and speaking of marketable....

Well, I survived the last round of cuts at the office. Two of my pals were let go and honestly, considering the amount of money they each were respectively pulling down and the output they were creating, it's not a surprise. Thankfully the drama is gone - weeks of speculation and "who do you think it's going to be", etc. Talk about a drop in productivity - mine included as I couldn't keep anyone out of my office! Like I'm privy to what's going on....

So what's a girl to do - I'm having a crisis of consciousness I think. I can't decide whether tis better to actively look even though I really don't feel like it or to go back and take some classes and get a job in an industry I'd like to work in or take the sure thing at a company an hour away from my house with my old boss.

A conundrum for sure.

Most Marketable

What does that mean, really? That the most people will buy it, or that a company will sink the most money into it or it's the coolest thing that everyone wants (remember Cabbage Patch kids and Tickle Me Elmo?). Well, the kid won "Most Marketable Invention" at the invention convention which I absolutely think she deserved. But I wonder if somewhere down the line that someone will appropriate her idea and market it themselves and make a ton of money.

Should I be applying for a patent?

Invention Convention Update

Well, as luck would have it - the kid WON her division of the Invention Convention (first grade)! Which means we get to go to STATE! (in a town full of shopping outlets and the best pancakes around - not so terrible). She is excited, although she is not quite sure why.

Honestly, her invention is pretty cool but I think what really swayed the judges was that she did the assembly of the model herself (she's the princess of the glue stick) and wrote the description and drew the model and explained it herself. As opposed to a lot of kids who had their parents help them, especially with the writing of the description - that's pretty lame.

So we're off. And next time you're at the baggage claim in the airport, you might see our invention come to life!

Drive Thru Obligation

As I was driving to work today, paused at a red light behind 5 other cars, some jerk tried to ease his car in front of me as he was pulling out of Dunkin' Donuts. No "May I" eyebrow, no "can I please" wave, no "do you mind if I" head bob. Nothing.

What is my obligation to let someone out into traffic? It really bugs me when people assume they have the right to cut into the line, just because I am stopped there. I feel that I have no moral, social or traffic-like responsibility to let them in with their takeout coffee and breakfast croissant. Especially if they are yapping on the phone at the time.

If another driver respectfully asks non-verbal permission, most often I will allow them in. However, those who do not ask nicely, do not receive.

Stumping at the Invention Convention

What possible invention can a 6 year old come up with for a school project?! Talk about a mind bender...And it's required. And it has to work. Or have the potential to work. And she is hopeless at coming up with an idea so we have to come up with it.



I looked online and most of the projects are completed by older kids and require sophisticated technology (e.g. hammer banging on toothpaste tube). Most of this stuff's been done already and I think the teacher will know if we cheat.



Putting on my thinking cap.....

Sleeping Alone (for a week)

Hooray! My husband is going on a business trip for almost a whole week! Yay - the bed to myself! No tightie whities on the floor! No meat and potatoes meals to cook! Although emptying the litter boxes will suck, there won't be any tracked in dirt, no jackets hanging on dining room chairs, nobody SWEATING on me in the night! I will be slightly lonely, but I have the kid, the cats and the dog so I think we'll be ok.

I can go to bed at 9! No flipping the channels! I can watch QVC or the Food Network or Lifetime! No repeating myself 3 times because he didn't heard me the first 2! No getting in my way while I'm trying to cook/clean/work! No hair on the soap!

Ok, I hope he has a good time and he gets home safe. It's not like he's going to Russia or anything. He'll be back Friday.

In the meantime I plan to don my nicest pajamas and enjoy having the bed all to myself!

Opportunity Knocking (timidly)

Is there anything a mid career professional dreads more than the forced job search? While I am still gainfully (and thankfully) employed, there are rumblings of layoffs, etc. because the CEO has brought in an FNG (f*&^% new guy) - a.k.a. the "hatchet man". So people are nervous and rumors are percolating and conjecture reigns supreme. The good news is that I have a lot of "transferable skills" and could temp if I needed to, but I really hate just dusting off the interview suit (control top, anyone), making sure I have those 5 really tough interview questions ready to go and making work excuses not to show up. It's exhausting. Hey, if the New Guy is going to improve my life and make my job better - I'm cool with that. However, if a better opportunity comes along, I'm not going to just turn it down without doing a good pro and con list.

Well, gotta go print out my references.....