Monday, November 15, 2004
THE ART OF THE SUCKER PUNCH
So I work for a nonprofit in the Washington, DC area. The idea of nonprofits has always amused me. You would think that organizations declared "nonprofit" would have a rather idealistic "hippy" attitude toward money. No no, that's not the case at all. Between surprise government audits and monthly meetings of the board of directors, the company is VERY concerned with its bottom line. This is the second nonprofit for which I've worked, and both places always kept a nervous eye on profits. Not because we're not supposed to make any, but because we're expected to make more each year, just like any other "for-profit" company out there. It's a weird situation to be in.
Our company president announced a few weeks ago that we went above expectations for the fiscal year, so this year we'd all be getting bonuses. A nice surprise. On Friday I was handed an extra check equivelant to a week's pay. Cool. I'm considering getting the Home Movies season 1 boxset. It's only $22.99 at Target. I have a soft spot for that show for some reason. Probably because I love Coach McGuirk, voiced by H. Jon Benjamin, an alumni of Dr. Katz.
Does anyone have any ideas about how to just relax and anjoy the upcoming holiday season and not stress so much about what gifts to buy people? I seriously worry about that, and the gift receiver's reaction to said gift, that I find it difficult to just let the holiday joy wash over me. I know it's because I've been brainwashed by television that I need to find the perfet gift for everyone, but if anyone has advice on how to keep my sanity, I'd appreciate it.
Oh, I almost messed up pretty bad on Friday. I decided to go kayaking on a gray, cool afternoon, and leisurely paddled out for about 45 minutes, and with the calm tide, made it out pretty far (I could see land, but it was far away). When I turned around to head back, the wind started gusting against me, the tide started flowing out, and the rain started. It took another hour to get home, only this time paddling hard the entire way to keep from being blown back. I was soaked and exhausted by the time I made it home. I think the kayak is being put away until spring. Indian summer is officially over!
Our company president announced a few weeks ago that we went above expectations for the fiscal year, so this year we'd all be getting bonuses. A nice surprise. On Friday I was handed an extra check equivelant to a week's pay. Cool. I'm considering getting the Home Movies season 1 boxset. It's only $22.99 at Target. I have a soft spot for that show for some reason. Probably because I love Coach McGuirk, voiced by H. Jon Benjamin, an alumni of Dr. Katz.
Does anyone have any ideas about how to just relax and anjoy the upcoming holiday season and not stress so much about what gifts to buy people? I seriously worry about that, and the gift receiver's reaction to said gift, that I find it difficult to just let the holiday joy wash over me. I know it's because I've been brainwashed by television that I need to find the perfet gift for everyone, but if anyone has advice on how to keep my sanity, I'd appreciate it.
Oh, I almost messed up pretty bad on Friday. I decided to go kayaking on a gray, cool afternoon, and leisurely paddled out for about 45 minutes, and with the calm tide, made it out pretty far (I could see land, but it was far away). When I turned around to head back, the wind started gusting against me, the tide started flowing out, and the rain started. It took another hour to get home, only this time paddling hard the entire way to keep from being blown back. I was soaked and exhausted by the time I made it home. I think the kayak is being put away until spring. Indian summer is officially over!
# posted by smacky @ 1:13 PM 
