While the Cat's Away...

The mice were certainly at play today with the cats away. Our boss was off and a part of the Asian Mafia's boss was off, too. Just lovely...

Even as a single gal, I have a "Honey Do List". The hard part is finding "A Honey" to do them when you don't have one. How does THREE sound? Sharon's husband is coming down next month to spend Thanksgiving week with her. (Long story short: They live in separate states due to his stint in the military and being redeployed in Afghanistan every other six months.) A couple of his buddies are coming down to visit as well.

I mentioned to Sharon my desire to hang a new curved curtain shower rod, but I would need help -- namely a drill. I had been telling her of my other thing to install airplane cables across the back wall of my bedroom so I can free form hang sari fabric or use tab clips to hang other fabric. This contraption requires two people for efficiency and accuracy. Sharon solved my dilemma by volunteering her husband and friends as I am off that week, too. What a great idea! I told her that I would serve them their favorite beer and make them a home cooked meal.

Sharon, Bridget, Michelle and I walked to the big mall and had humorous lunch at the upscale sports bar. We decided we wanted something special and we wanted to be waited on instead a self-serve meal elsewhere in the mall. After lunch, we stopped at Godiva Chocolatier on the way for a few decadent truffles before scurrying back across the large parking lot to our building. It had been raining off and on all day.

Remember when I was having issues with my new laptop? Those little computer gremlins were at it again or have been the last two weeks. I asked someone in the other building if we could swap out the shell. (For those not in the know, "shell" in this instance means everything except the hard drive.) A nice sized Godiva chocolate candy was offered as an incentive. Ha!

I ended up leaving early and going to the other building where my shell was swapped out and spent almost two hours talking to someone I hadn't really talked to in two years. There is a rare breed of men I can easily be myself without having the pressure of being scintillating in some sort of way. This guy who helped me out is one of them. We've always had an easy camaraderie. Sharing similar life and work angst was gratifying. Face it -- outwardly bemoaning your state of affairs by yourself and to yourself just sounds loony, now doesn't it?


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While the Cat's Away...

Thank Goddess

It wasn't motivation that got me to work early. It was my desire to leave earlier. Hey, after a hellishly long short week, priorities change. Very grateful for it ending.

My new boss was off on his own again with tag team meetings with me and Bridget. We took turns spending time with him and answering all his questions. He's going to be okay, I think. This is not why, but he's mentioned possibly hooking us up with choice VIP hockey tickets with locker room access. Yeah...Hockey.

Bridget got her nails done at lunch and had them trimmed much shorter for her roller derby bout this weekend. She doesn't want to scratch any of the gals accidentally nor take the chance of her nails ripping off if she falls incorrectly. She promised a treat for a hard work week when she got back and she delighted me with Godiva chocolates. She got two of each and shared. They were beautiful as well as being decadently delicious! Savored them throughout the afternoon.

Starting from the top clockwise: White Chocolate Raspberry Truffle, Dark Chocolate Key Lime Pie Truffle and Chocolate with Strawberry Cheesecake.


My Nemesis Vendor was no-show for equipment and a no-show personally. I passed the baton to my boss to deal with him. He left the vendor a firm voicemail only to have the bastard call me instead. Lesser of two evils? He made a mistake. I was polite, but curt. We'll see how Monday turns out for him. The Rule: Underpromise, Overdeliver. Not the other way around.

Made sure my peeps at work bought their tickets for Sunday. They all asked me what time I was going to be there and could I call them when I was on my way. It's too easy to fall back on the role of cruise director. Ant asked if he could bring a flask. If you knew him, you would hug his wife when you saw her. Ha!

I am going to be blissfully busy most of tomorrow. Meeting Kim for The Saturday Four, but only for a short, but intense version because I have an early hair appointment. Getting Korean Michelle to trim my hair. It's gotten really long, more than half way down my back, past the end of my tattoo (three one-inch Chinese symbols to the left of my right bra strap a la Matrix) and possibly....a color change if she has time.

Torn with keeping the blond highlights or getting it dark brown again, but with a chestnut lift. It will be an intense conversation over a hair color sample board, I'm sure. If not tomorrow then in another three weeks when I am due for a touch up. Might follow it with getting my nails done since Sunday afternoon won't allow it. Need to stop at the home improvement store, too.

It's going to be an AGOL Weekend. Just because you don't have someone to spoil you currently, doesn't mean you can't spoil yourself. Besides, it's really upkeep. Your AGOL loves being girlie!

Thank Goddess

Happy AGOL Day - Go Diva!

If there is one day that my friends know that belong to me, it is Valentine's Day. It has been my way of making up to them for being depressed and sulky all Christmas season starting in October. I've also loved this day ever since I passed out my first Valentine card in elementary school. Spreading love, joy and beauty into the world should be everyone's goal. A little of one or each makes the world a more beautiful place to live in. We owe it to each other to show a little kindness.

I live the essence of Valentine's every day. It is my trademark. Whether it is passing by someone's desk to give some candy as a pick-me-up or complimenting someone on how they look or just listening to them just takes a few moments out of my day and is well worth the effort. Everyone needs to feel validated at least once a day, to feel that they matter and someone noticed their existence at least for one moment. It is the priceless gift we can give each other and costs near to nothing.

Yummy and I have been talking about promoting yourself as a brand. The genesis for this idea was not mine but a genius article in a maverick magazine called "Fast Company" where I first located an article 10 years ago entitled The Brand Called You. If you like this article, I highly recommend searching the words "Brand You" and see what other articles come up or just checking out the website for fresh ideas.

When my friends think of me and acquaintances, too, they can rattle off the same things that they know me for and of course the idea of Love is central. Jeff and Tawnyia are the ones who gave me the moniker Asian Goddess of Love (AGOL). It has started to become interchangeable with my full name in some circles. Quite strange sometimes. More R&D needs to be done, but it is an evolving brand. I do have my own logo with my last name and a graphic accompanying it; I've had it for about six years now. It probably needs a reworking, but I will leave that to the R&D group.

In the midst of meetings today, I was the receiver of Love vibes from Yummy and it came in the manner of a beautiful giant box of Godiva chocolate. Nothing say lovin' like a box of Godiva truffles and chocolates! Here's a picture I took at my cube at work.

Red Suede Heart Shape Box of Godiva Chocolates...Texture and Taste!

When I got home and picked up my mail, I also received a really great card from Yummy with a beautiful dragonfly poem inside. You want to talk about Yummy trademarks? Romantic ranks No. 1 in my book. As the AGOL, he is perfect. This man just takes my breath away. He has a manner of catching me off guard which is rarely done. I am indeed very blessed and lucky to have him in my life. He is awesome. Thank you, Peter, for my wonderful Valentine's gifts -- I just love them!

My day ended with talking to Yummy. Did I mention that since he couldn't be with me in the same country this time round, he offered to babysit his godkids for his best friend? Talk about a Hot Move in the AGOL handbook! Love, joy and beauty. That is what it is all about.

Happy AGOL Day - Go Diva!