A Dog in My Future....

I had long "ignored" Facebook, thinking it was a frivilous waste of time, and I'm already good at wasting time without any help online.  I don't remember when, but I finally relented, created an account, and started friending people.

I'm glad I did.  One of the people I friended is Mabel, one of the girls I grew up with in Marrero.  As most people do, we lost touch over the years, but have renewed our friendship through Facebook (as I have with many of my childhood friends).

This week, Mabel and I have been talking about me adopting Max the Dachshund, a cute little guy that belongs to one of her friends' Aunt.  Sad to say that the nice lady (I spoke with her on Friday morning) who's Max's Mom has to give him up because of illness and a move from New Orleans to Texas.  Mabel has kept up with my perils of trying to rescue a dog and was kind enough to reach out to me when her friend told her of Max's fate.

So now, I'm researching getting Max from Louisiana to California some time in the next couple of weeks and getting my house prepared for a new four-legged roommate.

I'll keep you all posted on it.  And a big thanks to Mabel!!!

Until Next Time,

Kel

Friday Fill-Ins

And...here we go!


1. I'm going to succeed.

2. I think I like adventure and daring.

3. Perhaps today you can make it a point to do one random act of kindness (RAK).

4. I admire anyone with a true adventurer’s spirit.

5. Compassion is something I need to work on.

6. Try your hardest to succeed no matter how difficult.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to purse shopping (not really!), tomorrow my plans include my usual workout and errands and Sunday, I want to finish the project at work early and get home to relax!
 
Until Next Time,
 
Kel

Friday Fill-Ins

And...here we go!


1. I feel happy today.

2. Every weekend I try to play to catch up.

3. Do something nice for someone every once in a while.

4. I am completely unique.

5. It's hard to know how much or how little to say in awkward situations.

6. Somebody does something stupid and I'm amazed when someone else follows suit.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to relaxing, tomorrow my plans include working out and running errands and Sunday, I want to take my time reading the Sunday paper!
 
Until Next Time,
 
Kel

You Got Something to Say to Me?

So, I've said it before:  I'm a big girl.  I own it. I can't say that I'm proud of it, but I'm not delusional and think that I'm smaller than I am.  I work out, watch what I eat and dress appropriately.

My question, then, is why do people I barely know think it's their lot in life to offer me diet/weight loss advice - especially when I didn't ask for it!!

It happened to me twice today and that's probably why I'm so sensitive about it right now.

One of my co-workers asked me to lunch today.  We went out and got sandwiches and returned to the office; she joined me in my office to eat and chit-chat.  During our conversation, she started talking about a friend of hers who has lost nearly 100 pounds and the diet she followed and how she can put me in touch with this person so I can learn how she did it and maybe that would help me out.  What?  She continued to tell me about how she's done South Beach and the things she eats to stay thin (yes, she's thin) and had I tried South Beach or Atkins or maybe Jenny Craig.... 

At that point all I could hear was blah, blah, blah, blah, blah because I was so mad at the nerve of this woman.  I'm sure her heart was in the right place, but I don't want to discuss my weight, exercise or food intake with anyone.  I don't ask you about yours or give you advice on how to add some meat to your skinny ass, so I'd appreciate it if you'd do the same for me.

Later, while in the locker room at the gym, a woman that I see quite often came in and said something about how she sees my hard work at the gym is starting to pay off.  She then starts questioning me about whether I've heard of Sparkpeople and how I should use that to track my food an exercise every day and how wonderful and motivating the site it for staying on a diet and blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.  Yeah, I tuned her out, too.

I still don't get why people feel it's ok to just launch into a "how to diet/exercise/take better care of yourself" conversation with me.  Do they really care?  Or is it some misguided notion that they can HELP me?

Thanks, but I don't need or want your help.  My guess is that if we go head to head in comparing our health and fitness, I'd probably kick their asses in both.

Until Next Time,

Kel

Friday Fill-Ins

And...here we go!

1. This is what life does. It lets you get comfortable and then pulls the rug out from under you.

2. Can you just appreciate the moment?

3. Upon reflection I think I made a huge mistake.

4. I've been sad for quite a long time.

5. Later, you wake up in a panic!

6. I would like to travel to the far and boundless sea.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to a quiet evening, tomorrow my plans include another tough workout and Sunday, I want to get caght up on the laundry!

Until Next Time,

Kel

Makin' Groceries

In New Orleans, people don't grocery shop.  Or go to the supermarket.  They "make groceries."  I grew up with that saying, and at one time, there was even a local chain who used "makin' groceries" in their jingle.

Can I just tell you how much I hate makin' groceries?

This morning I woke up with a craving for some comfort food.  For me, that means one of a few dishes:  gumbo, jambalaya or red beans and rice.  The red beans won the toss today, mostly because I have 4 pounds of Camelia brand dry red beans in the pantry.  But, in surveying the fridge for the rest of the ingredients, I realized that I was going to have to make a trip to the store.  Ugh. 

Well, since I was going, I might as well make it a meaningful trip.  I took an inventory and figured out I needed other things like milk, fruits and veggies, some kind of meat, maybe some cold cuts and bread....  Before heading out, I went through my trusty coupon stash and pulled out the ones I knew I could use.

So off to Safeway I went, coupons, list and reusable bags in hand.  I lucked out and got a parking spot right at the front of the store!  I grabbed a basket (or cart as non-New Orleanians call them) and headed in.  That's where the 'fun' always begins.

Trying to maneuver around people who generally don't know how to steer and park their baskets is bad enough, but today, at 1:30 p.m., Safeway decided it was time to restock the shelves.  So, there were clerks in every.stinkin'.aisle with their gigantic carts full of products stocking shelves!  And, what's with the new practice of stacking sodas, chips, canned goods - whatever - in a line down the center of the aisle?  That makes for a fun obstacle course.

Oh, and don't get me started on the families who come in groups of 15 and all have to have a hand on the basket as their 'pod' walks slowly through the frozen food section arguing about who wants what kind of ice cream....

And then, there's the sticker shock when you get to the register.  I faithfully use my shopper's card to get the weekly specials, whipped out my $7.50 in coupons and I still shelled out $81 for 3 bags (one was the size of 2 reusable bags) of grub! 

When I got home, I assessed the damage:  there were only 3 things on that receipt that either wasn't on sale or I didn't have a coupon for:  a pound of ham and a half-pound of cheese from the deli and a pound of ground beef.  Every other item was discounted in one way or another!

I don't know how my friends with families do it.  They have to buy way more than I do, and they make groceries every week!  I'm lucky enough to be single and can stretch my purchases out enough that I can avoid the store like the plague.

So I'm going back into grocery store avoidance and won't be makin' groceries for a while.  The trauma is too much to handle on a regular basis.

And the red beans?  Well, they're on the stove now...

Until Next Time,

Kel

The Cow Kitchen Timer

Several years ago (okay, it was many years ago, but I'm not willing to admit that), a friend at work gave me a silly little cow kitchen timer.  It's a cute and handy little item, especially since I never mastered the timer feature on my stove.

It's easy to use - you wind it up, set the number of minutes you need and the bell rings appropriately.  I've used it all these years.

Today, I used the little cow timer because I was making a batch of brownies to share at at a meeting I was going to.  As I twisted the cow to set the time, I realized I hadn't used the timer in I don't know how long.  I started thinking, and really couldn't remember the last time I baked something and needed to time it.  Hmph.  Not a big deal, but one of those puzzling moments that made me wonder why I haven't used my oven and cow timer for so long.

The house was filled with the smell of brownies and the bell went off on the timer and suddenly, the tears started flowing.  It was at that moment that I realized how much I miss Aero.  No matter what that dog was doing or where he was in the house, when the cow timer's bell went off, he go racing into the kitchen baking his head off the whole way there.  Then, he'd stand in front of the stove barking at it and turning circles, excitely wagging his tail, like he knew something good was coming out of it.

And Lord help me if I didn't get to the kitchen quick enough for his furry highness.  He'd seek me out, bark at me and then run back and forth between me and the kitchen as if he was telling me to follow him.

He was such a little character.  And I still miss him terribly.

Until Next Time,

Kel

Friday Fill-Ins

It's been a while, but I always thought these were fun.

And...here we go!

1. Layers of covers at night on the bed make for a good night's sleep.

2. Most days I wish I had more insight.

3. I'd be willing to bet I'll be spending a lot of time at the office for a while.

4. Any loud noise scares the dog.  (Aero was pretty much scared of his own shadow!)

5. I'm fond of cream cheese frosting.

6. I'm working way too much!

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to getting out of the office at a reasonable time after staying late for the server work, tomorrow my plans include a tough workout with my trainer and a fun meeting, and Sunday, I want to sleep late and enjoy reading the paper!

Wow - Has It Been THAT Long?

I'm a little shocked at myself for 'ignoring' my blog for so long.  It hasn't been on purpose.  It's just life got a little crazy lately and I haven't kept up.  Here's the scoop:

I don't remember much about April.  Except I got a new haircut (and you thought I was gonna say dog, didn't you?).  Totally different style for me and SHORT.  It was quite the shock.  Oh, and I won 2 round-trip tickets to anywhere in the U.S., Canada, Mexico or Hawaii.  Am thinking I'll go see Christian play football in his senior year.

I do remember May:  work, work, work.  And work some more.  Our office moved and with that came the crazy overtime.  In six weeks time (May through the middle of June), I worked nearly 70 hours of overtime.  I'd get home at night and just be downright pooped.  All that time included some weekends, too.  It wasn't pretty.

June.  Yep, added another year to my life.  Feel like I'm 10 years older and am starting to look my age.  At least I think so.  The crazy overtime continues.  I had a complete meltdown one day in the office.  That was fun and caused my boss to make me take 2 days off to regroup.

And here it is July.  Well, I'm writing this while sitting in my office waiting for a call from DC to walk me through some server work.  Umm-hmm.  Overtime again tonight.

Other news that I haven't reported:  still no dog.  With all the time away from home, I've kinda put my search on hold, but have been applying to various rescue groups.  Still not much hope since they all seem to be so picky about working full time and leaving a dog alone all day.  Stupid people.

On the workout front, I had gotten up to going to the gym 5 days a week, thanks to a challenge by my trainer Denise.  Oh, yes, I'm still working out with her and she's still kicking my butt.  I had slacked off during June, but am determined to get back to my 5 days a week this month and for the rest of the year.  I've started riding Mr. Stationary Bike for my cardio.  At the end of May, it took me nearly 30 minutes to ride about a mile and a half.  After a couple of challenges from Denise, I'm up to 7 miles in under an hour.  But boy, does that seat hurt!!!

So friends, that's what's happening in my little 'Korner' of the world.  I hope to get back here to post more often - I'm always composing something in my mind but never quite get to the sitting down and typing it part.

Hope you're all well....

Until Next Time,

Kel

Guess I'm Not Good Enough....

I got an e-mail response from the Yorkshire Terrier rescue group today.  First thing, like a dork, I entered my e-mail address with a typo, so their response was bounced back.  What a dork.

But, the woman who responded figured out the correct address and re-forwarded her message to me, with a rather terse statement about my mis-spelled e-mail address on my application.  Here's what she said:

"Hi Kelly. Your application sounds good, but being gone 8-10 hours a day, probably five days a week with no other dog to keep a new dog company would not be fair. Sorry we cannot help you right now. Thank you for your interest."

ARE YOU STINKIN' KIDDING ME?

I have a nice home and a good job - I can afford to take in one of these little dogs who have been given up for any number of reasons - and you're telling me that because I work full time that I can't give one of those little guys a home?

Give me a break.

Spike, my first Yorkie, lived to be nearly 14 years old, and in that 14 years, spent at least 10 of those years as an only dog while I worked full time.  He survived and seemed ok to stay home each day by himself.  He wasn't neglected in any way - we spent lots of quality time together, including him travelling with me when I'd fly to New Orleans.

Unbelievable.

And of course, Aero spent his entire 12 years with me as the lone dog while I worked.  At first, we had some problems with separation anxiety, but worked through it and he adjusted to being home alone quite nicely.  As a matter of fact, last summer when I was unemployed, there were more days than not that he showed his displeasure with my being home and in his space disturbing his beauty sleep.

Dogs can be left alone.

I'm totally insulted, and I did send her back the following response:

Hi (Mean Nasty Person Who Won't Let Me Have a Dog):

First, my apologies for not proofreading my application and making a typo on my e-mail address. I feel like a dork.

I'm disappointed that my application is being dismissed because I work full time. What my application didn't say is that I have a dog walker that came every day I worked (and on weekends when I knew I'd be gone for long periods of time) to spend time with my Yorkie and take him out for walks for me. He was an only dog for the 12 years that we spent together.

I hope that you're able to find homes for the dogs that your organization has rescued. I'll continue my search with other breed rescue groups, even though my first love still lies with Yorkies.

Thank you for your time.

Stupid snobby people.  Guess I'll work with the Dachshund rescue people - they seem more reasonable.

Stay tuned....

Until Next Time,

Kel

 

Let the Search Begin...

So, it has been just over 3 weeks since my Aero left this world.  And I'm so ready for a dog!!!

Now, don't get me wrong.  I still miss that little furry face terribly.  But I also feel the emptiness in the house when I come home at night.  Selifshly, I miss having a happy wagging tail when I come home at night.

I applied to a Dachshund rescue group here in California on Thursday, and to a Yorkshire Terrier rescue group on Friday and am still waiting to hear from them.  I've also been looking online at the available dogs at the Humane Society and and another group called Pets in Need.

Today, I went to Pets In Need to visit the little furry guys and girls, hoping to make a 'love connection' while I was there.  There were 2 dogs that I saw that I wanted to meet - a Terrier mix named Happy and a Chihuahua mix named Zoe.  Happy looked outgoing and energetic through the glass, and Zoe seemed a little shy, but the picture that was posted online made her look like she was a bundle of energy.

Well, the attendant trotted Happy out to meet me and he wasn't interested.  He pretty much ignored me until I had treats in my hand - then he became my friend.  But in the time he was with me, he just didn't seem to care.  He was more interested in my friend Stephanie than me.  So, I asked to meet Zoe.

OMG.  Zoe was so afraid!  She weighed upwards of 15 pounds and must have been a cross with a tall dog because she was a lot bigger than I expected.  The attendant put her in my lap (she was much bigger than what I'd consider a lap dog) and she pretty much ignored me.  She wouldn't look at me, even when I tried.  She didn't shake or appear to be nervous, but again, she seemed to like Stephanie.

It was kind of depressing that 2 dogs in a row didn't like me.  Heck, I'm a likeable person!

So, I left the shelter with my application on file, and will probably return in a couple of weeks to meet more dogs. 

Sigh.

Until Next Time,

Kel

Friday Fill-Ins

And...here we go!

 1. I am so looking forward to welcoming a new dog!


2. I get to play with electricity later.


3. When you get to feeling down, talk to one of your best friends.


4. Crafting is a big part of my life.


5. If you need anything just call me.


6. I'm ready to take a trip.


7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to getting out of the office before 9:00 p.m., tomorrow my plans include working out and getting my hair 'fixed' and Sunday, I want to visit my friends Marie and Hank - I haven't seen them in over a month!
 
Until Next Time,
 
Kel

Signs and Following Directions

WARNING:  Rant coming....

Do you read signs that are posted and more importantly, do you follow the directions on those signs?

Like, you pull into a parking lot and a sign says "Parking Reserved for Bob's Pretty Good Customers Only."  Do you park there anyway?  Or, do you keep driving and find a spaced that's not reserved?

It bugs me to no end when I work in the Palo Alto office and all the parking spaces are taken.  There's about 100 spaces in front of the building.  80 of them are marked for the company in the building next door to ours (there's some arrangement with the management that those folks can park in our lot).  10 spaces are maked with signs that say "Reserved Parking for XXXXX," the company that shares the building with my firm.  The last 10?  Yep, there are signs with our firm name and logo and the giant word RESERVED in all caps.  To me, those 20 signs tell me that if I'm not an employee or guest of one of those two named companies, my car should not be parked in those spaces.  Right?

Today, I left for lunch about 1:45; all of my firm's parking spaces were taken with employee cars.  While I was approaching my car and then getting into it, I noticed a very large white SUV circling the parking lot.  My only thought was "watch this blankety-blank-so-and-so come and take my parking space when I pull out."  And I was right.  She sat there waiting for me to leave, then just pulled right in and parked in the reserved space.  And she is not an employee of my firm, nor was she a guest - she proceeded to walk across the parking lot and into the building next door.

Of course, I ranted to myself the whole time I was gone; I really started ranting when I returned and the car was still there.  I drove to the 'back' parking lot, where we have another 15 spaces marked "Reserved" with the firm name on them, and those were all taken too!!!!  Are you kidding me?

Keep in mind - on a day when everyone in the firm shows up, there are 13 of us.  So, 10 people get to park in front and 3 must park in back.

And that's ok, because most days not all of us are in at the same time, and everyone can park in front.  Until some schmuck decides to take one of our spaces.

So, please, please, please:  If you come across a parking space that says RESERVED and it doesn't have your name on it, don't park there.  You're not as important as you think you are. 

Okay, rant over.

Until Next Time,

Kel

My First Day of Vacation

________________________
EDITED TO ADD:

This was supposed to be about Friday, but because I was writing in the middle of the night, it was posted for Saturday.  Sorry!!
________________________

Well, the firm's employee handbook 'recommends' that new employees not take any time off for their first 90 days.  Well, today is day 94 and I wasted no time taking today off!

Not that I just took off a day to be taking it off. Nosiree.  I had a purpose:  today was the start of one of my annual scrapbooking retreats!

We normally get together to scrap on Saturday and Sunday, but this year, the hostess with the mostest, my friend Cathy, added Friday as an option.  So, I worked up the nerve to ask my boss for today off and was able to join my scrappy friends today.

It's been a fun afternoon and evening with them.  We had a dirty gift exchange (or white elephant gift exchange as some people call it) and I ended up with a great pad of scrapbook paper and some flowers that you use for embellishments on your pages.  Everyone got really nice gifts tonight and it was fun to watch the stealing.

Well, it's just after 1 a.m. and I should really get some sleep.  Tomorrow's going to be a long day of scrapping, laughing, sharing, scrapping and more laughing.  I can't wait!!

Until Next Time,

Kel

Friday Fill-Ins

Haven't done this in a while....

And...here we go!







1. Why are you making faces at me?


2. I want you to take a chill pill.


3. If I revive my scrapbooking business then it will be on my terms.


4. I started searching for a dog; now I'll just wait and see what happens.


5. I could use a set of winning lottery numbers.


6. First I'll exercise and then I'll feel better.


7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to scrapping with my favorite scrappy friends, tomorrow my plans include more scrapping and Sunday, I want to scrap some more!

Until Next Time,

Kel

Oh Crap! What Was That Beeping?

About 2:30 this afternoon I was working in the server room in the San Francisco office.  I was hooking up a laptop to the UPS (uninterruptable power source - backup battery system) at the request of one of the engineers in the DC office.  I had just hit the send button on an e-mail to him to tell him I had completed the setup when I heard it:  beeeep...beeeeep....beeeeeeeep.....

I said it out loud:  Oh crap!  What was that beeping?  I looked at the servers that are mounted in the racks and they all looked okay - I could see all the lights and displays were still on.  That's when it got crazy.

My blackberry started buzzing.  The first 2 messages were voice mails - one from my boss and one from my counterpart in Los Angeles.  The next message was an e-mail from another engineer in DC - the system was reporting a power outage.  A power outage?  Seriously?  I'm standing there in a room of fully powered equipment!  Surely that must be a mistake.

I called Smitty, the engineer in DC who sent the e-mail.  I explained to him that I was seeing power on everything; then we started talking about the work I was doing and when I looked down, I saw it:  the UPS unit was completely dark.

I killed one of the UPS units!  My heart started racing as Smitty got another couple of the engineers on the line and they started questioning me about the condtions in the room and what was going on just before I heard the beeping.  In the meantime, by blackberry keeps buzzing with more and more e-mails coming in; the receptionist came to the server room door to say that everyone was calling her looking for me because they're having computer problems (and what, you think I'm having a party in here?); then the office manager came in excitedly exclaiming "computers are crashing everywhere!"

OMG!  What have I done?  I tried to remain calm and after about 10 minutes of consultation with the DC guys, we were able to revive the UPS.  I did a little happy dance!  When the DC guys confirmed that everything had come back online, I did a big happy dance.

And then it hit me:  I took the system down.  I TOOK the system down.  I TOOK THE FREAKING SYSTEM DOWN!!!  I thought I was having a heart attack.  By the time I got to my office, I couldn't breathe, my heart was racing and all I could do was cry. 

My boss called to talk about it.  I thought for sure I would get fired.  But, he was totally cool and said that "shit happens" and not to worry so much.  As long as we were back up and running and nobody lost any work, it was fine.

So, it only took me three months to achieve my first big whoopsie.  I'm glad today is Friday and I can go home and hibernate for the weekend.

Until Next Time,

Kel

I Hate Sad Posts, But....

...I have to get this out of my system.

In 1998, after several months of watching his health decline, I had to make the decision to put my little Yorkie Spike down.  I had adopted him when he was only 6 weeks old, and he had been my constant companion through good times and bad and made the big move to California with me.  I thought I'd never recover from that.

By May of that year, I had decided that there was a big hole in my heart and that I missed the companionship of a little warm, furry friend.  I started my search for a tiny guy to fill that hole.

I had contacted Yorkie breeders in the area; had visited the Humane Society; had scoured the newspaper ads and came up empty.  The internet as we know it was still in it's infancy, but became a powerful tool in my search.  In early June, I stumbled upon a breeder's website that looked interesting: TinyTreasure Yorkies (no, that's not a typo - there's no space in the name!).  I sent an e-mail inquiry and asked if they had any "pet" adoptable dogs (I certainly wasn't interested in showing or breeding); in the e-mail, I told my sad story about Spike.  Within a couple of hours, I got a reply from a woman named Cindy - she had a 2-year-old Yorkie named Aerostar who needed a home.

His story broke my heart.  Cindy said that a few months earlier, she went to a woman's house who had advertised champion bloodline Yorkies for sale.  Being a breeder and handler of championship dogs, she was always looking for new "stock" to breed.  When she got there, it was nothing short of a puppy mill and she found Aero, a 2-year old female and 10 puppies all living in cages in this woman's basement in absolute filth.  It was obvious to her that these dogs had been mistreated, so she rescued the dogs and turned the woman over to the authorities.

She nursed the dogs back to health and adopted out the pups and the little female dog.  She held on to Aero because she thought he had the physical characteristics needed for a show dog.  She worked on getting his coat to grow back in (he had lost a lot of hair) and tried working on his temperament around people, but his puppy trauma ran too deep and he wasn't happy being one of the crowd of dogs in her house.

Naturally, she sent me a picture of him with his story and it was love at first sight.  I had to have this little dog in my life.

For a couple of weeks I spoke with Cindy and we arranged a price, getting him to me (little did I know when the transaction started that he was in CANADA!), giving her references to check and preparing myself and my apartment for a new occupant.  I sent a toy and one of my t-shirts to her to put in his kennel when he traveled because I wanted him to know my scent when I picked him up at the airport.

I took a Friday off at the end of June and my friend Joyce came with me to the airport that day.  I was like a nervous mother waiting to meet her child for the first time.  The flight was delayed, but after about an hour and a half, his little kennel appeared at the US Airways cargo station.  I started crying when I saw that little face looking out at me from inside the kennel.

I couldn't just take him out of the kennel and hug him right then and there - I had to identify him, show my i.d. and then take the paperwork over to Customs so he could clear Customs and come home with me (that cracked me up).  Finally, after about a half hour of paperwork, I took the nervous little dog out of the kennel, kissed his little face and headed home.

At first he was very shy, spending most of his time in his kennel, where he felt safe.  Slowly but surely, he warmed up to me and, as they say the rest is history.

Over the last 12 years, he went from that shy, nervous dog who was afraid of his own shadow to a tiny dog with a big personlity who made everyone he met fall in love with him.  He's been my constant companion since that day I picked him up at the airport and has enriched my life so much.  He was quite the character over the years who loved to go for rides, loved to have his belly rubbed and demanded that I do wha he wanted on his schdule.

On January 31, I took him in to the vet's office for a checkup.  At 13-1/2 years old, I could tell that his age was catching up with him.  He was moving a lot slower, sleeping a lot more, eating a little less and I could see the cataracts growing in his eyes.  But he was still the lovable little dog who had moments of spryness.  That was the day I received the bad news:  he had lost over a 1/2 pound (which on a 3-pound dog is a lot!) and he was in the beginning stages of kidney failure.  I was devastated because it cemented what I knew in my heart:  the end was near.

Dr. Trief, the wonderful vet we saw, said that to start I should change his diet to a low-protein food, which should slow the progression of the kidney failure.  She also said just to make him as comfortable as I could and bring him back in 3 weeks for more blood work and a weight check.

Things seemed ok; I thougt he was liking the new fancy food, but I noticed that he was very clingy when I'd get home at night and he was really slowing down.

On Feburary 17, I got home from work early (thank goodness!) and noticed that he was pretty lethargic and just laying on his blanket, not moving.  He didn't greet me at the end of the couch when I got home, so I knew something was wrong.  I tried to feed him some small pieces of oatmeal cookie that I had bought for him at the fancy dog store that day, but he just spit them out at me.  I picked him up, thinking that he just needed some t.l.c., but when I looked in his eyes, I knew.  I knew this was the end.

I called the vet's office and they said to bring him in right away.  Dr. Gallelo, the vet on duty, came in to the exam room to tell me the news I was dreading:  he had lost another 1/2 pound since our last visit, his temperature was around 92 (instead of up at 98-99) and his kidneys were shutting down. It was time to make a decision: take heroic measures to save him or end his suffering.  That was the second time in my life I had to make that decision and it wasn't any easier this time around.  I couldn't watch him suffer.

So, just a week ago tonight, I said goodbye to my little furry companion Aero as he closed his eyes and went on to the Rainbow Bridge.  I've cried and cried and cried.  And cried some more. 

My house feels empty and my heart just aches that he's gone.  Each day has gotten a little better, but it's hard to not have him here after he's been my companion and responsibility for nearl 12 years.  I mostly miss his sweet, furry face and happy wagging tail greeting me each day when I'd come home from work.

Will there be another furry companion in my life?  You betcha.  But for now, I'm just waiting for my heart to catch up to my head and then the search will begin.

So, it is with a heavy heart that I say goodbye to that little dog who grew into such a big part of my life, my sweet litte Aerostar.  I'll miss you and you'll always have a special place in my heart.  Thank you for bringing love into my life for the last 12 years.

Until Next Time,

Kel

The New Job

So, it's been just about three months since I started the new job.  Let me say that I'm so happy to not only be working, but be working at a really great law firm!

On the day I started (November 30, 2009), the firm opened an office in the Silicon Valley.  They're actually GROWING when many law firms are shrinking and laying off attorneys and staff (ahem-remember last May?).  I hit the ground running that day, helping get people set up with computers, phones and anything else that you need on your first day of work.  We were 13 people in a new situation starting a journey together.  It was a challenge and pretty frightening for me, but I couldn't wait.

After being there only two weeks, I was quite surprised when the office manager handed me an envelope with a check in it - a check for a Christmas bonus!  I about fell off my chair!!!  It was a small amount, but still, after only two weeks of work?  I wanted to frame it.

The beginning of January brought a more permanent schedule as the Silicon Valley office settled in:  I was to spend Monday, Wednesday, Friday in San Francisco and Tuesday-Thursday with my new friends in SV.  It was like starting another new job!  I had only spent a few hours in SF over the first 4 weeks, so I walked in like a nervous kid who had just transferred to a new school in the middle of the year.  Luckily, I had met a few of the SF folks so I didn't feel like a total stranger.

And on one of those days in early January, an e-mail came out from one of the higher-up partners in management:  the firm had a good year and they were going to reward the staff with a bonus!  Seriously!!  I was handed another check with a "thank you for all you've done so far" and once again I about fell off my chair.  That was 2 bonuses in about 4 weeks - it confirmed that this was a good firm and I was lucky to have landed there.

So now that I've been there for 3 months, I'm starting to feel like an old pro.  The IT group is really great; I've met (in person) the CIO (Chief Information Officer) and he's a really smart, nice guy; the engineers I've worked with from our DC office are very kind and understanding when I work with them; the 'west coast' IT team has been so wonderul, helping me to figure out what's what and covering my back when I feel like I'm drowning.

The best part is my boss.  I liked him from the first time I met him at my first face-to-face interview.  He's sharp and thinks quickly on his feet; he's totally fair to everyone on the team - if one of us makes a mistake, it's the team's mistake and no one is singled out in public.  He's willing to teach me the stuff that I don't know, even if it means showing me more than once.  And the best part:  he's got a sense of humor and he gets my sense of humor!

The job itself is crazy busy, but after months of not being busy at work, I'm welcomin the challenge.  It's the first time I've felt smart in a really long time.

Of course, there are the things that drive me crazy and the people that get on my nerves.  It's not utopia, but it's also not the Evil Empire.

I'm just tickled to be working and will be glad to do my taxes next year - I'll only have to deal with one W-2!

Until Next Time,

Kel

Haven't Been Taken By the Mother Ship....

I'm shocked at myself that my last post was on New Year's Day.  And today's February 21.  That's 50 days that I've neglected my blog!


Let me get you a little caught up on what's been happening in Kel's Korner.


The New Job:  I'm happy to report that I'm still employed.  This week I'll make the 90 day mark and according to employee handbook, will get reviewed by my boss.  I really like working for a man.  He's straight up - no guessing about what he's thinking.  He's got a great sense of humor, gets my sense of humor and really really knows what he's doing.  Keep you fingers crossed that the review goes well and I'll still be employed in another 90 days.


The Saints:  What can I say, except WHO DAT!!!  I can't believe I didn't get here and blog about the success of the team I've loved since I was 4 years old. The season was unbelievable, capped by a playoff win and then not only the appearance in the Super Bowl, but a win!  My only regret is that I couldn't be in New Orleans celebrating with my family.  But believe me, I did my share of celebrating all by myself!


Mardi Gras:  It was this past Tuesday.  Happy Mardi Gras a little late.  With the end of Mardi Gras comes Lent and the obligatory "I'm giving up such and such for Lent."  This year, it's Diet Coke, sugary snacks and fast food.  Yeah, that's three, but three hard ones that are, in the long run, good for my health.  I've been a bit of a beyotch for the first couple of days, mostly from giving up the Diet Coke.  Today I'm not nearly as hateful as I was, say, Wednesday.


Exercise:  One of the things I like about my new job is the benefits.  And one of those benefits is the "Healthy Incentive Bonus."  It's pretty simple:  exercise for at least 30 minutes 132 times between January 1 and November 30 and you get a $200 bonus.  Can you believe it?  So, that figures out to 3 times a week for 11 months.  I can do that!  And getting paid to exercise?  Could there be a better reason to get to the gym regularly?  In January I made it to the gym or walked (yes, I can exercise without going to the gym) a total of 15 times - 3 times over the monthly average.  For February, I've already been 14 times and still have this week to go - not too shabby for somebody who hates exercising, eh?


Life In General:  Not too bad.  Just trying to get a steady routine down with the job and not be so nervous every day.  I do become more comfortable with each passing week.  I'm sure that soon I'll feel like "myself" and will become an old pro at the new place.


I'm looking forward to 2 scrapbooking events in March:  a weekend retreat in early March and a super all-day crop near the end of the month.  I'm mostly looking forward to spending time with women I admire, respect and enjoy spending time with.


So, in a nutshell, that's it for now.  I promise to try to get back here on a more regular basis!!


Until Next Time,


Kel 

Happy New Year - Happy New Decade!!!

Greetings to all my friends in the blog world - and HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

I can't believe that I'm sitting here and it's the start of a new decade.  I never really thought about new decades until this year.  Guess that's a sign that I'm getting old(er) and things like that matter.

Sorry for being absent since the end of November, but my life has gotten a little crazy since then.

Did I tell you I got a new job?  YEP, I GOT A NEW JOB!!!

Started on November 30 (hence the last post on 11/29) and it's been like a thrill ride at Disneyworld.  I'm working in the IT department of a Washington, D.C.-based law firm.  I'm based in the San Francisco office, but on my first day at work, they opened a brand new Palo Alto office, which I'll also be responsible for.

My first day on the job I reported to the Palo Alto office and needless to say, I hit the ground running.  And I've been running ever since.  I've spent 98% of time time there in the last month; I actually got to spend 2 whole days in a row in the San Francisco office last week.  As soon as things get to "normal" in Palo Alto, I'll be splitting my time between the two offices

I really like my new boss - I'm working for a man this time around.  He's a really nice guy and has a great sense of humor.  The best part is that he gets MY sense of humor.  The entire IT team, starting with the CIO, all seem to be extremely friendly and willing to help.  I haven't met anyone that I don't like yet.

It's been tough getting back on a schedule.  After all, when you sleep late every day for six months in a row, getting up with the chickens is a tough act.  But I'm not complaining!!

Aero's had a hard time adjusting to this new lifestyle.  He is not happy and has left me puppy puddles and puppy packages to show his disapproval.  To help ease the old guy's anxiety, I've hired the girl down the street, Sarah, to come by every day after school and let him out and spend a few minutes with him.  That seems to be working out very well.  Aero's happier when I come home, I don't have to clean up after him and Sarah, who's 12, is making some serious pocket money. 

So, as this new year and new decade starts, I'm looking forward to making progress in my new job and getting over the 'new kid on the block' jitters I've been experiencing.  And I'm hoping that on January 1, 2020, I'll be sitting here welcoming another new decade after finishing my first decade at this job!

May you all have a truly joyous and wonderful 2010!!

Until Next Time,

Kel