Shall We Get Over It?

Career Update...

2008-09-22T16:28:00.003-04:00

Its looking more encouraging on the job front. I don't want to get my hopes up or write anything too soon, so I'll keep quiet for now on the details. I'll just say that God's hand is on this now - I just know it. I'll be hearing something within the next couple of weeks. Bye for now.

Fun at the Zoo

2008-09-22T15:47:00.005-04:00

I know these are SO late, but I wanted to share these pics of the girls with Grant at the Knoxville Zoo. These were taken over Labor Day weekend. Ah, to be young again!

Yep, we all fit this year!

I LOVE the belly!

Ice cream, anyone?

Hmmm...what to do next?

I'm all boy...

More Old Greg...

2008-09-12T09:15:00.004-04:00

I've got some more for ya...Crystal, this one's for you!

Never Forget...

2008-09-11T08:51:00.007-04:00

2,966 souls

Not Sure if God is a Man

2008-09-10T08:21:00.005-04:00

I was so relieved to find this book:

For a while, I thought I was the only one who had a question about God's gender. How wrong I was! Its comforting to know that you're not alone in the world about some things. This is kinda a taboo subject in my (fellow-parent) social circles so I was really out on a limb with the questions I was having. Bottom line is that this is an awesome book for any woman who refuses to be satisfied with being told what to believe. The truth is that God is God. God is not male or female - how would we know? A lot of people would say that "the Bible tells us"...Well, you know what? The Bible, as we have it today, was written, edited, and approved by men. Even if it was divinely inspired, it was still approved by men. The only people that were known to be educated (literate) over the centuries were men. See where this is going?

Don't think that I'm bashing men. I LOVE MEN! But lets face it, women have been deeply suppressed throughout history. Its just a fact. There are perceptions in society of "good girls" and "bad girls" that are projected onto us. There are certain roles we're expected to fill, etc...Do you understand how liberating it is too know, deep in your soul, that God is God? The almighty authority does not come from a man, it comes from an incomprehensible power - one that none of us, man or woman, could possibly understand. I loved this book!

Whew! Boy, I got deep today! Don't worry - it doesn't happen often.

Have you met Old Greg?

2008-09-09T08:23:00.005-04:00

If any of you wasted your time watching the VMAs like I did, you might wonder why Russell Brand was the host. (I won't even spend the time commenting on that gig.) I know who he his from his fellow "Goth Detective" Noel Felding. Both are comedy giants in the UK and Russell is obviously working on his US crossover at the moment. Not too sure how thats going to go...

But...Russell isn't the jewel here...its Noel. I came across Noel's comedic genius on his British TV series The Mighty Boosh. The Mighty Boosh is set in a surrealistic future that is just flat out weird - it is really out there. Each episode chronicles the adventures of a group of friends (one perpetually dressed in a gorilla suit) of which Noel plays the character of Vince Noir - Rock Star. The Vince character is one of many however, as new characters are introduced in each episode and Noel plays a lot of them. One of the most memorable being OLD GREG.

Old Greg is a hermaphrodite merman who is in love with Howard Moon, another Boosh character played by Julian Barrett. Old Greg has a "mangina" that emits a blinding white light when he feels inclined to flash it. BTW...he also does watercolors and his favorite drink is Baileys. Intrigued? It is hilarious!

Now, You Tube is covered in Boosh clips and Old Greg has recently developed an american following. If you haven't met Old Greg, you hopefully will not be totally confused by the clip below highlighting some of the funniest parts from the episode. For you newbies, go to You Tube and search for the "Legend of Old Greg" Mighty Boosh episode - the best one shows it in 4 parts...if you have met Old Greg, you'll appreciate it immensely!

I'm OLD GREGGGG!

Almost a Year Later...

2008-09-07T19:34:00.006-04:00

Let me first just say that its pathetic how long its been since I last blogged. I was so dead set on doing it regularly, but like most things, I begin with good intentions but the long-term commitment seems to fall away. I've learned that I have trouble sticking with a lot of things. However, in my own defense I can say that its only been over the last couple of years and I can also say that I know the reason - I was suffering from burn-out.

To remedy this situation, I QUIT MY JOB. Sounds irresponsible. But, its probably the most mature action I've taken in my "mature" lifetime. Lets face it folks, anyone who knows me knows that I have not been myself for a while. I have been totally consumed with my career and burning out was bound to happen. I'm honestly glad that it happened before my kids started grade school and not after they were finished - it would've killed me to miss out on all that. This all happened in May so I have been unemployed for the best three months of my life. Needless to say that I've had plenty of time to spend with my kids and to do a little soul searching. I won't bore you with the details. All I will say is that it is good to be living again!

I've developed some new interests which I'll share with you over the coming weeks. I've changed the color of the blog template to reflect the new attitude I have on life. From now on the content will be more balanced (as I am!)

Merry Christmas!!!

2007-12-23T23:42:00.000-05:00

Have a Merry Christmas everyone!

Procrastinators Unite...Tomorrow!

2007-12-12T19:05:00.000-05:00

Every Tuesday night, my husband and I have the same routine. The evening consists of our weekly viewing of the most over-the-top show on TV...Nip/Tuck. We're both completely riveted to the tube when the episode is playing, commercials consist of comments to eachother such as, "What the hell was he thinking", "They ALL are f'd up", and "I can't believe we watch this trash". When the show concludes, we anxiously "stay tuned for scenes from next week's all new episode of Nip/Tuck", and proceed to shake our heads while turning off all the lamps as we go upstairs to bed. For anyone who saw last night's episode, I hope you would agree with me when I say that I hope Matt is dead. He and Sean are about the most ignorant characters on the show. The writers have set up Christian to be the only one with any sense this season. I thought one of the most hilarious scenes from last night's episode was when Sean thought he was having a heart attack in the midst of hot sex with Eden. For the uninitiated, Eden is Sean's ex-wife's girlfriend's daughter...Yep - "They ALL are f'd up".

Okay - that was my pop reference for the day. On to the b$t^@ of the day: I am a procrastinator. I've recognized a pattern in myself lately and it will be difficult to overcome. I'm not too sure though if it will hinder my professional success. For example, a couple of posts ago, I was b&t%#ing about waiting on news from a job interview. Well, today was my 6th interview...and I still am no closer to getting an offer than I was before. Why? Because the company has no idea what position they are interviewing me for - and I am evidently desperate enough to keep having ambiguous conversations with them. They have no open positions, but they like me and want to use me but have no idea where to put me. They are procrastinating and they have about a $billion under management. Procrastination doesn't seem to have hurt them any.

I need fellowship with other procrastinators and would love to hear your stories. Please tell me how procrastinating has positively impacted your life in the comments section.

Until next post - C-ya....later.

Whats my Focus?

2007-11-26T19:52:00.000-05:00

I've suddenly come to the realization that this blog has no focus. In other words, I'm just blogging about absolutely nothing when I feel like blogging. There is no consistent theme to my blogs. I've read several other bloggers' blogs on a regular basis and they all have themes. For example, Whit's is pop culture (this is her job, of course, but thats beside the point), one I read chronicles the daily attempts of one woman to try something new each day for a full year (interesting, by the way), another that I've read is documenting one man's journey to change his life via career change (inspiring!). So, what is this one about? My guess is that it is just a tool for me to get over stuff - you know that stupid stuff in life that really shouldn't mean anything but means everything at the time.
I have to learn how to keep my priorities straight...still waiting on the job...

Blessings Come Unexpectedly

2007-11-12T19:20:00.000-05:00

My husband and I are bright people - however, after this weekend, I'm convinced that we may be a little slow...

Background: Our kids go to a private school. (Our public schools are terrible). Anyway - there is ONE public school in our district that is excellent. We were planning on buying a newer house and were naturally looking for one in that school district. Problem is, there is nothing for sale that we could (or would) buy. We have been stressing for a year over how in the world we would get the kids into that school. Well, guess what happened?

Blessing 1:
We found a lot...a CHEAP lot...in a subdivision that is in the school district. If we own property in the district, the kids are IN!!! We're buying the lot.

Blessing 2:
We will have an investment property. We don't want to build on the lot. We're going to sit on it (no subdivision restrictions on length of time to build) - hopefully it will appreciate. Regardless, its an investment.

Blessing 3:
Now we are free to buy the home we want without restricting our search to the school district.

Blessing 4:
Our kids will get to go to the same school as most of their friends.

Blessing 5:
We can invest the money we're paying for private tuition into their college funds.

I am SO happy, I can barely stand it. What kills me is that we didn't think of it sooner. I mean, when we were told of the lot for sale I thought, 'why in the world did we not think of this plan before?'. I guess we've been so stressed out about it, we just weren't thinking clearly. Lord knows I've not been thinking clearly for years - I've been too consumed with work.

Work is just getting in the way...I've got to make a move.

WorkRant...

2007-11-08T11:10:00.000-05:00

From: "I've become a whiner"
Location: Home
Job Title: She'll know what to do

I've been miserable now in my job for 2 1/2 years now and I've become a person that I don't even recognize. I whine, complain, don't care what I look like, don't exercise anymore, don't enjoy life anymore, and have ultimately allowed these career issues to affect my health and depress me. I'm failing to see that I could use this as an opportunity to grow, to learn how to handle things with grace and dignity and then move on...but I just can't find my inner strength. Anyone who knows me would probably not recognize me these days. I am a fundamental GRITS (girl raised in the south), and rarely leave the house without having showered, made up my face, styled my hair and put on something that matches (accessories included). Its about lunch time now, and I'm still wearing what I slept in last night (I've also taken both the kids to school...yes I was in public). This is NOT me!

I am so tired of writing the same stuff about work. I've gone back through my (paper) journals several times and it amazes me how dependent I am on writing to get through the workday. What's sadder is that I have spent the last couple of years just getting through the workday - not enjoying a moment of it and wishing my worklife away. When will I ever decide what I want to be when I grow up? This is ridiculous - I'm no spring chicken. I just hate having to work - but I would be miserable if I didn't. I know, makes absolutely no sense whatsoever. I probably need intensive therapy and medication. Being committed to a mental hospital would seem like a vacation.

I think it all comes down to me not dealing well with the consequences of some of the choices I've made. I think the choices have been the right ones, I'm just resenting the consequences. Here's an example - I could have chosen to put my career before my children and be at a much higher level now in terms of title/pay/challenge...I see this for an acquaintance who put career before family. She saw immediate results of that choice, and I'm a little envious. Maybe I'm having difficulty dealing with the consequences of my choice because I won't see immediate results in my children. I won't see the impact of building that relationship foundation until they are older.

So, I have some soul searching to do for answers on what is really going to make me happy in my career, and I need to stay away from allowing my career to define me as a person. I am not what I do. All this being said...Shall we get over it?

Waiting...

2007-11-07T15:18:00.000-05:00

You know that feeling you get when you're waiting to hear if you got that job you wanted? Well, I'm there right now. Gave the presentation of a lifetime on Halloween morning - as part of a job interview - and absolutely nailed it. If they don't hire me, they're crazy. I can usually tell when I leave the interview if I've got the job or not. I literally get a high, must be the orgasmic release of endorphins after the adrenaline rush before hand...what drives me absolutely crazy is the waiting - especially when I don't know if I can get through ONE MORE DAY of my current job! Something else I anxiously waiting for...

I'm looking for a way to get a case of this amazing wine: Chateau Greysac Bordeaux. I had it at a restaurant in Minneapolis and it is the most amazing red I've ever tasted. I can't find it in any of the stores around here and the online stores won't ship to TN (of course) - so I'm at a loss as to how I"m going to get some for the holidays. Can you believe that the holidays are here? I'm having my first Thanksgiving dinner in like 2 weeks - I have like 3 plus a year. Its a miracle that I'm not big as a house. In fact, I keep losing weight, and I'm not exactly sure how its happening. I've had two pieces of apple pie today already, so its not like I'm eating healthier, and I haven't been to the gym in four months. I'm digressing...the holidays...oh, I don't even want to think about the holidays right now.

We're doing a "potluck" thing at the grandparents' house and my aunt told me she would save me a glass of wine if I would save her a deviled egg. She better save me a bottle! She's a shrink and I need my yearly therapy. I'm just waiting for the year when she'll tell me I need more frequent visits with a professional...maybe this will be the year.

I have the Coolest Family...and did you see Damages?

2007-10-24T10:14:00.000-04:00

I have the absolute COOLEST family. I believe I mentioned that in my last post, but let me just say it again. My grandfather just sent me a link to his Facebook profile - he is so cool! Grandpappy, if you're reading this, just know that I LOVE you!! (and please ignore any cuss words that might find their way onto the page).

So, on to Damages...for any of you who do not know what I'm talking about, it is only the best show on the tube today (not YouTube - that would be "Boogie Shoes" - see below). Damages is one of those shows that makes one not want to go to law school - these people are evil. When the show first started I labeled each character as "good" or "bad" and the labels have changed back and forth after each episode. Needless to say, the storyline has kept me going through the finale that aired last night and I can't wait to see how they develop the plot over next season. What would we do without Frobisher? If you're a fan, you should check out Whitney's column (she's a fellow southern girl) in USA Today for a great Damages discussion - Pop Candy.

In the Beginning....

2007-10-22T13:13:00.000-04:00

Honestly, I have nothing really interesting to say other than I'm a virgin blogger (meaning my first time for you sharp witted folks). I thought this would be the perfect outlet to just be me without having to fill some other role like wife, mother, professional, volunteer, saint, sinner, etc...you know all those other people one tends to become during a lifetime. Like all working moms, I find myself to be stretched a little thin some days and need to reconnect with myself. What better way than to keep a journal? But why an online journal? I like to think of myself as up to speed on all the tech stuff, so why not? Besides, I read a friend of mine's blog today and IT WAS HILARIOUS!! You should check it out on my links and leave her some comments so she'll keep blogging.

So you know a lot about me already - I'm a busy girl, got a lot going on, but have every intention of maintaining this blog as it is necessary to maintain my sanity. I could definitely make time to blog during my daily "High School Musical" marathon. Yes - no one is safe...and the soundtrack replays in my head constantly, even had to add it to the iPod for cruises in the Mini-van.

I must say however, that regardless of my dry humor and sarcastic wit, I am fiercely loyal to my family and my friends - of which I have the absolute COOLEST - and I am at heart, a student of life. I have tons of interests, too many for the day I'm afraid, and find it frustrating that I don't have enough time to do it all. Besides your everyday reading, writing and arithmetic (yes, I'm a geek), I am a big fan of pop culture, celebrity gossip, movies, music, books, wine, SEC football and european history. Lets not forget the kids - they are the most amazing souls I've ever met. Equal parts angel and heathen, they know how to bring me tears of happiness in an instant and infuriate me to the point of blowing my top the next. Bottom line is that they are absolute perfection.