Change seems to be the steady state here. Wow! Sometimes I feel like I am on a roller coaster, in a Zen sort of way. Maybe I just do not notice the peaceful days so much and then, as if walking on a beach, the tide comes in and washes away the sand under my feet. . .

But today I am in the ski resort, not at the beach. It’s calm now, after a windy day yesterday. I think we got 3.5 feet of snow in the past 2 days. It’s supposed to snow more today and perhaps some tomorrow. This may be more snow than I have ever seen here except the first time I came up to Kirkwood. I don’t know though–it says we are nearing 500″ this year, but I think I heard that, before ‘global warming’, KW used to get 700″. . .maybe I am totally wrong on that? Of course, that 500″ would likely be on the mountain tops; not here in the yard. Here, the snow in the yard is taller than me. The highway is closed for a 30-mile stretch.

There is some beautiful drifting due to winds. Sculptural. The deck has 2′ tall mushrooms on top of the BBQ grill and the lamp shades. It looks like a giant mushroom forest, as none are discrete objects–the snow just glides over it all in a big blanket shape. Wish I was a photographer.

Outside of my office downstairs, the peaks and valleys of snow as it swirled around have settled into what look like white sand dunes. Quite beautiful. I suspect the wind will return to rearrange it all.

The decks are full to brimming, and the front walk and lower porch outside my office are about 3′ deep. The snow is beginning again, but no wind yet, so the world is quite beautiful. . . It’s so weird that my views are blocked even outside my office, where the drift obstructs everything but the upper part of trees. . .

The stereo here does not work so the silence can be deafening, as I go through many thoughts, sifting, sorting. . . . luckily the house is quite nice. The whole world is moving out there off this mountain–I hear it is spring, elsewhere— but not here. Not much stirring going on–just lots of thinking.

I guess this kind of snowfall is not abnormal here. . . People don’t exclaim over it, but some are beginning to complain, wishing spring would arrive. . .

I feel the same abou tlife–ready for spring, tired of winter, tired of winds, longing for daffodils.

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I just want to thank all of you for your educational e-mails over the past year. I am so totally screwed up now and I have little chance of recovery. 

I no longer open a public bathroom door without using a paper towel.

I no longer get lemon slices put in my ice water because of the bacteria on the lemon peel.

I can’t use the remote in a hotel room because I don’t know what the last person was doing while flipping through the adult movie channels.

I have trouble shaking hands with someone who has been driving because the number one pastime while driving alone is picking ones nose (although cell phone usage may be taking the number one spot). 

I can’t touch any woman’s purse for fear she has placed it on the floor of a public bathroom.

I MUST SEND MY SPECIAL THANKS to whoever sent me the one about poop in the glue on envelopes because I now have to use a wet sponge with every envelope that needs sealing. ALSO, now I have to scrub the top of every can I open for the same reason. 

I no longer have any savings because I gave it to a sick girl (Penny Brown) who is about to die in the hospital for the1,387,258th time.

I no longer have any money at all but that will change once I receive the $15,000 that Bill Gates/Microsoft and AOL are sending me for participating in their special e-mail program.

I no longer worry about my soul because I have 363,214 angels looking out for me, and St. Theresa’s Novena has granted my every wish. 

I no longer eat KFC because their chickens are actually horrible mutant freaks with no eyes or feathers..   (really??)

I no longer use cancer-causing deodorants even though I smell like a water buffalo on a hot day.

Thanks to you I have learned that my prayers only get answered if I forward an e-mail to seven of my friends and make a wish within five minutes. 

And because of your concern I no longer drink Coca Cola because it can remove toilet stains. 

I no longer can buy gasoline without taking someone along to watch the car so a serial killer won’t crawl in my back seat when I’m pumping gas. 

I no longer drink Pepsi or Dr. Pepper since the people who make these products are atheists who refuse to put ‘Under God’ on their cans.

I no longer use Saran Wrap in the microwave because it causes cancer. 

AND THANKS FOR LETTING ME KNOW I can’t boil a cup of water in the microwave anymore because it will blow up in my face.. disfiguring me for life.

I no longer check the coin return on pay phones because I could be pricked with a needle infected with AIDS.

I no longer go to shopping malls because someone will drug me with a perfume sample and rob me.

I no longer receive packages from UPS or FedEx since they are actually Al Qaeda in disguise.

I no longer shop at Target since they are French and don’t support our American troops or the Salvation Army.

I no longer answer the phone because someone will ask me to dial a number for which I will get a phone bill with calls to Jamaica, Uganda, Singapore, and Uzbekistan … 

I no longer buy expensive cookies from Neiman Marcus since I now have their recipe.

THANKS TO YOU I can’t use anyone’s toilet but mine because a big brown African spider is lurking under the seat to cause me instant death when it bites my butt. 

AND THANKS TO YOUR GREAT ADVICE I can’t ever pick up $5.00 dropped in the parking lot because it probably was placed there by a sex molester waiting underneath my car to grab my leg.

I can no longer drive my car because I can’t buy gas from certain gas companies! 

I can’t do any gardening because I’m afraid I’ll get bitten by the brown recluse and my hand will fall off. 

And I now keep my toothbrush in the living room, because the water splashes over 6 ft. out of the commode. (this is true by the way)

If you don’t send this e-mail to at least 144,000 people in the next 70 minutes, a large dove with diarrhea will land on your head at 5:00 p.m. tomorrow afternoon, and the fleas from 12 camels will infest your back, causing you to grow a hairy hump. I know this will occur because it actually happened to a friend of my next door neighbors’ ex-mother-in-law’s second husband’s cousin’s beautician . .

Oh, and by the way….. a German scientist from Argentina , after a lengthy study, has discovered that people with insufficient brain activity read their e-mail with their hand on the mouse.. Don’t bother taking it off now, it’s too late.

Broward Health CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE:
This message and any included attachments are intended for the sole use of the individual or entity to which it is addressed. This message may contain information that is confidential and protected by federal and state law. If you are not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any disclosure, copying, or distribution of this message is strictly prohibited. If you received this message in error, please immediately notify the sender by reply e-mail and then delete the original message and its attachments without reading or saving the attachments in any manner. (This email has been scanned by the Broward Health email security system) Thank you.

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Abridged: Examiner  From The Career News, V 9, #33, Aug 17, 2009

DENVER, CO — In our changing economic landscape, many people find themselves unprepared to deal with locating a new job in a struggling economy. The unemployed will initially react to the loss of the job and the security it provided. It’s normal to experience feelings of grief. Next comes a transitional period where the displaced worker comes to terms with the anxiety caused by finding themselves unprepared to be in the job market and deciding their next move.

This transitional period is one of establishing goals and making career decisions. It’s also a stage in which many people get stuck. The longer you stay unemployed and lick your wounds, the harder it is move to forward. While it might make sense to look for a position similar to the one you just had in the industry you were just in, this isn’t your only option. After all, if your company is laying off, it’s likely that others in that industry are as well.

Maybe it’s time to re-invent yourself. This could be a great opportunity to take a look at why you were doing what you were doing. In most cases, you have changed, and your industry has changed too. Maybe this is an opportunity for you to re-career: to evaluate your abilities, interests and values that you have NOW and find a match within an industry or field that has a brighter economic outlook.

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Dr. Vinay Goyal is an MBBS,DRM,DNB (Intensivist and Thyroid specialist) having clinical experience of over 20 years. He has worked in institutions like Hinduja Hospital , Bombay Hospital , Saifee Hospital , Tata Memorial etc.. Presently, he is heading our Nuclear Medicine Department and Thyroid clinic at Riddhivinayak Cardiac and Critical Centre, Malad (W):
        
The only portals of entry are the nostrils and mouth/throat. In a global epidemic of this nature, it’s almost impossible to avoid coming into contact with H1N1 in spite of all precautions. Contact with H1N1 is not so much of a problem as proliferation is.
        
While you are still healthy and not showing any symptoms of H1N1 infection, in order to prevent proliferation, aggravation of symptoms and development of secondary infections, some very simple steps, not fully highlighted in most official communications, can be practiced (instead of focusing on how to stock N95 or Tamiflu):
        
 1. Frequent hand-washing (well highlighted in all official communications).
        
 2. “Hands-off-the-face” approach. Resist all temptations to touch any part of face (unless you want to eat, bathe or slap).
        
 3. *Gargle twice a day with warm salt water (use Listerine if you don’t trust salt). *H1N1 takes 2-3 days after initial infection in the throat/ nasal cavity to proliferate and show characteristic symptoms. Simple gargling prevents proliferation. In a way, gargling with salt water has the same effect on a healthy individual that Tamiflu has on an infected one. Don’t underestimate this simple, inexpensive and powerful preventative method.
        
4. Similar to 3 above, *clean your nostrils at least once every day with warm salt water. *Not everybody may be good at Jala Neti or Sutra Neti (very good Yoga asanas to clean nasal cavities), but *blowing the nose hard once a day and swabbing both nostrils with cotton buds dipped in warm salt water is very effective in bringing down viral population.*
        
5. *Boost your natural immunity with foods that are rich in Vitamin C (Amla and other citrus fruits). *If you have to supplement with Vitamin C tablets, make sure that it also has Zinc to boost absorption.
                  
6. *Drink as much of warm liquids (tea, coffee, etc) as you can. *Drinking warm liquids has the same effect as gargling, but in the reverse direction. They wash off proliferating viruses from the throat into the stomach where they cannot survive, proliferate or do any harm.
         

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If you are having trouble concentrating, as is common when going through sever change, try setting a goal.  For example, work 45 minutes, then take a 15 minute break, then work another 45 minutes, and so on.  Or, set a time frame for certain activities: “I will go to the gym at 6:30 each morning, at least 3 days per week” or “I will work on my writing at least 2 hours per day,” or “I will work on this project M-F from 10AM-2PM each day,” etc.  Make your goals realistic so as not to discourage yourself and make them appropriate to the project, and something that will assist in achieving your goals.

Another tip is to list, before going to bed, the three most important things to accompish the next day, and then do them.

Another example:

I used to have a large bulletin board in my office, and each project was a column, visually.  I would break down each project into sets of activities, and use a medium point magic marker to write on a 3X5″ file card for each activity set.  I would thumbtack them into columns, with the bottom file card the first activity set that had to be done.  Because the writing was in a medium-sized marker, I could see it across the room from my desk.

As I accomplished each activity set, I could remove the card, thus the lists (columns of cards) became shorter as I progressed through a project. 

I would set goals for myself as to how many cards I would want to remove each week or each day.

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More thoughts from Judy Peebels at www.TheJournalingJenius.com, with her permission:

Do you ever get overwhelmed with everything you have to do? 

Is your to-do list so long, that you don’t know what to do first?

 My coaching clients tell me that sometimes they are so overwhelmed they become paralyzed and incapable of even knowing where to start.

Create a mind-map

1. Take a blank sheet of paper and start in the middle.
2. Write a word that represents the core - maybe that word is just “stuff” or a particular project
3. Draw a line out from this word, following a flow of thoughts by adding branches to the new word, etc.  For instance, if you were planning an event, one branch might be the Venue and then branching out from that are al the aspects relating to the venue - room, seating, flowers, etc.  Another branch might be Invitations, with branches for list of people, printer, # of RSVP’s, etc
4. It doesn’t have to look pretty and it only has to make sense to you.

 Mind mapping can give structure and organization through a visual representation rather than just a to-do list.

 Once you have created your mind map, pick one point and look for one small thing you can do right now.

 Often times, the quickest way out of overwhelm is to just get yourself in motion.

 For more information on mind mapping -http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mind_map

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You have a project to do or an idea for a new product, service or book.  The blank page can sometimes be daunting.

Storyboarding with Post-it® notes is fun and easy.  It helps with the creative process and can provide a way to organize ideas.  It’s less restrictive than making a list or an outline.  It can help define your “Elephant Bites” of a project or book.

In the 1930’s the Walt Disney Studio developed a methodology referred to as storyboarding.  For more info go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Storyboard,

 Unless you’re making a movie and need pictures, Post-it® notes work well for thoughts and ideas. 

 First, find a place for your storyboard.  You can use a wall or a large piece of paper.  Sketch paper or flipchart paper works really well for this.  Take a Post-it® pad and jot down ideas - one per note and stick them on the wall.  At this point the organization doesn’t matter.  You can do this brainstorm in one sitting or over time.  

Once you have all your ideas out, you can move the notes around and organize them.  If you are working on a big project, you could even use different colored notes for sections and sub-sections.

Then step back and figure out what action to take.  For instance, if you have used this process to outline chapters in a book, you could pick one chapter and create a storyboard just for that chapter.  Or if you are ready, just start writing that chapter, then the next, and so on.

What if you don’t have a large piece of paper?  You can storyboarding anywhere–on the wall, closet door, journal pages, etc.  Sticking the notes in your journal means you can carry it with you and work on it anywhere, anytime you have a new idea.

 The above thoughts are from Judy Peebles, The Journaling Jenius^TM, www.TheJournalingJenius.com

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The following thoughts are shared by Judy Peebles, The Journaling Jenius^TM, www.TheJournalingJenius.com , so the products she refers to are her own, not mine!

Do you really need to do it?  Can someone else do it?

First, weigh the consequences - Ask yourself, “what’s the worst that will happen if this doesn’t get done?”  Sometimes we have things on our list out of “shoulds”, or guilt or someone else’s agenda.  Take these things off your list.

Second, make a list of people you know who would be willing to help you.  Sometimes we just don’t ask. Be sure to ask for help.  I did, and now my sister, Dianna, does all my product design work.  Even though she’s in Pennsylvania and I’m in California with today’s technology it really works.  She’s awesome, I really enjoy working with her, and together we’ve created some amazing products.

Third, if you aren’t yet able to hire people, or bribe family members or friends,   consider trading services.  This may not be your business service, maybe fixing a casserole for a busy mom who is willing to do your bookkeeping on a part time basis, or pick up your dry cleaning on her way to or from picking up her kids from school. 

 Get creative!!  Get More Done!!  And Have Fun!!

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