Because I’m sleep-deprived, that’s why.

1. Mindless pop. Oh sure, give me fluffy pop songs, but at least make the lyrics semi-interesting.
2. People who avoid eye contact instead of saying “hello.”
3. The smell of laundry detergent and especially softener. It gives me migraines.
4. Cat hair.
5. Poorly designed web retail sites.
6. A profound moment in a movie ruined by the characters stating the obvious, as the writers were worried we hoi polloi are too stupid to understand symbolism.
7. People who are so caught up in their beliefs that they don’t see that other opinions may also be valid.
8. Wasted energy (enormous trucks that never haul anything, house uplights all night)
9. White Zinfandel’s very existence.
10. Dirty shoes on clean floors.

On Saturday, my niece had her first communion.  It was her first opportunity to take the body and blood of Christ- amazing, profound, and spiritual all at once.  It’s one of our culture’s rites of passage, and she’s the first person I’ve known since birth to go through the ritual.

It was also fun to see the kids in all their best clothes- navy blazers and little ties on the boys; white dresses and veils on the girls.  Each child had their own unique style and it is very interesting to see how kids take a “dress code” and make it their own.  As I looked at the group, I noticed one little girl with snaggly teeth, glasses, and slightly unkempt hair.  I felt a surge of emotion: about 25 years ago, that kid was I.

I was horribly uncool, with big buck teeth, 1980s glasses, and hair that my mom and sister had feathered (they were trying to make me feel special- but I didn’t like it).  I was definitely not the in-crowd kid.  I was teased a lot and it was very hard.  It started when I was about eight and in tennis lessons.  I was shy because of my new glasses, plus uncoordinated and left-handed in a class of all right-handed kids.  One of the girls in my tennis class told everyone I was retarded and they believed her.  All different kinds of teasing lasted for years; I went through most of sixth grade crying myself to sleep.

I feel that those hard years have made me a nicer person.  I have compassion for lots of people, even those whom I don’t understand.  I developed lots of hobbies and my family let me blossom and encouraged me to be myself.  I also know that being a nerd led me to my career path which, as my faithful readers know, I love.

When I saw that little girl, tears came out of my eyes as I felt complete empathy for her.  I wanted to hug her and tell her she was beautiful and special in her own way, and that someday she’d be glad she was the smart, nerdy kid. 

Then the hormones totally hit.  I realized that I’m going to have one of those: my little girl will most certainly need glasses, and considering her dad’s an engineer and her mom’s a chemist, I’m guessing the Nerd potential is high too.  Suddenly, my face was covered in tears.  Being that kid- that shy, strange, nice little kid- is not easy, and there is no way to protect her from it.  I guess all I can do is love her.

No, not a semi-crummy Jackie Chan movie…

Hi.  I am the admin of this website, and I still exist!  Very busy, but still in existence.  Fear not, my adoring public: more posts to follow!

I love my new job!

I’m at a conference with a bunch of smart people who are brainstorming a bunch of smart ideas.  There is something about being in a roomful of people who are all trying to make the right decisions.  It’s very inspiring.

Now, to make the rubber meet the road…

I love my new job!

I’ve said before that I work for a great company.  Oh sure, there are bad days, but I always wanted to work here and it has been the best place I’ve ever worked.  I believe in the nobility of our mission and the urgency to do more to help the patients who depend on us.

I don’t even know where to start, so I’ll begin at the end: I just earned a big promotion.

I will be working with a totally new group of people.  These are the kind of professionals from which one learns by example, by conversation, by everything.  I will be reporting to a woman who has been an inspiration to me since – literally – the first day I worked here.

My office is moving downtown, and I will dearly miss my current coworkers.  But this is the opportunity I have worked my whole career to earn. 

I’m so excited I could pop.

Went to a memorial today.  While I don’t think anyone finds these things fun, it was especially hard because it affected Carlton.

I don’t have much to say, but just felt like I should write something.  Today wasn’t a barrel of laughs, I didn’t feel well, and it’s all a little icky.
Good night.

Carlton’s stepdad passed away today. He’s been in Carlton’s life for over twenty years, so it’s hard to say goodbye. Carlton’s mom has been preparing for this- her husband has been ill for quite some time. But nothing ever really prepares one for the end.

As a group of friends and family held hands to say the Lord’s Prayer with him, he breathed with difficulty. Right after the group said “amen,” he coughed his last breath and passed away among a group of people who loved him.

As he was carried from his room to the hearse, snowflakes gently fell on the cloth covering him. He loved the snow. It’s quite fitting he feel the snowfall one last time on this earth.

So goodbye, and this picture is for you.

As winter storms have gripped much of the midwest, my little corner of the world is faring well. It’s not a Nor’easter, but it’s a lot of snow for Hoosiers unaccustomed to more than a couple of inches every once in a while.

The snow alternated with freezing rain. Coupled with frequent plowing, a three and a half foot wall of ice blocked the end of the driveway. Luckily I had the forethought to bring work home with me and was able to accomplish some stuff.

Just as the fun, cozy feeling of being snowed in was transitioning to cabin fever, the doorbell rang and we were rescued by a couple of guys making a killing with their Bobcat. Please note in the picture to the right that the neighbors across the street were unable to ram through the snow/ice wall…with their minivan. You can see how far the vehicle went. Uh, I guess that thing isn’t AWD, folks.

The snow is glittering beautifully in the sun. It sure is pretty…from INDOORS.

What a total jerk.