The Bet

Today's adventures include one of the scariest things I've done in a while. I made a bet for $100.

First of all, you should understand that I typically don't do bets. Gambling runs in my blood, I knew how to play Gin Rummy by age 5 and Black Jack by 7,so I try to stay away from the casino. Second, I sure as hell don't make large bets or bets I'm not sure I can win.

So what's the bet? Lose 10lbs by October 1st. Whether I look it or not, the sad truth is that I weigh 15lbs more than I did when I moved to Cincinnati last year, which is actually about 20lbs more than my frame really should carry. As I was talking w/ Disgruntled Girl today - you know, trying to win her over with my charm...or sheer will - she also mentioned a renewed desire to lose some pounds. Next thing you know, we've shared numbers (as in weight, which is way more scarier than phone numbers) and we've set the bet.

We've got terms for how to determine the winner, and extra consequences for the loser. On top of that, one of the guys we work with what's in for the second round, if we have one.

Other top stories for today:
- Congrats to my niece on her first day of Kindergarten!

- Congrats to my friend, Aline, on her engagement!

- I found out the old guy from the fix-up foible is more like late 40s to early 50s and needless to say will NOT be meeting him.

Stay tuned for more fun and excitement!

Is the day over yet?

So once again i'm sitting in my cube, trying to ignore FG (not that she's doing anything) and going through an e-learning course. dear lord there are few things more painful than sitting in tomb-like silence trying to get through a 3-hour powerpoint deck. not to mention, if you don't click on ever single extra icon on a page, it doesn't "count."

i think i had 30 courses to do, but had stopped with most of them. however, i need to sign up for some training in chicago and can't do it till i take this course. i'm so bored and tired, i can barely type - hence the typos i'm not catching. at least i'd get a trip to chicago, or so i thought. turns out today i find out that they want a zillion people from minne to sign up so they can justify sending an instructor here rather htan us flying there. hello? i want to go where there are people and life (office-wise). can't we just take a day for chicago?

must give a small shout to aline on her engagement! from what i hear, which is very little, the proposal was very romantic. considering i think her boyfriend wanted to propose within the first month he met her, he's had quite a while to think it through. congrats, a-line!

Family Fix-up #1

So welcome to the fun and foibles of family fix-ups, or rather the disasters. As I find online dating to be more painful than prosperous, I decided to let my mom know that i would not be opposed to a fix-up. Enter in one of Mom's cousins. Please note that to be a cousin of my mother, makes this woman 74. The woman, we'll call her "cousin" tells Mom that she's met this guy and he's very cute, funny and nice and am I interested in a fix-up.

Unbeknownst to me, this whole situation went down. Today I come home to find a voicemail from this guy. I think this is fine, until that is, I press my mom for more details. She calls Cousin, and makes me talk to her. Cousin tells me what she knows, and the I ask how old he is. She tells me, nonchalantly, "he's in his 40s." FORTIES??? What part of me being 31 did she miss? No offense to any forty-year-olds who might read this, but it's one thing to be 40, it's another to be in your 40s.

So a quick round of phone calls begins to a few key people who may know this particular candidate. What do we find out? It's quite possible this guy is not only in his 40s, but possibly, 50 or older.

Needless to say I will somehow get out of this. I'm not ageist, but that is way too old for me to be dating at this point. Additionally, Mom has decided that from now one, she will not allow my info to be given out until she asks some pertinent questions of the candidates... i.e. how old are they!

Happy Birthday, Gracie Lou!

In honor of Gracie's 1st Birthday, a little montage of the past year... or 7 1/2 months.

To celebrate, there will be cake for the humans and treats for the dogs. Rigley and Ziggy will be coming over for a play date.

Team: a definition

Team: a number of persons associated together in work or activity.

Perhaps someone should explain this to foreign girl who is supposed to be working on a assignment with me, and yet hasn't been in the office since Monday morning. Perhaps if she hadn't told me Monday afternoon, Tuesday afternoon and yesterday afternoon that she would be in "tomorrow" I might not be so annoyed. Normally when I tell someone I'll be in the office, I actually show up.

Maybe it's different where she comes from.

A tiny ray of hope?

Holy hell I think there may have been a crack in the system known as my co-workers and there secret club!

Yesterday, I had two emails from one guy telling me when the group was going to different rooms to work together. I also had an IM from disgruntled girl telling me they were going to lunch. Then today when everyone was grabbing lunch and going back to the conference room (where we’ve been working the past few days) and one guy waited for me! I was so shocked to see him, which of course I told him. :>

Perhaps my super-friendly mojo has finally begun to erode their concrete wall!

What's a girl with a BA and a good salary supposed to do?

So I had to take a moment away from aimlessly searching the 'want-ads', my new name for match.com, to make ask this question: what's wrong with a girl who went to college and makes a good living? Apparently, according to the morons (maybe that's the answer) online, they don't necessarily want a girl who graduated. They want one who has "some college" and makes 'some' money.

I ran across this phenomena in Cincinnati. Of course there, the guys wanted girls who'd only finished high school. I had no idea the same affliction was alive and well and breeding in Minneapolis.

I guess the next time someone asks me, "But, honey, why are you single?" I'll just say " because I'm smart and make money."

Three in a row

Posts, that is.

So here's a quick update to keep you all in the loop:

1. Started officially looking at townhouses this weekend, and am meeting with my realtor and the mortgage lady today. No worries, I'm bringing the parents so someone will be able to understand the financial mumbo jumbo.
2. Work was okay today, translation: no one was blatantly mean. Pretty much have no idea what I'm doing 99% of the time, so I have very little brain power by the end of the day. Hence the lack of phone calls and emails.
3. speaking of phone calls, am using a TON of cell minutes since the parents don't have long distance. If you're reading this and I owe you a call, the lack of long dist would be why. Have "buy phone card" on my list.
4. um, that's all I can think of for now...
5. oh! must give a shout-out for Leah and her 8-week old puppy, Rigley - not to be confused with the field. As soon as I have some electronic pics, I'll put them up.

That's all for now!

Love,

a very tired Red