.: angilou and tucker too :.

meem and pap's 65th anniversary

meem and pap's 65th anniversary

had a family celebration at the farm on a gorgeous april day.  click on the cake to see the slide show.  can't believe the old people have been together 65 years?!  something to aspire to.

the budding architect

the future architect.  cal has this penchant for building these elaborate structures with the wooden blocks he got from his granddad.  and bonden has a penchant for coming over and destroying it.  so we've gotten into a habit where we take a picture right after he's built it, and then he doesn't get that upset when his brother comes and demolishes it.  he also has to scrunch up his face when he smiles.

ok, i confess

facebook and twitter have been sucking up my time, so i haven't been posting as much.  but, i did add my twitter feed so it looks like i am doing something.  and i wanted to add a facebook feed, but couldn't figure out how to do that.

anoop's back!

well, have been laying low because of work and the flu, but was inspired to post again because anoop desai is in the final 13 on american idol.  i don't know what it is about him, but i love him.  hey, we've got an african american president; why not an indian american idol?

the world got a little brighter...go noop dawg!

layoffs suck

yesterday i had to layoff someone on my team.  it sucked.  i've fired people before, but i've never had to lay someone off.  i feel like it was so much harder, because you can't explain anything.  i had to say specific things, so i couldn't just have a conversation.  i was so nervous about how it would go, would i remember to say the things i was supposed to, how would the person react, etc.  i couldn't sleep the night before, and the hours leading up to the "conversation" were excruciating.  the whole thing only took 15 minutes, but man it sucked.

there were other layoffs in the department, although only one on my team.  the worst part of being in "management" is stuff like this.  when you know that certain people are going to lose their jobs, but you can't say anything, and you still have to act normal.  anytime i was in a meeting with one of them that i was close to, in my head i was screaming "ask me a direct question!!  ask me if you're going to get laid off!  so i can say: 'i can neither confirm nor deny', and then at least you'd have an inkling!!"  but none of them got my telepathic messages.  and so on the day of, you see people's shocked faces; the hushed whispering in cubes; the tears; the dreaded packing up of things.  and you can't wallow in shock along with the other people, because you knew it was coming.  but you still couldn't say anything.

that night, i had drinks with a couple of friends that had been laid off, grateful that they were still willing to speak with me, and glad that they didn't accusingly ask "if you knew, why didn't you tell me?"  i asked if they wished they had known, and they both said no - i don't know if it was to make me feel better or if it was the truth.  i got home that night and crashed into bed, grateful to finally get some sleep.  even though i slept, all day today i felt exhausted, beat up.  i didn't realize how stressful it was.  and i only had to do one!  what about others who had to do three/four/five, and also do it to people they had known and worked with for years.  ugh, the thought makes me sick to my stomach.

at least it's over now.

please, i hope the stimulus package works.  firing people, i can deal with.  but laying people off in an economy like this may put me over the edge.

american idol: anoop dawg

so, i confess i have a soft spot for asians - is that wrong?  there have been several asians in recent seasons: ramiele (season 7), sanjaya (season 6), jasmine (season 3).  and i've always rooted for them, but this season's asian is my favorite: anoop desai.  the guy is studying his master's at unc and i just think he's adorable.  how can you not love someone who comes to his auditions in flip flops?

hello picasa

hey, that last picasa album post went pretty well, so here are a couple more:

cal's 4th bday

thanksgiving 08

pap and sue's birthday

yesterday we had a little family celebration for pap's 80-something and sue's something something birthday.  going to try a picasa link:

pap-sue bday 09

biggest loser update and yoga embarrasment

well, after a strong start my biggest loser-ness has slowed, although i don't think i am worst off in the group.  i seemed to have plateaued (sp) at a measly 6 pounds.  and i have been really bad the last two weekends.  i am ok during the week, but between cal's birthday party and a pizza overdose, followed by a superbowl event with irresistable queso, i would not be surprised if i put a few pounds back on.  but, onward.  the guys who has lost the least in the group, in fact, i think he has gained, has announced he is going on a crash diet and that he will drop 20 pounds in short order.  eek!

as part of my new found resolve, i went to hot yoga this morning.  being in a rush, i grabbed a somewhat tight tank top and threw it on over this little mint green bralet.  well, i show up at class and the lights are off, and you lay there while you wait for the instructor.  so the instructor shows up, turns the light on, and in all the flourescent, mirrored glory i see that my top is basically see-through.  i didn't think my tabk top was that tight, but i could see every love handle and even my belly button.  my little bralet was no help for my maternal breasts.  and to add insult to injury, it was one of those classes where you sweat buckets, so my tank top just proceeded to get more damp and translucent as we went through the session.  oh, and the instructor was male.  not that he was checking me out, but it just made me more self-conscious than if it was jsut a bunch of chicks.  lovely; i was a hot mess. 

hurry, blog it before i forget...

• when you say "let's play hide and seek", he covers his eyes and says "two!" and starts to run.  the other day he ran into a wall twice while trying to hide.
• his vocabulary is growing daily.  his current favorite words are "outside", "keys" and "mine!"
• once he says "outside" and "keys", that usually means he wants us to accompany him on his favorite past time: driving the car.  he could drive for hours.  what's also freaky is he knows how to insert the key in the ignition, turn it, then work the radio, climate control and wipers.  how does he know all this when his regular seat is BEHIND the driver?!
• his favorite song is "baa baa black sheep".
• after we put him to bed, he likes to lie in bed and fiddle with his lovey.  we say he's doing origami.

 

Sent from my crackberry

Not quite addicted yet, but getting there. Angeline Tucker

it's all over

today my corporate blackberry arrived.  i have secretly wanted one, but didn't ask for it and now they went and got one for me.  now, i too will be mobile enabled!  watch out, world...

my goal is to not be visibly addicted, just a casual user.  but in between meetings i will be fiendishly typing and surfing...

just for fun

 

still hanging on to the wagon...

so, i've been doing pretty good, getting out and exercising in some shape or fashion, except for the last three days - oops.  been doing pretty good on the food side.  the scale says that i lost 4 lbs, but let's see if i get at least two days of the same reading, or if it's just a fluke.

tomorrow it starts in earnest.  apparently my boss is not a sweets person, but very much a salt person (like me).  i think i will make him some queso and chips and leave it on his desk.  would that be a career limiting move?

biggest loser

yes, yes, i'm in a biggest loser contest at work.  very cliche, i know.  and no, i haven't seen "the office" biggest loser episode yet, but i have it on my to do list. so, my boss took his staff out to lunch before the holiday break and for some reason our side of the table started talking about weight/exercise/eating.  i happened to be sitting next to the one person in the company who really, truly annoys me, so i thought, well, i would defintiely be motivated to kick his butt in a contest. 

then, we enlisted another guy, and then my boss jumps in on the fray.  my boss really wanted to start that day, theoretically so he can spend his holiday on the treadmill and get a headstart.  one of the guys is going straight for the airport, so would miss the weigh-in when my boss says, "look, there's a brookstone across the street; i bet they have a scale."

so, we troop across the street, he buys the scale ($50), and we take it out of the box and proceed to weight ourselves inside the brookstone store, much to the amusement of the store staff and holiday shoppers.  so, here's the competition:

• c: 245 lbs
• b: 231 lbs
• l: 232 lbs
• me: 155 lbs (that's with clothes, including a heavy sweater)

yes, your eyes do not deceive you: 155.  i've gained 20 lbs since i moved to texas (thanks, queso!  thanks, bbq!) four years ago, so that's five pounds a year for those of you that are keeping track.  people, we cannot continue down this path. 

so, back to the work contest: three months (final weigh in: march 16), highest total percentage lost wins.  prize: half day at the lake austin spa, which is great because i didn't even suggest it; it was one of the guys.  and just to make sure everyone stays motivated, we are putting in a penalty for the person who loses the least amount: they have to wear a t-shirt that says "don't lose weight, ask me how" to work.  for a week.

so, it's on, but i haven't been doing stellar, what with the kids in all.  it's hard for me to get out and motivated to work out when there's something like laundry or dishes calling my name.  i started tracking stuff as of yesterday: day 14 (dec 29) - calories consumed: 1159, calories burned: 0.  (burned = extra physical activity, beyond just sitting around and breathing). 

i'll post regular updates, so send encouraging notes.