Balancing work and mandatory training

Work is picking up again. 

Monday was great. I have this eight-hour mandatory training course to do online and I got through a good chunk of it. I was hoping to complete it on Tuesday, but I got sidetracked by work that I was not expecting.

Figures. It's weird. Hopefully, I'll be done with it in a couple of days and can get back to completing my online course.

It's nice to take training and get a break from dishing it out.

Tarot card reading

Last week, I took a virtual introductory course in tarot card reading. I enjoyed the hour-long course, but felt that I needed to learn more about it on my own.

I ordered a deck of tarot cards after the class. I received the cards yesterday. I did my first reading just now. My reading of my past, present, and future is pretty accurate as far as how I interpreted the three cards that I chose.

I'll write more about it in my next post. I'm absorbing everything in. I do love my deck of tarot cards. They have a nice weight when you hold them. Thank goodness for an instructional booklet for this novice!

Wrapping up my leadership program and being thankful

On Monday, I wrapped up my final installment of my leadership program. It has been a great learning experience.

I love to learn. It was fun participating, which I wouldn't have said when I was an undergraduate student, as I didn't enjoy speaking in front of folks. It helps to contribute, as I ended up getting off the hook when it came down to doing some of the exercises. Yay!

I spent some time writing an e-mail to my instructor, saying thanks for being supportive, encouraging, and insightful. Most people don't think of taking a moment to thank someone, but I feel obligated to. I am sad that these sessions have ended, but feel empowered with knowledge and tools to make me a better leader.

My manager will be attending this course early next month. It will be interesting to see whether any of these techniques resonate with him.

Workshop that requires renting a car

I am taking a training course in July. It requires doing a three-day workshop in Montreal. I am looking forward to it.

The problem is a recent change to our corporate travel policy. I should rent a car if it's cheaper than claiming for mileage. Fetching the car from the airport and returning it there is a pain.

Anyway, I'll deal with it later. I am looking at hotels right now. I'm excited!

Returning to my alma mater - a familiar homecoming

I attended a handful of free learning sessions at my alma mater, where I got my undergraduate degree. It was a great night out.

I hadn't been there in years. Many of the buildings have had facelifts. Yet, I walked on campus as if time had stopped. It was highly familiar to me. Second nature.

It makes sense that it felt like home. I spent four years of my life there.

I sat in a lecture hall where one of the sessions took place. It was the same lecture hall where I attended my first summer math course. The long tables and pull-out chairs are long gone. Bolted, fold-up chairs with tiny desks that you can fold down are their replacements. As technology has advanced, so has the lectern with tons of ports and cables.

All my math courses that I took on this campus were in this building. I felt like I was an undergraduate student again. It felt comfortable and right after all these years.

Weird. In a cool way.

New percentage calculation at work

I have a love for numbers. My guy does, too. We are math nerds.

I recently had to do an online course at work. You need to pass a final exam at the end of this course to get credit for enduring it. The course is roughly eight hours in length. Doing a final exam is painful.

You need 90% to pass the test. I ended up with exactly that percentage... or so I thought.

When I got to the very end of the test, it said that I got 9 out of 10 questions answered correctly. The percentage calculated was 89.88%. What?!

I asked the person responsible for creating the course a question on how this percentage is calculated. She admitted that something was odd. I managed to contact the training support group to get credited for taking this course.

I have never seen a weird percentage calculation like what I got. I told my guy this issue and he laughed.

"It doesn't surprise me that you'd be outraged about the calculation. It's what I love about you," he reminded me.
"You're sweet. You'd react the same way," I replied.
"That's true. We love math."

We do.

Encouragement to seek a side job

My guy and I are supportive of each other. When we first started dating, my guy would often suggest things that I could do to earn extra income on the side.

It's funny, but I don't have that business-money sense like he does. He teaches a course on the side. This semester, my guy doesn't have a course to teach.

He has often encouraged me to teach a night or weekend course, like he does here and there. He also suggested that I do tutoring or provide editing services on student papers.

I decided to do something different. I asked him whether I should earn a bit of money by becoming an Uber driver.

"That's a great idea," he said. "You know your way around the city, you're personable, and you like to drive."
"I'm thinking that it would be a great fit. I could drive on the weekend and earn a bit of cash," I replied.
"For sure. You'd be a great driver."

The good news is that I have been approved. I simply need to register for a business number.

Course is done and all is well

I completed the second part of my refresher course on Tuesday. It was shorter than I had anticipated. Then again, doing a nearly four-hour course over two days is a decent length.

I have received positive, favourable feedback. I am thankful and pleased.

It's a good thing that I am working from home on Wednesday. I plan on going into productive mode. I am banning myself from our instant messaging tool. It is such a distraction.

Control and targeted audience for a course

On Monday, the first part of delivering my refresher course to colleagues went well. I have one more session to do on Tuesday, which will be shorter.

My manager was there simply because he had created the meeting. I suppose that it's a control thing. Technically, it would have been best if I had created the meeting with conference and Web details to join it.

He sat through the three hours. At the end, he said that he didn't understand anything. At my desk, he said the same thing when he provided his feedback.

My response? The course isn't for you. The targeted audience isn't you. It's for writers who have used this authoring and publishing tool. Naturally, you won't understand anything. You were simply there to admit colleagues into the meeting online and on the call.

He nodded. Enough said.

Training

At work, I am teaching a refresher course. It is split up into two sessions. The first session starts on Monday morning.

It's interesting that I am both relaxed and nervous. I have given the same training for a while. This course focuses on fundamentals that need reinforcement. I think that it's good that I feel nervous. It means that I care about the content that I am about to deliver.

I didn't think that I would ever be in this position. It's cool that my guy understands what I do and vice-versa.

Odd events lead to good karma

Sometimes, I wonder about various events. Yesterday, my guy had landed in Seattle for work. I was happy as can be, as I was going to join him for the Thanksgiving long weekend.

My guy left home without his driver's licence. It may have foreshadowed the events that took place after that.

On Monday, I had the worst time trying to troubleshoot various things with three new folks on my team. The worst was with the new writer who says that she knows everything. However, she ends up clicking various sites on her own that it causes even more problems. Her laptop had the most difficult time connecting to our company's wifi.

It was humourous how the rest of us simply assumed that her laptop was troublesome every time she tried a task on it. It's not me!

My guy texted me after I was done work, which was around 17:20. He indicated that his course was cancelled and that no one had told him about it. Bummer. Such horrible communication!

I had booked a one-way ticket to Seattle. I had also booked a hotel room to stay closer to the airport, for my flight was at 08:00. I had also booked a rental car.

All our our plans were dashed. My guy said that he looked forward to my joining him this trip, which was the highlight for him. He's sweet.

Looking on the bright side, I had already booked a staycation this weekend in his hometown. I had cancelled that reservation, but managed to rebook the same duration at a cheaper rate.

There is no penalty when I cancel my flight within 24 hours. I also managed to cancel my car and hotel reservations with ease. No harm on these fronts.

My guy flies back on Tuesday. We are meeting for some quality time. He told me that he wants to spank me for being a bad girl. Naturally, that turns me on.

We chatted twice on Tuesday. I got him off on the phone. He was so lethargic that he ended up singing.

Although our original plans didn't work out, our alternative ones are equally as good.

Work travel bans and vacation

For a while, my guy was on the road all the time. These days, he has the opposite problem. Our company has a travel ban. If he were to deliver courses, they need to be done online.

My guy has often said that he doesn't like a ton of travel where he is away for weeks. These days, he has an itch to go somewhere.

Our company is going through some restructuring. Some jobs have been cut. What is unique about our situation is that our departments are thriving. We are constantly hiring and is one of the more profitable departments.

My guy told me that his counterparts in other departments have been let go. I have seen the same situation on my end. Most of the cuts have happened in our various European sites.

We aren't worried about our employment. We have been discussing going on a trip together. My guy misses when I would join him on a business trip. He always liked coming back to the hotel or meeting me somewhere after work. I liked that, too.

Instead, we'll have to plan our own little vacation, which isn't a bad idea.

Teaching and spanking

My guy teaches a course during both the spring and fall sessions. It's good because the educational institution isn't far from work. It's pretty much equidistant from where we both live.

"What would happen if I showed up in your class?" I asked him.
"It would be similar to your showing up at one of my training sessions at work. Your presence would make my day," he admitted.
"You're sweet," I replied.
"You would definitely make teaching more interesting. I would make you stay after class and spank you for being a bad student," he said.
"When is your class starting?" I asked, with both of us grinning at each other.

It's nice that we both like to fantasize.

Dinner date before flying off

Whenever my guy and I are at the office, we often go out for lunch together. We haven't done that since late November.

For some reason, the demand for classes held at our workplace has subsided substantially. He hasn't been travelling all that much, either. I can't complain, for I have been lucky to see him more than I used to when he was constantly on the road.

I do miss having lunch with him, though.

Dinner with him on Saturday felt like our lunch dates. We revisited the same restaurant close to our workplace. The place has revamped their menus, which was the only change.

Despite the restaurant being pretty packed for a Saturday night, we managed to get seated quickly and got out of there in an hour.

I went with my regular dish, which is the spicy garlic chicken. I scoured the new menu for something with ginger in it, for my guy loves ginger. I found ginger beef, which he automatically ordered.

We were both happy to have our favourite dishes. It was also nice to catch up. My guy looked tired from the stress of doing a last-minute task that was unexpected before heading to meet me. However, he was happy hearing me talk. I suppose that it gave him some time to unwind.

After dinner, we walked holding hands to our cars. Naturally, I led the way to the office. First, I have a lead foot when I drive. Second, it allows my guy to follow me without getting lost.

We parked at work. My guy got his luggage and such out of his car and into mine. We then got into my car, with my offering to car-sit his car for three weeks. Naturally, my guy held onto his keys rather tightly.

I caressed his head, which had stubble that was soft to the touch. We then held hands as I drove us over to the terminal.

I parked. He gave me his usual just-stand-there-and-don't-lift-anything-because-I-don't-want-you-to-hurt-your-back look as he unloaded my car's trunk and placed each item on a cart.

We hugged. It felt like a minute being in each other's arms. He smelled good. I felt good. I could tell that he did, too.

"Send me a quick note that you have arrived safely," I said to him.
"Will do," he replied, blowing me a kiss as he headed into the terminal.

He's gone for three weeks. It's a good thing that we have Skype.

S is for Saturday spanking #AtoZchallenge

It has been a while since I have been spanked. My guy has been keeping track.

"Can we meet on Saturday after I am done my course?" he asked me.
"Sure. What did you have in mind?" I asked him.
"I want to spank a cute girl," he pointed out.
"That would be me!" I said, happily.

Spankings never grow old.

M is for solving for m #AtoZchallenge

My guy has been teaching a course on weekends for a few years. I have listened in on a session here and there. Sometimes, the course is delivered online. Other times, it's in a classroom setting.

This semester, it's the latter. I once called the course Solving for m. My guy was discussing an equation and showing how to solve for m, the variable in question. Since then, we both call this course by this nickname.

On Saturday, my guy and I had this conversation.

"I wish that I could solve for m with you," he said, looking at me longingly.
"I know. You have to go to work soon," I noted.
"I want to solve for various slopes with you, in various positions," he said sheepishly.
"Ah, derivatives, I see," I remarked, with both of us laughing.
"Yes, I would be in a master bedroom with you for hours, solving for m."

We are a geeky couple. Math innuendos make us laugh.

He is sweet. He didn't want to leave that day. I didn't want him to leave, either.

"I would solve for m with you all day, if I could. I want to give you everything," he said lovingly.
"How about a million dollars?" I asked, jokingly.
"Um, no," he replied, smiling.
"Yes, that's not realistic. Both our incomes combined do not register on the million dollar scale. I'm good with having you," I remarked.

It's true. Money doesn't buy being with someone you love and vice-versa.

Waking up in a haze and listening to my guy's voice

On weekends, I set my alarm for 10:55 am. I like to sleep in.

I woke up to the sound of my cell phone vibrating at 10:54 am on Saturday. I thought that it was my alarm. However, I was half asleep and it was actually a phone call coming through.

My guy was calling me. I didn't pick up in time and my voicemail kicked in.

I called him back.

"Hey," he answered.
"Hey," I replied. "I just woke up."
"Wow. I was hoping that I didn't wake you up," he said.
"I'm good now," I said in a sleepy voice.
"I'm heading out to my course. I have to fly out tonight. Do you have any plans?" he asked me.
"Do you have some time before your flight?" I asked him.
"I sure do," he said.
"I can meet you somewhere. I miss you," I stated.
"Likewise. How about at work?" he asked me.
"Sure. I can drive you to the airport," I offered.
"That would be great."

It was nice starting off my day by hearing his voice and knowing that we'd see each other.

Missing my guy and waiting for Fifty Shades Darker

It's February. Time certainly flies.

My guy has a number of rushed business trips. He is away from three weeks, may be back for a week, and then is off to another destination for a week. So, I won't be seeing him for a month, give or take a week.

One of his trips is to India. He didn't have time to get a work visa. Instead, he has to get a shorter term visa that only allows entry into the country once.

On top of that, he has a pile of work to do for his last trip at the end of the month, which is to our main headquarters. The subject matter is new, so he feels stressed. He trains during the day and works in his hotel room at night.

We talked about it yesterday. I told him that he always comes through. I always have faith in him. I just wish that I could help him. He knows that.

So, I miss him.

I will be watching Fifty Shades Darker on my own first. When he returns, we'll watch it together. I can't wait! The more I see press junkets and snippets of some movie scenes, it makes me happy.

Spontaneous meeting - sucking and spanking

My guy and I thought that we'd be meeting sometime next week. He is full of surprises.

On Saturday, he called me while driving to his class. His car's bluetooth connection isn't the best, but it's tolerable.

"Hey, can you meet me after class at 7 pm? I miss you," he told me.
"I can. I miss you, too," I replied without any thought.
"Can you give me a blowjob like last time?"he asked me seriously.
"Sure, I'd love to," I replied.
"I can then punish you for being bad," he replied.
"But, I'm a good girl," I said, playfully whining.
"Never!"

It was a fun time, as expected. I have a sore butt to prove it.

Watching funny shows late at night, sleeping in, and being accepting

When you have been with someone for a while, it's nice when you just know that person so well that you don't have to explain why you do what you do.

My guy called me on Saturday in the afternoon. We were both driving. I was driving over to a new burger joint just east of where I live, where it serves various game meat (I went with a bison burger). I knew that my guy was driving off to teach his course.

"I stayed up until 02:30 this morning," I told my guy. "I woke up at 10:30."
"Wow, that's late for you. Were you up watching a show?" he asked me.
"Yes, I was catching up on past episodes of Saturday Night Live," I replied.
"Nice. I was up watching old episodes of Marries with Children. I woke up at 11:00 am," he replied.

We are similar, although we are who we are. It's nice that we enjoy comedy shows, staying up late, and sleeping in on weekends.