One morning last week, as I was walking out to my car, I saw, out of the corner of my eye, the darting shadow of a squirrel, but something seemed wrong--the shadow seemed distorted, like some grotesque Tim Burton squirrel come to terrorize my morning ritual. But no, walking around the tree I could see that the distortion was due to the intrepid squirrel holding an ENTIRE bagel in his mouth as he danced up the tree...
Then, working through the giant rotary (the nightmare curse of New England) I found myself behind some modest behemoth of an SUV wherein every surface was covered with yellow chintz! The seats the headrests, even down to the little useless one in the middle of the backseat!
So I didn't have a camera, and digging for my camera phone with its limited capability didn't seem worth it.
I did have my camera in Scottsdale, AZ where I went for our Summit.
The first picture is of the golf course. The resort was very beautiful--very new, and so shiny that it gave me the eerie feeling that I was in a game of Myst. This postcards shows it even more. Of course, all photos are suspect now--colors tweaked, imperfections removed--but it really had a hyper-real quality.
At night it was cold and we gathered around the fire pit while a bagpiper played.
And next to the coffee shop was this statue--Ode to the coffee bean... In Myst it would be a vital clue, or guardian of a passageway.
Anyway--like last year, the conference had me busy, but also, the thing that I referenced in my last post had me distracted.
Basically, my company came to me and said they had no money and needed to lay me (and three others) off, but would I mind getting them through the Summit in a month? They'd understand if I didn't want to...yada yada. The conference was already paid for--much as AIG claimed as an excuse for their going ahead with their retreats after their bailout--so that cancelling would cost more than going. Well, having a job seemed better than not having a job AND I could look for another job openly, rather than furtively. And I believed that I could stay true to the job. I tried, but there were certainly afternoons when I thought, "Why am I working hard for this company again?" But the conference is like designing a show. Somehow something has to be there when the audience arrives. So I did everything I had to do to the best of my ability, but the things that were more optional or long-term I found I didn't start.
I also went on a very good interview for a very cool company for a position that seemed designed for me. As someone who rather fell into Marketing, I was finding positions that wanted Marketing degrees, wanted years of experience, wanted specialization in web design, or SEO or research, etc. This company wanted someone who understood marketing, but wasn't too high and mighty to do the grunt work on a website or a mailing.
So with that interview behind me I went off to the summit, enjoyed Scottsdale and got a facial. During the conference my current company said they appreciated how hard I had worked and that they felt they really couldn't afford to let me go. However, I am still wary of their precarious financial position, but unfortunately, the cool company can't make a decision on that position because of the precarious financial situation in the country.
So....I am waiting for something to shift--for the other job to come through, or for this company to go under. I continue to look for work, and to spend money for Christmas and other things, but there are certainly things I've denied myself that I wouldn't have if things were more stable.
And jumping back into blogging. It seemed wrong to just come and post some random tidbit without explanation. But by the nature of posting, this will move down and people checking in won't find it under all the other things.
Then, working through the giant rotary (the nightmare curse of New England) I found myself behind some modest behemoth of an SUV wherein every surface was covered with yellow chintz! The seats the headrests, even down to the little useless one in the middle of the backseat!
So I didn't have a camera, and digging for my camera phone with its limited capability didn't seem worth it.
I did have my camera in Scottsdale, AZ where I went for our Summit.
The first picture is of the golf course. The resort was very beautiful--very new, and so shiny that it gave me the eerie feeling that I was in a game of Myst. This postcards shows it even more. Of course, all photos are suspect now--colors tweaked, imperfections removed--but it really had a hyper-real quality.
At night it was cold and we gathered around the fire pit while a bagpiper played.
And next to the coffee shop was this statue--Ode to the coffee bean... In Myst it would be a vital clue, or guardian of a passageway.
Anyway--like last year, the conference had me busy, but also, the thing that I referenced in my last post had me distracted.
Basically, my company came to me and said they had no money and needed to lay me (and three others) off, but would I mind getting them through the Summit in a month? They'd understand if I didn't want to...yada yada. The conference was already paid for--much as AIG claimed as an excuse for their going ahead with their retreats after their bailout--so that cancelling would cost more than going. Well, having a job seemed better than not having a job AND I could look for another job openly, rather than furtively. And I believed that I could stay true to the job. I tried, but there were certainly afternoons when I thought, "Why am I working hard for this company again?" But the conference is like designing a show. Somehow something has to be there when the audience arrives. So I did everything I had to do to the best of my ability, but the things that were more optional or long-term I found I didn't start.
I also went on a very good interview for a very cool company for a position that seemed designed for me. As someone who rather fell into Marketing, I was finding positions that wanted Marketing degrees, wanted years of experience, wanted specialization in web design, or SEO or research, etc. This company wanted someone who understood marketing, but wasn't too high and mighty to do the grunt work on a website or a mailing.
So with that interview behind me I went off to the summit, enjoyed Scottsdale and got a facial. During the conference my current company said they appreciated how hard I had worked and that they felt they really couldn't afford to let me go. However, I am still wary of their precarious financial position, but unfortunately, the cool company can't make a decision on that position because of the precarious financial situation in the country.
So....I am waiting for something to shift--for the other job to come through, or for this company to go under. I continue to look for work, and to spend money for Christmas and other things, but there are certainly things I've denied myself that I wouldn't have if things were more stable.
And jumping back into blogging. It seemed wrong to just come and post some random tidbit without explanation. But by the nature of posting, this will move down and people checking in won't find it under all the other things.
I'd like to get back into it, as it helps me clarify thoughts. And there are things I'd like to put out there.
Another reason for silence has been my discovery of Facebook (and the addiction to my new phone--an expenditure I probably didn't need, but cannot regret). Social Media is a strange world, but more on that later.
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