A few years ago, in preparation for a week long business trip, I asked the managing partner in charge of the client, "Do you think I could get a Blackberry?" At the time, the firm's policy was to provide Blackberries only to partners - not to associates. My colleague, Andy, was pleased as punch with this policy. To him, no Blackberry meant that no partner could e-mail him at all hours of the night with ridiculous demands and expectations for a response. To be fair, my firm is not at all like that, and I can still count on one hand the number of times a partner has called me at home or on vacation regarding a work-related matter. But Andy was on to something and that something appears to be an epidemic: Blackberry = Crackberry. That's right, Blackberries are addictive.
The managing partner accommodated my request given that I would be out of the office for an entire week. And to his credit, he warned me to resist the urge to check it 'round the clock. I am just not that strong. Admittedly, a good portion of the time, I check to see if I have received any new personal e-mails. I love receiving personal e-mails. Who doesn't? I'm not always great about responding, but keep 'em coming!
The real problem with the Crackberry, though, is that I never truly get away from the office. Through no fault of anyone else, I am always plugged in. On our drive to San Antonio this week, I was tapping away on that thing on various work matters. I accepted invitations to join conference calls on the road. My husband thought I was ridiculous. It is not unreasonable to expect some free time to move halfway across the country. I should simply explain that I am unavailable for a couple of days, at least until I get settled.
But I can't. Because I am a Crackberry-head.
Friday, April 18, 2008
The Secret Lives of Tree Cutters
Our house backs up into a lightly wooded area with a few branches of trees hovering over our deck or roof. Of course, we knew late last year that we needed to do something about it (between cutting away the branches or cutting down the tree) and my husband and I managed to agree that the we should just cut down the tree, to a stump, so we'll never have to worry about overhanging branches again.
So now that spring is approaching, it's time to call in the professionals and get some estimates on what it would take to cut down this huge tree - in order to rid ourselves of tree collapse worries and acorn headaches.
My husband made a few calls to obtain estimates earlier this week, on Tuesday. So far, we've only heard back from one....and the way we heard back from them was via a sealed envelope stuck in our front door. As I was leaving this morning, I opened the front door to have a small envelope drop at my feet. When I opened it, it was one of the estimates with barely legible handwriting...but funny, the dollar amount was quite clear. No phone calls, no acknowledgements...just the sealed envelope. I'm suspecting that the others will trickle in this way as well.
My mother had a lot to say about getting estimates - like how we should've done this before (in the winter) and now that it's warmer, these tree cutters are going to be busy and as the leaves grow in, the estimates will go up. Well, you know, as a first time home owner, it's not like I would know this off the top of my head...plus I've been busy. I don't see a lot of tree cutters out in the winter - probably due to the weather. Besides, I assume it's their down time to a very hectic spring, summer and fall. Wouldn't this be their time to head off to train for the lumberjack/lumberjill competitions that go on all over the country?
Well - I don't know what the big secret is and I'm certainly not going to wait until they come back to me - I think it's time to get more proactive.
So now that spring is approaching, it's time to call in the professionals and get some estimates on what it would take to cut down this huge tree - in order to rid ourselves of tree collapse worries and acorn headaches.
My husband made a few calls to obtain estimates earlier this week, on Tuesday. So far, we've only heard back from one....and the way we heard back from them was via a sealed envelope stuck in our front door. As I was leaving this morning, I opened the front door to have a small envelope drop at my feet. When I opened it, it was one of the estimates with barely legible handwriting...but funny, the dollar amount was quite clear. No phone calls, no acknowledgements...just the sealed envelope. I'm suspecting that the others will trickle in this way as well.
My mother had a lot to say about getting estimates - like how we should've done this before (in the winter) and now that it's warmer, these tree cutters are going to be busy and as the leaves grow in, the estimates will go up. Well, you know, as a first time home owner, it's not like I would know this off the top of my head...plus I've been busy. I don't see a lot of tree cutters out in the winter - probably due to the weather. Besides, I assume it's their down time to a very hectic spring, summer and fall. Wouldn't this be their time to head off to train for the lumberjack/lumberjill competitions that go on all over the country?
Well - I don't know what the big secret is and I'm certainly not going to wait until they come back to me - I think it's time to get more proactive.
Thursday, April 17, 2008
My Writing Hand
I've always enjoyed writing - I think because I have a somewhat, overactive imagination. But I definitely think with my self-diagnosed ADD (http://morningcupcake.blogspot.com/2007/10/living-with-add.html), if I were to write a fictional story, like chic lit, my story would just go around in an endless spiral - there would be a beginning but it would never end because I would have gone off on too many tangents.
However, I do really enjoy writing - you give me a subject, I can write up a short story...hence all my blog entries. I think they've been pretty much focused and on track to the subject at hand, but I know there are a couple out there where I've gone off on tangents (not more than twice).
But I'm currently reading a non-fiction book by a journalist that wrote about a specific life experience that she went through and interviewed six other couples that went through the same life experience to get their own differing experiences and opinions. That got me thinking that I could write about my own life experience because when I was at the bookstore, I didn't really find many "personal journals" on the subject at hand...more scientific journals. So I've started jotting down all these notes and ideas and events that have happened in the past couple of years so that when I do get to writing this thing, I don't leave anything out.
I find that if I don't write things down, I will never remember what I was thinking....this goes for blog entries too - I will think of some great things to write about and because I don't write them down, when I'm ready to blog, I forget what my great idea was...which is my own damn fault.
I won't disclose the specific subject that I want to write this book about but I do know that it's got a beginning, a lot of middle, it's personal and hopefully it will have a happy ending.
And as a follow-up book, I could write about my life growing up as an Asian American in a predominantly Jewish/Catholic town - the outlandish expectations, the constant comparisons to other Chinese people's kids. That would be a great one to do interviews with and get everyone's take.
I'm excited to try my hand at writing - now, our goal is to finish!
However, I do really enjoy writing - you give me a subject, I can write up a short story...hence all my blog entries. I think they've been pretty much focused and on track to the subject at hand, but I know there are a couple out there where I've gone off on tangents (not more than twice).
But I'm currently reading a non-fiction book by a journalist that wrote about a specific life experience that she went through and interviewed six other couples that went through the same life experience to get their own differing experiences and opinions. That got me thinking that I could write about my own life experience because when I was at the bookstore, I didn't really find many "personal journals" on the subject at hand...more scientific journals. So I've started jotting down all these notes and ideas and events that have happened in the past couple of years so that when I do get to writing this thing, I don't leave anything out.
I find that if I don't write things down, I will never remember what I was thinking....this goes for blog entries too - I will think of some great things to write about and because I don't write them down, when I'm ready to blog, I forget what my great idea was...which is my own damn fault.
I won't disclose the specific subject that I want to write this book about but I do know that it's got a beginning, a lot of middle, it's personal and hopefully it will have a happy ending.
And as a follow-up book, I could write about my life growing up as an Asian American in a predominantly Jewish/Catholic town - the outlandish expectations, the constant comparisons to other Chinese people's kids. That would be a great one to do interviews with and get everyone's take.
I'm excited to try my hand at writing - now, our goal is to finish!
Monday, April 14, 2008
A Love Letter To D.C.
Tomorrow, my husband and I depart for Texas. As my nephews would say "One more wakeup." That's right - just one more time waking up in my Alexandria, Virginia bed. To say that it is bittersweet is an understatement. I am excited for our journey together, but I am so sad for all I am leaving behind. I will miss my friends terribly - that goes without saying. But I will also miss D.C. If you know me well, you may know that I am a little bit of a second guesser - a little bit of a regretter. When I decided to move here, however, I never looked back. I knew I would love it, and I did.
What exactly will I miss? There are too many things to list. But I would be remiss if I didn't at least give it a shot. So here goes.
The National Gallery Sculpture Garden. On a Friday in August 2001, I interviewed with my firm. I was done with the interview before lunch and walked around downtown. I started out with a little trip to Ford's Theater, down the street, which took me back to my third grade fascination with Lincoln's assassination. It was a fun day all to myself. The best part was in the afternoon when I found the Sculpture Garden. It was hot outside, and people were pulling up their pant legs and dipping their feet into the fountain. I joined them. I thought, "I could live here. I'm really going to live here."
The Adams Mill. A month or two after I moved here, I became reacquainted with a law school classmate, Staci. Staci was single. I was single. Staci and I joined forces, leading to several adventures at the Adams Mill in Adam's Morgan. We had so many great and ridiculous times there, and it led to a fantastic friendship. I haven't been to the Adams Mill in a good five years. I will miss it anyway.
Freedom Plaza. During my first spring in Washington, I discovered Freedom Plaza. Don't get excited. It's not the kind of place you seek out. But if you are working nearby, it is the perfect place to hang out and eat your lunch on a sunny day. I had never worked in a downtown before, and the fact that I could walk to all of the lunch spots and stake my claim on a slab of concrete in front of the National Theater for an hour or so was just amazing to me. The people watching - also spectacular.
The Commute. You may have heard rumors that Washington, D.C. is one of the worst cities in the nation in terms of the commute. And you know what? They’re 100% true. Even so, I passed the Washington Monument and the Jefferson Memorial every single day. I had clear views of the Capitol and the Lincoln Memorial. I could see the Lee Mansion and the National Cathedral as I crossed the 14th Street bridge. People come from all of the world to see these things. Yet, they were as mundane to me as my morning coffee.
Sip of Seattle. The coffee shop across the street from my office makes the best caramel macchiatos. They even make them for me sugar free. My favorite thing about it, though, is the people who work there. The crew has been the same for years. They call me “Baby” when they take my order.
The Bottom Line. After my Adams Mill days, after Staci found herself a boyfriend (and later husband), I came across a local watering hole known as The Bottom Line. The Bottom Line is the headquarters for the Purdue alumni group. It took me over a year to work up the nerve to attend a football game viewing there. You see, I was single. I knew several people from law school in D.C. – none from undergrad. I wasn’t quite ready to put myself out there and hustle some new friends. I was not ready to fly solo. But I did it. I finally came out to watch a game. After a brief stint at the “middle table,” I saw the table on the side of the bar lined up with alums in athletic gear having a great time. I knew I had to find my way to that table. That was where the action was. I made my way “in” through an introduction to a Purdue alum who had gone to my high school. Best move ever. I kept coming back, I kept meeting more people. I got up the nerve to join the flag football team because I wanted that feeling of camaraderie – going for beers after a game.
That was 5 years ago. Since then, there have been countless days and nights spent at the “BL.” And there was one that was very special indeed. One day a guy from New Jersey came down to visit his friend in D.C. Both Purdue alums, they decided to watch the game with the crowd. It was a big game – an exciting one. The guy from New Jersey sat at the table next to me. When Purdue scored, we toasted. We chatted. We had a grand old time, even though Purdue choked – big time. He asked for my number. “Yeah, right,” I thought. “He lives in New Jersey.”
I married him.
What exactly will I miss? There are too many things to list. But I would be remiss if I didn't at least give it a shot. So here goes.
The National Gallery Sculpture Garden. On a Friday in August 2001, I interviewed with my firm. I was done with the interview before lunch and walked around downtown. I started out with a little trip to Ford's Theater, down the street, which took me back to my third grade fascination with Lincoln's assassination. It was a fun day all to myself. The best part was in the afternoon when I found the Sculpture Garden. It was hot outside, and people were pulling up their pant legs and dipping their feet into the fountain. I joined them. I thought, "I could live here. I'm really going to live here."
The Adams Mill. A month or two after I moved here, I became reacquainted with a law school classmate, Staci. Staci was single. I was single. Staci and I joined forces, leading to several adventures at the Adams Mill in Adam's Morgan. We had so many great and ridiculous times there, and it led to a fantastic friendship. I haven't been to the Adams Mill in a good five years. I will miss it anyway.
Freedom Plaza. During my first spring in Washington, I discovered Freedom Plaza. Don't get excited. It's not the kind of place you seek out. But if you are working nearby, it is the perfect place to hang out and eat your lunch on a sunny day. I had never worked in a downtown before, and the fact that I could walk to all of the lunch spots and stake my claim on a slab of concrete in front of the National Theater for an hour or so was just amazing to me. The people watching - also spectacular.
The Commute. You may have heard rumors that Washington, D.C. is one of the worst cities in the nation in terms of the commute. And you know what? They’re 100% true. Even so, I passed the Washington Monument and the Jefferson Memorial every single day. I had clear views of the Capitol and the Lincoln Memorial. I could see the Lee Mansion and the National Cathedral as I crossed the 14th Street bridge. People come from all of the world to see these things. Yet, they were as mundane to me as my morning coffee.
Sip of Seattle. The coffee shop across the street from my office makes the best caramel macchiatos. They even make them for me sugar free. My favorite thing about it, though, is the people who work there. The crew has been the same for years. They call me “Baby” when they take my order.
The Bottom Line. After my Adams Mill days, after Staci found herself a boyfriend (and later husband), I came across a local watering hole known as The Bottom Line. The Bottom Line is the headquarters for the Purdue alumni group. It took me over a year to work up the nerve to attend a football game viewing there. You see, I was single. I knew several people from law school in D.C. – none from undergrad. I wasn’t quite ready to put myself out there and hustle some new friends. I was not ready to fly solo. But I did it. I finally came out to watch a game. After a brief stint at the “middle table,” I saw the table on the side of the bar lined up with alums in athletic gear having a great time. I knew I had to find my way to that table. That was where the action was. I made my way “in” through an introduction to a Purdue alum who had gone to my high school. Best move ever. I kept coming back, I kept meeting more people. I got up the nerve to join the flag football team because I wanted that feeling of camaraderie – going for beers after a game.
That was 5 years ago. Since then, there have been countless days and nights spent at the “BL.” And there was one that was very special indeed. One day a guy from New Jersey came down to visit his friend in D.C. Both Purdue alums, they decided to watch the game with the crowd. It was a big game – an exciting one. The guy from New Jersey sat at the table next to me. When Purdue scored, we toasted. We chatted. We had a grand old time, even though Purdue choked – big time. He asked for my number. “Yeah, right,” I thought. “He lives in New Jersey.”
I married him.
Gift Giving Dilemma - Occassion: Bridal Shower
Gift giving and gift receiving are a couple of my favorite activities. I really love gift giving during the holidays, especially if I purchased something that I know the recipient will totally love - because I really like seeing the reaction on their faces when they see it. In fact, sometimes I'm so excited by my own gift that I can't wait to give it to that person!
I've been told that I'm a great gift giver - I'd like to think it's because I put a lot of thought into the person that will be on the receiving end of my gift. I don't want them to just get another gift for their birthday or Christmas...I want them to get this awesome present that Jen got for them! The reason for my need to 'stand out' (if you will) from all other gifts stems from a childhood birthday party in which my parents (read: Mom) weren't prepared. They sent me to the party (sleepover, no less) without a proper gift. So minutes before I was supposed to leave, I had to scramble to pull something together and so I put together some socks and those freebie bath lotions/shampoos you get from hotels. This was the best I could do on a sixth grade budget....no car, no money. When thinking back to it, I can still feel my face getting hot when the girl opened my gift - I was so embarrassed. I would've hated to be the recipient of that gift and I hated even more that I was the giver. So ever since then, I have gone out of my way to find 'the perfect gift' for each person I'm purchasing for.
This brings me to the latest dilemma in my world of dilemmas - I am to attend an ethnic bridal shower this weekend for a co-worker that I don't really know. I think she invited me out of some sense of obligation. Another one of my female co-workers was also invited so maybe I was invited to keep that person company because she's closer to the bride than I am. As a working group, we already took a collection to purchase her a gift card as a wedding gift. But then I got this invite for the bridal shower and now feel somewhat obligated to buy her something else as a shower gift. My co-worker didn't think it was necessary but I think it is necessary...there is a distinction - the money I put into the collection was for the wedding and it's from the group as a whole. This other gift is for the bride only and would be from me, personally.
But what do you get for a bride that you've known for less than a year and have very limited interaction with throughout that year? One of my other co-workers (a male) suggested a dildo. Yeah right - first of all, it's not a bachelorette party and I don't know if I really feel comfortable handing her a box and saying, 'This would be better opened in the privacy of your own room.' So that's a pass. I also don't feel like lingerie would be an appropriate gift as this is an ethnic party and her older female relatives will be present - I can only imagine the *gasps* that would come if I brought something lacy or crotchless (yikes!) from Victoria's Secret for her to open in front of her relatives. I wouldn't mind something lacy from Vic's - I got a few for my bachelorette party and they were very tasteful...so what's the harm? I think it's the familiarity factor - I don't know her that well. I do know that the 'safe zone' would be a frame - something nice that she can stick a wedding photo in and remember her special, pre-arranged day.
I have settled on the fact that I will probably be purchasing something for her new home - which is not really much of a new home as her fiance is doing rotations in Queens and is living with his own family. Can you imagine...moving out of your own family's house to your husband's family's house - chock full of relatives on both ends?! I cannot even relate - nor could I ever (or would want to) imagine. What is something good that will let her forget that she's leaving the comforts of her own family and moving to a brand new state/city with a brand new family that she has barely known for a year? Maybe a dildo isn't such a bad idea after all.....
I've been told that I'm a great gift giver - I'd like to think it's because I put a lot of thought into the person that will be on the receiving end of my gift. I don't want them to just get another gift for their birthday or Christmas...I want them to get this awesome present that Jen got for them! The reason for my need to 'stand out' (if you will) from all other gifts stems from a childhood birthday party in which my parents (read: Mom) weren't prepared. They sent me to the party (sleepover, no less) without a proper gift. So minutes before I was supposed to leave, I had to scramble to pull something together and so I put together some socks and those freebie bath lotions/shampoos you get from hotels. This was the best I could do on a sixth grade budget....no car, no money. When thinking back to it, I can still feel my face getting hot when the girl opened my gift - I was so embarrassed. I would've hated to be the recipient of that gift and I hated even more that I was the giver. So ever since then, I have gone out of my way to find 'the perfect gift' for each person I'm purchasing for.
This brings me to the latest dilemma in my world of dilemmas - I am to attend an ethnic bridal shower this weekend for a co-worker that I don't really know. I think she invited me out of some sense of obligation. Another one of my female co-workers was also invited so maybe I was invited to keep that person company because she's closer to the bride than I am. As a working group, we already took a collection to purchase her a gift card as a wedding gift. But then I got this invite for the bridal shower and now feel somewhat obligated to buy her something else as a shower gift. My co-worker didn't think it was necessary but I think it is necessary...there is a distinction - the money I put into the collection was for the wedding and it's from the group as a whole. This other gift is for the bride only and would be from me, personally.
But what do you get for a bride that you've known for less than a year and have very limited interaction with throughout that year? One of my other co-workers (a male) suggested a dildo. Yeah right - first of all, it's not a bachelorette party and I don't know if I really feel comfortable handing her a box and saying, 'This would be better opened in the privacy of your own room.' So that's a pass. I also don't feel like lingerie would be an appropriate gift as this is an ethnic party and her older female relatives will be present - I can only imagine the *gasps* that would come if I brought something lacy or crotchless (yikes!) from Victoria's Secret for her to open in front of her relatives. I wouldn't mind something lacy from Vic's - I got a few for my bachelorette party and they were very tasteful...so what's the harm? I think it's the familiarity factor - I don't know her that well. I do know that the 'safe zone' would be a frame - something nice that she can stick a wedding photo in and remember her special, pre-arranged day.
I have settled on the fact that I will probably be purchasing something for her new home - which is not really much of a new home as her fiance is doing rotations in Queens and is living with his own family. Can you imagine...moving out of your own family's house to your husband's family's house - chock full of relatives on both ends?! I cannot even relate - nor could I ever (or would want to) imagine. What is something good that will let her forget that she's leaving the comforts of her own family and moving to a brand new state/city with a brand new family that she has barely known for a year? Maybe a dildo isn't such a bad idea after all.....
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