Trader Joe’s Dark Chocolate Espresso Beans.
Chocolate, DARK chocolate. And caffeine. Just about says it all.
I can always give up caffeine again in February. . .
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Laura Egley Taylor
Then a miracle occurs . . .
today’s very important production aid
January 25th, 2010Tags: caffeine, chocolate, espresso beans
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when the going gets tough, the tough . . .
January 24th, 2010. .. sometimes, occasionally, in search of a surge of focus, might possibly try some off-brand so-called “energy” drink because the name sounds like what the tough might need.
Possibly.
PS Take my word for it: you can skip this one. TERRIBLE. (Though the can sort of yells at you from the sidelines in a way that’s almost inspiring.)
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Tags: computer monitor, desk, energy drink, when the going gets tough
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finspiration
January 24th, 2010So many possible blog entries, so very little time this week . . . so, instead, I’m uploading an inspirational image I keep taped to my computer monitor, a postcard I received a couple of years ago from illustrator Tim Foley.
A belated thanks for the lift, Mr. Foley . . .
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Tags: fish, inspiration, shark, tim foley
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in case you missed the memo
January 19th, 2010
Today is Popcorn Day.*
It is also, around these parts, a snow day.
Which makes it very, very difficult to focus on the tasks at hand (i.e. the March–April issue of the magazine, should, say, we might want to have one this year). Gulp.
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*This, according to Mel’s very entertaining calendar, which none of the rest of us in the office have seen and might doubt the existence of except that it makes work much more fun if we believe.
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Photos of the in-honor-of-the-occasion Especially Buttery Popcorn Mel brought in today. And a chair in our back yard this morning.
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lovely distraction
January 16th, 2010Yes, I’m here to work. On our March-April issue. Yes. BUT. I just came across an old postcard, mailed a couple of years ago, from illustrator Gwenda Kaczor, which led me to her website, which just provided some lovely, refreshing distraction from the tasks at hand.
Here’s a bit of a peek at her yummy portfolio.
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Deadline Pressure meets Hat Day
January 15th, 2010
Mel has this new calendar, see? And she told Melissa and me yesterday (which was Clean Your Desk Day, by the way) that today, January 15, is Hat Day. And we both forgot.
But, luckily, Melissa happened to have with her a multi-purpose scarf of versatility—which she was able to transform, impressively, with a flick of her wrist, into a sumptuous turban. And I had a pair of scissors and an old magazine from which I was able to fashion (ironic choice of words, considering the result) an almost-looks-beaded-if-you-squint-real-hard headband. And Mel was there, with her bona fide plaid cap, anchoring our Production Department Hat Day with haberdashery legitimacy.
No, of course, we don’t have time to be making and modeling hats. But we figure the endorphins from the laughter just might produce a surge in both creativity and productivity . . .
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Photo: Perhaps I should be a bit more reluctant to post this, but here’s a shot of the three of us on this very busy, very silly day.
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Tags: deadline, hat day, hats, melissa chianta, melyssa holik, turban
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when the going gets tough, the tough. . .
January 13th, 2010
shoot hoops.
Don’t know what possessed me to purchase an on-sale Nerf basketball goal at Walgreens as I was picking up some Walgreen’s Extra Strength Headache Relief (i.e. acetaminophen, aspirin, and . . . caffeine. Serious stuff, but it does take the edge off the migraine without making me walk into walls), but I did.
And, even though we are, indeed, in the midst of production madness (March–April issue), I brought the new toy to the office, assembled it, hooked it over the standing screen by my desk, and invited managing editor Melissa Chianta and ad prodution manager/staff photographer Melyssa Holik to join me in some therapeutic basketball.
Delightful hilarity ensued, since none of us have exactly kept up our basketball skills over the years. (I’m not sure MC ever had them, though Mel and I both did, actually, yes, play basketball in high school.) We got back into the groove surprisingly quickly, each of us making baskets in quick succession—at which point we stopped for the day, knowing it’s wise to quit while you’re lookin’ good on the court.
Now we just need uniforms . . .
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Tags: hoops, melissa chianta, melyssa holik, migraine, nerf basketball, when the going gets tough
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a three sitting in a chair
January 13th, 2010Another in the then-four-year-old (now 20!) Reeve’s Number Series: “A 3 sitting in a chair waiting for its friend Alex (It went to get some water from the stream. . .)”
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Tags: alex, child's view, drawing, number, reeve
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our very own baby catcher
January 12th, 2010
Champagne cake* in the conference room, folks!
We got word today that one of our own, Mothering staffer Micki Garcia, was accepted at Birthingway College of Midwifery in Portland, Oregon. She’ll be heading there in February—which both thrills and saddens us. We’ll miss her smart, funny, upbeat presence in the office but are, of course, excited for her (and happy to have somebody to stay with in
Portland!).
Micki, who recently graduated from Indiana University, has been working at Mothering since last May as our fulfillment manager. We’ll be sure to follow her progress—which should be easy, since her proud mom is Mothering‘s accounts manager, Shirl Ervin.
Best of luck, Micki!
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*The bakers at Whole Foods tell us it’s their favorite.
Photo of Micki by Melyssa Holik
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Tags: birthingway, micki garcia, midwifery school, portland OR
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postscript
January 11th, 2010
Status report on Mel’s computer: all is well. But only after a weekend visit from the superlative Tim Nagy, Mac Guy (d.b.a Precision Mac, here in Santa Fe), who shook his head at the flukey nature of the ailment, then reinstalled the system software and called the next morning to check on the patient.
One good thing to come out of the technical difficulties Friday: I found this handy “tiny troubleshooting guide” online, put together by CreativeTechs. Am sending it to all my Mac people.
Photo: Mel’s desk, her computer beaming away in the background.
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Tags: "tim nagy" "precision mac", computer, creativetechs, help, mac, macintosh, tiny troublemaking guide
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