Archive for December 25-31, 2000Musings of My Mind
Sunday, December 31, 2000
New Years Eve, 2000
Its the last day of another year-- Just like last year, it'll take me six (or more) months to get used to typing 2-0-0-1 and, just about the time I get used to it, I'll be getting out the Christmas decorations to wind down another year.
A lot has happened in this year:
In the beginning part of the year, we lost two wonderful, warm and loving grandparents-- those were hard losses for both of us: Brian for the years that he knew and loved them and for me for the short period of time that I had a chance to be with them.
My Husband has co-authored a book-- if you'd have told me three years ago that I would meet and marry a computer book author, I'd've told you to either stop smokin' it or share it!! I've found out that my husband is even more multi-talented than I thought him to be originally. Oh, yeah-- BIG Yupper-Doodles, I definitely chose and married "The Right Guy". Above and beyond that however, even if he never had been a published author, I know that he is the Best Man that I have ever had the privilege to know in my life. I am even made more happy by the fact that he will be sharing life with me for many years to come.
I lost a cherished uncle but found the treasured friendship in a cousin I hadn't heard from in several years. We know that our parents are sitting up in heaven scoffing at us for taking so long to "come around to the idea" of being friends, in addition to being "related". As a bonus, another cousin has become a friend as well-- her mother has joined our parents in the tongue-clucking that is typical of our ancestors.
I've become part of a group of women who have a lot in common in many respects and, still we are all unique and different. I've "met" a couple of them this year and will probably meet a couple more in 2001; hopefully, in 2002, as we set our vacationing sites on Europe, we'll meet a couple more. In these women, I have found another meaning to the word "family" through their friendship.
So while it is typical to get sappy at this time of year, I just wanted to say "Thank You" to each and everyone of you who have been so special to me. "Thank You" hardly seems to say it completely but it is the best I can do to express my gratitude for your friendship, caring, companionship, and compassion.
Have a Happy and Safe
New Year's Eve Celebration!!
Saturday, December 30, 2000All Gone!
Our tree is down!! All of the Christmas decorations have been neatly re-sorted and put away . . . Brian has actually managed to find a way to put up some of the ornament-making boxes in the same cupboard as the Christmas tree and decorations!! WOW!! I don't even dare go to the garage to look-- that's just too scary!
Welcome!
As I understand it, my cousin Barb went over to her brother's house tonight and introduced him to our websites-- so welcome, cousin Bob!! Long time no see!! Although Shirley, their middle sibling was able to make it this summer to the Family Reunion when we were in Michigan, Bob was not able to attend and was sorely missed! Maybe at some point I'll hear from him along the way before Barb comes out for a visit. She's promising a visit in October or so along with my other cousin, Cherie! Rumor has it that a Canadian or four might show up in 2001 as well-- We're going to have a pretty busy tourist spot in Sunnyvale one of these days!!
Driving Miss Marcia
This afternoon, I got to drive the Benz without Brian in the car. I'm sure, although he'll never admit it, he was probably waiting for me to come home by chomping on the door handle but, I made it. I did the logical thing however: since I went to the grocery store and had to call him to help me carry things upstairs, I got in the car and then called him before starting out to drive. I wasn't going to try to dial and drive and shift and talk all at the same time-- even I am not that good!!
Speaking of cars, we actually had a phone call and test drive on the Cavalier today-- pretty exciting stuff. It was seen by a father and his daughter in her late teens or early twenties-- they may be back as they were quite smitten. We'll have to see.
I guess that's it for tonight-- a bit of a short post but, it has been a long day.
Have a nice evening!
Friday, December 29, 2000Its Done!!
Wow! That's it!! The end of another fiscal year and we all survived!! Its amazing, isn't it? We had fun along the way and it has been an interesting year!! A very interesting year!!!
All of the deals that I've been working on at the last minute, there were three, have been moved into next year because of the customer needing to consult with people who are out of the office for the holidays. That's the problem with ending the fiscal year around the holidays-- there's no one around to finish out deals half the time.
Recuperation
This weekend, I'll be doing some major R&R time-- we're going to go see a movie this weekend (something that WE haven't done in awhile) and meet my sister for brunch on Sunday. I've got some crafts I'm thinking of starting but, not until after I take the tree down and pack the decorations. In some ways, I start getting as anxious to get them down as I did to put them up!
While I will begin my recuperation, Brian's gotta do the other car this weekend yet-- did you see what he did to our "old" car?? Its gorgeous!! He worked really hard on it this afternoon!! We want to have the Mercedes Benz look as good, if not better. Maybe I'll help him even though I'm sure I'd end up being in the way more than anything else!
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That said, there's not much to report-- had a kinda uneventful day for a change . . . ;>)
Have a nice evening!
Thursday, December 28, 2000Long Day
My day has been very, very, VERY long-- Brian just heard one version that can't be repeated but, rest assured, it is customer negotiator related and nothing more. The woman I'm dealing with is not bright, to say the least. She's done a really good job of raising red warning flags and setting off a bunch of bells and whistles during this negotiation.
The worst part is, she doesn't have a clue about the software (our toolkit) and only understands main frame stuff so, whenever she asks a question, it is a question related to a software application on a main frame. As an example, her question was: "So, if we were to front-end your software on one of our applications . . . ". Well, between the sales rep and I, we cleared that one up immediately: The software is a toolkit. Toolkits do not get front-ended, embedded or otherwise incorporated into a software application. In our case, we test the application once they get all of the other vendors' stuff included in the application but, that's it!! We have had at least three other conversations with her so for her to ask this question NOW was a further example to her stupidity-- she still doesn't understand the product!!
The deal isn't going to happen this year but it will happen-- she'll be out next week and I'll be glad. I will have a week where I don't have to have another 2-hour-plus phone call with her. The scary part? This hasn't gone to their legal people yet; that could be good or bad, but I'm betting that they'll understand it quicker than she has after more than six hours on the phone!!
It Got Better
From there, my day went up-hill-- well, it couldn't get any worse!! We had our staff meeting and then we all went out to lunch. I think we've finalized the contract for Mr. 46-Points but that'll remain to be seen tomorrow. Its another one that doesn't have to be done this year but it would be nice to get it out of the way.
At the end of the day, literally, the COO announced that he was taking our department to lunch next week-- that's nice and rare, let me tell you. To my knowledge, he hasn't taken full departments out to lunch-- pretty cool!!
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While this is early for me, I'm beat so I'm going to take it easy for the rest of the night. "Whose Line Is It Anyway?" is on and I just gotta hope that it isn't a re-run-- I need the laughs!
Have a nice evening everyone!
Wednesday, December 27, 2000Christmas Pictures are Up!!
Go enjoy the pictures . . . and then come back and finish reading-- I'll be here.
She's Back!!
Not with a vengeance, however, since vengeance is just not in her nature!! Welcome back, Leah!!! (And welcome, also, to "Thumper" her newest companion in the wild prairie north!) We've missed ya, kiddo!! Glad to have you back amongst the wired!!
Work is . . .
. . . Work. As well it should be, eh? Interesting-- this one customer, who shall remain nameless, has decided that if she repeatedly asks for the same stuff over and over again, we'll eventually cave in. The problem with that theory is that the stuff that she's asking for we really cannot cave in on so... she's the one who is left in the lurch. The pricing that she gets now (which is very, VERY low by compis arison) going to go away as of Friday. She knows that but, for some reason is continuing to insist on things we can't give her like a one-year warranty-- nope, ain't gonna happen.
Talk about a weird reputation though: The country manager has asked me to handle the call, although he and the sales rep will be on the call, because he says that I'm "assertive enough to handle her". What? Me???? Assertive???? Oh, yeah, that's one of those words that define "Triple-A Personality" among the others being "Abrasive" and "Agressive". You'd never know it by reading these pages, would you? Obviously, I am one of many Aquarians with a multiple personality disorder-- makes life interesting though, doesn't it, honey?
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Thankfully, I wrote part of this post during the day-- and aren't we glad I did? If not, these two lines would be the most you'd be getting from me!!
Not really because I've also spent the last hour putting together the Christmas Pictures page!! Go and look at the pictures-- admittedly, the pictures are all of Alexandra and Robert but, as I've said many times over the past few weeks, Christmas is about kids and it is so wonderful to see them enjoy Christmas with soooo much enthusiasm!!
Have a nice evening-- I'm off to PBS, San Jose style.
Tuesday, December 26, 2000Short Stuff!
For good reason though: I need to work on the pictures from Christmas Day at Brian's parents' house. Man, we took a lot of pictures and I have to format them so I'm going to keep this short and move on to hopefully being able to publish them tomorrow!
Okay, dinner with my sister, Nancy, didn't happen. She has a cold so we'll have to reschedule to either Sunday or the 5th of Never-On-This-Trip. Can't be helped-- my schedule for the week is going to be wild so we'll have to see how it goes.
Brian should have a picture of one of our Christmas presents soon (if not already). Nice gift!! Certainly the nicest I've ever received from an "in-law"!!
We went to re-size the ring that Brian gave me for Christmas and on the way down, discovered that I didn't need to have it re-sized afterall! Pretty cool? You bet!! Also, tried to buy some after-Christmas-sale stuff but nothing jumped out at us except some jeans for Brian. Good deal on Levi's-- the only kind he'll wear.
Tomorrow, I'll make this up to you-- I hope.
Have a nice evening!!
Monday, December 25, 2000
Merry Christmas!!!Quick Update
I hope everyone is having a wonderful Christmas!! We opened our gifts last night because we are going to be going to the in-laws today to share more family fun with Alexandra and Robbie!! Can't wait, of course!! I'm really excited about seeing them-- Christmas is made for children and the children inside all of us.
Paradise
Remember how I'm always telling you that we live in Paradise? Well, now that we have the "Blue Bird of Paradise" living with us, we have confirmation-- California is Paradise, or at least my little corner of Sunnyvale, California is Paradise,
due in part-- a very large part-- to my wonderful husband. (More about Blue Bird another time, BTW-- there's a lot more to that story.)
Despite his best efforts of attempting to be a "Grinch", it didn't work because he sat here eagerly watching me open a couple of my gifts to see if he was going to make me cry, which, I should point out that as hard as I tried, he did succeed at again. If he were truly a Grinch, would he be able to succeed at that or, would he even care? I think not!!
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Have a wonderful and safe and most of all MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!
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