Desert Magnolia

My son, who has spent the summer in NY working and planning with his team for next year in Abu Dhabi, is busy. He is busy because he's shouldering increasing amounts of responsibility, and is stepping up and managing it well. This has earned him two promotions in as many years, and bodes well for his future at NYU. He is buried because his former boss, who no longer works for NYU, has left a steaming pile of bureaucratic crap to clean up, and my son is the designee for said cleanup. Which speaks to his dedication and focus on the well being of the organization for which he has chosen to work. But which totally sucks when you're his Mom, and you were hoping to spend a few hours over a few days sharing time, laughs, meals, and catching up again. Cuz that's not happening now, at least until the holidays.

My oh my what a week it's turned out to be! First there was the not holiday, Memorial Day, which felt more like a prelude to a complicated dance. Then there was Daughter's wisdom teeth. Then there was the negative reaction to Vicodin, which involved a blackout in the kitchen. Then there was the new pain med prescription that we decided would be good to have on hand but not use as long as the ibuprofen was doing enough..which, so far, it has. Then there was a quiz today, which, thankfully, I managed to do fine on. Go figure. (Ok, three serious hours of focused study last night while my girl was snoozing in the recliner might have helped.) Then there was work, or IS work, since I'm still here but actually contemplating heading out before clinic to check on the girl one more time, though the last time I checked on her she was having a very nice time being entertained by her cousins and my motherinlaw..... I tweaked out yesterday. Fortunately the loving kindness ...

For no specific reason I awoke a little cranky today. Contributing factors may have included: Tipper Ann insisting on perching on my hip while I was curled up in a fetal position. That doesn't work well for several reasons, including that she is heavy, and that she keeps readjusting so that she doesn't fall off. So nobody really gets any sleep; GG watching a movie late last night, thinking the sound was down low but really it wasn't and I wasn't in the mood to get up and ask him nicely to turn it down a little so that those of us who had to get up and work today could sleep. I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have come off as nice or supportive at that point, so I opted to just not go there; GG coming into bed around midnight after his movie was over and waking me out of a sound sleep. And waking up Tipper Ann, who, after getting up for a snack, decided that then would be a perfect time to give herself a (loud) tongue bath which took forever if you were me; G...

Mondays can be a challenge. There's the whole shock to the system of waking up and realizing it's not the weekend anymore, which kind of blows. And then the jolt out of the lazy flow of the weekend into the time-focused 'gotta be at the office by x time, gotta get ready for the company meeting, gotta check emails/deadlines to ensure nothing is on fire' stuff. And then the reality of settling into the week...and knowing that this one will be a full one. They all seem to be. This week for me: Work. Lots of good stuff going on, but 'lots' being the watchword. School. 2nd trimester starts. Tomorrow a.m. So tomorrow for me is school, 9-12; work 1230-430; clinic 5-9. Long day, Tuesday. For this I've washed and pressed my lab coat, cleaned out my tote (it is truly amazing what collects during a trimester in terms of used kleenexes, abandoned index cards, folded notes that were important at some point but now are just extra weight, stale snacks, etc.), and ...

I know it's not Monday, I do. But it feels like it right now. First, there was the holiday weekend, which always throws thing off. Then the head cold from Hell moved in and blanketed my brain with mucous and ache and ick and so I opted to keep my germs and myself home yesterday. Have you ever noticed how sick days, when you're really down and just resting, trying to hydrate, blowing your nose, napping, etc., kind of just slide by and you wonder how you could possibly sleep that much and still be bone tired and how you could lose a day like that when there is so very much to do to keep up at work? So today feels like a Monday, when in fact it's not. And I need more tea and honey, cuz the voice? Not going to make it all the way through. And the head? Kind of gauzy feeling and I'm pretty sure if I handle anything important at all today I'm going to have at least two people check my work. It's that kind of a Monday, er, Tuesday, er Wednesday.

Last week during a mid-week Trader Joe's run I saw figs. Fresh ones, two types, in their produce section. Seeing them made me remember a post-wedding brunch that some friends hosted. They'd served fresh, halved figs, accompanied by brie and honey..and I think port if you wanted that, or espresso. The delicate sweetness coupled with the cheese and honey? Amazing, a memory that even after all these years remains strong. So I had the flashback/memory, but passed the figs by. Until Saturday morning. I was pleased to see they had plenty left, and they looked lovely. At the same time I purchased figs, I also grabbed proscuitto. Which I then used to wrap the figs that I'd halved, then stuffed with feta...and then I broiled them. Result? Most delicious appetizer, enjoyed on patio, accompanied by a cranberry pomegranate martini while a soft rain fell. The smell of the rain and the wet earth, combined with the earthy delicate sweetness of the figs/feta/proscuitto? A.mazing. ...

First of all, I got enough of the things on my pre-trip ToDo list done to actually go, which was awe.some. There were a few dicey moments, though, most notably the one leading up to my actually arriving at the airport the morning of departure. It was one of those mornings that starts out ok then quickly becomes a blur, and stressful in spite of your best planning and all of that. Plus it started at 0400 when family got up to finish packing the car and then head out on their adventure. When the family wakes up at 0400, everyone does even if one person isn't on the first departure wave. And then that person, after hugging everyone, reminding everyone to take last minute stuff like pillows and such, then seeing them off, tries to go back to bed for a bit, but that doesn't work so well. Because that person is worried that in spite of an alarm she'll oversleep, which will trigger her anxiety dream #1 which is that revolving around missing flights and being unprepared for tri...

This week, well, is gonna be a humdinger. Why? 1. Trade show. In Vegas. 2. Road trip for fam, but not me because, see #1. 3. Planning 4. Packing 5. Work deliverables. Really. In a week of a trade show. Right?  And, true to form, my Inner Goddess decides to run the fashion show so instead of being satisfied with black capris and my logo polos at the show? I'm going to wear grownup clothes. And hopefully feel like a grownup. With maybe a little style. Outfits for show include: 1. Little black dress, metallic black and gold reptile (distressed) leather sandals with medium heel, pounded gold jewelry. 2.Black and white sleeveless dress with a rounded neck and a form fit. Wearing emerald earrings with that. And cute but comfy low heeled black sandals.  3. Chiffon-y soft toned sleeveless blouse (with a large rose print that looks surprisingly pretty) with scoopy neck, black capris, black platform Bass sandals and big silver loop earrings. Other outfits to ta...

If you've ever spent any time in NYC, you know what I'm talking about here. The most wonderful bakery in probably the entire universe. Specializing in cupcakes, though strong in the cakes and other sweet treats arena. Between meetings, late one afternoon, Erin and I decided we needed a little boost, and what do you know, right around the corner from the Time Warner building (where we'd experienced a signin process that rivaled the best airport security I've encountered, complete with the bag search/scan...), there was a Magnolia Bakery. It was kismet. Our choice? Red velvet cupcakes with cream cheese frosting. And a milk. Because really, that or a big coffee are the only way to wash the creamy red velvet yumminess down in our humble opins. Red velvet cupcakes. Picture from Food Network.com We chose to indulge in said cupcakes in Rockefeller Center. By the fountain, which, at that moment, was full of cranberries and Ocean Spray workers dressed in chest wader...

Someone teased me about it, so I just want to clarify. When I went to pack for this last trip I did NOT use Ziplocs for my clothes or shoes, after all. The effort seemed...ludicrous and like overkill when I seriously thought about it. I did roll my clothes up, though. And that worked fabulously. I only had to iron once, and it was really a touchup that was prompted by pre-media meeting nerves. I probably could have worn that blouse a little wrinkly and nobody would have noticed because they were focusing on my energy and what was coming out of my mouth and the essence of our meeting, right? Which is why I decided to touch that baby up. So, Ziplocs 0, Ironing 1. That I can live with. Can you? :-)

You know how when it's time to light a fire under it to get a whole lot done in a short amount of time? And how it's really kind of an adrenaline rush, and that when you look back and go, 'Shoot, we really kicked butt with that! Made our deadline, did awesome work, and now hopefully we can enjoy the fruits of our toils!'? Me too. But when that's pretty much the m/o, and all you do is add to a suffocating project list and endeavor to do your very best work at all times and do it in an efficient, effective manner and keep your team excited in the process and prevent burnout across the board, it gets a little tiring. I'm just saying. Does every single project have to be hair on fire with absolutely perfect results/reaction from intended audience? Some days that just feels like a lot. Welcome to the new reality, right? It's kind of like wearing a little black dress, pearls, 4" heels and lipgloss every day of your life, having to look hot, sexy a...

Today is one of those days when the ridiculous blends with the serious. When, at nearly a quarter to five on a busy day nearing the end of a highly productive yet slow moving week..I want the day to be o.v.e.r. This evening I wish to contemplate the following: Whether one should, in fact, wear a colored lipstick with a purple blouse or simply go with a clear gloss. Whether purple of any shade is really a good idea for an olive-complected lass like myself. Tomorrow's outfit..pick a theme, ensure it's ready for prime time, then assume the character of the outfit by the time it's time to don it and hit the freeway for work. Throwing pots on the wheel. Reruns. Netflix offerings of the week. Library offerings. MUST replenish my reading pile...I'm thinking of picking up every single vamp novel I can find and comparing them.  Don't ask what will comprise my rating scale. The weekend to come. Without the son. Who leaves early early on Saturday. And who wil...

Enough of what? Well, work. Pressure. Hype. You name it. Then stupidity in general. Then arguing with colleagues about the finer points of marketing. There is no right answer in marketing, by the way. There's just shit you try, and occasionally, with a bit of luck and good timing, it works. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise. In fact, if they try to argue that marketing is an exact social science based on psychographic profiles and hardwired preferences coupled with social conditioning, you should end the conversation immediately. And call bullshit. Cuz they're either trying to sell you something (usually their preference on a given project), or just full of it. I'm just sayin'.

Since you last heard from me very very cool things have happened! Son graduated from NYU. With honors. He proudly presented me his transcript as part of my Mother's Day gift. Holy God! He created a dream, followed that dream, then absolutely totally without any hesitation realized it. And now, well, now he heads over to Abu Dhabi for a year to help establish the new NYU branch over there. Really. How cool is that? New York was...everything you'd expect it to be. It was colder than we'd planned (of course), so Daughter and I were layering up big time with Hubby's drifit stuff...thank goodness he always over prepares!  It also rained, but not New Mexico thunderstormy stuff, just cold drizzle...so we popped up our umbrellas and kept on doing what we were doing... The city still doesn't sleep, though we managed nicely during our stay -  a rarity. I think the trash truck that's been permanently assigned to me during my visits was on vacation...because there w...

It has come to my attention that my ends are a little frayed. Little things, mostly. But enough of them to make me alert to detail, detail that usually falls into the intuitive. This is pissing me off. Because I pride myself in being conscientious. In being a responsible, focused professional. But at some point, given the volume of crap piled on, inevitably something fragile hits the ground and shatters. My week is full of excitement. I'm headed for NY for a media event. That we're hosting. And LOTS of key media have RSVPd. I'm stoked, I really am. This part of my job, I LOVE LOVE LOVE. The next day I get back on plane. Head back to ABQ. Unpack my bag and repack. Have a dinner with my family. Try to get some sleep. Then get my happy butt on a plane the next morning.  With my sweet and dedicated colleagues who are all bearing more weight than usual in terms of handling stuff since I'm going to be in NYC immediately prior and simply will.not.be.there to attend to th...

Have you ever noticed how, following an intensely focused and productive period in your life you slip off the wagon and have to just 'be' for a little bit? I think I'm there. The past three weeks at work have been ridiculously intense, very interesting and we've made our choice--we've chosen a great PR firm to represent us. Which is awesome! But somehow I'm in a bit of a stall, with a head cold raging (by the way whoever invented this affliction must have been really pissed at someone or some circumstances because WHAT is up with the stuffy head/drippy nose/sore throat/low energy thing anyway???), a To Do list that's deceptively short, but actually layers and layers deep, and I am so not into it. Not right now. But really, maybe it averages out. Because if I had kept on at the pace I'd been going, well, I probably just would have spontaneously combusted anyway. And that wouldn't have been good for the long-term.

I'm brain dead right now. I've just spent the last two weeks requesting, reviewing, and winnowing PR proposals for a big project at work. When I'm done, and that should be soon, we'll have a PR firm promoting the hell out of one of our offerings, and life, well, will be busier than it has been and hopefully fun as well since schmoozing with the media will be on the agenda. My agenda. It turns out, I'm an extrovert. And I love to converse with people. A lot. Which may explain why I'm in communications. Actually, I've always liked to converse, but finally found a way to use my school/training/propensity for bullshitting in my career. Good day, that was, when I actually started to be compensated for having a big mouth. But today, I'm fried. I've been pitched by two sophisticated NYC firms. They're energetic. They're focused. They're driven. They're desperate for business because when times get tough the PR folks are the first...