I hate when you get to the near end of a very large doily and realize that you may have to start over. However, I decided to deviate from the pattern and seem to have come up with something doable.

I seriously still haven't folded laundry yet.

I'm going back to the doily. Should finish it up tonight.

Ok, so Michelle Obama made a mommy faux-paux. We all know the one, you know, in which your mom announces something horribly embarrassing about your teenager self to the entire planet. Just the sort of thing you realize you are doing to your own kid which has miraculously morphed into something not that bad but of course devistating to the hormone laden teenager. Article is here - http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/parenting/is-it-okay-to-talk-about-your-daughters-weight-if-it-s-for-the-national-good-579635/

I thought she had shared that one of her daughters had gotten her period or has a new boyfriend or any number of things but no. The family doctor was concerned about her kids weight. I might get a new doctor if I were them. Last time I checked, her kids seem rather svelt. And neither Michelle nor Barack seem to be heavy people. But in and of itself, I think the country looks to the first family as an example. And childhood weight issues are fairly common. I bet the kid is mortified. Somehow when you are a teenager, anything your mom says is embarrassing, even if she is only mentioning what shirt you are wearing. You want the attention yourself, not delivered my mom.

So maybe a little inconsiderate of Mrs. Obama not to think that anything/everything she might say about her nearly teenager daughter could be devistating for the simple reason that her daughter is a proto-teenager, a female besides, and is going through that phase. I think the important point is missed. The family got a recommendation from their doctor and then put counter-measures into action. Maybe the young lady was harboring snack-cakes under her bed or maybe eating one too many chips. Maybe in their busy schedule, the have been eating a little too much processed food or take-out. Things happen. The point is, they are taking responsibility proactively. They aren't waiting until their kid develops health problems. And being proactive in a positive way is rarely a bad idea.

I wonder if I will ever be the sort of woman who has everything under control, or at least has a mature demeanor. I feel like I got to 25 and have somehow stalled out there. My Dad once said that he always thought that I seemed right at home at whatever age I happened to be. Never trying to be older than I was and always handling age appropriate challenges well. Now I feel quite out of sorts and somehow disconnected. It doesn't help when I do simply stupid things at work, when I know better.

In lew of having a plan for myself, I am just going to work on plans for the things around me. One, update row house site. Two, go to church on Sunday and sing because I miss both music and God. Three, harass all parties related to my projects at work until they reply to my inquiries. Four, finish outstanding octopi. Five, fold laundry. That should put me in ok shape and at least make me feel like I'm moving ahead.

I really hope the rest of the year is not like my January. January is totally fired.

Now it's time to reflect and create a process in which I will hopefully eliviate the stress I have undergone over the past few days.

I don't think I could have really done anything differently. We just don't have the set up, nor do I think they will provide a set up just to prevent two days of honky web behavior.

Meanwhile, I am collecting proceedure and testing documents from the other departments that do web things so I can make sure my proceedures and testing is at least comparable.

However, sometimes crap just happens. Every environment is different. There is a 90% chance that something will need post release tweaking. It's just the way it is. I knew about the issues, I was on top of correcting the issues.

I can tell you something for sure... I am not doing anything without a team next time, if for nothing else than to have support when things go wrong.

And yesterday Zoë broke her toe. And today Frank got two parking tickets.

It's been a rough, rough week but it looks like I've pulled through and the worst is behind me.

The last two days have been really, really, bad. If I wasn't logical, I would say that the CMS has it out for me. Seriously. I am finding errors the vendor has never seen before. And they can't replicate any of the errors I got.

I'm afraid to leave my desk because I need to get any and every phone call that could be the call that explains all this nonsense and has someone offering a solution.

On the bright side, the site never went down. Yesterday I got it to work using old data. Not preferrable but better than a dead site. Today I have a working site but can't make any updates to it.

I just want to cry.

It may takes days to recover.

And totally at the cost of so many other things I need to be doing but I always seem to have one more project lurking. This week, I am pausing to get the house in order for visitors next weekend.

I am happy to see the weather looking up because my umbrella broke this morning.

It's going to be a long, long day of work.

My latest doily isn't turning out as well as I'd like. Rethinking that one but not starting over quite yet.

Greeting from the land of the octopi. I posted a photo of my new octopi amigurumi to Facebook and they got the best reception and several people want one so I am crocheting lots of octopi. The nice thing about amigurumi is that they really don't use up a lot of yarn or time. Given a few days off, I could probably create an army of octopi, or maybe a navy, since they are aquatic. Another nice thing about amigurumi is, since they don't use a lot of yarn, you can make them out of really nice, fancy expensive yarn that you normally wouldn't use for an afgan, for example, because it would be way too expensive. I got three new lovely skeins that I'll create lots of octopi out of. I figure I can sell the extras, although it's hard because they're very cute.

Woman cannot live on octopi alone so as soon as I get through this group, I'm going to try another animal and see how it goes. I think I might try a turtle next...

Zoë needs a special basket for her collection because she wants one of everything.

Otherwise, I am wading through the muck of development and getting a little nervous as my deadline approaches. But I will get through it.

450 Grade Schoolers Build Lego Robots, Study Climate Change at Penn Engineering’s First Lego League Tourney
January 30, 2009

MEDIA ADVISORY & PHOTO OPPORTUNITY

WHAT:

Penn’s School of Engineering and Applied Science is sponsoring Philadelphia First Lego League Tournament, an event that pits 30 regional middle schools and 450 students against each other in a challenge to design robots and explore climate change. The theme of this year’s competition, Climate Connections: Building a Global Game Plan, includes robotics demonstrations.

WHO:

Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware middle-school students will compete while Penn Engineering faculty and industry experts judge the competition.

WHERE:

Irvine Auditorium, 3401 Spruce Street, University of Pennsylvania campus

WHEN:

Saturday, Jan. 31, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Best Opportunity for Photos: 1 p.m.
Awards ceremony at 3 p.m.

###

Although I have gotten the project management thing pretty good within my own department, it's always tricky when I have to work with another department. I totally forget that my poor IT department has a whole other structure for project management and it's much more involved and I really need to tell them about things I need them to do and things that I want to do to the web site. Because it's not entirely mine to play with.

Of course when the crap hits the fan, the techie VIPs need to know what's going on. Likewise, they want to make sure I've crossed my "T"s and dotted my "I"s. And, of course they want everything scoped out in writing and not my chicken-scratch either. The thing is I know this. I know better and I actually like scoping out a project, sectioning into little tasks and writing reports. I like testing. I like forming results into little tables. But, alas, since I don't work with them all the time, I completely had a brain fart and have been scrambling to catch up. Fail, fail, fail.

Then, I went to the wrong room for the planning meeting I called. Arggghhhh! Just stupid of me. As pennance, I wrote, what I hope are, very nice reports about requirements and testing results. I also did some research about testing matrix to make sure I know what that is all about.

I think what I look forward to this year, is going from a worker bee to more of an architect bee. It's just hard to break old work habits where I just produce and don't think about strategy, reports, meeting location. For me, that's really what I have to work on.

Meanwhile, I really hope everyone can forget about this morning...

So, up until now I've made one weird looking kitty, a mushroom and two octopi. Since I made the octopi from scratch, I wrote out the pattern and it's ready for Etsy. I just need to figure out how to go about doing that. I liked some of the other offerings which were like a kit instead of just the pattern. That might be really fun but maybe too much work for the limited time I have.

Anyway, amigurumi are lots of fun. Relatively quick and easy. Already we're addicted. Frank wants me to make one of Ziggy. Zoë wants just about every animal she sees.

I need to take a break and fold laundry.

Meanwhile, we had a flood in our basement. Apparently some arse turned on our neighbor's hose and it was running for hours before Frank found it. He's been the target of some shady activity because he's running for office. It's really disgiusting when someone tries to help the community and people have to do shady things just because the person isn't friends with whoever they're friends with. Politics in Philadelphia is like grade school. Rediculous.

A coworker inquired and found out that we can eat at our desks. Still, I won't when I have real food. But last night we only ate soup in a can so today it's snacks and yogurts. Totally desk worthy. I do not want to hear than Pannetone is not suitable lunch food.

Finally I can catch up with LiveJournal. You all tell the best stories. And now for some news...

I am determined to get out and see the world this year. The other night, we were watching Discovery Channel and saw this special about weird animals and they were talking about horseshoe crabs, which are very cool, and apparently once a year they do this mass breeding thing on a beach in Delaware. We are so there!! We're going to watch crabs mate, and help the stragglers back into the ocean. It happens in the late spring, early summer, which is a nice time to go to the shore. - http://www.ceoe.udel.edu/horseshoecrab/history/reproduction.html

Anyway, I think it's time to get out there. On the 23rd is a Lego competition at Penn which we'll probably go to too.

My decade, in short, has been Frank, career, Zoë and house. I could be more retrospective but I really want to turn in early so that I can wake up early and do some cable yoga, which is my new favorite thing, although a little hard to do in the living room with the Christmas tree and my bike.

It doesn't feel like ten years. Not at all.

I certainly can't even imagine the next ten years. As for the coming months, I'd like to take small steps. Maybe exersize more, or at least not give up. I'd like to do more outdoor things in the park. Not pay any bills late. Complete all my projects at work and evolve into a project leader, think outside the box.

Went to New Jersey, got lost. Then found step brothers house. Have lovely time with all the grandkids.

Off to New York, got lost in lower Manhattan. Oh how one does forget. Had lovely rest of Christmas eve with mom, step-dad and sibling.

Christmas morning. Held presents for hostage while family went to church for carols which I sang although my voice was still gone. Had presents, sauerbraten and lots and lots of Gingerbread. Watched Love Actually and Better Off Dead. Zoë flipped out over perfect holiday present choices. Frank is ecstatic over house sized helicopter.

Day after Christmas, ladies of the family leave manly members in search of Elizabethan goodness at Planting Fields arboreatum. Wonderful outting with good friends, costumes and a big, beautiful house. Lush green houses which are very welcome during the crap-tastic weather. Afterwards, goodies consumed at The Milleridge Inn.

Sunday we headed back to Philly rather early for fear the cats were completely out of food. Got back home, eventually, no thanks to the stupid NJ Turnpike. House, cats and tree are all ok.

Spent last two days settling back in. Had first mommy daugher piano lesson. Really thinking I should have taken the entire week off.

Back to work tomorrow. I actually have a lot of work to fit into two days. I am really glad the snow is gone so I can ride to work. I have started doing Yoga in the morning since it's free on cable. Might as well do something inside during the winter and we're paying for it anyway.

I've decided to eat snacks at my desk instead of a full lunch upstairs. I just feel like I have no idea what's going on with anyone. And it's not like I can catch up very well here either. Just don't get decent LJ time these days.

Happy Birthday to everyone whose birthday is in December. My sister, Anne, Cathy... to name a few.

I've got the respitory ick. I am very glad to have the next few days off because I feel like a few days of rest will help a whole lot.

On Saturday I'll be going, if I'm not dead from ick, to this Elizabeth I thing at the Planting Fields Arboretum. Nothing can keep me from costume events. Frank asks how I am getting my dress into Ziggy. I say, I don't need any other clothes for the weekend. I'm going to wear my dress all weekend. That, and my running stuff will remain in Philly.

I don't want to talk about running... or biking. Snow is tricky. Although, by tomorrow I could have started riding to work again.

Snow is insane. Snow removal is minimal. Don't get on the news and tell me the streets have been plowed. I was out on Saturday and Sunday for about four to six hours each (food shopping) and never saw a snow plow once. Furthermore, streets that were plowed are black today so that goes to show, most streets just weren't plowed more than once, if that, and that wasn't going to cut it. 23 inches is a lot of snow people. Really. We lucked out. My neighbor snagged this private plow guy doing the parking lot down the street and paid him $50 (we all chipped in) to do our street, which he did, twice. We have minimal snow on our street and cars can drive down, carefully. When you need something done, you've just got to do it yourself. As a result, we are one of the few small streets that are driveable. My block is awesome.

Otherwise I am just hoping for a peaceful holiday and hope everyone else's goes well too.

I used to eat at my desk and write during my lunch. Alas, now I have to eat in the very nice lunch room on the 21st floor. It's modern and slighly sterile. I have been admiring the glass tile backsplash but for the most part, it isn't my bag. However, now that I am used to the arrangement, it is nice to get away from the desk. I am catching up with balancing my checkbook and organizing my bag, but alas, my LJ has been completely neglected.

Not that there is much to mention. Going through life's motions. Not much time to reflect. I've been reading all of yours though. Nice to see everyone seems to be hanging-in there.

Zoë celebrated her sixth birthday. We had a lovely mommy daughter outing to the Dicken's display at Macy's. We had very good timing and caught the light show as well. This was the third year we've done it so it's quite the tradition now.

Frank and I had a lovely time at his company's holiday party at the swanky country/hunt club place in the country. His co-worker is sending me the url to a website where they tell you where they're knocking down old houses and selling domestic parts for cheap. I love used domestic parts. Better than new.

I'm about 90% done with my Christmas shopping. Tricky when it's on a budget. I dragged Zoë on a five hour walk on Saturday. She is seriously a super kid.

I'm even catching up with RowHouse. I am writing about wishing interior designin small spaces. I have all these photos. Seriously, it's time to get back into the swing of things.

I finally got my bike back. Frank got me some lights and remarkably, the number of suicidal pedestrians jumping in front of me has decreased 84.6%. Cars don't seem to be cutting me off as much either. I dare say my legs are looking so good that I might be able to wear a mini skirt again... maybe.

The Dexter finale was almost lame but then it redeemed itself. I am looking forward to Weeds, Nurse Jackie and True Blood.

Ok, Frank is singing silly songs about blogging. It's time for bed at a reasonable time.

I can't eat lunch at my desk. So much for being able to write in LJ and about row houses... must figure out a new plan.

I miss everyone... trying to figure out scheduling for this holiday.

I bought gingerbread house materials. I think I am going to make a mini city scape using the village pieces.

I am behind in all areas of things I need to do.

Need tea.

I've been saying for years, how they really need a Baby Loves Disco for us freaky folks. But never quite got around to getting connected with a venue. However, looks like Frank may have gotten something going at the place by our house. They don't do anything during the day and early evening so what better idea than to have the freaky parental varieties take over for a few hours.

I must get more info but first I need to collect warm bodies who would go for this sort of thing. Pass the word around. If I get enough bites, I'll put the event together.

I'm thinking $5-10, snacks and juice boxes, not too loud music or dark lights, 2 to 6 in the afternoon, center city Philly location convieniently located near parking facilities. No more having to say no dancing in the house.

Common, I know the breeders are out there somewhere moaning that they never go out anymore because baby sitting is too expensive. What if you can bring the spawn with you?

Seriously. I'm not doing anything and the server crashes anyway. Twice today. Then it ate the error log files so we can't figure out what it was. I'm afraid to sneeze lest it goes down again. We can't diagnose without those log files. Crap. Meanwhile it's like Russian Roulette with the site. Will it stay up? Will it crash? What if it crashes and the IT guys are not around to reboot? The IT guys say it's the application but the application guys are baffled. Just fabulous.

Meanwhile the work is piling up. I need to really seriously take a few days just to catch up but I can't because there is always something. Quiet now though. The day might end on a good note if the server doesn't crash again.

I'm taking a really short lunch, just enough to write a bit. Because of the strike, I got permish to cut my lunch by 15 minutes so I can leave early and get Zoë. This way Frank won't have to rush around (his commute is about an hour and a half with the strike now) and I won't miss those 15 minutes of lunch the way I'll be really happy about being able to get Zoë in time.

I sent out the invites to my first official webinar today. Just about driving me insane with nerves. I think it's understandable that I feel like technology is out to get me. I just hope everything goes smoothly because otherwise it's really going to suck.

Ok, back to work. :)

I have six loads of laundry, clean, that needs to be folded. Something always gets in the way. Tonight it's Frank sleeping. At least I did all the dirty dishes. It was in an embarrasing state.

I am not going to turn on the TV... even though I have private time. The rest of the fam is sleeping away. Frank pulled a back muscle and turned in early. I should go to bed too.

I should not have opened the halloween candy. Now we need more. Crap.

This rain is killing me. Should I get to bed early, tomorrow morning I really do need to go for a run even though I don't like running in the dark, especially the wet dark.

I'm already done with baseball and the series hasn't even started yet.

The stupid CMS people for my work web site are ignoring my code requests. Tomorrow I am going to have to get GRRR on them.

Halloween can't come soon enough.