Good Eats!

Dad has been in town since Friday for a conference. Chris and I were able to join him for dinner last night as well as Saturday night. Jack was also there on Saturday, but was working last night. Dad's associate Mike was also in attendance.

On Saturday we ate fantastic sushi at Nami. We thought it was comparable to Crave (that means it's good).

Last night we ate at Manny's steakhouse at the W (where dad and Mike were staying). I couldn't resist photographing Chris' gargantuan (24 ounce?) prime rib.

Prime rib can be hit-or-miss (I believe it needs to be cooked fresh and not just warmed up), but Manny's exceeded our expectations once again. We will have many meals from this cut! Dad also gave us his leftover porterhouse to take home, but Jack swiped it for his evening break before I even had a chance to taste it.

We enjoyed getting together with Dad and eating at a couple of fantastic downtown restaurants.

Movies and Cars

After a couple of harried weeks, this one has been a bit more relaxing. And hasn't the weather been perfect for it! On Wednesday, Jack, Chris, and I saw Monsters vs. Aliens in 3D. It's a fun film and some of the 3D effects (especially at the beginning) are fantastic.

Ginormica kicks butt and is now among my favorite movie characters of all time (unlike Carrie Bradshaw) and I don't think I'm giving anything away by saying that this movie ends quite differently than SATC. Ugh, that still bugs me when I think about it!

Here's Jack sporting the 3D glasses, which we definitely plan to keep on hand for upcoming 3D films (there are several).

In other exciting news this week... only 18 months after moving here, Chris got his driver's license and MN plates! He will give you many reasons why it took this long, but let's just say that it's good to have him as a legal resident.

Mobile Post!

This is my first mobile post! It will be light on text, which some of you will appreciate!

Here are a couple of photos to show you what kept Chris so busy this past month (and me busy last week)!

Chris produced 11 exceptional reports (which may not seem like a lot, but it really, really is) and sent two copies of each (we have an inkjet printer; printing alone took several hours). I helped by proofreading and proofreading again. Then slowing down because Chris thought I might miss a mistake. I think we caught most of them!

After dropping off the reports to be bound and shipped, we treated ourselves to sushi at Crave. You can see that Chris doesn't quite look relaxed yet. This photo was taken last Wednesday; he has now settled into a well-deserved break!

Easter

We didn't do much for Easter in our house, as both Chris and I have been working long days including the weekend. The Easter Bunny visited us both via mail and in person (so to speak) and our household of three enjoyed ham and a variety of side dishes.

Suzanne emailed this adorable photo of Chris and Tom feeding carrots to the Easter Bunny, circa mid-1970s. Chris is on the right. Don't you love their hair cuts?

Big Business News!

This may be of little interest to those not in my (now former) industry, but my most recent company is being bought by the company I worked for prior to that.

News like this is beyond huge and explains why the office I worked in scaled down to about 20 people. It also explains why my position was eliminated, along with so many other jobs.

I'm not sure exactly why, but I think I dodged a bullet getting let go before this happened. Maybe I'm wrong and they will get better severance packages in the future. I do know that the "merger" (not really a merger, if you ask me) process will be messy and not fun.

Here's the real question I have: can I now state on my resume that I worked for the same company for 5 1/2 years?

Finally, A New Post!

As most RSB readers know, March 31 was my last day at work. One would think that a laid off individual would have loads of free time and that perhaps I have spend the past week lazing on the couch possibly (as mom suggested) depressed. Frankly, I wouldn't mind a little lounging time, but I do fear that will come eventually.

So far, April has been much different than March. I'm working harder, including a freelance project that started bright and early on April 1 and will last for the next couple of weeks. I've also done work for Chris and will continue to do so as long as he needs it. I hope he is impressed with my work so far; clearly my awesomeness is not reflected in my (non-existent) pay!

I got a heads up about my job was ending much earlier than most people in my company do. I still probably shouldn't say how long, but that notice resulted in a serious winding-down of my work. Somehow I still managed to stay entertained and look busy, but didn't do much blogging because impending unemployment was at the forefront of my mind and I wanted to keep it offline. Until now!

Many of you may be thinking...wait, didn't she just get laid off? Isn't that how Roving Sugarbeet came to be? Yes, two jobs lost in less than two years! This was the risk of taking the job and I'm actually kind of surprised it lasted this long.

As I keep telling myself...at least we're in Minneapolis! Considering that I have plenty to keep me busy (and to keep a little cash in my pocket), I don't have any immediate plans to search for work elsewhere. Don't worry, worriers. And if you have any job leads...

After a few days of self-employment, I'm finding that it suits me quite well. As I write this, I'm approaching a 12-hour work day that included minimal breaks. I did shower, but didn't have to get dressed up or wear makeup. I also got to have lunch with Chris and we stopped by each other's office for a few chats.

Speaking of Chris, I completely missed the opportunity to wish him a Happy Birthday on Saturday! On RSB, I mean. I did speak to him that day! I also made him a birthday french silk pie.Sorry for the grainy cell phone photo, which wasn't helped by the bright sun streaming in the windows. You get the idea!

Chris actually cooked his birthday meal (ribs, of course!) and we were joined by Jack as well as Yvonne and Bobbi, who stayed over on Saturday night on their way to Mayo Clinic. We lazed on Saturday night (ok, I have done some lazing) and shopped on Sunday (also a fun non-work activity) before they left.

Has this lengthy post made up for my recent lack of them? Probably not! I will try to keep you updated on RSB's latest, but I am also planning to create a new blog on which I'll discuss professional topics, so may not devote as much time here for awhile.