TASTING LIFE TWICE

Love the Office? Rainn Wilson? What about John Lithgow?

nobody@vox.com(Crystal) — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 16:10:38 -0400

Funny video where they talk about what my company's name, CA (formerly Computer Associates) means...

Rainn Wilson & John Lithgow "What is CA?"

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blah blah blah

nobody@vox.com(Crystal) — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 07:44:27 -0400

Okay, so this is going to be another one of my rambly update posts seeing as I'm not the best blogger lately...

37 on 5th
Kindle coming in my near future.
The price of gas, keeps on rising...nothing comes for free. ♫
Recently I was walking by some developers in my office and overheard them talking about "the Lords of Cobol" and was surprised to see such old guys talking about Battlestar Galactica...until they kept talking and I realized that he was meaning whoever is writing COBOL on the project they are on. I don't think the slip was intentional. It was then that I realized I am rather a bit of a geek. A geek because I assumed it was a BSG reference and a geek because I know what COBOL is.
Oh my Season 3 of BSG is turning out to be amazing, IMHO. I'm so so so addicted. And frustrated that they are going to drag it out into 2009.
Is anyone using Friendfeed?
Yet another blog is in my future, putting the total at three. This blog. My writing blog (on which I have not been writing, sigh). And soon to be...a professional blog about B2B digital media relations. Gah.
New job is good. Different. Still figuring things out in many ways. I relied a lot on the PR agencies at my previous jobs to handle pitching and getting the news out (imagine that)...this time around I'm realizing that I'm going to really have to get my hands dirty and do more direct outreach myself. I'm used to pulling teeth to get what I need, but this is more like yanking out the whole jaw. On the other hand I seem to be one of the only ones who really get the power of social media, so that's a good thing for visibility. Goes back to how women are the queens of it all.
I've been thinking a lot about trauma, tornadoes (unrelated but tragic in a similar way and I keep dreaming about them) and the preciousness of life. Someone I know recently lost a dear friend and the tragic story has hit home for me in the sense of the ongoing importance to never take the people in your life for granted.
I'm in love with Erin Tyner's photography. Recently bought (note the tornado):

Listening to:

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synchronicity

nobody@vox.com(Crystal) — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 08:25:53 -0400

not sure which forces are aligning but my sister and I are ending our jobs at the same time. In both cases we have been a valuable part of the company and both companies really really didn't want to see us go. Her company (she manages cosmetics for a major retail department store in the southwest) was pretty much BEGGING her to stay. No extra compensation offered, just a plate of good, old fashioned guilt. Which made her waver a little, but in the end today is her last day.

And tomorrow is mine. I'm most excited to not have to use Lotus Notes anymore. Hate hate hate that product. Not looking forward to leaving behind colleagues who have become friends, especially my former manager, while I know I'll remain close to her, it just won't be the same not being able to pop down to her office on a whim and rant or rave about any given thing.

The worst thing about my sister quitting though is that my supply of free cosmetics and perfumes (Lancome, Dior, Givenchy, etc) will come to an end. And well, I can't justify spending $60 on face cream or $40 on mascara, so I guess it's back to CVS for me, sigh. Still, it was very very good while it lasted. :)

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transitions

nobody@vox.com(Crystal) — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 07:59:31 -0400

Crabapples near Harvard (2007)

Sooo I just scored a new job as a PR Director for a big tech firm, helping grow the PR program for one of their newer divisions. It will be a good challenge for me and I'm really excited.

The tough part is telling people at my current job that I'm leaving. My timing is bad, so that doesn't help as we're hiring a new PR firm and we're going to be doing a lot of transition related to that change, much less having to transition my own work. Some people are worried about the hole I'm leaving and I can sense frustration when I mention I'm going. Many understand my reasons. Others are outright joyful that I'll be doing something good for me. But for the most part people have been sad, as I have felt--sad that I won't be working with such great people anymore.

But it's spring now and the peepers are out--I heard them yesterday. What a wonderful sound!

Spring.Peeper

The crabapple and cherry trees will bloom in a few weeks and the grass is starting to pop up through the dirt. The temperature will be 70 today! Everything is poised to start bursting and blooming, to follow along the cyclical change and flux of the seasons.

It's a good time to change things up. Fall and spring always seem to represent new transitions for me. New job, new creative infusion, new possibilities.

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the sickness

nobody@vox.com(Crystal) — Sun, 02 Mar 2008 17:50:18 -0500

lazily cross posted from crystalking.com

I wish that I could say it was a writing sickness of some sort, but no, it’s just plain sickness. Second time in less than a month, which makes me quite unhappy indeed. My husband finds my pitiful forlorn-ness rather cute but I’m just not good being miserable.

Napping

Being sick also forces me to do something else that I’m not terribly good at. Taking naps.

Ever since I was a little kid taking naps was something I hated. I was always afraid I was going to miss something. I would pretend to nap when I heard my mother coming up the stairs to check on me and as soon as she would leave I’d pull my book out from under my pillow and start reading. There wasn’t enough time for books, in my opinion.

I still feel that way. Being sick means that I have a hard time staying awake. Even sitting here blogging a bit has me starting to feel weak and womply. I imagine I’ll start and finish this over a long period…a bit here and there because sitting here is tough. I just have so little energy and barely any focus.

For the entire weekend I’ve spent the majority of my time on the couch, feverish, wracked with coughing, with my husband so graciously bringing me juice and ginger ale. He makes me food I can’t taste and runs to the store to buy me kleenex when I run out. This luckiness in finding the nicest guy is a two edged sword. I’d rather be spending the day doing something fun with him, not relegated to the couch, half asleep while he cooks me chicken soup.

I try to read but sadly, reading requires a bit more brainpower and energy than TV does. I rarely watch TV except for a few specifically Tivo’d shows and when I’m sick. Reading puts me to sleep nearly right away but I can manage TV for a little longer. Possibly because it’s actionable and movable and can arrest my visual senses in a way that black words on a white page tend to blur together for me when I feel like this.

So I watch TV and bad free movies on Comcast, feeling miserable, but even worse, feeling guilty.

Yeah. Guilty for being sick. Guilty because I had to cancel the writing workshop that I was supposed to teach yesterday. Guilty because I sleep instead of reading (oh my I have a book pile so high right now that I’m dying to go through). Guilty because I watch TV instead of writing on my novel (although I did manage to write a freelance article this weekend…the editor will most likely cringe at my codeine cough syrup coated words but I did spit it out over the course of yesterday). And even though tomorrow isn’t here yet, I already feel guilty because I’m going to have to call in sick (actually call in to say I’m working from home) for the second time in less than a month (was out for a week with the flu just three weeks ago).
This is where my husband lovingly tells me that I’m crazy. I wasn’t even born Catholic! I shouldn’t feel guilty for not reading or writing or working. I should just be sick and do my best to sleep it off.

But oh, that pillow…it doesn’t really call my name. Heaven forbid if I miss something! Oh wait, some things, like the 98 minutes I spent today watching The Covenant are probably worth missing…

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viva las vegas!

nobody@vox.com(Crystal) — Sun, 05 Aug 2007 06:16:34 -0400

except that I'm going without Joe which really sucks. And it's not for fun, which also sucks.

Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas

But I do get to eat at Red Square & Fleur de Lys in Mandalay Bay. And Daniel Boulud Brasserie in the Wynn (be forwarned, it takes forever to load and is not up front about giving you information until it talks at you).

And I do get to see coworkers that are far away from me (most of the people I work with are in Canada, Atlanta, Boise and California) that I will enjoy seeing.

I suppose there may be a little bit of blackjack and champagne.

And there will be little sleep because when you work shows in Vegas, you are "on" all the time, regardless of where you are, schmoozing, making sure you are saying and doing the right thing.

Hoping I can get some writing in on the plane, but we'll see. I always take a ton of stuff intending to write but then I never do. This time I pared back to just my moleskine and some printouts of my chronological timeline. Would be just my luck to be on a writing streak and bemoaning that I didn't bring more background material with me...

I may or may not post from Vegas, but you'll hear from me soon!

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in the last 36 hours

nobody@vox.com(Crystal) — Tue, 05 Jun 2007 23:30:39 -0400

* I toasted the winners of an award ceremony at a black-tie event

Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium

* I talked with people from Russia, and the Netherlands.
* As we were driving by, I heard from a cabdriver about his experience when the plane hit the Pentagon during 9/11.
* I helped create video for innovative technology stories that revolutionized and directly benefited society in healthcare, retail, government, education and finance.
* I talked to a big game hunter about his upcoming trip to the Arctic to hunt caribou.
* I discovered that when you really need someone who knows how to tie a bow-tie that no one around has any clue.
* I scored cheap, dressy shoes at Macy's to solve a fashion emergency.
* I drank way too much wine on a weeknight.
* I had to deal with two blisters.
* I discovered that the pants I planned to wear this morning were too big.
* People that should have didn't wish me happy birthday. And people that didn't have to did (THANK YOU!).
* I ate bacon twice.
* I drank champagne.
* I had my picture taken at least a dozen times.
* I spent a few hours here at a lovely formal dinner.
* Spent an hour on a plane that wasn't in the air.
* Was late boarding that plane because some Army Sargeant had special boarding because he was escorting some sort of cargo. Hmm.
* Paris Hilton spent her first night in jail.
* Snagged a cake at Finale at the last moment.
* Slept for a total of 6 hours including the nap.
* I learned some of the secrets to green screen.
* I rode in two limos, a shuttle bus and two cabs.
* My husband made me a cake...or well, drew me one.
* I finalized one press release.
*

I wore a pretty dress.
* I hugged a lot of people.
* I gave out all my business cards.
* I ate a lot of beets.
* I inadvertantly found out that I might have a new boss soon :(
* Kitty and I were angry with each other. He was angry because I left him. I was angry because he didn't greet me when I came back. We're so dumb.
* I chipped a nail.
* I learned that when you toast in Russian you say, "Budem zdorovy" meaning, "To stay Healthy."
* I received a bottle of wine direct from the Cote du Rhone.
* I started year 36 in the life of Crystal.

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project 365 roundup...again

nobody@vox.com(Crystal) — Thu, 01 Feb 2007 19:48:19 -0500

Here's the next project 365 installment:

Downtown Boston

Boston 017

The view as I drive into work every day...

018

The little acupuncture statue with all the points in my acupuncturist's office:

019

The emergency water wheel in the fire escape stairwell at work...

And another cool piece from Joe. Photo doesn't do it justice...

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viewing art inside at the bar

nobody@vox.com(Crystal) — Sun, 28 Jan 2007 09:16:13 -0500

Here's the Project 365 round up for the week.

Day 13: This is the view from my cube. Sigh. Our office actually has windows all the way around every floor so it does have a lot of light. I just happened to end up on the wall with the main support section which means I get less window. I suppose that's okay. It means I have to get up and walk around to check out any turkeys that appear in the parking lot.

Room With A View

Day 14: One of Joe's latest creations. Apparently I cropped the green off the right edge, but well, when we get his online gallery together I'll fix that. This piece is 38 x 50, mixed media. He doesn't name them but at some point he'll probably need to number them...

JoePainting

Day 15: It was FUHREEZING on Friday. Here Romeo is very very happy that he wasn't outside in the 1 degree temperature when this picture was taken.

Kitty is Warm Inside

Day 16: And last night, taken at the bar of the Red House, which we go to here and there. I think our favorite bars in Harvard are probably the Red House, Rialto (but now it's undergoing renovations so who knows if we'll like it later) and our new favorite, the bar at Harvest. Occasionally we also hang out at Grendel's but it just depends on whether or not we're up for dealing with lots of rich snotty Harvard kids. Hehe at the other bars we're just dealing with other rich snotty Harvard people. ;) Anyway, I really like how this particular shot turned out. My camera batteries had given out earlier so I was relying on my camera phone which takes great day shots but the flash is the pits. I think that worked out better in this case...

RedHouse

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booze+celebrity sighting=utter embarrassment

nobody@vox.com(Crystal) — Thu, 14 Dec 2006 07:23:06 -0500

David Ortiz

Last night my company workgroup had a really amazing dinner at Sorellina. Wow--really loved that place. Incredible decor, great bar and extremely tasty food. Definitely want to go back there again. I think it places in the top 5 restaurants in Boston for me now.

Last year we had a local celebrity sighting at our company dinner--Bernie from Bernie and Phyl's furniture store. This year the sighting was much better. Red Sox hitter David Ortiz was having dinner with his wife and some other suited, diamond earring'd guy at a nearby table. I stared at the back of Big Papi's huge head for most of the evening.

Toward the end of the night, one of my coworkers, a typically shy and reserved woman, decided she was going to ask if she could take a picture. We were all amazed...tried to caution her against it...but she was determined. We told her she should ask first at least, and that seemed to be the plan. So she walked over, and instead of asking, she just took the picture. They ignored her but a woman at the table next to them mentioned that it was really rude for her to do that. She mumbled something about how she was leaving and when she came back to our table, she had turned nearly purple with embarrassment. She hastily said goodbye and bolted...leaving all of us in shock. She was so mortified, poor girl. It was very out of character for her to be so bold. We all felt really bad for her. What was a lovely evening is now clouded in an "oh my god, why did I do that," moment.

We did find out from the valet that he drives the nice big white Range Rover that waited outside the door...

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