Happy New Year!

~ Wishing all peace, love, joy & good health for the New Year ~

yia yia

is home!!! yia yia is my grandma, whom i'm named after. i'm the only granddaughter out of 4 grandsons, who are almost all named after my grandpa demitri. she is my dad's mom and lives in greece. on christmas day she was rushed to the emergency room, which was almost a half hour away...they went to the closest hospital that was open that day. what a scare. she was there for the past 3 days and went to my uncle's yesterday to stay with him, my aunt and cousins for a couple of weeks. then she'll have a live-in nurse stay with her...which i know she won't like but she can't live alone anymore. she is 93 and papou, my grandpa passed away last year, he was 96. i know she misses him terribly. they were the cutest couple & alway's will be, to me.

i have not been to greece in probably 4-5 years, i used to go every summer but it's not that easy taking time off to go away for a few weeks. most employer's don't really go for that, but i am planning to go next summer for a couple of weeks, i have to go. i really hope to see her & spend time with her. yia yia is a tough cookie but soft cookie w/select few, like me. she is so funny! we've had some great laughs & i miss her lots. i miss my grandpa too, he was awesome...a true gem for sure ~ both so loving, caring and truly special. when my grandma leaves us someday, my bro & i won't have any grandparents b/c my mom's mom, our abuela julia maria passed away when my mom was like 17 so we never even met her and we have not heard from our abuelo jose since our mom passed away like 16 years ago. last i heard, he was in michigan...don't really care for him. we've tried to reach out to him. he's never come around, not even called to say hello...shady character.

anyways, back to yia yia...on my way home from work last night my dad called to give me an update that she was home from the hospital and feeling better. she has a blockage of some sort near her heart, is on med's & resting. my dad has been worried, not sleeping well and when he is a mess so are we. now that she's home we are all much more at ease...not big fan's of hospitals! as we were on the phone that song 'speed of sound' by coldplay came on, an ambulance passed by but not w/lights on or going fast or anything it just passed on by. as i looked at the back of the ambulance, the lights were on and an elderly lady was lying down and that visual & image right there just brought me to where my grandma was that day and it was very touching. you never know how something really effects you until you can visualize it, it has a much grander effect on you & becomes much more real.

Merry Christmas!!

transit strike ends

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10555519/

http://www.cnn.com/video/player/player.html?url=/video/us/2005/12/22/natpkg.nyc.commute.cnn

christmas party

the gals
Originally uploaded by kalz.

dirty little secret

Watch Video:

DIRTY LITTLE SECRET (The All-American Rejects)

Video Code provided by VideoCodeZone.Com

good song, great video, lead singer...

Tyson Ritter...mmm~yummay! He is so flippin' hot!!

happy news!

Last week, in the midst of a hectic day at work my sista Christiney-Beaney called with happy news! She is 9 weeks preggars and I kind of had a feeling before she even told me...very happy news, which made my week!

Christine called me all last weekend, and being the rude friend that I was I didn't call her back. I don't have any excuses except for the lame date that Friday which turned into a fun night w/friends after anyways, tired-hangover Saturday & Christmas shopping in midtown on Sunday...I thought she wanted to update me on her interview. Well, when we spoke and she said 'I have to tell you something', I already sensed that it was happy news because I could hear her smiling on the other end. I said something like, "You are...oh my goodness" and she laughed. I almost knocked a few co-workers down hurrying out of the office so I could ask her a million and one questions and make all those squeaky happy loud exciting noises...I'm so excited for Christine & Justin, yayyyy!! I told her to say hi to the baby & pat her belly for me...I probably won't see them until Christmas, and I can't wait to!

my notebook

I'm frustrated right now...why? Because my little laptop has been infected with one of the trojan viruses and may need a re-loading, re-formatting or whatever it's called! I'm nervous about this, the thought of it seems scary. I want to fix it myself and this is part of my frustration.

Yesterday I spent a lot of time on the phone with a tech dude named Corey who works for hp in Vancouver. He explained thing's thoroughly and in a comprehensive way, I didn't have to ask too many questions. I learned a lot from him, things that I should know (like how to back-up my files, in case this re-loading deal has to happen). We were suppose to continue working on my lil hp pavilion notebook this afternoon but he hasn't called. I'll probably make a call into the center with my case# and hopefully get a rep. who I can understand. There are like 2,000 reps there and my preference would be to speak to Corey again since we've established a good working relationship. I'm going to write a letter to his managers letting them know that he should be recognized for being stellar...even if he doesn't get to call or I miss his call when I'm out.

What happened is, I brought my notebook to the store where it was purchased a couple of weeks ago. I trusted that the 'geek squad' would fix it...but it is not fixed. I called them today to see if they could give me an idea as to what needs to get done here and they told me to bring it in again, leave it there again, and may charge me again for services that can probably get done under my warranty w/hp. I already paid for services & won't be paying again...I already am since I'm frustrated.

On the brighter side, I have happy news that I will share & post in a few!

bizee-bizee-bo-bizee

Every time I turn around there's something else, another bill, dry cleaning, my haircut, call someone back, email, visit, make plans, change them, laundry, clean my car, go to bed early, late, go to library, cemetary, museum, the mailbox, to work, oh the store to get things I need, not want....ohhh, I can't wait for a vaca! I am going to book my flights soon to Greece in the summer and hopefully to England to visit my friend Stephen. He is stationed in South Korea right now and will be in England in a few months. I really wanted to see my grandma, family and friends in Greece but I just started my new job and can't really take the time off yet.

Back to the busy, bizi-ness...I've been at my new job for a month, jumped right in, have had many successes along with stresses, but such is life. I enjoy what I do and I do it well.

Today, I was really inspired by a client that my manager & I went to visit. This woman is a no nonsense gal, who is spiritual, smart, right to the point, and yet warm, kind with a compassion for humanity which is a rare find. You either meet people with one or the other, or neither trait. She knows what she wants, and does not want to waste her time, her co-workers, or our time. This lady gave us requests for the certain people, quality candidates she is looking to hire that would fit. Not only fit the job descriptions but the personalities within the company's environment. These factor's are pertinent in the match-making, puzzle piece fitting work which is applied. There are clients that want to see resumes, go back and forth, they're undecided, as wheels are spun and other firms make & take your money....it's kind of like an unhealthy relationship! Then you just have to shout out, 'Next!'

We really had a good meeting today, and I got what this client was saying. There was this synergy...just like we have in the offices I work in now, which is sweet. I know that I have my work cut out for me here with this firm, and clients but I also know that it will pay off!


A resume is not going to get the person the job, the person is. That person, candidate must first sell themself on that piece of paper, make it presentable, highlight the important aspects, be honest about the dates of their employment, and clear as to why they are leaving or left previous companies. Then whether it's on the phone first or in person, exuding a positive energy, can do, will do attitude and confidence is very important. It's the personality of that person that will land the job! I prep, counsel and act as a liason because many people need that guidance, even the clients, hiring and decision makers do. What urks me, is the stubborn people who don't embrace the advice or expertise of what Consultants do within the staffing firm. Like for example, a horrible resume or bringing up salaries & benefits in an interview.....grrr! I take the time to really help others, because this goes back to understanding the personality which is key for the placement. You have to have alot of patience in public relations....people are complex and there are many different personalities, from the mailroom to the boardroom.

Z-Morning Zoo

As I was driving to work the other day I was listening to Z100 & there was an interesting show that aired, kind of caught my ears. Elvis Duran, Greg T, Danielle Monaro, Skeery & the rest of the crew were asking listeners 'if they were in a relationship & faking it to call in & share their experience'. Like, if they were faking their feelings for their partner, when they profess their love for them, or when they are intimate in bed, etc. so on. I didn't know what I was going to hear or expect to hear, but when callers were responding to this & expressing what was going on in their relationships, it was really sad.

One woman who is married to this guy for like ten years is so unhappy, she just stays with him because she's comfortable? Then another gal is in a relationship but is scoping out other guys to date. This guy is doing the same thing, and this other chic has a kid with her boyfriend and said that she wants to catch him in the act of cheating on her so she can end things....whaaat?! Elvis Duran asked these people, "Why are you putting your life on hold?" Which I agree with, that is just what it is. I guess those who are doing just that-putting their life on hold don't get it, and don't realize that they waste so much time trying to fix, or patch things up, hope things get better...when all the while the best time to figure out why it may not be working could be right in the mirror! Take a look at themself maybe? I believe for some people, being by themselves is most likely the best time to figure out themselves.

"I rather be alone for the right reasons,
than with someone for the wrong."
from the flick, 'Some Kind of Wonderful'

"If you can't take care of yourself, you can't take care of anyone else."
from, '28 Days'

It is such a breath of fresh air to see couples who are happy, respect one another and who are in healthy relationships...it is inspiring :)

laptop shop

my lil laptop has been in the shop, and is all better now...thank goodness! missed ya...welcome home :]