Itching

After reading halfway through a new book "Broken Open: How Difficult Times Can Help Us Grow" which was recommended from a friend, I feel stuck, swamped and sedated. The book's responsibility is to enlighten one during a difficult time to overcome and become an even stronger person. Questions of happiness start to bubble the surface, I thought I was happy. I am in a great relationship, I have a good challenging job, I have creative outlets and supportive friends and family.

For the next couple days I questioned all of these things. Was I really in the relationship I was meant to be in? Shouldn't I be searching for my dream job? Shouldn't I be living in a city I want to live in? Am I that creative? Am I good at what I do? I started to put all this behind me because I didn't want to think about it, I was completely and utterly happy before I started reading this book so why did I ever start reading it in the first place? I was hoping to become a better person.

After now a month of not picking the book up again, i get little reminders about these things and I'm starting to itch. What would it be like to live in Denver or work at a travel magazine or become a handbag designer? I guess I want it all right now. When I was a teenager all I wanted to do was be in my 20s so I could drink, have a cool job and social with really cool people. How I get to having it all I don't know, but maybe I have it.

Take a Vote

A look back at 2008

Recently I've been thinking about how awful this winter is, how cold it is, how much snow we have. I realize this will pass and there will be green grass and moments of reading outside again. I was also thinking how over the course of every year my life tends to change. This year the big change was moving in with Mike. I am in a committed relationship with someone I could live with for the rest of my life. I would have never thought that a couple years ago, nor would I have wanted it.

In 2008:

1. Watched my sister get married, move into a house and buy a puppy
2. Relaxed, drank, ate and made friends in Cabo, Mexico
3. Ate my first Izumi's fish fry and then many many more
4. Tubed on Shawano lake - which I haven't since I was in high school
5. Danced, partied and tanned in Fort Myers beach with the girls
6. Designed my favorite campaign to date - the Flavors of Denver and am very happy that they raised a huge amount of money, topping last year's event.
7. Double Dated at Noah's Ark
8. Lost a lot of money in the stock market
9. Took Mike to his first State Fair
10. Won best an award for best email campaign within the nations continuing education schools.
11. Learned how to cook with garlic or cook in general
13. Feel in love with the blue cheese dip at Lulu and Juniper 61
14. Chaired a committee at work to raise money for local and national nonprofits
15. Saw some really great music acts: Ray LaMontange in Madison, Amos Lee in Chicago and Milwaukee, Jack Johnson in Alpine Valley, Matt Costa in Atlanta, Jeffery Foucault in Milwaukee and Fort Atkinson and the best show ever - Bruce Springsteen and the E-Street band at Harley Fest
16. Surprised Mike with a trip to Atlanta to see his best friend
17. Learned a lesson to stay away from group dinners over 8 people
18. Meet about 50 more relatives of Mike's in one evening
19. Pushed myself to design better, say no to clients and be utterly creative
20. Learned to: value the friends I am closest with, reconnect with old friends, take criticism with a grain of salt, cherish the time I have with my grandmas and grandpa, live responsibly not extravagantly, speak up, and most of all love the one I'm with.

Payoff

So after the previous ranting, that day happened to be our work holiday party. At which time two awards were given out for employee excellence. Guess who won the first? Yes yours truly, out of 80 employees I won an award for outstanding work. It was ironic while I was standing beside the Dean while she was reading that I make all my deadlines, am very optimistic, etc that the two week prior I have not made one deadline and would rather drink arsenic for lunch than work on a project. I do hope that being the only one in the office over the winter break, I'll be able to catch up on all my projects and you know be prepared for that big 17 day vacation come March.

Give me a straight answer

At work I deal with all types of people. Nice people, demanding people, controlling people, crazy fun people. The past couple weeks I've dealt with them all more so than before. Today was the first day in a really long time that if the person on the other side of the telephone was standing in front of me I would have mustered up all my frustration and punched them.

You see this person on the other side of the phone is not the person you can get a straight answer from when you ask her a general question. And if it's a billable question, this person wants it in writing. But when asked a very general question she will not answer it. Not at all. And when the process is not followed to a T but made efficient for a brief moment in time, who gets a lecture? I do.

If I'm not an alcoholic by 2009 I'd be surprised.

$1.59

Gas is now down to $1.59. And for all you milk drinkers, the price for a gallon of milk is $1.98 (with coupon). According to this ad, you're saving $1.91. Everything is half off this Christmas, except movie tickets.

Sleep

As soon as it started getting cold out I LOVE sleeping. At work at about 3pm I can't wait to cuddle up, put my head on the pillow and have sweet dreams. It's hard to stay up at night unless something really exciting is going on like a wedding, 80's dancing or some really good Entertainment news. Since it's been cold a new soft furry blanket has made friends with the sheet and quilt. I end up kicking down the cotton sheet so that my body is wrapped up in this milk chocolate fur. It is absolutely wonderful.

Red Lobster

Yesterday, for the first time in over 15 years I dined at Red Lobster. Since I had an extremely frustrating day at work all I wanted a cold beer and fried food. Mike and I have been to the dive places in Tosa so we decided to try something new - Red Lobster. I anticipated red leather booths, all you can eat fried shrimp and the smell of grease. Not the case. I would say it's the equivalent to a Applebees. The decor was nice, the menu had variety but there was not all you can eat anything. The food was so so. I can't believe we went there - next time I'm going back to the Rick Inn on capital where jack and cokes are less than $5 and the fried fish is awesome.

$1.69

Gas is now $1.69. I thought it would spike after lunch due to holiday traveling. Clearly it went the other way. Down. I'm back to bombay sapphires tonics and doesn't it feel good.

$1.79

Gas has now drop 10 cents since my last post. Which means it dropped in two days. If we continuing dropping at 10 cents lets say per week (to be generous) we will be at $1.29 at Christmas, maybe $1.39 because of traveling. Today it is now more than half of what it was this summer. Since people are having trouble buying cars and paying loans i have an idea. Forget that your 401K down, it will be back up after your hair has fallen out. So your now paying half of what you used to for gas. Let's put that money toward your mortgage or your car loan or the new purchase of a car, rather than material things or a to "stimulate" the economy. It will be slow but then the banks can start trusting in the average person and we will be back on track.

Revenge of the gnome

I thought I found all the 40+ gnomes that lived in my dad's house. I was proven wrong. When I opened a box in the storage room labeled "Kitchen" I pulled out a sculpture that Mom had made. "Cool" I thought, "There must be more." So I started unwrapping the newspaper and there in my hand lay Caroline, the ballet gnome; Yule, the Christmas gnome; Val, the valentine gnome; etc. Total gnome count before Monday was 60+. Then I talked to my grandma in Oconomowoc who mentions she has more gnomes for me to take ((since she is moving (which will be a completely different blogpost)). I think my mom was crazy and my dad was crazier for letter her spend $30, even more for each gnome. I have no idea what value they added to everyday life but I have spent over one day trying to sell these creatures on ebay. I'll try to say goodbye but I know that is probably not the case.

$1.89

Gas is now $1.89.

Last Friday it was $1.99 which I didn't think it would hit that mark until the end of the year. Christmas has come early for gas guzzlers. Where will it be by the end the year, lower or higher? I was reading the December issue of Money Magazine which experts said the gas price may drop to the price it was last year...around $2.35. If the experts aren't on, who else isn't? The government. This price drop is a better bailout plan than Bush sending out checks to everyone but the rich.

My question is why is a half gallon of milk more expensive than gas?

My little sister got married

My little sister got married Nov. 1st in Fort Myers Beach, Florida. I don't think I've ever drank, partied and danced four days in a row. Whatever it took, money, stress, coffee we all made it work and it was so much fun. The highlight of the trip was party after the wedding. Most of the wedding party, friends, family crowded into the Tiki bar which had the best DJ ever. Within minutes of a song request the dj would play it. More than half of the bar was guest from the wedding. And most of us stayed to close it down. I also learned that you cannot take an open intoxicant into the car. Which I guess I wanted to do. But by the time I plopped myself into grandpa's big chair I was asleep.

The weather, the seafood, family and friends made for a very good beach wedding.

What a weekend

It was very hard to get up this morning. It could have been that I topped off constant blue moon beer drinking with a glass of red wine. Between gallery night on Friday, a birthday party, cleaning the house, buying pumpkins, cooking at 2am, and the third annual Mike and Gina pumpkin party I think I deserved to sleep in a little bit.

Homework for Republicans

If you haven't read the article in the Rolling Stone about John McCain I highly encourage you do so. If it doesn't change your vote I don't know what will.

Read it here

McCain

what I want to be when I grow up

Since my job at the University isn't very exciting at the movement I started to think of other things I could be.

1. An upholsterer bringing back to life old furniture with fashionable fabric
2. The first COOL woman cycling jersey designer
3. Founder of a green gym, where the equipment generates power when used
4. A designer of high fashion clutches and other bags
5. A photographer for National Geographic
6. An Art Director for a Luxury Travel magazine
7. Head of a nonprofit that helps women find and stay in a job
8. An organic farmer
9. Director of opening movie credits
10. A green remodeling expert

Solving the world's economic problem

Forget everything you learned about supply and demand.

I think that the top persons who make the most money in a company should reduce their pay by a small percentage and give themselves a pat on the back for doing a great job. Then whatever business they are in, they should lower the cost at whatever they are selling by another small percentage. Giving the consumer a better price leaves more money for them to pay their debt or spend on other services and products. Hence helping businesses and consumers. And send all oil executives to Mars, that includes you George W. This is my ideal world.

Cake

My weekend was great. Mike and I like to go to a fish fries on friday nights. So we drove to Pewaukee to a little place called the 5 o'clock club and we had a nice greasy fish fry.

On Saturdays Mike usually does yard work but took the day off to shop with me. We stopped at the Public Market because our friend works for Heavy Rotation, a graphic t-shirt shop. They were having an awesome sale on their shirts. Every shirt $5. I got one and Mike bought 5 or 6 or 10. He has a t-shirt addiction.

Since a furniture store in Racine was clearing out some fabric we made a day of hanging out in in Southern Wisconsin. After picking up a truckload of fabric we had our second fish fry at the YardArm. Their specialty is the "sanddollar". A thin fried potatoe slice sprinkled with cheese. Yummy.

I hadn't been to the Kenosha outlets in two years so I shooooped! I bought two dresses at Banana Republic. One which is replacing the outfit I bought a couple days ago to wear to an event later in the evening. Oh it was perfect a little short but at least it zippered all the way up! Ah fab, so many more stores to go in. Venturing to a newly built area I found white house black market and bcbg. So dangerous - I had to leave.

Tonight our friend Shanel, an amazing creative fabric goddess was putting on a runway showing featuring her new line of clothes. I helped her out with the invite (above) so I got comp tixs to the show. I had my hot new dress one, Mike looked awesome and we were going to my first ever fashion show. The things that Shanel showed were slamming.
I wish I owned at least half of them.

Afterwards Mike and I enjoyed a quiet moment at elsa's. I had the double trouble I'm in heaven chocolate cake. Mike had a BLT. We both had coffee and conversation. And then we crashed.

Ah Sunday the day I've been looking forward to for so so long - It's Packer football day. I wake up earlier than normal for a Sunday. Because I have so much energy I go for my first run since January.

We had some of our friends for the game and dinner. Brought in our cozy house, chocolate cake. I can't wait to finish dinner I just want to bite in no utensils to this jimmy covered cake. It's so good. It really needs to go home with the owner but it's left here. Left to be consumed for breakfast, for a little snack after lunch, right before bed, and whenever I'm upset about the pack blowing it.