flashback, or Flashdance

1987 fashion for pre-teens at 2012 pricing for grown-ups!

Making these was an all-consuming hobby when I was a kid.

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biweekly

you said biweekly

did you mean twice a week or...

every fortnightly?

Liberals have their #occupy movement.
I have my Let's-Make-This-A-Word movement for my invention: fortnightly. Jump on the bandwagon! Everyone's doing it! Hashtag the heck out of #fortnightly and make Merriam-Webster take notice!

the word 'fortnightly' makes me think of him

present and past tenses

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funemployment 2012

(check back often - I'll be updating with my unadventures throughout the weekend)

I like to think my ex-Epic friends actually made up the word funemployment. If they didn't, they at least perfected the hell out of it, taking luxurious trips abroad to spend months discovering Australia, leasing condos on the beach to practice yoga in the sun, and skiing their way around the Alps. One particularly brilliant friend took a year to travel the entire world and write a book about her adventures. (Buy it on Amazon if you know what's good for you.)

Between my Epic job and the one I just left, I enjoyed a two-week period of funemployment. During that time, I went to lunch with friends (where I drank beer because I didn't have to go back to work after the meal), painted my fingernails, conducted a few phone and in-person interviews, and settled on a new job. It was nice, really nice. A quiet break from what had been a very hectic schedule of long working hours and travel.

This time around, because of my client's need for immediate help on their project, I have only two days of funemployment. That's right, Friday afternoon to Sunday afternoon. And I plan to make the least of it.

friday

2:00p I left work (admittedly early, but not because I was trying to short-change anyone; my boss came around at noon and was all, "You're still here?") and drove home in the snow. Because of the weather, a number of my colleagues spent the day working from home so the planned celebratory happy hour will take place next week. Funemployment extension!

I love beer, and the moustache app.

3:00 I arrived at home. The drive was tedious and a little nerve-wracking. I'm not worried about ME in the snow, but distracted or inexperienced drivers can just as easily cause an accident in that kind of weather. It was a balmy 58 degrees in my apartment so I finally turned on the heat - for the first time since moving in last October. I spent a couple hours on the couch watching vapid, worthless television. (Thanks, Bravo TV!)

6:00 I migrated to my bedroom to draw and watch Psych on Hulu+. If you ever questioned my adoration for addiction to coffee, just know this: The two floor plans I drew last night both contain a coffee bar in the master bedroom. Good stuff.

saturday

7:30 Heaven forbid I ever sleep in. Both Monkey and George were resting quietly, but the thought of coffee -- ok, the unbridled enthusiasm I experience when thinking about coffee -- got me out of bed. I put on a pot and while it brewed I took Monkey down to the park to play in the snow. It is COLD out there, friends.

8:30 I made eggs and toast and drank coffee while catching up on some Words with Friends games. Serious. What did I do with my mornings before WWF? Read the news, I suppose. Meh - I do that five days a week.

9:30 Time to head out to scrape my car and let it warm up before driving to the gym for a swim with my friend and workout buddy, Carissa. This is a typical Saturday morning ritual through winter for us, and mostly it's an opportunity to gossip. Maybe I'll stop at Starbucks; it's on the way to the gym.

1:00 The pool was great. Thanks to sunny skies, the space felt bright and warm which was a relief compared to the 4 degree temperature outside. We gabbed and chatted and generally enjoyed one another's company for an hour while also getting in a good workout.

That's me on the left.

I had a delicious PB&J sandwich and lime La Croix and watched a few minutes of the Australian Open with my roommate. Now I'm back in my bedroom and preparing to play with my Legos. Consider it research for the floor plans I draw, not unlike when I watch The Cooking Channel for my food blog.

Pick up the giant Ball jar for $15 at Target. Have your friend's 12-year-old son independently choose to buy you a set of pink Legos for Christmas.

9:30 I woke up in bed after having dozed off while watching X Files. Excellent. Back to sleep!

sunday

8:00 Coffee and breakfast are done, and I started a couple new games of Words with Friends. I retrieved the carry-on suitcase from storage and have finished a couple loads of laundry. Saved by the Bell - Hawaii is on, so I'll probably catch another episode of that before turning a couple piles of stuff into a manageable bag for the road.



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new year, new job

I definitely loved that job, and especially the people with whom I had the very good fortune to work. I grew to enjoy the challenging and technical nature of the projects that stretched my knowledge to the limit. My boss, who I'm proud to call a friend, served as a wonderful mentor.

My coworkers never failed to show dedication and a remarkable team spirit. Or, as I often said, "Ride together, die together."

Nevertheless, the time was right to move on. The new gig starts first thing Monday morning.

Do I feel ready? No.

Does that bother me? Meh, a little bit.

Will I be successful? I sure as hell hope so!

sconnied pieces!

The view of our parking lot shows some very well-Sconnie pieces. Nice job, everyone!








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sconnie that piece

The way my fellow cheeseheads have been freaking out about the approaching storm...

... you'd think we all grew up in the mid-Atlantic or something. I can say from first-hand experience that those Marylanders know how to have a good forecast-induced panic attack. It borders on entertaining, actually. See a snow storm coming? People buy all the bottled water and nonperishable foods from store shelves. All businesses and schools close. And the government too.

But I digress. Here in the upper Midwest we have seen not ONE flurry of snow all winter, which is highly unusual and a little disconcerting, but not entirely unwelcome. I personally didn't mind wearing flip-flops to walk the dog as recently as, oh, Tuesday.

But I digress again. Whether it's the first or last snowfall of the season, we all (should) take steps to prepare for the weather. Let's talk about the car.

In the words of my friend Luke, when you park your vehicle on the eve of impending snow storms, Sconnie that piece* following these simple instructions:

• Leave your heater dials set to blast and the AC turned on. That's right, I said AC. Did you know AC doesn't stand for "Air Cold"? I learned this little trick from my dad, and he's sometimes often usually always right: Your AC will actually work in conjunction with your heater to remove moisture from the air and prevent windows from fogging up.

• Raise your windshield wipers so they don't get ice-crusted and/or stuck to the windshield

OOOOHH YEAH! Snow- and ice-free and ready to do their jobs!

• Put your scraper on the driver's side floor so you can grab it quickly when you crawl in to start the car and turn on the heater

Do not adjust your TV. Those white streaks are falling snow flakes.

• Back into your parking space so you can reach the windshield and easily pull out of the space

See how easily he will be able to pull forward?

Of course, make sure your gas tank is never below half and your wiper fluid is full. Keep emergency supplies on the back seat and your cell phone fully charged. Blibsy blabs.

* In the event this phrase requires explanation... which I hope it doesn't... Sconnie = Wisconsin (a typically snowy place). Piece = your auto. Hencetoforth, Sconnying that piece means preparing your car for snow.