Sunday, December 21, 2008

So Cheer up Sleepy Jean.....

Monica is reading a book, eating carrots, watching a movie and sending emails all at the same time. After four days of being snowed in, Monica has had a revelation. OMG: Retirement could be like being snowed in. IT"S NOT ABOUT THE MONEY!!
Before Retiring, Monica will:
1. Stock up on ingredients for cookies - never be without eggs, flour, sugar or walnuts
2. Let there be popcorn!
3. Own a four wheel drive vehicle
4. Remember where she put her slippers
5. Always have at least one book (in the house) that she is dying to read
6. Buy snowboots
7. Find a life companion...(or rent a room)
Monica needs to get busy.

Friday, December 19, 2008

Triple Play

Three snow days = Three slow days.
The working every day for forty years Monica often dreamed of:

1. Sipping morning coffee, and a leisurely observing of the unfolding day,
2. May Sartonesque journaling of brilliant thoughts
3. Solitary walks in nature.

Three days off, inside and alone, Monica is rapidly rethinking the plan based on the following:

1.Television: Monica quickly notices that Regis and Kelly, The View, Ellen and Oprah regularly repeat themselves!
2.Internet: Monica googles until the brain is fried with useless information and hours/days of life have disappeared.
3.Entitlement: Monica eats hourly. On the dot.

Monica will not be quitting her day job.

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Well The Weather Outside Is...........

Monica Buttercup lives in a great and beautiful city in the Northwest. A city that gets too much rain and not enough sun for Buttercups. Wintertime is full of fog, rain, freezing rain, a few inches of snow, and every shade of gray. Monica does not thrive in GRAY. So it would seem a bit ironic that today MB has spent many hours wishing.. PRAYING for SNOW. All because MB has partial responsibility for determining whether scores of people will travel to the place of work during inclement weather. This, dear friends, is a huge responsibility - particularly for Monica who does not relish gray...and has no stomach for driving on slippery roads.

Decisions about closures must be made by 6AM in order to inform the media.
At 5:30 this morning there was no snow, no rain...just some two day old ice and at least twenty TV weatherpeople brushing snow off their parkas kicking flakes off their boots and warning of a "nasty commute both morning and afternoon.

Monica remembers a December storm ten years ago when no one could leave and folks spent the night at work. Most uncomfortable for everyone. The colleagues conferred - many phone calls and failed conference calls. The colleagues considered - "damned if you do...damned if you don't" - The colleagues turned on the news....the list of closings was daunting. The colleagues eventually joined the leagues of others who closed...no work today! The media was informed, the phone tree was activated and Monica went back to bed relieved that she would not be joining the nasty commute.

At 8:30 AM there was no snow not a trace...nor at 9:30, 10:30,11:30...in fact, it didn't even seem gray. The colleagues called each other .."whose idea was this?'' "I knew we shouldn't close!" "What a waste!" "What a way to lose/misuse client confidence!" "I grew up in the North East...this is embarrassing!" Blah..Blah..Blah...

Well dear friends. It is now 5PM and there is a lovely light blanket of snow outside the Buttercup abode. Monica's prayers have been answered. A bit late.

Sunday, November 16, 2008

Forget all your troubles, forget all your cares ...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8GVE7lRZuFM

Monica enjoyed breakfast with LD at Etta's http://www.tomdouglas.com/
near the famous Pike Place market before a whirlwind tablebuying trip to West Seattle. She maneuvered silver civic through the streets, across the WS bridge and back to Eastlake to drop off LD before rushing back to meet new cranky friend at the Fifth Avenue Theater for the 1:30 matinee: The Drowsy Chaperone http://www.drowsychaperone.com/. The place was packed and Monica was acutely aware of her good fortune at being able to have great seats in the ornate and historic theater. The show (a play about a play) was corny and cute. the music upbeat and silly and Monica thoroughly enjoyed herself! NCF cracked a smile or two as well.

Saturday, November 15, 2008

Filling Up and Spilling Over

Monica Buttercup loves the music at FO's shop!

Market studies must say that Norah Jones sells stuff. Why else would every retail establishment and most elevators play constant Norah Jones? There must be a connection between the impulse to buy and Norah's Noises. Monica was one of the first fans...an early Norah adopter of sorts. But face it: it's just like the salivating dog, play Come Away With Me.. and Monica begins itching with primal retail longing. Too bad Norah..no longer the dark divine diva- you are now the musical muse of merchandising.

FO has her own approach. No market studies for her! Nope. FO personally picks all the music for her shop. Every single tune. A little bit blind opera singer, a little bit country Sara kicking Evans and a little bit Kate Smith Climbing Every Mountain. A little bit God Bless America on any day Obama is elected president! Throw in a very little bit Norah Jones and some YMCA and you have a very happy FO, and customers who are buying like crazy! Once she gets them shopping FO lets loose: KD Lang, Chris Williamson, and Joan Baez. Amazing. Amazing. Grace. Monica likes it all. FO's music Rocks!

Monica is in bliss. And she is getting paid! To listen to music. By the hour.

Wake Me Up Before you Go Go.

Friday, November 14, 2008

Gall Blather



Monica Buttercup will not be quitting her day job.
The one with health insurance!

Gall: irritate, annoy, vex,madden, provoke
Bladder: bodily sac for liquid or gas
Gallbladder: musclar organ that serves as a reservoir for bile

So today MBC took a day off from her real job to help out at the store so that theowner could have her gall bladder removed.
Fierce Owner is a strong and powerful woman. A stalwart and passionate woman. Sometimes even a tough woman. She loves her store. She never misses a day if she can help it. She went to the hospital early this morning and we all thought she'd probably try to stop at the store on her way home from the hospital tonight.
Shortly after noon, however, we got a call from fierce owner's partner who said FO wasn't doing too well. FO, it seems, was in horrific pain. By closing time it hadn't gotten better. She was unable to leave the hospital as planned.
Let it be said that Monica Buttercup was unsettled. Yours truly has only experienced the pain of childbirth...(the kind you forget as soon as you see the baby!)...never the pain of having your gall bladder sucked out!
FO's partner said that they think it's because they put a lot of gas in your system to enlarge everything before the liposucking begins...and then you have to endure the gas and enlargement for several hours after the suckery.
WHO KNEW??
FO will not be coming to the store tomorrow.
Ok, so I think if it's not too late God, I will begin to take better care of my gall bladder. Because if FO is crying, the pain must be really really bad.

Monica Buttercup reconsiders healthy eating.