Monday, June 26, 2006

I wonder

Sometimes when I remember to check the stats on my blog I am surprised at the amount of people who read/view my blog.

Sometimes it freaks me out. But honestly it is the people I know that makes me choose to censor what I say. It is my mom and my sister and Matt's Aunt and others. Maybe I should be more like this (someone clicked from their blog to mine), and blog freely about my sex life and what will happen to the porn when we die. But really I'm not so worried about the porn, I've already given it to Rose.

Friday, June 23, 2006

Job

I got the job. I should be happy but for some reason I'm full of anxiety and dread. Have I made a mistake? Will the job fall through and I've already quit? What if.....

Why am I feeling like this?

Thursday, June 22, 2006

The 90210 Girls


Kelly, Donna, Brenda and Andrea

Andrea will be difficult to dress, she is a bit more beefy than the other girls.



I'll have to make a trip to the $.99 to improve thier attire. I also hope to come across a corvette and paint it black for Steve.

Wednesday, June 21, 2006

They're Here!

The dolls have arrived! They are better than I could have imagined! So exciting. I think I will take them camping this weekend. Maybe they can do the grunion running beach scenes!

Should I make a post boob job Donna, since I have two? I also have 2 Brenda dolls. Oh the magic I can do with 2 Brenda dolls. Sadly, someone at Matel dropped the ball and there is no Andrea, Steve or David.

Lucky for me, Dr. Zaius, Gay Bob and Zira have signed up to play the missing actors. I wonder which one will be cast as Steve?

Stay tuned....

Monday, June 19, 2006

I think it is an obsession

I love Beverly Hills 90210. I DVR it daily; actually more than daily twice a day M-F and 3 episodes on Saturday. A few years ago they aired 3 episodes on Saturday and Sunday morning beginning at 7. You can bet your bottom dollar that I rarely missed a weekend and that includes weekends in hotel rooms. Matt was kind enough to really not put up too much of a fight. In turn I’ve watched quite a few obscure music docs and hours of Planet of the Apes.

Over all it really doesn’t matter what years they are showing, I will pretty much watch them all although I will sometimes skip an episode or two of the Matt/Kelly years. I do know that I’m not alone in this addiction, Tammie I’m looking at you.

I’m sort of proud of my fixation with the kids from West Bev. And I’m ready to take it to the next level. Seriously.

On their way to me in the US Mail are a set of 90210 dolls purchased on Ebay. I plan to make some awesome movies based upon various plot lines. My most favorite episode in all of 90210 history airs tomorrow on Soap Network “Back In the Highlife Again”. Believe you me I’ll be filming the part where Dylan raises Kelly out of the water and says “I choose you”.

We'll probably add Gay Bob to the mix just to stir things up. And you never know when Zira or Corneilus will hit the scene in Beverly Hills.

Gay Bob. He comes in a closet and this is what you can't really read:
Gay Bob
Here's how to enjoy me:
Play with me, I'm great fun.
Take me to parties, I know all the latest dance breaks.
Take me to the office, your boss will want to play with me.
Take me to meet your folks, your mom will love talking to me.
Invite all your friends to meet me, they'll love how I'm built.
Use me for therapy, I'm very understanding.
Give me to anyone who needs a friend.
Take me to a "coming out of the closet" party.

Also just so you know, Gay Bob is packing a whole lot more in the pants than my Ken doll.

It is Monday

The interview went ok. I'm feeling full of hormonal self-doubt so it probably went better than I think. I am going back Wednesday to meet with more people.

Friday, June 16, 2006

One down, one to go

I had the meeting with my boss today. She started by asking if I am interested in the position.

I told her that I had made some decisions over the last few weeks and I've decided that I need to look for another job. I explained how financially it would behoove me to look elsewhere. She thanked me for my honesty and asked me some questions about what I am looking for, and again agreeing with me that in order to live that "traditional" family life you need to leave LA. She understands my desires and was very supportive.

She then asked what would it take money wise to keep me. I told her I would want the top tier of my pay scale. That would mean an increase above the standard 6%; in order to get more, the job has to go before a review committee and since I do not have a clinical background they'd never approve me. She knows that they can't pay me what I'd like to be making.

I then said I wish that I could tell you that my only reason for wanting to leave is money based. I feel that I have been set up to fail in this position from the beginning. Not all of the information that I needed to do my job was given to me. It was held under lock and key by the woman before me, we'll call her B for short. Frequently, I would come into emails from her where she will have me do the admin steps of a project that I knew nothing about; like fax this mail this copy this. I felt like I was her assistant.

The other problem is that the hospital administrator is very fond of B and frequently choose to communicate with her rather than with me. Granted she did ask when I could come back after 5:30 to meet with her and B. I was also offered an additional 40 hours of training which would have to take place after 5:30 M-F or on the weekends. Um, its freaking summer f. that.

I also mentioned to my boss that it is incredibly insulting for another manager, my former boss, to come to me in the middle of the morning and ask me if I have B's phone number, she needed to ask her a question. I looked at her like she was crazy and said no. How on earth can I be successful at a job when I'm not even the person that people will come to for questions related to the job. Granted, I may not know the answer; but you have to give me the opportunity to figure it out, use my resources and get an answer. Don't call B and ask her. Not everyone was like that, many people preferred dealing with me because I treated them nicely. But those key people the administrative end of the hospital had no faith in me.

So now I have a stack of resumes on my desk and I get to rank them according to greatness.

I'm pretty sure that I'm not in any jeopardy of loosing my job. They can't fire me for a job that I was never hired for; I can just go back to my old job. And hopefully I'll have a job within 2 weeks!

Thursday, June 15, 2006

Change

I think that Matt and I have a good goal set of saving as much as possible and choosing a city in which to live. After the choice is made, we move, find jobs, buy property and get on with life.

In order to save the most amount of money I need a different job. In the past I have made some poor choices of fit based upon money. I think today with clearly defined goals and the fact that I'm a bit more grown up I won't have the same issues.

I had an interview with a placement agency this afternoon. I scored in the 97% on Word, Excel and PowerPoint. I think that is pretty good, especially on PowerPoint since I have never ever used that program. Windows based knowledge carries you a long way.

They loved me and sent my resume off while I was in the office. They have me interviewing on Monday at an investment firm. I really enjoyed my last job at an investment firm and it would be cool to finish up LA at the same type of company as when I left Boston.

One of the biggest struggles I had with the potential of a new job is the hours. I AM A MORNING PERSON. What company wouldn't want to get the very best of me? So let me start at 6:00 am and then let me go home at 2 :30 and live my life. So I had come to grips with the fact that I'd loose a huge chunk of free time and just focused on the goal. Well what hours are the job? 6:00-2:30! It is a commute, but it is less than 20 miles away.

The job also pays way, way, way more than what I make now.

And even though it isn't creative like Joanne would like (and me too), I will still be able to spend my afternoons creating away and watching Oprah. Life is good.

So think good new job thoughts for me Monday afternoon.

I have a meeting with my current manager tomorrow to discuss my current situation. I don't know how that conversation will go. I am considering telling her that I am seeking other opportunities. We have discussed the housing market in LA a number of times, and Matt and my desire to have a home. She is the manager who often asks if I am pregnant; she wants me to have a baby I assume because that is what marrieds do. So maybe I'll tell her that I need to leave so we can move and start a family. And maybe that wouldn't be a big lie.

So also think good thoughts for my current job discussion tomorrow. Whatever it is we discuss I will not agree to the 30+ hours of training that I need to do after 5:00 and on the weekends in order to know how to do my job.

Wednesday, June 14, 2006

Cell Phones

Why does everyone just assume you have a cell phone? They are not manditory. You do not need one.

Tuesday, June 13, 2006

so disappointing

I had an job interview scheduled with a company I was really excited about. I did a bunch of research so that I could wow them in the interview and I was super confident about my ability to do the job well based upon my experience.

I received an email confirmation this morning confirming the time and the address. Not even 2 hours later I received an email stating that they had filled the job and please don't come in.

All I can say is F.U. for getting me all excited. F.U. internet movie delivery company.

Saturday, June 10, 2006

Considering

Buying an RV and living half the year on Jeanne's property in MI and the other half on Tom's in AK.

Moving to one of the following:
Ann Arbor
Austin
Nashville
St. Louis

Changing jobs - I've been sending out a bunch of resumes

Matt going on the road to make a bunch of money in a short amount of time.

Going to see bands tonight.

Wednesday, June 07, 2006

Pictures I love

Tom, looking at the his slice of the world. I don't know which he loves more; the lovely view or sharing the experience with others. He is the perfect guide.


What up?


The remains of a moose. I don't remember exactly why he died, but the food chain is pretty amazing. Not one single edible item remained on the bones, wolves, bears, birds and probably bugs found nourishment. The legs were all that remained somewhat intact; the marrow was cleaned out as far down as you could see. Some people at my work found this disturbing. Have they forgotten about real nature? Do they think that a ranger comes and feeds the bears? I don't understand that. Circle of life; be happy your at the top and can ponder the wonder of it all.


I like the the light that peeks through the horn.


Low tide left awesome lines in the sand.

Sunday, June 04, 2006

Moose video

I can't figure out how to embed the video. So click and play

moose

Friday, June 02, 2006

Rocks - for Deborah. The white spiral is quartz, someone took a lot of time to make this.


3 fishermen


Unfortunate lunch of raw chicken for Matt. We got out money back and an apology.


Kayaking

Homer

We were in Homer, AK on Wednesday afternoon, Thursday and Friday morning. We had planned in advance to find a hotel in Homer so we could watch LOST.

We drove to the end of the Homer Spit checking things out along the way. We stopped at the Land's End Hotel and checked about their prices, $195 for 2 dbl beds. No way were we paying that much for a double bed, we could sleep in the camper in our queen. So we used the payphone in the lobby and called around. We hit the jackpot with the Ocean House Inn and Suites! They had one room left and he would rent it to use for the discount partial view rate.

We arrived to the quant little in by the sea excited about our find. They had 2 hot tubs on a cliff overlooking the sea, really comfortable beds and flush toilets with a shower. We chatted with our neighbors, 4 couples from MN who had just finished their halibut fishing trip. They caught just under 200 lbs of halibut. After getting settled in we decided to take a nice long walk on the beach before LOST. We got back to our patio and the neighbors had just finished eating fresh halibut. Offering us the remainder fish. I am not a fish eater, and I had already had fish once on the trip, meeting my personal requirement fish consumption. So I timidly accepted one small piece of fresh, lightly breaded and pan fried in half butter half olive oil. When I say fresh, I mean caught 4 hours ago. It was amazing. Unlike anything I have ever tasted! We continued to eat their leftovers, they wouldn't have been good then next day anyway... We finished up just in time to to watch LOST.

We finished up our Wednesday soaking in one of the hot tubs over looking the sea watching the sunset. Perfect.

The rest of the Homer experience included kayaking in the Kachemak Bay, visiting the Pratt Museum, tidepool exploring, shopping and many meals of halibut. We had Halibut for every meal, including breakfast (I skipped that and went for a sticky bun).

Us, on the beach before LOST


The famous Salty Dog.


The sky at 11:00 PM! Can you believe it?


Boat


I see a face of a man in the mountain

Thursday, June 01, 2006

Starter pictures

Here are a few teaser pictures. The weather was nearly 80 in the afternoons and then cool and calm in the evenings and nights. Every Alaskan said it was the best two weeks of weather they could recall! Cousin Tom thinks we are specail as he believes that Alaska really shows its true colors to people who are worthy!

Homer, AK Bishop's Beach
Tide pooling during a -4.4 tide, which means the tide goes out really, really far. This bay area between Homer and Anchorage has the biggest tidal swing in the world.


Denali National Park
Mt. McKinley or Denali as it actually called, highest point in North America. Visible only 20% of the year. It was crystal clear both days we were in the park.


Kenai Fjords National Park
Reflective view of mountains with ice bergs floating in the water.


Denali National Park
Lone wolf from the McKinley pack. He was eying the Dall Sheep just up the ridge.


Old Glenn Hwy in Palmer, about 2 miles from cousin Tom's place
Young male moose grazing in a pond


Denali National Park
Dall Sheep


Knik Glacier, Palmer
Standing atop table rock with ice bergs from the Knik glacier in the background.