<p>Hot Jalapeno Crab Dip, Garlic/Cream cheese chip/veggie dip, Buffalo chicken wing dip, spinach artichoke dip, and a salsa/cream cheese dip. All easy. I didn’t know what type of thing she was looking for (tail gate or Thanksgiving?) or if she wanted something that could be done in the oven or just cold. These were just ones that came to mind. 
I need lunch!</p>
<p>good luck on interviews
I never wore my cap, except n clinicals, no don’t wish to either. </p>
<p>BTW, MP, I think they will be happy to have you. Often times we turn our discomfort changing into projecting our negative thoughts on other people. Sometimes I will say someone doesn’t like me when in fact I don’t like them. projection. I always have to remind myself that positive change isn’t always comfortable at first. </p>
<p>Missypie, the overarching theme of our worship service last Sunday was change. At the top of the bulletin was a quote from Elizabeth Lesser:
As you know, I also just began a new job, and while I do tend to like technology, it’s still been uncomfortable going from feeling competent and knowledgeable in a position to stumbling around feeling like I don’t know much. And yes, it will get better for both of us!</p>
<p>All this talk of food is making me hungry. I’ve been trying to use our move and our bare cupboards as a way to eat less. It’s working, but I’m hungry. </p>
<p>Yes, I come from an era that saw nurses wearing caps. So glad it ended before I got my first job! Somewhat quaint - different caps for different schools - …but actually ridiculous.</p>
<p>MP I can only offer virtual hugs. There are words here from folks who are infinitely wiser than I. >:D< </p>
<p>One of my nurses had a frilly “cupcake” hat – and another had one with wings. I kind of miss those days, though I know they weren’t too practical. My cousin told me that ironing them was a pain. (Her RN was from a teaching hospital, back when you roomed in and trained right at the hospital.)</p>
<p>My mother was a secretary at one of the nursing schools in Ind. where the student lived there. She liked the students a lot and was a little jealous of them. She had been offered a deal with a family she nannied for–live with them and they would help with her tuition. She was stubborn and wanted to figure life out herself (she never did) and later saw what a mistake she had made. That said, cannot imagine her being a nurse on any level. </p>
<p>SOS–today, Wed., is DIL’s interview at 4:00. Thanks ahead for the fairy dust and whatever else you can bring on.
She loved the flowers and G’Son got the teddy that was hugging the vase. She found the fairy dust quite a wonderful idea.</p>
<p>My new rule is to be in bed by 12–I am one hour late already and can think of many interesting things to do right now but off I go. </p>
<p>Cq, what a gorgeous view! Nice reflection on change. So glad yours is working out.</p>
<p>Hugs to Missy! Of course, the people who worry about doing well are usually the ones who WILL do very well, so you’ve got my vote of confidence ;)</p>
<p>Fall Girl, I had to chuckle about your day off. I grant you a day off from your day off ;)</p>
<p>Sending fairy dust to Oregon’s DIL.</p>
<p>Am feeling slammed at the volume/pace of work right now…Black Friday stuff for retail clients is a pita in terms of multiple deadlines at a time I’m trying to train someone new. Worst part is people/prospects keep wanting to meet with me to talk about future, ‘maybe’ projects at a time when I’m in a “just get Er done” mode on my existing work. On one hand, I have to meet with them to generate new business…on the other hand, its excruciating to take the time when I have so many looming deadlines. Too many hats ;)</p>
<p>Good luck to your DIL , Oregon.
kmc I’m sending the energy to you to get through the black Friday slam.</p>
<p>Mp- Hugs. I totally get it. I hate change at work. whenever I have started a new job my first thought is can I just skip ahead in time a year or so when I will know everyone, feel comfortable with what I am doing, etc. </p>
<p>Managed to get a lot done early yesterday including shampooing carpets ( dog issues) before H’s parents showed up.</p>
<p>missy… can you switch the office space around with the use of extra long electrical cords/computer cords? Surely someone from maintenance can help out with that. You can run the cords along a baseboard or under a beautiful throw rug.</p>
<p>Fairy dust sent for med school interview! :)</p>
<p>cq…what an awesome view! I hope your are settling in at the apartment and in your new job. Wishing you much happiness with your new journey.</p>
<p>RM…sending much peace and happiness as the shower approaches. What thoughtful gifts of time and art you are offering!</p>
<p>kmc…you are such a dynamo! Sending you strength and perseverance to get through the Holiday season with your new employee and demanding work schedule!</p>
<p>Sending out good thoughts to everyone to have a good day! </p>
<p>Today the awesome view is shrouded in fog. Feels like I’m living in a cloud!</p>
<p>Thinking of all of you - shower, interviews, busy work schedules, adjustments, rest.</p>
<p>Everyone on CC is so sweet to me. I agree about wanting to fast forward to a few months from now to a point at which I am competent and helpful. I will learn to live with the backward office. I finally received a copy of the little “Welcome to Headquarters” booklet, so for the first time I know the numbers for maintenance, the help desk, etc. I will feel a lot better when I am actually allowed into the computer system for real. I’m told that requests can take up to 7 business days and I am trying not to be ticked off that they certainly had more than 7 business days prior notice of my arrival but failed to make the request. (Everyone suffers when companies drastically reduce the number of administrative assistants.)</p>
<p>Y’all are doing such great things.c_q, your attitude is wonderful and you deserve your terrific flat.</p>
<p>Sending good karma for the med school interview.</p>
<p>Oregon, I am trying to go to bed earlier and am trying (unsuccessfully) to read a book in bed rather than watching a sit com rerun for the 15th time. I am reading Under the Banner of Heaven, which was a best seller a few years back. Is there any type of extreme religious fundamentalism that does not involve the serious oppression of women? This book is about fundamentalist Mormons (the type who have been excommunicated from the LDS church), but you could fill in the blank with just about any extreme religious sect.</p>
<p>mp–second the adviceto call maintenance and resetting the office. It is bad enough that you have no windows. I had an office years ago with no windows for two years.It was tough. I did put a plant next to a lamp and it grew beautifully. You might try some full spectrum lights in some lamps. I am effected by my environment to the extreme. My D has the name of this syndrome. IF you can get things moved you might find yourself emotionally relaxing.</p>
<p>cq-love your view. We have a wonderful winter view and a good summer view. Many people think that once you get use to it you don’t notice anymore. I notice many times every day and night and always feel gratitude. I really love that my eyes can travel and see beauty as well as the weather approaching.</p>
<p>I also am trying to read in bed like the good ol days. I am loving “All the Light We Cannot See” by Anthony Doerr. It is written in a lovely style and is based on historical facts of WWII.</p>
<p>I am sorry we cannot help you cq. If you saw my schedule this week you would roll your eyes at my light weightedness.
I have this and that and all time consuming but nothing helpful to mankind (except yesterday) unless you count keeping myself looking ok as important. </p>
<p>ararab - I just checked out the Prune website… menus look great. (Moda, they have a Thanksgiving prix fixe although very, very expensive…including "Ocean Spray Cranberry Sauce’!! No Pepperidge Farm shrimp toasts though. 
)</p>
<p>Just to make you all feel better, I am barely counting keeping myself looking OK as important! Kinda kidding, but really it’s hardly necessary to do much other than shower and do laundry around here this time of year. However, I have gotten a ton of organizing done that I would never get done during the season. For a little space, it becomes important that everything has a place and it’s in its place. I am just about to reorganize the kitchen so I can access the stuff I actually use more easily. Dumb they way the previous owners did it, and even more so that I haven’t changed it. I’ve rehung some pictures and transferred some stuff to the basement since no longer using now that the built in is finished - and that’s about it! The cleaning girl was supposed to come today and yet never showed, never called. Mostly I keep her to be kind and knowing she needs the money because seriously how much mess can one person even make?</p>
<p>A friend of mine who I’ve known for like 35 years had moved back here in the spring with his gf - who we were all very unsure about, but certainly accepted and included. She basically decided to move back to Maryland over the weekend. Said old friend is a little bit reeling although 1) they’d only been together about 8 months, which seemed rather impulsive for her to move to the middle of nowhere and 2) she’d been flip flopping the last several weeks. Why I mention it is because this friend has been divorced twice, even though second marriage lasted well over 20 years, and in one day is already too lonely for what would make sense. Point being is the quote about change was perfectly timed. What I find most interesting is that even though I am not alone per se, I rather like the alone time. Of course, I have spent nearly all of my adult life putting other people’s needs ahead of myself or rather, making their priorities mine… so I am glad to have to only truly worry about myself.</p>
<p>So since I’ve spent the day trying to dispense insight and advice, I will tell Missy to basically make your office work for you! It’s not a big deal for one, and for two - you have EARNED that right. Making do is not necessary. You don’t need to have them rewire the place necessarily, nor do you have to be “difficult,” but I am pretty sure you can articulate to them exactly how you’d prefer it and frankly, the faster you feel at ease in your environment, the more confident and productive you will be. Win/win as far as I can see. </p>
<p>Oregon - totally crossing my fingers for your DIL, and I have to also say how impressed I am that she has not allowed getting married and starting a family interfere with her desire to become a physician. I am sure she’s prepared and done her research, re-read her own essays and the application etc… and is confident enough to be herself during the interviews. You don’t stay this true to your goals without a lot of foresight and planning. Life skills come from living a life and she is far ahead of the curve for MOST 24 year olds. Trust that and tell her to trust that too!</p>
<p>As for religion and women - I am convinced that way back in the cave, men realized that women were just that more efficient and smart in almost all things and decided that they only way they were going to maintain power over them was to limit opportunity and convince them otherwise to their worth. Just a theory, but I bet it’s already been written. :)</p>
<p>UGH… S waitlisted at state flagship. Bum - mer. Hoping that will change long term and even more so that his very top first choice will say YES!!</p>
<p>Sorry for the disappointing news, Modadunn.</p>
<p>Sad about the news Mod. D claims schools choose to do that routinely and it does not mean anything more than that they will look at the candidate application every round now.
Just her info.She did not here for interviews even until Feb-March for some schools.
Thanks for your kind words about DIL–she turned 22 last April. (I know–Gads).</p>
<p>Also rearranging and purging. Had lunch with a colleque. Her husband has 4 storage units and hoards his stuff throughout their home. She has “paths” through some rooms. He is a stay at home and very nurturing towards her but she sounded upset today and is giving him a deadline for the storage units. She needs to cut her hours down but can’t due to this type of thing. But not sure what she would every be willing to Do if he does not change things.</p>
<p>Hugs, Moda.
Oregon, the dynamic is likely different since this is my second marriage, and i was very autonomous coming in, but I will tell you that left to his devices, mch can be a world-class hoarder. When we discussed moving in together, I negotiated a dumpster, and identified areas where things would be allowed to accumulate un commented (we had a joint bedroom but each kept his n hers rooms too) and joint living space where it could not.</p>
<p>The first lucky break on breaking the hoarder habit was a flood of the basement of our old house that facilitated a serious departure of remaining treasure. The second lucky break was moving to the new house about five years later which gave rise to another 18-yard dumpster. And the third lucky break, though painful for mch, was the logical decision to create a home studio in the 1300 SF “second garage” that had received the remains which were methodically dumpstered or binned for the basement, depending on value/sentiment.</p>
<p>Today, we live in generally clear space, with a few areas that remain “his” to clutter as he chooses, but with community space that’s pretty wide open. I would hazzard a guess that he actually loves this now, as I can see he really enjoys this property and spends more time attending even his own spaces, which seem more organized.</p>
<p>I love the man dearly and am no neat freak myself (fond of my own meaningful clutter but generally dislike looking at it so find ways to stash it and ergo I was always torn about my seemingly “conditional” approach to loving a hoarder, but I only need to see pictures of his sister’s place to understand that I cannot live the way a bonafide serios hoarder lives. </p>
<p>Had we not been able to broker some clear space, I may have continued to live apart from him – which I might add, I had for several years. But in my case, it was still a gradual movement of sorts, and I had to wrestle with never making him “wrong” about a way of being that I signed on for by choosing to be with him. In other words, I needed to understand and communicate my own limits, without anger or making it mean anything about him personally, and let the balance lay in his willingness to accommodate me.</p>
<p>In your friend’s case, the question is who she was being about it before, and what has her crossing the line in the sand now? Is he willing to accommodate her, but perhaps unable to? Some people quite literally seem to be built differently that way, and have to habituate clutter-free practices such as setting aside a Saturday to pitch six months of accumulated mail 
(Ask me how I know ;)</p>
<p>Or is there a deeper resentment to work through? Eg. In my own case, it was always easy to appreciate the fact that my beloved worked sixteen hour days most days, and never carved out time to manage his accumulations. I might have been much less patient about it had he been home all day with little else to do. (We’ll see how that one works out once he’s retired and I’m still working for a decade ;)</p>
<p>Writing this makes me think there should be a help-for-hoarders group kind of a “fly lady” for guys!</p>
<p>I hope your friend works it out. I know its possible, though tricky!</p>
<p>I hope your S hears some good news soon, moda</p>