruation Calendar - www.MyMonthlyCycles.com - Completely track your menstrual cycles for free.

 

Now that's just a little too personal ...

What's The Word?

The word is spoony -

Word of the Day
spoony: foolishly or sentimentally in love.

And in case you're wondering, I'm feeling very spoony today.

What Was I Thinking?

I didn't schedule my Valentine's e-greetings in advance, so I went to Hallmark.com this morning and ... you guessed it.  Slower than molasses.  Not that it matters - chances are even if I had scheduled the e-cards, the delivery would be delayed - remember last year?

 

So consider this my Valentine's Day greeting to all of you.

Internet Friends Meme

If there is someone on your friends list or blogroll who makes your world a better place just because they exist and who you would not have met (in real life or not) without the internet, then post this same sentence in your journal.

DREXOTIC

Not quite as exciting as yesterday's EWE 4IC ... guy was driving a Honda or a Toyota or something and he didn't look none too exotic to me.

I, on the other hand, was stylin' as I drove to work this morning - in the company Mini Cooper. I was chatting with the owners yesterday and said how I really should drive the car so I would know what all the fuss was about, so at the end of the day they handed me the keys and told me to take it home.

I'd never driven a 6 speed before, so it was fun seeing how fast it would go, especially in morning rush hour traffic. I got it up to 90 at one point and then backed off - no need for any accidents or tickets. I'll have to drive it on a winding country road sometime to see how it handles the curves; for the most part I was on the straight away.

I did pretty well for someone who drives an automatic every day. I've driven stick shift before, but it's been awhile. Was very proud of myself for not stalling anywhere - not even on hills or when I accidentally started out in third gear instead of first (that gear box takes some getting used to!).

Fun way to start the day, eh?

EWE 4IC

It took me a moment to get that one as I was cruising down the highway ... euphoric.  Good one.

 

Well, after several weeks of extraordinarily warm weather, winter is back in the great Northeast.  Temperatures in the teens, as it should be. 

 

This is my own personal hell week ... women's group dinner meeting tomorrow night, Survivor with Mary on Thursday, party at a local restaurant on Friday (The Man and I are co-hosting and serving as poster children for the event - it's the one at which we initially met a year ago ... I cannot believe how quickly the years continue to go by.  It's true, what they say - time goes faster as you get older.), fund-raising event from hell on Saturday and then to top it off - another fundraiser Saturday evening.  At least I didn't organize this one - I'll finally be able to relax and cut loose with a few cocktails.

 

After that, I'm done.  I swear.  No more organizing fund raisers.  The only thing I'll be organizing is my closet.  Which I seriously need to do. 

Tidbits

* My mom? She's got a blog. She told me on the phone this morning. I didn't ask her about it; if she wants me to know what/where it is, she'll tell me. But just in case you did find this one, Mom, don't just lurk - let me know you're here, okay?

* Wee bit of a headache today. The weather? A hearty glass of red and a bottle of beer last night? A little bit of both?

* That fund raising event I'm co-chairing? It's next weekend. We still haven't sold 100 tickets (our target was between 200-300). Sucks. And my co-chair? Just cancelled the meeting we had scheduled for today. We're getting together tomorrow. This thing can't be over soon enough.

* Okay, maybe I am an extrovert after all. All I know is that I'm going frickin' crazy sitting in a work space where there is no music in the background, and only occasionally do my co-workers call out to ask a question (strictly work related, of course). I'm tempted to ask if they can put me downstairs right in the middle of the salesmen. That would be an education.

* An unfinished life - isn't that the title of a book or a movie or something? I feel like that's me. There's some purpose for my life out there, but I just haven't figured out what it is, and until I find out, I'm going to feel incomplete.

* One thing - that's working for me. I did go to the gym after work on Tuesday. I can't remember the one thing for Weds, but on Thurs it was dinner with the man, and last night I did 20 minutes on the treadmill at home and remembered to mail my sister-in-law's birthday card. Today? The oil change for Trucklet (and an unplanned bath - she was so excited!) and time at the gym. And I was going to have that meeting with my co-chair, so since she cancelled, catching up with myself. See - three things and I would have been happy with just the one.

And now, with the next hour and a half that I didn't plan on having to myself - a little curling up with a book before Susan drops by. Cya!!

One Thing

I've decided to do one thing for myself.

 

Each day, I'll do one thing - Sweet Jesus!  How did I get 401 spam messages?  Sorry about the interruption; I just happened to see the counter on my spam box.  And gmail automatically deletes messages more than 30 days old, so this is just what I've gotten in the last month.  Great ...

 

Anyway, as I was saying - each day I'm going to do one thing for myself.  I have this never-ending list of things that I want to do/need to be done (sometimes I can't figure out which they are; sometimes they move and change; sometimes it's both) and it's overwhelming to consider it all, so I'm going to take it one thing at a time.

 

Last night, my one thing was to take down my Christmas tree.  (Not a single friggin' word!)  I'm happy to report that I managed to get that done, and for a bonus, I vacuumed up the stray 'needles' AND cleaned up the hole punch holes that have been on the floor in the back bedroom for at least a month, if not two or three.

 

The one thing I'm going to do for myself today - go to the gym.  Now that I've said that, I've got to do it!  And if I feel like it/have time, I'll stop at the grocery store and pick up a roast to cook for The Man on Thursday.  Okay, that's not really for me, but I do enjoy cooking for him, and of course I'll get to partake in the meal as well, so ...

 

One thing.  One day at a time.

Happy Blogiversary To Me

My first post was two years ago today. Wow. I think it was a Saturday, and I spent most of the day sitting on the couch with my laptop testing things out. After that, I was hooked.

I feel like I've been neglecting my blog lately - not as many posts, not as many comments (given or received) and not as much time reading other blogs. Could it be I actually went out and got myself a life?

No, that's not a good way to phrase it - saying that is implying that those who blog regularly don't have a life, and that's simply not true. I'm fascinated by the lives led by fellow bloggers.

I've even gone so far as to insert myself into other bloggers lives - "hey John, how about I drop in and visit you when you are in Boston?" and "Debbie - that's so cool you moved to California; now I can meet you and Brian when I pass through LA." I've invited Jenica to my parties (one of these days, we'll connect!) and now Nita and Dan are my latest targets whenever I'm headed east (too bad we didn't connect this past weekend, but I'm thinking about coming your way in April when John runs in the Boston Marathon again).

And there are others - if geography allowed, I'd pop in on Sally and Sue and the Contentious Chic. And the other Dan, of course.

But the person I look forward to meeting the most? I'm not sure who he or she is, or when we'll meet, or where. All I know is that this blog has taken me places I've never been before, and I never want this journey to end.

Things I Miss About My Former Employer

The ability to create an audio post with Brian via conference calling so we could wish Scooterdeb a Happy Birthday!

How Is It ...

... that my gmail account has 499 messages, and 45 of them are unread? How did I let it get so out of control? Oh, yeah, they encouraged me to do that. "Never delete a message."

... that I can get the email-to-blogger function to work on this blog but not on my other blog?

... that I managed to make it into the 21st century without a .pdf file extension plugin thingy?

Brilliant!

Helpful hint # 76: Use what you've got.

For example, that buckwheat hull wrap in your kitchen drawer? The one that heats up when you throw it in the microwave? You don't need to save it for when you have cramps. You can heat it up anytime you want a little extra warmth. Like when you're sitting in the (unheated) back bedroom working on the computer? You can heat that baby up and hold it in your hands for a few seconds, and suddenly, your fingers can function again.

I had been fixing myself some tea or General Foods International Coffee (French Vanilla) but those beverages only last so long, and if I wondered where the calorie creep was coming from ... so yeah! me for thinking to use what I already had. And 27 lashes with a wet noodle for not thinking of it sooner.

I'll bet this will be a great foot warmer in bed tonight, too.

A Communication Has Been Received

Special note for Contentious Chic:  I got your postcard.

I Gotta Get Me A Schtick

I lead a boring life.

 

I thought I was a wacky, wild girl, but I'm not.  I am clearly lacking in the imagination department when it comes to being truly outlandish.  Take deadbodyguy, for example.  Guy goes around posing as a corpse and having his wife take "crime scene" photos and puts it up on his blog.  This morning?  He's on the Today show.

 

Me?  I'm at work.  Compiling and processing and typing and searching and clicking and composing.  I'd rather be anywhere but here.

 

Calgon - take me away!

Chill Out!

Ever have one of those days when you just want to reach through the computer screen and strangle someone?

 

That's the way I feel about my event co-chair (let's call her Stephanie) today.  We are both working really hard to coordinate this fund raiser, and I haven't been able to make many phone calls during the day now that I'm working.  So there are a LOT of email messages going back and forth.

 

This morning I sent Stephanie and another committee member an update on how many showcase participants we had.  One of the confirmed participants was someone I had talked to at the end of December.  Stephanie had a phone conversation with her earlier in the week and confirmed her participation.  When I sent the list around, my name was still attached to this particular participant as being the contact person.  Stephanie sent me a one line message to the effect of "my name should be there since I'm the one who talked to her."

 

Okay.  What. EVER.  It was an internal document.  It's not a competition.  We're not keeping score.  (At least I'm not.)

 

Then, this afternoon I get copied on a message that she sent to the treasurer (my good friend Lorrie) and copied the president about a check that absolutely, positively MUST be mailed.  I zapped back a note saying "if Lorrie hasn't responded, I suggest you call her - she may be out of town and not reading her email."

 

Oh. My. God.  I get this response that goes ON and ON about how of course she's called her - she called her at home and and work both yesterday and today and we really need to get things like this straightened out.

 

Uh. Okay.  Listen - I didn't know you had called her.  There was nothing in your message that indicated that you had done so.  Excuse me for living.  This woman is wound a little too tight.  And to make matters worse - Stephanie is the one who forgot to ask for the check on Weds night in the first place!

 

Yes, if I could only reach through the screen ...

I Say Give Him A Ticket

So after being involved in a motorcyle accident with his 12 year old son, Arnold Schwarzenegger will not receive a traffic ticket.  Even though he was driving without a motorcycle license.

 

That's absolute bullshit.

 

There's some technical question about whether or not a motorcycle license is required for a motorcycle with a sidecar (technically, that makes it a three wheeler which is exempt from the law), but it's widely known that Arnold often drives a motorcycle without the sidecar - and he freely admits he does not have a motorcycle license because ``I just never really applied for it.''

 

Politicos are down playing the incident saying there are more pressing issues to get worked up about.  Gee, I don't know ... driving around on a motorcycle without a license with your kid in tow?  Seems like plenty to get worked up about to me.

 

They should have issued him the ticket, let him plead guilty and pay the fine and be done with it.  Now it's going to become an even bigger issue because they have, in essence, said that the governor is above the law.

 

So sayeth Kenna Fearing.

Mouse In The House

Turns out my new employer has a very progressive attitude towards pets in the workplace.

I have a mouse living in my desk.

Oh, I haven't seen him, just the clues he leaves behind, if you catch my drift. I leave peanut butter crackers in my drawer one time, and this is what I get. As long as I don't see the little bugger, we can co-exist.

So it's Wednesday, and you know what that means - time for Scooterdeb's Wednesday Wreck of the Week. Turns out she has lots to choose from today. On this morning's news I saw video of an out of control police car crashing into a tree AND footage of a car plowing into three pedestrians (a mother and two children) - all in sunny Southern California. Must be the sun got in their eyes.

We're having a heat wave here in upstate New York. Temperatures may actually climb into the 50s by the end of the week. Good thing - gas prices continue to climb and I don't even want to think about my next heating bill.

Being back at work has some benefits - I listen to the news as I'm getting ready for work, so I have a better sense of what is going on in the world. I occasionally read the Wall Street Journal while I'm eating lunch in the staff room. I get a daily update from the New York Times so I'm aware of recent literary scandals involving contemporary authors who've been outed for embellishing their 'memoirs' and now that I've set up my Google home page, I occasionally listen to whatever NPR sound bite is being offered for the day.

I hear that People magazine is reporting that Angelina Jolie is pregnant with Brad Pitt's child. It just so happens that today's quote on my "Wild Words from Wild Women" calendar is from that "mouthy movie actress" -

"When other little girls wanted to be ballet dancers I kind of wanted to be a vampire."

Sucks to be Angelina Jolie, doesn't it?

Champagne and Chocolate

That's my contribution to this afternoon's girlfriend gathering. The house is clean (well, at least the parts they'll see) and the table is set. I just need to shower and get dressed before 3:00. I'm really looking forward to this. It's so ... civilized. We so rarely take time out just to visit with each other, you know?

Still haven't finished sending Christmas cards, and now I'm going to get hit with that extra two cents postage. The tree is still up - according to my friend Michelle, it's bad luck to leave it up into the New Year. According to my Mom, you're supposed to leave it up for the full 12 days of Christmas. I've got a 50-50 chance of being screwed.

So I really liked the mail-to-blogger feature - will definitely have to try that more often. And I really should audio post more frequently too. I thought about changing my comment service in the new year too. Haloscan is good, but since I'm just a basic user, the comments disappear after three months or so. Might switch back to Blogger comments. And I need to clean up my side bar.

Yeah. Well. We'll see.

Dead Tired

When will the holidays be over?

 

I had Monday off, but I needed that day to recover from being out late on New Year's Eve and then spending the day on Jan 1 cooking for The Man.  I've been out in the evening every day this week - on Monday it was yoga; on Tuesday it was my haircut; and last night it was a committee meeting for my women's group.  Tonight - a quiet evening at home with The Man and my second NetFlix movie.  And then tomorrow, a movie with Susan (Brokeback Mountain - gay cowboys? we're so there!) and on Saturday an engagement party and on Sunday a gathering with Susan and another girlfriend.

 

Maybe then the holidays will be over and I can take down my tree.

 

In the meantime - testing out the mail-to-blogger feature.  If it works the way I think it should, then I may be posting more regularly - and "On Company Time"

Ruminating on Resolutions

I didn't make any New Year's resolutions.

It wasn't a conscious thing. It wasn't an unconscious thing. I just didn't think about it. In some ways, that's good - things are going so well that there isn't anything I want to change in 2006. But I have been thinking about it today.

I was over on Dan's blog earlier, and I commented that it was odd how developing good habits are so much harder than developing bad habits. Why is that? And why are so many resolutions framed in the negative? People say "I'm going to stop doing this" rather than "I'm going to start doing that." It's something I've dealt with in my life - trying to be a glass is half full person rather than a glass is half empty person. It's a constant battle (see? there I go again, framing it in the negative - a battle, rather than a challenge which at least connotes the possibility of a reward).

Anyway.

Just had lunch with the Unemployed Boy Next Door (haven't mentioned him in a while, have I?) He called and offered me a bowl of homemade soup, and since I'm pinching pennies, I readily agreed to join him for a free meal. It reminded me of my unemployment days - just sitting, talking about the news of the day, not worrying about where I had to be or what I had to do. He told me that his father had sent out the annual Christmas letter once again musing about his son - "If anyone knows what he does for a living, let me know." I wish there were some shocking story behind it - a CIA assassin! A retired mob hit man! A male prostitute! But it's nothing other than a man who did extraordinarily well on Wall Street in the 80s who had the good sense not to snort it up his nose.

So, here I am, procrastinating again. I need to finish writing an article for the woman who helped me get my job, and I have a crapload of work to do for the event that I'm chairing in (gulp!) six weeks. As I chatted with the UBND, he wondered aloud if there were things I could give up to make my life easier, and I realized that this women's group I belong to is causing me more grief than it's worth. If I were making connectionhs and truly professionally networking within this group, it might be worth the effort. But more often than not, I feel used and abused. So many others who freely say no when asked to step into a leadership post. So many who won't step forward and offer to help. Who needs it?

And the cost ... I pay annual dues, am required to attend monthly dinner meetings for which there is a charge, the requirement to purchase event tickets etc - I'm out $500 on an annual basis and for what? Hell, that's a week's pay! I could better use the time cooking for The Man or reading a book (BTW, congrats to Jenica who read 116 books in 2005), or just taking advantage of my new NetFlix membership.

Yeah. Something to think about.

The Room Monitor

Sounds like something Sally would write about in her daughter's school, but it's not. The room monitor I'm talking about is a previously unknown feature on my answering machine.

Now that I'm working again, I occasionally check my answering machine throughout the day. The other day I listened to the prompts all the way to the end and I heard "For room monitor, press 9 - 1." So I did. And listened to the sound of the kitchen clock ticking. And I could tell it was raining. I got such a kick out of it that I called again yesterday, and I could hear a truck backing up in the street - "beep! beep! beep!"

It's the little things that make me giggle.

Doing a rare post On Company Time here while I upload the inventory list to the web. I am now officially responsible for this on a daily basis. w00t! Meant to do an audio post of one of Brian's poems earlier in the week, but I haven't gotten around to it - I'll try from home later tonight, 'k? I need to do some last minute shopping for a New Year's Eve party tomorrow. I'm all ready (what with the multiple tiaras and long white gloves and such) but The Man needs a new pair of pants.

Personally, I prefer him without pants, but it kinda freaks the neighbors out.

It's The Thought That Counts

And here I thought I'd done so well.

I'm clearing off my desk and I came across a scrap of paper with The Man's shoe size written on it. He had specifically asked for a certain type of boot for Christmas, and I made a specific effort to get said boot when I went outlet shopping before Thanksgiving. I looked at the size and I was almost certain that I had purchased the wrong size. Called The Man and yes, in fact, I did get a size 10 when he is a size 10 1/2. Of course he didn't mention this when he opened the gift.

"Don't worry," he says, "sometimes a 10 will fit."

"Well, have you tried them on?"

"No, not yet."

"Could you try them on, because if they don't fit, we'll need to exchange them."

"Yeah, I will - really it's no big deal, don't worry about it."

It is a big deal. I bought them over a month ago at the friggin' outlets - I will have to drive 2 1/2 hours each way to exchange these boots. Mostly I'm just upset at myself because it was an avoidable error. I don't know why I'm so sloppy lately ... I'm just so scattered and I have bits and pieces of my life all over the place. It's not like me. I'm usually so organized and collected. I've lost my edge.

Update: The Man just called back. I didn't fuck up after all - I bought size 10 1/2 and they fit perfectly. Phew. But I still feel discombobulated.

This Has Got To Stop!

I just got my credit card bill, and once again it's four digits - this has got to stop!

Of course, it does have the charges from the cruise ($400) and a few Christmas gifts (including one particularly large one for The Man) and even the charges for Thanksgiving dinner (thanks again, Boston Market!) so all things considered, it's actually a reasonable bill.

But still.

Even though I'm now gainfully employed, I'll be lucky if I bring home $1,700/month. Just my rent, car payment, cable, phone, utilities and gas for Trucklet will run me $1,500/month and I haven't even bought food yet. I am going to be like everyone else - living paycheck to paycheck.

I'll make it. It will be fine. It's just ... different. It's been a long time since I've had to watch my expenses. But as they say, the best things in life are free, so Merry Christmas to all - I wish you much health, happiness and success.

Hugs & Kisses,
Kenna

Sounds of the Season

I'm a little bit behind the times.

I was on vacation Nov 26 - Dec 8, so I didn't get to do as much decorating as I usually do. I just started addressing my Christmas cards last night. And I haven't done any baking.

But I'm not totally without Christmas spirit. Last night, carolers came to my door, and this morning I heard "Dominick the Christmas Donkey" on the radio (you can download it and other songs here).

And how is your day going?

No Deal

What's the deal with Howie Mandel and this new prime-time game show, "Deal or No Deal?" Since when is Howie stark naked bald? And what's that little patch of hair under his bottom lip? What do they call that - crumb catcher?

I 'watched' for an hour last night and the verdict is ... No Deal.

I mean, the highlight of the show is the 26 or so identically clad women who stand around waiting for their number to be called. Will she have a high number or a low number? Will she be asked to speak? Even though she supposedly doesn't know the amount that is in her briefcase, will her facial expression give away the fact that of course she knows the amount that's hidden inside? [Ed. note: I would say that 75% of the time you could tell by the expression whether she had a high or low number in her briefcase.]

Yeah, a ratings winner this is not.

The Eight Pound Lasagna

Oh my God, it was huge!

I made a lasagna yesterday that was a freakin' monster. Three pounds of sauce. Two pounds of ricotta cheese. One pound of mozzarella cheese. A pound and a half of ground beef. A pound of lasagna noodles. Two onions and two portobello mushrooms. My stomach hurts just reading the ingredients.

Guess what I'm going to be eating for lunch every day this week?

And while I was preparing the lasagna, I watched an old movie on Lifetime. Heather Locklear playing a big-haired Texas floozie whose millionaire husband resorts to murder rather than give in to her divorce demands. In it Dennis Franz had a full head of hair and everyone smoked openly in the courtroom and a witness even asked for and was given a cigarette on the witness stand. Quite the way to pass a Saturday.

Quite an enjoyable day, really. I still haven't finished decorating my tree, but I'm not too stressed out about it. The routine is starting to settle in around me. It's a good thing.

Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes

Man, I’ve been swamped.

I’m back at work full-time and it’s crazy. Still learning my way around the job, so in some respects I haven’t been that busy. I’ve been doing some research to see where we might want to place some banner ads, and tomorrow I’ll be working on preparing some EBay auctions. I’m working in an open cube farm, and it’s not easy for me to blog. Plus, I have no idea how closely my internet activity is being monitored, so I want to play it cool.

But I couldn’t resist this post.

Just tried checking some of my other email accounts and discovered that my former employer has finally killed my email account. Not a big deal, really, since I haven’t been checking it regularly anyway. Couldn’t seem to log into my service provider account. I’ve been letting stuff accumulate in there. Mostly it’s just junk mail and I’m trying to get away from using it at all.

Funny, now that I’m getting paid to sit in front of the computer, I can’t stand it. A lot of it has to do with my work station. I found myself slouching, so I adjusted the chair so I can’t do that, but something still isn’t right. My back and shoulders hurt, and I know that my keyboard isn’t set at the right height. And if I didn’t have eye problems before, I will soon. Working under fluorescent lights and the monitor isn’t at eye level either.

I’m just full of complaints, aren’t I?

A 15 Hour Day

Up at 6:00 a.m.
To work by 8:00 a.m.
Lunch at noon.
More work in the afternoon.
Yoga at 5:30 p.m.
Dinner with yoga class at 7:15 p.m.
Home by 9:00 p.m.

A 15 hour day.

I know that none of you have sympathy for me. But let me tell you - I'm exhausted! The sink is full of dirty dishes, the garbage smells, I still haven't finished unpacking from my cruise, and I've barely begun to decorate.

Oh well - one thing at a time. And right now it's time for bed.

Reality Bites

There are some who say that if you listen carefully, the universe will speak to you.

Me, I just got a memo:

TO: Kenna
FROM: The Powers That Be
RE: From This Day Forward

This is to inform you that, for lack of a better phrase, the party is over.

You've been resting and relaxing for seven months now; it's time to get back to work. Please be advised that we have lined up a job for you and you are to report at 8:00 a.m. on Monday, December 12. You've just come back from an amazing vacation wherein you ate, drank, and slept at will. This was a well-deserved trip, and we are delighted that you were in good health and able to enjoy it.

It is because you are in good health that we must require you to return to work. You have been spending beyond your means, and it is time for you to earn an honest living once again. We took the liberty of examining your personal finances while you were gone. Would it surprise you to know that you have bills totalling over $2,000 due by the end of the month? And your unemployment benefits will only net you $729. We do concede, however, that continuing to claim unemployment benefits while you were aboard the Queen Mary 2 was sheer brilliance.

As your reward, we now command you to shovel by hand the 8" of snow that fell overnight. Don't think of it as a punishment - think of it as an opportunity to work off the extra weight you put on during the past two weeks. Seriously, did you think you could have ice cream after lunch every day and not gain a pound or two?

And while you're at it, you need to straighten out your social calendar. Between yoga, your women's group, and the monthly Chamber mixer, you will be gone almost every night next week. We hereby give you permission to say "no" to any request to volunteer for or donate to a charity. Frankly, you have neither the time nor the resources to do so. Instead, you will spend your spare time finishing that lovely series of children's books that you started reading - Harry Potter, isn't it?

Pull out your sweaters and turn down the thermostat. You can't afford such high heating bills, especially since you don't have a housemate this winter. And whatever you do, don't agree to let Michael rent a room from you - he couldn't possibly pay you enough to put up with his bullshit.

One final reminder - only sixteen shopping days until Christmas.

Buddha Belly

I’ve grown one over the last 10 days. Amazingly enough, though, the slinky purple gown still fit and I wore it for the final formal last night. They saved the best for last … our entrée choices last night included lobster and chateau briand, followed by baked Alaska.

The Christmas decorations continue to go up, and every day we see more. The tree went up in the lobby the other day, and this morning gifts had materialized at the base. We’ve been packing and running errands this afternoon; returning our library books (I plowed through the first three Harry Potter books; I would have made it through the fourth if it had been available) and picking up last minute mementos.

It’s downhill from here, although we still have one final night of karaoke to look forward to. We’re far enough north now that practically no one is out on deck. It’s too breezy and cool, and the surf has started to kick up. It will probably be a bumpy ride tonight, and when we wake up in the morning, we’ll be back in New York City.

When I get home I’ll be able to upload more photos – you’re going to love the shots from Tortola, and Susan took an amazing photo of me in St. Thomas that I will share with those nearest and dearest to me. It’s a shame that we never got around to doing an audio post – I had cell phone signals in Grenada and St. Thomas, but it just didn’t occur to me. We totally lost track of time, never knowing what day it was or what time it was.

It’s back to reality now …

Hugs & Kisses,
Kenna and Susan

Weekend Wrap-Up

Well, what has happened since St. Maarten?

We stopped in Martinique next, and it was there that I planted my letterbox. I haven’t had a chance to post my clues yet, but I will upon my return. The other interesting bit about Martinique was that Susan spotted a sign indicating that the international women’s group I belong to had beautified the east entry to Fort de France. Other than that, we were unimpressed with that particular port of call.

Barbados was next and we had a bit of an adventure there. There were two letterboxes planted on the island, and we set off in search of them. Being the smart, economical gals that we are, Susan and I hopped aboard the local bus - $0.75 each way to Holetown. Don’t let the name fool you, Holetown was quite lovely. Lots of resorts and restaurants. We went all the way to Barbados to have Thai food for lunch. We found the spot where the letterbox was supposed to be, but could not find the box.

Life aboard the ship is great – lots of sun, food, and plenty of time for afternoon naps. They’ve begun decorating for Christmas, and every day we see more and more decorations.

Yesterday we stopped in Grenada, and St. Georges harbor was picturesque, but it was bloody hot. We wandered around town for just a bit and even standing still in the shade we could feel the sweat just dripping off. Leaving Grenada was a treat – there was a school of dolphins playing in the surf, and a gorgeous rainbow to send us on our way.

We’ve docked in St. Kitts for the day. Susan is off on her first snorkeling adventure, and I’m lolling about the ship. Going to get some early morning sun and then venture into town for some shopping.

Hugs & Kisses,
Kenna, Susan and Nils

Who Is Nils Karlsson?

And why is he in our room?

At least, the ship’s computer thinks he’s in here with us. They have this interactive television system where you can check your account, see what movie is playing at what time, check out the dinner menu, view the photos from the evening before etc. So when we go in to check our accounts, there he is – Nils Karlsson.

Nils hasn’t been around much, which is too bad – still haven’t located any single eligible men. We really need someone to buy us a drink. At least he doesn’t take up closet space.

There are over 2,000 passengers on this ship, but we seem to keep running into the same people. And since we don’t know their names, we just make up nicknames for them. Like Bathrobe Boy – the man who wandered into the food court area wearing his bathrobe. Just a bit too casual for our taste. And apparently for the staff – he disappeared and then came back wearing clothes. And Danny Zuko – the guy who performed in the karaoke lounge and struck a classic “Greased Lightening” pose throughout his performance.

We were on a roll at dinner last night. Our dinner companions, Mary Ann and Jay, seemed to find us extremely humorous. The dining room manager, Simon, comes over every night to say hello and make sure everything was to our liking. Last night I wondered aloud how he’d come to be the F & B manager. They thought I’d called him a name – the “f’in B” manager. I believe F & B stands for food and beverage.

We’ve taken a few food photos – last night Susan had the sea bass and I had the lamb. Mary Ann said her camera actually has a food setting – can you believe it? After our kayaking adventure in St. Maarten, we were both tired and went right to bed after dinner. Tried to sleep in this morning, but I was awake with the sun around 6:00 a.m.

Martinique presented us with a completely different landscape. After the sharp, steep mountains of Tortola, and the white sand beaches of St. Maarten, Martinique seemed … boring. It was much more modern. Smoothly paved roads. Burger King and McDonald’s. Cell phones. Pay phones that actually work (I knew you wouldn’t be home, Rich, but I wanted to call and leave a message anyway).

We walked to centre ville (downtown) in search of postcards and a place to plant my letterbox. Having accomplished that, we came back to the ship and Susan promptly took a nap. I sat out on deck and finished “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.” Yes, it’s true – I’ve never read the Harry Potter books. Saw the movie, but have never read the books. I’m now on to Book 2 “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.” We met up in the theatre and watched “Monster In Law” before heading back out to the deck where Susan took another nap and I started my second book.

Susan is resting up for a late night out tonight – she missed out on a snorkeling excursion for tomorrow, so she’s going to take advantage of the night life – Rock @ the Opera. Looks like we’ll just bum around Barbados tomorrow and do some shopping. Save our energy for the river tubing in Grenada on Saturday.

Today’s photo is actually from yesterday – the beach before it was overrun with the 15,000 cruise ship tourists that went ashore in St. Maarten. Can you believe it – there were six cruise ships docked in St. Maarten yesterday. Two Carnival ships and one each from Royal Caribbean, Princess, Costa and our ship, the Queen Mary 2.

Hugs & Kisses,
Kenna, Susan, and Nils

The Kindness of Strangers

When we arrived in Tortola, Susan and I disembarked and wandered down the main street in search of trinkets and a telephone. We purchased a few postcards and then got on the horn and called the father of a man who belongs to my gym. Basically, someone we didn’t even know.

They picked us up at the port and gave us the most amazing tour of the island. We went up and down the mountains from north to south and east to west. We had lunch overlooking Cane Gardens Bay and returned to their home high atop the mountain above Brewer’s Bay.

We went swimming in the ocean and then came back to swim in the pool before rinsing off under the outdoor shower. It was the most amazing place. Perched on a cliff … plants and flowers … tiles and terraces. They rent the house by the week, and we would love to come back! Mary, do you want to come with us?

You can check out the house online at:
http://www.islands-escape.com/

Since I had trouble uploading photos the other day, I’m only going to attempt just this one today. Enjoy the view.

We’re just leaving St. Maarten, heading to Martinique – catch you later!

Welcome Aboard!

This is the life.

We’re into our second day of cruising. Yesterday was a quiet and relaxing day. Susan and I both took naps in between reading. We took our time getting ready for dinner, then had the martini of the day, the “Cosmopolitini” – a lovely blend of Absolut Kurrant with triple sec, cranberry juice and a splash of lime juice. Come to think of it, I think I had three of those babies.

Dinner was delightful, and then we relaxed in the Golden Lion Pub where we enjoyed karaoke and met up with Jackie and Lisa, two other women from our area who are on the cruise. At one point I assisted in holding up cue cards for the audience, encouraging them to applaud, cheer and sing along. After a quick run through G32 (the disco) we confirmed that there were in fact no single eligible men aboard the ship and called it a night.

Internet access is not as accessible (nor as affordable!) as I had hoped, so the posts may not be as plentiful as planned, but again, thanks to my brother I do have a laptop to which I can upload photos, so enjoy the first few shots.

Much more tomorrow when we land in Tortola …

Hugs & Kisses,
Kenna and Susan

P.S. Tried to upload photos but connection got hung up; will try again later.

Snow!

Yes, I know, they predicted 1-3 inches, but still I was surprised to wake up and see the white stuff blanketing my world.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone.

November Settles In

Cold. Raw. Rainy. It's November in the northeast. Brr.

Have done a fair amount of running around today. Last minute shopping for the cruise and a trip to the grocery store. I think I was ahead of the rush there. Still trying to wrap up loose ends for theis fund raiser before I go. Received good news from a second bank today - they are throwing $500 our way. The news wasn't as good from the local financial services firm - they took a pass. Still waiting to hear from the local Honda dealer, and I have a few more follow-up calls to local deep pocket individuals. And I never heard back from the local builder - I'm not surprised. Guess I'll just have to call again tomorrow.

In four days I will be aboard the Queen Mary 2. Yippee! I'm still having computer issues. I'm hooked up to an external monitor now, backing up my files. My brother is going to send up an 'extra' laptop from his company with my parents tomorrow, so I'll be downloading photos to that and doing posts (with photos!) as planned.

I just want to get there. Twelve days of warmth and bliss. And outstanding food lavishly prepared by someone else. I'll be so spoiled when I return.

I hope I don't break down and cry the day I have to go back to work.

Look At The Bright Side

At least my computer crapped out before I went on the cruise.

Spent several hours hooked up to an external monitor today, and I think the built-in monitor is fried - again. If you recall, this POS burned out on me about a year and a half ago and it was still under warrenty, so Dell replaced the screen. And now it's gone.

I can work on it as long as I have an external monitor, but I'm not about to lug that with me on vacation. I already made plans to borrow my mother's camera memory card, so I'll be able to take lots of pictures, but unless I go out and buy a new laptop (which I just might do - I was thinking about getting a new one soon anyway) I won't be able to post my vacation photos until after I return. Which sucks - I really want to be able to post photos.

I suppose I could try to take this to the Geek Squad, but honestly, if The Man and I couldn't fix it after fiddling around with it this afternoon, I don't think it's fixable. Last final step is to back up all my data (photo files take up a LOT of space, I hope I have enough zip disks to get them on backed-up) and then wipe the hard drive - just in case it really is a software conflict issue.

I think John's right - the puppy peed in my 'puter.

Screwed

Stops and Starts

It was a day of stops and starts. First it was the sound on my laptop. Every now and then conflicts arise. Not sure what it was ... iTunes starts arguing with Winamp and the next thing you know, no one is talking. I really wanted to hear those Chinese students lipsynching. So, I fixed that.

Then, tonight my printer started acting up. A print job got hung up and for the life of me I couldn't cancel it. Only fix I could figure out was to uninstall the print drivers and reinstall. So I did. Yeah, me! Now I have a fistful of online coupons to use on my big shopping trip tonight.

Now I can rest in peace.

Hope

Well, things are looking up. A little.

In the last few days we managed to secure another $1,000 in sponsorships for this fundraiser. And I've been fairly successful in the follow-up calls I've made today. No firm commitments, but no hang-ups either. Spoke to the president of one of the local banks, and he promised he would get back to me next Wednesday.

So.

I tried calling a few old friends this afternoon but couldn't get through. I think I'm going to go to the Chamber mixer tonight - so I can say, yes, I'm a member, and I work for this company! Yeah, it's just an excuse to get out of the house and have a drink.

Another upside of going back to work? My employer will be responsible for keeping me warm from 8:00 - 5:00 and I can set back my thermostat during the day and save on heating costs. Not that I'm not doing that already ... it's just now I won't be sitting in the cold by this time of day.

Time for another cup of tea - not that I'm drinking it, I'm just holding it to keep my hands warm!

Procrastinating. Again.

Or maybe it's still.

I just don't want to deal with this fund raiser any more. I could be making more follow up phone calls. But I'm not.

Instinct

You can take the girl out of development, but you can't take development out of the girl.

I saw this story online today, and while most people think about the implications to the sports world, I'm just wondering how much the folks at Bucknell are salivating over the potential bequest?

Let the Decorating Begin

I love decorating for Christmas, but I'm conscious of decorating too early.

Of course, never before Halloween. And even if you put decorations up, you never turn on the lights before Thanksgiving. So when is it okay to begin decorating?

Now.

Over the weekend I saw several houses that had icicle lights up and on. And at least one of those giant lighted Santas. So yesterday I dragged out my exterior garland and hung it on the porch. Of course the lights don't work, so I'll need to buy new strands - again. But that's okay because I can't turn the lights on until after Thanksgiving anyway, right? Still, it looks like today is going to be above average temps again, so I think I'll see if I can get the lights and string them today because it's hard to do when it's cold outside.

I would put up the interior garland too, but I'm going to have to wait on that because my parents are coming for Thanksgiving and they are bringing their two dogs, and I'm sure that the puppy won't be able to resist jumping and biting and pulling them down.

I've already started my online shopping, and I'm going to the outlets with Mary and Susan on Friday, so I'm not too worried about the stress of the holiday season. Next task - getting those photo Christmas cards ordered!

Sunshine Makes Me Smile

And right now I've got a huge grin on my face.

Looks like it's going to be a glorious weekend here in my corner of the great Northeast, and I intend to enjoy it. Yesterday was fairly productive. Made a number of follow-up calls for this fund raiser that I'm chairing (this is the LAST. ONE. - I swear) and then ended the day having a great dinner with The Man.

On today's agenda - leaf raking, fence post digging and hydrangea mulching. Honestly, if I just get those three things done, I should pat myself on the back and congratulate myself on a job well done. But just in case I have the urge to be an over Achiever, I'll add article writing, photo ordering, photo sending (it's been too long since Deb has had a package photo post), and press release writing.

Why am I writing a press release, you ask? Oh, just so I can tell the world that I GOT A JOB! Of course I did it all back asswards. I took a huge pay cut. I'm going to be working 40 hours a week instead of 37.5 or 35 hours/week like my jobs in academe. I'm going to have to commute in my car. I probably will be living paycheck to paycheck.

But it's not a development job. And I'll be learning something new. And there are no nights or weekends or travel involved. I'm going to be a freakin' internet marketing coordinator. How cool is that? I start Dec 12 - after my 12 day cruise on the Queen Mary 2. In my upgraded balcony room. Spending my $400 rebate because the cruise line actually reduced their prices. Sipping pina coladas with my faithful sidekick Susan.

Seriously? It doesn't get any better than this.

Dumb Ass

I got some misdirected mail the other day, and instead of walking two blocks over to drop it off, I left it in the mailbox hoping the mailman would deliver it for me. I was a little annoyed when I saw that the mail was still there, and that there wasn't any new mail for me. What, was this one of those stupid regulations? The delivery person can't pick up outgoing mail from my box?

Then I went back to making some follow-up phone calls, and I got voice mail at the bank - very unusual. And then I remembered. It's Veteran's Day. A federal holiday. Banks and the post office are closed.

Can you tell I'm no longer a state worker and I've totally lost track of the days?

Do You Sudoku?

Yeah, I know, I'm late to the game. It's addictive, I tell you!

Random Thoughts

I voted today. I hope that the Democrats win a few seats on city council if for no other reason than to send a message to the Republicans who ran a totally negative smear campaign.

I'm pretty sure I had a few Bath & Body Works body creams laying around, and I can't find them anywhere. And now I'm out. I need my body cream! Just got a $10 off coupon in the mail today, but I can't use it until 11/18 - and I need the lotion now!

I'm trying to watch what I eat and pump up the workouts just a tad - because I leave on vacation in 18 days!

I'm not much of a cook but I do have a few signature dishes that The Man finds quite tasty. I need to add a few more to the repetoire. Let me know what you got.

Changing Demographics

I'm updating my profile with an online business publication, and I removed information related to my former employer and updated my annual household income.

Gulp.

I'm suddenly in a different demographic. I guess I hadn't thought about that previously. You don't ordinarily share your income with your friends, but sometimes when you are requesting a service or applying for a loan or trying to find a new place to live, you need to reveal your income.

And now I wonder how I would be treated if I had to go to my local bank. Would they even bother to take the time to talk to me? You just know that your name is on a list out there somewhere, and information about you can be bought and sold. Instead of Williams-Sonoma and Schwitzer Linens, will I suddenly start getting Lillian Vernon and JCPenney catalogs?

Food for thought.

Picture Perfect

It's been a picture perfect weekend. Sunny skies, warm weather. Too bad I spent most of the day inside yesterday - a commitment that I had to keep. Looking out the window right now, thinking about all I could/should be doing in the yard, but also thinking about the article that I need to finish researching and writing today. Not to mention the photos I've been meaning to send ... the Trucklet which needs to be cleaned and floor mats that need to be swapped ... the laundry ... the phone calls ... the porch ... the unpacking from Vegas (I'm really bad that way) and the pre-packing for the cruise ...

Yeah, whatever. I'm going to go outside now and enjoy this weather while it lasts.

I Even Bore Myself

Like Sally, I think I've lost my mojo.

This blog just isn't what it used to be. It's lost its umph. And it's not because of the other blog - things are suffering over there too.

Don't know what it is. Maybe the mystery is gone now that I've shown The Face. Maybe it's because I'm not working, and that's really where I got my inspiration. Maybe it's because I'm happy and satisfied with my life and I have nothing to bitch about.

No one wants to hear about how busy I am all the time and how I don't know how I ever found time to work. Because you're all busy too - and most of you are working. But honestly, I'm not just sitting around eating bon-bons and watching soaps. I am constantly busy. Like today.

Went to the gym for my pilates class and then snuck in a tanning session. Came home, checked email and made a few calls, showered and got ready for my 1:00 interview. Had the interview (it went well, I think, but I wasn't as prepared as I could have been) and then stopped at the thrift store on the way home. (Got a cute sundress for the cruise, Susan - only $5.99!) Grabbed a late lunch to go, came home and made a few phone calls and then off to a 3:45 meeting. Stopped at the bank and the library and came home shortly after 5:00 p.m. See? The day is gone!

I used to blog when I was procrastinating at work. The lack of posts (or, at the very least, the lack of numerous posts throughout the day) is actually an indicator of how busy I am - not looking for ways to kill time.

Okay, that's it for now. Except for one thing ... does anyone else find it odd that this blog was the 17th result for this search? (And odder still, the searcher clicked through to read?)

"my wife is not in love with me anymore why?"

Vegas, Baby!

The old adage is true - a picture is worth a thousand words!

And Susan's wish is my command; is there a family resemblance? (Keep in mind, the photo of me is two years old and The Hair was much shorter and, apparently, not as blonde at the time!)

Clearing the Air

I'm on a cleaning streak. Trying to file the paperwork that I was holding on to over the summer while I was displaced. Started cleaning out my email folders and stumbled on some startling statistics.

Remember Larry? (no, not New Orleans Larry - he was Larry # 3; I'm talking about Larry # 2 - otherwise known as Good Time Larry, right Susan?) And Michael? These were two guys I met at Chamber mixers in Nov/Dec of last year.

[Has it been a year already? Can you believe it?]

Anyway, apparently I had saved just about every email message I exchanged with both of these guys. In the 70 days that my involvement with Larry was ongoing, I exchanged 105 email messages. That's 1.5 email messages per day. From Nov 22 through the end of January.

It gets worse. Between Dec 17 and March 1, (73 days) I exchanged 135 email messages with Michael - 1.84 messages per day.

And I kept every single one.

Yeah ...

Larry moved to Houston and Michael was just a freak. And I still had all of their email messages. Not anymore. Deleted those folders and all of their contents and cut my mailbox storage space in half.

Checked to see how many messages I had saved from Rich. Fourteen. In the 114 days I've known him. By my standards this is a long term relationship. And the fact that I don't feel the obsessive need to save every single email message he's sent me (believe me, we've exchanged more messages than that - I just haven't been saving them) tells me that I trust what he says - I don't need to save email messages to throw back in his face. "But you said blah blah blah."

I think our little Kenna Fearing is growing up.

Gettin' Funky With It

Bear with me while I tweak my sidebar ... just trying out a few new features.

Hint: The puppy will follow your cursor, and if you want to, you can give him a treat. Click on the doggy treat box, then click somewhere above his head (it won't work if you click right on his head, it has to be in the empty space above). He will jump up to eat it.

My Tiara

When we were cleaning out my grandparents apartment a few weeks ago, I laid claim to a few small items. A cashmere sweater and a mock turtleneck, both with tags still attached. A humidifier. A leather jacket. And a tiara.

It's just a dollar store tiara, something they gave my grandmother to wear when my grandparents celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary. If you press the magic button, the heart shaped 'emerald' lights up and flashes! I love my little tiara, and I've taken to wearing it around the house. It helps keep the hair out of my eyes and it's more comfortable than wearing a head band. It just makes me feel good.

So I had my tiara on this morning, and completely forgot about it as I went about my business. I wanted to rake the leaves off my lawn and get in a final mowing, so I was out in the yard, and I was just finishing filling my second garbage can full of leaves when I saw the city recycling truck pull up out front. I dragged my can to the curb, and greeted the public works guys when they smiled and said hello. I had my headphones on, but not so loud I couldn't hear them.

I can't recall what he said - something about a crown or being a princess? - but all of a sudden I realized that I was still wearing my tiara! How embarrassing is that? Dressed in my orange sweats and fleece pullover, and wearing a cheap dollar store tiara. Oh well, I said, just goes to show that even yard work can be glamorous!

I Caved

Yes, I turned the furnace on. But I had a good reason. Turns out that my fridge is on the fritz, and I really didn't want to have the fridge and the furnace on the fritz at the same time, so I had to turn on the heat to make sure the furnace was working properly. And now that I've turned it on ... I might as well leave it on.

Put in a service call on the fridge - the earliest appointment I could get is next Thursday. I'll be in Vegas next Thursday, so I scheduled at the earliest convenient time for me - Halloween. Good thing I have two mini fridges floating around the house. But going out to the porch to get my milk and my OJ will get old mighty fast.

Where's My Tea Bag?

Still holding out on the heat, so I'm trying to keep warm by bundling up in fleece and drinking hot tea. Just went to make a new cup and I can't find the tea bag and spoon from the last cup. Yes, I re-use my tea bags. I make it so weak to begin with that there's plenty of flavor left for a second brew. For me, it's all about the honey and lemon that I add and not so much about the tea.

So, my interview went well today. I was there for two and a half hours. That tells me they are serious about me - you don't spend that much time with someone in an introductory interview. As I may have mentioned, this is a brand new position and the company hasn't even advertised the job yet. I may have the inside track. It's something completely different from what I've been doing (the official job title is Internet Marketing Coordinator - how much more completely different can I get?) and I am interested in this position. They need to talk amongst themselves and then they'll call me within a week - hopefully to make me an offer. Show me the money!

In the mean time, I'm working on an agenda for the @*#$! committee meeting I have scheduled for tomorrow night. I swear - this is the last damn fund raising I am ever going to do! And I still need to go back and do some more research for that dog bandana company.

If you need a bandana for your dog, go to Quigleys By Oliver and order one. They even have Halloween prints! Don't let the prices scare you - these are top quality reversible bandanas, so you're getting two for the price of one. Plus, many bandanas have additional embroidery, so there's an additional value added.

Of course, if cost is not an issue, then try the couture line. Nothing but the best for man's best friend!

9:09 p.m.
Update: I found my tea bag. In the bathroom. Don't ask.

63 and Holding

I made it through the weekend without turning the heat on.

I always try to make it to October 1, and if I make it that far, I aim for October 15. Having made it past the 15th, I set my sights on Halloween, but with each passing day (and each declining degree) my resolve dissolves just a little bit more. So if I don't make it until the 31st I certainly won't beat myself up about it.

I'm going to work at my temporary gig today instead of tomorrow because I have an interview tomorrow. My resume is circulating amongst people I don't know, and somehow it landed in the hands of someone who recognized my many talents and wants to examine me a little bit closer. Works for me!

My darling Rich, on the other hand, isn't faring as well. He had an interview a week ago and he was really hoping he'd hear something and so far - silence. It really bites the big one. And this morning he had a flat tire so he's just generally not in a good mood. I'm hoping a bit of the good luck rubs off on him. I hate to see him so down.

Cruise Countdown: 42 Days

Did I mention I'm going on a cruise? On the Queen Mary 2? And our sailing date is only six weeks away?

I'm starting to get excited.

And if twelve days on a Caribbean cruise isn't enough to get your panties wet, consider this:

We got upgraded.

Yeah, we signed up for the cheap seats but figured what the hell, we won't be spending much time in the room anyway. We booked early enough so that if there were any upgrades to be had, we were on the list. Maybe, just maybe, we'd get a room with a view.

But The Gods have been smiling on fair Kenna Fearing all year long, and she (and her faithful sidekick, Susan) got upgraded to a balcony! Don't ask us how, we don't care. We're just happier than pigs in shit.

But wait - there's more! Turns out there's a slight change in our itinerary. Sorry, folks, but would you mind if we stopped in Tortola instead of Puerto Rico? I should think not!

And I haven't forgotten my promise for all of you to come with. I am taking my laptop and my digital camera and Susan and I plan on doing daily posts. Just to share the joy - not to rub in the fact that we're on the freakin' QM2 enjoying our balcony view whilst all our meals are prepared for us and we're dining in the lap of luxury, enjoying the warm sunny weather while all our friends are freezing their asses off in upstate NY.

Can't. Wait.

It's Time

Yes, Ladies and Gentlemen, it's that time of year again ... time to play "How Long Can I Go Without Heat?" Last week was spectacular - the temperature was about 20 degrees above normal and we had brilliant blue skies and bright sunny days. Much more like August than October, except without the humidity. Just perfect.

It all changed on Friday, and now it's back to normal. So the inside temperature is 63 degrees and I'm wondering how long I can go before I buckle and turn on the furnace?

Anyone want to lay bets?

A Day Late and A Dollar Short

Last year I had copied down a bunch of Oscar Wilde quotes and spewed forth with a few of them with the title "Wilde About Oscar." Was just scrolling through my gmail account (because they say 'with this much space you never have to delete a message' and so I have a lot of messages in there that haven't been deleted, nor have they been organized in folders because the folks at Google don't believe in that, they think it's easier to just search through all your messages than worry about storing things in folders, but I digress ...) and saw this quote. It's a day late, but what the hell:

"America had often been discovered before Columbus, but it had always been hushed up."

- Oscar Wilde

Long Weekend

Yes, it was a long weekend. Literally and figuratively.

Went home and helped my mother clean out my grandparents apartment in the assisted living facility. Luckily my aunt works at a nursing home, and she was able to secure two rooms for my grandparents. They have to be in separate rooms, but they are just 50 feet down the hall from each other. Might as well be 5 miles - my grandmother can't walk after breaking her hip and my grandfather probably couldn't find her room if he tried.

I give a lot of credit to people who take care of the sick and elderly. A thankless job. We were there setting up their rooms, trying to make it cozy and most of the other residents were in the lounge listening to the Sunday preacher, full of fire and brimstone. I didn't see too many other visitors, and if I'm honest, that's probably the first and last time I'll visit my grandparents in that facility. I've never felt close to them, and it's four hours away so ...

Came back with aches and pains and a sore throat. Decided to call in sick today - just wasn't up to working. I need to catch up with myself here. And follow up on a few job leads. But first - a nap.

In A Fog

It seems like I'm living in fog. Everything is hazy and blended together. One day melts into the next and I wake up wondering what I did last night and what am I supposed to do today? It's strange and eerie and yet, somehow, comfortable all at the same time.

I'm doing it again - blogging On Company Time. I did such a kick-ass job of writing a letter and identifying nearly 400 potential donors who, by the way, have collectively given this place over $200,000 over the past 12-15 years, that I felt I deserved a little time to catch up with myself. (P.S. One of these donors has given over $11,000 and they don't even know who he is!!)

So. Had a committee meeting from hell on Tuesday. My co-chair left there feeling so defeated. I felt for her, but we had to listen to this tirade from our designer because, well, she designs all of our invitations and printed materials for free and she also rounds up other donations of free printing and such, so we had to let her talk out loud. She was going on about how are we going to sell this speaker we've lined up? No one has heard of her, so how are we going to get people to come?

She has a valid point, but she wouldn't listen to my point which is this: we've already lined up 25% of the money we need to pay this speaker and I have asks out there to cover the other 75%. If we line up enough sponsorships, I don't care if anyone comes. Seriously. Besides, one of the potential sponsors is the local business journal, and I guarantee you that if they agree to be a sponsor we won't have any worries about "selling" this event. I just spoke to another potential sponsor, the local bank, and I was assured that they would get back to me, "most likely with a check."

But anyway.

One good thing to come out of the meeting was a job lead from my friend Nancy. She told me that the director of communications for a local arts organization had left. So, I dropped a resume in the mail. I hadn't seen the position advertised, maybe it hasn't been advertised. Maybe I'll have extraordinarily good timing and something will come of this. We'll see.

I'm looking ahead to the weekend, trying to create a list of all the things I need to do before I head out. It could potentially be a long weekend. My mother is trying to figure out what to do with my grandparents. They are currently in an assisted living facility, but Grandma fell and broke her hip last weekend and Grandpa has been doing inappropriate things, that is, whenever he actually gets out of bed. So, nursing homes may be in order. And they may not be able to stay together because my grandmother is going to need rehab. Oh joy.

Okay. Enough for now. Later.

Sign of the Times

You know how I like to make note of clever license plates? Well, I saw this one in one of those damn forwarded emails that for once I happened to open. Enjoy!

Busy, Busy!

I'm just blown away by how busy I am.

I haven't had time to blog or to read other blogs. I manage to keep myself busy every day and I don't have time to do anything other than lead a busy full life. Makes me realize just how little I was being asked to do at my job.

So. The job fair. Well, I did have one potential employer show up, and I do have a follow-up meeting later this week. It's a web production company - they create and maintain web sites but also focus on search engine optimization. They are interested in my writing skills and may also want me to do some sales. And I totally plan on claiming all the expenses on my taxes, so it was well worth it!

I went on a house tour with my friend Mary over the weekend. All these great new homes and I wish that I was wealthy and successful enough to own one of them. I could just see myself lounging by that pool, relaxing in that den, reading on that sun porch, sweating in that sauna. In my dreams.

Took Trucklet in for a check-up this morning. Dropped her off and then walked two miles home. Worked on the computer and made some phone calls this morning, and then allowed myself to relax a bit this afternoon. It was a picture perfect day and I deserved to relax in the sun and read a little of the latest issue of "O" magazine, didn't I? Then walked two miles back to the Honda dealership and along the way saw some free chicken wire set out by the road. I picked it up on the way back. I need it to mulch in my hydrangeas and also to put up along the curb to keep the plows away from my brick wall when winter comes.

When winter comes. I'm dreading it. Got my utility bill today and it was $120 and I didn't even use the furnace during September. I'm playing that game with myself - seeing how long I can go before I turn the heat on. With the price of gas, I'm going to push myself to November if it kills me.

Of course, it helps when you have another warm body in your bed to snuggle up to.

Warning Signs

Yesterday before I went to my consulting gig, I attempted to check my email and download some documents to my memory stick. I usually just leave my laptop on all the time, and after a period of time, the laptop just goes into low power mode. To bring it out, I just tap on the touch pad. When I tapped on the touch pad - nothing.

It freaked me out for a moment, because I had a problem with the screen just a year ago, and fortunately it was still under warrenty. I could just see my computer going on my now - resumes to be printed, research to be done and no laptop. Luckily it came back up when I rebooted. Same thing this morning. I don't know what I should do - shut down after each use? It just takes so freaking long to reboot, and I thought I was saving on the power switch by just leaving it on all the time.

All I know is I can't afford to be without a computer. I backed up the docs I needed. Still. Unsettling.

Note to QUITBUTS: Quit Flossing

I've mentioned before that I like to make note of clever license plates.

This morning, on my way to work, I came up on a car that had a plate reading QUITBUTS. "How clever," I thought. I had a smile on my face until I pulled along side the car and noticed that the driver was FLOSSING HER TEETH.

I think that's the most outrageous thing I've ever seen. I'm bothered enough by people who talk on their phones, and I know that lots of women try to apply their makeup when they are driving (I even once saw a woman using an eyelash curler), but flossing your teeth? Totally over the top.

So here I am in the office, blogging On Company Time. I'm the only one here - everyone else is at some big meeting at the cross town office. It's going to take some time to adjust going back to work. I'm constantly tired - and I'm not even working full time! Of course, there is a 40 minute commute each way, and traffic (and drivers flossing their teeth) to be dealt with, so that is certainly more stressful than my previous 10 minute stroll to the office.

I know have three potential employers who are officially attending my job fair on Friday. I'm trying to prepare for that too, so that's another reason why I'm feeling tired and stressed - just not enough hours in the day to properly plan a party when you have to work. I did some shopping yesterday and will be making another stop at the grocery store on my way home today, so I should be set with supplies. Now I just need to pull it all together.

I need to find the time to:

1) fix the toilet paper holder in the bathroom (tonight)
2) prepare the hot crab spread/dip (Thurs night)
3) prepare the artichoke dip (Thurs night)
4) marinate the shrimp (tonight or tomorrow night)
5) prepare the scallops wrapped in bacon (Friday morning)
6) print out copies of my resume (tonight?)
7) make a job fair sign to hang out front (tonight?)
8) blow up the balloons (Friday afternoon)
9) mow the lawn (Friday before I take a shower)
10) set up the charcoal grill (Friday before I take a shower)
11) make ice (hell, I can do that in my sleep!)
12) set up the glasses and booze (Friday)

Yeah, I think I have it under control. Except that doesn't account for anything not related to the party like setting up a committee meeting, sending sponsorship letters, and doing more internet research for the doggie bandana company. Last night when I talked to Rich on the phone he told me I think too much and that I needed to just turn off my brain. Wish I could.

Back to work.

Breakfast for Dinner

It's a good thing.

Things I Took For Granted

That there would be some standards for correspondence.
That someone would know how to load letterhead in the printer.
That the printer would have an envelope feeder.

I didn't assume that anyone would know how to do a word merge, and I was perfectly fine doing that myself. Still. Guess that's why they are paying me the big bucks.

It's Something

That's the catch phrase that Rich and I have been trading a lot. As we each go about our job searches, whenever the other has a bit of news to report, the other responds "Hey, it's something."

Today's something is a local businesswoman asking me to send her my resume and writing samples. She has a web production business, but is really trying to ramp up the search engine optimization side of the business, and she needs writers. I had talked to her a few years ago about doing some sales for her, totally freelance. She can't make it to my job fair on Friday, but we'll talk something next week, and maybe between writing and some sales, I can patch together a full-time job.

It's something.

When In Doubt ...

... consult online tech support.

They say that I shouldn't need a driver with Windows XP, but since I wasn't able to connect, I downloaded the most up-to-date driver. So now I can show you the marked improvement in my lawn.

That is, if I can get Blogger image hosting to work. I keep uploading and then the window goes blank and it says "Done" in the bottom left corner, but of course it really isn't done. It's supposed to go to a blue button that says done - it ain't done until you click done.

Sigh. Do you get the feeling I'm not going to be able to get past this? It's sucking my Sunday afternoon and I still have much to do.

In other news, I found this tucked away on the top shelf of my kitchen cabinets. I thought I'd give it a shot, but I could see that the product had clearly started to separate, and I just didn't want to chance it. Besides, I'm not crazy about coffee flavored anything. I like the way it smells, but I don't drink the stuff.

(Photos brought to you by virtue of my sheer brilliance and deducing that the photos had uploaded, I just hadn't been given the html code. I copied code from another previously uploaded photo, edited the .jpg tag number and voila - photos.)

Note to Canon: Your Camera Sucks

I've wasted an hour and a half trying to download pictures from my Canon PowerShot S50.

I knew I shouldn't have ordered it off EBay. Yeah, it was NIB. Probably 'fell of a truck' somewhere. Basically it's been a good camera, but the preview screen blew on me a few months back, and now my computer won't recognize it to download photos. It's a problem I've had intermittantly, but I've restarted my computer three or four times now to no avail.

I wanted to show you the most recent photo of my lawn. What a difference a week (and daily watering) makes! I've got lush new green growth. I even mowed it on Friday before my weekend guests arrived.

Speaking of my weekend guests, we had a great time last night. Steve and Nina were up from Baltimore, and Don and Judy stopped by and I cooked a great Oktoberfest feast featuring beer soaked bratwurst. Rich came over and Susan made an after dinner appearance and we all continued to drink and laugh and I put on an impromptu fashion show.

Holding my own personal job fair was declared "outstanding" and Don and Judy promised they would be back next Friday with a job lead - perhaps even bringing the potential employer with them. I'm starting to think that I just might be on to something. We shall see.

Various

* wrote the preceding post last night but had problems publishing

* worked six hours (!) today, had to deal with traffic, went to a reception at 5:30 and had a meeting at 7:00. Didn't get home until 8:45. Still exhausted.

* The meeting? With those ladies making doggie bandanas. They hired me to do some internet sleuthing - find dog boutiques and other outlets for their product. I know some of you will be interested in hearing more!

* Did I mention my upcoming party? That the theme is 'help me find a job' by bringing leads and contacts? And that I sent invitations to a number of businesses? Yeah, it's fucking brilliant. Can't wait to see how it goes.

Exhausted

This work thing is wearing me out.

Had trouble sleeping last night. Probably because I knew I had to go to work today. And I didn't even work a full day. I went to my pilates class as per usual and reported for work at 11:00. But then I did work straight through until 4:00.

I should get out of the house more often - when I came home today I had four messages. At first I thought I might already be receiving responses to my Job Fair invitations, but it wasn't to be. But one of the messages was a possible job opportunity.

A woman I used to work with has started a business with a friend of hers making (I kid you not) doggie bandanas. They are actually getting enough business that they need someone to manage their database and mine the internet for business. Hey, I can do that. I have a meeting to talk more about it tomorrow night.

It's still just temporary; I doubt I can make a living from these various part-time gigs. Still, it's a start.

It's something.

From The Front Line

Remember Larry? The guy I went to New Orleans with back in June? Well, he's in New Orleans again. He's with the National Guard and he's been sent to help with the recovery efforts. Here are a few photos he shared with me last week:





Things are going well here today. I managed to get through to a few people on the phone regarding a fund raiser I'm co-chairing in February (honest - this is the LAST fund raiser that I'm going to work on!). I'm hopeful that I may have planted the seeds for corporate sponsorships of up to $7,500.

I got the invitations for my job fair out, and I'm working on resume/cover letter for a position at a local college. I start my temporary job tomorrow, and everything is cool with the unenjoyment - er, unemployment - office. I just won't claim benefits the weeks I'm working, and then I can start claiming again once the temporary job has ended.

Rich is coming over for dinner - we're having shrimp scampi, yum!

Isn't It Customary ...

... to ask before you place a political sign in someone's yard?

A friend of mine is the campaign chair for a candidate for city council, and he just drove up in front of my house, got out of his car, and placed a sign in my yard. Without asking.

Granted, I know the candidate - I voted for him last time around and have every intention of voting for him this year. But having the sign placed in my yard without so much as a 'how do you do' just fries my ass.

Various

Gas is now $2.89 $2.85/gallon. And to think I made a point of filling up at $3.25 last Saturday.

Slowly but surely, my lawn is sprouting new grass growth.

Yesterday was Dan's birthday, and we had a nice chat on the phone last night.

I haven't checked my Mega Millions ticket yet, but since I haven't heard that the winning ticket was sold right here in my town, well ...

I caved and turned the air conditioning back on. It was just too humid and sticky.

I got a job! Well, sort of. I'm going to be working on a part-time temporary basis for a school for children with developmental disabilities. It's like a 45 minute commute each way, but at least it's something, and it will extend my unemployment benefits that much longer. I think. Gotta check into that one.

My new favorite product is Garnier Fructis Fiber Gum Putty. It really holds the curl in my hair without making it sticky. And when you go to their web site their ditty plays "woo-hoo!" over and over and over and over again.

Woo-hoo!

Show Me The Love

The Mega Millions jackpot is now $250 million dollars and I got me a ticket.

Old timers will recall that if I win, I am willing to share my luck and good fortune with my blogger buddies - IF you show me the love.

Go ahead. Shower me with adoration and adulation. I love this stuff!

Today's Mail

Being unemployed and at home during the day, I look forward to the day's mail. Yesterday I got a few checks that I'd been waiting for, so it was a good day. Today, my mailbox belched up a couple of mixed messages.

Yankee magazine wants me to order my Christmas cards through them, with free imprinting. I think I'll pass.

A charity sent me return address labels along with a request for a contribution. Am I a bad person if I use the labels but don't make a donation?

And the Rick Renner Ministries from Tulsa Oklahoma sent me an envelope with the message "In the heart of the former Atheist Empire, God is working miracles!" emblazoned across the front. I threw it away without even opening it.

In other news, despite my protestations that I wasn't going to kill myself doing yardwork around here because my landlords do not appreciate the time and effort that it takes to keep their property looking this good, I spent three hours in the yard this morning (this is after the 8 1/2 hours I'd already put in since last Thursday) finishing up the resoration process.

See, the thing about people with money? The more money you have, the fewer brains you have.

They didn't notice that somehow the sprinkler system got mucked up, and they were wondering why the grass was burning off in early August. Um, hot humid weather and no rain?

So I've been out there raking up the dead grass, working up the soil, re-raking even more of the dead material, digging deeper to work up the soil, pulling crabgrass and clover, and generally breaking my back with this manual labor. I spread the grass seed today. Let's see what I have in a few weeks.

Thank You, Neil

Found my battery charger - in my overnight bag. I hadn't yet unpacked it, and even though I'd rummaged through it before, it wasn't until I actually took things out that I found that bad boy. Good thing too - I did a quick search this morning to see what it might cost to replace it and it looks like the stupid thing goes for $88 - reconditioned!

I really hate proprietary accessories.

My New Pink Shoes

I may be unemployed, but I needed these pink shoes.

In other news, I can't seem to find the battery charger for my digital camera. I've looked everywhere. Anyone have any suggestions on where else to look?

Quit Yer Bitchin'

Now that I'm paying $3.29 or more for a gallon of gas, I'm nostalgic for these days.

Doritos for Dinner

Yeah, I had a bag of Doritos for dinner last night.

But I don't think that's what gave me the migraine this morning. I think the migraine came from being away over the weekend, coming back, having to mow the lawn, rushing off to a last-minute barbeque, not sleeping Monday night, and then moving all my shit yesterday. And, oh yeah, being unemployed.

My life and my home may be a mess, but I still knew where to find the Imitrex. Good thing I had the prescription refilled before losing my health insurance.

On another note, now that I'm watching the news again, I've noticed that the morning traffic reporter now says "we'll update you again in 30 minutes, or as the situation warrants." Is this a new thing? Is this basic cover your ass reporting?

"Yes, we'll update you every thirty minutes, but if there is breaking news we'll tell you right away because we don't want to be accused of not informing and preparing you in case of an emergency."

Sigh. Life in post 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina society.

Comfortable in My Skin

Ms. A. R. posed a question to me in the comments. She asked why, when I initially started this blog anonymously, did I begin to share its existence with friends and family?

At first, I wasn't going to answer that question. In some respects, the answer to the question is as private as my initial reasons for writing under a pseudonym. But I'm just tired enough (and possibly, drunk enough) to answer that question.

Anonymity gives you flexibility. You don't need to defend your words or your actions. Coming out and stating your thoughts and opinions is an entirely different matter. I've said previously that I admire those who reveal their names and faces - most specifically, John and Jenica. They got balls.

When I first started this blog - not so much in the balls department. I was still trying to figure out who I was, to be comfortable in my skin. I've given my real name, address and phone number to several of my readers. I've sent you postcards. I've been the lucky recipient of several mixed CDs and other gifts and greetings. As this blog has evolved, so have I.

I'm at a place where I'm confident in my talents and abilities. There are still many questions about my future, but I know that ultimately I'll come out of this a better person.

Whoever I am.

I Can't Sleep

As evidenced by the time stamp on this post.

Have been tossing and turning for the last two hours and finally decided to just get up and do something. I have been away since last Thursday and I just got home yesterday afternoon. I feel like I've been disconnected from myself; maybe this will help me bring myself up to date.

The situation in the Gulf Coast has been on my mind a lot, and I shared John's and Matt's blogs with my parents so they could get first hand accounts of what is happening down there. They know that I have a blog, but I've never shared it with them. There is a very good chance that my mother will find this as she goes through John's blogroll.

There's nothing here that I'm ashamed of, and not much that my friends and family don't know. But I have written under a pseudonym for a reason (although I'm not sure I can articulate that reason here and now, especially since I recently let my good friend Susan in on the 'secret') and I hope that when and if my mother does find this blog, that she lets me know. Just tell me that you found it, Mom, and if you do comment, please don't do it anonymously. Sign your comments "Kenna's Mom" okay? If you want, I'll even help you get a gravatar.

On to other news ... my sister has decided to get married in Vegas at the end of October. Remember that white party dress I bought when I was on the west coast? Well, there is a good chance she may borrow that for the ceremony. I'll be there to witness the event - look forward to those photos!