It's All About Me

books

Well, I didn't get around to reading my book at all today during lunch. Instead, I went shopping for a New Year's Eve party I probably will spend an hour at (though, who knows, maybe a little more) and I got caught up on reading some blogs. So much for starting the new with fresh new books. Would this book count as the first book though I started reading it in 2007? I'm going to say yes because I just know that this one book is going to make it so I reach 52 books...yeah, I'm sure it will. ;-D

New Cell Phone

Ally will be happy to know that I was looking at Verizon's website in order to pick out a new cell phone (my current one sucks so badly - I've had it for at least 3, maybe 4, years). I narrowed it down to three choices. One of which I think would be cool to have, but seriously do I need to spend $80 on a new cell phone just because it looks spiffy and has a touch screen? Probably not, especially since I have a lot of other bigger expenses and I just need a phone to work properly. O.K. the Voyager looks spiffy too, but it's $299! I know I really don't need that one.

The other two I was looking at are $9.99 for the RAZR or $19.99 for the Motokrzr. I think I'm leaning toward the latter in "fire". I was all set to go ahead and order it, but their website isn't working properly and won't let me access my account to order it through there. UGH! I'll try again later, but I will order a new phone.

52 book challenge

I'm going to attempt to do the 52 book challenge. It will be difficult seeing as so far since the babies have arrived, I've managed to read (almost) 3 books or maybe 4. I've lost track.

If I make myself read in the vanpool and maybe during my lunch break (though I really need to start working out during my lunch break), I might be able to do it. I'm trying to finish the book I'm reading now so I can start the new year with all new books (but I've got about 100 pages left to go and there is no vanpool tomorrow).

Maybe I should do what Jon is doing - 1 book every pay period (which for me would be 26 books - for him 24). That might be more feasible - I'll see how things go.

Pictures!

Pictures of our Christmas and of Benjamin & Ella's first taste of solids (plus more) are now on my flickr page.

News

There's a couple news stories that have captured my attention today -

The assassination of Benazir Bhutto and the murders of 6 people here in WA.

Both stories tell of something awful that happened. Not only did Bhutto die, a woman fighting for democracy, but several others died as well at a rally Bhutto was speaking at.

2 of the people killed in WA were children - now that I have children - hearing things like this just saddens me more than before. I just cannot imagine losing my children. My sister told me about a schoolmate of my niece who was killed by a drunk driver over the weekend. Then I read a story about a little girl who died riding her brand new Christmas bike. I really should stop reading the news - it just depresses me.

With the 6 people murdered in WA, they arrested the daughter of two of the victims and the daughter's boyfriend. I just don't understand.

Question

I was talking to a coworker about the fact that I will be docked vacation and sick time due to my maternity leave. I normally get 3 weeks vacation and 6 sick days per year, but when my anniversary rolls around in February, I will only get 63 hours of vacation, 25 hours of sick time and 3 floaters (the floater time didn't change). This just sucks. On the one hand, it is wonderful that I got 3 months paid maternity leave, but on the other, it just sucks that it feels like they penalize you for taking that time off to be with your new family (or in the case of some coworkers, to take care of your broken leg or go through cancer treatments).

My coworker thinks that other businesses don't have such a policy about docking time like this, but I would think it probably is the case so I thought I would ask others. What is it like where you work?

Just sharing...

Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas - read all about ours here.

Just wanted to share something that I thought was silly (this person was just not thinking)...

A person in the cube next to mine said...

"The top 10 stores in sales yesterday are in [another country], there aren't any in the U.S. That's interesting."

And I said to my coworker, "Because all of the U.S. stores were closed yesterday, perhaps?" How quickly people forget that yesterday was a holiday.

Can't Sleep

I'm having trouble sleeping, so what better way to spend my time than to blog. I just don't feel like watching tv. Yesterday morning, I woke up with a sore throat and just feeling yucky. Of course, I would get sick the day of my work party - the party I've been looking forward to so I could bowl! So I missed out on bowling for the 3rd year in a row. I hope they go bowling again next year. I think I may have slept a bit too much, so now I don't feel at all tired. I think I may finally be hungry - I hardly ate anything yesterday as it would just end up outside of my stomach. I think I may go eat something, but I'm not sure what - nothing sounds good.

Yesterday, Benjamin & Ella turned 6 months!!! Wow, they're already half a year old. We were going to start them on solids yesterday as the "magic day" to start solids - because you know when they were 1 day shy of 6 months, their stomachs weren't quite ready for it, but once they turn 6 months, their stomachs magically matured. We'll try tonight.

I wanted to share a conversation that happened in my vanpool that I just found amusing (just a bit of background - we saw a license plate that had a phrase on it and this is the conversation that followed:

Person #1: What is the origin of ****?
Person #2: I don't know. You should google it.
Person #1: I think I will.
Person #2: What website do you think you'll go to?
Person #1: Umm, I think I'll go to google.

I don't think person #2 quite understood what googling something meant.

Well, I think I'm going to try to find something to eat, then maybe try to get some more sleep.

Random Tidbits

I just saw that the 2nd Chronicles of Narnia movie - Prince Caspian - is coming out next year. I haven't read that book yet, though I want to.

I went over to Cos&tco today and saw that they were selling these bags that I mentioned before, so I got some that we can use from now on when we go shopping -including my shopping trip today. I managed to get 2 more Christmas gifts today - so that's 4 down - many, many to go. I also got some Christmas cards today - these ones are super cute. :-D I'm excited to send them out.

Tomorrow afternoon is my department holiday party - we're going bowling and playing pool at this place. I'm looking forward to it since I missed the first bowling party 2 years ago and last year, I didn't bowl since I was pregnant and too nervous to bowl (even though it might have been o.k. but since this pregnancy was hard to obtain, I wasn't going to do anything to risk losing the babies - and what cuties they are).

TV Talk

Does anyone else watch The Amazing Race?

I'm wondering why they feel the need for the goth couple to state "dating goths". Why can't they just say they are dating like the other couples on the show?

And how I wish that one bickering couple was gone already. I was sad to see the sister/brother team go.

Party Time

At the Support Group Party on 12/09/07

Before going to Jon's work Christmas party on 12/08/07

More pictures at flickr.

friday ramblings

Yay for weekends!

I'm almost done reading Shopaholic & Baby - just 12 pages or so to go - I'll finish that on the ride home. This is the 5th book in the series. I've read all 5. This one I enjoyed more than the last one. I wasn't as irritated with the main character this time as I was with the last book. It's a fun, fluffy book to read if you're looking for that sort of book.

Next up, I'm going to try to read a couple different books. I need to go back and read Lean Mean Thirteen, and also a book I borrowed from the library called Pandora's Baby - a non-fiction book about infertility treatments and reproduction. And now, I just got an e-mail another book is waiting for me at the library called Nineteen Minutes.

The only time I have to read books these days is on the way to and from work (while riding in the vanpool - I don't read and drive like some people - I saw yet another person driving and reading - WTH?), and sometimes during lunch. In another week or so, I'm going to try to start working out at the gym at work - at least 3 times a week to begin with so I'll have less time at lunch to read at work - although maybe I should start getting the books on tape - but I don't really like that too much so maybe not.

Speaking of the vanpool - there is this one guy that talks A LOT and he acts like he knows everything (which is irritating). I swear it seemed like he drives home faster if there isn't a conversation going on - so I wish people wouldn't talk so we can get to the transit center faster and I can get to my babies faster! :-D

This weekend will be a busy one! 3 parties in 3 days, but it will be fun!