Men vs. Women At The ATM

A new sign in the Bank Lobby reads:

'Please note that this Bank is installing new Drive- through ATM machines enabling customers to withdraw cash without leaving their vehicles.

MALE
1. Drive up to the cash machine.
2. Put down your car window.
3. Insert card into machine and enter PIN.
4. Enter amount of cash required and withdraw.
5. Retrieve card, cash and receipt.
6. Put window up.
7. Drive off.

FEMALE
1. Drive up to cash machine.
2. Reverse and back up the required amount to align car window with the machine.
3. Set parking brake, put the window down.
4 Find handbag, remove all contents on to passenger seat to locate card.
5. Tell person on cell phone you will call them back and hang up.
6. Attempt to insert card into machine.
7. Open car door to allow easier access to machine due to its excessive distance from the car.
8. Insert card.
9 Re-insert card the right way.
10. Dig through handbag to find diary with your PIN written on the inside back page.
11. Enter PIN.
12. Press cancel and re-enter correct PIN.
13. Enter amount of cash required.
14. Check makeup in rear view mirror.
15. Retrieve cash and receipt.
16. Empty handbag again to locate wallet and place cash inside.
17. Write debit amount in check register and place receipt in back of checkbook.
18. Re-check makeup.
19. Drive forward 2 feet.
20. Reverse back to cash machine.
21. Retrieve card.
22. Re-empty hand bag, locate card holder, and place card into the slot provided!
23. Give dirty look to irate male driver waiting behind you.
24. Restart stalled engine and pull off..
25. Redial person on cell phone.
26. Drive for 2 to 3 miles.
27. Release Parking Brake.

Random Blathering

Well, the New Year in my little world has started off as most New Year's, relatively slow and uneventful, which isn't necessarily a bad thing.

Probably the most significant event that has happened so far is my dad leaving for Arizona 3 weeks ago for a 3-month hiatus. Although the day before his departure he and I spent the entire day together with bouts of tears on and off because we were going to miss each other dearly, yet we both knew this was going to be a good thing.

I can't imagine how he felt pulling out of his driveway for the first road trip without my mom. There is going to be so many "firsts" and each one will have to be dealt with as it comes.

There have been a few moments along his journey (which consisted of side trips along the way) where he shared he couldn't wait to get to our families in Phoenix because he just had too much alone time. So thankfully he's made it to Phoenix where our family has welcomed gratefully.

Amira received her first report card and is doing well which is wonderful to know since whenever I ask her what she did or learned in school on any particular day her answer is always the same, "nothing". LOL

However, just the other day she shared something she learned and I had to leave the room to laugh. She came home on Tuesday and told me, "guess what mommy. We learned about Barack Obama today." I said, "you did!" She said, "uh huh, I have a picture of him in my backpack and I'll show it to you when we get home." I said, "did you learn that he became our president today?" She confirmed that they had. Beaming with pride at learning she's actually learned something and sharing it with me I couldn't wait to get home and see her project.

In the door we go, and immediately preparing dinner, she tells me she's going to get her picture of Barack Obama to show me. I eagerly await this picture. When what does she appear with?……………..a picture of Martin Luther King, Jr.

Ok, I suppose in fairness I should give a slight break, since Monday was the celebration of Martin Luther King Day with no school and then the inauguration of Barack Obama was Tuesday, the first day back to school. So I am assuming they learned about both events at the same time. Because when we turned the TV on later that evening she got excited and started pointing at the TV, "see mommy, there's Barack Obama......we heard him talk today in school." I asked if she knew what he was talking about and she declared, "no, not really I'm just a kid and he talked grown-up stuff".

I was not able to watch President Obama's speech due to work, but was able to read it on “On The Edge's” blog and was so grateful to be able to read it. I'm not into all the hoopla that goes along with such events, but really wanted to know what he had to say, so thank you On the Edge for posting it.

Funny, huh? I had to go to Libya, so to speak, to hear what my new President had to say............lol

Certainly President Obama has a lot of things to handle and I admire his willingness to tackle such a pile of.............

It was interesting here, again in my own little world, how people reacted the day he was announced the next president of the United States. On Election Day there was such an unnerving feeling of quietness all around the town. My work was nearly nonexistent that day, traffic on the roadway was sparse, and an overall feeling of heaviness lingered in the air. The very next day when the news reported Barack Obama had been voted our next president there was a buzz in the air. A feeling of freedom. A feeling of almost a collective exhale. I'll remember that day always because that was my busiest workday. It was as if the floodgates had opened or something. There was this high electric buzz in the air that you couldn't help but feel. Really I find this interesting. Moreover, another reminder that one never knows what a day can bring.

Blessings to all.

Maxine

Where would we be without Maxine's wisdom?.......lol

Breaks? Good or Bad

One may ponder the affects of taking a break from school or work as either good or bad. I would have to say the pictures below pretty much sum up Amira and I's first week back into a regular routine after she's been out of school for two weeks for "winter break".

The Piano

When the house lights dimmed and the concert was about to begin.....a mother returned to her seat and discovered that her child was missing.

Suddenly, the curtains parted and spotlights focused on the impressive Steinway on stage.

To her horror, the mother saw her little boy sitting at the keyboard innocently picking out "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star."

At that moment, the great piano master made his entrance, quickly moved to the piano, and whispered in the boy's ear, "Don't quit.....keep playing."

Then, leaning over, Paderewski reached down with his left hand and began filling in a bass part. Soon his right arm reached around to the other side of the child, and he added a running obbligato.

Together, the old master and the young novice transformed what could have been a frightening situation into a wonderfully creative experience.

The audience was so mesmerized that they couldn't recall what else the great master played. Only the classic, "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star."

Perhaps that's the way it is with God.

What we can accomplish on our own is hardly noteworthy.

We try our best, but the results aren't always graceful flowing music. However, with the hand of the Master, our life's work can truly be beautiful.

The next time you set out to accomplish great feats, listen carefully. You may hear the voice of the Master, whispering in your ear, "Don't quit........Keep playing."

May you feel His arms around you and know that His hands are there, helping you turn your feeble attempts into true masterpieces.

Remember, God doesn't seem to call the equipped, rather, He equips the 'called'.

Life is more accurately measured by the lives you touch than by the things you acquire. So find a way to reach out and touch someone.

Looking back

What can one say about the year 2008 aside from it being a definite year of new beginnings! And with new beginnings, they can be quite tumultuous as well as thrilling.

The year started with both my work and income being cut in half due to the financial market, yet with sudden opportunities to explore a multitude of options for a new career that would be both rewarding and satisfying. So in January I began attending an accelerated course in massage therapy while maintaining my remaining paralegal accounts. This was both challenging as well as exciting as I had not been in a classroom setting in forever.

Amira was still attending pre-school but her days had turned to full-time. She was advancing educationally as well as coming out of her shell a little bit and really interacting with the other kids. She had actually become a team-leader of sorts when it came to clean up time----or maybe to the other children she was a task-master because she made sure everything was put away neat and tidy as the teachers had requested.

At then end of February I graduated from massage school and was now out beating the streets to find work. I was hired to work at a day spa down the street from my house immediately which quickly I discovered was not conducive to my work habits, so opted to keep searching for the “right” fit. Thankfully I still had my paralegal accounts and was able to be more selective in my search for work. In late May I was hired with a massage clinic which focuses only on massage, which really boded well with me, and I’ve been there ever since. At the end of August I had finally made the decision to end my paralegal work to pursue massage full-time and have never regretted the decision. To some this may seem like a crazy choice or decision, however, for me personally I feel like I'm finally doing what I'm suppose to be doing......helping people heal. For it's not just physical healing, but it's emotional and spiritual healing as well, and what an honor to be in such a position.

In mid August, Amira’s application was submitted to the California Montessori Program for a lottery draw to attend kindergarten, and much to our excitement her name was drawn. The beauty of this program is it’s a private school education within the California public school system so there is no tuition for attendance, just parent participation throughout the school year. So, off to kindergarten Amira went and has been loving it everyday.

In mid September we experienced one of the greatest losses one can ever imagine; we lost my mom. Again with it being a year of new beginnings, this was yet another new beginning for our family. We now have to learn how to live without her physical presence with us everyday. For me she was my best friend, cheerleader, confidant, strength, and support system. Certainly to try and learn how to live without such an important role in your life is challenging at best. I miss the sound of her laughter, which was so infectious as well as her enthusiasm when she’d get really excited over something. However, I have no doubt she’s still around us, and continuing to cheer and support us from afar.

As we near the end of another year and reflect back, we realize there is so much to be thankful for. We have great family/friends, great health, and wonderful memories to last a lifetime. Now as we look forward may the seeds of new beginnings, which were planted and now sprouting, be nurtured with passion and an abundance of love throughout the New Year.

Christmas 2008

Christmas was different this year; it felt so surreal. Nonetheless, it was nice to be with family.