In case you’ve been in a coma for the past week, General Motors announced the decision to cut costs by reducing its job force by 30,000.

Granted, I am no MBA muckety-muck. Sure, I know the difference between fixed costs (hard to reduce) and variable costs (not as hard to manipulate). I know that payroll costs are usually the biggest line item in a financial statement.

But hey! Here’s an idea, for free, General Motors. How about you stop making enormous vehicles that no one can afford to fill up? What about making better quality, more reliable cars for people like me? Would it really be so bad to look into alternative fuels or hybrid engines? Sure, I know the developmental pipeline is years long, but changes like this could mean the very survival of the entire company.

In the not too distant future, no one will be working for GM at all if they can’t sell their damned products. Think about that, highly paid GM executives.**

**Scroll down to see what GM’s big wigs made in fiscal ‘04. Hhhmph.

Today, I am thankful for:

-A warm, safe, comfortable home.
-My continued good health, particularly my mental health.
-Cherished friendships with folks both near and far.
-The companionship of my sweet puppy, Miss Roxie.
-A well stocked pantry and fridge.
-My family, particularly my cute little Mom and my stepdad Jim.
-The fact that I have a secure job in a state with the nation’s highest unemployment rate.
-My freedom, both as a soon-to-be-officially single woman and as an American.

On a lighter note, I am also glad to be a guest this year for Thanksgiving, and not a hostess. Turkey Day is a lot of work, and I am glad to get a reprieve! I am a good guest, though. I made a tasty pan of apple crisp this morning and will tote that with me over the river and through the woods to the dinner I’ll be attending.

Mmmmmm….cinnamon-y apple-y goodness!

Lookie, lookie! I’m all growed up!

My Lisa and I have a new place, of course. Things are different now. We do not have an Alpha Male any more. My Lisa has told me that my Alpha Male still cared a lot about me, but didn’t want to spend time with my Lisa any more. I cannot understand this! My Lisa is so fun! We play and she gives me bellyrubs and cookies and stuff!

My Lisa bought this great new furniture. Isn’t it pretty? I really like it. I think she bought it just for me! It is so comfy to lie on. I am not allowed outside my prison crate when my Lisa is at work, so I can only lie on the furniture when she is home. That is OK, though, because she almost always wants to cuddle with me!

The weekends are my most favorite time. We do all sorts of fun things. We go to the park a lot. I like to walk along the river and snuffle in the mud and leaves. We also go on play dates with my doggie pals on the weekends. It is so much fun! One of Lisa’s people from that “work” place has a puppy too! We run and run and run in his yard. There are new smells to smell! It is so exciting!

One of the best things is that my Lisa lets me sleep with her at night. I love that so much! I am such a good girl in the bed. Sometimes I bring a toy to bed and chew it really loudly in the middle of the night. It makes my Lisa laugh! She does not get mad at all! She kisses my head and calls me silly. Then she rolls onto her tummy and falls back asleep.

I miss my big yard and my Alpha Male. But, my Lisa does a really good job of taking good care of me. I can tell she loves me very much, even when I chew things I’m not supposed to, like the sneakers and the laptop cord.

Sloppy puppykisses,
Miss Roxie

…i’m gonna be doing laundry and cleaning on Friday night! Woohoo!

Before you pity my lonely existence, relax. My weekend is solidly booked with activities. If I don’t get the laundry done tonight, I’ll be wearing pink tights and a lime green sweatshirt to work on Monday. Seriously, no one needs to see that.

Tomorrow is the aforementioned Ohio State/ Michigan football game. I’m going tailgating. I have never been tailgating before. I am expecting a genteel time, complete with cucumber sandwiches and pinkies raised while drinking tea. Perhaps when a touchdown is scored, there will be some polite clapping and a hushed “BRAVO!” or two. Gosh, I hope no one misbehaves.

Sunday, Roxie and I have a doggie play date with a coworker’s puppy at his huge fenced in yard. We went last weekend, and it really wore out both puppers. There was running! There was buttsniffing! There was rolling and wrestiling and pooping! Oh. Boy. In the evening I have a dinner engagement. It’s gonna be nice to be eating a dinner I didn’t have to cook for a change. Not that I don’t enjoy cooking, but…it’s nice to have a break every now and then.

Even better is that I will be the dessert. Mmmhmmm.

Apparently, it’s college football season.

I’m really not a football fan. I mean, football is OK, but I’m not ga-ga over it. Of course, out here in Wolverine country, University of Michigan football is a Big Deal. Season tickets are handed down or willed to family members. On football Saturdays, the downtown area is clogged with rabid fans and crazy out-of-state drivers.

Frankly, I don’t get the whole shebang, but it seems like harmless fun.

Now, this weekend is the big Michigan/ Ohio State game. It will be here in Ann Arbor, and it is the biggest of big deals. Michigan vs. OSU is a huge rivalry that goes way back (so they tell me). There are t-shirts sold with profane versions of the OSU team’s name, the “Buckeyes.” Ahem. There’s tailgating and beer and bratwursts and RV’s and people painting themselves with Lord Knows What.

Needless to say, I usually look upon the festivities with a smirk and an “Oh my, I better avoid downtown Ann Arbor this Saturday.” But this year, a celebrity is gonna be in town. Perhaps I will be able to finally take a gander at what all the brouhaha is all about.

So, Go Blue! and all that.

PS. Melissa’s site has some great (if OSU-biased) info about this Saturday’s Battle at the Big House.

My current gig is with a well-known local nonprofit agency. My job title is “Receptionist/ Executive Assistant,” but on any given day I could be performing a plethora of other tasks. I might be conducting job interviews, designing signage for one of our facilities, running payroll, doing A/P and A/R work, or any other tasks that trickle down to me.

Can I just say…I love it.

I adore having every day be different. Sure there are many things that I do, without fail, every day. However, there’s always MORE to do or something to help with. I am rarely bored. Well, OK, when I get stuck with a filing project, I get a little cranky…

The best part of this job, as with any job, is the cast of characters I work with. To put it mildly, they are an eclectic group. They one unifying characteristic that they all share is that they love and believe in what they do. I also deal with the public, which is always a trip. Plus, I get to go to groovy things like this every now and then. Yah, hanging with a Kennedy is a pretty typical Thursday night for me.

The nonprofit I work for is involved in green causes and ways to reduce waste through recycling and reusing items. The money, though not spectacular, gets my bills paid OK. The satisfaction I get from a long (and Monday was especially long) day’s work is pleasing. From 8-5, I am a busy gal. I work hard, but not that hard. It’s all good.

Aaaaah…I’ve had a case of this “busy’s” again.

Stay tuned for an update.

I just don’t get Podcasting. Sure, I’ve subscribed to a few shows and listened to them, but…eh.

Can someone enlighten me why it’s so popular/ entertaining? Maybe the fun is had being the broadcaster rather than the listener. Hmmm.

Recent Puppy Casualties:

—Eaten one pair of sneakers. Granted they were an old crappy pair, but still.

—Chewed through laptop power cord. While said power cord was still plugged in. Cost: $80 to replace the cord, and 4 singed whiskers.

—Shredded one lightweight jacket. Don’t ask.

I have been very conscientious about her getting enough exercise and entertainment. We walk. We play jingle ball. We have playdates with Kosmo and Harry, the Mostly Beagle. We bark at geese and ducks. We go to the park. We play MORE Jingle Ball.

It’s hard being the single parent to a very active dog. I do adore her, though. My favorite time with Miss Roxie is cuddling in the morning. She scooches her little body right up to mine and rests her head on my pillow. It just tickles my tummy.

But, I’m still kinda peeved about the jacket.

…is how I like some things, but get yer minds out of the gutter!

This post is about one of my favorite cooking implements: the Crockpot.

I used to have a very large oval slow cooker. It was OK, good for roasts and chicken cacciatore, but just too darned big for anything else. Good heavens, a batch of chili from that thing could feed half of Dallas in one sitting. Seriously.

I have been on the lookout for a new crockpot, albeit a smaller, cheap one. See, I live in a teensy weensy apartment, and cook for one most of the time. AND, I do work for a nonprofit, so ye olde funds are limited. Luckily, I do live in a college town which means that there are a number of resale shops around, one of which I happen to tangentally work with/ for. Lo and behold, I found my new, beloved crockpot.

For a mere three dollars. Oh yah, my frugal Portuguese grandmothers are applauding from behind the Pearly Gates over that find! Sure, it’s 70’s Harvest Gold colored. The ceramic crock is heavy as hell. But, it looks and works like brand spankin’ new. I’m guessing that someone got it for a wedding present in 1978, used it once, and never used it again.

Oh…the delish things I will make in it! Beef stew, chili, assorted stewy chicken delights, small pot roasts, 14 bean and 3 legume soup, pulled pork…mmmmm mmm mmm. ‘Tis the season for comfort food, after all.