Friday, September 11, 2009

Office Faux Pas

My friend, Reanna, sent this to me today and it totally cracked me up. For those of you who live in a cube on a daily basis, this edited excerpt will ring so true!

1. Don't! Be the Office Downer

You don't want to be such a buzz kill that people arrange their desks away from you.
That's what Caroline Melville, owner of virtual administrative service VirtuallySorted.com, had to do after hiring an accountant to work with her small team. In the mornings, when Melville asked how he was doing, he would respond with a deadpan, "I am not dead yet."

2. Don't! Microwave Fish in the Office

Tuna sandwiches are banned from some offices, but fish dishes in the microwave are absolutely off limits. "I never knew who the culprit was because the kitchen area was not near my desk," says Casey Corrigan, a media strategist at a New York City PR firm. The smell would waft through the office gently at first, and "then you would feel it more pungently." You don't want your cube mates wishing you would sleep with the fishes.

3. Don't! Go Barefoot

"Everybody wants to wear really cute shoes, and they go out and get five-inch tall Christian Louboutin shoes," reports a tipster who asked to remain anonymous because she feared she would lose her job for outing co-workers. "If you cannot walk in them, you should really go for a more sensible shoe." Resorting to kicking off your stilettos under the desk is permissible at the end of a long day, but "walking around the office barefoot is really gross."

4. Don't! Set Your Ring Tone to the Jonas Brothers

Keep your phone on vibrate. Your officemates notice your ring tone -- especially if it's particularly loud and annoying. "You would see five or six people who sat around her look at her and roll their eyes," says Richard O'Malley, remembering a former receptionist whose ring tone for her boyfriend was a Jonas Brothers song. At the sound of the boy-band melody, the woman would leave her desk to take the call. "It wound up working against her because everyone knew that she was slacking off," says O'Malley. "If you are the person who has the stupid cell phone ring, everyone has noticed it already. Turn it down."

5. Do! Save Smiley Faces for Mom

The owner of a small public relations agency, hired a recent college graduate to be her assistant and was confronted with an acute case of smiley face overload. They were on the picture frame, clock, mouse pad, screen saver and a decoy on the monitor. "The desk space itself was really dreadful," says Kerr. But it didn't end there: She also put smiley faces next to her initials and every single place she signed her name -- including the company's tax forms.

6. Don't! Be the Boss' New BFF

"People who are worried about being laid off end up going overboard to prove that they are indispensable, and that ends up making them seem so obnoxious to people," says Tina Lewis Rowe, a professional development coach.

7. Don't! Read Your Emails Out Loud

Keep a lid on it, neighbor. One wife complained -- on her husband's behalf -- about a coworker who reads her emails out loud. And listens to her voicemails on speakerphone. Seriously.
"My husband works right next (as in their desks are connected with no real divider, like Dwight and Jim on "The Office") to a woman who does all of her work, all day long, out loud," says the woman, who wanted to remain anonymous to protect her husband. Now her husband has to take any serious reading home and do it at night because he can't concentrate in the office.

8. Don't! Give Yourself a Mani/Pedi

"I had a boss who would clip his nails at his desk," says Michelle Poteet, who now owns Reclaim Order, a San Antonio-based life-organizing company. "The next position I was at, the guy across from me would clip his nails at his desk, and to me it is the worst sounding thing in the world."
"It would be one thing if you waited until there was background noise, but it always seemed to me that people, would do this when it was dead silence. Getting rid of a hang nail would be fine, but it is another thing if they are giving themselves a complete manicure." (Amen to that!!!)
9. Don't! Steal Food

Keep your mitts off other people's frozen lunches. One anonymous reporter out in the field says that her Lean Cuisines disappear from the freezer on a regular basis. "It has happened pretty much every where that I have worked," complains the office worker in distress. Not even writing her name in black Sharpie across the box deters thieves. So instead, the lunch lady keeps her thawing Lean Cuisine in her desk. Yum.

10. Don't! Crank the Russian Folk Music

Headphones, people. There is no faster way to top "cube rube" status than to crank your music.
You may think that you are all by your lonesome in your cube, but don't forget about your proximity to others. And if the spirit moves you, and you must have a bit of your motherland's music to get you through your day, headphones, people. Headphones.

Saturday, August 8, 2009

A Time For Everything

I've received these sort of email/forwards before and they always remind me of Ecclesiastes 3.

It's easy for me to think of people who have come and gone in my life, but what each person has represented can sometimes be tricky.
Maybe we're not always supposed to 'know'? I'm thankful for the people that I do have in my life and hope that these are lifetime relationships:

People come into your life for a reason, a season or a lifetime.

When you know which one it is, you will know what to do for that person..
When someone is in your life for a reason, it is usually to meet a need you have expressed. They have come to assist you through a difficulty, to provide you with guidance and support, to aid you physically, emotionally or spiritually. They may seem like a Godsend and they are. They are there for the reason you need them to be.

Then, without any wrongdoing on your part or at an inconvenient time, this person will say or do something to bring the relationship to an end. Sometimes they may pass away. Sometimes they walk away. Sometimes they act up and force you to take a stand. What we must realize is that our need has been met, our desire fulfilled, and their work is done. The prayer you lifted up has been answered and now it is time to move on.

Some people come into your life for a season, because your turn has come to share, grow or learn. They bring you an experience of peace or make you laugh. They may teach you something you have never done. They usually give you an unbelievable amount of joy. Believe it, it is real. But only for a season.

Lifetime relationships teach you lifetime lessons, things you must build upon in order to have a solid emotional foundation. Your job is to accept the lesson, love the person and put what you have learned to use in all other relationships and areas of your life.

Thank you for being a part of my life....whether you were a reason, a season or a lifetime.

Sunday, July 26, 2009

Coldplay (Take 4)

A week and a half ago, a couple of my friends and I went to my fourth Coldplay concert and again, they didn't disappoint!

I have talked to several people who have seen Coldplay for the first time 'expecting' there to be a lull or a mistake made by Chris Martin, but it has yet to happen in my presence!

I think this guy knows how to get the crowd excited and understands that people came from miles away and paid a lot of money to watch their shows - even though they're playing the same songs, night after endless night, it's like they're playing them for the first time!

Man, I looooove this band!

Last year when I saw them in San Jose, they came out in to the crowd a few rows in front of me and I was freaking out - unfortunately, this time around, they were completely opposite of where we were sitting, but they played a little 'Billie Jean' tribute to Michael Jackson and they even sounded perfect doing somebody else's song! It was awesome... we rocked out the 'Woo-Woo's' right on his cue, too!

It was such a great time spending the evening with some amazing friends, dancing, singing, and loving on my most favorite band around! I'm already looking forward to concert number five - wherever that will be...

Me, Elizabeth, Tunde

Coming out in to the crowd

Viva La Vida tour


Singing Billie Jean

Going in to the Sleep Train Amphitheatre



Me, Tunde, Elizabeth

Sunday, June 21, 2009

Happy Father's Day

Happy Father's Day to my two favorite dad's in my life - my bro and my daddio!

Me and Dad

I hope you two have a great day and know that I'm thinking of you and wishing that I could be there to help you celebrate... even though as dad would say, 'Todd, you're not my dad.'

Gilly... Gilly...


Thank you for being good examples to your children, for loving unconditionally, and being the kind of father's that urge open communication, aren't afraid to show your feelings, and say 'I Love You' when you feel like it... I'm so blessed to have you both in my life and love you very much!

Have a great Father's Day to you two, to my friends who are dad's or are GOING to be dad's, and to my uncles and grandpa... this is your day to be recognized - enjoy it with your families!

Friday, June 19, 2009

What Goes Around....

Remember back in September when my amazing friends and family surprised me with money to purchase a plane ticket home for Christmas? Well, now I know how they felt with their generosity. I have been dying to do this for somebody else and I had the perfect opportunity!




A few weeks ago I went to a friends house for a clothing party and was having a great time chatting with all the ladies, eating snack food, and watching everybody model their new outfits that they wanted to purchase. Things were sort of winding down when my friend, Nicole, and I were speaking with a member of our small group bible study. This woman, Patricia, is a sweet, soft spoken, kind hearted, loving person who is also a family/marriage counselor. All of the ladies, at one point or another, have asked for her advice or opinion on certain relational matters, which she will gladly discuss and talk through with all of us. Needless to say, we love her!!

I met Patricia a year and a half ago when I first signed up for my small group through church. I felt like I knew her for years - she just has that welcoming personality. Once our group started up again last fall, she had a prior commitment that kept her from coming on a regular basis, so we would only see each other every now and again.


Back in January, she showed up for small group discussion and unbeknownst to some of us, she had been diagnosed with breast cancer and had undergone a mastectomy. I was devastated to hear the news, but she was healing well and getting along nicely....then she told us that even though the doctors had removed everything, they still wanted her to go through a few rounds of chemotherapy. Stunned. I didn't even know what to say.



So for the last few months, this mid 60 year old woman has been going through chemo by herself and still working. She found out that she was being put on a new drug that would cost her more money per month and that was stressing her out, of course. She has a daughter that lives in Texas that she wanted to go visit, but knew she didn't have enough money to get down there right away, so she was setting money aside for her 'Southwest Fund'.



At that exact moment, I was convicted. I stopped listening to anything she was saying. All I heard were the words, "Do something." My first thought: Yeah, right - I'm scraping by as it is, how can I do something when I don't have anything??


The next thing: 'Twenty dollars''. HA, boy, that will get her to the airport - then what? Well, she had just told us that a ticket she saw was around $250 - I quickly figured that if 10 of us give $20, we would have $200 since she said that she did have some money in there already. Good enough.



Patricia had to leave and Nicole and I just stood there in silence for a minute. I turned to her and said, "We have to do something. We're buying her a plane ticket to go see her daughter." Nicole's reply, "I'm in."



Set the wheels in motion!



An email went out to the small group and money started pouring in, just as planned. Even though times are tough, people are so giving in times of need and it just felt GOOD to do this for somebody we love. When all was said and done, we had come up with about $360 to donate to her fund! This was so exciting...



Tuesday night I presented Patricia "the gift" and she was so grateful. Her humbleness was so real and her tears of joy were felt by each of us in the room.



God knew Patricia's need before we did. He presented the circumstance, convicted us, we obeyed and met Him where He wanted us, and the glory is His.



I don't believe that it was any accident that we were all in the same place on a Friday night. What an absolutely great experience to be a part of and NOW I know how my friends and family felt when they were helping me last year! I am still so grateful, just as I know Patricia will be for the months ahead!

Sunday, May 24, 2009

Reality

Have you stopped to think about all of these 'reality' shows that our eyes and brains are consumed with while flipping through the channels? Man, there are a ton of them....

Yesterday I was trying to kill some time before I went to a friends house and I landed on 'Keeping up with the Kardashians'. What a train wreck.

I seriously could not stop watching this show just for the mere fact that these three spoiled, bratty girls were speaking to their mother the way they were. I started crying for the mom because all she asked for was for their respect - (her ex-husband is the late Robert Kardashian, who helped O.J. get acquitted). It was the 5 year anniversary of his death and she was getting emotional talking about him and the girls were telling her to stop crying and that they 'didn't even want to think about him or look at her'.

Isn't this where, as a daughter, you're supposed to reach out to your mom, embrace her with a big hug, and tell her that you miss your dad, too? Or show SOME sort of compassion?? The mom ended up leaving and crying... my heart hurt for her. I do know one thing, if I would have said the things they were saying to her, my face would have been slapped in to next week. No joke.

So what makes these shows 'real'? I don't know any of my friends that drive a new Mercedes SUV? My friends don't have a dad or step dad that is a former Olympian? None of us are 'known' for our shapely behinds and none of us are dating NFL players? This is real life? Do you know that one of the girls spent $19, 700.00 in ONE store on a shopping spree? This is quite possibly a yearly salary for some people. How sad. She didn't even blink an eye....just handed over her credit card and smiled.

And there I sat watching.

I'm mortified that 'John & Kate Plus 8' are making headlines for his 'questionable' behavior and possible affair and that people really like her hair cut. How real is their life of nannies, book signings, the boys of O.C.C. stopping by to give them new Choppers (because what parent of 8 children doesn't need a new motorcycle), and housing a tv crew and having a body guard follow you everywhere?

Somewhere I had read that most reality show couples end up in divorce after the cameras quit rolling and people are no longer interested in their lives. For example, remember 'Til Death Do Us Part' with Carmen Electra and her then husband Dave Navarro? Oh and my favorite, 'The Newlyweds' with Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey - I secretly hope they get back together some day. 'Hogan Knows Best' - yet another couple going through a divorce...

I know one thing, when I get approached to do a reality show, I won't do it just so I don't jinx my own marriage. Oh wait, I have to get married first...

Does this mean that I'll stop watching this sickness? Probably not.

I still love 'The Hills' and watching these young kids think that they're important spending mom and dad's money. Do they know that they're termed 'TV Personalities'? They're not actresses or actors. They're not known for their musical talents, modeling careers, or intellect. They're known for being on tv and causing drama.

I think I'm happy living in my real life, having my real bills to pay for, and having real friends who won't throw me under the bus the first chance they get.

However, it is people like me that keep these stupid shows on the air. Sigh.

Friday, May 15, 2009

SURPRISE!!

I can't tell you how much I love surprises - I love being surprised (well, not like jumping out from behind the door sort of surprised) and I love giving or being a part of the surprise!

My brother, sister in law, and myself decided a few months ago that we would surprise mom for her 60th birthday and Mother's Day - it all worked out so perfectly! Ooooh, I love it!

So I thought I would be sneaky and send a few pictures to the folks during the day of the ocean - after all, I did tell them that's where I would be over the weekend. The first one really was from the coast - but from January - and from my friend, Elizabeth. The second picture was of me at the 'ocean', but I was really at Folsom Lake back in March on a super windy day... I thought that would suffice as the, 'Hey, look at me - I'm at the ocean' picture. I sent the first one at my layover and the second one before my brother dropped me off with Evonn! hee hee...

I got to ride up to my brother's house with my sister in law to surprise the kids since they were home from school. I think they were just confused, but it was so much fun seeing them and kissing their little cheeks! I couldn't get over how tall they are getting and Zoe's new teeth that are coming in! I miss them.

We head out to mom and dad's house after Evonn called to see if it would be ok if her and the kids went out 'to show them something'. I couldn't wait! We jumped out of the car and hid on the other side of the garage while Evonn pulled up to the house. I could hear my dad's voice as they were coming outside and mom wondering where the kids were - that's when she saw me and screamed my name and said, "I JUST KNEW IT!" I think the whole block heard her. We hugged and cried, hugged some more, and cried a while longer... it was so great seeing my mom and dad again!







Friday morning I got to do something that I hadn't done for YEARS - I went with mom to have coffee at her friends house with 6 other women. We ate snacks, had drinks, listened to the town gossip, and told stories. I had sooo much fun listening and laughing with these women! Afterwards we went to mom's work so we could say hi to everybody and visit for a few minutes, then it was back home for the afternoon.

I realized how much I miss the silence... it's so quiet out there - at night when I was in bed, I could actually hear the frogs and not the constant whirr of cars flying by, sirens, honking horns, people talking, and doors slamming. (Which kind of makes me sound like I live in the ghetto, but I really don't!). Anyway, I could smell the lilacs outside, hear the birds chirping, and the church bells at noon playing songs. Ahhh....

Friday night was surprise number two. We had mom's three best friends come over to my brother's house for a surprise birthday party. Once we turned the corner to his house, it finally sunk in who was standing in his driveway - I love the look on her face when she's surprised! They had catered in some Famous Dave's BBQ, Evonn had the house decorated so nicely, we had a super yummy chocolate cake with chocolate chips inside, an Edible Arrangement of fruit, and some drinks to celebrate our mom! The night was spent talking, getting reacquainted, telling stories, laughing, and Keegan wondering when 'all these old people are going to leave'! :)





I spent the night with Keegan (Zoe opted out of camping on the air mattress - smart girl) and in the morning all of us girls met at the mall to have some much needed coffee and a little snack. I loved my muffie from Panera. Muffie. Muuuffie. (Don't tell me that's not fun to say!) After a little bit of shopping, we had lunch at the Cheesecake Factory and back to the shopping... why is it when you want to spend money, you can't ever find anything, but when you DON'T want to spend money, you buy up the store? Grr.. I wanted something, but only got a watch battery. And really, I don't think he ever changed it because my watch still isn't working. Jerky.

I guess I did get something though - the generic version of Dippin' Dots, of course! Mint chocolate chip and cookie dough...you can never go wrong.

Sunday was Mother's Day and we all went to church together - it was a great sermon and fun to see faces that I hadn't seen in a while. After church we had lunch at O'Charley's and headed back home. Dad and I took the Corvette out for a spin which always makes me happy and smiley to hear it rev up! And it makes me smile when we watch ourselves drive really slow down main street so we can see our reflection in the store windows... right, dad? :)



The weekend ended all too quickly as I got ready to pack it up and head back to CA Monday afternoon. My brother met us for a bite to eat, we said our goodbyes, had our hugs, and the next thing I know, I'm back in 80F weather and back to reality.

Mom, happy birthday and happy Mother's Day - it was such a great weekend and definitely one that I'll never forget! You are so special to so many people, we're all blessed to have you be a part of our lives, and we all love you dearly! "Best weekend ever!!" :)