Obligatory Card

OK, I feel like the Grinch here, but I just have to say my piece! 

The other day I received an e-Christmas (holiday) greeting from a business colleague.  Well, let me rephrase that!

I received the missive from this person's administrative assistant on this person's behalf.

Now, I am no dummy.  I know that there are plenty of secretaries and administrative assistants that have signed their boss' name and addressed the company card and sent them out without the boss ever touching them, but at least they PRETENDED like the boss sent them.

Instead of feeling joyous I felt less than! 

Then I wondered if I was just jealous because I have give up sending out Christmas cards.  I don't have time to do it well.... or I don't make time to do it.  (I grew up in a household where my parents sent out over 700 cards every year with a personal message on each and every one. And my dad helped with that chore, too.)

So maybe I'm a dinosaur.  But please save yourself time.  Don't send me a holiday card unless you can personally enter into the transaction.

What do you think?

Networking Failure

OK, I must admit, I was a failure at networking the other night.

I was invited to a business friend's holiday open house.  I arrived late into the party, so that it was in full swing.  In fact, I could hardly get in!  The place was so crowded that it was difficult to move around.  I couldn't get to the coat closet, so there I was walking around with my stick-on name tag on my coat.  I tried to find my friend, just to deliver my greetings to no avail.

Everyone was into their own conversations and didn't exhibit open networking body language.  So here is what I bravely did -- I ate an appetizer and left.  Yep, that's right, I left, the networking guru gave up.

I've thought about it since then and here are some conclusions.

1.  Go to the party when it begins if you can.  (I had appointments, so I couldn't that evening.)

2.  I didn't have far to walk so I could have left my coat in the car even though it was cold.

3.  I would have emailed my friend the day of the party to let him know that I would be there but later and perhaps, just perhaps, he would have looked for me.

4.  Nothing else at this time, but I am sure tonight in the middle of the night I'll think of something.

What would you recommend?

Another Goodbye

The thing about relationships is that they are wonderful!

The thing about relationships is that at the same time they can be painful.

Today, Steve and I decided that our wonderful little brown, stripped, tabby cat, Maizy, was not living a good life.  So a little after five this evening we said a sad goodbye to her as Doc Martin helped to ease her from this life.  Our new puppy, Gable, has made it his job to torment her with his antics and last night she finally nailed him with a claw to his dew flap.  This frail little cat had a hold of that flap of skin pulling it away from his mouth.  I wanted to do a cheer leading jump in her triumph.  In the old days, the other four dogs that are no longer here either, knew who was the head of the household and it wasn't any of the four.  They would steer a wide path around her especially when she was sitting on the ottoman at the perfect height to slash with those ever sharp claws.

It has been sixteen fun years with her since she appeared at our window one summer evening as a very small kitten.  The best memory is of her running around with a lime green cast on one hind leg after being stepped on by one of the giant dogs. The vet had told us to keep her quiet, but he forgot to tell her.  She even fell into the water garden pond while jumping from rock to rock.  Evidently she was no worse for wear when the cast came of many weeks later.

I will miss Maizy, but know that in the past couple days her congestive heart failure was worsening.  I am sad.