2008: The Returnadia

I had decided in, like, November that I'd start writing again in 2008. In fact, I was all hyped up to declare 2008 "The Year of Blogging Dangerously." But let's face it, not that dangerously. I do this mostly at work, and I'm too seldom drunk enough at work to post anything truly dangerous. (Kidding! I'm never drunk enough at work to post anything dangerous! Just mildly slanderous!) Plus, "blogging dangerously" kind of sounds like I might be posting while standing on a rickety ladder in a stairwell, or from a bubblebath with my computer perched on the edge of the tub or something, which I would not do. I'm very safety minded.

So. It's a new year! A fresh clean calendar with nothing horrible documented in it yet! I don't usually make New Year's resolutions, but this year I resolved to be less judgmental and more positive. It's tough, though. I literally make my living by pointing out flaws. That's what I was hired to do. It's hard to turn that off. But as it turns out, people get irritated when you take that skill away from the desk and, say, into a meeting, and then tell everybody the problems with their suggestions. Plus I find myself being hypercritical of all the drivers on the road, and the clerks at the CVS, and the fashion choices of elementary school children, and it's gotten a bit out of hand. It's almost as annoying being that person as it is to be around that person. So. Working on turning that down a little.

So far--day 4 of aught-eight--I'm...not doing that great at it. Oops--I mean, I'm leaving myself lots of room to progress! Things are looking up! There's a bluebird on my shoulder!

(See? What do you know. That's just as annoying as snippy petty criticism.)

Actually, it was pointed out today that I do indeed make resolutions, as Ross reminded me that I'd been foolish enough to post about this last year, too.

January 3, 2007
So far today I've fleetingly decided that, from now on, I'll:
* eat more vegetables
* sit up straight
* keep my wrists up while I type
* get up when the alarm first goes off instead of switching it to NPR and dozing back off
* eat breakfast
* answer the phone and check messages religiously
* answer emails right away
* process invoices and applications as soon as I get them
* be more cheerful at work
* be more efficient at work
* cut people some slack more regularly


How's that going?

Let’s see. I DID eat more vegetables and was off-and-on much better about keeping my wrists up. The getting up with the alarm thing is not happening at all. In fact, I just quit bothering with the alarm and wake up to NPR, so I don't have to get up to switch it. I do eat breakfast. I answer fun messages right away and am still terrible about pretty much everything else correspondence-wise. I do process invoices within 48 hours. I definitely did not stay more cheerful at work, but efficient, hells yeah. I'm a powerhouse, yo.

I think “cut people slack” meant the same thing as “be less judgmental.” A perennial fave, that one.

Okay. If I do stop judging so much, these blog posts are going to get really boring really quick, because I don't so much "blog" as "complain in writing." Fortunately for us all, success here is unlikel...ooops. Almost got me there, didn't ya? I'm going to succeed like nobody's business! Like that guy in the DeVry commercial, I'm getting it together and I realize! S-U-C-C-E-S-S, success!

Over and out,
T.