bsbabe04

Is it really snowing in Seattle again??

I am headed back to work on Monday! What a few hours it's been here for me trying to sort this all out. So here's the plan-

*I will be working Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.

*My position will likely change a bit - it will probably be more project oriented and less day-to-day crisis response oriented. This isn't necessarily something I'm uber-pleased about, but I'll take it for now.

*This is a trial for the next 6 to 8 weeks. At that time we can decide to continue this, move me elsewhere in a p/t role, move me to f/t or I can leave. 

*Caelin will probably go to daycare on Monday and Wednesday at the Bright Horizons near our house. On Tuesdays (because the spot we have there is just a M,W, F spot) she will be at an in-home daycare with another infant and a toddler. I think it will be great for her. I still have daycare available on Friday to take care of other errands if I need it.

*Starting in April, she'll move to the daycare at my work with me. I'll commute in with her and she'll be just downstairs from me.

So that's the deal. I feel like this is a really good solution to something that has been so very hard for me. I couldn't make it work in my head either way, so I'm glad we came to a middle ground. I am also VERY proud of myself for sticking to my guns and holding tight on my position of returning only p/t. The trial isn't the ultimate solution, of course, but it's a start. In light of all the craziness that's happening at my company right now, I'm lucky they'll take me back. (On the converse, from my perspective I think they were crazy NOT to take me back!)

Thanks to you ALL for your support through this wackiness. Next week you'll have to hear me cry just a little bit about missing my girl, but I think this is the right thing to do. The first few days will be tough, but then I'll have a nice break with her! We'll even get to go to the mommy and me movies!

So between now and Monday I have a lot of things to do just to get myself mentally back into work mode. I need to visit the drycleaner and look through my closet (it's been a long time since I've worn my 'normal' work clothes! I need to establish Caelin's morning schedule and figure out our nightime routine for dinners, groceries, etc. Should be a busy few days!

Night!

The Answer to Cancer Foundation is coming to your neck of the woods!!!  What is A2C you may ask? I've talked about it a thousand times here, so I'll do a short recap. A2C is the foundation my youngest brother started to help raise money for cancer research and education when he was fighting liver cancer in 2002 and 2003. We originally started as a small run/walk in Oregon in 2003. Since that time we've had 4 Oregon events, 2 New York/New Jersey events and 1 San Francisco event.  The next one is on the calendar for NOVEMBER 11, 2006!

I went to this event last year and it was really great. Our partner, the Asian Liver Center at Stanford, works their tails off to make the event fun, educational and informative.  There is the run/walk, but also food, entertainment and prizes.  Anyway, the proceeds benefit liver cancer research and education at the Asian Liver Center - one of the most oustanding organizations of its kind in the country.

I can't be there this year since I'll be in Africa, but other members of my family will be.  My oldest brother is speaking and will probably kick off the race...

Check out the website at http://liveright2006.com/ for more information. To read more about my brother and the Answer to Cancer Foundation, go to http://liveright2006.com/. You'll see my brother, Adrian, and his story.  If you need an excuse to get up and go - that's it!

I know I have a lot of east coast friends...

Just wanted to let you know that our Answer to Cancer 5K Run/Walk is coming up in MAHWAH, NEW JERSEY on SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 17.  This is a really family-friendly event, with a band, food, prizes and a very nice course to run or walk.



Of course, all funds raised (99%) are donated to our beneficiaries who raise funds for liver cancer research and education. If you didn't know (sorry for this repeat) the Answer to Caner Foundation was founded by my 19 year old brother who was diagnosed with liver cancer and subsequently died as a result.  Prior to him passing away, he decided to raise money to educate people about this disease - which is treatable if caught in time - and he created A2C.

Our event is open for registration right now.  Visit our website at www.answertocancer.org for more details.

For those of you NOT on the east coast - we have another GREAT raffle for this event as well.  Tickets are $5.  Grand prize is two tickets anywhere American Airlines flies in the U.S., two passes to Disneyland and a hotels.com gift certificate! Other prizes include really great apparel from Salomon, Columbia Sportwear, and some MAJOR electronics from a well-known company (just confirming these now).

If you're interested in tickets, let me know.  $5 could win you something really great and goes toward a great cause!

Would you rather receive:

A personalized silk photo album with your wedding colors (in this case, chocolate and pool as shown in second photo):





OR a framed and mounted photo collage with your last name:



Help me choose!!

We're considering investing in a higher-end digital camera for our trip to Africa.  I know several of you have done research on cameras as of late... any help you can give me?

I feel like someone out there posted a scallop recipe that was uber-yummy...  Anyone?

... but this made me laugh out loud.
BS is a disaster!  I understand her need to be left alone, but COME ON!



Britney Spears may have second baby in Namibia

Before I continue with my Vegas recap I'll do a quick update on other stuff.

You know it is really nice to have a place where you can just pour out life's crap and know that you'll have supportive people waiting on the other end.

Thanks to you all for just being really cool!

The sour patch kids were quite tasty, by the way.

Now I'm off to Vegas for the weekend. Can't wait for some sun and pool therapy - and maybe a little blackjack! Oh, and happy 38th birthday to my dear hubby tomorrow. Yes, I still admit I'm a bad wife.

If you like graham crackers and you're looking for a nice sweet treat, these are it!
(and in Weight Watchers world, they are 2 points!)...

It's so nice to return to 70 degree weather here in Seattle... but when I checked the weather for this weekend, I saw this menacing icon on Saturday's forecast:

Anyone out there have a great suggestion for a restaurant in Minneapolis that is nice, medium-priced and good for groups?

Geez, I feel like "On the road again" is the title of this LJ too much.  I feel like I'm ALWAYS GONE.

Writing from Minneapolis.  I arrived here today around 11:30 after missing my early morning flight due to wonderful Chicago traffic.  Nothing like getting up at 6:15, rushing to get to the airport and still missing the flight!  Oh well. I got a little nap in the airport.  Now I'm sitting in my hotel room sorting through emails, LJ posts and trying to get some work done.  I know I should go out and walk around the city a bit, but I'm just sort of melancholy and frankly feel like sitting in my room right now.  Business travel is not all it's cracked up to be.

I miss home and I want to go there!  I get home late Thursday night and then leave from work on Friday to meet my girlfriends on the Oregon coast.  This is an annual trip and I'm excited to spend times with my best girlfriends, but I'm just wanting to have a down weekend, you know?  Next week, I'll be in the office through Thursday and then I'm heading to Las Vegas for another girls weekend.  Not sure what I was thinking when I planned all this stuff, but apparently I wasn't!!!  That too should be fun - god knows I can use some sun - but again, I just want a down weekend.  I'm also missing B's birthday (he said it was okay) so my guilt is getting the best of me, of course.

Awww.... good times.

Anyway- Chicago was actually quite fun.  I went to Wrigley Field last night and froze my bum off watching the Cubbies.  Wrigley is just so cool and really brings me back to the game of baseball.  My co-worker who went with me made a great observation - Wrigley makes Safeco feel like Disneyland.  It's so true!  I got some photos and I'll post them when I return home.  Again though, I felt guilty because B couldn't be there with me.  We have a thing where we travel to a new baseball stadium each year together and I sort of felt like I left him behind.

This guilt thing has got to go ;-)

On other news - we're gearing up for my family's big race/walk on June 3.  As a reminder, my youngest brother died of liver cancer four years ago (can't believe how time flies) and we hold the Answer to Cancer 5K Run/Walk each year to raise money for research and education.  This year we moved the event from August to June and we're scrambing to get everything put together.  I'm in charge of our raffle, which is a large part of our fundraising, and I'm starting to flouder.  I have received airline tickets as a donation thus far, but that's it.  I need hotel to package with it (we always have a trip for the grand prize) and my contacts are exhausted.  Anyone out there have ideas for me?  The foundation is a lot of work - a labor of love - and we do it for my brother.  I have to remember that!



And finally... My sister is in the final stretch of her pregnancy.  This is the 4th baby and it's a boy (she has three girls already).  I'm so excited!

I got to visit one of the chairs my ID and I had been considering in person at a model she's working on. I love it!

For those of you who devoured every Beverly Cleary book when you were younger, like me, I just read on the internet that our sweet B.C. will turn 90 tomorrow!  

Thanks everyone for your quick comments!

Now onto a Meme! 

So there is a big immigration protest going on in downtown Seattle today at 3:30 p.m.  Our office is closing at 3 p.m. so we can all get out of town - yippee!  This is great because I'm having friends for dinner tonight and I don't think B will be coming!