Of all the things I do at work, one of my favorites is telling new employees about our "No Miss" guideline:
"If you have kids/family/etc with school programs/graduations/plays/etc, you may not use work as an excuse for missing the occasion. If you just don't want to go, that's one thing; but don't tell yourself, 'I can't, I have to work.' We don't want you missing important milestones in your families' lives.
Pay attention to the things that are truly important (good, bad, whatever). Make your decisions accordingly. We will accommodate you (within reason, of course ) to the best of our ability.
Remember to practice a good work/life balance! If you are out of town on business over a weekend, have spent a lot of late evenings in the office, etc., please remember to make it up to your family."
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Real Life Is Not Like the Sims
I love the Sims. I can play for hours.
My Sim girl is successful - top of the career ladder. She's mastered cooking, guitar, painting, and (very soon) writing. She's owner of a theater, a bookstore, and a partner in a diner. There's money in the bank. She's lucky, has a sense of humor, and people like her. She makes friends easily. Her house is small, with just the essentials. I've found the simpler I keep it, the easier it is to play.
Now, I look around my own house...... stuff everywhere. What compels us to collect so much?? Would life be easier - like the Sims - if I got rid of most of it?
My Sim girl is successful - top of the career ladder. She's mastered cooking, guitar, painting, and (very soon) writing. She's owner of a theater, a bookstore, and a partner in a diner. There's money in the bank. She's lucky, has a sense of humor, and people like her. She makes friends easily. Her house is small, with just the essentials. I've found the simpler I keep it, the easier it is to play.
Now, I look around my own house...... stuff everywhere. What compels us to collect so much?? Would life be easier - like the Sims - if I got rid of most of it?
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Books I've Read Lately in 10 words or Less
Serial - Jack Kilborn and Blake Crouch
Disturbing, with a strangely satisfying ending.
Home Safe: A Novel - Elizabeth Berg
Co-dependency takes center stage.
Hide in Plain Sight - Marta Perry
Romance. God. Amish country. Suspense.
Dexter in the Dark - Jeff Lindsay
Serial killer loses then regains his muse.
The Host - Stephenie Meyer
Alien takes over, human fights back.
UR - Stephen King
Evil pink Kindle. What else to say?
Vinegar Hill - A. Manette Ansay
Dark, depressing tale of failed marriage.
A Reliable Wife - Robert Goolrick
Period story of family dysfunction and arsenic poisoning.
Disturbing, with a strangely satisfying ending.
Home Safe: A Novel - Elizabeth Berg
Co-dependency takes center stage.
Hide in Plain Sight - Marta Perry
Romance. God. Amish country. Suspense.
Dexter in the Dark - Jeff Lindsay
Serial killer loses then regains his muse.
The Host - Stephenie Meyer
Alien takes over, human fights back.
UR - Stephen King
Evil pink Kindle. What else to say?
Vinegar Hill - A. Manette Ansay
Dark, depressing tale of failed marriage.
A Reliable Wife - Robert Goolrick
Period story of family dysfunction and arsenic poisoning.
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
I Feel Old
Date: June 1, 2009 12:57:58 PM CDT
To: Local
Subject: NKOTB
As part of a season concert ticket package, I've got 4 tickets for the 6/26/09 New Kids on the Block concert in Tinley Park.
Uhm. I don't plan on going.
Is there anyone here that is interested in going?
My response: "Gee, is there anyone who'd ADMIT it if they were?"
To: Local
Subject: NKOTB
As part of a season concert ticket package, I've got 4 tickets for the 6/26/09 New Kids on the Block concert in Tinley Park.
Uhm. I don't plan on going.
Is there anyone here that is interested in going?
My response: "Gee, is there anyone who'd ADMIT it if they were?"
Friday, May 29, 2009
Humor of the Day
Today, I sent the following email to our office:
Subject: Missing Training DVDs
Date: May 29, 2009 10:28:55 AM CDT
To: office@
If you have the Ergonomics or Sexual Harassment dvds, please let me know.
Responses I received:
"I wouldn't be surprised if (the IT guy) has them and hid them :0"
"Wow, really? People are holding on to these?"
"I wanted to learn how to do Sexual Harassment in an ergonomically correct position"
Subject: Missing Training DVDs
Date: May 29, 2009 10:28:55 AM CDT
To: office@
If you have the Ergonomics or Sexual Harassment dvds, please let me know.
Responses I received:
"I wouldn't be surprised if (the IT guy) has them and hid them :0"
"Wow, really? People are holding on to these?"
"I wanted to learn how to do Sexual Harassment in an ergonomically correct position"
Sunday, March 29, 2009
When I was a kid, all of our family vacations were spent camping on family land outside Volga, Iowa. Getting there took between four and five hours of driving, including significant portions through northern Illinois and southwestern Wisconsin. Rolling hills of farmland - cows, corn, soybeans - with a few unique landmarks mixed in.
By the time we neared Platteville, Wisconsin, we had been peering out the windows for at least half an hour looking for this: the "Big M." When we saw this, we knew we were closer to our destination than we were to home.
There were two things that were notable about entering Prairie du Chien: Hardee's and the bridge across the mighty Miss. We didn't have a Hardee's in Rockford until the 80's, so stopping for a Hardee's cheeseburger was a huge treat. It was a fun, positive stop that got our minds off of crossing this old suspension bridge. By the time they were building the replacement, there were flagmen at each end limiting the number of cars crossing at any one time. To a kid of six or seven, that bridge was simply scary. It was high above the water, and rattled as you crossed.
There was another notable sight once we crossed the bridge: Pinky the Elephant. What's better to a kid than a huge pink behemoth overlooking the river?
By the time we neared Platteville, Wisconsin, we had been peering out the windows for at least half an hour looking for this: the "Big M." When we saw this, we knew we were closer to our destination than we were to home.
There were two things that were notable about entering Prairie du Chien: Hardee's and the bridge across the mighty Miss. We didn't have a Hardee's in Rockford until the 80's, so stopping for a Hardee's cheeseburger was a huge treat. It was a fun, positive stop that got our minds off of crossing this old suspension bridge. By the time they were building the replacement, there were flagmen at each end limiting the number of cars crossing at any one time. To a kid of six or seven, that bridge was simply scary. It was high above the water, and rattled as you crossed.
There was another notable sight once we crossed the bridge: Pinky the Elephant. What's better to a kid than a huge pink behemoth overlooking the river?
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Painting - walls, not canvas.
My husband and I recently decided to paint our bedroom. We've hated the original mint green color since the day we moved into the house. It didn't help that we chose the color - we thought it would be more of a sage green than it ended up being.
Well, this time we chose a dark clay-colored paint. It's been awhile since we've painted; I think it's been about five years. We used red then. Unfortunately, we forgot how difficult it is to get coverage with a red tint. This spice brown color we chose this time contains a lot of red.
We primed the walls with a tinted primer. It took two coats of primer. We started with the spice brown color on the walls. The weather was fantastic - sunny, breezy, 50's into the 60's. Of course we didn't finish it during the weekend, so it was put on hold. Now, it's cold. We're under a winter storm warning. It's supposed to start snowing within the next hour. I refuse to paint if I can't open the windows.
Lessons learned?
Well, this time we chose a dark clay-colored paint. It's been awhile since we've painted; I think it's been about five years. We used red then. Unfortunately, we forgot how difficult it is to get coverage with a red tint. This spice brown color we chose this time contains a lot of red.
We primed the walls with a tinted primer. It took two coats of primer. We started with the spice brown color on the walls. The weather was fantastic - sunny, breezy, 50's into the 60's. Of course we didn't finish it during the weekend, so it was put on hold. Now, it's cold. We're under a winter storm warning. It's supposed to start snowing within the next hour. I refuse to paint if I can't open the windows.
Lessons learned?
- Don't use paint with a red base.
- Remember to use low or no VOC paint.
Friday, March 13, 2009
How do I create a resume?
If you're brilliant and well-connected: http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2008/03/why-bother-havi.html
If you're smart and practical: http://blog.guykawasaki.com/2009/02/guest-post-memo.html
If you're conventional and always do things by the book: http://www.how-to-write-a-resume.org/
If you're smart and practical: http://blog.guykawasaki.com/2009/02/guest-post-memo.html
If you're conventional and always do things by the book: http://www.how-to-write-a-resume.org/
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Performance Management
I honestly think that employees dread hearing "It's time for your annual review" more than anything else except "You're fired." I also think that managers and supervisors dread saying those words.
What gets everyone so apprehensive? Because we try to formalize the processes to make it "easier" and more convenient, yet we tend to ignore how utterly personal the subject matter is.
Performance management is not about having an uncomfortable conversation once a year, or filling out a form to put in the personnel file to have documentation if the lawyer asks for it later. Performance management is a large, detailed tapestry that takes time, energy and detail to get right. The ultimate goal of performance management is to maximize the potential of employees, strengthen the team, and in doing so maximize the performance of the company. Everyone wins if it's done right.
As managers and supervisors, we should have regular daily conversations with our people. We should get to know them; we should build trusting relationships. These daily conversations are the bare bones threads of the tapestry. Each conversation is a thread. The more threads there are, the stronger the tapestry. Everything else, the finesse, the details, builds upon this foundation. If the substrate is crap, the outcome is a failure.
Why is performance management important? Two common sense reasons:
What gets everyone so apprehensive? Because we try to formalize the processes to make it "easier" and more convenient, yet we tend to ignore how utterly personal the subject matter is.
Performance management is not about having an uncomfortable conversation once a year, or filling out a form to put in the personnel file to have documentation if the lawyer asks for it later. Performance management is a large, detailed tapestry that takes time, energy and detail to get right. The ultimate goal of performance management is to maximize the potential of employees, strengthen the team, and in doing so maximize the performance of the company. Everyone wins if it's done right.
As managers and supervisors, we should have regular daily conversations with our people. We should get to know them; we should build trusting relationships. These daily conversations are the bare bones threads of the tapestry. Each conversation is a thread. The more threads there are, the stronger the tapestry. Everything else, the finesse, the details, builds upon this foundation. If the substrate is crap, the outcome is a failure.
Why is performance management important? Two common sense reasons:
- maximize the company's return on investment (the company exists to make money);
- maximize the employee's return on investment (the employee works to earn money).
- what does my employer think I do well?
- what does my employer think I need to improve upon?
- what do I need to do to be a success in my position?
Sunday, February 15, 2009
25 Stinkin' Things
1. My favorite candy is a mint meltaway.
2. My declared major during my first two years of college was fine arts.
3. I don’t swim well and I rarely go in the water, but I love the beach.
4. There are usually banana popsicles in my freezer.
5. I’m an ice snob. I put ice in all my drinks except milk or juice, and I want the crystal clear, cylindrical ice with the hole in the middle.
6. My first memory is from when I was four years old.
7. My favorite holidays are the summer ones: Memorial Day, Independence Day, and Labor Day. They’re casual, no gifts, no family expectations. In other words, low stress.
8. When I like a book, I get lost in it. I don’t hear anything around me.
9. The best job I’ve ever had is the one I have right now.
10. I love the way leaves swirl around everywhere in the fall. I love the colors, the chill in the air, and the smell of dried leaves.
11. The only (finished) room in my house that I don’t like is my bedroom. I hate the color.
12. I love 80s music and trivia.
13. I’m an introvert by nature. My MBTI profile is ISFJ.
14. I was in Junior Achievement. I loved JA.
15. We used to have license plates that read NOKIDZ8 and NOKIDZ4.
16. I’ve learned that bad jobs are usually bad because of the people you work with or for, not what you actually do.
17. It saddens me I no longer remember the small quirky things about my friend Carleen.
18. I love to see the laugh lines around my husband’s eyes.
19. At times, I feel like I still see my Teddy dog out of the corner of my eye, even though we had to put him down four years ago. He was sixteen. I miss him. He was my pal when Mike was overseas.
20. During our first two years of marriage, Mike and I saw each other a total of approximately three months (and not all at once).
21. I love scrapbooking and stamping tools.
22. I have an extensive Marvin the Martian collection.
23. My first trip to Disney was in 1987, and I only saw Epcot. We went back in 2006 and we saw all the parks - but I’ve never seen the Magic Kingdom during the daytime.
24. The websites I visit most often are facebook, twitter, fatwallet, amazon, and my bank’s site.
25. I still don’t know what I want to be when I grow up!
2. My declared major during my first two years of college was fine arts.
3. I don’t swim well and I rarely go in the water, but I love the beach.
4. There are usually banana popsicles in my freezer.
5. I’m an ice snob. I put ice in all my drinks except milk or juice, and I want the crystal clear, cylindrical ice with the hole in the middle.
6. My first memory is from when I was four years old.
7. My favorite holidays are the summer ones: Memorial Day, Independence Day, and Labor Day. They’re casual, no gifts, no family expectations. In other words, low stress.
8. When I like a book, I get lost in it. I don’t hear anything around me.
9. The best job I’ve ever had is the one I have right now.
10. I love the way leaves swirl around everywhere in the fall. I love the colors, the chill in the air, and the smell of dried leaves.
11. The only (finished) room in my house that I don’t like is my bedroom. I hate the color.
12. I love 80s music and trivia.
13. I’m an introvert by nature. My MBTI profile is ISFJ.
14. I was in Junior Achievement. I loved JA.
15. We used to have license plates that read NOKIDZ8 and NOKIDZ4.
16. I’ve learned that bad jobs are usually bad because of the people you work with or for, not what you actually do.
17. It saddens me I no longer remember the small quirky things about my friend Carleen.
18. I love to see the laugh lines around my husband’s eyes.
19. At times, I feel like I still see my Teddy dog out of the corner of my eye, even though we had to put him down four years ago. He was sixteen. I miss him. He was my pal when Mike was overseas.
20. During our first two years of marriage, Mike and I saw each other a total of approximately three months (and not all at once).
21. I love scrapbooking and stamping tools.
22. I have an extensive Marvin the Martian collection.
23. My first trip to Disney was in 1987, and I only saw Epcot. We went back in 2006 and we saw all the parks - but I’ve never seen the Magic Kingdom during the daytime.
24. The websites I visit most often are facebook, twitter, fatwallet, amazon, and my bank’s site.
25. I still don’t know what I want to be when I grow up!
Love Quotes - A Day Late for Valentines
"You don't marry someone you can live with - you marry the person who you cannot live without."
-Unknown
"A kiss is a lovely trick designed by nature to stop speech when words become superfluous."
-Ingrid Bergman
"Love is but the discovery of ourselves in others, and the delight in the recognition."
-Alexander Smith
"The Eskimos have 52 words for snow because it is so special to them; there ought to be as many for love!"
-Margaret Atwood
"Love is like playing the piano. First you must learn to play by the rules, then you must forget the rules and play from your heart."
-Unknown
"Within you, I lose myself. Without you, I find myself wanting to be lost again."
-Unknown
-Unknown
"A kiss is a lovely trick designed by nature to stop speech when words become superfluous."
-Ingrid Bergman
"Love is but the discovery of ourselves in others, and the delight in the recognition."
-Alexander Smith
"The Eskimos have 52 words for snow because it is so special to them; there ought to be as many for love!"
-Margaret Atwood
"Love is like playing the piano. First you must learn to play by the rules, then you must forget the rules and play from your heart."
-Unknown
"Within you, I lose myself. Without you, I find myself wanting to be lost again."
-Unknown
Find Beauty Where You Are
February 12th, 2009: as I watched the sun set over the Mississippi River, I was struck by the beauty of it: a silver, glistening ribbon brighter than everything surrounding it.
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Memory
Funny the things you remember. From To Kill a Mockingbird I remember the line, "Thank you for my children." Why this line?
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
My Most Memorable Events since 1990 - Good and Bad
1990: Started job at a craft store doing picture framing. My best friend, Carleen Verstraete, died in a car accident.
1991: My husband Mike returned from the first Gulf War.
1992: On Christmas Eve, we brought home a puppy from a pet store, because her eyes looked so sad. She turned out to be the sweetest thing.
1993: My Grandma Ferne died.
1994: Mike's first ACL reconstruction. Moved back to the Rockford, IL area.
1995: Held our friend Tim's daughter for the very first time. Awesome trip to New Orleans with friends Ron and Tonia. Mike bought a red Camaro Z28. Started working at SwedishAmerican.
1996: New house. Our sweetheart puppy Christy died. Yes, only 4 years old. Heartbreaking.
1997: Decided to go back to college.
1998: Learned my friend Tonia was pregnant. Mike's second ACL reconstruction.
1999: Held Ron and Tonia's son for the first time. Switched to the Human Resources Department.
2000: Left SwedishAmerican for Klehm Arboretum. Earned Bachelor of Science, Business Administration.
2001: Watching the news as the events of 9/11 unfolded.
2002: Started working at FatWallet. Blue Man Group.
2003: Mike started working at the Mendota wind farm. Holiday party was at the United Center, a Blackhawks game, in a super suite. Had to put down our dog, Teddy.
2004: First Vegas trip. Became an aunt when our first nieces entered the world. Mike started working at FatWallet. First BMW.
2005: New house. Mike's back surgery. Trips to Vegas, San Diego, Disney World, and Disney Cruise. First ride on a corporate jet.
2006: Earned PHR certification. A new nephew.
2007: Groundbreaking of FatWallet's new HQ. Trip to Vegas. A new niece.
2008: 20th wedding anniversary. Trip to Galena. Trips to Florida.
1991: My husband Mike returned from the first Gulf War.
1992: On Christmas Eve, we brought home a puppy from a pet store, because her eyes looked so sad. She turned out to be the sweetest thing.
1993: My Grandma Ferne died.
1994: Mike's first ACL reconstruction. Moved back to the Rockford, IL area.
1995: Held our friend Tim's daughter for the very first time. Awesome trip to New Orleans with friends Ron and Tonia. Mike bought a red Camaro Z28. Started working at SwedishAmerican.
1996: New house. Our sweetheart puppy Christy died. Yes, only 4 years old. Heartbreaking.
1997: Decided to go back to college.
1998: Learned my friend Tonia was pregnant. Mike's second ACL reconstruction.
1999: Held Ron and Tonia's son for the first time. Switched to the Human Resources Department.
2000: Left SwedishAmerican for Klehm Arboretum. Earned Bachelor of Science, Business Administration.
2001: Watching the news as the events of 9/11 unfolded.
2002: Started working at FatWallet. Blue Man Group.
2003: Mike started working at the Mendota wind farm. Holiday party was at the United Center, a Blackhawks game, in a super suite. Had to put down our dog, Teddy.
2004: First Vegas trip. Became an aunt when our first nieces entered the world. Mike started working at FatWallet. First BMW.
2005: New house. Mike's back surgery. Trips to Vegas, San Diego, Disney World, and Disney Cruise. First ride on a corporate jet.
2006: Earned PHR certification. A new nephew.
2007: Groundbreaking of FatWallet's new HQ. Trip to Vegas. A new niece.
2008: 20th wedding anniversary. Trip to Galena. Trips to Florida.
Monday, February 2, 2009
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
ATCs - Artist Trading Cards
I recently joined a group of ladies who stamp ATCs, greeting cards, and various fun things like dominoes and tiles. Here are some of my first attempts at this mini art form.
Short and Deep
I love short and powerful statements.
I can read quotes and compilations for hours. Maybe that's because I never think of anything so deep and succinct on my own?
On the business front, Tom Peters is a master of gathering good ideas and snippets and compiling them into cohesive chunks: http://www.tompeters.com/
I can read quotes and compilations for hours. Maybe that's because I never think of anything so deep and succinct on my own?
On the business front, Tom Peters is a master of gathering good ideas and snippets and compiling them into cohesive chunks: http://www.tompeters.com/
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Big Love
I love HBO's series Big Love.
I don't know why.
Bill Paxton as the patriarch of a large family.... he plays this role as if it was created just for him. Maybe it was? Overall, I find the entire cast fantastic. I hope it's not such a large gap between seasons next time. If it is, I'll follow Margene's blog again!
I don't know why.
Bill Paxton as the patriarch of a large family.... he plays this role as if it was created just for him. Maybe it was? Overall, I find the entire cast fantastic. I hope it's not such a large gap between seasons next time. If it is, I'll follow Margene's blog again!
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Laundry.
I definitely have a love/hate relationship with laundry.
On one hand, it piles up soooo fast (an indicator that a two-person household shouldn't have so many clothes, perhaps). On the other hand, I have an awesome washer and dryer. So awesome, I don't like the hubby touching them very often. To me, they're the equivalent of his power tools. The really good ones that are like magic when you use them. The ones that make your work seem easier, and the results better than you thought you were capable of doing.
Other than those two main points, here are some very specific likes and dislikes:
On one hand, it piles up soooo fast (an indicator that a two-person household shouldn't have so many clothes, perhaps). On the other hand, I have an awesome washer and dryer. So awesome, I don't like the hubby touching them very often. To me, they're the equivalent of his power tools. The really good ones that are like magic when you use them. The ones that make your work seem easier, and the results better than you thought you were capable of doing.
Other than those two main points, here are some very specific likes and dislikes:
- I love the smell of bleach in clothes. Not right out of the bottle - the way clothes that are washed with bleach smell.
- I hate "aroma therapy" laundry detergent, fabric softener, etc.
- I love the way sheets smell and feel when they've been dried outside on a clothesline.
- I dislike not having a clothesline.
- I dislike folding socks and t-shirts.
- I dislike carrying laundry up the stairs.
- I love having a laundry chute.
- I love the way towels feel when they're warm out of the dryer.
- I like having a real laundry room, instead of a corner in the basement.
- I like sturdy plastic hangers. Without hanging tabs.
- I hate wire hangers.
- I like Method wet dryer fabric softener sheets, and how well they package them.
- I like the laundry baskets that have a curve to fit your hip.
Friday, January 23, 2009
Winter Ode
Night quietly descends.
The sky is a soft blue,
with pink and purple shining through
icy layers of clouds.
The air feels crisp and pure.
Light bounces off the softness of the snow.
The moon appears close.
My heart gladly accepts the peace,
resetting everything
that tilted off-kilter today.
I am thankful.
The sky is a soft blue,
with pink and purple shining through
icy layers of clouds.
The air feels crisp and pure.
Light bounces off the softness of the snow.
The moon appears close.
My heart gladly accepts the peace,
resetting everything
that tilted off-kilter today.
I am thankful.
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