These days, it seems, I am hearing more and more stories from people who are thoroughly fed up with their job. When I say fed up, I'm not talking about just being upset now and then with the average day-to-day job-related responsibilities, but something much deeper and yes, more dangerous. From office work to waitressing and factory workers to housekeeping, the stories I am hearing are not contained to just one industry. Job turnover is at an all-time high.

During a recent discussion with my daughter about generational divides, the differences between Baby Boomers and Millennials piqued my interest. I wanted to learn more and, of course, another research project was underway. While the generational divide is very real; I found the differing opinions, beliefs and outlooks, from one generation to another, are not quite as different as you might think.

What is a blog? Weblogs first entered the scene in the early 90's. They were designed as a platform for individuals to be able to write and share random thoughts, stories, and ideas via the internet. The blogging arena of today has evolved. Bloggers can potentially attract thousands of followers, views and for some, generate a substantial income from advertising dollars. 

In our quest for adventure, Hubs and I decided to take a drive to the river. As we turned onto Riverside, childhood memories of Sunday drives to Dress Plaza made me smile. Although I had driven this road dozens of times, I never really thought much about it. As we drove past the plaza entrance, we could see adult swings in the distance. We knew that was our destination. Pulling into the parking lot, I heard laughter from kids playing at Mickey's Kingdom and watched teenagers attempting, what appeared to me, as death defying tricks at Sunset Skatepark. This place was no secret, I was just late to the game.  

I was always taught to respect handicapped parking spaces and restrooms designed for those with disabilities; however, it seems respect in general is no longer taught, ignored or worse, blatantly disregarded.

While reading my Facebook memories this morning, I was shocked to find that every New Year's memory had a common "do-over" theme. Whether it was the realization of the inability to reverse time or the thirst to eliminate the "do-over" thought from the future, the theme remained. I only bring this reflection to the forefront to introduce a "new and improved" New Year's theme. 

No doubt you have heard me talk quite a bit about the value of business networking; however, I have failed to explain why I am so passionate about it. So here goes. 

I love the sound of a steady, set-in-for-the day rainfall. The window sheers playfully dance from the cool breeze that drifts through the open screen. There is something soothing about the sound of crystal droplets splashing in perfect rhythm against the sidewalk. A calming, straight line, steady downpour magically transforms bubbling pools of water into narrow rippling streams that run seamlessly and gracefully downhill.    

Father's Day just isn't Father's Day without Dad Jokes. I asked a group of friends to share their favorite Dad Jokes and here they are. Please feel free to send me you own Dad Jokes and I'll plug them into this post. 

Although my kids are grown, I still remember how hard it was to juggle the responsibilities of being a mom, working a full-time job, and trying to keep a household running smoothly. For those of you who are currently traveling this path, let me encourage and assure you that you WILL survive.

Every year, for the past twenty years, I have written a sappy New Year's blog about saying goodbye to the previous year (and all that was wrong with it), forgoing resolutions, and being eager to ring in the New Year. After re-reading those posts, I discovered that year after year, nothing really seemed to change, and ironically, all of those writings ended with "hoping for a better year."   

Thanksgiving Ushers in Black Friday Shopping...Oh Yeah!