30 Days of Posting

Whew...This posting every day commitment was a LOT. Even though I like to post most days, I felt the pressure to make sure I actually did it. I did enjoy it though, and I will probably do it again next year.

Work was good today. Michael P arrived in town, and Amanda is also in town. We all went to lunch (I think there were around 18 people there). It was fun to see everyone together. :) I am excited about tomorrow. Morgan's competition and the Christmas Party! What FUN.

Happy 10th Birthday to Tal! Good luck to my Vols tomorrow. I don't know what team will show up tomorrow - the kick Georgia's butt team or the down 24 to 9 to Vanderbilt team. I would LOVE it if they actually beat that stupid LSU team. I really don't like them. I mean I really, really don't like them. GO VOLS!

In the spirit of the event:

Rocky Top, you'll always be
Home sweet home to me
Good ol' Rocky Top
Rocky Top Tennessee

Dress Rehearsal

Today was a good day. Even though it was wild and stressful, it seemed to be positive. I started the morning with the week 6 #1 jog/walk from couch to 5k. At lunch time, I walked with Niki and Debbie for 30 mins or so. It was fun to get outside, get a little exercise, and spend time with them. We talked a lot about Altantic City and Las Vegas. I made a mental note that I need to go to Atlantic City sometime.

At night, there was a dress rehearsal for Morgan's teams. Something about putting on a uniform gets those girls excited!!! They walk differently, talk differently, and are just hyper! :) Both teams were doing really well, and the Youth Blue and Senior White were also doing well. Morgan's team had another broken arm on Tuesday. I don't know what is up with the arms on her team, but it is crazy. I hope they are getting it out of their system now and that will be all of the injuries for the year.

Gifts

Today, I have thought a lot about gifts. First, it was such a gift to be able to spend Thanksgiving with my family having fun. It was so nice to be away from any of our homes, away from work, away from everything typical in our lives and to just be together. I truly think I have the best family in the world. Second, the gift I gave myself by stopping smoking is huge. I am coming up on my 6th month of not smoking. I never thought I would ever quit for real. It is truly the hardest thing in the world to stop. It seems crazy to me now, but I never thought I would make it. Third, I have lost 20 pounds. Of course, I gained 30 during my smoking cessation...:) So, I am still in the red by 10 pounds. However, I am actually jogging. Who would have ever thought. Me! Today, I did the week 5 #3 run which is 5 minutes walking, 20 minutes jogging (without walking), and 5 minutes cool down walking. In case you misse that, it was 20 minutes jogging with NO walking!!!!!!! What a gift I gave myself by starting this program. I actually can do it without feeling like I am going to die. Of course, I also keep thinking about actually winning money in Vegas. :) All of these are amazing gifts.

On a different front, I have also been thinking about Christmas. I would love to do something with our family for Christmas and not provide many presents. I think the memories of trips or time together are much greater than a toy or a thing. For example, for some of the presents the kids want, you have to hunt long and hard for these items. There are even comlete websites that are set up to help you find them. How crazy is THAT??

Longgggggg Day

Today was such a long day. I woke up tired. I fell asleep on the couch at night. Work was stressful and long. All in all it was a good day, and I feel like I got a lot accomplished. However, it was long and I was tired (did I say that yet? :) )



Some of the teams at Lightning City had "Dress Rehearsal" tonight for the competion this weekend. Morgan's teams will go tomorrow night for their rehearsal. It was fun to watch the older girls tumble, twist, and stunt. They are truly awesome to watch. Morgan is up to the layout, and she has done a little twisting. But, she has a long way to go. As long as she is easy on the arm, it wil be fun to watch.

Back in the Saddle Again

First day back at work after traveling is not fun. I was SO tired this morning. I just couldn't bring myself to get up and run. But, I will go tomorrow. I also need to get back to the gym. Morgan and I did pretty well getting moving this morning though, and she was off to school before I realized it. Mike had an early flight. I am SO glad that I didn't have to fly somewhere today.Work was very busy. I think I kind of got caught up by the end of the day. I am finishing what I am not caught up on tonight. Morgan had cheer practice tonight, and it was good to see her tumbling. She has her first competition of the year this Saturday.

More vegas pics

Flight Home

Thankfully, I slept most of the way back. I was so tired. It was pretty funny watching Mark. He didn't get any sleep at all before the flight. Mike and I were pretty beat. Morgan even slept for most of the first flight. :)

We ended up being 2 hours late coming home. For some reason, my flights in Nashville are always delayed. The Nashville airport has really made some improvements though. We ate at O'Charley's while we waited. It had been a LONG time since I have been there. I had the Southern Fried Chicken Salad. MMMMMMM...I looked it up, and the points were 42. I didn't eat it all, and I used very, very little dressing. I am hoping that brought it down. I did pretty good the rest of the day by just having a few peanuts and dried fruit on the plane. Oh yeah, I did celebrate the Tennessee victory with a few orange and white M&M's. :)

Holy Football!!!

We started the day eating breakfast at the Caribe Cafe at the Mirage. I had a "beater omelet" again. It was great but the service was very slow. When it was over, we headed to the sports book bar. It is football nirvana. All of the screens to watch the action and then a huge wall with all the odds and scores. They had horseracing stuff too, but we weren't interested in that. It seems to me that during football season they would use that space for football. :)

So, we are watching my beloved Vols play. All is well, and they are up by 14 already. Wonderful. Well, as the game went on, it got closer and closer and closer. The game eventually tied and went to FOUR overtimes before the Vols won!!! In fact, Tennesseee had to block a field goal to keep in it. SOOO close. Poor Morgan was waiting to go to the M&M World and the game took forever. Thankfully, Grams took her to the Secret Garden. Then, we walked to the M&M place. I was surprised how long it was, but Morgan did a great hob. She got so many M&M.

Then, we went to eat at Kokomo's Steak and Seafood Restaurant. It was very good. I had a steak with cajun sauce and spicy shrimp on it. It was very yummy - even though it was expensive. All of the restaurants in Vegas were pretty expensive. I have always heard about the cheap buffets there, so I am not sure if we just went to nicer places or if those aren't around now.

As if my heart hadn't had enough excitement, we then went to the Craps table. Mike was being the Crabby Daddy and missed the first guy. It was an amazing roll, and Papa, Mikeo, and I all did well. Then, Papa gave Mike G lessons on Craps. I think we should start the Papa School of Craps. :) He is a very good teacher. Unfortunately, Mike was getting the table loaded and then they would roll a 7 - every time. Then, we went to a different table. This one wasn't as long as the first guy, but there were 3 people who had pretty good rolls. I missed one of them as I was worried about losing what I had won.

We didn't hit the bed until 4:15am, and we had to meet Grams, Papa, Uncle Mark, and Morgan at 5:45. Ugh - I hate early flights. What a great, fantastic, wonderful trip and birthday!!!!!!!!!!!

Friday in Vegas

We started out the morning by having breakfast with the family. Morgan was invited to go to Zachery's soccer game to play with Hannah, so we went to get a quick breakfast. I was somewhat good by having a bagel with a very small about of butter. Morgan had her chocolate fix by having hot chocolate and pancakes with chocolate chips. Mike had a "One of a Kind" which was one egg, one piece of meat, half an order of hash browns" (I thought it was a cute name).

Morgan left to go to the game, so Grams got everyone organized to go on a casino tour. We went to the Venetian (the only place I had really seen other than New York, New York) where I stayed when I came to Vegas the first time for the Misys User Conference. The Venetian was beautiful, and it is truly amazing to look up at that ceiling. We walked through the shops there, and we found some pretty barrettes for the girls (including some combs for me). :) Mark got an amazing picture of himself on a hunk of a body. I think that would be a great franchise in Tampa.

Then, we walked on to the Wynn hotel. It was fun to walk up and over the bridges. The Wynn was very pretty and had a great waterfall. It is so fun to see how different all of the hotels are. On the walk back, Deb, Mark, Mike, and I went to go get Oxygen at the Oxygen bar. It supposedly makes you feel refreshed and energized. So, we are told it is a 15 minute wait. About 40 minutes later, we finally sit down (Mike was rather angry and was sure that they were taking people before us). The girls there are so hyper that it is a little annoying, but they are having fun. Basically, you hook a nasal cannula in your nose, and breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth. It is supposed to be for 15 minutes, but we were on for 30. While you are connected, they give you a back massage, a neck massage, and a head massage. They also give you some fragrant stuff to rub on your neck and to breathe in (eucalyptus and peppermint). It clears your sinuses and makes your neck all tingly. The massage was great, but there wasn't any space between my back and the massaging girls front. A little too close for me, but I wasn't going to tell her to stop the massage. :) The head massage thing was awesome. They also had a little tens unit that is shaped like a mouse. It felt so good that Mike and I got one. We also did the "power shot" drink that is to give you energy for 6 hours. I am not sure if it was psychological or not, but I did feel better afterwards.

When we are in the room before dinner, Mike gives me a birthday present. While we were shopping, we went to a glass store. It is a beautiful bracelet with glass ornaments and cats! It is so pretty and fun. It also jingles nicely when rolling the craps dice. :)

I played a little craps and roulette in the afternoon, and Morgan came back from the game. Seems like she had a wonderful time. For dinner, we ate at Stacks. The dinner was very, very good, but the menu was very limited and very expensive. I had the "pre show special" which was an appetizer (hot rocks sirloin), a petite fillet, and chocolate cake (not sure how many flex points this is so I am counting it as none - hee hee). I also had a little asparagus, green beans, broccoli, spinach, and a tiny taste of potato). On my dessert plate, they wrote Happy Birthday Amy in chocolate on the plate. It was impressive and tasty. :)

After dinner, we went to see "O" (the Cirque du Soleil show). We had AMAZING seats as we were in the very center in the lowest section seven rows from the floor (103 row G). I don't think you could have gotten a better seat. Thanks PAPA and GRAMS! The show was amazing. The divers were incredible with their twisting flips into a very narrow area of a pool. The acrobats were so flexible that it made me hurt. The music and the costumes were out of this world. Morgan was loving it, but she started to fall asleep at the very end. Poor thing, she was so tired. She did love the show though. She was a pain in the butt walking back to the hotel, and then she apparently did not go to sleep for a while after Grams took her to the room.

When we got back, Mike and I wandered around looking for something to play. The roulette tables didn't seem to be hitting my numbers or to be on a color streak. We tried to get into a craps table, but it was too full (this jerk wouldn't move over to let us in and then this Chinese family had 2 people playing but took up the whole end of the table with spectators). We then stood there cussing because this one guy rolled for over an hour. Ugh. Mike then sees Papa and Mark playing, so we head over there. We hit it just in time and we both did very well. Papa had a smile, and we know that is good. One time during one of the rolls, Mark said "come on 8, Mark needs a new pair of shoes." I cracked up and wondered how many people heard that and thought he was gay. We played craps until around 2, and it was a great day and night.

The best line of the day. Mike was talking about how we all came to Vegas because I quit smoking, and then he said, "I keep trying to think of other things she can quit doing so that we can come back to Vegas!!!"

Happy Birthday to Me Vegas Style

I think I should spend all of my birthdays in Vegas. What a day. In the early hours of my birthday, I won at craps and was up almost 200 bucks. We started out the day by eating a fantastic breakfast that was somewhat healthy. I had a "Beater Omelet" with mushrooms and feta cheese. After breakfast, I played roulette. It couldn't have been better for betting as it was almost ALL black numbers. So, I played black and my typical 5, 6, 11, 22, 24, 25, 27, 31, 35. I hit 11 and 24 multiple times. Have to love that 35 to 1 odds. :) Happy Birthday to me. '

We ate Thanksgiving at the Cravings buffet in the Mirage. It was fantastic and like no buffet I have ever eaten. They had about 10 or 12 stations of food including Italian, Carving, Barbeque, Raw Bar, Fishmonger, seafood rolls, chinese, sushi, salads, dessert, and some others that I can't remember. The turkey was delicious, and you didn't have to cook or clean up. Mike's brother Bubba and his family happened to be in Vegas from Utah for a soccer tournament. They joined us for Thanksgiving. It was a great time. I am so glad we got to see them. Morgan and Hannah are like "twins with different moms" as Lynda put it. :) Hannah does gymnastics, so they had fun talking about flips and things. They best line was when Morgan asked Hannah if she could do a layout, and Hannah said "A what?" Morgan replied with, "I think you gymnastics people call it a whip." It was hysterical.

That night, Bubba and Lynda took Morgan with them for a while, so Grams got to play some (she has been keeping Morgan). Morgan had a great time with Hannah. We also got to see the Volcano outside of the Mirage. It is amazing to me that they run that every hour. It must cost a fortune. I guess that tells you how much they make off of innocent people coming here to play and win. :)

All in all, I think it was the best birthday ever.

Vegas Baby!!

We arrived at the airport with 2 hours until the flight as the media was saying it was crazy busy everywhere. We had to park in overflow parking, but the rest of the airport was a breeze. Mike ignored us most of the time on the flight with his noise cancelling headphones. Morgan was pretty good. They had a contest to see who could find the most quarters in their possession that covered the most states that Southwest flew. Morgan and I knew this was our contest (my purse always has a ton of change in it). So, we found 25 different states and 16 of them were covered by Southwest service. Morgan got a big bag of pretzels, and I got a drink coupon. Mike also got two of the trivia questions right and got free drinks. It was a 5 hour flight, but it wasn't too bad. They also sang Happy Birthday at Mike's request (he then missed the singing as he had his headphones on). :)

We arrived at the Mirage, and it is very nice. We had a great Italian dinner at Onda (Veal Saltimbucca has to be a LOT of flex points but it was really good. We got our craps lesson from Larry the Master, but we lost a little money. Then, Mike, Mark, Mike, and I went to grab a drink. Mike and Mark went to bed, but we played some Roulette and Craps. Mike wanted to go to bed, but I talked him into staying. We both ended up ahead. :)

Day 1 of the new release

Woo Hoo!!! The release is out and it went fairly smoothly. We had a couple of issues, but nothing earth shattering yet. (Knock, Knock on that wood) :) I went running in the morning and did week 5#2, and I didn't eat breakfast as I knew we were having our Thanksgiving lunch at 12. We didn't end up starting until 1, and I was SOOOOO hungry. Anyway, I think I did pretty well. Morgan had double cheer practice last night, so we didn't get home until late. Of course, we hadn't packed (when will I learn from my mother?), so I was up late last night packing. Of course, Morgan couldn't find her ipod, any underwear, or her book she is reading. Finally, I found all three (of course that was after me getting angry and her crying - oh the joys of motherhood). I think I got 3 I hate you's last night. That is by far a new record. I am trying to get used to it as I am sure there will be more as we move into the double digit years.

We also had our birthday celebration today at work. I have gotten several "late thirties" comments. At least I have added to my life in time and quality by stopping smoking and losing weight.

Tomorrow, we are off to VEGAS!!!!!!!!!!!

Release Day!!!

Release Day is finally upon us. There is always an excitement and nervousness that comes with shipping a new release. Tomorrow will tell if we should be more excited or more nervous. :)

I went on a site visit today to a client in Tampa. It was fun to see users interacting with the software. When I arrived, there was a lady checking in on the kiosk. They talked me into getting a flu shot, so I did that. I am always nervous that the shot will give me symptoms. Not what I want 2 days before traveling. However, I certainly don't want the flu. I will never forget the one and only time I know I had the flu. Morgan was around 2, and we both had it. I ended up taking her to the ER at Vanderbilt Children's in the POURING rain when they were doing construction on the hospital. Since it was just the two of us, there wasn't anything I could do other than park the car and walk with her. I was about to collapse as I felt so badly myself, and we walked through the security metal detector. Of course, they had to check my purse, and I am barely able to stand. As soon as we walk to the check-in desk, Morgan pukes ALLLLLL over the lady and the desk. So much for a nice welcome. :) They ended up giving her an IV for fluids and we went home. It took a week to even feel human, and I even remember running into walls trying to go to the bathroom. So, that memory is what made me get the shot today. :)

I had a conference with Morgan's teacher. I think they expect a bit too much out of nine year olds these days. For example, Morgan had a few assignments that hadn't been turned in. Two of them were when she was out for the doctor. I know Morgan asked for them because she mentioned it when I picked her up from school. So, what I am upset about is that I would have never known this if I hadn't asked for a conference. I see test scores come home that are good, so I assume all is good. I asked how I can know that everything is getting turned in, and she said I can email her and ask. I guess that will do for now.

We are having our Thanksgiving meal at the office tomorrow. We are doing a "healthy drive" at the office leading up to a 5k race. The theme is License to 5 Kil...ha ha..Lisa cracks me up. Anyway, we get a raffle ticket if we bring in a healthy recipe and another if we share the recipe. Woo Hoo...two tickets coming my way. :) I made a lighter green bean casserole AND a lighter key lime pie. :) YUM. I only have 19 days until my 1st 5k. Only 2 days until VEGAS!!!!!!!!!

Project Sunday

Today, Morgan and Alexis had to work on their NASA project since it is due tomorrow. Mike and I went running today (I finished week 4 woo hoo!), and then I took her to Alexis' house. By the time we got there, they only had an hour. So, we rushed to cheer practice. Then, I went to get my haircut while Morgan had her practice. I just made it back to watch them do the routine a few times before we rushed back to Alexis' house. For 3 more hours, they worked on their project. However, it looks amazing. They did a really nice job.

Mike met us at Subway for dinner. I guess I am trying to make up for my -2 flex points because today I have only had 14.5 points. :) I think that means I need popcorn. :)

Oh My Aching Head

What time is it? Why I am getting up so early? Unfortunately, Morgan's sleepover ended at 9. I knew better than to be the last one to get her (she doesn't like that), so I got up and left around 8:20. We went to get her hair cut (well really to get it barely trimmed), and then we took Mike to get his car. This left us with 45 minutes to get shoes and to find the audition (Morgan auditioned for an acting/modeling agency). We managed to find some black shoes, and then we rushed off to the audition.



They had them read lines before the camera, and then they interviewed her and me. We have to call Monday at 1:20 to see if she made it to the next round. She is so excited about it that I hope she makes it.

Then, we went to J. Alexander's. The audition was right down the street. It was good, but I didn't have any flex points left so I had lunch and no dinner. :)

The rest of the day I cursed Rum and wished I were not awake. Finally, I crashed at at 10:30. Ahhhhh

FRIDAY!!!!!!!

I am not sure if I have ever been so happy to see Friday roll around. What a week! With all of the go lives and the release getting its final cut on Friday, it has been quite a week. It just seemed to be one of those weeks where all kinds of things went wrong, and then it was really busy on top of that.


Mike left his keys at a client in Louisianna, so I had to pick him up from the aiport. Of course, Morgan also had a sleepover that started at 6. Thankfully, Kelly continued her angelic status and offered to take Morgan to the sleepover. Whew. Mike and I met Tony, Sidney, Mark, Mark, and Sidney's husband out at Channelside. We went to Howl at the Moon, Stump's, and Banana Joe's. It was a ton of fun, and I am so glad that I had flexpoints to spend! Spend them I did. I actually went over 2 points. :( Oh well, I still did pretty well. I will go 2 points lower than normal on Sunday. :) We had a great time eating at Stump's. I hadn't ever eaten there before, but it was really good. I had prime rib which is my favorite type of steak. I was good and had green beans since Mike was a bad influence and ordered Nachos. They were really good and spicy. Of course, the alcohol wasn't so good for the points allowance, but it sure did spice up the night. Mad Dog made an appearance, and I think Trixie was on her way out when we left. :)

First ASP Days

What a day, week, month it has been. I am so thankful that tomorrow is Friday. It is also running/walking day, so I will let you know how my last week 4 run goes. :)

I saw some press today on Misys MyWay (that name still sounds more like a Burger King Hamburger than an EMR but that is just my opinion). They put out a press release to say that they have resellers and at least one client. Funniest quote: Misys has been at the forefront of developing cutting-edge solutions for physicians,” said Vik Agrawal of etransmedia technology, Inc. “Becoming a channel partner for Misys was an easy decision.

The article made me think of my first days at Bond. It was a pretty big adjustment for me going from client server to ASP/web-based software. Some of the adjustment was navigation and GUI related and some of it was just based on the ease of using one page in the EMR and also in a kiosk and portal and whevever else. Very cool. I also remember discovering some of the challenges with ASP and having all of us look at each other and say....hmm...Of course, we figured out ways to deal with them, but some of them were pretty funny (ok, maybe not then but they are now). :)

Code Cut-off and Kidney Stones

Code Cutoff. You always know the day is going to stink when it is code cutoff day. Today was no different. I had one thing after another go badly. It was rough. I even fell in the dev lab today. I was trying to hurry, and i just walked right over a bag that was next to my feet. At least I wasn't wearing a dress! We are holding the release until Monday. We want to be sure it is tested thoroughly.

Morgan had another girl quit from her mini team. I don't get these parents who let their kids quit in the middle of the year. I believe that when you commit to a team you should finish the season.

I have the statcounter on my site, and it tells me the searches used that find my site. I keep noticing a ton of hits based on pulling a stent out and kidney stones in general. So, I thougth I would give a little bit of kidney stone history for those interested. I had my first stone when I was pregnant. It broke up in labor, and that ended a long nightmare. Oh wait. The trick was on Amy. Ha Ha...you have another one. And this continued over the last 9 years. I have had so many kidney stones that I have lost count. Sometimes, they can pass on their own. I have had a few blasted through lithotripsy, but this hasn't worked too well for me. The rest have been removed using a basket through a cystoscope. Unfortunately, this often leads to the stent requirement. You can think of a stent as a cast for the ureter (the tube that takes urine from the kidney to the bladder). It might collapse after surgery if it didn't have its cast. Basically, stents are awful. They are uncomfortable and sometimes even cause awful pain. For some reason, mine hurt the very worst after they are removed. I have noticed that it seems to hurt for about 4 - 6 hours at the maximum level when it is removed, and then it tapers off. I have also noticed that Flomax helps a lot and so does sitting in a warm bath. I guess the ureter is just mad when that "cast" is removed and it swells. As soon as the swelling subsides, it feels better. So, don't freak out if it hurts really badly after the stent is removed. Take pain meds, take Flomax if you ahve it, and take a warm bath. It will be over before you know it.

Also, my last stent had a string that allowed me to remove it. I know why people are searching about it because I did the same thing! I wanted to know what to expect when it was pulled out. I chickened out and made my husband pull it. The pulling part wasn't nearly as bad as I had anticipated. I just had the typical after affects. I mean, it wasn't fun. But it wasn't awful. It is over really quickly.

Leave me some comments with your stories. Kidney stones are no fun. Maybe one day they will find a cure for calcium oxalate stones. That is the kind I have.

Successful Go Lives

This week has brought a record setting week of go lives for Bond. We have ever person in the field who can possibly take a client live I think. Well, other than development resources since it is release week. It has been crazy. However, these clients have all done a fantastic job, and their implementation staff has done a fantastic job. The main things they have in common:

1. At least one major advocate pushing the project from the inside
2. They took the time to learn the options and customized (or had us customize) the application to be their perfect workflow.
3. They practiced real visits prior to go live.

It has been interesting watching them. Successful EMR implementations are not difficult if people want it. They often fail when there is a "Staff Infection" as Sharon says. If there isn't someone driving the project internally, it is too easy to fall into excuses. To quote Mike, "Your goal should be a boring go live."

I am so proud of my Bond family. We have come so far, and it is so exciting to see all of these clients go live in one week and do so well!

Release minus 3 days

Our release is scheduled for Thursday. I hate release week. Everyone is all stressed out. Then, after it goes out, there is the calm before the storm. Then, there are the inevitable issues found that must be fixed quickly. Then, everyone is happy. But, until then, only slightly relieved.

We have officially picked our first 5k, although this one will probably be as much walking as jogging. It is a fundraiser for the epilepsy foundation. Epilepsy is a hard condition for a friend or family member to have, and there are many successful treatments available. However, many of them are only available if you meet specific criteria. I would love to see the criteria broadened so that more people can be freed from the battles faced with epilepsy. I have seen first hand the miracle that can happen with treatment. So, the Tampa Bay Lightning Reindeer Run 5k is this one. It also has kids races. Seems like a lot of fun.

Today was a rest day as far as exercise. Tomorrow morning will be the next run. Wish me luck!

Tag Answers

So, I was tagged twice. Here are my answers.

My first tag was by the Cheer Chick.

1.whats your favorite color - orange for my Tennessee Vols

2.whats your favorite animal - cat

3.whats your favorite song - Jack and Diane

4.whats your favorite book - Too many to name - Nelson Demille is my favorite author

5.whats your favorite movie - Pretty Woman

6.whats your favorite number - 4

7.whats your favorite day of the week - FRIDAY

8.do you have any pets if so how many - 1 kitten and 2 cats (well, really only one of them is mine)

My second tag by the Sports Chick asked:

What are your 2 favorite songs by Hannah Montana? Rock Star and Nobody's Perfect

So, I am tagging Michael, Banu, and Courtney (revenge lol).

Sunday, Sunday

We had a great family day today. We all went jogging/walking together, and then we made Taco Soup and Vegetable Soup. It was a good day for soup. Morgan has been driving me crazy to make banana smoothies. So, we made smoothies with milk, bananas, equal, and ice. All of it was YUMMY.

NOOOO....The poor Titans lost. My parents were at the game too. Whenever I see the Titans on TV, I always think of the Goovenest Fan of the Game contest they always had (have?) there. One time, my dad won it. There used to be a man who sat next to us who would jiggle his belly every week to try to win. If someone in your section won, the entire section got Papa John's pizza.

As I have been using my Polar watch when exercising, it has made me think more about medical devices and Electronic Health Records. If they can make so many cool gadgets that can interface with a computer, why isn't there some kind of standard to capture that data and store it in other applications. I would love to be able to upload my Polar Watch data to my doctor and let him see how my heart is performing during my exercise. I would think he would like it too. Of course, Bond Clinician has a great patient portal that will let the patient type that data in. That is cool, but it would be even better if it could automatically capture it. From a development perspective, these devices (and other more medically useful ones) all store data differently and there isn't a real standard on how to get that data into the EMR. Some day....

Recipes:
Grams' Taco Soup
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp table salt
1 cup cooked onions
1 1/2 cup water
2 cup canned kidney beans (drained)
2 cup canned pinto beans (drained)
2 cup canned lima beans (drained)
6 cup canned diced tomatoes
3 cup chopped green chilies
35 oz raw lean ground beef
2 cup canned hominy (drained)
1 Packet McCormick Taco dry seasoning mix
1 packet Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing Packet

Brown onion and beef. Add all other ingredients. Simmer for 1 hr.
Makes 12 servings - 6 points a piece. Serve with chips and cheese (optional)

Mike's Vegetable Soup
2 Tbsp curry powder
2 1/4 Tbsp olive oil
4 cup cooked green beans
3 cup carrot(s)
5 small stalk celery
1/2 clove garlic clove(s)
2 cup onion(s)
16 cup water
4 cup canned diced tomatoes
1 Tbsp dried basil
8 uncooked Bliss potatoes
1 can Bush's Black Eyed Peas, 1 Can
1 can Thifty Maid Sweet Corn
10 serving Wyler's Instant Beef Bouillon Cubes 1 Cube

Cut up Veggies
Saute the onions and celery
Stir in garlic and curry powder and basil
Saute until onions are transparent
Add carrots
Add 16 cups water
Add Buillon cubes
Add green beans
Simmer 1 hr
Add potatoes, and cook for30 min
Add canned veggies and cook for another 30 mins
Makes 20 servings - 1 point each

Ahhhh New Shoes

Running Shoes - ahhh...Courtney who is miles ahead of me in this running stuff told me about a store in Tampa called The Running Center. She told me that I needed to get good running shoes. So, I have been thinking about that every time I go out, but I didn't want to rush out and buy them early if I wasn't really going to do it. I decided that finishing the 3rd week counted as long enough, so I went there today (of course, I went AFTER running). Anyway, the nice people at the store watch you walk and run (which I have to admit was kind of weird), and then they advise you on the type of shoe to wear. So, she gave me two shoes to pick from, and I had to try a couple of widths and sizes to get the right fit. As soon as I put them on though I could feel the difference. They actually support my foot! :) They are Asics. I think my old shoes are 5 years old and pretty flat. I can't wait to see what these are like on the run. Also, they tell you to go running in them and bring them back if they don't work. I will keep you posted. I got so excited about the shoes that I thought about my friend Liz. She LOVES shoes.

Morgan had cheer practice this morning, and I completely forgot that Lifestyles was closed today for a family picnic. So, like a good girl, I showed up for step only to remember that they weren't open. Bummer. Old Amy would have used that as an excuse, but not new Amy! I went to the park and did the week three couch 2 5k program again. They had flag football games going, so it provided some entertainment while I did it.

Tennessee did well today and beat Arkansas. I am still a little bitter about last years game, so I was glad the Vols won. If they win against Vandy and Kentucky (which used to be a given but isn't any more), they will get to go to Atlanta for the SEC Championship game. I never would have thought that would be a possibility when I was watching Florida stomp my poor Vols or when I was watching Alabama slaughter my poor Vols. Thankfully, my Dad's team Mississippi State beat Alabama for me today. :) Georgia slaughtered Auburn today, so I had to hear Mark talk about how the Dawgs own Alabama (since Mississippi State and Georgia beat the Alabama teams). My poor brother Mike will have to hear it for a while now.

We went to watch Michael play baseball today. He pitched really well, and at one point he tackled a kid to get him out near home plate. It was pretty funny. We went to eat pizza after the game. I have been saving my flex points for pizza all week. It was SO good. I am pretty sure that is what flex points were created for. :)

I also started a new blog today for my Couch 2 5k program and diet. It is here.

Multi-tasking, Vision, TAG

Multi-tasking - juggling many things at one time and doing none of them well

I have always prided myself on being able to multi-task. Over the summer, I read the Four Hour Work Week, and it talks a lot about why multi-tasking is bad. I completely agree, and I keep teaching myself that lesson over and over and over. He talks a lot about deciding what your two highest priorities of the day are and doing them and only them until they are finished. I started doing this over the summer, and it worked very well. I also was only answering email twice a day. I seriously need to go back to that strategy. I am always trying to do too many tasks at once, and I feel like I am never devoting enough time to each one.

I got my eyes checked, and apparently I should never be able to do anything without some kind of corrective lens. I talked to him about my troubles with glasses and contacts. After much discussion, we decided that contacts are the best because they prescription is closest to the eye and doesn't cause as many side affects. I tried one pair of contacts, and I couldn't see because it felt like it was moving all over my eye. As he looked in my eye, he could see them moving around. So, we tried a different kind. It is thicker, but it was 1. Easier to put in and 2. Feels more comfortable. I hope these will make a big difference. :)

I got up and ran the week 3 Couch to 5K this morning. I actually ran an additional minute at the end. Amazing. I am still not sure about week 4 and the 5 minute sections, but I hope I will be able to do it. I am going to get new running shoes this week from a real running store. :) More people at Bond are joining in the fun, so it should be interesting. The 5k event information can be found here for Feb 9th. On the 10th, they are also having relay marathons. The first leg is 7 miles, the second leg is 7 miles, the third leg is 8.2 miles, and the fouth leg is 4 miles. I think that would be a lot of fun, but I don't think I will be ready for that this year. Maybe next year, I can do it. :)

Since I was "tagged" by my beloved friend Courtney, here are the rules of the "Tag."

Link to the person who tagged you, and post the rules on your blog.
Share 7 random and/or weird facts about yourself
Tag 7 random people at the end of your post, and include links to their blogs
Let each person know that they've been tagged by leaving a comment in their blog

Random and/or weird facts about yourself
1. I have lived in nine cities in 6 states - all in the southeast unless you consider Missouri as a Yankee state. (My brothers tormented me about this as a kid until my dad told me that Missouri was technically a "Border" state.
2. I am divorced and remarried, and I have one daughter, one step-daughter, and two step sons (and 3 cats and a fish in the house). My husband is a definite improvement over the first model.
3. I am a nurse who works with medical software instead of patients (smart decision).
4. I have survived a plane crash (and walked across the tarmac with a huge Tennessee Volunteers flag - Go Vols!).
5. My family is an all SEC family. My Dad went to Mississippi State. My mom got her Master's at South Carolina. My oldest brother went to Auburn. My middle brother went to Georgia. I wet to Tennessee. We all unite against the evil Gators, raunchy Tide, and pitiful Rebels. Football season is fun in my house. I love my family. They are the best family you could ever have.
6. I used to smoke and never thought I would really quit for good. I finally quit for good on June 2, 2007. This was the single hardest thing I have ever done in my life.
7. I have chronic kidney stones, and I have passed a few, had a few zapped by lithotripsy, and had several removed. I hate stents with a passion and try to avoid them at all costs.

Now, I will tag Morgan, Mike, Krishan, Lee, Kim, Sarathy, and Cruft (who I don't know but I enjoy the blog).

Remember, this is all Courtney's fault! :) Tag, your're it!

Picture taken from Applebees

Wow, the kids are actually being loving to each other. I needed to capture the moment. :)

Reorganizing

Today, I felt like I was at Misys, the home of the reorg. I am trying desperately to determine the best structure for the implementation team and who fits in which position the best. It brought back fond memories. We used to always joke, "If you don't like the way it is now, just wait because it will change soon enough." I hope that we don't need to change that often. It is pretty fun to watch the company and departments mature. I never thought I would like process stuff, but I really enjoy trying to find the best process that will work and then trying to improve it. Who knew?

I thought this article was interesting with the "how to know that you need to reorg list."

There are a wide variety of reasons for reorganizing an organization, particularly in today's rapidly changing marketplace. However, there are several reasons for reorganization that seem to keep coming up in small businesses, whether for-profit or nonprofit. These reasons include
1. An employee keeps complaining (and you agree) that he or she is overloaded with work.
2. Employees complain that their activities overlap.
3. An employee indicates (and you agree) that he or she does not have enough work to do during a work day.
4. Employees complain that they're reporting to more than one boss, or supervisor.
5. An employee complains that their work includes very different tasks. For example, they may have a highly complex and demanding project (e.g., leading strategic planning) and a large routine, recurring task (sorting a great deal of the organization's daily mail).
6. Management notices a large amount of employee turnover, that is, employees don't stay long enough with the organization.
7. A department, or major function in the organization, has recurring problems.

NOTE: It is not always problems that provoke the need for reorganizing. For example, if the organization has been conducting strategic planning and produced new goals, these goals may require the organization to reorganize. For example, if the business wants to expand marketshare in a certain region, then the organization may need a new office in that region, more sales people, etc.

I also heard today that Misys is banning AOL Instant Messanger (AIM) starting soon. Interesting. Wonder what fun stuff they will do next? I haven't really heard much in a while other than what I read on other sites, but the past few days I have heard from several people who are frustrated. It doesn't seem like people feel very confident in the direction being provided so far. It is sad because people seemed so hopeful a few months ago.

The death march, also known as release, is churning along. Unfortunately, the timeframe isn't gowing. :) Gotta love releases. This is a really cool release, but it is a lot to test and prepare for.

I didn't do my Couch to 5k today. I decided to let the body rest for a day. I am going to try to get up and go in the morning. I really like using the podcasts. It makes the time go by really fast because you don't have to think about what you are doing. I am nervous about next week where you run 3 minutes as the short portion and 5 minutes as the longer portion. I am not sure I am ready for 5 minutes yet. :) Of course, I didn't think I was ready for 3 minutes yet either and I have done ok. :) Anyone else doing the couch to 5k?

Week 3 Runs 2 and 3

Today, I got up and did week 3 day 2 of the couch 2 5k program. It felt good. I really like getting up and exercising in the morning ONCE I AM OUT OF BED. I hate getting out of bed. Something about that transition is just no fun. However, once I get up and get moving, I feel SO great.

Work was pretty good. We are in major crunch to get the release out. I am ready for the stress to decrease. I love working in development, but the end of the release cycle is rough.

After work, I did a SECOND round of the couch 2 5k program. WOW!!! I have had several requests for the couch 2 5k program link and for the podcases. Follow this link to get the program and this link to get the podcast by Robert Ulrey.

shriner's cute wall mural

We loved the wall and had to take a picture. The doctor said 4 more weeks of no running, jumping, tumbling. Bummer.

I am so proud of myself. I got up this morning and started the week 3 part of the couch 2 5k program. In this one, you jog for 90 seconds, walk for 90 seconds, jog for 3 minutes, walk for 3 minutes, and then repeat. I know for some of you, this is no big deal. For me, the former smoking fiend, this is a huge deal. I was so proud because I actually think I could have kept going and doing it a few more times. I am going to go again tomorrow morning. I will let you know how it goes. For anyone thinking about the couch to 5k program, it ROCKS!

Stress

Stress - the uncomfortable gap between how we would like our life to be and what it is.

What a great definition. I feel very stressed lately. My heart races. I get a headache. Sometimes I am not even sure why. It is just everything at once I guess. I can't put my finger on the one stressful thing. It is just a general feeling. Anyone else just feel a general stress without having a specific reason?

Today was not a bad day. It was busy. It was stressful. Abhijeet arrived from India today and joined us in the Dev Lab. It was nice to have him. Welcome Abhijeet!

After getting Morgan, I rushed home to make dinner and help Morgan with her homework. She had math and spelling. I can't wait until she can write again! She goes to the doctor tomorrow. She is hoping she can be tumbling in 3.5 weeks for her first cheer competition. :)

I heard from some Misys peeps that their PTO must ALL be used by March 31st. They can buy what they have at 50 cents on the dollar (ouch), but if they haven't used it by March 31st, they can't earn more. Ouch. To make it worse, there is now a mad rush on vacation requests! This seems to be a trend at companies now to reduce their liability. What do you think about PTO?

Tomorrow, I am getting up early to run, so I am signing off for the night. Nablopomo is fun!!!

Our Store Is Open

We have been trying to find something to do to earn some extra money in the Gleason house. So, we got together and brainstormed on some funny shirts. We will be adding to the site often, but we have quite a few to pick from now. Since we are heavy into cheer, there are several cheer shirts available. We also have some good divorce ones (we have some experience with that!). We have had a good time with it so far. To see them, go to http://laughoutlouds.com/. The ordering piece is secure, so order early and often! :) To celebrate our opening, you can enter a promotional code of BUCK to save $1.00.

Today, we went to Morgan's friend Alexis' house to work on the NASA project. But, we didn't have any concrete instructions, so it was pretty much a wash. The girls had fun though. :) We went to Target and Walmart to stock up on cat supplies and groceries (and to get Morgan her new fish - Bubblette). I have only had 11 points today, so I need to figure out what to have for dinner. Today, I am a little behind on my couch to 5k program, so I am just finishing week 2 today. I am interested to see how week 3 goes since you run for 3 minutes straight twice. Should be interesting.

Football and Shirts

What a great day. First, I got to sleep until 9:30. I missed aerobics, but that is ok because I needed sleep SO badly. The trip to San Fran and back on the red eye really wiped me out. I was also stressed because I was also flying to Ft. Lauderdale this week. However, that was cancelled, and I am so happy about that.

Morgan was wanting attention this morning, so we hung out. Then, I bribed her to give me a little more time while she went and read or something. However, less than 5 minutes into my quiet time, she is crying and carrying on. So, I finally get up, and I am angry. She isn't telling me what the problem is, and then she blurts out that her fish died. Talk about feeling like a mean mommie. Then, I said the dumbest thing. "I will get you a new one sweetie." UGH. It was my chance to be fish free. But no. I had to go and promise a new one. She put the fish in a bag that is still in the house. Yuck. I guess we need to bury it. It was a lot easier with the hamster. He just went into the trash on trash day without another thought. Bummer.

Then, Morgan and I worked on creating some funny t-shirts to sell. We have decided to make an online store. Hopefully, we will be ready to release the first version tomorrow. :)

After t-shirt afternoon, we went to see the Bee Movie. It was very cute. It had some moments that made everyone howl with laughter. The rest was cute. Morgan asked for some yellow salt for her popcorn. Unfortunately, she dumped most of it on the popcorn. Ick. She ate it though. Scary.

We met Dana, Katie, Chris, and Michael at a Japanese restaurant in Brandon. It is fairly new and named Tokyo's. It was good. I had shrimp, veggies, and rice. Morgan wasn't feeling good (maybe it was the butter and salt??), so we left as soon as dinner was over. Of course, the chef asked if we all knew each other. Mike went around the table and referred to me as Wife #2 and Dana as Wife #1. Of course, he took that to mean that we were all together now. So, then he was making jokes the rest of the time. Crazy people.

5 Months SMOKE FREE and down 16 pounds!!!

As of today, I am 5 months smoke free. Amazing. I still can't believe I actually did it and don't want to go back. :) Also, I am down 16 pounds as of today (1 month into Weight Watchers).

Amy - smoke free for Five Months, 6 Hours and 52 Minutes, while extending my life expectancy 12 Days and 18 Hours, by avoiding the use of 3679 cigs that would have cost me $629.37. I spent $212 on patches.

I have to say that I don't even want a smoke ever. I am exercising and can breathe. Amazing. :)

The Dangers of Cheer

As I am sitting and eating my subway sandwich during Morgan's practice, I see Victoria fall. She falls in the same stunt that Morgan fell in a few weeks ago. She landed on her outstretched arm just like Morgan did. She was brought out of the stunt early just as Morgan was. Morgan came running off the floor and said, "Mommy, Victoria's arm has a big dent in it." I looked around and saw that her mom wasn't there (I wasn't there when Morgan fell and her mom was). Victoria did have her grandmother there, so she drove Victoria with Mara and Allison holding her arm in the backseat. I followed with little Alexis and Morgan. We went to After Hours Urgent Care. They took good care of her, but they wouldn't let all of us stay with her (imagine that??). So, I took Mara and Allison back to the gym, and Morgan and I headed home. I felt so badly for Victoria. Morgan and Victoria had their tonsils out at the same time by the same doctor, and now they have similar arm injuries from the same stunt. Crazy. Victoria, we hope it heals quickly! Maybe the stunt will get changed now - I hope. It just doesn't seem to be a good stunt for them.

Digital Medical Office of the Future

After the AAP show, I have been thinking a lot about the booth. It was really nice to see them organize an exhibit to get physicians excited about the possibilities. It seems that I mainly hear complaining from providers - it costs too much, it takes time to learn, my staff doesn't want to change, etc, etc, etc. It is strange to me to have to convince providers that using an EHR will help them. I was amazed at the comments from the show. Many of those providers have had little exposure to electronic medical records.

The pediatric challenge starts off with importing a CCR. I think this is something that could really change healthcare for the better. If providers would exchange these, they can reduce errors, create a seamless transfer for the patient, and reduce data entry. How cool is that?

I was talking to some friends who used to work at Misys. We were talking about the bad press Misys is getting. It seems they can't get a break. I am not sure what Mr. Histalk's relationship is to Misys, but he sure does hit the nail on the head. Some classic lines by Mr. Histalk in the last week.

When talking about the Misys Connect Opensource - I would be at least a tiny bit impressed if the company open sourced something that might actually increase EMR adoption, like one of its stable of poorly selling EMR applications. This is like someone claiming to be an open source evangelist because they loaded Firefox onto their Vista/Office PC.

Sad that the Connect strategy was the supposed future of Misys Healthcare just a few months ago and now the related accoutrements have been donated like a rusted out Chevette.

Free isn't good enough if it doesn't work well.

The iMedica deal wasn't announced as exclusive. To a prospect, does Misys add value or subtract from it as opposed to just buying from iMedica in the first place?

The Misys salespeople finally get something to sell, but their fingers must be crossed hoping that prospects will forget that what was once a scorned competitor is now the solution that Misys recommends instead of the ones it developed.

OUCH...

I don't really have much to add. As usual, Mr. Histalk seems to have hit the nail on the head.

I do wonder if the same person who named the PM Tiger named the iMedica product by Misys MyWay...sounds more like a Burger King Hamburger than an EMR. Or maybe it was the same person who came up with the creative Misys EMR name.

Halloween!

We had visitors in the office today, so I didn't feel comfortable wearing my hippie outfit. I brought it to work, but I didn't ever put it on. However, there were several great costumes at work. It is fun to see everyone get into a holiday and have fun.

After work, I rushed out of the office so I could take Morgan trick or treating. The gym was closed, so she rode the bus home (Mike was there). She wore her Samantha gown to school for the book character, but she decided to be a cheerleader with her friends Victoria and Alexis for trick or treating. Mike brought Morgan to me since traffic was awful, and he went to Brandon to see the kids. We went through two neighborhoods with a huge group. It was a lot of fun to have so many people to go with.

Morgan got 140 pieces of candy AND a stuffed animal. Several people gave out full size or even KING size candy. Who does such a thing? Morgan thought it was awesome. My mom said that next year we could take all of Morgan's millions of stuffed animals and hand them out. Not a bad idea at all...

Tampa Arrival

Oh, what a nice airport. I love the Tampa airport. Nicely designed. Easy to get around in. Boy, SFO needs their help. We get our luggage (it all made it on each of the legs and we were generally on time for each flight - AMAZING!). Krishan and I rode together, and we were in the economy lot. We get on the bus and get to the car. Krishan teaches me the Dale Mabry way from the airport. Nice to know.

Mike's doctor's appt is already in progress when I am driving down Dale Mabry. He says he is still int he waiting room. I rush to the office, drop Krishan off, and head back to the doctor's office. I doubt I can make it in time, but I try. Amazingly enough, Mike calls as I pull in the parking lot to tell me that he had just gotten into a room. I get to the room, and the doctor comes in less than 5 mins later. Amazing. He goes over the great results that his bone marrow was normal. We discuss next steps. Mike will see an ID doc next. And the fun continues.

Morgan, Mike, and I head to Los Vallartas for dinner after cheerleading. Morgan didn't even complain, and I didn't either. What a treat for Mike! :) I help Morgan with her homework by writing sentences for Morgan to then underline the subject and predicate. When does that splint come off???

I am exhausted, but I can't fall asleep. Must be on that CA time. Finally get to sleep only to have morning arrive 2 minutes later. Not fair at all.

Last Booth Day

We check out of the hotel in the morning, and Krishan, Miguel, and I eat at Mel's Diner on the way. I had my standard bagel with a little margerine for 6 points. Score! The day flies by, and we have a ball showing off our cool stuff. We were amazingly busy every single day, including today. At the end of the show, we are ready to rip this thing down and get out of there! We loved the show, but there is always a great feeling about finishing. My feet feel like a Bull has been standing on them for a while (and stomping I think), so I am very happy to take the shoes off. We frantically pack our equipment, and wait on the boxes. Thankfully, they come pretty quickly. We get everything packed and on the crate. Krishan and I notice that there is an awful lot of stuff to carry onto the plane. Nobody else seems to mind. Oh well.

We leave to go to the Pickwick to get our bags. Travis, Mark, Miguel, and I change clothes. Ahhh....jeans....We go to get the car. After what seems like 7 years, we finally get the car paid for and he moves it 3 inches forward and tells us we can get in. Travis loves that kind of stuff and starts making silly comments. I think the parking guy is still confused. We pack the car to the max and head out. I think we are getting to go to the Fisherman's Whart to get a bread bowl and soup. I was WRONG. So, then I think, Chinatown. WRONG. So, we head to the airport (through a little detour through the hood of San Fran. We even saw a dead guy after he was smacked by a car while riding a bike. Scary stuff. The hotel bellman had told me that there were a lot of restaurants past the airport at the next exit. So, we go there. Poor Mark then gets to do at least 10 U turns while everyone argues about where to go. Finally, we eat at In and Out Burger. Krishan is thrilled since he is a vegetarian. We finally head to the airport. Of course, we each have to take 4 things in order to get the stuff through the 23 mile trip from the rental car place to the ticket counter. I think I dropped my boxes 12 times. We finally check in. I am SO thankful that Sharon has moved me from a middle seat to an aise. Thanks Krishan for making that call! :) I end up with an entire row. Not sure how I got that lucky. I was asleep before the plane left at 10:30 CA time. I slept fitfully, but I did sleep most of the way to Atlanta. We arrived at 3:00 CA time (6:00 Atlanta time). We had a 2 hour delay in Atl. We left there at 8 and arrived in Tampa at 9:30am. FUN!

Black Sunday

I am pretty sure that someone beat me over the head with a bag of rocks. Ok, OK, maybe it was the rum I drank. Ouch. That hurts. Do I really have to work a booth today? Oh the stupid moves I make. Mike is way too cheerful as he says it is time to go. He is driving us to the city. He tries to push his crazy California energy drink on me, but I stay strong and just have water and diet coke. I had forgotten how pretty the view is from their house. The picture above is from their backyard. Wow.

We get to the city, and Mike lets Mark and I go upstairs to put our stuff away. We get Miguel (Krishan is too busy talking to India to pay us any attention). We go to the Marriott to eat breakfast. I am so hungover that I don't even care about points. I just want food, water, and diet coke. Food, water, and diet coke. I have taken Advil. It is helping, but it isn't helping enough. I have eggs, bacon (wow this is good bacon), a little bit of grease also known as hashbrowns, and some of an english muffin. YUM. Hits the spot. Feeling a little better. OK, standing ruined the getting better part. Oh well. Lisa and some masked man with a phone attached to his ear joined us briefly downstairs as we were leaving. We walked the 2 blocks back to the good ol Pickwick.

I still need to shower, so Mark, Krishan, and Miguel head to the convention center with Mike. I decide that maybe a shower will help. While it does feel good to brush my teeth and shower, I still feel awful. Oh well, no time for whiners. So, I get dressed in the oh so cute Bond sweater and head to the trade show (I am so thankful that Lisa didn't make me wear the black dress). We get to show Mike around the booth. He likes it. :)

I must have explained 100 times during the day why Microsoft is on the booth. Microsoft sponsored the Digital Medical Office of the Future so that they can promote internet safety. They want pediatritions to talk to their patients and their parents about internet safety. The statistics they cited were pretty scary. Way too many kids give their information away online in chats and websites. I have talked to the kids about this often, but it was a great reminder to stay on it. Why in the world did they make the exhibit hall stay open for 8 hours? I am pretty sure that it is cruelty to humans. :) The day is amazing though, and we have a ton of fun showing off Clinician and all the futuristic gizmos. Krishan liked the microscope for telemedicine the best. I liked the SureSight the best. Many people liked the vein viewer the best. I heard a lot of doctors who were amazed by the Dragon Naturally Speaking. Very cool.

That night, Mark took Lisa to the airport, and Travis, Krishan, and I went to dinner with Microsoft. They were very cool, and we had a great time. I love meeting cool people.

Saturday Night - THE Halloween Party

Our feet are killing us as we walk out of the convention center. Nothing like a good trade show to make the dogs hurt. I feel a little badly as we are splitting with our Bondites to go to the McFall-Sorenson Halloween Bash. I am so excited that I quickly forget this anxiety. We walk back to the Pickwick Hotel (only about 2 blocks), and we decide to change into the costumes BEFORE leaving for Bart. We do decide that maybe the wigs are a bit much, so we take those. After packing half of my suitcase and an outfit of Mark's into my computer bag, we leave the hotel for our adventure. Mike has told us to take the Pittsburgh Train to the Walnut Creek station. From there, we will take a cab. Hmmm...first step, where is the BART station? We ask the bellman. He tells us to go right for one block and to look for escalators. Sounds easy enough.

Immediately, I am wishing that I hadn't worn the costume. I feel very dorky. But, we must persevere for a party. We find the escalator (Mark drools over some very weird looking stuff at street vendor tables - I am thinking he is just a little too into this hippie thing). We look it up and find out that the BART is $4.25 each way. So, Mark puts $10 into the machine and gets an $8.50 ticket. We are so proud. Then, this weird couple starts making these weird sexual comments, and I tell Mark to give them some change so they will leave us alone. I am so relieves when they leave. I am wondering if we are the first people to dress as we are while pulling a nice computer case on wheels behind us. :) So, we put the ticket in the turn style machine. Denied! So, we try again. Denied! Please see cashier. Defeated, we walk to the booth. She laughs at us for trying to use one ticket for two people. Oops. I wanted to tell her that we use cars every day, but I just apologized instead. So, she is actually very nice and gives us some written pass to use. Crisis averted. Next!

We go downstairs to get on the train. We keep laughing as people keep asking us if we are going to a Halloween party. If? IF? Too funny. All of the sudden they are saying all of these weird things like 4 car train for Millbrae in 4 minutes. 4 car train for Fremont is 7 minutes. Never do they say Pittsburgh. Never do I see a sign for Pittsburgh. I am starting to freak a little. So, I see a girl with a year's worth of eye liner on, and I ask her. She says she is also waiting for the Pittsburgh train and that it will be coming in 14 minutes. Not exactly what I wanted to hear (the 14 min), but I am happy to know we are in the right place. Finally, the train arrives. We rush on (apparently for no reason as the 10 car train had plenty of room). We sit and enjoy the ride. It is actually pretty cool, and we enjoy eavesdropping on these teenagers who are sitting near us. Mark says that he is glad that I didn't have BART as a teen. I have NO idea what in the world he is talking about as I have ALWAYS been an angel. OK, OK, maybe not ALWAYS. (don't want lightning to strike). I do laugh as this girl says, "My mom thinks she understands me but she has NO idea." Ok, that MIGHT have been something I would have said as a teen (definitely not as an adult. Funny how much you realize how great your parents as you grow up).

We get off the BART and look for the exit. We follow this obvious pro down an elevator. Whew. Cabs. We MADE IT! :) We get a very, very cool cab driver who takes us to Mike and Debs. We are looking for their house in the dark. We pull into the driveway, and Mike comes running out in his full pirate outfit. The cab driver says, "I think we found it!"

The house looks amazing. Deb has done a fabulous job decorating. There are cobwebs, scary people hanging, and even an fog machine!!! Of course, the girls wanted the fog machine to run all the time, and the boys wanted it to only run every few minutes. Hee Hee...I got to see the "elbow spot" where Mike broke his elbow. His friends are very cool. Greg and Lisa remember me from my trip there long ago (although Lisa keeps saying that I wore a plaid dress last time - surely not). They are just as much fun as I remembered. I met lots of people that I hear about all the time - some of whom I had met and some of whom I had not. There was a salt and pepper couple, bat woman (Tracy who I had met in San Diego), a Lincoln Navigator, a friend you can count on (a shirt with numbers on it), legos (they actually fit together!), male and female pirates, a doctor and nurse, and many more! They had a very cool game where you had to guess the drink. I loved it a bit too much (well at least that is what my head said the next day). The food was awesome. They even had mini burgers with a bottle of catsup, mustard, and mayo all mixed into one bottle! Smart! They had shrimp, sushi, hummus, sausage, and other yummy things. Once the music started, it was even more fun. I kept trying to get Mike to do the moonwalk. He wouldn't even do it. He did do some fun moves though. I had a great time hearing everyone talk about Mark and how much he looks like Mike. Way too cool. Thanks Mike and Deb!!!