Wednesday, July 25, 2007

Irritating action by an ex-coworker

My BF told me this story last night and it really pissed me off. He was hanging out with some coworkers and one of them wanted to invite his GF to join them - said GF being another of the coworkers who was laid off at the same time I was. One of the other guys begged off, saying he had been advised by counsel to distance himself from the people who were bringing legal action against the company. He's trying to get ahead there, has hopes of running a division, and doesn't want his rep to be tarnished from contact.

Now, first of all, I am in the same boat as this girl. My BF still works at the same company where I used to work, so these are ex-coworkers of mine as well. I've hired an attorney to negotiate with the company in an attempt to get a better severance package than their crappy offer. I was with the company for almost three years and I thought it was paltry. Also, without getting into it in detail, it was fucked up the way they picked who they laid off. My attorney felt I had a decent case, and sent a letter. I haven't heard anything back, which in and of itself is enraging, but I am trying not to believe the worst yet.

Secondly, and clear enough from the previous paragraph, I haven't brought any legal action against the company, at least so far; I've just hired a guy to negotiate on my behalf. I haven't brought a lawsuit (and hope I don't have to) against anybody. Nobody has, yet; it hasn't come to that. The most that has happened so far is attorneys getting hired and letters being sent.

Third, the guy's "counsel" is his GF, who's had her law degree for about 45 minutes. And it's so fucking grandiose of him to think that anybody gives the least bit of a damn who he hangs out with.

Obviously I'm taking it personally - and it wasn't even to do directly with me, but I'm in the same boat as this other girl, so it could have been. What a douchebag! This guy is actually a pretty nice guy, and although he was one of the "in-crowd" at the company (where good-old-boy cronyism was RAMPANT) I never held it against him. But now ... I just feel like, dude, FUCK YOU and the horse you rode in on. Good fucking luck at the company, hope you get ahead, don't call me on your way back down.

Monday, July 23, 2007

"Yer a Wizard, 'Arry"...

Finally finished book 7 of the Harry Potter series. After I ruminated on it a little bit and discussed pieces of it with my BF, it occurred to me that bloggers the world around would be posting about it, and why should I be any different?

No spoilers, here, just wanted to be a part of the mass movement I imagine taking place 'round the globe. My take on it, in brief: I loved the book. I was happy with all of the story lines' wrappings-up. I loved the ending. I loved the series, and I loved this last entry in it.

Now I have to clean up all the mess around the house that accumulated while Adam and I were both so completely absorbed in the Deathly Hallows.

Friday, July 20, 2007

45 Life Lessons and 5 to Grow on

May 28, 2006
By Regina Brett
The Plain Dealer
Cleveland, Ohio
Archived version of article (for pay)

I received an email containing the text here in my inbox and I liked it so I decided to re-display it here. Disclaimer: Because the article in The Plain Dealer's archives is for pay, and I opted out of paying to read it to be sure, I haven't confirmed this is the exact text from her article. But I bet it's pretty close.

To celebrate growing older, I once wrote the 45 lessons life taught me. It is the most-requested column I've ever written. My odometer rolls over to 50 this week, so here's an update:

1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.
2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.
3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
4. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
5. Pay off your credit cards every month.
6. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.
8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.
9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.
10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.
11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.
12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.
13. Don't compare your life to others'. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.
15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry; God never blinks.
16. Life is too short for long pity parties. Get busy living, or get busy dying.
17. You can get through anything if you stay put in today.
18. A writer writes. If you want to be a writer, write.
19. It's never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.
20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.
21 Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.
22. Over prepare, then go with the flow.
23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.
24. The most important sex organ is the brain.
25. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.
26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words: "In five years, will this matter?"
27. Always choose life.
28. Forgive everyone everything.
29. What other people think of you is none of your business.
30. Time heals almost everything. Give time time.
31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
32. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.
33. Believe in miracles.
34 God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.
35. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.
36. Growing old beats the alternative -- dying young.
37. Your children get only one childhood. Make it memorable.
38. Read the Psalms. They cover every human emotion.
39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.
40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back.
41. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.
42. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.
43. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.
44. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
45. The best is yet to come.
46 No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
47. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.
48. If you don't ask, you don't get.
49. Yield.
50. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift.

Thursday, July 19, 2007

today's harvest



seven - count'em, seven - cucumbers today, with many more on the vine a few days away from ripening, lots of peas, and the first TOMATO!!! i despaired of them ever ripening, but today this little beauty was hiding under the leaves. hooray!

Monday, July 16, 2007

black mulch

here's the famous black mulch. photos taken at dusk last night. oooooo!


black mulch 1


black mulch 2

Sunday, July 15, 2007

Weekend stuff

I got Adam to cut the lawn today and I put down mulch. I found black mulch at the Home Depot; but it was a cooler idea, I think, than it turned out in execution - it looks way too stark. TOO black. Maybe it will mellow out soon.

Here's the man and his grill:


We picked our first cucumbers and peas, and we have been arguing about whether the corn is ripe yet. I say it is, based on what I have read online, but Adam says no. Finally his curiosity got the better of him and he picked one ear which we are boiling now. It looks a bit small. I agree with his assessment now that a little longer on the stalk may give the ears better size.

I have like 2 dozen tomatoes on the vines, but none of them are getting red, and I think they are too crowded to get enough light so they never will.

Next year I will do things better. I will:

* plant fewer squash type plants of each variety, and stake them a lot earlier;
* plant more peas, of a green pea (not sweet pea) variety, and stake them earlier;
* give the tomatoes a lot more room - further away from the fence, and from each other;
* plant more corn, in stages as they recommend so that we have a longer harvest time;
* de-rock-ify the soil for the carrots, as the rocks make them split and bulb;
* mulch everything as soon as I plant it to keep the weeds at bay.

Saturday, July 14, 2007

Bling and other lovely things

Adam did get home on time, a little early even. He came in and immediately got my present out and gave it to me to open. I had suspected it would be, and it was - diamond earrings! Hooray! They are beautiful. I LIKE diamonds. He said I am not allowed to wear them every day, though; they are for special occasions.

On Friday we went to the chocolate restaurant. It was a little on the overkill side. The best dessert I've ever had was at a restaurant here in Clifton, a Mexican resto whose name I'm blanking on right now. So this was good, but not the best I've ever had. But it was fun. Audrey was there, and pals from work. It was really nice to hang out with them all.