How to not introduce yourself at your first team meeting…

Apparently, once a month at the foundation where I work in Austin, the whole 85-person team gets together for a team meeting to touch base about organizational goals, news and introductions. I am not too good on the fly, and was still feeling insecure about the fact that my boss told me I have to be labeled a volunteer and not a contract person, because of some all day budget meeting she was in the previous bad. So basically – no one is supposed to know I get paid.

So the drill is - I just work there 40 hours a week for free – as far as the 83 other people who are not my boss, or my boss’ boss know. It’s not what I interviewed for, and as she sprung this on me – she assured me it would get straightened out in a few weeks. But “that was then and this is now” (yes – through back reference to S.E. Hinton’s classic teenage novel) and basically I am trying to pick my battles here. Sometimes it is hard enough to slow my boss down to extract ALL the information I need for her requests without a sneer. I will weigh the benefits of nagging her about my public title as this role unfolds.
So – I am startled at my need to introduce myself, and I stumble and am insecure. Instead of taking the time to tell these professionals who can further my career opportunities anything interesting like:
• I am happy to help out in the press room, because I worked in the press office at the Smithsonian and enjoyed it
• I was a Central Region Operations manager for AT&T and am strategic
• I owned my own business for four years

I just plow through the standard bullshit the intern before said about where she was from and that she was new to Austin. Mine introduction went like this, “Hi, my name is Julie and I just relocated from Chicago and will be helping Rae and Katherine in the Communications department (thinking “sit down and let it be over”)

I need to take these situations and PUT ME FIRST! To start thinking about how talented I am and how lucky these people are to know me. I am not trying to oversell myself, just catch up. Now they will have to learn the slow and hard way – by me telling them one person at a time. And I will do it.

So basically – I need to be more strategic about the brand that is ME! First mistake made. Whew! Glad I don’t need to worry about when that will happen anymore.

And I have a job, and some stability and a pay check! So that is awesome. Yeah. Me.

The Heat is ON!

So here is Baxter chilling on my bed, after a walk that was cut short due to fatigue. Of course he is adorable and smiling, but his mouth is open because he is a panting monster on the verge of overheating after our 5 block walk to Thunderbird Café. And the walk is downhill.

Austin has a surprising number of hills. I guess because I am from Chicago, I think anywhere I travel or live will be flat until I see it is not. They actually have “Hill Country” to the West of here – not too far and people to camp there. It is supposed to be scenic.

But the heat is on my mind now, because – it is hot enough were you need to take it into account with your plans. Ie – we could go to Scholz Beer Garden, but it is still 90 degrees and we would sweat our asses off and be baked alive or its sooo hot today – maybe we should see a movie. Like the frigid temps in Chicago, people in Austin include mother nature in their plans like an annoying Great Aunt whose needs you need to work around so you can get your fun on.

I really have got to get used to this heat. It’s suffocating. You can tell from the photo Baxter is shorn short. This is my fourth attempt, and finally I am getting the groove. (Thank you for the grooming tip Amy!)

Baxter is sporting a butch-cut and it is still too crazy hot for him to walk more than 5 blocks without panting and stopping to drop frog-legged and chest down in the bushy grass under a tree. Usually it is my favorite pose of his that signals he is exhausted from playing outside and chasing the ball. But after only 10 minutes outside in Austin, you can see why I would be hurrying him home after this respite. It is 90 degrees this Friday night at 8:15 p.m. and HU-mid.
So tonight I am in practicing my piano and writing.

Sounds lame, but I am working on my career plan. I want to make this time in Austin count, because I do miss everyone back home.

Amy and Judy's Austin Adventure

It was so nice to have Amy and my mom here for the weekend. We have a lot of fun, I included pictures of us on our Duck Tour. It was hard saying goodbye to them. I miss that support system being so close.

I started to think about what I really wanted here in Austin and what I was doing. If I am honest with myself, and sometimes I am not - because it can be too scary to look your dreams straight in the eye. Or for me it has been, and that is the fear I am working to overcome with my time here in Austin.

Last week I started 100 Days of Julie to recognize the fearful shiver that my body utters, take a deep breath, intentionally and mentally address it and move it aside in my mind.

During my 100 Days, I will be enjoying writing when the inspiration strikes, and not feeling guilty about that - and make the writing of those thoughts a priority. Inspiration comes to me all the time, and I have been texting it to myself, using my voice recorder or a notebook to secure these thoughts, but I haven't revisited them. Writing a rought draft of them as is, will help me out.

I will be sewing and speaking Spanish and have brushed up on my piano by then too. It is just a matter of priorities, like everything else in life. And in the next 100 Days - I will be putting myself first.

And last week, my first week , was great for me. I had a great week at work, but I just told myself I belonged and accepted more and more responsibility for things. I signed up for another improv class and went to a couple performances and I loved it.

The ease of settling for a mediocre life and numbing myself with television in the evenings is the path I am skipping away from with concentrated intention. I will start posting more recipes too. I cooked today and it felt good - but I don't want to over do it with food - just enough to keep me organized with healthy meals for the week!

So after experiencing the first 7 days of the 100 Days of Julie. I am feeling more my goofy and spirited self. The layers of grime are being rubbed off. Eventually I will be the shiny penny I was before I made some terrible detours in my 20s!