Thinking of James

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Welcome, You've Got Mail!!!

15 Years ago today I went on the Internet for the first time. (Not totally true as I actually was on Prodigy once April 22, 1994-the date Richard Nixon died but thats another story) But 15 years ago today I started using the Internet. AOL was the service provider, it was painfully slow but I thought it was fast, I didn't know what a chat room was but I found one and in that chat room, that night, I "met" my future husband and father of my two girls.

Nobody really understood Internet dating, nobody even warned about it because it was before the phase of crazy Internet relationships on Jerry Springer, it was just new and people thought it was weird. The story that I began to tell was "We met at the airport"-which we did several months later, we will remember that date in December. Ten years passed and it became socially acceptable to say that you met on the Internet, everyone was intrigued. Now, meeting on the Internet is very normal and no longer "news".

In summary 15 years ago today I met my husband and I want to thank him for being a great husband and father. I Love you, David!!!!!

P.S. The Internet is really cool too ;)

Oh and as an after thought that is the day that Kim1Champ was born (My AOL Screen Name)

Sunset Date With Mom

Yesterday, I had told Sydney that I would take her to the beach and then I forgot about it. After dinner Sydney announced "And now, we go beach!" and after saying it several times I knew I needed to take her. So Mom and Brooke went back to the hotel and Sydney and I drove to the beach and had a blast. It was super cold but we ran on the beach, played in the sand, and went up on the lifeguard tower (which she didn't like). After 30 minutes I convinced her that we were cold and needed to go check on Grandma and Brooke. Good Times.

I've Been Busy Working

If you haven't heard from me in months or if I have made plans with you and haven't shown up or called, please know that I have been busy working. I have barely seen the girls or David but I have seen alot of Kevin and Jeff. The picture below depicts this sad state of affairs. I so desperately needed a quiet place to work that I sat on the floor in front of these doors. The doors are the mens and womens bathrooms. Yes, I sat on the floor for hours in front of the bathrooms. It was slightly uncomfortable for the guys when they went in to use the bathroom (They had to step over my legs) but it was the only place I could find that was relatively quiet.

Other things that I have neglected recently: *Paying Bills, *Getting a haircut, *Grocery shopping, *Doing laundry, *Getting a pedicure, *Calling back at least 50 people, *Going to Disneyland, *Seeing my family, *Seeing my friends, *Traveling to Phoenix, *Traveling everywhere else?

I hope to surface again post my trip to Alaska but it likely won't be till November :(

When Peter Pan Meets Andrew

Happy Birthday, Jason!!!!

Friday Night In Valencia

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For The Work Place Romance

A Little Known Fact: SF Jeff Repairs Vacuum Cleaners

Last night at dinner the following conversation ensues:

Jeff: You know, I probably shouldn't admit this but....
Kim: Do Tell!!!!!

Jeff: I repair vacuum cleaners

Kevin: You what?

Jeff: I find vacuum cleaners and I repair them

Alex: Where do you find them?

Jeff: On the streets of San Francisco

Kim: And you repair them.....

Jeff: Yes, and then I put them back on the street with a sign that says "Works Great, Really Sucks"

Kim: Your kidding

Jeff: Well what am I going to do with a dozen vacuum cleaners

Alex: But you wouldn't have a dozen if you hadn't found them on the street

Kevin: And repaired them

Jeff: Once repaired, Somebody picks them up, somebody always picks them up

Kim: You do realize there is no way this isn't going on the blog?

Jeff: They are found objects, I mean, I don't look for them they just cross my path

Kim: You've repaired a dozen?

Jeff: Most of them just need belts or cleaned out

Alex: Do you repair anything else?

Jeff: Sometimes for example last week I bought an LCD TV and a Crock Pot at a tag sale

Kevin: What's a tag sale?

Jeff: A garage sale but

Alex: In San Francisco there are no garages so....

Jeff: It's just on the sidewalk, the LCD TV just had a broken power supply, I bought one for $30 bucks on ebay and fixed it but usually I stick to vacuum cleaners

Kim: Wow

Alex: I have never seen a vacuum cleaner left on the street

Jeff: Well I live near a college and in June they're everywhere

Recent Videos Of My Girls

Off To College

Today, James left for college. Luckily he isn't going far and he has already received visitors in his new dorm room as David, Sydney and Brooke paid him a visit earlier today. James I love you for everything you are!!!!!!

Hope to see you and check out your new place sometime over the next couple of days.

Point Magu Air Show

We went to the Point Magu Airshow today, a good time was had by all. Everytime a plane would fly overhead I expected Brooke to cry but instead she started laughing. LOL! Here are the pics of the kids, will have some good pics of the planes soon. In case you were wondering those would be off David's camera :)

My Life As A Hotel Front Desk Clerk (1)

You may or may not know that from 1993-1996 I worked as a Front Desk Associate for the Residence Inn by Marriott (Note I didn't say Marriott Residence Inn because that's not what it is called-always a pet peeve of mine). Tonight at dinner I was telling Kevin a couple of stories of this life because on Saturday, he decided to extend his hotel trip at a hotel that was sold out for the evening. My life as a hotel front desk clerk comes flooding back and I blurted out "Oh, man there is nothing worse than having to "walk" a guest.

"Walking a guest".....you are oversold so you book them a room at a hotel that is not oversold and when they arrive you tell them to go to the other hotel. Basically it's we value your business but you can't stay here tonight. There really is nothing worse than coming in for a 3-11 shift and having the morning shift tell you that you were oversold and thus will likely have to walk someone. Next you determine who you will walk. It will likely be someone that fits the following criteria:

*Short stay, one or two nights
*Not one of your corporate accounts (If you are a vacationing person, look out)
*Not a regular
*A man is easier to walk than a woman, so likely a man

There are two strategies: (1) Choose a couple of possibles and attempt to walk the first of them that arrives, that way if they pitch a fit you can walk the other one (2) Wait it out and hope that the last person to check in is after your 11:00 and then the next shift will have to do it.

I employed both strategies. Tonight when I was checking in at the Embassy Suites the front desk clerk was telling the other clerk that they were oversold. She then told me that I was fine and I told her that I used to work the front desk and there was nothing worse than-she interrupted and said-walking someone! Yep, walking a guest is miserable, I told her that I hope the guest arrives after 11:00PM. I also told her that after I worked at the front desk I went to work for a hospital laboratory and the only thing worse than walking a guest is calling someone back because we drew the wrong tube of blood.

Baby Brooke Is 22 Weeks

My baby girl is 22 weeks. It's amazing how different develpmentally Sydney and Brooke are. Sydney was full army crawling at 20 weeks and had spectacular head control, Brooke went up on her knees for the first time this week and is still pretty wobbley. Brooke is right on according to the books, Sydney was always two-three months ahead until it was walk and talk time. (If Sydney is anything like me she will be rubbing her advanced EVERYTHING into Brooke in 10 years. I am pulling for Brooke to talk & walk earlier so she has a comeback).

Baby Brooke could be a Cannon.....easily and either way she would be the absolute apple of my eye. I am so in love with this girl, the way her face lights up when I see her makes me feel like a million bucks. I love you baby girl and I am so lucky to be your mom!

One Down (Almost) Ya'll Done Good!!!!!!!

ILY22

Lacy Park And The Amazing Abba Quilt

Last weekend Laura transported the most amazing quilt to me. The quilt was made for Brooke by Andrea and it beautiful. It is so unique, what an eye to combine these fabrics-they are gorgeous. The details are amazing and there are twenty-two lady bugs sewn into the top. So special!!!! Andrea, this is so awesome, it is the most precious gift she has received and we all appreciate you sooooo very much! THANK YOU!!!!!

Tonight, when I got home from the Central Coast we picked up our Abba quilt and we all went to Lacy park for the evening. Brooke loved laying on her quilt, Sydney played at the park, ran through the grass and got pretty tired out. A great time was had by all and I am glad to be home with my family!!!!

Kim And The Cable Guy

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Buzz Lightyear Gets Warmth

A few weeks ago I walked into the bathroom to see Bare Minerals (Warmth) makeup all over Buzz Lightyear's face. I love my two year old!!!!!!!!!

Conference Room Rules (I'm In)

Gadget Census 2010

This morning on my way out of the hotel I saw on the front of USA Today the results of the Gadget Census (Who Knew?). I picked up the paper and threw it in the hotel room so that I could blog it later.

I just finished reading it and I found some really interesting information.

First off my favorite "winner" (HA HA HA) is Phoenix since it is full of old technology owners (VCR's, CRT's and Tube TV's)

Most owners of Emerging Technologies: New York (Most IPAD's-52% more than anywhere else, Netbooks, Blue Ray Players)

Winner of Green Technologies: San Francisco (Most recycling of devices and energy efficient devices)

Highest population of Media Streamers: San Francisco (Apparently they stream everything in San Francisco, maybe Jeff R can advise)

Most TV Fanatics: Atlanta (There are more TV's in the bathrooms and garages in Atlanta then anywhere else)

Most HDTV's: Maryland. (There are 13% more HDTV's in Maryland)

Highest percentage of E-Readers: Massachusetts (All those Ivy League schools have lots of readers)

Point and Shoot Cameras: Michigan (Michigan has 8% more than most but Maryland closely follows)

Not A Bad Drive At Sunset

Beach Bathroom Standards

Let's face it when it comes to beach bathrooms the standards are poor are at best. There is no expectation that it will be clean, the ground is almost always wet, the signage is terrible, there are no mirrors and the toilet paper holders....well, lets get into that a bit more.

Look at the toilet paper holders. Awful. For one, do toilet paper themes only target bathrooms at the beach? You rarely see locks on the toilet paper at non-beach bathrooms. What a pain in the neck it must be to change the toilet paper. I am wondering if the labor cost is what drives them to place the toilet paper on rectangle pieces of metal? On the rectangle metal you can only take one or two squares at a time. It is a pain trying to get off more since it's not on the little circle bar. By making it hard to get and places three of these on each of the metal bars I suspect the toilet paper must last awhile. I wonder how often the toilet paper changer comes? I don't know about you but I think we as citizens should be demanding more from our beach bathrooms starting with the toilet paper locks, then adding some mirrors. Would a hook on the back of the stall door kill them? If you are in a one piece and happen to be wearing a t-shirt the lack of hook is really a pain. (especially since the floor is likely wet)

I'm suggesting a beach bathroom task force to solve this problem. I'll apply for the job, will travel to various beaches, review their bathrooms and make recommendations. If anyone is interested in accompayning me, I'm looking for some assistants.

Brooke's First Day At The Beach