Remember that axe I told you about earlier this month? Yep, it fell. Missed me by inches, but struck down six of my closest coworkers. I'm glad I still have a job, because it saves me the nerve-wracking process of finding another job, but I'm really sad to lose such great coworkers and friends. At any rate, I kept busy this weekend so that I wouldn't think about it too damn much. To wit: Friday... Read more →
Remember yesterday's post when I mentioned that I was a little worried about Joe? Yeah. Joe forgot his cell phone yesterday. He was supposed to work until 9:45 last night, the other evening shift associate actually got there on time at 6:00, so Joe decided to beat feet. He made it halfway home before he got stuck, the wheels spinning on a particularly icy patch of the highway. Enter Good Samaritan, who gave Joe a... Read more →
When I woke up this morning, it was sorta sleeting. A coating of icy, slushy snow coated the ground, but it really wasn't much -- just the typical Washington Wintery Mix. Twelve hours later, snow is pouring out of the sky and (according to the weather mavens) it won't stop for another three hours or so. We could get 10 inches. (Insert very bad joke about getting 10 inches.) I actually wussed out completely and... Read more →
Tomorrow is the one year anniversary of Mom's death. I thought about going to the cemetery today, but I didn't. It just didn't seem like something I wanted to do. I mean, what would I do there? Stand by my parents' grave and my brother's grave and cry on this bitter cold day? I can do that just fine here and stay warm. Really, there's more of my mother right here in my living room... Read more →
Holy smokes! My Facebook wall is positively buckling under the weight of all the lovely birthday wishes I've received today -- thank you, all of you, for the postings, the e-cards, the real cards, and the emails. I adore you all, especially you. Oh, and you too! Anyway, I'm 59 today. As one of my many admirers pointed out, 59 is a prime number. (Quick -- what's a prime number? First correct answer gets two... Read more →
Since it's Saturday, and I'm feeling lazy, and Jim and Bev did it, I'll do this meme from the Saturday 9 too! 1. Where did you grow up? Where do you consider home? I grew up in Silver Spring, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C. Even though I've traveled all over the country (and a little bit outside the country), I still live just outside Silver Spring in Burtonsville, Maryland. I consider the whole D.C. metro... Read more →
This morning on the radio I heard about the Winklevoss twins, who sued Mark Zuckerberg for stealing their idea and turning it into Facebook. They were awarded $65 million in cash and stock, and now they're saying "Oh no, that's not enough." Can I tell ya something? If a judge handed me that kind of cash, I would say "Thank you very much" and maybe tear up a little bit. Then I would take a... Read more →
Mine's been nice, thanks! I did a lot of sitting on my ass, punctuated with brief spurts of activity. I mean, really now -- you must rest in between tasks, don't you think? Yesterday I spent quite awhile on the phone with the cable company, trying to get the new HD box to recognize all of our channels and then actually display them. After the first activation call, we were getting only the very basic... Read more →
Once again there is reorganization in the air, spewing Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt. Not only is my department being turned on its head, the whole company is changing. I have to hand it to the execs, because they've been honest about the whole thing. What I find kind of frustrating is that we have not yet heard the dreaded, unspeakable Word of Doom: layoff. What I find kind of refreshing is that they have not... Read more →
After we went grocery shopping on New Year's Eve, Joe and I saw lots of signs for a champagne sale at a new wine emporium close to our new favorite supermarket. Seeing as how we needed a split of bubbly to welcome in the new year, we stopped in to pick up some this on-sale champagne. We walked into the shop; the owners greeted us cheerily. "So tell me about this champagne sale," I said.... Read more →