Returning From the Business Vacation Trip

I had three trips that I had been putting off for some time and in my creative thinking I decided to combine them into one, eight day long trip.

Since business is business, I made sure that I took care of that first. Meetings had to be done in person because the client has not moved into the computer age yet. I know it seems hard to believe but, not everybody feels comfortable sitting with a computer screen in front of  them.

Since I had completed my work before I left for my trip, I felt relaxed and I looked forward to meeting with my client. The first day on the road I didn't find need to check in with facebook. I had notified everybody that needed to know that I would be away and scheduled accordingly. It was especially relaxing.

I was offline and tech free! It was a novelty but, even though I was traveling with others it got lonely. They didn't take the time to experience life as our client does and the phone calls and messages poured in causing heavy sighs of disgust and cranky attitudes that I couldn't really relate to because after all, I was tech free, baby!

We checked into the hotel and the young lady at the front desk made me feel so welcome that toward the end of my stay I asked for her name so that I could let her manager know how kind she had been to me. She really did have an impact on my trip, especially since she answered my questions and laughed at my stupid jokes but, my travel partners didn't notice much about her because they were so busy with their smart phones.

Before the official meeting, I told my travel partners we should not use cell phones during the meeting. Everyone agreed that it would be best and we all went into the meeting tech free. It was the best meeting I have had since I started GHC. There were no interruptions and nobody's mood changed because they took a quick glance at a text message.

For the remaining few days of meetings I maintained the tech free lifestyle. Actually, when my tablet had a little glitch that I know I could have fixed, I told the others I couldn't help but to be offline. Big deal, I kind of checked in but kind of was having fun experiencing the tech free life.

When I returned from my trip, I had a bunch of facebook posts to review and a few things that required immediate action. Just like I had expected, nothing was out of control.

As I reviewed facebook posts, mail and messages it occurred to me that there is a pattern. The people that I know that are willing to control their "tech" time seem to be happier. They also seem to be more productive and therefore are more relaxed when they are faced with a problem.

It makes sense that when we all focus our attention on the task at hand we are more productive. The constant interruptions take time to process and they are not anything to do  with the original task.

I suggest you take a good look at how you spend your time with technology. After all, if we want to be in control, we need to know how to manage our time.

www.georgiannahardwarecorporation.com

Do As I Say, Not As I Do

I always preach, "safety first". I talk about it and remind people about safety so much so that I get tired of hearing myself talk about the importance of safety.

As I write, I wonder how I ever could have made the stupid mistake that caused me to break three toes on my left foot and I am pouting about it. In my haste to put something away, I took a sharp turn and bashed my foot into a piece of furniture. It didn't move and I am seriously pouting about not being able to do the things that I would normally do during the holiday season.

Fortunately, I was able to hobble to a few Black Friday sales. This year was somewhat different, though. There was not a crowd at the store. Actually, it took me a while to greet all of the associates and get into the store! This was probably a good thing for me because my foot was so swollen I was wearing a heavy sock. I do not suggest that you shop in socks. It's not safe. Foot protection is important.

After reading OSHA's foot protection regulations I'm wondering why they allowed me in the store and I may require steel toe shoes be worn while performing housework.

Do as I say, not as I do. I never want an accident to happen to you.

SAFETY FIRST! 

Deputy sits in hot car for 25 minutes!

I am awed by the impression that this video made on me. The heat really gets to me so it's personal. I shared the video on the GHC facebook page and it reached record numbers. Yesterday I heard two reports of accidental heat stress reports. It wasn't even summer.

Today, June 21, 2015 is the first day of summer.

I commend Georgia's Forsyth County Sheriff's Office for allowing Officer Regan to take the time (and the risk) to create this video that gives a live report of what happens when a living being is left in an unattended vehicle.

Please remember to practice safety at all times and always check the seating and storage areas of your vehicle before leaving it unattended.

 

Please share.  

Chu's Packaging Supplies

Some time during the last few weeks my news feed changed and I missed the update that Chu's Packaging Supplies made to their web site.

They still have the really nice custom printed tape but they have added a few new products to their line.  I especially like the Tamper Evident Security Tape.

Chu's Packaging also has tape for construction purposes.  They supply drywall tape, asbestos warning tape and caution tape.

If you're moving, Chu's Packaging has moving pads and dollies.

Safety is not overlooked by Chu's Packaging Supplies.  Whatever service industry that you are in that requires coveralls, lab coats, aprons or shoe covers Chu's Packaging has those available too.

For over 25 years Chu's Packaging Supplies  has served their customers.  You will be happy to do business with them.

Safety First!

Armed with a fire extinguisher, a person can often extinguish or contain a fire before it becomes a major blaze.  To effectively fight a fire, an individual must be prepared with the right type of extinguisher and have it readily available.

 Extinguishers are rated for the type of fire they are made to extinguish.

• A - Ordinary combustible materials such as wood, paper, hay, etc.
• B - Flammable liquids such as gas, oil, grease and other petroleum products.
• C - Electrical fires.

As this listing shows, an ABC type extinguisher is capable of extinguishing most fires.

Amazon currently has a handy extinguisher on sale.  Please practice safety at work and home.

Uncomfortably Numb

I know you're all eagerly awaiting the story of my husband's follow-up appointment with the neurosurgeon after his procedure to have his Subarachnoid Aneurysm repaired! I am presenting this to you in blog form though it is actually an edited version of the post I made on facebook to close friends and family. This has been a crazy time in our lives. My children, myself and my husband know that the story we've lived for the past few weeks is so far fetched that it is difficult to believe. I doubt I could have made this up. Remember, I'm big on karma and I'm talking about my husband's life! One thing to note is that early on a doctor told us if you hear someone complain about or experience “the worst headache of my life”, get to the hospital. Severe headaches that are beyond the pain of migraine headache pain are a tell tale sign. Here's the rest of the follow-up story:

My husband drove to the hospital for his appointment. I was the passenger. He did well with his driving but since I have spent the past few years being a drivers ed instructor I am still adjusting to keeping quiet. I'm not perfect but think I did fairly well.

We go into the doctor's office and he gives his name to the girl at the desk. "You're not from around here", she says. We're from New England. We're in Atlanta and have been busted immediately! We go into the small talk about us not being from here and she's thrilled to find that we are from New England. One of us asked where she was from and she replied with a strong accent, "I'm from New York!”  Suddenly, we're long lost friends talking about the differences in the commute, weather and housing.

We were called into the exam room. The nurse introduced herself and said she was substituting for the doctor's regular nurse. My husband and I are anxious. She opened the file folder with his records and saw that he was there for the follow-up of the aneurysm procedure. She shook her head and explained that her dad had died of a brain aneurysm when he was 41. She said she was coming up on that age and just didn't feel too good about it.

I never realized how many people have experienced brain aneurysms until now. Her story of her father's experience is typical. Come to find out there are so few survivors under the age of 65 that those stories are seldom told.

The nurse checked his vitals which were good. Strong pulse and increased weight which is what they were looking for. (I know the weight problem is something some of you might not want to discuss but this happened in August. It's not unusual for his weight to decrease in the summer but him not eating for a week while he was hospitalized made his weight cause for concern.) His blood pressure is still on the low side but it is up into the low normal and will just need to be monitored. The nurse was pleased for everybody involved.

We saw the doctor and he was happy to answer all of our questions. Actually, the nurse had already answered them but he reviewed everything that we had discussed with her and told my husband that he will need to have another follow-up in November. If they are to find anything they will do a repair at that time. Hoping and praying that all goes well he will then need to have an MRI done at the one year anniversary. In the mean time, my husband is to steadily increase his activity until something happens that tells him he can't.

Now we notice that we have become uncomfortably numb and we're faced with the choice of either getting up and leaving of sitting in the exam room until the nurse calls security!

We checked out and walked the seemingly ten miles to the car. Fairly uneventful. As we were exiting the parking garage I start thinking again and had my husband ask the attendant about the valet parking. She told us it would cost six dollars as she took our five dollar bill. I laughed and said, "Well, aren't we stupid?!" She smiled and replied in her heavy southern accent, "You know that's right. Have a good day!"