5.14.2008: Embrace the suck

I would've made a great Marine-- I love the above phrase so much I think they could pay me to believe it.

You know what sucks? Being the boss. Being the boss sucks a lot.

You know why? Because you don't get to have friends at work. Only employees. You can't become friends with your employees because what happens when you have to discipline them? You can't very well do that if they are your friends.

So the boss has to sit alone in her office, cranking out bullshit administrative garbage like insurance renewal forms, while everyone else gets to work together on projects, making inside jokes, etc. And when employees go out for a drink on a Friday afternoon and ask you to join them, no matter how desperately you want to go and unwind and relax, you can't, because you are the boss and you can't fraternize with your staff.

And then, when staff get pissy at each other (forgive me, Mother Friedan, for what I am about to say) as a staff comprised entirely of women is wont to do, you have to step in and tell grownups how to behave more professionally and how to be careful of the tone in their voices when they talk to others and how email is not always the best way to communicate with people who work in the same office and blah blah blah.

Not to mention having to be the one who says things like "That shirt is a little too low cut for the office; please don't wear it again" or "When your children are at work, it distracts other staff, so unless you are having a childcare crisis, please don't bring them in with you" or "You only have 4 hours of paid time off accrued to this point, so if you want to take a week off, it's going to be unpaid."

I sound like a fucking ADMINISTRATOR.

It blows.
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5.12.2008: Taking stock

Got home from a bachelorette party weekend in Chicago late last night. Evidence that I had a good time:

1) I have blisters all over my feet from dancing too much in my silver heels; it's a minor miracle that blisters are the only injury to come of that night, as at one point, Cal (the bachette) and I were dancing on the bar.

2) I have a bruise on my foot from kicking a plastic lawn chair during a game of... I can't remember what the game was called. It involved betting $1 on getting the high card, and we played it with the guys from the bachelor party that was taking place in the apartment below the one we rented in Wrigleyville. The whole point of the game, I was told, was to kick stuff and yell, so I did.

3) I am the proud owner of a new Rockies teeshirt (thanks, Cal) which I wore to the Cubs/D-Backs game at Wrigley on Saturday and which I used by way of an explanation when I heckled a dude wearing and Eric Byrnes jersey. Jerk.

4) My joints still ache from a long-term hangover. Moe's Cantina on North Clark makes a strong margarita, and surprisingly, Zanie's Comedy Club in Lincoln Park mixes a strong drink, too. Plus, my tolerance is shot, and for whatever reason, we all kept getting up at like 8 a.m. every morning. So much for sleeping in!

5) I gained like 5 lbs eating cookies and other snackable crap we had at the apartment, IHOP for breakfast, about three pints of guacamole and, oh yeah, drinking too much.

6) I keep wandering around thinking of the profound and smart things Cal's friends said all weekend. I am blessed that I frequenetly get to spend time with intelligent, funny and creative women, and this weekend was no exception. More on this later.

Being back at work sucks. I would do so much better if I lived a life that involved me being at leisure all the time. Sigh.
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5.7.2008: It's not an episode of Grey's Anatomy.

I'm up a little late working tonight.

Something wonderful is happening.

It is raining.

On my roof. Which is tin.

There's only one thing that could make the sound of rain on a tin roof better. I'll give you three guesses.
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5.4.2008: Feliz not having to do anything this weekend

If nothing else, the safe passage of Cinco de Mayo means no more annoying Corona commercials. Seriously, that beer tastes awful. And the ad campaign is insulting. No one who drinks that beer is drinking it because it tastes good, and I doubt anyone who purposefully drinks Coronoa would ever find themselves sitting peacefully, alone, on a white sand beach without a cell phone or Blackberry or whatever. All-inclusive resort with a swim-up bar, yes.

I am currently sitting on my couch, with a head full of very clean, very wet hair, watching Pride and Prejudice. I'm also sunburned like crazy, which is kind of my weekend ritual these days. Need to remember to not only BUY the sunscreen, but to WEAR the sunscreen.

The Driver and Katherine Heigl and I went camping out in Lockheart Basin this weekend. The original intent was to find a swimming hole and hang out in our bathing suits, but it was just a bit too cold for that. So we settled for a case of PBR (I know, I know) and a fire and hobo dinners and girl talk. And shooting stars. We all sat and marveled like idiots at how many stars there are in the desert skies, and I think I actually squealed when I saw the meteors.

Sigh. Good weekend.

The view east from The Driver's Super Secret Awesome and Amazing camp spot.

The Driver holding court over the fire. She was the only one allowed to mess with it in any way, and rightfully so. She's a better fire handler than any guy I have ever camped with. The other great thing about camping with her: using lighter fluid to start the fire rather than a bowdrill or newspaper or any of that nonsense.

Katherine Heigl doing what she did all weekend: sitting and chatting.

Twilight. Lots of bats swooping around above the water. I like bats when they are outside... or when they look like Christian Bale.

More twilight. We had our own private beach. Best campsite ever.

Sunset.

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5.2.2008: Whew. Okay.

So, last weekend (a whole week ago? How?) I got to hang out with Lady G. It was marvelous. Her Hubby cooked dinner for us and then, after being his usual entertaining self, left the next morning to go offroading with buddies. Which gave Lady G and I the whole rest of the weekend for girlie stuff.

Girlie stuff included a nice walk up to Hanging Lake and through parts of Glenwood Canyon, massive burritos, a beer and a Shirley Temple at the brewery with Naech and PC (more on that in a minute), and then dinner and Elizabeth and Elizabeth: The Golden Age back-to-back. And Jelly Bellies, of course, because c'mon. It was a weekend with Lady G and that's how she rolls. I did notice that someone (Hubby?) had eaten all the juicy pear, though.

The waterfall coming out of Seeping Rock (right?) above Hanging Lake in Glenwood Canyon. The fall is pretty big... I'd guess 100 feet?

It was so strange seeing such a verdant landscape that I had to take pictures.

Seeing Naech and PC was muy cool. It was kind of like worlds colliding, in a good way. I mean, Naech and Lady G and I hung out a fair amount when we all lived in Denver, but what are the chances that Naech and PC would be driving back to Missouri from Utah on the same day I was visiting in Glenwood? We got ourselves all caught up, and Naech and Lady G swapped pregnancy stories. Julian was with his grandparents in Springfield, so I didn't get to meet the munchkin. But Naech and PC both looked rested and trim and tanned, which I am sure will be a big hit back in the Land of the Suisse.

The weekend was much needed as work last week was utterly exhausting. We did our big girls conferences, which involved coordinating more than 30 volunteers and 250 14-year-old girls. It was excellent birth control.

The view of Castle Valley from US 128 coming west toward Moab. I took the long way home from Glenwood because A) I could, and B) US 550 over Red Mountain and Molas passes was so pock-marked and damaged that I worried about pieces of my car, like the transmission or an entire tire, falling off every time I hit a bump or pothole. Also, the drop-offs down to the valley floors 1,500 feet down were slightly unnerving. I had forgotten about that part.

And finally. I had a fun houseguest this past week. The little sister of a friend (said friend has freaked out about having a nickname on this blog so I will not name him) is moving to Dolores, about 50 miles west of Durango. She stayed with me for a few days while she worked on moving in, and I have to say, she was awesome. And she is nothing like her brother. I am not saying he is not awesome, but they have completely different political views, definitions of success, and attitudes about a lot of things. They also look NOTHING alike. Anyway, she has moved, loves her new place and will hopefully become part of the local scene real soon.

I have a softball game tonight and then I head out tomorrow with the girls for a couple days in Canyonlands. Have good weekends!
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4.20.2008: Quick hits

Life is just chaos. Anyone?

I fully intend a report of last weekend, complete with pictures. I also fully intend a report of the houseguest I have at the moment. And a report, of course, about the events of last Friday.

Teasers until then:

1) Lady G is in better shape than most non-preggo women in America. I was shamed hanging out with her.

2) Moab felt big and busy and dirty, which is a far cry from the sleepy little off-season town I have spent so much time in over the last three years.

3) The Chicago Cubs organization and specifically the ticket reps at Wrigley have their thumbs up their asses.

4) Genetics is bizarro.

5) An exchange we overheard last week between an 8th grade girl and a junior girl from her future high school:

• 8th grader: "Do you play any sports?"
• Junior: "Yeah, I box."
• 8th grader: "The high school has a girls' boxing program?"
• Junior: "No, my fiance is a cage fighter and I box with him."

This is where I choose to live. Awesome.

6) Cal gets married in only six (seven?) weeks. Cannot believe a year went by so quickly; cannot believe I have to change the entire composition of my body between now and then so as to look really good in her wedding pictures.

7) Smoke, dust, pollen, etc. will probably kill me before the weekend. I'll miss you all.
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4.24.2008: I am WIPED OUT.

As Lady G would say, "Oof."

It's been a mother of a week.

I had the world's most demanding client (I'd call 10 phone calls between the hours of 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. on a SATURDAY slightly demanding, wouldn't you?) and this week is my organization's two-day conference with 400 14-year-old girls.

Which has also made me never want kids. Like, ever.

As of this time tomorrow, however, I'll be rolling into the Roaring Fork Valley for a super fun weekend with Lady G and, of all people, the elusive Naech!

Of course, it's supposed to snow over Red Mountain Pass while I'll be trying to drive. But isn't it always snowing over Red Mountain Pass?

I'm sure it won't be anything the Happy Honda can't handle. And if it is, no worries, because we all know how well "car trouble" has worked out for me in the past...

Besos.
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