The Big Catch Up Post

It's been awhile since I've had the opportunity to journal mainly because things and life have been full and hectic personally and professionally.

We have been very busy at work going live with our systems. It's been one go-live every 2 to 3 weeks. The days go by quickly, which is good, but the long hours do eventually start to catch up with you. The part of it all that has been frustrating is the existing management (i.e., the replacements for my old job) are not savvy with the change in software and process and have not learned or adopted it well enough to take over. Today will be the largest volume of work to date and the existing managers I don't believe quite "get it" yet that this is THEIR process and that the team I am on is pulling away and no longer managing what does and does not get done. Yesterday I informally expressed that I don't plan to stay late helping put production work through unless the existing managers are there as well. It's a symptom of wanting their cake and eating it too. If they want to be included in everything and be a part of it all (as they've whinged to their executives), that doesn't mean just hearing about it. It means DOING IT. As Bo knows: Just do it.

This crazy go-live schedule was broken by a nice trip to the Bahamas via Disney Cruise Line. I went with my sister for a week long vacation. We stayed at a resort in Disney and then went on the Disney Wonder. It was perfect for relaxing and I came back well rested for the first time in months. The best part of the cruise was the Cabana Massage. It was a blustery day in the islands and it felt more like seaside Maine or Mass than it did the Bahamas. Rather than a blown out flip flop feel, the Cabanas felt like whitewashed slat shanties on the east coast and I got an hour long massage there. Massages are great for my back, but the sublime feeling of a cool breeze, a stormy sea and birds fighting against the surf turned the massage into an extra special event. I loved it and found a lot more peace in the stormy day than I would have on a chirpy bright morning.

Then my birthday came and went. It was a hard day for me, as it always is. I truly feel that birthdays are truly for mothers and without mine it made the day more bitter than sweet. But, I was reminded all day long how loved I am by all the phone calls, cards and attention that kept pouring in all day. My old staff (who now realize I wasn't as bad as they might have originally thought) contributed to a giftcard to the mall for me which was wonderful so I could redecorate my bedroom. When I get a moment I'll take a picture of the new bedroom ensemble - it looks wonderful. The next day, I had a birthday party for three of my friends that I share this birthday week with and we celebrated at Columbia and at a street festival. My house looked like Christmas, I got so many birthday presents I was embarassed. But no matter what, the joy of being with good friends was the best gift of all.

Now that all that is over with, the Christmas carols in the mall and the ads on TV for the Time Life Treasury of Christmas reminds me that the holidaze are nearly here. I even bought an evergreen air freshener that is making me think of molasses cookies and roasted turkeys.. I don't plan to do much this year since I have no idea where I'll be at Christmas except I know I won't be home. It's Chicago, Virginia or Clermont. I will put up my tree and a few decorations (Little Penny MUST go on the mantle, natch). Linda is hosting a cookie exchange party soon and that will probably be the extent of planned festivities though the girls talked about bringing their kids to the Celebration snow festival stuff.

I got my Williams Sonoma catalog today (drooooool) and they are selling the Raclette grill.. Oh how I must resist. But I still have birthday money left over.. There was a page of holiday traditions that I found utterly fascinating and thought if I WAS hosting Christmas this year, I'd buy one of each and have an international party of it. The Traditions are:

Moravian Ginger Spice Cookies (yum)
American Fruitcake (ok)
Piedmontese Torrone (never had it but looks gross)
Christmas Stollen (Jawohl, baby!!)
English Christmas Pudding (yum or yuck, it depends)
Italian Panettone (Salute!)

Stollen is my favorite. I'm such a Kraut!

So that's the big catch up. I miss journaling and hope to do more of it soon. Happy Holiday Season, all!