CNN v FoxNews

I am pretty particular about the news channels I watch. It may stem, ok it does stem, from my love for Tom Brokaw, but I am an NBC News junkie. If not NBC, CNN. So at work, near our little kitchen area and a high-traffic walkway, there's a nice LCD hanging on the wall, tuned in to a news channel.

Now, I don't know who does it or who on earth would actually trust FoxNews, but someone around the office, and mind you our office is pretty slim these days, must love FoxNews. When I come in at 7:00a, the TV is tuned to FoxNews. Picky about my news sources, I change it immediately to CNN. By noon, it's back to FoxNews. What the hell!? I change it back, of course. And by 7:00a the next day, it's back to FoxNews.

I'm sure someone around here gets a kick out of it and probably just likes to watch me get frustrated and change the channel, but come on people, FoxNews?!

Give me a break!

I am only one person, and while I am talented, I can only really have one conversation at a time if you want me to get all the information correctly and answer with the best information possible. Come on people!

A disaster is coming...

A control-freak boss is in power. This means disaster.

The Best Mac & Cheese Ever!

Don't get me wrong, I love Kraft Mac & Cheese just as much as everyone else, but this mac & cheese is so amazing... and a bit more sophisticated.

Try it... it's totally worth it.

The Best Mac & Cheese Ever

What you need:

Cheese Sauce

• 2 tbsp butter
• 8 tsp flour
• 1.5 c. milk
• 1 c. Monterey jack cheese, grated
• 1 c. smoked Gouda cheese, grated
• ¼ tsp. salt
• 1/8 tsp. chili powder
• 1/8 tsp. garlic powder

Mac & Cheese

• 6 oz. (1/2 box) penne pasta
• 2 c. cheese sauce
• ¼ c. Monterey jack cheese, grated
• ¼ c. smoked Gouda cheese, grated
• Sprinkle chili powder

How you do it:

Cheese Sauce

1. Melt butter in saucepan. Whisk in flour and cook 2 minutes until smooth. Slowly add milk, whisking continually.
2. Cook until sauce thickens, about 10 minutes, stirring frequently.
3. Remove from heat. Add cheeses and seasonings. Stir until cheese is melted and sauce is smooth, about 3 minutes.

Mac & Cheese

1. While the sauce cooks, cook pasta 2 minutes less than packaging directions. Drain, rinse, and set aside.
2. Combine cooked pasta with 2 cups cheese sauce and stir to combine. Pour pasta and cheese mixture into 8-inch baking dish.
3. Sprinkle lightly with chili powder, top with mixture of cheeses.
4. Bake at 350*, uncovered, for 20 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

YUM!

Just kidding?

In the last 24 hours:

• One of my bosses resigned.
• I got laid off.
• I got rehired.

It's nice to know I am valued enough that folks fought for me and caused a stink and got me my job back. That doesn't make it ok that I got laid off and it doesn't make me confident it couldn't happen again. It does make me confident that the work I do does not (always) go unnoticed and that I really work with some great people.

To those of you who fought for me last night, thank you SO much.

January 16, 2009

The job search is on and in full gear...

Any leads would be greatly appreciated.

Work Pet Peeve #18,796

Do not open a job if you do not have all the details lined out. It's a waste of everyone's time if you give us empty job jackets. If you don't have time to put the details together, don't open the job. We're just going to bug you later anyway. And, when you don't give us any details and we're late completing the job, do not get angry and blame us. You are the one that opened the job with no direction, were vague, if that, when giving any sort of direction when pestered, if you give any at all. We are not mind readers. In close, do not open a job if you don't have all the details lined out. Stop getting distracted, focus for five minutes on one thing, and open the job properly. Thank you.

Punta What?!

When my cousin told us she was getting married, of course we were all ecstatic. She and her now husband were one of the lucky couples who met on Jdate and it actually worked out. Lucky bitches! Anyway..... they decided they were going to have a destination wedding... Thanksgiving week... Punta Cana, Dominican Republic.

I met the entire group down in the DR... there was no way I was going to take two extra days of travel just to take a bus and plane with my entire family. We were going to be together for an entire week with nowhere to go to escape, two extra days was not in my plans. When I got to the resort, Stephanie had already checked into our room, so once I got my all-inclusive wrist band, I rolled my suitcase up to our room and my parents, sister, and I headed to the beach to dip our feet in the sand and get a drink.

The entire week was pretty relaxed. Just what I needed -- nothing to do, no newspapers, emails, and $3.2 billion fraud bosses to stress about..... just a week to chill and drink on the beach. A little sunburn never stops me anyway. And that's just what we did. We basqued in the sun on the beach during the day and drank on the beach and in the disco at night. Stephanie and I played a fair amount of Scrabble (ok, she kicked my ass, but I put up a fight... kind of) and I even got in some Mah Jong with my aunts and mom.

The wedding was gorgeous -- under the chuppah right on the beach overlooking the ocean. My cousin, as always, was gorgeous, and her husband quite handsome. In order to be considered a legal marriage, Robyn and David had to be married by a judge, so a totally Spanish-speaking judge from the Tourism Bureau and his translator walked them through the ceremony. Once that was complete, a friend of my cousin's family, an Israeli, preformed a traditional Jewish ceremony, complete with the breaking of the glass.

It was so nice to be able to hang out with my family as well. I don't get to spend much time with my parents and sister... when I make it home, it's just usually just for the weekend and I have to rush to get back to Minneapolis. This week was nice not have to worry about getting home or anywhere in general and we could just hang out. And I know my grandma cherished being able to hang out too. She never gets to see me (nor does any of my family, really), so being able to spend a nice week with her was nice. That, and I have patience with her and will help her when needed, so I know she was appreciative of that too. Overall, a nice time with the family.

Then.... after what was a nice week on the beach and a joyous simcha, I headed home.

But not without a three-hour layover in Atlanta.... where Nathan and Shelley were able to meet me ... a mere 3 hours after their own wedding!!! Crushed I couldn't be there for the ceremony (Yes, I will leave it at that, Nathan!), I settled for 20 minutes (damn US Customs and Border Patrol!) of Mazel Tovs and hugs in the airport. It was so great to see Nathan and Shelley so happy -- I could go on and on here too, but I'll leave it at that. Nathan, Shelley -- you know the rest.

So to Robyn & David and Shelley & Nathan: May every day going forward be as joyous as the day you got married. Mazel Tov!