I haven't posted in quite a while, but wanted to check in to add my thoughts and prayers to those above.  I hope everyone is okay.

Supergirl

Well, I work in education, and we use--hold on to your keyboards--MACS.  The good thing about Macs is, no one bothers to create viruses for them.  This is good news for my office, because we don't really have any computer support.  

Supergirl

Another good one!  

SG

One month--Six months---One year----Wow!  

You are right that it is difficult to fill positions with good people in 2 weeks; in fact, in my experience it is impossible.  But I think that when giving notice you are a lame duck anyway--not blazing any new professional trails.  At least, I think that is some of the rationale behind 2 weeks.  It's not your responsibility to make sure the position is filled, just to give the employer a chance to make some plans.  How can you tell your next employer that it will be a year before you can start work?  Here in the US, they pressure you not to work out the 2 weeks even!  I always reply, "You would want me to give YOU 2 weeks, and I am honor bound to provide my current employer with the same courtesy."

SG

Incredibly Sexist?

"Do you have trouble concentrating when a handsome man is around?"  Puh-leeze!

"What do you do when the computers go down:  scream, run in circles, call the nearest man for help?"  Um, I usually fix them myself, or at least diagnose the problem before calling for outside help.

I am a Tortoise, by the way!

SG

I am amazed by the length of notice required by all these companies!  I am guessing you all are not in the US, because I have never heard of such a thing here.

My other half has been employed in the southeast and northeast in a professional and/or managerial capacity for 20 years, and has never needed to give more than the usual 2 weeks.  As for me, my employment has always been classified "at will;" neither I nor the employer has to give notice--but I give the 2 weeks, as that is professional courtesy.  

I'd be interested to hear more about the reasons for such long notice periods.

Supergirl

That's great!  I can't believe I'm the first person to comment on how funny this is!  Thanks for sharing.

Supergirl

I don't use the internet at work all that much either.  Occasionally I'll check something on an office supply store's site, but I order by fax (their website is clunky anyway).  Sometimes I use whitepages.com to avoid a costly call to directory assistance.  I really don't do much else with it at work.  At home is a different story:  I do ALL research, plus look up businesses, keep up with a couple of message boards (like DD!), read the news, etc.

Supergirl

People skills and attention to detail.  

SG

I can't believe your timing, Chris!  Yesterday (9/1) I came back to my desk after a meeting, looked up at the window, and saw a little bird stuck between the window panes!  There is an opening at my window, due to the rib extenders of the air conditioner being broken, but how he managed to crawl up between the inner and outer windows,  I can't imagine.

Naturally, I hollered for help.  (Well, he had a red patch on his head and one on his chest that I mistook for blood.  Apparently he was actually a finch.  Embarrassing, but I'm no country girl--or Countrigal, for that matter!)  Anyway a couple of the other women came and we removed the air conditioner, fussed with the windows, and lured the bird out.  Into my office, where he proceeded to fly around, until someone caught him carefully in a towel.  We took him outside and released him, and he flew around and up onto the roof of the school (which is an old farmhouse), where he sat peeking down at us.  Probably laughing.

At lunchtime, the whole faculty had a covered dish meal outside in the school garden, under a big tent.  We looked up, and in the tent roof were two BIG bee hives, buzzing with activity.  Ugh!  The bees didn't seem interested in us, but it was pretty distracting, at least for me!  I've had enough wildlife to last me for some time.

Supergirl

I was yelled at by a parent (they are my customers!) at the school last year, on the phone.  I won't go into detail, since I described the event thoroughly here at the time.  But in short, I did put up with his craziness, because it stemmed from concern about his child's safety.  (Well, actually I am giving him the benefit of the doubt--I suspect he was just plain abusive.)  If it had been about any other topic, I would have suggested he call back when calm, and hung up.  

SG

Thanks for the laugh this morning!

SG

Thanks for giving me a hearty laugh this morning, gee!  I work in a school that is the farthest thing from technologically advanced.  Some of them don't even have voicemail at the office.  They wouldn't check it if they had it, let alone email.  So I put their calls on paper and stick them in the bank of mailboxes outside my office.  I do agree that email would be much better, if everyone used it.

SG

I just ordered myself another phone message book, the sticky kind.  You just peel off the message slip and stick it to the person's mailbox.  Twice as expensive as the regular book, but worth it to me.  I spent a lot of time taping up messages, as they tend to blow around the office otherwise.

Supergirl

I just got one big mailing out the door on Friday, and I have to start a bigger one today for Wednesday's mail.  (It's back to school season, girls and boys!)  At the same time, all the supplies for fall are arriving and need to be sorted out.  In the past we had hired a temp to do this.  Last year I did it myself, but with my increased responsibilities this year, I didn't volunteer.  But my new bossie, although assigning the task to me again, also offered me some temp hours to spend.  She also came up with a streamlined plan to make the work a  little less on the hourly employees.  I suggested some modifications to her plan, which she accepted.  I'm not used to managing another person, but the temp worker is someone who works here in another capacity, so I know her and trust her work.  I think this will work out fine.  

SG