Wheetsin

Tried to edit/add this but it's throwing an emoticon after every letter when I enter edit mode. Anyway, I should explain because I don't to sound materialistic. My inlaws are crazy rich. FIL owns a company line that makes medical & industrial grade lasers. They retired at age 40. They own 6 houses, 2 apartment buildings, a beach condo in Mallorca, etc. They helped my SIL and her DH buy their first house, and wanted to give DH the same amount, so they wired him $20k with a note that said, "Find something to do with this." (hehe, they paid off my Volvo, won't that burn their @sses when they find out). The point being -- it isn't that they don't have the means. That would be fine, and if they couldn't send us something, who cares? But they do have the means, and intentionally don't make the effort... and it's that last part that really chaps my hide.

Ahahha hhahah hahah I think I could own this thread. Here is what I have gotten for holiday gifts each year since I've known them. Year 1: Nothing. Which is OK, I'm not officially part of their family yet. Year 2: Married a month at this point. DH gets $5000, I get nothing. Year 2: DH gets several hand-knitted Norweigan wool sweaters and a framed picture of his x-GF, along with a note of how MIL ran into her and how good she looks now. I get nothing. Year 4: DH gets $5000. I get a resin gnome magnet of $ store quality. YOu know, one eye here, other eye back there... Year 5: They visit this year. DH is taken shopping to pick anything he wants, and gets several great clothes from a shopping trip they took in Paris. I get another gnome magnet and a ceramic tealight holder church (religion is not my cup of tea, nor is it DH's, and for that matter it's not theirs either... and they know all of this). Year 6: DH gets $5000 and I get a gnome magnet and this awful silver & leather earrings/necklace that I would maybe wear if it was 1980 and I was too young to know any better. Year 7: DH gets $5000 and a great hand-made Orrefors glass art vase. I get a gnome and a bag of tealight candles, presumably for the church, which was offically resigned to the garbage can about 364 days ago. 8th year (last year): DH gets $5000, a travel voucher from a travel agency where his parents live good for airfare and 7 days/7 nights in Greece, and several big bags of his favorite candies from his home country. I get... you guessed it... a gnome magnet. After last year I made the suggestion that we not exchange gifts. I'd rather someone not waste their money on shipping something to me out of spite. I'm like - you don't bother, so just don't bother, you know? Of course they don't like that idea (we have always shipped them great gifts).

As for what to join, I second Toasmaster's - for anyone, regardless of role, but especially if you'll be presenting or facilitating. I belong to ASTD (American Society of Training Developers) International and local chapters. I also belong to ISPI (International Society for Performance Inprovement). Both are great for sharing knowledge & networking, and both offer several meetings & conferences that are equally valuable. If it's something you want to get into, I would also suggest contacting small, local businesses and seeing if they would be interested in an intern type situation. A lot of companies want a training program but can't afford a professional diesgner/developer. That's a good opportunity to get some experience under your belt. A lot of the contracting work I do is with schools... of all the places, schools are some of the worst when it comes to having instructional integrity.

IPT = Instructional Performance Tehnology. HPT = Human Performance Technology. What school/program do you have access to? I'm familiar with most of them, and if it's not one I'm familiar with I can run it by other people I know and see if I can get any feedback about it for you.

1. What does your handle mean? 2. What book are you currently reading, or did you last read? 3. What do you do for a living? 4. For what in your life are you most grateful? 5. What's one thing about you that you think would surprise other people? 6. One word to describe yourself? 7. One word others use to describe you? 8. Would you rather play a game with someone better or worse at it than you? 9. Favorite movie? Favorite show? 10. Something unusual about yourself?

Mmmm Melting Pot. chocolate Fondue. Great place to go w/ friends b/c your meal takes 3 hours. BTW - last time we were there when the guy was puring the beer in the cheese fondue DH asked him what kind of beer they use, thinking it had to be a house or micro-brew. Nope, they use PBR. :eek:

I work in the training field, in a way - I work in the science behind training. I have most of my life so I'm happy to give you any advice I can. If you don't want to know the current climate (in agonizing detail) in the training industry, then skip my message. :eek: Following the ISPI shift most companies worth their weight started realizing that "workers who know the job" aren't necessarily good training developers, nor are they good trainers. For the mot part the shift is at least 95% toward "hire people who know training, and let them talk to people who know the job" (follows suit with the instruction-performance shift). Currently I'm a Sr. Learning & Development Consultant. This role is a blend of instructional designer/technologist and human performance consulting. I also do a lot of e-learning/distance learning design & development. Previously I have worked as a Sr. Instructional Designer, Sr. Learning Design Advisor, Sr. Performance Consultant, etc. I'm 29 and have worked in Fortune 500 corporate settings since I was 18 (started at a call center, moved to their training department 3 weeks after starting). I have also done independent consulting work with large social service firms (e.g. Goodwill) and small not-for-profits. None of that is meant to "toot my own horn" - but to give you an idea of what the jobs really look like out there, and if you have questions - what I may or may not be able to help you with. The training world, for people who aren't classically trained in the instructional design sciences, is getting smaller at a very fast pace. A bachelor's degree, esp. if you don't have significant experience in one of the progressive fields, won't mean squat. Training (note: even calling it "training" is becoming a no-no) is IMO one of the best fields when it comes to finding something you can do with a wide variety of education... there simply aren't a lot of things that don't touch it... English, Psychology, HRD, BA, etc. What t ostudy depends on which training aspect you're interested in: designing is different from developing which is different from facilitating, etc. (unfortunately most people have to do all, but different degrees can better prepare you for emphasis in one area over the other). I have two bachelor's degrees, one in English and one in Philosophy. If I were just graduating, there's no way that would get me a job in the training field. In a few months I will finish my master of science in IPT/HPT. That would get me an interview, but I'd still have to be able to show that I know my stuff. Next January I will start a PhD program, and will still need other things "in my arsenal" to make me competitive. Everyone in my department, even our admin. assistant, has a bachelor's. Everyone who does the job I do has, or is working on, a master's degree. (Unfortunately in today's corporate America a bachelor's is the "new" highschool diploma... it's an absolute bare minimum, and doesn't maen anywhere near as much as it used to). Training is an old field that is just now starting to get younger. I'm the youngest in my group of 11 and I'm 29. The next youngest in my department is 32. The third youngest is 43. Pretty significant gap. There are 11 other people, the oldest being 59. That's a really significant age gap from 32 - 43, especially when you break out the percentages going upwards. As for pay, I'm in the midwest and the pay range for what I do starts around $78k. To come in at that level you'd have to at least be working on a master's degree and have 5 solid years in the field. Or you could work your way up from lower positions. The peak for my position is $118k, so most people make right in the middle. Tack on a 40% bonus bracket. The position that's just under me starts around $55k and goes up to about $90k and is in a 20% bonus bracket. The overall average for a worker in this field ("instructional designer" would be the most common job title, and doesn't require the experience in performance management that my job does) in this area is about $65k. If it's a field you're wanting to break into, I'd be happy to suggest some reading, some organizations you can join, even some classes to make sure you take in school. Happy to help in any way I can!

Any of the books in the Gregory Maguire line. He tells the untold story behind the classics. Good one to start with is "Wicked" The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West." Who is the wicked witch? Why is she green? Why does she want the ruby slippers so much? Read the book!

Ewww. my cousin ate & puked Teddy Grahams once, and they were still Teddies when they came back up. I'll confess something kinda related. I rarely upchuck - twice in the last 20 years. Last time was a la stomach virus. I'd eated hamburger pizza for dinner. Long story short - chucked the next afternoon. Couldn't make it to the bathroom so I hit an empty/unlined trashcan. If I see puke or hear someone puking, then I'll puke too, so I couldn't "pour" the "trash" into the sink or toilet - the sound would have made me chuck again. So I put the trashcan in the shower on its side, close my eyes, and try to blindly maneuver the showerhead so that it's spraying up inside the can. Well I give up and look. My first thought is more panic than thought, "WTF? Do I have some kind of stomach parasite? What parasite looks like THAT?" and I'm completely freaked out b/c among the now-very-wattered-down unsavory bits in the shower, there are thin black wriggly things floating around in the tub. It really freaked me out for a minute or so until I realized... ohhhhh... stomach acid must turn pickle rind black. I was seeing the wavy pickle slice "skins" from my hamburger pizza.

A harley enthusiast friend of DH's sent him this. I couldn't tell a Schwinn from a Ducati, but I still think it's pretty cute. No clicking needed, just a bit of patience for loading. Make sure you have sound on. Biker's xmas card

Obesity and depression are kind of like pork and beans.

DH & I very much sunburnt during a Caribbean cruise we took early this year.

I'm just happy and need a place to share. I haven't told many in my life about heading in the band direction yet, so as of yet I'm still limited on the # of people I can blab to! I had my physical + bloodwork this morning in preparation for submitting my pre-approval paperwork to my surgery clinic. When my PCP asked what had brought me in I told her I was hoping to get a letter of recommendation from her for the Lap-Band. Well, not only had she heard of it & supports it, but she also has 8 other patients who have had it done. I had no idea! She talked to me about it for a good 45 minutes, about how it's her opinion that doctors who don't support it for people who are physically good candidates for the procedure & for surgery in general need to spend more time reading their literature, and also about all the reasons why she thinks I'm "probably the best candidate she's ever seen" (relatively young, mobile, actively exercise, no meds, normal BP, good heart, no surgical history, no disease, etc.)... and also wanted to "prep" me for some things to expect, in case I hadn't done my research such as the possible discomfort if I don't eat right, the possible loose/saggy skin issues, etc. She says she thinks it's an excellent choice for me, she would definitely recommend it, and that she will do whatever she needs to on her end to help make sure I get approval. I'm really thrilled! So, you guys don't even need to respond, I just had to get this off my chest to someone.

My PCP has been a jewel in other ways. I scuba, and she does too, so she has been bale to proactively suggest some things that have really helped (e.g. Nasacort to help keep my eustachean tubes open). She too is young and very pretty. Dody, you don't live in Missouri do you? She also told me she has told some patients no, because she truly didn't feel it was a good fit. She told me, "If any of this were filled in (pointing to the part on my medical history that lists major illnesses) or if we were having this talk 5 years ago, I wouldn't be advocating this for you." She also said that she knows a lot of insurance companies are going to quit covering lap-band (mine currently covers @ 100%, including fills) because they're starting to see that it doesn't pay off in the long run, because the average person doesn't stay with their insurance company long enough for the company to see enough decrease in general medical expenses to offset the cost of the procedure. I will be getting my butt in gear with paperwork this weekend, so that as soon as my blood test results are in & I can mark yes or no to high cholesterol, triglycerides, etc. -- everything's ready to go!

No need to assure me, I know it!

I think that diversity is what makes the world go 'round. We need to not only tolerate diversity but appreciate & value it. A lot of people died so that we would have the freedom to believe in different things and have different opinions, and that's something that should never be taken for granted. I don't have any Bush jokes but I have a joke from my LaffyTaffy: Q: What do you call four Mexican bullfighters stuck in quicksand? A: Quatro sink-o

I will! We're adults, right? I figure - if it's something I don't care to read, I won't read it.

Fun times!

I'm sure the pregnant girl didn't send the email because we handed the cash to another lady (the one who DID send it) and she was't surprised or wondering what it was for. And the pregnant lady isn't getting the cash, the other lady (the one coordinating all this) is buying her a Target gift certificate. The lady who collected the money isn't in yet today, but we've already decided to talk to her about my co-worker and I (we both live close to eachother, and very close to a Babies-r-Us) getting everyone's money from her and buying bona fide baby stuff. As for a real charity... DH and I signed up for adopt-a-family, told them we'd do a large family, and ended up with a family of 11! I'll be spending a LOT of time wrapping gifts this weekend! I'm truly not a "charity" type person, but the holidays are the one time I will break away from my usual behavior. : ) As for the practice of a baby shower for a 6th child, the people here do things I wouldn't normally think you'd do, such as a baby shower at work for the fathers, and wedding showers for the grooms-to-be. I've never heard of that before.

There is a young girl in our office, I'm going to guess she's 24 - we'll call her Betty. She doesn't make much money, she's pregnant with her 6th child, has never been married, lives with her parents. Betty's co-workers sent out a private email to everyone on our floor asking for a cash donation (they suggested $5 - $10) that will be used to buy a gift certificate to Target, and we'd have a baby shower for Betty. Now - my co-worker and I don't actually work with any of the people here, we really don't even know them -- we're on a virtual team based in another state so we kind of just use the space, but we also do our best to be "team players". About 5 minutes after the first e-mail is sent, my co-worker and I get a private follow-up that says something to the effect of, "We all know you make more than the rest of us, and you make 6 or 7 times more than Betty, so you should contribute more than the rest of us" and the e-mail goes on to suggest $100 from the two of us ($50 each). Keep in mind that my co-worker and I put together have spoken maybe 10 words to Betty. But we felt bad, it's xmas, we dont' really need the money, whatever... so we give $50 each. Soon after we learn that no one else pitched in any $ because the last time they did this, she came in the next day with a bunch of CDs and fake jewelry she had bought instead of baby stuff. Apparently Betty lives too far from a real baby store to get her a GC there, and doesn't have a computer at home so online orders are out... Target is the only thing near her. What do you guys think - would it be too rude for us to ask the coordinator to return the cash, and we'd apply it toward a baby gift that we'll go pick up and bring in instead? If we just funded her "new shoes" account I'm going to be seriosuly ticked, but I would be happy to spend all of the $50 and more on stuff that I knew would go toward the baby. (BTW, this baby's father has been married for 27 years, and she's trying to convince him to leave his family for her. If I'd known that, the $50 would be in MY pocket b/c I don't dig people that go after someone else's family)

Art?! Did someone say art? I haven't had time to do much art in a while, but I used to do quite a bit. Majord in it for 3 years before switching. Never took many pictures though. I love drawing, dabble in painting (mostly full wall murals), and recently bought some oils to try painting (I've only used acrylics and watercolor, and ink). Occasionally some ceramics or sculpture. I love photography and have a darkroom setup. I own/run a web design business in my "spare" time outside of my regular 8-5 job, and do most of the graphic design for it. I also do interior design consulting, which I do consider an art - it's built so much on color theory and composition. My online photography album is on my husbnd's webserver, which crashed yesterday. But I did find some pics of older pictures. The candle is one of the first pictures I really spent any time on, I think I was 14 when I drew it. My parents have it in their house. The sunflowers was my first attempt at drawing with oils, also at my parents' house (I don't hang my own art in my house). I also do quite a bit of Flash design/development, both for work and for my company.

Poor W. Somewhere in Texas a village is missing its idiot.

Thank you card? Fat chance. This is the same person who, when we have any kind of a snack/food day, bring her ziploc baggies and stocks up on what everyone brought & takes it home with her.

If we'd known the real deal we would have opted out, but we didn't know until AFTER we had given them the money. I think that's by design... And yeah, we know we're chumps for giving them the larger amount of $, but in efforts to keep the peace... we figured whatever. BY nature this is something I'm pretty much against (I'm a big subscriber to "Don't have kids if you can't care for them".) It's that whole "WORK HARDER! Millions on welfare rely on YOU!" bullcookies...

Sorry, OT = Off Topic. Old habit from other messageboards. My co-worker and I did talk about getting her condoms. Apparently they're "against her religion," but I guess boinking married guys is AOK.