mary elston

She’s amazingly insightful for her years. I’m talking about my niece Paige. Her experience with a grade-school bully and how well she handled it came back to me when I was browbeaten recently at work — yup, at work. More on Paige later.

We carry them with us every day. Whether sweet or sour, everyone we encounter has them, and no, it’s not their favorite drink or snack. It’s our emotions, and although we may not think about it, they’re with us wherever we go, including at work.

His text message was brief. Would I be able to meet for coffee in an hour to give him input for his upcoming job interview? Perfect planning — my last call of the day was finished, and I was available.

Hire or fire? As a manager you’re dealing with both, and neither is easy. Finding and hiring the right talent can be challenging and rewarding, but firing can be painful.

Blah, blah, blah — yada, yada — yak, yak. Whether to inform, transact or socialize, people are constantly chatting.

What started as a gorgeous, sunny day had evolved into gloomy, stormy mayhem — lightning and hail included. Equally distressing was that activity at work had taken a similar, unsettled direction; there was a disturbance in the force.

Interest in painting the walls inside your home can creep up on you.

Wake up, sleepyhead. Part of my wake-up ritual includes listening to the radio, sometimes singing along and always brushing my teeth to the rhythm of whatever.

If there’s a long line anywhere, most of us avoid it. Yes, I am readily raising my hand as an accomplished long-line avoider, but there are a few places where long lines are the norm and everyone seems fine with it.

There’s a great little breakfast joint near downtown where I meet a friend every few months to catch up. At our last breakfast he was fuming. No, they didn’t burn his bacon (he orders it nearly burnt, anyway). He was burning about something else — his job.