OBIT

Or Ode to Mac. May he rest in peace.

The dedicated and charming yet geriatric and senile Mr. Mac Powerbook showed no signs or symptoms of illness (this time) until unexpected time of death: 16:45:00 on 11/15/2007. He stroked out during an Entourage function and was unrevivable. His caretaker and next of kin, Queen B, defribulated several times with the assistance of residents, but Powerbook denied resuscitation. Queen has requested that a specialist be called in to adequately diagnose the situation and determine if Powerbook is a good candidate for resurrection. If Chief Surgeon Crouch or Chief Resident Randa are unable to perform a successful operation, Powerbook may have seen his last days on Earth. And if he unfortunately bytes it, then a private viewing and wake will be held on November 16 at 4:00 pm, Orpheum Theatre at 200 N. Broadway. Mr. Powerbook is preceded in death by his great-grandfather, Commodore 64 and his long lost cousins Floppy Disk and Win Dows.

In other words, CODE BLUE BEFORE I BURY THIS FLIPPIN LAPTOP!!!!

(Queen B's code blue proclamation to agency computer doctors today. Its unfortunate demise translates into being dead at work ((pun entirely intended)) for a good majority of the day tomorrow. Or so it usually goes. How did we work before computers may I ask? Oh, yeah. Those things called typewriters.)

My Flicka

Where did August go? She's just flown right on by. Out the window even. I can't believe next week is it. The activities are back in full swing with the start of the new school year. So definitely less time for blogging. Sorry 'bout that. But this is what all we've had going on. Back to school of course which means sports physicals and buying supplies, new backpacks and the like. (Fortunately, my kids are making due without new clothes right now. When it's in the 90s, summer-wear is sufficient until the fall chill creeps in.) Football practice started before August for my oldest son. Is that not the craziest thing ever???? He's in 6th grade. Gimme a break. I remember when school didn't even start until after Labor Day. Times really change. My brother and his family moved to Phoenix (per my sagas in earlier posts) and we had a going-away party for them a few weeks ago.

But the biggest thing that happened for us by far is the opportunity we had to spend time with my step-daughter Flicka (that's her above). No, that's not her given name. If you've read the book or seen the recent movie with Tim McGraw, you know that means "beautiful girl." And she's all that and more. Not that I'm biased or anything. But she's beautiful both inside and out. We had not spent any face time with Flicka since Feb 06. Long story short, ugly custody battle makes for not-fair visitation. So we had a very rare opportunity to go down for a visit (she lives in the state next to us), and miracle upon miracles were allowed to bring her home with us for an overnight stay! Her own grandparents had not seen her in five years! It was a joyous reunion. We were in heaven, but it was also very bittersweet. My son cried and then finally told me the tears were because he realized all the time we've lost. Isn't that the saddest thing? He's very intuitive and mature for his 11 years.

The visit was very short yet we felt so blessed. Flicka's an awesome kid (almost 16, so almost no kid anymore) and we have hope that we'll be together again sooner than later. But for now, I have many wonderful, awesome pictures from our own little shoot at a local park. How cool is that? A pro has nothin' on us!


















Queen B, King B and all the little Bs

This is the ONE!

There's my bro's new home in Arizona. (Notice he did not pick the one I did. So much for the addiction.) I think it would be really difficult for me to get used to the full desertscape in both the front and back yard. But in the heat down there, I suppose watering grass - or nongrass - is totally pointless.

They leave us on Saturday to head to their new state of residence. It's kinda surreal. For them too, I'm sure. Neither my brother or his wife have lived anywhere but where we live now. They even went to college here locally. So this is a really big step. I'm gonna miss my niece most of all.

My mom and I are planning a bon voyage party for them on Friday. Last minute prep, of course. Making phone calls tonight to offer invitations to friends and family. It wouldn't be a party thrown by my family if it were any other way!

Baby got crack.

<---- Queen B's Dream House.

"Why didn't I stay in real estate?" That was the question I muttered under my breath to my pal Jason last week when our crazy client had me in the midst of yet another fire drill on a Friday afternoon. My mind was already on weekend decompress - and I was forced to crunch out a project within a couple hours that afternoon. My ever-so wise pal responded to me with "Because advertising is like crack. You should write about that in your blog."

A-HA! How profound was that? He's always saying profound things that make the light bulb go off in the fog that is my brain. I thought that I didn't have an addictive personality. But now that he mentioned it ... I am a glutton for stressful and demanding jobs working for clients with unrealistic expectations. Hence the brief stint in real estate. And the same reason I can't break away from advertising, I guess. Advertising is my first love though. When I'm allowed to be part of a team engaged in a truly strategic initiative, devising the best way to reach the audience - there is nothing else like it. I'm in my element. I become obsessed. And it's truly addictive.

<--Baby Brother's Next Home in Phoenix. I just know it!

So here's my latest addiction. Even though I'm not in real estate anymore, my brother's move to Phoneix - along with all the new home purchases going on amongst my co-workers - has sucked me seductively back onto realtor.com. I just keep pouring over all the listings. And getting really frustrated because it doesn't have all the super-juicy details I used to get on the MLS as a licensed realtor. But I've really been searching through the Phoenix area, hoping I'll be able to help my baby bro' find his dream house. What a hoot! I've never even been to Phoneix - but, by gosh I will find it for him! He's there this weekend house-hunting with a realtor - but I keep calling him with properties I've found online so he'll make sure to check out my picks too!

I can't stop .............

Help me, please!

Groove funk.

After an awesome week lazing around one of the most gorgeous lakes in the southcentral U.S., I'm having a really hard time locating my groove. I think I left it - and my mind - back on that lake. Time seemed to stand still down there while the rest of the world marched on. While I was gone, two clients and two co-workers gave notice. Three co-workers wrote contracts on new homes. And my baby brother managed to land his dream job in Phoenix and will be moving his family there next month. No wonder I'm in a funk. Things around me are changing rapidly this summer - when I just really want to be still and chill. Maybe this is why I have not blogged in a while. I'm trying to catch my breath and mentally manage all the changes around me. These are no typical summer dog days. Soon the school year will be upon us - and structure will settle in, forcing me back into the routine and everyday life obligations. And with structure will come the groove - sans the white leisure suit.

H is for HOME

WILD CARD WEDNESDAY. This seems a little corny, but the only thing I could think of for H. House. Home. Home is where the heart is. This HOME happens to be one that belonged to Former President Dwight D. Eisenhower and his wife Mamie. It's located in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Yes, THE Gettysburg, PA where one of the greatest battles of the Civil War took place. Turns out that in Eisenhower's early military career as an officer, there was still an active U.S. Army post there - and he was stationed there training troops. The family was a typical military family and moved often, always looking for a way to feel at HOME in each new location. When Eisenhower faced retirement from military service, the family decided to settle back around Gettysburg - and were lucky enough to find a small farm right on the edge of the battlefields where Eishenhower had studied and meditated for inspiration in his younger career. When he became president, it was ideal that they owned the place. Because it's less than an hour and a half from D.C. We visited the HOME last year during our jaunt back East. The property itself is beautiful and interesting. But the house itself is sooooo dated - and they've obviously kept it that way to preserve as a museum. But after the first renovation merging/adding on to the old farmhouse, don't think Mamie made any other updates for decades. A lot of memorabilia and collectibles. Fun to visit the area and take it all in. Really pretty countryside, putting green (Ike was an avid golfer), gardens. But a rather HOMELY house on the inside if you ask me. To each his own. I'm sure it was lovely for 1950 America. Or not. At least I've done my part in imparting a little useless U.S. trivia your way. (That's the eldest Jr. B standing out front, facing away from the camera. She's a goof.)

Own the lot.

Speaking of V-dubs. This is what our work parking lot looks like on any common day of the week. Take your pick. "Mun-day. Twos-day. Weds-day. Fry-day." (To quote The Godfather.) We are affectionately known by the rest of the building as "The VW People." It looks like a color-coded dealership - or like we have a designated fleet. Not only are they all V-dubs from about the same year (hint: similar body style across models), but they are all silver. Although we might not want to admit it (we couldn't have intentionally been so clever to have designed it out this well), we didn't plan this. All employees of the same company, but all hired at different times. And all owned the vehicle when we started. Fortja's is the Passat in the middle. And if you couldn't tell the difference, that's Woody's twin P on the right. My Jetta on the left again. Okay. No, those aren't the EXACT car pics. But you get the effect it creates when they are all parked side-by-side. We've freaked out more than one fellow building-dweller. The funny thing is that there are also a couple of navy Jettas of approximately the same model year owned by other people in the lot and another silver Passat of approximately the same model year in the lot to the right. They are all within viewing distance of one another. I haven't seen this many VWs randomly in such short vicinity of each other since my last Orlando trip. I don't know what it is about VWs and Florida. But they got 'em there as thick as the mosquitos. Maybe they ship the Jettas across the Gulf from Mexico real cheap-like. Needless to say, we dominate the lot. It's a pretty picture. Makes me feel all brand-loyal and whatnot.