Manic Monday

Today was just one of 'those' days. I hate to use such a cliche and overdone expression, but it seems to be the only one that fits in this case.

This morning I sat down ready to catch up on e-mails sent over the weekend, issues waiting to be solved, etc. only to discover that the server was down, thus not letting e-mails in or out. Fine, I thought, they will have it up and running in no time. NOT SO. I only started getting e-mails at 11:45 and to this second have yet to experience 100% functionality in that regard. Our server is just nuts today. It is currently 3:40 pm and my desktop clock (which is sync-ed with the server) says 9:36 am. Before lunch it had said 3:14 am. Scary really to look down at your desktop clock as per habit and see that time. I hope to God I am never in the office at 3 in the morning.

It's astounding how much a simple thing like e-mail glitches can effect your productivity. We have become so reliant on electronic means of communication that when they fail, we stare dumbfounded at our computer screens feeling useless. That's my initial reaction anyhow. After a few minutes it clicks back in that there are things to do that are physical, on paper or in person but that is not the top of the mind thing to do. Days like today are valuable in that sense. It serves to remind us that we cannot work solely electronically. There are aspects of almost anyone's job that must be more personal than staring at a computer screen.

Due to the failures of our system, I have had a chance to follow up on a few existing issues with customers, calling to make sure the customer is satisfied, that I probably wouldn't have done immediately if my e-mail had been working well this morning. Which makes me wonder, are we losing a valuable facet of customer service by relying too heavily on e-mail and computers? Now, I love e-mail for the convenience it provides and I shop online for almost everything so I am a huge advocate for electronic means but I'm wondering where the line is. Sometimes being unplugged makes us realize that we are people, not machines and therein so are our customers. Customer service has to go above and beyond concise e-mails and order input in order to be effective. It's that extra little bit of 'je ne sais quoi' that comes from the people behind those phones and computers that makes the real difference both to the customer and to this company.

Perhaps being unplugged for a few hours isn't the worst thing that could happen on a Monday, though I must admit it has taken me all day to realize it.

So don't be afraid to unplug once and a while....In great shoes.

Today a pair of leather flats with zipper detailing, bought in Belgium.

Fun Friday

The day full of anticipation, a Friday before a long weekend. A dress down, free BBQ Friday I might add. Lots of perks to being at work today on a day nobody really wants to be at work. With the upcoming weekend weather looking absolutely spot on, there should be nothing but good times ahead.

Unfortunately that means that a lot of people took today off. That's great for them, though inconvenient for me trying to get a hold of them whilst trying to solve work-related issues. I can't find the appropriate purchasers, managers, customer service representatives I need to speak to no matter how many numbers I call, messages I leave or e-mails I send. It's incredibly frustrating. I am happy that people are enjoying their lives on a wonderful day such as today but I am still here and NEED their input, confirmations, etc. to do my job. I secretly wonder if all of these people, like me, are forced to be at work today too and simply are not answering my calls out of spite. Are they sitting in their offices looking at their caller ID thinking ' O no, not today. It's a Friday before a long weekend and I don't want to work!' Creating for themselves a work-free Friday whilst still being at work (and paid to be working, I'm sure).

I have to have faith that people are not that cynical or lazy and are simply out of office for real holiday purposes.

Bringing the sun inside the office today on this fashion Friday, I am wearing a pair of sparkly gold ballet flats I bought on eBay years ago for a Halloween costume. I went as a Gold Digger. All dressed in gold and carrying a shovel. The shoes were perfect for the costume and have happily transitioned into my daily life now! Love when that happens!

Enjoy the weekend.....In great shoes.

Full speed ahead

Another week begins and back at the (not so ) ol' cubicle. Today's exciting tidbit revolves around language. The french language to be specific. Many customer service centres around the country have many bilingual representatives to help customers in the language of their choosing - here unfortunately we only have one. It's the GTA, so honestly french speakers are few and far between compared to other places, like our nation's capital for instance.


Our french speaking representative is a lovely lady who is a native francophone so prefers french calls to English ones for the most part and it works out wonderfully....until she goes on her standard two week vacation. She, like all other employees, is entitled to her vacation time but for lingual reasons her absence is more prevalent than many others. French callers now call in expecting to speak to her and sound sorely disappointed when she is not on the other end of their line. During her absence it is an anglophone who probably only knows how to say bonjour, or even worse - gets to talk to me.


Now I have a minor in french and lived in Belgium for a year but let me tell you that just because you speak a language does not mean you can translate product descriptions and/or details in this field (distribution of medical supplies). Luckily enough, my early morning caller had everything she needed to place her order and thus the transaction went quite smoothly, however it only takes an instance like that to make you realize how badly it could have gone.


I am just learning the products, vendors, descriptions and processes in ENGLISH and it is taking considerable time - forget the bilingualism. So today I am thankful that we have a full time representative who speaks french, though i am also slightly grateful that she decided to take her vacation (most unknowingly) whilst I was here - as it was a cool opportunity to learn. Also, it gave me a much needed reassurance that I have not yet forgotten the beautiful french language.


On a more 'chic' note, I am wearing the same flats as I was during the last post, as our house is being painted and the shoe closet is quarantined via wet paint. Thus I chose not to risk my new clothes for the shoes...though I assure you it was an intense internal dilemma. So instead of my shoes, today I will feature something else of note I am wearing. It's a boatman's whistle that I found in a military accessories catalogue here at the office and ordered to be worn as a necklace. I think it completes my nautical nod of an outfit.
















So I suppose here is to doing things differently, whether that be language or accessorizing......(though still)....In great shoes.

Relocation location

On a fairly slow Wednesday afternoon I have found time to look ahead in my life and begin searching for living accommodations in Calgary - where I will be transferring at the end of August.


There I will be doing market research and sales for the plastic surgery/ aesthetic market - a wonderfully glamorous sounding job if I do say so myself. In truth, it will be a ton of work trying to get info, make contacts, learn about products, etc. Leaving me tons of time to settle into (and hopefully appropriately decorate) my very first grown up apartment. Now I haven't lived with my parent's for the last 4 - 5 years however they have always helped me with the rent and the searching & moving in processes. As an added facet to this, I have also never lived in one place for more than a year. So in my mind a grown up apartment is one which you are TOTALLY responsible for and are going to be in long enough to be able to decorate it to your lasting preferences.


So I have begun searching online for potential places to call my new home. I am thinking one bedroom condo with modern fixtures/appliances, close to downtown, in suite washer/dryer as well as the option to get a small dog. Nothing crazy but still somewhat difficult to attain for under my budget of 1500 monthly (all in).


I have come up with about 7 fitting candidates that I plan to investigate further before I venture out to cow town (for the first time EVER) on the 19th of July. I would be lying if I said I wasn't giddy with excitement. My own CONDO downtown sounds like the beginnings of a very exciting life. Doesn't it? Sounds like the classy thing to say to someone when discussing living arrangements. "Why yes my Condo is right downtown, so it's no trouble at all for me to meet you at *insert trendy location here* in 20 mins."



Perhaps I am getting ahead of myself, I still need to visit this city before I start planning my fashionable and fabulous outings - in great shoes.





The home of my feet today: ASOS Ballerina Bow flats in black.

So perhaps if I am to write a blog about my adventures in great shoes, I should figure out a way to post a picture of the shoes I am currently wearing. Working on that.... today black blowfish flats, the most comfortable flat I have ever worn.

For now I wish to discuss the oddity in my new working life that is Monday mornings. They are death. The weekend was a small, cherished salvation away from the early alarms and rushed lunches I experience Mon-Fri. I was so relaxed sitting outside yesterday (reading Valley of the Dolls) that I almost believed I wouldn't have to go back to work, but here I am again at my cubicle Monday afternoon.

Thankfully I am not the only one. Every one of my coworkers is in a zombie-like state, going through the motions with a cup of coffee attached to their hands or simply complaining that they have a bad case of 'the Mondays'. I am not going to lie, I always thought 'the Mondays' was a stupid expression used to delineate the fact that you were tired and lazy but now I have seen the light. Monday is simply a hard dose of reality. It means your restful weekend lifestyle is quite literally yesterdays news and you must return to productive society.

It's not all woes though, if you don't complain and just try your best to get stuff done, it's lunch time before you know it, followed by days end a few hours later.

So here's to sucking it up and being alive Monday mornings....in great shoes.