Take Your Germs to Work Day

Tuesday: Attend a 3-hour-long meeting with ten people in a small room.

Wednesday: Announce to your staff to keep their distance from you because you are experiencing mild flu symptoms", and you don't want to get anyone sick.

Thursday: One of your staff chooses to work from home because he doesn't feel well.

Also Thursday: Keep working at the office while feeling flu-like for no decernable reason even though you are welcomed and encouraged to work from home any time you like.

Why?

Why do people insist on hauling their germs to the office when they are allowed to work from home where the soup, hot tea, and cough drops are?

Why?

Voice From The Past

About a quarter of a century ago, when I was a stay at home mom, a salesman at the station where The Husband works asked me to lend one of my character voice to a client's radio commercials. In exchange, the client would provide free home services to The Husband and me. When I hired on at the station, I recorded and produced these ads myself.

This went on for several years. It was a fun arrangement and a good deal for all parties involved. Eventually the sales man retired and I left the station, and that was the end of that.

Today, 14 years later, The Husband and I needed the client to do some stuff around the house, and the owner himself came over. We had a lovely conversation during which he reminisced about how well those radio ads had worked for his company. "Any chance I could convince you to bring that character back for me?" he asked.

Oh, you know he could.

Holy crap, you guys.

I haven't worked in radio since 2015. The people I currently work with don't know about my broadcasting history. It sure seems like no one remembers or cares that I used to be locally famous.

Then this client pops up and not only does he remember, but he also wants me to come back.

What a huge compliment!

Weird Work Sh!t

Had a meeting with my skip level boss this morning. She wanted me to show her some of the tools I use regularly. She also asked me to write down a list of things I do day to day and email them to her.

That's weird, right?

Kinda sounds like some sort of evaluation, doesn't it?

Then this afternoon I had a completely unrelated meeting with my immediate boss. During the course of our conversation, she asked some interesting questions. Seems she is uncomfortable with the way some things are being handled. The word she used was "messy". 

When I told her about my earlier skip level meeting and the list of activites, she told me she'd been asked to do the same.

That weird, right?

Kinda sounds like some sort of evaluation, doesn't it?

It was about September last year when two peeps were let go. Ah, that's probably just a coincidence? Right?

3 Things 9/7/2036 Labor Day Weekend

Something that went well 

- I slept as long as I wanted this morning, and I didn't go to work on a Monday. That's a good day!

- Decided to declutter all my sweatshirts and hoodies today. Pulled out two that I didn't want (and will be donated) and found two more in the back of a closet that I'd forgotten I had. Ended up net zero in quantity, but +2 in quality.

- I have a pair of jeans with sparkly accents along each leg. They are definitely extra and attention-calling, but I don't care because they make me feel amazing. I'd wear them to work every day if it was socially acceptable. Saturday evening I wore them on date night with The Husband, and a young girl around 10 years old told me she liked them. Absolutely made my day.

Something to look forward to 

- Four day work week this week because of Labor Day holiday

- Four day work week next week because my employer gives birthday PTO

Something nice about me

I have a milestone birthday next week, and I'm pretty okay with the number*.

*It's 60

3 Things 9/4/2026 after a good work week

Something that went well 

I had two skip level manager meetings this week. Both went well. Both left me feeling smart and valuable. To be fair, this was a short workweek, so that was helpful. 

Something to look forward to 

- Three day weekend!

- Short workweek next week (because of Labor Day) and the week after (because my employer gives us birthday PTO)

- Outdoor theater date with The Husband tomorrow.

- Lunch with The Husband's siblings next weekend

Something nice about me 

Three coworkers collectively said very nice things about me to my skip level manager. 😊

3 Things 9/2/2026 which was "AWESOME"

Something that went well 

There's a person in my department who has been difficult to communicate with. When I request something, she either tells me why it's not a good idea or she's got more important things to do. It's defeating. I don't like to ask her for anything, but I do when I have to. Well, today I wrote SEO friendly copy for one of our website pages and needed her to publish it. I sent it to her and braced myself for the "no" that might come. Almost immediately,  she responded with "This is AWESOME!" (emphasis hers) and even offered to give it special formatting enhancements that I hadn't considered. What?!? Instead of a brush off, she gave me an AWESOME and the extra mile. I was stunned. Must've been exceptional writing on my part to get that kind of reaction. I reread my copy a few times just to drink in its awesomeness. 

Something to look forward to 

The Husband is using his paid time off to get things done around the house this week. There are exciting and much needed renovations in our future.

Just kidding. Only two things today.

3 Things 8/28/2026

Today's Battle Cry

(In the voice of Tone Loc at the beginning of Wild Thing) Let's do it!

Something that went well 

I was very tired and super cranky today. But I still showed up, and I still did good work. I even held my own through two meetings and a surprise call from my skip level boss.

Something to look forward to 

Officially on vacation. No work until Wednesday. (Today is Friday)

What's the best that could happen?

I could sleep and sleep and sleep until I'm done tomorrow morning. I'd be asleep right now except the Packers are playing 🏈🧀💚💛💚💛💚

3 Things 8/27/2026 with the first battle cry

Something that went well 

- I haven't worn makeup all week. I never did like clogging my pores. But last week I'd scrubbed so hard to clean my face that I'd caused my undereye bags to bleed. So, I quit. And guess what happened. No one noticed. No one told me I looked tired or pale, which they sometimes used to do even when I wore makeup. (Btw, not once at this current job have any of my coworkers told me I look tired, bless them ❤️, but that might be because I'm so much older and they'd never dare say it to an elder.)

- Even though I was far from feeling feisty this morning, when The Husband texted me from his workplace asking how I was doing, I wrote back, "I'm wearing my fancy pants and ready to kick butt." After hitting Send, I actually felt capable of kicking butt. So, now I'm thinking I should start each day with a little battle cry. I would like to come up with a new one every day. We'll see how that goes. 

- Someone at work told me I looked "sharp" today. Let's give it up for fancy pants and no makeup! 👏

Something to look forward to 

- Finding out what tomorrow's battle cry will be 🤪

- I get to work from home tomorrow 

- The Husband and I have PTO and camping plans with friends next week

- The yarn event at the library starts next week. I still need to turn in my entry.

What's the best that could happen?

- We could have nice weather for camping

- I could sleep well tonight 

-People could like my yarn project

3 Things 8/23/2026 Sunday Version

Something that went well 

Huge social event at the library today. Walked over with The Husband and Elder Son, met up with a good friend there. Ate yummy food. Supported my local library.

Something to look forward to 

Will drop off my finished yarn project for the same library's fiber art show this week. It turned out nice. I am looking forward to possibly hearing someone else also say it's nice. I might share a photo of it here someday.

Something nice about me 

I've been cat-sitting for Younger Son all weekend. One of his kitties hid under the bad and wouldn't come out the first time I stopped by. Now she greets me at the door and asks for lots of pets. Yes, it's because she knows my visits equal food, but still, a cat has deemed me an acceptable human, and that's an honor.

Thinking of Donuts

On my way to work on Treat Day Thursday, I bought myself a donut. Gleefully carried my little white bakery bag into the office.

As I settled in, boss lady came by to tell me she had brought treats to celebrate her birthday. 

She had brought a dozen donuts.

"Oh!" I said, holding up my little white bakery bag. "You and I had the same idea! Except, you were thinking of everyone, and I was thinking only of myself." 🤪