Da gov'nah
Mood:  a-ok
Now Playing: Dah Junkies
Topic: News

Governor Erlich is on the radio right now with the Sports Junkies... he invited them over for dinner on Feb. 13th. Being on the show is a great PR move for him... haha, he's got my vote next election! Actually, I think that I helped elect him. I'm pretty sure that I voted in that election... I know that I've only missed one. Hmmm.

Back to work, I'm going to actually get something done today!

friendses
Mood:  cool
Now Playing: Courthouse -- Isaak
Topic: Friends and Family
I've talked to quite a few "old friends" today and in the past few days. My friend Jeff is recently engaged and is expecting a baby! Well, his fiance is the one who's pregnant, obviously, lol. He's one of my LC friends, I met him a few years ago... so he wouldn't really be an OLD friend, but just one that I don't talk to very often. Anyway, he just completed his art college stint and is now trying to find a job... which leads me to think about my other friend Ray, who also just graduated from art college. Ray classifies as a old friend... I knew him from when he was in a punk band called Code Blue... I think they were from Bowie. Maybe Crofton? Anyway, I guess I've known him for 6 years or so... we have sporadic email contact, usually once every few months will keep in contact, then lose email addresses, etc...

More later if I have time, I have yet another headache and I need to get some work done!

ouch
Mood:  hug me
Now Playing: here without you
Topic: Work
I've got a bitch of a headache.

I think that I work in a sick building, because other people have a headache, too. Maybe it's because there was a VP meeting today and everyone is thinking about the changes that are inevitably coming. I'm sure that they won't be better, either. This place seemed so great when I first started. Now I don't think it's quite so great. I know that I make decent money, but the benefits here I'm a little disappointed in. The leave amounts we get aren't that great, our vacation, personal days and sick time are all one in the same; no differentiation. (is that a word?) I can't think, my head hurts. The medical here sucks, but I guess it's better than having no insurance. Especially for me, queen of doctor's appointments and prescriptions. Ugh.

Maybe things will change. I sure hope so.

Made it through the weekend
Mood:  not sure
Now Playing: Build me up buttercup
Topic: Weekend happenings
There was some awesome football on this weekend... definitely the best playoffs that I've ever seen. I hope that the trend continues! There is nothing that I hate worse than seeing some team get blown out of the water.

I'm sad that Green Bay didn't make it to the NFC championship game... the last play (INT) that Favre made may have cost them the game, but there was a 4th & 1 situation (with 2:30 left in the 4th quarter) that I felt they should have taken... if they could have gotten a TD on that drive, they would have won the game. You have to give all of the teams that played this weekend credit, because they all played hard. My favorite game was the double overtime Rams-Panthers game... that was really fantastic. I think that I got so wrapped up in the games that I made myself physically ill. My stomach was really upset for most of the weekend.

I had a nice time with my dad on Saturday... we ended up getting 2 pairs of tennis shoes. It was freezing outside, though, and I had on my heavy coat -- which proved to nearly kill me later in the day. All of the running through the mall (I would estimate that we walked 1-1.5 miles shopping) had me sweating a lot. I felt like I would even pass out at one point. I met up with Kurtis at Jillian's for the Junkies appearance and I'm sure that I was acting really weird, but as hot as I was, I thought I was going to faint or throw up at any time. Being in a mob of people waiting to meet the Junkies didn't help much, either. They were all really nice, it was cool to meet them... although I'd like to see them again under different circumstances!

Much work to do, more later.

2004
Mood:  happy
Now Playing: Courthouse -- Isaak
Topic: Introspection
This year has really started out well, except for New Year's Day which I spent mostly in bed with a bitch of a migraine. And not from drinking, either! I started off the new year by making some hefty payments on several bills, which made me feel good. Had a tasty hunk of fillet mignon, got good deals at Bath & Body works...

Then came the Joe Gibbs announcement... I was ecstatic! Now today, another piece of news which I will not share yet, but will certainly help my life in some fashion. It remains to be seen how much it will help, but I will find out within the next few weeks.

Tomorrow I get to find out if taking one or another ADD drug will help me think any clearer and be more organized. I wonder if drugs are really the answer... I have no doubt that taking Wellbutrin has helped me incredibly. I wonder if I've always been depressed or it was just certain events that would get me down. I tend to think that I may have been depressed my whole life, just more at certain times than others. I remember thinking how bad my life sucked, and I wonder if it was that bad. I know that there were certainly some times that I had that weren't so pleasant, and I have gone through a lot. In more recent years, a lot of it I brought on myself, I guess because that's what I was used to. But look at me now, how normal I feel. Even *gasp* happy at times?! Certainly not happy at work most of the time, but in other areas of my life, I'm happy. I doubt that many people actually like their jobs, anyway. I'm eventually going to go back to college, although I won't be able to go full-time. I'm still searching for my true passion in life. Everything that I get really excited about doing, I start strongly but always finish weakly. Hmm. ADD? Supposedly that's a sign.

Guess we'll see. Will my life be even better by this time next year? It's good now, but it can always be better... and I am in control of my own destiny, so only I can make it better. I can't depend on others to do it for me.

Ahh, time to get back to work. I'll try to post over the weekend, especially after the games. Speaking of football, the sports junkies are supposed to be at Jillian's tomorrow at the Mills. Maybe I'll get to meet them!

Happy, Happy Joy, Joy
Mood:  rushed
Now Playing: Two Hearts -- Isaak
Topic: Football
Only 15 minutes left until the biggest press conference of the decade -- the official Gibbs announcement! Too bad I'm going to miss it. I'm sure that they'll replay it tonight on the news; at least the highlights. Or maybe I should leave work now?

Been a busy day, went to my doctor this morning and she wrote me a new prescription for my Wellbutrin, we upped it 100 mg a day, because I've been bitchy and down lately. I'm also going to try Ritalin and Concerta to see if they help my concentration any better... if I go crazy on them, that will mean I don't have ADD!

I'm still all achy and sore throat-y, I even took my herbal microwave wrap thing to work to put on my shoulder... that shoulder has been hurting for the past two weeks, it sucks! I don't know if I'm sleeping on it funny or what, it's annoying that I have so many aches and pains. People at work swear by their chiropractors, I'm thinking that when I go see my OTHER doctor on Monday (my yearly "well woman exam", what fun!) that I'll ask her for a referral. She's my favorite doc except for my therapist. She's really young and is also my GP (I would have said PCP, but that sounds weird)... she was finishing her internship or whatever it's called before you take your doctor exam thingy... she's really in on the latest technology and stuff. I really feel that I can tell her anything, which is a nice relationship to have with your doctor. Since I've been an adult, I've never had any real working relationship with a GP, since when I was a kid I went to the same pediatrician until I was 16 or something.

Well, I have to get going... see if I can sneak out early and catch at least part of the press conference! (We still have a bottle of champagne left from New Year's... I think that this deserves a toast!)

AWESOME article on the new Gibbs era from ESPN
Mood:  happy
Now Playing: Changes - 3 doors down
Topic: Football
Kurtis just sent me this article, it's by far the best one that I've read and almost brought tears to my eyes. I can't wait until next year's season... it's going to be impossible to get tickets, though... I don't care, I'll even sit in the nosebleeds to see the NEW Skins!



Check out the article by Tom Friend

Or, read it here:

Wednesday, January 7, 2004


By Tom Friend
ESPN The Magazine

I can't wait for Redskins-Cowboys again.

I can't wait for Joe Gibbs' rematch with Bill Parcells -- without Lawrence Taylor!

What, this isn't big news to you? The Redskins rehiring Joe Gibbs? If it's not, the hell with you then. This would be the equivalent of Casey Stengel returning to mange the Yankees. Or Vince Lombardi returning to coach the Packers. This is a Hall of Fame coach coming back to where he belongs. This isn't Parcells selling his soul to Jerry Jones. Joe Gibbs turned down NFL jobs for 11 years, and I'll tell you why -- because he's a better man than Parcells. You think Gibbs would've come out of retirement to coach the Panthers? Or the Falcons? Or the, gulp, Cowboys? Never. Never in a million years. He's no Parcells. He's no sell-out. He was a Redskin in '81, and it looks like he's a Redskin again. And I promise you'll never hear another peep out of Dan Snyder.

With the Redskins on the brink of becoming the Arizona Cardinals, Snyder has done what he had to do: he's gone retro. Dan Snyder is conniving, and Dan Snyder is impatient, but the one person he'll never interfere with is Joseph Gibbs.

Do you know who Dan Snyder is? He's a kid from Charles W. Woodward High School in Rockville, Md. who grew up during the Redskin golden years. He grew up at a time Edward Bennett Williams was hiring Vince Lombardi and then George Allen to save the franchise. You think Steve Spurrier was a big name? Hah! Lombardi, now that's a name. Allen, that's a name. Dan Snyder grew up in an era where, from 1971-92, the Redskins had exactly two losing seasons, a 6-10 in 1980 and a 7-9 in '88. Other than that, it was five Super Bowl appearances and three titles, all courtesy of Joe Gibbs. It was Sonny and Billy and Hanburger in the 70s, and it was Gibbs and Riggo and Joey T. and Monk in the 80s. It was Sunday night celebrations at Duke Zieberts, it was Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan in the owner's box and it was RFK Stadium throbbing, throbbing.

Did little Dan Snyder get spoiled by it all? Of course he did. I went to a high school down the street from Snyder's, Wootton, and I got spoiled, too. From 1969-92, the team had three Hall of Fame head coaches. From 1971-85, they had just three celebrity quarterbacks -- Sonny Jurgensen, Bill Kilmer and Joe Theismann. And after that, you could've handed Gibbs anybody (even someone named Danny Wuerffel), and he'd have won with him. I mean, Gibbs won Super Bowls with Theismann, Doug Williams and Mark Rypien. He made the last two guys Super Bowl MVPs. It was football nirvana, and a young Dan Snyder even sat in the stands for the last game Gibbs ever coached, a playoff game in San Francisco in 1992. He sat in the stands and cheered. Lost his voice.

So there you have it. Now you know why Dan Snyder is nuts for the Redskins. Now you know why he overpaid Spurrier and why, after that mistake, he's reaching out to Gibbs. Now you know why he wants a celebrity coach, why he wishes he could walk into ol' Duke Zieberts and get standing ovations, the way Edward Bennett Williams used to, the way George Allen used to, the way every Redskin used to.

He could've hired Jim Fassel -- and if Gibbs falls through, he still might. But getting Joe Gibbs is bigger than big. I don't care if he's 63, and I don't care if he can only hold up until he's 65. This franchise needed credibility and it needed an old friend. And when Dan Snyder reintroduces Joe Gibbs as head coach, he will be able to just put his feet up and watch.

You think the game's passed him by? Please. Take a look at Dick Vermeil, Parcells. They're just as ancient, and look what they did this year. I'm guessing Gibbs will bring old buddy Joe Bugel back as his assistant head coach, and I bet he'll bring Russ Grimm back from Pittsburgh and groom him to be his successor. He'll also probably hire former Bills coach Gregg Williams as his defensive coordinator, and I bet he'll work smoothly with Snyder's personnel director, Vinny Cerrato (Vinny's mentor is Lou Holtz; he's been around legends before).

He'll have to get used to free agency and instant replay, but don't think for a minute he'll tolerate the cell phones and the eccentricities of today's young players. When I covered the Redskins for the Washington Post in the 80s, Joe Gibbs had his hand in everything. He was a control freak who slept at the office and who wanted lunch pail, work ethic players. At the same time, he knows how to deal with egos. He had Riggins and Theismann and Dexter Manley eating out of the palm of his hand. He's a people person.

And now the rivalries will fire up again. Back then, Giant Week was as bad as Cowboy Week. He was always afraid L.T. would kill his quarterback, so sometimes he'd only send one receiver out in a pattern and use everyone else to block. You think Patrick Ramsey's gonna get killed this year? Forget it.

He's more of disciplinarian than you'll ever know. He'll run three-hour practices in pads. Free agent Champ Bailey will want to stay now. LaVar Arrington will stop freelancing. If Ramsey thought Steve Spurrier knew quarterbacking, wait until he gets a load of Gibbs.

Gibbs is also the master of adjustment. At halftime, he'd always come up with some new wrinkle, and he'll adjust to the new NFL, too. I found it amusing how people say that Spurrier came to the NFL to see if his Fun 'N Gun would work and then quit when he realized it wouldn't. What a loser! Gibbs came to the Redskins in 1981 with the same reputation as a gun-slinging coach, straight from the Air Coryell Chargers. But after an 0-5 start, he looked at his roster and adjusted, became a run-first offense behind Riggins. He didn't quit, he didn't run off to play golf. It took guts to do what change everything, but Joe Gibbs is no dummy.

And he'll do it again. It won't be easy to win, not without a defensive line, but I bet they make a run at free agent defensive end Darren Howard or Jevon Kearse. And I bet Gibbs won't quit until he has his Redskins, his one and only Redskins, back in contention. The only coach who seemed to have his number in the old days was Parcells, but now he'll get another shot at the Tuna -- twice a year! I only wish Spurrier hadn't gutted his backfield, hadn't run Stephen Davis out of town. Because that would've been something to see ... Stephen Davis running 50-gut.

But that's okay. Joe Gibbs won with a scat back named Joe Washington, and he'll win with a scatback named Trung Canidate.

Can we play at RFK?

Tom Friend writes for ESPN The Magazine.

It's OFFICIAL!!!! (at least he made a statement)
Mood:  celebratory
Topic: Football
From the Washington Post Article

Joe Gibbs, the legendary coach who led the Washington Redskins to three Super Bowl titles in the 1980s and early '90s, announced today he will return as head coach of the Redskins.

"The desire to coach has always been with me, even after being away from the game for 11 years," said Gibbs in a statement released by his NASCAR team, Joe Gibbs Racing, in North Carolina. "After speaking with my wife Pat, we both agreed it would be a thrill to go back. I appreciate Daniel Snyder giving me the opportunity to coach again. But rest assured, I remain personally committed to Joe Gibbs Racing and each and every sponsor who supports the many employees of Joe Gibbs Racing."

Gibbs, 63, has agreed to a five-year contract, the statement said. The terms of the agreement were not immediately available, but sources said his contract will contain provisions that will keep Gibbs with the Redskins even after he finishes coaching.

Team officials said earlier today they would comment later. Gibbs was expected to be formally introduced as the Redskins new coach at a news conference on Thursday.

Gibbs has already been working to assemble a coaching staff, and sources said there was a strong possibility that he would bring in former Buffalo Bills head coach Gregg Williams as defensive coordinator. Williams was a highly successful defensive coordinator for the Tennessee Titans before his three years with the Bills, in which he was 17-31, with a 5-15 mark against AFC East teams.

Another of Gibbs's assistant coaches appears likely to be Joe Bugel, his offensive line coach during the team's glory days. Bugel is the former head coach of the Oakland Raiders and Arizona Cardinals and served as an unpaid consultant to the Redskins this season.

The Redskins have been looking for a coach since Steve Spurrier resigned eight days ago. Owner Daniel Snyder and vice president of football operations Vinny Cerrato were known to have conducted face-to-face interviews with three other candidates -- former New York Giants coach Jim Fassel, former Minnesota Vikings coach Dennis Green and Seattle Seahawks defensive coordinator Ray Rhodes.


Next season, the Skins will go AT LEAST 9-7 and while they may not make the playoffs next year, they will most assuredly make them in 2005. Super Bowl Champions within the next 3 years. Just you see!

Finding Peace in the Office
Topic: Work
Here is an article that was on the front page of MSN today from their career section, apparently it came from careerbuilder.com. I think I'm going to print it out and post it in my cubicle. I'll be good, though -- I won't write names beside each personality type (after all, I only have limited space, right?! haha).

Finding Peace in the Office

Handling Difficult Coworkers
Like any social situation, a professional environment is bound to have its good and bad apples. There is no rule that says that once you find a job, you will enjoy working with each of your coworkers. In fact, you are bound to run into a colleague who irritates or even offends you. In these situations, it often becomes your responsibility to maintain a professional attitude. Here are some common types of "nightmare coworkers" and tips on how to keep your reputation intact, no matter what.
1. The Office Gossip - Most offices have one person with a direct connection to the company grapevine. This person has the "scoop" all the time and is not afraid to share it. While it can be fun to be in on the office news for a while, it is best to be cautious when presented with office gossip. The majority of gossip is false and hurtful. If you keep information to yourself instead of passing it on, your coworkers will come to see you as reliable and trustworthy. In addition, deciding not to spread gossip is one of the best ways to keep yourself from eventually becoming the subject.

2. The Constant Complainer - Misery loves company, and some individuals are just not happy in any situation. These employees are not afraid to complain, and do it often and vocally. But in an office environment, negativity often means lower productivity and company morale. Complainers typically seek out others who will share their grief. Your best bet is to listen respectfully if someone approaches you to vent, but not to join in. Sooner or later, the complainer will stop using you as a sounding board and you will not have to risk being labeled a negative employee.
3. The Nosey Neighbor - Many workplaces are set up in an open environment, with employees situated in cubes rather than in offices. This layout is great for employees who love to learn as much as possible about coworkers' professional and personal lives. If you are faced with a colleague who always knows what is going on in your life, you might want to be more discreet at work. This means keeping personal calls to a minimum, or utilizing a conference room to handle personal business. If your nosey neighbor has truly crossed the line, talk to your manager about the situation. The company may be able to make adjustments in the office layout to provide you with more privacy.
4. The Office Thief - The office thief typically is not known for stealing pens and pencils, but for stealing credit and ideas. You may find that an idea you brought up casually is later presented formally by this individual, with no reference to your input. Unfortunately, you won't do yourself much good by yelling "that was my idea!" Steer clear of this person, particularly when it comes to brainstorming or sharing ideas and materials. Be professional, but also be guarded in your interactions with the office thief.
5. The All-Around Unpleasant Coworker - While some individuals in the office cause problems without being blatantly offensive, this individual is downright nasty. He or she is rude, arrogant, condescending, and just not enjoyable to be around. There are a couple of tips for dealing with this coworker. The first is realizing that you never know the whole story. This person might have something going on in his or her life that is causing the negativity. Try having an open conversation - privately, of course - to discuss the interactions between the two of you, but be careful about how you approach the conversation. You want to be seen as supportive and open, rather than accusing. Next, talk to your manager or human resources rep about the situation. It never hurts to document issues, and you may be able to decrease the amount of interaction you have with this individual.
Bottom line: If you keep out of the negative situations that arise, you will save yourself a great deal of heartache in the future. Remember that the workplace is an environment that mixes a wide variety of personality types. The trick is staying true to yourself, getting your job done and doing what you can to ensure you are happy at the end of each day, even if it means biting your tongue from time to time.

I'll be good and not put any names down. ;-)

LOTR lyrics
Mood:  lyrical
Now Playing: All you wanted -- Michelle Branch
Topic: Lord of the Rings
I just wanted to post lyrics to 3 of the songs from ROTK..

I found this one while browsing through other people's blogs, these are the lyrics (hopefully the correct ones)to the song Peregrin Took aka Pippin sings to Denethor while Faramir is on his suicide mission to reclaim Osgiliath.

Home is behind, the world ahead,
There are many paths to tread,
Through shadow, to the edge of night,
Until the stars are all alight,
Mist and shadow,
Cloud and Shade
Home shall fade,
home shall,
Fade.

May it be is on the soundtrack to Fellowship of the Ring and it is a particularly haunting song performed by Enya. It sends shivers down my spine when I hear it.

May it be an evening star
Shines down upon you
May it be when darkness falls
Your heart will be true
You walk a lonely road
Oh! How far you are from home

Mornie utulie (darknesss has come)
Believe and you will find your way
Mornie alantie (darknesss has fallen)
A promise lives within you now

May it be the shadows call
Will fly away
May it be your journey on
To light the day
When the night is overcome
You may rise to find the sun

Mornie utulie (darknesss has come)
Believe and you will find your way
Mornie alantie (darknesss has fallen)
A promise lives within you now

A promise lives within you now

The final lyrics are to Gollum's song which is on the Two Towers soundtrack and is performed by Emiliana Torrini... I think that the song goes very well with his character. The lyrics talk about how the ring corrupted him and I believe the song is also talking about Frodo's struggle with the ring, particularly the stanzas at the end when he says that he can never go home. Although Frodo did return "home" to the Shire, he realized that he couldn't stay there which is why he went on the last ship to the Grey Havens (which would be likened to heaven in Christianity, I believe).

where once was light
now darkness falls
where once was love
love is no more

don't say - goodbye
don't say - I didn't try

these tears we cry are falling rain
for all the lies you told us
the hurt, the blame!

and we will weep
to be so alone
we are lost!
we can never go home

so in the end
I will be - what I will be
no loyal friend
was ever there for me

now we say - goodbye
we say - you didn't try

these tears you cry
have come too late
take back the lies
the hurt, the blame!

and you will weep
when you face the end alone
you are lost!
you can never go home