Those Millennials

About a month ago I was having a conversation with a friend and she posed the question, “What do I think about working with Millennials?” 

There are not too many questions that throw me for a loop, but that one did, and here is why. I am a millennial. Or at least by the broad ranges the Internet has on the different generations, I am mostly a millennial.   

Somehow, I don’t think her question was about what my thoughts were with working with my own generation.  That would be silly.  I think the core of her question was, “What do you think about working with a younger generation, whatever it is called?”

My diplomatic answer is that there are pros and cons with working with every generation. 

As with any generation, I think that the key to working with them is to be adaptable to the human factor.  I find that the older I get, there are a few things that hold true no matter the generation.

1. Respect - If you don’t respect others abilities, idea’s and time, you can’t expect them to do the same.
2. Motivation- People are motivated by different things, based off where they are in life. An age group does not define motivation. It defines likely common goals. Getting to know people will help you understand their motivation behind actions.  
3. Age is not a definition -An age group does not define a person. Grouping people into age groups and defining character traits is much like saying that everyone that is born under the Gemini zodiac has the same characteristics. While some of the aspects may be true, it does not hold true for all. 
4. Education- Successful people never quit learning.  There is always something to learn, that sparks interest. The method of learning may change with each generation, but the thirst to do better or learn something doesn’t change. 

What do you think?

Horse Feathers

I can’t tell if I should consider myself educated or just well read.  My husband procured a copy of Horse Feathers & Other Curious Words by Charles Earl Funk for me in San Diego, and it is making me laugh. 

Without a doubt they were loose with the “Other Curious Words”, since I don’t think that “Auburn” is a curious word; however the illustrations with the word make me smile and are a little reminiscent of Phantom Toll Booth, which was one of my favorite wordplay books in my younger years.

There are a couple of words that did make me scratch my head. 

 I think the conversation I had with Faye about the definition of huggermugger is more interesting than the word itself. 

Here is the definition:

Here is the conversation

Another amusing word is sesquipedalian. My goal is to work this word into my vocabulary in a grandiose manner this week at work.  

Albeit, my husband has perverse example to which that word could be used in, and I will not repeat it, but it did make me laugh. If it isn’t a hoagie it’s a hero. 

If you stumble upon this book in your travel, give it a gander.  It has amused me and is now a treasured member of my library. 

Hot Avocado

I suddenly understand how the people feel after a conversation with me when I have had too much tea.  This sudden understanding was brought to me by an conversation I just had with my father.

Dad:  I just got a dozen avocados from a friend, the heat wave had them drop. They are tasty.

Me: I like avocados, but I don’t like them warm.

Dad: Why would you do that to an avocado? 

Me: I don’t, but they make avocado egg rolls and they are terrible.

Dad: I think Del Taco puts it in their burrito.  

Me: That is not quite the same thing.  

Dad: It is a warm avocado.  Besides you are only eating it for the hot sauce.

Me: We don’t have Del Taco out here.

Dad: You are missing out on the taco sauce.  They give you like, eight packets at a time and you might only use four or five.  I think it would only take a month to save up the extra packets and I can send you a box.

Me: Please don’t.  That is crazy old man talk.

Dad: But it is good sauce, and you might like it if you try it.  Don’t you like hot sauce?

Me: ....Yes, I like hot sauce, but don’t collect Del Taco hot sauce packets and send them to me.

Dad: .....but....it won’t  take that long....

Unusual Advice Source

You can get advice from all sorts of places. Some people ask friends, family or even write their question down for a newspaper personality to answer.  About a month ago, I was with my mother in law and aunt in law at a John Edwards show and received some really good advice. 

For those that are not familiar with John Edwards, he used to be a television medium on the show Crossing Over.  (He speaks with the dead. Or maybe the dead speak with him. I am not 100% sure how this works. I am hoping it isn’t like 6th Sense sort of stuff.) If you were to look him up you would find a bunch of YouTube videos and a South Park episode dedicated to him.

I should probably clarify that this is not the usual source type I would go to for advice. My belief level is closer to Dana Scully than it is to Fox Murder on this. However, I digress.  As I sat there in the crowd of people, hoping that John Edwards focus would not rotate to my corner pocket of the room, I was to pick out some really good advice he was giving to the room full of grief stricken people.  

Here is the advice I was able to take home with me.

1. The best way to defuse a situation with another person on a difference of opinion is to acknowledge the situation and then walk away.  The best phrase to use is, “Oh, that’s interesting.” It acknowledges the opinion but doesn’t agree or disagree with the opinion, thus making the person feel listened to and taking the wind out of their sails. 
2. Just because you ask a question, does not mean you will get the answer you want. To solve any problem, you have to be open to all possible answers, even the answers you don’t want to hear. 
3. It is okay to give yourself time to grieve. Everyone does it in their own way, but the important part is to do it.  It isn’t just people, it can be a change in situation that can shock the senses, and sometimes a person just needs time to digest. Allow yourself to adjust to new situations and people. 

While I might not recommend a medium as a source to answer all of life’s questions, it is important to recognize that when you receive good advice, it doesn’t really matter the source.  I think the key is to be open to new ideas that challenge the current pattern of thinking.   What do you think?

Yoda Doesn't Go There!

Cup of Tea Can't Solve This

I was once told that conversing with me is like being on a slippery slope, you never know where the conversation might land.  I don't think it is just me.

A: I forgot to tell you, but we are doing that Wellness thing.

Me: We are?

A: Yep, I am going to sign you up.

Me: You will have to re send me the email, I most likely deleted it.

A: No problem, It will be fun. You are doing this!

Me: I possibly might agree to this.

A: Great! I told D that in the spring when it is over, I am going to get the tattoo.

Me: What tattoo?

A: The Star Wars quote one. D thinks I should add Yoda next to it, but I think you should get it instead.

Me: Uhhh...What?  No!  I am not getting my first tattoo as Yoda.

A: It will be fun. We rock the Wellness Challenge and to celebrate we get new tattoos.

Me: I am not agreeing to this plan.

A:  It is all a part of the plan.  You agreed.

Me: Nope. Nope! Nope!

A: Jon will like it.

Me: There is no way that I would be able to go home and say in sultry voice, "You want to find my Yoda?" To my husband, and him not look at me like I am off the rails.

A: Well, I might not put Yoda there, but Jon could be into it.

Me: Of all the things my husband is into, this is not one of them, Where exactly do you think I am talking about?

A: .....

Me: Not happening.

A: How do you know Jon won't like it, if you won't try it?

And this is where my head ends up in my hands and I start clicking my heels and saying there is no place like home.

Sticky Conversations

Conversations with my niece are the best.  She might not think so.

Hailey: What is your favorite flavor of taffy?

Me:  Uhh..... Strawberrry?

Hailey: Pumpkin Donut Taffy is mine.

Me: What?

Hailey: Puummmppkiiinn. Dooonnnuuutttt Taffy

Me: I have never heard of it.

Hailey: I'm eating it, right now.

Me: What is the donut part of the taffy?

Hailey: ...What?

Me: You know, the donut.  It is kind of like a cake but frosted or glazed and people eat them for breakfast.

Hailey: Aunt T, I am talking about Taffy!

Me: Me too.  I just want to know what the donut part of the taffy is.

Hailey: It is just pumpkin!

Me:  Then why is it called Pumpkin Donut if there is no donut in it?

Hailey: Because that is the flavor.

Me: I know what pumpkin tastes like, but there are so many types of donuts out there, so I want to know what the donut component of the taffy tastes like.

Hailey: You're weird.

Me: Sprinkles?  Do you think it tastes like sprinkles?

Hailey: Insert exasperated sigh, that only a ten year old can give with conversing with adults that just don't seem to get it.

Laffy Taffy Joke: What kind of shoes do mice wear?    Squeakers!

Baltimore Comic Con 2015

A comic con from a fans point a view. 

I love comic books. My husband loves comic books. My brother loves comic books and some of our friends love comic books. The rest of our friends just roll their eyes and chuckle at us.  My husband and I decided that we were going to go down to the Baltimore Comic Con with a group of friends. Prepping the night before, we pulled out all the comics and graphic novels that we thought would be really cool to have signed.  Then we debated on what we were going to wear. My husband had two new tee shirts that were contenders.  Should we go with Free Hugs with Leatherface or Welcome to Mordor. Welcome to Mordor for the win.

Then in the morning we double checked to make sure we didn’t forget anything while listening to Wordburgler rap about comics and drink coffee. The trip down to Baltimore was not that bad. I love looking at every one that dressed up. It is fun and there are all sorts of extremes in costumes. I thought I would join in the dressing up in a small scale and had a Black Widow dress and some knee high boots on. If I were to ever to dress up as Black Widow again, I would forgo the boots and wear something more sensible.  There is a price for cute boots and I am not entirely sure it was worth it. 

We barely go through the doors and make our way into the center to try and get out of the fray and I spot Jeremy Bastian at a table and there isn’t a line yet.  He wrote and illustrated Cursed Pirate Girl, which is one of most beautiful books I own. I could sit there and look at the art for hours. It is incredibly and intensely detailed. I had hoped to have my booked signed, but he did one better and drew a picture that you wouldn’t know wasn’t there originally and signed it. Inside I was squealing while I stood there in awe. 

Not to long after we wandered over to Justin Jordan’s table. Justin is a great guy and signed everything that was shoved in front of him while we chatted about cats. I don’t know if that makes him sound like a crazy cat man or me a crazy cat lady.  Maybe a little of both. Either way it was great to see him and I regret not bringing Tom Waits a cat toy. 

It takes a special sort of person to come up with God Hates Astronauts, and Ryan Browne completely blew me away. I could not stop laughing as he and my husband traded compliments with each other as he drew hats and signed almost a dozen issues and then drew a picture inside of a graphic novel.  It shouldn’t  have surprised me that he was a cool guy with a neato personality  considering the number of mind bending things that go on in his comic, but it did. I know it was one of the highlights of the entire convention for my husband.

My brother is a big fan of Ben Templesmith. I will be honest, I haven’t read a single thing by him yet, but I do have all of my brothers Wormwood issues, so that is an easy remedy. Trying to be the good sister, I brought some issues to be signed. Ben was a striking figure dapperly dressed in black and oozes dark comedy that had me trying to unsee the loincloth man walking around the convention. The unfiltered commentary left me chuckling. It was only hours later that I wished I could  have gotten my brain moving to get something commissioned while I was there and picked up his SquidGirls. I regret that my brain was on overload. 

In between getting issues signed there were boxes to go through and vendors to visit. There is something for everyone there. I wish I had more money or at least had the ability to be more whimsical financially, because if I had that ability I would buy at least one of those mystery boxes and then perhaps a game or two at some of the tables and have some stuff commissioned. Despite my non ability to be whimsical, I think we still did pretty good on adding to our growing comic collection. I am looking forward to next trying to attend next year and am completely thankful to the artists and creators that gave us the time of day.

Ducks and Aliens

I am pretty sure that birds of a feather flock together and this actual conversation via text certainly proves it. 


Me: What's up?

Faye:Nothing, I am just staring at a mallard that is outside the window

Me: Is the mallard staring back?

Faye: No, He's watching the cars drive past.

Me: That's good. It would be a little weird to be in a staring contest with a duck.

Faye: True

Me: It could be a weird obsession you have that I don't know about it. They might make supports groups for that. 

Faye: lol

Me: I have noticed that you haven't denied it. 

Faye:.....

Me: If you deny it now, I would only think that you are trying to cover up the truth. 

Faye: No, they just like me staring at them

Me: So you say you are enabling an obsession that the duck has? Sounds a little weak. Do you speak duck?

Faye: Ooooh! Goslings!

Me: How do you know it wants to be stared at?

Faye: Quack

Me: *quirks eyebrow*

Faye: I only stare in self defense

Me: If you stop staring the duck might attack, killing thousands?

Faye: Yes. I'm staring at the duck for the good of all mankind

Me: Sounds a little feather brained to me.

Faye: That's what they all say

Me: Who is they? Is this a duck conspiracy theory?

Faye: Shhhh! No one is supposed to know.

Me: Oh, Right. We don't want another incident with the men with white jackets again.

Faye: Correct. No more trips to the padded room

Me: Okay. Carry on. Save the world from the deadly duck invasion.

Faye: What do you think would be worse: alien or duck invasion?

Me: A Howard the Duck invasion would have both covered

Faye: Never seen Howard the Duck

Me: Well, that is a special movie in move, duck and space alien history.

Faye: Interesting...