elainegrey: Inspired by Grypping/gripping beast styles from Nordic cultures (Default)
Thursday, June 7th, 2018 08:30 am
Yesterday's reorg had me staring at the note in which i keep track of corporate changes. I apparently started the note in July of 2014 when the effects of new executive leadership at where i work, "The Whale," had reached a crescendo. I realize i needed a time line. This has been incredibly helpful to me since then, and i've added as much detail as i could tracking back to when the merger of "The Minnow" and "The Whale" occurred in 2006. I find myself wanting to add some other dates.

And then i thought that, while a number of you have shared the journey with me, many of you missed some of these adventures. So i thought i'd share here.

Cut for length )
So, here we are.

Not all of that reflection was about "the elephant in the room," but part of what inspired this was for me to get a sense of how long this elephant has been hanging around as well as how long i was in the crisis that put me on antidepressants to begin with.

I think Christine has made a great deal of progress out of her crisis. Admittedly, after this much time, "crisis" is no longer really a good term. Some time back i did accept to myself that this is a long term condition. I do see improvement though, and i see her making great efforts to cope. The most hard thing, i think, is that she wakes with panic attacks more often than not. She has changed from a CPAP to the more fancy thing (heated! humidified! variable pressure!) which has a little bit of improvement, but the change didn't solve the issue.

There are things left out -- my time line of involvement in Quaker meetings stands out as something significant. My Dad's surgery is important because it came just before i my body seemed to hit middle age. There are a number of things about my health -- when did i do the diet exclusion test? When were various therapists? -- but i actually think those are in another file. My siblings' marriages, their children's birth, deaths of Christine's father and my grandfather -- those are important markers, too.

What this does, though, it take some events that have duration -- the process of coming out and how long before Christine had confirmation surgery, my work misery, her crisis -- and helps me see how my sense of duration is so skewed.

--== ∞ ==--

So if i keep journaling here for another eighteen years, i will have documented half my life on LiveJournal and its descendant DreamWidth. LJ was launched nineteen years ago. (I was actually blogging on geocities in 1999. No one read it, but i was writing there.)
elainegrey: Inspired by Grypping/gripping beast styles from Nordic cultures (Default)
Thursday, October 12th, 2017 09:02 am
Somewhere between sauteed and seared green tomatoes are just delicious. As the season draws to a close, i feel the need to be thrifty with bug-beset tomato fruits. I've suspected the critters hide in chewed up fruit and so i've been dumping them in the woods. But the nibbled on tomatoes i've been cutting them up (generally, for the grape tomatoes, simply a half that is good and a half that's been nibbled) and cooking them in the cast iron pan. Sure, really really ripe tomatoes are divine, but these are pretty good.

The greens are just beginning to be big enough to care about and not be too fussy when thinning. And the second planting of yellow squash is putting forth tiny little yellow fruit. It's hard to decide whether to pick them or not. Some i've picked and they've still been a bit green, others seem like they could have grown more.

We also have had some lovely rain: that should help gardening all around. I've planted some more beets and carrots to see if i can get them going before the first frost. I've seedlings of lettuce and particular brassicas in the green house that i should get out in the garden.

--== ∞ ==--
This morning i am reading [personal profile] sonia's writing about healing around the edges as part of getting back into the habit of following my self-help reading schedule. I put the items in the reading list over the past few years, but in Nov of last year i stopped using my to-do list software (emacs org file, for the curious). I am trying to get back into the list habit, but as i restart i find EVERYTHING is overdue. Anyhow, i will truncate this digression to just say, yay me, i'm getting a self care habit back.

So, at some point, i noted that there are two "traumas" i want to work through (1) the awful years at work when VP Z was in charge and was keeping the then New Director at his side, and (2) the effect of Christine's elephants.

I was working with my somatic experiencing therapist during the Z-hell to cope through it. Just thinking about that time brings tears and the need to go through a cycle of feeling and then distancing myself from the feelings. I'm impressed by how quickly i found that distress lingering. It's clear i may need to be somewhat intentional about resolving those feelings.

--== ∞ ==--

The spiders have mostly learned to stay clear of paths, it seems. They're still about: almost every window has a creature with a body at least the size of a quarter spinning a classic spoked web. Up above the front sidewalk a couple of spiders create their large webs. I suppose i'm going through some sort of exposure therapy, slowly reducing my aversion to the creatures. Maybe. If i think about them i find myself stressed. Breathe in, out, in, out.

After skimming through some resources, i think what has happened is that the spring baby orb weavers are finally big enough to make the massive webs by late August, creating spider web season. The females are probably getting as much food as they can for reproduction, and then, with the first frost, they'll be out of here.

It helps a little to understand why they aren't around all year.

http://www.martinsvillebulletin.com/news/weaving-a-web-fall-brings-unique-spiders-to-area/article_9e8ff0b0-77c5-54d3-b28d-e882ddfc5d48.html
https://www.thoughtco.com/orb-weaver-spiders-1968560
https://www.livescience.com/41550-garden-spiders.html
elainegrey: Inspired by Grypping/gripping beast styles from Nordic cultures (Default)
Tuesday, February 7th, 2012 06:29 am
Dear Universe:

Argh, the meeting with the VP that was scheduled for today has been scheduled for 6 am next week, my time.

F.

With a sudden overwhelming desire to work for a small local company washing over,

me
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elainegrey: Inspired by Grypping/gripping beast styles from Nordic cultures (Default)
Tuesday, February 7th, 2012 03:44 am
Argh. So, i'm up and giving myself a little personal time to wake up before i cram through my monthly report. I had to change a password to access work email yesterday , so i log the change in evernote & see a reminder to update my password on my phone. I do so, but get error after error. Long troubleshooting story short, on trying the third toatally different access application, i get the error, "The website encountered an error while retrieving https://[whale.tld]/exchange. It may be down for maintenance or configured incorrectly."

OK, so it's not due to my password change. Exhale.

And there goes a half hour of "me" time.

Sunday's flight was uneventful, although my 40 minute layover in Dallas was as short as it could be for me to catch the next flight. I was willing to take the gamble on my way to the Whale's offices.

Yesterday morning i worked on my talk for Wednesday and pretty much pulled it together before starting my work day. I saw New Director twice. And my brain itches. )

Today the meetings are MUCH longer and, while one is a meeting with New Director and the VP, in all the others i should be able to just be present.

I find myself reflecting on the queries i read as the plane was landing. They were about living so one could be listening for a call. For years when i was working at the Minnow i was very clear that i was still learning and that i was at the right place. I'm less clear now, but i believe i can do my current job better with respect to caring for my staff (must be able to keep my oxygen mask on as i do so).

I guess i really need to do the re-membering project as a next step.
elainegrey: Inspired by Grypping/gripping beast styles from Nordic cultures (Default)
Thursday, May 5th, 2011 06:24 pm
In today's "I can't believe how flaky Flaky Guy is but now i see how he comes up with the defense of some of the flaky behavior:"
work tedium )

It's really quite amazing to work with other folks from the Ohio office of the Whale. Flaky Guy and the VP from Hell are both held in essentially contempt. Once a week i'm part of a meeting where five other people try to get Flaky Guy to follow through on commitments he's made.

I am trying hard not to get too demoralized and i did bounce back from yesterday's low.

Then i got the notice that the VP is visiting next week and wants to meet with me on Wednesday (as well as other folks from our office in bunches).

I suppose i should anticipate the same reaction i had last year and pencil in a melt-down.

footnote )
elainegrey: Inspired by Grypping/gripping beast styles from Nordic cultures (Default)
Wednesday, April 13th, 2011 12:56 pm
I'm sure i'll get through this fine, but i just need to *feel* for a moment the frustration that my work email is delivering to me.

On one hand there is the message that i and my team are just a small bit of a huge machine and we must submit to other's decisions with little input and certainly no consensus discussion. The other is that we're in independent control over all aspects of our functioning.
Read more... )
elainegrey: Inspired by Grypping/gripping beast styles from Nordic cultures (Default)
Wednesday, December 8th, 2010 04:28 am
Email to my sister this morning included these observations:

Ohio *is* cold. It's 12 °F out there. But the snow that falls when it's this cold: it's amazing! I don't think i've ever seen real *flakes* before, the six sided crystals growing big and flat and dancing in the wind, sparkling in little drifts, and *visible* as six sided crystals when they land. I realize how limited my snow experience is with the wet icy stuff of the Atlantic seaboard.

Work is not inspiring. I am practicing moderating my engagement, not pouring myself into the issues but holding back, shielding myself from caring too much. My boss is extremely dissatisfied, and i find other colleagues here angry and frustrated with the VP. Communication issues are not insignificant. I'm trying too, to keep myself from being caught up in the frame of seeing us as being blamed or the "bad kid." I think a colleague of mine is a little too ready to frame things that way, and it's contagious. On the other hand, i do like and respect a good number of my colleagues, and it is meaningful work. (Although one might believe it really ought to be going in a significantly different direction.)


We wrote a little bit to each other about our joy in our friendship, and i found my heart aching that we aren't as connected to my brother.

--==∞==--

The mediation of the VP yesterday turned out OK, although what a bloody expensive meeting of quite the stack of people when it really could have been a quick and informal conversation. I did point out (gently? Yet in front of the VP?) the Essence of Flaky Guy had assumed there was a resource issue without checking with me (thus blowing this issue out of proportion). There *may* be a resource issue. We'll see. But sheesh.

And they left the other woman release manager out of the meeting, which seems to be a pattern with the VP and this (very capable) woman, and ... confirms my belief that not only is the VP a general jerk, but he has a specific gendered jerkness in his being.

--==∞==--

And i tried so hard to make sure i was selecting black pairs when i packed. *looks at grey pants, navy socks, and black shoes*

--==∞==--

Comment capture from DW, about my parents' relationship: Read more... )
elainegrey: Inspired by Grypping/gripping beast styles from Nordic cultures (Default)
Tuesday, December 7th, 2010 03:22 am
I've left the wonderful calm[1] of this family visit and have arrived in Ohio. This morning i'm trying to remember that i am taking care of myself and that's a responsible and good thing.

I really want to journal about my indignation over one of the meetings that's occurring today, but what i really need to do is grab another frame and hold on tight. Read more... )
--==∞==--

Wow, how am i over half way through this trip? I didn't really feel like the NC visit was longer than the work part, because i thought of the work part as the five week days (counting Friday which will be spent in travel). But i didn't count the Wednesday flight day or the Monday breakfast with my folks in the family-visit time. Here it is the 7th and i go home the 10th!

We had a Christmas celebration Sunday night. My parents leave for China on the 22nd, my sister's family leaves for Montana around the 17th. T's family doesn't do Santa apparently, so Santa left stockings for the kiddies at my folks place for the kids to find on Sunday night. I was able to give my gifts to my parents and to my sister's family. W was utterly unimpressed with the beautiful Abominable Charles Christopher book, but my sister seemed ecstatic. I introduced my parents to the pair of raccoons in "The Power of Now" (http://www.abominable.cc/2008/03/26/the-power-of-now/), and Dad hooted as he recognized himself in it. Apparently, art predicted life as the events of "A Quiet Mind" (http://www.abominable.cc/2009/03/04/a-quiet-mind/) happened just two weeks ago [2]. I sat with my Dad as he started reading and was delighted to see him getting caught up in the story, and then later with my mother as she picked it up and read. I don't think they were just being polite: i think the balance of beauty, humor, suspense, and empathy that spoke to me spoke to my sister and parents.

I guess i need to buy a copy for us.

The decorations were simple: Mom pulled out her small artificial tree decorated with Swedish ornaments, and she prepared a Swedish dinner. Dilled shrimp, Jansson's Temptation, meatballs, lingonberries. No lutefisk, hurrah, but i think everyone's figured out i have not attended any of the lutefisk dinners. I think my sister thinks i too should have to suffer a chance to be in touch with my heritage.

--==∞==--

Heathwise i am fairly healthy. Tracking all the little complaints, though )


--==∞==--

[1] It was for me. My parents were in a mostly good place, so different from last year. I note in last year's journaling i was trying to let my parents' worries and complaints slide off me. I have no record of the ride back from Florida with my mother, of the hike i took with my father. I didn't record their complaints and worries, so i don't have a document to compare against. I don't suppose it's needed: with Dad's retirement he's more able to bear the brunt of my mother's neurosis. He told me how she's railed at him that he's the man, he has to be strong, she's the woman, she can explode. So he's not engaging her when she has her explosions of anger, he's ceased intellectually defending himself to her. It's better than when he was engaged, because they had a well worn dance that escalated. Now she doesn't have a partner. I just hope the explosions aren't as abusive as i can imagine. He's getting help from a therapist and has that support and validation to counteract her "explosions."

[2] It was this strip that provided the lead into Dad explaining Mom's gendered theory of who gets to explode, as apparently that's what happened after the dark storm thought bubble.
elainegrey: Inspired by Grypping/gripping beast styles from Nordic cultures (Default)
Wednesday, September 15th, 2010 04:59 am
Six hours of meetings and then 7-midnight working on the talk prep with A & B.

Talk is tomorrow 11-1 Eastern.

Our VP invited us lunch.

At 12:30.

I wrote back, "um, 11-1, how 'bout at 1, by the way, i have a different honcho meeting at 2."

He writes back, "I thought it was 11-noon."

I sent back his original "invitation" to present.

--==∞==--

More cankers on my tongue, a word to which -- despite all the recent practice -- i insist on adding an extra "u." I have carrot juice, a green juice, and a protein drink for the day as well as a box of soup that i drink from the carton. I am terribly uncouth. *sigh*

Yoga-breathing and simple stretching this morning (fleeting thought: should i hire a trainer? would i progress more?), listening to a few podcast guided reflections (loving kindness, dealing with difficult feelings) while dressing and painting a little bit on my face.

I'm only barely in touch with the world, deep ...

[and then i stopped journalling. Not sure why. Now utterly exhausted. Got presentation prep to do all evening.]
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