MetaChat - Monday status report.

* Performance evaluation this morning - got a great review on paper, but the sit-down portion is always really awkward.

* 12 days and counting till I GET FREAKING MARRIED!!!

* Also, rocking a cute new haircut.

posted by muddgirl 30 June | 09:29

Listening to early 70's Top 40 shows via ReelRadio (currently Dick Biondi on WCFL from June of 1971 talking about the Cubs and Sox, which, thanks to the cross town classic this weekend, so are lots of Chicagoans today). Just had some oatmeal and another cup of coffee and getting ready to dig in on my first full day at work after the big downsizing. As MY grandfather used to say, "uhhhnn - what are you gonna do?" (spoken like the Penguin from the Batman series, my Grandfather sounded exactly like that - down to the laugh).

posted by Slack-a-gogo 30 June | 09:30

1. Many nights recently, woken up by leg cramps, bad enough that I have to try to rub them out.

2. Daughter came home yesterday, all aglow after interning at the rock camp. They may be doing on next summer in Oakland, and she's got a lot of experience by now, so she can slot right in.

3. My uncle died Friday, the last one of 7 brothers on my dad's side. The obit also mentions that they had a sister and we are all going "WTF?!?!?!?" We knew about the 7 brothers growing up on the farm in Mackinaw, Ill, but no one ever mentioned a sister.

posted by danf 30 June | 09:51

I drove a moving van for 8 hours yesterday back from NJ in the pouring rain with furniture from my mom's house. She moved into a managed care apartment and has left it up to the kids to deal with the house. The trunk rental probably cost more than the furniture is worth but the pieces have been in the family for at least three generations so it was worth the effort to save them.

posted by octothorpe 30 June | 10:02

I'm sure these trousers have grown two inches in the leg since I bought them on Saturday.

Saw "Wanted" at the weekend. Good little action movie.

I hate work. Maybe if I try really hard I can learn how to curve bullets and become a super-assassin instead?

posted by TheophileEscargot 30 June | 10:05

1. My staff person is on vacation today, and I miss her! I miss her taking these annoying phone calls so I don't have to, and I miss her as a person. She's delightful to be around and chat with.

2. I had my first of 3 or 4 tattoo sessions yesterday. It's a cover up, and rather than do the whole outline, my artist focused on the coverup part so I actually got some color already. I'm beyond psyched but worried about keeping it covered for work while letting it breathe and heal properly. Pics!

3. I have a very loud coworker that is using the empty office next to me for a speakerphone conversation - but she talks so loud that she might as well have stayed in her cubicle.

P.S. Muddgirl, woo!

posted by misskaz 30 June | 10:09

1. Parents had their surprise 50th wedding anniversary thing yesterday, and it was fun. They brought 'em to the venue in a '30s vehicle. I got my neck hugged about 50 billion times by obscure relatives, but I survived.

2. Cleaning house today. My tub is positively gleaming.

3. I have gained back too much weight. Gym tomorrow. Period!

posted by bunnyfire 30 June | 10:19

1. The coworker I like best was just let go because of a terrible budget crunch. I will really miss her. All the cool people are leaving or being let go. Maybe it's time to start looking.

2. I made pesto yesterday and I am excited to eat it n my sandwich today at lunch

3. Going to a movie screening tonight.

posted by rmless2 30 June | 10:22

My streusel's yummy. Today's the first of nine Mondays/weeks I don't have to work (sorry... please don't throw rocks). I like teaching, but I'm not sure I could do it if it weren't for the summers.

So sorry, danf, about your uncle. My dad was one of four brothers, and the last and youngest died about two years ago, at 87 or so. It did seem like the end of an era.

And double woo's, muddgirl! When it's good, marriage is a lovely thing. (What, no picture of rockin' cute haircut? I need inspiration. My hair's a mop.)

(good to hear from y'all... I was feelin' existentially lonely there for a bit, with no Monday posts yet -- thought maybe we were on strike)

posted by Pips 30 June | 10:32

*Having new glasses makes life a little more fun.
*I love when you've gotten paid but you haven't paid any bills yet and you're like I'M RICH I'M RICH LOOK AT ALL THIS MOOOONEY. That's a fun 5 minutes. Then you pay the bills, and, opps, all gone.
*Can't believe it's already the last day of the quarter. Ahhhhhh.

posted by ThePinkSuperhero 30 June | 11:02

1. I got a pedicure yesterday and my toenails are a bright cherry red, which is a color I don't normally get, and they're so bright and cheery and happy-making. I keep waving my toes around and smiling.

2. I gave notice on my apartment three weeks ago and I still haven't heard a peep about it from the landlord. They're showing that the certified letter was received, and I listed my cell phone number in the letter, so I don't really know what's going on with that. (And I hate dealing with her, so I really don't want to have to call. Sigh.)

3. My class presentation this weekend on the use of antidepressants during pregnancy went really well, which was kind of surprising. I was worried it was going to be a bit dull -- I had a lot of facts in it and I thought it might be too detailed -- but everyone seemed really interested and asked lots of good questions afterward, so that was good.

posted by occhiblu 30 June | 11:14

A gust of wind knocked over my camera equipment this weekend, including my tripod with camera firmly attached. Now the on-camera flash doesn't work at all, and I had to pry open the sides of the hotshoe so I can attach an external flash.

Olive slept soundly in her kennel all night. We got outside in time this morning for a pee and a poop. Good puppy! Then she was adorable and I didn't want to shower or go to work because I'd miss all of the adorableness.

I'm wearing a cute skirt I got at the consignment shop this weekend.

posted by rhapsodie 30 June | 11:31

I've been feeling somewhat accomplished at work but that is of course due to the fact that my boss isn't here and my one out of two coworkers that is here currently is dying of the sick in his cube.
But hey, progress is progress.

Both knees and my right hip are acting up today. Ow.

I have a shitload of data entry-like stuff to do later on today, but I can tell it's going to be difficult to do, because, well, I'm feeling lazy today.

I'm very tempted to go ahead and call this person who owns this townhouse that some friends and I are thinking about renting (one of the friends is supposed to be doing the phone calls...2+ weeks ago) because I will be sad if this place slips out. (Oh, if only we didn't have a 45 pound Husky+2 cats+3 cars to deal with.)

posted by sperose 30 June | 11:33

1. Back at work.

2. Going over the things that need doing before Wednesday involves concentrating on your single issue and watching you shuffling controls around a screen. I get that now.

3. It's a late work night. I love doing updates. :-(

posted by seanyboy 30 June | 11:36

1. I had a lovely weekend.

2. Yesterday a friend and I were talking about someone we haven't seen in ages, an old guy in his 80s. My friend said "I have a strange feeling that he's gone" and at that moment the phone rang and it was his daughter-in-law to say he'd died, peacefully, last Friday.

3. Only two weeks until my holiday. The next two weeks will be 14 days of dietary hell, as I've been eating too many carbs. I need to detox and drop a few pounds, at least until the pizza of NYC leads me into temptation.

posted by essexjan 30 June | 11:42

1. My cat is still pooping on the floor.

2. My cat is still pooping on the floor.

3. My cat is still pooping on the floor.

I am looking into taking him to the Behavioral Clinic at UPenn's vet college.

posted by amro 30 June | 11:56

1. thinking about possibility of moving to Germany (could be quite exciting)

2. hungry - fish & chips later?

3. cat is snoring. he's been out all night, meeting the neighbourhood cats and having loud conversations with them at 2am.

posted by altolinguistic 30 June | 12:35

at least until the pizza of NYC leads me into temptation

I call meetup at Lombardi's!

*drools*

posted by Pips 30 June | 12:52

The office is quiet because school is out. I need to develop some film. And I bought a sandwich for lunch which has alfalfa sprouts. I haven't had those in a long time.

posted by halonine 30 June | 13:16

Oh, I'm chillin', chillin'. I got a new flash drive, so I'm filling the old one with music before I give it away. Did you know that I really like Grant Green?

On the way to work, I stopped at the thrift store, where I got two nifty cobalt-glass ashtrays/candy dishes/something. Did you know that I really like cobalt glass? I've already put 'em under two of my houseplants, thus getting rid of two of the pieces of ugly plastic in my life. I also got the 45 of Buckner & Garcia's 'Do The Donkey Kong,' which was somewhat less successful than 'Pac Man Fever.' Do you say '45' or '7-inch'? Or both, or neither?

In a little while, I'll go to lunch. Right now, I'm thinking it'll be either the taqueria or the Middle-Eastern place.

posted by box 30 June | 13:51

I call meetup at Lombardi's!

I was discussing with TPS not two minutes ago what I should do for a meetup. This sounds great.

posted by essexjan 30 June | 14:04

mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

posted by ThePinkSuperhero 30 June | 14:05

My office is a godawful mess. I'm getting a ton done, because there's a ton to do. The elevator at work has broken approximately every other day for the past month, and people have gotten stuck in it weekly. And yet the building people do nothing permanent to fix it. I came into work this morning at 7, and will leave early. Bonus.

posted by Stewriffic 30 June | 14:06

1. It's hot

2. It's atrociously hot (90F/32C on our back patio which is IN THE SHADE!)

3. The dog and cats keep looking at me like I'm supposed to do something about it

Bonus: Tomorrow is Canada Day!

posted by deborah 30 June | 15:08

I'm sore from weeding the lawn yesterday

It's 88 degrees F. We're enjoying the cool front.

posted by lysdexic 30 June | 15:21

All is well, I need to leave work a little early but looks like I'll be finished in the next 10 minutes or so, so that will work.

30 weeks pregnant as of yesterday. Discovered what happens when you don't drink enough water yesterday (enough water when pregnant = a lot more than I ever imagined). My, they were some painful cramps.

There are many students outside my lab. I don't know what they are doing, but they are annoying. Piss off, students.

posted by gaspode 30 June | 15:36

I was discussing with TPS not two minutes ago what I should do for a meetup. This sounds great.

Super... you guys work out the day and time, and we'll be there! You won't regret it. I dream of their pizza. If not for the meetup, we'll have to go another time. (FYI, Jon's off on Sundays/Mondays, and at 6:30 pm the other days.)

By the By, I don't know if you're much of a tennis fan, ej, but your countryman, Andy Murray, just made the comeback of a lifetime at Wimbledon against Gasquet. He'd have beaten anybody the way he played in those last three sets. I was actually shouting, "No fucking way!" at more than a few of those shots. Reminiscent of Agassi's great comebacks.

(Painful cramps, 'pode? Did you have a doc check you out? forgive the motherhening)

posted by Pips 30 June | 15:52

by election

by election

come to glasgow and help! you can stay in my house

posted by By the Grace of God 30 June | 15:59

(Of course, Nadal will probably eat Murray alive like strawberries and cream in the Quarters, but it was still a hell of a win.)

posted by Pips 30 June | 16:02

Lombardi's = NOM NOM NOM. I am so there.

(nah, my midwife had given me lots of stern lectures about staying hydrated and I just didn't, so I knew if I called that the first thing she would get me to drink water and lie down, so I did that first. All is well, pips. but thank you for the mother-henning :) )

posted by gaspode 30 June | 16:04

I don't know if you're much of a tennis fan, ej, but your countryman, Andy Murray, just made the comeback of a lifetime at Wimbledon against Gasquet.

I can't stand Wimbledon, but if I ever do see it, it's to watch one of my countrymen, that is, an Australian.

It's funny in the UK, when Murray is winning, he's described as British in the media. When he loses, he's Scottish.

posted by essexjan 30 June | 16:19

Ah, forgive, forgive... one of my favorite Aussie's, Lleton Hewitt, fell prey to Federer, I'm afraid. If it's any consolation, Federer will have his hands full with Nadal, too. (Can't stand Wimbledon? Communist. :)

(Good to hear, 'pode... I didn't know that could happen from not enough water. So glad you're feelin' better.)

posted by Pips 30 June | 17:59

30 June 2008