There she is...

TONIGHT IS THE NIGHT!

Tonight is the Miss America Pageant. The pageant will air at 8 p.m. tonight on CMT. You can visit their website for all kinds of great behind-the-scenes info. The website features bio videos for each contestant. You can also access cool things like the Miss America ringtone (which is currently on my phone - no joke!).

I will of course be rooting for Georgia's own Amanda Kozak. Amanda wins my support, not only because she is the local winner, but because of her platform. Amanda's platform is child mentoring through Big Brothers Big Sisters of America. BBBS is my former employer, and I am also a Big Brother! Amanda's talent is tap, and she's a strong contender across the boards. Look for her to make a good showing!

For more pagenat 411, and some very entertaining video footage, check out my friend's blog here. He has wonderful background info on the contestants, as well as pics from the preliminary competitions last week. It is sick just how much information he has! He is a field director for the Miss Georgia Organization. Additionally, he happens to be a very witty and clever writer - check him out and favorite his site! It's a great thing to do instead of work!

Rainy Days and Mondays...

It has been famously said that music has powers to soothe the savage beast. I, however, believe that the true power of music lies in the lyrics - the power of words. A good lyric reaches you, and you can instantly feel connected. Such is the case of "Rainy Days and Mondays," the famed Carpenter's song. In the song, Karen richly croons that "rainy days and Mondays always get me down." In listening to it, she gives voice to the melancholy we've all felt - that we all feel.

Each morning I wake is a struggle to get out of bed. Each Monday is infinitely worse. Today, struggling with the fact that my weekend was over, that it was 19 degrees outside, and that it was that damn Monday again, I felt I'd had enough. Then, like a ray of comic sunshine, I found this little gem in my inbox....

Thanks DW! You get me, and suddenly Monday doesn't seem so wonky.

Give a little bit....

While we at Drinking @ Work are all about the laughs, we're also not without a heart. I am a huge advocate of philanthropy and volunteerism. I was interested to see this post on a friend's blog that led me to SixDegrees.Org. Who out there hasn't played "Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon"? We all understand that in today's society we live with an increasingly interconnectivity. We are all part of a global family - our actions impact not only our lives but the lives of those around us.

Building on that idea, Six Degrees takes the idea that it "takes a village" and puts it to work. Here, you will find celebrities and their causes. Even better, however, you can develop your own badge which can be used to link to causes you support.

I hope you'll take time to view this, and maybe even make your own badge. I'd also encourage you to read about my cause and maybe make a donation.

Thanks.

I've got a lovely bunch of coconuts....

Continuing with today's love fest, I'd like to share with you something else that I've recently fallen in love with. It's petite and curvy, and satisfies me in a way that few things can....Minds out of the gutters perverts, I'm talking about The Republic of Tea's new line of White Iced Teas. In particular, I'm enamored with the Vanilla Coconut.

Considering that it's currently January, and that there's rumors we might have snow where I live this weekend, I'm longing for the delights of summer. What could be more summer than a refreshing sip of Coconut? Why, it's practically a tropical vacation in a bottle! Okay, that's a stretch, but it's pretty good for a beverage. Alright, it's damn good for a bottled tea. It's like a sippable vacation!

So, step away from your cubicle - push back that tired bottle of Diet Coke, and go and pick yourself up a few bottles of this stuff. I found mine at the grocery store, but I've also seen it in gas station convenience stores. The bottled tea also comes in a variety of other tasty flavors, including Peach and Pomegranate varieties. Try them all!

I feel like CHICKEN tonight....

Part of the basis for me starting this website was to give other people an outlet for slacking. When you're at work, it can be daunting to actually have to, er, work.

With that in mind, I have compiled an extensive list of "diversions" which help me on a daily basis. I will begin posting some of my favorites from this list on the site. As an act of charity here at DRINKING @ WORK, I would like to share with you one of my favorite things. WOW! I feel just like Julie Andrews....

One of my favorite sites is Doug Savage's, SAVAGE CHICKENS. We at DRINKING @ WORK, feel that Mr. Savage is pure genius; of course, we are drinking at work so take that for what it's worth. At any rate, Dan is a hilarious cartoonist. His site tells the story of the chicken's evolution stating:

Like some sort of haunting supernatural force, the
chickens bubbled up from the ol' subconscious mind. In a trance-like state, I drew them on office whiteboards. I drew them in notebooks. I drew them on anything that sat still long enough. People started asking, "Who's drawing those damn chicken cartoons everywhere?

The chickens were unstoppable.

To retain my sanity, all I could do was grab a stack of sticky notes, and release the Savage Chickens.

And release them he did! Each day Savage posts a new Chicken Cartoon. They are all drawn by hand, and they are all done on the ubiquitous yellow Post-It (which we know was invented by Romi & Michelle).

These Chickens have become a highlight of my day! I eagerly anticipate each day's arrival, and I freely forward them out in emails to friends - all while I could be working. I hope that you'll find SAVAGE CHICKENS to be a suitable diversion for you too! Feel free to list some of your favorite distractions in the comments, and you may find them featured in a future entry!

Why Drinking At Work?

Welcome to the wonderful world of Drinking@Work!

Why "Drinking At Work" you might ask?

Well, for starters...I think it's more polite than "HOMICIDE In the Office." Secondly, what problem can't be cured by a good stiff drink? And lastly, who among us doesn't come into work and ask "wtf has he/she been drinking?"

For all of these reasons, and the multitudes more, I give you Drinking@Work - the working stiff's escape! So, add us to your favorites and check us often for diversions from work. Don't feel guilty - at least you're not Drinking At Work!