Maybe there's hope!

In the "Work: There's a Reason Why They Don't Call It Play" category, I just came from a gloriously mind-relieving discussion with the new operations manager.

Dear god, just to be heard on the subject of some of the management deficiencies around this place was wonderful. To hear, in return, that the New Guy understands the problems, knows what questions to ask, and has ideas for improvement, has lifted my spirits to a really almost unseemly degree.

Some people, in some lines of work, do well without any significant degree of structure. But me? In a technical line of work supporting a $50 million software infrastructure investment? Not among their number. We've been circling the drain around here, depending more and more on individuals' workaholic tendencies to make up what we lack in direction, supervision, and management. The New Guy named two things--just two things--he's identified as priorities, and he's absolutely spot-on. If he can get improvements in those two areas, the whole logjam will start to clear.

So there's hope. Maybe this job won't be my downfall this year.

No interesting female characters, my ass

Do yourself and your heart and mind a favor, and go take a look at this wonderful post by copracat, featuring icons of strong female characters.

Then peruse the comments, where lots more awesome women characters are represented. It made my day.

Just a picture

( Eleanor O and the Flower Run )

Oh, and for The Eowyn Challenge, it's been slow going since I left Rivendell: nothing but crossing small streams in "empty country, rough and barren," and camping in hollows, for the last 80 miles. It's still a really long way to Moria. Thank goodness there are Trader Joe's No Name Salted Rice Cakes in my basket, huh?