Happy 2009!

Photo Link

A couple of folks have asked for a link to some my photography work.

Finally got brave enough to post them. So, here ya go...

http://changinglenses.smugmug.com

Would love to hear what you think...
Thanks!

Sunday Funnies

more here:
http://www.typetees.com/

Merry Christmas!

Hope everyone has a fantastic Christmas!!

Amazing Night

Tonight I had a great night!! Had dinner with some people that were family to me years ago but who I'd lost touch with over the last decade. It was the perfect night...all of us sitting around the table, sharing a meal and a history. Can't believe how utterly fantastic this last couple months have been, but tonight...way better than anything I could have hoped to have happen.

Still processing all the emotions involved, yet, I can honestly say I'm feeling an incredible sense of gratitude tonight.

This song expresses it pretty well!

Guest Book

This is a pretty fun little tool!

0% of 2219 people who have taken the quiz are like me

I took the 43 Things Personality Quiz and found out I'm a Spiritual Money Managing Extrovert

Great Week!

This past week was amazing!!

Started last Saturday when I hung out for hours with my friend L. at Michael's, the store, choosing mats for some photos she has. We were there so long, we had to actually take a lunch break in the middle. :-O Seriously...we did!

Then I had dinner with and talked until 4am to my friend N. We hadn't seen each other in 10 years so we had loads of stuff to talk about. We used to go to the same church, and some of the stuff I learned about as we did the obligatory "what ever happened to?......" broke my heart right in two! Enough that basically, I just stayed in bed the next day. It was a tough 24 hours to say the least.

But then...Weds, was my birthday, and I got a cool gift when I got arrange for 2 of my buddies to get together for lunch when my one friend was visiting Sac. I was trying to figure out how I was going to introduce them, and it worked out that I didn't have to do anything but send a couple text messages!

Tonight I got invited to a special ordination service for a couple I'm friends with in town. They've come to be special to me, over the last year and a half or so. We've been through some "stuff" together...we have. I was so proud of them standing up there at the altar being recognized for what they've become and the way they've lived their lives!

Next week....I get to spend time with the kids of my friend N. I can hardly wait to hug them! That has got to be the best Christmas present EVER!!!

Speaking of Christmas, headed out to a party tomorrow night with some more folks I haven't seen for a while.

It's turning out to be a great holiday season so far!!!

This song from my favorite band pretty much sums up what I'm feeling tonight...

Lord, You have always given
bread for the coming day;
and though I am poor,
today I believe.

Lord, You have always given
strength for the coming day;
and though I am weak,
today I believe.

Lord, You have always given
peace for the coming day;
and though of anxious heart,
today I believe.

Lord, You have always kept
me safe in trials;
and now, tried as I am,
today I believe.

Lord, You have always marked
the road for the coming day;
and though it may be hidden,
today I believe.

Lord, You have always lightened
this darkness of mine;
and though the night is here,
today I believe.

Lord, You have always spoken
when time was ripe;
and though you be silent now,
today I believe.


ht: http://www.northumbriacommunity.org/index.html

Sunday Funnies

Twas the night before Christmas and all through the casa
Not a creature was stirring, and I wondered ¿Que pasa?
I was hanging the stockings with mucho cuidado,
In hopes that old Santa would feel obligado,
To bring all the children, both buenos y malos,
A nice batch of dulces and other regalos.
My brothers and I went to sleep in our camas,
Some in long underwear, some in piyamas.

When out in the yard there arose such a grito,
That I jumped to my feet like a frightened cabrito.
I ran to the window and looked afuera,
And who in the world do you think ¿Quien era?
St. Nick in a sleigh and a big sombrero,
Came dashing along like a little bombero.
And pulling his sleigh, instead of venados
Were eight little burros approaching volados.
I watched as they came, and this fat little hombre,
Was shouting and whistling, and calling by nombre.
¡Ay Pancho, Ay Pepe, Ay Cuca, Ay Beto
Ay Chato, Ay Chopo, Ay Maruca y Nieto!

Then standing up straight, with his hands on his pecho,
He flew to the top of our very own techo.
With his round little belly like a bowl of jalea,
He struggled to squeeze down our old chimenea,
Then huffing and puffing, and a little cansado,
He picked up a bag that looked so pesado.
He filled all the stockings with lovely regalos.
For none of the ninos had been very malos,
Then chuckling aloud, seeming very contento,
He turned like a flash and was gone like the viento.
And I heard him exclaim, and this is verdad,
Merry Christmas a todos, y ¡Feliz Navidad!

Roby kinda mood

sometimes lately, I just get to a place where only listening to roby duke seems to fit. i'm in one of those places now. i never knew roby except from his music years ago. he was a friend of a friend and through him, i've come to regain the appreciation of his music. when i just need to be in a quiet and reflective spot, it's roby's music that i find myself playing in the background. tonight, this song just seems right.

Sunday Funnies

Happy Thanksgiving!

Exactly!

Just heard these songs for the first time today. The first one is exactly what I'm feeling and what I'm thinking over the last couple week. It's like Roby Duke says in a version of Amazing Grace..."I was through with God after I'd met him once, I was done loving him...to my surprise, He wasn't done with me...."

The lyrics of this song really resonate with me right now "Whatever you're doing, it feels like chaos.........." Man, it's tough. One minute I believe with my whole heart there's a God who loves me and wants the best for me, the next, I completely believe it's all made up...The next minute thinking surrender is a great idea, just to turn around and say "no way in hell I'm giving in to something I don't even know exists". From I don't need to be connected to a church, that's just lame, to how could I ever walk away from the folks I feel connected to in such a strong way....It's driving me nuts. Can't make a clear decision about what the hell I want to do. It's scary to trust God and other people to look out for my best interests. Too scary to be that vunerable... But this song explains it better than I ever could...




Like the lyrics to this song by the same group too. "If weakness is a wound that no one wants to speak of, then cool is just how far we have to fall..." Embedding is disabled, but you can see it here...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J2LCvCBaqVg&NR=1

Right On!

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/4/20081117/twl-obama-vows-to-close-guantanamo-bay-41f21e0.html

Yep!

New Gear!

Manfrotto 190CXPRO4 - carbon fibre

This is my first "real" tripod! Tried to stick with something that wouldn't be too heavy to carry through the airports but that was still sturdy enough to use everywhere. This thing weighs about 3lbs. Hopefully, that won't be too bad.

Acratech Ultimate Ballhead

This looks like it's going to be the perfect fit for me. Like how there's so many positions without having to re-adjust or move the tripod. Even better is that it's made in the USA!

More info. here:

http://acratech.net/product.php?productid=7&cat=1&page=1

M-Rock McKinley 524

I've been looking for a moderately priced laptop/camera bag combo rollerbag for a few months now. Got a great price on a sea green one of this. There's plenty of room for my laptop, camera gear, and all the paperwork and books I need to take with me when I travel. It's not too "ugly" to take into the office everyday either. It'll be great to have all my gear in one place when II'm on the road. My only concern now is lifting the thing over my head to store in the overhead compartments. We'll have to see how that goes.

White House Photographer Cecil Stoughton Dies

See story here:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/06/arts/design/06stoughton.html?_r=1&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&oref=slogin

Because of You

Unfortunately, can't add this song straight to a blog site, but here's the link.
Tonight I had 2 separate but related conversations about things that happened in the past. This song really gets to the root of those conversations so I'm posting it here.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iLi0yBmPe0k

A New Day

What can I say, tonight is a historical time in our country. The US has elected the first African American as President of the United States. For me, the most exciting thing is that so many people turned out to participate in this election! In my county, more than 50% of the registered voters had already voted by absentee or early voting before the polls even opened today!

For the next few weeks there will be all kinds of people saying things about this campaign far better than I ever could. I'll let them....

Tonight, I'd like to tip my hat to John McCain for giving one of the most gracious and well stated concession speeches I've ever heard.

If you didn't see his speech, it's worth taking the time to do so.

Well done Mr. McCain!

Free Falling

Ok....so the last 8 weeks have been a bit...ummmm....WEIRD!

It all started when I got on this Southwest airline flight back to Sacramento. I was holding ticket A1. If you ever fly Southwest you know how very cool that is! ;-) It means I should have been the very first person on the plane.

But....as Murphy would have it, I ended up getting a couple phone calls before I made it to security which delayed my getting to the gate.

By the time I got on, there was only middle seats left and you know that's just WRONG!

Ended up getting "stuck" next to a guy that was (of course) a pastor. I swear...I ignored him the best I could...by talking only with the guy on the other side of me and then by trying to go to sleep. Had my arms crossed, eyes closed and everything. Then...he "tricked" me into talking to him by asking me a question about photography. I'll fall for it every time ;-)

We ended up talking for hours and hours over the course of 2 legs of the journey and I guess you could say we haven't stopped talking yet.

Since that day the following is examples of what's going on in my life:

• Job changed
• My company and the client couldn't figure out how to settle on a price for me so now I'm on "vacation" until that's gone then on the "bench" until I'm on the "dole".
• I went and checked out church at my new friend's house church (shock)
• Then, the next week, I went back again. (SHOCK)
• I moved back to my hometown
• I'm dying of boredom!!!!
• The church I was hanging out with live-streamed their service and made it technically possible for me to "attend" with them. How cool is that??
• One of my blog buddies and I got into a couple good discussions about Bible verses, which turned very frustrating to me cause I just don't "get it" no matter how hard I try.
• He made a remark about getting back in and being a "student" cause it was "fun"
• No, no...it's not!!!!!
• I decided to go check out a more "contemplative" church today where I could just let my brain rest and let my soul get fed.
• There, I ran into a woman that used to be a MAJOR part of my life about 20 years ago when she and her husband pastored my church.
• We talked for 4 hours over lunch!
• We're going to dinner on Weds.
• Got to talk with her daughter for a few minutes tonight too. She's a great "kid"!! Haven't talked with her in about 9 years and I 've missed her.
• I'm going to a retreat in Sacramento with the church I've been hanging out with I think.
• Life is just WEIRD....at the moment....in a very good but completely unexpected way.

Sunday Funnies

A minister decided that a visual demonstration would add emphasis to his Sunday sermon.

Four worms were placed into four separate cans.

The first worm was put into a container of alcohol.
The second worm was put into a container of cigarette smoke.
The third worm was put into a container of chocolate syrup.
The fourth worm was put into a container of good clean soil.

At the conclusion of the sermon, the Minister reported the following results:
The first worm in alcohol - Dead.
The second worm in cigarette smoke - Dead.
Third worm in chocolate syrup - Dead.
Fourth worm in good clean soil - Alive.

So the Minister asked the congregation - What can you learn from this demonstration? A little old woman in the back quickly raised her hand and said,"As long as you drink, smoke and eat chocolate, you won't have worms!"

My new favorite TED Talk

I really like the way this guy uses both his left brain computer programming skills and his right brain photography skills in this talk.

This Is What You Shall Do

This is what you shall do:
Love the earth and sun and the animals,
Despise riches, give alms to everyone that asks,
Stand up for the stupid and crazy,
Devote your income and labors to others,
Hate tyrants, argue not concerning God,
Have patience and indulgence toward the people,
Take off your hat to nothing known or unknown,
Or to any man or number of men,
Go freely with powerful uneducated persons,
And with the young and with the mothers of families,
Read these leaves in the open air,
Every season of every year of your life,
Reexamine all you have been told,
At school at church or in any book,
Dismiss whatever insults your own soul,
And your very flesh shall be a great poem.
- Walt Whitman

So long Professor

Tony Hillerman, journalism professor, author of 29 books, and all around nice guy died today.

Professor Hillerman taught at UNM, the university I attended, before I arrived, but his name was always spoken in reverence and with high respect. People there were proud to have studied under him.

A few years ago, I was with someone at a local resturant I frequent and saw his wife and him eating at a table nearby. It had just so happened that it was near Christmas and I had bought my brother a hardback copy of Hillerman's latest Joe Leaphorn book as a gift.

I asked the guy at the resturant if he would do me a favor and ask Mr. Hillerman if he would mind signing the book for me. I didn't want to just go over and interupt his dinner and draw attention to him, but I thought it would be a great gift if it was signed.

The next time I went into the resturant, the waiter told me that he'd talked to Mr. Hillerman who said that it was so appreciative that I had been polite enough not to interupt dinner, that he'd be happy to sign the book for me. I was thrilled and had a great gift to give to my brother that year!

Professor Hillerman brought alot of positive attention to New Mexico with his writings and the movies that were made of them.

He'll definately be missed around the Land of Enchantment!

Rest in Peace Professor!

Sunday Funnies

Click to enlarge

Cause Frankly, I Need The Reminder

Thanks Roby!

Quotable Quote

If A is a success in life, then A equals x plus y plus z.

Work is x; y is play; and z is keeping your mouth shut. - Albert Einstein

Ugggggg

If you had told me 7 weeks ago that I'd be sitting in my own hometown, relaxing with nothing to do except finish up the end of engagement document for my project. But absolutely dying to get back to Sacramento so I could go to church on a FRIDAY NIGHT, I would have laughed until I wet myself....

But....here I am. Sitting in my favorite coffeeshop in town, wishing that I was back in Sac so I could go to church tonight with the people I barely know but feel completely connected with somehow. I'm missing them like crazy and it's only been one week!

How absolutely bizzare!!

Sunday Funnies

This weekend I'm hanging around with my brother's family. I came down to check out my nephew's marching band competition. Thought these were appropriate


Q: What's the difference between drummers and government bonds?
A: Government bonds eventually mature and earn money.

Q: What's got 36 legs and an IQ of 83?
A: The color guard.

Q: What's the difference between a clarinet and a mouse?
A: You can't hear a mouse squeak over the entire band!

Q: What do you get when you drop a piano down a mine shaft?
A: A flat minor

Peter Kay - Winners Song

Hilarious!!!!
If you don't know why....google it. ;-)

Sacredness in the mundane

Tonight I was privledged to spend most of the night in sacred moments. First with my team as they took me out to dinner and gave me some wonderful goodbye gifts. Then laughing and joking with a bunch of my knucklehead friends who I've truly, truly missed. Then lastly, spent some time talking with someone who has just been told she doesn't have long to live. This person has been one of those "difficult" people in my life over the last few years and has caused some considerable pain in our lives. Tonight, I was able to really forgive her for that and even ask her forgiveness for anything I'd done to hurt her. Then we just talked.
Each of those are moments,I've come to realize, are the mundane moments that make up what's most sacred about life. Those moments that really matter...

This song just reminds me of that we need to pay more attention to the scared in the every day.

Sunday Funnies

More here: http://despair.com/

Quotable Quote

Images help me find and realise ideas. I look at hundreds of very different, contrasting images and I pinch details from them, rather like people who eat from other people's plates. - Francis Bacon

Sunday Funnies

Saw this in a book about the artist Bansky today.

"A lot of people never use their initiative because no-one told them to"

Love it!!

Black Rapid Camera Stap

First day of going out and shooting using my new Black Rapid RS-2. I'll never use a traditional stap again! This thing is so much easier and so much more comfortable than any other stap I've ever had. Getting access to my camera was way easier than when I carry a sling bag. It was so easy to just over my body and pull the camera up to shooting position. Fast and secure!

Too me a little while to get the thing adjusted properly, but once I did, it was totally comfortable even while walking around in crowds.

Now..there's a couple things I'd like to suggest to the Black Rapid folks as well. First off, the fold over strap is great for holding batteries and memory cards, but there was no where that I could put my id away safely. I thought it'd fit in that area, but alas...no. As a woman, I'd like to be hands free too, but I don't carry a wallet in my back pocket for cards and cash (oh, and a tube of lipstick too) so it would be great if that front strap would be able to hold that. Thought about putting the cards in the same place the phone goes (which is great btw) but was worried about the magnetic strip on the cards being de-activiated.

Other than that...this is a GREAT stap and I'll definately continue using it and recommening it to friends.

More info. here....
http://www.blackrapid.com/

Sunday Funnies

Sunday Funnies

Ok...this might not be funny to anyone else on the planet. But I thought it was hilarious because it is so true in my life right now! Can't really decide exactly what color my project should be rated.


If the project is green, senior management can keep golfing, leaving you alone
Once it becomes yellow, senior management comes poking into your project until it's red.
After all, they're even less equipped to run the project than you are.

So make sure they never have a reason to see yellow!

-Niels Malotaux, project Coach

Quotable Quote

The only dream worth having ... is to dream that you will live while you’re alive and die only when you’re dead ... To love. To be loved. To never forget your own insignificance. To never get used to the unspeakable violence and vulgar disparity of life around you. To seek joy in the saddest places. To pursue beauty to its lair. To never simplify what is complicated or to complicate what is simple. To respect strength, never power. Above all, to watch. To try and understand. To never look away. And never, never to forget.


- Arundhati Roy
The Algebra of Infinite Justice


HT to Sojourers' Verse and Voice

My Day Today

Sunday Funnies

The Six Phases of Project Management

1 Exaltation

2 Disenchantment

3 Confusion

4 Search for the Guilty

5 Punishment of the Innocent

6 Distinction for the Uninvolved

Sunday Funnies

Sunday Funnies

A man entered a pet shop, wanting to buy a parrot. The shop owner pointed out three identical parrots on a perch and said, "The parrot to the left costs 500 dollars."

"Why does that parrot cost so much?" the man wondered.

The owner replied, "Well, it knows how to use a computer."

The man asked about the next parrot on the perch.

"That one costs 1,000 dollars because it can do everything the other parrot can do, plus it knows how to use the UNIX operating system." Naturally, the startled customer asked about the third parrot.

"That one costs 2,000 dollars."

"And what does that one do?" the man asked.

The owner replied, "To be honest, I've never seen him do a thing, but the other two call him boss!"

Just because

Sunday Funnies

A blonde woman was speeding down the road in her little red sports car and was pulled over by a woman police officer who was also a blonde.

The blonde cop asked to see the blonde's driver's license. She dug through her purse and was getting progressively more agitated. 'What does it look like?' she finally asked. The policewoman replied, 'It's square and it has your picture on it.'

The driver finally found a square mirror in her purse, looked at it and handed it to the policewoman. 'Here it is,' she said.

The blonde officer looked at the mirror, then handed it back saying, 'Okay, you can go. I didn't realize you were a cop.

Art in church

Really like this post by Naked Pastor...

Think he's hit the nail on the head here with this bit...

The church is generally a censorious community. In this environment art is
sanitized, tame and conformist. It is still art, but functions as a
reinforcement of the system. Expression is controlled and edited from start to
finish. This kills art because it kills creativity because it kills freedom.
Instead, allow people to be free without scrutiny. (I even hate the word “allow”
because it assumes it needs to be given when it is already ours.)

In due time, after people begin to realize that they are loved and accepted
unconditionally, the creative spirit will surface and artistic diversity will
abound. This is the harder but more genuine way. It means taking care of the
roots. If the root is unfettered freedom, then fruitful and artistic living
happens. It is the diversity of human expression of personality that makes the
artful life. Until this is nurtured art will be repressed.

More here: http://nakedpastor.com/archives/2019

Pangea Day

http://www.pangeaday.org/

Sunday Funnies

Sunday Funnies

Lawyer: "Doctor, before you performed the autopsy, did you check for a pulse?"
Witness: "No."
Lawyer: "Did you check for blood pressure?"
Witness: "No."
Lawyer: "Did you check for breathing?"
Witness: "No."
Lawyer: "So, then it is possible that the patient was alive when you began the autopsy?"
Witness: "No."
Lawyer: "How can you be so sure, Doctor?"
Witness: "Because his brain was sitting on my desk in a jar."
Lawyer: "But could the patient have still been alive nevertheless?"
Witness: "Yes, it is possible that he could have been alive and practicing law somewhere."

Glass Blowing Class

Took a glass blowing class today! Had a great time!! Made a paperweight and a vase.
Learned tons about glass history including that it was illegal to teach glass blowing in Italy until 1946. Apparently glass blowing was a $12 Billion industry and the Italian government wanted to control who could make the glass.
It was a great experience today learning how to work with and control molten glass. The key was to keep turning the pole that the ball of glass was on so that it stayed in balance. Would definately do this again!!

Sunday Funnies

Love this little happy diddy!!

Stand!

p>

Usually Sundays are reserved for humour....but not today!!

All I can say is the lesson I've learned on my current project is....I will never, ever, ever, ever, ever...EVER use a project coordinator on any future project I manage EVER! Never, never, never!!!

NEVER!

I've had nothing but trouble with the 2 I've had. Been stabbed in the back by both of them and as of tomorrow....will have fired both of them! I'm pissed and they suck!

Got called at 8:30am by someone warning me. I then had a 4 hour conversation, on a Sunday, about this woman and how she's stabbed me in the back through her old boss. That person went to my client and complained about me without discussing anything with me first. Fat lot of good it did him.....he got "banned" from my project. He's not allowed to interfere nor discuss anything about this project with me or any one else. (yeah right.....) so now, he's even more pissed off and will continue to be a thorn in my side until this project is done.

Needless to say...I was pissed today. Want to cry, want to walk away, want to go back to being, as my friend G said "a professional photographer and blogger"...then...got REALLY mad and decided...the hell with you mister! I'll get this damn project live, and live successfully just to spite your stupid a-hole self!

Went for a ride...heard this song for the first time....

Perfect!!

Think About It

What we do during our working hours determines what we have; what we do in our leisure hours determines what we are. - George Eastman

Sunday Funnies

Wooo Hoooo!!
Going to see Eddie Izzard with some friends next month.
Can hardly wait...

Since it's Easter thought I'd put up a bit of Eddie on Religion....

Sunday Funnies

Prision vs Work

IN PRISON...you spend the majority of your time in an 8x10 cell.
AT WORK...you spend most of your time in a 6x8 cubicle.

IN PRISON...you get three meals a day.
AT WORK...you only get a break for one meal and you have to pay for it.

IN PRISON...you get time off for good behavior.
AT WORK...you get rewarded for good behavior with more work.

IN PRISON...a guard locks and unlocks all the doors for you.
AT WORK...you must carry around a security card and unlock and open all the doors yourself.

IN PRISON...you can watch TV and play games.
AT WORK...you get fired for watching TV and playing games.

IN PRISON...you get your own toilet.
AT WORK...you have to share.

IN PRISON...they allow your family and friends to visit.
AT WORK...you cannot even speak to your family and friends.

IN PRISON...all expenses are paid by taxpayers with no work required
AT WORK...you get to pay all the expenses to go to work and then they deduct taxes from your salary to pay for prisoners.

IN PRISON...you spend most of your life looking through bars from the inside wanting to get out.
AT WORK...you spend most of your time wanting to get out and go inside bars.

IN PRISON...there are wardens who are often sadistic.
AT WORK...they are called managers

3 more!!

Got a call today from a woman who saw my art down at the coffee shop and was interested in buying 3 of them!!

Pretty exciting stuff!!

Because I feel the need!!

More here:

http://www.saorpatrol.com/videos_youtube_saor_patrol.htm

Sunday Funnies

From TED Talks....

Brilliant!

Sunday Funnies

A photographer from a well known national magazine was assigned to
cover the fires at Yellowstone National Park. The magazine wanted to
show some of the heroic work of the fire fighters as they battled
the blaze.

When the photographer arrived, he realized that the smoke was so
thick that it would seriously impede or make it impossible for him
to photograph anything from ground level. He requested permission to
rent a plane and take photos from the air. His request was approved
and arrangements were made. He was told to report to a nearby
airport where a plane would be waiting for him.

He arrived at the airport and saw a plane warming up near the gate.
He jumped in with his bag and shouted, "Let's go!'' The pilot swung
the little plane into the wind, and within minutes they were in the
air.

The photographer said, "Fly over the park and make two or three
low passes so I can take some pictures."

"Why?" asked the pilot.

"Because I am a photographer," he responded, "and photographers take photographs."

The pilot was silent for a moment; finally he stammered, "You mean
you're not the flight instructor?"

On Ice Cream??

Sunday Funnies

http://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/duty_calls.png


ht my friend G

New Toy!

Totally psyched!!!!
Just last night ordered one of these. Can hardly wait for it to arrive.
First time that I've ordered a camera on line, without holding it in my hand first. Seen nothing but great reviews on this camera though.

And, it's good news for you too!.... Now that I've bought one, the price is sure to plummet!

Sunday Funnies

A priest, a rabbi and a consultant were traveling on an airplane. There was a crisis and it was clear that the plane was going to crash and they would all be killed. The priest began to pray and finger his rosary beads, the rabbi began to read the Torah and the consultant began to organize a committee on air traffic safety.

Quotable Quote

"When the artist is alive in any person, whatever his kind of work may be, he becomes an inventive, searching, daring, self-expressive creature. He becomes interesting to other people. He disturbs, upsets, enlightens, and opens ways for a better understanding. Where those who are not artists are trying to close the book, he opens it and shows there are still more pages possible."

- Robert Henri
The Art Spirit, 1923

Lessons Learned

Ok...in the past month I've learned the following about myself and about being a leader.

1) Have the right people in the room!!
Have been going round and round on a technical decision for 4 weeks now only to be told by the vendor that what we wanted to do "had risks". But, they could never define what those risks were. Finally, some one with a better vantage point came in and said, get the technical resources involved. Problem solved! We were going round and round without the right people in the room. Duh!!

2) You're not there to make friends.
I've found myself in the last week entrenched in the every day workings of this project. I tend to be pretty friendly and start chatting so nothing is getting done. (I know...I'm a bad role model). So basically, I know I've thrown off the momentum of the team by trying to get to know them a bit. I need to step back and manage them instead of befriending them.

3) Space is a beautiful thing!!
My "office" at the client site is a rather large conference room turned project room. It's where everyone hangs out. I literally have one person sitting in my office every single time I am there. I don't know why she's taken to doing it, but she sits right across from me the whole time I am in the office. Unfortunately, that means I get no privacy, no room and nothing done. I'm an introvert...I need space! I MUST find another place to work even if that means going to a whole other building to do so.

4) When you "fire" someone, INSIST that they go! Do not be "nice", do not let someone else talk you out of your decision. Once it's decided, it's decided...
I let them talk me into keeping this yutz and he's doing absolutely nothing on this proejct. He's a total waste of time and energy for me. He's billing the client for hours he's not doing and he needs to stop. He needs to start reporting to me what he's working on and I need to step up and get rid of him if he's not working. I need to quit paying him for lounging around.

5) Ya gotta mean business
I'm trying to be nice and I've forgotten my responsibilites. We only have a couple months to get this stuff done. I need to get back on track.

6) Ask for help.
So tonight I went out to dinner with someone that is in a program manager role. She has worked with this client before and knows exactly how to navigate the system. I wouldn't mind working for her actually. The other day she wrote me a note to see how I was doing and said "do you need anything". In the past, I would have said, oh no, I'm fine...and would have just pressed myself into working 100% of the time. This time I said, what I really need is to go out for dinner. I just need to bounce some ideas off someone and get some feedback. That was a smart move on my part. I feel so much more focused and in charge talking to her. She reminded me to get away, stay in charge and let them know I was in charge....Hearing her perspective about how weird this project is was very helpful too. Glad I asked for help even though it was just having a night of socializing with someone.

7) Get a routine!
This week, I changed up my routine. My room is a mess, I'm getting up late, I'm not focused and I"m getting bad habits. Having a routine is vital. More on that later.

Sunday Funnies

Ok, this may not be funny to anyone else, but it makes me laugh because totally reflects the way I feel about calvinism and the baggage that has gone along with it in my life. (and no, I'm not talking about the comic strip).
Don't remember where I found it, so I can't credit it...but thanks to whomever came up with it!

I'm going to see the Chieftians!!!

Bought my tickets tonight!! Long time goal!
Woooo Hooooo!!!

Sunday Funnies

Inspired by an ASBO conversation here, this week's funny is Wallace & Grommitt.
They always make me laugh!!

Sometimes being a leader sucks!

Today was one of those days...

Had to tell someone's boss that they needed to be removed from my project because i just couldn't trust him and didn't want to work with him any longer.

I was really, deep down mad at something that happened on my first day on site when I walked in on him and someone else gossiping and bad mouthing me. The person he was talking to was in a position of leadership and could actually effect my employment. You and I both know damn well that she wasn't the only person that he was bad mouthing me to. What a shit way to start a new project!

We had a sit down talk that day, shook hands and moved on....

Only we didn't...

We've had major communication problems and things have gone from bad to worse until today, I had the opportunity to speak with his boss and just flat out told it like it was.

He needs to go.

His boss did try to help the situation by saying "can we just all have a meeting and get an attitude adjustment and work it out or are you at a point that you're done".

I thought about it for a second, and said, no, you know what...at this point, I just want him gone.

Not very "nice" and not very politically correct...but damn, I just HAD to do it...

Worse thing I've ever had to do....Feel sick and feel like crying all at once.

Then, the other part of me says, he tried to set me up to look bad and to get fired. The hell with that...He's got to go!!

It's kinda funny cause the other person thinks I report to her. But I don't. I report directly to the VP in charge of all the division and I've told her everything. Luckily, she said she'd fully support me in my decision.

Can not believe I just did that..........but, I think it was the right thing to do.

Sunday Funnies

This image has been around a long time. I chose it, cause at work, I feel just like that cat right now!! Vunerable, but brave.....

Sunday Funnies

Blonde paint job

A blonde, wanting to earn some money, decided to hire herself out as a handyman-type and started canvassing a wealthy neighborhood. She went to the front door of the first house and asked the owner if he had any jobs for her to do.

"Well, you can paint my porch. How much will you charge?"

The blonde said, "How about 50 dollars?" The man agreed and told her that the paint and ladders that she might need were in the garage. The man's wife, inside the house, heard the conversation and said to her husband, "Does she realize that the porch goes all the way around the house?"

The man replied, "She should. She was standing on the porch."

A short time later, the blonde came to the door to collect her money."You're finished already?" he asked. "Yes," the blonde answered, "and I had paint left over, so I gave it two coats. "Impressed, the man reached in his pocket for the $50. "

And by the way," the blonde added, "that's not a Porch, it's a Ferrari."