Donna Matthews

Author: DM Matthews

  • How Things Change…

    I have had several similar conversations over the last few days about at what point in our lives do the rules change?  For example when you are a child and the adults are all sitting in the sitting room after lunch and someone starts to doze off, as a child you cannot understand this behaviour  you think, “it is the middle of the day why are you sleeping?”  Kids on the other hand won’t go to bed then as teens they won’t get out of bed and as an adult all you want is your bed.  In a similar vain, at what point in your life do bodily functions such as wind (passing gas for our American friends) become revolting and how confusing is this.  When a child burps or does something related to burping people say “oh, good boy, better out than in…”  When you are a bit older and you do the exact same thing you hear “oh, you filthy pig!”  Amazing that any of us grow up completely sane.

  • Open Plan Offices

    It this age of open plan offices there are several things you cannot avoid.  I wrote a post previously regarding the do’s and don’ts when working in this kind of environment.  Today’s post is more about the other aspects of working in the same space along with 80 other people.  Firstly, it is important to note that your immune system is going to take a beating.  The way germs move through an open plan office can only be compared to that of a wild fire in California during a dry summer.  Once the first person comes down with symptoms you can see how it then rolls through the office taking your colleagues out one row of desks at a time.  The sound of sneezing, wheezing and coughing tells you that it is now only a matter of time before you too will succumb to the bug that grips the office.  It does not matter that you just got over the last round of crud that hit…oh no you will once again be caught up in the tidal wave of this latest viral or bacterial attacker.  The open plan office is really a large petri dish!  It is the closest thing to a nursery school for passing nasty stuff back and forth.

    Secondly, the other things you cannot avoid are cakes, sweets, chocolates and other culinary delights that your office mates bring in.  In a large team it is always someone’s birthday or some other occasion that is traditionally marked by bringing food to the office. If you are trying to watch your weight this is especially difficult.  Here you are preparing to eat your salad but in order to get your extra light dressing you must enter the Room of Temptation!  The fridge shares space in this room full of tempting treats.  How are you supposed to ignore and even have to move these items to get to your healthy option dressing?  You feel you should partake and share the happy occasion by eating one of the sweet offerings.  If you can resist this temptation and forge ahead to the fridge, get your extra low fat dressing and turn a blind eye to the selection of goodies, you are truly a hero!

    To summarize; Working in an open plan office is dangerous to your immune system and your weight. I think those of us who work in this kind of environment should get hazard pay or at least extra sick days as well as hazardous duty pay!

  • That Annoying Voice…

    Do you have “that person” in your office that whenever they speak, no matter where they are it feels as if they are standing right behind you?  That voice that carries from the most distant corner and the farthest cubicle. You know who I mean.  In my current situation I have two of “those” people. First, there is the woman with the high pitched voice and strong American accent. (I think she swallowed a microphone, with very bad feedback, as a child.)  The sound just comes slicing through the air and screeches into your eardrums.  Then there is “Radio Guy”.  This guy has a voice that truly should be on radio.  It is a deep booming voice even when he is trying to talk “quietly”. If he stood at the front of a huge room with the worst acoustics in the world, everyone would still be able to hear him clearly.  Of the two Radio Guy is the least annoying because he does have a nice voice. The problem is no matter how hard you try to ignore him when he is talking to others his voice draws your attention away from what you should be doing.  This is a negative in two ways.  One, you keep getting interrupted and lose your concentration for the task at hand.  Two, you are tempted to look at him every time he speaks, making you look like you are eavesdropping!

  • One Snowy January Day

    There are certain events and special days that mark and shape our lives. Some of these are obvious and many of them are public knowledge such as birthdays, weddings anniversaries and so on. Most of the days in our lives when we wake up we have no clue how significant that day will turn out to be. Five years ago on the 13th of January was exactly one of these days for me. I was due to have lunch with someone I had been chatting to online. We had been in touch almost every day for about 2 months. I should have known, the minute I woke up and looked outside, that the day would be a good one because it was snowing. I love the snow and I still get as excited as a little kid when the white stuff comes down!
    We had planned to meet at my local pub. This also turned out to be a bonus because I literally could not drive out of our neighbourhood, it was totally impassable. I got ready and walked down to the pub which is about 3/4 of a mile from my house. It was one of those perfect snowy days where there are only a few cars on the road and all sounds are muted by the blanket of snow. It was bitterly cold as well but that didn’t seem to bother me as I crunched my way down the path towards the pub. There was a sizzle of excitement running through me that I thought was a combination of the snow and the meeting now only minutes away. Like the weather outside I too had a flurry, this one of emotions buzzing around. Excitement yes but also hesitation, what if she shows up and has 3 heads? What if we find that after two months online there is nothing else to say or we don’t have things in common etc. I didn’t have to wait long to find out I had nothing to worry about. Once in the pub and the initial greeting hugs over we started to talk and did not stop. In one way It was like I had known this incredible person my whole life yet in other ways I couldn’t wait to get to know her better. I never wanted that lunch to end and in a way it didn’t. Five years have now passed and we still have not runout of things to talk about. We have been married for three years, have seen 4 grandchildren born and have a very busy and wonderful life. So, moral of the story, what appears to be a “normal” day can turn out to be one of the most important and special days of your life. I now try to wake up each day thinking “what incredible things are going to happen today?”

  • Things you Learn When Working in an Open Plan Office

    Open plan offices are very common now but  you would be amazed by what you still see and hear going on in these shared spaces. Here are a few do’s and dont’s for working in an in this type of environment:

    Dont’s

    Gentlemen, when walking through the office Don’t adjust yourself first and then turn around to see if anyone can see you…they can!

    Ladies, don’t hold conversations at your desk or other’s desks regarding the pros and cons of various feminine sanitary products.

    Don’t perform personal business transactions on the phone while in the office because when you give out your bank details, date of birth, credit cards number etc. the person on the other end of the phone is not the only making notes!

    Don’t argue with your kids on the phone because everyone will just think you are the meanie no matter what the child has done.

    If you are the one person in the office with the piercing laugh please refrain because it makes others want to strangle you!

    Hovering,…this spans both the do’s and don’ts.  If you are hovering because you do not want to be at your desk but you have nowhere else you need to be this is a don’t.

    Hovering with Intent is slightly different and gives you leeway as you are simply trying to give someone else (who is currently engaged in something you consider to be not very important or you think will end very soon) a clue you need to speak to them and s acceptable.

    Hovering because someone else is hovering near your desk is not acceptable.

    Eating in an open plan office has its risks.  The rule of thumb should be just because you think the strong aroma of your lunch is nice does not mean others share your olfactory preferences.

    Don’t eat a food that can be measured in decibels.

    Don’t PICK anything!!

    Do’s

    Be considerate of others but if someone else is annoying you with one of the don’ts plan to use a more offensive don’t back!

    I hope you will find these tips useful in your day to day working life. 🙂

  • So Long 2014

    I remember writing my blog at this same time in 2013, where I was more than happy to see that year come to a close. This year has been very different. The pain and loss of last year was replaced with a lot of joy, laughter and good times. We welcomed two new members to our clan and we have been watching them grow and flourish, with their respective big sisters watching out for them, while they too are changing every day.

    We were able to visit family in the States and be visited by family and friends from abroad throughout the year. 2015 is looking like it will be a good one as well with more company coming with whom we can share all the delights of England.

    Pam and I are truly blessed to have such wonderful people in our lives. We look forward to 2015 and everything it has in store for us this year. With the riches that our incredible family and awesome friends bring to us we hope your New Year brings you everything you wish for.

  • December 17, 2011

    I have always heard that as you get older time seems to speed up. I found this to be true but in other respects certain things feel like they have been part of your life forever even if it is truly only a few years. On December 17th, three years ago tomorrow, is when these anomalies in time really kicked in. It was on this day that my incredible partner joined me at the Registry Office in Oakham (a community in rural Rutland in the heart of England), to exchange vows that would bind us for the rest of our lives. At that very moment I went from being a single person with no children to a married person with 2 kids (I hate the “step” people use in these circumstances), with 2 daughter’s in-in-law and 2 grandchildren! How cool was that?

    Since then we have welcomed 2 more grandchildren into this world. So in some ways, like when I think of that crisp December day it feels like yesterday, then when I look at everything that has happened since that day it feels like this has been my life forever. All I know for sure is that on that day my life changed into this awesome dream that I am now living. Thank you to Pamela for this wonderful gift and to the rest of our crazy Wilks side of the family for the love you share with me every day.

  • New Digs

    I am starting my second week in my new job and that means the second week in the pub that I will call home Sunday-Thursday for the next 2 years. Tonight when I checked in I was expecting the aged piano player that was here last Sunday. However, he made way tonight for a “Soul Group”. They were 3 Irish guys ranging from their 50’s to 70’s. Guitar, keyboards and drums. I walked in to an enthusiastic,Elivis type, rendition of Amazing Grace. Sucked further into this time warp, they played some Art Garfunkel, followed by Purple Rain. After 5 songs I still could not find the “soul” part of the music. Oh well, they were enjoying themselves and it was better than sitting in my room. They asked for requests so I figured “what the Hell” and requested Piano Man. They did a half descent job on it and it was the first real applause of the evening. I did give up when they shifted to Doris Day followed by Judy Garland’s Somewhere Over the Rainbow. I moved to the Sports bar section of the pub and played a game of pool by myself. What a difference 30 years and much larger breasts has on one’s ability to play the game. I’ll keep you updated on the upcoming events at the pub…oh tomorrow night is homemade burger night!

  • Another Eventful Journey to London

    This morning I was dropped off early at the train station and started my trip into London. Thinking I now had the choice of 3 trains so no rushing required. As I arrive at the platform I see that the first two trains are delayed by 15-20 minutes. When the first train arrived it was standing room only, it was followed by another standing room only train directly behind it. So, now I have to just jump on and hope for the best. I stood for awhile and then a jump seat opened up. I sat down and realised that the dimensions of the jump seat did not match the dimensions of my backside. After about 20 minutes I could not feel my right leg as my bum was hanging half off the seat! There were a couple other things that I did not take into account when I took this seat. Firstly, it is directly in front of the toilet. Secondly, the jump seats are much lower than a normal seat. As the parade of gentlemen, who obviously drank too much coffee this morning, continues into and out of the toilet. I realise that when the train stops in Paddington I will have to hoist myself up out of the seat with a numb right leg. Not a pretty sight I will assure you.

    Off the train and onto the platform I now see that we have come into Paddington Platform 1 which is the furthest possible point from the taxi rank which is past Platform 12. Oh well, off I go. I get to the escalator and it is not working…no way I’m walking up those stairs! There were actually queues waiting for the lift. I wait my turn and then as the lift opens I see the queue for the taxis is further back than I have ever seen in all my years of doing this journey. I look at my watch and the early start I had has now evaporated and I will be lucky to get to the office before my meetings start. Finally I get into the cab and I am immediately hit with the powerful smell of cherries. My driver had two plastic or glass cherries hanging from his mirror and this was his air freshener. It was more like an oxygen destroyer! I could not breathe without opening the window and sticking my head out. I know these guys like to keep their cabs clean and tidy but there is a limit to how much freshener is too much. I paid for my taxi and inhaled a deep breath of cherry free air. I finally made it to the office…now my day can begin.

  • Should we be afraid?

    I travelled into our London office today and the atmosphere on the journey in was very different. It is the first day back to school for many districts but the usual buzz that comes with this day was not in the air. Instead there was a strained and tense feeling at the station, on the train and on the streets as you walked. People were looking at each other a bit closer, checking out what you were carrying. The government raised the alert level last week and you can really tell a difference. I am sitting here in central London in what I am told is a bomb proof building. When I learned that last week at first I thought “how sad that we have to bomb proof our buildings” but then that knowledge actually made me feel safer. I don’t know how it is for you but for me I am stuck between wanting to know as much as possible about the threats we are facing and not wanting to know so much that I become concerned enough to change my plans and actions. It is that fine line between vigilant and overly cautious. I would like to say that it does not bother me and I will always do the British thing and “keep calm and carry on” however, I have to admit it I do feel a bit uneasy today on a journey that I would not usually think twice about taking. How are you feeling?