Today's Horoscope

Sorting will be a rewarding, energizing activity for you today. So seek out a confusing set of materials or information and get to work! You'll get a big boost out of making sense of a situation that would only confuse most other people. Looking at the big picture and finding the areas you want to explore and the areas you want to avoid will be easy for you, so why not offer your services to a confused friend, relative or coworker? He or she will be mighty grateful! 

Oh, it's been a while since I posted here. But I've been busy. A few weeks ago I attended my sorority's National Convention where I was asked to present as a keynote speaker about technology; specifically how technology and social media can be used to market us to a broader audience.

If you want to read all about it, check out my other blog.

Work has started to pick up as well. And that's why today's horoscope is especially relevant. My latest project is to develop training for new users of a complex order validation tool. I had a call with a few experts of the tools and process and I was quickly overwhelmed. They were jumping around from topic to topic, moving quickly through tools and I was trying to keep up. But I had to keep asking, "wait, what does that mean? How did you get there?"

As an instructional designer, I often describe my work as translator. I have to translate the wealth of information, sometimes useless garbage, into something that will be useful to a newbie. I have to wade through the 'nice to know' and cull it down to the 'need to know'. This isn't always an easy concept to sell when the experts believe that everything they say is must know information.

But that's like trying to brush your teeth with a fire hose. Too much, too soon.

However it's a challenge and I like challenges. Bring it on.

Expressing my creative side

Last night my alum group went to a local paint studio for a painting lesson. Well, it was more of an evening of copying what the instructor was doing, while drinking wine, eating cheese and cookies and doing a lot of laughing.

I started by painting the sky. The original had a vertical streaky sky and looking at it now, I don't really like it. If I could do it over I wouldn't make it streaky.

The grass was done in the same fashion as the sky. I cheated and flipped my canvas upside down to paint the grass.

Then I added in white gloppy things to indicate where my poppies were going to be. And to make a base to allow the colors to pop better against the grass.

There are a few colors I missed taking a picture of, but on the poppies are washes of yellow, orange and red.

Finished off the poppies with brown and purple centers and some white and blue swirlies just for visual interest.

I added in some leaves, clouds and voila! The finished, and signed, project.

Everyone with their masterpieces.

My venn diagram

I have quite an interesting group of women who are a part of my life here in North Carolina. I have four distinct groups of friends. At least, there will be four once softball season begins.

Double blue and gold

I am a sorority girl. An unrefined, unapologetic, proud, involved sorority girl. I think that is what saved me when I found myself lost and alone in North Carolina.

I have always said that everything I learned to make it in the real world I learned from being in a sorority. And not just being in one, where you might imagine consisted of parading around campus in letters, flash mobbing a fraternity party or yelling like silly girls every time 'our song' came on the bar jukebox. (Well, I did that.) I also was a leader in one. Still am. As an undergrad, I was chapter president and house manager. I had a job to do and I had to do it well in order for my chapter to be successful.

So almost twenty years after my initiation, when I have to deal with a tense situation, or manage different projects, introduce myself to a group of strangers or turn a basement into a classy party area, I don't turn to what I learned in Accounting 101 or my Ethics in Media class. I turn to what I learned from being a sorority girl.

Fast forward 8 months since I became a North Carolinian and I find myself sitting on a couch with sisters, who had previously not known each other, sipping wine, sharing stories and curled up in our comfy clothes watching The Bachelor on a Monday night. And its as if I'm 19 years old again, hanging with my sisters in the lounge of my chapter house.


What is it about being in the company of like-minded women who can make you feel so good about yourself? We come from different backgrounds, but because of our sorority, we know that there are some basic principles that bind us together. And they're also some pretty kick-ass women, too.

I am very fortunate to have signed my bid 19 years ago. And to be exactly where I am right now.

Today's Horoscope

Have you thought about becoming some sort of advisor or mentor to someone? If you haven't, you should -- and today would be a good day to investigate how to get involved in something like that. It could be as formal as a teaching position or as informal as just showing a friend how to do something in their home. What's important here is that you spend some time sharing a skill or talent of yours with someone else -- it's a great way to connect with the rest of the people you see every day.

This is a very fitting horoscope, especially as I'm already an advisor to members and alumnae advisors for my sorority, Alpha Xi Delta.

Yeay.

Turning 37

Life has been moving in high gear. But not too fast that I haven't had time to appreciate it.

I'm now 37 years old. I'm old enough to realize that the things that are most important to you are worth fighting for. And young enough to realize that you're never to old to dream.

The day after my birthday, I walked in the Walk Now for Autism Speaks event in South Jersey. I was the team captain and tried to recruit my sorority sisters -- both alums and collegiate members -- to walk with me. I guess I should be surprised that only three other alums and two collegians showed up, but I really wasn't. I'm just really happy that I didn't try to do anything extravagant for my team.

I won't count dressing up as my sorority mascot as extravagant. That was fun.

I had always wanted to be a character at Disney World. Today I got to fulfill a small part of it. I gave high-fives to kids and passed out balloons. I posed in pictures and had a really fun time being a big kid.

That evening my family had a party for me. I broke the news that I put my house on the market and that I was moving in with Charles in North Carolina. I was glad he was there with me. Not only would it show to my family that I was serious about this, but it would give them more chances to get to know Charles and realize just how great a man he is.

I got some expected questions:

• Where are you going to live? (with Charles)
• When are you leaving? (by the end of June)
• What about Barry? (He's coming with me)
• What does he do for a living? (runs his own home improvement company)
• How old are his daughters? (15 and 12)
• Have you met them? (I met his oldest daughter)
• What are you going to do for work? (I'll become a contractor for my current employer. If that doesn't work, then I'll find a job in Raleigh. If not, then I'll just be a kept woman.)

It turned out to be a really nice evening. There was no weirdness. My aunts and cousins were genuinely excited for me and the adventures I have in store. I pretty much got the 'thumbs up' on Charles. He fit in the family well and wasn't shy at all.

Sunday was a work day for Charles and I. We removed unnecessary furniture, spackled and painted, packed, cleaned and got the house ready for the market. It was a long, tiring day. Charles wanted to make sure that he got to do all the big jobs before he flew back home Monday morning. I had time for small packing and staging, but not too much. I was flying back down to NC Wednesday night and had to make sure everything was ready before then.

The best part is discovering how well we work together. We were a team. And when Charles got tired and hungry and cranky, I was still able to pick him up, find him food at my Mom's kitchen, and turn him human again. :)

This has been the best birthday ever.

In other news...

I spent this last semester as the alumnae Chapter Advisor for my sorority, Alpha Xi Delta at my alma mater, Rider University.

I have had a really amazing time getting to know the women of my chapter and helping them succeed on campus as a chapter and as individuals. Not all the interactions have been wonderful, but they all had learning opportunities for both me and the women. When I was an undergrad, the experience being in a sorority is the reason I am the person I am today. It had always been my desire to give something back to the chapter who had given me so much.

I have seen the women of Alpha Xi Delta do amazing things. Just last week they performed at the Greek Week Lip Synch contest.



However tonight at the Greek Awards Banquet, they really rose to the top.

They won the following:

• Highest New Member Cumulative GPA and Highest Overall Female GPA
• Intramural Member of the Year
• Highest Sorority Cumulative GPA

and the top award:
Bart Luedeke Outstanding Chapter of the Year Award

Oh, and I didn't do too bad myself. The chapter nominated for Chapter Advisor of the Year and I won! I am so humbled and so proud of my chapter. *mush*

Stage mom

There are moments, in hindsight, where you reconsider your actions.

This weekend I was asked by my sorority chapter that I advise to be a judge in their fund raising event, Karaoke for the Cure. All proceeds were to benefit the group Autism Speaks.

I had a lot of fun with the two other judges getting all Simon, Paula and Randy-like in critiquing the competition portion of the evening. There were some shining stars and some duds, but overall it was a fun-filled night.

After the competition portion of the night was over, it turned back to open karaoke. After watching everyone, meaning the college students who this event was for, have their turn on stage, I felt left out and wanted to give it a go.

I am no stranger to karaoke. My family has been having karaoke nights for several years. When the family gets together, its a ridiculum of hats, wigs, glasses, props and many, many drinks. We turn on our inner rockstar and give the most outlandish rendition of Aretha Franklin, Guns 'N Roses or Queen that we can muster. Embarrassment has no place with us.

So that night, completely sober among people who were toddlers when I frequented the Rider Pub as an undergrad, I grabbed the mic, took the stage and belted out Madonna's 'Express Yourself".

I didn't suck. And I hope I didn't embarrass the women of my chapter. But I had fun and there was dancing on the floor.

But looking back now, all I can think of is someone in the back probably asking one of the women "Gee, who brought your mom?"

*Sigh*

Sorority Nerd

Image by bearclau via Flickr

I have become obsessed.

Since I have been asked to serve as the Chapter Advisor for my sorority at my school, I have charged at this responsibility full steam ahead.

First, I am a sorority geek. As an undergrad, I was my chapter president, house manager (our version of a RA), and was heavily involved in the recruitment of new members. As an alumnae, I was the Recruitment Advisor for 2 years and worked on several iterations of a chapter/alumnae website.

But now I've taken on this reaction that I can only describe as passionate. For the first time, I find myself doing something that just seems so incredibly fun, and professionally relevant. All the things I've done career-wise is coming together: project management, technology stuff, training & development. And matching it up with the joy I received out of being in a sorority: the sense of belonging, natural leadership, relationship building -- has turned into the perfect blend for me.

Within the two weeks since I agreed to take on this role, I have already formed a relationship with my 'mentee', met both the Greek Advisor and House Director, contacted most of my fellow alumnae advisors and created a website for the Advisors to communicate with each other. I've gone through the manuals and the electronic file-sharing site. I'm even preparing a 4-hour officer retreat program from scratch to be delivered next weekend.

I am overwhelmed with information which will take time for me to process, but all these great ideas are coming to me like lightning strikes and I have to record then when it happens, on paper, in a file, or even a voice memo on the iPhone.

I haven't been this charged in I don't know how long. It feels pretty good.

Sorority Fag

You know sometimes how listening to a song can automatically transport you back to a specific time or place in your past? Well, this morning on the way to work I heard a song that brought me back to my sorority days. "Build Me Up Buttercup" by The Foundations.

I was a complete sorority fag. Each semester as part of Rush, we would make up songs to cheer as the Rushees came to visit our chapter house. The more fun and the more catchy the songs were, the better they were. I made up a song for to the tune of "Buttercup". Sing along with me please...

Why don't you come and see Alpha Xi, baby
Its the place for you, with a love so true
And best of all, we'll be around baby
If you ask us to, we'll stand by you
We want you, we want you
More than anyone, darlin'
You know that we have from the start.
So come and be, an Alpha Xi
Don't break our hearts.

This was a hit. I sang it so much that even now, I can't sing the real words to the song.

But my Rush song legacy was one I wrote to the tune of the "Always Coca-Cola" song. I taught this to chapters all over the Eastern states during a chapter president's conference one year.


The stars will always shine, the birds will always sing
With Alpha Xi Delta you're always the real thing
A sisterhood so true, we're all number one
As long as there is love, there's Alpha Xi Delta
Doo doo doo doo doo, We're Alpha Xi Delta

You can thank me later for putting these songs in your head.