delara, interrupted

Dear beloved readers/collaborators,

In case you were worried, I have not fallen down and could not get up. I have not taken a wrong step into a deep pit in the forest. I have not gotten lost in Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory, despite popular misconceptions.

Sadly, or happily, I have simply (?) been very busy. Beyond busy, really. For example, here are some statistics from my day today:

It is 9:45 pm at the moment and I am on a conference call. When the call started at 6:30, I was eating dinner simultaneously. Prior to that, I was on my way home from the office and made 4 work-related phone calls in the car. Before that, I had intended to leave the office by 5:00 but had an informal coordination meeting from 5:15 to 6:00. I checked email and phone messages from 4:30 to 5:00 and had a clarification meeting from 4:00 to 4:30. I had a reporting meeting from 3:30 to 4:00 and a software feature addition meeting from 2:00 to 3:00. I helped record voice prompts for a phone survey from 12:00 to 1:45, and started this all off with a marketing meeting from 9:00 to 11:00. That was, of course, after checking morning email and phone messages from 8:30 to 9:00. So I have been working for 13+ hours now.

(Can anyone guess what I do for a living? If you figure it out, let me know too! I've been wondering for quite some time now. Tee hee.)

So, I do apologize for my absence from the scene. I do like you. I promise.

And to show you just how much, here are some more statistics:

I saw my husband for a total of 1 minute this morning (as he kissed my forehead goodbye - well, my forehead didn't go anywhere but he left for work) and 3 minutes at about 7:00 pm as he said hello to me (while I was on the call) and brought me a glass of iced tea. He had just gotten up from a nap. Must be nice. Hmph!

I spent a total of 35 minutes eating today - all while doing something else. I slept a total of 5 hours last night since our new housemate moved in at 1:30 am last night.

And what am I doing during my final hours of the day? I'm blogging so that you all don't think I have forgotten about you. That's how much I care about you!

And am I complaining? NOOOOO! I am a multi-tasking queen!! I live for this stuff!

(Well, not really. But it sure sounds good on paper.)

So, my dear ones, my little rants will be sporadic for a while. But I'll be back one day. One day soon...

Sincerely,
Delara Interrupted

Posted by Delara at 10:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)

Lacey just sent me this email message that's called <a href="http://explodingdog.com/january2/illbegoneforthreedays.html">"what happens to delara when she leaves the office"</a> - check it out.

CUUUUTE! Too funny. And very moving at the same time. (sniff)

I laughed, but I think I should have been crying. Or something. Is it Friday yet?

Posted by Delara at 04:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

I experienced the joy of going to the movies last night with the lovely and talented <a href="http://lay-c.com">Lacey</a> and Leila, along with two totally cool friends of Leila's. We just had so much fun having supper together at Marshall Field's, and we were all SO excited about going to see League of Extraordinary Gentlemen.

But then... we saw it. And everything changed.

Man, what a disappointment. I was expecting FANTASTIC and it was pretty much so-so. It had SO much potential to be a totally cool flick, a la X-Men (although I realize some people didn't like that either) or even Spiderman, but instead it was a weakly written movie with a story that went nowhere. Even Quartermain's death was lackluster. The only things that were decent were the explosions and some neat special effects.

What gives?

Well, there's always Pirates of the Caribbean! Anyone interested?

Posted by Delara at 04:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)

Read all about it:

<a href="http://apnews.excite.com/article/20030717/D7SB8QD00.html">"Why Microsoft Stinks and Why I'm Considering a Mac for the First Time in My Life!"</a>

Posted by Delara at 04:05 PM | Permalink

Ok, so the other night we went to see <a href="http://whatisthematrix.warnerbros.com">Matrix Reloaded</a> for a second time. This is a great thing considering I was sleepy the first time around. It was even greater because we saw it on an IMAX screen.

O MY GOSH!

It was just so cool!!! The sound was AMAZING! The visuals were MINDBLOWING! And I actually got the story this time around.

Plus, any movie you have the privilege of seeing with our friend Chris is just awesome. There is no one who takes in a film like Chris. The laughing alone is enough to make you feel like you're having the best time of your life!

So, it's all good.

Posted by Delara at 07:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

I am so excited, I can barely contain myself! I AM NUMBER TWO ON GOOGLE NOW!!!!!!!!! And number two ain't bad.

I was so freaked out a while ago about not coming up at all when searching on "Delara" - but everything has changed now. The world will never be the same again.

Ego? I think not. Insanity? Possibly.

But I have emerged victorious! And it feels good, man.

Today, Google. Tomorrow, world domination!

Posted by Delara at 10:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)

Interesting to me that since the end of June last year, it would seem as though nothing happened in my life. That is the conclusion you would make if you were to look at my photo album. The last photos that were lovingly put on display behind clear plastic cellophane are from a friend's wedding last June. Her first anniversary has come and gone, and no new photos have gone into the album. It is as though nothing significant has happened.

Except that plenty of significant things have happened - all of which are too momentous to go through at this moment. (Man, I need sleep!) And all of which are pretty much unphotographable. All internal work. It's been a year on the inside, so to speak. And what have we to show for it? Not photos. That's fo sho! Definitely some gray hairs. Tee hee. And definitely some wear and tear.

I wonder if there are places you can take your body to get "detailed" the way you take your car - get rid of the nicks and dents in the doors, refinish the paint, make it look "good as new!" as if nothing had happened to it on the outside. Ah, yes - I believe those places are called "spas" and I should hope to visit one very soon. But I digress...

I'm just tired. Maybe I slept the year away then? Sheesh.

Posted by Delara at 10:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

1. Ooooooooh!
2. Aaaaaaaaaaah!
3. No, wait!!
4. Are you serious?
5. What the... ?!?
6. Good Lord!
7. Ooh, I really like the sparkly ones.
8. Dud.
9. That was a pretty one!

And coming in last:

10. Here's the finale!

*could also easily be called "things heard in the honeymoon suite next door while you are on vacation in Florida"

Posted by Delara at 12:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

There's nothing like pain to make you rethink your general attitude about life.

I recall being seriously sick while in China, years ago, and realizing that despite the utter agony of not being able to eat for three days because you can't swallow because your throat is so swollen it's almost closed off, I had a pretty good sense of humor about it. I have a journal of my "conversations" with my traveling companion (that's a whole other story) during my sick days since I couldn't talk because I had no voice. They're hilarious, to be sure, but what's more striking about them to me is that I noted my conscious, concerted effort at that time to overcome a sour attitude that had emerged because all my "plans" had been thwarted by this mysterious illness. (To this day, I don't know what I had. I just know that it was serious enough to go the hospital for a few days and be hooked up to an IV with doctors standing above me saying things that I totally did not understand. Again, a story for another day.) But through prayer and the efforts of a loving friend, it was easy for me to make the choice to be positive and optimistic rather than annoyed or annoying, for that matter.

Today, I have a similar choice to make. My stomach has been hurting for the past 24 hours, and I have a picnic to attend today. You know, picnic food, fireworks, socializing - FUN! But all I want to do at the moment is ease the pain. I have realized that it's very easy for me to become whiny, a quality I find annoying in others, but just as easy to be pleasant. I'm choosing pleasant for the sake of those around me. And it feels more right because I think it reflects who I am more accurately.

Yay me!

So here's the corollary issue - when people ask you how you are doing, should you be honest ("I'm doing ok for the most part, but I haven't been feeling well lately") which might lead to a more in-depth conversation about stomach pain, or should you keep it social but superficial ("I'm great - how are you?")? I mean, do people really want to know how you are, with all the gory details and all, or are they just being polite? I tend to opt for honesty, but I am not sure the people around me can handle it all the time. Too bad for them, I suppose. Heh, heh.

Posted by Delara at 12:48 PM | Permalink