Life Lessons In IT

People have interesting misconceptions about folks who work in IT. They think we spend our days in nerf gun battles or discussing the latest sci-fi movie release. And like many stereotypes, there is some truth to the stories.

What people don’t see is the behind-the-scenes teamwork. Sure, I work with a bunch of geniuses, but we are better in resolving problems as a group than as a bunch of individuals. They (thankfully) are not Sheldon Cooper type narcissists and know how to work together in a crisis. In fact, I’d say that they are actually fairly humble.

A major system goes down in the middle of the night? All hands on deck. That doesn’t mean we actually have to get dressed thanks to the joys of being able to remote in and a dedicated conference line to have a group conversation. But if the network is down, there won’t be any need for the boss to order people to come in. They’ll already be there.

Another thing people don’t understand is that IT is not just one area of knowledge. it’s a whole conglomerate of specialties. There’s networking and servers and help desk and operating systems and security and programs and …okay, I’ll stop now. Everyone in IT has to be part of the effort to keep things running smoothly for the end users.

IT can look like this:

Or, with good teamwork, like this:

Both get the job done, but one with more success than the other.

So what can people learn from what I do? The answer is simple. Teamwork.

To check in with the other authors, follow the links below.

July 24, 2017 – What Kind Of Lessons Could Anyone Learn From What You Do In Your Career?
Are there life lessons that people who aren’t in your career could learn from? You might be amazed.
Rules:
1. Link your blog to this hop.
2. Notify your following that you are participating in this blog hop.
3. Promise to visit/leave a comment on all participants’ blogs.
4. Tweet/or share each person’s blog post. Use #OpenBook when tweeting.
5. Put a banner on your blog that you are participating.
WordPress:



Custom Blog:

An InLinkz Link-up

get the InLinkz code

Life Lessons In IT

People have interesting misconceptions about folks who work in IT. They think we spend our days in nerf gun battles or discussing the latest sci-fi movie release. And like many stereotypes, there is some truth to the stories.

What people don’t see is the behind-the-scenes teamwork. Sure, I work with a bunch of geniuses, but we are better in resolving problems as a group than as a bunch of individuals. They (thankfully) are not Sheldon Cooper type narcissists and know how to work together in a crisis. In fact, I’d say that they are actually fairly humble.

A major system goes down in the middle of the night? All hands on deck. That doesn’t mean we actually have to get dressed thanks to the joys of being able to remote in and a dedicated conference line to have a group conversation. But if the network is down, there won’t be any need for the boss to order people to come in. They’ll already be there.

Another thing people don’t understand is that IT is not just one area of knowledge. it’s a whole conglomerate of specialties. There’s networking and servers and help desk and operating systems and security and programs and …okay, I’ll stop now. Everyone in IT has to be part of the effort to keep things running smoothly for the end users.

IT can look like this:

Or, with good teamwork, like this:

Both get the job done, but one with more success than the other.

So what can people learn from what I do? The answer is simple. Teamwork.

To check in with the other authors, follow the links below.

July 24, 2017 – What Kind Of Lessons Could Anyone Learn From What You Do In Your Career?
Are there life lessons that people who aren’t in your career could learn from? You might be amazed.
Rules:
1. Link your blog to this hop.
2. Notify your following that you are participating in this blog hop.
3. Promise to visit/leave a comment on all participants’ blogs.
4. Tweet/or share each person’s blog post. Use #OpenBook when tweeting.
5. Put a banner on your blog that you are participating.
Wordpress:

Custom Blog:

An InLinkz Link-up

get the InLinkz code

This week I’m joining in MFRW’s Book Hooks. I’ve decided to highlight The Marquesa’s Necklace, the first book in the Oak Grove Mysteries.This is from the scene where the reader is introduced to Detective Thomason.

This week I’m joining in MFRW’s Book Hooks. I’ve decided to highlight The Marquesa’s Necklace, the first book in the Oak Grove Mysteries.This is from the scene where the reader is introduced to Detective Thomason.

It’s boring folks. I have a standard 9-5 job. Well, it’s 8:00 to 4:30, but you get the drift. So I spend my day in front of a computer screen and on conference calls. Thrilling, right?

Only I’d be lying. See, I work in IT. And I have one little word in my job title that changes everything. “Security.” That means there’s a lot about my job I can’t tell you.

What I can tell you is that we pray for those boring moments in IT, because the excitement happens when something breaks. We don’t like it when something doesn’t work right. Neither do all the people who depend on the systems we operate, because that means they can’t do their job in the normal fashion. We like it even less when it’s a problem we can’t fix within a few minutes.

And no, that’s not me. I use enough programs on a daily basis that I have three screens. They take up a lot of territory on my desk. I don’t drink coffee either. I never learned to like it. I keep a water bottle within reach all day and my coffee mugs are filled with pens.

But I have a great bunch of co-workers. On the days when everything is going smoothly, we sneak in a bit of fun to our normal routine. Things like Nerf gun battles (we are geeks!) and putt-putt golf in the hallways.Those are only short breaks, because there are systems to monitor and maintain and work to be done.

I’m always glad to head home to spend time with my dear hubby and the rest of my family. Of course, I have to take time to catch up on social media and write, so some of my time is spent by myself. I look forward to weekends when I can unwind and hopefully spend some extra time on writing.

So that’s my day. Pretty normal these days, not like when I traveled for a living. That’s a different day’s post.

Now let’s jump over and see what everyone else’s day is like!

July 10, 2017 – What Is A Day In The Life Of A _________ (Insert Your Career) Like?
Walk your readers through the hour-by-hour day in the life of (your title). Also, don’t forget to share pictures. It’s always a lot of fun for people to peak into others’ lives.
Rules:
1. Link your blog to this hop.
2. Notify your following that you are participating in this blog hop.
3. Promise to visit/leave a comment on all participants’ blogs.
4. Tweet/or share each person’s blog post. Use #OpenBook when tweeting.
5. Put a banner on your blog that you are participating.
WordPress:



Custom Blog:

An InLinkz Link-up

get the InLinkz code

InLinkz | view linkup

It’s boring folks. I have a standard 9-5 job. Well, it’s 8:00 to 4:30, but you get the drift. So I spend my day in front of a computer screen and on conference calls. Thrilling, right?

Only I’d be lying. See, I work in IT. And I have one little word in my job title that changes everything. “Security.” That means there’s a lot about my job I can’t tell you.

What I can tell you is that we pray for those boring moments in IT, because the excitement happens when something breaks. We don’t like it when something doesn’t work right. Neither do all the people who depend on the systems we operate, because that means they can’t do their job in the normal fashion. We like it even less when it’s a problem we can’t fix within a few minutes.

And no, that’s not me. I use enough programs on a daily basis that I have three screens. They take up a lot of territory on my desk. I don’t drink coffee either. I never learned to like it. I keep a water bottle within reach all day and my coffee mugs are filled with pens.

But I have a great bunch of co-workers. On the days when everything is going smoothly, we sneak in a bit of fun to our normal routine. Things like Nerf gun battles (we are geeks!) and putt-putt golf in the hallways.Those are only short breaks, because there are systems to monitor and maintain and work to be done.

I’m always glad to head home to spend time with my dear hubby and the rest of my family. Of course, I have to take time to catch up on social media and write, so some of my time is spent by myself. I look forward to weekends when I can unwind and hopefully spend some extra time on writing.

So that’s my day. Pretty normal these days, not like when I traveled for a living. That’s a different day’s post.

Now let’s jump over and see what everyone else’s day is like!

July 10, 2017 – What Is A Day In The Life Of A _________ (Insert Your Career) Like?
Walk your readers through the hour-by-hour day in the life of (your title). Also, don’t forget to share pictures. It’s always a lot of fun for people to peak into others’ lives.
Rules:
1. Link your blog to this hop.
2. Notify your following that you are participating in this blog hop.
3. Promise to visit/leave a comment on all participants’ blogs.
4. Tweet/or share each person’s blog post. Use #OpenBook when tweeting.
5. Put a banner on your blog that you are participating.
Wordpress:

Custom Blog:

An InLinkz Link-up

get the InLinkz code

InLinkz | view linkup

This week we’re talking about our dream vacations. And you know where I’m going right?

I’d start off with a drive to a small town somewhere in the Rocky Mountains. That leaves a lot of choices. Walden, Estes Park, Nederland—I don’t have to be picky in my dreams.

There, I’d meet up with an experienced guide. I’d probably spend one night in a lodge, meeting fellow adventurers, getting acclimated to the altitude and having a beer or two. I’d go to bed early (if I was smart) because we’d be leaving early in the morning.

Breakfast the next day would be quick and easy. Cold cereal and fruit maybe, because there’s a long ride ahead. First, a short drive to the alpine pasture where the horses wait for us—I get an older, gentle horse who’s experienced enough to help a novice rider—and then we take off. There’s no rush, and the horses meander along a well-worn path without urging. Most of them know the way as well as our guides.

We make frequent stops, admiring the scenery and getting off the horses long enough to stretch our legs. Lunch is sandwiches and (no chips- we don’t need the salt) and more fruit, eaten beside a mountain stream. Oh, and we drink lots of water and re-apply our suntan lotion. Wrens and jays chatter happily as they flit from aspen branch to aspen branch. A few people take off their shoes and socks to go wading, but I refrain. I already know how cold a creek fed by snow melt is, and I grin at their cries of surprise.

Although the spot would be perfect (in my mind) for a place to camp, it wouldn’t accommodate the whole group, so we mount up and take off again. Our destination is still a couple of hours ahead. I’m already feeling a story coming on, but I can’t put words on paper just yet.

Although the clouds overhead seem to threaten us with a shower, the guides appear unperturbed. The trail we followed was steeper now, but the horses didn’t seem to mind. Around each bend there is new and marvelous scenery, and we are accompanied by a string of “oohs” and “ahs” as well as the clicks of cameras. I’m starting to feel the ache in my legs and mu back, but I know there isn’t too much farther to go.

Then we reach it. The high mountain lake that will be our home for the next few days. I breathe in the fresh air for several minutes before I set up my tent and roll out my sleeping bag, but there is still plenty of time before dark. Some of the other guests already have their fishing poles out, but I have other fish to fry.

But first there is supper, a simple meal of home-made chili and and fresh veggies to munch on. We sit on stools made out of old logs and talk about the the day as we sip on out drink of choice. For me, more beer. There will be the obligatory campfire once it gets dark, along with a few brave souls singing to the rising of the moon.

Some of the more enthusiastic fisherman will rise with the sun but chances are I’ll sleep in. After breakfast, I’ll finally have a chance to grab a notepad and pen and wander off to find a tree to sit under. Hopefully, the words will pour out. I’ll stop long enough for lunch then go for a long walk in the afternoon. Take pictures of mountain wildflowers and mull over where the story is going. Head back to camp eventually, and do some more writing before supper.

Several days later, when it’s time to leave, I’ll have a solid start on a new story. Or two or three of them. When we roll up our sleeping bags and take down the tents, I’ll be sad and happy at the same time. The return to civilization and the chance to take a shower will be welcome, as well as seeing my loved ones again.

And that’s it. My dream vacation. What’s yours?

I’m looking forward to seeing what everyone else dreams about. Let’s follow the links below.

July 3, 2017 – What Is The Next Vacation You’d Love To Take?
Dream away. Share the fun. Or if your blog or business is made up of a team, you could always share where each of the team wants to go on vacation next. This is another one of those blog ideas that really help an audience get to know you better.
Rules:
1. Link your blog to this hop.
2. Notify your following that you are participating in this blog hop.
3. Promise to visit/leave a comment on all participants’ blogs.
4. Tweet/or share each person’s blog post. Use #OpenBook when tweeting.
5. Put a banner on your blog that you are participating.
WordPress:



Custom Blog:

An InLinkz Link-up

get the InLinkz code

This week we’re talking about our dream vacations. And you know where I’m going right?

I’d start off with a drive to a small town somewhere in the Rocky Mountains. That leaves a lot of choices. Walden, Estes Park, Nederland—I don’t have to be picky in my dreams.

There, I’d meet up with an experienced guide. I’d probably spend one night in a lodge, meeting fellow adventurers, getting acclimated to the altitude and having a beer or two. I’d go to bed early (if I was smart) because we’d be leaving early in the morning.

Breakfast the next day would be quick and easy. Cold cereal and fruit maybe, because there’s a long ride ahead. First, a short drive to the alpine pasture where the horses wait for us—I get an older, gentle horse who’s experienced enough to help a novice rider—and then we take off. There’s no rush, and the horses meander along a well-worn path without urging. Most of them know the way as well as our guides.

We make frequent stops, admiring the scenery and getting off the horses long enough to stretch our legs. Lunch is sandwiches and (no chips- we don’t need the salt) and more fruit, eaten beside a mountain stream. Oh, and we drink lots of water and re-apply our suntan lotion. Wrens and jays chatter happily as they flit from aspen branch to aspen branch. A few people take off their shoes and socks to go wading, but I refrain. I already know how cold a creek fed by snow melt is, and I grin at their cries of surprise.

Although the spot would be perfect (in my mind) for a place to camp, it wouldn’t accommodate the whole group, so we mount up and take off again. Our destination is still a couple of hours ahead. I’m already feeling a story coming on, but I can’t put words on paper just yet.

Although the clouds overhead seem to threaten us with a shower, the guides appear unperturbed. The trail we followed was steeper now, but the horses didn’t seem to mind. Around each bend there is new and marvelous scenery, and we are accompanied by a string of “oohs” and “ahs” as well as the clicks of cameras. I’m starting to feel the ache in my legs and mu back, but I know there isn’t too much farther to go.

Then we reach it. The high mountain lake that will be our home for the next few days. I breathe in the fresh air for several minutes before I set up my tent and roll out my sleeping bag, but there is still plenty of time before dark. Some of the other guests already have their fishing poles out, but I have other fish to fry.

But first there is supper, a simple meal of home-made chili and and fresh veggies to munch on. We sit on stools made out of old logs and talk about the the day as we sip on out drink of choice. For me, more beer. There will be the obligatory campfire once it gets dark, along with a few brave souls singing to the rising of the moon.

Some of the more enthusiastic fisherman will rise with the sun but chances are I’ll sleep in. After breakfast, I’ll finally have a chance to grab a notepad and pen and wander off to find a tree to sit under. Hopefully, the words will pour out. I’ll stop long enough for lunch then go for a long walk in the afternoon. Take pictures of mountain wildflowers and mull over where the story is going. Head back to camp eventually, and do some more writing before supper.

Several days later, when it’s time to leave, I’ll have a solid start on a new story. Or two or three of them. When we roll up our sleeping bags and take down the tents, I’ll be sad and happy at the same time. The return to civilization and the chance to take a shower will be welcome, as well as seeing my loved ones again.

And that’s it. My dream vacation. What’s yours?

I’m looking forward to seeing what everyone else dreams about. Let’s follow the links below.

July 3, 2017 – What Is The Next Vacation You’d Love To Take?
Dream away. Share the fun. Or if your blog or business is made up of a team, you could always share where each of the team wants to go on vacation next. This is another one of those blog ideas that really help an audience get to know you better.
Rules:
1. Link your blog to this hop.
2. Notify your following that you are participating in this blog hop.
3. Promise to visit/leave a comment on all participants’ blogs.
4. Tweet/or share each person’s blog post. Use #OpenBook when tweeting.
5. Put a banner on your blog that you are participating.
Wordpress:

Custom Blog:

An InLinkz Link-up

get the InLinkz code

The Maui Heat Series

J.J. will be awarding 5 ebook of Gun For Hire to randomly drawn winners via rafflecopter during the tour. Please use the RaffleCopter below to enter. Remember you may increase your chances of winning by visiting the other tour stops. You may find those locations here. 

BLURB:

The job should have been easy—patrol a swank beach that serves as a backyard for Maui’s rich, kick out the riffraff, and get a tan in the process. But rent-a-cop Samantha Winters didn’t anticipate a deliciously grumpy cop, Sergeant Grady Roark, who comes down to the beach to bust her chops and instead leaves her breathless…and wondering why the one man who could help her seems determined to thwart her at every turn.

Grady is keeping secrets from Sam that have him walking the line between attraction and duty. But when Sam becomes the target of a shadowy organization, Grady will have to choose between the law and the temptation of a woman who has him breaking every rule he’s ever known.

The job should have been easy, but when the bullets start flying, Sam learns nothing is as easy as it seems when you’re a Gun for Hire.

Buy Links:
Amazon | The Wild Rose Press

Excerpt: 

Author Bio: 

J.J. MONTGOMERY writes romantic suspense novels with a sense of humor. Her heroines are as smart as they are smart mouthed and the men in their lives are just trying to keep up. Gun for Hire is the first book in J.J.’s Maui Heat Series. 

If you’d like to know more, including info on her newest book, where she gets her ideas, and how it’s possible she can’t use Facebook, please visit her:


Social Links: 
Website | Facebook |  Twitter  | Instagram 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Maui Heat Series

J.J. will be awarding 5 ebook of Gun For Hire to randomly drawn winners via rafflecopter during the tour. Please use the RaffleCopter below to enter. Remember you may increase your chances of winning by visiting the other tour stops. You may find those locations here. 

BLURB:

The job should have been easy—patrol a swank beach that serves as a backyard for Maui’s rich, kick out the riffraff, and get a tan in the process. But rent-a-cop Samantha Winters didn’t anticipate a deliciously grumpy cop, Sergeant Grady Roark, who comes down to the beach to bust her chops and instead leaves her breathless…and wondering why the one man who could help her seems determined to thwart her at every turn.

Grady is keeping secrets from Sam that have him walking the line between attraction and duty. But when Sam becomes the target of a shadowy organization, Grady will have to choose between the law and the temptation of a woman who has him breaking every rule he’s ever known.

The job should have been easy, but when the bullets start flying, Sam learns nothing is as easy as it seems when you’re a Gun for Hire.

Buy Links:
Amazon | The Wild Rose Press

Excerpt: 

Author Bio: 

J.J. MONTGOMERY writes romantic suspense novels with a sense of humor. Her heroines are as smart as they are smart mouthed and the men in their lives are just trying to keep up. Gun for Hire is the first book in J.J.’s Maui Heat Series. 

If you’d like to know more, including info on her newest book, where she gets her ideas, and how it’s possible she can’t use Facebook, please visit her:


Social Links: 
Website | Facebook |  Twitter  | Instagram 

a Rafflecopter giveaway