My posting is going down the tubes. Mainly, I just don't think I have anything interesting to say. When I think of a topic, I see a post from another blogger about it. The topic is often covered better than I could have written. As far as my life is concerned, I don't have anything terribly interesting happening. That is both nice and depressing for someone who has always thrived on change. I guess I could update with news on a few of the good things that have happened.
1. Both of my kids are in school - This may seem like nothing, but after a horribly trying summer....it is best!!! I can't tell you how happy I am to get a break. I didn't have ANY this summer. They didn't even have play-dates from the end of June until right before school started. Most people escape the summer heat for that time period and our friends certainly did. I was working a LOT of hours, which made it worse. I thought I was feeling extremely frazzled. Once school started, my sanity started coming back. I realized frazzled wasn't nearly a strong enough word for it. I LOVE my kids, but I need some time to get things done and just breathe. I also need to know that their brains are being stimulated and they are happy.
2. Working Full Time - Near the end of the summer, my boss called to talk about going full time. I worked a lot of hours this summer, but was still getting my regular part-time salary. The part about being desperately poor and not having benefits wasn't a good thing either. He gave me benefits and a salary bump. The salary bump wasn't quite as much as I need, but he promised to revisit that topic in January when some of the money from the contracts we won over the summer starts flowing in.
There you have it. Not much, right?
Showing posts with label work. Show all posts
Showing posts with label work. Show all posts
Monday, October 28, 2013
Sunday, July 28, 2013
Bummer Summer
Do I only get on blogger to complain? Sadly, it appears so. It is not that this has been a horrible summer, but it certainly hasn't been a great one. Mostly, that is due to the fact that I just don't have any money to take a vacation. Last summer, my mom paid for us to come to California to visit for a whole month. It was great. My mom & step-dad are now retired. They are living in an RV while renovating a home in Montana. The summer before that we had just moved back to Texas, so we were happy to stick around here.
In addition to not taking a vacation, I have had more work that usual for summer. My busy time of year is January through May. This year, I was slammed with work during that time. In fact, I did more in that time than I have done in a year for the last few years. The summer even started off with one of the gigantic killer proposals that I do about once a year. It ends up being anywhere from 200 to 300 pages. We were mostly stuck at the house for two weeks while I worked on it. We were all thrilled when it was over. On the bright side, my company has had lots of success with these pursuits. Hopefully, that means that a little more $ will trickle down to this single mom.
Another thing sucking up my time and money are house issues. I remember hearing that houses start falling apart when they hit 20 years. Lots of things need to be replaced then. This summer has been about repairing things, which means that at 7 years little issues come up. First, my a/c needed more freon, just like it did last summer (guessing next year they'll discover a leak). My clothes dryer has to be reset 2 times to get clothes dry and 3 times for towels. I'm choosing to ignore this problem for now. The pilot light on my water heater would also not stay on. On the bright side, I am quite skilled at re-lighting it now. A repair man tried to say it was because it was in the attic and it is hot up there. Nice theory, but everyone in Houston has their water heater in the attic and not everyone has to re-light it every day. Finally, he returned a week later to replace a little wire and it is working now.
Our summer fun has included the kids being in a week long VBS at a local Baptist church, Tuesday morning movies at the brand new theater near our house, multiple trips to the library every week, and lots of time at our community pools (many are like water parks). These all have one thing in common - they are free. The pools would be really fun if I hasn't flying by the seat of my pants and could line it up enough to invite friends. It isn't easy scheduling life around work. When things seem to be easing up, I suddenly realize we can go do something RIGHT NOW. We basically jump in the car and go. Thankfully, my kids seem to be getting along with each other better than ever. They still argue and bug each other, but they are also playing and enjoying their time together more.
We only have 4 weeks until school starts. I guess I need to figure out a few activities that we can do to pump up this summer a bit. Hmmm.... this will take a lot of thinking since most outdoor activities aren't enjoyable in this heat.
In addition to not taking a vacation, I have had more work that usual for summer. My busy time of year is January through May. This year, I was slammed with work during that time. In fact, I did more in that time than I have done in a year for the last few years. The summer even started off with one of the gigantic killer proposals that I do about once a year. It ends up being anywhere from 200 to 300 pages. We were mostly stuck at the house for two weeks while I worked on it. We were all thrilled when it was over. On the bright side, my company has had lots of success with these pursuits. Hopefully, that means that a little more $ will trickle down to this single mom.
Another thing sucking up my time and money are house issues. I remember hearing that houses start falling apart when they hit 20 years. Lots of things need to be replaced then. This summer has been about repairing things, which means that at 7 years little issues come up. First, my a/c needed more freon, just like it did last summer (guessing next year they'll discover a leak). My clothes dryer has to be reset 2 times to get clothes dry and 3 times for towels. I'm choosing to ignore this problem for now. The pilot light on my water heater would also not stay on. On the bright side, I am quite skilled at re-lighting it now. A repair man tried to say it was because it was in the attic and it is hot up there. Nice theory, but everyone in Houston has their water heater in the attic and not everyone has to re-light it every day. Finally, he returned a week later to replace a little wire and it is working now.
Our summer fun has included the kids being in a week long VBS at a local Baptist church, Tuesday morning movies at the brand new theater near our house, multiple trips to the library every week, and lots of time at our community pools (many are like water parks). These all have one thing in common - they are free. The pools would be really fun if I hasn't flying by the seat of my pants and could line it up enough to invite friends. It isn't easy scheduling life around work. When things seem to be easing up, I suddenly realize we can go do something RIGHT NOW. We basically jump in the car and go. Thankfully, my kids seem to be getting along with each other better than ever. They still argue and bug each other, but they are also playing and enjoying their time together more.
We only have 4 weeks until school starts. I guess I need to figure out a few activities that we can do to pump up this summer a bit. Hmmm.... this will take a lot of thinking since most outdoor activities aren't enjoyable in this heat.
Monday, May 30, 2011
Leaps of Faith
When I got out of college, I took huge leaps of faith several times. Twice I decided to move to a different city (Denver & Miami) where I didn’t know anyone, didn’t know where I would live and didn’t have a job. I just packed up my car and hit the road. I was quite nervous about whether or not it would work out, but I have moved almost every year of my entire life so I just went for it.
It is one of the things about me that my friends laugh at/half admire/think is insane. Getting older has slightly decreased my desire to do that, but it is clearly still part of who I am. This recent move back to Texas wasn’t completely into the unknown. First, I am still working for the company that I started with in 2002. Second, I knew that I would be moving back to my house. Unpacking has been easy since I mostly just put things where I had them before. Third, I know my way around town. Not only did I live here for two years before going to California, but my family has lived here off and on since we moved here when I was in high school. This feels like home for me. Fourth, I have lots of close friends here many of whom feel like family. There is nothing like having a long history/friendship with people. All of these points lead me to be being truly happy.
However, life is never completely perfect. I have had to get use to sharing custody. Not that there is anything wrong with it or that it has been difficult, but I am a little over protective as a mother in some ways. I think I have been doing a pretty decent job of sharing though. Unfortunately, my main concern is our financial situation. I am currently only working part-time for my company. With the very slow (practically stopped) economy in Florida, that is all they need from me. I have decided that the best way to cover the bills is to do a little consulting on the side. I know I am great at my job, but I just have to find clients. That is why I have been absent on my blog. Basically, I’m busy with another one of my leaps of faith. I just pray that this one goes as well as all the others have.
It is one of the things about me that my friends laugh at/half admire/think is insane. Getting older has slightly decreased my desire to do that, but it is clearly still part of who I am. This recent move back to Texas wasn’t completely into the unknown. First, I am still working for the company that I started with in 2002. Second, I knew that I would be moving back to my house. Unpacking has been easy since I mostly just put things where I had them before. Third, I know my way around town. Not only did I live here for two years before going to California, but my family has lived here off and on since we moved here when I was in high school. This feels like home for me. Fourth, I have lots of close friends here many of whom feel like family. There is nothing like having a long history/friendship with people. All of these points lead me to be being truly happy.
However, life is never completely perfect. I have had to get use to sharing custody. Not that there is anything wrong with it or that it has been difficult, but I am a little over protective as a mother in some ways. I think I have been doing a pretty decent job of sharing though. Unfortunately, my main concern is our financial situation. I am currently only working part-time for my company. With the very slow (practically stopped) economy in Florida, that is all they need from me. I have decided that the best way to cover the bills is to do a little consulting on the side. I know I am great at my job, but I just have to find clients. That is why I have been absent on my blog. Basically, I’m busy with another one of my leaps of faith. I just pray that this one goes as well as all the others have.
Friday, December 18, 2009
Still Waiting...
I decided to do a little update. My files are still locked on the hard drive. Fun, right? My office didn't have any luck with it, so they decided to send it out to a company that specializes in this kind of thing.
http://www.ontrackdatarecovery.com
Unfortunately, it is going to cost about $1000 and take a week, assuming that anything can be done. Please for your own sake, back-up your file.
Other than that, I am just enjoying the holidays. My brothers are already showing up. One came a few days ago and another one last night. The third one is coming this afternoon. Our house will be FULL of kids and activities. That will keep my mind off the stress.
http://www.ontrackdatarecovery.com
Unfortunately, it is going to cost about $1000 and take a week, assuming that anything can be done. Please for your own sake, back-up your file.
Other than that, I am just enjoying the holidays. My brothers are already showing up. One came a few days ago and another one last night. The third one is coming this afternoon. Our house will be FULL of kids and activities. That will keep my mind off the stress.
Friday, December 11, 2009
Nearly Nervous Breakdown Time
This has been an awful work week, one truly for the books. It all started on Monday, when I realized that my hard drive was inaccessible. I tried to use it on different computers hoping that it was some kind of sick fluke. Finally, I realized that I had to call my boss. It was last afternoon and he told me to send it to him ASAP through Fedex. I had to wake Jordan up from his nap and drag my kids out in the pouring cold rain. I made it to Fedex moments before the cut-off.
All of my work for the last 18 months is on that hard drive. Yes, I knew ALL along that I should do back-ups. Unfortunately, I failed to make it a priority and therefore I never got around to it. It is now the end of the week of me being nervous and so far my office has had no luck recovering the files. Yesterday, they gave it our IT consultant.
I am praying for a Christmas miracle because I really don’t want to deal with the MONTHS of long hours for make-up work this will cause. For now, I can gladly report that the extra nervousness has helped me lose 5 lbs.
All of my work for the last 18 months is on that hard drive. Yes, I knew ALL along that I should do back-ups. Unfortunately, I failed to make it a priority and therefore I never got around to it. It is now the end of the week of me being nervous and so far my office has had no luck recovering the files. Yesterday, they gave it our IT consultant.
I am praying for a Christmas miracle because I really don’t want to deal with the MONTHS of long hours for make-up work this will cause. For now, I can gladly report that the extra nervousness has helped me lose 5 lbs.
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Eternal Frat Boy
This afternoon, I was working on a proposal for my company. I realized that we might need someone to fill a very specialized position. I only know 2 people who can do that kind of work, so I decided to look one of them up in case we needed him. I haven't seen him in seven years, so I started with google. I didn't have any luck. Then, I tried Facebook & BAM there was his picture portraying an image exactly like I remembered him. He was sitting in a hot tub wearing a cowboy hat with 3 bikini clad girls surrounding him. Proof that some guys never change.
Thinking about him makes me laugh. On paper, he would be a tremendous catch for any girl. He is a great looking guy, is probably about 6’2”, has a master’s degree in engineering, is very social, loves to have fun, and makes great money. In fact, he started his own company, bought an air plane and does lots of work in the Caribbean. Who wouldn’t want a guy like that? ….ME and probably every other sensible girl alive.
Despite the fact that he is in his mid thirties, he will always be a frat boy. Not only does he party hard and drink a lot (like he is always on Spring Break on Miami Beach), but he is the ultimate dare devil. Basically, he can pretty much check off his to do list every wild/dangerous activity known to man. He is also the MOST unorganized person ever born. We worked together & his office was such a disaster that nobody dared to enter. Someone once saw a pair of dirty underwear under his desk.
He was actually the butt of many of our office jokes. Who else could sink a company boat twice in one day? I will not even try to remember how many lap tops he broke. Perhaps, I will just friend him on Facebook for the laughs and leave him off of my proposal.
Thinking about him makes me laugh. On paper, he would be a tremendous catch for any girl. He is a great looking guy, is probably about 6’2”, has a master’s degree in engineering, is very social, loves to have fun, and makes great money. In fact, he started his own company, bought an air plane and does lots of work in the Caribbean. Who wouldn’t want a guy like that? ….ME and probably every other sensible girl alive.
Despite the fact that he is in his mid thirties, he will always be a frat boy. Not only does he party hard and drink a lot (like he is always on Spring Break on Miami Beach), but he is the ultimate dare devil. Basically, he can pretty much check off his to do list every wild/dangerous activity known to man. He is also the MOST unorganized person ever born. We worked together & his office was such a disaster that nobody dared to enter. Someone once saw a pair of dirty underwear under his desk.
He was actually the butt of many of our office jokes. Who else could sink a company boat twice in one day? I will not even try to remember how many lap tops he broke. Perhaps, I will just friend him on Facebook for the laughs and leave him off of my proposal.
Friday, April 10, 2009
Good Friday
When your working in an office, every Friday is a good Friday. Now, that I work from home I tend to find myself working on the weekends. I guess the good thing about the weekends though is that my in-box for my work e-mails isn't as active with things I need to take care of. I also don't feel as guilty if I don't manage to make time for work.
Speaking of that, working from home really isn't as ideal as it sounds, at least when you have little kids. Ideally, I could get all the work done when they are napping or in the evening after I put them to bed. In reality, my workload is either insane or practically nothing. During the insane times, working while trying to keep them happy and life moving forward becomes extremely stressful. Imagine trying to write a meaningful blog post with your kids screaming in the background. Now, add a pay check to it, with people counting on you, and a deadline. Tough, right? My neighbor has told me to "just pop a no-doze and work through the night." That makes me laugh because I am not a college kid who can do that for a few days and then recover by sleeping for a full day. Life must go on. Kids require some sort of schedule even if it is only eating, sleeping, and playing. I must keep everything going.
I guess I sound like I am complaining, but I would not trade this to go back into the office. I just want to say that it is quite a bit more stressful and that I am looking forward to next fall when both kids are in the mother's day out program for three days a week.
I don't even know why I went off on this tangent that started with Good Friday. Mainly, I wanted to say that I am still in California. I've decided to stay here until the end of April. With my mom & sister's help, I have been able to work, entertain the kids, and actually get some much needed sleep. Perhaps, this will help me deal with real life when I go back to Texas. Anyway, today is good Friday and I just want to say.... HAPPY EASTER!
Speaking of that, working from home really isn't as ideal as it sounds, at least when you have little kids. Ideally, I could get all the work done when they are napping or in the evening after I put them to bed. In reality, my workload is either insane or practically nothing. During the insane times, working while trying to keep them happy and life moving forward becomes extremely stressful. Imagine trying to write a meaningful blog post with your kids screaming in the background. Now, add a pay check to it, with people counting on you, and a deadline. Tough, right? My neighbor has told me to "just pop a no-doze and work through the night." That makes me laugh because I am not a college kid who can do that for a few days and then recover by sleeping for a full day. Life must go on. Kids require some sort of schedule even if it is only eating, sleeping, and playing. I must keep everything going.
I guess I sound like I am complaining, but I would not trade this to go back into the office. I just want to say that it is quite a bit more stressful and that I am looking forward to next fall when both kids are in the mother's day out program for three days a week.
I don't even know why I went off on this tangent that started with Good Friday. Mainly, I wanted to say that I am still in California. I've decided to stay here until the end of April. With my mom & sister's help, I have been able to work, entertain the kids, and actually get some much needed sleep. Perhaps, this will help me deal with real life when I go back to Texas. Anyway, today is good Friday and I just want to say.... HAPPY EASTER!
Saturday, February 07, 2009
Everything is Fine
Two weeks ago, I called a friend. Immediately, I knew something was wrong. She denied it and tried to make small talk. We have been friends for a long time and I know probably all of her secrets, but I played along. A few minutes into the conversation, she burst into tears and said she couldn’t talk right now.
Every few days since then, I have called her and slowly she divulged all the different issues bothering her. Mainly, she was worried that her career had taken a nose dive. For the past seven years, she has been working for the devil-incarnate. I have been hearing some rather extreme horror stories since she started. The whole thing finally blew up and she is suddenly without a job in a time when the economy is frightening. On top of that, every shot she has had turned sour as soon as they checked with past employers (we all know which one). I am actually listed as one of her references, because she assisted me with Marketing at a company where we worked together. I have yet to receive a call.
I gave her a few words of advice, but nothing very helpful. Two nights ago, the answer suddenly came to me. I knew exactly who she should work for and no other references besides mine would be necessary. Yesterday, after I made a few calls, she was offered a dream job working from home. Maybe I shouldn't say "dream job," she isn’t making an ideal salary to start off. However, by the end of the day, she was walking on sunshine. She went from the depths of despair to the highest of highs.
I have been thinking about this situation since then and I realize that opening up to others and networking can really work miracles. You never know who will be your link in the chain. For a while, I didn’t even realize that I was that link for her. This world really is small. Now, I just have to take my own advice and stop keeping all my problems bottled up. ...we'll see.
Every few days since then, I have called her and slowly she divulged all the different issues bothering her. Mainly, she was worried that her career had taken a nose dive. For the past seven years, she has been working for the devil-incarnate. I have been hearing some rather extreme horror stories since she started. The whole thing finally blew up and she is suddenly without a job in a time when the economy is frightening. On top of that, every shot she has had turned sour as soon as they checked with past employers (we all know which one). I am actually listed as one of her references, because she assisted me with Marketing at a company where we worked together. I have yet to receive a call.
I gave her a few words of advice, but nothing very helpful. Two nights ago, the answer suddenly came to me. I knew exactly who she should work for and no other references besides mine would be necessary. Yesterday, after I made a few calls, she was offered a dream job working from home. Maybe I shouldn't say "dream job," she isn’t making an ideal salary to start off. However, by the end of the day, she was walking on sunshine. She went from the depths of despair to the highest of highs.
I have been thinking about this situation since then and I realize that opening up to others and networking can really work miracles. You never know who will be your link in the chain. For a while, I didn’t even realize that I was that link for her. This world really is small. Now, I just have to take my own advice and stop keeping all my problems bottled up. ...we'll see.
Thursday, May 01, 2008
May Day
When too many things are going on in life, it is easy to fall behind or feel like you are slipping. This month is going to be one for the books. Besides getting everything ready to close on the new place in the middle of May, packing, taking care of kids, coming up with Mother's Day Presents for our grandmas, and trying to figure out how to do something at least a little special for our 5th anniversary while moving, I have quite a few deadlines for work.
Oh, & did I forget to mention that my sweet little boy is nowhere near getting close to sleeping through the night? He still wakes up every 2 - 3 hours starving despite the fact that I have been feeding him cereal for breakfast plus cereal & veggies for dinner, which is more than I was feeding Lexi at this age. I mentioned this problem to a friend who told me that her pre-term son was the same way (BTW- he was bottle fed). They just can't get enough to eat. She told me the answer is banana flakes, but they are only sold through medical supply companies. Unfortunately, I can only find them by the case. I am not sure that I want to spend over $100 just to see if this will work. ...not yet anyway.
Needless to say, I am looking forward to the end of this month. Not only because I am hoping most of these issues will disappear but because the beach club and water park in our community will open. It is always nice to have a SUPER fun activity to wear the kiddos out at. -Happy May!
Oh, & did I forget to mention that my sweet little boy is nowhere near getting close to sleeping through the night? He still wakes up every 2 - 3 hours starving despite the fact that I have been feeding him cereal for breakfast plus cereal & veggies for dinner, which is more than I was feeding Lexi at this age. I mentioned this problem to a friend who told me that her pre-term son was the same way (BTW- he was bottle fed). They just can't get enough to eat. She told me the answer is banana flakes, but they are only sold through medical supply companies. Unfortunately, I can only find them by the case. I am not sure that I want to spend over $100 just to see if this will work. ...not yet anyway.
Needless to say, I am looking forward to the end of this month. Not only because I am hoping most of these issues will disappear but because the beach club and water park in our community will open. It is always nice to have a SUPER fun activity to wear the kiddos out at. -Happy May!
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Not an IT Girl
I have disappeared from the blogging world for the past two weeks because I remembered how much I hate computers. For the most part, they are fine or even great, but when it comes to IT stuff...YUCK! I have been working on getting hooked up to the servers at work. I ordered a static IP, had to changed modems, fought with getting the firewall installed, and spent a million hours talking to tech support. Everything is finally doing what it should and I am praying that I don't have to go through all this again when we move.
Speaking of that, we have a contract on the new place. Yippee!! We are supposed to close around April 15th. I have also realized just how wonderful our realtor is. She is doing everything, even stuff I should be taking care of. Maybe some people prefer to be more involved, but with everything going on right now...I love it!
Speaking of that, we have a contract on the new place. Yippee!! We are supposed to close around April 15th. I have also realized just how wonderful our realtor is. She is doing everything, even stuff I should be taking care of. Maybe some people prefer to be more involved, but with everything going on right now...I love it!
Monday, April 07, 2008
Back in the Saddle
Those of you who read my last post may have guessed that my old boss called & offered me a part time job. Apparently, they have not been happy with the way marketing has been handled since I left. I will only be taking on the part of the job that I truly enjoy though, which is creating proposals. I will not have to do a lot of research or mingling.
Today was my first day back, I guess. I had a telephone conference with several people in the office to go over our roles. To prepare for the call, I put a movie on for Lexi. I knew I needed a little quiet time and that would be the best way. About 10 minutes into it, she started screaming her head off (in a non-hurt way). I had to ask them to give me a minute and let me call them back. Apparently, in my haste, I had forgotten to take her to the potty and she had an accident. Oops. I'll add that to the check list.
Fortunately, they love kids and I have worked for them for 5 years, so it wasn’t embarrassing. Can you imagine starting off a new job like that? Of course, I didn’t mention the reason I had to call them back. However, I did let them know that they will have better luck getting more of my attention in the afternoon when she is napping/enjoying quiet time. That is when I plan to do the bulk of the work. Hmm...planning that is the thing that used to work before I had 2 kids.
Let the games begin.
Today was my first day back, I guess. I had a telephone conference with several people in the office to go over our roles. To prepare for the call, I put a movie on for Lexi. I knew I needed a little quiet time and that would be the best way. About 10 minutes into it, she started screaming her head off (in a non-hurt way). I had to ask them to give me a minute and let me call them back. Apparently, in my haste, I had forgotten to take her to the potty and she had an accident. Oops. I'll add that to the check list.
Fortunately, they love kids and I have worked for them for 5 years, so it wasn’t embarrassing. Can you imagine starting off a new job like that? Of course, I didn’t mention the reason I had to call them back. However, I did let them know that they will have better luck getting more of my attention in the afternoon when she is napping/enjoying quiet time. That is when I plan to do the bulk of the work. Hmm...planning that is the thing that used to work before I had 2 kids.
Let the games begin.
Friday, April 04, 2008
The Winds Are Changing
Starting the week off with a kidney stone could have been a sign that life was about to shift. The obvious sign that I need to start paying closer attention to my body was the first one. By refocusing on my health kick goal from New Years, I'll be sure to take a vitamin everyday and eat a little healthier so that a calcium deficiency never beats me up again. Pregnancy & breastfeeding aren't exactly easy on women. Besides the pain, I have decided to quit slacking and really work to get the baby weight off. In January, I talked the talk and seriously thought about it, but have failed to follow through. Yes - I sadly admit that I am the same weight that I was at the 6 week check-up. Exercise hasn't been the problem. I have been turning to sugar highs to combat lack of sleep. Fortunately, Jordan is finally improving with help from cereal.
Another change that I can't go into too much detail about, started with a phone call Monday night. I was offered a job working part-time from home doing something I know all about. The additional income will help with money things that have been on my mind like saving for college, 401k, a new vehicle for me in the future, mortgage payment, decent furniture, and life in general. It is just the amount of money that I figured would give us breathing room.
Because of that call, I have had to jump into action. I am making To Do Lists everyday to catch up on things that have been neglected. Getting them done now will help make working easier. I have also researched and found a good little mother's day out program for Lexi to start in the Fall. I am actually excited about it. She'll be going 2 half days a week. That should give me enough time to speed through work while entertaining Jordan. An evening or Saturday/Sunday may be necessary as well, but we'll see.
We'll I am off to go to playgroup and then run more errands ... Have a great weekend!
Another change that I can't go into too much detail about, started with a phone call Monday night. I was offered a job working part-time from home doing something I know all about. The additional income will help with money things that have been on my mind like saving for college, 401k, a new vehicle for me in the future, mortgage payment, decent furniture, and life in general. It is just the amount of money that I figured would give us breathing room.
Because of that call, I have had to jump into action. I am making To Do Lists everyday to catch up on things that have been neglected. Getting them done now will help make working easier. I have also researched and found a good little mother's day out program for Lexi to start in the Fall. I am actually excited about it. She'll be going 2 half days a week. That should give me enough time to speed through work while entertaining Jordan. An evening or Saturday/Sunday may be necessary as well, but we'll see.
We'll I am off to go to playgroup and then run more errands ... Have a great weekend!
Thursday, January 18, 2007
Irreplaceable
Last Friday, I wrote about karma. Sometimes getting to the point where good things start coming back around takes time. Sometimes you have to go through more pain before that starts happening.
Unfortunately, as a spin-off of that situation, one of my favorite people in the company decided to resign. In reality, I have spent the last week stressed out about her stress. I tossed and turned at night worrying about her. That actually bothered me more than whether or not we get the contract. She was the only female working here when I started and I always assumed she would be here long after I leave. I feel a deep sadness that she will not be a co-worker anymore. I truly enjoyed her friendship and the dynamics that she added to the firm.
We are all taught that everyone is replaceable in a company. While, I believe that to be true of the actual work, it is simply not true of the friendship and dynamic elements a person creates. For a person like me, who loves change this is a powerful statement. My normal reaction is one of excitement to see where things will lead, but not this time. I selfishly want her around.
Friday, January 12, 2007
Clutching to My Belief in Karma
I won't give any details about my job, but I am the marketing person, so my job is to go after new contracts. For a couple months, I worked on creating a rather large proposal (the equivalent of a 100 page report with intricate graphics). The future client received proposals from two companies and asked each to come in for an interview/ presentation. We ended up blowing the other company out of the water. Our hard work and preparation was evident. As we were leaving, the other company congratulated us and left. My company was on a high; we were all thrilled.
Little did we know that the other company was known for playing extremely dirty. It is not always easy to take the high road when lies are being flung like mud, but I truly believe that is the only way to handle this situation. It is the time to graciously address each issue, while refraining from slinging some of that mud back.
I have to say that this week has been a rude awakening and a reminder of why business ethics are so important. A quick search on the internet revealed that the other company is riddled with lawsuits over this exact same type of scenario (and others). No matter what the outcome, I will hold on to my belief that what goes around comes around.
Little did we know that the other company was known for playing extremely dirty. It is not always easy to take the high road when lies are being flung like mud, but I truly believe that is the only way to handle this situation. It is the time to graciously address each issue, while refraining from slinging some of that mud back.
I have to say that this week has been a rude awakening and a reminder of why business ethics are so important. A quick search on the internet revealed that the other company is riddled with lawsuits over this exact same type of scenario (and others). No matter what the outcome, I will hold on to my belief that what goes around comes around.
Monday, December 18, 2006
Company Christmas Parties
This weekend was all about company Christmas (ok "Holiday") parties. Friday night, Steve & I went to his party, which was at Seminole Hardrock Casino. While the party was fun, I really just wanted to hang out in their amazing pool. It has caves, water falls, a bar in the middle, tiki huts with flat screen tvs, and everything. I also spent the night missing Lexi. After a whole day of work, Steve picked her up from daycare & took her right to my friend's house. I didn't get to see her until 11pm. This was only our 2nd time out without her. Fortunately, my company's holiday party was a family lunch at Buca di Beppo. I know a lot of people enjoy a night out without all the kids, but I prefer having kids around. Tags: company christmas parties, seminole hardrock casino, buca de beppo
Thursday, November 30, 2006
Naughty or Nice
Most parents use Santa Clause as a threat during the holidays. We all have heard many times that Santa will not give presents to naughty kids. As a result, believing kids shape up during the end of the year. Sometimes they need a few reminders along the way, but for the most part it is all about getting rewarded. After many years of hearing these tactics, you would figure that people would automatically step in line at the end of the year. Right?
The Santa Clause threat still exists for quite a few adults in the corporate world. Some companies believe in rewarding good employees for being responsible, praiseworthy, and hardworking (possibly brown-nosing the best) with a Christmas Bonus. We are near the end of the year when they decide how large the bonuses will be, so as a logical person you would expect everyone to be on their best behavior, right? WRONG! Yesterday, there was major drama and tizzy fits in the office. Thank goodness, I am not in HR and know none of the details (grapevine gossip will probably get us all up to speed in a matter of days). My point is THIS IS NOT THE TIME to act insane!
Forget karma, doing good for the sake of being a good person, wanting to make it into heaven, etc., this time of year is all about the Christmas Bonus. So...all I am saying is watch your p's & q's and smile pretty for the camera (oh, & keep me out of it).
Friday, August 25, 2006
Sacred Times & Friday Gripes
I have come to believe that people who schedule business meetings on Fridays or any kind of meetings after 4 pm during the week are purely evil. It is Friday and I should be able to wear jeans like everyone else, but NO I had to attend a meeting. It is a monthly meeting so there really is no need for it to be on Fridays.
I have to attend another similar type monthly meeting on the third Tuesday of the month and guess what time it is scheduled for. Yep, it is at 4pm in downtown
Enough complaints, the work week is almost over, so time to start feeling great. HAPPY FRIDAY!!!
Tags: Casual Friday, Meetings
Thursday, August 24, 2006
Using Body Language
In every company I have worked for, there was always one female employee that seemed to flirt with the boss. By flirting, I mean that these chicks stand too close, act overly interested, strike seductive posses, giggle instead of laugh even at dumb jokes, and generally go overboard when asked to perform a task. I highly doubt the ones I have been around were having an affair with the boss. Their behavior is simply used to get what they want (attention, more money, better office supplies, etc.). The funny thing is that it does work on some level and they get a little farther than they would based on their intelligence or work ability, but they don't have many friends. Whenever I observe one of these interactions, I often wonder why the guys fall for it and what in the chick's past/childhood makes her think that this is the method for getting what she wants.
Tags: body language, work
Wednesday, May 24, 2006
Better Day
Lexi seems to be getting use to the work situation. I went home for lunch today & she had just fallen asleep. I held her for a minute & then put her in her crib. I finally got back to the office within the allotted lunch break. Now, Paige is probably getting bored, especially since she doesn't have a car. Her day consists of several walks with Lexi in the front pack, playing on the internet, watching television and dvds, and of course playing with Lexi. Come to think of it, I wish I had a job like that.
Monday, May 22, 2006
Back at Work
As you all probably know (from my many sobbing complaints previously posted), it is back to work for me today. Besides missing Lexi horribly, I guess I am doing ok. She spit up on me right as I was about to leave this morning, which has to mean that she was making sure that I didn't miss out on everything. My sister told me that she slept most of the morning. Of course, I rushed home for lunch to see her. I got to spend a little time before rushing back. It warmed my heart to see that she was extremely excited to see me. My heart broke when she cried as I handed her back to my sister to leave. I ended up cuddling her for a few more minutes.
To be honest, there is a very small part of me that feels a little like things are returning to normal. Don't get me wrong, I would choose to be a SAHM any day of the week. What I am feeling is a weird realization that I am not pregnant anymore. It started with setting up my computer this morning. When I left in January, I unhooked my computer by myself. It was NOT easy with that big belly and my huge wood desk that is impossible to move. Climbing under my desk & on top of it trying to get all the cords situated reminded me of how much easier things are as a non-pregnant girl. (Ok, so I probably shouldn't have unhooked my computer in January, but I am a fiercely independent person.)
Basically today, I am feeling very sad when we are apart, excited for the moments I can see her, and strange about not being pregnant. You can be sure that I am looking forward to 5:30 pm, so I can rush home to be with her again. Hmm... maybe it is time to think about another maternity leave. Yeah right!
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