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Our babies recently saw their daddy in a tux for the first time - boy was he handsome! We attended the black-tie Addy awards banquet on Friday. I hadn't attended since 2003, but it felt like I was walking into a high school reunion. We met up with people from my very first copywriting job from when I was still in college, as well as tons of colleagues with whom I've collaborated with along the path to where I am today.
It was strange to receive hugs and hellos from so many people whom I hadn't seen in several years - they acted like we were best old pals. Most didn't realize that I'd gotten married and had kids since our last encounters. I know that our industry is sometimes known for the "act," but it was almost overwhelming on Friday. While I received a lot of fake friendliness, I also watched as some others went out of their way to avoid certain people. I know of a lot of history in our business in the past decade, and it was very obvious to me that not a lot has changed as far as who talks to whom and who has created enemies.
On the other hand, our local business climate has drastically changed since I last attended our local Addys. The dynamics are totally different now - the big dogs are now the little dogs. A couple of outcasts blew the house away. And a former "moderate" agency has become the new local powerhouse.
As the awards were given, I enjoyed watching three of the former big players. As the night wore on, one progressively drank more wine and got snarky about the work on screen that wasn't done by her group. Another drank more wine and left to smoke much more frequently. And the other - a local ad icon for the last several decades - slunk lower and lower in his chair.
There was a lot of competition in the air - and even a little irritation with others' success. There were a couple other prominent faces that I watched - as former employees of theirs won awards and received accolades. It makes me wonder if others were as interested in the drama happening in the seats as seeing the artwork repeat up on stage. Through the whole evening, I kept thinking back to some words of advice my mom shared with me when I was still in college and wanted to quit my part-time job because they wouldn't let me off work for Easter Sunday. She warned me to always be polite and professional: "Never burn your bridges." Friday's experience was a great reminder to thank my mom. Even though I haven't always had the most rewarding job experiences, as I looked around on Addy night, it felt good to know that I didn't have a single enemy in the place.
On a side note, two other moms from my Mothers of Multiples group were there - looking fantastic - looking happy. It was fun to see them outside of our monthly meeting.
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
Not resting
Something's in the air. Restlessness abounds. Maybe it's the anticipation of spring. Maybe it's some cosmic rumblings. Whatever it is, I am antsy.
I'm about 95% over my vertigo - thank goodness - and feeling pretty good these days. About two weeks ago, I went to a new ENT to talk about my Bell's Palsy. Enough waiting. I hadn't seen any progress in a full month. The last ENT I saw about 6 months ago told me to relax, cross my fingers, be patient, and get plenty of rest. Uh huh. I'll get right on that. Babies, entertain yourselves. Mommy's going to watch soaps and eat bon bons with her feet up. The welfare system will just take care of us as Daddy tries to provide for all of us. Whatever. Those babies need a lot of attention, and by golly, I'm not going to miss out on their developments because I'm "resting."
Anyway, this new ENT is great! He didn't come off as a crackpot whatsoever. He even examined me. Already 10 steps above the last one I saw. He determined that my facial nerve is definitely not dead - which means there's hope. He showed me some muscle exercises to try at home for 6 weeks. Several times a day, I try reps of raising my eyebrow, smiling, frowning, wrinkling my nose, etc. As I do these activities, I pull the flesh to go into place with my fingers, as a reminder to my nerves where everything is supposed to go. Essentially, I'm retraining my nerves and muscles.
And it's beginning to work. Slowly, of course, as everything has been with this recovery process. But at least something is happening. And if I can't get my face fully back, there are other (non-surgical) options we can try. Finally - hope!
I'm about 95% over my vertigo - thank goodness - and feeling pretty good these days. About two weeks ago, I went to a new ENT to talk about my Bell's Palsy. Enough waiting. I hadn't seen any progress in a full month. The last ENT I saw about 6 months ago told me to relax, cross my fingers, be patient, and get plenty of rest. Uh huh. I'll get right on that. Babies, entertain yourselves. Mommy's going to watch soaps and eat bon bons with her feet up. The welfare system will just take care of us as Daddy tries to provide for all of us. Whatever. Those babies need a lot of attention, and by golly, I'm not going to miss out on their developments because I'm "resting."
Anyway, this new ENT is great! He didn't come off as a crackpot whatsoever. He even examined me. Already 10 steps above the last one I saw. He determined that my facial nerve is definitely not dead - which means there's hope. He showed me some muscle exercises to try at home for 6 weeks. Several times a day, I try reps of raising my eyebrow, smiling, frowning, wrinkling my nose, etc. As I do these activities, I pull the flesh to go into place with my fingers, as a reminder to my nerves where everything is supposed to go. Essentially, I'm retraining my nerves and muscles.
And it's beginning to work. Slowly, of course, as everything has been with this recovery process. But at least something is happening. And if I can't get my face fully back, there are other (non-surgical) options we can try. Finally - hope!
Friday, February 16, 2007
The Spins
Vertigo sucks. I have it again - first time in about two years. For those who have known me for a while, it's my annual plugged ear bed spins. Only this time, I woke up from dizziness at 2:30 a.m. instead of waiting til morning.
This is the first time it's hit me when I've had a husband to bring me a bucket, and let me just say, I know it's true love for him now. Not that I really questioned it, but after the night we had together, he's in it for the long haul.
Thankfully, he took the babies to daycare today and left me to sleep, cuddled in with my ice cream pail. When I awoke at 1:30 this afternoon, I was still quite dizzy, but at least not nauseated. Whew. I'm on the mend. I expect this to run its course like in years past, and tomorrow I'll wake up feeling fine.
Anyway, that's where I am. Nothing interesting. Nothing witty to say. Just that the spins suck.
Happy weekend, all!
This is the first time it's hit me when I've had a husband to bring me a bucket, and let me just say, I know it's true love for him now. Not that I really questioned it, but after the night we had together, he's in it for the long haul.
Thankfully, he took the babies to daycare today and left me to sleep, cuddled in with my ice cream pail. When I awoke at 1:30 this afternoon, I was still quite dizzy, but at least not nauseated. Whew. I'm on the mend. I expect this to run its course like in years past, and tomorrow I'll wake up feeling fine.
Anyway, that's where I am. Nothing interesting. Nothing witty to say. Just that the spins suck.
Happy weekend, all!
Thursday, February 08, 2007
One of my favorite ways to warm up
I've learned just recently that the quickest way for me to warm up in this frigid land of ice is to receive a call from an old friend. In the past week, I've heard from some of my favorite people - who all happen to live far away. And by golly, I'm positively glowing!
One is a dear pal who moved to Wisconsin this summer, right before she delivered an adorable little boy. Until she'd left our community, we spent countless hours being entertained by her little girl - now a school-aged almost-grown-up honey. We've shared pregnancy talk, marriage talk, family talk, all the good personal details. I have no idea if she's a Liberal or a Conservative, or what church she attends, but I do know the deep-down important stuff. Our phone visit was short, but so warming.
The next day, I received a quick call from my cousin, who is expecting her first baby this June. She's just a few years older than me, and I've always looked up to her. We don't talk frequently, but we're always in touch somehow. Though our chat was short, it was great to hear that she's feeling good and the baby is growing along nicely. I can hardly wait to meet the next member of our family this summer!
A couple days later, another favorite pal called. Formerly my next-door dormmate, sweet Danyellow from Iowa called just to chat. We had a great time catching up - and have both committed to getting together sometime in the following few months. Though we only see each other every few years or so, we always pick up like normal, close as ever. What a day brightener!
Soon after that, I received a call from one of my oldest (not in terms of age - we've known each other since we were toddlers) family friends. After trying to find a time to visit and introduce my babies to her, Miss Kitty let me know that she had it narrowed down to two weekends. Here's the bonus - when she comes to visit, her brother and his wife will come, too! Talk about fun. It looks like the second weekend in March will be a party at my house!
I'm not sure if this was God's way of warming my soul, or just a random stretch of pleasantness, but whatever it is, I'm so glad. Phone calls go so far!
Gentle readers, please call your loved ones and make them smile. You'll all enjoy the rewards.
One is a dear pal who moved to Wisconsin this summer, right before she delivered an adorable little boy. Until she'd left our community, we spent countless hours being entertained by her little girl - now a school-aged almost-grown-up honey. We've shared pregnancy talk, marriage talk, family talk, all the good personal details. I have no idea if she's a Liberal or a Conservative, or what church she attends, but I do know the deep-down important stuff. Our phone visit was short, but so warming.
The next day, I received a quick call from my cousin, who is expecting her first baby this June. She's just a few years older than me, and I've always looked up to her. We don't talk frequently, but we're always in touch somehow. Though our chat was short, it was great to hear that she's feeling good and the baby is growing along nicely. I can hardly wait to meet the next member of our family this summer!
A couple days later, another favorite pal called. Formerly my next-door dormmate, sweet Danyellow from Iowa called just to chat. We had a great time catching up - and have both committed to getting together sometime in the following few months. Though we only see each other every few years or so, we always pick up like normal, close as ever. What a day brightener!
Soon after that, I received a call from one of my oldest (not in terms of age - we've known each other since we were toddlers) family friends. After trying to find a time to visit and introduce my babies to her, Miss Kitty let me know that she had it narrowed down to two weekends. Here's the bonus - when she comes to visit, her brother and his wife will come, too! Talk about fun. It looks like the second weekend in March will be a party at my house!
I'm not sure if this was God's way of warming my soul, or just a random stretch of pleasantness, but whatever it is, I'm so glad. Phone calls go so far!
Gentle readers, please call your loved ones and make them smile. You'll all enjoy the rewards.
Wednesday, February 07, 2007
Mmmmm - Omega 3s
After a great big salmon fest on Saturday night, I'm full to the gills (pun intended) of enough Omega 3 to last me all week. Yum!
My wonderful parents came to visit this past weekend, and brought along some hitchhikers. My cousin Bill and his darling girlfriend tagged along and stayed at my sister's house. What a fun surprise!
On Saturday, we all cooked and ate salmon fresh from Alaska, along with jasmine rice, a wonderful broccoli/cauliflower salad (thanks, Lisser!) and some yummy pear/cardamom pastries. Our kitchen, which normally feels like a good size, was especially cramped, but I think it made the evening that much more fun.
My DH created a new drink for my mom and me, who were in need of something light and refreshing. Always a 12-year-old, he dubbed them White on the Outside, Pink in the Middle. They contained gin, Fresca, grapefruit juice, and nuggets of fresh grapefruit. Delicious!
Luckily, we had leftovers. Now, anyone who knows anything at all about me knows that I don't do leftovers. Once in a while I'll reheat homemade stir-fry, but that's the extent of it. DH and I practice portion control, and I truly have mastered the art of cooking for two. (Sometimes, this means cheating by using What's for Dinner.) After the salmon feed, however, we had three big chunks of meat left. It was so good that I couldn't toss it into the disposer. So, I let Lillian and Breanna sample it as I picked away at a slab. And guess what! Breanna likes eating Omega 3s too! Lillian - eh - not so much. So she stuck with plums.
They're truly growing up.
My wonderful parents came to visit this past weekend, and brought along some hitchhikers. My cousin Bill and his darling girlfriend tagged along and stayed at my sister's house. What a fun surprise!
On Saturday, we all cooked and ate salmon fresh from Alaska, along with jasmine rice, a wonderful broccoli/cauliflower salad (thanks, Lisser!) and some yummy pear/cardamom pastries. Our kitchen, which normally feels like a good size, was especially cramped, but I think it made the evening that much more fun.
My DH created a new drink for my mom and me, who were in need of something light and refreshing. Always a 12-year-old, he dubbed them White on the Outside, Pink in the Middle. They contained gin, Fresca, grapefruit juice, and nuggets of fresh grapefruit. Delicious!
Luckily, we had leftovers. Now, anyone who knows anything at all about me knows that I don't do leftovers. Once in a while I'll reheat homemade stir-fry, but that's the extent of it. DH and I practice portion control, and I truly have mastered the art of cooking for two. (Sometimes, this means cheating by using What's for Dinner.) After the salmon feed, however, we had three big chunks of meat left. It was so good that I couldn't toss it into the disposer. So, I let Lillian and Breanna sample it as I picked away at a slab. And guess what! Breanna likes eating Omega 3s too! Lillian - eh - not so much. So she stuck with plums.
They're truly growing up.
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