Feb 28, 2008

the saga continues...

so.

just when you think it couldn't get worse....you get to work and open up your email.

myself, and the rest of the management team, got an email this a.m. from the paging department in Valley Forge. to paraphrase, they reminded us that we still had 23 ads in waiting for the section of the book paging today.

and then actually had the cahones to ask if we weren't working the waiting reports, designed to clear said pages.

oh.no.you.didn't.just.say.that.

we were all up in arms. but, feeling we didn't have a leg to stand on, because yes we have messed up lately, we sucked it up.

but we were pissed.

me especially.

i found myself later in the manager's office (calm down, just talking, i'm not in trouble) and venting again (i had said the same thing to my supervisor just an hour earlier).

i'm not paranoid. but kids, this sniping is nothing more than them venting because we came out there to try & help them, and instead the office eventually was closed. see? they say. you're not as big as you think you are. you can't even get our stuff clear and WE got CLOSED.

do not get me started again on that whole fiasco of the months we all spent there.

and my manager agreed with me.

dang. i feel good! i'm not paranoid, so i won't be in the local state hospital wearing a 'hug me' jacket.

oh, and did i also mention the conversation my supervisor had with me? no? well, file this under the 'what the $%&*#$!!' department.

'can we talk?' he says.

'yeah, what's up?' thinking, oh mercy. what have i done now?

'um....you're gonna hate me.'

not yet. but the day is still young, i think.

'can you cancel your vacation next month?'

oh.no.you.didn't.

my vacation. my trip. to see Keith.

i don't hate you. i may just have to maim you and slash yer tires.
(ed. note: we at *random thoughts do not, under any circumstanced condone violence. unless it's for revenge and you're absolutely positive you can get away with it.)

um. no. sorry, i say. i have an nonrefundable air ticket.

which i do.

oh, he says. then never mind. it's just that we're gonna be so busy then, and...

dude. we are gonna be so busy then, and after that, and after that...and besides, if i do not go, my sister in law will be out cash, as will i.

so, after that major heart attack-slash-stroke, all is well in LotusLand.

for now.



oh, and by the way. my manager called the other publishing office, the one that sent the rude email? she read them the riot act, and they actually had the cahones to say 'i offended people with my email? why good golly, i don't see how!!'

it's no wonder i'm nucking futz.

Feb 27, 2008

work is for people who aren't a ward of the state.

i had a moment today - a moment of absolute clarity when everything was crystal clear.

i realized what it felt like to be on the verge of a nervous breakdown.

this is the craziest, nuttiest, most insane place i've ever been. and i've been to Hollywood.

my job is really simple. make sure we are clear on all ads that go to the printer for the many phone books we print.

easy peasy super squeezy.

until.

until the Valley Forge office closed. until our office and the Florida office split their directories.
until i learned that on the day they say books are paging, they're really not. it's a "cut-off'' only in word.

because they continue to process new ads for these books right up till the time the book is being shipped to the printer.

and because they're three hours ahead of us, they have given us a cut-off of 11am.
which is reasonable.
until you factor in the guy in our office who makes sure the copysheets are in our system. he doesn't come in until 8am.

then he receives the ads into our computer system.

later - he hands them off to be worked. about an hour later. it doesn't leave much time for us to work, proof and completed the ads.

then i'm the one getting my butt kicked because we weren't clear by 11.
or 2pm, for our local books.

like i said, i realized today how it must feel to be having a nervous breakdown. we're all running around insanely, trying to be clear in time.

then my little assistant girlie tells me today that she's putting in her two weeks notice.

dang. just when i was starting to get her up to speed.

it's frustrating. i have no feeling of, at the end of the day, that i worked hard and accomplished something. instead, i leave feeling like i just eeked by.

only to get my ass kicked again tomorrow.

*sigh*

i know in the grand scheme of things, it really doesn't matter. but, like most things in life, it's part of my life. i'm stuck with it.

until i win the lotto. come on, lucky numbers!

Feb 26, 2008

from the fly on the wall...

(or how Valerie was a smart-ass. again.)

the other day at lunch, we were having a rather animated discussion on our fearless youth.

our own. not the nation's.

you know...things we did when we were younger that now we shake our heads at and wonder how it was we weren't killed.

so as the conversation progressed, we reminisced about road trips we took. by ourselves. with no cell phones. about chances taken that we never would chance again. and in the conversation, one of our lunchmates mentions how she drove out to the desert.

by herself.

to find a guy.

that she had a crush on.

and surprise him.

niiiice.

then, somehow, the conversation changed (we do that a lot) to...online dating. and the same girlie says that a guy she's talking to overseas wants her to get a webcam.

and yes, probably for what you're thinking.

anywhoooo...

she says, 'i told him i didn't want to get one. i just don't think it's cool to watch while you chat.'

um, wait?

so Yours Truly says - 'wait. you won't get a webcam but you'll drive out to the desert to find a guy you were interested in.'

one of these days...i'll learn.

Feb 24, 2008

meme redux

while i'm still on my Keith high, i recognize the fact that not everyone wants me to continue talking..er, writing about it until next month.

those people are bitter.

so, for those small section of my blogging public, i present this, tagged by Linda.

The rules for the meme are:Link to the person who tagged you.Post the rules on your blog.Share six non important things/habits/quirks about yourself.Tag someone at the end of your post by linking to their blogs.Let each random person know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their website.

hmmm. first off, i'm not so deep that i have more things/habits/quirks that i haven't already shared.

i could make up stuff. or recycle. you guess which is which.

1) i HATE styrofoam. have i not mentioned this before? i will buy eggs ONLY in a pressboard box. if i get something encased in styrofoam, someone else needs to take it out of the box for me.
while i leave the room.
no kidding.

2) i took ballet for years. it had no effect on my coordination and/or grace. and in my first (and from what i remember only) recital, i was a cat. the costume had ears. and a tail.

3) on my grad night, we went to Knott's Berry Farm. the guy i went with & i got the bright idea to buy a rabbit from their petting zoo (it's since been eliminated). we shared custody.
during my month of custody, while i was cleaning the cage, my auntie let our dog out in the back yard. poor rabbit had a heart attack and died the next day. imagine getting that phone call - the rabbit died.

4) i always tap the top of my soda cans before i open 'em. like that's gonna keep 'em from exploding.

5) Tim Pederson was my first crush. he had shaggy blonde hair and always wore an old school Mickey Mouse sweatshirt.

6) i used to collect spoons. you know, those souvenir ones? the little ones? then, it was anything with a rainbow on it. then unicorns.
no, not really. never liked unicorns.
then it was teddy bears. then cows. now i collect scrapbook supplies.

word.

i tag you, if you want to play. but since le rules state i need to tag specifics, i tag Tug and Susie.



and did i mention i'm seeing Keith next month?

Feb 23, 2008

happy dance time!!


holy freaking crap. i'm about to wet my chonies.
what - too much information? again??
that is Keith Urban. second only to Donny in my book for talent and sheer yummy factor.
and i have a date with him.
oh fine. so i'm in a group date with 50,000 screaming chickies. with a scattering of men. but daaaaaaang.
i'm gonna go see Keee-thhhh, i'm gonna go see Keee-thhhh!
i just bought my air ticket, and, next month, my butt is on a plane to Reno, then my sister-in-law and i are off to Sacramento.
to see Keith.
holy.freaking.crap.
and while i'm sorry that Maureen's original date had to bow out, well...
i'm not all that sorry.
and Jax, i know - you think he's greasy. but i don't care.
i'm seeing Keith next month.
woo-hoo!!!

Feb 22, 2008

bless you.

sick.
bad cold.
head hurts.
too much snot.
(too much information?)
lotsa NyQuil.
Husband getting it now.
i'm not popular.



(speaking of, he's going back for a second interview as we speak. more info...)

Feb 19, 2008

in a nutshell.

fun.

i have had fun the last few days.

i just had to go through hell to get it.

let's start with Friday, shall we?

i was supposed to have a half day for vacation. i had planned to go with my mom (at the last minute) to go to the Scrapbook Expo here in the O.C. then, at the last minute, my boss took it away because we were sooooo stinking busy and gave me two hours off instead.

off to the Expo. there's shopping to be done!

my poor mom is walking so poorly lately. i'm really hoping the knee surgery she has scheduled for next month works.

i'm not holding my breath.

Happy Hannah here.

anyways - we did some shopping and got home in time to find that we weren't packed yet.

we packed hurridly.

i forgot my comb AND my brush.

dumbass.

we made it up to my friend's house and Saturday morning we were off to Dumont Dunes. it's about 40 minutes outside of Baker (halfway between LA & Vegas) and there we met up with some of my friend's camping buddies and set up camp.

we ate. they rode quads. we checked out the mall set up there with all the hotties and their fake boobies.

man, that was funny.

almost as funny as Sunday night.

one of our camp members brought a TV and the DVD "The Hills Have Eyes." does it sound scary? oh youbetcha. and funny, too.

funny? because we started tormenting my friend's 15 year old daughter by turning off the power in their trailer, banging on the walls and making scary noises.

it's fun being mean to girls!

then back to reality.

i went back to work to find that the CEO of our company is no longer. i say fired. no one is saying, naturally, but our stock was down to $7.45.

it was $22 last month.

not good.

so it'll be interesting to see how this goes. especially since we're doing a reorganization in my department. i'm OK, but some of the ad designers i work with are going to find themselves in new jobs in and out of our department.

ah, ch-ch-ch-changes.

more to come.

i'm off to make an acrylic album. i might as well have some fun.

happy Monday, kids.

p.s. - i made a new batch of bread pudding tonight. it will have a note on it.
DO NOT TOSS. THIS IS STILL GOOD.

Feb 13, 2008

in sympathy.

thank you.

i don't deserve it.

and apparently, not the bread pudding, either.

but i AM getting over it. really.

he apparently did think it was bad, since it sat out overnight. he also didn't realize it was a WW dessert.

um, hello? why in the world would i make THAT much of a dessert that we couldn't eat, except in oh so small portions.

oh well. it's time to move on.

only from the dessert, not the Husband.

Feb 12, 2008

never EVER mess with a Fat Girl's Dessert -OR- how to piss off your spouse in one easy step!

the anger has abated.

somewhat.

but i still need to hurt him.

who? the Husband.

why? he threw out my newly made bread pudding.

my Weight Watchers bread pudding.

and holy crap, was it goooooood. not only that, it took me over an hour to put together and bake.

it's all i could think about today. 'i'm gonna go home, and get me some way super yummy only four points bread pudding.'

i walked into the kitchen and i saw the dead body, er, pan in the sink.

with water in said pan. i really considered scraping the watery remains off the edges and eating 'em.

it's gone. it is not in another pan. it is not in a bag. it is nowhere to be found in the refrigerator.

it is not there, Sam-i-Am.

i don't know why it got tossed. it was good. it was WAY good. it was crusty. it had wonderful leftover potential.

Kristie, when i called her, and also shared the opinion that he.must.DIE, suggested that maybe he ate it all. duuuuude. if he did, i AM nasty enough to hope that he got a belly ache to beat all belly aches, since there was 3/4s of the pan left.

clearly, i'm not over it.

luckily for him, he's at school tonight. my wrath will fade with time.
unluckily for him, we're camping with Kristie and the kids this weekend.
in Baker.
in the desert.

accidents do happen. and he is insured.

guys - let this be a lesson to you. never. under any circumstances. should you mess with your wife's desserts.

they might be dieting, and PMSing (sorry, only one of those two applies to me) at the same time.
and you might suddenly find yourself camping in the desert.

Feb 10, 2008

i really need some therapy.

it occured to me, late last night, that i.am.weird.

and the Greek chorus said 'aMEN.'

let me back up, and give some more info.



Thursday night was my class, and i didn't want to go.

this whole week at work has been horrible.
hor-ree-ble.
late nights. early mornings.
Thursday was no exception. i normally work till 3:30, this night i left @ 5pm.

i asked Brendan to make dinner.

and just as i was pulling into our parking, he calls me and suggests i get something on the way to the class. which would be great, except now it's 5:30, and i still have to pack up my tools AND the store is about 25 minutes away.

oh. goody.

so on my way to the store, i really wonder why i'm doing this. i'm tired. i'm stuck, because i've paid for the class, so i'll get the kit, but dang.

daaaaang.

i am way too tired for this.

and i argued myself right into the store's parking lot.

so.glad.i.did.

the class was great. i told Brendan when i got home (in between eating my dinner two hours later) that if nothing else, it was worth it just to learn how to use the Zutter.

then, i had a brilliant idea.
i'll make a mini acrylic album for one of the members of our work birthday dinner group, whose niece had a baby last year.

it turned out mighty cute, if i do say so myself.
and instantly i wondered what the heck i was doing.

while i love kneeling at the altar of our Lady of the Most Blessed Paper Crafting, i realize it ain't for everyone.

and this woman, the great aunt of said baby, doesn't go for crafting. which, again, is fine.
but she's an Eeyore in human skin.
nothing makes her happy. ever.

you know that old saying, 'if you can't say anything nice, come sit next to me?' yep, that's her. she will snipe on and about everything, and i wondered why i was setting myself up for it.

she'll never say anything to me. that would be impolite. but if she doesn't like something, she'll talk.

just not to your face.

and here i am, setting myself up for hell. tormenting myself by wondering what she's gonna say about it.

how dumb is that?

why am i not able to stop thinking about that? about a situation that has a chance, albeit as slim one, that it may not happen at all? that perhaps, just perhaps...she'll speak well of it to both sides of me.

my face AND my back.

see? therapy. i needs me some.

Feb 6, 2008

pump up the stomach, pump it upppppp.

tomorrow.


it all starts tomorrow.


a new era in husband/wife relations.


he.is.cooking.


we have been together for 10+ years - and i can count on one hand (just a few fingers) how many times he's cooked for me.


actually, i think only once. and it was for Valentine's.


but tomorrow. it all begins.


i'm going to a scrapbooking class that i booked before the layoff. it starts at 6, and i suggested he cook dinner.


ohicantcookibarelycookedwheniwassinglebesidesyouremuchbetteratitthaniam.


dude. all you have to to is follow the receipe.


and with that, i handed him the cookbook, told him what page it was on and where he could find the ingredients i purchased.


it could be a red-letter day in the O'Mahony household. not only am i making this:


but i'm having dinner cooked for me.

now if only i could get a massage.

updates tomorrow.

Feb 4, 2008

Monday's child is full of it.

crazy weekend.
crazy Monday.

weighed in on Sunday and, while Husband and i ate ALL THE SAME DAMN CRAP, he was kind enough to lose TWO FLIPPING POUNDS whilst i GAINED a stinking 4/10ths of a pound.

that ain't right.

hence, why when i got home tonight, i made a boatload of Garden Veggie Soup. zero points, dontcha know.

i'll show you, bloody scale.

yesterday, we went to a Super, er....Big Game party, and while he had a beer and various other goodies, i, on the other hand, drank diet Coke, ate a buttload of veggies and one small sammich. at the very end of the party, i caved and ate 6 BBQ chips.

but daaaaaaamn. they were gooooooooood.

we also had a substitute leader at our meeting. i know the meetings are good for us, but man, they are dry.

as in bor-ring.

but this one did catch my attention when she mentions making a 2 point margarita.

two point margarita?! i'm all ears.

make Crystal Light lemonade. add fresh lime juice to taste. add ice to your cup and add 2oz (one shot) of tequila.

there you go. a two point margarita.

i.must.try.


on to other things. it's been forever since i've done a meme. while some of you may be rejoicing, i know others freaking do not care about my WW trials and whining.

for you - here we go. rub-a-dub-dub...stole this from Tug.

(hmmm. creative, no?)



1. If your doctor told you TODAY that you were pregnant, what would you say?
well, i'd probably be in ER, because i would've passed out from shock. then been running out to get EVERYTHING I COULD IN THE MATERNITY SECTION.

2. Do you trust all of your friends?
my 'on hand' friends - absolutely. (the ones you can count on hand for anything...the ones that would go through the gates of hell to bring you some diet Coke.)

3. Would you move to another state or country to be with the one you love?
hey - i gave up a freaking Disneyland annual pass for this guy. as Kristie will vouch - that, my friends, is love.

4. Do you believe that everything happens for a reason?
99 44/100% of the time. some things i still don't get. and likely never will.

5. Can you make a dollar in change right now?
sure. probably a couple of dollars worth of change.

6. Which one of your friends do you think would make the best doctor?
LOL - because of their bedside manner or because they would tell it like it is? because i really don't want to know which one is best at rectal thermometers.

7. Are you afraid of falling in love?
nope, but i'm afraid sometimes of losing it.

what happened to #8?

9. Is there someone who pops into your mind at random times?
why yes! just today, i passed a street on the way to work called Mungall. i then remembered a girl i went to elementary school with named Sharon Mungall. great. i can remember a chick from elementary school, but can't tell you what i had for dinner on Saturday.

10. What’s your most favorite scar?
my back scar. because it doesn't hurt back there any more. and because i'm still mad at myself that i didn't think of Kristie's idea of drawing a Christmas tree on the scar right after my surgery, taking a picture and using it for our Christmas cards. stupid, stupid, stupid!

11. When was the last time you flew in a plane?
my last trip to Reno...sigh...

12. What did the last text message you sent say?
i was gloating to my best male friend (that i don't sleep with) that i was at Disneyland and he wasn't. come to think of it, i gloated to Kristie as well...hmmm..

13. What features do you find most attractive in the preferred sex?
humor. but hands is what i notice first.

14. Fill in the blank. I love ________.…
rock & roll. put another dime in the jukebox baby.

15. What is a goal you would like to accomplish in the near future?
too many. i actually started a 'bucket list' the other day. i'm exhausted just reading it, but that's a post for another day.

16. If you were to wake up from being in a coma for an extended time who would you call?
like i'd remember their phone numbers.

17. How many kids do you want to have?
i always wanted two. but as the whole infertility thing raised its ugly head, i would've been happy with one.

18. Would you make a good parent?
i think so...i would've been the 'crazy mommy,' embarassing the crap outta my kid.

19. Where was your favorite picture taken?
i am not a fan of any photos my mug is in. right now, my favorite photos are of Dean and Erin at my last Reno trip. yum.

20. What’s your middle name? Lynn

21. Honestly, what’s on your mind right now?
please, Lord, don't let tomorrow be as crappy as today.

22. If you could go back in time and change something, what would it be?
the whole baby thing. 'nuff said.

23. Who was or will be the maid of honor/ best man in your wedding?
Kristie. after all, she's one of my bestest ever friends and she's responsible (along with her mom) for Brendan & myself. she might as well be a witness.

24. What are you wearing right now?
my work clothes. soon to be jammies.

25. Righty or Lefty?
righty-tighty!

26. Best place to eat?
right here. i am grateful beyond words for WW cookbooks!

27. Favorite jeans?
the latest jeans (they call 'em 'premium') from Target. leg's not too wide, and they bloody sit at my waist! it's a miracle!!

28. Favorite Animal?
the ones that clean up after themselves. but right now, it would be cats.

29. Favorite juice?
Orange. Mixed with champagne would be great, thanks for asking! (me too!)

30. Have you had the chicken pox?
no clue. and my mom cannot remember, either.

31. Have you had a sore throat?
oh yeah. if you have allergies, you have sore throats. they suck.

32. Ever had a bar fight?
naaah. i was the chicken under the table or running like heck out the door.

33. Who knows you the best?
Kristie & Maureen. Brendan's in there, too, but let's face it, girls - our girlfriends sometimes know more than guys do. and remember it, too.

34. Shoe size? 9 1/2

35. Do you wear contact lenses or glasses?
um, that would be trifocals. never wanted contacts, i hate things in my eyes.

36. Ever been in a fight with your pet?
oh yeah - the Cat & i fight for bed space most nights.

37. Been to Mexico?
*sigh* i was just reliving my last Mexican weekend...six years ago.

38. Did you buy something today?
sure! zucchini! carrots! cabbage!!

39. Did you get sick today?
nope - for once!

40. Do you miss someone today?
yeah - a work friend who left for greener pastures.

41. Did you get in a fight with someone today?
i'm Irish. we fight over everything. so what? big whoop. wanna fight about it??

42. When is the last time you had a massage?
like i can remember that.

43. Last person to lie in your bed?
the Husband and the cat.

44. Last person to see you cry?
me

45. Who made you cry?
i'll take the Fifth.

46. What was the last TV show you watched?
Alton, naturally.

47. What are your plans for the weekend?
work.work.work.work.work.sleep.weigh-in.

48. Who do you think will repost this?
Linda. Jacquie. maybe April?

49. Who was the last person you hung out with?
the people i work with - woo-hooo! party over heee-reee!

50. If your significant other asked you to marry them TODAY, what would you say?
i'd say yes. in spite of it all.

next!

Feb 1, 2008

there's a reason why it's the Happiest Place on Earth.

Disneyland, unless you are from Uranus, is known as the Happiest Place on Earth.

*snicker. i said Uranus.*

and probably called that because they can get dang near $3 for a diet Coke.

duuude. that's just wrong.

but yeah, i did buy some. well...only one.

it was overcast, it was cold (the weather. not the Coke. well, wait - it was cold, too.)and it was packed. but at least it was comfy packed.
which means the longest time we waited for a ride was 25 minutes. which is niiiiice.


and yes, we did go on Nemo Submarine Voyage. it was OK. not take my breath away, this is the most amazing thing EVER. but still cool.

just keep swimming.

it's what we waited 25 minutes for. which was fine, because for most of the day it was an hour wait to get on this ride.
we just happened to catch it just as they reopened the ride after it sorta, kinda broke down. and i would so NOT want to be on a submarine stuck in a lagoon, even if you really aren't as deep as you feel like you are.


these two are in the middle of the lagoon. and yes, they do say 'mine!'

you should know this. it started the Wonderful World of Disney every Sunday night.

and some of the most amazing landscaping ever.





that's the Matterhorn. to the right is what used to be the Rocket Jets, before they moved 'em to the front of the entrance of Tomorrowland. and that handsome devil in the tan jacket is some guy i know.

the mill at Pirates Lair at Tom Sawyer's Island.

OK. there's more, but Blogger doesn't want to add more. whatever.

we had a blast. we SO did NOT eat WW sanctioned food. but! we did a ton of walking, so that makes up for it, right?

right???

so on Thursday, i get this email from Maureen...my sister-in-law:

And you are SO in trouble! Whaddaymean you're off to Disneyland? Dean is jealous and mad at you, not to take away from your day or anything....

But as he left for the bus stop this morning, he kept muttering, that's not fair, Aunt Valerie and Uncle Brendan shouldn't go without me....they won't have as much fun without me... I asked him why? He responded, I'm a kid and they would have WAY more fun with a kid then going by themselves.... I said, Well maybe, but they are allowed to have there own fun and besides, I'll bet if we lived near them, they would take you.... Mommy, LET"S MOVE! and off he went.....

Boyo - if you were down here, you betcha you & your sister would be going with us. and i would've had more fun than humans are allowed to have.

and you would eat all the cotton candy your tummy could handle.

just don't tell your mom.