Category Archives: work

Chained to the Computer | Day 4 of Vacation

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At least I got to stay in comfy frumpies all day while chained to the computer. After taking the new mixer for a spin making Granola Blondies, I caught up on two weeks worth of money tracking on my ultimate Excel workbook then made sure I had everything I needed in my file of tax information. After a little more hesitation, I grabbed a sandwich and a tall glass of water and dove into TurboTax. Two hours later, I resurfaced to catch my breath and let out a sigh of relief that we didn’t owe again! Last year’s mistake not repeated, plus having one in college to give a nice tax credit as well as our changing our W4 forms last year all helped. Lingering medical bills can now be obliterated at last!

By the time I finished, it was nearly 3:00. It’s hard to find something interesting to do at that time of day and not ruin dinner, so I thought I’d be bored the rest of the afternoon. Then Jason reminded me that I needed to renew our FAFSA info for 2011/2012 school year, which he just officially entered today. UGH! More computer work, but at least I had the taxes completed necessary to renew this thing. Before working on that, though, I e-filed Jason’s taxes as well so he would get his return faster than if he mailed them (he already had them completed).

Now two major things have been scratched off that to-do list. These are major accomplishments. So why do I feel like I got absolutely nothing done today to validate my exhaustion?  It can almost make a person resentful that vacation time needs to be used to get things like these accomplished (take a day off work to, well, work), but I’m glad I was able to get it completed in one day so I don’t have to feel trapped at home for the rest of the week.

Tomorrow: Red Riding Hood and lunch at The Movie Tavern, a little shopping, and The Golden Spoon for froyo!

Earthquake & Tsunami Hit the Coast of Japan

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Tsunami travels across the Pacific to Hawaiian islands and the west coast of the U.S.

Years ago, I didn’t pay much attention to weather phenomena that was far away. I didn’t think it had any impact on my local area. Wrong! It impacts the entire world in one way or another. It gives new meaning to the term “small world”. I normally don’t have the TV on in the morning or throughout the day while I work, but I have The Weather Channel on this morning. The internet is the best way to get up-to-the-minute updates on the situation.

Working for a vacation rental advertising venue, I see an impact there as well. After the obvious thoughts that turned immediately to those directly impacted in Japan, my thoughts went to the impact I will see at work today. Then I wondered how many people don’t even think about travel insurance when planning their vacations. Did you know this even exists? Check out AccessAmerica.com for more info.

No major damage is expected on the Hawaiian islands or the U.S. west coast. There may be isolated incidents of damage. Six-foot waves were reported in Maui, a popular vacation destination, and three-foot waves elsewhere on the Hawaiian coasts. Two-foot waves are expected on the beaches of California, where they are mainly concerned about the currents and keeping people out of the water and off the beaches.

Economic impacts of natural disasters are felt worldwide. This will have a minor impact on our already rising food costs. The area impacted the heaviest is known for growing rice. Nearby aquaculture of shrimp and fish may also have been damaged. Japan’s largest expense, of course, will be in rebuilding. Read more in this New York Times article.

Weather and natural science fascinates me. Here are photos from when my husband and I chased a tornado. My motivation wasn’t to marvel at devastation but to get great photos. Learning the science of what causes weather changes and natural disasters is pretty cool, too.  Here’s an interesting read on the science of earthquakes.

The initial concern for damage in the U.S. from this tsunami is calming now. We may be able to breathe a sigh of relief, but my heart aches for those impacted in Japan.

If You Could Have Any Job, What Would it Be?

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I love my job and the people I work with – even though I don’t actually see them that often – but if I could have any job, it would definitely be in photography. I would love to be a White House photographer or travel the world and have my photos published in Nat Geo and Time magazines. Fashion photography would also be great!

Wedding photography is nice, and I love that a wedding photographer gives memories to be cherished for a lifetime to happy couples. There are so many variables there, though. There’s a lot of pressure to nail the perfect shots that you only get one chance to nail and then hope that the bride (because she’s the main one you’re aiming to please here) is not only satisfied but in love with the photos. This is their big day!

What I would really love to start offering are photo-documentaries. People who love the idea of scrapbooks but don’t have the time or talent to make them can hire me to be their personal photographer and end up with a personalized photo book of an event, a game, a special day, or even a period of time – baby’s first year or the progression of a pregnancy and childbirth. To tell a story through photos. What’s more precious than those memories? The everyday ordinary captured in extraordinary ways!

 

“Where do you work?” “What do you do?”

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When I tell people I work from home, the first thing that comes to their mind is that I do transcription. Nope. I work for VRBO® – Vacation Rentals by Owner. The next thought is that I book vacation rentals for travelers. Nope. VRBO is a venue for advertising for individual property owners and for property managers on their behalf and is not involved in the reservation process. All communication regarding rental properties is done directly between the traveler and the advertiser. There is a physical office in Denver that we use for meetings and training, but the bulk of my work is done in my own home. They’ve supplied a laptop, a second monitor, and a phone. I save on wardrobe, gas, and vehicle wear & tear. They save on overhead since they don’t have the high rent of an office space large enough to accommodate all of us.

There’s also our “home office” in Austin, TX. That’s the HomeAway® headquarters, which is our parent company. You’ll see a commercial for the company during the Super Bowl! You might remember the Griswold vacation commercial from last year’s Super Bowl. That’s us! There’s another U.S. brand under HomeAway, and that’s VacationRentals.com. It doesn’t stop there, though! No! We’re worldwide:

So what exactly do I do here? Well, I can’t really tell you everything I do now that I’m in the Trust & Security department. Yes, it’s that important! :D I love it, too! So I’ve really only answered the first question in the title of this post. You’ll have to live with that. Just know that I’m not doing transcription and I’m not making sales calls all day. Sales … BAH! Not my forté! Couldn’t do it.

What Gives You Balance?

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HINT: I’m not talking about a good pair of sneakers!

When people say there aren’t enough hours in the day, I think maybe we’re just doing to much. Some things need to be put off until tomorrow. I know it’s not always possible to pick a thing or two to put off. Some days are truly that full of activity, and there’s not a lot we can do to change that. I do believe, however, that is the exception to the rule and not at all the norm. If it is the norm, then those people may need to stop and consider if that’s really how they want to live their lives day to day.

I do have days like that, and I am so glad to get to the end of a day like that! Many times when I feel overwhelmed like that, it’s my own fault. How? Poor planning! I’m a procrastinator. It’s true! Then, when I finally get around to taking care of that thing I’ve been putting off, it takes forever to do. Or, when I finally start getting ready to go somewhere, I have to rush through it like a mad woman so that I’m not late. I do realize in those moments that it is my own fault.

What gives me balance? Just as crazy busy as those last-minute moments are, I have my lazy times. Those are important to me. Whether I fill those lazy times with writing, designing jewelry, photography, or just curled up on the couch watching a movie or two, it’s MY time. Selfish? I don’t think so. If I’m not careful, it could be. However, I don’t believe that anyone needs to be giving to and doing for others or even striving to better themselves every waking moment of their lives. Balance.

Once upon a time, I was a more of a perfectionist. Now I pick and choose what I want to be meticulous about and have given up the losing battle of trying to control absolutely everything in my life. I don’t want to look back someday and regret that I missed things because I spent so much time trying to control everything. So there are messes in my house. I’ve already hashed that subject out a bit here. On the other hand, there are certain places in the house that I like to have a certain way. Balance.

On the job (the full-time one), I push myself hard. It could be because I have to be accountable there. It’s also because there are measures available there so I can challenge myself for my own personal best and actually see results by comparison. It’s also because my eye is on the prize. This is where the consistent cash flow comes from and at this point in my life, money is extremely important. When overtime is offered, there I am! I struggle with setting limits on how much overtime I work, though. Must work on that. Balance.

On the other job (the part-time one), I don’t push myself nearly as hard but am equally hard on myself. Photography is truly a passion, and I love to share that gift and see the delight and joy on people’s faces when they receive their photos. Then there’s that observant part of me that can see when people aren’t as pleased with the results (these are usually people who don’t care for ANY photo of themselves). I take that very hard and end up full of self doubt again. I get over it, figure out what I could have done differently for better results, learn all I can about how to do that, and carry on. Balance.

On parenting, three out of four isn’t bad. Nature vs. nurture considered, if three are doing well in school and are goal oriented, that has to say something. As for the fourth, I’m confident that he will find his way. When he does, it will certainly be HIS way and not because I pushed him. A little more push is admittedly needed, but I refuse to shove. Not my style. Don’t judge me. To quote every guest on Springer & Povich, “You don’t KNOW me! You don’t know my life!” If you’ve ever even flipped past a channel when those shows were on, you know exactly what I’m talking about. Guidance, patience, and two-way communication. Balance.

On marriage… well, I have to draw the line somewhere. I share a lot in my writings, but this one will have to remain a mystery to the few who actually read what I write (and I do see the numbers). :P Perhaps someday… but not now. Odd sort of balance there.

A Proud Accomplishment | Doing a Job Well

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When you gotta job to do, you gotta do it well…

I’ve lived by those words from Paul McCartney’s “Live & Let Die” with every paying job I’ve ever had. I only struggle with this concept when it comes to my own house, but that’s another story. On the job, I believe in being the best I can possibly be, and I push myself to achieve this.

I left an executive secretary position to be a full-time mommy to twins in my twenties. About thirteen years and two more kids later, I thought it would be fun to ease my way back into the land of the gainfully employed in retail, part time. Southlands Mall in Aurora was nearing completion, and I noticed there was going to be a Michaels. I wasn’t actually looking for a job just yet, but when I drove by to see when the store was planning to open, I saw that they were having a job fair that day in the building. Thinking that it couldn’t hurt, I parked and walked in to check it out. An application, a test, and three interviews later, I was on my way. I think I started two weeks later!

The day I interviewed, the store was completely empty. The day I started, there were bare bones forming aisles. I helped install all of the shelves, hooks, and end caps. Then the trucks started rolling in with all the merchandise for us to put on all of those shelves, hooks, and end caps! It still feels special to shop there knowing that I helped build up that store.

So the example here of doing a job well is that I went from an entry level position to Price Integrity, to Event Coordinator (with multiple recognition awards), to Department Manager all in less than a year. I had my eye on Assistant Manager, but the weekend hours started breaking me down. It was fun while it lasted and something I’m truly grateful to have experienced, but it was time for something else.

Early in 2007, while I was still enjoying the retail ride, a friend asked if I’d be interested in what she was doing – a work-from-home opportunity that wasn’t multi-level-marketing. At the time, I wasn’t interested. Six months later, I was interested! After an initial phone interview in the middle of women’s clothing at Walmart, a second phone interview on my own couch, some tests via internet, I had the job! I started in December 2007 and love it!

Ritual Cobb Salad Lunch | Julie & Julia

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“Cobb Salad, no blue cheese.”
“Cobb Salad, no beets.”
“Cobb Salad, no bacon.”
“Cobb Salad, no eggs”

Are you familiar with the movie Julie & Julia? This scene stands out to me. It could be because it’s a little uncomfortable.

Here we have Julie, once editor of Amherst Literary Magazine; the one everyone knew would be “The One”; temped for eight years; gave up on a novel; now working in a cubical in a government office. Meanwhile, her friends have pushed ahead in careers. There’s a newly promoted Senior Vice President in charge of publicity (no blue cheese), a corporate real estate mogul (no beets), and a writer for a magazine (no bacon). The writer paints Julie (no eggs) in a negative light in her magazine’s feature article, suggesting she had failed at life.

Of course, we all know that Julie ended up with her own accomplishment, and I consider her accomplishment to be a pretty awesome thing. But what defines success? What do you consider success?

I believe that if you love what you do, and you do it well and with great confidence, then you are successful.

Overtime Law in Colorado | To work, or Not to Work?

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Overtime Avoided on Weeks with Holidays

It’s interesting to note that people will avoid working overtime on weeks that include Holiday time off simply because they don’t actually receive overtime pay (1.5 x hourly wage) until they’ve actually worked over 40 hours for the week. Those who were off on Monday in observance of the New Year holiday will technically only work 32 hours and receive 8 hours of holiday pay.

I do understand wanting it to be beneficial for the sacrifice of your personal time – time that you could be spending with your family or simply relaxing. Sometimes, even extra hours at regular hourly wage is a blessing. Just two hours can pay for a treat that we would have otherwise avoided on a tight budget. Those same two hours at time and a half would obviously pay for a bigger treat, but some treat is better than none at all!

 

Secret Revealed

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OK, so this may not be a big deal to the general public, but it is a big deal to me. I had to wait until the announcement was made at work before I could blab to the interwebs because several coworkers are friends of mine on Facebook. Even though all teams haven’t been enlightened yet, the one that matters has been so I’m not waiting any longer!

You may remember that I recently went through some pretty intensive training in a short amount of time to cover for another employee’s maternity leave in the Trust & Security department at work. You may also remember that it was my hope to be a permanent member of that team. I felt as though I were in Limbo Land on the team because they didn’t have the go-ahead to keep me there after the new mom’s return. That had me especially nervous because of how fast things change in this rapidly growing company. If I couldn’t stay in Trust & Security, I would have a lot to learn to catch up in the Support Desk department.

I know, I know … Get to the point already!

Short version: New mommy chose her new role in life over work and resigned, which gave T&S the green light to offer me the position permanently! I, without hesitation, accepted!

Like I said, this probably means nothing to most of you (the few of you who actually read this anyway), but it means a lot to me. Without going into detail of everything the T&S team is responsible for, and what they should be paid a lot more to do (though you didn’t hear that from me), suffice it to say that it appeals to my affinity for details and being meticulous. There are puzzles to solve, numbers and information to track and record, and people to investigate. I find this work far more fulfilling and fascinating than answering the same questions again and again … and again. While that is helpful, and I do like to help people, it doesn’t give me the same satisfaction at the end of the day. This is where I am meant to be at this point in my life!

What a wonderful thing to add to my prayers of Thanksgiving this year!

He’s Official! | Company Announcement

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Here’s a copy of a Matheson’s very nice announcement to the company:

“Please join me in welcoming Greg Karner to our Matheson team in Denver.  Greg will be assuming the role of Terminal Manager effective Monday November 15, 2010.  We appreciate the effort of the Denver team and certainly value the support provided by Gary [last name deleted for privacy].  Gary will be supporting Greg during his transition into the leadership role.

Greg joins us after a 23 year career with UPS where he held various leadership positions with ever increasing responsibility.  Greg has a track record of improving customer service, employee morale, and energizing his team to achieve results beyond expectation.

Once again please join me in welcoming Greg.”