I nearly forgot how much I love fireplaces. Once upon a time, a lifetime ago, I lived in an apartment with a real, wood burning fireplace. What a treat that was on a cold winter night. With friends, with my boyfriend, solo with a good book and a glass of wine. I loved spending time in front of that fireplace.
Where I've been staying for the past two days, there is a fireplace in the corner. It isn't a "real" fireplace, but a gas fireplace. I know, it's more efficient. It's safer. It's cleaner. I get that. But I enjoy the smell and sound of a wood burning fireplace (or even a potbelly stove!). Even so, this fireplace has a lot of logs in it and the flames are higher than most gas fireplace flames. It even has embers to watch.
It was only 12-15 degrees (Celsius) today, so the fireplace was a nice touch. And so, today I decided to work from the floor in front of the fireplace (most of the day actually). I sat right in front of it. It was like doing Bikram yoga all day as I worked. It was incredible. (and boy do I feel well stretched out today!)
As I worked in front of those warm flames, I reminisced. And then I dreamed of my future fireplace(s?) and smiled.
Simple things sometimes. Simple things.
Moments enjoying a fire.
Moments spent stretching and dreaming with the leaping flames.
Showing posts with label fire. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fire. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 8, 2014
Tuesday, June 11, 2013
Moments D414: Statler and Waldorf
Today was busy day from the start with one final (marathon) meeting before the big trade show. The good news: we are near ready. The news bringing anxiety, we are only days away and there is yet much to produce.
And, as you may recall, my team and I have been displaced due to an office fire. As such we are all working together in very tight quarters. There is little privacy (actually I don’t think there is any privacy come to think of it!) and we are, at times communicating to one another out loud for all to hear. It’s been an interesting dynamic and it has certainly pulled us closer as a team. (And we now better understand musical preferences and the value of earphones, but I digress!)
In the room (which I like to call the war room as we are nearly all sitting around one big table) my CD and I are situated at what has been lovingly labelled “the head of the class”. (In some ways it does feel that way, especially when I have an apple on my side and my CD has a ruler on his!) In other moments, like today, we were lovingly labelled “Statler & Waldorf.”
Now, if you don’t know Statler & Waldorf, they are muppets who heckle from their balcony seats. The funniest thing: They are a bit grumpy and grouchy about their heckles and they laugh furiously at their own jokes. And, while my CD and I are not old men, nor are we grumpy or grouchy, we do have many a quip for the team during a day and boy oh boy do we laugh heartily at our own jokes.
So yes - that comparison made me laugh. It makes me smile now even as I share the moment. I loved it in that moment and I love it now. Knowing that we can make the team smile and laugh and we can laugh at ourselves is priceless.
Further, it reminds me, yet again, at what a great team I’m on and I am grateful for all the moments I work with them. Their words, insights and silliness are what makes the day an enjoyable day. Today, I am thankful for the label and the smile!
Moments being labelled.
Moments of pure, unadulterated laughter!
And, as you may recall, my team and I have been displaced due to an office fire. As such we are all working together in very tight quarters. There is little privacy (actually I don’t think there is any privacy come to think of it!) and we are, at times communicating to one another out loud for all to hear. It’s been an interesting dynamic and it has certainly pulled us closer as a team. (And we now better understand musical preferences and the value of earphones, but I digress!)
In the room (which I like to call the war room as we are nearly all sitting around one big table) my CD and I are situated at what has been lovingly labelled “the head of the class”. (In some ways it does feel that way, especially when I have an apple on my side and my CD has a ruler on his!) In other moments, like today, we were lovingly labelled “Statler & Waldorf.”
Now, if you don’t know Statler & Waldorf, they are muppets who heckle from their balcony seats. The funniest thing: They are a bit grumpy and grouchy about their heckles and they laugh furiously at their own jokes. And, while my CD and I are not old men, nor are we grumpy or grouchy, we do have many a quip for the team during a day and boy oh boy do we laugh heartily at our own jokes.
So yes - that comparison made me laugh. It makes me smile now even as I share the moment. I loved it in that moment and I love it now. Knowing that we can make the team smile and laugh and we can laugh at ourselves is priceless.
Further, it reminds me, yet again, at what a great team I’m on and I am grateful for all the moments I work with them. Their words, insights and silliness are what makes the day an enjoyable day. Today, I am thankful for the label and the smile!
Moments being labelled.
Moments of pure, unadulterated laughter!
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
Moments D393: Teamwork
Today, although an incredibly challenging day, was an inspiring day. Today my department dealt with the complete relocation of our office. Each of us, individually, dealt with the loss of our “things” from the simplest of things like our tape dispensers or notepads to our personal belongings lost to fire damage.
We, as a team, went back into our devastated office. We removed what we could and left the rest behind for the company coming in to clean up what they could and destroy the rest. It was an eerie feeling being in the office without electricity, with the windows boarded up, flashlights, and smartphone apps guiding our way.
It was amazing at how quickly the team settled into our new, very close office environment. Truly we are a tight team before, now, it will be a test of that closeness. .
Beyond the “micro-teamwork”, there was an entire contingent of the “macro-team” where the store managers, warehouse staff, IT, admin staff and everyone in between assisted us. It took 3 hours yesterday and a couple this morning to get us up and running. AMAZING considering the trauma department had just undergone.
Bottom line, we have the best team anyone could ever ask for. Today’s moment is dedicated to those amazing team members who made my team’s lives that much easier today. Those who brought a smile, or a handful of pens.
Moments of pride for the team supporting us.
Moments having your beliefs of people being good and kind being reaffirmed.
We, as a team, went back into our devastated office. We removed what we could and left the rest behind for the company coming in to clean up what they could and destroy the rest. It was an eerie feeling being in the office without electricity, with the windows boarded up, flashlights, and smartphone apps guiding our way.
It was amazing at how quickly the team settled into our new, very close office environment. Truly we are a tight team before, now, it will be a test of that closeness. .
Beyond the “micro-teamwork”, there was an entire contingent of the “macro-team” where the store managers, warehouse staff, IT, admin staff and everyone in between assisted us. It took 3 hours yesterday and a couple this morning to get us up and running. AMAZING considering the trauma department had just undergone.
Bottom line, we have the best team anyone could ever ask for. Today’s moment is dedicated to those amazing team members who made my team’s lives that much easier today. Those who brought a smile, or a handful of pens.
Moments of pride for the team supporting us.
Moments having your beliefs of people being good and kind being reaffirmed.
Monday, May 20, 2013
Moments D392: Unbashful Love
Today was a crazy day. Last night we heard that there was a fire in our office building. We knew that the fire department had broken one of our office windows, but we didn’t know much else.
So, when I woke today, I had a delightful conversation with my girl in the North Country and then worked out for 90 minutes. I then signed up for Tough Mudder because, well, why not? My friend wants to be reborn and shed his skin. I think I could use a little of that therapy!
And then I got the call: Head to the office, salvage what you can. So no breakfast, no lunch, barely out of the shower and I rushed down to the office.
The office was a disaster area. Much was waterlogged, but we were able to save and move out many of our computers and printers. It was a day spent moving stuff from our office to a makeshift office elsewhere. And with only three weeks before our big tradeshow, it’s going to be interesting.
And while being in the middle of a big fire scene was rather interesting (the smoke damage, the campfire smell on everything, the broken windows, the teamwork to get everything moved out and set up elsewhere etc.) it wasn’t my moment of the day. Though I suppose I can check it off my bucket list!
My moment of the day was actually as I was driving home from the office. As I waited at one of the stop lights, there was a couple standing, arm and arm facing one another. He was gently stroking his partner’s face and then he tenderly kissed him. It was such a beautiful moment, especially given that only moments earlier a friend and I had been discussing how much hate still exists in the world for people who are different than the so-called norm. Very apropos.
So today’s moment celebrates unbashful love. Here’s to our right as human beings to love whomever we want to.
Moments of surprise followed by happiness.
Moments recognizing how far we've come and how far we have yet to go.
So, when I woke today, I had a delightful conversation with my girl in the North Country and then worked out for 90 minutes. I then signed up for Tough Mudder because, well, why not? My friend wants to be reborn and shed his skin. I think I could use a little of that therapy!
And then I got the call: Head to the office, salvage what you can. So no breakfast, no lunch, barely out of the shower and I rushed down to the office.
The office was a disaster area. Much was waterlogged, but we were able to save and move out many of our computers and printers. It was a day spent moving stuff from our office to a makeshift office elsewhere. And with only three weeks before our big tradeshow, it’s going to be interesting.
And while being in the middle of a big fire scene was rather interesting (the smoke damage, the campfire smell on everything, the broken windows, the teamwork to get everything moved out and set up elsewhere etc.) it wasn’t my moment of the day. Though I suppose I can check it off my bucket list!
My moment of the day was actually as I was driving home from the office. As I waited at one of the stop lights, there was a couple standing, arm and arm facing one another. He was gently stroking his partner’s face and then he tenderly kissed him. It was such a beautiful moment, especially given that only moments earlier a friend and I had been discussing how much hate still exists in the world for people who are different than the so-called norm. Very apropos.
So today’s moment celebrates unbashful love. Here’s to our right as human beings to love whomever we want to.
Moments of surprise followed by happiness.
Moments recognizing how far we've come and how far we have yet to go.
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