Monday, August 29, 2011

Rising


It’s hard to believe it’s been ten years. This weekend I started watching a documentary produced by Steven Spielberg titled, Rising: Rebuilding Ground Zero. It’s a six-part series that began airing last week on The Discovery Channel. I’ve only had a chance to watch the first hour so far, but already I am amazed with this documentary. It’s absolutely incredible to see the massive undertaking of rebuilding the World Trade Center. The stories of the workers and architects, the symbolism in the design, and the beautiful memorial they are creating make for an inspiring and moving documentary. The remaining three episodes will air this Thursday, September 1st on Discovery Channel, so be sure to tune in. Seriously—you have to watch this. Warning, you may want to keep a box of Kleenex next to you while you watch, but I’ll say one thing, it sure makes you proud to be an American. God bless America!

Friday, August 26, 2011

Baby It's Cold Inside

Imagine the following: A large office building sits in the middle of the desert. It’s summertime. The weather outside is a blistering 114 degrees. However, the temperature inside the building is literally freezing. Inside this building, a short blond woman sits at her desk. The woman is wearing dress pants, close-toed shoes, and a cardigan sweater. She also has a throw blanket over her lap and has turned on her space heater in an attempt to warm up her frozen fingers so she can type.

What’s wrong with this picture? Everything! I am freezing to death and I live in Phoenix! And yes, you heard right…I actually have a space heater at my desk during the summer. Did I mention that I live on the surface of the sun? Dear Company, why must you turn the office into a walk-in freezer?

According to the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA), there are no specific regulations for office temperature. However, it does mandate that the workplace must be free from hazard. Last time I checked, turning your employees into popsicles is hazardous. I also read a study that found a direct correlation between temperature and productivity. A study by Cornell University found that the optimum temperature for productivity is 77 degrees Fahrenheit. Well, I guess we all have a new excuse for decreased productivity. “Sure thing boss, as soon as that temperature gets to 77 I’ll get right back to work.”

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Sweet Dreams

I am a dreamer. I mean literally—I always have vivid dreams. I also have several different recurring dreams. I had another “episode” of a particular recurring dream the other night, so I thought it was time for me to do some investigating. In this dream, I am back in high school as a cheerleader. It’s always one hour before game time and I don’t know which uniform to wear! Gasp! Okay, that might not sound like a big deal to most of you, but to a cheerleader, this is literally a nightmare! I mean, what outfit we wear is practically our biggest decision for the game. To show up and not match the squad would be humiliating. In my cheer squad we took turns deciding which uniform to wear for the game. Each uniform had a name like, “Bulldogs,” “Unity,” “Paws,” or something like that. In my dream I realize that I don’t know which uniform to wear, and I COMPLETELY panic. (Give me a P, give me an A, give me an N, give me an I, give me a C…what does it spell? PANIC!) I run around, frantically trying to find out which uniform to wear that night. Is it Unity? Is it Paws? I don’t know! I call my teammates and no one answers. What will I do? What if I wear the wrong uniform? Aaahhh!! And then I wake up.

So I decided to do some research, and here’s what I found. According to the “world wide web,” here are some possible interpretations/things my dream is telling me:

“You like things to be in order, predictable, in alignment” (No surprise there—I mean, I color coordinate my closet for goodness sake)

“You feel ‘uniform’-- the same, like a cookie cutter version of a human being” (You mean, I feel like a gingerbread woman?)

The uniform is a “symbol of liking to put on a fake persona, a cloak to hide the inner truth of who one truly is” (That's weird, I always thought my true self was a cheerleader.)

“The dream might be a metaphor to ‘cheer up’” (I know, I’ll do the perfect cheer!)

“To dream that you are a cheerleader signifies your self-confidence and self-esteem. You need to be more active and more positive in some waking situation in your life.” (Should I do a few cheers at the office?)

“It may point to a conflict, situation or matter in your waking life that remains unresolved or unsettled.” (Should I initiate a cheer squad reunion?)

Hmmm…not much help there. I don’t feel like a cookie cutter human, but perhaps I do need to be a bit more “cheery” in my life. I’ll give that a shot. If you have any other interpretations for me, I’d love to hear them. Oh, and if someone knows which uniform we’re wearing to the big game this weekend, please let me know ASAP!

Wednesday, August 3, 2011

Winner, Winner

Winner, winner! Monday night was the end of another season of the Bachelorette, which also means the end to our Bachelorette office pool. And you’re looking at the second time winner! That’s right folks—I am getting scary good at this. Last season I predicted Emily would be the winner, and this season I predicted JP.  Conundrum: Is this a sign I’ve seen too many seasons of the Bachelor/Bachelorette, or merely a sign I should go to Vegas and put money down next season? Well, either way, thanks to the Bachelorette for picking my pick. I guess they don’t call me Paige the Sage for nothing.