Quantum Newsprint hosted by Bill Sjoblom

Valentines Day Traditions?

Do you have a Valentines Day tradition?  Before kids we often went out to dinner...I guess that is a fairly common tradition.  My kids are now five and almost three.  Last year we started a new tradition - chocolate fondue!  On Valentines Day we melt some chocolate and dip apples, strawberries, pineapple, angel food cake, blueberries, marshmallows, bananas and whatever else we can find that sounds good. 

Kai had a friend over last night and my sister was in town to share in the crazy tradition!

Do you have a Valentines Day tradition?

As I Reflect on This Past Year

They used to say that behind every successful man is a good woman.  In today's world it is more accurate to say that behind every successful person are people who provide support, love and understanding.  I know this is true of each person that works for QS. 

Your job is difficult.  You often have to leave early in the morning, leaving your spouse or partner to get the rest of the family started on their day.  Your schedules are variable - you often don't know exactly when you will get home.  This can create problems for your loved ones.  And when you get home, there is often more work to do.  Scheduling, returning phone calls and paperwork cut into your family time. 

I am thankful for each and every person who provides the support, love and understanding that allows QS people to be so committed to their clients and our company. 

I want to share one recent story that has stuck in my mind.  Just before Thanksgiving I announced (I Am Thankful for Ted) that QS would change our waiting period for holiday pay from one year to 90 days.  I received many replies thanking QS for this decision, but here is the one that was most striking to me.  I received this email at 3:19 pm ON THANKSGIVING day:

This is Will from Richmond, Virginia. I must admit, this company is by far the best I've worked for, I'm really impressed so thanks for everything Bill.  Changing a policy the day before a holiday so people will get paid is something you would rarely, if ever, see in today's world.  It doesn't hurt that I'm actually at a hotel in Waynesboro, Virginia because I am helping out another division tomorrow morning and I live a few hours away so this news was especially nice to hear.  Have a good thanksgiving.

Wow.  An email from Will on Thanksgiving day from a hotel 3 hours from his home...THANKING ME!  No, thank you, Will and thanks to all your family and loved ones that put up with you leaving "for work" on Thanksgiving Day.

This is just one example of why I am so thankful for all of your family and friends that support each of you so you can do such a great job for QS.  Thank you!

Elf on a Shelf

Have any of you with young kids discovered the Elf on the Shelf?  I am probably way behind, but just after Thanksgiving this year, Lindsay brought home an Elf on the Shelf.  It comes in a box with a book that explains that this Elf's job is to observe your kids behavior and each night he flies to the North Pole to report to Santa whether they were naughty or nice that day.  When he returns to your house, he usually finds a different observation point so that he get's to see the kids in a variety of places around the house.

Obviously, this Elf comes standard with magical skills.

My four year old son (Kai) and two year old daughter (Scout) are really into this.  My son named our Elf - "Felf" - he is big on rhyming right now.  Finding Felf is the first thing they do each morning.  I am convinced that he is getting up earlier because he can't wait to see Felf each morning.  He also is trying to catch Felf moving at night - which I suppose he just might as Dad does not like to stay up real late!

I also have to admit that I have mixed feelings about the whole premise of Elf on a Shelf.  Here is an article from the Washington Times that provides a negative commentary.  It feels a bit manipulative to keep telling the kids to behave because "Felf is watching".  Of course, that has not stopped me from using this approach at times!

Felf is actually a bit clumsy and at times makes a mess.  One morning the kids found an open bag of marshmallows strewn across the kitchen floor along with a empty hot chocolate packet.  They found Felf in the fridge drinking hot chocolate!  I guess he was missing the North Pole and wanted to cold!

Do you have any Elf on the Shelf stories?

Have a great Christmas with your family and friends!  Be safe!

A Perfect Feast?

That's the name at the top of the gift certificate that QS sent out to all employees last week.  Now I don't know if a certificate valid for a whole turkey or ham will guarantee a Perfect Feast for all QS people over the holidays, but I hope it helps. 

In recent years we have sent a holiday gift of Cheryl's cookies and the last couple of years we used the money we spent on those gifts to donate to food banks in communities where our folk live and work.  This year we recognize that many of our own people are struggling to make ends meet.  We hope that this token of our appreciation will help make your holidays just a little bit better.

I also want you to know that we sent one of these gift certificates to each of the long term QS people laid off by the 7-Eleven decision.  We miss each of you.  I think of you often and trust that you are successfully transitioning to new work.  I would love to hear from you...please stay in touch!

And if you feel richly blessed this holiday season and want to pass along this gift to others in need, I feel certain that most food banks would be happy to accept this certificate.

I Am Thankful for Ted

Last week a new Audit Supervisor Development Class (ASDG) was in town for training.  I took a couple of hours and interviewed five people in the class.  I spent about twenty minutes with each of them and really enjoyed getting to know each of them.  I will introduce you to each of them in a blog real soon. 

But today is the day before Thanksgiving and I am thankful for Ted from Pensacola.  One of the questions I asked Ted was "Are there any policies at QS that just don't make any sense to you?"  Now most people might be reluctant to tell me the truth.  Not Ted...and I am so appreciative of his answer.  He said, "I don't understand why at QS we have to wait one year before we are eligible for holiday pay.  In most companies it is only ninety days." 

Well...to tell you the truth I didn't even know we had this policy.  I am sure it was decided more than 15 years ago when we first decided to offer holiday pay for hourly people.  We probably thought to ourselves, let's go slowly here, to start with let's just offer holiday pay to folks that have been with QS for a year.  Well, that policy no longer makes sense in today's world. 

So, we are changing it effective with this Thanksgiving.  If you have been employed by QS at least 90 days, you will be paid for the holiday tomorrow.  That includes Ted and 24 more QS people! 

Thanks again, Ted!  That was a great suggestion!

Happy Thanksgiving to each of you.

Thanksgiving is no longer on Thanksgiving?

I don't know about your family, but in our extended family (on my wife's side) it seems to be getting harder and harder to get everyone together for holiday events.  There seems to be a lot of conflicts and while the family want to celebrate the holiday together, which family do you go to?

Some families have worked out rotating schedules.  We go to Grandma's for Christmas eve and Mom's house for Christmas Day.  This year my family in Canton is getting together to celebrate Thanksgiving on the Saturday after Thanksgiving.  I guess that was the only time everyone could make it!  Of course, a smaller group of us will still get together for Thanksgiving on Thanksgiving...

Where (and when) will you celebrate Thanksgiving this year?  Do you have any interesting traditions for Thanksgiving?  Although we aren't going to Texas this year to be with my side of the family, they often celebrate Thanksgiving with Thai food and turkey!  For those of you that don't know, my family grew up in Thailand so that is always a special treat.

 

Happy New Year!

The end of the year is a natural time for me to reflect on how blessed I have been over the past year and how fortunate I am to work with such a great bunch of people.  I am so pleased (but not satisfied <grin>) with your hard work and your tremendous commitment to QS. 

My thoughts have also been with our people in the NE part of the country this week.  When I see those piles of snow and freezing temperatures I think about how difficult (or impossible) it has been for you to travel and get your work done.  Please be safe and use good judgement.

We will celebrate New Years as we usually do...a small party for Kai's birthday (4 years old - hard to believe!) and a family gathering with pork and sauerkraut at midnight.  Lots of games, party food and of course, watching the ball drop. 

Happy New Year to each of you!  I am really looking forward to all the fun and challenging things 2011 will bring our way!

A Dog and a Telescope

That's what my son Kai wants for Christmas!  Now growing up in Thailand we weren't big on the whole Santa thing, so I need your help.  What do you tell a kid who thinks Santa is going bring him his "wish list" and you have no intention of making that happen?  Then again, I don't really care that much if he believes in Santa or not.  I know, I know...child abuse for sure!

Are you ready for Christmas?  Is this a stressful time of year for you?  Or are you one of those folks who loves this time of year above all others and is able to enjoy all the festivities without a care?  What are your Christmas traditions?

We will be heading up to Canton where all of Lindsay'sfamily lives and will once again enjoy another "progressive Christmas".  Christmas Eve with Lindsay's mom and step-dad, Christmas morning with her sister and family and Christmas evening with her dad and step-mom.  Of couse each stop requires lots of overeating and opening of gifts!

Have a great Christmas and Holiday Season!

How will you celebrate Thanksgiving?

My family will be getting on a plane Thursday morning (can't wait to go through the new TSA screening process) and flying down to Dallas to be with my sister's families.  Kai is excited about flying again.

We will celebrate with the traditional turkey and ham but will also serve some Thai curry.  It seems like the curry is always the first thing to run out!  Before we eat, we often go around the table with each person sharing something they are thankful for.  I like that tradition now, although as a kid I found it to be a bit of an un-needed delay before digging into all that great food!

I am thankful for many things and one of them is you.  QS is so fortunate to have so many great folks.  Your commitment to our success is really quite remarkable and it is a privilege to have worked with you for so many Thanksgivings!

What are your Thanksgiving traditions?

What's your holiday tradition?

Each year my family participates in what I call the "progressive Christmas".  We start out Christmas eve at Lindsay's mom's house where we eat an early dinner and then go to church.  We come back and have desert and open gifts.

On Christmas morning, we go to Lindsay's sister's house.  It used to be that my nieces and nephews insisted that we arrive at the crack of dawn.  Now that they are mostly in college they seem to value their sleep more somehow.  But I am enjoying payback because my two very young kids don't sleep in! 

Finally, the day after Christmas we go to Lindsay's dad's house and eat again and open gifts again!  By Saturday evening we were pretty much done celebrating. 

My favorite gift this year was a letter from my niece along with a gift card to enjoy a lunch for just the two of us! 

My son Kai who is almost three was more interested in playing with each gift then in opening the next one.  My daughter Scout who is 9 months old was much more interested in the boxes and wrapping paper then what was inside.  Maybe we could all learn to adjust our priorities if we watched our very young kids more closely!

What are your holiday traditions?  What was your favorite gift?