Friday, December 22, 2006
Trial Separation
In a week, I will be moving to my fifth desk in five months.
When I whined to my mom about it, she simply emailed back: "Frequent constant change is a sign of disorganization/no direction and also keeps people off balance which increases the intimidation factor."
Damn she's smart.
I Have Been Tagged!
Five things you didn't know about me:
1. I’m really uncomfortable sitting with my back to a room of people
2. I shot a bird with a .22 rifle when I was seven and was so heartbroken I’ve never shot another living creature since.
3. I still have dreams of being on stage and performing.
4. I can’t legally own a firearm in the state of Illinois (don’t ask, that’s all you’re getting on this one).
5. It’s very hard for me to come up with five things people don’t already know about me. I’m a pretty open book and if you don’t already know it, I don’t want you to.
Thursday, December 21, 2006
TaterTot Family Holiday Letter: 2006




To all of our friends and family, thank you so very much for a wonderful year. I cherish the time I spend with each and every one of you and look forward to many more adventures in 2007.
Have an awesome holiday season and tremendous New Year!
Jeff, Jennie, Abigail, Emily and Isaac
“We dream a world without violence
-The Prayer
Wednesday, December 20, 2006
Wednesday, December 13, 2006
What's On Your Plate?
Thursday Evening: Tot out with girls from work for dinner and to watch boys take off clothes.
Friday Evening: Jeff’s Holiday Party for Work
Saturday Morning: Two basketball games
Saturday Afternoon: Shopping with Sister Stephie
Saturday Evening: Tot’s Holiday Party for Work
Sunday: Finish all shopping and wrap all presents. Hopefully have a cosmo.
Work Monday through Friday, evenings peppered with one Girl Scout meeting and four basketball practices.
Friday Evening: Out for an evening of dinner and dancing with my bestest buddies (can’t wait for this one)
Saturday All Day: Tot’s Extended Family Christmas Party
Sunday (Christmas Eve): Jeff’s Mother’s house
Monday (Christmas): Parents and Sister to our house for brunch, stay at home all day in pajamas on couch watching kid’s play with new loot. Hopefully have a cosmo.
Work Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday; three evening basketball practices
Friday: Off work, shopping with Sister Sara home from Arizona (Yeah!)
Saturday Morning: Three basketball games (Emi has a double header)
Saturday Afternoon & Evening: Christmas with Tot’s Parental Units
Sunday Evening (New Year’s Eve): Friends to the House of Tot for a New Year’s Eve Party, family style. Hopefully have a cosmo.
Tuesday, December 12, 2006
Opportunity Lost
Then on Wednesday, November 29th I received an email address to all of the employees in my area stating the following:
“We have agreed to shift a position from the Call Center to PC Support. Anyone who is qualified for the PC/network tech Level I (A+ certified) can apply. The posting begins today and closes at end of day Monday. You can notify me via email if you are interested in interviewing for the job.”
If I were going to be considered for this job, I had to somehow get my certification in four days. My first thought was no friggin’ way, it’s impossible. Plus, I wasn’t even considered qualified to keep the job I had; what made me think I would be qualified to move up? It has been the opinion of some in my department that I don’t deserve the job I have now. This has always been a dark cloud over my head that I have allowed to remain there and affect my self-confidence. No matter what I learned or new skills I obtained I have maintained the belief that I am no more than a dumb person in a room full of smart people. The only reason I have the job I do is because I’m a nice and likable person who knows the right people in the right places. I lack what many others in my area seem to have in abundance (some of them too much). Confidence.
After stewing the whole situation for a day and much encouragement from my mom, I decided that everyone else who would be applying for this job had just acquired their certification in the past six months. Was I really going to let this opportunity pass because I missed being qualified by seven days? Hell no. I studied my ass off for the next four days. I mean, with the exception of going to Bombadee’s roller derby on Sunday afternoon I lived, ate, slept and breathed operating systems for four days. Long story short (too late, I know), I easily passed and put my name in the hat of candidates. If they were looking for someone with drive, I’ve shown I’ve got it.
Then I had the interview and my chances crumbled. Historically I interview really, really well. I’m comfortable answering questions in front of a group, I teach customer service and issue resolution for the health system I work at so know all of the “right things to say” and am generally pretty quick on my toes when it comes to articulating well thought out answers to interview type questions. I may not know the answer to some of the specific technical questions, but don’t mind saying so and expressing my desire to learn. The PC techs interviewing all of us are pretty familiar with our skill levels and know we will require a significant amount of training to get up to par. If they wanted someone superbly technical and who could hit the ground running they wouldn’t have chosen to move someone up from the Call Center.
This interview was a complete and total disaster from the first question; “Why do you want to move into this position?” The first thing that came to my mind was “I shouldn’t move into this position because I don’t deserve it.” Of course I didn’t say that, but that thought would not leave my head and I believe I rolled my eyes and mumbled a few “ums” before finally spewing on about how my current area sucks so I figured “why not…it should be better then where I’m at now.” The whole time I was there, I could not shake this feeling. Even when I knew how to reply to some of their technical questions my response came out more like a question than an answer, like I wasn’t really sure but was guessing. I left the room embarrassed and feeling like a complete failure.
What should I have said? What do I wish I had the confidence to say?
I want to move into this position because I have excellent customer service skills, have proven myself to be a fast and motivated learner and given time, experience and training I am confident I will become a valued member of your team.
Maybe I’ll get another chance someday.
Tuesday, November 28, 2006
Thanksgiving Weekend: 2006
What have the Tot’s been doing?
Thanksgiving:
Two family celebrations in two separate towns. Mine and Jeff’s family’s celebrate so differently. Jeff’s Mom prepares all of the food, you show up about an hour before the meal to look through the sale papers, eat, Mom and Sister Jenny do the dishes while I clean the meat off the bird (I can clean a bone like no one else!) and then you go home. It’s very nice, but short and to the point. My family gets together for holidays around noon and basically has a constant, never-ending smorgasbord of food that everyone pulls up to like a trough all day. Games, cards, pool, four-wheelin’ in the woods…this goes on until well past dark when the last of the overstuffed relatives are still playing Euchre next to the crackling fire in Uncle Bob’s living room. We managed to hit both.
Friday:
Hair cuts and color for the kids and much needed giggles with the BlahZeeBlah’s followed by a fun filled afternoon and evening at the Bombadee’s. They had two tables going with games, food aplenty, and kids running circles. We played this awesome game called Scruples and I discovered that Mr. BlahZeeBlah is one of the most cunning men I know and Jenny is one of the most honest women I know. My son managed to take a dump in his pants while we were there and then on the way home I had to pull over so I could puke all of the wonderful food I had eaten in the ditch. Michelle’s homemade roasted garlic hummus does not taste as good coming up as it does going down.
Saturday:
Both Jeff and I: puke, puke, puke, diarrhea, puke, diarrhea, diarrhea, diarrhea, diarrhea.
Sunday:
Some relaxation, at last! Jeff cleaned the house and we put the tree up and all of the holiday decorations out. I studied for my second certification test for about four hours then took a break to watch the Bears (or should I say Grossman) lose the football game. Spent the rest of the evening snuggled up on the sofa listening to holiday tunes as the tree sparkled in the corner and the tiny figurines ice skated on my St. Nicolaus Square village atop the entertainment center.
It was a very busy and very wonderful holiday weekend (except for the puking and diarrhea, of course).
Wednesday, November 22, 2006
Thursday, November 16, 2006
Wednesday, November 15, 2006
Success at Last!
Jeff began his new, first shift job on Monday and Sitter Sally suggested it was the opportune time to make another big change as well. No more diapers. I was fearful at first, as SugarLips has shown no interest in the potty what so ever, even crying at times when the suggestion was made to try it out. After much consideration, we agreed; this is the perfect opening to tell him that he will be going to Sally’s house for breakfast and lunch everyday, will be having preschool time each morning, napping at Sally’s in the afternoon…and oh yeah…no more diapers. We’re going cold turkey.
Sunday afternoon I went shopping and bought 14 pair of size 2T-3T underwear in a variety of styles. We had Buzz LightYear, Cars, Spiderman, Superman, Football! I was so excited to get them home and put a pair on those cute little buns. Little did I know I would first have a twenty minute conversation with my 3 year-old on why he thought underwear was “scary”…don’t ask, I still don’t quite understand. After a great deal of discussion and some sneaky jumping on the bed distraction we finally got him into a pair with a huge Superman symbol prominently displayed on his tiny rear. He kept asking for a diaper, but we told him that there were no more diapers so he would have to use the potty and kept our fingers crossed.
Next came the pièce de résistance; The Potty Chart. Sugar and I made a quick trip to the Super Dollar Store and bought our supplies; a big white poster board, markers and sparkly stickers of snowmen, stars and clowns. With each successful “event” a sticker would be earned. My entire plan relied on the notion my son would covet the sparkly stickers.
To spare readers the lurid details I will offer this summary; since Sunday evening we have had no, that’s right NO, pee accidents. This morning he even woke up with a dry pull up (he gets one only for night time sleeping, not naps) and immediately told me in his not quite awake yet, crackly voice that he had to use the potty. Poop is a hurdle we have yet to successfully clear having one accident on Monday evening with no further occurrences as of this morning. I know he has to go though, observing the tell tale signs of constant gas and declarations of “my tummy hurt” this morning. Keep your fingers crossed I come home to celebration tonight and not a grocery bag of rinsed out Spiderman briefs and blue jeans.

Tuesday, November 14, 2006
Friday, November 03, 2006
Innuendo
“It’s too hard, I have to suck on it to get it soft”
(referring to a piece of taffy)
“It’s pretty tight when you try to put two through there”
(attempting to pull two carts through a narrow opening)
“Cause for eight bucks I can have some woman massage my head”
(in response to asking Schweaty Man why he bothers to pay for his crew cut rather than buying a set of clippers)
“Let’s see how big this unit is”
(when opening a document for printing)
Wednesday, November 01, 2006
Halloween of Tiny Tots
Mimi, The Rainbow Witch (9 years old)
SugarLips, "PiderMan" (3 years old)
-------------------------------------------
I found this pic over the weekend and thought I would share...
Vintage TaterTot and Bombadee.
Monday, October 30, 2006
Class of '91 Reunion Part Two: Who the Fu** Is That?

Tot & Wendy: The first person I ever skipped school with, it was in the sixth or seventh grade and we were totally busted...(be thankful Wendy, I almost scanned in pics from my 5th grade slumber party where we all dressed up in togas made from my mothers floral sheets and you had a bad perm and that contraption you wear across your face and head at night with braces...)

This pic could sum up our entire evening...continuous pee-your-pants laughter
1991: Flash, Jeel, E and Pief
2006: Matt, Jill, Erika and Jennie
Not quite sure what Jill and I were doing here, but it should have been my first indication to stop drinking...open bars at class reunions are not the best idea. (Doesn't it look like I have horns growing out of my head in this pic...it took me a minute to realize it was the persons behind me ears)
This picture cracked me up when I noticed Dean flippin' me off in the background.
What I would have given for Matt to put his tongue on me in high school...I had to wait 15 years.
We really should get together more often guys, I hadn't laughed that hard in a long time. Love you Mark!
This is a picture of a girl that I was stalking with my camera all night asking everyone "Who the fu** is that?"...it should have been another indication that I had too much to drink. All of my old classmates must think I've become a raging alcoholic. After looking at it again though, I still have no idea who the fuck it is.
The TaterTots.
Class of ’91 Reunion Part One: Brown Blazers and Striped Shirts
Thankfully Jeff and I made arrangements to meet up with our old pals E and Mr. E at a local brewery before the reunion was slated to begin. We arrived first and ordered a couple of beers and chips with salsa as we sat uncomfortably on the same side of the booth in anticipation of our cohorts (I always find that odd, when couples share the same side of a booth at restaurants with the other side empty). After about ten minutes the phone rang; E calling to tell me there couldn’t find the place. With some quick directions, my excitement grew knowing we would be running towards each other within in moments; arms in the air, fingers wiggling and that high pitch screech chicks make when they are about to hug (yes…she is the ONLY person I do that with). It was so wonderful to see them again. It’s funny how you can not hang out an old friend for years, but when you do it’s as if you were driving around town drinking swigs from a bottle of Bacardi with Bandits in your mouth only yesterday. (Don’t ask) We laughed our asses off when our embrace finally broke and it dawned on us we were both wearing dark denim jeans paired with brown blazers and heels. Not only that, but as Jeff walked up to join in the merry greetings he and Mr. E were both sporting dark button up collared shirts with pinstripes. I shit you not. We must have both shopped in the “15 Year Class Reunion” section of the store.


Friday, October 27, 2006
The Tot’s Impending Divorce…
They say it’s all in “who” you know. We met the Blahzeeblah’s and Bombadee’s for dinner less than two weeks ago when Mr. Bombadee handed Jeff a business card and told him to call his boss. One of the shop guys was hanging on by a thread and they may be looking to replace him in a hurry. Dan suggested Jeff. Less then a week later Jeff had an interview and was told the job was his if he wanted it. After some schedule rearranging on my part (thanks a million Sparky) and tough benefit negotiations (Jeff is still thanking me for insisting he ask for more days off) our lives are about to be turned upside down. We’ve always said one of the reason’s we been able to maintain the excitement in our marriage is due to the fact that by Saturday we can’t wait to see each other. That theory is about to be put to test. I can’t thank Dan enough for all he’s done, although it could be fun to try ~wink wink~.
So how will things change? We will sit together as a family for dinner five more nights a week. My children’s father will be cheering them on from the sidelines at all of their baseball games. Homework duties and soccer practices will no longer lie solely on my shoulders. If I’m invited to a Pampered Chef party or out for cosmo’s with Bombadee on a Tuesday night, I won’t have to arrange a babysitter. We will begin to battle for the remote control. This will be the last trick-or-treating on Halloween night Jeff doesn’t experience through pictures. I will be going to sleep with the love of my life just inches from my side Monday through Friday. I will have a reason to postpone actually going to sleep Monday through Friday that doesn’t involve the dirty book Bombadee loaned me. I can’t wait!
Can I get a woo-hoo?
Tuesday, October 24, 2006
Cheeeeez!

Mrs. Blahzeeblah, photgraphed by SugarLips (10/22/06)
Thursday, October 19, 2006
Class of '91, continued
Wednesday, October 18, 2006
Class of '91
I emailed E this morning and told her she has to help me with a few things:
Names. I suck at names, BIG TIME! I guarantee I will have people coming up to me all night exclaiming “PIEF” (my nickname in school) and I will have no friggin’ idea who in the hell they are. Jeff and E will be able to tell by that stupid smile you get on your face when you’re pretending the person in front of you was the coolest person ever and I can’t believe we’ve lost touch…blah, blah, blah.
“So what have you been up to…married…do you have any kids?” How many times will I have to answer this question? I want to put my response in bullet form and print it out on little cards I can hand to people when they ask. “Here you go, this has all of the information you need on it…nice to see you.” Do I have to ask this question of everyone I see too? Will there be a test at the end of the evening? Like I care.
Gossip. It’s already happened, I have reverted into the 15 year old mean girl who giggled in the corner about the nerdy boys and called girls who were prettier than I was slutty. I work with a girl I’ve known since the fifth grade, she is actually the person who talked me into going to this in the first place. (You know who you are…and I know you’re reading this). She and I were emailing back and forth yesterday about what we plan to wear and within 3 reply’s I was already making reference to a girl who was rumored to have serviced a guy through a chain link fence in high school. What the hell?
“Oh my gawd…you two are STILL together?” I’m sure the first few times I will politely smile and say, “yes…still together…can you believe it?” By the 84th time however, my response will probably have morphed into “No, we haven’t seen eachother since prom but when our eyes met in the parking lot we just knew and told our spouses to get lost and had hot monkey sex in the back seat of his car. It’s just like old times again.” Yes, I am happily married to the boy I began dating when I was 16 years old, who took me to my senior prom, who I lost my virginity to for crying out loud. Doesn’t seem all that odd to me, I’m sure lots of people will be at the reunion with the person they lost their virginity to…although I doubt they will be married to them. ~snicker~
I promise to share stories and pictures next week. Wish me luck and let’s hope I don’t make too much of an arse out of myself.