Bored at work with random thoughts
The last couple of weeks were so busy at work that this week is dragging! Yesterday, I got a lot of things done that had been put on the backburner (oh how I hate that cliché, but, well, there it is in my writing). But I also did some Internet surfing, which I do all the time at work but I know is so stupid since my employer has access to my computer over the network and knows everything I do on it! I remember someone saying that the president of our company joked last year that the most visited website of 2002 was Monster.com (job website)... which is funny since our company is really great and I think we have above average employee retention/tenure rates.
I wish this weekend's trip to VA were a little bit longer. After the parties/graduation festivities, there will really only be 2 days of regular visiting. But I guess that's better than nothing. I realized this past weekend that I only talk to my dad once every few months. That isn't good. My mom and I talk most every day over e-mail (though only every couple weeks on the phone). And I don't really talk to Greg and Lucy very often either. The problem is that we aren't phone people. None of us really likes talking on the phone (I passed that phase in junior high).
I have been having pangs of wanting to be pregnant. I guess it's because it's happening all around me with our friends (many on their second child already!--Scott and Kim's 2nd is due August 8; Rob & Kristen's 2nd is due in October or November; Fred and Susan's 2nd is due September 15; Ricci and Joe's 1st is due November 1). But then I do remember how much I enjoy all the time Jon and I get together, and all the fun little trips we're taking this year and the things we get to do on the spur of the moment. And all the Saturdays I get to sleep in. So I can wait.
Mood: Antsy
Music: Chris Rice, "Run the Earth, Watch the Sky"
Wednesday, June 09, 2004
Tuesday, June 08, 2004
Leaving
Our trip to Virginia is the day after tomorrow. We'll be gone June 10-15. My grandparents' 80th birthday party (combined party for both Nannie and Pop) is on Friday, and Lucy graduates from high school on Saturday. I wish we could stay longer, but missing 4 days of work is a lot for Jon! I'm really looking forward to going out there though... too bad we'll miss corn on the cob (too early)!
Our trip to Virginia is the day after tomorrow. We'll be gone June 10-15. My grandparents' 80th birthday party (combined party for both Nannie and Pop) is on Friday, and Lucy graduates from high school on Saturday. I wish we could stay longer, but missing 4 days of work is a lot for Jon! I'm really looking forward to going out there though... too bad we'll miss corn on the cob (too early)!
Friday, June 04, 2004
I'm leaving after work today for our church's weekend Women's Retreat. It's up at Forest Home this year like it was last year. Last year, we had a neat set of 3 nice-ish cabins, but I don't think we got those this year...so bunk beds, here we come! I’m not expecting too much out of this weekend, really. The one last year was OK, but the most fun part about it was that my good friend C went, and she and I got to know each other really well. She was supposed to go this year but dropped out a few weeks ago, but Amy and Lissa (the only other 2 marrieds without kids besides C and me at church) are going. The 3 of us are driving up together this evening after work. But the retreat itself was just OK last year--the girl who led the music was all about making sure we heard how pretty her voice is (she brought a microphone even though there were only about 20 of us there) and the teaching was very shallow (more just a lot of stories and no meat). We’ll see if it’s better this time.
Wednesday, June 02, 2004
Wonderful news!
Annoying salesperson took me aside yesterday "to talk." I thought, "OK, she's either going to lay out all the things I did wrong on her last proposal, or she's going to talk about one of my coworkers and didn't want them to hear it." But no! She told me that she has submitted her 2 weeks' notice! What?! Yes! I said, "But you're doing so well here!" (and she is--she's the #3 salesperson in the company). But, apparently, this new "opportunity" was too good to pass up. I had to make a conscious effort to stop smiling and act disappointed. This will make my working life a lot nicer. :) :) :)
Annoying salesperson took me aside yesterday "to talk." I thought, "OK, she's either going to lay out all the things I did wrong on her last proposal, or she's going to talk about one of my coworkers and didn't want them to hear it." But no! She told me that she has submitted her 2 weeks' notice! What?! Yes! I said, "But you're doing so well here!" (and she is--she's the #3 salesperson in the company). But, apparently, this new "opportunity" was too good to pass up. I had to make a conscious effort to stop smiling and act disappointed. This will make my working life a lot nicer. :) :) :)
Tuesday, June 01, 2004
Our trip
We had a great weekend!
Saturday - We left around 10:30 from our house. Because we hit some traffic, we stopped in downtown Ventura for lunch at the Busy Bee Cafe. Then, we continued our trek up the coast and made it to Buellton (where we stayed) by 4:00. We unpacked and relaxed a bit, and then we headed into downtown Solvang (a 5-minute drive from our hotel). We walked in and out of the gift shops and enjoyed the nice weather. We went back to the hotel to get ready for our dinner reservation at Mattei's Tavern, a really neat restaurant with delicious food. We decided to take the long way to the restaurant since we had extra time, and it was worth it!
This dinner was our all-out anniversary celebration, so got all we wanted: good glasses of wine, a delicious baby greens/poached pear/candied walnut salad for an appetizer, fantastic entrees (I got the 6-ounce filet and potatoes au gratin with caramelized onions; Jon got the Copper River salmon with rice pilaf and tomatillo salsa), rich desserts (warm, rich chocolate souffle cake for me; strawberry shortcake for Jon), and coffee.
Sunday - After sleeping in, we went to Solvang and ate at the Belgian Cafe so Jon could have strawberry crepes. I had a great omelette. Then it was on to more window shopping. In one of my favorite stores, I got a pair of little stud earrings (cheap!) and a cute Americana wall hanging to put on our front door for the summer (it says "Let Freedom Ring" and has a little bell on the side). Next, we drove the long way to Gainey Vineyard and made it just in time for the 1:00 tour of the winery. We also bought some swiss cheese and did the wine tasting after the tour--a fun first for both of us.
After finishing at Gainey, we decided to explore the main road, so we drove for a half hour or so and ended up stopping at the La Purisima Mission. Although I wasn't dressed appropriately (I had on newish sandals that got really dirty since there were no paved paths), the mission was very interesting. I especially liked seeing the different living quarters--the guest room was by far the nicest, and, surprisingly, the priests'/fathers' rooms were among the most sparce (or the sparcest?). After the mission, we continued driving to see what Lompoc was like. It wasn't much. So we kept driving and hit the ocean. We took a nice walk on the sand and decided we were exhausted! We drove back to the hotel and rested. We chose to go to dinner at the nearby sushi place, and we were pleasantly surprised by how good it was (one giveaway was that there were mostly locals there). I'll definitely get the Volcano again if we are ever back in Buellton. After dinner, we did more exploring; Jon enjoyed racing around some corners on the back country roads, where we passed no more than 2 cars. To close out the night, we went to Andersen's Pea Soup for coffee and dessert. What a fun day!
Monday - We got up a little earlier this day to pack and check out, and then we went to the Greenhouse Cafe at Petersen Village (in Solvang) for breakfast--yum! We got in the car to head south by 10:30, and we missed all the traffic! We even made a pit stop in Ventura to visit Jon's grandpa Ray for an hour or so. We made it home by 3:00.
We had such a great trip! Thank you for planning it, Jon. :)
We had a great weekend!
Saturday - We left around 10:30 from our house. Because we hit some traffic, we stopped in downtown Ventura for lunch at the Busy Bee Cafe. Then, we continued our trek up the coast and made it to Buellton (where we stayed) by 4:00. We unpacked and relaxed a bit, and then we headed into downtown Solvang (a 5-minute drive from our hotel). We walked in and out of the gift shops and enjoyed the nice weather. We went back to the hotel to get ready for our dinner reservation at Mattei's Tavern, a really neat restaurant with delicious food. We decided to take the long way to the restaurant since we had extra time, and it was worth it!
This dinner was our all-out anniversary celebration, so got all we wanted: good glasses of wine, a delicious baby greens/poached pear/candied walnut salad for an appetizer, fantastic entrees (I got the 6-ounce filet and potatoes au gratin with caramelized onions; Jon got the Copper River salmon with rice pilaf and tomatillo salsa), rich desserts (warm, rich chocolate souffle cake for me; strawberry shortcake for Jon), and coffee.
Sunday - After sleeping in, we went to Solvang and ate at the Belgian Cafe so Jon could have strawberry crepes. I had a great omelette. Then it was on to more window shopping. In one of my favorite stores, I got a pair of little stud earrings (cheap!) and a cute Americana wall hanging to put on our front door for the summer (it says "Let Freedom Ring" and has a little bell on the side). Next, we drove the long way to Gainey Vineyard and made it just in time for the 1:00 tour of the winery. We also bought some swiss cheese and did the wine tasting after the tour--a fun first for both of us.
After finishing at Gainey, we decided to explore the main road, so we drove for a half hour or so and ended up stopping at the La Purisima Mission. Although I wasn't dressed appropriately (I had on newish sandals that got really dirty since there were no paved paths), the mission was very interesting. I especially liked seeing the different living quarters--the guest room was by far the nicest, and, surprisingly, the priests'/fathers' rooms were among the most sparce (or the sparcest?). After the mission, we continued driving to see what Lompoc was like. It wasn't much. So we kept driving and hit the ocean. We took a nice walk on the sand and decided we were exhausted! We drove back to the hotel and rested. We chose to go to dinner at the nearby sushi place, and we were pleasantly surprised by how good it was (one giveaway was that there were mostly locals there). I'll definitely get the Volcano again if we are ever back in Buellton. After dinner, we did more exploring; Jon enjoyed racing around some corners on the back country roads, where we passed no more than 2 cars. To close out the night, we went to Andersen's Pea Soup for coffee and dessert. What a fun day!
Monday - We got up a little earlier this day to pack and check out, and then we went to the Greenhouse Cafe at Petersen Village (in Solvang) for breakfast--yum! We got in the car to head south by 10:30, and we missed all the traffic! We even made a pit stop in Ventura to visit Jon's grandpa Ray for an hour or so. We made it home by 3:00.
We had such a great trip! Thank you for planning it, Jon. :)
Friday, May 28, 2004
Wednesday, May 26, 2004
OK, so I did go with the Orange County thing. I couldn't help it--the only decent shirt I had that was clean was red, and it matched Jon's Hawaiian shirt so nicely.....
I look like I'm growing out of his back. Where's the rest of my body? :)
I got a 5x7 of this one to put in our wedding album for our 2nd anniversary.
I look like I'm growing out of his back. Where's the rest of my body? :)
I got a 5x7 of this one to put in our wedding album for our 2nd anniversary.
Last night was lovely. My flute student cancelled her lesson (last-minute, which means I still get paid), and Jon had a work event to attend, so I had a free night. I went to the Spectrum, bought a nonfat mocha, and went into Barnes & Noble. I found White Oleander, one of the books I'd been hoping to read, and sat in a comfy couch and read the first 40 or 50 pages. (It was really great.) I really needed some alone time like that; I went home feeling refreshed and relaxed, and woke up feeling the same way this morning! Thank goodness for books.
Friday, May 21, 2004
So my friend C is having "personal problems," but I don't know what they are. I'm not sure how that makes me feel. I mean, she's one of my best friends and I'm one of hers. It isn't that I have anything to do with her problems (and if I did, I think she'd tell me)... I think it has something to do with people at church (which people? I don't know) and so she doesn't want to get me involved in whatever issues there are. She says she's working through them. But... what are they? I just feel like, if we had been hanging out as often as we used to before she got the new job and became so busy, I would know what these things are that are going on, because we'd be talking daily like we used to. Well, whatever the issues are, I do not need to know specifics in order to be praying for her and the others involved. I just wish things could go back like they were with us.
In other news, this week was busier than I had even thought it would be, but it's wrapping up nicely today. I'm looking forward to our pictures on Sunday and want to think about something Orange County-ish for us to wear (you know, matching shirts and jeans, or Hawaiian something or other with surfboards)--not. But I do think we should match better than we did for last year's pictures.
In other news, this week was busier than I had even thought it would be, but it's wrapping up nicely today. I'm looking forward to our pictures on Sunday and want to think about something Orange County-ish for us to wear (you know, matching shirts and jeans, or Hawaiian something or other with surfboards)--not. But I do think we should match better than we did for last year's pictures.
Tuesday, May 18, 2004
What am I doing not posting for a week?! Wait, I know... I'm busy. One of the other proposal writers is on vacation this week, and I'm her backup, which means I have basically double the workload. I'm plowing through it and getting it done, but it doesn't leave much time for meandering around the internet.
As long as we don't get super sunburned on our day trip outing with friends on Saturday, Jon and I are getting our Sears pictures taken on Sunday after church (a new tradition I started last year--pictures at each wedding anniversary to be put into the album I made). And then next weekend (May 29) is our anniversary trip! Woo hoo!
As long as we don't get super sunburned on our day trip outing with friends on Saturday, Jon and I are getting our Sears pictures taken on Sunday after church (a new tradition I started last year--pictures at each wedding anniversary to be put into the album I made). And then next weekend (May 29) is our anniversary trip! Woo hoo!
Wednesday, May 12, 2004
This site predicts your ideal job from your name. Ha.
Katherine Page Varela, your ideal job is an Insurance Fraudster.
Jonathan Shane Varela, your ideal job is a Human Shield.
Katherine Page Varela, your ideal job is an Insurance Fraudster.
Jonathan Shane Varela, your ideal job is a Human Shield.
Tuesday, May 11, 2004
Books
I love making lists. And today's list is going to be about books...
Books I've recently read and liked--in order of favorites
Stones from the River by Ursula Hegi. Liked this one so much I'm leaning toward reading it again.
City of Light by Lauren Belfer. Set in Buffalo, NY in the early 1900s. Industrialization vs. nature.
No Great Mischief by Alistair MacLeod. I want to re-read this one too. It's my most recent read, so still sinking in.
The Sweet Hereafter by Russell Banks. Intriguing; about a bus accident and our need to place blame...
Midnight Champagne by A. Manette Ansay. Didn't like this one as much, but I think I would still like to read another by this author.
Books I want to get and/or read
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon. I've never read this author, but the description intrigued me. I'm very into reading new authors right now.
All by Ursula Hegi, including The Vision of Emma Blau, Floating in My Mother's Palm, and Salt Dancers.
White Oleander by Janet Fitch. Didn't see the movie but have heard good things about the novel.
I love making lists. And today's list is going to be about books...
Books I've recently read and liked--in order of favorites
Stones from the River by Ursula Hegi. Liked this one so much I'm leaning toward reading it again.
City of Light by Lauren Belfer. Set in Buffalo, NY in the early 1900s. Industrialization vs. nature.
No Great Mischief by Alistair MacLeod. I want to re-read this one too. It's my most recent read, so still sinking in.
The Sweet Hereafter by Russell Banks. Intriguing; about a bus accident and our need to place blame...
Midnight Champagne by A. Manette Ansay. Didn't like this one as much, but I think I would still like to read another by this author.
Books I want to get and/or read
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon. I've never read this author, but the description intrigued me. I'm very into reading new authors right now.
All by Ursula Hegi, including The Vision of Emma Blau, Floating in My Mother's Palm, and Salt Dancers.
White Oleander by Janet Fitch. Didn't see the movie but have heard good things about the novel.
Monday, May 10, 2004
Friday, May 07, 2004
My husband is so cute.
It's 4:30 and my work phone just rang. "Beech Street. This is Katie," I said. "You have a nice flag outside of your work," he said. I turned to look out the window, and there was my sweet husband in the car, just coming by to say hi. He never gets the chance to do that--he works way more than I do and none of his stores or his office is close by. He's only been to my office once. So there he is, still sitting there, waiting for me to be done with work in 20 minutes or so. I love him.
We're probably going to go out to dinner tonight with Scott and Kim, and I'm looking forward to that. They are our closest friends.
It's 4:30 and my work phone just rang. "Beech Street. This is Katie," I said. "You have a nice flag outside of your work," he said. I turned to look out the window, and there was my sweet husband in the car, just coming by to say hi. He never gets the chance to do that--he works way more than I do and none of his stores or his office is close by. He's only been to my office once. So there he is, still sitting there, waiting for me to be done with work in 20 minutes or so. I love him.
We're probably going to go out to dinner tonight with Scott and Kim, and I'm looking forward to that. They are our closest friends.
Thursday, May 06, 2004
What a busy week this has been. I mean, well, I guess it hasn't been that busy, but yesterday it was and so is today. Since I was doing OK workload-wise yesterday, I offered to help another proposal writer by taking over one of his proposals since he has a bunch right now. I maybe should have kept my mouth shut, because I came in this morning to find two new short turnaround requests for me from my own salespeople. So instead of working on the big project I have to have finished in 2 weeks, I have to work on these little things due Monday. It's frustrating that the big work has to be pushed aside for the littler work that someone somewhere along the line just "forgot" to send on time. At least it's mostly enjoyable work. And it's always satisfying to send that finished project out the door.
Monday, May 03, 2004
Weekend recap
Friday - My dear husband took me to California Pizza Kitchen, my favorite lower-cost sit-down restaurant. We went over to Chris and Sabrina's house after that and watched Cheaper by the Dozen (very cute).
Saturday - I attended the annual Women's Luncheon for church. It was scorchingly hot, so I'm very glad they had umbrellas over the tables. I wasn't really in the mood to go to the luncheon, but I did get to wear one of my favorite dresses that I haven't worn in a very long time because 1) it's for warm weather and too fancy/cute for church and 2) at the last appropriate function for it, I was too fat. But Saturday it fit me like the day I bought it (probably in 1999 or 2000). Later that day, Jon and I used our remaining free movie tickets to see Jennifer Garner in 13 Going on 30. I really enjoyed it and liked seeing her in a completely different acting format. We also went to dinner and coffee that night with Neil and Casey.
Sunday - We heard a good message on discipleship and "running the race." I sang backup for the special music selection. A bunch of us went to lunch at the mall food court, and then Jon wanted to get home to catch the rest of the Laker's game. I took that opportunity to go to Robinsons May to find some shoes on sale! I had been needing some shoes to wear to work, and I found some great stuff. I should probably get rid of a couple pairs now, since I am a shoe fiend and have too many for our closet. At 6:00, we drove back down to church for a "young families" meeting with the pastor. We made it home just in time for our favorite show, Alias. Jon says the ratings are bad on the show, though, so it probably won't make it after next season.
Friday - My dear husband took me to California Pizza Kitchen, my favorite lower-cost sit-down restaurant. We went over to Chris and Sabrina's house after that and watched Cheaper by the Dozen (very cute).
Saturday - I attended the annual Women's Luncheon for church. It was scorchingly hot, so I'm very glad they had umbrellas over the tables. I wasn't really in the mood to go to the luncheon, but I did get to wear one of my favorite dresses that I haven't worn in a very long time because 1) it's for warm weather and too fancy/cute for church and 2) at the last appropriate function for it, I was too fat. But Saturday it fit me like the day I bought it (probably in 1999 or 2000). Later that day, Jon and I used our remaining free movie tickets to see Jennifer Garner in 13 Going on 30. I really enjoyed it and liked seeing her in a completely different acting format. We also went to dinner and coffee that night with Neil and Casey.
Sunday - We heard a good message on discipleship and "running the race." I sang backup for the special music selection. A bunch of us went to lunch at the mall food court, and then Jon wanted to get home to catch the rest of the Laker's game. I took that opportunity to go to Robinsons May to find some shoes on sale! I had been needing some shoes to wear to work, and I found some great stuff. I should probably get rid of a couple pairs now, since I am a shoe fiend and have too many for our closet. At 6:00, we drove back down to church for a "young families" meeting with the pastor. We made it home just in time for our favorite show, Alias. Jon says the ratings are bad on the show, though, so it probably won't make it after next season.
Friday, April 30, 2004
The weekend is here!
Thank goodness. I had a semi-annoying day with semi-annoying salesperson (I say semi because things have been better since we had our little "talk"), but it's now coming to a close. And my favorite time of week is here--Friday evening, with 2 days full of possibility ahead of me. And the promise of a good message on Sunday to reenergize me for the next week.
I was reading the blog of a friend of a friend of a friend, and one of the authors (bloggers? posters?) posted how annoying it is that people think they're cool when they link to "other i-want-to-be-cool-and-emerging-altenative-christian bloggers that they have never met or had any kind of ongoing conversation with." And, well, I don't link to other blogs, but I have been reading these people's blog for the past couple of weeks even though I have no idea who they are. I don't know...they just interest me. But I wouldn't say I know them. And anyway, this blog (mine) is not meant to be a forum to show how cool I am. I mean, sometimes I wish no one had the URL to my blog because it's just for me to keep an account of what's been going on, how I've been feeling. A place to rant if needed. (And well, I might as well say it, I think you're the only one who reads this blog, Ashley, but I don't mind that you do at all. Heck, I created it because you asked.) So I guess I'm saying that I don't think I'm one of those i-want-to-be-cool-and-emerging-alternative-christian bloggers. I think I'm one of those i-hope-you're-only-reading-my-blog-if-you-know-me-but-don't-judge-me-by-this-because-I-don't-write-anything-philosophical bloggers.
Thank goodness. I had a semi-annoying day with semi-annoying salesperson (I say semi because things have been better since we had our little "talk"), but it's now coming to a close. And my favorite time of week is here--Friday evening, with 2 days full of possibility ahead of me. And the promise of a good message on Sunday to reenergize me for the next week.
I was reading the blog of a friend of a friend of a friend, and one of the authors (bloggers? posters?) posted how annoying it is that people think they're cool when they link to "other i-want-to-be-cool-and-emerging-altenative-christian bloggers that they have never met or had any kind of ongoing conversation with." And, well, I don't link to other blogs, but I have been reading these people's blog for the past couple of weeks even though I have no idea who they are. I don't know...they just interest me. But I wouldn't say I know them. And anyway, this blog (mine) is not meant to be a forum to show how cool I am. I mean, sometimes I wish no one had the URL to my blog because it's just for me to keep an account of what's been going on, how I've been feeling. A place to rant if needed. (And well, I might as well say it, I think you're the only one who reads this blog, Ashley, but I don't mind that you do at all. Heck, I created it because you asked.) So I guess I'm saying that I don't think I'm one of those i-want-to-be-cool-and-emerging-alternative-christian bloggers. I think I'm one of those i-hope-you're-only-reading-my-blog-if-you-know-me-but-don't-judge-me-by-this-because-I-don't-write-anything-philosophical bloggers.
Tuesday, April 27, 2004
Monday, April 26, 2004
I read this post today on a blog belonging to someone I don't know. It has put a whole new perspective on things going on in my life and how I treat those close to me. It also makes me miss my family, though they're only a phone call away. But even more immediate, it has made me think about how I'm thinking about (not even talking to or treating--that stuff on the outside has been OK) the people I see every day (morning and night) right now. I would have to live with a lot of guilt if something happened to one of them and I had to remember the bad things I thought about them. I love them, but do I show them that? Or do I just show them the absolute minimum amount of courtesy that is necessary for the situation? I could definitely be doing better at being Christ-like right now!
We had a nice weekend here full of glorious weather! The weather prompted me to get some plants at Home Depot on Sunday (though I went to the Silvercreek Nursery close to our house first; it was the second time I've been there and the second time they've had cruddy customer service, so I left). I spent a couple of hours pulling out some old, overgrown stuff in the bed at our back patio (up against the house, in between the sliding glass door and the door into the garage) and planting the new cyclamen and begonia. It all looks so pretty now! I'm no green thumb, but it was still fun.
The rest of the weekend was mostly spent hanging out with Scott and Kim. Kim and Sierra had been gone for over a month (to Ohio to visit Kim's sister, who had her first baby). Overall, it was a nice, relaxing weekend.
Oh, and Jon told me what we're doing for our 2-year anniversary! On Saturday, May 30, we'll drive up to Solvang and stay there Saturday night and Sunday night (I have Monday off work since it's Memorial Day). It's going to be so wonderful--I'm really looking forward to spending the whole weekend together.
The rest of the weekend was mostly spent hanging out with Scott and Kim. Kim and Sierra had been gone for over a month (to Ohio to visit Kim's sister, who had her first baby). Overall, it was a nice, relaxing weekend.
Oh, and Jon told me what we're doing for our 2-year anniversary! On Saturday, May 30, we'll drive up to Solvang and stay there Saturday night and Sunday night (I have Monday off work since it's Memorial Day). It's going to be so wonderful--I'm really looking forward to spending the whole weekend together.
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