Getting My MBA at 48

Morning to Study

Well I have been lucky I was given Stand-by C which got switched to Hot Reserve 7 (7:00 p.m. – Midnight) at the airport. I thought it was a good thing, though I have the morning off, which I am hoping to get some studying done. Scheduling has put me on Stand-by B modified (from 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m -7:00 p.m.)

What a joke. That our schedulers have no clue. If I had been on Stand-by C, scheduling would have to give me Stand-by C again but because they switched me to Hot Reserve at the airport I now can work 10 hours after my shift.

So again planning on having time for today and tomorrow for studying is shot.

So I am not going to be working on my 3 days off I need to get this studying/class finished. I can’t let them win. I have to be the winner in June when I finish my MBA.

CNN again had an article The 100 best companies to work for in 2010, I like reading those because it gives me ideas of what to shoot for when I start applying for jobs. SAS took the #1 position this year and it looks like a great company, to me the most impressive thing is not that it has been in One of the Best Companies for 13 years it is that Dr Jim Goodnight has been it’s only CEO in SAS 34 year history.

Having one CEO doesn’t always work, but there have been companies that have one CEO who impact has had a lasting impression. I really think that these CEO’s have a firm grasp of what it takes to run a company, it’s employees.

Take care of your number one asset “employees” and they will in turn take care of your business.

There are some CEO that don’t get that and only take care of the shareholders, which of course you should pay attention to them.

There are 3 pieces to a company, Employees, Customers and Shareholders take aways any one of these and the company becomes non-extistanct. Treat any one of these without respect to its relative part, the company starts to wither away. Treat any two of these without respect to its relative part in the company and it ceases to be a company.

After 3 cups of coffee and writing here at Winfield’s I have to get some reading done.

Well I have been here at the airport over 4 hours and have a 1.5 hours left. It really is a hard place to be, always busy and noisy with flight attendants talking about everything under the sun.

So studying is always not an option which is more my problem because I need quiet time to study. When to much is going on, mostly talking I have a hard time concentrating.

I spend my time reading, looking up things and talking to people I haven’t seen in awhile.

I also hope that I don’t get used tomorrow but one never knows around here.

Tags: 100 best companies to work for in 2010, accounting, books, business week, CEO, cnn, customers, dr jim goodnight, education, employees, flight attendant, flights, flying, life, management, mba, online university, san francisco, SAS, schedule, shareholders

Stormy day in San Francisco, Airport delays

It has been storming all day here in San Francisco, so the airport has had ATC delays all day. Which is a good thing today, the storm at times here has been has been pretty intense.

I have spent the morning doing the finishing touches on my packing and studying. I had to take a break from reading about Accounting, one to let it sink in too because of the weather here I have a headache all day.

As for the Accounting, I think I will be able to get the first draft of the essay done tomorrow. I am hoping that in the next 7 days I can have 3 of the essays done.

I know I won’t be able to get all the online work done by then but I need to have the essays in. I have to get back ahead.

So I will be able to pick up extra trips in February otherwise I will be behind in school and bills, not a good combination.

There is all this talk of a new iPhone and Tablet from Apple, for me I am on of the MacHeads, it is the only computer I have ever owned. So I am hoping that the Tablet comes out and is a eReader as well as many other things.

Carrying all these books gets heavy. The Accounting book by far is the heaviest it is about 3 inches thick and 10 lbs.

So I am hoping for a good cross functionality between my MacBook Pro, the iPhone and the New Tablet. We shall see on the 27th of January.

Time to run, so a parting shot of the Apple’s invitation

Tags: accounting, apple, books, cancelation, cnn, delays, eReader, flight attendant, flights, flying, iPhone, MacBook Pro, management, mba, online university, san francisco, schedule, strategy, studying, success, tablet, us airways

The End of the Year with a Full (Blue) Moon

Today is the end of the year, saying good-bye to 2009, with a full moon. It will be the second full moon this month, a phenomena that happens approximately every 30 months and has been coined as a Blue Moon.

For us here in the Western Hemisphere we get the pleasure of the full moon ending our year, for those in Sydney, Australia or Tokyo, Japan they will have the pleasure of the 2 full moons for the first month of the New Year 2010

Either way you look at it, I feel it is a great sign, for an awesomely full, bright and Happy New Year.

I am sitting on a flight from San Francisco to Phoenix right now, going in a day early. Why you ask? Well that is easy because I don’t trust the flights tomorrow cancelations and or delays and I need to be able to get to work. (don’t need the added problems that delays or cancelations can cause me) Also I am going in early to spend with my friends, nothing spectacular just some good friends, good conversation and good merriment to ring in the New Year.

I was glad to be off the last day, get some chores done and pick up an extra book I had at home to help me study my Accounting. The Ten Day MBA, written by Steven Silbiger. has great overall information, covering the general information in an easy to understand format.

I have had basically 3 weeks in December to get ahead in this class and I haven’t gotten very far. This month has been tough, because scheduling has had me flying more of these little trips almost everyday I have been on call. I really don’t think I could explain well how flying everyday, short trips with even shorter rest periods taxes you.

Scheduling has given me another 4 day trip, this one is better than the other ones I have been getting, it actually has a long 24 hour overnight in Charlotte, North Carolina.

January starts a whole New Year and a whole New World, My life and my world beginning anew. It will be the year of transformation for me as I finish my MBA in June. As with this Blog, GettingMyMBAat48.com it will be part of My Brand of Me. As the books on rewriting state your resume is an advertisement selling yourself, your brand.

I look forward to sharing my experiences, my thoughts and my dreams with all of you in the next year.

So on that note I have spent the day as a no news day, no CNN, no NY Times, No Business Week or The Wall Street Journal. I decided to take a break from the world of news stories and enjoy my day in bliss.

Really for that matter enjoy my last day of 2009 in bliss. Calm, peaceful and enjoying the energy from the Full Moon.

I leave you all today, wishing that all your hopes and dreams come to fruition, that love and happiness has wrapped it arms around your life and that you experience all the beauty this world and life has to offer.

May you all be BLESSED.

Tags: 2009, 2010, accounting, blessed, Blue Moon, books, business week, cancelation, cnn, delays, education, flight attendant, flights, flying, full moon, management, mba, new year, NY Times, online university, phoenix, san francisco, schedule, strategy, studying, success, travelers, university, us airways, wall street journal, wsj

Busy Year End Days

It has been a long day, instead of going home this afternoon I get tagged for another night so I am here in Denver, Colorado. I will only get 5 hours sleep how nice for a glamourous life.

So no time for anything today except flying, which is a bummer. I have so much I need to get done and so much to read, there are at least 4 articles that I want to read in the Wall Street Journal.

It will be interesting what is going to happen the next few days, there are more trips in open time on the 1st than I have ever seen. I can’t wait till the morning to see what they want to do with me, I just need to get back home first before I start flying again.

I was reading on CNN that GM was having a fire sale for it Saturn and Pontiac, it would be interesting to see how much they are cutting on the price of the models. If I ever get some time I might check it out.

Sorry this is short but my time for sleep is fast become very short.

More if I get a chance later at 4am when I have to get up.

Tags: accounting, books, business week, cnn, delays, denver colorado, education, flight attendant, flights, flying, gm, management, mba, online university, phoenix, pontiac, saturn, schedule, strategy, studying, success, wall street journal, wsj

It Cold in Chicago

It has been a good day and a easy flight, but it is cold here in Chicago, I guess it is suppose to snow tomorrow, hopefully we will be gone before it starts.

I can’t wait to get some rest, enjoying the nice big room and beds at the Sheraton Four Points, even get some studying done and even some exercise. Really I know it not right but lately I do look forward to the layovers just with I could have more with longer times.

CNN has been posting all the airport closures, some are even posting not to even go to the airports. I feel bad for the passengers, it bad timing for the snow storm and Christmas travelers.

I have a feeling that Monday I will be flying or sitting at the airport because of all this weather. The news just said Washington DC is get hit with a foot of snow.

Well I know I need some time because I am getting behind in my class, well not really because I haven’t started it yet. Got to really hunker down, and get busy.

Ok I need to get some reading done so I am signing off for the night.

Tags: airport closures, books, chicago, christmas, cnn, delays, education, flight attendant, heavy snow, management, mba, sheraton four points, snow, strategy, studying, success, washington dc, weather delays, winter snow