Happy (Work) Anniversary To Me

Wow! Eight years ago today I started at this little company called "Digital Evolution Group". On this anniversary, I started thinking about all the ways I have grown in this company and as a person as well as all the ways the company has grown and the individuals in it within the last 8 years. And you get to read all about it! :)

ME

• At HOME...
• I've celebrated seven wedding anniversaries and seven birthdays here.
• I've watched my sons go from little one-year-old twin baby boys to amazingly mature, funny, sweet and intelligent 3rd graders
• I've watched my little round-faced 2nd grade step-daughter grow up into a fantastically smart, beautiful, funny, social, and respectful teenager.
• I've had crazy ups and downs in my marriage but we're happier together and getting our groove back.
• I've put on and lost weight and unfortunately put it back on. But with the help of coworkers I'm losing again and getting in-shape with a new attitude.
• My mother and older brother both got married.
• One of my three best friends had brain surgery and went through an incredible journey of job loss, money loss, marriage strengthening and she is just coming into her own as an amazing health coach.
• One of my three best friends went through an amazing process to lose a startling amount of weight and is currently pregnant with her FOURTH child.
• One of my three best friends went through a hearth-breaking divorce that is still affecting her family.
• I lost my faith and my church but I'm slowly coming back
   
• At DEG...
• I've held five different titles, currently the Special Projects Manager. I think this one fits me best and it probably won't change anytime soon (except maybe in name cuz my boss is like that).
• I've sat at six different desks and finally procured one of the best seats available with a big desk and a wall of windows.
• My salary has definitely increased every year at a good rate but I'm still hourly (by choice).
• I currently have eight active annual clients that I help on a year-round basis. Six are events, two are national organizations. All are non-profits.
• I get to help with content migration, testing and training on a myriad of other clients, getting to help launch great websites.
• I sit on the steering committee for four events and work very closely with the others in planning beyond the website. I wouldn't have these opportunity without this position!
• In 2004 I developed an internal system for resource allocation that is still in use to this day. It was only meant to work for about 3 managers and 6 resources but we've made it work.
• In 2008 I developed an internal system, EVAN,  for our digital direct (email) team that is still in use. In 2009 I developed his twin brother, ERIC, for a smaller division of digital direct. Both of these are still in use today.

THE COMPANY

• On my first day, there were five officers, an engineer, a creative, a network services guy, and my job-share partner. A total of 10 of us. As of our staff meeting on Tuesday, there are now almost 70 of us! I started here to have more of the "family" / entrepreneurial feel. Even at 70 people, we still have entrepreneurs within us all.
• We've gone from focusing on smaller, marketing websites with a crazy blast email system to a true consultancy with:
• marketing sites - those will never go away, the clients and sites just got BIGGER
• client strategists to help coordinate multiple projects under a single large client
• a social media division with two great guys directing our clients through the myriad of tools (why yes, there IS an APP for that...)
• a thriving retail division that has created a new wedding registry site as well
• a vast digital direct department that goes well beyond just sending emails
• a creative department instead of just one guy
• three business development (sales) guys instead of just one guy
• an administrative DEPARTMENT with 4 great women instead of two gals sharing a single job
• an engineering staff that has full use of several different programming languages, some of which I've never heard of!
• a SharePoint division leading the way into a whole new world
• We started in a little 600 ft office space (just before I got here) to our main office now. But, our main office has added space 3 times and is being changed again. Last year we added a very large space on the second floor and the people here have been moved around twice. Just last month we added two MORE spaces on the second floor, finally getting all our SharePoint people in one office and all our engineers into another office. Soon we'll have a breakroom that includes more than a fridge and microwave. :)
• We do a lot of social things together - the aforementioned events I work on being the tops. We also participate in Kansas City Corporate Challenge, have associate happy hours and weekly Friday beer:30 times, create fantasy sports leagues, and just had a fabulous Bring Your Child to Work Day. This year we created the "Culture Club" to plan even more events, like attending ball games, cook-offs and bake-offs, a putting contest at the Corporate Woods putting green, and even better happy hours!

THE PEOPLE
When you're around a group of people for a long time, you're going to get to know them pretty well. And you get to see a lot of personal things take place:

• I can't even begin to count the number of birthdays and anniversaries we've witnessed!
• At least four associates have gotten married
• One marriage including two ceremonies. One was a beautiful Christian ceremony. The other was an amazing Hindu ceremony unlike anything I've ever witnessed. And the reception was out of this world, taking place on the stage of Starlight theatre.
• One marriage included a ceremony that should have been a gorgeous beach setting - but due to a tropical storm blowing in was instead in a parking garage. They've weathered the storm and just celebrated their third anniversary.
• At least fifteen new babies have been born and there are four on the way (that I know about...)
• Surprisingly there have been very few inter-office relationships even though a good number of our associates are singles in their 20s.
• I'm pretty sure we've not witnessed any divorces and only a couple major relationship breakups. Again, this surprises me in this day and age.
• There have been a few associates who have lost their parents and grandparents. I'm always amazed by the resiliency of our associates and how they keep going even in the face of personal tragedy.
• I couldn't even begin to tell you the number of college degrees and masters degrees that flow around here, many finished while working here.
• And of course, some associates leave - some by choice, some not so much. Such is the cycle of the workplace. One of my favorite engineers left to fly planes in the Air Force. A friend left to focus on her family of six. Another friend left to pursue a new life in Portland. I miss them all, but know that God leads everyone to the life they're supposed to lead.

This of course isn't everything, just what came to mind when I thought about the last eight years. There have been ups and down here, as in all aspects of life, but overall it's been wonderful and I hope for more fantastical years before they get tired of me. :)

My Fascinate Score

I read a coworker's blog post with her Fascinate results and wondered what mine would be - now sharing them for the world. Nothing new here for me or those who really know me, but still interesting to see it in print. Only part that doesn't really ring true to me / about me is highlighted below (under Trust).

MEET YOUR TRIGGERS
Your primary fascination is LUST. (Nicely done, you.) Even without realizing it, you’re already instinctively applying this trigger when trying to persuade others. Your secondary trigger is POWER, and your dormant trigger (the one you’re least likely to apply in your personality and behavior) is TRUST.

PRIMARY TRIGGER: LUST
So lust is your primary trigger. [um, DUH] That means you draw people closer with a warm and open style of interaction. You’re expressive with ideas, communicate well in person, and probably have a strong creative streak. Even when you mask your emotions, you feel passionately about your opinions.

You’re intuitive with information, often making decisions based on gut instinct rather than cold intellect. While other personality types prefer facts, you’re more attuned to the nuances of attitude, design, and a certain indefinable je ne sais quoi.

Lust is a powerful form of influence because it creates irresistible messages that overcome rational resistance. When you dial up your primary trigger, you have the ability to create messages that are extremely difficult to ignore.

You’re remarkably talented in creating messages that lead to a powerful intellectual, physical, and emotional response. For instance, you like to share experiences with others, and in conversation, you draw people closer with body language and eye contact.

By applying these natural strengths to your work, you can build warmer relationships and more trusting dialogue. And by applying to your ideas, you can create messages make people say, “I want that now!

SECONDARY TRIGGER: POWER
While you’re not a power-monger, you are power-comfortable: an authority who likes to be in control.

Blindly following someone else’s orders? No, thanks. You prefer to actively lead situations, rather than sitting back and passively watching from the back row. You’ll follow other people’s rules, if needed, but you prefer to define a new set of rules on your own terms. You exude influence, compelling others to pay attention. Your strong opinions and bold action often spark reactions from others.

Your messages command influence, and your opinion carries weight. When you excel in positions of leadership, others look to you for cues of how to behave. At times, perhaps, you might come across as intimidating or even overbearing. When you expect others to obey your message, you define deadlines and demands of the alarm trigger to make them comply. By steering your use of power productively toward your goals, you’ll become more motivating and inspirational.

You’re a natural leader, and probably comfortable with authority. Next step? Hone your power trigger for greater respect, bigger audiences, and more loyal advocates.

DORMANT TRIGGER: TRUST
One thing’s for sure: You’re definitely not boring.

People who score low on trust tend to be thrilling, passionate, and intuitive. They live in the moment, and rarely plan very far in advance. [I really DO plan EVERYTHING as far in advance as humanly possible. Living in the moment doesn't really appeal to me much since my kids were born - it's just too hard with three kids!] As a result, they can be unpredictable, impulsive, and volatile.

Of the 7 triggers, trust is the most difficult to earn, the easiest to lose, and the most valuable to hold.

Perhaps you don’t need to sway opinion through consistency. Many people and brands, especially those unconventional few who delight in immediate gratification and avant-garde style, don’t rely on trust. However, this trigger comes with many rewards, so take a look at ways to increase trust in your message, without losing the excitement and edge of your other triggers.

OTHER TRIGGERS NOT IN MY LIST:

• Prestige
• Mystique
• Alarm
• Vice

TAKE THE TEST TODAY AND SEE WHAT YOUR TRIGGERS ARE. I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR ABOUT YOUR SCORES!

Jazzoo 2009

A picture is worth a thousand words, so consider this a link to my photographic novel of Friday nights event - Jazzoo 2009.

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=97669&id=505720795&l=1127e6a994

For those unfamiliar with Jazzoo, it is the annual creative black-tie gala fundraiser for the Kansas City Zoo. This year was the 20th anniversary of Jazzoo in celebration of the Zoo centennial - overall a very cool year to attend!

My company, Digital Evolution Group, provides the website for the event as an in-kind sponsor and this is one of the events where I get to play project lead. LOTS of fun!

Picture below is of the majority of the DEGers who attended this year's event.

Current Events

Sorry, this post isn't about me or the kids and our fun doings. It's literally "Current Events" - those upcoming events that I work on or with at my job with Digital Evolution Group. Be sure to check them out if you haven't already. Even if you can't attend or participate, please consider making a monetary donation to help their causes - every little bit helps!

PUMPKIN RUN/WALK
The 10th Annual 5k Run/Walk will take place on Saturday, October 11 and will benefit these organizations - Children's Mercy Cancer Center, The Dream Factory, The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, Heart of America Bone Marrow Donor Registry, Ronald McDonald House Charities, Solace House, and the Jared Coones Memorial Foundation. Register to participate NOW or find out more about the event here: http://www.pumpkinrunwalk.org. Registration is currently $20 per person.

BACK IN THE SWING RETAIL THERAPY EVENT
The 9th Annual Retail Therapy Shopping Extravaganza is back and helping breast cancer survivors get Back in the Swing of life! Buy a $25 discount card and take advantage of 20% savings (or similar discounts) at over 800 Kansas City area retailers and restaurants from October 13 - 19! 100% of the proceeds from card purchases goes to benefit various cancer research and survivorship programs in the Greater Kansas City area. Get your card today at http://www.backintheswing.org! You can also purchase special BITS branded merchandise online this year. click on the image below to find out more information!

HILLOWEEN
The 8th annual costume party benefiting the Lee Ann Britain Infant Development Center at Shawnee Mission Medical Center will be on Saturday, October 18! Specifically, they are raising money to build the new Autism Therapy Program. RSVP now at http://www.hilloween.org! Tickets are $50 for regular attendance or $100 for R.I.P. attendance. There will also be an online auction from October 2 - 16 with over 100 items available ranging from trips to jewelry to toys for the kids. Don't miss out on your chance to get a great item and help others at the same time!

And, although it's not in October, and we don't have a website done for it yet, be sure to mark your calendars for the 4th Annual Ugly Christmas Sweater Party benefiting Operation Breakthrough. We'll be getting dressed down and having a grand old time at Tower Tavern on December 12, 2008! Be there or be square!

Moments for Myself - 09 September 2008

The reflection on a day well spent furnishes us with joys more pleasing than ten thousand triumphs.

- Thomas A. Kempis, Moments for Myself, Daily Inspiration Calendar
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I didn't really have any triumphs today, but I know I spent the day well. I was coordinating and entering content for four different sites for four very different project leads, training the client for one of those sites, and doing lead activities for five of my own projects. So, busy and productive (which to me means "a day well spent") but no real "triumphs" to speak of. Interesting how true this statement is when you stop and think about it!

How did you spend YOUR day? Was it productive? Did you appear to make others happy or fulfill some need? If so, then be JOYFUL in your work! :-)

Treads & Threads 2008

Well, another gala event has come and gone. This time, I got a lot of pictures of just about everyone in the company who was there. Enjoy the pictures using the links below if you're not on Facebook.

Set 1- http://www.new.facebook.com/album.php?aid=50434&l=ff288&id=505720795

Set 2 - http://www.new.facebook.com/album.php?aid=50440&l=34253&id=505720795

Moments for Myself - 05 May 2008

I need this one today. It's my 5th anniversary with my company - whoo hoo! Been here a long time in terms of work relationships and I just need a way to refresh my mind and spirit regarding my job. Can you say - "burned out" - I know you can...

***********************************************

Slip into a sudsy warm bath. Linger over a cup of coffee with a good friend. Take a walk on a rainy afternoon, splashing through puddles along the way. Whatever you need, take time to refresh your soul.

- Moments for Myself, Daily Inspiration Calendar

Busy Season

I have officially entered one of my two "busy" seasons. Spring and fall are the two time of year when I work late, work at home, work like crazy, and have small mental breakdowns trying to keep up with the job and the family. Wow-zee!

Although many of the sites I do for work are for events in the FALL, the sites actually go live between March and July so attendees can register in a timely manner. Which means the "project lead" hat I wear is in full gear right now.

But, since I'm also implementation for most (90%) of the new sites that come through our company, I have to implement (content entry,train, etc.) my own sites (which requires a lot of research, graphics work and data entry) but also anyone else's sites that are going live (I think there are 3 others I'm for sure working on this week, but I've lost all count and caring for tonight).

That's not counting the two or three trainings I'm doing each week AND the (sometimes) associated User Guide. I've got a big guide I have to have finished this week (it's a week overdue in my mind) plus two that have been on hold for sometime pending a break in my schedule.

I need a support team! Just one full-time or 2 part-time/interns would help. But, alas, I'm not really all that billable, so neither would my team be. That makes us low-department on the totem pole for expansion purposes (ok bossman, my whining is out in the open now. sorry!)

The point of all this "whining" and details? Tonight I got home at 7:35pm. Just in time for Joe to leave and take Blondie home. In the 60 minutes I had with the boys this is what we did:

• Boys & I all put on jammies. So much more comfortable than my skirt and heels. for me, this was a 2-minute event - for them it was closer to 20.
• I read through the boys "Monday" folders to figure out was stayed at home and what has to go back. There were, I kid you not, 15 documents in EACH folder. that's 30 pieces of paper coming home. Kindergartners killing trees... (they were still changing clothes)
• Joe kept a Boston Market chicken pot pie & corn muffin warm for me, so I ate while helping...
• The boys finish up their homework - yep, kindergartners with HOMEwork. *sigh* They did most of it during after-care, we just had to clean up some backwards letters and do some coloring (when was the last time you had homework that was just to color pictures and you thought it was TOO MUCH? LOL)
• Did "sight word" reading (words they should know "on sight" like me, I, you, his, out, up, cat, etc.)
  • Thomas gets cocky and tries to speed read to prove he can - then messes half of them up. When he slows down to normal speed, he does just fine.
  • Travis looks for reassurance after each one and we have to really encourage him all the way through. If we play it right, he doesn't miss any!
• Watched the "Scary Monsters and Pop Star Divas" movie the kids made during Spring Break camp. It was really bad, but somehow funnier for that. I think if I had had a drink (or two) first it would have been right up there with any Tarantino movie ever filmed - very avante garde. All the boys were of course scary monsters. (I'll try to post it here soon. which could mean August. It'll be interesting whenever it appears!)
• Cuddled while watching the beginning of the Memphis game. Oh yeah. I guess KU is also playing, but let's not go there. Really. Let's NOT! (and yes, Ramsey, I do mean YOU! Hush!) [game close right now: 39-38 KU, 2nd half]
• Played with Tom using Em's giant snake while Travis jumped in and out of bed. He smacked me once on the booty and it took a lot of willpower not to smack him back. That HURTS right now!!
• Gave "Snoopy" kisses to both boys (they love to get me with those and HATE when I sneak one on them. I figure turn about it fair play).
• Got yelled at by Joe for "firing them up instead of calming them down." I'm much better at the firing up, especially when I only got 60 minutes with them! Sheesh! I think HE just wanted to get to sleep! ;-)

So, it wasn't a BAD hour and we got some good mother/sons time in there. I just hate missing evenings with them. It's when I'm usually at my best with them and to miss it just bites. But, the Jazzoo site is live and only a few minor tweaks are needed on my end. Here's the plan for the rest of my work week:

• Tomorrow I can finish the Hallmark guide if I really buckle down and then I can start helping put the content on Amanda's site - and leave right at 5pm for Karate!
• Wednesday will be a major focus on Amanda's site (assuming the guide got done!) with a little devotion to Treads & Threads as well.
• Thursday is a training that kills half my day and the other half is making sure I have all my requests and invoices in.
• My half-day Friday (which usually extends to around 2:30 this time time of year instead of noon) is internal meetings.
• Then it's the weekend - and I WILL leave EVERYTHING at the office! I SWEAR!

Gonna go spend about 30 minutes with Stephen King and "Duma Key" right now (ALMOST done with it and I can't wait to read the ending!) Have a good night!

Career Audit

I read this article from the KC Busincess Journal today. I won't post myanswers here (think of it as pleading the fifth) but I think it's a good idea to look over these questions and consider them honestly. It may not necessarily mean you need to leave your job, but just that you need to reevaluate your position and how you respond to it. Happy auditing...

Holiday Decorations Voting

DEGers - A Vote for Me is a Vote for CANDY! ;)

A special vlog post just for DEG associates. Enjoy!

HILLOWEEN 2007

HillOween was a rousing success! everyone who went from our office (I think there were about a dozen of us) had a great time. Technically, my costume was a goth chick, but I ended up being dubbed the AC/DC groupie by the bartenders and the DJ. Works for me! I'm still sore from the dancing though. =)

Enjoy the photos...

The Gang's (mostly) All Here! Front: Kimmy Cub as a "sexy army girl" Back: Sky as (well, I'm not sure), Chad as a monk, Ramsey as the guy from Revenge of the Nerds, Neal as a "Cowboy Indian", Me (behind Ramsey & Neal), Thad as a Richard Simmons workout woman (his finacee was dressed as Richard Simmons!), Amanda D. as a lunch lady and Jason as the iPod Dancer.

From HillOween 2007

The body-painting Centerfold model. Nope, not 100% nude, but darn close!
Amazing that she stood that still for HOURS and the detail of the work he did.


Cara as little Bo Peep and Kevin enjoying one of her sheep.
Personally, I thought this was the best DEG costume and should have won a "Couple costume"!


Yes, this is my boss. He went as a "Cowboy Indian". Get it?
It was his big joke of the evening. LOL


Bethany did our mutal Harry Potter "obsession" a good one.
She looked the part of Hermione pretty well -
and this was an 11th hour setup. Whoo hoo!

Treads & Threads Photos - AT LAST!

Finally!
Pictures from Treads & Threads, creative black tie gala at the Kansas Speedway to benefit the University of Kansas Hospital Cancer Center. These are just some highlights - use the title link to view the whole photo gallery.
Enjoy!

About 1/2 of the whole DEG office. Eventually we'll get a picture with everyone! Left to right: Bethany, Amanda B., Lisa, Kim, Dan, Thad, Neal, Dale Ferris, Drew, Cara, ME & Amanda D. MIA - Susan, Sky, Chad, Jason, Singh, Asheesh, David, Dave, Justice, Ramsey, Jeff, Darren, Wing and Greg - maybe one of our graphic artists can add them in!

Our wonderful "bullpen" engineers - (they share a single office) Left to right: Dan, Kim, Ferris, Darren, Wing & Jason

Although Hootie and the Blowfish was the "headliner", the main attraction really seems to be the Bill Pollack Orchestra from Chicago.

Believe it or not, this is the best picture of me from that night. I'm SO not photogenic! But, Bethany is!

Jazzoo 2007

As part of my duties at DEG, I get to be the project lead for pro bono accounts. One of these most popular events is Jazzoo, a creative black tie gala at the Zoo to benefit the Zoo Learning Fund. The pro bono part of the account is that instead of getting paid, we get to attend - the entire office! It's a really great event with a LOT of food, fun, dancing and drinking. Here are a few photos from this year's event:

Trish (my date) and me on the NEW Endangered Species Carousel		Left to Right: Lisa (Retail/Support), Dan, Jason, Wing & Dave (all the guys are engineers)
Left to Right: Steve (Account Service), Ferris, Dan & Wing (other three are engineers)		Left to Right: Jenna (Sky's date), Sky, Rita (Greg's wife) & Greg; Sky & Greg are engineers

Seriously, I CAN do this!

I promised it wouldn't be that long between blogs, and yet here it is a week later almost and I haven't posted anything! I know it can't be THIS hard...

Maybe it's not the blog, it's simply the amount of time I have in a given day. And even though writing this kind of thing only takes 10 or 15 minutes, I always seem to spend a lot more time on the computer when I pop on to do this.

Anyway, enough whining. Here's what's going on...

Boys were supposed to have their first t-ball practice tonight but it got cancelled. We're not sure why it was cancelled, as it was a beautiful night, but that's neither here nor there. As they were all excited about it and it was nice in the backyard, we pulled out our own T and let them hit and field for about 45 minutes or so. They loved it! When I got home, I got to watch Joe showing them how to square up to the plate, figure out how far to stand from the T with their little bat and call them girls names when they threw the ball to the ground instead of to him. It's was pretty funny. I realized what a good coach he was and how much he loved doing it. But, he told me later that he just didn't have the patience with his own kids to actually be their coach. I didn't see that, but if that's what he thinks, then I'll let him believe it and just do the backyard thing with them! =)

We got to watch American Idol while eating Sloppy Joes after t-ball practice (and baths!) and the boys weren't too excited with the Bee Gee songs. Can't blame them there - Jordin was the only one who actually sounded good. We think it's because she sang songs the Bee Gees WROTE, but didn't perform themselves!

I'm trying to finish a book called "Looking for God in Harry Potter". It's a pretty interesting read but got very heavy-handed (read: big words) at the very end and I'm lost. Maybe cuz I just can't concentrate for more than 5 minutes on it. It does give a whole new perspective for me on the series (which I loved anyway!) so now I have to go back and reread the first 6 - just gives me something to fill the time until #7 comes out in July! But, I can look for new symbols and ideas in all of them this read-through.

Otherwise, life is pretty quiet and "normal". I just hit my 4 year anniversary at DEG and my annual review is this week. {{chewing nervously on fingernails}} It should be fine - I'm not really expecting a lot of negative feedback or a big raise (Neal, if you read this, ignore the raise part - I'd LOVE a big raise!) As long as they don't hit me with stuff that happened LAST year, I'll probably come out unscathed and happy.

That's it for now. At least for the "journal" post. Gonna go hunt for other things to post...

Have a great day!

OH - and don't miss my little Zwinky over on the side. That might change from time to time, depending on what's going on. And seriously, yes, that's how I'm thinking of getting my hair done in a week or so!

Baby Olivia

Ok - I talked about Olivia being born earlier and I couldn't pass up a chance to post a few pics of her (as stolen from Heidi's site - thanks or sorry Heidi, whichever way you wanna take it!)

This is little Olivia propped on her mommy's shoulder - she looks alert and ready to go already. We've told the boss that we'll have a desk all setup for her when he comes back to the office - we're just sure she's gonna be one of us!

This one is of course the lovely mom and beautiful baby. After all she went through, Ang just looks a little exhausted - and still beautiful and put-together. It's just not fair!

And, this is "boss-man" Neal (occassionally also referred to as "short-man" - something I picked up from a client; he is technically 1" shorter than me). I just love the look he has on his face while looking at the new girl in his life. The awe and love and admiration are just there for you to reach out and touch.

Congratulations one more time Neal & Angela! And welcome to the world little Olivia. The wild and wonderful ride has just begun for you all!

Microsoft Launches i'm Initiative

Microsoft has found a way to make all those IMs we send everyday a little more profitable - at least for non-for-profit groups like the American Red Cross, UNICEFF and the Susan G. Komen Foundation for the Cure.

Through their newest version of Windows Live Messenger 8.1, users can specify a text code in their display name (like Christian Mom *komen) and Microsoft shares a portion of the program's advertising revenue with some of the world's most effective organizations dedicated to social causes. There's no cap to the amount to be donated to each group. And it's all based on something most of us do everyday - IM messages!

Check out an article specifically about the Red Cross initiative or the actual i'm site for more details on what you can do to make a difference - just by doing what you already do everyday!

New Baby!

Ok - the new baby isn't MINE, but it's exiciting and wonderful nonetheless.

My boss of four years, Neal, and his beautiful wife, Angela, had their first child today. Although we were all at work, we got to "witness" the event via a play-by-play blog provided by a friend of theirs, Heidi (http://www.heidichronicles.com). She jokingly said she could start a new business as a birth-blogger; I think the idea has merit. She was really detailed and good at it!

Angela was strong and beautiful - completely natural birth in about twelve hours. Neal seemed to be in awe of her throughout the whole process - as well he should be!

Little Olivia is absolutely adorable, in the way only new babies can be. She looks a lot like Neal - coloring and face shape. Enjoy the other blog for awhile - it's worth a good read-through!

Some Respect, Please, for the Afternoon Nap

KINDERGARTNERS fight against naptime because they want to be just like the grown-ups. But those grown-ups would give anything for a chance to close their eyes during the endless time between lunch and dinner.

Now, out of Greece, comes permission to do exactly that. A study of more than 23,000 adults shows that those who napped for about 30 minutes each week had a 37 percent lower risk of dying from a heart attack than those who did not.

So this should mean that all working Americans will receive permission from their bosses to close their eyes every afternoon at about 4 p.m., right?

Don’t bet your blankie on it.

This is hardly the first study showing that sleep is more than simply time when we really should be at work. Other studies, though few as extensive as the Greek research, show that short periods of sleep during the day increase productivity and creativity while reducing stress. And even without surveys, we know this from experience.

When you need a nap, you need a nap. Nothing — not caffeine, not a chocolate bar, not a pill — recharges the battery in the same way.

...

Sleep as strategy. As secret weapon. As business plan. Call it what you must. And then get some rest.

Read the article...

"I've been touting this at work for years and now I have vindication! Maybe when the boss has his first child, he'll understand the desire for the downtime. "