It's Called Work for a Reason

I lost a friend from work today, a guy who recently sent me a book entitled "It's Called Work for a Reason." Go figure. A guy who'd been at the same company I've been at for years. Who got promoted right out of his comfort zone. And whose position was eliminated today because the powers that be decided that he wasn't the right guy for the job. It's really sad. He flew into Dallas to meet with our VP - probably thought it was just a regular touching base kind of meeting. But instead he learns his job is being eliminated. And today is his last day. Just "your position no longer exists, sorry. oh and today is your last day." He wasn't very good at this job he was wedged into - not enough management training, way too much responsibility. But that doesn't make his termination fair. It's really sad -- he's a hard worker and a nice guy.

Even weirder, my editing boss, Bill, is on his way to Dallas to meet with the VP. Fortunately, his job is intact, and mine is too. All of this is happening because we've got some new exec VP from our parent company looking at our division with hawk eyes and making some radical moves among more senior managers. Get me OUT of the role of publisher and back into a full-time editing position. I really hate business. I always have.

I need to go pants shopping for the premenstrual one. Again. Every two months, it seems, she grows an inch and her pants no longer hit the tongues of her sneakers. Meghan continues to level out at something like 5'2", a fact of life she hasn't yet been able to gracefully accept. ;)

Four more weeks until Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. That's where we're heading on Delta Sky Miles and Marriott points this year. Probably the last big family vacation we'll take before the educational after life (Meghan goes to college). I'm really looking forward to this - it's supposed to be a stunning place.

Frickin' sharks with laser beams

The teenage mutant females from hell are onto me (hence the Austin Powers reference in the title to this installment). Meghan, for one, is determined to figure out what the url to this blog is. Actually, she has less to worry about than Anna. This would be because Anna is driving me up, down and around a wall - or two or three. How long do you think teenage females are unbearable before they actually get their periods? Because SHE is definitely in the zone. If I get one more sarcastic response to a basic question, or one more fit of hysterical crying and door slamming, I may have to move into my Toyota Highlander.

Anna has a boyfriend, a gentle soul for whom I stopped at 'Tar-JAY' this evening to pick up a copy of the 5th season of the TV series "Friends." Friday is his birthday and this is what Anna is giving him - the 5th season of "Friends." He is apparently a "Friends" frenzied fan. Which may tell you a bit about this boy. He's not your typical boy, OK. Of course, I have no idea how this relationship is going because Anna doesn't TALK to me. Mainly, she says things like "Mo--om..." and rolls her eyes or gets up and leaves the room if I ask innocent questions like, 'So, was Jeff at the dance?' or 'So, did you want Jeff to maybe come over and visit this weekend? Cuz that would be OK...'

Apparently I'm not supposed to ask those kinds of questions. Maybe they are ANNOYING questions. But apparently I'm not supposed to ask things like "How was school today" either.

Meghan, typically, is working this whole hormonal influx thing to her own personal enjoyment, re: she tortures Anna with comments and 20-question inquiries whenever she feels like it. Which usually results in more door slamming and acute use of the words "shut UP, Meghan!"

And then there is Howard -- peacefully tucked away in some Marriott hotel on a business trip. Unsuspectingly calling home to check in with his loving family. Poor guy. ;)

Uh oh...

So... are you both giving your kids access to your blogs? Cuz I don't necessarily want my kids to know about some of my postings. Besides, I have good kid-type gossip that they shouldn't know about anyway... let me know on this one, OK?

Pursued by Bear

Welcome to the first installment of my blog. This creation completes the perfect trifecta of Super Siblings #1, 2 and 3. I'm sorry it took so long to finally make it onto the "big screen." Blogs are not as enamored with Mac computers as they truly should be.

I spent this weekend working at the American BABY Faire, an annual draw for formula, stroller, baby monitor and clothing companies appealing to the pregnant public of Boston. The Boston Parents' Paper, of course, has a booth at this event. We were handing out magazines and raffle tickets (for a double stroller or one of four cute infant-themed gift baskets) to three people deep. We actually ran OUT of magazines, which is pretty unbelievable (and embarrassing). So I had to drive back into the city on Sunday to drop off more magazines (which I had to pilfer from our numerous street boxes sprinkled from Beverly into Boston.

Meghan was a great help to me this weekend; she may have a real career in marketing and PR, having worked our booth, done a little spying on our competition and generally offered the upbeat, can-do attitude of an almost 17-year-old. What is it about teenagers - they're intolerable at 13, over the hormone hump at 16 and damn near mature and pleasant by 17. Never mind - I'll get back to the 13-year-old in a future installment.

I titled this blog "Pursued by Bear" because I heard the phrase used for a future new line of fine wines being produced by one of the stars of Desperate Housewives. I liked it. Lately I feel like I'm being pursued by bear at work, something I'm trying to correct. I'm trying to ease out of my publisher title and get back to strictly writing and editing, although still at a national level. The publisher gig is simply too much work and stress.

Anyway, happy spring ladies. It was 52 degrees down here today and we're hearing it may hit 70 before the end of the week. About damn time.