RIP

'...a song for a heart so big, god couldn't let it live....'

My dog - Gretchen Grace Sikora - passed this morning.  She was almost 13 years old (11/28/95-11/25/08).   She was a tricolor Collie.  I will miss her terribly - I do already.  I am a dog person (I realize some of you are not and this is just silly to you), however, she was a longtime best friend to me (even though she lived with my parents).  

No one will ever love me quite like this dog did.  No one will ever think I'm as great as she did.  And that's ok.  From here on out, I will try to be the person she thought I was.     

Psychic?

So, my girlfriends and I have, at times, discussed going to see a psychic as a fun group activity.  We would not be willing to put out any large chunk of cash for it and we would, of course, take things with a grain of salt.  

I am curious - has anyone out there gone to one before?  I had a coworker once who regularly went to one - she used to drop 'my psychic' like 'my hairstylist' or 'my dentist'.  I know some people put a good amount of faith in them.  

However, I do know the typical scams - a lot of time they will put out a very general statement (someone you care about is undergoing a health issue - or - you are currently second-guessing your career choice - or - there is someone close to you with a name that starts with [insert common letter, such as S or T, here]).  

Then a person will say 'well....' and start providing the psychic with some personal information that she can then make some more specific 'predictions' on.   Also, people will often find ways to make the psychic's general statements apply to their own lives - so it will seem more effective than it actually is.

That being said, I am still a little intrigued.  I felt my handwriting analysis (in a previous blog) was pretty accurate and I did not provide her with any information.  Has anyone gone to a (cheap) psychic before?  

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!

Happy Birthday to a near and dear friend - Emily!!   What would I do without Emily?  She introduced me to byobs and blogging (oh, and also Tropico).  I can honestly say I wouldn't have survived, well, you know, without her - we lived through a tragic experience together and are stronger people because of it.  

Em - I know you're reading - I hope you have a good one.  I believe most of my blog readers who haven't met you feel they know you on some level because they often travel over to your blog.  

Bizarro Work Perks, Part Deux

How could I forget this?!?!

So, earlier I mentioned that a good friend of mine works at a company where she and other employees received large turkeys as a 'bonus'.   Well, a mere two years ago, 'said' friend and I worked together at, ahem, another company.  (I have mentioned 'said' company briefly in one post before, other than that I do not speak of it.  Please understand we all have our skeletons.)

Anyhow, at this company, around Thanksgiving, we were rewarded with 'paper' turkeys.  When someone caught someone doing a 'good job', he or she was to color in a blank paper turkey and give it to this person.  This was supposed to make one feel good and rewarded, received a colored-in piece of paper (from ANOTHER ADULT).

Paper turkeys.  Real turkeys.  Some of us move up in the world.  

Say What You Will

Over the next couple days, I am making a point of watching the entire Friends Thanksgiving episode library.  I am not sure which episode is my favorite, although I think there's a frontrunner....

"I love Jacques Cousteau!"

Bizarro Work Perks

So a good friend of mine who shall remain nameless received a 20 lb turkey (!?!?!)  from her company as a Thanksgiving bonus.   Although this is great if one is hosting a Thanksgiving party, I imagine it to be a bit awkward if one already is going by someone else for Thanksgiving - there's suddenly an odd obligation to cook this large bird....  Also, what about vegetarians?

However, I know this is not uncommon.  I get an unlimited supply of free/$1 brand new hardcover books (which I find to be the BEST PERK IN THE WORLD).   That, and I get to sometimes ride the elevator with Richard Roeper.  Oh, not to mention the Jerry Seinfeld Bee Movie meet and greet - that was, as Mastercard would say, priceless.  

Anyone else have any interesting/bizarre work perks?

Gift Cards?

Did anyone else get the e-mail forward warning of companies filing for bankruptcy/closing stores after the first of the year and the dangers of gift cards for these stores not being valid?  I am not going to copy and paste the entire long e-mail here - the previous sentence sums it up.  

I am not too worried - I have already planned or bought most of my Christmas gifts, and for those I haven't figured yet, well, I wasn't planning on a gift card to one of those stores.  If I for some reason receive a gift card to one of those joints, I will simply shop before January 1.  (Maybe I AM paranoid.)

I could always 'snopes' this and see if there's truth to it.  Hmm.  Anyone have any knowledge on this subject?

Birthday Time!

Happy Birthday Ashley!!  One of my very favorite people from college - we need quite the celebration! I shamrock you!   This blog highly appreciates your presence (as do I)!

Barackstar

Ok, not to rant and rave FOREVER, but Barack Obama has not yet even been inaugurated yet and how many different keepsakes are there out there for sale?  I'm watching an infomercial for a Barack Obama commemorative plate.  SERIOUSLY!?!?!  That's not to mention dvds, posters, special editions of newspapers, etc.  I can't help but wonder if Barack Obama doesn't come through with some of his campaign promises (such as 'change'), there'll be millions of pieces of memorabilia for the Republicans to rub his face in?  

Daily Rambling...

So, as I've mentioned once or twice before, I've toyed with the idea of changing this blog's name.  I was getting antsy last night and I decided to google "Daily Ramblings" and see if this blog came up in Google's cache (or whatever the heck it's called).  

Now, don't get me wrong, I didn't think that I came up with the expression 'Daily Ramblings' or that I was the only one to use it, however, there are a TON of blogs named 'Daily Ramblings' - like the first three pages of google were different DRs.   In fact, I even saw one with this exact layout.  I kind of wanted to be a random creep and comment on it.

For me, this is kind of like when you hear someone is using your baby name - you don't want it to be stolen out from under you!  Although the copycatism is annoying, you can't let the others 'have' your name.  I am holding tight to Daily Ramblings - and I'm going to try to bring this blog up higher in the google cache (hopefully this post will help)....

I Made It!!!

So, at the beginning of the year, I made the goal to read 12 books for the year (one book a month pretty much).  I started out strong, finishing one book by the end of January, however, I seemed to hit a lull.  It was May and my book log was still at one; it didn't seem as though it was going to happen.  

However, I looked deep into my soul and channeled the spirit of a younger me.  Never one to give up on a goal, no matter how bleak things looked - I found my adrenaline to sprint to the end.  With almost two months to spare, I reached my goal.  I just might do a victory lap-book.  

My 12 books, in an attempted chronological order:

-- The Secret of The Secret  by Karen Kelly

-- Microtrends by Mark J. Penn

-- Debunked by Richard Roeper

-- If I'd Known Then edited by Ellyn Spragyn

-- Olive Kitteredge by Elizabeth Strout

-- Nerds:  Who They Are and Why We Need More of Them by David Anderegg

-- Aruba by Dave Holloway

-- Friend or Frenemy by Andrea Lavinthal and Jessica Rozler

-- The Tenth Circle  by Jodi Picoult

-- How to Get Sued by J. Craig Williams

-- Dear Zoe by Philip Beard

-- Slackonomics by Lisa Chamberlain

Piper, I hear you over there.  Reviews to come (if they haven't been published already).

Are You Ready for Some Football?!?!

For some unknown reason, lately, I have started watching football.   Since I am from Chicago, the Bears are my team.

I gotta say, I like this guy.  Rex Grossman.  I know, I know.  Say what you will.   His biggest problem is mental, not physical.  I like it when professional athletes seem human.  Again, say what you will - someone's gotta be damn good to be picked at some point to be quarterback of a professional team (not looking in comparison to the rest of the field).  It goes to show you that no matter how far we make it, sometimes we can't shake off our humanness.

If any of my loyal readers are football watchers - I am sure there are some Rex-haters reading this and shaking their heads.  However, I look forward to the game where everyone's expectations are down and he comes through with the game-winning save.