i miss me, too

sometimes i feel like i've lost a part of myself in iowa, but God gives me the opportunities to be reminded that super amischwab is still there.

today, i am really pissed off at my job, my supervisor in particular. like, i am physically angry.

this person doesn't realize who she's talking to.

i have every reason to be a snob. i am an accomplished and talented individual. it is true that i have very high standards, because i believe we as humans are capable of growth and progress. at the same time, i firmly believe that every person deserves to be treated with respect and dignity. i believe that living this out is not only a moral imperative, but that it is also a favorable practice in creating a harmonious society as well as building a successful business. in doing so, i have been able to cut deals with a range of individuals: rural african farmers to wall street hot shots.

this person needs to realize everyone she's talking to, with or without merit, deserves respect and dignity.

so when i am treated in a way that violates this code, i get really angry.

in the end, i will continue to make a difference wherever i go and whatever i do. this is what i will be remembered for. i will not be remembered for putting others down because of my mistakes or my insecurity.

we all have the opportunity to do this. so make sure to make friends with the mail guy, the people who bring the mail guy the mail, smile and say hello to the cleaners, greet the security guard when you come in every morning. it's not about reciprocity (though you could easily be "them"), it's about principle--we all add value to our society, to our organizations, to our communities--are we can all make a difference in a small way by recognizing that, even in the smallest way.

thank you. i am done now.

there are exceptions. i made the small change of rearranging the mail operations and got these responses via e-mail:

"I just have to say that I appreciate your assistance and your professional attitude. Keep up the good work!"

"I really appreciate all of the work that you do for us and I think you are very organized and everything goes a lot smoother than it did previously. SO...thanks for your hard work."

so take that stupid supervisor.

damn, i still need a real job, though. but it's going to come.

and that's what the real amischwab would say. he ain't gone.

another day

it is an overcast, dark morning here in the iowhat. Right now, it is drizzling, but blizzard conditions are expected later. Sweet!

I believe that most of my colleagues are scouring the supply cabinet to find blunt objects with which to end their own lives as they find this weather totally depressing. I, on the other hand, am surprisingly chipper. Perhaps this is due to growing up in a place where it was like this all the time. I told a coworker about my freshman year of college when we had 100 days straight without sun. Now that was a little much, but otherwise, you just drink a lot of coffee and light candles. These are the tools of survival in the Pacific Northwest. It is true, they are not as sexy as those with more extreme weather: snow blowers, plows, rock salt, gravel. Whoah, I am feeling a little woozy thinking about how amazing it must be to operate a snow blower. A snow blower is definitely better than a candle.

I just turned around and looked out the window. The Seattle weather is gone. It is now snowing. Someone told me they are closing the interstate at noon. The Apocalypse of winter, let us hope. It seems like no one is working but rather staring at sattelite images. Seriously, I just walked through the cubes and everyone was looking at the dopplar.

(Note to self: Pills, The Perishers—good song—how did it end up on my iPod? Anyone?)

In many respects, this is like living in a foreign country. The hardest part of living abroad are not the things you notice, but the things you do not notice, or perhaps more accurately, you do not notice and people do not notice that you do not notice. So here I am, a west side kid who has no f-ing clue what the deal with the weather is. like, do people go home early? will they tell me to go home? or will i pop my head out of the cube at noon and find myself totally alone in this huge building because they assumed i would know what to do?

people are starting to leave. the slush is beginning to turn into ice. wtf? i guess i gotta wait.

doppler picture

i see a lot of things in this doppler picture. there's a snake. there is what looks like a primitive map of the united states. there is an arm flexing with a fist. what else? gimme your best shot.