professional perspective

"If we die tomorrow, the company that we are working for could easily replace us in a matter of hours... But the family & friends we leave behind will feel the loss for the rest of their lives."

The uncle of a friend of mine illustrated this once by sticking his finger in a glass of water. "This finger is you and the water is the business you work for." He pulled his finger out of the water and showed him that there was no hole left by his absence in the company. That's pretty much how businesses work. 

When I was stressing over where I could find a job that would allow me to leave a full two weeks notice (or more) at my current employer years ago, while working under a lot of stress at one place as an Art Director, my best friend reminded me that they would never give me notice if they let me or any of my staff go and they could replace everyone as needed. I was screwing myself by fretting so much over setting up an easy transition and passing up opportunities that, perhaps, I should have taken. 

Heard at work

"Don't make me dot your I this morning."

follow-up

My mother is home from the hospital. Her doctors still do not know how her hemoglobin got so low but they have given her a transfusion, which has helped a lot, although she still has low energy. I phoned her Sunday to let her know I was on the way to her house and she was breathless from vacuuming her living room. She is one of those who do not let let cleaners come to her home until she has already cleaned it. I admit sometimes her cleaners do more harm than good to what they try to clean and polish. House cleaning is apparently one of those jobs that everyone thinks anyone can do and actually very few people do properly with the correct materials.

I thought I would only be working Monday day this week but I have been given permisssion to come back into the office on Wednesday for my temp job. I could always wiggle the days around if I want to now since they hardly have enough work for me to come in to do. I will try to see if I can get more extras work in the near future and try to remember to view that gig as flexible. They say they will not be needing me after this week but there is no telling. They have cut my hours and added days in the past. It is an entirely undependable gig that gets in the way of other work more than it helps at times. I wish I could choose an all-or-nothing (40 hours a week at decent pay) work situation.

Click here to support Earl Maddox Needs Your Help by Tim Lathrop

Click here to support Earl Maddox Needs Your Help by Tim Lathrop

Y'all please keep Earl in your thoughts today. He is in the ICU with g.i. bleeding. Not on life support or anything, but hurting bad.

drag

Today was ridiculously slow at my part time job. Spent far too much time making up work for myself and checking fb status on my phone. I am surprised they expect me back in on Friday. Thankful for any work I can get, regardless.

I was planning on meeting the girls for Zumba and eats tonight but I am cancelling the gym for now. Might still try to meet them for dinner afterwards because, hey, I gotta eat and MonsterMustDie usually eats a very good lunch during the day at work. 

My mom is in the hospital tonight and tomorrow, undergoing tests to try to find out why she is anemic. Good news is, they found out why she's been short of breath for so long - low hemoglobin, which is a start for treatment & recovery - and are giving her blood and iron supplements, etc. The pulmonologist and cardiologist could'nt figure it out. It was not until her kidney checkup that her nephrologist saw the problem. She does not want company and has begged me not to visit her tonight while she's being poked, prodded, and going through some very unglamorous procedures.

I think I need this book.

There is so much I can't know about a product or publication from an online description, it's nice to discover new things every time I go into a brick & mortar store like Barnes and Noble.

Merchandise

Bored with the products I've see in stores lately. 

Thoughts today:  It just so happens I've been looking at products in other places that are essentially one-color or 4-color low-res stuff and wondering how the manufacturers can expect consumers to purchase things not much better than they can make themselves on an inkjet printer. 

I want to see more things printed on durable acid-free stock and in rich spot inks and metallics that don't fall apart or dissolve when wet. I want to see, when appropriate, foil stamping. I love the delicacy of laser-cut papers on special keepsakes. Even if it is a novelty gift product, why would anyone pay for something they could do themselves? But good design & typesetting (with proper punctuation), printed well, on quality materials seems worth the investment even in small things. 

IMHO: Flyers, gift wrap, and direct-mail advertising are very ephemeral things that usually end up immediately in the trash and are perfectly fine to print cheaply as possible. The manufacturers of those make their money entirely on distribution and advertisements but anything lasting more than a week should be given more care. I look a card shops and craft stores and see too much bad design or one-color pieces that do not look special and have no recognizable style to them. I guess, as a consumer and as a designer, I want to see better options for those who want to buy something to save as a keepsake or something better than they could make themselves. 

Keeping up appearances

Today, we complain about having to dress well enough to wear a  bra. Makes me think of how my grandmother didn't like to go to a lot of places because she'd have to wear a girdle. Most ladies of her generation would not dare step out of the house without the legendary girdle, bra, hose, and makeup - at least lipstick and rouge.

Christmas

We drank coffee and opened our gifts in the morning on Christmas Day. MonsterMustDie, at my prompting, assembled the cardboard cat tank from Gillian for Ellie. (Cats, after all, have no thumbs and  don't read instructions.)

We spent most of the day not doing much of anything until we went to my brother's house for dinner with Mom. Gifts were exchanged. Andrew cooked a low country boil of shrimp, crawfish, potatoes, sausage, and corn on the cob. My nephew Adam made pomegranate martinis for the ladies and the men drank beer. MonsterMustDie brought one from the Winter Solstice Party named Old Crustacean, which seemed fitting for the seafood dinner.

 My brother Andrew is always too happy to see everyone once a year. Heh.

My nephew Adam making Black Out Barbie drinks.

 My mother, family matriarch, getting opening gifts with the youngest generation of the Perry family. 

The Perry family's holy beast, Otis. This is a house full of UGA fans and this
English Bulldog is the most highly esteemed among the pack of dogs they own.