Alright, Who Put the Ass in Self Assessment???

I have to write my self-evaluation this week. It is one of the most-loathed tasks I am forced to do at work. Partly because I've never been particularly good at tooting my own horn(Self-deprecation doesn't translate well on paper.) but mainly because it seems a useless task that sucks up valuable time. I mean, c'mon! More time spent on fluffing up my achievements is less time I spend blogging for all of you!!

And anyway, at most workplaces it never seems it has any of true bearing on the eventual review given to me, or on the (minimal) raise I get.

Can someone tell me doing these darn things is just some sort of legal liability type of f&ckery that HR has to keep in my file?

Onward New York

Being a cosmetics buyer is not all fun and glamour. But so far on this market trip to NYC, it has been at the very least, Fun. A definite respite from the daily grind that occurs while stuck in the Office. One of the highlights today was meeting with this guy. I've been using his products for years and to actually sit in a room and discuss retail strategies with him, wow. Its sort of mind boggling..

He's one of those ADD geniuses at work. A wonderful spokesperson for his company and absolutely passionate about his business. While I discussed some details with the VP of sales, he kept saying, "is it ok if I interrupt for a second?". No Peter. You can't. Its only your name on all the product. "I'm making this up here, but..." No problem. Always happy to hear a genius at work. All in all, quite a character. Can't wait to make his business a success for us all.... Bonus baby.. bonus.

After two days of meetings, the pile of goodies to take home is building up. I convinced these people to just ship their generous samples to the office because I can't deal with 70lbs to lug to/from airport. Ladies, go check out the Quinc3 Body Butt3r. YUMMALICIOUS. I usually don't like to request anything specific from my vendors.. but I had to get my hands on this!

Today I have to say, my Product Whoriness served me well...
Onward....

Island Style

After 3 days of work here in Waikiki, I was truly looking forward to a weekend of rest and relaxation Island Style. I have a great team I work with; but 3 days and nights with my VP, new boss, old boss, and 2 others over the age of 50 is enough to make me start longing for frathouse keggers and tequila shots.

So I reserved a rental car and planned to hit Makapu'u Point and the North Shore. But gadzooks! Not 10 minutes after I put on my bathing suit this morning, the phone in my room rings. Its my VP. "Yada yada.. did you have plans for today?" I tell her I do. "Yada yada how about tomorrow? I'm sorry I have to ruin your day tomorrow. Blah blah. Yada urgent, yada yada Bernard Arnault."

So no weekend for me. By no means did I give up my North Shore drive today, but ugh, I'll have the project looming over my head. But like the R&R, I'm hoping to work on Sunday Island Style: poolside with a Mai Tai in hand. Dang... I'm so howlie, I don't even know I'm howlie......

GirlSMILE

It's a classic scenario.
Girl gets new responsibilities. Girl works hard to prove herself. Girl works a 60-hour week.
*sigh* Not complaining. I'm just flippin' dog tired. Home after 8pm every night and I've only made it to the gym once this week. I'm breaking out. Pimples? I might get that one special pimple once a month, but I don't get pimple(S)!

I'm now managing new cosmetic brands that deal with emerging trends such as wellness, science and technologiy, and LOHAS(Lifestyles of Health and Sustainibility). And it is indeed a LOT to take in. I'm anxious to learn and soak up everything I can. And yet, walking home in the misty rain tonight, I realized how ironic that I feel so stressed out and UNhealthy! ha! Made sure my dinner was healthy and light (rigatoni with broccoli and chicken sausage in a tomato sauce).

Hopefully I'll settle into a good rhythm and these long days will come to an end soon.
In the meantime, Girl got a $110 GoSMILE starter kit from her vendor and Girl is ready to get her teeth whitening on~!

Hazardous Work

I have issues with public bathrooms. Actually, I have issues with most bathrooms that are not my own. .... Unless there is an urgent bowel need, I will avoid dropping the kids off out in public at all costs. Not the ballpark bathroom, not the airport bathroom, not the restaurant bathroom, not the shopping mall bathroom, not even the office bathroom. When travelling, it even takes me a day or two to warm up to the hotel bathroom. Once, I missed a whole college lecture because I had to go 10 minutes into the lecture; but once in the bathroom, got stage fright and was stuck there for a good 40 minutes. Good times....

Well, now I have another anecdote to add to my already gem-filled vault.
Nature called last week near the end of the work day, and I decided to throw caution to the wind and do the deuce on company time. ... Slowgoing as there was a fair bit of traffic coming in and out of the ladies room (that gives me stage fright too). But just as I was being to relax, a nightmare came to life. The FREAKING FIRE ALARM goes off! And its not a drill. In fact, the incident was reported from the floor below mine. So, ok, all I need is a fireman to come rushing into the bathroom demanding my exit. All I could do was finish my business the best I could and go back to my desk and collect my things.

Unfortunately, by the time I emerged from the bathroom, just about everyone was gone. I walked down alone the 4 flights of stairs only to find a building engineer telling me I had to walk down.

"Walk down another 4 floors?"
"No! Walk DOWN."

OMGWTFBBQ!! I had to walk down 31 flights of stairs! And yes, although it is better than walking UP 31 flights of stairs, have you any idea how your legs would feel by floor 22? In 3 inch heels? No. I did not take off my shoes (they were Aerosoles.. ); at this point, I didn't even want to stop to readjust anything I was wearing or carrying. I just needed OUT. So with my handbag and gymbag in tow, I trudged on. 19.... 18...... 17....... By floor 12 I was feeling my quads shaking. With each step down, my legs felt like jello. Highly unpleasant.
Once I reached the ground floor, the doors were locked and signs instructed me down to the next floor. After a series of doors and drafty corridors I ventured out one last heavy door , wondering somehow if I had ended up in Oakland. But nope, just the receiving dock. I made it out alive, although in tears, still alive. And I didn't even have to use chewing gum and a bobby pin to blow myself out...

The moral of the story kids? A crapper at the office can be hazardous work!