Monday, June 16, 2008

Two Week Notice

If you've noticed, it's been two weeks since my last post. Talk about a whirlwind of fun and excitement!!!

Today I gave my two week notice. I end work on June 27 and start work on June 30. No down time, but I prefer it that way. Keeps the paychecks steady and I don't have time to think about any changes...you just hit the ground running and go.

I've been packing a little and pricing stuff for a yard sale I'm having with Gal Pal this weekend.

I think it also means things are winding down here for good at DOOSL. The actual movie/play "Sordid Lives" comes to Logo as a TV series in July. I may reappear in the future with another blog, but I think as I start a new phase of my life, it's just time for something else. Plus, I keep in touch with most of the usual suspects anyway.

Smooches to all and to all a good night!

Monday, June 02, 2008

News Update

So last week they checked my references and I was told I was the top pick for the job! They want me to meet with one of the higher ups later this week and HOPEFULLY I'll get an interview.

In the meantime, J is getting ready to head to Europe (without me...awe), so I'll be counting down the days left at my current job and the days to when he returns (about two weeks).

As for my naked juice drinking habit...Dean and Lewis are perverts. I'm offended, because I'm so pure and innocent :-) And they both know that's a crock.

Smooches!

Tuesday, May 20, 2008

Get Naked!



It's costly but tasty and worth the effort. I've been reading up on different takes on the product. It's got a pound of fruit in each bottle. No sugar or other additives = all natural. Yes the sugar content is high, but not as high as other juices. They're also meant to be consumed as a meal and light snack, but not with a meal.
It's my new guilty pleasure.
***News Update***
No word yet on the job. The window of 'we'll let you know' has changed. So I'll let you know when I know!
"W"




Thursday, May 08, 2008

Mrs. B. is Back

I'm not talking about myself either!

After a multi-month hiatus from Barnes & Noble (and the cafe), I recently ventured back and saw an old friend...Mrs. B. She's the friendly barista whom my friend Terry nicknamed Mrs B because we thought she was a bitch. It was cool to see her again. She's also preggers with kid #2.

I am back too...after a two week break.

Good news...hopefully better news in a few days. I had an interview in the Big City that lasted THREE HOURS. We mainly chit chatted, but I felt great during and after. The interviewer came in to work on his day off to meet, and was very friendly and sold the company and himself. I did very little selling myself. He seemed extremely interested and we talked money, starting date, etc. A former coworker who is there now really talked me up and the guy even said he was excited to meet me. It would be a totally different career path. Well not totally different, just a new side of my current business that would incorporate several of my current skills.

Best of all...it's a very short commute (20 minutes or so) from J's house. We had a serious talk about moving in, and it looks like that will happen once I do find a job.

I'll keep you posted...you keep your fingers crossed.

Thanks to all who've already said prayers!

"W"

Thursday, April 24, 2008

Tranny Flush

Yup, that's what I need to have done soon, but the procedure will set me back a couple of hundred dollars.

Last week I went in for an oil change, and the mechanic said I was approaching a hundred thousand miles and needed some routine maintenance. That includes a tranny flush, a coolant flush, and 4X4 work. Blah. I price checked around and the 400 avg at the first place was definitely lowest.

Sorry for the lack of posts lately, but things have calmed down and there's not a ton going on.

Catch you soon!
"W"

Thursday, April 10, 2008

Half Marathon Journal

I'd read where the night before the big run you probably won't sleep well because of all the anticipation. J and I didn't get into bed until after 11 and the alarm was set for 5:15. I knew that if I went to bed any earlier...I wouldn't fall asleep and just be there worrying about trying to fall asleep.

I didn't wait for the alarm to go off, so at 5:10 I got out of bed, put on some deodorant, and slipped into my race gear. Medium blue shorts with a long sleeved moisture wicking dark blue shirt with medium blue accents. I just happened to get a cap with those two shades at trivia night the night before. My running shoes were gray with red trim. I wanted an all gray and red outfit, but it was a chilly morning, so I had to dress appropriately.

I drove the 30 minutes to downtown Big City and picked up the girls/co-workers at 6:00. At 6:15, they made it down from their hotel room. I drive us the 10 blocks over to near the starting area and we hit the porta potties. Then we hear the emcee instructing people to hurry up to line up. The race is about to begin, but we haven't made it down to where we need to start. We're divided up by times, but don't have enough time to get in with the 10 minute group, so we just hop in line with the 8's. Pretty soon the gun sounds, but we can't start moving until the mass of 4 thousand or so people start their run. We all have timing chips on our shoe laces to mark our personal official start.

Then we're off...it's a slow jog...everyone is elbow to elbow. My three friends and I manage to stay together by running 2 X 2. Ahead of us is the Gateway to the West, and then we turn right and head past Beer Baseball Stadium....we're about to mile one and the crowd is really shifting. We're passing some people...others are passing us by. We hit mile two and I'm feeling fine. The big Beer Brewery is off in the distance as we trot toward the massive facility. I skip the first water station because it's too crowded and I was doing ok. The experts say stop at every station, but what do they know.

I notice people are wearing iPods...strictly forbidden in the rules. I'm glad I didn't bootleg mine in, because I wanted to race clean ;-)

We pass by the street with church, and I think it'll be a few more hours before the first service, and then another four hours or so before I make it (hopefully) to the second service. We round a little park near the brewery and climb our first steep hill. It's a short one. By this point, people are shedding gloves and shirts as things start to heat up. We're nearing mile four and I bitch about not getting water at the first place. I rip open an energy gel (glucose like goo) and start sucking it down. Ew...worse than flavored lube. We slow for a water break and keep going.

I see lots and lots of runners and now walkers still on the other side of the street...a few miles behind us on the course, but right across from us on the road. Oh, I've forgotten to mention there's been a crowd of spectators on both sides and in the median, cheering racers on.

I wrote my "W" name across my bib, so people...strangers really...could root me on down the road. Several did throughout the course, bringing a smile to my face. Somewhere around mile 5 or so, we spot and hear our friend Becki, who came down from Chicago to cheer us on. She brought cowbells and was clanging away. Good ole Becki! We passed her on another steeper, longer hill...it was great help heading up and up.

We turn another corner to head back downtown and that's where Molly and I lost pals CJ and Stephanie. We thought they ducked into a toilet as we slowed for a water stop, because they told us they needed to go. The crowd was really thick still at this point, and the others turned onto the main street without us. We slowed some more to wait and from then it was over.

So Molly and I just made the race about the two of us. We talked, shared stories, caught up, even laughed and encouraged each other to the finish. Mile 6-8 were kinda rough because we had some big hills and it was near the midway point. Once we turned back around mile 10, we felt we were hitting the home stretch. At the 11 marker we got passed by a guy in a separate lane. He was BOOKING it! I asked Molly what was up, and she said he's in the marathon. THE MARATHON WINNER ran by and WHAM he was gone. The man ran twice as far, twice as fast...and then some!

We passed the 'two miles until beer sign', and then with every step, I knew the finish line would soon be in sight. The crowds got thicker and the cheering got louder...a smile was plastered on my face that wouldn't fade for hours, and the adrenaline was pumping. I had never experienced anything like it in my life. Literally thousands of people standing around cheering me on. What a rush! I look up ahead and see the goal. Molly and I pick up the pace and within a few steps across the finish line, we see CJ and Stephanie running up to us. I bend over, and a race volunteer slips a medal over my neck.

I did it!!!

2 Timothy 4:7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith.


Monday, April 07, 2008

Birthday to Remember

Wow! I was blown away by a weekend full of surprises. I've known and bragged about how wonderful "J" is. This weekend there's no doubt I'm the most lucky man on earth for having "J" as a boyfriend.

Saturday started with birthday in bed. (Minds out of the gutter please...Sarah...Dean...Lewis that means you too!) Presents and presents and more presents. I opened three awesome button down shirts, a Will & Grace DVD, running shorts, a card, and more importantly, "J" was there with me. I told him so. The best present was him...there with me...knowing he loves me as much as I love him. (and yes...there was some gutter stuff immediately following).

I rested up for the race Saturday, and then we raced downtown in the Big City to meet Gal Pal and the co-workers running with me to register. Then came another surprise..."J" packed each of us a little post running gift bag...complete with heat wraps, ibuprofen, band aids, and some other goodies. Isn't he such a sweetie?

After getting my running bib & number and my timing chip, we drove back out to the 'burbs and grabbed a quick carb-ful dinner and headed to trivia night. Once there came another surprise. Instead of following the 'That's Entertainment" theme, our table had a "Happy 30-th Birthday W" theme!!! It was like I had a party with 200 of my closest friends (mostly strangers). Party hats, a birthday princess crown, buttons, glitter, balloons, streamers, and all the decorations to match. A complete stranger brought a cake from an Italian specialty bakery...(i had a small piece despite the sugar). Again, I was completely blown away.

Before the first round of questions "Showtunes"...we had the church's biggest drag queen perform a few numbers, including a happy birthday led salute to moi. Who can say they had a drag queen sing happy birthday to them at a church function? Not many. I got more than a dozen cards and some gift bags and lots of friendly well wishes.

Then "J" gave me a bag with two more gifts. One was a book "Invitation to Fairyland"...private joke between us....and then I opened the biggest and best surprise of the evening!!! Inside the box, I found a guidebook to New York City and a note!!! "Pick a few places out of here for when we take a trip for two to NYC!" Wow! I've never been...and I'm totally excited about getting to go.

"J" also had the peeps from my work make a 'best of' DVD ' of my own work...more like a blooper reel...which he showed off on a portable DVD player at our table. The final surprise of the night...the final round of trivia was "The Wizard of OZ"...sponsored by J..."for his Dorothy".

I'm still reeling from all the excitement and surprises. I actually might have left something out.

Oh yeah, I finished the half marathon in 2:36...six minutes shy of my goal, but I finished and that's all that matters.

I'll profile the race in tomorrow's post.

Smooches,
"W"