Copy Cat!

Seems the shoe throwing way of expressing dissent has found itself a new audience in China.

From the BBC, the Chinese Prime Minister was giving a talk when an athletic shoe came soaring his way, but a bit offline, landing about a meter away.

At least the guy in Iraq had some arm on him, eh?

Anyhow, don't let my employees know that this is in style. Some of the ladies on my team wear these tall clunky heels. That would cause bosslike hematomas and such. Ouch.

So is this now a trend? A latest fad? If so we're all going to need helmets. ugh!

Notes from the brain pan

First of all, to all the good folks, including both mom and mom-in-law, who are concerned about the posts related to my troubles at work, thank you for being concerned. This week has turned out a bit better.

Also, I got paid today, and that always helps improve the outlook.

I imagine I'll survive this. Or I won't. Either way, the sun will come up again tomorrow and I'll have to face another day. And I'll have to face myself in the mirror. The way I do that is by knowing I did my best, worked my hardest and did so with humility.

Onward.

__________

Next...thanks to the gentleman driving the Explorer in the lane next to me on Wednesday morning. I was running late for work (overslept the alarm, snarf!) and I was, yes, speeding. But so were you. Thanks to your slower response time, I was able to take my foot off the gas first, you shot past me, and that nice CHP officer paid you a visit instead of me.

Whew. I have two months left on the eighteen months since my last ticket (you can only mask one traffic violation every 18 months), so you really saved me there!

__________

Don't know if you are experiencing the same thing where you're at, but to me, it's like everyone in society is moving along in a fog. Making bonehead moves on the road. Bumping into me at the grocery. Looking at me blankly when I ask a question.

So, a nod to The Good Man for best summing up society's recent weirdness:

(paraphrased)

"We had the buildup from the campaign, then the excitement of the election, anticipation of the new president and then finally the climax of the inauguration. It's like the whole country just needs a cigarette."

And a salty snack.

Indeed.

__________

Speaking of salty snacks...am I going to be the only person in the US not watching the Superbowl this weekend?

Because, really, Pittsburgh vs Arizona?

Sure, I know that AZ is the Cinderella story. Whatever. I could care less.

And Pittsburgh. Do we really need to see them win again?

I might whip up a batch of salty snacks, however, and watch Season 2 of The Muppet Show. I found it at the library and it's providing much singing along and childish giggles from TGM and me.

Best thing to watch after a rough day at work, I'll tell you THAT.

__________

Or maybe I should just have a cheese sandwich.

Been watching cheese sandwich-gate in the ABQjournal with interest. Oh Fair New Mexico, you still do scandal in a fun way.

Love it. And from what I'm reading, the press coverage has brought in quite a bit of the delinquent money! Nice.

__________

Lastly, the weather is messin' with my head. Sunny and 70's. Rainy and cold. Then just clear and cold. And today, back to the 70's.

Mother Nature, you are FREAKING me out, maaahn.

But I'm not complaining about the sun. I'll take it.

That is all.

Happy Weekend!

Perspective is a beautiful thing.

So, really, this new job is blowing my mind. I knew that changing jobs after almost ten years at a rather quirky company would be difficult. Challenging. Would test my bounds.

It's been all of that and more.

I've been here two months and I'm still struggling. They promised the learning curve here is at least six months, but me, being both impatient and a chronic overachiever, feel like I should be up and running fast. Contributing to the work. Being useful and value added.

So far I've been mostly a bump on a log that asks a LOT of questions and says, "Are you sure?" upon hearing the mind-blowing responses. Oh, yes, this is a very backwards organization.

Last week I sort of had a breaking point. I wasn't feeling great physically and I had my second "called into the principal's office" to be told "what you did wasn't *wrong*, it just wasn't The Company way."

You know the drill, you are right but you are still wrong. Won the battle but lost the war. And other platitudes.

I went home demoralized, a new hole punched in my self-esteem. I cried on The Good Man's shoulder. Considered packing it in. Wondered how I could have had a successful fifteen year career in my chosen field and still can't get it right in this two-bit flea circus.

So the weekend came and went. I got some sleep. My immune system kicked in, and I started feeling better, physically at least.

I made my way to work Monday, and it wasn't so bad. Tuesday came and went. That brings us to today, Wednesday.

Starting my day, I was reading the headlines and saw the latest report on the doings of our new President. The story was about Obama needling the Washingtonians for shutting down schools due to ice. Said that his Chicago daughters play outside in that kind of weather.

It was a fun, humanizing story. But it also made me think.

This guy's got a new job, too.

And if he makes a misstep, it's not only reported to the world, it impacts the world.

He doesn't just get called into the boss lady's office for a talking to, he's got real issues.

So maybe, for as freaked out and demoralized I am about this new gig, it could, definitely be worse.

I mean my coworkers both in my own organization and across the board, including my predecessor, want me to succeed. Everyone is trying to help me get acclimated. I don't have to take the slings and arrows of Congress, snotty media and opposing party's interests. I don't have to remember what I promised last year during the interview and then deliver.

No one is watching my first 100 days, other than my immediate manager.

I don't live under the hot fire of the magnifying glass.

Then again, Obama's also got a horde of advisors. Maybe I need more advisors.

Hmm...

What is this strange ritualistic dance?

This morning, driving to work, I saw many of my fellow Californians doing something odd...strange...weird....and yet, it felt vaguely familiar.

Yes, I passed the residential roads of my neighborhood and saw my fellow citizens by their cars...behaving oddly.

Some were using credit cards.

Others slapping with a newspaper.

One using just his bare hands.

All looked out of place.

Seems we had some low temps last night and these poor Californians were having to actually scrape the frost off their windshields.

I was never so happy for being able to park my car in the garage!

Oh I have scraped many a windshield in my day. Oh yes indeed.

I *hate* it.

Living in mile high Albuquerque, it was even worse when it snowed. So you'd brush off the snow, and THEN have to tackle the frost. Usually in my nice work clothes and high heels...in the wet and the mud. Boo!

Here, I don't even own an ice scraper. I threw it away somewhere around year 2 post move. Don't need it.

Clearly, no one else around here owns one either. The guy slapping his window with a newspaper gave me the most giggles. Beating the ice into submission? That is SO not going to work.

Thankfully it was a light frost and really, just starting up the car and getting the defroster going for several minutes would probably clear it up.

But the perplexed looks and utter consternation. That was good comedy as I sailed by in my warm, garage parked Jeep.

President Pryor

Via YouTube. Runs about six and a half minutes.

From the short lived Richard Pryor Show.

A gaze into the crystal ball, from back in the '70's.

Some parts are eerily spot on.

Thanks for the link via The Good Man.

Want.

Yanno, I'm really ticked at the economy. Sure, I have a good job and a paycheck, but I'm finding that saving a few more of my shekels is a grand idea.

"Cash is King!" or so shouts all of the financial hacks who think they know better. Those same ones who told us all to invest in real estate.

Bah!

The problem with this financial austerity is that there are still lovely things in the retail world that entice me. Sing to me. Make me want to break out my paid off credit card and charge, baby, charge!

The latest little gem that's got my eye is this:

(click photo for specs)

This is Polaroid's latest entre into the world of photography.

It's called a PoGo and is a digital camera. But it also has built in an inkless photo printer so you can instantly print photos of your choosing, when you want.

Now...this baby is only 5.0 megapixels, so it's not wowing the photographic world.

But I love me a Polaroid camera. And by love, I mean LOVE. I had one as a kid. I own several now.

I was a *fool* for Polaroid's I-zone that made these teeny sticky photos. I carried that thing everywhere.

I have tiny photos ALL over my journals from around the early 2000's.

Don't get me wrong, I love my high end camera and the gloriousness of the photos I can take. The depth of detail is amazing.

That said, I want the PoGo bad, because it's FUN and *boop*, there's a photo print.

Want!

Here's the ouchie part.

It's not available until March and I think will have a price point of $200.

I feel like two hundy is a little high for a Polaroid, but maybe if I'm very good and save my pennies, by this summer I can be shooting and printing and generally giggling over my new Polaroid cam.

My folks taught me that if you want a big ticket item, you gotta work a little for it.

So ok. Back to work. I get paid this week. After rent, end of month bills and credit card payments, there won't be much left. But maybe I can put away a few.

Damn, I'm so fiscally conservative it makes my teeth hurt.

When really, I just want to be like Animal from The Muppet Show.

"CAM-ER-A!!! CAM-ER-A!!!! ME WANT!!!"

Public Service Announcement, a deux.

Weirdly, I'm not seeing a lot of big news about the peanut butter crisis.

In case you haven't heard, salmonella in peanut butter. Not good.

Here's a link to the FDA recall site. Click here.

Albuquerque Public Schools has pulled all peanut butter off their school menus. ABQjournal article here.

I guess not enough people have been sickened or died for this to be big news.

For you, my friends. Head's up. Take precautions as you deem necessary.

And best news ever? Girl Scout Cookies are safe.

Whew. I already ordered a box of Tagalongs. Yeah, baby!

P.S. I find this photo mildly food pornish. No?

A public service announcement.

From eHow.com, the appropriate way to handle a four way stop. Emphasis added is mine.

1. Slow your vehicle when approaching a 4-way stop. As you stop at the stop sign or red light, notice if there are any cars at any of the other stops, or if there are any approaching at the same time.


2. Stop your vehicle completely. This means that your tires are completely stopped and not rolling at all. If there are cross walk lines or painted indicators on the road, stop at the appropriate lines. If it is a stop sign and there are no lines on the road, stop when the front of your car is even with the stop sign. If there is something blocking your view of the other stops signs, you may move forward only after stopping completely at your own stop sign.


3. Look at the other stops to see if there are any other vehicles stopped or moving. The vehicles leave the stop signs in the same order in which they arrived. The first vehicle to arrive at a complete stop is the first vehicle allowed to leave the stop sign.


4. Know that if there is more than one vehicle arriving at the same time at the 4-way stop, the vehicle furthest to the right is allowed to leave first. Always allow at least a few seconds to make sure no one else takes off even if it is your turn to leave first. Many people do not follow this rule, even though it is the legal way to leave a 4-way stop.

Note that nowhere in that discussion does it say that if you drive a big Mercedes SUV, that means you get ahead of anyone, anytime.

It also doesn't say that if you come screaming up to the four-way stop at an excessive speed, barely touch the brakes, and then hit the gas, you get to go first.

I don't care how busy you are. Or rich. Or good-looking. Or that your car is nicer than mine. Mine is paid off. And I don't mind rolling that hoopty patched up with bailing wire and duct tape. Bite me.

This message brought to you by my frustrating morning commute.

(no, I didn't get in an accident, but it was close. Thank goodness for that brake job I got last week.)

Oh those wry San Franciscans

Turns out that venerable Bush street in SF got a new name for a day from a band of merry tricksters.



Source:SFGate

Oh what a day.

Started out full of optimism.

A brand new president.

Aretha got a new hat.

Speechifying...and stuff.

But ended with pessimism. Oh is the learning curve on this new job bending me in new directions. But it's a good job and the new President said we all have to work harder.

Well.

No choice but to end the day with the fruit of Napa Valley.

Then go to bed, and try again tomorrow.

Happy MLK Day!

I am grateful to Dr. King for many, many things.

I am also grateful for my new employer because they give employees the day off. This is the first employer I've worked for that honors this day.

So Happy Birthday to the late Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

It is, indeed, a happy day. I wish Dr. King would have been able to see the historic even that happens tomorrow. The realization of much of his dream.

2009 is filled with lots of possibilities. And that's the first time I've felt that way in a long time.

Whoa, I didn't know...

The upcoming film "Hotel for Dogs" was a book penned by none other than New Mexico's own Lois Duncan. As a kid, I loved many of Ms. Duncan's books.

I understand that the hype from the film has given new life to her writing career that went a bit off track after the brutal unsolved killing of her 20 year old daughter.

Back in the day, my mom used to take us kids swimming on a hot summer day to the Coronado Club on Kirtland Air Force base. Occasionally we'd see Ms. Duncan there (I believe her husband worked for Sandia Labs).

That was back in the days when mommies stayed at home and would take the kiddies to the pool and we would meet daddies after work for dinner. It may do my mom's heart good to know that I have incredibly fond memories of those days.

And that fondness includes Lois Duncan. I'm happy to see her back in the show.

This was all brought to the front of my mind by a great article written by Joline Gutierrez Krueger for the ABQjournal:

"Real-Life Tragedy Almost Derails 'Hotel for Dogs' Author's Career"

BeardWatch

Evidently...the beard is back.

On the public stage looking to have a big job = No Beard

Slinking back home to New Mexico in defeat = Beard

Or something like that.

That's our Bill.

Source

They never promised life would be fair

Today was a particularly tough day for me to roll out of bed with the alarm and come to work.

I didn't sleep well last night due mainly to the crazed feline. I have a friend who has a theory that occasionally the cat brain will release some hormone that is akin to kitty crack, which then is the reason for the dilated eyes and tendency to gallop around the house making crazed movements.

If that is true, then my personal feline got deep into the kitty crack at about 3:30 in the ayem, and is, today, my least favorite person in the world.

Sleepy eyed, I ventured out onto the highway to make my way into my place of employment. I was heartened to see the sun slanting over the hills with the promise of a really warm day. This never fails to cheer me.

But that smile turned into a snarl when I made the merge and found myself rolling behind this.

Click for full size if you can't make it out. If you can make it out, what you see there is a Forerunner with two surfboards sticking out the back.

Dude driving and his long-haired blond lady in the passenger seat are headed, I assume, to Pacifica for a nice day of surfing.

While I drive to work to sit under florescent lights all day and literally watch my muscles lose their elasticity. In a building located in what is considered one of the most foggy and windy areas of the Bay Area.

And this is fair how?