It's A Sin

I love the holidays as do most folks. Recently, while I spent Thanksgiving at the Sonoma home of my best friend's mother, Fran, my parents went to have their dinner at my sister-in-law's parent's home.

A lovely dinner I was told with the exception of the dressing, which I'm told was out of a box rather than homemade. My mom said that really is a sin. If only that were the most evil thing in the world right now. Dressing in a box. Go figure.

Can't wait to hear about what's going to be served for Christmas.

Happy Holidays!

Going To The Gym (Sorta)...

I really try to work out. Honestly. I really do. My company has its own gym which I try to go to, but being close to work it's sometimes hard to separate being at work with actually leaving my office (ok, ok, a cubicle), to spend some relaxing time working out.

Previously, I'd gone to a gym near my home, but since it closed it really wasn't convenient to go to one of their other locations. To inspire me to go to the gym, I'd even begun bringing my gym clothes/shoes in my backpack at work, which would sit in a corner as I worked diligently away. I guess I thought having it there would give me the necessary "hint hint" one needs to do something. It hasn't worked so far. With the days getting darker earlier in the day it's really hard to try to go to the gym after work.

What to do? Well, there's a great yoga class at Grace Cathedral I try to attend every Tuesday, and a stretch class on Wednesday, which I assume counts as working out.

So here I sit at my computer having not worked out most of this week (hectic schedule). I know people keep telling me one just needs to make time to go work out, but when you're stressed and tired a bowl of coffee ice cream and some DVDs from Netflix sure do make for an enjoyable sofa work out. I guess I'll just have to keep trying.

Next up...buying groceries that I know are good for me, bringing them home, and then not eating them. They just sit in the fridge and stare back at me. That's another workout for another day.

An Annoyance

Someone asked me what annoys me yesterday, and while the list gets pretty long, something popped into my head this afternoon. I think what has annoyed me lately is when I'm at the gym or just walking around town, and one "family jewel" decides it needs a bit more room and plops out from the side of my underwear. Of course this usually happens when I'm in a crowd or at a place where it's impossible to adjust myself. That's the annoyance for the day. More to come.

Happy Halloween!

There's something that just says Fall when the store windows begin showing signs of holiday goodies, the wind starts howling, and days become nights much more quickly than in the preceding months. Of course, one of my favorite holidays of the year is Halloween as it's the perfect time of year to dress up in costume and have some fun, while eating lots of candy at the same time.

Last week I attended the Queens Are Wild Party in San Francisco, a benefit for the Stop Aids Project. Finding a costume has been much easier in recent years, as I just adore the American Conservatory Theater's Costume Shop on Market Street in San Francisco. All of the costumes have been part of their various productions, and they're quite good and matching what you want to wear with something they have in their warehouses. Not cheap, but an excellent Halloween resource.

I've received several invites to Halloween parties this weekend, but friends of mine are celebrating their one-year anniversary at a dinner, which I'll gladly attend. It's always nice to get one's mind off of work and onto more important things like friends, food, and good conversation.

About to head to bed, but will soon write about decorating my new condo (my first home), which is an experience unto itself (dealing with contractors, a diversely gossipy HOA board, and a very opinionated interior designer). Have a good rest of your week!

DG

I Just Don't Know

I've been feeling there has to be more out of life than just sitting in a cube all day. So, I decided to come home and write something witty and amazing each day on my blog. It was a great thought, but I keep trying and nothing seems to be coming out. Ugh. It's almost Halloween and I wonder just where the year has gone. Even worse, people keep talking to me about the year 2012 and how it's all going to end due to the fact that all the calendars seems to stop on that date. That's something to look forward too. Not really.

At any rate, let me think about what I want to do for my big birthday in December and I'll get back to you with something witty and interesting to say as soon as I think of something.

Be Open to the Possibilities!

I was sitting in my office the other day, actually a large cube with a view, thinking about what I’d write about this week about career success. And, what came to mind for job seekers is keeping an open mind to the possibilities when they’re searching for a job.

During an interview, or even when you have a job, be certain to be open to the suggestion of various job duties you might not have thought of before. For example, I’ve been a trainer at a biotech company for a few years, and before that had worked as a technical writer. In my current position, I conduct trainings, do some instructional design work, handle logistics relating to project management, and am in the process of backing up other client managers when they’re away.

The point of all this is that in a tough job market, it will always pay off to say that you’ll do more than just what you’re hired to do. If an interviewer asks you if you’d be willing to do certain job duties, in addition to the position you’re interviewing for, it’s usually a good idea to say “yes” or “let me think about it”. You must be true to yourself, but be open to the possibilities. And, if the job you have doesn’t suit you, you can always work with management/human resources to try and tailor your position to suit your needs.

Have a great week!

Thought of the Day

Someone asked me today if it was true what they say about tall guys (I'm 6'3).

After thinking for a moment, I replied that yes, it was true what they say about tall guys. We can reach higher shelves.