The Cornfields of Idaho

So I'm still waiting to be assigned a new work project and begin traveling. About 2 weeks ago my supervisor informed me that she had found a study for me to work on, a study related to constipation. Not exactly infectious diseases, but more interesting than cardiology. I'll take it.

She also informed me that I would be monitoring sites in Washington, Montana, Nebraska, and Iowa. Nebraska and Iowa??? Those are kind of ... far away from Oregon (considering that we are supposed to be regional monitors. In the past, I never had to go further than Denver or Phoenix, although once I went to Houston, but that was a special circumstance and not my assigned site).

Then last week I got to talk with the director of the project. She informed me that I would be traveling to Washington, Montana and Idaho for the project. Seems that my supervisor, who lives and works in New Jersey, confused Iowa for Idaho. Because you know, all those western states are way out there and the same, even if it is at least 2 hours of additional flight time between Idaho and Iowa. Sheesh. The project director didn't know anything about Nebraska.

So I am relieved. I was not exactly looking forward to flights all the way out to Iowa, especially in the winter time.

Speaking of winter time, when I went shopping for new work clothes I thought that I was going to be going to California for work. So I brought warm-weather clothes. I don't think that will work for Washington, Montana, and Idaho in the winter time!! It's a good thing I didn't remove the tags and still have the receipt.

Where were you?

September 11, 2001. I was at work in Beaverton, Oregon that morning when I noticed that people were crowding into one of the small conference rooms that had a TV. Upon investigating, my boss told me what was happening. It was too horrible to comprehend right away.

At the same time, the building was getting a new tar roof, and the smell was seriously bothering me, giving me a bad headache. I asked to leave and work from home and was reluctantly given permission (chemical sensitivities were still a relatively unknown phenomenon back then, even though I obviously had it, thus it was hard to get people to take it seriously sometimes).

I went home and turned on the TV. And just remember sitting in shock all day. And crying.

Luckily later I found out that a childhood friend survived. He worked in one of the two towers and usually took the subway to work. However, because it was such a beautiful day, he decided to walk instead. He was almost there when the destruction began, and then he got away. He wouldn't have survived had he taken the subway.

I remember my mom saying to me that everyone remembers where they were the day JFK was shot. 9/11 is this generation's equivalent of that. Where were you?

Secret Crush

Mrs. G over on Derfwad Manor talks about her secret boyfriends. I don't have any secret boyfriends. Crushes on unattainable males have never been my thing. Ever.

So I find it very strange that I have a crush on Angelina Jolie. This infatuation started when I happened to be watching TV and saw Tomb Raider. For about 8 years now I've thought she was the most beautiful woman and I would love to have dinner with her. With both of us wearing tight-fitting, beautiful dresses.

Then I watched Mr. and Mrs. Smith. I was in heaven.

This crush caused me to do something I've never done before. I brought a copy of People magazine.

Photos of Angelina plus gorgeous husband plus beautiful kids? Drool.

Who do you have a crush on? :)

To Honor and Respect...

We went to a wedding this past weekend. The ceremony was truly wonderful and lovely. The reception? Not so much.

It is not a good idea for the best man, during his toast, to talk about how the groom dated many, many women during college and how once, right after a break-up, told his friend that he could not be alone, but he needed to have a woman to be with.

And it is not a great idea for the maid of honor (who was also the bride's sister) to explain how the bride brought many, many men home, until one finally stayed.


It would be nice to go back in time and give the reception a big dose of tact.

Political Brain Teaser

A few days ago we had a small dinner party with another couple that we know well and love. We started discussing politics, our favorite topic, and talked about McCain's recent vice presidential pick, Palin. It was decided, before we really began discussing her in earnest, to each use a few words to describe our opinion of this pick.

My description?

"A Vagina for the Republican Party."

That can be interpreted in many ways. Enjoy thinking about it ;)

Oh the Irony!

My family has a long tradition of us all gathering at my parent's house, with their 7-8 foot tall perfectly decorated Christmas tree and living room for Christmas morning.

(Yes, the tree is always perfect. My parents will spend up to an hour at the tree lot looking for the one that satisfies all their criteria. Noble fir? Check. Branches not spaced too close or too far from each other? Check. 7-8 feet tall? Check. Enough of a crown at the top? Check. Then my mother will literally spend a few hours carefully wrapping the lights around the branches of the tree so that you can't see the wires at all. It is really amazing and beautiful. I am both in awe of it while at the same time wanting to roll my eyes.)

Around the tree will be presents. Lots of presents. It's rather ridiculous, the amount of presents there are. And they will be divided into piles for each person, because it got too hard to search among the many boxes for a present for each person -- we take turns opening presents, going around in whatever circle we've happened to arrange ourselves in that year. So all the presents are in piles according to the "to:" name on the tag.

Every year I spend plus or minus 2 months agonizing over Christmas presents. Making sure that I have spent an equal amount of money on each person, picked just the right present(s) for each person, etc. Painful, really. Not to mention that I feel pained when looking at my bank statement.

So last year we all said, "let's ditch this and just go to a sunny place for Christmas!" Whoo! So we're going to Cabo, Mexico this year. Pretty cool. I think we're bringing our stockings, though, and just doing very small presents in our stockings. (Which will be cool and interesting -- the stockings are my favorite part of the whole Christmas ordeal, particularly seeing what pratical, functional item my mother has decided we all need that year. One year it was Sharpie pens in various colors. Another year it was toothbrushes. Last year it was Tide stain remover pens.)

Last year I was struggling to figure out how to make my gift-giving more environmentally friendly. I was still feeling a bit new and overwhelmed when it came to the eco-scene. I did manage to wrap all the presents in paper that I had leftover from previous Christmases, so that was good. I did a few other things along those lines.

But this year I am eco-chick! I have lots and lots of ideas for green gift giving. And we're not doing presents this year. Pout. I have some ideas for the stockings such as these cool things, but I guess I don't get to play jolly green Santa this year.


P.S. My friend just wrote a great blog post on ditching disposables! She a lot of the products she mentions comes from Zola Goods, for which I am an Independant Coordinator. Whoohoo!

Lament

Where have all the bloggers gone?
Long time passing
Where have all the bloggers gone?
No see them anymore
Where have all the bloggers gone?
Real life claimed them every one
When will they comment again?
When will they comment again?