Been a long time.....

Wow - I have not posted anything since March of this year. Geez Louise. I'm behind the 8 ball. There are a lot of things going on in my life and it's way too much to type in one post. I've been keeping a personal journal to help manage and navigate through some interesting times and circumstances. I think once this year calms down (in the last week of the last month when I hope to be on vacation probably), I'll start thinking about how I want to structure my blog and perhaps start a new one.
Until then, just know that things are well, I'm still standing and am grateful to God for a roof over my head, clothes on my back and food to eat.
Ciao for now, Cherai

To Be or Not To Be Gainfully Employed....that is the question!

So I am sitting in a Burger King (that has electricity but no wi-fi - thanks, Benevolent Employer, for the wireless card) doing some work as I wait for my car to be serviced. As I sit at the window glancing out over the strip mall parking lot, one of the restaurants' suppliers drive up in their delivery truck to deliver the various bread products Burger King uses with its sandwiches.

It is fascinating to watch this one dude (while not good at this - I would say this gentleman is at least in his mid-50's if not a little older) and I am just entranced by watching him do his job. First, he has to go to the back rooms behind the grills and stuff (ever wonder what was back there? If any of you worked at a fast food joint during high school or college like I did (love Wendy's), it brings back many memories. Some good, some...not so much). I digress.

So the delivery dude goes to the bac and pulls out at least 2 stacks of 26 custom baskets which hold each individual bun, croissant and other bread product. These stacks are at least 6 feet tall and he is manuvering them like a pro. Then he has to restack them by a certain color coding system (at least, that is what it looks like to me), and then pulls the stacks (which now have some weight to them) with a metal tool onto the hydraulic lift of his truck bed to get those into the truck. Then he has to manuver those empty plastic baskets/trays into the truck and then comes back out with new trays full of the bread products. And he has to manuver those trays a bit more careflly so that the plastic wrapped bread products don't fall out of the trays. Once he gets those onto the lift, back down he goes to then pull all of this stuff into the restaurant backroom storage and fridge areas.

And he does all of this with.....well, while it's not a smile, it is with a pleasant demeanor and definite efficiency. So as I watched him (because I did not want to do the paperwork ad the financial estimates I am working on at the moment), I wondered if I would like doing something like that. Not sure - there is something to having a routine but I think all that manual labor might wreck the nails. And if that's all I did 3 or 4 times a day, that might get boring.

Then I also got to thinking "Thank Goodness this is a job that gets to stay in the US and cannot be outsourced or automated." With so many of my friends out of work and trying to figure out Part II, III, IV or V of their career track, I look at the bread delivery guy in awe and am happy for him that he still has his gig - especially at his advanced age. And he is in pretty decent shape from what I could tell.

It's interesting to consider all the different possibilities in the world of work. And do you want to be an employer or an employee? Many of my friends do not like their jobs....but they pay the bills so they keep on plugging away. Sometimes, though, it makes one stop for a moment to say "Is this job really worth it?" What do you think?

Wwhy are the CTA buses so crowded?

Let me just be upfront & advise that I have just come off of a 7 day show run. I am very tired (translate a little cranky).

I made my mammogram appt 1 year ago. Wasn't thinking that I would not appreciate the 8 am appt time at that time. (Sidenote - and I had to do it again just now - make another appt 1 year from now when I have no idea what is going on with me).

So anyway, I figure I will take public transportation (in the form of a bus) to get to Northwestern Hospital campus. Well, I forgot that we cut bus service due to budget shortfalls. Oops - wrong move! It was so crowded on the bus. Geez Louise. And it took twice as long to get there because we stopped at every stop! And the buses do not come as frequently.

Can we somehow stop the insanity & find the $$ to efficiently run city services? I just don't understand.

Incidentally, just finished my ANNUAL Mammogram. Bosums are a little sore but I will endure it to be proactive on the cancer front. Ladies, go get your mammograms annually!

When travel was fun.....

So as I sit in the waiting area for my flight home to Chicago, I think back.....waaaaay baack.... to when travel was fun. That would have been pre-September 11, 2001. Ahh, those were the days. here's my list of nice things when travel was fun...

When travel was fun, you actually arrive at where you wanted to go ON TIME.
When travel was fun, you did not have to get to the airport 1 hr in advance to go through monster check-in lines.
When travel was fun, you did NOT have to take off your shoes and stand on cold, nasty floors to go through the security check in.
When travel was fun, one could travel virtually anywhere and not have to wait in the monster security lines......and take off almost all your clothes to then get through the monster security line.

My my my those were the days. OK well I'm kinda spleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeey and my blog is suffering fro ht typos as my head keeps drooping. So, I'll sign out for now. Good night

New Orleans - what an interesting place!

Hey there from the Big Easy! I've been working a client show here in New Orleans and it's going pretty well. Yahoo! I love shows where there are no client calls because there are no client issues or concerns! Yahoo!

So, that has left a lot of time to eat! Yes, that is the LAST thing I need to do. I was going to give up a food item for Lent; however, I knew I was coming to this client's conference in New Orleans. WHY SET MYSELF UP FOR FAILURE???? I'm already struggling with giving up facebook (a lot harder than I thought) so.....let's not make myself totally miserable. However, i've also seen that I've not only gained weight (5 lbs) but I've also gained a TUMMY! My clothes are not fitting (hence NO PICTURES ON THIS POST) so once I leave New Orleans on Tuesday, I am enhancing my Lenten committment by giving up sweets AND starting back to exercising EVERY DAY! I can't look like this anymore and more importantly - I cannot afford new clothes so I need to fit into the ones that I have. Stay tuned to hear about my progress! No more lagniappe for me!

I miss Facebook!

That's it. Nothing more. I just miss connecting with my friends on fb. Yes, I Link-In and I attempt to Tweet but there's nothing like facebook. In fact, I like it enough that I might even consider paying for the privilege of it - should that come to pass. However, since MANY of my friends probably would get rid of it if they had to pay for fb, then it might not be as much fun. Hmmm, we'll see.

OK, let me get to bed. Enough melancholy thoughts tonight. Happy thoughts tomorrow as I pack for my client's program this week in New Orleans. Hmmm, I hear a leftover King Cake and a shrimp po-boy callin my name!

Bills, Bills, and more Bills...

It is a sobering task, for sure. While I know I've run up these bills, it's always depressing to see the paperwork that says "YOU OWE MONEY" come into your mailbox (snail or electronic). Good grief.

And NOW, the daggone Property Taxes went up to CRAZY new heights. And what exactly am I getting for the extra $113.00 they are extorting me for this installment? Am I the only one who thinks it's weird that my property value is decreasing yet my taxes are increasing? It just does not make sense to me. perhaps someone else can explain it.

OK, enough of this. Let me finish so that I can get to bed and watch the snow fall. More snow. Like I need more snow.

Boy, this post was not a fun one at all. Good thing I really was not in a ranting mood!

Hugs to all,
Cherai

Meetings

I work in the meetings & hospitality industry. A well run meeting or convention is a beautiful sight to witness & behold. I work hard to help folks run effective meetings. So you know it is PAINFUL to sit through a poorly run meeting. Geez Louise!

Tiger Wood's apology - did it require a break in regular programming?

So, as many of you know, I work from home. So the tv is sometimes on for the white noise factor in the background. Today, ABC cut into its regular programming to show Tiger's statement live.
Yes, he was contrite and apologetic and overall, pretty sincere in his defense of his wife Elin and all that. Hopefully his statement achieved what he and his team wanted it to - a start on the road of a comeback.

My question - was it really necessary to show this speech live? And then - they (GMA hosts Robin R and George S) commentated on the speech like it was a political speech. Analyzed all the aspects of it, who all he addressed his speech to, his defense of Elin, his willingness to really go far in his contriteness of his actions....comparing it to other apology speeches and just go short of giving it a grade. Seriously? I just sat here in stupefied silence watching all that thinking "so unnecessary." But that's just me. What do you think?

I'm back.......

Hi everyone.

Yes, it's been almost a year since my last post. My love for fb has not abated in the least and becuase most of my family and friends are on fb, the micro-blogging has been easy and fun.

So, you ask, why are you back on your own blog? It is Lent. And for my Lenten committment, I have given up facebook! Yes, shocker for those of you who know me. And it's been challenging for the past two days as there have been so many interesting things to talk about. So, what I have decided to do is to put my random thoughts about stuff back on my blog. Come Easter, I'll share the link to this blog and everyone will know what's been up with me.

And for those of you who actually used to follow the blog and preferred it? Yahoo for you! I'll send a note to everyone (all 6 of you) that used to follow the blog so that you'll know what's up.

Now don't be do upset as the posts may be really short! The beauty of micro-blogging, for sure. But, they will still have that certain Cherai-ism to it.

Ciao for now!