Playing Hooky

It's Friday afternoon and I have the blahs. There's work to do - a sign to finish, website graphics to create, low voltage lighting to wire up, paperwork to file, a dog to walk - and I don't want to do any of it. So the most logical thing to do is go to the movies.

We haven't seen Avatar and everyone tells me that it should be seen on the big screen instead of waiting for it on Netflix. The tickets have been purchased (love on line ticketing) and we both managed to get dressed. I have to keep the momentum going long enough for us to actually leave the house, get in the car and drive the 2 miles to the theater.

In the mean time, I continue to avoid real work by updating this poor neglected blog.


While I'm off to the movies, you can check out my friend Emily Weil's awesome art. Tell her I sent you. (I'm sucking up in hopes of getting another one of her paintings)

Yay!! SARK's new book arrived!

Juicy Pens Thirsty Paper arrived on my doorstep yesterday evening. I got the package open but all I managed to do was admire the cover art until just about 10 minutes ago.

In spite of giving us the night off by leaving a display of hearts and stars to languish an extra night I still ended up staying up until 2:00 am watching the men's all-round gymnastics competition. Then it was up at 5:30am so I could wash down enough coffee to let me make it to the golf course safely by 6:30. This is the first time all year that my golf buddies and I didn't put the first footprints on the dewy greens. One twosome ahead of us - hmmph! I played pretty good (for me) although my putter wasn't overly cooperative. We finished just in time to make it to the WBE networking meeting.

After the meeting, it was back to the warehouse to change vehicles, pick up DBFA and head up the hill to retrieve the delayed display. Then down the hill with a stop at the grocery store and then back home again. Put away the groceries, sort through the mail and (TMI moment coming) I had a chance to grab the book and spend a few minutes reading in the bathroom. I am going to love it.

How can anyone resist the colors, the open style and pure flowing joy on every page. It's even fun to read the table of contents. Now I have to put it down, finish this post, eat my lunch salad (with walnuts, almonds and craisins - yum!) and get myself down to the shop to finish painting the last of four 190" long banners for the Santa Cruz Port District. Work before pleasure. Not really, work is a pleasure but I have a new book and I want to play with that.

Anticipation

Yesterday I received the notification that my copy of Sark's newest book, Juicy Pens Thirsty Paper is finally on its way. I'm so excited to be getting my hands on her latest outpouring of colorful optimism. Once I have it in my hands I'm sure you'll notice that my posts get more colorful and less structured. Left to my own devices, I suffer from a low grade fever of perfectionism. Sark is the perfect cure.

Flamingess in the Media

I was on TV last night!!!

Yesterday the Department of Labor Statistics released a report revealing that women have finally achieved equality with men in one aspect of the work world - "For the first time in decades, the percentage of women with jobs has fallen as the economy falters. A new congressional study found that women are equal victims in the poor economy." Not exactly the job equallity we've been working for, is it?

So why did this get me on TV? Channel 2 (KTVU) news was looking around for business women to interview and found the East Bay Women's Network (EBWN) website. The researcher called the President first but she didn't answer the phone. Second person on the list, the Vice President (me). I answered the phone. A quick phone chat and then it was, "Can we interview you ?" "If I can find a camera, we'll be there in half an hour." Keep in mind, I had been up for all of 10 minutes (I work nights, remember?) . I'm slumped in a chair at the table with my first cup of coffee in hand, teeth unbrushed, bed hair and a day or two past my best bathed by date. 20 minutes later I am opening the warehouse, dressed, showered, gargled and shampooed. Another miracle.

Watch the segment here.
OAKLAND: Rita Williams Reports On Women Dealing With Wage Decline In Poor Economy

Every Night Geraldine

A couple of months ago DBFA and I decided we'd been without a dog for long enough. The cat wasn't in agreement but he was outvoted. DBFA has been hinting about for a mastiff for ages but I wasn't too crazy about sharing our small living quarters with a creature who could coat the walls and ceiling in dog drool with one shake of its head. I hit the internet and found the perfect dog at the Berkeley Animal Shelter . Mastiff - check. Small mastiff (Cane Corso) - check. Non-drooling mastiff - double check! The next day Geraldine moved in (and the cat moved to the warehouse, big sissy!). This morning she demonstrated that she is finally totally at home. We were out on a longer than usual delivery run and when we got home she completely ignored us both. No greeting from the top of the stairs, she didn't even get off the bed to acknowledge our return. We'd been gone too long as far as she was concerned so she treated us to a serious sulk. There's no room for her to ride along while we work, and she's way too big to sit in my lap. I may have to start leaving DBFA home - he doesn't sulk anywhere near as well as Geraldine does.