tit... tat

After a short hour of mulling it occurs to me that I AM worthy and that this self doubt could also be described as humbleness.

At the end of the day, if others find it difficult to see the complete and total wonderment that is TP Gal it is their loss and I pity them.

See the humbleness, let it wash over you.

Self Doubt

We held a strategy meeting today and it went really well. I felt articulate, well informed and that I not only contributed, but encouraged others to get their ideas on the table. All in all it felt pretty good.

I get home tonight, check my e-mail and there's a small time bomb inside that makes me question my skills, contribution and experience. Does everybody question their contribution at times or am I just weak?

BTW (real world friends)- I can not be more specific so please don't ask for details.

Presidential Impeachment?

Sen. Chuck Hagel, R-Neb., a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and a frequent critic of the war, stopped short of calling for Bush's impeachment. But he made clear that some lawmakers viewed that as an option should Bush choose to push ahead despite public sentiment against the war. (www.seattletimes.com March 26, 2007)

Now, I think it's pretty clear that p.Bush is a boob who isn't acting in the best interest of our country and I'm counting the days until he is out of office. I also think there's a small possibility that he may be the anti-Christ, but I don't think we need to spend any government cycles on impeachment.

It didn't change anything for Clinton - a footnote really and it won't change anything for Bushie, he doesn't have the honor or character to step aside or admit that a change in direction is warrented. He certainly can't see his role in the decline in the stature of the US on the world stage - or that it has even happened.

Our legislative branch of the government needs to focus on the issues that p.Bush is not, i.e. the environment, our dependency on oil, budget, my love life (wait, sorry).

Feel free to disagree, that's ok with me. In my world disagreeing doesn't mean you're anti-patriotic or against the troops.

Movie Review: Shooter

I wasn't expecting much from this movie and it delivered on what I expected: action, dark plots, unsurmountable odds and Mark Wahlberg without a shirt. It wasn't overly arty nor did it try to be deep. The plot is semi-believable and the supporting characters aren't given unneeded back-story. That said - this movie is nothing more than your average HOT super smart guy is framed by government henchmen and has to get the bad guys so he can have his life back. (See also: Spy Game, Enemy of the State, The Fugitive, Mission Impossible)

Marky Mark kicks some ass and isn't encumbered by a need to be "funny" (re: Will Smith and/or Ben Affleck action movies) or over act (re: Will Smith a/o Ben Affleck action movies). He is wildly dark and moody and I ate it up.

As a matinée shoot 'em up I give it a thumbs up! It would be worthy of a shallow night out, or a Friday night after the kids go to bed.

Ronco's New Fry Daddy? Housewife convicted of frying husband

Um... gross

By STAN LEHMAN

Associated Press Writer

SAO PAULO, Brazil — A Brazilian housewife was convicted and sentenced to 19 years in prison Friday for killing her husband, chopping his body into small pieces and frying it. Rosanita Nery dos Santos, 52, drugged her husband in his sleep, then stabbed him to death two years ago in Salvador, about 900 miles northeast of Sao Paulo, said police spokesman Idmar Bonfim.

She then hacked Jose Raimundo Soares dos Santos' body into more than 100 pieces, which she boiled and fried before hiding in plastic bags beneath a staircase in her house, Bonfim said. He said police discovered the body parts after receiving an anonymous phone call.

Bonfim said the killing was either part of a black magic ritual or an attempt by the wife to collect life insurance worth about $34,000. (Hmmm... which could it be?)

Citing testimony from the woman's relatives, he said she may also have committed the crime "to avenge many years of humiliation from her husband." He did not provide further details.

Santos denied killing her husband but said she chopped up his body, Bonfim said.

"She claims masked assailants entered her house, killed her husband and then forced her to cut up the body and fry it because that would prevent the stench of a decomposing body from alerting neighbors," he said. (and then they forced me to buy these shoes, and the wide screen tv, and the trip to Belize, it was awful!)

Perspective

tp gal bitching about nasty flavored gum

today marks the 4th year of the invasion of Iraq

what did i blog about today... gum

what a moron.

President bush's stance on the war is so frustrating. It's like one of those dreams where you know you need to run but you can't seem to move. (sometimes i have the dream where I just need to pee and I try and I try and I can not pee. usually though, when I wake up I realize that I really need to go and am thankful my mind won't let me do it while I'm asleep. I do fear for the day when I'm old and feable and start to let go in my sleep. There goes ole rubber sheet tp gal.)

Anyway, Mr. Bush... wake up, we need to send the troops home so they can pee.

Yuck

What is it with the crazy gum flavors these days? I bought some green apple gum and was looking forward to a sweetish sour candy flavored treat, but it actually tasted like chemical warfare and I had to spit it out.

Two weeks ago, I purchased a 60 piece pack of Eclipse Winterfrost gum – sugar free! To capitalize on Powerful Fresh Breath and man oh man, once the crispy white shell has crunched off the gum the little blob of goo is nasty. It does change the smell of your breath, but not in a good way. People are buying me toothpaste and dental floss. I’m frugal tho’ and only have 40 pieces left.

Today, I was chatting with an esteemed colleague and saw that the tall girl (who is out today) left gum unattended on her desk. Am I rude enough to take gum unoffered. Hell yeah I am. Don’t worry I paid for it. 10 bites in my mouth started to fill with a horrid mint / alcohol flavor. What the hell? Mint Mojito gum. Damn… it wasn’t good. (I will leave her a quarter and a note to apologize for foraging at her desk.)

Whatever happened to Big Red or Dentyne? Where have all the good gums gone?

It's good to be alive!

Went sailing today with Alicia and Capt. Ted. That;s Alicia and her rodeo knot.

Last night it was Jenga with Yaz & MC. Here's Yaz in her best "Wilson" pose.

Vacation Count Down

45 days until there's sun and tequila in my world. I'm looking forward to this get away, it should be relaxing. Not every vacation can be tours of Europe (even for me) and my happy place is the shore, with clean towels and a good book. Please send me your list of good vacation books.

I'm doubtful that the Mexico book selection will be of the same dark non-fiction ilk as has been lately consuming me. I can't share with you comments on the latest "A very hard worst time ever - EVER!!!" (or something close to that) because it's a book club book and we have rules. I will say that I shall not be using my time machine to drop me at the Oklahoma panhandle in 1936!

For the vacation I'm searching for the latest in the Devil Wears Prada genre, something light and fun. I am open to any "oh my goodness you HAVE to read this" type suggestions.

Happy Birthday Rico!

Happy 39th birthday to Rico - formerly known as SadEric, SadRico, and for a while Divorcing Eric.

What a difference a year makes. In 2006 Rico was weepy and clingy, in 2007 he's busy, has a nice lady friend and is maintaining the perfect together time to alone time ratio with tp gal.

I'm still paying off last years multi-gagillion dollar sorry you're getting a divorce birthday gift so this year it might be stollen bags of tea from the office wrapped in yesterdays newspaper.

Anyway - he's doesn't read this so I can say anything I want about him.... He's a good guy and I'm happy he's happy. It doesn't get better than that.

tp gal goes to Washington

Credit card companies burn me up, especially when they send those "checks" in the mail that fail to mention clearly that if you use them and go over your credit limit that they will up your interest rate in addition to over limit fees. I haven't used these checks but they strike me as predatory in nature and extremely misleading. They print "YOU HAVE A $6500 LIMIT!" on the front of the letter and on the back in tiny type it tells the customer to call for any questions - such as the balance!?

Any way, I've bitched about this before, but as I was reading the NY times online the other day I noticed that the good Senator from Michigan? was leading a committee on unfair lending practices regarding credit cards and fees and so I fired off a quick note about my opinion of these unsolicited checks.

Since the Senator wasn't from Washington, I also sent a similar letter to the Honorable Senator from Washington, Patty Murray.

Tonight I got back a form letter that coincided with the general topic under which my letter seemed to have been labeled. As the reply was somewhat close to the topic of my letter I feel somewhat heard and somewhat represented on this issue that I clearly feel strongly about.

However, I'm still somewhat unsatisfied.

Synerjizm

The climactic ending to a very successful interdepartmental meeting.

6 out of 50 isn't too terrible

During lunch today I popped onto RottenTomatoes.com to read the review of a movie I saw this weekend.  I found a link to the top 100 (rated) movies of all time.  Who doesn’t love a list?  So I checked it out and I’m pleased to say that I have only seen six of the top (worstest?) 50 movies.  I can almost justify each of my mistakes too:

Godsend – had Robert De Niro in it

Twisted – Samuel L. “motherf8cken” Jackson.  How can you mutherf*cken go wrong with muther f*cken Sam f*cken Jackson?

I have to admit that two of my 6 were Freddie Prinze Jr. movies… but he’s super cute.

Two were movies I saw at home on cable so I don’t think they really really count, and the last one… Christmas with the Kranks… I was just wrong about that one.

Fictionary Additions

Work Fork Optimization: taking the plastic forks from the coffee room from a different floor to augment the lack of forks in your department.

Philantropic: Charitable behavior limited to tropical areas. “Yes I’ll build homes for Habitat For Humanity as long as I get to go to Bali. I ain’t building no homes in Nome!”

People are asking

Tell us about this job!?

There's not much to tell. I had a casual conversation with the managing director for an organization and jokingly said that I would take over for him permanently and he got excited. I'm updating my resume and tossing it his way.

The discussions with my non-existent life partner about the decision making procces (if there was a job offer) would be about risks and a nagging insecurity that stems (I think) from a failure to recognize that I'm no longer the 'little girl' at the office. TPgal needs to put her "grown up" face on.

Then there are the bizzaro world items on my resume - the 8 months as the Assistant General Manager at a hotel for example. How do I succinctly explain I was doing a friend a favor and that it was a way to pay the rent until something in my my field came along? But it bridged a year so there's no way to avoid it on the resume.

And how do I professionalize my eight years at the paint store? Job title: Girl Friday? I had so many hats that the experience itself was actually positive and I learned a lot including accounting principles, billing practices, superb customer service, marketing, dealing with the media, the community, non-profit business management (No not Not-For-Profit aka charity, but the lean lean lean years where we made less money than it took to keep the doors open) I also got to do some event planning, dog poop scooping, and gossip containment. It's just hard to leverage the poop scooping as a foundation for my next career move.

On top of some mild(?) insecurities there's the fact that I'm happy with my job. I could work harder and get more done but for the most part its great. The benefits are good, stocks, bonuses- good, and they gave us an STD this year! (short term disability leave - I actually hate that but it sounded funny.)

But until I hand over my resume and actually go for an interview I think its best not to discuss it further. I don't want anyone -mostly Mom or Janie to go to that scary place where they're so excited and proud that I can't think. So far it's only as real as a phone call and a casual comment. No one is quitting anything.

But, just in case do you think that asking for a car service as part of my executive package is too much? Guaranteed business class flights? Personal masseuse? Damn, there's the phone, it's reality calling me again. gotta run.

It's not like counting is all that important anyway

How embarrassing to post a top ten list with only eight entries. The shame.

Top ten...

Ways I'm thinking of getting out of this meeting:

1: pen "accidentally" in eye
2: feigning heart attack
3: emergency meeting
4: epileptic fit
5: paralysis
6: checking out mentally (pretending to listen while running the movie Titanci in my head "you jump I jump, right jack?")
7: using my blackberry to "look busy"
8: giving everyone in the room a nifty nickname. "Loud short girl". "Tiki Pete", "the wannabe Exec"

interesting day

1) managed to get two tickets to the Police concert thus fulfilling a "lifelong" dream. Well, not really, but I did want to see them when they were like totally rad, and due to unfortunate circumstances (geography, economic stature, and being 14) I was unable to go. My seats aren't awesome but they are "in the room" and that's fine with me. Yaz and I will go and Do do do do da da da da our hearts out and then we can die.

2) I got invited to SPEAK at a security conference. Wow how thrilling and scary all at the same time. It's actually a topic I know a lot about and I'm excited to put some time into expanding my area of knowledge just to make sure I'm not blowing smoke. The only issue is that it's in Milan and the old boss had budgeted funds for travel to the event but the new boss is a tad bit more frugal so we'll see. She seems to have money when she wants to go places. I'll be peeved if the answer is no and there's no real justification.

3) I was also invited to apply for a position at a different company today. It's a semi-real offer that would be a pretty damned sweet if it worked out. It would pull together my security "expertise" and my love of event planning together with the added benefit of a juicy title. I said I would pull a resume together but told the "offerer" that the stars would have to be in alignment on both sides for it to work. I certainly wouldn't quit my very decent job for a "year long trial." Don't worry party people I would be based in Seattle but would get to travel and as I have little "drag" (i.e. kids or spouse) it would be not terrible. You can't not apply though when the current (big dude with fancy title) asks you to apply to replace him.

4) So, I've got a lot on my mind so instead of sitting here and typing it all out -- it's dreadmill time! (damn that's 3 times in 5 days - can you say mission?)

3 fun things

The new bed, the nine thousand pound buffet used as tv stand (imagine it with a flat screen!) and me and my tiara. There was a picture that better captured the tiara, but I thought this one was more "me".

done

I guess the pressure of 10 days in shorts is enough to get me on the treadmill.

The bus ride home puts me to sleep and I wanted more than anything to put on my pj's and make some dinner when I got home. It was a hard hard day. (Note to those of you who have jobs where you have a manager: When you go on vacation make sure you have your shit done so that if the boss gets in your business to help one of your customers it's not instantly apparent that you suck. Ok... good.)

Alas - the elliptical trainer called louder than my pj's and off I went. The cute new tennant was also working out - we had a little chat and we went about our workouts.

The little 1 gig iPod Shuffle is an awesome workout buddy - it doesn't get in the way like the bigger items and gets loud enough to drown out my weazing. A gift from Apple to be sure.

So, now that I've broken the trend I'll be back on machines Saturday.