Office Friend!

For those of you who remember my post, Office Stalker, I am pleased to report that Lexi appears to have overcome her fear of my office. She has been keeping my feet warm for the past hour and I couldn't be happier. We'll see how long this lasts...

Perk

Here's another perk, but this time it's because I werk for a faith-based organization. Tomorrow is Good Friday, and I get the day off. Woo-Hoo, Three Day Weekend!!

When I werked for the newspaper, I literally only got 6 paid holidays a year: New Year's Day, Memorial Day, 4th of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. If any of those holidays happened to fall on a weekend...well, I was just out of luck. It's the news industry, baby...just because everyone else gets time off with their loved ones, doesn't mean the world stops turning and the printing presses shut down! The hardest part about this was I didn't werk for the part of the newspaper that was really 'newsy'. I managed marketing campaigns for our advertising clients, but they were all postcard or direct mail campaigns...having literally NOTHING to do with the paper besides the fact that they also purchased some print or web-ad space at the same time.

Oh, I forgot to mention, we did get one more paid holiday, it was called 'Diversity Day'. The paper was VERY much an equal opportunity employer. I believe we were one of the first papers to even provide benefits for people with 'same-sex-partners', or whatever the insurance industry label is. So I was allowed to pick one day a year and as long as I had a significant reason that was related to Diversity, I got the day off. So many times my Diversity Day skipped MLK day and landed on Good Friday. I have nothing against MLK day, but Good Friday has always been a meaningful day in the life of my family and it's nice to be able to set it aside for a time of reflection and time with family.

Today is also what is known as Maundy Thursday. This is the day that Jesus would have shared the last supper with his disciples, washed their feet, predicted his betrayal, and eventually been arrested. So I guess today is a pretty meaningful one as well.

Now if you'll indulge my appreciation for art history as it relates to Maundy Thursday...

This painting by Jacopo Bassano (1546, Venetian School) is full of movement, relational dynamics, and I am guessing is trying to depict the moment when Jesus told the group there was a betrayer among them. I love the way the painting is anchored like a triangle, with the two men in red/green on the lower left and lower right, leaning in and looking up to the highest point in the painting which is Jesus.  

I like this painting by Tissot (circa 1886) because it shows the intimacy and relationship of this group. It's also a little more accurate than most traditional paintings, because it was more traditional to recline around a meal than sit on chairs against a table like we do today.

Only a Dream

One of the perks of werking from home, which I'm sure I've mentioned in the past, is the amount of sleep gained by not having to get up early enough to get ready and drive to werk. I simply roll out of bed, grab a cup of coffee and shuffle to my office. This 'commute' takes 5-10 minutes, so I am usually welcoming the new day no later than 8am. It's kind of a beautiful thing (my shuffle to the office, is not).

This morning I found myself stuck in that weird place of vividly dreaming and remembering every detail of my dream...but still knowing it was probably time to get up and at 'em. My dream found me somewhere in northern Minnesota/a small British B&B town where I've stayed on business trips in the past. I was wandering the switch-back streets of this little town, in desperate search of a bathroom. I'm pretty sure I even downloaded an app on my phone called "Potty Finder". That app was horrible, so if you ever find the 'non-dream' version for your phone, I wouldn't recommend it.

Any-who...I ended up in some sort of screen printing shop, and befriended some very nice small town girls who begged their stingy old boss to let me use the employee bathroom in the back of the shop.

I am VERY glad I woke up at this point and realized that the reason my dream was so vivid and my need to find a bathroom so urgent, was because of all of the water I drank the night before. Sometimes it's ok to wake up from your dreams before they are over...Yikes.

Now this guy would have been helpful!

Travel Buzz

Well, it wasn't that bad. Apparently I am a well vaccinated individual, according to the Nurse at the Travel clinic. Thank goodness for that! All of the different vaccinations I have received for various trips over the years have prepared me well for my upcoming trip to the DR, apparently! The only actual vaccination I needed today (in the needle-stick form) was a tetanus booster. It was over before I knew it, and it was actually the Tdap version of the vaccine, which will protect any adorable little babies I come into contact with from Pertussis (whooping cough)...at least for 5 years. I did weasel my way into an oral version of the typhoid vaccine, which will last me 5 years instead of 2, so I'm pretty happy about that as well.

After my stop at the travel clinic, I headed to Target to fill my prescription for Cipro (helps with extreme traveller's diarrhea, I'm praying this is a 'just in case' prescription only) and Choroquine (preventative against malaria). I also indulged myself in my first Starbucks drink since...I honestly can't remember when. I used to habitually 'reward' myself with Starbucks for a variety of reasons, like getting up on a Monday...or making it to Friday through a hellish week. Or simply because I made it to Starbucks...you get the gist! This time, the reward was for getting a shot and not passing out. There's still hope for me yet!

I think it would be really interesting to werk in the travel industry some days. Sitting in the Travel Clinic, it struck me that there is an entire industry that caters to travelers. The nurse had steri-pens, $15 bottles of bug spray, and a whole line of 'just in case' travel products for sale on her desk. Thankfully, she didn't push any of them on me.

I just find it amazing the extreme lengths we can go to to prepare for a trip to a place where other people live, every, single, day. I wonder if they would find it amusing to know I have received four types of prescription medications and 2 over the counter meds, and a book about travel diseases,  just to spend seven fairly sheltered days in their country. I am thankful for the medical care I receive, and the insurance to cover it, but this is just for a seven day trip. How do the people who LIVE there protect themselves against their environment? Can they? I guess I'll find out.

Another reason I think it would be interesting to werk in the travel industry is that it's kind of exciting. People traveling to exotic places for a myriad of reasons would just be intriguing. But I am also the kind of person who LOVES the buzz of the airport. One time, the TSA agent at security actually told me to stop smiling because the airport is not a happy place and I was beginning to look suspicious. He was serious. It made me stop smiling, at least until I got past him.

However, the people at the Travel Clinic and the pharmacy were all fairly interested in my destination, my travel plans, and the purpose for the trip. It made a routine trip to the pharmacy a lot more personal, because there was actually something more interesting to talk about than side affects for sinus infection meds. Plus it gave me an excuse to share about the organization I werk for, and that is ALWAYS fun to do.

Next on the trip prep list: long skirt and comfy light weight pants. I hear Old Navy calling my name...

Gear

Well, my to-do list for the week is coming along nicely. Today, I think I'll bite off the last 100 pages of the book I am reading about ending global poverty (I'll let you know how it ends! ;)). I also managed to score an appointment for my travel shots next Tuesday, and I am going to give a huge shout-out to my incredible Mom who not only had my childhood shot records from two different pediatricians in PA on hand...but mailed them to me pronto and I hope that having them in hand gets me out of a few unnecessary sticks in the arm. Fingers crossed. Thanks, MOM!!

This is my awesome Mom with my favorite nephew (so far! j/k),  Ethan!

Speaking of this trip to the Dominican Republic. Yesterday, I spoke with one of my co.werkers who is going on the same trip as me. It quickly became very obvious that she and I have VERY different approaches to travel. She mentioned how she really wished we had more info about the trip because of all the gear we're going to need to bring with us. In my head, I was thinking, "Gear? What...am I playing the role of sherpa on an Everest expedition?". I have always been told that trips with sponsors to the countries we werk in are rather posh and fairly comfortable, because many people on the trip have never left their suburb, let alone the good 'ol U.S. of A. before.

My co.werker went on to describe in detail the boatload of money she has spent buying her 'gear' for this trip. Including hard-toed and closed-heel shoes that cost $100, specialty sport sunglasses, and her future list of specialty wicking and performance wear (not to mention filtered water bottle) that she has yet to purchase. When I mentioned that every time I have ever been to a developing country, the one thing that is undeniably present for us Americans is bottled water, I think I might have heard some disappointment in her voice. Maybe I'm too trusting, but this is a business trip, and there is no way you will see the.home.werker dropping hundred dollar bills at R.E.I. 'just in case'.

That being said, there is a very good chance you might find me at Old Navy or a thrift store looking for a long skirt and comfy capris to wear. For sure. Last time I was on a trip to Mexico we packed our clothes for a week in way that we could give them away at the end of our trip. Now there's a thought.

Oh, and don't worry, I won't forget the Pepto or Immodium. That's MY version of gear. :)

I live in Denver

Hello, I am the.home.werker, I live in Denver. Hence, I werk from home and do not commute to the Springs for werk every day.  At least not in my car (insert Hallelujah chorus here). I rely on the internet and phones to do my commuting for me. Which is another reason why, if you are trying to schedule meetings with me or book airline tickets for me, you need to know, I live in Denver.

I am not walking from my office to your office for a meeting. That would take days. I am not flying out of the Colorado Springs airport, that would cost a lot more in mileage reimbursement and parking fees than is necessary. I live in Denver, I fly out of Denver.

I really like living in Denver. And that makes some of my co.werkers who live in the Springs uncomfortable and possibly even more nervous about me than they were before.

I am contemplating putting something in my werk email signature that says something to the effect of, "I've moved, so please remember that the phone numbers below my name are pretty much the best way to reach me, indefinitely."

Time and again, when people ask me where I 'sit' now that I have changed roles, I get to say, "I sit at home, in Denver." Newsflash. I've been living here since November. Yes, that means I am a 'regional employee'. No, I do not have a regular time that I head to the Land.of.Cubicles every week. If I had to hop on a plane to get there, would you even be asking me this question?

I wonder what other ways I can communicate this important fact to my co.werkers: I live in Denver, I werk in Denver.

Here are some of my favorite things about Denver so far:
1. I have a social network that extends beyond my most trusted co.werkers-who-are-also-my-friends.
2. Jake is going to a really excellent school and will be exposed to so many more types of clinical settings simply because we are in Denver and not the Springs.
3. H&M is coming to Denver...I honestly can't even describe how excited this makes me. (And IKEA is opening this fall!!)
2. There are endless things to do here, things don't shut down past 10pm on the weekends and we've barely scratched the surface of fun things to do.
1. It's easier to score hockey tickets when the Wild come to play the Av's, than trying to see the Wild play in St. Paul.

Aunt Liz

I'm finding it hard to get started on werk today. I just received some sad news that my great Aunt Liz passed away yesterday evening. I had been receiving daily email updates from her daughter about Aunt Liz's recovery from a very rough surgery almost two weeks ago. My heart sunk to my stomach when the email I received two days ago simply said this, "Struggling".

My Grandma is on the left in light pink, and her sister, Liz,  is on the right in dark pink. 

Aunt Liz is my mom's aunt, and from the few times I had opportunities to be with her, I always left saying, "I want to be just like her when I'm that age!". Aunt Liz was spunky, full of life, and genuinely loved people. Plus, she never seemed to let anything stop her...which is why I guess I'm kind of surprised that she's actually gone.

Some of my recollections might be a little off, since it's been a while since I've seen Aunt Liz, but here are some things I remember about this spirited woman.

• She gave great hugs, even to my husband who had to double over to get one from her...no one was leaving with out a big hug from Aunt Liz. 
• She was up for just about anything! My mom's cousins like to travel to different parts of the country and have all sorts of adventures. I seem to remember a story about all of 'the cousins' and Aunt Liz waiting to catch a train in Chicago, loaded down with bags from the American Girl Dolls store, and just barely escaping a group of shady men who intended to their packages off their hands, if you know what I mean!
• Aunt Liz had a golf cart,(that I'm pretty sure was decorated), that she drove around her little neighborhood in Willernie, MN. Why not?!
• Rarely did I see Aunt Liz without a smile on her face or in her eyes. I believe some people are just born with a sparkle in their eyes, and Aunt Liz was definitely one of them. 
• Aunt Liz cherished family, loving others in a way that made you part of her family, no matter what. 
• Her laugh was contagious, and always made my heart smile. 

There are many others who knew Aunt Liz much better than I did, and to any of you who read this post, I just want to extend my condolences to you and let you know that you are loved even in this time of loss. It's always hard to say goodbye, especially to someone who makes your heart smile. 

procrastination

Our dinner conversation with friends a few nights ago got us into a discussion about study habits, and we ended up talking about procrastination.

During my college days, 97% of my grades were derived from my paper writing abilities. The other 3% were based on my completion of meaningful paintings. So, naturally, I rarely crammed for 'tests', I just put off writing my papers until I could sit in front of the computer for 6-7 hours on end, surrounded by a pile of musty reference books (you know that smell that library books have?), and let my thoughts flow onto the screen. It was probably a great 10-pager about systematic theology or a 30 page thesis on the purpose of the church. Ah, the good old days.

It was during these wonderful academic years that I realized I am someone who works really well when a deadline is given. Perhaps I should have known this about myself a little earlier, given the fact that the 6th grade version of the.home.werker would put off scooping poop in the back yard or cleaning the 'kids bathroom' until 4pm on Saturday, squeaking out my allowance by the skin of my teeth. But, I got it done! (And off to the Dollar Store I would go, to procure some candy for my own personal enjoyment during church the next morning).

So here I am, in a week without any concrete deadlines, feeling the need to impose some on myself so that I can successfully tackle that to-do list I wrote about yesterday. It's time to decide when I am going to schedule that appointment at the travel clinic, and how I want to go about reading the book in global poverty. It's the non-traditional, non-email, non-conference call stuff that easily slips through the cracks...simply because it's not something I do every day...so why do it today?

Ok, ok. This is just a glimpse into what I tell myself vs. how I motivate myself to get things done. And now I am realizing it's time to go and be around people because this extrovert is going a little batty without the buzz of people around me. Do you ever find you are more productive when other people are around you, also werking on something? Even on the weekends, if my neighbors are out werking in their yards, I am to...and I get so much more done! Time to go find some company among the strangers at a coffee shop.

TO-DO

Welcome back from your spring-y weekend, full of sunshine, pollen, and pretending it's summer. Oh, well, that was my weekend at least! Here is my own personal evidence that we will soon be lingering outside late into the evening in the fresh colorado air:

1. I went to a wedding on Friday night, and didn't even wear nylons. Step #1 to embracing Spring is baring your pasty white legs in public.
2. Saturday found me turning over the soil in our flower box and garden beds. Soon, I hope to see some of my carrot seedlings spout and my begonia bulbs push their way through the soil. This is my first ever attempt at growing a garden, so if it doesn't work out this year, we might need to seek professional help next year...
3. Saturday afternoon, a good friend and I (along with Lexi, of course) went for a good 2.5 hour walk, stopping to sip some iced coffee on the outdoor patio of a local coffee shop. Plus, Miss Lexi even got to dunk herself in the creek to cool off...proof that summer is coming!

4. I check on my seed starter kit for my herb garden at least four times a day...it's so fun to literally watch them grow before my eyes!
5. I called my mom in Minne-snow-ta, and she was unusually upbeat. Why, might you ask? She was enjoying her back deck for the first time in a good, long, seven + months. I couldn't have been happier for her!

Now for cook-outs, sunburns, and bonfires...ah, summer is coming.

In the mean time, it's still Monday morning and I find myself scribbling a to-do list. In the world of the.home.werker, to-do lists help me stay on track and keep the important stuff right in front of my face. Back in the land.of.cubicles, I had a 3'x5' white board to help me keep track of this stuff (with some super cool skinny markers, I'm definitely a sucker for office supplies. You want to know when the next best colored set of sharpie pens is coming out? Oh, I have them already.)

This is one of the uni-ball Vision Elite pens that I use every day. I think they come in a pack of 8 different colors, and the inner-artiste in me simply loves them.

While this week doesn't involve putting 100's of miles on Pedro the Laredo like last week did, I get the feeling I'm heading into a week of planning, strategizing, and emailing. So on to hold your horses, here's an interpretive look at my to-do list:
1. Read and memorize book about how to end global poverty, without hi-lighting it so that I can pass it along to my co.werker. This could be tricky.
2. Schedule time to get vaccinated at a travel clinic so that I can go hug some kids in the Dominican Republic at the end of May. Time to start brushing up on my elementary-level Espanol...
3. Watch copius amounts of poverty related documentaries and scope out each organization's marketing plan...then create an even better one.
4. Start planning for Christmas...a christmas gift catalog. Would you like to buy your mom a goat, or part of a latrine this Christmas?
5. Make sure I don't pass out during my appointment in #2 above, so that I can get the oil changed on Pedro when I'm finished getting stuck with needles. Bleh, I'm woozy just thinking about it...

I hope your Monday morning is full of coffee, good vibes sticking with you from your weekend, and a nice slow launch into a productive week.

Boss-ness

Up until January 17th, I was somebody's boss. Actually, I was the boss of three people. Some of you may think this made me important, or at least feel important. On some levels, maybe. On other levels, it made me feel everything my employees were feeling, amplified by like 1 jillion degrees.

It was my first official 'boss' gig, and I worked hard at it for over a year: open door policy, super flexible and trusting with the comings and goings of my employees, asking for feedback on my 'boss-ness', constantly seeking development opportunities tailored to the individual as well as the team...all in all, I like seeing people grow, learn about themselves, and become passionate about the job that they have been given. Call me an achiever, call me a maximizer...Strengthsfinder already did, so join the bandwagon.

So, naturally, I was a little sad to see my boss responsibilities disappear (along with the cubicle I forget I ever had). However, after two trips to the Land of Cubicles and a few hours of catching up with my former employees this week, I am realizing that for now, for this season of my life, it's kind of nice not to have to worry about their day-in-day-out drama, politics, pregnancies, PTO, or work load. It's not my responsibility any more to try and figure out how to change a culture that simply will never change in the exact way or time you want it to. It's not my responsibility any more to make sure that performance plans are being evaluated and confidential feedback is gathered about the 'problem child' of the team. It's not my responsibility any more to ensure that the two musketeers aren't pissing off the third musketeer by their 2-3 hour-a-day-average chat about reality tv or awards shows.

So, while I still miss tapping directly into that 'maximizer' side of myself when it comes to developing other people into the best employee they can be (pretty much, I'm like the Army), I don't miss the DRAM-A that always, without fail, comes along with it.

Your high blood pressure and threat of going on bed-rest during the 4th month of your pregnancy is not my problem. The fact that you live downtown and your street isn't plowed yet and your internet is down, is not my problem. The fact that the constant whispering of your co-workers pisses you off on a daily basis, is not my problem. Ahh, that felt good to write.

While I still sympathize with these issues and care about each of these people individually, it's just absolutely freeing to not have to handle them in the role of 'boss'. At least for now. I'm going to enjoy it. :)

So glad I don't werk in this type of passive aggressive environment on a daily basis. www.passiveaggressivenotes.com  has some hilarious stuff...

Nail Biter

Look, Ma! Nice hands! 

Forever, and, ever, amen...I have been a bit of a picker.nailbiter.nervous nellie. 

It was probably around second or third grade when Mom broke out the 'No Bite Nail Polish': 

The bitter concoction would get painted onto my nails so that it would actually taste like I was sucking on combination of paint thinner and vinegar whenever I tried biting my nails. It was supposed to stop my bad habit. But no m'am, I am about as stubborn and determined as they come, No Bite wasn't getting in my way! (I just realized, this post is probably totally grossing some of you out. Bear with me, I PROMISE it ties into werking from home:).)

As I grew older and more self conscious, I continued to bite my nails. Even having a friend's sister tell me about her friend who bit her nails so low they NEVER GREW BACK didn't deter me. I just was careful not to go overboard. 

Now nailbiting is one of those unconscious habits. You have no idea that you are doing it until your mom gasps at you in the middle of a church service and slaps your hand down from your mouth. Total humiliation. I wonder if they could bottle that? It might do wonders for the nailbiters, knuckle-crackers, and skin-pickers of the world. 

For me, Nailbiting is a compulsive behavior, that's usually expressing some sort of stress, emotion, or boredom that I have found no other way to deal with. I'm pretty sure my triggers are stressful or overly emotional situations. You never want to see my hands after watching a scary movie, I have probably picked them to death in an effort to warn the stupid actress in the movie NOT TO GO IN THERE ALONE! Or stressful meetings, where nothing is being accomplished and I have already figured out (or so I like to think) ten ways around the roadblock in front of us. 

I just looked it up on Wikipedia, but it appears that nailbiting is an impulse control disorder: "The onset of these disorders usually occurs between the ages of 7 and 15. Impulsivity, the key feature of these disorders, can be thought of as seeking a small, short term gain at the expense of a large, long term loss. Those with the disorder repeatedly demonstrate failure to resist their behavioral impetuosity."

Good grief, that explains a lot about the impulse shopping. 

Any-who...earlier this week Jake noticed that my nails are actually normal and look healthy. I was secretly and proudly watching my hands transform into grown-up hands over the past few weeks...and the biggest thing I can attribute this to is my werk.environment. Rarely do I find myself trapped in pointless meetings where I am stressfully picking at my hands under the table. I can't remember the last time I dreamed about work or led meetings in my sleep (very true). It appears that werking from home has helped me develop a much more balanced approach to stress, emotions, and boredom. One wonderful side effect is that I am no longer unconsciously destroying my poor little digits, one painful nibble at a time. 

One Day Without Shoes

Today is April 5th, also known as, One Day Without Shoes, by any of you who are aware of TOMS shoes and their advocacy efforts. This is the day that hundreds of thousands of people across the world are taking off their shoes to raise awareness for the plight of children around the world who don't have shoes.

My organization partners with TOMS to distribute shoes in some of the countries where we werk. This is a fact that I am really proud of, simply because I think the TOMS shoes model is pretty much pure genius. People feel cool about spending $50+ on a pair of simple canvas shoes because they know that they are also buying a pair of shoes for some kiddo in Haiti who wouldn't be allowed to go school barefoot. Shoes solve lots of problems (see below).

As the.home.werker, it's easy for me to go without shoes...or slippers! I'm not really raising any eyebrows by sitting on conference calls from the comfort of my home office...barefoot. So, I'll dedicate today's blog post to any of you who might not be aware of what's going on today in America, and every day in poor countries around the world where kids don't even have access to one of the most basic items: shoes.


Here are some facts that might just blow your mind a little bit:

Many children in developing countries grow up barefoot. Whether at play, doing chores or going to school, these children are at risk:

•A leading cause of disease in developing countries is soil-transmitted diseases, which can penetrate the skin through bare feet. Wearing shoes can help prevent these diseases, and the long-term physical and cognitive harm they cause.

•Wearing shoes also prevents feet from getting cuts and sores. Not only are these injuries painful, they also are dangerous when wounds become infected.

•Many times children can't attend school barefoot because shoes are a required part of their uniform. If they don't have shoes, they don't go to school. If they don't receive an education, they don't have the opportunity to realize their potential.

TOMS shoes founder, Blake Mycoskie, at a shoe drop in Ethiopia.

High Desert

Today was the first of three trips to the Springs that I will be making this week. Thankfully, I didn't need to 'punch in' at the Land of Cubicles until 11am, so I let the beautiful Colorado sunshine do it's werk and melt away the ice and snow that had piled up between here and there overnight.

I spent about 4 hours straight, sitting in meetings, plus two hours straight driving. Maybe I'm getting old, but man, my joints hurt! That was a LOT of focussed sitting, active listening, and I guess my body is just not as used to that as it used to be.

ALSO, I continue to realize that the Springs truly is in a 'high desert' climate. Every time I wrap up a day of meetings down there, I feel like I have swallowed a bag of sand. I honestly am surprised at two things: 1)how Jake and I managed to live in that climate for 2.5 years 2)how much of a difference a little altitude difference can make. Call me a flatlander, but at least I don't wake up thirsty in the middle of the night any more!

I cannot remember the last time I have gotten red dust all over my sneakers or hopped around yucca plants on my walks with the dog. I'll take deciduous trees and the bed of irises I just discovered along the side of our house over the desert any day of the week. Oh, and werking from home when you live in the prairie land of Denver isn't all that bad, either!

Ok, so our last home wasn't QUITE like this...but you get the picture. 

List #1

Friday List
(this is the first posting of a random list of thoughts I have related to the topic of werking from home).

1. I'm really glad it's Friday, mostly because I get to spend some quality time with good friends tonight...despite the fact that it is a goodbye dinner for two of our close friends who are leaving us for South Carolina...

2. I'm feeling fairly productive today, which is always a good way to round out the week. I had the opportunity to lead a conference call today which seemed to go really well. (Even though my co.werker's phone connection wouldn't let him be heard, for the first time, ever.)

3. Darn it, I just realized I already brushed my teeth without finishing off my morning coffee.

4. Jake has taken it on himself to act as my in-house IT support, for which I am EXTREMELY thankful.

5. On a 70 degree day like today, I'd really rather be figuring out how to get my herb garden started. Perhaps that will be a post-gym, pre-shower project for later on this afternoon. I am determined to have cilantro, basil, and rosemary laced food this summer. YUM.

6. At least Jake has someone keeping him company underneath HIS desk. Yep, she's still being a weanie and will not come into my office unless I am on the floor next to her.

7. Jake gets to experience inserting his first catheter on a fake patient today. I'm thankful that people have this skill, and I am also thankful I am not one of those people. Eesh.

8. It's April Fools day, which somewhat makes me wish I had some unwitting co.werker's cube nearby to cover in saran wrap or so that I could switch everything in their office to the opposite side of how they have it set up. (Which reminds me of some of the better pranks I have pulled off in my college days...I wonder what ever DID happen to that nasty swimming suit "someone" picked up off the floor of the Minneapolis Airport and wrapped around Megan's pillow...jeez, that was mean!)

9. I attended a baby shower at Headquarter's yesterday, and we were all supposed to bring our favorite children's book. Apparently, I was super unique and brought 1 of 3 copies of 'The Giving Tree' by Shel Silverstein. 

10. I made a salad to bring to some friends' house for dinner on Tuesday. The recipe said it would make 6 servings...I should have known better that 3 bell peppers, 3 cucumbers, and 3 types of lettuce later would have me eating gallons of this salad for breakfast, lunch, and dinner for the rest of the week. A least I don't have any judgmental co.werkers asking me why I brought the same thing for lunch the last three days in a row. The salad is super yummy, but I feel like I'm an unwilling participant in some sort of vegan cleanse...yep. 

Happy Friday!

Sad but true.

Well, I just got word this morning that my employer is calling me back to werk from the Land.Of. Cubicles. Apparently the common opinion is that I can do my job better and more efficiently if I am surrounded by cloth covered 'walls', an office without a door, and a 100 mile round trip commute. It's still sinking in, especially since I just got the finishing touches put on my home office yesterday with all of my lovely new Mac technology. <<sigh>>

Ok, since this will be one of my final posts as the.home.werker, I thought I should wrap this super-not-fun-to-write post up by saying...






Wait for it...






Guess what?!

Perhaps I just wanted an excuse to use this picture?