How Does That Make You Feel? Question and Character Assessment Giveaway!

My husband and I are going away. Four days. Totally u n p l u g g e d from everything. Not even taking watches to this retreat. (Aren't you jealous?)

So, I thought a How Does That Make You Feel post was in order, which you can all answer and simultaneously be entered into a mini character assessment giveaway!

Without further ado:

Your boss put you in charge while he's away tending to personal business. His week of personal time extends into a month...then on into another month and another. After three months or so, he's scheduled to return. He requests an emailed "report" of everything that has happened in his absence. In so doing, your report includes the following:

-- Four employees quit and/or were terminated.
-- You will need to meet four new employees in four different departments.
-- Half of the funding for a major program is being cut, effective immediately.
-- Your #2 wrote himself out of a job to balance the budget, effective May 1st.
-- The $10,000 camera system installed two years ago is now defunct. No hope of repair.
-- You're #3 will be going on maternity leave in less than 2 weeks.

You hit SEND.

Leave a comment and I'll enter you to win one of my character assessment minis.

Wish me luck on this retreat! We've never unplugged totally, and with a 5-year-old, it's not without its anxiety production for me. But I'm really looking forward to it. See you back Monday!

How Does That Make You Feel? and Mini-Assessment Giveaway!

My first How Does That Make You Feel was a terrific success...with lots of you writer folk commenting to get your name in the hat for a free mini-assessment! My friend Jennifer K Hale was the winner, so I'll be getting the intake form to her via email ASAP.

But don't despair! This will be a regular feature on my blog...so everyone else will have multiple opportunities to get a free mini-assessment.

Here's the scenario:

You just closed on a new home in a beautiful new neighborhood this past week, which is why you've been MIA on the blogosphere for a while. You've finally settled in, and invite your parents to come and stay to celebrate your child's birthday this weekend (also, why you've been absent on the blogosphere). On the morning after their arrival, at around 8:40 a.m., the local police arrive in body armor with guns drawn two houses down to shut down a commercial marijuana grow and hash lab. 

And how in the heck to you make your parents see that this could be any street in America, not just ones in California where their only granddaughter lives?  Yes, yes...this is definitely an autobiographical scenario. If you want further details, email me and I'll send you the link from our local paper. Couldn't they have waited just one more week to make the raid?

For the mini-assessment, PLEASE LEAVE YOUR EMAIL! I don't want anyone to miss out because I have no way to get in touch with you. 

How Does That Make You Feel? New Feature on The Character Therapist!

I've been poked fun of for my profession more for the previous question than any other. So I've decided to capitalize on it, and create a new feature here on my blog.

At least twice a month, I'll post a How Does That Make You Feel question, regarding a scenario I (or some of you!) think of. Could be related to parenting, writing, politics, relationships, religion, family of origin...you name it, it's game. You can email me scenarios you yourself have experienced or just want to torture others with at jeannie at charactertherapist dot com.

As an incentive for participating, I'll draw one commenter's name for a mini-assessment!!

That's right! Just for commenting, you'll be entered to get a free character assessment, using my regular intake form questions. This is my way of bringing back the Character Clinics I used to do.

So here's the first scenario:

You got off work and ran to the store to buy taco fixings. Your husband was supposed to work late, and you wanted dinner ready for him when he got home. You slave away, browning meat, chopping lettuce and tomatoes and grating cheese. Just as your about to call the kids in to eat---your husband can warm it up, after all---the front door opens and your husband walks in, grinning large and waving a Taco Bell bag.