For those who have been following the SMUD Board campaigning…

Apparently there have been many people following the campaign so I've been asked/congratulated about it too many times. 

Just for the record, I am NOT the Nancy Bui that’s running for the SMUD Board.  I’m interested in seeing this mailer/insert that was disseminated by Mark Bahouth.  I guess I shouldn’t be running for office anytime soon before the other Nancy Bui gets mad (I actually know her.  She’s a nice gal.).  

The Bee article today points out that there are THREE Nancy Bui’s in Sacramento.  I'm not 23 years old but I was told by someone who saw the insert that my place of work was mentioned.  So they might've gotten the entire story wrong by combining the 23 year old and me together...wrong person, wrong age.  http://sacbee.com/latest/story/1367145.html

See...the media can't be trusted!

I need to find this insert/mailer...$10 to the finder!

It's fall but not quite fall.  The rain started pouring this weekend and the leaves finally turned decent shades of yellow and red.  Halloween went by without much hoorah because it was raining heavily so not many kids came by.  The bags of candy we'd bought for the festivities are still on the staircase, slowly emptying each time someone walks by for some sweet pickins'.  I prefer the mini-servings of Nerds.

It was summer not too long ago.  It almost felt like summer would never end.  The weather is still warm for this time of year, even as warm as 70F this morning after the weekend rainstorm, and I was able to walk around the neighborhood in a short turtleneck dress and flip flops.  This weather is different than in my childhood days, trick or treating well past my bedtime of 9 p.m. and being forced to go home because my feet had numbed from being in the biting cold for too long.  Any further trekking beyond the neighborhood boundaries would surely end in a cold or flu.  Mother would not be so thrilled about that. 

This year he proposed to carve pumpkins.  I got so thrilled about a chance to carve my first pumpkin ever!  But our schedules were too busy – and by that I mean my own schedule was too busy – so we ended up without carved pumpkins and opted for resting easly on Halloween.  That is the thrill of my life these days – sleeping early.  I'm not complaining about the busy schedules or restlessness…I'm happy because I get to sleep next to someone special.  The day's work just comes to a halt.  The problems and worries  get filed for tomorrow after he helps me figure out how to solve them.  Laughter ensues as we joke about  the day's events.  In his arms, I am completely relaxed upon his embrace and gentle massage.  

I hope the weather stays this nice and warm for awhile longer but I know we need a bit more rain and a bit more cold temperatures to pass through.  That's how life should be, right?  A bit of every season in order to keep life interesting. 

Change has a considerable psychological impact on the human mind.  To the fearful it is threatening because it means that things may get worse.  To the hopeful it is encouraging because things may get better.  To the confident it is inspiring because the challenge exists to make things better.  - King Whitney Jr.

It is a difficult time for so many people, financially speaking.  What I'm seeing these days is a multitude of problems that penetrates deeper than the financial woes of today's society...it is the loss of confidence in embracing the changes that comes before us.  Maybe change and how we react to change have always been an interesting subject for discussion but it's up for discussion among my friends more frequently now that we are maturing. 

The other day I met up with another client who is a victim of predatory lending...the worst case I'd ever seen.  Everything they'd worked hard for their entire lives in the United States...gone.  Usually I see evidences of greed from both the client and the lender, so overall, they're both at fault.  This case was different...this case makes me sick to the stomach and I wish the bastard lenders will rot in jail or worse.  For my clients though, this is a difficult time.  They are a victim of economic change and its consequent breeding of greed. 

Fortunately for me, I am in the business of cleaning up messes and changing the traditional way of doing business.  And for that, I sleep well at night.

If you've been following my blog, you probably know that I've been addicted to Brody's blog for awhile, mainly because my friend is experiencing something I never will.  By choice, I would not choose to work in Antarctica for a year.  The weather is beyond what my tiny body can handle.  I consider 60 Fahrenheit cold and I shiver once it hits 50F if I don't have a jacket on.  Yes, I'm a wuss.  Anyway, Brody has just finished his year of service and is now heading ... back ... somewhere.  Throughout the year, I had the pleasure of chatting with Brody about his choices -- go back to the corporate world and make a good living (at least for awhile until he can save up enough for another trip) or take another extended sabbatical to trek the globe some more.  He still hasn't given me an answer on his decision but I hope to find out eventually through his blog...wherever his adventures take him.  If he returns home, I promised to make a trip to Denver next year.

Brody's writing style is a bit of dry wit, with a great sense of sentiment.  It's absolutely amazing how people can describe their thoughts in such an eloquent manner.   His last post: http://frozenbrody.blogspot.com

"I ... went to the park across the street to touch and walk in the grass.  I was only there a short time, but the feeling is still tingling inside me this morning.  It was the same way when I first saw the sun.....I move slowly or everyone else moves quickly.  I'm not sure.  Over the winter, life certainly moved at a slower pace, but I didn't realize it was that slow.  I can barely remember to walk on the left side of the street or even to look for cars when crossing. At McMurdo, there really isn't a side of the street and everyone drives slow.  Keep checking your news report for an American tourist getting sideswiped by a car in Christchurch. Cause: admiring the flowers in a daze.  It's 9am.  I'm heading back to bed and then I'm heading out to the gardens again.  I'm going to lay there for hours."

Imagine that...being so happy about the feel of grass under one's feet and the colors of flower beds.    Then again, I felt like an alien coming back home from a summer of travels with Semester at Sea.  I know how he feels.

My friend Hogan adsvised, "What ifs' are a waste of time...can't kill yourself over that kind of thing." 

If I want to be where I want to be then I needed to change.  I needed to leave the past behind...I relocated; I put the past memories in storage; I kept its negative effects out of my life.  I wanted to be in a loving relationship where the person I was with would not take me for granted...I spoke with conviction; I made certain of my criteria; I learned to have more patience in people; I compromised when appropriate.  I wanted to make a difference in the world through my line of work...I worked harder and smarter; I studied and applied what I learned; I did it right and I did it with pride; I made my priorities known.  I wanted my social life to thrive...I learned to cook; I initiated dinner parties just the way I'd always wanted to host them; I expanded my network; I traveled as much as I could; I forged stronger bonds with old friends; I danced my heart out. 

Change was not easy.  I hated every step of the way, especially when I encountered snags that delayed the positive results I'd been experiencing.  Looking back, I am only stronger for it.  I look back at the girl that was crying over her broken heart a year ago...and I see her differently.  She was a fool in love with someone who was no longer meant for her.  Everyday, it became more evident to me that we are who we choose to be.  I chose to change...he didn't change with me.

What a fun fun weekend I've had.  Hogan's here visiting, we made sushi, my friends came over for dinner, lots of laughter, plenty of full bellies...

Exhausted now.  Gotta get some sleep.  THANKS HOGAN!!!

Due to budget cuts, this is your new cubicle

 

Due to budget cuts, this is new policy

EFFECTIVE AUGUST 1, 2008

I. Dress Code:
 
1) You are advised to come to work dressed according to your salary.
 
2) If we see you wearing Prada shoes and carrying a Gucci bag, we will assume you are doing well financially and therefore do not need a raise.
 
3) If you dress poorly, you need to learn to manage your money better, so that you may buy nicer clothes, and therefore you do not need a raise.
 
4) If you dress just right, you are right where you need to be and therefore you do not need a raise.
 
II. Sick Days:
We will no longer accept a doctor's statement as proof of sickness. If you are able to go to the doctor, you are able to come to work.
 
III. Personal Days:
Each employee will receive 104 personal days a year.They are called Saturdays & Sundays.   
 
IV. Bereavement Leave:
This is no excuse for missing work. There is nothing  you can do for dead friends, relatives or co-workers. Every effort should be made to have non-employees attend the funeral arrangements in your place. In rare cases where employee involvement is necessary, the funeral should be scheduled in the late afternoon. We will be glad to
allow you to work through your lunch hour and subsequently leave one hour early.
   
V. Bathroom Breaks:
Entirely too much time is being spent in the toilet. There is now a strict three-minute time limit in the stalls. At the end of three minutes, an alarm will
sound, the toilet paper roll will retract, the stall door will open, and a picture will be taken. After your second offense, your picture will be posted on the
company bulletin board under the 'Chronic Offenders' category. Anyone caught smiling in the picture will be sectioned under the company's mental health policy.
   
VI. Lunch Break: (Love this one)
 
* Skinny people get 30 minutes for lunch, as they need to eat more, so that they can look healthy.
 
* Normal size people get 15 minutes for lunch to get a balanced meal to maintain their average figure.
 
* Chubby people get 5 minutes for lunch, because that's all the time needed to drink a Slim-Fast.
 
Thank you for your loyalty to our company. We are here to provide a positive employment experience. Therefore, all questions, comments, concerns, complaints,
frustrations, irritations, aggravations, insinuations, allegations, accusations, contemplations, consternation and input should be directed elsewhere.
 
The Management

Aaahhh just what I needed on this busy Friday afternoon at work.  I have a few reports to churn out before 5 p.m.  I'm in the zone!  Have a great weekend, folks!

My favorite piece of ALL TIMES is by Yanni, titled "Nightingale".

Another favorite piece is by Kevin Kern, titled "Through the Arbor."