The never ending To-Do list...

I feel like my To-Do list is growing at an alarming rate.  And I just can’t keep up as hard as I try.  I’m sure it’s not helped by the project I decided to take on (aka my apartment makeover) but that’s being done in hopes of actually allowing me to be more productive.  And it’s coming together nicely.  Just thinking of how this place will look (and hopefully work and low), gets me inspired and excited.  I’m taking that as a good sign.

All I have to say though, is thank goodness I have tomorrow off!  And I’m pretty sure my day has been taken up already by my to-do list and the hopes of going for a hike with some friends.  Makes me wonder if I’ll have time to relax.  Is it bad when you have to plan time for relaxation?  Yeah...I thought so. 

Things are picking up at work too.  Not that there has been too much of a lull anyway with the launches and such, but one of the other admins is running a few market wide events and then going on vacation so she’ll be out of the store for a few weeks.  We’ll miss her of course, but it’s also going to be a great opportunity to fully take on our role and make the store come to me and the other admin, instead of going to the person they’ve always known in that role (we got added on later). 

I’m also looking forward to some major organizational projects we’re about to take on.  I hope everyone is ready for it because we’re going to shake things up and make this happen.  It won’t be easy and it will be rather time consuming, but hopefully worth it in the long run.  I think the organizational inspiration I’ve been feeling at home is rubbing off at work too...they better watch out! :)

Letters from Management

A good friend of mine started a blog a few months ago called Letters from Management.    We used to live in the same building (he still lives there), and our manager, while sweet and caring, has quite the personality and is known for leaving some pretty hilarious notes and memos on our doors and around the building.  Since I moved out of the building, I’m pretty sure the letters got funnier and he decided to start a blog to share these letters with everyone.  He’s also made it an open forum, where you can submit the funny letters that your management posts.

While the managers of my building don’t often post letters that are that funny, after getting the carpet steamed yesterday, there was one that made me laugh that I sent over to Dan, which he decided to include on his site.  Make you sure you check it out: http://lettersfrommgmt.wordpress.com/2011/03/14/we-will-find-you/

Anyway, I haven’t received any information back from management about my reduced rent proposal but I have been moving forward in my apartment redecoration, reorganization and remodel.  And I can not describe to you all, just how excited I am about it.  I’ve bought all the “expensive” pieces (aka furniture) and I’ve only used 1/2 of my budget!  I put one of the bookshelves together yesterday and put it in place and it looks amazing! I can’t wait to post my before and after pictures for everyone to see!

In other news, I have a bad feeling about something that I just cant shake. And to make it worse I have no idea what it's about. I have a couple ideas and I don't like either, particularly one. But is this just me being paranoid? Quite possibly. But also possibly not. 

When peoples behavioral change, it's very easy to look into that change to mean something because it often does. Especially of they're afraid of hurting someone or dont know how to handle the situation. But the possibility is still there I dont know what I'm talking about. But let me just say my walls are going up and I'm preparing myself to deal with the worst in any scenario that may come my way right now and figuring out how I can and should handle things. 

But I'm also not enjoying this feeling so I'd really like to find out what's going on so I can deal with it and move on...

Shop, Save Money and Donate to a Charity!

This may seem like a silly reason to type up a post but I LOVE when Gap does this every year.  (Gap, Banana Republic, Old Navy).  It’s the Gap Give & Get Program.  It runs over the course of a few days, but what happens is HUGE!  You get an email for 30% off your purchase March 17-20 (dates change each year), but within that email you click a link to pick a charity of your choice who will then receive a donation equal to 5% of what you spent, without you spending any additional cash.  Who doesn’t win?! It’s awesome!

This year I decided to give to Habitat for Humanity!  

I’ve been wanting to do a little bit of spring clothes shopping, so now I have more reason to go to Gap.  Habitat for Humanity - enjoy my 5%! :)

If anyone is interested in joining the Gap Give & Get Program this round through, let me know and I can send you an email to join. 

With that all said, I want to touch on the devastation going on in Japan and how we can help but right now is not the time.  I want the updated facts and I want to do my research to find out some of the ways we can help donate.  Obviously, my heart goes out to everyone there and I fear for the continued devastation that keeps popping up on my phone with the CNN news updates.  I’m also extremely grateful that my part of So Cal has been safe of any after affects.  More on this topic to come. 

Sexism, Ageism & Raising He!!

I'm on FIRE!

Sorry people but it's at that point! I'm having such an exhausting and frustrating day, I can't even explain it. And really I can't. Because some of what's bothering me, I'm not allowed to know. I wasn't supposed to see. But I do. So let me just say this:

The fact that sexism and ageism occur so strongly in our world really pisses me off!  Especially when it comes down to a persons ability and responsibility, I just don't understand it. It has me fuming. 

http://www.lespantheresroses.org/medias/sexism.gif

THEN I get to the gym after work and they have the womens locker room roped off. Why? Because the male cleaning guy is in there. I understand that he can't and shouldn't be in there when women are changing but you close at 8 PM and it's nearly 6:30 so you don't need to clean yet. So I go to the desk to ask about it and the two behind the desk just stare at me. Then the guy goes "what are you in a hurry or something?" and the two laughed, to which I responded "actually YES! I just got off work and you close soon!" I felt like screaming. I mean, are you kidding me?! I've never seen you before so you have no right to make that sort of comment, even if it was a joke. We have no relationship for me to know you're joking. AND have you ever heard of customer service?!  I come here often enough that I hope one of the AM or afternoon managers would take my aggravation seriously because I do plan on complaining. Grrrr. 

http://adailyriot.tumblr.com/post/486605128/autumndae-lostmapskeletonkey

Sleep. Please. Someone. Let Me. Sleep.

The launch yesterday took all of my energy and just drained me.  I'm so exhausted, I just can't even describe it.  I got called into work today because one of the other admins was sick, but boy am I tired!  The good news is that I will be able to take a different day off to go to IKEA and therefore avoid the madness that could would be IKEA on a Saturday.  Yay!


Despite how much sleep I want and need, I still feel like I have so much work that I need to be doing.  My evening will consist of the gym (if I can stay awake), followed by work and more tour planning.  Busy.  Busy.  Busy.


Sleep.  Now.  Please.  Please?! Please....

The Winner...for now

It took several layouts, lots of creative brain juices, lots of online research, and a trip to IKEA but I think I finally have the winner!  I got a couple ideas from other people but unfortunately, too much of a layout change from the initial idea and I think the whole room goes to scrambles.  And I think this current layout is leaving my open and available for a trip to IKEA tomorrow to get the furniture (or so I hope)! 


I'm still trying to figure out and decide what I want to do in terms of a curtain / panel curtain / room divider to section off my bed.  IKEA has some really cool panel curtains that are also fairly cheap but after seeing them, I'm not completely sold.  They're kind of like a bamboo feel to them but the ones they had at the store were some what frayed and while I don't know how long those sit out and they do get hands touching them everyday, it does make me wonder if they'll go from fab to drab quickly.  And regular curtains would be fine for me but I want it to look pretty from both sides.  This is a small space and every inch is seen, so I want it to look nice.  Besides, this is all part of the "grown up" and "productive" space I'm trying to create.  


My shopping list for IKEA includes:
-2 EXPEDIT bookcases (one in white and one in black)
-new desk chair (I found one that was comfortable the other day marked as $59, can that be right?)
-LACK coffee table (in white)


Tomorrow's purchase + yesterdays purchase will only have me spending approximately half of the money I decided I could put aside / would be reasonable for this little project, so there is still enough to handle the room divider situation, get a few decorative items (candles, anyone?) and put some aside for that new TV I keep dreaming about. 


With that, I present to you, option (and choice?) #6:

I've had several people impressed by my little to-scale drawing...heh I'm a geek.  And Justine - I'm serious, I will help you put this together so you and Henry can have your master suite! :)


POSITIVE THINKING: THANK YOUS!


Today, I am so thankful for all of the "thank you" and "I really appreciate it" that I received!


As some of you may know, today Apple launched iPad 2, which means it's insanity for our stores.  Don't get me wrong, it's also a TON of fun, but I definitely saw the more stressful side of the whole endeavor being in my new role.  I worked until nearly 12:45 last night (err...this morning) and then was due back in at 8am, but I got there early, so I clocked right in and got to work (around 7:45 ish?).  It was madness from making sure line charts and daily sheets were ready, to coming up with solutions for cards for customers, getting food for employees, getting drinks for customers, to a lot of "hurry up and wait" on some major tasks.  It was madness.  Breaks didn't happen.  And the so called "lunch break" was a couple hours late and consisted of about 20-25 mins long, to which I was still working a good 10-15 minutes of it.  It was necessary and I was okay with it.  I'm exhausted now, but I felt needed and useful.


I got a lot of "thank you for ____" or "you're amazing, thank you!" or "I'm so glad you're back here" or some other versions of people showing their appreciation.  It felt amazing and I couldn't be more thankful for that kind of feedback.  


Did I mention I also got a whole new appreciation for some other roles in the store?  To sit and count card after card, and recount card after card, and compare my counts with their counts and then recount.  I did it for a few hours under pressure and time constraints, I couldn't imagine doing it everyday all day.  And today, they were under that same pressure.  Madness, I tell you, madness. 


But now, I must rest of my sleepy eyes and prepare for the madness that could be IKEA on a Saturday.  Wish.Me.Luck.

Karma Music Blog!!

And the Karma Music Blog makes it's initial appearance!!

Check it out: karmamusicagency.blogspot.com