never ending

Really I am SO not a fan of the sequel. Trilogies, okay they can be cool. But at some point when you do sequel after sequel it gets to be tongue in cheek.

Ummmm, these guys didn't get the message.

Really, doing this almost tarnishes the depth of the very first, doesn't it? Or did that already happen with the last movie? Was this put into production as an attempt to catch the aging baby boomer dollars?

Any way you slice it, it seems pretty sad.

withdrawals

You know, I never used to watch a lot of TV. On a frequent basis Ali Girl will say things to me like

"Did you ever see that episode of friends.."
or
"Like on that episode of Seinfeld, you know..."

To which my response to both is normally a resounding No.

It isn't that I am a TV snob; I have never been that person to claims to only watch the Discovery and Learning channels. Oh no, if I watch I am watching to be entertained not taught. Really it just breaks down to the fact that for most of my life I was pretty damn busy. Working two jobs all the time, one of them typically being a night profession, tends to cut down on the number of sitcoms you watch. And when I wasn't working, I was out spending time with friends desperately trying to 'make up' my fun time that I perceived myself to be missing.

Somehow in living this nine to five life I have become somewhat domesticated. Having been able to quit my second job has given me plenty of time so that I can do even less. At some point I became happy to stop living life outside and have been sequestering myself at home watching the boob tube.

Of course I did not realize just how much until I took my cable away. Seems I have gotten pretty damn lazy as of late. Coming home every work night to lounge on my couch only leaving my apartment to do things on the weekend has to end.

First I have to get through the withdrawal pangs. They are much stronger than I anticipated. Not quite leaving me a quivering mass on the floor, but more leaving me feeling lost and confused without someone telling my brain what to think about. This separation is proving to be more challenging than anticipated, but I have never been one to cringe at a venture.

Hell, if I was able to quit smoking this should be cake, right?

that's it

Soon after purchasing my new baby, Mackie the MacBook,
*heart*


I realized my cable modem sucks. Sure I can plug it into my AirPort Express to make it wireless, but for some reason the internet kept timing out and I had to restart the modem every single time I wanted to go online.

Then I discovered the myriad of wireless connections that I have access to from my apartment. Seriously, there are at the minimum three different open connections at all time that I can use. So about a week ago I unplugged my modem and left it off.

With this comes the question again, what to do about cable? Look, for basic after taxes it is practically $100 a month. Do I really watch $100 worth of television? Even more importantly, is the quality of television I watch really worth anywhere near that much? Especially now that you can choose to avoid cable altogether and buy a TV show – or even an entire season – from itunes. And of course there is the NetFlix option for TV, wait for the series to come out on DVD and watch the whole damn thing at once. Which I have been known to do.

Do you believe in signs? Last night I arrived home and discovered my cable TV was not working. Not reboot type not working, but there is no signal whatsoever some technician has to come out and check all the stupid cables not working.

Why wait to have them fix something I don’t even think I want anymore? Forget it. After work today I’m going to walk over to the apple store, invest $30 in a cable to connect Mackie to my TV, and by god stop the insanity.

Cable free for me! Viva la revolution!

steps

According to my financial idol Suze Orman, my next step towards financial freedom:

When the interest rates on your debts are less than 8 percent, save for a home down payment using a money market deposit account or money market mutual fund.

Putting this together with my timing of grad school will be interesting, but having a savings is having a savings. And if there is anything I have learned from Suze, you have to work with your money to make it work for you. It is all about planning and strategy. The rich get and stay rich because they know the secrets of how to make and keep their money, and by god I'm going to acclimate.

Or at least try.

How cool would it be if I owned an apartment in Manhatty? *sigh*

I love this stuff!

This is something my dad and I have in common, our love for mind-benders. He sent me this list of questions, see how many you can get...I'll post the answers in a couple of days after you have time to torture yourselves.

Bwa ha ha!


1. Name the one sport in which neither the spectators nor the participants know the score or the leader until the contest ends.

2. What famous North American landmark is constantly moving backward?

3. Of all vegetables, on ly two can live to produce on their own for several growing seasons. All other vegetables must be replanted every year. What are the only two perennial vegetables?

4. Name the only sport in which the ball is always in possession of the team on defense, and the offensive team can score without touching the ball?

5. What fruit has its seeds on the outside?

6. In many liquor stores, you can buy pear brandy, with a real pear inside the bottle. The pear is whole and ripe, and the bottle is genuine; it hasn't been cut in any way. How did the pear get inside the bottle?

7. Only three words in standard English begin with the letters "dw" and they are all common words. Name two of them.

8. There are 14 punctuation marks in English grammar. Can you name at least half of them?

9. Where are the lakes that are referred to in the Los Angeles Lakers?

10. There are 7 ways a baseball player can legally reach first base without getting a hit. Taking a base on balls (a walk) is one way. Name the other 6.

11. Name the only vegetable or fruit that is never sold frozen, canned, processed, cooked, or in any other form except fresh.

12. Name 6 or more things that you can wear on your feet beginning with the letter "S."

work for it

Often I joke that nothing worth having in life is ever easy. It is one of those chicken or egg type questions - do you treasure something more because you worked harder to get it, or is it just a law of our universe that there really is a cost to things and that cost is directly proportional to its worth?

This article makes me think back to that balance. If 40% of the people who get gastrointestinal surgery to solve their obesity issues end up with complications, are they being put through the official cost of getting thin? I would never wish what I have gone through (all those surgeries and hospital visits, blech) on others, but I also didn't ask someone to cut me open.

I suppose the cost is relative - diet and exercise diligently, or be forced to diet due to the impending life threatening complications. Right.

wanted

They say when it rains it pours. I just got a call from another major publisher (RH), asking me for an interview. Lord, I have tried more times than I can count to just get a call from that place, all for naught. Now I go and get a new job and of course THAT is when they want me!

Naturally I turned them down, I respect my future employer! Too bad though, I always wanted to see the interior of their shiny new building. *sigh*

amphibious

Okay, so this just totally blew me out of the water. Isn't this SO 1990? These guys are still alive and kicking?

I always did like Donatello the best...

new reading!

Tis the season to start a blog! If you all would like a little distraction on your Friday, let me tickle your fancy with these new wonders:

My friend Spaghetti has started her own food-centric blog, discussing restaurants, recipes, and all kinds of culinary topics.

Another friend, Jensniffer, has started blog as well, this one more entertainment based. She is a really fun creative person, so it is of course brilliant.

Last but not least, there is nothing better than a good cold beer to top of your Friday, so browse though this little treat to get your beverages for the evening in line.

Cheers!

new job

It seems I have been remiss in discussing my new gig. I talked about the decision to leave but nothing after.

Here is the breakdown:

The job is for another major publisher, so I am staying in the same industry for now. I do not have a fun name for the job yet, so let's just call my new place of business S&S.

My new title is something approximately like Director Supply and Demand Planning, Inventory Forecasting, Juvenile. Yes, I have another super duper long title. Seems that is my lot in corporate life.

It is a promotion, but I go from my current situation of having five direct reports to having just three.

Instead of managing various projects that border on the IT world, I was informed that I will be responsible for inventory of about five thousand individual juvenile products as well as six to seven hundred new items a year. For you non-book industry types, that many tend to go out of circulation within a year so it balances out.

My last day at the mighty bird is Friday August 4th, and I start at S&S Monday August 7th. I like money too much to take unpaid time off in-between. Oh, and I like eating too.

Last but most definitely not least - My sianara party will be Thursday August 3rd at Barrow Street Ale House. If you can't make that you are welcome to the 'losers who couldn't make the main shindig' party at Rudy's the next day after work. Nothing like Rudy's outside area on a half day Friday with $8 pitchers, free hot dogs and popcorn to really send me on my way. *sigh*

Really I couldn't be more excited about this move. I love change and have been craving it for some time now. Not to mention I get to be in a much faster paced and more cause and effect oriented role, which I thrive in. Although I am sad knowing that I will miss the company of some amazing friends at the old waddling bird, I trust that we will remain friends and keep in touch. They are way too cool and mean too much to me for anything other to happen.

Oh, and I can walk to work now. Rock. On.

fifth grade

On the way into work this morning I came upon a co-worker who happens to be a good friend of DTH guy. While we had been seeing each other I had spent a good amount of time with this person, being that I am pretty social and adept at making friends, blending in with different social groups. As par for the course I make an extra effort with cohorts of people I’m dating.

So as we do work for the same company and I knew this gentleman before the hook up, I struck up a casual conversation. This is something I do with anyone I know because I believe that people appreciate being recognized and talked to, or at least if you have something to talk about. (And I always do…)

Now the weather of course is the big topic of conversation today, and the fact that we were outside made it even more so.

As we entered work, I noticed the guy was rather standoffish, cold even. (Oh sweet irony) And of course to continue on that path he made sure to break off from talking as soon as he could.

Okay, I totally understand that there is something to be said for loyalty to friends, but come on already! We are adults, for god’s sake. It isn’t like I’m trying to pick the guy up, I’m just being polite! I mean, I only dated his friend for three months, and the breakup was amiable. Get over the childish crap, be a little professional and adult and just act normally!

Really, if we had dated for a while or I had cheated or walked all over the guy then I could see some kind of cold shoulder routine. But over three months of sex? Wasn’t that a winning deal? Puhlease.

techie love

Runners, bikers, rollerbladers, hell even walkers - unite! This new online tool is brilliant! Just enter in a zip code, plot out the path you took through any set of streets...and it will tell you the distance traveled.

It came in really handy today, when I was trying to figure out exactly how far I ran this morning. It was supposed to be a nine-mile run, but it seems I underestimated my distance and went ten miles. Thank god, otherwise I would have been going at a snails pace!

God I love technology. (Duh)

live and learn

Doing yoga with a hangover is not wise. All that upside-down time and balance work with the morning after spins?

Ho boy, definitely adds a new dimension of challenge to the experience. Not a fun one though...

shhhh!

I post about vibrators I get a hit or two. I post about the concept of male locker room sex I get one or two more.

I post about leaving my job - stop the presses!

Of course, when giving my notice my boss asked me to keep my resignation under wraps until Monday, so she can figure out what goes where.

So all ya'll, keep your tongues tied until after work Friday, deal? ;)

evolution

A long time ago deep down inside I became innately excited about change. I don't know how, but I was able to not only tolerate the inevitable shifting of tides, but look forward to them. When something is in transition I become awash in anticipation.

Yesterday I went through my interviews at another publisher, aided by a resume forward and spectacular review by ctina. It was a bit of a race, putting me with one then two then three than four people. As the day wore on I got a sense they were very happy with what I had to offer, and couldn't wait to get everyone's sign off on my candidacy.

Last night, anticipating a job offer, I touched base with RFW and Seattle Girl. Their message could not be clearer - get the hell out. RFW even reflected some advice I have been known to give back to me. That my relationship with my boss is like that of a girl with an abusive boyfriend. You get beat down, but then the honeymoon period following spurs forgiveness and forgetfulness. Also a false hope of change for the future. My boss is wooing me now, but after five years with me and over twenty in the industry, how much can she really change?

This being realized, I got the job offer this morning. More consultations with ctina and Seattle Girl ensued, but my path is clear.

It is time to leave the mighty bird.

At the point I realized my final decision I became sad. Surprisingly. But then I realized that I have been with this company as long as I have been in NYC. This is the most significant change I will experience since actually moving here. And suddenly with that I became stressed as well.

Tomorrow morning I will give my notice, determining my last day. Often over the years I have daydreamed about my goodbye party, and what a great time it will be. Shockingly in reality I'm not quite so thrilled as of yet.

An object in motion tends to stay in motion. An object at rest tends to stay at rest. And while at rest all kinds of lichen and moss grows, the ground sinks, and sediment gathers. The object becomes even harder to move. Having been at this company for five years in effect makes the anchor more difficult to lift.

Fortunately I know that in the near future I will be thankful to get my life in motion again. Change begets more change. Which in the end gives me thrills because I love how the story of my life is unfolding, and I am grateful for the continuing changes in plot.

ouch

As it is the right time I went and bought new shoes Monday night.  Then bright and early Tuesday morning I woke up to do my 6-mile tempo run. 

 

And promptly gave myself four quarter size blisters plus two more dime sized ones. 

 

Ouch.  For two days I have been doing triage on my poor beaten up feet.  New shoes are fun in theory, not so much reality.

 

Just call me limpy.

 

paranoia

Okay, so yesterday I came clean with my boss and told her I had a job interview today.  When I asked about the name dropping situation last week, she declared ignorance.  Turns out she had no idea, it was completely by coincidence that this particular woman and job came up in discussion in the meeting.

 

Heh, silly me.

 

Anyhoo, she voiced a desire for me to stay and I went into the reasons why I am considering leaving.  Including airing many of my concerns about my nemesis.  That was harder to do than I anticipated;  I really felt like a rat. 

 

What I didn't tell her were the problems I have with her.  Ironically the thing she has the most control over.  Not that my issues with her are monumental by any means, but they do exist.

 

So I have a meeting with her later today to let her know how the interview pans out.  In talking to her I explained that if leaving does not represent a clear advantage to me, I will not go.  For the most part things are good for me here and it is not like I am running out screaming.  More like being the typical new yorker - always looking for a better deal.

fearless

Over the years I have have had a moment of bravery or two:

Many times I have switched from career to career with nary a worry of whether indeed this job was the career of my life. Or of job security.

On my own I moved to New York City, the land of 'if you can make it there you can make it anywhere' without a doubt in the world I would succeed.

In my life I have lived through over twenty emergency room visits and four surgeries, all but two on my own power and by myself, with nary a need for company.

In under a year of being an assistant I walked into whom I perceived to be a very intimidating VP's office and declared that I was a valuable resource that was being wasted and she was losing out on a brilliant mind that needed to be utilized.

So many little testaments to my strength and independence. Yet I had a first date lined up for this week and totally cancelled. I got cold feet.

Ah, everyone has their weaknesses. Did you know there are people out there who enjoy dating?!? I gotta work on that one.

lots of reeeealy big words

I came across this pathology report while going through my desk, and just thought I would share. Honestly I find this utterly fascinating, although it may have to do with the fact that someone had to write up a journey through my insides. This was, after all, exploratory surgery after I had been in the hospital over 24 hours experiencing sever pain and vomiting.

Ah, good times.

Warning, the document below is not for the weak of stomach.

Date of operation: 02/06/2004

Preoperative Diagnosis: Small Bowel Obstruction; Possible Crohn’s Disease

Postoperative Diagnosis: Small Bowel Obstruction Due to Adhesions

Pathology:
The patient had approximately 1 liter to 1.5 liters of clear slightly yellow tinged ascites. The small bowel was dilated and distended and the walls slightly thickened. The terminal ileal area which had previously been the site of a ileocolecomy many years earlier for Crohn’s Disease was a glomerulus of distal bowel wrapped around the anastomosis. Once this was taken down there was no thickening of tissues and we could palpate the open anastomosis to the colon easily. No other pathology was noted.

Procedure:
With the patient under satisfactory general anesthesia in supine position with air compression stockings on the leg and a Foley in the bladder and an NG tube to decompress the stomach the patient was prepped and draped in the usual sterile fashion.

The previously widened midline infraumbilical scar was excised and the incision taken down through subcutaneous tissues to the fascia. Minor bleeding points were electro coagulated. The fascia was entered carefully, the properitoneal space opened with scissors and immediately there was the gush of fluid which was suctioned free. The peritoneal incision was opened the full length of the incision from just above the pubis to the umbilicus and further ascites was suctioned clear.

We manipulated the small bowel and worked our way toward the right lower quadrant which was presumed to be the site of the obstruction and we lysed many adhesions between loops of bowel to free up the bowel in order to gain entrance into the right lower quadrant. We continued with tedious dissection and came across the glomerulus of small bowel wrapped around the area of the previous anastomosis and we were able to free this up without entering the bowel.

Once we had freed this up we saw clear evidence that the fluid and gas in the distal ileum could be easily milked into the colon and we were ale to palpate an approximately 1.5 cm to 2 cm anastomosis and there was no evidence of tissue thickening, crawling fat or any evidence of Crohn’s Disease in the abdomen. The bowel was now freed more proximally to make sure that everything was wide open which it was.

The irrigation was performed, minor bleeding points were electro coagulated, the bowel was placed back into the anatomical position and the omentum brought down over this. The gallbladder had no stones, the pylorus and liver were normal and the NG tube was placed appropriately in the stomach. The abdomen was now closed protectin the intra-abdominal contents with two double stranded heavy nylons running from the top and from the bottom and meeting and tied to themselves in the middle.

Copious irrigation of the subcutaneous tissue was performed and the subcutaneous tissues were approximated with multiple interrupted sutures of 3-0 plain catgut. The skin was now approximated with clips, dry dressings were applied and the patient was awakened, extubated and brought to the Recovery Room in satisfactory condition.

Neat huh?

it is on

This week saw the beginning of my official marathon training. That's right people, we're movin past the kid stuff here! I am on game time.

Of course having committed to running the NYC Half Marathon on August 27th with Spaghetti adds another dimension to the whole experience.

Heat.

Last weekend while at the Jersey shore we had a few training runs. In the 80 degree plus fieriness. Under the blazing sun on the boardwalk. Let me tell you, THAT was an eye opener. You know what? It is harder to run when it is hot outside. My pulse skyrocketed immediately, and oh the overheating. When we were in the midst of our six-mile jog I actually had to walk for a half of a mile because my heart rate would not go back down.

The two subsequent runs were better, albeit just as uncomfortable. Proof positive I am going to have to go out of my way to get some heat and sun training in this summer. Drat and double drat.

On the bright side, I think the heat runs significantly improved my endurance overall - back in my nice air-conditioned gym this week my training was spectacular.

So as the song says, the heat is on. And all things aside, I am really excited for my training. Getting this much closer to something I have anticipated for years rocks!!

rumors

So let's suppose you hear about a job at another company, a rival company, and you inquire about it to a friend. Now let's say that inquiry led to some phone tag with that company's hr.

Now imagine you are in a meeting with your boss, and she mentions a person she knows who works for said company. And this person she knows who just got promoted to a great job. Asking if you remember her when she worked for the company. Which is very strange, as this girl worked in your department a good ten years before you did.

*DING!* First name being mentioned is the same as the person who recently vacated the job and whom with you would be interviewing at the other company.

So busted. But yet sort of. Guess that explains the frequency at which the boss has been asking me about how I am lately. Luckily there is not too much weight to be put upon a couple of phone calls.

fun is tiring

I have a new theory. People who are pale obviously have lower melanin levels, and when put into situations of higher sunlight they then tire more quickly as the experience is a greater strain on their systems.

At least that is my excuse for being so darn exhausted. Four days at the Jersey Shore with Spaghetti and RFW involving three days at the beach, one day on the boardwalk, three morning runs, one eight hour trivial pursuit game, and unlimited consumption of seafood and I am plumb exhausted.

In lieu of a good detailed post, I leave you all with this:



Yes, that would be a man wearing a speedo and a pink hat while carrying a man bag.

Happy Independence Day!!!!