downsizing

I am realizing that I have a lot of stuff. . boxes for things I got forever ago - really, do I need the box my camera, ipod, or lenses came in? No. Clothes - I try to weed things out, but inevitably think - I will want to wear that soon! And, 6 mos later, have still not pulled it out of the bottom of the drawer. Books - ones I read once, ones from college I will never use again - time to downsize. Last night I listed 26 books on half.com to sell. Let's hope someone wants them!

Torture

I left something in my car and had to run out to get it. Too bad it is currently 70 degrees, clear skies, and GORGEOUS outside. It is too nice to be in an office staring out at the great weather. It's days like this that make me wonder why I am not a teacher so I can have more time off!
Things I'd like to do in this fantastic weather:
- ride my bike
- lay in the hammock
- kayak (after cleaning it)
- read on the beach
- hang out @ Crissy field w/ heather and evie (ummm not so much a reality)
- have a beer @ Archie's in Milford (only 2.5 hr drive for that to be a reality)

Old but still amusing

Don't drink @ work!

Subtitles

Last year sometime, I saw Pan's Labyrinth. I thought it was a great movie - though not at all what I originally expected. The previews made it seem as though it was on the same page as movies such as Narnia, when really it was a thriller / gruesome story about a little girl who created a fantasy world to deal with the harsh reality she was living in. It was written and directed by Guillermo del Toro, in Spanish with subtitles. It was intriguing, scary, a little gory and overall rentworthy. 

So, on blockbuster.com, I found another movie del Toro worked on - The Orphanage. It had a similar feel to Pan's Labyrinth in that it was a thriller / scary movie and had a pretty dark story line. (And, also in Spanish with subtitles.) Basically, The Orphanage starts with a little girl named Laura who lives at an orphanage and is being adopted. Cut to 30 years later, and she has her own son and husband. She has just bought the house the orphanage was in 30 years ago and plans to open her own home for children. Her son, who is also adopted and suffers from an illness, has imaginary friends that are a bit too real to him. Laura struggles with her rational/mother mode and support of her son when she plays along with his 'imagination'. Tragedy strikes the family, and the rest of the movie takes you through their ordeal. It was not at all predictable - which is refreshing since so many movies can be figured out before they are over. If you can stand a few jumpy scenes and creepy masks - I would recommend renting this. Just a heads up - I watched it during the day and was creeped out by the masks!

 

20/20

I am watching 20/20 - about teenage drinking and driving. Two girls in FL went to a club, got drunk and crashed one mile from their house. The driver survived and the other died. The family of the girl who died wants the driver in jail. The driver's family obviously doesn't. The thing that got me during all the interviews was the father of the driver. He said, these girls were underage and served by adults at the bar. It's not the person who drank, it's where they got the alcohol. SAY WHAT?? The girl drank and drove. Regardless of how she got the alcohol, she decided to drive after drinking. 

This is a horrible occurrence. The driver killed her best friend and has to live with that. She got 4 yrs in jail, instead of going to trial and facing an optional 10 years. I don't know if jail is the right 'punishment'. She is already punished every single day remembering that she was responsible for killing her best friend. 

 

Bats are friggin creepy

We had a bat in the house tonight. EEEEEEEK. I went downstairs and was in the kitchen. I saw some black shadow, and went towards the dining room and a BAT flew past me. I BOLTED UP the stairs and squealed for Jen. Her and Allison came out of their rooms and I freaked out telling them about the bat. After consulting a few people, we called the non emergency fire dept line and they sent a truck w/ three firefighters out to save us. Well we had to get down to open the door, and the damn thing was hanging in the hall above the dining room door. We creep down the stairs and book it down to the front door where we stand outside waiting for the firefighters. 

They show up, have a bit of a laugh at us and get the bat out. They pinned it to the wall with a broom - it was making this AWFUL squealing noise. Then another dude grabbed it with these birding gloves and tossed it outside. At least now we can sleep easy - and hope that no more come in. 

(We have had contractors working out the outside of the house, so they will get a call to double check EVERYTHING to make sure this does not happen again.) 

It sort of looked like this, with its creepy pointed ears. 

Of course, all I could imagine was this: 

 

Feeling the effects

Funny how you find yourself in a not so ideal situation and you have to just work through it, get used to it and work around it. Let's say there are people who affect or even contribute to this. In this case, we'll call them Person A. Person A then finds themself in the same scenario you were/are in, and has a rant about how frustrated and annoyed they are. Cue the next day when they do it to you AGAIN. I guess sometimes being in the other persons' shoes doesn't get the point across.

#41

Random - I have not listened to DMB in ages. . and suddenly have the urge to. I'll have to update the IPOD before the trip to San Fran to get my fill on the plane. It's funny that my IPOD is not full of DMB. There was a time in my life when ALL I listened to was their live albums - over and over. I was a huge fan. I've seen them live at least 10x's. I had a gigantic crush on Dave Matthews (until he got married and had twins, then the dream died.) I'm glad I broadened my musical horizons, but still - DMB will always be a comforting go to band.

In the meantime, You Tube will have to do. I think this is my fave song of theirs:

Yay!

Maine becomes 5th state to allow same-sex marriage
AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) — Maine's governor signed a freshly passed bill Wednesday approving gay marriage, making it the fifth state to approve the practice and moving New England closer to allowing it throughout the region.

Appropriate

Swine Flu, H1N1 - should we be scared, concerned, or just keep about our daily lives ? Who knows how bad this really is, but I did like my company's approach. They didn't over react, but didn't ignore the situation either. Here is what they sent us:

(COMPANY NAME) continues to keep a close watch on news surrounding the H1N1 virus. The latest information out of the Centers for Disease Control, led by CDC Acting Director Dr. Richard Besser, states that people should treat this virus similar to the regular seasonal flu.

Today’s CDC update noted that children younger than 18 years old comprise 62% of the cases in the U.S. Although there are no plans to routinely close schools, the CDC emphasizes personal responsibility among parents and school administrators: be aware of kids’ health and send/keep them home for 7 days if need be. The incubation period of this flu is 2-7 days.

If you work at COMPANY NAME, you may have noticed some changes around the building such as hand sanitizers in the lobby, fitness center, cafeteria and the café on the second floor. Each day, restrooms are cleaned with alcohol-based disinfectants and, each evening, all doorknobs and lobby counters are disinfected. Sodexo is taking similar precautions in our employee cafeteria.
Employees should follow the basic guidelines listed on the intranet.
For additional information, visit the homepage of the Centers for Disease Control for daily updates.

Just don't have kids if you don't want to be with them

People have kids to start a family, continue their legacy, have the next generation, etc. I've always figured that people who have children want to spend time with them, raise them, and enjoy life with them. And so- things like this and this baffle me. 

Example 1 - Jennifer Aniston wants to adopt and already has a nanny picked out. Ok, this could be a total lie, but why have a kid if you are just going to have a nanny? I get that when she is working she will need help, but it's so strange to me that celebs have multiple nannies! 

Example 2 - Jon of Jon and Kate plus 8 may or may not be cheating. Whatever. My question is - if you have 8 children, and your wife is out promoting her book - WHY ARE YOU AT A BAR? Who is home with your kids? OH probably a nanny. 

I don't get

why things happen the way they do. . 

I was in a situation today where someone was clearly trying to protect someone else - but it was the wrong time and place to do it. It was even sort of unnecessary! (when I say sort of, I mean COMPLETELY) 

Basically they were protecting the ego's of two others, but all this deception will do is cause frustration. I'm already frustrated because it is clear that things do not operate the way they need to, and if certain levels of people are not going to face facts, how will the next level do so, and so on. Our team is in a vicious cycle and I wonder who or what will get us out. 

Bike the Vineyard - Year 5

This weekend is the MS Bike on the Vineyard. . the 5th annual for me, 3rd for Colleen and Jen, 2nd for Lori and 1st for Beth. I'm so glad my friends could join me this weekend - the charity and bike mean a lot to me, and I'm grateful that they want to show their support. UNFORTUNATELY, Heather (and Erik) are unable to attend. Heather initiated the support of the MS society when we learned that one of her friends had MS. Then we found out our aunt has MS. Then it seemed, everytime we brought it up - someone knew someone that had it. This disease affects so many lives.
Together, we rode our first MS bike in Hartford/Granby, CT and then found the Vineyard ride. The first year on the Vineyard was a collection of people - our friend Sarah, our parents and our friend Jess. The next year it grew to include more of Jess's friends, then some of mine. When H moved to CA, I decided to still do the bike, though a lot of our former teammates couldn't do it with me. Last year was so tough - not just because it was 45 degrees, windy and raining, but bc I really missed riding with Heather. I missed singing 'Lonely Goatherd', 'Sixteen going on Seventeen' and any other random showtunes we could come up with. Riding along the Oak Bluff beach road, I was tired, cold and sad, but remembered Heather's motivational tactics - she'd say things like 'People with MS can't even ride a bike, you can make it up this hill.'

This year will be different. I know some people will take off and ride at their own pace, which is fine, I don't want people to be bored. Some of us will stick together, which is what I feel the ride is about. I thought it over, and realized that the experiences I had before cannot be recreated, especially with a different team. All I can do is embrace the fun weekend ahead and know that it will be a good time for a good cause.

wtf

If you have a question for someone, and they are less than 3 feet away from you, don't make a comment out loud such as "I'm not sure why she did XYZ." JUST ASK ME.

letter

Dear Spring,

I think we need to re-evaluate your process. You come in the end of March - which is great, bc my birthday is officially NOT in winter, my least favorite season. However, you have been slacking a bit on the 'springlike' weather in New England for the past few years. Only this weekend will it go past 55/60 degrees for more than 8 hours ! Can you step it up a bit and keep the nice weather coming? Thanks.

Also - I get that spring is the season for everything to bloom, and come back out after winter. Could you cut back on the pollen a bit? I have not stopped sneezing for the past week and a half. My head is pounding, and I can't take allergy meds during the day because I pass out like I'm taking sleeping pills (which I've never actually taken.) I spent all last Saturday night sleeping on and off instead of hanging out. Not ideal.

I know that part of my frustration with you is just my love of summer, and then the fall. You come right after the worst season - which earns you a few points. But, can you give me a break and ease up on the allergens floating around, and warm things up for me? Super.

End of the week venting

Yesterday, I was frustrated. I found myself in situations that were mildly annoying, and then just obnoxious. One problem was having to witness the following: when dealing with people, sometimes you learn how to talk to them to get what you want, or how to get them to understand what you want without having to come right out and say it. What frustrates me is when people say one thing, and clearly have an agenda, but deny it .2 seconds later and get mad. Seriously??

Example : you are trying to get an answer on something and ask a leading question.*
You: Are we going to watch the movie closer to 7pm?
[Awkward pause from the people who aren't exactly sure what you want to hear] "Yes."
You: Oooookay. (under your breath to whoever is around) No, we won't but whatever. I don't care either way, but I'm worried we won't start around 7pm.

Clearly, you have a preference for something - just speak up!
It's really more time consuming and frustrating to behave this way, no?



*not the actual example of what happened, but sometimes we have to change the facts bc you never know who reads this.

Crazy marathoners

Check out the 12th pic down on this link - how do you run a marathon in CROCS??

And yes - once again I am thinking, how hard can it be? I should run a marathon. I was going to sign up for a half in May , but didn't train and realized it was the weekend after the MS bike. SO - I have to find a half marathon in late summer/fall. Train. Then run the Disney Marathon in January. Maybe if I finish that - I will qualify for the Boston marathon and hopefully not die in attempting to run it. Crazy? Yes. But 3 yrs in a row I have had this thought, so it's time to just get $hit done. Maybe I will run a half and HATE IT, in which case this will all be a moot point. (Or as some co workers say, a mute point.)

public speaking is not for everyone

"In my country...marriage should be between a man and a woman" - What? that sentence doesn't really make sense. Are Massachusetts, Connecticut, Iowa and Vermont no longer part of the U.S.? She said we can choose same sex marriage or 'opposite marriage' - no, only in those four states can you have a same sex marriage. It's ok not to agree with certain things. It's ok to have your own opinion.
But - I think this girl made herself look unintelligent with the unpolished phrasing of her answer and the use of terms such as 'opposite marriage.' I don't really pay attention to these pagents, or what Miss USA/Miss America, etc. does after it's over - but I'm glad she's not representing our country.

mildly amused

I was reading a blog on Google Reader today, and the writer was discussing an experience at a restaurant, as the customer. Only, it took me a few minutes to figure out what she was talking about bc she kept writing 'costumer.'

karma chameleon

I support the idea of karma. Not to the extent that Earl does, but sometimes you have to consider the cause and effect of your actions. I think that if you are heinous and miserable, life will be heinous and miserable right back at you. If you try to be nice and do good things, that will come back ina positive way.(Obviously, bad things happen to good people, and I’m going to cop out on that one and say, life happens.) So, what does this have to do with anything? Funny you should ask. In 2007 I got a job for the contract side of a large office supply company. I was excited, and ready for a new challenge. A few months in, I was having trouble with my boss. Our personalities clashed, her management style was tough to deal with, and I struggled with her attitude. (She was pretty high up on herself, and thought she was the smartest greatest thing, but didn’t understand things like - how to convert Euros to US $. When I told her that the Euro was stronger than the US$, she said, so that means it takes less of our money to equal theirs. Um no.) Anyway – I’ve sort of blocked her out and don’t remember why else she sucked. The management style of that boss, and her boss were not to work with someone and understand the challenges and make it better, but to manage that person out, so that they could go on their merry way and not be responsible. It worked and I left. I have heard through the grapevine that people are figuring out that this manager is not all she pretends to be, and that the people who have worked under her and left are not that bad (some moved to other teams in the company), but that they had a bad manager. While gossiping isn’t the best, and can get sticky – I was happy to hear that things might be catching up to this woman.

In a similar train of thought – I think that there are certain challenges you will continue to face in life until you learn to deal with or defeat them. I had a recurring personality to battle with in college. It was the girl who had to be in charge. She had to be the center of attention, always in control, and had people following her around and doing what she thought was great. I don’t do well with these people – because if I disagree with you, or don’t want to do something, I won’t do it. Anyway – twice in 4 years I was faced with a person of this nature. They were powerful – and turned sets of friends on their side / against me. It was a pain to deal with, but hopefully I’ve learned how to deal with them, and at least have had a break from someone like that for a while.
There is another one that is haunting me though – and I’m not sure what I did or didn’t learn yet from this situation that it WILL NOT GO AWAY. Ok, I learned the lesson – don’t date people you work with. I moved away from CT, and was happy to leave behind certain things and people. Unfortunately, Boston is a popular place, and a certain someone has since come up to this part of New England. I was happy at the company I work for and then received news that ‘someone’ was going to be working with me. Not at my company, but directly related (agency). Fabuloso. So it hasn’t been that bad. We haven’t had to have too much 1:1 contact. But he is around, which bugs me. The communication was limited, and it was fine. However, recently – I have been working more with the traffic grids and media for each window. Guess who has been appointed the person in charge of that at the agency? Oh yea. Lucky me. What is the lesson here, so I can learn it and be done?

perplexed

Sites like Facebook and twitter are great, because you can get in touch with old friends, post pictures and tell people about your life, and learn things about people you barely speak to. Knowing that it is a public forum, and willingly putting up status updates about your personal life - you are inviting people to comment and weigh in. What I don't get is if people don't want to discuss a private matter in a public forum, why would they post it there?

On-The-Go playlist 12*

Today is a headphones day at work. That means - 1. I have lots of stuff to do that consists of me sitting at a desk for the majority of the day and I need to entertain myself somehow. 2. I am not in the mood to hear the ramblings, comments or complaints of the people in the building.

This is risky though - because I could be caught off guard and startled if I'm in my own world. I might be tempted to start singing along to random songs on this list - esp. the Beatles songs on here. And - I have to be aware of who's coming up behind me so I can close out of gchat or gmail if the bosses come by. Scandalous.

Current distraction: Bottle it up - Sara Bareilles

*On the go playlists are a fantastic feature on Ipods. You just hold down the middle button on the songs you want in a playlist and they show up in 'on the go'. if you keep them long enough - they start to number themselves and save. I have 14 On the Go playlists = perfect for instant gratification girl.

4/1

So, it's April Fools' Day. This morning, I didn't really think of the date, and was listening to the radio. First - on Mix 98.5 - the DJ's mentioned something about a turnstile at Faneuil Hall to make tourists pay to walk on the sidewalks. People called in outraged! I thought, clearly this is a joke, esp since the female DJ was giggling - then remembered it was April Fools' Day. They got a lot of people fired up though! Then, on to WBCN - they kept calling themselves 'Power 104' and had a new team member - Amy, who knew nothing about sports (strange for a male targeted show). It was so strange - and they kept playing the same songs - Womanizer, and some other ones I don't know. Clearly - a joke. But people again, didn't think of the date and were outraged at the change.

I'm personally not a practical joker. I'm not a huge fan of surprises, bc I always like to know what is going on. And, it's not that nice to trick people!

Birthdays are still fun

I've officially entered my mid -late twenties. At least I welcomed this birthday with excitement, not frustration, panic and annoyance, such as my 25th bday.

First up - I was home 2 weeks ago and saw Mamma Mia with my mom and sister. Very fun, and very similar to the movie. Next - my parents came up to visit last weekend. We had dinner at Cantina Italiana in the North End, which was DEEEEEE LISH.
Saturday we saw Movin Out , then some irish music and drinks at the Black Rose. 

Thanks everyone for making turning 27 pretty fabulous.

Zoobooks and Acai Diet?? Not so much

Even though I have been mad in the past at Bank of America (which is actually Bank of Whatever state you opened your account in*), I must say I am happy with their attention to detail and fraud protection. I got an email telling me there was suspicious activity on my account. Sure enough, there are charges for 'Zoobooks', Acai diet, Columbia house video and Vista print that I did not put on my card. YIKES. I don't even know what Zoobooks or the Acai Diet are! And I haven't ordered from Vista Print in 2 years.
So – I call and after talking to 3 reps – one to tell the problem to and be transferred to the right dept, one to report the charges and get a new card, one to file a fraud claim – I will be paid back the $ incorrectly charged, and will get a new card.
Also – they told me about their program called shop safe:
So, if you are going to shop online, you go to ShopSafe and enter your desired spending limit and expiration date, and it gives you a 'dummy' credit card # and then your actual # is never out in the open. Smart. I will definitely do this from now on , bc I think online spending is the way this happened!

*About 2 yrs ago, something happened where my debit card number was cancelled and a new one had to be issued. I went to BOA to get a temporary ATM card, but was told I had to go to a CT location bc that was where I opened the account. Also - BOA can switch your account to a new state, but only by changing all your account numbers, etc.

I hate pastel but I hate snow more right now.

Happy Spring!! WHOO HOO Winter is OVER!

It's the first day of spring - and here are the reasons why this is a fabulous thing:

- Spring means it's time for fun birthdays (me and my sister)

- NO MORE SNOW STORMS - which means no more SHOVELING

- Lower heat bills

- Leaves back on trees

- Running outside / Biking, being outside in general

- MS Bike in May

- Grilling

- The hammock

- Summer is coming!

- The smell of fresh cut grass

- Sam Adams White Ale

let's not focus on why this is not ideal: (but let's mention it anyway)

- Pastel colors & Easter

- allergies

- too many rainy days

- not wearing warm enough clothes bc you want it to be warmer than it is, and then you are freezing.

Very Hungry Caterpillar

On Google today- their logo is of the Very Hungry Caterpillar illustrations of the book by Eric Carle. So of course, I click on it to learn more about why - is it his bday? the anniversary of the book being published? Nope, nothing crazy. Maybe a tie to the first day of spring. I used to love it when I was little, and am impressed that it sells one copy every 30 seconds in the world! Simple book, lots of profit!

Create Your Own Donut

Today begins Dunkin Donuts new donut campaign and create your own donut contest

In the cafe today, we were able to decorate our own donut.
Check out mine below. Now, who wants to eat it?

Friday night @ Copperfields

Thank you to everyone who came out Friday night to support our fundraiser!

My friend Holly and I had a joint fundraiser at Copperfield's in Boston. She was raising money for Alzheimer's which she is supporting in her 1/2 marathon run in May. I was raising money for MS - which I am supporting in the MS bike May 2.

If you are planning a fundraiser for a charity in Boston - the Down Under pub at Copperfield's is a fantastic venue. They have an entire downstairs for use, and since it is for charity - they donate the space as their contribution to the event. You have your own bar, space for bands, tables, etc.

Holly is a fundraiser/orgainizer pro! She got 3 bands to come play for us:
http://www.myspace.com/markmondello
http://www.myspace.com/thenewpossibilities
http://www.myspace.com/thebrooklynsband
They were all fun to listen to, and performed for free! We had raffle prizes - gift certificates, etc. that had been donated, and a silent auction for some larger donated items. Overall we raised a little over $1000. Next year, I will definitely do this again, with more lead time!

Pictures to come soon!

FRIDAY! If you live in, near or around Boston, I hope to see you here -

Joint Benefit for Alzheimer's & Multiple Sclerosis
Friday, Mar 6 8:00p
at Copperfield’s Bar and Down Under Pub, Boston, MA
Come to Copperfield's in Boston to benefit Alzheimer's & Multiple Sclerosis. Benefit Drawings, Refreshments & more.
Featuring Mark Mondello, The Brooklyns & The New Possibilities!
Come help raise funds for these two amazing causes.