Love and Hate

Love

Karl Urban as Kirill in Bourne Supremacy

Hate

Boo...hisssss

No Limits - Expedition Impossible

If you want to be inspired, watch these guys at work.  I have been following them on Expedition Impossible and I have to say - they have inspired me to tell my whiny little self to just run the damn 5 Km already. Over the last 3 months I have been holding steady with my 4 Km run, 4 times a week.

So on 19-Aug-11, I ran 5 Km. And I ran 5 Km this morning. This is my new benchmark.

PS - there is this crazy skunk (a real skunk) that stalks me every morning at the track. He scared the bejesus out of me the other day... I almost got skunkified (yes I just made that up). So I tell Greggy to run ahead of me and check out whether he is just there waiting for me... and scare him away before I get close to where he is.  Bad bad skunk.

On the other hand, I think we are infringing on his territory. He's probably been at the track for a long long time before we came along. I'd be mad too.

And for my final random thought for today, I want to let everyone know that I want to go to Morocco SO BAD.

Running Log - Week 13

Sun 14-Aug-11   - Rest -

Mon 15-Aug-11    32:41 (4 Km)

Tues 16-Aug-11   32:36 (4 Km)

Wed 17-Aug-11  3.8 Km (forgot watch)

Thurs 18-Aug-11  - Rest -

Fri 19-Aug-11   39:02 (5 Km) Breakthrough!

Sat 20-Aug-11   - Rest - 

Running Log - Week 12

Sun 07-Aug-11   - Rest -

Mon 08-Aug-11    31:56 (4 Km)

Tues 09-Aug-11   32:54 (4 Km)

Wed 10-Aug-11  - Rest -

Thurs 11-Aug-11  - SICK -

Fri 12-Aug-11   32:20 (4 Km)

Sat 13-Aug-11   - Rest - 

Practical Career Strategies - There Are No Bad Bosses

I will randomly post gold nuggets of wisdom on practical career strategies. Most of them will be based on personal experience and several books I've read in the past. I appreciated these tips throughout my professional life and I'm certain you will too.

I've long admired the writings, insight and practical advice by the insanely funny and authentic Penelope Trunk.

One of the greatest tips that I have remembered over the years is this: There are no bad bosses.

You can read the chapter in her book, Brazen Careerist, or look at the crib notes here.

The key is knowing how to manage up:

Figure out what matters most to your boss, and what motivates him, then align your own priorities accordingly.

Determine her communication preference - does she like email? Does he prefer in person, 1:1 conversations?  If your boss prefers to communicate by email, don't walk into her office every hour trying to get her attention, or to have a "chat", especially if you know her day is planned at least 24 hours in advance. Save this moment for the really urgent stuff - and you will have to force yourself to prioritize what you need to discuss with your boss.

When explaining something, think of words as the bullet points in a Power Point presentation. Be concise and executive-level appropriate. Do not pull him into the weeds unless truly warranted, or if he does not request details. Your boss likely has only 30 seconds before he starts being distracted by other conflicting priorities. Tell him the bottom line within the first minute of your conversation, and be clear on what you are asking him to help you with. Most importantly, be ready to provide a recommendation or options to resolve the problem, or tell him what you're doing about it and at which point you will need his help.

Know your boundaries (and hers), be clear about it.  For example, if you have to leave early on Wednesdays and Thursdays because you have to pick up your child from day care, then manage her expectations accordingly and propose that you work later during the other weekdays, or come in earlier on the days you have to leave early. If he wants to assign you another project but you are already working 50 hour weeks, then let him know. And ask him to prioritize his requirements for you so you can provide him with recommendations and options - see point #3 above. If her inappropriate jokes or comments make you feel uncomfortable, then for crying out loud don't laugh at them - keep your face neutral, as if she didn't even say it. Silence works wonders.  

Be likeable, dependable, and not-so-needy. Bosses prefer those who are more independent and autonomous. Do not escalate for the sake of escalating, make sure you have done all you can at your level before you punt problems up.

Check your self-entitlement issues at the door. Unless you have proven yourself and have earned the trust and credibility of your organization and peers, nobody cares if you have an MBA.

So there you have it. I'm not saying that there are no bad bosses out there, lord knows I've had my share over the last few years. But if you are struggling with your boss, see if one or all of the above will help.

If all else fails, then maybe it's time you leave.

Running Log - Week 11

Sun 01-Aug-11   - Rest -

Mon 02-Aug-11    27:55 (3.6 Km)

Tues 03-Aug-11   27:22 (3.6 Km)

Wed 04-Aug-11  - Rest -

Thurs 05-Aug-11  27:07 (3.6 Km)

Fri 06-Aug-11   32:27 (4 Km)

Sat 07-Aug-11   - Rest - 

Hello Kitty

Hi, my name is Pepper. But my real name is Mitzy. My mom is showering right now and my dad is watching TV, so I snuck in the office (I'm not allowed in here!) to hack her blog because I have a few things to get off my chest.

I'm feeling cranky that she is using my real name and my other name in this blog. She didn't ask me for permission.

But it's hard to stay mad at her because she loves me and always gives me treats.... even when my dad (I think she calls him Greggy) says I've had enough and I'm just being a pig.

I don't understand why he would say that, because I'm pretty sure I'm a cat.

Also, on weekends my mom lets me nap with her on the ottoman beside the couch. She has a hard time taking a nap, but I don't, so I take advantage of that and I just look at her and make these meow meow meow noises so she can rub my belly and play with my nose and I can just relax. It works like a charm all the time.

I don't like getting picked up and my mom tells me that I have to purr a bit louder, but I don't think I can change. I don't know why I don't purr loud enough. And why I don't like to be picked up. But I like it when she talks to me and when she and my dad let me sleep on their laps.

Anyway it's really hard to use this keyboard thing with my paws and I think she just finished showering. I'm going back to sleep. Don't tell her I hacked her account!

Running Log - Week 10

Sun 24-Jul-11   - Rest -

Mon 25-Jul-11    31:39 (4 Km)

Tues 26-Jul-11   30:37 (4 Km)

Wed 27-Jul-11    30:50 (4 Km)

Thurs 28-Jul-11  - Rest -

Fri 29-Jul-11   32:03 (4 Km)

Sat 30-Jul-11   - Rest - 

Kill Bill - Battle Without Honor Or Humanity (Tomoyasu Hotei)

One of my all-time favourite movie joints.

Play this on your way to work and you may just feel like a Shogun Assassin.

Summer Vacation '11 in Fair Haven, New York

I'm all blogged out for today.

Here is a montage of our summer vacation. I mentioned before that a picture is worth a thousand words, so this should do the trick.

In addition to spending time at the cottage, we also visited Skaneateles (pronounced like "Minneapolis") for some sightseeing and Syracuse for a little retail therapy at the Carousel Centre.