Aveos do not like big snow.
My car is likely not moving until spring.
I'm ready to be out two grand if means that I won't get stuck in a parking spot I spent an hour shoveling out after working a mediocre-size facility rental at the Museum.
I do suppose I have to take into consideration all of things I'll postpone with that 2,000 hit. hm...always something to ponder!
21 December 2008
05 November 2008
Dawn of a New Day
Barack Obama is our president-elect. It is a groundbreaking accomplishment for our country. I feel the excitement and fear, anticipation and relief that is overwhelming so many people at this moment.
Somehow, I feel hope restored that was lost for so long and believe that our country's founding principles will break through the barricades that have hindered them for nearly a decade now.
I am 1 for 3 in presidential elections. This is a great feeling!
Yes We Can! And we did.
On to better days...
Somehow, I feel hope restored that was lost for so long and believe that our country's founding principles will break through the barricades that have hindered them for nearly a decade now.
I am 1 for 3 in presidential elections. This is a great feeling!
Yes We Can! And we did.
On to better days...
29 October 2008
Flabbergasted
I am not sure I understand how some people cannot show the slightest degree of decency or respect toward their colleagues, suboridinates or direct reports. Color me suprised? Not at all. I am not impacted by the rude and replusive behaviours often shown by the upper rungs of management and while I know the pressures just as well as the next person, it does not make it an acceptable way to treat others. I also do not understand how a manager can sit there and not stand up for one of her employees as she gets yelled at by another co-worker, regardless of what fancy word is in his title and not in her own.
The purpose of a manager is to lead his/her staff, organize and plan, coach and motivate, discipline and be a steady source of support that the staff can rely on. I do a damn good job at this. I stand up for my employees and become their voice when I know issues are affecting their ability to do their job. I keep their work environment positive and develop a trusting, working relationship with each of them. I create a buffer between the wretched monsters who run the place and keep them motivated to be the best they can be. The 14 people that report to me are the happiest among the entire staff. They appreciate my consistency because they are aware I take the appropriate steps to make change that needs to happen happen. I prove this to them on a daily basis, with not only things on an individual level, but also confirm my committment to them as I keep pushing for issues that impact the bigger picture and more than just our department. I push them harder and try to make that positive bit of difference in their lives. That may be the teacher in me and right now, it just happens to be crossing over to my management style. Working with my staff is the most rewarding aspect of my job at the moment, I dare say, even more than serving the greater good or seeing my visions come to fruition.
With that said, and since it is blatantly obvious that I am the only manager who believes in such a philosophy at my job, I am sometimes taken aback by those who feel it necessary to swear, yell and/or sit in silence while in meetings about a potential logistical nightmare, especially when I am the situational expert. When that happens and I am through with being insulted and feeling the inhumane slap across my face, I kindly excuse myself and go back to work in quiet crevices of the building where few others know.
I may go down by myself but it will not be without my voice being heard by the one who matters most. And with my experience there, it is that very thing that earns you the respect that is so sought after. Compliancy, be damned!
The purpose of a manager is to lead his/her staff, organize and plan, coach and motivate, discipline and be a steady source of support that the staff can rely on. I do a damn good job at this. I stand up for my employees and become their voice when I know issues are affecting their ability to do their job. I keep their work environment positive and develop a trusting, working relationship with each of them. I create a buffer between the wretched monsters who run the place and keep them motivated to be the best they can be. The 14 people that report to me are the happiest among the entire staff. They appreciate my consistency because they are aware I take the appropriate steps to make change that needs to happen happen. I prove this to them on a daily basis, with not only things on an individual level, but also confirm my committment to them as I keep pushing for issues that impact the bigger picture and more than just our department. I push them harder and try to make that positive bit of difference in their lives. That may be the teacher in me and right now, it just happens to be crossing over to my management style. Working with my staff is the most rewarding aspect of my job at the moment, I dare say, even more than serving the greater good or seeing my visions come to fruition.
With that said, and since it is blatantly obvious that I am the only manager who believes in such a philosophy at my job, I am sometimes taken aback by those who feel it necessary to swear, yell and/or sit in silence while in meetings about a potential logistical nightmare, especially when I am the situational expert. When that happens and I am through with being insulted and feeling the inhumane slap across my face, I kindly excuse myself and go back to work in quiet crevices of the building where few others know.
I may go down by myself but it will not be without my voice being heard by the one who matters most. And with my experience there, it is that very thing that earns you the respect that is so sought after. Compliancy, be damned!
23 October 2008
Sadness
Today, after looking in every possible location for them, my sunglasses are officially missing and presumed lost. It makes me sad to think of going through the chore of finding their replacement.
I refuse to get those clown glasses that take up half of your face.
Wish me luck
I refuse to get those clown glasses that take up half of your face.
Wish me luck
09 October 2008
oh happy day!
hockey has returned...
...so has my fandom, which is a very exciting tidbit of information
gas is a few pennies below $3.00 a gallon
i hit every green light on the way into work this morning
...so has my fandom, which is a very exciting tidbit of information
gas is a few pennies below $3.00 a gallon
i hit every green light on the way into work this morning
08 October 2008
Actions Speak
It is a known fact that some will not vote for Obama because he is African American. Will these people default to John McCain? But where is the justification in voting for a white male who is physically uncomfortable standing in the same space as an African American, let alone representing a nation where minorities are half of the population or speaking and negotiating with foreign leaders who are also of minority races?
Someone please explain the madness.
Someone please explain the madness.
29 August 2008
YES WE CAN!
We are all living in a historic moment. These next few months will be looked back on with the same significance as we view the Civil Rights Movement and other similar socio-political movements today. We are aware of the change our nation will go through and can notice how far we as a people have come. It is an exciting time. On the other hand, it could also become a horrifying reality if our next four years are a continuation of the past eight. If other people are as worried as I am about the current state of our economy and the direction our country is headed, then the choice we get to make is an obvious one. We need to reconnect with the values that drive our country forward, that make us the greatest in the world and allow our allies abroad to trust our judgement and direction again. We have a lot of cleaning up to and bridges to mend, but with Obama, those things will be possible once again.
And I don't know about you, but 10% isn't good enough for me either. Time for a fresh face and intelligent decision-making on Pennsylvania Avenue.
We are on the brink of greatness!
Let's make change happen!
Time to believe.
And I don't know about you, but 10% isn't good enough for me either. Time for a fresh face and intelligent decision-making on Pennsylvania Avenue.
We are on the brink of greatness!
Let's make change happen!
Time to believe.
06 August 2008
05 June 2008
29 May 2008
Rue the Day
I heard this conversation on NPR this afternoon and can't get over how cool this is. Anything that mentions William Wallace, John Wayne, Humphrey Bogart and John Terry in the same statement is worth it's weight in gold. The movie that is mentioned along with this gold is a quiet shame unto itself and the notion of anyone going to see this makes me cringe. Yuck! Go see Iron Man instead! Or at least for the Jedi's sake, Indiana Jones.
Now take a minute to click and
enjoy
Now take a minute to click and
enjoy
06 May 2008
From the Ground Up
With this post, my August 17 post will come off my page and go into the archives. It has not been intentional to leave it on so long, but on a personal level it is substantial. Lest we forget.
In other news, I've been pounding the pavement for a few weeks now in an attempt to rebound from my knee injury that sidelined me most of the past three months. My goal has been to gradually re-introduce my knee into daily running and I've been keeping the miles low while working on my pace and endurance. Today was awesome. I ran mile 1 in 9 minutes and 38 seconds. I ran mile 2 in 10 minutes 11 seconds. I'll be able to add distance in no time. Add a weight routine after my runs and a kickboxing class once a week and I dare say that I'm getting into shape. It feels great.
I either have a pulled muscle or a kidney stone, but I haven't decided which yet. Both cause amazingly sharp, shooting pain sensations from time to time. That doesn't feel so great.
I went back to Tiger Stadium to get more things for the Museum. I took more pictures. Below you'll see my room at the old ballpark, the remnants of a locker room that housed some of the game's greatest and the view from Ernie's seat - because I was brave enough to trust the rotting structure and venture into the press box. We'll go back to feeling great again and that's how I'll end it.
In other news, I've been pounding the pavement for a few weeks now in an attempt to rebound from my knee injury that sidelined me most of the past three months. My goal has been to gradually re-introduce my knee into daily running and I've been keeping the miles low while working on my pace and endurance. Today was awesome. I ran mile 1 in 9 minutes and 38 seconds. I ran mile 2 in 10 minutes 11 seconds. I'll be able to add distance in no time. Add a weight routine after my runs and a kickboxing class once a week and I dare say that I'm getting into shape. It feels great.
I either have a pulled muscle or a kidney stone, but I haven't decided which yet. Both cause amazingly sharp, shooting pain sensations from time to time. That doesn't feel so great.
I went back to Tiger Stadium to get more things for the Museum. I took more pictures. Below you'll see my room at the old ballpark, the remnants of a locker room that housed some of the game's greatest and the view from Ernie's seat - because I was brave enough to trust the rotting structure and venture into the press box. We'll go back to feeling great again and that's how I'll end it.
07 April 2008
The Old Ball Park
Running a couple museums in Detroit has its perks, let there be no doubt about it. Among the top of my list will be this day: the day I re-entered a monumental landmark of yesteryear. Walking around the concourse and running on the field I could hear the cheers and chatter of thousands of fans, gathered together for a moment in time and making memories to last for eternity. But I see three-quarters of the Stadium with no seats left, lights falling down, billboards falling apart and nearly perfect field. It was an honor to take it and it fed my inner history buff something fierce. Awesome! I'm not even sure there are many more words to describe it.
Tiger Stadium is heartbreaking reminder of how politics mixes with history and the battle between preserving the past meets the need of new development for the future. I went in today with my team plus one muscle man and gathered additional items to sell in the stores to find out that I have free reign over anything that is left within the walls of that building. Coming soon to an online store and museum stores near you: lockers, benches, doors, seat backs and trinkets of Tiger Stadium that will soon be rubble on Michigan and Trumbull.
Here are some pics to hold you over until I complete my set for webshots.
Tiger Stadium is heartbreaking reminder of how politics mixes with history and the battle between preserving the past meets the need of new development for the future. I went in today with my team plus one muscle man and gathered additional items to sell in the stores to find out that I have free reign over anything that is left within the walls of that building. Coming soon to an online store and museum stores near you: lockers, benches, doors, seat backs and trinkets of Tiger Stadium that will soon be rubble on Michigan and Trumbull.
Here are some pics to hold you over until I complete my set for webshots.
26 March 2008
03 March 2008
Worth a Thousand Words
There are times when you lose drunken bets.
There are times when brilliancy strikes.
There are times when your choice for Car of the Year passes you by on the road and takes your breath away.
There are times when you get so bored that you decide to take your industrial saw or welding device and make your full-size van a pick-up truck.
For all those times - and those times yet to come - may you always have a camera to capture the moment.
There are times when brilliancy strikes.
There are times when your choice for Car of the Year passes you by on the road and takes your breath away.
There are times when you get so bored that you decide to take your industrial saw or welding device and make your full-size van a pick-up truck.
For all those times - and those times yet to come - may you always have a camera to capture the moment.
I now bring you - Truck Van, the classiest automobile to cruise the Motor City streets:
