Classic

I spent a sweaty morning helping at an event setting up to collect water bottles Saturday. It was a good workout for my arm. I hope they got enough empties for the art. My supervisor's daughter was there helping. She's going into 8th grade and is a real cutie.

David, my supe Jen, and Molly, Jen's daughter

  We set up the clear stream recyclers to put by each trash container. Molly and I taped the posters onto each lid. Did I mention it was hot?

After a nice nap, Paul and I decided to go to the Indianola Balloon Classic. I've seen Creston's Balloon Days many times, but never any other event. When we arrived in Indianola it was sprinkling, so we stopped on the town square for a beer and wings. By the time we were done, the rain had stopped.

Then we found a delightful winery right across from the balloon field and as we drove up the balloons were alighting. Sure, the wine was too sweet for this chardonnay drinker, but it was fun. We set up our chairs on the driveway and the wine was in a cheery looking ice bucket that the proprietor had purchased at a garage sale that day.

There's something about balloons...

It was a fun evening. My favorite balloon was the pirate parrot. Ahoy!

I was on a rant roll today

I think I was in touch with my inner Maxine. You know - that old bitchy lady in the cartoon? I was just feeling a bit put out with some things going on at work - and to quote an old movie - finally I became Mad as Hell and I wasn't going to take it anymore.

I love my job. Some of the people there are knuckleheads. I could be one of them! I saw another soup can in the trash can when I tossed my banana peel after lunch. Grrr. We're the DNR. Shouldn't people who work there be environmentally conscientious? The recycling bins are 3 steps from the trash.

I went back to my desk and emailed Communications for a copy of the poster containing recycling information for the building. Then I opened the Microsoft Publisher program and made a sign that said something like "Tree Huggers - recycling bins are that way. Rinse out soup cans and yogurt containers along with other recyclable stuff listed on and sign above (stuck the recycling poster on the wall above my sign) and help protect our environment". I taped both right above the trash can.

We'll see if the dummy can read. Who could work for DNR and not recycle? And another thing...


Henry Wallace

You have probably heard me complain about my workplace - the Wallace Building, named after former Secretary of Agriculture Henry Wallace born in Adair County, just north of our former home in Creston. Sorry Henry - your building sucks. It was built during an era (early 1970s) that in my opinion, few beautiful buildings were designed. On top of that, the rumor is they cheaped it up due to budget issues - no surprise there!

I put up with a lot. Then the paper towel dispenser in the restroom began mis-firing. You had to crank it about 15 times to get a sheet of the brown no ply paper big enough to somewhat dry your hands. The teeth on the Kimberly Clark machine were shot! There are also two hand dryers on the wall in the 5th floor women's room, but nobody uses them. One doesn't seem to work and the other is flakey. When I've tried to use it in the past it is slow to start and stops quickly.

About a month ago, after all of the women on my floor had struggled with the towel machine for weeks, I emailed the operations gal for DNR, Lisa to let her know "Kimberly" had lost her teeth. I also told her the dryer was a no go. Weeks went by. The custodian finally began placing the giant roll of towels on the counter with a note instructing us NOT to swipe it for coffee spills in the break area.

This week Lisa sent me a forwarded string of emails. It seems the operations guys had tested the dryer and it blows just fine. The director of that department said they would not replace a dryer just to replace it. Hmmm. Yes. That makes sense - but did they not notice that it was flaky?

I sent an email thanking them for checking into it - and suggested perhaps we've all gotten used to those vortex machines that blow really hard, so we're impatient. I went on to state that nobody uses the machine because of some reason...so even though it blows, it might as well be a wall ornament. Since nobody uses the dryer we'll continue to use many paper towels. So there - take that! (which I didn't say)

Today I in one of those moods.
If you're female...you know what I'm talking about!
I was ready to snap. The soggy giant roll of paper towels was getting to me. This was after I had dealt with the wayward soup can tosser. I was all set to stick another sign up in the restroom.
Bathroom Users Unite! Rebel against soggy towels and a crappy dryer! But a clearer head prevailed.

Instead of white towels insert worthless brown ones...

I forwarded the email string about the dryer to our bureau chief and explained the towel situation. I told him I was fuming.
Lo and behold a new towel dispenser was installed later this afternoon. Squeaky wheel!  

Pablo arrived home from a work trip to Madison, Wisconsin today. Odie and I are happy to see him. I am going to lunch tomorrow with my longtime pal Jane Flack Conn. Can't wait to hear how her daughter Morgan is doing - freshman at ISU.

I've been to the Windy City

I've been away on a business trip - to the Chicago - the Windy City. I attended a Residential Recycling Conference put on by the top publication in the garbage and recycling world Waste and Recycling News. This was the first time this particular event was held - attended by some 500 people.

I drove to Davenport and rode with the Scott County/Davenport people. It was nice of them to let me tag along. I wasn't looking forward to trying to find my way around Chicago, pay tolls and parking etc. Kathy, who drove is an old hat at tooling into the big city (the real one not just DM). She even has that deal that lets you cruise through tolls without stopping!

The conference was at the Hyatt Regency O'Hare Hotel. It is a pretty cool place! I love high quality hotels - and pretending to be rich - it even for just a couple nights. This hotel recently underwent an update and it was pretty modern - kinda European. I had a king size bed and I'm lovin' the new linen thing where they don't put an icky not washed quilt on it. I was a little disappointed by the towels though - not too thick. Perhaps that was a measure they're taking to reduce energy use from drying them. Still...

Okay back to the conference. There were the vendor booths - not really much this state public employee needs, but I was looking out for the needs of my peeps - out in the sticks. But I felt a little awkward - I'm still now one with my new role sometimes. The speakers were pretty good, though one pet peeve is that many didn't even introduce themselves. Hello - the folks in the back would like to know your name!

Sessions yesterday ran all the way until 5:30 PM! It was a LONG day. But after that, Kathy, Michelle (whose nametag said Michael but she didn't even notice), Tim and I went to Trader Joe's - a cool grocery store that is not quite a cool as Marczyk's but is bigger and sells similar types of stuff. I got jelly beans, corn salsa, and almond cookies.

Then we went to a local Italian joint and I had a nice glass of chardonnay, lasagna, and creme brule. Then we went back to the cool motel for one more drink (I didn't have one) and I retired to NOT watch the Cyclone woman cuz I couldn't find them on the fancy TV. I got my first headache in over a week, so the Topamax is working pretty well, cuz I have had all the ingredients for a headache several times - but I didn't get one. Until I finally did.

Now I've made the trek back safely to Joan's and I'm off to bed soon as I'm exhausted. I'm not used to being with people that much. I needs me down time!