crossrhodes

It is so flattering when you realize people actually pay attention to you. At a company brunch this morning, the team roasted us s (the admin team) and presented us with parting gifts. Each of our managers went shopping for gifts that were meaningful to us. Most were gag gifts accompanied by an inside joke. But one of the guys actually remembered what I am into! I would’ve never guessed it since he and I never talk about tuff. But he remembered my hobby, my diet, my major in school, and even my secret tattoo that only a few of the s knew about. So he got me a scrapbooking book, a low-carb diet book, “Operation” the board game (since I’m majoring in allied health), and an illustrated book of tattoos :) It was like Christmas at the er Barrell this morning! Awesome!

So now what? I’m officially unemployed. Yey!!! At least for the rest of the semester and thru James’ band season. I’ll probably be looking for another job after the holidays since I’ll only have 2 classes next semester. But now that I have more time at home, I plan to:

• Get back on my scrapbook table (my lifestory is only half complete)
• Catch up on housework (like, in a major way)
• Cook more, eat out less
• Be more disciplined about my studies (learning’s cool but school sucks)
• See my family more often

Speaking of which, I’m babysitting my 6-month old neice and 4-yo nephew tomorrow. I can handle my nephew - he can speak English when he needs something. I’m more anxious about the baby tho coz her vocabulary is still pretty limited to one-syllable vowels (ooo! eee! aaa!). And I’ve never cared for an infant all by myself. But my brother and SIL seem to trust me with their kids and Don’s confident that there’s nothing to babysitting an infant (he won’t be there, of course). So we’ll see. I am excited to see my babies coz it seems like forever (since school started) since I saw them. I’m having withdrawal symptoms :)

This is the funniest thing I’ve seen in Blogistan. I took the world’s quickest personality test (one question - pick a picture). Surprisingly, the results were pretty acurate. Or you tell me…

Your Personality Profile

You are dependable, popular, and observant. Deep and thoughtful, you are prone to moodiness. In fact, your emotions tend to influence everything you do. You are unique, creative, and expressive. You don’t mind waving your freak flag every once and a while. And lucky for you, most people find your weird ways charming!

For James… he spread himself thin today. After school, he had 2 staff meetings followed by 3 hours of band rehearsals with only 15 minutes in between. He was just sooo talkative on our drive home tonight. I hadn’t seen him all day. He couldn’t wait to tell me about his new responsibilities in ROTC and a girl in band with a major superiority complex who’s really annoying him. Same deal again tomorrow… after school meetings followed by band. Friday will be an easy day. Saturday, he’s going to a concert with my brother’s youth group. Sunday, he’s participating in a charity event in Philly. The boy gets around! (But not without his mommy… yet :) How much easier it would be if he could drive already! But that opens up a whole ‘nother set of problems so I’ll drive for now.

For me… I thought today was my last day at work. It was so depressing coming into the office this morning! The walls were stripped of all the frames, desks and filing cabinets were emptied, there were shipping boxes everywhere, and the people were somber. I walked in on one of my co-workers crying. Another one ended up crying on me on the phone. *sigh* I don’t think they’re that sad about not working. It’s realizing we’re not going to see each other everyday anymore (for me, it was 3 days a week). And I looked forward to those 3 days! For almost 3 years, I escaped from home to spend half the week with really cool, funny, intelligent people. And it’s rare to find a fun work environment with a team who works really well together and a boss who has become a good friend. Anyway, my boss asked me to come back on Friday to take care of last minute stuff. He’s also taking the team out for brunch for a last hoorah.

For Don… well, he had a normal day. SOP. The routine. Nothing to report on that front.

1. I can’t win a boys vs. stand-off on cleaning. It had been 2 weeks since the bathroom was cleaned, about the time I started school. I waited to see which of the boys would cave in first. But neither seemed to mind the scum, and smell. So… guess who flinched first? The :)
2. My husband can fix my breaks in the middle of the night. As long as he has an outlet for a TV and a lamp, he’s good to go!
3. Read all user reviews before you buy! I thought I got a great deal on a “Fuji” brand name LCD monitor. Turns out not all “Fuji” brands are by the well-known Fuji Film company.
4. High fevers are dangerous because the heat “cooks” essential proteins in your body. i.e. Egg whites loose their gooey-ness when fried. Good for breakfast, but b-a-a-a-d for the chicken.
5. I’ve become dependent on my gadgets! I couldn’t call Don at the office without the speed dial on my cell phone. I can’t remember what I have to do or where I’m supposed to be without my Palm or Outlook.
6. If you want your digital photos to last 300 years, burn them on MAM-A archival gold CDs. The $20 pack of 100 blank CDs only last 100 years. Think you’ll remember that in 101 years?

Okay… so that’s only 6, not 10. I actually learned a million things this week but you wouldn’t be interested in DNA replication, protein synthesis, and the like. I just thought “Top 10″ sounded better than “Top 6″ :)

I was just thinking… this website is starting to bore me. I wish I had more time these days to design a new look. I started a new blog w/ a promising new look but I haven’t had time to post or continue designing it. *sigh* Can’t wait for winter break!