Sparks and Butterflies Sparks and Butterflies Caffeine from above ~ Coffee from below.... I'd sure like some dull! 
Articles
A Day to Say Thank You
2008-11-11 16:40:00 I have a really stupid question. Is Veteran’s Day to honor all that have served in the armed forces, or just the ones that have been in conflicts? I’m going to pretend it’s all. In which case I’m honoring my husband, a former Marine. My father, former Army. My grandfather, deceased, former Air Force, and WWII Veteran. My Uncle, deceased, former Navy, and WWII Veteran. I’m also honoring my Great-Grandmother, deceased, who was a Rosie during WWII. Thank you for all your sacrifices. Thank you for your courage. Thank you for your service.
Beginning of the End
2008-11-10 15:12:00 Today is Monday. I have survived one week on Nablopomo. Today begins my last week at work. This is the last Monday I have to go in. I’m actually taking my laptop with me, because I’m no longer on the computer, my replacement is. This is good. But I still have to be able to access my work email in case any stragglers didn’t listen to my email last week. THIS IS SO WEIRD. SO SO WEIRD. One thing I’m curious about, and a little anxious too - how is Poe going to react? Reality hasn’t set in yet, as I’m still working. Is he going to be jealous? He knows that I’m going to be taking on a lot of what he’s done, which will lessen the stress on him. But still. Come this Monday, I don’t have to go to work, and he does. I wonder how it’ll shake out in his mind. He wants me to do this - let’s make that clear. But, wow, that’s a lot of pressure for someone. You are now the sole breadwinner for 4 peopl...
Uh oh
2008-11-09 22:18:00 Have I hit the wall? No. But other posts I’d like to write would take thinking, and emotions, and you know… Stuff. I just don’t have that in me today. But. Today is the last Sunday night where I have to get up and go to work the next day. That = awesome. And as a small plus, the kids don’t have school Monday or Tuesday, which means that Poe is going to take them to our other babysitter - and I don’t have to do the morning routine! Yay! This is it. The last week. I’m having a going away lunch on Thursday - but Poe can’t make it. He was sick for a full week a couple of weeks ago, and so he can’t take the time off of work. Sigh. Oh well. ALMOST DONE. Almost. We’re at the finish line.
Marking Time
2008-11-08 19:48:00 I suppose it’s natural. I keep marking time. This is my last weekend in which I will have to wake up Monday and go to work. I’m excited, elated, scared, tired, anxious. Mostly I just want the transition overwith so I can get going on my “new” life. Training my new replacement is going well. She’s smart, so it’s not like I have to teach her how Outlook or Word works, which helps tremendously. She also has temped at my company before, which means she’s familiar with some internal programs, also a huge help. She’s religious, so I don’t have to feel like I have to keep anything down low. We do, however, have a tendency to go off on tangents, so some of the training has gone slower than I wanted it to, however, I think I’ll get most of it done with her. She’s very perky and excited, which I’ll beat out of her. Kidding. Sort of. Basically, this is her first “real” job out of grad school, ... More About: Time
TGIF
2008-11-07 15:16:00 Today is the last Friday and weekend in which I still need to go to work on Monday. Next Friday is my last day. It’s almost all over. No more celebrity sightings. No more diva requests. No more international travel accomodations to arrange. No more office politics to tiptoe through. No more boss to keep happy through filtering and screening and representation. No more beautiful courtyard office. People… I’m coming out of the closet as to where I work. What are they going to do? Fire me? For almost 4 years I’ve worked in the music division of Warner Bros. Studios. I’ve worked on almost all their releases in some capacity or another during that time. I’ve read scripts. I’ve seen the prereleases. I’ve navigated the bureaucracy that goes along with all large companies. I’m coming home to be with my children, and the rest of my family. This is the right decision, but I’m losing some stuff to do it. ...
Quickly
2008-11-06 15:35:00 Just a quick post to keep up NaBloPoMo… I don’t really have access to my computer at work any more, so I need to dash this off this morning. Training is going decently. My replacement is SMART!! This is so so good. It means that I don’t have to explain how Word works for goodness sake. In addition, she has a masters of Divinity as well as a pastor’s wife - so we have good conversations. The bad part of this is we keep getting waylaid by side conversations… But I suppose that’s always the case with people getting to know each other. It’s all very strange. But I’m leaving and I’m trying to release it all to her with grace. I basically am just trying to get it all done, you know? I’m done with the job a week from tomorrow. Wow. It’s finally here. And then I have to get geared up for Thanksgiving which is all me this year. I had to cancel a gynecologist appointment today. It was fascinating. ...
Obligatory Day After Post
2008-11-05 15:27:00 Well, the presidential elections have come to a close (Thank God.) My reaction? I’m bitterly dissappointed. I’m still waiting on two California Props, which are going my way as of this writing, but are too close not to wait to the bitter end for the final results. But as for the presidency, I’m terribly, terribly dissappointed. I did not want President-Elect Obama to be my president. I did not vote for him. I’ve always said that even if you don’t like the president as an individual, you still need to respect the office he holds. This is the first year that it’s going to take me a few days to get over my bitterness and get to that point. I will. I think I just need to go through a small grieving process after all my hoping during the last year. Beyond the presidency, I honestly fear for my country this time around. It seems to me that in previous years, there’s been more of a balance of power… That is missing now. ... More About: Post
Will anyone get anything done today?
2008-11-04 15:20:00 So. I voted. Actually I voted weeks ago via absentee ballot. I’ve had too many years where some kind of issue kept me from the polls… you know fevers, pipes busting and the like, and so now, my husband and I vote absentee in order to make sure our voice is heard. We weren’t undecided on any issue, so we were able to take advantage of that. That also means, we’ve been sitting on the sidelines, “Let’s get ON with it already!” And so. Unless this turns into an election MONTH, we’ll know tonight or tomorrow morning who has won. For me - although I voted on everything in my ballot, I only care about the Presidential election and two props, so I’ll be keeping my eyes on those. I start training my assistant replacement at work today. I had some computer issues in getting her setup, so that’s been stalled, which is frustrating considering we put her paperwork in a month ago. And she’ll be late, ’c... More About: Today
this week
2008-11-03 17:48:00 So. This week is just going to be fabulous… She said with sarcasm. I don’t do well with change. It’s very difficult. Add to that - I’m premenstrual, and I have serious PMS symptoms (trust me, you want to give your sympathies to my husband.) And the next two weeks is ALL ABOUT CHANGE. I burst into tears on the way to work for no reason whatsoever. Oh yeah. This is gonna be good. Today is my last day alone in the office. The rest of the two weeks will be training my replacement. Which isn’t anxiety inducing AT ALL. My mother decided to get all passive aggressive on me about us not being here for Christmas. My punishment? Thanksgiving is ALL ME, baby. All cooking, etc. Mind you this is the same woman who can’t stand my turkey, potatoes, or yams. Therefore, dinner should be really really pleasant. I’m just this little ball of stress and anxiety right now. I’m doing the right thing - but getting there is oh so... More About: Week
Before I forget…
2008-11-03 06:05:00 Thought I better get a post in before I go to bed… Was a little busy today, and couldn’t until now. So the business has launched. Let me know if I can help you! Tomorrow will be the start of my last two weeks at work. I’m excited and apprehensive all at the same time. It’s finally happening! Now we just have to pull this off as a family. But tomorrow is my last day alone in the office, and then the rest of the time, I’ll be training the replacement. Which is odd. I’ll survive. I’m hoping that once I get going at home, I’ll be able to concentrate a little more on my duties for Blissfully Domestic and Blog Nosh. I’ve had to put them a little to the side for the time being, but I should be able to get back into the swing of things. Oh. And my mother has informed me that Hey! I’m doing Thanksgiving! You know - ALL of it! Guess it’s good I’ll have time to clean, huh? See you tomorrow.
Launch Day!
2008-11-01 16:48:00 I’m very proud and elated to announce that Vineyard Virtual Services has launched, and is open for business! Please take a look around the site, and be sure to let me know if I can help YOU. Etsy owner getting mired? Freelance writers and bloggers getting stuck? Small business entrepreneurs spending way to much time on paperwork? Then I’m your woman. With 17 years of assisting under my belt - with the last decade at the executive level - I’m the qualified person to get you out of the muck, and back to working on your business growth. Vineyard Virtual Services ~ Assisting you so you can flourish… More About: Launch
NaBloPoMo
2008-10-30 15:00:00 I am insane. I’m going to be doing NaBloPoMo. I’ve got a few things going on. November 1st is the launch of my business. November 4th is the election. November 13th, WOTLK comes out. November 14th is my last day at my day job. November 21st is the kids’ last day at daycare. November 27th is Thanksgiving. Then there will of course be the aftermath of the election, the resulting chaos of figuring out how to be home, the aftermath of figuring out my business. I figure there will be plenty of blog fodder to keep me going. But this may just be a case of my truly being insane.
Sneak Peek
2008-10-29 18:11:00 Months ago, when Poe and I decided that I should stay home, there were very good reasons involved. Mainly - the gist is, I can’t do anything productive for our family, when I’m away 11 hours a day. Two kids who need me. My elderly parents next door. The slack my husband was picking up was making it difficult on him at his job. I just needed to be home. But, as we all know… Money simply doesn’t grow on trees. I still need to bring money in. But we decided that the day job has got to go. I need to be physically located at home. So, we took the plunge, and I only have 2 1/2 more weeks to go. But that whole Money on Trees thing is still there. I started thinking about what I’m good at. Crafts? Well, yes, but no. They’re not good enough for public consumption in my opinion. Homemaking? Well, no. I mean my children are fed, clothed, educated, and semi clean. I’m doing something right. But - I’m still learni... More About: Sneak Peek , Peek
The Smaller Picture of Today’s Politics
2008-10-22 05:21:00 What I have to say may seem vague, and circular. It may make no sense at all. In fact, I’m not sure I have the words to express the emotions behind it. But I want to get it out of my head, and this is the best way I know how to do it. As we all have witnessed, there is ugliness in the “masses” in terms of this election cycle, candidates, and propositions on the table. I wrote about it a bit before. Now it’s personal. Because I just realized that someone I respect, if they truly knew how I feel, and what I feel, finds me evil and bigoted. Now that I know that, I don’t know that I can associate with her anymore. Not because of how she feels about these issues, but because of what she would feel about me. This person is more than an acquaintance, but not an actual friend. One of those in between people. And yet? It hurts me greatly. Before these elections, I - and I imagine, many people like me - maybe didn’t get too involved in... More About: Politics , Picture , Today
Dun dun duuuuuuuun
2008-10-15 18:24:00 In a new turn of events in our household, it has been decided that we will be traveling 350 miles (and back again) to spend Christmas with the in-laws. I created and then pushed two 7 pound fully formed human beings out of an impossibly small opening. I can do this.
I won the Gold
2008-10-15 18:23:00 I know it sounds completely asinine. But I want a cookie or a medal or something. My kids came home from the dentist with no new cavities. Logan is irrationally excited about his new Red Power Ranger toothbrush. Joseph will probably need some teeth pulled to make room for the massive amounts of teeth pushing in. But dangit! NO NEW CAVITIES. GIMME MA COOKIE. More About: Gold
Marriage Meets Blogging
2008-10-09 01:50:00 My husband is fine with my blog. Sometimes he reads, sometimes he doesn’t. Sometimes he’ll read something, because I specifically told him to. He understands that writing things down in any form is how I get it out of my head. For Mother’s Day, he got me a great coffee mug that said “Mommy Blogger.” For Father’s Day, I got him one that said “Blog Fodder.” (Get it? Father… Fodder? I thought it was funny) Last night we were at our computers. We started talking about something, and I guess he put his foot in it. All of a sudden he starts talking faster and faster, and louder and louder, and I’m remaining silent (and my mouth open.) His finale was “FINE! I LOVE YOU OKAY???? I LOVE YOU, THAT’S IT! I’M DONE… Oh My God this is blog fodder isn’t it?” And while I cannot for the life of me remember what we were arguing about… I’ll remember that moment. More About: Marriage , Blogging
How to Achieve the Worst Night’s Sleep Ever
2008-10-06 15:14:00 You know that there are bad nights. Night s with a baby. Nights with a sick child. Nights being sick. Then there’s last night. Couldn’t easilly get to sleep… Brain just kept going and going. Must have slept, because now Logan has just smacked me in the face. He’s in the middle, with his pillow, and Sassy is now asleep over my head, instead of by my side. Awake again, with horrendous cramps. 2:10am. Get up, take meds, heat up the corn pillow, try to go back to sleep, literally praying for let up from the pain. Logan smacks me. And again. Sassy decides to do her nightly ritual of nuzzles and kneading. Twice. I hear Poe get up at 4:30am. 10 minutes later, while he’s in the shower, I have to get up to turn the alarm off. He didn’t turn it off, just put sleep mode on. Hear some kind of scuffle, crash, and moan. Run into kitchen, where Poe is nursing a sore knee. Pebbles spooked and ran under his feet. 10 minutes later it’s ... More About: Sleep
First Post up on Blissfully Domestic
2008-10-03 15:05:00 So… I told you that I was going to be writing for Blissfully Domestic in the Healthy Bliss channel. I promise not to make every article it’s own blog entry - but since it’s my first, I’m sending you there today. Be kind. I took a hiatus from non-personal writing for a bit, I might still be rusty. Anyway… I defined the IEP for you: Defining Terminology: IEP More About: Post , First Post
Blech
2008-10-01 02:12:00 Two icky things. The first - not as important, and easier to write about - we had the first interview for my replacement at work today. Behind closed doors, so I couldn’t listen in. It felt icky. I know this was my decision, and it’s what’s best for my family, I just really really don’t like the process of training my replacement. I’m damn good at my job, and don’t want there to be comparisons. Although, there always inevitably are. Ok, I’ll stop whining now. And Joseph. I’m not sure what to write about this from a legal perspective. Let’s just say that Joseph came to us last night with potentially damaging and/or abusive information (not against him, thank God), and I had to move forward with authorities. Being that Joseph was the witness, I’m hoping that he’s not too heavilly involved in the coming events. But there were many emails and phone calls between me and said authorities today. We&rs... More About: Blech
Consequences of Change in a Family
2008-09-29 16:53:00 As an aside, and nothing to do with my post: It just majorly thundered and started pouring rain. In addition, it’s hot and supposed to be 90. My children do not understand the concept of summer thunderstorms, living in southern California, they’re rare. Now I’ll have to explain that they do NOT indeed need to bundle up. Anyway. My husband and I fought all weekend. Now, you must understand something… We don’t fight. No really, we don’t. He may get annoyed with me. I may find him exasperating at times. But we work it out. Usually, only one of us is upset in someway, and the other person helps figure it out, and make the other feel better. But both of us angry and going at it? Very very very rarely. This weekend it happened twice. My husband, though, refuses to go to bed angry, and so we had to hash it out both times. We finally came to the conclusion that due to the major life change about to happen: Me coming home fro... More About: Family , Change , Consequences
Blog Nosh Post Up
2008-09-25 15:18:00 I never call, I never write… Blah blah blah. I KNOW. Mainly I’m not writing because I’m trying to stay away from politics until the election is over, and in my personal life, everything is on hold until I actually leave my job, which is looking like not until my “official” leave date of November 21st. Everything else is chugging right along. Of note recently: My mom is giving me the truck. You know, the one I’ve been driving for the last 5 years? Yeah, she’s finally just signing it over so I’m legally responsible for everything. And for my dad… Oy. I just installed and connected and taught him how to use high speed dsl. So. Hopefully he doesn’t find my blog. But now he can search for old cars on ebay, and his class of 1953, without having to wait forever on dial up. Oh, and my mother can’t yell at him for not being able to use the phone, so there’s that. Trying to explain to him the... More About: Post , Blog
Blissfully Contributing
2008-09-22 19:21:00 I just wanted to let you know that I am now going to be contributing to Blissfully Domestic! I don’t have any entries up yet, but frankly, I knew that I would forget to let you all know. I’ll be contributing to the Healthy Bliss channel. Blissfully Domestic is an online magazine focusing on our home lives - everything from food to health. There was a recent relaunch of the site and now it’s cleaner, prettier, and easier to use. Take a look at the site and poke around a little. You might find you want to stick around.
Blog Nosh - Reloaded
2008-09-20 00:00:00 Blog Nosh Magazine has relaunched! It’s got a cleaner look, and more the look of an online magazine, as well it should. Blog Nosh brings you the best of the blogs - fresh out of the archives, relevant, informational, poignant, and fun… You can find out more specific information about what exactly changed here. Go take a look!** ** This message brought to you by me - an official Blog Nosh channel editor in Religion & Philosophy and Overcoming Adversity. More About: Blog
Pondering
2008-09-17 07:39:00 I feel like I want to write, and I just don’t know what to write. I could tell you that I’m anxious to be home. November 21st is a long way off. I could tell you that I’m sick of this election and wish to be on the other side and know the outcome and move on. Oh yeah - and not walk on eggshells around nearly every person I know. This election has made polite conversation caustic. I could tell you about my recent posts at Butterviews. I could tell you I have a big announcement coming up - I just don’t know launch date for sure, yet. I maybe might be writing for Blissfully Domestic. Not sure about that yet. And of course, I’m at Blog Nosh as well. Not linking ’cause of recent relaunches - not sure that they’re 100% up and running. I’m just… feeling a little aimless, both online and off. I’m reigning it in, but I don’t want this lethargy to turn into something more… I don’t know. Depressiv...
Remembering 9/11/01
2008-09-11 15:28:00 I think it’s important to remember 9/11/01. For my family, as my sons are too young to remember it themselves, and for myself. So I never forget. I remember exactly where I was. Asleep. Living on the West Coast, not working, and Poe was working nights, and he had gotten home and was asleep too. My mother-in-law called and woke us up. I remember thinking, “Someone had better be dead for this phone to be ringing.” Imagine. I was pregnant with Logan… Although I can’t remember if we knew I was pregnant yet or not. He’d be born the following May. Joseph was almost 18 months old. God, that seems a long time ago - they’re in Kindergarten and third grade now. 8 and 6. Time flies. I remember feeling fear, knowing we lived near a large city. I remember my confusion with the rest of the country when we realized it wasn’t just the towers, but the pentagon and another flight as well. I remember watching the towers fal... More About: Remembering
The Juice Wars
2008-09-11 01:59:00 AKA Parenting 101: Pick Your Battles Joseph had us in a bit of a conundrum today. He wasn’t drinking his juice (snack or lunch.) Poe quizzed him, and he has been getting made fun of at school. For drinking baby juice. The juice I’ve been getting (100% juice on sale) has Clifford the Dog on them - he’s drinking “baby juice.” And I thought, how stupid. And then… I remembered. The neon purple Reebocks when everyone was wearing white. The cheap denim when everyone was wearing Guess. The Christmas ornament sweaters when everyone was wearing hoodies. We weren’t that poor - my mother just couldn’t abide by purchase price equaling brand name. And I’ve got a good head on my shoulders in terms of what’s important now, and I’m sure that’s a part of it. But I sure do remember. Poe went out today and bought more “manly” juice. 8 year olds need sophistication. When this turns into $150 Air... More About: Wars , Juice
Shifts
2008-09-10 15:50:00 I’m finding that my brain is shifting. I’m starting to shift into home mode. During the day, my mind drifts from work, and I think about what I’d be doing that time of day at home. Do I know that it’ll be just as hard at home? Yes. Do I know that starting my business is hard? Of course. But that’s where my heart truly lies. I keep thinking about my schedule for the day, and how I’m going to accomplish what it is I want to accomplish. Should I switch to my laptop, and make my desktop a “family” computer? If so, where do I put it? Do I want Logan to do his homework when he gets home from Kindergarten, or later when his brother gets home? Do I want to grocery shop Mondays or Tuesdays? Am I going to finally work out? I want to get a radio for the kitchen. What chores are the boys old enough for? This is what’s consuming my thoughts for now. This is why I haven’t been writing very much. I am enveloped b...
Grind, Grind, Grind away
More articles from this author:2008-09-05 16:00:00 There’s this phenomenon with me at work. I don’t want to do anything. It’s really bizarre. But because I’ve put in my notice (I’m really regretting the length) I simply don’t have the urge to get things done. Don’t get me wrong - I’m doing the job, and doing it well. I would never screw them over - It’s a mental state I’m talking about. At this point, since my future isn’t invested with my company, I tend to say, “Why?” when I’m doing things. Especially now, in the industry I’m in. I see a lot of excess that’s based on privilege (and perceived privilege) and it annoys me. Don’t worry, I’m not saying anything bad about my company. My department heads are good about trying to keep hired talent’s heads out of the clouds, and grounded into the reality of budget - but precedence demands certain things. My point is - I wonder what the point is. It’s not... More About: Grind 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 |
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