Wanna Think Outside The Cubicle?

“Wanna think outside the cubicle?” That was the first sentence of one of the feature articles that headlined the Yahoo website homepage this morning. The article goes on to say “for some people, a desk job can put a hold on career satisfaction”… Really? And then it states, “Some people are antsy and uncomfortable when they must stay seated all day”. Wow, I never contemplated that concept… NOT. I can definitely say in my experience that that statement cannot be any truer!! So how surprised was I that my job is in the Top 5 of “The 175 Best Jobs Not Behind a Desk”… Yes, Construction Management is the # 4 job in the “Top 5 Lucrative No-Desk Jobs”. I am speechless… I know that as a Project Manager in construction we tend to spend some time out on site, but not every day! Unless it a HUGE project and our office is set up on site and even then one does not hardly have the time to go out into the field still… When I was on that massive project up in Buford back in 2003-04, some weeks I felt like I lived in my cave of an office… I would not have time to go out on site for even just a few minutes… that is how busy I was… and most of my time was spent at a desk hovering a laptop! Sure, we get the pleasure of visiting our “projects” at least once a week when we are set up in the “main” office… but, I am still surprised that my job is in the Top 5… maybe the Top 50, but not the Top 5! Maybe that job name should be changed to Construction Superintendent… they are the ones having all the fun outside in the field… while I am stuck inside doing the paperwork and coordination… And believe me when I say that there is not a day that goes by that I do not ask myself why I chose this profession…

The Woman Behind The Woman

I got to spend some time yesterday with my grandmother. She was a hand-full to deal with the entire time I was with her. I tend to spend a lot my time (when I am with her) just watching her... her actions... her posture… her movements… she just seems a little “off-balanced” these days. Almost like her body is leaning physically a little too far to the left. The skin around her eyes seems really red and her other facial skin seems very pale. Her eyes are clouded and her legs and feet don’t move her around too well. Her clothes and hair are unkempt and her little bit of make-up missed the mark. And I just stare. It is so hard to see her like this… I take her out in public and people that we run into all tell her how good she looks… and I just stare in wonder at their words. Her words in conversation never cease to amaze me…the things she remembers, the things she doesn’t. She can half-way carry a conversation with one of her oldest friends for 5-10 minutes and then ask me after they leave who they are… She cannot see the mess she leaves behind in bathroom or on the dresser when she finishes putting on her face, but she can spot a penny on the ground while walking by (and always conveniently when a car is approaching!). She makes it so difficult for me when I order her food or fix her plate and then she destroys the plate, the table, her chair and the floor below with it while trying to eat the food before her. Her nose is ALWAYS running! She is the Kleenex queen…always carry extras when with her. And finally, she is always humped over and yet cannot understand why she is always falling over… balance, grasshopper… But, even with all of that said, I would not trade her for any thing in the world! I mean she is the woman behind this woman…

Bored Out Of My Gourd

I really, really hate being bored. And today just like a couple of days last week, I have spent most of my work day today doing much of nothing. I have a few small tasks on my ongoing to-do list but, nothing of any importance.... nothing to keep me busy... nothing to keep me on my toes... nothing to sweat over... nothing to rile me up or stress me out... nothing to come home griping about to my husband... nothing. And I do not know how to handle this... this nothing-ness... and unfortunately, it is not just me... it is about 3/4 of the folks remaining in our office... only 4 folks out of 10 actually have stuff to do ALL day long... a day full of things to do...and I am jealous! I did not even show up today for work until 9am for crying out loud! And by 10am I was bored out of my gourd! I have surfed the web...printed out recipes...surfed the web...called some friends...surfed the web...checked my banking stuff... surfed the web... emailed some pics of our quail hunting trip...surfed the web...cleaned out my email folders...surfed the web...chit-chatted with co-workers...surfed the web...ate my lunch...surfed the web... organized my Picture folders on my laptop...surfed the web... cleaned out my briefcase...surfed the web... oh, and did I mention surf the web? If only I could go home and get some housework done...laundry washed... fridge cleaned out... garage cleaned up... floors swept... floor mopped... dusting... bathrooms... bedrooms... so much to do... and so much time spent here in the office doing N-O-T-H-I-N-G... I am seriously going out of my mind!!

Guns a Blazing...

It has been steadily raining for about 24 hours straight now... I will not complain since we need the rain so much these days! What stinks about it is the long road trip ahead of us this afternoon to south Georgia... all in the rain... boo hoo. Yes, we are heading out his afternoon to some place near the Valdosta area to do some quail hunting... hopefully the rain will not deter us! We hunt all day tomorrow and come back on Sunday morning... how exciting!! WOOHOO! Watch out birds, here I come!! Details to follow on Sunday night....

Coffee Talk by Kelly

I posted a blog back on August 8, 2006 when I first started blogging that I wanted to share today:

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Grande Non-Fat Latte All The Way!!!
Today I have decided that I am officially addicted to the Non-Fat Latte at Starbucks. Now do not judge me because I actually purchase "high-dollar" coffee products from the largest coffee house chain... I have been known to make fun of "those" people myself in the past... but, here in the last few months I have discovered my love for their latte (non-fat of course- I would NEVER order the fattening one for Pete's sake!!! As a matter of fact- I checked the fat-meter on these puppies and the Grande size (about 16 oz.) has about 160 calories, 0 fat)... Anyway, back to my love for latte's... I am serious! I cannot stop my hands from turning the steering wheel every morning into the Starbucks in the shopping center off Johnsons Ferry Road in East Cobb... it is a sickness I know. And what makes it even more sickening is that now the people that work there actually know my name!!! They greet me each morning with: " Good morning, Kelly! How are you today?" Now most of you know that I am NOT a morning person... but, it actually does NOT even phase me when the cashier lady tells me "good morning" (any one else and I have been known to tell them where to put their good morning)... I think the reason I am un-phased by this normally maddening greeting is because I am whipped by the latte! The thought of that foamy cup of perfection has possessed me into being an a half-decent morning person (well, at least for the 5 minutes that I am in the store and maybe the remaining 45 minutes of my commute to work). Unfortunately for my co-workers, by the time I arrive to the office or job site, the latte is gone and my usual bad morning self is back... And believe me, that crappola coffee they make at the office makes my disposition even worse!!! Oh well, cheap coffee supposedly keeps the office overhead expenses down... yeah, right...
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Well needless to say, I don’t stop by Starbucks as often these days*… I have actually a love for someone else’s java… McDonalds!! Yes, I have decided to come out and admit to the world that I LOVE their coffee!! Of all the coffee places around, Starbucks, Dunkin, Einstein’s, Caribou, you name it… I have to say that Mickey D’s has the BEST java of all- smooth, not too dark, not too light and you cannot beat the price vs. the others!! A large cup of Mickey D’s best brew is less than ½ the price of the Starbucks latte’s… so I am saving money…and that makes my husband happy…and if he is happy about that, then I am happy about it!
*Please know that I do still stop by Starbucks on occasion… I just don’t want to over-indulge on a great favorite!

The Homegirl Network

I have this network of folks back home I like to refer to as “Team Memaw”. This is a group of ladies (or “my homegirls” in slang terms) that I can call on at pretty much at any time to help me with stuff (i.e. her doctor appointments, errands, festivities, etc.). Of course, most of them are her longest time friends from her work, Church, clubs, etc. They are almost like a Fan Club of sorts, but then again a couple of the team members are family members so they don’t qualify as fans… just supporters of her cause, maybe? They are so important to me and really share the burden of my responsibilities as my grandmother’s caregiver. I can also call them at any given time of the day just to chat and vent about the latest saga in my journey with her dementia… yes, they are great listeners! Well, for a change, I received a phone call from one of my home girl’s cell phone in the middle of the day, today… I remember thinking to myself how odd it was for her to call ME at this strange hour… turns out that this particular homegirl was rushed to the hospital today after having a suspected heart attack. It was her daughter calling me from her Mom’s cell phone to let me know about it… scared the crap out of me to be perfectly honest. We verbally agreed NOT to tell my grandmother for fear of riling her up…and we definitely do not want to do that! Of course, my shock turns instantly to distress and worry since this team member does a LOT for my grandmother… I mean a LOT. Of course, they all do a lot but this lady lives pretty close to my grandmother and I can call her on a moment’s notice and she is there in no time… every since that call I have pretty much spent the rest of my work day thinking in the back of mind about this whole ordeal… along with being worried for her health and worried that my grandmother will find out… What makes this even tougher is that this particular homegirl is my grandmother’s sister…. I suppose I forgot to mention that part, huh? The only one left that can still live alone, see with her own eyes and drive a car! Wow, that is the total package!!! I just hope everything turns out for the good… I am not sure how my grandmother would handle this situation….
Now that I have come to the end of this post, I have decided to re-nickname my network of folks… they are not homegirls, they are Angels… Memaw’s Angels… and nobody can never have too many of those!!

Alzheimer's vs. Cancer

I am tad bit discombobulated today. Not sure how I let myself get this way... but, I did. I think it all started when I read the front page of the AJC newspaper this morning on my way through the office break room... the headline mid-way down the page read "Unmasking Alzheimer's: Tests Close In On The Cause*". My heart leapt. I grabbed the section and started quickly reading the front page part of the article... I opened to the inside page where the article continued.. there was an entire page A4 dedicated to the article! So I folded the section, tucked it under my arm and ventured back to my office. On my way there, I stopped to say hello to one of co-workers (whom I have been friends with for a long time now)... in exchanging morning greetings I announced my excitement in that the researchers were honing in on the cause/cure for Alzheimer's. He responds that he wishes they would spend more time finding the cure for Cancer than Alzheimer's... I am awestruck in my tracks! Mouth gaping open... I could not believe his words... Of course, I pounce back that he is crazy because both are bad and why should one be more important to be researched than the other? Which brings me to today's argument: Alzheimer's vs. Cancer... which is the lesser of two evils? And besides, his statements have been bugging me ALL day! How can someone choose one over the other? I have been on both sides of that picket fence and I am here to tell you that NEITHER is fun... I have suffered through years of surgeries, recoveries, and then death with my grandfather for most of my college years. I am now suffering through the beginning stages of my grandmother's stroll down Dementia Lane well on her way to full-blown Alzheimer's... And for the life of me, I do not know which is worse! I guess I am a little biased because his lung cancer was caused by his many years of smoking... and the only reason I know of her developing dementia so early is because four of her sisters have died with it in the past. His could be for the most part removed by surgery, radiation treatments, chemo, etc.... Hers has NO treatments... there are a few pills on the market that supposedly "slow the progression" of shrinking brain mass... but, she has been taking those for over three years now! And I have not seen any slowing of her progression... only progression... FAST progression... My co-worker said that he thinks cancer is more important to research because the victims suffer so badly. Obviously he has not been exposed to an Alzheimer's victim... maybe they are not in constant physical pain... but even if they were, they would not remember it! And they do not have the capacity to tell anyone about it! And the ones who suffer are the people around them... to watch a loved one lose their mind gradually is the most painful experience that I know of... they can be mindless for YEARS... and there are no surgeries to "fix" your brain mass. People with Alzheimer's do not know who they are or who you are or why they do what they do... they sleep/nap all the time and every little ache or pain is elevated to sheer madness... when they are not napping they are angry... they do not know what their actions are... or how their actions affect others... Yes, cancer is bad. Yes, cancer victims suffer. But, if I have to choose between two evils, then I choose to support Alzheimer's... but, then I still support the American Cancer Society too! But, right now, today... I am supporting Alzheimer's Awareness... because that is my world for the moment....


*The article in summary is revealing that one widely held theory about Alzheimer's involves a protein called beta amyloid that gets out of balance inside the brain. The protein sticks together over time causing the brain cells to withdraw, disrupting the links to stored memories and regions of the brain that direct executive function. Over time, the amyloid sets off a toxic chain reaction that causes brain cells to die. The article also says that 5.1 million Americans have Alzheimer's today and because Americans are living longer that the number could increase to 16 million by 2050; therefore, increasing the urgency for an effective treatment. Yikes! Those numbers are shocking to say the least...Maybe a vaccine will developed soon enough... Fingers crossed, blessings counted, thanks given...