4 + 4
Yesterday was the 4th of July and for the first time in a VERY long time, I actually had a Real Holiday off from work! This, in itself, is great cause for celebration. I have been working hard to find ways to cut hours (in an attempt to reduce overtime in our department), and this was a chance to put our ideas about early deadlines to the test. It worked! Previously, in my 7-year tenure at the paper, Thursday deadlines were simply not taken seriously.. not only by staff in other departments, but also by regular event contributors, who just ignored the posted holiday deadlines every single time. It was basically assumed that we would accommodate all their needs. While this may have had the appearance of working out in the past, in reality it did not. It meant I gave up a holiday or a weekend in order to complete all that late work. Since times have become leaner in the print media business, we have also had to tighten up our work belts. Overtime has also become a thing of the past. And, as far as late contributors or staff requests go, I'm learning to just say no.
Instead of walking yesterday (Day 3), I rode my bike twice to the Capitol and back home again. I also hefted 3 blankets and two lawn chairs from our office building to the other side of the Square and back again.. working up quite a sweat each time. It was a good movement day.
At one point we had 12 people on my blankets at Concerts on the Square! It was a rousing fun evening, with a 50's-style vocal group, Five by Design, joining the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra for the majority of the program. Their boppity-bop tunes had the crowd tapping and bobbing their heads. Even folks walking down the sidewalk were getting their jive on! The WCO performed their traditional Independence Day version of the 1812 Overture, complete with live canons firing atop the Isthmus building. Every year they warn the crowd that it's coming, and every year the crowd all jumps in unison as the first round of canon shots are fired. Way too much fun to watch!
Today, Day 4, was back to work. First it felt like a Monday, and then the day just got progressively more confusing (as our email server became clogged by a newer sales rep, who didn't realize you can't send out massive amounts of data all at once without bringing our server to a screeching halt!) OUCH. So, I worked for 8 hours with virtually no incoming email today (which only constitutes about 95% of my job!) Needless to say, it never did feel like a Thursday to me.. but, on a positive note, I was able to clean out all existing event submissions for the upcoming issue and can start tomorrow (whatever day THAT is!) on a fresh note.
On this Day 4, I rode my bike to and from work.. and squeezed in an additional 20-minute walk after returning home from my Sweetheart's house, where I enjoyed a lovely low-key evening. She grilled steaks for the two of us and we oohed and ahhed over how great the seasonal fruit tasted. We pulled our portable folding camp chairs out of my car and sat in her front yard as the sun went down and the temps finally started to taper off. Beth watered her garden as we chatted.. and neighbor kids kept us entertained with their antics. Even the ice-cream truck, blaring its obnoxiously loud music as it did its neighborhood rounds, seemed a fitting end to the hot summer day.
Instead of walking yesterday (Day 3), I rode my bike twice to the Capitol and back home again. I also hefted 3 blankets and two lawn chairs from our office building to the other side of the Square and back again.. working up quite a sweat each time. It was a good movement day.
At one point we had 12 people on my blankets at Concerts on the Square! It was a rousing fun evening, with a 50's-style vocal group, Five by Design, joining the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra for the majority of the program. Their boppity-bop tunes had the crowd tapping and bobbing their heads. Even folks walking down the sidewalk were getting their jive on! The WCO performed their traditional Independence Day version of the 1812 Overture, complete with live canons firing atop the Isthmus building. Every year they warn the crowd that it's coming, and every year the crowd all jumps in unison as the first round of canon shots are fired. Way too much fun to watch!
Today, Day 4, was back to work. First it felt like a Monday, and then the day just got progressively more confusing (as our email server became clogged by a newer sales rep, who didn't realize you can't send out massive amounts of data all at once without bringing our server to a screeching halt!) OUCH. So, I worked for 8 hours with virtually no incoming email today (which only constitutes about 95% of my job!) Needless to say, it never did feel like a Thursday to me.. but, on a positive note, I was able to clean out all existing event submissions for the upcoming issue and can start tomorrow (whatever day THAT is!) on a fresh note.
On this Day 4, I rode my bike to and from work.. and squeezed in an additional 20-minute walk after returning home from my Sweetheart's house, where I enjoyed a lovely low-key evening. She grilled steaks for the two of us and we oohed and ahhed over how great the seasonal fruit tasted. We pulled our portable folding camp chairs out of my car and sat in her front yard as the sun went down and the temps finally started to taper off. Beth watered her garden as we chatted.. and neighbor kids kept us entertained with their antics. Even the ice-cream truck, blaring its obnoxiously loud music as it did its neighborhood rounds, seemed a fitting end to the hot summer day.
posted by DrStarbuck @ 7:57 PM
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