12-of-12: December 2008

No 12-of-12 this month.... Sorry.

The fun day I wanted to have never happened. Why?
Two reasons:

Well, earlier this month I was "displaced" from my job. After a few days of interviewing for another position within my company, I got a NEW one! BUT... this meant training, training, training. I've been reading and taking assessments all day since Wednesday.

But that wasn't the main reason why the camera stayed in it's case.
My neighbors' dog went missing yesterday. I fond out around 11am and went cruising around the neighborhood trying to find her for a couple hours. I felt terrible for the family. Today is the 13th and she still hasn't returned home. Poor kid.

Sorry for the lack of photos this month. I hope January is better, all around.

Happy Birthday?

No, not really. But I'm better now.

Yesterday, I was "displaced" from my job... effective January 30th. Displaced... in the Merriam-Webster Dictionary it's defined as:

Function: transitive verb
Etymology: probably from Middle French desplacer, from des- dis- + place place
Date: 1549
1 a: to remove from the usual or proper place ; specifically : to expel or force to flee from home or homeland <displaced persons> b: to remove from an office, status, or job cobsolete : to drive out : banish

I have been BANISHED! At least, for now. I've been given a lot of time to try to find a new place for myself within the company, then if nothing works out, I can get a severance package (don't know what that is yet - "It's in the mail") to help pay the bills while I continue to look.

This feels icky at the moment... I'm nervous about not having insurance and not being able to pay my bills, oh, and finding a job in this recession-like economy we're in.

BUT, I'm also optimistic. As Kate Bush says "I just know that something good is gonna happen". I've started applying places and have a plan to keep the resume rain going for a few more days. I'm also going to exercise more... the dogs and I are going to walk EVERY day - sun or snow. I'm going to be in great shape for the many interviews I go on! :)

I'll keep ya posted... but now I have to go visit a friend and play Wii! Yay!

Curious, indeed!

I can't help but think... "If Rube Goldberg wrote a book, it would be this one." - The Curious Education of Epitome Quirkstandard

I'm not even going to attempt a review of this novel, all I can say is that it was wonderfully creative, full of surprises, has fantastic characters and is worth every minute of its quirky text! I suspect that fans of the Monty Python series would get a HUGE kick out of the adventures of Epitome and Simone (and the others throughout).

I was saddened today for two reasons.... because the story came to an end and the end of the story. That's all I'm going to say about it. I will say this, however, if you're looking for a novel with twists and turns, adventure, mystery, love, zen, and a "gentleman" named Spigot, listen to this podcast. You won't be disappointed!

Getting in shape during the "dark season"

I love to come home from work, throw the dogs in the truck and head out to the park for a nice evening walk.
Well, nowadays, it's getting dark around 5:00-5:30, so this isn't happening.

BUT, I also need to keep exercising (stopping would be very very bad). So, I've signed up for the Hundred Pushups Training Program! I also recruited the hubby, so we have each other to keep the motivation (and participation) up.

It's a 3-day per week program... Monday was day 1. WOW, am I sore. BUT, I already feel stronger (even with this darned headcold!) and know this will be very good for me. It's funny... we took a "pretest" before starting the program to find out which level we're at. I was thinking - OH, I can easily do 5 (standard) pushups. NO! I struggled to get 3 complete (well formed) pushups. So, I've resorted to the "alternate" pushups - the ones where you are on your knees. I figure, I start this way and gradually increase intensity to the standard pushups, if possible.

We'll see. Thinking I might be able to complete 100 of these things (IN A ROW) at the end of 6 weeks is daunting, but I'm ready to try. I'll keep ya posted!

Why?

I don't remember where I was when I heard the phrase "sky full of stars"... but it had an impact on me. I imagine sitting on my back porch and looking up into the very dark sky, with stars twinkling at me. I think of the endless possibilities each one represents.

Then my mind wanders and I think of all the ideas I've had. The dreams I've had. The endless possibilities I have.

I see this blog as a place to catch these ideas and thoughts and dreams. It's not limited to any one theme. It's just here, for days when I want to share what's up in my universe with anyone who wants to listen.

Murder!

... at Avedon Hill

What do you get when you mix together a "quite little mountain-pass town", an eclectic group of country folks, some magic, some monsters, and a murder? Simply stated, it's PG Holyfield's Murder at Avedon Hill.

As mentioned earlier, MaAH was my first taste of a podcast novel. When first searching iTunes, I wasn't sure what to expect from these stories. To be honest (even tho I'm embarrassed to say), I was leery of the quality of these novels. I mistakenly thought that since they weren't published (in the traditional sense... i.e they were FREE), that they'd be "hack" works. WOW, was I wrong!

I also need to share with you that I had just finished reading a bunch of Anne Rice before performing my search for a new book, so I typed in "vampires" to see what iTunes had. I assumed that MaAH was a medieval vampire story - WRONG AGAIN!

So about the story... In so many books, the reader cheers for the good guys and wishes ill to the bad guys. In MaAH, I don't know which is which. PG Holyfield does an excellent job at hiding the identity of the "bad" guys and make you question the "good" guys (well, except Aremes and Aarin - I'm pretty sure they're purely good guys) while keeping the intrigue level high!

I am DYING to know who killed Gretta Platt... I want to know how all these characters fit together... are some of my assumptions right? Will I be utterly surprised at the end of the novel (which is coming soon, I think)?

I hate waiting, but I will. I am truly looking forward to the remainder of the novel. I suspect PG Holyfield has a couple more tricks up his sleeve to reveal before it's all over.

12-of-12: November 2008

I've mentioned in my other Blog that I travel for work. I drive A LOT! Everyday, I put somewhere between 100-300 miles on my vehicle.

Today (November 12th) was a work day, so my pictures are taken from where I spend much of my day. I've been calling this set "the view from the driver's seat".

Follow this link.

Enjoy!
- Jill