Who is the Queen?

I am the queen.

I had this meeting with a district that I am working with to open a couple of centers for this fall. After learning that I was the first person that they had met from any part of the company and being totally appalled by that...I totally impressed them with my wealth of knowledge. Long story short they are now looking into having both a night summer school program. That was all me. Where's my bonus for that deal? Because nothing tell me that I am a valued and valuable employee like extra money in the paycheck.

Monday Morning Commute

My Monday morning commute take 710 miles. That isn't what sucks. What sucks is that it eats up half of my day, more if the weather is questionable. That combined with hike to almost Chattanooga would explain why I just decided to stop working at 9:45 pm. It's not like I'm caught up. I'm just sick of working.

10%

I have lost 10% of myself since the beginning of February. That is the equivalent of 108 sticks of butter, which is a pretty disgusting visual.

What does that 10% mean? It means various and sundry things. It means that my crap pancreas has been doing it's job a little better. I means my leg joints don't make as much noise. Tragically, because I' so freaking tall...it doesn't mean that I've dropped numerous clothing sizes, but I'm no longer shoe horned into the clothes I own.

I'm rather pleased with myself for accomplishing this. What I am most proud of is that the vast majority of this lost me took place while traveling for work...which means eating out for almost every meal and convincing myself that going to "not my gym" is a great idea.

It's funny all of this lost me is making me feel more like me.

I hate you....

un-named suburban Georgia school district. Thank for the wild goose chase. I appreciate that I wasted 2 weeks waiting on your input. Then I went and found you awesome spaces for your center...Only to find out that apparently you don't know where you district boundaries are. Way to go geniuses...now I'm three weeks behind where I want to be.

Exercise in Futility...or How We Tried to Make Fondant

While I was on vacay at my brother's, we attempted to make fondant from scratch. This exercise in futility was born out of Jay's new found love of cake decorating. So, Jayzer went on-line and found a recipe for fondant on Wiki-DIY.

Recipe for Fondant
1 bag o Marshmallows
2 lbs of powdered sugar
Some H2O
Flavoring if so desired

The directions are pretty straight forward. Nuke the marshmallows and then knead in the powdered sugar. This somehow turned into a hot mess. It takes forever knead in two lbs of powdered sugar...even if there are 4 sets of hands doing it. Then once you let the stuff sit for a minute...it needs more sugar.

The most insulting part of this process was that when we were done the crap tasted like circus peanuts!!!

This could possibly work in real life. I wouldn't do it by hand. Jay and I figured out that you could make it with the dough hook in a v. strong stand mixer.

When all was said and done there was much laughing and eating of naked cupcakes.

Biddy and Amber

That is my brother, Jay, and sister-in-law, Amber. I call my brother Biddy for some reason that I can't remember...I just do.

Vacay

I got back from my brother's on Monday...but I'm just writing about it now. Vacation was much needed; as was some family time.

The boys are giants. I just saw them at Christmas and the are so very different from just four months ago. Ian is a head taller since then. He's such a funny little guy; he seems so much older than 7. Dee's getting bigger as well, but he's totally a little kid. He's square dancing in the kindergarten program and is v.v. excited for it.

It will be weird once they leave for Japan. I don't get to see them all that often...I make to NC at least twice a year and the boys change so much during that time. It's going to be weird to only get to see them maybe once every two years.

One More Day...

Until I get to hang out with these guys. I am super excited for 4 days of Wii bowling , homework helping, freeze tag playing, monkey barring, and cupcake decorating.

It's OK for you to be jealous.

Who Loves Frequent Flier Miles...

I do...I do!!

I just spent the majority of my afternoon booking my travel for the next three weeks. It took for freakin' ever. Trying to find reputable hotels near some of the Hootervilles that I stay in isn't a time friendly undertaking; but I am airplane-ed, bedded, and automobiled.

My wacky brother

My brother is a one of a kind type of guy. He's in the Air Force, married and has two boys. He can appear to be a little intimidating with all of his tattoos. He's a don't judge a book by its cover type.

Jay goes to parent teacher conferences and school plays. He's a very talented artist. He does homework with his sons and takes them to the library. He's in the process of learning Japanese. Not what you'd expect from a guy who looks like Buddy Holly's evil biker twin; but that's my brother.


Jayzer's new obsession is cake decorating. It doesn't strike me as completely odd; our mom is a insanely talented cake decorator in her own right. He made cupcakes for Dee Dee's, youngest son's, birthday and has been going strong ever sense. When he called me last night he informed me that while I am down to visit them at the end of this week, we are going to make fondant from scratch. Apparently it is a two person job and I'm the second person. He is now inventing reasons to make and decorate cupcakes, his preferred medium.

He wants to take a class at the Michael's down the street from the base. I may have that be my birthday present to him this year. The though of my punk rock brother in a cake decorating class with the soccer moms and the blue hairs amuses me to no end. I may need to be the catalyst for that to take place.

Thank Ya Jeezus!!

I am home this week...to be truthful I am home for 3 days and then I am taking some time off to go and see my brother's tribe before they leave for Japan.

This will probably be the longest stretch that I will be home for until after the school year has started. That depresses me to no end. Needless to say work is very busy right now. I have 10 centers to open up on my own in the metro ATL; and ties to 11 in South Georgia.

I will spend my 3 working days getting caught up on reporting...so that I can be behind again when I get back to work on Tuesday. It is my least favorite part of my job. The reporting that I have to do is basically so that people who don't know me can see how efficient I am for the salt mine wages they pay.

Note of Disclosure...The above cartoon is a 100% accurate representation of what I wear to work when I am home; although I prefer track pants to velour sweats.

Diet Brown

I caved this week and gave in to a Diet Brown (all sugar free colas) craving. I have seriously cut back on the Diet Brown. I went from two or three a day to maybe one a week. My dentist told me I may want to lay off of it. Apparently it was eating my teeth. So I cut down on my Diet Brown consumption.

This weeks travels sucked big time and I figured that if the worst thing I consumed was some Diet Brown then I was ahead of the game. It probably didn't help that I was in Atlanta and everywhere you turn there's a Diet Brown billboard calling out to me like a siren.

Lunch with my past

I had to schlep up to what I will forever refer to as the Georgia side of Chattanooga for work today. We are opening two new centers up there and I had to go look for sites; but that is not what this is about.

I know that is not the most politically correct place to eat; but as my friend David, one of the gayest men I have ever known, once said "Jules just say a little prayer for them and then enjoy your dinner." I grab take away from Cracker Barrel quite a bit when I'm on the road. I can grab the grilled chicken w/ green beans and a salad, be low in points and my have nosh still be tasty.

Since I was heading back to the ATL take away wasn't an option so I ate in. As I was sitting there at the table enjoying my diet brown w/ lemon and trying to solve the peg game, which I never have thank you, an overwhelming since of loss came over me. It took a minute for it to dawn on me what my malfunction was. Stopping for lunch at CB was one of those things that was a Jules and dad thing. Since I've been so busy for work; I hadn't noticed that the 14th Annual Jules Day,the anniversary of my dad dying, is bearing down on me.

I have to pay attention to things or I'm going to end up tearing up like some crazy person while ordering lunch. My dad would frown upon that and as a general rule so do I.

Hollow Victory

I won my NCAA bracket by default. I had Memphis and no one else did. We all took a shellacking along with Carolina. Memphis gave that game away. Maybe next year they'll practice free throws. Congratulations Kansas...way to stab a girl in the back!

Thank you Kansas

It is not often that I thank Kansas, your uber conservative nature tends to weird me out. However, yesterday Kansas helped me out a great deal.

Thank you Jayhawks for thrashing UNC and giving me a chance to win my NCAA bracket. Granted I can only win bragging rights, but a win is a win.

Thank you Jimmy Conrad of the Kansas City Wizards! Your two goals have greatly helped my fantasy MLS team. Way to help a girl out.

Laundry Day

I'm working on getting my laundry done so I can return everything to slutty suitcase. I have made an alarming discovery about myself as I was sorting the grungies. If I so desired, I could wash an entire load of cardigans. Of this load eight of said cardigans are the identical sweater in different colors...three of those are various shades of black (don't act like you don't know what I'm talking about people)

I may need an intervention.

Working (out) Girl

I used to be that girl. I have a routine now; so believe it or not I now actually like working out. I know it weirds me out a little bit as well.


I worked out with my trainer today. You may be asking yourself; Jules how do you afford a trainer on your salt mine wages? I am taking the money that I used to spend on take away and using it on my trainer. Alarmingly, the amount of money spent is v.v. close. Today was a circuit training day. It kicked my butt in a good way...the best part of this was it was something that I could not have done a month ago. Way to go me!!


I also bought myself a shiny, new, and girly pink Polar 6 heart rate monitor. It makes sure I work out efficiently, and don't try to stroke myself out. So far so good...To Be Continued.

On Time Arrival

I would like to thank the Cleveland based flight crew on the flight I was on this afternoon. You were the first flight that I have been on in two months that got me home on time.

I would also like it noted that my slutty suitcase is also home. He hasn't gone gallivanting on me since the blizzard.

This is for the lady who didn't listen to me in the security line. I told you that you couldn't take that bottle of H2O in your carry-on. I hope you enjoyed having the TSA go through your bag. I know I enjoyed watching them throw your contraband away.

I'm heading out again on Monday...off to Atlanta for the week.

Two weeks and counting...

until I get to hang with my guys. They are so freakin' awesome. They think I'm the coolest because I get on an airplane to come and see them. I can't wait!

Dinner in a Bag

I am travelling through the rural South this week. The options for eating something that is good for you aren't plentiful. I am not saying there aren't good places to eat down here; I'm just saying there aren't a lot of healthy choices down here. If I have to eat one more grilled chicken sandwich/sub from a bag...I may cry. Mercifully, I'm going to Atlanta next week.

School Daze

As I was putting in my time on the treadmill today; the local news affiliate broke in with the following story. Nine third graders at the local Elementary School had cooked up a plan to kill their teacher. WTF...these kids are 9 years old and they are cooking up murder plots. Said juvenile delinquents brought the following things to school to pull this off: what appeared to be a boning knife, a big cut glass/crystal paperweight, handcuffs, rope, sticks, and other things I couldn't make out from my vantage point.

For those of you wondering what the teacher did to incur such wrath she did the following; she asked one of the kids to stop standing on a chair in class. She had the gall to ask to a 9 year old to do something that said 9 year old should already know to be inappropriate behavior.

I can't wait to see how the parents of these students are going to try to spin this. I'm sure that this will somehow be the teacher's fault. That she shouldn't have had behavioral standards in her classroom. These would be the same parents calling for her resignation if the "precious angel" had cracked his/her head open falling off the very chair she asked him/her to stop standing on.

The school district has suspended said juvenile delinquents. I hope that these kids are on the fast track for expulsion. Premeditated murder plot of a teacher in combination with putting all of the other kids in the classroom at risk for who knows what. Enjoy that wrap sheet that will haunt you until you're 18. Way to go geniuses you just made your life unnecessarily difficult.