Having Fun at Work is Crucial

     My place of employment does allow much fun and it creates an unfulfilling atmosphere. My co-workers and I try to have fun by going to lunch together and by playing jokes on one another. In particular, one of my co-workers and I always wrestle around at work, which creates a sense of happiness and fun. At DLT, we have not been allowed to dress up for Halloween for approximately five years. My fellow co-workers and I decided to ask our bosses to let us be able to dress up this year for Halloween. We got turned down on dressing up so we decided to come up with a different proposal.  We proposed to have “Spirit Week,” which is where each day of the week would have a certain theme. We also wanted to raise money for our sister facilities that were affected by Hurricane Irene. So our idea consisted of having “Spirit Week” and for anyone who participated had to donate one dollar to the DLT Hurricane Irene Fund. We were finally advised by our Human Resources person that the managers approved this idea. I was ecstatic because day after day, hour after hour becomes extremely boring at work without some type of fun. Our “Spirit Week” will be from October 31^st through November 4^th and I hope we raise a considerable amount of money to help our fellow facilities. Fun is crucial at a person’s place of employment because it increases productivity, boosts morale, and increases creativity for the employees within the company.

     First, fun at work definitely increases productivity because it allows employees to enjoy work and release steam at the same time.  People who have fun at work and like the work they are doing promotes productivity because then, work is not as boring. I believe in the “nose to the grindstone” ethic but at some point in time fun must be a requirement. Otherwise, one will become “burnt out” at work and will not want to continue to come to work. Employees may also feel that there is no reason to give their all if there is no reward or some fun activity.

     Next, fun at work increases happiness and reduces stress levels for employees. Humor is a key factor in having a good relationship with other employees. It creates a fun and positive atmosphere at work. Fun to promote happiness does not have to be expensive or extraordinary. One can simply play a game with other co-workers at break time. Some employers seem to not want their employees to have fun, but the fact of the matter is that fun must be allowed to relieve tension, stress, and increase happiness.

     Finally, fun increases creativity with a work environment. By employees having more fun at work, it enables the employees to “think outside the box” to discover new ideas. When employees take their minds off of the thought “no play, business,” I feel employees will be able to come up with more intuitive ideas. When a person is not under pressure, it is easier to think creatively.  

     Although, many companies are not as fun fulfilled as Google and Facebook, most companies still have some sort of program or policy to implement fun in the workplace, which allows employees to have fun. Fun is the only way to increase productivity, relieve stress, promote happiness, and increases creativity. If your place of employment seems to be boring and drab, I encourage you to speak with a boss about implementing some type of fun. I feel that our “Spirit Week” at work next week will be a great amount of fun and an enjoyable time. I know I will definitely want to work harder when I am dressed in my pajamas for Pajama Day!  

The Ride of My Life!

     In July, my husband, some friends, and I went to Branson, Missouri, to shop for Christmas presents at the outlet malls. I know… I start my Christmas shopping really early. Anyway, Friday when we got off work, we headed out to begin our journey. I love going to Branson, but I hate riding in the car for any period of time longer than 30 minutes. By the time we arrived in Branson, I was starving. Our friends, my husband, and I all decided to eat at this great restaurant, Charlie’s. We always make it a point to eat at Charlie’s before returning home. They have the best baby back ribs that I have ever eaten.

     Next, we went to the hotel to check in and unload our luggage. The hotel had two different swimming pools: one inside and one outside. Our friends brought their two children along and the children decided it would be fun to go swimming since it was extremely hot outside. A cold dip in a pool always cools me down. We all decided to swim in the indoor swimming pool. As we were swimming, we noticed this sling-shot sort of thing flying into the air about a mile away. We kept watching this thing fly into the air and then return back to the ground again. One of our friends said, “Wouldn’t that be so fun to ride?” My husband thought our friend was crazy because my husband is extremely afraid of heights. I told our friend that I would ride this ride with him if he wanted to ride it. He immediately agreed and we jumped out of the pool to go get dressed.

    Once we got dried off and dressed, we decided to go up the strip and check this ride out. We pulled into a parking lot that included two go-kart tracks, miniature golf, a child’s train on a motorized track, and the ejection seat ride. As soon as we got out of the car, the ejection seat flew into the air as if it were a bullet soaring into the sky. We went to get tickets to ride on the ejection seat. As we watched other people fly into the air, holding on as tight as they could, we became more excited and more scared at the same time. The line we were waiting in kept getting shorter and shorter. My heart started to pound in my chest as if it might explode. I told our friend, Jerry, who was going to ride the ejection seat with me, that I felt my stomach knotting up. He was sweating profusely and I could tell he was scared.

     Finally, it was our turn to get in the ejection seat. The male ride attendant advised me to cross my arms so he could strap me in. He strapped the harness across my chest and the straps around my ankles. Then, he strapped Jerry in and I knew it was time. The ride attendant lifted up the ejection seat a little bit, which scared the crap out of me. I was laughing hysterically because that is what I do when I am scared. Jerry was talking so fast that I could not even understand him. Three, two, one, BAM! We were off! We soared into the air. I kept my eyes shut all the way up until we started to fall face first to the ground. I opened my eyes for approximately one second and all I could see was the entire city of Branson. Jerry and I were cursing like sailors; we were terrified! We kept bouncing up and down in the sky until the bouncing finally slowed down. I knew the ride was over. It lasted approximately three minutes, even though it seemed like an hour. As the ride attendant returned the ejection seat to the ground, I let out a giant sigh. Once we got off the ride, Jerry asked me if I wanted to ride again and I replied, “Oh yeah!” I thought to myself, “Oh, here we go again!”

True Friendship: My Venting Session

     I work full-time, Monday through Friday, at Ducommun LaBargeTechnologies. I must be at work by 7:45 a.m. and I do not get off work until 4:30 p.m. The people I work with are like my second family, but the only difference between my work family and my actual family is that I cannot address problems that I may have with my work family. I feel telling my work family what I actually think may be inappropriate at work so I just choose to keep my mouth shut. Sometimes the people I work with drive me crazy! I must say for the past two weeks one person, in particular, has almost driven me over the edge.

     First of all, this situation began about two weeks ago and involved a woman who I had been friends, or so I thought, for a while. I have bent over backwards for her at work and within her personal life to try to ease her stress level and help her through various situations. One crucial situation that my husband and I helped all that we could was when she experienced severe roof damage in the May tornado. Her boyfriend, she, and her four kids were in the basement of their house when the tornado came through. As soon as I heard about the tornado on the radio, I headed to her house to make sure she and her family was alright. Monday, after the tornado, my husband and I decided we were going to go to her damaged house to help her salvage her things and help her move them to her parent’s house. The way she acted during this whole traumatic event was shocking. Instead of wanting to save her personal things, she told my husband and me to just leave the stuff because insurance would just pay for new stuff. I could not believe it! I mean why would a person not want to save as many personal or sentimental items as they could? Also, she kept ordering my husband and me to go to the store to buy her things such as cigarettes, fountain drinks, and other miscellaneous items. I did not care to buy her some things but we could not pay for everything. I mean, it is hard enough to provide for my own family, let alone another family. I was literally appalled at how much she was taking advantage of the help she received.

     Next, I feel that if this woman does not have enough drama in her life, then she will create drama to keep her occupied. At work, for instance, all she does is gripe about the pettiest things. I got so tired of hearing about these events that I began avoiding her around the workplace. We also would go to lunch every day together, but now we have stopped doing that because most of the time I would either end of paying for all or at least half of her lunch daily. Obviously, I just cannot afford to do that. So, within the past two weeks I have just stopped talking to her and stopped having anything to do with her, unless it is work-related.  I guess she realized that I did not want to speak to her and now she has turned it all around on me.

     Moreover, today just took the cake. I guess the truth is that is bothers me very much that she acts like she does not even care if I am upset or anything. Maybe, she was never my true friend. Today, when we were both on break, she was approximately 5 feet from me and would not even look at me nor would she speak to me at all. We were the only two people outside and I felt very awkward. I tried to start a conversation, thinking I would be the bigger person, but she would not respond to me with anything other than one-word answers.  This situation did not resolve anything, it only made it worse. She also sent me emails that were work-related but was very disrespectful and expressed feelings of anger towards me. I just cannot stand it!

     However, I work with two other wonderful girls and they always have my back. I will also always have their backs because we can get along and do things for each other without bringing drama into the situation. Since one of these girls noticed that I was having a horrible day, she went to Starbucks and surprised me with my absolute favorite drink – Caramel Frappuccino! This is what makes working with a horrible person so much better because I know I have true friends that actually care about me as a person, co-worker, and friend. I would not be able to continue working around this woman if it were not for these two awesome ladies. I am so thankful I have other friends who enjoy my company and I theirs! What would I do without these two wonderful friends?   

Effective Time Management

     If one is like I am, then they must be able to manage their time effectively. Many people must strategically plan for every little thing that goes on within their daily lives. Since I must juggle my work, school, and home life, I am forced to manage my time effectively.  Even though I have to manage my time daily, not every day goes as planned. At that point, I must improvise and set my priorities. Almost every day, the issue of time management plus every other daily task puts a lot of stress on my life, but without it I tend to fall behind in my daily routine. Some people who do not manage their time wisely have a difficult time keeping with their daily tasks. I know I would love to just sit on the couch and watch television or play outside with my children, but sometimes that is not possible because other priorities must be completed first. I have found numerous ways of effectively managing my time, such as using a planner, using sticky notes to remind me of important deadlines, and also using online tools that help me to adequately schedule events.

     A planner is a great tool to use when setting and remembering priorities, appointments, activities, and deadlines. As a student, I use a planner to write down all homework assignments that are due on a daily and weekly basis. Online planners can be printed or saved onto a hard drive to be able to view one’s schedule at a glance. Also, a person can print handouts so everyone in the household will know what time certain events are taking place or scheduled. One can also plan a weekly schedule, a master schedule, or a four-year plan by clicking above.

     Although many people do not see time management as a crucial issue, it can help a person get more tasks accomplished each day.  Effective time management  can also alleviate stress and tiredness to help one feel better and more energized.  A great time management tip would be to evaluate how you spend your time. Keep a log for approximately a week and then review the log to see if any time can be spent more wisely.  One just must remember to strategically plan ahead for upcoming events and deadlines. If one uses these tips, I guarantee that the aspect of time management will automatically fall into place.

    Lastly, I would recommend everyone to take a time management course or seminar. I have taken several time management courses or training sessions with previous employers. Within these training sessions, I was informed of tips and skills to use for improving time management. Some seminars for time management have been held at the Holiday Inn in Joplin and MSSU may even offer a course on this subject. I do not know what I would do if I was unable to manage my time in an effective way. I feel I would have much more stress in my life and I do not feel that I could keep up with school, work, or my family.

     Overall, time management is crucial to everyone. People must be able to juggle work, school, their family, or any other situation that requires the use of time management. I highly suggest using a planner or some sort of notebook to remember all the important things that go on in one’s life. By using the “reminder system” I feel that a person would more accurately fulfill their duties and routines. I recommend everyone use some kind of strategic plan for time. As is has always been said, “Time is of the essence.”   

Cataract Surgery

     A cataract occurs when the lens in the eye because cloudy throughout the aging process. It is a disease common to older people. Cataracts are neither contagious nor can they spread from one eye to the other. However, a person who has a cataract in one eye is highly likely to develop a cataract in the other eye. There are three basic procedures for the removal of cataracts: phacoemulsification, extracapsular cataract surgery, and intracapsular cataract surgery.  

     About a year ago my mother, Joyce, was told that she had a cataract in her right eye, but at that time she was not referred to a surgeon to have the cataract removed. My mother began being unable to see so she decided to go see an ophthalmologist in hopes of a second opinion.  In September, Dr. Charles Sherrod III, advised my mother to have surgery because the cataract was very large and needed to be removed in order to regain her sight. At that time her extracapsular cataract surgery was scheduled for October 13, 2011.

     We arrived at Freeman Hospital at approximately 1 p.m. yesterday afternoon. It was time for my mother to get prepared for her surgery.  After we checked in at Admissions, we were directed to the surgery check-in desk. After checking in, we made our way back into the “prep” room to get ready for the event.  A nurse came in and advised my mother to change into a hospital gown and she also checked my mother’s blood pressure. Another nurse walked in to administer the IV. Once these nurses were gone, the anesthesiologist came in to speak with my mother. A few years ago, my mother had a terrible reaction to the anesthetic she was given during her gallbladder surgery, so she wanted to make it clear to the anesthesiologist that she did not want to be overdosed with anesthetic. The anesthesiologist and Dr. Sherrod decided to numb my mom’s eye with a lubricant gel along with a very small dose of anesthetic into her IV instead of many shots around the eye. I could definitely tell that my mother was getting woozy.

     Next, the nurses started a round of antibiotic drops to dilate my mother’s eye. About every ten minutes the nurses would then add another couple of drops to speed up the dilation process.  Next, a nurse came in with a very funny looking tool. She placed the tool on my mom’s eye and the wrapped, what looked like a giant rubber band, around my mother’s head and then laid the end of it on my mom’s stomach. This tool reminded me of a non-digital blood pressure kit, only for the eyeball.  My mom looked like she should have been in a Halloween movie.

     Finally, it was time for her to go into the O.R. I was motioned out toward the waiting room. At that time, it was 3:30 p.m. and the preparation for surgery had taken around two hours to complete. I took a seat in the waiting room to work on my math homework. I just sat there waiting for this procedure to be over. At 4:10 p.m. my name was called and I was notified that I could go back into the recovery room to see my mom. I just could not believe that the surgery only lasted about an hour, when the “prep” time took twice as long. Dr. Sherrod said the procedure had went as planned and that my mom would be just fine with only a few stipulations, such as no driving, no lifting, no bending forward, etc… Needless to say, my mother won the "biggest and worst" cataract award. I was so happy that the procedure was over and my mom can finally see once again out of her right eye. This procedure was so intriguing. I think it is completely amazing how the technological advances have changed over the years.  Our country will continue to make great advances in technology. Oh, what will they come up with next? Hopefully, shorter preparation time for surgery! 

"Knuck, Knuck, Knuck!"

     My favorite television series of all time is “The Three Stooges” with the original crew: Larry Fine, Curly Howard, and Moe Howard.  This show began in 1925 and continued throughout the 1960s. Curly and Moe were biological brothers. Shemp, who replaced Curly after he died from a stroke in 1946, was Curly and Moe’s other brother. Shemp died in 1955 from a fatal heart attack and was then replaced by Joe Besser.  Ultimately, Joe DeRita, commonly known as Curly Joe, replaced Joe Besser in 1958. Larry Fine suffered a paralyzing stoke in 1970, which marked the end of “The Three Stooges”. Last but not least, Moe died from lung cancer in 1975. “The Three Stooges” era was a great part in television history.  

     “The Three Stooges” show was a comedy act involving slapstick and physical and theatrical farce. In this show Moe was always the group’s leader. He would slap, hit, and kick Larry and Curly numerous times for no good reason, but it is hilarious to watch. Moe was short and stocky with a bowl haircut. Larry was also short but had a huge curly afro, which of course Moe would pull hair out of all the time. Curly was a heavier set man with a shaved head; he always makes the funniest sounds.  Out of all three men, Curly is my favorite because he came up with the funniest sayings and actions. He was also the one who acted in the least intelligent way. Curly’s personality resembles my own personality. Some of the situations that “The Three Stooges” got into were extraordinary and amazingly funny.   

     My favorite episode of the “The Three Stooges” is “The Men in Black”. Larry, Moe, and Curly become doctors because they have flunked the class so many times that the Chief of Medicine is forced to make them official doctors.  They go all through the hospital “treating” patients, if that is what you want to call it. One patient is supposed to be in a coma but she wakes up and requires anesthesia. “The Three Stooges” have no problem giving her the anesthetic by hitting her on the head with mallets. Oh boy, it is funny! Another episode that I like a lot is “Yes, We Have No Bonanza,” which is where Curly, Moe, and Larry find themselves in a predicament when prospecting for gold. I do not like the episodes with Shemp or Curly Joe as well as the shows with the original three.

     All in all, “The Three Stooges” were a memorable part in history.  Without them, I feel comedy would have been a lot different in the early to mid-20^th century. Even though, the episodes are in black and white, they are still one of kind comedies. I love these comedians more than any other present day comedians. “The Three Stooges” were good, clean fun and you just cannot find comedies like that anymore. In the famous words spoken by true comedians, Larry, Moe, and Curly, the show was all “For Duty and Humanity!”       

Seat Belts: To Where or Not To Wear?

                Edward J. Claghorn patented his idea for seat or safety belts and the first seat belts appeared in vehicles in 1885. Since then, the lap-and-shoulder belt, the 2-point seat belt, and the 3-point seat belt have all been introduced into modern automobiles.  Researchers have found that seatbelts are crucial when it comes to saving a person’s life.  In the 1990s, laws were enforced within various states of the United States to force people to buckle their seat belts when driving or riding in an automobile. These laws were established to ensure the safety of the driver and any passengers in a vehicle if an accident occurred. Many people believe that wearing a seat belt should be a matter of personal choice, instead of being forced into wearing a seat belt. 

                There are two different types of seat belt laws: primary and secondary. The primary seat belt law enables police officers to issue a ticket to a driver without any other traffic violation being violated. The secondary seat belt law allows police officers to only issue a ticket for not wearing a seat belt when other traffic violations have been violated.  Thus far, 32 states have enforced the primary seat belt law and 17 states have enforced the secondary seat belt law. New Hampshire is the only state without any sort of seat belt law.

Regarding the state of Missouri, the Missouri Department of Transportation enforced a campaign, known as “Click It or Ticket” to promote awareness to the public about how important it is to wear a seat belt. This campaign goes on for two weeks, from May 24 until June 6, and includes Memorial Day weekend. During these two weeks police officers have a zero tolerance for people not wearing seat belts and they do not hesitate to issue a $10 fine. 

Wearing a seat belt is vitally important because if one is ever in a severe accident this safety precaution could save a person’s life. A prime example of tragedy resulting in not a wearing a seat belt would be the death of Princess Diana.  The road safety minister said that her death could have been avoided if she would have been wearing her seat belt. Multiple car crashes every year have resulted in deaths by people who were not wearing their seat belts. However, people who choose to wear their seat belts are more likely to sustain minor to severe injuries, but ultimately remaining alive. Also, by consistently wearing a seat belt one does not have to worry about getting a ticket and is fully complying with the law.

Overall, I strongly believe everyone should wear their seat belts. If one does not wear a seat belt, they may pay the ultimate price. The safety of the driver and any passengers is the number reason to wear a seat belt. I feel more lives could have been saved in fatal car accidents if those people would have been wearing their seat belts.  Just remember, “Buckle up” for safety.