#worklife

A Year of Homeownership

It’s been a crazy year! #WorkLife has been busy, with new services like LabArchives and Proctorio underway, while still promoting Carmen, Vita, wireless, the Ohio State app, etc. But the real action has been happening at home. In my new home. That I own. (Pop that champagne!)

My #HomeLife got a major upgrade in the past year! I found the perfect house, put in a bid and within just a few hours, I was in contract! It’s a lovely little house in Hilliard with a massive backyard (Rax for scale):

Rax overlooks his yard, soaking it all in from the deck

Since that photo was taken, I did just a few things to the yard and my outdoor space in general:

  • Powerwashed the deck
  • Had the siding powerwashed
  • Stained the deck
  • Fertilized the yard and battled the dandelion infestation
  • Seeded bare patches of grass
  • Removed debris from along back fence
  • Had rocks and wood barriers removed
  • Fresh dirt and mulch laid for flower beds
  • Had the driveway touched up with a fresh layer of asphalt
  • Replaced three fence posts
  • Had outdoor lighting fixtures replaced
  • Repainted rusty hand-me-down patio furniture
  • Bought a grill and grilled tasty meats
  • Planted 100+ bulbs around the sides and front of the house

Improvements to the inside of the house are just as insane. I’m probably missing about 20 things here, and writing this all out is making me wonder how in the hell I did all this in a year? Do I have a Time Turner and a second self I don’t know about?!?!

  • Had popcorn ceiling removed, new texture installed
  • Had carpet ripped out and replaced with luxury vinyl, throughout entire house except for the basement
  • Had walls smoothed out
  • Had new smoke detectors installed (and they talk! Fire! Fire!)
  • Painted entire interior of house, including garage (basement, kitchen, living room, stairway, office, guest bedroom, master bedroom, bathroom…and three of the four closets)
  • Patched concrete on garage floor
  • Purchased a new washer and dryer and hooked those up (with Dad’s help)
  • Had new lights installed in basement and closet + new ceiling fan in kitchen
  • Cashed in on my one-year home warranty when the AC died – new expensive part installed
  • Acquired a wine rack and committed to keeping it well stocked 🙂
  • Installed new mini blinds and several curtain rods
  • Purchased new couch and chair
  • Purchased and assembled new bed frame, box spring, love seat, nightstand and coffee table
  • Created a presentable guest bedroom, including accents that match the leftover teal paint splattered on the baseboards (Dear Lowe’s: Stop telling everyone they can paint. Not everyone can paint. Sorry.)
  • Reattached the mantle to the wall after it came crashing down
  • Scraped a section of ceiling plaster down because it cracked due to a faulty install
  • Hung various art pieces, including a professional “family photo” of me and Rax
  • Had AT&T rewire the house…three times…just for basic internet
  • Installed a smart lock and smart lights
  • *almost* finished unpacking from the move

Whew! SO MANY THINGS. I must say, I couldn’t have done it without a supportive work environment. When things were breaking or contractors were coming in and out, I was able to work at home. When I needed to leave the office a little early to meet repair workers, my team was understanding. I can’t say enough good things about the work/life balance in OCIO and ODEE. This first year of turning my house into my home could have been MUCH more stressful without a supportive and understanding team.

Now to find more time for this during Year Two of Homeownership! 🙂

Glass of wine in hand, feet propped up, I enjoy my back yard and fire pit

Just Keep Moving

It’s been a busy few months, and the theme of my life has been MOVING!

Back in December, most of OCIO, ODEE and Enterprise Security moved into a brand new building on West Campus. We are adjusting to all being in the same building and trying to figure out what to do with all the open space.

So much room for activities!!

In my personal life, I’m also moving…to a new house! Crazy stuff…I will soon be one of those people who owns a lawn mower, hires a chimney sweep and spends her weekends remodeling bathrooms. Whatever it takes to make my dog happy, right? I mean, look at that yard!!!

I’m even just moving in general for another dance show! I’m only in 15 different musical numbers. NBD. That will be coming up March 31 and April 1, and a portion of the proceeds will benefit PetPromise! Super cool stuff!! You can get your tickets here: https://tiktz.com/thediner

Image result for goofy dance gif

#DataPrivacy Month

From January 28 to February 28, the OCIO will be sharing data privacy tips on Twitter and Google+. I encourage you to join in on the conversation using the hashtag #DataPrivacy. You can share your tips and ask questions too!

So what are some recent trends in the data privacy realm that you should watch out for?

  • Tax Identity Theft – yes, scammers will file a tax return for you!…..and then reroute your return into their own bank accounts. Not cool. Read more here: https://ocio.osu.edu/blog/community/2015/01/26/10-tips-to-protect-yourself-during-tax-season
  • Social Media Security – for #badnerds willing to do a little research, social media sites are a data mine. Be aware of what you share, and check your privacy settings often. Anytime a site like Facebook updates, chances are you will be reset to the default “share all the things with all the creepy people” setting. More tips here: http://go.osu.edu/securesm
  • Geo-location – did you know that a lot of apps ask for access to your location? They generally don’t need to know that you are at the corner of 5th and High to be able to run properly, but they might sell that type of information to advertisers. Oh, and hackers can see where you are too. It’s best to keep your location services turned off when not using them to locate the nearest donut shop. (By the way, I recommend this one.)

Those are all the tips I have for you for now! You’ll just have to follow TechOhioState to find out more through the month of February!