• Early 2017 Season Garden
    On Life and Love

    2017 Gardening Round Up

    Huh… How have I not posted on my recent gardening work at all? In fact, I haven’t posted about gardening since 2011, which is, like, forever ago and very different from what I’m doing now. Here’s a little insight into what I did last year, and I’ll do a follow-up on how I’m kicking off 2018. Last year, I expanded from the single saguaro I mentioned in 2011 (who has been through some shit, I tell you) to a pretty sweet cactus/succulent garden for a newbie. Anything I bought directly was targeted to be able to handle USDA Zone 7 winter living at least–I have some great books to help…

  • On Life and Love

    Choosing the Unconventional Path

    Last year, Greg and I expanded the boundaries of our relationship pretty drastically. It went really badly, but has resulted in an immense amount of growth for me: I’ve never been so independent within this relationship, so free to say “no” and feel my feelings without justifying or suppressing them. And here you all probably thought I was kick-ass assertive 24/7.

  • On Life and Love

    Inherent Worth and Dignity

    I’ve been struggling for a while to quantify something I’m taking issue with lately, and I finally think I hit the nail on the head. Imagine, if you will, that you work with someone in a standard American corporate environment. Let’s call her Jane. (Jane’s a good, strong name. Speaks to her background.) Now, you totally get that Jane’s probably a good person outside your work environment (yeah, sure), but at work, she’s a total loser. Can’t do her job, whines all the time, and really just gets in the way of progress. You’re there to get a job done, and Jane’s clearly just killing time and collecting a paycheck.…

  • On Life and Love

    Another Year Already?!

    Okay, not “already”. 2011 was long as hell and busy. I resumed going to church fairly regularly. Had my perspective on interpersonal communications majorly shifted. Got married to a great fellow. Got a running partner. Made good progress on my novel. Learned how to incorporate a business. Paid off my student loans (!!!). Lost some weight. Got stronger, more fit, and resumed dancing. Made and held to some good financial plans. Blogged pretty regularly. Still feel like I only did about half of what I “should have”, of course, but I’m happy with the year, overall. I succeeded at most of what I wanted, I’m going to finish my last…

  • Uncategorized

    One on One Meetings: How We Do at Big Corp

    One-on-ones. Damn, how do they work? (I swear, that video has provided me with endless amusement.) Go read or re-read the earlier post. Shoo. Several things make one-on-ones rather different here at Big Corp than they were at Skookum: I’m a contractor The “long-term view” is ultimately a question of “How long do we need you?” and “Will I stay that long?” It’s all very amicable and such, but I don’t get things like: company-paid conferences, to attend internal bigwig visits, paid lunches, to meet my boss’s boss, or much internal mobility beyond what I carve out for myself. (Big Corp is very paranoid about contractors thinking they’re employees.) Instead,…