Oh what I would give to be here right now.....6.29.2011
6.27.2011
A walk down memory lane...20 years in the making
St. Ursula Academy, Class of 1991Twenty years.
First of all....where the heck did the time go?
And secondly, how did I get so old?
Five years ago when we celebrated our 15th high school reunion I was OK with it. It didn't sound like it had been FOREVER AGO since we had graduated. But now...20 years?!? I think I'm still in denial.
There is no freaking way I graduated from high school 20 years ago.
I don't care what the gray hair screams.
It isn't possible.
Twenty years.
ACK!
Funny how time flies when you're having fun.
As my former classmates arrived at the reunion the reality of it hit me - the last time I saw most of these women was June 1991 when we walked out of Rosary Cathedral after graduation. On that day, many of us simply walked out of each others lives without a second thought.
Sure, I have kept in touch with my "core" group of friends from high school - many of us still live in town and a few of us manage to fit in a dinner/girl's night out every now and then. And, of course, Facebook helps with the whole 'staying in touch' thing with those who aren't still in town.
But the rest?
I honestly hadn't thought about them in 20 years.
And, I didn't recognize some of them either.
But, it was wonderful to see my former classmates - and it was hard to believe it's been 20 years! Some of my classmates still looked the same as they did back then. [I have to admit it did feel good to hear a few classmates tell me "oh my gosh! you look great! you're still pretty".... it's the small victories in life these days, ya know].
And what amused me the most was this - after TWENTY YEARS the cliques still exist. Sure, we all hugged and said hello (well, except for a few people who really didn't say 'hi' to anyone)...but after a while the "old groups" emerged and it was just like the cafeteria 20 years ago. I was guilty of it too .... I sat with MY friends from back in the day. I guess old habits die hard and you naturally gravitate to people who are most like you.
Yes, in case you are wondering....we were gossiping about people as we sat there. And we were also looking through our senior yearbook wondering WHY we ever thought hair bows, scrunchies and square lace collars ever looked good. [The 90s were not kind to us as far as fashion is concerned]. Seriously, some of the photos were just awful...what were we thinking?!?
I've been thinking about my 18 year old self as I "prepared" myself for this reunion, and I kept wondering what, if anything, would my 38 year old self tell me if given the chance. Kind of like a "if I knew then what I know now" exercise.
A few things the 38 year old me would tell the 18 year old me:
- 115 pounds was NOT fat.
- You will never use Geometry in "real" life, so don't sweat it.
- You will also never use Algebra II in "real" life, so it's OK that you failed it that last quarter of your senior year.
- Keep in touch with your friends.
- Going away to college and not knowing anyone else on campus is really OK. You will love it.
- Always speak your mind, even when others think it's not a good idea.
- Don't go to college with a boyfriend. He is so NOT worth it.
- You are a writer. Go with THAT. Don't let anyone (including yourself) tell you differently.
- Get on the college newspaper your very first day at college. Don't wait until your junior year.
- Take more risks. Especially as a writer.
- Don't take Russian in college. You will never use it.
- Take French instead. And then study abroad. In Paris.
- Seriously. Study abroad. In Paris. Because someday you'll be 38 years old, wishing you had studied abroad in Paris while in college.
- When you graduate from college, take a few months off. Explore. Discover yourself. Don't jump into the first job you find. It won't be worth it in the end.
- Go to Paris.
So, what would YOU tell your 18 year old self?
6.22.2011
Today was another "Target moment"
So, a few months ago I had what I'm now calling my "Target moment" (thank you Rene Syler for this) at The Job. The leadership (ha!) at my organization proved to be less than stellar and showed their true colors and well....things went from bad to worse.
It was at that moment that I realized "I'd rather work at Target/Starbucks/anywhere else than here." It was at that moment that I decided to start looking for a new job.
In March I was called a "wussy" by a manager at the corporate office. And I was told by a director and the COO that maybe I shouldn't work there. Oh and in April I was told that I was "negative"...which means I wasn't willing to toe the party line and be a "good girl" (it comes down to this: I have a personality and think for myself, which is forbidden at my organization).
The last few months have been stressful and frustrating and things haven't improved any (people are still being bullied, etc.) but I go to work every day with a smile on my face and I DO MY JOB.
Or so I thought.
[Now as I'm going to tell this story, remember that I was on vacation for NINE DAYS].
Today I was subjected to a 45 minute character assassination by the chief operating officer and our regional director.
I was told in no particular order that:
- I am negative
- No one wants to work with me because I'm so negative
- I am a poor leader
- I am not a role model for anyone
- I lack initiative
- I view my job as a "task" that needs to be completed, not as a job
- I don't do anything other than wait for people to give me things to edit
- I am "disengaged" from the other office I am responsible for
- I have a bad attitude
- I take the AP Stylebook too seriously and need to be more flexible about the "rules" that I "made up"
- I take things too personally
- Anywhere I work will have an atmosphere where people are disrespected
- Everyone takes vacation and NO ONE gets "catch up" time
- I need to change my attitude or they will fire me.
Yeah, the "bullying session" ended with this: "You need to go home and think about your attitude and decide if you're going to change it. Because if you can't then we will have to make a decision about your future with this organization."
Not surprisingly I spent the next two hours in my office with the door closed, crying. I talked to a few friends at the office - they were floored by these accusations. I had one person tell me "you are the funniest person here...we love you."
Apparently funny/sarcastic is equivalent to negative. And that is not allowed.
So now that I've been told that I suck as a human being, I now have to go in to the office with a positive attitude.
Yeah, I'll let you know how that works out.
It was at that moment that I realized "I'd rather work at Target/Starbucks/anywhere else than here." It was at that moment that I decided to start looking for a new job.
In March I was called a "wussy" by a manager at the corporate office. And I was told by a director and the COO that maybe I shouldn't work there. Oh and in April I was told that I was "negative"...which means I wasn't willing to toe the party line and be a "good girl" (it comes down to this: I have a personality and think for myself, which is forbidden at my organization).
The last few months have been stressful and frustrating and things haven't improved any (people are still being bullied, etc.) but I go to work every day with a smile on my face and I DO MY JOB.
Or so I thought.
[Now as I'm going to tell this story, remember that I was on vacation for NINE DAYS].
Today I was subjected to a 45 minute character assassination by the chief operating officer and our regional director.
I was told in no particular order that:
- I am negative
- No one wants to work with me because I'm so negative
- I am a poor leader
- I am not a role model for anyone
- I lack initiative
- I view my job as a "task" that needs to be completed, not as a job
- I don't do anything other than wait for people to give me things to edit
- I am "disengaged" from the other office I am responsible for
- I have a bad attitude
- I take the AP Stylebook too seriously and need to be more flexible about the "rules" that I "made up"
- I take things too personally
- Anywhere I work will have an atmosphere where people are disrespected
- Everyone takes vacation and NO ONE gets "catch up" time
- I need to change my attitude or they will fire me.
Yeah, the "bullying session" ended with this: "You need to go home and think about your attitude and decide if you're going to change it. Because if you can't then we will have to make a decision about your future with this organization."
Not surprisingly I spent the next two hours in my office with the door closed, crying. I talked to a few friends at the office - they were floored by these accusations. I had one person tell me "you are the funniest person here...we love you."
Apparently funny/sarcastic is equivalent to negative. And that is not allowed.
So now that I've been told that I suck as a human being, I now have to go in to the office with a positive attitude.
Yeah, I'll let you know how that works out.
6.19.2011
Back from vacation....buried in laundry
[Sigh]We're back from our amazing Disney vacation. Isn't it incredible how it takes forever to plan a trip (we started planning LAST June) and then it takes forever to count down the days until you leave and then the entire trip rushes by in warp speed?
I really think that you should be able to freeze time when at Walt Disney World.
Anyway...I have a gazillion loads of laundry staring at me (OK, it's really just five or six)...so I'm not posting much now.
I'll have some trip report posts coming up.
See ya real soon!
6.08.2011
Baby it's HOT outside...and fans don't work
Yesterday the temperature here in good ol' northwest Ohio was "warmer" (read: WAY FREAKING HOTTER) than the temperature in Orlando, Florida. I know this because I have my "second home" (Orlando) saved as a favorite city on my Weather Channel app.
Yesterday it felt like it was at 100 degrees here with a billion percent humidity.
Orlando topped out around 90 degrees...with some humidity.
And...my office still has no air conditioning.
And by "no" I mean NONE.
As in both floors are out.
We used to have a/c on the first floor.
Now that appears to have died too.
We have resorted to using as many fans as possible in every office, corner and hallway.
It isn't working.
At about 8:35 yesterday the "boss" went around telling everyone on the 2nd floor to move down to the first floor conference room to work. (At that point it WAS cooler on the first floor...I am assuming the a/c was still working then.)
So picture this --- about 10 women all scattered around a conference room, trying to work. All women. All sitting next to each other at tables. A whole lot of talking going on. Not a whole lot of work. We rehashed "The Bachelorette" and what a total sleaze Bentley is. We talked about how FREAKING miserable we were and how STUPID it is that "the boss" refuses to let us wear flip flops to work when the "real feel" temp on the second floor is about 115 degrees.
Oh yeah...I forgot to mention ... we still have to FOLLOW THE DRESS CODE despite the fact that we have no a/c and will have no a/c until probably mid-July. So, we can't wear flip flops. But (and this makes so much sense....not) we can wear sandals. What? Huh? (This is how it was explained to us - "you can wear sandals that have a strap in the back around the ankle, but not flip flops because they don't have a strap." Yeah...this is the logic model I work for.)
Being the rebel that I am, I plan on wearing flip flops to work today.
Go ahead. Fire me.
I double dog dare you.
Today the actual temperature is forecast to be about 98 degrees with a heat index of 100 to 105. Which means the second floor of the office will be at least 120 degrees. At 10 a.m.
Yesterday I left the office at about 1 p.m. to work from the comfort of my air conditioned home. I have a feeling I'll be doing the same today. And tomorrow.
Because...when it's 1,000 degrees in your office, fans just don't cut it.
Yesterday it felt like it was at 100 degrees here with a billion percent humidity.
Orlando topped out around 90 degrees...with some humidity.
And...my office still has no air conditioning.
And by "no" I mean NONE.
As in both floors are out.
We used to have a/c on the first floor.
Now that appears to have died too.
We have resorted to using as many fans as possible in every office, corner and hallway.
It isn't working.
At about 8:35 yesterday the "boss" went around telling everyone on the 2nd floor to move down to the first floor conference room to work. (At that point it WAS cooler on the first floor...I am assuming the a/c was still working then.)
So picture this --- about 10 women all scattered around a conference room, trying to work. All women. All sitting next to each other at tables. A whole lot of talking going on. Not a whole lot of work. We rehashed "The Bachelorette" and what a total sleaze Bentley is. We talked about how FREAKING miserable we were and how STUPID it is that "the boss" refuses to let us wear flip flops to work when the "real feel" temp on the second floor is about 115 degrees.
Oh yeah...I forgot to mention ... we still have to FOLLOW THE DRESS CODE despite the fact that we have no a/c and will have no a/c until probably mid-July. So, we can't wear flip flops. But (and this makes so much sense....not) we can wear sandals. What? Huh? (This is how it was explained to us - "you can wear sandals that have a strap in the back around the ankle, but not flip flops because they don't have a strap." Yeah...this is the logic model I work for.)
Being the rebel that I am, I plan on wearing flip flops to work today.
Go ahead. Fire me.
I double dog dare you.
Today the actual temperature is forecast to be about 98 degrees with a heat index of 100 to 105. Which means the second floor of the office will be at least 120 degrees. At 10 a.m.
Yesterday I left the office at about 1 p.m. to work from the comfort of my air conditioned home. I have a feeling I'll be doing the same today. And tomorrow.
Because...when it's 1,000 degrees in your office, fans just don't cut it.
6.02.2011
Fans
Apparently the "theme" for June's NaBloPoMo is "Fan"...and right now I can totally relate to that word.
See, we have no air conditioning at my office.
Well...OK...the first floor has A/C.
The second floor?
Not so much.
This wasn't an issue a few weeks ago when it was still cool outside.
However, in the past few days it has been unbearable.
When I arrived at work Tuesday morning - after two VERY HOT and humid days here in the Glass City - I swear the temperature in my office was at least 95 degrees.
The organization has NO bids right now to get the system replaced. It's a 30 year old A/C system and apparently the freon is uses is now outlawed by the government (of course it is), and so the entire system must be replaced. And (because that's not enough) whoever we hire to do the job must first BUILD the new system.
So...it could be JULY before the second floor has air conditioning.
And until then we've been told to use FANS.
Lots and lots of fans that just blow the hot air around.
There is no relief in using fans when the "real feel" temp in your office is in the 95-100 degree range.
To say it's miserable would be an understatement.
Someone getting on the elevator to go UP to the second floor the other day said "I swear I thought hell was DOWN."
No, in my office hell is on the second floor.
With FANS.
See, we have no air conditioning at my office.
Well...OK...the first floor has A/C.
The second floor?
Not so much.
This wasn't an issue a few weeks ago when it was still cool outside.
However, in the past few days it has been unbearable.
When I arrived at work Tuesday morning - after two VERY HOT and humid days here in the Glass City - I swear the temperature in my office was at least 95 degrees.
The organization has NO bids right now to get the system replaced. It's a 30 year old A/C system and apparently the freon is uses is now outlawed by the government (of course it is), and so the entire system must be replaced. And (because that's not enough) whoever we hire to do the job must first BUILD the new system.
So...it could be JULY before the second floor has air conditioning.
And until then we've been told to use FANS.
Lots and lots of fans that just blow the hot air around.
There is no relief in using fans when the "real feel" temp in your office is in the 95-100 degree range.
To say it's miserable would be an understatement.
Someone getting on the elevator to go UP to the second floor the other day said "I swear I thought hell was DOWN."
No, in my office hell is on the second floor.
With FANS.
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