Today is our first snow day of the winter, and everyone rejoices! Yesterday the weather people were already predicting a wallop of a storm, and by the afternoon dark, ominous clouds started to roll over the mountains. It started to snow last night, and when I woke up this morning there was a good amount of snow on the trees and grass outside my apartment. I checked my work e-mail and there was a message saying we were on a delayed start and that we would probably close early. But, about 30 minutes later, a second message went out to let us know that the office was officially closed.
From the height of my apartment, I can't really tell how much snow is on the ground, and I'm not going outside! But there seems to be a good amount of snow on the tree branches. The snow is still falling and the weather people are saying that this is only the beginning. It sounds like the snow might continue throughout the day and it might get even worse tonight. So if we're lucky, we might have another snow day tomorrow!
More updates to follow, if anything exciting happens...
Current mood: happy to have a day off
Current drink: coffee
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Sunday, October 25, 2009
This and That, Weekend Edition
It has been another busy week, so there hasn't been a whole lot to write about.
Work: I'm still trying to catch up and keep afloat after getting about ten new projects last week. Earlier this week, we also found out that we've started a "joint venture" with another smaller publisher. Basically this means that we've taken on another publisher and that means that even more work will start to come through our office. The good thing about this is that we obviously have enough money to take on another publisher and this is gives me an even better sense of job security. After all, someone will have to work on these books. The downside is that we're going to get a lot more work, and there is a chance that this work might come through my team. Right now we all have a lot of projects, and we're close to working at our maximum capacity. There is already a lot of restlessness and the complaints are getting louder, so I'm not looking forward to the time in a few months when we get even more work. All of this, however, is in the early stages and we're all still figuring out what this all means. This acquisition was, quite frankly, a surprise to everyone. So this is a bridge we'll have to cross when we get there. On the plus side, last week we received our first non-furlough paychecks. And, to celebrate our first non-furlough paychecks, the office had a huge happy hour in which everyone blew their paychecks. Fortunately I was strong enough to leave after spending $20. And I might add that I didn't spend a whole lot of money on my own order of drinks and food, but I helped pay for my boss's share of the drinks and food, because it was National Boss's Day. The party started at one bar and was then going to move to another bar where another, separate party was going on. The other party sounded like it wasn't going to be very happy or festive, because it had the more disgruntled employees in attendance. It was an Unhappy Hour, if you will. Because I didn't want to get depressed or spend more money than I wanted to, I decided to slip away and go home.
Weather: The weather has been crazy lately. It has gone from winter to fall to summer back to fall and today it is winter again. Yesterday the weather was beautiful. It was in the 60s and it was sunny and clear for the most part. The only bad part of the weather yesterday were the winds. I woke up this morning and it was cloudy and grey. It started to rain, then it started to snow. The snow, however, didn't stick to anything, and it stopped for about 20 minutes. Now it's started again. Update: After about five minutes the snow stopped and the sun is trying to come out. I've updated this weather paragraph about three times since the initial post. I think I'm going to give up because it keeps changing minute-by-minute. I must live in Colorado. :)
Current mood: trying to get motivated to clean the apartment
Current music: iTunes on shuffle—Dave Matthews Band "Crash into Me"
Current drink: coffee
Work: I'm still trying to catch up and keep afloat after getting about ten new projects last week. Earlier this week, we also found out that we've started a "joint venture" with another smaller publisher. Basically this means that we've taken on another publisher and that means that even more work will start to come through our office. The good thing about this is that we obviously have enough money to take on another publisher and this is gives me an even better sense of job security. After all, someone will have to work on these books. The downside is that we're going to get a lot more work, and there is a chance that this work might come through my team. Right now we all have a lot of projects, and we're close to working at our maximum capacity. There is already a lot of restlessness and the complaints are getting louder, so I'm not looking forward to the time in a few months when we get even more work. All of this, however, is in the early stages and we're all still figuring out what this all means. This acquisition was, quite frankly, a surprise to everyone. So this is a bridge we'll have to cross when we get there. On the plus side, last week we received our first non-furlough paychecks. And, to celebrate our first non-furlough paychecks, the office had a huge happy hour in which everyone blew their paychecks. Fortunately I was strong enough to leave after spending $20. And I might add that I didn't spend a whole lot of money on my own order of drinks and food, but I helped pay for my boss's share of the drinks and food, because it was National Boss's Day. The party started at one bar and was then going to move to another bar where another, separate party was going on. The other party sounded like it wasn't going to be very happy or festive, because it had the more disgruntled employees in attendance. It was an Unhappy Hour, if you will. Because I didn't want to get depressed or spend more money than I wanted to, I decided to slip away and go home.
Weather: The weather has been crazy lately. It has gone from winter to fall to summer back to fall and today it is winter again. Yesterday the weather was beautiful. It was in the 60s and it was sunny and clear for the most part. The only bad part of the weather yesterday were the winds. I woke up this morning and it was cloudy and grey. It started to rain, then it started to snow. The snow, however, didn't stick to anything, and it stopped for about 20 minutes. Now it's started again. Update: After about five minutes the snow stopped and the sun is trying to come out. I've updated this weather paragraph about three times since the initial post. I think I'm going to give up because it keeps changing minute-by-minute. I must live in Colorado. :)
Current mood: trying to get motivated to clean the apartment
Current music: iTunes on shuffle—Dave Matthews Band "Crash into Me"
Current drink: coffee
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Deluge
Just when I think that I have a quiet moment at work, I'm flooded with new projects. In the past week, I've received around ten new projects. That is in addition to the five or six projects that I already had. I can manage a heavy workload, but when you get a lot of new projects all at once, it can get overwhelming because starting projects is usually the most time-consuming part of the process. So, sadly and needless to say, I did what I vowed I would stop doing—I had to bring a lot of work home with me. However, I do manage to keep things into perspective. It's better to have too much work than no work at all!
This weekend I also need to write some reviews for three people in our department who are up for their annual or three-month reviews. This usually isn't difficult, but it is just time-consuming to put all of the right words together.
This is going to be one busy weekend...
This weekend I also need to write some reviews for three people in our department who are up for their annual or three-month reviews. This usually isn't difficult, but it is just time-consuming to put all of the right words together.
This is going to be one busy weekend...
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Cooking Adventures - Tofu and Black Bean Chili
I slept in very late this morning and when I finally crawled out of bed, I looked out the window and saw snow covering the trees and grass. It's been quite cold, about 20 degrees, and snow has been falling lightly for most of the day. Feeling especially lazy and not really wanting to go out in the cold, I didn't do the grocery shopping that I was supposed to do today. But I still needed to eat tonight. I looked in my fridge and found some tofu and I knew that I had plenty of canned beans and tomatoes. So, because the weather was so cold and snowy today, I decided to try my hand at making Tofu and Black Bean Chili. I've never made chili like this before, but I thought, how hard can it be?
I pressed the tofu for about an hour to get out the water and moisture so that the tofu could then soak up all of the yummy flavors. I started the dish by sauteing some chopped onions. I usually also add some chopped carrots, because it gives the chili some texture and added vitamins, but because I didn't have any carrots in the fridge, I had to go without them. So I added the tofu (cubed) and browned them a bit. Then I added the spices, from your basic chili spice packet, but knowing that tofu can sometimes be kind of bland, I added more chili powder and crushed red pepper flakes to give it some more heat. Then I added diced tomatoes (undrained) and black beans (drained and rinsed). I also added some water because I like my chili saucy. Then I brought it to a boil, then lowered the heat, and let it simmer for about an hour. Once it was ready, I dished it up into a bowl, and topped it with a little bit of shredded cheddar cheese. The verdict? It was yummy!
The final product
I pressed the tofu for about an hour to get out the water and moisture so that the tofu could then soak up all of the yummy flavors. I started the dish by sauteing some chopped onions. I usually also add some chopped carrots, because it gives the chili some texture and added vitamins, but because I didn't have any carrots in the fridge, I had to go without them. So I added the tofu (cubed) and browned them a bit. Then I added the spices, from your basic chili spice packet, but knowing that tofu can sometimes be kind of bland, I added more chili powder and crushed red pepper flakes to give it some more heat. Then I added diced tomatoes (undrained) and black beans (drained and rinsed). I also added some water because I like my chili saucy. Then I brought it to a boil, then lowered the heat, and let it simmer for about an hour. Once it was ready, I dished it up into a bowl, and topped it with a little bit of shredded cheddar cheese. The verdict? It was yummy!
The final productUpdate: It is now Monday evening and I'm finishing the last of this chili. A benefit to making a huge batch is that I can stretch it for several days. So, in addition to being yummy, it's also quite economical, too. I estimated that once you add up all of the ingredients, the total meal comes to about $6 or $7. And that covers dinner for three days! For a whopping total of a little over $2 a day! I rock!
Big Gay Weekend
This is going to be a big weekend in the world of gay rights. Tonight, President Obama will deliver a speech at a dinner and fund raising event for the Human Rights Campaign, the largest gay rights lobbying group and political action community in the nation. On Sunday, the National Equality March will take place, and it is a march that will draw attention to gay rights and the demand for equal protection under the law. The rights gays and lesbians are asking for are simple: the right to go to school or work and be free of harassment, the right to go about our daily life and be protected from hate crimes, the right for equal health care and benefits, the right to donate blood, the right to marry, and the right to serve in the military (this quick and easy list is courtesy of the National Equality March Web site). In a nutshell, we basically want all of the rights guaranteed to straight men and women. Yet, these are rights that have been denied largely because of political posturing or religious preaching.
Although there are a number of rights that gays and lesbians are denied, the two hot-button political issues right now are the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) and Don't Ask, Don't Tell (DADT).
Defense of Marriage Act:
DOMA was passed by congress and, sadly, signed into law by President Clinton in 1996. The law states that the federal government defines marriage as a union between a man and a woman and that states are not required to recognize same-sex marriages even if the marriage might be recognized in another state. Individual stats can pass their own laws that recognize (or ban) same-sex marriages or civil unions, but what the gay and lesbian community is fighting for is federal recognition and federal rights. The arguments for banning same-sex marriages vary. Many people like to use religious standards and argue that because the Bible says homosexuality is immoral and an abomination we should not allow or recognize same-sex marriages. These people take the Bible for its word, stand by it, and have a very literal and inflexible interpretation of it. Yet, this same Bible also states that a woman, who is not a virgin at the time of her marriage, should be stoned by the community. I wonder if there is a man, who stands by the Bible's claims of homosexuality, would also be willing to stone his wife right now if she wasn't a virgin when she married. The Bible also says that if a man sleeps with another man's wife, both he and the woman should be put to death. If this were the case, we wouldn't have many politicians left in Washington right now. The Bible also says that you must detest and not eat any creature from the sea unless it has fins and scales. So shrimp and lobster are out.
People also say that allowing same-sex marriages will destroy the sanctity of, in the words of Miss California, "opposite" marriage. Well, I honestly don't think that gay people running out and getting married brought the divorce rate among straight people to 50 percent. Many of my friends' parents are divorced and, sadly, a few of my friends are getting divorced themselves, but I doubt that any of these divorces were cause by gays and lesbians.
Don't Ask, Don't Tell:
Don't Ask, Don't Tell prohibits any service member—read gay or lesbian service member—from disclosing or discussing his or her sexual orientation. It also prohibits officers from asking about a service member's sexual orientation. Gays and lesbians are essentially forced to stay in the closet and forced to keep quiet. They are prevented from discussing whatever relationship they might be in. However, straight men and women are free to openly discuss their relationships, their boyfriends or girlfriends, or their husbands or wives. There is still a belief that having openly gay men and women in the armed forces would destroy the morale and cohesion of the troop. It would be a distraction and a threat. I'm not sure how other people feel, but if a service member is threatened by homosexuality, how can you feel safe having that person stand by you and defend you in battle? I don't care if you are willing to take a bullet for your country, if you're threatened and afraid of a gay man or woman fighting beside you and willing to take the same bullet, you are a coward. And how would people who favor DADT explain stories of women in the armed forces who are harassed, abused, and raped by men? I doubt they are being raped by the gay soldiers!
In spite of the fact that we are fighting multiple wars, soldiers continue to be discharged from the military for being gay. Many of these men and women are specialists and Arabic translators, and you would think that these are the people we need most right now. Yet, because they are considered a "threat," they are let go. It's astonishing and unbelievable.
Monday, October 12, also happens to be the 11th anniversary of the murder of Matthew Shepard, a young man who was beaten, tortured, and left to die on a fence in Laramie, Wyoming. His attackers later admitted that they targeted him because he was gay. An this sad event and hate crimes in general are other issues that need to be brought up this weekend. This weekend, with President Obama's speech at the HRC dinner and with the March for Equality, gives the gay and lesbian community and opportunity to put their issues back on the table. Unfortunately, many gay rights activists have been highly critical of Obama because he hasn't yet done anything for gay rights and he hasn't acted out on any of his campaign promises. I'd be the first to admit that we need changes and that these basic rights should be extended to the gay and lesbian community, however, I also think that this heated criticism of Obama is premature and counter-productive. Obama has been in office for only ten months, and he walked into a situation where we were facing an economic and financial crisis and several wars. There are just some issues that needed more immediate attention. I think that if the gay and lesbian community really wants to make progress, they need to remain patient and, most importantly, remain supportive of the one person who has the potential to bring about these changes. Obama's campaign was built on hope and the slogan "yes, we can," and we need to remember this as we keep fighting. It might be a struggle and a long road, but it is something that shouldn't be given up.
Although there are a number of rights that gays and lesbians are denied, the two hot-button political issues right now are the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) and Don't Ask, Don't Tell (DADT).
Defense of Marriage Act:
DOMA was passed by congress and, sadly, signed into law by President Clinton in 1996. The law states that the federal government defines marriage as a union between a man and a woman and that states are not required to recognize same-sex marriages even if the marriage might be recognized in another state. Individual stats can pass their own laws that recognize (or ban) same-sex marriages or civil unions, but what the gay and lesbian community is fighting for is federal recognition and federal rights. The arguments for banning same-sex marriages vary. Many people like to use religious standards and argue that because the Bible says homosexuality is immoral and an abomination we should not allow or recognize same-sex marriages. These people take the Bible for its word, stand by it, and have a very literal and inflexible interpretation of it. Yet, this same Bible also states that a woman, who is not a virgin at the time of her marriage, should be stoned by the community. I wonder if there is a man, who stands by the Bible's claims of homosexuality, would also be willing to stone his wife right now if she wasn't a virgin when she married. The Bible also says that if a man sleeps with another man's wife, both he and the woman should be put to death. If this were the case, we wouldn't have many politicians left in Washington right now. The Bible also says that you must detest and not eat any creature from the sea unless it has fins and scales. So shrimp and lobster are out.
People also say that allowing same-sex marriages will destroy the sanctity of, in the words of Miss California, "opposite" marriage. Well, I honestly don't think that gay people running out and getting married brought the divorce rate among straight people to 50 percent. Many of my friends' parents are divorced and, sadly, a few of my friends are getting divorced themselves, but I doubt that any of these divorces were cause by gays and lesbians.
Don't Ask, Don't Tell:
Don't Ask, Don't Tell prohibits any service member—read gay or lesbian service member—from disclosing or discussing his or her sexual orientation. It also prohibits officers from asking about a service member's sexual orientation. Gays and lesbians are essentially forced to stay in the closet and forced to keep quiet. They are prevented from discussing whatever relationship they might be in. However, straight men and women are free to openly discuss their relationships, their boyfriends or girlfriends, or their husbands or wives. There is still a belief that having openly gay men and women in the armed forces would destroy the morale and cohesion of the troop. It would be a distraction and a threat. I'm not sure how other people feel, but if a service member is threatened by homosexuality, how can you feel safe having that person stand by you and defend you in battle? I don't care if you are willing to take a bullet for your country, if you're threatened and afraid of a gay man or woman fighting beside you and willing to take the same bullet, you are a coward. And how would people who favor DADT explain stories of women in the armed forces who are harassed, abused, and raped by men? I doubt they are being raped by the gay soldiers!
In spite of the fact that we are fighting multiple wars, soldiers continue to be discharged from the military for being gay. Many of these men and women are specialists and Arabic translators, and you would think that these are the people we need most right now. Yet, because they are considered a "threat," they are let go. It's astonishing and unbelievable.
Monday, October 12, also happens to be the 11th anniversary of the murder of Matthew Shepard, a young man who was beaten, tortured, and left to die on a fence in Laramie, Wyoming. His attackers later admitted that they targeted him because he was gay. An this sad event and hate crimes in general are other issues that need to be brought up this weekend. This weekend, with President Obama's speech at the HRC dinner and with the March for Equality, gives the gay and lesbian community and opportunity to put their issues back on the table. Unfortunately, many gay rights activists have been highly critical of Obama because he hasn't yet done anything for gay rights and he hasn't acted out on any of his campaign promises. I'd be the first to admit that we need changes and that these basic rights should be extended to the gay and lesbian community, however, I also think that this heated criticism of Obama is premature and counter-productive. Obama has been in office for only ten months, and he walked into a situation where we were facing an economic and financial crisis and several wars. There are just some issues that needed more immediate attention. I think that if the gay and lesbian community really wants to make progress, they need to remain patient and, most importantly, remain supportive of the one person who has the potential to bring about these changes. Obama's campaign was built on hope and the slogan "yes, we can," and we need to remember this as we keep fighting. It might be a struggle and a long road, but it is something that shouldn't be given up.
Friday, October 09, 2009
Patriotism and the Olympics
Catching up on a few old stories of the past few weeks...
The idea of patriotism seems to change in meaning depending on who is in power. When George W. Bush was president, Republicans and conservatives had a very well-defined standard of patriotism. If you were against the war, you were accused of being heartless and not supporting the troops. You were accused of not caring about the people who were fighting and sacrificing their lives for your freedom. Naturally, you can be against a war, but still care about the safety and well-being of the men and women fighting that war. Those things to the Republicans, however, weren't mutually exclusive. If you were for the war, you were pro troops, pro military, pro America. If you were against the war, you were anti troops, anti military, and anti America. If you criticized President Bush, the Republicans accused you of being un-American and unpatriotic. However, now that a Democrat is in the White House, the Republicans have an entirely new definition of patriotism. Now it is considered patriotic to criticize a president. It is patriotic to call the president a failure in spite of the fact that he has been in office for only ten months. Now it's patriotic to shout out and call him a liar. I'm sure the Republicans would think that it would be patriotic to throw a shoe at Obama, but I'm sure they would agree that it would be unpatriotic—and criminal—to throw a shoe at Bush.
Obama's attempt to bring the Olympics to Chicago and the Republican reaction to it is a perfect example of the changing standards of patriotism. Though the geeky and nerdy part of me thinks that it would be cool to keep the Olympics in Greece permanently, I'd be the first to also admit that the Olympics is an international event and the opportunity and privilege to host it should be something that can be shared by all nations. Hosting the Olympics is great event. It gives the host nation a chance to show off its history and culture. And, like the ancient Greek culture from which the Olympics came, the event gives the host an opportunity to welcome guests from foreign nations, to extend open hands, and to build friendships and alliances for years and generations to come. It's a matter of national pride and you would think that any members of any nation would be eager to bring the Olympics to their country. However, when Obama tried to lend his support to bring the Olympics to the United States, Republicans and conservatives were outraged and appalled. Obama was accused of being arrogant and egotistical. He was accused of jetting across the world, when he should have been taking care of issues at home. (As if it were impossible for anyone, let alone a president, to multi-task and think of more than one issue at a time.) When Chicago lost the bid to host the Olympics, Republicans and conservatives cheered and celebrated this "loss" and "failure." How patriotic is that? Your country loses a chance to host the Olympics, and this is some kind of victory? Your country loses the possibility of job creation and a huge economic boom, and this is something worth celebrating? Wasn't this the same political party that would chant USA! USA! at the Republican National Convention?
Current mood: glad it's Friday
Current music: Dead Can Dance and Lisa Gerrard playlist on iTunes
Current drink: vanilla soy milk
The idea of patriotism seems to change in meaning depending on who is in power. When George W. Bush was president, Republicans and conservatives had a very well-defined standard of patriotism. If you were against the war, you were accused of being heartless and not supporting the troops. You were accused of not caring about the people who were fighting and sacrificing their lives for your freedom. Naturally, you can be against a war, but still care about the safety and well-being of the men and women fighting that war. Those things to the Republicans, however, weren't mutually exclusive. If you were for the war, you were pro troops, pro military, pro America. If you were against the war, you were anti troops, anti military, and anti America. If you criticized President Bush, the Republicans accused you of being un-American and unpatriotic. However, now that a Democrat is in the White House, the Republicans have an entirely new definition of patriotism. Now it is considered patriotic to criticize a president. It is patriotic to call the president a failure in spite of the fact that he has been in office for only ten months. Now it's patriotic to shout out and call him a liar. I'm sure the Republicans would think that it would be patriotic to throw a shoe at Obama, but I'm sure they would agree that it would be unpatriotic—and criminal—to throw a shoe at Bush.
Obama's attempt to bring the Olympics to Chicago and the Republican reaction to it is a perfect example of the changing standards of patriotism. Though the geeky and nerdy part of me thinks that it would be cool to keep the Olympics in Greece permanently, I'd be the first to also admit that the Olympics is an international event and the opportunity and privilege to host it should be something that can be shared by all nations. Hosting the Olympics is great event. It gives the host nation a chance to show off its history and culture. And, like the ancient Greek culture from which the Olympics came, the event gives the host an opportunity to welcome guests from foreign nations, to extend open hands, and to build friendships and alliances for years and generations to come. It's a matter of national pride and you would think that any members of any nation would be eager to bring the Olympics to their country. However, when Obama tried to lend his support to bring the Olympics to the United States, Republicans and conservatives were outraged and appalled. Obama was accused of being arrogant and egotistical. He was accused of jetting across the world, when he should have been taking care of issues at home. (As if it were impossible for anyone, let alone a president, to multi-task and think of more than one issue at a time.) When Chicago lost the bid to host the Olympics, Republicans and conservatives cheered and celebrated this "loss" and "failure." How patriotic is that? Your country loses a chance to host the Olympics, and this is some kind of victory? Your country loses the possibility of job creation and a huge economic boom, and this is something worth celebrating? Wasn't this the same political party that would chant USA! USA! at the Republican National Convention?
Current mood: glad it's Friday
Current music: Dead Can Dance and Lisa Gerrard playlist on iTunes
Current drink: vanilla soy milk
Saturday, October 03, 2009
Cooking Adventures - Pannekoeken
This evening I was in the mood for something different for dinner. I occasionally cook breakfast for dinner, and that craving along with a little homesickness led me to make pannekoeken tonight. Pannekoeken are Dutch pancakes and they are probably better described as crepes. If you want, you can probably make them savory and fill them with cheese and different meats, like sausage, ham, or bacon. Or you can make them like a dessert by filling them with pudding or fruit and topping them with whipped cream. My family always kept it simple and filled the pannekoeken with powered sugar and cinnamon.
I've never made pannekoeken before, but everyone has always said that it is easy to make. Still, this was going to be an experiment. The recipe to make the batter was simple, and I was ready to go. The first pannekoek looked awful, but apparently this is normal and to be expected, so I didn't get too worried. All in all, everything turned out pretty good. I think that I probably should have thinned out the batter a little bit with some more milk, and I need to work on my technique of pouring the batter into the pan and swirling it around—I got some interesting shapes that weren't quite circles! It wasn't quite as good as my Ma's, but for the most part it was a success.
I've never made pannekoeken before, but everyone has always said that it is easy to make. Still, this was going to be an experiment. The recipe to make the batter was simple, and I was ready to go. The first pannekoek looked awful, but apparently this is normal and to be expected, so I didn't get too worried. All in all, everything turned out pretty good. I think that I probably should have thinned out the batter a little bit with some more milk, and I need to work on my technique of pouring the batter into the pan and swirling it around—I got some interesting shapes that weren't quite circles! It wasn't quite as good as my Ma's, but for the most part it was a success.
Sick Day
Even though things have been busy at work these past few weeks, most of my projects were out in other hands either with authors or freelancers. So, with relatively little to do during the day, I decided to "call in sick" on Wednesday. Fortunately my boss is great and she knows how hard we all work, so she doesn't mind if we occasinally call in sick and play hokey every now and then. Sometimes we can even schedule our "sick day" a few days in advance. All night Tuesday night, I was considering taking a sick day. I'm never really sick and have never had to take a real sick day, but I realized that I had about 12 days of sick time left for the rest of the year. So on Wednesday, I actually called in sick. I might as well use them, because they don't carry over into the next year.
On my day off I decided to go for a hike. I was awake relatively early, and I got to Chautauqua Park in Boulder at about 10:30 and I was ready to hike around the Flatirons. I had my camera with me and I was excited to take a lot of pictures. It's been a long time since I've had a photography excursion day, so I was really looking forward to it. Hiking around the Flatirons while taking a lot of pictures is one of my hobbies that completely absorbs me. It distracts me and takes me to a different place. I don't think about work or the drama at work. I don't think about the pressures of money (or the lack of money!). All I think about is the beauty surrounding me.
My hike turned into a very long one. I wandered around my usual trails and explored some trails that I haven't been on before. It was an absolutely beautiful day. It was sunny and clear and the temperature was in the 70s. For the most part the weather was calm, but it started to get windy near the end of my hike. By the time I was ready to go home, I realized that I had been hiking for about three hours and I turned back only because I was starving and needed food.
All in all it was a wonderful day. In spite of the fact that it was an occasionally strenuous hike, it was actually a very relaxing and peaceful way to spend the day off. When I was home, I devoured a huge lunch and a huge dinner and I slept like a rock. When I was back at work on Thursday and Friday, I felt completely different. I felt energized and my mind felt clear. Maybe I sweat out all the toxic energy and emotions on my hike. Either way, I felt great for the rest of the week. I wish taking a three-hour hike were something I could do every day!
On my day off I decided to go for a hike. I was awake relatively early, and I got to Chautauqua Park in Boulder at about 10:30 and I was ready to hike around the Flatirons. I had my camera with me and I was excited to take a lot of pictures. It's been a long time since I've had a photography excursion day, so I was really looking forward to it. Hiking around the Flatirons while taking a lot of pictures is one of my hobbies that completely absorbs me. It distracts me and takes me to a different place. I don't think about work or the drama at work. I don't think about the pressures of money (or the lack of money!). All I think about is the beauty surrounding me.
My hike turned into a very long one. I wandered around my usual trails and explored some trails that I haven't been on before. It was an absolutely beautiful day. It was sunny and clear and the temperature was in the 70s. For the most part the weather was calm, but it started to get windy near the end of my hike. By the time I was ready to go home, I realized that I had been hiking for about three hours and I turned back only because I was starving and needed food.
All in all it was a wonderful day. In spite of the fact that it was an occasionally strenuous hike, it was actually a very relaxing and peaceful way to spend the day off. When I was home, I devoured a huge lunch and a huge dinner and I slept like a rock. When I was back at work on Thursday and Friday, I felt completely different. I felt energized and my mind felt clear. Maybe I sweat out all the toxic energy and emotions on my hike. Either way, I felt great for the rest of the week. I wish taking a three-hour hike were something I could do every day!
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Community and Family
I've been through a little bit of a drought with my posting lately, and I apologize to my loyal readers for that. I've been busy and I've been a little tired, so I haven't had much energy to write at night. I've been having a post in mind, but I just haven't been able to put the right words to it. I'm still not sure if I have the right words right now, but I'm going to try anyway. It might turn into a stream of consciousness, but at least I'm writing something.
A few weeks ago, on a beautiful Sunday morning, I had brunch with some former co-workers and wonderful friends. This past Friday I went to a house warming party for one of my former bosses and at the party were several other former co-workers. There were also many other people from the local publishing community. I didn't have the opportunity to work with many of these people, but I've heard about them through stories. I call this group of people and friends the Old Guard of the local publishing world. The publishing world in Colorado is relatively small, but it is slowly growing as new editors enter the industry. But it is the original group of editors, the Old Guard, to whom I'm always the most drawn and attracted.
It goes without saying that with the Old Guard comes a wealth of experience. They are true professionals who know the job and know the industry and most of them have years of experience. When I came fresh out of graduate school with hardly any experience, these were the editors who trained me and I am incredibly grateful for that. Now that I've been in the position of training people who are really fresh and green and who have no experience, I know how difficult this can be. I was lucky to be trained by people who are incredibly talented and patient and thoughtful. I was lucky to have the opportunity to soak up everyone's knowledge like a sponge, and I took advantage of every moment of that. The Old Guard also just understands how things are in this business. We're all overworked, underappreciated, and underpaid, and although we might complain and be frustrated with it, we accept it, deal with it, and move on. We're editors. We're not heart surgeons, so we're never going make a lot of money. So we live with it. For the Old Guard it is all a joke and we laugh it off. But for the New Guard it is cause for outrage and temper tantrums. This probably explains the incessant whining and constant complaining that you hear so much these days.
But what I love most about the Old Guard is the sense of community. I came into the local publishing world at the tail end of the "good old days" and I am fortunate to be a late comer to the Old Guard before many things changed in the local community. When I started my first job, the company was slipping into turmoil, and there were several moments in those first months when I wondered what I had gotten myself into and I was wishing I had stayed in school to get my PhD. But what saved me and what kept me going were the people I worked with. The big thing that separates the New Guard from the Old Guard is selfishness and the lack thereof. The New Guard seems to be very career driven, and that can sometimes lead to selfishness and self-centeredness. They tend to do what is good for them and them alone and they tend to care about themselves and themselves alone. The Old Guard is quite the opposite. We look out for one another and we support one another. Whenever I was looking for a new job, everyone was helping me and everyone was willing to recommend me or willing to be my reference. If another editor is out of a job, everyone else does what she can to send that person freelance work to help that person through rough times. When things get difficult, the Old Guard stands together and bonds tighter. It is about "us," and not about "me." From my perspective, it seems as if the new generation of editors doesn't have that same attitude. Or maybe I'm just too critical. Or maybe my standards and expectations are too high after working with so many wonderful people.
I suppose it is hard to explain, let alone understand, what I'm feeling right now and what I'm trying to say. I suppose it is something that you have to see or experience or feel for yourself. But all I know is that my feelings for the Old Guard are entirely different from what I feel for the New Guard. The Old Guard is a community and, for me personally, it is like a second family. It is made up of people that I not only respect and appreciate but that I also love.
Current mood: pensive
Current music: iTunes on shuffle—Loreena McKennitt "Penelope's Song"
Current drink: coffee
A few weeks ago, on a beautiful Sunday morning, I had brunch with some former co-workers and wonderful friends. This past Friday I went to a house warming party for one of my former bosses and at the party were several other former co-workers. There were also many other people from the local publishing community. I didn't have the opportunity to work with many of these people, but I've heard about them through stories. I call this group of people and friends the Old Guard of the local publishing world. The publishing world in Colorado is relatively small, but it is slowly growing as new editors enter the industry. But it is the original group of editors, the Old Guard, to whom I'm always the most drawn and attracted.
It goes without saying that with the Old Guard comes a wealth of experience. They are true professionals who know the job and know the industry and most of them have years of experience. When I came fresh out of graduate school with hardly any experience, these were the editors who trained me and I am incredibly grateful for that. Now that I've been in the position of training people who are really fresh and green and who have no experience, I know how difficult this can be. I was lucky to be trained by people who are incredibly talented and patient and thoughtful. I was lucky to have the opportunity to soak up everyone's knowledge like a sponge, and I took advantage of every moment of that. The Old Guard also just understands how things are in this business. We're all overworked, underappreciated, and underpaid, and although we might complain and be frustrated with it, we accept it, deal with it, and move on. We're editors. We're not heart surgeons, so we're never going make a lot of money. So we live with it. For the Old Guard it is all a joke and we laugh it off. But for the New Guard it is cause for outrage and temper tantrums. This probably explains the incessant whining and constant complaining that you hear so much these days.
But what I love most about the Old Guard is the sense of community. I came into the local publishing world at the tail end of the "good old days" and I am fortunate to be a late comer to the Old Guard before many things changed in the local community. When I started my first job, the company was slipping into turmoil, and there were several moments in those first months when I wondered what I had gotten myself into and I was wishing I had stayed in school to get my PhD. But what saved me and what kept me going were the people I worked with. The big thing that separates the New Guard from the Old Guard is selfishness and the lack thereof. The New Guard seems to be very career driven, and that can sometimes lead to selfishness and self-centeredness. They tend to do what is good for them and them alone and they tend to care about themselves and themselves alone. The Old Guard is quite the opposite. We look out for one another and we support one another. Whenever I was looking for a new job, everyone was helping me and everyone was willing to recommend me or willing to be my reference. If another editor is out of a job, everyone else does what she can to send that person freelance work to help that person through rough times. When things get difficult, the Old Guard stands together and bonds tighter. It is about "us," and not about "me." From my perspective, it seems as if the new generation of editors doesn't have that same attitude. Or maybe I'm just too critical. Or maybe my standards and expectations are too high after working with so many wonderful people.
I suppose it is hard to explain, let alone understand, what I'm feeling right now and what I'm trying to say. I suppose it is something that you have to see or experience or feel for yourself. But all I know is that my feelings for the Old Guard are entirely different from what I feel for the New Guard. The Old Guard is a community and, for me personally, it is like a second family. It is made up of people that I not only respect and appreciate but that I also love.
Current mood: pensive
Current music: iTunes on shuffle—Loreena McKennitt "Penelope's Song"
Current drink: coffee
Monday, September 21, 2009
Promises for a Real Update...Soon...
I apologize to my readers for the lack of updates over the past week or so. I haven't had much to say. There hasn't been a lot going on lately. Yet somehow I still feel really busy and really, really tired. So I promise a real update some time soon. The best I can do right now is report on the weather. It's cold!
Saturday, September 12, 2009
This and That, Weekend Edition
Work: Things at work are the same as to be expected. The end of August was extremely busy, but I had a brief moment of quiet early this month. It was very brief, however. Over the past week I got three new projects and all of them are on short schedules. So, needless to say, I've been busy over the past few days. In other news, our furlough period will be coming to an end. Beginning in October we will return to our normal paychecks. Granted, our pay checks were never huge to begin with, but it will be nice to have more money going into the bank. Hopefully this will improve the morale in the office. But, then again, I'm sure there will be something else for people to get upset over.
Weather: For the past few weeks the weather has been absolutely beautiful. It has been warm and sunny and clear. Temperatures have been in the 80s or upper 70s. A cold front must have blown in. When I woke up this morning it was cloudy and grey outside. Even though it was already 9:30, I also realized that it was really cold—it was only about 55 degrees. It has been raining for most of the morning, but where there was a break in the weather, I made a quick run to the grocery store. By the time I got out of the store there was a lot of wicked lightning and loud crashes of thunder. Standing in an open parking lot while holding onto a metal shopping cart probably wasn't the safest thing to be doing at the time. As I was driving home, I could see how bad the weather was getting. Really dark grey, low-lying clouds had rolled in. You couldn't even see the mountains. These clouds were really scary and ominous looking, and add to that the lightning and thunder and you'd think the world was coming to an end. Right now it is still raining and it is still quite cold. I guess this is a reminder that winter is right around the corner. It won't be long before this rain turns into snow.
Current mood: chilly
Current music: iTunes on shuffle—Sarah McLachlan "I Will Remember You"
Current drink: water for now; wine will come later
Weather: For the past few weeks the weather has been absolutely beautiful. It has been warm and sunny and clear. Temperatures have been in the 80s or upper 70s. A cold front must have blown in. When I woke up this morning it was cloudy and grey outside. Even though it was already 9:30, I also realized that it was really cold—it was only about 55 degrees. It has been raining for most of the morning, but where there was a break in the weather, I made a quick run to the grocery store. By the time I got out of the store there was a lot of wicked lightning and loud crashes of thunder. Standing in an open parking lot while holding onto a metal shopping cart probably wasn't the safest thing to be doing at the time. As I was driving home, I could see how bad the weather was getting. Really dark grey, low-lying clouds had rolled in. You couldn't even see the mountains. These clouds were really scary and ominous looking, and add to that the lightning and thunder and you'd think the world was coming to an end. Right now it is still raining and it is still quite cold. I guess this is a reminder that winter is right around the corner. It won't be long before this rain turns into snow.
Current mood: chilly
Current music: iTunes on shuffle—Sarah McLachlan "I Will Remember You"
Current drink: water for now; wine will come later
Thursday, September 03, 2009
Oh My God, Hide Your Children!
Today it was announced that on Tuesday, September 8, President Obama will deliver a welcome back to school speech directed toward students from kindergarten to the twelfth grade. This speech is supposed to encourage children to set goals, to work hard, and to stay in school. This is a great thing, right? Here we are, encouraging children, building them up, filling them with confidence, and telling them to take advantage of all of their educational opportunities. Education is important and we need a bright, intelligent workforce for the future, right?
Well, not everyone is so happy with the president's planned speech. Naturally, several members and sects of the right wing party are going absolutely crazy! There is mass panic among the right wing, and you'd think that Armageddon was upon us. Some school districts in six states (Texas, Illinois, Virginia, Wisconsin, Missouri, and Minnesota) are already refusing to air the president's speech. Parents are threatening to pull their children out of school that day if their school has the audacity to air the speech. Why? Some are saying that the president shouldn't use government time and money to take away time and money from state schools by giving a "politically motivated" speech. After all we have wars, an economic crisis, and health care reform to think about! Others are afraid that this will be an indoctrination and that the president will use this as a platform to impose his "socialist" ideas upon the poor, unsuspecting children of the country.
Naturally, this is all completely nuts. And the right wingers should be reminded that Obama is not the first president to give a speech directed toward children. In 1991, George H. W. Bush gave a speech that encouraged children to study hard and to get a great education, especially in science and math. In 2001, George W. Bush gave a speech and encouraged children in the United States to each donate $1 for a charity to help needy children in Afghanistan. And let us not forget that almost every president, especially saint Reagan, warned children about the dangers of drugs.
Throughout the years, decades, and probably centuries, almost every president or world leader has spoken to children about the importance of education. But for whatever reason when President Obama is set to give this kind of speech, people are up in arms and think it is part of some grand conspiracy to take over the minds of the children. It's just silly. You would think that any parent—or any sound minded, clear thinking individual for that matter—would put a high price and value on education. And, let me remind you, part of a good education is learning critical thinking skills. And the most important part of critical thinking is learning to listen to both sides of an argument or story before forming an opinion. People might not like the president, but what is the harm in first listening to what he has to say. If he tells children to do their homework, who is harmed? If children learn from him that they can grow up to be anything they want, including president, what is the harm in that?
Current mood: annoyed with the Wingnuts
Current music: iTunes on shuffle—Jewel "Again and Again"
Current drink: water...yes, water
Well, not everyone is so happy with the president's planned speech. Naturally, several members and sects of the right wing party are going absolutely crazy! There is mass panic among the right wing, and you'd think that Armageddon was upon us. Some school districts in six states (Texas, Illinois, Virginia, Wisconsin, Missouri, and Minnesota) are already refusing to air the president's speech. Parents are threatening to pull their children out of school that day if their school has the audacity to air the speech. Why? Some are saying that the president shouldn't use government time and money to take away time and money from state schools by giving a "politically motivated" speech. After all we have wars, an economic crisis, and health care reform to think about! Others are afraid that this will be an indoctrination and that the president will use this as a platform to impose his "socialist" ideas upon the poor, unsuspecting children of the country.
Naturally, this is all completely nuts. And the right wingers should be reminded that Obama is not the first president to give a speech directed toward children. In 1991, George H. W. Bush gave a speech that encouraged children to study hard and to get a great education, especially in science and math. In 2001, George W. Bush gave a speech and encouraged children in the United States to each donate $1 for a charity to help needy children in Afghanistan. And let us not forget that almost every president, especially saint Reagan, warned children about the dangers of drugs.
Throughout the years, decades, and probably centuries, almost every president or world leader has spoken to children about the importance of education. But for whatever reason when President Obama is set to give this kind of speech, people are up in arms and think it is part of some grand conspiracy to take over the minds of the children. It's just silly. You would think that any parent—or any sound minded, clear thinking individual for that matter—would put a high price and value on education. And, let me remind you, part of a good education is learning critical thinking skills. And the most important part of critical thinking is learning to listen to both sides of an argument or story before forming an opinion. People might not like the president, but what is the harm in first listening to what he has to say. If he tells children to do their homework, who is harmed? If children learn from him that they can grow up to be anything they want, including president, what is the harm in that?
Current mood: annoyed with the Wingnuts
Current music: iTunes on shuffle—Jewel "Again and Again"
Current drink: water...yes, water
Moderation Is a Good Thing
There is a family down in Arkansas that is famous for one thing and one thing only. Michelle and Jim Bob Duggar—and, yes, his name really is Jim Bob—are famous for having children, lots of them. At ages 42 and 44, Michelle and Jim Bob already have a total of 18 children. As I was getting ready for work on Tuesday, I was watching the Today Show and Meredith Viera dropped a teaser before the commercial break that the Duggar family had a "big" announcement. Well, when the Duggar family has any kind of announcement, it can be only one thing, that another baby is on the way. And, as expected, the Michelle Duggar announced that she is pregnant once again and their 19th child is on the way. This pregnancy comes only 8 months after she gave birth to her last child.
The general population greeted this news with shock and awe. Most people in the world think that this family is insane and crazy. People wonder how any family can afford to raise so many kids. I question how it's possible for any of these children to get any kind of individual attention and love. You wonder what kind of life the older children have, because they are probably responsible for taking care of their younger siblings. And we could also mention that this family is probably single-handedly depleting half of the world's resources. Or maybe I should say multi-handedly.
Anyway, this is a huge family, and most people, quite rightfully, think that they are crazy. However, the news of the big announcement was greeted with great excitement and many bright smiles from the media. Everyone is absolutely giddy about a new baby being added to the brood. One question, however, keeps popping into my mind whenever this family has another baby. Would they be treated the same way, would they have the same "celebrity" status, if they were anything but white and Christian? Somehow I doubt it. I have a hard time believing that the media and good Christians around the world would be as welcoming and excited if this family were African American or Latino. If they were African American they would probably be called ghetto trash or there would be hour-long documentaries about the irresponsibility of black men. If they were Latino they would probably be criticized for overpopulating the good old USA with illegal minorities. Yet, because they are Christian and white, this is a beautiful, wonderful thing meant to be celebrated. Yes, double standards do still exist.
The general population greeted this news with shock and awe. Most people in the world think that this family is insane and crazy. People wonder how any family can afford to raise so many kids. I question how it's possible for any of these children to get any kind of individual attention and love. You wonder what kind of life the older children have, because they are probably responsible for taking care of their younger siblings. And we could also mention that this family is probably single-handedly depleting half of the world's resources. Or maybe I should say multi-handedly.
Anyway, this is a huge family, and most people, quite rightfully, think that they are crazy. However, the news of the big announcement was greeted with great excitement and many bright smiles from the media. Everyone is absolutely giddy about a new baby being added to the brood. One question, however, keeps popping into my mind whenever this family has another baby. Would they be treated the same way, would they have the same "celebrity" status, if they were anything but white and Christian? Somehow I doubt it. I have a hard time believing that the media and good Christians around the world would be as welcoming and excited if this family were African American or Latino. If they were African American they would probably be called ghetto trash or there would be hour-long documentaries about the irresponsibility of black men. If they were Latino they would probably be criticized for overpopulating the good old USA with illegal minorities. Yet, because they are Christian and white, this is a beautiful, wonderful thing meant to be celebrated. Yes, double standards do still exist.
Tuesday, September 01, 2009
Sensitivity
I was born in Colorado, but I have lived in several states. A few years after I was born my family moved to Michigan, then Texas, and then California. Even though I had wonderful years in Michigan and Texas, California and Colorado have always had the greatest pulls on me. I spent my teenage and (many) college years in California, but something was always pulling me back to Colorado, so I came here for graduate school. I consider both home. Lately Colorado has become a refuge or a mecca for Californians. A lot of Californians have been moving here, and there is often a resentment from the Coloradoans toward the Californians. Quite frankly, a lot of people in Colorado hate Californians for the simple reason that they are from California.
Right now fires are raging in California and at the time of this posting about 127,000 acres have burned. The fires are so bad that the smoke has actually made it's way to Colorado, and our skies are so hazy and polluted that you can barely see the mountains. The land in California has burned, homes have been destroyed, and wildlife and people have been killed. What is happening is horrible, and you would think that people would feel sympathetic, but unfortunately that is not always the case. When reading the newspaper or watching TV, it's sad to see some reader or viewer comments saying things like "good, let it burn," or "we'd all be better off if California just fell into the ocean," or "they deserve it for building homes in the hills," or my personal favorite, "God is punishing California for their tolerance of gays." Well, if God punishes people for their tolerance of gays, then why does God always drop tornadoes on mobile home parks, because, let me tell you, gays don't live in mobile home parks! But I digress.
The point is, why do people feel the need to make these ludicrous comments when something this terrible is happening? Why bring your personal resentment or hatred or politics into the issue? This is an issue about humanity.
The ones making these types of comments are obviously worthless, pathetic trolls who have nothing better to do with their lives and who have absolutely nothing to offer the world. These are the people who are spineless and heartless and worth less that the foulest smelling thing in the sewers.
Fortunately I know that Colorado is a great state with a lot of great people, and the ones making these comments are just an isolated group and don't represent the state as a whole. This is a state that loves nature and the environment and we've had our own share of fire disasters. We're a lot more sensitive and sympathetic than the fools who spend their entire day posting comments to newsboards.
Right now fires are raging in California and at the time of this posting about 127,000 acres have burned. The fires are so bad that the smoke has actually made it's way to Colorado, and our skies are so hazy and polluted that you can barely see the mountains. The land in California has burned, homes have been destroyed, and wildlife and people have been killed. What is happening is horrible, and you would think that people would feel sympathetic, but unfortunately that is not always the case. When reading the newspaper or watching TV, it's sad to see some reader or viewer comments saying things like "good, let it burn," or "we'd all be better off if California just fell into the ocean," or "they deserve it for building homes in the hills," or my personal favorite, "God is punishing California for their tolerance of gays." Well, if God punishes people for their tolerance of gays, then why does God always drop tornadoes on mobile home parks, because, let me tell you, gays don't live in mobile home parks! But I digress.
The point is, why do people feel the need to make these ludicrous comments when something this terrible is happening? Why bring your personal resentment or hatred or politics into the issue? This is an issue about humanity.
The ones making these types of comments are obviously worthless, pathetic trolls who have nothing better to do with their lives and who have absolutely nothing to offer the world. These are the people who are spineless and heartless and worth less that the foulest smelling thing in the sewers.
Fortunately I know that Colorado is a great state with a lot of great people, and the ones making these comments are just an isolated group and don't represent the state as a whole. This is a state that loves nature and the environment and we've had our own share of fire disasters. We're a lot more sensitive and sympathetic than the fools who spend their entire day posting comments to newsboards.
Sunday, August 30, 2009
This and That, Weekend Edition
I apologize to my loyal readers for the lack of updates over the past week or two. I've been busy, yet at the same time there hasn't been too much to report.
Work: Work has been busy, and that is a good thing I suppose. I managed to send a lot of books to press, and now I'm just waiting for more projects to come in. It will be nice to have a brief rest before things get busy again. Technically our furlough period is supposed to end next week, but we're still not sure what will happen next. I'm not sure if we'll still be on furlough for the rest of the year, or if we'll go back to our original salaries. I'm hoping that we'll go back to "normal," because maybe that will improve the morale of the office. But we'll have to just wait and see what happens. Other than that, there really isn't that much to report.
Weddings: On Friday I had the pleasure to go to an absolutely beautiful wedding. The wedding didn't take place until the evening, but I took the day off of work to rest and relax before the big event. The wedding ceremony was in Denver at the Cheesman Park Pavilion. It was the first time I've been to the park, and when I saw it I wondered why I've never gone there before and wondered why no one told me about it before. The pavilion itself is a small Greek temple, just the kind of thing I love. The weather throughout the week had been hot with severe thunderstorms in the afternoons, but on Friday, the day of the wedding, we were fortunate to have beautiful, dry weather. The ceremony itself was beautiful, and the bride, my co-worker, dear friend, and one of the loves of my life, was absolutely stunning. After the ceremony we drove across town to a small art gallery for the reception. There was good food, good wine and cocktails, beautiful and heartfelt speeches, and lots and lots of dancing. All in all it was an absolutely beautiful evening, and I'm grateful to have been invited.
Work: Work has been busy, and that is a good thing I suppose. I managed to send a lot of books to press, and now I'm just waiting for more projects to come in. It will be nice to have a brief rest before things get busy again. Technically our furlough period is supposed to end next week, but we're still not sure what will happen next. I'm not sure if we'll still be on furlough for the rest of the year, or if we'll go back to our original salaries. I'm hoping that we'll go back to "normal," because maybe that will improve the morale of the office. But we'll have to just wait and see what happens. Other than that, there really isn't that much to report.
Weddings: On Friday I had the pleasure to go to an absolutely beautiful wedding. The wedding didn't take place until the evening, but I took the day off of work to rest and relax before the big event. The wedding ceremony was in Denver at the Cheesman Park Pavilion. It was the first time I've been to the park, and when I saw it I wondered why I've never gone there before and wondered why no one told me about it before. The pavilion itself is a small Greek temple, just the kind of thing I love. The weather throughout the week had been hot with severe thunderstorms in the afternoons, but on Friday, the day of the wedding, we were fortunate to have beautiful, dry weather. The ceremony itself was beautiful, and the bride, my co-worker, dear friend, and one of the loves of my life, was absolutely stunning. After the ceremony we drove across town to a small art gallery for the reception. There was good food, good wine and cocktails, beautiful and heartfelt speeches, and lots and lots of dancing. All in all it was an absolutely beautiful evening, and I'm grateful to have been invited.
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Disconnected
On Sunday afternoon I went to downtown Boulder with a mission to find the perfect wedding gift for one of my friends, who is getting married next week. While walking along Pearl Street, I was taking in the sights and mingling around booths that filled Pearl. It was the Boulder Asian Festival, so it was busy and there was a lot to see. At one point I stopped to sit on a bench to rest and to watch the people wander by. I happened to be near a restaurant that had a patio. At one table were four girls, all were otherwise engaged with their cell phones, BlackBerry, or iPhone. Two were talking on their phones, while the other two were frantically typing away with their text messaging. They didn't say one word to one another and hardly even looked up to make eye contact. Maybe the two on the phone were talking to each other, and maybe the other two were texting each other. Who knows?
I'll be the first to admit that the new cell phone technology is pretty awesome. The fact that you can browse the Web and send e-mails through your phone is pretty cool. Then there is there is that other, occasionally used feature, the ability to make an actual phone call. I'm a technology geek, so I like these things. But I all too frequently see people completely absorbed and taken over by these little machines. Even in the fanciest restaurants where people are dressed up for the fanciest dinners, you'll see more than a few people fiddling with their phones. You know that your life has been taken over when you can't go more than twenty minutes or an hour without checking your e-mail or reading your text messages. You know that your life has been taken over when you can't take more than a few minutes to engage with the person sitting across from you. Technology is cool, but the complete inability to interact with someone unless it is through a screen of some kind is kind of sad. So put your phones down people! Take a minute to actually look at the person sitting across from you. Look into their eyes, watch their expressions, listen to their voices. It might be an old fashioned way of talking to someone, but it's pretty rewarding.
I'll be the first to admit that the new cell phone technology is pretty awesome. The fact that you can browse the Web and send e-mails through your phone is pretty cool. Then there is there is that other, occasionally used feature, the ability to make an actual phone call. I'm a technology geek, so I like these things. But I all too frequently see people completely absorbed and taken over by these little machines. Even in the fanciest restaurants where people are dressed up for the fanciest dinners, you'll see more than a few people fiddling with their phones. You know that your life has been taken over when you can't go more than twenty minutes or an hour without checking your e-mail or reading your text messages. You know that your life has been taken over when you can't take more than a few minutes to engage with the person sitting across from you. Technology is cool, but the complete inability to interact with someone unless it is through a screen of some kind is kind of sad. So put your phones down people! Take a minute to actually look at the person sitting across from you. Look into their eyes, watch their expressions, listen to their voices. It might be an old fashioned way of talking to someone, but it's pretty rewarding.
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Mixed Messages *Updated*
Lately, I've been quite confused by the right wing attacks on Obama. The same people who have been calling him a Nigerian-born Kenyan-born Muslim are the very same people calling him a Nazi. Weren't the Nazi's generally white and Christian? How can you be both a Nigerian-born Kenyan-born Muslim and a Nazi? Doesn't seem to make much sense to me.
**Updated from my initial post. They say he is a Kenyan, not a Nigerian. Apologies!**
**Updated from my initial post. They say he is a Kenyan, not a Nigerian. Apologies!**
Friday, August 14, 2009
Money-Saving Tips for Cheap and/or Tight-Fisted Publishing Professionals
**Long Post Warning**
As I have written in previous posts, publishing is not exactly a lucrative career. We make a decent income. It's not always a great, high income, but it's also not a low income. Still, money is tight for many of us who work in this industry. We're watching our pennies and dollars just like everyone else in this country. And things are getting worse and more volatile in our office. People are getting more angry and frustrated about contributing money to department or office events. These days a $3 or $5 contribution is cause for a riot. Things are so bad that there is a good chance that our department will stop celebrating our co-workers' birthdays because people are getting tired of contributing money to bring in food or treats. I think this is really sad, because getting together and celebrating birthdays is one of the ways that we try to take a break from work and try to boost morale. However, how can you boost morale when half the people are angry and resentful about their $5 donation? And maybe this will be a good thing for me, considering I'm often the one who contributes more to cover any shortfall. While others might complain about donating $5, I'm usually the one contributing $10 or $15. Why should I keep doing that?
These birthdays happen maybe once a month. We've even tried to combine an entire month's birthdays on one day so that it is less of an inconvenience. So it's basically a $5 donation once a month. But still this is a problem. Like everyone else, I'm trying to be careful with my money, but I have my own tricks and tips that help me save money. Here are a few ideas that might help frugal and fiscally conscious readers.
1. Don't buy coffee from a coffee shop every day. There is a wonderful ritual about going to coffee shops. There is the smell, there are the nice and/or cute baristas, there is the tasty, freshly ground coffee. It's wonderful, and I used to go to coffee shops all the time when I was in school. But the money you spend on coffee adds up. $3-4 a day equals $15-20 a week. If you still want to go to a coffee shop, try going every other day. Or if you have enough will power, save it for Friday and consider it an end-of-the-week reward/treat. Or, better yet, brew your own coffee at home and bring it to work in a thermos.
2. Don't eat out every day for lunch and/or dinner. Some people, many of my co-workers included, just don't like to cook. And I can understand that. There are days when I don't feel like cooking after work. But eating out every single day really adds up. $7-8 a day for lunch equals $35-40 a week. A $10-20 dinner every night can mean $50-100 a week. All of that money can be spent on groceries and you'll get a lot more bang for your buck. Take a little time to make your lunch or cook your dinners. I might get teased at work for loving peanut butter sandwiches, but when you add it all up, that sandwich probably costs about $0.50. I'm one of those types of people who like to cook, and when I cook, I tend to make a lot of food. Even when I try to cut recipes in half, I always seem to have enough food for 6 or 10 people. I eat leftovers at work for lunch, or I freeze the leftovers and save it for one of those days when I don't feel like cooking. One meal could possibly be stretched for a week or more.
3. When you go to happy hour, drink maybe 2 or 3 drinks instead of 6 or 8. I love alcohol as much as anyone and I love getting together for happy hours, but I also know that it can get expensive. Binge drinking in a bar is not cheap. So be careful with how much you spend in the bars. This is good for your wallet and for your safety! If you want to binge and drink a lot on one night, buy your booze form a liquor store and celebrate at a friend's house where you can spend the night. It will probably be cheaper in the long run and it will be safer too!
4. Cut unnecessary expenses. If there is something that you absolutely don't need, consider consider getting rid of it or putting it on hold. I've canceled a lot of magazine subscriptions. I don't have much time to keep up with these magazines, and when many of them are online for free, why spend $50 dollars a year for a subscription. I also canceled my Netflix subscription. I might sign up again when we get out of this furlough period, but saving even $14 a month on this helps out.
5. Clip coupons. For whatever reason people laugh at me when they hear that I clip coupons. I think they think that coupon clipping is something that only old ladies do. But, hey, pennies saved are pennies saved. Who cares when a fistful of coupons can save you $5 at Target or $10 at the grocery store. Do you know what $15 equals? Lunch at Wahoo's: 2 tacos, rice, black beans, chips, salsa, guacamole, and a beer! And you'd probably have money to spare. $15 can also equal a very good bottle of wine.
These are only 5 examples of how to save money, but I'm sure there are dozens more. The basic rule is just be sensible and know what is worth the money and what is not. Save where you can, but splurge and treat yourself (and others!) every now and then. These treats and rewards will be good for your mind and soul. And most of all, stop whining. That's bad for both your soul and the souls of others!
Saturday, August 08, 2009
Connected
For the past week or so, I've been thinking about getting a new cell phone. My now previous cell phone was perfectly fine. Even though it was four years old, it still worked well, always got great reception, never dropped a call, and in general was a perfectly fine phone. But, I just got it in my head that I wanted a newer phone and an upgrade. Quite frankly, seeing my nieces and nephews with all kinds of fancy, high-tech phones put the idea into my head. So, for the past few days I've been doing a lot of research online and looking into some of the latest phones. The LG enV Touch got a lot of great reviews on cnet and the Verizon Web site, and today I went to the Verizon store to give it a closer look. I liked what I saw and decided to buy it. Actually, "buy" it isn't even an appropriate term. The phone itself is about $200, but with the in-store discount, "new every 2" program, and rebates, the phone cost $o.00! I had to upgrade my plan, but I can live with that.
The phone is super fancy and is filled with quite a few features. In addition to the standard calling features, it comes with mobile web, mobile e-mail, and your basic text messaging abilities. So if I wanted to, I could check my e-mail or browse the web from my phone. The phone also has a camera and a music player. And in addition to all that, it also has some fun tools like an alarm clock, calendar, stopwatch, world clock (in case I want to know what time it is in Athens or any other city, like Tokyo), notepad, drawing pad, calculator, and even a tip calculator. I'm pretty excited about the tip calculator. Being an editor and one who often has lunch or dinner with a group of other editors, calculating the tip and dividing the bill among 5 or 6 people can sometimes be quite the ordeal. None of us are paid for our math skills, so now it's nice to have a handy calculator rather than trying to spend 10 minutes sorting out our bill!
I'm still figuring out the navigation of the phone and all of the menus and features, and I've already accidentally called two people while playing around in the address book, but eventually I'll get the hang of it. So far this new phone seems really nice.
Current mood: relaxing
Current music: Tori Amos "Spark"
Current drink: Fat Tire
The phone is super fancy and is filled with quite a few features. In addition to the standard calling features, it comes with mobile web, mobile e-mail, and your basic text messaging abilities. So if I wanted to, I could check my e-mail or browse the web from my phone. The phone also has a camera and a music player. And in addition to all that, it also has some fun tools like an alarm clock, calendar, stopwatch, world clock (in case I want to know what time it is in Athens or any other city, like Tokyo), notepad, drawing pad, calculator, and even a tip calculator. I'm pretty excited about the tip calculator. Being an editor and one who often has lunch or dinner with a group of other editors, calculating the tip and dividing the bill among 5 or 6 people can sometimes be quite the ordeal. None of us are paid for our math skills, so now it's nice to have a handy calculator rather than trying to spend 10 minutes sorting out our bill!
I'm still figuring out the navigation of the phone and all of the menus and features, and I've already accidentally called two people while playing around in the address book, but eventually I'll get the hang of it. So far this new phone seems really nice.
Current mood: relaxing
Current music: Tori Amos "Spark"
Current drink: Fat Tire
Tuesday, August 04, 2009
Empty
I am now coming to the end of a wonderful vacation. For the past week, I've had most of my family in town. My parents and one brother stayed with me, two other brothers and their families stayed in nearby hotels, and my sister and her family lives not far from me. The only person missing was one sister-in-law, and she was missed. We were all gathered together to attend my nephew's wedding. The wedding and reception were beautiful, and what was most wonderful was simply having the family together in one place. We are a tightly knit family with very strong bonds. Even though we might not see one another every year and, unfortunately, we often go several years without seeing one another, but when we reunite, it is as if we never left one another and it is as if no time had passed. Whenever we get together, the rooms get loud and filled with laughter. We enjoy reminiscing about the good old days and reliving cherished memories. We simply enjoy one another's company, and you can actually feel the love filling the room. Everyone went home today and my home is now empty and quiet, and this makes me really sad.
Whenever I hear friends or co-workers talk about how much they hate their parents or their siblings, I feel sorry for them. I feel sorry that they don't know the same love and affection and bond that my family knows. And I know that I'm extremely fortunate and blessed to be part of such a wonderful family.
Whenever I hear friends or co-workers talk about how much they hate their parents or their siblings, I feel sorry for them. I feel sorry that they don't know the same love and affection and bond that my family knows. And I know that I'm extremely fortunate and blessed to be part of such a wonderful family.
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