No More Honeywell

Today was my last day at Honeywell. My next day of work will be June 21 with Chrysalis in Wilmington. After a brief training period, I will be the Office Manager there. This is exciting for me because it is a completely different industry. I've never been involved in any aspect to the medical field so I'm really excited about the opportunity. After working for an international manufacturer, it's REALLY exciting to start in an industry where it is next to impossible to move jobs overseas. I will miss great employee discounts and a partially matched 401K, but I'm really looking forward to working for a locally owned and operated small business.

In the meantime, we will pack as much as we can into our little cars and head east. I'll have 11 days to break from work in order to move and hit the beach. Hopefully, people will come and see our house and buy it so we can start to look for a house in Wilmington. The house will officially list tomorrow so I'll post that information when I can. If you know of anyone wanting an ADORABLE 3 bedroom/2 bathroom ranch house on a cul-de-sac in Alpharetta with a white picket fence, you let me know!

A difference between Wilmington and Atlanta

The first weekend of great weather

Wilmington: Everyone comes into work sunburned/tan with bathing suit strap lines and flip flop tan lines.

Atlanta: Everyone comes into work sunburned/tan with golf shirt tan lines, hiking boot lines or Teva tan lines...or if you're Wes and me, life vest lines from kayaking all day.

A similarity: A lot of people call in sick the following Monday. Spring fever has arrived!!!

I don't have pictures of us actually kayaking, only sitting in the kayaks. It was an adventure to say the least. From now on, we will check the wind forecast before going on the river.

Honeywell in the News

Honeywell has made the news a couple of times in the past few weeks:

Tech Industry CEOs Back Obama's Rescue Package
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123318835721826641.html?mod=googlenews_wsj
Dave Cote is CEO of Honeywell International. I am 6 degrees of separation away from him. I feel like that's pretty close but considering that I am that far away from everyone in the world, I guess I'm not that close to the top. But still, he got to meet Barack.

Honeywell device may have aided US Airways flight in Hudson River landing
http://www.bizjournals.com/phoenix/stories/2009/01/19/daily73.html
I'm pretty happy about this part of the company.

It's Christmas time in the city...

At least it is in the 'burbs because we have not one but TWO Christmas parties this weekend. I'm so excited. My work party is Saturday night at Startime Entertainment in Roswell. It should be a lot of fun because this is the first time that our company has had a paid party off site in 2 1/2 years! Yay for European leaders.

Our second party is a neighborhood tacky Christmas sweater party in our cul-de-sac. It should be really fun too. I'm hoping that our camera makes it an I can post some pics.

Winter is here

I haven't been blogging lately because sometimes I feel like my blogs are not worthy if not accompanied by photos. Alas...

We woke up this morning to the electricity going on and off. Finally, after about 6 attempts at coming back on, the power was out. At first, I was so happy that we had gas heat so that we wouldn't be cold...then Wes said that the heat can't work because electricity has to run the fan that runs the heat through the house...rats! Well, we do have a gas heated hot water system so I took a very warm shower and got out into a 65 degree tile bathroom floor...yikes! After I got to work, Wes called and said the power was back on, so that's good.
I can't believe how cold it is here! The high is only 44 degrees. Luckily, we have a lot of firewood at the house and should have even more this weekend because one of my co-workers is supposed to come over and help us split some...yes! I love fires when it's cold outside.

p.s. We managed to have a Holiday Party! And it's going to be awesome. We're having something even better than we did last year. Now let's see if Honeywell let's us get our incentive bonuses.

I feel deflated today

I get to plan all events, caterings, parties, etc. at work. It's always so exciting and lately people have been giving ideas for our end-of-year (aka Christmas) party this year. Today, however, we received an email from the President of the company that all end of year parties must be canceled. STUPID ECONOMY!! The one thing we have to lift spirits up here at work when everyday, people on the production floor think their jobs may be going to India. Now, I can't bring in BBQ the Friday before Christmas week. I know, this is only a drop in a bucket full of major problems in the world today and I'm being really petty. But this blows! Now I have nothing to plan for the next two months...maybe we can still get away with Secret Santa!

Today

I've worked at my job for one year. Yay!

Another new thing about living inland...

Tornado sirens.

Now, for those of you that grew up or have lived inland for years probably think I'm crazy. But I grew up on a beach with hurricanes that we saw coming for weeks (OK, days, but you get the point). Our siren was Jim Cantore on Wrightsville Beach with a big fan blowing on him for effect.

When I got into work today during the torrential downpour, I heard sirens. I'm thinking, "ambulance, police, fire truck". None of the above, apparently they ring sirens when severe weather is a foot. They did this a few months ago when the tornadoes went through Downtown Atlanta but that was on a weekend and nobody told us they were for the storm. We thought it was emergency officials. Today, people at work informed me that they go off whenever you should proceed with your drills. And, since I am co-chair of the Honeywell Health Safety and Environmental Committee (that's right!), everyone came to me! So, being the quick thinker that I am, I laid out an emergency plan for tornadoes. The sirens had been going off for about 30 minutes and by the time that we all actually thought, "maybe we should seek cover" and go into the middle of the facility, the sirens stopped. So, we'll be ready next time.

Job Security...I think

I've been a little worried lately because my boss is leaving our division of Honeywell. Also because many parts of our company are moving to India...don't get me started. Basically, since our merger, my boss's position is no longer needed. As of today, I am his executive assistant and report to him for approvals, goals, etc but also support everyone else in my office and six outside sales people. Everyone around here knows that my boss is going to be out of here soon but everyone has been walking around on eggshells for me because we didn't really know what that would entail for me. Today, the US Sales Director for an entire division of Honeywell called my direct line and asked me to do a few things for him. We chatted a while and he also basically asked me if I have everything I need to support the people I support. A call from higher up than my boss is a good thing, right?

Here's to keeping a job!

Some things I love about my job...

1) I work in an office and I'm wearing flip flops...and it's not Friday. Call me crazy but it is the little things that make a difference. Seriously, I am wearing a t-shirt, jeans and flip flops and nobody cares. I think the most I have ever seen anyone dress up was when I tucked an oxford shirt into a dressy skirt. Maybe that's one of the reasons that people are laid back around here. None of the men wear ties...ever. Everyone wears jeans. There is this really metro guy here that dresses nice but still, never wears a tie.

2) I have been given some extra responsibilities that are solely mine. It's nice because people keep coming to me and asking me to help them because only I have been trained on some new policies that Honeywell has installed. For example, we have a new expense reporting solution and I am the "SuperUser". That's right. It's a Honeywell word, no space, capital S-capital U. I'm her, the SuperUser. One guy around here calls me the "Super Used" because everyone comes to me to help them with the reporting. At first, I was not excited that the Controller volunteered me for this position because there was 5 hours of training with a guy named Venkat and it was all tele- or webconferencing. But now, I realize that this is another key on my chain for job security and something great to put on my resume. I mean, let's face it, I can make this little part of my job sound amazing (I did major in Public Relations, which is basically making the mundane sound stupendous and the terrible sound mundane). Besides, the Controller told me he would get me a Super Woman shirt...but I haven't seen it.

3) This place is super diverse. I love that about not only my job, but Atlanta. There are more colors of the rainbow than I've ever seen anywhere. (Yes, I've only lived in Wilmington and Raleigh, but still) Here in our office the following countries are represented: United States, United Kingdom (he wins the best accent award), The Netherlands, Puerto Rico, St. Lucia, Jamaica, Belarus, Russia, and Venezuela. Everyday I call out to or get calls from all over the world. Yesterday, I called the UK, India and Colombia. Maybe I will be able to travel to one of these places sometime!

4) The people I report to are never here so I have a lot of time to cruise around on the Internet. There is one bad thing about that though: Honeywell blocks a lot of websites (anything that streams video, myspace, facebook, etc.). Oh well, I can't complain.