After owning a house, (yet not living in it yet 
) for a little more than a month, I’ve come to look forward to a much different thing at work than I have in the last 5 or so years. In all that time, I would always look forward to Friday and the following weekend. Monday’s sucked, as it is the furthest from the weekend, and the closer you got to Friday, the more bearable and painful work was. Week in and week out it was always the same. Just gotta survive the week and get to the weekend. It didn’t matter if all I did was veg all day the entire weekend, it was still the weekend and it was my choice to veg. Don’t get me wrong, I loved getting paid every 2 weeks, but money is a funny thing where it is so much more valuable the more you need it.
However, over the last 6 weeks or so, after paying for the home’s down payment, closing costs, etc, and paying bills left and right, visiting Home Depot every other day to buy this and that to fix the home, watching my checkbook constantly to make sure I have enough for this repair or that, I’ve come to change my work outlook. No longer am I solely looking forward to the weekend, but rather, I am so looking forward to payday. That money that goes into my account is like a breath of fresh air after drowning in water since the last paycheck. The worst part about looking forward to this instead is that it comes every 2 weeks, not every week like a weekend does! For the weeks that you do not get paid, you are just dying and hoping that it finally does come. And when that day comes, its like hallelujah I can afford to buy this or that now, or I can pay back my brother, or whatever.
Its so funny how you take money for granted when you veg and leach off of your parents. I was never rich by any means, but when you live rent free for a long time, you find that you can pretty much buy whatever it is that you want to buy, whenever you want to buy it. Clothes, video games, books, movies, going out, etc. Now? I gotta think and budget and forecast how much I can afford to spend on say a new door, or whether I should fix the bathroom first or the pool, etc. I am finally, I hope, nearing the finish line (well, not quite finish line as that always seems to keep moving back as I find other things to fix) and thus actually moving in soon. Once I do so, hopefully there will be much less spending on fixing and remodeling, which costs much more than normal maintenance stuff. After that finally happens, hopefully soon, I can start actually saving money again, and look forward to weekends again and not paydays at work.
Its Presidents Day, so just wanted to wish everyone a safe and happy day off, for those that get work off. It got me thinking, not only of this holiday, but in most holidays in general. Does anyone actually honor our presidents or care anything about this holiday other than the fact that you get the day off of work? I know many people celebrate 4th of July with fireworks, but are they really celebrating the country’s independence, or does it just give people a good excuse to light some explosives? I would say that Christmas is probably the most celebrated holiday for the entire country, although that holiday has really become more commercialized than anything else.
I’m not complaining in anyway whatsoever. Trust me. I live for the holidays and weekends, any excuse to get away from the daily grind and necessity of work. You just have to have them or you will have nothing to look forward to. There are not too many holidays anymore that I can really think of that outside a select group of people, (like serviceman and their families celebrating and honoring Veteran’s Day) the majority of American’s all celebrate and honor or remember. Its just another day off, and well, nothing at all wrong with that.
For some reason, I feel like I want to just go someplace, whether it be Vegas or wherever. True, gambling is not as fun and entertaining for me as it once was, I’ll still do so if I’m in Vegas, just not all night like I used to. Shows are always fun too, as is eating!!! I wouldn’t mind going back to that steak house Del Frisco’s Double Eagle I went to last time that had the best ribeye I’ve ever eaten at a steak house! Yes, I know its a bold statement, but that’s what I thought.
I don’t know why, but just feeling out of it of late. I’m at work just going through the motions, doing what’s assigned to me but just kind of wanting to win the lotto so that I don’t need to do so anymore. I know, I know. That’s what everyone always says they feel. However, of late, been feeling so more and more. Don’t know why. Is it because I’m reaching my 3 year mark at work and I’m getting bored? I don’t know about that. The work is still challenging and I keep busy. Yes its been the longest I’ve ever been at a company, but I don’t think I’m bored or not even challenged here. Maybe I just am feeling rebellious and free of mind and just want to do something on my own, whether it be my own company, or the aforementioned winning the lotto and doing whatever the hell I want?
I’ve said in the past and will continue to say so all the time. Whenever someone asks me how my work is, I’m like its ok. Its just work. I don’t care how challenging it is, or how busy I get or whatever, its just work. Unless its my own company, my own creation, my own baby, I will never be as passionate about it as probably executives wish for me to be. Sorry, that’s just how it is. Why would I work my butt off, kill myself, for a set salary with a ceiling? If it was my own company, I’d want it to do well, no matter how much work it took. But, working my ass off to earn already rich executives more money? Hell no. I work hard, yes. Passionate? No.
So, getting back to my original thoughts. Vegas anyone? Or wherever. I need to get away again, get my mind on fun stuff!
I thought that all men knew what I am about to say, but apparently not and so now I will have to talk about it. Isn’t it common knowledge that when a man is doing his business in front of the urinal, you not talk to him, don’t even look at him? There are only a few instances where talking should be allowed at all.
One, you and your friend are walking to the bathroom together and are having a conversation. When you both get to the urinal, your conversation is still going on, so you guys continue talking while whizzing. If you were not talking before getting to the urinal, then you have no need to start doing so while you guys are there!
Two, you go to the urinal, see that your friend or someone you know pretty well is next to you. You can say a quick hi, or how was your weekend with the sole expectation being that he will answer that question in a word or two like “Fine” or “It was good.” But that is it.
And you know what? That’s it! There should be no other reason for guys to be talking while at the urinal. And I bring this up why you ask? I was at work the other day doing my business when a coworker goes to the urinal next to me. He says hi, I look over to see who it is, I say hi back, and then turn my head back forward again. But, that was not the end of it. He then goes off talking about work and asking me this and that, and I’m like WTF!? Obviously I wasn’t a dick about it, even though I probably had every right to be! I just tried helping him out, although I know I didn’t do a very good job. What do you expect though? Its not like I had a computer in front of me and I could look up the stuff he was asking for!?
So, what’s the lesson to be learned here guys? Firstly, do not talk in front of the urinal unless you fall into the 2 situations I pointed out above. And, if you MUST, for some strange, odd, stupid, dumb, whatever reason have to go against these 2 rules, please, please, please talk about something social or leisurely and not business related. At least with the former, I might forgive your breaking of etiquette because you are just that friendly in any situation whatsoever. With the latter, I guarantee that unless you write my paycheck, you will not be getting my best answers.
I’ve been working for close to a decade now, and in that time have been at 4 different jobs. After working all this time, what I want to know is, when did thinking on your own or problem solving become a lost/rare art or skill?? I’m being serious now. Am I just smarter than everyone else? Are people just lazier than I give them credit for? Or is actually thinking and/or trying to figure out a problem something that the average worker can no longer do?
Over the years, at every place that I’ve worked at, when I cannot figure out how to do something, I do a very novel thing. I freaking figure out how to do it! I’m not a brain surgeon. I just work in an office. There are tons and tons of resources available with the advent of the internet. If you are stuck on a problem, then I guarantee that if you are not smart enough to figure it out on your own, then the answer is a quick google search away. Seriously, the vast majority of problems you will run into are not “impossible.”
But, over the years, that thought is lost on many people I have met and worked with. I have come across so many people who have refused to think on their own and instead go bother other coworkers with their issues. Now, I have no problem with asking a coworker for help. I do it quite often myself. But, its one thing to ask a quick question of a coworker like what table do I look for to get this data. Its quite another thing, for example, to ask them how literally to write the code to do your assignment. Hello!!! That’s what you are getting paid to do. So do it!
I keep reading all these articles that American workers on average work more hours than most other workers in the world and American companies are so much more efficient than their international brethren. Being firsthand witness working for small, medium, and large companies, I just gotta say this. If that is true, then how bad are other companies outside of the United States??!?
Now, obviously I’m exaggerating just a little bit. I mean, not EVERY coworker I have is like this. But, its just the few that do that annoy you and bother you so much that it makes you just go so crazy, makes you want to scream, makes you want attribute those characteristics to everyone! I guarantee that every one of you out there knows at least one person at your current place of employment where you just have to ask yourself everyday, “How does this guy still have a job” or “What the heck does that guy do?” or “That guy is freaking lazy.” These stupid, lazy, annoying, or whatever you want to call them people need to freaking pull their weight or people like me are going to go crazy one day.
I took my first ever online class last night, as many of you know since I posted about my experience in signing up for the class yesterday. And what are my thoughts on it?
Its not for me. In this case, I just don’t have the discipline to pay attention solely to the class when I’m online, especially when I’m in my bedroom. Now, the professor is nice. For those that don’t know how this works, I sign into the class with GoToMeeting.com. And then I see on my screen whatever is on the teacher’s screen. He was using power point slides the whole time and he talked into a microphone. He also used his mouse as a pointer and pen. As students, we could of hooked up a microphone and talked to him if we had questions, or I can just type in questions/comments without a microphone.
But, like I said, there are just too many distractions for me at home online. I feel no need to turn off my IM, no need to close my browser, no need to not answer my cell phone, no need to take notes. Now, to be fair, I’m only being like that because I can. This class I’m taking costs me no money, outside of time, and there are no grades and such.
When I was going to school still, I was a great student, taking notes and attending class, doing homework, studying, etc. College costs me money, and my grades were definitely important in graduating and getting a good job afterward, so you can bet I’d do all that work. If it were online, would I do the same? I think that I would, but I don’t think I could of learned as effectively as I would if I was actually in class and seeing the teacher. I don’t know why. I think its just because its how I’ve always taken classes, and so I’m not used to not doing that. A preference thing, kind of like how I can never write the first draft of a paper on the computer, it has to be paper and pencil. My friend is the exact opposite. I think he’s forgotten how to write!
Has anyone ever taken an online class out there? If I had more invested in this class, I think that I’d definitely make it work for me as if I was there in person. However, even if that were the case, I think that if I were to go back to college today, I’d still prefer to take classes in person. I’m confident that my grades would be as good. I think its just a preference thing, like how some people like reading paperback versus hardcover. They can both be equally useful, just one is more comfortable to some than others.
I am taking an online training course for my work. It is free, and when I say that I don’t mean that my company is paying for my fee. No, it is free in that the government of California is paying for it. How does it work? The company, the name of which I won’t mention just in case, pays for the fees of the class up front, and then based on student attendance, the state reimburses them. Now, as you can see from that, this company wants to ensure that attendance is 100%, and that right there is where my gripes will begin.
Ever hear that nothing is ever free? Two of my co-workers were to enrolled in a class that started last week. I was enrolled in the same class, but mine started in a couple weeks. One of the co-workers stopped working at my company the day the first class started, so obviously he didn’t go to the class. The co-worker that does still work with me got a call from this company asking why that guy didn’t show up to class and such. No biggie I guess. But they did it more than once! What can he say?? He doesn’t work here anymore!
I get a call a few minutes later. I guess they didn’t realize I work at the same place. I answer my phone, and they say something like good news! Someone dropped out of the class, and you can now attend this class. I’m like, I start in a couple weeks, and I already missed the first class and will miss half of the second class. They say like, well, the first day of class not much happens. And if you miss the first part of the 2nd one, they still don’t have much going on by then. I’m thinking, well, whatever, freaking liars. There are only 10 total classes. No way they do nothing the first 1.5 classes.
I then say still hesitate to say yes, and then they go off on a spiel about how if I take that one, then it will take me longer to finish up the 2nd class since I will be a couple weeks behind. I’m like thinking, WTF, am I talking to a telemarketer? He kept going on, and finally I just gave up and said fine, I’ll switch to this class. He then gives me all these instructions, and tells me that I will get an email and I have to respond to it and say confirmed. And I will be sent an email about how to make up that one class I missed. Whatever, stupid annoying punks.
I get the email and reply. They call me back an hour later, saying they need my email. I was like, I already sent it! They started saying maybe my work email is block, so they sent it to my personal email to. I said, ok, I’ll do that. And then he goes, I’ll wait. WTF!!!! I’m working here. To get him off the freaking phone I just open up my browser, sign into my email, and send him his stupid confirmed mail. He gets it, says thanks and hangs up.
I sent an email to the instructor asking how much of the class I missed my missing the first 1.5 classes. He was nice, telling me that they went over a lot, and the first thing I thought was those little f’ers lied to me just so that they could get paid for my co-worker missing the first class. I knew that, but this just confirmed it to me.
And finally, on the day of the 2nd class (my first class) I get a call reminding me that I have class today. I know that you focks!!! I’m not a teenager or little kid who doesn’t know when his class is. I swear I better not get another call from them for my 2nd class. They are so freaking annoying. I understand that they need to get paid, but the amount that they dun you is unbelievable. My co-worker had the same complaints to me about them. This is exactly why I always hang up on telemarketers. I can’t stand them and they do nothing but bother me. This class is so not free.
Have you ever wondered what the point of life is? I sometimes wonder. To have fun? To find a significant other? To work? It seems to me its the last one. Is the whole point of life just to work? What is the point in that? I just don’t get it sometimes. We spend the first 20 years of our lives training for work. Then we spend the next 40-50 years of our life working 8+ out of every 24 hours, just so we can pay bills, live in our homes, buy food, etc. Why do we have to work to live? How did that become our life’s journey?
We humans are supposedly the most intelligent species on the planet. Yet we spend the vast majority of our young years working our butts off. And then, when we are old and less physically able, only then do we truly “enjoy” life. We travel, we relax, we just live. Why is it that we can only truly enjoy ourselves when we are least physically able to? Why can’t we, say, “enjoy” life in our 20′s, and 30′s, and 40′s and then work after that? Why do we even have to work at all just to live? Animals don’t have to work this many hours to live. True they have to scavenge and hunt their own food, but I highly doubt they do this 40+ hours per week. Where in our species’ history was the decision made thwork, point of life, journey, golden yearsat we have to work to live?
Now, I’m not saying that I want to be a bum or anything. But, we live in a society now that if you do not work and just try to get by, you are called a lazy bum. Its hard to imagine any other type of society because this is the one we live in and grew up with. What we learned since birth. Can anyone else think of an alternative? And would it be better?
I’ve worked at 4 different full time jobs now. Some I’ve been so busy its crazy and I never seem to have enough time, and some I literally just sat there and did nothing all day long because there was nothing to do and my boss was an idiot. Trust me to those who say they wish they did nothing at work, its freaking boring and there is only so much internet you can surf! For the most part, I can usually do what’s asked of me, at any company that I’ve worked for. If I didn’t know how to do it, I could usually figure it out somehow. So, this gets me thinking, what exactly is hard work?
Does hard work mean physical labor? My friend always tells me that I have an easy job because all I ever do is sit in front of a computer all day long, as if his job was so physically demanding. I’ll be honest. I think physical labor is hard work, and I’d not want to do it. If I had to dig holes all day or carry heavy equipment, pick fruit, etc., then I’d not last long and I’d not want to do it unless I had no other choice and I really needed the money. I’ve helped my dad build a fence/wall before and there is a lot of physical labor there and I hated it. So, does hard work equal physically demanding?
I have knowledge of different tools, like Cognos, SAS, Access, Excel, etc. Many people do not know how to use these, so I bet that they think its hard. Me? I can use them rather well so I don’t really agree. Is the use of these programs hard then? I think anyone can use them if they learned. Its not like I picked up these skills overnight. But is the fact that I had to learn them mean its hard?
I think, at least in this country, how hard a job is equivalent to how much you will be paid. If you use that definition, I’d guess that “hard work” has nothing to do with physically demanding jobs, but rather skill ones. If I had to learn to program over many years, I would get paid more than someone who just carries sandbags all day because that does not involve any learning or skill acquiring. I guess you can say that the hard work involved the weeks, months or years learning that skill.
For me, I think that the actual work I do is not hard, solely based on the fact that I can do it. What makes things “hard” for me is when there is a lot to do, its high stress levels and tight deadlines. So, the actual work I’m doing while “stressing” is not overly difficult, but its the fact that its very important and I have to finish it by a certain time even though there may not be enough time is what makes it hard. Make sense? That being said, I’d still take a high stress job over phsycially demanding labor any day.
I always find it fascinating when I’m at work and I watch a fellow co-worker who can’t “type properly” typing extremely slow, using like two fingers and staring at the keyboard while typing. Its almost to the point of annoying when I have to watch them and I’m waiting on them. When I was in high school, I took a typing class, and I can tell you right now that it was totally worth it and I recommend anyone in this day and age to learn how to type. You pretty much can’t get any job out there if you have no computer skills.
Its not like I’m a super fast typer. But, I type pretty quickly, and I don’t have to look at the keyboard when doing so. I almost want to say that being able to type should be a necessary skill in the work place. Do you know how many emails or documents I have to type up everyday? Do you know how much more time I would have to spend doing that every day if I typed super slowly using only two fingers and always having to look back and forth between my keyboard and the monitor? I don’t think typing “properly” should be the requisite, just typing at a certain speed. I’m not a programmer, but I’d imagine that typing is probably something you do most of the time that you are at work. Shouldn’t typing at a decent speed be required? I don’t really think its too much to ask. Then again, I guess I’d rather work with slow typers that stupid people. Look out if your co-workers are a combination of both. Been there, and its not fun.
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