Happy Thanksgiving

I haven't written in so long that I'm not sure where to begin!

Its been a crazy couple weeks. Work has been increasingly busy and stressful so I haven't had time for much of things I like to do- exercising, cooking my meals at home, getting some downtime with Dan. But that's life and it will even out soon.

Then on Saturday while getting all excited about my new compost bin- I left my camera (aka 3rd appendage) out on a stump in the backyard and somehow didn't realize it was missing until Tuesday -- can you tell I'm a bit out of whack lately?! Thankfully, somehow, it was ok. My hand-me-down case from Kris and Matt is kick-ass! Even though it was soaked nearly throughout it didn't actually let any water drip onto my camera. We dried it out for a couple days. I turned it on this morning and I'm back in business. Didn't even lose any pictures. Someone or something is looking out for me somewhere ;)

I started PT for my back. Trying to be good about doing my stretching exercises. Really hoping it helps. I've also gone for 2 rounds of trigger point injections which hurt like hell, but again- hoping it helps, so its worth it.

Went to a Mark Party at Sheri's house last Friday! So much fun to have a glass of wine (or a few) with the girls and just catch up. As much as I usually love things being more low key than they used to be, I really miss hanging out and chatting on Friday nights at Reggio's like we used to.

Had fun with the Natale ladies at my cousin Nicole's baby shower. Abigail Josephine (Abby Jo) is due in January! I can hardly believe it! :)

Ok off to upload some pictures and hopefully I'll find my way back here!

hell week

and, no i don't mean that in the fun
"i'm doing a theatrical production next week and so we're practicing all the time" kinda way

tuesday was the date of our 3rd cbeds upgrade.
and all hell broke loose.
we got it to a manageable point by tuesday night (15 hours later)
but the rest of the week has still been insane
and unfortunately the fix we thought might be the real solution
that would ease my mind and put an official end to this horrible week
did. not. work.

couple that with the lack of sleep
poor nutrition
stress
and a twisted ankle
[that's what happens at 5am when
walking to the car in the pitch black...
those rocks come out of nowhere]
poor dan. i was a bawling basketcase this morning. the ankle did hurt.
a lot. throbbing.
but moreso i think i'm just wiped.
if you know me, you know i need sleep
good, long-stretches of peaceful sleep.
if/when i'm not getting that, watch out!

tomorrow its supposed to pour.
buckets.
with any luck i can sleep in.
and relax.
i'm reallllly looking forward to that.

not real confident that that actually WILL happen
but its getting me through the day.

hope everyone else had a better week!
i promise i'll have something less negative to post about very soon.

----

ok since i have a quick second.
some happy thoughts.

-- my fall share CSA started this week
-- i have a ton of great library books at home just waiting for me to soak up their information
-- i got a couple cute fall sweaters last night in a fit of much necessary retail therapy
-- i get to see my smiling niece on sunday! looking forward to some cuddle and tickle time with her.
--- this quote from It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia had Dan and I rolling the other night... "Dee: (to Martha, slurring her words) Oh, I just think you're so full of magic. You're like a big round wizard."

in PA safe and sound but...

what a mess so far.
i'm not usually the pessimist but this has just been nuts
think the universe was trying to tell me to stay put this weekend
and i didn't listen

started out ok.
picked up my car from Quirk
{needed an alignment}
although i waited an extra 20 minutes for the guy
to pick me up at the train because he was
waiting at the bus side not the
"drop off pick up area"
tell me that's not counter intuitive!

i use my typed out directions to get me over the Tappan Zee
because no GPS i've heard of yet
will allow you to go that way
{regardless of picking "fastest time"
or "shortest distance" or "avoid traffic"}
but i get over the bridge
very little traffic at that point
and let the GPS take over
because it always gets me there the best way

not this time.
my reluctance to purchase one of these evil little tools
means that i borrowed matt & krissy's in a pinch
{instead of mom and dad's}
well this one took me some crazy way through Rt 1 in Jersey
which is very much like Route 1 in Saugus
lights every hundred yards
ridiculous
trying to make the best of it and enjoy the night
riding on battery a bit, which makes me happy

finally i get off that stretch and onto 95 South
where i can actually cruise a little bit
i get a guy behind me, right on my tail
so i know i'm going about 80
will likely pull over to the right lane in a second when it clears up
when i come around a corner
and there's the Statie
he put on his lights as soon as the other guy and i passed
sure enough he eventually pulls out and pulls me over
{not the other guy though, which was annoying}

i played my part the best i could
but going 81 in a 55-- i was getting a ticket
i now owe the State of PA $181.50
lovely

so then i'm pissed and dejected.
i put the car on cruise control at 59 mph and just let it ride
i'd talked to christine before that and she agreed that the route
it was trying to take me was ludicrous
but at that point i did care
well i should have, because it took freakin forever
i hit red light after red light and it would add 5 minutes to my ETA
nice.

so thanks again matt for letting me borrow your GPS (and mom & dad too since i've used theirs a million times) but i think i might just be going back to mapquest. its nice not to have to plan ahead but at least then you can verify the directions with someone who knows what they're talking about. technology is not always the answer- we sometimes forget that.

but i arrived safe and sound
so glad to see christine
and get some sloppy kisses from lola {the dog}
relaxed, watched some tv
then took a nice, hot shower
got into my pjs and was ready to call it a night.

when my phone rings.
one of the vendors working on the unit
where we're installing ceiling lifts and computers next week
he must be pocket dialing. he wouldn't call me on purpose at 10:49pm.
but he was calling on purpose
they had an accident
popped a sprinkler head
water was flooding patient rooms
1-2 inches worth
a real mess

then apparently some disgruntled family member
heard "pipe bomb" not "pipe burst"
and instead of asking the hospital what was going on- called the local news!!!!!!
annoying. i don't think it aired, thankfully.. but geez

so this is what i'm working with here.
i'm hoping that all the nonsense is behind me now and we've got only FUN
ahead for the next 36 hours
but we'll see
cross your fingers for me
it might help ;)

welcome to CT

i made it to CT
in one piece
without getting lost
{the beauty of having been here before}
and early!

i'm sitting in the lobby
where the starbucks is
catching up with the LM ladies
"on the bus"

got a compliment from the barista
about the skin on my computer
a picture i took of a hut in jamaica
you should be a photographer
she said
don't i wish!

ok meeting starts in 15 minutes
working on a sunday
no day of rest for me

but i'm feeling fabulous
got some much-needed new clothes
at Kohls yesterday
3 pairs of pants that FIT ME
which just about doubles
the number of pants i had in my closet
that fit me
so it was a good day

feeling fresh and ready to go
and hoping that ryan and i can scrap here tonight
which will mean i break even for working on a sunday

have a good day!

be busy --> be fit and be green

this week is exactly the opposite of what i thought it would be.
working til 6p every night i thought i would be

--over stressed
--over tired
--over worked
--under worked-out
--unhappy
--unorganized

and yet the opposite is mostly true.
don't get me wrong, i wouldn't want to do this every week, but for this week, i can't complain.

the run-down

i'm back on track with working out and it feels great!
monday: shoulders & cardio
tuesday: cardio
wednesday: biceps and triceps & 1 hour zumba class with becky at night
thursday: day off
friday: legs

i also read the book Skinny Bitch this week
its a non-fiction book written by these women who are, little did i know,
trying to get others to become vegan.
i am going to do a whole post about the amazing things i learned from that book
for now, suffice it to say. i'm being extremely conscious about what i eat
{{{with a few minor slip-ups...}}}
but being conscious about what i put into my body is good.
i feel SO much better than i did even a week ago.

back into a good rhythm and that feels great.

i'm also trying to get back on track with my Green efforts
which of course goes hand in hand with eating well :)
i found a brand of conditioner that I really like so far
i got this one
$6.99 at target
not much more than i usually spend!
and my hair is manageable and shiny! works for me.

i was also in need of some new make-up as my old Avon stuff ran out
i opted for some Physician's Formula all natural make up
and I'm really impressed with that too.

still struggling with toothpaste, deoderant, the rest of my make-up and hair products. but slowly but surely i'm getting there and i'm happy with my progress.

work
it has been a bit of a crazy week there
but
i haven't had as many meetings as i usually do
george has been confined to his office
interviewing candidate after candidate
for these new positions that will fit into
the restructured version of nursing non-clinical leadership
so he stops in every once in awhile
we get to touch base
and he answers my questions
and i can update him on stuff real time
which has worked nicely

other stuff

• got to have lunch with my friend katie who celebrated her 30th birthday today! happy birthday!
• mom sprained her ankle and fractured her left foot last saturday :( still waiting to hear what they need to do. if she tore a ligament that will mean surgery! :( poor mumma.
• talked to kris today and she has bronchitis and willy's got a fever

ok i guess that's enough for now.

tootles! adeu!

you can call me wonder*woman

its a wonder i'm still alive and kicking

what an absolutely crazy couple days around here

what happened to this place turning into a ghost town this time of year?

that certainly hasn't happened

nor do i think its coming

oh well... doing the best i can with what i've got

yesterday i spent the day scolding vendors
who screwed up my project for the second time
knowing how to do it right and still managing to do it wrong
does not equal good business sense
i was seriously grumbly for a long time about that
but we have a plan to fix it
and they'd better get. it. right!

today we moved off that 'jinxed' unit
and into another one
our burn icu
which has been wanting/needing ceiling lifts
and after probably 1+ year of planning
they finally installed today
its looking great!
careful planning that pays off makes me happy!
[no crappy vendors on this project] hooray.

helping get some weekend renovations kicked off
schmoozing with the guys down in the general construction office..

{in the dredded sub-basement. its not dirty, not dark and scary as the "sub" part of the name implies, in fact its pretty nice down there... but its not a place a girl goes alone (this time i had my friend dulce to tag along) don't get me wrong, i'm not afraid to go down there... there's nothing inappropriate, nothing like that, but you see, there's rarely a girl in a dress down in those parts

they're used to denim, workboots, dirty hands, toolbelts and buckets. its manly territory. it is what it is. and going alone only invites more comments, more looks, more "wow, look at her down here all by her lonesome. no thanks. at least i learned that dulce shares those thoughts. i'm not alone...

i digress}

"you'll do anything for a pretty face" one guy says to another
"you know me well" he replies.
and i got 4 boxes, free of charge and with a smile.
thanks boys :)

and in all my running around, i've walked 10,166 steps so far today! at 4pm!! that's over 5 miles! thanks busy-day-at-work. you're doing wonders for my waistline. (Edited to Add- I walked over 21,000 steps by the end of that day!!! I think that was a new record for me)

so yep, a crazy couple days here at work. the funny part is the my co-workers are wondering just who i am... since the cool, quiet, happy jen hasn't been seen in my office in a few days. i've been running or juggling or venting or pissed off. its so rare that its amusing. but you know what? its working. i just received a call from the far-from-favor vendor and told him i can't plan a time for him to fix his mess tomorrow because of the patient situation in the room in question. he told me "whenever you call, we will be ready to fulfill your immediate need. no problem." good answer buddy.

now its off to the gym with my good friend kim.
legs today
wish me luck.
i am just getting over being sore from last week (first week doing legs since my moving/vacation/visitors hiatus).

then home (which has no siding. looks so naked, and yet better than being blue),
to dan
and our new grill
and the steak tips we have planned for dinner.
life's good
hope you are too!

Update time

update time
its been awhile
I'm long overdue

be fit...
is going well!
mid-week 7
the stats (as of week 6):

I've lost almost 6lbs

I've lost 2" off my waist & 1/2" off my hips

I've lost 2% body fat

I feel like its finally noticeable- in my face, my stomach… my arms, legs and abs all feel stronger. Kim and I are in a good groove for lifting weights, motivating eachother, walking, eating right. Even more incentive now that its spring. I'm really enjoying the program and will be sad when it ends (even though I certainly will continue on). Just think how thin I could be after another 10 weeks! :)

difficult aspects of be fit that I'm feeling now- finding the time. there are rarely enough hours in the day. I'm trying to find the mix of what's reasonable and sustainable while also really pushing myself to do more, become stronger and try harder.

the house
dan has been doing a fantastic job on the house (of course). the new potrack has been installed above the island, and the new shampoo/soap dispensers went up in the shower. next he's starting on the master closet (after many hours of planning and design).

19 trees are due to be cut down very soon
making way for a lot of lovely sunshine to fill the house with warmth
and making way for the well that needs to be installed

we need to buy some furniture this week, or we'll be enjoying the sunshine that floods through the windows on the hard, wood floors :)

and I've been scouring the internet looking for all natural cleaning recipes and organic, green cleaners so that we can start fresh in the house. this is one of the things I am most looking forward to. I'll update later with some of the great things I've found, but there are so many easy ways to use all natural products instead of filling our house with chemicals. I'm all for that.

work
haven't talked about work in awhile
I am loving my job in the systems improvement department
I've started taking on new projects that are really interesting and challenging
some stuff I'm working on
-coordinating the installation of ceiling lifts in the patient care rooms
-working on noise reduction efforts. its really noisy here, that's no secret, but we have to do something about it. this is a big challenge, but I'm up for it
-improving communication between nurses and other clinicians and support staff
-and of course some more CBeds stuff. new technology as well as how we can make the most out of the technology we have.

I've Got it!

The URGE! To create. To be creative. To try out new ideas. To roll up my sleeves, put on clothes that won't be any worse for the wear if they get some paint on them (a little extra color never hurt right?).

Friday at work, I saw Ali Edwards new idea for an Advent Calendar out of little chipboard boxes. My mind was racing all through the day on Friday, colors, how to put on the wall, who I could give this to, what stores would have what I was looking for. Couple that with the fact that LM got the new Scenic Routes Christmas line in on Friday and I was like a kid in the proverbial candy store. Giddy, and more than just a sugar high.

So after an amazingly productive day at work (shocking I know, given the circumstances), I headed out and made the grand tour of the South Shore's craft and gift stores. I started a Christmas Tree Shop, looking for a cool picture frame. Nothing great was in store for me there- at least not in that department. I went to Michael's and AC Moore from there, and scored a motherload of goodies between the three stores.

Based on my finds- here's a sneak preview of the projects I'm looking to tackle.

Advent Calendar a la Ali (and Martha Stewart):


-->I found a frame, not sure if I'll keep it, but I needed a basic size to work with. I have a bunch of cute new paints and glitter. I also bought some cool wooden ornaments to paint and perhaps use instead of some of the boxes to add some more dimension and interest.

Ornament picture frames:
--> these I found at Christmas Tree shop for $1.29. They're small and I'll likely use them as present toppers, but I figured between pictures and perhaps cute Christmas saying they'll be a fun little treat.

Starbucks Advent Calendars:
I made them last year for Aunt Milly and Grandmother and everyone seemed to 'ooh' and 'ahh' so I bought two more (which will probably be happily adorned by Scenic Route's latest works of art :) I think their recepients will be very happy with them (I also have the one I bought for me last year, which I'm looking forward to using too-- especially since I have some new favorite paper to work with).


So this urge, this mo-jo... its still here, lingering. After I got home last night Danny and I headed to Shawn and Ellen's for our weekly get together/Texas Hold 'Em game. (I'm finally getting better. It came down to Wilson and I at one point and I held him off for a very long time--- he finally won... but who's counting?) And today is Bubba's Anniversary Mass, and party to follow at Mom's. Which means I'm keeping the mojo at bay and hoping to scrap the day away tomorrow (while doing about 35 loads of laundry) :)


Let's do some other random tid-bits:
- My raise/promotion should be processed very soon at work (fingers still crossed on that front) -Dan finally has the paperwork to process his loan (buh-bye Michael)
-Uncle Ray was in the hospital this week-- Ray, Amy and the kids are coming home this weekend to see him.
-We booked our trip to Daytona this summer. July 2-7th (Wed-Monday) for a Litchfield family Reunion and the July Daytona race!! :)
-We booked our January trip! This year we're going to Iberostar Tuncan in Playa del Carmen, Mexico with John, Nancy, Dan and Sheri (hoping to actually spend some good quality, vacation time with Nancy this year after year's stomach bug fiasco)
-Kara started a new job at MGH working as Eileen Flaherty's staff assistant. I'm so excited for her. I've only seen her twice since she started but we're having lunch on Monday! Waveney's been orienting her and really helping a lot, Eileen tells me!
-I went over to talk to Melissa and hang out with she and Jeff, for the first time since I found out she was pregnant.
-I'm teaching my first class at the crop shop next month! woo hoo!!

ramblings

tuesday 10*23*07 -- playdate with willard

• my latest pictures of Will from our playdate yesterday. i love this first picture of him. that contagious smile, the sparking eyes. so innocent.

• then i put him in the arm chair he was just chillin'. it was funny to see him in the seat usually occupied by his dad. he looked so small and yet so grown-up all at once. he's not sitting up by himself yet, but if you sit him up against something he's comfortable to just sit there unless he starts getting restless and wants to squirm. but not yesterday. i sat him in the chair to get something different than the baby-lying-on-a-blanket pose, and he just sat staring out the window. it was really windy and leaves were whirling around. he was so content to just take in all the action. wonder what thoughts were swirling through his mind.

scrapbooking...

i am totally inspired (as usual) by Ali Edwards and her idea to use the 7 Gypsies Rolodex Spinning Rack for a Chrismas decoration. http://aliedwards.typepad.com/_a_/2007/10/christmas-proje.html

http://aliedwards.typepad.com/_a_/2007/10/close-ups-of-pr.html

i talked to dee about doing this as a class for the Crop Shop. she loved the idea. i stopped in tonight to pick up all the supplies (totally free- love the perks of being on the design team), and we'll schedule the class for november! [yep, one more thing I'll be bringing to the LM crop!]

work stuff:

<--- this little puppy should be delivered in 2-3 days!

as much as i wasn't thrilled with the idea of getting another device, since this turned out to be an option, i'm more than ok with it.

{background: Partners changed their policy so I can't continue to get my work email on my personal phone without paying these extra fees, so I took George up on his offer to get me a Blackberry if I wanted one, and apparently these little ones are actually cheaper, with the Partners discount, than the clunkier models my co-workers got a couple months ago!}

Motivational Speaking

I went to a great Customer Service/Service Improvement Motivational Speech today at work. Really tired tonight, but I wanted to get some of this down before my brain just shuts off.

The speaker- Liz Jazwiec- was this really hilarious ED Nurse originally form a hospital called Holy Cross on the South Side of Chicago. Her stories were laugh out loud funny.
http://www.lizjazz.com/home.php


Some great take home messages:

Stop making excuses

• As hospitals we always like to think we're busier or have more acute patients or have less money to work with. Its not true. If someone else has done something that works--- stop looking for reasons why "that won't work here"

Decide that Customer Service IS a priority and staff will respond

• If a nurse dropped a needle on the ground, picked it up and dusted it off, then stuck it into a patient... a manager wouldn't walk by and see and say 'that's ok' or 'i understand that you've had a bad day... i know you'll do it right next time.' NO way. That's a quality/safety issues. Can't let that slide. But if another staff member is ride or abrupt on the phone, you'd be more understanding that they had a bad. The "do whatever you have to to get through the day" mentality doesn't get us anywhere.

Staff don't have to be fully satisfied themselves in order to make the patient's stay more satisfying

• Liz told stories about how even after improving patient satisfaction from 5%-95% their rates in the ED were still terrible (8%!!). Her mentality was "I'm here to save their asses, not kiss them!" but then her job was on the line, and she told staff they needed to make it happen or she was getting sacked. The staff loved her and agreed to be nicer to patients- but were so fake about it. Still- they did it. They asked if there was anything else they could do for the patient etc... and it worked! And then ultimately the staff were more happy too.

Perception counts more than reality

• What the patient thinks about the experience is what they're taking with them. In Liz's example their ED patients felt like they did not have privacy. She thought this was ludicrous since they had stretchers everywhere. Not enough room=not enough privacy. But someone suggested as they close the patients behind their curtains to tell them explicitly they're doing it for the patient's privacy. That was all it took. Reminding patients why you're doing things and leaving a good image in their minds--- means more than the fact that the hospital meets the standards in terms of privacy.

Ninety minutes well spent. You sign up for these things and sometimes its total rubbish. This was definitely an invigorating session that had everyone smiling and talking as they left. I'm so glad I went!

One good thing

A good end to a crumby week.......... got called into George's office this morning (which caused me a bit of panic, I won't lie because he nevers asks me to come over as soon as you can before 9:00)....

And the good news is.............. {drum roll please}.........

I got a BONUS! $1,000 smackers :) Thank you very much.

I was shocked, never saw that one coming. I know how rare it was for me to receive the bonuses I got when I worked for Theresa (and appreciated them greatly) so once I left that position I expected that would most definitely be the end of it.

I guess when a project has a timeline to complete a roll-out with the year and it actually happens-- that's worth some cash at MGH! :)

A great way to end what's been a lousy, tiring week! Bring on the weekend.

CBeds Update

I've been working on the CBeds project since February 26, 2006, and now its full-on crunch time! We Go-Live with Stage 1 (4 inpatient units and the CRT/Sups, Admitting and the PACU) a week from Tuesday.

With so much to get ready for Stage 1 and all of the other stages to follow weekly from then, there is a TON of work to do. It seems like at least a few days a week I'm finding myself at work for 10-12 hours. Then heading back for 7am the next day.

Its a strange thing for me, because I enjoy the project so much and I like the amount of responsibility I get to aborb, but my body just doesn't want to cooperate. I get so tired at the end of the day-- and my shoulders are so tense that an hour with Sheri this morning barely made a dent in it.

Still the project is fascinating! Of course there will bumps in the road but I think we're in great shape... I can't wait for the rush of energy that will inevitably come on Tuesday 11/7. The infamous day :)

Brain Dump

So much has happened over the past couple months that I can barely get my mind around all of it... so here's one big brain dump... hopefully I can add in some pictures to share the story.........

Work

I am not cut out for working 50+ hour weeks. I'm just not. The going in early, staying late, never stopping for lunch, worrying about what else needs to get done. Not sure how people thrive on that. I enjoy being busy, and I love my job- but I don't think I could do it all day every day and love it.....

"All CBeds all the time" is becoming more true by the day. We're getting down to the wire- testing is almost over, we have a million last minute configuration items to push for, the Premise conference coming up (at which George, Ben and I are presenting on a topic yet to be decided), training is difficult to plan because we barely have enough resources & we haven't fully configurated the system, and people just seem to be dropping balls left and right. Its a LOT. I love it... still I love it. I live for my weekends and knowing that for 48 hours my time is all mine.... and then I do look forward to Monday.

I look forward to my routine-- getting coffee to wake me from the sleepiness that fills my whole body (that has kept me in bed far past the first 5:30 alarm).... Reading my emails in the morning - seeing what fires need to be put out-- and then switching over to Ali Edwards' blog or Lifetime Moments (sb website) in an attempt to put those problems aside for just a few more minutes. Then I remember that I need to get back to work and I'm sucked in... meeting after meeting, prepping, copying, shooting off emails and hoping to keep up. For about a week or so I haven't been able to leave before 5:30.... but I love reading my book on the train on the way home (when I can get a seat--- how many people DO ride the train every day!?! grrr)

Looking forward to----

• Premise User Conference next Monday 10/15 in Hartford. 3 days there.. taking things in, getting exposure, presenting (and hopefully not freaking out)
• Go Live in November. The chaos, the excitement. Seeing it go live on the unit and seeing how well all of planning works out. Good, bad or just crazy- I'd like to see it all with my own eyes

Jessica's Wedding

So Much Fun! That says it all in a nutshell... but then of course there is so much more. I went there on Wednesday night and it was so much work. Programs, pumpkins, gift bags for the hotel guest, rehearsal dinner t-shirts, running millions of errands.... but even through it all, we had a blast talking and stopping for a bite to eat when we could-- and watching Gilmore Girls at home while doing the craft projects :)

The wedding itself was beautiful. The priest was kind and funny... after Jessica and Joel did their vows and there was a song being sung-- he asked: "Feel any different?" It was cute.

The reception was wonderful. The place looked gorgeous!!! A vision of fall brought indoors and very classy. The food was great. It was wonderful seeing all of the familiar faces from college. We had a blast dancing- the band was great.

Jessica and Joel had a blast, you could tell. They danced every song, and by the end of the night Jessica was more than a little tipsy- but so cute. And so happy.

Looking forward to:

• Seeing all the photos from the photographer. She gets them digitally and I get to use them to make her scrapbook!
• Talking to Jessica when she gets back from her honeymoon. Hearing all about St. Lucia.... Reliving the whole wedding. Pure Girl Talk!

Love

I am so in love I can hardly believe it. Not something I normally write about, but I feel like if I don't write anything I might just explode.

Dan is so sweet and wonderful to me. Throughout all of what we went through with Jeff, he was so supportive... cleaning the apartment, doing dozens of loads of laundry, reminding me that coming home to him wasn't as important as doing what I needed to do for Jeff. He offered Jeff his Playstation for when he got home-- and even rode over there one day to drop off video games.

One night I woke up when Dan did, confused (as I had been a lot between sleeping at home and at the hospital), and said out of impulse (as I did when looking after Jeff at night)-- "Do you need anything?" and Dan (probably not knowing that I really didn't mean that for him) simply said "no..." and laid back down. Then a split second later he said "Actually I do" and leaned over and gave me a big kiss before lying back down.

And yesterday was one of the best days I've had in a long time. I got back from NY around 3:00. We laid together and watched the Taladega race.... We cuddled and laughed. We teased eachother all day long, and tickled eachother. Neither one of us wanted to move... we ordered Chinese food to be delivered. Watched the recorded episode of the Office from last Thursday. Then we cuddled in bed, watched the end of Cast Away.... more cuddling, more teasing and tickling- and one great back massage.

I don't know where everything stands but I do know that I love him. That I am so happy.

Looking forward to:

• Vacation. Punta Cana in February after I finish the Cbeds project. 7 days of sun and relaxation.
• Fall and winter. More time to cuddle, curl up on the couch with football or a movie or a book. Learning more about him, about us, loving him. Being loved.

A Non-Monday Monday

Today was a GREAT day- didn't feel like a Monday at all.

I planned on having a morning jam packed with meetings (8-12) then another from 1-3... and coming home to... well no plans, so probably nothing.

Instead...

8-10:00 Andrea, Ryann and I did work on some Testing stuff for CBeds- but the majority of an hour was spent on "girl talk"...even Andrea who hates getting up early said "I'd come in any time to meet with you two!"

Then my 10:00 conference call ran short! Hooray- and Andrea came back to the office with me... and straight through til lunch because my 11:00 with Paul was cancelled :)

We went to Whole Foods for lunch! mmm greek salad. And a beautiful perfect summer day to walk around in... Not a cloud in the sky, low humidity. One of the few perfect ones.

My 1:00 ran for about 40 minutes... after which time Ryann, Ben and I proceeded to talk for about an hour! It was just a great day for chatting and catching up and learning more about the people I work with. Its so wonderful to have time for stuff like that. It makes working with people so much easier when you really connect with them.

After that meeting, Andrea came back to my office... Dan called to say he was going on the Boat with Shawn-- and we decided to have some fun! We went to Harvard Square.... I got to relive my days when I could walk around town every night after work ( oh how I miss the North End sometimes)....... then we went to the Border Cafe for margaritas and blackened chicken fajitas.... two of my favorite things. Ohhhh and we stopped in at Beadworks and picked out beads to make beautiful jewelry!!! Fun new craft stuff!!!

We also found a cutie new boutique in Harvard Square where the candy store used to be... I love little boutiques... the random collection of cute clothes, the rare chance that something you like will actually be available in your size, the adorable accessories (belts, headbands, jewelry, bags!!) and the atmosphere that just shouts "have fun here" to me! I love it. Boutiques make me smile :)

After my T ride home, I put the down down on the convertible and decided I wasn't going home when I could continue enjoying the beautiful day. I cruised to Marshfield singing my head off, hair blowing in the wind. Got some cute storage bins and a wooden sign that say SMILE at Christmas tree shop (can't wait to alter that). Of course I didn't get any of the housewarming presents I went there to buy... Gotta love that.

So its been a great start to the week! Hoping its a sign of more good things to come :)

Tired Tuesday

second day in a row that its been really tough getting out of bed. i think these long weekends lately are hurting me more than they're helping.

yesterday was a really good day (once the burning in my eyes stopped around 9am). i had lunch with my pal andrea in the big girl cafeteria :) then my 1-3:00 meeting rocked. we met with premise (software vendor) about the new release of part of their software, and comparing it to the current version so we can plan accordingly. with george on vacation i finally got to take the lead in a lot of the discussion. i fumbled, admittedly, at first, but then i think i did really well. asked lots of tough questions. it felt so good. i still have a lot of learning to do, but i learned two things yesterday:

1. i really can do this project management thing--- i just need to keep at it and learn from every experience.
2. that i really do a lot better when i'm busy. i am more motivated and interested in the project when i'm eating, sleeping and breathing it.... paul has a tendency to do some of the updates etc himself--- and if he'd just let me do them and stay intimately involved, it keeps me a lot more in the mindset of the project.


Scrapping Update

I got motivated and did two things last night... well 3 sort of.
I got recipe cards done to include with invitations for Jessica's shower.

Then I was working on a ribbon challenge for Les' post on OF and I made a really cute LO with a picture of Tighe that Waveney gave me. Its a summer pic but I paired it with greens, reds and browns and it came out a lot better than I expected! Love it.

Next I started my bulletin board project. I altered a file folder to hold menus... need to make some other pockets etc to jazz up the board. More to come this week.