Steve Kerr (Warrior's Head Coach) on Joy and Much More

 I found this in the 2/28/25 issue of the East Bay Times and paraphrase.

The article centers on Steve Kerr's essential human values: joy, competitiveness, compassion, and mindfulness. He then goes on to say about joy: "You don't come in every day and write joy on a wall. You have joy every day. If it is a real value, then you're a joyful person."

He continues: " I love the game. I love the camaraderie. Love the process of work. So that has to be on display every day in your building. That's what I think the great programs, organizations do.

So, it is easy to say the words, but so much harder and more compelling to live by them.

What do you see?

 

Book Bingo (offered by Livermore Public Library)

 Create a bunch a bingo cards with book titles randomly presented throughout.

Place the book titles in a raffle drum and give it a good spin.

Draw a book title - announce it - and spin again.

Continue until someone has their card filled with book titles going up, across, or diagonally.

TaDa! - Book Bingo.

Quote about Tara VanDerveer - Doesn't herself too seriously

 "But doesn't take herself too seriously," Chiney (Ogwumike) told ESPN. "Tara will laugh, will dance, will always celebrate the team ahead of herself."

Quote from long jumper Tara Davis-Woodhall

 “My entire M.O. (modus operandi) is have fun,” she tells CNN Sport. “I kind of just dally around and be free-spirited."

Another Song List - With a Day of the Week in the Title

 Pretty obvious, yes? Here are three to get us started.

Saturday is the Loneliest Day of the Week

Never on Sunday

Monday, Monday

Splish splash I jump in a Mud Puddle

 My wife and I were out for a walk not long ago on a well maintained trail but one that still had some mud puddles caused by the rains we had. Alon the way we came across of youngster - and I mean young - and his mom - and knew exactly what to do. He leapt, jumped, and hopped in the puddle with sheer joy and exuberance. For just a moment - and I am sure you are way ahead of me - I have serious consideration to joining him. But, you see, I am an adult and we don't do things like that even though we should - at least every now and again So next time you are out and find a puddle, channel your inner self and jump in. It will probably be fun.

Pi Day

Today may be pi day for the mathematically observant, but every day is pie day for folks like me. I have been partial to banana cream ever since I was a child and still enjoy a slice now and again. But my wife and I have make a pretty good apple pie and that is my new favorite.  Speaking of pies and slices, I suppose we can extend pie to include pizza. Italian sausage and mushrooms has typically been my go to combination.

So, what is are your favorite pies?

And does anyone else remember this scene from the movie Michael in which the Andie McDowell character sings about pies?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQYBGCESGzY

A purrfect idea

 This originally appeared in The New York Times:

"The Worcester Public Library in Massachusetts announced that people who have lost or damaged a book can bring a photo, drawing, or magazine clipping of a cat, and get their library cards reactivated. The library calls the program March Meowness, a way to forgive members who misplaced a book or damaged a borrowed item. The program has generated hundreds of returns, multiple postings of random cat photos on the library’s Facebook page, and photos and drawings pinned on a growing “cat wall” in the building."

The full article can be found here (I hope)

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/04/us/massachusetts-library-fines-cat-picture.html?unlocked_article_code=1.a00.K3rX.8uF31RmRk2S6&smid=url-share

Copyright 2024 The New York Times

I'm back

 I have been absent from this Blog for a really long time and no one seems to have missed my posts - including and especially, me!

But yesterday I came across a video of a group of musicians playing Schubert's Piano Quintet, aka The Trout. The musicians, Itzhak Perlman, Pinchas Zukerman, Daniel Barenboim, Jacqueline Dupre, and Zubin Metha were young when this was made - no gray hair to be found. Their musicianship is unparalleled. But what prompted this post is the *fun* they are clearly having as they rehearse and then perform this masterwork. The joy leaps off the screen.

And this made me remember that all of us have moments like this at work - because this was work for them - and it is important, nay, essential that we recognize them, honor them, and revel in them.

So the next time you have a moment like this at work, at home, or anywhere, take a minute to share it with those you are with.

No More Posts

I have decided not to post any more on this little vanity blog. Instead, I will offer the occasional opinion or suggestion about fun at work on Facebook. Thanks to everyone who has stopped by. I hope some of the ideas and comments have been useful.

For the record, the most viewed post(s) was about library limericks. Here are a couple of the links:

http://humorinlibraries.blogspot.com/2015/05/edward-lear-creator-of-limerick.html

http://humorinlibraries.blogspot.com/2015/04/i-like-limericks.html

http://humorinlibraries.blogspot.com/2010/10/library-limericks.html

What have I learned (other than I actually have a tin ear for limericks)?

• Work is hard and there is no way around it.
• But, there are physiological and emotional benefits to fun at work.
• Fun is usually better if it originates from the bottom up, not top down.
• Fun happens all the time, between colleagues and within work groups.
• It is good if leaders model or at least give tacit approval to fun at work. Not all the time, mind you, but there are occasions that just beg for a little play - birthdays, organizational accomplishments, special days, i.e., National Donut Day or Wear a Funny Hat to Work Day or Sparkle Day (thanks to Paula Popma for this one), etc. You can create your own event.
• Sometimes planning a fun occasion can be as helpful as whether it is successful (depending on how you define success, of course).

In any event, I wish you well, and let a smile be your umbrella, unless it is raining, in which case you will get very wet :)

Fun at the barbershop

I took dad to the barber shop. It was a quiet day, and soon only one of the two barbers was busy. The other one - the barber not cutting my dad's hair - picked up his guitar, which was conveniently at hand, and began playing songs that we knew, or thought we knew, and just like that a sing-a-long broke out. Sometimes we had the words; sometimes we just hummed; occasionally a passerby would stick his/her head to see what they were hearing and smiled appreciatively; and before we knew it 10 minutes had passed, my dad's hair was high and tight, and enjoyed a spontaneous moment of fun at work.

This can't happen everywhere or every day, but when it does, everyone benefits.

So next time you have a momentary lull, break out your guitar, ukelele, kazoo, etc., and give you and the people you work with and for, an unexpected treat. I think they'll thank you!

Fun Food

When I go shopping - and yes, I do occasionally shop - I always include a line item for Fun Food. What this is varies according to my mood and what is available in the store. Cookies, Ice Cream, It's It bars, Sweet rolls, etc., have all qualified at one time or other.

So, why not have a Fun Food Party? Each person brings in his/her favorite fun food and co-workers and colleagues nosh their way through the tasty treats.

And, if fun food is too restrictive, you could expand to Comfort Foods - mac and cheese comes right to mind - and really make a day of it.

Bon appetit!

Millions of reasons to celebrate

The San Francisco Giants just celebrated the 50,000,000 person to come to a game at their home field. There was a big brouhaha and much ado and feting of the lucky individual.

Most organizations have similar milestones available to them. The millionth search; millionth interlibrary loan; millionth customer; etc. I think these are all worthy of celebration and are probably very easy to arrange. When I was a Santa Clara University, it was easy to figure out when the 1,000,000th search on out catalog was done. At 999,990 I began to count down and when I saw the milestone search I went to the reference room and casually asked who had done a particular search. When I found the person I congratulated her and had her picture taken and made as much of a fuss as I could. She felt great; so did I.

So much of what we do we take for granted; it is the nature of business. But when the opportunity arrives to cheer and especially to involve a customer/client in the process I don't think that opportunity should be forsaken.

So go ahead. Get some balloons; a camera; a special award; and make that millionth of whatever sort the big deal that it is.

Tom Swifties

The theme in this morning's (5/18) New York Times crossword puzzle was Tom Swifties. Do you remember these. They were once a fad of terrific proportion. For example: 

"And that's another plus for you," said Tom positively.
"Can't we get this balloon to fly any faster," said Tom blowing hot air.
"I can get there faster than you," said Tom swiftly.

(See http://www.fun-with-words.com/tom_swifties.html for more examples.)

In any event, it could be fun to create these little puns out of your workplace environment. 

"I'll help you find that source," said the librarian searchingly.
"I can negotiate the contract," said Tom tactfully.

You get the idea. It's a game for one and all, and the winner can say, "I won," triumphantly!

May 14th - Chicken Dance Day

Okay, you know what you have to do on Chicken Dance Day.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rOgC5ZwaMwI

As the lyric says: "Do the chicken dance; make you happy for sure."

Edward Lear - Creator of the Limerick

May 12 is the birthday of the wonderful Edward Lear, creator of the limerick. In his honor, and with all suitable apologies to his skills, I offer the following trifle.

May 12 is the birthday of Edward Lear,

Who deserves a most rousing cheer,

He developed the trick,

That lead to the limerick,

A poetic form that we now hold most dear.

For more on Mr. Lear: http://www.biography.com/people/edward-lear-9376108

I Like Limericks

Limericks seems to be the theme that people who visit here enjoy the most. I refer you to http://humorinlibraries.blogspot.com/2010/10/library-limericks.html for examples.

And here is one from Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me!

This librarian has a new role. 
The stacks I no longer patrol. 
The patrons all flip as they check out my strip. 
I'm dancing and working the pole.

The connection? "Mayfield Public Library in Scotland is hoping to attract new membership and interest in the library by offering a free pole dancing class this weekend, during an event called "Love Your Library Day.""

Dr. Seuss Day

According to one of my calendars or another, today is Dr. Seuss Day. What a great occasion to read from his works - especially if your place has a childcare facility; or an adult break room for that matter - or to make up some poetry in his inimitable style. Some cousins of mine had great fun adapting Green Eggs and Ham to Green Eggs and Sam, for example. In any event, a little Dr. Seuss goes a long way to relieving the tension of a work day - or any day - so channel your inner Lorax, Cat in the Hat, and other favorite character, and Hop on your Pop to a fun Dr. Seuss Day!

Fear of Friday the 13th and other Phobias

I like that there is a name for the fear of Friday the 13th - triskaidekaphobia. I do not have that phobia. I do suffer from snakephobia and can get  the cold sweats just thinking about snakes of any sort. (And yet I derive a perverse pleasure in watching specials on this or that continent's most venomous snakes!) 

But I digress.

The point here is to see how many common phobias your team and co-workers can identify  and here is a link to help - http://www.phobia-fear-release.com/types-of-phobia.html - and/or if you can create phobias specific to your workplace, e.g., libraryphobia; and/or you can schmooze about things you are afraid of and see if there it is an appropriate phobia (or if you can make one up).

I played this once and the most surprising thing was when someone admitted to a fear of ants and we checked and yes indeed there is a phobia for this:  myrmecophobia!

(There may soon be a phobia that reflects fears of postings from Fred - fredpostophobia!)