My work desk is pretty organized. It has an In box, purely for others to put unprocessed items in for me to process. I process them by dealing with the item (if it is urgent or takes less than five minutes to take care of); filing it (or at least noting the file name and date in the upper right hand corner and putting it in my File box for weekly filing)\; marking my Task list with the need to do the item and, if I have to keep the associated paper, putting it in my Task box; or putting the note on my calendar (if needed) and putting the item in my Out box. Easy peazy.
The real issure arises when I leave the office - for meetings, site visits, personal stuff I need to take care of (like depositing a travel reimbursement check) and for things that need to be done routinely for work, whether I am at the office or not. For that, I have my trusty Black Binder. (Sure, I've tried other colors. They suck, I tell...S-U-C-K, SUCK. My theory? If the binder is too exciting, I don't take it seriously.)
My black binder travels with my laptop in my laptop case. My purse carries all the little pieces of paper that actually have to end up somewhere. For example, my grocery list goes in a special pocket in my purse. A coupon or driving directions to a play might go in a special pocket in my purse. But if it is work-related or if it is personal and needs to be done sitting down at a computer, it goes in my black binder. (Everything used to go in my binder, but it's a pain to carry a binder in the grocery store.) With the advent of mobile devices for keeping track of schedules, a mobile binder for carrying papers seems important, especially if your job takes you away from the office on any sort of regular basis (as mine does about once a week) or if you have lots of personal papers to deal with (like doctor's notes and school stuff for your kids). If you stay-at-home, your binder can sit right next to your computer or, like mine, in your laptop bag.
My particular binder is a one-inch leather binder. The inside front cover has one of those pockets that people can use for business cards. Mine contains my gas card for travel in the state vehicle, a taped-on copy of the chart for figuring out comp time (because timekeeping is one of those things that has to happen for my office, whether I am in the building or not), and some business cards. Also, tucked into the front cover, is a top-spiral bound notebook, for jotting everything. I put dates and tasks in my calendar, and pull pages from the notebook and file them (say, after meetings), but mostly, I just use them as scratch/thinking pads and file them according to date once they are full. Anything that I write in them that needs follow-up is starred and check off when it is transferred to my electronic files.
The next two pages are hole-punched printouts of my weekly outlook for the pay period. I have to keep track of comp time, leave, in/out time, and what projects I work on for a weekly report, so I print these and then jots notes on them throughout the week. I don't use these pages as calendar pages, but as a journal of what I actually work on and when.
Next, I have two clear, double-sided sheets. One contains this month and next month's Outlook monthly calendar printouts (back to back). I don't rely on these for schedule, as they quickly become out-of-date, but they do give me a glance at the dates when I am doing long-range planning and my tiny blackberry screen is insufficient. The other clear sheet contains my office phone list and a map of the districts that we assist. Basically, this is the "reference" portion of my black binder. A mom of a baseball kid might have the team roster there.
I then have NOW and a LATER drop-in, plastic pockets. The NOW one holds information for whatever meetings are coming up, with the most current meeting on top. The LATER holds things I might work on outside of the office (routine reports to be done whenever I get a second, for example) but that I am taking from my Task box at work because I need to have things to do in my down time on the road.
Finally, where most people would put a legal pad (remember, I took care of that at the beginning of the binder, probably because I am left-handed), I put a printout of my weekly tasks. Again, it's a reference only, as I really rely on my Blackberry. But it helps to glance at a paper when I am deciding what to do.
I certainly don't think your binder should look like mine. It should be customized to you. But everyone should have something that works at a bit of a mobile office, even if it's just for trips to the bank.
Etcetera.
Friday, February 5, 2010
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
I Am So Easily Annoyed
I'm actually in a relatively good mood today. I slept. I went to bed by 10:30 p.m., Loki woke for milk and cuddles at 5 a.m. but went right back to sleep, and I didn't have to get up until 6:15 a.m. That's like, well, a helluva lot of sleep! It was exciting.
Still, I find myself annoyed by all sorts of little things.
I turned in the wrong driveway when dropping Loki off at the babysitter. (Have I said THANK YOU a thousand times, Sandi? A THOUSAND.)
Loki still has spots, so even though he seems fairly healthy, he can't go to the expensive preschool that I am paying for.
I can breath better today, but still need my inhaler. I tried to stretch last night. Note: I did not walk, run, lift a weight...nada. Just stretched. It wore me out and left me breathless. So much for running a 5K in a month.
I get confused between the words breath and breathe.
The man who sat next to me at the school sign-up was a Toyota dealer. He tried to talk up his vehicles and talk down my Honda. He claims the Honda has the same pedal problem (which would suck). Then he tried to convince me that a recall is NOT an inconvenience. Just 20 minutes, he says. (Right.) (Plus, schedule the repair, getting two kids dressed and snacks and diapers loaded, stepping at the McDonald's for an emergency potty, entertaining the kids during the repair, driving home in Baton Rouge traffic...) Don't worry, he says, we have a family area for the kids to play. (Me: with M&Ms?) Him, with a perfectly serious tone: no, we're not so silly as to feed those kids candy! (Nice. So I can drag them along so you can fix your screwup but you can't handle a kid with candy. Annoying.)
The dads at the school sign-up (which my husband was supposed to take care of, but an emergency came up at work) all had the same line. "We'd rather do this, just turning in paperwork, than chaperone a field trip, so we volunteered." Lucky wives. :(
Despite doing the paperwork during all my free time last night, the school "accidentally deleted mine." They know I did it, because I have a confirmation number and printout, and they are so sorry. They redid it right there and swear I get to keep my place on the list. I'm certain I am off the list now, seeing as everyone else has a printed application in the stack.
On WJBO, Clarence Buggs was spouting crap about how gays shouldn't say they are gay. His argument? He has a RIGHT not to know, just as "they" (his word, not mine) have a right to free speech. Um, First Amendment versus your *make believe* right? Right. I've heard lots of arguments against gays in the military, and while I tend to disagree with all of them, I do not believe for one second that everyone making them is stupid. I just think people who care if someone is gay or not have a different opinion than I do. But saying you have a RIGHT to not have to know. A right to stop others from exercising free speech and their inherent Constitutional right to privacy? That is stupid. I will no longer ever listen to Clarence Buggs. I already found him annoying, but this was too much.
Also, I am annoyed at reports that a judge is racist. Not shocked, of course, but goodness...if I start to get phone calls about a racist judge, then he is pretty blatant.
Finally, I am annoyed that the barista at the coffeeshop put my granita in a paper cup, then poured it into a plastic cup. He was trying to prevent condensation near my computer (so he meant well), but wasted two cups when the drink didn't fit in the paper cup. Go green, huh?
Yep, I am annoyed. Maybe you want to stay away today? :)
Etcetera.
Still, I find myself annoyed by all sorts of little things.
I turned in the wrong driveway when dropping Loki off at the babysitter. (Have I said THANK YOU a thousand times, Sandi? A THOUSAND.)
Loki still has spots, so even though he seems fairly healthy, he can't go to the expensive preschool that I am paying for.
I can breath better today, but still need my inhaler. I tried to stretch last night. Note: I did not walk, run, lift a weight...nada. Just stretched. It wore me out and left me breathless. So much for running a 5K in a month.
I get confused between the words breath and breathe.
The man who sat next to me at the school sign-up was a Toyota dealer. He tried to talk up his vehicles and talk down my Honda. He claims the Honda has the same pedal problem (which would suck). Then he tried to convince me that a recall is NOT an inconvenience. Just 20 minutes, he says. (Right.) (Plus, schedule the repair, getting two kids dressed and snacks and diapers loaded, stepping at the McDonald's for an emergency potty, entertaining the kids during the repair, driving home in Baton Rouge traffic...) Don't worry, he says, we have a family area for the kids to play. (Me: with M&Ms?) Him, with a perfectly serious tone: no, we're not so silly as to feed those kids candy! (Nice. So I can drag them along so you can fix your screwup but you can't handle a kid with candy. Annoying.)
The dads at the school sign-up (which my husband was supposed to take care of, but an emergency came up at work) all had the same line. "We'd rather do this, just turning in paperwork, than chaperone a field trip, so we volunteered." Lucky wives. :(
Despite doing the paperwork during all my free time last night, the school "accidentally deleted mine." They know I did it, because I have a confirmation number and printout, and they are so sorry. They redid it right there and swear I get to keep my place on the list. I'm certain I am off the list now, seeing as everyone else has a printed application in the stack.
On WJBO, Clarence Buggs was spouting crap about how gays shouldn't say they are gay. His argument? He has a RIGHT not to know, just as "they" (his word, not mine) have a right to free speech. Um, First Amendment versus your *make believe* right? Right. I've heard lots of arguments against gays in the military, and while I tend to disagree with all of them, I do not believe for one second that everyone making them is stupid. I just think people who care if someone is gay or not have a different opinion than I do. But saying you have a RIGHT to not have to know. A right to stop others from exercising free speech and their inherent Constitutional right to privacy? That is stupid. I will no longer ever listen to Clarence Buggs. I already found him annoying, but this was too much.
Also, I am annoyed at reports that a judge is racist. Not shocked, of course, but goodness...if I start to get phone calls about a racist judge, then he is pretty blatant.
Finally, I am annoyed that the barista at the coffeeshop put my granita in a paper cup, then poured it into a plastic cup. He was trying to prevent condensation near my computer (so he meant well), but wasted two cups when the drink didn't fit in the paper cup. Go green, huh?
Yep, I am annoyed. Maybe you want to stay away today? :)
Etcetera.
Monday, February 1, 2010
In A Twisted, Nonamusing Way
The breathing treatments I am taking keep me up. Way up! I maybe slept three hours last night. I am so wired that I can't imagine sleeping anytime soon. I don't want to eat, which really sucks when I have to eat to take my meds. And, while I feel much better after taking them (translation: I can breath), I'm sure this is going to hit me like a ton of bricks sometime soon. Sigh.
In the meantime (translation: while high as a kite on these damn breathing treatments and in manic mode), I am applying (fruitlessly, I'm sure) to private schools for Ander. The thing is, I like his daycare. It has a decent pre-K program (which our local public schools don't offer) and offers extended day childcare, including all days but the state holidays that Alan and I get off anyway. Loki goes there - and I a REALLY pleased with Loki's teacher. Ander has friends there. And, for kindergarten, our public school is a) pretty good and b) FREE! Plus, it's fairly integrated (as is Ander's daycare) - something that might be hard to achieve in a private school. (Aside - Ander only seems to play with very pale white people at school and took home only two lessons from MLK Day: he was shot dead and has a big head. But I can expose him to people who aren't of the same pasty Russian ancestry as his father and keep hoping, yes?)
I'm not sure why I am applying. I think it's because I want options. But, really, can I even handle two schools at this point? What if we ever move to Baton Rouge? (None of my friends in Baton Rouge with kids in the public schools are impressed.) Then again, I don't really want to move. I'm scared of a bigger mortgage. Sure, a slightly bigger house would be nice, but seems a waste for people who don't even buy decorations for the walls. I have the same bedspread I got at my wedding, in 1996. And my walls are painted silvery gray, but we got lazy, so the ceiling is still peach. Nice, huh?
Hey, you people said you wanted me to blog more. You didn't say it had to be quality.
Etcetera.
In the meantime (translation: while high as a kite on these damn breathing treatments and in manic mode), I am applying (fruitlessly, I'm sure) to private schools for Ander. The thing is, I like his daycare. It has a decent pre-K program (which our local public schools don't offer) and offers extended day childcare, including all days but the state holidays that Alan and I get off anyway. Loki goes there - and I a REALLY pleased with Loki's teacher. Ander has friends there. And, for kindergarten, our public school is a) pretty good and b) FREE! Plus, it's fairly integrated (as is Ander's daycare) - something that might be hard to achieve in a private school. (Aside - Ander only seems to play with very pale white people at school and took home only two lessons from MLK Day: he was shot dead and has a big head. But I can expose him to people who aren't of the same pasty Russian ancestry as his father and keep hoping, yes?)
I'm not sure why I am applying. I think it's because I want options. But, really, can I even handle two schools at this point? What if we ever move to Baton Rouge? (None of my friends in Baton Rouge with kids in the public schools are impressed.) Then again, I don't really want to move. I'm scared of a bigger mortgage. Sure, a slightly bigger house would be nice, but seems a waste for people who don't even buy decorations for the walls. I have the same bedspread I got at my wedding, in 1996. And my walls are painted silvery gray, but we got lazy, so the ceiling is still peach. Nice, huh?
Hey, you people said you wanted me to blog more. You didn't say it had to be quality.
Etcetera.
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Sick Kids and Working Parents
I've been at my new job since mid-October. In mid-November, Loki and I got what I assume was the flu. We were out sick for a week. Since then, Loki has had an ear infection (complete with can't-go-to-preschool fever) at LEAST one day per week. Usually, the fever lasts three days. Oh, and I currently have bronchitis. Honestly, I haven't been totally healed since my bout with the flu. It's not shocking, I guess, since when Loki is sleep, he doesn't sleep (read: we don't sleep). He has to be transported to grandma's for back-up childcare (think an extra 45 minutes on either end of the workday, after no sleep). And he has to go to the doctor (so I have to take at least a half day off). Alan does his share, driving the kids down many mornings while I take afternoon pickup and taking leave for doctor's appointment days in the morning while I take the afternoon, but it's simply not enough.
I'm new at a job, still early in the learning curve, and taking off at least once a week. I do overtime that makes sure the work gets done. My boss has a three year old and a working wife and definitely seems to understand. I still thinks it looks horrible. I can't leave the kids with a retired person, as they might get her sick. I can't leave them with a stay-at-home mom friend, as her kids might get sick. Grandma's house is truly the only option, other than taking the whole entire day off.
How do parents do this without getting fired? In such a tight job climate, I know I need to be there on time, everyday, and stay all day. But it is proving actually impossible. There have been no complaints, but it can't look good.
The tubes on Thursday better go forward (despite the MMR vaccine "reaction" consisting of blazing red polka dots from head to toe). I can handle a sick day maybe once a month (where hubby and I drive to Grandma's or split the day or whatever), but this is ridiculous!!!
Etcetera.
I'm new at a job, still early in the learning curve, and taking off at least once a week. I do overtime that makes sure the work gets done. My boss has a three year old and a working wife and definitely seems to understand. I still thinks it looks horrible. I can't leave the kids with a retired person, as they might get her sick. I can't leave them with a stay-at-home mom friend, as her kids might get sick. Grandma's house is truly the only option, other than taking the whole entire day off.
How do parents do this without getting fired? In such a tight job climate, I know I need to be there on time, everyday, and stay all day. But it is proving actually impossible. There have been no complaints, but it can't look good.
The tubes on Thursday better go forward (despite the MMR vaccine "reaction" consisting of blazing red polka dots from head to toe). I can handle a sick day maybe once a month (where hubby and I drive to Grandma's or split the day or whatever), but this is ridiculous!!!
Etcetera.
Sunday, January 24, 2010
New Afternoon Routine
So, we've got mornings down. I pack our stuff the night before and leave it in the launchpad. Daddy does dressing, teeth, hair, and snack before I put the boys in the car and go to work. Lately, Loki naps during the ride and Ander and I chat until I get in heavy traffic. Then I put on the radio and we listen to NPR, so I can concentrate on the road.
But afternoons suck. I pick up the boys between one and three hours before Alan gets off of work. That means entertaining the boys, at suppertime, by myself for between an hour and three hours, plus a 45 minute ride home, doing rhyming games with Ander and chatting with Loki. I don't have a plan or routine, so it's pretty stressful. So I've decided to go all Supernanny on the boys and have a routine. They are going to hate it. :)
I've revised Ander's chore chart. The boys will now come home and have a snack (because, frankly, they are starving by 5 p.m. and can't wait for me to make supper). Then homework. Once a week or so his teacher sends a worksheet to color, but we'll do something everyday. This week, we are doing his Raising Cane's card game tomorrow (where he will pick a card and count out as many pennies as the number on the card). Tuesday, it's going to be coloring. Wednesday will be playing with the playdough kitchen. Thursday, we'll practice writing his name. And on Friday, he'll do a puzzle. The point is for it to be REALLY fun, but establish a routine. Loki will sit with his brother at the table, in his booster seat, playing with cars, or blocks, or something similiar. This will give me a chance to change clothes and unload the car.
Then the boys will have clean up chores before they can watch tv. For Loki, this means putting any blocks, etc. into a container (something he loves to do). For Ander, this means cleaning up the living room (putting toys in the rooms where they belong and putting covers in the ottoman)and his bedroom (putting toys away). It sounds overwhelming, but these areas will be pretty clean already and in no instance will I make him spend more than five minutes on each room (meaning I'll help if it takes more than five minutes). While the boys clean, I will pick up the stuff on the island, an area that drives me crazy if it isn't empty.
Finally, IF they cooperate, they will get tv (or computer time) until Daddy gets home or supper is ready, whichever is appropriate. I hate this part, but I need incentive for them to cooperate...and I need time to cook supper and unload/load the dishwasher. I've been trying to make something healthy and that takes a little time.
I hope this works. Maybe this will keep us healthier and keep my house cleaner. Maybe.
Etcetera.
But afternoons suck. I pick up the boys between one and three hours before Alan gets off of work. That means entertaining the boys, at suppertime, by myself for between an hour and three hours, plus a 45 minute ride home, doing rhyming games with Ander and chatting with Loki. I don't have a plan or routine, so it's pretty stressful. So I've decided to go all Supernanny on the boys and have a routine. They are going to hate it. :)
I've revised Ander's chore chart. The boys will now come home and have a snack (because, frankly, they are starving by 5 p.m. and can't wait for me to make supper). Then homework. Once a week or so his teacher sends a worksheet to color, but we'll do something everyday. This week, we are doing his Raising Cane's card game tomorrow (where he will pick a card and count out as many pennies as the number on the card). Tuesday, it's going to be coloring. Wednesday will be playing with the playdough kitchen. Thursday, we'll practice writing his name. And on Friday, he'll do a puzzle. The point is for it to be REALLY fun, but establish a routine. Loki will sit with his brother at the table, in his booster seat, playing with cars, or blocks, or something similiar. This will give me a chance to change clothes and unload the car.
Then the boys will have clean up chores before they can watch tv. For Loki, this means putting any blocks, etc. into a container (something he loves to do). For Ander, this means cleaning up the living room (putting toys in the rooms where they belong and putting covers in the ottoman)and his bedroom (putting toys away). It sounds overwhelming, but these areas will be pretty clean already and in no instance will I make him spend more than five minutes on each room (meaning I'll help if it takes more than five minutes). While the boys clean, I will pick up the stuff on the island, an area that drives me crazy if it isn't empty.
Finally, IF they cooperate, they will get tv (or computer time) until Daddy gets home or supper is ready, whichever is appropriate. I hate this part, but I need incentive for them to cooperate...and I need time to cook supper and unload/load the dishwasher. I've been trying to make something healthy and that takes a little time.
I hope this works. Maybe this will keep us healthier and keep my house cleaner. Maybe.
Etcetera.
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Troubled Gay, Lesbian, and Transgender Teens
When you work with kids - as a teacher, a lawyer, a counselor, a doctor, or a parent - issues regarding sexual orientation and/or gender identity can arise on a regular basis.
I was a 21 year old Catholic school teacher when one of my middle schoolers came out of the closet to me. (The wonderful, sweet, and self-assured girl who gave me a heart attack over how I was handling the situation is my facebook friend. Waves, G.!) I wanted to do the right thing for her - say, by not showing shock, horror, and total lack of understanding, even if I felt shock and total lack of understanding that I desperantly hoped would not translate inaccurately as horror. I was worried about my job. My religious convictions were clear; I would support her and love her and not let the school kick her out for her sexual orientation. My financial situation was precarious. If I lost my job, I would have been in a cardboard box - or worse, living with my mom!
As a lawyer, I often represented gay or transgender kids. Obviously, without their approval, I can't discuss the specifics. But I had cross-dressing clients, quietly lesbian and in the closet clients, and kids who were beat by stepparents for being out of the closet. I had straight clients who experimented with same gender partners while in detention and got in trouble for it. (I say straight because those clients self-identify as straight and likely, in the free world, would only take opposite gender partners.) I saw sympathetic judges who understood that sexual orientation and identity issues often resulted in depression or acting out. I saw judgmental judges who practically added "gay" to the list of charges. I saw it all -and I know it's a problem.
I am bringing attention to this because I suspect that it's not on most people's radars. Lots of people think homosexuality is a sin. I guess, in a way, I'm speaking to those people. First, thoughts and feelings, particularly in juveniles, are not sins. Even if you ascribe to the belief that homosexual acts are sinful, a thought, especially a thought of a hormonal teenager, is NOT a sin. I wonder if those who categorize homosexuality as sinful can still understand that we need to serve children who are dealing with these issues, as these issues can be the catalysts for depression and other mental issues.
But I also want to address those people who are fully supportive of gay and lesbian issues. I want to give a heads' up that we often don't think about what it's like for a teenager or preteen dealing with a type of sexuality that is not considered the "norm" in our society.
I don't have solutions. I just want to raise a bit of awareness that, whether you are conservative or liberal, sexuality issues are real among the juvenile population and we need to stop ignoring them as if they are not there. I welcome suggested solutions.
Etcetera.
I was a 21 year old Catholic school teacher when one of my middle schoolers came out of the closet to me. (The wonderful, sweet, and self-assured girl who gave me a heart attack over how I was handling the situation is my facebook friend. Waves, G.!) I wanted to do the right thing for her - say, by not showing shock, horror, and total lack of understanding, even if I felt shock and total lack of understanding that I desperantly hoped would not translate inaccurately as horror. I was worried about my job. My religious convictions were clear; I would support her and love her and not let the school kick her out for her sexual orientation. My financial situation was precarious. If I lost my job, I would have been in a cardboard box - or worse, living with my mom!
As a lawyer, I often represented gay or transgender kids. Obviously, without their approval, I can't discuss the specifics. But I had cross-dressing clients, quietly lesbian and in the closet clients, and kids who were beat by stepparents for being out of the closet. I had straight clients who experimented with same gender partners while in detention and got in trouble for it. (I say straight because those clients self-identify as straight and likely, in the free world, would only take opposite gender partners.) I saw sympathetic judges who understood that sexual orientation and identity issues often resulted in depression or acting out. I saw judgmental judges who practically added "gay" to the list of charges. I saw it all -and I know it's a problem.
I am bringing attention to this because I suspect that it's not on most people's radars. Lots of people think homosexuality is a sin. I guess, in a way, I'm speaking to those people. First, thoughts and feelings, particularly in juveniles, are not sins. Even if you ascribe to the belief that homosexual acts are sinful, a thought, especially a thought of a hormonal teenager, is NOT a sin. I wonder if those who categorize homosexuality as sinful can still understand that we need to serve children who are dealing with these issues, as these issues can be the catalysts for depression and other mental issues.
But I also want to address those people who are fully supportive of gay and lesbian issues. I want to give a heads' up that we often don't think about what it's like for a teenager or preteen dealing with a type of sexuality that is not considered the "norm" in our society.
I don't have solutions. I just want to raise a bit of awareness that, whether you are conservative or liberal, sexuality issues are real among the juvenile population and we need to stop ignoring them as if they are not there. I welcome suggested solutions.
Etcetera.