Review of Escape from Corporate America

I bought this book from Amazon on a whim when I was feeling a bit disgruntled about my job situation a few months ago. While I wouldn't go as far as to say I based my decision entirely on this book, I do admit that it helped validate some of the things that I was thinking and doing.

I thought that the book, despite its topic, was actually a fun read. Skillings has a way of putting a lighthearted spin on the dreary topic of job hate (or dislike if you're not 100% miserable). Her description of the six phases of corporate disillusionment is both dead-on and hilarious. I found myself thinking, "Yup, been there." and feeling like she crawled up inside my gray matter. She not only goes into some of the key reasons people are unhappy with their jobs, but she gives practical suggestions for how to fix or improve your situation even if you can't leave your job. For example, if you want to spend time on a hobby - whether it be sewing, singing, or making Lego sculptures - she has recommendations so that you can devote more time to doing the things that truly make you happy. Some of her recommendations are common sense, but sometimes it's the obvious that we're blind to.

For you folks that had to deal with me when I was comparing one of my previous jobs to a bad marriage, you'll appreciate the "Break Up with Your Job" section where Skillings compares a bad job to a bad relationship. We've all been there. There's the "boring partner" job that has no spark, but feels safe with its good bennies and nice office. There's the "clingy stalker" job that has you working 60 hour weeks. It wears you out, but makes you feel important and needed. And finally there's the "sugar mama/papa" job that you're tolerating just for the money. BTW, I should mention that the book isn't entirely against working in a corporate environment since there are good companies out there.

Some of my favorite quotes from the book:

• If you are not passionate about what you do, then find something that you can be passionate about. There's nothing more depressing than dedicating your days to something that doesn't fulfill you. (Richard Tait, Founder and Grand Poo-Bah, Cranium)


• There is a perception that risk is negative. To me, risk means getting out of your comfort zone, and that allows you to grow. If you feel the call to do something different, do it. It's actually more of a risk to stay where you are then to move forward in the direction of your dreams. (Marie Elena Rigo, Feng Shui consultant, interior designer, and life coach)
  

You can check out Patricia Skillings' website here.

My Working-At-Home Oath

A few weeks ago I alluded to my working-at-home oath. Now that I'm no longer facing people every day, I wanted to give myself some ground rules so that I don't become too much like a caveman.

(1) I will shower and dress daily. Ah yes. The luxury of working from home is that no one will ever know that you haven't brushed your teeth or gotten out of your jammies. I could easily throw my hair in a ponytail and consider myself "dressed" wearing the same clothes I had on the night before. I could skip my usual routine of blow drying my hair and putting on makeup, but I won't. There's something about seeing myself in the mirror looking like I was being held hostage in a dungeon that zaps a little bit of my confidence. Right now, I need all the confidence I have left to place bids on projects that have a high probability of being awarded to someone else. Plus, it seems kind of unfair for Steve, who is currently my financial backbone, to go off to a client and come home to someone who looks like Pepe the Prawn from the Muppets. Just because I may not be making much money doesn't mean I have to look like I'm homeless. With that said, my rule is that I must be dressed and groomed enough that I could face Steve's business partner, the UPS guy/gal, or the stay-at-home moms at Costco.

Caveats:
• I'm sick enough that I'm unable to work.
• I will be doing some form of manual labor such as resealing the deck. Of course, if this is the case then I'm technically not working anyway.

(2) I will continue to work out. This involves setting the alarm and getting to the gym or the trail just like I was doing when I actually had to go into the office. BTW, I am sleeping in until 5:00 a.m. these days; it's amazing how that extra 30 minutes in the morning makes me feel more human. Yes, there will be days when the snooze button wins and I oversleep. Just like before, I'll have to make it a point to either work out later in the day, or make up for it later in the week. "Why bother?" you ask. Just like getting showered and dressed, working out makes me feel more alert and better able to tackle the day. Now that we're paying for our own health insurance, it's even more important for us to maintain our health. Case in point: Steve's high cholesterol reading from two years ago resulted in his premium being almost $100 more per month than mine. Exercise also ties into rule #3 below. Since we're living on a tighter budget, I can't go buying bigger clothes for my bigger self.

Caveats:
• Sickness.
• Looming deadline that requires extra hours.

(3) I will not shop for new clothes. I have a lot of clothes. Scratch that. I have an obscene amount of clothes. This is partly due to (a) I like shopping for clothes, and (b) I keep stuff forever. Forever as in I still have jeans that I bought from Kohl's when Steve and I first bought our house in 1997. They've got holes all over and are about as outdated as Obama's infamous mom jeans, but I love lounging around in them. Plus, they're now short enough that I can wear flat shoes with them. Anyway, back to my point...

I don't need any more clothes. In fact, since I no longer have to dress to go into an office, I could probably get rid of some. I've been reading more about recycling/redesigning your existing clothes on sites such as Made by Lex, Wardrobe Refashion, and Turn-Style. I have to admit that this refashioning business appeals to my crafty side so I may have to try it.

Caveats:
• New workout gear only when my existing gear starts to cause bodily harm to me (chafing, gagging because of imbedded stink, lack of stability/support) or to others (you can see through material, smell me before you see me, public indecency due to shrinkage).
• Someone gives me a gift card.

"Comfortable" says The Weather Channel

According to The Weather Channel's website it's 98 degrees (feels like 103), but "comfortable" if you plan to exercise. Uhhh.... maybe if you're swimming.


Now they do label it as "Tonight's Fitness Forecast", so maybe it's not fair for me to call them liars. A little more digging on their site did show that it will be a comfortable 80 degrees at 10p.m. Something tells me I won't be running at that time.

Summer of Scanning

Our new scanner has a feeder so I'm making full use of it and scanning old photos. You know, from back in the day when we actually took film in to get developed?

Here are a few from when Steve and I first met. We were working for the same company and they'd send us (and another person) out on the road for three weeks at a time. You can probably tell from the gargantuan hole behind us that this was taken at the Grand Canyon. I think this was one of our weekend road trips while we were working in Fort Huachuca, AZ. It's probably hard to tell, but Steve is wearing the cut-off, paper-thin Harley t-shirt that I dreaded oh so much.


I think this next one was taken by our friend Rina at a rest stop somewhere in the middle of hell. Hell being somewhere between El Paso, TX and Albuquerque, NM where there was nothing to look at and no radio stations.

Mom & Dad's Backyard Retreat

Despite having one neighbor with a 6' privacy fence in their front yard and another neighbor with a camo-painted truck on cinder blocks, my parents have managed to carve out a cozy little escape in their backyard.




We tease my mom about all her yard ornaments including this pig's butt that has been mistaken for droopy body parts in the past.

The critters are as well fed as the DeGuzman kids. We caught this little guy drinking from the bird bath.

How goes it?

I got a call from my Dad last week that went something like this:

Dad: How are you?
Me: Great!
Dad: How's the, ya know, um, er going?
Me: Work?
Dad: Yah. That.

We had a similar conversation yesterday and I'm sure we'll have it again next week. While my parents outwardly show their support for my recent employment decision, I think they're worried and I can see why. These are the same people that have always encouraged me to go the safe, conventional, low-risk route in life. I'm surprised they didn't try to ground me or take away my car keys when I told them I was quitting my job.

"So how are things going?" you wonder. Pretty good. Don't get me wrong; I won't be running off to retire on some tropical island any time soon, but I am loving my new life. I finished up the bartending project and am waiting to hear back on a few other projects that I bid on. Somone from my last company contacted me and asked me to work on a few training packages for them so it looks like that'll keep me busy for a few months.

I think the hardest thing to get used to (besides the steady paycheck) are the "Now that you're not working...." comments and references to my "unemployed life" from people I consider friends. At first these comments really got under my skin, but I've just come to realize that these people will never understand wanting to get out from under "the man" to do your own thing. Their snide remarks are noted and dismissed.

Then there are those of you who have been encouraging and sincerely concerned. I find it funny that the people who I've gotten the most support from are former co-workers. I'm not sure what that says about the places I've worked, but it's an interesting observation. To you peeps I send a big thanks and a hug!

Poco Dolce and the Quest For Chile-Infused Chocolate

A few weeks ago my friend Mandy gave me a few tiles of Poco Dolce chocolate including a tile of the Aztec Chile. I'm usually more of a milk chocolate kind of girl, but this was THE BEST chocolate I had ever had. The chile added a nice kick to the chocolate's bitterness and the occasional taste of salt made my taste buds go wild. This was the kind of chocolate you DON'T share because you just want it all for yourself. Unfortunately, the cost of about $2.25 for a tile is a bit steep for me.

Today I was in Giant and stumbled across these Lindt chocolate bars. While they don't combine the chili and sea salt into one bar, I figured for less than $3 per bar I'd conduct my own taste test.

Both were dark chocolate and as far as dark chocolate goes, were mediocre. I honestly couldn't taste the difference between this and the Ghiradelli dark chocolate I have stashed in my emergency chocolate jar. As for the sea salt and chile, I have to say that I found the flavors lacking and much too light for my taste. Yes, there was a subtle flavor of salt and chile, but it just wasn't enough to give it that wow factor. Maybe for someone with highly sensitive taste buds it might be sufficient, but I prefer a bit more zing. Who knows. Maybe Lindt's strategy is to provide just a hint of salt or chile so that you're wondering whether you actually tasted it so that you end up eating more just to figure it out.

Would I buy these Lindt bars again? Probably not. But if you've never had chocolate infused with chile, these might be worth a try.

Today's Featured Writing Gig

From the D.C. area's Craigslist:

quasi alcoholic poet looking for similar douchebag to bounce ideas off (DC area)

wanted:
slightly psychotic person to exchange words with over the internet. Send me a poem or a picture of your couch , or a envelop full of your hair and fingernails. If i think we'd mesh i'll send something back. Then we can go from there. Really just looking for a partner in crime. I'll judge you and you judge me, I'll tell you you suck and you can cut my stories to ribbons, we can drink cheap liquor and cry together, and we'll both feed off each other's rejection and become wealthy and powerful. Then we'll quit our jobs-- If we had jobs which, if youre reading this, you probably dont. Me either.

Random Trivia

Did you know Dom Perignon, the dude associated with Champagne, was a monk? Although he didn't invent Champagne, he helped to perfect the technique for making it. Champagne is basically wine that has had yeast added to it just before the bottle is sealed; the yeast causes the wine to ferment a bit more, hence the bubbles. The name "Champagne" indicates that the wine comes from the Champagne region of France. If the wine is from anywhere else, it's called "sparkling wine".

Now don't get your panties in a knot about the French. We've claimed bourbon as our own product.