Taking a big step can be scary.
I begin a new job tomorrow. Off on an (very) early morning flight to the big city. I cannot wait!
Leaving something you know, something you enjoy is hard. People wonder why you want to change. But these people understand. They know me. They matter.
Okay, here’s another favorite thing: The Xlerator.
I really like it.
A trip to the ladies’ room used to be non-eventful. Well, maybe it was or wasn’t…but, ahem, whatever. When it came to drying my hands, I always avoided the slow, boring hand dryer and went straight for the paper towels. Or the back of my pants.
My first Xlerator experience? I almost remember it to the day. The place? The USS Yorktown at Patriots Point. On a World War II-era Navy behemoth. A coworker came from the bathroom and exclaimed, “You have got to try the hand dryer in there!” Well, okay then. I did. Now when I see one I get giddy.
There’s competition. The Blade. But sticking my hands down into something? No thank you.
At about $400.00 a pop, I think how an Xlerator would nicely adorn our master bathroom wall…
Have a few minutes? Listen to an NPR interview with Denis Gagnon of Excel Hand Dryer, Inc.
A while back, the USCIS launched the Spanish language version of I-9 Central.
Employees and employers may access Form I-9 and Employment Eligibility Verification information and the updated Handbook for Employers: Instructions for Completing Form I-9 (M-274) en español. ¡Qué grande!
But, remember, only employers in Puerto Rico may use either the Spanish version or the English version of the Form I-9 for official purposes. The rest of us in the United States may use the Spanish version as a translation guide for Spanish-speaking employees, but must fill out and keep the English version for our records.
I thought I would share two articles I read recently in the New York Times.
The first is by Paul Theroux, a writer notorious for his travels. Someone who you would think has been everywhere. But, he hasn’t.
The second, a compilation of the top destinations to visit this year. (On a side note, kudos to the Times’s web team on an improved interface. Very nice.)
Maybe I am sharing these because I get to go somewhere this week. And, I am always excited when I get to travel. Giddy, giddy.
This is good news for many of PeopleMatter’s customers. Hiring in the hospitality and service industries never takes weekends off. Onboarding must go on!
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services announced last week that its National Customer Service Center is now open on Saturdays. This will be a big help to hiring managers responsible for completing the Form I-9 for a new employee. Questions…there are ALWAYS questions. And, this task is not to be taken lightly…I-9 compliance is at the forefront of all businesses these days, especially those that hire our frontline service workers.
Need more info? You may contact the USCIS national toll-free customer service line at 1-800-375-5283.
Happy hiring!
I like waking up early.
Now, I’m not talking about the get-up-in-the-middle-of-the-night-to-pee-and-not-going-back-to-sleep kind of waking up.
I mean, waking just before dawn. When things are still, as if nothing has happened yet.
It’s not a matter of self-discipline or an attempt to be better than anyone else. Rather, the introvert in me likes the alone time while the sun rises. I need it, to compose my thoughts and my day.
No wonder early morning software release deployments don’t annoy me. I say, “Let’s get up, brew some joe, and get this thing live!”
Late night? I zone out. I want to lose myself in a mind-numbing television sitcom or non-critical read and, of course, sleep. I never pulled an All-Nighter in college. Recalling my first career, hotel management, I sometimes had to cover the front desk during the dreaded night audit shift. 11:00 pm to 7:00 am. Yuck. I fought to stay awake past midnight, let alone balance the previous day’s books.
Our dogs also like the early morning. We walk our neighborhood before dawn. In their canine way, they ensure all is in-check, that everything smells the same, they take inventory of all squirrels, and ensure no new cats have moved in overnight.
Me? I relish the quiet, the sometimes fog (and foghorns), the end of dark, and the burgeoning light.
Nothing witty or inspiring today. Instead, a certain 5th grader needed my technical assistance for a last-minute, last week-of-school assignment about raccoons. Though, I must say, in his best Boy Scout manner, he did ask politely and thanked me several times for lending my experience. I must say “thank you, thank you” Microsoft for your wonderful Word document templates (I can’t believe I just said that).
What did I learn about raccoons? They live on average no more than three years in the wild and up to twenty in captivity. I did not know that.
My only encounter with a raccoon was several years ago. One night, I had taken our beloved Golden, Pawley, outside before bedtime. As I turned back to go up the steps into the house, there stood a raccoon in our garage, its eyes glowing. I swear we held a stare for five seconds. Then I remembered something about raccoons that have rabies often approach people instead of running away in fear. Well, I ran into the house in fear, dragging the poor dog along.
I am looking forward to a summer break from the school routine.
I’ll begin to worry about the middle school years in August. Sigh…
