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Home > Michelle's Blog > Previous Postings > 02/23/07
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Previous Postings |
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February 23, 2007:
The Year of the PigEvery month, I bring all of my employees together where we have a homemade lunch - Val, our employee who is an ex-home economics teacher, usually cooks something or divvies out food assignments and we all bring something to pass...I should say THEY all bring something to pass. Only once a year do they let me cook and it's always Tator Tot Casserole. It's become such a fun tradition, that we even put in a kitchen so they can cook more - It's Awesome!
This month, we started the meeting by honoring Lori Bilderback - our computer programmer who celebrated her 25 year anniversary with the company. Along with a collection of pictures from her past, we presented her with $1000 - a gift that we give to our employees for 25 years of service. Our employees receive money on their 5, 10, 20 and 25 year anniversaries - and it's so cool to see their faces when they receive the money. Thanks Lori and everyone else who stays with a company for that many years...Twenty Five years doing anything is amazing in this day and age!
Anyway, at each monthly meeting, my team of employees are always wondering, "What crazy thing is she going to have us do this month?" I like to do fun assignments, or skits, or even homework. I like to leave them all feeling alittle unsure of what's next. But this month, one of my employees surprised me and told me at the start of the meeting that 2007 is the "Year of the Pig". They know I love pigs - I've loved them my whole life.
My aunt Alice had a pig farm and we went there every weekend. I loved the smell, I loved how they looked - especially covered in mud. I wanted to roll in the mud with them. I collect them and probably have over 500 pigs throughout my house and office. In my car, in my golf bag, in my hockey bag - little pink oinkers everywhere!!
One time when I was about 12 years old, my mom and dad took the whole family out to California - 8 of the 10 kids, plus the two parents - in a van. And not the mini vans that there are today - we're talking a full sized, ship-the-whole-basketball-team-off-to-a-game sized van. We were going there for my brother Dick's wedding. So packed in this van with the 10 people was also our luggage. In that luggage was each homemade outfit for the wedding. The boys had leisure suits of all different colors - plaid pants and solid jackets and also homemade shirts of a variety of colors. If that doesn't paint a the funniest picture in your head, send me an email and I'll send you a picture. Can you say Clampets?
It was our first time in California and being from Iowa, you can imagine the excitement. And for a huge family with limited funds, I was so impressed with my parents because we got to do everything. We went to Disneyland, Sea World, the San Diego Zoo, stopped by the Grand Canyon and Painted Desert on our drive out there, go see the ocean for the first time. It was awesome.
One of the fun events was to go to Universal Studios and go to a show. Well, with all of us kids, the only show they would let us into was the "Jim Nabor Show". Remember - "Well Gaaaaaally." We got into this show and before it started, they asked for volunteers to make animal sounds. You would get to go on stage during the taping of the show. So all my brothers and sisters said, "Michelle, make the pig sound."
I raised my hand and they came over to me, held the microphone up to my mouth and I kept making my pig sound (ask me sometime and I'll do it for you). Anyway, they couldn't hear me. He kept saying, "Louder, we can't hear you." And I kept doing it louder and louder, but he couldn't hear. So, unfortunately, I did not get chosen to be on the Jim Nabor's show when I was 12.
Luckily that "traumatic" event did not make me stop loving pigs. Now, back to the all staff meeting this week. I went home on Wednesday and researched this year of the pig - and low and behold, I found that in China, there is a mini baby boom happening because 2007 is the year of the Golden Pig. Within their culture and a mixture of tradition and superstition, anyone born during the year of the pig will be showered with good fortune and lead a comfortable and wealthy life. They believe people born in this year are polite, hardworking, honest and loyal. (I'd say that pretty much covers what you're looking for in a person...)
According to astrology.com, pigs are "so magnanimous they can appear almost saintly. They are highly intelligent creatures, forever studying, playing and probing in their quest for greater knowledge. They can be misinterpreted as being lazy, however, due to their love of napping, taking long bubble baths or dallying over an incredible spread of rich foods."
Finally, after all my research, I found why I love pigs so much - and it's not because of my love for bacon and pork chops - It's because I ALSO love long bubble baths, napping and dallying over rich foods - especially chocolate!!!
So, as I dream of these things in my own little "Hog Heaven" with thoughts of my favorite animal, I can now feel good about the pig since I know it's so important in the future of the Asian population!
Keep Smiling - And eating Pork!
Michelle
