Meet Adrianne. My 5 1/2 year younger sister.

Girlfriend knows how to party.

Hard.

All in a day's work, here in Washington DC.

minty moments

Shoes You This Day: Spring Catch Up

Here I'd like to document 3 glorious days:
One of the last days on the boat.
The George Washington University Invitational at Washington Harbor. Go Colonials!
French Market at Georgetown.

Life can't get much better can it?

1. 

Today I read a person's name and it was John K. John.

I just don't get it because he's a man and his parents must have named him that.

2. 

The tradition of saying "Bless you," after someone sneezes freaks me out. I was not raised to say that. So I don't and I feel like a jerk when I don't say it. I also do not like talking to people when I don't have to so I'd prefer to skip that interaction. People out here say it like crazy and it is just weird. I don't think Mormons say it that much. I sneezed in church the other day and no one said it. What are your thoughts on the tradition? My family certainly does not say it. Am I wrong that Mormons typically don't say any form of "bless you?"

3. 

I read quite a few blogs everyday and most of them inspire my creative mind. I think my favorite is coco+kelley and Note to Self. I love their use of stylish photographs to convey a thought and how they photoshop quotes or blog titles on them. They have inspired this blog for sure. These ladies and a group of other professional bloggers are doing a series called "Things I'm Afraid to Tell You." And I have to say it is the most refreshing bit of blog reading I've done in quite a while. These ladies teamed up to show their readers their real selves. They acknowledge that because they are lifestyle, fashion, design, etc. bloggers, they mostly blog about beautiful things and all the amazing things they do. I do the same. But to connect more with their readers they wanted to talk about some of their biggest weaknesses and just let us see their girl-next-door side. I loved it. You might enjoy reading some of their entries too. I might even do something similar here, but I think it's scarier to do it for people who know you well than for strangers.

4.

I've realized that when I say I'm going to catch up on certain blog entries, it is never going to happen. MOVING ON!

Work Drama (watch out: I'm channeling Blair Waldorf)

I'm experiencing the strangest thing at work right now. I kind of want to vent about it and get some advice from any of you who have some to offer.

Here's the situation:
In our office we employ 4 undergrad students as office assistants. I am their direct supervisor. One particular student has been consistently inconsistent in his attendance, work output, communication, and promptness. He calls in sick several times a month, is often late, is the only student who consistently asks to take breaks, gets his schedule confused, is on facebook the whole time, rarely responds to emails, etc. The list goes on and on. Months ago I gave him a written warning about not following protocol, which said the next time he needs reprimanding he will be terminated. Other annoying things have happened since then (like showing up an hour late because he spent the weekend in Chicago and forgot to change his cell phone clock back to EST). I've called him out on these things just to let him know that I'm noticing and that it is not ok, but I didn't take action to terminate him.

Here is the latest drama:
Monday of last week (April 23) I got a text from him at 6:40 am that said, "Hey Maggie hope I'm not waking you up. I started feeling weird on Friday of last week and I have started to feel progressively worse. I woke up today and I had coughed up blood at night. I need to go get checked out to make sure that my pneumonia is not back. Would it be OK to do that? There is an opening at 10:30 and I could get some x-rays done. Sorry about the inconvenience. Hope to here from you soon."

My sisters were in town and I had a vacation day scheduled, so I replied, "I am out of the office today. Please contact Mary (my supervisor) about being sick."

Didn't hear back from him and neither did Mary. She went the whole day wondering why he wasn't in. Later she got an email from him saying that at the doctor's he accidentally dropped his cell phone in the toilet so he couldn't use it anymore. That's the worst excuse I've ever heard, considering the kid is connected up to his ears in iPads, computers,etc.

We haven't heard from him since. He was right in the middle of a major project for a professor and he hasn't responded to any of our emails about the project. He hasn't responded to my emails requesting an update on his health and reminding him to follow sick day protocol.

Needless to say he will be terminated. But I want him to come back in and finish the project and I want to have a SERIOUS conversation with him about work ethic and expectations. This is George Washington University School of Business, not McDonalds. I'm so furious about this situation because of his deliberate lack of respect to me as a work supervisor. I have been kind and fair as a supervisor. The week before he got "sick" we gave him and the other students finals survival kits with lots of goodies and study supplies.

So what should I do? Brush off my personal feelings about the situation? What if he just never comes in again? I keep thinking, "What would Blair Waldorf do?" Which would probably result in ruining his life forever.