The problem is, the consolidated site keeps moving.  I looked up today’s consolidated site on the Internet and everything was worked out.

I’ve been majorly distracted lately.     What can I say?     I need to get my act together and at least focus.

Then, the power went off at the office. It might be out for a half hour more. The only reason I am able to type this now is because I have a laptop with a charged battery and a broadband card that gets me to the Internet.

Tomorrow, I am travelling with a group to Kansas City for a business trip. I will be gone Friday through Monday night. There is supposed to be snow.   Snow and a 3 hour trip.   Fun. 

I asked my daughter yesterday if she was going to miss me over the weekend. She shook her head “no”. I started to get teary-eyed. She said, “I’ll miss you mom! But not just a little. A whole bunch!” She’s so sweet.

How’s your day?

Here are some pictures from the Girl Scout field trip TLK went on today.    I’ll have some videos to post later.   

When I was 10, my teacher asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up.   One of them was an astronomer.   I have always been fascinated with things in the sky; especially the moon.   Now, I know a lot more about star formations and will be out there some clear night, looking for Cassiopeia and Ursa Major. 

I was reading an email from my mother and leaving voice mail for an inhouse end user at the same time.   

At some point during the voice mail, I lost track of who I was talking to, and said “Love you… no…er… WAIT!  Sorry about that.. I was just reading an email..”   Then, it occurred to me that I have the ability to DELETE VOICE MAIL!    So I ran back to the end user’s desk and deleted the voicemail.

This was only AFTER the manager on the other side of my cubicle heard the whole thing.

Yesterday, she decided to share this with my friends in IT while I was sitting there… “Hey, Lisa?  Did you tell them what you did the other day?   It was SO funny!”

Her way of recanting the story was SO hilarious.    I was in tears because I laughed so hard.  

 My manager then said, “I’ve done that same thing.. only with my boss… while I was standing in the room with him.”

Which caused me to laugh again!   I said, “How could you do that standing right in front of the person you were saying it to??” 

He said, “I was distracted and had a lot going on.”  (I can understand this, actually)

“What did your boss say?”

“He said, ‘Well, I’m quite fond of you, too.’   Then I apologized and explained that I had been preoccupied.”

The HR lady had come in during the conversation and also said, “I’ve done that, too!   I had my ex-husband on the phone and said it out of habit.  When I realised what I’d done, I said, ‘Uhh… sorry about that…  No I don’t’.   And then he said, ‘I know’.”

So I’m not alone.   But the whole concept of “not paying attention enough” is just hilarious.

What silly thing have you said while preoccupied with something else?

It’s unfortunate that a mistake can only be caught after-the-fact… whether it’s realised a second later or an hour later.. or days later.   The key to mistakes, I think, is learning from them. 

Too many times, I’ve wished for a delete key in my life.    I could delete something I’ve said or written and make the receiving party forget it ever happened.     But this would be unfair.   Do you want to know why?   It would make me seem perfect, when clearly I am not.    I don’t set out to make mistakes (who does?)    I don’t set out to hurt people I care about.   I don’t enjoy screwing up projects or playing bumper cars on the interstate.    I’m not happy when I’m impatient.   Letting people down?  Not my idea of entertainment.

All I can do is:

1.  feel remorse;

2.  realise the mistake and claim responsibility for it;

3.  apologize; and

4.  learn from it.

I’m lucky to be surrounded by people who more readily forgive my mistakes than I forgive myself.   Or, in some cases feel, “There’s nothing to forgive.”  

I’ve had a long, boring day, really, but one of the highlights involved meeting my friend, Lori (not a truck, btw), for lunch.   We went to this place called La Casa which has extraordinary italian food, for a little “hole-in-the-wall”.      We had a salad with house dressing (very tart; very nice) and beef pizza.   The odd thing about their pizza is that there is no mozzarella cheese ontop.   There is cheese mixed into the sauce or topping, but you cannot see it.    Very yummy.   We *really* must go someday.   Call me when you have time open, ok?

I am cooking my favourite pasta recipe from one of my favourite chefs tonight.   I think cooking is relaxing.   I’ve been tempted to sip the margarita mix, but have not.   I’m not promising anything.