Foot In The Door

Sometimes you just need to get your foot in the door. Once you are in, you take it from there. Years ago things were face to face. When you wanted a job, you walked in and asked for it. Now things are online. It is harder this way. How we look on paper is not how we are in person. My husband is looking for a part time job for a few hours a week. Most places make you go online first, then have a telephone interview and the last step is the in person meeting. He is being passed up for some jobs because he is answering honestly. Honestly is not always correct. It is black and white but sometimes grey shows things in a better light. Years ago I had a friend Debbie. When she interviewed she answered yes to everything. She was hired for every job she interviewed for. When she started the job and she had no idea what to do, she would say, "Oh....that is not how we did it in my previous job." They would show her their way to do it. She was a quick learner. In two years she went from entry level to management. If she had been honest she would still be entry level. I told my husband to answer all of the telephone questions "yes" and when you go to the in person meeting, be honest. Once his foot is in the door and they see that he is a good worker with a great background he will be hired.

Warranty

I never procrastinate. I like to get things done as soon as I can. A few weeks ago this philosophy really paid off. We have an air conditioning system in my office that was a few years old. All of a sudden it stopped working. I called the manufacturer and it was hard to get to the area that I needed. Even though I was busy, I kept trying. I did not want the problem to carry over until tomorrow. Some of my staff said to just hang up and try again in the morning. I said that was not how I work. I take care of business immediately. After a while I got through to the warranty department. They checked the records and said that the office was  4 years and 364 days into the five year warranty. What were the odds that the unit would break one day before the warranty was up? They opened a claim and replaced the unit for free. If I had waited one more day, it would have cost $600. 

Color My World

I came upon a new art project the other day. I did not realize how popular it was until I mentioned it to people. It is called "mandela" art work. Mandela art is intricate patterns that are like pages of a coloring book. They are swirling designs that intertwine within themselves. The concept is for adults to color these patterns with colored pencils or markers. Coloring these involved patterns is supposed to relax you and is good for your well being. I bought a book of these patters over the weekend and started coloring one last night. It was very relaxing. My pattern is looking nice enough to frame. If my husband was not walking in the room every two minutes chattering about nonsense it would have been an even better experience.

Out With The Old

Yesterday I did something cathartic. I tossed out every pair of underwear and socks that have been taking up space in my drawers. Most of us replace but never totally purge. Usually I buy new and then scrutinize the old. Are they really bad? Can I wear them a bit longer? Can they be demoted to sleep garments? This time there were no reprieves. They all went. No negotiations. I feel so cleansed. New year, new undies. I may make this a ritual.

A.E.I.O.U.

I am the type of person that does not like when people use language improperly. I hate when people mix up "them" and "those". I cringe when people say "aks" instead of "ask". Then there is the saying "not for nothing". What the heck does that mean? When people say, "I could care less" instead of "I couldn't care less" I feel like explaining that if you "could care less" it means that you do care. I was driving in my neighborhood the other day and I saw a sign for an Orthopaedic specialist. I hate when the "a" is added. Even this blog site is underlining it as incorrect spelling. Does the extra "a" make it seem more professional? It is the same thing with the words "color vs colour" and "honor vs honour". Stick to the regular way of spelling them. More vowels do not add anything to the meaning.

Binge

There is a new term called "binge watching". It is when you watch many episodes of your favorite show, one after another. I am guilty of that. Sometimes I scroll through the channel guide and find a new favorite show. Then I binge watch it. My newest show is called Flea Market Flip. It is on the GAC channel. The show starts off in either of two huge flea markets, Stormville or Brimfield. Each team gets $500 to buy three items to restore. They work on them for one day and try to flip them at Hell's Kitchen Flea Market or Long Island City Flea Market. The team who makes the most money flipping their items wins $5000. It is amazing to see how these discarded, neglected items are brought back to life. Sometimes a team buys an item for $5 and sells it for $500. Last night I watched 6 shows in a row. I binged and I am proud of it.

1/364

Today is the first day of the new year. 01/01. People all over the world are turning to the first page of their calendars. No one has to think about what the date is. It is a no brainer. Each year I have a different type of calendar. It depends on who is giving them out for free. I mainly use the bank ones. Years ago I used the school district ones but since I no longer need to know when the next PTA meeting is, I toss that calendar in the garbage when I get it. Some years I use the Jewish calendar. Other years the calendar has no holidays on it. This year I am using what I call the "race to the end" calendar. It is the one that has a countdown. Today Is January 1, so the date says 1/364, day one of the year, three hundred and sixty four to go. Why would I care how many days are left? I have never been asked to tell someone how many days until the year ends. I guess it is more for trivia than useful knowledge.