So Katie posted a blog with a link to John Piper’s blog. I checked it out today, and thought it was very poignant words regarding the passing of his father. Wanting to pass it on to my mom, I sent her a quick email with the link to his blog. A short while later, I received an email back from my mom. All she wrote was, “Could you change the SUBJECT LINE? I about had a heart attack.” Confused, I looked back to see what I had written as my subject for the email. Absentmindedly, I just copied the title of his blog and sent it to my mom. The title of my email to my MOTHER? “Hello, my father just died.” Oops.
My Healthy New Outfit
Shelley…this one’s for you!
Living the life of an absolute clutz is a feat left only to the bravest of the brave. Yes, folks, I’m talking about myself. It takes extreme talent to be the clutz that I am. Often, I’ll find myself stumbling over nothing in particular, missing my mouth while eating or drinking, and spilling stuff just because because I get in its way. Often times this makes me laugh a bit too loudly because I find it extremely inconceivable just how graceless I can be.
A little background: Thanks to a friend of mine, she got me started on blended salads (a smoothie with lettuce and spinach in it for nutrients). They’re a good way to take in some extra nutrients, and they are a lot better than I had ever speculated. They look terrible, but when it comes to taste, I’ve come to enjoy them, and I eat them many days for lunch…
SO….Today: I had brought one for lunch. I usually put it in a Nalgene bottle, and will shake it up before consumption. I shook it up, and opened the lid. I took my first drink. Completely forgetting the fact that I had JUST taken a drink from the now-opened container, I started the process of SHAKING it again—with force. Let me just say…Oops. BLENDED SALAD WENT EVERYWHERE. The major disadvantage to a blended salad is that not only does it sound unappealling, but it looks unappetizing! I’m afraid to say that it’s appearance is more akin to something you would squeeze from a puppy dog, rather than a delicious drink. (BTW:Because of how they look and sound, I was the biggest unbeliever until I had one.) So, now, I quickly realized that my desk, my computer, my shirt and my pants were COVERED in the green smoothie mixture. I don’t like to market the fact that I drink one for lunch everyday because people are finicky eaters, and I don’t want them to make rude comments about my lunch. But oh, there was no hiding it now! I WAS FULLY WEARING THE CONCOCTION! I tried scrubbing it off, but the harder I tried to accomplish the goal of regaining the look of normalcy, the more I found myself smearing it all over. Laughing loudly, I poured water on me to get if off, but I was hopeless. My coworker took one look at me and mentioned I should go home.
A quick trip home, a new set of clothes, and all is well back at work. My “new outfit” must have looked bad because when I returned home, Michael thought Iwas sick and had vomited all over myself. I guess I’d rather the accident than the the alternative of being sick today.
Whatever will I do with myself?!?!?! And that, dear friends, is how I make even a Friday afternoon at work entertaining.
It’s a dog eat dog world, Folks.
Corporate America—definition: where the golden rule is chucked out the window and selfishness barges through the office door (along with her sisters, greed and dishonesty). I’ve worked at 3 places since moving to Louisville over one year ago. I hired on with a temp agency and was quickly given an assignment at a local industrial company as an administrative assistant. The job was easy, the pay was okay, and I enjoyed my time there (except for my bosses asking me to lie). I was there for 3 weeks, and on one particular day, I routinely went to work. I sat down at my desk, ready for my day. SOMEONE ELSE’S PURSE was there and the computer was already on. Hmmm? I asked a coworker what was happening.
He squirmed and very awkwardly said, “Did no one tell you?”
“Tell me what?”
“We gave the job back to the girl who had been here 2 admins ago, so we don’t have to train you. You were doing a great job; it’s just that she wanted her job back.”
EXCUSE ME?!?!?!? It was an incredibly painful experience. Although upset, I did my best to be graceful that day as I left. But, it was incredibly difficult. I took it personally, though the coworker insisted I had done a great job. That day was filled with many tears. However, being a temporary worker on contract, they have the right to dismiss employees whenever they want. Simply stated, however: It would have been nice to know. I give a company the proper 2 week notices when I leave; a reciprocated courtesy would have been polite. But, Corporate America can be so dog eat dog.
Looking back, though, I don’t think it was the company’s fault. I think that the person who placed me on assignment (at the recruiting agency) KNEW what was happening and assumed that if he told me, I’d quit…so he just “conveniently” forgot to tell me, overlooking my feelings of impending devastation. It was to his advantage to keep me in the dark, so that’s just what he did. Corporate America can be so dog eat dog.
I then was out of a job. A couple weeks later, the same temp agency employed me at their actual office as several positions had become available, again as a temp. I worked there for several months as a temp worker and continued to look for a more permanent job. Five interviews later, I received an offer to work at my current company. When I told my boss at the temp agency that I would be leaving, they offered to take me on as a permanent employee, pay me more, and even offered to give me a position that had been promised to another lady if I would stay. Corporate America can be so dog eat dog. The job wasn’t mine to take! It would have put me in the same situation where I had been previously devastated! It would have put me in a better position and would have ousted the perspective employee from their promised position. I declined.
I’m happy to work at the company where I’m currently employed. I feel, ethically, they line up more with where I want to be, and not all companies out there are dog eat dog…but if you’re wondering why I’m writing about this all NOW, here’s why.
This past week, I received an email from the same temp agency offering me an administrative assistant position with their company. Yesterday, a call. The person emailing me was the lead admin…the spot I’d have appropriated had I stayed. They were offering me an available position. It wasn’t until halfway through the conversation that I realized…THE POSITION WAS FOR SOMEONE THAT WAS STILL THERE! She is currently part time and having difficulty fulfilling all her responsibilities. So, they are planning to get rid of her and were offering to employ me in her place. Personally, I doubt she knows. Yes, I’m glad they thought of me–that’s a nice compliment. But folks, this just really epitomizes what I’ve been saying…Corporate America can be so dog eat dog.
Happy Tuesday!
So, you wanna come to Encounter?
Tonight was an adrenaline-filled evening.
Goal: To pass out invitations to our Christmas Eve Service.
Method: To place business size card invitations on the windows of driver-side doors.
Reason: It usually doesn’t result in very high yields, but we have seen some results from it.
So here’s what went down.
It started out pretty normal. We go to J-Town Bingo and start passing out invitations. Michael, Kerry, and I are having a fine time passing out the invitations, chatting away as we pass out our invites.
We’re almost through, I’m several cars away from the guys when I hear, “FREEZE…GET YOUR HANDS UP…GET YOUR HANDS UP!” I turn to see a man in a t-shirt and pants running at Michael and Kerry with a gun in hand, ready to use! I freeze in terror–he’s obviously not including me and doesn’t appear to have seen me, but I don’t want to move for fear that he’ll see movement out of the corner of his eye, and pull the gun on ME. The man yells, “There’s people calling in saying you’re breaking into cars out here.”
Michael and Kerry do as the man commanded him to do. He takes their licenses, calls for backups, and asks what they were doing. Michael informs him that we were passing out invitations to our Christmas Eve Service.
Somewhere in the mix, Kerry asks the man, “Is that a real gun?” To which he responds, “Yes, and I’m a real policeman.”
He sees me. “Ma’am, you can go on in to play Bingo.” I start crying. “I’m with themmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.” Michael quickly claims me as his wife. Great. Now, we’re all going to be dead or in prison. I should have just gone in to play…better odds at having fun… 😉
The man looks at our invitation, cancels the backup request, and lets us go–But, not before instructing us to stop passing out invitations for the evening.
If only I wasn’t crying…I would have thought to ask the police officer to take a picture on my camera phone so we could have xanga’ed it. Somehow, I don’t think he’d of seen the humor. Sorry…no pics this time, folks. 🙂
So, that’s my evening…As I type this, I breathe a sigh of relief in the comfort of my own home. Definitely an adventure!
