Monday Blues

It takes forever for Friday to come along but Monday seems to come more quickly.

As I sit at my desk and look out my window (yes, I finally have a window) I wonder, “Wasn’t I just here?”

Of course the Monday Blues aren’t so bad if you love your job or whatever you have to do all day. And if that’s the case, consider yourself lucky. I don’t think it’s instilled in you while growing up what it means to go to work to earn money to survive (or work to support somebody who is earning money so you can survive) and that “work” may not be enjoyable, creative, or even interesting. “Work” may be mind-numbingly boring, frustrating and irritating. Nobody tells you that growing up. You are told that if you work hard you can be anything you want to be. I used the think that getting up in the morning and going to work (as oppose to school) would be kind of cool. I also never considered I wouldn’t have a job that I enjoyed. But there are jobs out there that aren’t interesting, aren’t challenging and are mind-numbingly boring but have to be done. And why do we do it? For the paycheck, of course.

Such is life, which is often contemplated on Monday morning when the work week starts all over again.

Tick, Tock, Tick, Tock

Time to vent a little. Today I had a follow-up doctor appointment for a surgery I had. I arrived on time for my appointment and had to wait 55 minutes to see the doctor for 5 minutes. I was NOT happy. Nobody apologized or gave an explanation for why I had to wait for almost an hour (first in the main waiting room, then in an interior waiting room and then in the exam room).

Now, this doctor has a reputation for not being on time (he was actually an hour late for my surgery) but still, show some respect to your patients, their time is just as valuable as yours (whether you understand that or not). I can understanding if the doctor had some sort of emergency and if that was the case, just tell me and I would understanding. Instead I spent almost an hour watching other patients see other doctors come and go. Not fun.

There are always situations where you are going to have to wait: in line at almost any store, on the telephone with any type of customer service rep, for the bathroom at a sporting event, concert, play, etc. But am I being too impatient in saying waiting 55 minutes to see a doctor for 5 minutes is too long?

I have to go back and see him again in two months. Hopefully after that I won't have to see him again.

How I Spent My Summer Vacation

Summer vacation for me was five days and six nights on the California coast. July 6 was my sister’s 40th birthday and she wanted to go somewhere to celebrate. She usually gets shafted when it comes to celebrating her birthday because it’s so close to the 4th of July holiday.

Five of us rented a cottage high on a cliff overlooking the Pacific Ocean. The photo with the “To Beach” sigh is from the backyard. It was a very remote location. We didn’t have television reception, no Internet connect and no cell phone service (the house did have a landline though). I didn’t really mind all that much that we didn’t have these things except I missed the Casey Anthony verdict and it would have been nice to call each other on our cell phones when our small group occasionally split up.

The weather was perfect. Mild (in the 60°s) and sunny (after the fog burned off in the morning). We sat on beaches, drove through a redwood forest and taste wine at various Anderson Valley wineries. We even surprised my sister with a small little birthday cake.

The only snafu in the trip was traffic. We all ran into it getting to the house when we arrived but thought that was just because it was a holiday weekend. We were WRONG! We left on Friday, July 8 and a 180 mile trip to the Sacramento airport that should have taken less than 4 hours took 7 hours. We ran into three traffic jams (two resulting from accidents and one from just stupid drivers). Then after dropping Mom off at the airport a mere 50 minutes before her flight, we got stuck in yet ANOTHER traffic jam from an accident (we moved two miles in 45 minutes), and we were ready to get the hell out of California.

But while we were there we had a great time, of course it was just too short! Need more time and more money!

So here’s a photo showing the Robinson “girls”. From left to right: Me (holding Mateo), Mom and Jenny (sitting, holding Dante).

Summer is a Bummer

Of all the four season I dislike summer the most (which doesn’t even start until June 21). I know most people disagree with me but I can totally justify it. Here are my top 10 reasons why I dislike summer:

1. Vacation. Summer is for kids and adults who work in education. I don’t know any other profession that gives you something like 10 weeks off every year. It’s totally unfair.

2. It’s hot. I don’t do hot. It probably has something to do with the fact that when I’m in the sun I burn. My sister tans and she knows I’m jealous. And too hot for me is anything about 70 degrees. And summer nights rarely get that cool.

3. Air conditioning. I have a love/hate relationship with the a/c. I thank God every summer that we have it (I would not survive summer without it) but I would prefer cool breezes from outside than air that comes out of a machine.

4. Hot cars. It totally sucks to get off work and have to drive home in a really, really hot car.

5. Public pools. Yes, they sound great but really, I don’t want to be around all those other people and, sorry parents, all those screaming kids (And what’s the deal with kids screaming all the time now for no reason?).

6. Sleep. I don’t sleep as well in the summer as I do the rest of the year. Mainly because of #2. I like a cold room and am too cheap to crank up the a/c to a level I really, really like (again, best scenario is sleeping next to an open window with a cool breeze coming in).

7. Cooking. Nobody wants to turn on the oven in the summer. Yes, I know a lot of people grill but not everyone has (or can have) a grill. So it’s stovetop or microwave meals for three months. Yuck!

8. Geography. I live in Colorado. We don’t really have lakes (they are called lakes but are more like ponds or small reservoirs). Summer to me means large bodies of water in which to swim in or sit by. If you haven’t looked at a map recently, Colorado is far away from any ocean.

9. Clothing. Summer clothes suck, especially if you have to spend five out of seven days in an office with a dress code. If you have a part of your body that you hate (and women, who of us don’t?) it probably something you want covered and in the summer that means you are hot.

10. Television. Reruns and reality shows. Another yuck!

What to Wear, What Not to Wear, Part II

I love the TLC television show What Not to Wear. If you’ve never watched this show, host Stacy London and Clinton Kelly single out women (I have seen one show with a man) who dress terribly. In most cases it’s because the women have self-esteem issues related to their body (and who doesn’t?). Of course, sometimes these women are just clueless about fashion. What I like about Stacy and Clinton is that, while they use humor to point out what these women are wear is hideous, they are really sensitive to the issues these women have. Their advise: learn how to dress based on the body you have. It doesn’t matter if you have a big butt, flat chest, huge thighs or dangling underarms, there are clothes out there that can make you look better and make you feel better about yourself.

I have a quote from Clinton Kelly taped to my full length mirror (side note: everyone woman should look in a full length mirror before she leaves the house) that says “What you wears tells the world how you want to be treated.” I totally believe that. If you dress classy people will treat you different then if you dress like a slob. That doesn’t mean you can’t run to the supermarket in sweats but I wouldn’t recommend doing it often. Just take a little bit of time to make yourself look good.

Now I will admit I am no fashionista. I don’t read fashion magazines or shop in trendy stores (I don’t have the budget for that). But I, like everyone else, have my own sense of style. It’s just that some people’s sense of style is…well, terrible. And I think a lot of it is common sense. Now, of course, what you wear in the privacy of your home is totally up to you but when you go out in public use common sense. So here are my common sense style tips:

1. If you have boobies, wear a bra (this is not a given as I know women who don’t). Believe me, people can totally tell if you’re not wearing a bra (and unless you’re a college girl on spring break in Florida, it’s not a sexy look). Having those boobies hang down to nearly your belly button is a dead give-a-way. It’s not an attractive look. And even if you don’t have boobies, unless you have on a thick sweater, wear a bra. Nobody wants to see nipples either.

2. Do not wear Crocs out in public. I know Crocs are supposed to be very comfortable but these are shoes made entirely of rubber and were never meant to be worn in public. They were meant to be worn in your backyard garden. These are the least attractive piece of footwear in the history of footwear.

3. After a certain age, certain pieces of clothing should not be worn. That age may vary but many of restrictions happen around the time you turn 30. I don’t care how great a body you have, a woman in her fifties should NOT be wearing short-shorts. And no woman past the age of 30 should wear sweat pants/work-out pants with words across the ass (do you really want to draw attention to your ass by having the word “juicy” of “sassy” on it?). And unless you work on a farm, nobody over the age of 12 should wear overalls.

4. Wear clothes that fit properly. This doesn’t mean wear clothes that are two sizes too big, but nobody wants to see blubber hanging over a pair of low ride jeans or butt cracks (this is NEVER in style). The biggest culprit I see in this area is jeans. If you are skinny and can wear skinny jeans that fit properly, kudos to you. But if you aren’t skinny, wear jeans that fit. And wear ones that are fashionable and age appropriate. Just because you’re a Mom doesn’t mean you have to wear Mom jeans.

5. When shopping, try clothes on. Something that looks great on the hanger may not look great on you, and vice versa. Try something that might be out of your comfort zone or style, you may be surprised. And taking a note from Stacy and Clinton, be realistic about your size. You aren’t going to look good in something that you know is two sizes too small before you even get to a dressing room.

6. Bath. If you haven’t showered in two days and your hair is greasy, nobody is going to notice that you are dressed nicely. They are going to notice the greasy hair and that is not fashionable. Which leads me to...

7. Don’t go overboard with the perfume or cologne. This is a big pet peeve of mine. I hate getting on the elevator alone but can smell what the person who just got off (someone I haven’t even seen) smells like. Also, if someone is walking 10 feet behind you and starts to cough, you’re got too much perfume or cologne on.

Okay, so I kind of got off the topic of fashion and into the realm of personal hygiene but kind of go together. And you may think my advice is crap but there it is. But I do think that clothes can help you feel better about yourself. You just have to know what looks good on your body. It may take some effort but I think it’s probably worth it.

What to Wear, What Not to Wear, Part I

I recently moved into a new office with a new company. When we had an orientation I asked about the dress code. I have always worked in an office and the dress code is usually business casual. Sometimes it’s hard to tell what that is so here is what I think isn’t business casual: it’s not business attire that consists of suits but it’s also probably not what you wear on the weeks (jeans, t-shirts, sweats, shorts, sandals, tennis shoes, etc.). Monday through Thursday I’ve always had to wear nice clothes to my place of business and Friday was a more casual day. I didn’t get to wear sweats but I did get to wear nice jeans and a nice shirt (no t-shirts and no sandals).

So at my new place of employment I was told one thing but saw something else. I understanding that the industry I work in is pretty laid back. And while I wouldn’t mind going to work and not caring what I wear, that isn’t real life. If you work in an office you should dress appropriately. So I was told that the dress code (which isn’t really official) is business casual but that sometimes people who are going out in the field wear jeans and some days jeans are acceptable. The guy who sits next to me is a Manager and does no field work. He’s worn jeans almost every day. And the support staff wears jeans as well most of the time. The group that came over with me (all men, except for me) dress nicer than most of the men in this office.

Here is my opinion about how to dress in a work environment (and it’s just my opinion), it depends on the work environment. If you work in an office you should dress appropriately. In the building I used to work in I saw people on a regular basis come into the building wearing rubber flip flops, torn jeans, tight t-shirts and shorts. There was a call center in the building but still, I thought that was a little too casual (just my opinion).

And unless you are applying for a job flipping burgers at McDonalds, you should always go to a job interview in business attire (yes, that means a suit and a tie for men). Even if the office environment is laid back, you should be dressed nicely for the interview (no exceptions). Once you get the job you can start dressing like everyone else.

I’ve had men come into the office dressed in jeans and a golf shirt for an interview. In my opinion, that’s a strike against you. Even if I’m going to a job interview and have to change in my car, which I have done (my current employer might be suspicious if I should up to work in a suit), that’s what I do.

Buck up and dress appropriately… and come back for Part II.

Are You an Idiot Savant?

Today on the radio they were talking to people who have what they called idiot savant talents, something you are really, really good at but has no value at all. My Sister and I call my Mother an Idiot Food Savant (those who know her know what I mean). While she gave birth to both my Sister and myself, she can’t remember what year we were born (she tends to make us a year older than we really are, not cool), but she can remember everything she ate on a road trip to California in 1983. Go figure.

I guess my idiot savant skill is Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon. If you don’t know what that is, it’s a game some college kids in the 1990s came up with based on the theory of Six Degrees of Separation which is the idea that everyone is six steps away from any other person on Earth (i.e. a friend of a friend). Because Kevin Bacon has been in so many movies (he’s 52 years old and has been in about 70 movies) the purpose of Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon is that any actor can be linked to Kevin Bacon by less than six movies.

I’m really good at this game (and unless they make this into a game show, it has no real value to me) and I’ll give two secrets to being good at this game. #1 – you don’t have to see a lot of movies, you just have to know who was in them. #2 – you only have to know a few of the really well know movies Kevin Bacon was in with high profile actors. I’ll give you some examples using the most recent Oscar winners and I promise you I am NOT cheating by using Google or IMBb.

Colin Firth (Best Actor for A King’s Speech)

Colin Firth was in Bridget Jones’s Diary with Renee Zellweger
Renee Zellweger was in Case 39 with Bradley Cooper
Bradley Cooper was in Valentine’s Day with Julia Roberts
Julia Roberts was in Flatliners with Kevin Bacon

Natalie Portman (Best Actress or Black Swan)

Natalie Portman was in Where the Heart is with Stockard Channing
Stockard Channing was in Strange Magic with Nicole Kidman
Nicole Kidman was in Days of Thunder/Far Away with Tom Cruise
Tom Cruise was in a Few Good Men with Kevin Bacon

Melissa Leo & Christian Bale (Supporting role in The Fighter)

Melissa Leo & Christian Bale were in The Fighter with Amy Adams
Amy Adams was in Julie & Julia with Meryl Streep
Meryl Streep was in The River Wild with Kevin Bacon

It’s a little bit harder with new, younger actors who have had many breakout roles, obscure actors who only done really small roles, or classic movie actors like Elizabeth Taylor. Movies with great ensemble casts also really helps, like with any of the three major actors in the Harry Potter movies:

Daniel Radcliff/Emma Watson/Rupert Grint were in all the Harry Potter movie with Alan Rickman
Alan Rickman was in Sense and Sensibility with Hugh Grant
Hugh Grant was in Notting Hill with Julia Roberts
Julia Roberts was in Flatliners with Kevin Bacon

Or how about the Twilight actors:

Robert Patterson was in Water for Elephants with Reese Witherspoon
Reese Witherspoon was in Pleasantville with Joan Allen
Joan Allen was in Apollo 13 with Kevin Bacon

Kristen Stewart was in Twilight New Moon with Dakota Fanning
Dakota Fanning was in War of the Worlds with Tom Cruise
Tom Cruise was in A Few Good Men with Kevin Bacon

And just for good measure:

Elizabeth Taylor

Elizabeth Taylor was in The Flintstones with Elizabeth Perkins
Elizabeth Perkins was in Big with Tom Hanks
Tom Hanks was in Apollo 13 with Kevin Bacon

Give me a name and I’ll like them to Kevin Bacon is six or less steps!