Traffic and Committees

Outside of traffic, there is nothing that has held this country back as much as committees. ~ Will Rogers

Yesterday was Wednesday. I dislike Wednesdays.

Wednesdays mean meetings. I'm on a bunch of different committees at work and Wednesday seems to be the day for meetings. One of these committees meets at 3pm and the meeting lasts for an hour.

This of course means I don't leave the office until 4:15 or later. Which is a difference of two hours from my normal commute. Can I tell you how much of a difference two hours makes?

Add on any sort of weather and the commute takes approximately a lifetime. I so hate leaving work that late.

But there is light at the end of this tunnel...at least for a little bit with me working from home soon.

Until later...

A Moment of Time

The whole of life is but a moment of time. It is our duty, therefore to use it, not to misuse it. ~ Plutarch

There are days when I need to remember this. Life goes by so fast and the monsters change so quickly. I need to remember to take time each day to connect with them.

Until later...

Clothing

Clothes make the man. Naked people have little or no influence on society. ~Mark Twain

My monsters will never have to worry about being naked. Or at least they won't until they grow out of their current sizes.

I just did laundry...one of the most hated chores in the world...at least in this household. Jeans just came out of the dryer and the monsters have so many pair of jeans, I can go almost two weeks without washing denim.

How did this happen? Seriously? I'll tell you how it happened. Old Navy. Yes, Old Navy has these jean sales where jeans are $10. The monsters love Old Navy jeans, so every time they're on sale, I go in and get another couple of pair for each of them.

I have an Old Navy additiction. It needs to stop.

Until later...

Commute

Each year it seems to take less time to fly across the ocean and longer to drive to work. ~ Author Unknown

We've been talking about this possibility for weeks at work. The possibility of a pilot program in which someone from our team would work the night shift to see if the content center in Manila is creating enough work for us to implement a full time night shift.

The possible individuals for working this shift are myself and one other. I've made it clear that I wouldn't mind working the shift and so has he. The two of us have the longest commutes and both of us would enjoy not having to come into work.

Today the possibility became a reality. Our team will have one individual working 7pm to 4am, Sunday through Thursday, supporting the group in Manila.

The person working this shift? Me. After thinking about it, the other individual realized that for the short term, this wouldn't work out with his family situation, so that left the job up to me.

I'm looking forward to it. Not necessaily the working at night, but the no commute and the working from home in my jammies. The money I'll save in gas alone makes it wonderful and there will apparently be a shift differential also.

So, as of the 25th, I won't have to go into the office for four weeks. I say bring it on!

Until later...

Judgment

Judgment is forced upon us by experience. ~ Samuel Johnson

It's that time of year again...time to stand in judgment of my peers. There's nothing I dislike more about January than the fact that I have to write out peer reviews.

Peer reviews if done correctly can be a great source of growth and development for others. If done incorrectly, they can be a great source of dissention and ill-will.

This is the first year that I'll actually be writing peer reviews for this team. I'm not looking forward to it. Okay, that's not entirely true. I don't mind writing the reviews and I have a good idea of what I'm going to say.

The part I'm not looking forward to, is reading my reviews from my peers. This is the biggest backstabbing group of individuals that I have ever worked with before, and I have a feeling the reviews are not going to be what I am told face to face.

I don't get the culture of backstabbing. Never have. If it's one thing you know, you know how I feel about you. I find the energy that some people use up by being sweet to your face and pulling out the chef's knife behind you to be wasted energy. What's the point?

And passive aggressiveness...what's with that?

Ah well, I have to remember that differences make the world go round...right?

Until later...

Restoration

Cleaning your house while your kids are still growing is like shoveling the walk before it stops snowing. ~ Phyllis Diller

It's once again Saturday and once again time to catch up from the week. I honestly don't know how the clutter gets this bad.

Someday, it'll be just me at home and the house won't need the normal Saturday restoration. I tell myself that every week. And I know I'll miss it. Not the cleaning...no, only a crazy lady would miss that. I'll miss the fact that there aren't two monsters around to create the mess.

So this Saturday, I'll contemplate on the fact that I do have those monsters aroudn to create the mess and be thankful for it. There are only a few short years left of this stage in my life.

Until later...

Siblings

Our siblings. They resemble us just enough to make all their differences confusing, and no matter what we choose to make of this, we are cast in relation to them our whole lives long. ~ Susan Scarf Merrell

I logged into Facebook tonight and noticed pictures had been posted of my brother and his new...I hestitate to call it a family, but that's what it is. They seem a unit in the pictures and very happy.

This Christmas, my brother came home for the first time in years and brought his friend and her daughter. They've been living together since the end of the tourist season in Alaska when Whelp moved to the PNW.

She's a nice woman and her daughter is adorable. The time we spent together was just enough to get past the initial awkwardness of strangers, but not enough to actually become friends.

I enjoyed seeing my brother interact with this little girl. He's very good with kids and she seems to enjoy being with him as well.

Whelp confuses me...always has, but the one thing I know, is that whatever he does in life, whereever he is, I want him to be happy. It was nice to see evidence of that happiness in pictures today.

Until later...

Rumors without Legs

A rumor without a leg to stand on will get around some other way. ~ John Tudor

The economy has been downright brutal in the past 24 months. People are losing their jobs left and right. I always thought that my company was recession/depression-proof, as people always need lawyers. And because they do, lawyers will always need the information my company provides to do their jobs.

Unfortunately, for the first time in its history, my company let 120 people go from my department just after Thanksgiving. Thankfully, I'm not part of that layoff, but I know the possibility is there.

The thing that gets me is the rumors that still abound throughout the department. I'm seriously tired of hearing about it. I can't do anything if the company decides to lay off more people. I can't do anything if I end up being part of those lay offs. What I can do, is my job. To the best of my ability and let tomorrow come as it may.

Life is just too damn short to worry constantly about what might happen. There are enough problems in day to day life to deal with as they happen.

But the pathology of human nature is such that misery loves company, and right now? Well, that misery means that people are talking about what happens when they get laid off.

For me? I'll just keep on keeping on. Everything will work out in the end.

Until later...

Thin Ice

As you all know, I live in the Scandahoovian Hinterlands. It's cold here. Very cold.

However, we Scandahoovians are hearty breeds. We love us some winter activities. Snowmobiling, ice fishing, skiing ~ of the cross country and downhill types ~ and so many others.

Ice fishing is one I don't understand...but then I don't understand regular summer time fishing either. Going out on the ice, drilling a hole and sitting there for hours, where you may or may not catch a fish is not my idea of fun.

Going out on the ice is the biggest deal breakers for me. I just can't wrap my head around driving a huge arsed vehicle out on our many lakes and rivers. Yes, we're cold here in the Hinterlands, and yes, the ice does get very thick, but still. I always think about falling through while in a vehicle.

We're bombarded with stories around this time of year, stating that the ice may or may not be thick enough, and to use caution when out on the rivers and lakes.

Today on the way into work, there was a news story about how a 46 year old man was doing well after falling through the ice. He told his rescuers that he fell though as he was walking the ice edge, trying to determine how thick the ice was. Um, yeah. Darwinian thinking much? If there is an edge to the ice where you can see open water? The ice isn't thick enough, and you should stay the hell off.

But then that's just me...City Nonnie, who thinks these sportsmen are crazy to begin with.

Until later...

Lewis and Clark

The ultimate camping trip was the Lewis and Clark expedition.

~ Dave Barry

Well, the monsters will not be going winter camping this weekend. The troop leadership decided it was just too cold, so they're going to switch out next month's outing for this month's and go snow tubing instead.

I teased the Scout Master last night that he just didn't want to camp out in the below zero weather to get his "Zero Hero" award. He sort of smirked at me and then said that the boys wouldn't have any fun. Yeah, right!

However, not having to send the monsters out in the frozen tundra works for me. I was not looking forward to figuring out how to keep them warm, not to mention both of the monsters were thinking of skipping this month's outing. They however have changed their minds and will be going with the rest of the group on Sunday. It helps that the Vikings have a bye this week too and won't be playing.

Here's hoping next month, the temps are a little more temperate and the Scouts have fun winter camping.

Until later...

Nature's Way

Camping is nature's way of promoting the motel business.

~ Dave Barry

Tonight the monsters have their weekly Scout meeting. As I got things together for dinner, I remembered that this weekend is the annual winter camping outing. The Scouts dig holes in the snow, using the snow as insulation and then spend the night around a fire before crawling into those holes to sleep.

It's -15º at night people! That's dang cold! The monsters don't have sleeping bags that are good that low. I'm not quite sure how I'm going to keep them warm. I may have to invest in a case of handwarmers! LOL!

I'm so glad that Scouts fulfills the monsters' need to camp. It isn't something I enjoy or even think about fondly, even when the weather is nice.

So tonight while they're at their meeting, I'll be trying to come up with ideas on how to pack them for this outing, with an eye on keeping them warm without melting their sleeping holes. I'm getting an eye twitch just thinking about it!

Until later...

In Winter

Every mile is two in winter.

~ George Herbert

The holidays are well and truly over. Tomorrow I go back to work and the boys go back to school. I've been at home since Thursday night and yet, I wish I could stay here a few more days.

It's mighty cold outside you see. The temps have been below zero all day and I shudder to think of what the windchill is.

As far as I know there is no end in sight for the cold. You'd think I'd be used to it by now, having lived in the Hinterlands my whole life, but no. I whine and kvletch as much each year as I did the last.

The thought of getting up and heading out tomorrow seems unbarable, but I know I'll do it...even if each mile seems like two.

Until Later...

Overcoming Inertia

So many fail because they don't get started - they don't go. They don't overcome inertia. They don't begin.

~ W. Clement Stone

Today and tomorrow are my days to overcome inertia. Once that's been triumphed over, then I'll need to figure out how to keep the momentum going.

In living with two monsters, I end up with this clutter problem...clutter in the shape of video games, lego pieces and baseballs. My mission these next two days is to figure out a way to organize it all in a manner that lets me keep my sanity, but still lets the monsters free to do their thing.

I thought I had it figured out a few weeks ago, but what I did doesn't seem to be working. So while I have my coffee this morning, I'm going to brainstorm new, better ways to control the clutter and then impliment one. Then, when the monsters get home tomorrow, we'll be able to go through the new system.

My eyes are crossed just thinking about it.

Until later...

Let Each New Year Find You A Better Man

Be always at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let each new year find you a better man.

~ Benjamin Franklin

And so it begins. It's the first day of a new year, a new decade. The first day to start again, as so many plan and resolve to do.

I, too, have plans and resolutions. Some are health related; both physical and mental. Some are finance related; both current and future. Most however, are world related. I've come to realize that my existence, no matter how important to me, is wholly dependant on the existence of my world. I need to do better in that respect, as the world and its existence are not mine to own, but rather mine to steward.

I look at my children and at the children of friends and realize that in order for them to have a chance at succeeding, the damage that has been done through the generations needs to be halted.

So on this first day of 2010, I'm looking out to the world to determine what I can do to make it a better place, rather than what it can do to improve me.

May all your resolutions and plans find traction in the day to day life of the new year.

Until later...

Once More With Feeling

I'm going to try this blog thing again...we'll see where it takes us.