Whale Done!

I borrowed the book "Whale Done!" by Ken Blanchard from a co-worker this past weekend. It's a quick read regarding "the power of positive relationships". It basically teaches you how to manage people and relationships based on how the trainers at Sea World manage their relationships with the killer whales. I enjoy reading on the subject of rewards in the workplace and evaluations. I have never agreed with most companies methods of evaluations. I'm always intrigued to read new ideas on the subject. The Sea World question: how do they teach the whales and get them to do what they want? Obviously they don't lecture the whales or hurt them if they don't follow instructions. The whales aren't just performing for the fish treats either or else they'd have to starve the whales before shows so the whales would be hungry enough to want to perform the tricks. So what do the trainers do?

An analogy used in the book is a toddler learning to walk. When a toddler stands up and takes a few steps, parents cheer, clap and smile. When the toddler falls down, the parents don't discipline him or her, they just wait for them to be successful again by standing up and the parents cheer again. It keeps the toddler focused on the positive...and you get better results. Interesting concept.

The other idea is regarding annual reviews where managers are forced to put their employees into categories of poor to above average performance. Somebody has to be a poor performer. The book points out that companies don't hire employees based on these categories - you hire winners or potentials winners. So if you don't hire people on a performance review curve, why grade them on one? In most companies I've worked in, there have been a few employees that just don't get it or are slacking off. But it's usually an exception and that person leaves the company anyhow. Forcing a few people to be put in the poor/low performer category just because you have to have a bell-curve is ridiculous. Many books I've read suggest categorizing people is ineffective, yet they don't offer other options.

And yes..."Whale Done" is a play on words of "Well Done".

Saki and Miss Kitty

I'm dog-sitting for Joan for the next few days. Miss Kitty has been at my side every minute. At night she sleeps on the floor right next to the bed. You'll notice in the picture that Saki (laying in the grass) has a bandage on her leg. Joan left me the materials to re-bandage it if it came off. The other choice was just to leave it unbandaged, but it looked pretty bad to me, so I redressed it this morning. It was a little difficult since she wouldn't stand up for me. If I were graded on my wound dressing skills - I'd definitely fail. I was surprised when I got home this evening that it hadn't fallen off yet.

Endoscopy

For work this week we were certifying the Gastroenterology clinic. When talking with the clinic we learned they were short a few faculty members and were having a difficult time finding gastroenterologists to hire. When I thought about it, I figured not too many med students would want to go into the field. It didn't sound like one of the most thrilling areas of the body to focus on. Later in the week, the clinic manager took us on a tour of the Endoscopy procedure area. We saw the room where they keep all the scopes and one of the RNs described each of them to us. I have to say, the technology that's been developed for the practice is amazing. Here's a pic of a scope. Each of the tubes inside the scope has a different purpose: camera, water, air, and something that can be used to take a biopsy. They also have ones with tiny ultrasound pieces on the end and cost about $50,000. It's amazing where technology has taken medicine. Some procedures that occur in the Endoscopy lab keep patients from having to get surgery.

Macy's in Denver

I went to the mall and walked through Foley's. I was excited to see the buyout by Macy's was finally happening. They got one of my favorite brands, International Concepts (INC) a couple of weeks ago.

Small Group

** Happy 28th Birthday to Billy and Matt **

I went to the bible study small group tonight that I've missed out on the past couple of months. I really enjoyed it back in May but got very distracted by school this summer. It's nice how easy it is to show up, and it doesn't matter that you don't know anyone, they are just welcoming. After the study, a group of us went to Wash Park Grill to grab a drink. The one girl actually works at the same hospital I do; she's applying to medschool right now. The other two guys I hadn't met before. Same story as last night, it was fun to hang out with a different group of people.

Dinner with the 20 somethings

I found an internet site, Denver Linkup, for events a couple of months ago. The events were always planned on nights when I had class. But tonight I was able to make the 20 something girls night out. We had dinner at Il Fornaio, the same place I went for my birthday. It was a good group of 10 of us. It's always fun to get together with a group from a variety of backgrounds. The most entertaining was the girl who is having a birthday next week. She was speaking about how she wasn't going to do anything special. She didn't feel bad about not celebrating because she said she celebrates everyday. And her example of something special was having strawberries in her cereal. It's nice when you can be grateful and value the simple things.

On a side note, I happened to be reading through an old journal tonight and came across an entry from exactly 2 years ago where I wrote, "The Denver trip was good. I think I'm going to move there." It's interesting to me to reflect back on that decision and how it came to be.

At the time, I was also working through the book, "The Path" by Laurie Beth Jones. One of the exercises was to describe your dream job. I wrote:
1) Help people - I get extreme sense of satisfaction delivering completed work to people and it helps them in some way
2) Not always at a desk
3) Performing calculations / working with data
4) Being creative/fun, design something
5) 1-on-1 interactions
6) Feel like part of team
7) Being the expert or "go-to" person

Technically, my job has all of those qualities. I get to help people use the software, I'm not at a desk all the time but in clinics, I work with lots of data and information, I get to design processes and tools, I have many 1-on-1 meetings with clinic staff, I work with a team daily and I definitely am the "go-to" person for all the things I've designed or areas of the software I've specialized in. It amazes me that I did find my "dream" job. Of course now that I've met those 7 and have more work experience I could add several more to the list.

Off to GT

Megan and I had dinner with Sarah tonight at PF Chang's in Lodo. Sarah is heading off to Georgia Tech in about 2 weeks. She was a winner of the Colorado Club's scholarship. Megan and I had fun giving her tips of what to expect her freshman year. It was fun to reminisce about the college days. It's such a shame that you don't realize how good you have it until you're out in the real world.

Now so others that attended Tech can reminisce, here's a document that floated around campus for awhile. I think it originated during Greek Week, a parody of a popular graduation speech at the time:

Ladies and Gentleman, Get Out.
If I could offer you one piece of advice, one goal for the future, getting out would be it. The social, psychological, and physical benefits of leaving this place have been documented by employers, doctors, counselors, psychologists, therapists, nutritionists and personal trainers. I can't give you detailed advice about getting out, I can only advise you about making the best of your time here. I shall dispense that advice now.

Realize the overworked student's need for relaxation. Meet this need. Party long, party hard, party often. Learn the difference between a pilsner and a lager, regardless of whether or not you drink them. Tear down a goal post. Tear up hedges. Keep parts of both. Don't wait for the Stinger, but know that the arrival of the Stinger is as likely as an A in Emag. The real Stinger is that bus that just pulled away as you walked up. It will be by again tomorrow. Wear your RAT cap. When you say BUDWEISER, you've said it all.

Learn that Brittain Dining Hall only serves twenty different foods. Learn to love these twenty foods. And when that isn't possible, learn to mix them together to make new entrees. Discuss strategies for stealing the T, even if you don't really plan on doing it. Scream at midnight during finals week.

Try not to berate people who forward emails. But let them know you don't appreciate it. Let them know that the Cancer Society isn't going to donate 3 cents to anybody. Let them know Disney World isn't going to send anyone on a free trip. Let them know that you deleted the last chain letter and you weren't mauled by pigeons like it said you'd be.

Drop a class. Join SGA. If you figure out exactly what it is that SGA does, please tell me. Climb the coliseum. Climb to the top of the EE building. Climb the fence around the Aquatic Center. Read the syllabus....even if you promptly forget what was on it. Rush.

Learn that SAC fields gives one mother of a rug-burn. Do not read the Dean's List; it will only make you feel stupid. Switch to semesters. Change your major to Computer Science once, but leave before your social life disappears. Change your major to Management once, but leave before your intellect disappears.

Maybe you'll get parking, maybe you won't, maybe you'll get housing, maybe you won't, maybe your class will be taught by a good professor, maybe your class will be taught by STAFF. Whatever happens, know that the faculty is out to get you. Order Junior's French Toast Special after an all-nighter. Visit Athens. Count the ways that we're better than UGA.

Accept certain inalienable truths, you will spend long nights on CS1502, and the ratio will become a reality, and you'll never find the word that you need, but you'll move towards graduation anyway, and when you reach your final year, you'll fantasize that during your first years you aced 1502, you had to beat the women off with a stick, and there was always someone willing to share their word. Share you word.

Realize that you probably can't dance very well. But realize that most other people can't dance very well either, so, comparatively, you're doing okay.

But trust me about getting out.

New Furniture

My new furniture from Kasey arrived today. I bought a cover for the sofa until I can buy a new one. I also found a pillow that matches the rug perfectly. I will probably buy one more now that I know it matches. I am also going to buy a colored throw for over the couch. The curtains will probably be a light shade - similar to the walls.

Concert in the Park

I met up with Megan and Stephen for a CSO concert in Cheesman Park. Megan packed another one of her awesome picnics.

The CSO performed the following:
Dvorák - Overture Carnival
J. Strauss - Music of the Spheres
Handel - Royal Fireworks Suite
Brahms - Symphony No. 2 in D major

Pirates of the Caribbean

I took my final exam on Tuesday. After the exam, I treated myself to a movie and saw Pirates of the Caribbean. I hadn't read much about it, so I wasn't sure what to expect. It's amazing what they can do with special effects now. The only frustrating thing is that they basically wrote the 2nd movie as the first half of the third one. It leaves you wanting to see the third one right away.

Almost Finished

I'm almost finished with my Data Analysis class. I take the final exam and turn in my final project on Tuesday. We turned in an initial description of the final project last week. The trend on everything so far this summer has been 9.5/10 points. The professor never gives anyone 10 out of 10. Well this past week, our group was the only one to get 10/10. That's right! And since I pretty much wrote it, that made the semester for me. My advisor said the professor was retiring after this summer. I looked on-line, and he is always rated a C by students. His classes usually are rated a C also. That made me feel sorry for the guy. I couldn't imagine getting graded for what I do for a living and always being average. I don't think he can help it - he sort of just rambles on in class. I can't say I really enjoyed the class time, but the projects have been interesting.

It's funny to me what gives me a sense of accomplishment. Getting the 10/10 did it. At work the Senior Project Manager occasionally calls me or the things I do brilliant. I think most people would feel pretty good after hearing that, but it usually does nothing for me. I'd prefer that they hire more people they think are "brilliant", so then I would be challenged to be better and could be inspired by the people I work with. At a recent meeting it was generally implied that our team puts higher expectations on ourselves and no one else is complaining about the work we do, so we shouldn't expect so much out of ourselves. Can you imagine? I doubt that would be written up in any management books for inspiring a team to achieve.

I don't think I used to be this much of a perfectionist in the past. I can remember in high school I told Eileen I was finished studying for the biology test because I had memorized enough to get a good grade; Eileen stayed up an extra hour or two and memorized it all. I do believe that is why she is in med school and I'm not. It doesn't really apply for your doctor to have learned enough to almost save your life. So really, that makes Eileen the perfectionist and lets me off the hook! Thanks Nins.

Back to the ATL - July 4th Weekend

For the July 4th holiday, I flew back to Atlanta. Eileen was home for part of the weekend before heading off to Cincinnati. I was also very excited to see Winnie, Gracie and Aggie. Aggie kept running away from me when I tried to take her picture, so here are the twins.

On Saturday I saw Superman Returns. I wasn't sure what to expect, but thought it was a good movie. I then went to a Braves Game and out to Virginia Highlands.

On Sunday, I went to North Point. I visited the 3-yr old classroom I used to volunteer in. The same family is still volunteering there - I was amazed they could stick with it for so many years. I was very excited that Andy was speaking that week and my favorite NP singer was in the main auditorium. (While searching the net for a link for Andy's name I came across a blog of someone who had visited NP, and didn't think it was the place for him. Many people commited on the blog entry and one of them was supposedly Andy. Positive and negative comments regarding Andy and NP were posted, and I guess one blogger decided to form an Andy fan club. They even designed a button. It was just too funny, and I had to include it here. Brie/Nins - I hope you get a chuckle out of this.)

I went to White Water. I believe the last time I was there I was around 12. There's such a difference between going as a kid and an adult. You don't think about the fact that your feet hurt as a kid because you're too excited to be there. My favorite ride was one that didn't exist when I was a kid called Run-A-Way River. It's a tunnel most of the way and the longest ride in the park.

On Monday, I had lunch with my friend Sara at Atlantic Station. Atlanta Station was completed after I moved to Denver, so this weekend was my first time there. We ate at Boneheads. I would consider it a fast-casual restaurant (you stand in line to order, but they bring the food to you). I hadn't been to a restaurant yet that does the fast-casual thing with fish, but it was really good - a quick healthly meal. That night I had dinner with Brie and Brian at Twist at Phipps Plaza.

My mom made a cherry pie for July 4th - very festive.

Industrial Engineering 101

I conducted time studies today in the Dermatology clinic. Back to the old-fashioned Industrial Engineering roots. I haven't had to do time studies since following around lawn mowers at the Disney golf courses at 4 am. It would be convenient if I lived in Atlanta; I bet I could have convinced some GT professor to lend me some freshmen to do this for a class.

This time it just involved standing in a hallway for 5 hours. And what did I learn? If you go to the Derm clinic in the morning you'll spend half your time waiting to see the doctor and your appointment will take about an hour. If you come in the afternoon, you'll be out of there in 30 minutes. Oh, and some of the time when you're waiting your doctor is actually doing something for another patient, but sometimes they are checking the latest World Cup scores on the internet while you just sit and wait. I guess they deserve a break every now and then. I also learned they are going to have a tough time with their implementation since the attending has to see every patient with the resident. (Read Eileen's blog - maybe the wait isn't that bad, you could have a new resident who basically knows nothing.)

There was a highschool student observing in the Derm clinic as well as some med students seeing patients. They all reminded me of Eileen. The poor highschool student didn't know who she was supposed to shadow in the afternoon, and she kept getting left out in the hallway. I pointed her in the direction of the pediatric doc who did a much better job of including her.

Nacho Libre

I went to see Nacho Libre with my Aunt Ellen. It wasn't my first choice but she was in the mood to see something silly. And it definitely was silly. Jack Black is a spanish monk who wants to be a wrestler? Yeah. "Baby's Day Out" is still the #1 worst movie I've sat through in a theatre (long story short, there are only 2 screens in Brevard, NC and I was there all summer without TV).

Joan met up with us for dinner. Stupid movies are sometimes good to see just so you can make fun of how bad they are. At dinner, Ellen grabbed a handful of our appetizer nacho chips and crushed them in front of me with one hand...and that was funny. But you'd have to sit through the movie to understand.

Living Room

Please send me your opinion on this one...
I visited Kasey furniture today and picked out a couch, chair, tables and rug. I'm trying to decide if my choice is a good combo and worth the money. Here is the layout I believe I would use. And yes, I am that big of a dork that I made it in Excel, and it is to scale. The sofa is 96x42 (very big but comfy). I would have an oval coffee table and round table by the leather chair and ottoman. I chose a rug with a basic maroon/tan. The one in the picture below is from pottery barn; it was the closest pic I could find. The sofa would be covered in the dune diamond pattern. Two of the pillows will have a special fabric that's maroon/dune and the other two would match the couch. I'm afraid it might be too formal. I want nice things but still keeping in mind that this is an apartment. If anything I believe I will definitely get the chair/ottoman, tables and rug. Then get the fabric sample from the couch and shop around for a slightly smaller one that matches the color I chose.

Senior Ric's

We had a happy hour at Senior Ric's for Mike who's leaving our work team. They have self-serve chips and salsa. I didn't try any of the food, but the 2 for 1 drink special was good.

Hhhmmm

My professor reminded us today to check our spelling before we turned in our first homework assignment on Thursday. He also reminded us just running a spell check doesn't cut it. In the past he had students use the word "strait" instead of "straight". Seriously?

Judy's Party

On Friday at work we had a consultant from the vendor of the software I implement come do a training class. I sort of recognized her but thought this person was most likely from the vendor's headquarters in Chicago. It turns out the consultant was actually Judy. Ben brought me to a party at her house late last summer. Since then I had seen her on a couple of occasions. She's a very outgoing person, and I didn't quite recognize her in the business setting. Ironically, she was having one of her parties the next day. She always does a theme and this one Amaretto was marrying Jack Daniels. She goes all out and decorates her backyard complete with dance floor, etc. It was a good time; although I didn't go in costume because thankfully I don't have any ugly bridesmaid dresses hanging around.

Data Analysis for Managers

I had my second CU class tonight, and so far I'm not impressed. The class meets twice a week for 2.5 hrs each time. We're using the same software I used in undergrad - Minitab. I'm not going to judge the MBA program based on this class. I'm hoping future classes are more interactive. In this case it may seem slow because I've already taken classes in statistics, TQM, and process analysis. I suppose if I had been an English major this would all be new information to me. We'll see.

Avenue Grill

I had dinner with Megan tonight at Avenue Grill. I had filet mignon. We split a jack daniels chocolate bread pudding for dessert. It was excellent.