This morning was cloud. Then the sunshine came out and warmed the day. It is slightly cooler with some breeze. But as I walked around the block three times it feel warm. And so instead of taking one hour lunch, I’ll take 45 minutes and use the remaining 15 minutes to blog. Haha! But that’s because I’m finished with work and only make typing sounds to `prove` that I’m working. Haha!
Tag: employment
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Macros Bragging
Haha! As a temp girl from hell, we are not supposed to participate in meeting but just to sit their like a piece of dried timber. But I couldn’t resist. I had to mention that I’ve created MACROS in a spreadsheet template originally created by one of the `business planners`. So I spoke up and waved my one-paged `process` on how to make my MACROS work. The manager said he’d take a look to see if it is good for the team. I say it’s mine. I own that process. But I won’t stick my name into the auditors check off list if I get hired full time.
It involves three spreadsheets: one for the raw data, one for the holds and one for the working file. Without the first two files, the working file is VERY tedious. The raw data keeps pulling new orders with holds. And we are not supposed to schedule new orders with holds in them.
So in order to reduce the time of looking up each order and line items, I had to find a way to MERGE both the raw data and holds into the working file. Voila! This damn savior has done wonders in just this one week. All it took was patience, logical thinking, back engineering and cross training with the Microsoft Excel help online.
Ah! But besides the macros, I had to employ more Excel functions, such as VLOOKUP. That function is great. I still cannot get the logical tests the way I want it. I’ve seen my government-trained mentor from Taiwan type out strings of these formulas into her spreadsheet. So my knowledge base is my no means comparable to those people whom we three temps are supporting. Trust it: It’s not hard work. But it’s work that needs to get done. And that’s why I’m sitting near the back door.
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20100724-Weathery Ways
The mornings have been cloudy. Then the day warms up. I noticed the skies are crispy and blue. There have been no clouds in sight, too. The winds would blow strongly from the north as I walk on that side of the building. Plus, there is only tall, dried grasses. Some of the empty land has been mowed down and probably to keep the flaming blaze from ever starting during this dry season. But for the past couple of days, the air has been cooler but still warm as I walked my second circuit around the building. I can do three times with my comfortable sneakers.
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20100720-Weathery Ways
Today’s was much cooler. An overcast of gray clouds gave light showers after receiving the `Hostia` and leaving the parish. At around 8:22am, I was in my car and ready to go to work. This is the current arraignment as if I never left home – wake up, attend mass and go about business as usual. And as usual, I would work, then count the hours until lunchtime, which I been happily doing on my own and without the pusshead asking personal questions and go out for my thirty minute walk around the block.
I intercepted Theresa D. again and she talked about work, what’s going to do and about her brother who is one year my junior. The guy is a bum, not interested in socializing with his peers or going out to meet or date girls his age. Sorry, girlfriend! I’m not interested. If this former and current co-worker talks rapidly, giving me a headache in the process, how much more her brother? No thank you!
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Macros Good
I look working with my hands. I especially love the versatility of MS Excel spreadsheet. Since there is MORE than enough time to blog, I’ve refreshed my brain with Excel functions, such as `IF` and `VLOOKUP`. The rest I’ve back-engineered what the other business planner(s) set up and cross-trained myself that way.
Without it those functions, I’d be doing stupid repetitive tasks. I’ll have to draft a `protocol` so that the other losers can learn the easy way. Sheesh!
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Queen Hog
Back in those days of earning good money, I wanted to be queen – on top of everyone. I hogged all the work to myself.
Now that I’m earning half of what I used to – you can shove the work up you butt! It’s not worth the stress like before.
Look at me now! I’m still wide-bodied but old and wiser. Instead of the glory days, I’ve opt to be nobody.
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Nice Lunch
Today’s lunch was the usual leftover. This time the pusshead left for lunch at around 12:13pm and went downstairs because it’s less stuffy than the one upstairs. J#n!k@ left around 12:20pm and I had my lunch upstairs with Allen and his friend Joe. That went on for about thirty minutes and I had my usual thirty minutes walk around the block twice. The weather was MUCH cooler and the wind blew stronger, cooling me as I walked under my black, Tote umbrella. The air conditioner is not as freezing cold either. I guess Emily took note of my complaint and let her client know about that issue. Hehe!
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This year, I’m thankful for
Topic # 4: Happy Thanksgiving. What are you most thankful for this year? Elaborate on your gratitude. Do you have a lot to be thankful for? Or are you more thankful the year’s almost over and you can start fresh in a few weeks?
Whole Foods Union Square turkey cupcake
I’m thankful for being alive! Without life, there is nothing.
Without money, too, there is no life either. It’s the way of this current lifetime — working hard just to put food on the table.
With home cooking done by Mom, I’m healthy and somewhat overweight. And to share my joy from eating well, I too am grateful for being able to feed those in the most need. Call it `food for thought`.
I’m thankful for my parents for giving me a home while being unemployed after leaving my job during the downturn of the economy. I cannot believe finding a descent-paying job would be so difficult.
As a result, my temporary job agency located a job nearby to my home. The position pays better than a data entry job and it is full-time (for forty hours a week) but only for six months.
With prosperity rising, I am thankful to get out of debt for a few more months. With hope, I wish to START OVER and forget about the past and look forward to better times.
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My first job: retail
Topic # 3 – Prompted November 25, 2008: What industry ushered you into the workforce? Select the field where you made your first paycheck: retail, food service, office work, sales, sandwich-board wearing, landscaping, childcare, and other. Describe your first work experience. How long did you last? How much did you make?
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My first summer job was right out of high school. It was Great America in Santa Clara, CA. My area of service was near the ride called the `Revolution`. The theme of that place was `revolutionary`.
I sold teddy bears and candy. I also sold candy under the heat of the sun, not realizing that I could take cover under the shade of nearby trees.
One older, white woman came up to me and asked if I did sign language. But I didn’t because all I was doing was fidgeting with my fingers out of boredom.
One day and while hugging one of the stuffed animal bears, a guy passed by in front of the store and mistakenly called me `Maria`. My hair was long and curly at that time.
I liked this other white kid because he did martial arts. A few of his buddies came over to talked with me and all I could joke about are the security cameras, which I didn’t know but assumed were everywhere.
That meant actually working a cash register and doing inventory at the end of the season. And for minimum wage at that time, it was fun but short-lived. I had to attend college to get a real degree that would help me earn more money.
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Excel Stuff
Haha! I’ve programmed four `macros` and two `vlookups` today for the second part of the day because I’ve finished work during the first half. I swear. I need to learn more but that will take time. Pivot tables are annoying. If I added one more `row` to the pivot table, the stacking is weird.
I’ve wasted my time working pretty much.
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Self Servicing
I love the convenience of self-serve at gasoline stations – just swipe your plastic card, dispense your gasoline, get your receipt and/or carwash and be on your way.
I also love being my own Help Desk/IT support. Because this place is so slow is processing requests, I ended up setting up both my own Microsoft Office Outlook and an extra printer.
I memorized the server name for the Microsoft Exchange Server when Rey came by to set up my Network User Access and merely `Checked names`. That was last Monday.
Today, I managed to set up a printer server. This one took awhile and narrowed down the choices based on properties of the: location, IP address, model nane and server name. I should be paid more!
So there you have it a smart ass being underemployed. Maybe I should go back to school for desktop support. It’s fun, really.
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Happily Trimmed
I noticed that the people who survived being laid-off (or `trimmed` as a co-worker told me during our first lunch out together last week – after three years of not working together at the other place) appear much nicer, friendlier and happier. People are not as snappy or snobbish, too.
I feel that down-sizing the workforce across all levels – federal, state, local and private – will keep only the `strongest and fittest` available. Yesterday, during our thirty minute brisk walk around the block, Theresa said that it would be better to cut off the OVERTIME instead of laying off. But, ironically, those working OVERTIME benefit from more hours and, of course, the much needed money to support their family.
So yeah, unemployment may seem high during Obama’s administration. But that is part of the `dirty job`, to take out the trash, separate the goat from the sheep and cut the weed among the flowers. Hehe! Yeah, right!