Joint gift

Each year Stacey and I usually get each other 1 big gift and lots of little gifts. Some years and it can be a real struggle to find that perfect big gift without almost giving it away. This year as we’ve been doing our rounds of shopping and updating our Amazon Wish Lists we’ve both sorta been stumped on a big gift. This year for the first time ever we are buying ourselves a joint gift together (and then our normal little gifts). Now before you start wondering what it is I’ll tell you first its not one of the standard joint gifts like a tv, new car, or something boring like a new stove (even though we’ll need one sometime soon). No – this year we bought ourselves new commitment/wedding rings.

I know – how romantic. Sadly neither of us have been able to wear our original rings in quite a few years. Due to changes in ring finger size (and that is all I am saying on that!!!). Anyway – neither of us are gold wearers and as our first rings were plain silver, Stacey suggested Tungsten. That night we started looking online and actually found ones we liked and placed our order. They should be arriving sometime this week.

We still haven’t decided if we are going to start wearing them now, or wait till Christmas. I’m torn; part of me really wants to wait till Christmas Day and be all romantic and stuff, but the other part of me really wants to put them on. What to do? What to do?

Anyway here is picture of the rings we chose.

Happy Holidays

We purchased a wonderful new white Christmas tree this year. We debated between it and a silver tree, but sadly the silver looked more blackish than either of us liked. We then debated what color lights to get and both thought clear would be best but then realized it would be $30 more and not the tree we liked so we opted to go with colored lights and now that we got it home I am so glad that we did. I absolutely love the retro look of it and am so glad that we made the decision and got it.

Family Guy Star Wars Episode V

Can’t wait for this to come out!

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday to my oldest, dearest, and most treasured friend, Teri.

Happy Birthday!

What have I been listening to?

1. Reality Killed the Video Star – Robbie Williams. I am really enjoying Robbie’s new album. So far two stand outs are Morning Sun and Bodies. A great return to classic Robbie style.

2. Celebration – Madonna. Madonna’s last album with Warner Bros is a two disc best of collection. A great collection of songs covering Madonna’s amazing span. A couple of my favorites are missing – but still a great collection.

3. Glee – The Music Vol. 1. By all rights I should not like this show – I so dislike most musicals. There is something so fun, energetic, and enjoyable about this show that I just love it. The fact they are doing an all Madonna episode in early 2010 just makes it all the better.

4. Dark Shadows Curse of the Pharaohs. Based on the 60’s TV Show Dark Shadows, Big Finish Productions has been producing full cast audio dramas and dramatic readings with original cast members. I first found Big Finish when they were producing audio dramas for one of my favorite TV shows of my childhood – The Tomorrow People. When they lost the rights to TP I thought I would give Dark Shadows a try even though I never watched the show before because it had Gothic intrigue and a supernatural mix; I wasn’t disappointed. (Stacey and I have even begun watching the show on the DVD). Curse of the Pharaohs is the first in a second series of dramatic readings and finds Nancy Barrett returning as Carolyn Collins Stoddard.

5. Suckin’ it for the Holidays – Kathy Griffin. Kathy’s “holiday” album is another hilarious trip through pop culture from Kathy’s point of view. Topics cover everything from Suzie Orman, Kathy Couric, Oprah and Gayle, and of course her mother Maggie.

Can we BOP?

As I mentioned before, I am participating in a management training course through my work called Business of People (BOP) in which we are learning about the ways of resistance and change and how unless we recognize these factors in the moment they become stumbling blocks. Resistance is recognized not only in our subordinates and coworkers, but just as importantly in ourselves. (My area of focus is working on Responding – which means to repond to what people actually say and not what I think I heard or what I want to say).

For me, one of the best parts of this process is being able to talk with the other members of my management team and have what we like to call BOP conversations. Its greats being able to call, chat, or email them and just ask “Can we have a bop conversation?” and they immediately will listen, respond, and support me as I am attempt to work on issue. Which happened this morning . . .

One of my staff made a comment to me and I did not respond in a way that I felt was appropriate. That is not to say that I said or did anything bad – but that I did not provide her with the support and acknowledgement that I should have. The more I thought about it, the more it bothered me and I immediately called my manager and asked to BOP. She listened and supported me and helped me to realize that it wasn’t the actual conversation that was the issue, it was the topic itself and how I have this hold on it that I am not willing to let go of. She also reminded me that I have the ability to go back to this staff person and say, I’ve thought more about our conversation this morning and I would like have it again because I truly was not in the moment earlier. Which I am planning on doing.

What made this conversation with my manager even more important to me was that she pointed out that because I recognized this issue so quickly was actually a good thing because it reaffirmed that the BOP process is becoming ingrained in me and that I am growing in my own personal awareness. It was tough because I could feel the emotions in me when I recognized myself holding back, but afterwards, I felt such relief. But I am grateful I am on this journey.

The Dish

A hilarious clip from The Soup’s sister show on Style Network. The Dish’s Danielle Fishel has some fun with some cut-outs.

Gettysburg

Stacey and I are spending a couple of days in Gettysburg PA. It is a beautiful little city that is simply entrenched with history. We arrived yesterday and sadly it was gray, drizzling and then raining. We managed to get out a do a little bit of sight seeing and even went to the Civil War Museum. Then last night we watched the Gettysburg Halloween parade that took place directly in front of our hotel. It was pouring rain and we got soaked, but over all it was fun.

Today we went to the Gettysburg National Military Park Museum and Visitor Center. We did a package deal which involved a 35 min film narrated by Morgan Freeman of the Civil War, a 15 minute Cyclorama presentation, a visit to the museum, and then a 2 1/2 hour bus tour of the battlefields. I would have loved to get out more on the battlefields, but it was still a really exciting visit. Tonight we have a walking Ghost Tour at 8 pm.

Always in my thoughts

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Originally uploaded by invisiblejet72