Did you ever have to give someone a review?  When I needed to give performance feedback, I  always said 2 positive things that the person did and 1 negative.  This seems fair to me- acknowledge the good, and give them something to work on.  This week I needed to review my performance, because everyone needs a self check every now and then.  So here are my personal positives, and negative.

Positive:  I finally corrected the time on my blog.  For some reason, when I set up my blog, my day ended at 4pm New York time.  For someone with OCD like tendencies- this was a tad annoying.  I finally figured out what I had done wrong, and I am happy to say my blog time corresponds with my real time.

Positive:  I learned how to schedule blog posts.  As I think WordPress was solely created to humble me, I was amazed that I learned how to do this task.  It was a life saver for me this week when I had pre-written a few posts but wanted to scatter their publishing.  One of my odd tendencies is the need to publish things in the morning.

Negative:  The dreaded beach shelter, and how I gave up.  (I don’t like sitting on the beach in the sun- I prefer to sit under an umbrella.  I hate being hot and I have trouble reading when the sun is directly overhead- but that’s not the negative- I’m actually proud of my inability to sit in the sun)

Last week we purchased a foldable beach tent.  It takes up way less room in the trunk than an umbrella, but would provide me with needed shade.  I was so happy….  until I tried to put the beach shelter together.

Step 1- Assemble collapsible poles– OK- that was easy.  

Step 2- Find front of shelter– Is this the front?  Or is this the front?  I frantically turn shelter over and over, attempting to figure out which side it the front.  A big “F” would be helpful about now.  I’m not quite sure where the front is

Step 3- Slide short pole through top point F, continuing to bottom– (WHAT?  The pole goes through what hole?)  Is it supposed to form a straight line?  Wait- which holes are supposed to connect?

Step 3– (Hmmmmm)

Step 3– (Is this right?)

Step 3– (Maybe this isn’t the front of the tent)

Where’s the picture?  the pic looks like back of tent?  Why do the instructions say front of tent if poles go down back of tent?  Is there a utube video of someone putting tent together?

Scratch head

Look at picture, instructions, and tent- continue this for half an hour- just staring at these three individual things

*&%$# this.

Angrily throw all things in a pile.  Fail at attempting to fold very large tent back into very small carrying tote

I sat on my chair.  Fuming.

I gave up.

I don’t like giving up, but I also don’t like wasting time on things that seem futile.  This is supposed to be my first day of vacation.  This is supposed to be a time to relax.  I’m supposed to be having fun.  Yet I sat there, frustrated at my inability to read directions, my inability to figure out what the front was, and how to attach the poles.  I guess there are multiple negatives- inability to assemble beach shelter, and low frustration point.

I didn’t want to attempt the shelter again- but I could change my attitude.  I put on extra sun block, stole my husbands hat, sat in the beach chair and read.  And had a great time.

I didn’t make another attempt to try to assmble the beach shelter while on Cape Cod, but I’m going to give it a go in Maine in a few days.  I don’t like giving up, but during my short vacation with my family, I would rather concentrate on the important things- relaxing, having fun and spending time with my family.  At the end of the day- putting together the beach shelter just wasn’t that important.

 

 

 

37 thoughts on “Two Positives- One Negative”

  1. I can totally watch you doing this. And if I were there, I’d have watched until you threw in the towel… then come over and said “need a hand?” Sometimes you just have to get some amusement out of other people’s fun disasters… kinda like you did to yourself by memorializing it with this post! 🙂

    I would have helped sooner, honest. 🙂

    Liked by 3 people

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      1. Carol Burnett is one of my all time favorites – even when she did that episode in The Twilight Zone. There is no better person to emulate! (And of course Conway was epic with her, too!)

        Liked by 2 people

      3. It was the first scene I thought of, too, when you said Carol Burnett. I just can’t help but envision those curtain rods. She was hysterical!

        Liked by 2 people

  3. This reminds me of my irritation with putting a fitted sheet with elastic all around on a bed. My friend said she drew a pair of feet on the bottom of the sheet and problem solved. When you finally get your shelter up, use a Sharpie to put a big smiley face on the front!

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  4. I am very gently going to suggest you get some help, with setting up the tent that is. (Sunburn is no fun! I hate sitting in the sun and avoid it whenever possible.) Usually if instructions are completely nonsensical to an adult someone under the age of 18 can figure it out. Without the instructions of course. I hope you get to enjoy your shade.

    Liked by 3 people

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  5. I just recently fixed the time on my blog as well. I never really considered scheduling posts until we released our new intranet at work. It’s wordpress based and the training covered scheduling posts. I’ve used it a few times on my personal blog now.

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    1. I LOVE scheduling posts. When I have a blog tour post, they like us to release it as close to midnight in our time zone as possible. I don’t generally stay up that late anymore so scheduling is great for getting my posts up on time without losing sleep over it.

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  6. So sorry to hear about your sun shelter! Hopefully you’ll get it to work in Maine! I understand not wanting to be in the sun. I’m actually allergic to the sun and break out in hives later in the day if I’m out in it without sun protective clothing, a hat, and slathered in sunscreen every hour.

    Liked by 1 person

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  10. I swear the people who write those directions are laughing at us.” Watch if we put in the direction to slide pole into hole that isn’t there, oh this will be great!” It is always worse to try to do it right when you need it. You won’t need it here in Boston although we are hot here, so look at the directions and it might come to you so it will work when you get to Maine. Have a great stay! Funny you are in my area.

    Liked by 1 person

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  11. Sorry your first day at the beach started out so frustrating! But you were smart to give it up (temporarily) and just get on with enjoying the day. Erecting any kind of tent is something I’ve never been able to do properly.

    Liked by 1 person

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  13. Thanks for publishing this awesome article.
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    My favourite character is Jaqen.

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    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

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