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When You Get Demoted, Consider Pluto

Wednesday, August 30, 2006


Obviously our scientists have not enough to do. After spending who knows how much on the study of our most distant, most frozen and smallest ex-planet, they determine that it is actually a dwarf. What exactly does that mean? For 76 years, Pluto thought it was a full-fledged planet with all the rights and privileges.

Nope, it is a second class citizen of our solar system. Worse yet, we are down one planet. Planets do not emerge overnight, but they can be demoted in seconds as measured by space time.

Americans are capitalists, so we now have an entire army of people making money on the helpless chunk of ice. We now have a Pluto lovers. The AP reported that 24 hours after the unfortunate announcement, there were 200 designed products, with a total inventory of 1500 items to purchase. Cafepress is selling the bumper sticker pictured above. They sold 100 of them in the first day.

What other country can create products so quickly? How many millionaires will be born from the ridiculous change of heart by a set of scientists who have way too much time and money on their hands?

What about eBay? Yep, you can buy a non-Disney Pluto shirt for a buy it now price of...

$15.00

So why are we surprised that we would demote a planet? We demote people everyday. Just like our dear friend, Pluto, people are demoted for more illogical reasons than being a bit dwarfed.

Have you been demoted recently? Take heart, Pluto still holds its position in life. It still has the same value, character, color, race, religion and creed. It is still a planet, just labeled by those who had it out for the frozen wonder. So don't forget who you are and that being demoted does not change who you are inherently.

You actually have an advantage over our disenfranchised planet. You can change who you are. You can become bigger and stronger. You can grow and mature. You can become more valuable than the largest of the planets.

It is funny how Jupiter did not suffer any ill will when it was plastered by 20 fragments of the Shoemaker-Levy 9 comet July 16-22, 1994. The planet has a big scar. Who remembers it?

If you were demoted, pick yourself off of the ground and start setting the course for your next destination. Don't let an isolated cosmological incident ruin your career.

posted at 8/30/2006 08:00:00 AM | 0 comments links to this post





The Sad World of Retail Management

Monday, August 28, 2006

Unfortunately I can't escape the constant reminder that we have a management crisis in the corporate world today. It seems to be getting more pervasive. You don't have to work for a company to experience the frustration of dealing with an inept manager.

If you go to the grocery store, the mall and even the drugstore, you are going to get caught up in a management nightmare. It was a good thing that I was not physically in Walgreens, our local pharmacy last night. They might have called security on me like they did when I was in Spencer's Gift store 4 years ago. That is another story.

I was at the drive-through window trying to pick up a prescription that I thought was going to be ready for me. When I pulled up to the drive-through, there was a car in front of me at the window and a truck in the second lane to the right of me. Three of us sitting there, and sitting there, and sitting...

No one was coming to the window and I could tell the guy in the truck was already exasperated. I just assumed he had been waiting for the phantom clerk. After about ten minutes, a clerk shows up at the window and gestures to the man in the truck. They had an exchange that I could not understand and the clerk disappeared again.

The car in front of me pulled away, obviously fed up. Another 5 minutes passed and the phantom clerk returned, this time his facial expressions and gesticulations were not friendly. He was clearly frustrated with the guy in the truck. That frustration was obviously reciprocated. I heard the guy say "Can I just have my credit card back?" Clearly he was not a happy camper. The card went through the air tube and the guy grabbed it and tore away screeching his tires in protest.

I pulled up to the window. I was waiting for twenty minutes now and I was losing what little patience I had left. The clerk came to the window right away, so I was hopeful. I told him my name and he went searching for my prescription. Five minutes later, he came back claiming there was no prescription for me.

I told him that I had talked to the Pharmacist earlier and she was going to transfer the prescription from another Pharmacy and that it would be ready. He had no answer.

"I want to speak to the Pharmacist." I snapped. I was losing my grip. Five minutes later, the Pharmacist shows up at the window sheepishly. "I tried to call the Pharmacy to transfer your prescription, but I could not get through" she said. She had a squirrelly expression on her face. "Did you try pressing zero?" I asked sarcastically. I know, I know, I was being inappropriate now, but I was mad.

After another five minute exchanged filled with excuses, I was determined not to let her off the hook. She told me to come back in hour and she would have two pills for the weekend and then we could straighten out the situation with the other pharmacy on Monday when they reopened.

An hour to put two pills in a bottle?

I came back and was greeted by the clerk after about a ten minute wait. He then had a whole series of excuses why they did not have the two pills ready. We had a series of exchanges back and forth, each time he disappeared for two or three minutes. I was livid. Another car was waiting to the right of me and three cars had piled up behind me. It was past closing time now.

Enter the illustrious night supervisor. He smiles at me and looks back at the clerk and the Pharmacist. Then he looks out the window discovering the pile up of cars. You could tell he was not happy. He puts a sign in the window that says "Pharmacist no longer available. To fill prescriptions please visit your nearest 24 hour Walgreens." Then he looked at me and said the clerk would be right with me. He had no clue that I had been there for another half an hour and that the clerk and I had had about 10 exchanges, all futile. I wanted to tell him that there never was a Pharmacist available, but I bit my tongue.

Finally the elusive Pharmacist appears at the window and tells me how difficult it was to print a label for these two pills and that she was new to Walgreens.

Really? I had no idea. Why in the world would management let a new, obviously ill-trained Pharmacist man the shop for the evening - the busiest time of the day? I blame this ultimately on the manager of the store. You just don't put customers through something like this. His closing manager gave a clear message that he just wanted to close up shop, even though there were 5 of us at the drive through not being serviced.

The Pharmacist lifted the glass door to put the bottle with the two pills in the tray, then took them out, looked at them. Went to put them back in, then took them out again and crossed something out on the bottle. The whole time the clerk worked the door, as it was obvious she did not even know how to operate the window.

Finally the pill bottle came out of the window in the tray and I picked it up. She said, "Sorry for the wait."

Sorry for the wait? How about sorry for the harangue?

I stopped and opened the bottle to see if there were actually two pills in the bottle. There were actually two pills and they looked the right color and shape. I thought to myself, what chance was there that they were actually the right pills? I pulled away furious. At this point it would have been better if they were narcotics.

I do not ultimately blame this Pharmacist. She was doing about the best she could. I blame the store management for putting her in a situation that she could obviously not handle. I am going to talk to the store manager today and give him feedback he needs to hear. I feel sorry for the Pharmacist. Her boss let her down. She may even get fired for it. I am sure the guy who tore off earlier, the two other women in the cars who kept rolling their eyes all might end up complaining. How many more people were frustrated that evening?

It is easier to put a man on the moon than to push two pills through the drive-through window at Walgreens.

posted at 8/28/2006 08:00:00 AM | 0 comments links to this post





Never Measure Performance by the Number Hours Worked

Friday, August 25, 2006

The water cooler conversations are always interesting. Take my advice; never put too much stock in the wisdom spewed out over a lukewarm cone of water. This is where the blowhards gather to pontificate.

"I worked 120 hours last week, how about you?

"Well, this week was a little slow, only put in 80 hours. But next week is going to be a bear. I have the cot set up in my office."

"Heck my wife never sees me anymore, just too busy."

"You still have a wife?"

Hello?

I have had employees who could have worked 20 hours a week and accomplished more than the bozo who gloats about working 100 hours. Think about it. If you work 100 hours a week, you have no life. Work, sleep (5 hours if you are lucky), work, sleep, work sleep...

Even though there have been studies confirming that productivity has no real direct correlation to number of hours worked, we live in a corporate culture where there is a mysterious, but very real expectation that a 40 hour week for an exempt employee is unacceptable.

How many management meetings have I endured where the well-meaning leader says "I know how many hours we work every day and I know you all are making it happen.."

"That is what makes us great!" (blah, blah, blah)

I sat in a meeting years ago where my boss told everyone, including my staff that there was an unspoken understanding that everyone was expected to put in at least 46 hours. Why 46 hours and not 47 remains a mystery. After the meeting I told him that he could not legally say that. I got the lecture that I didn't understand how the company worked. I guess I didn't.

I have been guilty of putting worth in the number of hours worked. I boasted 80-100 hours a week at a minimum. The reason I put value in the number of hours worked was because I saw management respond positively to it.

Years later, we are still believing the same claptrap.

I remember being in a meeting about performance where I unabashedly shared my very strong opinion on the subject. This is something I am passionate about. I lived the lie for many years and I have the scars to prove it.

As I listened to the conversation I realized that there was a subtle message defending the correlation between a great performer and the number of hours worked. I knew I wasn't going to be able to stop what I was about to say. Actually I make no apologies for it. I am right.

In a lull in the conversation, I calmly stated, "You can never judge performance based on the number of hours worked."

There was immediate agreement by many of the other managers. I saw heads nodding affirmably. I may not have delivered the message that everyone wanted to hear, but I was true to a fundamental belief that I subscribe to.

I have repeated this statement many times since that meeting. In fact, I just said it again this week. Even though I see little progress in winning the war against the common corporate mindset, I will not stop espousing what I know to be true.

Don't measure your worth in hours. You need to find value in what you accomplish that is extraordinary and can be accomplished in a reasonable work week.

posted at 8/25/2006 08:00:00 PM | 2 comments links to this post





When Your Boss Does Not Like You



There are many reasons why a manager may not like you. If you are a slacker, your boss usually knows it. If you are difficult, everyone who works with you knows it.

What if you are a good performer and you have been told by other managers and colleagues that they value you? What if the problem is with your boss and not you?

Managers are people who like most of us do not like everyone. I have managed many people of different ilk. I am a people person. My wife says that I like everyone. I wish that were true, it would make my job easier.

Just because you are the boss does not ensure that you always like everyone. It is actually humanly impossible. It is possible to treat your employees equal and fairly, despite your personal feelings. As a manager you are required to separate your feelings from business. This is what I was taught years ago and it has helped me immensely.

What I have observed is different. Managers often react to employees that they really dislike in an inappropriate way. It is more pervasive than I once thought. I have seen great performing employees suffer the tyranny of a boss who just doesn't like them for whatever reason.

If you feel like your boss does not like you and there is no basis for it, you have a big problem. You are a victim. There is only one thing you can do.

Fire your boss.

Go find another job and work for someone who appreciates you. You have no choice. If you stay and hope things will get better, you will find that they will only get worse. The problem is not you, but with your boss. You can't change your boss and you should never compromise your values in an attempt to make him happy.

There are plenty of bad bosses out there; however, there are also great bosses. Go find yourself a great boss and stop the madness.

You deserve nothing less.

posted at 8/25/2006 05:37:00 PM | 0 comments links to this post





How To Deal With Office Politics

Tuesday, August 22, 2006

Okay, so I have gotten some flack about my quick judgment of the movie "Office Space." General consensus is that I have to watch it at least 3 times until I really get it. Don't hold your breath.

Want to read a great article on how to do presentations, follow this link:

10 ways to give a bad presentation

It is a great article written by Paul Glen!

Now back to the second post in a series. What Can You Do About Office Politics?

In my previous post, I explained why office politics exist and will always be part of your corporate life. What do you do when you get caught up in a nasty political situation? What if it affects your performance (perceived or real)? What if it might cost you your job?

Dealing with office politics is not something you can take lightly in every situation. Politics can destroy careers. If you are in a politically untenable situation, you need to follow some basic rules to keep your head above water.

1. Identify exactly who is your political enemy. It may be one person or a group. A group is always harder to combat.

2. Identify who your allies are. Who do you know that you can trust? Who knows what you contribute to the organization? (If you are not a contributor, sorry you our out of luck) You need allies. It is a battle.

3. In ALL situations control your emotions. No matter how much someone is making you angry, no matter how many lies are thrown your way, never give in. Stay calm on the exterior, even if your blood is boiling. This is essential to fight a political battle. If you lose control of your emotions, you are hosed. We all have weaknesses. A political battleground is not a place to work on them.

4. Get together with your allies and strategize. The higher up in the organization your allies are the easier it is going to be. Directors, VPs, Officers of the company have learned how to play things politically smart. They also know that it is like a game of chess sometimes. You must have a plan.

5. Always play offense and not defense. You do not have to defend false accusations; however you do need to demonstrate your capabilities. What people see is always more powerful than what people hear. If someone observes your strengths, they will not believe someone who is trashing your name and reputation.

6. Use HR and all legal means to fight your battle if your job is on the line. You have more legal rights than you know and you need to understand what they are and how you can use them in your political battle.

Whatever you do, don't roll over and be defeated. You can fight even the nastiest political battles and win!

posted at 8/22/2006 08:00:00 AM | 1 comments links to this post





Office Politics

Monday, August 21, 2006

I finally rented the movie "Office Space." The idea was great and it had some really funny scenes, but overall it fell flat for me. It could have been so much better. I am dedicating all my posts to office politics this week. Please send me an email or drop a comment on your political situation in the office.

Office Politics Part I

Every office has it. Ever office suffers because of it. Business is less profitable because of it. Yet it is almost impossible to control. Office politics is a four letter word for many and a way of life for others.

Most people I talk to tell me how much they hate politics. People would rather eat liver and spinach than deal with politics. It is not easy and it is not comfortable dealing with a political situation. It is annoying, frustrating, aggravating, and often futile. Why is that politics survives in even the most unlikely places?

You will find politics in companies, schools, government and even churches. I have seen some of the nastiest politics played out in the name of God. We have come to expect that politics and government are one and the same. Where you have a group of people that are organized in some fashion, you have fertile ground for a political nightmare.

Within an organization you usually have some type of hierarchical structure. There is perceived power at the top of the hierarchy. There is actual power to be used or abused the higher you climb in an organization. Within an organization, you have those who are honest and want to do whatever they can do to help. On the other side of the spectrum, you have those who want to divide and conquer to gain the control that they crave.

In your office, you can identify people who are interested in their own advancement no matter what the cost. The cost might be other people's jobs, careers and even sanity.

Tomorrow, I'll give you some tips on how to deal with political situations. You can't avoid them; however, there are some basic things you can learn to help you deal with and even survive them.

posted at 8/21/2006 08:00:00 AM | 2 comments links to this post





Home-based Business

Friday, August 18, 2006

Are you tired of traffic? Are you ready to make your living from your home office? You are not alone. Home businesses are on the increase and many people are benefiting from the flexibility that it offers.

There are many opportunities out in the world of the internet. I know some guys who are making over a million dollars a year from their businesses, which are run from their computer. Internet business opportunities fall into two categories. Some are fraudulent and others are completely lucrative and legitimate.

So how do you find legitimate opportunities?

It is not always easy. A spam email sent to you from someone who claims to know you, telling you they have the answer is not likely the opportunity. There are more fraudulent opportunities out there, so be careful.

Two years ago I went to an Internet Marketing conference. There were ten or so speakers talking about how to market your internet business more effectively. Each speaker had an area of expertise that helped propel you from a small struggling business into a million dollar winner.

If you could make $100,000 passive income, would you be interested? I have a list of internet marketers that I respect and feel have something to offer to help your business online take off to the next level.

If you are interested in their names, send me an email at bloggingboss@beatyourowndrum.com and I will add you to a new list of people that are interested in either creating a full-time business online or generating passive income.

Have a great Friday!

posted at 8/18/2006 08:00:00 AM | 2 comments links to this post





Blogger versus Wordpress

Wednesday, August 16, 2006

I have used Blogger for almost two years. There have been no new releases and no new features. Wordpress has released some great features that I could really use such as Categories. It also does so much more. So this past weekend I started to invest the time in moving over to Wordpress.

I was telling a friend about my move and how I was frustrated with Blogger. Google was not really doing much with it since it acquired the company. Not an hour later I get an email from him with the URL for the announcement that Google has just released a new version with… yes you’ve got it - Categories. There are other features that would be great.

It is only in beta, which means that it is not quite ready for prime time. So now I am trying to decide what to do.

Any opinions or feedback would be appreciated. Email me or leave a comment.

posted at 8/16/2006 08:00:00 AM | 2 comments links to this post





It Isn't the Number Of Hours You Work

Friday, August 11, 2006

How many times have you heard "work smarter, not harder?" Makes sense on the surface. It is almost cliche in corporate life. Good managers telling good employees not to put in more time, but make the time count more.

I don't see it in action. In fact, I see the exact opposite. There is value placed in how many hours you work. Sometimes it is subtle; other times very obvious. Are you afraid to leave before your boss does? Is there an unspoken rule in your office that suggests it is not cool to leave before 6:30 p.m.?

The fact remains that there is still inappropriate value placed on how long you work. There is a reality in corporate culture that places value on working late and working long, even if it is not explicitly validated by management. You must contribute so much more if you are still in your office, head buried in spreadsheets, while the cleaning service is trying to empty your trash can.

If you have fallen into the trap of placing value in "being seen late" in the office, you are part of the problem. The more of us who really believe our long hours define our value, the worse the work environment becomes. Those who are unable or choose not to clock 80 hours a week begin to experience an unfortunate and unfair perception problem.

I have seen managers who strategically create such an environment. I have seen others who demonstrate life/work balance in an admirable way. It really is the responsibility of the management team to create an appropriate environment. Management must set the tone; be the example.

Does the company who rewards the employees who work ridiculous hours actually produce more? Are they really more successful? Are their employees really happy?

I have some simple advice. "No." Not in the long run.

I have watched managers find a parking space that is very visible to all who enter and exit the office. They typically drive a Mercedes, so everyone knows whose car it is. The intent is obvious. They want everyone who leaves earlier to see that their car still there. I can hear the broadcast, "I am still working really hard back in the office, while you are leaving early."

Isn't it crazy?

I know people who do more in four hours than others do in two days. You know people like that too. So why would we place value in the length of time someone is "seen" in the office?

It is not about the number of hours you work. It is all about the quality of work that you produce. Quantity without quality might give you short term gains; however, it is not a sustainable model. Don't fall prey to it; it is a career limiter. It can even kill careers. If you have fallen into the trap, don't despair - you can get out. It is never too late to change.

posted at 8/11/2006 08:00:00 PM | 2 comments links to this post





Who's The Boss Anyway?



My reader, who we called "T" brought up another issue that we deal with in the workplace. If you have not read the first part of this post, you can read it now. Here is what she had to say:

"J" contradicts himself all the time. One time J asked me to watch his dog at my house while he was out of town...I told him I would think about it. I decided not to do it and when I told him, he wanted to know why (I have 2 dogs of my own and didn't want the responsibility!) and when I told him, he still tried to persuade me to do it.

I had a meeting today with both "J" and "C" about some issues. Yesterday we had a customer who was unhappy with a special order purchase she had made...she said she didn't want it. I explained that since it was a special order, we couldn't return it. She was still unhappy. I went to "J" and he told me to just handle it. Then "C" came over and agreed with the customer and suggested that we give her a discount. "J" stepped in and said that we wouldn't...the customer asked "Who's the boss around here?" She decided to keep it.

Here's my question: How do I deal with this? Sometimes I think I'm making too much of it all, but then something happens that brings all of the frustrations back again. There's more than what I've shared here. I guess it just comes down to the fact that I feel like I'm stifled, have no control and am just constantly being scrutinized.

All in all, I like my job and I thought this would be a great opportunity to learn about this type of business, but it's getting to the point that I can barely stand it. I know that there are people who have to deal with much worse...that's the ironic thing about it...sometimes the things that happen are so subtle until I think about it later.

Well, here are my suggestions:

1. I did not post all of "T's" email. There are many examples she can give that support the fact that "J" is a chronic micromanager and impossible to work for. An emphasis on "impossible."

2. If the customer did not know who the boss was, then neither does "T." "J" is the predominant force in and out of the office, so he really runs the show. If you do not know who really calls the shots, how can you ever do your job well?

3. "T" needs to get out. "J" is a hopeless case and the company is so small that there is no one "T" can go to for help. No HR. The opportunity is not worth the mental anguish many suffer under what I call the tyranny of a micromanager.

If you have questions, please send them to me by clicking on the link at the top of the page. If you have not subscribed to my RSS feed, go click there and get updates in your RSS reader.

Have a great Friday!

posted at 8/11/2006 08:00:00 AM | 0 comments links to this post





The Micromanager Strikes Again

Wednesday, August 09, 2006

One of my readers recently wrote to me and painted a very familiar picture. I asked this reader if I share the email to use it as a teaching tool.

The reader wrote:

"I work for a very small tile installation company. I work part time, 3 days per week as a tile artist. It's just me and my 2 bosses who are the owners of the company. They also live together. There are also a few tile installers, but they hardly ever come into the office. One of the bosses-runs the office (I'll call him "C") and the other one is generally out in the field doing tile installs and managing the installers (I'll call him "J").

We've got 2 computers in the office. I don't have my own email address or work station. I use J's computer, unless he is in the office. J and I have known each other for several years, working together as artists and doing workshops together. I've been working in the office for about 9 months although I've known J for about 6 years.

The problem is that J is a micromanager. If I'm with a customer, he'll come over and start interjecting. Some of this is fine, but he does it all of the time. Sometimes I feel like he takes over. He reads my emails, and sometimes calls customers that I've been working with, following up on issues that I'm working on. If I'm working on a project, he'll come and start changing what I have done. Or, he'll give me a project to complete, but before I know it, he has started it and wants me to complete it.

I have to justify everything that I do. One time, I had sent an email to a tile artist asking her to glaze some tile in a certain way, which was his idea. I didn't mention whose idea it was, I just asked the question...he read the email and wanted to know why I didn't tell her that it was his idea! I told him that I hoped he was joking and that I didn?t think that whose idea it was had any bearing on the issue at hand...we talked about it more and then he said he was just kidding, but I think he was serious."

There is more, but we will deal with that tomorrow. I want to address the myriad of issues that this reader deals with. We will call the reader "T."

Here are my observations and suggestions:

1. The company is owned by two men. They live together, so you would assume they spend a lot of time together and are dedicated to the business.

2. "T" is an outsider. "T" is not in the owner's inner sanctum.

3. Interesting how "J" doesn?t seem to micromanage "C." He micromanages "T" and probably most of the other installers. It would be unusual for a micromanager to pick just one person. Micromanagers often think all people that are lower on the org chart are available resources and ready to serve.

4. "J" even micromanages "T's" email. Good grief. That is pathetic.

5. "J" often takes over tasks and actually does the work he is hiring "T" to do. This is a very classic micromanager signature. A good micromanager always pays someone else to do the job he is going to do ultimately. After all, no one else can do it like he can!

6. "J" starts the tasks, but after he has it under "control" he turns it over to "T" to finish. He has to eliminate all the risk.

7. "T" has to justify everything. Very important to a control freak.

8. "J" needs an incredible amount of affirmation. "T" was to tell the customer that it was his idea. Classic case of insecurity, which is at the root of all micromanagement.

9. "J" says he is joking, but that is a cover-up. "T" is right, he was serious.

More tomorrow.

posted at 8/09/2006 08:00:00 AM | 2 comments links to this post





Raining in the House

Sunday, August 06, 2006

On Friday I was driving home from work and decided to make a quick call home. After talking to my youngest daughter twice, our calls getting dropped from the ever-so-stable Sprint PCS network, I could not longer reach anyone from home.

I drove for twenty minutes more before I was able to reach my oldest daughter. After a few sentences, she said, "I'm sorry Daddy, but water is coming out of the ceiling fan in the living room downstairs."

Water is coming out of the ceiling fan, I thought?

"Maggie, what do you mean?" I inquired, getting worried now.

"I don't know I'm trying to talk to Mommy, she is in the shower." My wife was in the shower right above where the water was dripping from the ceiling fan.

My son gets on the phone and tells me that water is pouring out of the ceiling fan and that there is a drip in another place. I told him to turn the water off at the source to the house. If it was a pipe, this would stop the water from continuing to leak through the ceiling.

As my son is shutting off the water I hear him talking to my wife, who is saying in the background "You don't need to turn the water off." Jonathan repeated what she was telling him. I told him to continue to shut it off. It was mass hysteria now, with my wife yelling something else in the background that I could not understand.

After realizing they knew the source of the water, I hung up - I was almost home.

When I pulled into the garage, I wondered what I was about to see. I rounded the corner into the living room and saw towels on the wooden floor to protect it. There was a big bowl and little bowl catching water from two leaks. It did not look good.

"Where is Mom?" I asked.

"She is up in her office," one of my daughters said. I didn't even bother to ask why she was there and not at the drip site. One of my daughters explained what had happened. My wife had a stain on a piece of clothing that she was starting to soak in the sink. She has turned the water on in the bathroom sink upstairs as she was running the shower. The sink was plugged and she went into the shower forgetting that the water was still running in the sink.

It did not take long for the water to spill over the sink and down the cabinet, into the carpet and down through the sub-floor, eventually pooling on the sheetrock, which was the living room ceiling. Much of the water ran out of the ceiling fan, but the rest started coming out of a seam in the tape. I peeled the tape back and poked some holes in the ceiling to help the water drain out.

For an hour we watched the water flow increase and then decrease. It was quite a scene. My son had just returned from camp earlier in the day and so I said, "Welcome, back Jonnie."

He smiled. He was counting the drips in seconds to see if it was slowing down.

Well except for ceiling damage that Jill says she can fix, all is drying out. A fan in the upstairs bathroom is drying the carpet.

Never a dull moment in our house.

posted at 8/06/2006 01:09:00 PM | 8 comments links to this post



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