Category: Slice of Life

First World “Problem”

Maybe this isn’t a problem, but rather an annoyance. And in the grand scheme of the COVID-era, it’s downright ridiculous.

At my day job, I wear a headset to talk on the phone.

I wear eyeglasses, too, but I’ve never developed the habit of wearing them all the time. On and off, depending on what I’m doing. Yes, I have bifocals. Can’t see the computer screen with either “setting”.  Plus I have a habit of wearing my glasses on top of my head, too.

Since COVID, I also wear a face mask when not sitting in my cubicle.

Three things on my head.

So when I get up to speak to my manager or use the restroom or refill my water container, I need to put on my mask. Sometimes, though, I put on my glasses instead. Or my headset. Because the brain is thinking, “your head needs something on it” and I grab the first thing at hand. I laugh about putting on my mask to read papers. Or my glasses to answer the phone. Or, and I did this just yesterday) my phone rang, so I put on my mask.

I am not saying I run around without my mask. I always catch myself before leaving my workspace.

Maybe old age is setting in.

 

MJ Monday-Music: Boomer!

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If you’ve followed my blog at all, you know that I have been slowly converting my home office into a sanctuary/retreat. I still have a long way to go, but one of things on the never ending list was music. Yes, I can play music through my laptop, but the sound stinks and computers are temperamental. My little red tablet laptop has some of the worst speakers I’ve ever encountered.

I own a couple of “boom boxes”. One is so old, it plays only cassettes. The other originally played both cassettes and CDs, but the cassette portion died years ago. Time for a new “sound system” for my haven.

It plays CDs and cassettes and (allegedly) mp3s, although I need some kind of cable to plug into a jack or something. It’s small. Is the sound awesome? Nope, but it’s a vast improvement over my computers.

Since I unboxed it (it sat untouched for several months), I’ve been listening to a lot of old favorites while I write. I light a scented candle, put on some mellow jazz or New Age music and my stress seems to melt.

This is an investment I do not regret.

Thursday Thought-The Ultimate Custodian

People rarely think about facility managers, or as we used to call them, custodians. I had the privilège to meet and work with a man who set the standard for the best of the best when it came to caring for the building that housed the TV station for which I worked.

Tom was a retired air traffic controller who played ice hockey. His brother worked at the station, so I think that’s how Tom got the custodian position. Now, Tom didn’t mop the floors or clean the bathrooms–we hired a cleaning service to perform those functions at night. But he took care of the building.

Tom arrived at work before anyone else (pre- 24-hour TV era). He went into every single office and checked the lights. Every single morning. A burned-out bulb was a personal affront to him. Once a week he flushed out the drains in the restroom floors to make sure they were clear.  We never ran out of toilet paper, paper towels, or soap. In the winter, he tooled around on his little tractor keep the driveways and parking clear of snow. In the summer, his little tractor converted to a lawn mower, and he kept the grounds immaculate.

His wife Bea was a sweetheart and always made the best ham loaf for our potlucks.

He eventually retired from the job, and although we had some great guys in the position afterward, no one ever reached Tom’s level.

I thought about him the other day when I was getting ready for my daughter’s wedding and pulled out the table cloth his wife made as a wedding gift for me.

Office Update: Oct 2020

My office redo is coming along–not as nicely as I would have liked, mostly due to the fact an airline is holding my money hostage–I had to cancel a trip due to the pandemic and Delta Airlines won’t give me back my money. Thieves.

But I digress.

This book case is now behind the door.

I moved the printer into the office from the hall.

Did some more rearranging of books.

 

And brought in the white board I hope to hang at some point. I have used it several times.

 

I spent a lot of time here this summer, including a four-day virtual conference. It’s much more comfortable now than it was a year ago. More user friendly.

Thursday Thoughts: Manly Obsessions

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My dad had a thing for flashlights. And he was always misplacing them. Once, when he climbed into the attic, he found a flashlight he’d left there the previous year. I recall at least one birthday when he received flashlights from everyone. I think they were all misplaced within six months.

My husband is the same. He is always buying flashlights. We have all shapes and sizes. A few years back, he purchased several “Brooklyn Lanterns” from TV. The cupboard under my downstairs bathroom sink is filled with TP and flashlights.

My husband is also obsessed with tool kits and car emergency kits. Especially car emergency kits. I have one he bought for me, and I’m very grateful for it. But how many does one person need? (One more than he already has!)

Okay, I guess it’s no different than my obsession with office supplies. Pens. Notebooks. Pretty file folders.

I think I find it amusing/frustrating because my husband is not a mechanically mind kind of guy. He can quote baseball trivia out the ying-yang, and don’t get me started on movies–he has come to a realization that he might like movies even more than he likes baseball. These are obsessions I understand and even share up to a point.

But flashlights, tool kits, and car emergency kits? I often just shake my head.