Monday, February 25, 2008

Mouth Checked in Brain Hasn't

I knew it was probably going to be a rough day when it starts out and I am outsmarted by a two and a half year old. I was brushing my teeth and I made the mistake of confining her in the bathroom with me. She takes my undies and asks if she can throw them in the water -- I am not thinking but I bet you can see where this is going -- I say sure wondering to myself where is she going to find water? She then proceeds to throw them in the toilet and giggles wildly. I react not at all because this is not a trend I want to see. She is bored quickly and opens the door and escapes.

Now if that isn't a horrible way to start the day let me then say my boss is completely down with likely pneumonia and was out today and will be again tomorrow. She lulls me into a conversation where she says that she is supposed to go to a conference tomorrow and would I go in her place? Last time this happened it was a very good time and sure why not go in her place? After I agree, tricky lady that she is, she then drops the bomb that it is an executive forum and the CFO of **insert huge 25K employee plus corp I work for here** is taking the handful of exec's going to lunch after. I think the CFO is awesome and someone I'd love to sit down with and have a meal with.

Now I will say after seeing the list I am really hoping that one of the other attendees decides she is too sick to attend. Now granted she is sick, but I'd also rather pull my eyelashes out than spend a couple hours alone with her. I feel like being around her is much like being on a verbal battlefield where it is just best to keep your head down and hope to avoid fire. I think the part about her that bothers me is that she is just plain out moody.

I have also been harassed today about having an oven that I named and that I don't bring in enough treats for everyone. I will point out that I just brought in cookies on Friday for the underling's birthday. Oh and did I mention the best friend from college is trying to kill me?

Right and I forgot my other really brilliant move today. Decide to make a yummy beef roast for dinner tomorrow night, then because you know there will be too much food invite your friend that doesn't eat red meat over!

Tuesday, February 19, 2008

February Out of the Country

I looked at my passport this morning and noticed an interesting trend. I have been out of the country 3 times in the last 5 years and each and every time it has been February. England in 2003, France in 2004 and now Canada in 2008. I will be adding some more stamps next month and break this whole trend wide open!

Anyway, I am back in the US and yes our border people are much nicer. Three questions and that was it, nice, simple and easy! Better yet even that two out of the three questions made perfect sense to me. They also did the pre-screening in Canada so once we landed in the US no herding through customs.

I had a really fun time up in the great north! My bag had a great time too -- so much so that it stayed over a few more hours. The currier called and I should have it tonight. Why is it the whenever my luggage has been lost it has been lost on direct flights? Actually I was lucky. The first flight to Denver this morning at 6:30 was delayed and still had not taken off by the time our plane did at noon. I think lots of baggage made it to Denver and the passengers are still stuck in Canada.

And I am going to rant here for just a second -- I don't care how old you are, if you are going to take up the entire arm rest -- could you at last not have your elbow so far into my seating area that I can't even read my book! This old guy - I would say gentlemen.... but after a two hour flight with him I am sure it would be a lie....had his elbow so far into my seat that I couldn't turn the pages with my left arm because his elbow was in the way. When your elbow is well past my tray table get it back where it belongs! He's lucky I was in a good mood. Manners cost nothing people!
Ok rant over now.

So anyways, I had just unbelievable weather for this time of year in Canada which meant I was still really cold :). When I arrived at the hotel, I was given a free upgrade to a murphy bed and breakfast which translates into a bunch of cuts and bruises about 8 inches up my leg. I will say that I did learn quickly where the limits of the bed where. OH! And in the duty free store in Canada I found that one really good liquor with the tough looking elephant on the front. I hope it survives my luggage's misadventure. I am glad thought that if my luggage was going to get lost that it happened on the way to Denver instead of to Canada.

Monday, February 18, 2008

Not Comforting

I arrived in Canada on a fairly smooth flight. It's been awhile since I was outside the US and I don't remember the questioning that happened to get into the country being all that big of a deal when we went to England and I am not sure it happened at all in Paris. I get off the plane and have to go through Customs. They ask a few questions and turn me over to go into immigration. I get into the immigration office and there is one guy ahead of me in line. I can't help but hear the conversation. He isn't getting into Canada, game over. I didn't hear what lead up to it but they were going to try and hold him a day until he could get on the first United flight out of the US, otherwise he could leave in 2 hours on an Air Canada flight to Denver but then he was SOL to get back to LA where he lives. This is not comforting. He tells the guy to stand to the side because this is going to take awhile. He then proceeds to call me up to the desk where he takes a call about going golfing in the afternoon while I wait patiently in line. I get to the desk and he grills me up down and sideways. This is Canada for crying out loud people! It shouldn't be that hard to get into the country. I couldn't believe all the questions he asked me. He finally decided to let me into the country but um wow. I just couldn't believe it. Do they find it that hard to believe people come up here to vacation in the winter?

Wednesday, February 13, 2008

Almost Fatal Logic

Tonight I made a call half in jest and half in desperation to the ex-husband asking him to wake our daughter and see what she did with my securId card. This is the key to being able to log in at home and is about the size of a car key but a little fatter. I know I left it beside the bed last night as I was working on email and being lazy and doing it in bed instead of the table downstairs. Kaylee woke up very early this morning and she had time to be mischievous while I showered and apparently freaking mommy out by moving her ability to work from home was fun.

I wondered around the house for awhile looking for it thinking of course the horrible things like - sweet mercy I hope she didn't trash it, but then I remembered she does not know the fun of garbage yet. I did make the joking call to the ex and while I was talking to him I remembered that she was playing in my open suitcase in my room. I look down and sure enough there is my securId card cleverly melding into the grey background of the suitcase.

I am feeling a little bitter today as we had just a gorgeous day weather wise and I spent almost 11 hours at work and missed almost every single hour of daylight and nice weather by being chained to my desk. I suppose on the upside I am not sick and well there is something making its way around the office.

Back to homework......

Monday, February 11, 2008

Review Time

I will admit that it is very odd to me to be writing someone's review. I am grading my direct report and it is very odd for me. Also I am in charge of someone's raise and that is beyond strange for me. It is probably a good thing for her that I wrote it a few weeks ago instead of this week. It's been a rough few weeks at work and I really need a vacation. Between school and work I barely have time to breathe.

I am looking forward to getting a raise. I am hoping for a decent one so that I can finally stop putting off getting a new car and just go do it. No no I will be keep my beloved SUV and as I have said before there will be no parting with that thing until one of us dies. I know I am just being silly about the car thing. I can more than afford a new car on what I am making but I wanted to make sure the job was going to work out. I suppose I am running out of excuses and with summer coming it is time to give my Toyota some time off. The only question left is do I want another Toyota or do I want a Honda or something much less sensible......I think that part of it is that I make so many decisions at work that sometimes it is nice just to not make a decision. Or is that deciding not to decide?

Sunday, February 10, 2008

College at USD

I will always have very fond memories of college at Verm-town. And yes I realize that only people who went to 'my' USD will understand that. I have had reason to think back on college lately, and remember all the good times we had. I am lucky enough to have two of my best pals from college living out here, but were I truly blessed they would still get along.

I think sometimes that I am back to almost where I was then, except with a few more responsibilities and a heck of a lot more money! I strangely miss the dorm life at times. I wonder if I should have stayed in them another year, and would that have made anything turn out differently? I figured out that some of those people I have been friends with for a long time. The number of years surprised me. Which reminds me I really need to look up Carleen's number and get it back in my phone.

School is different right now - I am taking classes for my masters and I don't really know the people in my class, and honestly they are just not that interesting. It does make me want to look up more of the people I knew back when....Where the hell is Eric McGlynn!