Joyce and The Edge, sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G!!

My mother has informed me that she is not a frequent reader of my blog...so maybe, if I post a weekly picture of The Edge, she will check it out because she will be motivated by the Edge's "hotness" - it's him or Harrison Ford (or Timothy B. Schmidt...ha ha ha ha!) - basically I just think he does look cute in this picture and I wanted her to join me in appreciating him - so what do you think Juicy Mama?

"And the silicon chip inside her head gets switched to overload..."

I'm exhausted and irritated.

I slept terribly all weekend, despite the fact that I DESPERATELY need to rest. I'm completely out of gas. And yet, depsite this, I had a pretty fun weekend. I had a lovely Friday evening, which is exactly what I needed after my 2 weeks in hell, but probably should have stopped at two margaritas and not had three. But whatever, it kept the giggles going and I thought, well when I get home I'll go straight to sleep and be knocked out. Not the case. I did my normal thing of waking up at 4 a.m., couldn't fall back to sleep until 6:30 and then got up at 10 a.m., completely useless. I showered, drank some coffee and at 12:30 or so, decided to go right back to bed for a good hour and a half more sleep. And when I woke up I was STILL tired. I can't shake it. Repeated the same routine above on Saturday night and so again, I woke up at 10 after sleeping so terribly, very irritated and in a BAD MOOD. But this was brightened by a trip to Ikea, complete with Swedish meatballs and lingonberry sauce, a lot of cool yet cheap items and then two beers, a glass of wine and some really fantastic french fries at a great Irish pub near Penn Station, which looks, strangely enough, just like The Shire homes in Bend, Oregon - which means I don't have to move to Oregon - I 'll just go here all the time. Even the bathrooms were cute. No round hobbit doors, alas...

And now I don't feel like I slept much at all again and The Boss is still out sick and I'm worried that too much will be asked of me today and I don't have the resources to handle it... well I'm armed with supercoffee now and I hope my mood lifts SOON. Otherwise, you'll need to say a prayer for those who encounter me today....BEWARE! YOU'VE BEEN WARNED!

I've gone magenta!

I just got my new cell phone, the HOT PINK Razr!! It's sooooo cute! Magpie, I had a whole conversation with (candycane) about it - you would be jealous, I've had multiple interactions with him since you left because of all the work we've had to do together with the updates/testing/OE stuff, so we are getting to be quite cosy...har har har...if only he wasn't married and totally not interested!!! But still, you know I get a kick out him saying "if you need my help this weekend, feel free to call me at home" - if only he knew!

After working until close to 11pm on Wednesday and feeling quite beat up yesterday, I feel so run down and tired, I can't even describe it and you all are probably sick of hearing me complain about this...so I'll just say that The Boss called in sick today because he really did get sick from working 12 days straight, 12 hours a day (well almost every day). Yesterday was quite funny, because we were both so loopy from lack of sleep and tiredness that we both were incredibly giggly, I'm sure others thought us drunk...but alas no! Maybe tonight though, I'm meeting the Chia Pet for a nice, relaxing dinner so I can decompress and giggle some more and then I'm spending the weekend getting my apt. in shape and to Ikea with Cousin Megan on Sunday.

And that's a wrap, folks! I will have more to report on Monday, more to complain about I'm sure.

Chicken Cutlet Dinner for 2

Well I'm still here...still at my desk...and hopefully, tonight and tomorrow are the end of this...The Boss has just come back from picking up my dinner - chicken cutlet sandwich! - he seems to always be picking up food for me in my posts lately, yes? well that's because he's a nice guy and he likes to step out for a smoke,so why not? We are eating quickly and then hope to be finished by 10 or 10:30.

Sigh!

Yes, I'm going for the sympathy vote out there...please feel free to comment on how bad you feel for me...but The Boss is also going to "force" me to take 1-2 days off next week to recuperate...days that shall be spent getting the apt ready for the Great Merv Visit! And resting....I feel like I could sleep and sleep and sleep...if only!

I sound my barbaric YAWN over the roofs of the world!

I'm TIRED. VERY VERY TIRED. I can't keep my eyes open...it would appear that I've developed a sudden case of Voxness! I'm Voxy! Prince YAWN! Valium, what should I YAWN! do to wake up?

Last night, I got to go home early (meaning on time around 6pm) so that I could do laundry desperately and all the other things that I've been needing to do, but have not had the time or energy or inclination to do since I got back from vacation and got sprung into this mess of testing and patches and testing and configuration and late nights turning into long days. Well only the laundry got done and only one load at that. I just couldn't face doing more so I did all the basics and called it a victory. Clean sheets! Towels! Socks! Indeed!

Also: Phase two is mostly over for me (I have 2 more items to take care of daily, one of which will end on Sunday) and then lets see if the Bronx Angels are sitting on my shoulders or not...I sure hope so, I don't want to think that I lugged 20 lb's of liquid around for nothing! HAR HAR!

Also #2: if you go to a Cuban restaurant and see "natilla" on the dessert menu, please note that this is just CREME BRULEE and nothing more...not a bad thing but we thought we were ordering some interesting Cuban sweet thing.

Floating Head stands corrected (see her comment on post below)!

Phase One was already activated with The Journey to the Bronx and Back Again. Phase Two was activated on her end last night, my Phase Two shall begin tomorrow morning and continue for 7 days.

Over and out.

80's Fab Rockers Loverboy said everyone was working FOR the weekend, not working ON the weekend, the ENTIRE weekend. So I came in yesterday, worked until late that day when our test process failed and tech support - a.k.a IT Dudes - were called in to research. I was allowed to go on my merry way but with full knowledge that said IT Dudes would no doubt fix the problem and I would be called in later to come on back and finish up. So, after talking to my boss at 11 last night I was informed that issue was STILL not fixed but was still being evaluated by IT Dudes and he would call me at 8 am today to let me know what the day's status was. I woke up to a text message from The Boss and a phone call to follow letting me know to come on in...so here I am...oh well, such is life...but still...Loverboy - LIARS!

So now, The Boss has kindly gone out to fetch a bagel and large large coffee for me and I will most likely be here all day...

Now I am going to tell you about a little adventure I recently went on with Floating Head. Call it research and gathering of materials for the Master Plan if you like, seeking guidance in what to do next? I won't say much, but will remain mysterious: it took place in the Bronx, it is something I have never done before, it is not native to my "culture" so to speak and was Absolutely COOL. And apparently the amount of help I needed in My Master Plan was equal to a gallon and 2 liters worth of liquid, plus other items that I cannot mention here. Basically, I was given Big Jugs to assist me. Some might say - but you already had those - get your minds out of the gutter, we are being serious now! The Bronx Master Plan Assistance Society knows that I need A LOT of FREAKING HELP!!! So tomorrow, Phase 1 of The Plan will be activated and should it proceed on to Phase 2, only time and the Fates can tell...stay tuned, faithful readers!

My Dream Home

If I was ever allowed to live here, in my dream environment, the universe might just stop working because I will have achieved Final Ultimate Geekdom and the Almighty Powers just couldn't handle it...Mervyn, I would become "insignificant"! ... THE SHIRE! Floating Headwise Gamgee and Vox Brandywine want to live here too, so maybe this could really happen:

http://www.bendshire.com/index.php?p=1&side=concept

On a shittier note, I am at work. On a Saturday. Damn it all to HELL. But I will top off a full day's work here with some of the the famous wings and all the alcohol I need at Evan and Deb's and maybe a round or two of poker...tomorrow though, I rest. And do laundry. And tend to my "affairs" as it were. Meaning, get so-called life back in order after a very busy month and esp. this last week, I worked until 9 or 10 almost every night. And Cousin Megan's last day with me was yesterday, she has found a new home at last! Congrats! But it was actually a very good time to have her at my place, because of my stress and absolute tiredness levels, she always seemed to sense that a bottle of wine ready for me would be appropriate. And it was, so cheers to Heed! Pants! Now!

Well Hell,

I'm still here. This is now officially a 12 hour workday. The bribe of pizza and being out on the "terrace" aside, my eyes are drooping and I feel that a glass of wine would be most helpful right now.... why isn't Floating Head on IM at home, just to amuse me and keep me smiling? HMMM?? And just as we were almost at 50% PREPARED in our OE options in the Ben Admin cycle, the server has gone down...hello? Any IT dudes still here? Anyone?

Help?

Okay, just got the word I can go home and hopefully, the server will put itself back up ... hee hee hee...

YIKES!

The crazy time is upon us!!! I'm starting to have a flashback to last year about this time because all of a sudden, it's staying here until 9pm/super tight schedules and deadlines/a stressed out Barf/a stressed out Delirium...well you get the idea...so I'm just posting this to let anyone out there know that if I seem out of touch, you know why! We even have the D.C. Consultant tripping back to NYC for an Open Enrollment configuration visit tomorrow so it will be nice to see him again ...

A personal note for Mervyn - got your message and we WILL speak soon...we have some planning to do for your visit...I have secured days off but it's just contingent on nothing going horribly wrong in the next week and a half, so I think I have Tuesday (so I can meet you at the airport) Thursday and Friday off...so on Wednesday, maybe plan to do your own thing during the day - go up to Barnard and see Jym! Make him scream like a lady so that he turns all red and remembers me!!

Men's Trophy Presentation - BLURRY! 

Roger Federer wins! See him, lying flat and yes, blurry, on the court! I was rooting for Andy but maybe next year - it was fun cheering even though he lost. 

Andy and Roger...it's blurry, I know...you think I might learn how to use my camera properly by now! 

Lucia telling Andre Agassi that he did a "good job"! 

Me and the ghost of Andy Roddick! 

Sunday - the Men's Final - Roddick vs. Federer 

Martina Navratilova's last match ever! 

Sharapova vs. Henin-Harden 

Steve, Lucia, and Theresa 

Fireworks! 

The bar (of course!) 

Arthur Ashe Stadium 

Deb and Evan on Sat. Night - Women's Final 

National Tennis Center! 

Happy Friday

In a good mood this morning for several reasons:

1. Last night was a full moon and it was that cool pumpkin moon that starts happening in the fall - nice and fat and round and peachy colored - beautiful!

2. In the past 2 months I've lost about 10 pounds and I braved the scale after my vacation to gleefully discover that I didn't gain any of it back, despite a few cheeto and beef jerky escapades in Idaho...oh, that Snow White has a ton of tempting items in those cupboards!

3. Tonight I'm meeting up with Floating Head and I always am glad to see her!

4. Tomorrow I'm going to the women's final at the US OPEN! And Sunday to the men's final at noon as well. I'm SUPER excited because I've been a huge tennis fan since I was very little and took my first lesson with the tennis racket Mom got free for me by buying so many cans of 7Up and I've never been to the US Open despite it being in my backyard for all these years.

5. Work is going really well and I can't be grateful enough about that.

Let's hope the good mood prevails throughout the day and weekend and as Someone My Mother Knows Used to Say: ONWARD AND UPWARD!

SO:

I have returned from the Pacific Northwest and I am intact! I felt very ill on Sunday/Monday/Tuesday - but not quite what the Family had I think. I felt very dizzy and nauseated but that could have been another, lets say "monthly" factor at work because I had a little "issue" because of that. At any rate, I'm glad I rested well in Idaho as well as sleeping so much on Sunday and Monday because - WORK IS CRAZY! I feel like we went back in time to a year ago when we were converting to PeopleSoft and I was here late and on weekends and everything was GO GO GO!

Well I don't mind really. It's all somewhat interesting and I'm constantly being called upon to learn new things or troubleshoot or develop workarounds and I'm getting included in a ton of meetings and becoming more of a key player I guess you could say in the bigger picture around here, which is sort of cool. It's frustrating when you are low man (or woman) on the totem pole and you can see what is wrong but when you speak up, no one really listens or asks you to contribute. And since the PS thing happened, I'm getting to speak and actually have the so-called Higher-Ups actually ask for my input and listen to what I have to say. And that's a good thing, as Martha would say. It's more pressure, sure, but I also think I've gained a lot of confidence in myself because of all of this so I'm handling it well (in my opinion!)
Basically from now until the first part December, things are going to be NUTS and I have a feeling I'm going to be EXHAUSTED by Christmas. So I need to get my sleep and my vitamins in, don't I? Right now we are testing patches and updates so I've had to come in early (read 9:30 instead of 10:15) and stay late and then we roll right into Open Enrollment and web testing next week and have daily call-in sessions with our D.C. Consultant to learn how the two of us (Barf and I) are going to make all of this happen by Sept. 25th. Now, this weekend, I'm going to both the women's and men's final at the US Open and then next weekend, I most likely have to work both days and then Mervyn and Company will be in town and so again - NUTS!!

A final thanks, by the way, to Snow White and her Dwarves! I had a SUPERCALIFRAGILISTICEXPEALIDOCIOUS time with you guys, despite the sickness and finding out the truth behind my most embarassing moment...the next time I'm in town, I'll treat you all (especially Dan Sandwich since he's never been there) at the yummy Asian Bistro and I'll even wear overalls, high heels ... and a cap! Ha ha ha ha!! I miss and love you all very much!
Enjoy the pics below - I'll be making actual prints for Judy and the Parents and Snow White I think because some of these are just too cute!

Cutest children - EVER!

Stare contest! 

Judy trying to scare Allie! 

more pickers in the fields.... 

On the carousel- is Dan doing the "Pick" in the background?!

Jake and I shared a snow cone - kiwi, cherry, and mango! 

Mini picnic at Greenbluff 

Hammer head! 

Allie gives some instruction on Puppet Theatering 

Crazy kids! 

Puppet Show Time!