Corporate Compliance Blows

From almost 7 years I have endured the guilt of working in an environment that believes that dedication means no less that 60 hours a week. They have little compassion for balanced lives.

They're mission statement:
You'll be a success as long as your top priority is your job.

Are you looked down upon for wanting to work 9 hours day? And is this trend something that can be stopped? How do we as workers get around the guilt and persecution for the need to set aside work at the appropriate time?

Do most companies function this way? Or are there company's out there that believe that people need balance and they are not disposable and neither are there personal lives.

I need some help. I don't ask for help very often but I need opinions from my Corporate America brothers and sisters.

Yard gnomes beware

I Y my weed eater
I ask everyone this question...is it so wrong to love such a wonderful device?

I actually caught my self day dreaming about the usage of my newest lawn tool, my precious Ryobi interchangeable head weed wacker while at work. Ahh all that time we'll spend, edging and trimming. I never knew the pure pleasure of putting the finishing touches around my yard. The only thing I can compare it to is the experience I used to have as a child of coloring inside all the shapes of a picture in a coloring book and then outline each shape with a hard dark line. It just solves all the worlds problems (sad isn't it)

I also love the faces of all of my retired neighbors when I come out in boots, cammo pants and a tank and goggles' and just tear my yard up. It's like I'd like to tell-'em "stop with your staring and pull up a lawn chair 'cause I've got some grass to chew"

To sum it up, you ain't a real woman 'til you smell like fuel and you've felt the sting of trimming wire on your shins.

What happens at Happy Karaoke, stays at Happy Karaoke

So, I had a revelation this past Sat. night. I discovered that I am doing a great injustice to this world if I continue repressing my true purpose in life. I'm destine to become one of the worlds greatest karaoke singers. The song in me can keep silent no longer.

The music beast awoke in me as I discovered private karaoke singing rooms. These rooms are the truest test of friendship one can endure. If you can make it in the trenches of this small, echo filled, tambourine equipped room, well then you've made your self a friend.

And the awards go to:

Matthew - MVP (Dude you can kill a song but the passion pulls you though every time -rrragh)
Sunny - Best New Artist (You have the pitch of Norah Jones, you can carry a tune through a pile of hot coals)
Brian - Most karaoke-man like behavior (that's until you threaten to wrap the mic cord around Matthew's neck)

If I abandon my job, I can be found in booth 8 in a bright orange building on the east side of the city - just listen for the echo of Sade's "Smooth Operator"

Things I haven't said to Sarah....

Dear Sarah,
(Let me start with my 2 formal apologies.)
I want to begin this letter to you buy apologizing for not calling you back the last 2 times you've call. I'm sorry. There's no excuse and I've got it on my top priority list to correct this, after all I want to talk to you desperately.

Second, I've failed you in not sending you a graduation card/gift. I keep reasoning that I'll get to see you soon and that I'll express it in person. And in doing this, I have ignored it all together. Not good.

But let me say that I am so proud that your one of my closest, best friends. I am honored to know you and confided in your friendship! You're so sweet and thoughtful, and best of all, your adventurous, faithful spirit renews me each time we talk!
I hope your enjoying your time in Boston... and I'm calling soon!

your friend,
Tiff

Section 120, Row 13, Seat 5

An almost rainy night at Turner field turned into a great night for a Braves game...
We, my sister, niece and bro-n-law went to the game in celebration of my sisters b-day which is this week.
The seats we're the best we'd all had, very close - just a little behind 3rd. We had to be watchful and fearful of fly balls coming to wreak havic on the 2 non-athletic girls in the family. it was kind of stressful at times but altogether fun.

Concessions of choice: Hot dog, chips, dc, and best of all - Dipp'n freak'n dots - they rock and should be sold at the grocery store mind you.




Happy Birthday Sis!
I would have snap your photo but-cha kept leaning out of the shot.

Images from Ireland

Land and Sky



Mom & Me on "The Rock Of Cashel"



Celtic Cross



Midevil Cathedral that was burned by Cromwell



Monk Tower



Emerald Coast


God's Promise



Golf Course



Downtown



Kilkenny Castle



Window



Me @ Mosse Pottery



Baahhh



Cliffs of Moher



Fence Detail

I made it!!!

Just thought I'd post from Ireland!!!
We made the flight over and arrived in Dublin, everything went fine until I hit downtown. Driving on the left and with very narrow roads stessed me out big time. Mom almost had a heart attack but she did help me through the rough spots and gave me great encouragement. As soon as we cleared the city it was so much better. The open roads and country pace is my style. I slept so good when we hit the B&B in Wicklow. Mom though I had died because I never moved that night.

We're in Kilkenny on Wed. and we're headed to tour the Kilkenny castle tomorrow and see the design district, lots of artist in Kilkenny.

Friday we might head to the Rock of Cashel ruins and move south to Waterford.

Food:
Grand hotel Pub last night, chowders and potatos - great. Mom loved her seafood chowder.
This morning we had a traditional Irish breakfast that included black pudding - I was afraid to ask - tasted like burnt sausage. Ceral and what we call country ham. -great.
Late dinner tonight - pizza @ a local place really good.

Love to all and I'll try to check in again.
-Me
ps. Mom is try to talk with a Irish accent - it's hilarious, she promises me that she won't do it in public. Hee, hee.

Section 129, row 18, seat 4

In celebration of my first game this year, I give you views from section 129, row 18, seat 4;

The field at sunset...


This view of Andruw Jones...


One awesome fe-mullet to my left...


And Sunny, Brian and Matthew to my right.


Great game, great friends and wonderful sights.

The plan: part duex

Let's try this again - I was just kidding the first time around...

So this is the very flexible itenarary fot our trip. I was able to sit down with an Irish friend and map out a good path for the time we are there. I have'nt started getting excited about the trip yet but I know the night before that feeling will kick in. If there is a way to get photo's uploaded or updates I'll try to post -not sure if I'll come across that opportunity or not. Packing has been interesating and i'm trying to keepot light- we'll see.
That's all I've got for know - more hopelully later...from the Emerald Isle.


DAY 1
Dublin - Stay on the south side, maybe Black Rock area
- See Trinity College, Book of Kells Display
- Visit St. Pat’s Cathedral
- Temple Bar Area

DAY 2
Head south out of Dublin towards Bray on M11
=> Through Enniskerry => Blessington => Wicklow Mnts & Sally gap ( good scenic drive) =>Glendalouggh (Mnts) => Carlow (don’t stay, not good) N9 => N10 Kilkenny (stay over night here)
- Kilkenny castle
- great B & B’s
- Shops

DAY 3
Head toward Urlingford=> N8 to Cashel (stay here for the night)
- Rock of Cashel

DAY 4
Head south towards Cahir (Car) on N8(don’t stop here, not good) => Turn on N24 towards Clonmet => Turn south onto Route R665 then R671 towards Ballymacarbry => Youghal (ya’ll) => N25 Killeagh=> Midleton, stay on N25 to Cork (stay the night?)
- Patrick street
- Good B&B’s
- Shops

or after Cork head to Bandon on N71=>Skibbereen (smashing town) => Schull (skull)
=> go to Mizen Head (wild, nature, nothing really there, so be prepared) => head towards Bantry on R591 or N71=> N71 to Kenmare (stay the night) = this is near ring of Kerry so it’s a good place to start from the next morning.
Or keep going around ring of Kerry to Dingle and stay there for Night
(Optional) Sleep in Kenmare or Dingle (fishing village)
Start off driving around the Ring of Kerry N70 (take your time) =>head towards Tralee on N70 => head to Dingle on N86 (great B&B here)

DAY 5
Head to Listowel on N69 =>to Tarbert=> Take car ferry across River Shannon=>N67 to Kilrush => N67 Kilkee=> Lascanor or Lahinch =>Cliffs of moher => Doolin (dangerous beach) => on R477 to Ballyvaughan => N67 to Galway(stay here)
Paul Brenan’s sister and Brother-n-law’s hotel
Ardilaun house hotel
www. ardilaunhousehotel.ie

DAY 6
Head to Clifden on N59 (1 1/2 hr scenic drive) => then head to West Port on N59 and stay the night


DAY 7
From Clifden, head to Westport & Castlebar and see (Croagh Patrick Mtn.)

Paul’s sister Aoife
Stay in Westport night of day 7


DAY 8
Head Back to Dublin on Pauls route on map. From Galway to Dublin is 3 hrs.

I've just met the Oscar Myer Wiener

He's a contract worker on my night shift at work. He's 32-33 and looks 13. He ask so many questions, that in the time that he speaks you can solve the eternal high school algebra word problem " if train A leaves the station at 2pm, and train B leaves the same station at" etc. He even looks the part. I've tried so hard to listen to every story and ego driven question that if you watch my head may actually explode. If I hear the following phrase come out of his mouth -" what you should do is" one more time- ahhhhh!
Thanks - I know your trying to help but please just sit there and do your freak'n work.

Ahhh, there. I feel so much better. All of that nastiness is out and I can purge this from my simple mind and go on about my day. Thank you Blogger - you're the best!

love, me

Girls in cars

Just to jog your memory...

Quotes from a Saturday night car ride around mid-town.

I bet it tastes like feet.
I want a shirt that reads "I fiddle around"
Hangy downy thingies (hand gesture)
All I'm sayin is when he bent over and opened that oven...you'd know.
Insertion
Oh dear

do you see the resemblance?

I think I'm on to something, at least my Satchel's in much better taste.

The Circle of Crap

stuff. useless items. in-adamant objects. crap.

I've found any number of the above on my doorstep when I get home in the evenings. It's not like I don't know who put the crap there, that I have no question about. If I find bags of old clothes, lunch meat, table cloths or empty boxes I know my mother has dropped by. She leaves these care packages on my carport each time she visits my house. It's like she's cleaned out her closet, garage or refrigerator and thinks of me. She bags up these creative collections and leaves them here at my door, it's kind of like christmas, ya know? Except you didn't ask for it, and most of the time you wind up throwing it out- but at least it's a surprise.

My sisters and I came up with this theory about mom's little presents she distributes, you see, it is a circle. If one of us manages to pass the "crap" back to my mother she doesn't just throw it away she re-distributes it to another offspring. So unless one of throws the item away or breaks the "circle" the items just keep resurfacing.

Tonight's gift was great, in fact it was tasty. She left a 1/2 lb. of deli turkey with some muenster cheese slices. Funny, this time it was the placement of the items. When I opened my screen door, laying on the threshold of my door was a zip lock bag full of lunch meat. Thank goodness it was wrapped well, I don't care for shoe dirt on my turkey.

Thanks mom, it may be crap, but because it's from you, I love it.

First Kiss

As requested by my friend Jen, this blog goes out to you.

K- let me give you some back ground. I ran around with the fast crowd in elementary school, and by fast I mean kissing was a recreational activity during recess. It was like, are you going play kick ball, hang out on the monkey bars or hide behind the tunnel and kiss? Who knew that I would get more lip action in the fifth grade than my entire college years? Anyway, the twisted playground activities were very innocent, it consisted of cheek pecks to full on lip contact (never tongue - ewww) in which some times we would time each other and compete for the longest kissing record.

Now for the real sloppy material:
In the 6th grade I was "going out" with RW (names with held for privacy) whom I'd grown up with since before I could remember. RW was a class clown type, but pretty cute by middle school boy standards- big smile, blond hair and the best thing...he adored me. I was always the girl he chased. He had all the right moves for a 12 year old -he'd call me at sleep-overs, stalk me in the halls, lip-sync Bon Jovi songs in the school talent show..; Ahh those were the days. Moving on. We had one more thing in common, we went to the same Baptist church here in our quaint little town. And this fact is important and this is where it gets good.

Being Baptist we had an out standing date for our Wednesday nights. We would meet at our church for GA's and RA's (children's bible study) and meet on the church play ground afterward and we'd swing until our parents picked us up. This was a good plan until we decided to stray from our usual boundaries and peer pressure crept into our compact little minds.

Now you need to know another fact in the this story and that is not only am I Baptist, I'm Southern Baptist and so is my father, he's a Deacon in the church. And often times as part of his Deacon duties he would have security duties at the church. This is were the "Deacon of the Week" (true term) would walk around the parking lots of our church and greet & help people to there cars at night. Basically stay at the church until the activities were over and everyone had left the church grounds. This means roaming the grounds of the church at all hours.

Back to were the peer pressure crept in...
It was like any other Wed. at school until my best girl friend at the time CG passes me a note saying that RW has plans to plant the big one on me at church tonight. When I realized what that meant, I remember the shock that paralyzed my entire body. Trying to act ever so cool, I totally responded to CG in a note that I was so glad RW had finally worked up the nerve and if he was serious then he could meet me in the GA class room after we're dismissed to the play ground. SO, of coarse by the EOD the entire 6th grade class knew our plans and RW met me "at the busses" at dismissal. He acknowledged our plans and sent me well wishes until our randevu that evening.

Just before Wed. night church, my mother debriefs me as to the car pooling plan of the evening. Dad would be taking me because he has "Deacon Duty" but my older sister P would be picking me up so that Dad could stay later.

I don't remember anything about GA's that night, no memories of bible lessons, craft projects or snack time but the true state of fear I was in, knowing that very soon I would be frenching RW in this very room. Class time ended, I said my good byes to all my GA friends and being that they knew the plans, they're glares haunted me as they left the room. I remember looking out the window and watching them skip to the big metal swing set and hearing RW enter the room behind me. We embraced and staring deep into his eyes I said " I don't know what I should do" he responded "just close your eyes and I'll take over" (pretty freaky that a 12 yr. boy said that? now I'm thinking -what did he do to be so experienced-eeww again)

And then the sloppiness began. It was so wet and sloppy that I still remember thinking "how gross this kissing thing is!" But one after another the kisses kept coming. Now, I'm not sure how much time elapsed, this is where we lost about a 1/2 an hour but I remember hearing the closed door swing open and I hear my fathers booming voice say my full formal name.

He continues yelling " This is were you've been, I am so disappointed in you" and immediately I see my father turn toward RW and walk towards him. RW shoots from the room by way of a second door and all I see is blond hair running full sprint down the church hall way. I immediately bust into tears from the trauma that has just fallen on me. The pure passion of my first french kiss was yanked from me. And now the fear and sheer embarrassment of my father chasing RW from the room was all a 12yr. old heart could take.

Apparently my sister and her boyfriend (this is now my brother-n-law of 16 yrs.) had been waiting for me for a very long time and had sent my father to go look for me. As I entered the back seat of an 83 honda civic my tears turned to sobes as they got part of the story from my father. He could not even form the words it took to tell my sister what he had just saw. I burst out from my ranting " Daddy just caught me kissing RW in the church!" A serious look from my sister turned to a full on smile and then to laughter as they probed as to what type of kissing RW and I had done. We the kising details were expunged she stopped laughing a little and she said, "Oh man, you are so going to get it when Daddy gets home, we've gotta see this"

So to say the least my first kissing experience was full of drama, I do remember being grounded for a month and I was not allowed to be alone with boys in rooms at church ever again.

RW and I remained good friends all the way though high school, he was such a great guy, very smart. He continued to be "that guy" who always propositioned me for dates and it even became a joke later on that when he'd ask me out I'd always say that i just couldn't get over our traumatic past.

As for Dad, for the longest time we never spoke of that night again. But sooner or later I started teasing him about it and how I would never forget the look in my Daddy's eyes, as he saw me in the embrace of a 12yr old boy.

Do you remeber your first kiss?


Read another first kiss blog @
http://okayseriously.blogspot.com/2005/04/my-first-real-kiss.html

Five

In leu of Kara's most recent post here's my 5:

Joaquin Phoenix

Hugh Jackman

Tom Welling

Heath Ledger

Nicholas Cage

I'm a Genie in a bottle

Dumb song but interesting topic.

If you ever find a genie in a bottle, what would your 3 wishes be?

Mine would be:
• Photographic memory
• Ability to do math with out "carrying the one"
• A ski lodge in Montana with a bear proof perimeter

that girl's a work horse

i've grown up with always having a job to do. my life as I know it has been filled with projects, tasks and assignments. I can't visit my own parents with out being ask to fix something when there. i've done every odd job know to man for friends and family - painted a motor-home roof, cleaned houses, design rooms, painted murals, design web pages, laid sod, tailored clothing, design bedding and pillows, fixed leaky pipes, remove wallpaper, laid tile and wood flooring, wedding planner, photographer for hire, installed faucets, set up many wireless networks in friends homes, personal shopper (furniture, clothing, & jewelry), hung off scaffolding cleaning very high windows, vcr repair and digital theater/stereo installation but i was best at running random errands for people. once while at a guy friends house in high school, his father paid me to change his windshield wiper blades because of his "lack of mechanical skills" That made me feel great - now I was hired help a guy's home that I had a crush on. why can't I just exist around other human beings with out someone finding job form me to do?

every girl dreams of being call a work horse, a large sweaty steed that works in the fields. it just makes you feel all special inside. but because I have a very positive outlook on life i took this noble title as a complement. i've been called determined, and stubborn before - but it's funny, cause i guess my worst fear is that someone thinks that I'm lazy. i don't sit well with lazy. i stick with the motto I received from a county song a while back, "I'd rather die trying".

Cojones, you've got'em but do you know how to use'em

Ok guys- I'm gonna make this short and sweet (cause that's how I like it). This goes out to all the single men that say you fear rejection and don't know how to ask a woman out. Or likewise drag out every conversation you have with her talking about everything under the sun but what you really want to say to her. Please stop the pleasantries and get on with it. Be honest, be straight forward and ask her out. I promise that the end result will not be devastating and could right possibly result in a positive earth shattering "yes". I know I'm asking a lot, this frustration does not come unwarranted. If I could lend you my confidence I would but some time the "balls" are literally in your court.

Good luck out there.

- me

mental artwork

i want you to remember each moment of your life as if it were a painting. each breath, each movement, each person.
people are beautiful. i don't say that to sound like an Oprah's book club cult member, but more of an honest admission that i enjoy finding the pure still-life of every eye-opening day. through out this week i've played this game in my head of taking mental images of moments and actually imagining framing them and hanging them on my wall. what would my week look like, which moment would be the masterpiece? the investment piece that people travel and stand in line to see. would it be the simple portrait of my face as I step trough my front door each night after a long day? or of the hall way conversation i had with a friend at work? lunch on saturday in a hip downtown cafe? - these are all wonderful and they are now part of my collection of mental art work. but this weeks still-life is a small simple portrait of a conversation between a new friend, me sitting in a white leather chair and him leaning against the wall. intrigue in his eye and curiosity in mine.

that's this weeks masterpiece.

what's yours?

A letter to you, Grandmama

Dear Grandmama,
In the few days after your passing I have been reminded of all of the great memories I shared with you. You were such a wonderful Grandmother, one of strength, courage and kindness. Most of my memories stem from summer days at your and Grandaddy's house. The days filled with playtime, tomato sandwiches, sweet tea and Nabisco cookies and nights filled with porch stories, cartwheels , dirty little feet and lots of "watch me Grandmama" in your backyard. Walks around the yard and in the garden, corn, peas and blueberries. Roses were your favorite, but your knowledge of flowers was so great from all of your years of experience. I love to listen to you and mama talk flowers while we were walking the "grounds" of the Harris compound. I remember the Saturday morning breakfast and how different they were from Sunday mornings. We all had our spot at the table and Granddaddy and you had the big barrel glasses with handles and I got the the small jar juice glass. It was my job especially as I got older to wipe the table and get the milk out of the old small fridge off the back porch while you cooked. Watch-in the braves games at night with "microwave popcorn" (this was a big deal remember?) as a snack and then running to the back porch to see the fireworks display all the way from Six Flags - that was fun.

Camping and fish fry were always the best, home-made ice cream, pound cakes and trips in the motor home. In middle school we went out west, way out, to the Rockies and to Palo Duro canyon in Texas and if I remember correctly you were the only one who believed me and gave me sympathy when I was attacked by the swarm of horse fly while playing in the canyon riverbed. Your comfort was so maternal and strong with a hug and a pat everything with the world was right again.

Your memory and strategic way of remembering people and relations was amazing. So many times you would bring newspaper clippings and stories of people and places to me and give me a running from birth to death history of a certain person and how they tied in with the Harris family. So may time I took for granted the skill that you possessed. It truly was a talent. You cared for friends and family so deeply.

I loved to hear you giggle or chuckle, you would put you fist to your lips and laugh so that sometime it was hard to understand what you were trying to say because you were laughing so hard. But I hated to see you cry, you nose would turn pink and how sad it was to see you distressed and shed tears, mama has this quality too. You both could never hide when you had been crying - it was always written all over you face.

Oh how I admired you devotion and love for Granddaddy, you both were like peas and carrots- just like Jenny and Forrest. It was hard to imagine you alone after Granddad passed - it was like part of you had died. But your strength carried you forward like the lady-of-grace every one knew you as and you persevered. Who knew that you would be married almost 60 years, what a blessing your devotion was to my life.

Most of all I will remember how you loved me and how much you wanted to hear from me. Those yearnings to know how I was and the interest you had in my life made the biggest impression on me.
But the greatest gift you every gave me is my own mother. The daughter you raised became the mother I adore and for that I thank you.

Good bye for now - but not for too long. For I will see you again soon.
Love always
your youngest granddaughter.
Tiffany







**********************************************************
Elsie Mae Dewberry Harris

Mrs. Elsie Dewberry Harris, age 84 of Austell, formerly of Temple, died Wednesday, March 2, 2005. Funeral services will be held Friday at 2:00 pm at Davis-Struempf Funeral Home Chapel. Rev. Johnny Foster officiating. Burial will be in Sunrise Memorial Gardens. Visitation will be held Friday from 11:00 am until 1:00 pm at the funeral home. Mrs. Harris was born in Carroll County on March 24, 1920. She was preceded in death by her husband, William Curtis Harris, Sr. and son Curt Harris, Jr. She is survived by daughters and sons-in-law Sylvia & James Baker of Douglasville; Ann and Gerald Harmon of Powder Springs; daughter-in-law, Carol Benson Harris of Newnan; five granddaughters; 7 great grandchildren; niecee and nephews. In lieu ofR flowers, the family requests donationsto First Baptist Church of Austell building fund, Davis-Struempf Funeral Home, Austell