Bob's Ramblings

aries470 @ 2009-01-05T09:00:00

2009-01-05T15:01:23Z

Happy Birthday kybearfuzz and coachbear !!!

aries470 @ 2009-01-04T12:26:00

2009-01-04T18:27:53Z

Happy Birthday Sweetie!

Things to be thankful for....

2008-11-25T17:42:58Z

This week marks a couple of special dates for Joe and me. First, Monday was the one year anniversary of us adopting Bailey. Since the Anti-Cruelty Society didn't know his birth date, we decided that his adoption date was also his birthday. Happy 4th Birthday to Bailey!!!

The other special date is our 3-year anniversary. It's hard to believe that it's been 3 years already. I guess time really does fly when you are having fun! Happy Anniversary sweetie!

aries470 @ 2008-11-04T08:44:00

2008-11-04T14:50:51Z

Joe and I got up early this morning and decided to go and vote. We arrived at our local polling place at 6:40am (it opened at 6:00am) and the line was already out the door. After about an hour and twenty minute wait, we finally got to vote. Although the waiting time was long, I definitely feel good about voting. However, I was disappointed that they did not have "I Voted" stickers.

Weekend

2008-10-27T17:47:26Z

This past weekend was pretty relaxing. We didn't do too much but did manage to catch two movies. The first being the new Angelina Jolie movie, Changeling, on Saturday. The previews really got me interested and the movie did not disappoint.

The second movie was a selection at the Chicago International Film Festival called Were the World Mine. I had read some articles about the movie online and it's been getting a lot of buzz at the various film festivals. The movie was directed by a local Chicago director, was shot in Chicago and had mostly local talent. The premise was a take on Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream with some musical dream sequences. However, I wouldn't consider the movie to be a musical - although I could see how some might. : ) Joe and I both enjoyed the movie and we even stayed after to hear the Q&A with the director. The movie will be playing at the Music Box here in Chicago on November 21 and I would say it's worth a viewing.

After the movie we met up with friends at Calo in Andersonville for a nice dinner which was a nice way to cap off the weekend.

No Job and an ER Visit

2008-10-13T14:52:20Z

Well, as I suspected I was laid off on Friday. My last day of work will be November 7th. The good thing is that I get 12 weeks severance and 90 days paid Cobra coverage. Hopefully I'll be in a new job before that runs out.

On another note, we had an interesting Friday night. Joe and I took Bailey to PetsMart to get some food. As Joe was taking the cart back to the store, he somehow twisted is ankle and fell on his left arm/elbow. He was pretty shaken up and we needed to call an ambulance to take him to the ER. After running a battery of tests and X-rays, all of which came back negative, he was released and we came home.

Joe is pretty banged up, sore, has a scrapped up knee, and sporting one hell of a bruised up arm. It's amazing how that man can bruise. It looks like he was in a major accident.

The rest of our weekend was spent here at home so Joe could rest and take care of his injuries. We're both at home today, I'm working and Joe took today off to rest.

So although things are a bit crappy, I know it will get better in time. :)

aries470 @ 2008-10-09T07:26:00

2008-10-09T12:29:21Z

Well, I find out tomorrow whether or not I have a job. It's bad enough that they dragged it out this long, but what's even worse is that I have to wait until 3:00pm to find out. I wish I was more positive about this situation. However, knowing that they are waiting until 3:00pm on a Friday to tell me, makes me think it's bad news.

Is this the day?

2008-10-07T10:51:21Z

Well, this is the week we find out about layoffs. Over the past three weeks our entire HR staff has had to reapply for a limited number of positions. The whole process has been quite interesting. First, we were told they are transforming the HR department across all of North America. Then, we were informed whether or not we were considered slotted for a position or available to post. My entire team was considered available. Once you knew you were available, you had 5 days to review all the new positions and apply for a maximum of three. Of course, all North American HR employees were told the same thing. So, I'm pretty much up against about 30-40 people for 8 positions in the position I am currently in.

Once all the postings were in, a committee would determine who was best in the position and there would be no interviews. Of course this committee was made up of people who, at their levels, wouldn't really know what I do on a day to day basis. So, my fate is in the hands of people who are three levels above me and probably don't even know me personally or what I am capable of.

Anyway, we were told that all decisions were to be announced no later than October 10. After we know our fate, we would then be given 30 days to try to find another position in the company. If no positions were available after 30 days, we would be laid off - probably the week of Thanksgiving. Gotta love that!

On a positive note, at least I get severance.

Extra Janet Jackson Tickets

2008-09-25T20:18:38Z

Joe and I have two extra tickets for tonight's Janet Jackson concert here in Chicago. The tickets are in section 103 row DD (4th row in that section).

If interested, let me know.

Trip to the ER

2008-07-03T19:32:27Z

This morning I made a tip to the ER via ambulance. My back finally had enough and decided it was time to provide me with so much pain that I was unable to walk. I discovered this when I finally managed to work my way out of bed and onto my feet. Once on my feet I couldn't lift up either foot to actually walk and any attempt caused such excruciating pain that I thought I was being stabbed in the lower back.

Joe was still sleeping at this point so I called out to wake him. He got out of bed to help and I then informed him that we needed to go to the hospital. He guided me back to the bed and tried to get my socks and shoes on. His every attempt caused me to wince in pain. Finally I told him to call an ambulance because there was no was I could walk down the two flights of stairs to get to the car.

The ambulance showed up and the two EMS people did their thing and eventually got me down to the ambulance an d took me to the hospital. At the hospital they put me through the typical procedures, questions, etc. Eventually they shot me up with some good pain killers and something to relax me. Within a few minutes I was feeling good and tired so I took a nap. After an hour or so they got me up because they wanted to see if I was able to walk on my own. Once I did that, they would then release me with some new drugs to manage the pain until my epidural steroid injection. Originally this was scheduled on the 15th, it is now moved to the 8th due to this ER visit.

So, right now I am feeling ok. There is still pain but the meds are working for the most part. I'm just hoping that I can manage to do some of the things we have planned for the holiday weekend.

aries470 @ 2008-07-01T12:16:00

2008-07-01T17:22:01Z

I spoke to my doctor and he's issued a note to my work and put me on work restrictions until July 15th. The note pretty much says I need to work from home until I have my epidural steroid injection on the 15th. Good thing I have the option to work at home and now I have a doctor's note to back it up. Of course I've forwarded this note to both my manager and HR.

So, the next two weeks I'll be working from home and taking it easy.

aries470 @ 2008-07-01T06:52:00

2008-07-01T12:09:28Z

As of Saturday my back has been pretty messed up. It's pretty aggravating too since there wasn't anything I did to cause it. I simply woke up and I was in pain. Joe and I planned to see WALL-E so I got up, popped some Vicodin and took a shower. I managed to make it through the movie, which was excellent btw, to lunch and then over to Nordstrom on Michigan Ave. so Joe could get more cologne. After that I was pretty much laid up in bed for the remainder of the day.

Sunday was the Pride Parade here in Chicago which of course we planned on attending. Unfortunately my back had other ideas so I stayed in bed. Joe was going to skip the parade to take care of me, but I encouraged him to go as I was just going to be sleeping anyway. So off he went to enjoy the festivities. My afternoon was pretty much spent in bed watching movies and chatting online.

Yesterday I worked from home and called my doctor and got some meds to help with the back. I also scheduled an appointment for an epidural steroid injection. Yes, it is as much fun as it sounds.....but I can endure it as long as it makes the pain go away. I spent most of the day on conference calls which didn't require me to really sit for too long. It's nice being able to work from home as it makes dealing with this back pain a lot less stressful.

Now we come to today. My back is still killing me and I can't even get dressed. Putting on socks and shoes is like torture. The meds I got yesterday probably won't fully kick in for another day so I decided to work from home again today. Of course I am sure my boss won't be happy, but I really don't care. She seems to only have issue when her male employees work at home or are sick. If one of her female employees wants to work at home or are sick she never says a word about it. In face, if they are sick she goes out of her way to call them to see how they are feeling. She did call me yesterday afternoon but it was to ask a business related question. Not once in the 15 minutes we were on the call did she ask how I was or if my pain had improved. This is pretty much her normal behavior with the other guy on my team as well. She also assigns all the high profile projects to her pets (both are female) and he and I get the scraps (tedious projects that really mean nothing).

Part of me is kind of hoping I do get laid off just to get out of this environment. I'm tired of her behavior and the way she makes me feel as if I am going to get fired because of my medical condition. I really don't need the stress especially when my health is at stake.

Job Uncertainty

2008-06-16T17:56:56Z

Over the past few months there has been much uncertainty in my life regarding my job. Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be any more clarity around the issue. Other than knowing that there are big changes coming soon, not much else is known. What we have been told is that some jobs may remain as is and others may go away. Of course there is still a lot of ambiguity around how many positions will be available once the dust settles.

So, I just go to work each day and keep my ears open as to what's going on around me wondering if/when I might be laid off. I'd actively start looking but I have to stay at least through the middle of July or I have to pay back part of my sign-on bonus as part of my contract. Plus, it might be nice to get a severance and be off for a short time. Although, that presents it's own set of challenges.

So Excited!

2008-06-13T18:01:01Z

I just got 14th row center tickets for the Janet Jackson Rock With Tour for me and Joe!!! Considering I've seen her in concert like 9 times I really shouldn't be this excited....screw that! WOO HOO!!!!! Joe has no idea what he's getting himself into. LOL

Must be getting old....

2008-04-30T01:16:34Z

Maybe I am just getting old....but I am so over American Idol. I just don't get it anymore.

I'm not really digging Madonna's new CD. It seems that there are only 4 producers out there and everything is starting to sound the same to me. I think it's time to start looking for new types of music. Any suggestions?

Oh, and reality TV has pretty much worn out it's welcome in my mind. Well, not all...I'm still a sucker for Top Chef and Project Runway.

Something that I'm really digging is my new car. The lease on my old car was coming up so it was time to get something new. So about a month ago I traded in my leased vehicle and actually took the plunge and purchased my new car. I decided to get an Escape Hybrid for several reasons - one being the fact that gas is reaching $4.00 a gallon here in Chicago. So far I'm very pleased with how smooth the ride is and I'm already up to 27 mpg and looking forward to eventually hitting 30-34 mpg.

Oh, on a not so good note, they are doing a major reorganization at work and there's a chance I might be out of a job in a couple of months. Right now nobody really knows what's going on so we are all in a wait and see mode. So, until I know more I'm just making sure I have options if it should come to pass. Wish me luck!

Introducing...Bailey

2007-11-27T19:04:54Z

Here's a picture of the dog Joe and I adopted from the Anti-Cruelty Society last Saturday. His name is Bailey and he's a 3 year old beagle. So far he's been a good dog, if not a bit timid and tentative around us. I'm sure all of that will change as soon as he gets used to his new surroundings. Then I am sure all his true beagle traits will come out...and that will be fun.

aries470 @ 2007-11-19T19:00:00

2007-11-20T01:01:20Z

Space Giants

2007-11-19T19:58:59Z

It's amazing what you can find on You Tube. I totally remember watching this as a child and thinking how cool it was...oh how times have changed.

Weekend and an A

2007-10-22T15:53:29Z

The weekend began for us on Thursday with the arrival of caviecub and bookish_cub. That evening we went to see a taping of Wait Wait Don't Tell Me in downtown Chicago. Before the show we met up with mikiedoggie for some dinner at La Tratoria Catarina on Dearborn. Luckily Joe, Steve, Erich and I all made it to the restaurant before an amazing microburst blew through. The wind, rain and hail were quite impressive.

From dinner Mike went back to work and the rest of us walked to the Chase Auditorium where we met up with another friend, Michael. This was the second taping Joe and I attended and it was just as much fun as the first one. A good time was had by all!

Friday was pretty laid back with work and then just hanging out with Joe in the evening. On Saturday the four of us met up with murphy, meatybear and mikiedoggie at Charlie's in Andersonville. It was good seeing everyone and there was some nice eye candy to look at as well. Later in the afternoon Joe and I hosted some people over for dinner before going to see Kathy Griffin. This was our first dinner for a group at the new condo. Overall I think it turned out nice and everyone had a good time.

Our evening was spent going to see Kathy Griffin. As usual she was hysterical. However, I think she was a bit less erratic due to them taping the performance for a Bravo special. It was still as entertaining as ever...especially when she recreated her Emmy "Suck it Jesus" speech.

After Kathy we walked over to visit a friend who lives in Marina City. His place is on the 38th floor and the view is quite nice. We also went up to the roof to see the city at night. All I can say is that the view from the top was AMAZING!

Sunday I made breakfast for the boys before they headed back to Minneapolis. The rest of the day Joe and I didn't do much at all. We didn't even leave the condo until 5:00pm to make a Target run.

One final note, I ended up getting an A in my class. It's quite nice being able to go back to school after 15 years away and still be able to get an A. This is definitely motivation to continue. Thanks to everyone who supported me!

aries470 @ 2007-10-11T07:47:00

2007-10-11T12:47:21Z

4m 24s

Click here to try the quiz.

Eeeeeee!!!

2007-09-14T16:15:42Z

Being a student again has some advantages. One of them is getting a discount on Apple products. So I took full advantage and ordered a new MacBook. It is scheduled to arrive next week. YAY!!!

Back to School

2007-09-10T13:55:44Z

Tomorrow is officially my first day back in school after 15 years. I've just finished my reading and homework assignments that are due tomorrow. Since I am going to the University of Phoenix I don't have to actually go anywhere other than online, but it's still kinda nerve racking. Getting used to attending a class virtually and having to work on teams with people I will most likely never meet will be interesting. I just hope I'm up to the challenge.

New Music

2007-09-09T14:51:31Z

Stumbled on this artist a couple days ago. It's hard to believe he's not signed to a major label. Check him out....you might just like his music. Oh, he's on iTunes as well.

http://www.myspace.com/erichutchinson

Condo Update

2007-09-04T19:12:20Z

Joe and I have been in our new place for over a week and we are slowly getting everything unpacked. Most of the essentials have been unpacked as well as the major living spaces. We still need to set up the office and get some boxes moved into our storage unit as soon as it's built. Eventually it will all be done and we can stop maneuvering around boxes.

Here are a few pics before we moved in....

Kitchen

Kitchen

Living Room

Dining Room

Closing Day!!!

2007-08-24T11:54:26Z

Well, it's finally here, closing day!! Everything at the final walk through went better than either of us could have expected. I can honestly say that based on my last visit to the condo on Monday, I never thought words like incredible and amazing would be uttered from my mouth. However, as soon as we walked in and saw how good it looked I was immediately impressed. Sure there were some minor hiccups along the way, but the end result makes all that seem like a distant memory. We'll be taking pictures later today before we are swamped in boxes and will post as soon as we have an internet connection on Monday.

So, today Joe and I need to be at Chicago Title at 11:30 to sign, sign and sign papers. Then it's off to a celebration lunch at Fogo de Chão. YAY!!!