the signs are all there...

...if only we were in solid economic times that allowed one the luxury of moving on quickly or easily to an organization with better leadership. you see, that's the curse, having worked in leadership development for 8 years, i truly value, look for, and insist on good leadership. now, i will say that i searched for those values during the job search and addressed it directly in my interview so as to be proactive with my goal of integrity, transparency and respect. however, one still misses things even with the help of google.

now 6 months in, the wool has been peeled back and i see clearly that my thoughtful mentor and director, is one of a kind and unfortunately not representative of the remaining organization and its executive director. oddly enough, while writing this our HR rep came in, as he does weekly, to check in and i was very honest and told him i prefer quality leadership and transparency and instead feel like we have mistrust, low morale, and a climate of secrecy and exclusion. our executive director is crass (to say the least), and has had his hand slapped in the past for being so and worse. nothing has changed, other than he is now being monitored and google searchable (ick).

so the signs are all there...and i will depart this organization within a year due to its abysmal lack of leadership. how long before i do, is just a matter of how soon the next right job for me comes along. i am looking. and meanwhile i am still learning, both about a new sector of the transportation industry for me, and about how absolutely important it is to match your value set with a potential employer. the things that matter to you always will and you must put them front line in making life decisions...or you will find yourself making them again. thanks institute for leadership advancement for all the great coaching.

too happy for a mid-life crisis...so i'm calling it mid-life nostalgia

yep, this year is a milestone birthday. doesnt feel like 50 but then again how am i supposed to know what it feels like. and so far no urges to chuck it all, buy a red sports car, have an affair, or hotel surf in vegas. nope, i'm good. a little euro travel every now and then wouldnt hurt, but i'm good. what i have noticed though as i approach the big 5.0 is how nostalgic this spring summer has been. side note, i also moved which could have triggered this somehow.
at the beach this month, while walking on the beach at sunset, i recalled the teenage years of showering after sunnin at the beach all day and puttin on my crisp whites to show off my tan and having my hair defrizzed, (for like a second), and swooning over some summer boy crush and hopin my folks would let me stay out late at the boardwalk.
most evenings around dinner time this summer, i've craved beanie weenie, koolaid, watermelon, cukes & tomatoes all salted up, and other 1970s food items that were mainstays in our home in summer.
fireflies in the yard, arent simply nostalgic but sitting out in front of a brick ranch watchin neighbor kids catch them in mason jars is, and having a neighborly street where folks are all out talking is.
the ranch house i rented, even has a formal sitting room and dining room layout and for the first time in like a decade i have a dining room table set up, my grandmother's no doubt. somehow i even found myself ironing tonight on an ironing board! plus the ranch layout is just like the east point house i grew up in. with a pull down staircase to the attic.

update:
neighbor just came over with a coke float right at sundown b/c all the kids at her house were having one. they win the prize for neighborly for sure!

southern hospitality lessons...and trust me some need it

well i'm the one griping so i guess i'll be the first to offer to give some lessons. i'm born and bred here but i dont usually call myself much of a southerner what with the 3 times i've moved away FOR GOOD and then come back and all. but regardless of my transient nature, i have manners, i value hospitality and feel i was raised to offer it, accept it, and recognize a need/lack of it. being new in town is a no brainer, need situation. surprise to me though (silly girl), not everybody agrees. and clearly folks in griffin are divided.

clue #1
new in town, first day at work: no offers to go to lunch, or dinner, or bbq, or the park, or the gym, or anywhere at all, ever. not the first day, week, or month. subsequent invites initiated by me, completely ignored.

clue #2
when chatting about settling in and finding everything, no one mentions where to grocery shop, and when i erroneously name one store as old and outdated, no one says, oh by the way, they totally remodeled EVERY location of THAT store and are now THE store in town to go to. nope, just silence.

clue#3
when noting at closing time on inclement weather days, that i dont need a ride (since i commute by bike), that i'll just wait it out and if it doesnt pass, i'll take a taxi home. no one, not one mentions, oh by the way, we dont have taxis here. nice.

clue#4
my lovely neighbor couple, who i suspect have less than i do, given an early forced retirement due to mill closings in town is the one ray of sunlight and hospitality. she constantly checks on me and offers me breakfast, checks on my dog, and brings me leftovers. now that's what i'm talkin about!
no seriously, its not about free food, its about caring about folks, bein friendly, knowing what position they are in and offering to help kindly and politely. to just ignore folks after you've lured them here for a job and you know they've moved away from everything and everyone they know AINT RIGHT i tell ya. it just aint.

clue#5
this fall when some tenants move out of our downtown office building the office dictator notes that they will soon move me downstairs so I can be on the ground floor, ALONE, without windows, or social interaction. HELLO?! you people are off the charts rude, and unthinking. not just inhospitable, but clueless. ms. manners can i get a witness?

there is one exception to this behavior: bossman brings in free friday breakfast for all, most every week; granted its rarely healthy and its always fast food, but still, its a nice gesture. and i have to add that there are 2 coworkers who are very friendly and come by to chat to see how things are going, and one of them just transferred to another job in the community, so we're down to one.

here's what i would have done and will when a new person joins the organization. first day: invite them to lunch, nearby and walk, so as to point out other spots in town. if they are moving there solo and i know they live alone...first weekend festival: let them know i'm going and happy to meet them there, or pick them up. exchange mobiles to text later. a few months in: ask if they want to join a zumba class with me, or art studio, or meet at the track for walk after work. when they ask for recommendations for doctors or services in town, share that info. and if is a new neighbor, greet them a few days after they've settled in. i'm not little debbie and i dont bake but i'd introduce myself and offer to be of help if they need any.

i'm sure there's more but i've just been steaming about those above and needed to record them. hopefully this is the end of the offenses. and i'm not saying go get all betty busy body on folks, but at least offer. no one offered. and its been 4 months.

there. all better. off my chest and now i'm off to walk my dog and make friends. :)

yoga, an english pub, cafes, and art classes

griffin is shaping up y'all! out and about recently i've discovered a few more things that makes life enjoyable in one's little bubble. jeff brings a article from the AJC of a brit in town who is brewing real english ales, bitters etc...in Griffin! i walk across the street one day at lunch and find a yoga, bliss studio where the owner offers and prefers the exact style of yoga i prefer: power vinyasa flow. on my lunch hour yesterday i strolled down the street a few blocks and stopped in to bette's health food center and found the herbs/vitamins i was looking for and met the massage therapist on staff. and the stache studio, which looked crazy inviting as i was peering thru the windows, turns out to have a great set of painting classes. and the city of griffin just announced summer movies in the park at the little lunch greenspace i've been frequenting. and all these folks have a facebook page too. i'm pretty sure i'm gonna like it here...and i'll go ahead and fix up the guest room b/c y'all are gonna wanna visit. i predict.

YOGA
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Blissjunky-Mind-Soul-Bodywork/128477107171922

ENGLISH PUB
https://www.facebook.com/eagleandlion

CUPCAKES
https://www.facebook.com/the.maplover#!/alycakesga

ART STUDIO
https://www.facebook.com/stachestudio

MOVIES IN THE PARK
http://us2.campaign-archive2.com/?u=d5589dd9b6835d0637733f15b&id=370966cc3e

and today i had lunch at Aly's Cakes, just a basic tuna sandwich with chips & a pickle and she says dont forget to pick out your free cupcake before you leave! omg. mocha cappuccino please. and thank you.

i'm a sucker for cafes and bungalows with porches

so, as of today, griffin has captured my attention way more than peachtree city, senoia, moreland or newnan. imagine. well it boils down to cafes and porches for me. perhaps a few more things, but primarily those. every day i walk out the door to lunch and stroll til i find something. so far for lunch, downtown walkable griffin offers

• mill town gourmet cafe (sidewalk tables)
• slices pizzeria (great pie)
• safehouse coffee (hipster central)
• angelo's mediterranean (go greek here)
• 6th street pier (evenings only, will try soon)
• bank street cafe (with 'french girl on a bike' mural on the grand entry hall)
• hollywood hills pub (might wait for an escort on this one)
• janah cafe (folks say they use odd 'seasoning', cant wait to try)
• and if you really need it KFC or Firehouse Subs

Dear griffin, i am home. Thank you. also on walkabout i discover murals EVERYwhere (i'll document those soon), the local ballet company dance studio, working theatre company, sewing centers, boutiques, lawyers, doctors, realtors, and such. there are no parking meters, all the crosswalks have stripes and walk buttons, and you get to hear a train or two every day. today i picked up brochures about the 2 upcoming productions in downtown theatre spaces, formerly the opera house.

Culcha too, one can stroll to the post office at lunch or run other errands. many folks jump in cars...but not sure why yet and not curious at all. i've also found a greenspace park with stage and secret courtyard for picnics. next weekend, they host the doc holiday beer fest in the park and perhaps i'll learn about huckleberries.
a few blocks from downtown, one can pull in for an oil change, unannounced and chat with the service tech about where to bike around town. then one can roll over to the local bike shop and pick up new wheels, accessories or scoop about local outings. i'll be working with lee and sara for sure to get folks out of their cars in this area.
many of the houses have porches and are of an era i love, so we're just waiting for it to all come together with a nearby bungalow that CB and I can walk from in the evenings and I can bike to/from work daily. i think its possible.

a flurry of firsts

so today was my first day on the new job, first time selling a house, first time leaving CB in the country dog daycare (aunt connie's), first time DRIVING to work 45 minutes, first time working in a library/closet, and first time watching trains at lunch. yes, its a bunch of adjustments and a time of highs/lows but its all for the good. of this i remind myself daily.

no alarm needed this morning as the dogs wake up at 730am, but it started with me getting dressed from my aunt's guest room, running the dog gauntlet to get thru the gate(CB, Belle, Lea, Bailey, Angel, Radar), walking thru the woods to mom's house, getting in my car and heading out...wait, the car is covered in pollen, quick hose off with mom's well-placed driveway hose and heck, my water glass is empty, might as well fill it up too (yep thats how we do it in georgia).

on the road driving east in the morning, didnt i say never do that? well, hopefully once i land in PTC, the drive will be south in the a.m. so yea, a quick stop at frazier's texaco to clean the windshield was in order, then on to griffin on hwy 16 literally from a few yards past my mom & connie's property. one road, no turns, no traffic jams, time to even fidget with radio stations. surprise there are a few in range down here. roll into town and park on main street USA at my new office. no meters, no maids, no nothing, just white lines. coffee shop across and down the block.

a lunchtime foray reveals train jam at a R/R park a block away, a pretty brick courtyard reuse by the preservation office, a couple of cafes, tons of cars/trucks lined up going somewhere important, and me walking the cobblestones looking for, hey i found it, the small in-town theatre on the green park, completely unused. i have a feeling i'll have it to myself most days. tomorrow i try the mill town cafe.

more tomorrow. oh and yes, my office is a former library/closet...gonna need a little fixin up help. thinking curtain rod and sheers, art on shelves, bright colors. major artery forming here as the ramp up to the bridge over the RR tracks runs between the two brick buildings

Fine dining, or at least interesting and local
dashed to Athens over the weekend to mow the grass and gather up stuff...now have plants and art on the way to the office library. lunch finds last week are: the salads and desserts are awesome at mill town cafe. great find. pizza at angelos, not so much, pizza at Slices, superb. back to angelo's for greek tho later this week. and of course coffee and masada bakery scones/muffins at safehouse anytime. how can i possibly complain when i now have 4 places to avoid the meat & three lunch option. and one day for dinner ill try 6th Street Pier and maybe even find a dinner option!

things are looking up in griffin and there is a cute bungalow just over from downtown with my name on it...if only i can talk them into a fenced option for CB.

week 2...

mobility manager for the 3 rivers regional commission

that's right, it has finally all come together. i'll be moving from athens very soon and relocating in griffin to help improve transit delivery to rural georgia. its a great pilot opportunity for the state and a chance to lead. this shouldnt surprise any of you who tolerate my many posts on transportation solutions here on facebook. for those who have hidden me, well, surprise!
charlie brown and i are searching for a cute little bungalow walking distance from downtown griffin. so if any of you have been waiting for just the right moment to rent your little spalding county getaway, here we are. meanwhile ours is for sale or rent here in athens and jeff has the yard looking extra spiffy. sure wish the cloner of houses would appear and just plop what i have down in g-town.
lately, we've been feeling like peachtree city might be the perfect lifestyle for us so we could end up there too.
so this all goes down april 1 and we've already found the local coffee shop, met the bike shop owners and biked around the hood. somehow i'm actually closer to where jeff lives, still in decatur for now, so that's nice. he'll work on getting his house ready for market and see if there are any interesting landscaping gigs down peachtree city way. if you know of any, holla.
so, that's my whirlwind news and its gonna be fun to jump into something new. for those of you who don't love and worship maps as i do, griffin is south of ATL on the I-75 corridor, not as far down as Macon though.
as usual, i'm wired so find me here, email, or text.
trace
'griffin, great and growing'
p.s. i just found a brochure on what my job is...http://www.unitedweride.gov/Mobility_Management_Brochure.pdf

a tale of two cities

valentines day is coming up and i wanna spend it with my sweetheart...which we can do the weekend prior or the weekend after sure...but not easily the day of. why? because we live in two different cities, about 60+ miles apart. now granted, the national average shows that the longest, and in my opinion ridiculous, commute is in the ATL at 66 miles daily, one way. wow.

now, while i would never arrange my life with such a daily commute to work in mind, and never have to date, i would absolutely support transportation solutions for folks who do have to travel that far for work. a commuter rail train from birmingham to atlanta to athens and on to augusta is one option, a high speed rail running between major cities like charlotte, chattanooga, atlanta, macon, savannah is another. right now the only thing i see leaving athens daily for atlanta is groome airport van shuttle and WINGS or whatever they call the small regional airflight vendor nowadays.
but alas, we don't have those commuter options and our state might not succeed in convincing voters to support a special transportation tax this summer as a first-step sort of manner to help get them. and the fed might slash any "non-asphalt creating" transportation funding across the nation unilaterally anyway. "if it aint a road, and preferably a wide one with lots of lanes and bridges, we dont want it and we aint gonna fund it b/c the nation don't need it."

well let me tell you something state/fed legislators, georgia has a wide road, with lots of lanes, 23 to be exact, and bridges, and it runs smack thru the heart of downtown ATL and is the most dreaded, congested, ugly piece of road money can buy. dressing it up with lexus lanes doesn't work, painting pretty bridges doesn't work, flanking it with entertaining billboards doesn't work, it stinks and it sucks the life out of commuters who have to get to work in ATL by car. nobody here likes it, in fact its god awful as southeners say.
so i don't reckon i'll spend my valentines day, commuting during rush hour, fighting that crowd to spend a lovely dinner with my wonderful partner. no we'll just chat on the phone and make plans for what city we can move to where infrastructure has kept up with population and the built environment supports a pleasant way of life, a lovely commute, and easy dinners out on a weeknight.

sorry sweetheart, that community is NOT Atlanta or towns adjacent to it.

love you, smooch!