Punchy

You know when you hit those patches where you're really stressed out? and you've been real stressed out for awhile so it's starting to feel like normal... but then you're annoyed once you realize that this uber-stressed level is becoming the norm... and the annoyance makes the stress worse... oh, fun with the downward spiral...

I've realized that I've become quite punchy lately. Let's call it "edgy with a sense of humor" or maybe 'bitchy with a grin" or even "apathetic and ah, whatever - who cares?"

Needing a break or a time-out. Remember that 80's sit-com where the girl was from outer space and could freeze time by touching her two pointer finger tips together?? The theme song ended with "...you could be swinging on a star..." Well, I remember it enough to know that I want that ability. I want to freeze time-- just long enough to catch up on a few 'to do' lists... Alas, all that's happened lately is that my my work day has extended to the point that I was leaving work at 8-9p last week (booooooo). Really? And what about the meeting that started at 7:30? Are these people insane!?!?!

While I'm ranting & reminiscing: there was a children's book "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie" that has been running through my mind lately. I'm not *exactly* sure what it was about, but I'm pretty sure that the theme is essentially giving someone an inch and they take a mile. As in: you give a mouse a cookie and next thing you know, they want milk to dip it in. Once they have some milk, they want you to heat it... and so forth. Metaphorically speaking: I think I'm going to quit baking. Or at least for those who either (a)take it for granted or (b)think it means they are then entitled to can expect [fill-in-the-blank] .

So anywho-- I've been quite punchy at work lately-- 'cuz it seems i don't really have time (nor patience) for anything else. Needed toothpicks to keep my eyes open at dinner on Friday. Punchy-ness, in my case, means I say/do things with much less of a filter than I normally reserve for a work environment. I think from the outside looking in, this would be amusing, but frankly - i can't remember any of them right now and this gripefest post is already too long.

Sister needs a break. If for no other reason than I am becoming a complete and utter bore. (Ref above: whiny post)

Notification

Scene from my morning:

Walking into the building, there's a woman ahead of me, prolly 40 feet or so... mid-late 40's, dressed professionally, smart-looking blonde bob, rolling her computer bag in: swipes her badge on the door. Pulls on the door, didn't open. Swipes badge again... pulls on door... again- no go. Swipes a third time, pulls, alas... no entrada. Seemingly a big frustrated/defeated.

By then, I'm at the door, ready to swipe my badge and ask her, "Ya ever think, 'So is this how they let me know...?" as mine works and I open the door

To my surprise, she bursts out in laughter and says, "If it was, I sure wouldn't mind... that'd be great!!"

Ah, from a perfect stranger: honesty; cynicism.

Happy Monday.

When things aren't black or white...

Yep. Kinda bitter. Celebrating Mr. Price's bday this weekend, but I'm the one with the signs of aging.

Turns out, those really bright strands of hair aren't blonde (denial). I've got grey hairs (acceptance).

That's it. That's all I got today.

Repercussions

Dear Tyler,


I hope you are having a good morning, in spite of the fact that your mom forgot to let you out of your house the morning. Again. My sincere apologies, dear kitty. I don't know why I always forget to let you out until I am either on the road or already at work. Maybe it is because it is not every morning that your dad asks me to let you out, so it is not in my routine. Maybe is because when he does ask me, it is in the wee morning hours, while I'm half asleep. Maybe it is because it is so d@mn cold out this week that I am subconsciously trying to save you from a day in the elements and allow you to just keep sleeping on that lovely, covered in lambs wool couch of yours (you know, not every cat has their own house, let alone their own couch).

But I digress, I forgot again, and when your dad gets home from school at lunch and heads out to your house to begin his day of studying- he'll be meet at the door by a very unhappy little yellow kitty who.. undoubtedly, will meow and yell and be generally pissed off for the rest of the afternoon from outside the house… sitting on the wall… looking in the window… ears back... holding a grudge and being angry.


I am very sorry for an inconvenience I may have caused.


Yours truly,
The lady who feeds you

Noteworthy (to me) on an otherwise Normal day

Went downstairs to grab lunch today- a bit late so it was pretty cleared out. The usual swarm of lunch grabbers milling around the stations or a stream of people standing in line to check out were cleared out. In fact, I walked right up to the register.

A normal day in the check out line not much more time than an exchange of simple pleasantries, followed by a quick"Need a receipt today?" returned with "No thanks" and she's on to the next.

My normal check-out lady, Maria, (I usually get in her line) was training some one new. I asked them both how they were doing and Maria stopped me, turned to the new girl and started in on something very serious... talking about 'some people being nice' and such... but then turned to me and said I really was nice, 'happy-go-cheery' and that I had a good heart. She went on to say that and she appreciated it and that she likes seeing me in her line. I'll spare you the rest of the details but suffice to say, this TOTALLY made my day.

The take-away from this story: I may be classified as, well, "anything but" by some, but Maria thinks I have a good heart.

My heart swells.

Time Machine

Is it possible to start a week actually *further* behind than you were the week before? (I have learned that the answer is yes) Because if I had a time machine, and could go back to last week, I would be ahead of where I am right now... however: IF I had a time machine, there is not a snow ball's chance [in hell] that I would do it. Why?

Last week:

• Dear Mr. Price got what must have been the most vicious case of food poisoning I've ever heard of... let alone witness. Wow. I will spare you the details. Bless his heart. (My mom had it too... I actually had a weather forecast from my Dad of symptoms-- real time.)
  
• After pulling an all-nighter (haven't done that in awhile), I worked from home to take care of the aforementioned - and between conference calls and frantic emails, I made trips to the pharmacy, grocery store, doctors office, back to the grocery store, etc


• Drove to Dallas for a meeting with a partner/client = 7+ hours in the car for a 40 minute meeting, rushed lunch at Mi Cocina (now THAT I'd repeat), all with a co-worker I barely know.


• A few hours before leaving... I learn that my dad, sister, sister-in-law and niece all got sick, too. Hmmm... whhhhoooooo'sss in for a road trip with a stranger and a possible 6 hours of vomiting?? OOhh!! Oohhh!! Me! Me! Please, sign me up! (It turned out just fine)


• Worked past 8pm each night last week, worked on Saturday... then again on Sunday. Booooooo.


• Wrote the check for our property taxes and for our new roof while paying bills - now THAT was fun.
  

Um, so those were the major highlights.

However... there is a silver lining. (**Note: There is ALWAYS a silver lining)

1. Last week is over.
2. I somehow never got sick. My brother ended up getting sick while in Cabo last weekend (that's not the silver lining part, just sayin' I'm glad it wasn't me). That means that the whole fam somehow got this awful bug and I, some how, was spared.


3. At family dinner this week, we learned that Madeleine will spring into action by singing or playing Beyonce songs -- even if she's cranky and about to fall to sleep. This brings a whole new value to my iToy: You Tube videos


4. Thanks to item #2, I learned about the current phenomenon of people dancing to the "Single Ladies/Put a Ring on It" video, taping themselves and uploading it to YouTube. **More on this later!**


5. To help celebrate that it is a new week and that last week is o-v-e-r-- we made ice cream sundaes. WITH Magic Shell!! (iToy pics will have to suffice)

So happy new week! I think my mantra (at least for the next few days) will be: "It could be worse... on top of this, I could have just puked for 6 hours straight..." =)

overwhelmed

...had an extremely productive weekend and made all kinds of lists for things i need to do over the next few days/weeks/months, etc. All in, acomplished quite a bit and organized even more.

So there is no reason I should feel so "behind "because this if the most on top of things i've been in weeks. arrg

Nonetheless: a few hours left in the evening to accomplish some things and I feel so completely overwhelmed that I haven't started on anything and instead- I'm just uncomfortably watching the Golden Globes and trying to find the energy to get up off my arse and finish a few lingering tasks ...

Blog Backlog

Dear Blog Readers,

I am remiss, my sincere apologies. Here it is, the begining of the year and nothing to read online during your downtime ...and I am not helping.

You see, dear reader, I have a backlog of blog posts that I have not yet posted because I have not yet uploaded the pictures to the posts. I've not yet included the pictures because I hadn't downloaded the pictures from my camera. Seems that it took me so long to do that, there was a backlog of pictures to organize and back-up. Turns out, once I realized that task was a bit more overwhelming that I'd realized (that of sorting), I just kind of ignored it - went along my merry holiday way... celebrating too much, sleeping in too much, watching movies and teaching my nieces to say my name (successfully, I might add!! more on that later). As you may know, I did start editing down pictures from the beginning of the year which leaves -who knows how long- until I get to the end of the year and to the task at hand.

This is no excuse, dear reader. I have heeded your call for reading material and I pledge to do better-- to catch up on my blogging backlog! NOTE: this is NOT a new years resolution, as I haven't and clearly shouldn't. My goal is to upload the pics tonight to the blog backlog and post those puppies! (wish me luck)

Best,
me

P.S. Madeleine can now say "Aahh Meh-Muh" for of Aunt Emmie (she can't say her 'E's just yet) and she's quite proud when she says it, too. Meanwhile, we had a delightful Christmas Day with the TriPrices - who refer to me as Aunt Em-lee and freely pull me from room to room for various adventures. My heart swells with pride. =)

Holiday friend visits

Christmas is magical. The break from work is fantastic. Great food, festive parties... but I think the best part might be the friends who you get to see over the holidays when they're back home from their far-away cities.

It can seem impossible to schedule it all in with all the hectic schedules and running around- but we loved getting to see both Brett & Angie in from San Jose and Jess & Michael in from NYC- not to mention the all Deane kiddos - over the break, with little notice.

Some how I missed pictures of Jess & co.

Editing down from 20,000

Sorting through pictures from 2008 and selecting my favorites for our 2008 coffee table yearbook today. Realized that I took over 20,000 pictures in the 2008. Not bad, eh? yikes.

Of course, for Xmas, I made books for my parents and for poopsie's parents of the random fam pictures and poopsie's first year of life, respectively. Each book had ~700 pictures included in each, so 160-170 pages. I was so excited to give them and they were big hits!

But so far, in narrowing down the pictures for our '08 book, I've got 115 pictures for the month of January (and that was a light month as far as the shutter goes...). This is not an easy task, I assure you. Anyhow, at this rate, i'll have ~1,400 pictures for the yearbook. Too many? You decide.