Bonding time in the office… aawwww

So, I must say, my organization does make a good effort to do the bonding thing on a monthly basis. At my former place of employment, we dreaded it because it usually meant that the President was going to bore us with shop talk. We could never just have a fun lunch or get-together – it had to be centered around work. At my new place, however, we have a fun get-together once a month. Each dept has to “host” it, create a theme and then manage it on the scheduled day. It can be an actual meal or a snack type approach (we’ve had chili cookoffs and bake offs). All the birthdays and staff comings and goings are celebrated with a small gift. No shop talk conducted – we all just get to have a fun time away from our desks. It’s great!

It’s quite nice that they decided to schedule the next one on my birthday. I’m sure it was planned on purpose.

On a different note, has anyone ever brought their belongings to auction as an outlet to get rid of stuff but yet make some cash on the side? I did recently but was very disappointed in the result. I watch Cash in the Attic regularly and am quite fascinated with their results. Obviously, they have better quality and older antique type stuff than me but nonetheless, my endeavors proved fruitless so I will not be doing that any time soon. Guess I’ll have to live vicariously through Cash in the Attic to get my thrills. Yes, I know, my life sounds boring… but actually it’s not.

Enjoy your time and don’t forget, bond without shop talk!

A soggy start to February

It is February 1st and an extremely wet one, I might add! It started out as freezing rain early this morning but the temps have risen so now it is just plain rain – pouring down, soggy, drenching rain! While it isn’t my favorite type of weather, it is necessary.

We received a notice from our water company just yesterday explaining the dire situation the reservoir is in despite the fact it is in the middle of winter and no one is thinking about water conservation. Apparently, we need 28 inches of water though to fill the reservoir back up and there is not much hope that will occur before summer rolls around. I do believe today’s waterfall though will bring that number down just a tad… or more.

Anyway, so onto the national news of the day – Microsoft wants to buy Yahoo, huh?!? Guess they decided to beat Google to it and provide some leverage in the playing field. Yahoo rejected their first offer a while back but I guess given Yahoo’s recent performance, they are giving this 2nd offer more than a cursory glance. It will be interesting to see what happens.

On a personal bummer note, I had bought some stock a few years back based on a guru’s analysis that I read in a money magazine. I bought it twice for an average price of $6 a share. Earlier this year, I had to sell it to meet some financial obligations. I made a profit; however, I have been getting Yahoo notices for the past two weeks that it has skyrocketed well beyond what I sold it for! The guru was right but unfortunately, my needs required me to sell it before it reached its full potential. So, while I didn’t totally lose out, it’s still a bummer! It’s been exciting to see that my first endeavor in the stock market was successful though.

So, I am out of the cubicle farm today but back on Monday… lots of applications to sort through for a project we support. Should be fun!

Until then, stay soggy!

I’m in a snowglobe!

The Washington DC area has not seen much of the wintry side of life lately but today changed that situation real fast! Last night, the weather guys on tv brought out the Bread-o-Meter (a spoof on everyone who runs out to stock up on the necessities in the threat of a storm that lasts 24 hours or less) to measure the anticipated precipitation. On a scale of 1 to 10, they measured it at 1. I am not sure where they were measuring exactly but in my neck of the woods (both work and home), it was over 3 inches for sure. I stayed at work as long as I felt guilted to do but when I saw what appeared to be freezing rain falling, I called it quits. I don’t do freezing rain on top of 3 inches of snow for NOBODY!

 As it was, I should have left an hour or two earlier. The road outside my organization was slick and down a hill. The traffic was backed up on the hill going up the other side and I was nervous about actually making it. I turned around at the first opportunity (which many others were doing) and wound my way through the back roads to reach the main roads. Thankfully, I used to live in that neighborhood so I knew where I was going the whole time. The roads weren’t cleared very well but they weren’t on hills either.

Forty minutes later, I arrived home. The worst part of the trip home was near my home. The road hadn’t seen a plow or sand all day so my car just slid around. I canceled my evening plans and am now nestled warmly at home.

It was a gorgeous snowfall though and I enjoyed watching it out the windows of my boss’ office. Apparently, the next snowfall is scheduled to come on Saturday – when I am in North Carolina!

The Cubicle Farm Police

Did you know that if you thumbtack all of your important documents and information onto your cubicle walls that it could potentially damage the “insulation” that supposedly soundproofs your cubicle? Baloney! As mentioned in a previous entry, I have heard so many conversations swirling around my cube, I could write a book on em. Today, one of the conversations had me laughing – they had no idea I could hear them! So, obviously, my cubicle (and theirs) is not soundproof.

A month or so ago, a memo went out that we were to remove all documents and papers from our cube walls because the holes were ruining the soundproof insulation they were made with. I ignored the memo because I felt it to be somewhat high-schoolish and Big Brotherish. The nature of a cubicle farm is that nothing is very secret. Walls are what provide privacy - cubicle walls do not count! So, to think that my 10 thumbtacks are going to damage the ozone layer of my cubicle walls is just ridiculous! Hence, my snubbing of the memo.

Well, snubbers of memos are apparently checked up on by the Cubicle Farm Police. A few days later, I arrived at work to find all of the things that had been so neatly hung on the cubicle walls with my colorful thumbtacks the night before, were stacked on my desk. I was infuriated! How dare someone come into my personal space just to see if I had “toed the line.” We are NOT in high school – we are adults and I am sure we all understand that Cubicle Creators cannot possibly manufacture a true soundproof cube with 3/4 walls. I can still hear everything even though the thumbtacks are out and the “wounds” they made in the soundproof walls are “healed” (so, technically, I shouldn’t be able to hear anything, right?) 

Think about it – soundwaves in an open space carry… so my conclusion is that it is actually scientifically impossible to create a soundproof cube.  Guess it’s time to send my scientific findings to the Cube Farm Police so they can give up their catty cause.

I am writing from my Cube!

This is the first time in a loooooong time that I have actually written in my blog from my Cube. I just finished my bowl of Cheerios and have put out a few fires today.

My boss is away on an executive staff retreat that she doesn’t want to be at. We had a few laughs on the phone about how negative the meeting was going to be. That is just how our organization operates. The rest of the world may be able to accomplish something but for some reason, we just can’t. It’s impossible. Apparently, everyone else who can do whatever it is we can’t is just living an anomaly. It definitely cannot be done!

Anyway, our conversation reminded me of this awesome website which sells merchandise parodying the Successories motivational merchandise company.  It is called Despair Inc. Check out the one on Tradition – that describes our organization to a ‘T’. This is the first time I’ve worked at a place where some of Despair’s products could actually be displayed proudly in the halls. Sad, but true.

I was laughing so hard as I perused their site this morning. I am in no way affiliated with them – just want to pass the laughter on.

Well, I have some work to do. Invoices to submit for payment, emails to write, questions to get answered – all in the pursuit of a paycheck.

Take care – don’t despair!