Gallon of Gas

So...interesting day...

Apparently, we're having some kind of gas leak here at work today.

Earlier this morning we all started smelling something really bad, seeming to come out of the elevator shaft. It got worse and really smelled like natural gas. So about 30 minutes later, we were given the word to evacuate and the fire department was called and we all stood outside for a good 40 minutes while the fire department ruled that whatever it was "wouldn't kill us" and we could all go back in.

Well, we (we being not so much me) are trying to figure out what exactly is leaking and until we do and figure out how to stop it, I have to sit at the front door of the Nature Center and tell the public they cannot come in. We have all the doors and windows wide open, letting the leaking substance out, but in the meantime, it's been decided we cannot have public in the building. We, however, remain.

So, this is quite a way to end the week if I do say so myself! What's your Friday been like?

erin

Let's Get It Started

Why is today not Friday?!

Here I sit, in my office, thinking "yay, it's Friday!"

But...

It's THURSDAY!

I never enjoy that. Boo.

I have done literally nothing here at work today, besides getting a cup of coffee and taking a walk over lunch. And now, there is no more coffee and I'm hungry. I did eat a salad and some craisins and almonds, but my body says, I would like some more...and there is frozen Pepperidge Farm cake in the freezer here and left over lasagna and chicken alfredo. And it's THURSDAY!

It seems like Friday because many people are gone today. I also have this overwhelming feeling like you get on the last day of school...great anticipation...but for what? I don't know! We have no plans tonight, no weekend plans, except for a funeral for a good friend's father, who was a friend himself, which I'm 100% not looking forward to. And it's THURSDAY! I still have to come back here tomorrow...I certainly am not anticipating that!

I guess there's just something in me today with a "let's get it started" attitude. Let's get the weekend started? Let's get some fun times started? Apparently, something needs to start soon. Let's get something started.

Now the word "started" is weird to me.

PS...It's THURSDAY!

erin

Oh What a Night

I did some interesting things last night...wanna hear about them? I'll take that ability to respond in no way whatsoever as a "yes."

First, let me back up and say a few things about the weekend and being married.

We had our first paying show this weekend, the band I mean. My co-worker owns a bar and we played there and it was a pretty good time. I, unfortunately was still recovering from the cold of all colds from almost 3 weeks ago, and so my voice was a bit less than stellar, but we did alright. The crowd seemed entertained and that's all that matters. And, oh yeah, we got paid! It was weird to get paid after singing being that I've only done it voluntarily in plays or at karaoke bars and no one pays you there. So it's a pretty nice bonus!

So that was the big event of the weekend. The marriage part is this: are there times when you are more aware of being married than others? Not at all in a, "hey I think I'll cheat on you because I don't feel like I'm married" way...I mean, sometimes I am very aware that Danny is my husband and sometimes we're just a couple of people, married, yes, but not necessarily on my mind.

For instance, at the show or at band practice, it's more like we're simply band members than husband/wife. This is almost crucial because you have to focus solely on what you're doing...singing/drumming. Like, when I am belting out a tune, I don't really think, "hey my husband is the drummer back there." However, during an instrumental break, if I happen to turn around and see him doing his thing I often think, "oh yeah, that's my husband drumming back there."

Last night, I accompanied my husband to our local city council meeting along with many of his fellow union members. The council was hearing debate on something called the Responsible Bidder Ordinance which would create stipulations that must be followed for any company to bid on constructions projects in our city, including having a licensed apprenticeship program, something not many non-union companies have...so there was quite a bit of debate going on. We stood outside the meeting in a little hallway listening because there were SO MANY people there for this issue. This became one of those times when I was very aware of my husband. I really got into the issue and thankfully had read an article explaining it all beforehand so I had some idea of what was going on...usually I don't pay a ton of attention to local stuff like that. But man, I was into it. At one point I felt that I should get up on the nearby table holding aloft my "union" sign...but I didn't...and there was a clear sign stating "no signage or placards" were allowed in the meeting anyway. But I felt it my duty to be a proud union wife, as I am also a union daughter, even though I drive a foreign car (oops...sorry, I like toyotas!).

After all that unionlove, we went to dinner and then home for a different kind of unionlove...ha! Sorry. I'll keep it clean.

All in all, it was an interesting evening, and I'll be keeping you posted on how the vote turns out on this local city issue, because I know you are all wondering.

I'm Erin Moyer and I approve this message...

erin

What's Going On?

So, sometimes it's important to stop and take stock of what's going on in your life...things you are happy with, things you are looking forward to, things you are working on whether physical, emotional or spiritual. So that's the theme of today's blog...

Friday the 13th and here's "what's going on":

I'm happy with (I think it's important to start with this category)-
-My marriage
-Where I live
-My dog (even when she chews up all my cool stuff!)
-The fact that I'm drinking tea right now
-Our ability to cope with job loss
-My current work perspective (it changes daily, today is a positive day)
-My overall health
-My growing comfort with expressing my honest feelings with others and not being taken advantage of
-My weekend plans
-My family relationships

I'm looking forward to:
-Hanging out with friends tonight
-Saturday night
-Spring
-motherhood
-moving
-5pm
-my one year anniversary (even though I put the kibbosh on Danny's plans of going to gamble in St. Charles...not so fun!)
-Turning off the furnace

What I'm working on:
-Changing my mindset
-Avoiding moments of pure selfishness (though sometimes you just have to let your head go there so you can then say, stop it!)
-Body fitness
-Ridding myself of 2 weeks of sinus congestion (thus the tea drinking)
-Saturday night
-Finding the positive aspects of my workplace
-Our house
-motherhood
-my marriage (apparently this is a constant project, even when you think it's not)
-my dog (eventually, she'll stop chewing up all my cool stuff...hopefully!)
-a peaceful existance

It really is a constant state of work, this life...and it's important to remember what's going on, more so than just groceries, laundry, and other day-to-day to do's.

So, what's going on with you?

erin

Where in the World is Carmen SanDiego?

Well, we came in 4th.

We were briefly tied for third, but lost the tie-breaker question, so we, the 2 year defending champs, came in 4th out of 16 teams. We still had a good time, though I protested that the categories were not as well-rounded as in previous years. It really all comes down to categories and this year there were too many sports/James Bond questions for my liking. And the bonus round was naming game shows. We usually get if not all those answered, a good 99%. I think this time we left like 5 or 6 blank out of 20 (and this round included a correct answer to a kids' geography-themed game show...thus this blog's title)! I will say though, our team had the best snacks and the most enthusiasm.

The pancake breakfast was a HUGE success! We served over 400 people this year, the biggest crowd in many years.

So it was a good weekend, topped off with excellent mocha cake made by my mother-in-law and a nice Sunday brunch to further celebrate Mom's birthday.

And so we move on to yet another work week (though the boss is sick today...thanks to me and my germs...that's taking one for the team, I think).

erin

Mother Mary comes to me, speaking words of wisdom...

Happy birthday to my mom! (tomorrow)

I won't divulge age here, not that she is ashamed, but is it my place, really?

Anyway, Mom's birthday is tomorrow, the 7th, and I am officially wishing her a happy birthday week starting today. For the past few years, Mom has encouraged her family (mainly Dad) to celebrate her birthday in a weekly style, with some act of appreciation demonstrated each day leading up to her birthday. This year, I think we are celebrating for a week beginning with her birthday, tomorrow. My sister and her family are coming down next weekend for a bit of celebratory fun and since I don't think we are quite at the level of a 2 week birthday-fest, we'll start tomorrow.

So, once again, happy something something-eth birthday!

And don't forget we're gearing up for Trivia Night 2009 over here at "in my life." I'll let you know how the team does this year!

It's All About the Benjamins, Baby

Doing stuff to win money is fun!

This Saturday is a culmination of events. My mother's XXth birthday, our annual pancake breakfast here at work and the Meridian High School Trivia Night back at my old high school.

We will be celebrating the birthday at the pancake breakfast and then again the next day and then again the next weekend (man she really knows how to have a birthday, that Mom) when my sister and family come down for that weekend...we've also got a paying band show that weekend!

The trivia night, that is the social event of the season! This will be my fourth year competing and hopefully my third consecutive year winning that bad boy! And you win money! Like $250! However, you have a team of 10 people...and then you always donate it back to the school...so it's really just for the prestige. Even so, my team has won the last 2 years in a row, beating like 12 other teams made up of teachers, writers from the paper, other former students, etc. Our team consists of myself, my brother-in-law Ross and sister-in-law Susannah, my mother and father-in-law, Susannah's parents and 2 aunts, and another friend from said high school. We all have our specialty areas. Other friend is all sports and history, Ross takes care of obscure facts, math, music, and movies, I handle pop culture (I watch the most tv, apparently), a bit of history (it was my major) and music. I could name everyone's specialty, but just know, we cover a broad spectrum! We also have a good range of ages on our team to know random trivia from different decades and past and present "current" events. It's a pretty fun time and hey, it's how I give back to my school, because I certainly don't plan on writing them a check anytime soon! So even if it's not "all about the benjamins" it's still a really fun evening with friends!

I'll let you know how we do...I'm so accustomed to winning, I feel it won't be near as much fun if we don't!

erin