Unemployed Diva?

Well, the day has finally arrived. Pfizer has decided - in the spirit of transforming the company to lead the way into a new dawn - to restructure and resize the sales organization to "support Pfizers key products, meet customer needs, and become more agile." So it finally dawned on someone that we were too damn big to get anything done and "as a result of this restructuring, Pfizer will be reducing the size of their sales organization by 20 percent. In about 5 minutes, I have to be on a conference call with my Regional Manager to get more details, but the bottom line is I will know NLT December 8th whether I'm still "retained" with the company. Here is the question on everyone's lips - "Are you on Kindlers list?" (Jeff Kindler is the new CEO).

The severance package they are offering is generous. Won't have to sweat too much. What is interesting though...I'm not the least bit upset or worried. WHATEVER. What I am is tired - tired of the bulls--t, tired of all the changes every other day, just plain tired. It would almost be a relief if I did not get retained. I'm gonna have to get my act together, draw on some reserves and get re-motivated. Gotta go get on this conference call. Check in with the world later.

Black Friday Shopping & Tea at the Four Seasons

We ventured out yesterday on alledgedly the busiest shopping day of the year. My girlfiend Terri, daughter Erin, her friend Ashley (affectionately known as "The Ash"), and my niece Charlee jumped in the H3 and ventured into DC/Northern VA to the Pentagon City Mall. It wasn't nearly as crazy and packed with people as we expected and to add insult to injury, the post holiday "sales" were not even close. I think the day after Christmas is much better and I will definitly have to check back in with everyone then and let you know how I made out.

Now don't get me wrong, I did pick up just a few items. We did stop in Nordstroms at the St. John boutique and - well I'll be darned - there was two 50% off racks of St. Johns. Well, I just found this awesome Chocolate Knit skirt and matching top. I did draw the line at the $250 belt. I was only willing to go so far. So then Terri sides up to me and asks the question of the day - "Do you always spend that much on an item of clothing?" Well, that depends on what it is. If it is a St. John, in which I always fell like a million bucks - fits well, hangs right, no matter where you go you are appropriately dressed - HELL YEAH, BABY! Ring it up and put it in the bag.

The rest of the day we just walked around the mall trying to find some shopping deals and at 3pm we jumped back in the Hummer and were off to the Four Seasons in Georgetown for Tea.

I love shopping and then having tea. I would have preferred to go to tea at the Ritz Carlton attached to the mall but it was booked. I was able to get reservations at the Four Seasons so...of we went. Everything was just so at the Four Seasons, from the valet to the table setting and lets not forget the champagne. Yummy. The pictures speak for themselves.

Without Major Drama

Thanksgiving dinner went off without major drama this year. Everyone was pleasant (as pleasant as family could be)and we had a great time. Even Grandma Willie didn't say anything too irritating. We never did get to discuss her getting her eyes done though. She refuses to have her cateracs (sp) taken care of because alledgedly "nobody will be able to take care of her." I'm not sure what she means by that - of course there would be. My question back all the time is "who is going to take care of you when you can't drive anymore at all or can't see." I love my grandmother to death; however, I have a family too and won't be able to quit my job, move in with her, and wait on her hand and foot. This is something she did for her parents and I know that God has a special place in heaven for Grandma's like her. I just can make the same sacrifice at this time. I just wish she would reconsider, but I can only do so much. Thus I'm left to worry.
Laura is out of jail and we went to pick her up from the Cedar Motel Apartments so she could have dinner with us. She took all of the Tupperware and ziploc bags that I had to take back food with her to the Motel. Now that she has a fridge and microwave she "doesn't have to eat fast food all the time." Wow is all I can manage.
My mother's birthday fell on Thanksgiving this year and the gift I got her, of course, did not arrive in time. Sometimes internet shopping doesn't work out quite right - epecially if you got IT from Ebay.
After all was said and done and everyone went home, the Triptophan kicked in and I passed out on the couch. After a short nap I was back at it putting all the Christmas decorations up. They MUST be up immediatly to maximize the Christmas Spirit. Another reason is we are having our big Army-Navy party and Open House next Saturday and I just had to get it done. Still have more to go.
I hope that everyone had a blessed Thanksgiving.

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving! Our friends, the Pollheins, came into town to visit us and Joe's family for the holiday's. Last night, we took them to our favorite restaurant - The Iron Bridge Wine Company. We had a fantastic time - great company, hilarious conversation, wonderful food and even better wine. We talked just about anything, so candid in fact that we almost ran the couple sitting next to us out of the restaurant due to shock and awe. Hilarious.

We then went back to the house, started the fire place, opened another bottle of wine and hung out. Right up until Cara did the projetile vomit thing again. It was absolutely horrifying - AGAIN. Once we got that cleaned up, it was back to the bottle (of wine) again. We spent the next few hours drinking and talking about life. It was a great evening.

This morning, I got Terri out of bed (well, she was already up and sneaked up on me making a cup of coffee) and we went to my gym and did the Gobble Ride (Spin Class). It was supposed to be a 90 minute class, but when I saw Terri saying her Rosary and cursing me out about the class, I decided to cut it short and get her off the bike. She said her bum was on fire. Terri managed to take a picture of me on the bike. Notice there is no picture of her. She is still cursing me hours later.

Well, I gotta get to cooking and getting me drunk on. Family is coming over and I need to be at steady state before anybody gets her just so I can be sane and not say anything crazy. More later.

Happy Thanksgiving!!!!

The Start of the Holiday Parties

As President of the DC/Baltimore Chapter of the National Sales Network, I hosted the chapters final event of the year - Fall Networking Social event. Looks like the season of parties has now officially started with a whirlwind of events. I think I have a party or something to go to every weekend up until the 1st of year. Only thing I don't have anything planned yet is on New Years Eve. We will probably stay home again this year. We used to have a New Years Day dinner with Ron's family every year for the last 4-5 years or so at Shirley's house (Ron's mom) but she has moved in with her future husband and they are not volunteering this year. Ron is not up to hosting it. Not sure why and I'm don't really want to ask because that would mean I'd be working on planning & organizing. We will see.

The NSN Party was a hit and we had a wonderful time. In the picture to the left my daughter Erin (Chair, Membership Committee), my husband Ron, myself and the founder of NSN, David Richardson.

A Diva Makeup Outing

Today I indulged myself in a rather expensive yet totally luxurious afternoon with a private session at Nordstrom with Trish McEvoy and her legions of makeup artists. We started with a workshop with Trish (while munching on cheese, fruit, veggies, etc.) learning so many neat makeup tips and beauty secrets. I felt like the Diva that I know I am. If you can't be thin - you certainly can look absolutely smashing everywhere else. After the workshop we were wisked away by one of her makeup artists that (with absolutely no pressure) asked you about your goals for the day, what you wanted to work on or learn and then spent the next 2 hours working with you on your face. My biggest takeaway...I don't need to wear my foundation so heavy and a eye cream is a secret miracle. I walked away with almost everything and a new Trish Planner to store it all. You should have seen me struttin' my stuff as I walked out of there with my bags (one bag was filled with Trish gifts to include the book pictured to the left). Princess moment. I wish all of my girlfriends a princess/diva moment at least once a year!

Another great adventure.

TASTE OF COOKING - CHARLIE BROWN THANKSGIVING

At my recent company's quarterly planning meeting we did a little team building event called a Taste of Cooking. After a full day (actually we had already been at the meeting for 3 days) of sitting in a meeting room and frying your brain on corporate knowledge, we went to cook our own damn dinner. We thought we were going to a cooking school or some really nice place and we ended up at some crazy cooking ladies house that was straight out of Charlie Brown's Thanksgiving. The table was like a kids table with folding chairs, silverware you could bend like in the Matrix, paper napkins and mix match china.

And to add insult to injury...we were not allowed to drink the wine while we were slaving over the stove for this instructor.
I got in trouble several times and was eventually put in time out on the living room couch for forgetting to put the mayo in the crab cakes. FOR THE LOVE OF GOD... how will the crab cakes stay together without it. Well, the did and they were wonderful. Others got reprimanded for not cutting an onion correctly - who knew? and for forgetting the potatoes...We will drink the wine for our carbs thank you very much. Despite all of the drama, the company was good and we had a great time with each other. To see all of the pictures from the CHARLIE BROWN THANKSGIVING set your browser to:

http://picasaweb.google.com/nsndcbalt/TasteOfCooking?authkey=DDIOAwbPJCVBtZ8RneZKeEE2itA

The Future of Army Cheerleading

Take a look at the future of Army Cheerleading. Cara went to school on Halloween in her Army Cheerleading outfit yesterday. She attends a private Christian Academy and we got in a little trouble when we went to pick her up for dressing her in a costume. "We don't celebrate Halloween, you know." Well, LA DE DA. We don't either, but I didn't think it any harm to have her dress up as the DIVA she is in training for. SO THERE!

Since today is picture day, I ran right over to Target yesterday and bought her the cutest outfit (red sparkle pants with a matching holiday sweater and new kicks that have sparkles on them too) HA! Got comments now?

Anyway, Cara will be ready for the Army-Navy Football game. We are trying to teach her the Army Cheer. GO ARMY-BEAT NAVY