In Sync

In my office there is only one other woman. Why is it that we are both wearing outfits that are basically in the same color family - dark red top and gray slacks?

I've seen this same color sync phenomenom many times. Years ago, I was a hostess at the Church Office Building. There were 14 woman on my shift. Just about every week, we would all show up wearing the same predominant color. Sometimes the dominant color was one not commonly worn - like purple. It was just a little weird. I've seen this happen on Sundays when in a roomful of about 150 women, more than half of them will be wearing some shade of the same color. I've seen this happen when working temp jobs. Woman show up wearing the same color. It's like a memo was sent out, "Tomorrow is wear blue day".

Is there some kind of scientific explanation for this? Have you experienced this? What do you think?

Update: I just saw woman who works on another floor. Guess what color she's wearing today?

Bad News/Good News

I thought that by moving from my former home and leaving the Nimbys behind that I'd be done with them. I was very glad to leave all that drama and legal stuff behind.

But I found out today that because the Nimbys have sued my friend, the gal who lives across the street from them, that I'm going to have get involved again. There was a court hearing yesterday to determine if the Nimbys case had any merit. The Nimbys attorney asked for a continuance to further prepare his case. The judge granted it.

So my friend told me today that because the husband and I have both had conversations and communication with the Nimbys, we will be asked by her attorney to give a statement. Then there is the possiblity the the Nimbys attorney will have to take a deposition from us. Fun.

I feel bad for my friend who has to continue to incur legal fees to defend herself in a case, that from the point of view of many people, has no merit or basis. This whole thing could go on for at least a year, or longer.

But on the bright side, my friend has decided to start a small community garden in her own backyard. She's invited neighbors, and me, to participate. It will be interesting to see if I can actually grow a tomato or two. Hopefully, our collabrative effort will get some results.

Tis a puzzlement

My home town has its share of transient and homeless people. Besides the usual, card holders types with signs that say "Will work for food" or "Stranded, need bus money", there are some who will approach you on the street or in a parking lot and ask for bus money.

What I'm puzzled about it that when these people ask for bus money, they all need to go to the same place. The question is always a variation of "I need bus money to go to Ogden.". They never need to go to Utah County, some suburb in Salt Lake County, or even one of the several cities between Salt Lake and Ogden. It's always Ogden. What is the attraction to Ogden? Or is Ogden really a euphemism for some thing else that they really need or want?

I've been on the first phase of the Atkins Diet for about two weeks and I'm having pretty good success. But I'm puzzled why after an initial 8 pound weight loss and a visible difference in the way my clothes fit that the bathroom scale seems to be stuck at a certain number. I know I'm losing inches - you know, very baggy slacks, shirts that didn't fit two weeks ago that are now almost too big - but the scale seems to be stuck. Am I going to get on the scale one day and find that I'm really down 15 pounds or more? How can it be to have weight loss show up every where but on the scale? And no, the scale isn't broken. I can't figure it out.

Fickle, fickle

April weather where I live is fickle, changeable and sometimes just down right miserable. Take today - the sun was shining and the skies were clear and blue when I left for work this morning. Now it's clouded up and storm clouds seem to be gathering in the west. Yesterday, it was a downpour and then turned to snow. Monday, the temps were in the 60s with blue skies. Tomorrow it's suppose to clear up and be in the 60s on the weekend.

It's because of this fickle weather that I have a dilemna about lunch today. Since the sun was shining when I left home, I opted to not bring an umberella. I also decided that I would get lunch out of the building today. So now with no lunch from home and no umberella to use in case it rains, I just have to take my chances at lunch time. Either that or go without lunch which really isn't an option.

April is always like this. I don't know why I expect anything else. But each year, I'm hopeful it will be different.

Pitter Pat

Today is the kind of day that when I was a little girl my mother would have sung this little song to me:

Pitter pat, pitter pat, it's a rainy day.
I'll dress up snug and warm and go outside to play.
I'll get my coat and bumbershoot.
On each foot, I'll pull a boot.
Grab my gloves and grab my hat,
And I'll go out in the pitter pat.

So that's just what I did! Well, for at least as long as it took me to walk to work.

P.S. If you know what a bumbershoot is, then you aren't some little young whippersnapper!

Yay for me!

I'm quite proud of myself! I've been on the Atkins diet for a week and doing pretty good sticking with the first phase of the diet.

Last night, I was at a gathering of a group of women. The hostess had a spread of chocolate eggs, and other goodies on the coffee table in the room where we were sitting. Later in the evening, she brought out a wonderful looking strawberry shortcake.

I passed on all of it! Nary a nibble! I may just be able to stick with this for a little while and become a shadow of my former self.

One week down. One major temptation down. Five pounds down.

Keep going girl.

As long as I get paid

I am in week six of a three month On-Call assignment. In most of my temp jobs, my primary responsibility is to answer the phone. But not this job. The phone rarely rings.

I'm getting paid to keep the break room in order with supplies stocked, order office supplies, help people find kleenex boxes in the supply room, clean up conference rooms after meetings, order food from catering, organize the weekly devotional, determine where pictures need to be hung in the building, deliver the one or two pieces of mail that show up here every day and let people into the secured building. It doesn't take much to take care of these few duties, so most of the time I'm on the computer.

Most of these duties sound vaguely familiar, like stuff that I do at home, but with a different name. But if the employer doesn't mind paying my hourly rate to sit here and basically do very little all day, it's OK with me.