Here's to the New Year!

[Insert fake MOO's here]

Are you kidding me?

Ugh... the FDA has lost its damn mind. So has the Corporate Farming Industry, the US Government & the media, etc. if they think that any of this is even remotely okay.

Double ugh.

If they want to produce this crap, go ahead. It's a free country. But at the very least, give me the OPTION of knowing whether or not the food I buy is made up of cloned or genetically altered animals or plants by putting a label on them.

For your reading pleasure:

FDA gives okay to cloned meat & milk safety (CNN)

Boston Globe article - "Meat, Milk From Cloned Animals OK'd"

Wonkettes take on this issue

I'm ready... bring on 2007!

I know in my heart that things WILL get better... I do. Today, I choose to be a "glass-half-full" kind of gal. But I'm having a hard time believing it at this particular moment b/c I may lose my house. And though I shouldn't have done it, I went to get my hair trimmed earlier this afternoon in the hopes it would make me feel a little better, give me a confidence boost, SOMETHING positive, but all it did was highlight how much freakin' gray I have. Grrrr...

Oh well. I got myself into this mess. One way or another, I'll get myself out. I just need someone to offer me a damn job (for what I'm worth). I'm sure someone will after the new year begins... but meanwhile I feel like I'm drowning.

I also wish my stress wasn't causing stress for the people in my life I care about most. Sigh. But I know that it is. I don't want them to worry. I know some of them wish they could fix this for me and if they had the means, some of them actually would.

I don't know what else to say. Except, please keep me in your prayers & thoughts. If you can visualize an awesome job for me (e.g. Long Beach area, a decent salary to pay ALL my bills, good benefits, flexible schedule, casual environment, etc.), it will manifest!

Also... be patient with me. I'm doing the best I can. Sometimes I'm gonna be sad, crabby, or distant. Sometimes I'm gonna seem downright insensitive. It isn't personal. I'm trying not to dump all my worries/concerns on y'all. Please also know that I can (and will) listen if you need to talk about stuff that's going on in your lives. I do care and besides, it gets me out of my own head. Which is a good thing!

That's it from my little bog blog for today.

Oh, just in case I forget between now and Monday -- Happy New Year!

Wasting my time...

Why do companies insist on wasting my time? My resume clearly states my salary requirements! Yet, these companies call me in for interviews anyway, blow smoke up my arse about how great I am, how great they are, then spend an hour grilling me on why I think I'm a good match for this position -- then they drop the bomb and tell me they will only pay up to $__ an hour!! Are you kidding me? I could work at Starbucks for that much, with full bennies and a lot less BS. I have 15+ years of experience. I'm good at what I do. And I'm smart, so I can probably run circles around those that would be willing to accept such a piddly offer. You say you want qualified applicants with a college degree, years of experience, etc. but then you want to pay them crap wages. Buddy, I ain't that desperate. By the way... it's really lame to keep people waiting half of forever for a job interview YOU scheduled. If you're bad at managing your time, that's your problem, but I've got stuff I'd much rather be doing than twidling my thumbs in a business suit listening to the Security Guards talk smack about co-workers. Jerks.

Hi Ho, Hi Ho... it's back to the job search I go.

So, I'd been interviewing w/ this (seemingly) really awesome company over the past several weeks... And you have NO idea how much I wanted this. It was so completely right up my ally, with the right salary range too, uber short commute, 100% paid bennies, etc. But sadly, I just got a phone call from the recruiter that they've decided to eliminate the position altogether and therefore don't have anything to offer me.

Which means that it's back to the job search. Less than a week before Xmas. The worst time of year to be looking for work. Grrr... I'm bummed. And I'm broke.

Oh well... the "glass half full" girl in me says that this means the "Right Job" is still out there waiting for me. I just wish it would hurry up and get here already. I'm not exactly a patient woman. Know what I'm saying?!

HaHa... this made me laugh!

How Can I Tell You?

But I can't think of right words to say ... and my words just blow away.

Note to Self:

I just cannot compete with 22 year olds... especially pretty blond ones.

I can't compete with Singles, Smug Marrieds, those without mortgages, and certainly not those sans kids. Can't compete with the hilariously funny either, the awesomely fit, the stupendously witty, or those folks who are easily amused in general. I can't compete against top shelf liquor drinks, loud music, hip night clubs, uber fancy clothes, fast cars, or partying into the wee hours. I can't even compete with the old me - the girl that used to have a good paying job, could afford the most perfect &/or thoughtful gifts, had a funky fashion sense that people actually admired and mos def I'm not the girl who could just up and "GO" whenever or wherever she wanted to.

It's impossible.
And it's depressing.

Sigh.

Dreidel, Dreidel, Dreidel...

So, tonight was kind of weird.

I went to a Hanukkah party up in LA. I took Dexy of course and my friend Debe. I was excited to have a Jewish family to celebrate the holiday with. I was excited to be celebrating a Jewish holiday again period b/c frankly, I've been very lax about keeping a Jewish home since moving back to CA.

But instead of leaving the party with a sense of being re-connected, I just ended up feeling completely dis-connected. Like I didn't belong. Like I was from another planet. Like I was some kind of conspicuous impostor.

I ended up missing the Jewish community in Tucson more than ever. I missed the Shabbos dinners at Rabbi Jonathan and Ginny's. Studying Torah with other GAP members every week at Cafe Paraiso. Sukkot at Hillel on the UofA campus. Pesach with the Goodmans... or ANY Jewish holiday @ the Goodmans for that matter. Most of all, I missed Harvey saying the blessing before lighting the menorah ("Baruch atah Adonai, Eloheinu melech ha-olam, asher kid'shanu b'mitzvotav v'tzivanu l'hadlik neir (shel) chanukah"), the smell of latkes cooking on the stove, Judith's scrumptious cooking (OMG, did she make one hell of a Brisket!), Brooke & Daniel schmoozing their dad for Hanukkah gelt (real & chocolate)... you get the idea right?

So, I've been trying to determine how best to create meaningful spiritual/holiday traditions for my daughter since she came into my life this past June. Certainly, I want her to to look back on her childhood some day and have fond memories of growing up and celebrating the holidays.

My mother made the holidays magical when I was a child. Daniel's family made them magical for me as a young adult. And I want that for Dex.

But where to begin?

Happy Birthday Turtle Baby!

Dex is 6 months old today! Considering how fast these six months have already blazed by since she arrived it seems certain that she will be walking and talking (borrowing the car keys, asking for a cell phone, etc.) sooner rather than later and I'm just so NOT ready for any of it!! I want to cherish and savor every single moment of her littleness, before it's gone forever.

Today's measurements/stats:
Length = 28"
Weight = 17 lbs, 12 oz

Also ... she has an slight ear infection in both ears, a new bottom tooth, cough/cold which is giving her the raspy breathing & intermittent tummy troubles from starting solid foods about 2 weeks ago. Poor baby! It's been a rough few weeks for her. But her daddy is here this weekend, which is a wonderful thing for both Dex and I. All is right with the world as far as I'm concerned.

'Nuff said.

Cingular can blow me

Seriously.

Fewest dropped calls?! That's a freakin' hoot. Me thinks they have neglected to test out that claim here in the LA/OC area because it seems like EVERY call is a dropped call for me lately.

I think I'll chuck my phone out the window w/ the computer. It all sucks. Stupid technology glitch bastards.

It's been one of those days. You know, the ones where you wake up & wish you'd never bothered. I'd really like to climb back into bed & start over please.

My dopey dog tracked mud into the house & also all over Dex w/ her muddy face & tongue. If I thought the carpets, couch & kitchen floor were dirty before, well now they are certifiably disgusting. I wanted to give her the Gas Pipe or at least a good swift kick to the head (note to the PETA folks: I do NOT actually hit my animals, not ever!).

One of the sprinklers broke in the backyard which created a pond (hence Ms. Muddy Marley Paws). The holidays are coming & I ain't got any $ to make it all cozy sweet for my little family (I hate not keeping up w/ the Jones's). Someone who shall remain nameless can be a real arse at times - whatever happened to being supportive of each other no matter what? I'm missing my mum so much it actually makes my guts hurt. And, lastly my dad can be the meanest of the Blue Meanies ever!

Sigh.

Man, I so need a hug today.

Every B(l)og has its sinkholes, gators & glitches

Don't know what it is... but no matter whether I'm posting a blog here, or on MySpace, Tribe.net, etc., if I type it up in MS Word first and then try to cut/paste the text into a new post, the formatting gets all screwy. Makes me INSANE.

Any suggestions would be most welcome. I'm about the chuck this whole computer into the yard for a serious stomping party.

Cheers,

C ~

All Dex wants for Xmas (is her other front tooth)...

For those of you who asked...

* Britax Marathon convertible Car Seat (color: Onyx)
* Stokke Tripp Trapp High Chair (color/finish: LIME GREEN)
* Blanket Sleepers w/ feet (size: 9-12 months or larger)
* GAP baby socks (size: 6-12 months or larger)
* Pampers "Cruisers" diapers (size: #3 or #4)
* California Baby "CALMING" Shampoo & Bodywash
* Aveeno baby lotion (colloidal oatmeal)
* Avent 9 oz Magic Cup (sippy cups)

* Books, books, books!! E.g. "Ramona The Pest", "Pippi in the South Seas", "Pippi Goes To School", "The Secret Garden", "Misty of Chincoteague", "Black Beauty", "Nancy Drew", "Harold and The Purple Crayon", "Olivia and The Missing Toy", "Olivia Counts", "The Giving Tree", "The Grouchy Ladybug", "The Very Lonely Firefly", "James and The Giant Peach", "Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH", "Goodnight Moon", "How I Became a Pirate", "Do Pirates Take Baths?", "Bang, Bang, Who’s There?", "Serendipity", "Little House on the Prairie", "The Keeping Quilt", "I Love My Daddy", "When Mama Comes Home Tonight", etc.

SIDE NOTES -
Let me know if you need author/publication info for the books. Dex now weighs about 18 pounds and is 28" long - which puts her clothing sizes in the 9-12 month range (depending on the brand)...

Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah and a Joyous New Year to you all!

Love and kisses,

Cher & Dexy ~

Broke A** - That's me.

I haven't been this broke since I was in college. It's good to remember the "lean" times. Keeps me humble right? Of course right... the problem however is that unlike my college days, I actually have adult responsibilities that are rather crushing at times. You know, the usual back breaking stuff like a mortgage, child care costs, food, car maintenance, etc.

I did have a very promising interview w/a company in Cypress, which is about 12 minutes commute from my front door. Believe me when I tell you, in Los Angeles / Southern CA, things like that REALLY matter. So, the position I interviewed for would put me back in project management again - and that would not suck.

I am tired of doing Exec Assistant stuff. Have been for a long time. It's not what I went to college for, it's not what I did for nearly 10 years at the University of Arizona, and it's really not what I want to do for the rest of my life.

Not that Exec Assistants are lame (they're not), it's just that I tend to excel in a position where I can do what needs to be done without having to ask permission and where I get to wear many "hats" and where I don't have someone breathing over my shoulder checking up on me every second of every damn day. LOL.

Anyway, bottom line is that I need a J-O-B. Yo. And I need one soon.

Meanwhile, I keep plugging away on Monster.com and I have signed up w/ some temp agencies in the hopes that I can at least get some onesie-twosie stuff to have some money coming in between now and finding a permanent position. Wish me luck y'all... not much else to say but that.

Must go pick up my little Turtle from day care. Signing off for now.

Peace!

C ~

Barenaked in Las Vegas

May I just say that BNL freakin' rocked The Aladdin last Friday night? Well, they did. And my BF freakin' rocks for taking me to the show. Yes, he does.
< - - Even Steve Page thinks he is A-Okay!