Video chat with the grands

Today the Bug had her first video chat with my parents. We'd given them a webcam for Christmas 2006, but never quite got around to hooking ours up. After an hour on the phone today - and it was me, not them, who hadn't downloaded the proper AIM client - we finally got the whole thing to work. It was pretty hilarious, I think. I couldn't see that much - I was pretty focused on not letting the Bug stick the webcam into her mouth. She crawled around, and the webcam followed her, which worked great. She clapped, we played patty-cake. My parents sounded totally thrilled.

Most annoying thing

There are many things that can get under a person's skin: TV static, people who talk during the movies, Brendan Fraser... But I may have actually found the worst. Each of the past two days, the phone's rung with "800 Caller" in the caller ID. I answered expecting a telemarketer, which would have been annoying in and of itself. However, it actually gets worse. I said, "hello," and the automated voice told me in return that "my party was busy and I would be placed on hold." I was placed on hold - twice! - by an automated caller that called me! That has to be *the* most annoying thing.

And by the way, our home number is listed on the Do Not Call Registry.

Times New Roman ain't that cool

A couple of months ago, I read on CNN.com something to the effect that when a person has reached a certain point in her career, she really should have someone professional design her resume. About that same week, my husband suggested that I have a good friend of ours - and a professional graphic designer - revamp my resume. Apparently my 15-year-old formatting in Times New Roman was not what you'd call fresh-looking. I took this advice, not reluctantly but not wildly optimistic either. I mean, how much difference can a new font make?

The answer to that question is, "all the difference." Stacey just sent me the final version of my resume, and it is an unbelievable improvement!! The difference is immeasurable. It doesn't even look like the same document! It is now something I can be very proud to send out, and something that is much more pleasing to read. All I'd told her was that I wanted a new font and wanted the layout to be "more modern." How this lame directive could possibly be translated into the work she did is for more creative minds than mine to contemplate. But trust me - it's beyond worth it!

Now for the plug: If you're on the job market - or even if you're just thinking about updating your resume to have on file - I cannot recommend Rasa Design highly enough. Thanks, Stace!

Wineless, post script

I just finished one bottle of wine, but since I bought three after my last post, I am not yet wineless.

Wineless

Each January for the past two or three, my husband has gone on the wagon - no drinking from New Year's Day through the Super Bowl. While I respect his moxie, I have chosen not to participate. I feel like doing 10 months at a stretch a couple or three times is plenty; no need for voluntary Januaries. Unfortunately, though, he buys most of our beer and wine, and with that errand not particularly on the top of his mind, today I find myself completely wineless. It's the lamest.

Complete drivel

The other day I had a couple of hours to kill when a meeting got postponed. My next meeting was in the Time Warner Center, so I figured that would be an easy place to hole up and read my book for a while.

As it turns out, there isn't a Starbucks there, and the cafe within the Borders was packed. I ultimately found a quiet corner within the bookstore, but before I even pulled out my book I got distracted since I was in the music section. There's a book about golfing by Alice Cooper, which seemed pretty amusing. And an annotated book of Grateful Dead lyrics which was shockingly uninteresting.

But the one that I couldn't believe was called The Heroin Diaries, which is not something edgy and interesting by Irvine Welsh. No, this is a book by Motley Crue's drummer Nikki Sixx. It is supposedly his diary from one year in his heroin-addled life. After each entry - and let's be honest here; does anyone really believe that moron kept a diary? - there's current commentary from either himself or one of the people involved in that particular anecdote. It may be the absolute worst book ever to be published.

News in Jobland

First, let me share my sister's very exciting news... She'll be moving to Minneapolis in a couple of weeks to begin her new job as Minnesota's State Director for America Votes! Yes, you heard that right, less than two months past her 30th birthday, and Jessie's going to be managing the progressive coalition in one of this election's swing states! Huge kudos to her, both for nabbing a fabulous gig and for having the nerve to move to set off on her own to forge her way in a new (notoriously cold!) state!! She'll be sending postcards from Lake Wobegon to everyone who wishes her well in the comments below.

The second thing I have to share is my own job news. I currently do not have one. On Friday morning, I was told that "it's not working out" and was asked to leave. I don't want to get into any further details on my blog, but feel free to drop me a note and I'll fill you in. Suffice it to say, I no longer feel any hesitation about pursuing things with the EEOC. The good news is that I now actually have the time to look for a new job. The worst thing about it is that I wanted everything to be on my own terms.

I've already had a few meetings and a couple of job leads (from my former clients, no less, which sure helps the bruised ego), and have a bunch more on the calendar. I'm not too worried about this shit-bag of lemons turning into lemonade, perhaps even spiked with a big ole shot of gin.