good things

 There are things I'm good at, and one of them is handling kids.  Not in their homes particularly, but out in public?  I'm your gal.  I don't work directly with children but occasionally I do have contact, and it's always funny how people tell me I won't be able to get them to behave or get what I want - but I have yet to have anything but exactly what I want to happen when I step in.  

I don't know what this is that works so well but it always leaves me marveling.  Why it is?  Because I taught 8th grade for a decade.  How their minds work, it is fascinating to me.  So I really listen, maybe that's what it is.  I answer their questions, no matter how far afield.  They get curious because I treat them with respect and hear them.  Take them for who they are, see them as people. 

It's so much fun for me, so invigorating.  

I'm sure if I did it all the time I'd be exhausted and have less than a perfect record, but I like this occasional time.  

I biked to work today, another reason I'm feeling cool.  Just baked sweet potatoes to make pie tomorrow, yet another cool reason.  It'll be low sugar, but I'm not going all the way with trying date paste.  I'll do that for me sometime. A coworker and I chatted today, and I like how we do this.  She was on my team when I first started and we clashed badly.  She is difficult and I want things done a certain way, so it was not great.  She was reassigned, and I actively worked to build a relationship with her, and also to show her another way.  She has freely admitted that she assumes the worst of people and is very negative, so I show her a different way.  I also have reports that she likes to gossip and sow dissent, so I have my work cut out for me. 

Though to be fair, I was feeling pretty negative about an office meeting today - I saw the agenda and thought it was targeting me for correction, but it wasn't.  These were actually confirmations that I have been doing things correctly, some apologies from management for miscommunications when I've demanded clarity. 

But usually, I don't assume the worst.  And so I show that to my coworker, and I think she actually believes me now.  We have enjoyable conversations, not so forced as in the beginning.  

I still don't want to work with her full-time, but we're happy to help each other out as necessary.  This is much nicer than discord.  She said she's never had a sweet potato pie, so I'm probably going to make one for her someday.  That's much nicer than complaining about each other, isn't it?

The very exciting thing today is a 12 oz Zojirushi thermos mug that I will use for green tea.  Every mug I could find was like 30+ ounces and who needs that.  I have often wanted to have a mug of green tea to take with me to work or meetings, and I only want a normal size cup not a gallon, so now there is no stopping me.  Definitely a treat myself thing that I've talked myself out of for ages, but I really wanted it so I bought it.