Clothing impluse buy....
It looked so cute in the catalog..... not so much now..... Ugh!
Thursday, July 27, 2006
Wednesday, July 26, 2006
Addendum to previous post.....
I misspoke..... There were not only 3 minorities in my group before I started. I forgot that just about the entire testing team (4-5 people) are black too - and the two leads are black women.....
I am not sure if I have ever worked around so many black folks in my life!
I am not sure if I have ever worked around so many black folks in my life!
Tuesday, July 25, 2006
I'm not complaining but.....
I am beginning to wonder if there is something going on at my job..... It is very weird for me to say this but I am noticing a trend here.
My group is growing really fast and we are hiring like crazy. Since I started in mid June, there are 7 new hires who have come on or will be coming on by next week. And, get this......... they are all minorities..... And not only that, 6 are black and 4 are black women! Now this is an area of the company that is being talked up as the future of the company and they keep hiring black folks. When does that ever happen?
Also, I am in a group of 4, reporting to a white guy and 3 of us are black women and then there is 1 white guy. While I think this is great, I will admit I am starting to get a little suspicious..... I recommended 3 people from my old job for some open positions in my new group, 2 white and 1 black. The black woman got hired..... Maybe I am being a conspiracy theorist but before I started there were only 3 minorities in this group. Now that has increased by 200%! I am beginning to wonder if a memo went out!
Now, don't get me wrong, I have also noticed that there are no minorities in director and above positions in my particular group but there could be a lot of opportunity in this group so it seems likely that some one of us will move up at some point.....
Am I in work utopia? (or something close to it........)
My group is growing really fast and we are hiring like crazy. Since I started in mid June, there are 7 new hires who have come on or will be coming on by next week. And, get this......... they are all minorities..... And not only that, 6 are black and 4 are black women! Now this is an area of the company that is being talked up as the future of the company and they keep hiring black folks. When does that ever happen?
Also, I am in a group of 4, reporting to a white guy and 3 of us are black women and then there is 1 white guy. While I think this is great, I will admit I am starting to get a little suspicious..... I recommended 3 people from my old job for some open positions in my new group, 2 white and 1 black. The black woman got hired..... Maybe I am being a conspiracy theorist but before I started there were only 3 minorities in this group. Now that has increased by 200%! I am beginning to wonder if a memo went out!
Now, don't get me wrong, I have also noticed that there are no minorities in director and above positions in my particular group but there could be a lot of opportunity in this group so it seems likely that some one of us will move up at some point.....
Am I in work utopia? (or something close to it........)
Monday, July 17, 2006
Returning to normal.....
Yeah, well, returning to normal is taking longer than I thought...... But I am almost done cleaning and unpacking!
Or rather, maybe I should say, instead of returning to normal maybe I should say..... figuring out what normal is now.
In a period of a month, I have left a job and started a new one and gone from renting a room in a friend's townhouse to owning a house that has it's own rental unit. I have gone from putting a lot of energy into trying to move from this city to setting up some pretty substantial roots. I have made a couple new friends and, it seems, lost one. Lots of change in a short time....
If someone had told me a few months ago that this was where I would be, I would be very surprised. But, change is good. You never know what life will bring...... I guess you just have to be ready for what comes your way..... :-)
Friday, July 07, 2006
The reason for my extended absence........ My new addition!
So, my patient readers...... I would like to introduce you to the reason that has kept me away from you for a while.....
Just like any proud mother, I think it is really cute! It was love at first sight and I put an offer down the day I saw it. (which was the first day I was out looking --- talk about fast!) And like any new baby, it is taking up a lot of my time! It needs a lot of cleaning (a lot) and I am still getting organized. It takes a lot of feeding --- houses are expensive! --- and I have friends at Home Depot already! And it is producing a lot of trash --- unfortunately, trash pickup only occurs once a week!
But all in all, I am very happy and very proud of my new addition! :-)
My new house! (well, new to me!)
Just like any proud mother, I think it is really cute! It was love at first sight and I put an offer down the day I saw it. (which was the first day I was out looking --- talk about fast!) And like any new baby, it is taking up a lot of my time! It needs a lot of cleaning (a lot) and I am still getting organized. It takes a lot of feeding --- houses are expensive! --- and I have friends at Home Depot already! And it is producing a lot of trash --- unfortunately, trash pickup only occurs once a week!
But all in all, I am very happy and very proud of my new addition! :-)
Wednesday, June 21, 2006
Coming soon!......
Sorry, guys! I have a lot to post about but no time to post right now! I promise I will be back in rare form next week! Stay tuned!
Tuesday, June 13, 2006
My new job..... I think this might be a good thing!
So, I started my new job yesterday.......
I knew that I was going to have a full day of orientation, which is already ahead of what my previous employer would do (which is nothing!). Well, before the day was over, we had our ID and security badges, parking passes and computers. We had learned about the background of the company, about office security, payroll, etc...., gone on a tour of the executive floor, gone on a little scavenger hunt, talked to a panel of employees and had cake with our new bosses. I was shown where my desk was and there were already office supplies there! Pretty obvious that I am not in "Kansas" anymore!
I knew that the atmosphere at this company would be different --- it is much smaller, scrappier, and younger..... the average age of employees is 32. It values individuality, initiative and accountability..... When I was there to interview I felt really overdressed in my suit. Folks were walking around in jeans.... and shorts!
Second day on the job and I met with my boss for the first 2 hrs and he gave me an overview of the products we are working on. I didn't have a docking station so I asked him where I could get one. He introduced me to our group's assistant, who was going to order one for me but when i got back to my desk, there was one already sitting there..... Magic! I sat in on a bunch of calls/mtgs in the afternoon. At the end of the day, my boss stopped by and brought me some candy and asked if I had any questions. Very nice..... Maybe it is first week euphoria but it is working for me right now.
Everyone is very nice and friendly and there seem to be tons of black folks working there. In my group, there are 3 of us and 2 of us are black women. The woman sitting behind me is from HR and she had locks..... Needless to say, I have no worries about my hair in this work environment. The CEO wears Hawaiian shirts to work all the time. I am thinking, hoping, that I will like it here!
I knew that I was going to have a full day of orientation, which is already ahead of what my previous employer would do (which is nothing!). Well, before the day was over, we had our ID and security badges, parking passes and computers. We had learned about the background of the company, about office security, payroll, etc...., gone on a tour of the executive floor, gone on a little scavenger hunt, talked to a panel of employees and had cake with our new bosses. I was shown where my desk was and there were already office supplies there! Pretty obvious that I am not in "Kansas" anymore!
I knew that the atmosphere at this company would be different --- it is much smaller, scrappier, and younger..... the average age of employees is 32. It values individuality, initiative and accountability..... When I was there to interview I felt really overdressed in my suit. Folks were walking around in jeans.... and shorts!
Second day on the job and I met with my boss for the first 2 hrs and he gave me an overview of the products we are working on. I didn't have a docking station so I asked him where I could get one. He introduced me to our group's assistant, who was going to order one for me but when i got back to my desk, there was one already sitting there..... Magic! I sat in on a bunch of calls/mtgs in the afternoon. At the end of the day, my boss stopped by and brought me some candy and asked if I had any questions. Very nice..... Maybe it is first week euphoria but it is working for me right now.
Everyone is very nice and friendly and there seem to be tons of black folks working there. In my group, there are 3 of us and 2 of us are black women. The woman sitting behind me is from HR and she had locks..... Needless to say, I have no worries about my hair in this work environment. The CEO wears Hawaiian shirts to work all the time. I am thinking, hoping, that I will like it here!
Monday, June 05, 2006
Living in a house that is being sold :-(
So right now I am living in a house that is being sold.......
My roommate is selling her townhouse and we have to keep everything perfectly neat all the time to be prepared for any potential buyers who would stop by at any time during the the day.....
Also, my roommate's real estate agent is sort of a nazi..... I understand making things neat but we have basically had to totally sanitize the house, meaning get rid of anything unique or unusual. So, I have nothing on the walls in my room now (too distracting) ....... Had to pack up all my cookbooks (too many) ...... Nothing on the sink in the bathroom......
But, if things go as planned, it will only be for the next week and a half! :-) And, at least, i guess it is geting me to make up my bed everyday......
My roommate is selling her townhouse and we have to keep everything perfectly neat all the time to be prepared for any potential buyers who would stop by at any time during the the day.....
Also, my roommate's real estate agent is sort of a nazi..... I understand making things neat but we have basically had to totally sanitize the house, meaning get rid of anything unique or unusual. So, I have nothing on the walls in my room now (too distracting) ....... Had to pack up all my cookbooks (too many) ...... Nothing on the sink in the bathroom......
But, if things go as planned, it will only be for the next week and a half! :-) And, at least, i guess it is geting me to make up my bed everyday......
Changes........
So, back from my vacation for a week and what has happened? Lots!
1) I put in notice at my job! Yes, next week I will be starting a new job at a new company! Exciting, yes, because I have been so uninspired by my job it is not even funny. It has not lived up to its promise for the past year and a half and my relationship with my boss has deteriorated as she has continued to poorly manage our group. It is sad because I used to have respect for her as a professional (this is the second time that I have worked for her so she didnt start out this way!)
Anyway, I have been on a job search, but had been looking for opportunities in other cities because I have been interested in moving from the city. But it seems that it is not meant to be right now...... An opportunity (totally unsolicited) presented itself to work in this new company in a new group in the company that has a lot of visibility and is about the only thing there that is of interest to me. So...... I decided to take it..... I negotiated an, albeit small, salary increase despite the fact it is a lateral move. I am ready for new challenges --- hopefully, this will fit the bill! ;-)
2) Change number 2 is that I am now looking for property to buy! (Ugh!) So, since I was planning on moving out of the city, I decide to move in with a friend last year when my rent was up. She has a large townhouse in an area near my (soon to be old) job and the price was right. And it gave me the flexibility to leave whenever I wanted. Well, now that I know that I am not leaving for at least a year most likely, I am being compelled to look at home-ownership. I would probably move a little more slowly if given the chance, for both financial and just comfort reasons, but my roommate has just put her house on the market and wants to sell it in the next couple months so that is putting a little added pressure on me. I am actually looking at duplexes or something that could have some rental income coming in to defray some of my mortgage expense. My agent is trying to encourage me to buy in some transitionary areas on the edge of some really popular parts of town. (He actually owns a duplex nearby.) It is amazing to me that there are new loft buildings right around the corner from these places with units that are selling for ridiculous amounts of money and I get nervous driving down the street to get to it. But apparently the white folks who are buying up stuff in the area do not have the same concern. So, would I be taking a risk buying there? Or getting ahead of a wave of gentrification in that area? Will the neighborhood be cleaned up? How long would it take for the neighborhood to turn? It is all little risky and a little scary.....
So everything is changing, in the matter of a week or so! Whew! I guess I will just hang on for the ride! Wish me luck!
1) I put in notice at my job! Yes, next week I will be starting a new job at a new company! Exciting, yes, because I have been so uninspired by my job it is not even funny. It has not lived up to its promise for the past year and a half and my relationship with my boss has deteriorated as she has continued to poorly manage our group. It is sad because I used to have respect for her as a professional (this is the second time that I have worked for her so she didnt start out this way!)
Anyway, I have been on a job search, but had been looking for opportunities in other cities because I have been interested in moving from the city. But it seems that it is not meant to be right now...... An opportunity (totally unsolicited) presented itself to work in this new company in a new group in the company that has a lot of visibility and is about the only thing there that is of interest to me. So...... I decided to take it..... I negotiated an, albeit small, salary increase despite the fact it is a lateral move. I am ready for new challenges --- hopefully, this will fit the bill! ;-)
2) Change number 2 is that I am now looking for property to buy! (Ugh!) So, since I was planning on moving out of the city, I decide to move in with a friend last year when my rent was up. She has a large townhouse in an area near my (soon to be old) job and the price was right. And it gave me the flexibility to leave whenever I wanted. Well, now that I know that I am not leaving for at least a year most likely, I am being compelled to look at home-ownership. I would probably move a little more slowly if given the chance, for both financial and just comfort reasons, but my roommate has just put her house on the market and wants to sell it in the next couple months so that is putting a little added pressure on me. I am actually looking at duplexes or something that could have some rental income coming in to defray some of my mortgage expense. My agent is trying to encourage me to buy in some transitionary areas on the edge of some really popular parts of town. (He actually owns a duplex nearby.) It is amazing to me that there are new loft buildings right around the corner from these places with units that are selling for ridiculous amounts of money and I get nervous driving down the street to get to it. But apparently the white folks who are buying up stuff in the area do not have the same concern. So, would I be taking a risk buying there? Or getting ahead of a wave of gentrification in that area? Will the neighborhood be cleaned up? How long would it take for the neighborhood to turn? It is all little risky and a little scary.....
So everything is changing, in the matter of a week or so! Whew! I guess I will just hang on for the ride! Wish me luck!
Aruba Inspiration....
Thought I would share a couple artistic shots from the trip......
Some things about Picasa are very cool..... Sepia tone!
My high school art teacher would be proud! Compostion! Perspective! Okay, can you tell I am a litte impressed with myself..... :-)
Some things about Picasa are very cool..... Sepia tone!
My high school art teacher would be proud! Compostion! Perspective! Okay, can you tell I am a litte impressed with myself..... :-)
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