random thoughts – Day 1,337 – (Tuesday) – presentations

Today was the day. Two colleagues and I were scheduled to present to a Branch Leadership meeting. We were presenting an overview of what the marketing team does, tips for making requests for marketing help, and social media. 

It sounded like a great idea when I first heard about it a while ago. Then I didn’t really think about it again except for in the vaguest terms. Last week it was pointed out that the meeting was “next Tuesday.” I thought it was going to be on Wednesday or Thursday, mostly because I just hadn't been paying attention, so that was a tiny surprise and I got a little nervous.

My manager said it would be like the last time we presented. Cool, cool. Except that wasn’t me, that was our colleague who left a few months ago. I have done very few presentations in the past 7.5 years, with “few” being maybe two presentations. Out of practice? Ha! I never did enough to feel like I was in practice.

Knowing the material wasn’t the issue because I had worked on a procedures document about the topic a couple years ago that I reviewed and updated over the summer. Oh, and I work with it regularly. Figuring out how to not ramble on about it forever was the challenge. Oh, and not sounding like an idiot.

This morning, before our designated time on the meeting agenda, I got nervous. I tried to practice and stumbled over my words which increased the nerves, so I started doing “things” to burn off some energy. That coat that had been draped on the back of a kitchen chair since Sunday? Hung! The six pens on the tiny desk? Now in the drawer! I took a lap around the kitchen table. Fifteen steps!

In the last few minutes before logging in to the meeting, panic hit. Suddenly, my sweater seemed too plain and I wondered if there was time to change. (There wasn’t and I didn’t.) Teeth were brushed. Hair was combed. Lip balm was applied. I logged in.

It went well. There were a couple great questions. And then it was over and time to get back to the to-do list and things that are more familiar.

Delivered for the
Festival of Wreaths.

After work, the finished touch was added to the wreath for the Festival of Wreaths. The gold, glittery ribbon was transformed into a bow and attached. Gold glitter is now all over the dining room table and floor. It was carefully slipped into a bag to go with me to be left at the gallery during our board meeting. 

When I started the car, the center of the panel where the low tire pressure image periodically appears to haunt me presented a different symbol. Tonight’s apparition was the glowing image of a big yellow gas pump and the gas gauge was in the red zone. I had always wondered what happened when the gas got really low in this vehicle. That’s when I remembered that when I arrived home from Mom’s on Sunday the gas level was suddenly low. Oops. 

When I pulled into the gas station around the corner from home, I spaced out, forgot which side of the car the gas tank is on, and went to the wrong side of the pumps. Seriously? I’ve had this car for two years now. Talk about being a doofus. At least the station was empty so it was easy to get to another pump on the correct side.