Sunday, February 26, 2006

This wasn't the Academy Awards

The professional organization I belong to has an annual competition. This competition is important to my profession. If you win an award, it looks great on a resume or personnel review. You get kudos from your colleagues. It can open doors (it is how I got my current job). So it is just like the Academy Awards. Actually better. When you show up at the fancy dinner, you already know you've won an award. You just don't know which one; it could be one of three levels.

My department is fortunate that the company pays for several entries each year. It is good publicity for the department and company. So each year, just like the Academy Awards, there are hurt feelings, cries of why wasn't my work submitted, why wasn't my name on an entry, and in general, much whining before and after the competition. First of all, I don't make the rules. The professional society and competition organizers do. Second, I don't pick the names on the entries (we are limited to three and many projects involve more people than that). My manager does that. Third, just grow up people! If you don't like what's being done, you take care of this next year!

Since we are limited to three names on an entry (thus better than the Academy Awards), the three main contributors should be listed, right? But that's where the hurt feelings come in. If a project was based on a previous project, who gets credit? You might have done the work this year, but was it substantially different from the original project? Who contributed the most (and what does that mean anyway)? And if you didn't get to submit last year, do you get to submit this year? Sometimes, names are added as "sympathy" entries for whatever reason (just like the Academy Awards). And it really pisses me off when those people win.

RSVP?

Do people think that that's on the invitation just to take up space? I've been to several events in the past month where people either showed up without responding or said they would come, but didn't. In the first case, there weren't enough seats for everyone and the restaurant staff had to scramble to squeeze everyone in. Yes, the events were casual, but seating arrangements still had to be made. Of course, the non-respondents were oblivous to the trouble they caused since they couldn't be bothered with thinking about anyone but themselves. In the second case, the hostess purchased extra goodies for the kids and extra food for everyone who didn't show up, thus spending more money than she needed to. I hate thoughtless people!

Tuesday, February 21, 2006

Breath in, breath out

Sometimes my coworkers drive me crazy. Unfortunately, I don't feel like I can vent about it here or on my favorite MB because I don't want to be "dooced." It is sooooooo frustrating!

Today is Tuesday?

Opps! After a whirlwind long weekend of scrap classes, family visits, and running errands, I forgot that today was Tuesday. What's so special about Tuesday? Nothing really, except the Olympic women's figure skating competition starts tonight.

I'm looking forward to seeing all the skaters. It is times like this that I wish I had cable and TIVO. I'd like to see more coverage and watch at my convenience, not the network's.

Wednesday, February 15, 2006

The Olympics

I'm suffering from lack of sleep. The Olympics are on way too late, plus I can't get anything done while they are on. What I really need to do is prepare just like the athletes do. Freeze some dinners so I don't have to cook. Make sure the laundry and housekeeping are all caught up so by the time the Olympics finish, I'm not living in a pig sty. Okay, so I have two years to prepare for the Summer Olympics, lol.

I was disappointed that Michelle Kwan had to drop out. I don't think she would have won a gold medal, but perhaps she could have won a bronze. And even if she didn't, she could show those young whipper snappers what artistry in skating really is.

Some people don't like the Olympic medals this year, but I do. They are creative, attractive, unusual. MSN had a poll of the favorite Winter Olympic medals from the past 11 Olympics. Lillehammer came in first and Sarajevo came in last. Turin came in third. You can also vote for your favorite Olympic medal.

I love the Budweiser commercials. The little colt with his big dreams brings tears to my eyes every time. Yeah, I blubber at all the Hallmark commercials too.

Thursday, February 09, 2006

So has my blog disintegrated into the mundane now that I've posted twice about my hair?

More hair tails

I'm still getting compliments on my hair so that's a good thing. My hair is the back is so short, my hairdresser wanted to shave the strays. But I wouldn't let her because I don't like how itchy it feels growing back. Even so, after a week the back of my neck is itching like heck. I think I need a new hairstyle, lol.

Tuesday, February 07, 2006

My haircut

I got my haircut this weekend. It went from just brushing my shoulders blah to shorter than chin length, bangs, and layers. I can wear it loose and casual or very sleek and stylish. I've gotten a lot of compliments so I guess it was the right decision. Of course, that makes me wonder what people thought before. It was just getting long enough to put into a pony tail, which is always convenient.

The good thing about short hair is you can use less shampoo and it takes less time to dry. The bad thing about short hair is you have to get it cut more often. So what you save with the good, you end up spending, lol.

Monday, February 06, 2006

Does size matter?

I went to a bra fitting website and it estimates that I wear a 34D or 34DD. Now, the last time I looked at myself, I didn't notice that I was skinny enough to wear a 34, nor was I um, very well endowed in that area. But now I'm curious and the next time I need a new bra, I'll have to expand my search and include some new sizes.

Friday, February 03, 2006

I broke 9000

What does that mean you ask? It means that I finally reduced my e-mails at work to less than 9000. How can anyone have that many e-mails you ask? Well, I get cc'd on most of the projects in my department, plus I have my own projects, plus I'm a packrat. Paper, digital, it doesn't matter. I save it all.

On a good day, I get 30 e-mails. On a bad day, I get two or three times that. That's a lot of sorting to do.

Actually, the bigger problem isn't with the number of e-mails I have; it is the amount of space they take. We have a certain MB limit and I'm constantly exceeding that. When that happens, I can't save any more e-mails. Obviously, that's a good incentive to stay under the limit.

Check back in a couple of weeks and see how many e-mails I have then.

I broke 9000

What does that mean you ask? It means that I finally reduced my e-mails at work to less than 9000. How can anyone have that many e-mails you ask? Well, I get cc'd on most of the projects in my department, plus I have my own projects, plus I'm a packrat. Paper, digital, it doesn't matter. I save it all.

On a good day, I get 30 e-mails. On a bad day, I get two or three times that. That's a lot of sorting to do.

Actually, the bigger problem isn't with the number of e-mails I have; it is the amount of space they take. We have a certain MB limit and I'm constantly exceeding that. When that happens, I can't save any more e-mails. Obviously, that's a good incentive to stay under the limit.

Check back in a couple of weeks and see how many e-mails I have then.