Day 6

Day 6 - 30 April, 11:59 p.m. (OK - I'm cheating, so sue me.)

I am grateful for truly good friends I have made at past jobs.

Although I've only worked for 4 different companies over the span of my work life, I've held 15 different positions in about 10-12 different departments. And at each job, I've tended to make a close friend or two along the way. You know, the person or people who you share lunches and breaks with, discuss who got booted off whatever reality show last night with, complain about the office crazy person/awful boss with, celebrate good times with, bond over bad times with, play secret Santa with and for the most part, spend more waking time with than you do your own family. These coworkers are like your second family.

And then you get a new job.

In most cases, after promising to keep in touch, you slowly lose track of them, only occasionally bumping into them at the mall (especially if one of the former jobs was at the mall), then seeing them only enough to recognize that they look familiar, but not really remembering their name, until they are completely gone from your mind, other than maybe vaguely recalling that sweet guy who worked on the shipping dock who you use to go to each lunch with down at the lake by the nearby cemetery (for real - it was pretty and peaceful) back in the early 90s.

But then there are the ones that you never forget. They are people who move beyond the place of being a lunch partner because they are convenient, and become one because you genuinely enjoy their company. People who you still make a big effort to see or keep in touch with, even when it becomes difficult because they quit the company, moved out of state, or had kids and just don't have a lot of free time.

Tonight I had a call from one of those friends. Cynthia and I worked together at SunTrust. We were in the same work pod, had the same break and lunch schedule, and even carpooled for a while. Then she got a job at Delta, but we still remained friends. And once I went to work at Delta, it became easier again. While we never worked in the same building, we would still make a point to get together for lunch, take an occasional day trip or go to a hockey games. (She had season tickets.)

Then one day, I had to cancel plans to go to a hockey game with her at the last minute. Another friend suggested she take a guy the friend knew that loved hockey. And the next thing you know, Cynthia and this guy were married, moving to Florida and having a baby. See - sometimes me flaking out on a friend has a happy ending after all.

Anyway, the point is, I'm glad that I still have friends like Cynthia, and Bonnie, and Connie, and Laura, and Stacy Aylse, and Glenda and Kim. People who made the days at those various jobs bearable, and who are still worth remembering and holding dear, even if it has been way too long since I've seen some of them. I love them all, and will always appreciate what they brought to my life.

Oh - and just so you know, I still remember shipping dock/cemetery guy's name. I could never forget shipping dock/cemetery guy.

Day 5

And I'm still doing this.

Day 5 - 29 April, 11:00 p.m.

I am grateful for no-scrub cleaning products.

Day 4

Day 4 - 28 April. 10:10 p.m.

I am grateful that all the stars aligned for me today, causing my tax rebate/stimulus check to be direct deposited into my account already.

(of course, it is already gone, half having been used to pay one of my doctor's bills and the other half to help pay for the trip to DC that I took my niece and nephew on a few weeks back.)

Day 3

Day 3 - 27 April, 10:55 p.m.

I am grateful for getting to sneak a nap during the afternoon on Sundays.

Day 2

Day 2 - 26 April, 10:50 p.m.

I am grateful for rain.

The (Borrowed) Experiment

A girl named Annie started a little writing assignment, which was passed on by my friend Devin, and so I thought that I could borrow the concept and play along as well.

For 30 days, you will share something you're grateful for. It could be anything - a photo, a word, a story, whatever. And then you invite your friends to do the same in the comments below and/or in their own blog.

Currently, I need to find a way to focus on the positive in my life. I also need to compel myself to blog more, so, this could help me in both respects.

And so, away we go....

Day One - 25 April, 12:29 a.m.

I am grateful for my parents.

They are the reason that I'm.......

- on this earth (the whole conceiving and birthing thing)
- still alive (they had good insurance when I was a sickly and clumsy kid)
- in this house (helped with the down payment)
- gainfully employed (paid for my education)
- not named LaRue (thanks only to Dad on that one)
- still awake at this hour (late night call from Mom to ensure all the above still applies)

(Technically, that should probably count as more than one grateful for the day, but truly, they are the big grateful in my life from which so many other gratefuls flow.)

Thanks Mom and Dad.

$64,000 Question

So - my company has been in the news a lot the past week, and a lot of friends have emailed concerned as to what that means for me. And the answer is.....

??????????

I have no idea.

In fact, I probably won't for at least a year or two. Because the merger itself probably won't close until late in the year, and then it will probably take another year to 18 months to blend the technology, administration and other operational functions.

Overall, it looks like a pretty good thing for the company as a whole. But while we have been promised no frontline layoffs or job cuts, I'm not frontline. I have the type of job that you don't really need to duplicate elsewhere in the company, especially not if you plan on saving money where you can.

My main hope is that when all is said and done that

1. My job will still be needed

2. My job will still reside in Atlanta

3. I will be deemed the best person for that job

4. If not 3., then the person who does my job better in Minneapolis decides they don't want to move to Atlanta and I win by default.

Or, I could move to a frontline job. Which, while typically a lower paying thing, might work out OK anyway, as at least then I could be paid for the massive amounts of OT I put in, not have to take work home with me at the end of the day, and maybe be able to work a schedule that would make going back to school a little bit easier.

So, a lot to think about and consider. And a long time to consider it as well.

Oh, and in the midst of everything, we got a new airplane last month. It was our first new aircraft in about 6 years - a Boeing 777-200 LR. It is the longest range aircraft out there, can fly halfway around the world. It also has those cool sleeper seats - can't wait until I can take a trip on one.



Here I am with the new 777, posing with some guy - he said he was the President of the company or something like that.

Seriously, that is the President and Chief Financial Officer Ed Bastain. I met him a while back at a company event through my Dad (who apparently knows or has 2 degrees of separation between himself and the rest of the world). Mr. B's current Admin Assistant was my Dad's Admin Assistant about 15 years ago before Dad retired. (Another interesting tidbit of my Dad's history - his very first secretary at Delta had been Dwight D Eisenhower's secretary during WWII.)

Maybe they will be less apt to cut me if I put a copy of this photo on my desk.

Life Immitating Art, or Vice Versa

Not to be unkind...

but is it really major world news that Martha Stewart's dog died today?

http://www.cnn.com/2008/SHOWBIZ/TV/04/16/marthastewarts.dog.ap/index.html

I mean, when I looked at CNN earlier, it was the third story down, beaten only by the Pope's visit to the US and a guilty verdict in a beheading case.

Although, thankfully (?) it was thought to be more important than the story about the pot smoking toddler.

12 of 12 - April 2008

Hello Boys and Girls. Welcome to my April 2008 12 of 12.

New to 12 of 12? Visit the blog of the creator of the 12 of 12, brilliant Hollywood writer and fellow Southern Chad Darnell, for the details, rules, and links to all of the other 12 of 12ers out there. And leave comments. Lots and lots of comments. We love your comments. :-)

I like it when the 12th falls on a non-work day, because at least there is some potential for something besides my usual "Drive 1/2 mile to work, sit in front of computer for 8 hours split by boring lunch, drive home 1/2 mile, watch TV until I pass out" kind of photos. And today, I actually have plans with my high school best friend Traci, so yay! Someone new for you to see!

9:40 a.m. - Well, I'm not 4 days late, but I am still late. As usual, I overslept and am just now getting into the car to go pick up Traci for our Girl's Day out. She is dropping her kids at her Mom's house and I have to pick her up there at 10:00 a.m., and it takes 30 minutes to get there from here. I'm probably going to be late.


9:42 a.m. - I've driven all of 2 blocks and it has started raining. So, chances of me making up those 10 minutes are going to be slim as people in Atlanta do not know how to drive in the rain.

10:05 a.m. - Arriving at The High Country (the name Traci's pop named their house when they had it built about 23 years ago.) Least I made up some of the time and am not too very late.

10:30 a.m. - Breakfast! Nom, nom, nom. You can tell we live in the south, because we have both grits and Coca-Cola for breakfast.

11:35 a.m. - Let the pedicures begin!

That's Traci. We have been friends since elementary school in the 1970s, all the way through high school at CPHS and college at Clayton Jr. and then Georgia State. She is now a kindergarten teacher who still dots her "I"s with little smiley faces (the kids love that.) In our friendship, Traci is the sweet one, and I am the smart ass one. Thank God I'm not the one teaching kindergarten, else those kids would be a real sarcastic, eye rolling bunch.

2:20 p.m. - and the final results of the pedicures. Traci always thinks that she has Fred Flintstone Toes, but I don't think Fred could have gotten away with that sparkly red toe nail polish. (Barney, maybe.)

2:36 p.m. - That's me and Tray's youngest son Chapman. Love, Love, Love this kid. He is so sweet and funny. He still has a high little kid voice, so sometimes when I call and he answers, I will think it is Traci and I'll go "Hey Dude!" (cause you know, we are in our 40s but we still call each other Dude like we did in high school) and he'll go, "Jojo - it's not Dude, it's me Chappy!"

2:35 p.m. - That is Traci and her Mom Sharon. Most people call her Sam, because that is what her initials spell. I love Traci's parents, they have always been so good to me and treated me as if I were a member of the family. They were practically teenagers when they had her, so they were the youngest parents in the bunch, and they were so much fun to be around. Not because they were trying to be our buddies or letting us get away with anything, they were just great people and didn't seem to mind if we were loud or invited half the neighborhood over. I practically lived on their den sofa when we were in college, as that was where Tray and I would study, do homework and watch MTV (back when they had music videos) until we passed out.

5:37 p.m. - Since I was already down near my parent's house, we decided to have Sunday family lunch at Mom and Dad's as Saturday family dinner instead. Here are my wonderful nephew and niece, hanging out in the breakfast room. They are growing up way too fast.

5:38 p.m. - and my Mom and Dad. (Country Pinks and Blues were the in thing when that house was built, can you tell??)

6:45 p.m. - Finally on the way back home. I have no idea what they are doing here. This is just between the airport exit and my exit. I think they are running the rapid transit from the airport over to the convention center where my old neighborhood use to be, and that they are building the rail for it to cross over the interstate. I swear that none of this was there when I left this morning.

9:55 p.m. - Torchwood Rocks! Love me some Captain Jack. Plus, it looks like Spike (sorry JM - you can play a time agent, police detective, Brainic, or win the Academy Award, but you will always be Spike to me) will be back for the season finale next week. Yay!!
Bonus shots for April.

It wouldn't be April in Georgia without some Dogwood Trees .....

or Azalea's (at Mom's)

So enjoy.

The Six-Words Meme

In an effort to get me off my butt and blogging again my cousin Bonnie tagged me to do the Six-Word Meme. Here is my entry -

"Four days late, never caught up."

The Six-Words Meme, which was originally started by Smith Magazine. The history is thus:

Legend has it that Hemingway was once challenged to write a story in only six words. His response? “For sale: baby shoes, never worn.” Last year, SMITH Magazine re-ignited the recountre by asking our readers for their own six-word memoirs. They sent in short life stories in droves, from the bittersweet (“Cursed with cancer, blessed with friends”) and poignant (“I still make coffee for two”) to the inspirational (“Business school? Bah! Pop music? Hurrah”) and hilarious (“I like big butts, can’t lie”).

The rules...Here are the rules:
1) Write your own six word memoir.
2) Post it on your blog and include a visual illustration if you’d like.
3) Link to the person that tagged you in your post, and to the original post if possible so we can track it as it travels across the blogosphere.
4) Tag at least five more blogs with links.
5) Don’t forget to leave a comment on the tagged blogs with an invitation to play.
6) Have fun.

And who to tag?? How about.....

Steve

Reid

Tony

Ali

Laura

Heeeeeeerrrrrrreeeeeesssss Tony!

You remember back in the olden days, when Johnny Carson would need to take a night off to tend to something, like a divorce or something, The Tonight Show would have a guest host? Well, tonight my blog is being hosted by one of my oldest and dearest friends, Tony Mc. He's like a combination of David Letterman and Joan Rivers without all the plastic surgery. Well, other than the JLo shelf booty he had installed a few years back.

So ladies and gentlemen, here's my week according to Tony.....

"Guest blogger speaking for Joni.

She had an okay week. Getting up and going to work sucks. If it weren't for the fact that she enjoys life, she would kill a few co-workers. Not a few maybe just one. But as you all know Joni's too pretty for jail. The last thing she wants is a girlfriend on the inside plus there is no tivo in the big house.

Joni caught up or watched her fav. reality shows on tivo. American Idol, some fashion/modeling/cooking competition show, and a show or 2 that has a celebrity or multiple celebrity trainwrecks. She considers herself to be in much better shape than the celeb trainwrecks but then again who doesn't. Cause no one want to end up like Jeff Conaway... EVER!!!

Joni will be celebrating Easter by sleeping in, then joining the family for dinner at her parents house. It will be pleasant. Thankfully Joni will have her niece and nephew there to amuse her.

Joni hopes that we all are doing well and have a great Easter. And remember to wipe and stay off the pipe cause she's chilling!!"

March 23, 2008 11:41 AM

Thank you Tony - Amazingly, that was fairly accurate, although FYI - the Celeb Rehab program is over , and I have no desire to watch aging musicians spread STDs to strippers or Z-Listers lose weight. But nevertheless, you are a worthy substitute. I promise that when I decide to retire from my blog, I won't give this gig to some pointy-chinned loser instead of you.

Love to all and Happy Zombie Jesus Day. (tm Tony Mc.)

Good Intentions

I keep meaning to blog. Really, I do.

I have a lot I want to say. But lately, I just don't seem to have the energy to sit here and type out a complete thought.

Hopefully, things will get better for me soon.

Stay tuned.

Oh Hail No!

No snow this week.

Just hail.

12 of 12 March 2008

It's that time of the month again. Chad's 12 of 12. 12 photos from my day on the 12th of each month. Here we go with March.

7:56 a.m. - No - it isn't the return of '24'. It is just me oversleeping again. Looks like I'm still not getting use to the Daylight Savings Time change, as I keep sleeping through the alarm. I needed to leave the house by 8:00 a.m. for a doctor's appointment at 8:45. Looks like I'm gonna be running late. (I'm calling this one a bonus picture, just because you can barely see it.)


7:58 a.m. - No time for hair or make-up, but I'll at least make the time to brush my teeth.


8:07 a.m. - Diet Coke - The Breakfast of Champions. (and oversleepers.)

8:10 a.m. - Heading out of the house and setting the security system. Only 10 minutes behind schedule. (The bright side of DST, now the clock on my security system is back to being correct. I have no idea how to change it, so it is always an hour off during the winter.)

8:22 a.m. - The doctor that I have an appointment with has an office at the Fayette hospital, which is sort of in the boonies. So, I got to see some nice scenery on the way down. You can't really see it very well in the photo, but there is a beautiful fog over the lake to the right.

8:42 a.m. - I make it to the hospital with a whole 3 minutes to spare.

11:27 a.m. - I've spent the last hour having my neck x-rayed. I keep wobbling and she's had to redo several of them. I can't help it, I just keep getting dizzy when I try to stand perfectly still for so long. At least she has been nice about it (as well as understanding when I asked if I could snap a photo for my 12 of 12.)

My morning has been spent having a multitude of x-rays, an EKG, and blood work (no photos of that - didn't want the flash to distract the lady sticking the needle in my arm - especially since it took 3 tries to get a good vein.) I also have to go back in a few days for an MRI, but she didn't want to stress me out more than necessary with too many tests in a single day, especially since I tend to freak the heck out when I have an MRI.

My doctor thinks that the episode I had last week may have been a mini-stroke, hence all the tests. You know, stroke isn't really a word I wanted to hear being used to describe my health until I was at least 80. But at least it has the word 'mini' in front of it, so I guess I'll hold on to that for now.

12:29 p.m. - My Mom went with me to the doctor's appointment, and I took a vacation day since we weren't sure how long the tests would take. So, I ended up having time to go back to her house for lunch when everything was done for the day.

12:33 p.m. - That's my Mom showing off the blooms on her Camilla. Mom doesn't just have a green thumb - her whole arm is green. She can take a half inch of a plant, root it in a cup of water on the window sill, and a month later have something like this.

1:45 p.m. - I figure since most of my 12 of 12s have been indoors or at the office, I'd take advantage of being outdoors and shoot some of Mom's yard. Here is one of the Bradford Pear trees, already in bloom despite the freezing temps we had last week.

1:46 p.m. - and one of the bird bath.

3:17 p.m. - Finally home from Mom and Dad's and checking out my mail. Looks like I finally got the post cards my parents sent to me from Argentina and the Falkland Islands two weeks ago. They went to Antarctica and back and still beat the post cards home.

4:28 p.m. - It has been a long day, so I'm taking advantage of having the day off and taking a little nap. I just kind of liked how the light looks shining through the combination of the blinds and the sheers.

11: 40 p.m. - Finally waking up from what was to be a short nap. So, no more photos for the day. and of course, it is almost midnight and I'm now wide awake. Great.

Guess I'll go check out the TiFaux real quickly and see who was booted from American Idol (yes - I watch that) and Top Model (yes - I watch that too.) My bets are on AI booting either the girl that ruined '8 Days a Week' or the male stripper, and for ANTM, since we've already lost Atalya and Allison, I think one of the remaining "A" girls (Amy, Anya, Aimee, Aimy, @me*, Amis, Alfalfa, etc.) will be the girl who Tyra does not have photo of in her hands and must therefore go back to the loft, pack her bags and leave immediately.

Yep, that should put me right to sleep.

54 Years and Still Counting

Happy Anniversary to my parents.

They were married 54 years ago today in New York City at Rockefeller Plaza on a television show called "Bride and Groom." This was an NBC daytime show that took ordinary couples from across the country, married them live on the air and showered them with prizes and a honeymoon trip. My parents - the original Reality TV celebrities.

Mom applied on a whim, and was pretty surprised when they were selected. They originally planned to be married in June, so that Mom's sister could be her matron of honor (she was pregnant with her second son, who was due in May) but when the show called, the wedding date was moved up to February and Mom had to find a quick replacement.

While Mom and Dad both worked for Delta at the time, Delta did not have service to New York. So, on a cold winter day in February, my mom, her parents, brother, aunt, 5 year old cousin and a friend, along with my Dad and his mother, all loaded into my grandfather's car for the drive to New York. Yes, you read that correctly - 9 people in one car. Dad said that after that trip, the last 54 years have been a breeze.

Fortunately, while Delta couldn't fly them to New York for the wedding, they were able to provide them with the hook up for their honeymoon trip to Havana, Cuba (in exchange for what would be Delta's first nationwide, network television advertising during the show.)

Now, 54 years later, they are on the road again, this time headed for a 3 week cruise of South America and Antarctica. I dropped them at the airport a few hours ago, and I miss them already.

Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad. Here's to another 54 years together.

February 2008 - 12 of 12

Well, it is that time of the month again. No, not that time. It is the 12th, and so time for another 12 of 12. (Brainchild of Chad Darnell.)

So, away we go.

7:11 a.m. -If you'll indulge me for a moment, my first photo of the day is accompanied by a rant.

Now, I can understand that when an apparently healthy 28 year old is found dead, many people may initially assume that illegal drugs were involved. Heck, I thought about it myself when I first read that Heath Ledger had died. But then, I'm just a random person, thinking that thought to myself or discussing it among friends. I'm not a news journalist. And so, it really irritated me that the supposedly legitimate news media kept spouting unconfirmed, and apparently untrue, rumors (pills strewn around the apartment!!!) and salacious innuendo (he was naked!!!) regarding his death before any real facts were ever determined. And one of the things that bugged me most was the whole - "Oh My God, He had 6 different prescription medications in his home!!!"

Heck, ONLY 6? I currently have 10. And those are just the ones that I've had to take in the last two weeks. Between orthopedic surgery, arthritis, depression, anxiety, trouble sleeping at night (which leads to trouble staying awake during the day), allergies, a recent virus and some ongoing stomach issues, a CNN reporter would lose their frickin' mind should they wander into my bathroom following the discovery of my body and see just how many pill bottles I have on my counter. (God, I hope I'm not naked when they find me.)


7:42 a.m. - Major fashion faux pas narrowly averted. You see, I have the same pair of shoes in black, brown and navy. And I almost walked out the door with one black and one brown. I really need to get the burned out light bulb in my closet changed, because it is becoming more and more evident that I'm dressing in the dark.

7:55 a.m. - The infamous intersection where I was accussed of running the red light. Which isn't there. Because there is a STOP SIGN.

8:07 a.m. - One new years resolution was to take my lunch to work and not eat out as much. I even found this nifty little insulated bag for my meal....... 12:20 p.m. - which in real life, never looks like it does on the box.
3:27 p.m. - Following a discussion with officemate MB that started out business related, but took many twists and turns on the way through Non-Sequitur Land, I ended up finding out that my middle name is of French origin and means Sea of Bitterness. Not quiet sure how I feel about this discovery.

5:35 p.m. - Finally leaving the office. There's my reflection in the shiny doors of the elevator.

5:37 p.m. - And out into the parking lot for the long (2 minute) drive home.
5:39 p.m. - Pulling into the alley behind the house after work. You can see my little white garage door opening on the left. Also, you can see one of my company's buildings in the distance behind the blue garage at the end of the alley. I really am that close to work.

5:42 p.m. - When I got home, I noticed that my neighbors Kirk and Randy (you can see Randy peaking out the door through the blinds) had their grill up and running, cooking some ribeyes for dinner. I had bought one too over the weekend (Publix had them on sale) and so Kirk told me that I could bring mine over and he would cook it up. These guys are awesome neighbors.

5:45 p.m. - I love Kirk and Randy's See Rock City birdhouse. We just need to find a good tree to hang it in.

8:15 p.m. - I'm trying so hard to cut back on the Diet Coke. But I'm losing that battle. You know it is bad when you run out, and even though you've had your shower and are in your PJs, you get back dressed so you can make an emergency run for some more. But, then again, I need something to help me choke down those 10 prescriptions.

11:15 p.m. - Bonus shot - The theme for the bonus is, what else, 12. Since most of my favorite TV shows long ago ran out of new episodes due to the strike, and since most of what is on now is really, really bad reality crap, I find that I have a lot more time to read. This week, I've been reading one of the Janet Evanovich books in the Stephanie Plum series. These are some seriously funny books. I'm only on the ninth one - I think that she is about up to 13 now. Anyway, I just hit chapter 12.
So there you have it. See you next month.

Is time moving backwards???

Last week, it was Paula Abdul and Tom Petty at the Super Bowl. (1989)

This week, I've got Tina Turner singing "You Better Be Good To Me," The Time singing "Jungle Love," and Herbie Hancock winning Album of the Year at the Grammys. (1983)

If REO Speedwagon, Styx and Hall & Oates (1980) show up at the Academy Awards, I'm gonna move back home with my parents.

Thank God Its Over.....

at least for now.

The lead up to Super Tuesday has driven me nuts. I've been receiving an average of 5 calls a day (some recorded, some with real people) supporting various presidential candidates.

I was home sick following a medical procedure Friday before last, and I received 7 calls within 2 hours. Really! I know I can be prone exaggeration for comedic effect, but trust me, this quit being funny after then 3rd call.

My caller ID, which holds the last 30 calls, no longer holds the number of anyone I actually know. But I have 7 calls from Hillary Clinton (seriously - check out the caller ID!)

I hadn't bothered to even listen to my messages for the last few days, so tonight I decided to listen to them before I deleted. My two most favorites were from Hillary and a supporter of Huckabee.

On the Hillary one, she was giving her spiel via recording, telling me what her plans are in a nice, friendly tone, and then suddenly her voice changes, the tone turns sharp and she goes, "So GET OUT and vote." I swear, the GET OUT was so loud and harsh, it sounded like she was trying to expel an evil entity from an old home in Amityville. I almost dropped the phone and ran out to see if I could vote again.

The Huckabee one was a little frightening as well. The caller sounded so old, that I think she may have made calls for Warren G.Harding campaign back in 1920. I could only understand every other word, but I think she may have said something about being pro-life unless you were an illegal or gay, and then something about guns.

Thankfully, only one person never called, never woke me up, never interrupted my dinner. And he's receiving my vote.

President Colbert. That sounds nice.

Must Remember

It sort of defeats the purpose of the 100 calorie snack.......

if you consume 6 of them at the same time.