Precisely What I Needed

It was one of those days. Blood test, oncologist appointment, chemo and then to the office for a presentation to our sales team.

God gave me precisely what I needed precisely when I needed it. He is so good.

Working from Home

Working from home the whole week on a special project, which includes video streaming with the team in Minnesota who laughed at me when I said it was cold here.

Thankfulness in the Ordinary

It's been a while since I was in the office for three days in a roll. I would have thought that I would have felt tired on day three, but it was the day I felt the strongest.

It helped to find thankfulness in the ordinary.

2013/88 Focus

It's been a long work week. There's a big project that is coming to a head. It's got a a drop dead date of May 6 and there will be serious hell to pay if the date slips. Career-breaking hell. The good news is, it looks like it's actually going to happen. Up until this time, I've been more of a spectator in the project, but now it's my turn to ante up. Things I must do, hit my target dates, make sure our team is ready for deployment, and...

Don't let my boss down.

2013/55 Back to Business

After a wonderful weekend, work duties called. I was not looking forward to the start. Hanging over my head all weekend long were two rather unpleasant tasks. The day has come and gone and I persevered.

Now I can enjoy the rest of the week.

2013/51 A Day of Work

I don't typically go into the office on Thursday's. But my boss asked if I would attend a meeting from 4-9pm this evening. Our team loves our boss so our whole agreed to give up our night, not just tonight, but tomorrow (Friday) night too. Sad but true.

Since I was going to be working late, I decided I could go into the office at my convenience which today meant 10:14am. I expected traffic to be light. And while it could be considered light for California, the freeway was filled with drivers who had no real place to be or had no desire to get there.

Thankfully we accomplished more tonight than anticipated. Tomorrow's late night meeting has been officially cancelled. I love my boss!

2013/15 At the Office

I made a commitment to my boss...and to myself...that starting in January, I would go into the office at least two days a week. There was a bit of trepidation in making the statement. My boss hadn't demanded it and probably would have been willing to continue to accept me going in when I felt like it.   But as I got stronger, it felt like it was time to step it up and push myself.

So far, so good. Today, I even stayed until after 5pm which meant it took me over two hours to get home. If I hadn't had such a good day at the office, I probably would have cried. As the sun fell, I looked out the windows on our 12th floor and thanked God for such a wonderful sight.

I am blessed.

Everything I Had

It was supposed to be a team leadership summit. It was decided to include an overnight camping trip as part of our team building experience.

I was really looking forward to it. I've been missing the ocean so much.

The thought of falling asleep to the sound of crashing wave.

Gathering around a campfire and roasting marshmallows was something I couldn't wait to do.

Watching both the sunset and the sunrise in the beauty of the outdoors made me so excited.

But the night before, my back was hurting. It didn't feel any better in the morning as it usually does.

It took everything I had to be out there, moving through the pain, letting others do things for me.

But I needed to go. I needed to stand out in front of the ocean, watching the waves come forth and just as quickly retreat.

I needed to put my feet into the ocean and feel God's mercy and grace wash over me.

I needed to live.

Retrospect

It was a good day, from start to finish.

Made good time out the door.

The sky was extra beautiful.

I could see and feel the glory of God all around.

I wasn't even nervous about my pending doctor appointment and I finally drove up to this building that is always reflecting light for a close up.

And stopped on the way in to take a photo of the sight that greets me when I first walk into our office.

The view from my office gave me hope.

She looked bored so I had to stop to take her picture and then give her some loving.

A delish dinner after the doctor appointment.

And beautiful skies on the way home to end the evening.

God is good. All the time!

It Was a Beautiful Day

Too bad I had to spend most of it in doors, but at least my office gave me a chance to enjoy it anyway.

Catching Up

I knew I was going to be tired so instead of working from the comforts of home, I dragged myself out of bed at precisely 5:03am to go into the office. I was afraid I wouldn't be so productive from home and on the day before a two week vacation, productivity is very important. The traffic on the way in was typical Friday light. It was a good day at work, a horrible commute home. Now the countdown begins.

Moving Day

Last day in our office at work. We're moving to the big times, the 12th floor across from the South Coast Plaza where I'll have an office, with a view. In remembrance, our CEO spray painted these words on the wall

I know this is going to sound lame, but I was so inspired the whole day by those words. I wanted to go and sign my name in a commitment to my co-workers, my customers, my CEO. I also know it's no comparison, but I thought about the Declaration of Independence and what gave it meaning and purpose. It wasn't just the words that Thomas Jefferson so eloquently crafted, but it was also the signatures of the men who were willing to put their lives on the line by signing the document.

It is in our signature and our written word that we can be held accountable. While I wasn't put in such perilous situation, I wanted so badly to sign that wall. To hold myself accountable, to make a commitment.

Thursdays are the Hardest

Thursday's are the hardest for me. By the end of the day, I'm tired from getting up so early, even if it's only twice a week. This week is was three times and I can feel it. Doesn't help that I keep going to bed so late.

I was trying to finish up a project for my boss today so I worked through lunch. I brought a sandwich with me so around 1:30ish I was close to finish and rewarded myself with a quick coffee. It was so good to get out of the office, even if it was just for 15 minutes. When I come in so early, I need to take a break or else I feel like I've been in a cave all day.

As I was out, I saw a small engine plane coming in for a landing. It seemed to be a busy day for planes coming in.

Although I am excited about the move to the new office, I was sad that I would miss the sight of the planes coming in for the landing.

I was tired and hungry so I texted Brie, asking her if she wanted go to Frisco's for dinner. "Yea!", she texted back.

Made the mistake of eating ALL of my chicken sandwich when I normally eat half and most of my fries. It was just so darn tasty. Even now I'm still regretting it. I must never ever do that again.

Once again, the curtains caught my eye.

 I loved how I could see the yellow of the sun peeking through. I had to go outside and see the whole thing.

My alarm was set for 5am, 6am and 6:30am. When it rang at 5am, I thought for half a second about getting up and going into the office, but I closed my eyes instead. I turned the alarm off at 6am and told myself I would get up at 6:15am. Didn't happen. 6:30am, the alarm rang again. I got up at 6:45am. 

When I came downstairs, the sun was shining and I was greeted with this sight. I was so glad I stayed home.

When the sprinklers went off, the reflection of the sun reflected off the ground. I was even happier. Happy it wasn't gray. Happy I stayed home. Happy I have a job that allows me that luxury.

For lunch I made a sandwich and sat outside reading in the patio. It felt so good.

Later in the day, both of the two meetings I was going to go into the office to attend got cancelled. I was even happier. 

At 6pm, I took my camera and went in search of the light. My top was still down from the day before. There was no reason to put it up. My happiness overflowed.

Looking forward to tomorrow.

May Gray

The sun was already supposed to making its appearance when I left the house this morning at 5:45am. But it was a gray day. Not a speck of yellow, red or blue could be seen in the sky.

I thought the deal was that if I got up early to drive into work, I was supposed to be rewarded with a beautiful sunrise.

I left the house 10 minutes earlier than normal, but I hit a pocket of traffic that ate away my lead. On top of that I arrived at work only to find that I forgot the breakfast and lunch I had packed. Instead of being early, I ended up running a little late.

As I was walking to lunch, I got two calls, the second from a very unhappy client that resulted in me turning around and going back to the office to resolve the issue. Luckily I was able to make a few things happened and I rewarded myself by leaving for lunch a second time at which I, again, received another call, but this time was able to order and finish my meal.

I was exhausted by the time I got home. She looked like I felt.

And with that I say "goodnight!"

Cha Cha Cha

It was a gray day today. Gray from the moment the morning began, gray at lunchtime, gray on the drive home. Gray, gray, gray. I think the point is made. I didn't feel gray inside. Didn't really have the time, but I wasn't inspired to take hardly a picture today.

As I was reflecting on the day, I thought to myself, "I only took one picture today". But when I pulled out my cellphone, I found that I had forgotten about my first shot. It wasn't worth remembering, no wonder I forgot about it. I wasn't even going to post the picture, let alone write about it, but here I sit finding myself doing exactly the opposite of what I told myself I was going to do.

I took this as I sat at my desk in my gray cube at the office. I eat a banana almost every day. I like them on the green side. I like to cut the stem with a knife and peel the skin carefully back so that there is no bruising. I don't like bruises on my bananas.

But this isn't about bruises, or peeling or even about green bananas. It's about the little Chiquita sticker which inexplicably caught my eye. I was reminded to a time when I was little and how my sister, brothers and I would love to peel the Chiquita sticker off and stick it on ourselves. Why we got such joy out of the sticker, I don't know, but we did. And why this particular memory came back today, I don't know, but it did. So I did the only thing I could think of to preserve it, I took a crummy picture of it.

And that was picture number one.

The second picture? The one I was going to post? It was just a lame shot of the gray day as I waited in line at Costco for gas. That one is getting deleted.

The Perks of Working from Home

Ah, the benefits of working from home. With an abundance of fresh, sweet strawberries in the house, I was more than happy to whip up something a little special for lunch today.

Ordinary Day

It was an ordinary day. But it was also a good day.

Went crazy taking pictures of the sunrise on the way to work.

Got a picture of a plane taking off for some unknown destination.

Arrived at work just minutes before my boss.

Last meeting of the day went overtime which meant a long ride home, stuck in traffic. So I took pictures of planes coming in for a landing.

They were lined up like Space Mountain at Disneyland.