Office Questionnaire

At the end of this past week in the office I got an interesting email from one of my fellow new colleagues. It was an email that many have received in the workplace over the years but, until now, I had never gotten one. It was a simple questionnaire to get to know each other a little better.

Here were the email questions along with my answers (some information has been removed but the questions remain the same):

·         Type of car you drive: Chevrolet Malibu [the 2012 is not very exciting but definitely practical]

·         Top five movies you could watch over and over: National Treasure, Gettysburg, Super Troopers / Beerfest [any Broken Lizard movie except Club Dread – that movie suuuucked], Talented Mr. Ripley, The Chosen, RED, Holy Land Hardball, You’ve Got Mail, Fargo, Hitler’s Children (let me know if this is not diverse enough) [I can never think of the movies that I stop and watch but these were the ones that came to mind]

·         Favorite TV show (currently or must watch re-runs): Who Do You Think You Are? (and other genealogy related shows). Close second is anything firearms related (i.e. Sons of Guns, American Guns, etc.). [also of note are Northern Exposure, The West Wing, Deadwood, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Bargain Hunt, Big Bang Theory, NCIS, MacGyver, and many others]

·         Drink of choice (alcohol or non-alcohol): Coffee is my friend (and, by extension, yours too). [Dark beer is good too; the darker the better. And Scotch is right there with it].

·         Favorite superhero: Punisher or Batman (no super powers need apply).

·         Dream vacation destination: Always enjoy going to Jerusalem. Would also like to go to Ireland and Germany to explore my heritage. [of course I am up for traveling just about anywhere as you may have surmised by my numerous posts about my travels in the Commonwealth]

·         Music preference – genre or artist(s): I like a mix of most genres. However, I am finding that my ears don’t agree with much of the sounds produced today. [Metallica to 10,000 Maniacs; Verdi to Clint Black; Buddy Holly to Eminem; you get the idea]

·         Favorite app on your smartphone/tablet: Blogger (essential when you post every day). Close second is Ancestry.com. [too many apps makes me long for a green screen app].

·         Target or Wal-Mart: Wal-Mart (have you been to the Target on City Avenue? That will make you switch). [ironically, you can’t get ammo at Target. But if I had to pick between the two I would go with Amazon.com]

·         Must have snack: beef jerky. [mmmmm, jerky]

I would add:

·         What was your first car: 1998 Ford Mustang

·         Hobbies: Writing, Genealogy, Rotary, Masons, Firearms, Travel

·         Major in College: English/Creative Writing

·         First Job: Shipping books for an antiquarian book store in Wayne.

So, that was the simple questionnaire that I received on Friday. What would your answers be to those questions? Is there anything you would like me to write more about in a future post? Let me know and I will do my best to accommodate. In the meantime, have a great night and a wonderful week!

Familiarize Yourself With A Nonalcoholic Screwdriver

It has always amazed me when I have come across people that don’t know how to use basic tools like a screwdriver or a hammer. Throughout my working life in particular, every once in a while I have had to fix various things especially at the office which remained in disrepair because no one knew how to fix them. I am not talking about major projects. I am talking about basic maintenance items such as wobbly desks and chairs to office doors sticking. Anyone who took basic wood shop would know how to fix these things.

Oh wait, that’s right, kids don’t take wood shop anymore.

People, in general, don’t know how to work with their hands anymore. It is too easy to call someone or replace something than invest some time and thought into how something can be fixed.  This is an issue that is only going to get worse over time as each succeeding generations learns less and less about how to complete small hands on projects around the home or, in this instance, office.

I find it relaxing to sit down with a project, tools in hand, and make something functional again. Sometimes it’s as simple as tightening a hinge or removing the wiggle from a chair while other times it could consist of assembling furniture or building a complete lower. Other times I have done some basic mechanical and refinishing work. By no means do I consider myself good at this but I can get the job done with adequate results.

However, I do know my limits. I do not mess with plumbing or electrical. Most of that kind of work is still beyond my basic knowledge at this point. For those projects I do call in a professional but I try to be there and observe what is being done in case there are minor things that I can pick up and deploy in a pinch.

This is something that everyone can do and should do as it provides you with a small amount of self reliance and know how that can’t be taken away from you. Too few people know the satisfaction that this can bring when you fix something with more than just duct tape. When you fix something in a way that lasts it is always a reminder of what you can do when you take the time and put your mind to something.

In the end, I think this all comes down to two things: a desire to learn and a willingness to work. We would all be better off if we could get more people to fix the things that break instead of just complaining on Facebook and asking for recommendations for a replacement. It really is that simple.

Take the time to educate yourself and start from the beginning if you need to. Basically, if you can’t differentiate between a flat head and Phillips head screwdriver just ask someone and start from there. There is no reason for your only exposure to a screwdriver having been at a bar.