Verb for the weekend

Chronicle: verb - record in chronological order; make a historical record
I love taking pictures, whether they suck or not, i like taking them. Video too
I've been thinking lately about my desire or need to chronicle. Some of it stems from not having many if any photos of my family prior to 1960. I take pictures of all sorts of stuff - people, puddles, frogs, cars, walls, train tracks. I have a fear of Alshemiers - maybe that's part of it. I just love to take pictures. I wonder it some of it stems from of a fear of being forgotten. Like my pictures are my legacy...

ANYWAY, this weekend I will adventure and I will chronicle as I will be going on a . I'll stay in and spend 3 's and 3 's goin to . I'll go ing for the first time.

Should be interesting =)

to sum up today...

I am literally at the end of my Patience tape, and there is no rewind

For the love of all that is good and holy....

For the love of all that is good and holy, before you come to me with a request, with a need, with a question, you need to travel somewhere - all of which you've done 37 times in the last hour

READ YOUR DAMN EMAILS
ANSWER YOUR DAMN PHONES
MAKE UP YOUR DAMN MINDS

I've researched, I've called, I've analyzed, I've dug, I've printed out and collated.
If you take the time and effort to use your skills (highly educated or not) to swiftly and promptly remove your cranium and all content there within from the other opening in you body (colloquially known as your ass) you will see the answers are there, the needs have been met

If I don't have the answer - I will tell you "I don't know"
If I need more detail - I will ask "May I Have more details?"

BUT you don't know what you want, don't spend what precious little time we have on this earth persickificating over flights and times. Hemming and Hawing over when you want to leave and from where you want to leave and what's cheapest.... CHRIST ALMIGHTY give me strength.

Inspired by Introspectre, I've written a haiku

Patience is a friend
A guest I welcome with love
Unless you're an ass

Patience is a gift
Given to everyone with joy
Unless you're an ass

Swimming pool in winter
Confidence in a white house
My patience for you

Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass
five times thrityfive thousand
You You You You You

So sleeeeeeeeeeeepy

Since the lovely uber flu I've had to cut the caffeine in my diet b/c it really upset my tummy
but let me tell you something, dude, I'm so sleepy today and a little cup of Joe right now would be a nice pep up.
I've got the head bobble working, the half opened eyes
I find myself relating with my nephews, who, around lunch time are pooped.
They get up at 6:30 and don't nap until around 12:45. So when they get their noon bottle this happens:

they zonk the minute they get their bottles.
I think if I could have that caffy coffee, I just might do the same

I'm so freakin' sleepy today

naaaaaaaaaaaaaaaap
must have naaaaaaaaaaap

Smart Ass Remark of the Day

So an outside colleague came in to visit today.
I've not seen him in about a year
"Margaret, great to see you, I'd forgotten how lovely you are"
"Oh, so-and-so, that's ok, I never forget"
[pause] Big laugh

I'm a charmer

Zooooom Zooooom Zoo--What?

I speak spanish and english. I work in an environment that I get to use both plus portuguese. I'm pretty good at but I'm in America, I think in english most of the time. When I was little I used to speak only portuguese around the house. but now 34 years later, I think in english, I am in English mode (information needed to get the next bit of prose)

I was intently and intesively reviewing a document today, my nose to the screen, fingers typing at record pace. the mouse is flying. 120 mph baby! I faintly hear the phone ring, so autopilot: pick up the phone, "Good afternoon, this is Margaret"

"Buenos Dias Margarita, soy veronica de la ofecina de...." at high speed and pitch

What? who? when? where? MOTHER!

You know
I hate it when people catch me off guard and just start rattling off in spanish
without even a warning
SeRIOUSLY
you could hear
outside of my head
the crrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrreeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaattching of the gears grinding to a panicked halt
the despirate griiiiiiiiiiinding to shift from english to spanich
crrrrrrrrrch
ccrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrreeeeeeeeeeeeeeench
CreeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACH

"Um, uh, que?"After about 60 seconds of "um's" and "Ok's" I had managed to pul outof neutral and into first again. My head is aching from the exercise of stopping mid thought, shaking out of my editing coma and start thinking and saying things in spanish. Like going from 4th to 1st gear in one shot.
ouch.

need tea and a Darviset
that's the good drugs, no?
or Demerol
Yeah..

Neurosis and a Faberware Pressure Cooker

I forget, sometimes, how fun/neurotic it is to cook with my mother =)
I had so much fun cooking with her tonight - I'm still learning the fine tuning of cooking brasilian food, so it's nice to work with the expert.
If anything the more we work together, instead of learning more of the craft, I learn more of me. I see the "why's" of what I do, how I chop, how I clean, where things go, how things should be. I didn't get all of her ways, but each culinary adventure is a lesson in Humility (I do more dishes than cooking with Gema), Creativity (Hmmm, sure, let's try it with the pork instead of the chicken) and Quick Thinking (you'd better have that bowl, that knife, that utencil ready for her when she calls for it).
We talk when we cook about... well... what ever suits us, or more like what ever suits Gema =)

It's been such a crazy year, when mom is not tending to her tailoring gig 3 times a week, she's tending to her grandsons 3 other days of the week. Sundays are her days for tending home and my dad. We didn't have much of our outtings: Mom and I would spend a lazy Sunday with each other or I'd sneak out of work to meet her for an afternoon out. I've missed her. When she had to leave in December, I was sad - it's odd for us not to chit chat every day. She was home just in time to miss the Garcia Colon/Belly Virus (she brought me presents =))

So tonight - a stolen evening she shared
I cooked up more than black beans and rice, I cooked up another moment to reminisce on, to remember. She was cranky (Dad's vacuuming skills seem to be falling below standard) but she was fun tonight. Another Gema tale to tell. I'm selfish when it comes to Mom - I share her with freinds, but sometimes I just want Gema Time all to myself.

I'll leave you with a true Gema-ism: Cooking tonight is for a lunch tomorrow I'm sharing with a few coworkers (my bosses too). Mom was preparing one of the dishes on the stove and I was about to start preping the salsa/pico to go with meal. "Mom, I'll start that dicing up the green onions and tomato, I used the olive oil on it right?"
She smiles and says, "Oh, no Maggi, that's ok, I'll do it"
"Mom, I can do it"
[pause] Said with a sweet smile in the most perfect, non Brasilian accent, "No, they'll know I helped and I have a reputation to maintain"
Oh so Gema
She did end up letting me cook some of the meal

It's all shiney!

it's a lovely new year
new air
new ideas
new adventures!
the last few weeks have been a bit of an adventure - a WHOLE lot of family, a WHOLE lot of food, a WHOLE lot of good news, a WHOLE lot of good friends.

To Recap: with mom traveling and crazy work schedule and a monster strain of stomach and colon affecting virus, none of us had time or energy to brave the malls and cataloges I felt bad that I didn't really get a chance to do some deep thinking or planning and gifts were very much of the practical nature.
But this was the best christmas we've had! What we did give and get were all things that we'll use a ton - I like gifts like that. We ended up spending a great deal of time together, which in the grand scheme, is better than any gift. We watched the boys do what they do, we had family from outside the country come in. it was very comfortable.

New Years was great - The second annual Happy Maggi New Years Party was a hoot IF i do say so myself. Friends that weren't able to make it were there in spirit. The Menu consisted of Shu's first attempt at frying a turkey - yes, FRYING a turkey. Hot Oil, Propane Tank, Fire, Beer and Testosterone - let's just say I demanded a fire extinguisher.

My favorite thing about this party: everyone came and relaxed, we drank, we laughed, took pictures, drank, everyone brought something to munch on (sooo yummy). Since we're all in a money crunch, this was our present to each other. It was the best present! Melly came from Chicago, Adam ventured all the way from Fredneck - I mean Frederick, MD to join us.
We rang in the new year and woke some of my neighbors
We threw pots of water out the door to symbolize throwing out the worries of the year past.
We drank more then went to bed =)
The next morning we had a super yummy breakfast - we all partook of Adam's sticky buns - so tasty. Everyone mildly hungover and in the jammies Santa had left for theam at my house. Shu and Hi live just a block away and they came back for waffles and buns. I was so tickled b/c they came in their jammies and robes - Hi brought her slippers =)

what a lovely end to 2005 and a lovely begining to 2006 =)
I'll have pictures up soon

I'm rambling a bunch today b/c I think so much happened that I really enjoyed I can't share it all =) I'm sure as the regularly scheduled work week returns and the holiday wares are packed away, waiting 11 months to see the sun again, my brain will return to its usual state and I'll have plenty to say! =)

2006 will bring a bunch of new adventures - I'm going on a cruise this month and snorkeling (I have a fear of drowning in open water, so this should be good), I'm going back to Chicago in February, March has not shown it's adventure yet... sneaky little March. I think the plan is to stay cool in the spring and go to Spain in the summer. If that is the case then dropping 50 lbs is foremost the plan for 2006. It's bad enough they see me over there as a spinster, but if I show up pudgy, OI!, i'll never hear the end. Plus, they might line up a few nice young men for me to meet [pause] [insert mad maniackle laughter here]

OH, I have a bet for 2006 - I must have a real date for my company holiday party in Dec of 2006. Not a guy friend, but a Date date - the kind that puts out and not random date that puts out, but a nice guy - boyfriend material. It just seems a waste to get all liquored up and not have a fella to nosh on in the coat closet, no?

ANYWAY - Happy New Adventure Year to all of you ( all 6 of you who read my blog)

Let's have some fun this year!