Short Weekend

Friday found me working at the URC campus on Buffalo Speedway. My part was secondary, or perhaps "tertiary" as there were three of us working, but still a contribution. However, the day had started off all wrong with my sister involved in a little freeway incident that threw us off our schedule. (She's fine, by the way, although the flat tire and minor damage to her car after hitting a large trailer ramp that was dropped on the freeway in front of her will put her car in the shop for a few days.) With all of that inconvenience to deal with, we were forced to meet again this morning to finish up. Hopefully, this little project is complete.

With not enough free time to make it worth a drive home this weekend, Leo and I enjoyed a movie together on Saturday morning. We saw the much raved about Batman flick, The Dark Knight. Gee I hate to go against the experts, but I was not that impressed. (SPOILER ALERT...DO NOT READ IF YOU HAVE NOT SEEN THE MOVIE!) When Batman runs from the police at the end of the movie, taking responsibility for a crime he did not commit so that the citizens of Gotham would not know that their latest fallen hero had been responsible, the audience erupted into applause. I guess I was the only one that had a problem with this. [Sigh.] Perhaps I'm just getting old. We also see Alfred burning the letter from Batman's love telling him that she loved someone else. I suppose Alfred was thinking that the truth no longer mattered by this point so burning the letter that she asked him to deliver was no big deal. Finally, I found I kept looking for the face of a man who could take his own life (Heath Ledger) behind the makeup of the movie's antagonist. I have to admit I was a bit depressed by the whole thing.

After the movie, Leo headed home to Port Lavaca for a few days while I hung out at the apartment for the afternoon. Up at 5am, and at work by 6:30, when we finished up our project at 9:30 I took a little side trip to the bookstore. I purchased three books to go with the two audiobooks and one Kindle book that I haven't read yet, so I'm pretty well set up for the next month or so. For those that don't remember, "Kindle" is the cool little electronic reading device that I carry around. It is where I hold everything from my Wall Street Journals, to novels, to business books, to my Bible, all in one convenient and purse-sized device. Can you tell? I really LOVE my Kindle.

Here are the books that are now on my reading list:

• The Winner, by David Baldacci (Kindle)
• Ender's Game, by Orson Scott Card (Audible)
• Dune, by Frank Herbert (Audible)
• Project Management Professional Study Guide, by Joseph Phillips (book)
• Professional XML, by Evjen et al (book)
• Nigeria, Bradt Travel Guide, by Lizzie Williams (book)

Looks like I have a busy month ahead!

Running a Marathon as if it were a Dash

After listening to the sermon in our little country church this morning, I think I've figured out part of my problem. Bro. David told a story about running in a race that he had not trained for. When the last lap of the mile long race came, he noticed the other runners really pouring on the speed, so he did too. Curious to see how things were going, he turned his head to look behind. One of his slower teammates, realizing he didn't know how much this action was slowing him down, yelled from behind "don't look back...don't look back!"

The point that Bro. David was really making tied in to the sermon (guess you should have joined us!), but the story made me realize why I am so tired, why I haven't had much time for friends and family, and why I keep feeling like I'm losing the race. For me, the problem is that I keep running this project race as if it is a 50 yard dash instead of the marathon that it really is. When running a short project dash, I have the luxury of pushing everything out of view except for the finish line, and dedicating all of my efforts toward the one task, running at full speed, to the exclusion of all else. In the marathon [yes...I get the irony of using this analogy when the mental image of a woman my size running a marathon is, well, unbelievable...but stay with me on this one, okay?]. Now where was I? Oh yes...in the marathon, if I adopted the same strategy, I'd be out on the side of the road waiting for the pick up car in no time at all.

I'm currently involved in a project that is much more complex (from a data standpoint anyway) than anything I've done in the last couple of years. This week, we really put a ton of work into getting the tool ready to demonstrate to management. We did a good job...they like what they see, but part of our strategy involved putting pieces of the data into place without verification, without clean-up, and without checks and balances. We have a long way to go on this, and if I do not proceed with more caution, then I am at risk of finding myself reworking the data over and over to solve problems that were already solved, but not recorded or shared across the project.

Also, I have been putting off things like answering emails, taking care of other clients, spending quality time with my husband (who will soon be gone for a while!), paying bills, going home for the weekend, and more in order to dedicate all my time, and I mean ALL of it, to the project. So...I've decided the best strategy now is to PACE MYSELF. There is no doubt that 40 hours each week will still go toward this one task, but from here forward, there will also be time spent on other important things.

My first task? Tonight I am going to focus on replying to emails that have gone unanswered. Tomorrow, between my dentist appointment and visiting with our financial adviser, I am going to take my sweetie out to the movies. And when I get back in town on Tuesday, I'll definitely be ready to put 10 hours per day to work on systematically proceeding through my project making sure to document and organize the work as I go.

Gee...the more I think about it now, the more I realize that within 4 weeks, I'm going to get to the end of a very successful project without sacrificing my friendships, my health, my family, or my professional ethics. I'm running a marathon here, and by following a fast-paced but well thought out strategy, I am absolutely going to win this race without sacrificing the important things in my life as I go!

Happy Independence Day!

Our drive home yesterday was relatively uneventful. The corn fields on the way out of town have been harvested, although the ones on our road are still standing. Our yard is still a mess, overgrown beds and construction litter (scaffolding, lumber, etc.) reminding me that I have a "to-do" list a mile long, even before walking in the front door. But walking through that door gave me the same sense of pleasure, relief, and joy as it always does. After several weeks of absence, I am home.

Leo and I decided to go to the movies last night. "Hancock" started off a bit slow and unimpressive, but once the twist was tossed in, it turned out to be not bad at all. "Wanted" in next on our list, but we'll have to drive to Victoria for that one.

This past week had me working on four different projects at work. We finished up the training (a total 78 people attended the four sessions) on the ProSteward database, although I have a very long list of changes, upgrades, and fixes to tackle. I had to rebuild a broken Preventive Maintenance database at URC, after one of the forms failed then refused to allow me to delete it. I continue to struggle with slow but steady progress through the BAR Data Warehouse project which has an important deadline approaching this week. I have one month in which to squeeze in a rebuild of an old OIMS Assessment database, a project that utilizes an intricate merging of multiple databases into a final Word document report. A separate important but time-consuming and detailed Project Management tool is sitting in the wings, waiting for me to have a chance to dedicate some time and effort to it since it is little more than the spark of an idea at the moment. So...I am DEFINITELY not lacking for work these days.

I woke up this morning to the sound of Leo on the lawn tractor, but less than 30 minutes later, we are getting a much needed downpour. I need to put in 8 hours of work today, so the rain is not disrupting my plans at all. Still, I hope to see it rain much of the day, then clear out by evening so the families can have their fun with firecrackers at the boat ramp, and we can watch the show for free.

Fireworks were always a big part of our holidays, growing up, but I abandoned the practice years ago, when the girls were teenagers, after accidentally setting one of my daughter's hair on fire. It's a story oft repeated at family get-togethers amid much laughter and joking, but it is also the reason I stopped participating in such activities (bad luck, and all that).

I've had the good fortune to be in contact with several friends this week, via email. It's a bit odd for me as, with my lifestyle, I can often go for weeks without any personal interaction outside of Leo, my sister, and my daughters. It's a nice thought that I will need to dedicate a couple of hours this evening to updating friends on my recent goings-on and find out more about what's going on in their lives.

Leo's preparations for Nigeria continue to be the primary "diversion" in our lives at the moment. This week he got all his shots, three in each arm and one in that other typical spot. He's just getting over the soreness now. We have purchased all the clothing and work shoes he will need, made sure he is equipped with a laptop and printer, and have practiced all kinds of things to ensure we will be able to keep in touch and that he will be able to carry out all of the technological tasks that I generally handle (file manipulations, document creation, faxing, scanning, photo manipulation, electronic drawings, texting, and more) while he's gone. We are both excited (not nervous) about the work, but both continue to downplay the fact that we would 1000x rather be together for this than apart. That's just something we're going to have to live with for the moment.

Yikes! It appears I have gone ON AND ON once again. My apologies! I'll try to write more frequently and less lengthily in the future!

Touching Base With Toby

Back in '92-'93 la familia was living in Deer Park, TX. We decided it would be cool to have a foreign exchange student come and live with us. Our guy? Tobias Schlenker from Reutlingen Germany. It was a wonderful year. I had never had a "son" before, and Toby fit the bill. The girls learned what it was like to have an older brother, even if only for a time, and we all were introduced to a new culture.

I still have wonderful memories of our year with Toby and have thought of him often over the years. You see, that was the year that Leo changed jobs and moved to Port Lavaca. It was way too close to the end of the school year for Toby to change schools, so instead, he finished out the last two months with another family, neighbors of ours, in Deer Park. That was also the year that things changed for us significantly in a number of ways. And the year that we lost touch with Toby.

In a period of insomnia last night, I decided once again to google "Tobias Schlenker" and look through some of the links for hints of our friend. Several pages in, I found a link to a year-old publication (in German) that mentioned just such a person. When I opened the publication and saw a very tiny photo of Tobias, I just knew it was him!

I took a moment to email the company and ask them to forward my message to him. Several hours later, I got a reply! The reply began with, "Yes, it's Me!" Yippee! We made our first contact and I am looking forward to following up on it this weekend. I can't wait to find out more about our long lost son and his adventures. I am so happy I had trouble falling sleep last night!

Trip to Ugborodo Approaches

Ugborodo is the name of the area where Leo will be headed in less than 30 days. Although the oil companies call the area "Escravos", there are many who wish to remove the name, a word which means "slaves" in Portuguese, from Nigerian geographical expressions. But it is not about political debates that I want to focus, but rather about the fact that my husband is heading there soon leaving me behind to wait.

If you are curious which emotion is most prominent in my mind now, I can assure you that it is NOT fear. However, there are a range of others that fight for my attention. Pride, jealousy, admiration, excitement, sadness...those are only a few. And I am not the only one in our inner circle to experience these.

I am proud that my sweetheart has the desire to go, do something exciting, and make a difference. I am also quite proud that he has the expertise, experience, and skills that make him a desirable candidate for the job. And anyone that knows Leo knows he is an EXCELLENT instructor.

I am jealous that I am not getting the same opportunity to go, but should add, as Leo always does, "not yet". There is a position that I am being looked at for, although it is not yet ready to be filled. We would prefer that we were both there, together, working at the same time.

I admire him for coming out of retirement, something he does not have to do, something he should not have had to do, in order to get back into the game for two more years. He is hoping to make some money for us to finish the house with, so that I won't have to work so hard and so long. For that, I adore him.

I am so very excited for him. What a wonderful adventure! We've been to some wonderful places in the world and had some great times doing it. We are not demanding in our travels, preferring the simple lives we encounter and simple pleasures of laid-back adventures to the extravagance of other, more demanding travelers.

I am also excited that we might be able to finish the house in the next two years, something that has seemed impossible for so very long. Finishing the house would mean so much to us, allowing family to come and visit, allowing us to entertain friends, and allowing us to "kick back" on occasion and enjoy our lovely home.

But I'm also a bit sad. While our careers have kept us apart a significant part of our lives, it has never been for so long...30 days at a time! We both know we will survive it, but are hoping it will be worth the sacrifice. Truth is...I love him dearly and love being with him. This will be difficult on us both. But a difficulty that I am proud about, jealous of, full of admiration for, that is exciting and even a little sad. Yup...that Leo...what a guy!

WorkSpeak

Okay. I know that my postings are sketchy and often random, but I try not to post details of my work here. However, at the moment I'm a little frustrated, so am going to break my rule and clue you in.

I know some of you know that I "design databases" for a living, but you might wonder how it is a grandmother would be the "expert" for such a job. There are several reasons, not the least of which is that my client uses a database that has been unavailable for YEARS now. It's called "Access 97". People graduating from college now have typically never even seen it because it is so old. If you wanted to buy a copy and learn it, you would be hard pressed to do so, even on eBay. And installing it on a machine that has other, newer Microsoft products causes trouble too. So, like me, Access 97 is a bit of a dinosaur.

Oh, I know I complain about it a lot. On my own machine at home I prefer the much newer, cleaner, and cooler Access 2007. The things that Access 2007 will do automatically, with the click of a button, are typically the things I spend time coding into the back end. For me, this is a lot like a complex jigsaw puzzle with one major difference that really makes the analogy inappropriate--I never know the way the picture is going to turn out in the end. As a matter of fact, I ALWAYS find myself going back and making adjustments to change that picture to something slightly different in the end.

And in case you're wondering...this is work that I absolutely love to do.

Note: picture at right is from another project. The project I'm working on now is the most difficult one I have encountered, and it has me a little down. I have a reputation for getting in, working the data, developing a workable solution, and getting out, ready to move on. However, the dataset I am working with now is so convoluted, comes from so many different sources, and has no real linkages. I am having to devise some spider-web-like tentative strands of linkages as I go. And every time I think I have it right, a check with my customer shows me an exception, an anomaly, or in one case, a total failure to understand the desired outcome. This project is an exception and I'm worried that the client is unhappy with my progress. So, I've put in some long, difficult, crazy hours, worked sometimes without charging for my time, and neglected other clients, family, friends, and even my own body which occasionally, like when I got home this morning, screams out to me "STOP IT...YOU ARE KILLING ME".

Still...I have hope. I am focusing on this project to the exclusion of all other things, and am determined to make significant progress (i.e. deliver a workable mock-up for the client to "play with") by the end of the week. Failing in this, I am facing something I have never faced before in my database development career. Never. Failing in this, I am facing defeat.

"How Doth the Little Busy Bee"

'So, you think you're changed, do you?'

'I'm afraid I am, sir,' said Alice; 'I can't remember things as I used--and I don't keep the same size for ten minutes together!'

'Can't remember WHAT things?' said the Caterpillar.

'Well, I've tried to say "HOW DOTH THE LITTLE BUSY BEE," but it all came out different!" Alice replied in a very melancholy voice.'

I won't even bother with an apology about not getting a posting up this weekend. Instead, before I lay down for the 2-hour nap that will allow me to work through the night, I thought I'd share the list of things that MUST be done by 8am.

1. Email dashboard report for upper management. (Done)
2. Email copy of "Elephant in the Conference Room" to sis. (Done)
3. Look at the financials for the business start up in Hardin, then place the updates inside the business plan. Check for accuracy, then submit. (Done)
4. Prepare spreadsheet for Leo's 8am meeting with our accountant. (Done)
5. Complete the 30-page book on operation of the ProSteward database and be ready to print and compile 70 color copies by 8am.
6. Review all items to be covered in tomorrow afternoon's training program.
7. Complete Visa request, scan and fax copies of all documents to RTES. (Done)
8. Complete back-end macro for merging international and US BAR data.
9. Order ticket for Leo's weekend flight to the valley. (Cancelled)
10. Cancel hair and nail appointment (no time)! (Done)

'Oh my ears and whiskers, how late it's getting!'

An Actual Weekend

Even though I neglected to put a post up last weekend, I did want to let you all know I had a wonderful, and very restful, weekend. I was home by 5:30 on Friday and was very happy to see my dear hubby after a week apart. Although I was dead tired by the time I got home (remember, I only took of half a day over the previous two weeks) I suppose I was too tired to go to sleep. When I did, however, I slept for 10 hours straight and woke up feeling refreshed.

I'd like to report that I got all kinds of things accomplished while at home, but it's just not the truth. I did absolutely nothing all weekend long. :-)

On Sunday we had the 2-year anniversary of our little country church. A typical Sunday morning has around 20 people attending church, but this Sunday we set a record with an attendance of 54. Wow! Randy Bush and his family came in from Danbury and provided the music for the service, and we followed up the sermon with BBQ and "dinner on the grounds". We had an absolutely wonderful time visiting with friends, old and new, catching up on all the news, and relaxing in the shade. I'm thinking we should start celebrating more frequently than annually!

I apologize for a hurried and relatively poor [not a lot of content] posting. Promise I'll do better next time. I just didn't want to wait any longer to send a shout out to all my friends.

Back at Work

Although I did get to spend one night at home, I am back in Houston now and packing up to head to work. I tried...I really did. But the work I am doing now, a big chunk of which is due on Monday morning at 9am, requires a lot of manual work. I have to map the data out on paper (large pages hung on the wall works best), make a lot of notes on a whiteboard, link everything together with post-its and colored markers, then translate all of that brain fodder into my computer. I realized this morning that as things are now, that entire process is just not possible from home.

I broached the topic carefully with Leo this morning thinking I would have to work around to letting him know that I needed to come back to town, but I shouldn't have worried. No grumbling, no complaining, he just helped me pack up and load up, then drove me back to Houston. He didn't stay long as he has a whole lot of things he needs to be doing back home. Although I miss him immensely when he's not around, I totally appreciate the fact that he understands how I need time, and room, to work out really difficult problems and he is always willing to give that to me. Leo is definitely THE BEST!

While I'm waiting for my cell phone to charge just a bit more, I guess I can share some of the Nigeria discussion that went on Friday.

Things seem to be on target for July 1 for Leo to start, but could be delayed a bit as other activities take place and the other players get into place. We learned that the travel arrangements will be made for him and that a typical trip will involve a flight from Houston to Amsterdam, then on to Lagos, Nigeria. From there, Leo will be picked up by the security folks and escorted to his hotel for the night. The next morning, he will be packed off to Escravos in a small plane along with the others who are making "shift change" at the same time as him.

Once in the compound, we think he will be staying in a hotel-type room and we are hoping he will have internet access from there so we can chat when he gets off in the evenings. Things like laundry and food will be taken care of for him, and he should have some free time for reading, studying, and relaxing. After his 28 days of work, the process will be reversed and I will be eagerly waiting for him to come back to me in Houston. If the process really does come off as planned, we both think this will be a relatively easy job for him over the next couple of years.

Leo is still holding out hope that I will be going with him sometime this year, but then, he always is the more optimistic one. It seems that although my resume and list of accomplishments are impressive enough to get notice, it is the fact of my femaleness that seems to be causing the hesitation. There are no other females on the team. [Sigh]. That's not such a big deal for me as it would definitely NOT be the first time for me to be in that situation. As a matter of fact, it has been the situation I've found myself in most often for many of my roles over the past 30 years. But, until the powers-that-be get a warm fuzzy feeling about it, it looks like I will be biding my time waiting here at home.

I'm guessing my cell phone should be charged up enough to serve me for a bit, so I'm going to pack up now and head downtown. If you see my husband, tell him I said "hey" and send my love, will you? Thanks so much!

A Wonderful Weekend

Tomorrow morning I have a visit to the dentist, then will pack up and head back off to Houston. But today, well today was a perfectly wonderful end to a perfectly wonderful weekend.

The morning started off with gunshots as I was taking my time getting out of bed. Pardon my lack of sensitivity, but the gunshots made me smile as I realized we will soon have fresh meat, wild hog, in the freezer. When I ventured out, I found Leo under Bro. David's careful tutelage, working away at his tasks under the "hanging tree". Again, for those of you who did not grow up in the country, I'll spare what could be considered the "gory details". They tackled the largest hog first, a big black sow who turned out to yield a good bit of meat. When they got toward the end of this first animal, I was dispatched to run to town for some ice.

The sky was a bit overcast and there was rain in the distance. As I drove back from town, the dark sky rising above the golden tops of the corn stalks provided a sight that was absolutely beautiful. At the last dogleg in the road before reaching home I saw a beautiful rainbow in the sky. "This is the life," I realized.

The guys were soon ready to take a trip back near the deer stands to drop off some of the unwanted remnants of the butchering. I had never been on that side of the road and took them up on the offer to go for a ride. As we were backing in the the dumping spot I said, "wasn't there a bucket on the back when we started out?" Sure enough, we had to retrace our drive and find the bucket of entrails that had slipped off the back, pick up the spillage (I only watched) then head out again for a second attempt.

As the men worked on the next animals, Judy and I sat in the shade of the trees and watched, donated the occasional comments, and enjoyed each other's company. I worried a bit that Leo would take issue with me lazing about while he worked so hard, but that was not the case. Butchering four hogs was long and difficult work for the men, but Leo enjoyed it immensely. He even seemed pleased that Judy and I were nearby, even though we were of little help during the operation.

It was nearly noon by the time the last hog was iced down and Leo headed for a shower. After that, we went to town for a quick stop at Dairy Queen, and a few more bags of ice. Leo was sore and tired, but definitely proud of the morning's achievements. Later in the afternoon as we sat on the back porch swing and enjoyed the view, we again talked about his upcoming work in Nigeria.

As I shared with Judy, Leo and I are a bit tired of people expressing their concern over his upcoming work. I honestly think we are at a greater risk of all sorts of mishaps in our travels and stay in Houston each week. Still, I wish I was the one going, for lots of reasons. Leo is much more social than I am. Not only does he crave the interaction with people that I usually shy away from, he is also much more comfortable around people than I am. I, on the other hand, could probably lead a perfectly content existence as a hermit, something that would not suit him at all. Also, Leo is, in some ways, the heart of our neighborhood here at Six Mile. I guess I'm finally realizing how much of a hardship it is for him to come to Houston with me during the week...he is so much more comfortable here at home. And finally, I'm the one with wonderlust, the one with a desire to see the world and visit exotic places. Although Leo doesn't mind going to Nigeria, I realize now that he could easily do without it too. But, the situation is that I am obviously not in a position to take his place. It is his experience and expertise that is called for on this job. I am the one to be left behind.

So, we are both resigned to make the best of it. I will do everything I can to make sure he is prepared for the first 4 weeks without me, and he is doing all he can to prepare for excelling in the tasks that await him. We both are going to try what we can to demonstrate to the company that they will be getting a bargain if they decide to take me as well. Although our skills and experience are very different, together we cover quite a lot of territory. Hopefully, the company will see this and I'll get a chance to go along before year's end.

But for now, I am learning to back off a bit, relax a bit, and enjoy time together with my husband even without all the manic insanity that has been pushing my every move for the last few years. This was one of those weekends where I acted like a normal, laid back country girl, and just enjoyed spending the weekend hanging out with friends and family, and enjoying the good times. It was truly a wonderful weekend.

Home Again, Home Again

Yes...believe it or not I am actually home in Port Lavaca tonight. The hogs are busy at the feeder out front, and there is a strong sea breeze tonight. We had thought about going to the movies tonight, but have decided to try for the matinee tomorrow instead.

I have to admit that things are a bit "strained" right now with me working long hours on projects with no promise of work tomorrow while Leo prepares to go overseas without me, something I never expected to happen. It does not seem fair to me that he got an offer as I am left behind even though I have worked so very hard to make myself "attractive" to an overseas operation. Still, Leo is perfectly prepared and perfectly willing to go, so I'll just have to bide my time waiting for something to come up that will satisfy my desire for travel.

It seems everyone has expressed worry or concern over Leo's new job. I have to admit I am surprised by that. When we discuss it, we both agree that living and making our way around Houston is far more dangerous than living on a protect compound in a coastal region in Africa. I am actually quite jealous of Leo's upcoming adventure. I have promised him, however, that unless he wants to see me show up at the gates of the compound, he will have to contact me daily and assure me that things are going well. I, for one, think the 28 on and 24 off schedule is absolutely perfect. I hope I'm right about that.

Anyway, I know this is not much of a posting, but I've been incredibly busy and my mind is in kind of a "funk" (from work...not worry), so I thought I should attempt to post SOMETHING to get me back in the swing of making regular posts. We are happy, healthy, busy, doing fine, and looking forward to the next big adventure.

Grades are In

As expected, I had a bit of a disappointing semester. The truth is, however, I was so very busy with work projects it is perhaps surprising that I survived the semester at all. For my four classes this semester I made two A's, one B+, and one B. That gives me a semester average of 3.58 and a final GPA for my masters degree of 3.72. Again, on the one hand I am pleased to have even survived the program, but on the other, I realize that grades are important, even to an old fogie like me, especially considering my attempts to get into a PhD program. I could have done better, I should have done better, but I am satisfied and pleased with myself anyway.

I will take what I got and be happy with it. 3.72. Yippee! It's all over now!

Leo's Interview

UPDATE: There is a lot that can happen in three months, of course, but the word we received late last evening was that Leo will be headed to Nigeria in July.

Although we can't say much about it yet, Leo did interview for a job in Nigeria today. The good news is that he has a lot of experience, and expertise, in the position that is open. The bad new is there are quite a few candidates vying for the job. Still, we have hope. Because our work backgrounds, up to a point, are largely similar, we are both hoping that one of us getting a position there will open the door for the other to follow. But even if just one of us gets the opportunity, we both are excited about the impact it could have and are definitely willing to consider that option.

According to the interviewer, the best guess for the timing on the position would be sometime late in July. That works perfectly for us. So...wish us the best, and you can count on being kept "in the loop" on progress!

I'm DONE!

After a long couple of days of preparation, I just finished my last exam this afternoon. As soon as I completed it, I opened my email and submitted it to my instructor. In my inbox was a note from Leo. Curious, I opened it up to find this story.

There once was a bunch of tiny frogs who arranged a climbing competition. The goal was to reach the top of a very high tower.

A big crowd had gathered around the tower to see the race and cheer on the contestants. The race began. No one in the crowd really believed the tiny frogs would reach the top of the tower.

Heard throughout the race were statements such as, “Oh, way too difficult,” “They will never make it to the top,” “Not a chance they will succeed,” and “The tower is too high.”

The tiny frogs began collapsing, one by one—except for those who, in a fresh tempo, were climbing higher and higher. The crowd continued to yell, “It is too difficult! No one will make it!”

More tiny frogs got tired and gave up. But ONE continued to climb higher and higher. This one refused to give up!

At the end of the race, all had given up climbing the tower except for the one tiny frog who, after a big effort, was the only one who reached the top!

All of the other tiny frogs wanted to know how this one frog managed to do it. They asked him how he had found the strength to succeed and reach the goal.

It turned out that the winning frog was DEAF!!!!

It was not until I closed the note that I noticed the subject line of the email. "Guera...I'm just glad you're DEAF" was what it said. (Now do you see why I'm stuck on him?!)

Ten Things

I think I should start posting my list of Ten Things to do before graduation, and Ten Things to do after. If I don't post them now, graduation will come and go! Still, I've only been fleshing out a few ideas in my mind, so I'm thinking the list won't be complete after one sitting...no way at all.

UPDATE: Added a new list that is specific to my computing and completed all three lists. Still, now that I've started, I seem to be on a roll with my listing. I keep thinking of things to add. So, again, don't be surprised if you notice the list change over the next day or two.

10 Things to Do Before Graduation

1. Pick up my class ring in Austin--DONE!
2. Finish Rhonda's OIMS audit project
3. Finish Javier's PM database project
4. Make sure I have contact info for all my classmates--DONE!
5. Post ice skating pix of my nephew and sis
6. Buy 2 pairs of new shoes--DONE!
7. Buy 2 new business wear outfits (if you know me, then you know I'm a jeans girl so this is a REALLY big item!)
8. Buy nails (since I can't seem to grow them)--DONE!
9. Cut and color so I'll look presentable
10. Visit each of my daughters

10 Things to Do After Graduation

1. Spend one whole day cleaning my apartment
2. Movie marathon with my sweetie
3. Take the grandkids fishing
4. Visit my mom
5. Start writing my book (nothing exciting...a book on Excel)
6. Read 10 mysteries, spy novels, or even sappy romances...ANYTHING but business books!
1. Hornet Flight by Ken Follett (excellent diversion!)
2. St. Peter's Fair by Ellis Peters (16th century crime solving monk stories)
3. Hooked by Matt Richtel (wickedly addictive thriller...wow!)
4. The Company by Robert Littell (long, detailed novel of the CIA...really good)
5. The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield (complex mystery involving recluses, twins, and ghosts)
6. No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith (unusual, insightful story of a Botswana woman determined to follow her dream of running the first female-owned detective agency in the country)
7. The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini(profound story of friendship, secrets, and betrayal, a story almost too sad to listen to, but one that also cannot be ignored; I'll have to switch to something lighthearted for my next book!)
7. Create 3 paneled 24"x48" images to hang near my entry at the P.L. house
8. Lose 50 pounds (could stand to lose 100, but know that 50 is doable)
9. Complete my application process to Texas Tech (PhD program)
10. Put together a team to discuss software creation business plan

Ten Things to Do With My Computer After Graduation

1. Clean out my email inbox
2. Finish my Creative Suite (Photoshop) training series
3. Build a custom iGoogle theme
4. Transfer one of my databases (Training Tracker?) to a VB application
5. Watch 50 of my favorite podcasts (TWIT, Mr. Excel, Dog & Pony, etc.)
6. Get active in Pownce
7. Start working on my [inactive] Wordpress blog
8. Design a new webpage
9. Document all my database designs and details
10. Design a webpage to support my new [Excel] book
11. [Oops!] Buy a DivX Connected device and set up my home system to use it

P.S. Don't be surprised if you see the lists change as I think of more important items that move up to the Top Ten ranking.

Homework Lags while Granddaughter Shines

For one more night, Zoe has Mom and Dad all to herself.

After making some progress on my homework and final exams, I knew there would be no way for me to go to the hospital for another visit. So...I lined Leo up with all kinds of instructions and kept working while he got ready to go. As he was headed out the door, I realized that some things were just too important. So, I ditched my homework, grabbed my camera, and headed to the hospital.

 

Dress rehearsal for the little princess.

We stopped by to pick up Michelle so she could play aunt for the evening and drove to Baytown once again. The news is that Zoe seems to be healthy, happy, and ready to go home. The family should be leaving for home by 10m tomorrow. We tried on the new dress that the princess will wear for her exit photos tomorrow. Thankfully, it fit just fine, and more importantly, Mom and Dad seemed to like it. It was a wonderful visit and it felt good for grandma and grandpa to get to hold the baby a while longer. Now the evening is over and it's back to the grindstone for us, but just for the evening I got to get away from it all and bask in the joy of having one more little one around to shower with love.

Grandpa takes a turn with the little sweetie.

Welcome Zoe!

This is my granddaughter Zoe and her proud daddy Lee. She was born at 10:44 this morning among a great deal of hoopla that undoubtedly has not affected her one bit. Her mother, Rachael, went to work as usual this morning. She talked to her sister on the phone and mentioned she was not feeling up to par. She was on the phone with another friend when the contractions started, about 8:45. She has had contractions off and on for a few weeks now, so she didn't think much of it at first. Her friend encouraged her to go to the hospital and Rachael agreed, but not until she took care of a few last minute items.

Somewhere around 9:00 she called her dad and asked if he would drive her to the hospital. He agreed, but said he wanted to take a shower first. Rachael put her foot down on this one (thankfully!) and said if he did, she would drive herself. He gave in and away they went, heading from Liberty to her hospital in Baytown.

She called her husband to tell him she was on the way and said she would let him know when she arrived since he works about a 10 minute drive from there. I was about an hour into one of my final exams (a take-home exam) when she called me. I told her that Leo and I would head that way. (I figured if it was a "false alarm" we could just eat lunch somewhere and come back.) I asked her to let me know when she arrived at the hospital if she could so we would know if they were going to keep her.

Leo and I stopped for gas, and I sent a text message saying we hadn't heard from Rachael yet. As I was finishing it up, I received a text message with just two words from her. The message was "she's coming". Of course, I thought that was my notification that the hospital verified Rachael was in labor. I had no idea that it meant "SHE'S COMING!" Within ten minutes I had another call saying the baby was here. I couldn't believe it. Here's what went on during our drive...

Rae said her dad was trying to make conversation during the whole drive, and that all she could think was, "I'm busy here...could we just ride in silence?" When they got to the hospital, she reports that her dad said, "do you want me to find a parking spot, or do you just want me to drop you off at the front door?" Rachael said that she was able to resist hitting him at that point and had him drop her off. He wanted to get her a wheelchair, but she said she was fine and at 10:34 she walked in the door and headed for the elevators. Somehow during all this she got a phone call off to her husband that she had arrived and thought he should hurry.

When she got to the nurse's station upstairs, they took one look and sent her straight to the labor room. The nurses called her doctor as Rachael laid down on the bed. As the nurse was about to examine her, her water broke. Rachael said the nurse took one look and began scurrying around, calling for "backup" and getting things ready. Rachael asked her a couple of times how dilated she was and when the nurse finally heard her she said, "honey...you are at ten! Do me a favor and DON'T PUSH." Rae called Lee and said (in his re-telling, he exclaims it was more of a scream) "You better get here quick!" The doctor on call walked into the room and repeated the request, "DON'T PUSH". Rachael said, "I can't push. My husband isn't here yet."

Zoe had other plans, however. Within minutes, with her dad standing out in the hall and her husband, mother, and stepdad on the way, ten minutes after arriving at the hospital, Rae delivered a beautiful 8 lbs 3 oz baby girl. Lee was just pulling into the hospital parking when he got the message and Leo and I were just crossing the bridge into Baytown. Two hours after Rachael went into labor, it was all over with.

Leo and I arrived at the hospital about 15 minutes later. When I got a look at Rachael, I thought I must have been mistaken. She was sitting up in bed and said, "Hey Mom" looking as good as she had when I last saw her. Then I saw Lee with a little pink bundle and realized that it was definitely all over with. Zoe was all bundled up and sucking sweetly on her right fist. Leo took the baby first while I went to check on Rachael. Both were absolutely fine, and neither looked like they had been through much of an ordeal at all. Zoe is absolutely beautiful, and Leo and I fell in love with her at first glance. Lee was all smiles and definitely the proud papa. "Have we decided on a final name yet?" I asked. Rae looked at Lee and said, "Have we?" Lee answered, "Her name is Zoe Danielle Rives."

We oohed and ahhed over the baby for an hour or so, then Rachael asked for her laptop and cell phone. While Lee and Leo rocked the baby, Rae looked up a phone number on the web and made a phone call. "I'm sorry I didn't get back with you earlier, but I had a bit of an emergency this morning," she said. She then proceeded to arrange to reschedule a court appearance that her employer was going to have to miss. In other words, an hour and a half after the baby arrived, the girl was working again!!!

As soon as business was taken care of, everyone had taken a turn with the baby, and we had gotten a few pictures taken (with a cell phone...I forgot my camera and Rae didn't have time to get hers!!), she was ready to spend a few minutes with the baby. Leo and I went down to the cafeteria while Rachael fed Zoe. We stayed at the hospital for several hours, then decided to let Rachael get some rest (although, admittedly, she didn't look like she needed it).

What a wonderful day. Although my schedule was blown and I didn't get to finish my exam, it was definitely worth the loss to get to spend some time with my family. So...I'll try again in the morning and see if I can get through it. Perhaps I'll be ready to go back to work on Thursday. :-)

Grandbaby on the Way?

Rachael just called to say she's on her way to the hospital. Leo and I will be heading that way soon. I will be posting updates on twitter, so be sure to check out http://twitter.com/beaamaya if you want to watch the progress. Bye now!

School Lunch

I'm on a 15 minute class break here and the online chatters are talking about FOOD. So I thought I'd show off and let you know the kinds of things that Honey fixes for me when I'm in class. This lovely salad has fresh cooked bacon, avacado, bell peppers, l&t of course, cheese, ham, and turkey, and a very hot and spicy dressing that I love. It is absolutely yummy!

Michelle's BDay

Daughter Michelle had her 28th birthday (WOW!) yesterday. Although I was not able to get her on the phone, I did send a couple of text messages. I just received her text reply and thought I would post it here for you guys.

April 16, 2008 4:10PM

Thank u so much i love you guys and i had a great day yesterday tell the girls and uncle jess thanks for the wishes

(P.S. I notice she did not pass a "thank you" on to Leo who sang "Happy Birthday" to her message recorder! Just kidding Leo...I'm sure she LOVED it!)

Tour Continued

Picking up where we left off last week, a drive along the south side of Hwy 35 and along the bay brings us to the marina. I haven't ever been in a sailboat, so I can only imagine how much fun it would be. We don't get a lot of visitors in from the water approach, I think, but we do get some. I love the way the marina looks, though, with its mysterious inhabitants and beautiful boats and sails.

Across from the marina is our very own local theater. Not only is it fun attending the wonderful small town productions, with all of their mishaps, occasional forgotten lines, and the ever popular use of someone's real name rather than the character's name in the production (always good for a chuckle from the audience), but attending theater productions is always just a really great way to interact with friends and neighbors. Many of the people who attend are those who "star" in other productions, but most are friends and family of the cast members (remember, in a small town, it would be surprising to attend a production and NOT know the actors). This is high on my list of things I've had to forgo in the last few years while pursuing my education that I want to bring back into my life. I love our little theater.

A short drive down the coast, I think it's about 9 miles south of town, is the small town of Indianola. Once the largest city in the area, it was wiped out by hurricanes and cholera and finally evolved into just the quaint small town that it is today. There is a lovely beach there, and we were surprised to see a huge increase in the number of beach side hookups available for all the snowbirds. The statue in this photo is of French explorer La Salle. It was late in the day when I took the photo, so the details of the statue are a bit lost in shadow. For a more detailed overview of this town and a better photo of the statue, check out this article titled "Indianola, Texas Ghost Town".

Just next to the statue is the bay itself. A boat ride 13 (or so) miles to the left (north) in the photo would take you to my house. The same ride to the right would take you closer and closer to the deeper waters of the Gulf of Mexico. The wildflowers were in full bloom and it was an absolutely beautiful day to be standing bayside. I'll have to remember to take the grandkids to this area, called Magnolia beach, when they come for a visit in the summer. Of course, any of you that come for a visit can look forward to this little trip as well!

We enjoyed our little drive out and about town, but it was time to head back to the house at this point. Now we come to the part where I have to make a little admission. This is a photo of the Six Mile park, which is right next to our house. There is a small playground, a very small beach, a place to put boats in the water, and a wonderful lighted fishing pier. My admission is that for the last few years, Leo and I have this little ritual that we often perform. When we are approaching the drive to turn down toward our house the driver will say to the other, "Do you want to go to the pier?" and the other will answer, almost every time, "Sure, why not." Then we drive to the pier, circle around, and point the vehicle toward our house while we sit and look at it for a few minutes before heading back home. Over the years, it has been a wonderful way to mark our progress, our upgrades, and our changes from this vantage point. These last few years, it has been a wonderful way to bask in the satisfaction of having a home that we love. (Note: Standing in the direction shown in this photo, our home would be back over your left shoulder.)

Finally, our day trip was over and we arrived back at the house just as the shadows were beginning to deepen. We always take pleasure in this view of our house when returning home from being away. The house looks surprisingly small and plain from this direction. This really works in our favor since visitors walk through the front door unprepared for the view that opens up to them as they realize the back of the house, bayside, is almost entirely glass. The other thing we like about this view is that by placing the house on the very edge of the high ground, just before it drops off to the bay, our drive in makes it look like the house is "floating".

Whew! Tour over now, and my Risk homework still waits to be completed. Hope you enjoyed the trip. Feel free to visit any time as we love to show people around our little neck of the woods.

My Home Town Tour

Last weekend, Leo and I took a drive around our home town and enjoyed, once again, the wonderful quaintness about small town life. The only problem with such diversions is they make it so very hard for me to go back to the big city. I love my job, love the people I work with, and love the challenges of database development. But I would be lying if I said I love Houston. It's a nice place to visit, I guess, but I don't like living there.

Anyway, how about a tour of my hometown?

Just out the drive is the little church we attend. Yes, it is a converted garage, thanks in a large part to my guys Leo and Jess. But it is just right for the small congregation that attends each Sunday morning. These days, Leo is ten times more faithful than I am. He makes jokes about keeping me out of the fire by attending for us both. Hopefully, when school is over, I'll get back into the routine of attending regularly. And yes, I know that it is not "fashionable" to attend church for the highly educated and scientific minded. Sorry if this startles anyone or shakes their view of me, but yes, I am really a believer. And this kind of church suits me perfectly. (Note: Our house is in the back right side of the photo. Click on any of the photos to see them larger.)

Here we go with a picture of the "county barn". I'll give you a minute to guess why, in this period of election hoopla, I would include a picture of the county barn. Any guesses? Ah yes. This is where I go to vote! The voting booths are cute little cardboard setups, and going to vote in a place like this makes me proud to be a citizen with such a privilege, although I'm not sure why.

Ever wonder why the place we live is called "Six Mile"? A click on this photo will let you read the whole story, but basically, it's because our location six miles north of town was, for early area settlers, six miles to fresh water. I told you our place is quaint.

Although I've only enjoyed this venue a couple of times each year over the last few, this is one of our very favorite spots in town. This is a photo of our famous Twin Dolphins Theater. It's a lovely theater, with two screens! The movies are always affordable, the theater rarely full, and we almost always bump into an old friend or two when we go. We especially love it when two movies are playing that we want to see and will sometimes watch them back-to-back. Generally, a trip to the movies includes popcorn and diet cokes, followed by a meal out in town (Mexican food...always Mexican food!) I LOVE movie dates!

Not something that is generally enjoyed by the locals, I am including a photo of our lighthouse nonetheless as it is a bit of a local landmark. If any of you have ever driven south along our stretch of Highway 35, I'm sure you've seen our little lighthouse just after crossing the causeway between Point Comfort and Port Lavaca. Not much to look at, I admit, but every town needs something, and for us, this is it.

I'm hitting a sleepy spot now, and have a long day tomorrow, so I'll have to finish the tour in another posting. Don't worry...it won't be long.

Curious about "Twitter Ups"?

At the top right corner of my blog window, you should see a listing of something called "twitter ups". Twitter is a service (admittedly, used mostly by young'uns) that is the ultimate in connectivity. Why would someone like me use it? Well, probably for the same reason that I use Facebook, have tried out Second Life, and write a blog. I guess it's really because in my business, in my education, and even in the areas where my interests lie, the best way for me to know about tools being used to COMMUNICATE and INTERACT is to actually try them out. So...I now have a twitter account.

The way I use it, and will use it, is still in discovery mode. Twitter allows me to share something, and only a little something at that, about what's going on in my life at any time from any where. Generally, I twitter in from my cell phone. So far, I use it at those times when I'm thinking to myself, "I wish I could share this with someone". So, when we encountered the goats on the side of the road in a beautiful spot on a country drive, I couldn't help twittering the message. By the way...this blog is not the only place my twittered activities show up. Anyway, perhaps you understand a bit about twitters now.

"But why," you might ask. "I mean, really, why?"

Well, I am all about communication these days. Mostly, I think a lot about communication in the way that it affects business, education, and life in the world we live in. I am also thinking of pursuing PhD studies in the area of communication as it applies to the transfer of knowledge. My focus would be in the way that people on different levels in the workplace communicate effectively. My very specific focus would be on learning about, with the ultimate goal of improving, the way that blue collar workers with an abundance of tacit knowledge communicate with white collar workers in their codified knowledge environment. I've lived both of the lives, worked both of these environments, and highly value the kinds of knowledge found in both. I just sometimes wish that both groups were as highly valued by the other for their contributions to the knowledge pool as their own "kin" are.

So...one of the things I pursue in my life is communication. I find that I am a poor communicator in many environments, and do better in many others. For example, I am typically not very good in one-on-one encounters, and certainly not good at interfacing with people that I have little or no history with. Leo, on the other hand, is excellent in this role. Instead of focusing on what I'm not so good at (although I do consider it, a lot, when thinking and planning out strategies), I tend to gravitate toward the kinds of interactions that I am perfectly comfortable with. These include brief encounters of the digital type for which I am (typically) highly suited.

Ah well, enough of that. My whole intent here was to explain about twittering, and I seem to have gone off on a tangent once again. Gee, I'm such a "rambler". Now that my newly repaired tooth is beginning to throb a bit again, I'm headed off to a nice nap. And now, you all know that the silly little blurbs at the top of my page, which may or may not continue for very long or at very regular intervals, are a bit like (please pardon my French here) "brain farts"--those little random thoughts that occur at the oddest places and times that make me smile and think to myself, "Gee, I wish someone was here to share that with."

It's My Birthday! Yippee!

Yup...that's right. Today is my birthday and I am 48 years old. I'm spending the day at home with my beautiful view and my sweetie, and so far, enjoying every minute. I can't "goof off" all day today since I have data due for my marketing simulation team project (a lot of fun, but a lot of work), but that's okay...just being home for the day is celebration enough. Anyway, Happy Birthday to me. And so far, it IS!

Countdown Continues

Classes Left	2 weekends
Days until End of School	34
Days until Graduation	47

Yippee!! There is something to celebrate right around the corner!!

In PAIN!

I am in such pain...and boy, am I NOT good with this kind of pain! (Poor Leo)

I have a toothache. I have a VERY BAD toothache, and my dentist, author of the book "I Hate Dentists" by the way, is out of the country until next week. Yikes! I am currently living off of Orajel and acetaminophen (people with no insurance learn to use generic drugs) and hoping I can survive the rest of the week.

Anyway, I thought I would warn you all that if you exchange email with me or chat with me online, I AM NOT RESPONSIBLE for my actions this week. Take a really bad toothache, a hot work project with an impending deadline, and top it all off with a TON of homework requirements, and you'll see that this is probably not a good week to interact with me. So...I am apologizing here and now, giving you all fair warning, and heading back to my project. I'll be sure and let you know when I can sleep through the night again, eat a comfortable meal, and smile when I talk to people. THEN I'll be ready to be pleasantly chatty!

A Great Photo I Just Have to Share

While Jessie was vising in New Mexico, he spent the part of one day with good friend Desiree who took this photo. When I read the name of the photo, "Pop and Sonny", I was curious to find out who Sonny was. Of course, once I took a look at the picture, I could see right away. (Click on the image to see it full size if you need help with the answer.) Anyway, I thought it was a great photo and I hope no one minds if I share it. Pop and Sonny...

Easter Weekend

I'm home (Houston apartment) alone again...Leo just left to go to Port Lavaca and won't be back until late next week. It's okay, I guess. I mean, it's the life we've chosen to live, but I definitely miss him already. I put in quite a long week...12 hours downtown on Monday, 13 on Tuesday, 4 at Friendswood and 2 teaching an Excel class to a couple of soon-to-be co-workers on Wednesday, 12 on Thursday, and 12 on Friday. Yup...I'm tired. This coming week will include long days downtown on Monday, Thursday and Friday (note: even though it's a tough schedule on a project with high expectations from management, I'm definitely enjoying the challenging work!) as well as a trip to south Texas on Tuesday and Wednesday working on another project. Long week behind me...long week ahead.

Tonight and tomorrow I'm trying to get some homework knocked out for next weekend's classes. Leo and I discussed it today and decided that we are not going to try and go to Austin again to attend any of the last three classes. It is just too difficult and causes too much interruption in my work. If I just attend from here (online, with a sideline Skype chat in progress at the same time), the work is a bit harder, but the schedule and wear-and-tear is so much easier. I would like to go to Austin for graduation though. We'll just have to see.

I got a phone call on Wednesday that went something like this: "Would you be interested in going on a job in Kuwait? They are desperate to fill a position that you would be perfect for. How soon can you leave? Do you have your passport ready? Is three weeks too soon?"

Now before you get all excited, just remember that this is not the first time I've heard questions like these. I've learned to wait and see, although I still get a little excited at first. Obviously this job didn't follow through. I mean, the consulting firm I would be working for never gave me an update, so I can only guess I was not a good fit for the job. But still, perhaps you can get an idea of how up-and-down my life is right now.

I also got a phone call from my youngest, Rachael. Baby Zoe has "dropped" and although technically due at the end of April, she could choose to show up a little early and come any day now. I think I will miss the baby shower (next weekend?) but hope to see everyone, especially all my grandkids, the following weekend at granddaughter Kia's 4th birthday party. (Kia is Rachael's stepdaughter, and a little cutie.)

Anyway, I thought I would post a few lines to let everyone know that we are doing fine. Also, for anyone that is counting...

• 3 class weekends left
• 42 days until my last class
• 56 days until graduation
• Oh, and a TON of homework assignments, exams, and reports left to do!!!!!

Let there be Light!

Sometimes I forget about the fact that our home in Port Lavaca is only 50% (or so) complete. I mean, Leo and I have lived in an unfinished home for years, so it hasn't been that big of a deal. But now and then we take a step forward that has some impact. Two years ago, when we installed air conditioning in the house and lived with "conditioned" air for the first time in 10 years...well, that was a BIG impact. (Note: No one can handle the high humidity hot summers here in south Texas without air conditioning. But we did.)

Well, this week another major milestone was put into place. This week we got LIGHTS in the house! For years now, we've lived with extension cords, lamps, and drop lights to eat, work, clean, and even go to the bathroom by. And although I have not been home to see it yet, I have it on good authority that my house now has WORKING LIGHTS in it. How exciting!

I have plans to go home this weekend and check it out, just to make sure the guys weren't pulling my leg. However, in their defense, they have provided some evidence that there really is work going on at home.

In spite of the way these walls look in the photos, they are all the same color...gray. The ceilings are white, but all of the walls and beams are the same color. The new light fixtures and fans look fabulous (at least in the photos). I can't wait to get home this weekend and check them out "in person". Look closely at the ceiling fans and you will see that we went with something quite unconventional. These little guys put out some wind, however, and they can be configured to point up, out, down, to spin as they blow or just blow in place. Unconventional? True. But good for our needs.

Another shot of the living room, and you can see how "wild" the fans are. In the background, the recessed lights are definitely providing a place for artwork to go. (Note: The door has not been painted or trimmed out yet...that will be coming soon.) To the left is the kitchen down below and the loft up above. The view into the house and out the big windows is awesome from the loft. It is small, but will be a nice little get-away for grandkids, I think.

Although my electrician thought I was a bit nutty, he agreed to put in the swing-arm lamps over my bed (it's not in the room yet) with separate light switches. Although it's a bit "hotel-like", it is exactly what I wanted. I can't wait to get the bed moved in to see how well they work out. Leo tells me the guys had a heck of a time with the ceiling fan in that room. Looking at the photo, it looks like a straight-forward task to me, so I'm curious to see what there is that could have caused so much trouble. On the left side of the photo, I can see that there are actually lights in my master closet. Yippee! No more getting dressed by flashlight!

Well, I've still got an outline to prepare tonight, and I'm working long hours this week too. I leave home at 5am in order to be at my desk and working by 5:30. I generally leave work between 5:30 and 6:00pm. So, the days are long and evenings are short. Still, I wanted to take a few minutes and show off the progress on the house. After so many years, you'd think I wouldn't get so excited. But I am, and I wanted to share just a bit of my excitement with you. Goodnight!

A Day in Austin, and the Countdown!

I participated in a couple of meetings on Friday, so had to skip out on attending class in Austin. Not attending in Austin is one thing, but skipping out altogether means having to go back and watch 8 hours of class video at another time, so it is ALWAYS a problem for me. Still, it just couldn't be helped.

I suppose, in retrospect, we should have just stayed home for the weekend instead of driving 6 hours just to attend one 8 hour class. But I hadn't seen Rebecca in a while, and thought we would be attending the class party, so we made the trip anyway. Poor Leo...his job on Austin weekends is always to drive, both ways, while I sleep. Still, he never complains, and he likes spending a bit of time with the kids, so he is always game. I attended my Saturday classes as planned, then by the time I got back to the house ready to pick Leo up and head to the party, I realized that I didn't want him to be driving home at 2am, so we skipped out on the party, took the toll road back to 290 and headed home. We got here about 10:30pm.

I have a three week break now, which may sound like a good thing, but it is absolutely full of both work and homework. I have several major papers, and several exams that are all coming due within the next 2 months, so I am quite the busy Bea. In addition, because of some projects that I have taken on that are under tight deadlines, I have a goal of working 3 weeks of 12-hour days in order to catch up. I will be working in downtown Houston for these projects, so I'm going to try and arrange the drive times around a 6-6 work day. This should put me on the road earlier than most of the early morning traffic, and out of the heaviest of the evening traffic. Still, I don't relish the daily drive.

For those of you counting down to graduation with me, here's what it looks like at the moment:

• Session 7: Mar 28 and Mar 29
• Session 8: Apr 18 and Apr 19
• Session 9: May 2 and May 3
• Graduation: May 17

I'll try my best to pop in and post something on occasion, but in case I don't, I just wanted to let you know I'm a bit under the gun but I'm still doing fine. Leo takes good care of me and I know I'll make it through this intact. I know that a lot of people visit here, and I appreciate you following my struggles and successes. I'll do my best to keep in touch.

A Date with My Guy

I haven't seen him all week long, but it's been a good thing for both of us. I've been getting a lot of work done, and so has he. But there comes a time when enough is enough. So...I skyped my sweetie this afternoon and arranged a meeting somewhere in the middle. He'll leave home about 16:30 and I'll leave here about 17:15. That should put us both in Angleton in time to eat supper together.

I've picked up a number of jobs this week, and all with tight deadlines.

1. First is a database that splits up duties for individual auditors (auditing a system for complying with safety, regulatory, and organizational requirements) then puts the individual inputs back together again at the end of the activity. This is an old database that I developed a few years ago, but one that is badly in need of an update.
2. Next is a set of interfaces for another existing database that provides for the tracking and organizing of feedback on contractor job performance at the end of a job. The ability to do this was built into the database from the beginning, but never really utilized. Now, the organization is wanting to get it up and working smoothly so they can use it to build a better contract workforce.
3. Also, a new project that might be really big involves modifying my Project Management database to allow for tie-ins to real-time actual expenditures (as opposed to just planning figures and user based follow-ups), for a centralized data location, and for some advanced reporting (to upper management as well as to Project Managers) options. This is a big one, but sounds like a whole lot of fun.

Then there's my homework. Last night I spent 4+ hours reviewing Session 3 of a class I'm having trouble with. Session 3 I was right on target with, and made 100 on my homework for that class. Still, reviewing the session was very helpful in getting me to firm up details in my mind. Session 4 is the one I've been working on today. I'm 95 minutes into the 240 minute class, and it is going a bit slower. I do not have trouble with the tools for this class (generally an Excel add-in called "Decision Tree") but I do have a bit of trouble getting the facts of the cases organized in my mind correctly. Remember all those word problems we used to do in Jr. High? Well, this is word problems on steroids. Yikes! Anyway, once I get through this session review, I have one more 4 hour session to muddle through, detail by detail, in order to get ready for our next activity. If I don't figure this out, I'm worried that I will take a really big hit on my grade, so please, wish me luck.

But in a few hours, I am headed out on a date with my guy, and am really looking forward to it. Our crazy life requires us to be apart sometimes, but no one said I have to like it. I used to think that May (graduation) would bring an end to the craziness, but I've realized that might not be on target. Leo and I have a LOT of decisions on our minds right now, so this is a difficult time for us to be apart. But...there are so many reasons we have to do just that. You know, I thought that once the girls were all out on their own and leading their own lives, that things would settle down and be, you know, boring. Boy, was I wrong.

Oh well...back to the grindstone for a few hours, then out to eat with my sweetie. I'll try to touch base with you again soon.

No Offer Yet, But Negotiations Continue

Although I was hoping to find a job outside of Houston (perhaps WAY outside, as in the case of the Nigerian venture), it looks like I am trending toward the position I interviewed for yesterday. The job description involves a lot of opportunities to work with people I am familiar with (and like!) as well as processes that are challenging but achievable. Another week or so, and I expect to get a firm offer of some kind, although it still might be in a contract position. I will let you know more as I know more, but for now, my focus needs to shift back to surviving school. [I'm considering taking a week off of work in order to get caught up on my schoolwork. If I do, I believe that I will have to stay in Houston for it...if I go home, I might end up fishing all day and goofing off too much. Better to stay in the ugly city and focus on the tasks at hand!]

One More Thing

Ah...one more thing to mention. I started my application process this week for admittance to a PhD program at Texas Tech. Don't have time to explain now, but I will soon. Much of the program is online, which is a good thing for me. The down side is that the acceptance rate into the program is less than 20%. In other words, 20 out of every 100 applications they get are accepted. I'm really not expecting to make the cut, but since I seem to be on a bit of a "roll", I thought...why not? I'll explain more later!

Interview on Tuesday...Wish Me Luck!

I didn't want to say anything just yet, but I'm on an emotional roller coaster right now. So...wish me luck as I go in for a job interview on Tuesday at 1pm. Again, I don't want to say anything yet, so many things are still up in the air. But, I would like for you guys to be thinking about (and praying for) me on Tuesday as another big decision comes my way. Thanks so much!

A Posting From Jessie

I couldn't have said it better myself, so here's a posting from "home", from Jessie. (I'm jealous, of course, and wish I was there!!)

The weather is perfect; temp75, a light breeze, bay is clear and the birds diving in to catch some food. I fished for 45 minutes, not a bite, but I did catch a thirty minute nap. Thought I should come home and rest up. Life is rough around here. On the way home, evidence of the beginning of spring popped up, the first blue bonnet of the year.

Hope you day is going as good as mine.

Nigerian Negotiations

I haven't wanted to share anything about this topic yet, and I won't be sharing much of it here, but I have to say SOMETHING. Leo and I are in the middle of negotiations for a major contract to work in Nigeria. We are so very excited, and only a bit worried that the opportunity will pass us by. I can't share any more than that right now, but did want to post SOMETHING so you will all keep us in your thoughts and prayers as we negotiate through these unfamiliar waters. We want so very much to be allowed this opportunity, so WISH US LUCK! (P.S. Once something is settled, established, or firmed up, you will all definitely be the first to know!!!)

I Don't Want to Go Back

Yes, I know that I love my job and love the challenges it poses. But today, just for today, I don't want to go back! I'm sitting in my living room working on my China paper and watching the view outside. It is an absolutely beautiful day.

Jess walked down to the pier this morning and reported that the redfish are running. The water is just a bit too shallow for bank fishing, but I know the big boys are out there just waiting on us. The seagulls are flocking and fishing in swarms here and there, so I know there are fish everywhere. There are some larger birds performing their dive bombing routines and putting on quite a show. I can hear Leo snoring softly in the other room, so I know he's having a good day as well.

Yesterday, after having trouble downloading the class lectures (I worked last weekend and missed out on some class lectures), I did something totally out of character. I took half the day off. Leo and I went to the 2:00 matinee at the movies and watched the cutest kids movie, "The Spiderwick Chronicles". We thoroughly enjoyed it. We went back to town again later in the evening and ate some good Mexican food at our favorite hole-in-the-wall restaurant. Man, I've been missing that!! Then we went back to the theater and watched a second flick, a movie called "Jumper". It was good as well.

On the way home, we ran into a wall of water that lasted for about 5 miles. It was really something. By the time we got home the worst had passed and the rest of the evening we were able to enjoy watching the lighting flash across the bay. It was quite beautiful.

I've been able to chat with a couple of my friends while I work this morning; Azzy in Pakistan, who reported that something is wrong with my blog as it would not allow him to post any comments, and my friend Rashid in Morocco. I don't get to engage in as much chat these days as my days and nights both seem to be full of activities, so it was nice to be able to squeeze a couple of chats in today.

For the last hour, I've tried to gear up for the drive back to Houston. I just can't bring myself to get packed up and ready. I'm sure that I'll get on the ball here in a bit, get my mind turned back to a direction that will allow me to focus on the tasks waiting on me. But for today, just for today, I don't want to go back!

Home for a Visit...Yippee!

[Image from Here.]

For the first time since New Year's, I've come home for a quick visit. The day was quite overcast, but warm and comfortable. I missed most of the drive home (I take opportunities for getting some sleep any time they present themselves these days!) but knew we were almost home when I woke up to see a large flock of pelicans hovering over the causeway.

My next delight was in seeing that the two movies I've been wanting to see are both showing at the Twin Dolphins, our small town movie theater. Now if I can squeeze in enough time between my work and homework to slip out with my sweetie for a few hours...

Here at home it's quite breezy. The water looks so inviting and I want to walk down and sit on the pier for a while, but I'm guessing that looks are a bit misleading. I'm sure it's quite chilly on the water, and certainly not a good time for the lazy style of fishing that I love. So, a walk to the pier will have to wait as well.

My new team (classwork) and I meet quite regularly as we have a TON of homework to get done together. Part of it is a business simulation, a kind of online business "game" we play competing against all of our classmates. For this team, I am once again the Chief Operations Officer (obviously my favorite role). I'm having a blast going through the exercises, and am learning a lot from my very knowledgeable team mates. We also have a second exercise involving an in-depth study of doing business in China. Each team has a different country to profile. With all that is going on in China, unbelievable growth, exploding business opportunities, a few missteps along the way, we decided to focus in on a particular province, the area across the river from Hong Kong, which is called Shenzhen. In the last week alone I've read most of three books on doing business in China, and spend a lot of time researching the topic on the internet. I'm afraid I've become a little obsessed with the topic...but hey, what better way to learn something.

Oh, would you look at the time! Sorry, but once again I have to dash off and take care of some things. I have a team meeting in a couple of hours and I am NOT ready to present my section. So...back to work!

Hope you all enjoy your weekend, and to my Chinese friends, hope you had a Happy Spring Festival!!

Enjoying the Weekend with my Sweetie

Yup...Leo made it to Houston alright. I was SO glad to see him. Although I did get a chance to see him last week, I was in school or tied up with stuff all weekend long, so we didn't really get to spend time together. He came in last night bearing bags of groceries (he knows I don't go grocery shopping) and set right to work creating one of his famous pizza concoctions. It was absolutely fabulous.

This morning, I was served a delicious breakfast, and he waited on me hand and foot while I worked [homework]. He also promised he would stay with me a few days...a promise I am going to hold him to! We are scheduled to drive to sis' house this afternoon to watch the Superbowl. I am so looking forward to that as well. Leo thinks the Patriots are going to win by at least 7, and I think New York is going to pull off a surprise win by 3. Still, we settled on a straight bet on a win. Winner gets a meal out at the restaurant of their choice. I haven't decided where I want to go, but you can bet I'll pick something special...something that we don't already do on occasion. I'll be sure and let you know how it goes!

I've got some Risk Analysis homework to do, then I HAVE to find a start-up company and interview someone about the methods they use to measure customer satisfaction. [NOTE: If any of you can help me with this, PLEASE send me an email or post a reply here. My report is due by Thursday evening, so I don't have much time left!]

Graduation is getting closer all the time, and I'm getting excited. I've started browsing for PhD or EdD programs to investigate, although I'm not sure when, or even if, I will pursue anything more. Still...you have to know how much I LOVE learning new things and digging in to the details of things I'm already familiar with, so even if I don't pursue something formal, you can expect me to find something new to dig into! Have a nice Superbowl Sunday!

Did I Mention Leo's Coming to Town?

Yes, I know I just finished a posting, but did I mention that Leo's coming to town? I did? Well, it's so special, I just had to mention it again. My sweetie's coming to town on Sunday! I haven't been home since New Year's, and I was planning on going home this weekend, but with all the work I have waiting for me I realized that it would be a nightmare to try and pack everything I need and take it home with me. Luckily, Leo volunteered to come this way instead. He promised to make us some of his famously delicious pizza for Superbowl Sunday, and I'm guessing I'll be able to talk him out of one of his famous foot rubs as well. Even though we both realize that I am generally more productive when he's not around, the truth is, I miss him so very much. I've only spent a handful of days with him in the past 3 weeks, and I haven't even seen him since last Sunday. I can't wait for him to get here...I'm so very excited. Did I mention Leo's coming to town? Well...he is, and I just can't wait!!!

48 Hours Off the Grid...Refreshing!

Well, believe it or not, I just turned my computer on for the first time in 48 hours. Amazing, isn't it. I didn't really plan it. It's just that when I got home from work yesterday, I couldn't bring myself to turn it on. While it would be virtually impossible for that to be the first time it's ever happened, truth is, I don't remember it happening before. Work is going well, although I'm starting to pick up more little (<40 hours) jobs again. And school is going okay as well, even though I'm still behind in my homework. But for some strange reason, I just couldn't turn my computer on. It was so odd. So...I went shopping--just looking--which is something I NEVER do; I checked out a road that I was curious about; I read several magazines; I even watched the news; but I did not turn on my computer. Today, when I got home from work, I felt that same compulsion to ignore my inbox. Not that I don't want to hear from you folks or anything, but rather, because I just wanted to pretend, just for a while, that I had free time on my hands. Well, it worked for a while. Here it is past what would be a normal person's bedtime, and I've decided I can't avoid it any more. I need to see what's in my inbox and take a peek at a few of my accounts. So...I just took a peek. Actually, it's not too bad. I have 46 new messages in my box, not counting those that went in my junkmail. Not nearly as bad as I thought. Tomorrow I'll work 6 hours at Friendswood, 6 hours at Greenspoint, then get my team assignment in by midnight. Tomorrow will be a rather long day. On Saturday, I'll tackle homework in the morning, attend a team meeting in the afternoon, and do project work in the evening. On Sunday, Leo is coming for a visit (YIPPEE!) and I'll spend the day chipping away at those little projects I mentioned earlier. Yes...I enjoyed my 48 hours off the grid, I'll be sound asleep before midnight tonight, and I'll spend the rest of the weekend playing "catch up". But for those 48 hours, when I actually had enough leisure time in my schedule to read a magazine, to drive around for no reason at all, and to take a nice long soaker bath, well...it was all just so heavenly.

21 Down, 6 to Go

Just home from another Wicked Weekend in Austin, I'm taking care of a few last-minute tasks before hitting the sack. By "wicked" I mean intense and demanding by the way, and not that I was in any way a "bad" girl this weekend.

Team Deeplift presented our business plan at the University of Texas, Texas Moot Corp competition, but were beat out by a bar game technology. Although I'm ready to put some work into the plan and try again at another meet, I haven't heard back from any other team members. We'll just have to wait and see if we are finished or if we will try again.

The rest of the weekend was intense as well, with lots of homework and projects taking up a lot of my time. I had heard that the second semester was more demanding than the third one, but so far, I don't find that to be true. Perhaps I'm putting a little more work into this than I need to, but I'm still spending many late nights working on papers, posting discussions, and coordinating activities with other team members. I'm tired! Still, we have 21 class sessions behind us, and only 6 more to go. I am doing my best to hold up to the stress, but honestly, I can't wait until it's over.

Lots of other stuff is going on as well.

• Tomorrow I have 8 hours of work to put in on building an Operations Plan (like a Business Plan, but for a company that is up and running) for one of my clients. I really love the work, but that doesn't mean it is easy.
• When Monday comes, I'm back at my Chemical Inventory Management System tasks, another project which I am really enjoying.
• On Tuesday afternoon, I switch gears again and meet with a group that uses my Preventive Maintenance database. Although the database is working fine, the way that the group operates has changed a bit, so the database needs to be modified to account for this. It should be interesting to see what we, as a group, come up with.
• I got word from one of my clients that they want to see my resume once again. This could be good news, or it could be nothing. Still, it's nice to think someone is looking at me as a desirable candidate for something.
• I promised myself that I would respond to about 20 of my friends' and acquaintances' email messages, but I guess that is put off for a few more days now.
• Finally, I'm beat and I'm going to bed now.

I'm sorry my postings have been so infrequent recently. Sometimes life moves so fast that by the time I get around to posting something here, I don't know what to share as so much has happened since the last posting. I hope that these little random snippets are keeping you all at least a little informed about what I'm up to.

Are any of you blogging yet? It is free and is a great way to share yourself with others...hope you'll let me know if you get one going so I can drop in and check out your activities as well!

In Touch with Old Friends

I "reached out and touched" a few friends from my past this week, and was richly rewarded with news from some of them. I talked to Diana and Fred who are out in California now while she works toward her PhD (2010 is when she is hoping to finish). I talked to Nancy who assured me she remembered me and mentioned a long-forgotten slumber party that made me smile. She gave me a clue for getting in touch with her sister Peggy who is out in California now with two kids and two puppies to keep her busy. Like me, she describes her life as "crazy". A part of me wishes I hadn't spoken up right now, with things so busy and my time so limited. I worry that I won't have time to follow up with them. Still, I smiled a lot this week, reminded of some good times from long ago and from very long ago. And I realized that everyone needs a little of that in their lives; everyone needs a memory or two to look back on and smile or laugh at. This week, I had my share of them. Yikes! It's nearly 10:00 and my homework pile is not getting any smaller. Good night all!