The end

Today's the last day of Nablopomo 2007. And I made it. I posted every day, all November.

And we all live happily ever after. The end.

ps: Next November, if I even talk about signing up for this again, somebody please spank me (twss).

Where I belong

For a while now I've been telling people I like my job and the company I work for. Today I found out why. And no it's not that they pay me $$$$$ (because they don't).

We were watching an important presentation by our company today. And all of us were engrossed. Even though most of the terms they were using didn't make sense to most of us.
But we still watched - I know some people who got up really early (it started at 8 am Eastern time), I know some people who missed lunch.

Some of us even had our fingers crossed when it was time for the vote. And after, everyone was excited as if they personally had won. It was as if all those fingers being crossed had really made a difference.

A few people started walking around, telling everyone they ran into "Hey, did you hear? We got the approval".

That word is what gets me. Everytime. We.

:)

I had a great day today. It was one of those days where you're thinking "it can't get any better than this", when someone gives you a hundred dollars.
All day there were many things that made me smile, laugh out loud, jump up and down, excitedly call my husband...
All day long I was thinking of how I had so many wonderful things to blog about.
Now that I'm sitting here though, I find it difficult to describe exactly why today was wonderful.
Except that I went back to Kickbox Aerobics class and was so happy I did. And someone really did give me $100.

Days of my life

L (Guy I work with): Hey, you ok?

Me: Ya. Why?
L: Well you've not been bugging me much recently - so I thought you were coming down with something.

Me: .....

*****************************

This is a picture of the box my fries came in at lunch today:

At least now I don't feel so bad about all those carbs.

I will survive

Today I went to the gym after a long time. No baby steps of 20 minutes on the treadmill for me. I started with a 1-hr class of Kickbox Aerobics.
For the first 5 minutes, I huffed and puffed and did everything wrong. I spent the next 15 minutes watching the clock - if I can just make it till the hand reaches 8...9...10...and so on. And humming "I will survive" under my breath.
By the time the class was half over, I realised it was actually fun (shhh...don't tell my husband I said that...I do have an image to maintain) to try and be in step with 5 other people. Almost like a dancing class would have been if I'd ever gotten up the courage to try that.
I'm very proud of myself for staying the entire hour, and more importantly, making a promise to myself that I will go back there on Wednesday (whether I keep that promise or not will depend on what my sore back says tomorrow).
For now I'm high on the endorphins and happy as a penguin.

You think I'd crumble
You think I'd lay down and die
Oh no, not I
I will survive
- "I Will survive" - Gloria Gaynor

Love is a girl's word

As soon as he opened his present, we were the coolest aunt and uncle ever. He gave both of us a quick hug and ran off to show his friends what his "cool aunt and uncle" had brought him.
Ten minutes later, he was back and looking quite upset. And with him four other 6 year olds.
The book we gave him had a "With love from" inscription inside.
His friend explained "Love is a girl's word".
I was speechless. I looked around for my husband so he could give them a man-to-man talk about how love is a wonderful thing and so on.
When I couldn't find him, I spotted my sister in law's husband and thought of asking him to do the honours - luckily I didn't. He was busy looking for a piece of cake that didn't have any strawberry cream on it.
"Pink is a girl's colour", his exasperated wife said by way of explanation.

When 32 is perfect

My husband got the mileage on his car to touch 32 MPG. To put it in perspective, that is the upper limit per the manufacturer's spec. Understandably, I usually stay away from driving his car.

Today I found out I do pretty well under pressure too. We went out and I drove on the way back (3 different freeways and close to 45 miles) and I maintained the MPG (and only told 4 people the whole internet about it)

ps

Just a few things to add to yesterday's list -
A dinner "date" that I even "dressed up" for
A table with a view of the bay
Watching planes land and take off
Talking about everything and nothing
Falling in love all over again

Giving thanks on Thanksgiving

No turkey this year (or any) - but I thought I could still say thanks for:

Just in time

The long weekend couldn't have come at a better time. I mean I know there are many times when by Wednesday I'm so knackered, I wish it were Thanksgiving week. This time I have a laundry list of high-priority things to do - and we're not even talking things like "tackle organize my closet" here -

• Difficult conversations to have
• Accusations to make
• Fences to mend
• Fights to hash out
• Anger to leave behind
• Harsh words to eat
• Owning up to do

It's not going to be easy, but I hope I'm strong enough to do it.

I'm done

Everything that had to be has been said
All the tears that had to be have been shed
I caused the hurt and now I'm in pain
I can't wait to feel the sunshine again

I'm spent. I have no more tears, no more words left. I just want to go lie down and ask someone to hold me. Time to call Mom I think.

A weekend of lessons

• Sometimes men ARE allowed to look smug.
• Loudly giggling at this every couple of minutes may not exactly be the best thing to do. Especially with a husband who's reading this sitting across the room from you.
• In public restrooms of questionable hygiene, open the tap BEFORE you get soap on your hands.
• You know when you're watching a scary movie and you cover your eyes, you have a serious urge to peek? IGNORE the same urge when in said public restrooms of questionable hygiene.
• When you're going to be irritable for something like this - you'd better come up with a "real" reason for that craziness emotion or better still, zip it.
• When you have a "feeling" something bad is going to happen, you don't have to keep pushing things so something does.
• It's ok to occasionally cry over nothing and tell yourself those are "cleansing" tears.
• You look forward to Monday not because you love your job (well maybe that too) but just as a (good) sign the weekend is over.

"Oh-my-God" *

I read this a while ago and today I know what it really feels like.
I had a dream nightmare last night and I'm MAD. Thank God that person doesn't live here or she'd be toast by now.

In unrelated news, I just found out I'm not as Addicted to Friends as I'd like to be - time to remedy that. If you need me, I'll be on my couch watching my Friends DVDs. With a slice of cake ton of calories for company.

* That would be the "Joey-just-found-out-Chandler-made-out-with-his-sister-Oh-my-God"

Fire on the mountain......run, run, run...

Except there was neither a fire, nor a mountain. Only an out of breath me running to silence the fire alarm. Every 5 minutes.
Apparently our neighbours got their carpets steam cleaned. And our fire alarm thinks our house is filled with Carbon Monoxide and we should "move to fresh air".
Either that or the alarm's trying to indicate a low battery.
Whichever it is, I spent all afternoon today climbing on a chair every 5 minutes, to stand on my toes and reach up with a pen to push the "silence" button. When I finally gave up and got the husband involved, he just reached up and removed the battery.
Duh!

What real men say

I have a horrible one, makes me look fat (about an ID photo)

Do you think my hair's looking a little frizzy?

I "yuvve" you too (well at least he tried)

I think my nose looks better from the side. What do you think?

Which one's better? (looking at two different brands of sunscreen)

Do you think this color's too bright (trying on a red shirt)

ADD*

I LOVE air travel. There is something about airports that totally gets me. Every time.
I love looking at the monitors with planes to all those faraway places. I love walking those aisles watching all the people around me. I love looking for my seat on the plane, looking out of the window to see the San Francisco Bay as we take off.

It doesn't matter if I'm there to pick someone up or drop them off - I ALWAYS wish I were the one travelling. We just dropped my sister-in-law and her husband at the airport. It was all I could do to not go in with them and wait in the check-in line, just to get my "airport-fix".
While they were complaining about the long layover in New York between planes, my eyes lit up at the thought of being able to explore JFK airport. Luckily I kept that thought to myself.

Now I'm getting restless thinking of when my next trip may be. I am sure I can hear Travelocity call my name.

(*Air-travel deficit disorder)

Going Dutch

This one will be a quickie (That's what she said) - Did I do that one right Brandy? Or do I need more practice?

I opened my blog this evening and this is what I saw there:

(I know the picture is not very clear - but just picture it with all the text on the top in Dutch)

I thought I was seeing things and went to the main page to login and this is what showed up:

WWLD?

On days...
...when you're exhausted and it isn't even noon yet?
...when you realise (after explaining something to someone for an hour) that talking is work too?
...when you wish the phone would stop ringing for a bit?
...when you wish instead of a sweater, that was a comforter around you?
...when you finally go to bed and you're suddenly wide awake?

Death by chocolate

Seems to me that's where I'm headed.

I had three slices of this and one slice of this today and I'm not even the least bit repentant. If anything, I'm looking forward to my next chocolate fix (which is in approximately half an hour - hey, don't blame me, blame the genius devil who came up with the idea of dessert after dinner).



Oh well, at least I'll die happy.

So she said on Sunday...

...I don't really have much to say today except:

a) Doesn't the universe really have a nice way of doing things sometimes? I booked my husband and me on different flights for a trip. When I noticed my mistake and called Orbitz to change it, they said the change fees were $250 plus any difference in fare. Ouch. I decided it was ok, I could spend a few extra hours in 1 airport and my husband could do the same in another. This morning I got an email from Orbitz saying our previous flight's time has changed. That means my husband will not be able to make the earlier connecting flight on that day. That means, Orbitz asked if he would mind going on a later flight :) Of course he doesn't, thank you very much.

b) Amen to that - especially since I recently had this conversation with somebody about arranged vs. non-arranged marriages. (The romantic in me believes ALL marriages are arranged, and yes, in heaven). I was telling them that yes, I met my husband through my parents - but it doesn't matter, I could have met him in an elevator and I would have still married him. Meeting through the parents kind of simplified the process - otherwise imagine the number of elevators I'd have had to try.

Picture? Perfect!

Some time ago I wrote about this. You'd think I'd have learnt from that experience.
Apparently not.

Today I was making sure I had all the documentation ready for something I need to do on Monday. I did. Plus 1 copy.

Till it came to the last item on the list -

(WIP = No clue where I can find those)

As organised as I am with all my important documents, I just can't seem to keep track of my passport photographs.

I looked at my husband, "Houston..."

"We have a problem?"

"Err, yeah...it looks like..."

"Did we forget anything?"

Luckily just then I saw something on the list that made me smile.

"Actually, I need to get new photos taken - apparently the mouth has to be closed. So I can't use the ones I have - I'm smiling in them. So maybe we can just stop by Walgreens tomorrow?" (Whew! That was close)

"Sure. That should be ok"

Fun Friday

Today turned out to be a nice way to end this week.

At work many of us were "dressed up" for Diwali. Naturally that involved tons of compliments
"I LOVE what you're wearing"
"Ooooh are those diamonds?"
"Your shoes are SO pretty"

From there it was on to lunch - and except for the 20 minute wait to get seated, it was great.

And the way the day ended? A visit to A's place where I was treated to his best behaviour.
"Peesh" (let me play with your phone)
"Thank you" (for letting me play with your phone)
"Thank you" (for letting me take a picture of my mom's carpet)
"Bye" (I'm going to watch a video now)

All in all, a day that has me smiling at the end of it (sigh) Everyone should have more of those.

Is the weekend here yet?

SO much happened already this week and I still have Friday to get through:

1) We went from broken garage door opener on Monday to swanky new garage door opener - including a fancy keyless entry system - on Tuesday. I LOVE my husband's choice in gadgets.

2) I spent 3 days in training and found out:

• I’m a geek
• I still have my obsession with taking notes the “right way” using the “right writing instrument” (1 blue pen, 1 black pen, 1 pencil, 2 highlighters)
• I DID pay some attention in Business School
• I wish I'd paid more attention in Business School
• Now all of a sudden I'm looking for more classes I can take (Note to self: Take a deep
  breath till such feelings pass)
• I wasn't really missed at work
• I really missed being at work

3) I found out I may just be working for the coolest company ever.

4) When you know someone is scheduled to power-wash your windows, you shower that much faster.

5) Someone told me I speak a certain language well and made my day (and caused me to make at least 3 phone calls to gloat).

6) Sometimes Murphy listens when you ask him (and his law) to take a hike – and things go right. Like when I woke up late on Wednesday and still made it to work before class started (the icing - it turned out to be a great-hair-day).

The Starbucks Story

I read here that Mark Twain once said "I can live for two months on a good compliment" and I was reminded of a story from a long time ago -

There was a Starbucks opposite where I worked, and a guy (G1*) there used to have so much fun trying to get my name right. One time he took my order and started writing my name on the cup for the other guy to make my coffee - and then since he got one letter wrong - he threw that cup away and started afresh.

A few days later, there was a new guy (G2*) who took my order and asked for my name.
I pointed to G1 and said "Maybe you should ask him - I'm sure he knows it by now"
-t0 which G1 replied "Oh, I just call her 'beautiful'"
G2 smiled and said "Ok 'beautiful' it is then!" - and wrote "beautiful" on a cup for my Chai latte.

(After I drank my Chai I rinsed that cup clean and used it as a pen holder for close to 6 months)

* - G1 & G2 - must be all the Math I've been doing.

Don't mess with me in Math Class...

...or any social situation that involves numbers and a problem to solve.

I was in project management training today where we learnt about estimating schedules. Everything was fine - all of us were nodding seriously to everything the instructor said, highlighting every third word and so on.

Suddenly he said something about an exercise. That involved looking at a diagram of different activities that made up a project, the dependencies between them and the time needed for each activity. We had to calculate what the shortest time to finish the project was.

I picked up my pencil and it was like I was possessed. I could feel the adrenaline rush. For the next couple of minutes my hand moved frantically across the page till I was done. I put down my pencil and looked up. I saw a room full of people still poring over their notebooks with a look of confusion.

And I smiled. The smile of the geek who loved her high school math textbook almost as much as she loved her copy of "Heidi" and "The Secret Garden".

A picture is worth a thousand words

DO NOT KICK FLUSH HANDLES OR COSTLY REPAIRS WILL BE NEEDED

(I couldn't get a clearer picture the first couple of times. And I didn't want to try too many times and gross out the people in the stalls next to me.)

Hmmm. I'm sure there are many people who find an outlet for their anger / frustration / sadism / {insert other negative emotion here} by kicking flush handles in the loo.

On a completely unrelated note - I found out 2 women I work with are taking part in the National Novel Writing Month (whew)

Huh?

I just found this on MSNBC and I'm not sure what to make of it.

I mean if it works for them - great! But seriously...?

Where did the extra hour go?

Apparently we "fell back" an hour today. Apparently I got an extra hour of sleep today. Apparently it's really 11.30 now. Apparently...you get the drift right?

The only problem is - where did that extra hour go?

I mean it's late on a Sunday night and I'm still sitting here thinking of the 10,000 things I have to do before tomorrow. Surely if there were an "extra hour" like everyone wants me to believe - I'd have done at least 9,999 of those things.

Next time, I'd like that "extra hour" in installments of 3 minutes please - so I can be on time for 20 meetings / make the light near my office before it turns red / have time for cleanse-tone-moisturise in the nights as well...the list goes on.

"Should-have-just-stayed-in-bed" Saturday

ü Curtain that’s too long – 1 No

ü Curtain rod bowing under the weight of the curtains – 1 No

ü Extra holes in the wall – 3 Nos

ü Leaking Kitchen sink that needs a new faucet – 1 No

ü Garage door that needs a new opener – 1 No

Oh well, at least the weekend is still not over. And the handyman is coming again tomorrow. Let's see what happens then.

Superman Vs Spiderman

A: Oh Man! Look at the phider !

R: Yes sweetie, that’s Spider-Man

A: (frantically waving) Bye-bye phider…Bye phider

R: (feeling a little foolish) Bye Spider.

A: (looking bewildered that the phider is still around) No phider! No phider!

R: Ok ok...No phider. Come on Superman, let's go. Can you say "Trick or Treat"?

A: No phider! No phider!

R: (sigh)

{Looks like the (2-yr old) Superman I was with on Halloween didn't care too much for "Spiders" who didn't get that "Bye-bye" actually meant "Go-away-I-don't-want-to-see-you"}

Somebody tell me when it's over

Imagine being buckled into your seat on a ride at an amusement park. The I-can-feel-my-stomach-near-my throat feeling right before the ride starts.
The I-can’t-feel-my-knees feeling you get when you’re in love.
The what-if-I-mess-this-up that goes through your mind on your first day at work/school/{insert other social situation here}
The excitement when you get the keys to a new car or a new place to live in.

Now imagine all these feelings happening at the same time. That is what I’m going through right now.

I signed up for Nablopomo 2007 in a moment of weakness and now I’m freaking out. I have to sit down and breathe deeply and tell myself I can do this.

Here’s the game plan:
1) Transform all my Drafts into actual posts
2) Look for all the memes I can find
3) Keep my fingers crossed that exciting things happen to me so I can write about them

Anyone who can help with 2 and 3 above – you know where to find me. I’ll be right here chewing my nails wondering what I was thinking (not!) when I signed up for this.