Monday

It's Monday and I owe you an update on our wonderful holiday weekend in Chicago. We had a great time - it's a blessing to be with family this time of year. Details will have to wait though, as I am a bit worn out from today.

Do you ever start a day right on track, with enthusiasm and a plan, plus your favorite outfit and then it all goes crazy?

Today:
1. One of my team members resigned. Although it was for the right reason - to follow the dream of her heart - it still came from left field for me (and the rest of our team). I will miss her, as she it a bright young woman with a tremendous future.

2. My pony got sick over the holiday - rumor has it she ate too much turkey.
She had a bout of colic and a leg boo-boo to boot. She perked up over the weekend but the leg ballooned up this afternoon and the vet came out again.

The barn manager said it's important to keep equine vets in business, as there aren't many that specialize in horses only anymore. She was trying to be helpful, but I think Rally overheard and feels it's her personal mission in life to see the vet every six months.

So, I just got back from the barn after giving her hugs and kisses. Her leg is wrapped and she has "happy" medicine. I imagine she will be fine soon, but send her a horsey prayer just in case.

For now, I'm off to snuggle in my favorite pjs and watch bad-for-me tv.

'Night

Thanks

Happy Thanksgiving!

Many years ago, I started a gratitude journel. I am fairly inconsistent when it comes to adding entries, but every year at Thanksgiving I read through past gratitudes and add some new ones. As I look through my gratitude journel tonight, I thought you might be interested in taking a peek. I am grateful and thankful for:
*tacky but charming roadside animals
*free fast food from winning game pieces
*surprise visits from woodpeckers
*the camels and elephants at the baseball opening day parade
*the view of the Little Miami River valley from Fort Ancient (a Hopewell site in southern Ohio)
*Bare Naked Ladies doing the "Near/Far" routine from Sesame Street with a segueway into the theme song from "Titanic"
*Zeeba's spunk
*leveraging the Gahanna Flea market to get Christmas shopping done early (didn't happen this year!)

Of course there are quite a few names in the journel too, as I'm most grateful for family and friends. Lee and I are lucky to be close to our family (physically and heart-wise). Many are not so fortunate. We are blessed to have close friends who have know us so long they understand and forgive all our mistakes and shortcomings. We are also fortunate to have new friends come into our lives.

So, to all of you - Thank you Thank you Thank you - you are better than the best parade or valley-view and I am thankful for you!

'Night

Merry Christmas!

OK - I give up! We're skipping the fall decorations this year and moving directly on to Christmas.

It's better this way, as I typically start my Christmas decorating 'round 'bout the 20th, which stresses me out. For example, I have a really beautiful Advent calendar my sister made - a wooden Christmas tree with a little gold star for each day before Christmas. Each year I set it up I have to flip 20 of the stars at once - no fun!

You can see we already took care of one Christmas errand - the boys posed so patiently for us this weekend. Aren't they the most gorgeous gentlemen?! They know they have to be good if they're going to get presents this year!

Just because we're skipping fall decorations doesn't mean we're skipping Thanksgiving. Lee's sister and her husband are welcoming us to their home in Chicago and rumor has it there will be multiple pies!!!! We're also planning on rising early for the day-after-Thanksgiving shopping - a holiday tradition JR introduced us to when he joined the family. It sounds insane but is actually quite the adventure; although, being old, we are only up to it every other year :)

'Night

Let the birthday week begin!

Several years ago, I started the tradition of the "birthday week." The birthday week came about for several reasons:
1. Birthdays often fall on boring days, like Tuesdays - who wants to celebrate on a Tuesday?!
2. Sometimes, people forgot my birthday, creating guilt that doing so had caused me to feel unloved and forgotten (it doesn't, as I am often behind on sending birthday greeting myself!)
3. Twenty-four hours is not enough time to enjoy a birthday!

So, now I celebrate a birthday week, and encourage others to do the same. Much like any other holiday week, the birthday week runs from Friday afternoon, through the weekend, then the week and ends the next weekend (Sunday evening!). I have campaigned to have the birthday week further extended to the birthday month, but I haven't gotten anyone to buy in on that one yet.

In any case, this Friday began my birthday week! So far, this has meant much shopping (Thanks Mom!), lots of movies and popcorn and just hanging out at home.

Recommendation: next time your b-day rolls around, go for the birthday week!

This is a picture test

http://www.maddies.org/

I want a bunny!

I think I mentioned that I just returned from Learning2006, a performance, development, elearning, training etc etc conference in Orlando.

One of the keynote speakers was the editor-in-chief of PC Magazine. In addition to looking like a younger and less-insane Tom Cruise, he impressed the crowd with his cool toys.

Everyone was making a mental shopping list. Top on my list is the wi/fi bunny. I know, we don't have a wireless network, but what better reason could there be to have a wireless network than to adopt one of these:
http://new.nabaztag.com

Now, it's just an elevated stuffed animal, but not fluffy. It really is completely purposeless, even though it will read the news to you and wake you up. In person (I don't know if this really comes across on the website), it is the cutest thing! Except when you remove the ears (why would they make the ears removable!?).

So, we'll see if Santa brings me a bunny...you could get one too, and they could conversate across the great distances.

'Night

Why Dog Blog Blog Dog?

I love my dogs!

Here they are:

Very cute, yes?

Most of you are familar with their many accomplishments, but stayed tuned to hear even more.

Why not just "Dog Blog"?

1. Someone else got to it already http://www.automatedredemption.com/flavorcountry/dogblog/
Let me know what you think of the site

2. I hope to share more than dog stories. What exactly? Not sure yet.


'Night

OK Here we go!

Just wrapping up Day 3 at Learning 2006 in Orlando, FL http://www.learning2006.com/

Had a great and educational time - glad that my (new) employeer sees the value in these types of events.

Anyway, took part in the Wiki/Blog session and was embarrassed that I don't have my own blog - so here it is!

I have been told it's ok at the beginning that:
no one will visit
I won't know what to say

Both are true right now and I'm ok with that, so 'night.