As most of you know, I work at a university. A university that is right across the street from a high school. Yesterday, after work Jackson and I took a walk on campus. I could see that there were a lot of kids across the street in the field outside the high school but I didn't think anything of it. Until I heard a pop and screaming. It only lasted a second but my initial thought was to grab Jackson and run. Luckily, I quickly surmised that the pop was a starter pistol and not a real gun and the screams were screams of encouragement and not terror. Can't they come up with a better way to start a race than shooting a gun?
We also just found out that there was police officer killed early this morning just across the river from the campus. Actually just beyond the tree line and to the right in this picture. I have never lived my life in fear and I don't plan to start now, but it is getting harder.
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
Sunday, April 15, 2007
Date Night
Yes, my "life beyond the boy" now includes my husband. We got a babysitter for last night and hit the town. In the middle of the afternoon Lyle came downstairs to tell me that the restaurant we were going to did not allow jeans. I promised him that I would change into real pants and if he was really lucky I might shower before we left. There aren't too many fancy restaurants in our town and this one had just opened up this winter. Lyle had been there with a few candidates, but I had not gone yet. So, all I knew was that it was fancy (no jeans fancy) so I dressed up a little bit. Not formal night on a cruise dressed up, but dressed up for me. I wore black pants and a black shirt with some texture to it. I put on a silver necklace and some silver earrings (all after I showered, of course). When I went in to get Jackson up from his nap he noticed something was different right away. He is a very observant little boy. He said "ohhh, this is pretty" touching my necklace. "And you have new earrings. Ohhh, and you shirt feels ticklely." I have wonderful memories of my parents getting ready for a night out. Dad smelled good and mom looked beautiful. Everything about it was exciting even though I never got to go with them (I wonder why that was). I will have to plan more nights of dressing up just to give Jackson those memories.
Anyway, so we were dressed and ready but Kim was not there. I know I told her 5:30, but I was a little worried because I did not call to confirm. I finally broke down and called her house to check on her and her husband told me she should be pulling up any minute. Sure enough just as I was hanging up she was on the porch. If someone is not at least 5 minutes early I consider them late. So we quickly re-oriented her to the house and the kid and the DVD player (most important) and then left.
The restaurant is right downtown and it is beautifully decorated inside and decidedly fancy. I am not terribly good at fancy. After we ordered they brought out our complimentary salad. I wish I had had my camera; this was the quintessential nuevo cuisine joke. It was on a plate about 2 inches square with a round 1/2" depression in the middle about an inch in diameter. The "salad" was in the inch. It was seaweed and something else. Lyle said it tasted like peanuts. He ate both of them; I am surprised he could squeeze in his entré after that.
Lyle ordered a seafood dish and I ordered filet mignon. The entrées were a fairly good size. My steak was good and I could not finish it all so we wrapped it up to take it home. We splurge on dessert and it was delicious. It was served on a plate similar to the salad plate but it was rectangular and there were 4 round depressions; one for each of the chocolate delights. The chocolate mousse was my favorite but Lyle preferred the truffle.
It was silly and expensive but fun. I would go there again for special occasions. Oh, I almost forgot about the bathroom. The sink was not a traditional bowl; it was actually a slab that the water fell on. This was all form and no function. Everyone walking out of the bathroom had a small wet spot on their belly because as soon as the water hits the slab it, of course, splashes. A bowl would catch that splash, but where's the fun in that.
After dinner we ran to catch the only movie in town that might possibly be worth seeing. It was Music and Lyrics at the dollar show (I am partially a cheap date). It wasn't bad. It wasn't great, but it wasn't bad. We got home a little after 9 and Jackson was in bed but not asleep. Lyle went up to calm him down while I paid Kim and bid her goodnight. I like date night.
Anyway, so we were dressed and ready but Kim was not there. I know I told her 5:30, but I was a little worried because I did not call to confirm. I finally broke down and called her house to check on her and her husband told me she should be pulling up any minute. Sure enough just as I was hanging up she was on the porch. If someone is not at least 5 minutes early I consider them late. So we quickly re-oriented her to the house and the kid and the DVD player (most important) and then left.
The restaurant is right downtown and it is beautifully decorated inside and decidedly fancy. I am not terribly good at fancy. After we ordered they brought out our complimentary salad. I wish I had had my camera; this was the quintessential nuevo cuisine joke. It was on a plate about 2 inches square with a round 1/2" depression in the middle about an inch in diameter. The "salad" was in the inch. It was seaweed and something else. Lyle said it tasted like peanuts. He ate both of them; I am surprised he could squeeze in his entré after that.
Lyle ordered a seafood dish and I ordered filet mignon. The entrées were a fairly good size. My steak was good and I could not finish it all so we wrapped it up to take it home. We splurge on dessert and it was delicious. It was served on a plate similar to the salad plate but it was rectangular and there were 4 round depressions; one for each of the chocolate delights. The chocolate mousse was my favorite but Lyle preferred the truffle.
It was silly and expensive but fun. I would go there again for special occasions. Oh, I almost forgot about the bathroom. The sink was not a traditional bowl; it was actually a slab that the water fell on. This was all form and no function. Everyone walking out of the bathroom had a small wet spot on their belly because as soon as the water hits the slab it, of course, splashes. A bowl would catch that splash, but where's the fun in that.
After dinner we ran to catch the only movie in town that might possibly be worth seeing. It was Music and Lyrics at the dollar show (I am partially a cheap date). It wasn't bad. It wasn't great, but it wasn't bad. We got home a little after 9 and Jackson was in bed but not asleep. Lyle went up to calm him down while I paid Kim and bid her goodnight. I like date night.
Monday, April 09, 2007
EoM
It isn't true that I have no life beyond the boy but, unfortunately, most of that other life is work-related. And since people have been known to get fired (or Dooced) for blogging about their jobs, I avoid that whenever possible. But I am choosing to speak about it now in very general terms because I am interested in what others (perhaps especially my uncles) think about Employee of the Month programs.
In a recent Professional Staff (salaried administrator type employees who are not faculty) Council meeting they brought up "non-monetary" rewards to help motivate employees. I chuckled when they said this, but I had missed the previous meeting and apparently they were taking it very seriously. Someone had researched an Employee of the Month program and thought we should give it a try. Our Human Resouce director basically said it would be a waste of time, and I agree. Any intro psychology class will tell you that if reinforcement is not immediate and relatable it is not going to be effective. In other words, if you are rewarded months later for some nebulous good works it is not going to make you do more good works in the future. Given the vast differences in our jobs here (I am the only one that does grant administration) I don't know how they could set criteria to allow employees to strive for this honor. I would personally find being named Employee of the Month (and I undoubtedly would be the first) a pain in the ass. I would probably have to accept this "honor" at some group function (which I also try to avoid) and I might even have to go to some painful lunch with people who also don't want to be there.
I remember being named Employee of the Month at McDonald's more than 25 years ago, but it came with a $50 gift certificate to Hudson's (woo hoo!) so that would blow the "non-monetary" aspect of this reward system, and it certainly did not motivate me to be a better employee. I was a great employee before and I continued to be a great employee.
I know these programs exist but I don't know if they are successful. How could you mesasure their success? What personality type would find this kind of "reward" motivating? Is it only for the young, unskilled workers (McDonald's, etc.) where there is enough homogeneity among positions to make it a contest? It almost makes me want to take a business class, but not quite. Did I mention I have a little boy?
In a recent Professional Staff (salaried administrator type employees who are not faculty) Council meeting they brought up "non-monetary" rewards to help motivate employees. I chuckled when they said this, but I had missed the previous meeting and apparently they were taking it very seriously. Someone had researched an Employee of the Month program and thought we should give it a try. Our Human Resouce director basically said it would be a waste of time, and I agree. Any intro psychology class will tell you that if reinforcement is not immediate and relatable it is not going to be effective. In other words, if you are rewarded months later for some nebulous good works it is not going to make you do more good works in the future. Given the vast differences in our jobs here (I am the only one that does grant administration) I don't know how they could set criteria to allow employees to strive for this honor. I would personally find being named Employee of the Month (and I undoubtedly would be the first) a pain in the ass. I would probably have to accept this "honor" at some group function (which I also try to avoid) and I might even have to go to some painful lunch with people who also don't want to be there.
I remember being named Employee of the Month at McDonald's more than 25 years ago, but it came with a $50 gift certificate to Hudson's (woo hoo!) so that would blow the "non-monetary" aspect of this reward system, and it certainly did not motivate me to be a better employee. I was a great employee before and I continued to be a great employee.
I know these programs exist but I don't know if they are successful. How could you mesasure their success? What personality type would find this kind of "reward" motivating? Is it only for the young, unskilled workers (McDonald's, etc.) where there is enough homogeneity among positions to make it a contest? It almost makes me want to take a business class, but not quite. Did I mention I have a little boy?
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