Terminalcoffee discussion

I'm in all day meetings today and want to space out instead of pay attention, but it's hard. Can you space out in these situations? I work with a couple old time school leaders, and I've asked them how they survive these godawful meetings, and they say, very simply, "think of other things". Does that work for you? I'm gonna practice today:)

i can space out whenever i want to, and when i don't want to. that first part can come in handy, the last part not so much.

janine took my answer

I'm forced to take the meeting minutes during staff meetings because I tend to space out and miss whole chunks of important stuff. Typing the meeting minutes while in the meeting translates to whole chunks of important stuff are still missed and I catch random phrases here and there. I'm quite good at tuning people out when I feel like being in my own little world.

my wife cannot totally phase out as her brain is running at high rpm all the time. she thinks entirely too much. at a meeting she is diligently soaking stuff in even if it does not pertain to her which adds to her overload. she can't sleep because she is thinking about things to do and such. me, i can basically phase out at any time.

I am in a meeting right now and look like I'm taking notes.

My friend Terry looks like he might fall asleep. He's done it before.

RandomAnthony wrote: "My friend Terry looks like he might fall asleep. He's done it before."

Does he snore or drool? Does he do that head bob thingy?

He does the head bob thing!

RandomAnthony wrote: "He does the head bob thing!"

HAHAHAHAH!!! You totally need to record it with your phone, RA... and then youtube it. :) Except you should fuzz his face out so he doesn't get in trouble.

He fell asleep in a class he was teaching once while students were giving presentations...one of the students stopped and said, "you're totally sleeping!" He admitted he was and promised to never do it again. The students still make fun of him...the event is now legend...

RandomAnthony wrote: "He fell asleep in a class he was teaching once while students were giving presentations...one of the students stopped and said, "you're totally sleeping!" He admitted he was and promised to never ..."

That's hilarious, unless of course, he has narcolepsy. Did it earn him a nickname?

Someone in the meeting just said, "I had fun being drilled by you yesterday." He was speaking about a budget conversation, and someone challenging some expenditures, but I'm not mature enough for comments like that. I had to look down and bite my lip.

No nickname, no narcolepsy.

Maybe there is a nickname, but I haven't heard it...I'll check around.:)

I doodle. Some study last year proved that doodling actually helps you stay focused so you don't drift off completely.

Sarah Pi wrote: "I doodle. Some study last year proved that doodling actually helps you stay focused so you don't drift off completely."

one of my teachers always forbid me to doodle, saying i wasn't paying attention. if only i had had some study to show him then.

janine wrote: "Sarah Pi wrote: "I doodle. Some study last year proved that doodling actually helps you stay focused so you don't drift off completely."

one of my teachers always forbid me to doodle, saying i wa..."
When I run into a teacher from my past, that's the first thing they remember about me. "Do you still draw horses on everything?" but now I can say "Yes!" with pride.

RandomAnthony wrote: "Someone in the meeting just said, "I had fun being drilled by you yesterday." He was speaking about a budget conversation, and someone challenging some expenditures, but I'm not mature enough for ..."

did you immediately say "TWSS" to yourself?

You know it, Kevin!

I encourage my students to doodle if they want, and then I remind them to let their own students doodle someday.

I'm slightly hypocritical, though, because I wouldn't let them f--k around in a class like I am in this meeting.

The privilege of adulthood?

RandomAnthony wrote: "Someone in the meeting just said, "I had fun being drilled by you yesterday." He was speaking about a budget conversation, and someone challenging some expenditures, but I'm not mature enough for ..."

I lust jiggled the nipple out of Leah's mouth giggling at that one.


My answer to the original can you question is a resounding yes. yesyesyesJess. It's how I make it through the day right now.

i'm not mature enough to read the word nipple without giggling

I was surprised to see lust, jiggled and nipple in the same sentence with no sexual connotations.

I just got out of a meeting, and I TOTALLY doodled during it.

It does help me focus on the oh so important issues, like, why there is no longer Coke in our vending machine, and the new low flow toilets in the women's room. :)

that's why i love conference calls from my office. i can lean back in my chair and throw a baseball up in the air and catch it OR talk to you guys while listening (i used that word loosely). you just have to make sure you do not have a tactile clicky keyboard

Yes! I've learned to type very softly while on speakerphone...

All of my doodles from meetings are bookmarked with stickies. I like to go back and look at them on occasion.

Also, my friend calls her dog's poop "doodles."

When I worked at Intel & we had virtual conference meetings on the phone, I would call in from home in my jammies & sit there doing graphic design 'doodles' on my second monitor while conducting the meeting on the first. It was awesome. The only embarrasssing part was when I'd get too engrossed in my design & tune out the speakers, but suddenly be slammed back to the present with everyone saying "Where's Sherrie? Isn't she leading this meeting?" Oops.

Hi Bun! Yes, I'm in & out... trying to be more social now that the sun is peeking out from behind all the rain. :)

Cosmic Sher wrote: "Hi Bun! Yes, I'm in & out... trying to be more social now that the sun is peeking out from behind all the rain. :)"


Has your husband gotten any news yet about the job interview, Sher?

Well, yes & no... (kay, highjacking the thread momentarily) The feedback was they all loved him, thought he was a perfect fit for warroom analyst, but the day after his interview they decided they needed to let go a bunch of other contractors & reorg. He's actually wondering if it was because of some comments he made to a couple managers about the project, asking why they were handling it a certain way, giving his expertise in possibilities of doing it differently (which they responded to really well, actually). We're hoping that after they get their shite together they'll come back & hire Jared. (hoping, hoping, hoping)

So, we don't know for sure. And Puerto Rico has promised to call him at some point in the future as well. Who knows... :)

Cosmic Sher wrote: "Well, yes & no... (kay, highjacking the thread momentarily)"

It's not highjacking the thread if it's part of the thread title. :)

Aw. I ♥ you Heidi. :) Got my warm fuzzies now, and right before bedtime too.

hey cosmic

Hey Kev! I think we are on totally different time schedules. :)

Hi Sher! Tell me more about Leah's zodiac!

Oh, yes! Why don't you send me a message with her birthdate, time & place and I'll put something together for you. I'll do that this weekend. :D

no, we are on the same linear space and time

Yippeee! Although, the alternate space & time can be loads of fun too.

It's easy...the trick is to continue to stare at the person talking until the words that come out of his/her mouth becomes a buzz in the background.

**realizes the thread has been hijacked**

**jumps off**

I am nearing the second end of a three hour meeting right now. I can't pay attention anymore. I CAN'T!

Love,

RA

i have a hard time paying attention all the time

SQUIRREL!

I was just asked a question in this meeting. I think I answered about 25% on topic and 75% general meeting-y things (e.g. "I want to make sure we include a a lot of different viewpoints") that could apply to just about anything. I'm not gonna try, Buns, you're right! My head will explode!

I have to take notes, and doodle heavily in the margins, at long meetings, or I am thinking about things like...

"Judy should comb her hair in the morning... what did I bring for lunch today? oh, yeah, I've got avocado... did I put that book on hold?... Kim's water bottle looks like a baby bottle with it's pink top..."

Its easy for me to fall asleep if it's somewhere boring
(like my science class) all I have to do is lean back and close my eyes. Inevitably I will wake up a few times
but eventually I will sleep till class ends... Or I fold Origami and act like I'm listening.