2 Old 2 B Kewl

I'm Back. I think.

2009-04-17T10:39:00.002-04:00

OK, so I tried to consolidate my business social media with my personal social media about two months ago. And you know what? It doesn't work for me.

Maybe it is because I am in my 40s and come from a corporate generation that was taught you dress for the position you want to promote to and maintain a "business" personality that does not include your personal life - therefore, I found myself holding back on some tweets and worrying about wall posts on Facebook being unprofessional. So, I'm going to go back to my split personality.

I am not trying to keep the two "hidden" from each other, but my business social media will include business stuff (mostly) and my personal can focus on gardening, my pets and how challenging it is to parent two boys.

If my customers and colleagues want to read about my personal life, they will be able to find me easily enough, but it will be their choice and not me putting it in their face.

A Fairy Tale

2008-04-27T22:10:00.004-04:00

My brother-in-law had a coronary "event" on Friday night. Involved a scary 911 call (my hubby trying to call 911 from his cell phone, all the while trying to drive safely to said brother-in-law's home), an ambulance trip to St. Peter's and emergency surgery. He's back home (only two days later) and is on the road to recovery.

Meanwhile, I'm 100 miles away taking care of my mom and hubby is supposed to be maintaining our business and keeping the 16-year-old boy in line.

Now, this 16-year-old often forgets to wash his dishes (we've taken pictures of his room to document the filth) and most often will not finish his daily chores until you are pulling in the driveway at the end of the day. A typical, teenage boy - right?

As my hubby and I are filling each other in on the events of our day (about 11 pm at night), he asks me, "are you sitting down?" Uh-oh, I think... this can NOT be good news. I sigh and reply, "yes, I'm sitting down - what happened NOW????" And my husband begins telling me a fairy tale about a teenage boy (who looks just like my son) ... and this teenage boy asks my husband, "what can I do to help while you go back up to the hospital?" My husband decides to share his list of weekend "to-do" items that would have gotten done, if brother-in-law hadn't scared the hell out of us with his medical emergency. So, this teenage boy (in the fairy tale) sits down at the kitchen table and makes a LIST - with actual paper and a writing instrument.

Here is the list:

take pool pump and items from shed to pool to be setup
cut down ornamental grass (from last year) - strong warning not to cut off any fingers while using clippers since both parental units will be many miles away and may not be reachable via cellphone
remove plastic from porch windows - this is a big one. It involves eight windows, with four screws per window. A step ladder is required, as well as a cordless drill to remove the screws. Teenage boy is warned that none of the screws can be dropped/lost as they are custom for the windows and would be difficult to replace. Additional warning about the borrowed step ladder and the fact that it is not very sturdy when used near the porch and a fall, thus resulting in an injury, would be a problem (see #2).

Here's where the fairy tale part comes in... when hubby comes home from hospital (about 10 pm), EVERYTHING on the list has been down. No missing fingers, no falls from the ladder, no lost screws and everything has been put away... it is all done.

"You're lying," I tell him, " you are lying to me just to make me feel better about everything else today - right?" "No," says husband, "he really did everything on the list." I am so proud - there is hope for the teenage boy.

Yet, there is no sign of the plastic from each of the large windows (did I mention there were eight of them?)... not in the garbage, not on the ground in a pile - do you suppose he stuffed it all under the bed with his dirty dishes and clothes?

Can you say phallic?

2008-04-27T22:09:00.001-04:00

Eight of the world's most unusual plants - I'd plant some of these in my front yard just to see my neighbors' reaction(s). ;-)

Almost a holiday (for me)...

2008-04-27T21:49:00.003-04:00

I'm back in Syracuse for the week. My mom left rehab on Saturday - both she and her hip are recovering nicely. The visiting nurse came out today and the only minor concern is that my mother's iron levels are still low. This is not uncommon following blood-loss during surgery and should take care of itself with a combination of the meds and a high-iron diet.

I bought $150 worth of groceries to cook for the week and have plenty to freeze for future meals. We had a fantastic version of chicken milano pasta tonight - yum! Also brought lots of bread from my favorite store back home (read: shout out to Our Daily Bread!) and this week's menu will also include:

beef barley soup with portebella mushrooms
turkey rueben sandwiches with red cabbage
eggs florentine
white bean soup with spinach
cauliflower cheese soup
oatmeal with walnuts and fresh berries
pecan crusted pork
Gianelli (hot) chicken sausage with roasted eggplant and wheat pasta
chicken with mango salsa
chili (always freezes well!)
spinach lasagna
roast beef sandwich with bleu cheese and toasted walnuts
low-fat frozen yogurt with fresh berries and nuts
frozen banana slices rolled in dark chocolate and walnuts

Cooking, cleaning, pillow-plumping and a possible run down the Thruway to the casino sounds like a vacation from my normally overwhelming life! :-)

It Must be Spring!

2008-04-22T19:09:00.003-04:00

I planted pansies today - I just LOVE the first round of flowers each season. All those bright colors after the long, dreary colors of the winter. And I found some fantastic vege and herb plants at our Agway - they were unloading the truck as I pulled in, so I grabbed a red bell pepper, a pack of spinach, one sweet basil and an amazing strawberry plant. We haven't even turned over the garden yet, but I have everything in pots and on the pool deck, so hopefully everything will survive the local wildlife until I can get things in the ground.

On the other hand, the few asparagus that had come up have been nibbled and chomped already. Damn deer.

My Brother's Sense of Humor

2008-04-22T18:50:00.003-04:00

My brother has a degree in EFB Environmental and Forest Biology from here. He thought about growing up and being a forest ranger. He helped band chipmunks in the Adirondacks one summer for a study (this would be another post in itself). This is where he works now.

And this is how an environmental major working in a sewage treatment plant talks:

sea whistles - plastic tampon applicators
onondaga lake whitefish - condoms
finless brown trout - floating turds
turtles - floating chunks of sludge

Whew!

2008-04-11T23:03:00.001-04:00

Mom's surgery is done... she's doing well and I think I might live too. ;-)

Life is Good

2008-04-08T22:49:00.004-04:00

"On a warm, sunny day in April, it is good to be a kitty in an open window." Kiara, 2008

To Live Home or Not to Live Home...

2008-04-08T22:30:00.004-04:00

My oldest son moved out in January - just in time to turn 21 years old. I found that I missed him more than I expected to. I worried about the strangest things, like "is he warm enough?" "is his bed comfortable?" "is he eating enough fruit?"

With only one instance of needing some money to get him through a career change, I was proud of him. Moving out, moving away (ok, Albany is only about 40 minutes away, but STILL...) and taking care of himself - all good steps towards growing up.

However, he's been coming home lately - ALOT. A few times a week recently. All this from the boy who wouldn't answer my MySpace messages or return a phone call.

Call me suspicious, but I am a mom and my mom-radar is up.

Hmmm........

UPDATE: Yup, he asked to move back home - just until he can find another apartment (and a different job). The nest is full again... :-)

My Mom's Surgery

2008-04-08T22:27:00.002-04:00

My mom is having her hip replaced this week. While we're all anxious for her to get this taken of, it's forced me (and my brother) to face her immortality. Not that she has one foot in the grave yet, but, I'm starting to look at our mother/daughter relationship in a new light - and I'm not sure how I feel about the change...

Jury Duty

2007-05-06T11:39:00.000-04:00

I have been summoned for Jury Duty. Now, I am a good, American citizen and I would like to be involved in our judicial system - HOWEVER - the week they want me is the same week we are closing our store.

I know I can call and ask to be excused this time, but I believe it would be my one and one time only "get out of jail free card" (no puns intended here) and I am not sure I want to use it now. What if I get out of jury duty now and seven years from now they send me a notice and I'm due to be a grandmother? or I have a cruise booked for Alaska?

Decisions, decisions... I am tired of having to make them.

Summer

2007-05-05T15:05:00.000-04:00

Since we are closing our retail store, I am looking forward to having a life again.

Here are ten things I am looking forward to this summer:

having a garden
planting flowers
summer nights on the porch with my husband
seeing more of my family
learning to make my own Cosmopolitans
spending time with my best friend, Mary Beth
trying out a few new BBQ recipes
going out for ice cream
working from home again :-)
enjoying my yard and pool (our new disco light for the pool should be kewl!)

:: sigh ::

Validation

2007-05-02T18:55:00.000-04:00

A woman came into the store today and told me that she admired us (my husband and me) for having the courage to do what was "right" for our business (closing the storefront and focusing on our service-side of the biz).

It was nice to have someone tell us we were doing the right thing. We may know it, but it's nice to hear it from the general public too. :-)

Changes

2007-05-01T17:59:00.000-04:00

We’re closing our store. My husband and I have been in business since 1998 and we opened a storefront in April, 2005. We sold computers, repaired computers, offered training, sold computer “stuff” and office supplies. We also had a UPS counter, made copies and provided fax services. It was a good business in an area that needed it and our locals welcomed our little store with open arms.

The business grew and celebrated a revenue increase of 187% (2003-2006). We hired high school kids each year and gave them a chance to see how a small business runs. Our customer base continued to grow quickly and we were happy.

Our goal with the storefront had been to grow the business into something that someone would want to buy in 10-15 years. After a few other local computer businesses closed and their customers came to us, we realized that the small amount of revenue the storefront generated would not be enough to make our business attractive enough to buy. We were still a services-based business and when we left the business (my husband and I) there wouldn’t be any business left.

We ran numbers and although business had been good, 90% of our expenses came from the storefront (rent, phones, security system, utilities and payroll) - yet the storefront only generated 30% of our revenue with the remaining 70% still being from our service side of the business.

So, we’re closing the store. We’ll stay in business though – just get a smaller office with less visibility. We have plenty of customers and work and we will be able to make money and not have to work such long hours. But part of me is sad – it’s been nice to be able to meet so many people and help them (I’m a fixer – love to “fix” everyone else’s problems!).

But change is good and with it comes opportunities for new things to happen. I’m also looking forward to being to work in my jammies again! ;-)

Rosie

2007-04-30T23:17:00.000-04:00

I was home sick last week with a cold. This meant I could catch up on daytime TV, including The View. I didn’t really watch The View before Rosie O’Donnell – the format of the show (and the gals) didn’t really suit my taste. However, I had always watched Rosie’s talk show and found her style refreshing. I didn’t always agree with her opinions, but listening to other people’s views (no pun intended) is what makes life interesting and encourages discussions. So, when I heard Rosie was joining The View, I turned the channel to watch.

My schedule doesn’t allow me to watch much TV, much less daytime TV, so I would only catch The View a few times a month. However controversial you may have found Rosie’s comments, they made you think. Each time she “fought” with another at the table, it made you think. Hopefully, you were able to hear someone else’s view on the topic and consider looking at it from a different angle. This is what a talk show should be – fluff and stuff works too (I love a good recipe and tips for making my garden grow greener), but I prefer my TV to be stimulating – even at 11:00 in the morning.

I had heard (thru the tabloid blog-o-sphere) that Rosie was leaving the show and I caught her personal announcement on her blog. Her explanation for leaving was satisfactory and I wondered what she would be doing next – maybe a radio show? Take the summer off and be with her family?

However, was anyone prepared for the amount of media coverage regarding her departure from the show? Rosie herself discussed her surprise on her blog and I agreed – with everything going on in our world, was this really BIG news?

There are people dying in Iraq, people shooting people in broad daylight, the bees are disappearing and Rosie leaving a talk show is BIG news?

I agree with Rosie, something is wrong with this picture…

I'm Still Kewl - Aren't I?

2007-04-29T21:10:00.000-04:00

So, I'm now in my 40s (44 this year to be exact) and I wonder when I became so "un-kewl" ? I expected my kids to find me non-kewl (they're 15 and 19), but I thought I would still feel cool and hip. I expected an automatic understanding and acceptance of others in my age group.

But the truth is, as I get older and try to keep up, I realize I am not kewl.

I don't know how to use my cell phone. Oh, I can answer it when it rings, make a call and check my missed calls logs - but I'm not too good at texting, sending pictures or surfing the web. My lack of cell phone skills don't make me un-kewl - the fact that I have no interest in learning how to do everything with my cell phone makes me un-kewl. This is what causes my 15-year-old son to roll his eyes and sigh, "Mom, you're OLD..."

I am too old to be cool.

I don't go places after 9 pm in the evening. I'm tired and want to wash my face and take off my clothes and read a book. The thought of dressing up and going out to a club - well, it just looks like work. Never mind that spending more than a few dollars for a glass of wine seems crazy to me...

I am too old to be cool.

I don’t want to wear anything tight or showing any more skin than I have to (nor would I want to subject anyone else to having to see me in anything tight or showing too much skin). I don’t think thongs are sexy and I have no plans to pierce any part of body.

I am too old to be cool.

There are no tattoos in my future. I don’t own an iPod. I wear little makeup and prefer to use body lotion without glitter.

Did I mention that I’m not cool?

Is there no hope for a 40-something-year-old like me? Well, I may be too old to be kewl, but I still do some cool stuff. I burn CDs – all the time – and I even download some of the songs from illegal places. I watch The Hills and MTV. I have a MySpace page. I am a computer consultant (this only means that anyone over the age of 50 thinks I’m cool because I can show them how to use their computer). I have my own business.

And now I have my own blog - how kewl is that?