Bad Day

Today will be a bad day at work. Luckily I am the one who will make it bad for others and not the other way around. I run a relaxed office and it seems that certain people take that relaxed atmosphere and go too far. They think that the have more power than they really do. This morning they will learn that I am the boss and if they do not like what I tell them to do, walk out. I will be walking down the line from one spectrum to the other. Shape up, shut your mouth or ship out. One person will be stripped of their higher level computer rights. Doing that in itself will make my day.

Freedom Of Speech

Is there still freedom of speech? Every day I read an article of someone being reprimanded for speaking their mind. As long as they are speaking the truth, aren't they entitled to free speech? Facebook and Twitter have added a new variable into the idea that we are free ( or not free) to speak our mind. I am not talking about slander, I am talking about facts and feelings. Just today, I read an article about a waitress being fired for posting on Facebook about not being tipped on a large bill. It was a fact and it was her feelings. Did the restaurant have a right to terminate her? Why are some people allowed to show their dismay by protests and riots, but other hard working individuals expected to just suck it up?

Washed Out

Yesterday, with the best of intentions, we got on the road to Brooklyn. After one minute, I knew it was a mistake. The rain was coming down in torrents and the roads were slippery. The backsplash of water from other cars was blinding. After a few minutes of driving, I made the decision to get off the parkway and take the streets home. It was disappointing but sensible. I put safety first and made the right decision. There is always next week.

Brunch

My sister and I have begun a new routine. It is Sunday brunch with our parents. We prepare a nice variety of food and bring it to them. Soon I will be going to the store to get fresh bagels. We eat, talk and relax for a few hours and then we take a nice drive home. Today I got ambitious and added new food items on to our menu. I made homemade cole slaw, potato salad and shrimp salad. I think they taste great but I will see if everyone else agrees. It is raining now so I hope it clear by later this morning so the parkways will be a bit drier.

Spring Clean Up

This morning I cleaned my arts and crafts room. I got up early and decided that the room needed an overhaul. There was no reason for it but I just felt the need. I reboxed, rearranged and revamped. I wanted to have a sleeker look to the work area. It only took a few minutes because I am an orderly person, but it felt good when it was done. It is now 8:30am and I am good to go . 

IT

Since we are now living in a cyber world, my boss has decided to take out a cyber security insurance policy. She had the application sent to me and I printed it out to begin to fill out the form. I filled out the company name, address and telephone number. I moved on to the number of employees and the annual sales numbers. Then I got to section three. There were thirty eight specific questions regarding computer technology. Do we have an SIC? Are we encrypted in transit or in real time? Are our metatags monitored by proper protocol? Do we have GSPP or AMFR? The questions went on and on and I had no idea what they were asking. I called over one of the doctors who is in charge of web things. She looked at it and suggested that we have an IT person come to the office to see exactly where we stand. I agreed and called my boss. As soon as I mentioned an IT person, she flew into a rage. She thinks that I should get the answers. I said that I have no computer technology background and feel that I cannot get her correct answers. She said that I needed to research the specifics. I said no, but I would call the insurance company to ask their opinion. I called them and explained that I did not know how to answer the questions and they asked my why I was even trying. These are questions for the IT department. I explained that we do not have an IT department and they suggested that we contact an IT person. I requested that they call my boss and tell her that she needed a professional to give her the correct information. I will never fill out an insurance form with "educated guesses". If my boss does not like it, tough luck.

Old Friends

Simon and Garfunkel sing a song titled "Old Friends". It is a sweet song about old friends sitting in the park reminiscing about their lives. I sometimes listen to it on my way to work and it has a calming effect. Last night I played Mah Jongg with my sister and 2 friends. We had taken a few months off due to certain circumstances and have finally resumed the game. We have been playing since we were in our thirties and now we are all in our sixties. Instead of talking about our children we talk about our grandchildren.
To us we are the same girls but to the world we are older ladies. That's not the way we feel. How did we go from thirty to sixty so fast? One of the verses from the song is:

Can you imagine us
Years from today
Sharing a park bench quietly?
How terribly strange
To be seventy

Where did the time go? My mother always says that she looks in the mirror and wants to know who that old lady is. I never understood how she felt. Now I do.