I worked for a company where they all were family - and I got orders from all of them contradicting each other.  What a mess!  I finally had to leave as the stress was killing me.

About 10 years ago I developed carpal tunnel in my hands.  The doctor's solution was to operate.  However, I have a friend who is a massage therapist and she started massaging my hands, but starting at the back.  After about 4-6 weeks of massage I went back to the Dr and my hands did not hurt anymore and no surgery was needed.  There are a lot of excercises you can do at your desk with your hands that will "untense" them so that should help too.

Take your sweater and a blanket too.  It might get the point across ...

Find a small diner with a varied menu and make reservations - have everybody pay for their own dinner.

Coming from a legal background, I keep copies of everything that I have to send out, especially if it is not from my division (or a favor).  After a few weeks I find out if things have been paid and then toss out.

Susan:  When I tried to login it scrambled and said to send a message - tried that but it would not go through - it took three tries before I was able to login.  ... I liked the old format a whole lot better.

What I have done in previous jobs is to invite one person to join me for lunch (usually set it up at the beginning of the week for sometime during that week).  Each week my goal is to get to know a different person.  This way I get to know each one of them on an individual basis.

Congratulations!  It's tough to do that.

I've passed three of the four required and will test in the next month for the fourth one.

Maybe you can schedule it AFTER you have the interview for the job you think you want.  That way you will be better able to discuss this job, by then you will know if the other one is worth pursuing or if you need to do something in your present job while you wait for the right job to come by.

When I have sat in an open environment and I need to make a personal call I try to find an unoccupied conference room.  If one is not available then I go to my car and make it from there.

One of the local IAAP chapters plans an event the weekend before Admin Day so I try to attend and have done so for the past few years.  They have good seminars and I have learned a lot from them.

I recently found a networking group, for all type of professionals that gives out free sessions - your only $$ spent is for their workbook, otherwise it is free.  I have learned a lot from these sessions and plan to take them for at least two rounds (they are divided into 12 sessions per seminar, once a week).  They have been quite successful in finding jobs for people so I am hoping it will help me too.

Take an "old, yukky looking outfit" (include your old tract shoes too) to work and change into it - that way you will not ruin your not so old clothes that you wore to work!

That might give you the chance to meet new people and find someone that will be helpful, friendly, nice, etc. so you will have someone to speak with at lunch and breaks!  Look at the bright side (easy to say ...)

Luckily most of the time I have worked with a travel agency.  When I work on my own I phone, email and use their website to make sure that my reservation is on the books.  I usually try to talk to a manager and make sure that they understand the when, where, who and why of the reservation.  Then check on it the week before, the day before and the day of.