A perk of staying late at work? Having access to the roof of the building and the opportunity to take some photos. As a bonus, it was ridiculously warm out, low-50s around 7pm when I took this photo, so I wasn’t freezing my ass off, considering the time of year!
18-105mm lens at 18mm, 3.0 sec at f/3.5, ISO 3200
As I often do, this morning I changed in my office at work.
If only the colleague I saw on the sidewalk below had any idea that the t-shirt was the only thing I was wearing 
Never mind the hot young intern who sits right outside my office door…
There’s quite the crowd playing along this week, click the button to check them out!
Tuesday it was me getting clean, as you could see in my Wanton Wednesday post. On Wednesday it was my office at work- filing papers, throwing out old crap, dusting the shelves and desktop. Hell I even cleaned out my inbox, look at that screen, there’s only 4 messages in it now.
I don’t know about me, but my office is ready for 2012!
18-105mm lens at 38mm, 1/25 sec at f/4.5, ISO 400
When things in your life seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours in a day are not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar and the 2 cups of coffee.
A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, he wordlessly picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.
The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.
The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with a unanimous “yes.”
The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed.
“Now,” said the professor as the laughter subsided, “I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things–God, your family, your children, your health, your friends and your favorite passions–and if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full. The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house and your car. The sand is everything else–the small stuff.”
“If you put the sand into the jar first,” he continued, “there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff you will never have room for the things that are important to you.
“Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Play with your children. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your spouse out to dinner. Play another 18. There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal. Take care of the golf balls first–the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.”
One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee represented. The professor smiled. “I’m glad you asked. It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there’s always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend.”
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“A scientist who doesn’t publish his or her work isn’t really a scientist” ~ my doctoral advisor
I’m falling into the “isn’t really a scientist” category. I completed data collection on 2 projects over 2 years ago and haven’t finished the manuscripts yet. Additionally, a few months ago I was invited to write a review article for a journal and I haven’t started that one either.
That’s not to say I’m not doing anything at work, my days are plenty busy, but I’m paying too much attention to the sand in my life and not enough attention to the golf balls and pebbles.
It’s not just at work either, in other areas of my life my priorities are not in order. For starters, I’ve gained 20 lbs in the last couple of years, health and fitness needs to move up the priority list.
Why wait until the new year to make a resolution?
For me, the time is now, starting today.
Do you read blogs on your work computer? Tweet from work? Write blogs posts at work? Use an instant messaging program to chat with friends while at work?
This past week one twitter friend got into hot water at work and another blogging friend lost her job because of what she was doing with company IT resources.
Do YOU know your employers internet use policy? Here are some snippets from mine
(2) You consent to the following conditions:
(a) Employer routinely intercepts and monitors communications on this information system for purposes including, but not limited to, blah blah blah.
(b) At any time, the employer may inspect and seize data stored on this information system.
(c) Communications using, or data stored on, this information system are not private, are subject to routine monitoring, interception and search, and may be disclosed or used for any employer-authorized purpose.
(d) This information system includes security measures (e.g., authentication and access controls) to protect employer interests—not for your personal benefit or privacy.
Certain unacceptable uses are spelled out as well
(1) Submitting malicious code or hacking.
(2) Copying proprietary software.
(3) Installing unauthorized software.
(4) Conducting a commercial business on an Army IS.
(5) Unethical uses (e.g., profanity, sexual content, gambling, soliciting funds).
(6) Accessing unauthorized sites (e.g., pornography, spam, streaming video, gaming, eBay).
(7) Using unauthorized services (e.g., peer-to-peer, chat, instant messaging except AKO and other authorized government messaging systems used for official business).
(8) The improper use of e-mail (e.g., mass mailing, chain letters, hoaxes, auto forwarding).
Veronica the HR expert pointed out that even if your employer doesn’t spell out an internet use policy, most people fall under a policy called “employment at will”. Unless you work under a contract or are a member of a union, chances are that you’re employed at will. What this means is that your employer can terminate your employment without cause at any time. (No, you can’t be fired because of your age, or your gender, or your sexual orientation, etc.) Be forewarned, your internet habits at work could be used against you.
I like blogging, tweeting, naughty emails and chats as much if not more than the next guy. But I also know what I can and cannot get away with at work.
Do you?
How else do you explain 1000 lbs = 500 kg?
18-105mm lens at 75 mm, 1/6 sec at f/5.3, ISO 1600
Curvaceous Dee pointed out that last weeks Naked Wanton Wednesday post would qualify for one of the Scavenger Hunt categories in the challenge that she’s hosting on her blog.
I took a look at some of the other locations and decided to take on the challenge!
This week, we’re starting in my office. Just another day of me sitting at my desk. On occasion, it’s necessary to close my office door and take care of some other business
*click-click*
What challenge do I attempt next?
Hotel
Church (no one has done this one yet!)
Airport
Cemetary
Road
Only time will tell, I’m going to have fun with this challenge!
Who else is playing Wanton Wednesday today? Click the button to find out.
My hotel Monday night is in a really nice mixed office/retail area, the fountains are at the center of it and made for a nice place to wander around and walk off some of a delicious dinner with friends and colleagues.
Taken with my iPhone
The locker room door is just a few feet away. As soon as someone walks in and turns, they see the shower area in the reflection in the mirror. I did say something on Twitter about a locker room photo after my shower, so I moved fast. A quick photo, towel back around my waist, and moments later someone walks in.
I could care less about him seeing me standing there naked, but I’d rather not explain the camera phone in my hand
Click-click for the uncropped versioin
I’m sure there’s more wantonness to be found, click the button to see who else is playing
I’m spending 11 of the next 12 nights on the road on 2 separate trips.
I should be really excited about it, for starters I get to go on my very first-time-ever-in-my-life-trip to Europe. I’ll be spending 5 days in Germany and then traveling to Paris, France for 3 days! But right now I’m so incredibly stressed out about the logistics of the trip, my role while I’m there (I’m going for work in support of my boss) that I literally can’t sleep. It’s 5am as I draft this post and I’ve been up since 3:15, my brain absolutely won’t stop, there are some incomplete details and I’m NOT looking forward to dealing with my boss in a few hours. We’re scheduled to leave tomorrow yet there are some administrative details that are not complete, that he’ll hold me responsible for, yet are out of my control.
I’m sure that I’ll enjoy myself once I get there. For starters I GET TO GO TO GERMANY AND FRANCE! I also have plans to see an old enlisted Army buddy of mine, he’s now an officer and stationed not too far from where I’ll be. I haven’t seen him since 2003 so it will be good to catch up with him. Once in Paris we’ll be staying in the heart of the city and you know I’m packing my DSLR for this trip!
I’ll get home from Paris next Saturday and then barely 24 hours later will head out again, this time to nowhere exciting at all, somewhere in the eastern US. This will be a purely business trip and there’s nothing to look forward too. Especially after returning from 8 days away from my family, I’m not relishing the idea of turning around and leaving again so soon.
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I would love to have been able to take Veronica with my to Germany and France. Unfortunately the trip came up only a few weeks ago, after she had arranged vacation time from work, a grandparent to watch the kids and bought her non-refundable plane ticket to join me in Denver last week.
She’s turning 40 in the fall and talked about wanted to escape for a long weekend alone in Paris, so I’m just thinking of this as a scouting trip for her!
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We have a public affairs office at work and I’ve gotten to know the staff photographer who works there. I often tease him that if one of his lenses ever goes missing that I’m the first person he should suspect. I was talking with his boss, the head of the public affairs office, about the trip to Europe and about teasing the photographer about stealing one of his lenses someday.
“You know, I bet he’d loan you a lens for the trip if you ask nicely. I’d have no problem with that”
Now I didn’t get my hands on the Nikon 24-70 f/2.8 that I’ve been lusting over, but I do have a very nice 24-120 f/3.5-5.6 to carry with me! The specs aren’t too different from the kit lens I usually carry but it’s much better quality glass and I’m looking forward to shooting with it all next week.
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I’m not too fond of my new boss, fortunately this is just an interim job for me and in mid-July I’ll be going back to my regular job, my own hours, and best of all my own office. He’s just not very personable, he’s not someone I would want to spend time with outside of the office, we just don’t have any kind of report that way. Eight days on the road with him will be interesting.
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Can you tell that I have mixed emotions about this trip?
