Please Wash Your Hands

(I have dozens of incomplete blog drafts.  This was one of them.  It was a concept I had and I know I will never have the time to flesh out so I just touched it up and posted it.  I hope you find it as informative and as I did.)

At home I probably wash my hands at least a dozen times a day.  At work, that just isn't possible.  So like many others I use hand sanitizer.  I don't know if you all feel the same as I do after using it, but it just doesn't compare to a good, clean and refreshing water and soap hand wash.

Even with the chemicals burning at your skin I just didn't feel as clean.  It almost seemed as if I applied a fresh coat of paint over a dirty wall.  The gross stuff was still there but just slightly sterilized.  So, I decided to do a little research and found some information.

A majority of alcohol sanitizers in the US use either ethanol or isopropanol or a combination of them.  Most brands also include a moisturizer because those chemicals tend to dry up and sometimes irritate the skin.  The alcohol in these sanitizers works by changing the proteins in the microorganisms which effectively kills bacteria and most viruses.  What isn't usually made clear is that proteins and fats on dirty hands will REDUCE the effectiveness of the alcohol as a sanitizer.

So what does that mean?  Well, if you have dirty hands this doesn't work well.  So it is important to know that these sanitizers don't CLEAN your hands, the only disinfect.  This seems obvious but in my personal experience is not the way people in general use these products.

So what are we supposed to do?  BOTH.  Hand sanitizers work best AFTER you have washed your hands.  So it should become an additional step when washing your hands, not an alternative.  The way it works is by stripping away a layer of oil on your skin and killing any present microorganisms.  It takes bacteria long time to repopulate.

For best results you are supposed to rub your hands with the sanitizer for 30 seconds.  If your hands are dry before that point, then you aren't using enough.  Hand sanitizers are NOT an alternative, they should be an accessory to, hand washing.

This public service announcement has been brought to you by your local resident OCD hand washer.

Source: EDIS

Doing What I Do

I have a job.  I have a dream job.  They are not one in the same.

Unlike all those people trying to "make it big" on one reality TV contest or another I'm not looking for a cushy job.  I work hard and enjoy it.  I'm one of those guys that would probably keep working if I won the lottery.

The fact remains though that what I do for a living, is not fulfilling.  Not in the least bit.  I come home exhausted.  Not physically worn out mind you though there is quite a bit of cardio involved.  I just feel drained.  I have the kind of job that requires you to insert a proverbial square peg into a round hole.  Then when you miraculously make that work, you're given a isosceles triangle.  But I digress!

This is not a venting blog since no one in their right mind would want to hear that crap.  This is an excited blog post. :D

Many years ago, I applied for my dream job.  That experience was honestly one of the most exciting things I have ever done in my life.  Unfortunately things didn't work out.  I was the wrong person for the job that didn't know the right person that could get me the job.

At the time, I knew to the core of my being that I was PERFECT for that position.  I nailed the interview like I never have nailed an interview before.  I believe I am a humble person.  Making those statements doesn't come easy for a person like me.  But I know, beyond any shadow of a doubt that I would have done that job fantastically.  I had the right skill set, experience and drive.  Since I didn't get the job, I was severely disappointed.  I didn't let it affect my demeanor much but inside, it hurt a lot.  I was devastated and gave up on my dream.  The ONE time I tried.  Ignoring the fact that the ONE time I tried I scored an interview almost immediately for a highly sought after position in a VERY high visibility business.

Time moved on and 6 years later I feel motivated to try again.  I don't fear rejection.  I didn't fear it then but it still affected me.  This job isn't exactly the same but it is similar enough that I believe I would find a LOT more joy performing my daily duties than I do now beating my head against the proverbial wall of despair.

So why am I posting this?  I am excited.  I am feeling positive.  I am feeling hopeful and nervous.  Will I be overlooked again?  Will I land the job and not know what to do with it?

I have no idea.

The point is that I am taking a chance.  I feel a little alive again that I have an opportunity to do what I like and still provide for my family.  If I get this job it will mean making some EXTREMELY drastic changes.  It will really be a new chapter in my life.  One that hopefully will prove beneficial for everyone involved.

If there was anyone I could beg to for the opportunity, I would do it.  I'm hopeful and enthusiastic but most of all, incredibly nervous, hence the desire to post an irrelevant story on an unrelated blog.

So followers, if any of you are still there, I beg of you to please wish me luck, think positively or even PRAY that I get this job as well as for my families future.

COINCIDENTALLY This is my 333 post on the Silent Podium.