Professionally, 2007 ended on a very difficult note as I had to say goodbye to friends and colleagues at Plymouth State University, which proved to be the most difficult career decision I’ve ever made. My last few weeks on the job at PSU were memorable ones with a final ITS Yankee Swap, and on my almost last day a Guitar Hero Concert and lunch at the dog.

Below are some choice photos from my last couple weeks at PSU:

Personally, my husband had total hip replacement surgery on Dec. 14, his third and hopefully final surgery after a year of being in pain and agony caused by a car accident. I’m not sure how he or I got through 2007, but we did. Our Moms and my Dad helped a great deal! We are looking forward to his recovery and for us to have some fun and make up for some lost time in 2008.

On New Year’s Day, Jan. 1, 2008, I started a new career. For the first time in 20 years I’ve ventured away from Higher Education and I’m now a Workflow Technical Consultant for SunGard Higher Education. Needless to say it has been an adventure with the first 6 weeks of my job taking me to San Diego, CA, Dallas, TX, Plano, TX, Frisco, TX, Minneapolis, MN, St. Cloud, MN, Bloomington, MN, Philadelphia, PA, Gilbertsville, PA, Quakertown, PA, Deptford, NJ, Glasboro, NJ & Atlantic City. Whew! No wonder why I’m so tired this week.

Below are some of the photos from my tortuous training:

Me on the balcony of my sweet room at the Sheraton Marina in San Diego for UDC Week

A creative solution to the rubik’s cube found on table at the event night at UDC

In my new position I’ve been assigned two mentors, Katharina and Dennis, whom I’m to shadow at trainings as they show me the ropes.

On a trip with Katharina to St. Cloud, MN, I learned how to sample beer. Perhaps that’s a fib, I didn’t need any mentoring on this subject!

On a trip with Dennis to New Jersey, I learned how to gamble at Atlantic City! Again, another fib, actually on that evening the mentor became the mentee as I showed him how to pick a winning slot machine to which he won $114.35 to be exact! I’m still waiting on my finders fee though.

Well I’m going to busy in 2008, my first solo assignment takes me to Brussels at the end of the month!

heart shaped images, heart shaped island, island near Croatia, valentine’s hearts

guitar hero III, nintento wii guitar hero III, nintendo wii guitar hero three, i stink at guitar hero, getting a nintendo wii from santa this xmas

Aside from the obvious sarcasm, don’t you notice that there are more and more ridiculous task forces and sub-committees being formed daily?

Recently, I received an email at work from the Campus Parking Committee asking me whether or not I think a parking fee for staff is a good idea? My first reaction to this email was “Wow, we actually have a committee dedicated to Campus Parking?” Seeing that I am staff, my second reaction to this email was “Well, no I don’t think that a parking fee for staff is a good idea”. However, it seemed somewhat ridiculous to state the obvious, so I didn’t bother composing or sending a response to the email.

Heavy sigh….

ridiculous committees, ridiculous sub-committees, ridiculous task forces, bored at work t-shirt, favorite t-shirts

In the 4 1/2 years Jeffrey and I have been together, the Red Sox have won the World Series 2 times, the Pats have won the Super Bowl a 3rd time. We’ve traveled to Italy, Florida, Las Vegas, New York, Maine, and Canada. We bought a home in New Hampshire and I changed jobs. Most recently, Jeff is recovering from a terrible auto accident where he broke his hip, knee and leg.

The vows we made to one another for better and for worse, in good times and in bad, for richer and for poorer, and in sickness and in health have all played a part in 4 1/2 years together. I wouldn’t trade the last 4 1/2 years for anything in the world!

I was pleased to find our success story, that Jeffrey submitted, is still out on match.com

On March 24, 2003, a week before my membership on Match.com was scheduled to lapse, I arrived home to find an email message from a woman who commented on the picture posted with my profile. It was a picture of me at Piazza San Marco in Venice, Italy, surrounded by birds—lots and lots of birds! The emailer commented that she loved the picture, loved my smile and inquired as to the origin of the picture. I peeked at her profile because she was an attractive woman who was well educated and we had much in common. I was afraid, however, that maybe she lived a little too far away. In spite of the distance, I responded: I figured nothing ventured, nothing gained, plus there was only a week left on my membership. Why pass up an opportunity to converse, right?

Six weeks, 29 emails (more than 70 pages total length) and 27 telephone calls later, we met for the first time. Six months later, on November 15, 2003, in New York City, on a horse-drawn carriage on the outskirts of Times Square, “MandyMagnolia” agreed to become Mrs. “ConcordTeddyBear.” We will be married on November 6, 2004 and on the first anniversary of our engagement, we shall enter Piazza San Marco together on our honeymoon. We will feed the pigeons together, take pictures of one another with the birds on our head and on our shoulders and in our arms and clustered all around our feet… and we will laugh and smile. I will remember that it was that exact setting some three years earlier that made me laugh and made me smile the smile that drew my love to me.

How ironic that is. When my dear friend cajoled me into joining Match.com for a brief trial, I thought online introduction services were for the birds. Well, my love story is for the birds figuratively and literally.

Many may balk at the concept of online dating, however, I’m a firm believer! Happy Anniversary baby!

match.com success story, match.com is for the birds ;), mandy magnolia and concord teddy bear, online dating success

Still not sure how it works, but last I checked I was in first place. This was due to a random draft that occurred on November 3. Apparently the Congressmen on my team have a pretty good attendance record.

Here is my team roster at the moment:

The Liberal Zombies
Russ Feingold (D)
John Cornyn (R)
Dale Kildee (D)
Mike Michaud (D)
Dennis Moore (D)
Phil Hare (D)
Lois Capps (D)
Chuck Schumer (D)
Joe Lieberman (I)
Charles Rangel (D)

According to fantasycongress.com this is how you play/earn points:

How to Play Politics- Check out our Start or What is FC? pages.

* Draft your team of Members of Congress (MCs).

* Earn points as your MCs legislate effectively.

* Manage by trading, benching, or picking up free MCs.

* Win by getting the most points by the end of the season and go down in political history.

Details below…

Playing Politics Step One: DRAFTING

Your team consists of sitting Members of Congress (MCs) from all parts of the spectrum of seniority. The more senior a Representative or Senator, the more powerful they are. For your team, you will draft:

* Upper Senators- Senators with seniority more than half the Senate
* Lower Senators- Senators with seniority less than half the Senate
* All-Stars- Senior Representatives
* Supporting Lineup- Mid-Range Representatives
* Rookies- Junior Representatives

You can bench, trade, or grab free agents to react to the changing political climate.

Your league commissioner can choose a range of drafting options, including: Autopick, Offline Draft, Open Draft (Pick’Em), or Silent Auction (where you bid political capital to get Members of Congress).
Playing Politics Step Two: EARNING POINTS

The Members of Congress (MCs) on your team score points by performing their legislative duties. None of this action is simulated or imaginary; every real action your MC takes in Congress reflects in your points daily. We evlauate MCs in the following categories:

1. Legislative Success- Moving bills through a chamber of Congress, the opposite chamber, and onto the President’s desk for signature. League Commissioners can choose what subjects of legislation are important to them, e.g. Democratic Legislation or Environmental Legislation. The default does not discriminate between parties, but it does decrease points for commemorative legislation. Check out our Legislative Tutorial for more info.
2. Voting Attendance- Ever since elementary school, absences have counted against you. Members of Congress are also evaluated on whether they show up to do their job. (COMING SOON!)
3. Maverick Score- It takes guts to stand as an individual against the party. If the vote is tight and your MC breaks ranks, they score higher in this category.
4. Speeches- Sponsoring legislation is not enough by itself. Debating and speaking on the Senate or House floor is also part of pushing an agenda. (COMING SOON!)
5. Noteworthy National News- Receiving noteworthy natioanl news can indicate that an MC is working hard to achieve goals valued by the country. (COMING SOON!)
6. Noteworthy Local News- Coverage by local media can indicate that legislators are working on issues important to their constitutents. (COMING SOON!)

We are also considering including other measures of political activity such as how much money an MC receives in contributions and how well they fare in most recent opinion polls. If you disagree with any of these categories, as a league commissioner you can choose to not include them in your league’s scoring rubric. As Fantasy Congress grows, we want this website to be community-driven, so let us know if you have any suggestions for further categories or if you would like to help us create one that suits your particular interests.
Playing Politics Step Three: MANAGING YOUR TEAM

Balance. Your team of MCs must do well in many categories. As the Citizen manager of your team, it is up to you to choose how to win. You can use the following tools:

* Bench- If you MC is not going to have a good week, bench them and substitute someone else in.
* Trade- If your MC is not pulling weight, then you can trade for another MC. “I’ll trade you Obama for Clinton.”
* Pick up an MC from the Free Agent Pool or the Waiver Pool (recently relinquished MCs).

As with any manager, you can message fellow league members and other folks within the community with bluffs, hopes for the season, and generally talk smack.

Playing Politics Step Four: WINNING

As your team does better in each of these categories, they move up in rankings. Teams are ranked from first to last in each category and then points are awarded according to the order of finish in each category and are totaled to determine an overall score and place. The time-tested winning formula is more points = #1. At the end of the season, the winning Citizen will have bragging rights as someone who can really “play politics.” No matter, win or lose, everyone gets the privilege of civic participation and a deeper understanding of Congress.

fantasy congress, fantasy congress league, congressman pwnage, liberal zombie league, deeper understanding of congress, interesting fantasy league, different type of fantasy league

]]> http://www.mandymag.com/2007/11/04/a-different-kind-of-fantasy-league/feed/ http://www.mandymag.com/2007/10/31/papelbon-is-just-the-right-amount-of-crazy/ http://www.mandymag.com/2007/10/31/papelbon-is-just-the-right-amount-of-crazy/#comments Wed, 31 Oct 2007 13:28:32 +0000 mandymag http://www.mandymag.com/?p=285 There are people like me who know how to let their hair down every once in a while and have a good time, but for the most part, conform to the rules of society. Yes, I know, B.O.R.I.N.G.!

Then there are people like Jonathan Papelbon, who without, the world would be a really boring place! Jonathan Papelbon is just the right amount of crazy! Not so crazy that he is throwing bricks through windows in celebration. But just crazy enough that even without the cigar, kilt, and broom, he knows how to have a good time!

God love him!

Here is a photo of him rocking out to the Dropkick Murphys, while wearing his complimentary kilt, and doing his best Gene Simmons immitation.

courtesy of the Boston Globe

PAPELBON ROCKS, papelbon rocking out to the dropkicks, papelbon plays air broom guitar, jonathan papelbon knows how to have fun, papelbon celebrates in his own style

]]> http://www.mandymag.com/2007/10/31/papelbon-is-just-the-right-amount-of-crazy/feed/ http://www.mandymag.com/2007/10/21/prediction-the-patriots-will-stuff-miami-today/ http://www.mandymag.com/2007/10/21/prediction-the-patriots-will-stuff-miami-today/#comments Sun, 21 Oct 2007 16:30:28 +0000 mandymag http://www.mandymag.com/?p=281 So it isn’t very often that I feel confident about a 16 1/2 point line on a Patriots/Miami game. As we all know when the Patriots play Miami anything can happened. Usually I have this weird pit in my stomach. It is the same pit in my stomach I get when the Red Sox play the Yankees. Today, strangely, it isn’t there!

The Patriots this season are unstopable. Some folks are saying “the perfect team.” Some are predicitng the Patriots go “18-0″ this season. Even for a Patriots’ fan, that is amazing to hear! Did you ever imagine that the New England Patriots would be favored over Miami 16 1/2 points on the road?

Okay so this is Randy Moss not in a Patriots uniform, but it was too funny not to post! GO PATRIOTS!

Patriots will stuff Miami today, the pats will beat the spread again, bet the bank on the patriots, my money is on the pats, mudslides and a miami massacre

]]> http://www.mandymag.com/2007/10/21/prediction-the-patriots-will-stuff-miami-today/feed/ http://www.mandymag.com/2007/10/20/so-this-past-week-i/ http://www.mandymag.com/2007/10/20/so-this-past-week-i/#comments Sat, 20 Oct 2007 14:34:06 +0000 mandymag http://www.mandymag.com/?p=279 Moved 3 workflows into production.

Finally created a mySpace page! It’s a work in progress!

Won the football pool two weeks in a row. Currently I’m in first place for overall pics! And I believe i’m owed a massage from my husband.

blogging and busy, busy on the web, caved a created a mySpace page,won the football pool

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