Snowed In

Yes, it's true. Raleigh finally received a good amount of snow this winter. It started Friday night and lasted until Saturday morning before turning over to sleet. The snow wasn't very packable; therefore, it wasn't good for snowballs. Normally, snow in Raleigh makes for some good fights.

So during the whole weekend, I was holed up in the shelter of my humble abode. Mom and I sat and slept and watched TV and anything else we wanted to do that didn't require going outside (except to feed Brittany and Bob). Dad, being the caged animal he is, couldn't just stay inside and went to work. People were slipping and sliding all over the area these past two days. I laugh at them because they act like the world will come to an end if they have to stay in their house during bad weather. It has never bothered me one ounce! Take the time to just relax and enjoy the time to take a break from the everyday stress.

I guess work will beckon tomorrow morning. I did find out that there is a 3 hour delay but I wasn't sure if that included us in the DC. Whether it does or doesn't will not matter to me either. I will get there when I get there even if it is 3 hours late. I really don't want to end up on top of some Carolina pine tree trying to get to work to place a special order for a person that wouldn't appreciate the sacrifice I just made to get there to order his part.

I still think I have been transported to a northern state because of this winter! It makes me want to click my heels three times and say,

"There's no place like home! There's no place like home! There's no place like home!"

Unfortunately, ruby slippers don't come in my size. I wonder if the same thing could be accomplished with Skechers? Hmmm...I might have to test that theory...

Go to the Source

One thing that chaps my hide worse than riding on a horse naked is when people that have a problem with someone don't go directly to the source of the problem. Instead, they get other people involved and create a sticky web of entangled threads that takes a double degree in physics and chemistry to break through.

Case in point: Work....always work!

I arrived this morning to another wonderful week full of special orders and stupid questions. Not long after the day started, my boss asked me about an order that my co-worker placed on Friday. The customer wanted it delivered on Saturday, but the order failed to show up. Instead of waiting till Monday to ask the person that placed the order, he called up some other individual that had no idea about the order to begin with and that phone call started a flurry of emails back and forth questioning our special order procedures and why it wasn't ordered as wanted by the customer. By the time this morning rolled around, everyone was buried under an avalanche of emails.

The simple solution was to call myself or my co-worker directly. No one could have done anything about it during the weekend anyway because the supplier was closed. When I was asked, my first thought was that the little town didn't get Saturday delivery. But then I called the supplier and found out they had shipped the order ground instead of next day Saturday delivery. Case closed. Yeah, the customer still didn't get the part today, but at least the blame now rests squarely on the shipper, not the person that placed the order. But to melt down the large snow drift piled high on the call center, more emails and phone calls and faxed proofs had to be made in order to "prove" that we were blameless.

What a way to start off a week! I hope I heal before tomorrow and I won't have a repeat of the "chapped hide syndrome".

Fun Fluff

1. When was the last time you craved a food--what was it, and did you eat it? It was Saturday morning around 1 AM while watching the movie Flywheel. It was peanut butter and yes, I did eat it even though I had already brushed my teeth. The craving would have only gotten worse. I only had a heaping teaspoon full! :-)

2. M & M's or Skittles? M&M's (Peanut!!)

3. Have you ever read the Bible completely through? Yes, I have.

4. How long does it take you to really wake up in the morning? If I am going to work, I am awake right after the shower. However, the shower may be longer on some days! On days off, I lay in bed till I am awake and then take my time finishing the wake up process. Total time depends on the hour I went to bed.

5. Have you ever been on a cruise? No, but I would love to go on an Alaskan, Mediterranean, or similar cruise. I'm not one for 24/7 parties in the sun.

6. Who is your favorite actress? I really don't have a favorite actress. I just like the movie and don't go see a movie based on who stars in it.

7. ______ is something that I will just never understand. Ignorance

8. How much of a technology junkie are you? I would say a semi-junkie. I don't have to have the latest or greatest gadget out there. However, I do like to stay as current as I can.

9. Do you enjoy selecting greeting cards for people, or is it more of a cultural "have to" for you? I used to get cards all the time because I wanted to, but lately I don't do it because I feel that they end up mostly forgotten and I'd rather show it in my life daily as only I can. :-)

10. When was the last time you got a new style/haircut? It's been about two years, I would guess. Basically, I changed how much was cut off and how it was cut off and then started combing it straight down. I still have a difficult time with my natural part sometimes. I can still remember Kellie's look...

11. What do you enjoy shopping for most? Gifts for my family.

12. What's the last thing you think of before you leave the house? I hope I beat the White Pickup-driving Maniac to the stoplight or else he will push me down Penny Road.

Control

Every human being alive wants to have control of their lives. I believe that is a natural part of human nature because we want to make sure our lives are governed by us and not anyone else or other outside force. Unfortunately, life will not let us always have control. In fact, there are times in our lives when we have no control of the situation and find ourselves floating in a rushing torrent that seems to never end. We then are fearful and will lose hope if the situation or our attitude doesn't change.

I have known several people during my life that are, for lack of a better phrase, control freaks. Everything and everyone has to be tightly controlled by them so that they can make it through the day. Others I have known like control but are not as obsessed with it and, in my opinion, lead a happier life because of it.

Control people are always planning every detail and try to control every aspect of their lives as if their very lives depended on it. They are the ones that set goal after goal after goal, manipulate every situation to their benefit, and will use whatever means they have available to make sure no one stands in their way. They will not let go of anything and can end up harboring resentment, bitterness, and anger at anyone or anything that gets in their way, including God. One of the hardest things a control person has to do is to let go.

Letting go is very scary. It's the fear of the unknown that can paralyze anyone, and control people fear that emotion the most. This fear causes them to cling all the harder and wrestle the control back into their possession. But when they start trying to regain control, fighting against anything in their path, they being to push away the people that are closest to them and even try to push God out without being totally conscious of such actions.

When life doesn't go their way, they get angry and look for ways to make themselves regain control of their plans. The more they try to regain control, the more frustrated and angrier they become. Woe be to anyone near them at the times when they feel the most out of control. Bad choices are made. Angry words are spoken. Resentful silence is enacted. A small, but very powerful, wedge is slowly hammered into place between the controller and the people they love.

God never wants us to live in that manner. His plan for all our lives is to let Him control our lives and let Him be the originator of the outcomes. Several people from the Bible exhibited such traits--Lot and his family, David, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob. All tried to handle life their own way and control their own destiny, so to speak. But in the end, they made a complete mess of it and God had to intervene to get them back on track.

Why not just let God have control at all times? It certainly is the less complicated way. Yes, there will be times of uncertainty and feelings of floating in a raging river, but when we rest in the knowledge that our omniscient, omnipotent God is in control, then we will have no fear of the outcome and can begin to enjoy the journey. Life's too short to keep clinging to the bondage control forces us into.

God says, "Let Me handle all your concerns."

In doing so, we will end up being a more balanced, happier person that enjoys every aspect of life. And that, my friend, is the way God intends it.

Small Word

A few weeks ago, I wrote here about how I started walking in laughing. Today, I ended up walking out laughing. The day started normal enough with a few orders. Not long after the day began, I received an email from my boss informing me that I needed to take a required e-learning course on hazardous materials. Every year we have to take these same lessons over again and I have arrived at the point of just going through the motions without paying much attention to the material. There is always a short quiz at the end to see how well you know the material. I wasn't worried. There would be no problems since I have taken them so many times before.

Wrong.

One of the quizzes had 4 questions on it. I breezed through the first 3 questions and passed them with flying colors and was ready to conquer the last one and finish this hindrance to my day. The question was easy enough. It was testing me on the three ways of gaining exposure to a hazardous material. Simple, I said. Inhalation. Ingestion. Absorption.

I read the question as choosing the three correct answers, leaving the incorrect answer blank. So I clicked on the first one (Inhalation). Immediately, the question was finished and told me in no uncertain terms that I had missed it. WHAT???? How can that be??? Of course, inhalation is a valid means of being exposed to a chemical. There is obviously a glitch in the program for this question.

Upon speaking to my manager, he said he would take care of it and called the proper people. I went on with my day knowing that I could return to that particular section to retake the quiz and finish the module. After lunch, I retried it with the same result...TWICE!!! So I again told my boss, and he told me to call PC help. With a quizzical look in my eyes, I said OK and proceeded to do just that. After talking with the help maven, I was still coming across the same problem. She then asked to connect to my computer and she went through the quiz with me. After answering the same question for a fifth or sixth time the same way, she pointed out to me a little word I was missing. Do you know what the word was???

NOT

Yes! That little word was a thorn in my flesh all day long! I was reading the question as I was supposed to choose the 3 ways of exposure when I was really supposed to choose the single way of not being exposed.

Well, I felt like an absolute idiot! Here I am ranting each and every day about people not following instructions or not reading the words in front of them or for just being plain dumb when I follow right in their footsteps over an ever so small, but extremely important, word!! Of course, when I actually understood the question for what it really was, I answered it correctly and passed the exam and the course. I then, somewhat sheepishly, thanked the maven and went about my merry way. When my manager asked what the problem was, I evasively answered that it was because I couldn't read correctly and dropped the subject. His response was a very slow roll of the eyes.

What more can one do after such a huge blunder?? Laugh. And laugh is what I did. Not a guffaw that would awaken the curiosity of my fellow co-workers. No! Never! More like a internal chuckle that wouldn't end because of the absolutely inane problem I had with my grasp of the English language. Oh well, I guess we all have those moments in time and today was certainly mine.

Here's hoping this moment won't make a return visit to me for a very, very long time.

Teaching Outdoors

Lately, I have been catching up on some magazine reading that I have neglected for way too long. One article that I read tells about a kindergarten teacher who is an outdoorsman. He brings his love of the outdoors into his classroom and uses everything about outdoors to teach his students everyday concepts from math to science to language to word recognition. Using various tools such as deer antlers, turtle shells, track imprints, skulls, feathers, and more, he opens the eyes of the children to the outside world around them and causes them to being to appreciate the beauty of the natural world around them. Several times a year, he takes them on short field trips to pick strawberries at a local farm, to walk through the woods searching for items left behind by nature, or just to be outside soaking in the possibilities of learning there. He routinely mentions his love of hunting and fishing without forcing it onto their impressionable minds. He also has future plans to build an elevated blind on a piece of nearby property where the kids can just watch silently and observe nature going about its normal routine.

I am really impressed by his methods of teaching. His love for the outdoors shows in everything he does. Most of the parents are supportive of his methods but there are a few who are concerned that their child will be negatively affected by them, especially when he mentions hunting and fishing. He listens to their concerns and then explains that he doesn't focus on the killing aspect of a hunt. He just shows hunting and fishing as a natural part of the environment. I agree totally. The more humans remove themselves from any interaction with nature, the more they want to just ignore it and act as if they can live without it. One doesn't have to actually kill an animal to interact with it. There are always other ways such as birdwatching, kayaking, or hiking that can keep us in contact with the natural world.

It's a shame that there are not more like him in our schools today, not just in the USA but worldwide. I see a growing general trend across the globe (especially in urban areas) where most people have no knowledge of the outdoors nor do they have one ounce of interest in learning anything about it. I am constantly amazed at the ignorance out there when it comes to common facts about nature. People can't tell the difference between well-known animals like deer and antelope let alone something as obscure as a Dusky Wood-swallow (Artamus cyanopterus). If it's not a video game, a club, or any other venue of entertainment, people could care less about their surroundings. I realize that not everyone has a great interest in the outdoors. We are all diverse in our likes and dislikes. However, I am convinced that if children are shown how to appreciate nature and to learn from it, they will grow to be more responsible adults and think twice about their actions before doing them. God has commanded His children to care for His creation as a loving father would care for his child. Have we really followed that commandment?

Nice

One of the facets of working with people that really gets under my skin is the excess niceness of some individuals. I am all for being nice and genial and a respecter of persons, but when one carries it to the extreme, it leads to a general feeling of falseness. Given enough emphasis, the person will eventually scream "I'M FAKE" from every pore of their being.

Lately, I have been experiencing this facet first hand at work. This particular person seems to be one that strongly desires affirmations from others. I am not sure of the reasons behind such behavior, nor do I want to try to plumb their depths by nosing into this person's business. However, some days, it's all I can do not to just slap the "nice" out of her. Many of the customers "love" her and are always calling for her because they believe she is "looking out for them". In reality, she wants to be their "hero". I used to think that of her when I was in the store, but when I began to really work around her, I noticed a lot of inconsistencies. She is always "nice" and "helpful" when on the phone, but when you are around her for a long period of time, you realize that it's all a show to get people to like her.

Less anyone misunderstands me, I am all for being nice and helpful but for the right reasons. Don't act nice to someone's face and then turn around and talk about them. Be honest and forthcoming. Some things can't be sugar-coated with icky false sincerity. If Cinderella's shoe hurts her ingrown toenail, she still needs to wear it because it's her shoe. And lastly, if more people practiced letting people like them for who they are and not for the front they put up, this world would be a little "nicer" place.

My Humor

I have often self-described my sense of humor as a little left of center. There are quite a few things that many people are hooting and hollering about that I find no humor in whatsoever, but in other things where the same people see no humor, I am giggling like a school girl.

While working today, a scene played out that epitomizes my brand of humor to a T. To some, it might not be funny because sometimes it's all about location, but allow me to replay it here.

The setup: Everyone was working except for one co-worker (Marie) who had gone to lunch. Since it was cold, she was warming soup in the kitchen. Another co-worker (Donna) went to ask her a question for a customer that was on the phone. I was feverishly ordering parts and filling out paperwork at my desk when Donna walked back into the office.

The scene:

Donna: "She's in the kitchen."

Me: "Is she with Dinah?"

Donna: "What?"

Me: "Is she with Dinah?"

Donna has a very confused look.

Me: "Who's in the kitchen?"

Donna: "Marie."

Javier (the boss): "You're confusing her, Kevin."

Me: "Is she in the kitchen with Dinah?"

Donna (light clicks on): "Uh, Kevin!"

Me (laughing): "Is she strummin' on the ol' banjo?"

I still chuckle thinking about it. It has always been a hoot for me to bring something into a conversation that is linked to the topic in some small way but really has nothing to do with it. I love to see the reactions from the people involved. Some are very confused; some shake their heads; some laugh with me (I say, those people get it!)

To end this humor-filled entry, I will share one of my favorite "pull-ins" for this time of the year. It goes something like this:

Person: "It certainly is chilly outside today."

Me: "Yes, it is! And I like mine with beans!"

Me, Myself, and Ice

Well, the New Year has certainly started off with a couple of bangs! The first two days back at work were some of the busiest days I have ever had because my co-worker took two days of vacation.

I was alone.

By myself.

Solo.

I knew it would be hectic, but I didn't think crazy hectic would come into play in the coldest month of the year. I came in on Monday already behind because of the orders placed last week that couldn't be processed because of suppliers being closed for the holiday. While trying to quickly handle them, new orders began pouring in and I was soon inundated with paper that weighed my inbox down. My boss (bless his heart!) kindly offered to take all the requests for freight, availability, and prices while I only concentrated on placing the orders. When I left Monday night, I had a stack of orders in my box that was over 1/2 inch thick. Tuesday morning started with a repeat of Monday and didn't let up until this morning. I can hardly wait until the busy season when it's fully expected that orders are coming in from every which way. (I really hope my loyal followers can pick up on the sarcasm that is heavily dripping from every word of that last sentence.)

The second big bang of the new year is the cold weather. Most of the nation is in a below normal winter weather pattern that has it's icy grip on everything. The Triangle has had daily highs below 40°F for the past week with most of those days not getting above 32°F. Lows have been in the low 20s or upper teens!! With so much constant cold temperatures, local ponds and lakes have started freezing over. The pond at work is almost a solid sheet of ice with little free water open for anything to swim. Granted, the ice layer isn't that deep, but it's still impressive for central North Carolina. It's been fun watching to geese react to the ice. Some just stand on it like it's dry land. Others slowly step, slide, step, slide their way across to more pleasant surroundings like the open water. Every now and then, one of them will make their way across a thinner patch of ice and break through with a splash. Watching them try to escape their icy trap was a highlight of lunch time for me. Today, wind-driven dry leaves imitated crabs at the beach as they skittered across the icy surface of the frozen pond while small balls of fluff made like tumbleweeds tumbling across the desert floor.

Hmmmm...did anyone notice how my analogies are from warmer climes???

I think I will rewrite Irving Berlin's "White Christmas"...

I'm dreaming of a hot July.
Just like the ones I used to know.
Where the sunlight shines,
And children pine
To eat icy balls of snow.

I'm dreaming of a hot July
With every shiver that I form.
May your days be merry and warm.
And with heat, your Julys just swarm.

2010

2010

A very hearty welcome to a brand new year!
January 1 is a time to cheer!
You arrived on time and full of potential
That lasts for twelve months sequential.

Everyone greeted you with such delight
As they rang you in loudly throughout the night.
All the while they were making a brand new decision
That will usually end up marred by spiteful derision.

We all want to be treated with tender, loving care
And to be given our desires with hullabaloo and flare.
But sometimes God has something else in mind,
And gives us our needs with the purpose He designed.

He uses those plans to shape and to mold,
And when we're hardheaded, He sometimes will scold.
As your days pass by, us He will guide
And show us that in Him is where we need to abide.

So thank you in advance for what you will soon teach us.
I am hopeful we will learn without too much of a fuss.
For all that is to come in this new decade, year one,
I pray we will grow to be more like the Son.