Friday, February 28, 2014

Lottery, Writing Contests and Other Dreams



One of my guilty pleasures is playing the lottery.  Three lotteries, actually...
www.masslottery.com
Mega Millions     



My favorite is Lucky for Life, because it's enough to be comfortable and happy, but not so much that it would attract a huge amount of attention.  At least, that's my theory.
And I only buy one ticket with whatever multipliers are available.  A week, it costs me about $14.  Two lunches.  One lunch if it's in the North End or Downtown Boston.  And only one per drawing.  I ran a lottery pool at work for several years.  HUNDREDS of tickets were bought.  The most we ever won was $80.  My odds are as good with one ticket as with 100.


Then I realized I didn't have any dreams left.  Nothing exciting to hope for.  That little tingle when I wake up in the morning and think to myself This could be the day!  All gone.   
Much like the lottery, I send my books out to writing contracts, publishers and agents.  I figure the odds are about as good.  And I've been rejected about a gazillion times.  Some were from people I met at writer's conferences.  They were extremely positive and supportive when I had my ticket in hand and then acted like I was a stalker when I approached them later.  Whine, whine, whine...





At one point, I became depressed at the rejection and losing and decided to quit putting myself out there and getting hurt and disappointed and frustrated.  I decided to be strong.  And accept my life for what it is.




And to have nothing to look forward to was a million--a gazillion--times worse than the rejection and pain and frustration.

So, I'm back to buying lottery tickets and entering contests and submitting to agents and editors and publishers.  And the little tingle is back..





Joseph Addison Quote
Joseph Addison

"An Evening Inspired by Downton Abbey" and Other Gala Events

My husband watched a WGBH fundraiser and was enticed to join PBS.  And buy a set of music DVD's.  Neither was that great, but since he listens to NPR, we both agree that it was a worthy cause.

Being a member means we're notified when events come up.  Like "An Evening Enspired by Downton Abbey"

"You’ll travel back in time to the 1920s to revel in the music, dance, food and fashion that make the era portrayed onDownton Abbey so appealing. Sip cocktails and sample the same cuisine as the British Aristocracy while enjoying dance demonstrations and opera and jazz performed by great local artists. Listen to experts discuss the social and cultural history of the Jazz Age, including the art of fashion and what emerging technology meant for the fashion industry.

Come dressed in formal period attire and don’t forget to step into our photo booth to ensure that these memories last forever!"


Never watched  the program, but I'm usually up for an evening with cocktails, food and dressing up with my hunny bunny...


It was not a good time.  The really elderly people swarmed the table and the food was gone in an instant.  The drinks were little sips (they did warn us) and I'm not a fan of opera singers singing jazz...  Especially while sitting on what has to be the most uncomfortable chairs since time began.  And the costumes were not so much Downton Abbey as flappers from the Dollar Store.

So we left.

And went to Abe & Louie's Steak House.  In the snow.  In our finery.  I was one of a handful of women in an extremely masculine, extremely packed steak house.  When I went to get my coat from the coat check attendant, five men scrambled to help me put my coat on.  The winner asked for a kiss on the cheek; both cheeks to be exact.

This was a much better time



Probably won't go back to another WGBH event, but will definitely return to Abe & Louie's...




Wednesday, February 26, 2014

Seeking a Friend at Work and Other Corporate Dilemmas...





A few years ago, I worked at a globally known corporation.  One aspect I was scolded on was that it was more important to get along and be liked than to be competent.



I didn't last long.

When a job needs to get done, I favor competence over social acceptance.

Okay.  That's me.  But I learned some interesting things while I was there.  One is that the number one criteria for an employee to be happy at work (taken from thousands of surveyed employees with diverse backgrounds and levels) is--wait for it...

A friend at work.

Huh.

I've come to believe this.


 Companies can offer equitable pay, challenging work, good benefits, comfortable working conditions, but when something irritates, frustrates, confuses or otherwise infuriates you, nothing gets you back to work and productivity than an empathetic shoulder to bitch on.  Without this, the worse part is when you corner someone to vent and all the while they're checking their watch, the windows, the other cubicles or the managers offices while waiting for you to finish.





My current company offers no empathetic ear.


So I started a blog...