So the little girl I babysit likes to pretend she's talking on the phone with me. If she sees my cell phone in the vicinity, she'll point for me to pick it up. The she will pick up whatever is near her and pretend it's a phone that she puts to her ear and baby jabbers to me. She's beginning to pick up more words, and here's a conversation she had with me this weekend:
She picks up the phone
Alison: Hello? Rosie?
Rosie: Allo
Rosie: Yeah?
Rosie: What?!?!
Rosie: Nooooooooo.....
Then she hangs up the phone.
I laughed until I had tears.
Monday, August 27, 2007
Monday, August 20, 2007
Arellano was deported
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-web_elviraaug21,1,6817291.story?coll=chi_tab01_layout This story makes me sad. I've heard so many stories about families who have been torn apart by this immigration mess: the children may be citizens if they were born here. The part that sickens me is when the government does raids on businesses, without thinking about the children of said individuals who are in day care, school or with a babysitter at the time. When it happened earlier this summer in Massachussets, the Governor deemed it a humanitarian crisis.
I think regardless of a person's position on immigration laws, this isn't a picture of God's kingdom at work. Jesus' love transcends race, creed, color, religion, age, weight and the nation where you were born.
It's no wonder so many non-documented people in the US are illegally in the country: it costs a fortune to obtain your citizenship and it's a rare indivual who can afford it these days. It's become a class issue. In Chicago, there is rampant racism towards Spanish-speaking immigrants. If I were Latina, I would be afraid to pursue citizenship, fearing that I would likely be deported simply for my accent and skin color. Pay attention to the news - there's an immigrant rally in Washington, DC, scheduled soon, and a call for immigrants and non documented workers to boycott work and not make purchases on that day. It will have a huge impact on our economy and hopefully help put it in a little bit better perspective.
I think regardless of a person's position on immigration laws, this isn't a picture of God's kingdom at work. Jesus' love transcends race, creed, color, religion, age, weight and the nation where you were born.
It's no wonder so many non-documented people in the US are illegally in the country: it costs a fortune to obtain your citizenship and it's a rare indivual who can afford it these days. It's become a class issue. In Chicago, there is rampant racism towards Spanish-speaking immigrants. If I were Latina, I would be afraid to pursue citizenship, fearing that I would likely be deported simply for my accent and skin color. Pay attention to the news - there's an immigrant rally in Washington, DC, scheduled soon, and a call for immigrants and non documented workers to boycott work and not make purchases on that day. It will have a huge impact on our economy and hopefully help put it in a little bit better perspective.
Reading List
I have been reading a lot lately. It's good to be back. =) I love to read.
I just finished Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister. I liked it. Some have told me that they had a hard time getting through it, but I enjoyed it. It's by the same author as Wicked, and it tells the Cinderella story through the eyes of one of the stepsisters. Check it out.
I have been working on The Great Divorce and Reconciliation Blues for quite some time, now. The problem is I have one at work to read during lunch, and the other at home...I need to just finish them, already!
Thursday, August 16, 2007
How Rich Are You?
http://www.globalrichlist.com/
Check it out - you won't regret it. Certainly puts things into perspective.
Check it out - you won't regret it. Certainly puts things into perspective.
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
Amazon.com
I just want to put in a plug for selling your old books on amazon.com's marketplace. The only thing you have to enter is the ISBC number. Last year I cleaned out my books, and sold about $150 worth. I recently cleaned my shelves, again, and have already made $80. Textbooks tend to sell quicker than fiction. Amazon does take a commission, but it's worth it when I do so little to sell them. Love it!!
Thursday, August 9, 2007
Book and Movie Reviews
1) A MUST Read is Chosen: The Lost Diaries of Queen Esther by Ginger Garrett. I had initially thought it was non-fiction, but it's a fictional account of Esther's diaries interspersed with fact and some Associated Press articles and scholarly essays. Incredible book - couldn't put it down, and read it in a day. Apparently Esther's diaries really did get discovered, and I want to read them!!
2) Why didn't anyone tell me how much I would love Harry Potter? I've never had a desire, but my friend Erin let me borrow the first book, and finished it in a day.
3) Rules of Engagement (the movie). I wasn't sure if this was based on a true story, although I didn't recall reading about it. I googled Colonol Terry Childers' name, and found a whole lot of international articles about the movie. VERY interesting to hear how other nations viewed this movie as stereotypical American superiority complex. I kind of agreed with the Colonel's logic in opening fire. (If you haven't seen the movie - and this doesn't spoil anything - there were children and women firing at the marines from the demonstrating crowd in Yemen outside the American Embassy.) This is a hard line that the military has to deal with. I happen to think we Americans get a little too war/gun/bomb happy, and often don't put care into the fairness of the situation, but I can see how it would be difficult to follow the rules of engagement in combat when the opposing side isn't playing fair (e.g. child or civilian soldiers). Good movie - if you haven't watched it, I would encourage you to.
4) Elizabethtown. So cute, and different from what I expected.
2) Why didn't anyone tell me how much I would love Harry Potter? I've never had a desire, but my friend Erin let me borrow the first book, and finished it in a day.
3) Rules of Engagement (the movie). I wasn't sure if this was based on a true story, although I didn't recall reading about it. I googled Colonol Terry Childers' name, and found a whole lot of international articles about the movie. VERY interesting to hear how other nations viewed this movie as stereotypical American superiority complex. I kind of agreed with the Colonel's logic in opening fire. (If you haven't seen the movie - and this doesn't spoil anything - there were children and women firing at the marines from the demonstrating crowd in Yemen outside the American Embassy.) This is a hard line that the military has to deal with. I happen to think we Americans get a little too war/gun/bomb happy, and often don't put care into the fairness of the situation, but I can see how it would be difficult to follow the rules of engagement in combat when the opposing side isn't playing fair (e.g. child or civilian soldiers). Good movie - if you haven't watched it, I would encourage you to.
4) Elizabethtown. So cute, and different from what I expected.
Bizarre happenings on an August 8
Was there some crazy alignment of planets this week, that culminated in yesterday's craziness? Here's a list of the bizarro things that have been happening:
a) April/May like thunderstorms, flash floods and tornado warnings with tree limbs down EVERYWHERE
b) A foul and mysterious odor that comes and goes in two places in our apartment with nothing there that could be producing said odor.
c) A note I found ON my office door (versus an email or a memo handed to me in my office that I actually would have read before this morning, as it was put up yest during the day...hence I didn't see it on my way out) telling me they are putting new carpet in my office starting tomorrow...and everything that is not in furniture needs to be moved. **My offices are in a three-flat apt building - my office is in the living room, my two bosses are in the bedrooms, the den is our conference room. Both my bosses are out of town and one has stuff strewn all over her office (and I do mean STREWN) but she knows where everything is. There's no where to move said stuff to -it's not like we have a hallway. And I'm not touching my bosses stuff, as they are both on vacation. Grrr!
d) Maegen (roommate) began to swell and lost feeling in the skin on her face, so we went to the ER. She'll be okay - some sort of allergic reaction in her sinus cavities, she's got more DR visits and tons of meds to take.
e) My laundry soap and softener was stolen out of the back of my truck (I moved it out of the cab into the bed while taking Maegen to the hospital).
f) this morning the movie I had ready to return to Netflix was not only not where I was sure I left it - I couldn't find it ANYWHERE in the apt. Bizarro happenings.
Insert wierd television sound effects here.
a) April/May like thunderstorms, flash floods and tornado warnings with tree limbs down EVERYWHERE
b) A foul and mysterious odor that comes and goes in two places in our apartment with nothing there that could be producing said odor.
c) A note I found ON my office door (versus an email or a memo handed to me in my office that I actually would have read before this morning, as it was put up yest during the day...hence I didn't see it on my way out) telling me they are putting new carpet in my office starting tomorrow...and everything that is not in furniture needs to be moved. **My offices are in a three-flat apt building - my office is in the living room, my two bosses are in the bedrooms, the den is our conference room. Both my bosses are out of town and one has stuff strewn all over her office (and I do mean STREWN) but she knows where everything is. There's no where to move said stuff to -it's not like we have a hallway. And I'm not touching my bosses stuff, as they are both on vacation. Grrr!
d) Maegen (roommate) began to swell and lost feeling in the skin on her face, so we went to the ER. She'll be okay - some sort of allergic reaction in her sinus cavities, she's got more DR visits and tons of meds to take.
e) My laundry soap and softener was stolen out of the back of my truck (I moved it out of the cab into the bed while taking Maegen to the hospital).
f) this morning the movie I had ready to return to Netflix was not only not where I was sure I left it - I couldn't find it ANYWHERE in the apt. Bizarro happenings.
Insert wierd television sound effects here.
Wednesday, August 8, 2007
If I don't do it myself...
Does anyone else suffer from this sentiment: If I don't do it myself, it won't get done right?
I'm really not a micro-manager. I hate being micro-managed, and I could care less what method someone working with me uses to get something done...provided it gets to the completed stage and isn't completely messed up. If there's an aesthetic involved (e.g. tableclothes or signage) I could care less what it looks like, as long as it's noticeable, legible, is NEAT, and gets the job done. (I have learned the hard way that I can't always send a student worker to go buy things like wrapping paper and gift bags without being uber-specific about what I want...or I'll end up with giant bags with balloons or flowers all over them.)
Sometimes, however, I find that some people's help winds up with me having to spend so much time doing damage control or figuring out how to re-do the project without offending said person. The damage control (usualy pr-related) is common with crappy communications made on my behalf. Urg!!!
But let me also just say that for every headache I have from this type of thing, I have five other people who do great things to help me.
I'm really not a micro-manager. I hate being micro-managed, and I could care less what method someone working with me uses to get something done...provided it gets to the completed stage and isn't completely messed up. If there's an aesthetic involved (e.g. tableclothes or signage) I could care less what it looks like, as long as it's noticeable, legible, is NEAT, and gets the job done. (I have learned the hard way that I can't always send a student worker to go buy things like wrapping paper and gift bags without being uber-specific about what I want...or I'll end up with giant bags with balloons or flowers all over them.)
Sometimes, however, I find that some people's help winds up with me having to spend so much time doing damage control or figuring out how to re-do the project without offending said person. The damage control (usualy pr-related) is common with crappy communications made on my behalf. Urg!!!
But let me also just say that for every headache I have from this type of thing, I have five other people who do great things to help me.
Tuesday, August 7, 2007
A Midnight Dip
Okay, so not REALLY a midnight dip, but an 8 to 9ish pm dip.It was so hot and humid, today, that Traci, Maegen and I took off for the lake and took a nighttime swim. It was SO fun, and the water was surprisingly cold.
I'm proud of me - I got in a natural body of water and no fishes touched me!!
I've said it before, and I'll say it again...there's no view that is as beautiful as the Chicago skyline at night. The lights are reflecting on the lake, and it takes my breath away every time.
Thursday, August 2, 2007
Starbucks can always make me happy
Whether it's a groggy, sleepy-eyed morning; a long, hard day at work and I need some quick energy and a break; or the need to feel like 'i'm doing something' on a day off and I go to read a book...Starbucks can always make me happy.
This morning I went to Panera and Starbucks before work. I got my favorite (and oh-so-delicious) Asiago Cheese bagel with reduced fat cream cheese. I walked over to the 'Bucks and was jonesing for a venti iced nonfat almond latte (only two shots of almond, please.) I happily headed off to work.
Then, I took a drink. They put orange syrup in my latte instead of almond. Now that's just disgusting. As I was in my car, halfway to my office, I said, "Everybody's bound to accidentally pump the wrong syrup once in awhile...it's no big deal...maybe I'll get used to and begin to like it."
Upon arriving at work, I had changed my mind. I literally gagged on my last sip of the coffee, and decided that for a $4 drink, I should at least call them. I figured they might give me a coupon in the mail or something. They did me one better - they took my name down and told me the next time I come through that store, the next drink of my choice was on them. Starbucks can always make me happy.
Wednesday, August 1, 2007
Why Do I ALWAYS Have to Call Customer Service?
I asked myself this question while on hold last night with AT&T, because our wireless modem wouldn't recognize our phone number as a line that had a DSL order attached to it.
The first woman we spoke to (who was in India, naturally) spent at least a half hour on the phone with us. She kept walking Maegen and I through variations of the exact same registration thing that would bring us back to the exact same error message. Go Figure! The problem wasn't on our end, it was on THEIR end.
It was when I realized that every time I've moved in Chicago we've had to call customer service bc of an error on SBC/AT&T's part in setting up the new DSL order, that I finally handed the phone to Maegen and went to hop in the shower.
Imagine my absolute SHOCK (note the sarcasm) when I step out of the shower to hear Maegen still on the phone. The woman in India had to transfer her to someone else, because 'she'd reached the limit on what she knows how to do.' New guy got us squared away very quickly.
The first woman we spoke to (who was in India, naturally) spent at least a half hour on the phone with us. She kept walking Maegen and I through variations of the exact same registration thing that would bring us back to the exact same error message. Go Figure! The problem wasn't on our end, it was on THEIR end.
It was when I realized that every time I've moved in Chicago we've had to call customer service bc of an error on SBC/AT&T's part in setting up the new DSL order, that I finally handed the phone to Maegen and went to hop in the shower.
Imagine my absolute SHOCK (note the sarcasm) when I step out of the shower to hear Maegen still on the phone. The woman in India had to transfer her to someone else, because 'she'd reached the limit on what she knows how to do.' New guy got us squared away very quickly.
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