Long time no type

Hi, how have you been? Good, good.

It seems like forever since I've blogged. Very little free time these days, but that time has more often than not been spent on Facebook, looking up old friends. I have 74 now, and I'm picky about who I'll say "yes" to! I didn't know I even knew that many people. There are a whole group of us from my elementary school, believe it or not. It's fun, and a good way for me to keep in touch with my friends in other states since I moved way out here to Indiana.

So anything new with me? Actually, yes - sort of. The company I work for was called American Color, and they merged with a company called Vertis in October, so our company name has changed to Vertis, but that's about the only difference so far.

You may be aware that I was made "Interim Facility Manager" meaning that I was put in charge of the 12 employees that make up the Vertis facility located at Do it Best Corp. I was told that someone didn't think I had the goods to be made permanent (there are rumors as to who that someone is), and I was sitting on the edge of my seat for about 3 months not knowing if I was going to stay or be demoted back to a regular artist's position. People in my facility and in DIB Corp. kept asking me when I was going to be made permanent, and I kept having to say I didn't know, that some unknown person was saying I wasn't qualified because I didn't have enough premedia (prepress) experience. Never mind that I worked for a printing company for 6 years. Finally, I had enough, and I talked to DIB's main contact for Vertis and explained to him that I wanted the position permanently, that I was never given a clear explanation of why I wasn't permanent already, and what could I do to demonstrate that I knew what I was doing and was capable of taking the reigns? I think he respected my forthrightness, and we had a great conversation about the qualifications he was looking for, what I brought to the table, and what steps he and I both could take to make me permanent. He called my boss at Vertis in Chicago to recommend me, and a few weeks later I was made permanent! Yippee!!!

So, I am the permanent (as permanent as any job can be) Facility Manager. It's very much like an Art Director position, and I love it. I get to steer design and photography, and I also coordinate my people to get jobs out on time, and assist DIB with any projects their advertising and graphics departments need help with. I have 2 of the best Customer Service Reps, an IT superhero, an amazing proofreader, a magical imaging sorceress, fantastic artists, and a multi-tasking phenom who helps in every area. I couldn't ask for a better crew, and they sing my praises too, so I think I'm doing OK.

Whew!

Well, folks, July is over. And I must say that the rest of it, while busy, was not awful.

We went to Kansas for Grandma's funeral without incident (other than the fact that many of my family members still think I'm 6 years old). My aunt who has had serious health problems for years was there, and she looks GREAT thanks to a new doctor who took her off half her meds.

I started a new class at school, an advanced graphic illustration class, and I am kicking ass.

Last week was my first week as the official Facility Manager (still interim, but likely to become permanent). I spent probably the first 3 days listening to everyone give me suggestions based on how things were done before. It was kind of annoying, because I have my own management style, and I hadn't even been given a chance to demonstrate it yet. However, after everyone got things off their chests and I was given some room to work, I made a pretty good impression and they shut up. By the end of the week, I received a nice compliment from one of my employees who told me they actually told the previous manager that I had some of his good management qualities, and more of my own good qualities on top of that. I also sent out an e-mail that was used as an example by my boss' boss for weekly update e-mails she would like to see from all of the Facility Managers. Cool, huh?

My brother-in-law is moving into town today from Texas. He should be arriving this afternoon, and we're going to help him move into the guest suite above his sister's garage. He would be moving into our apartment, except that we aren't moving out until the following weekend. It should be good practice for use before moving into our new house.

And on that note...today we go on a walk-through of our new house to make sure all of the repairs have been done according to what the inspection found. Nothing serious: there was a little bit of minor electrical work that needed to be done, and the garage doors needed to be replaced. We close next Monday, and take possession the 8th. So, that weekend we will be scraping together everyone we can find to help us move. Yea!

The week after we move, I get to meet my new cat. A girl I work with who lives out in the country had a couple of cats who each had a litter of kittens, and I got one of them. However, I couldn't take her yet because we don't have anywhere to put her in our apartment. So I've been waiting on a house to bring her home. She's kind of marked like our dog: white belly and feet, black on her back, and kind of marbled on her legs. Her face is mostly white, with a black spot around her nose. Very cute! She's about 3 months old now, and the only kitten left from the litters. She seems to be turning into a bit of a farm cat, so it might be an adventure moving her into a house. We do plan on letting her outside whenever she wants after she gets used to her new home, so she'll still be able to prowl around if she wants to. I can't wait to get to know her personality and find a name for her. Shelby grew up as a puppy in a house with a cat, so I think they'll get along fine.

Well, I've got errands to run and things to do. Have a great weekend everybody!

This week was one for the books

So far, July is a very stressful month. Let's back up and review.... (WARNING: this entry includes reference to biological functions specific to females.)

Three things to note:

1. My husband and I are trying to start a family. We have been trying off and on for 3 years now, but we have recently gotten serious about it, keeping schedules and monitoring my "physical readiness". Before we got serious, the onset of menstruation wasn't a big deal - we must have just missed the right day, or judged wrong. And the practice has been fun, regardless. But now, every month about that time is tense, and spotting means another month of disappointment.

2. My husband and I have been in the process of buying a house since May. The seller has been dragging her feet in negotiations, especially since the inspection revealed mold in both of the attics (one over the house, one over the garage). We had her get it tested, and while it is not the toxic variety, I am sensitive to mold, and don't want to risk getting sick (or our kids sick). The cost to remediate the mold is between $7,000 - $12,000. The seller can't afford to pay for it outright, so she was going to try to file an insurance claim. The adjuster went and looked at it, and we were waiting to hear back.

3. My boss made an announcement that he is moving on from his position as facility manager, and described his ideal replacement, which I fit very well, so I expressed my interest in the position, and received his support in pursuing it. Then he left town for business.

Thursday (the 3rd), I received a ringing endorsement from one of my coworkers for the management position, and text-messaged my boss to let him know. That night, I was about to crawl into bed when I decided I needed to put my freshly charged phone in my purse so I wouldn't forget it the next day. I had a new text message from my boss, and after a brief text conversation in which I said I was not going to be up later, I went to bed.

The morning of Friday (the 4th), I started menstruating, so I was a little depressed. Then we went to the lake cottage owned by my husband's grandparents, and spent the day as the only childless people surrounded by well-meaning teasing relatives who are unaware that we're trying.

Saturday was relatively uneventful. Laundry, vacuuming, grocery shopping, etc. We were hoping to hear something about the house, but didn't.

Sunday was spent hanging out with my sister-in-law and my 3 nephews. That night, just before bed, we got an e-mail from our realtor that the seller's insurance company denied her claim, but she was offering to scrub the mold with bleach and paint over it with Kilz. The seller had sent an article about harmless varieties of mold, which the realtor forwarded to us. The original e-mail to the realtor was dated July 3rd.

Monday, I felt like crap physically because of the monthly business, I was somewhat depressed because of the childlessness it demonstrated, and the hormonal aspect of said monthly business made it hard to pull myself out of it. Hubby and I decided we would be willing to remediate the mold over the garage if the seller would take care of it over the house (still $5,000 for her). If she balked, we would walk away. Then I found out my boss was angry with me over a misunderstanding in our text conversation that I was oblivious to. Apparently, he needed something fairly urgently, and I had unwittingly given him the cold shoulder. I felt awful on top of feeling awful, but had little chance to talk to him, because he was in and out of meetings all day, having been gone several days of the previous week. I wanted to make certain he knew I was contrite, and that I had mistaken his politeness for casualness, which would not happen again, nor would it happen with anyone else. He was going to withdraw his support of my taking his soon-to-be-vacated position. I was desperate to explain myself and clarify my priorities, but we didn't get a chance to talk until almost 4pm. We sorted it out, but I felt very strained.

Tuesday the 8th, Hubby and I signed a mutual agreement with the seller that we would not buy the house and we would get our earnest money back. Our interest rate is still good until the end of July, so the race is on to find a new house. That night, while looking at houses online, my aunt in Oklahoma called to tell us that my grandmother in Kansas had pneumonia, and was taken by ambulance to a larger hospital further from her home to get better care, but not to worry too much, she was told it didn't seem terribly serious. I called my dad in New Mexico to make sure he knew and to see if he had any more information. He was fairly reassuring about Grandma, saying that if it was serious, he would have been contacted directly. I talked to my parents about the house and the job (they don't know we're trying seriously to get pregnant - we want to surprise them when it happens). They were very encouraging that we were making the right decisions, and I felt better.

Wednesday the 9th, Hubby and I looked at 3 houses, one of which we like quite a bit. Dad called while we were out, and said that Grandma was in the ICU, and they didn't think she was going to live much longer, but he didn't know if that meant a couple of days or a couple of weeks.

Thursday the 10th, my boss took me to lunch, which was very encouraging, and mentioned that his boss was on his way down from Chicago, and would want to talk to me. That night I e-mailed my mom for the address to send something to my grandma in the hospital.

Friday the 11th, my boss and his boss took me to lunch, and I was given the position on an interim basis, likely to become permanent. The announcement was made to the whole gang that afternoon, with the understanding that Monday would begin my two weeks of training. I talked to everyone individually, and they were all congratulatory, having no apparent issues with me in that position. I would just have to prove myself in the interim to our client in order to secure the permanent position, which I have every confidence I can do.

Saturday the 12th, Hubby and I spent the morning browsing houses online, and scheduled time to go look at them Sunday with our realtor. We were at an afternoon matinee when Mom called to tell us that Grandma was failing, and they were going to drive up to Kansas, and it was no use to send anything to the hospital since she wouldn't know it was there anyway. I cried on the way home from the theater, and felt angry that I never got to send anything, and I wouldn't get a chance to say goodbye. That night, while my phone was on the charger, Mom called and left a voicemail saying that Grandma passed away. I have no idea when any services will be, but I am going down to Kansas to be with my family, and I will miss most of next week. I wouldn't be able to focus well anyway, but I still feel stressed that I will miss out on several days of work. I also start a new session of school on Monday (the 14th), so I spent a lot of time trying to get ahead on my reading and any assignments I can (one of the great things about online classes is accessing them in advance). I stayed up late partly getting things done, partly unable to sleep.

Now it's Sunday the 13th, and today we are going to look at houses, then make travel plans and hit the road. Let's hope the rest of the month is less eventful.

I've seen you naked

I see naked people everywhere. Any artist who is good at figure drawing can peel away a person's clothes and see how he/she is built with his/her mind. Sure, there are some details that are left only to the imagination, but I could look at a fully-clothed person and draw a pretty good approximation of his/her nude figure.

A good portrait artist really starts with the skeleton, positioning the major bones and general frame on the page first, then adds the bulk of the muscles and position of important elements. Finally, the details of clothes, hair, accessories, etc. are added at the end.

So, I regularly deconstruct people I see. I do it so often and habitually, that I don't even consciously realize it anymore, and I have to be careful not to stare at people. I do it so much, I feel as though I truly understand how a natural, healthy human body should look. I can look at an overweight guy at work and see exactly how the bulk of his middle tapers down to absurdly skinny ankles, and if he lost weight, what his correct shape would be like. I can see if a guy has pectoral muscles disproportionately larger than the rest of his upper body muscles (try a more balanced workout, dude). I can tell by a person's fingers what their toes look like, and yes, I can usually tell if a woman has had breast augmentation or reduction surgery (although padded push-up bras make it difficult to see if they're surgically modified or just pushed around).

I do the same thing with faces. I look at symmetry, and proportions of course, but I also notice details like the shape of the chin, the curve of the jaw, the angle of the eyes, the bend of the nose, how facial hair grows, and lip shapes.

Don't be alarmed, though. If I've seen you, I've probably mentally dissected you, but it's nothing personal. It's an intellectual exercise in human anatomy, with no connotations attached.

Of course, I do have an imagination, and if I really wanted to....

This one's for you

Hey, Friend, I have to tell you that I love being friends with you. You're like family to me, even though I don't see you or talk to you that often. (Really, though, I don't see or talk to my real family that often either.) I don't know if you know, because I never really say it, but I love you, I care about you and what happens to you, and I want the best for you. Whether we talk every day or not for weeks (or even months) know this: I still choose you as my friend. I don't choose friends lightly. I may make acquaintances easily, but if I call you my friend, that means something. It means I'll stick by you. I'll always be honest with you, even when you may not want to hear it. If you ask, I'll be there in a heartbeat to help you in any way I can. But I'll let you try to work things out for yourself before I butt in. If you want advice, I'll give what I can. I'm amazed by you as a person. You are unique, gifted, and wonderful. Even when you're having a bad day, I don't want to turn away from you - I want to lift you up. Even more amazing is that you also choose to be friends with me. Even when I'm annoying or irritable, you tolerate me. I know that you'd help me if I needed it and you were able, and I respect that enough to not take advantage unless I really need it. You are fun, funny, smart, and really a good person. You deserve happiness, and I really, really, really, really hope your life is filled with it, whether I am there to observe it or not. When you're having a bad day, and you need a boost, look here and re-read this blog post. I really did write it with you in mind. Hopefully, you will be reminded that you are important, and a significant part of my world. You are my friend.

Waiting for a house

So, here's the thing, we were originally supposed to close today, but now we don't know when that will happen.

There is mold in the attic of the house, and the seller is/was supposed to get it removed, cleaned, etc. Well, she got several estimates, and determined that she could not afford to pay for the work herself, so she called her insurance company to see if they would take it as a claim. She gave them the quotes, and they went out to look at it on Saturday. If they accept, we can close and move ahead. If not, she can't afford to close and get it fixed, so she will have to do a short sale, and we will basically have to go through the whole process of negotiating and buying with the bank, which could take another 30-60 days. ARGH!

This could work in our favor, because we could potentially pay less for the house, but we still have to wait up to 2 more months before we can have it, and then get the mold problem taken care of before we move in. Fortunately, we still have the lease on our apartment for 3 more months, so we won't be homeless. Unfortunately for Tony, he will have to live above his sister's garage.

Magic Music Shuffle Revisited

I did this a while back, and thought I'd try it again, just to see. Here's how it works: You put your music player (iTunes) on shuffle, and the songs are supposed to answer questions about your life. Sort of like a Magic 8 Ball. My results are as follows:

1. Will I get far in life?
Once in a Lifetime - Talking Heads
So do I only get one shot at getting far?

2. How do my friends really see me?
Mmmm Mmmm Mmmm Mmmm - Crash Test Dummies
The song name seems to indicate that I am tasty, but the lyrics could indicate that I am a misfit.

3. What is the story of my life?
Get Back - The Beatles
Well, I did sort of get back to Indiana, where I once belonged.

4. What was high school like?
Sunshine - Billy Miles
HA! High school was like sunshine? I think not.

5. How can I get ahead in life?
Hey Ya! - Outkast
So I should shake it like a Polaroid picture?

6. What is the best thing about me?
I Love the Way You Do That - Lonestar
'Nuff said. ;)

7. How is today going to be?
Sun King - The Beatles
Well it is sunny outside right now. Maybe I should go outside and work on my tan.

8. What's in store for the weekend?
Juke Box Hero - Foreigner
So should I go to a concert, buy a guitar, or just put some money in a jukebox?

9. What song describes my parents?
America - Neil Diamond
Well, they are American.

10. How is my life going?
Standing in the Shower...Thinking - Jane's Addiction
So my life is apparently in stasis.

11. What song will they play at my funeral?
Hearts & Minds - Nitzer Ebb
That would be interesting...
"You, I saw you/Could it be heart?/Could it be bone?/This body rapture/You're wrapped up tight/Your empty words/Your empty soul/You're you/I saw you/You with your heart/You with your mind/Hearts and minds/Never again/No never again/Bodies wrapped up tight /Is it tight enough for you?/Heart and bone/This could be it/This could be you/Your body jerks/Your body shakes"

12. How does the world see me?
I Think I'm Paranoid - Garbage
I do tend to overthink things, but I wouldn't say I'm paranoid.

13. Will I have a happy life?
Bullets - Bob Schneider
Hmmm. " If you got the bullets I got the time/You bring the bullets I'll bring the wine/You bring your bullets I'll bring my bat/I can tell you where it is but I can't tell you where it's at" doesn't really answer the question, unless I'm going to die of a gunshot wound.

14. Do people secretly lust after me?
The Loco Gringos Like a Party - The Reverend Horton Heat
I guess I'll take that as a yes.

15. What should I do with my life?
I Walk the Line - Johnny Cash
A reference to Paul Klee's comment that art is "taking a line for a walk"? Or will I spend my life treading a fine line between two contradictory options?

16. What is some good advice?
I Need You Tonight - INXS
"What you gonna do?/Gonna live my life." Sounds good to me.

17. What is my signature dancing song?
The Caterpillar (Flicker Mix) - The Cure
I don't think I've ever danced to it, but it does have a nifty rhythm to it.

18. What is my current theme song?
Hey You - Pink Floyd
"And the worms ate into his brain." I hate it when that happens.

19. What does everyone else think my theme song is?
You Don't Know How it Feels - Tom Petty
Well, no one really knows how it feels to be anyone else. You can try to see things from someone else's perspective, but you're always biased by your own life experiences. I don't think it's exactly a good theme song for me, but I do like it.

20. What type of men (or women) do I like?
Doin' Time - Sublime
Well, I don't think I have a preference for inmates, but I've never really thought about it. And it is summertime. If I skipped to the next song, it would have been SexyBack by Justin Timberlake, which is probably more accurate!

Well, this has been fun. If any of you want to revisit this exercise yourselves, I would be amused to read your results as well.