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A galone is like a latte, but I like it better.  But then I'm biased.  I learned to drink these while I was in the Azores.  You take whole milk (3/4 of a glass) and steam it till it's hot, and then froth the top till it fills the glass basically.  Then you pour in 1 shot of expresso.  Add sugar and cinnamon and whipped topping (all to taste), perhaps a shot of Bailey (for an after-dinner drink), and enjoy.

CountriGal
Peer Moderator

I typically have a cup of coffee during the drive in to work.  Once at my desk, I opened up boss' office and take care of 'beginning of day things' - check her emails/voicemails and scan my emails for anything that needs to go out to staff first thing.  Then I'll make my way to the kitchen area for a coffee - usually decaf.  I'm trying to get better about drinking more water during the day, but the only way I've found to do that is to get the Propel waters from the makers of Gatorade.  I try to drink 2 or 3 bottes of that - but usually end up with coke.  In the evenings I usually have Coke with dinner and a cup of hot tea while watching tv to help me relax for bed.

CG That sounds dangerous and oh so good.  I LOVE that stuff.  One of these days I'll have to get me a machine for my new kitchen once we get it finished remodelling so I won't have to pay the $$$ for a starbucks coffee.

Diamondlady
Peer Moderator

I lived near Seattle,WA -  which is home of Starbucks - and I never could get the hang of ordering coffees and the special language that seemed to develop with it.

I crack up when I see people trying to order them on tv - but its mostly because I'm so envious.

For those who want to drink more water, but find it costly (like OfficeGuru, I prefer the Propel water), I have come to love the Crystal Light On the Go powders.  I prefer the lemonade, but you can get it in tea, peach tea, etc... and at WalMart they have their brand which is just as good and not as expensive.  Works well, just pour it into the water, shake, and viola - flavored water.

CountriGal
Peer Moderator

Straight to work of course, that's why I'm there, after all.

I drink predominantly water during the day or the odd cup of tea.

For those on bottled and flavoured waters though, watch out for the additional salt/sugar content in both!  Some flavoured waters are so full of sugar, others have just a trace.

Jackie, Peer Moderator
www.iqps.org

I thought the word was familiar....In Portugal its called a "Galão". I drink several of those...without Baileys.

Coffee and water mostly.  I work in an office where there are no tea breaks as such and people are constantly making rounds and rounds of drinks. Most of the time when I get in, before sitting down someone pops out of nowhere with a tray and it is like that for the rest of the day!

Edited by charity on 19/10/05 01:53 PM.

I drink a 20 oz. Diet Mountain Dew every morning. I usually nurse it until lunchtime. After that, it's water for the rest of the day. I usually drink 2 liters or more every day.

I don't care for the flavorings that you can add to water. To me, if your water is "good," it doesn't need anything else. We have a water purification system at home, so I recycled several liter-size bottles and I always have fresh, clean water ready to drink.

JusPeachy

I've never been one to just be able to drink a glass of water - and when I lived in Arizona I got use to having lemon or orange slices put in with the water.  (I think it started out as a trendy thing to do and then just caught on from there).

I recently started drinking the Propel waters not just for the flavoring, but because it was suggested for the added vitamins and minerals that are put in the water because I have low blood pressure.  It is a bit pricey, but not so bad when I buy it in bulk at Cost-Co (warehouse type store).

I'm a bit of a health freak in the morning, but then it all goes downhill!  When I first get up I have a large glass of psyillum husks (foul - like drinking wallpaper paste, but very good for my stomach) followed by a large glass of hot water, cayene pepper and freshly squeezed lemon juice.  That always wakes me up, but I'm usually too full to eat my breakfast immediately.  My solution is to arrive early at the office so I can have breakfast there - a large bowl of fruit topped with yoghurt and cereal, followed by a cup of green or white tea.  After that it's water or herb tea for the rest of the day at work - coffee sends me absolutely do-lally!  My guilty pleasure a couple of times a week is a cup of hot chocolate after lunch.

I check for any voice messages and emails. Then I fill my 20oz mug with hot chocolate. I drink bottled water the rest of the day. I've never been much of a coffee drinker. I drink hot chocolate year-round. People think it's strange to drink hot chocolate in the summer. Other than the taste, I say it's no different than drinking coffee...they're both hot liquid drinks.

semaxwell1

Pick up the Jamba Juice on the way to work.  In fact, so well known there I can call as I hit the offramp and they will have the juice ready when I get there!!!!  That is what I call service ! ! !

First I sign on my computer and then I get a cup of water and a cup coffee or tea. I look at my e-mails as I am drinking my coffee or tea and then I start the rest of my day.

Jambu Juice!  Sooo Good in the morning  mmm now I have to go get a Razamatazz!

And what exactly is that?  Sounds dangerous!

Diamondlady
Peer Moderator

Jamba Juice, fruit mixed with juices and ice and all blended together!  The Razzamatzz has  raspberry juice blend, orange sherbet, frozen strawberries, frozen bananas, ice.   I usually get an engery boost but not sure that works.

Turn on the computer, make a large Chai tea, nurse that half the morning, then have one or two diet Cokes, then I've been TRYING to drink water instead of another 2-3 diet Cokes the rest of the day.


DonnaP99

Coffee, coffee, coffee!  And nothing else.  Well, sometimes my tummy insists that I consume food of some sort.  

RR

What is no-sugar squash?

This morning we are having warm mince pies with cream - yum yum!

G

I couldn't possibly function properly without having a  cup of tea first.  If I arrive at work and there is no milk or tea bags - I'm on STRIKE!

Pepsi - got to have one to start the day! Everyone knows it in the office.

Shellie, may I say WELCOME!  It's great to "see" a new face around the boards.  Here's hoping that these aren't your first and last posts.  We always love to have other posters, with other views and opinions, to help us in our discussions and decisions.

A warm DeskDemon Welcome!


CountriGal
Peer Moderator

Yes indeed!  A warm welcome to DeskDemon.  Very nice to have you posting and looking forward to seeing you post in our other forums!

Welcome to the boards!

Diamondlady
Peer Moderator

I arrive at work basically as soon as I get out of bed in the morning (because I work at home). The first thing I do is make a pot of tea, being English of course.

Edited by jackie on 10/04/06 07:47 PM.

I trawled through the archives looking for this post again.  

I still have breakfast before I leave the house, come into work, logon and read my emails.

However these are some of the things I have encountered that others do -

- hang up their coat (fair enough)
- go to the water fountain
- chat
- go to the ladies (if you are one) and put on your face
(bearing in mind some people have still not logged on at this stage)
- still chatting
- still in ladies
- oh logged on now
- head to canteen for breakfast (....say what?)
- chat again
- more water
- finally read emails and do some work

I have come in this morning, logged on, read emails and started to work, while my colleague has come in, gone to the ladies, is still there, and I'm taking 5 mins as I'm up to date with work.

PS.  For info, my face is on before I leave the house.

Do the rest of you have some routine where you don't start work immediately you get to work?  We have to clock in so surely that is abuse of company time?!

My routine is:

Arrive at work properly dressed for business with face fully on (never leave house without being well-groomed and face on)
Say hello to Bossie as Bossie is usually in before me.  Ask Bossie how it is, how its meeting was the day before etc etc
Switch on computer, printer etc, and log on (this little baby takes time to power up)
Change into office shoes (I wear walking shoes to and from work and heels in office)
Hang up coat
Put lunch in fridge
Make cup of tea and get a glass for water at my desk (no water fountain)
Record daily message for telephone voicemail
All the above takes no more than give minutes and by this time the computer is up and running
Check emails and reply to as many as possible promptly
Check phone messages and reply to those promptly
Check daily diary and work schedule and add tasks  if needed
Discuss any updates with Bossie (Bossie is very close by in next office so we talk through open door).  Add those to task list
Get going on long pieces of work - whatever Bossie has asked me to do, correspondence, my various projects etc etc


Winter Rose

Laugh long, sing loud and dance when you get the chance

Good - another tight ship.

I have seriously watched others, clock in, get halfway to their desk, only to stand and chat for at least 10-15 mins.

Or the other way round.  Leave to go home, get half way to the clocking machine, chat again for 10-15 mins (or longer) and clock out after me!

I think I must have attended the wrong induction programme or maybe I missed the "how to dodge the system" session!  

Following on from turning up for work and then putting make-up on.......  

My husband, who sometimes travels into London by train, says he often sees women putting their make-up on whilst on the train!  

If it were me, I'd have to get up half hour earlier and make sure I was ready before I left home.

I get up early enough to do all those things.  Like Rose, I could never go out to work without being fully dressed or makeup on.  

Well, I make my coffee before I leave home and bring it along in a thermal mug.  I loves my coffee, but most places make it too strong for my liking.  Normally, I eat breakfast at home -- a bowl of cereal (shredded wheat or hot oatmeal) and a little protein (a hard boiled egg or a chunk of cheddar cheese or a spoon of peanut butter -- keeps me from crashing later).  If I'm running late, I keep a box of either cereal bars or granola bars in my desk for a quick breakfast at my desk.

I usually get to work and check email and voicemail, respond to anything urgent, and then get started on the "to do" list that I updated the night before.  (I loves my Outlook Tasks feature, too!  Don't know how I lived without it!)

I really do need to make more of an effort to drink water as I'm working.  I tend to get "into" what I'm doing and don't come up for air enough.  

Ok, I swipe in on the time clock and put myself 'In' on the In/Out Board.  I switch on my pc and while it's warming up I put the sticky 'Today' thing on my calendar to the right day and call up my voicemail to change my voice message.

I log into my PC and open up my email and check what's there.  Depending on the day I may also check boss's email if he's not due in till later, or if we're expecting something, as I'm usually in before him.

Then I trot off to the kitchen with my mug which needs washed from the day before usually, to make a cup of tea and it's back to my desk and head down until I decide I need something else - that's either another cuppa or some water and often not until way after 12!  I don't stick to the 11 am and 3 pm tea break that the rest do but take a break as and when I need one, apart from a half hour for lunch.

I may stop on the way back to my office if I am waylaid by another member of staff or, more likely, a member of the management team to check on something.  This can mean that my tea's drunk by the time I get to my office which also means I don't eat a biscuit with it!!

Jackie, Peer Moderator

Me, I arrive at work, walking through the office collecting the morning filing, and go to my desk.  As my computer is turning on I fill my thermos with strong black sweet coffe and my mug with cereal for breakfast. I then log on and do any email responses before sitting down to sort and file the pile on my desk, unless there are urgent digis (which i do there and then).  By that time I have effectively done two hours of work in one hour compared to some of my colleagues who start work half an hour before I do each morning.

Mind you, I also do filing throughout the day too, as well as cover any and most of the others when they are not at work too (except their filing - I have only 1 pair of hands and 7.5hrs to do it, especially if I treat myself to a lunch break!)

I'm afraid I am one of these people who arrive at work, have my breakfast and put my make up on but then I do arrive more than half an hour before I am due to start.   With a commute of one and a half hours I'm not ready for breakfast at 6.30am before I leave and I certainly wouldn't put my make up on during the journey.  That said, I don't usually get peace to enjoy it!

caroleanne

Have make up on and ready to start the day when I arrive.  Usually arrive 15 - 30 min. before start time.  I bring my own coffee in an "adult sippy cup" so I am ready to start the day.  Fire up the laptop, greet bossy and inquire if he would like coffee or bottled water to start they.  Bring bossy his coffee and comment on any of the days upcoming activities.  Check e-mails, review his briefly, to get a feel for the day and break out my to do llist.  Hit the door running and don't stop until 5PM or after.

Unlock the lap top, set up, click on email then go get oatmeal or yogurt and water.  After full cup of water, 8oz diet coke (mini cans here).  Trying to cut back on the caffiene.  Dive into the rest of the day.

I would never leave the house without full warpaint i.e. make-up!  Good lord, that would scare the horses!!  And I always have breakfast – tea & toast – to set me up for the day.  I have worked at places where people would eat breakfast once they arrived (cereal, using the milk that’s meant for tea / coffee and couldn’t care less if it meant no milk by mid-day because they didn’t have hot drinks).

So, my start-time is 9.30 but generally in before that:

• Switch on PC and check emails and voicemails;
• Check the diary to see what the boss is up to for the day (although I also do that the afternoon before to make sure she has papers etc for any early morning meetings;
• Get my already-made-up bottle of squash (cold water and fruit cordial for those who don’t know what squash is) out of the fridge and large glass poured – this way I try and drink at least a litre of water a day but quite often that large glass is only half done by the end of the day;
• Get on with whatever needs doing;
• Put coffee on about 10.30;
• Carry on with stuff.

My office is at the end of a corridor with no through traffic so I don’t get caught for chats etc unless someone comes to my office on purpose.

I'm always amused by people who say they have too much to do but always have time for several 20-minute natters during the day ...

My routine is tried-and-tested but not inflexible.  My life is like a military operation. I sometimes feel I could do better than many an army General.  I have four children and a husband to organise.  Then there's the house and garden including vegetables and fruit, and what is fast resembling a zoo of animals, large and small.  My husband travels from time to time for business and the children have a complicated schedule: school, extra lessons in academic subjects, ballet, cubs and scouts, brownies and guides, church things, sports, music lessons. The only way I retain my sanity, and haven't murdered my family, is by having a well-kept diary.  If it isn't in the diary it doesn't get done!

I come to work to recover. LOL.  

Winter Rose

Laugh long, sing loud and dance when you get the chance