Sunday, June 05, 2005
Catching Up
I really enjoy blogging. I wish I could do it all day long. I enjoy it more than my journal, although my journal is very important and there are topics I write about there that I would not blog about.....But there are very few. I consider this my online journal.
I have been pretty busy and not been taking the time, or rather making the time to blog. So today I am catching up on my week.
I went to New Orleans for work again. This time I had a trainee riding along. It was someone that I used to party with A LOT! She has been hired and I am working with her in New Orleans. She has had a little training with my boss, but was assigned to me since I am the one with a FULL schedule and can show her all of the ropes. Apparently everyone else is working on some smaller, not-so-full assignments. ***Whatever**
So Thursday and Friday we spent every waking minute together, from 6am Thursday to 10 pm Friday. UGHH! No time for me. And no time to enjoy being on that long drive. We got a lot done. I've figured out that basically right now I have an assistant. I am trying to be patient. I could get things done quicker if I was doing it myself, but to tell someone how to do it, then have someone do it and then lookover it takes some time. Especially if they don't ask questions and ASSUME what it is you meant, or interprets what they read. I am learning to be very clear and specific. Inhale, exhale. Patience.
The trip was successful business wise. And she is coming along. I have decided to send her alone next week. I am fairly confident that she cannot screw anything up so bad that I would lose this account. And if need be, I can be there the the very next day to fix it. I have come to realize that in my work I can fix just about anything. And what cant be fixed is so broken, that everyone involved is painfully aware of that going in.
I did have a rather funny experience with my client. She and I have met many times before as I have worked in the New Orleans market for 5 years. But we never worked together. She holds a rather important position within the health system I am working with. And I found out that she is a pistol. She was making me laugh just in her everyday dealings. Very laid back, fun, high energy, and certainly had a great personality. I happen to know she is very intelligent and knows her stuff. So I was not gonna throw any BS her way. She did not get to where she is by just her personality. We were tying up our meeting and I asked for the last of the materials I would need: letterhead, envelopes and mailing labels for the staff.
I spoke to her assistant before she left for Dallas and she was supposed to leave all of this for me. Well, it did not get done. I have this happen all the time. No Prob. Well, My contact went a little frantic looking for these items. Opening cabinets, and THINKING out loud. Saying things like, "Well, Ive only been at this facility 5 months." and "We are a hospital and write letters all the time. I know we have letterhead." My favorite. "We mail stuff all the time. I'm sure there are envelopes around here somewhere."
So an employee walks in and Crazy Administrator Woman asks her to help looking for these items. They are both looking and they find the letterhead, and keep on with the envelopes. We then have a conversation that goes like this.
Administrator: "Do you really need envelopes?"
ME: "Well, yes. You see, that's what we put the letter in and the label on top of to mail out."
She jerked her head back in my direction and furrowed her eyebrows, mouth slightly agape. I thought, "OH fuck! That did not come out right." I was feeling the heat around my collar and then I thought "shit. And I have a trainee riding along that is having a stress attack over this" So then I smiled and so did the administrator. And then we laughed. She said she was thinking " This boy is either really funny or thinks I am really stupid!" And since we laughed, obviously I was funny. She then said. "Now I know we are gonna get along just fine. I am gonna like working with you." What she meant to say at the beginning of all this was "Do you need the envelopes TODAY" and I meant to say "yes" a bad situation turned good. We laughed really hard the next day when she and I told her assistant that was back now about this and she laughed too.
I happened to go and help a friend move some furniture she was buying. While I was there, I bought a bike. It was an impulse buy. But I am so happy. Daddy Long Legs just got his and has been riding around. I am sure we will be biking buddies too now.
I also went to my nephew's graduation BBC at my brothers house. What I am gonna say about all of this is that I felt extremely connected as a member of my family. I am sure they are just as they have always been. But it was as if I had gotten a new pair of glasses. It was so clear. I especially like that all the cousins (my nieces and nephews from all of my siblings) were sitting around the kitchen table laughing and joking and telling stories and razing each other. That was the last image I have of this BBC. I will cherish that forever.
I then came home to my friends and had a delicious dinner followed by a very good teaching game of CANASTA~! I love that we have so much fun when we get together and play.
I have not been able to write about everything but I am tired now. I am gonna go and relax. I have a very full week ahead of me.
I have been pretty busy and not been taking the time, or rather making the time to blog. So today I am catching up on my week.
I went to New Orleans for work again. This time I had a trainee riding along. It was someone that I used to party with A LOT! She has been hired and I am working with her in New Orleans. She has had a little training with my boss, but was assigned to me since I am the one with a FULL schedule and can show her all of the ropes. Apparently everyone else is working on some smaller, not-so-full assignments. ***Whatever**
So Thursday and Friday we spent every waking minute together, from 6am Thursday to 10 pm Friday. UGHH! No time for me. And no time to enjoy being on that long drive. We got a lot done. I've figured out that basically right now I have an assistant. I am trying to be patient. I could get things done quicker if I was doing it myself, but to tell someone how to do it, then have someone do it and then lookover it takes some time. Especially if they don't ask questions and ASSUME what it is you meant, or interprets what they read. I am learning to be very clear and specific. Inhale, exhale. Patience.
The trip was successful business wise. And she is coming along. I have decided to send her alone next week. I am fairly confident that she cannot screw anything up so bad that I would lose this account. And if need be, I can be there the the very next day to fix it. I have come to realize that in my work I can fix just about anything. And what cant be fixed is so broken, that everyone involved is painfully aware of that going in.
I did have a rather funny experience with my client. She and I have met many times before as I have worked in the New Orleans market for 5 years. But we never worked together. She holds a rather important position within the health system I am working with. And I found out that she is a pistol. She was making me laugh just in her everyday dealings. Very laid back, fun, high energy, and certainly had a great personality. I happen to know she is very intelligent and knows her stuff. So I was not gonna throw any BS her way. She did not get to where she is by just her personality. We were tying up our meeting and I asked for the last of the materials I would need: letterhead, envelopes and mailing labels for the staff.
I spoke to her assistant before she left for Dallas and she was supposed to leave all of this for me. Well, it did not get done. I have this happen all the time. No Prob. Well, My contact went a little frantic looking for these items. Opening cabinets, and THINKING out loud. Saying things like, "Well, Ive only been at this facility 5 months." and "We are a hospital and write letters all the time. I know we have letterhead." My favorite. "We mail stuff all the time. I'm sure there are envelopes around here somewhere."
So an employee walks in and Crazy Administrator Woman asks her to help looking for these items. They are both looking and they find the letterhead, and keep on with the envelopes. We then have a conversation that goes like this.
Administrator: "Do you really need envelopes?"
ME: "Well, yes. You see, that's what we put the letter in and the label on top of to mail out."
She jerked her head back in my direction and furrowed her eyebrows, mouth slightly agape. I thought, "OH fuck! That did not come out right." I was feeling the heat around my collar and then I thought "shit. And I have a trainee riding along that is having a stress attack over this" So then I smiled and so did the administrator. And then we laughed. She said she was thinking " This boy is either really funny or thinks I am really stupid!" And since we laughed, obviously I was funny. She then said. "Now I know we are gonna get along just fine. I am gonna like working with you." What she meant to say at the beginning of all this was "Do you need the envelopes TODAY" and I meant to say "yes" a bad situation turned good. We laughed really hard the next day when she and I told her assistant that was back now about this and she laughed too.
I happened to go and help a friend move some furniture she was buying. While I was there, I bought a bike. It was an impulse buy. But I am so happy. Daddy Long Legs just got his and has been riding around. I am sure we will be biking buddies too now.
I also went to my nephew's graduation BBC at my brothers house. What I am gonna say about all of this is that I felt extremely connected as a member of my family. I am sure they are just as they have always been. But it was as if I had gotten a new pair of glasses. It was so clear. I especially like that all the cousins (my nieces and nephews from all of my siblings) were sitting around the kitchen table laughing and joking and telling stories and razing each other. That was the last image I have of this BBC. I will cherish that forever.
I then came home to my friends and had a delicious dinner followed by a very good teaching game of CANASTA~! I love that we have so much fun when we get together and play.
I have not been able to write about everything but I am tired now. I am gonna go and relax. I have a very full week ahead of me.
