The other day I was running some errands and you'll never guess who I ran into... the big man himself
He was wearing jeans and a red turtleneck, but I swear it was him. (I wanted to take a picture with my cell phone but couldn't figure out a way to do that without looking like a crazy stalker or something).
But I bet you'll never guess what store I saw him in...
I guess everyone is cutting back their shopping budget this year.
I don't know about anyone else, but I love FREE stuff. Even little FREE stuff like the samples you can get at walmart.com or when companies give you FREE pens or sticky notes. I don't even mind used FREE stuff like a skirt from my sister or a sweater from my aunt because they just don't want it anymore. But I especially like NICE FREE stuff.
Like last night when Mike's work sent him an email saying that the crowd was looking pretty small for dinner at this 2 day conference they've been putting on for some clients. So they said he could bring his wife to help fill in seats. Of course we went - FREE dinner. It was at the Snowbird Ski Resort and they served fancy stuff like "tomato bisque","seared salmon","roasted butternut squash", and my favorite, chocolate torte and cheesecake.We even got to stick around and watch the stand up comedian they had hired, Johnny Bee, for FREE. We found out that one of the guests had checked out a night early and Mike's work still had to pay for a room that no one was going to stay in. So guess what, we got to stay overnight at the resort for FREE and when we got to our room there was a FREE Box of chocolate truffles.
What's this "economic downturn" everyone is talking about?
Once again the Burgoynes celebrate All Hallows Eve with the annual Scary Dinner and Halloween party. This year it was really a red carpet event with all the big names that made an appearance. The food of the party is always the main feature, of course, and the menu included many gourmet dishes:
Over all the event was fabulous, and as tradition goes, each year out performs the previous. Anticipation for the 2009 gala is already building!
Dear Mark and Paul,
Thank you for the opportunity to work at The Insight Group. I have learned a lot during my time here and have truly enjoyed the experience.
However, the time has come for me to move on. This letter is to formally announce my resignation from The Insight Group starting today. I understand that this creates an extra work load for the office staff. Therefore, I am willing to stay at the Insight Group until the 23rd of December, providing time for a replacement to be hired and trained. I hope this will help in the transition process.
Again, I am grateful for all that I have gained during my time with The Insight Group. Please let me know what I can do to make my final time here a productive experience.
Best Regards,
Shaina Burgoyne
This is the formal letter I wrote to say I was quitting my job at the end of the year. (I thought it was extra generous of me to give them this much of a notice). I ended up not using the letter, but just saying all of it face-to-face with my bosses.
For as many times as I had daydreamed of that moment, I'm proud of myself for how nice I acted when it actually happened.
Maybe I can still save the big "lashing out and telling them what I really think of the way they run their business" speech for my last day. That gives me a few more months to perfect it.
P.S. Anyone out there hiring?
Did you seriously think I was not going to write about the Saturday Morning session of conference? C'mon.
It was exactly 5 years ago this week that I entered the MTC to go to Italy. So for exactly 5 years I have been praying for a temple in that country.
I was so surprised to have that answer finally come this weekend when President Monson announced that construction will soon begin on the Rome, Italy temple. I was shaking a little I was so happy. (A temple near Mike's hometown in Philadelphia was a very nice bonus. It couldn't have been better if Pres Monson had asked us to pick the next two ourselves. I feel like we won the temple lottery).
Anyway, I had heard rumors of how close Rome was to getting a temple since I had started taking Italian 101 classes back in 2001. The rumors got more exciting when I actually got to Italy. My sources (the Italian Relief Society Network) told me that back in the 1970's a bunch of members put up the money to buy a parcel of land right in the middle of Rome, just to be prepared. Also:
- that President Hinckley had said that he hoped to announce the construction of the Rome temple at conference before he died
- that Italy just needed 100 more priesthood holders for the church to be big enough (or 1 more stake or 2 more wards or some qualifying number like that, it changed sometimes)
- that it would be built soon but the church has to pay for the all the power lines in that part of the city to be rerouted underground so the steeple can be built
- and my favorite was that the design and location had already been approved and it just so happens that when the sun hits the temple in the middle of the day the steeple and the angel Moroni will cast a shadow that will cut right through the middle of the Vatican.
Ok, so I'm sure most of that was exaggerated versions of some tidbit of truth. But what is true is how this will bless the people of Italy and a lot of Europe too. The members I worked with had to take 20+ hour bus rides to get the temple. It cost a lot of money, and they usually only had 1 trip per year scheduled. Rome is only 6 hours away.
The faces of all the members I grew to love kept coming to memory during the rest of the day. I couldn't help but picture their joy as they sat in their small chapels or rented out rooms that make up a meeting house and listened to that announcement. I wish I was with them. Maybe I can save up enough to be with them at the dedication...
No, we're not talking McCain/Obama, that's for another day. This is a much more important issue.
On Saturday Mike and I went to the RSL vs Chivas game. It was great. The week before we went to the BYU vs UCLA game. Also great. This got me thinking, if I had to choose a favorite between Football and Futbol, which would I pick?
I worked out some possible arguments for both sides.
(F = Football, S = Soccer)
1. Game Day
F: With the pregame show, the tailgate party, 4 hours for the game itself and then the post game analysis, the excitement lasts literally all day long.
S: You go, you cheer, you have fun, you get on with the rest of your life.
2. The Game
F: Complicated rules with even more complicated plays displays a sense of intelligence just to understand the action. Yet it's still just big guys crashing into each other at full speed while playing keep away.
S: Simple rules (ball in net, no hands), simple plays. A lot of aggression but an element of finesse to make it happen.
3. The Players and their drama
F: Talking tough, playing rough, and showing their need for attention in end zone celebrations and sideline fights. But the real drama is their off the field lifestyles.
S: Real fouls that are never seen (unless they draw blood) and then the fake flops and falls to remind everyone that they are still there. Who knows what they do off the field. Who cares.
4. The "Big Game"
F: The Super Bowl brings in more money and attention than anything else on tv. But is it the game or the commercials?
S: The World Cup is a world wide event. But you have to wait 4 years until the next one. Still, that's 4 years of bragging rights (Italia 2006!).
5. Cultural Impact
F: Arguably America's most popular sport right now. Knowing a few things about the teams and the players can get you small talk with just about anyone and earn you respect with the guys at the office and your father-in-law. You just can't avoid the in-state college rivalry.
S: The world's most popular sport. In the States, popular among kids, and the fastest growing in popularity among adults. But locally, only the die-hard fans will know who's playing and what's happening. Not a general conversation topic yet.
So, time to vote! Which would you pick and why?
(Monday morning)
Coworker: Shaina, I have to tell you what happened this weekend.
Shaina: Oh really, what?
Coworker: Well my stake got reorganized, and since I'm a branch president in the stake I got to go to a special meeting with the General Authorities who were doing the reorganizing.
Shaina: Wow, that's great.
Coworker: So I walk into the room and it's Elder Nelson of the 12 and Elder LeGrand Curtis of the 70. They both stand up to shake my hand and smile as I meet them. Well, the instant Elder Curtis smiled at me, the first thing I thought was "wow, he reminds me so much of Mike Burgoyne." Wierd huh?
You're telling me. Should I be worried that a an old man reminds him of my husband? Or complimented that he thinks my husband has a GA smile?
Elder LeGrand Curtis, Jr. of the 5th Quorum of the Seventy
This summer I worked my way through a 4 course meal of literature. Some courses I liked better than others, but overall it was very satisfying. Here is what I read:
Journey to the Center of the Earth (Jules Verne): Supposed to be one of the great forerunners to Science Fiction. I liked the idea, but couldn't get through all the scientific jargon to make it even to the half way point. It was like eating bran cereal; too much fiber and not enough taste to make it worth my time.
The Twilight Series (Stephanie Meyers): Yep, I gave in to peer pressure and read all 4 of them. It was a great way to pass the 30+ hours I spent in the car during 2 road trips. They weren't brilliant works of literature, but I was entertained. It was like eating grocery store birthday cake - good for the moment, no real nutritional value, and sometimes you can't take in too much in one sitting without getting sick, but you know that if it's around you're going to want a piece. And it's much better when it's shared with others.
Oliver Twist (Charles Dickens): Unfortunately, I approached this one with a bias, I already love Dickens. This was good, but not great. Really good characters, intriguing moral themes and brilliant social satire, but way wordy and a little far fetched. It's like how the casseroles I cook turn out: I worry so much about getting it right that I over do it and it ends up just tasting weird.
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, Vol 2 (Sir Arthur Conan Doyle): This was by far my favorite. It was well written, entertaining, explored different aspects of human nature, and I felt smarter after reading it (especially when I could start putting the solution together before Holmes!) And each story was short but fulfilling so I could either nibble a little or chow down as I wanted. It was perfectly flavored and in perfect proportions. It won't be long before I go back for a second helping.
In my office when someone has a birthday we all take an hour break and sit around eating cake and talking. Also in my office, there is one person who enjoys doing most of the talking. He happens to the be the boss too.
Today was someone's birthday. I ordered a lemon raspberry cake with cream cheese frosting. The boss told a 25 minute story about the remodel he's doing on his house.
This was my experience:
Boss story:
My train of thought:
Mmmm cream cheese frosting.
Seriously, that's exactly what was like.
So I've been watching a lot of the Olympic Games. I mean many, many hours each day. Too much? Maybe, except that watching the athletes has kind of inspired me. So I decided today I was going to go all Michael Phelphs and swim laps in our apartment pool - just for the fun of it. (I even learned how to do the different strokes from the Internet. Yeah, I'm that bad).
I had previously checked that there was no one else around to watch me. I'm not ready for judges yet. So, I get all ready and head to the pool. When I get to the pool, however, I can't get in. It's locked for cleaning!
That's twice this summer that they closed the pool, but I didn't find out until I was already at the gate.
Don't these people know how much effort it takes for a woman to put on a swimsuit and go out in public wearing it? The mental strength! The emotional stability! The shaving!
I deserve a gold medal just for making it to the gate!
I might have some Gold Meadow Mint Chocolate in the freezer.... that's close enough for me!
You know that uneasy feeling you get in the pit of your stomach on Sunday nights when you realize the next morning you have to go to work again? Coming home from vacation is like that - only worse.
You know the headache you get when you've just finished making a huge batch of cookies and you see all the mess that activity has caused that now needs to be cleaned up? Unpacking from vacation is like that - only worse.
You know the dizziness you feel when you stare too long at one of those "hidden 3-D image" pictures and still can't see the jumping dolphins or whatever? Sorting out the budget after a vacation is like that - only worse.
So with the uneasy stomach, headache, and dizziness coming home has caused, maybe I should stay in bed just one more day....right?
I know many have been anticipating this... the results are finally in from the "big run" yesterday.
I was able to talk my brother and sister into running with me, which made it even more fun.
Here are the stats for the 5k:
Out of 219 runners...
Riley was 31st with a time of 23:48:8 (3rd out of 17 in his age group)
*Spa is only open on weekends when Mike is out of town and Shaina is left home alone on a Friday night and can only service one person (Shaina) per day.
Services include:
* scrumptious dinner of all salad and no meat
* complete facial with the exclusive exfoliating scrub with olive oil extractsfollowed by an avacado mud mask to purify and mosturize
* overnight hair repair treatment with a deep conditioner the next morning
* free showing of the best chic flics cable has to offer, ice cream optional (this week's movie of choice was Little Women)
* a luxurious queen size bed all to your self with no snoring or morning breath to bother you and no one else to steal the sheets
Also available: hot tub, pedicures/manicures and pilates classes (well, a DVD).
Total cost: $4.00 (for salad and ice cream) thanks to the free samples in the mail, newspapers, and grocery store.
I'd prefer to have Mike home with me every weekend, but when he does have to leave, at least I make the most of it!
*Some people are married to their jobs, we're just dating ours*
A couple is dating. One person decides that things aren’t really going as well they used to be and that they aren’t really as happy in that relationship as they thought they would be. The “maybe it’s time to break up” idea starts forming in the back of their mind. They have nearly reached a definite “I want out” when suddenly something happens: flowers for no reason, a real engaging conversation, or just a great doorstep scene, and the person starts to reconsider. They think “well, maybe things aren’t SO bad, I’ll stay in a little longer and see what happens.”
The “maybe, well maybe not” battle continues, sometimes for years, before any definite action is taken.
I thought I had left all of that behind when I got married. I was wrong. Apparently the mind games that go on in the dating world can also happen in the corporate world.
Lately more than ever, Mike and I have been thinking about how un-thrilled we are with what we’re doing at work. It’s not that we have bad jobs; they just don’t make us really happy anymore. We talk about when and how we can “break up” with work.
Then, this week happened.
My work bought everyone lunch and cupcakes and I had a great morning with one of my coworkers restructuring a process that has been a mess for years. It was like having one of those “engaging conversations” with my job.
Mike’s work took us to Park City and paid for an evening of zipline, alpine slide, and roller coaster rides kicked off by a nice dinner where the head of his department lathered on the flattery and praise for each individual member of the team. It was a sort of “flowers for no reason” night.
So we ended the week with a “well, maybe it’s not SO bad.”
Although, in the back of our minds we’re still thinking about breaking up. Unless an incredible "doorstep scene" raise comes along…
We are celebrating the 4th of July this year by sleeping in and then attending 4 different BBQs/Picnics.
Lots of food, lots of friends and no work for 3 days.
That's what I call living the American Dream.
GOD BLESS AMERICA!
I've seen the movie "The Birds" twice. While I appreciate Hitchcock's contribution to cinematic history and have enjoyed some of his other films, this one really didn't do it for me. It might have been the people I watched it with or something, I don't know. But I think if I were to see it again now, I would have a much better appreciation for it. Why? Because now I've lived it.
For the past 2 weeks every day after work, and sometimes at lunch too, when I have walked out of the parking garage at my office this little blackbird has swooped down towards me and continued to fly near me until I reach my car. Each day he has gotten a little closer.
Two days ago I was on guard, looking for him as I careful walked out. At first I didn't see him. Then I turned my head to see his sharp beak coming at full speed straight for my face. I turned and ducked quick enough to feel his wings brush against my head.
Like the silly characters in the movie, I tried to think that there was nothing to it. I was overreacting and anyway it was just one bird that was acting crazy.
Then yesterday, as I cautiously made my way to my car, once again the blackbird dived dangerously close to my head. As he passed me on the right, suddenly a second one passed just as close on the left.
They're grouping together now. This can't be good.
