The solitary life....at work

Seems the older I get..and the jobs that I've held...I am working less and less in a "Buddy" environment.

I've gone from waitressing, to managing, to training, to product development to customer service in a large call center....and now to customer service again, but this time..due to recent cutbacks, a department of....{me}

OK, well to be fair, we do have a new Mom who works about 8 hours a week - when both she and the baby are well..Hi Maryam!

But, since the cutbacks, they have moved my cubicle to another suite. And this is a good thing..in a way...

I mean, I have one of the all-too-few-in-the-mouse-maze-of-cubicles window..

This is where my Irish teddy bear Mr. B bought me sits and watches over me..on the window ledge..



(always did love his tattoos.............the bears, not Mr. B's..silly..)

A photo of Braxton looks out lovingly as well...

And my new "oinking" piggy-puppet it there too. ( she's helping me with my new eating..)


I get to look down on the little creek and see the ducks..and hopefully, baby ducklings in the spring..


Yep, I have rocks around that remind me I'm....brilliant..


...and Mr. B to remind me I am loved...oh yeah, and an apple (a day) to keep my doctor away..(sorry, Dr. Liu)
All the comforts of home.....my clock (yes,I know there's one on the computer AND the phone, but I want a pretty one..) some tea and a hot pad that smells great when a hot cup is placed on it..and my "Dog a Day" calender..


The quilt my sister gave me keeps my lap warm on those chilly mornings drapes over my chair...


..and doesn't everyone have a frog on their phone?? I do..{ do you know what "frog" stands for? Fully Rely On God..}


My plant will now get real light as opposed to artificial light..and I will too. I almost never turn on any lights now :-)


Yes, there are times I miss the interaction with other employees..but truth be told..I'm as happy as a clam just to do what I love, have the sunshine on my face, work by natural light, being able to "see" the weather, and listen to the thoughts and the silence in my head...

I think I like this "solitary" life!

Do you like your time alone? Do you have a chance to get enough? Try it..it can be wonderful...

Have a wonderful, sunny, well loved and relying on God Sunday :-)

-me

Brown velvet, running in ripples like a stream...

As I sat this morning peering through the glass of the windows,

I noticed the brown velvet and the soft folds in the material as it draped in all of it's folded wonder.....

...dipping and folding..draping and rippled..

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...behind the "windows" of my glasses!

Oh yeah. I was looking at the "windows of my soul" and into the 5X's magnifying mirror I use to "put on a happy face"...

..........whatever...........


Never, I repeat, nEVeR ever buy a 5X's mirror unless you're prepared to see what you will (someday) probably see..

The spots I so lovingly refer to as "freckles" ...as in .."Oh look at those cute freckles!" are, um...could they be...age spots??

So, when did I loose weight in my ...eyelids? When did the skin become ...baggy?? What exercises have my eye-balls been doing anyway? Obviously, not toning ones..

I didn't have {eye-liposuction}. I didn't put them on any sort of "reduced-calorie eyeshadow"...



They were never fat...... or stretched out..

...OK..well maybe a little puffy a time or two at really really sad movies......or Hallmark commercials....or when my Mother-in-Law brings up home- made sticky-buns and I have eaten all my Weight Watcher's points until June...

But really...I guess with my not-so-subtle hanging-chin exercises (sounds like a Chinese acrobatic troupe- "Come see the famous high-wire act of the Hanging Chins!!"..)

..(remember the exaggerated "A,E,I,O and U" and kissing my nose??)..

I now need to add............. "Eye-Robics" ..

One, two, eyebrows up! That's it, now, Eyeballs, roll to the left, now roll to the right, that's good ....now frown..pinch those brows together until you feel the burn! Or the headache! Put it all together....Up! Roll! Frown! Pinch!

And to think I just gave away my Richard Simmons shorts and have let my red Afro-wig die a happy death...

My point is..do not look closely, do not wear your glasses while applying make-up and never, ever look into the most horrible of horrible horrors...

...the 5 x's magnifying mirror!

-me

It'a a sign of the times.....

..do you remember that song from Petula Clark? I can only remember the tune and the first line..."it's the sign of the times...da da da, da, da, da da da, da, da..something, something.."


I use my big 'o platters so often for signs that even Mr. B started using them for messages...

This is what I saw when I arrived home from my week in New Jersey..


So, when looking in my photos further, I found the sign my grandson and his girly-girl ( and the awsome-dog, Kobe) left after our "Thanksmas" gathering...

I used a smaller one for daughter-in-law Rachael's birthday wish...

..and the dinner menu for her birthday dinner...

Oh yeah, then there was Mr. B' s birthday...

And because he's such a cutie- I had to write another that same evening...

I have NO idea why I wrote this one....

Guess there just wasn't anything else to write that day...'cos it IS red..Hmmm...

Love "seeing" words around the house. I have lots of word signs, wall words and interesting word-thingys. I just love seeing the written word..

How about you? Letters? Numbers? Love it all!

Have a "Red Letter" day tomorrow, OK?

-me

I love bargins..bargins..BARGINS!!

After my 8 am dentist visit for a cleaning..which reminds me - why do I always schedule them early in the workday - then have to go into work? Why don't I schedule them for the end of the day and then leave work early and go home afterwards?

Go figure...

On the way to work after the lovely dentist, I wanted to stop by Barns & Noble because Mr. B saw Dr. Oz on Oprah and they were talking about the book "Eat This, Not That"...and he was quite amazed at all the mis-information we carry around...we "think" were making smarter choices, but in reality, maybe not so much..

Anyway..I picked up that book, all ready to hit the check stands, when I see a big honkin' "$2.00" sale sign...

I go to look and find several that interested me and could have purchased a lot more if I had the cash (remember, credit/debit cards and or checks and I do not mix..bygones..) so I had to narrow my choices...here are some of the ones I chose:


A scrapbook of sorts for a grandchild by Debbie Mumm

A darling {autographed} copy of a dog's tale by Cindy Adams..the gossip columnist..

..and one that certainly got Braxton's attention...

Yep...a great, papering-how-to (as if we need a "how-to") that I know both he and Lulu will benefit from..

Then this GeOrGEoUs big book ..."Formal Country"...great photos, large pages..really really nice..
..and to think I got them, with my Barnes & Nobel member card for another 10% off - making the $1.80 each! Can you imagine?? I walked out of there with less money spent that I would have if I ate out that day...love BArGiNS!!

Lulu seems impressed....sort of....

Braxton, well, probably not so much...UNTIL I start the mini-massage and hot oil treatment....

So, until tomorrow, remember to:

wash
brush
flush
and.....

-me

Walk this way.........

wah wah wah wah wah...(that's the sound of me walking-silly..no, not walking {comma} silly..walking sill-lil-leee.. Forget it.

What I am trying to say..is that when I went to New Jersey and New York, I decided to not exactly pig-out, but not be overly concerned about my weight loss program..

So, I ate at Crumbs...I ate at Hambuglulala (I have no idea how to SAY that no less SPELL it - the Brazilian place..)

I ate wonderful pizza standing up...me..not the pizza - it was flat..

I ate Johnny's Mom's Puerto Rican home cooked dinner...

... I ate cake...and cupcakes.... And I ate the airplane cookies - 2 packages. They are wonderful..I think they're called Biscoff or something...sort of gingery and crisp...

Here they are!! Oh crap...when looking for this photo, I found out they SELL these at Walgreen's... {insert heavy sigh}

anyway... what I am trying to say is that tonight at my weigh in, I lost 4.4 lbs.

No, not 44 pounds...although I wish...

...and the only thing I can attest this to is....walking..oh, and freezing in New York. (didja know being cold burns more calories?? I heard that once...somewhere.. and for all I know.. it's true...)

We must have walked 5 miles each day. It must have been 18 degrees or less each day... So, I'm thinking...if I walk 5 miles a day in 18 degree weather for the next 5 months, I should be nearly at goal..

..and I will probably be in oh, like Missouri or something...

so, treadmill..meet Colleen...Colleen meet treadmill. I believe you two know each other? You "broke up" last fall? You were such a good team when you were walking with Judge Alex...

Then you went a got another "desk job", got lazy and forgot all about each other.

...and you, treadmill, you're not without blame...holding all those coats and purses all winter..a VERY expensive coat rack, you must agree..NO?

You two will get to know each other again...soon, capisce? (pronounced ka-peesh ?? - I do love old Mafia movies..)

(remind me to tell you sometime about my aunt in Chicago during the Al Capone era!!)

Go for a walk. Go to the mall. Walk up the stairs. And, have a big 'ol piece of cake! (just not every day)
-me

Boy, do I love holidays or what??

Betcha didn't know today was a big holiday, didja ?

Well, it was.
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OK, wanna know which one you MISSED?

National Bubble Wrap Day.

Seriously. And you missed it??

There are sights where you can "pop" virtual bubble wrap...

Sights that can determine your personality by how you pop bubble wrap...

You don't have to be a part of a religious organization, or live in any specific country...

It's a FREE holiday! And, you can have CAKE .....(if you want)


As a matter of fact, you can get completely cake-faced....and no one will say a thing..





Actually, I think we should all get the day off...maybe I'll speak with HR to put it on the calendar...


Hmmm...then again........maybe not.


So, go pop some bubble wrap - and eat some cake and pay attention how you do it so you can see what your personality is....

www.bubblewrapfun.com

-me

Farley's Tours - Part Deux....

Oh yes, it was c-o-l-d...but when you're little and wrapped up so well, it's magical...

When we saw this street sign, it was almost too much NOT to sing.."Remember me to Harold Square"...


They really do have those hot dog stands...and pretzels ..and sodas..


..and a real news stand!


Gee, we always thought she was bigger....


What's that guy looking at?? ..."Hey, you lookin' at me?? Yeah you, pretty-boy in the sunglasses. You lookin' at ME? Yeah, that's right..just keep walkin' lady....nuntin' to see here.."

The ice rink at Rockefeller Center..and flags..lots of flags..it was after all, Inauguration Day!

Beautiful architecture..smack dab in the middle of all those high-rises..

Hey look - a friend of mine! He's kinda squirley, but hey, he's cute...


My Mom is soo brave (stupid ?) feeding that little squirrel cupcakes from "Crumbs"..the cupcake bakery..

"Hmmm...is this ..pumpkin spice??"

"I think it is! I LOVE pumpkin spice.."

"There's nutin' wrong with eatin' with your hands, right?? I mean. that lady was probably safe, ya think??"
"Mmmmm..mif id a greammmmt mufffimmm!Hmmmmhmmmm"


Weeee! Sliding down the banister!! I half expected those people to do the dance down the stairs like in Ferris Beuhler's Day Off...

Times Square and I'm lookin' good!

Oh, it gets dark quickly in New York!

Hey lookie! My show..oh yeah..I'm the 59th annual Grammie..


"Oh, that looks scary - the Lion King...

OK, I gotta tell you about my friend...well, we just met...but he was ..homeless and all...

Actually, he was living in Toys-R-Us on Times Square..but he had no REAL home....

....and...he really wanted a forever home... and not one where he was stared at all day and messed with by sticky little hands..and....just look at that face...."


"So, I introduced him to my Mom and she said..."Oh come on Farley! Do you think we can save every homeless old bear in New York??"

"Nope. But we can save THIS one, right? Huh Mom , can we...please??"

"She said yes! He and I are good buddies now. He likes giving me noogies on my head..haahaa"

Boy, what a day. I'm exhausted!

I think Mom and Ella are smiling because they like...ah..Harold.... Harold Square...yeah, that's a good name for him..'cos we found Harold on Times Square...

Have a great Monday and hey, it's almost Friday!!
-me (and Farley and Harold..)