23 September 2009

oops. you're a jerk.

This afternoon I received an e-mail that was clearly not meant for me. Our company e-mail system has an address book that allows you to type in the first few letters of someone's last name and it will autofill if you're close to the actual spelling. This can be a convenience if you're careful, and it can get you in trouble if you are not careful. Underling Dude the message was meant for has the same first three letters in his last name as me. Dude who sent the message is clearly a d-bag. Neither of these individuals even works anywhere near here - completely different party of the country - so I have no actual knowledge of either of their characters, just a few lines of text.

message 2 @ 2:21 p.m.
Did I stutter???????

message 1 sent @ 2:18 p.m.
Get your A - - in here!!!! Where are you !!

The original message (which I did not include here) was sent by Underling Dude to Mr. D-bag telling him news he perhaps did not want to hear. I don't think it warranted such a tone, however. Who talks like that so someone they work with? Especially if its a direct report? I sent Mr. D-bag a reply that merely said:

You did not stutter, but you DID send your message to the wrong person.

Best of luck.

And if e-mail had an "under the breath" feature it would have said, "Best of luck... learning how to speak to people, treat them with respect and not suck."

Life is too short to be deliberately rude to people. Mr. D-bag must be awesome to work for! I thought about saying more to him in my reply e-mail, but I'd rather do something that could be considered a random act of kindness for the Underling Dude.

Let's all do our best to be nice to others, shall we?

20 September 2009

Cookie Fail

I can't tell you how many times I've made oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. More than I can count, probably. I always use the same recipe - it's the one off the Quaker Oats box. The dough came together without a problem. That's the good news. The bad news, when I put them in the oven I set the timer for making cookie bars, 30 minutes, without even thinking about it. They normally bake for 10-12 minutes! I think I invented a new cookie, they're called chocolate chip snaps. They're ridiculously over baked. I'm bummed about the mishaps and that Quality Control won't let these cookies out of the house. I've always said there's no such thing as a bad cookie. These might be close.

Note to self, pay attention to details even when you're doing something you've done a million times!

18 September 2009

Favorite Movie

I had the chance to see Amelie last night on the big screen! YAY! I love this movie for so many reasons, namely how cute and imaginitive the story is, how beautiful the art direction and cinematography are and the exquisite attention to detail throughout. It's such a lovely film. Every time I watch it, I appreciate it even more and wish I had that hair cut. If I could live in a film for a while, I think I'd have to pick Amelie! I'd brush up on my French, skip stones, ride around with Nino on his moped, help random strangers and generally just be super cute.

If you could live in any movie, what would it be and why?

15 September 2009

Mind Field

...braces are about a month away.

...cats are cute and fuzzy, but sooo frustrating!

...I want Bon Iver to sing me a song. I'm in love with his voice.

...I have an extreme case of wanderlust. Not an uncommon thing for me.

...I'm dressed like an adult today, but don't feel like acting like one.

...mild sore throat has been bugging for a couple days. I'm hoping the vitamin C and zinc I've been taking will chase it away.

...Patrick Swayze died yesterday. He will always be Johnny Castle to me. RIP, Johnny.

...Saw a clip of Pink sharing her opinion about Kanye West on the Today show. I admire her for saying exactly what she thinks about someone who has acted like a complete douche. I read somewhere that it may have been a scripted moment at the VMAs, but why would anyone sign up voluntarily to act like that? They say there's no such thing as bad press, but in a case where everyone agrees you're out of line, you're sort of in a tight spot. Congrats Kanye.

...I really like Pink's hair too. I'd love to go short and that blond.

11 September 2009

Eight Years

Eight years ago this morning, we all know what happened. The world changed forever.

I was working downtown. My then business partner was the first to announce the news. We tried to keep working, not knowing the news would continue to worsen throughout the day. I actually was able to talk to my brother D, who was working in Soho that morning, after the first plane. That was before things got super chaotic. He said he the air was smoky and that it was glistening with shards of glass. He and his roommate ended up walking home to Brooklyn out of fear of what might happen next.

We closed the office around 10:30 or 11:00 a.m.

I wasn't sure what to do next. It didn't seem right to be alone or to not be watching the drama unfold on TV. I didn't have cable at the time and wanted to know what was going on. The ex and I shuffled over to my dear friend A's aparment. I think we sat with her into the early evening watching the televised hell that was lower Manhattan eight years ago.

I remember the disbelief that something so horrible could have happened. I still have trouble believing. Conspiracy theories abound. Whatever really happened and no matter who was actually behind the horrors of that day eight years ago, they are truly evil.

In the wake of that day, I also remember savoring every minute I spent with the people I love. I did not want to take any interaction for granted. It had become all too clear that it could be the very last time.

We only have today, the moment we're in. I want to remember that. I want to savor today and every day for my own sake and in memory of everyone who died eight years ago.

08 September 2009

Long Weekend

Ah, just back from a long Labor Day weekend! Would have loved for it to last a LOT longer, but I'll take what I can get at this point. Highlights of the weekend included:


Talking remodeling project possibilities with my mom.


Brunch/lunch with M & B at Electric Cheetah on Sunday. We began with dessert first, a lovely peach raspberry pie. Everything else after that was delish. We followed with an epic journey to Costco and Target. I managed to not buy every single "good deal" I wanted. (KitchenAid Stand mixer! Hello! 24-pack Diet Coke, which I'm technically not drinking, but just seeing what a good deal it was - $.24 a can made me want to full on relapse!) Costco is not really an ideal shopping situation for the singleton. You have to really know that you like something to buy in the LARGE quantities they offer. I considered a multi-pack of Clifbars, but decided not to because it was a multi-pack of just okay flavors. Same thing with Vitamin Water. Got both at Target instead. I did get a giant bottle of vanilla though for a good deal. I've been going through vanilla like it's water lately.


Dog park with Mom and her pup. Then dinner with Mom @ XO.


I finished my August Book Club book - The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. I can totally see this book being made into a movie and with a little help from youtube, I found it out was recently made into a movie in Sweden. The book was a little slow to start out, but once it got going, I couldn't put it down.


Spent an amazing, lazy day at Reeds Lake yesterday. Started out sipping on a smoothie from Starbucks chatting and watching the GRYC sailboats with M. M's friend D joined us after a while. We sat some more just soaking up the amazing weather. We eventually moved camp over to the deck at Rose's for snacks. They probably could have charged us rent. We were there forever!


Had a great long run on Sunday with A. We think we're getting faster. It was probably my best long run since the Lowell Half Marathon. Had some extra steam at the end to kick the last couple blocks just a little harder. There's something to be said for speed work. I'm doing what I can and enjoy seeing the results.


Sleeping!


What was the highlight of your weekend?

03 September 2009

How to...



I'm a big proponent of Lifetime learning.


By that, I mean never giving up on learning new things, whether in a structured school environment or on your own as you go through life. I realize those of you fond of Lifetime Television for Women may have read that an entirely different way. No Lifetime movies here. Here's a list of things I'd like to learn:

How to ride a motorcycle. The Vespa is fun and easy, but I still want to learn how to ride a motorcycle with a clutch. This will be helpful because I know at some point in my life I'll find the perfect vintage BMW and have to buy it. This way I will be able to ride it immediately.


Another language. I know enough French to be dangerous. Would like to add another language though.


How to swim well enough to compete in another triathlon. This just involves practice, practice, practice on my part. And maybe a few sessions with a swim coach.

Graphic Design.


DJ skills. Mixing, sampling, playing chronic beats.


Fashion illustration and how to create what I sketch. I can sew, but would love to be properly trained. I wanted to be a fashion designer when I was in 6th & 7th grade and probably still have sketches from back then. Project Runway brings up this desire with every new season!




When I had TV, I used to get sucked into MTV's Made and wish they had a show like that for adults, where you would have the opportunity to immerse yourself completely in whatever it was you wanted to learn until you got the basics down and could go off on your own and keep using the skills you've used. I guess schools/classes fit the bill, but it's not quite the same.


What do you want to learn?




01 September 2009

Plan in Place

Inspired by the big lotto game on Friday and conversation at Book Club, last night over dinner R and I crafted our own plans for when we win the big lotto prize. Here's mine:

  • I would not publicize my win. In fact, you may not even know that I've won.
  • For the immediate future I would not quit my job, although I may go to part time, so I could continue to hang out with my co-workers.
  • I would find a small, successful bakery that I could buy. I would spend chunks of time apprenticing, so I could learn more than I currently know.
  • I would organize a trip for my family and a few friends. We'd go somewhere warm and beautiful. First class everything.
  • I'd retain the best financial advisor. And call up an old attorney friend and put him on retainer.
  • I'd hire a personal trainer who could help me run faster, build more muscle and of course swim better. Hello, triathlon!
  • I would find ways to spend "apprentice" time with people I admire, either for the kind of person they are or because of the kind of work they do. Aveda colorist David Adams is one. Designer Isaac Mizrahi is another. I'm still coming up with the rest of the list, but the key is that I'd be learning a ton from amazingly talented people.
  • I would not sell my house. I would, however, re-do the kitchen and bathroom. I'd also have the yard completely re-landscaped and the driveway done. I'd look into purchasing a place in New York.
  • Since I only have a one car garage, I don't even think I'd buy a new car at this point. I like my car. Plus, a new car so soon after an anonymous lottery winner from Grand Rapids is announced might be a dead giveaway.
  • I would also set up some sort of charitable foundation with the help of my financial advisor and my attorney.

I guess I might have to actually start playing these big lotto games if I'm going to be able to put this plan into action. I'll be on the look out for the next big jackpot! Do you have a plan for when you win big? It's good to be prepared!