Ya know, when you're home sick, you watch a lot of TV, a lot of movies and well, a lot of everything. Well, at least I do...and I've been home for the better part of the last 5 days. Thankfully, I'm feeling better, but am still lounging through most of this Sunday afternoon.
I have watched more cheesy holiday movies than I care to count this week, but have also caught a few classics and actually went to a movie on Friday evening.
I watched one of my favorites earlier today, Stand by Me. Classic. I loved the story when I read it in high school and get sucked into it every time it's on TV. It always makes me a little sad thinking that River Phoenix would have been one of our greatest actors but like so many others, he died way too young...living an out-of-control life.
Do kids still hang out like the Stand by Me kids today? And have clubhouses and secret knocks and cherry-flavored Pez? I never had any of those things...mostly I played by myself, or with one friend at a time. And occasionally with my imaginary friends. To this day, I'm more comfortable hanging out with just one or two friends (real, not imaginary) as opposed to a group of people.
Yes. I had two imaginary friends. Kathy and Ritney. Ritney had a motorcycle. We played tennis and random other games...I mainly remember the tennis. My dad had imaginary friends too, as did my aunt. It's typically an only child thing, but I think my aunt still had hers after my mom came along. I remember Kathy and Ritney in San Antonio, and remember them moving to Laramie with us. I'm not sure when they left, but they've been gone a very long time. The main thing I remember is playing tennis with them in Laramie. Well, truth be told, I actually ran a tennis school that they belonged to and we played in the backyard. Wow. I haven't played tennis for years! I guess that ended when I started playing racquetball...haven't played that for years either. I need to get out more...
Okay, this post has really been all over the place today...guess that's where my brain's been the last few days. Hope you had a lovely holiday, whatever you did. I better get back to resting so I can focus tomorrow at work. See ya next time!
New Job...New Clothes...New Shoes...New Commute...New Computer...New Matt Nathanson Encounter...New Lease on Life! Okay...that might be pushing it.
Sorry for the delay in writing, but as stated above, I did begin a new job...just 2 weeks ago...and I'm now starting to get into a routine and figure out what it is that I've gotten myself into.
Hard to Leave...Easy to Go. That's what I tell people who ask if it was hard to leave my old job. Yes. After 10 1/2 years at San Jose State, it was hard to leave, but easy to go to such a great opportunity at California State University, East Bay. I mentioned this a month or so ago, and now it's real. So, what does this really mean?
Well...first, it means...NEW CLOTHES. I'm a director now...for whatever that's worth, and apparently I should dress a little more professional. So yeah, nicer pants, nicer tops, but really? Bottom line? It means no more flip flops in the office. Yes. I had a mild stroke over that too, and my feet are still in an adjustment period.
It also means, NEW COMMUTE. Not that I really had an OLD commute... It's 32 miles from my house to campus. In the morning, it's easy...35 minutes just about every day. In the evening...well, with the exception of last night's freaktastic traffic from hell, it really hasn't been nearly as bad as I expected. There are a couple of route options so that helps. It also helps that I've been able to carpool a couple of times each week. Carpool lanes rock! Restaurants just off the freeway also rock; which is how we survived last night's journey home.
One of the nice things about moving from one CSU to another is that you can transfer vacation and sick leave. The nicer thing is that you can get paid out for excess vacation. It's basically the only time you can get a bonus in the CSU. I took advantage of this and was able to buy this lovely new computer I'm writing to you on. It's a Mac. And IT IS YAY!! I've wanted one forever, and now my dream has come true. Alright, that's a bit over-the-top, but it really is all it's cracked up to be. I couldn't be happier with my vacation payout purchase!
So, life at East Bay is going well. I finally took in all my boxes yesterday, scaring many of my new staff members and co-workers along the way. Apparently I have more stuff than all of them combined, but whatever. I have a nice office with a nice view. Maybe I'll show you a photo once I get all the boxes unpacked and everything put away int its proper place. It's a big fat mess right now.
I've been meeting lots of people and gathering lots of data...trying to figure out exactly what's going on and what step to take first. It's exciting to embark on this new opportunity and realize that somewhere along the road, I actually became someone who has skills people covet and pay for.
The only challenge I continue to have every day is recording my daily voice message. I have to do it 2 or 3 times because I keep saying "Hi, you've reached Carrie Medders in the CMS Project Office at San Jose State University..." Okay, I never get all the way through it, but the CMS Project part just rolls off my tongue, and then I have to start over...which is a painstaking process of pushing about 32 buttons in the appropriate sequence. But I figure, if this is my greatest challenge, then I'm good to go!
Lest I forget...I must share my latest encounter with the fabulous Matt Nathanson. As many of you know, I'm a HUGE Matt fan, and met him earlier this year at one of his concerts. I got tickets to his November 1 show at The Warfield with my friends Jill and Veronnica...normal stuff. The JOY came when earlier that week, the local Alice radio station (pics, video and podcast on their site!) held an email contest of sorts...one of those deals where if you're chosen you get to join other listeners in a private radio show. This one happened to be the day before the concert (Halloween to be exact). Lucky me. I got in! Luckier still, I was off work since I was starting the new job, so it was easy to get into San Francisco in the middle of the afternoon.
So...he is, of course, fabulous playing 5 acoustic songs for us. The highlight was two-fold. He is very interactive with his audiences and always talks to people, but I've never really been close enough to get that involved...until this time. I was on the front row, and when he was asking what song he should play, a few of us shouted "Little Victories". He looked right at me and was like, "Really?"...then, he saw my phone (Palm Centro) and said, "Is that one of those touch screen phones?" I felt like time stopped because I really couldn't speak. I was a complete idiot. I was like, "Um, yeah, I guess...", but then I snapped out of it and turned the phone around so he could see it, and he proceeded to have a short conversation with me about the phone. HILARIOUS! So really, anything could have happened after that, and my night would have been perfect.
After the set, he took pictures with every person that was there (professional pics done by the radio station...very cool). I was near the end, so most everyone was gone, and when I stepped up to get the picture taken, he was like "Oh, Little Victories!". Funny. Then, we proceeded to have another short conversation, more in-depth, about the phone. It was seriously so funny. I basically told him to ditch the crackberry and get the Centro. Really not sure it gets much better than that.
Oh, and his concert the next day was awesome as usual!!
Alright, I think that's enough for now. I've got to finish cleaning before my Pampered Chef party today. Too bad you're not here to partake of this fabulous pumpkin ribbon cake I baked earlier. Oh yeah. IT IS YAY!
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