My Looking Glass

United Colors of College Onesies

left to right: Ava, Ronan, Olivia
Originally uploaded by LA

Ava and her friends Ronan and Olivia (fraternal twins) watch college football together, sporting onesies from their favorite teams. Ava's a budding Aztec; the twins, Trojans.

posted by LA @ 9:11 AM 6 comments

A Girl and Her Dog

As you can see, Ava and Ruby are living in harmony. Ava's 2 months old now; Ruby, 2 years. How cute are these girls?

I had a week I'd rather forget. It started out with the funeral of a woman I used to work with who was way too young to not wake up one morning. Then I had to rush my sister to the emergency room a couple days ago. She's okay now, but I am completely unimpressed with Kaiser. It was possibly the most frustrating experience I've ever had with a health care provider. I know a lot of people choose Kaiser because it's cheap, but let me tell you something... you're getting what you pay for. Not much.

Did you catch Obama's speech the other night? It was the highlight of my week, I thought he was terrific. His message of change is one that really resonates. I remember feeling the same way after 8 years of Reagan and 4 years of the first Bush. Times were bad then, but they're actually worse now, and change is even more critical today than it was in 1992. It's imperative.

Okay, here's one more baby picture of my brother holding his little girl. Every time I see her, she looks a little bit more like my dad, it's a trip. I finally finished the blanket I've been knitting for her, and just for kicks, I also made her a little pink beret. She's flying cross-country in a few weeks to visit her Grandma A in Northern Michigan where the temps are cooler at night, so she'll need some knits in her chic baby wardrobe. When I saw her last weekend, I bounced her on my knee and sang this song to her. She LOVED it!

Have a great Labor Day weekend, everyone! Ava's looking forward to the first week of college football. She's already an Aztec fan!

posted by LA @ 11:41 PM 6 comments

The $1 House

Check it out. This house sold for $1 in Detroit.

Times are tough. My job at the hospital is in jeopardy, kinda like my job at the phone company was during the Bush I recession of the early 90s. At GTE, I took a buyout before they would lay me off (which eventually happened to most if not all of my colleagues), but I hated that job, was in my 20s, and was ready for a fresh start. By contrast, I have no intention of leaving the hospital. I love my job, and they'll have to carry me out of there kicking and screaming. Still, there's a way-too-decent-for-comfort chance that that is precisely what will happen.

How's your professional life going? Do you have any career ideas for someone who's about to be outsourced to either technology or India?

posted by LA @ 11:24 AM 13 comments

The Bitter with the Sweet

This summer has been all sweetness and light with the birth of my niece. But life has a way of tossing you a curve ball, and that pitch was thrown last week when my sister's sweet doggy Bugsy died at age 15. He was in kidney failure and fell ill the day after my mom flew home to Michigan. Last week was a rough week, and this one is, too.

I gave a 12-week-old Bugsy to my sister as a birthday present when she turned 25 in 1993. She turned 40 on July 22, and Bugsy passed on August 1, 2008. He was a beloved member of our family, and he is sorely missed by all. If you know my sister, drop her a line. She's grieving hard.

posted by LA @ 8:45 PM 9 comments