August in Indiana

August in Indiana somehow signals the ending of our Summer! The sun sadly is just a bit lower on the horizon and perhaps not as warm as some of us would like.

County Fairs are winding down and State Champions are being chosen. Armies of Yellow School Buses can been seen winding around country roads as drivers relearn routes. Since July 5th stores have been stocked with School boxes, backpacks, reams of paper and Number 2 yellow pencils.

You can see despairing moms trying to convince a head-strong child that they will not need a wool sweater for the first day of school. For as sure a there are green apples the week school begins the heat of summer will return, full force.

August in Indiana has hit local beaches as well. Beginning the week of August 18th, the Life-guards will only be on duty on weekends through Labor Day... The time of the long shadows has even reached the shoreline... Signaling the all too soon returning time of Winter......

Pause and Refresh

Tequila Mojitos

What you will need: A tall glass, sugar, mint leaves, limes, a lemon/lime soda and TEQUILA......

2 teaspoons sugar
juice of one small lime
several mint leaves
Muddle in glass until sugar is dissolved. . Add tons of ice
Shot or two of Tequila... your favorite
Add lemon/lime soda to fill glass...

Pause & Refresh.....

Job Reviews Part 2

Since we agree that job reviews can be a bit demeaning I was thinking that perhaps it is time we united and gave meaningful and real reviews of our jobs!

Questions that should (must) be addressed are as follows:

1. General work conditions.
2. Break times and Break room conditions. (This question could be broken in to two separate and equal components if so desired.)
   
3. Bathroom facilities (Are they cleaned daily, weekly, monthly or never? Is bath tissue provided ? Is there soap for washing of hands? Is there a means to dry wet hands? Does the bathrooms smell? Good/Bad)
4. Is there ample parking for employees and is it in close proximity to employee entrance.
   
5. How soon does the insurance kick in?
   
6. Paid holidays.
7. Paid Sick Days.
8. Paid Personal Days.
9. Wellness/Wholeness Days.
10. Short and Long term leave.
11. If doing computer work, are you given a break from gazing at the screen and typing every hour as suggested by OSHA. As a working in a desk job you are also more likely to have the possibility to form blood clots. Does your employer provide ample leg room and time for you to move way from your desk and walk around to keep the blood flowing.)
12. Are you allowed to have fun during the work day?
13. Is there a possibility of "out sourcing" the position you are now employed to do or to be "down sized" in the very near future?
    

Now these may not seem all that important to someone who needs a job, but when given some thought these are very pertinent questions to one's working conditions and peace of mind. Personally I believe it is the workers right to know the answers to these and what ever other questions you may have before accepting a position or agreeing to sign you latest job review.

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Disclaimer: It is not suggested that you implement this review without much thought and perhaps know before hand this is just for your personal files. In no way should you ever send a Job Review of your company to any member of the company's board or executive officers. The order of the above questions are not necessarily the order of importance. They are just the random musings of a nearly senile old woman.

Job Reviews

Job reviews are unlike any reviews known to human kind, as all workers will attest to... fess up, you know what I am saying is the truth.

Movie Reviews are rated on the star system. Four Stars = hit. One Star = 'da bomb. Restaurant Reviews are rated on the knife, spoon, fork system. Four of any one knife, spoon or fork = lines around the block and reservations well into the next millennium. One knife, spoon or fork = site of new parking lot....

The worse type of job review is the "Self-Appraisal". It is a lot like Russian Roulette... wonder if this dish will run away with a knife, spoon or fork????

As I prepare to fill in the blanks I am trying to find just the right words to convey that I am very much a team player without seeming to be the whole team. Hopefully if done correctly I could be awarded anywhere from 1% to 3% more money or as much as 6 cents an hour more.... Oh be still my heart... at this rate I will make the "high rollers" league in another 100 years!

You are handed these pages and asked to evaluate yourself. Too glowing and you chance being looked at as braggart with a bag of hot air going for you. Too modest and you chance being looked at as filled with false modesty and fishing for complements. It is a total No Win situation!

Wish me luck... if you don't see or hear from me you'll know one of two things... I didn't get any % and could no longer afford the luxury of Internet access, or, I got the 3% and am out celebrating... Anyone know where you can get a 6 cent beer?

Life of a Pug's Social Secretary

This just may be a statement of the times, but one of the most important jobs I have is to keep AJ HoosierHugPug's Social Calender in pristine order and see that he is not late nor forgets an appointment or commitment to his many social events. It is also part of my responsibilities to see that he is properly attired for the events which he attends.

AJ, who is a Pugminstrator at FLOP, on Dogster, tries to daily connect with the many active members of FLOP's Grilla Guys Club, where they are known for their good deeds to the community and a place where the guys can just chill, have a few Pugwisers or "Ice Teas", enjoy a card game or two, talk about the latest sport standings, smoke their prized cigars, the Grills have an endless supply of their favorite food and well in general just be boys. From time to time they will tolerate invasions from their FLOP sisters, The Monkey Girls, only to have to chase them from their piece of the Pugdom "jungle" when the girls start wanting to "frill up" the club room.

AJ also finds that he is called to join in the active adventures of his furiends at Spoiled Pugs (SP), where he is a member of the House of the Blue Swift Warriors and The United Pug Foundation (UPF), as he is a skilled swords man and has a keen aim with a water gun.

As you can see by AJ HHP's latest picture he is dressed in full battle armor as he prepares to join in UPF's dragon hunt. It seems this tiny pugdom has been plagued of late with fire breathing dragons and all able bodied pugs and pups have been called upon to fight off these hordes and restore peace to all the realm. Oh, and if by chance the warrior's capture the dragon's golden eggs, that would be a bonus for the pugdom.

Since the battle will rage this very evening, I do believe it is time for a short but powerful Pug-nap so AJ and his wearied social secretary will be able to fight the good fight...

Oddly, I find his calendar is far more full then mine. Wonder if he would give me tips on my Social Skills?