This moment

"Do you know this song? It's Jason Mraz. I have the album," says my brother Eric.

We're out to dinner at a local fest last Friday and the band is playing I'm Yours, one of my absolute favorite songs of 2009.

It is, in this moment, that I realize (again) how much we have in common. And yet we are so completely disconnected and distant.

More my fault than his - I moved away after all. But it is painful to consider all the vast richness of day-to-day everything I am missing, being so far away. And not just with him, but with my parents as well.

This makes me unbelievably sad.

However. It's never too late, right? Eric and me, we're off to a good start and I think (I hope) to find this re-acquainting process easier than we imagined.

This makes me happy.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I am listening to: A quiet house
I am reading: Sister Carrie - T. Dreiser
And I am: Hopeful

Good Things Friday

My brother Eric is coming to visit today
I am sitting on the screened porch with Gromit
The sun is shining and there is a lovely breeze
Had a great time at Swedish Days last night
The new Chianti beer garden is perfect
I am totally lost in the novel Pride & Prejudice
Had a GREAT time with Nelson & Kyra last weekend
Cleaned the front porch last Sunday
It was a complete wreck - cobwebs, dirt, bleh
Now it's much better
Nelson introduced me to the game Angry Birds for the iPhone
It's fabulous silly fun
I love it when the pigs laugh at me for missing them
(You slingshot various types of angry birds at laughing pigs in glass and wood structures)
It sounds crazy but it's very good
Had Cheerios for breakfast
Two highly recommended movies: Zombieland and Tropic Thunder
This enlightening article on Stan McChrystal, which got him fired
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I am listening to: The Fray - All at Once
I am reading: P&P by J. Austen
And I am: Fine

Good Things Friday – Cautionary Tale Edition

“Do you want me to tell you what I told everyone at work or what really happened?”
“Well that’s intriguing. Both please.”
I can’t provide any more detail on this but it is one HELL of a story and a cautionary tale for our time
It’s the perfect illustration of a man showing his true character in the face of some horrifyingly self-induced adversity
My brother Eric will be here one week from today
This really is my favorite season because of all the friends/family that visit
Nelson was here last weekend for his annual trip
Nelson AND Kyra are here this weekend
Nelson is my oldest friend (who I stay in touch with/see regularly)
I don’t know why it’s so important
But we did meet in third grade
Which is why this ridiculous article from the NY Times on the end of best friends makes me want to puke on my shoes
These ass-tards are keeping scads of little Nelsons and Heathers from a lifetime of laughs, comfort and fun
It’s tragic
Back to good things
Speaking of old friends visiting, Susie booked her flight this week
We are doing the annual long weekend of sunning/shopping/boozing in July
Tom Cruise was on the MTV Movie Awards
He did his Tropic Thunder dance as Les Grossman live on the stage
It was fucking awesome
And (nearly) cancelled out his whole Oprah/couch dance thing
Last week is over
The worst trade show of my life
And that includes the time I dropped my mobile phone in the toilet at Oracle Open World
And not a damn thing I could do about any of it
In spite of that, we got 90+ solid leads
Hosted a webinar today with 75 more
Best webinar ever
So things are rolling along nicely
Got some rather lovely, unsolicited positive feedback from our new operations guy
And made Employee of the Week (2nd time this year – yay me)
Mike the Painter is here working on the deck
He already painted the floor of the balcony “porch gray”
And it looks exactly like I imagined it would
Perfect
Had dinner with Mr. & Mrs. You Know Who Tuesday night at the Blackberry Inn
Their jalapeno cheeseburger is burn-your-face-off fabulous
Plus, did a shot of Dr. McGillacuddy’s something or other with Mrs. YKW, the bartender and wait staff
“It’s an 8 o’clock tradition for all the women”
It tasted like peppermint gum
Yummy
Got to see Susan from Susan's Snippets Wednesday night
We are working on a project together and I really really like it
Got my nails done Monday night
Is it a bad thing to say a shop is “ethnic”?
Because it is
But I don’t know if it’s racist to say it
(Maybe I do know the answer but I’d like to hear it to confirm)
It’s ethnic in that everyone there except me is not white
And they like to do nails really really really long
With all sorts of funky designs and colors and shit
And I’m just this silly white chick
Who wants a simple, short French manicure once in awhile
I’m constantly fighting to get what I want there
To the point where I have gone back and said “Do over please, too long.”
The irony is, the guy who does my nails is named Long
He is Chinese but from Vietnam
What would you do?
Go somewhere else?
Stop being so picky?
STFU and stop being a racist prima donna?
Anyhow
I am reading Pride & Prejudice right now
It is delicious
It’s awesome and refreshing to just sit and read a book
And it makes me laugh out loud
Which is good for a book written
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I am listening to: Ludacris – Get Back
I am reading: Jane Austen’s Price & Prejudice
And I am: Calm

Good Things Friday – Hmm Hmm Hmm Edition

44 years ago today, Mom & Da got married
That’s a very long time to be with one person
But if anyone could do it, they could
I think the key to a good marriage mostly depends on having a good sense of humor
Sang the “Happy Anniversary” song to Mom this morning (out of tune)
“Thank you. I just got done singing it to your father.”
I’m not going to tell you what she said next
But it involves partial nudity
And a good sense of humor
It’s been a tough week at work
More stressful than the usual
Not because of anything I have control over
I guess that’s what makes it more stressful
The guy who looks like the eagle from The Muppet Show is sitting across from me on the train
He looks crabby and mean
And all I keep thinking is “Naked! People…under their clothes are NAKED! Birds…under their feathers…NAKED!”
One week from today I’ll be picking up Nelson from the airport
We drink, we laugh, we bitch, we listen to music, we hang by the pool, and we play Scrabble
Can’t wait
His annual visit always kicks off Official summer around here
Went to the original Ferrara Pan Candy family bakery on Taylor Street Wednesday
If you’ve ever had Lemonheads or
You know about them
It’s very cool
Jim was in Paris & Belgium this week
So I’ve been singing “There’s a place called France where the ladies where no pants…”
He gets home tomorrow
While I really enjoy the alone time, everything is better when he’s here
I am reading a fantastic book right now: Give the Lady What She Wants – The Story of Marshall Field & Company
It was written in 1952
Great history of Chicago and the guy who pretty much invented the money back guarantee
Anyhow who sells anything should read it
It’s about customer service and marketing and merchandising – fascinating
Plus the great Chicago Fire
Lots of old photos too
Got my teeth cleaned yesterday
And a haircut
Always feels good getting spiffed up
Found out the AP Stylebook is an iPhone app
It is very cool and makes writing press releases much easier
I watched the original Willie Wonka movie earlier this week
And I’ve had the song “Pure Imagination” in my head all week
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I am listening to: Morning huddle for work
I am reading: Give the Lady What She Wants
And I am: Trying to get in tune Hmm Hmm Hmm

Good Things Friday – Monkey Balls Edition

10 years ago today, Grommie dog was born
Best Dog Ever
I tell him all the time
It’s a beautiful day
The Veterans are out with their poppies
There’s a woman abusing herself with an eyelash curler a couple seats over on the train
Whatever gene it is that makes you wanna do extremely private stuff in public
I don’t have it
Thankfully
Well maybe I had it for a few indiscrete moments in college
But it was just a phase
Certainly not genetic
We’re having a Welcome to the Neighborhood Party
Tomorrow night
For our new neighbors Pam & Eric
We’ve invited a lot of neighbors that we don’t typically see
From all over the ‘hood
Should be fun
Ever walk into a store knowing you wanted something but not exactly what?
I got this small wallet phone holder thingie from Carson’s
It fits my phone perfectly
This is that something
The Hipstamatic camera app for my phone is fabulous and fun
I’m wearing the scarf I bought at Coldwater Creek
Shopping with Mom Mother’s Day weekend
I met with Adam yesterday
He’s the guy who built our web site
It’s going to be awesome
I haven’t been this happy about a new web site in 6 years
The content management system is called SilverStripe
And it’s fabulous
Way better than .Net Nuke
Which sucks hairy monkey balls
Yes
Hairy
Monkey-flavored
Ball sack
Anyhow
I bet when you woke up this morning
You didn’t expect to hear about hairy monkey balls
Did you?
The woman across from me (not the eyelash curler masochist)
Is wearing pink Converse tennis shoes
As cute as they are
Those shoes have never looked all that comfy to me
It’s Memorial Day weekend
All day yesterday it was “Are you coming in tomorrow?”
“Are you coming in tomorrow?”
“Are you coming in tomorrow?”
Hell yeah, I’m coming in tomorrow
I’d sure like to know when the day before a holiday weekend became part of the holiday
It never used to be that way
Our government is finally doing (sort of) the right thing
On Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell
If the most well-trained military organization on the planet
(The Israeli Army)
Doesn’t have a problem with it
Why should we?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I am listening to: All-American Rejects – Swing Swing
I am reading: Press release for Internet Retailer conference
And I am: Sunny with a chance of monkey balls

Crisis

"We are out of toilet paper."
"Does that mean I can't poop?"
"You can poop all you want. You just can't wipe."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I am listening to: The fan on the MacBook
I am reading: Eh nothing good, too much worky
And I am: Glad I keep a secret stash

Good Things Friday – Loading the Truck Edition

There’s a guy in a rented Bobcat
At the Aurora train station
Loading chunks of asphalt and concrete into a dump truck
It’s masterful
Jockeying the scoop under the pile to maximize the load
Carefully positioning it high over the truck bed
Followed by the drop and the quick flick to empty
Sometimes I wish for a job like that
Where at the end of the day I could say
I built this or
I moved that or
I loaded the truck
It’s date night
Me and Jim are going to dinner then IronMan 2
I can’t wait
Which after almost 20 years is pretty fucking cool
I know I say it a lot
Perhaps to the point of being irritating
But it is pretty fucking cool
Speaking of irritating
I finally got to drive myself to the train station today
After a long week of being shuttled by Jim because of car repairs
This made me extremely crabby
The good thing is
I realized my moods are directly related to
How often I work out
How much alone time I have
How much I have to rely on others
For anything
This is something to really think about as I get older
Celebrated Mr. You Know Who’s 50th birthday in Lake Geneva last weekend
Realized that all of my favorite bar moments involve Mr. YKW
“And the whore will have a Jack & Coke”
“You call your wife a whore?”
“Hell no, she’s not my wife”
AND
“Thank God you’re here, before you arrived the best looking broad in the joint was the one armed junkie whore sleeping on the bar”
We went to a special beer dinner with Mr. & Mrs. You Know Who and friends
Wednesday night
Sponsored by Leinenkugl
It was a fabulous gourmet meal that paired different beers with awesome crazy fun foods
We’re going to do it again next month for sure
There’s a car wash a block from our office
Fancy-schmancy cars in and out all day
Walking to lunch, someone was backing out post-wash
And I needed to wait on the sidewalk
For this small delay I got an amazingly open delightful grin
From an old gray-haired dude in a spanking new Mercedes
It was totally unexpected and made me smile right back
One of those fantastic, unplanned moments you share with a stranger
That stays with you
For days
I finally finally finally hired someone to do our web site
It’s what we do (build web sites for companies)
But I can never get our guys to do it for me
Which is good because we’re busy and profitable
But our web site really sucks ass
Which kills me
But not for too much longer
We got a new comforter set for our bed
It is awesome and soft and comfy
Plus it’s huge – I sleep better because now I’m not fighting for covers
If someone would invent a comforter to prevent snoring we’d be all set
The diner-type joint called Yolk at Wells & Chicago in River North
It’ll put you in a good mood no matter what
I bought a 2-terabyte drive on Amazon last night
To begin storing all the movies and TV shows I’m ripping
It’s such a fun project
Another fun project: Unsubscribing
In the past month I’ve unsubscribed from at least 50
Bullshit industry newsletters, email alerts and daily news bulletins
The ones I never read are gone
Which makes me more likely to read the ones that are truly valuable
“How many mee-nutes?”
That was the wrinkly old Italian dude waiting with me for the #11 bus yesterday
He saw me checking the schedule on my phone
It was cute how he smiled and asked
Then looking up and around, he said
“Chicago…is beautiful, yes?”
“Yes, it is. Are you visiting here?” I ask
“No, I live here 27 years. Beautiful,” he says
Yes it is
I wonder
How to make my job feel more like loading the truck
Simple
More meaningful
Because I realize it’s on me to do that
Every day it’s on me to look up and around
To find the beautiful
In what’s old and familiar
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I am listening to: World Exploded into Love - B. Schneider
I am reading: Nothing
And I am: Loading the truck

Good Things Friday - Glitter in the Air Edition

Pink - Glitter in the Air
My new favorite song right now
FANTASTIC, RELAXING, WONDERFUL time in Michigan for Mother's Day weekend
I love how talking to my Mom always brings clarity on a subject
Got my nails done tonight
It's such a simple, silly, girly thing but it makes me happy
I think it's mostly because at least one very small part of my existence feels 'done'
Ya know?
Watched the movie Elizabeth this week - it's really quite good
And it always rejuvenates my old crush on Joseph Fiennes
He's just plain old yummy
I appreciate the fact that we live in a neighborhood where I can leave a door open and be gone for more than an hour
There's a lovely cool breeze coming in through the doorwall
Gromit is snoring on the couch
And I'm ripping movies
Hoping to have all of our shit digitized by end of summer
I'm done beating myself up over silly mistakes
Spending the weekend in Lake Geneva with Mr. & Mrs. You Know Who to celebrate his 50th
It's going to be a blast
Any time I can play a semi-dirty word on Facebook Scrabble, I will, even if it means less points
Like 'anus'
Or 'tits'
The new iPhone comes out in June and I'm thinking I might be on it
The iPad is interesting - but I can't make calls from it and don't want another device to carry around
The ideal scenario: I'd be able to make calls from it and switch it with my iPhone whenever I don't feel like carrying the iPad around
Now that would be cool
The Logitech Universal Remote has saved our marriage
I'm dead serious
It is smarter than I am when it comes to getting our shit to do what I want it to do
"Is the DVD player on?"
"Did this help?"
It's amazing
I'm wearing my Obama 44 sweatshirt
It's very comfy
Although I always have reservations about wearing it in public
Like an angry teabagger will beat me up or something
I fantasize they'll say something like "Your shirt offends me"
And then I'll have the opportunity to say something like "Eat my ass, fucktard"
Or maybe I'll just smile and say "Your ignorance offends me, so let's call it even"
Something like that
Maybe
Maybe
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I am listening to: Gromit snoring and the traffic on Randall
I am reading: This blog, which has some very interesting stuff about the founder of Facebook
And I am: Okay

Flying Cars & Potato Chips

I use Google Reader on my iPhone.

Translation for non-geek types: Google (the search engine) also allows me to set up news preferences, automagically sending top stories from newspapers all over the world to my iPhone. This means I don’t have to visit every news site – I get it all in one place. It’s a quick, convenient way to get a snapshot of world news during my morning commute.

Anyhow. That’s not the point.

This morning I’m on the late train to work with Google reader, when I see this über-enticing item from the New York Times:

“The Moment You’ve Waited For”

OHHHHHHH.

Really? GREAT.

The flying car is finally here!
They’ve invented a potato chip that won’t make my ass fat(ter)!
They caught Osama Bin Laden!

These are the things that came to mind. In that order. Yep.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hedy, Hedy, Hedy.

Flying cars and potato chips? Really?

No world peace? No end to hunger and other global strife?

What sort of left wing liberal whore are you?

The sort that really wants a flying car and a potato chip RIGHT NOW, goddammit.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“What could it be?” I thought. “This magical moment for which we’ve all been waiting.”

Am I part of the group ‘all’? And what makes this thing so universally momentous?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Nope. And nope. Turns out it's a cool story but certainly not the moment I'VE personally been waiting for, to my utter disappointment and disgust.

It’s a story about this very cool photography project called A Moment in Time. Here's the explanation.

So what's the Moment You've Waited For? First thing that pops into your head. Go.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I am listening to: A co-worker talking too much as usual
I am reading: Google Reader
And I am: Cold and damp

Good Things Friday - Detroit Edition

Drove to Michigan this morning
There is something about being on the road
No agenda
No deadlines
Nobody really knows where I am
Just me singing in the car
I am writing this from Mom & Da's computer
Per a request from Dave @ Rather Than Working
It's thundering out now
"I have a real problem with my hearing."
"What are you going to do about that?"
"Heh?"
Kisses from Rudy dog
Mom gave us a fashion show of all the clothes she bought for the big Hawaii trip in November
Everything was amazing-bursting-green on the way here, like nature exploded
I wrote another scene from my screenplay on the way here
Being on the road does that
I had a great week at work
Got so much done
And the owner/president/my boss says we're ahead of projections for the year
Which is so cool - I forgot what it's like to be part of a thriving, growing too-busy-for words company
The song "Closer to Fine" by the Indigo Girls
My Mom's home made potato salad
My Mom's home made Navy cake
The thunder is shaking the house
'Beerfart' as a term of endearment
Sleeping in my old room tonight; the dreams are always amazing
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I am listening to: The storm and humming Indigo Girls
I am reading: My own stuff for a change
And I am: Closer to fine

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.
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I am listening to: Counting Crows – Rain King
I am reading: Nothing good lately
And I am: Fearless and powerful

Good Thing Friday

Here's to the best thing that ever happened to me: My Mom.

Today is her birthday and I'm ever so glad she was born.
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I am listening to: Tracy Chapman - Sing For You
I am reading: Not much
And I am: Happy

Good things Friday

I am wearing my favorite new comfy-cuddly sweater/wrap thing from Ann Taylor Loft
I do not look like this in it
Jim calls it a poncho
“Is that a real poncho or a Sears poncho?” - Frank Zappa
The sun is shining and it’s relatively warm
A big golden dog smiling, hanging his head out the back seat of a Jeep
Kicked off a user group this week that is going to be huge
Remembering the last time I had an uncontrollable giggle fit
It was at a small playhouse in Chicago with my friend Susan
“Do you know what the Nazis did first? They took all the guns away from the Jews.”
The actor stopped in the middle of her monolog, looked at us and said, “Is there a problem?”
Which only made things worse
You really had to be there
Da’s birthday is tomorrow
I am so grateful he was born
Planning a trip to Michigan in May to shop estate sales with Mom
Planning Nelson’s annual trip to Chicago in June
Planning Susie’s annual trip to Chicago sometime this summer
The “Bang” song from How I Met Your Mother
A date with Jim at the Roundhouse last night
It’s so cool and amazing how, after all these years, we still have great conversations
The restaurant Yolk on Wells in River North – great omelets and amazing fresh fruit
I’m finally awake and thinking clearly after two months of mono
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I am listening to: Some jerk yap yap yap
I am reading: Nothing much
And I am: Comfy-cuddly

Good Things Friday - Hairy Mammoth Edition

I’m finally kicking the mono’s ass instead of it kicking mine
The famous 'hairy mammoth' of Chicago
Laughing with Mom on the phone
My fingernails look great
The sun is SHINING!
Lunch @ Portillo's with Jim the IT guy today
Going to dinner with the You Know Who’s tonight
“That looks a little big on you, let’s try the medium.” - the angelic and delightful salesperson @ Ann Taylor Loft in Geneva Commons
The Old Spice commercial – “I’m on a horse.”
Still haven’t had any chips since June of last year in spite of many opportunities including a special 'mono dispensation' from Jim
The upside to mono: lots of reading. Recommended: Game Change, The Lost Symbol, and Hawaii by James Michener
“Practically every week I hear somebody say ‘You should see all the great things Heather is doing for LCG.’ We really screwed up letting you go with Larry.” - the guy who fired me 2.5 years ago
“Well I believe everything happens for a reason and I’m really happy now.” - my response
It’s funny – I didn’t even think before saying that, it just came out. Must be true.
~~~~~~~~~~~
I am listening to: Phoenix – If I Ever Feel Better
I am reading: Nothing right now
And I am: Rockin'

The myth/math of networking

I've mentioned it before: The best jobs never get posted to Monster or Careerbuilder.

If you're in the market for a new gig, it'll find you. That's the power of your professional network. It can be explained using this simple formula:

R x T(I) = QPN

R = Reputation
T(I) = Time spent in an Industry
QPN = Quality of your Professional Network

If you're good, this isn't something you should really need to work at - your professional network just grows through the normal course of your career.

That said, I'm not a huge fan of the new millennium brand of Networking.

You go to a 'Networking' event. You chat with an ass-load of boring people you don't know. And, according to Expert Networkers, VOILA! BAM! POW!

Business comes your way.

Not so much.

And here's why. Let's call it Hedy's Neediness Quotient.

Well maybe not quotient. Theorem? Ack. Hypothesis?

Eh, fuck it, I was never much into science.

Let's call it Hedy's Neediness Something-or-Other That Implies It's Not Quite a Rule Yet But Should Be.

THEORY, Hedy?

Yeah, that sounds fine. And fuck you, I'm a little rusty, cut me some slack here.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
What's the goal of networking? To help your business, right?

You find people who need what you're selling OR you find people you need to hire to help you sell more. Right?

But the more needy you are, the less likely you'll be able to provide something of value to other networkers. Right?

And the less needy you are, the less likely you'll need to attend a networking event.

See the problem? The people who have the most power to be of help at networking events AREN'T THERE.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I've been trying to figure this out for months. Well off and on for months.

Okay, maybe just for a few minutes here and there while I'm on the crapper, but still.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"The difference between the almost right word and the right word is really a large matter--it's the difference between the lightning bug and the lightning." - Mark Twain
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I'm working on another theory for how this relates to the usefulness of social media. Again, it's all about needs.

99% of what gets Twittered, Facebooked and LinkedIn'd isn't worthwhile to anyone but the social retard who posted it. Myself included.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"I'm an introvert, that's why I don't do networking events."

That was my original reason but it never quite sat well. First of all, I believe that "introvert" is mostly a state of mind - we can choose to be outgoing and sociable if we deem it worthwhile. More on that another time.

Today I've finally (roughly) figured out the real reason why I've always been so negative on networking events: They're simply not worthwhile for people like me.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Please. Tell me if I'm full of shit on this. Or if I'm just full of shit in general. It'd be great to hear from you.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
But Hedy, what about the altruistic aspect of networking? What about just putting yourself out there to be of some small help to The Universe?

I can think of other ways to do that - ways that don't involve making small talk with strangers while downing crappy crudites and piss-warm wine.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I am listening to: Dream Big - Ryan Shupe & the RubberBand
I am reading: Zeitoun by David Eggers
And I am: Rusty