I suddenly want to mount a style guide on the handle of a croquet mallet for Jilli.

Oooh, I could hang it on the wall, crossed with my pink and black croquet mallet. That would be perfect!

I've decided not to get into a comments argument about pregnancy dietary guidelines as it relates to Top Chef judging. I think I deserve a pat on the back for this.

Our comapny does a mix-CD every year that we give out at our holiday party. This year's theme is "Favorite Song". Out of 27 people, I've received 2 songs. So I sent out the following:

Hello All!!

Just a friendly reminder about sending me the title and artist of your all-time favorite song! So far I've only received two and I need yours by Friday. All vacant slots will be filled with music by The Backstreet Boys, Jon Tesh, and Hannah Montana and assigned to your name!! (ha ha ha! or, rather, ho ho ho!)

Happy Holidays!!

Oooh, I could hang it on the wall, crossed with my pink and black croquet mallet. That would be perfect!

You could paint a tiny silhouette of each of your victims on it....

I've decided not to get into a comments argument about pregnancy dietary guidelines as it relates to Top Chef judging. I think I deserve a pat on the back for this.

pats Jess on the back

rubs baby bump if permission granted

My own behavior is very different if I'm focusing on a person, instead of something I'm working on, when I tend to be abrupt and possibly rather brusque. It's hard to look at one's own behavior from the outside, but I think I can switch back and forth between "people mode" and "information/task mode" in a half-second, which probably leaves many people confused. I can see how someone, especially someone whose own primary mode of engagement is people/emotion focused, might misunderstand my "task mode" as me being dismissive or insensitive to her/him personally.

I suppose I could work on that. Or I could just be relieved that my primary communication with my co-workers now is by email.

Aims - Bwahahahahahahahahaha!!!

Also, I'm afeared if that happens the mix will turn up at the next F2F.

I've decided not to get into a comments argument about pregnancy dietary guidelines as it relates to Top Chef judging. I think I deserve a pat on the back for this.

I think I deserve a pat on the back for not letting my brain liquify and drain out my ears just trying to imagine it.

All vacant slots will be filled with music by The Backstreet Boys, Jon Tesh, and Hannah Montana and assigned to your name!!

And this must be why they call you The Empress.

rubs baby bump if permission granted

Permission granted gladly, but you'll have to wait a couple months. The bump in its current state is easily mistaken for beer-belly.

I'm told to work on my bluntness at every single performance review I've ever had. It's a thing.

I'm trying to work out if there's even a song by the Backstreet Boys I could term a guilty pleasure (I can list NSYNC and Spice Girls tunes I like, but I don't think they make the cut). John Tesh is an automatic hell no. And Hannah Montana? I don't even want to know.

So Aims is indeed the devil.

My intended work persona is forceful and friendly. I will shoot the shit with just about anyone, and crack jokes, but I will also stick up for my ideas and correct people when I think they're wrong...up to the point where it becomes apparent that it's counterproductive or just plain fruitless. I hope that's how it comes over. I have to pay attention to things like apportioning attention more evenly so I don't get people's goat up by leaving them out, and making sure I give positive feedback so that people keep listening. I like to think my father's diplomacy career had a lot to teach me. I hope I picked stuff up. I know I've let people run over me in the past, plus I've been pointlessly confrontational. No more of either.