Friendships

I don't normally repost or forward these types of things. This is a poem that has circulated and I got from a coworker and on down the line. It really illustrates how we often forget that time goes by quickly. In life, oftentimes things like friends get pushed by the wayside, even if we don't think they're less important than anything else.

Around the corner I have a friend,
In this great city that has no end,
Yet the days go by and weeks rush on,
And before I know it, a year is gone.
And I never see my old friend's face,
For life is a swift and terrible race.
He knows I like him just as well,
As in the days when I rang his bell.
And he rang mine, but we were younger then,
And now we are busy, tired men.
Tired of playing a foolish game,
Tired of trying to make a name.
'Tomorrow' I say, 'I will call on Jim
'Just to show I am thinking of him.'
But tomorrow comes and tomorrow goes,
And distance between us grows and grows.
Around the corner, yet miles away.
'Here's a telegram sir, Jim died today.'
And that's what we get and deserve in the end,
Around the corner, a vanished friend.
Remember to always say what you mean.
Because when you decide it's the right time, it might be too late.

Talk About Tuesday - Goals

I'm so excited to participate in Talk About Tuesday again. I've been so busy lately that I've been letting my blogging slip. But now I have something really great to blog about, so here I am! This is actually going to be the first in a series of posts about how to achieve goals. Stay tuned to learn all of the steps!!

In the last several months, I have been focusing on the future and on improving myself and figuring out what I want to do. I was going through various blogs recommended by my Google Reader and I came across Marcia Francois over at http://www.takechargesolutions.org. Marcia is a time management and organizing coach who helps people organize their time, space, business and life. Among her repertoire is a session she has regarding 7 Things You Must Do To Achieve Your Goals. I was lucky enough to sign up to receive the audio of those seven things, and you can too by visiting http://tinyurl.com/2etlkp. You will receive the seven things in seven separate clips, each about 3 to 4 minutes. They are well worth your time.

The first thing she covers is that you must know your mission. She points out that many people choose goals that other people suggest, that other people are doing, or things that they think they should be doing. I completely agree. I'm often swayed by the opinions of those I'm around, not just in what they think I should do, but also how they think I should do it. Yet, if you don't have a clear concept of your mission in life, you cannot set appropriate goals.

Since listening to this audio, I've been thinking about my mission. I truly believe that everyone should have a mission statement for their life. At times it may change, but it's important to know where you want your life to go. I'm currently mulling over different thoughts relating to my marriage and my career. How fun!!

Be sure to check back for number 2 in the series of 7 things you must do to achieve your goals.

Special thanks to Marcia for letting me blog about this series. I can't wait to go through them all!

San Diego Zoo

Chris is taking an anthropology class this semester and he was assigned a zoology project that involved, you guessed it, going to the zoo. The point was to observe primates and then he as a paper to write on it. So we decided that today was the perfect opportunity. We had a blast!!! I'm going to post some of the pictures we took. I have to point out that we're not really big on taking pictures of each other, but the animals are so adorable that you have to take pictures of them!





That is exactly what all of the gorillas thought of us!




These are Wolf's Guenons. They are so tiny! The one on the left is the mama, and the other two are smaller, but still nearly full-size.


Of course we went through the entire zoo, but since our focus was on the primates, that's mostly what we took pictures of. We had a blast! I can't believe we've lived here for three years and this is the first time we've been. Oh, well, better late than never . . . right?

To learn more about the San Diego Zoo or to find out how you can help to keep it going, visit http://sandiegozoo.org/.

10 Weird Things About Me

How exciting, I got my first tag for a meme ever! I'm weird, so I'm thrilled. Thanks Marcia! Be sure to check out http://tinyurl.com/ywnf8w">10 Weird Things about Marcia.

Ok, so here's 10 weird things about me:

1. I hate working, but I love my job. Although I cannot wait to quit working forever, my job is great.
2. I don't like the food on my plate to touch each other.
3. My husband has a smaller ring size than me.
4. Until recently I thought that Garth Brooks was the same as the guy in Brooks & Dunn.
5. I love surprises, but I always demand presents early (Christmas, birthdays, etc.).
6. I got married at 18 in the County Recorder's Office, and I couldn't be happier.
7. One of my favorite shows is ">Batman, The Animated Series.
8. I didn't go shopping for Easter dinner ingredients until Easter, but I made and gave my husband his Easter basket four days ago.
9. I never learned my multiplication tables, but got all As in math.
10. I think it's weird to brush your teeth anywhere outside of the bathroom.

So there you go, my weirdness in a nutshell. Believe me, this list could go on. :-)

Rant Day

Today has officially become Rant Day. Maybe I'll make every Friday Rant Day. It will get rid of my negative energy before the weekend. Now, usually I'm in a great mood on Friday. Heck, it's Friday!! I'm actually in an especially good mood today because tomorrow is my 21st birthday. But I started thinking about one thing and that just led to other things and so here are. Let the ranting begin:

• People who cut class. My husband and I are taking a psych class on Thursday nights. Every week there are two tests (one for each chapter of reading she assigns). She gives one test before the break and one after. Several people have been taking the first test and then leaving in the middle!! It's so annoying to me. They are missing over an hour of lecture, plus the other test. These same people are the type that text message and whisper while she's lecturing. Our prof is actually very interesting and lectures on material related to the book and the tests. This is a huge pet peeve of mine.
• Those who try to put love in a box. It's not an intangible, fanciful thing. However, it is also not something that can be specifically defined in a certain way. There are so many different types of love and so many factors that influence how we love. I feel that it is simply not possible to specifically categorize love. It is frustrating that many people feel they have to. Because they do that, they judge other people who may not love the same way, and often they can have trouble if someone they are in a relationship with has a different love style than them. Instead of communicating, they simply decide that the other person doesn't love them and they end the relationship. So ridiculous.
  
• People who don't like Umbrella. I know that at first it may sound annoying to some (including me). But if you listen to it, it's a great song about love and commitment. How can you not enjoy that? Seriously!!

Ok. I feel better now. Do me a solid and watch the Umbrella video. Listen to the words. Really!!

9 Tips to Be a Great Admin

Who am I to write such a post? Nobody - but I happen to think I'm awesome. And I think that most of the time (ha!) my boss(es) would agree. I started off in my current position as a data entry person, then administrative assistant, and currently I'm the office administrator. Yes, it's a very small company. That doesn't mean I have any less work. My boss is just as crazy as yours (maybe crazier). This post could go on forever, but I've narrowed it down to the top 9 things that have helped me and may hopefully help someone else.

1. Learn how your boss thinks; adjust accordingly. This is not brown-nosing. You are going to spend 40 to 50 hours per week doing work for this person. You want this process to go smoothly. Unfortunately, different people think differently. I know that your boss is insane and thinks like a crazy person. That's okay. You don't have to think like a crazy person, just understand how Boss thinks. When you do, you will be able to understand what Boss wants when they ask for things and exactly how Boss wants it done.

2. Invest in an awesome stapler. No, really. This sounds dumb, I know, but bear with me. You know how Boss wanted you to magically put those papers together five minutes before the meeting? Remember that you almost did it and then your stapler jammed? Or that day Boss grabbed your stapler really quick, it jammed, and then you received their wrath? Yep. Get a great stapler.

3. Take lunch out of the office. You need that 30 minutes away from your lists, desk, computer, e-mail, phone, Boss. Trust me, your psyche will thank you.

4. Understand that everything is your fault. Of course it is. It's your job to make your Boss look good. It's your job to do . . . basically everything. When something isn't going right, it will be your fault. Deal with it. In two years you can move up and then it will be somebody else's fault. Just remember that it is NEVER your Boss' fault.

5. When you mess up, 'fess up. Your Boss would much rather hear it from you than discover it on their own and then realize you did it. This is hard for all of us, especially if we're new at a particular position. I have a hard time with this too. I have a system for when I mess up. When I realize the mistake, I first try to fix it. Then I apologize and 'fess up. This lets my Boss know that at least I was proactive about fixing it. Boss is not as mad this way.

6. Realize that it is your job to be awesome. You will not be thanked. It's important to take pride in your work and go the extra mile. The reward comes from your own good feelings. Boss pays you to be awesome. Being awesome is nothing special. If you weren't awesome, you wouldn't work there. This means you will rarely get a Thank You or a Good Job. It's okay, nobody else did either.

7. Proofread everything. This is how a typing project should go: Type, proofread, spellcheck, proofread. It takes an extra 3 minutes, but will save you from looking dumb for misspelling something. The same goes for typing an e-mail, writing a note, etc.

8. Never say I Don't Know or I Forgot. Those phrases should not even be in your vocabulary. We both know you forgot or truly don't know. We know you are human. Boss thinks you are super human. Say that you'll follow up on it, you'll find out what's going on.

9. Appreciate yourself. You know that you're doing a great job. Reward yourself once in a while. Let your Boss know you'd like to take an extra half hour for lunch for Administrative Professionals Day. It really is okay.

Catching Up

I can't believe that it's been almost a whole month since my last post! I came down with that flu that the whole country has and it hangs on. I got sick, got better, got sicker. I even went to the doctor, just to be told there was nothing she could do. Lovely. I've let so many things go while I've been sick.

But today I feel pretty good. Not quite well, but pretty darned good. Chris went to take a nap, so I cranked up my iPod and decided to take care of business. I scrubbed my kitchen and then sat down to catch up on my blogs. I had over 100 blog entries piled up in my Google Reader. So I read most, scanned a few, starred a few. And I'm planning on blogging on the things I've learned.

So, basically, I've been down for the count, but now I'm back in action. Look for me to start blogging regularly again this week!!