Tuileries, Nov. 2013.

It is lovely to spend the day with the person you love in your favorite city.

Happy Saturday from the City of Lights

See something, Say something

I have learned a lot about myself in the last few years. One thing is that I am much better off confronting a situation that stewing for hours . It is better to face whatever is nagging or bothering me instead of losing sleep or involving others in my web of crankiness.

There is nothing like remembering a trip because of the one shitty thing that happened to you instead of the 300 awesome things which occurred at same time.

"I loved x, but all I can remember was the rude waiter, crappy valet, lack of turn down service or smelly seat opponent." 

Trying to turn this around to - "Greenland was amazing, I even enjoyed the surprise overnight visit to Disko Island thanks to the ferry running aground.  We got to meet some folks we would have never of met and saw way more icebergs because of it".  

So, not everyone has had  the joy of being stranded in Greenland, but I'm thinking all six of you who have read this blog post have gotten a sub-par room in a hotel and have either shut up and unpacked your suitcase or have bitched about the room to someone other than the Front Desk Manager.

Now, I just confront whatever it is that is bothering me - hotel rooms, inadequate service or ferries that run aground. If I get resolution, great. If I don't, I tried and can move on. Moving on is hard, but sometimes it is all you can do.

What about you?

Guilty Pleasures

I'm sitting in the Skyteam Lounge at LAX waiting to board my flight to Paris. It is a really nice lounge, light and airy and spacious.  It is also very quiet, which is very unusual in this day and age.

It is also place with free wifi. I'm working but I'm also doing something else  - I'm catching up on my vapid television watching. I do a lot of that these days.  I have become somewhat of a tv watcher. I'm not proud of it, but instead of reading tattered copies of Redbook at the gym, I'm catching up on British shows and U.S. popular culture in 45 minute chunks.

What is my guilty pleasure? Picking a series and downloading a full season to watch on the trip.  The rest, I'll pick up on netflix or hulu, but spending that 19 bucks for 19 hours of entertainment is my guilty pleasure.

What is yours?

There is nothing more exhausting on than being "on". I have great admiration for folks in sales. 

That is me on stage. 

 

Nm

Please hold questions until the end 

Woo Woo What? and missing your target

Klout, WTF? 

I spend my days wondering if anyone will ever read what I write.

Truthfully, I spend about six minutes wondering if I should hit the share buttons and even posting to Google Plus to see if I can increase my reach. I don't always execute on my intentions because the people I follow or care about are usually on more than one of my networks and I hate bombarding people with the same content or whines.

There are a million places, apps and opportunities for people to share content, but picking the right one is critical to building your audience. Are the folks you engage with the most  on Twitter? Do you love to curate collections and have a million followers on Pinterest? Are your photos envied and emoticoned by more than your best three friends?

Should you pick just one?

I recommend that you and I should spend some time testing hypotheses, measuring reach, and trying different approaches before developing your outreach mix.   I crack up every time I see this ad for Adobe Marketing Cloud.  It is a great example of brands and maybe you, jumping on the latest thing without thinking things through.

Jumping on a bandwagon - Cashing in the Q4 budget and buying some followers. 


Until next time, WOO WOO on or until you mama joins up.

How to dress for success or how to dress yourself successfully

A room with a view, Hyatt Etoile, July 2014.

My life has taken some turns - mostly good.

I have started to dress like a grown-up. Maybe its that I finally feel like I can buy clothes that suit me. It might just be that I work right next to the Nordstrom shoe buyers and I feel like I have to up my game.
Whatever it is, it takes a little more effort that it did before to get out the door and that takes some planning.

I'm going on an eight day trip soon that involves air travel and a bit of driving. I have a short work presentation to a bunch of friendly colleagues who are more casual and then to Paris where I want to look nice and be comfortable. I'm not into wardrobe changes per se, but I could definitely get out of my rut and try a few things.

In my new found love of retail I have learned a few things that I would love to share with you. Here they are.

Always shop for clothes on an empty stomach - you'll look better.

If you can't take someone you trust with you when you go shopping  make sure you model what you bought for them before you rip off the tags.

Try and sit down and cross your legs, bend over, stretch your arms up in your new garments on a full stomach before you rip off any tags.

Cut those tags off, do not rip them.

Always save the receipt and the buttons that come with whatever you bought. You'll need them one day.

Oh, I hate Pinterest, but here is a board that shows you just what I'm thinking of taking.

Do tell me what you think.

nm

First Sunday

                                 515 PM - still light out, embrace it or go south. 

I love the first morning after Daylight Savings Time ends. I love getting up and having an extra hour of the day to do things.

When did we start doing things on Sunday?

Isn't Sunday the day our Protestant forefathers (yes, fathers) decided we needed to rest after a week of toiling? Come to think of it I did toil a little in the garden yesterday. 

Isn't Sunday supposed to be out relaxing, spending time away from devices, and reflecting on the week behind and thinking about the week ahead?

I'm tired of overachieving on Sunday.  I want my Sunday back. 

Maybe next Sunday.  

nm

What's the frequency Kenneth?

                                           Startup Hall - U of Wa. Go there. 

Yup. I'm back.

Life has been pretty decent around here - we're busy with work, family, dogs, gardens and travel.  I miss writing terribly. I start a hundred blog posts in my mind and then I just walk away without scribbling anything down.

I think once I learned about page views, impressions, SEO, SEM, trackbacks and how blogging really worked, I got turned off.

I'm not sure Twitter is my medium, either.

Photography is great. I like the instant gratification of posting an image and getting instant feedback. Who wouldn't? However, there is something lovely about writing out your thoughts and something even better when someone takes the 45 seconds in their day to read what you wrote.

I'm going to try this again.

We'll see how it goes.
nm

The journey can be half the fun

What I did this week

My first ever lightning talk - so much fun

Playing the Lottery

I lost.

I am now stuck going to Paris via Detroit.

Wish me luck.

At least I am getting another 1000 miles for my return flight from Southern California and I get to dump all my work paperwork from this trip.

One day I'll have to tell you all about it.

How I spent the last six weeks

I need a drink.

The best use of instagram to date

Today I feel like I am a terrible traveler. Partially its because I refuse to check a bag, and thus feel I must be a minimalist in what I bring.  Partially because no matter how many times I leave, it always seems that I have packed too much or not packed the one thing I need.

Typically I am found somewhere in the first world. I have a credit card. I usually have command of a language that is spoken by someone around me. I can cope.  

So tonight I am packing for two trips that are back to back.  There is a planned touch and go in the middle, but on the off chance I do not have fly back home to leave again, I am packed for both trips. The temperature range is approximately 30 degrees and the occasions requires some semblance of natty dressing. 

What does this have to do with Instagram?

A few months ago, a friend of mine, Kristy embarked on a thirteen day trip to the Eastern US and the Maritimes.  She was spending a few days in Boston and NY and then the rest of the time was cruising. Before she left, she figured out her outfits and then instavideoed her wardrobe.  I could not stop watching it,  it was brilliant.  

I wish I had time this trip to be this creative.  Instead, I'm going with one extra pair of jeans (mailed home from California, a pair of boots that I may regret, a pair of ballet flats that I am mailing home after my meeting) and a crap ton of grey t-shirts. No one messes with a girl wearing a grey t-shirt and a black cashmere sweater and jack purcells.

last light

Hey! Did you see the blue sky today?

The sadness of the last few hours of light today was hard to take.  I hate Standard Time. I hate coming home in the dark.  I am resolved to get out at lunch and catch some sunlight.  I'm lucky enough to take Ernest on two to three walks a day, but this time of year, they are all in the dark. TH does his lunchtime walk.

Light is important.  I live for flights above the clouds. I pine for Hawaii in December, but always end up in London.

I'm just waiting for Dec. 21.

Let the light shine in.

Happy Nov 1

Rabbit.

Postcard from the Edge (or the Peripherique)

Room with a view.

I am in Paris.

This is not unusual.

In fact, it is a little boring.

From this trip I have learned a few things (in no particular order).

I am no longer self-amusing, that is I can not rely on myself and my imagination to keep myself occupied for any time.

I have become the person I hate - the one who craves validation.

I can't leave well enough alone.

I really don't like macarons all that well.

That one should still brush one's hair and be presentable when you are video skyping with colleagues 5000 miles away.

That one should not video skype while on vacation.

I will be glad to be back in my own bed tomorrow.

Tout a l'heure.

Done

Hi!

It is 525 am here and after a rabble rousing night here, I slept fitfully. That one iced tea at 7 pm killed me.  Sad isn't it?

Looking back at my to do list, I realize I have not accomplished much, but I am trying.


8. Revisit the Spiral Jetty.

That and starting on my iTunes library (#10)  is all I have done.  The weather is prone to be vile next week (upper 80s) so that should be reason enough to learn how to grill (#3 and #4).  The idea of turning on the oven has no appeal.

In other good news, I shall dip my toes in the lake after work. Yup, work.

That alone, is good news.

To do

 Post no thrills, taken in Mid-Mahattan, February 25, 2012

Instead of focusing on what I am trying to not do this year, here is a list of things that I would love to do/try/learn this year.

1. Learn how to properly snorkel.  I spend enough time in the warm waters of Hawaii, you would think that I enjoy floating with my face in the water and a tube shoved into my maw to get oxygen to my lungs.  I really don't. I need to chill and learn that you can see a lot in 6' of water and that maybe fish can be cute and entertaining if you relax and learn to breathe.

2.  Learn how to sea kayak.  Insert cold  water, San Juan Islands, eskimo roll and terrible currents into the previous thing to learn to do and realize that North Pacific fish are not entertaining enough to pay much attention to them unless they become dinner.

3. Learn how to light a barbeque and learn how to grill. 

4. After I master that, move on to indirect heat grilling.

5.  Pressure can tuna.

6.  Run faster, longer and without stopping. 

7. Finally go to Marfa, TX and see all that great art work.

8. Revisit the Spiral Jetty.

9.  Go to Argentina in our fall when the weather is more to my liking.

10.  Listen to all the music I have in my iTunes library, make a few play lists and start culling things I do not care for any more.

I think that is a pretty good start, don't you.

What do you want to do this year, or next year or ever?

No pants allowed

  
Welcome to the Boulangerie at Casa Beagle.  Dogs welcome.

Let me set something straight, I love pants. I love skorts even more, but that is fodder for a series of fashion related posts. This post isn't really about clothing, but about creating a weekend that is filled with nothing more than being yourself.  It is about giving yourself permission to let the week slip away behind you.  No errands, no dinner commitments, no plans are made on these weekends.  I look forward to my no-pant weekend (yoga pant weekend just doesn't sound that exciting, nor drives blog traffic) which usually starts with the mad drive to the ferry and taking the happy dogs for a walk on the beach before the boat ride up to Orcas. 

The weekend stretches ahead with all sorts of possibilities  - long dog walks, trying new recipes, beating back the garden, long conversations after dinner, napping with assorted hounds in sunbeams and catching up on reading. There is no need to impress anyone, here we are all ourselves.  A nice dinner in town can even be pulled off if your yoga pants are clean and neat (note to self: buy smart yoga pants).  No one really cares what you look like and sometimes this is the best part. Reality bites soon enough as you merge into the line of traffic heading towards the freeway.  You'll soon put your big girl pants again to face real life at home with a head full of memories, a few tired dogs and new hope to help you make it through the week ahead.

Happy New Year

Taken early morning on January 1, 2013 from Orcas, looking towards Lopez. 

The first year and month of 2013 is over. There is no need to resolve anything in 2013 if you are still on the fence.  I have decided it is easier to plow on and do the right thing, especially if you have no real vices to resolve ending.  It is just better this way.

All I want is for 2013 is that it be better than the last.  I want my parents remain healthy and independent; Ernest's visits to the vet be be few and far between; and my new niece or nephew be born healthy. My wish is that TH keeps on striving ahead and thinking of ways to move science information into the new territory and build new collaborations. I want the federal government stay solvent and keep on functioning. I demand that my friends stay insured and employed, and that I find a great job as well.

Yup. I am still looking.

I am trying to challenge myself to write more. I spend a long time thinking as I walk the dog about things that I would like to write about, but am afraid to bore you and maybe me to death.  I have great respect for those who can write and most likely carve out time every day to write. 

You go girls.

Given how things could be, I am doing just dandy and for this I am grateful.

Happy 2013.

3 November 2012

Today I am grateful for my wings, rain hat and favorite traveling partner.

11.2.2012

Gone fishing.

from whence we came

I am starting to collect family stories in a more orderly and formal fashion.  I have heard many of them before. As a child, they both fascinated and bored me to tears when all I wanted to do was go play outside or hang out with my friends.

Now those stories enthrall me and make me realize how much about my parents I don't know or didn't consider was important.   I am honestly in awe of half of what they have done.  This past week I had the incredible pleasure of sitting down with them and hearing the stories, spending time with them and my  mom's extended family.

I am so blessed.

Thought for today

Best end of the weekend ever

Harshing my summer mellow

Already?

I have no words

Sometimes I am so disgusted by what has happened to Iran as I knew it growing up and from family stories.  I am usually on the other side of the argument, trying to explain and maybe rationalize behaviors of a culture which I am fiercely proud of being associated with and a country that is now so insular that many cannot remember life before the Revolution.

I must have been living under a rock when this was first announced. 

Please donate what you can to help feed and house these dogs until their are rehomed. I was also flabbergasted to hear that the current Western embargo against Iran bans the import of flea and tick medication for these dogs.  My mother worked tirelessly to bring humanitarian goods into Iran after earthquakes and helped raise funds to shelter and home street children in Tehran. She retired from these efforts when she returned from San Diego, but when she hears about this, I'm sure she will with these efforts. While she can't walk and play with these dogs, she can work to educate Iranians around Seattle and try  get some of these dogs settled, transported and help write letters to get medications to these dogs.  I will be at her side helping and learning from her, she is the master of persuasion.

I recognize there are a million things going wrong in the world and we can't fix everything, but if every person did one thing to help another person, creek, playground, ocean, forest or garden, the world would be a better place because of it.

Food for thought

Learning to be present and pleasant involves patience and pie.

Lesson learned today

Stand tall.

Picture Perfect

It could not have been a nicer day.

Sunday view

In motion

Happy Friday.

As far as the eye can see

Big sky, small island.

My secret, not so secret life

Many of you know of my not so secret obsession with frequent travel and my vast, yet esoteric knowledge of some frequent flyer programs.  I was recently featured by the Frugal Travel Guy on his blog.  FlyerTalk is where I found a group of like minded folks who flew both for work and leisure and enjoyed talking about all things points and miles. I have made some great friends and connections through FlyerTalk.  My dearest @joanek is one of them, without her in my life I would never have eaten a sweetbread, cared about helper monkeys, enjoyed Kamakura and hanging out in Paris going from market to market.  Ditto for @missydarlin who has roped me into many a race starting in 2007. She met her soon to be husband on FlyerTalk as did a few other of my friends.

The FlyerTalk community started out as small group of passionate flyers who were looking for like minded individuals.  The forums looks very much the same as when I first found it in 2000.  Some of the same people still post, some of them I count as my friends.  I still go to the forums for  travel advice. I go because many FlyerTalkers have the same travel habits that I possess,and partially because I know much of the advice is tried and true.  Like other brands FlyerTalk has joined the rest of the social web. While I follow their twitter stream, post pictures to the Flickr group and like them on Facebook,  I find most of the advice and knowledge is still active and alive on the forums.

Thanks to the folks who keep FlyerTalk well moderated, active, and fun place for me after all these years.

Rabbit.

The ninth month commences with greetings from my favorite petty and pretty tyrant.


Bring it on.

Things about job hunting I learned from my dog Part 2

This is one in a series of blog posts I have been cogitating upon about job hunting... Please read 
the first post here. 

4. Get dressed every morning

We undress E every night before he goes to bed.  His harness and collar are taken off to air his belly  and reduce amount of noise when he shakes or scratches during the night. Every morning we put his collar and harness back on and get ready for his day. He loves his routine and very rarely strays from it - breakfast, walk, nap, walk, nap, run around, walk, dinner, walk, and bed.

After walking E and going to the gym in the morning,  I shower and get dressed in casual, but work appropriate clothing including shoes just as if I was going to my office, but with shorter and more pleasant commute.  I try to keep the same rituals as before, except for going out for coffee or listening to the radio while driving. It is easy to let these habits slide as you move away from the structure of a typical office environment.  I try to get all my job hunting, scholarly research and data analysis, and meeting coordination tasks done during a typical work day time frame. That way, I retain my work/life balance when TH gets home.

5. Have someone check your work

E's best friend Charlie often will pick up E's chew toys after E is done and chew on them a little more and vice versa. They optimize the chewing texture and consistency of each other's bones to bring out the best flavor. It is all in a days work for the hounds.

Find someone you trust to give you constructive feedback on your job application material. Even better would be someone who to carefully proofread for overlooked typos or grammatical mistakes or number transposition in your contact information.  After staring at your own writing  for three hours or three days, you start to miss the little things that a recruiter or hiring manager might pick up on the first glance. Another set of eyes can be a tremendous help. 

6. Stand apart from the pack

E has unusual markings for a basset hound.  Even better is that he will perform an impressive commando crawl around other humans when things don't go exactly his way. He will do this when have to move on from a riveting conversation, an adoration session or we're not taking the routing he desires on his walk.  It is nothing obnoxious or dangerous, in fact it is quite enchanting and charming. However, as the person who replaces his harness every few months, I am not as amused. It does make him memorable. 

I am not suggesting that you should start crawling on your belly or break into song at a networking event or job interview. However, you increase your chance of being remembered by presenting yourself in the best light. Be conversant in the topics of the day and listen to what others are saying, carry great looking business cards with your current contact information and remember to use them and be genuine. If you promise to follow up with someone, please do so. It will show that you have follow through and many will remember that.

Things about job hunting I learned from my dog Part 1

This is one in a series of blog posts I have been cogitating upon about job hunting...

I spend a lot of time talking about my dog. Ernest is a pretty special basset hound. Many have remarked on him - his markings, his personality and his demeanor. We were very lucky to be picked by him. 

He has also taught me a lot about patience, tolerance in the pursuit of a new career path.  I have learned much from watching him interact with others to win over their hearts and their minds. 

1. Pick a path to follow, but be prepared to make adjustments. 

E goes for four walks a day. They are not long walks, they are very thorough walks - no blade of grass goes unsniffed and no phone pole goes dry.  He has a set pattern of walks he takes every day. However, at times something sends him off down another street, a scent or a lead.  Some times that street brings him to a new discovery or a new friend.  If not, we don't take that path again.

Job hunting is very much the same. We routinely set up job agents and check for results daily or weekly. If nothing interesting or compelling is being returned by these agents, if may be time to shake things up and  try something new.  Check out key words in new job listings that are pertinent to what you are looking for, it may be time to adjust your search to find new leads.

2. Network

Ernest walks so much not because he needs the exercise, but because he craves the attention of  his public. He loves meeting and greeting his old friends and making new friends when we explore new territory.  

Getting out there and networking is hard. Putting yourself up for public scrutiny and judgement can be painful when you are shy or out of practice. It takes time and courage to start networking. Start small, work on your small talk and your pitch (genuine) and soon people will be seeking you out.

3. Sit to greet

E infuriates me at times because he refuses to advance while walking because he sees another dog in the distance. In a way, this is good.  He recognizes something is coming our way and wants to meet and greet before moving on.  He does the right thing in doggie obedience training. He sits to greet and if the dog or owner is friendly, they sniff,wag and sometimes play. If he gets a bad vibe, he tends to move away and lets the dog move on without a lot of interaction. 

Do try and make an effort. Eye contact, a firm handshake, calling someone by their name, trying to introduce that person to others around you are all good ways of showing your interest in someone and you are being polite.  Don't be aloof, be respectful.

Disclosing what I think to be the obvious

This is my 1000th post. Gosh, where has time gone?




Lounging on the High Line, New York City, February 2012

I am on the job market. Some of you know may know this, some of you may not. I am actively looking for a position that uses my expertise project management along with social media analytics, engagement and and strategy. Finding a  position that capitalizes on my background in environmental sciences, my canny ability to network and bring people together, my love of data and innovation would be ideal.  I am however, completely open to other opportunities and markets. I love the idea of working for a startup, something I thought I would never say.

I look to self-help articles, social media, expert opinions, friends and networks for any information on how to best go about looking for a job. I am very appreciative of those who have listened to me, encouraged me and sent me leads. I cannot thank you enough.

I have a long way to go, but I am optimistic that something good will happen soon.

Today

We ate chocolate, poured our hearts into selling ourselves, watched a little boy explain that the moon is NOT MADE OF CHEESE, and laughed with a friend.

Great day with more to come.

I had one

But I lost it

Still life

I am done with my web optimization class.  It was not easy, but I learned a lot. I was going to take another class this quarter, but decided spending the rest of the summer working on my job search and writing a book chapter would be better.

I hope to spend at least one day a week writing and at one afternoon taking a nap.

I could use a nap.

Friday. Night. Light.

What a week.

word - less tuesday

Cougar Town.

Sharpest Knife in the block.

What a flower will do for sun.

social kvetching

 

First of all, thank you all for comments on my last post. I know its a pain to comment, but I appreciate that you spent time to give me your thoughts. I wish there was a way to mush three blogs into one. I'm not sure would work really well unless I can figure out a way to do it all with tabs.  Hmm. Let me think on this. 

Anyways ...

Some weekends, when the rest of the gang retreats to the North! and Casa Beagle, I remain here to do exciting things like homework, book club and to eat standing in front of the fridge. Its all so very mature.

By the end of the week I just can't be bothered to cook or nor speak to anyone about what I am planning on having for dinner, especially if it involves words like verjus or ramps.  Yesterday, I discussed on my Facebook page the angst of deciding to drive to a grocery store with self-checkout versus one without to pick up a frozen pizza. The self-check would help avoid in engaging in inane conversation with the checker about weekend plans, the weather or anything mildly uncontroversial.  This Facebook conversation went on longer than it would have taken me drive to the store and pick up my pizza. I realize this is a behavior that I typically mock.  My dinner of turkey jerky, sharp cheddar cheese and oranges because I was too tired from typing to drive to the store was also pathetic and terribly lonely.

Social kvetching, it is not for sissies.

I just haven't been myself lately....

This blogging everyday thing is challenging.  I am only here once every three days, but I post for Ernest ( paw recognition software in the works), and on banamak.org as well.  I feel like I am becoming a content creator par excellence.|Trust me, I have some pretty awesome content when I try.  It is hard to keep my voices distinct. I could have Ernest blog about my life (yawn) or cooking (yum) or I could post recipes on Ernest's blog.

I could just chuck the whole thing out the window and start over again.

I get lots of great feedback from my friends, my three admirers and my eight detractors on my content. Some of you are also now starting to post comments and I am trying really hard to engage you by replying to them.

In school, we talked a lot about engagement.  I think this is key to building a solid brand and following, and something I should have paid better attention to a while ago.

I love twitter because it throws things out to the universe and usually you get some quick feedback or see if you content goes viral with very simple twitter analytic tools.  In my opinion, this is much  harder with blog content. With share buttons on blogs or at the end of blog posts, you can all share out my content (please do). But to comment or have a dialogue requires commitment/conversion/a call to action of you, dear reader, to register (no!) or tell me more about yourself (as if I would do anything with that information), in order to engage.  In this day and age, this is too much work for the consumer.   What would work better for you?  I would love for comments, I would love for shares, I would love likes.

I think I'm pretty freaking funny (at times) and have something witty to say (upon occasion) and usually have something worth sharing (more than ever).  If you like this content, please send me a sign.

As I learn more and more about how the consumer/reader acts when encountering any sort of marketing/information on the interwebs, I realize how important it is to engage and start conversations. While I am not trying to sell you a toaster/natural supplement/insurance quote, I would love to convert you to a loyal reader and follower of my love of food, commentary on life, social media, travel, and what a six year old basset is really thinking if you let his humans blog for him.

Trust me, this is not an easy thing to write, nor post.  I am trying not to grovel, just trying to figure out where to go next.

nm