I Take It ALL Back

Just a few days ago I was blissfully in love with all my finds at IKEA. I had NO IDEA what was in store. My hands are killing me, my knees are sore from kneeling on the floor, and my manicure is shot to hell.

So far, I've put the chair, the desk, and some file folder box things together. Two days ago I started on "Alex" the set of drawers on casters that has a tremendous amount of storage space for someone like me who has an unhealthy obsession with office supplies.

This is what the end result is supposed to look like.

I managed to get the shell of this damn thing together. Then I started assembling the drawers and I reached a breaking point. THE PIECES DON'T FIT LIKE THEY SHOULD!!! The holes don't line up for the screws. And I swear, I need, like, a third arm with two hands in order to hold the drawer together so I can hammer in the screws. Can you hear my frustration and outrage coming through your computer?!?

Apparently my cat can't figure this thing out, either.

I am not a quitter. But I wrestled with this thing for about two hours too long and finally threw down my hammer and called a handyman.

Throughout all this, I kept wondering, should I have purchased these items from a "regular" furniture store? Did I really get such a good deal at IKEA? The pieces are ridiculously inexpensive and cute, but is it worth the time and effort? I'm seriously doubting it at this point.

2/01/09 UPDATE: After the handyman arrived today to finish putting everything together, we discovered that one of the boxes for the bookcase was labeled correctly but contained the WRONG pieces!!! I had to make a trip back to IKEA again to do an exchange. And then once we got the new box open, the holes were not big enough for the screws and he had to drill into the piece. I WILL NEVER BUY FURNITURE THERE EVER AGAIN! {Whew, OK, that made me feel better.}

Warm Fuzzy Friday

My cats on top of their blankie. I can't stand it; they are so adorable.

Cookie and Doughie, Best Friends

Kate's My Girl

What is it about Kate Winslet? I absolutely adore her. She's such a class act and an incredibly talented actress. I love hearing her speak with her British accent. I've read many of her interviews and I always come away thinking we could easily be friends. She's very real and not your stereotypical Hollywood starlet.

I'm a little late posting this from Sunday's Screen Actor's Guild Awards, but I keep thinking about this Narciso Rodriguez dress she wore. It's so crazy good. Love it!!

Here she is holding the SAG Award for
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor
in a Supporting Role for The Reader.

Sometimes I ...

would love to leave life behind and travel for a few months.

keep the T.V on all day just for noise.

want to attend a professional cooking school.

drink iced coffee in the evening (not a good idea!).

wonder what I'm missing back in Chicago.

wish I could make jewelery as my full time job.

eat peanut butter straight out of the jar.

get annoyed about little things that don't really matter.

want to go back in time about five years to a particular job I loved and work again with my fabulous co-workers. It is rare to find that kind of situation.

want to stop life so I can jump in our pool and enjoy the sun.

wish I was a better baker.

think I could survive on chips and salsa.

hate leaving the house and dealing with traffic and crowded stores.

crave a simpler life.

stay in my PJs until late afternoon.

wonder what life will be like when I'm older.

If Shane's girlfriend is reading this, listen up

Last night's episode of The Real Housewives of Orange County featured a segment where Jeana and Vicki go to Chicago to watch Jeana's son Shane play a minor league baseball game. It was all very sweet and innocent - a mother going to watch her son play baseball. How can someone argue with that?

It turns out Shane wasn't in the line up so he didn't want his Mom to come to the game. A little immature, wouldn't you say? She traveled all the way from California, and he tells her not to go to the game. Well, she went anyway, and guess what? He ended up playing. Still, Shane was really upset Jeana didn't listen to him and lashed out at her afterwards during dinner. To see him bash his mother, curse her out in front of a table full of friends, his girlfriend and his younger brother, and speak to her is such a degrading way was beyond reprehensible. Part of me wondered how he got to be that way. The other part realized {as our friend Vicki pointed out} that he grew up in a hostile environment and is conditioned to act that way. It was really sad.

Photos courtesy of Bravotv.com

I know this show is sort of dumb. It's a guilty pleasure and sometimes it helps to have some mindless entertainment, right? I watch the show to be entertained, but most times I come away being all fired up about something. Usually it's over Vicki. I don't care if she's a fellow former Chicagoan or not, she really can set me over the edge. Surprisingly, I was on her side last night as she listened to Shane in disbelief over his rants.

Shane's girlfriend sat across from him at the dinner table. I hope she got a wake up call from seeing Shane treat his Mom that way. I'd be running away very quickly from that relationship.

It wasn't in the cards

I don't know whether to be upset or to breathe a sigh of relief.

I didn't get the PR Manager position.

Turns out they are "looking for someone whose skills more close match the position's requirements", so says the HR contact.

I struggle to understand what they are looking for in a candidate. Just a few days ago the HR lady was very upbeat, said I was the "perfect" candidate, and even sent me their annual report and benefits information. I hate when these organizations play mind games with you, even when I know they aren't doing it intentionally.

Last week I wrote about my fear of going back to work for this potential employer ironically located across the street from a former employer who went bankrupt and laid me off in 2007. Something about it just didn't feel right. I couldn't shake the feeling.

Well, the situation figured itself out for me so I'm pressing on. Lately I've started to seriously consider freelancing from home. The longer I'm away from the corporate world, the more attractive it seems. I freelanced for nearly a year when I moved to Florida and it worked out well. The challenge is all in the start-up. I need time to get things rolling and it's hard to make money when you're busy researching and looking into opportunities.

I'll stop whining now. I'm off to go put the rest of my IKEA desk together. Having the desk set up might help with doing actual work, don't you think?

How do you say "I'm about to cry" in Swedish?

So, the IKEA trip turned out to be a rather overwhelming experience. I've shopped at IKEA before but never for furniture. I was determined to get everything I needed, plus with my SUV I figured it would be no-brainer to pack up the car with all my items.

My mission was to look for a desk, a chair, some kind of cabinet/storage system, and a file cabinet. The desk I loved on the IKEA website turned out to be a dud in person. This threw off my entire plan. I had to start from scratch and found myself walking around the showroom floor for at least an hour comparing desks, hutches, cabinets, and all that jazz. Exactly what I wanted to avoid but the best laid plans don't always work that way. I finally made my selections, wrote down the Aisle and Bin numbers, and proceeded to the Self Serve Inventory floor {also known as IKEA's warehouse}. I grabbed a cart and immediately realized I was in trouble. Big time.

The desk I selected came packaged in three separate boxes. Each box was very long and craaazzy heavy. I have to admit, I was in disbelief. I mean, unless you are some kind of Gold's Gym weight lifter, how is the average person supposed to get these boxes off the IKEA shelves? It's ridiculous! I finally found someone to help me, although he seemed a little put out. Pfft. I didn't care. This guy was going to get the boxes for me come hell or high water.

They there are, the monsters.

After paying and being a little annoyed with the Self Checkout line {this is not the time for me to be scanning my own items!} I carefully made my way outside with a cart easily weighing 500 lbs. This would have been an ideal time to have a shopping buddy with me. I could have easily pulled the car into one of the drive up spots conveniently located by the store's exit while my friend waited at the curb with the boxes on the cart. But instead I had to haul that heavy cart to the parking lot. Then, I got to my car and realized it was very possible I would not be able to get the boxes into my car without some help. Then, I couldn't figure out how to get the backseats to fold down properly. And then, I started to tear up from frustration, exhaustion, and the fact that I'm unemployed and wondering when I'll be going back to work. It was like all these emotional thoughts collided in my head at the same time and the tears started to come.

Suddenly, a friendly voice out of no where said, "Do you need some help?" I looked up to see a nice man in his 50's with his wife. Under any other circumstance, I would never make a habit out of talking to strangers and making myself vulnerable but I was in desperate need of some manpower and he fit the bill. To my amazement, he took over the whole production by getting my seats configured properly and placing all the items in my car. He even made a comment about making sure the boxes weren't blocking my rear view mirror.

I was in complete shock. This random act of kindness doesn't happen every day, at least not in my world. And especially not in South Florida. I hate to say it but many people here can be downright rude and completely self-absorbed. The fact that this man stopped to help me, just as I was about to burst into tears, absolutely restored my faith in humanity. I know, it sounds corny. I offered him cash but he wouldn't accept it. I will always remember this nice man and his wife for being so selfless to help a stranger. And I will be paying this act of kindness forward!! =)

IKEA, Me Luv You.

I just spent nearly two hours online going to school on all things IKEA. I'm heading there today to purchase a desk, a chair, some kind of filing cabinet, and possibly a larger cabinet/sideboard thingamajig. Oooh, I can taste the Swedish Meatballs already!!

Anyway, what's driving me absolutely crazy is this page. There's a little Flash movie featuring the "Effectiv/Galant" product line. The whole point of Effectiv is customization -- select your own cabinet doors, legs, and knobs. Cool, right? Well, I really like the cabinets behind the lady talking on the phone, but I cannot for the life of me figure out how these cabinets were put together when I compare them against the products listed under the Effectiv line.

Also? I'm really digging all things white lately. It all started when Ina Garten on the Food Network talked about her love of white plates. "Food looks so much better on a white plate," she said, in her very Ina way. And she's right! I registered for white porcelain plates for my wedding and I am amazed at how much better everything looks. Colors pop and something as simple as green peas look amazing. I guess that's why I'm thinking of a white melamine desktop, paired with a white chair (those black arm rests might be a problem - they clash!) and possibly a frosted glass sideboard. This will allow me to accessorize with different colors and use white as the backdrop. The possibilities are endless, really! I can't wait! I'm going to be faced with a few days of furniture assembly, but I'll definitely show the end result once everything is in its place.

Bad Karma Makes Me Nervous

I've been laid off twice in the past two years. I guess you can say the Florida job market hasn't been too good to me. The first layoff happened in late 2007 when I was working as the Corporate Communications Director for a well-known homebuilder based in Fort Lauderdale. Homebuilding went down the drain and so did this company. It laid off nearly its entire workforce of 600 employees on the same day and subsequently filed for bankruptcy.

This past week as I was cleaning out my closet I came across the work clothes I used to wear to that job. Looking at those clothes, which I had shoved to the back of my closet, was like hearing an old song and remembering a specific time. A really bad feeling rushed over me and I shuddered at all the events that led up to the company closing its doors. As you might suspect, every piece of clothing associated with the job went right into the donation bags.

That same day, I received a call about a PR Manager position I applied for several weeks ago. This organization has one corporate office and several satellite offices located all over South Florida. So, you can imagine my reaction when the HR recruiter explained that I would be working at their corporate headquarters, which just happens to be located ACROSS THE STREET from my former employer, the one that went bankrupt and laid me off. Ugh.

Now, some people might think this isn't a big deal. But personally? I'm having a real hard time imagining the SAME commute to work, going to the SAME lunch hot spots, being in that SAME location, and seeing my old employer's building again. The day I left there, I had no plans to go back and now I might be faced with doing just that.

I suppose if my experience at the Homebuilder company had been any different, this feeling of bad karma would be a non-issue. But over the course of 18 months I found myself under an enormous amount of stress mostly due to the state of the organization. Sales were falling short and the situation worsened week after week. The CEO loved to spin his messages, never being completely forthcoming with the employees. We would constantly go back and forth with draft after draft of an employee communication. Many times I would arrive in the morning to find his chicken scratch all over a draft I wrote. Usually there was a note of some sort, like, "Missy, this is great but I want to say it this way. Please modify and distribute per my edits." Nine times out of 10 I disagreed with his edits. He would mask how bad the situation was with corny statements like "Now more than ever, we are in a position to lead and dominate the homebuilding space in the Southeast. You are at the core of this. You will help grow our company." Every time I read something like that I wanted to die. It was fluff and nobody was buying it.

Just four months before the mass layoff I was travelling all over Florida, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina with the CEO conducting employee Town Hall meetings at the communities where we were building homes. These meetings were held during the lunch hour to maximize the employees' time. One day at the airport as we were waiting for a flight, the CEO tells me about his *brilliant* idea to order chef's hats and aprons embroidered with the company logo, which he and the other executives could wear as they served lunch to the employees.

When he explained this to me, I remember looking at him with a blank stare. I think he may have asked me what I was thinking. To which I replied, "Mr. CEO, all due respect, we are in the midst of a crisis here. People are worried about losing their jobs. The employees are just thankful that you are visiting them. Having lunch is an added bonus. But wearing hats and aprons with the company logo? It's too kitschy, people will wonder about the money you spent, and what you may see as slightly comical may not be received the same by these employees." He ended up having his executive assistant order the hats and aprons. Sure enough, the employees thought it was weird.

I look back at that moment with such disdain for this executive. He poorly mismanaged the company and to think that he was focused on something so frivolous, at a time when the company was at such a risk to fail, infuriates me to no end. There were a lot of other things that happened that made my blood boil, but not quite like the chef's hats and aprons incident.

Maybe now, after that rather long explanation {sorry}, you'll understand why I am so concerned about how I will feel possibly going back to work on the same street as this former employer. Karma is definitely a weird thing. Sometimes you can't escape it.

The PR Manager job, by the way? I'm waiting to hear back from the HR person about an interview next week. More to come...

Where's My Gold Star?

I dropped off EIGHT bags of clothing, shoes, handbags, and household items to Goodwill today. I can't believe I finally tackled this project. The last time I cleaned out my closet was in 2005 just before I moved to Florida. Now I'm vowing to do this routinely every year. I also donated old cordless phones, a clock radio/alaram, and a set of dishes. It felt really good to clean things out. Plus, a local charity picked up the desk and other furniture this morning. IKEA, here I come!

I forgot to take a "before" picture but here's the after shot of my closet. Note how I said "my". Jeff uses the closet in the second bedroom upstairs. Poor guy. But you'll notice how the rack space straight ahead has been cleared out. How thoughtful of me, right?!

Hello Kitty Maternity Ward

OK, how adorable is this?!

Photos and story courtesy of the AP.

This Hello Kitty designed maternity ward is at the Hau Sheng hospital in the southern Taiwan city of Chunghua. Mothers and their newborns are soothed by the well-known Hello Kitty ambiance.

I'm such a Hello Kitty nut. I think I'm the only 36 year-old with a Hello Kitty sticker collection and a Hello Kitty toaster.

What are you iPhoners using?

As I've documented here and here, I am an iPhone addict. When I purchased the phone, I bought the Naked Case from Case-Mate {sold conveniently at the AT&T store, of course}, for $30. I remember frowning at the sales person. $30? Are you kidding me? It's a piece of plastic for crying out loud!


Well, that $30 has paid for itself because it's been four months and my phone still looks brand new. The problem is the stupid plastic case. I hate how the outside gets all funky after you've had it up to your ear {hello, makeup? naturally oily skin?}. I'm constantly taking the case apart and wiping it down so there aren't any streaks or fuzz squashed between the case and the phone. I keep thinking, there has got to be a better cell phone case out there. I can't be the only person who finds this mildly annoying?

What sort of iPhone case are you using? Please share! Somehow I think all of us iPhone users would love to trade secrets about the cases we love, or love to hate.

Now, where was I...?

Yesterday, Inauguration ceremonies. Today, it's time to get back into the groove and focus on one of my 2009 Resolutions. I have a charity coming on Friday to pick up a few pieces of furniture and I've been busy getting everything together. I'm almost embarrassed to share these pictures.

The desk is going. So is the microwave cart {which became a TV stand at one point}, the silver media cart, and a bunch of other things like old phones and VCRs. How do you like my husband's scary pile of stuff that he refuses to toss? That Chinese take-out box has been on our floor for THREE years! Guess what? I'm getting rid of it.

I really hate this room right now.

This space, technically considered a loft, is a total conundrum. When we moved in we weren't sure how to divide the room. Part of it is being used for an office. The other half? We keep thinking it will be an entertainment area but the problem is that the space is located right above our living room. I keep dreaming that HGTV is going to show up at my door to work their magic.

Next week I'm heading to IKEA and the Home Goods store to pick out a new desk and accessories. I'll be sure to post the "After" pictures. Until then, if you have any ideas to share about how I could better organize this room, I'd love to hear them. I need some serious design help. {And P.S. It's incredibly difficult for a neat freak like myself to leave the room looking this way. I can't stand it so I closed the door!}

What Do We Think of the Gown?

I was hoping for something more dramatic, vibrant, and flowing. This is a lovely cream-colored chiffon dress but it doesn't exactly scream "I'm the First Lady." Also, there is a tiny part of me that has a problem with the one-shoulder style. I'm not really sure why. It just seems a little too revealing for a First Lady. On the other hand, Michelle Obama has a very statuesque frame and she pulls off the style quite well. I guess it's not something I expected her to wear this evening. Then again, she seems to surprise many in the media with her style choices and tonight was no exception!

The First Lady in Jason Wu.

A Most Patriotic Day!

No matter what your political beliefs may be, today is a joyful day in our nation's history. The events unfolding before our eyes is a true display of democracy in action. Never have I felt so proud to be an American citizen! The transition of power from President Bush to President Elect Obama has been a true class act. Amicable and gracious, the events this morning have lacked the typical icy relations between past presidents on Inauguration day.

And if I may talk fashion for a moment, Michelle Obama's yellow brocade coat and matching dress is absolutely striking. This is one outfit that will go down in the history books. And how about those green leather gloves?! I look forward to watching our new First Lady become a modern day style icon. {I also love the small detail of the satin bow around her waist and the similar ribbon belts that her daughters are wearing.}

Happy Inauguration Day, everyone!

Love the coat!

Sprucing Things Up Around Here

One thing you'll learn about me is that I get bored rather quickly with the same old, same old. I'm constantly rearranging furniture in my house, moving accessories, and putting things in different places. I suppose my blog will be no exception! That ever-so-simple Minima Blogger template was nice but, geez, it was really starting to make me yawn.

I discovered Delicious Design Studio about a year ago. I distinctly remember being at the office realizing that I needed to start looking for a new job. I was bored and unchallenged, which led me to start reading blogs as a little escape. The design for Working Girl jumped out at me one day and I knew it was love at first site, er, I mean, sight.

So, fast-forward and here I am with my own blog designed by that very design firm I admired from a far. A big thank you to Jessica at Delicious Design Studio for the new look and awesome service!!

I got a little ahead of myself. It happens.

New Year's Eve I sat at home with hubby feeling excited for the new year to come. What would 2009 hold for me? For us? Hopefully a new job, I thought. Then, I started to think, boy, I really would love to do this blogging thing, like, professionally. Wouldn't that be a dream? {And don't we all just want to work from home and write all day long?!}

I read about BlissDom a day or so before New Year's Eve and was jazzed about the possibility of going. After all, my non-fiction literary hero Jen Lancaster is scheduled to deliver the keynote address! Plus, I really wanted to learn more about blogging, meet fellow bloggers, and, well, GET OUT OF THE HOUSE. *Sigh* I mean, really? The idea of jetting away to Nashville for a few days and staying in a swanky hotel sounded so romantic in a bloggy kind of way.

Well, that was New Year's Eve. I look back at that moment when I declared, "I'm going, dammit!" and realize I was having lofty dreams. The reality is, I'm still unemployed, I'm still looking for a job, and I'm still {always, really} being careful about how I'm spending my moolah.

I can't tell you how bummed I am about this. This conference was like a shining beacon of hope. Something to look forward to. Something to plan for -- almost like a little project, I suppose. I was also eager to meet my new blogging friend Andi. She emailed me about attending and I feel terrible for backing out. Thankfully Andi will be taking pictures, so at least I'll be able to get a taste of what the conference was like.

To ease my sadness, I've been thinking about a new blog design. Something simple that won't break the bank. I found the perfect solution and will be unveiling it sometime next week!

Um, OOPS.

Careful what you Tweet.

This is a great reminder to watch what you say in the world of social media! For this PR exec with Ketchum, who should know better but apparently didn't, his words really came back to bite him. Just a brief comment on Twitter is all it took.

In response, it appears that a member of FedEx's Employee Communications department issued a well-crafted and carefully deployed memo. Reading this letter makes me proud to be a part of the Corporate Communications profession! Yay for the Employee Commmunications team!

Change a Pet's Life on January 24th

On Saturday, January 24th, 300 shelters across the country are waiving pet adoption fees in an effort to place homeless pets in good homes. Isn't that great news?

According to this USA Today article, the normal screening process will occur to make sure the pets will be cared for properly. In addition to the fees being on the house, all adopters will receive complimentary Hill's Science Diet Pet Food, an instructional DVD, and a toll-free number for new-pet-owner questions.

On a personal note, I grew up without pets due to my allergies. My husband convinced me about two years ago to adopt a kitten. I was very apprehensive about it, particularly because I didn't want to become too attached to the pet if my allergies kicked in. Well, would you know that I was just fine, and Cookie became a permanent part of our household. I wonder sometimes what would have become of her and Doughie had we not rescued them from the shelter.

If you're thinking of adopting a pet, January 24th might just be the day you can change a pet's life -- and your own!

Cookie and Doughie, happily playing.

Nights Like This

I just watched The Weather Channel with Jim Cantore doing a live spot from Chicago. One word: COLD!!

Here in Boca the temperatures have dropped rather suddenly and I'm wearing a fleece top and my big slippers with fuzzy socks. I'm embarrassed to say that it's 61 degrees outside. Just yesterday it was humid and in the 80's so the temperature change is making me want to curl up.

Whether I'm in Chicago or in Florida, curling up in the winter with cold weather like this makes me want to get under the covers and watch a movie! I just received my Netflix movies {Into the Wild and Sex and the City: The Movie} and I'd love to watch one of them but I can barely keep my eyes open. I'm waiting to watch Top Chef New York so I guess I need to save my eyes for that.

P.S. Speaking of Bravo shows, did anyone watch Gretchen and Ryan {Tamra's son} last night on The Real Housewives of the OC?? It's getting steamy and scandalous!!

No Love Down at the Goodwill Store

Yesterday I wrote about my sudden interest in shopping at the Goodwill store. Two reasons for that: A) I'm cleaning out my closet and donating my clothes to Goodwill and B) Maegan at ...loveMaegan has been blogging about all her great finds at her local Goodwill store {like, really, really awesome stuff} and I figured, hey, I can do that!

That was yesterday.

Today I took my field trip to Goodwill and, well, how do I say this? The store was kind of grungy and smelled funny. It didn't feel very clean. I tried to get past that and focus on the aisles and aisles of clothing with signs like "All ladies pants $3.49" hanging from the ceiling. Some clothing had recognizable labels and some not. I even saw a really cute white hobnail vase and I am kicking myself for not getting it. Even worse, I was going to snap a picture of it and I opened my purse to realize I left my iPhone at home sitting on the kitchen counter. Anyway, the vase sort of looked like this, only a little taller and skinnier:


But I digress. After getting swept up in the hobnail vase and taking a look at the fake plants and endless rows of kitchenware, I stood at the back of the store staring at all those racks of clothes. At that moment I realized why I'm not cut out to shop at Goodwill or any thrift store for that matter -- I'm the oldest of two daughters and I always handed down my clothing. I've never worn second hand items myself and I guess I can't get past the idea of wearing something that someone else has worn. Call me crazy. I mean, I suppose if I found something absolutely fabulous I would likely take it to the dry cleaners or hand wash it, and then maybe I wouldn't be so weirded out about wearing it. Maybe it didn't help that today's trip to the Goodwill yielded absolutely nothing, not even a top. Had I found something, maybe I wouldn't think this way. Maybe, maybe, maybe.

Since I'm still cleaning out my closet, I'll be making another trip to Goodwill soon. I feel like I should give it a second chance. Second hand clothing deserves a second chance, I tell myself. Hmm, I sort of like this motto! I'll have to keep thinking this way.

And speaking of feeling ill

I've been meaning to mention that I'm really trying to get better about taking my vitamins. My husband is a HUGE vitamins and supplements freak and is constantly getting on me about taking Fish Oil, B-12 Complex, and all sorts of other weird sounding things that are supposedly good for you. Don't believe me? Here's a look at one of our kitchen cabinets. Don't even get me started about the lack of space for our glassware.

An entire shelf dedicated to supplements? My husband sooo owes me.

Anyway, as someone who is trying to learn more about supplements {especially since I'm in my mid-30's and need to take better care of myself} I am loving these podcasts from Whole Foods. This month's topic is "The ABC's of Supplements".

"The ABC's of Supplements"
http://blog.wholefoodsmarket.com/2008/12/the-abcs-of-supplements/

Here's a little summary from the site:
Confused about so many supplements on the shelves? Tune in and let us help! We're going back to the basics and answering some common questions. Nutritionist Malia Curran talks about various benefits and forms of supplements, things to know about regulation and explains a few terms that are often confusing.

I love learning new things! Yay for podcasts.

I'm on the clock.

Before you get too excited, let me just say that no, I haven't found a job yet. *Sigh*

Today I decided that I need to start setting my alarm. I need to start treating my life like I have a real, full-time job, only, my job is finding a job and when I'm not doing that, I'm keeping myself busy doing other things.

Are you still with me?

The problem is that I'm staying up waaay too late, resulting in me sleeping waaay too late in the morning. This is not me at all. I've never been one to sleep late. Lately I've noticed this bad pattern and I think my disrupted sleep schedule is making me feel ill. It's sort of like a cold starting, but it never moves past that initial weird, fuzzy stage.

All this has got me feeling very guilty. I know I shouldn't be so hard on myself but I can't help it. I'm the kind of person who feels guilty for taking a sick day at work. Back in the day when I was employed (which wasn't too long ago!), even when I was legitimately ill I still felt such guilt for being home and not in the office.

So tomorrow, my alarm will go off at 8:30 a.m. sharp. I can't decide if 8:30 is a decent hour for an unemployed person to be rising or if it's really pathetic? Under normally employed circumstances my alarm would be going off at 6 a.m. and even earlier if I have to travel. I figure I should milk my stay at home for all it's worth.

And so what's on the docket for tomorrow? I am taking a field trip to my local Goodwill store. As I reported in Project 2009: Get My Act Together, I desperately need to clean out my closet. I called Goodwill today to make sure I can show up at their store and drop off my bags {and bags} of clothing, and the girl I spoke to gave me that uneasy feeling. You know that feeling, when you get off the phone with someone and you're not sure to trust what they've told you? I figure this is a perfect excuse for a visit and to take a look around.

As for purchasing anything...I'm not sure. And tomorrow I'll tell you why.

P.S. My husband owns that Sponge Bob alarm clock.

Weekend Round Up

• Dear 13 year-old stepson, this week hasn't been easy but your Dad and I keep reminding ourselves that you're now a teenager and, well, you're going to do teenager type things. But you are a good kid most of the time, ha-ha. I am personally trying very hard not to get mad about the grass clippings and bits of dead leaves I keep finding all over the house, which you drag in with your shoes AND I HAVE TO KEEP TELLING YOU TO TAKE YOUR SHOES OFF, but it's all good and as soon as you go to your Mom's today I will be getting out the vacuum.
  

• Dear Nosey Neighbor, when we obviously have guests over for dinner, it really REALLY annoys me that you think it's appropriate to stand outside our screened-in patio and shout "hello" to us. I mean, can't you see that we have guests? How is this even remotely acceptable behavior?!

• Dear Siemens, I sent you my resume for a senior public relations position which was posted on a job web site for African Americans. I am a bit confused about why I haven't seen this job posted elsewhere; nevertheless, I am a highly qualified white female with a Master's degree and nearly 15 years of experience. PLEASE. HIRE. ME.
  

• Dear Whole Foods, I really love you for having skewers of shrimp on sale for .99 cents each! Unheard of! My wallet thanks you.

• Dear Annoying ShamWow! Guy, WTF? Now you're selling the SlapChop food chopper? God help us.
  

• Dear Twinky, if you are going to stay at my house while your Mommy {aka my mother-in-law} is out-of-town this week, you are expected to use your litter box! Our cats have their litter outside but I will make an exception for you since you will not come out from underneath the bed on the second floor. I give up, you win.

And finally,

• Dear fellow bloggers, I really admire you. We all have lives and if you get behind in your blog writing, it's understandable! It's not always easy to keep up and you should all give yourselves a pat on the back for great stories and lively discussions.

I hope everyone has a great week ahead!

Why I Love to Hate Florida

Say the word Florida and usually the first response is, "Ooohh, you live in Florida? I'm jealous!"

Yea, life could be worse. Today it's bright and sunny outside and I have all of our windows open at home. The sheer fact that the weather is so pleasant immediately puts you in a good mood.

This was the case for me today, until I got in the car this morning to run an errand.

Imagine trying to drive anywhere with the following mix of cars and people on the road: Snowbirds, senior citizens, vacationers, transplants from the Caribbean islands, New Yorkers, and locals. And you know what that makes? A recipe for incredible frustration.

"Season" as it's called starts here in Boca starts around late October or so and lasts anywhere from March to April. During this time, it is absolutely impossible to go anywhere without incredibly heavy traffic, long lines, and filled parking lots. I still remember going to the Town Center Mall a few years ago for Christmas shopping, only to turn around and come home because I literally could not find an open parking spot.

Today was no exception. Most days I mentally prepare myself before I leave the house and try to muster up as much patience as possible. But something about today just set me off. In Chicago, people drive in a courteous manner {most of the time}. Here? People don't care at all. They'll honk at you, tail you, cut you off, take the parking spot you were waiting for, and make an illegal U-turn without a second thought. I consider myself a good driver and that's why I don't have the patience for all these crazy drivers who drive so recklessly.

Another problem with the congestion is going out for dinner: You might as well just forget about it. A 60 minute waiting list just ain't my thing; precisely why I am cooking dinner at home tonight for my in-laws.

But before I start prepping dinner, I must work out some aggressions. Now, where did I put my iPhone...there's a great Bubble Wrap game I found...

My Worlds Almost Collided. Almost.

This morning as I blissfully watched The Food Network, played with my iPhone, sent my girlfriend a Facebook message, checked out the latest Tweets, and reviewed my Google Reader...my phone rang. And it was a number I did not recognize.

Excitement and panic overcame me. My first thought? "Oh, this must be XYZ Company calling me for an interview! Well, that sure was quick, considering I just sent my resume. They must be really impressed with my experience! And since I sent them a link to my LinkedIn profile with my picture, they obviously loved my shining, smiling face! They must want to hire me!"

And then, this: "Shit! Just when I was starting to enjoy my time off! And I have so much to do! I haven't cleaned out my closet yet! I have rooms to paint! I need to organize my office! I have so many books to read! I haven't had my hair cut in eight weeks! How can I possibly go to an interview looking like this! And my Vietnamese nail girl is visiting her grandmother in Vietnam! I need my nails done, pronto!"

I don't remember the last time I felt panic like this.

So I took a deeeeep breath, gave myself a pep talk {and a gentle reminder about my PRIORITIES}, and I checked my voicemail.

And you know who it was? My hair salon reminding me of my haircut with Joe tomorrow, and if I can't make it would I be so kind to return the call?

Shit.

Dear Fellow Boca Ratonians, Please Do Your "Business" Elsewhere!

I saw yet another person today urinating in public.

Yep, you heard me right. {Someone urinating in public in BOCA? Gasp!}

You see, Florida has this thing called WARM WEATHER that entices people to pee outside, in broad daylight, for all to see. Homeless people and non-homeless people alike, it seems.

Today it was guy dressed in a fast food uniform of some sort, standing behind a utility box on Glades Road here in Boca Raton. Glades is a major street, heavily driven, with traffic at all hours of the day. So you can imagine the commotion this guy was causing around 4 p.m. just in time for the school buses to be driving past him.

I took a quick inventory of local fast food restaurants near the scene of the crime and realized he must work for Arby's. Gack.

Good thing I don't like Arbys, or fast food for that matter.

iPhone Follow Up

Last night I fell asleep in front of the TV at 8 pm. Was that a tip that I needed to go to sleep much, much earlier than the night before? Possibly.

After my husband woke me up, we agreed to watch "The Real Housewives of Orange County" on BRAVO together and then we would go to bed. It's come to this. Making agreements to go to bed earlier than 1 or 2 am. {BTW? The Housewives show is getting gooood! Next week's preview of Gretchen and Tamara's son?! Oh how I do love me some trashy TV.}

So, at 11 pm we turned off the TV. I started to read but the magnetic attraction of my iPhone was too strong. After getting caught up on a little blog reading I decided to puruse the App Store. For those of you not familiar with this, the App Store offers applications you can add to your phone for free or for purchase. The Apps categories include Games, Social Networking, Music, News, Lifestyle, Travel, etc.

A few new discoveries since I last visited the Apps Store, all free:

• Amazon has its own Amazon Mobile app! Genius!
• Topple is a weird, but engaging game.
• All Recipes has a cool interface but I think the jury's still out. Not sure it's very useful.
• Wallpaper Backgrounds powered by Flickr is sooooooooooo cool! Endless possibilities! I could not stop playing around with it. I finally settled for a chic cartoon-like city girl wearing oversized sunglasses, holding a Dior bag, and carrying a Starbucks cup. The only prob is the cigarette dangling from her mouth. Trying to see past that.
• Google Earth!
• USA Today - great news app.
• Shazam - tag music you hear!
  
• And then..............I discovered the Daddy of all Daddy applications.........drumroll, please!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!PAC-MAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh. My. Goodness. This is big trouble.

I am a product of the 80's. It's not my fault.

My iPhone: A Love/Hate Relationship

My iPhone entered my life a few months ago and I haven't been the same since. I mean, how completely cool and liberating is it to access your email, the Internet, Twitter, Facebook, games, your iPod, a pretty decent camera, and an endless list of other applications from one little device? And literally access all this from anywhere, at anytime?!

The trouble is that I don't know how to put the damn thing down. During the day my usage is fairly under control. The problem starts at night after I've shut off my laptop and I'm in bed watching TV or trying to read the books stacked up on my nightstand. Last night I spent an hour, after telling myself I needed to go to sleep, dreaming up all the new Pandora radio stations I could add to the phone. Disconnecting and completely shutting this thing off is impossible!

I wasn't kidding about the unread books and magazines.

Lately I've encountered a problem with Safari loading a web page on the phone. If the page has too many images, or if I try to scroll too quickly up and down, Safari gets fussy and closes on its own. Frustrating!

If you have an iPhone, I'd love to hear if you have this problem. What are your favorite Apps? Do you have the same Love/Hate relationship?

Here's a picture I took today with my iPhone while I was walking around my neighborhood. I'm still blown away by the camera quality.

Check out the yellow rubber duckie in the fountain!

I have a confession to make.

I've been wearing my hair like Whitney Port on MTV's The City.

I'm wondering, is this acceptable for a girl in her mid-30s? I went to Publix today with adorably tiny clips on each side of my head with my hair twirled back. And I got a few looks from Moms and Grandmas. I'm not sure if they were good or bad looks, but they were definitely looks.

Part of me doesn't care. I mean, this is Florida, folks. I've seen a lot worse out in public {i.e. the proverbial bikini top clad 16 year- old with the Daisy Duke short shorts strutting around the Frozen aisle}. The other part of me is, like, trying to act like a classy lady in her mid-30's. Um, really, who I kidding?

The funny thing about this? The Publix cashier carded me for a bottle of Marsala wine! I know, right?! I stood there laughing and said, "Oh, you're too kind. Are you kidding?" Nope. Captain Cashier wasn't kidding, even after I told her I was cooking, not drinking, Chicken Marsala tonight.

So I guess worse things could happen. But something tells me that this hairstyle would be on the "Your 20's" page of InStyle Magazine in one of those articles titled "Look Good at Any Age."

I dunno...what do you think?

Monday malaise with a side of hope

Well, the dreaded day is here. The first official work day of the New Year. I've had this day on my mental calendar since late October or so. You know that mental calendar I'm talking about? "After the holidays I'll start looking for a job and really get serious about this job search thing." Yea, that one. Thankfully I spent the weekend looking and getting resumes out and I am ever so hopeful this morning. Just a tiny bit, but hope in any amount is better than none.

In contrast, I've already wasted this morning playing with our cats, having coffee, watching bad morning television and spying on my neighbors across the street. I'd tell you I have a valid excuse for this procrastination but I don't. I'm out of excuses. Unless watching a creepy MSNBC show called "Dead Man Talking" at 1 am this morning counts as an excuse for lack of sleep. A day in the life of a Medical Examiner's office {bizarre death cases and autopsies} is not a good show to watch in bed by yourself while your husband is snoring. I think I checked three times to make sure our doors were locked. Before that I was watching "A Perfect Storm" on HBO. Being lost at sea? A rather fitting metaphor.

Anyway, on with the day. I'm off to make my grocery list, do laundry, and....and...? Oh yea...job search...I knew there was something else.

BTW, I captured Doughie this morning playing with an empty Fresca fridge pack box I was about to throw away. All the toys in the world and she'd rather play with a box. Too cute.

Would ANYONE want to work for this company?

Scene: Job searching on a Sunday morning. Second cup of coffee. Starting to laugh deliriously at the postings I'm reading. For example, since when does a marketing exec need to be able to lift at least 20 pounds? Oooh, maybe it's because the company fired the last person and they need to toss boxes of marketing materials in the trash? Hahahaha.

Then I read this job description for Zimmerman, a national advertising agency headquartered in Fort Lauderdale:

"We need a Zimmerman Evangelist with our special ZNA (because simple DNA just won't due) who eats, drinks, sleeps, and exercises the Zimmerman way; always in the hunt for the finest way to make Zimmerman shine as a constant thought. Nothing else should matter because, just as we do, you must understand that while efforts count, results count more, and you must be willing to put our clients before our company, and even yourself."

You have got to be kidding me.

I mean, I get it. Clients come first. Clients are always right, even when they're wrong. Working overtime or a few extra hours at the office should be expected. But so blatantly stating that clients and the company take priority over yourself? {Read: No time for family, friends, vacation, personal days, lunch outside the office once in a while, or even--gasp--your health?}

This job description is absolutely shameful. We live in an age where employees are searching more than ever for a healthy balance of work and life. Hey Zimmerman, let me give some consulting advice, on the house. If you don't care about your employees, your employees won't give a rat's ass about you.

Any Corporate Communications professional will tell you that employees must feel engaged, valued, and motivated to actively participate in the growth of the company. And care about the company. Until that happens, you might as well forget about them putting clients and the company before themselves.

Zimmerman, you FAIL.

Oh, and also? There's a typo in your job posting.

A Little Bliss, Anyone?

So, I started off the day by working out. Yay me! AND, I'm in normal people clothes! Woo hoo. This is progress. {Have I lost you? Read my new years resolutions Project 2009: Get My Act Together.}

Anyhoodle, I've been DYING to share something with you all and now, finally, I have the chance since the 2009 Resolution babble is out of the way.

OK, ready?

I'm SOOOO going to this!!

BlissDom Conference
February 6-7, 2009
Nashville, TN ya'll!

And I'm wondering, is anyone else out there planning to attend??

I read about the conference on Jen Lancaster's blog and immediately started hyperventilating and making puppy dog eyes at my husband. I really have no business paying for the conference registration, hotel, and airfare at the moment given my ass is unemployed. However, I'm seeing this as a significant opportunity to meet fellow bloggers, learn from the pros, gain exposure, AND.......? Meet Jen Lancaster in person!!!

Yep, she's scheduled to deliver the keynote address at the conference and she's promised to have drinks with everyone in attendance. Truthfully, I would probably pay money just to have drinks with her.

I'd really love to hear if you're going to the conference. I'm just a teensy-weensy bit concerned that it's going to be a big "Mom-a-Palooza" blogger conference given all the Mom bloggers listed as speakers. But with Jen Lancaster there, I'm sure there's nothing to worry about. The last thing she's likely to talk about are diapers and binkies, right?!

Anyway, what do y'all think?

Project 2009: Get My Act Together

This is the first year ever that I am making New Years resolutions and stating them publicly. Sure, in the past I've created the annual to-do checklist in my head but somewhere around February it all went out the window. Guess you could say I take the happy-go-lucky approach towards life by living in the moment. And, well, I haven't been terribly goal oriented.

Anyway, life has caught up with me and I've realized these past few months that it's time to stop making excuses and get my act together, hence, the theme I've branded for 2009. There's no good place to start, so here goes:

Goal #1: FIND A NEW JOB {and a separate but related goal}
This resolution is at the top of the list because it's currently my number one priority. Laid off in October shortly before my wedding, I put off job searching until after we returned from our honeymoon, and as it was, I had post-partum wedding depression and a honeymoon high all at the same time. That passed and before I knew it Thanksgiving was upon us. I kept job searching every day but wasn't particularly hard core about it because the holidays were near. So then I decided I'd kick things into high gear after the new year. Well, here we are! Time to get to work. *Sigh*

Related to this, I'm resolving to be dressed IN NORMAL CLOTHES every day by noon at the very latest. I know this might sound shocking. But when you're unemployed with no where to go day after day, it becomes very easy to stay in your PJs. Mentally this is taking a toll on me. I don't feel good about myself, I'm getting lazy, and I can't answer the door in my nightie when the UPS guy shows up. Today I made a point of showering, putting on a little make-up, and popping in my contacts. It's amazing how different I feel and I've been so much more productive.

Goal #2: GET MOVING & LOSE 20 POUNDS
This goal? No excuses!! The Cliff Notes: I've gained back the 30 pounds I previously lost since we moved to Florida three years ago. Around late 2004-early 2005 I was down three dress sizes and actively working out at least five days a week. I was in the best shape of my life and never felt better. When we moved I slowly started to lose the motivation for working out. I missed my old health club. I was busy unpacking and getting acclimated to my new town. And I was freelancing from home and having a really hard time balancing home life and work life under one roof. Working out suddenly seemed like a luxury with my schedule and it crept further and further away from me.

The last time I lost this weight I learned that my body responds quickly to an exercise regimen. In fact, I'm convinced that the lack of exercise is the key driver behind my gaining weight. So I'm resurrecting the lifestyle I adopted a few years ago and even plan to eat four meals a day, as I learned how to do from a dietitian. The combination of eating the right foods and consistent exercise kick-started my metabolism and I'm determined to make it happen again.

I'm setting a goal of 20 pounds because I think it's a realistic and attainable goal for me. If I lose the 20 pounds before the year is over {which I greatly hope is the case}, then I will set new goals at that time. Until then, 20 pounds it is.

GOAL #3: SAVE MONEY
Being laid off twice in the past two years hasn't exactly helped with our savings. We also threw a wedding for 55 people in 2008 {and I firmly believe it was the best decision despite the hit to our wallets}. So this year is all about saving and reducing debt. The good news is that I already have a three month head start since my layoff in October. We've been really good about watching our spending, cooking at home, and looking at ways to cut our costs.

GOAL #4: MAKE MINOR HOME IMPROVEMENTS {Three Mini-Goals}
First, Paint!
Our house was a "flip house" and despite all the improvements and upgrades, the previous owner never painted the 2.5 bathrooms. Not a big deal, but I've had this on my to-do list since we moved in three years ago! Enough is enough, it's time to roll up my sleeves and get these rooms painted once and for all. I'm tired of those white, drabby walls.

Second, makeover our office
We have a loft space upstairs that we want to redesign for an office and media/entertainment room. Truth? This is going to be a bear and I could really use some HGTV help. When we moved in I neatly organized all my office files in storage containers, which are still (gasp!) sitting on the floor. Our book collection has doubled in size and is overtaking my oak bookcase. Jeff's old bachelor days leather couch went in the room, as did my really old desk from my college days. It's such a big mish-mosh of furniture and space, and it's quickly become the dumping ground for anything and everything you can think of: Jeff's old records, guitars, artwork that we're not sure what to do with, my exercise ball, etc. This is going to be a project but we are determined to give the room a makeover this year and staying on budget.

Third, completely clean out my closet!
I donated seven {seven!} bags of clothing, handbags, and shoes to charity in 2008 and I'm embarrassed to say that I barely made a dent in my closet. Thankfully, I've received divine intervention from Tim Gunn. I love his show on BRAVO called Tim Gunn's Guide to Style, which teaches the philosophy that every woman only needs 10 essential items in her wardrobe. After watching a few episodes I went into my closet and realized that I wear about 5% or less of the items I own. Part B to this resolution? Give serious consideration to purchasing new clothing, handbags, and shoes. If I don't absolutely love it, or if I don't really need it, I'm not buying it.

Now, if you'll excuse me..........I have some work to do! :(