Woot's Up?

Would I try online wine?
Could I trust internet vine?
Should I? Could I with a cab?
Merlot? Syrah? Take a stab?

I do so like to try new things!
Let's see what swill wine.woot brings!

It's a Marshmallow World

Today is one of those days when, just as you've had your taste of spring, it snows again. But it's that heavy fallen snow that clings to the tree branches and makes it feel like we're living in a Norman Rockwell painting. Breathtaking to say the least.

As Darlene Love would say, "Those are marshmallow clouds being friendly in the arms of the evergreen trees." Except in today's version the sun isn't red like a pumpkin head. Nope, there is not one iota of sunshine to be found in the the miles of colorless skies around here.

It's a monochrome world in the winter
When the sun can no longer be found
It's a toneless time, for my gray-filled rhyme
I brace for it all year round

But it sure beats rain!

New Car, Caviar, Four Star Daydream

I saw something that hit me like a ton of bricks mere moments ago. It was a daily devotional from Pastor Greg Laurie that my coworker Bill sent to me in jest entitled “Saved Soul, Wasted Life.” (Hmm, what made him think of me?!) The principle premise of the text was asking us what our main purpose in life is and reminding us that it should be to glorify God (vs. personal fulfillment). Yeah, how am I doing? Not so great most of the time. I have been blessed with many resources and talents but find myself grousing a lot and thinking negative thoughts more than I care to admit. I also don’t invite God into my day often enough. Yes, I pray for His presence as I drive to client meetings but then put Him aside as I undertake many of the tasks I perform at my desk—which explains why I habitually get sidetracked and don’t accomplish as much as I anticipate on a daily basis. And, I ask for His help in my life more than I ask what He wants me to do for Him. Methinks I have the equation backwards.

But the real kicker for me was the following line about tithing, “This is my money. Here is your 10 percent, Lord. I give a waitress more, but 10 percent is all you get.” What a shocking comparison; yet, for me it’s only partially true. I give waiters and waitresses 20% and give to God less than 2% of my salary. Yet, who deserves more? Everything I have in life—and I have many blessings—is from God. My family, health, drive, intelligence, job, etc. So why am I giving Him so little? Is it because I don’t trust Him to provide for me and my family even when He’s given so abundantly to me? What more does He need to do to prove His love?

I could blame my lack of giving on my husband who doesn’t have the same beliefs as I and who also manages our finances (or lack thereof!). But the truth is: I’m the one writing the check to church every week.

I could also blame the fact that I am not 100% sold that I’m in the right church right now. It’s a bit too “jump the shark” for me given that I’m pretty conservative (e.g., I prefer hymns over modern dance performances). But the truth is: the biblical teachings remain solid and I have no concerns that the church finances are being used unwisely.

It’s entirely me. I need to readjust my priorities and, in addition to being thankful for everything in my life, give more of myself to God.

Our Accomplishments

I got home the other night to much excitement.

Son #2: "Mama! Mama! Guess what I did today!"

Me: "What???"

Son #2: "I coughed up all that stuff from my throat into the sink!!"

Uh, fantastic . . . ?

------

Later that night, Son #1 was running in circles around the house: kitchen, family room, living room, dining room, kitchen, etc.

Son #1: "How many laps do you think I've done?"

Me: "20?"

Son #1: "Nope. 30!"

This line of questioning continued at every 10th lap for over 40 minutes.

When finished, Forrest Gump Junior asked for a sheet of paper and a pencil. He entitled it, "My Accomplishments." He then wrote one sentence, "Ran 100 laps around the house."

Aiming high in our house!

Easter Forgiveness

Years ago, I went to Charlotte beach on Lake Ontario with my girlfriend Anita -- a beautiful girl from Drogheda Ireland with whom I had traveled to Portugal one summer and who later came to live in Rochester for a brief moment in time.



We were sitting on the beach surrounded by girls with big hair wearing tiny, neon bikinis. And their boyfriends were wearing leather vests over their shirtless chests along with jeans (i.e., not shorts). Perfect for an 80 degree day.

Anita turned to me and quoted Jesus' words from the cross in Luke 23:34, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do."

I think of her every Easter and hope that she's doing well wherever she is!

Spring Fever

A couple of weeks ago, Stuff White People Like posted about how "white people believe that they can bring spring early by wearing a pair of shorts on any day that is above seasonal temperatures." That's how I felt this past weekend.

After spending a short (but fun) day poolside at a Courtyard by Marriott in Albany with some awesome friends and their kids, we drove back to the Roch to spend Easter at home. On Sunday, the kids woke up at 4:20 a.m., I coerced them back into bed for two more hours, and then they speed-hunted for eggs which lasted approximately one minute. Such buildup for this?

That left us with a day full of sunshine and, finally, a snow-free driveway on which to play street hockey, catch and basketball -- while retrieving the pucks/balls from the melting snowbanks. We then went around the block on scooters and further along through the neighborhood on bikes. Fresh air at last.

Today it's back to gray skies and snow. But, for a brief moment, it felt like spring.

What a great weekend.

You with Your Angel Face

Happy St. Patrick's Day! What? Two days ago? Huh? Where was I?

Well, at least someone in the family appears to be celebrating. Or sleeping it off . . .



Well Sully, welcome to the human race
With its wars, disease and brutality
You with your innocence and grace
Restore some pride and dignity
To a world in decline

We can't wait to meet you!

Ashes to Ashes, Funk to Funky

Every once in a while, I'll walk by someone who is outside "enjoying" a cigarette and thank God that I no longer smoke -- and that I no longer have even the slightest craving. Alleluia.

I guess that means that I don't need this.



To co-opt Joel Johnson's joke as my own, this ashtray would go great with my liver shot glasses.

O, Dana

The other night, Dana Perino, the White House Press Secretary, was on The Daily Show. When Jon Stewart asked her if she had ever been asked to lie, she (of course) said, "no" and promptly gulped. I'm no expert on human behavior but it seemed awfully telling.

Jon Stewart also asked her, "The President has said that he's going to sprint to the finish. Can you get him to run faster?"

I'm willing to pitch in for some new Asics.

On a related note, take a look at this article written by Greg Palast regarding how the Feds took Eliot Spitzer down just in time to allow Ben Bernanke to loan $200 billion to bail out predator banks while "Spitzer was in Washington to launch a campaign to take on the Bush regime and the biggest financial powers on the planet."

Yeah, I know, I know. What the governor did was wrong. But the timing is impeccable.

Talkin bout lead generation

A woman I spoke with yesterday on a conference call asked me if I had ever heard of Jigsaw. I hadn't.

Apparently, it's a site where you can obtain individual's names, titles and contact information when you are undertaking a sales prospecting or business development initiative. But, unlike a traditional compiled (e.g., yellow pages) or subscriber (e.g., WSJ) list rental, this database is developed by the users. In other words, I can become a member, feed into the database my contacts and receive contacts in return for free. Or I can get a paid subscription for greater access.

It's a blend of a few things I otherwise like: open source (where users enter content a la Wikipedia), e-bay (where users buy and sell items of some perceived value) and list rental (where, in a perfect world, I can receive a great catalog -- or offer -- if I have somehow indicated a potential interest in the goods/service through my purchasing behavior, demographics or psychographics). However, in this case, I'm not sure I'm pleased with the result.

I am somehow initially resistant to the fact that someone, without my permission, can "sell" my contact information in return for someone else's data. Is this ethical? The truth is, my contact information is posted on our website. It's already in the public domain. So what exactly am I struggling with?

Out of curiosity, I checked for my email address in the "Are You in Jigsaw" section and I thankfully was not there. However, I noticed that under the "Most Purchased Contacts" section, most of the names were in IT. Contact data for the CTO of Pfizer has been purchased 136 times; the data for another person at Medtronic has been purchased 293 times. Ugh. That's a lot of cold calls to field. No thanks!

Given the current inclination towards IT contacts, I then typed the email address of a friend who is in IT services. It stated the following, "Your contact information has been bought 1 times, earning you 1 Jigsaw points."

I would guess that he's a user. And that he hasn't sold me yet.

To misquote Pete Townshend/Roger Daltrey, "Hope I die before I get sold."

Idiomag

I got an email update from Idiomag this a.m. telling me that they've "chosen some great new articles for me." Great concept, right? A personalized magazine that caters to my interests. Yep, no need to sift through a bunch of articles that don't interest me.

Thanks to information that Idiomag downloaded from my Pandora account, their site gave me an article entitled, "Wilco, Panic, Bowie set for 'Heroes' soundtrack." The article goes on to mention a bunch o' other artists that I like immensely including the New Pornographers (who, by the by, have a new iTunes-exclusive EP out while I'm still listening incessantly to "Myriad Harbor" from Challengers, the last release, MP3 here), Nada Surf, My Morning Jacket, Iggy Pop, etc. In other words, sounds like a swell soundtrack por moi. Thanks Idiomag!

(Although, upon typing that, it almost felt like I now subscribe to the magazine for idiots . . . quick grammar check. Phew. Idio has Greek origins: peculiar, one’s own, personal, private; of or pertaining to one’s self; distinct, separate, alone. Of course, idiot is derived from it but let's move on, shall we?)

In any event, I clicked to page three of my very own magazine and what do I find? They have a video of Wilco on the left side of the page strumming their little uplifting diddy, "What Light," that I blogged about a few weeks ago. I love them! Soooooooooo me!

But Idiomag. Me gotsta get used to that name. Duh.

There's a Monster in My Pants

Dear Eliot -

Why? Why did you have to become our two-faced, corruption-busting, whoring governor?

Yes, we all have our sins and failures. Yes, call girls need lovin' too. Yes, people are tempted into extra-marital affairs all the time. (What else could explain the phenomenal success of the Jerry Springer show? Or the scandal-induced sales of People magazine thanks to people like Brad Pitt?)

But, unlike the stars in Hollywood or the slack-jawed yokels found across America, we trusted you.

Why couldn't you keep it in your pants for just a few short years?

Sincerely, Confused in Rochester

P.S. $5,500 per hour? Tax-free? By working one hour per week, one can bring home close to $300K annually? Why doesn't anyone tell aspiring young MBAs this before they incur massive debt, mortgages, wrinkles and flab?

U.S. Economy Could Fall Casualty to Wars

That's today's headline on CNN.com. The article goes on to say that:

• In 2008, its sixth year, the war will cost approximately $12 billion a month, triple the "burn" rate of its earliest years
• By 2017, it is projected to cost the U.S. budget between $1.7 trillion and $2.7 trillion
  
• Interest on money borrowed to pay those costs could alone add $816 billion to that bottom line
• These numbers don't include the war's cost to the rest of the world
• Estimating all economic and social costs might push the U.S. war bill up toward $5 trillion by 2017
• These calculations are conservative and don't encompass many "hidden" items in the U.S. budget

And so on . . .

Check my math because I'm not great at these things but, assuming out of the 300M people in the U.S. that 80% are footing the bill for this through their taxes (i.e., 240M), does that mean that each person is spending roughly $50/month today (or $600/year) and that figure will rise to over $11K annually per capita in a decade (in today's dollars)? Please point out my error and tell me that I'm wrong.

Is this a good reason to strive to earn more so that the hit to my wallet doesn't seem that gigantic or a stronger incentive to earn significantly less (i.e., live off the government and lower my taxes) so that I don't have to personally fund this colossal nightmare?

Mama Amia

If I could work anywhere, I would love to work at Ideo. Everything they touch is unbelievably beautiful/uber-cool and their innovation and design process, from what I've seen and heard, is the best in the industry. I have visions of everyone there smiling all the time, respecting one another, building off each others' ideas, loving their jobs and basically having the time of their lives -- all while getting paid to have fun and design great products. A bit too "whistle while you work"? Maybe. But it's my imagination and I'm sticking with it.

Now, thanks to my generous boss (who I've written about before because I LOVE her), I have something of my very own that has been designed by them. A new, Steelcase Amia chair -- that won a Gold Best of NeoCon in 2007 in the ergonomic seating category.

Mine is, of course, in black. And, yes, I was trying different iterations of AC/DC's "Back (support) in Black" but it's really not working. But check out the loveliness and simplicity of my new chair! Oh, I can't wait to sit in you for ten hours a day . . .

Death CAbi for Cutie

I went to a really fun CAbi trunk show last night and bought this little number.

The picture doesn’t do it justice; it’s as cute as can be. Or maybe it’s just because I’m so stunningly attractive that I can get away with it. (Hmmm, maybe I should close the comments on this posting.)

Actually, I went to the CAbi site before the party, didn’t particularly love the clothes, and vowed that I wouldn’t buy anything. Maybe it was the wine talking but when the clothes were right in front of me, they took on a life of their own. I wanted everything in the collection. Well, maybe not everything—there were some Maude-like dusters that wouldn't behoove me—but I loved more items in the collection than I was prepared to. And, strangely enough, the dusters looked great on some of the women there. I also liked the Veranda skirt but two casual skirts seemed like overkill since I either wear suits or jeans and rarely anything in betwixt.

If I was looking for a new career opportunity, I think selling these clothes in other people's homes could be fun. Then again, I think driving an 18-wheeler would be fun, too. Maybe I should just stick with management consulting.

White People

I was reading a great series of posts on A Cup of Jo where she was talking about how yuppified life has become when your friends begin complaining about the duck confit or sharing stories about how someone got drunk at a wedding in Sri Lanka and fell off the edge of the infinity pool. As she says, "Wait, What? Awesome. Top that!" Yeah, I really don't think I can but I now have my eyes wide open for flagrant displays of this behavior!

A few clicks away, I then found myself on this blog: Stuff White People Like. The list is chock full of things I do, in fact, like (e.g., living by water, whole foods, yoga, indie music) -- along with hilarious copy pointing out the ridiculous nuances of each.

Regarding gentrification, he writes, "White people like to live in these neighborhoods because they get credibility and respect from other white people for living in a more “authentic” neighborhood where they are exposed to “true culture” every day. So whenever their friends mention their home in the suburbs or richer urban area, these people can say “oh, it’s so boring out there, so fake. In our neighborhood, things are just more real.” This superiority is important as white people jockey for position in their circle of friends."

Cracks me up. When we first moved back here and were looking for homes, many people suggested the town next to us because it has greater diversity. While I do wholeheartedly agree with that in concept, I couldn't help but think that by "diversity" they really meant the opportunity for our kids to grow up alongside other affluent children from hyper-educated parents who happen to be from different cultures, religions or races. Because, otherwise, if I was really aiming for cultural diversity, wouldn't I simply move to the inner city where they could meet families from all walks of life? And save some money on my mortgage in the process?

My Tips for Disney World

1. Stay at a Disney property because the parks open early for Disney guests and there are no, zero, zilch, nada lines at those wee morning hours. That and the transportation is quick and free.
   
2. Sign up for the Disney meal plan because food at Disney is really, really expensive and the plan is really, really cheap. Including tips, we spent roughly $66 per day on food which breaks down to $22/meal or <$7.50/meal for each of us. The plan includes snacks (e.g., bagel, coffee, chips), counter service (e.g., cheeseburger, fries, drink and dessert) and a sit down meal per day (e.g., sushi, steaks, seafood, dessert) in fairly nice restaurants. In other words, way more food than could possibly be eaten.
3. Invest in The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World or borrow it from your local library like I did. I went through their rapid rating system and simply put the number of stars per attraction on my park maps. Then we knew exactly what rides we needed to make a beeline to and those which we could avoid.
   
4. Pay attention to #3 above. We ignored the recommendation in the book and went to It's a Small World on the first night because there were no lines. Even my six year old was bored. I warned them beforehand that the song would be permanently seared into their memory banks. Why is it that I can barely remember some of my fondest experiences yet will forever remember that hauntingly insipid tune? Oh, and we also went to the Hall of Presidents where Son #1 shared with us how he hates learning. Great.
   
5. Go with another adult: in case you get the flu. I had to go on every ride knowing that I was likely to die in any given minute. But what was actually worse than going on a roller coaster or a Mission to Mars with the flu was a) waiting in lines with the flu and b) watching my kids eat. I could heave just thinking about it now.
   
6. Go with another adult: in case one kid wants to go on a ride and the other kid doesn't. I had to pawn Son #1 off on some really nice couple because he wanted to go on Expedition Everest and his brother was too scared after the runaway roller coaster Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.
   
7. Don't go on Splash Mountain first thing in the morning. Especially if it's 50 degrees and overcast. Sounds like common sense, right? Yeah, well that's apparently something I'm lacking while on vacation.
   
8. Check out when there is a cheerleading competition at Disney World. This is either something you want to avoid like the plague or book your trip around if you have teenage boys. Our pool was swarming with high school girls in bikinis who were engaging in hula hoop contests. Need I say more?
   
9. Ignore your diet. Everything is filled with grease. Give in and have fun. Oh and look around. Chances are good that, even with belly flab, you're one of the thinnest people here. Speaking of which, Disney is one of the best people watching places I've been to in ages. There were guys with mullets, babies with tattoos, women in high heels, girls in tiny shorts with thigh-high tights, and entire families in matching outfits. Oh, and did I mention adults in mouse ears -- including newly married couples in bride/groom ears (complete with veil)? As the Fug girls said yesterday regarding LA, "you're no one in this town unless you look like an a*hole."
   
10. Come once and never again. The kids had soooo much fun yet I'm both exhausted and penniless.
    

I Wanna Rock n' Roll All Night

And party every day!

TripAdvisor has already posted the review I wrote yesterday morning re: our Disney hotel. Not sure what I was smoking when I rated it a "5" out of five. Perhaps I was still asleep? Possibly compared with the dismal state of the properties in Cancun and the Deerfield Spa, this hotel was an eleven; however, the only element that really gives it a strong rating would be the kids' activities. Oh well. Since it's Disney World and that's why we were there, I guess family fun should be a more heavily weighted criterion than decor and ambiance.

Just trying to justify my error. As always, I'm a cheap date. Who needs the Ritz-Carlton when you can do the chicken dance poolside?

Yay! Back to Work!

Yes, it's good to be back at work. Oh wait, no. It's Sunday. Whaaaaaaaaat am I doing here? Ah yes, enjoying the sunshine and warmth after a cold, windy trip to Florida . . . and deleting the majority of my 664 new email messages. No need for a replica watch, discount medications or penis enlargement.

My post on Disney World will have to wait until I have less work to catch up on. But here are a couple of my favorite conversations held at Disney last week.

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Kid to mom while walking past my kids who were swimming on a 60 degree day: "Mom, what are those kids doing in the pool?"

Mom: "They must be from Michigan."

Right concept. Wrong state.

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Teenage girl underneath large picture of Steven Tyler: "Ew. Look at that guy's huge mouth."

Her friend: "Oh, I think he used to be famous. It's what's his name."

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Bus driver: "Please be careful when disembarking."

Son #2: "Is disembarking when you suck all your puke back in?"

Me: "It's bark with a 'k' not disembarfing. It means getting off the bus."

Son #1: "Why didn't he just say that then?"

Good question.

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Son #2: "They should have a restaurant at Disney's Hollywood Studios called 'Straw Wars.' "

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Conversation in restaurant after I let my kids blend their own Sprite, Root Beer and Fanta Orange concoctions.

Older woman: "Are you boys having fun in Disney?"

Son #2: "Yeah! Our mom is letting us have mixed drinks."

Hello social services.

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And my least favorite of the lot . . .

Son #1 on day two: "I'm bored."

Hello Prozac.