You know what's worse than not having enough warm layers on a long walk from the train to work? Having too many.
I had to walk a little farther today since I needed to pick up some pastries for my floor holiday party, and I tend to walk with purpose. There is no moseying along for me. Overheating in the winter sucks because you can't just take off your coat and cool down. So, you sweat, while your face is freezing.
You know what else is awesome? Doing all of that the day after you decide to switch to plain deodorant with no antiperspirant.
I smell like a zoo.
I got to my desk, took off my many layers and went to the ladies' room. I also took off my sweater, so that I could cool off sooner. Not only am I a little damp, but my back is basically wet. Like, I can see a big circle on the back of my blouse, which now looks like I picked it up off the floor instead of having recently washed and ironed it. I honestly considered losing the blouse and just wearing the sweater except my sweater is white and kind of thin, so that isn't really an option. I just hope it is enough to cover my now-wrinkled shirt so that no one wonders when I showered last (this morning, if you're wondering).
Showing posts with label Work. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Work. Show all posts
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Friday, July 13, 2007
Things I Wanted to Tell You
1. Julia Quinn's novels are like crack for me. I bought two more of the Bridgerton series, planning to read them later. Like, when I'm done with the 10,000 pages I have to read for the MAE exam and my upcoming summer class. I've already finished one and grabbed the second on my way out the door this morning. I wish I lived way far away so that my train ride was hours and hours long, because I CAN'T STOP READING. I love them. I know that I need to do other stuff, but I can't not read these when they are in my reach. It is all I can do not to read it at my desk, at work.
2. I've applied for a new job that I really, really, really, really want, bad. So bad that I called my old boss, made nice, and asked if she had any connections. She did, but who knows how solid they are. Cross your fingers for me.
3. I need to remind myself that, in publishing, summer Fridays are 1/2 days, so the contact that I emailed about the potential new job will NOT respond, no matter how many times I check my email.
4. We're putting carpet tile in the basement this weekend, which will allow us to finally unpack completely and set up a nice house. After that, we have to paint the kitchen, stairs, hall, and living room and we will be presentable for the world. Not that I ever invite anyone over anyway, because I am a person who likes to be home alone, but you know. I could.
5. I really want this job. I feel a little nauseous and I have a headache because I am worrying about it so much.
6. Prepare yourself for the return of the Girl's Guide to Sports. If no one sends me questions - recordstorerita@hotmail.com - I will choose the topics myself. You won't know the difference, though, because I will fake questions. Maybe. I haven't really decided. I have several column ideas, and I want to get some in the bag and decide on a regular schedule.
2. I've applied for a new job that I really, really, really, really want, bad. So bad that I called my old boss, made nice, and asked if she had any connections. She did, but who knows how solid they are. Cross your fingers for me.
3. I need to remind myself that, in publishing, summer Fridays are 1/2 days, so the contact that I emailed about the potential new job will NOT respond, no matter how many times I check my email.
4. We're putting carpet tile in the basement this weekend, which will allow us to finally unpack completely and set up a nice house. After that, we have to paint the kitchen, stairs, hall, and living room and we will be presentable for the world. Not that I ever invite anyone over anyway, because I am a person who likes to be home alone, but you know. I could.
5. I really want this job. I feel a little nauseous and I have a headache because I am worrying about it so much.
6. Prepare yourself for the return of the Girl's Guide to Sports. If no one sends me questions - recordstorerita@hotmail.com - I will choose the topics myself. You won't know the difference, though, because I will fake questions. Maybe. I haven't really decided. I have several column ideas, and I want to get some in the bag and decide on a regular schedule.
Saturday, March 10, 2007
Blah Blah Blah
I figure it's time to write something, before Mavis gets all antsy and tells me to post something. She's very demanding.
It has been a strange week for me. I started it feeling like I would rather have a root canal than go to my job, then I had a chat with my boss which left me feeling somewhat better and motivated to really make a difference in that company, then my school week started and I was all proud of myself for getting all my readings done and getting some of my end-of-the-quarter stuff done AHEAD OF TIME, then I went to the shrink and told her how awesome my new drugs are and how on top of things I am, and then it all fell apart.
Let me break it down for you:
The Job
I try not to talk about my job too much because I've heard of people getting fired for blogging about their job. However, I have no plans for permanent employment at my company (and they know this), and I don't think that this is a fire-able offense.
So, my company has grown a lot over the last decade and a half or so. They went from being really small to being really big really fast. So, the corporate infrastructure has not grown as the company did. This happens a lot. For all the talk about corporate structure, I've found that very few companies have much infrastructure. Mostly, it is all sort of half-assed and un-spelled out, with the exception of a few totally massive global corporations.
My company has been working on creating some structure and training and whatnot. HR scheduled a meeting to review some training courses for several positions in my department, mine included. This sparked a whole discussion on career paths, titles, etc and how they basically don't exist in the company. The HR rep was totally taken by surprise, as this wasn't what the meeting was supposed to be about, but managed to handle it pretty well. HR rep was trying to listen, but convey what the likely reaction from higher-ups would be to what we were asking for. Basically, we should try to create some structures, but it wasn't likely to be as successful as we might hope. What I, and the others who are in my same entry- or close to entry-level positions, heard was: "we don't want to create career paths for your positions because we don't want you to advance because we don't want to ever pay more than we already are for what you do, and we don't want you to take on more responsibility or develop any other skills than what you already have." It was pretty depressing. We left feeling like we were wasting our time there and should really start looking for new jobs. Even me, and I'm in school to get a totally different kind of job and have no plans on developing a career in my current field.
So, when my boss found out my negative reaction, she was a little hurt. The point of the meetings were to develop something for me and those in my position. That I didn't want to be involved anymore sort of upset her, and I can see why. Why should she bother going to bat for me if I don't want to put forth any effort? There are other things going on that I feel like I can't get into here, but ultimately I agreed with her. I left her office wondering how I can get the others in my position to come around and get things back on-track.
Then, I went to class. My week is pretty evenly divided into work and school, so I completely left work behind. Things were going so well for me in school. I had gotten really far behind - I wasn't finishing readings and was always finishing papers and the very last possible moment (in some cases turning it in rather late).
The Drugs
I have ADD. I can usually get by, but last quarter and this quarter it was really, really bad, and I finally went to a psychiatrist to get drugs. I was really nervous about going, because I'm always afraid that someone will finally tell me that drugs won't help, that I'm just stupid and lazy and should just get my shit together. Apparently, this is how a lot of ADDers feel, particularly adults with ADD. In any case, the drugs are working. I have gotten my school work back under control and I'm even getting my shit at work done more efficiently.
The point (see the tangents? this is ADD at work - actually the meds combo'd with caffeine. I'm still not used to changing what I consume because of the chemicals I've added to my body). ANYWAY. The point is that I was back in control. I was so efficient with stuff. Yesterday, I finished revising an assignment by, like 11am. It was awesome. And then.
Falling Apart
And then I realized that I should not have been sitting at my desk working on papers. I should have been at DePaul, in Lincoln Park, observing an undergraduate writing class. I'd already missed the first time I was supposed to go, then couldn't get a hold of the professor for the next week, and now I'd blown it. I was so mad at myself. I'd totally spaced on it.
Luckily, it looks like it will work out. I'm going to have to drive to f'ing Grayslake and turn in my paper late, but I will get to turn it in, which will be better than nothing at all.
The upside is that I'm getting a handle on things. The drugs I'm taking are not miracle drugs. They don't actually do my work for me. But, they do allow me to do what I need to. The good news is that my shrink says that my ADD really only rears its ugly head in times of stress. Apparently, maintaining a job, going to school, and planning a wedding all at the same time is stressful. And I just thought I was lazy.
She recommended a book on adult ADD, which I plan to read over my "spring break" - which is in itself sort of a joke, since we have less than a week between finals and the start of spring quarter. I'm also planning on reading another of the Bridgerton series by Julia Quinn. I deserve a little fun reading.
But now, I've wasted enough of my morning (it's 1pm, but still morning to me!) and it is time to get to work.
It has been a strange week for me. I started it feeling like I would rather have a root canal than go to my job, then I had a chat with my boss which left me feeling somewhat better and motivated to really make a difference in that company, then my school week started and I was all proud of myself for getting all my readings done and getting some of my end-of-the-quarter stuff done AHEAD OF TIME, then I went to the shrink and told her how awesome my new drugs are and how on top of things I am, and then it all fell apart.
Let me break it down for you:
The Job
I try not to talk about my job too much because I've heard of people getting fired for blogging about their job. However, I have no plans for permanent employment at my company (and they know this), and I don't think that this is a fire-able offense.
So, my company has grown a lot over the last decade and a half or so. They went from being really small to being really big really fast. So, the corporate infrastructure has not grown as the company did. This happens a lot. For all the talk about corporate structure, I've found that very few companies have much infrastructure. Mostly, it is all sort of half-assed and un-spelled out, with the exception of a few totally massive global corporations.
My company has been working on creating some structure and training and whatnot. HR scheduled a meeting to review some training courses for several positions in my department, mine included. This sparked a whole discussion on career paths, titles, etc and how they basically don't exist in the company. The HR rep was totally taken by surprise, as this wasn't what the meeting was supposed to be about, but managed to handle it pretty well. HR rep was trying to listen, but convey what the likely reaction from higher-ups would be to what we were asking for. Basically, we should try to create some structures, but it wasn't likely to be as successful as we might hope. What I, and the others who are in my same entry- or close to entry-level positions, heard was: "we don't want to create career paths for your positions because we don't want you to advance because we don't want to ever pay more than we already are for what you do, and we don't want you to take on more responsibility or develop any other skills than what you already have." It was pretty depressing. We left feeling like we were wasting our time there and should really start looking for new jobs. Even me, and I'm in school to get a totally different kind of job and have no plans on developing a career in my current field.
So, when my boss found out my negative reaction, she was a little hurt. The point of the meetings were to develop something for me and those in my position. That I didn't want to be involved anymore sort of upset her, and I can see why. Why should she bother going to bat for me if I don't want to put forth any effort? There are other things going on that I feel like I can't get into here, but ultimately I agreed with her. I left her office wondering how I can get the others in my position to come around and get things back on-track.
Then, I went to class. My week is pretty evenly divided into work and school, so I completely left work behind. Things were going so well for me in school. I had gotten really far behind - I wasn't finishing readings and was always finishing papers and the very last possible moment (in some cases turning it in rather late).
The Drugs
I have ADD. I can usually get by, but last quarter and this quarter it was really, really bad, and I finally went to a psychiatrist to get drugs. I was really nervous about going, because I'm always afraid that someone will finally tell me that drugs won't help, that I'm just stupid and lazy and should just get my shit together. Apparently, this is how a lot of ADDers feel, particularly adults with ADD. In any case, the drugs are working. I have gotten my school work back under control and I'm even getting my shit at work done more efficiently.
The point (see the tangents? this is ADD at work - actually the meds combo'd with caffeine. I'm still not used to changing what I consume because of the chemicals I've added to my body). ANYWAY. The point is that I was back in control. I was so efficient with stuff. Yesterday, I finished revising an assignment by, like 11am. It was awesome. And then.
Falling Apart
And then I realized that I should not have been sitting at my desk working on papers. I should have been at DePaul, in Lincoln Park, observing an undergraduate writing class. I'd already missed the first time I was supposed to go, then couldn't get a hold of the professor for the next week, and now I'd blown it. I was so mad at myself. I'd totally spaced on it.
Luckily, it looks like it will work out. I'm going to have to drive to f'ing Grayslake and turn in my paper late, but I will get to turn it in, which will be better than nothing at all.
The upside is that I'm getting a handle on things. The drugs I'm taking are not miracle drugs. They don't actually do my work for me. But, they do allow me to do what I need to. The good news is that my shrink says that my ADD really only rears its ugly head in times of stress. Apparently, maintaining a job, going to school, and planning a wedding all at the same time is stressful. And I just thought I was lazy.
She recommended a book on adult ADD, which I plan to read over my "spring break" - which is in itself sort of a joke, since we have less than a week between finals and the start of spring quarter. I'm also planning on reading another of the Bridgerton series by Julia Quinn. I deserve a little fun reading.
But now, I've wasted enough of my morning (it's 1pm, but still morning to me!) and it is time to get to work.
Tuesday, November 21, 2006
Happy Day
Foiled again! I tried to get my Monday post in under the wire, but apparently my computer clock is slightly slower than Blogger's. Oh well, I guess I'm out of the running anyway.
I did bowl pretty good tonight. Which is always nice. I'm in a Monday night Mixed League over at Irving Park Lanes. If you're ever tempted to join a bowling league, I highly recommend you do so. It is a nice way to meet some interesting people. For the most part, the people in my league are a lot of fun, though they're also almost all at least 20 years older than us. We're the obnoxious kids in matching shirts with a killer handicap.
Today was a really good day. Things were insanely busy at work (they usually are at the end of the year but this year there are two more major projects that we're not usually handling). But the good part came after work. I took the train home. Mr drove me to work this morning because it was on the way, but I walked over to Olgilvie after work and got on the train. As it turns out, the Metra station is really close to my house - closer than the Red Line was to my old apartment and I used to walk there every day. So, I took the train home, which was lovely, and I finished the last reading for my final project which was awesome, because it is due tomorrow - technically today, since it's already Tuesday. I also wrote most of the summary of that article. The best part, however, was the walk home. Like I said, the train is close, so it doesn't take long, and I just like my neighborhood so much.
We moved this weekend and I'm just so happy to be in my house. It's weird how happy I am. It's still a big old mess, but it's my big old mess. As I was walking home I was admiring all the other cute houses in my neighborhood - all the yards are well-maintained and cars are in driveways. It just looks neater and nicer and .... it just felt like home. I walked almost the whole way with a big goofy grin on my face.
I almost wish that I wasn't going back to my parent's house this week. I mean, I love them and miss them and I'm really looking forward to seeing my nephew and going to look at wedding dresses with my mom. But I could also really use five days in my house to get things in order.
My boss has offered me two extra days off since work is so crazy. She's good like that. The problem is that I want those days NOW and since work is crazy due to the time-sensitive nature of the stuff we're working on, I can't really take time now. So, the house will have to stay in disrepair for a little bit. It will get there eventually.
I did bowl pretty good tonight. Which is always nice. I'm in a Monday night Mixed League over at Irving Park Lanes. If you're ever tempted to join a bowling league, I highly recommend you do so. It is a nice way to meet some interesting people. For the most part, the people in my league are a lot of fun, though they're also almost all at least 20 years older than us. We're the obnoxious kids in matching shirts with a killer handicap.
Today was a really good day. Things were insanely busy at work (they usually are at the end of the year but this year there are two more major projects that we're not usually handling). But the good part came after work. I took the train home. Mr drove me to work this morning because it was on the way, but I walked over to Olgilvie after work and got on the train. As it turns out, the Metra station is really close to my house - closer than the Red Line was to my old apartment and I used to walk there every day. So, I took the train home, which was lovely, and I finished the last reading for my final project which was awesome, because it is due tomorrow - technically today, since it's already Tuesday. I also wrote most of the summary of that article. The best part, however, was the walk home. Like I said, the train is close, so it doesn't take long, and I just like my neighborhood so much.
We moved this weekend and I'm just so happy to be in my house. It's weird how happy I am. It's still a big old mess, but it's my big old mess. As I was walking home I was admiring all the other cute houses in my neighborhood - all the yards are well-maintained and cars are in driveways. It just looks neater and nicer and .... it just felt like home. I walked almost the whole way with a big goofy grin on my face.
I almost wish that I wasn't going back to my parent's house this week. I mean, I love them and miss them and I'm really looking forward to seeing my nephew and going to look at wedding dresses with my mom. But I could also really use five days in my house to get things in order.
My boss has offered me two extra days off since work is so crazy. She's good like that. The problem is that I want those days NOW and since work is crazy due to the time-sensitive nature of the stuff we're working on, I can't really take time now. So, the house will have to stay in disrepair for a little bit. It will get there eventually.
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