Communications Lust

Lust: overmastering craving; intense enthusiasm; zeal

I feel communications lust for the Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts Web site. And not just because it is based out of the home of the Red Sox. No, I lust after it for real communications reasons. IT IS BEAUTIFUL. And I will tell you why it is beautiful. (Go ahead Haila, laugh. Laugh that I am at home and in love with a Girl Scout Web site. But you look at it and tell me it doesn't make your inner communicator just squeal with glee.)

• Photography: Look at the pictures! They are clear, pretty and each one tells a story. The smiling accomplished girl, the mom-daughter team painting. I mean really, it's just beautiful.
• RSS Feeds: OMG! I can get council news to my homepage! Girl Scout news comes to me! Hello, this is amazing.
• Camp Search: Holy camp cow! I can search by Girl Scout level, grade level, camp theme and zip code. Are you kidding? That is actually user-friendly and presented in a clean fashion.

Many moons ago, in the pre realignment world, I volunteered with the Girl Scout council in Boston. Back then it was the Patriot's Trail Council. Their Web site was pretty sorry. Now in the realigned world, I am very impressed. I love it.

The only flaw I see is there's no easy way to navigate back to the homepage. I noticed this 1) because I was trying to do just that and 2) because we recently did an evaluation of our own Web site and this was something we did well.

Now speaking of my own council's Web site we're not so bad. We have lots and lots of content. Soemtimes we think its too much but then our volunteers tell us they want even more. I feel quantity and quality of content is our biggest strength.

We have some weaknesses too. Our department has many ideas for things we want to have happen, like adding RSS feeds and n more user friendly calendar, but development is both expensive and time consuming. One day we'll get there. But at least we have a clear way to navigate back to the homepage.

PS I told Ross I was in lust with the Eastern Mass. Girl Scout Web site and he looked at me like I was a freak.

T minus 7 months-ish

T minus 7 months-ish til the wedding. So I'm doing a few wedding things, including checking out the photos from my friend Henry's recent wedding. Henry and I went to high school together and stayed good friends through most of college. We've lost touch a bit in the past few years. But back in December I was playing on theknot.com's discussion boards and saw a posting from his college girlfriend who had finally been upgraded to fiance. Wooho! She, Shannon, is one hell of a catch. Fantastic for Henry who is also one hell of a catch. Henry and I caught up within about a week after that discovery and updated each other on life. He and Shannon were planning a January wedding so now that it's March, they are hitched. I just hunted down the photos and they are lovely. What a beautiful wedding. If you love beautiful weddings with beautiful people (inside and out, I know its cheesy but I adore these two) then I highly suggest checking out their wedding photos at http://shannon.married.googlepages.com. You'll get all warm and fuzzy inside.

I know looking at other people's wedding photos may not seem like planning my own, but really, it is. I sent the photos to my photographer with a note that read "I love the bridal party poses!" See, I am working on my wedding.

I'm also going to dinner with Nancy tonight so she can show me the rehearsal dinner location. It is a Mexican restaurant which believe it or not, since Ross works at a Mexican restaurant, he has no desire to eat at. He likes the restaurant, don't get me wrong, but with 5 days a week of chips, salsa and margaritas, he said he'd pass on the chance for more of the same.

Tomorrow I believe we are having our wedding consultation with our bagpiper. Nick is a great guy and apparently he is THE BAGPIPER for all of Austin. I'm excited to check this item off our list but I really don't know what my role will be in the meeting. It's not like I have an ear for bagpiping or know any of the songs. I guess I'll sit there, nod my head and answer logistical questions like what time is the ceremony. Either way, it will be nice to do a wedding something with Ross. He's into us getting married but as you can imagine, hours upon hours of tablecloths, flowers and invitations just isn't his thing. Go figure.

I'm also hoping to reserve our wedding night hotel room soon and find my shoes. Together we need to finish the rehearsal dinner guest list for his mom and Ross needs to build the bachelor party guest list for Rick. Rick's doing a great job of fulfilling the best man role. He's actually on top of it. I know any guy should be on top of planning a weekend trip to New Orleans with hus buddies but you know how guys are. Planning just isn't their thing. So I'm very pleased by and impressed with Rick for being so proactive. Way to go Rick.

I'm also working on my honeymoon body. I'm certainly not one of those brides who wants to lose like 50 pounds for her wedding. Really, for the wedding itself I feel pretty good. But if at all possible I would like a flatter stomach and bigger booty for the week of bikini wearing I'll have in the Bahamas. Nothing wrong with adding a few sit-ups and squats to one's work out routine.

On a completly un-wedding related note, I have to tell you about our great good fortune. We received a letter about renewing our lease yesterday with what our new rates would be. OUR RENT IS DROPPING MORE THAN 200 DOLLARS! Who would have guessed?! We thought it would go up because 1) we already feel like we're getting a great deal and 2) with all the foreclosures more people may be looking to move into apartments. We sure are glad we were wrong. We'll take this new rent happily.

The Newlywed Game

I know we aren't real technical newlyweds yet. But who are we kidding? We live together; we do chores together; we budget together. The only thing changing on October 25 is my last name and our tax status. Heck, his friends even call me his wife already.

That said I am so happy that we have newlywed friends. Ross and I had a conversation today that could have turned to a fight. I was all ready, getting my boxing gloves on, and I told a newlywed friend/coworker about it. She laughed! She agreed that he was being ridiculous but pointed out how funny my stubbornness also was. She said it sounded like a conversation she and her hubby would have but also like a hilarious sitcom. Could I not see the absurdity here? By the end of chatting with her, I was also thoroughly amused by the situation. And to think it almost became a fight!

So yeah, I'm really happy we have newlywed friends who go through the same things. They can empathize; they can offer advice and they can laugh at you because they've probably done the same thing very recently.

Evening News Edition

I'm writing this entry as I do several other things... a little work, some dinner cooking, evening news watching. That said, to help you read I'll be using my much loved bullet points.

• In Texas we have this law, that I think is quite silly, called the top 10% law. If you've read this blog for a while, you may be familiar with it. In a nutshell, every public high school graduate in the top 10% of their class is automatically accepted into any/every public Texas college. It's aim was to help underserved populations get into college. All fine and dandy. What it really does, in my opinion, is admit kids from schools that can't/aren't properly preparing them into really hard schools like UT. These kids are set up for failure. They don't know how to study. They've never seen an AP class. And kids from academically challenging high schools who are not in the top 10% but who are well prepared can't get in. Those kids often leave the state for good schools which does not keep our talent local. (Hmm was I one of those kids? Yes.) About 75% of UT students are currently admitted under this law. But it's up for review! (Read the Statesman article) With the revisions only 50% of a public Texas college would be filled by top 10%ers, starting with the top percent and working down until 50% is filled. The other 50% would be admitted the old fashioned way - a combo of class rank, SAT scores, leadership, extra-curriculars etc. I am pumped. I hope the revisions pass!
• When I was in college my friends could count on me for a few things NO MATTER WHAT. One was that I would enjoy eating chips and salsa. It was like the Cheryl thing. Every get together included tortilla chips and salsa. Well some things don't change. I craved chips, salsa and guacamole (expanding my horizons obviously) like nothing else when I left work today. And let me tell you, chips, salsa, guac and a margarita have never tasted soooo good. See, clearly, I was meant to live in Texas.
• I started to think about one bullet point and it led me to this one. Snobbery. I'm going to go out on a limb with this and say, it ain't all bad. Really. Say you think your college is the best, the most awesome. Some would call it pride, others would call it snobbiness. Of course you think its the best one; its the one you picked! Call it what you like but thinking your choice was the best choice, is OK with me.
• Leads me to this: Houston. I know some snobs (and hey its ok) who think Houston is way down on the list. They think, depending on their subject of snobbery, that New England is way better; that California is way better; that Austin is way better. But I'm here to tell you, Houston is all right. Now granted, I chose to live in Austin. I like Austin, its got rivers and lakes, its politically liberal, its a university town. I'm totally into it. I'm a bit of an Austin snob perhaps (God knows I am a Texas snob). But Houston ain't all bad. Good people live in Houston - my parents and Grandma for example. They basically rock. And the seafood there, especially shrimp, is delicious and fresh. I'll also bet Houston sends more people to outerspace than your town, heck more than even your whole state. Take that! And as Charlie Gibson reported tonight on the world news, Houston does OK during a recession. We've got oil, high tech and lots of stuff to help us be nice and diverse. (Uh oh see that, I am assuming a Houston identity by switching to the first person.) We've also got cheap housing which means our prices didn't have far to fall. I'm just saying, Houston is OK. It may be a fat city, it may have pollution but its got some pros too and as a grown up Houstonian, I feel the need to defend my hometown. So Houston, consider yourself defended.
• Going public. I recently added my blog to a feed on Facebook. Now I've realized how much more public I am. That's all. I'm super public now so I can't say anything else.
• Babies! I have a baby; she is furry and has four legs. But my cousin, Becca, is about to have a real baby. As I said to her via Facebook "little baby little baby come out come out where ever you are!" It's like a darn game of hide-and-go-seek with that baby! Come on out already! We want to meet you little baby!

That's all.

PS Houston also has the BEST RODEO EVER.

Don't let the cuteness fool you, she's a terror

DSC00221.JPG
Originally uploaded by cheryl_lynn425.

A terror. A little monster. And while I usually say these things as terms of endearment right now I cannot say she is too dear to me.

For the third time in two days Lexi decided to knock over our kitchen trash can and cover our floor with its contents. All three times she's been alone for not too long. The first time, probably home alone for 3 hours, second time 2 and this last time, just a little over an hour. And the last time she even had part of a bone to keep her busy while I was out!

I guess we can say she is getting more efficient but this is one talent I wish she would not practice. It is not fun coming home to all of my trash on the floor. There's been a limeade container which left my floors sticky and limey. There's been a ranch style beans can which left orange goop on my white carpets and on the puppy's face. Caught orange faced she was! She's even chewed a hole into the bottom corner of the trash can.

People say she's just at that age where she is teething. And that may be so. But can't she teeth on something not the trash? I know, careful what I wish for; better the trash than say computer cables or the couch.

I'm starting to think she needs to go into her crate when we are gone, at least until this passes, but she cries something awful when she is locked in there. I don't want the neighbors to think we beat her and I don't want to torture my puppy (even though her vet recommended the crate) because she's being a puppy. Sigh.

She may be cute but she can be a little monster when she puts her little puppy mind to it. And for that, she is in time out.

worn out

worn out
Originally uploaded by cheryl_lynn425.

When I blog with a photo, the title of the blog is by default the title of the photo. I always change it since my photo titles are usually "JPG009723" or "flowers_2." But this photo is titled "worn out" and though that wasn't what I intended on titling this blog, it works.

I'm a wee bit sleepy because I got up very very early this morning to do a TV interview about Operation Cookie. Operation Cookie is GSCTX's program for collecting and sending cookies to soldiers. It's fantastic. We're sending more than 35,000 boxes out of Austin this year. And since this is all pretty impressive, the TV people want to talk to me about it. After I do an interview everyone always asks me how it went. Fortunately, they almost always go well. Girl Scouts is the token feel good story. The reporter is not out to get us. They want to make everyone feel warm and fuzzy inside by hearing cute kids talk about cookies. It could only get better if we added puppies or kittens to it.

But I have to take my hat off to our cookie department. Cookie interviews are especially easy and especially fantastic. Our cookie staff (technically called Product Sales but the "Cookie Department" is so much more fun to say) rocks. They do an awesome job teaching the girls about marketing techniques, money management skills, public speaking and lots of other good stuff. I mean heck, they created a program to send cookies to soldiers. They are obviously rockstars. The story sells itself and on the odd chance that it lacks something, the really cute girl in a uniform takes care of that. Cookie interviews, though they keep me VERY busy for a few months, are one of the easiest parts of my job. There's just no fight.

Today was no exception. We got called for the interview late yesterday and within 20 minutes the cookie manager had a girl lined up to take the interview with me. And the girl was awesome! Even if I did have to get up at a disturbingly early hour, I hung out with a fun reporter, saw an awesome kid have her first TV interview (which tickled her mom pink) and informed the community of a swell program that really makes a difference. What could possibly be better? (Doing it at 10 a.m. you say...and sure, yeah that would be better but eh, I was off by 10 a.m. today so life could be worse.)

So here's to the GSCTX Cookie Department for providing me with awesome material and helping me reach half my annual media clip goal in a mere 8 weeks. Y'all rock.