By Popular Demand...

Well, actually not really "popular demand" - but my aunt DID ask me to post some pictures of my perfect godson, who is getting cuter every day. And I thought, "Gee, what a great idea! I can show off my nephew and add a new post all at the same time!!" So this is just a photo post, which hopefully will attract more people and give me time to write something substantial...
Here he is just basically looking cute - ten months old. Hard to believe he'll be a year old in February already!! JUST LOOK AT THAT FACE!!!! And he loves the cast of "Rudolph" just like his dad... I actually bought those as a Christmas gift for Bob a couple years ago.
Finally, my two babies. One isn't really a baby anymore though, is she?? I just love the way Erik is looking at his cousin. You can tell they adore each other.

Well, that's it for now. Time to work on work - then maybe some real writing for the blog! ;)

In Case You Were Wondering

You know, it’s really kind of hard to act like I really care about anything that goes on in this stupid office now that I know I have exactly 52½ days left of employment. 50½, really, if you take out the two vacation days I am using to visit my friend in DC next weekend. Oh, that’s right – I didn’t tell you. Well, that’s ok, cause Satan hasn’t told me either. So basically, I am just counting my severance days until he does. Ha!

I can’t figure out why exactly he hasn’t told me that he has already told the management of the building he is vacating the office as of March 31st, the Satan I know wouldn’t pay out severance so easily unless he absolutely HAD to. Of course, my other thinking is that the Satan I know is also extremely paranoid about me leaving him high and dry before he can tie up loose ends… OR not really giving a shit about the clients or my work – which is happening anyway, since I know what he thinks I don’t.

You following me here?

Nice attorney can’t afford to keep me on, which I kind of figured anyway, but at least he told me that up front. Satan just has me in a kind of “employment limbo,” and like I said, I don’t want to ask him anything for fear he will say, “Oh, yes, March 31st is it” leaving me losing out on any additional severance. So I just keep pretending like everything is normal and acting like I am working hard (not) until he finally admits that the end is near. Because I ain’t going nowhere until he closes shop. I want my severance. And at this rate, I just may get the full three month’s worth – who knows, he may wait to tell me until March 30th…

RL is still going very well – tips are good (of course – I am, after all, an AWESOME server) and my coworkers keep me entertained. Although I was pretty offended while watching “Grease – You’re the One That I Want” last night (on tivo, of course – and I really didn’t enjoy it too much… it’s no “American Idol”) because one of the girls auditioning was getting ready for her “day job” and complained that being a waitress stunk – as she pinned on her RL nametag. OBVIOUSLY she doesn’t work with fun people like I do. Either that or she’s a bitch and nobody likes her. Or maybe she has no people skills and gets crappy tips. In any case, I think it was pretty rude of her to imply that RL stinks. I hope she gets fired for saying that on national tv. Even if I was possibly the only one watching.

Speaking of tv, my viewing habits have taken a drastic hit. Working between 55-65 hours a week leaves me precious little time for my friends in tv land. Don’t get me wrong – this doesn’t stop me from continuing to tivo everything under the sun. As a matter of fact, I just got a NEW tivo which can actually record TWO SHOWS AT ONCE!! Imagine that!! I don’t even have to pick and choose anymore! (Except for Sunday nights. I still can’t record “Desperate Housewives” because I have to record “The Apprentice” and “Beauty and the Geek” – and yes, I know “Beauty and the Geek” is on Wednesdays as well, but then it is on opposite “American Idol” and “Friday Night Lights,” therein leaving me no choice but to record it on Sundays and watch “DH” on the internet. I know. Thank you for your sympathy.) So I put the old tivo in my bedroom – and I can transfer shows from the living room to my bedroom!! How cool is that??? So now I am literally losing sleep because I sit up in bed trying to catch up on my shows… Pathetic really, but you have to admit an addiction to tv is much better than any of the old addictions I had – and it’s legal. Currently, my list of “unwatched shows” is as follows:

· Ellen DeGeneres – 6 episodes
· All My Children – ½ episode
· General Hospital – 1 episode
· Brothers & Sisters – 2 episodes
· What About Brian – 2 episodes
· I Love New York – 1 episode
· White Rapper – 1 episode
· Real Housewives of Orange County – 1 episode
· The Apprentice – 1 episode

And by the end of today, another episode of Ellen and each soap will be on the list, and prime time adds American Idol, Friday Night Lights, and Medium. Oh, snap! The Knights of Prosperity, too! That show is a hoot. Can’t miss that one.

I told you, I have a serious problem. Albiet one I don’t care to do anything about. Life would be too dull without the escapades of the residents of Pine Valley and Port Charles – or those hospital interns at County General and Seattle Grace – or the trailer trash and Dunder Mifflin employees… I could go on forever. And? “Lost” and “Heroes” start again soon! And “Amazing Race – All-Stars!!” And “The Shield!!!” And all the HBO shows!!!! Oh, wait… I gave up HBO, that’s right. Oh well, I’ll just have to wait for the DVDs of “The Sopranos,” “Big Love” and “Entourage” for this coming season.

Ok, so now that you know how pathetic my life really is. And no, I swear, it hasn’t been tv that has kept me from blogging. So don’t blame my boob-tube buddies. “TBOTE” is nearing the end of its hiatus – I came thisclose to actually putting some words on paper the other day. But as quickly as the itch came – it went. But lately it is lurking in the recesses of my mind and I think I may actually accomplish some real writing soon… especially since I could care less about working my nine-to-five that will soon be my ex-nine-to-five… Heh.

Well, if anyone is even reading this anymore, thanks for your continued support and patronage. Dasi out. (Yeah, overload on “American Idol” last night, sorry.)

What's Really Important

So on Christmas Eve, my uncle passed away suddenly. The odd thing was, it seemed almost surreal. He had been in a nursing home for years, suffering with dementia. I hadn’t even seen him in I can’t remember how long. Still, he was my uncle, and I have fond memories from when I was growing up, and of course, I loved him.

He was my father’s sister’s husband, and he was a good man. At the funeral, a different aunt gave a beautiful eulogy all about his life – meeting my aunt, raising my cousins… I got a different perspective of the man he was, and learned some things I had never known. Then my other aunt, his wife, got up and spoke. It was then that pretty much the whole church lost it.

She explained that the man in the casket wasn’t her husband – that her husband had been gone for a long time now. That as much as she loved him, she was glad that he had finally found peace – that they all could have peace now. And that she truly believed that his final gift to her was bringing her whole family together at Christmas.

You see, her one son, my cousin, hadn’t been to a family function in years. About four, I think. I’m not really sure of what exactly happened, but whatever it was it was enough to piss people off to the extent of doing the whole “I’m not talking to you” thing. But obviously, he was at his father’s wake and funeral. With his wife and two beautiful daughters in tow. I can’t tell you how great it was to see him there. Any bad feelings seemed to have melted away. There was a lot of talk about “never letting the family break apart again” and exchanging of phone numbers between numerous cousins. And really, I think everyone meant it.

Sometimes it seems people take so much for granted in life. I know I am guilty of forgetting to return phone calls, making plans that never seem to pan out, promising to e-mail or write or call and neglecting to do so because “I’ve just been so busy!” But what most of us don’t seem to realize is that time is so precious, and family and friends even more so…

Death is usually never expected, and yet although we all know that someday the people we love will die, when it happens it still causes a pain that is almost unbearable. And it often leads to regrets, and sometimes guilt – “I wish I had called him/her more often,” “You know, I had planned on visiting just last week, but something came up…” “I never said I love you.”

I don’t want to have any regrets. I want everyone in my life to know how much they mean to me – and how much I love them. I want to spend time with my family and friends and laugh and reminisce and make new memories. I never want to feel like keeping in touch is a chore, or making time for family and friends is a hassle. I want to make the most out of every minute I have.

So I guess this is kind of my New Year’s Resolution, as well. To all my cousins whose numbers I got at the luncheon – I am going to call, and we will get together. To all my cyberpals – you mean so much more to me than any of you know. Your comments and your own writings put a smile on my face every day and let me know you care. And to all my family and “real” friends reading this – I love you all. And how about lunch someday soon? Finally, to Uncle Don – rest in peace. And thank you for opening my eyes to what is really important in life.