August 2016 Daily Stepping

[Lyndon]

Keeping up with writing project, at something over a thousand words a day. A lot of that is discussion, and chit-chat!

Starting to catch up with the LIVE THE LIFE YOU LOVE book club. Memory Deck of what motivates or de-motivates met. 3 of my top 5 motivators had the word “learn” in them. This is not a surprise.

Also had a motivating annoyance from the staffing agency that got me comfortable and often enjoyable dead-end almost-good-enough job. If I keep on another year at this job, I’d lose at least 11 days pay compared to last couple years.

For a temp agency they’ve been very good at finding me interesting Lyndon-friendly assignments where I could help the clients a lot. Also, up until last week they had a very good frosting of benefits for a temp agency. Paid holidays (not all of them, but a fair chunk), a “longevity bonus” which was an extra week’s pay after 1800 hours – so we could well afford a good vacation - and since last year paid sick leave, which is highly unusual.

Last week they announced a change that holiday and longevity bonus required 2100 hours in the preceding 52 weeks.

Since 52 weeks times 40 hours a week is 2080 hours – and this current assignment’s contract has no provision for overtime – this is impossible.

The longevity bonus also went down from 40 hours to 20 hours. But since I’d just get zero hours unless I did a bunch of overtime hours, that is just frosting on the cake of annoyance. (At work my boss said “Have you noticed you use a lot of food metaphors?”)

So, I should budget at least the time I would lose if I stick around to doing something to upgrade my work situation.

Fume. Fume.

Convenient to be in a book club on “Stop just getting by – and start getting the most out of your work, your goals, your life!” just right now.

I haven’t determined just what steps I’ll take next.

To be continued.

[Elaine Glimme]

Interesting about the temp job. I've had temp jobs. Things were different then.

Good wishes to all steppers.

Me. - just got back. We took Tom's mother to Mendocino for a couple of days. We have had some sad times, and everyone needed to get away. Tom's mother did really well. She can walk, but we took a wheel chair along with us so that we could do more cruising than otherwise. We went to the botanical gardens (one mile) and she wanted to know where we were going next. But I think I broke my husband. He was the one pushing the wheel chair through gravel, and apparently he wasn't supposed to be doing any heavy lifting yet. Oops! Two fires right next to our property. What is it with us going on a vacation and fires? Both are out. Cal Fire was able to get them under control before either got really big. (They were less than one hundred acres each.)

Today's our last try for Molly's video. I don't think it's going to be as good as what I pictured in my mind, but hopefully we can make it happen. Meanwhile I have goofed off all morning and now I have to get ready. Also I have ambitious plans for my writing. But the video has to come first.

Keep on steppin' (or not - as you wish)

[inspiresuccess]

Hi Elaine,

I posted some encouragement for the video on my design thread. Hope all goes well! Your comment about it not looking as good in reality, as it does in your mind, is a good observation. Most of the time, stuff always looks better in our minds. So much easier!

The bottom line is, you're going to get it done! And you know it's going to live up to MOST of your expectations.

Can't wait to hear what you get done!

Inspire

[Elaine Glimme]

Thanks, Inspire. You must have been a great teacher.

We didn't shoot the video. We're tentatively scheduled for this coming Thursday, but it may not happen due to illness in the family of one of our team. The good side of that is that it gives me more time to work with Molly. She has "up," and "sit," and "eat treats" down pretty well. But she has trouble with "stay." Also, there are technical issues that I'm improving.

Another fire! Tom thinks there's a fire bug in the area. I think he's right. This one is 4,000 acres, 5% contained as of this morning, and less than a mile away from our property. Everyone's safe. Mom and Tom are staying with a friend, and another friend who had to evacuate is staying at the ranch taking care of animals. The road is open to fire fighters, so he can leave if he has to. The good part is that all the land around our property has been mowed, so it's unlikely that our property will burn.

[inspiresuccess]

Thanks, Inspire. You must have been a great teacher. Thank you.

... she has trouble with "stay." I've always had trouble with "stay" myself!

So sorry to hear about the fires. Does "fire bug" mean "arsonist"?

[Elaine Glimme]

Hi, everyone,

Winds are blowing the fire to the east, away from our property and towards the grasslands which burned last year in the Rocky Fire. Tom and his mother are back at home. They have power but no running water. So we're all okay. I doubt they'd let Tom's mother back if there were any danger. Yes, fire bug means arsonist. It's scary- the fires did so much damage last year. On a positive note - last year was such a bad year for fires, that there's not much dry grass to burn.

Lyndon, your word numbers are impressive. I'm glad it's working well for you.

Lynx, I'm glad you have some closure.

[Lynx]

HI everyone,

Thankful that all are safe, even if a bit inconvenienced by the fires. And to think someone is setting them just boggles the mind. What was broken in their upbringing that this would be something they "enjoy" doing?

I'm pacing and bracing myself for a run of very busy days over the next 12 or days. Attending a conference and writing articles about it. Conferences alone are hard due to the effort it takes to hear well, see well, and comprehend well. Plus one is often having a nice chat with several people in the noisy midst of a banquet hall.

Oy vey.

Lynx

[Elaine Glimme]

Hope your conference goes well, Lynx, and that the speakers are good. What's the topic?

[Lynx]

Hi all,

It's the American Sociological Association conference. Up to 6000 attendees. Runs Friday through Tuesday, and then there are fringe events like receptions and add-on meetings.

I'm looking at what they say around activism and #blacklivesmatter and local Seattle issues like housing and pushing people out of their homes.

Lynx

[Elaine Glimme]

Lynx, awesome! Have a great time.

Lyndon, awesome numbers. Wishing you good creative vibes.

Inspire, wishing you good creative and happy vibes. You do inspire success.

Elizabeth, Square Peg, and anyone I don't know who might be visiting here - Good wishes and good vibes.

Me - Some family stuff. I may not be posting here for a while. Please don't cross me off your list of steppers.

[inspiresuccess]

Elaine,

Good luck with dealing with the family issues. You are always in our hearts.

We will "hold your space" in the steppers group and the Boards.

Hope to see you back here as soon as possible.

We will miss you.

Inspire

[Lynx]

Hi ya'll,

Day first of conference. Got my press credentials with minimum trouble. Woohoo! Attended a workshop for my own education on use of census data. Got a chance to break away for a backyard picnic to celebrate the opening of the new writer resource center. Then back to the conference for a couple hours of evening speeches. All too long but interesting in part.

Some housekeeping (filing copies of data, etc). then off to sleep for tomorrow.

Lynx

[inspiresuccess]

Lynx,

First day sounds good -- press creds, using data workshop, new writer research center...

I hope the rest of the conference goes as well.

Inspire

[Lynx]

Hi
Thanks Inspired, so far some interesting. Marked up my program and then left it on a table somewhere. Hope to find it this morning. Of course it had some notes stuffed in it ...

The art of losing things isn't hard to master ... https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems- ... tail/47536

Lynx

[inspiresuccess]

Lynx,

I love the losing things poem! I'm going to list the link in my Quotes thread.