delara, interrupted

I was helping Charla today with a wonderfully loving favor. We picked up a friend from the hospital after she had some surgery and were taking her home. As I waited in the car near the front entrance of the hospital, I noted the guy in the car behind me talking on his cell phone. He seemed anxious, as if anticipating something. I couldn't tell if it was bad or good. I didn't give it too much thought.

A few minutes later, a woman came out through the front door with a newborn baby in a baby carseat. The little angel was teeny tiny! And very pink - the skin, not the clothing. I think the baby was swaddled in white. Without much further ado, the guy behind me quickly pulled up to the curb in front of the woman and she smiled. Big smile. He hopped out of the car and gingerly picked up the baby seat - as if it was a piece of precious crystal - and gazed at this new little creature, seemingly asleep. This guy was smiling so big I thought his face might explode. It was so cool. Then he embraced his wife, and they asked a woman who was standing nearby to take a photo of them in front of the hospital with the baby between them.

Honestly, it was the cutest, sweetest thing I have ever seen. It was all I could do not to cry.

Then they put the baby in their car (for the first time) and got in and drove off. It was just so cool, even though it made me feel all warm inside.

Sigh... hee hee.

Posted by Delara at 02:02 AM | Permalink | Comments (6)

Thank you, Lacey, for my new finger puppet!! The Swedish Chef was my second favorite muppet from the Muppet Show - second only to Beaker. Yay! A new and very special addition to my collection. Mwah ha ha - my evil plot is moving closer to completion!

Posted by Delara at 02:29 AM | Permalink

I have to be clear about my direction - where I am headed (both individually and jointly with Paulie) will make right what I am doing right now. And I have to make my job what I desire it to be. If I am unhappy with the way things are going or if I feel unmotivated to get up every day and go to the office, I can change the paradigm by making my work what it ought to be to take me where I am headed.

It may sound sappy and a bit Steven Covey-ish, but it was big for me. And I'm not looking to make myself the VP of something big and important - if anything, I'm trying to make my responsibilities more manageable so that I don't feel so overwhelmed anymore. So I have decided to take charge and write out exactly what I want my job to be. What qualities should it have? What are the things that are important to me on a daily basis? What am I willing to put into it and what can I expect out of it?

All good stuff. And, of course, it requires support and agreement from those to whom I am accountable. But I am more confident now that the right things will happen to support me as an individual, my service as a vital part of who I am and my goals and values in terms of family and the expansion thereof.

I have had a busy, hectic and exhausting last few weeks (and it's not stopping just yet!) but they have also been inspiring and uplifting. The two meetings we have just concluded during the past two weekends helped me see the importance of looking ahead toward milestones, goals and a clear vision. And they also helped me see that I can make my work what I need it to be to make that vision a reality.

So, yay. I'll keep y'all posted.

Posted by Delara at 01:16 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

1. Doubletree cookies
2. eggs
3. coffee
4. Doubletree cookies
5. dairy - in the form of cheese blintzes, cream, and sauces
6. Doubletree cookies
7. beef - gotta love them hamburgers!
8. potatoes - too much starch

Oh, and did I mention Doubletree cookies? Time to <a href="http://lay-c.com/delara/archives/000747.html">slip on some sweat</a> again!

Posted by Delara at 10:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

So... I have a new hobby as of last year. I collect finger puppets. The group I have amassed to date is quite impressive. Not in terms of quantity, mind you, but in terms of diversity and the coolness factor. And I love them all!

Would you like to meet them?

On top of my CPU we have The Wizard - a dog with a purple outfit with gold stars and moon. And, of course, a wizard's hat. Nora gave me that one. Purple is one of my favorite colors.

We also have Hula Girl - a gift from Charla Marla when she got back from vacation last year. We LOVE Hula Girl because she has a hula skirt and hair that wiggles and sways when you move her side to side. Ha!

Just next to my CPU is my cuddly SOFT lamb. He hasn't been named yet, but Charla Marla gave him to me too. So far she's the biggest contributor to my collection. Tee hee.

On top of my monitor we have the incredible, amazing Gonzo and Animal from The Muppets. Need I say more? These guys rock!

And finally, to the left of my monitor we have a hand-knit "mommy" puppet carrying a baby on her side. She's my dream.

Actually, in a quirky kind of way all of these guys represent different parts of me. I'm too tired to get that deep right now though.

Posted by Delara at 03:30 PM | Permalink

1. Went on a date with Paulie: dinner at Stir Crazy and a movie - Pirates of the Caribbean was a fun flick!
2. Watched Monk late night Friday - one of the funniest episodes ever
3. Biked 7+ miles on a lovely trail
4. Took my mom to lunch at Walker Bros. Pancake House
5. Waxed my legs myself (ouch!)
6. Attempted to play volleyball at Foster St. Beach and instead got swarmed by gnats
7. Hung out at Charla Marla's - read magazines, enjoyed dinner with friends
8. Watched Treasure Planet on DVD - can I tell you how hilarious the farty monster was??!?
9. Enjoyed breakfast and went to see Chapungu at the Chicago Botanic Gardens with several amazing women for Women's "Night" on Sunday morning
10. Went shopping and bought two shirts
11. Decided I like Kenzo's Flower perfume
12. Had dinner with our wonderful friends at Sweet Tomatoes - yummmmm!
13. Saw Seabiscuit at the movies
14. Did 3 loads of laundry

It was fun! And I'm not too tired today, surprisingly. But I would love a day off - perhaps at a spa somewhere with nothing to do but read and sip tea and nibble on biscotti. Yeah, who am I kidding - I'd get bored. He he.

Posted by Delara at 09:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (7)