I love, love, love the Ann Taylor Outlet - Factory Store in Colorado Mills. In fact, the buys are amazing and the deals are hard to beat. I got a new suit with all my discounts (because of the Ann Taylor card), and rewards and it was under $100! That is amazing. I ended up getting five tops and a suit for under $160! This is a great place to get suits, career clothes, or even casual wear.
The service and help is always great and friendly, and the selection even in the sale section tends to be good. You have to bring an hour to spend time there especially because things in the sale or clearance section are often hidden but if you know where to go, where to look, and how to quickly sort through your selection in the dressing room, I think you will find an hour is plenty if you run there in your lunch break.
Showing posts with label career. Show all posts
Showing posts with label career. Show all posts
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Reporting for Jury Duty
I got a jury duty notice about a month and yes, my initial reaction was like everyone else's and sheer and utter disappointment. I decided not to pursue a postponement even though I am still nursing and/or pumping because I just wanted to get it over with.
In any case, Colorado has a one-day, one-trial system and on the day before your date of service you call or check a website to see if your number is on there. If your number is there, you show up at 8am and hope for the best.
On the morning of, I was exhausted as my infant daughter has not been sleeping well through the night and in honesty, has her days and nights confused. She will sleep through the days and play at approximately 3-6am, it is quite annoying. In any case, I left bright-eyed and bushy tailed, expecting the worse. I arrived and it was relatively painless to go through security except I had a lot of bags- a laptop bag, my pump and its case and accouterments, and of course, my purse. It was a cold Colorado morning so I had a big jacket too. Besides all the stuff I had, I had to ask about the nursing room which obviously was of concern to me.
The jury assembly was a large room with chairs everywhere and not many tables or outlets so I am glad I had battery power in my laptop- I found a place I could sit against the wall so no one would see what I was doing. I was surprised to look around the room and see people just staring off into space with nothing to do - not even so much as a piece of paper to read. I found that very odd. In any case, I took out my laptop and started my day. After I saw people getting snacks and drinking their coffees, I also took my Starbucks Frappucino out and granola bars. A lady came out and told us that some of us would go upstairs and depending on how many trials go forward, they would seat some of us and not others. She said they would draw numbers from a hat basically - high tech world, this jury duty, I thought.
The worst part of the morning was when, as we were waiting to find out if we had to serve, we had a watch video about jury duty. It was so pedantic for me- so basic. All about the jury process, voir dire, and selection, and how things operate in a court room. I did not feel above or better than anyone but I certainly felt like this was a waste of my time. The video was a feel good, hug your neighbor, and kiss the Constitution-type of movie. In short, it was annoying to watch but then the even worst part came after this video. For entertainment, presumably for those who did not have anything to read or do, they played a HOT DOG video. This video was the travel channel or food channel review of hot dog places across America. For 200 hungry people sitting there with nothing to do but wait, showing a video on hot dogs and food was just not the way to go. I was aggravated and some people even left the room and sat in the hallway because they wanted to read or do their work in peace - with no background HOT DOG noise.
I was happy to have my cricket wireless card with me so I could connect to the world, post updates on facebook and communicate in general. I think others wondered what I was doing but I was so excited to have my laptop with me. If they made us any longer, I was going to watch a movie but fortunately, after a short period of time, we got notified that we were all released because all the cases were either continued or settled out. This was right after I had to use the "lactation room." It was not a lactation room but rather, a jury break room for a particular judge and anyone from the jury assembly room could have walked in but fortunately for me, no one did. The room was nice and private and certainly provided me some comfort. The fridge was the fridge that the clerks used so I am glad I brought a bag to put the milk in. In any case, it was a good experience. In 18 years, this was the first time I was called to jury duty or even had to report - I gotta say, I escaped for 18 years so I cannot complain much - I guess it is time to do my civic duty now.
In any case, Colorado has a one-day, one-trial system and on the day before your date of service you call or check a website to see if your number is on there. If your number is there, you show up at 8am and hope for the best.
On the morning of, I was exhausted as my infant daughter has not been sleeping well through the night and in honesty, has her days and nights confused. She will sleep through the days and play at approximately 3-6am, it is quite annoying. In any case, I left bright-eyed and bushy tailed, expecting the worse. I arrived and it was relatively painless to go through security except I had a lot of bags- a laptop bag, my pump and its case and accouterments, and of course, my purse. It was a cold Colorado morning so I had a big jacket too. Besides all the stuff I had, I had to ask about the nursing room which obviously was of concern to me.
The jury assembly was a large room with chairs everywhere and not many tables or outlets so I am glad I had battery power in my laptop- I found a place I could sit against the wall so no one would see what I was doing. I was surprised to look around the room and see people just staring off into space with nothing to do - not even so much as a piece of paper to read. I found that very odd. In any case, I took out my laptop and started my day. After I saw people getting snacks and drinking their coffees, I also took my Starbucks Frappucino out and granola bars. A lady came out and told us that some of us would go upstairs and depending on how many trials go forward, they would seat some of us and not others. She said they would draw numbers from a hat basically - high tech world, this jury duty, I thought.
The worst part of the morning was when, as we were waiting to find out if we had to serve, we had a watch video about jury duty. It was so pedantic for me- so basic. All about the jury process, voir dire, and selection, and how things operate in a court room. I did not feel above or better than anyone but I certainly felt like this was a waste of my time. The video was a feel good, hug your neighbor, and kiss the Constitution-type of movie. In short, it was annoying to watch but then the even worst part came after this video. For entertainment, presumably for those who did not have anything to read or do, they played a HOT DOG video. This video was the travel channel or food channel review of hot dog places across America. For 200 hungry people sitting there with nothing to do but wait, showing a video on hot dogs and food was just not the way to go. I was aggravated and some people even left the room and sat in the hallway because they wanted to read or do their work in peace - with no background HOT DOG noise.
I was happy to have my cricket wireless card with me so I could connect to the world, post updates on facebook and communicate in general. I think others wondered what I was doing but I was so excited to have my laptop with me. If they made us any longer, I was going to watch a movie but fortunately, after a short period of time, we got notified that we were all released because all the cases were either continued or settled out. This was right after I had to use the "lactation room." It was not a lactation room but rather, a jury break room for a particular judge and anyone from the jury assembly room could have walked in but fortunately for me, no one did. The room was nice and private and certainly provided me some comfort. The fridge was the fridge that the clerks used so I am glad I brought a bag to put the milk in. In any case, it was a good experience. In 18 years, this was the first time I was called to jury duty or even had to report - I gotta say, I escaped for 18 years so I cannot complain much - I guess it is time to do my civic duty now.
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
The Cost of Shattering the Glass Ceiling
When African-Americans received the right to vote and desegregation occurred in this country, I do not think anyone thought about a negative cost of that glass ceiling breaking- in fact, except for bigots and racists, it was a win-win for the economy and the individuals who won that right. However, the same cannot be said about women entering the workplace especially entering traditional male jobs, including athletics and the military. In fact, I think across this country as women excel in all career fields to become CEOs, CFOs, Olympic gold medal winners, and Generals in the Army, there is a cost.
I initially wrote this blog as a big whine on the military and how unfair it is to women, especially those who are trying to raise kids and find work/life balance. However, someone was wise to point out to me that the cost of breaking the glass ceiling does not exist for just women in the military, it occurs across the board. From the woman who has to travel for work three to four days a week, work extra hard to get the same position on the board as the man, the athlete who cannot take her infant with her due to antiquated rules in the Olympics, to the woman who deploys for six months or more, leaving her infant child behind, it seems that everyone is making a sacrifice. In the case of women earning their place in society, the corporate world, athletics, and/or the profession of arms, there does seem to be a cost and everyone is bearing it.
It is not easy to leave behind an infant in the middle of nursing to go fight a war on foreign soil, likewise, it is tough to ask for a leave of absence from work for more than a few weeks especially if you work for a Corporation and the way to get ahead is to be seen and present. It is tough for an athlete to take a break from the sport and even after returning, to take breaks to go nurse a child. Moreover, athletics takes a toll on nursing as well – it can reduce breast milk production. Whether we choose to admit it or not, there is a glass ceiling and while we as women strive to break it, this comes at a cost to our families and ourselves. Many women decide early on to make the sacrifice – to not return to work, to give up their careers and their passion because of another equally important passion – being a full-time mother. Others cannot or choose not to do so. I am still surprised to learn of antiquated practices in the workplace- whether professional, blue collar, or otherwise. Many workplaces are family unfriendly. While our government has attempted to make strides in family-friendly practices including alternate work sites, part-time and alternative work schedules, there are those employers and corporations out there that have not- it is a traditional male work place mentality: Work here, or take vacation; work when we tell you to instead of just getting the job done; and work under the conditions provided – no lactation rooms, or private rooms for pumping. It is interesting how many more employers are family friendly and yet, the glass ceiling remains along with an equal number of employers who refuse to change with the times. Whether it is because they choose to overtly discriminate is another story but if they are not forced to change, why would they? After all, it would involve changing a culture- a mindset.
The military, for example, has regulations and laws which require a woman to be deployable (in shape, immunized, and so on), within 6 months of childbirth. It is not six months post-partum to "start getting ready" - No! The Regulations are clear: be ready to DEPLOY 6 months from the date of childbirth. After all the statistics on child bearing and nursing, why should a mom be deployed for 4 months after a mere 6 months of nursing and being with her baby? That makes no sense. There are no accommodations made either for the nursing moms in many professions. You cannot take your child along with you or let him or her stay with you. Many corporations will not pay for childcare or the child’s ticket if he or she travels with mom. Why should they when they can get away without paying for it in the case of a man travelling instead of a woman? There is no incentive for an employer to make special cases for a woman and the employer who is family friendly tends to be the exception rather than the rule.
Despite the fact that studies indicate breastfeeding and remaining with a child at least 1 year after birth improve the child’s immunity and well-being, we choose as a society to ignore medical and health science and instead of working with the mom, offer her a choice: feed your baby, remain with your baby OR excel in your career by being more like a man. Well, if it were that simple, it would be very easy. It is not. Biologically, if men could nurse a baby, then, what a different world we’d be in! Unlike the racial barrier, the gender barrier is harder to overcome. In race, there are no biological differences per se except skin tone. In gender, there are. And therefore, for better or worse, there remains this cost of our attempts at breaking the glass ceiling and no matter how far we get or what we achieve, we still face these costs – whether that cost comes in the form of our emotions, our children, our spouses, our healthcare, our social programs and ... our society!
I initially wrote this blog as a big whine on the military and how unfair it is to women, especially those who are trying to raise kids and find work/life balance. However, someone was wise to point out to me that the cost of breaking the glass ceiling does not exist for just women in the military, it occurs across the board. From the woman who has to travel for work three to four days a week, work extra hard to get the same position on the board as the man, the athlete who cannot take her infant with her due to antiquated rules in the Olympics, to the woman who deploys for six months or more, leaving her infant child behind, it seems that everyone is making a sacrifice. In the case of women earning their place in society, the corporate world, athletics, and/or the profession of arms, there does seem to be a cost and everyone is bearing it.
It is not easy to leave behind an infant in the middle of nursing to go fight a war on foreign soil, likewise, it is tough to ask for a leave of absence from work for more than a few weeks especially if you work for a Corporation and the way to get ahead is to be seen and present. It is tough for an athlete to take a break from the sport and even after returning, to take breaks to go nurse a child. Moreover, athletics takes a toll on nursing as well – it can reduce breast milk production. Whether we choose to admit it or not, there is a glass ceiling and while we as women strive to break it, this comes at a cost to our families and ourselves. Many women decide early on to make the sacrifice – to not return to work, to give up their careers and their passion because of another equally important passion – being a full-time mother. Others cannot or choose not to do so. I am still surprised to learn of antiquated practices in the workplace- whether professional, blue collar, or otherwise. Many workplaces are family unfriendly. While our government has attempted to make strides in family-friendly practices including alternate work sites, part-time and alternative work schedules, there are those employers and corporations out there that have not- it is a traditional male work place mentality: Work here, or take vacation; work when we tell you to instead of just getting the job done; and work under the conditions provided – no lactation rooms, or private rooms for pumping. It is interesting how many more employers are family friendly and yet, the glass ceiling remains along with an equal number of employers who refuse to change with the times. Whether it is because they choose to overtly discriminate is another story but if they are not forced to change, why would they? After all, it would involve changing a culture- a mindset.
The military, for example, has regulations and laws which require a woman to be deployable (in shape, immunized, and so on), within 6 months of childbirth. It is not six months post-partum to "start getting ready" - No! The Regulations are clear: be ready to DEPLOY 6 months from the date of childbirth. After all the statistics on child bearing and nursing, why should a mom be deployed for 4 months after a mere 6 months of nursing and being with her baby? That makes no sense. There are no accommodations made either for the nursing moms in many professions. You cannot take your child along with you or let him or her stay with you. Many corporations will not pay for childcare or the child’s ticket if he or she travels with mom. Why should they when they can get away without paying for it in the case of a man travelling instead of a woman? There is no incentive for an employer to make special cases for a woman and the employer who is family friendly tends to be the exception rather than the rule.
Despite the fact that studies indicate breastfeeding and remaining with a child at least 1 year after birth improve the child’s immunity and well-being, we choose as a society to ignore medical and health science and instead of working with the mom, offer her a choice: feed your baby, remain with your baby OR excel in your career by being more like a man. Well, if it were that simple, it would be very easy. It is not. Biologically, if men could nurse a baby, then, what a different world we’d be in! Unlike the racial barrier, the gender barrier is harder to overcome. In race, there are no biological differences per se except skin tone. In gender, there are. And therefore, for better or worse, there remains this cost of our attempts at breaking the glass ceiling and no matter how far we get or what we achieve, we still face these costs – whether that cost comes in the form of our emotions, our children, our spouses, our healthcare, our social programs and ... our society!
Thursday, June 25, 2009
The Generation Gap
I recently read an article in the Wall Street Journal that my husband sent my way and I realized how true most of it was. This generation (our generation) is relying more and more on their parents to provide child care. I started thinking about this because it is a phenomenon really. When we grew up, for the average family in the 70s and 80s, one parent stayed home and took care of the kids- generally, the mom. That is how things were. Despite the cost of living, it was just understood that one parent would be at home, and somehow things would work out on one salary. More and more families lived within their means too. I saw another news story on NBC the other night that talked about how people these days (in our generation) are buying homes beyond their means. It was the norm to have a 900-1500 sq ft home in the 80s and not to exceed your means. Your entire life savings was not going into your home and a home was a place to live and on one income, a 15-year mortgage was the best because after all, you needed shelter.
Most families were able to live on one income and still save somewhat for retirement. Family came first and child care was not an option. Most moms were not professionals either - they were either teachers, secretaries or not educated enough - so, it was not worth it anyway.
Nowadays, things are different - due to the women's liberation, equal pay and equal rights, more and more women are in the workplace. Women are in unconventional trades- military, science, and the like. More and more women are travelling further and more than their husbands. Men are actually staying at home with the kids now because the wives make more. However, more and more - both mom and dad are working and need to because lifestyles and times have changed. Thus, enter the grandparents. Grandparents are stepping in to raise the grandkids because it breaks their hearts to see them raised by strangers so, more and more of the previous generation are stepping up to do what they should not have to do - raise kids again. Well into their 60s, baby boomers appear to be taking on the burdens of child rearing because our generation cannot get it together - unlike our parents' generations, we are not willing to make sacrifices- we want the fancy car, the house we cannot afford, and the clothes and shoes that we should not be wearing. Our parents did not go out on dates as often and sacrificed for us and they continued to do so today.
It was an interesting article and put perspective on our present situation. I am a professional and so is my hubbie and neither of us wants to or desires to give up our job to stay home and raise kids. Neither one of us can give up our lifestyle and so it seems, our children are being raised by my parents and with that comes some compromising on our part too - living with grandma at our house, listening to her advice day-in and day out and of course, the fine art of diplomacy and compromise. I do not like it but the level of care that family provides is always better than what strangers and third parties can so, we try to mend the cultural and generational gap and work with our parents. My mom, who was a housewife, does not mind - she wants to feel needed and has no hobbies of her own so once again finds herself wanting to raise a family - mine. It is quite the conundrum and this article from WSJ really sheds light on the entire situation: http://blogs.wsj.com/juggle/2009/06/24/grandmas-too-indulgent-grandpas-too-strict-child-rearing-disputes-with-grandparents/
Most families were able to live on one income and still save somewhat for retirement. Family came first and child care was not an option. Most moms were not professionals either - they were either teachers, secretaries or not educated enough - so, it was not worth it anyway.
Nowadays, things are different - due to the women's liberation, equal pay and equal rights, more and more women are in the workplace. Women are in unconventional trades- military, science, and the like. More and more women are travelling further and more than their husbands. Men are actually staying at home with the kids now because the wives make more. However, more and more - both mom and dad are working and need to because lifestyles and times have changed. Thus, enter the grandparents. Grandparents are stepping in to raise the grandkids because it breaks their hearts to see them raised by strangers so, more and more of the previous generation are stepping up to do what they should not have to do - raise kids again. Well into their 60s, baby boomers appear to be taking on the burdens of child rearing because our generation cannot get it together - unlike our parents' generations, we are not willing to make sacrifices- we want the fancy car, the house we cannot afford, and the clothes and shoes that we should not be wearing. Our parents did not go out on dates as often and sacrificed for us and they continued to do so today.
It was an interesting article and put perspective on our present situation. I am a professional and so is my hubbie and neither of us wants to or desires to give up our job to stay home and raise kids. Neither one of us can give up our lifestyle and so it seems, our children are being raised by my parents and with that comes some compromising on our part too - living with grandma at our house, listening to her advice day-in and day out and of course, the fine art of diplomacy and compromise. I do not like it but the level of care that family provides is always better than what strangers and third parties can so, we try to mend the cultural and generational gap and work with our parents. My mom, who was a housewife, does not mind - she wants to feel needed and has no hobbies of her own so once again finds herself wanting to raise a family - mine. It is quite the conundrum and this article from WSJ really sheds light on the entire situation: http://blogs.wsj.com/juggle/2009/06/24/grandmas-too-indulgent-grandpas-too-strict-child-rearing-disputes-with-grandparents/
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
The dreaded day
Returning to work after a long maternity leave is bitter sweet. It is sweet because you get to return to your world of getting things done, intelligent conversation, and of course, the proverbial feeling of worth as you accomplish what you went to school for. However, it is bitter too because by the time the three to four months of leave pass, you have become quite attached to your little one and if you are a working mom who believes in breastfeeding, then you have formed an attachment to that little guy or gal who has won over your heart with the newest smiles, laughs and cutest looks ever. It is also bitter because you are now pumping instead of nursing, and that is truly sad. The best way to make up for this is to ensure you feed the baby in the evenings on the weekends as much as possible. Of course, if you work weekends like I do, then there may be the need to take some leave or time off.
So the dreaded has come and gone and I am exhausted. The day never ends for working moms and dads. Truly, never ends. It is like a 7-11- open 24/7- you "wake up" all night long and all day spend time at work, then you come home only to have your day really begin with the kids. It is amazing that parents live longer than single women and men and it is even more amazing that on average parents live longer than dual-income no kids couples. Of course, out of those dual income no kids couples, those who have pets, live longer than those without pets. Interesting, considering I have not slept in 2.5 years or something like that and I do not see sleep anytime in my future. As far as working and raising kids though, it is a tough balance. One that each working mom has to work with and deal with and cope with. In the end though, all parties turn out okay and everyone survives but for right now... it just feels horrible. The moms that end up the happiest are the ones that have great employers who permit work from home, part-time work, or the nursery is on another floor in their building. Here's to working moms everyone! I know- I hear you- I feel your pain. It is not the end of the world but make sure your babies are in a good home care or day care situation - it will lighten your load for sure.
So the dreaded has come and gone and I am exhausted. The day never ends for working moms and dads. Truly, never ends. It is like a 7-11- open 24/7- you "wake up" all night long and all day spend time at work, then you come home only to have your day really begin with the kids. It is amazing that parents live longer than single women and men and it is even more amazing that on average parents live longer than dual-income no kids couples. Of course, out of those dual income no kids couples, those who have pets, live longer than those without pets. Interesting, considering I have not slept in 2.5 years or something like that and I do not see sleep anytime in my future. As far as working and raising kids though, it is a tough balance. One that each working mom has to work with and deal with and cope with. In the end though, all parties turn out okay and everyone survives but for right now... it just feels horrible. The moms that end up the happiest are the ones that have great employers who permit work from home, part-time work, or the nursery is on another floor in their building. Here's to working moms everyone! I know- I hear you- I feel your pain. It is not the end of the world but make sure your babies are in a good home care or day care situation - it will lighten your load for sure.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
A full-time job with the best rewards
Yesterday I took the day off, not just to watch the festivities but we were having an issue with childcare anyway so I decided to spend the day with my daughter and President Obama. It was a good day but there were moments when I thought to myself…. “I am such a bad mom, I cannot do this.” It just seemed like my daughter would not slow down. She wanted to watch Elmo, then she wanted me to read Elmo, and wanted banana chips and nothing else. Of course, we ran out so that spelled trouble. Then, lunch time was trying. What do I feed this child? I mean, she snacks all day as it is, drinks milk non-stop, and then now I gotta figure out breakfast, lunch and dinner. Hmm… wow! It was hard, sure, but I gotta say, as the day wore on, it was fun too. For example, we went for a nice walk in the beautiful weather and she played at the park. She wore me out more than she herself got wore out. We were at the park a good hour but she did not understand the concept of “it is time to go home now”. She did not want to leave and it took some manipulation to get her home… for example, I had her running and we did a pretend race and then, we slowed down to take in the water stream and things like that – otherwise, she was not leaving that playground!
Stay at home moms have a tough job- they are constantly in a routine dominated by their children. If they have multiples, it is even harder I am sure. As a parent who stays home, you have to be mindful of many things for the care of an infant and young toddler: diaper changes (your sense of smell better be intact or else), feedings (not just basic meals but snack time too), play time (this may or may not include an outdoor play regiment – depends on weather really), and the ever important nap time(s). If the child is younger, they may take multiple naps. If the child is older, you may be lucky to get them down for an hour. Then in the evenings, you have to also focus on bath time and sleep time routines. Since I am a working parent, on most days, I have to try to get dinner and that usually means frozen stuff or going out to pick something up or ordering in, and give my daughter a bath and then try to get her down at a reasonable hour which these days has turned in wee hours of the night. Routine is not that important because I have to adjust it to meet my schedule some days as well. But, as a stay at home parent, I can see where routine is not only helpful, it is a must!! Without a nap routine, a feeding routine, or changing routine, you are truly run by your child's schedule and as a stay at home parent, for your own sanity, your child needs to be on a timetable. I gotta say, I am looking forward to maternity leave, and after I work out some kinks in the system, I am sure I will be returning to work—right as I start getting used to being a stay at home mom. Go figure! All in all, I think parenting is the best job in the world - it is the hardest job but the one that yields the best rewards too! I cannot wait to follow the progress of my child as she grows into what I hope is a great person. Til next time, Happy Parenting!
Stay at home moms have a tough job- they are constantly in a routine dominated by their children. If they have multiples, it is even harder I am sure. As a parent who stays home, you have to be mindful of many things for the care of an infant and young toddler: diaper changes (your sense of smell better be intact or else), feedings (not just basic meals but snack time too), play time (this may or may not include an outdoor play regiment – depends on weather really), and the ever important nap time(s). If the child is younger, they may take multiple naps. If the child is older, you may be lucky to get them down for an hour. Then in the evenings, you have to also focus on bath time and sleep time routines. Since I am a working parent, on most days, I have to try to get dinner and that usually means frozen stuff or going out to pick something up or ordering in, and give my daughter a bath and then try to get her down at a reasonable hour which these days has turned in wee hours of the night. Routine is not that important because I have to adjust it to meet my schedule some days as well. But, as a stay at home parent, I can see where routine is not only helpful, it is a must!! Without a nap routine, a feeding routine, or changing routine, you are truly run by your child's schedule and as a stay at home parent, for your own sanity, your child needs to be on a timetable. I gotta say, I am looking forward to maternity leave, and after I work out some kinks in the system, I am sure I will be returning to work—right as I start getting used to being a stay at home mom. Go figure! All in all, I think parenting is the best job in the world - it is the hardest job but the one that yields the best rewards too! I cannot wait to follow the progress of my child as she grows into what I hope is a great person. Til next time, Happy Parenting!
Thursday, January 08, 2009
Change, Change, Change
Yesterday I had the first opportunity to meet who my new boss at my full-time job is going to be and this weekend, I will meet my new commander down at my Reserves position too. Two new bosses in a week! Wow! That is a lot of change. Sure, I am not new to the concept, with 7 years active duty, and several different positions at each assignment, I had the opportunity to have many different bosses. Each boss over the years has had his or her own management/leadership style and each has likes and dislikes and as I have learned after having 6 bosses in 7 years, you kinda have to deal with it and like a box of Whitman's Sampler Chocolates, you just do not know what you're gonna get. In the end, the boss is the boss and you have to adapt and overcome.
In my case, both new bosses have something in common- they are both policy men- they are bureaucrats, rule followers, color within the lines, and love policy and process. I could, of course, care less for policy, process, and staying within the lines. I have always marched to a different tune and love to be creative when I can-kinda hard in a bureaucracy, huh? Needless to say, this will be a good complement to me because I am not a detail-oriented person but rather, prefer big picture. I am very anxious, excited, and at the same time being cautiously optimistic. I am very pleased about one of the bosses because he immediately told us that he believes in family first and a family friendly workplace. He is even on a committee in our Department to further said goals. That is positive for me as we expect another change here soon - a new baby while another one is still in diapers. Needless to say, the question has crossed my mind- when it comes to a battle between family friendly and process/policy or rules, which one will trump? Hmm.... we will find out soon enough I am sure.
On January 20, 2009, I will also have a new commander in chief and of course, a lot of change is coming to the government in general. I am excited but also nervous about all these changes... but I think it is good to keep on your toes and if you fall into a rut and there is no prospect of change, the economy and other aspects of life stagnate so.... as 2009 gets underway, I am just taking it one day at a time and hope that all the change is positive or if it is not, that I hope I can get through it .... 'til change happens again.
In my case, both new bosses have something in common- they are both policy men- they are bureaucrats, rule followers, color within the lines, and love policy and process. I could, of course, care less for policy, process, and staying within the lines. I have always marched to a different tune and love to be creative when I can-kinda hard in a bureaucracy, huh? Needless to say, this will be a good complement to me because I am not a detail-oriented person but rather, prefer big picture. I am very anxious, excited, and at the same time being cautiously optimistic. I am very pleased about one of the bosses because he immediately told us that he believes in family first and a family friendly workplace. He is even on a committee in our Department to further said goals. That is positive for me as we expect another change here soon - a new baby while another one is still in diapers. Needless to say, the question has crossed my mind- when it comes to a battle between family friendly and process/policy or rules, which one will trump? Hmm.... we will find out soon enough I am sure.
On January 20, 2009, I will also have a new commander in chief and of course, a lot of change is coming to the government in general. I am excited but also nervous about all these changes... but I think it is good to keep on your toes and if you fall into a rut and there is no prospect of change, the economy and other aspects of life stagnate so.... as 2009 gets underway, I am just taking it one day at a time and hope that all the change is positive or if it is not, that I hope I can get through it .... 'til change happens again.
Friday, November 28, 2008
Here's an energy-saving idea for the Federal Government
I am very excited about President-Elect Obama’s transition to the Presidency of the U.S. Part of the thrill is that they ask us what our thoughts are on issues such as environment, energy policy, and other initiatives. That is cool! I mean, seriously, how many Presidents give a damn about what you think much less ask you to submit your thoughts on-line. I am not sure who will read my suggestions but today is a perfect example of why I shared my the thoughts I did for making the Federal Government more energy efficient. After all, if the Federal Government is going to try to save energy, find alternatives to fuel and gas, and promote policies on a cleaner environment, the Federal Government through its agencies and bureaus need to talk the talk and walk the walk.
So, today is the day after Thanksgiving and for some reason, I am at the office- a federal government bureaucratic office. All the lights are on but only six employees out of 23 are here. But, yes, all the lights are on. Some people may be truly busy and catching up but for others like me, I have one project to work on which I could do from home, or anywhere really – the nearest Starbucks perhaps? So, today is an example of a wasteful federal energy day and backs up my suggestion to cut the fat in government. More workers should be encouraged to work from home when possible, saving the Government thousands in energy costs by the end of the year. And, not to mention, if you cut out my office space and I share office space instead, think of the money we would save on leasing buildings and operating those buildings- electric, water, and our natural resources. The Friday after Thanksgiving should be a Federal holiday or in the least, should be a work at home day for those who need to accomplish the mission without coming into the office. Here is another effect of this cost saving: I am an employee who commutes about 14 miles to work in one direction. If I do my work from home and save the government cost of electricity and water, I also save myself a gas bill and thereby contribute to the notion of not being dependent on fuel. What a concept! There is a chain reaction and I think where possible, we, the Federal Executive Branch needs to champion work from home, telework or alternate work schedules so that in a given week, an employee is not commuting more than they need to in order to accomplish the mission.
After all, what is the point of coming in the day after Thanksgiving? To my boss, we needed coverage. It was essential. However, none of our clients are in and the phone has not rang once. I kid you not. Can’t we pick up the business we left off on Monday? Shouldn’t I be contributing to the Black Friday crowds so our economy is strengthened instead of sitting here, using Government-funded electricity and energy to write this Blog?
I hope this example supports why I left comments on change.gov for President-Elect Obama to change the Federal Government’s work at home policy to make it more mandatory. I hope this example supports mandatory Government shut-downs on days after holidays like Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s because for one, people are not productive, and the work can be done from elsewhere or just wait. If we want to cut wasteful spending and contribute to a cleaner environment and explore ways to cut energy costs, it has to start with the Federal Executive Branch – the agencies, the bureaucracies, and then trickle down. That is Responsible Governance and it is time for those changes to come sooner than later. I look forward to the changes that come from the Obama administration. He seems to be a practical, family-oriented man, and his goals include saving energy while promoting ethics in Government. I think we can do all of the above by starting with the Federal Executive Branch - change starts with us!
So, today is the day after Thanksgiving and for some reason, I am at the office- a federal government bureaucratic office. All the lights are on but only six employees out of 23 are here. But, yes, all the lights are on. Some people may be truly busy and catching up but for others like me, I have one project to work on which I could do from home, or anywhere really – the nearest Starbucks perhaps? So, today is an example of a wasteful federal energy day and backs up my suggestion to cut the fat in government. More workers should be encouraged to work from home when possible, saving the Government thousands in energy costs by the end of the year. And, not to mention, if you cut out my office space and I share office space instead, think of the money we would save on leasing buildings and operating those buildings- electric, water, and our natural resources. The Friday after Thanksgiving should be a Federal holiday or in the least, should be a work at home day for those who need to accomplish the mission without coming into the office. Here is another effect of this cost saving: I am an employee who commutes about 14 miles to work in one direction. If I do my work from home and save the government cost of electricity and water, I also save myself a gas bill and thereby contribute to the notion of not being dependent on fuel. What a concept! There is a chain reaction and I think where possible, we, the Federal Executive Branch needs to champion work from home, telework or alternate work schedules so that in a given week, an employee is not commuting more than they need to in order to accomplish the mission.
After all, what is the point of coming in the day after Thanksgiving? To my boss, we needed coverage. It was essential. However, none of our clients are in and the phone has not rang once. I kid you not. Can’t we pick up the business we left off on Monday? Shouldn’t I be contributing to the Black Friday crowds so our economy is strengthened instead of sitting here, using Government-funded electricity and energy to write this Blog?
I hope this example supports why I left comments on change.gov for President-Elect Obama to change the Federal Government’s work at home policy to make it more mandatory. I hope this example supports mandatory Government shut-downs on days after holidays like Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s because for one, people are not productive, and the work can be done from elsewhere or just wait. If we want to cut wasteful spending and contribute to a cleaner environment and explore ways to cut energy costs, it has to start with the Federal Executive Branch – the agencies, the bureaucracies, and then trickle down. That is Responsible Governance and it is time for those changes to come sooner than later. I look forward to the changes that come from the Obama administration. He seems to be a practical, family-oriented man, and his goals include saving energy while promoting ethics in Government. I think we can do all of the above by starting with the Federal Executive Branch - change starts with us!
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Beggars cannot be choosers
After about 6.5 years without internet, the Agency I work for finally got internet restored. Believe it or not, this Government Agency was without internet (court-ordered, might I add) for 6 years. Now, it is back but not completely restored. Sometimes, we cannot send or receive external emails – for some reason, the email server is not that great. And, while we can access some websites, we cannot access sites you would think are pretty routine. For example, if you go to the local transit site and try to google route a map, it is blocked but then I can turn around, and go to google.com and then do public transit and get the same information they block. Weird. Midas.com is also blocked. Not sure why. I just want to take my car in to get the brake pads replaced. My OB/GYN website is blocked. I discovered that when I tried to print out some information I needed for my health appointment tomorrow. Odd. This Agency also cannot figure out how to unblock mapquest.com. I guess it does take a rocket scientist sometimes to do simple things at the Agency or Bureau level. Other bureaus within our own Agency can access google and chat is just disabled. We cannot access Gmail because our rocket scientists have not figured out how to unblock chat so they just block the whole site and all the great features that go with being able to log onto Google.
It is frustrating because one week I can access a site and the next week, I cannot. It just seems odd to me what the “tech-gurus” think official business is and what they think it is not. I am glad I can access hooters.com though just in case I get a hankering for those hot wings. But, Midas, now that would be bad since I have to take my car in for a brake job. I know, I am being sarcastic but it is ridiculous. I guess I cannot complain too much because I can access yahoo, learn what is going on in the world, and do google searches even if I cannot access the search. It is still exciting to have internet back and while it is not perfect (most things in life are not), I guess I will do without and learn to deal, perhaps use 411 every now and then when I cannot access something and maybe occasionally, get some work done.
It is frustrating because one week I can access a site and the next week, I cannot. It just seems odd to me what the “tech-gurus” think official business is and what they think it is not. I am glad I can access hooters.com though just in case I get a hankering for those hot wings. But, Midas, now that would be bad since I have to take my car in for a brake job. I know, I am being sarcastic but it is ridiculous. I guess I cannot complain too much because I can access yahoo, learn what is going on in the world, and do google searches even if I cannot access the search. It is still exciting to have internet back and while it is not perfect (most things in life are not), I guess I will do without and learn to deal, perhaps use 411 every now and then when I cannot access something and maybe occasionally, get some work done.
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
A real-life lesson in Leadership
Recently, I have come face to face with the ugliness of management and abuse of power. Leadership and Management is a topic I find fascinating because I have received a lot of training in the area and read so many case studies on the topic- not just in the military but also through my training in the Reserves. I think it is a fascinating area because leadership seems to be an innate trait – either a person has it or they do not. I am not sure Management falls in the same category because there is a stark contrast between a leader and manager. While a manager can certainly aspire to be a leader and work on those attributes, and a leader can have managerial ability, it is tough for all managers to be leaders. I read the book, Lincoln on Leadership during my Squadron Officer School (SOS) training and it was fascinating to me. If I get to attend Air War College, I am sure I will learn more about what makes a true leader.
Leadership is often described as an art. In the past year at work, I have learned that sometimes people who are appointed to lead or manage can do neither successfully. I wonder if it is because that individual does not take the time to mold his personality or work on character traits or is it more inane? Could it be that leaders are born and that no matter how much rote training one receives, he or she cannot be a true leader or emulate the traits required for a good leader? It is neat to have the opportunity to put into practice what I have studied since 1998 with the military. I have seen some poor “leaders” in my time but I never had a chance to view poor managers as well. I think they are rampant in the corporate world as well as Government but it seems that poor managers thrive more in Government practice because of the lack of accountability. A perfect example is- in the military, even the worst manager was accountable to authority and to the people he commanded. Here, in the federal civil service, it seems that some higher-ups think they are above the law and worse, not accountable to anyone.
In a recent case of incompetence, my “manager” has decided he wants every professional in the office to account for every minute of absence from the building in a time log (electronic sign-in and sign-out board) while he has exempted himself from these same requirements. A good leader and a decent manager would allow access to a calendar with his whereabouts hoping that his people will follow his lead and integrity. A great leader would not even have to institute such a policy which is what would make him great in the first place- the people who followed him would emulate his ethics and in return, work hard because he trusted them and treated them as professionals. A poor manager, on the other hand, is doing exactly what everyone can predict- not be accountable for his actions, however illegal. For example, my poor manager is out of the office today and no one knows where he is. No time log or electronic log can tell us what he’s really doing but we all just know.
Leaders can be made but it takes a lot of work on the individual’s part to fit the bill, good managers can become even better through training, but poor “managers” who do not care can be a plague to the organization they are appointed to run --- without leadership, the structure and hierarchy will fail and like in some countries where this has occurred, a coup is the final step before anarchy.
Tuesday, June 03, 2008
What do YOU want to be when you grow up?
Recently I have had a lot time to think – mainly cause I ride the bus into work and back home. 41 minutes one-way makes for a fun time to people watch and think because I get sick when I read or look down to do a puzzle.
I have always wondered what makes people do certain jobs – for example, did a sanitary worker always know he or she would be working in that job or is it more of a necessity? When mom asked Stan what he wanted to do when he grows up did Stan answer, “I can’t wait to get behind the wheel of an RTD bus?” How do people end up in their jobs?
I know for me, I always wanted to be an attorney and I enjoy what I do – I could not imagine doing anything else although sometimes I see others and wonder. When I am getting my morning coffee (once a week) I wonder what it would be like being a barista at Starbucks. I would meet some neat people but I would have to be nice to them –not fun! When I am riding the bus home, I think to myself, do they have flexible hours? How much does this job pay? I wonder if I could drive a bus on a route for 8 hours a day? How many round trips would that be and would I go crazy not being able to text people, e-mail, talk on the phone, or otherwise interact with others? Do I really need to stop at every railroad? How dumb am I that I cannot see a train coming? Asking people for $1.75 or to see their Pass is not interaction. Worse, would I need to say to every person who got on the bus, “Do you need a transfer?”
Anyway, I digress. I guess my point in writing this is that it seems that we evolve into our jobs. Most people may want to know what they want to be when they are a child or even in high school or college, but oftentimes, life gets in the way and not all plans culminate into reality. I am not sure I would want to do anything else but, given a choice between standing at a construction site holding a sign, driving a bus, or operating a crane, I would not be sure what to choose. I am thankful that Stan chose to evolve into a bus driver, and Bob became a sanitation worker, that Linda decided to go into construction, Gloria decided to go into childcare and Rita decided to open her own home cleaning business because if everyone knew what they wanted to be when they grew-up and followed through, our world certainly could be … dysfunctional.
I have always wondered what makes people do certain jobs – for example, did a sanitary worker always know he or she would be working in that job or is it more of a necessity? When mom asked Stan what he wanted to do when he grows up did Stan answer, “I can’t wait to get behind the wheel of an RTD bus?” How do people end up in their jobs?
I know for me, I always wanted to be an attorney and I enjoy what I do – I could not imagine doing anything else although sometimes I see others and wonder. When I am getting my morning coffee (once a week) I wonder what it would be like being a barista at Starbucks. I would meet some neat people but I would have to be nice to them –not fun! When I am riding the bus home, I think to myself, do they have flexible hours? How much does this job pay? I wonder if I could drive a bus on a route for 8 hours a day? How many round trips would that be and would I go crazy not being able to text people, e-mail, talk on the phone, or otherwise interact with others? Do I really need to stop at every railroad? How dumb am I that I cannot see a train coming? Asking people for $1.75 or to see their Pass is not interaction. Worse, would I need to say to every person who got on the bus, “Do you need a transfer?”
Anyway, I digress. I guess my point in writing this is that it seems that we evolve into our jobs. Most people may want to know what they want to be when they are a child or even in high school or college, but oftentimes, life gets in the way and not all plans culminate into reality. I am not sure I would want to do anything else but, given a choice between standing at a construction site holding a sign, driving a bus, or operating a crane, I would not be sure what to choose. I am thankful that Stan chose to evolve into a bus driver, and Bob became a sanitation worker, that Linda decided to go into construction, Gloria decided to go into childcare and Rita decided to open her own home cleaning business because if everyone knew what they wanted to be when they grew-up and followed through, our world certainly could be … dysfunctional.
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Reconnection
After about seven years of not having the internet, my office has reconnected. I have only been without it for 19 months. It is a strange phenomenon because when we did not have internet, all I wanted to do was have the internet and do things on the internet. It is rather strange now that we have had it for over a week, I feel no urge or desire to go on-line but it is nice to know it is there and it is nice for me to communicate with my clients and family members. Occasionally, I do think of something I need to google or look-up and it is nice to have internet at my fingertips instead of going through the drudgery of trying to connect through a phone line in the middle of the office where everyone can see what I am doing. Wikipedia, by the way, accessible on the internet, has a great article at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet#Internet_and_the_workplace on internet and the workplace. I just found this at work by the way. Nice!
On the flip side, everyone is running scared that big brother is watching everything we are doing and are afraid to send an email to their spouse much less “surf” the world wide web. These are unchartered waters for many folks working with this agency because as long as I have been employed here, internet and Email were not available so it was a non-issue. In the end, you have to exercise good judgment and use the resources provided by your company appropriately and sparingly. I am looking forward to continuing to have internet at my finger tips and hope it does not get taken away because it would be hard to go back to not having it once you have been reconnected.
Monday, April 28, 2008
Communication is truly an Art
I used to learn about the "Art of War" by Sun Tzu, but I never quite learned the Art of Communication so I draw upon daily experience. Today was no exception.
This morning started off with my boss changing my travel plans for the fifth time. I am supposed to attend a conference in Portland next week and initially I was attending two days and returning, and then I was attending three days and staying an extra night. Now, I am again only attending 2 days, 2 nights. Then, instead of asking for the morning of Wednesday, 7 May off, I told my boss that I would not be here (at the office) on that morning. Poor choice of words I suppose. His reply was, “not granted. I need you to be at a staff meeting in my place and take copious notes.” He stated it twice. Yikers! I realized I did not ask to be off that morning but rather had stated that I would be off. Oh oh! Another lesson learned- not thinking before you speak sometimes can cause the other party to presume you stated something instead of asking for permission.
Then, I asked the secretary who made my original travel reservations some time ago for my confirmation code so I could call United and check seat assignments, frequent flyer number, and the like. Wow! That turned into quite the ordeal. She gave me a record locator for the travel agency instead of the United Airlines confirmation code so that obviously caused some more confusion. I had a different number (the confirmation code) and she had the record locator (travel agency internal code). She now thought that there were two record locators out there and we would be charged twice. She almost cancelled my travel reservations thinking there were two locators out there. Needless to say, this is just an example of the confusion that can result with communication even we all speak the same language.
Communication is the key to success or failure in a professional and personal relationship- if you communicate effectively, success! Lack of effective communication in any relationship over time can be detrimental. If every time my infant daughter asked for food, I put her to sleep, things could get ugly as they often do. “What does she want?" I think to myself when she cries. Is she trying to tell me something? Obviously, something does get lost in translation and we all suffer until we can figure it out.
I remember writing a blog sometime ago about communication and how so much can get mangled because of a simple word, a simple gesture, or even a misunderstanding. I think this morning’s encounters serve as examples of that. Communication is a wonderful thing – we can build nations using it properly, we can mend broken ties, and build beautiful relationships if it used effectively. But, is the person seeing eye to eye with you or are you communicating one-way? It is one thing to think you are a good communicator, and another to do it effectively. A good measurement of effectiveness is whether both parties can communicate well and understand each other and then, act on what is communicated. If one person does not understand or cannot read the other, a miscommunication may have resulted. Ahh…. I get it now!
This morning started off with my boss changing my travel plans for the fifth time. I am supposed to attend a conference in Portland next week and initially I was attending two days and returning, and then I was attending three days and staying an extra night. Now, I am again only attending 2 days, 2 nights. Then, instead of asking for the morning of Wednesday, 7 May off, I told my boss that I would not be here (at the office) on that morning. Poor choice of words I suppose. His reply was, “not granted. I need you to be at a staff meeting in my place and take copious notes.” He stated it twice. Yikers! I realized I did not ask to be off that morning but rather had stated that I would be off. Oh oh! Another lesson learned- not thinking before you speak sometimes can cause the other party to presume you stated something instead of asking for permission.
Then, I asked the secretary who made my original travel reservations some time ago for my confirmation code so I could call United and check seat assignments, frequent flyer number, and the like. Wow! That turned into quite the ordeal. She gave me a record locator for the travel agency instead of the United Airlines confirmation code so that obviously caused some more confusion. I had a different number (the confirmation code) and she had the record locator (travel agency internal code). She now thought that there were two record locators out there and we would be charged twice. She almost cancelled my travel reservations thinking there were two locators out there. Needless to say, this is just an example of the confusion that can result with communication even we all speak the same language.
Communication is the key to success or failure in a professional and personal relationship- if you communicate effectively, success! Lack of effective communication in any relationship over time can be detrimental. If every time my infant daughter asked for food, I put her to sleep, things could get ugly as they often do. “What does she want?" I think to myself when she cries. Is she trying to tell me something? Obviously, something does get lost in translation and we all suffer until we can figure it out.
I remember writing a blog sometime ago about communication and how so much can get mangled because of a simple word, a simple gesture, or even a misunderstanding. I think this morning’s encounters serve as examples of that. Communication is a wonderful thing – we can build nations using it properly, we can mend broken ties, and build beautiful relationships if it used effectively. But, is the person seeing eye to eye with you or are you communicating one-way? It is one thing to think you are a good communicator, and another to do it effectively. A good measurement of effectiveness is whether both parties can communicate well and understand each other and then, act on what is communicated. If one person does not understand or cannot read the other, a miscommunication may have resulted. Ahh…. I get it now!
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
The Tug of War of Time
I took a personal day yesterday because frankly, I just felt like I needed to spend more time with my daughter and wanted to get things done around the house. Well, I could not get anything done around the house or work on things but I did spend a lot time with my girl- it was fun. But I got to thinking how in the world women experience this day in and day out and do not go insane. While I love my daughter, I also have a need to exercise my intellect and need social interaction with an adult. While my daughter can provide hours of scintillating fun it is not the same. I had a great new respect for women who stay at home but as I return to work today and the drudgery and mundane-ness of it all, I realize that I miss her a lot. It is quite a tug of war for working moms – stay at home? Go to work? What should we do?
I have a new fear that has set in for the last month- am I missing out on my daughter’s life? Will I look back at this time and have serious regrets on missing out on her life? When she no longer needs us and is off on her own, travelling across the country and world? Will I look back and have regrets? Conversely, if I quit my job and cannot find a job in another few years, will I have some other regrets? What if I quit a good job with good pay and then, realize I did not want to be at home? All these questions weigh on my mind daily. I am sure they weigh down other working moms too. They are legitimate concerns. I feel like the best of both worlds would be to ask to go part-time. I do not know if my employer will permit this. Also, currently, I am not a permanent employee so asking could put my status in jeopardy so, I am starting to slowly resent my employer as well. I feel like time is so precious and it is flying – my daughter just turned 10 months old.
I find this tug of war between home and family and work is quite normal among most working women but I also wonder if dads feel it too or are societal norms such that they do not feel those same pressures that women feel? I hope in this tug of war, whatever happens, my daughter wins!
Thursday, March 20, 2008
The 40 hour work week- a thing of the past or alive and well?
I heard a commentary on 850 am yesterday as I was heading home. Essentially, they were asking if anyone still worked from 9 to 5- remember, the movie? The question was who gets in at 9am and has the opportunity to leave at 5am. Most employers, they felt, expected employees there by 8am, 830am at the latest and most did not get off of work until well after 530pm. Afterall, if you took an hour for lunch, that would make for an 8-hour day. The topic for discussion was 40-hour workweeks and whether that was even common anymore. One DJ stated, if you get your work done in 30 hours, why would you work the 40? And, conversely, if you are super busy, you may even put in 60 without blinking.
I did not have enough cell minutes to call them and tell them that I had a great job! I currently have a job where my hours are 9-530pm and I am able to keep these hours. It is quite nice because in the morning, I can get our infant daughter ready for daycare, pack her bag, and then get some much needed things done around the house like clean or even have time to get things done on the computer and internet since I do not have internet at work. I wanted to call in and tell them that I think it is because of the lack of internet and technology at my office that makes for a 40-hour or less work week. If I had constant e-mails pouring through and access to technology, I think I could easily work the 50 to 60-hour work week. I also would not have time to get to know my colleagues. Essentially, if we had internet and E-mail, that would take up my entire morning. Then, I would still have to pull my normal workload- research, reviewing contracts, and new cases and trying to coordinate with folks on the phone. Add to that the internet where let’s face it, oftentimes, it is overwhelming to do research. Right now, I have limited resources and like a limited menu at a restaurant, sometimes, that makes the choices much easier too – I can only have salad or pasta- hmmm… I will go with pasta. I only have a legal search engine with limited capabilities so I can only go and find limited things and then write my legal opinion based on what I find. There is no google where I could go on researching for days. On the internet, the sky is virtually the limit! Then, I would probably spend the last few hours of my day writing replies to E-mails, filing e-mails in the appropriate folder by subject, organizing my Inbox, and figuring out where the day went.
Needless to say, technology, while very useful to have, can be the bane of one’s existence as well. With or without technology, my personal belief is that jobs should not consume so much time that you miss life and your kids growing up. You should take time to do a happy hour or early dinner with your loved one, get home in town to take your kid to the park, and take a day off to go ski without a wireless device in tow. If you have a job where you spend more than 60 hours a week, I hope it comes with great benefits and a retirement plan. Finally, no job is worth missing out on the most important moments in life. For me, I choose to make less so I can have a life. I do not think the 9 to 5 is gone – I just think people self-impose extra work on themselves. I think individuals choose to work more instead of choosing to live in a smaller home in favor of less work. People choose to have the fancier car and what loses out? the kids and family, of course. For me, the lifestyle of working more than 40-45 hours a week is just not worth it. Sure I have tough weeks, but I choose to make less so I can go home at the end of the day not at 2am when my child is asleep. For now, I will enjoy my 40-hour work week and when needed, put in more time when needed too. I say, “for now” because you never know when things will change and we all have to remain flexible to change. And as you scroll through this blog at work, just remember that the luxury of having that internet can also be taxing on your soul.
I did not have enough cell minutes to call them and tell them that I had a great job! I currently have a job where my hours are 9-530pm and I am able to keep these hours. It is quite nice because in the morning, I can get our infant daughter ready for daycare, pack her bag, and then get some much needed things done around the house like clean or even have time to get things done on the computer and internet since I do not have internet at work. I wanted to call in and tell them that I think it is because of the lack of internet and technology at my office that makes for a 40-hour or less work week. If I had constant e-mails pouring through and access to technology, I think I could easily work the 50 to 60-hour work week. I also would not have time to get to know my colleagues. Essentially, if we had internet and E-mail, that would take up my entire morning. Then, I would still have to pull my normal workload- research, reviewing contracts, and new cases and trying to coordinate with folks on the phone. Add to that the internet where let’s face it, oftentimes, it is overwhelming to do research. Right now, I have limited resources and like a limited menu at a restaurant, sometimes, that makes the choices much easier too – I can only have salad or pasta- hmmm… I will go with pasta. I only have a legal search engine with limited capabilities so I can only go and find limited things and then write my legal opinion based on what I find. There is no google where I could go on researching for days. On the internet, the sky is virtually the limit! Then, I would probably spend the last few hours of my day writing replies to E-mails, filing e-mails in the appropriate folder by subject, organizing my Inbox, and figuring out where the day went.
Needless to say, technology, while very useful to have, can be the bane of one’s existence as well. With or without technology, my personal belief is that jobs should not consume so much time that you miss life and your kids growing up. You should take time to do a happy hour or early dinner with your loved one, get home in town to take your kid to the park, and take a day off to go ski without a wireless device in tow. If you have a job where you spend more than 60 hours a week, I hope it comes with great benefits and a retirement plan. Finally, no job is worth missing out on the most important moments in life. For me, I choose to make less so I can have a life. I do not think the 9 to 5 is gone – I just think people self-impose extra work on themselves. I think individuals choose to work more instead of choosing to live in a smaller home in favor of less work. People choose to have the fancier car and what loses out? the kids and family, of course. For me, the lifestyle of working more than 40-45 hours a week is just not worth it. Sure I have tough weeks, but I choose to make less so I can go home at the end of the day not at 2am when my child is asleep. For now, I will enjoy my 40-hour work week and when needed, put in more time when needed too. I say, “for now” because you never know when things will change and we all have to remain flexible to change. And as you scroll through this blog at work, just remember that the luxury of having that internet can also be taxing on your soul.
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
There are two certainties in life: Death and Taxes
As I thought of the statement above, I was thinking to myself – death would be a welcome thing as people work on their taxes. Every year, I have done my own taxes and frankly, used to enjoy it. Crunching the numbers, finding a deduction here or there, adding up things, and multiplying. Using Tax Cut and other software makes doing your taxes easier but it still does not take away the marriage penalty, the penalty for being middle income and mildly successful in life, and of course, it does not take the pain of just …. Doing your taxes! So for the last two tax years, we have taken quite a hit. In 2006 because I did not claim the right exemption and as it turns out, last year, despite only working 9 out of 12 months, still not claiming the right exemptions. For a person with an AGI of only $XXK, paying a $XK tax bill is quite a nightmare. Despite maxing out both our 401Ks and taking over $XXK in deductions, it seems that being married to someone who roughly makes the same and investing our money wisely is not a good thing – for the IRS and the Federal Government, being a middle income, jointly filing married couple is a penalty in and of itself. Don’t get me wrong, I consider myself lucky for owing rather than receiving a $XK refund. I would feel cheated if that were the case.
Needless to say, I have decided to raise my arms up in defeat and have done the inevitable – consulted an accountant – several of them and am looking for someone to do my taxes this year and every year hereafter. Sounds nuts but I cannot take it anymore. It seems like I am searching for an accountant I can talk to and ask for financial planning advice and someone who will project what we owe and then do the heavy lifting. With a full-time job during the day, and at night (the baby) and the weekends (the baby), I think it is time to turn over these mundane tasks to someone who gets paid to keep me out of trouble and who knows the laws. After all, you would not want to represent yourself in a $20 million lawsuit would you? Oh, wait, you’re not as dumb as Heather Mills so you probably would hire a good lawyer. Back to the topic of accountants. Shopping for a good accountant requires some leg work – call some friends first. They are a good resource because if they use someone good and have for years, chances are, they are doing something right. Then, meet with them to make sure the personalities at least somewhat mesh and then, of course, hand over your $ and let them do the rest. I cannot believe I have raised my hands in surrender but it is time…. It was a good long run doing my own taxes and I may still yet crunch the numbers myself and see what a difference (if any) an accountant makes but I would rather spend the 40 hours I can spend doing taxes with my daughter. I spend enough time away from her as it is. Happy April 15th and hope you do not owe $XK or even XXK, conversely, I hope you do not get a refund bigger than $3K or you overpaid in 2007 my friend. Remember in, 2007, interest rates were still pretty high in savings accounts and money markets. Go ahead and give your money to the IRS in 2008 – we may be in a recession before long. In life there are no guarantees – we may all lose our shirts in the market or in securities or even in this housing market, but rest assured- you will be guaranteed to still file your 2008 returns by April 2009, and the world will continue as always. Cheers!
Wednesday, August 24, 2005
Dark clouds no more
After three years, I am finally breaking through the curse, the dark cloud that has hung over me. I state this with sincerity as I am now a believer in the addage that sometimes, things are out of your control. You have to stand still and let destiny take its course. I always believed, over the past three years that somehow I was responsible for my happiness. Despite hitting or running up against a brick wall daily at an office where there was no joy, when I dealt with a boss who was truly insecure and unhappy, and coworkers who truly did not care about the team, I still brushed all that off, and went charging towards the goal and finding personal satisfaction and reward in all I did.
Now, for almost two weeks, I have experienced joy in my work, and felt needed at a workplace where I am valued as an individual and a team member. A series of great things have happened and each day, I gaze out of the window at the breathtaking view, I do my job with pride, and I enjoy what was once blocked by the brick wall I had no control over.
I still believe you can make the best out of any situation but I think that some situations are out of our control and we have to have faith, hope and determination to get that dark cloud that we have no control over out of our lives.
Now, for almost two weeks, I have experienced joy in my work, and felt needed at a workplace where I am valued as an individual and a team member. A series of great things have happened and each day, I gaze out of the window at the breathtaking view, I do my job with pride, and I enjoy what was once blocked by the brick wall I had no control over.
I still believe you can make the best out of any situation but I think that some situations are out of our control and we have to have faith, hope and determination to get that dark cloud that we have no control over out of our lives.
Sunday, January 16, 2005
This is just the beginning
As I face ending one career and possibly starting another, I find myself at a crossroads, but I started to write a blog which was titled, "where has all the time gone?" I stopped myself and did not publish it because as I proofread it, I had a thought. This is not the end of my life and just because I am trying to do something new and fresh, it is not the end. In fact, when we leave our comfort zones and venture into the unknown, it really is not bad. I have always lived my life on the premise that you do what feels comfortable. Take the road which has less risk, and less chance of falling on your face. However, that road, while wonderful and adventureous in its own way, has served me for the last 12 years. It is now time to take the other path and begin a new adventure. There is more risk, there may be more times when I fall and break something, but that is of course, life.
I did not post my more cynical blog because as you start on your new path, you have to realize that choices are difficult but that is what they are: Choices. You make them and make the best of what is happening at that particular stage in your life. This is not the end of a journey but a beginning of another equally fabulous journey to an even more fabulous destination. Either way, you have to be happy from within. No destination, no other person than yourself, and no material object is responsible for your happiness.
Enjoy your new beginning... whatever path you choose in whatever you may be doing today.
I did not post my more cynical blog because as you start on your new path, you have to realize that choices are difficult but that is what they are: Choices. You make them and make the best of what is happening at that particular stage in your life. This is not the end of a journey but a beginning of another equally fabulous journey to an even more fabulous destination. Either way, you have to be happy from within. No destination, no other person than yourself, and no material object is responsible for your happiness.
Enjoy your new beginning... whatever path you choose in whatever you may be doing today.
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