Pictures.......Perfect!
I finally have a place of my own at work. And the best thing about it - it's my place to customize and personalize to my heart's desire. So....in came the pictures!! & I discovered the joy of having smiling faces & captured memories brightening my entire workday. Plus I took in a few other treasured items to help remind me what I'm working for (river rocks, beach sand, and a really old Hershey's chocolate tin.) So thank you to my family & friends for the fabulous memories & the gift you give each day in the thought of your love and place in my heart & life.
Ok, I'm all sappy. But I mean it. Thanks guys!
Monday, August 07, 2006
Wednesday, August 02, 2006
Monday, July 31, 2006
What?! What's that??!!
My new job is awesome. But I have an obstacle. I have to learn how to relax and deal with down-time. (What is this 'relax' thing I keep hearing about? What is down-time?) I found out today I'm NOT going to be busy ALL the time I'm at work. (Uhhhh, how does that work? What do you mean?) I'm not a slow-paced worker. I don't like having nothing to do. I'm accustomed to constant multi-tasking and carrying on mile-a-minute-bits-&-pieces-when-we-can-fit-it-in conversations with co-workers during my busy busy non-stop, very UN-down-time work hours.
Uhhhh, not here. The new job is like a big, relaxed, happy career family. I am a fish out of water right now, flopping and flipping and wriggling and spasming around on the dry bare floor of an honest-to-goodness 'relaxed' work environment.
& I'm sure plenty who read this will think 'Wow, it's gotta be reeeaaall rough, there, Bec.' (yayaya) I'm not saying I'm at all displeased, because I know I can find ways to improve what's existing and can still look forward to taking on new projects (pick me! pick me! - how annoying am I?) : )
But this is actually exactly what 2 of my doctors have ordered. 'Remove all stress possible from your life.' Which I laaaaaaaaaaaughed at before. But suddenly it's part of my job. Relax. Sit back. Put in some soothing music. Do your work, do it well, and do it efficiently, but STOP the freakishly paced non-stop-aholic-ness.
Pretty great, I must say!!
My new job is awesome. But I have an obstacle. I have to learn how to relax and deal with down-time. (What is this 'relax' thing I keep hearing about? What is down-time?) I found out today I'm NOT going to be busy ALL the time I'm at work. (Uhhhh, how does that work? What do you mean?) I'm not a slow-paced worker. I don't like having nothing to do. I'm accustomed to constant multi-tasking and carrying on mile-a-minute-bits-&-pieces-when-we-can-fit-it-in conversations with co-workers during my busy busy non-stop, very UN-down-time work hours.
Uhhhh, not here. The new job is like a big, relaxed, happy career family. I am a fish out of water right now, flopping and flipping and wriggling and spasming around on the dry bare floor of an honest-to-goodness 'relaxed' work environment.
& I'm sure plenty who read this will think 'Wow, it's gotta be reeeaaall rough, there, Bec.' (yayaya) I'm not saying I'm at all displeased, because I know I can find ways to improve what's existing and can still look forward to taking on new projects (pick me! pick me! - how annoying am I?) : )
But this is actually exactly what 2 of my doctors have ordered. 'Remove all stress possible from your life.' Which I laaaaaaaaaaaughed at before. But suddenly it's part of my job. Relax. Sit back. Put in some soothing music. Do your work, do it well, and do it efficiently, but STOP the freakishly paced non-stop-aholic-ness.
Pretty great, I must say!!
Sunday, July 30, 2006
IT'S OVER!!!
While I was completing my final 911 shift, I kept having a certain line run through my head: IT'S OVER!!! And it's not just any IT'S OVER!!!, it's a very specific one. To check it out, you'll have to watch a cartoon first.
A: go to the link below
B: select Toons at the bottom of the screen
C: select Teen Girl Squad
D: enjoy them all
E: then check out the rest of the site and laugh, cry, pass gass . . . whatever you most enjoy.
www.homestarrunner.com
Or for a shortcut for the 1st Teen Girl Squad Toon, just go straight to
http://www.homestarrunner.com/tgs1.html
Anyway, it's made me smile and laugh all night long. And when it finally was OVER!!! I was smiling all the way to my car in the dark rainy parking lot. And driving home. And coming in and talking to my still-awake husband at 3:40 in the freakin AM, conversing about the fact that I will never again have to work shift work. EVER. everevereverever.
Unless I want to, & then I might need committed.
But here's the amazing thing. If you actually got through the book of my last entry, you know the job has it's agonizing, irritating, and frustrating aspects. But I feel it imperative that I also mention the quality of people you can find in a center like 911.
They are OUTSTANDING.In so many ways. They are witty beyond reason. They work HARD (and play hard). They are beautifully, practically, wisely down-to-earth. They are utterly professional without being aloof and formal. They cuss loud and laugh deeply. They will go the extra mile for you. And they know how to show appreciation.One of the on-duty supervisors bought me a dozen red roses. Another supervisor gave me a Best Wishes card and a pen. Bunches of employees signed a Goodbye & Good luck card. And a co-worker brought in a gift.While I ended up being held yesterday for mandatory overtime from 3AM-5AM (staffing was too low) & I wasn't able to leave early tonight like I had requested last week (staffing was too short), I still received more than I ever would have imagined.
I expected a simple smile & 'We'll miss you being here to help with staffing!' and was blown away by the overwhelming generosity, support, and kindness given.Leaving this time has been a really good separation. (Even one of my callers gave me a specific compliment that almost made me cry -- those are really rare, by the way).
And the greatest part is moving forward into another phase with no regrets and a ton of gratitude and hope. I look at a regular dayshift with weekends and holidays off as a HUGE blessing, and am REALLY excited to have time off to go camping with my husband! And I'm really happy to be so joyous when I realize (for the 2nd time in my career)
While I was completing my final 911 shift, I kept having a certain line run through my head: IT'S OVER!!! And it's not just any IT'S OVER!!!, it's a very specific one. To check it out, you'll have to watch a cartoon first.
A: go to the link below
B: select Toons at the bottom of the screen
C: select Teen Girl Squad
D: enjoy them all
E: then check out the rest of the site and laugh, cry, pass gass . . . whatever you most enjoy.
www.homestarrunner.com
Or for a shortcut for the 1st Teen Girl Squad Toon, just go straight to
http://www.homestarrunner.com/tgs1.html
Anyway, it's made me smile and laugh all night long. And when it finally was OVER!!! I was smiling all the way to my car in the dark rainy parking lot. And driving home. And coming in and talking to my still-awake husband at 3:40 in the freakin AM, conversing about the fact that I will never again have to work shift work. EVER. everevereverever.
Unless I want to, & then I might need committed.
But here's the amazing thing. If you actually got through the book of my last entry, you know the job has it's agonizing, irritating, and frustrating aspects. But I feel it imperative that I also mention the quality of people you can find in a center like 911.
They are OUTSTANDING.In so many ways. They are witty beyond reason. They work HARD (and play hard). They are beautifully, practically, wisely down-to-earth. They are utterly professional without being aloof and formal. They cuss loud and laugh deeply. They will go the extra mile for you. And they know how to show appreciation.One of the on-duty supervisors bought me a dozen red roses. Another supervisor gave me a Best Wishes card and a pen. Bunches of employees signed a Goodbye & Good luck card. And a co-worker brought in a gift.While I ended up being held yesterday for mandatory overtime from 3AM-5AM (staffing was too low) & I wasn't able to leave early tonight like I had requested last week (staffing was too short), I still received more than I ever would have imagined.
I expected a simple smile & 'We'll miss you being here to help with staffing!' and was blown away by the overwhelming generosity, support, and kindness given.Leaving this time has been a really good separation. (Even one of my callers gave me a specific compliment that almost made me cry -- those are really rare, by the way).
And the greatest part is moving forward into another phase with no regrets and a ton of gratitude and hope. I look at a regular dayshift with weekends and holidays off as a HUGE blessing, and am REALLY excited to have time off to go camping with my husband! And I'm really happy to be so joyous when I realize (for the 2nd time in my career)
Friday, July 28, 2006
The Countdown
For anyone who has a job they're ready to move on from, and currently awaiting the start date for the job they're ready to move into, you know how I'm feeling.
I don't really like to think about the Tminus 20 hours of worktime I have left since that only makes the clock arms at work move like molasses uphill. So I've done pretty well just ignoring the whole thing til I'm finished & then I hope to breathe a gigantic sigh of relief & not feel goofy in the tiniest degreee about the cheezeball grin plastered to my face for the next 24 hours.
Not to say that my current job isn't interesting and quite enjoyable in its own element. Being a 911 Operator has exposed me to stuff I never imagined I would have to hear & discern . . . drunk people who are funny, drunk people who are irate (by the way they lose the ability to reason & seem to repeat their favorite cuss words a LOT), sober people who are irate & incredibly insulting (& who know combinations of swearwords which they must've mastered while working as sailors on the open sea), couples who won't stop screaming at each other, 9 year olds with issues so severe you could swear an angry elephant and pack of wild hyenas are making all the noise in the background, kids threatening parents with knives, horrific accidents including vehicles rolling over (and sometimes people walking away after being ejected) or tragedies of children being run over or crushed by large pieces of furniture, structure fires, non-breathers, psychiatric patients who are not quite 'crazy' enough to need to be in a facility and who loooove to call and talk or yell at us, information calls, complaint calls on officers, animal calls, party calls, thefts, burglaries, robberies (there really is a difference between the last three!) . . . pretty much anything you can imagine in the crime and public safety world, we've been a part of.
911 Operators are the first line of contact in emergencies for the police and fire department, and we are responsible for entering accurate calls for service, relaying only the important information (but not missing any of it), verifying information (which seems to infuriate many callers by wasting those precious 3-5 seconds of ensuring we have their address correct), maintaining our professionalism and composure when being slandered and verbally attacked, and when our callers' worst nightmare was just found to be their reality - we keep them with us (emotionally especially) until officers or medics are there to take over . . . we're responsible for a LOT and our liability is extremely high. Say something against the written policy & you can be held liable in a court of law with no one backing you up (reeeaaallly frustrating when you have a rare situation there's no policy on yet - think mom & child both unconscious in the pool & hubby asking 'who should I pull out first?' or someone asking if it's okay to let someone with a severe head injury fall asleep (policy doesn't tell us what to advise) . . . so we have to master the art of expressing concern, sympathy, reason, and confidence in our information & abilities in order to honestly say 'I'm not a medical professional & I don't have any answer for you there, but paramedics are enroute and they will be able to let you know.' Even if a 911 Operator has a background as a nurse or paramedic, they are not allowed to give information outside the policy to our callers. Well, I guess we're all allowed, but we won't be defended if something goes awry and we go to court for any reason. Basically, it's a really thin line we learn to tread.
I'm leaving this job for a second time, and going to a secretarial position for a second time. And there is still a part of me (it's a smaller part this 2nd time around) that is saddened by the realization that I won't be the voice over 911 any longer. It truly is a fantastic job, full of intrigue, fascination, adrenaline, and hope. My beef with it is that is also is a SHIFT-WORK job, with no guarantee of holidays off (ever, no matter how much senority you have) unless you have chosen those days as your regular days off.
I learned quickly that Christmas Eve & New Years Eve (& Christmas & New Years) fall on the same days of the week. Thanksgiving is okay to be sacrificed because the potluck at the communications center is outstanding. Cinco De Mayo (especially when it's on a weekend night) is a superb day to put in a vacation slip for, well in advance if you can - unless you can speak Spanish & then it's not so big of a deal. And Easter - if you would like to celebrate it as a Religious holiday & maintain a spirit of calm reflection and reverence - should not be done while at work. No one you talk to on the phone shares these sentiments, and family fights resulting in 911 calls often erupt with large family gatherings.
It was my dream job 7 years ago when I first started and was single, and I am grateful beyond expression for the friendships forged through long quiet graveyard nights and hectic non-stop afternoon shifts (especially during the anthrax and 9-11 horrors). The experience earned and refining of character has been gradual and highly appreciated by myself. Funny how I can let the name-calling, cussing, and yelling roll right off my back at work, but in a personal setting with people I know, just an exasperated sigh or tone of voice can leave me feeling horrible and in tears. It's kinda like I've acquired a specialized armor which waits invisibly at the door to my job and automatically slips on and off as I enter and exit - so subtley done, in fact, that I've never even noticed. In fact, I'm sure of it. It's a gift we're granted as we work each day, and the longer we're there, the harder the reinforcement becomes.
Anyway - 2 10 hour shifts is all I have left of the 911 world, and I am beyond elated to be calling my new job my workplace 'home' for the next stage in my career-life. I'm still working with the police department, just in a different area where my love of paperwork, forms, and data entry (and weekends and holidays) will all be indulged. I'll have my own desk and space, and can breathe easily through the shift-changes taking effect all around me. I think I'm pretty darn lucky to be in this place again, and to have received so much love, support, and understanding along the way. Family members & friends, THANK YOU for your patience during my daylight REM sleep and for my mix-ups with the days and dates (it's my Friday...Um but it's Monday, right). Thank you for not calling me early in the morning (which I know is really 10:00 but is like 3AM for me) and for being willing to adjust your timing to my schedule every 3-4 months. I have been truly, incredibly blessed, in so many ways, and although it's a little early, wave goodbye to a great job with sucky schedules. (I know, I know, it's only sucky if you don't have 7-8 years worth of senority to choose the schedule you wanted, or don't get your vacation slip signed when you're due to leave the country tomorrow and you only need 2 hours of your time covered, or you have to work on the holidays because your name wasn't drawn in the 'holiday lottery', or can't get time off on short notice for an important family gathering or event - or to pick up your child. You're Right.)
For anyone who has a job they're ready to move on from, and currently awaiting the start date for the job they're ready to move into, you know how I'm feeling.
I don't really like to think about the Tminus 20 hours of worktime I have left since that only makes the clock arms at work move like molasses uphill. So I've done pretty well just ignoring the whole thing til I'm finished & then I hope to breathe a gigantic sigh of relief & not feel goofy in the tiniest degreee about the cheezeball grin plastered to my face for the next 24 hours.
Not to say that my current job isn't interesting and quite enjoyable in its own element. Being a 911 Operator has exposed me to stuff I never imagined I would have to hear & discern . . . drunk people who are funny, drunk people who are irate (by the way they lose the ability to reason & seem to repeat their favorite cuss words a LOT), sober people who are irate & incredibly insulting (& who know combinations of swearwords which they must've mastered while working as sailors on the open sea), couples who won't stop screaming at each other, 9 year olds with issues so severe you could swear an angry elephant and pack of wild hyenas are making all the noise in the background, kids threatening parents with knives, horrific accidents including vehicles rolling over (and sometimes people walking away after being ejected) or tragedies of children being run over or crushed by large pieces of furniture, structure fires, non-breathers, psychiatric patients who are not quite 'crazy' enough to need to be in a facility and who loooove to call and talk or yell at us, information calls, complaint calls on officers, animal calls, party calls, thefts, burglaries, robberies (there really is a difference between the last three!) . . . pretty much anything you can imagine in the crime and public safety world, we've been a part of.
911 Operators are the first line of contact in emergencies for the police and fire department, and we are responsible for entering accurate calls for service, relaying only the important information (but not missing any of it), verifying information (which seems to infuriate many callers by wasting those precious 3-5 seconds of ensuring we have their address correct), maintaining our professionalism and composure when being slandered and verbally attacked, and when our callers' worst nightmare was just found to be their reality - we keep them with us (emotionally especially) until officers or medics are there to take over . . . we're responsible for a LOT and our liability is extremely high. Say something against the written policy & you can be held liable in a court of law with no one backing you up (reeeaaallly frustrating when you have a rare situation there's no policy on yet - think mom & child both unconscious in the pool & hubby asking 'who should I pull out first?' or someone asking if it's okay to let someone with a severe head injury fall asleep (policy doesn't tell us what to advise) . . . so we have to master the art of expressing concern, sympathy, reason, and confidence in our information & abilities in order to honestly say 'I'm not a medical professional & I don't have any answer for you there, but paramedics are enroute and they will be able to let you know.' Even if a 911 Operator has a background as a nurse or paramedic, they are not allowed to give information outside the policy to our callers. Well, I guess we're all allowed, but we won't be defended if something goes awry and we go to court for any reason. Basically, it's a really thin line we learn to tread.
I'm leaving this job for a second time, and going to a secretarial position for a second time. And there is still a part of me (it's a smaller part this 2nd time around) that is saddened by the realization that I won't be the voice over 911 any longer. It truly is a fantastic job, full of intrigue, fascination, adrenaline, and hope. My beef with it is that is also is a SHIFT-WORK job, with no guarantee of holidays off (ever, no matter how much senority you have) unless you have chosen those days as your regular days off.
I learned quickly that Christmas Eve & New Years Eve (& Christmas & New Years) fall on the same days of the week. Thanksgiving is okay to be sacrificed because the potluck at the communications center is outstanding. Cinco De Mayo (especially when it's on a weekend night) is a superb day to put in a vacation slip for, well in advance if you can - unless you can speak Spanish & then it's not so big of a deal. And Easter - if you would like to celebrate it as a Religious holiday & maintain a spirit of calm reflection and reverence - should not be done while at work. No one you talk to on the phone shares these sentiments, and family fights resulting in 911 calls often erupt with large family gatherings.
It was my dream job 7 years ago when I first started and was single, and I am grateful beyond expression for the friendships forged through long quiet graveyard nights and hectic non-stop afternoon shifts (especially during the anthrax and 9-11 horrors). The experience earned and refining of character has been gradual and highly appreciated by myself. Funny how I can let the name-calling, cussing, and yelling roll right off my back at work, but in a personal setting with people I know, just an exasperated sigh or tone of voice can leave me feeling horrible and in tears. It's kinda like I've acquired a specialized armor which waits invisibly at the door to my job and automatically slips on and off as I enter and exit - so subtley done, in fact, that I've never even noticed. In fact, I'm sure of it. It's a gift we're granted as we work each day, and the longer we're there, the harder the reinforcement becomes.
Anyway - 2 10 hour shifts is all I have left of the 911 world, and I am beyond elated to be calling my new job my workplace 'home' for the next stage in my career-life. I'm still working with the police department, just in a different area where my love of paperwork, forms, and data entry (and weekends and holidays) will all be indulged. I'll have my own desk and space, and can breathe easily through the shift-changes taking effect all around me. I think I'm pretty darn lucky to be in this place again, and to have received so much love, support, and understanding along the way. Family members & friends, THANK YOU for your patience during my daylight REM sleep and for my mix-ups with the days and dates (it's my Friday...Um but it's Monday, right). Thank you for not calling me early in the morning (which I know is really 10:00 but is like 3AM for me) and for being willing to adjust your timing to my schedule every 3-4 months. I have been truly, incredibly blessed, in so many ways, and although it's a little early, wave goodbye to a great job with sucky schedules. (I know, I know, it's only sucky if you don't have 7-8 years worth of senority to choose the schedule you wanted, or don't get your vacation slip signed when you're due to leave the country tomorrow and you only need 2 hours of your time covered, or you have to work on the holidays because your name wasn't drawn in the 'holiday lottery', or can't get time off on short notice for an important family gathering or event - or to pick up your child. You're Right.)
Thursday, July 27, 2006
Green Lightning?!
We had an incredible electrical storm last night. If you've seen the re-make of War of the Worlds, it was a lot like that with the literally non-stop flashing all around, & the thunder only occasionally sounding (creating an umm-this-is-weird & when-are-the-huge-aliens-gonna-pop-outta-the-roads vibe in the air). To add to the weirdness, there was green lightning. Yep, you read that right, g-r-e-e-n. To the west of our home, we saw flashes of green several different times, mostly coming from the ground, but at least once in the air. (again, weeeiiirrd) But cool.
Research on the internet gave explanations from 1) hail (there wasn't any) to 2)a blown transformer - the zinc or copper vaporize (very likely 'cept what about that one in the middle of the sky?), to 3) atmospherics, and I quote, 'Atmospherics can dictate the color of lighting and the distribution of energy....in short.. could have been green lightning'. Quite interesting to think about & really, really cool to witness.
The storm itself lasted about 10 hours and dumped up to 2 inches of rain in areas of the valley (that's incredible for the desert valley here!) Aside from not having to be at work during nature's awesome light display, I was also able to spend the time with my husband. (Double the pleasure). He suggested we park near an empty field when the lightning was first spotted far to the north of us, in order to enjoy the show even more....AND we ate dinner while doing it! He was impressed that we weren't the only ones with this idea, and I was wow-ed all over again at how great my husband is for me. Needless to say, I couldn't help thinking 'These are the days I'll look back on and cherish, and this feeling is one to never forget.'
Safely watching the power of nature and sitting next to my best friend & husband are 2 miracles I hope I never take for granted.
Plus, my hubby made the comment that this was God's way of celebrating my new job. (YAY to the new job with no more shift-work, but even more YAY to my hubby for knowing another way to make me feel incredibly special and celebrated.)
We had an incredible electrical storm last night. If you've seen the re-make of War of the Worlds, it was a lot like that with the literally non-stop flashing all around, & the thunder only occasionally sounding (creating an umm-this-is-weird & when-are-the-huge-aliens-gonna-pop-outta-the-roads vibe in the air). To add to the weirdness, there was green lightning. Yep, you read that right, g-r-e-e-n. To the west of our home, we saw flashes of green several different times, mostly coming from the ground, but at least once in the air. (again, weeeiiirrd) But cool.
Research on the internet gave explanations from 1) hail (there wasn't any) to 2)a blown transformer - the zinc or copper vaporize (very likely 'cept what about that one in the middle of the sky?), to 3) atmospherics, and I quote, 'Atmospherics can dictate the color of lighting and the distribution of energy....in short.. could have been green lightning'. Quite interesting to think about & really, really cool to witness.
The storm itself lasted about 10 hours and dumped up to 2 inches of rain in areas of the valley (that's incredible for the desert valley here!) Aside from not having to be at work during nature's awesome light display, I was also able to spend the time with my husband. (Double the pleasure). He suggested we park near an empty field when the lightning was first spotted far to the north of us, in order to enjoy the show even more....AND we ate dinner while doing it! He was impressed that we weren't the only ones with this idea, and I was wow-ed all over again at how great my husband is for me. Needless to say, I couldn't help thinking 'These are the days I'll look back on and cherish, and this feeling is one to never forget.'
Safely watching the power of nature and sitting next to my best friend & husband are 2 miracles I hope I never take for granted.
Plus, my hubby made the comment that this was God's way of celebrating my new job. (YAY to the new job with no more shift-work, but even more YAY to my hubby for knowing another way to make me feel incredibly special and celebrated.)
Wednesday, July 19, 2006
Caged Thunder
Thanks to the expertise & example of my sister & her family, crate-training for a dog was no new idea or experimental consideration. It simply is the way we're training. & it has already helped to make puppy-land (especially the urination part) a much smoother union with people-land.
We've officially decided on the name Thunder for the furry bugger. His yap might not fill the implications of such a name yet, but we have full confidence that it will. (Although we really liked Pat's suggestion of Hades.)
Thanks to the expertise & example of my sister & her family, crate-training for a dog was no new idea or experimental consideration. It simply is the way we're training. & it has already helped to make puppy-land (especially the urination part) a much smoother union with people-land.
We've officially decided on the name Thunder for the furry bugger. His yap might not fill the implications of such a name yet, but we have full confidence that it will. (Although we really liked Pat's suggestion of Hades.)
Monday, July 17, 2006
Carpe Diem...with puppy dog tails!
Ever have one of those days where that 'thing' you've been considering just walks right in with a big sign: 'Free, Take Me!'? Well, mine did today, and I couldn't resist! My hubby & I have been kicking over the idea of getting a pet. First we wanted a dog. (debate-consider-uncertainty wins) Then a cat. (debate-consider-coworker allergies win) Then a fish. (debate-critique-Iwantsomethingfluffy wins) Then we talked about a dog again. Both of us wanted a german shepherd mix of some sort. But we know that dogs ('specially puppies) are a lot of work, & we've been through a lot of changes in the last year. Steady jobs? Check. Place to live? Check. Allows pets? Check. But.....we figure 'Nah, we can save money and not get a pet.'
Well, then in comes yet-to-be-named-steal-your-heart-6-week-old-german-shepherd-mix-ball-of-fur. Into my WORK of all places. (My work seeming to be lately, a place where no-good-thing-survives.) And what's that sign over his adorable little fuzzy head? 'I need a home. Free. Take Me.'
So I did. Heck, I didn't even hesitate. I first called dibs & then called my husband, 'Honey, do you want a dog?' (Really meaning 'Honey, we just got a dog.') & convinced him to trade his errand of bringing me lunch to instead entail picking up our little heart-tugging scoundrel (food & chew toy included!)
They say 'Sometimes years change nothing. Sometimes one day changes everything.'
I'm grateful that not everything has changed, but I am incredibly grateful and excited that today changed something in a really marvelous way! It may sound corny to be so excited about the addition of a pet, but for anyone who's heart has been waiting to get fuller, I'm sure they'll understand that it's not so corny or cheezy at all.
Now for the hard part - we've got to decide on a name!!
Ever have one of those days where that 'thing' you've been considering just walks right in with a big sign: 'Free, Take Me!'? Well, mine did today, and I couldn't resist! My hubby & I have been kicking over the idea of getting a pet. First we wanted a dog. (debate-consider-uncertainty wins) Then a cat. (debate-consider-coworker allergies win) Then a fish. (debate-critique-Iwantsomethingfluffy wins) Then we talked about a dog again. Both of us wanted a german shepherd mix of some sort. But we know that dogs ('specially puppies) are a lot of work, & we've been through a lot of changes in the last year. Steady jobs? Check. Place to live? Check. Allows pets? Check. But.....we figure 'Nah, we can save money and not get a pet.'
Well, then in comes yet-to-be-named-steal-your-heart-6-week-old-german-shepherd-mix-ball-of-fur. Into my WORK of all places. (My work seeming to be lately, a place where no-good-thing-survives.) And what's that sign over his adorable little fuzzy head? 'I need a home. Free. Take Me.'
So I did. Heck, I didn't even hesitate. I first called dibs & then called my husband, 'Honey, do you want a dog?' (Really meaning 'Honey, we just got a dog.') & convinced him to trade his errand of bringing me lunch to instead entail picking up our little heart-tugging scoundrel (food & chew toy included!)
They say 'Sometimes years change nothing. Sometimes one day changes everything.'
I'm grateful that not everything has changed, but I am incredibly grateful and excited that today changed something in a really marvelous way! It may sound corny to be so excited about the addition of a pet, but for anyone who's heart has been waiting to get fuller, I'm sure they'll understand that it's not so corny or cheezy at all.
Now for the hard part - we've got to decide on a name!!
Sunday, July 16, 2006
Blog Block Blot Blob
So I'm having blog block & I know why...which in & of itself is annoying. Simply put, I'm out of practice & under pressure! Journal-writing has hit an all-time low for me, and I'm dealing with the pressure of accepting that my entries can be read by others. I'm still in the two-years-ago mindset that my journal can and should be stashed under the bed, away from literate eyes. & seriously...I still struggle with the age-old 'I don't have anything worth reading to write,' which I know will be refuted by my family members (but it's still there.)
I was an avid journal writer from the time I was 13 years old or so, and I have 15+ fullsize volumes to prove it. In the last few years, I've traded my journal therapy for my husband's conversation and companionship, (right on!) and am nothing but grateful for the opportunity & actuality of that switch. Journals are important, though, and ideally I would still be keeping a written record of my new and improved life. I've thrown in recent excuses like shift work, low energy levels, daily muscle pains, a newfound interest in and addiction to PC video games (the most pathetic of the excuses, but the most fun), job searching & interviews for a non-shiftwork job, along with the still-present desire to be with my husband in my free time, and my journal-writing priority has plunged to the depths of...somewhere down there in the shelving units of prioritization. But I still recognize I have plenty of time available to be blogging or writing or whatever journaling would entail for me now. If I'll just use it. The big IF.
So I'm having blog block & I know why...which in & of itself is annoying. Simply put, I'm out of practice & under pressure! Journal-writing has hit an all-time low for me, and I'm dealing with the pressure of accepting that my entries can be read by others. I'm still in the two-years-ago mindset that my journal can and should be stashed under the bed, away from literate eyes. & seriously...I still struggle with the age-old 'I don't have anything worth reading to write,' which I know will be refuted by my family members (but it's still there.)
I was an avid journal writer from the time I was 13 years old or so, and I have 15+ fullsize volumes to prove it. In the last few years, I've traded my journal therapy for my husband's conversation and companionship, (right on!) and am nothing but grateful for the opportunity & actuality of that switch. Journals are important, though, and ideally I would still be keeping a written record of my new and improved life. I've thrown in recent excuses like shift work, low energy levels, daily muscle pains, a newfound interest in and addiction to PC video games (the most pathetic of the excuses, but the most fun), job searching & interviews for a non-shiftwork job, along with the still-present desire to be with my husband in my free time, and my journal-writing priority has plunged to the depths of...somewhere down there in the shelving units of prioritization. But I still recognize I have plenty of time available to be blogging or writing or whatever journaling would entail for me now. If I'll just use it. The big IF.
Thursday, July 13, 2006
Please don't wipe your boogers on me
Boogers are funny little things. Everyone has 'em. Everyone picks 'em out of their nostrils. And everyone has to wipe them somewhere. But please, (please for the love of all mankind & good ol' common courtesy), don't wipe yours on me.
I know, I know. There are a lot of different analogies we can come up with here...
Don't wipe your bad mood into my happy space.
Don't scatter your doom & gloom on my optimistic outlooks.
Don't smother your criticism onto my efforts for improving.
Don't rub your personality disorder in my sanity.
Don't pummel your dirty habits into my eternal soul.
Don't smear your snideness on my uncertainty.
Don't dispense your rudeness around my difference of opinion.
Don't project your whiney complaints and self-pity into my attempts at a friendly conversation.
And while this might seem like I am using this blog to complain about people and their irritating negative actions, I am. Just like sticky Boogers, we each deal with our own negativity each day....just some of us don't tend to wipe it all over everyone else.
So why do most people understand that the wiping of Boogers is not socially acceptable (or kind to say the least), but so few seem to grasp the concept of negative energy and actions being socially unacceptable and incredibly unkind??
Boogers come off in a matter of seconds, usually with just plain water (or even just a flick of your fingernails) and a bit of soap or sanitizer if you're concerned about the invisible lingering germs. Negative energy is a bit tougher to eliminate. Ever had to start your day with hearing an unkind comment? How about bad news? A disappointment? Yelling? Rudeness? Cattiness? A head cold with...congestion?? How long does it take you to recover? Are you even able to recover some days? No simple solution of flicking, rinsing, or sudsing will eliminate what's been wiped, smothered, projected, and dispelled onto your sleeve, forehead, or heart.
So I say it's time for a change. Start now, start exactly where you are as you finish reading this sentence. No more Booger wiping today. Or tomorrow. Or the next day. When you're the victim, flick away. Recognize the snot-composed balls of goop for what they are, and don't be the continued spreader of snot.
The result? All in all, a cleaner and more sanitary (as well as sane) environment.
Boogers are funny little things. Everyone has 'em. Everyone picks 'em out of their nostrils. And everyone has to wipe them somewhere. But please, (please for the love of all mankind & good ol' common courtesy), don't wipe yours on me.
I know, I know. There are a lot of different analogies we can come up with here...
Don't wipe your bad mood into my happy space.
Don't scatter your doom & gloom on my optimistic outlooks.
Don't smother your criticism onto my efforts for improving.
Don't rub your personality disorder in my sanity.
Don't pummel your dirty habits into my eternal soul.
Don't smear your snideness on my uncertainty.
Don't dispense your rudeness around my difference of opinion.
Don't project your whiney complaints and self-pity into my attempts at a friendly conversation.
And while this might seem like I am using this blog to complain about people and their irritating negative actions, I am. Just like sticky Boogers, we each deal with our own negativity each day....just some of us don't tend to wipe it all over everyone else.
So why do most people understand that the wiping of Boogers is not socially acceptable (or kind to say the least), but so few seem to grasp the concept of negative energy and actions being socially unacceptable and incredibly unkind??
Boogers come off in a matter of seconds, usually with just plain water (or even just a flick of your fingernails) and a bit of soap or sanitizer if you're concerned about the invisible lingering germs. Negative energy is a bit tougher to eliminate. Ever had to start your day with hearing an unkind comment? How about bad news? A disappointment? Yelling? Rudeness? Cattiness? A head cold with...congestion?? How long does it take you to recover? Are you even able to recover some days? No simple solution of flicking, rinsing, or sudsing will eliminate what's been wiped, smothered, projected, and dispelled onto your sleeve, forehead, or heart.
So I say it's time for a change. Start now, start exactly where you are as you finish reading this sentence. No more Booger wiping today. Or tomorrow. Or the next day. When you're the victim, flick away. Recognize the snot-composed balls of goop for what they are, and don't be the continued spreader of snot.
The result? All in all, a cleaner and more sanitary (as well as sane) environment.
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