Today I was named Producer of The Month for January. The really big boss came and shook my hand. The big boss told me he was proud of me. Regular boss gave a speech about me. My photo was taken so I can be on the work TV all month. I think I had food in my teeth. Even if I didn't, I was super uncomfortable about the whole thing and couldn't make a natural face for the photo. At least I was wearing one of Mom's necklaces and a sweater I knit.
Yes, the month of January. This is not because of something I did last month, or something I did once. This is for superior work every day for the last 6 months. Miss America is crowned for the up coming year not last. I am just petty enough to notice I am the first from my group to get this. After that? Meh.
I do what needs to be done. I help people. I do the job I'm paid for. That's why I'm paid. I get bored so I do more work. I ask people about what they are doing when they fix a problem I can't fix so I can fix it next time. Or actually, since I don't have the authority to do anything how to get strait to the people that do. It's surprising where they end up. It's no more, no less, then I do all the time. Every job I've ever had. My knitting projects. It doesn't feel special.
My test is next week. After months of being told we had to pass it on the first try, I was just told I really had 3 tries. What a complete relief. I should actually pass it on the first try now. Under the pressure I'm not sure I could have pulled it off. So one week, or maybe 3, and I can go back to blogging about knitting. After all, it's the important stuff.
Monday, December 27, 2010
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Nobody's Keeping Secrets Around Here
Yesterday was the Secret Santa reveal at work. I wasn't there. I was having the best Christmas shopping day evahhhh. I was collecting my normal wage while doing my own thing. This is the first time in my life I've had a paid day off that wasn't involved with driving cross country or puking. I am doing it again. In fact, it might be the only kind of day off I ever take again. Well, except for that driving cross country trip in June.
And since I can't let anyone down I did go to work and drop off my own Secret Santa gift. I thought is more fun since I didn't label it and I wasn't there. Sneaky. Fun.
So today, on my desk, was my last Secret Santa gift. The big one. There was a book. 2 bars of dark chocolate. And the best part? The part that made me laugh? Index cards! I love it. I also needed them. I was out again.
And since I can't let anyone down I did go to work and drop off my own Secret Santa gift. I thought is more fun since I didn't label it and I wasn't there. Sneaky. Fun.
So today, on my desk, was my last Secret Santa gift. The big one. There was a book. 2 bars of dark chocolate. And the best part? The part that made me laugh? Index cards! I love it. I also needed them. I was out again.
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Working... Every Night and Day
All I've been doing is working, thinking about work, dreaming about work, and then thinking about work some more.
I'm trying to get my insurance license. It's the first time I've been paid to study. Add that into my department head putting his head out on the line to tell his bosses that he can have all 12 people pass on their first try and then my team lead picking me from her group, me who had only been under her for 45ish days, to represent her and I have a big pile of "don't mess up and disappoint anyone" stress and guilt churning in my gut.
I know my team lead is stressed too since she used to work under Big Boss before. I'm not sure what one has to do with the other but she is counting on me to make her look good with him and I can tell she is worried. Google says that 30% of the people that take the test pass that means 70% don't.
So I've been making flash cards. The little stack is the ones I got right. The big stack the ones I need to keep studying. This is an old photo and shows chapters 1 through 4. We are on chapter 14 now so the stack is much much Much larger. However, the stack of the ones I know is larger too. The two are about equal in height right now, the questions I have down pat and the ones I have no idea. We are covering 6 more chapters this week and then the test is next week. I have to call and schedule it but I admit to dragging my feet a little since learning all 6 chapters by next week is intimidating.
But while this is a work post it's not a test post. Instead I'm writing about something cool about my job. It's the break room. Not the Internet cafe, or the skeeball and basketball hoop in the break room at the other end of the building. (I came up with the theory about 3 years ago when taking tours of offices and design studios the cooler the break room the more the company expects and the less of the chance to use it. That is true. I haven't yet touch a skeeball. I'm just happy to make it to the restroom and get caught up on my work email during my break) No, this is about a little child-sized book case in my break room.
The bottom shelf has Connect Four and Monopoly and Chinese Checkers (see above on how usefully they are) and the top shelf is lost in a sea of news papers. It's the middle shelf that is cool. It's a little lending library where people drop off book they are finished with. Most of the time we are pounded with work but once and a while, on an odd Sunday, an 8 hour shift will have 12 calls and we are tied to our desk unable to do anything but wait to be set free. That's when the lending library is so nice.
There are only about 20 books. Most of them are romance novels and then comes the Christan inspirational books, which leads to the christian romance novels. A nice smattering of mysteries with a person that seems to enjoy British ones best. A book on raising chickens is tucked in there and a little SiFi with Robert Silverberg's Lord Valentines Castle. I think the same copy that was on Dad's nightstand most of my childhood years. Sitting between the bodice rippers is an odd copy of Ayn Rand that I always mull over. Ayn Rand, here, among the light reading. However a new book takes the cake. Debbie Macomber just showed up on the shelf. A knitting novel just shows up. Just like that. How cool is my break room?
I'm trying to get my insurance license. It's the first time I've been paid to study. Add that into my department head putting his head out on the line to tell his bosses that he can have all 12 people pass on their first try and then my team lead picking me from her group, me who had only been under her for 45ish days, to represent her and I have a big pile of "don't mess up and disappoint anyone" stress and guilt churning in my gut.
I know my team lead is stressed too since she used to work under Big Boss before. I'm not sure what one has to do with the other but she is counting on me to make her look good with him and I can tell she is worried. Google says that 30% of the people that take the test pass that means 70% don't.
So I've been making flash cards. The little stack is the ones I got right. The big stack the ones I need to keep studying. This is an old photo and shows chapters 1 through 4. We are on chapter 14 now so the stack is much much Much larger. However, the stack of the ones I know is larger too. The two are about equal in height right now, the questions I have down pat and the ones I have no idea. We are covering 6 more chapters this week and then the test is next week. I have to call and schedule it but I admit to dragging my feet a little since learning all 6 chapters by next week is intimidating.
But while this is a work post it's not a test post. Instead I'm writing about something cool about my job. It's the break room. Not the Internet cafe, or the skeeball and basketball hoop in the break room at the other end of the building. (I came up with the theory about 3 years ago when taking tours of offices and design studios the cooler the break room the more the company expects and the less of the chance to use it. That is true. I haven't yet touch a skeeball. I'm just happy to make it to the restroom and get caught up on my work email during my break) No, this is about a little child-sized book case in my break room.
The bottom shelf has Connect Four and Monopoly and Chinese Checkers (see above on how usefully they are) and the top shelf is lost in a sea of news papers. It's the middle shelf that is cool. It's a little lending library where people drop off book they are finished with. Most of the time we are pounded with work but once and a while, on an odd Sunday, an 8 hour shift will have 12 calls and we are tied to our desk unable to do anything but wait to be set free. That's when the lending library is so nice.
There are only about 20 books. Most of them are romance novels and then comes the Christan inspirational books, which leads to the christian romance novels. A nice smattering of mysteries with a person that seems to enjoy British ones best. A book on raising chickens is tucked in there and a little SiFi with Robert Silverberg's Lord Valentines Castle. I think the same copy that was on Dad's nightstand most of my childhood years. Sitting between the bodice rippers is an odd copy of Ayn Rand that I always mull over. Ayn Rand, here, among the light reading. However a new book takes the cake. Debbie Macomber just showed up on the shelf. A knitting novel just shows up. Just like that. How cool is my break room?
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