Thursday, June 28, 2012

buzzwords

I was working on some content yesterday. That was how I thought of it, which when I realized that was the label in my head, I laughed. I wasn't working on article, features, stories, letters....nope, it was content.

Just a couple of weeks earlier, my boss and I made a list of the current buzzwords in the communications universe. I don't have enough coffee in me to recreate the list, but 'content' is one. It is often used in the following phrases: editorial content, content curation, and editorial content curation. Heck, 'curation' is a new one. Not curator...that would be the person doing the curation.....Ha! I see curation used all the time in reference to social media. We must curate our content!

Buzzwords sneak into our vocabulary. When you read journals, blogs, newspapers, magazines and other communication vehicles, you can't help but absorb these phrases. I really need to bring that list home and add the other phrases we identified.

****Here are more of these industry buzzwords, or as my blog friend Lisa said, jargon! That word escaped me at 5:00 a.m. this morning!******

Monetize organically
Best practices
Social media platforms

A long time ago, in another life it seems, a seminar I attended warned us of using bank-lingo when we talked to customers. That warning still applies today.

These buzzwords don't mean diddly to folks outside the industry.

Happy Thursday.

Wednesday, June 27, 2012

lift off

The magazine was given the green light by the BOT over the weekend, which means I have actual work to get done. We had a department meeting yesterday, a conference call with the media analyst/expert gal a few hours later and I sent the first draft of the new emailed newsletter template out for review.

Today my boss and I are sitting down ( may have to glue him to his seat ) and laying out the departments for the new magazine.

With an editorial advisory board being appointed, all science geeks, we need to have a road map for this magazine or we could end up in big trouble. They love to get off topic and need some strong management in order to keep them on task when it comes to things like this. Smart, smart people, but when it comes to this magazine, well, it isn't their realm of expertise.

That is what they have Journalism majors for! Time to start earning my money.

Tuesday, June 26, 2012

running amok

We have two projects underway in the house and I'm not sure which is worse. The middle kid is busy trying to do her AP/Honors summer work and the oldest is busy trying to finish up her sorority rush recommendation efforts.

I think the oldest has her project well in hand, at least for the moment. The golden number of two solid recs for each of the 16 houses at her university is in sight. Yahoo.

The middle kid is working while complaining about her essays, books and all the other assorted tasks that come with 4 AP classes during a senior year. I tried to forewarn her about packing her schedule like that and the amount of work that would be required during June and July, but my concerns were shrugged off. Sort of like how I am shrugging off her complaints! Suck. It. Up. Soccer. Princess.

I have delivery duties this week. The youngest has to be taken to a drop off/pick up point for science camp. Luckily it is in the vicinity of my office, so, it isn't bad duty, but it does mean I have to leave 30 minutes earlier than I'm used to doing.

So, on that note, we shall all continue to run amok towards month end and get ready, sort of, for July.

Over and out.






Monday, June 25, 2012

short week

Danger...short week ahead! I have a lot to do before we depart for points south on Thursday afternoon. Hubby is also busy and will be more in the car than out of it as several last minute meetings, on the other side of our fair state, have now cropped up.

Beside work, I have more literacy council stuff to do plus a meeting for them this week.

Better get moving!

Thursday, June 21, 2012

going home again

Summer is going by much too quickly for me. This morning I'm wishing I had a week long vacation; a real leave work on Friday and take the whole next week off. What a treat that would be. But, I know I won't see an extended break like that until Christmas time.

My bestest buddy, we've been friends since we met on the first day of college, is moving back to where we grew up. Her hubby took a job at the BIG university in town and after living on the East Coast, in England, in France, and in other locales in the Midwest they are returning to where it all started. She is happy he has a good job again, she's happy that she will be close to her mom who is not in the best of health, but she is having very mixed feelings about moving back 'home.'

I can understand that. She and her hubby left 26 years ago and now they are returning. You really can't go home again, in the true sense of the word. Beyond family, she doesn't know anyone there anymore. She is going to try and connect with some of the friends I had up there - folks I met after she had moved away. Before I moved away.

It is hard to start over. New church. New schools. New neighborhood. At some point, the comfort of the routine and the familiar is well.....comforting. Maybe more so when so many internal family things are spinning wildly - she will have two in college, two in high school, and two in elementary school. Lots of adjusting on many fronts.

Enough of that for today, it is Thursday after all and the weekend is coming up! And that is always a great thing.








Wednesday, June 20, 2012

lots to do

My workload  is steadily climbing this week with the big meetings happening on Thursday and Friday. My old boss is in town and he is getting things ready for the Foundation meeting tomorrow afternoon. They also meet for a while on Friday. Yes, I will be sitting in on both meetings.

Today I have to train my replacement on how to process the weird donations we receive. Got one yesterday which will be perfect for her to learn from.

I worked yesterday fixing forms for this year's National Meeting and creating a document that we can convert to a pdf of all the various workshops being held at that meeting. Kept me busy for hours, but by the end I had a splitting headache.

I've been adjusting okay to the progressive lenses.....or so I thought. Yesterday was not fun. My eyes move way faster than should be allowed with these new glasses. I need to move my head more I think. Once I stopped working, the headache subsided. Guess I will just have to be more aware of how I am looking up and down and back and forth! Ugh.

Yeah, it is Wednesday!!

Monday, June 18, 2012

what a nice weekend

I sort of forgot what weekends are like. Of late, we've been working so hard on Saturday and Sunday that no one has felt rested or recharged when Monday rolls around. We had a lovely, slow, not much going on weekend and it was long over due.

We took the oldest to purchase her 'class' ring. We avoided the nasty things they sell through Jostens and Balfour and instead she selected a very pretty pearl ring from James Avery.

The hubby worked  on my laptop. It had been acting up, the blue screen of death appeared and everything. So he took time to do a 'nuke and pave' to it. Dumped everything important off it and reinstalled the operating system. We have to give it a trial run this morning.

I have been using the kids' laptop for the last two weeks. I hope mine is all better as the thought of purchasing a laptop for the big kid to take to the university with her and getting a new one for me at the same time wasn't in the budget.

Shout out to my blog friend, Lisa! Lisa, hope you are doing better today!!

Happy Monday!

Friday, June 15, 2012

fuggedaboutit

I didn't quite forget to blog yesterday, but I did run out of time. So, here is the rare Friday post.

The middle kid is on round two of pain medicine. They stepped her down a notch and called in something to help her over the next few days. She is still having some discomfort, although the swelling is down and the spaces where those wisdom teeth used to be are looking really good. The oldest had the same issue and if memory serves, similar healing time/issues.

Tonight hubby and I head over to the new Town museum. I'm quite excited to see the displays and interactive kiosks as I was a member of one of the initial groups who offered input on the early conceptual designs for this effort.

I'm hoping we can partner with the museum for one of the community reading event programs this fall. We'd like to do a round-table discussion of our Town during WWII. I think the museum would be the perfect host and the new curator a wonderful moderator!

I actually have had quite a bit of work to do this week at the office and today I have a huge power point presentation to finish for the big boss. She is traveling to South Africa next week for a presentation, visit, and lecture.

My coworker is back from Brazil and had plenty of stories to tell us about her vacation. Our little department is now running at full strength, yet again.

Happy Friday!

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

soccer

Our high school is getting a new head soccer coach for both the boys and girls. His appointment was announced via email yesterday and then he sent his own email out to the group late last night. He even attached his coaching credentials.

With the middle kid being a senior now, it is going to be interesting to see just how quickly this new guy changes things and what he opts to keep the same.

In other soccer news, the director of coaching for our competitive soccer club has asked all of the middle kid's teammates to meet him at the field today if they are going to play soccer at all in the spring. So, even though she isn't planning on playing club soccer, she is going. This Brit coached her for one season and she and her teammates loved him. So, one of her friends will pick her up and take her to the field so she can hear what he has to say.

We have been watching a lot of soccer on TV. I think we planned the wisdom teeth extraction at a good time as the Europeans have been keeping the kid glued to the telly and firmly seated in the recliner. The oldest daughter was able to dig her Poland jersey out of the closet and wear it yesterday as they Poles faced off against Russia.

Just kickin' it around here....in oh so many ways.

Tuesday, June 12, 2012

quiet night

We are almost through the first 24 hours post-op and all is going well. She slept through the night and has had her first pain pill of the day. I am off to work with the thought that if she needs me, I will take more PTO and come on home.

The oldest daughter had a more difficult time on days two and three because by then the good IV administered drugs were out of her system.

But, I'm hoping that since the middle kid's wisdom teeth did not have the root structure that the oldest kid's had, she will have a quicker recovery time.

Today at work I will begin to train my replacement over in the Foundation. Should make for a quick day.

Happy Tuesday.

Monday, June 11, 2012

cramming it all in

Take 5 doctor appointments last week for the crew, add in graduation party preparations, throw in work, chores and other assorted regular activities and you have one tired Liz come Sunday. I slept or napped most of yesterday in order to be recharged for the middle kid's wisdom teeth extractions today.

Oy vey.

She is home resting comfortably, and I am making an assortment of soft foods for her. I plan on returning to work tomorrow as the oldest kid will be home to play nurse and administer pain meds and antibiotics at the appropriate times.

The party went well.....it got off to a very slow start, but once folks started to arrive, it was a lot of fun. Next year it will be the middle kid's turn and as a lot of the folks at this year's event will have seniors next year, we are already talking about throwing one huge party for those four girls.

Off to work on laundry, serve up some chicken noodle soup and check on my patient.

Thursday, June 7, 2012

the 'b' word

My 'b' word is not what you think. I have been putting off going to the eye doctor for 18 months now. I finally caved and went late yesterday afternoon. I knew walking in that BIFOCALS were in my future.

We go to an optometry practice owned by two women. They are fantastic and have always worked with us and been there when we had an emergency. So, my eye doc knew just how to handle this one. Yep, she told me it was time for progressive lenses and then showed me the difference they would make.

Astounding. She also spent quite a bit of time talking to me about how to make the adjustment to those types of lenses.

Then she handed me over to the gal who helped me pick my new glasses, measured me etc. This gal has been with these two docs for years and besides their financial gal, is one of the few 'old' faces in the practice. She also was quite helpful and reassuring.

So, my new specs will be in in the next 7-10 days. Off on yet another new adventure.

In other news, I was able to spend a good chunk of time yesterday working on planning five possible programs for our town reading event. My next meeting for that is in the next week, so we will see what the committee thinks of my proposal.

Our new kitchen appliances were delivered and installed yesterday. The dishwasher works, but makes a horrible, steady, buzzing sound. Back it goes. Well, once they get a new one to replace it. Hubby is handling all of that.

But, the new shiny appliances look great and update the kitchen. Of course they now make my countertops looks even more dated and even more green, if that is possible.

No walking today....couldn't haul this bifocal needing body out of bed soon enough today.

Wednesday, June 6, 2012

what to do at work when there is nothing to do

Hmmmmmm. I've been asking myself this question a lot and I can usually come up with some 'things' to keep myself occupied until my boss gives me a task. I always start the day, once he arrives and gets settled, with a conversation focusing on what we need to get done that day.

I ask for work.

Sometimes, like yesterday, I might be given a project that takes up an hour of the day. Other days, I might be lucky enough to get a project that can take the whole morning! Score!

I spent most of yesterday doing background research on the convention speakers I identified as possible feature article possibilities. So, I got to read about a wildlife biologist and a bio-ethics philosopher. I kept myself entertained and actually learned quite a bit about those folks in case my idea for writing articles about them actually gets approved.

I'm sure once they truly decide to DO this magazine I was hired to help with, I will have work to do. Nothing moves quickly in my place of employment and new ideas are looked at with suspicion a with an eye on how much more work it would entail.

This attitude is not an age thing. Could it be a southern thing? Or is it just how the workforce is today? Everyone hides in their cubbies afraid to stick their heads out and actually DO SOMETHING!

Yesterday an hour was devoted to giving the receptionist her lunch break. Today I might work on what/how I want to train my replacement over in my old job.

Do I miss my old job? Yes. I do miss it. I always had things to do. Perhaps in six months time I will be longing for these long, slow, boring days.

But this week, it is just about to drive me nuts.


Tuesday, June 5, 2012

nada

The big nada-nada enchilada today. I got up and walked this morning! Whoo!! The sedentary nature of my job has not done anything for my overall well being, so I am walking in the morning, and at lunch, and at night.

And that is all I have today......Happy Tuesday.

Monday, June 4, 2012

No walking this morning

Good thing we walked twice yesterday as a big storm system moved through and we will not be venturing out this morning until it is time to leave for work.  It is still thundering and such and the rain is coming in waves.

Lovely. We really needed the water. But, rainy days and Mondays always do get me down as the old song goes.

I didn't get nearly enough stuff done this weekend. I guess I need to revise my 'to do' list for the week.

The week in general is crammed full of doctor, dentist, and eye doctor appointments for the kids and for me. They also have VBS and the June babysitting gig starts for the middle kid. Lots and lots going on.

Better come up with a plan of attack.