I know this is an old game, but I still like it.

I once worked overnight for Good Morning America when they were broadcasting live from St. Louis. I got to deliver scripts and Diet Coke to Joan Lunden. Joan briefly dated Kevin Costner. Kevin Costner and Kevin Bacon starred in JFK together.

A score of 3. To find yours, check out UVa’s Oracle of Bacon.

What’s your story? (Dad, yours oughta be good!)

My colleague Amber needed a book; a book I had on my shelf and she could not get otherwise until much after she needed it. It was Thursday, the day of the 4″ disabling snowstorm in Charlottesville, darn near 5p.m. I was determined to get it to her but I needed a little help from my friends in brown.

I work from home so have established a “professional address” by using a box at my local UPS store, just over a mile from my house. Because my business mail comes there and because I use their services to send packages to the home office in St. Louis, I’m in there pretty often. The staff treats me very well, sometimes pulling my mail and packages from my box when they see me pull up outside. They know me, and I appreciate the extra attention. When I got Amber’s urgent request, I called my friends at the UPS store. The pick up driver hadn’t arrived yet and the assistant manager said she’d hold him there if I could get there right away.

A piece of cake under normal circumstances. I bolted upstairs calling out my dilemma to my family — my husband leaped into action. “I’ll drive you!” The roads were icy and dangerous so I was more than delighted to take him up on the offer. We got outside and tried to get out of the driveway. Spin, spin went the tires on the icy driveway. We were stuck. My son, the high school senior and his friend, (ironically named Brown)  came bounding outside and began pushing the car until we were out on the road. If it weren’t for them, I don’t know that we would have made it.

When we got to the UPS store, the assistant manager had my account information pulled up and the store all but shut down. She held the door for me as I jumped out of the car. The driver showed up just as we finished the transaction. I wished her well as I knew she’d have a treacherous drive home clear out to another county. She saved the day, just like the boys and my husband did.

Amber recognized me with a “Standing Ovation” — our firm’s way of recognizing one another for great moments in our work lives and with this blog post, which made me grin from ear to ear. But I wasn’t the hero here, it took a team — and that book wouldn’t have gotten to her by Friday morning without UPS.

Good customer service is about relationships and the UPS store gets that. That’s why they will continue to have my business and why I share the story of what Brown did for me.

Marriage 101 wants to know how we’re doing on our New Year’s Improvements.

The only thing I can claim that I set out to do, and have actually DONE, is this: I bought a notebook. It sits in my kitchen with the cookbooks. Every week, either Friday night or Saturday morning, I sit with the notebook, some cooking magazines and a few cookbooks and make a meal plan and a grocery list for the week. I’m cooking better and more often. I’m also trying some new recipes with new flavors — some the family has actually liked. I feel better, they’re eating better (and so am I) and I’m finally feeling somewhat organized.

I know — some of you are laughing at me — it took 18 years of cooking for a family to finally figure out how to do this — and stick to it. But it’s the best “improvement” I’ve made. It’s a real joy to know in the morning exactly what we’ll be having for dinner that night.

What “improvements” have you made?

While having coffee with my friend the mayor yesterday morning (yes, I think I’m cool), two of his friends stopped by to say hello. Somehow (I swear I don’t remember how) the topic of blogs came up and one of his friends denounced them saying she doesn’t have time to read some 27-year-old’s personal diary. Aghast, I handed her a blard (blog card for the uninitiated) and invited her to drop by this space and this space. I’m sure if I were to meet her again and were able to get to know her a bit, I could seduce her into the blogosphere by finding out where her interests lie. In fact, with what little I know thus far, I’ll bet she’d read her friend the mayor’s blog. I’m fairly certain she works in the nonprofit world, so Beth’s blog would probably rope her in as well.

The interaction inspired a how-to list, as in How to Seduce Someone Into the Blogosphere:

1. Have a conversation and find out what he/she likes. Is she a rabid shopper? A knitter? A vegan tree hugger?

2. Find blog links to send to him/her, blogs themselves and specific posts you think he/she will find of interest.

3. Help your new friend subscribe to a feed reader like Bloglines or Google Reader so she can start following the blogs she likes.

That’s it. Once she starts reading she’ll find she has blogs she wants to keep up with regularly. Then she’ll find she has something to say, and will comment here and there. Before long, she’ll think, “I want a blog!”

Works every time.

Patience Crabstick has gone on strike.

She’s not cleaning up after those darn, messy ungrateful kids anymore. Now here’s a strike we can get behind. Send her some support.

Patience, be strong!

Ah, the life of a dog.

Clover starts his day like most of us, reluctant to get out of bed.

But for him, the day is full of naps.

I find him napping in several places throughout the day.

This is Clover’s favorite chair. We think it’s because it coordinates so well with his overall “look.” If you’re sitting in this chair and get up — even for a moment, he’ll kindly jump up and keep it warm till you get back.

A few times during the day, he will demand to be released to the backyard. He likes to run in circles and will, when necessary, do what we call “the poop dance.” Apparently relieving himself is profound with ceremony.

If he’s really bored, he’ll eavesdrop on conference calls in the loveseat outside my office.

Dinnertime finds Clover in the optimal position for catching anything that may fall. He may look silly but under all that fluff, he’s a devious dude.

 Evening comes and Clover demonstrates what I call “freestyle napping,” usually at the bottom of the stairs so he can catch us quickly when it’s time to head to bed.

On the off chance that some of my MIA classmates will be doing some late night ego googling, I’m posting the names of those the reunion committee is trying to reach. If you’re listed here, or know someone who is, please get in touch with me at marijean dot jaggers at gmail dot com. (Naturally, I’m not part of the committee, but I am willing to help and would love to reconnect with the people listed below.) If you were a part of the class of 1988 at Sacred Heart Academy or Griffin High School and have NO idea that our 20th reunion is coming up — guess what? This is the year. Whether you plan to attend or not, let us at least share the details.
Betty Weinhoeft                            Frank Bart
Chrissy O’Connor                           Mark Bertrand
Leah Billington                              Dan Dietrich
Justina Schacht                            Kevin Diveley
Evelyn Blackburn                           Bob Figueras
Patty Dirksen                               Stephen Blazis
Angie Fultz                                   Brian Bloome
Dana Tebrugge                             RJ Finneran
Julie Murray                                  Franz Fleischli
Stacy Buecker                              Hugh Garvey
Aggie Buedel                                 Dave Grady
Laurie Farrell                                Steven Butts
Suanne Fenstermaker                    Andy Cadigan
Susan Savoie                               Mike Halbig
Laurel Gooden                               Pat Hall
Kelly Chelly                                   Mike Henninger
Sharon Conley                               David Holmin
Joelyn Cooler                                Tim Hyde
Diana Lear                                    Tom Jirgal
Leigh Gaither                                Terry Kelly
Mindy Hostick                              Danny Crowley
Cheryl Garvin                               Bill Dahlkamp
Stacey Vanderheiden                    John Danna
Tracey Roberts                            Bob Davis
Laura Adams                               Bill Kelso
Lisa Schafer                                Brad Kennett
Amy Diamond                               Robbie Knox  
Cynthia Hall                                 Tim Koch
Angie Bowman                              Tony Kulavic
Jennifer Mack                               Chris Laird
Laura Rottinghaus                         Phil Levie
Liz Hoinacki                                  Roger Lim
Diane Hoppe                                 Matt Maier
Missy Decatoire                            Peter Manuele
Shelley Reed                                Stan Martin
Nicole Hutchison                           Brian Maslouski
Linda Eck                                     John Mattingly       
Diane Kardos                                Kevin McCarthy
Dechele King                                Matt McDonald
Randee Landgrebe                         Tim McSwiggin
Laura Langan                                Lou Minder
Mollie Walsh                                 Mike Napier
Brooke Lawley                              Tony Nestler
Melinda Lawson                             Mike Nolder
Sue Norris                                    Lance Olson
Jill Hamilton                                  Ed Patterson
Mary Ellen Madonia                        Dan Patterson
Dana Mathes                                Mike Pitchford
Dawn McNeil                                 Richard Poulson
Cathy Ryan                                  Paul Rapps
Jennifer Langley                            Paul Rayhill
Bridget O’Brien                              Curt Robinson
Shawn Palmer                               Robert Ryan
Elizabeth Jennings                         Dave Schafer
Nicole Humphrey                           Tim Schafer
Cindy Kramer                                Bryan Schneller
Becky Pisarek                               Rich Sgro
Peggy Preuss                               Bill Sitki
Laurie Rakers                               Butch Slater
Alisande Cavanaugh                      Joey Anderson
Stacey Ray                                 Greg Steil
Kelly Neuweg                               Paul Stephans
Michelle Ryan                               Rick Sutherland
Pam Rychel                                 Matt Travis
Kathryn Satterlee                         Steve Tribuzzi
Tammy Gebke                              Terry Vitale
Mary Beth Vespa                          Tim Von De Bur
Shannon Zumstein                        Lou Weller
Tina Smith                                  Brad Wilde    
LaDonna Stanley                          Terry Williams
Jina Stowers                                Dan Wilson
Chris Talbert                                George Wyness
Christine Troy                              Steve DePaul
Jodi Ushman                                Pat Flynn
Kim Stanley                                
Jill Barganz
Alisa Cunningham
Kathryn Dorr
Julie Waddell

For the rest of you, we will now return to our regularly scheduled programming.

Hey you. Yeah, YOU, the lady who either volunteers at my kid’s school or simply has a kid who goes there (it seems like you’re there a lot). You look a lot like someone I used to know in St. Louis and sometimes when I see you I momentarily forget where I am and that you’re this person and not THAT person. So if I’m smiling at you like I know you and I’m really happy to see you and it’s weirding you out, it’s OK — just smile back.

Hey YOU — lady at church who, in the right light and from a certain angle looks like my sister Karen. Everytime I see you my eyes well with tears. It’s nothing personal. I’m sure you’re a very nice lady but I don’t think we could ever be friends because WHEN I SEE YOU I CRY.  Might be awkward. It’s just because when I see you every Sunday, I’m just wishing you were someone else.

Hey YOU. Yeah, you, bagger kid at the grocery store where I shop who looks just enough like that flash-in-the-pan actor that’s enjoying extended fame. A piece of advice: RIDE THAT TRAIN. Disney will be looking for fresh meat soon.

As you were.

When I last posted to this series, we were getting ready to move from St. Louis to Charlottesville. There was much to do in the two months I had to prepare for the move. That, and Mark moved without us so I was playing temporary single parent while trying to sell the house, keep it clean, learn all that went with a new job, manage the kids’ schedules (and prepare them to move) and oh lordy, Thanksgiving and Christmas were in there, too. I was definitely in high gear during those two months. I started sloughing off all I could, calling the Post to tell them I would no longer be able to do the features I was contributing to the print version of the paper (pieces on shopping and fashion that required me to go out and pick up items from stores and bring them to the Post to be photographed). That was the first thing to go. I stopped cooking, too — we ate out almost every night for a few reasons — there was just the three of us, I didn’t want to mess up the kitchen and it seemed that every evening we had to be away from the house to allow a Realtor to show it. Then, I gave up the Shop Talk blog — I needed every minute I could get and while it broke my heart to stop, I had to give them enough time to find a replacement writer, so gave my notice and drafted my final post. Finally, I stopped blogging on STLWorkingMom for about a month, writing a post to explain my absence and letting the reader my readers know I’d be back.

Somehow, we all made it through the move. The house sold, we packed up, I went on “vacation” until after the new year, we arrived in C’ville and set up shop. I started blogging again soon after, gratefully discovering Waldo, befriending Jennifer and settling into the local contingent of the blogosphere. Yes, my first Charlottesville friends were bloggers. How better to learn about a new community than reading its blogs?

I have kept my St. Louis readership — just as I’ve kept my St. Louis job and friends. Several people asked if I was going to change the blog to Charlottesville (or C’ville) Working Mom and frankly, I just haven’t seen the need. (Also, there’s a great new blog called C’ville Working Moms that takes care of that!) I also know that URLs need to stay the same if people are going to continue to find and follow you, so www.stlworkingmom.com is not going anywhere. People know my story and in fact, I think being a two-city working mom might just make this blog a little more interesting.

So that’s the story. I think that even though we have no plans to leave Charlottesville, I’m always going to be the St. Louis Working Mom. Thanks for reading and — if you are the person one of the readers who have followed this journey from its earliest days — thanks for hanging in there and for following me 800 miles!

The End

I am definitely on a baking kick. Well, a cooking and baking kick, but mostly, I have the urge to bake.

For all things food, my favorite blog is The Pioneer Woman Cooks.

That’s “her” on the left. Isn’t she just darlin’?

I have been inspired in post-new year style to feed my family better. Of course, by now, all my resolutions are out the window because they just make me crazy and feel bad about myself. But I’m still cooking!

I’ve been baking bread and resisting the strong temptation to bake sweets because, of course, I will eat them. All of them.

I’m not sure how long I can hold out though, mostly because my other favorite food-related blog is Stef’s Cupcake Project. If you’re a St. Louis blogger, you’ve probably discovered the most delicious looking and sounding cupcakes ever, and followed the drama as Stef developed her creations for a wedding. Stef announced over the weekend that she’s going to undertake a cupcake project for a fall wedding so the cupcake blogging will continue!

I haven’t made any of the cupcakes yet, but I’m seriously considering it. I find baking very relaxing, so I may just have to create some goodies to give away. Any takers?