I’M GLAD FOR:

Much greater responsibilities at work: I get very frustrated if I’m not using my full range of skills in a work situation. In the last three months, my responsibilities have tripled, and even though I grumbled about being swamped during holiday, I’ve also never felt more accomplished. Now, if the company will do right by me and formalize the situation come review time, all will be perfect. If not, hey, I’ve got a ton more to put on the old CV…

My two beautiful furkids: They’re purrfect!

My family: They are some cool, kooky folks…

Roadtrip: My once-in-a-lifetime experience with Janet and the boys this summer. We were a party and profit machine!

Fastball: Barry Zito crossing the bridge to play at SBC Park. Add him to Noah Lowry on the Giants’ pitching staff, and I’ll forget we don’t have JT Snow to drool over. Zito is one nice-looking boy. And once he gets going, he can sure pitch, too.

LOL: The laughs I enjoy courtesy my UK pal. He’s a one-off.

Great sistah-friends: Janet, Deb, Rani, Dyna and Plum are the best!

Dr. Marilyn Milkman: She’s been my doc for 10 years, and just happens to specialize in various surgical approaches to treating the condition I developed. She and her staff at UCSF Mount Zion took excellent care of me – things could not have gone better. She played a very big role in my life this year.

Much improved health: (see above) Can’t wait to see how I’ll feel when fully recovered.

A blue Congress.

Nyquil: It got me through the work hell that was December, 2006.

Gavin Newsom: San Francisco is a very liberal town, and I love that, but sometimes it loses sight of what is truly practical. Not Newsom. Instead of handing $500 a month to any homeless person who shows up here (and they came from everywhere for the handout), the mayor has taken that money and partnered with non-profit and faith-based organizations to greatly extend the amount of services offered to the homeless. People are being fed, housed and treated for their additctions instead of handed cash to further their addictions, keep them on the streets, etc. Also, I’m not huge on marriage – it’s not for me – but it should be for any two people who are adults and want it. Newsom stood up for gays and lesbians who want the same rights and benefits as straight people. And those are just two good things out of many he’s done for our city. Too bad the press’ constant digging into who he’s dating, etc., has him considering NOT running for re-election.

Girlie Stuff: Champagne Snow Showers, Karma, Sunny Side, Big, Eggsnog and all my other Lush addictions; Almond bath bubbles and Sea Results skin care line (and JASON – you’re the best!) at H2O+; lavender shea butter, Mattifying Lotion and lavender bath foam from L’Occitane. I should live in a spa…

I WON’T MISS:

Saddam Hussein: I don’t support the death penalty (nor the war), but I can imagine there are a lot of Iraqis who will be glad to know he can never terrorize them again. Sadly, they still have so much else to worry about…

Invaders: The golfball- to grapefruit-sized tumors removed from my abdomen in June. Good riddance! Also happy to miss feeling 8.5 months pregnant due to the pressure those tumors caused.

Soap suds: Sitting with the dopey ex-date while he cries over the torments of the road. A certain person travels great distances just to see him and really pressures him for his time and company, etc. Apparently he caved in, and I got the “honor” of sitting through his regretful torrents of tears (several times!) while swallowing the instinct to smack the boy upside his fool head. But no more of that – he can be just as pathetic without me.

A Republican-controlled Congress.

Jason Schmidt: You go pitch for the Dodgers, boy. We’ll see what happens your first start AGAINST the Giants.

Going Mobile: This software is really cool – I have set it up so I can make posts via email. So long as I can get a signal on my Treo, I can post to my blog. Trains, beaches, ski lifts…

Momma’s Day: Happy Birthday, mom – I love you!

Pippi’s Home: She made it to South Carolina today, safe and sound. Four days coast (almost) to coast (almost)…rest well, sister!

PDC Squared: Or doubled. Rode the shuttle a.m. and p.m. with Particularly Delicious Coworker. Poor thing was in Hawaii for Christmas (his parents live there) and caught a cold due to all the flying. He sounds awfully snuffly (but still looks fab).

Brrrr: The wild storm blew through, and now it’s cold again.

Pippi’s Caper, Day 3: She made it to Mississippi, almost to Alabama, and plans to reach South Carolina tomorrow. Sail away, sweet sister, but sail safely!

Crapulent: The perfect word for how I’m feeling. Woke congested, with cough and sore throat. I’ve been stuck on several packed transit buses and trains with coughing, sneezing peoples, so there’s little wonder where I got it this time. Restocked the Nyquil, so it’s back to that drill…

Sloooooooow: Man, work was a drag today. The 3rd floor was nearly empty – just a few poor souls stuck at the wheel, grinding away. My boss sent me home at noon. I got a lot done in the three hours I was in, mainly because there was no one there to interrupt me. Finished a draft copy deck for one project and got 1/3 of the way through another one. Debra, aka My Favorite Producer (don’ttellMike), dropped me at the train station on her way to lunch. I ran a bunch of errands on my way home and arrived here just in time to duck a huge rainstorm. Been catching up on chores and email, and playing with my Webkinz cat a bit. (They have a few games on that site that are fun – I’m not a big gamer, but they have card games and quizzes that I rack up the Kinz Bucks on. Gotta earn the cash to feed my kitty and build on to her house!)

Pippi’s Caper, Day 2: She made it to just inside Oklahoma last night. Norad will track her as she heads toward Memphis today…

New Views: Central City, Kentucky, Lafayette, IN, and Boston again. Hope 2006 is ending well for you all.

Esplodin’!: Avery made his Christmas lasagna. We ate. And ate. And I’m esplodin’! We had a delicious Spanish cuvee from the Codorniu vineyard and tiny bundt cakes soaked in liqueurs. Funny how there’s always so much food involved when I hang with Rani and Avery…

Pippi’s Caper: She’s sailing along I-40 East, on her way to her new life in SoCarolina. Last word is she’s stopped for the night in central Arizona. Drive safely, my sister!

Quiet: Christmas isn’t a religious or particularly big holiday for me (I go all out for Halloween and enjoy New Year’s Eve, instead), so it’s really kind of quiet. Just what the doc ordered after the last few months of mayhem. A little later today, I’ll head the four blocks to Rani and Avery’s place for a little while. Until then, I’m just chillin’ with the cats, playing a little with the Webkinz thing, and trying to stay warm (it’s pretty cold here today).

Janet: She’s pulling out today, leaving southern California for South Carolina to reunite with the love of her life. She’s driving cross country this week, and I look forward to hearing her adventures. I sure will miss having her an hour’s plane ride away, though…

Lovely Day: Went for a long walk through Chinatown on my way to do errands. Before I left, I heard on KCBS news that the fire department needed 5000 more toys for the holidays, so I got two bags full during my errands – little things – and dropped them off. Bought a replacement for my infamous guitar backpack, which is falling apart. The new one is a sort of brownish-pewter metallic color with a hot pink foiled pick guard. The whole afternoon was lovely – and I had selections from A Charlie Brown Christmas playing on my iPod to make it even better. I enjoy the lilting then giddy “Skating”, and the anticipatory air of “Christmas is Coming.” And of course, the classic “Linus and Lucy” theme and the sweet melancholy of “Christmastime is Here.” Nothing brought my childhood home to a stop like a Peanuts broadcast, and the volume always got turned up a bit – dad said it was just about the best kind of music on earth. West Coast is my favorite subgenre of jazz to this day. Got home to a holiday email greeting from one of my UK musical pals to help cap the day. Egg nog with Jameson is the perfect end to it.

Webkinz: My nephews in Indiana have stuffed animal dogs that have cyber counterparts online. They’re called Webkinz, and they sent me a Webkinz cat for Christmas. She’s a little white and orange cutie I named Satsuma. When we can, the boys and I will arrange a time to be online together – our pets can play together and participate in games and quizzes. Looks like a lot of fun!

Outing: I managed to leave my house, and to hit Macy’s of all places…it was a madhouse. But I was with my friend Rani, and we always have fun together. I got a $20 tub of Christmas Snow Showers shower jelly at Lush, some Frango mints at Macy’s (hadn’t had those in a couple of decades!) and then we met up with her husband and little boy for dinner at Korea House, a favorite of ours. Loads of bulgogi (aka pul-kogi) and other tasty treats. SO much food – I could have rolled right down the hill.

Rani and I stopped in the newest location of BevMo afterwards, agreeing that it was far too close to our homes. (Beverages and More is a liquor warehouse-type chain. Only Trader Joe’s has better prices, but TJ’s doesn’t always have all my favorites in stock.) My entire liquor cabinet had been transported to our annual party at Santa Cruz this past summer, and then it continued on a two-week tour with my British musician friends who are most excellent drinkers. By Mission Viejo, it was wiped out. I’d restocked the Chambord, but tonight I came home with di Sarrono Amaretto and Jameson, plus an Israeli favorite, Sabra. It’s a chocolate and orange liqueur that proved quite popular with the Loire-dweller amongst the traveling band of merrical music makers this summer. He usually had a healthy serving of it as a nightcap. It was “Ghost like Swayze” by the end of the road. Nice to have it back on my shelf. Slightly chilled, you get more orange. Slightly warmed, the chocolate comes to the fore. Tasty!

Noggy Girl: The aforementioned Jameson blends quite well with egg nog… 

TGIFoLHW (Thank G-d it’s Friday of Long Holiday Weekend): Two short weeks in a row are coming up. Timing could NOT be better…I’ve completely run out of reserves. Still really congested and just can’t shake this cold. Three days in a row of not waking up until I wake up will be a great help.

Mayhem: Getting ANYthing done this time of the year is such a chore. My shopping’s been complete for a week, but I must be an early bird compared to the mobs I’m encountering on my way home from work each night. Fighting through the aisles at Walgreens just to get toothpaste and cotton swabs turned into a 20-minute ordeal tonight. I may not leave my house for the next three days…

New York, New York: A reader from the center of the known universe stopped by yesterday. Plus the usual readers. Hope you’re all having good holidays.

Seriously?: This is straight out of the “You Gotta Be Kidding Me” department. We got an email from our Facilities folks at work today, reminding us that some foods we microwave are “more fragrant” than others and could we please consider not packing them for lunch. Now, we’re almost 600 employees in 3 different buildings, and from all over the globe. We have large contingents from South Asia, from the Far East, from Russia. Add in the fact that this is the health-conscious Bay Area, northern California, where everyone has a serving of broccoli a day, and you can imagine the disbelief ringing through the cubicles here. Haiku verses have been flying, laughter has rolled all through the Creative Department, and several of us are concocting a recipe for catfish broccoli curry (super spicy) to microwave right outside the Facilities offices for the duration of the year. (No one really wants to eat it…) Oh, and there will be plenty of burnt popcorn, too.

Shortly after this email went out, another one informed us that the little cafe in our main building (purveyor of fine bland sandwiches and salads) will be closed between Christmas and the New Year…I guess we’re all packing PBJs and fruitcake next week.

PDC: Particulary Delicious Coworker (PDC) was on my shuttle again tonight. Poor dear is visiting family in Hawaii for Christmas. (It’s still FREEZING here…) *sigh* That’s sounds delightful.

NYE: Still debating whether I should try to ring in the new year in Miami (my musical pals are playing a big gig there). I hate flying this time of year – always end up sick. That’s about the last thing I need. But to be somewhere warm…(it’s still FREEZING here…). We’ll see.

Santa, Baby: Someone asked what would be a perfect holiday gift for me this year. I said “a week at the Spa in Ojai sounds perfect!” (That’s outside everyone’s budget in a GOOD year…) I think I need a vacation. Did I mention, it’s still FREEZING here? Okay. Well, it is.

I’m Here: Never fear…just so much going on. The holiday rush is over. No more writing lines like “Save on the things Santa forgot to bring.” Now it’s back to naming buttons, writing in-line instructions and writing (and hopefully re-writing, eventually) help pages for the site. I have five projects like this that have to be done by the end of January. Usually I’d have two. Guess who’s still gonna be busy after the new year? Wheee.

New Readers: California and New Jersey, welcome to BashUp! You must be really bored to be reading this blog.

Joke: What’s the difference between an onion and a bagpipe? No one cries when you cut up a bagpipe. (A nod to my Scottish ancestors…)

Whew!: Some of the “put-offable” chores (mainly, the laundry) had really been put off lately, since I’ve been so swamped and battling that bug. So, today, I did 12 loads of laundry (up and down three flights of stairs, three loads at a time – a morning-long workout!). Took some unwanted furniture to the laundry room (a chair and small table, which we can use while waiting), dragged out all the recycling, moved some living room furniture, put away all the laundry and changed the linens on my big, huge, enormous bed. I’m exhausted!

Holiday: Finished my shopping yesterday. Also sent out all my cards yesterday – here’s hoping a full week is long enough. Can’t count on the 3 days coast-to-coast promise for a first class letter this time of year. If we usually exchange cards, please know yours is on the way!

Addicted: Lush’s Christmas Snow Showers shower jelly. Bought the last bit of it at the SF Union Square store yesterday. Smells like a mimosa (Buck’s Fizz, to you Brits who read me). I’m about to set sail for the SF Union STREET store to see if they have any in stock. Will load my refrigerator with the stuff if they do – amazing lather, moisture and scent.

Adapting?: Or maybe today was just easier. Even though I was as busy as always, it seemed to go along with less stress and bumps. Perhaps I’m getting better at keeping all these balls in the air. Crazy stuff, and yet I cranked out a project and got final approvals on it a full week ahead of schedule.

Goodbye: One of the best producers I’ve ever worked with has left us for Seattle and Microsoft. Keith, you are The Producer(TM) and we’ll miss you dearly…

New Views: Speaking of Seattle, someone up there was poking around my site today. Then there are the usual readers here at BashUp. A small, cozy crowd has gathered. Thanks to family/friends who are indulging me in this form of “keeping in touch” – it really is the best way for me right now. Keep those emails and texts coming!

An Odd Place: Work just gets stranger all the time. In addition to writing everything under the sun lately, I’ve been planning resources – going to meetings, determining how long it will likely take a writer to do the work proposed in a project, and then assigning a writer to the project. It takes up a good bit of time every week, keeping track of the small items that pop up ad hoc, estimating the level of effort they will take, and finding a way to wedge them into either my schedule or my coworker’s. (There are just two permanent writers in my division.) And recently, I received permission to start assigning some of the work to an offsite contractor who has been a tremendous help during our redesign and holiday times. I have to coordinate some things for the offsite writer and also attend meetings (he’ll dial in) so I can help facilitate the project. Until now, I have not been tasked with reviewing the WORK of these writers. I am not their manager and they do not report to me. But today, my boss asked me if I would start reviewing some of the work of my in-house coworker. In addition to not being quite sure when I will have time for this extra work, it’s awkward because he outranks me – he’s the senior UIW, I’m just at the staff level. The boss insists that *I’m* the person to do all these tasks and keeps piling more things on that are traditionally part of a manager’s role. It’s an odd place to be in, and it also makes me a bit angry that the company saw fit to pass on my promotion last March, when the boss already knew then that she wanted me to take on all this stuff and pushed very hard to get me promoted. More than one person has commented to my boss that they couldn’t understand why I’m not ranked at least at the senior level. Promotions come again in March. There’d damn well better be something for me in that pot…

Meh: Back to work today – had a mountain of small fires to put out – hardly a moment to breathe. Not that I CAN breathe, with this crappy cold. Cracked open a fresh bottle of Nyquil just now. CHUG!

Cards: Heavens – got my first two holiday cards today. Better get mine sealed and sailing…

E.T. Phoned Home!: Heard from one of my favorite former coworkers today, Eric Thomas (aka E.T.), who suggested a gathering soon. Should be fun!

Ugh: Stayed home from work – the nasty bug finally floored me. Dragged myself to my computer a time or two today. Heard from my buddy Wingo and another one of my British musical pals – two nice spots in an otherwise completely crappy day. Off to do a lavendar bubble bath and belt down some Nyquil in hopes of sleeping…really can’t breathe.

Howdy, Readers: Views from LaFayette, IN, and my regulars in Ireland and Kentucky, in addition to the family and friends who asked for this blog. Salute!

Revisions: Went back today and added some silly detail into some of my summer entries. Remembered more tidbits when I was reentering the items in an attempt to clean up the formatting, so now they’re included.

My SoCal-dwelling sister-in-arms, cohost of parties and fellow merchandise seller is being taken away from me! We see each other whenever our musical friends tour Our Fair State (that’s California), but an old flame has reconnected with her and it appears she’ll be moving to South Carolina. I’m really happy for her, but that’s just too damned far away!

Arrrgggh!: Been putting in 10-12 hour days with a nasty bug. This insanity has just got to STOP. More Nyquil and off to bed (as soon as I do some work writing).

No Man Land, Revisited: The particularly delicious coworker (PDC?) squeezed in next to me on the last seat on the shuttle to BART tonight. (He’s a very slim guy – and a lovely creature.) It’s a small thing, but it does end a hectic day nicely when I get to chat with him.

TGI(A)F: This week has been SO exhausting. And the weekend looks just as busy. Been coming home and dropping into bed after doing 2-3 hours’ worth of work writing. Nothing else is getting done, and cats aren’t much for housework, so I have a week’s worth of that to cram in with the usual weekend chores (and more writing). I really need a break…

New Views: Recently, I’ve added regular readers in the Boston area and in Kentucky. Welcome!

Don’tcha Just Hate It When: You catch everything that goes around the office? A nasty, but brief bug is going through my team, and I started getting aches and chills this afternoon. Going to do a bubble bath, some Nyquil, and turn in early. Maybe just once, I’ll get lucky.
Cavalry: I think the boss is trying to arrange for our illustrious contractor John Fall to come to UIW’s rescue for the next cycle of projects. I truly hope so – we’re going to be drowning in work soon, and it’s my responsibility to handle the resources to get everything covered and written.

No Man Land: Riding home on the cable car tonight, I was reminded of a conversation I had recently with a female friend. We talked about how it seems men our age and up to 10 years older all want women younger than we are. And younger men – well, it’s a given. They do too. We’re caught in No Man Land (aka our mid-40s). She spoke of the difficulty of finding someone who wanted to share more than an occasional conversation. I’m much less focused on the issue, being contentedly single, but I do occasionally regret the phenomenon. Like tonight on the cable car, sitting next to a particularly delicious coworker who’s about 10 years my junior. *sigh*
Rock On: A good friend shared a link to Wolfgang’s Vault, a site with tons of live concert recordings. I’ll have happy ears for weeks unend. Check it out – find the link in the right column!

Party!: Happy birthday to two of my favorite co-workers, Audrey and Kevin. You both ROCK!
Frozen: Toes and fingers still missing. I’ve had my place shut up tight for days, and in such an old building (1910) the air gets musty quickly when you do that. So this morning I have on three layers of clothes and have tossed all the windows wide open to change out the air. I can almost see my breath. Brrrrrrrrr!
Health: I have felt GREAT for well over a week now. It seems I’ve turned a corner on my road to recovery. It’s about time…