This morning I headed off to work in a good mood. Jason was going in late today so he got me Tim Horton's and then dropped me off at work. I was determined that today was going to be a good day no matter what happened. Why of all days did I choose today???
First, I get in and I have several emails about not being able to run reports out of our system. At first I assumed they were doing something wrong, but I was also unable to run reports. This was a big problem because today is the day I run the weekly reports. So I emailed the appropriate people and waited. About an hour later I had start making phone calls to make sure this was getting someone's attention. I was trying not to get frustrated because, after all, today was going to be a good day.
Emails started to be exchanged and it looked like we were moving forward on getting the reports fixed. I got almost all the work done that was needed before reports could be run and I was actually feeling ahead of the game. Today was going to be a good day.
And then the lights went out. I looked and my computer was dead and the phone was dead too. Unbelievable! Our building had lost power. People started walking around asking what had happened, but none of us knew. Rumors started going around that all of downtown was without power. We were up on the 19th floor so we started watching stop lights at 3rd and Main - they were working. Then 2nd and Main, those were working. As were the stop lights on Ludlow. We soon realized that only the block at Courthouse Square was without power. (I work in the old MeadWestvaco building, now called Key Bank Tower.) This was about 11:15 am.
We started calling people to find out if they had heard any news about what was going on. (It didn't make the news.) We also waited to hear any news about an emergency. We didn't hear any explosions, didn't smell any smoke, and there were no emergency vehicles around the building. We started wondering if there really was a problem, how would they get the news to us?
Around 12:30 pm we still didn't have any news other than a transformer had blown in front of the building. So a few of us decided to head down the 21 flights of stairs and get some lunch. There was one major problem with this - there were no lights in the stairwells. We only had one flashlight on our floor and it was being used in the bathroom. I had a candle (tealight in a glass candle holder) that a coworker gave me years ago for Christmas, and I had kept it on my desk. The other ladies were trying to use their cell phones to light the stairs.
We saw three of the emergency lights on, but the rest were not. All we could think was that the batteries had run down and they had not been checked since. The 14th and 15th floors are double floors and there's also a shift in the stairs where you have to walk down a hallway. We couldn't tell where we were going between our candle and cell phones. We just went really really slow and took one flight at a time. The worst part was trying to find the first step for each flight. I was so afraid I'd put my foot out there and miss the step.
Finally around the 7th floor two maintenance men with flashlights who were checking floors helped us continue down the stairs. One in the front, one in the back. And then finally we were on the first floor, with wobbly knees and rubber legs. While we were congratulating ourselves we turned around and another group came down the last stairs. They were on the top floor - the 27th floor - and one of the ladies looked about 7 months pregnant. So no complaints from me!
Three of us decided to head to Uno's to sit for awhile, get some lunch, and wait for the electricity to come back on. While we were walking out the front doors we heard some of the DP&L workers say that the electricity should be back on in about an hour. Perfect! There was a short discussion about whether or not the 15 minutes spent going downstairs counted as part of lunch break or not. We all agreed it was not!
After lunch we started walking back to the building and noticed the lights were on in our building. We got in the building and a lot of people were standing around in the lobby. The elevators had just started working again and no one seemed in a hurry to head back up to work. I believe the main worry was getting stuck in the elevator if the electricity went out again. (If you remember, last September when most of Dayton lost electricity for days, it wasn't unusual for it go off right after it came back on.)
The three of us decided that we braved the stairs down, we could brave the elevator back up. And we were fine, of course. However, back on the 19th floor we realized that only the front side of the building had electricity. The phones and computers still did not have power. Another problem was that there was no running water, so no flush on the toilets. (And unfortunately I forgot to go at Uno's when I had the chance.)
A little after 2pm the power to the computers and phones came back on. This caused a lot of excitement until we realized that the servers had been turned off so still had no access to emails, the internet or our documents, and no phones. I kept calling my boss in Cleveland and giving him updates on what was going on. And finally, a little after 3pm, the server was back up and running and the office was functional again! (Except that most everyone had left to work from home.)
So I get into Outlook to find out what the status of the reports was... still not working. I had to start on the reports at 4:30 pm or they wouldn't get sent out by 5pm. The problem was that the software support people were telling us to reinstall the system, but our IS people didn't want to. There was quite a bit of back and forth and finally I got the email at 4:15 that the software had been reinstalled and I could run the reports. At 4:45 pm I finally had all the reports done.
Never did I have any idea this morning that it would take so long to get those ... reports done. And was it a good day? I'm trying really hard to see the good in that day. I ended up with a headache after going down all those steps (probably from straining my eyes and worrying the whole time). And I know my legs are going to hurt tomorrow. But on the good side, I got to do lunch with 2 friends who never go out for lunch and really talk. I'm sure there were other good things that will come out of that experience, but I'll think of those tomorrow.
For now I'm grateful for lights, running water, and being connected to the internet. I just find it hard to believe that twice now in 8 months we've lost electricity in situations that have never happened before. Will this continue to happen? I'm starting to think I should carry a flashlight with me. Just in case.
Showing posts with label Vent. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Vent. Show all posts
Monday, May 11, 2009
Monday, January 19, 2009
Second hand smoke is back
Friday night, some girl friends and I decided to go line dancing at the Yellow Rose. Lessons started at 8pm, so we met at 7:45... and the place was closed for remodeling. (Though their website didn't say this. I wonder if they just couldn't get the place heated with the cold temps and that was their excuse?)
So we headed to my old hang-out, Julia's to get everyone together and figure out what to do next. As we sat at our table chatting, I noticed one of the people who work at Julia's light up a cigarette. I looked around and quite a few people were smoking. I asked the bar tender and she said that in order to keep up with the larger places that allowed smoking, they had to also. She named off a list of places that allowed smoking inside, most I hadn't heard of, but obviously south of town, it's not uncommon to run into smoking inside the clubs and bars.
At 10pm we decided to go to another local place for karaoke, Down the Pike. Sure enough, lots of smoking there. On the eating side there was little smoke, so we sat on that side, close enough to hear the karaoke DJ. The other side with pool tables was heavy with smoke. I had to walk through that area a couple of times - to put in my song and then to make sure I didn't miss my name being called. We had a great time there and the munchies we ordered were very good. However, we walked out stinking horribly of cigarette smoke. I probably won't go there again for karaoke. The place was packed and in the 2 hours we were there, I only got to sing once.
When I got home, Jason said he could smell me across the room. He was surprised to hear that so many places south of town allowed smoking. I woke up the next morning with a scratchy voice. Now, you may think that it's from singing or having to talk loudly over the music. However, the week before we went to our favorite (non-smoking) tavern and I sang 6 or 7 songs, and also had to talk over the noise. I didn't have the sore throat or scratchy voice the next morning. I also had sinus issues all day Saturday. My body just doesn't do well around cigarette smoke. (Does anyone's?)
The problem is that there is little enforcement so the bars aren't worried about allowing smoking inside. Also, I'd definitely turn in the 2nd place we went to, but not the first place - I have friends who work there and don't want to risk them having to close. So maybe that's another problem, no one is turning in the locations that allow smoking. (What do you think, should I turn in both places and not just the one?)
Bottom line is that the law is the law. It hasn't been changed; smoking is still banned inside businesses for the state of Ohio. I'll continue to hang out at our favorite places that don't allow smoking. The little tavern around the corner from our house, Red Carpet Tavern, is still our first choice and I appreciate it even more now that I know that they could allow smoking, but they don't. And their food is pretty good. :)
So we headed to my old hang-out, Julia's to get everyone together and figure out what to do next. As we sat at our table chatting, I noticed one of the people who work at Julia's light up a cigarette. I looked around and quite a few people were smoking. I asked the bar tender and she said that in order to keep up with the larger places that allowed smoking, they had to also. She named off a list of places that allowed smoking inside, most I hadn't heard of, but obviously south of town, it's not uncommon to run into smoking inside the clubs and bars.
At 10pm we decided to go to another local place for karaoke, Down the Pike. Sure enough, lots of smoking there. On the eating side there was little smoke, so we sat on that side, close enough to hear the karaoke DJ. The other side with pool tables was heavy with smoke. I had to walk through that area a couple of times - to put in my song and then to make sure I didn't miss my name being called. We had a great time there and the munchies we ordered were very good. However, we walked out stinking horribly of cigarette smoke. I probably won't go there again for karaoke. The place was packed and in the 2 hours we were there, I only got to sing once.
When I got home, Jason said he could smell me across the room. He was surprised to hear that so many places south of town allowed smoking. I woke up the next morning with a scratchy voice. Now, you may think that it's from singing or having to talk loudly over the music. However, the week before we went to our favorite (non-smoking) tavern and I sang 6 or 7 songs, and also had to talk over the noise. I didn't have the sore throat or scratchy voice the next morning. I also had sinus issues all day Saturday. My body just doesn't do well around cigarette smoke. (Does anyone's?)
The problem is that there is little enforcement so the bars aren't worried about allowing smoking inside. Also, I'd definitely turn in the 2nd place we went to, but not the first place - I have friends who work there and don't want to risk them having to close. So maybe that's another problem, no one is turning in the locations that allow smoking. (What do you think, should I turn in both places and not just the one?)
Bottom line is that the law is the law. It hasn't been changed; smoking is still banned inside businesses for the state of Ohio. I'll continue to hang out at our favorite places that don't allow smoking. The little tavern around the corner from our house, Red Carpet Tavern, is still our first choice and I appreciate it even more now that I know that they could allow smoking, but they don't. And their food is pretty good. :)
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Disappearance of tall pants, Jason's promotion, and whatever else comes to mind
I've been trying to lose weight, but after 16 months (and two weddings, one being mine) and no weight coming off (actually gained a few), I'm giving up. I walk 3 days a week (average 8,000 steps/day), I do yoga, I try to eat healthy without dieting. (Diets make me gain weight because after starving myself for weeks, I give up, eat everything I've been denying myself and end up gaining weight.) At this point I'm just fighting to not gain weight. I know I need to join a gym and kick it up a notch, but I need to find the TIME.
Anyway, I decided that I was sick of wearing old, worn out pants. Only a few pairs still fit me and I hate wearing the too-small pairs with a long sweater. I was going out tonight to buy a couple new pair of pants for work. I have 4 pairs of black pants, so I was hoping to find navy, brown, gray, or stripes.
I went to Lane Bryant, where most of my pants have come from for the past 6 years. They no longer carry tall pants in the store, but I can order them online. I don't want to order them - I want to try them on BEFORE I pay for them. So then we go to JCPenneys, and once again, they no longer carry tall pants in the store, but I can buy them online. Pass.
So we hit Macy's and Elder Beermans. All these places have tall jeans, but no tall pants. We hit a few other stores that carry my size, and still no tall pants. We go to Fashion Bug and no tall pants. I had to fight feelings of being huge and ugly. I'm sick of hearing people say "you're so lucky to be tall." They have no idea how frustrating it really is. No one says "you're so lucky to be short" and petite people have entire stores that cater to them.
My options are now to go back to the Eddie Bauer outlet store and hope for another pair of tall pants that have been returned. (They're usually super cheap and a great fit for me!) I know what pants I like at Lane Bryant, so I know I can order them with confidence that they'll fit. There is also a tall store in Dayton where I actually feel short and the pants are way too long. I'll head over there and drop the $60 for a good pair of pants. It's worth it if I can start feeling good about my height again.
Next topic, Jason's promotion at work. I tried to blog this last week, but wasn't hooked up to the internet. I typed it in a program that doesn't have auto-save. I found this out the hard way. Anyway, a couple weeks ago Jason got an email about an Operations Manager for the adolescent residential program at Sojourner, where he works. (Link to Sojourner.) He submitted his letter of interest that afternoon. He interviewed with his future boss and the VP of Sojourner the following afternoon. The next day they offered him the position. Unfortunately it wasn't much of an increase from the position he was in, so he turned it down. There was some discussion and they agreed with him, that the position deserved more money, and they met his counter-offer.
They believe in Jason, they believe he's perfect for the position, that he can turn the program around. They need a leader who isn't afraid to make people do their job and fire them if they don't. His first official day in his new position was today, and he's already fired someone. He now has to work on hiring a couple new people. Jason has plenty of experience running this type of program, including hiring the right people to work with. I'm excited about the lives he's going to change. I know it's more stressful, but it's hopefully going to be more rewarding. Please pray for Jason has he tackles the difficulties waiting for him. It's going to be rough at first, but it's all going to work out.
I have Ginger updates, but they'll have to wait for another day. I need up do some laundry, hem some pants, and if I have time, finish my pumpkin... and it's 10:30 pm. Okay, maybe the pumpkin will wait until tomorrow.
Anyway, I decided that I was sick of wearing old, worn out pants. Only a few pairs still fit me and I hate wearing the too-small pairs with a long sweater. I was going out tonight to buy a couple new pair of pants for work. I have 4 pairs of black pants, so I was hoping to find navy, brown, gray, or stripes.
I went to Lane Bryant, where most of my pants have come from for the past 6 years. They no longer carry tall pants in the store, but I can order them online. I don't want to order them - I want to try them on BEFORE I pay for them. So then we go to JCPenneys, and once again, they no longer carry tall pants in the store, but I can buy them online. Pass.
So we hit Macy's and Elder Beermans. All these places have tall jeans, but no tall pants. We hit a few other stores that carry my size, and still no tall pants. We go to Fashion Bug and no tall pants. I had to fight feelings of being huge and ugly. I'm sick of hearing people say "you're so lucky to be tall." They have no idea how frustrating it really is. No one says "you're so lucky to be short" and petite people have entire stores that cater to them.
My options are now to go back to the Eddie Bauer outlet store and hope for another pair of tall pants that have been returned. (They're usually super cheap and a great fit for me!) I know what pants I like at Lane Bryant, so I know I can order them with confidence that they'll fit. There is also a tall store in Dayton where I actually feel short and the pants are way too long. I'll head over there and drop the $60 for a good pair of pants. It's worth it if I can start feeling good about my height again.
Next topic, Jason's promotion at work. I tried to blog this last week, but wasn't hooked up to the internet. I typed it in a program that doesn't have auto-save. I found this out the hard way. Anyway, a couple weeks ago Jason got an email about an Operations Manager for the adolescent residential program at Sojourner, where he works. (Link to Sojourner.) He submitted his letter of interest that afternoon. He interviewed with his future boss and the VP of Sojourner the following afternoon. The next day they offered him the position. Unfortunately it wasn't much of an increase from the position he was in, so he turned it down. There was some discussion and they agreed with him, that the position deserved more money, and they met his counter-offer.
They believe in Jason, they believe he's perfect for the position, that he can turn the program around. They need a leader who isn't afraid to make people do their job and fire them if they don't. His first official day in his new position was today, and he's already fired someone. He now has to work on hiring a couple new people. Jason has plenty of experience running this type of program, including hiring the right people to work with. I'm excited about the lives he's going to change. I know it's more stressful, but it's hopefully going to be more rewarding. Please pray for Jason has he tackles the difficulties waiting for him. It's going to be rough at first, but it's all going to work out.
I have Ginger updates, but they'll have to wait for another day. I need up do some laundry, hem some pants, and if I have time, finish my pumpkin... and it's 10:30 pm. Okay, maybe the pumpkin will wait until tomorrow.
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Saturday randomness
First a rant. I've been collecting these "Privacy Policy for Consumer Information" pamphlets that keep showing up in my mail. I'm on the do-not-call list, but somehow, since these people have my information, they feel like they can give this to other companies they're affilated with. And now days, isn't that a rather large number and growing regularly? We've noticed a large increase in telemarketing calls recently and although we answer these and ask them to take us off their list, there's still plenty of others who now have us on their lists.
So I've been saving these pamphlets for a day where I felt ornery enough to call these people and ask them to NOT give my information out. Today was that day.
First up, Charles Schwab. Yay, it's automated and they only want my SSN, and then my PIN. What? I don't know any PIN for them, so I have to answer a series of other questions, including my date of hire. I struggled with that for a moment because it was the week after Thanksgiving about 4 years ago. Is that November or December??? I guessed correctly and finally got to "reset" my PIN. And then I find out that their Customer Service department is closed on the weekend and I'll have to call back on Monday. Strike one.
Second up, Lane Bryant. Also automated, but you need your account number to change your privacy policy. I don't have this, so I tried to figure out how to talk a human being. Hitting 0 didn't work, so I just waited and didn't hit any more buttons. It hung up on me. Strike two.
Third up, Fifth Third Bank. Once again, automated. However, after hitting a series of buttons, I'm informed that I need to submit my request in writing or talk to a customer service. So I wait for my call to be transferred to customer service and then I'm given another number to call. I didn't write down the number, hoping it would transfer me again... and then it hung up. Strike three. I'm out.
Guess the telemarketers finally got around the do-not-call list.
I'm stashing the pamphlets in my work bag and I'll try dealing with this again at work next week. I don't want to waste any more time on a Saturday.
Next topic... wedding album. After spending weeks working on our wedding album on iPhoto (on my mac) I've figured out that they're more than twice as much as mypublisher.com. And they don't have as many options. So... I downloaded the mypublisher software and started working on my wedding album. Again. I used the same layout as before, but got to tweak a few things. So it took me another week to finalize this next album. And it'll be about $30 after the discount.
I haven't ordered the book yet, I'm still looking for critical input from people. I think I finally have the book how I want it, but the last little details is the "our wedding" on the front. I'll probably take it off, but there are quite a few who actually like it.
To view our wedding album, click here. If it asks for the ID and password, here's the info:
Your Share ID # is: S1715562
Your Share password is: 2342225
Last topic of randomness... the new Parsons kitten, Ginger. (That would be the Kentucky Parsons household, not the Ohio Parsons household.) Meet Ginger:
Gayle, Jason's mom, found her on the road, dragging her back legs. She was so little that at first she thought it was an injured squirrel. The little cat's stomach was huge, like it was about to pop, and there was a sore on her side. Gayle took her to the vet and the vet recommended putting her to sleep, but Gayle wanted to do what they could to save the kitten's life. Her bowels were impacted and she wasn't peeing on her own. The vet checked Ginger's legs and there was nothing broken, so he assumed that she had nerve damage. They think that maybe a dog got her and shook her. The vet wasn't sure how badly she was hurt and whether or not she'd make it. She weighed a pound and a half.
Gayle took her home, started feeding her baby food and laxative, and she would express her bladder. Every few days Gayle would take the kitten back to the vet to get her checked out again. Each time she was worried she'd hear him say again that the kitten would need to be put to sleep. But each time she was getting a little better. She was still a pound and a half after a week though.
We came to visit about a week after Gayle had brought her home. She was finally using the litter box on her own and she was getting around a lot better on her back legs. Her back legs would move, but very slowly. If she tried running too fast, she would end up dragging her legs behind her again. You could tell her ear would itch, but she couldn't move her leg to itch it. She was also was eating quite a bit more and getting more and more playful. By Sunday she was playing the entire day with almost every cat toy she could find. Yes, I have video and I have to share. :)
Also making their video debuts are Bella, the dog, and Simon, the cat, who isn't too excited about a new kitten being around.
We'll be back in Olive Hill October 17-19, we'll have an update (most likely in video form) on little Ginger for you in about a month.
So I've been saving these pamphlets for a day where I felt ornery enough to call these people and ask them to NOT give my information out. Today was that day.
First up, Charles Schwab. Yay, it's automated and they only want my SSN, and then my PIN. What? I don't know any PIN for them, so I have to answer a series of other questions, including my date of hire. I struggled with that for a moment because it was the week after Thanksgiving about 4 years ago. Is that November or December??? I guessed correctly and finally got to "reset" my PIN. And then I find out that their Customer Service department is closed on the weekend and I'll have to call back on Monday. Strike one.
Second up, Lane Bryant. Also automated, but you need your account number to change your privacy policy. I don't have this, so I tried to figure out how to talk a human being. Hitting 0 didn't work, so I just waited and didn't hit any more buttons. It hung up on me. Strike two.
Third up, Fifth Third Bank. Once again, automated. However, after hitting a series of buttons, I'm informed that I need to submit my request in writing or talk to a customer service. So I wait for my call to be transferred to customer service and then I'm given another number to call. I didn't write down the number, hoping it would transfer me again... and then it hung up. Strike three. I'm out.
Guess the telemarketers finally got around the do-not-call list.
I'm stashing the pamphlets in my work bag and I'll try dealing with this again at work next week. I don't want to waste any more time on a Saturday.
Next topic... wedding album. After spending weeks working on our wedding album on iPhoto (on my mac) I've figured out that they're more than twice as much as mypublisher.com. And they don't have as many options. So... I downloaded the mypublisher software and started working on my wedding album. Again. I used the same layout as before, but got to tweak a few things. So it took me another week to finalize this next album. And it'll be about $30 after the discount.
I haven't ordered the book yet, I'm still looking for critical input from people. I think I finally have the book how I want it, but the last little details is the "our wedding" on the front. I'll probably take it off, but there are quite a few who actually like it.
To view our wedding album, click here. If it asks for the ID and password, here's the info:
Your Share ID # is: S1715562
Your Share password is: 2342225
Last topic of randomness... the new Parsons kitten, Ginger. (That would be the Kentucky Parsons household, not the Ohio Parsons household.) Meet Ginger:
Gayle, Jason's mom, found her on the road, dragging her back legs. She was so little that at first she thought it was an injured squirrel. The little cat's stomach was huge, like it was about to pop, and there was a sore on her side. Gayle took her to the vet and the vet recommended putting her to sleep, but Gayle wanted to do what they could to save the kitten's life. Her bowels were impacted and she wasn't peeing on her own. The vet checked Ginger's legs and there was nothing broken, so he assumed that she had nerve damage. They think that maybe a dog got her and shook her. The vet wasn't sure how badly she was hurt and whether or not she'd make it. She weighed a pound and a half.
Gayle took her home, started feeding her baby food and laxative, and she would express her bladder. Every few days Gayle would take the kitten back to the vet to get her checked out again. Each time she was worried she'd hear him say again that the kitten would need to be put to sleep. But each time she was getting a little better. She was still a pound and a half after a week though.
We came to visit about a week after Gayle had brought her home. She was finally using the litter box on her own and she was getting around a lot better on her back legs. Her back legs would move, but very slowly. If she tried running too fast, she would end up dragging her legs behind her again. You could tell her ear would itch, but she couldn't move her leg to itch it. She was also was eating quite a bit more and getting more and more playful. By Sunday she was playing the entire day with almost every cat toy she could find. Yes, I have video and I have to share. :)
Also making their video debuts are Bella, the dog, and Simon, the cat, who isn't too excited about a new kitten being around.
We'll be back in Olive Hill October 17-19, we'll have an update (most likely in video form) on little Ginger for you in about a month.
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