shiny and new

Hey, I like new things, so... I, too, have started an e-mail account on the gmail. If you try to e-mail me from this site, that's what you'll get. Please feel free to use that as my primary address from now on. Yay!

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this is a test of the bad guys network
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this concludes the test

...and, I'm spent

We're home.
It was a really fun trip. Of course, one would expect that I might say that, considering a good portion of it was spent in my car and in the company of 30+ other Minis and Mini owners. But it's even better than that.
Saturday we went to Madison, first to the farmers' market (mmm... cheese curds), and then shopping on State with my bro. Low and behold, just in time for my birthday, there's a new store. DerK, because I love you, I will warn you: do not enter. It's called Pop Deluxe and I bought nothing, because I could not decide on any one thing. I wanted everything. Everything in the whole store. I kept walking around, muttering to my brother that I was mad that I didn't already own everything in it. I felt a little like a crazy person. So... if you are a person inclined to want to purchase something for me for my birthday (no pressure), but you aren't brimming with any good ideas: go to this store. Really, you can't go wrong.
So... after the painful almost-shopping, we headed out of town to the Delavan Lake Resort. It was a little strange. On their website, which I checked out before we went down, it mentioned that they had condos for sale. What it didn't mention was that if you were staying there, using it as a hotel, you were really staying in a condo that someone else owns. So, it felt like a hotel, only there was real furniture, and a kitchen and stuff. But, it actually belongs to someone, so you couldn't trash it (if you were so inclined). I mean, we even loaded and started the dishwasher before we checked out this morning, cuz we weren't sure if we were suppose to clean up after ourselves. Like I said...strange.
Yesterday was the rally. It was a ton of fun, but really exhausting. We didn't win, but it turns out that that had nothing to do with the prize you went home with, so that's ok. There are currently two number threes painted on my car windows that I'll have to wash off once it's a little warmer out. The rally was really mostly a scavanger hunt, where you had to answer questions and follow directions, the goal being to have the closest to the correct mileage and the most questions right. We met Norm's mom, a nice lady from the message boards, the "Evils" (their licence plate was Evil Mini), and a really cool couple we ate dinner with. I would definitely do it again, but not any time soon. It takes a lot out of you to have to drive on roads you don't know, follow directions that don't necessarily make sense, and strain your neck to make sure you're catching all the clues for nearly 3 hours.
Today we woke up and headed out... went shopping at Johnson's Creek, and headed home.
It's been a lot of miles for little Vvy this weekend. I, for one, am pooped. Unfortunately, it's back to work for me, probably tonight. *ugh*

It's a little spooky

How accurate I expect my horoscope from the Onion truly is:
Gemini: (May 21—June 21)
By this time next week, you'll be a living example of what it's like to get blued, screwed, and tattooed.

Bizarre.

Damn it!

And I thought I was doing so well, with the not really being very sick... and then... very sick. So very sick.
I seem to be mostly recuperated now, thankfully. Of course, I was home from work today, and I really can't afford to do that at all, what with the insanity and all. I am going to try not to dwell... it'll all still be there tomorrow... 8 hours isn't so much to make up, right? (just say "right", ok?)
But, with me there's always good news (you may have noticed), and today it is that I got the tickets I need for the Mini Rally this weekend. I'm sure it will be a good time. Or at least that's what the other freaks on the message boards tell me :)

just glug

So.... to alleviate the sorrows of drowning in work, I chose last night to use alcomahol for drowning instead. It was fun.
Today I feel not so hot, but not as bad as I would have predicted. Mostly just tired.
This afternoon I got my car washed, and this evening we went to the Machine Shed for dinner and then went to the mall and the new Gordham's or Gordman's or whatever it's called. It was ok - better set-up than TJ Maxx, shoes aren't quite as fun, but the clothes seemed good. And cheap. Really, quite cheap. And Shaft - you may want to check them out, they had a particularly large range of sizes for the boys, I noticed, and not just ugly stuff.
So - that's my story. Now for some bed!

glug sputter glug

That's the sound of me drowning... in work. I was not cut out to work this much. Every night since I last wrote... hopefully I'll be a little caught up by Monday, if I work over the weekend. And Monday I'll officially be down to only the one job, so that'll be nice.
And now it's time to rerax and watch Gilmore Girls. Thank heavens for husbands who can work VCRs.

Wha who wha what?

Sorry... I'm a little "discomboobalated", as we like to say at work, today. To be truthful, it didn't feel like Monday at all today, and the only way I really can keep track is to stare at my calendar and mentally check off the meetings listed there as: attended or to be attended. Let me tell you, people, meetings have a nasty way of getting in the way of getting work done. Important work. Time-sensitive work. Work that needs to be done before I get to leave for the day tomorrow.
I did manage to make some head-way today, but that was cut short because I had to go to a happy hour for the gal whose job I now have. I'm still busy debating in my head if this whole thing is worth it, considering I was slotted to get this fancy promotion, while keeping the product I was accustommed to, in just a few months. So...happy hour? I'm torn. But I went, and it was fine. One of my former co-workers (actually, the girl who trained me) came with her fiance, so that was nice. She's loving her new job, and I'm happy for her. I felt a little strange, considering she was passed up for promotions several times, and I seem to have fallen into them somewhat effortlessly. Not that I'm not working my arse off, but I didn't have to jump through too many hoops for the last one, and none for this most recent one. I'm just beginning to feel a little sheepish about the whole thing, considering I know there are several people still in the office that are maybe a little bitter about it. I hope that doesn't sound too lame.
On a happier note: Mr. Jones - thanks for the sweet Easter present :)
And I'll be headed to bed shortly. I was one cranky bitch this morning, let me tell you. Too much on the mind makes it difficult for this one to sleep, and not enough sleep means cra-bby.

good morning!

and Happy Easter, everyone!
I'm trying to be chipper and ignore the fact that it is snowing. I made a tasty breakfast of french toast, and now it's time to get ready to go to church. I just wanted to say that, despite the weather, Easter means spring. I heard mourning doves this morning (yay!) and saw a robin the other day, and, actually, a woodpecker, which I find odd. The squirrels are back (not that they ever really go away), but they're everywhere. I'm sure I saw some flowers blooming in someone's yard the other day... I love love love spring!!!

One more thing for bad guys only

Check out the bad guys site for upcoming plans

1/2 done and a month and a half to go

I've spent the last hour or so working on altering my skirt for prom, and here's a newsflash for you, people: I am not a seamstress. It's going ok, but I can't help thinking that someone who actually knew what they were doing would have finished a long time ago. That said, I do like the results so far, which is something. Next year I'm buying something in my size, I swear.
My feeling is that invites, much like the bills I have sitting on my desk, should go out next week. Starting tomorrow I'm going to be wicked busy at work, and I'd like them off of my plate (I say that like I've actually done anything on them - I haven't, but Plinko has, and I think they're pretty much good to go). A-lo, if you could send a revised logo asap, I'd appreciate it. I'll take what we have to Miller Printing Monday during lunch, unless someone has a particular vendor that they think would do a better job for cheaper. They turned them around in a day last year, and I like that kind of service. Also, it was muy cheap. If all goes as planned we should then have invites to share on Wednesday, possibly Friday latest, at the P.

Ninny

That's what I am... I had meant to post a link to Dave's blog awhile ago, in fact, the last time we ran into each other, but I didn't 'till now cuz I suck. At least I have now remedied the situation. *sorry* And btw, I hope you guys are free on May 22! Oh, and if you're interested, the other Kohler brat fry is probably May 2 :) If you want tickets ahead of time, let me know, I know a guy. Mmmm... brats. And if anyone thought that he was kidding about the Newport Beach thing, I can verify he is most definitely not.
Thanks, Ms. Jackson, for the congrats. I'd like to say that I feel more confident today, now that I've seen a little bit more of what's in store for me, but that would be a giant lie. So instead I'll just say that other people seem to generally have the idea that I will do ok, so I'm just going to ride on that until I actually figure out what the hell I'm doing. Also, in news from work today, I learned that the person I will most closely work with is also brand new to the position she has, so yay! It's bound to be a giant cluster... well, you know. Stay tuned for updates.
I am totally tuckered out. I came home from kind of a whirl-wind day, ate a very tasty dinner, went to Target, and then to the Y. And now... tuckered. I suppose it doesn't help that while I was tired all day yesterday, the minute I lay my head down to sleep I was wide awake. I agree with DerK and her Daylight Savings Time is stupid theory, though I do enjoy the being light later. So why not just leave it like that all the time, that's my question? Why bother falling back? Cuz we all really love it when it's dark at 4 pm in the winter? um... no, I don't think we do. Maybe I'm wrong. I'm sure there's a whole contingent of painfully old people that when winter comes are relieved that they can go to sleep in the pitch dark right after watching their beloved Tom Brokaw tell them about how the government is screwing them and about how they need robot insurance for when the metal ones come (and they will). My vote is we just all move to the equator where the days are always the same length and this kind of thing just doesn't come up.
On that note, I booked by June trip for work today (I told you it was busy). June 13-24: Istanbul, Singapore, Hong Kong, Home. I could try to figure out how many of the hours that I'm gone I'll be spending on a plane, but I'd rather not. To give you some idea, I get to go to Frankfort twice. Unfortunately, that's really so far from being the worst part of the whole thing. I'll refrain from getting into it here, but suffice it to say that I will not have my favorite of traveling companions with me, save for about a day in Singapore when our trips will overlap due to my careful planning. Otherwise... oof. A big, stinky pile of oof.

Music feeds the soul

or, that's my working theory of why I bought two CDs today, when I already own plenty that I haven't listened to in forever. But I'm listening to one of them right now and I'm enjoying quite a bit, or, at least, the current song.
Other than that, I don't have a lot to say. This week I'll get a much better feel for how this whole new promotion thing will go. I think I'll feel better for it. Right now it's all apprehension and anxiety, but I think I just need to get my feet under me and it'll be ok.
Now for some not-so-needed but definitely highly anticipated sleeping. Seems I can't quite get enough today.

Look at me

and my fancy new promotion.
Work is crazy. I don't feel like getting into the details. But I got a promotion. Effective tomorrow. More money, more headaches. I guess those are suppose to go hand-in-hand.