Highs and Lows

Last night at dinner, Jim suggested we play a family game called "Highs and Lows". It's where each person tells about the high point and low point of their day. So Benjamin went first and said his low point was Social Studies class because it's boring. His high point was lunch. Well, he is 9 years old, so I guess that's a pretty good day. Jim's lows were that his mother is in the hospital with pneumonia and that he had a heck of a time with the new window treatments yesterday and ended up returning them to the store. UGH! His high point was when Benjamin and I came home....aww! :) My low point of the day was when I was notified by our Arlington, VA office that the monitor I shipped up to them was damaged...broken by UPS. It was the FIRST time I did not insure a package...I was in a rush and forgot. UGH! My high point was a funny moment on the drive home with Benjamin. See, he was wearing a teal, black and white plaid short-sleeved shirt...very sharp looking. We were on the interstate when I saw a really bright teal Ford Taurus...and realized it was the same color as his shirt! I started laughing and Benjamin and I joked that I should pull up beside the driver and point to his shirt and then point to the car....but we didn't. It turned out the driver was a young girl and she had "Hello Kitty" stickers on her windows...and we started laughing all over again. Maybe you had to be there, but it was a good high for me to have at the end of a long day.

(Note - this is not the real car, I just found a picture of one online)

On a roll

Last week, one of the women at work stopped me and asked me what was happening on her computer when she would type and the text would not immediately appear, but after a few seconds, it would slowly come across the screen. Somehow, my brain was working quickly that morning, and I said, "It's a delay" and just looked at her. It was pretty funny to see her reaction and then we both laughed and I explained that it happened to me sometimes too. Of course, the problem she was having was chatting online with her husband, so it wasn't work-related and I didn't have to fix it, just explain that "it happens".

Yesterday, I was working on a work-related issue on another computer and the "plant guy" came into our office area and was tending to the plants. He took out his scissors to trim one of the plants and as he snipped it, I said, "OW!" loud enough for him and a few others to hear. Of course, I cracked up laughing and so did the others! The plant guy just said, "Oh, it doesn't hurt them - plants don't have feelings." Which made me laugh harder because he was serious!

I can't wait to see what opportunitites for me to be a smarta$$ present themselves today. :)

Beyond Busy

I have been very busy this week at work..working...working...interviewing people to work with me...and working some more. I have had no time to write, let alone read blogs. So this morning I read the blogs that have gone unread this week. And now I am writing...about nothing, really.

We've had some changes here at work and people are going to be moving to different cubicles, which involves me moving their phones and computers for them. I think we have 14 people that need to move in October at some point. I also have to move my "stuff" one cubicle over. Whatever.

But the great thing was when my boss suggested that we put this new IT person that will work for me in a closet where a large copier/printer/scanner actually is right now. It was suggested that we would move the copier out onto the sales floor and put this new person in there. Before he even finished the sentence, I said, "No." Just flat out "No." I rarely do that at work. I have realized that it pays to listen to the complete thought, but I didn't think this thought had been completed by the executives. I said, "I'm not putting a new IT person in a closet on the sales floor. He would have everyone coming up to him asking for help and I'm not putting a new person in that position." My thoughts were heard loud and clear. I then suggested maybe *I* get the closet...I might like having a door to shut! Of course, when I was later talking to some of the folks out here where I currently sit, we started laughing about me going "in the closet" when so many folks are trying to "come out of the closet". Laughter made the situation much better. And now no one is going in the closet and I think we'll all be happy with our new seating assingments next month.

Everybody's Fine

On Friday, we had the Dish network installed. 200 channels of groovy TV. We've enjoyed watching some shows we haven't been able to watch in the past and right now we get HBO and Showtime for 3 months free. Movies galore!

Last night, we watched "Everybody's Fine", a movie starring Robert De Niro, Drew Barrymore, and some other actors that I don't know much about. I thought the movie was supposed to be a little more funny than it was, so I was not expecting the storyline that unfolded. However, it was a great story. Basically, a man's wife had passed away 8 months prior and he was now living on his own. He had never really kept in touch much directly with his kids...his wife normally did that. He had invited all 4 kids and their families to his house to get together at the same time, something they hadn't done in awhile. One by one, they all called to say they couldn't make it for one reason or another. So he decides to go visit them...to surprise them. The story unfolds and there is laughter and tears; funny and scary travel scenes; and plenty of people to remind you of your own family members. I don't want to spoil it for you, so I'll stop here. I recommend it, but you WILL need a hanky or a kleenex or a sleeve. Definitely a tear jerker, but well worth the time.

Whump whump whump whump

This morning in rush hour, I hit a huge bump in the road that I hit everyday. It's almost entirely unavoidable. The only difference is that it gave me a flat tire on my front driver side tire today. Thanks!

So I didn't realize it at first, but something sounded and felt a little odd after I hit the bump. As I rounded the turn from I-24 Eastbound onto I-40 Westbound, I still didn't really feel any pull or hear any strange noise...yet I still "felt" something wasn't quite right. So I merge onto I-40 and am getting ready to go south on I-65 and realize, I need to get over now. Of course, no one would allow me to get back over and instead of just stopping on the interstate, like I wanted to do, I drove a little further on. Then, as I rounded the turn onto I-65 Southbound, the "whump whump whump" started and I pulled into the "zebra stripes" between the merging lanes of I-40 East and West to I-65 Southbound. HOLY CRAP! Not a good place to be. Suddenly, I realized there was NO taffic coming from the lanes to my right, so I was able to drive across and get onto the shoulder where it was a bit safer. So I called the non-emergency number for Nashville Metro Police to have them send a TDOT truck to help me change my tire. Oh, who am I kidding, there was no "help" about it, I needed them to actually do all the work. I just didn't have the strength to undo the lugnuts. So I called and told them where I was. About 10 minutes later, I saw the TDOT truck go past me. Woops! I assumed he would go down to the Wedgewood exit and get back on the interstate and come back around to help me. 25 minutes later, no help had arrived, so I called back to tell them to send someone. I gave very explicit instructions that they should get on I-40 going Eastbound and pick up I-65 south and I was right next to the "Bacar Contruction" sign and directly across from the Science museum. I was assured help was on the way.

A few minutes later, a 1970's conversion van pulled in front of me on the shoulder and began to back up. I could see curtains in the windows and a man's face as he had turned around to back up. I was a little afraid at this point, but glad to possibly have some help. This nice man from Marshall County TN came to my window and said, "You're in a bad spot here. I can get your tire changed fast and get you out of here." I agreed and Benjamin and I got out of the card and down in the ditch while this man risked his life to change my tire. I was literally praying he would be safe the entire time. And Benjamin was so good and calm while I was so nervous and worried.

So my flat was changed with at FULL SIZE SPARE! Yeah! I love my VW! I had to put some air in the tire, but we were all set. The nice man wouldn't give me his name or take anything for helping me, so I certainly hope karma comes into play for him soon!

Fire Alarms

Once again, I don't think I have anything to blog about. I have been so busy at work this week doing my job and trying to interview people to fill the position that reports to me. So what am I doing on here now at 4:45 in the afternoon? Just taking a break from reviewing resumes, fixing computer problems, saving the world... you know, the usual. ;)

I saw on FB that my niece, who just started her freshman year in college, had a fire alarm in the middle of the night last night. I couldn't help but laugh and tell her, "Welcome to college". When I was at UTK, there was someone on the guys' side of our dorm that was actually setting fires in a trashcan in the hallway at 3am nearly every night for awhile. And it was winter. So we all got to the point where we'd set our shoes out and sleep in sweats so that we'd be ready when the alarm went off. We'd all trek outside wrapped up in our comforters to stay warm. It took a few weeks for them to catch this guy...not sure why, since you could almost set your clock by the fires. But, it was part of my college experience and allows me to laugh at my niece and remind her how Tingley's show sympathy. (See Mark's post here if you don't remember: http://initialonly.blogspot.com/2010/08/waitwhat.html)

Laughter during rush hour

I am a person who cusses in traffic. My dad taught me to cuss in traffic and I love the words he taught me. I cannot type them here, because this is a family blog and I don't know if children read it or not. However, I am sure that anyone who knows my dad, knows the words I have been taught. He was a sailor, after all!

Today, there were two instances where I used bad language during rush hour. The first was when a large GMC Denali vehicle got very close to my bumper before moving over one lane to pass me. There was no need for this close-up and it made me mad. I said, "What the he** are you doing, you a**h*le!?!?!?!" Of course, Benjamin was in the car with me (Murphy's Law and all) and he cracked up laughing. And I mean REALLY cracked up. He always laughs when I get mad in traffic and sometimes will tell me to just chill out...and then *I* start laughing because he shows me how stupid it is to get mad in traffic. So he's laughing, I'm laughing, and then he starts to imitate this commercial that tore me up on Saturday night. Have you seen the new Geico commercial about the woodchucks chucking wood? If not, you MUST go here to see it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DjGwusHrOtk

So he's imitating the old man in this commercial and I start laughing so hard that tears are coming out of my eyes. I had to make him stop, otherwise I might have hit someone. Then we'd all have been cussing.

A knife in the back

I read my mother's blog this morning and laughed so hard about her remembering when Mark told her that his Kindergarten teacher took them up in a plane and actually had her convinced this really happened. I thought, you know, that's pretty good for a 5 year old! And I realized that Mark and I both have this ability to keep a straight face when telling "stories".

Like the time that Mom was throwing a surprise birthday party for Dad. Aunt Barbara and Uncle Shelby came down to help set up while Mom and Dad were bowling in their league. Mark and I were in Jr. High and home alone. Mom called to be sure Barb and Shelby were there and Shelby had convinced me to tell her they hadn't gotten there yet. Oh, Mom was nearly beside herself and I thought it was really funny, even though I was pretty concerned about getting in trouble.

And then there was the time that Mark and I convinced this guy I was dating that Mark had sustained a big knife injury to his back while in high school. The 3 of us were sitting around in Knoxville talking and I just started off by saying, "Oh, that reminds me of when Mark got into that knife fight...Mark, show him your scar on your back." So Mark proceeds to lift his shirt and show this big scar where he'd actually had lung surgery to repair a collapsed lung when he was 16. Mark beautifully played into the story and began making up this story about a fight in an alley in Nashville where some guy had pulled a knife on him and cut him in his back. We had this guy convinced that this really happened....until I just couldn't stand it anymore and burst out laughing and then Mark did too. We laughed so hard and this guy was just sitting there dumbfounded until he realized we made it all up.

Songs from my memory

I have been humming songs from childhood today. Not sure why, but I have. The first one I started singing in my head was "Going to the Zoo" by Peter, Paul, & Mary. We sang this in Mrs. Wier's music class at Hoose. We sang a LOT of songs in that class through the years - it was one of my favorite classes.

The other song that I have been trying to find an MP3 for is "The Ricky-Tick Song" by Teresa Brewer. I loved that song and would love to have a copy of it. We had this song on a 45 that Mark and I used to listen to all the time. There were some good songs on those old records - I wish I knew where they were. I remember singing and dancing to these songs and I think now maybe Benjamin would get a good laugh from these songs and might even enjoy them!

Huh....

Well, I cannot think of anything to write about. Usually, I am not in a place to write something down when I come up with a good idea and then I forget it. And most of those times, Benjamin is not with me to write down my thoughts as well. Maybe I should carry a little voice recorder, then I could record my thoughts and play them back later. Now there's an idea!
Actually, I've been really busy at work lately. I had to let a guy go a couple weeks ago, so I'm doing a lot of work, reviewing resumes, interviewing people, making notes about the interviews, and generally staying busy. I like being busy at work, so it's not a big deal. I just hate it when a sales person emails and asks if we're still working towards a project they bid on, then I tell them that project has been tabled indefinitely (which it has), but if we do decide to start that project back up, I'll call them. Actually, I don't hate the initial email, it's the one RIGHT AFTER I said, "The project has been tabled indefinitely", meaning there is no way in hell they are getting our business anytime soon, and they want to come to the office to meet with me to talk about the project. I REALLY want to reply back, "What part of 'tabled indefinitely' do you not understand?". But I won't. I will once again explain that I am trying to work 2 jobs, interview people to fill a vacant position, and since the project has been tabled indefinitely, I think we should push our meeting until there is hope for the project to resume or something like that. Any ideas on how to word this that will get the point across in a business-like manner? :D C'mon you guys, I know you all have something clever to say.
Well, it looks like I did have something to blog about today, huh?

Sock Monkey Legs

This morning on the way to school, Benjamin was admiring my jeans. He said he liked them, because they were "worn" and he liked the line (seam) down the side of my leg. Then he touched my leg, squeezed it a little and said, "Your leg feels like a sock monkey". I was lucky not to wreck the car since I was laughing so hard. I don't know where he comes up with these things, but very often, he'll say something that just cracks me up.

So I guess I have "sock monkey" legs. I'm not sure if that's a bad thing or a good thing. I think it's a good thing, because B didn't say it with disdain and I think I heard a hint of admiration in his voice.

Knowing Things

I love it that my son can write. I use him as my secretary in the car on the way to school when he is with me. I often think of things I need to do or things I need to buy, so I ask Benjamin to get out a notepad (yes, I keep one in the car) and take notes. Now that he's 9, he can spell most of the words I need him to write. He's made shopping lists for me and sometimes will add something he wants, like a CD, which I find very funny. He's also learned to use the calendar feature on my cell phone to make notes and reminders for me at my direction - very cool, because it reminds me and I don't have to keep track of little notes! :D

This morning, I decided I needed to make a note to look up on a map more of the area I travel coming to Franklin from Ridgetop. I know the general area I am travelling, but yesterday, I realized I needed to know more about where Trinity Lane goes (besides over to I-65), where Douglas Avenue goes, where Briarville Road goes...you get the idea. Why did I need to know this information? Well, as we were getting onto Ellington Parkway from I-65 yesterday, Benjamin said, "Um, Mom, you're not gonna like to hear this.... (long pause)...but I have to go to the bathroom." Yes, this happens often enough that he knows I'm usually not thrilled to have to get off the highway in rush hour, but I have realized there are worse things to deal with. Like not knowing where the hell to go when you get off at Trinity Lane (from Ellington Parkway) and realize, this isn't like over by the interstate where there are lots of hotels, McDonald's, etc. So I ended up seeing this side road with a big gravel lot, a small house-turned-into-business and a man outside working on his truck. I pulled in, parked, and said, "Excuse me, sir? My son needs to use the restroom - could he use the one inside?" The man was so nice and stopped what he was doing and took us inside so B could use the restroom. I know it could have been a bad situation, but at this point, Benjamin NEEDED to go and I had no real choice unless I wanted to buy new clothes for B that morning.

As we were leaving the parking lot heading back to our route, I noticed that there is a police presinct right there. Good to know. I thought, well, maybe I should get to know these side streets and areas better. I probably would have stopped at the police station to see if B could have gone there instead.

Hero

Today, I got to be a hero...or more grammatically correct, I got to be a heroine. I walked into the office this morning and someone said one of the women was looking for me. Geez, I hadn't even gotten to my desk and I was needed, but that is the life of the IT Chick here. ;) It seems that she had deleted an entire folder in our Public Folders in our email system. NOT a good thing. So I quickly booted up my laptop and began a search on how to restore public folders in Exchange (the email server program we use here). Amazingly, Microsoft has a tool for just that purpose! So I downloaded this little tool, installed it and quickly read how to use the program. Within 15 minutes, I had restored the folder to its original location and all the messages that were in the folder. Now, if I could just fix the problem with our phone system. Does anyone know a Cisco phone system expert? :)