Just a little worried

There has been some amount of culture shock going from a huge multi-national corporation to a tiny 10-person family run start-up company. Here, there's no employee manual, no complete job description, and no discernible politics. These are good things.

But, its scary being in a company that is rather fragile, on uneven footing. Especially in times like these. My chosen industry, hospitality and travel, is also somewhat volatile. The current economic climate is definitely playing a part in our day-to-day operation. It might make us a stronger organization in the end.... or we may be taken under with the tide. It's too early to tell.

I know this: I do not want to be unemployed in New York City again. If I were to lose my job, I would have to wage a major campaign with Damir to move elsewhere. But where would we go?

Here are my top choices-- in no particular order:

• Chicago: My mom's hometown and a fantastic city. But winters.... ugh.
• Seattle or Portland: Would be nice to be close to my nieces as they get older... but its so far from Damir's family, my parents and my sister.
• The Carolinas: I think I am a southern girl at heart. And my parents are down in that direction.
  
• Boston, or any major city in New England: give me a clam bake on any day and I am a happy girl.

Damir says he would leave NYC, but I think that would be pretty hard for him. For a long long long time before he came here, he dreamed about coming to New York. And he finally got what he wanted and loves it here. He has a huge family and cultural network all around New York, which just is irreplaceable elsewhere.

But each time we have traveled together to a new city... the Carolinas, Boston, even Texas, he looks around and says, "Yeah, I could live here too". Maybe. I guess the thought of staying in only one city, any city or place, for the rest of my life makes me uncomfortable. I have gotten used to moving to a new place every 5 years or so. I like the exploration.

Anyway. I don't really think I am going to lose my job. Not yet, at least. But just to be as safe as possible, I am trying to make myself as indispensable as I can be.

If...

If it was ever your dream to walk inside a giant fiberglass replica of Eddie Murphy's head, you should have been in Times Square last Thursday.

Sorry if you missed it.

Deadline

Sorry to be so quiet as of late. I am pushing towards a big deadline at work and haven't had time for much else. Somehow I was given the project to create a completely brand new website for my company, including an online booking engine, which is hopefully set to launch in the first week of July. What do I know about creating websites? Well, not that much. But I have learned a heck of a lot in a very short amount of time! I am pretty excited about it, it looks waaayyyyy better than what we've had in the past. But still full of bugs.

I have been staring at a computer trying to write code, format pictures, update our product database, and write the site text for over 12 hours a day, so that leaves me very much NOT IN THE MOOD to then blog in the few hours a day I am not working on the site.

But soon.... very soon.... it will be done and I will have a life again.

McLovin'

Happy Loving Day!

Let's all give a moment of thanks to advancements in relational acceptance.

You know...Something

I heard about this on NPR and had to check it out for myself.

The Something Store.

You know... when you just want something.

You shell out $10 and they send you a surprise. It could be an Ipod, or a nose clipper. It could be a pocket knife or a digital camera. The point is: you don't know until you open the box. Its like a suprise party for one.

I am thinking about getting something for Damir...just to enjoy the suspense of what it could be! I will keep you posted.

A word to Google Reader and RSS readers of Interravision

So, I am not sure how this works since I am behind the times and don't do "Google Reader" or something I think is called a "Feed". I like visiting the website of my friend and seeing what is going on right there on their site rather than have it delivered to me in some mailbox. This way I feel like I am actually visiting with them, albeit virtually. Somewhere in the day I'll say, "hey! lets go visit Ashbloem! (or Superette or America Hates Us or Not Yo Momma, etc)" and then I will visit her site and catch up on all her goings on.

But that's just me.

Anyway, I just wanted to let those who are tech savvy know that I almost always write my post...post it... read it online...decide I don't like something about it...go back change it... repeat as necessary. I think in Reader it only shows you my original draft and not the final way more cool post.

But then again, I could be wrong. I really have no idea.

And we are back.

Dallas was so much fun I couldn't bring myself to blog about it last week:

A) Because I spent last week in a coma of exhaustion, finally getting about 12 hours of much needed sleep this past Friday night.

B) It kind of makes me sad to blog after a much awaited event, because it means that it is really over and in the past.


It was great to stand up with Ms. Ashbloem and Mr. Davey and witness their union. I particularly loved their vows and will have to see if they'd let me plagiarize all or some in the event I ever take that big leap. It was also great fun to see old friends from the Amsterdam days. But what I loved best about their wedding was that it really did represent who they are as two fun people. They only included the traditions that represented them, and the originality of the wedding, from start to finish, made it special.


Damir and I got to enjoy Dallas and had a beautiful room at the Fairmont Hotel. We didn't do too much tourist stuff, other than visit the Aquarium which we both liked a lot. They had an odd inmate: a leopard. Why is there a leopard in an aquarium? They had him (her?) caged right in front of the flock of flamingos, with just a clear plexiglass of separation. Isn't that on the same plane of water-boarding?


In the end it was a fun and exhausting trip. Just when we were so happy to escape the heat of Texas, we come home to near 100 degree temps. Thanks for that, Mother Nature. But at least it means it is beach season here on Long Island and that is a happy thing indeed.