I Love You, You Love Me...

Today, before I left for work, Emily and Katie were fighting over a Barney Laptop Computer. They started off playing nicely together with Emily showing Katie how it worked. It was actually a very sweet scene...until I decided it was time to leave for work. Emily likes to watch me leave from her bedroom window so, she proceeded upstairs with the computer still in her hands. To put it mildly, Katie was not happy with this. She screamed at the top of her lungs, "Emeeeee, NOOOOOOO!" Emily yelled, also on the top of her lungs,"Yes Katie, I am going to watch Mama and you are too little to play with this"(The toy was actually a gift to Katie from Santa). Ryun was busy washing dishes and after I tried on my own to peacefully resolve the situation, I realized that if I did not leave for work, I would be late. So, I told Ryun to take over so I could get my coat on and go. He did and, as I was leaving I could tell that things were finally under control. Needless to say it was hectic and loud before leaving. Two kids screaming, the stereo on, the water running etc. This was one of the few days I was 

I Love You, You're Perfect , Now Change

Last night, I went out to dinner with my sisters, Heather and Suzanne, and our friends, Leah and Moe. We had originally planned on going to see the new Jim Carrey movie, "The Majestic" but the line at the theater was similar in length to one you would find at Disney during the busiest time of the year. The is really not an exaggeration. Anyway, we opted to go to Joe's American Bar and Grill instead.

Before our dinner arrived, we got into a somewhat philosophical discussion about personality traits, sun signs and various things of the sort. The conversation finally came down to this question; "What is the one thing you would like to change about yourself?" My answer? I would like to be more organized.

I am the most laid back, easy going person...so spur of the moment, so forgiving, so trusting. These qualities are all good...in moderation. I need to have a little more order, a little more structure.

Ryun and I are basically at opposite ends of the pole. He is overly organized, has a plan for everything, and finishes whatever he starts. He is so organized it sometimes borders on being obsessive/compulsive disorder. These traits, like mine are all good in moderation.

Isn't there a way that we could meld together and meet somewhere in the middle, where we could get the best of both worlds?

Some people would say, "Why don't you just change?" As if it was that easy! This is how I have been my entire life! It would be a lot easier to change if the problem itself wasn't lack of discipline!

"When you can no longer change a situation, you are challenged to change yourself."

Christmas

Christmas at the Ellis house was a great time this year. Santa was really good to everyone. Emily was at a great age and was really excited about everything. Every present she opened was, "just what she always wanted." Katie opened her presents very slowly, taking time to enjoy each one. "Santa Ryun" got me a new camera, a cd player for my car, and more stationary and pens than Office Max keeps in stock! I am a pen and stationary fanatic so this was a great gift. My old camera was a piece of junk so it will be nice to take quality pictures again. The cd player I had had a break in the wire somewhere and skipped all of the time so I never bothered with it. Now, I will once again be able to listen to CD's in my car. I got Ryun a "Gerber" which is a multi-tool that he can use for work, The Lord Of The Rings Trilogy, and an Angel book he wanted.

We had dinner at Pete and Marie's(aka Dad and Mom). Emily said grace and we all had a lovely dinner. There were sixteen of us all together.

After dinner, we went over to Adam and Jean's house (Ryun's Uncle and Aunt). Emily and Katie had a great time playing with Megan and Joshua. Adam and Jean bought us a Sony DVD player. We were happy because we had been wanting one for quite some time.

My favorite part of the holiday season is spending time with family and friends. It is the part I look forward to most each year.

Christmas Pageant

Emily had her preschool Christmas Pageant today. She was an angel(appropriate if you ask me given that she is an angel!). She looked absolutely adorable and did a great job. Her class looked so cute dressed up in their various costumes. After the pageant, the class sang Christmas carols and had a visit from Santa. Emily told him that she wanted a new dolly and a "pink scooter with green wheels." Mimi came with the video camera so we can show Daddy, Papa and the rest of the family her "official" acing debut (Those of you who know Emily know that she has been acting "unofficially" since birth!). Katie had fun watching her big sister and even sang a little bit of Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer.

ALL ALONE AND SCARED!

Last night, from 8:30-9:30PM I was the only one answering the phones and the only person in the entire Adelphia office building. Since only a few of my readers have actually seen the building let me explain it to you. In a nutshell, it is very big, very loud, and out in the "back woods" of the Plymouth Industrial Park.

Now, for those if you who are not obsessed with television, the seriousness of what I am about to say may elude you. My job description entails many things however, the main responsibility I have is answering customer phone calls. Some of the calls may involve a billing issue,some may require me to add or remove a service, and some may include questions regarding a specific program or channel. These calls are what I refer to as the "easy" ones...not much to them...generally simple and handled with ease. Then, there are the "trouble calls". These are calls from customers that have some type of problem, whether it be a channel missing from their lineup, poor reception, or virtually no picture on their set at all. There are customers who are understanding, who are willing to trouble shoot with you, and are willing to wait for a technician to come out, whenever the next available appointment is. Then, there are the customers who want their television now. They do not care what the reason may be behind the problem they are experiencing, they do not even attempt to try to work it out over the phone and they are not willing to wait more than 30 seconds for a solution, whether it be sending a technician or resolving the issue while on the call. They want it fixed and they want it NOW! Obviously, this is not always possible. These are the obsessed customers, the ones who swear, yell and threaten to come down and "throw the @#$%^&* box through the window" (Just a little side note...it is still beyond me how people can be that angry...over a television). Now 99% of the time these people mean nothing by this. They are screaming out of sheer madness and a sickening obsession. However, there are those that will literally carry their threats out. I know this because I have experienced this first hand. On one occasion, during a Pay Per View event a customer came to the office as we were leaving and threw his cable box at the locked door. Another time, one customer kept calling, threatening to come down to the office and "!@#$%^& kill us all"(please keep in mind that this is all over a TELEVISION...HELLLLLLOOOO!). We called the police who came and monitored the parking lot until we were leaving for the night. My point in telling you all of this is that I was ALONE in the building last night. Not another soul around, no one there with me should something happen. Aside from having to answer the phones alone for an hour, I was apparently expected to handle anything that may have come my way...an angry customer approaching the building, a power outage in the building(we have an emergency generator for the phone lines but not the lights...go figure) or even the possibility of something happening to me...what if I slipped and fell in the bathroom and smashed my head on the ceramic tile? While the chances of any of the above situations actually occurring are between slim and none, the fact is any one of them could. The part of this whole situation that really got to me is that my supervisor knew that I would be alone on the phones, as well as alone in the building and did nothing about it. I know that she new this because we had talked about it on Friday, during a conversation in which she said she was going to have someone there with me. Whether or not she asked anyone to come in or stay late, I do not know. What I do know is that if she did in fact ask a few people if they could cover the hours and they could not, she should have come in. I left her a voice mail a little while ago saying that I was not comfortable being alone and that I wanted her to arrange for someone to be there next Sunday, and any Sunday thereafter which for whatever reason may have a staffing shortage. I have also resolved in my own mind that if no one is there next Sunday, I will be leaving the building and not returning until I know that someone will be there with me. This may seem to be a drastic step, however, based on past experience of trying to handle this professionally through conversations and letter writing, I know that in order for anyone to care or do anything, drastic measures must be taken.

Bored At Work

It is one o'clock in the morning and I am at work completely, totally, and utterly BORED! I brought a few books with me to read...two tour guides for Disney and The Christmas Box Trilogy but I just can't seem to focus on them right now. It could be the late hour (or early hour depending upon how you look at it I guess) or it could be that my mind keeps wandering elsewhere. I am having a hard time focusing on any one thing for some reason or another. I am thinking about how fast this year went by...and how much more quickly time seems to fly when you have kids. I can not believe it almost Christmas time...again. I am wondering what the new year will bring...to my family personally and to the world general. I am remembering how Emily called her father her "big sweetie pie" today. I am smiling as I think about Katie saying for the first time today "love you Mom". She just made my whole day!

Edaville

Last night Ryun and I (along with Mimi and Papa), took the girls to Edaville. I have been a couple of times since it reopened and each year it seems to get better and better. Last night was an excellent night to go...it was so warm. Usually, as my father (AKA Papa) pointed out, we pick one of the coldest days of the year to go. It was even warm enough to sit outside on the train. Emily was especially thrilled with that. Edaville is a great place to go if you have small children, even when the Christmas Festival is not going on. They have many "kiddie" rides and a very pretty carousel. While my father waited in line for the train, Ryun took Emily on the carousel and the flying elephants while Mimi and I took Katie on a kid size caterpillar ride. Want to hear something sad? I actually had a weak stomach after getting off the ride. I am not one for those amusement park rides that constantly go up and down or swing swiftly side to side (not because of fear but because of nausea) but I thought on this little, tiny kids ride I would be ok. Well, I was wrong and needless to say, I won't "brave" that ride again! Anyway, it was a great night. The girls were excited and it was nice to spend some time together with my parents. The lights were beautiful...much better than in previous years. Santa was there and we actually got a great shot of Ryun, the girls and I sitting with him. Emily told him that she had been a good girl so she wanted a new dolly for Christmas. Katie kept saying "hi" and "ho ho ho" to him. It was so cute. Despite being up well past their bed times, the girls were in great moods and it was a good night all around.

Blah Blah Blah

As you may have noticed, it has been a while since my last entry. The past week or so has been kind of busy with Thanksgiving, Katie's birthday and various other things. I also haven't really had much to write about...or nothing that seemed overly interesting to me. So this is going to be kind of random...not really focussing on one topic.

Thanksgiving went well. We had dinner at my grandmothers which was something we had not done in years. Being there brought back many childhood memories of times when my great grandfather was alive. I remember that he used to sit at the head of the table, with my immediate family to his right and my Aunt and Uncles to his left. I also remember Ma, my grandmother on my fathers side sitting at the opposite end of the table next to Nana. It was funny how we all sat in the same seats from year to year.

Suzanne and John joined us for desert and we opened Katie's birthday presents. Actually, for the most part, she opened them herself, with a little help from her big sister Emily. She got a beautiful new snowsuit from Mimi and Papa, a musical tea set and blocks from Mama and Daddy, a movie from Aunty Heather, and two adorable outfits from Uncle John and Aunty Suzanne.

On Sunday, Katie's real birthday we had Ryun's family come over. Ryun made the cake and it was very good. It was a great afternoon and Emily and Katie enjoyed playing with their cousins, Megan and Joshua.

We officially bought the Taurus wagon from my parents. The Topaz had some kind of problem with the alternator and the inspection sticker was only good for a few more weeks anyway. I love having a four door car again!!

Tonight at dinner Emily finished her entire meal...an almost unheard of feat. Of course tonight was one of the few nights that I did not have any kind of desert to give her (the deal is if you finish dinner you can have desert). Well anyway, I had to go food shopping(which I did after the girls went to bed). After I told Emily that there really was nothing "deserty" to have she said and I quote, "I know Mama! My desert can be a kiss on the cheek from you Daddy!" I don't know of any kid in the world (or adult for that matter!) that would consider a kiss on the cheek to be equal with say, a chocolate chip cookie! I just gave her the biggest hug in the world (along with a kiss on the cheek) and told her that she was priceless. The things that come out of her mouth...lets just say she never ceases to amaze me!

What am I Thankful For?

Emily has decided that this year at Thanksgiving she wants to go around the table and have each person say one thing that they are thankful for. Emily has been talking about Thanksgiving at school this month so she has learned all about the holiday, when it started and what it is all about. She told me that she thought of this idea all by herself because she wanted her family to know she was "thankful about them." I am amazed everyday by her kindness but there are some days, like today that I am so proud of her sweetness and generosity that she brings a tear to my eye.

Katherine Elizabeth

On November 25 Katie will be two! The year she was born, November 25 was Thanksgiving. Needless to say, Ryun and I had one very good reason among many to be thankful...the arrival of a beautiful baby girl! I can still remember joking around with my mother the day before Katie was born about how I hoped that I would not be able to enjoy the potatoes and squash I was peeling because I would be too busy delivering a baby. As it turned out, my mother saved a plate for me which Ryun ended up eating because I was not hungry.

As if it was not hard enough for me to deal with the fact that she is two, she had the nerve to learn how to swing one leg up over the crib rail. This means she will soon be in a bed...one major step out of babyhood! I can still remember when she she was in the cradle like it was yesterday. As most parents will agree, time seems to go at warp speed once you become a parent.

Now that Katie is getting older, everyone asks us when we are going to have "the" baby boy. I find this question very odd because last I knew, there was no "surefire way" (if you'll pardon the expression!) of guaranteeing the sex of a child. The truth is that, even if there was I don't think we will be having another...at least not any time soon. We are happy with the two that we have.

I love how people refer to the possible child in our future as "the" baby boy. As if "he" already exists. Next, they'll be giving him a name and social security number! For the record, if "he" ever does come to be his name will be Brendan. As for the social security number, you will never know!

One of the many things that comes with any child turning two is the thought of potty training. This is one step out of babyhood that I am so looking forward to. As hard as it can be to train a child, the payoff is great! NO MORE DIAPERS!!!!!!!!!!!! Although I think we will wait to start Katie until after the holidays, just the thought of it only being a couple of months away is nice.

Katie is starting to talk a lot. She has the sweetest voice. I love to hear her say "Mama". She calls Emily, "Emee" and our cats Joey and Pal, "Goey and Mal". She is definitely Daddy's little girl. It is so cute to watch her run to the door screaming with delight, "DADDY"!

She has a great personality and it is really starting to show. She is the typical two year old with the "my way or the highway" attitude and those of you who have seen her lately are familiar with her infamous "laser look". She is very smart, very determined and even a little stubborn. Sometimes, she will just run up to me in the middle of the day and give me a hug and a kiss. This makes my whole day. She is very laid back and easy going and has the most infectious laugh.

Katie is a joy and she brings us as many reasons if not more to be thankful this Thanksgiving as she did on the one when she was born!

Tomato Juice

As you will notice, my website has changed just a bit. I think it looks good, unfortunately, I can take none of the credit for it! Doug took care of it all...the new color scheme, the tag line running across the top...everything. I have to say that I am very impressed. It looks one hundred times better than it did and I think it will make it easier to read. Make sure you check his website out as well...the link is at the bottom of this page.

Anyway, about a week ago, Ryun went out just after dark to put the trash in the bin and as he opened the back door, there was a skunk on the stairs. Thankfully, it ran as soon as it heard the door open but I could not help thinking about how horrible it would have been had Ryun gotten sprayed. Then, I started wondering who thought of trying tomato juice to get rid of the smell? Who would think of something like that? It also got me thinking about all of the other things that they must have tried before figuring out tomato juice did the trick. Tomato juice seems strange enough to me...I don't even think I want to know what they may have tried before. Anyway, kind of a random thought but I just figured I would write about it anyway...

Walt Disney World

I take back every bad thing I have ever said about my job. As of today I feel that I could never be employed with a better company and I would recommend even to my closest friends working there. Okay, I am exaggerating just a bit but I just won a trip to Walt Disney World thanks to Adelphia and the Starz/Encore Channel so I am just a little excited! It is an all inclusive trip for two that we will be taking during February vacation! It will just be Ryun and I and even though I feel a little weird about going without the girls, I am looking forward to spending a week with just Ryun. I thought about taking Emily and Katie with us but decided that they were too young and would not remember it anyway. So that is it for now...so excited I can't even think of what else to write!!

Randomness

Randomness

It has been awhile since I have written, mostly because I have been trying to figure out this whole HTML thing. As you will notice, I have changed the appearance of my journal and even added a few of my favorite links down at the bottom of the page. Doug, the person who gave me this whole journal idea in the first place, also showed my how to sort of "cheat" with the HTML. While his method was very helpful, I still found it frustrating trying to figure out what to cut and what not to. In any event, I finally got it looking halfway decent and now I can write again.

Halloween went well. Emily had a party and parade at preschool which was really cute. While there, we found out that Emily was in the same class as her 4th cousin. I had no idea until I saw my fathers 1st cousins walk in and sit across from us. Small world...

Halloween itself was fun. The girls looked adorable in their princess costumes and had a lot of fun running around the neighborhood trick or treating. After we were done, we went to a friends house for a Halloween party for the kids. A good time was had by kids and adults alike. Emily decorated a cookie with frosting that of course, had more frosting than cookie! She is the typical frosting lover who scrapes the frosting of and eats hardly any of whatever is underneath. Oh well...she had fun doing it (and eating it!) and that is all that matters.

In other news, the Topaz did not pass inspection. Not a big surprise, but frustrating just the same. There were many problems, too expensive to fix given all of the other money we have put into that car so, we have decided to buy my parents Ford Taurus wagon. It is a good car, in good condition and will be great for family trips given its size. I will be driving that and Ryun will be driving the Lincoln. It will be nice to again be driving a car with four doors...so much easier to get the kids in and out!

For the next 6 weeks or so, Ryun will be working the night shift at the Christian Science Center in Boston. I guess there is an elevator they want done there stat, so his company, Advanced Elevator has decided to set up two shifts. It will be nice to have him home during the day with the kids and I. Emily is very excited that Daddy will be able to bring her to preschool and dancing lessons, as well as meet her teachers. We are also hoping to get a lot of different things done around here, some of which Ryun has already started. Motivation is little more present during the day before work than at night after a long day and a sometimes crappy commute.

Well, thats all for now. I will be updating this site as frequently as time allows, so be sure to check back often!

America The Beautiful

"It is often during the worst of times that we see the best of humanity-awakening within the ordinary that which is most sublime. I do not believe that it is the circumstance that produces such greatness any more than it is the canvas that makes the artist. Adversity merely presents the surface on which we render our souls' most exacting likeness. It is in the darkest skies that stars are best seen." Richard Paul Evans, The Letter

Like most Americans, I am shocked and saddened by the events of September 11. Although I was not nor did I know anyone who was directly affected by the attacks, as an American I believe everyone was affected in some way. For me, it has made me realize how lucky I am. I have a loving and supportive husband and family and two of the most beautiful children in the whole world. It has made me realize that in an instant, life can change dramatically and we should remember to tell the people we love that we do. It has given me a whole new outlook on firefighters and police officers. I always new that people in those proffesions saved lives without regard to their own...I just never knew to what extent.

The other day, I was on my way out the door with Emily and Katie. When we got outside, there was a firetruck in front of our neighbors house(apparently nothing serious, someone just fell). Emily went right over to the firefigher and said to him, "Your a hero, you save people's lives." The firefighter was so touched that he shook her hand and showed her around his truck. He made her day and she made his. The whole scene brought a tear to my eye. For everyone who knows Emily, you know that she says some of the sweetest things. Still, I was amazed at her understanding of what the firefighter did and how important she thought it was to let him know. Her outlook on this whole situation has been remarkably mature for someone of her age. She is only four. She already has her two year old sister singing "It's a Grand Old Flag." Too funny.

I have always considered myself to be some what patriotic. I can even remember studying the American Revolution in the 5th grade and feeling a great pride when I read the line in the textbook that said, "The Patroits had won the war." Never before however, has my pride been as great as it is now. America has never been this united and never before have I been as proud as I am today to say that I am an American.

"And I hear them saying, you'll never change things, and no matter what you do it's still the same thing, but it's not the world that I am changing, I do this so this world will know, that it will not change me." Garth Brooks, The Change

- 10/26/01

Me and my darn Letters

As most of you already know, I work for Adelphia Communications in Plymouth, MA. I have been there for 5 1/2 years. I do like my job; that is I like the people I work with and I like the work I do. The only real problem I have is that for the past five months, I have been doing the job of a supervisor without any additional pay or even any appreciation. I have taken supervisor calls, forced trouble calls in the system by doing what is referred to as a "must-do", handled dispatch, have inventory codes and training, something that is usually reserved for a supervisor or lead, and have been left "in charge" by various supervisors when they leave. After five months, I decided that I felt taken advantadge of and unappreciated, so I wrote a letter to two of my direct supervisors. I also addressed issues such as overnight staff having just as much right to vacation and sick time as the day people and, how when someone is absent(for whatever reason) from their ovrnight shift, their shift needs to be filled. There was one occasion where someone was on a scheduled vacation day and someone else called in. As a result, I had to work from 4:30PM Saturday until 8:00AM Sunday...a fifteen hour overnight shift. On many other occasions, we have been left short handed. Anyway,the letter was very kind and professional...I presented the problems and offered possible solutions, as well as had a face to face follow-up indicating that I was willing to help in whatever way I could. Not to brag or toot my own horn, but I write a pretty good letter and usually, I see some results. Unfortunately, other than a compliment on my letter writing skills, I saw nothing, not even so much as a thank you for what you do etc. I was shocked to say the least. Aside from doing the job of a supervisor and deserving to be paid like one, I at the very least thought I would get a little appreciation. So, now, I am at somewhat of a crossroads. I am tempted to just stop...stop doing everything that I do and let them see just how much they need me. However, being the helpful and kind person that I am, I feel bad leaving my fellow employees and the customers in a lurch, especially, knowing full well that I am able to help. But really, why should I continue if I am not going to get even the slightest amount of aprreciation (other than from my fellow CSSR's)? In my mind, I deserve the money, but in my heart, I just want a little recognition. Thats all, and I really don't think that is too much to ask. Sometimes I feel that part of this is my fault. For those of you who know me and know me well, you know that I am very easy-going, very willing to help, and very forgiving. Soemtimes, I think that these traits are good ones...at times like this though, I feel like I should be a little more aggressive, or rather assertive. I feel like I am being walked all over, like they just assume that, "Sharon's here so I can leave and feel comfortable knowing things will go well." I guess it is a good thing that they have confidence in me and my abilities but I really feel that I deserve more than that. I am still not sure what to do so I will have to continue to think about it and see which path I feel will lead in the right direction...if there is one.

9:30AM - 10/25/01

Buffy, Friendlys, and another famous letter!

I just finished watching an episode of Buffy with Ryun. It was pretty good. For those of you who may watch, I really like what they are doing with the relationship between Spike and Buffy. For those of you who do not watch and have no idea what I am talking about, you should start! The title, "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" is really kind of misleading...there is a lot more to the show than just vampires. I have to admit, when Ryun suggested I watch it with him a few years back, I was not too keen on the idea, but now, well, lets just say I'm hooked. If you are interested, it is on Tuesday nights at 8:00PM on UPN. If you want to catch it from the beginning of the series, they just started playing season one episodes nightly at 7:00Pm on FX.

Anyway, I just came down to my computer to write a letter to Friendlys in Plymouth. On Friday, after running a few errands for my mother, I decided to take my children, Emily and Katie for lunch. The service was horrible and something that should have taken no more than an hour took close to 2! It wasn't even busy and there was really no excuse, at least not one that was obvious. My kids were hungry and yes, probably a little tired, so they were restless and Katie was crying. You would think that the waitress would do all she could to help out...at least bring out the drinks within a reasonable amount of time. Instead, she took about 15 minutes to ask us if we even wanted a drink and then another 15 to bring the drinks out. Anyway I want to make the manager aware of the service, or rather lack of service I received while there. Who knows? Maybe I will get a coupon for a free icecream for the kids ...which I of course will use in the Middleboro restaurant! ;)

Well, it is getting late and I need to go to bed so I can get up in the morning and be somewhat functional for the girls! Until next time...

Life Questions To Ponder

Despite my kick but letter, I did not get my own desk at work. I did however find out that there may be a lead position opening up in the very near future. So, in spite of my threatening to quit, I have decided to stick it out for a little while to see if the position does in fact become a reality. If it does I will apply for it and, given my seniority and experience, I am sure I will get it. I guess sometimes you have to give something up to get something better. That is a philosphy that I could apply to many areas of my life if I could summon the willpower to do so.

Willpower is something I seriously lack. Some days I think, "Ok, this is the day I am going to step up to the plate and change what is wrong with my life. Nothing is going to get in my way." Sometimes, I hold on to that "go get em" attitude for a few days but, inevitably it seems, I eventually slip back in to the same routine, the same old habits. I am truly inspired by those who have made drastic life changes and have stuck by them, inspired by people who have made decsions that have altered their lives in positive an long lasting ways. I wish I knew what was holding me back.

Why can't I be like them? Why do I feel like there is something out there just waiting for me to take hold? Why do I feel like I am cheating my husband and children out of knowing the "real me" because I can't seem to figure out on my own who the "real me" is? Why do I constantly feel like I am putting on an act? Why do I always feel like I have so much more to offer my family, friends, and the world more than I currently am? Why is it so hard for me to understand that unless I straighten out my life and my feelings right now, I will undoubtedly feel this way forever?

These are questions I ponder daily. As with any change, there is a bit of uncertainty and unfamiliar ground. Is that it, am I just afraid of the unknown?

Ranting about Adelphia...AGAIN

Adelphia...a fine example of management at its worst. Arghh. Just when I was starting to somewhat calm down about this, something else happens to yet again bring my blood to a boil. Although this has yet to be substaniated by anyone of real authority, rumors are abound that the customer service department will again be sharing desks. When we moved to our new office close to a year ago, we were all promised that we would have our own desks and, for the most part we all do. Leave it to Adelphia management to go back on their word. One of the apparent reasons behind this idea is that they want us to all be in the same section with a lead cssr in every row. Another reason which is something that makes absolutely no sense to me is that they have set up a new backup phone system that only backs up a certain row of phones should there be a loss of power. Why the hell would they not spend the goddamn money to have all of the phones backed up? If power goes out in the daytime when there are probably 20 or more people answering the phones at a time, there are going to be one hell of a lot of people twiddling their thumbs when only about six phones will be active. To be honest, I really don't care what their reasons are. I deserve and will have my own desk. I swear to God I will find a new job if I don't. I have been a dedicated and well liked employee of that company for almost six years. For the past six months I have been doing the job of a supervisor without any additional pay or recognition. I have worked overtime for them when the phones were out of hand (yes, of course I get paid but I could have said no). I have assisted fellow employees and management numerous times and in countless ways through my knowledge of the cable industry and my willingness and interest in helping others. I deserve my own desk, at the very least. I am not one to rock the boat and to be honest I usually do not stand up for myself in most situations. I have had it though. I have reached my boiling point and this time, come hell or high water, I will stand up to them. None of this is a shock to me. Adelphia does eveything wrong. They screw their own employees (never mind their customers) and they have never given me personally the credit I deserve for being the smart and dedicated person that I am. I will not stand for it anymore. I will have my own desk or I will leave. Simple as that.

7:08 p.m. - 2002-02-26

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Fun in The Sun

Here it is...the long awaited, much anticipated Florida Review. I did this on purpose I will have you know...wating so long to post this. I figured I would let the suspense build up a bit, add a little drama. I said what the hell?

So it sucked. HA! Just kidding of course. We had a great time. Its hard not to have fun when you visit the most magical place in the world.

Weather: 70 degrees, sunny everyday

Plane rides: Boston to Atlanta: smooth ride, very crowded plane

Atlanta to Orlando: Smooth ride, nice plane, about 1/2 full.

Orlando to Boston: SUCKED HARD. Very bumpy...bad enough for the pilot to apologize. Plane was only about 1/4 full but there was still not enough room for me to get on my knees and pray to God that I wasn't going to die. It was that bad, really.

Ok, rather than give you a day by day, blow by blow, I thought I would just point out some of the highlights, as well as tell you the rides that kicked some serious ass.

We started off at the rental car agency which, although I did not find that overly exciting, Ryun did so I thought I would share it anyway. We rented a 2001 Pontiac Grand Am. The exciting part? It had a dash board ignition switch...which is apparently something that appeals to Ryun.

Anyway, after he was done drooling, we drove to our hotel and checked in. It was nice, our room was good size. Only complaint? We went back in time a few decades to the 1970's. The room was decorated in brown, yellow and puke green. It was lovely, really.

We spent the night and the following day at Universal Studios, Islands of Adventure, and CityWalk, all owned by Universal.

Must sees: Rides: JAWS...scary but well worth it!

Back to the Future: Not for those with a weak stomach but if you are not one of those, go on this ride without a doubt.

Earthquake: very well done and worth the wait there may be.

Twister: IF YOU DO NOTHING ELSE DO THIS. IT WAS UN-FREAKING-BELIEVABLE!

Kongfrontation: King Kong gets loose in the streets of NY. Very cool ride.

Jurassic Park River Adventure: Awesome...you would swear that the dinosaurs still walked the earth. Be prepared to get wet though.

Places to eat: Jimmy Buffets Margaritaville: Its Jimmy Buffet...enough said.

Hard Rock Orlando: same as any Hard Rock but a fun place to go just the same.

On Monday we went to Disney's Animal Kingdom. This is Disney's newest theme park and it was simply amazing. Exotic animals, beautiful waterfalls, wildlife preservation at its best.

Must sees: Kilimanjaro Safari's: There may be a long wait but it is soooo worth it. Get up close and personal with a giraffe, elephant, alligator. The ride brings you right through "Africa". It is just beautiful.

Its Tough to Be a Bug: This was just unbelievable. The best show I think I have ever seen. Great effects and very funny.

Kali River Rapids: Fun fun fun...wet wet wet!

Dinosaur: "The only thing between you and extinction is a seatbelt." Enough said.

When we finished at Animal Kingdom we went over to the Magic Kingdom. I swear you can actually feel the magic in the air. It really is the happiest place on earth.

Must sees: Hall of Presidents: A Disney original and still one of the most popular attractions there.

The Haunted Mansion: same as above.

Thunder Mountain: A rollercoaster. Doesn't go upside down but its fun just the same.

Buzz Lightyears Space Ranger Spin: Long wait time but again, worth it. Fun, interactive ride which I might add, Ryun kicked my butt in. His score? 73,000. Mine: 2300...um yeah.

Splash Mountain...didn't do it but hell, it had a wait time of over a freaking hour. Must be good.

That night we went over to Downtown Disney and ate at Planet Hollywood. Similar idea as hard Rock Cafe but based on TV and movies instead. If you ever play trivial pursuit with my husband, be on his team. He is an overflowing fountain of information on a variety of subjects, but especially anything even remotely related to television, movies and animation. He is amazing, I mean it.

The next day we went to MGM Studios. Ryun (the one with the actual nerve)went on Aerosmiths Rock n Rollercoaster. 0 to 60 in 2.8 seconds...YIKES. He was like a little kid when he got off the ride. Too cute.

Must sees: The Backlot Tour: Very cool special effects and informative too.

Pizza Planet: Just like in Toy Story.

Fantasmic: Disney magic at its absolute best. It's just beautiful...beyond words.

Where to eat: The 50's Prime Time Cafe: a 50's cafe set up with 50's televisions and kitchen tables. Very fun place to eat. Make sure you eat all of your vegetables though, or Mom will be mad.

On the last day there we went over to Epcot. Unfortunately, we were pressed for time so we did not get to see as much there as we would have liked. Here is the list of must sees from the things we were able to do...keep in mind there may be more.

Test Track: GO ON THIS RIDE. It was awesome. I can't tell you how much so. It rocked, it was my favorite ride ever. I CAN NOT STRESS THIS ENOUGH. Go on this ride or you won't be my friend anymore. Point made?!?!?!

Body Wars: Again, not a ride for those with a weak stomach but a ride through the human body at unheard of speeds. Its great.

Universe of Energy: Awesome.

The Spaceship Earth: really cool...much better than the school planetariam trust me.

Italy: Yummy. Eat here in the World Showcase. Good food and for those of you who enjoy Italian men, great waiters!!

The American Adventure: If you have any pride in this great country at all, see this show. Its wonderful and really makes you proud.

I really have to say that one of the best parts of the whole trip was the weather. It was gorgeous. I love the feeling of the hot sun on my face. I love looking up and seeing a blue sky. I love feeling the light breeze as it brushes by my body. It just made me feel so good.

I am looking forward to taking Emily and Katie in a few years. Although it was nice to have a week of peace and quiet, there were many times that I wish I had them with me. I missed them of course but I mean because of how excited they would have been at some things.

So there you have it. Incidentally, the monorail broke the day after we left and they had to rescue people by ladder. Also, on that same day Adam Vinatieri, the Patriots kicker was there. Yeah, so we missed some excitement. You know, because the rest of the trip was pretty boring.

END OF DICUSSION.

Just a quick little thing that I found hilarious. For all of you male readers who generally get "grossed out" by this topic, I apologize...this was just too good to not put here.

I casually mentioned to Ryun that I could tell I was getting my period because I was cranky and feeling "fat". Emily was in the room but paying attention to whatever she was doing, or so I thought. She said to me, "I know what period means Mama." I said, "Oh yeah, what?" She said, "Period means (voice escalating) BECAUSE I SAID SO!" I almost fell of off of my chair.

Nostalgia

Today was a good day. Emily and Katie got along well, I cleaned the house, finally went through the massive amounts of pictures I want to put in a scrap book and, last but not least, I completed five interviews for one-on-one.

I took out the infamous "Craft Box" for the kids today which was fun. I sat down and worked with Emily on gluing foam pieces on a piece of paper while Katie scribbled on paper with crayons. She actually drew on three separate pieces of paper before she started to eat the crayons. This is beating out her own personal record, which I think was about three lines on a paper then chomp chomp chomp. Glad she is getting over that stage because crayons..ummm...yuck.

So, I finally put all of my pictures in chronological order, as well as I can remember anyway. I am now going to put then into scrap books. Maybe not now because, well, it took four years for me to get my pictures straight so I doubt the scrapbooking will go any quicker, you know? It was one of those things that I kept meaning to do and just never did. For those of you who know my obsession with pictures, you can I am sure visualize the amount of work getting them in order was. ARGHHH. Well, at least that part of the massive project is out of the way. My luck I will drop the box and have to start over again.

Anyway, looking through the pictures got me all nostalgic. Thank God Ryun was at work or he would have been harrassing me no doubt. I am one of those Mom's who gets all weepy when looking at pictures of my babies and seeing how grown up they are now, or when going through clothes to see what will fit who. "Ohhhh...I can't believe she was once this small" is a phrase you will hear quite frequently when I am doing these types of things.

Time goes by too fast. Katie is about ready to vacate the crib for a bed. A bed, my baby in a bed. Christ I am going to have a heart attack.

Time for a new baby you say? I think not. I am not that "nostalgic." For a while I thought I wanted another one but I don't know. Things just get easier the older they get...at least until the teenage years strike. Two teenage girls will I think be quite enough for me...yeah definitely.

Can you hear the music play?

My sister Suzanne is getting married in October. A few weeks ago, she asked me to make a speech (similar to that a best man would make) at her wedding. I happily agreed and just finished writing a poem which I will recite at her reception. I would love to share it with my readers however, since my sister is one of them and I want it to be a surprise, I will not be able to!

I just bought the latest Garth Brooks cd called, "Scarecrow" a few days ago. I am already hooked. I just love his music. Some of his lyrics have such meaning.

My favorite Garth Brooks song is called, "The River." It was on his release titled,"Ropin' The Wind." It is about following your dream despite the "rough waters" that you may encounter. It is about learning from your past and looking ahead with hope. It is such a positive song, and that is exactly how I feel each time I hear it.

Lately, music in general has taken on a more personal meaning for me. I have been going through a rather trying time in my life and certain music just makes me feel...well, better. Some music is just so beautiful and some has such deep meaning. It is hard not to get lost in it sometimes.

"Trying to learn from what's behind you, and never knowing what's in store, makes each day a constant battle just to stay between the shores." -Garth Brooks, The River