The things we learn

According to my new book 'how carrots won the Trojan war', some Arabian dude named Ziryab is credited with introducing the Spaniards to asparagus, my favorite vegetable of all time, but also to tablecloths, toothpaste, crystal wine glasses, ending meals with dessert, and bangs. Seriously!?!? I owe my life to this man... He is the original spreader of all of my favorite things. Ziryab Goldfried just may need to happen someday...

TGIF

All in all today has been a good day so far! I woke up early for Body Pump. It was the first class since I started at my new job that I actually felt like I was getting stronger and did better than the last class.

THEN, I finally built up the nerve to weigh myself in the locker room. Down another pound getting me past my plateau. I know it's just a pound and probably only because I didn't eat dinner last night, but I don't care.

While passing the time before my Anniversary weekend extravaganza, I came across this amazing piece of PR for my client, Volvo. What an impressive stunt, well produced video and great piece promoting their new freight trucks.

http://www.motorauthority.com/news/1078551_woman-walks-rope-between-two-moving-volvo-semi-trucks-video

Silver lining?

This morning started just like any morning. I woke up to my alarm, pumped I actually slept through the night, snuggled the pup for a little then got ready to go to yoga class. I picked up the bag I packed last night, made my iced coffee and headed out the door. It's worth noting that I briefly contemplated making a pot for my still sleeping husband but decided against it.

I get in the car and realize I'm almost out of gas and secretly pat myself on the back for getting out of the house early (thanks for not making that thoughtful pot of coffee!) with enough time to stop at the gas station before my class. Now I normally go to the Shell station across from my house, but for some reason today, I decide to go to the Mobil station down the road.

I pull into the station, get out of the car and start pumping gas. A while later the pump clicks off and I pull the nozzle out of the car. As I pull the nozzle out of the car gas starts spraying everywhere. I'm not talking a trickle here. Full on garden hose gas nozzle. Seeing as I haven't had my coffee yet, it takes me what feels like an hour to get the situation settled. I even tried to stick the nozzle back in the car until I could figure out how to make it stop. In case you were wondering, that did not work. After I finally dislodge the trigger and make the gas stop I realize how very NOT like the scene in Zoolander that was, but do realize the very real danger of going up in flames without an orange mocha frappucchino.

I, soaked in gasoline, walk into the station to alert the flunkies at the register that there's gas all over and that the trigger must have been stuck and gas was flowing well after the machine stopped tallying my gas charge and indicated that there was no longer gas flowing into my vehicle. They looked at me like I was some mongoloid who doesn't know how to pump gas. Honestly, who would do that on purpose? There was gas EVERYWHERE! Not just on the ground but on my car, and more importantly, on me. And not just on me, all over me.

At this point I hop back into the car, open the windows and sulkily drive home wreaking of petrol only to strip down at the door, throw all clothing items into the wash immediately (including shoes) and take what turned into a 40 minute shower. Threw all bath mats and towels into the wash after the clothes were done (thankfully they were done shortly after I took the worlds longest shower) because I just could not get the smell of gas out of my system. At this point I can't help but think this is some sort of sick joke because I didn't make that thoughtful pot of coffee, but then I realize that had I taken my yoga class and showered at work, I would have forgotten my deodorant and makeup bag and would have been nasty mc nast nast at work all day so I guess there's a silver lining here. Thanks be to the God of deodorant and foundation that kept me from being the ugly smelly girl at work today. Now I'm the well coiffed and thoroughly makeup'ed girl who is paranoid she smells like gasoline...

A good day for a good day

I woke up 30 minutes before my alarm today to a puppy nose in my face. Seeing as I went to bed without a puppy on my bed, this was a lovely surprise. After about 15 minutes of chin scratchies and nose nuzzles, I decided to get out of bed and make my husband coffee before I left for yoga.


After a very zen and sweaty yoga class complete with my first successful inversion in months (woo!) I think I actually noticed a tiny muscle just barely visible in the bicep area. Here's to little victories!

Now I'm off to eat the breakfast I brought in (and didn't buy from the work cafe - another small victory) and to rock out another successful day at work.

Weepy eye is still in effect so the Warby Parkers are out and about today for the first time at the new job. Luckily its a bit overcast so hopefully I won't crash and burn on my way home tonight.
Someone woke up a winner and put on her big girl pants this morning. Hoorah

A little puppy nose for your Monday

A watery goodbye

So I was super sad to leave Rhode Island. It was tons of fun and my cousin's baby is the freaking cutest. I mean seriously, he makes me want to procreate. No fair! Baby shenanigans! But I wasn't teary eyed because we were heading home. For some reason, I blame Bryan's Heady Topper-induced gas, my right eye has been tearing up since Friday! Now, don't get me wrong, it's not oozy and gross or anything, but there's definitely something going on over there in right eye land. Unfortunately, bright office lighting, 35 inch computer screens and QA-ing websites all day are not helping.

As I approach my first wedding anniversary I'd better not have some conjunctive eye shit going on. Nothing says I plan to love you for 70 years more like eye herpes.

Rainy day shenanigans

We left the beach as a storm was rolling in and returned to puppy playtime and porch beers while the storm made its way to Rhode Island.

As the sideways rain commenced, we pulled out the board games. The first game up was Ticket to Ride, the 2004 German Game of the Year. Long story short, this game is amazing. You build railroads along the US while screwing over your friends and learning geography along the way.

Next up was Cards Against Humanity. It's like Apples to Apples but way dirtier and way funnier. Some examples below...

Ok beach, you win this round

As mentioned yesterday, the whole beach ideal usually outweighs the very real negatives. Because of this, we went to the beach again yesterday.

I have to say, it wasn't bad this time! The wind was cool, the sun was out but it was still a little cloudy and glorious out.

Here's the scoreboard:

*Beer on the beach +1 point
*The worlds most amazing beach umbrella +1 point
*Top staying put +1 point
*Skinny mcbigboobs returns to the beach -1 point
*Looking slimmer after a night of serious stomach issues +1 point
*Jellyfish sighting -5

Even with the jellyfish, it was a good day!

A beach bitch

Today we went to the beach. I hate everything about the beach, except the thought of a perfect beach day, which is strong enough to keep me going back for more punishment.

Packing for the beach sucks. Walking in sand sucks. Laying in sand sucks. Getting salt water in your eyes sucks balls. Getting sand in your vajay sucks even worse.

And then there are the people at the beach. I'm still not sure which is worse, the beautiful skinny assholes that make me look bad, or the super gross people that make themselves look bad.

On one hand, people like being surrounded by attractive people. Yes I know this is horrible and vapid but it's true. If it wasn't true cities like NY and LA wouldn't exist. Anyway, on the other hand, super skinny jerks who look awesome in bathing suits make hate myself and my love of carbs. Fuck you skinny jerkwads. I love beer and potatoes. I'm going to hang out in the gross section and slowly become their queen.

On top of that, I have a serious fear of things that live in the ocean and their ability to touch me when I'm in it. And for showing my boobs in public. Both fears came true today.

While swimming, and by swimming I mean standing in the water and peeing, with my cousin, she was pinched by a crab, and then we saw a 10lb tuna that had a huge fucking bite taken out of it. Not kidding you. That shit was huge and still alive but quickly dying. Luckily we left when some locals convinced the lifeguard on duty to stab and fillet the fish on the beach while their kids watched. I really wish I was joking.

Oh yeah, and on my way into the water I stood up after having had enough wine to take off my cover up in front of the dozen skinny bitches to my immediate left and my top just popped right off. In hindsight, I should have taken that as a sign that no good would come of me going into God's spittoon and that I should stay on land near the wine.

The laziest puppy in the world

The Mr. and I are officially the owners of the laziest puppy in the world. See him in (in)action

this is marriage

My loving husband woke me up at 3am to bring to my attention that I had gotten a bloody nose all over the comforter. I won't be graphic but this has happened from time to time. It's a lovely mixture of sensitive, dry sinuses and low iron. It's awesome (not).
So I went to bed with dreams of brain aneurysms dancing in my head and felt horrible for potentially ruining the comforter.
After he gets out of bed I take the comforter down to the laundry and inspect the stain only to realize it is not blood but in fact hot sauce smeared all over the bed and my face by my lovely drunk husband who wanted to snuggle me at 2am only to pass out then wake up in horror when his wife and bed are covered in red.
This is marriage. I love this man.

Because Amanda told me to

A little birdie yelled at me for not posting so this is for you Amanda.

As I lay here in bed bargaining with myself about getting up I start to think about the decisions I've made to get where I am.

I bargained with myself to take my current job. It's not the career path I saw myself going down. Ever. But I've learned a lot, worked really hard and it has allowed me to move where I needed my life to move. This brings me to bargain #2.

About 3 years into my relationship with my husband (then boyfriend), I made it clear to him that I didn't want to raise a family in Brooklyn and that I'd like to move to Vermont to be closer to my family. The ensuing fight is now only humorous because we've since gotten married and subsequently moved to Vermont. But we bargained with each other to make it work in any way we could and to keep our minds and options open. All it took was one acceptance letter to UVM to seal the deal.

Now don't get me wrong, none of these bargains have anything to do with my internal coin flipping to decide if I go for a run or do some work before getting ready to drive 6 hours to Westchester for Passover with my in laws. It just got me thinking.

What will you bargain for?

we are in

Yesterday was moving day which means Evan and all of the men in my life worked really hard on Saturday and I worked my butt off today.

I'm such a baby but I'm so tired and sore. I definitely accomplished a lot today, but looking at this huge house full of boxes is giving me a bit of anxiety. Not to mention the sheer amount of stuff we still need.

I don't mean to sound like a negative nancy, this place is awesome. We totally hit the jackpot. I just can't wit to feel settled enough to feel comfortable just relaxing and enjoying it.

It will happen with time. Here's a photo of our first snow in the new place!

what have I done?

Well, the chair is mine. It's in worse shape than I thought and much more intricate to deal with.

I'm now interviewing upholsterers and consulting every gay I know to come up with a solution.

I may have convinced myself to go back for the sofa, attempt to negotiate further on the purchase price to gain back some of what I'm about to spend on having this in the right hands.

What on earth am I doing?

damn you pinterest

This is a little tale about what happens when I have time on my hands and Pinterest at my disposal.

I was chatting with TinyNerdMax's mother who found a great article about painting the fabric of an antique furniture piece as a cheaper/easier way to give a facelift to old pieces. We were talking about how we love the lines of antique furniture (yes, we're nerds. I know this) and searching craigslist for cheap pieces to refinish.

Lo and behold, I stumbled on the motherload.

A wingback chair and antique sofa about an hour and change away from me for a semi-reasonable price. They were posted on the first of the month so I doubted they were still available. I mean, I'm used to Manhattan craigslist, not Vermont craigslist. So I email the woman with an offer more than 50% less than what she was offering just in case the pieces were still available.

They're available and she took my offer. Yay! Shit.

They're in pretty rough shape (hence the easy negotiation), but I love the lines, style and vibe. I've now spent the majority of my day Googling the best way to fashion a fabric patch as there are quite a few exposed knuckles on these pieces and then I'm going to paint it. I'm still not sure what color and am open to suggestions. I kind of want to do the chair in a brighter, more vibrant color (maybe a plum or emerald) and the couch a more muted tone like charcoal or navy.

I'm excited about yet another new venture and am almost as scared of this as I am the half marathon. I reiterate - May God have mercy on my soul.

every day i'm travelin...

Now that I telecommute, I find myself  traveling a lot more. Not sure why I didn't see this coming. Call it willful suspension of disbelief.

I just spent the past week in the city of brotherly love enjoying Yards Brawlers, early bed times, long days at the office and meetings in Jersey and Delaware. I always enjoy seeing my Philly office counterparts. They're so sassy and fun to be around. I just can't get enough. If I can only convince them all to move to VT and start an office here. Time to start plotting...

I'm also crazy lucky that my company values the benefits of boutique hotels. While a week at any hotel is rough, a week at the Kimpton is far better than a week at the Holiday Inn Express. I truly believe that economy business travel is the root of all seemingly senseless murders. It's likely I would have ended up in jail during my 4 hour flight delay if I had spent a week suffering itchy sheets and a dimly lit bathroom.

I also find it funny that I've been in Philly now twice this year and have yet to have a cheesesteak. A funny fact that must be remedied at my next visit. I also find it very not funny that my trips are always so jam packed that I haven't had time to visit our friends who live in the Philly "burbs". A quick 30 minute train ride away lies two dear friends and their ever growing baby that I have yet to meet.

Dear Travel Gods,


Please give me a free evening to cuddle a baby, hug my friends, rekindle my friendship with their dog and meet their kitten.


Love,
Katrina

After a long week of travel that commenced with the one two punch of a snow storm induced delay followed by mechanical issues, I'm now happily lounging with my bearded husband as we watch the snow fall outside and contemplate day drinking.

Love you all

Exciting News

Ok it took a little longer to get to my exciting news than I had anticipated, but the time has arrived. At this point, the anticipation has likely built it up so much that it's not even exciting anymore. On February 14th I learned I was accepted into the Burlington City Marathon for a 2 man relay team. Yes, me, your favorite lazy bum is going to run a half marathon.

The good news for me is that the husband will be running the first half so he'll likely make up all the time I will lose for our team and will help make me look good crossing the finish line at a less embarrassing time than I would if I ran it on my own.

The race is on Memorial Day weekend, which means there are only a few months for me to go from 5k runner to half marathoner. May God have mercy on my soul.

I'll be tracking my progress, training and general aches, pains and triumphs on the blog for you all to share in. If you know nothing about me it's that I require challenges in my life to be public knowledge to avoid from regressing into a lazy haze and writing off the hard stuff.

Thanks for helping me stay motivated and for keeping me accountable!

it's the final countdown

This is it guys! Less than 2 weeks until the big move. Are you getting excited? We are! The new couchy couch gets delivered on March 1 and I'll be sitting on it as I wait for Comcast to come set up our cable and internet.

I've been doing a lot of pre-move shopping (which has been awesome) using our store credit at Bed Bath and Beyond. I won't lie, it's been a little stressful but pretty fun. I hate that I enjoy shopping so much, I just really love it. It also helps that we have a ton of gift cards and store credit to spend so while I shop I'm not physically spending money. Always a bonus.

That's all for now! More exciting news and updates to come.

It happened

We did it. We bought a sofa. Not the one I originally thought we'd get but I'm really happy with it!

I honestly was always really ambivalent about leather furniture but when I realized how much easier it would be to clean when we have dogs/kids, I became a big fan.

It's sleek, attractive and was a great deal so that doesn't hurt either. The delivery comes March 1 when we move in and then you can come over and help us wear it in.

pre-nesting

It's almost here! We're moving in 25 days. We'll be visiting family in NY for 5 of those days and I'll be in Philly for work for another 7 of those. That means we have just under 2 weeks left until we move. It's practically tomorrow!

We've really enjoyed living with my sister and her family. Seeing the kids every day, saving like crazy and getting acclimated to our new state. It's been an invaluable experience overall, but we're all ready to branch out and have our own space again. Honestly, I think I'm most excited to buy things and decorate. And the lists! My lists of things to do and buy are just getting crazy long and super exciting. I just love lists. Yes, I'm that person. Judge me.

Our trip to NY is perfectly timed with our need for a trip to Ikea. Oh Ikea. How I love thee. Although I'm not all that sad that we have to drive to Canada for our next trip seeing as I recently found out they serve booze in Canadian Ikeas(!), but heading back to our much loved Brooklyn Ikea will be a treat.

Today I'm strong arming my husband into heading to Ashley furniture to check out their buy one get one half off furniture sale. I have my eyes on a set that I think will really suit our lives, space and style well. I don't know why, but buying new furniture has been on my list of things to do for, oh, like, 5 years now. My much more rational husband has been against the idea for, oh, like, 5 years. So the fact that I've gotten him to agree to go to a furniture store is a huge deal. HUGE. Like, bigger than our wedding day. I'm kidding. Not really.

Hopefully I'll be posting pictures of our new furniture in the next post along with photos of our day spent snow shoeing! Heading out to Smuggler's Notch to break in our new shoes (finally) then heading out for some pre-nesting shopping. This day is kind of a perfect day to me. Happy Saturday!

itching

We signed our lease and now the waiting starts. In case you didn't know, I'm not a patient person. I'm just itching to decorate our new place with pretty things!

I was a little hungover and overall unproductive this afternoon so my sister and I snuck out to HomeGoods to check out the wares. As my first time there, I was really impressed. I was hoping they'd have some larger pieces, but the accessories and accent furniture are really solid. I can see us getting a small table, ottoman and lots of cute little shiny and pretty things after we move in.

Let the day dreaming begin!

post-bday post

Well all in all we had a really amazing trip to the West Coast. It was so wonderful to see our friends (the first visit to NYC folk since the big move - in this case both ours and theirs), meet their puppy and explore their new home town.

It was the first real vacation (real meaning somewhere we had to fly) we've taken since our trip to Mexico a few years ago so it was totally overdue and worth it. We spent most of our visit in Sonoma and Napa Valley. Both were breathtakingly beautiful and so so much fun!

Because of Evan's job we got a tour of the grounds at Chalk Hill winery in Napa. It.Was.Gorgeous! There was one point where we were literally standing at the top of a mountain and our guide told us they owned everything we could see. Evan joked that he felt like a Cuban drug lord, I however, started spouting Lion King quotes and calling everyone Simba.

We had a private driver all day and were SO proud of ourselves for pacing the day and being good drunks that we decided not to nap before dinner. Then we got to the hotel, had cigars and champagne in our rooms, traveled out to the fire pit by the pool and finished off two more bottles before stumbling a quarter mile to Bouchon in a gold lame maxi dress and platform heels. We pretty much all blacked out and don't remember the walk home, but we still had a blast!

Needless to say we were slow moving the next morning and all opted for breakfast in bed and a late start. I ended up eating breakfast on an ostrich leather ottoman. Seriously. This hotel was SICK! I mean, how many times in your life do you get to eat breakfast on the most expensive leather in the world?! Just crazy.

Unfortunately my dear readers, I got used to being spoiled very easily and am now in a little bit of a funk because I'm no longer living the life of a rap star. I need some ideas for getting to rap star status permanently....

birthday weekend day 1 recap

Saturday was our first day in SF. We had a lazy morning with Andrew while Mel went to work then headed into town to check out the embarcadero. If I spelled this thing right, it's really cool. It's a giant farmers market in an old ferry terminal and it's filled with awesome local vendors. (photos below)

We lucked out because there was a Food Festival going on that showcased award winning vendors from all over the world for categories like coffee, chocolate, cheese, pickles, jams and charcuterie. It was pretty awesome and then I saw someone I knew at the Sour Puss pickle stand. For those of you that know me well, you know I've always wanted to be that person who knows people everywhere they go. I'm getting so close now!!!

Last night our lovely hosts and amazing friends Andrew and Melanie (and their adorable pup Lola - pictured below) surprised us with a note saying they've arranged for a private driver to take us to the private winery tours Evan set up, a night in a fancy hotel in Napa and dinner at Bouchon! I could seriously cry. I feel so loved and lucky to have such wonderful an thoughtful friends. I can't wait to start the day and remember this weekend forever!

Friday the 13th

Well my dear reader(s), this has been an eventful Friday the 13th for your Goldfried's.

We rose early to bid adieu to the Brott's prior to our trip West and their trip to the mountain for the day.

We then went to an apartment viewing and what is to become our new home. Yes! We've finally found a place to live. It's a very spacious half house duplex in a town called Williston. About a 15 min drive to work for Evan and it has a third bedroom to use as an office for me!

It's a quick drive to downtown and equidistant to my sister a where we live now. We're very excited for our March moving date and even more excited to settle in to our lives in VT.

Another piece of good luck is that the Brott's got home from the mountain in time to drive us to the airport saving us around $70 in long term parking fees!

We're now waiting to board our on time flight to JFK where we'll spend about 5 hours at T5 before our final flight to SF to see our dear friends and their new puppy.

1/13/12 has been a happy so far!

multitasking

I like to pretend that all of the multitasking I do while working is preparation for making me an awesome mom someday, but days like today make me glad I don't actually have kids to add to the multitasking list. At the risk of getting fired, please see the below list of items I did while working today. And yes, I did actually do a lot of work while doing all of these things.

- Viewed 2 apartments
- Set up 2 additional apartment viewings
- Unearthed 3 Craigslist scams
- Pinned 3 images that had 28 repins!
- Got my bangs trimmed
- Had the worlds most horrific conference call while driving home from said bang trimming
- Made 1 really good joke involving magical vaginas

We're off to look at another apartment. Fingers crossed! 

sunny side of the street

I feel like I'm coming down with something and I don't want to be sick for my trip to SF this weekend. So I'm making myself matzoh ball soup (ie: Jewish penicillin) while I work. Score one for working from home!

stay positive

One of my goals for 2012 (aside from magically obtaining Kate Middleton's hot bod by next January) is to be more positive and more patient. Ok I know that's like 3 goals but shut up.

We officially started our apartment hunt today and viewed our first unsuitable pad. Unlike most BK apts, it was clean, quiet and in a desirable neighborhood, but like most BK apts, it was criminally tiny. I mean, it didn't even have a tub!

Now don't get me wrong, I'm not much of a bath-taker (I think they're unsanitary. Judge me), but committing to just never having that as an option is kind of crazy to me.

So now comes the part where I force myself to stay patient and positive that we'll find a good home at a reasonable price that allows us to save for a downpayment on a house.

FYI- being patient really fucking sucks

a little reflection

As I sit in the airport on my way home from my first trip to a city since our move to the country, I can't help but reflect on how much my life has changed, the decisions I've made and whether or not I'm happy with my choices and my situation.

It was definitely a great feeling to be back in a real office environment with my peers and people I hope to be able to call my friends someday. I think the work at home environment was one of my biggest compromises with our relocation.

It's funny what you realize you do and don't miss when you leave a situation. I never thought I'd miss working in an office and I thought I'd miss the city-living vibe a lot more. I do miss the easy access to people, socialization and conversation, but right now I'm chalking that up to the office environment and less city life.

Being back in the hustle and bustle of a city was less comforting than I expected. I really thought I'd feel 'home' being back in a city but I actually found the crowded streets and bars a total turn off.

As I sit here drinking Yards, a local craft beer, at the airport (point for you Philly) and chatting with the bartender about craft beer and small-gone-big breweries I realize I'm really happy with my life. Don't get me wrong, it didn't take an attentive barmaid to make me realize I'm happy, but it made me realize I'm proud of where I live.

For so long I hid behind the allure of living in Brooklyn and I never had to talk to anyone about why I like where I live. Telling people why I love Vermont is one of my new favorite hobbies and honestly, I'm really happy about that. I can see how that statement may seem totally obnoxious. But it's not. I promise. I'm not constantly getting everyone to move to my great state. Only a select few people and you know who you are... But truth be told I don't want everyone in my state. Just the people who love it for what it is and make it the great and special state it is. And that's part of what makes Vermont special.

I'm off to finish my mediocre breakfast burrito and wash it down with great local craft beer then board a flight to y home. Vermont is my home and I couldn't be happier.

from the land of cheese to the land of cheese steaks

As some of you may know I've been in Philadelphia for the past week for work. It's been a short but fun trip to reconnect with my teammates and set goals with my boss.

While I was here a couple of rambunctious Flyers fans beat up a Rangers fan in front of Gino's. If it weren't so tragic it would be really hilarious. I mean, Philadelphia sports fans are known to be quite rowdy, but to gang beat a man on the street in front of a landmark crappy restaurant then to find out said Rangers fan is a DECORATED WAR HERO is just amazing. And by amazing I mean absolutely ridiculous.

culture isn't costly

I found this article about how to get that Google culture without spending Google money. I just LOVE it! I'll be working to cultivate this kind of culture in my one-man office in 2012.

Culture Isn't Costly

BY FC Expert Blogger Arshad ChowdhuryTue Dec 27, 2011

This blog is written by a member of our expert blogging community and expresses that expert's views alone.

Successful company culture can make the difference between a workplace people dread and one they brag about. You don’t have to have a Google-sized budget to offer great culture. Many culture-changing initiatives have no direct costs to the company. In fact, when properly executed, culture-improving initiatives can lower company costs in both the short and long term.
I’ve spent the past 10 years learning about and implementing solutions to make work better for employers and managers alike. I’ve touched hundreds of companies large and small and have seen many distinct cultures. Based on this experience I offer these simple initiatives to encourage a peaceful, productive workplace that people love.
Make Rules for the 95%, Not the 5% 
Most of your employees are hard working, motivated, and professional. Workplace rules should be designed to give maximum autonomy to the vast majority of your workers. Don’t burden people with rules designed to control the 5% of employees who are constitutionally unmotivated or undisciplined. From dress code to work hours to meeting attendance, fewer rules in the workplace are better.
For one, fewer rules can start saving you money right away. Get rid of expensive firewalls blocking Facebook and YouTube. At the same time, access to these tools can help your employees research and network faster.
Celebrate Going Home Early
It’s not true that the longer you work, the more work you will get done. According to a 2010 study, flexible work hours can lead to increased retention and productivity. You can quickly improve culture by focusing on work output instead of hours of input. If you’re going to leave the office early, go ahead and announce to your coworkers that you just closed a mega account, sent out that TPS report, and are now heading for the golf course. There’s no shame in going home after hitting a home run.
Stop Swearing
Not all rules are bad. Implement a "no swearing" rule today: no swearing about or at your coworkers or customers. By cutting out swearing, you will elevate discourse to expression of thoughtful ideas instead of base emotions. An environment where people swear at one another can quickly turn toxic. The no swearing rule can save you millions by avoiding costly lawsuits where disgruntled employees--with good reason--strike back.
Cultivate Experts
Imagine if every one of your employees was an expert in what they did; if, no matter how mundane their subject, they could teach it with passion. The benefits to you, your company, and your employees would be profound. Encourage people to become experts by having them research best practices in their field and share those with their colleagues on a regular basis. At my companies, we encourage book clubs for every level of employee. We incur cost here by buying every book club member an e-book. The $79 e-book, however, pays for itself twice: once when employees brag about their incredible work environment with their coworkers, and again when employees learn to do their jobs better through ongoing learning.
Talk About the Future
Start taking people out for coffee, one at a time, to ask them where they want to be in five and 10 years. Armed with this information, help them achieve those goals, even if the goals aren’t related to your company. If an employee tells you he or she wants to be an actor, support them when they want to take acting classes. This way, in the time that they are with you, they’ll be loyal, committed, and thankful for the support.
Let Employees Manage Their Own Energy
Our metabolism is guided by our bodies’ circadian rhythms. We all experience peaks and troughs of energy throughout the day, and the highs and lows differ for each person. One-third of your employees experience a dip in energy so steep that between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. each day they need to nap.  So let them nap. According to a NASA study, a nap of just 26 minutes can boost productivity by 34%.
Recognize Your Team Every Day
People don’t work for just money. They work for recognition, too, so don’t deprive your employees of this vital form of compensation. They are working to build your company every day. As such, give them specific words of thank-you the moment the occasion calls for it. You should be thanking each person you directly work with at least two times a week. As my mentor Chester Elton (coauthor of The Carrot Principle) says, reward behavior you want to see repeated.

http://www.fastcompany.com/1801014/culture-isnt-costly

nostalgia be damned

A friend sent me this link of 48 ads (why 48 we'll never know) that would never fly in today's world. I find most of them hilarious due to the absurdity, but I won't lie, some of them are kind of awesome.

I won't lie, some of the fashion is amazing. I totally already dress like the hot dog sweater lady. Bangs and all and I will likely be like the beer chugging breastfeeding mom someday. Don't judge

http://owni.eu/2010/11/08/top-48-ads-that-would-never-be-allowed-today/

Resolutions

I started my first day in 2012 running a 5K with my sister. We started the day saying we were going to try for a personal best of around 30 minutes OR break 30. Honestly, we were a little worried we could break 30 so that's why we left the "or" in place. Luckily we didn't need it because we broke 30!!

It was a really gratifying and emotional achievement. We crossed the finish, checked the watch and immediately started hugging and crying. It was a challenging run full of people in costumes, dogs and strollers. It also didn't help that we unintentionally started at the very end of the lineup. Even with those challenges, we hit our goal and it was one of the most rewarding things I've ever done.

I'm really proud to have started my new year off on the right foot and having met some of my many resolutions. I made a healthy choice to run a race, lived in the present and made a a dedicated effort for self improvement.