So I found out more about the prize I won.

I have to fly to Geneva on Friday for a long weekend where I will be transported to a spa type hotel in Megeve and will have a choice of 2 activities on Saturday - mountain biking for 2.5 hours, hiking through a pasture, visiting a goat farm and making goat cheese, getting on another plane and flying around Mont Blanc, or one 45 minute spa treatment.

Then we have a glacialist come and give us a talk about glaciers to prepare us for the glacier hike on Sunday.  After which we are transported back to Geneva and another spa type hotel with a day for shopping in Geneva (bring lots of $$$$), and a gala award ceremony on Monday night.  Fly home Tuesday.  And you know what?  I'm going to have to work on the Friday and Monday because of the project we have due and I may have to fit in work during the weekend too.  Doesn't sound like much of a prize does it?

Oh yeah - did I tell you US winners have to fly coach?  Which means being jet lagged for the whole physical activity filled weekend.  I just don't get it.  It's supposed to be a huge honor.  They're spending big money to put us up at these 4-5 star hotels but can't afford to send 9 of us from the US business class?  Maybe I sound spoiled but I just feel like it falls short. Oh and the local award winners are bitching that they can't bring their spouses so some of them aren't going.

Finally, the money that goes with the prize is being donated back for a party for the whole team.  I don't have a problem with sharing the prize with the team but I would rather see a nice momento purchased for each of us instead of throwing a party that I won't be able to travel for.  I was put in a bad position about the whole money thing.  It was decided for me that the money would be donated and what would be done with it.

It's been a long time since I've updated my blog.  Things have been hectic and at times disheartening and I didn't want to unburden myself here.  But this is a day for sharing because I received 3 lovely bits of wonderful today.

1.  A very dear friend gave me a glass vase she handpainted herself and placed lilacs from her yard in it to brighten my day.

2.  I was nominated for, and won one of the highest awards granted in my company.  Only 56 people won out of over 17,000 employees.  I won as part of a team and was so surprised and very, very pleased to have been named as one of 5 on the team to win. 

3.  I got the results of my genetic testing back.  I do not have the gene mutations for BRCA1 or BRCA2!  This has me absolutely floored.  My family and personal history were all pointing to the tests coming back positive but I was told that my genes were normal.  There is still the family history of breast cancer so it is entirely possible that I have a gene mutation that hasn't been discovered yet but I'm ok with that.  I know that there are two that are negative.  And it's entirely possible that my test results may help further research in this area.  That, to me, is a good thing. 

Today is a good day.

I picked up the phone to call Chef at work.  I dialed 9, 1 and then said to myself "Damn, I'm not at work I don't need the 9."  I hung up and then started again 1, and the phone started to ring on the other end.  I hung up thinking that's weird.  Started to dial the number again and was interrupted by call waiting.  It was the 911 operator saying that someone had called them and hung up.  Apparently my first 9,1 number never fully disconnected so that when I dialed the next 1, it went to them!  So I explained what happened, apologized profusely, answered the questions so they could make sure things were ok.  Then I called Chef.  In the middle of that call, there was a knock at the door.  It was the police checking up.  I invited him in but he said no.  I apologized again and he said it was OK and not to worry about it.  How embarrassing.

All because I wanted Chef to bring home some cream cheese from work. 

The cream cheese is for bagels for tomorrow.  I've got to go to bed early tonight because I'll be up at 2:00 in order to get to a meeting by 3:00 a.m.  Yep, another one of those. But, at least I didn't have to fly over there.  I'm putting in 12 hour days and time on weekends as it is.   I'm treading water now but it's rising fast.  If I lost time by travelling I'd really be sunk quickly.  I thought about packing a grilled chicken salad for my break instead of bagels but it'll be like 6 or 7 a.m.  And I'm not sure I can do salad that early in the day.

That's my latest news.  Cops and cream cheese

I called to schedule a CT scan to go with my next oncology checkup.  The doc called me late yesterday and said my tests and previous scans have remained stable so I didn't need to have one!

Yay me!

Thanks for the support DD and AD.  The nice part about the situation is that my boss supports my response to these people.

It's Saturday so I ran errands.  I love going to the bank.  The tellers and the bank manager are wonderful but I also get breakfast there.  Yep, they have bagels, cream cheese, donuts and coffee at the branch I go to.  The other branches have stuff like danish and muffins.  It's a great bank. 

And I visited my friend at the dry cleaners.  She and her mom own the company.  I could go to a closer place but they do a good job and I like being able to help support their business.  I also ran into my old Rainbow mother advisor.  It's ridiculous but she still thinks of me as one of "her girls" and I still call her "Mother J____".  Anyway it was nice to see her.

I stopped by to see my folks.  We had a great discussion about business, politics, the economy, and cat yak.  It ran the gamut.

Then off to the shops to pick up socks for Chef.  Every couple of years he decides that he wants to toss out all his socks and replace them all at once.  I got socks for him and finally found a new pocket book for me.  I've been trying to find one to replace my favorite that I've had for over 20 years.  (The leather was so worn that it was starting to look moldy.)  I've switched over and am finally ready to get rid of the worn out bag.  It was a good excuse to clean out the wallet too.  I found receipts from 3 months ago!  It's a lot lighter now.

Oh and uh... no matter what they say, rice cakes are not a good replacement for cookies.

What did you all do today?

It's been a rough week at work.  We have a lot of projects that are due.  I've had to bring work home each night this week so essentially I'm putting in 12-13 hour days.  I don't mind much but will be happy when things slow a bit so we can catch our breath before the next onslaught.  I've got skills that allow me to help people in other departments and I rarely, if ever, say no to requests for help.  I'd rather bust my butt to help out so that the documents going out are the best they can be.  However, this week, I had to say no to a few people because my work is backed up.  I gave them other avenues to get the assistance they needed.  But, no, that wasn't good enough.  Each of these people decided to try and nag or guilt me into it. 

"Well, will it really take you THAT long?"
"I know you are very busy with your deadlines but I hope that you will help me anyway"
"But I'm in the middle of a project and need this!  I'm going out for awhile - won't that give you time to find what I need and get it for me?" 

It really doesn't want to make me do favors anymore.

It's snowing again.  It warmed up enough over the weekend but not get rid of the snow we already had.  And now it's been snowing since 7:30 this morning. 

I like winter.  I like snow.  I would like the snow to melt in between storms.

I'm back from my trip and suffice to say it was one of the worst I've endured.  The next one isn't shaping up to be any better either.  ugh.

What I would like to know is why a certain family member insists on lending me things that I say that I don't want to borrow.  OR what is worse is when she gives me something, I confirm that it's being given and is not a loan, and then asks for it back - months or years later and claims it was never a gift. 

And let's not forget the... you borrowed X and never returned it.  I know that I a. never borrowed X or b. returned it.  But to keep the peace, I go out and replace X only to have the family member find X a month or so later and still keeps the new X in addition to the old X.

I now have to try and find a 30+ year old crock pot cookbook because one was foisted on me and I got rid of it.  This person hasn't used her crock pot in over 20 years but that apparently doesn't matter.  And she doesn't want a new cookbook.  Nope - has to have the 30 year old one.

Thank you all for the birthday wishes!

I had a nice evening just kicking back with Chef.  He made a great stew for dinner but then neither of us wanted it so we got take out instead.  He even brought home CAKE!

I'm getting ready for another business trip.  I'm flying into Geneva, staying a night, getting a ride to Lyon, France, staying 2 nights, going back to Geneva (I think by train), staying another 2 nights in a different hotel and then I get to go home.  Meetings every day.

...and I'm looking for cake!

  that's not it... no... not that either... definitely not...

  there it is!