New job!

Hey all, in case you aren't on facebook, I managed to get a new job already. I am now working for a really fun tech consumer company: springpad- www.springpadit.com. It's 5 blocks from my house, so not only am I able to help out the environment, but I can also save $$ and tons of stress!
Springpad is basically an online organizer. By collecting things you find on the web and storing them in one location you can then use them to create shopping lists, track budgets, organize appointments and to-do's, etc.

A few notes to the Boston Public Works Dept

The Boston Public Works Department is responsible for street cleaning. They are also in charge of trash and recycling pick up. I find it interesting that in Charlestown trash pick up is Wednesday. And yet they schedule street cleaning for Tuesday. This does not seem logical: to have trash pick up, which invariably leaves leftover trash all along the sides of the streets and sidewalks, 6 days before the next street cleaning.

I would think that someone in the Public Works department would either suggest that maybe we move the street cleaning day to a day closer to the trash pick up or maybe move the trash day closer to the street cleaning day, so there might be the chance that for once our streets might actually be clean...

I understand that it takes time to clean the streets and that's why within four blocks of my house, there are four different street cleaning times... I just wonder if you couldn't move more street cleaners to one part of town, perhaps the day after trash day, and then back to another neighborhood after their trash day... thoughts?

Thanks to P&H for the inspiration...

My Grandfather

I am blessed to have a grandfather who is so well taken care of that he recently celebrated his 90th birthday. In February, we took a trip out to celebrate with he and 100 of his closest friends and relatives. He had 8 kids himself and then after the death of his first wife he married a woman with 4 more kids. Today they have somewhere around 60 grand kids and great-grand kids. As you can see by the picture, I am sure it's his family and friends that have kept him young.

From 2009.02-Oregon

One of my favorite things about Grandpa Fullmer is his appetite for learning. I was just talking to him yesterday on my drive home and he was telling me about this book he is reading, "The Worst Hard Time." Ever since I can remember, next to the rocking chair in the living room sat a book. He is always uncovering something interesting and is never without a good story or life lesson, and he has plenty. Living through the depression and working the majority of his career selling lumber in the Pacific Northwest has made him a very interesting man.

I hope that one day I too can be that interesting and spry at 90.

The dangers of cooking

I am not a chef. I am a baker, quite good at it actually. One friend claims that "she keeps baked goods on her person." But I rarely cook a meal. I leave that to my fiance, who is VERY good at it. But, we got this dutch oven the other week and hadn't cooked anything in it yet.

So, I had a huge shopping trip planned and I got a roast. I was super excited to cook it and it had been in the oven for about 45 minutes when I started peeling potatoes... I proceeded to slice a finger open while holding the potato over the sink. About 4 minutes after slicing my middle finger open I sliced my index finger open. Blood gushing, swear words flying out of my mouth, and three paper towels later, I was able to get the vegetables in with the roast. I should note that I can cut a potato with one hand. But to top it off, the roast came out 20 minutes before the time the cook book said it should and it was still over done! This is why I don't cook!

I apologize to any bride

For any selfish comments I made while you were engaged. The one I deeply regret is "so, have you decided when and where yet?" The second would be any comments I made about how you could make your wedding day more convenient for me. God knows it's your day and you hopefully were able to ignore any of my ignorant comments. I know how difficult that is, but I hope if I did it, you were able to curse me and move on.

A bad day has to get better

Yesterday I was talking to cousin Gega about her kindergartners. She was asking why it was that she was being so challenged by this group and what lessons should she be learning. At the end of the conversation she said, "well tomorrow has to be better." Tomorrow has to be better... sometimes all you need is that insight into terrible situations to understand why you are being challenged, or what you should be learning about yourself because of this day, to really put a bad day into perspective. Or in my case: go to lunch, get free parking and have the pizza guy tell you it's $5.15 for a slice and a soda and you pull out a $5 and he tells you he's got the $0.15... Today is much better than yesterday... thanks pizza guy!

Facebook is scary

When Shane finally approved my "relationship status" change all the sudden all of my ads on Facebook went from B2B marketing ads to wedding ads, everything from the cake to the dress to the diet... holy scary!