make every job count

In 2003 my nephew Adam graduates from Johns Hopkins.  We celebrate the night before at a local restaurant.

The next day is graduation.  

Mayor Bloomberg is the keynote speaker. (http://www.jhu.edu/news/commence03/speeches/bloomberg.html).

Mostly I find graduations boring.  But this one isn't.  All these years later, I still remember Bloomberg's message.  He says in part...

If your first job or your first graduate school isn't the job or graduate school of your dreams, which is not unusual... you must convince yourself that it is... and that will ensure the right attitude to succeed. In fact, and this applies to all of you, while luck plays a distinct part in success -- it's not gone unnoticed. The harder you work, the luckier you'll get. It's that simple…

So in summary, let me give you a little bit of advice. Go to the best school that you can, get the best job you can, but in either case, whatever is offered to you, convince yourself it is exactly where you want to be. Attitude is everything. Work as hard as you can, you've got to get lucky -- go to work early and stay late, and be scrupulously honest at all costs. You are ultimately responsible for your success or failure.

I remind Alexander of Bloomberg's message as he looks for summer employment. He’s been applying for jobs at Lululemon, Abercrombie, Bloomingdales, and even today at a health club, where instead of pay, he can “work” a few hours in exchange for membership. 

I always appreciate when someone performs a job the best they can, whatever that job happens to be.

A couple of weeks ago Alexander packs up his belongings and brings them to Ithaca Storage.  He uses the local cab company to get to and from the storage place and is unnecessarily charged an extra $15 for waiting time.

I call and speak to Ken.  He is quick to apologize and promises to send a check that day.  Today I get my mail and there is an envelope from Ken.  I open it and see a $25 coupon for Ithaca Dispatch.  It’s not cash, but it’s more than the $15 owed, and Alexander will use it when he returns to school.  I’m satisfied.  But then I see that Ken has also sent me check for $15. 

Perhaps Ken heard Bloomberg’s speech too.  

not the plan I thought it was

A few weeks before last year’s election, I remember arguing with my brother-in-law about Obamacare.  He is a business owner, and he was talking about all the changes that Obama’s Health Care plan would have on his business, and the resulting increased costs.  While he was in agreement with some of the planned changes, he said something like, “It's impossible to plan, because no one has any real idea of the impact Obamacare will have.”

I told him he was wrong.  Of course I hadn’t read the 2,000-page report, but I was confident I knew the basics.   We got into a spirited discussion about Health Care.  As an unemployed individual, I must buy my own health Insurance.  I purchase Alexander’s through Cornell, and I buy an individual plan for myself through my membership at New York Women in Film and Television.  I pay an exhorbitant amount of money for my Oxford individual plan, $800/month.  But the coverage is good, all my doctors are in-network, and I have the comfort of knowing that if I am hit by a bus, I will be accepted at a hospital.

I argued with my brother-in-law that Obama’s plan looks out for the little guy.  I tell him how difficult and expensive it is for an individual to buy health insurance.  I applaud Obama’s plan. I think it’ll protect individuals.  It will give us more options without taking away the ones we have.

Today I get an email from TEIGIT (The Entertainment Industry Group Insurance Trust), the administrators of my Oxford plan.

OXFORD just informed us that effective January 1, 2014, they will no longer offer any sole proprietor health insurance plans in New York State…

We will not have other plans to offer you.  There will be people/organizations set up to help you through finding insurance.  No other brokers will have alternate options available.

I call and Alice Rubin, TEIGIT’s President, answers.  She tells me TEIGIT will now have to close their doors.  Doors that have been open since 1965.  As a result of Obamacare, Alice says, “all Sole Proprietor policies must be converted to individual contracts.” I have no idea what this means and what options will now be available to individuals.  No one does.  We won’t know until October, when the NY health care exchange opens.  Maybe it’ll be better, though I’m not optimistic.  Will it cost me more?  What type of networks will be in place?  What kind of coverage will be available? It all sounds so very 1984-ish. 

I hate to admit it, but I should probably call my brother-in-law and apologize. I think he was right.

my dad falls

My dad is a volatile and loving man.  I think of him as brimming with vitality, and boiling over with emotion.  He is hard-working, artistic, and can create wonders with his hands.  Growing up, my dad was the guy you called if anything in your home needed fixing.  He was the one with the beautiful penmanship, not my mom.  And the birdhouses he built as a hobby became classics among those lucky enough to be a recipient.

My father is a fierce liver of life. He is envious of no one, content with what he has.  He is grateful everyday for the family he adores. The home where he loves.  And watching his six grandchildren grow.

But in the past few years, my dad has lost much of his mobility.  His hands are no longer steady, and he needs help with the mundane tasks of everyday life.  He also has fallen in love all over again with the woman he married 64 years ago.  At 89, he has lived a good life, and truly has no regrets.

I get a call this morning from my sister.  My dad has fallen and broken his hip.  He is in the hospital and the operation will likely be Friday.  For now, he is resting.

I speak to him.  I know he must be in pain, but he tells me he is fine.  He never complains. Fortunately my dad will not need a hip replacement.  Instead, a pin will be inserted, and perhaps he will regain some of his balance and his ability to walk unaided.

My dad is resilient and of strong heart, literally.  My mom is optimistic.  We all are.

cooking a frozen steak

I always thaw my steaks before eating them, but last night I decide late in the day to make steaks. My favorite steak, and the one I buy, is prime boneless strip.  The butcher at Agata tells me that steaks should be frozen no more than a month.  I think he’s wrong.  The steaks I take out of the freezer were purchased in mid-April.  I always name and date anything I freeze, which isn’t much.

All I need is seasoning, oil, a skillet, and a pair of tongs.

I find a recipe I like online, then modify it some.  Some chefs even say they prefer cooking steaks that are still frozen.

Step 1

Preheat the skillet over high heat, making sure oil is very hot.

Step 2

Place the frozen steaks on the skillet's heated, oiled surface.

Step 3

Sear the steak quickly over very high heat.

4-5 minutes per side.

Step 4

Reduce the heat to medium.

Season generously (I use black truffle salt).

I cook the steaks about 3.5 minutes per side, but they are still red inside, and so I do an extra 1.5 minutes per side.

Step 5

Remove and let steaks sit 5 to10 minutes before serving.

The outside is crunchy and the inside is medium rare.  They are perfect.