And on Update Day too! The regular posters and readers know the drill. It is Update Day. Tell me your secrets, your concerns, your joys, vent, ask questions of the regulars or myself. If you are a new reader or a long time reader that hasn't posted we would love for you to post an introduction. You will not find a better group of folks anywhere on the Internet then you will find here. This is a chance for you to make new friends!
Most of my update concerns work. I really discovered a lot about myself on the job that just completed. I truly never worked that hard in my own business. Because I've been in my own business since 1981 I didn't honestly know what kind of a co-worker or employee that I would be. I also didn't know what my attitude would be towards the work and clients. Would I do as well for the clients of the firm as I did in my own business even though it wouldn't be as financially rewarding? Would I be a nine to five goldbricker?
I usually don't brag about myself but be prepared because today I am going to brag because I'm damn proud of myself. Sorry but I am. I turned out to be a damn good employee and co-worker. Even though I really didn't like the work, I loved the people there. And that is what I will really miss, the people. Not the work, the people. It was something that had been missing from my life for a long time, interaction with people at work. And I treated the clients like me own. I worked hard for them. When I said good-bye I was stunned at what the co-workers said. One of my favorite people at work was Tom J. Married with a daughter. He walks his daughter to the bus stop every day. He sat the closest to me. He was also one of the reviewers so reviewed some of my work. Damn I really enjoyed him. On April 15 he came back and he told me "I was thinking on the way home from work that it just isn't going to be the same here without you." When I left later in the afternoon he hugged me. WOW. Then there was K. one of the office pool worker, that probably didn't say twenty words to me the time I was there. She recently lost her Mom. When she came back, I said "K., it was nice working with you" She turned and said "You are a real gentlemen, that is so rare today. Thank you for your patience." Patience has never been used to describe me before! A. the replacement receptionist, gave me her card (she sells real estate), hugged me, and said "You are the sweetest man." The female partner said "Everyone enjoyed your fun nature. We needed that." Last night at dinner the male partner told me if I wanted to come back to work to work on files come ahead. B. one of the reviewers, my favorite person at work to laugh with, told her husband last night that I was going places and going to be a very sucessful standup comedian. I really was stunned at how open these folks were about how they felt about me. Patience and fun-loving have never been words used to describe me. I really was on cloud nine when I left work. Just think if I would have liked the work!
Leaving work on cloud nine when a I got home I finally got the hospital bill from when I had a concussion the first day of work. I was prepared to have to pay a couple of thousand dollars. When I opened the bill I was stunned. Stunned seems to be the word of the day but my usually crappy insurance paid most of the bill and I ended up only paying a couple of hundred dollars.
Now it is your turn. Today we are going to add a feature to your updates. Brag about yourself today. Tell me what co-workers and others say about you. I know what I would say about you. You are the best posters on the Internet. Good supportive friends. OK, your turn.
About Me
- William J.
- First, I think the birth sign is wrong. 6-21, some papers say Gemini, some Cancer. Guess that means I have so many personalities that I can do group therapy alone. For those that don't know how to read Google profiles I have put what I really mean in ( ). Hot (Good looking enough to be in movies(if I buy at ticket). A body like a God (Buddha). Romantic (Thinks begging is foreplay.) Physically fit (Heart trouble. Put 911 on speed dial before we get initmate.) Good Provider (has good life insurance in case you forget to put 911 on speed dial.) Loyal (has reference letters from Mom and parole officer.) Intelligent (scored 1600 on his SATS but you have to total the scores of the four times that I took the test.) Looking for someone compatible (Be between 30 & 99 and not inflatable.)
12 comments:
No time for an update...it's COUSINS' DAY!!!
Well, of course they loved you in that office, Bill. I'm not at all surprised, but it's nice that you spent some time on Cloud #9. So what about next year, when they will certainly want you back? Will you work with them or with the guys who bought your practice?
Nothing much to update here. I'm slightly nuts trying to find out what mom's insurance will pay for a hospital bed for her, and trying to figure out when I can fit in having a tooth pulled and hopefully start on the implant route, plus fix a cavity. Daughter & SIL will be coming down soon, but I don't know exactly when, and I want to be able to eat when they're here. In addition, the mechanic keeps calling and chiding me because I haven't had the car serviced in too long. I suspect business is down for him, as he usually isn't so insistent. OTOH, I usually haven't let it go this long, so maybe he's being my conscience. I hope to do that this afternoon, but it's really hard to find a time when I won't need the car for a while.
And there's more. The usual hassle stuff. Visiting mom, filling out this form or that one, writing letters, calling banks, etc., etc. I'm drowning in paperwork that I need to get to. So what else is new, huh?
Hi Bill - glad you ended your job on a bright note. It was also nice of all the people to let you know how they felt about you. Sometimes we only hear the bad stuff so it was especially nice they took the time to say all the good things about you.
Also, thank you for your kind words about me posting again.
I've been here but taking care of my health and personal issues that seem to pop up along the way.
Am seeing the Russell Crowe movie also this weekend. There are lots of good movies coming out, if there's a time you want a "movie friend" just let me know as I'm always up to seeing a movie. Also have been thinking of getting a group together - a Movie Group - locally. I always enjoy discussing the movie afterwards. It could be something like a book club but a movie club. Since we live not far from one another, I am sure I could round up some people to do that perhaps once a month or so.
Now that nice weather is on the way, I enjoy sitting outside having coffee with friends.
Take some time for you this weekend - I'm sure it isn't going to take you long to settle back in to a slower routine.
By the way, I was born in another country, and redwhistle is the "loose" translation of my maiden name in case anyone was wondering where that came from. No, I'm not a redhead!
Hi Bev
Cousins are always fun!
Hope it is a great day for you!
Bill
Hi Pat
Wow Pat you are dealing with to much. Getting a hospital bed shouldn't be that hard. She has insurance, she needs a bed, insurance pays for. No wonder I hate insurancen companies.
And I hope you get your dental work done and are fully recovered in time for your visitors.
I'm not sure how I feel about the car, considering how much you have to do I'd probably put it on hold until the vistors left.
I will work for the guys that bought my practice if they can give me 20 hours a week. That is all I want and all I need. I don't plan on going back to the firm, the work was to hard and to long and not rewarding enough financially, as nice as they are there are other factors.
Bill
Hi Red
Yes, I was kind of curious how you got the handle redwhistle.
I just got back from the Russell Crowe movie and loved it. If you liked All The President's Men you will like this movie!
I'm glad you taking care of your health. Always do that please!
Yes, it was very nice of the people that I worked with to say nice things, it make the grind a lot easier to take!
Wow what an invitation, it would be a hoot to go to a movie with you! I also love discussing movies afterwards! It would be fun to have a round table discussion!
Oh and I'm a redhead.
Bill
About the hospital bed. The doc wrote a prescription for it. I got the name of a supplier from Las Casitas. They tell me the doc has to call the medical group for an authorization. So his writing the Rx apparently is only step one in jumping through hoops. Of course all this came up on Friday, so will continue the saga on Monday. Insurance will pay all but $28.50/month, so it's just one more fairly small expense to add to our otherwise murderous expenses. If only insurance would kick on on the "assisted living" part!
I went ahead and got the car serviced last night and today. Broke down and fixed the leak, too (I hope), so I've bought a few more months (I hope) before I need to check out a newer car to buy.
Still haven't decided whether to go ahead with the dental stuff or wait another week until the kids have been and gone.
I think it's a good decision to work for your old business next year, and I hope they can give you just the hours you want. Won't cross fingers yet, but you can let me know when the time comes to do that.
Great insights on the work situation, Bill. I hear you on trying to find the balance between not enjoying working at the job, but enjoying working with other folks, rather than alone. I'm just so pleased that your co-workers were open about how they enjoyed you -- and why -- and so glad you shared that with us. WE all knew this, of course, but it's nice to know others recognized the guy you are and shared their feelings with you.
Pat, sorry to hear you're still up to your ears in paperwork and still hasseled by the hospital bed thing. It seems like it should be a simple thing, but once insurance is involved, simple goes out the window. Glad to hear you got the car serviced, so you know it's reliable for a few more months, maybe longer.
Redwhistle, thanks for the explanation on your "name" on the blog. And I'm delighted to hear you're taking care of yourself, something we too often forget to do.
It's been a "Mom Week," despite the fact she's still in AZ (and I still have no return date for her). Did all the recert paperwork for the apartment, which became more involved each time I turned around. Now, we have to get the appraisal on the IL lot, because the state didn't send out assessment notices, just posted them in the local paper. Email flurries about newspaper notices, notes to be sent out and such for her "card shower" for her 90th. Five years I've spent sending updates and asking for help, with few (if any) responses, but plan a card shower and everyone has to edit, change, discuss who contacts whom and so forth. Amazing. Got all the notes sent to everyone in her address book and special notes to a few and invited two previous THP distributors, who now live in NC, to the reception. Booked the room for the reception. Started pricing party platters and planning food and decorations. Edited the article Deb wants to put in two of the papers. Let Deb vent for half an hour over dealing with newspapers and churches over bulletin inclusions and articles versus paid notices. She is NOT having fun and I got the easy part, designing the notice and doing all the mailings for the address book, believe me!
Interesting query from a guy wanting to know if I'd ghostwritten a specific book twenty years ago. Yes. Okay, he wanted me to ghost one for him. I'd talked to this guy when I was working on the long-ago book and didn't have a "good" feeling. Finally, googled him. Only skimmed about 20 sites, but it was clear I wanted nothing to do with him. Let's just say he's a bit of a fanatic. Fortunately, I could tell him honestly I no longer did ghostwriting.
Happy surprise -- Himself went to a hamfest (amateur radio swap meet) today and brought me home a tiny little portable amp I've been looking for over the past six or eight months. It's about 10"x12" and weighs maybe 8 or 10 pounds (as opposed to the smallest "regular" amps, which weight about 20# and are three to four times as big). Not concert quality, but my electric-accoustic gains volume and it will be easy to tuck in the rig and nice to have here in the office for practice. A gift from his home-based company, for which I do all the accounting (G).
It's sunny and seventy, the azaelas and dogwoods are filling out with blooms, I'm making minor inroads in the paperwork (I hear you, Pat!) and may even get some garden time tomorrow. Life is good.
Oh, you wanted us to brag (and nobody else did!) In the last couple weeks, I've had previous clients call to talk about doing further work on ms I analyzed and tell me I have a "steel trap mind" to remember the details of their stories and say how much I helped them. I've also had notes from clients expressing appreciation for how much they got from analyses I did and they'd be back, when they finished the rewrites I suggested. I've had several folks in the aquacize class and a couple who are in the PT pool when I'm doing private workouts thank me for showing them how to "workout" or commenting on how much better they feel, after following the workouts. As you say, it's good to know that you've added something positive to someone's day. A year or so ago, I started asking God to make me a blessing in someone's life each day and it's opened so many opportunities. Sometimes, it's a sort of ... what's the term... unknown act of kindnes? ... and sometimes it leads to what you experienced -- people thanking you for being you.
Hi Pat
That just sucks, you would think that a prescription would be more than enough for a supplier!
Good job on getting the car fixed. I can understanding about dental work.
You will be the first to know where I am at with my business!
Bill
Hi DR
I was surprised at my attitude at work, I thought I would just skate until 4-15, guess that isn't in my make-up.
I understand about it being a mom week even though your mom isn't there. There always seems to be something.
I hope the card shower works for your mom. Subway does sandwich plates by the way and they are really reasonable. And believe it or not Albertson's has meat and cheese trays and veggie trays and special breads that are damn good.
I'm certainly glad you checked out the doofus before taking on his ghost writing assignment!
Yea for Himself! Great that you go the portable amp!
I just knew you clients and students love you! You are very good at what you do. I've seen some of you editing and it is top notch. I'm so glad the clients and students took the time to tell you they appreciated you! I think that is great! No surprising but great!
Bill
I'm not a bit surprised about your attitude at work. You couldn't "skate" if your life depended on it, my friend!
Oooh, great idea! Hadn't thought about checking Subway, although I was thinking about a round sub sandwich a couple places offer. Thanks for the heads up. I'll stop by there tomorrow.
How I wish we had Albertsons here! There were my preferred grocery in FL, everything was always fresh and they offered a great salad bar, buy by the pound. Unfortunately, they're not to be found in this area.
Yes, Himself is wonderful and I'm delighted with my new little "gorilla" amp.
Thanks for the kudos. You know, though, it's just as surprising to me that clients and students say what they do as it was surprising for you to hear from your co-workers. And I think maybe those of us who are accustomed to working at home, or alone in our own office, sometimes need to get out and about and be reminded once in a while that what we do is "good."
Hi DR
Subway is pretty reasonable too and has several options.
Yes, I think when we work alone we lose sight of how good are work is. It is nice to hear what we do described by others in glowing terms!
Bill
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