D&C Lunch Bunch

Almost everyday I have plans for lunch. There are about 7 co-workers that are in my lunch bunch, and there are at least 3 of us that go everyday to eat together. Our group is very diverse. We have Dudes & Chicks. Some of us have kids & some of us don’t. Some of us are natives, and some of us are transplants.

As my time runs short I am taking time to snapshot the great times that I am having with these people that I have become friends with. I am sure that we will all remain friends, but we will never spend the amount of time that we have had since working together.

Yesterday there were 4 of us that went on out for our daily bit of fellowship. I happened to be the only chick there, and I was the only one without kids. My friends were telling me about what it is like being a dad, and what fun they have with their kids. I truly saw joy and bliss in their faces. It was really a great scene.

My wish is that James and I are able to share this kind of love for our children with the world one day.

Rumor disclaimer: I am not now expecting a kid. Just wanted to share this heart warming vision to the masses.

My Last Days at Work - Part I

Have you ever had a last day at work?
I have been out of college for about 7 years, and I have been lucky enough to have always had a job. I have moved on from two (about to be three) jobs in my professional career.
My first last day of work was by my choice. I was really unhappy in with the environment that I worked in, and I really needed to get paid more. I put myself out there, and found another job in about a month. I knew that the day I put in my two weeks would be my last day, so I was prepared. My co-workers were a little perturbed that I was leaving, but none the less I went on.
My second last day of work was not by my choice. When they laid me off my boss let me work all day while she was waiting for the HR representative to show up. When the HR Rep finally showed up they called me in, and let me go. They stood over me while I cleared out my desk with tears streaming down. I didn’t want to face my husband. I really take my financial contribution to our household seriously. It really was a slap in my face, and it took me several months to gain my confidence back. If I had to sum up my second last day of work I would say it was awful.
I am soon approaching my third last day of work. The Spanish Overlords that has bought the company I work for has decided that my department has got to go. We were told about 4 months ago, and there was a target date. Now I have been given my sever date. February 19th is my third last day of work. I imagine it will be like the end of a long running sitcom.  You know that the characters will move on, but the audience will no longer be able to observe it. 
I have had a lot of time to be prepared, and I hope that the universe will let me be fruitful in my job search. The main point is that I know. I know that I will be leaving, and I won’t be finding out the day it happens. I am thankful that I have developed the friendships that I have. I am thankful that my managers have appreciated me. I am thankful that I won’t have any regrets about moving on from this place.
My future is bright, and the reason I know this is because I am pretty & smart.

Going to the Homestead

A few weeks ago I sent out a general email to let many folks know that my work email address will not work, and that I was changing my home email address. The address that I have been using is from my internet provider, and a move to the country with leave us without access to the broadband connection that we have loved for so long (*sniff * tear*).

This innocent email has flooded me with questions of where we are going, and why. So here is the down & dirty version. My Jack (step-dad) is from Kansas. Jack’s family still lives there. Jack wants to go back to the Prairie—really bad. My mom is a free spirit/ex-military brat trapped in the body of a responsible mom who wanted a stable home for her pretty & smart daughter (that’s me!). In an attempt not to go to the Prairie to die she has convinced, with help from me, Jack to go the Long Way to Kansas. The plan is to move to Kansas via China, Europe and South America. The Jor-Mat’s are planning a two to three year tour of the world. Jimmy, me, and the Dabies (that’s doggie babies) are going to move to the homestead in the Eastern corner of the county, and keep track of the Aunties. (The Jor-Mats have two Golden Retrievers Candy & Cleo. They are great Aunties to the Dabies.)

The Jor-Mat homestead is a 5.5 acre hay farm. Jimmy & I are going to save some money while living there, and we are going to increase our household living space by about 500 square feet. It is a rural area, and so there goes the Road Runner account!

Dotty Day!

Today is the 2^nd annual Dotty Day!  James & I adopted this pretty & smart baby in 2008.  Dotty has had a rough road since she came to us.  She has had two bladder stones removed, a spay surgery, and heart worm treatment.  Dotty is going to be 8 on her next birthday, and she still seems like a little puppy-girl.  Dotty is a great big sister to Farrah too.

On a side note, Farrah turned 4 last Saturday.  She has really grown up to be a fine dog. 

Happy Dotty Day, Dotty!  Love, Daddy, Mama, and Sister Farrah.

Rock Trivia Anyone?

The other night I was driving home with my husband. I was reminded with great enthusiasm that James is a true music fan. Here is some rock trivia that I was made aware of.

1. The band Starship was formerly Jefferson Starship which was formerly Jefferson Airplane. All three bands had hit songs. There was a great evolution in the musical sound from Jefferson Airplane to Starship. All three had hit songs.
2. Mike + The Mechanics used to be Genesis. When Phil Collins went solo the lead guitar & bassist of Genesis came up front to lead the new band Mike + The Mechanics.
3. One of the best guitar solos of all time, according to James was in Guns 'N Roses song November Rain.

Thanks James! You're pretty & smart.

What is Your Best Asset?

I am about to start interviewing for new jobs. (Remember, I have been laid off, and my job will be ending sometime around the end of Feb?) I have been trying to be proactive, and think of the questions that I could be asked in an interview, so that I can have really great answers. (Please let me know what questions you think I should prepare for.)

One question that I think I will be asked is: What is your best asset? I know I should answer something about how I am a team player, about how I am a quick learner, and the fact that I have a huge enthusiasm for new challenges. What I really want to answer is how great my hair is, and specifically my bangs.

A few months ago I cut bangs into my hair, and it had been YEARS since I had them. Can I just say I love them?! I should have cut them long, long ago. They really frame my face, and with the type of hair that I have they take minimal effort to look fantastic.

I hope that when the time comes my filter is on, and I answer what I know I should say, and not what my bangs are telling me to do.  They will learn that I am pretty & smart in due time.

Help Haiti

Reposted with permission from http://onhillstreet.com/ (Thanks Hil! You're pretty & smart.)

Here’s what we can do while sitting at our desks with our accessible doctors and blessed lives …

1. Pray.
2. Look at your favorite charitable organization’s website – are they collecting funds for Haiti?

If you are looking for a place to donate, remember that the United Methodist Church sends people everywhere. They are in Port-au-Prince and can use your donations. Donate here.

I’m with Coco.

Are you Team Jay or Team Conan? I’m with Conan. I have been keeping track of this fine debate for the past several days, and I have decided that Conan is getting a raw deal. I will agree with several pundits ( I can’t believe that they are really debating this on “news” shows) in that the Late Night audience is not ready for Conan’s brand of humor, but I really enjoy him. I particularly love it when he adjusts his stance marionette-style, and who can deny that hair! (Conan- Don’t ever apologize for your perfect do!) NBC has totally denied Conan the opportunity to lead an institution of late night television. If Jay does go into the 11:35 (10:35) time slot he will just be competing with Stephen Colbert, and if comes down to Jay or Stephen I am team Stephen.

What is the lesson here? You are your own best advocate. In my experience as a working adult the best person to let your boss know how awesome you are is you. The best person to let your boss know how innovative & how much initiative you take is you. The best person to show you in your best light is you. Conan has put himself in his best light, by standing by what is important to him & saying, in a polite and courteous tone, “I am deciding what is best for me.”

I predict that NBC will do what they think is best for them (which is not what is best) and let Conan move along. Conan will undoubtedly not have any trouble finding another outlet, and so I wish him luck. Conan- Even though you are a guy I think you’re pretty & smart.

Hidden Comments on BOOZECATS

One of the blogs that I frequent is boozecats.com. As you know I really want a cat, and so these photo- shopped kitties are so funny! I discovered that if you hold your curser over the photo there are additional comments made. The comment does go along with the caption, and some of them will make you pee in your pants. Hope you enjoy, and don’t forget you’re pretty & smart.

I Love NPR!

I love NPR! Every morning I log in to my computer, and download Morning Edition, the previous day’s All Things Considered. I listen with interest and focus. I have learned, so much about this world that I live in.

This is what I learned about yesterday:

• There is a migrant worker/immigrant debate in Italy that has turned violent in the past week.
• 41.6% of people ages 12-54 are myopic (near sighted) as compared to 25% of the same age group in 1970’s.
• A study that was published in Nature Neuroscience may lead to another way of curing migraines (I suffer from migraines, so this is really interesting to me).
• Al-Qaida is contracting for terrorist attacks.
• The Cook County, Illinois County Prosecutor is looking into the methods that were used by students of the Innocence Project.

These random stories have helped me to know that the world is bigger than my home, work, family and friends.

Work Hard & Be Good

My mom drove me to school everyday until I went to college. When my mom dropped me off in the mornings, she would tell me “Work hard, and be good.” When I went to college she would tell me “Work hard, be good, and have fun, but not too much fun.” This was the bouquet that mom sent on my 20th birthday (the reason for the cookies is because she had her cell phone turned off all day on my BIRTHDAY!, but more on that in future posts). Please note that the cookie florist got the message mixed up, but you get the picture. I think that when I drop my future kids off at school in the mornings I am going to tell them “Work hard, be good, and you’re pretty and smart.”

This is My Daughter's Nephew

My mother, who recently retired, had a picture of The Nephew and me on her desk at work. Because I am pretty, and The Nephew is totally good looking there were tons of compliments on how great we look, and also questions on what my mother’s grandson’s name is. The answer to the inevitable question was always “He is my daughter’s nephew.” This did meet with some confusion. I am of the age when I could have kids, but The Nephew is not my child or my mother’s grandson.

I have a complicated family tree. I have 4 parents and 11 grandparents. One of the greatest things about being in my family is that all of my parents get along! So here is the key to the riddle: My mom is married to Jack. My dad is married to Joan. Joan is Sister Meg's mom, and Sister Meg is The Nephew’s mom (that's them in the photo). Got it? Good!

Lunch with Andrea

In high school I hung out with a small group of friends, but really never felt like I fit in (an ongoing theme in my life). There was one particular friend that I really hit it off with. If I was at a friend's house it was usually hers.

I did not go to my 10 year class reunion (several years ago), so I had missed an opportunity to see her. My husband's grandmother had passed away and there was a funeral to go to, but honestly I hadn't planned on going anyway.

The Saturday after Christmas I had lunch with Andrea-that's her with the big bright smile during our band days (that's me under the shoulder ropes). She was in town to see her parents, and had thought to connect with me. We hadn't seen each other in many years, maybe 10 (I know that I visited her when she was living in the dorm at UT), and a lot has changed in our lives. Andrea lives in Arizona. She works for a well known international company. She is investing in real estate. What different lives we lead!

When I used to hear about the adventures of my former classmates (several are medical doctors, and one even went to Korea to teach English before going to medical school!) I had felt like I hadn't accomplished anything. I almost felt like that with my old friend. Almost.

It's just not true that I haven't accomplished anything. I won't go into them here, but the things I have accomplished in my life has been done so the world may somehow be positively impacted, and not to be compared and/or diminished when placed in the same light as others.

So, it was so great to see my friend Andrea. I hope that we are able to stay in touch because it is so hard to find quality friends. Andrea's path was and is different than mine, but different isn't better. Andrea, thank you for your friendship then and now. I hope that you know how appreciated you were in my high school years, and I hope you know you're pretty and smart too.

Epiphany 2010

Today is the 15th anniversary of my grandmother’s passing. This is the picture that was in the paper last year (I would say the photo was taken in the 1970’s). I was 14 when she passed. I was about to turn 15. Now 15 years later I am about to be 30. It feels like she just passed, and it feels like she passed a lifetime ago.
Ruby Helen Maxwell Jordan died too young, too unknown, too loved to have left me. I need her and I have cried for her until my heart is about to fall from my chest.
About 3 months ago I went to her resting place. I went to tell her about all the things that she had missed. She told me she knew everything that I had told her. I went to tell her that the pain of her absence was too much to bear. She told me to let go and have peace.
I find peace in knowing Grandma is still guiding my decisions, still coloring my judgments, still letting me know what being loved feels like.

Here Kitty, Kitty

I want a cat. I want a cat real bad.

I grew up with cats from the age of five. The first cat we had was Jennifer. My mother was convinced that she and Jennifer were sisters in a past life. I would agree with this analysis. Jennifer adopted us when her pet parent just left her when they moved. RUDE! Jennifer was an only cat for awhile. One summer this little grey kitten joined us at the pool. She was beautiful! She was pointed with grey and tabby markings, and the person name of Ashley took hold. Ashley was a talker, and mainly loved to join you while you were *ahem* “giving-it-a-go”. Baby soon joined. There was Oscar, but he didn’t last very long and I couldn’t mention my kitty siblings without including him. When mom married Jack the brood was increased to 5 with Miss Kitty, and then Shadow. After a move to the country and a bit of time all of the original five have gone to kitty heaven. They went from old age, and some have gone the way of the coyote. (The rules are different for country cats and city cats.) There were of course other additions once I went to college, but they were my parents’ cats and not really mine. I remember my kitty sisters fondly. I love that there are pictures in photo albums of them. I know that Jennifer was named after my kindergarten best friend, that Ashley looked like ashes, that Baby was really named Amelia Peabody Emerson, that Miss Kitty was called Kitty until we (me & mom) decided she needed a real respectable name, and that Shadow could really sneak up on you when it was dark outside.

My husband has firmly said “NO!” to the idea of a litter box in the house, and thus to a cat. I am really sad over this. I really want a cat. Bad. The past two weeks I have had the pleasure to take care of Holly Cat (pictured above) & Emma Cat while my BFF was out of town. This has made the yearning for a cat stronger. Over New Year’s weekend Cats 101 was playing in marathon on the Animal Planet, and I watched every episode. I learned so much about cats. I learned that I really want a Maine Coon or a Ragdoll. These are huge cats! This has made the need for a cat even stronger. When I think about adding another furry friend (we have two dogs) to our family I think, “Must have, MUST HAVE NOW!”

New Year, New ...

Over the past six months I have been following several blogs. Most of the blog reading that I do has been during work hours. I currently work for a bank that was taken over by the FDIC in August. I work in the "back office", and my department is totally relying on the connections that are made in the retail banks. There hasn't been a ton of work. How many of you would like to get a loan from a bank that was taken over by the government, and is now in the hands of Spanish Overlords? Apparently not a lot.

My job will be ending at the beginning of March (I hope we are around that long), and with the beginning of March comes the beginning of my thirties. I have been inspired by two particular friends (Road Warriorette & OnHilStreet) to start to record my thoughts on my surroundings in blog form. Hopefully, what I have to say will resonate with more than just my group of close friends.