Author: Kelly and Geoff

At least today was pretty constructive

Today Kelly and I managed to:  take Rerun to the vet (he had a problem with one of his paws); take care of the details at the tuxedo rental place (details to come later for those renting tuxes) ; take Kelly to an interview (which went well); do some research on things to do this summer and fall with visiting family; picked up some prescriptions; picked up some clothes from our tailor, Mr. Sordillo, and dropped off two more pairs of pants of mine to be hemmed; and stopped at the hardware store to pick up a few odds and ends we needed.  So all in all, a pretty constructive day for a Monday.  – Geoff

So.. about that university job…

Yeah, I don’t have it any more.  I completed my 90 day probationary period, and they decided not to keep me.  Needless to say I was stunned.  The general consensus seems to be that there was some sort of personality conflict.  Certainly my boss never warmed to me at all.

So anyway, now I am back to looking for work again, and as you can imagine, I am just thrilled about it (not).  At least Kelly has had a lot of good interviews lately.  I am going to try to keep working on more certifications, and personal networking, and whatever else I can do to keep me busy and constructive.

-Geoff

Art so irrationally funny, I’m not sure how to describe it

This was sent to us by the super funny JJ yesterday.  It is a link to art by this guy James.  He calls it “Relentlessly Cheerful Art.”  I can’t say I disagree.  The artist is someone who clearly knows his Geek Culture (yes, there is such a thing) and who also is ridiculously talented.  The art is actually really, really beautiful.  But the subject matter is so strikingly funny I was actually sitting here yesterday, Geoff right along with me, laughing so hard I had tears in my eyes.

It does require a certain understanding of things like Star Wars, Firefly, and Dr. Who, but it also mixes in Winnie the Poo, Where the Wild Things Are (my favorite childhood book), and Edvard Munch’s The Scream.  Oh, and the Muppets.  Lots of Muppets.  Go, take a look.  You won’t regret it.

~Kelly

Free Museum Admission This Summer

Ok, I know I’ve been posting a lot today.  Oh well, it’s my our blog, so 😛  This is important.

Free Fun Fridays 2011
Free Museum Admission all summer long!

Have summer Fridays at work and looking to up your cultural quotient?  Looking for something to do with the kids?  Find your way to a Free Friday at one of the institutions listed above.  Feel free to spread this around, email, repost, tweet, etc.  Leave a comment if you want a copy of the original pdf poster.

~Kelly

Another totally self serving shopping post

Ideeli is having a sale starting today on Orrefors.  One of the things on sale are the Champagne flutes we’re registered for, at half the price that they cost at Bloomingdales, which is where we’re registered.

Just, you know, FYI.  If you don’t have an invite to Ideeli there is one in the blogroll to the right of the screen.  The sale lasts for 3 days.

~Kelly

So, ecards.

Some of you may have heard that today is my Birthday.  I have received some nice phone calls and a couple of nice emails and ecards.

Leave it to my brother to send me this.  My brother is the best.

http://sendables.jibjab.com/view/7clWWHieJGp9P2Mv

Kinda makes me wonder what else the day will bring?

~Kelly

If only this was more common

Geoff here – obviously there are a lot of problems with the Catholic Church these days, and it is because of many of these problems that I left the church and became Episcopalian.  That being said, I think it is highly encouraging that not all Catholics agree with the rampant homophobic prejudice that is running throughout the Church.  An article today on Boston.com talks about one priest who is taking a stand for inclusion, and good for him.  Remember, the arguments made against integrating the races in Catholic churches were just as flawed.  History was not kind to the racial bigots in the Catholic ranks, and it is not going to be kind to the homophobic bigots.

Phew, that’s a relief.

It looks like the job hunt is picking back up for me.  I had an interview on May 27th that I thought went really well but I hadn’t heard back from them so I sort of assumed that nothing was to come of it.  Then yesterday they called and asked to see me next Monday for an interview with the President of the company.  That was cool.  Sort of out of the blue, but cool.

This was very much on the heels of last week when I applied for a job with the Federal Government (!) and the day after I applied I got a call from the singularly nicest individual I have ever worked with in all of the job interviews I have ever had.  Ever.  She arranged a phone interview for me for today.  I just finished with the phone interview/teleconference.  They actually told me in the interview that I had all the qualifications that they were looking for.  All of them.  That’s never happened to me before.

And, this job sounds like fun.  Well, fun in the sense that it would have me doing the analytical and people interactive stuff that I like to do.  Most people would probably hate it, but I’m weird that way.  Oh, and they told me in the interview that I’d hear by the end of the week about the next step.  Very exciting, I love a hard and fast deadline.

I’m going to go ahead and apply to some other things this afternoon and tomorrow anyway.  But I am hoping this one comes through.  Being a Federal employee would NOT suck.

~Kelly

Once a year, in June

I have the odd fortune to have a huge number a friends who have birthdays in close proximity to mine.  I swear, I grew up without knowing a single other Gemini (Ok, I knew one person who had the same birthday as me, but she and I didn’t hang out.)  Now, as an adult, I have two friends who share my birthday and half a dozen friends who have birthdays within days of mine.  This doesn’t even include my parents.  My mother’s birthday is  7 days after mine and my father’s birthday is another 4 days after that.

So, for about, oh 8?  10? years now, my friends and I have been having a big joint birthday party.  As times have changed the parties have gotten smaller and involved less alcohol and ended earlier.  Now they involve offspring.  Ah, how times have changed.

This year the kids were remarkably cute and SO energetic.  For your enjoyment I have uploaded a video from the party of 7 1/2 month old Thomas and a bunch of photos from the party and also from a while back when we went out to cut down some trees felled by an ice storm (aah, life in the burbs) and one of the wee ones is wearing my hard hat.

Enjoy and if you’re the parent or Auntie of one of these kids, feel free to leave a comment if you want me to email you an original of one of the kidpics.

And here is the URL for the photos from the party.  http://junebirthdays2011.shutterfly.com/

Enjoy!

~Kelly