I know if would appear as though this is a veiled reference to my recent decision to stop coloring my hair, but actually it is in reference to what I have been doing the last 2 days at work. I have been conducting training sessions in an effort to get a couple of people up to speed on training the material I have been creating for my project.
It’s been so nice to go back to training delivery these last 2 days. It’s like I’ve had to reactivate parts of my brain that have gone largely unused this last year. I have a better appreciation for the relative simplicity of a training day. I have a set start and stop time, my multitasking is completely focused on the training class rather than the multiple emails I field all day long, and I get to talk to other trainers and feel like I am making an impact on their development. I suppose I have missed having that type of direct connection when someone reaches their “ah-ha” moment.
So this may sound a bit strange to some of you, but I am very excited about the fact that I have experienced a multitude of technology problems today. Entire systems have shut down and I have had to rely on all kinds of other options to keep my class going. One of the main challenges I face with this group is that their facilitation experience has been limited to classroom delivery only. They are now being asked to deliver this new training program online and using a virtual classroom where they are unable to see their audience.
One of the items we have discussed is how to troubleshoot technology problems. They have their own methods for doing this in their classrooms, but it is important for them to make the connection on what they have to do differently in a virtual environment. Hence, my excitement about today. I couldn’t have planned this any better myself. At the moment, I have covered what I can cover and then finally submitted to the time tested method of sending them on break. (I’m guessing some of you are getting a good chuckle out of that.)
Anyway, I know that training delivery is really not a part of my main job responsibilities anymore, but I find that for the isolated opportunities such as this, I am really having a great time.
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Mad World
There’s a full moon tonight. I love looking at the moon. I can’t seem to help myself looking for it every night. As I am walking through the kitchen I find my eyes straying to the window wondering when it is going to rise. My Google page has a section that tells me what phase the moon is in every day. When I am driving at night, I always tend to scan the sky to look for it at least once. My absolute favorite thing about evening flights is when I can watch the moon from my window.
I don’t exactly understand what the fascination is but it’s there. I was watching something on TV not long ago about the planets and their moons. I found out that the moon is slowly starting to pull away from us. At some point thousands of years from now, it will break out of our orbit and be gone. I suppose that’s a better scenario than if it were getting closer and eventually going to collide with us, but I still find it a little sad that our little companion is moving away.
I was reading the news headlines online today and saw that Heath Ledger died. Amy Winehouse is finally going to rehab and Britney actually made a court appearance. Who says weird things don’t happen during full moons?
For some reason I have a song stuck in my head today that seems appropriate for my topic. The song is called Mad World. The first time I heard it was by the group Tears for Fears. It’s a good song, but I wouldn’t say it was one I listened to frequently. Most recently, I heard another version of the song which is even better. I first heard this version as I was watching an episode of CSI. This version is stripped down, slowed down, and much more haunting. At first I didn’t recognize it although I knew all the words. I figured out what it was eventually, and I thought about trying to find a copy. Little did I know one would be coming my way unexpectedly.
This past Christmas, ThreeL made me some CD’s and the song was on one of them. I was so happy. I heard it today and for some reason, it has stuck with me. As I sit reading about all the depressing things going on in the world today, I keep thinking to myself, it really is a mad world sometimes. No wonder the moon wants to leave.
I don’t exactly understand what the fascination is but it’s there. I was watching something on TV not long ago about the planets and their moons. I found out that the moon is slowly starting to pull away from us. At some point thousands of years from now, it will break out of our orbit and be gone. I suppose that’s a better scenario than if it were getting closer and eventually going to collide with us, but I still find it a little sad that our little companion is moving away.
I was reading the news headlines online today and saw that Heath Ledger died. Amy Winehouse is finally going to rehab and Britney actually made a court appearance. Who says weird things don’t happen during full moons?
For some reason I have a song stuck in my head today that seems appropriate for my topic. The song is called Mad World. The first time I heard it was by the group Tears for Fears. It’s a good song, but I wouldn’t say it was one I listened to frequently. Most recently, I heard another version of the song which is even better. I first heard this version as I was watching an episode of CSI. This version is stripped down, slowed down, and much more haunting. At first I didn’t recognize it although I knew all the words. I figured out what it was eventually, and I thought about trying to find a copy. Little did I know one would be coming my way unexpectedly.
This past Christmas, ThreeL made me some CD’s and the song was on one of them. I was so happy. I heard it today and for some reason, it has stuck with me. As I sit reading about all the depressing things going on in the world today, I keep thinking to myself, it really is a mad world sometimes. No wonder the moon wants to leave.
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
TV Wasteland
There is nothing good to watch on TV these days. I find myself flipping through the stations every night to try and find something even mildly interesting. Even TiVo seems to be struggling with things to record for me. The latest batch of recordings is a weird potpourri that shows just how much channel surfing I have been doing these days.
I checked it last night and half the shows it recorded were cooking shows. True, I do seem to spend a lot of time watching the Food Network, but that doesn’t mean I want them recorded for all time. On Sunday I looked at the listing and I saw something else weird. It had recorded a Lawrence Welk show off of PBS. Now what was really strange about this was the fact that I used to watch the show with my grandparents when I was younger.
Again, since there was really nothing else on, I decided to play the show just to see what I remembered. This particular show was billed as a “Best of” kind of thing and showed different segments from shows over the years. One part in particular showed the audience and sitting there was Meredith Wilson and his wife. The orchestra then launched into a musical homage to The Music Man. That probably means nothing to anyone reading this except my family. How weird was that? How did TiVo know? So I sat and watched and giggled my way through Champagne waltzes with the bubble machines, bad comb-overs and full length tiered dresses, the token African-American doing a Bo Jangles tap dance routine, and a musical number featuring the xylophone. For me, the only thing missing was a commercial on Rose Milk. Man, I loved that lotion! My grandma used to buy it and I think I must credit my love of roses from using the lotion so much when I was at her house. I wonder if they still make it?
The other channel that gets recorded regularly for me is VH-1. It records the music pieces in the morning when they really do show videos. So, I decided to get caught up on my music videos last night. As I was watching, there was a news segment that came on that talked about the recent Critics Choice Awards show. They had a clip of an interview with George Clooney and he was giving Eddie Izzard a hard time for showing up without wearing a tie. George remarked that it must be some “British” style thing to not wear a tie. Eddie replied that he had to wear ties at school and he never wanted to wear them again. George immediately replied back “You used to wear plaid skirts to school and I know it!” It was hilarious.
So here is my sad little list of shows that I find myself watching while the writer’s strike continues.
I checked it last night and half the shows it recorded were cooking shows. True, I do seem to spend a lot of time watching the Food Network, but that doesn’t mean I want them recorded for all time. On Sunday I looked at the listing and I saw something else weird. It had recorded a Lawrence Welk show off of PBS. Now what was really strange about this was the fact that I used to watch the show with my grandparents when I was younger.
Again, since there was really nothing else on, I decided to play the show just to see what I remembered. This particular show was billed as a “Best of” kind of thing and showed different segments from shows over the years. One part in particular showed the audience and sitting there was Meredith Wilson and his wife. The orchestra then launched into a musical homage to The Music Man. That probably means nothing to anyone reading this except my family. How weird was that? How did TiVo know? So I sat and watched and giggled my way through Champagne waltzes with the bubble machines, bad comb-overs and full length tiered dresses, the token African-American doing a Bo Jangles tap dance routine, and a musical number featuring the xylophone. For me, the only thing missing was a commercial on Rose Milk. Man, I loved that lotion! My grandma used to buy it and I think I must credit my love of roses from using the lotion so much when I was at her house. I wonder if they still make it?
The other channel that gets recorded regularly for me is VH-1. It records the music pieces in the morning when they really do show videos. So, I decided to get caught up on my music videos last night. As I was watching, there was a news segment that came on that talked about the recent Critics Choice Awards show. They had a clip of an interview with George Clooney and he was giving Eddie Izzard a hard time for showing up without wearing a tie. George remarked that it must be some “British” style thing to not wear a tie. Eddie replied that he had to wear ties at school and he never wanted to wear them again. George immediately replied back “You used to wear plaid skirts to school and I know it!” It was hilarious.
So here is my sad little list of shows that I find myself watching while the writer’s strike continues.
- Orangutan Island
- Ace of Cakes
- Almost anything on Discovery Health
- Iron Chef America
- Avalanche Dogs
When is this strike going to end?????
Thursday, January 10, 2008
Slideshow
I had some time on my hands late this afternoon and decided to see what was new on my blog site. I will spare you the details on the amount of time it took me to get this to work correctly. Anyway, not a lot of new pictures here, but maybe it will inspire me to get my camera out and take more.
Apparently, I had already removed my file of family photos from this computer so that's why they are missing. Sorry gang! I will try to update later.
Apparently, I had already removed my file of family photos from this computer so that's why they are missing. Sorry gang! I will try to update later.
Monday, January 07, 2008
Wretched Month
Why is it that I always find January to be such a crappy month? Is it coming down off an adrenaline rush that is the Christmas and New Year’s holidays? Is it the idea that we are at the beginning of what always feels like an endless winter? It is that work seems to have gone into overdrive with the amount of things to complete? Obviously those are some of my top reasons.
Honestly, who likes January other than people who have birthdays this month?
I am trying to think of something positive; like that January is a new beginning or a clean slate. January is a month of opportunities about setting the course you want to take for the upcoming year. It’s the month people make resolutions about things they want to change in their life.
Humbug. It stinks and I can’t wait for it to be over.
Honestly, who likes January other than people who have birthdays this month?
I am trying to think of something positive; like that January is a new beginning or a clean slate. January is a month of opportunities about setting the course you want to take for the upcoming year. It’s the month people make resolutions about things they want to change in their life.
Humbug. It stinks and I can’t wait for it to be over.
Thursday, January 03, 2008
New Year's Sparklers
Happy New Year! It’s felt like ages since I wrote an entry. Where does the time go? Granted, I spent a lot of time the last 2 weeks shuttling myself across the country, but still. I had every intention of keeping track of all my exploits. It’s funny how 12 hour days of driving can sap your energy to do anything else other than collapse into bed and do it all again the next day.
Still, for all the bad weather and bad motels I encountered, I have to say that it wasn’t all bad. If nothing else it made me a little homesick for my road warrior days. As long as I’m flying, of course. That driving business is nuts. I don’t know how my brother can stand it.
So this was my first New Year’s in Las Vegas. Shall I tell you of wild parties and fireworks and crowded streets and kissing strangers at midnight? Well I could, but I don’t like to lie if I don’t feel I need to. I did have plans to go to the Strip with Heidi, but she ended up coming up with other plans. Really, the only thing she could have come up with that would not have made me angry at being ditched was if she ditched me for a man. She did, so I can’t fault her for that.
Instead, I watched the fireworks on the Strip from my balcony. I am pleased to say that I am in fact close enough that I could see most of them quite easily. Plus it also meant I was a heck of a lot warmer than the 300,000 that crowded Las Vegas Blvd and I had no traffic problems. I tend to think of New Year’s as yet another holiday for couples, so avoiding crowds was really fine with me anyway.
I don’t have any New Year’s resolutions to speak of either. I think making them is a recipe for failure. One change that I have decided to make this year in general is about my natural “sparklers” in my hair. I have made the decision to see just how much white hair I actually have and go natural for awhile. My hairdresser is on board although some of the other girls think I am nuts. I don’t care at this point. I may change my mind as time goes on and it starts to really grow out, but for now I feel committed to seeing it through.
Still, for all the bad weather and bad motels I encountered, I have to say that it wasn’t all bad. If nothing else it made me a little homesick for my road warrior days. As long as I’m flying, of course. That driving business is nuts. I don’t know how my brother can stand it.
So this was my first New Year’s in Las Vegas. Shall I tell you of wild parties and fireworks and crowded streets and kissing strangers at midnight? Well I could, but I don’t like to lie if I don’t feel I need to. I did have plans to go to the Strip with Heidi, but she ended up coming up with other plans. Really, the only thing she could have come up with that would not have made me angry at being ditched was if she ditched me for a man. She did, so I can’t fault her for that.
Instead, I watched the fireworks on the Strip from my balcony. I am pleased to say that I am in fact close enough that I could see most of them quite easily. Plus it also meant I was a heck of a lot warmer than the 300,000 that crowded Las Vegas Blvd and I had no traffic problems. I tend to think of New Year’s as yet another holiday for couples, so avoiding crowds was really fine with me anyway.
I don’t have any New Year’s resolutions to speak of either. I think making them is a recipe for failure. One change that I have decided to make this year in general is about my natural “sparklers” in my hair. I have made the decision to see just how much white hair I actually have and go natural for awhile. My hairdresser is on board although some of the other girls think I am nuts. I don’t care at this point. I may change my mind as time goes on and it starts to really grow out, but for now I feel committed to seeing it through.
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