The Lather of Sisterhood

OK - so sororities get a lot of calls from marketing companies that want to do promotional sampling with our members. There are only a few companies that we like to do business with and took a chance on another one this fall. Well - today in my office three big boxes of razors showed up. About 300 in all... for three people in the office. Then I start getting phone calls from campus advisors asking what is up with the razors. I then begin to realize that the marketing company put my name and phone number as the contact person on the boxes. No big deal - but then when a chapter advisor emailed asking strange questions about the handout in the box I thought to go open my boxes. There is a four page marketing handout called the Lather of Sisterhood and it proceeds to try - in what the company must feel is a humorous way - to talk up the razors. There are pictures showing what women would look like if they don't use the Schick razors - everything from getting "Hobbit Foot" when you miss your pedicure and forget to trim your foot hair to "the Penguin" when you wear a sleeveless dress in the summer and have forgotten to shave so you don't lift up your arms - or the best - leaving a "chastity pelt" so that when you go on that date you leave a strip of hair down there just so you won't get randy! Oh it gets worse when I realize that campus greek advisors have now gotten this and my name is all over the boxes! What a day! At least our National President had a good laugh over the whole thing. Just wait until I send her tons of razors in her weekly mail...

Pilates

So I have been going to this pilates class here in Bethel at one of the schools. Its been good so far but I don't practice much at home. I have to because we don't have class the next few weeks between the Jewish holiday and Columbus Day. Some of the moves are pretty tough but I'm trying. I definitely feel better after I've done it. Yesterday I had a bit of a headache going in but it was gone by the time I finished up the hour. When I got home I was still trying to get some of the moves down and doing them in the living room. Steven told me to stop so I don't overdo it! I thought that I may meet more people in the class, and it is all women. But they don't really talk all that much to each other. I met one woman, Sue, who obviously has done this before since she looks like she knows what she is doing. She was nice - but we can't really talk that much since we are constantly moving.

Where did the weekend go?

Time flies by - whether you are having fun or not! Of course we had a fun weekend. But still - it was too short. Friday night we went out with people from Steven's work which was nice. A few of them are new and we hadn't seen others in a while. Sat he had to work so I played tennis - it was a really good game. And I hadn't played in quite a while so that was even more amazing. Sat afternoon wasn't really that awesome - I had a ton of chores to do around the house since I wasn't around the weekend before and it was rainy so we really couldn't do anything outdoors. Ask Steven though - I do get to be a bit of a nag when it comes to getting stuff done. Sometimes I just forget that he had been up since 5:30 am to go to work. He was nicer than me though and made dinner with stuff we had around the house. Its unbelievable how much stuff you have in the cabinets and fridge when you start looking. Then I beat him in Scrabble. It was close though. And all this led up to yesterday's all day fun - the Big E!

The Eastern States Exposition in West Springfield MA. We met our friends Katina, Rob and Katie and Carrie and Glen there. The Big E is a huge state fair type of place. We've gone for about the past four years. Having Katie (who is about 1 and a half) was fun. She liked the animals and all the music and sounds. Of course we ate a lot again - but that was what we went for. Steven and I like the state buildings where each New England state highlights its best food. Some of it I don't really understand - like why Vermont has flatbread pizzas? And now Connecticut is getting a little better - they have baked potatoes. Maine always has the potatoes. I didn't know CT was know for its potatoes! Pretty much the drill is that you go to VT and get some Cabot cheese to put in your clam chowder later while getting an Ocktoberfest beer. Then make your way over to Maine and get your lobster roll (or this year in Steven's case some smoked salmon on a stick). Mosey over to RI or MA and get the chowder. This year MA didn't have baked beans - so sad. After the rest of our group left, we stayed and continued eating our way through the fair. We did take a break to watch the ewe show (stinky) and cows getting milked. We finally left after Steven found a brautwerst and I had some cheese and beer soup (great combination) and topped it off with fried dough. Can't get much better than that!

Ahhh - Friday

Can't wait for the weekend! Although it looks cool and maybe drizzly, at least I won't have to work! I haven't had a day off in two weeks. We are going to meet up with friends at the Big E in Springfield on Sunday - that should be fun. Steven and I haven't been in a couple years. Not much else to report - I may be raking leaves in the morning before the rain sets in. Nothing like raking wet leaves - yuck!

Fall this weekend

So the first official day of fall is not until this weekend - but boy did it feel like it had already arrived this morning! It was 49 degrees at 8:20 this morning - which is probably why I didn't want to get out from under the covers this morning. Steven is working very strange hours this week because he is training a new girl to work the desk at the club. Yesterday he went in for 6 AM, left at about 9 AM, went back at 11 for a meeting and then left again, came home, fixed dinner (yummy meatloaf) and went back to work from 4 PM to 10 PM. Did you follow all that? Sounds like lots of driving back and forth to me - three total trips... Today he promised this older couple that he would play doubles with them because they have said they are playing better. So he went over there for 8 AM. Played until 9:30 than I assume he is going home until 4 PM when he goes back to work the desk with the new person. I'm got a ton of work to do on the magazine here so I stayed late last night and probably will again today. With our new staff member still having lots of questions its hard to concentrate during the day. Oh well - it will all get done!

Volunteer Center

So I am officially the Secretary on the Board of Directors of the Volunteer Center Serving Western CT. I'm not sure what I bring to the board, but hopefully I can help in some way and get involved in the community at the same time. The tough part is that they focus a lot of their efforts in the workplace and I only work in an office with two other people! Oh well! Next Wed night they are doing an event at a restraunt here in Danbury that does live music. So Steven and I now have somewhere to go... although it is a work night so I' m not sure how late we will be there...

No Alcohol at the Alcohol Summit

So for all of you smart alecs there was no alcohol at the Alcohol Summit - sorry to disappoint! We did get to talk alot about how these college student do socialize with alcohol these days. Boy did I learn some stuff I didn't realize! Plattsburgh is a school a lot like Maine - in the middle of nowhere with what they think of as nothing to do and so the students socialize with - you guessed it - alcohol. What amazed me was that their definition of high risk drinking was when you finally black out or pass out. They didn't make the connection that hey - you would probably want to not get to that point and intervene before then. All of their drinking games lead to these problems and they don't want to see that or acknowledge it because that is what they consider fun. Sometimes I get so frustrated because I want things to change - but I guess they do just slowly! Guess that's why I enjoy work - always something to do :)

Weekend plans

So I have to work this weekend. Going up to Plattsburgh NY, across the lake from Burlington VT for an Alcohol Summit at SUNY Plattsburgh. I said yes months ago to doing it - which is fine - but I am not looking forward to the five to six hour drive. But by the time I was to fly there it would take that long. Plus it will be nice to have my own car to leave when I want to. I should be home by dinner time on Sunday. Guess this means that Steven is a bachelor this weekend. He's probably going fishing if the weather is nice.

Fall seems to be here

This morning it was only 45 degrees outside at 7:30 - yikes! Cold! But its warmed up to a nice 65 degrees. I guess fall is definitely here. So last night was my first pilates class. It was good - went by really quickly. Even with my back the way its been for the last week I was able to do most everything and was really surprised that I actually felt better after the class. There are about 10 of us in it. I have to practice during the week to get better at it but I think that would be easy to do. Today is my dentist appoitment and I have the DZ meeting at my house tonight. Busy busy. Steven went fishing again with his friend Paul yesterday - they went in search of a stream that Steven hasn't been able to find on any maps but knew existed. Guess they found it but didn't catch anything although it was full of trout. Usually my husband is a much better fisherman that that. Tonight is his first Trout Unlimited meeting - sort of like my dad's Knights of Columbus meetings but without saying the rosary. Guess they just talk about fish... fun...

Went North

Yesterday Steven decided to go fishing up in Cornwall which is north up route 7 almost towards western MA. So he had me pack a bag and he and got a motel room and we headed up there. First, we got there and the Hitching Post Motel isn't the Ritz - not a big deal - its only a night. Then, when we headed out to his favorite fishing spot the skies opened up and the lighting started. It poured for about an hour. We went back to the room and it stopped. So he went back out fishing and I stayed in the room - stechy as it was. Then we went to Kent - the little town 9 miles back down the road - the closest place around for dinner. He was having problems with the girl who was working at the tennis club that night and his cell phone reception was almost nothing. Well we head into dinner a couple minutes before 8 and when he goes back outside to call work there is no answer. Guess the girl decided to leave and go to the movies. I had a lovely dinner by myself since he was on the phone all night. Then on the ride back to the motel, Steven stops to get cell phone service - and his pasta goes flying all over the car... nice end to a day. Today was much better - he went fishing early came back for me about 8 and we went to breakfast, he fished again, I waited in the truck. Oh - did I forget to say that I can still hardly move because of my back which I hurt earlier this week? I did go down by the river a little later and will post some picutres later when I can get them to upload. It was and still is a great day outside :) But I will be glad to sleep in my bed tonight - no more Hitching Post...

Fall

Strange for me to post on a Saturday - but I got up early and have Steven in there making coffee - so here's a picture of pumpkins from last year. I didn't get to grow pumpkins this year because we removed the garden. So here's to the crop from last year (which wasn't that great...)

Things that annoy me

Not much really annoys me but every now and then things get on my nerves. First - I get annoyed by people that snap - very hard to talk to people if they don't try to understand your point of view and jump to conclusions. Another thing that annoys me is when people get impatient - I know that I can get that way too - but people today seem to get impatient at the littlest things. Like they can't wait to pass someone who is trying to turn left, they have to squeeze by them on the right because they can't take the extra five seconds. I also hate people that don't communicate well - just tell me what you need and it will get done. This happens all the time at work with the students - they just don't tell us everything we need to know. Another thing that is annoying is being inside all day when its beautiful out :( I'm sure that there are tons of other things that can be added to this list - but that is what is on the top of my head today!

AGONY!

OK- I am sitting here is agony today - yesterday I must have somehow pulled my back moving stuff around the office. I also haven't been playing much tennis or stretching out well lately so that had something to do with it. But my lower back is throbing. Last night I laid on the couch and had a heat pack on my back all night. Didn't help. I did take an Advil last night and this morning. But I'm sitting here at my desk practically unable to move. And on Monday I'm supposed to start my pilates class. I hope I can move by then. Steven worked really late last night. They put the bubble up this week and yesterday they were hanging lights, cleaning the bubble and doing stuff to get the courts ready. He said it wasn't that bad this year - well except for the fact that he got bleach all over himself which ruined nice shorts and a good shirt.... poor guy- he had to come home mid afternoon and take a shower and change clothes. I got home from work and found his ruined clothes in the garbage - they were originally red and green - but now with a streak of white. Must have been a lot of bleach!

New people

Its tough starting a new job. We have a new secretary in our office and she is eager to learn - but there is just so much to learn that she can't learn it all in one day. Its frustrating because I know so much that having to relate to someone who doesn't know much at all is hard. But we'll get there. Sort of like the first day of school all over again. Well - she's out to lunch now so I can catch up on the projects that I was working on all morning - and have spread all over my desk in various piles. I hate it when my day gets like this - tons of papers thrown around but nothing really to show for all that I think I was doing!

Summer's over

Well yesterday was the Labor Day party at the club and today Steven is putting the bubble up on the courts. It was a beautiful day yesterday- after Saturday's rain it was nice. I didn't play in the round robin but did play a little in the morning which was nice. Now it will be a week or so until we play again. Hard to believe the summer passed by so quickly. Its definitely feeling like fall up here. The leaves are just starting to turn a little on some trees and our chestnuts out front are curling up brown. Those don't ever really change - just brown up and drop. Its supposed to rain again this week - hopefully it doesn't impact the US Open that much. I've been watching it all week - Agassi's matches were awesome - but he's out now. Guess I'll have to root for James Blake.