Well, I've made it through an entire week of not working. It is very very strange. Partly, it doesn't feel like I'm not working because this week was full of getting new technology, setting it up, waiting for contracts, etc. so there was a bit of anxiety/mild stress that felt very much work-related.
I also have noticed interesting work-related issues: every evening there is a moment when I automatically reach for some piece of technology with the goal of checking the next day's schedule to prepare for the day. I used to do this nightly apparently to mentally prepare for whatever meetings or conference calls I had the next day. Now I have to remind myself, as I'm reaching for a piece of technology, that I have nothing scheduled, no meetings, no conference calls. It really is strange though because there's always a tiny moment of an empty feeling, as though that empty schedule means my life is empty. The moment passes though as the realization spreads through my brain that an empty calendar means that I can sleep in, work on my projects, do whatever I want to do!!!
Yesterday I spent 3 hours sitting at a coffee shop reading my book. And it was lovely.
Today, however, I am fighting with technology again. My new fancy smarty-pants phone, which I have been learning how to use and am pretty excited about, won't turn on. I have charged it, I have yelled at it, I have calmly explained to it that I would really like for it to turn on, I have plugged it in, unplugged it, everything. WHY WON'T IT TURN ON????? ARGH!
So, today's plans, whatever they may be, will include a trip to a t-mobile store.
*Sigh*
pic
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Monday, March 7, 2011
more tech stuff
OK! Lets hear it for the first blog post written on my new laptop!!!
I was going to wait to get a new laptop until I officially started working (haven't seen that contract yet but I'm confident I will get it this week) but it is really hard checking your email on a device that refuses to load any single page. My old ultra-portable netbook has finally died completely.
So, as I still need to be in email communication, continue searching for jobs, etc. I had to go out and get a new computer. This is always a scary thing for me to do because I really don't know what I'm doing and that makes me vulnerable, which I really don't like.
Fortunately, I have access to a team of super geeks. They are super geeks in two ways: 1. they are super as in superlative, wonderful, amazing people, and 2. they are more geek than average geeks as in super-geek. And I needed them today.
I went to Best Buy this morning (another post later on my first day of non-employment) and was very annoyed. The sales person (I think he may have been 12 years old) never once asked me what I was looking for in a laptop but instead said, "oh! you're looking for a laptop? Let me show you my favs." Favs? Really? We can't even say the whole word anymore? It is just 3 syllables! Fav-or-ite. Easy, see?
Anyway, I wasn't interested in this child's "favs" so I left. I sent a couple of text messages to my super geeks and spent some time on the phone with a couple of them. Armed with more knowledge I returned to the store later in the day and ended up buying a new laptop WITHOUT all the fancy add-ons.
I have now successfully downloaded and installed anti-virus and spyware scammer/spammer finder whammer hoopla doopdi-do (I don't know! I just do what I'm told by the super geeks) and activated microsoft office 2010.
I am feeling very good about this new fancy, really light-weight and portable laptop of mine. New smarty pants phone, new fancy pants laptop, I'm ready to go!
I was going to wait to get a new laptop until I officially started working (haven't seen that contract yet but I'm confident I will get it this week) but it is really hard checking your email on a device that refuses to load any single page. My old ultra-portable netbook has finally died completely.
So, as I still need to be in email communication, continue searching for jobs, etc. I had to go out and get a new computer. This is always a scary thing for me to do because I really don't know what I'm doing and that makes me vulnerable, which I really don't like.
Fortunately, I have access to a team of super geeks. They are super geeks in two ways: 1. they are super as in superlative, wonderful, amazing people, and 2. they are more geek than average geeks as in super-geek. And I needed them today.
I went to Best Buy this morning (another post later on my first day of non-employment) and was very annoyed. The sales person (I think he may have been 12 years old) never once asked me what I was looking for in a laptop but instead said, "oh! you're looking for a laptop? Let me show you my favs." Favs? Really? We can't even say the whole word anymore? It is just 3 syllables! Fav-or-ite. Easy, see?
Anyway, I wasn't interested in this child's "favs" so I left. I sent a couple of text messages to my super geeks and spent some time on the phone with a couple of them. Armed with more knowledge I returned to the store later in the day and ended up buying a new laptop WITHOUT all the fancy add-ons.
I have now successfully downloaded and installed anti-virus and spyware scammer/spammer finder whammer hoopla doopdi-do (I don't know! I just do what I'm told by the super geeks) and activated microsoft office 2010.
I am feeling very good about this new fancy, really light-weight and portable laptop of mine. New smarty pants phone, new fancy pants laptop, I'm ready to go!
Thursday, March 3, 2011
scary stuff!
I have just completed the first step in becoming an independent contractor/consultant. YIKES!
Ok, let me back up a moment here and give some context: I had the final conversation/interview yesterday with the folks with whom I will sign a contract next week to provide consultancy services (YAY!). This is all very exciting but since nothing has been officially signed yet I don't want to get ahead of myself on the celebratory front so I'm staying very calm for the moment.
Now, it might be strange but I have a very sentimental attachment to my phone number. I've had it for 12 years and I kind of like having a phone (albeit a cell phone) that is just that. A phone. Not a tiny little connector to the broad world of the internet, emails, facebook, etc. I like having a simple device that can function as a simple phone.
I do, however, need a smart phone for work purposes. I need to be able to connect to the web, receive and send emails, etc. when I'm on the move. I also feel like I need a California area code. This puts me in a bit of a pickle: On the one hand, I have this sentimental attachment to the old number with an Ohio area code (and - lets be real here - it will take a long time to get through all of the people in my address book to let them know about a new number (read: I'm lazy). Plus, how does one do that with people you haven't talked to in a long time? Like a decade or so? Send a text? "Hey, I know we haven't connected in a really long time but just in case you ever want to talk to me, I'm changing my number. I know I'm that important to you..." No. Seems weird.)
But, on the other hand, when I give people in California my contact information, the inevitable question is, "614? Where's that?" And then I have to say, "Ohio" and they just assume I'm a country bumpkin (which I don't even know how to spell) or that I'm not going to stick around but rather run back "home" to Ohio.
Incidentally, I also like to keep "personal" and "professional" separate. So, my solution idea was to add a line to my existing phone contract. Luckily, there's an online special going on at t-mobile where you can get a fancy new super smart I-would-never-buy-that-for-myself-it's-WAY-too-expensive phone for free if you add a line to an existing contract. HA! Perfect!
I fancied myself quite brilliant as I began the process of adding a line. Sadly, I have to confess that as I went through all the steps of the process - adding new services (I have to have a data package now) and choosing a smart phone (NOT easy when you have "self perpetuated technological retardation") - I got nervous. At no point was I asked the question "what area code would you like?" Since the whole point here was to get an area code that is different from the one currently on the contract, that's the only question I really wanted to answer.
I couldn't figure out how to figure it out so I spent 10 minutes trying to locate a phone number on the website to call and ask them for help with my web-based order.
I am so not tech savvy.
After explaining the whole thing to Mark, the very patient customer service representative, several times over (no, I'm not bringing my current number to t-mobile, I've been with you for 12 years. No, I'm not adding a new line to the same phone number. No, I don't want to add lines for my non-existent children thank you very much!), he finally had an AHA-moment and understood what I was trying to do. Whew! For a minute there I thought I was going to have to give up and just hope they would assign a number that goes with my billing address as opposed to a number that matches the existing one.
In the end, it turns out, that's what they do anyway. They give you a number that matches your billing address. You don't get to have any say in that. In this particular instance I don't care since the outcome is the one I wanted so I suppressed my instinctual desire (need?) to argue the merits of this policy.
So: I will be receiving a fancy new smarty pants phone some time next week and I will be a grown up consultant with a California phone number for those professional types in my life. (I'm DEFINITELY keeping my old phone for a while though!!!)
And another adventure begins...
Ok, let me back up a moment here and give some context: I had the final conversation/interview yesterday with the folks with whom I will sign a contract next week to provide consultancy services (YAY!). This is all very exciting but since nothing has been officially signed yet I don't want to get ahead of myself on the celebratory front so I'm staying very calm for the moment.
Now, it might be strange but I have a very sentimental attachment to my phone number. I've had it for 12 years and I kind of like having a phone (albeit a cell phone) that is just that. A phone. Not a tiny little connector to the broad world of the internet, emails, facebook, etc. I like having a simple device that can function as a simple phone.
I do, however, need a smart phone for work purposes. I need to be able to connect to the web, receive and send emails, etc. when I'm on the move. I also feel like I need a California area code. This puts me in a bit of a pickle: On the one hand, I have this sentimental attachment to the old number with an Ohio area code (and - lets be real here - it will take a long time to get through all of the people in my address book to let them know about a new number (read: I'm lazy). Plus, how does one do that with people you haven't talked to in a long time? Like a decade or so? Send a text? "Hey, I know we haven't connected in a really long time but just in case you ever want to talk to me, I'm changing my number. I know I'm that important to you..." No. Seems weird.)
But, on the other hand, when I give people in California my contact information, the inevitable question is, "614? Where's that?" And then I have to say, "Ohio" and they just assume I'm a country bumpkin (which I don't even know how to spell) or that I'm not going to stick around but rather run back "home" to Ohio.
Incidentally, I also like to keep "personal" and "professional" separate. So, my solution idea was to add a line to my existing phone contract. Luckily, there's an online special going on at t-mobile where you can get a fancy new super smart I-would-never-buy-that-for-myself-it's-WAY-too-expensive phone for free if you add a line to an existing contract. HA! Perfect!
I fancied myself quite brilliant as I began the process of adding a line. Sadly, I have to confess that as I went through all the steps of the process - adding new services (I have to have a data package now) and choosing a smart phone (NOT easy when you have "self perpetuated technological retardation") - I got nervous. At no point was I asked the question "what area code would you like?" Since the whole point here was to get an area code that is different from the one currently on the contract, that's the only question I really wanted to answer.
I couldn't figure out how to figure it out so I spent 10 minutes trying to locate a phone number on the website to call and ask them for help with my web-based order.
I am so not tech savvy.
After explaining the whole thing to Mark, the very patient customer service representative, several times over (no, I'm not bringing my current number to t-mobile, I've been with you for 12 years. No, I'm not adding a new line to the same phone number. No, I don't want to add lines for my non-existent children thank you very much!), he finally had an AHA-moment and understood what I was trying to do. Whew! For a minute there I thought I was going to have to give up and just hope they would assign a number that goes with my billing address as opposed to a number that matches the existing one.
In the end, it turns out, that's what they do anyway. They give you a number that matches your billing address. You don't get to have any say in that. In this particular instance I don't care since the outcome is the one I wanted so I suppressed my instinctual desire (need?) to argue the merits of this policy.
So: I will be receiving a fancy new smarty pants phone some time next week and I will be a grown up consultant with a California phone number for those professional types in my life. (I'm DEFINITELY keeping my old phone for a while though!!!)
And another adventure begins...
Friday, February 25, 2011
Flirt Fest?
In an attempt to begin to step outside of my familiar world, I am following my dear friend Sarah's advice and actively considering the deals "Living Social" sends me. It's no secret that I have what I call "self-perpetuated-technological-retardation" so the fact that I am participating in a digital coupon/groupon type of thing is quite surprising really.
Anyway, a few weeks ago, there was a 50% off deal for an evening of wine and chocolate pairings. Who could resist that? So, I bought a ticket. I swear I read the thing. Or at least I thought I did. My understanding was that it was a chocolate bar in my neighborhood that I hadn't heard of before. I am always interested in supporting local small/independent businesses so I was excited about it.
Well, it turns out the ticket I bought was a couples ticket so I asked Sarah if she'd like to go with me. Her response was "it's a couples ticket" to which I replied "well, yes, but people probably think we're a couple half the time anyway so who cares?" Then she sent me a calendar invite and we were all set for our date night with chocolate and wine.
Last night was our date night. We headed over from the office to what we both assumed was a business, i.e. a chocolate bar. I drove, Sarah pulled up the info on her iphone. As we pulled up to a big fancy apartment building, she said, "Flirt Fest? This thing is called Flirt Fest? I am not prepared to flirt with anyone tonight other than you."
Ok, wow. Really? Neither of us knew that this was not an actual business, nor did either of us know this thing was actually called "flirt fest" but we ventured forward nonetheless.
The security guard in the lobby escorted us to the elevators and gave us directions to the event: "go to the second floor, get off the elevator, go left, right, down the hall, through the white double doors, across the patio toward the pool, into the clubhouse..." She saw the completely blank look on my face and said (as the elevator doors closed on us) "it's not that complicated!"
After a couple of wrong turns, we found it: the clubhouse of a fancy apartment building where a nice young lady and a few helpers had set up a chocolate fountain, mini cupcakes, rice crispy treats (Sarah was VERY excited about these!), and bite sized brownies. There was a table where said young lady had 3 bottles of wine covered in satin wine bags to conceal the labels and 3 corresponding bowls of chocolates. You know those chocolate buttons you use to melt for coating candies or for making hot chocolate? That's what she had in the bowls.
Not really melt-in-your-mouth delicousness.
As we approached the wine & chocolate table to being our pairing experience, the nice young lady gave us a note pad and pencil to write down our thoughts about he wine, such as appearance, aroma, flavor, and a guess for price range. Then for some inexplicable reason she told us "don't worry about it too much. You'll probably do great. Better than me. I don't really know anything about wine." Huh? Ok...
Anyway, the wines were fine I guess. The first one was a syrupy sweet California dessert wine, the second one turned out to be a $10 bottle of Menage a Trois blend and we didn't stick around to find out what the third one was.
The good news is that we did laugh a lot because it was a fairly ridiculous event but the wine and chocolate part was not worth the money. The friend time was worth if of course. :)
So, here's to date nights, living social, bizarro flirt fests, and stepping out of familiar worlds!
Anyway, a few weeks ago, there was a 50% off deal for an evening of wine and chocolate pairings. Who could resist that? So, I bought a ticket. I swear I read the thing. Or at least I thought I did. My understanding was that it was a chocolate bar in my neighborhood that I hadn't heard of before. I am always interested in supporting local small/independent businesses so I was excited about it.
Well, it turns out the ticket I bought was a couples ticket so I asked Sarah if she'd like to go with me. Her response was "it's a couples ticket" to which I replied "well, yes, but people probably think we're a couple half the time anyway so who cares?" Then she sent me a calendar invite and we were all set for our date night with chocolate and wine.
Last night was our date night. We headed over from the office to what we both assumed was a business, i.e. a chocolate bar. I drove, Sarah pulled up the info on her iphone. As we pulled up to a big fancy apartment building, she said, "Flirt Fest? This thing is called Flirt Fest? I am not prepared to flirt with anyone tonight other than you."
Ok, wow. Really? Neither of us knew that this was not an actual business, nor did either of us know this thing was actually called "flirt fest" but we ventured forward nonetheless.
The security guard in the lobby escorted us to the elevators and gave us directions to the event: "go to the second floor, get off the elevator, go left, right, down the hall, through the white double doors, across the patio toward the pool, into the clubhouse..." She saw the completely blank look on my face and said (as the elevator doors closed on us) "it's not that complicated!"
After a couple of wrong turns, we found it: the clubhouse of a fancy apartment building where a nice young lady and a few helpers had set up a chocolate fountain, mini cupcakes, rice crispy treats (Sarah was VERY excited about these!), and bite sized brownies. There was a table where said young lady had 3 bottles of wine covered in satin wine bags to conceal the labels and 3 corresponding bowls of chocolates. You know those chocolate buttons you use to melt for coating candies or for making hot chocolate? That's what she had in the bowls.
Not really melt-in-your-mouth delicousness.
As we approached the wine & chocolate table to being our pairing experience, the nice young lady gave us a note pad and pencil to write down our thoughts about he wine, such as appearance, aroma, flavor, and a guess for price range. Then for some inexplicable reason she told us "don't worry about it too much. You'll probably do great. Better than me. I don't really know anything about wine." Huh? Ok...
Anyway, the wines were fine I guess. The first one was a syrupy sweet California dessert wine, the second one turned out to be a $10 bottle of Menage a Trois blend and we didn't stick around to find out what the third one was.
The good news is that we did laugh a lot because it was a fairly ridiculous event but the wine and chocolate part was not worth the money. The friend time was worth if of course. :)
So, here's to date nights, living social, bizarro flirt fests, and stepping out of familiar worlds!
Saturday, February 19, 2011
underwhelming
You know you're getting older when your idea of a good Saturday evening is successfully filing your taxes.
Ugh.
Ugh.
Thursday, February 3, 2011
panic setting in?
OK, so I told myself I wasn't allowed to start panicking or getting nervous about not having a job come March until it was February.
Well, it's February.
I am officially beginning to get nervous. Panic has started creeping into my vocabulary but I am not experiencing anything even closely resembling full blown panic yet (although I think I probably should!).
Three weeks of employment left.
I'm beginning to think the decision to resign from a perfectly good* job was more stupid than brave but as of today I am still holding onto the belief that it was the right decision.
*"perfectly good" is defined here through the lens of a very romanticized version of reality that is often applied to experiences in my past. In this case the romanticized version of reality is one in which both the word "perfect" and the word "good" have alternate meanings that include words like "misery" and "exhaustion" and "burn-out".
At least I know myself well enough to recognize my own unique version of sanity. :)
Well, it's February.
I am officially beginning to get nervous. Panic has started creeping into my vocabulary but I am not experiencing anything even closely resembling full blown panic yet (although I think I probably should!).
Three weeks of employment left.
I'm beginning to think the decision to resign from a perfectly good* job was more stupid than brave but as of today I am still holding onto the belief that it was the right decision.
*"perfectly good" is defined here through the lens of a very romanticized version of reality that is often applied to experiences in my past. In this case the romanticized version of reality is one in which both the word "perfect" and the word "good" have alternate meanings that include words like "misery" and "exhaustion" and "burn-out".
At least I know myself well enough to recognize my own unique version of sanity. :)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)