off to retreat

I’ve never understood why an event designed to advance an organization or team is called a retreat. Nonetheless, I am headed northeast until I see water.

the sights are colorful

I am sitting in the backyard. The gardenia bush is in bloom and it smells heavenly. It’s probably 25 years old, so it’s taller than me and about as wide (as it is tall, not as wide as me). The hibiscus plants (one of which is twice that size) are also beginning to pop red [...]

good morning

The lake is like glass; it is utterly still and quiet. The birds are chirping like crazy. Are they communicating with each other or just entertaining me? The sunrise was stunning. Now I must work.

how facebook invaded my life

I established a second FB page — this one tied to my work email address. Like magic, I have 102 friends, all of whom have some professional connection. Will this set the stage for creating a foundation page?
We’re going to explore that (and more) in retreat next week but so far the results have been [...]

the sweet saga of love at last

A tale of two lives that finally converge into one.

technology and college fundraising

We’re exploring the social networking media as potential conduits, but the results so far are mixed. Here’s some perspective.

strunk and white turn 50

If you spent any time in journalism, you have memories of this tiny little book: The Elements of Style. It’s now celebrating its 50th anniversary.

if you’re listening, word press gurus …

I think Word Press is a wonderful, intuitive site. I’ve had some trouble with widgets but I suspect that is a user error rather than a design flaw. I tried to get my Twitter account to post here last week (does the fascination of this blog never end??? lol) but I still don’t see it.
However [...]

is it time to renovate?

what is your volunteer time worth?

The answer is in from the Independent Sector’s annual research.

why florida rocks … ahem

I do love it here despite the current challenging issues. Here is a funny piece from local columnist Mike Thomas. His top 10 reasons to move to Florida: http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/news_columnist_mikethomas/2009/03/top-10-reasons-to-move-to-florida.html

more of susan boyle

Embedded video from CNN Video
She sings the theme from Titantic toward the end (about 11:15 marker). The rest is an interview with Larry King.

is it time for a re-fi?

CNN and Money magazine editors provide this helpful advice along with a calculator.

all that twitters is not gold

All atwitter: Oprah, Ashton, CNN

do you need a dick armey?

the tax man cometh

and he tooketh away.

the voice of an angel

Who knew that Simon had a heart?

feed the world and your brain

Harvard and the UN have teamed up to create a site that challenges you to define words while winning rice for hungry people around the globe. So if you’re looking to kill a little time with online games, this one will really pay off: www.freerice.com.
You can switch subjects to play on online quizzes about grammar, [...]

happy easter

(\___/)
(=’O’=)
C(“)__(“)

really random meanderings

Pragmatic news: My PhD adviser recommends that I proactively recreate my entire first three chapters just in case the committee goes that direction, aiming for a new question. Deadline: April 29.
Complicated news: My board retreat is April 30/May 1. I see some timing issues conflicting on PhD and my job that keeps me solvent-ish.
Good news: [...]

speaking of gardens

This is a lot around the corner from my College Park house. It has been vacant for years and the new garden, which a neighbor planted when the economy made it impossible to build the ginormous home the land owner imagined, is intriguing. And beautiful. It certainly has spiffed up the neighborhood, especially since the [...]

no maintenance gardening

Five plants you can’t kill from a home and garden site. I’m game.

probably shouldn’t include on the postcards

Welcome to Florida, land of the least happy.
While I would disagree with the overall assessment, things are a bit tough here right now.

the palin machine vs. levi

I’m not sure what has inspired Levi to do the TV circuit but the gloves are off. It’s kind of a shame. If he is to be believed, the young couple may have stood a chance had it not been for the zoom lens of the campaign. The pity is for the poor child who [...]

phd, schmee hd

I took a quarter off school and I have restarted. I adored the coursework, even taking three classes a quarter while working full time. It was hard but energizing (when not exhausting). Comps weren’t as hideous as I imagined and worried about.
The dissertation phase is zero fun for any number of reasons and I haven’t [...]

i can’t wait

Girls’ weekend starts in minutes … South Florida. Sun. Beverages. Friends I’ve known and loved for 33+ years.
Whoever invented girls’ weekend should get a prize. I’m just sayin’ …

april fools’ day

Happy April 1. It was tw0 years ago I embarked on this two-house, remodeling adventure. Surely the date should have given me reason to pause, lol …