Day One - Up Before God

So, my vacation officially begins today. (Well, actually last night at 5PM, but who's counting? Ok, I was counting...it is a MUCH NEEDED vacation) Now, for those of you who know me, one of my biggest complaints is having to get up so darn early...and normally, Saturdays are my ONLY day to sleep in at all...every other day (Sunday included) I'm up about 6AM. So, not having any definite plans for my vacation, there was a good chance that sleeping in would make regular appearances in my schedule.

However, as everyone knows, Plan A never works out. (Well, unless you're the A-Team, where, "There Is No Plan B"...at least according to the new movie and its tagline.) I have accepted this fact in the past, and usually plan for a plan B, C, and sometimes D. It's cool...and it happens.

So, when someone at church suggested a "Lake Day" on June 26th, I rifled through my calendar on my phone (gotta love how we still call them phones...I have more apps on my Android phone then I could possibly ever need, sorry, shiny object) and when there was nothing there, I said, "Sounds like fun!" Realizing that it was the start of my vacation, it felt like a good kick-off event, I was excited!! (And still am, don't get me wrong...any opportunity for a "Lake Day" in ARIZONA is a good day)

Fast forward to this past Sunday. (Huh, weird...fast-forwarding to the past. But, it was farther in the timeline than the initial date, hence the fast-forwarding...can't risk messing with the space-time continuum). Now, we need to make some definite plans, because not just any car can go where we're going apparently, so there is carpooling involved...which involves meeting up, coordinating, and a host of things that, well, take some time. The person who initially suggested the lake day said, how about we all meet at McDonald's at 7. And I thought, IN THE MORNING? Ok, now I realized that we would be leaving early, to enjoy the most of our day, but early on the FIRST day of my vacation could have been something in the 10AM range...even 9AM. However, such was not the case.

So, here it is, not even 6AM, Day One, and I am up and getting ready. Camera is charged, phone is charged, Kindle is charged (hmmm...more on that in later blogs, I still owe a comparison, I know, but I am testing a theory!). Sunscreen, check. Sammies and snack-y foods, check. Soda and water, check. Sunglasses, check. Towel, check. Bathing suit, cover up and other clothes, check. Random other stuff that I likely won't even need, check. Looks like I'm good to go.

I'm sure there will be a post-lake-day post, perhaps with some pictures...which will invariably end up on my Facebook page anyway...so for now...

Later,

-- Kelly Anne ( :

An Open Letter To The Obnoxious Guy In My Office...

Ok, so I know what you are thinking..."There's only ONE obnoxious guy in your office? Lucky you." Yeah, well, you have to understand my office first...a lot of the time, I am likely one of the only people here...for a large corporate office, most of the people who "work" here are out in the field all day. So, on any given day there are probably less than 10 people in the whole office, and maybe only three or four on my side (aka, people I can hear). So, keeping that in mind, for the most part I am lucky. Except for the one jackhole.

Now, realistically, there are quite a few people who are probably worse, both in my office and, well, in general. But this guy REALLY grates on my nerves...so, here's my letter:

Dear Obnoxious, Loud, Jackhole (I love this new insult...not entirely sure where I got it from (it might be the Harbinger...he knows who he is), but I'm keeping it):

Please stop. You sit three ROWS of cubes away from me, yet I can hear your entire conversation as if you were actually in my cube. I don't really care what you had for dinner last night, where or what you are hunting this weekend, or why you think Buffy the Vampire Slayer was a better show that Firefly. (Although, bonus point for the last one, I mean, that is definitely a valid discussion...however, the fact that I was not a part of that discussion means I should not have heard you having it.) I know exactly what projects you are working on at any given time, every single conference call that you have (and every opinion that you give on those calls) and I have heard just about every "office-inappropriate" word out there.

I know exactly how you feel about your current and former places of employment, and let me just say, if you are that miserable, perhaps you should seek alternate employment. I am also "lucky" enough to hear all of the yelling that you and your assistant do between cubes. You are two cubes away, perhaps one of you should get up and mosey to the other cube so the whole office doesn't know what projects you are working on, cause believe me, no one cares...we've got our own projects. Or, if that is too complicated, call each other on the phone...although, that probably wouldn't solve the issue...see the rest of this post. (And, if I may shiny-object here for a moment, your assistant is next on my list. I have never known someone to argue with his or her significant other that publicly before...seriously, if the constant clicking of the keyboard weren't a dead giveaway that the area of the office that you obviously assume is vacant when you are (unsuccessfully) trying to have a discreet conversation is in fact, OCCUPIED, then perhaps you need to have your hearing checked. I do not need your conversations intruding on my day any more than I do your boss'.) I can't even drown you out with Pandora streaming in my cube (mmmm...Pandora...a topic for my next blog - I ♥ Pandora!)

So, loud, obnoxious guy in my office, I implore you. Please, please, please be mindful of other people, and learn to lower your voice. I mean, seriously, I have friends with toddler aged children, and they all understand the difference between inside voices and outside voices. Take a lesson from them.

Have a nice day.

-- Kelly ( :

Happy, Happy, Joy, Joy

For those of you who remember Ren and Stimpy, that title is for you. For the rest of you...too bad, nevermind, it's only funny the first time. Now, while there will be some time before I post my review, round two, let me just proclaim my happiness for the Kindle that arrived yesterday. IT FREAKING ROCKS!!!

I will still give it it a fair shakedown and comparison to the nook, but unless the nook can perform some miracles, it's gonna be an uphill battle...just saying.

So, for now, that is all you get, but be patient and you will have a good review and comparison soon!

-- Kelly ( :

Is It Really Better? Apparently.

Ok, so this morning someone told me that something was "the best thing since sliced bread", (even my mom said such a phrase in the past...see what I mean.) and it got me thinking - is it really?? And then, the next thought, of course is - what makes something better than sliced bread, and why is sliced bread all that great anyway? I mean, really?

So, of course I had to look up Sliced Bread (thank you internet, and wikipedia!). Turns out that Wonder Bread has been creating pre-sliced loaves since about 1928. Crazy, huh? And the term "the best thing since sliced bread", well, that was a part of a marketing campaign set forth by Wonder Bread. So, it just goes to show that brand recognition is indeed a vital part of our culture.


I still find it a little funny though that a food item has that much power...I mean, "the best thing since the steam engine" just doesn't have the same ring to it, does it? Yet the steam engine...arguably a more important creation than pre-sliced bread...I'm just sayin'.


That's all I got. (And, yes, thanks mom...I know that statement is grammatically incorrect...but I like it anyway.)

-- Kelly ( :