This is my condition…

You kinda get to that point in life where everything is just a routine and that’s what my work days are like. But today, my routine is all out of whack.

I started my day with a 7am call with a potential vendor in Malawi. I’m not sure if I need to say it, but Malawi is a country in Africa. One of my friends was like – where is that, Latin America? No, it’s in Eastern Africa and it’s one of the 3 African countries Water For People works in. Anyway, so I started my day with that call from home. I then proceeded to come in to the office to complete my day. Why not work from home, you ask? Because I’m so much more productive in the office and it’s Ben’s day off and if we’re both home, there’s no chance that I will do any real work. #REALTALK.

Not Enough Time In The Day

 

I’m exhausted these days, but in the best way possible. I’m busy, really busy. Little Miss Busy. Someone should buy me that book.

Between wedding planning, upcoming work trips which take place before the wedding (Boston/Maine, Denver, LA, Peru), the actual wedding, and then trips after the wedding for work (Minnesota & Saskatchewan) – not to mention family life, and trying to keep up some semblance of a social life – – – – I don’t have time for most other things. I’m tired, but there’s something wonderful and exhilarating about being tired from doing things you thoroughly love and enjoy. Wedding. Love. Work. Love. Family. Love. Friends. Love. So in the end, no complaints here. I’m exhausted, but it’s oh so worth it.

P.S. Yes, I said PERU. Going to Peru for a little over a week, returning a week before the wedding! Hope I don’t come back with malaria or yellow fever. Hah!

A Good Case of The Mondays

Mondays are always icky. I’m usually more tired on Mondays than any other day of the week. Yesterday was particularly tough because I was non-stop busy, combined with not getting a lot of sleep the night before. So you can just imagine how pleased I was to get an email from my boss as the day ended….

Just wanted to say that despite the logistics around your move, the kitty cats, and recent illness….you continue to amaze me. You are so on top of things and organized and you manage to still get so much done. Just wanted to say that it does NOT go unappreciated. You are such a valued person here at WFP and despite the distance, we appreciate you every day…

 

Working at a nonprofit

Working in the nonprofit sector has been such a rewarding career choice for me – and I think, for most who do it. But it definitely comes with its struggles and this blog really captures so many of them well:

http://workingatanonprofit.tumblr.com/

I would love to give the person who created this blog a GIANT HI-5!!

Tipping: What’s Expected?

I recently went to brunch with a couple friends and when it came time to pay the bill, I pulled out my trusty iPhone tip calculator app CheckPlease. Generally speaking, I tend to be a “double the tax” tipper, which in California fares better than it does in Colorado. In California, doubling the tax usually comes out right under 20% and in Colorado just above 15%. Either way I think, not bad. Regardless, because we were splitting the bill multiple ways, and I’m completely inept at doing simple math, I figured the app was appropriate. I put in the total, the amount of people splitting the bill and the 15% as the tip amount. One of my friends immediately pointed out that I had clearly never worked in food service because of the insultingly low 15% tip I had chosen to give. He was right – I’ve never worked in food service, but since when were tips expected and not only that – expected to now be at least 20%?