Tomorrow I get to pack to come home. I never thought I would be so excited to get home. Of course, I will have to log on and probably do some work at some point, but it will be nice to be in my surroundings again.
I do have to say that despite my ability to identify chickens from roosters (but isn't a rooster technically a chicken? i didn't call it a hen, but maybe a rooster is only a rooster and not a chicken?) and my limited vocabulary to C'ville slang, I'm adjusting pretty well. I am no longer running from T-Bone the pitbull across the street - we are friends now. AND I have eaten fried green tomatoes. That has to count for something! I will admit that when one of our employees came in yesterday I could not understand a darn word he said. Thankfully my office mate was there for the assist and, though a Baltimore native, has adopted the local dialect.
I went to a local restaurant on Saturday that is apparently a big favorite. This place was unlike anywhere I had ever been. It was like Mardi Gras, the flea market, a garage, a toy store, and a farm spawn of a restaurant. First off, it's in the middle of nowhere. No, seriously. You have to drive a good 25 minutes from my house to get there and through a series of farms that all kind of look alike. There are teeny little signs along the way that were so covered by weeds that I missed half of them. Thankfully I was not driving. It looks like a little ranch house...maybe like a little antique store that you would pass in a quaint little neighborhood in the burbs.... until you walk in. The women that own this place are collectors - all kinds of knick nacky stuff. Some of it is old and handmade - stuff that my mom would want to save and I would want to throw away because it's just not practical. Wooden boxes, handmade signs, figurines, dried flowers. Just stuff. Then you walk in to the dining room. And look up. The ceilings are high and on each rafter is hanging so much crap that it should be a fire hazard. We're talking dolls, stuffed animals, inflatables, sports flags, hats, sports equipment, mardi gras beads, pictures, albums, streamers, holla hoops. Anything. You name it. Will post the picture next time. It's amazing.
Despite it's appearance, the place cooks up a good meal. Lots of deep fried stuff, but some basics too and even something different. It's good, well priced, and the atmosphere is fun. Oh, and it's out of the county so you can have a drink with your meal :)
As I am sitting on my bed typing, I can see my shoe rack. It certainly has filled itself up despite my bad feet. A sense of accomplishment of finding so many normal shoes has overtaken me. Ahhhh. Nice work, Nik. Go me!
Today I expanded my visual communication project and redid the forms in our HR office. Clearly another strategic initiative...haha. But I'd be lying if I said I didn't like a little arts and crafts project. We color blocked the forms by group and bought some tropical fish folders to hold the forms. It's bright and cheery. Does it really matter? Probably not. But it's done. Check check. Next I get to worry about 5s.. for all you non manufacturer/distribution peeps that means putting tape on the floor. Well, it is more than that and it is important, but man... no one wants to actually put the tape down. Not fun. Oh well.
Oh so get this - our company picnic is next week. 1500 ppl plus. Should be fun. Apparently they do volleyball, cornhole, giant inflatable jumpy things, and all kinds of other stuff. They have a hard time keeping tabs on who brings who and how many people get to come. It's the biggest event in C'ville other than the parade. However, I won't be dressing up in any kind of crazy outfit.
There was something else I meant to write about but I can't think of it. Hmmm. I will think about it with my eyes closed as I lay in bed. Good night!
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Friday Eve
I'm not sure where the days go, but did you know that next week is September???? CRAZY! I can't believe I'm nearing my 3 month mark. Strange. The good news is that it has finally begun to cool off and it's actually quite pleasant out. I had dinner outside today and didn't glisten through it. The simple pleasures.
I have fallen terribly behind on email, so my apologies if I owe you something. I will get on it this weekend. Have been trying to keep myself busy with trips out of town and activities. Will be posting State Fair pics today. And Lily - I didn't even see the Crispy Creme Burger and I'm pretty sure that I'm ok with that! :)
So one of my projects has been Visual Management of our office and breakrooms. This doesn't necessarily mean creating the actual communications as much as it mean printing, laminating and using velcro dots to hang things. If you have never used a velcro dot, I think my company owns stock in them. We have them EVERYWHERE and we use them on EVERYTHING. The stick unlike anything I have ever seen. In fact, that's how we got Abe's beard to stick to his face for the parade. He had little circles on his face afterward. But anyway... so it's really a bizarre, not very exciting project that I am not enjoying in the slightest but my boss is extremely passionate about. It drives my bonkers every day. Point of the story - he gave my officemate a super hero doll of Elastagirl from the Incredibles. I believe this was her name - the mom in the movie. Anyone? I think that's what it is. Anyways, we were joking that my superhero name would be Laminator Girl. Little does anyone know that I am the WORST laminator ever. I can't seem to line it up very well and that part doesn't get laminated, so I just trim it down til it fits. I can cut a straight line :)
We are thinking of going to the Rascall Flats concert this weekend at the Fair. If we do, it will be Sunday night. Tickets are pretty expensive. I'm indifferent if we go or not, but I do want to wear my cowboy hat at some point.
The countdown has officially begun to go home. I'm soooooo excited to be going home for the weekend. I half have it in my mind to go back Thursday night. Then the week after I get back I head to Seattle for two weeks. Should be a fun month. Then it's nose to the ground time. Cuz clearly I've just been screwing around the whole time I've been here.
I learned a new term today. Honeywagon. Anyone know what it means? We were talking about our Kampers - our retired population that lives in RVs all year and travel for hourly work - and somehow Honeywagon came up. It's the truck that apparently clears out all of the sewage. Amazing.
Oh - and I'm also taking suggestions for Halloween costumes. I'm requiring people to dress up at work to humor me for my birthday. Alas, if I live down here I may as well make my own fun! I need to think of something fun. It is, afterall, the big 3-0 and I will be spending it down here.
Ok - it's past my bedtime. I will try to post again this weekend. Hopefully something post worthy will happen over the next few days. Take care, be safe.
This little guy had a cool haircut. Who knew there were such hip chickens?
I have fallen terribly behind on email, so my apologies if I owe you something. I will get on it this weekend. Have been trying to keep myself busy with trips out of town and activities. Will be posting State Fair pics today. And Lily - I didn't even see the Crispy Creme Burger and I'm pretty sure that I'm ok with that! :)
So one of my projects has been Visual Management of our office and breakrooms. This doesn't necessarily mean creating the actual communications as much as it mean printing, laminating and using velcro dots to hang things. If you have never used a velcro dot, I think my company owns stock in them. We have them EVERYWHERE and we use them on EVERYTHING. The stick unlike anything I have ever seen. In fact, that's how we got Abe's beard to stick to his face for the parade. He had little circles on his face afterward. But anyway... so it's really a bizarre, not very exciting project that I am not enjoying in the slightest but my boss is extremely passionate about. It drives my bonkers every day. Point of the story - he gave my officemate a super hero doll of Elastagirl from the Incredibles. I believe this was her name - the mom in the movie. Anyone? I think that's what it is. Anyways, we were joking that my superhero name would be Laminator Girl. Little does anyone know that I am the WORST laminator ever. I can't seem to line it up very well and that part doesn't get laminated, so I just trim it down til it fits. I can cut a straight line :)
We are thinking of going to the Rascall Flats concert this weekend at the Fair. If we do, it will be Sunday night. Tickets are pretty expensive. I'm indifferent if we go or not, but I do want to wear my cowboy hat at some point.
The countdown has officially begun to go home. I'm soooooo excited to be going home for the weekend. I half have it in my mind to go back Thursday night. Then the week after I get back I head to Seattle for two weeks. Should be a fun month. Then it's nose to the ground time. Cuz clearly I've just been screwing around the whole time I've been here.
I learned a new term today. Honeywagon. Anyone know what it means? We were talking about our Kampers - our retired population that lives in RVs all year and travel for hourly work - and somehow Honeywagon came up. It's the truck that apparently clears out all of the sewage. Amazing.
Oh - and I'm also taking suggestions for Halloween costumes. I'm requiring people to dress up at work to humor me for my birthday. Alas, if I live down here I may as well make my own fun! I need to think of something fun. It is, afterall, the big 3-0 and I will be spending it down here.
Ok - it's past my bedtime. I will try to post again this weekend. Hopefully something post worthy will happen over the next few days. Take care, be safe.
This little guy had a cool haircut. Who knew there were such hip chickens?
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| Unique animals - like the PUPPY |
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| OINK! |
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| This was adorable - the ducks would run up, grab food, fall into the water and run back around again to climb the ramp. The busiest exhibit at the entire Fair. |
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| Cake decorating contest. |
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| Woaaaaah balloon art! |
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| Biggest cow ever - in my books, that is |
 | |
| And what Fair would be complete without the Grand Prize baked ham! |
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| there were a lot of pigeons - and rabbits too - but this one had cool shoes. clearly my favorite |
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| tobacco. arguably the biggest cash crop in the state other than marijuana. |
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| the classic chicken |
Monday, August 23, 2010
Oh the joys
I went to the State Fair this weekend and all I can say is wow. Will post pictures... I have never seen so many giant cows, goats, rabbits, chickens, and PIGEONS. Why are there pigeons and rabbits at the fair? I don't get it. Pretty sure it's not a great talent to breed rabbits. I mean, really. Come on now.
There was also an entire room dedicated to tobacco at various stages of the growing/drying process. I understand that some may find this interesting, however, I am not one of these individuals. I do think the plants themselves are unique and pretty and would probably look pretty cool in a flower bed, but alas, they would probably get stolen around here.
Work is busy. I went in at 4am today to do locker searches and we found NOTHING! But, I did win the award for the most random thing found - a pair of boxer briefs. I had tech gloves on, but I just poked them with a box knife to be on the safe side. An important lesson learned from the morning - at 3:45am McDonalds is still serving the Late Night menu and there is not a chance of getting an egg mcmuffin. Clearly I didn't plan accordingly. Then again, who knows the last time I saw 3am.
We are working 12 hour days every day and I'm even taking work home with me. There are so many changes being rolled out, so many projects, and then the daily complaints and employee relations issues that come up. I always said that I didn't want to be generalist and now I know why :) At least I know what I like. But I am learning a lot, especially about communication and feedback. I do get to work with the operations groups in a way that is new for me, but it's still intense. We are constantly going back and forth and I'm sure the end product is better, but man it's exhausting.
Sorry, I try not to talk about work stuff...just hard not to on some days.
So I have attempted my first batch of gumbo. Why you may ask? Well, let me tell you! Southerns LOVE okra. Not just like, but LOVE okra. They prefer to dip it in some buttermilk and roll it around in some cornmeal before throwing into a fryer. Healthy, right? I am now getting a weekly bunch of veggies from the local farmers market and got a bunch of okra. In an attempt to make it semi-healthy, I made gumbo. Still haven't tasted it... haa but it is a lot of work! There's a lot in it and it took about 3 hours to make. By that point I had killed half a brick of peanut butter/chocolate fudge and was not hungry for gumbo. Go figure.
Ok I promise to post fair pictures soon. Hang in there kids!
There was also an entire room dedicated to tobacco at various stages of the growing/drying process. I understand that some may find this interesting, however, I am not one of these individuals. I do think the plants themselves are unique and pretty and would probably look pretty cool in a flower bed, but alas, they would probably get stolen around here.
Work is busy. I went in at 4am today to do locker searches and we found NOTHING! But, I did win the award for the most random thing found - a pair of boxer briefs. I had tech gloves on, but I just poked them with a box knife to be on the safe side. An important lesson learned from the morning - at 3:45am McDonalds is still serving the Late Night menu and there is not a chance of getting an egg mcmuffin. Clearly I didn't plan accordingly. Then again, who knows the last time I saw 3am.
We are working 12 hour days every day and I'm even taking work home with me. There are so many changes being rolled out, so many projects, and then the daily complaints and employee relations issues that come up. I always said that I didn't want to be generalist and now I know why :) At least I know what I like. But I am learning a lot, especially about communication and feedback. I do get to work with the operations groups in a way that is new for me, but it's still intense. We are constantly going back and forth and I'm sure the end product is better, but man it's exhausting.
Sorry, I try not to talk about work stuff...just hard not to on some days.
So I have attempted my first batch of gumbo. Why you may ask? Well, let me tell you! Southerns LOVE okra. Not just like, but LOVE okra. They prefer to dip it in some buttermilk and roll it around in some cornmeal before throwing into a fryer. Healthy, right? I am now getting a weekly bunch of veggies from the local farmers market and got a bunch of okra. In an attempt to make it semi-healthy, I made gumbo. Still haven't tasted it... haa but it is a lot of work! There's a lot in it and it took about 3 hours to make. By that point I had killed half a brick of peanut butter/chocolate fudge and was not hungry for gumbo. Go figure.
Ok I promise to post fair pictures soon. Hang in there kids!
Friday, August 13, 2010
2 in one week!
Don't fall of your chairs! I'm pretty peppy this morning. Perhaps it's the convo with my parents last night that perked me up or maybe it is the fact that it is Friday and I only have 2 meetings today - so far :)
So we played with Skype last night. It was pretty entertaining. I gave my dad a tour of my place. Good times. Everyone should download it.
Why on earth are they talking about Lindsey Lohan on the Today show this morning? I hear it in the background in the other room and I have to pause and consider the credibility of US news. Really? My goodness. Sometimes it is nice living in the middle of nowhere and being so far away from all of that.
Instead, I will choose to focus on the upcoming State Fair. They have every kind of animal you can imagine, including pigeons. I'm not quite sure what these birds will do at the fair, but I will capture it on camera - whatever it is. They were talking about all the fried food that will be there - sounds like a death wish. The most amazing may be the Krispy Creme Cheeseburger. Yes, you read that right. Instead of a nice kaiser roll, there will be doughnuts. Healthy, right? That's how we roll down here.
Tomorrow I get to pick up my first farm share. A guy that I work with transferred to North Dakota and gave me his food share. So every weekend I get to go to the farmers market and pick up a half a basket of veggies. I did something similar last year (City Fresh for all you Clevelanders) and loved it. It challenged me to cook all kinds of things and it supported the local farmers, mostly Amish. Plus it was organic and fresh and CHEAP! Can't beat it. Win win win situation. :)
they are still talking about Lindsey on the 'news'.
This weekend I am also going to a managers bowling event. It is for managers and their families. There will be food. No alcohol. No beer. Yes, you read that right. I'm sure there are people that bowl without a frosty mug in their hands, however, I would offer that I am not one of those people. It's like hops flavored soda. What's the problem? If it is too family friendly and I start getting looks that imply pity for the old maid with cats, I'm hightailing it out the door. I have yet to meet anyone over the age of 23 who is not divorced with children. Some days I feel like I belong in the C'ville version of Ripley's Believe It or Not. I just made myself laugh :)
Alright, time to go to work. For my fellow HR gurus - I'll be mapping out the Workers Comp process and Long Term Accommodation practice for my site. Then there will be a couple interviews and wrapping up and starting another investigation. It amazes me the things people say to each other... but we will save that for next weeks blog.
Have a great weekend!
So we played with Skype last night. It was pretty entertaining. I gave my dad a tour of my place. Good times. Everyone should download it.
Why on earth are they talking about Lindsey Lohan on the Today show this morning? I hear it in the background in the other room and I have to pause and consider the credibility of US news. Really? My goodness. Sometimes it is nice living in the middle of nowhere and being so far away from all of that.
Instead, I will choose to focus on the upcoming State Fair. They have every kind of animal you can imagine, including pigeons. I'm not quite sure what these birds will do at the fair, but I will capture it on camera - whatever it is. They were talking about all the fried food that will be there - sounds like a death wish. The most amazing may be the Krispy Creme Cheeseburger. Yes, you read that right. Instead of a nice kaiser roll, there will be doughnuts. Healthy, right? That's how we roll down here.
Tomorrow I get to pick up my first farm share. A guy that I work with transferred to North Dakota and gave me his food share. So every weekend I get to go to the farmers market and pick up a half a basket of veggies. I did something similar last year (City Fresh for all you Clevelanders) and loved it. It challenged me to cook all kinds of things and it supported the local farmers, mostly Amish. Plus it was organic and fresh and CHEAP! Can't beat it. Win win win situation. :)
they are still talking about Lindsey on the 'news'.
This weekend I am also going to a managers bowling event. It is for managers and their families. There will be food. No alcohol. No beer. Yes, you read that right. I'm sure there are people that bowl without a frosty mug in their hands, however, I would offer that I am not one of those people. It's like hops flavored soda. What's the problem? If it is too family friendly and I start getting looks that imply pity for the old maid with cats, I'm hightailing it out the door. I have yet to meet anyone over the age of 23 who is not divorced with children. Some days I feel like I belong in the C'ville version of Ripley's Believe It or Not. I just made myself laugh :)
Alright, time to go to work. For my fellow HR gurus - I'll be mapping out the Workers Comp process and Long Term Accommodation practice for my site. Then there will be a couple interviews and wrapping up and starting another investigation. It amazes me the things people say to each other... but we will save that for next weeks blog.
Have a great weekend!
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
It's getting HOTT in here
As we welcome August (yes, I know this happened a couple weeks ago), we welcome the heat. Not just the heat that I'm used to..the kind that makes you glisten when you walk to the end of the driveway when you take out the trash...but the kind that makes you wonder if you did something terrible and have discovered hell. We have been clearing 100 lately - just the heat - this past week. Once you figure the heat index and the heat of the conveyors in the warehouse, we're talking heat indexes upward of 110. I've never experienced hot like this. It's pretty miserable. Now imagine that you have to run all over the place for ten hours and you've got the life of our hourly employees. My goodness.
Here I would insert my newly acquired C'ville phrase - "Bless their hearts". Our group says this about everything. It's actually pretty catchy.
Some more C'ville craziness... this isn't the happiest story, but I'm just in awe of it. My colleague/friend got a call from her mother the other night. Her mother's cousin is a buffalo farmer in a nearby state. He went out to check on his herd the other night and one of them charged and gourged him. He died shortly after....death by buffalo. I didn't even think that buffalo would charge and hurt a person, but my goodness, kill a person? Never in a million years. When I think of all the terrible ways that people go, that certainly is one of the worst. Wow.
Let me think of something on a lighter note. AH! So the state fair is coming up and I am making plans to go. can you imagine this gem? They have all kinds of animals there and farmers. I just can't wait. I will be sure to take pictures.
Speaking of... I won't write a lot...just share a few token pics that have been long overdue... Enjoy!
Here I would insert my newly acquired C'ville phrase - "Bless their hearts". Our group says this about everything. It's actually pretty catchy.
Some more C'ville craziness... this isn't the happiest story, but I'm just in awe of it. My colleague/friend got a call from her mother the other night. Her mother's cousin is a buffalo farmer in a nearby state. He went out to check on his herd the other night and one of them charged and gourged him. He died shortly after....death by buffalo. I didn't even think that buffalo would charge and hurt a person, but my goodness, kill a person? Never in a million years. When I think of all the terrible ways that people go, that certainly is one of the worst. Wow.
Let me think of something on a lighter note. AH! So the state fair is coming up and I am making plans to go. can you imagine this gem? They have all kinds of animals there and farmers. I just can't wait. I will be sure to take pictures.
Speaking of... I won't write a lot...just share a few token pics that have been long overdue... Enjoy!
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Alas, I am here!
The terribly delinquent blogger that I am... I've come up for air and joined the land of the living. It's been a crazy couple of weeks - things have really revved up at work and I've been on the road.
I spent a week in Seattle and was able to spend some time with my brother. We enjoyed a Mariners game and a nice dinner out by the water. It was nice to be out in a city and one with so many things to do. One of the things that I love about Seattle is it's mellowness. It's just a good city to hang out in. You can walk around and go in and out of shops and restaurants and just wander. It's safe and clean.. at least in my opinion.. and there is no better place to get a variety of cuisines and fresh seafood. Add the mountains in the background and the lush green landscapes and I think that's a little taste of heaven!
So work has been chaotic. My team has some interesting dynamics that we are working through... I'm not used to being on a large team and being so involved in so many things. I'm getting some meaty projects and working with some great people, so I can't complain about much other than the hours. But I expected that and it's only temporary. 9 more months.
I'm excited that I will get to go home in a month. Will be nice to relax with friends and family. I was going to try to be superwoman and hit Pittsburgh and Cleveland in a four days span, but I just don't think I can do it. I can't go at this pace without having a break soon and by then I will certainly need one.
In local news, there is a guy at work who is transferring to one of our facilities in North Dakota. Yes, you read that right! and I thought C'ville was rural! But this kind man and his wife have offered to give me his farmers market food share for free through October. How cool is that? last year when I had City Fresh (look it up Clevelanders! Best food sharing program EVER! Support your local farmers!), I was cooking up a storm. This will force me to take the time to cook and enjoy it again. Reflecting on my meal of turkey brats and gardienera, this will be a welcome relief.
I took out my poultry to make chili tomorrow for dinner. Did I mention that tomorrow is going to be the hottest day of the year? Hmmmmm
One last plug - I was severely disappointed by my recent trip on Delta. My flight was delayed and I was sprinting through the Minneapolis airport and didn't get home until very late on Saturday night. Then they lost my bag...which didn't arrive at my house until today. Today is TUESDAY. Then something exploded in my bag and now a bunch of stuff is red. Not sure where or how, but it's red. Nice. So Delta will be getting a letter from me with lots of adjectives. :)
Oh- and for those of you who have been trying to subscribe.. apparently it is a pain the bum. I've been told that you have to have a gmail account to do so and really, as a gal who has too many email accounts as it is, please do not feel obligated to open one. Just check my blog every once in awhile :)
Happy Tuesday! Til next time...
I spent a week in Seattle and was able to spend some time with my brother. We enjoyed a Mariners game and a nice dinner out by the water. It was nice to be out in a city and one with so many things to do. One of the things that I love about Seattle is it's mellowness. It's just a good city to hang out in. You can walk around and go in and out of shops and restaurants and just wander. It's safe and clean.. at least in my opinion.. and there is no better place to get a variety of cuisines and fresh seafood. Add the mountains in the background and the lush green landscapes and I think that's a little taste of heaven!
So work has been chaotic. My team has some interesting dynamics that we are working through... I'm not used to being on a large team and being so involved in so many things. I'm getting some meaty projects and working with some great people, so I can't complain about much other than the hours. But I expected that and it's only temporary. 9 more months.
I'm excited that I will get to go home in a month. Will be nice to relax with friends and family. I was going to try to be superwoman and hit Pittsburgh and Cleveland in a four days span, but I just don't think I can do it. I can't go at this pace without having a break soon and by then I will certainly need one.
In local news, there is a guy at work who is transferring to one of our facilities in North Dakota. Yes, you read that right! and I thought C'ville was rural! But this kind man and his wife have offered to give me his farmers market food share for free through October. How cool is that? last year when I had City Fresh (look it up Clevelanders! Best food sharing program EVER! Support your local farmers!), I was cooking up a storm. This will force me to take the time to cook and enjoy it again. Reflecting on my meal of turkey brats and gardienera, this will be a welcome relief.
I took out my poultry to make chili tomorrow for dinner. Did I mention that tomorrow is going to be the hottest day of the year? Hmmmmm
One last plug - I was severely disappointed by my recent trip on Delta. My flight was delayed and I was sprinting through the Minneapolis airport and didn't get home until very late on Saturday night. Then they lost my bag...which didn't arrive at my house until today. Today is TUESDAY. Then something exploded in my bag and now a bunch of stuff is red. Not sure where or how, but it's red. Nice. So Delta will be getting a letter from me with lots of adjectives. :)
Oh- and for those of you who have been trying to subscribe.. apparently it is a pain the bum. I've been told that you have to have a gmail account to do so and really, as a gal who has too many email accounts as it is, please do not feel obligated to open one. Just check my blog every once in awhile :)
Happy Tuesday! Til next time...
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