I'm coming to Van for July 29 - Aug 1 long weekend!

Anyways, that is the plan . . . I hear Brad's house is having a party on the 30th. So, seeing as I barely get out of the Valley, everybody give me ideas on what else I should do to go nuts while I am on the only vacation I am going to get this summer . . . Parties, karaoke, etc etc I want to pack it all in!

Apart from meeting up with friends once a week on Tuesdays, work is almost my life right now! That, and making up for 8 months without cable. PVRs are dangerous . . . very dangerous. This is a very sad state of affairs

4th Article - How to deal with an agry person

1) Don’t react instinctively – consider your first response. Most people respond to anger with a fight or flight reaction like defensiveness, aggressiveness, or avoidance. Nine times out of ten this only makes things worse. Two angry people fight, but one calm person and an angry one might find a solution.

2) Listen for the message behind the words. Anger is often misdirected: the real issue might not be the problem they initially confront you with. The person could be frustrated or afraid about something quite different, and it might not have anything to do with you. This is your best and possibly only chance to deal with their anger – give them your full attention!

3) Acknowledge that you heard how they feel. This doesn’t mean agree with the person. Tell the person that you can see that they are unhappy about the situation.

4) Ask a clarifying question. Not only will this help you understand what the person is saying, it shows them that you are listening and interested in finding out what is going on. It tends to defuse their anger by causing them to expand upon what they first said.

5) Repeat back. You can further defuse and clarify the situation by repeating what they have said. “If I’ve got this right, you’re concerned about (repeat what they have said here)”. This also gives you time to figure out the underlying issues and consider your response.

6) Expand upon what has been said. Try and put yourself in the other person’s shoes and address the issue. This shows that, in the brief time allotted, you have thought about what was said. “In light of your concern, that would mean . . ., right?” End with a question that encourages the other person to confirm that you are on the right track, and that they feel you are open.

7) Legitimize. Again, this doesn’t mean agree. It means that, based on where the other person is coming from, you can understand why they said what they said. “I can understand why that would cause a problem for you”.

8) Offer to explore solutions. This is different from offering solutions. If you offer a solution out of hand, you might be shot down. It is better to ask permission to participate in the problem solving process. Ask “Would it be helpful to you to consider what can be done to resolve this?” Keep the sentence generic and don’t say ‘we’ or ‘I’: you don’t want to inadvertently assume responsibility for a solution, because it may not be yours to assume. You want to promote feedback as to just how willing the person is to assume responsibility for finding a solution.

9) Establish your boundaries. You have asked reasonable questions and you are entitled to reasonable and courteous replies. If you don’t understand the problem or how you can help solve it, stand your ground. Point out, if necessary, that you are asking questions because of your concern that this person be able to solve the situation. Simply asking “what can I do to help?” might make the person realize that it really isn’t your responsibility to solve the problem.

10) Use as much force as necessary to enforce the boundaries you’ve set. Occasionally someone just won’t let go, and they will return to the same litany over an over, or throw in nasty digs or accusations that can be way off the mark. If you have listened, acknowledged, explored, legitimized, and offered and they just aren’t satisfied, you might have to make your stance clear. “I think I understand your concern, and I have offered to help you reach a solution. What more do you want?” If the person is unreasonable, judge just how far you need to go by observing their demeanor, and whether you feel the situation is salvageable. If they become verbally abusive, you can simply say “I’m sorry. I don’t believe I can help you any further, and I don’t appreciate your tone. If you are going to speak to me that way, I’m afraid you’ll have to work it out for yourself. I don’t appreciate abuse.”

Adapted from a www.topten.com article by Shale Paul

3rd Article - Anger Management

“How-to” Tips

Anger is a natural response that everyone has. There are many specific things that can cause anger (someone using your ideas and not giving you credit for them, a belittling comment made by a coworker, an unexpectedly poor test mark) but they all boil down to two basic causes:

Frustration (not getting what we want, especially if we were expecting to get it)

Feeling that others do not respect us, or care how we feel.

Everyone feels angry at one time or another, but we all need to be able to deal with our anger in a way that is respectful to others and to ourselves.

First, recognize how you feel and what made you feel that way. Take some deep breaths to help your body relax, and start solving the problem by working through your own feelings. Are you mad because a coworker took your stapler when you needed it, or are you mad because you feel like the person didn’t help out all week though you repeatedly mentioned a harsh work overload? Sort out what actually made you angry, and then decide how to appropriately deal with the issue.

Remember, if you are mad at someone, it is often because you THINK the person meant to be disrespectful or uncaring. It is very possible that you misread their motive – or they didn’t get your message. Most arguments start from misunderstanding. Managing anger often means managing communication - are you sure the other person is aware of your problem, and intentionally ignoring it? Make sure you are on the same page.

Express yourself – as long as it won’t do more harm than good in the long run. In most cases, you can tell others how you feel in a non-confrontational way. Being assertive is not being aggressive – use a lot of “I” sentences. Just think: wouldn’t you be more considerate if someone says “I feel like you didn’t understand me when I asked . . .” as opposed to “You aren’t listening to me! You were told . . .”

Sometimes going to the person who made you angry just isn’t a good idea. If that is the case, vent to a friend. They will probably sympathize, and maybe make some suggestions. If you can, take a mini-break and go for a short walk, or create a mental escape such as singing to the radio when you are stuck in traffic.

And don’t forget – sometimes life isn’t fair. Sometimes you can’t change a situation, and you only hurt yourself when you stay angry at something beyond your control. It is better to forgive – though this can be the hardest coping strategy, it is the most powerful. Make the conscious decision not to hold something against someone. It won’t change the past, but neither will holding on to your anger.

Update on the van . . .

Nothing to update! Someone asked what happened with that dent . . . yeah, mom hasn't said anything about it since. One of my friends said that my house was like the United Nations. I guess that makes mom Switzerland. Too bad she isn't rich.

I can assume my dad hasn't found out, seeing as I haven't woken up dead yet.

I'm more likely to really piss him off, and suddenly he will take the van in for a repair, and bill me for it. But then again, he gets really pissed at me all the time, so maybe not.

Quasi-hungover

Right, I have spent the last week kinda hungover-feeling, from sleep deprivation. But Because I'm a hungoverlike space cadet, I have no time to do everything I am supposed to do, relax to feel sorry for myself, and fit in more than 6 hrs sleep a night. It's like when I'm too stressed out about having tons of homework to do the homework.

And I told my boss I would go running with her Friday morning . . as in, actually doing the running at 6:00. I think I fell off my rocker there. Ah well.

Gotta go not-sleep some more.

2nd (post-edited) Article for Newsletter.

Safety – it’s no joke
By [Lu] Hill

Mill tours have started again, and apart from showing the public what we do here, they have served to remind me how much I have learned since I started working at the site. This is my third summer here, so I can still clearly remember my dismay as I learned how much personal protective equipment I was required to wear. But after two weeks, it was automatic and rarely bothered me. Tour takers are often surprised by the amount of safety gear I have them don. The escape respirator is always looked at sideways (“How often do you use these?”) and once they gear up, they often complain about being warm. Well, just wait . . . again, the heat is something we get accustomed to.
Some tourists have worked in industrial settings before, and show respect and understanding of large machines and the precautions we need to take. One particular construction worker, a tourist from the EU, was happy as a kid in Disneyland when he got to see a crane operator transfer a huge order from one machine to another. A worker on the floor noticed our interest, explained a point or two, and confirmed it was safe to stand where we were. The construction worker’s wife tried not to shake her head as he had me draw in the tour route on his site map souvenir afterwards. She had mock-solemnly told me that they were going to be experts in wood, having already taken a Weyerhauser tour and inspected the BC Forest Discovery Centre.

Some tourists are less impressed by the scale and power of the machines, and I have to be careful that they don’t dawdle and fall behind the group. As I lead tours down beside a conveyor line, I always ask that people be aware of the conveyor hazard, though adult groups are allowed to reach out and touch the moving goods. I also point out the trip wire running beside the conveyor, to pull if a worker gets caught. This gave one person an idea, and a minute later he gave a yell, as if pulled into the conveyor. It only took a second before I realized that he was just fooling around, but as you can imagine, I was not amused. Why can’t he see that safety isn’t a joke around here? Powerful machinery should command serious respect. I whipped around and glared at him. “That was NOT funny” I automatically growled into my mike and therefore every tourist’s ears. I considered launching into a riff on appropriate behaviour in an industrial setting (which would be beamed into every tour hardhat) but restrained myself to a very dire look. “It’s just a joke” he said lamely broadcasting through his mike (something he was instructed not to do, for safety reasons). “It is not a funny one” I repeated.

Tour safety is a serious concern of mine, because though tourists are told what is expected of them, they don’t always understand or notice all hazards. I do my best to point out and avoid hazards along the route, and I would like to thank the maintenance people, crane operators, and workers who confirm when it is safe for the tour to go through hazardous areas.

First article for the newsletter. Haha, someone published me! I don't care if it is just an in-house newsletter . . .

Foodsafe Quiz
From [Lu] Hill

At a recent safety meeting, Jennifer Smith of Word Wise Services gave a half hour presentation on Foodsafe.
Even experienced cooks may be surprised by some items on the not-to-do list of common bad practices. How safe is your kitchen? Try our kitchen knowledge quiz below, and see if you should update your kitchen habits! For more tips on food safety, go to http://www.foodsafe.ca/.

Kitchen Knowledge Quiz

1. You see a spot of mould on your cheese – what do you do?
a) Cut off all visible mould on hard cheese (cheddar etc) or soft cheese (like Camembert etc.)
b) Throw it out, throw it ALL out.
c) Cut one inch off the cheese where the mould grew on hard cheeses, and throw out all soft cheeses.
d) Hey, cheese is mould. No worries. Especially if you cook it – the mould would die.

2. What is the most bacteria laden place in Canadian homes?
a) The toilet seat
b) The microwave ceiling
c) The dishrag in the sink

3. How can you sanitize a sponge?
a) Soak it in say a teaspoon of bleach and three cups of water.
b) Zap it in the microwave.
c) Put it in a couple cups of hot, soapy water and a teaspoon of bleach.

4. How many cases of food poisoning occur in Canada each year?
a) A couple dozen
b) A couple hundred
c) A couple thousand
d) A couple million

5. How should you defrost your chicken?
a) Leave it out on the counter overnight, just like Mom and Grandma did.
b) Put it in your fridge for a day or two.
c) If you are in a rush, put it in warm running water.
d) Microwave it.

Answers:

1 - ‘c’. The mould you see is only the tip of the iceberg – mould spores have spread inside the cheese. Also, just cooking food properly will not prevent all food borne illnesses. Some bacteria leave a toxin that will cause illness or even death.

2 - ‘c’. Damp dishrags are breeding grounds for bacteria. Either use them once, or sanitize them as you would a sponge, below.

3 - ‘a’ or 'b' if done propperly. A soak in three cups of water and a teaspoon of bleach is a great way to sanitize sponges, veggie brushes, dishrags and other kitchen items. Also use the same strength solution in a squirt bottle to spray on countertops before you wipe them, and in a jar to store damp dishrags for re-use. Soap added to the mix will actually react with the bleach and make it LESS effective. A microwave could also disinfect these items – assuming you are boiling them for two minutes.

4 - ‘d’. An estimated two million cases of food poisoning occur in Canada each year. Only about one in 350 of these cases is reported.

5 - ‘b, c or d’ depending on the size and time limit. Defrosting a large chicken or other large meat or dairy dish should be done in your fridge. Be careful that it does not drip on any other food while it is in there. Yes, it takes more time – but by leaving it on the counter the outside defrosts first, and bacteria can be multiplying rapidly in the 4C-60C (40F-140F) danger zone while the centre is still frozen hard.
So, how come mom and grandma are still around? Though you will probably be okay if you cook the chicken thoroughly, you don’t want to wait for the day you don’t. Also, Mom and Grandma may have suffered through the 24 hour flu a few times more than they had to. By the way, there is no such thing as 24 hour flu; it was probably food poisoning every time.
If you need to defrost something quickly, immerse it in warm (not hot) running water. Smaller amounts of food can be defrosted in the microwave on the ‘defrost’ setting.

Busted!

So, the other day my mom pops into my room and says "so, has your brother been driving the van at all? Say, while we were on vacation?"

I look up with a blank expression. Very blank.

She looks to be enjoying herself. "Because someone asked me if he was getting his learners license . . . apparently they saw him driving recently . . . "

I attempt a nice confused look, but suspect the look is unconvincing and my defences are nil. I know where this is going.

"So, has your brother perhaps been driving . . . into trees? That dent on the van . . . " Mom is definitely finding this amusing.

I am starting to look less fake-confused and more guilty. Clearly, I will not be able to cook up a good story here.

"I say nothing." I attempt to regain the blank look. Mom is already looking knowing and amused. She probably won't be telling Dad, or she would be looking rather more fearful for my life.

Dad, of course, has no doubt that I am likely to run into things with vehicles. The fact that this hasn't happened in, say, 6 years when I was a very new driver does not signify with him. He thinks every line of dirt on any vehicle is a scratch, and all the scratches would be naturally caused by me. Assuming whoever chatted with mom doesn't chat with him, he won't think too hard. And even if they did, he might not be instantly suspicious. I bet that the dent on the van was the reason my mom believed my brother was driving.

Well, for once it's a good thing dad has like no realistic idea of what I actually do.

First mill tour - done and done

I was just in Vic for the first time since April. I need a car . . . . aaargh.
Carly came down from Smithers, so I campaigned for a week to borrow one.
Smithers being 4 hrs north of Prince George, I figured that I won't be making it up to see her . . .
I only get weekends off till Aug 31. Then I move back to go to Uni. My summer would be pathetic, but actually I like my job, and I have been seeing more of my old friends than usual.

I gave my first mill tour yesterday. It went fine, which means that by the end of the summer they will go well, chachacha.
Today I got a request for a tour for 40 engineering students from the esquimalt forces base
I can only take half at a time, and am going to rope some young interesting engineers into speaking with/to the other ones as I lead them around the mill.
I bet you they are the most likely guys not to listen to anything I say on tour . . . especially about staying behind lines etc . . . and will trail behind for like 100 m and I will be tempted to make them all hold onto a rope like a playschool class. Guys in their 20s have no interest in listening to me chirp safety stuff at them.

And as my parting comment, I submit a joke.
'why do men love it when women dress up all in leather?'
'They smell like a new truck"

PS the harder you laugh, the harder it will be to convince me that you are not a redneck. Hell, my one friend just about fell off his tractor . . .