When I said I knew remodeling would be stressful, that was me, once again, having no idea what I was getting myself in to. Which makes sense- if a house could have a theme, mine would be, "absolutely clueless." It is amazing just how little you can know before you jump into major things.
I'm trying really hard to "go with the flow" and find my zen place, because there's really not an alternative since my house is in chaos and will be until the kitchen is finished, so I just have to deal with it. Also, I am really excited to have a new kitchen and I know this will go by quickly and so I'm trying not to complain, but rather, just be appreciative that it can happen.
But I feel like I want to SCREAM!! I have an oven, refrigerator, dishwasher and every other kitchen item in my living room. Puppy isn't dealing with the chaos well, so she's anxious and upset. My already messy roommates think that a little mess means that it is a free for all, so why not track mud through the house or leave dishes in every random corner. It's dusty and messy everywhere and I really want my life to go back to normal.
I know it will be worth it, but I feel like I am going crazy!
Friday, October 30, 2009
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Brilliant Idea
I need to stop having brilliant ideas. Because usually "brilliant" can be substituted for expensive, painful and/or way more complicated than I realize.
The last brilliant idea I had was to become a CPR instructor so that I could train my staff at the beginning of each summer. Efficient, convenient, and cost saving. I am the smartest Camp Director alive. Which brought me to my latest plan- become a lifeguard instructor. It costs between $250-$350 to certify someone to be a lifeguard. Each summer, we pay for 3-6 staff to be trained. In addition to being a reoccurring expense, it is always a huge pain to find classes and get everything scheduled. So if I could train them, it would save money, I could train a big group on my own schedule and in the end, have lots of lifeguards. Brilliant.
You don't even have to be a certified lifeguard to become an instructor. You just have to be able to pass the lifeguard test, which I was assured by several people is relatively easy. You have to swim 300 yards, do a few other things, pass a written test and then you can go on to the instructor course. I have ample time, and it is a simple enough thing to do- BRILLIANT PLAN.
Which brings us to today. I decided it would be a good idea to get in the pool and see where I'm at with swimming. I figured I could swim a few days a week for the next few weeks and then I'd be ready to move on to the other lifeguard stuff.
I asked the lifeguard how far you have to swim for the test. 300 yards. Quick math in my head... that's only 15 laps in the pool. And it was a small pool. The two elderly women who were swimming were cruising back and forth. No problem.
Swimming is not like riding a bike. It does not come back to you if you haven't done it in a while. Running three miles a day might mean that you have a basic level of physical fitness, but it doesn't mean you can swim. Goggles and a swim cap make you look like you know what you are doing, but flailing around makes you look like an idiot that can’t swim.
So, it turns out, I can't swim. My arms and legs didn't move at the same time. I didn't know when to breathe and when to put my head under water, so I tried not breathing at all (fail) and then swam with my head above water (goggles on top of my head instead of on my face). I don't know if it was more agonizing to do or to watch, but the lifeguard had the distinct look on her face that said, "oh jeez! I'm going to have to jump in and save her at some point."
After 2 laps, the lifeguard interrupted me, saying, "I don't want to bother you, but..." She gave me some very helpful tips about breathing and kicking and encouraged me each time I tried one of her suggestions. It was helpful. I made it through 15 laps. I did not look like Michael Phelps, but I also didn't have to be rescued, so I'm calling it a success. After that, I switched to using a kick board so I could practice "kicking from my hips" which I couldn't seem to make my body do, but I spent 45 minutes making funny faces while concentrating deeply while attempting.
I think months of practice will eventually get me swimming kick board free. And after that, I can work on 300 yards of continuous swimming. This is going to be a long road of thrashing around, embarrassing myself and attempting to avoid drowning. Brilliant idea...
The last brilliant idea I had was to become a CPR instructor so that I could train my staff at the beginning of each summer. Efficient, convenient, and cost saving. I am the smartest Camp Director alive. Which brought me to my latest plan- become a lifeguard instructor. It costs between $250-$350 to certify someone to be a lifeguard. Each summer, we pay for 3-6 staff to be trained. In addition to being a reoccurring expense, it is always a huge pain to find classes and get everything scheduled. So if I could train them, it would save money, I could train a big group on my own schedule and in the end, have lots of lifeguards. Brilliant.
You don't even have to be a certified lifeguard to become an instructor. You just have to be able to pass the lifeguard test, which I was assured by several people is relatively easy. You have to swim 300 yards, do a few other things, pass a written test and then you can go on to the instructor course. I have ample time, and it is a simple enough thing to do- BRILLIANT PLAN.
Which brings us to today. I decided it would be a good idea to get in the pool and see where I'm at with swimming. I figured I could swim a few days a week for the next few weeks and then I'd be ready to move on to the other lifeguard stuff.
I asked the lifeguard how far you have to swim for the test. 300 yards. Quick math in my head... that's only 15 laps in the pool. And it was a small pool. The two elderly women who were swimming were cruising back and forth. No problem.
Swimming is not like riding a bike. It does not come back to you if you haven't done it in a while. Running three miles a day might mean that you have a basic level of physical fitness, but it doesn't mean you can swim. Goggles and a swim cap make you look like you know what you are doing, but flailing around makes you look like an idiot that can’t swim.
So, it turns out, I can't swim. My arms and legs didn't move at the same time. I didn't know when to breathe and when to put my head under water, so I tried not breathing at all (fail) and then swam with my head above water (goggles on top of my head instead of on my face). I don't know if it was more agonizing to do or to watch, but the lifeguard had the distinct look on her face that said, "oh jeez! I'm going to have to jump in and save her at some point."
After 2 laps, the lifeguard interrupted me, saying, "I don't want to bother you, but..." She gave me some very helpful tips about breathing and kicking and encouraged me each time I tried one of her suggestions. It was helpful. I made it through 15 laps. I did not look like Michael Phelps, but I also didn't have to be rescued, so I'm calling it a success. After that, I switched to using a kick board so I could practice "kicking from my hips" which I couldn't seem to make my body do, but I spent 45 minutes making funny faces while concentrating deeply while attempting.
I think months of practice will eventually get me swimming kick board free. And after that, I can work on 300 yards of continuous swimming. This is going to be a long road of thrashing around, embarrassing myself and attempting to avoid drowning. Brilliant idea...
Friday, October 9, 2009
Annual Review
My annual review was scheduled for yesterday morning after the monthly Board meeting. I didn't find out that the Board President had a meeting and would need to push my review back to next month until the meeting started. Super annoying... and really disrespectful. J wanted me to argue with him or to say something. But I'm not going to and here's why.
For 9 months out of the year, I have complete flexibility. Sometimes I don't get to work until 10am. Sometimes I leave work at 2pm. Sometimes I arrive at 10 and leave at 2. When it gets too cold, or when putting on jeans and trudging the 7 miles into the office is just too much, I work from home- cuddled under a blanket on my couch in my pajamas with my laptop and a snack. The other 3 months is busy and exhausting, but the majority of my to-do list includes things like, "make jello, throw jello at kids, go swimming to wash off" or "go to campfire, eat s'mores, sing songs."
Even more important to me than the flexibility is the creative control I have. I have changed every single detail about this camp (and now that we are beginning our Capital Campaign, I'm even changing the layout of the camp). I run things by the Board and even ask permission sometimes, but mostly, I can do anything I want (which is how we ended up with "pirates and ninjas week" for next summer). I love being able to just let my imagination run wild.
These things, the fact that I make a great living, my dog comes to work with me every day and other than once a month when I have to grit my teeth and deal with a clueless Board (who are actually incredibly supportive, compliment me a lot and couldn't be nicer- they are just a bit out of touch with what it actually takes to run a camp), 99% of the time, I love every minute of my job.
I don't believe there is a perfect job that is never annoying or frustrating or stressful. I think the key is finding a job that is fabulous a larger percent of the time than it is annoying. And so, my 99% awesomeness ratio is probably the best I can possibly do. And I am very appreciative of that. So my review getting pushed back is something I can ignore. It's not like I can threaten to go get a better job with more flexibility, more creative control, or that's more fun.
And really, sometimes these little annoyances make me stop and consider the situation and in the end, I feel more appreciative of my situation than ever before. Even a really awesome review and a raise wouldn't have necessarily done that....
For 9 months out of the year, I have complete flexibility. Sometimes I don't get to work until 10am. Sometimes I leave work at 2pm. Sometimes I arrive at 10 and leave at 2. When it gets too cold, or when putting on jeans and trudging the 7 miles into the office is just too much, I work from home- cuddled under a blanket on my couch in my pajamas with my laptop and a snack. The other 3 months is busy and exhausting, but the majority of my to-do list includes things like, "make jello, throw jello at kids, go swimming to wash off" or "go to campfire, eat s'mores, sing songs."
Even more important to me than the flexibility is the creative control I have. I have changed every single detail about this camp (and now that we are beginning our Capital Campaign, I'm even changing the layout of the camp). I run things by the Board and even ask permission sometimes, but mostly, I can do anything I want (which is how we ended up with "pirates and ninjas week" for next summer). I love being able to just let my imagination run wild.
These things, the fact that I make a great living, my dog comes to work with me every day and other than once a month when I have to grit my teeth and deal with a clueless Board (who are actually incredibly supportive, compliment me a lot and couldn't be nicer- they are just a bit out of touch with what it actually takes to run a camp), 99% of the time, I love every minute of my job.
I don't believe there is a perfect job that is never annoying or frustrating or stressful. I think the key is finding a job that is fabulous a larger percent of the time than it is annoying. And so, my 99% awesomeness ratio is probably the best I can possibly do. And I am very appreciative of that. So my review getting pushed back is something I can ignore. It's not like I can threaten to go get a better job with more flexibility, more creative control, or that's more fun.
And really, sometimes these little annoyances make me stop and consider the situation and in the end, I feel more appreciative of my situation than ever before. Even a really awesome review and a raise wouldn't have necessarily done that....
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