December Birthday Girl



18 years old!

Poor Emily. Her birthday is on December 29, right smack dab in the middle of all the holiday celebrations. School's out, friends are away. Even family is tired of food and partying. And there is that annoying tendency to give one supposedly "big" gift instead of separate Christmas and birthday gifts.

Steve and I have always made a point of having a separate gift for each occasion, as well as a birthday cake on the special day. We typically have her "friends" party in the new year.

This year, however, she got a pleasant surprise: a quintuple birthday!

Party number one: her girlfriends invited her over for an informal party, complete with a homemade cake.

Party number two: she went out for pizza with two more girlfriends. (No cake on this occasion.)

Party number three: her boyfriend showed up with a homemade cake (made with his mother's help).

Party number four: we, her grandparents, her aunt and uncle and her boyfriend all went out for dinner. After the meal the waiter brought out a slice of cake with a sparkler in it. (She scarfed down that cake as if she hadn't been fed in DAYS!)

Party number five: we then came home to - you guessed it -- cake number four, an ice-cream cake!

No surprise we still have leftover cake, of three different varieties. I guess there's always room for more where cake is concerned.

Happy eighteenth, Emma-Lou!

New Year's Resolutions

I think that I may, once upon a time, have made some New Year's Resolutions. Not sure what ever became of them, but I've never done them again.

Because the point of NYRs -- and all goals and objectives, really -- is that you have to refer back to them and ask yourself, "Well, how did I do?" If you're not going to do that, then the whole exercise is kind of futile.

Or is it?

I've often said that the most important part of a communication strategy is not the tactics or slogan or schedule (though that is what the client really wants to see), but the process. Thinking about the current situation, the reason behind the need to communicate, what your point is. Working with the other members of the communication team - especially the client - to ensure that everyone is rowing in the same direction with the same dock in view. If you get those right, then there will be less fussing over changing "good" to "nice."

So, thinking aloud here, what if I were to approach this NYR as a strategy, not a list of tactics? Hmmm. It might look something like this [I'm not sure how personal this will get, so it may never end up being published]:

Current Situation/Background

• Current weight is holding steady, but is still more than I would like. More to the point, I don't mind my weight so much as I mind how my weight LOOKS in clothing.
• I have mild diabetes, currently diet-controlled. Don't want it to require drugs or insulin.
• I have a family history of heart disease, Alzheimers, and depression.
• Line of credit (used to build the pool) needs to be paid down.
• I am contented in my closest relationships, but would like to spend more 1:1 time with each of my kids.
• I am lazy.
• We are planning a trip to California in March.
• I am holding judgment on whether the job I'm in now is where I want to be.
• I drive the car to work at least three times per week, which is expensive, bad for the environment and lazy of me. (The best bus stop is about a 10-minute walk from my front door.)

Issues

• Steve would be delighted if I increased my activity level (and coincidentally lost some weight). [He's exceptionally discreet in how he expresses this, and always does so with my own best interests at heart. He could be a diplomat.]
• I really like driving to work, rather than taking the bus, mostly because I don't have to watch the clock.
• Regular exercise is known to combat diabetes, heart disease, Alzheimers and depression. Plus, the Queen says we should do it.

Strategy

• Gently proactive approach.

Tactics

• Stop driving the car to work so often. (Limit to once per week.)
• Reduce $ spent on parking - more to put toward line of credit.
• Walk at least 10 minutes a day [baby steps, people, baby steps!]
• Set up an automatic transfer to line of credit.
• Make a "date" with each kid for a Saturday brunch, one kid per week.
• Go for at least one walk per week with Steve. Increase to three or more times per week over the year.

Evaluation/Results (because you KNOW that any strategy has to have measurable results)

• Greater stamina
• Weight loss (rather than gain)
• Swift reduction of line of credit --> greater disposable income
• Strengthened relationships with kids

Well, it's a pretty cursory strategy, but it does hit the main points - and the reasons for them.

While January first may be an arbitrary day to review one's life and goals, just as Valentine's Day is an arbitrary date to affirm one's love, it's as good a time as any to take stock and, maybe, make some changes for the better. Just as February 14th is as good a date as any to let someone know how special he or she is in your life.

Trolling?

I mentioned earlier that my new employer has a "Clean Desk" policy. The policy doesn't actually specify what a clean desk must look like or what the consequences would be, but, given that I'm in the probationary period of my employment, I'm guessing they could give me the old heave-ho if they so desired.

So I won't be challenging it. In fact, I quite like my nice, clean expanse of cream laminate.

It does lend the office a rather homogenous look. Which is the point, I suppose.

But just now I glanced at the cute little Roo character that came with the KinderSurprise that was in my stocking. Isn't he sweet? And cheerful? Wouldn't he be nice to have around the office, bringing a smile to everyone who walked by?

Don't you think I should stick his little feet to the top of my cubicle partition and collect the rest in the series so I can create a little theme?

It would be especially welcome because my cube is the very first one visible when people enter the offices. It would be like the entire cast of Winnie-the-Pooh was there to greet them. I just KNOW that everyone would feel a giddy little skip in their hearts.

Yah. I don't think so either. What would probably happen is this:

Colleagues mutter to each other before I get into the office: "Gawd! What is she? Six?"

Second colleague: "Without my glasses on, it kind of looks like she's sprinkled broken bits of glass along the top of the divider, you know, to keep thieves and vandals out. Where's the private security guard?"

Very classy boss's boss takes one look and says to me, "I don't think those really convey the professional, cutting-edge image we are going for. Maybe you could use them to decorate the inside. Of your filing cabinet."


Mimi Bobeck, Drew's nemesis from the Drew Carey Show


This whole train of thought got me thinking about troll dolls (for obvious reasons, I hope), and then I thought of Mimi Bobeck, who also had at least one troll doll on her [clean, mind you] desk.

Clearly, bringing in kitschy things would be heading down a very dangerous path. I think I'll stick with family photos in tasteful frames.

Festival of light

Emily put her tree-decorating skills to work and pulled off what I think is the most beautiful Christmas tree we've ever had. I'll let the pictures speak for themselves. (You can click the pictures to enlarge them, then click them again to see them REALLY big!)

We're still trying to figure out
how to arrange the furniture
in a way that is conducive to conversation.

Our beatific angel.
I love her, but because she is not lit
she sort of disappears compared to the rest of the tree.

Look closely and
you will see my reflection in the gold ball.

I love this angel.
I've ordered a capiz star tree-topper to match her.
Our current angel tree-topper will then have to find a new home.

I've been playing around with a new photo-editing software. What do you think?

Ah, progress!

Well, today brought considerable progress around this house. Here's an update:

The fridge and pantry have been filled.
Our tree isn't is up .
The eaves are [still] unlit, but the door is adorned with a cheery new wreath.
The liquor cabinet is bare stocked.
No sweets have been baked purchased and stored in the freezer. (Thank-you to Aunt Carol for that tidbit of wise advice.)
There is no some stuff for the stockings.
Half All but three of the gifts have yet to be been bought.
The gee-gaws are still nestled in their bins.
Our annual letter has not been composed.
Our cards have not been written or stamped.
Of the gifts that have been bought, only three all have been wrapped.
I sorted out the front hall so there is a place for all of the mucky, wet boots. I happen to own - and wear - six pairs of winter boots myself.

Surprisingly, it was kind of fun. I took the boys with me, and we took our time, then hit McDonalds for lunch. The crowds weren't too dreadful and parking was just fine.

And, best of all, while we did all the running around, the cleaners were here today, two energetic women for four hours. The house is spotless!

There is still work to do. Emily and I will decorate the tree tonight -- she has become an expert tree-trimmer through her co-op placement at IKEA where she helped decorate all the trees for their Christmas displays. I'll try to post a picture tomorrow.