My choice of footwear

Yesterday when I got dressed for work I knew they were forecasting triple digit heat and 40 mph winds. Capris and my bling flip-flops seemed rather appropriate since I would be spending my day in the office. Or so I thought.

Later in the day my office phone rang. It was my mother and from the sound of her voice I knew something was wrong. There was a grass fire by their house, and she was headed home to check it out. I packed my computer up and headed her way since she had my son. On my way, I called my sister who lived just north (between 1/4 and 1/2 mile) of the fire. She was frantically loading horses and trying to get things lined out at her place. I checked on Shaun and went to my sister’s. We loaded her mare and her 4 month old filly (she’d already had 6 other horses loaded) and pulled the pickup and trailer into the drive so a quick escape could be made if needed. After setting out some sprinklers around the house we got a game plan “just in case” we needed to get the other three horses off the place.

For a couple of hours we switched from cooling off in the house to standing on her front porch watching the firemen work. There was one particular spot they couldn’t get to and douse the flames, and had to just let it burn. That was pretty unsettling sitting in her dining room and looking out the window to the south and seeing smoke and blackened earth.

I’m nearly positive everyone who lived around this grass fire is truly grateful for the Ford County Fire Department and several rural fire departments that responded. I about took them some water, but would have had to run to town to get some to do so. The Red Cross beat me too it, and from some of the looks of the firemen out there, they needed some shade, water and rest. The 100 degree temps and 40 mph winds sucked the life out of them.

After a couple of hours the firemen slowly started to head back to town and all the excitement was gone. My sister was still on alert, afraid the flames might come back since the wind was still howling. She unloaded the mare and filly and tied the rest to the trailer just in case she would have to load them again in a couple of hours. I texted her at nearly 10 p.m., and she couldn’t see any flames.

The wind today has been much better, but yesterday’s excitement will not soon be forgotten. I am contemplating putting an old pair of shoes and a pair of jeans in my pickup just in case I choose poorly when I get dressed in the mornings. It couldn’t hurt. How much help can one be in flip-flops in case of an emergency like this?

Standing next to my sister’s house looking south at the grass fire. My dang iPhone just couldn’t do it justice.

This was the view from my parent’s front door.

It’s amazing

**WARNING:** This is a vent of sorts, and not meant to hurt feelings. I have to get some of this off my chest before my poor brain explodes..

When you work in an office setting, it’s amazing the things that grow to annoy you. On any given day the clicking of mouse buttons or the pounding on a keyboard could send you over the edge. Other days it’s the smell radiating from the microwave in the break room.

People will be people, and many have habits they unknowingly do that annoy the holy living **** out of their work neighbors. I’m positive I do things that annoy my coworkers. I know I do.

I’ve decided there are four kinds of coworkers – the muncher, the clunker, the annoyer and the storyteller.

The Muncher. This person often grazes all day, every day. You can hear crunching, chewing and the occasional slurping coming from their direction. Often times they eat their meals at their desk. I can be included in this category pretty easily. I practically run out the door in the morning, carrying my breakfast. I often eat lunch at my desk simply because I live 15 minutes from work, and driving home makes no sense. I’d eat in my truck, but that just makes everything messy in there. But if I’m sitting there eating, engrossed in a website or magazine, don’t expect me to talk. I want to eat in peace. Please and thank you.

The Clunker. This person is a fashionista. They make an effort to look put together for the work day, and I give them credit for taking the time to look nice and accessorize. However, when you can feel the floor vibrate and hear the heel clunking against the floor before you see this person it’s bound to leave a lasting impression – and it’s not a good one in case you are wondering. Surely there’s a quieter way to walk in heels or noisy shoes for that matter? I’ve never worn heels so I don’t have a clue.

The Annoyer. This person has varying degrees of annoyance. Could be as simple as saying hi to everyone who walks past their desk. Every. Single. Time. It could be the person who posts every stinking thing they run across on Facebook and then has to ask if you saw it. It could be the person who has a cackle for a laugh. Or it could be the one who prints off every single thing and stores it on their desk. It could be the one who throws out the compliments. Every. Single. Time. It could be the one who never answers emails, answers the phone or does their job.

The Storyteller. This person has a story for every subject. They’ve done this, done that, and even brought the t-shirt to work to show it. The brave one who has a nice story to tell, may never get their 10 seconds because the storyteller is monopolizing the time. Now, I tend to be a storyteller every so often. Something funny, awkward, weird or strange may have happened at my house and I don’t have anyone to share it with besides the captive audience around me. Sometimes things are too good not to share. But there’s a time and a place.

Now, I do enjoy my place of employment, don’t get me wrong. It’s the habits that drive me up the wall. I’ve got to find a way to not let the little things consume me and make my attitude plunge. (If you have suggestions or ideas please share!) In the meantime don’t mind me as I sit over here and work with the ear buds in and some good tunes cranked up. Life is too short to be annoyed.

Work

I ran across a tweet on Twitter this morning, that said, “I don’t want a job, I just want money.” Oh how perfect life would be if one didn’t have to work for their money. At least that’s what I am feeling this morning.

Don’t get me wrong, I do love my job, but it would be nice to be able to do every single thing my mind wanders to and wishes for. It would be nice to have a workshop and I could sand, paint, stain and create to my heart’s content. It would be nice to have a fully stocked office with a super fast computer and a bag full of awesome lenses that way I could edit the many magnificent photos I know I can find and take. It would be nice to have a way to make money at creating things and capturing images. I know many people do the things I am wishing for each day and are very successful at them. What is holding me back? Heck, I don’t know. Maybe its fear of failure. Maybe its lack of desire. Maybe it’s lack of time.

My very first job out of college started a week after graduation. In that week, I moved into my apartment, tucked away all of my things, and sent the rest of my stuff back home with my dad. One of my most prized possessions would have to remain there too, my horse. But it wasn’t long before I found a place for her to live and she joined me back in Oklahoma. At my job as a general assignment reporter I covered anything that was thrown at me – education issues, agriculture issues, news stories, and even features. It was a fun time, and one that I won’t forget and one that taught me so much, but I wanted to be directly involved in writing about agriculture.

Nearly 10 years ago I started at my current job. My title at the time was copy editor. My days were filled with editing stories and sending them to the right edition. I occasionally got to write stories and take photos. Then web editor was added to my resume. I did a lot of the same things, but with more of a web-influenced track. Then in 2012 I was promoted to associate editor. With more of a focus on stories, covering events, photos and other duties my job sure has evolved from what it did when I started in 2003. But I do like to write, really enjoy taking photos and traveling.

So, why then does the thought of changing my path creep into my brain? Am I getting a seven-year itch three years too late? Who knows. But what I do know is I need a steady job to pay the bills to survive. We have a house to maintain, horses to feed and Shaun to feed and clothe. Those things aren’t cheap, not to mention the bills that seem to always make their way to our mailbox.

When telling my husband about my thoughts on the subject of work last night, he asked, “what would you do if you didn’t work there?” Honestly, I said, I don’t know. But what I do know is that I will keep on keeping on. I’m not a quitter and will get the job done, no matter how unpleasant or unhappy I am. Then, as I was trolling Twitter again, thinking of how to finish up this post, I ran across this – Life is change. Growth is optional. Choose wisely. -Unknown