Off-beat Specifying

Archive of Older Topics Archive - Specifications Discussions #3
1

TIS THE SEASON
by Ralph Liebing, RA, CSI
Cincinnati, OH

Wow! The holidays are here! Im just catching up, and beginning to get the spirit. More than likely it is because of all of the very broad, and thinly veiled hints my wife has been giving me.

Ah, gift giving! Wonderful concept, bad activity! Never find exactly what you think the other will like or appreciate, nor the right color [out of stock usually], or availability [not available for Christmas delivery!]. And then, of course, is trying, eternally to match pocket book with price.

'Course going on-line is new and growing and really quite good. At least, there, you dont have to muffle your cursing at the outrageous treatment [by sales folks] or the prices. And you dont have to drive and try to find a parking place on a repeated basis. 'Tis a gift there in itself.

But I guess there are some of you looking for gift ideas, still [am I]. Perhaps a colleague is stumping you. To that end some suggestions:

  • a full pack of red BIC pens for your Project Leads
  • an alarm clock set prior the 11th hour to alert the need to address the specs
  • a printer with an endless supply of paper without re-loading
  • a communications system tied to each of those who are supposed to give you information.
  • a whoopee cushion or buzzer for those who languish in gving information.
  • a megaphone to hint to those who still haven’t verified some info.
  • a fruitcake [well, you well know they go to their namesakes in your office and in your clients office; just note as From Santa, however.
  • a set of snow tires for you folks who experience winter [well, guess thats all of us] but still have to get the specs out.
  • a pat on the back or hearty handshake [if you really are as cheap as they say]
  • a bottle of ________________

Oh, never mind there, I keep the bottle for my gift for myself to celebrate another year of well done – hey, Im realistic, none of you were going to do that for me, were you?

But Im a really nice guy!!!

So never leaving my demeanor, may I specify the happiest of holidays to each of you and your families at the office and at home!

2

I’ll add one item to the gift list, an “Easy Button” !!!

and I echo your sentiment Ralph; Happy Holidays to all and “God bless us, Every One”.

3

here’s how you tell when its Christmas (ie, “the Holidays”) in Southern California:

  1. cars have costumes on. there is one in my parking lot that has antlers (at the side windows) and a nose (on the front grille)

  2. women switch from wearing flip-flops on their feet to Uggs. there are festive Uggs now with “jewels” and metallic leather

  3. small dogs are all wearing coats. they are not wearing antlers, which are mostly reserved for dogs in the Northwest.

  4. more people are surfing. Winter storms north of here means high surf between here and Mexico!

  5. snow tires? – only if you go up to Big Bear.

  6. pieces of palm trees litter the street after a windstorm.

  7. anything below 60 deg. F is described as a “cold snap” on the evening news. (yes, I think that’s weird.)

  8. and finally the roses come into their second bloom

Happy Holidays and good luck with those December 21 deadlines!

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My deadline is the 18th.

5

Hey, MONDAY the 24th is a 1/2 work day!!!

Have 2 going out-- one electronically, and one has to make Santa’s sleigh!!!

“…and to all a good night!”

6

I have specifications for one project due on Jan. 2nd and a code plan review for another project due between Christmas and New Years.

I hope I get a good bonus this year! :slight_smile:

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4 projects due Dec 21, 3 more Jan 15 and a casino on Jan 31. I am closing down shop between Dec 24 and Jan 4. I started telling my clients about it in September. No negotiations. Ron - i was in your boat once. I repeat - once. After than, I started shutting down over the holiday break and, somehow, the earth keeps rotating and the clients give giving me more work!

8

Robin, now I know why you weren’t at the chapter Holiday Party Wednesday.

9

Anne,

Talking about decorating things other than trees in Southern California - Don’t forget the boat parades!
Going home last night from Newport Beach it looked like a whole bunch of floating Christmas trees on the Bay!

10

Ron
What’s a bonus?

11

Hey gang
I just issued a "Permit Set’ for a job that I started on 12/6 - a definite rush job issued as a favor. Ten minutes after I issued the specs I got this query from my client: “Are you going away anytime during Christmas and new years. We want to finalize the specs by the end of the year.”
I answered this email as follows:
“I doubt the specs will be done in your time frame, I have a lot of other clients who are looking for the same thing. Every December is the same, so the way I handle it is the clients who have paid up all their outstanding Invoices will get my attention while I’m working XMAS week on their specs, and those who have not get BUPKIS - ask your boss what BUPKIS means…your firm has an outstanding Invoice on one of my jobs that we need to receive soon to avoid your receiving BUPKIS from us.”
Helene, Dave, explain to them what Bupkis means!!!

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Ralph
What are snow tires?

13

Jerome,

Bonus: When all my clients pay any outstanding invoices before the end of the year.

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Jerome:

My wife is Jewish and her late grandmother was from the “old country” and spoke yiddish, so I’ll answer for you:

Bupkis: It really means beans, but in the common use it means “nothing.”

PS: Her grandmother was the only one laughing when the Indians spoke Yiddish in “Blazing Saddles.”

15

Ron
I recently bought my 18 yr old daughter the book: “If You Can’t Say Anything Nice, Say It In Yiddish” - very funny…yes and Blazing saddles remains one of my favorite movies, along with the Frisco Kid, oy veh.

16

Ron
Several years ago I sent several of my gentile clients an abbreviated book on common Yiddish phrases for Xmas, surprisingly the ones who did not get a copy were upset and the following year I wound up sending out many more copies, seems a lot of them had been using yiddish terms or heard them during meetings without realizing what they actually meant.

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Bonus: Getting to go somewhere that doesn’t get cell-phone reception and sleeping-in for 8 blissful days! :slight_smile:

I hope to get out a bit more again next year - had to set AIA and CSI to the back burner this year.

Ron - at this point, you actually want your cients to wait until January to pay you - defers the taxes another year! Oh, the joys of self-employment!

I hope everyone has something peaceful and joyful to look forward to this holiday season - we work hard all year and certainly deserve it!

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I grew up in New York City, a WASP, but as Lenny Bruce once said, anyone who grew up there is Jewish. So I knew what bupkis means (and lots of other Yiddish words, too, simply by hearing them over and over in context).

I’m an in-house specifier, and so really can’t set my own time/schedule. But since most folks in the office will be gone over the Christmas-New Year week, I’ve decided to take the time this year. It’s important to “re-create” oneself every so often; I expect to come back in 2008 with more enthusiasm and energy.

Happy Holidays to all who read this.

19

Ralph

Snow tires? Don’t you mean chains? Even I’m old enough to remember using chains.

Happy Holidays to All!

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Snow tires, which my dad would put on our cars right around Thanksgiving, were (or maybe are) tires with extra deep tread having a particular design intended to propel the wheel through snow with great ease. For a short period of time, you could even buy “studded” snow tires. These had metal protrusions like cleats or spikes that were supposed to grip, even on ice.

During the summer, these tires were stored in the garage, because you could probably get at least 2 seasons out of a set of snow tires. Since radials became the norm, most people don’t use snow tires, but you can still buy them.