Every company I have worked for has had to deal with the issue of Tribal Knowledge. What is tribal knowledge in a company? It's any undocumented knowledge that is required to keep the company or the company's products working. The fact is that it's hard to document things, and it's even harder to keep the documents organized once a company reaches a certain size and the workforce starts to turn over.
I keep a notebook full of the tribal knowledge that I come across at my company. Even within my own notebook, it's hard to keep this knowledge organized. My only advice to my juniors is: GET A NOTEBOOK! And recopy your notes at the end of the day so that you can keep it all organized.
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Too much work...
Aria's 1st birthday falls on a Friday this year. Trying to decide on a day to celebrate her birthday has been surprisingly difficult. It makes sense to make the birthday a daytime event, because that's when the birthday girl would be awake right? So obviously we should have the birthday on Saturday! BUT! It turns out Saturday my mother in law arrives back from HK @ 2PM and my husband needs to go pick her up. So that means... Saturday would not be a good time to have the birthday party. Without my husband around to help set up and take down... it seemed too much work for me to bother with.
So how about Sunday? Well... it's memorial weekend and the idea of hosting a memorial day bbq seems like too much work. We are low key people, and don't like hosting a huge get-together. But for memorial day, a big get together is almost required.
Since we usually have a weekly get together with our friends every Thursday, I thought a low key Thursday night bbq that's also in celebration of Aria's birth would be a happy compromise. This way when she's down for the night, we can keep eating, drinking, and playing. No need to handle a baby! I ran this idea by my husband and he gave it the greenlight. I sent out the evite for the event... We knew most of the family would not be able to make the bbq because it's a weeknight... but we sent them an invitation anyway because we wanted them to know that we had thought of them.
Unfortunately this gesture seems to have been misinterpreted. Apparently my mother in law is also sad that she can't make her granddaughters birthday. But I'm confused, because 2 weeks ago she said that she wasn't going to her other granddaughter's birthday dinner either. So I thought that she wouldn't mind missing this birthday bbq?
Don't even try suggesting a "family only" event in addition to this bbq either! My goal is a low-key birthday celebration. To have multiple events... it's just too much work! I have enough stuff on my plate to worry about.
So how about Sunday? Well... it's memorial weekend and the idea of hosting a memorial day bbq seems like too much work. We are low key people, and don't like hosting a huge get-together. But for memorial day, a big get together is almost required.
Since we usually have a weekly get together with our friends every Thursday, I thought a low key Thursday night bbq that's also in celebration of Aria's birth would be a happy compromise. This way when she's down for the night, we can keep eating, drinking, and playing. No need to handle a baby! I ran this idea by my husband and he gave it the greenlight. I sent out the evite for the event... We knew most of the family would not be able to make the bbq because it's a weeknight... but we sent them an invitation anyway because we wanted them to know that we had thought of them.
Unfortunately this gesture seems to have been misinterpreted. Apparently my mother in law is also sad that she can't make her granddaughters birthday. But I'm confused, because 2 weeks ago she said that she wasn't going to her other granddaughter's birthday dinner either. So I thought that she wouldn't mind missing this birthday bbq?
Don't even try suggesting a "family only" event in addition to this bbq either! My goal is a low-key birthday celebration. To have multiple events... it's just too much work! I have enough stuff on my plate to worry about.
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Dr. Mom vs. Pneumonia
The doctor said he had a sinus infection and bronchitis. But Hubby was still spiking fevers all through the weekend despite being on antibiotics .
As we were taking a stroll around the block two days ago, Vince joked: "Maybe I have pneumonia, cause I feel so sick." Then he said: "What is pneumonia anyway?"
I said "I'm not sure. It has something to do with the lungs and you can die from it. So I hope you don't have pneumonia."
Yesterday I sent him to the doctor cause his fever was 102 again! They took an X-ray of his chest. Lo-and-behold! A patch of pneumonia on his lung. They gave him broad spectrum antibiotics, and sent him home. He ate, spiked another fever to 104 Fahrenheit, and went to sleep. I'm glad to report that he feels much better this morning. But we won't really know if the antibiotics are doing their job until he has been taking them for 48 hours.
I'm a little scared that this might be a drug-resistant bacteria? After all, it didn't respond to the original antibiotics! I'm also wondering how he got pneumonia? Is it because of the human-lung-powered snot-sucker (nosefrida) we use on the baby? But the fact is that most healthy people do not get pneumonia. Only young children or seniors or people with compromised immune systems get pneumonia! I wonder if this is a sign of something more? It's hard to concentrate on work with this hanging over my head.
As we were taking a stroll around the block two days ago, Vince joked: "Maybe I have pneumonia, cause I feel so sick." Then he said: "What is pneumonia anyway?"
I said "I'm not sure. It has something to do with the lungs and you can die from it. So I hope you don't have pneumonia."
Yesterday I sent him to the doctor cause his fever was 102 again! They took an X-ray of his chest. Lo-and-behold! A patch of pneumonia on his lung. They gave him broad spectrum antibiotics, and sent him home. He ate, spiked another fever to 104 Fahrenheit, and went to sleep. I'm glad to report that he feels much better this morning. But we won't really know if the antibiotics are doing their job until he has been taking them for 48 hours.
I'm a little scared that this might be a drug-resistant bacteria? After all, it didn't respond to the original antibiotics! I'm also wondering how he got pneumonia? Is it because of the human-lung-powered snot-sucker (nosefrida) we use on the baby? But the fact is that most healthy people do not get pneumonia. Only young children or seniors or people with compromised immune systems get pneumonia! I wonder if this is a sign of something more? It's hard to concentrate on work with this hanging over my head.
Friday, May 13, 2011
Dr. Mom
It's Friday 11 AM and I'm at home not at work. Why? Because Aria's new daycare is not an egg and nut free facility and my husband allowed them to feed her some french toast. What's in french toast? EGGS. Aria threw up and then broke out in hives EVERYWHERE and then cried so sadly. Poor baby. So she had to come home.
I don't blame the daycare for feeding her french toast. I don't blame my husband for letting them feed her french toast. It was bound to happen sometime right? I am just really sad that she might have an egg allergy. I'm scared to let her try eggs again though... how can I safely confirm her egg allergy?
I'm also wondering if this means I should try to always bring her own food in the future?
At the same time, my husband seems to have a sinus infection. He's had a high fever on and off for the last 48 hours. I finally convinced him to go see the doctor. I really do feel like Dr. Mom today. Hopefully he'll get a shot, feel better and be able to watch Aria for the rest of the day. Then I will be able to go back to work and focus on my projects. *joy*
I don't blame the daycare for feeding her french toast. I don't blame my husband for letting them feed her french toast. It was bound to happen sometime right? I am just really sad that she might have an egg allergy. I'm scared to let her try eggs again though... how can I safely confirm her egg allergy?
I'm also wondering if this means I should try to always bring her own food in the future?
At the same time, my husband seems to have a sinus infection. He's had a high fever on and off for the last 48 hours. I finally convinced him to go see the doctor. I really do feel like Dr. Mom today. Hopefully he'll get a shot, feel better and be able to watch Aria for the rest of the day. Then I will be able to go back to work and focus on my projects. *joy*
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Stressing over Daycare
When I first sent my daughter to full time daycare (Kiddie Academy) at 3 months old, I cried. I was so sad to "send her away" at that tender age. I literally sobbed myself to work during that first week.
Aria is now almost 1, and she LOVES her daycare. She is happy when we drop her off and happy when we pick her up. She is even making friends and playing hide'n seek with some of the kids there. She has even started signing! Despite all these positives signs my husband and I have made the tough decision to move her from this daycare center to an at-home daycare.
Logically speaking, the reasons to change are great!
1. The new daycare is literally an 8 minute walk from my house.
2. The daycare has a better ratio of caregiver to kids with two adults for 5 kids.
3. The cost of the new daycare is 1/3 less than the current daycare.
4. The new daycare will provide food so I don't have to worry about packing her breakfast and lunch and premix her formula everyday.
5. Because it's in a residential area, I feel like the air is better.
6. She does some structured activities such as nature walks and simple arts and crafts.
Conclusion: The savings in time, energy, gas, and money is very significant. We can finally start that college fund for her!
Despite all the positives of the new daycare, there are some negatives.
1. She has the TV on all the time as background noise. Or to play music for the older kids to dance and wiggle to. Sometimes she puts it to news (cause I guess she gets bored)
2. She has a pet dog and cat, and that may possibly irritate underlying allergic tendencies.
3. She allows people to wear shoes in the house... so her floors are not as clean as I would like. And since Aria is still crawling, I worry about germs!
This decision is causing us stress. We have tried out the new daycare for 3 days... and Aria does not seem to be adjusting very well. It's possible that the difficult transition is exacerbated by teething and a cold. But as a mother, I can't help but worry when I hear that my daughter has refused to eat all day and is barely drinking her milk.
Tomorrow will be Aria's last official day at Kiddie Academy. She will go there for her last day, take pictures with her teachers there. And that will be it. Tomorrow will be the point of no return. There is currently a wait list at Kiddie Academy, so once we leave... we can't immediately go back. And even if we do go back, we will lose our current tuition rate and have to pay at the higher rate.
It's stressful... it really is! Will she get better care? Will she get worse care? Will she have ADD because the TV is on? Will she be able to reach her full potential in a less structured environment such as this? Will we end up going back to Kiddie Academy and end up paying more money in the long run?
I guess this is a situation where we have to go with logic. One or two years of early childhood care will not make or break Aria's future. I did not go to a daycare center until I was 3, and I am JUST FINE
Aria is now almost 1, and she LOVES her daycare. She is happy when we drop her off and happy when we pick her up. She is even making friends and playing hide'n seek with some of the kids there. She has even started signing! Despite all these positives signs my husband and I have made the tough decision to move her from this daycare center to an at-home daycare.
Logically speaking, the reasons to change are great!
1. The new daycare is literally an 8 minute walk from my house.
2. The daycare has a better ratio of caregiver to kids with two adults for 5 kids.
3. The cost of the new daycare is 1/3 less than the current daycare.
4. The new daycare will provide food so I don't have to worry about packing her breakfast and lunch and premix her formula everyday.
5. Because it's in a residential area, I feel like the air is better.
6. She does some structured activities such as nature walks and simple arts and crafts.
Conclusion: The savings in time, energy, gas, and money is very significant. We can finally start that college fund for her!
Despite all the positives of the new daycare, there are some negatives.
1. She has the TV on all the time as background noise. Or to play music for the older kids to dance and wiggle to. Sometimes she puts it to news (cause I guess she gets bored)
2. She has a pet dog and cat, and that may possibly irritate underlying allergic tendencies.
3. She allows people to wear shoes in the house... so her floors are not as clean as I would like. And since Aria is still crawling, I worry about germs!
This decision is causing us stress. We have tried out the new daycare for 3 days... and Aria does not seem to be adjusting very well. It's possible that the difficult transition is exacerbated by teething and a cold. But as a mother, I can't help but worry when I hear that my daughter has refused to eat all day and is barely drinking her milk.
Tomorrow will be Aria's last official day at Kiddie Academy. She will go there for her last day, take pictures with her teachers there. And that will be it. Tomorrow will be the point of no return. There is currently a wait list at Kiddie Academy, so once we leave... we can't immediately go back. And even if we do go back, we will lose our current tuition rate and have to pay at the higher rate.
It's stressful... it really is! Will she get better care? Will she get worse care? Will she have ADD because the TV is on? Will she be able to reach her full potential in a less structured environment such as this? Will we end up going back to Kiddie Academy and end up paying more money in the long run?
I guess this is a situation where we have to go with logic. One or two years of early childhood care will not make or break Aria's future. I did not go to a daycare center until I was 3, and I am JUST FINE
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