Good Things Friday – Magneto Edition

Did my very first 5k last Sunday – walked 90% of it but it felt great

Like the very start of something wonderful

Next 5K is in May, then another in June

I’m wearing flip-flops today

Just had some Light & Fit yogurt – blueberry is best

Had a GREAT conversation with Da this morning

Belly laughed with him about an extremely heated political argument we had on Monday

It felt soooo good

I told him about the first time I ever heard the word ‘magneto’

I must’ve been about 6 or 7 and he was taking apart the lawn mower

And explaining all the different parts

I remember feeling like I really needed to hold on to that moment

And soak in everything

Like the little gray sponge in the air filter

Mom & Da are really enjoying his retirement

It’s fabulous

Jim comes home tomorrow from his annual spring European tour

He is not a rock star in the classic sense of the word

But very popular there nonetheless

He was in Basel, Switzerland for part of the trip

I like saying Basel

BaselBaselBaselBaselBasel

It feels good, you should try it.

Bah-zle

Magneto is a good word too

Magnetomagnetomagnetomagneto

I missed Jim but the house sure stayed clean this week

My good friend Jim the IT guy showed me how to digitize our DVDs

I’m halfway done ripping Season 3 of Six Feet Under

It’s a good project

He recommended MakeMKV for ripping DVDs – it’s fast and easy to use

And Plex Media Center for Mac for managing and viewing our whole digital library – music, tv shows, movies, photos, etc.

It’s pretty slick and I can’t wait to get it connected to everything

Been listening to Green Day’s American Idiot this week

It’s one of those rare albums you can listen to all the way through

So much poetry, so much intensity

Really captured the Bush/Cheney era

I watched this Butterfinger commercial 30 times last night

Could not stop laughing

Something about the sound the phone makes when it hits his forehead

Awesome

Had a great week at work

Selected our new corporate logo/brand

Next up is the web site re-launch and exhibit booth

After 20 years of doing this stuff I still get excited about it

There’s a man on the corner of Wacker & Washington who says

“Have a blessed day”

To everyone during the morning and evening rush

It’s our dear friend Judy’s last day at the firehouse today

She’s going off on an exciting new adventure after 14 years there

I’m a big proponent of shaking things up and going on adventures every so often

We’re wishing her nothing but the best

~~~~~~~~~~~~

I am listening to: Green Day – American Idiot

I am reading: Nothing

And I am: BaselBaselBaselBaselMagneto

Good Things Friday - Only If I Have to Edition

This morning I opened a yogurt and SPLAT - it shot out all over my chest.

Not as sexy as it sounds.

Seriously.

Then I opened an orange juice - same thing.

By 10 a.m. I looked like I'd been rolling around in the gutter.

Which also is not as sexy as it sounds.

Anyhow, I'm at work crabby as hell and then the mail came, including a letter from the Make a Wish foundation here in Chicago.

Thanking my company for donating some Bulls tickets a few weeks back.

In it, was another letter from a boy named Tony:

Even though the past two years were the worst days of my life, I have been so fortunate to have so many people reach out and be so kind and thoughtful. I cannot believe that someone would actually give up such good seats to someone they do not even know. Please let them know that I had one of the best days of my life and I was SO GRATEFUL.

I have no idea what this boy's life is like.

But I do know that the petty bullshit-stress-drama-whathaveyou we deal with on a regular basis is nothing compared to the life or death struggles of this kid.

This kid that I don't know. Who had one of the best days of his life because nobody here could use our court side tickets.

Also:

An IM from my friend Taxman earlier today

Asking about the Friday blog

And telling me that my former friend Spike called him Hedy Jr.

(which Taxman says he took as a compliment)

Which made me smile

I made Spanish rice last night and it was excellent

I have RUNNING SHOES

My first 5k EVER is this Sunday morning

It is a walk/run

I will be on the walk side of things but this is the first of many races

In which I hope to eventually run

Had a great conversation with my friend Kyra on the way home from work Wednesday night

Found out my parents are going to Hawaii with us for An Extra Special Wedding in November

To have (most) of the people I love the most in my most favorite place on Earth will be unimaginably outstanding

Road the train in with Susan this morning

Went walking with friend/neighbor Debbie two nights this week

The Daily Show with Jon Stewart makes me laugh out loud pretty much every day

Antonio and his crew came this week for the spring yard clean up and it looks OUTSTANDING

Plus, they cut out an area for the vegetable garden I'm planting next month

The research is fun

I cried a little yesterday thinking "Gosh I wish my Grandpa Kammer was here so I could ask him questions about growing a garden. What a great conversation that would be."

It was a sad, totally unexpected cry but took me to some very good memories

I am trying to figure out if his garden was really as big as I remember or if I was just so small

"I'm thinking Blackberry tonight" - email from Jim just now

It'll be three date night Fridays in a row for us

Understanding that some people survive on bullshit alone

And I am not one of them

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I am listening to: Somewhere Over the Rainbow by Iz

I am reading: A client case study

And I am: Grateful

Good Things Friday - Bubbly Edition

My new song list: Hed's Happy Time Tunes

My toes are a-okay and ready to be pedicured tomorrow

Walking to/from work instead of the bus - it's a hike but I love it

The cab driver who gave me a copy of the Quran Wednesday

Today is pay day

Planning date night

Planning a trip to Michigan for Mother's Day

Planning You-Know-Who's big 50th birthday in LG

Planning the trip for Nelson's wedding in Hawaii

The juggling balls from Judy for my birthday - love them

Doggies in a car next to the bus - smiling at me

My friend/co-worker Kathleen got engaged

Her ring is gorgeous - I rarely feel jealous but this is Gee Whiz Amazing Beautiful

That's about all I've got today for some reason.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I am listening to: The Rainbow Connection - Sara McLachlan

I am reading: Nothing much

And I am: A-okay

Good Things Friday - Late Late Edition

Today was the final battle in a life long war against my in-grown toe nails

My doctor puts smileys on the bandages

"Petersoned"

As in:

Jim the IT guy: "If I was Jim, I'd have Petersoned your ass long ago."

Me: "Petersoned?"

Jim the IT guy: "Yeah, as in Drew and Scott. Petersoned."

LMAO

I signed up for the Sweetness 5K on June 5

The movie: Sweet Home Alabama

A classic chick movie

Jake (Josh Lucas) is just awesome

Jim making me belly laugh via email today

The word 'putz'

As in, since we have no plans this weekend, I am going to putz around the house

Weather permitting, I will cut the grass for the first time this weekend

I can't WAIT

The movie: He's Just Not That Into You

Great scenes between Jennifer Aniston and Ben Affleck

Sure wish she could get more roles like that because she's not an idiot

My chiropractor

This song/video: I Love You, I Love You, I Love You

The user group/meetup I started last month now has 88 members

And people are attending from Minneapolis and Kansas City this month

It's just cool

New song by Pink: Glitter in the Air

It's just beautiful

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I am listening to: Pink

I am reading: Nothing

And I am: Relaxed

Good Things Friday - Late Edition

Marking days off my calendar with a blue marker
Which may not seem like much of a good thing
But I was out with mono for most of Jan/Feb so it's satisfying
Blue is for in the office, red is mono and the pink dots represent days I've worked out
Sharpies
I moved my desk at work on the advice of a Feng Shui consultant and it actually feels really good
I'm happy to say I've never shit my pants as an adult
I realize that could change at any time
It's been 80 degrees the past two days
Where are all the "Global Warming is Bullshit" folks now - the same people who crowed about all the snow
During one of the warmest winters on record
Assholes
(Assholes are not a good thing)
But oh well
I have flip flops on and it's April 2
A co-worker April fool'd me yesterday via text
I liked the emotional roller coaster - "Oh, NO" "You asshole!" "Hilarious!"
It felt good
My toes are bright pink
Well I think more fuschia
I had to look up how to spell fuschia
I've been walking to/from work instead of taking the bus or a cab
It's a 35-40 minute walk
I see a lot of cool stuff
Like men placing small squares of plywood near a building
"What are those for?"
The next day, a scaffold was sitting on the small squares
Now I know
I am blessed beyond belief with the best husband on the planet
He makes me laugh and cooks and helps me take life less seriously
My co-worker was on the news this morning for a Make a Wish room makeover
For a 12 year old girl with Long QT syndrome
(this is not a good thing)
But seeing her smile at the new bedroom - all purple and fun - was pretty cool
Hearing about a lot of people getting new jobs - hopeful sign that things are turning
Lunch with my friend Susan yesterday
Sitting on 'our' bench in the park
In the sun
Catching up
Was lovely
Text message from Jim just now: "Do you want to do a date?"
My response: "Sounds great!"
I have a full container of Wet Ones on my desk
(unrelated to the earlier statement about shitting my pants)
But it's a comfort having them
Figured out how to switch the phones over myself (moving my desk)
The phone lines in the server room were like spaghetti
But not so complicated when you really focus on what needs to be done
From my new desk, I can see the five buddhas in the conference room
And they can see me
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I am listening to: Indigo Girls - Closer to Fine
I am reading: Not much
And I am: Closer to fine

Angry Republicans

Here’s what confounds me most lately: All of these Republicans – they’re angry at people they’ve never met who’ve supposedly taken something from them they never had.

You know them.

The angry people. There’s a lot of them lately.

They’re angry at the current state of affairs and they’re blaming lazy, unmotivated, freeloading illegal immigrants and lazy, unmotivated, freeloading poor people. Or they're blaming socialist/communist Democrats (which if you understand anything about socialism, communism, or Democrats, you'd know there's no way in hell to be any of those three things all at once.)

Let’s take a step back, shall we?

Let’s take a long, deep breath.

Mmmmmm. Ahhhhhhhh.

Now let’s try – really try – to understand why things are the way they are rather than screaming at the sky all the time.

First, illegal immigrants. Republicans are very angry at people who come to this country illegally. Why don’t they go through the proper channels? Why do they think they can just come here and why don’t they learn English and why why why?

1) The majority of illegal immigrants come here for jobs
2) Jobs that are offered by people
3) People who, for whatever reason, don’t want to pay a fair wage or health insurance or unemployment insurance or anything else that employers are legally required to pay
4) If the illegal jobs weren’t offered, people wouldn’t come here
5) Why would anyone break the law to come to a foreign country to work at jobs that no one wants for crap pay and zero benefits?
6) Maybe it’s because it’s slightly better than what their own country has to offer and maybe they have families they need to feed
7) And wouldn’t you do the same?
8) Is it so hard to imagine someone desperate to provide for their family – are all of us fat, happy Americans so disconnected from reality that we can’t see this as a possibility
9) And have a little compassion?
10) Here’s a better question: Why is all the Republican outrage directed at illegal immigrants (foreign and brown) and not at the people making money off of them (wealthy and white)?
11) Republicans want a crack down on illegal aliens but they don’t want to look at the source of the problem – the illegal employers.

Next topic: Republicans are angry that someone, somewhere out there is getting a Free Ride.

Think of someone you know. I am right now. He’s a relative, so no, I’m not thinking of you.

They haven’t held a job most of their life, living off the good graces of family and friends. Occasionally, they come up with a Brilliant Plan for Making It Big This Time involving some un-small monetary investment on your part that invariably ends in a fizzled up pile of frustration and excuses.

We all know at least one person like this. Maybe two.

If you’re fortunate enough to be a member of two or three different families (mom’s, dad’s, spouse’s), odds are you’ll know two or three of these people, but no more.

Because:

1) Most people want to work
2) The national unemployment rate is around 10% right now; 9.7% to be exact
3) During good times, it hovers around 3%
4) Which means 97% of the U.S. population is gainfully employed
5) Which means 3% or less of the population will always be unemployed
6) Because for some, that’s the way they want it
7) And there’s nothing we can do to convince these people they should work
8) So why waste all of this anger on something a) will never change and b) we can’t do anything about?

Oh and if you’re thinking most of those people who don’t want to work are non-white – I hate to tell you this, you’re a racist.

Here’s the bottom line (mostly because I’m at work now and can’t write anymore):

Rather than being angry and/or afraid and looking for someone to blame – rather than being overly concerned with a small percentage of people you’ll never, ever change – here’s a thought: Why not be the fearless, powerful self you are and try to make a difference in the world?

You’ll feel better. And quite frankly, so will I.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I am listening to: Counting Crows – Rain King
I am reading: Nothing good lately
And I am: Fearless and powerful