Here’s a cool site to track a group of crazy store chasers!
Fridays are an interesting thing. In reality, it is just another day of the week. In practice, they are the proverbial carrot for each week. It keeps hanging out there in front of us and entices us to finish each work week. On vacations, Fridays is dreaded as vacation is coming to a close. During the work week, Fridays keep us going. At least it keeps me going!
People are happy on Fridays, much more so than on Mondays. There is likely some highly funded bit of academic research proving what we have all known for years: Fridays are a good thing! Fridays and full coffee cups.
I’ve often wondered if we could extend the Friday feelings to other aspects of our life. The reality is that there are very few things that are so short term (7 days) and so repeatable as a week. We have them 52 times every year of our lives, except the last one (given you don’t die on a Saturday). Good food for thought, I suppose. So, take care of yourself and make sure you die on a Saturday so you’ll have a full Friday to be in a good mood.
Of course, there is also the “dreaded” Monday syndrome. Quite the opposite from Friday, in my mind.
Have a great, non-working weekend.
I have been a huge XM Radio fan for several years now. I’m not quite sure what radio commercials sound like, except for the 30 seconds or so that I listen to commercial radio on my bedside clock radio during workdays.
I work for a company that sells XM, so we have had some great deals to get me the equipment, but it’s been worth it every step of the way. I firmly believe that the money my family spends for XM is thousands of time better than any money we pay for cable TV. Cable TV, after all, requires that you be sitting in one place for an extended period of time. XM is portable, mobile, or fixed, depending on your setup.
Right now, we have four (sad, but true) XM units that we pay a monthly service on. One is in Sue’s truck (the oldest radio), on in her office (a new one, but it sort of sucks as well), a Delphi unit in my truck (sometimes in my house) that totally rocks, and a new portable one. We have a bit of swapping to do – my Delphi from my truck is going to get mounted in her truck (and she can use it in the office as well), and my portable MyFi is going into my truck (also to use in the house). That’ll take us from four to two that we’re paying the monthly service on. Much more reasonable, if you ask me.
I have been using the MyFi in my office, as the reception is good there. I don’t really like the mobile (i.e., for walking) side to it, but it would likely perform better in a city rather than in pseudo-suburbia where we live.
The musical selection is excellent. My favorite station is Deep Tracks, XM40. The two DJs on the station know more about music than all of my friends put together (and that’s saying a lot!). Great commentary from real professionals. Right now, for example, Peter Frampton is singing “Signed, Sealed, Delivered I’m Yours.” It’s a great version of the Stevie Wonder song that we all know. Today, GTM had a clip of an interview with Rick Wakeman (from Yes) that I listened to in a short drive home. I was laughing so hard because of the commentary Rick was delivering. What a sense of humor. Certainly, there is no commercial station that you could ever hope to hear that on.
The other favorites I listen to are Top Tracks (XM46) for regular ‘ol hit music, and Lucy (XM54) for newer music that my son and I can mostly agree on. Even the MIX songs (XM22) that replaces most “hit” commercial music stations is at least 100 times better because of the continuous music with no commercial, traffic, or weather breaks. Did I mention no wining local DJs talking to hear themselves talk. At work, I also listen to Watercolors (smooth jazz) and XM-Pops (classical). No talk and easy listening music. It’s not my favorite, but good when I have heads-down concentration required while sitting at the computer at work.
So, if you haven’t tried XM, you should. For broadband users, there is even an online version that you can try out for 3 days for free. Go to www.xmradio.com for details.
Oh, yes. The price is going up. So What!!! Comcast has upped the price almost monthly on the worthless cable. If I didn’t need it for high speed internet, it would be dropped. XM will also include the online version with the upgrade, so it’s really a wash. If you have any doubt of the value, ask either of my kids. There is never a fight when I ask them to get my Delphi from the truck so I can turn it on in the house. Jake is a big XM20 (20 on 20) fan, but also listens to Lucy. KT listens to XM22 much of the time, and Nashville (XM11) whenever she and I are in the truck together. I am really glad to help teach that diversity in musical tastes is a good thing to have as an adult.
Well, I interview this week. The position sounds like a great one – with lots of work and lots of opportunity to do my own thing. In fact, “doing my own thing” is a requirement. No running to the boss everytime something needs done. Lots of autonomy and the ability to work on my own is needed. Lots of hours are also required while developing the department.
I heard something about the present company that is bad. Too many big wigs jumping ship for me to feel comfortable. I don’t want to go down with a sinking ship as there will be too many others grasping for the few lifeboats in the area – if you know what I mean.
Of course, I am also making a list of who to bring with me (if that is possible) and who I would definately not bring. My immediate co-workers – one, maybe.
So, I get to sit back and wait for the recruiter to make the next move (or I’ll call). I do need to write a thank you letter – guess I need the interviewer’s title, address and so on. The things you think about when your brain slows down over the weekend.
I think I’ll go grocery shopping with S today, and maybe we’ll get dinner out – just the two of us. It doesn’t take much for me to be happy!
With my job that is. I think that we have people bailing left and right, with the only ones that are staying put are the ones that insane. Guess I’m one of the insane ones for now.
I do have an interview next week. The “opportunity” I spoke of earlier. Not quite sure what to think about it yet. Can’t get a job description other than a very general one. It would be a great company from what I hear, but a very challenging job. Some cleaning house first, then setting up many policies and procedures. Now, do I even have a good suit to wear? Might need to visit a suit shop this weekend and see what I can buy off the rack. I hear S & K has some good off the rack stuff. At least I can wear it to church when I’m done.
I really don’t want to sound negative about the job possibility. I would love to be in a better company, where people are not treated as a commodity. Guess I’m stuck in the 80’s where that was the life I lived. Did I work my tail off for them? Absolutely. Did they pay me well? Absolutely not. Not because they chose not to, but because the companies were young and growing and reinvesting all the capital into themselves. Did it pay off? Absolutely. I’m in a much better position now because of the sacrifices I made then. Having the kids, having my kids in particular would make it impossible to do that over now. To date, we’ve been lucky with jobs. Guess it’s that go-get-em attitude we both have and a bit of luck. Mostly the attitude. Work harder than anyone else and eventually it’ll come back to reward you.
TGIAF (almost friday)…
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