New Website and Feed

Hello factotumees,


I have officially moved my blog to my website, www.factotumep.com. Please visit my site to re-subscribe to my blog. I'm still working on adding images to my image galleries, but I hope you'll take some time to tour the site.


Thanks,
Erin

What are Your Goats?

I recently had the opportunity to attend one of the Small Business Breakfast Club's meetings, sponsored by the Greater El Paso Chamber of Commerce. The club's meetings are meant for networking and learning. I did both; I networked with several small businesses in the El Paso area and learned from our speaker, Fran Tarkenton.

The Life of Excellence

I have always striven for excellence. I think striving for that might be somewhat due to my perfectionist tendencies, but I know that part of that striving is due to the nurturing I received as a child. As I have matured, I have noticed that my motivation for excellence has changed. No longer do I pursue excellence because I want to receive an "award" of some sort. I seek excellence because I wish to honor God in everything I do. 

Don't Sweat the Small Stuff

I am, by nature, a worrier. Maybe it’s because I’m a perfectionist. Maybe it’s because I’m slightly obsessive-compulsive. Maybe it’s because I’m the eldest sibling. There are all kinds of reasons why I worry, but the truth is, none of them justify it. 

What Do You Do?

"What do you do?" It sounds like an innocent question, but it is extremely important, especially for those of us just beginning our journeys as freelancers or independent business owners. The answer to that question determines our personal vision and establishes what steps we will take to reach our goals, such as becoming a full-time independent business owner. If you haven't considered your answer to the question, now is the time to do it before you start on a path that may or may not lead to where you want to go. Seth Godin provides some questions to help you, and me, find the answer to the question. "What do you do?"

Winning the Race

I’m sure that most of us are familiar with Aesop’s fable about the tortoise and the hare, but it never hurts to refresh our memories. The hare proudly asserts that he is the fastest animal and can beat anyone. The tortoise’s response is revealing; he quietly responds that he will challenge the hare. The hare sprints from the starting line, and, once he has a seemingly insurmountable lead, he lies down for a nap. During his nap, the tortoise passes him and crosses the finish line first. When the hare arrives a moment later, the tortoise gently explains that slow and steady wins the race.

Nothing to do in El Paso?

I once was a member of the "there's nothing to do in El Paso" crew. During the past year, I have discovered how mistaken I was. There is plenty to do in El Paso; this past weekend, I attended several events.

Five Steps for Success

I've become a follower of Seth's Blog because Seth typically has invaluable advice for people in the marketing and business world. One of his recent posts, "Simple Five Step Plan for just about Everyone and Everything," was particularly good. In fact, it was so good that I decided to share his plan with you.

Business Ethics - Discretion

As an independent business owner, ethics are extremely important to me. Their importance is one of the reasons I joined the Southwest Character Council. Other reasons include accountability and the opportunity to network with like-minded individuals. One, final reason is the monthly character spotlight; every month, the Council examines a particular characteristic in detail.

This month, the characteristic is discretion. According to Webster, discretion is "the quality of being discreet." That definition is a little lackluster, unless you know the meaning of "discreet." The word "discreet" is an adjective and refers to someone who shows "good judgment in conduct and especially in speech." Ah, now we're getting somewhere.

The Southwest Character Council also focuses on the importance of being discreet in one's speech; they state that discretion "is recognizing and avoiding words, actions, and attitudes that could result in undesirable consequences." The opposite of discretion is recklessness, a lack of self-control and a refusal to guard one's tongue. The inevitable result of recklessness is obvious; we all have heard Vice-President Biden's "foot-in-the-mouth" news clips. That example is somewhat humorous, but I am sure we all have experienced times when we should have controlled our tongues better. What were the results of losing control? In some instances, it has hurt a family member. In others, it has meant the loss of reputation or, possibly, work.

Love is a Verb: Love and Marriage

Society often tells us that in order to “feel” love toward our spouses, we need to love ourselves more. In contrast, the Bible never tells us to love ourselves. It tells us to love God first, then our neighbors (Matthew 22:37-9). According to the Bible, we are to shift our focus from ourselves and onto acting in love toward God and other people.

Putting others before ourselves is difficult, but we have to remember that, according to the Bible, love is a purposeful commitment to sacrificial action for another. God provides the ultimate example of loving, faithful commitment; John 3:16 tells us that God loved us so much that He sent His only Son to die for us. If we are to follow God’s example of love, we must love our spouses even when they act unbecomingly. Loving our spouses even when we do not “feel” like loving them is not hypocritical; rather, it is a demonstration of our commitment to our spouses and of our love for God.

In contrast, faithlessness, which is often the result of a self-focus, causes a multitude of problems. A self-focus tells us to find someone more compatible. It seeks reasons to leave a marriage, and it often allows feelings to dictate actions. Jesus speaks of this self-focus when the Pharisees, a religious sect, asked Him why Moses allowed the Israelites to divorce their wives. Jesus’ reply is revealing. He says, “Because of your hardness of heart Moses permitted you to divorce your wives” (Matthew 19:8). A self-focus is a malignancy in a marriage; if not dealt with quickly and radically, it will kill the relationship.

Love: Emotion versus Action

We often erroneously assume that acting in love follows feeling in love. The truth is that living by our feelings very rarely results in action; rather, choosing to act in a certain way more frequently leads to a corresponding change in our feelings. William Shakespeare addresses this misconception regarding love in sonnet 116, which contrasts love as an action and love as an emotion. He says:

Let me not to the marriage of true minds
Admit impediments. Love is not love
Which alters when it alteration finds,
Or bends with the remover to remove.
O no, it is an ever fixed mark
That looks on tempests and is never shaken;
It is the star to every wand’ring barque,
Whose worth’s unknown although his height be taken.
Love’s not time’s fool, though rosy lips and cheeks
Within his bending sickle’s compass come;
Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks,
But bears it out even to the edge of doom.
If this be error and upon me proved,
I never writ, nor no man ever loved.

Shakespeare tells us that love is not love if it is easily shaken, if it “alters when it alteration finds” (3). Shakespeare’s sonnet is confirmed by biblical principles; 1 Corinthians 13 states that love never fails. Genuine love is not dependent upon circumstances, time or people; rather, it is a “fixed mark” that “bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things” (1 Corinthians 13:7).

To have this sort of love, we must choose to love in spite of our feelings. The Bible never tells us to “feel” love, but it does provide us with directions for how to act in love. Shakespeare presents a similar argument in his sonnet. He does not focus on the romantic feelings of love; rather, he examines what love looks like in action. This action starts in the mind – “Let me not to the marriage of true minds/ Admit impediments” (1-2) – and is carried out in daily living: “Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks, / But bears it out even to the edge of doom” (11-2).

Shakespeare invites us to test his theory of love in the final lines of his sonnet; he asks us to demonstrate his “error” (13) and to prove that he knows nothing of love. I dare you to take the challenge that Shakespeare and 1 Corinthians 13 offer. I think you will be pleasantly surprised to find that we often feel love when we act, rather than feel, in love.

Bella Napoli

Bella Napoli, located on El Paso's westside, is another one of El Paso's hidden gems. I had never heard of the restaurant and probably never would have found it even if I had been looking for a unique, Italian restaurant. Fortunately, I'm friends with several, native El Pasoans who know where to find a local and distinctive restaurant.

When I entered Bella Napoli's portico, I felt as though I had stepped into a Dean Martin song. I kept expecting to hear strains of "Napoli" or "That's Amore." I suppose that sensation was one of the reasons I fell in love with the restaurant and its atmosphere.

Another reason for enjoying Bella Napoli was the friendly waitstaff. They were welcoming and accomodating, although my friends and I didn't get to sit on the back patio as we had hoped. Instead, we were seated by one of the larger windows, which did provide us with a view of the back patio area. Our waiter was very nice; he offered suggestions and helped us with wine choices.

The food, too, was delicious. I ordered the vegetable canneloni - mmm. I've never had it previously, but I enjoyed it very much. It was an oven baked crepe filled with Primavera vegetables - broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, and zucchini - that were pan seared in a creamy bichamel sauce and baked with light mozzarella cheese. The bread that came with our entrees was wonderful as well; it had just enough garlic to please the palate. 

Although the food and waitstaff were key ingredients of my experience at Bella Napoli, my favorite part - besides the conversation and fellowship with my friends - was the live music. On Sundays, Bella Napoli has guest opera singers. I don't know that much about opera, but the four singers - two men and two women - were amazing. I was particularly pleased to recognize some of the songs they sang, including pieces from The Phantom of the Opera and Madame Butterfly.

Of course, no dining experience is complete - at least it's not for me - without the company of friends. My adventure to Bella Napoli was shared with three of my friends, who made the evening even more perfect. I'm looking forward to continued explorations of El Paso and the discovery of more hidden treasures with them. 

STOMP

I was so excited that STOMP was coming to El Paso that I bought tickets several weeks in advance. I have always been amazed by what the performers can do with the simplest of things - a matchbox, a plastic bag, newspapers. Seeing the performance live, though, was even more amazing.

First, the setting. The historic Plaza Theatre in downtown El Paso. I'm a fan of the theatre in general, so any chance to see a show there is always worth taking. The acoustics are magnificent, and they are well-employed by a team of on-stage percussionists.

Second, the instruments. These ranged from using the body as an actual instrument to the seemingly quirky or unuseable. Sand? Give it a try. The dancers/musicians used it, and it made a wonderful "swish" sound as they slid their feet through it. Lighters? I couldn't believe it, but, yes, the performers had a number in which they used lighters. I don't know how the performers were sure that the lighters would light or would light according to the tempo, but they seemed to trust their tools. Oversized inner tubes? Naturally. Who would expect anything less from STOMP? This number was probably one of my favorites because of the ludicrousness of the huge inner tubes. During one part of this number, the dancers sat inside the tubes and bobbed up and down as they simultaneously beat on the tubes with drumsticks. Basketballs? We know that basketballs can create a tempo (Who can forget basketball drills? Du-dum, du-dum, du-dum...), but to see and hear the performers create a beautiful melody with the balls was fascinating.

Third, the dancers/musicians. Most of the performers have a dance background, and many of them have that background in tap. Others have taken modern dance, jazz, and ballet. My favorite dancer, though, was the b-boy (breakdancer). He had some amazing floorwork and freezes, which he accomplished while having trash can lids attached to his hands. Absolutely phenomenal. I also enjoyed watching the female performers; they were amazing and often seemed to hit the beat even harder than the males. The dancers/musicians also are consummate performers; they know how to express themselves with the smallest of motions and facial expressions. One of the performers was particularly good and well-cast. He played the role of the clown, and he acted his role superbly. He had the crowd laughing at his antics as well as sympathizing with him when the other performers seemed to treat him unkindly.

Finally, the combination of elements. The beauty of the Plaza Theatre didn't seem to be compromised by the outside-the-boundaries percussion; rather, the union of the two seemed to be the perfect blending of old and new. I also loved that I was not only seeing a performance but also hearing it. The show engages a person's sight and hearing, and I think that makes for a better show. The audience is truly engaged if the audience members are having to use more than one of their senses. STOMP truly was amazing.

Bedazzled

Yesterday, I went to see Bedazzled: 5,000 Years of Jewelry at the El Paso Museum of Art. I was amazed by the number of pieces from the Walters Art Museum jewelry collection that were included the exhibit. The EPMA store had a catalogue from the Walters Art Museum for sale; flipping through it, I began to see that most of the pieces in the catalogue were included in the exhibit. In fact, the exhibit contained additional pieces, such as an adorable, miniature gold bear that dated to Egyptian or pre-Egyptian times. 

The exhibit truly spans approximately 5,000 years. In the first section of the exhibit, the pieces are from the Mediterranean, Egyptian, Greek, and Roman eras. These pieces sometimes show a wearer's social status, but people from these time periods tended to wear necklace or pendants because they believed that the jewelry protected them from evil or bestowed some sort of blessing. For example, one of the pieces in the exhibit, a pendant in the shape of a ram's head, has a dual purpose: it is believed to have functioned as a fertility symbol and as a protector.

The next portion of the exhibit focuses on the Roman/Byzantine era and migrates into the Middle Ages and Renaissance periods. The jewelry of this period has more to do with showing one's social status although the "magical" element of jewelry remains an undercurrent. During these time periods, religious motifs emerge; Crucifixion scenes and portraits of the Madonna are particularly popular. The jewelry also reveals the cultural exchange that was occurring. Many of the pieces combine Greek and Roman traditions with Oriental influences.

The final portion of the exhibit focuses on jewelry from the eighteenth century to the present. The exhibit includes a Tiffany and Co. necklace from around the turn of the twentieth century. The necklace is exquisite; it features 265 round old cut diamonds. Other pieces in this section of the exhibit include Native American jewelry and items that reflect the public's interest in archeology during the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, such as an Egyptian-style necklace with scarabs and Egyptianizing brooches.  

I spent over an hour in the exhibit and still feel that I need to return for another visit so that I can absorb the beauty of and the information about the jewelry. While I did not have time to view the video portion of the exhibit, I am sure that the information provided in the video is excellent. I suppose one of the facts that I found most interesting was how jewelry was thought to have a protective quality. I am not so sure that we have escaped that idea. We may not think that the jewelry we wear has the power to protect us from evil, but we still seem to believe that a piece of jewelry can act as a good luck charm. We wear a certain pair of earrings or a ring to a job interview or a first date. While the "luck" we perceive the jewelry to have may only be a placebo effect, I can attest to the fact that wearing my favorite pair of earrings to a job interview seems to bolster my courage.

The Bedazzled: 5,000 Years of Jewelry exhibit will be on display at the El Paso Museum of Art through July 25, 2010. Admission for non-members is $10 for adults and $5 for children, ages 12 and under. The museum is open Tuesday through Sunday. Hours on Tuesday through Saturday are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. On Thursdays, the museum is open until 9 p.m. Sunday's hours are from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.

What the Living Do

What the Living Do, by Marie Howe, has been one of my most recent and amazing reads. Her book recalls other poet's works concerning loss and death, such as Elizabeth Bishop's. In particular, I am reminded of Bishop's "One Art," which can be found in The Complete Poems, 1927-1979. This poem, like the ones found in What the Living Do, encapsulates the loss of a loved one within the every day routine. The narrator states, "Lose something every day. Accept the fluster / of lost door keys, the hour badly spent." The poem culminates with the loss of the loved one. In this stanza, the narrator reveals her true feelings regarding loss: "It's evident / the art of losing's not too hard to master / though it may look like (Write it!) like disaster." Howe's poems employ a similar technique. Rather than devolving into sentimental cliches, the poems focus on the every day happenings that occur in the midst of, or in spite of, the presence of death. In these poems, every day moments, such as lovers fighting and school assignments, become extraordinary through the introduction of the uncommon element of death. This element is never shocking; rather, the tone regarding death is almost completely flat, recalling the tone found in the final lines of Bishop's poem. For example, in the poem "Late Morning," the narrator remembers a morning spent with her lover: "[W]e sat like that for a few minutes, without saying much of anything, / my cheek pressed lightly / against his [James] cheek, and my brother John was dead." This statement could be jarring, but the reality is that death dwells in the midst of life. The poem exhibits this truth when it returns to the actual moment of sitting with her lover and to the remembrance of the miniscule details, such as the "crumbs and dishes still / on the table, and a small glass bottle of milk and an open jar of / raspberry jam." Thus, everything, from a bottle of milk to lost door keys, becomes attached to life, loss, and death.

Thyme Matters

Most restaurants know that presentation is everything, and, last evening, I was quite impressed by the "presentation" given by Thyme Matters, a restaurant located on the westside of El Paso. From the folded napkins - an art in and of itself - to the hot tea set, Thyme Matters knows how to please the customer's eye. Even the entrees were presented artistically; the food provided all the colors of an artist's palette and was arranged on lovely, modern place settings.

An equally important consideration in a restaurant is ambience, and I found that Thyme Matters had a lovely one. The music provided a nice background. It seemed like a quieter and classier version of house music. The music also was set at the perfect sound level; I could easily converse with my friends. The restaurant had a wonderful design - a lot of open space created by the high ceiling and second-story loft area. The restaurant also featured an outdoor patio, which would have been tempting if it hadn't been windy yesterday. The artistic pieces in the restaurant were what I call "muted contemporary" and placed in strategic places to heighten the space's effect.

Of course, even with ambience and presentation, no restaurant is complete without a good menu. Thyme Matters did not disappoint. I ordered the eggplant parmesan, which came with a side salad. It was very palatable, but what I enjoyed most was trying my friend's tilapia. I'm not that fond of seafood, but I was pleasantly surprised by the fish. It had a wonderful flavor due to the chipotle spices, and it was very tender. I think the next time I visit Thyme Matters, I may have to order it.

Little Ladybug Jewelry

I love finding unique jewelry, and, fortunately, many of my friends have been blessed with artistic talent. One of these friends has her own business, littleladybugjewelry. Each of the pieces she designs is unique since she only purchases charms and beads in small quantities. Recently, she has begun to work with sterling silver and has developed a new sterling silver line of earrings. I hope you'll check out her website and purchase some jewelry or become a fan of her work. I think we need to support independent business owners as much as possible in our current economy.

Maria Chuchena

I have discovered yet another classy restaurant in El Paso (I feel as though I'm turning into a food, or, at least, a restaurant, critic). This time, my friends and I visited Maria Chuchena, a restaurant which serves gourmet Mexican food, at its new location on Mesa Street in El Paso. Our hostess was very kind, although I was glad to have my Spanish-speaking amiga with me (the hostess and waitstaff do ask if you prefer English or Spanish, so the place is welcoming to non-Spanish-speaking customers).

The appetizers were excellent - small dinner rolls filled with cream cheese, tostadas, and salsa. The salsa is prepared at the table by the waiter or waitress, and it's custom-tailored. Onions? Cilantro? You can have as much or as little as you desire (we went with the medium blend, light on the onions).

The main dishes were excellent as well. I ordered "Carlitos," which consists of beef tacos and a side of guacamole. The food was delicious; the beef was tender and had an excellent flavor due to the peppers and onions (and other spices, I'm sure). After the meal, our waiter asked if we would like to order dessert, but, of course, we didn't save room. I guess I'll have to return to Maria Chuchena to try their pastries...

Quieres Bailar?

Shundo Dance Studio is one of my favorite places in El Paso. From the classes offered during the week to the socials on Fridays and Saturdays, Shundo is an excellent place to meet new people (I met one of my best friends during a beginner's salsa class) in a friendly and safe environment.

I first started going to Shundo last summer because I was interested in swing dance. After two weeks, though, curiousity got the better of me, and I started going to the beginner's salsa class. I felt completely inept, but I was having fun. Although I spent much of the classtime laughing at myself, in a couple of months, the dance instructor told me to try the intermediate class.

I tried the class, and, while the class was extremely challenging, it was a lot of fun. I stayed in the class for several months and finally felt that it was time to try out my dance moves (such as they were) at one of the socials. The guys at the social were perfect gentlemen (my friend and I call it the "Shundo Air Effect"), and even the best dancers were willing to dance with novices. The nice thing about the social is that a class is held prior to the social, so, even if you don't know very much about salsa or other Latin dances, you can still learn a few steps that will allow you to dance the night away.

Quieres bailar? Si, quiero bailar!

Vamos a Comer!

A few weeks ago, my friend and I found a new eatery, called Ripe,  in El Paso. The restaurant is kind of eclectic, with artwork and small lights bordering the dining area. Music: oldies, but goodies (I remember hearing several songs by the Beatles). Food: excellent. I had a Florentine omelette, which consisted of eggs (of course), spinach, mushrooms, tomatoes, and feta cheese. The omelette came with taters (delicious!) and black beans (Beans aren't my favorite vegetables, but these had an excellent flavor.). Our food also came with homemade biscuits with a hint of cinnamon (They were so good that they almost melted in your mouth.). To end the meal, we were given small cookies (I wish I could remember what they were called...). They were the perfect complement to the meal - they cleansed the palate, without making us feel that we'd eaten an entire dessert. The waitservice was excellent, from the host to the waitress. Our glasses were always full, and our stomachs, well, let's just say that our stomachs were completely satisfied. Bon appetit!

Hello, February!

I can't believe that it's the first day of February. It seems as though it should still be December. I ask you, "Where did January go?" The truth is, the month went by in a blur of work, interviews, Bible study, and hanging out with mis amigos. I'm sure I wasted a good amount of my time as well, which is an area in my life that I'm addressing. This month, I want to be more aware of how I'm spending my time. I'm not saying that we can't have a lazy day once and again; I do know that we all need days where we chill. After all, we wouldn't be able to function without a day of rest (which is why God created the Sabbath). Yesterday is the perfect example of "rest": I went to church, which was followed by lunch (more about the restaurant later - delicious!) and a visit to the art museum with one of my girlfriends, and more fellowship (several hours, actually) with her and another friend. If I could make a comparison, it was a sort of spa treatment for the soul. Lol.

Ephesians 5: 15-7 (NAS) tells us, "Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil." I want to challenge myself and you to evaluate how we're spending our time. Are we wasting our time with idle thoughts? Are we constantly busy? Neither way of spending time is correct; we need to have balance - enough work and enough rest - so that we can walk wisely, making the most of our time. 

When You're Looking for that Job

It's been two years since I started the age-old job search. I'd like to think I've learned a few things since starting that search. I thought I would share my insights into landing a job (even though I haven't accomplished that goal quite yet) so that you all can learn from my experiences or at least feel that you aren't alone in the limbo land of joblessness.

1. Network, network, network
I can't stress the importance of networking. I've found that sites such as CareerBuilder and Monster can sometimes land you a job (for me, these sites were more of an exercise in frustration), but it's much more likely that you'll get a job through someone you know personally or through someone a friend or family member knows. Don't know where to start? Just ask your friends, family, and acquaintances if they know someone who's in your area of interest. Also, join groups. You can do this on Facebook, MySpace, or other social media sites. The point is to find groups that have events occurring where you can network. Take those business cards to events and start passing them out like they're tickets to the most popular concert in town.

2. Look where you live
I found out the hard way that I should've looked for work where I was living. Unfortunately, I was so ready to leave the city where I was living that I refused to look for work in the area. Networking is much easier when you already have a local base. Because I decided to move, I had to start networking all over again. It's not an easy process, so even if you're sick of where you're living, network and look for jobs where you live.

3. Don't count your chickens before they hatch
I thought I had a job lined up when I graduated from graduate school, but it fell through several months later. Because I thought I had landed the job, I didn't look as hard for another job, which meant that I had to start the job search all over again. Don't stop looking for a job until you've signed the proverbial dotted line.

4. Find something to do while you're looking
When the job I thought I had landed fell through, I became very depressed. I didn't have any friends where I was currently living and had yet to make any connections within the community. If you're currently unemployed or looking for another job, think about exploring your local community for things to do. You might find an extraordinary gem where you are, and, chances are, you'll find some friends along the way.

5. Get support
You can certainly join support groups, but I'm talking about making friends and staying in touch with your family. These people are the ones who are going to stick with you when you're grouchy because you haven't found a job. Do you have a best friend from college that you know will commisserate with you? Contact him or her. You don't have to be in the same city in order to find support and empathy; just talking with that friend can do a lot for you.

6. Don't give up
It sounds cliche, but it's important. This was a hard lesson because I was in a vicious cycle. Despite the fact that I was constantly looking for jobs, I would feel guilty when I wasn't looking for work. The problem was, I'd already trolled all the sites the previous day and knew there wouldn't be any new listings for a couple more days. This is another reason why I recommend finding something to do while you're looking; you shouldn't feel guilty when you're not looking for a job if you're proactively seeking one and having some sort of volunteer or fun activity will keep you from feeling guilty (as well as keep you from the self-pity party).

So, those are my most recent thoughts about job hunting. Do you have any questions? I'd love to be able to use my experiences to help you while you're looking for work.

Good Samaritans

My life can sometimes be a one-woman show. Yesterday, I managed to get my car stuck in the mud - and, oh, how it was stuck. I tried first gear; tires slung mud. I tried reversing; mud still went everywhere. I was starting to feel a little panicky - I wasn't sure how I was going to get out of my car without ending up in mud to my knees - when one of the neighbors drove by in his pickup truck. He saw my dilemma and offered to get a chain in order to pull my car out of the rut (I suppose the chain is yet another indicator of the bang-up job I did of getting my car stuck). He came back with the chain and attached it to the undercarriage of my car, and we slowly proceeded to reverse out of the mudhole. I don't even know my neighbor's name, but I am incredibly grateful for his assistance.