CliffsVic

Flute!

DogMomster — Fri, 18 May 2012 00:32:04 +0000

Just got the call from Muramatsu re the “check & advise” on my flute maintenance… it only needs “clean, oil, & adjust”, and will be ready for me to head down to Royal Oak to retrieve June 1!!!

(Hoping for a gorgeous Friday afternoon to make that trip! And my flute will be gorgeous and perfect again!)

And, the winner is…

DogMomster — Tue, 15 May 2012 23:46:12 +0000

…Friday, May 25. That’s the day that has now officially been designated as my “Say Thank You to Your Family” day.

….And I plan to do that, too

May 2012

DogMomster — Thu, 10 May 2012 23:17:40 +0000

Been having some pretty decent weather, some that hasn’t been. Probably a near-record rainfall with a recent storm (over 3.5″ overnight…) which flooded I-75, I-69, the main road north out of Grand Blanc, and another road en route to my job, but at least a detour got me there…

On the really nice days, I have been walking the dogz at least once every day. Last weekend? I think they got 3 walks each day…

Responsibilities at my job have really whomped up. Not the least of which is also the most-visible, in that we are preparing ground-breaking webinar eLearnings (at least for our company). And another is 2nd-to-most-visible (in battling out-of-control costs). Dry runs today on the first… given my complete lack of experience with presentations, I was a tad “rocky”, but if my last webinar eLearning presentation (which lasted about 10 min) can be any indication, the next Dry Run should be much better, now that I have been thru The Jitters Session. Tomorrow, I take care of some other stuff, though…

… Like taking my flute to Muramatsu (now in Royal Oak) for its “first annual” (since I bought it umpteen years ago) maintenance. BUT, since I am not a professional (in the strictest sense), my flute has had regular, but relatively light use: 2 concert tours of China, flute choir, FSWE, a round of summer band…

Weekend Update

DogMomster — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 00:14:53 +0000

Saturday was a Good Day. Mom & I road-tripped to the Partridge Creek shopping center in Clinton Twp. Stated purpose was so that I could stop in at Moosejaw and get my paws on the various styles of laptop backpacks they may have in stock. Well, they didn’t have the *women’s* style of the Nortface “Surge” backpack, but I got to compare the “men’s” style against the Patagonia and Osprey versions… and decided to order the women’s Surge to have shipped to me. I *love* going to Moosejaw stores – the staff are so great to work with. Not only that, but they always have such an enthusiastic greeting when we enter the store!

Cruised the “Sur la Table” kitchen shop for a bit – found a salt grinder and a set of colorful paring knives (Janet should be happy!)….

Lunch at P. F. Chang’s – a “Dim Sum lunch” which totally hit the spot (and brought back memories of the China Tours ).

Today? A little shredding and sorting in my home office (ugh), then met my mom at her place for the “Celebration Quintet” performance (I know 3 of the 5 members ) which was VERY enjoyable – and I’m looking forward to the FSWE performing with them next season!!

Home again… was supposed to get back to the office organizing, but the sun was beckoning, so The Dogz got their THIRD walk of the day…

Another week, another dollar

DogMomster — Sat, 21 Apr 2012 00:06:29 +0000

Projects on my buffet table:

SharePoint lesson plan development
2 Training course redesigns/updates
New: management of 3rd party vendor activity
New: administration of a certain HELP system
Continuing: manuals online updates
Ad hoc

Am I complaining? Not one bit !

Hard to believe that all those years of playing “contractor” were actually preparing me for this role. Hard to believe it TOOK all those years….

Anyway, guess where I’m going with this is: everything is a learning experience that eventually leads to something pretty cool. I think I’ve landed on a job (finally!) that fits the way my brain operates! Given I love being a “Jane of All Trades”, this turned into a sweet opportunity!

I am proud to announce that I am this girl’s Mom!

DogMomster — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 23:41:18 +0000

Val in one of her natural habitats

Please vote before Midnight PDT!!!

Thanks!

Text “play” from a couple years ago… (players’ identities incognito)

DogMomster — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 00:31:48 +0000

Player1 (Apr 2, 2010 9:39AM): What are followers supposed to do or allowed to do on “Good Friday”?
Player2: ???
Player2: Dunno. Xcept maybe go to chuch? But that is pretty much a Catholic rite
Player1: I just dont get what is so good about it
Player2: Yeah. They are celebrating Jesus’ return as a zombie?
Player1: Zombies r guud
Player1: Oh wait i get it
Player2: Tell?
Player1: Jesus comes back as a zombie. Eats people, which puts them in heaven or whatever. Because for the past 1970 years, christians have been eating the blood and body of christ. So basically, it is retribution; atheists, agnostics, hindis etc are safe.
Player1: Hindus*
Player2: Wait. Does this mean the Zombie Apocalypse will occur on some Easter Sunday? And that what the Catholics look forward to as the
Player2: Um
Player2: Ascension or whatever its called is actually them getting devoured by zombie jesus & disciples?
Player1: Yes. The rapture is actually a zombie jesus invasion.
Player2: RAPTURE! Thats it! Thx
Player1: If you think about it, they HAVE to follow jesus. Not only because it is rapture and they have followed jesus brainlessly for life, they are also more than compelled by the virus to be brainless followers.
Player2: Sooooo that means many of them are already zombies and just dont know it
Player1: They are practicing to be zombies. Symbolically. Just like they have been practicing eating people all along.
Player1: Why can’t I be the woman who tears down religion? Would that require me to make a vile full of zombie virus?
Player2: “vial”
Player1: Crap. Sorry. Just had my first sip of coffee haha. Knew something was funky.
Player2: Altho the use of the homophone “vile” makes for interesting interpretation
Player2: Lol
Player1: There will still be coffee during a zombie apocalypse….
Player2: Yup

2-’hattan night?

DogMomster — Sun, 08 Apr 2012 22:23:14 +0000

I would call this weekend a success

Beautiful weather, happy Dogz, got at least a few things accomplished over the weekend!

Lawn mower & snowblower picked up by local shop for maintenance? CHECK!

16 yd**3 of cedar mulch purchased? Check! Spread over front garden? CHECK!

Mom & I went out to supper… Check! Locally-owned restaurant: Check! Good food: CHECK!

Dogz walked? Check… check… check… CHECK!

Cars washed? Well, ok, just the Crosstour (dang, that thing’s a Beast!) – first time hand-washed, TODAY…CHECK! Windows cleaned *inside & out*! CHECK!!! . Miata? Eh, it just needs to be *dusted*, not washed. Anyway, got my mom into it, and we braved the high winds and drove through Great Lakes National Cemetery, then stopped at Columbarium A and said “HI!” to my Dad (then enjoyed the view)… CHECK!

Vacuumed… CHECK!

Laundry… CHECK!

Oooh, yum, ribs (I faked it, did them in the oven)… CHECK!

‘Hattan? CHECK! and CHECK!

Miata!!!

DogMomster — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 22:38:27 +0000

The Miata has officially been revived from its winter slumber. It may be a bit dusty, but it started right up (yeah, smelling a bit of Sta-Bil). Fired up the air compressor (flipping a breaker after it ran briefly…but more than enough to do the job) and got the tires up to 26 psi. Its first duty on the road? PIZZA! (Of the Benito’s “BBQ Chicken” type, size: Medium).

Next? It needs an oil change at some point plus a top-up of ye olde gasoline. OH YEAH! And a car washing (as does the Crosstour)… if the weather is nice tomorrow…. Hmmmm!

Breathe….

DogMomster — Sun, 01 Apr 2012 00:23:29 +0000

Trip to El Paso & Chico: SUCCESS! Lotsa photos (will I ever get them uploaded?)

First week back to work: DONE (albeit with a diagnosis of an ear infection mid-week – one of those weird ones that didn’t really hurt, just felt like a plugged ear…. ignored until the eye on same side as plugged ear flared up bright red… OK time to get to a doctor)

Weekend: TAXES COMPLETED AND SUBMITTED! Whew!

****************

Took advantage of the girls having back-to-back Spring Breaks to visit them in their CURRENT Natural Habitats.

Val in El Paso – got to meet her new hyper home companion, Tuck-the-formerly-stray-kitten. What a sweetie, and he sure knows he’s one lucky kitten (and has decided he rules the roost now…). He’s a snuggler AND!!! I’m not allergic to him!! Val took me around the area a bit (no, we did NOT cross into Mexico – while El Paso is truly SAFE, Ciudad Juarez is NOT). UTEP (University of Texas at El Paso) is a beautiful campus, done in a Tibetan style (which looks almost Southwestern…). Amazing how the campus has been integrated into the landscape (the Sun Bowl is actually part of the Franklin foothills). I’d been to El Paso some years ago… seems busier now, but it is still a beautiful area. We made a couple of trips into New Mexico (Kilbourne Hole for a geological tour one day, Las Cruces for the city market the next [yummy chipotle-corn muffins, green chile/cheese bread, a lovely turquoise/aqua terra necklace, and great weather]).
Janet in Chico, CA – California apartments are *different*: heat and cooling in only ONE room! So… it’s BRRRR in the bathroom in the morning! Walked to/through campus and downtown a couple times, enjoyed local coffee houses and cuisine, outfitted Janet with food & a new floor lamp…. Then we drove to Berkeley to see my cousin, his fiancee, and his mom and her significant other. Almost gave up on that only because we almost didn’t find a parking space! (We did find one.) Short visit, went and got lunch, then to Starbucks for internet for Janet to do homework for a bit. Then to San Leandro, checked into the Mariner Inn, located my old college friend’s business & got reacquainted, we all went out for Vietnamese, then said good-byes, back to the hotel, slept, up at 4:00AM, and Janet dropped me at the Oakland Airport (just a couple miles away) and took herself home.

Glad I made that trip! Saw things I otherwise would not have, enjoyed the time with The Girlz, met my “grandcat” Tuck, got to see a cousin & aunt I hadn’t seen since my pre-teen years, and… and… and…!!!