This weekend is our staff Summer picnic! The weather looks promising for a great day and a lot of fun out on the water for a boat tour. I can't wait!
Because there are so many of us, we usually do these events pot-luck style. Thankfully I happened to be around when the sign up list got posted in the kitchen and I was able to grab one of the "dessert" spots on the list.
Cooking or baking of any kind is not my forte, not even close. My sister got all those genes. The one thing I do know how to *cough* "bake" is a chocolate cake layered thingy with cool whip & pudding mixed with crushed chocolate bar.
It's not even really fair to say I bake it. It's a cake box recipe and all I have to do is add one egg and some water and maybe some oil..... it's on the box and provided I will pay enough attention when reading the instructions, all should be fine and a nice Devil's Food cake will magically appear from my oven. Those that know me are well aware that it's a toss up to if I'll get it right. But mercifully that's all the baking that's required. The rest is all done for me. Cool Whip - done baby, right out of the container. Pudding - right out of the little cups. There is no way I'd be making it from scratch, wouldn't even know where to start. Chocolate bars - bought at the grocery store in a pack of 4, on sale.
I have the utmost respect and admiration for those that can cook/bake, even more so for those that enjoy doing so. It's a lost art on me. Every now and then I feel as if I'm missing out on something and maybe if I find just the right thing to cook the magic will hit me and I'll love it. The grocery industry has made a fortune off of me when these moods hit. Off to the grocery store I'll go, list in hand, freshly written after looking through the dusty cookbooks others have bought for me. I buy the ingredients with gusto, get them home and then feel completely over whelmed with what I'm about to do. Lost even. The Hinterland Who's Who music plays in the back ground as I try to mix and stir and re-create what looks so amazing in the picture. I consider it a success if it's actually editable and the fire alarm didn't go off - don't think it hasn't.
So yes, I will always be the dessert girl at the potluck. The luck part for others is when I am successful in scoring a dessert slot. I love my family and friends and like my co-workers far too much to even risk it. I don't even know what to call it when I don't.
Happy weekend, happy boating and happy dessert-ing to all.
Friday, August 27, 2010
Remember When...
You were a kid and you were forced into doing something you had absolutely no interest in doing, all because of the magical words "it's good for you, it'll build character"? It was a bogus answer then, and it's still a bogus answer now. Especially when, as an adult, you know what's really going on.
The words have changed, "It's a great growth opportunity for you, you'll have such an important impact in the way things are executed for the program", but the meaning behind them has stayed the same. You do what I'm telling you and I don't want to hear about it. They might was well skip up the hall saying "Nahhh nahh nahh nahh nahh.
How did this happen??!!???
Grrrrrr..... Argghhhhh!!!!
I "Drafted" this post for a few days, figuring that I'd better settle down a bit before I hit Publish and forever have my lunatic ranting out in cyber world. My perspective on the situation hasn't changed much but I've simmered down and my alert status has gone from brilliant glowing red, to a soft yellow.
*sigh*
The work is challenging which I love. It's taking me outside my comfort zone, great, I don't mind. Truly. I think what gets my back up is the fact that when it was presented to my director and me about what the new responsibilities would include, a LOT of details were left out. So, didn't know I was supposed to, not clairvoyant here, how did you think I'd have figured it out. Save me the sanctimonious attitude when you tell me that I was supposed to have made these decisions. Go lecture someone who deserves it. Want to let the new girl in on the plan?!!
I better be careful about how much I go on. I'm not normally a pessimistic person about my job. I love it. I've been with my organization for almost 7 years and I still love it. It's like your favourite book or movie that has that one small little part you don't like all that much. That's what this is.
I'll find a way to make it work and have the nagging feeling that the bogus answer - without my jaded interpreted meaning, is going to turn out to be true after all.
The words have changed, "It's a great growth opportunity for you, you'll have such an important impact in the way things are executed for the program", but the meaning behind them has stayed the same. You do what I'm telling you and I don't want to hear about it. They might was well skip up the hall saying "Nahhh nahh nahh nahh nahh.
How did this happen??!!???
Grrrrrr..... Argghhhhh!!!!
I "Drafted" this post for a few days, figuring that I'd better settle down a bit before I hit Publish and forever have my lunatic ranting out in cyber world. My perspective on the situation hasn't changed much but I've simmered down and my alert status has gone from brilliant glowing red, to a soft yellow.
*sigh*
The work is challenging which I love. It's taking me outside my comfort zone, great, I don't mind. Truly. I think what gets my back up is the fact that when it was presented to my director and me about what the new responsibilities would include, a LOT of details were left out. So, didn't know I was supposed to, not clairvoyant here, how did you think I'd have figured it out. Save me the sanctimonious attitude when you tell me that I was supposed to have made these decisions. Go lecture someone who deserves it. Want to let the new girl in on the plan?!!
I better be careful about how much I go on. I'm not normally a pessimistic person about my job. I love it. I've been with my organization for almost 7 years and I still love it. It's like your favourite book or movie that has that one small little part you don't like all that much. That's what this is.
I'll find a way to make it work and have the nagging feeling that the bogus answer - without my jaded interpreted meaning, is going to turn out to be true after all.
Sometimes the best time management tool is: A Door that Closes
Life can be hectic - no kidding!! Sometimes I wonder how I became one of those people that can never seem to find time during the day to get this or that done. I'm organized. I'm an organized person! I have a day timer, not a blackberry, but an old fashioned paper and pen day timer. I love it and although I'm not lost without it, I rely on it. But alas, sometimes despite my valiant effort to manage my time I come up short.
I find this especially true of my work life and the things I need to get done while I'm here with my work family. I say family because it really is one. I spend 5 (sometimes 6 or 7, depending on the time of year) days a week here, 8-9 hours a day - again, sometimes more, with the people in my office, definitely with the people that I supervise. Deep down, I know that learning how to say one simple word would make my life easier and free up a lot of my time, that word being No. Two letters. N. O. Hard to say, hard to stick to. Who'd have thought.
I work in a cubeville - who doesn't. There are offices along the interior wall for those of us that have people reporting to us. I do have people that report to me, but didn't at the time the office was designed. We're looking to upgrade some space, but until then...When we need some un-interrupted time, we each have a light that we turn on and hang or place on the top of our cube. It's meaning - I need some privacy/quiet, please come back and see me soon or drop me an email and I'll get back to you when I can. Thank you.
For 95% of the people it works fine. I am not in that percentile. Light on or Light off, mine is the ever revolving "door" cube. To everyones credit, they always apologise once they notice the light, but they continue on. It can be challenging to say the least when I'm trying to dig in and focus and get some stuff done.
My director is off on vacation for a week which means her office is empty. Her office has a door. A door that closes. Knowing that I had some fairly tight deadlines to meet this week I temporarily moved into her office. Closed her door and turned on her light. WOW!! It was amazing. It was like I was surrounded by an invisibility force field. It was like a mini vacation. It was fan-damn-tastic!!!!! I got so much done. All my deadlines were met and I got some extra stuff done to. Forget all those high price workshops and seminars that try to teach us how to manage our time. Save your money and build your people offices that have doors that close. I'm willing to bet that the efficiency expert that sold the business world on cubicles never had to work in one!
Praise be to the office door that closes.
I find this especially true of my work life and the things I need to get done while I'm here with my work family. I say family because it really is one. I spend 5 (sometimes 6 or 7, depending on the time of year) days a week here, 8-9 hours a day - again, sometimes more, with the people in my office, definitely with the people that I supervise. Deep down, I know that learning how to say one simple word would make my life easier and free up a lot of my time, that word being No. Two letters. N. O. Hard to say, hard to stick to. Who'd have thought.
I work in a cubeville - who doesn't. There are offices along the interior wall for those of us that have people reporting to us. I do have people that report to me, but didn't at the time the office was designed. We're looking to upgrade some space, but until then...When we need some un-interrupted time, we each have a light that we turn on and hang or place on the top of our cube. It's meaning - I need some privacy/quiet, please come back and see me soon or drop me an email and I'll get back to you when I can. Thank you.
For 95% of the people it works fine. I am not in that percentile. Light on or Light off, mine is the ever revolving "door" cube. To everyones credit, they always apologise once they notice the light, but they continue on. It can be challenging to say the least when I'm trying to dig in and focus and get some stuff done.
My director is off on vacation for a week which means her office is empty. Her office has a door. A door that closes. Knowing that I had some fairly tight deadlines to meet this week I temporarily moved into her office. Closed her door and turned on her light. WOW!! It was amazing. It was like I was surrounded by an invisibility force field. It was like a mini vacation. It was fan-damn-tastic!!!!! I got so much done. All my deadlines were met and I got some extra stuff done to. Forget all those high price workshops and seminars that try to teach us how to manage our time. Save your money and build your people offices that have doors that close. I'm willing to bet that the efficiency expert that sold the business world on cubicles never had to work in one!
Praise be to the office door that closes.
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Messy Desk
If I acknowledge and own up to the fact that my desk is a complete disaster area, does that make it OK?
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Heigh Ho Heigh Ho into the Blog World I go
Although I can't imagine what will become of this blog or what I'll ultimately end up using it for, I thought it was time to see what it's all about. Friends of mine are hooked on blogging and tweeting and Facebooking, so much that some of them really need to consider some type of "step" program to help them live life without a phone attached to their hand and needing to know what little Susie that they grew up with, but haven't seen in 20 years, is up to at this very minute. That being said, they're not alone and I feel like an archaic fossil with my little purple flip phone that doesn't have a full keyboard or the ability to access my Facebook at any given second of the day. *Sigh*
Probably this will become my place to babble and natter on about what I see and experience - I don't have much of a lofty goal here, so we'll see what happens. If people read what I share here and enjoy it, so much the better. With Facebook, I just can't seem to figure out why anyone would care that so and so just brushed their teeth and are now planning on watching the flavour of the month reality show, and I wonder if this is simply an extended version of that. For those reading, I did not just brush my teeth and I can't stand reality TV; however I am at work, on my break and am planning on getting back to work and getting some database maintenance stuff done. Take that reality TV!!
See you soon.
Probably this will become my place to babble and natter on about what I see and experience - I don't have much of a lofty goal here, so we'll see what happens. If people read what I share here and enjoy it, so much the better. With Facebook, I just can't seem to figure out why anyone would care that so and so just brushed their teeth and are now planning on watching the flavour of the month reality show, and I wonder if this is simply an extended version of that. For those reading, I did not just brush my teeth and I can't stand reality TV; however I am at work, on my break and am planning on getting back to work and getting some database maintenance stuff done. Take that reality TV!!
See you soon.
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