The weird thing about working on outbound calling in a call center is that you spend all day listening to the phone ring.

First day wearing long underwear and It's not even November yet. Tres triste.

All the Single Ladies

What a fascinating article about how the makeup of a marriage has changed, stigmatization of being single, and lots of other gender politics.  It appears there are lots of other connected articles I'd like to check out aswell.

http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2011/11/all-the-single-ladies/8654/?single_page=true

My Epiphany

A few things happened this week to make my epiphany possible:

• I talked to a friend
• I reviewed my day
• I had a meeting today

Independently, these all seem like basic, work-a-day items, but they had a resounding effect.

I hate my job, or at least don't like much of it, and I am ready to leave in the near future.

I ran into J in the skyway.  We talked about working together at Unnamed Local Chain Coffee Shop.  He offered me a job, but I turned it down because it wouldn't be a step forward.  I thought about all the things that I had liked about working for him.  But I realized that I really do want my quiet, cubicle office job.  But that's now what I have.

Then I started thinking about my day.  I felt like my inner-monologue kept saying, "but I HATE doing (x,y,z)."  I frequently have the thought, "I don't want to go to work today," so I call out more than I should, and means I have less money, and it takes longer for me to get PTO through my temp company.  I realized that the only parts of my job that I really liked was when it was slow enough for me to read or knit, two things that although acceptable, realistically are not why they pay me to be there.

And then I had my re-training for Mass Tort today.  My supervisor's almost direct quote was, "If you really don't think this is for you, let me know.  But realistically, this is the direction we are headed.  Everyone will have to know this eventually, because this is our future."

And that's when I knew my future was not with this company.

So, I spent the afternoon doing a bit more thinking.  If I'm going to leave, when will I do it?  My contract is up the end of this month.  That would be convienient.  But the holidays are right around the corner, and I plan on taking the week between Christmas and New Years off.  If I start up with another company, they may not find that too appealing.  So I'm thinking that I'm going to do two things: 1) I'm going to start looking and praying for actively for my new right place and 2) if I have not found a new job by the beginning of the new year, I will ask ProStaff to end my assignment at my current place and find me another position.

In this economy, it can sometimes feel blasphemous to say, "I don't like my job."  We should all be grateful, and I am.  I am mindful and grateful of the good already received (or at least try to be.)  But I think there's something to be said for reaching and not settling.  I am not happy where I am.  In fact, except for my previous full-time employment, I have not been happy since I worked with J.  But I know that I can be happy.  Divine Love always has and always will meet every human need.  Always, all ways.

So now, I just need to get to work, physically and metaphysically.

Is there really anyone who isn't *aware* of breast cancer?

I need to call my friend to make plans.  I haven't seen him to catch up in about a year.  But I'm avoiding him.  The coffee chain he works for is in full swing with their For a Cure Marketing and I, for one, can't stand it.

Now I know I'm a bit unorthodox; I don't donate to medical charities or causes.  Something that I will probably never get into here, and if you know me, you know why and that's all I'll say.  But it's a choice I live my life by.  I do however agree that breast cancer, autism, domestic violence and hat hair all need to be addressed.  I don't, however, like being guilted into a purchase because of the color, or being pressure to buy a duplicate of something I already own simply because it supports a cause I should care about.

Here's a great example:  I went into a large chain coffee shop (feel free to free-associate), and noticed they were marketing their water as a way to raise funds for water in under-developed countries.  The water cost $2.  How much of that was going to this noble cause? 5 cents.  2.5% of the purchase price.

Now, if water in said under-developed countries is really so important, wouldn't it make more sense to buy a case of water from your favorite discount-chain for approximately 50% less per bottle, and send the difference to the same exact charity?  Or what about giving up bottled water all together, carrying a reusable bottle from home, and sending the money you would have spent to this worthy charity?

I want to buy a product because it's what I need, it's the right price and it's of good quality.  I don't want to bring other factors in, especially ones meant to play to our heart-strings.  I'm not naive enough to believe that we always make the most logical consumer purchases.  But I think this is not only playing dirty and confusing the issue, it's just plain annoying.

I hope my friend will still be glad to see me in November.

some days are better than others

Spent the majority of my day explaining to people that a lot of money divided among lots of people means everyone gets the same small amount.  Basic math, people.  Basic math.    One guy told me our math was wrong.  I asked him, "Really, you think our math is wrong?  What did you get?"  As if no one checked the math in advance.  Why thank you, Mr. Smith!  I’m so glad you let us know we sent the wrong amount.  All the project managers, lawyers, and judges were scratching their heads wondering if it was right, but we sent the checks out anyway!  Does it really take 10 minutes to explain why fifty million divided by 280 thousand is $178 and not thousands of dollars?   If you’re not getting $178, you’re doing it wrong.  Yesh. 

He-Who-Must-Be-Named-Twice

Today, I asked a caller for his name, and I could’ve sworn he said it was Voldemort.  Turns out, it was Waldemar.  I’d never encountered that name before.  A little later in the day, it came up in a book I was reading.  The context in the book was already funny, but even more so when I replaced it with Voldemort.

I am a certifiable Harry Potter dork.

I am grateful for glorious weather in October.

Today, mama and I celebrated the end of her foot doctors appointments by taking a mini road trip to cannon falls and northfield. Color was beautiful. Grateful.

underbuyer vs overbuyer

THe Hapiness Project is much different than I thought it would be.  I didn't expect the research, the planning or the insight. But it's been all of those, and honestly, I can see it being a book I reread for inspiration and to gather new techniques and ideas.

One of the concepts that Gretchen brought to my mind was the concept of being either an underbuyer or overbuyer.  She relates to being a underbuyer, underscoring her frugal nature.  I think I'm a bit of both.  I tend to put off purchases to the last second, always searching for a better deal, and sometimes spending more in return trips to buy things at the last nano-second, than I would've if I'd just pulled the trigger and bought that extra tube of toothpaste in the first place.

On the other hand, when it comes to food, I tend to over buy.  I don't plan well on purchases, and S and I often shop separately, each forgetting things, and buying our favorites, which don't always translate into meals.

I think I want to try and hit the middle, neither under- nor over-buying.  But what would that look like?  And how would I achieve it?

Sonos on The Sing-Off

Ok, so these episodes are really long, even on Hulu.  But I watch to support Sonos:



(performance starts about 1:50)

I really hope they do well.  Although, upon more review, I must concede that this group is flipping amazing.  Bruno Mars? has nothing on this arrangement:



Discuss.

From "On Three Ways of Writing for Children"

“When I was ten, I read fairy tales in secret and would have been ashamed if I had been found doing so.  Now that I am fifty I read them openly.  When I became a man I put away childish things, including the fear of childishness and the desire to be very grown-up."