I got sunshine on a cloudy day

[rolanni]

Tips for supervising secretaries: If you don't want to make the phone call, because you think there's something a little iffy in the proposition, telling your secretary to make the phone call instead is. . .just tacky. Your secretary is not your bullet-proof vest. Also? Your secretary remembers things. Often at inconvenient to you moments. Just sayin'.

Today was the day of the Annual Mammogram, so that was accomplished after work (You've had yours, right? Or scheduled it? If not, go make the appointment. Yes, NOW. I'll wait.).

At home, I made bread, created some small islands of less-than-chaos amid the over-arching disorder, and spent some quality time with Mozart. I did not read George. I did not write. Bad author; no biscuit.

This is not to say that nothing related to writing went forth on the day. The contract for Dragon Ship, George, and Trade Secret arrived, so some bit of time was spent going over it, initialing, signing, and whatnot. That's in an envelope to go back to Madame the Agent tomorrow; also packed up for tomorrow's mail, the corrected pages of Saltation, the mass market edition.

Tomorrow. . .tomorrow comes the counselor, I believe sheorhe is called, from the CPAP provider, who will situate my machine, and teach me its proper care and feeding.

...and the hits just keep on coming.

I hope everyone had a lovely and prosperous Monday. Remember, the week can only get better from here.

Comments

[mbarker.livejournal.com]

This reminds me... at one company, there was I believe an executive secretary? Anyway, there was some difficulty, and she was called in to explain. Whereupon she laid out the history of the incident (from a year and half before?) in detail. Which did not match what the executive had been trying to claim. When the executive who was thus shown to be in the wrong blustered about how could she possibly remember all that, she must be wrong, she went to her desk and brought back her journal -- where she carefully recorded every detail of every day. As I remember the president of the company gave her a bonus for that.

[dmellieon.livejournal.com]

I believe and practice CYA. Having worked computer support in both the commercial world and currently as a military contractor I learned early to document everything you do. You never know what or more importantly who may come back to bite you.

[alfreda89.livejournal.com]

I want to offer virtual hugs and a thumbs up for the post above. Records are the only way to go, should I return to the corporate life. With a copy mailed every night to an off-site location....

I promise to get a mammogram this year. Going to try and change insurance companies and get one covered.

[dmellieon.livejournal.com]

Your icon made me smile especially in light of the last paragraph.

[alfreda89.livejournal.com]

It's perfect for posts dealing with sex jokes, idiots in general and yes, the occasional booby.

Sometimes, tho, I use it because it makes me smile, too.

[keristor.livejournal.com]

Hee! I love ambiguity in languages, it makes icons like that, and puns, possible.

[alfreda89.livejournal.com]

It's one of the great mysteries -- we all love to laugh, but it can take time for some jokes to cross the language barrier, because they are based on the language itself. My sister taught on the Navajo reservation, and said the majority of their jokes are elaborate puns based on language, so the jokes don't always translate well for most other people. First the language has to be explained, before the joke!

Thank heavens for pictures to provide an occasional joke shortcut.

[keristor.livejournal.com]

Ooh, I've heard of Navajo but never heard it (I'm a Brit in the UK). An agglutinative language which, from descriptions I've seen, makes VAX machinecode[1] look simple *g*. I can well believe that it doesn't translate at all easily (hence the use made of Navajo speakers in WW2 to confuse the Japanese trying to 'decode' radio messages). Wordplay often doesn't anyway cross-language (trying to explain why English speakers find Martin Luther's "Diet of Worms" amusing, for instance).

[1] Which is also agglutinative, with many (most) of the instructions taking a number of optional prefixes and suffixes. I wonder whether DEC had Navajo speakers in their design team...

[rolanni.livejournal.com]

I promise to get a mammogram this year. Going to try and change insurance companies and get one covered.

In Maine, there's a program to provide free mammograms. Might be worth a call to the local clinic or hospital to find out if there's something like where you are.

[(Anonymous)]

Trade Secret? A Jethri sequel, or what?

Thanks!

-Meara

[mbarker.livejournal.com]

That's the rumor! Actually, better than that -- over here, http://sharonleewriter.com/2010/11/how-we-do-it/ Sharon talks about how they do it (with notes on Trade Secret, Dragon Ship, and George) while http://sharonleewriter.com/2010/11/my-husband-and-i-write-books-did-i-mention-that/ provides some hints as to scheduling -- those are to-the-publisher dates, so add a year more or less to get in our hot little hands? Which means Trade Secret, sequel to Balance of Trade, is probably late 2012 or early 2013 out to the public? Can I wait faster?

Learning to live with a CPAP

[(Anonymous)]

A suggestion from my own difficulties in learning to fall asleep with the mask, although this only works if you wake up frequently during the night.

I would turn on the machine, leave the mask within easy grasp but not on, and then go to sleep. When I would wake up a few hours later, then I would put on the mask. I found that it didn't bother me as much if I was slipping back into sleep rather wearing it when I was first falling asleep.

After a week or so, I had gotten accustomed to the mask and could wear it at the start of the night.

Good luck with the care and feeding.

Deb

[otaku-tetsuko.livejournal.com]

"Remember, the week can only get better from here."

Well, apparently just leaving the day job can help -- after a MONDAY of a Monday, came home, grabbed the kids and went to enjoy an AWESOME-SAUCE concert by Barrage! If you have not caught these kids (group is Canadian, but current crop is half American), DO IT NOW!!! Most especially if you are able to catch one of the concerts in the Education series - they hold a workshop with the local schools during the day, and then all the kids join them in a piece during the concert - wow! Loved every minutes except the first "prelude music" quartet - tuning counts, boys and girls. If you don't do that right, nothing good can follow. But a wonderful evening, truly.

Here's hoping the rest of the week is more like that!

[(Anonymous)]

Re the CPAP machine. If you are subject to brownout or blackouts, you might consider getting an UPS to place next to the bed to plug the CPAP machine into.

Also the care and feeding of the CPAP really isn't difficult. It is mostly just stuff to help keep the hoses, mask, filters, etc, clean. My husband keeps a small bottle of Dawn next to the sink on our vanity. He runs hot water and lets the required items soak while taking a shower. I refill the small Dawn dish-washing detergent once a month from a larger bottle used in the kitchen.

I purchased suction cup hooks that can be attached to the vanity mirror so he can hang things up high to dry. Both for quicker drying time and to keep the cats from playing with the straps and other dangling pieces.

Also, please do remember - if you decide that you can't adjust / live with the first style of mask provided, keep looking, there are LOTS of styles of "masks".

Susan
Orlando

Mondays - it was the high point of the week

[capricchio.livejournal.com]

Well, not from the office. That part was looking for a new low but I came home and it was just like a "Fledgling" and "Saltation" Monday. "Skyblaze" was in the mail. Thank you, thank you, thank you! (Helps to live close.)
As to dealing with your secretary - always try to remember who really holds the power and treat your secretary with the ultimate in respect, and bring in flowers and food for them. Unless you want to do all your travel arrangements and expense reports yourself, be very, very nice to them. They hold your life in their hands. Besides, they tend to be interesting and frequently charming people. :)