Rubs, Meetings, Zen

“You want some rubs, Grommie? How about a rub?”

That was last night.

When I ask Gromit the Dog if he wants a rub he rolls over on his side and puts one paw up as if to say, “Start here, please.”

Gromit really loves rubs. So before he goes to bed each night, he gets a mini massage.

Heather, that’s pretty twisted. Does Jim get rubs?

Of course. But he prefers scratches.

There’s another reason why Grommie gets rubs every night.

When you are massaging your dog or cat, you get to know the lumps and bumps of their little bodies. You notice things that weren’t there before.

And that can save your pet’s life.

For example, last night I was rubbing Grom’s ears. And who doesn’t love a good ear rub, really?

I noticed a dark spot on his right ear. It could’ve been a small scab; sometimes when he’s scratching he gets a little too enthusiastic and breaks the skin.

This was not a scab.

Even though I’d never seen one before, looking close, I knew exactly what it was: a tick.

Ew. A big ugly bug burrowing its way into Gromit’s ear.

Luckily it hadn’t been there too long. I pulled the vile thing out with some tweezers. And Gromit licked my face in appreciation.

I’ve heard that ticks are particularly bad this year. So please do your dogs a favor and give them a rub once in a while.
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I have six meetings today. They start at 9 a.m. and end around 4 p.m. With no breaks. These are regular meetings that were rescheduled from Friday because we were all out at a user group meeting for the day.

I’m doing my best to fight off a serious case of the crabbies because it means I will get virtually nothing done all day.

In the corporate world people spend way too much time talking about doing things and not nearly enough time actually doing them.

Thankfully, I’m running most of the meetings so it won’t be too torturous.

There are few things I do really well, but I’ve learned from experience how to run a tight meeting.

1) Have an agenda.
2) Stick to it (without being a Meeting Nazi)
3) Come away with a list of things to do, who is doing them and when they are due
4) If it lasts longer than an hour, you’re wasting time

Some people like to think that meetings are social time. I’m sure it harkens back to story hour from grade school. And I’m sure the Story Teller really thinks he’s doing the group a favor by regaling us with all of his weekend adventures.

Once the Story Teller gets going, it’s hard to stop him. I usually let him tell one.

After that, he’s on lock down and we’re focused on the shit we need to do.
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Getting off the train I felt that energizing comfort of being back into my routine.

The city smells like chocolate today. It’s so good to be back.
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I am listening to: Heather Nova – Walk This World
I am reading: Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert Persig
And I am: Struggling to Stay Zen