Devo Retreat: January 23, 2015

In light of the Devo Retreat for 2016 earlier this week, I remembered I hadn't share notes and pictures from a year ago - my first all-day working off-site retreat with my department since rejoining Caramoor. I had been invited to the 2014 session, but as I was in the last weeks of my Big J tenure and that department's first week of a new leader, I didn't think it was prudent to take off to go to Caramoor.

re·treat

rəˈtrēt/ 

noun

noun: retreat; plural noun: retreats

a quiet or secluded place in which one can rest and relax;

a period of seclusion for the purposes of prayer and meditation.

This was the second year in a row that Caramoor had rented a Pond House at Bailey Farm in Ossining for the day. Apparently it is used for groups like ours quite often.

 One side of this old farm house is a bit more modern, with conference capabilities, room for yoga, etc.

It overlooks the woods, a deserted greenhouse, and other scenic vistas.

But we liked the cozier, older side of the house, with vintage touches, such as:

We always pack in a variety of brain-stimulating snacks, as we worked through the day.

Of course no department gathering would be complete without food. One of our brain-break activities was decorating birthday cupcakes for Daria whose birthday was the day of the retreat. She took lots of notes so she really deserved her cupcakes.

Each of us had leadership roles throughout the day, leading discussion groups, brainstorming, identifying department goals, values, discussing possible professional and future fun activities, etc. It was intense. (These are our "thinker" poses.)

Being the introvert that I am, I strategically intended my sessions to be more introspective. Since we had been talking all day, I led writing exercises; 1) a drawing of a colleague's name for "notes of affirmation" to be distributed throughout the upcoming months, and 2) a quiet 15-20 minute of writing time for "letters to our future selves." These latter letters were saved and then distributed the week in June that we opened the Gala.

It was fun to see the flurry of affirmation notes that initially went out in the wake of the retreat. Some people maintained the practice for a month or so, while others maintained it throughout the year. The "future selves" letters also seemed to have struck a chord. A few people chose to share their letters with the department when they then opened them in June.

(I may share mine in a latter post.)

Every retreat is different. Every different location has an ambiance which affects the output. Every session leader brings something new to the mix. Every time we have one of these, there is a different dynamic, intent, and intended outcome. It's good to have them, to learn, and grow. I just wish we able to implement all our good ideas.

If there are a few things we can share, without giving away all our company secrets:

• Write anonymous letters of affirmations to your colleagues;
• Always have chips/snacks;
• Have a goals partner and check in;
• Identify non-work "do a fun thing" activities as Festival survival incentives;
• Make professional personal goals (one of mine was to write more - with mixed results);
• and ...
• Laughing/Laughter Yoga - is RIDICULOUS and you should try it.

Hohooohoooooo HAHAHAAAAA

None of us won the PowerBall to wave our magic wands to solve the biggest issues of all, so we may need to retreat and regroup and reassess, some more and more and more.



~photos by iTouch

Here We Go Again: Snowstorm Prep 2016

Prepare! Don't Let a #WinterStorm Take You by Surprise. https://t.co/1JnO1HYp5Y | https://t.co/Kr39xluFVE pic.twitter.com/dJQb3I4F9I

— NWS (@NWS) January 22, 2016

Things your bookseller might have in their bag. pic.twitter.com/mPHUQxEB0s

— Strand Book Store (@strandbookstore) January 22, 2016

Now, besides all of the things pictured above - which I have - and  the latter of which could be true for a bibliophile/librarian/ME, I also feel prepared for the IMPENDING SNOWSTORM JONAS OF DOOM 2016. 

I'm good.

As long as the power stays on and pipes don't burst that is, but the major feet of snow is going to end up south of us, at least "write now."

I'm really, really good. My fridge is full for the first time in MONTHS.

Because of the off-site work retreat in CT yesterday, I rented a car for 48hrs to get there, pop up to see friend Jane for dinner, head to my favorite Trader Joe's, and then do some errands today.

I could have done more errands but was doing a neighbor a favor, and due to the storm, the urgency was for groceries and beverages.

Here's my cart full at Trader Joe's, which somehow only ended up being 4 full brown-paper bags,and yet, the exact correct amount for my freezer, minus the packaging for some of the frozen brown rice. GO ME! 

(Dad, apparently I DO have some packing spatial relations after all, thank you very much! AND, despite people being jerks and cutting me off, driving with their hazards in the wrong lanes and not driving some of these CT routes in over 10 years, the car was returned fine, no worries, Susan.)

Not pictured in the stockup:

• the 3 flats of Diet Coke bottles and cans residing at the office (the office is Pepsi-stocked); 
• the stash of bags from Target with staples like chunky peanut butter and more soda for the house; 
• the 3 bags/boxes and easels and whiteboards and materials moved for the retreat; 
• and the trashed hauled.

I'm good for groceries and snow activities.  I've got:

• 20 books in a to-be-read pile,
• a bag full of work from the office, not to mention the remote connection to the office, 
• 2 unfinished baby blankets that I could work on, 
• 15 letters I have to write, 
• blog posts to "retroblog,"
• a pile of personal archiving,
• laundry/cleaning,
• filing/bill paying,
• baking/cooking, and oh yes, vegging.

I think I'm actually running a fever, so I'm off to pop NyQuil, get in my pjs, and crash. I'll wake up to a Winter Wonderland of some sort of storm.

Hunker down, ya'll.

Photos of the Day: Rural Retreat of the Rich

 The moon was rising and the sun was setting 

when we left our annual winter work retreat today.

We threw around a lot of ideas. 

It was a pretty Herculean amount of talking and planning. 

Now to keep practicing and refining our techniques.

Fundraising is not a sprint, or a marathon.

It's like a decathlon:

lots of different skills, honed over time;

you have to cross-train;

 and while you may medal in one thing --

it's the combined total of all the events which wins you the gold.

Backyard of the guest house of a Trustee

In Greenwich, CT.

~photos by iPhone

Photo of the Day: Flashback to Flannel

I was flipping through my photo archives in search of something else, when I rediscovered this shot.

Bring a snuggly blankie to tuck in you and your honey; 

takes early morning train trips to a whole new level

c. September 2015

To be clear, it was weekend commute, rather than regular rush, but still.

It's been so cold in the mornings, maybe I should bring a blanket

in addition to my thermals, 2 huge scarves, fleece gloves and my ski-rated winter jacket.

~ photo by iTouch

MLK Day at the Big J: January 19, 2015

Since I was so fortunate to spend yesterday's MLK Day back at the Big J, I thought I'd share some of the random pictures from last year's visit. 

I was still getting over some weird stomach thing, so I wasn't eating much, but I still had time to sit and toast to Ms. T---'s presence for a long leisurely breakfast. (Indie Food and Wine)

Ms. T--- had to go back to work, so I think I hung about the lobby of the Film Society of Lincoln Center and used their wi-fi to set up more appointments for the day. I also ran over to the Bed Bath & Beyond, Gracious Home, and Gourmet Garage for some errands.

Lunch was with Cynthia at an Upper West Side institution I had missed, somehow, in the seven years I worked in the area.

"Big Nick's" TOO (Because sadly, I missed going to the original Big Nick's. It shuttered in 2013.)

One of those tiny, hole in the wall vintage dives which are becoming more rare on the UWS. The menu was so huge, but again -stomach ailments, so I had chicken soup, fries, and eggs, of all things. I am hoping for a redo one day. 

On the way back, we spotted one of those random things in the City that you just have to question. Cynthia and I actually turned to each other just to confirm that we were seeing what we thought were seeing. In fact, we back-tracked and crossed the street to go over and take a picture.

Um? Okay? I thought the UWS had zoning for JUST this kind of thing.

Cyn had to peel off, but I set up camp down in the tanning booth (aka under the main front steps of the Big J)

to use the wi-fi until Matt could run down and give me a hug, and/or it was time for my "coffee" break with Brent back over at Indie. (Coffee for Brent, Diet Coke for me).

I had a "tea" appointment to see Susan, but she was under the gun on a print deadline, so basically she ran out of the building on a "coffee" run (more Diet Coke) from the coffee cart on the corner and we basically power-walked around the block three times while smoke came out of her ears and we literally cooled off in the frigid January weather. 

After our "tea," I did head upstairs to the "new" suite of "off-site" offices to check in with my former boss Ed, but I kept my profile pretty low, because I like to be respectful of their working day. I plan these visits very carefully and strategically - and often make sure it's off-site.

(There is nothing more annoying than a former employee swanning in on their break while you are frantically busy working, or on a deadline, who wants to catch-up. I know. I have been one of those resentful busy worker bees.) 

One of the best parts of the day however, was getting a big old hug from some of the security guards. It'd been over a year or so since I had ducked in - and it was just like I had never left. I DID get scolded that I hadn't brought THEM baked goods.

Figures. You feed them a few times, and they think you'll feed them all the time. (I would if I could.)

~ photos by iTouch

Photos of the MLK Day: Rosey Light

Sunset as spotted from the seventh floor of 

The Rose Building on the Lincoln Center complex; 

65th and Amsterdam;  during MLK Return to Big J Visitation Day.

~photos and entry by iPhone

Auntie Advent: The Final Chapter

I was almost through all the Auntie Advent packages and realized I had no idea how to reciprocally THANK the kids.

Until I realized I couldn't, so I should just say Thank You in a series of ways that was as spread out as their gifts.

So late one night, I spent time printing out the following message and addressing one envelope for each letter, symbol and piece of punctuation, and filling it with little treats. The next morning I started the staggered mailing process

The kids were supposed to color in the letters and unscramble the following message:

15 envelopes later, I think everything finally got there, because I go this message earlier last week.

THANK YOU Christina, because I know you had the most to do with it.