¡Bienvenido a ciuadad de Mexico!

Hi Everyone! Sorry about the lack of posting. I am a busy busy girl. I am currently sitting in the business center of the hotel in Mexico City, getting ready to return from our visit to Toluca and the Concrete Technology Center. WOW! what a trip! It was much better than I expected, and it really looks like it will be a very good fit for Holcim US and Holcim Apasco. AND i got a leather portfolio as a gift, with "El Perro" on the front. Ilove that Apasco bulldog!

Anway, by the sounds of things, the move date will be around the first of August, if Human Resources moves quickly.

My spanish has also improved greatly in the three days we have been here. and i have another week and a half to go in Cancun - i will be fluent before i know it.

Well, back to the room to pack, our flight leaves soon. Please, send lots of prayers my way - i have got a wild and crazy road ahead of me!

Mexico Ahoy!

Short but sweet update - Troy and I are travelling to Mexico on Sunday to visit Toluca and Mexico city. Then we get back, and go back to Mexico for a relaxing vacation!

I haven't had a lot to say lately because I've been so busy, but lets just say that its finally looking like its coming together!

New York Bound

For all of the crazy conference I go to each year, I really do enjoy the ACI ones. This year, it is in New York City. I'm very excited because I get to go to a Yankees game and maybe I'll get to see the Statue of Liberty. I've been twice before to New York, but for some reason Eunice never took me to see Lady Liberty. I think its because she's Canadian, and its not that important to her :) (just kidding Euni! I know we never had time!) Of course my primary reason there is to learn about all the hot and fabulous goings on in the concrete industry - there are lots of meetings and presentations going on Sunday through Thursday. And, on Tuesday night the "Concrete Mixer" is taking place on Broadway (insert jazz hands and/or spirit fingers here).

Updates - no contemplation

Alright, apparantly I burned myself out with all that introspection. Now, I'm back to my normal happy-go-lucky self without all that "deepness".

So, here's the update. I've been given clearance to take a pre-assessment assignment by our relocation company to identify my weaknesses/strengths etc. Before you jump ahead by wondering why the heck they would want to do something like this, let me tell you that I gladly volunteered to be the guinea pig. Holcim HR has wanted to implement something like this for a while, and I'm always up for new things, so its a good fit.

After the assessment, which will be approximately a day long of interviews and psycho/socio analysis, we will go on a site visit to Toluca for a few days. After that point a offer letter will be drafted and signed and I will be on my way.......Really though, I probably won't be able to get out for a site visit until mid-May, which means if everything goes smoothly (and lets face it, up until this point it hasn't) we won't be moving until late summer early fall. Which actually works out well because that means I can have some time to do Cedar Point once more, and maybe get a week of camping in or so.

I should be ecstatic - but with all the ups and downs I've gone trhough this whole process I'm being slightly reserved. I figure I'll have more emotion when I'm down there visiting, and meeting my potential co-workers. In any regard, there are some huge potenital life changes ahead for me!

On another happy note I got a new computer yesterday. The company decided to make the move from Toshiba to IBM. Its not too bad - increased memory, speed, and wireless internet - but they didn't load any games on it at all, which makes me kind of angry. Granted, I don't have the time to sit and play solitare all day and night, but occasionally your brain does need a little break. I'm just going to have to download them myself.

FEVER!

Never knew how much I love you
Never knew how much I care
When you put your arms around me
I get a fever thats so hard to bear

You give me fever.....
When you kiss me
Fever when you hold me tight..........
FEVER!
In the morning
Fever all through the night!

Although its a great song, sometimes its irritating to have it stuck in your head. And since thats the only verse I know, it gets old real quick. And I can't find the darn CD so I can learn the rest of it........But DAMN! Thats a sexy song!

Anywho, I feel like I have a fever right now. The weather is ridiculously beautiful, but with it comes a slew of allergies. Granted, they are much less harsh now that I'm doing shots - but still a pain in the butt. I'm all crazy drugged up.

MEXICO UPDATE
Apparantly I'm through most of the major hoops, and now they are consulting with a company to do a pre-assignment assesesment. I'm not sure what that means, but if they make me drink any wierd liquids, or make me eat corn flakes that effloresce, I'm totally not down with that!

So what does it all mean?

Really, nothing at all. It means I’m a complicated woman who on many different occasions doesn’t know what she wants. Plain and simple. Of course, if I didn’t have many different layers, maybe it would be easier to decipher my plan. Then again, if I didn’t have so many layers I suppose I wouldn’t be nearly as entertaining to myself – now would I……….

Who Am I?

Every now and again an event will occur which sends me into a contemplative mood. It may be a movie, or maybe words from a friend which ring true, but it almost always happens when I’m already ready for it to occur. And it almost always involves crying a lot. **WARNING** THIS POST MAY BE LONG…….

Which brings me to my current state. I watched a movie, and now I’m like – Why am I Here? What is my purpose? Am I doing what truly makes me happy and what I feel like I’m called for? And then I think to myself – man, it would be awesome if I wasn’t this deep and never thought of these questions, and I wonder if those that don’t contemplate things ever achieve the culmination of their life, or if they just live and enjoy. Sometimes its hard to be an onion. Or a cake.

Anyway, I think in order to understand the whys, it is of utmost importance to understand the whos. As in, Who Am I?

I am hard to define, so lets break it down to likes and dislikes, and in general how I feel about me.

I love my skin. I love my back. Even though the weight of time has changed them, I believe I have damn near perfect breasts. I love my brown hair and my brown eyes. I love that my eyelashes are straight and long and that my fingernails have a good shape. I love the freckles on my nose and the freckles on my lips. I am overweight, but I am beautiful.

OK, since I lack the ability to really write cohesive poetic prose, I will from here on out just type whatever pops into my head.

I like getting up early when I’m camping and sitting on the beach before anyone else and watching the sun rise. I love the sound of just a campfire. I love the quietness of nature, and the bustle of the city. I’m selfish, yet I want to save the world. I want to become one with nature, as long as I can have a Starbucks Chai Latte. I’d love to give all my money away, but I love jewelry from Tiffany’s.

I love the energy that surges through me when I saw Mark McGuire break Roger Maris’s home run record. I love the sound of “Play Ball!”. I love beer. I believe only mustard should be put on hotdogs when at a ball game. I believe at the beginning of EVERY season that yes, this could be the Lions’ or Tigers’ year!

I only purchase bras and panties from Victoria’s Secret – and I used to work there!

I really love the smell, feel and taste of a good wine. I love boursin cheese on a water cracker. I love gorgonzola, but only if I’m in the mood. I always love it on a good juicy steak. I don’t like onions. Or mushrooms. No matter how many times I try. I really don’t like Italian food – but I don’t really dislike it either. I grew to love tomatoes, and asparagus. I LOVE LOVE LOVE peanut butter – but only JIF.

I listen to talk radio. I really love sports talk, and I love singing to country. I love the way my body wants to move with Salsa. I love the driving base of hip hop, and the way my emotions can be moved with a symphony. I love how a song about a soldier can make me cry, and how anything by Enya can sail me away.

Sometimes, I just like to cry.

I love cartoons and sappy movies. I can’t watch horror or suspense because its just too intense. I’ve never seen Pulp Fiction (although I did just go out and rent it to watch tonight). I love chic lit and classic lit. I’ve read “Who Moved My Cheese”. I like Stephen King, even if he is twisted. I like to read smut magazines. I’ve subscribed to ESPN the Magazine, Cosmopolitan, and Latina.

I like that I do........even though I sometimes shouldn't.

I am addicted to anticipation. I love the way it feels coursing through my veins……waiting for the next email, the next call………waiting for the next letter on wheel of fortune…....waiting for the next score in a game. Or maybe I’m just impatient. I’m passionate, I’m governed by my emotions, and yet some decisions require meticulous research, thought, and planning.

I love my family and my animals.

I love butterfly kisses.

It makes me angry to have to “Spring” ahead an hour. Sometimes I think trains are stupid. I occasionally get a little crabby in the mornings. Most of the time I get REALLY crabby in the mornings…….*sigh* my fingers are getting tired so I guess I should just call it good here – I never knew I knew so much about me!

Meet me in St. Louis....

Had a fantabulous time in St. Louis this week. It was pretty cool being there with all the buzz about the Final Four games this weekend. I had a couple moments of weekness when I wanted to steal some of the hotel decor/final four garb as a momento for my sister-in-law, but I figured if she wanted some of that crap she'd be able to get it. The woman has more connections than any 20-something should have.

I spent the time in St Louis at our plant in Clarksville, which is actually about an hour or so north of St Louis. There's no place to stay in the immediate vacinity, so St Charles is a good choice. It has brand name hotels, a Walmart close by, and plenty of things to entertain yourself in the evening.

I don't think anyone really understands how much hard work goes into concrete testing. 40 different mixes in two days is backbreaking work. Of course, I only did one day of testing so my back didn't hurt that bad :) I also learned how to strip concrete cylinders and grind off the tops. Very informative, even if Concrete Joe did yell at me for not making my 8's correctly (FYI - they are supposed to look like snowmen).

Aside from the po-dunk cities and back breaking labor, the weather was nice, and of course there was good company. So all in all, I had a really great trip. I enjoy getting together with my fellow tech service engineers (i.e. concrete nerds a-go-go). I always end up learning new methods or information, having great conversation, and the people are just so damn enjoyable. I wish we could get together more often.....

Lucky for me, I get to see one of them, the Manly Irish/Polish Man who covers Chi-Town, next week, and then again in NYC for the American Concrete Institue's Spring Convention. Yes, there is an American Concrete Institute. Don't laugh, you all know you wish you could know as much about concrete as me. I'm a very passionate person......even if it is just the grey stuff!

Mexico Update

I had a meeting with the head of HR today. I really thought it was going to be the end all of the process - I figured she was here to tell me yay or nay.

Alas, I'm still drudging through the process.

Which I suppose is better than being told that I'm not going, but in reality the suspense is killing me. I can't even watch suspense or horror movies because it puts my stomach in knots. I just get too tense. This is worse than watching the exorcist.

The purpose of the meeting today was to talk through some of the obstacles and really settle her mind about my committment to the process and make sure expectations are managed appropriately. As much as my husband will be PO'd about this - the meeting didn't meet my expectations at all. I wanted to come out with specific objections to overcome as well as a defined timeframe - but she was reluctant to do so despite my pressing.

What did occur is that in her mind, although its unclear the position that is available is the absolute right position for me, I am a good candidate for the ex-patriate process. I told her there are three things that she should never worry about when dealing with me.

1. Committment
2. Attitude
3. Flexibility

Aside from my stunning beauty and amazing technical expertise, those items are three of my strong suits.

The only action that came from this meeting is that I'm going to be speaking with a expat consulting firm to do an assessment of readiness, then after that will be a site visit. I won't know until after the site visit if its official or not. In my mind, that pushes our ETD out to August instead of June/July.

Vegas Baby!

Aside from the fact that Troy hated Vegas, we had a good trip. He just doesn't understand the concept of gambling and isn't much of a social flutterby type of guy. So the flashing lights and outrageous people irratated him more than anything. And his feet hurt from walking too much. Poor baby. Try walking the same amount in 4 inch hot pink heels.

The business portion of the trip was well done - meetings and training and rah rah sessions, along with a serioulsy elaborate customer reception on Tuesday night (customers were there visiting ConExpo/ConAgg - which is the largest trade show in Vegas). The best pasta I've had in a while. YUMMY! Of course the accomodations were supurb. Love the venetian. Kinda snooty, but really nice!

We caught a show (Zumanity - the other side of Cirque de Soliel). The show was actually pretty darn good - aside from the dark fetishes they explored. Erotic, funny and entertaining - hey, it is Cirque de Soliel. There were also prosthetic penises involved which were hilarious.

We also gambled a bit (me more than Troy) and ate and drank a lot. Mad props to Pat for letting us hang with his dad, brother and friend on Wednesday night - hopefully they did better betting on the Big Dance than they did at the BlackJack tables!

I won $150 the first night there playing blackjack - and gave it all back over the course of the days after that. We actually broke even - aside from the shopping at Lacoste and Tiffany's :)

I love Vegas. I think its the energy of people letting loose and having fun. It could be the lights too - I like sparkley things. Of course, I'm a bit naive (I admit it!)- so I choose not to see the plethora of strippers/cheating/prostitues/drug use - that would ruin it all for me!

Note to Everyone Else

A decision should be made sometime in the next week or so about my future career move. It looks like either:

• I'll be moving to Mexico and doing the Mexican Concrete Hat Dance

OR

• I'll be moving somewhere else, maybe making struedel or brats.

Either way, it would be a good deal. Troy really is pushing for Mexico - which is funny since he really was pushing for Europe in the beginning.

In the meantime we'll be having our National Sales Meeting in Vegas, BABY!

I 'm ectatic! Not only is it free, but its also 80 degrees there right now. RIGHT ON BABY! Let it ride! Momma needs a new pair of shoes!

Note to Beth

I keep on trying to post a comment - and it tells me Blog site not found! ARGH!

In response to the last couple of posts:

1. That Rocks! I was wondering if that was the Diana you were talking about!
2. Have fun in NYC
3. What happened to Derek? I thought you were soul mates?

Another Mexico Update

I've figured out that it is much more effective to voice your concerns to a Senior Vice President than to vent in anger in a blog. Blogging feels good, especially if you do it right away - but if you calm down and look at the situation rationally, and then talk to someone with power things actually might get done.

I had a quick meeting with our SVP today about my desires - and he expressed his concerns about the position not being challenging enough and not bringing enough value to Holcim US upon my return. We talked about that amongst other things, and essentially I made it known to him that I wanted the experience abroad (something I couldn't get at some other lab in the US) and I thought the value of the international assignment couldn't just be measured in what my job responsibilities are. All and all a positive conversation - at the end of which he said "well, you're probably going to go".....

Of course, since he's the SVP, he can always change his mind for whatever reason. I do however think the concerns he does have are valid - and I do believe him to be a very fair and reasonable man. So whatever the decision is I'll be down with.

Hopefully we'll know soon.......

Mexico Update

Funny - there is no update! Surprise!

But, I do have some updates on my feelings. Truth be told, I feel kind of jipped. I really thought the potential of doing an international assignment was real. In fact, its one of the reasons I chose this company out of college instead of the other offers I had - even though the other companies had higher salaries.

I suspect if I had chosen to stick to my guns and push for a process engineers position instead of taking the marketing route, I would have many many more opportunities to work abroad. I truly think that this company (and I'm sure others too) have a tendency to favor those in a "technical" role. Whether people chose to admit it or not, those who work in a plant and have technical backgrounds devalue the intelligence and gifts that it takes to work for a Sales Group - they inherently think that we're not as smart as they are.

Also, I think in addition to the above predjudice is the theory that money (for an international assignment) is better spent on someone who has the potential to rise to a plant manager - which will have more effect on the companies bottom line than someone in sales and marketing. So there are no qualms about providing said manufacturing people with more opportunities.

Am I bitter? YES! Of course I'm bitter! If you saw a wonderful opportunity slipping away when you knew you were highly able to take on the task, definitely smart and intelligent, and WORTH it, wouldn't you be bitter too?

Jeep Jeep you stink......

Pink Pink you stink. Somehow I transformed that saying into JEEP JEEP YOU STINK. I'm not sure how it happened. Sometimes its best just to not try to figure me out.


Anyway. Yes, we have a Jeep Wrangler. It has a personalized license plate. JPSTER. Corny, yes, but I like it that way. Troy had it as his primary vehicle when we met. I even learned how to drive it - my first stick shift! Part of the Sig Tau tradition in Houghton was taking Jeeps and other 4WD vehicles out on the old logging roads and gallivanting through the mud. We never got stuck, but it was always fun when someone did - or when someone's little Ford went through water too deep and sucked it up the intake :)

There's even a "club". People with Jeeps wave to each other. Whoever has the lowest scoring Jeep waves first. Its so darn friendly. That initially was my favorite part of being a Jeep owner. I think last time I figured we had a score about 60. Not too shabby! Check out the rules at http://jeeptalk.org/jeep_wave.shtml

The little Jeep that could made it out to CO (Keith and Troy drove it out together. I imagine it wasn't the most comfortable 21 hour drive, but it could have been worse). It got a face lift (and a suspension and body lift!) in order to brave the 4WL rock crawlin' of Colorado. We loved traipsing through the mountains! I was only scared once when Troy almost drove off a cliff going down a trail he didn't know. Seriously scared the crap out of me.

Jeep owners in Colorado don't wave either. Mostly because if they kept that up, you'd literally be waving every two seconds down the street. I swear thats the highest per capita population of Jeeps in the USA. And there are lots of pimped out Jeeps to climb mountains with. I think people had a hard time determining who had to wave first.

We had it transported back to MI (along with my truck). After I got a company car, we decided to make it a FUN vehicle. And we promised to never ever sell it so our kids will A) learn how to drive a stick and B) have a cool vehicle to cruise around town. Lets face it, there’s not many things much more fun than driving with a obnoxiously loud stereo with the top down on a warm sunny day!!!

Every time we get a little bit in debt and get freaked out, we talk about selling the Jeep.

Every time we get back in the Jeep, we wonder why we talk about selling it.

It will be officially paid off this summer. I’m pretty sure it’s the first vehicle either of us have owned, free and clear. We wish we had more time to use it for what it’s built, but we don’t have the time. Really though, we love that vehicle, and even if it’s not muddy all the time, we’re still Jeepers through and through.

Bonus Bonus

Supply and demand baby! I get my second bonus this year next Thursday. I like being able to have a little cushion instead of scrounging. It makes me much happier :)

Paranoid clean freak

In response to my DH comment - I swear I'm not a neat freak.



Oh yes. Completely Spic and Span.

A Karin Moment

So during my quest to turn over a new leaf, I decided to continue with my already good routine of having a good breakfast - but still intending to get to work early. I made my oatmeal, took it out of the microwave, and went to go reach for the splenda.

Here's a re-enactment:

Karin reaches for Splenda, but not fully focused on the task at hand (suprise) knocks off the only glass container in the front of the cupboard (a thing of Cumin). Careening down to its certain death, she tries to utilize her cat like reflexes to catch the spice before it crashes and splatters to a zillion peices. While trying to catch it with her left had, she knocks it onto the countertop, meanwhile putting her right hand smack dab INTO her boiling hot bowl of oatmeal.

Her "cat like" reflexes cause her to THROW the bowl onto said countertop (which was full of crap from the wine party still), burn the crap out of her hand and consequently make a HUGE mess. Huge mess caused the maiden to cry for no apparant reason, and then cry some more when she discovered that there was less than one serving of oatmeal left to replace her bowl on the counter.

I'd like to state at this point that had Husband cleaned the kitchen last night like he said he would - the huge mess would have been a small mess and much, MUCH easier to clean up. Have you ever tried to get oatmeal off of toothpicks and paper? Not fun at all. He also said he would clean it Friday night and Saturday morning - trust me, he had PLENTY of opportunities - I only asked that he clean it because I spent most of last Saturday night (while he participated in activities to cause a hangover) and Sunday morning (while he laid in bed nursing said hangover) cleaning my ass off - I figured its the least he could do. This is not the case of a nagging wife here - seriously.

All that being said, I managed to make it to work on time (which in reality, is actually early for me). I ate my small serving of oatmeal and smothered aloe over my hand. Blisters are starting to form though. It hurts quite badly.

A new leaf?

Troy and I decided to make a little competition before our trip to Vegas in two weeks. Whoever loses the most weight (% of original body weight) wins.

Wins what? Well, we haven't figured that out yet. And really, it doesn't matter. I just want to win.

So I'm back on plan (as of Friday) and have decided to kick up the exercise a bit. I've never been an exercise junkie. But I suppose if you are, it works and you end up with a hard body. Personally, I can think of A MILLION other things I would like to do besides spend two hours a night in a gym - but thats probably why I'm 30 pounds overweight. I think that classifies me as obese. Ew. I'm obese!

I've found out that even though it really does suck to get up early in the morning - I do feel a lot more alert and productive at work if I work out first thing. Not like it was a sweat pouring kind of work out - 40 minutes of yoga - but it was movement and stretching, and it felt good. AND it earned me two activity points! My goal is to earn 3-4 per day. I really need to start running again - but at the present time it drives me nuts to run outside and have my nosehairs freeze. I HATE that!

One more thing.....

Troy is taking a big step in life and helping me save the world. Remember, Troy and I are complete opposites - I'm a bleeding heart liberal democrat who wants to save the world - he's a hard nosed republican with a penchant for caring for those only in his immediate circle.

We're volunterring tonight at a homeless family shelter.

http://www.alphahouse-ihn.org/

Its something I used to do a lot in college, but have fell out of it as I've grown older and more egocentric. Part of my lenten promise, instead of giving something up, is to do 3 - 4 volunteer projects during the course of lent. I wanted to get Troy involved too, so I chose this as a good intro to the homeless, something Troy hasn't had a lot of exposure to. The alpha house is really just normal people who have fallen on hard times, and are working toward rebuilding thier lives. Compeltely different than the Ann Arbor Men's homeless shelter - which is more like the "stereotype" of the homeless.

I'm quite looking forward to it!