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califaro · 4 years

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PCOS

Poly-Cystic Ovary Syndrome is a hormonal disorder common among women of reproductive age. Women with PCOS may have infrequent or prolonged menstrual periods or excess male hormone levels. The ovaries may develop numerous small collections of fluid and fail to regularly release eggs. The exact cause of PCOS is unknown.

When I was sixteen, I gained 100lbs in two months and the only thing doctors would tell me was, “Go on a diet.” No one cared to listen to my complaints of hair loss and sudden hair growth on my face and chest. They didn't believe me when I told them I worked out and ate healthy. I developed an eating disorder and still, no one believed anything I said. It's embarrassing to admit...but at seventeen years old, I gave up. Eating whatever I wanted and giving up exercising felt oddly comforting. It stopped hurting so badly to get on the scale and see the numbers going up, to see the disbelief in professionals eyes, especially once I stopped trying so hard and caring so much. I was tired of arguing and defending myself when no one else would.

At twenty, I became very concerned about my health. My thinning hair had left me with bald spots. My weight had reached an all time high. I didn't recover from simple wounds and bruises the way I should have. There was also the fact that I had gone well over a year without a single menstrual cycle. I won't lie, I enjoyed not having one and it wasn't a concern until my relationship with my then boyfriend became a lot more serious.

The first doctor I saw told me, “Sometimes we just lose our hair and get fat.”

The second doctor told me, “You need to take responsibility for your weight problems. Once you lose the weight, the rest will get better.”

The third doctor took one look at my lab results and said, “Wait a minute..that's not right.”

She ignored my weight completely and focused on the fact that my testosterone was extraordinarily high. For the first time, it felt like I might have an answer, so I started eating healthy again and working out, despite feeling like it didn't help with anything. Fast forward to three months later and there I am, sitting in a specialist's office when he tells me, “All of these problems are likely because of this,” he shows me a scan of my reproductive system and even without medical training, I spot something weird. I had a very large tumor sitting on my right ovary and from what he could tell, it was likely cancerous. That was a Monday. My surgery was on Wednesday, just two days later. All went accordingly but...because I was at a learning hospital, they decided to cut me from my belly button to several inches past my bikini line, just to examine my insides. While that sounds far fetched, I actually have the transcripts that details it every minute of their unnecessary exploration. Oh well. The scar is pretty gnarly.

It turns out that the tumor was, indeed, cancerous and very heavy. It was secreting all sorts of nasty things and I kept being told, “Everything will go back to normal now that the tumor has been removed.” You can imagine how good I felt when my hair started growing back and I started losing weight...and the horror I felt when it all just stopped. My hair never really grew back to its original thickness and my periods were months apart. To make matters worse, I was growing facial hair faster than ever. I lost and gained weight so fast that my skin kind of...stopped adjusting. It was all so exhausting, embarrassing, depressing. It made me feel crazy.

After four long years of misery, I was finally diagnosed with PCOS. It was a hard diagnosis at the time because there really wasn't that much solid information about it and I felt like I couldn't catch a break. It might be a little bit late to mention it, but I haven't had a very medically healthy life, so being diagnosed with something like this was like another slap in the face.

I'm now a week away from turning thirty two and I wish so badly I could say life is so much better and I'm so much happier but...not much is better and I feel so utterly defeated. I've done every PCOS friendly diet and I've taken every medication, every vitamin that is supposed to help. I'm still losing my hair. My weight is unpredictable. A close inspection of my lower face is necessary before leaving the house. It hurts to work so hard at being healthy only to get ridiculed nonstop, especially by friends and family. More than anything, I wish there was some place I could run and hide from the world. I wish I could be happy with myself and celebrate the victories and odds that I've beaten.

When I really think about it, I'd be okay with being fat or having sagging skin or having to shave my face if it meant I had hair. The unpredictable weight shifts can go fuck itself, though. That's something I'll never get used to. Above all...above everything else...I just wish I could feel normal.

I don't know what possessed me to write this and maybe I'll delete it come morning, but for right now...it makes me hurt a little less.

#pcos #poly cystic ovary syndrome #just let me vent

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adamdegrandis · 4 years

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Adjusting to the new normal

“New normal” is a funny phrase because it makes you think that at some point, change is going to stop and normal is going to be forever and then we can all chill a bit and get a bit of certainty back. Well let’s hope that’s true but for now, one thing we know for sure is that there’s a LOT of change around and more change ahead. We don’t know what it will bring but we know it will mean that things won’t be the same as today.

There’s that alongside all the background questions about how we live our lives that keep rattling around without a definite answer: Will I ever not to have to wear a mask again? Will I have my job in 6 months? Will my job be the same in 6 months? Will I be going back to the office? Will Zoom be a forever way of communicating? Will handshakes ever be OK again? Are shops going to come back or will I shop online forever? And so on and so on.

Today I want to talk to you about how to constantly adjust to new normal, after new normal, after new normal without freaking out and without checking out.

My name’s Dr Paul Brewerton, the strengths guy, founder of Strengthscope and Doctor of Psychology. I podcast every week about life, work and strengths, putting my podcast out first thing on a Monday to set you up for a strong and positive week ahead.

What are my tips for adjusting to the new normal? Well they are these:

Don’t get stuck in denial

Sit with the cowpat but do let it go

Take your strengths with you

Look for the positives

Recognise that change won’t change

Build your resilience

Let’s go through these in a bit more detail.

1. Don’t get stuck in denial

Yes, there are still people out there who think that what we’re in currently will only last a few more weeks, even though it’s been going on for months and months already. In my view, it isn’t realistic, or helpful, to choose not to engage with the changes that are happening all around us.

Better to play what’s in front of you, adapt accordingly, little by little, and that way avoid it all feeling overwhelming and too much. Whether it’s setting up your home office properly (not sitting on the edge of your bed with your laptop on your knees for 8 hours a day), or realising that you can’t just use one disposable mask repeatedly for the next 6 months, but you might need some more masks.

Look around you and try and stay slightly ahead of, or at least in tune with, the changes that you’re seeing around you, to give yourself the best chance of getting used to each new idea as it comes along.

2. Sit with the cowpat but do let it go

This idea of sitting with a cowpat in your lap came from my mentor when he was dealing with the death of a close friend and he said ‘sometimes you just have to sit with the cowpat in your lap’. A cowpat in your lap sounds gross, smelly, sticky and like something you’d want to get off you asap.

But acknowledging that life has served you up something really pretty rubbish, whatever that my be for you, is OK and it’s a good idea to just let yourself sit with that, sit with those emotions, for as long as you need, to let it sink in and come to terms with it.

When the time comes, it’s OK to stand up, flip that cowpat off you, clean yourself down and move on, rather than getting stuck in a negative mindset for too long, which might end up making you feel powerless or helpless. You’re not, you have got this. Have a listen to my podcast at Season 7, episode 5 – Managing your mindset in tough times, the path of possibility – for more on this.

But for now, to help you get from the path of limitation to the path of possibility…

3. Take your strengths with you

Your strengths are those qualities you have that energise you and which you are great at, or have the potential to become great at. They are qualities that are unique to you and where you can probably make your strongest, most positive contribution. So in a situation of constant shift and change, your strengths can be anchors for you, a source of confidence, they can give you a sense of certainty that even if your context is changing, you’re not, not fundamentally anyway, you’re still you and to manage change, you can just choose to use your strengths differently or in different combinations to get you through.

My collaboration, empathy and leading strengths will always be there for me, but in a context where I’m more a virtual than an actual presence, I just need to get better at using them via tech to get the effect that I want. But I know they’re there and that that’s how people experience me – my brand if you like – and that won’t change, even when change is all around me. And that is reassuring when you’re adjusting to new normal after new normal.

4. Look for the positives

In any change, there will be positives and benefits to be had. It just may take a while for them to become apparent. But when you’re ready, looking for the positives can really help you get through any slump when you’re adjusting to a new situation. For example, not being able to get to the office and be with your colleagues in person may feel pretty crushing at first for some people, but enjoying the time you gain without having to commute to work, realising that you can still have a laugh and stay connected with colleagues on Zoom and finding out more about your local area are all great benefits of the current situation, even though it may not have been of your choosing.

If you’re struggling to find any silver linings, try and find someone with an optimistic outlook in your network as they will almost certainly be able to give you a positive boost.

5. Recognise that change won’t change

This one is kind of a build on not getting stuck in denial, but it relates to not falling into the trap of thinking that change is somehow going to stop at some point on the near horizon. It’s safer and more realistic to think that it won’t stop and will continue over the longer term. To stay ahead of change, try and scan the landscape, look and listen between the lines of what people are saying and doing so that you can predict what might be coming over the hill and get ready for it before it surprises you.

Lastly,

6. Build your resilience

Lastly, something that will help with all of the above is to build your resilience. I cover building resilience in detail at Season 8, episode 2 on the 4 things that you and your team need to do to build resilience. But in short, those things are:

Control your controllables

Choose your mindset

Play to your strengths and

Build a rich support network.

Building resilience can really help your adaptability and capacity to cope with an ever-changing environment, so if nothing more, I would encourage you to listen to the podcast I just mentioned and start to build your resilience, as the uncertain days and weeks and months ahead unfold.

That’s it for this week, my top tips for thriving in the new normal. I hope you’ve found some inspiration there, if you like, give me some love and let your friends and your colleagues know about the podcast. Till next time, stay strong.

This podcast is available on all major podcast platforms. Find it on Apple podcasts, Spotify, Google podcasts, Stitcher, ACast, TuneIn, Breaker and Soundcloud. Check out the back catalogue, leave a review and subscribe to get them every Monday morning!

Dealing with strengths awe, strengths envy and strengths denial

What meditation did for me

How to create super-strengths and not strength monsters

source https://www.strengthscope.com/adjusting-to-the-new-normal/ source https://lapietadi.tumblr.com/post/627304816999317505

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coffeedealer · 4 years

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Adjusting to the new normal

Today I want to talk to you about how to constantly adjust to new normal, after new normal, after new normal without freaking out and without checking out.

What are my tips for adjusting to the new normal? Well they are these:

Don’t get stuck in denial

Sit with the cowpat but do let it go

Take your strengths with you

Look for the positives

Recognise that change won’t change

Build your resilience

Let’s go through these in a bit more detail.

1. Don’t get stuck in denial

2. Sit with the cowpat but do let it go

But for now, to help you get from the path of limitation to the path of possibility…

3. Take your strengths with you

4. Look for the positives

If you’re struggling to find any silver linings, try and find someone with an optimistic outlook in your network as they will almost certainly be able to give you a positive boost.

5. Recognise that change won’t change

Lastly,

6. Build your resilience

Control your controllables

Choose your mindset

Play to your strengths and

Build a rich support network.

Dealing with strengths awe, strengths envy and strengths denial

What meditation did for me

How to create super-strengths and not strength monsters

source https://www.strengthscope.com/adjusting-to-the-new-normal/ source https://strengthscopeuk.blogspot.com/2020/08/adjusting-to-new-normal.html

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henmonarch · 4 years

Text

Adjusting to the new normal

Today I want to talk to you about how to constantly adjust to new normal, after new normal, after new normal without freaking out and without checking out.

What are my tips for adjusting to the new normal? Well they are these:

Don’t get stuck in denial

Sit with the cowpat but do let it go

Take your strengths with you

Look for the positives

Recognise that change won’t change

Build your resilience

Let’s go through these in a bit more detail.

1. Don’t get stuck in denial

2. Sit with the cowpat but do let it go

But for now, to help you get from the path of limitation to the path of possibility…

3. Take your strengths with you

4. Look for the positives

If you’re struggling to find any silver linings, try and find someone with an optimistic outlook in your network as they will almost certainly be able to give you a positive boost.

5. Recognise that change won’t change

Lastly,

6. Build your resilience

Control your controllables

Choose your mindset

Play to your strengths and

Build a rich support network.

Dealing with strengths awe, strengths envy and strengths denial

What meditation did for me

How to create super-strengths and not strength monsters

Via https://www.strengthscope.com/adjusting-to-the-new-normal/

source https://thasma.weebly.com/blog/adjusting-to-the-new-normal

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lapietadi · 4 years

Text

Adjusting to the new normal

Today I want to talk to you about how to constantly adjust to new normal, after new normal, after new normal without freaking out and without checking out.

What are my tips for adjusting to the new normal? Well they are these:

Don’t get stuck in denial

Sit with the cowpat but do let it go

Take your strengths with you

Look for the positives

Recognise that change won’t change

Build your resilience

Let’s go through these in a bit more detail.

1. Don’t get stuck in denial

2. Sit with the cowpat but do let it go

But for now, to help you get from the path of limitation to the path of possibility…

3. Take your strengths with you

4. Look for the positives

If you’re struggling to find any silver linings, try and find someone with an optimistic outlook in your network as they will almost certainly be able to give you a positive boost.

5. Recognise that change won’t change

Lastly,

6. Build your resilience

Control your controllables

Choose your mindset

Play to your strengths and

Build a rich support network.

Dealing with strengths awe, strengths envy and strengths denial

What meditation did for me

How to create super-strengths and not strength monsters

source https://www.strengthscope.com/adjusting-to-the-new-normal/

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billehrman · 4 years

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Adversity Creates Opportunity

The financial markets are reacting to the breakout of the coronavirus in China which has unfortunately moved to other parts of the world including the United States. This is a tragic event which could not have happened at a worse time as China begins celebrating its Lunar New Year Golden week which is normally a period of celebration and tremendous consumer spending. China has taken actions having quarantined several cities, restricted travel, opened up new hospitals with doctors trained appropriately to handle viral outbreaks, closed common areas like movie theaters and the Great Wall, and much more to contain the epidemic. All of the government’s actions plus that of private corporations such as Disney, McDonalds, cruise lines and others will negatively impact their economy and that of the global economy near term, including the U.S, until the spread of the virus is contained and an all clear is issued.

We do not want to minimize the impact of a spreading virus that kills people. At the same time, it is our responsibility to manage clients’ assets every day through both the good and the bad. We must, therefore, always be willing to reevaluate our investment strategy as events change such as now. We must factor into our thinking the impact this human tragedy has on the global economies.

The bottom line is that we have not altered our longer term view that the global economy will improve sequentially as we move through 2020 into 2021, But clearly the first part of the year will be even slower than we had initially thought as it will be negatively impacted by the virus in China, the devastating fires in Australia penalizing industrial commodity exports, and Boeing’s problems getting the Max reinstated. While we had already adjusted down our near-term view of global economic growth last week, clearly, we had not factored in the spreading of the virus which causes us to reduce even further our growth expectations for the first half of 2020. Our base case is that the virus will be contained over the next few months.

Notwithstanding, we continue to believe that the global economy will reaccelerate by the third and fourth quarters of 2020 into 2021 bolstered by aggressive monetary ease everywhere; major fiscal stimulus in China, Japan, Australia and the U.S; the closure of at least 11 trade deals between the U.S and other major countries including Phase 1 with China, the USMCA with Canada and Mexico, a deal with Japan, Europe postponing actions against our large tech companies, an impending deal with India, etc.; a likely Brexit deal; Boeing Max getting reinstated by mid-year; and Trump’s willingness to do everything in his power to win the election which means he will need both a strong economy and higher stock market in the summer and fall of 2020.

The full benefits of the trade deals plus Boeing’s Max reinstatement could alone add well over 0.7% to annualized 2020 U.S. GNP by the third and fourth quarters moving the annualized GNP growth rates to or above 3.0% annualized from much lower growth rates in the first half of the year. So, it’s time to look over the near-term valley, take advantage of the current weakness and invest with a one to two-year time frame. Rarely do you get a second bite of the apple like now.

Adversity creates opportunities for investors. Lower economic growth than anticipated for the first half, for the reasons cited, will result in interest rates being lower, too. In fact, both the 10- and 30-year bond yields hit new lows for the year at 1.695% and 2.145% respectively, on Friday. Remember that the stock market is far more leveraged to changes in interest rates than earnings so even though earnings will not pick up meaningfully until the second half of 2020, lower interest rates will result in a higher multiple and overall stock prices near term as occurred in 2019. Be patient and buy slowly. Watch for updates on the virus.

We made a mild shift in our portfolios early last week slightly reducing our more economic sensitive stocks , including financials, while adding to technology on Friday, which will be mostly immune to slower first half 2020 growth; credit card companies, which are benefitting from the growth in the internet plus entrance into China; and some special situations whose future valuations have nothing to do with the economy. We fully expect to shift this slightly more defensive position back to more economically sensitive stocks as we move through the first quarter and gain more information on the near- and longer-term impact of the virus on economic growth in China and elsewhere.

It was not surprising that the pundits/experts did another 180 last week becoming negative almost overnight after the virus breakout saying that they really have been bearish all along. Yeah, right. The truth is that they are technicians/traders--not investors. If you do the analysis, the market remains undervalued even if the 10 year treasury reaches 2.1% by the fourth quarter 2020 (it’s under 1.7% today) with S & P earnings running at an annualized rate well over $170 per share by the end of the year which we feel is still very conservative especially if the Boeing strike ends mid-year, as even the head of the FAA says now, and the benefits of all the trade deals finally begin to kick in. Also, we need to see the virus contained, at a minimum. We see no reason to alter our range of 3400-3600 for the S & P in 2020 at this time.

Adversities creates opportunities have happened time and again. We fully get that it is difficult buying/adding exposure in uncertain times but if history is any guide, it is the right thing to do as an investor willing to look over the valley. Remember the old adage, buy down when everyone is panicking and sell up when there is euphoria in the air. Now is such a time to add to positions but go slowly and average in.

One thing is for sure: all of the global monetary authorities will keep the spigots wide open as possible not knowing the potential economic impacts of the virus in China. We expect the Fed next week to maintain an overly accommodative stance mentioning that they have an eye on China worried about the potential hit to our and global growth. Expect the Bank of China to make further accommodative moves too and the government to add additional fiscal stimulus to help offset the near term hit to growth at the absolutely worst time, the Lunar New Year.

Since money makes the world go around, all of this monetary accommodation happening as near-term growth is in question due to the virus means that far more money is being created than needed in the real economy. Where will it go? Risk assets. Sounds like the story of 2019 when global growth slowed, interest rates went down and stock markets soared.

The difference today is that the global growth is ready to reaccelerate for all the reasons stated above and over the last few weeks. Once we get a handle on the real impact of the virus and it gets contained which is our base case, watch what happens to global growth. It will really move forward at a growing sequential rate into 2021 and beyond until the monetary authorities begin stepping on the brakes. BUT don’t expect that anytime soon!

Investment Conclusions

We, along with everyone else, are saddened and worried by the outbreak of coronavirus in China. It is a tragedy of the highest proportions and we really feel for the Chinese people and all those directly and indirectly affected. We are confident that President Xi is moving as quickly as possible to care for those affected, control the outbreak from spreading, and minimize the impact on his people and their economy. But don’t expect this to end overnight. Be patient. Be willing to look over the valley and think as an investor.

The global economy, including China, was clearly on the cusp of growth reacceleration. Unfortunately, it may now be delayed until the outbreak is contained. But it will happen, as has been the case many times before, when other viral outbreaks have occurred around the world. We take solace knowing that there are tremendous resources, knowledge, and focus being used to solve /contain this outbreak.

Our portfolios remain concentrated in technology, especially the semis, as it is the right place to invest for all seasons; global industrial, capital goods and machinery companies who will benefit from fiscal stimulus and an acceleration in global growth; financials, especially U.S money center banks, who are undervalued earning 15+% return on equity, high dividends and increasing buybacks; low cost, high yielding industrial commodity companies as supply growth is below demand growth which will lead to higher price realizations; agricultural companies; some retail, especially housing related; and many special situations whose intrinsic value is far above current prices. We own no bonds and are flat the dollar.

The weekly Investment webinar will be held Monday morning at 8:30 am EST. You can join by entering https://zoom.us/j/9179217852 into your browser, Feel free to send questions in advance to [email protected] if you’d like.

Remember to review all the facts; pause, reflect and consider mindset shifts; turn off the pundits/experts; look at your asset mix with risk controls; listen to as many company earnings’ calls as possible; do independent research and…

Invest Accordingly!

Bill Ehrman

Paix et Prospérité LLC

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sgvalleytransporter-blog · 5 years

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Disgruntled Rideshare Drivers: An Open Letter to the Rideshare Industry

Disgruntled rideshare drivers are cancerous to the rideshare community. A smart and prudent industry would do whatever it takes to overcome the cancer.

Let me begin this post by acknowledging that the source of this post is based on my feelings. Statistics, data, and rock solid evidence won’t find a foothold here.

However, I do know people. I know that managing people effectively will ensure the growth and prosperity of a business, whatever that business is.

Dear Mr and Mrs Lyft/Uber,

I find it somewhat disheartening that you don’t seem to understand that you have disgruntled rideshare drivers within your organization. Yes, rideshare drivers have bright, shiny, attractive apps for our phones. We see the polished TV commercials touting the companies we represent and we applaud your effort to present an amazing product to the consumer. However on the inside…at the ground level, your drivers are revolting.

Affective Management is About How You Make Us Feel

Managing a progressive company is not about pulling in tons of revenue. Managing a great company is not about presenting the most polished image. Running a good company is not about developing partnerships with other entities.

Operating a landmark company is about effectively managing those on the bottom rung of your organization. In this case, it’s us….the drivers. If the people on the bottom rung of your organization are happy, you will pull in tons of revenue. If the people on the bottom rung of your organization are happy, you will present a polished image. When the people on the bottom rung of your organization are happy, other entities will want to develop partnerships with you.

How Do You Make Us Feel?

There’s an old adage which goes “It’s not what you say, it’s how you say it”. This adage is spot on when it comes to the messages that you send to us.

Your industry isn’t in decline. It’s growing. But yet wages seem to be decreasing. You are prospering, yet the expenses that we are incurring to help your companies prosper are increasing. How can you not know and understand that this issue might cause some of us to become disgruntled? And more importantly, how can you not see and understand that the more disenfranchised we become, the more cancerous your service and or product becomes to the consumer.

Disgruntled Rideshare Drivers Have Feelings Too

I’ve driven for Lyft for years. One of the perks Lyft offers is a free soda at 7/11 (once per day) and the use of their restrooms. I don’t want to diminish this offering. We as drivers are appreciative of any freebie we can get.

But on the other hand, suppose for one moment that you issued a statement which read something like “We know and understand that the cost of fuel is a major concern for our drivers. Therefore, we have decided to attach our wage scale to the daily median price of fuel. As fuel costs increase, our wages will increase accordingly. As fuel prices decrease, likewise we will adjust our wages accordingly“.

Now place yourself in our shoes and tell me which of these “perks” would make you feel cared for as a driver the most? Which would give the average driver the incentive to hit the streets and produce even more revenue for you? Higher wages as compensation when fuel prices are at an all-time high, or a free soda from 7/11?

Maybe I’m missing something here. I’m not a business major. And I don’t want to insult your intelligence, but some issues don’t seem to require a college degree to be solved. Make your people feel cared for, and they will produce a ton of revenue for you.

You Hurt My Feelings

When I first began driving for Lyft, you guys offered a driving bonus to incentivize drivers to spend more time behind the wheel. I’m more of a family man, so these bonuses never appealed to me. However, my wife and I set some financial goals for our family and we saw where these bonuses might come in handy for some projects we’d like to do around the house.

So having the option to go after these bonuses, I decided to start working to earn them each week. The bonus requirements were as follows: 120 rides to earn a $97.00 bonus. Then on top of that if I provide an additional 10 rides, I would earn an additional $30.00 for a total of $127.00 in bonuses in exchange for 130 rides per week.

You Changed the Rules

I met the minimum bonus requirement 3 weeks in a row and had worked out a method of achieving my weekly goal on an ongoing basis. But then, you increased the bonus requirement on me. You increased the minimum bonus requirement to 140 rides to receive a bonus of $125.00. Then on top of that if I provided an additional 25 rides, I would receive an additional $57.00 for a total of $182.00 in bonuses in exchange for 165 rides per week.

Once again, 3 weeks in a row I fulfilled the minimum bonus requirement. On the following Monday morning, I checked my app and the option to achieve the driving bonus was removed from my app. During the previous six weeks I had driven for Lyft more than I had in the previous 2 years. I had transported more passengers and I enjoyed driving for Lyft more than I had ever before. But I was shut down (at least that’s the way I was made to feel), because I worked out a way to attain goals that were never meant to be attained. They were window dressing and not bonuses offered in sincerity.

Creating Disgruntled Rideshare Drivers

I spoke to the Lyft support staff about having my driving challenge removed. They told me that the driver challenges were offered randomly and that they are never guaranteed. It’s somehow hard for me to believe that a bonus option that was available to me for over 2 years while I wasn’t interested in achieving it, was somehow taken away from me once I started achieving it.

But let’s give the benefit of the doubt here. Suppose you were absolutely transparent and truthful with me about the driver bonus. I’d like to ask you how your actions could be percieved by me, the hard-working rideshare driver? Would it boost moral or would it be considered just another method of creating disgruntled rideshare drivers?

Help Us Help You

The vast majority of us drive for you because WE WANT TO drive for you, not because we have to drive for you. We enjoy driving, we enjoy being our own bosses and we enjoy meeting people.

Now get this…WE WANT TO DO WHAT YOU NEED US TO DO.

And taking this fact a step further, not only do we want to do what you need us to do, we’re willing to use our own equipment at our own expense to do what you need us to do. Most large companies would kill to have a workforce who wanted to do a job so badly that they were willing to use their own vehicles to get the job done. Why on earth would you take such a segment of the workforce and make things difficult for us financially or otherwise?

So once again we circle back to the proper (or improper) management of people. Manage the people on the lowest rung of your company correctly, and your company will become a Fortune 500 company. Manage your workforce incorrectly, and the future of your company will face contention, turmoil and an extremely high turn over rate. Which is where we find ourselves today.

That’s just one rideshare drivers’ opinion….

The SGValleyTransporter

#uber #lyft #lyftdriver #uberdriver #rideshare

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roraewrites · 6 years

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thirty

[ sakura’s secret ] rating: m

// sorry for the long wait~

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Throughout the following days, it became their schedule that Sakura would return to his condo, meeting Sasuke a block away from her house and he would drive her to his building. Whether it started with kissing in the car, to waiting until they made it back to his condo, by the end of the night, Sasuke and Sakura would be lying next to one another on the mattress of his bed.

He wasn’t sure what he liked more — the way she looked when she was close to coming, or the way she breathed his name into his ear. Regardless, he would hold her close before she fell asleep next to him, bare chest to his and it was everything he wanted in life.

“Sasuke?” She murmured softly, voice tired and eyes glossy with promised sleep.

He glanced down at her while his fingers continued to run through her silk, pastel locks. He didn’t need to speak, only meet her eyes with his and that’s when she smiled one of his favorite smiles.

“I should probably go home tonight,” she whispered but there was something laced in her tone that didn’t sit well with him. He raised a brow in question, arms wrapped around her as he held her close.

Sasuke absolutely hated when she didn’t stay the night with him. It left a bittersweet feeling to sit on his tongue, mind running wild with thoughts when he laid in bed alone, eyes tracing shapes on the ceiling above as he continued to think of her. He wasn’t sure when he started to form feelings for her, but now all he craved and all he wanted was the pinkette.

“I can take you home.”

He used such a monotone voice, clearly unhappy but he wanted to do what was best for her. After all, she still lived under her parent’s roof and what they were doing was still risky business — even the dreams he endured sometimes made him wake up in the middle of the night, sweat coating his forehead while he tried to relax his breathing. He knew they were bound to get caught, but if they could make it until the end of the school year, then things would be good, right?

It was a question he always asked himself, especially when he was alone or on his way to work. It never failed that he would drive himself into a corner of his minding with pounding thoughts while anxiety swelled in his chest. It usually ate away at him, proving that his overthinking mind was stronger than his will of getting over them but Sasuke would always end up thinking about green eyes and soft, strawberry hair.

Sakura was a calming thought for him, one he would always refer to in the most stressful of situations and even now, lying in his bed looking at her, he felt his lips slowly curve at the ends before dipping his head down to press a soft kiss to her forehead.

He finally let her go and once she left his side and walked to his bathroom, he already missed the warmth of her own body pressed to his.

Monday mornings always seemed to be the most annoying days to Sasuke. As he sat in his room, he continued to look over papers that he failed to grade over the weekend. It had been over a week since Sakura had turned eighteen and he felt like an idiot for reverting back to his teens years — he could hardly control his thoughts or his other head when it came to her.

He rolled his eyes and pushed his black locks from his face before exhaling. He continued to mark papers, reading through the answers and then grading accordingly.

Annoying, he thought as he read yet another paper. It wasn’t that his homeroom class had a lot of troubled kids, they just never elaborated or bothered to explain their answers and that’s what would take him longer to grade. The younger Uchiha usually gave them the benefit of the doubt, though.

Once more, he marked a paper with a good grade and continued onto the next, only to have a small knock on his door pull him from his thoughts.

“Hn,” he greeted to the man that stood in the entryway.

The silver haired man smiled from underneath his mask and although Sasuke didn’t mind it, the mask usually made his skin crawl. He raised his brow before welcoming him in.

“You’re here early.”

“I have some work to do, so I figured I would come in and get started,” he responded with an even voice. It wasn’t every day that the school’s principal would wander into his class, but Sasuke figured it was a nice break from the grading and reading.

“Have a busy weekend?”

He raised the opposite brow this time, clearly confused as to why this man wanted to know of his personal business when he never cared to ask before. He opted to shrug before sitting back in his chair, letting it squeak from under his weight.

“There were some activities,” he retorted while trying to fight the blush that itched to be let out. This was usually when he thanked himself for having longer hair, because it was easier to cover his face.

“Ah,” the man took a seat on one of his student’s desks. “I see.”

Silence fell upon them, making Sasuke squirm slightly from under the watchful eyes of Kakashi. He didn’t bother to look away though, only sat across from the older man and watched as he read the papers that sat on his desk.

“Someone had left me an email this weekend.”

His words broke the silence and while he shouldn’t have cared, a fire lit in the gut of his stomach.

“And?” Sasuke asked. Why should he care if the principal got a voicemail?

“It’s in regards to you, actually.”

Now he could feel his mind start to kick into overdrive, thinking of all the possibilities that it could’ve been about but the only thought that continued to circulate was that somebody probably saw him with Sakura. He swallowed hard before pressing his elbows to the flat of his desk, his chin coming to rest in his hands.

Deny, deny, deny, he told himself as he fought the nauseating feeling in his stomach.

“I’m not sure if you know him, but the man himself actually works at a different high school. He’s not from this city, but he’s taken great interest in you.”

Deny.

“He’s left both his email and number. If he doesn’t respond to a call at first, he says you’re more than welcome to email him. Although, I would be careful with dealing with this man, as he doesn’t have the best of reputations.”

It was more of a warning than anything, but Sasuke couldn’t quite figure out why Kakashi was telling him this. If the man had taken interest in Sasuke as a teacher, then why did he feel the need to tell him about the other things? He remained quiet and waited for Kakashi to clear his throat before continuing.

“While his high school does exceptionally well and his students excel at everything they do, it’s more of a private school than anything. The fact that he’s interested in you is a compliment, but as I said before, I’d be careful when it comes to dealing with him.”

“Why are you telling me this?” Sasuke couldn’t hold it in any longer. He was curious, partially numb to the overwhelming thoughts in his head as he continued to listen to Kakashi.

The man merely smiled from under his mask before shrugging. “Because you’re a good man with a good track record. Feel free to look him up before you decide if you want to go through with emailing or calling him. He goes by Orochimaru — should be easy if you look him up under the high school located in Oto.”

Before Kakashi left Sasuke to continue his work, he slid a piece of paper with the man’s email and phone number onto his desk which Sasuke grabbed at. He held the paper in front of him, eyes scanning the number and words before clicking his tongue.

“Thank you. I’ll do my research.”

“Have a good day, Sasuke.”

He usually took his lunch a little later in the day when he didn’t have a class going on. It was typically when Sakura was attending Gai’s class and luckily for him, they were doing a physical fitness challenge that day.

Sasuke remembered back towards the beginning of the year when Sakura easily ran the mile, clearly proving that she’s more than a pretty face with a tiny body — she’s stronger than she lets on, he concluded that day.

Now he’s sitting outside with more papers and a bowl of soup before him, eyes casually glancing in her direction whenever it’s her turn to perform. Today he’s making his class do an assortment of different exercises: crunches, push ups, pull ups and another mile run.

He must’ve missed her running the mile again, but he can see that she’s sweating as she continued to breathe with each crunch that she did. It was easy to see the muscles in her legs ripple when she came back up, while the muscles in her arms adjusted slightly when she went back down. He can’t help but smile, looking away and going back to grading paperwork.

He knows her body, knows the way it feels, knows how it looks when he’s grabbing her or she’s grabbing him. His heart then slammed into his ribcage as he clicked his tongue.

Orochimaru’s number is still in the pocket of his shirt and he can’t help but continue to think back to what exactly the man wanted from him. As much as he wanted to call, he doesn’t; after Kakashi left him in his room, that’s when the Uchiha decided to pull him up on the internet and casually scroll through the man’s information on there.

There wasn’t much, but he didn’t exactly have the best of reputations. His school excelled, just like Kakashi had said, but other than that, there wasn’t much that many cons to the man. He looked creepy with sleep black hair and snake-like eyes, almost like Sasuke had seen him somewhere recently and it sent chills down his spine.

Guy’s whistle pulled him from his thoughts then and that’s when he decided to pack his belongings and head back to class. He still had an hour to get through the day and one of his favorite classes was next on the schedule.

He gets to see Sakura, after all.

“I’m assuming you all finished your work that was assigned over the weekend,” he started his lecture for the day. His eyes take a moment to glance around the room, mostly to find Sakura’s vivid eyes staring back at him, and he can see the playful smile that pulled her lips back as he makes eye contact with her.

“Now,” he started once more. “If you could start by turning your books to page —”

“Uchiha-sensei, there’s a call in the office for you.”

He stopped, his eyes looking at the intercom and listening to the voice coming through it. A glare pulled at his brows before he sighed. He can hear some of his students giggle while others let out a soft hum, jokingly mocking him but he ignored it before walking to the door. What kind of urgent call could it be this time?

It best not be that Orochimaru, he thought to himself.

“Sakura is in charge until I get back. If anyone is to act up, I expect that she’ll tell me.” He doesn’t do it to intentionally embarrass her, but he hears her inhale almost immediately while some of the other students whined in protest.

He walked at a fast pace, practically rushing to get to the office only to take a call that would interrupt his last hour of the day.

They couldn’t wait until I was done with teaching? He thought to himself as he entered the office. He walked passed the school receptionist and straight to the room that allowed the school’s staff to make phone calls if needed.

He saw the light flashing on the phone, and as soon as he picked up, everything around him silenced.

“Sasuke?”

It was Itachi and the tone of his voice was enough to make him sick. Nausea rolled in his stomach while the blood in his body rushed to his ears. He could hear his heart thud there too, beating angrily as he waited for Itachi to continue; he couldn’t even speak, let alone answer his own brother because he sounded panicked enough that Sasuke wasn’t sure what to think.

“It’s mom and dad, Sasuke.”

“What? What happened?” He could hardly breathe now as he waited for Itachi’s answer. All he could hear was the rushing of people on the other end, tons of conversation and the occasional intercom that sounded in the waiting room at hospitals. His grip on the phone tightened as he bit back his answer and impatience.

“They got in a bad wreck. Dad is in critical condition and mom isn’t responsive. It took nearly two hours to get her out of the vehicle, according to the police. They weren’t responsible for the wreck, but it was a head on collision.”

The more he talked, the angrier Sasuke grew. He wanted to slam the phone back down and run away until he reached his family. Along with the anger, he bit back the tears — he couldn’t lose his mother or his father.

“I’ll be there soon,” he spoke quickly before hanging up and just like that, he excused himself from work for the rest of the day.

He couldn’t focus on the cars around him or the honking of people that he had cut off. It was a race to get to the hospital, and by the time he pulled into the parking lot, it was a dead sprint to get inside. From there, he found Itachi sitting in one of the chairs, cheeks pale and face resting in his hands as he rocked back and forth in his seat.

“Where are they?” Sasuke asked as soon as he walked up to his brother. It was clear to him that the staff there had been extremely busy, as there were multiple other people in the waiting room.

Itachi didn’t answer, let alone look at his brother. He only continued to rock in his chair until Sasuke placed his hand on his shoulder and stopped him. “Itachi?”

“They’re both in ICU. No visitors.”

His voice was cold and distant, enough to send Sasuke’s mind spiraling into another void of anxiety and overthinking. It became hard to breathe due to the lump that formed in his throat; he could hardly feel his heart in his chest as he let himself sit on the floor next to Itachi.

Sasuke checked his watch then, reading the time before he let his back come to rest against the wall. He knew he was going to be here all night and into the next day, possibly longer than that. Before he got too comfortable, he stood before letting Itachi know he was stepping out to make a phone call.

“Kakashi? It’s Sasuke.”

“Ah, I heard you had to leave today. Is everything okay?”

Is everything okay? Sasuke wanted to laugh, he wanted to scream and yell into the phone but he bit back the urge to get angry and opted to sigh instead.

“No.”

His response was short, cold, distant — much like Itachi’s voice had been only minutes ago. It took him awhile to continue, but there wasn’t anything left for him to say. On the other end of the phone, he could hear Kakashi type away at his computer before the squeak of his chair sounded.

“Take the rest of the week off.”

It wasn’t that Sasuke wanted to take the rest of the week off, but he wasn’t going to argue it. His father was in critical condition and his mother wasn’t responding; he needed to be here for them, be brave and strong for Itachi while they waited for answers and being at work just wasn’t going to cut it.

“Thank you,” he responded before hanging up.

When he glanced at the screen on his phone, that’s when he saw not one, but two messages from a certain pink haired girl. It set his heart ablaze, fire searing in his lungs as he thought about what he was going to say to her. Instead of opening the messages though, he instead pulled the piece of paper from the pocket of his shirt.

His dark eyes read over the number, taking in what Kakashi had said and what he had read on the internet about Orochimaru, but there was something nagging him in the back of his mind. Sasuke knew he was going to have to help out his family, whether it be with medical expenses or trying to get them back on their feet.

He knew that the job he had now wasn’t going to supply enough money. In inhaled deeply before shoving it back in his pocket and headed back into the hospital.

His mind was in too much of a haze to be making decisions that serious and permanent right now. Once he entered the hospital, he took his seat next to Itachi and in silence, they began the long waiting process until it was time to see their parents.

Even then, he didn’t feel any sort of attachment to anything in the world. His chest was numb, his mind empty and heart completely shattered at the news of his parents.

It was now three in the morning and there had been no news on their parents. Itachi was fast asleep next to Sasuke and as much as he wanted to sleep, he couldn’t.

Instead, he pulled his phone from his pocket and typed up an email, sending it almost as quickly as he had typed it.

I’d like to set up a time to call you in the near future, Orochimaru.

#sasusaku #sasusaku fanfiction #ss fanfiction #rrstories #ronan rae #long post #s/t

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romansroys · 7 years

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"#also now im thinking about lovett hiring an assistant a lot #au where lovett hires favs or tommy as an assistant idc who im flexible#and yknow things happen and eventually they fuck" expand on this please

yikes this extremely got away from me but i have expanded

ok so lovett gets his show and they’re planning the budget or whatever and they point out “oh hey you’re co-creator and a head writer you get an assistant” and it’s not that he minds the idea of someone doing all of his menial tasks for him and having to listen to his every word but he doesn’t care that much and having an assistant seems weird so he avoids it for awhile until he loses track of meeting times and what he’s supposed to be doing at any given hour and concedes that ok he needs an assistant

he hands a pile of applications off to a random PA on the show and tells them to narrow it down and waves them away when they grumble about how his assistant should do this and just yells back “im working on it!” eventually one day he comes in to the office and eight resumes are on his desk and there’s a block of 5 hours on his schedule for interviews

by the time lovett gets to number eight he’s bored and tired and cranky and sick of talking to 22 year olds so he’s shocked when a tall attractive blonde guy who seems closer to lovett’s age than anyone else he’s talked to today walks in. he briefly glances through the guy’s resume and notices a few semi-high profile press positions, lovett squints at the guy who looks like he could be a von trapp child when he sits down across from him

“are you here as a joke?” lovett asks before von trapp can say anything.

“excuse me?”

“it seems like you’re pretty accomplished, i’m just trying to figure out why you’re applying as my assistant.” lovett glances back down at his resume. “you worked at the state department!”

“you worked at the white house.”

“sure, but i’m the showrunner and co-creator. i am extremely talented, yknow? i’ve already gotten to the top of one field so i’m working on the next.”

“me too. except i like to start at the bottom.” the guy flashes a smile at lovett and he’s helpless to the flush that creeps up his cheeks.

“okay, you’re hired.” lovett works extra hard to make sure his voice doesn’t crack embarrassingly.

“i’m hired?”

“yeah, you’re not annoying, plus you’re older than me and i like the idea of getting to boss an elder around.” this time it’s lovett’s turn to smirk as von trapp turns bright red, the flush spreading down his neck. “just show up on monday.” lovett says as he gets up, leaving his new assistant alone in his office.

“oh, and don’t bring me fries. EVER!” lovett yells over his shoulder as he walks away.

the blonde guy (lovett really has to find his resume again or ask him his name) shows up right on time monday morning, which is notable because lovett is…late. his new assistant is waiting in a chair right outside his office.

“are you always late? should i adjust my schedule accordingly?”

“no, i am not always late!” lovett ignores the snort that comes from somewhere behind him at that statement. “if you must know, my dog wanted to go on a really long walk this morning.”

“you have a dog.” his assistant says out loud, like he’s cataloguing it in his brain to pull out later.

“yeah, and if you’re lucky maybe you’ll get to meet her. she’s an angel.”

“i’m sure she is.” lovett stops and turns around to look at him, trying to determine whether von trapp is joking or not (it’d be nice to know his name but it’s almost too embarrassing to ask after hiring him and clearly the guy already thinks he’s incompetent). he can’t read the guy’s face but he looks so earnest, lovett huffs.

“she is! god, i already need another coffee.”

“i’ll be back, then.” his assistant smiles and taps twice on the door frame.

a week later lovett finds his assistant’s resume on his desk and discovers his name is tommy. a grown adult named tommy…lovett feels like he should’ve taken note of this earlier. the next time he sees tommy he can’t help but mention.

“so you’re almost 30 and you go by tommy?” tommy looks up surprised from where he’s scribbling notes on a sheet of paper.

“i’m a fourth.”

“you’re a what?”

“thomas vietor the fourth.” he mutters and lovett snorts. “tom and thomas were both taken.”

“wow i already pegged you as the WASPiest person i’ve ever met, and you’re even more of a WASP than i thought.”

“i’m going to take that as a compliment.” tommy replies.

“it wasn’t meant as one.”

“that’s okay.”

it takes a little while but lovett discovers that tommy is incredibly funny. he’s good at sarcasm and self-deprecation and he regularly makes lovett laugh, so it’s only fitting when he starts having tommy help him work on scripts. and lovett can’t stay at the office all hours of the day, he has a dog, so it makes sense when these brainstorming sessions happen at lovett’s house instead of his office. It’s not weird that they spend their nights together or that pundit loves tommy more than she loves everyone besides lovett.

when lovett has a date one night and spends the entire three days beforehand complaining about how he looks every time he glances in a mirror, tommy starts ignoring his lunch requests and only bringing him variations of salads and grilled chicken.

“i get a free visitor pass with my gym membership.” tommy mentions offhand one day.

“first the salads, now the gym. are you trying to tell me something?”

“no! i-” tommy clears his throat. “i think you look great. but you seemed unhappy, you’ve been complaining a lot. so i was just offering…”

“you think i look great, huh?” tommy’s entire face flushes red.

“lovett.” he half-heartedly tries to shame him, but lovett can’t stop grinning.

“i’d love to go to the gym with you, tommy. are there any other hot guys there?”

“other hot guys?” lovett rolls his eyes.

“cmon, you know your biceps look obscene in that baseball shirt.”

“i like this shirt.”

“oh, i like it too.” lovett grins and winks at tommy.

so that’s how things go for awhile. lovett spends his days with tommy at work; having tommy take notes in meetings and making fun of the big wigs behind their back, they eat whatever healthy lunch tommy picks up for them together, they work out at the gym, and at night they end up at lovett’s house rewriting jokes and sketching out storylines. sometimes they flirt, but lovett is pretty sure it doesn’t mean anything, tommy is obscenely attractive and probably has his pick of hollywood gays. and lovett is boring and also his boss.

so it’s a total shock when tommy slams into lovett’s office one day, out of breath and seemingly angry.

“i can’t date my boss!”

“um, okay?” lovett is not sure where this is going and he’s not sure he likes it.

“i’m a responsible adult.”

“i know, it’s why i hired you. you never let me eat french fries!”

“you hired me because i was older than you.” tommy mumbles and lovett shrugs.

“po-tay-to, po-tah-to.”

“i can’t date my boss.” tommy repeats as lovett watches him pace back and forth across the office. tommy seems to be mumbling to himself but lovett’s working out tommy’s comments in his head.

“are you saying you want to date me?” he finally asks trying to keep the hysteria out of his voice, tommy stops in his tracks.

“i-”

“i mean, of course you do, who wouldn’t want to?” lovett chuckles nervously at tommy’s non-reaction. “but then again you have, like, visible muscles and a strong jaw and i look like this. anyway, i was going to promote you to staff writer. you’re way too fucking smart to be my assistant and-”

the rest of what lovett was about to say gets cut off as tommy grabs lovett by the shirt and hauls him forward, kissing him. tommy’s hands slide down lovett’s chest and tommy grips his hips firmly. lovett puts his all into kissing tommy, pushing himself up on his toes, getting his hands into tommy’s hair, and opening his mouth. lovett can’t manage to suppress a moan when tommy walks him backwards and presses lovett into his desk.

tommy turns his attention to lovett’s neck, sucking a mark into the junction where lovett’s neck meets his shoulder.

“you know, even if you’re on the writing staff, i’m still your boss.” lovett manages to gasp out.

“hmm?” tommy hums, and lovett can feel it against his neck.

“i am very much in charge in this relationship.”

“shut up, lovett.” tommy mutters as he flicks the button open on lovett’s jeans.

“yeah, okay.”

#jon is the boss but tommy is in charge!!!!!#podsa

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lizshine74 · 4 years

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I love the feeling when a new story starts to take shape...

I wrote the prologue of my new story last week. It’s maybe 1000 words, maybe not even, and I know I will need to go back to it. It took me two weeks to write. I dipped out of writing often to research. I spent a fair amount of time just staring at the blank page. I wasn’t in love with at the end.

This morning I started in on chapter one. This book is a multiple point-of-view book about three women who were in college together and have grown apart. It’s about the scripts we fall into and how difficult it can be to rewrite those scripts. It’s also about isolation and how social media shapes our thoughts and feelings. I think. It’s awfully early to say what the book is about, but I think it is about those things.

As I started chapter one, I almost immediately had that skull-shining feeling that one gets when a story begins to take shape around you, when it’s no longer just you trying to type words on the page, but there are these characters, and these places, and these desires that you want to follow to the end.

Needless to say, writing went well this morning. Despite the fact that my brain glitched and stalled when I first sat up in bed at four and reached for my laptop. No matter how tempted I was when I say that my computer was going to take time to update to just close the damn thing and go to bed.

Interested in hiring me as a coach to get you boosted with your writing goals? Find free resources and information here. Some past posts to keep you making time: Adjust your pace accordingly. It’s about the routine and how you shake up the routine There are things you will have to give up See it to achieve it Washing the dishes Write slowly A celebration of the pause Monday, a run through the driving rain Zen accident Get out of your comfort zone

I love the feeling when a new story starts to take shape… was originally published on Make Time.

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liddie-realestate-blog · 5 years

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6 Things Every Seller Needs To Know Before You Try To Sell Your House.

youtube

Edwin Liddie here with the Liddie Real Estate Group brokered by Jp & associate realtors. Our office is located in South Lake, Tx. Today I wanted to share six things every seller needs to know before you try to sell your house.

1. Don't over price your house.

You're probably attached to your home because you have lived in it for a long time and made it your own. It means everything to you but now it's time to sell. You are thinking it's worth a whole lot of money and that could be the case. However, the price point on your house should reflect what the house is actually worth, not what you feel you can get for the house.

The value of your home is based upon what we call Comps. We have to look at homes similar to yours around your area that are selling. The question is, what was someone willing to pay for it? For example, let's say you want to market your house for $300,000. You think that you can get $300,000 for your two-story house. It’s a 3000 square foot home in a very nice area. We need to find the same kind of house with a similar amount of bedrooms/bathrooms in the same area and see what it's sold for.

If we can find a similar home in your area that was sold for $300,000 there's a good chance that based upon the similarities, we’ll be able to sell your house for around the same $300,000 price point because that house sold recently. However, if there is another home that was sold for the same $300,000 with included upgrades such as new countertops, wood floors, stainless steel appliances and brand-new windows, there is a chance that your home won’t be as valued as the other home that was willing to upgrade. This is called comps, it’s typically what we look for.

It's no different than when you're under contract and someone is buying your home. The bank sends an appraiser out who is looking at Comps. They are looking at what you have in your house and other homes in the area that sold as close as possible to your home. Sometimes they are able to say Yes because they found a home worth justifying. But sometimes they say no, the home is not worth what they're asking for, for lack of justification.

However, in your situation, I want to talk about pricing your home accordingly.

Do not let an agent talk you into pricing your house astronomically high just to bring it back down! If the agent says, “Let's overprice your home because we can always bring the price back down”, that should be a red flag!

Think about this. You are in a grocery store looking for fruit, let’s use an apple. You know those apples are pretty expensive. You know one apple is a $1.75 because it's organic.

You walk into the store and you're accustomed to buying those apples for a $1.75 but when you go in there, they are $0.75. Your first thought is, why are these apples so inexpensive? Right? Because you know the value. But when you overprice your house and then dramatically reduce it back to where it should have been to begin with, it's a red flag. People are looking at it like “Why did you drop the price of the house significantly. What's wrong with it?” or “That's a desperate seller!” or “I can take advantage of them because obviously they need to sell because they just reduced it by such a large amount.” Any of the above. So, to avoid this you have to price it correctly.

I know step one was pretty lengthy, but it needed to be covered. There are a lot of agents in the market today who do it wrong. That's the best way I can put it. When you're dealing with one of the biggest assets that you have, you want to make sure that you do it right!

You have one chance to impress the person looking to buy your house. You have one chance to convince them with the way it looks, the way its priced, the way it smells, and the location. Everything. Don’t blow it!

2. Be honest about the condition of your house.

You know what's going on with your house better than anyone. You know the sounds you hear during the night. You know if the AC doesn't cool like it should. You know if the stove is not working properly. You know if you've had water problems. You know if the toilets are not flushing adequately. You know what’s going on better than anyone else because you live in that house. Which means you know what type of work needs to be done.

Take into consideration that if you don't fix it, it will come out during the process. Someone is on the contract; they're going to do one of two things. They are going to ask you to fix it or they're going to for ask money, so they can fix it. Remember, you're trying to get the most amount of money for your house, right? The better condition the house is in is the less they ask for. They may try if they have a savvy realtor, but if it's not broken, you don't have to fix it.

Just be honest. If you’re unsure of what to do, you can pay a couple of hundred bucks and have an inspector come in. They will inspect your home from top to bottom and report everything that is wrong with your home. This can help prepare you for the buyers. A buyer that has a good agent, will suggest an inspection so they can have their own report. The report is used for leverage. The more issues is the more they ask. Nowadays they don't even want you to fix it. From what I see, they don't want you fixing anything, they just want the money so they can do it themselves and make sure it's done right.

So, if there is something wrong with your house be open and honest with your realtor and tell them. You will have to disclose it anyway. The seller’s disclosure is a part of a contract that you have to fill out and is given to potential buyers. It would be best to either fix it or get a quote to fix it and give them a credit, so they can fix it on their own or be ready to have a price adjustment to offset the repairs that need to be done. You can't get away from it, it has to be done. Either you’re going to do it or they’re going to do it or, you’re going to pay for it.

3.Allow people to come see your home.

You got your house on the market and want to get it sold. You have to allow people to be able to see it. I’ve had this happen to me and needed to discuss it. You have to make your home available for potential buyers to see! No one buys a house site unseen. If they have a realtor, the good realtors tell them they will not draft the contract until you've seen the house. Make your home available. You can't consider your hours only; you have to consider the person buying your house. They may not off of work until 6pm Monday through Friday. The only time they may be able to see your home is during the week after 6pm.

It doesn't have to be every day but pick a couple of days in the week where you allow later showings. Remember, the goal is to sell your house! The person that you didn’t allow to see your home just may have been the person that was going to buy your home. All time frames are negotiable. Did you know that you can tell your realtor the days you prefer someone to see your home? From the days you want them to see, don’t want them to see, the time they come and the amount of time they are allowed in the home.

All of this can be negotiated.

Be honest and open but consider other people. Don't set an impossible time. If the only time you show your home is Saturday mornings between 9 A.M. and 2 P.M. you are going to have a hard time selling. Most people work from 9 to 5, Monday through Friday, sometimes Tuesday through Saturday. Time frames will vary. They need to be able to interact with your home and feel like it could be their own. This is not going to happen if they don't see your house.

Make your home available! It is key!

4. Choose the right realtor.

This is near and dear to my heart. You really want to work with a realtor that understands your situation. They are not just in it for the money, per se, but they actually have empathy for what you are going through. A lot of times sellers are not selling because they can sell and just look to buy something new. A lot of times they're selling because they quickly need to sell.

Their situation may have changed. Life may have thrown them a curve ball. Maybe they could no longer afford to maintain a mortgage and live in that house. So, you need to work with a realtor that can relate. You want a realtor that is going to take the time to listen to you and understand your issues, concerns, time frames of when you need to be out of your home and what you're trying to accomplish.

One of the worst things in life is to deal with someone that doesn’t care. This is a big deal. I take this personal! That is why I don't like to take on too many clients at once. I hear realtors say, “I closed 100 deals or 150 deals!” I scratch my head and think, you know what, that's a lot to take on when your hands on. I only have two hands, so I need to make sure that I'm all in what I do. You need to work with somebody that's all in.

I remember I was working with a lady, Miss Smith, she's an older person, very lovely young lady. Her situation in life just changed. She was living in a very nice house and needed to sell quickly. She knew the house needed a lot of work. Her main concern to me was “Edwin, I know the house needs work, but I don't have the money to do the work, help me. I don't know what to do.” My wife and I were able to sit down and take the time to explain the entire process. We explained that we needed to price the situation accordingly to reflect that the house needed work. Not only did we do such a good job getting this house on the market, we had cash buyers lined up when we put the coming soon sign up. When she received the offer, she accepted it in less than 24 hours. However, this is not going to be the case all the time. But that reflects pricing it correctly, marketing it correctly, and understanding the client's needs.

She was able to move and didn't have to write a check for any repairs. She didn't have to fix one thing and she was happy about it! She gave me a video review which you can see at https://www.liddierealestate.com/. Whether there is a story behind why you have to sell, or there's just no story at all, work with an agent that cares about your house and getting it sold. It makes a difference. You want an agent who is going to have your back, negotiate on your behalf, transparent, forthcoming and realistic. If you do that, you'll be able to sell your house. There are too many homes on the market that didn't sell for many different reasons. It starts with the agent. Find a good agent. If you need one in Dallas/Ft worth I'm here. Call me, I'm more than happy to help.

I may decide not to take you on as a client, I don't take on everyone as a client. The situation has to be right for both of us and it starts with a conversation. So, if you're one of those people, let's talk about it.

5. Don’t trust people that say they can cut their commission.

I'm sick and tired of being sick and tired of companies and realtors out there who, just for the sake of being able to sell your home, put it on the market and say they will cut their commission. As an agent, you need to understand that you make a living by selling homes. Whether you have a buyer or a seller, if the house does not sell you don't get paid. Just think about it for a second. Someone is willing to sell your house for free or at a steep discount? Someone is willing to sell your most expensive asset for free?

The process of selling a home is not easy. The first contract is several pages long, the one to four family contract, which states the agreement between both parties in detail. It shows who's going to do what, who's paying for what, timelines etc. If there are any addendums, which are additions to the contract, that’s separate. If there are any amendments, that's separate. Someone is willing to do that for free? Someone is willing to pay money out of their pocket to market your home for free.

Do you see where I'm getting at? In life things that are worth getting you have to pay for. Now look, I know that there are people out there that try to sell their own house. You've got it all figured out but realistically a good agent is able to get you top dollar for your house. They are able to get you qualified buyers. People who have been vetted, who actually have a preapproval.

-Cash buyers. Some situations may require an investor coming in. A good agent is able to work with good investors, not those investment companies out there that says, "Go to this website, plug your house in and we will make you an offer.” I had a client who needed to sell right away. While I was preparing to market, they went on just to get a price from a very popular company. I'm not going to name them, but I would like to! They really got under my skin. They knew that my client needed to sell right away. They knew that “time was of the essence” which is the phrase in the contract.

They acted like they cared and made them an offer over the phone. They said, “We’ll make you this offer” and sent them an email. The original offer, right off the bat, was 8% less than the sales price! The 8% percent was to cover when they sold the house for 6% plus a 2% fee. The offer was 8% less than what the house was on the market for.

What they don’t tell you is that once they make an offer it is contingent upon them coming out with contractors, roof and foundation companies, or structural engineers. They have to come out and assess the property. All of the companies know that by the time they finish assessing they are going to redo their offer or they are going to amend their offer and it's going to be even less. Which is what they did. So it went from 8% percent less than the asking price to by the time they were done with this person they wanted almost $60,000 off the sales price to “Get the house to where I need to be”.

That house did not need all of that work, but this is how a lot of companies get over on people. As a result, people fall for it because they feel like they have no hope. You have help; you have people in the industry that can help you. For crying out loud! I can help you! Call me, even if I don't work with you, I can tell you what to do. I love what I do, I love real estate and I love helping people!

My wife and I are passionate about this. Don't fall into the traps out there from people who just don't care. Understand that you have to consider that there is a cost to get your house sold.

6. Put yourself in a buyers shoes

You want to kind of make it personal. You should be able to look at your house and ask yourself, “If I were buying a house would I buy this house?” For example, detach yourself emotionally and physically from your home. Go outside and get a friend, someone who has nothing to do with your home, bring them in as a partner. I want you to walk your house the way you would when you visit new home construction like a model home.

I want you to tell your friend, “I need you to critique this house. I don't care how good or bad, I need feedback. We're going to do it together. Help me to see it through the eyes of someone who may be looking to buy. I need to know what to do different” They are going to help you see things that you didn't see before. There may be paint colors that you may love but is not realistic for someone to come in and spend a couple of thousand dollars repainting. Just because you love that color it is not neutral. The more you can help the buyer out is the more favor you have.

Try it. Don't get offended if your friend tells you the worst. Receive it and receive it in love. Pick and choose what you need to take from that conversation so you will know what things to change. I hope this helps.

I just wanted to cover six crticial things that I can think of to help you really sell your house for top dollar!

If you need me to come and do this professionally, I have no problem doing that. You can get in touch with me at 682-302-5131.

I will come out or have someone on the team come out and we will sit down and have a conversation. We'll find out why you are selling, how soon you need to sell and where you plan on moving. We’ll find out if you need help with moving or if your purchasing another home or rental. We want to relate to you as a human being. That’s what we are supposed to do as agents. We are supposed to make your job whole lot easier and take a lot of stress out the process. It’s obviously a big deal which might cause some stress, but it should not keep you up at night.

We are the LiddieRealEstateGroup. Our office is in South Lake and we are brokered by Jp and Associate Realtors. We are down to earth professionals that love to help people buy and sell real estate. We try out best to make the process as smooth as possible.

Share with anyone you know that is thinking about buying or selling!

#dallasrealestate realestate dallas realtor dallasrealtor dfw texasrealestate dallastx interiordesign fortworthrealestate homegoods txrealtor

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generalgemini-booknerd · 7 years

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Growth Opportunities: Chapter Five

A/N: Let this be a lesson to all of you: be complementary to a writer and her work, and you might get a new chapter!

if you need a refresher, chapter 4 is here: http://generalgemini-booknerd.tumblr.com/post/159939212239/growth-opportunities-chapter-four

***************************************************************************************************

“Honor! Hold up a sec, will you?”

So much for a quick getaway, she thought to herself. After the meeting had let out, Honor wanted nothing more than to get the hell out of there. Grimacing to herself, she paused mid-stride and slid her headphones down the back of her head, letting the thrumming base line of The Black Keys vibrate gently against her neck. She didn’t know if Professor Evans knew she’d had her music on or not, but she guessed he didn’t really care. If she’d feigned ignorance and tried to act like she hadn’t heard him, he would have stopped her another way. God forbid. A frisson of something hot and electric streaked up her spine at the thought.

Finishing up his conversation with a laugh and a wave, Professor Evans sauntered over to where she stood. Without breaking his stride, he motioned for Honor to follow him, stating, “We’ve got some housekeeping to handle. Let’s head up to my office, shall we?”

With that he set off at a brisk pace, heading for the stairs. His tone brooked no arguments, and Honor was forced to scramble after him. Of course, because it was just the way her life went, Professor Evans appeared to be in excellent shape and mounted the stairs as if he was bouncing on the fluffiest of clouds. Honor, burdened by her too heavy backpack, was out of breath after the first floor. Refusing to let Professor Evans see her sweat literally or figuratively, she grabbed the handrail for ballast and charged forward. By the time she reached the fourth floor, Honor felt like she had just reached the finish line of a 5k. Worse, Professor Evans was already halfway down the hall, unlocking his office door.

Grimacing, Honor reached into the side pocket of her backpack, pulling out her water bottle. Taking a healthy swig, she attempted to delay the inevitable: facing the fact that she was actually working for him. The “”I’m-cooler-than-you, and smart, interesting AND gorgeous” Professor Evans. Too bad he was also a jerk. And took advantage of his position of authority. As she stopped at a nearby water fountain to refill the now-empty bottle, she tried to give herself a pep talk. “Suck it up, buttercup. You took the job, being miserable is only going to make it worse.” She had almost gotten herself together, prepared to be amiable, when she turned to face him. He stood in the open doorway of his office and gestured for Honor to precede him with that smirk on his face. Her fledgling goodwill vanished as she muttered, “Got something against elevators?”

“I do, actually. Claustrophobic. Feel free to take the elevator and meet me next time.” He said it easily though, conspiratorially, as if he were trusting her with one of his biggest secrets. Honor immediately felt like an asshole, and an out of shape asshole at that. She ran around after small children for the better part of everyday. Shouldn’t she be in better shape than this? With a sigh she plunked down into one of the chairs across from his desk. Reaching into her backpack, she withdrew a notebook and rooted around for a pen.

“Relax, Honor. I’m not testing you. You don’t need to take notes.”

Honor threw a withering glance in his direction, but put the notebook back in her bag. She didn’t want to tell him she felt naked and ill at ease without them. She needed something, anything to do with her hands. Feeling his eyes on her, she finally settled for crossing her arms. It was better than sitting on her hands like a five year old, and at this point, she honestly didn’t care if her pose made her look like a defiant teenager in the principle’s office.

“So,” he began, “I just wanted to get together today to go over some expectations I have of you as my TA, and what you might expect of me. I also wanted to go over scheduling, it said on your TA application that you had excellent time management capabilities, but that you needed flexibility. I need a clearer picture. As a rule, we understand that we need to work around TA’s class schedules, do you mean above and beyond that?”

Honor took a deep breath before she began. Straightening in her seat, she replied evenly, “Yes, Professor Evans, I do mean above and beyond my school schedule-”

He interrupted. “Call me Chris, please. I’m not your professor anymore. Go on,” he encouraged.

Honor sighed. Call me Chris. There he was walking that line between nice guy and annoying asshole. It made it hard to get a read on who he really was.

“As I was saying, I have another job besides this job. I’m absolutely willing to work, but if possible, I’m hoping, depending on the work you want me to do, that I be able to-if for instance I were grading test for you-possibly bring it home with me, or early mornings would work too? Afternoons and nights are difficult for me because that’s usually when I work.”

Chris paused as if digesting this news, one hand scratching his jaw. Honor could hear the rasping of his beard from where she sat. After several moments pause he replied, “Where did you say you work?” His voice sounded odd, tight and several notches higher than it usually did.

Honor shifted in her chair. This part was always awkward. “Um. I didn’t. I work at Wee One’s daycare? My technical title is ‘Childcare technician’ but most people just call us babysitters. I work the after-school and nightshift, you know, for parents that work from like, three to eleven pm?”

Chris leaned back in his chair, expelling a huff of laughter that rattled the papers on his desk. “A daycare worker! That’s what you do! Of course!” He shook his head as he continued to chuckle.

Honor cocked her head, gazing at him curiously. “What did you think I did?”

Chris stopped laughing suddenly, and sat upright again, as though chastened. “Um, nothing. I just, you know..you said you worked afternoons and nights, and I just sort of assumed…” He made a vague notion with his hands.

Horror-struck, Honor finally realized what he was trying to say. “You thought I was a stripper! Are you kidding me? Do you know who my family is? My father? Never mind that I hardly have the body to work a pole. Oh, sweet ever-loving Christ on a bike!”

Chris held up his hands in mock surrender. “You’re right, I’m sorry. I should never have said anything. By the way, they prefer to be called erotic dancers. Or so I’m told.”

Honor glared balefully at him. “Don’t you think, if I were a “erotic dancer” or whatever they like to be called, bless them, that you would have heard about it by now?” She was referring, of course to her father. Honor did her best to stay far away from his limelight, but unfortunately it was far-reaching. If she did anything too “public” it was known. And discussed. And if in anyway negative, resulted in a call from her very disappointed Mama, who no doubt had gotten an earful from the big man himself. “God forbid he actually pick up the phone and call me himself,” she thought.

Chris shrugged dismissively. “I don’t know. Wigs, makeup, costumes, all that can do a lot to disguise your identity. And it’s been my experience that no one really pays attention to faces in places like that.”

Honor arched an eyebrow at him and shot back, “And you know this how, exactly?”

He cleared his throat and at least had the decency to look a little bit bashful. “Let’s move on shall we? I’m not a huge stickler about time, as long as your work is done and done well. We can adjust your schedule accordingly, and I’m sure I’ll have work you can bring home throughout the semester. Depending on how your class schedule works out, I would like at least one day that you are here in office during the day. Do you know your class schedule yet?”

Honor nodded, digging in her bag. Pulling out her planner, she flipped to January, where she had already written out her class schedule on the calendar. After a moment’s consultation, she announced, “Wednesdays are my only day that is almost totally open. I have class from 8 to 10 a.m., and then I’m free after that. I have half days available on Mondays and Fridays, but I have to keep one of those open each week for my front office shift, right?”

He nodded in the affirmative. “This is a good start though. Like I said, I have no problems with the scheduling thing, just as long as I know from week to week what you have planned for hours. I expect, however,” he paused meaningfully, “that you don’t take advantage of my leniency. I have high standards for my TA’s in regards to the work you do. You are an extension of me, and I work hard to be a dependable professor. I test when I say I’m going to, and hand back papers when I say I will, which can be difficult at times, given the class selections that I’m teaching. So, any questions?” He reached forward grabbing a pen, and opening a desk drawer.

Honor took this to mean that the meeting was over. She shook her head, bending to put her planner back in her bag. As she stood to leave, she heard Chris clear his throat. Taking that as her cue, she turned back to face him expectantly.

Sliding a small piece of paper across the plane of his desk, he stood up, as if to walk her to the door. A feeling of deja vu washed over her as she remembered the last time this happened.

“So, got any big plans for the winter break?”

Honor shot him a quizzical look. She shifted awkwardly as she mumbled, “Um, no. Just working. You?”

He shrugged. “No rest for the wicked. I’m teaching a course during the winter hiatus, so I just have the week of Christmas and New Year’s off.” He paused, as if considering his next words carefully. “Hey, I don’t suppose you’d be interested in starting work early? I could use the help, and I could pay you myself?”

Honor didn’t know how to respond. She was sure that she could probably make more working at the daycare center, and probably enjoy it more too. On the other hand, if he was willing to work with her schedule like he said, the extra money could come in handy. Finally she just shrugged and asked, “Let me think about it?”

Chris nodded. Picking up the paper from his desk, he handed it to her. “My cell phone number. If you change your mind, or if you decide you need me for anything. Anything at all.” He winked at her. And just like that another zing of something unknown and unwelcome rocketed through her body.

She nodded, at a loss for words. She was halfway out the door when she snapped out of her haze long enough to practically shout, “Wait! You don’t have my number!” As she streaked back into his office and scrabbled for a pen, she was only vaguely aware of Chris laughing at her.

Reaching out, he closed his hand over hers and squeezed gently, replying, “Honor, I’ve already got yours. It was on your application, remember?”

Honor felt like smacking herself. “Right,” she replied stupidly. “Right. I’ll um, see you later then I guess.” She pulled her hand away from his and turned on her heel, practically running out of his office before she could make any more a fool of herself.

As she walked home she mulled the events of the day, and everything she had heard at the meeting, as well as the events in her office. She had stupidly let her guard down for a moment. It had almost been nice talking to him, like something she could enjoy. But what if what Maggie had said was true? What if under all that niceness was just another lecherous professor? If there was anything Honor took as fact in this world was that the biggest jerks in the world could also come across as the nicest guys to get what they wanted. So who was to be believed, and what was the truth? And the biggest question of all, why did any of it matter so much to Honor?

#growth opportunities #chapter 5 #ChrisXHonor #Chris Evans fanfic #my writing #professor Evans AU

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suitcasetales · 5 years

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The Ice Cream Chronicles

It wasn’t supposed to happen this year. It was supposed to be biennial. It first happened in 2016. And again in 2018. But now, in 2019 it has happened.

What is “it?” you ask? “It” is Sue visiting us during the Richmond Folk Festival season thus proving that once the Richmond Folk Festival grabs ahold of you, even the most disciplined person cannot escape its grip.

And so she came early enough to have a little fun before it, help with “Site Set-Up“, work hard during the Festival weekend and then have some fun afterwards. I looked at our Facebook posts over the last two and a half weeks and it looks like all we did was have cocktails [well, Janet and Sue did anyway!], eat delicious meals and try out ice cream joints. And that we did. But there was more.

Sue has been to visit us several times so we try to always find things to do that will be new to her and sometimes, even new to us. We kick started this quest with a visit to the rooftop bar at Quirk.

As we anticipated visiting the galleries during First Friday Artwalk, the Inwood sisters enjoyed cocktails and we ate burgers (beef and salmon) and took in the views. We left enough time before the fire dancers of Gallery 5 street performance to patronize Stoplight Gelato Cafe.

The next day, we went to what we consider our home park, Pocahontas State Park, and hiked about 5 miles. (If you are local and haven’t been to PSP lately, finally after miles and miles of exciting new mountain bike trails, there is a new “no bikes allowed” trail that runs alongside the northern bank of the reservoir and can easily be broken down to shorter loop hikes.) We had dinner at Savory Grain before an evening of laughter and entertainment at VaRep with a performance of “A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder.” And dessert? Ice cream at Charm School!

Way back in March, we attended the Folk Festival Team Leader kick-off meeting. That sounds pretty impressive until you consider how much work had already been done on the festival by that time. For those of us who oversee the different volunteer “jobs,” it as a time we began strategizing and brainstorming on how we can fill the 1300 volunteer shifts needed to successfully run and support the Folk Festival. Since then, we attended several more meetings and helped recruit volunteers at the Squirrels All-Star weekend event, the Watermelon Festival and the Pride Festival…..and anytime anyone brought up the Festival.

One of the most interesting volunteer positions is to be part of the Site Set-Up team. Seeing the behind-the-scenes work is fascinating and will make you appreciate the Festival even more....if that is even possible. (You should see the pages and pages of blueprints!) The three of us volunteered Sunday morningfor Site Set-Up and Janet and Sue did another shift Thursday morning. There are plenty of tasks to accomplish, no matter what your skill or strength level.

Beyond Site Set-Up shifts, our week prior to the RFF included attending the always delectable Folk Feast (where one of the dessert selections was Nightingale Ice Cream Sandwiches).

On Wednesday, the final Team Leader meeting is always held on site. At this meeting, we receive our credentials, gather for a Team Leader photo and receive our final instructions and pep talk from Festival Director, Stephen Lecky. I would say it is the calm before the storm but it is usually a pretty intense time as we all have our collective fingers crossed for good weather and a safe and successful weekend and we see how much is left to do on the site. Lastly, on Thursday night, ever since we became Team Leaders, it has been our tradition to bake Pumpkin Cookies which we take to the Festival Operations office on Saturday morning.

The 15th Annual Richmond Folk Festival was a success on every level. Besides a little rain late Sunday afternoon, the weather was perfect. Records were set in donations and beverage sales. We had, by far, the most successful turnout of our volunteers. We are humbled by the faithfulness of returning volunteers and over joyed with the number of new volunteers who showed up, worked hard and said they would be back next year! And three days at the Festival meant three days of ice-cream: two trips to the Gelati Celesti’s truck [grab the pumpkin ginger snap while it is available!] and a visit to a King of Pops cart.

Sue & Ricardo, one of the Bucket Brigade Team Leaders.

Sue was interviewed by WTVR and part of her interview aired.

After an exhausting weekend buoyed by the high of the Festival, I had to work Monday and Tuesday. Monday evening, my Aunt Carol hosted a family dinner with twelve of us enjoying Uncle Ray’s cheesesteaks and lemon pie (not ice cream!) for dessert. It was very nice that everyone adjusted their busy schedules to fit ours and it is always a treat to be in their lovely home in Ashland.

After work Tuesday, with Sue all packed up, we headed east to Virginia Beach. On the way, we stopped for dinner at Pierce’s Pitt Bar-B-Que, introducing Sue to the longstanding tradition of many generations of families headed to Tidewater. By nightfall, we had settled in to a First Landing State Park cabin which would be our home for the next three days.

The forecast was gloomy for Wednesday but we were able to get in a morning hike on the 2.5 mile Osmanthus Trail. It is one of my favorites because it goes through and over swampy areas with cypress and pine trees, cypress knees and atmospheric Spanish Moss. Due to the drought, the swamps were pretty low and besides squirrels, the only wildlife we saw was a small mud snake which Sue spotted (and photographed).

Once we finished our hike, it wasn’t too long before the rain arrived in full force. Our only choice, ha ha, was to go for lunch and a look around at The Historic Cavalier Hotel and Beach Club. Completed in 1927, it underwent a major renovation and reopened in 2018. The lunch prices are very reasonable and we freely walked around the hotel, admiring the lobby, the lounge, the pool and the distillery down in the basement. We valet parked for free and attendants escorted us with umbrellas to and from our vehicle and were tipped accordingly!

A shared dessert at Becca in The Cavalier:

We drove down to Rudee’s Inlet, showing Sue the heart of Virginia Beach (albeit in the rain so we couldn’t walk the Boardwalk or along the beach), and spent some time at First Landing viewing the displays at the Nature and Trail Center and talking with a naturalist there. Back at the cabin, we relaxed a little, showered before meeting friends for dinner at 6.

We first met Carol and Barbara back in the glory days of University of Virginia women’s basketball. We had begun following the team especially to watch Dawn Staley play. We traveled often to Charlottesville, a lot to away games and to the ACC tournament which is how we got to know them and other Wahoo fans. They live in Greene County and are avid birdwatchers and just generally good souls. We dined with them at Hot Tuna but sadly didn’t have time to patronize the ice-cream shop in the same shopping center because we had to hustle to their hotel room to watch Survivor. We were recording it at home but Sue was anxious to see her third consecutive episode. We are pretty certain it was the first time Carol and Barbara had ever watched it!

We woke to bright sunshine Thursday morning but high winds and I worried about the effect the latter would have on our plans for the day. We drove over to the Bay and walked on the beach for half an hour in very stiff winds. We met Barbara and Carol at 10am to take advantage of their skill, passion and expertise to birdwatch along part of the Cape Henry trail.

(Below) Carol and Sue

Tall trees and moderate foliage protected us from the wind and although the sound of the fighter jets training overhead disrupted our conversations at times, the birds seemed to not be bothered by the noises or have learned to adapt to it along with all the residents, human and animal. We saw many more birds than we would have on one of our hikes and loved having B&C there to actually identify them for us. We also came upon a beautifully constructed bald face hornet nest. After a couple of hours, we headed back to our cabin for lunch and for Carol to mark our official bird list.

(Above) A hairy woodpecker. (Below) A bald faced hornet nest.

We bid C&B a fond farewell and then took advantage of the warm sunshine and took a protected hike in First Landing. We were supposed to do a loop trail, combining two rather long trails, including one that was especially nice as it skirted along the shore of Long Creek. However, when we got to where that trail split off, there was a sign stating it was closed. Mad as heck because it had also been closed 18 months ago when we were there, and not wanting to back-track, we kept walking until we could loop back on a more interior trail back to the Trail Center, a total of a little over 8 miles!

After all that exercise, we figured we could have anything we wanted for dinner! We went to Bay Local Eatery not far from the Park and Janet and I both had broiled seafood platters and Sue had Shrimp & Grits (she said it would be her last chance until next year to eat grits!). No ice cream was on the offer but the waitress sold us on the homemade Key lime pie so we split a piece of it and it indeed was delicious.

After a trip to Target for “swimming costumes” since Janet and I both forgot ours, we were back at the Cabin, prepping for and planning our getaway the next morning. We had places to go…..and maybe, if we were lucky, more ice-cream to eat!

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aootle-blog · 6 years

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Four Ways To Get Rid Of Your Monday Morning Cockroach

Four Ways To Get Rid Of Your Monday Morning Cockroach A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away from home, there was a folk/rock band called The Mamas and Papas. One of his greatest successes was Monday, Monday, in which it was claimed that all other days of the week were correct, but that Mondays could not be trusted. Many of us feel this way when our alarm clock shakes us out of bed after a long weekend, and we pray the work God to give us five more minutes under the covers. It is safe to say that many workers feel a pinch on Sunday nights of regular weekends. There are others, however, who feel more than a pinch. Does your professional life appear to you as the incarnation of modern times of the Greek legend of Sisyphus, who was condemned to constantly push a rock up and down a hill until the end of time? Do you draw a cross on each calendar day as the weekend approaches? You may not feel better if I tell you that you are not alone in your case. People who love their jobs and enjoy their workplaces generally have no problem with Mondays and are eager to see what the work week will bring them. They put their heart and soul into their work, feel stimulated and valued, and anxious to learn new things and offer quality work. They exert a certain attraction on their colleagues and are usually positive and committed people. Do you realize that you would like to be part of these people? Are your feelings stronger than Monday's cockroach? To begin, you must evaluate the intensity of your cockroach. If you're just sorry that the weekend is over, you're probably happy with your work and your life in general. However, if you are still tired or anxious as soon as you get up on a Sunday morning and you are simply unable to get out of bed on Monday morning, you might see a clue that the time has come to change jobs. Know that you may also have depression. In such a case, ask your doctor for a complete physical exam and recommend what to do. This is not a joke. Life is too short for it to be marked by chronic misfortune. Remember, you can ask for help and support. There is no shame in being treated. Apart from winning the lottery, what can we do to make the beginning of the week no longer synonymous with anxiety, fatigue, dismal resignation or any negative feeling? See the Positive Side of Things We all know it's easier said than done. While you may not be able to change any aspect of the outside world, at the very least, you can change your vision at the moment. Sometimes you just need to change your perceptions and how you react. Suppose we are Monday and you do not feel the love of work. What aspects of it do you like? What are the moments you are looking forward to? Who are the colleagues you enjoy working with? Your job certainly has some positive aspects, since otherwise, you would never have accepted it. If your first thought is: 'I need a salary' or 'No one else wanted to hire me,' this is your answer. Think of gratitude. Rather than collapse under the weight of the tasks, you must accomplish, stop on the things you manage to do. Perhaps you will see only semantics and a theory a little too much sought after, but you will be astonished to find that it is enough to replace a few words to change everything. Language is powerful. Learn how to use it positively, for example, by changing the way you think or react. Get Ready Experts believe that we should prepare from Friday for Monday. If you know that you will be overwhelmed by a ton of emails after the weekend, be sure to empty your inbox by Friday. Do not let problems or deadlines haunt you throughout the weekend. Set your records during the week. Before leaving the office on Fridays, get organized and get ready as much as possible for the following week. Take the opportunity to review your calendar. Check the completed steps (and which you are very satisfied with). Review your next week's schedule to best prepare for the inevitable arrival of new initiatives and changes. Reserve time on the weekends to prepare the next work week. Take a few hours to buy, cut and prepare your food for the week to avoid having to struggle to prepare meals when you are tired and hungry. Some prepare their meals for the whole week to avoid the temptation to stuff themselves with junk food in the office. If this is not your case, prepare at least your meal from Monday to Sunday evening. Prepare your clothes the day before so as not to be in a hurry in the morning and start your day on Monday tired and exhausted. In fact, plan to wear your favorite clothes, clothing or accessories to work on Mondays. The feeling of being at your best is directly related to your appearance. Enjoy Your Weekends Avoid having your weekends become a mere extension of your work week. Pick up. Avoid e-mailing, even though several workers admit to cleaning up their emails on Sunday nights to avoid being overwhelmed on Monday mornings. Spend time with friends and family. Have fun, take the time to relax, exercise and rest. Do not let the weekend encroach on your work week by bringing your lunch and hangover to work on Monday mornings. (You did not think we should talk about it, but you'd be surprised.) Limit your parties to Fridays and Saturdays and book your Sundays to take care of yourself to be fresh, energized and energized on Mondays. You spend time and money to keep your car running smoothly. Why do not you deserve at least the same attention? And speaking of having fun, the experts suggest that you have fun at work. By planning a nice activity, your Monday will be easier. Cook baked goods that you can share with your colleagues or organize an international dinner where everyone will bring a dish that is specific to their culture. Get involved in the social committee or set up such a committee and then plan a fun activity at work. Create clubs where people with common interests gather for dinner. As long as they do not compromise productivity, few managers or bosses will oppose activities that promote employee engagement and cohesion. Turn Your Gaze Outward Seek happiness outside of yourself. You can brighten someone else's day with a gesture of kindness, by listening to them or, if time permits, by helping them to complete a task. Experts agree that we feel better when we help others. In fact, it has a positive impact on our mood and body by activating the mesolimbic system that releases chemicals into our brain. Helping others enhances our self-esteem, strengthens our relationships and enhances our sense of belonging. Who would not want to experience such sensations on a Monday? When you are unhappy, it is hard not to spill your misery throughout the week on everyone around you. Avoid complaining, being negative and yawning at crows, since these are contagious behaviors. Determine the impact you want to produce in your workplace and adjust your behavior accordingly. We spoke earlier of gratitude. Imagine that this is a muscle that you need to strengthen. There are certainly some things that make you feel grateful at work, for example, when you are provided with work that allows you to support yourself and the well-being of your family or when you are offered opportunities to learn new things that push you to excel and excite you. You only need to make some minor adjustments to your thinking to really change your emotional trajectory. Like most things that are worth doing, changes take time and practice. Examine the possibility of modifying one thing at a time. Practice until everything becomes natural before adding anything. You may have to change jobs at a certain point, but by then you have the power to move clouds that hover over your head every Monday. https://aootle.com/stress-anxiety/ Read the full article

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bigdatanewsmagazine · 7 years

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Using Predictive Analytics to Increase Sales – Without Increasing Your PPC Budget – Business 2 Community

Predictive analytics turns your existing data into a roadmap of future user actions. By modeling user behaviour against a range of influences that impact buying decisions, you can use predictive analytics to understand when people are most likely to buy.

This is a big deal for your PPC campaigns, where you want to be investing more of your budget into the moments that matter most. And by automating predictive analytics with custom scripts, you can optimise your budget to adjust for consumer behaviour – before it even happens.

Knowing when users are most/least likely to buy

One of our clients is an online pet retailer, specialising in products like dog beds, clothing and accessories. As with most retailers, this client has days when sales are above average and days when they’re below – without any obvious reason. We wanted to get to the bottom of this so we could make more of the better days and spend less budget on the not-so-good days.

How do we go about this, though?

For us, everything starts with data. Years of collecting data-driven insights tells you a few things about what can impact buyer behaviours – and one of the first things to look at are time factors:

Times of day, days of week, month of year, etc.

Public holidays

Seasons

Weather

Commercial events

Each of those factors will have an impact on your sales. With predictive analytics you can pinpoint these impacts and optimise your campaigns to adjust accordingly in the future. For example, if Monday mornings are your most profitable hours of the week, you can automatically increase your bids to reach the widest possible audience during these times. Better yet, you can create a script that tracks your best-performing hours each week and automatically changes your bids if Monday mornings are no longer your most profitable.

Putting predictive analytics into action

Going back to our client, one of the key metrics we wanted to gain insight on was how ROIs are affected by external factors. Dog coats are an important item for our client so we looked at the ROI for these campaigns and weather stood out as a key influencer. It became clear that ROI dropped when the weather was dry and/or sunny and increased when it was wet and/or cold.

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Here’s what we found for coat sales vs rainfall:

As you can see, sales fluctuate somewhat with lower rainfall but look how uniform sales rise and fall around higher levels of rainfall. This reveals a major influencer on buying decisions for our client and we’re now able to predict sales patterns based on weather forecasts for this product.

We’re only talking about one specific product category and one influencer here, too. We can apply this same strategy to all of our client’s most important product categories and map them against multiple influencers to find similar patterns.

Automating the process

Predictive analytics is huge step forward in optimising PPC campaigns. Instead of reacting to things that have already happened, you’re using these data sets to pre-empt future buying decisions so you’re ready to make the most of them.

The problem with predictive analytics is you can’t do this manually at scale. Frantically changing bids for thousands of product types based on weather forecasts isn’t what we consider an effective process.

Instead, our data scientists engineer custom scripts to automate this process, based on our original findings. So when we gain insights into how weather affects sales for thousands of different product types, your budget automatically increases when people are most likely to buy. Which means your campaigns are always optimised for maximum sales, whatever the weather.

Author: Michelle Hill

I am the Marketing Manager for Vertical Leap, a search marketing agency with offices in London and Portsmouth. I love swimming, nice food, red wine and being anywhere on a beach or up a mountain.… View full profile ›

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