I did my best to avoid it. I have nonchalantly perused People and US Weekly magazines over the last couple of months in grocery store lines as the wedding of Prince William & Kate Middleton rapidly approached. Eh, another wedding. Whatever.
Whatever, indeed.
Over last weekend when I barely made it out of bed, let alone my pajamas, for the majority of the weekend, I stumbled upon Lifetime's marathon weekend covering the upcoming nuptials. I watched all about how William & Catherine met at St. Andrew's, how they broke up but she got him back by not laying around crying about it (but instead getting all gussied up and partying it up with her friends, looking like the most gorgeous thing in the world), how he proposed on a romantic trip to Kenya, how they broke all tradition and(GASP!) lived together before they were married.....you just can't help but to fall in love with them. They're SO normal! You literally feel like you could be their friend.
I wasn't alive when Prince Charles and Diana got married (the Wednesday before my own parents' wedding day - they were married 7/29/81, my mom and dad got married 8/1/81), but I remember with great clarity the night that Diana died in 1997....I remember staying up late with a friend and watching her funeral, and feeling so heartbroken for the two boys she left behind. I remember over the years understanding more and more about Diana and Prince Charles, their divorce, how Diana was treated before, during & after her marriage to Charles, her work with the "common people" - and as I turned on my TV this morning at 5:30 before getting ready for work, I couldn't help just hoping my hardest for William & Catherine - hopeful that their marriage would be different than that of William's parents. They're not much older than Chris & I, but the valleys and mountains we've experienced at least have been (mostly) private. Their entire lives are under a microscope. Every word, every outfit, every MOVE they make is being analyzed.
I just couldn't help smiling and unable to turn away from MSNBC this morning, especially as I watched Kate get into the car to the church, and watching her walk down that (LONG!) aisle....
There's just something about this wedding today that made me smile, and give an ear to the little girl that (like so many others) one day dreamed she'd get to wear a pretty crown and pretty white dress and walk down a long aisle to her very own prince. I didn't wear a crown, and Chris doesn't have any royal blood in him, but I did get to wear a beautiful white dress one day, and I got to walk down a (long) aisle, and I got to be a princess for a day. I got to literally feel the love for Chris & me from our friends and family on that first day of the "rest of our life together." I didn't get to have my first kiss as Chris' wife timed to the second on a royal balcony in front of hundreds of thousands, but it was a first kiss nonetheles and I still get goosebumps remembering.
What else can you say? Except for thank goodness for DVR.........off to watch some highlights!
Friday, April 29, 2011
Friday, April 22, 2011
Randoms
I'm really too tired to string together any real thoughts right now........but I have a lot on my mind. I'll do my best.
- This week marked 2 very sad anniversaries -
- > Oklahoma City bombing - 4/19/1995 - I remember coming home from school to a very sad and upset and 7ish months-pregnant mom, sobbing that she couldn't stand the world that she was about to bring another child into (Anthony was born just 6 short weeks later on 5/28).
- > Columbine - 4/20/1999 - has it really been 12 years? Wasn't I just sitting in some class as a freshman in high school when this happened???
- NFL Schedule for 2011 Season was released this week. Love that Dallas was 6-10 last year and still has a league-high 6 primetime games this fall & winter. 3 Sunday Nights (including the very 1st, at the NEW YORK Jets, on the 10th Anniversary of 9/11), 1 Monday Night (Washington, at home), 1 Saturday night (Christmas Eve, @ Tampa Bay) and their annual Thanksgiving Day game (Miami). If there is so much as ONE GAME not played due to this lockout business - well.........I will not be happy. Let's just put it that way. I don't even want to think about it.
- My last "official" day as the Columbus West Branch Administrator was today. My boss, Josh, & I met at 6:30 this morning for our last "one-on-one" and I was proud that I only teared up once. I can't remember a more stressful, busy, over-my-head, physically & mentally EXHAUSTING two weeks in my life, except for maybe during finals in college, but not really even then. Between training my replacement and letting some things go (not my strong suit) at my "old" branch......and getting situated and organized (will be a LONG process) at my "new" branch - well, thank God it is the weekend. I very well may not make it out of bed this weekend, let alone change out of pajamas. I am WORN OUT. I know my job isn't life and death by any means, but I definitely take pride in my work....and sometimes to my own detriment, get in over my head.
- I run the mini marathon 2 weeks from tomorrow. Dear Lord, please just let it be DRY. This rain is enough to make me crazy...........it's hard enough for me in long distances as it is without adding rain to the mix.
- We aren't going home for Easter this year, but unlike last year when I tried to find a ham for the 2 of us and could only find 7- and 8-pounders so we settled for pork chops instead - I found a small little ham for us and am busy trying to figure out what else to make. It sucks that we aren't going home, but with the mini in 2 weeks and it just not being a huge day for either of our families (outside of family dinners/ church) - it's nice kind of just having that day for ourselves. Easter is LATE this year! Wonder when the last time was that it was this late.....((note to self, google it!))
- Baby fever has continued to stay high. Don't think there's much chance of it breaking anytime soon. However, we have (thankfully) paid off/ paid down a few credit cards/ loans in the last months (thanks to our tax check and my profit sharing from work, wahoo!) and are now starting to "snowball" some of our other debt. I know you can never be TRULY ready...but by God we will be as ready as we can!
Monday, April 18, 2011
Dad
So, in the middle of my branch's month-end close last Friday, I look down and see a text from my Mom.
"Dad is out....very loopy but all is good to go!"
Huh?
Oh yeah. I knew that he was going in for a colonscopy last Friday, but it had slipped my mind (I suck as a daughter. Could also be becuase sometimes I am ultra aware of my own - and therefore my own parents' mortality. I know that my mom has always said that a parent should never have to bury their child, but I think it's just as cruel as a child burying a parent, at least before that child is at least 90....so therefore I try to push scary things like out of my mind. Childish? Probably). I immediately texted back telling my mom to give Dad a kiss for me and that I'd talk to her later, and that I was glad everything was okay.
Leave it to my Dad. The very Monday after he turned 50, he was on the phone with his doctor, scheduling what I don't really think is the most comfortable of procedures; one that most doctors have to prod and corral their patients into with threats and statistics.
My Dad is one of the most health conscious guys you'll meet. He doesn't eat the best stuff for him all the time, but he's super aware of eating vegetables and his fiber and all that stuff. He runs whenever he can and lifts weights on his way into the house everyday from work. But he is terrified of being one of those stories....one that just scares me to death to even think, but isn't it always the case? That guy at the grocery store, loading up his cart with chips and Mighty Man (Hungry Man?) meals and ice cream.....with a pack of cigarettes checking out.....that will live til he's 115. Healthy guys, guys with 6 or 10% body fat, with perfectly good hearts and what have you......well, they don't.
Chris lost his dad when he was 2 days shy of 10 years old. I know Chris thinks about him everyday, and we sometimes talk about his dad. What was he like? Was he funny? Did he tell good stories? What is your favorite memory of him? How have you felt on some of the biggest days of your life, him not being there - graduation, our wedding day........how will you feel when we have our first child?
I can't imagine my life without my Dad. And so for another 10 years at least, we don't have to worry about his colon. :) Everything else - well, that's in God's hands. But surely God knows what a troublemaker my Dad is.........he just takes the good ones early, right?
I kid, and I'm being flippant about a very serious thing. So I'll leave it at this. Thank God my Dad is around for awhile longer.
"Dad is out....very loopy but all is good to go!"
Huh?
Oh yeah. I knew that he was going in for a colonscopy last Friday, but it had slipped my mind (I suck as a daughter. Could also be becuase sometimes I am ultra aware of my own - and therefore my own parents' mortality. I know that my mom has always said that a parent should never have to bury their child, but I think it's just as cruel as a child burying a parent, at least before that child is at least 90....so therefore I try to push scary things like out of my mind. Childish? Probably). I immediately texted back telling my mom to give Dad a kiss for me and that I'd talk to her later, and that I was glad everything was okay.
Leave it to my Dad. The very Monday after he turned 50, he was on the phone with his doctor, scheduling what I don't really think is the most comfortable of procedures; one that most doctors have to prod and corral their patients into with threats and statistics.
My Dad is one of the most health conscious guys you'll meet. He doesn't eat the best stuff for him all the time, but he's super aware of eating vegetables and his fiber and all that stuff. He runs whenever he can and lifts weights on his way into the house everyday from work. But he is terrified of being one of those stories....one that just scares me to death to even think, but isn't it always the case? That guy at the grocery store, loading up his cart with chips and Mighty Man (Hungry Man?) meals and ice cream.....with a pack of cigarettes checking out.....that will live til he's 115. Healthy guys, guys with 6 or 10% body fat, with perfectly good hearts and what have you......well, they don't.
Chris lost his dad when he was 2 days shy of 10 years old. I know Chris thinks about him everyday, and we sometimes talk about his dad. What was he like? Was he funny? Did he tell good stories? What is your favorite memory of him? How have you felt on some of the biggest days of your life, him not being there - graduation, our wedding day........how will you feel when we have our first child?
I can't imagine my life without my Dad. And so for another 10 years at least, we don't have to worry about his colon. :) Everything else - well, that's in God's hands. But surely God knows what a troublemaker my Dad is.........he just takes the good ones early, right?
I kid, and I'm being flippant about a very serious thing. So I'll leave it at this. Thank God my Dad is around for awhile longer.
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Overwhelmed
Seems to be a common theme to my life here lately. But I am. Absolutely worn out.
It has been another hellacious week, and it's not even over yet. My replacement started on Monday, so I've been doing my best to bundle up the last 2.5 years of my work life into a neat little ball to nicely hand her. But of course, my job is anything but neat and orderly, and I'm just doing my best not to overwhelm the poor girl into saying "forget this!" and walk out the door. Thankfully, she's quick and catches on fast and I'm just praying she fits right into my place without any major wrinkles (fingers crossed).
I went to (the start of) my new branch's close today.......dear Lord. My new branch is a mess. A disaster is putting it mildly. They haven't had a constant administrator that knew WTF they were doing in over a year, and it shows. I have a big mountain of work ahead of me, but I just have to keep telling myself that I'm only one person, that that branch didn't turn into a mess overnight so I can't expect to fix it in one night, and the people I'm "moving in" with are all cool people, especially my new boss - he's only been at Brickman since August, and I'm looking forward to a whole new perspective and a kind of fresh start.
At least I have a job. And I'm good at it (most days).
I just have to hang in there for just a couple more weeks until I get settled. And then maybe I'll quit with random crying fits on the way home from the pressure of too many, possibly unrealistic? expectations. And also falling right into a deep sleep every night, just to wake up at 2.....2:30.....3.....4....4:30....each time tossing and turning with all of the tasks awaiting me the next day.
Yawn.
It has been another hellacious week, and it's not even over yet. My replacement started on Monday, so I've been doing my best to bundle up the last 2.5 years of my work life into a neat little ball to nicely hand her. But of course, my job is anything but neat and orderly, and I'm just doing my best not to overwhelm the poor girl into saying "forget this!" and walk out the door. Thankfully, she's quick and catches on fast and I'm just praying she fits right into my place without any major wrinkles (fingers crossed).
I went to (the start of) my new branch's close today.......dear Lord. My new branch is a mess. A disaster is putting it mildly. They haven't had a constant administrator that knew WTF they were doing in over a year, and it shows. I have a big mountain of work ahead of me, but I just have to keep telling myself that I'm only one person, that that branch didn't turn into a mess overnight so I can't expect to fix it in one night, and the people I'm "moving in" with are all cool people, especially my new boss - he's only been at Brickman since August, and I'm looking forward to a whole new perspective and a kind of fresh start.
At least I have a job. And I'm good at it (most days).
I just have to hang in there for just a couple more weeks until I get settled. And then maybe I'll quit with random crying fits on the way home from the pressure of too many, possibly unrealistic? expectations. And also falling right into a deep sleep every night, just to wake up at 2.....2:30.....3.....4....4:30....each time tossing and turning with all of the tasks awaiting me the next day.
Yawn.
Friday, April 8, 2011
Finally Friday
Thank the dear Lord. This week is finally over.
It has been a long, and stressful, and BUSY week. It was finally made official this week that I am leaving the only branch I've worked at since I moved here, and moving to the other side of town. The new BA for my branch starts Monday.
I'm really excited for the opportunity to move........and just ready to get the next couple of weeks over with. I'm a horrible teacher (just as I was horrible at group projects as a kid; I wanted things done my way and my pace) and I'm really nervous about shoving the last 2.5 years of what I know into the next week or so. I know I'll only be across town, but while I don't want to overwhelm the poor girl, I don't want to leave anything out. Plus, I'm ready to get settled in with my new team, who hasn't had a steady BA for a year and a half-------which equals the whole place has run amuck (amuk?) for all that time, and is a mess. Fortunately, process is my middle name........if I am nothing else, I know how to do things by the book!
But this week was just crazy - between month end, the old East BA quitting, the North BA on a spontaneous vacation and other random things...............I'm exhausted. I cannot wait to sleep in in the morning.
Alleluia weekend.
It has been a long, and stressful, and BUSY week. It was finally made official this week that I am leaving the only branch I've worked at since I moved here, and moving to the other side of town. The new BA for my branch starts Monday.
I'm really excited for the opportunity to move........and just ready to get the next couple of weeks over with. I'm a horrible teacher (just as I was horrible at group projects as a kid; I wanted things done my way and my pace) and I'm really nervous about shoving the last 2.5 years of what I know into the next week or so. I know I'll only be across town, but while I don't want to overwhelm the poor girl, I don't want to leave anything out. Plus, I'm ready to get settled in with my new team, who hasn't had a steady BA for a year and a half-------which equals the whole place has run amuck (amuk?) for all that time, and is a mess. Fortunately, process is my middle name........if I am nothing else, I know how to do things by the book!
But this week was just crazy - between month end, the old East BA quitting, the North BA on a spontaneous vacation and other random things...............I'm exhausted. I cannot wait to sleep in in the morning.
Alleluia weekend.
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Exhaustion
The last couple of weeks have been a whirlwind. A hurricane. An absolute mess.
And I am exhausted.
Long story short, there are 4 maintenance branches in Columbus. I run one (well, am an Admin for one, but everyone knows that's the same thing), West. There's a good BA at South. The one at East has been worthless since she started and she finally threw in the towel Monday. The one at North is on a random vacation, and it's end of month week.
I knew that the East BA was about out of there, so I kind of jumped ahead of the game to see if I could have the opportunity to transfer. Without going into too much of the lonnnnnnng, drawn out story for the 19075123rd time.........it just seems that it is time to move. NOW.
So. In the last 2 weeks since we've been back from Chicago, and the 2 before it, we've had a major company-wide project going on (basically putting all customer information into one database where anyone, anywhere in Brickman, can see it). Of course my branch's task in this fell onto my desk (shock!) which has kept me busy enough as it is........on top of everything else that is my job - snow's over, but that just means we're dead in the middle of mulch. And getting ready to mow. And ordering flowers. It never ends. Oh yeah, and sales season is wrapping up.................and we're never fully staffed so I'm doing new hire paperwork ALL THE FREAKING TIME.
Anyway - I was able to meet with my potential-soon-to-be-boss on Friday (after my now-boss found out the majority of the story...at least the parts that weren't "not nice"), and we really got along well. Besides cleaning up the mess that has been the last year, I'm looking forward to a good change of pace.......new boss, new OMs, new AMs, a different office and one of the most important things - it's merged with the Division Office which is where all the Regional and Divisional Managers work.
But in the middle of all this, I'm basically trying to not abandon my own branch, help out my new one until I get there, and do all of that without cloning myself.
Oh yeah, and I run the mini in 31 days. Holy hell. I'll be ready. I'll have to be. But dear lord, it'd be nice to get some sleep in between now and then!
And I am exhausted.
Long story short, there are 4 maintenance branches in Columbus. I run one (well, am an Admin for one, but everyone knows that's the same thing), West. There's a good BA at South. The one at East has been worthless since she started and she finally threw in the towel Monday. The one at North is on a random vacation, and it's end of month week.
I knew that the East BA was about out of there, so I kind of jumped ahead of the game to see if I could have the opportunity to transfer. Without going into too much of the lonnnnnnng, drawn out story for the 19075123rd time.........it just seems that it is time to move. NOW.
So. In the last 2 weeks since we've been back from Chicago, and the 2 before it, we've had a major company-wide project going on (basically putting all customer information into one database where anyone, anywhere in Brickman, can see it). Of course my branch's task in this fell onto my desk (shock!) which has kept me busy enough as it is........on top of everything else that is my job - snow's over, but that just means we're dead in the middle of mulch. And getting ready to mow. And ordering flowers. It never ends. Oh yeah, and sales season is wrapping up.................and we're never fully staffed so I'm doing new hire paperwork ALL THE FREAKING TIME.
Anyway - I was able to meet with my potential-soon-to-be-boss on Friday (after my now-boss found out the majority of the story...at least the parts that weren't "not nice"), and we really got along well. Besides cleaning up the mess that has been the last year, I'm looking forward to a good change of pace.......new boss, new OMs, new AMs, a different office and one of the most important things - it's merged with the Division Office which is where all the Regional and Divisional Managers work.
But in the middle of all this, I'm basically trying to not abandon my own branch, help out my new one until I get there, and do all of that without cloning myself.
Oh yeah, and I run the mini in 31 days. Holy hell. I'll be ready. I'll have to be. But dear lord, it'd be nice to get some sleep in between now and then!
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