It all started with a tweet from a work colleague who mentioned that he was at a LEGO fest with his kids. I followed up with a comment that it would be nice to have LEGOs at work that we could play with, instead of playing Wii after our weekly meeting (yes, we have a Wii at work. I rarely play because I'm horrible at Wii tennis and hate to be the one to drag down my teammate).
From there, the product manager took the idea, expanded it, and now, we're having a LEGO building contest at work. Woo Hoo!
It takes an entire office to build a LEGO village...
I like LEGOs although I never had a set of my own or built anything of significance with them. But, I'm really psyched about this event. I've found a few castle gatehouse plans. I'm not sure I'll have enough bricks (we're each getting 300 bricks but we can purchase our own additions), but I'm hoping I can make it work.
The winner gets to select a charity and the company will donate $25.oo for each completed building in the village. So, it's all for a good cause. I think it will be fun and I'm hoping a lot of the people at work get into the act.
Monday, November 23, 2009
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Not going "home" for Thanksgiving...hmmm
Usually, I visit my parents in Florida for Thanksgiving. This year is the first time in many, many years that I'm not taking the trip south for Turkey Day. And, 4 days before the day, the guilt is starting to set in.
My parents moved to Florida 17 years ago. For some strange reason, when they first migrated south, we stopped having family gatherings for Thanksgiving. I have no idea why. There is a weird thing where my parents don't like to ask me to come down. They have a curious idea that if I came to visit in response to a request from them and something happened, they would feel responsible. So they never ask me, outright, to come for a visit. They hint, they ask "when are you coming to visit" but they never ask me to come down at a specific time. So, maybe that's why they didn't ask me to come down for Thanksgiving those first few years after they flew South.
After a couple of years of NOT being with family and hating it, I initiated my annual Thanksgiving visit. Ever since then, we've had a nice family gathering, with my sister, my aunt (while she was still alive) and my cousins. Due to mom's health issues, we stopped having a cooked dinner at home and found a restaurant that we go to every year. It became a regular tradition for us.
This year, we had our family gathering two weeks before Thanksgiving. It was a great gathering, in honor of Mom's birthday. But, it was just two weeks before Thanksgiving and I decided to not make a second trip down. At the time, it just seemed to be a hard thing to do...come home, unpack, repack, and travel back down. I told Dad, when the birthday party was first planned, that I would come down for that and not Thanksgiving.
In the meantime, I accepted a friend's invitation to join her Thanksgiving dinner (surprisingly enough, I had 4 different invitations --- kind of nice. I accepted the first one that came along). While, I'm happy that I don't have to spend the day on my own, I'm starting to regret my decision to not spend it with my parents. Dad seems quite sad about not having our usual gathering. I'm starting to wonder if I should cancel my plans for the T-Day weekend and get a last-minute flight down.
My concern....my parents are up there in years. What if this could be the last Thanksgiving and I'm not there? My sister will be there (she lives near them) so they won't be alone. And yet, I wonder...am I making a mistake by staying home this year?
My parents moved to Florida 17 years ago. For some strange reason, when they first migrated south, we stopped having family gatherings for Thanksgiving. I have no idea why. There is a weird thing where my parents don't like to ask me to come down. They have a curious idea that if I came to visit in response to a request from them and something happened, they would feel responsible. So they never ask me, outright, to come for a visit. They hint, they ask "when are you coming to visit" but they never ask me to come down at a specific time. So, maybe that's why they didn't ask me to come down for Thanksgiving those first few years after they flew South.
After a couple of years of NOT being with family and hating it, I initiated my annual Thanksgiving visit. Ever since then, we've had a nice family gathering, with my sister, my aunt (while she was still alive) and my cousins. Due to mom's health issues, we stopped having a cooked dinner at home and found a restaurant that we go to every year. It became a regular tradition for us.
This year, we had our family gathering two weeks before Thanksgiving. It was a great gathering, in honor of Mom's birthday. But, it was just two weeks before Thanksgiving and I decided to not make a second trip down. At the time, it just seemed to be a hard thing to do...come home, unpack, repack, and travel back down. I told Dad, when the birthday party was first planned, that I would come down for that and not Thanksgiving.
In the meantime, I accepted a friend's invitation to join her Thanksgiving dinner (surprisingly enough, I had 4 different invitations --- kind of nice. I accepted the first one that came along). While, I'm happy that I don't have to spend the day on my own, I'm starting to regret my decision to not spend it with my parents. Dad seems quite sad about not having our usual gathering. I'm starting to wonder if I should cancel my plans for the T-Day weekend and get a last-minute flight down.
My concern....my parents are up there in years. What if this could be the last Thanksgiving and I'm not there? My sister will be there (she lives near them) so they won't be alone. And yet, I wonder...am I making a mistake by staying home this year?
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Facebook is kind of ...stupid
Either that, or I really have to wonder about the "friends" that I have.
Lately, I've been staying away from Facebook. I just don't get much out of it. I'm more or less bored with it. In fact, I think I prefer to use Facebook as a way of keeping up with family who are not local rather than people in my local area. (really, why use Facebook for local people when I can call, email, or text? Or Tweet, for that matter).
Periodically, I get a message that tells me that I have to reply to a text message to keep the feature alive. Today, I thought I received such a message, and typed Reply, as instructed. Turns out, it was a way to get me to update my status (which I hadn't done in quite a long time). And, of all the things I've posted as my status, the one word "Reply" received more responses than my more intelligent posts.
Really...what does that say about the people I know? Or, the types of things that I post? Or the way people react to me? A cryptic, meaningless word was more intriguing than a real sentence of substance. I just don't know what to think.
Lately, I've been staying away from Facebook. I just don't get much out of it. I'm more or less bored with it. In fact, I think I prefer to use Facebook as a way of keeping up with family who are not local rather than people in my local area. (really, why use Facebook for local people when I can call, email, or text? Or Tweet, for that matter).
Periodically, I get a message that tells me that I have to reply to a text message to keep the feature alive. Today, I thought I received such a message, and typed Reply, as instructed. Turns out, it was a way to get me to update my status (which I hadn't done in quite a long time). And, of all the things I've posted as my status, the one word "Reply" received more responses than my more intelligent posts.
Really...what does that say about the people I know? Or, the types of things that I post? Or the way people react to me? A cryptic, meaningless word was more intriguing than a real sentence of substance. I just don't know what to think.
Thursday, November 5, 2009
lunch habits
Bringing lunch to work has never been a favorite habit of mine. However, now that I work in a place that does not have a cafeteria (and is unlikely to ever get one) and with cold weather coming on (no, I'm sure I'm not going to want to walk over to the local strip mall in the middle of winter to buy a lunch which is too expensive), I'm trying to train myself to get into a lunch habit.
On the plus side, I've discovered that Trader Joe's has soups that I just adore. What surprises me is that I find I can eat the same lunch, over and over again, and so far, it's not boring. Typical lunch is now: soup with melted cheese, bread and butter, and a piece of fruit. Soup is either creamy tomato or sweet potato bisque. I seem to have no problem eating this day after day after day. I look forward to it, in fact.
I do wish TJs had other soups that worked as well. The other types either have ingredients that I don't like (bell peppers, to be exact) or the sodium count is just way, way too high.
Cooking my own food is the real answer, isn't it? I'm toying with the idea of setting aside Sunday afternoons for cooking lunch-type things for the week. Best intentions, though...we'll see if I can really be disciplined enough to make that happen. It's certainly a lot less expensive than buying the food at some lunch place. And I find that most of the food at these places just doesn't appeal to me anymore.
And yet...I can eat the same soups over and over again. Odd.
On the plus side, I've discovered that Trader Joe's has soups that I just adore. What surprises me is that I find I can eat the same lunch, over and over again, and so far, it's not boring. Typical lunch is now: soup with melted cheese, bread and butter, and a piece of fruit. Soup is either creamy tomato or sweet potato bisque. I seem to have no problem eating this day after day after day. I look forward to it, in fact.
I do wish TJs had other soups that worked as well. The other types either have ingredients that I don't like (bell peppers, to be exact) or the sodium count is just way, way too high.
Cooking my own food is the real answer, isn't it? I'm toying with the idea of setting aside Sunday afternoons for cooking lunch-type things for the week. Best intentions, though...we'll see if I can really be disciplined enough to make that happen. It's certainly a lot less expensive than buying the food at some lunch place. And I find that most of the food at these places just doesn't appeal to me anymore.
And yet...I can eat the same soups over and over again. Odd.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Let's revisit this business of losing things
I've talked about this several times. The way I lose things. Most times, what I lose turns up again. Like, last week. Went out to lunch with a friend of mine and as we got up to leave, I couldn't find my main set of keys (yes, I do carry two set of keys...but the main set has keys that I can't copy, so losing the main set of keys is an issue). I knew I had the keys when I came into the restaurant and couldn't figure out where they went. We asked the hostess and she said no one had turned in any keys. We kept searching and eventually, the hostess said she'd check with the manager. Sure 'nuff. My keys were there. Whew.
I misplace my office badge all the time. But I always seem to find it in time to leave for work. It's been decades since I lost a badge, so it's nice to know I can still hold onto one (well, except for the time, I accidentally flushed the new one down the toilet. :-) So embarrassing!)
And then there was the time I couldn't find my glasses (again at a restaurant) and I didn't have my backup pair of glasses with me (and I can't read a thing without them). Turned out, they had fallen on the floor and I saw them before we left. Whew again.
But then, there are the things that seem to disappear into another dimension. Lost an earring some months back. Expensive earring. But I have no idea where it was lost. Lost a watch the other day. I knew it had a bad clasp, but previously, I always noticed when it fell off. Again, I have no idea where it was lost.
On and off, during the last few months, I've been looking for my passport. I had taken it out when I was working at my last job for some citizen verification thing we had to do. And then, I didn't put it back in it's usual place. I *know* it's in the house, but I've looked and looked. Can't find it, so now I have to spend way more than I like to get a new one. For 20 years, I didn't loose my passport. All of a sudden, it's gone into some mysterious place that I can't locate.
I can't find my iPod. I used it to listen to a collection of podcasts that I had. Then, I put it away. In a safe place. That's so safe, I can't find it. I suppose I could use my phone as an iPod...plenty of storage there. Or, I'll buy a new one.
I've become a lot better at putting important things back in places that are ingrained in my mind. It will be interesting when I finally move. I wonder if I'll finally discover all those "safe places" that are hiding all my lost items. Sigh...
Actually, I wish I could put an RFID chip into all my prized possessions so that I can always track them. In the long run, it would save me the money I have to spend replacing lost things.
I misplace my office badge all the time. But I always seem to find it in time to leave for work. It's been decades since I lost a badge, so it's nice to know I can still hold onto one (well, except for the time, I accidentally flushed the new one down the toilet. :-) So embarrassing!)
And then there was the time I couldn't find my glasses (again at a restaurant) and I didn't have my backup pair of glasses with me (and I can't read a thing without them). Turned out, they had fallen on the floor and I saw them before we left. Whew again.
But then, there are the things that seem to disappear into another dimension. Lost an earring some months back. Expensive earring. But I have no idea where it was lost. Lost a watch the other day. I knew it had a bad clasp, but previously, I always noticed when it fell off. Again, I have no idea where it was lost.
On and off, during the last few months, I've been looking for my passport. I had taken it out when I was working at my last job for some citizen verification thing we had to do. And then, I didn't put it back in it's usual place. I *know* it's in the house, but I've looked and looked. Can't find it, so now I have to spend way more than I like to get a new one. For 20 years, I didn't loose my passport. All of a sudden, it's gone into some mysterious place that I can't locate.
I can't find my iPod. I used it to listen to a collection of podcasts that I had. Then, I put it away. In a safe place. That's so safe, I can't find it. I suppose I could use my phone as an iPod...plenty of storage there. Or, I'll buy a new one.
I've become a lot better at putting important things back in places that are ingrained in my mind. It will be interesting when I finally move. I wonder if I'll finally discover all those "safe places" that are hiding all my lost items. Sigh...
Actually, I wish I could put an RFID chip into all my prized possessions so that I can always track them. In the long run, it would save me the money I have to spend replacing lost things.
Monday, November 2, 2009
The Secret Question is just like putting something away in a "Safe" place
Lots of web sites use a "secret question" as part of their security methodology. So, you sign up for an account and along with a password, you're prompted to select a secret question and answer. Some websites even let you create your own security question -- the theory being that you'll remember a security question that you create, in case the default questions don't appeal to you.
I hate the Security questions/answers. Nine times out of ten, I forget what question I selected (or created). Even if I do remember the question, sometimes, I try to be clever and not provide an obvious answer. And I forget that as well.
I tried to log into a work website today and had to reset my password (yes, because I forgot it). I had to pick my security question. I sat there for 10 minutes, just staring at the question. I had absolutely no conscious memory of which question I had chosen, originally. Finally, I made wild guess. Oddly enough, I guess correctly. Or, the authentication doesn't really work and anything would have worked.
I so wish the age of username/password/security question would evolve into something else. I just cannot remember all the different usernames, passwords, questions, blah, blah, blah. I either have to write them down (which is a security issue in itself), or use variations of the same username/passwords -- again, not very secure. Biometrics, please? Or something else, please? Surely,with all the advances in technology, we can move beyond username/password/questions which are decades old.
It's just like me putting something away in a "safe" place. Nine times out of ten, I don't recall where that safe place exists and either I never find the object again, or it turns up way later than when I needed it.
Maybe I just need a personal assistant to take care of these details. Heavens knows, I am not managing well on my own.
I hate the Security questions/answers. Nine times out of ten, I forget what question I selected (or created). Even if I do remember the question, sometimes, I try to be clever and not provide an obvious answer. And I forget that as well.
I tried to log into a work website today and had to reset my password (yes, because I forgot it). I had to pick my security question. I sat there for 10 minutes, just staring at the question. I had absolutely no conscious memory of which question I had chosen, originally. Finally, I made wild guess. Oddly enough, I guess correctly. Or, the authentication doesn't really work and anything would have worked.
I so wish the age of username/password/security question would evolve into something else. I just cannot remember all the different usernames, passwords, questions, blah, blah, blah. I either have to write them down (which is a security issue in itself), or use variations of the same username/passwords -- again, not very secure. Biometrics, please? Or something else, please? Surely,with all the advances in technology, we can move beyond username/password/questions which are decades old.
It's just like me putting something away in a "safe" place. Nine times out of ten, I don't recall where that safe place exists and either I never find the object again, or it turns up way later than when I needed it.
Maybe I just need a personal assistant to take care of these details. Heavens knows, I am not managing well on my own.
Another sweater ruined...
(If you read Elizabeth Peters' Amelia Peabody series, you'll get the reference).
Apparently, moths or something have attacked the closet where my wool sweaters live. For the second time in as many weeks, I arrived at work only to discover that my wool sweater has a large hole in the right sleeve.
Only the right sleeve. Does the right sleeve taste better than the left? Or, does the right sleeve wear out faster (I AM right handed) and thus become an easier location for rip?
The last I recall, the sweaters where intact when I stopped wearing them earlier on in the year. So, I'm guessing moths. Or maybe, I just didn't notice the large, gaping holes when the sweaters were off on their summer vacation.
Bleah. One of the sweaters is my very, very favorite one. 100% wool, closely woven. Maybe I should get some nice leather patches and put one on each elbow. (does any one actually wear sweaters that way?)
I do hope no one is noticing that I'm coming to work with ripped clothes. And now I have to go shopping for replacements. Finding 100% wool sweaters is hard work, these days.
Apparently, moths or something have attacked the closet where my wool sweaters live. For the second time in as many weeks, I arrived at work only to discover that my wool sweater has a large hole in the right sleeve.
Only the right sleeve. Does the right sleeve taste better than the left? Or, does the right sleeve wear out faster (I AM right handed) and thus become an easier location for rip?
The last I recall, the sweaters where intact when I stopped wearing them earlier on in the year. So, I'm guessing moths. Or maybe, I just didn't notice the large, gaping holes when the sweaters were off on their summer vacation.
Bleah. One of the sweaters is my very, very favorite one. 100% wool, closely woven. Maybe I should get some nice leather patches and put one on each elbow. (does any one actually wear sweaters that way?)
I do hope no one is noticing that I'm coming to work with ripped clothes. And now I have to go shopping for replacements. Finding 100% wool sweaters is hard work, these days.
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