How to Repair Painted Ikea Furniture

Everyone knows Ikea is cheap. Cheap as in price and quality. Sometimes the low prices are too difficult for me to resist. Which is why I have the Ikea Micke desk in white. I think I bought it over two years ago and it’s served its time well. I’ve even successfully DIY’d it.

But, in one of its many moves it became damaged. I think I taped the drawer shut using packing tape. When the tape was ripped off, a brown spot of particle board was revealed. I didn’t even try to paint it because I figured since the surface of the desk is so glossy it wouldn’t look right. So I just let it sit that way for a few years. Haha.

Finally I decided to give painting the spot a shot. I used Rustoleum white high luster lacquer spray paint from Home Depot.

I didn’t even bother hauling Mickey outside to be painted. Who knows what that means for my brain cells. Brain seems fine. *twitch*

I slid a piece of computer paper into the drawer partway since the spot I was painting was at the very edge. Then I sprayed the paint ever so lightly and allowed the spot to fully dry for a few minutes.

This is how I held the paper to protect the parts of the desk I didn’t want to paint:

Then I hit replay with another extremely light coat.

Repeat.

And my final coat. That’s four coats, and I felt like it was done.

You can only tell the spot was ever damaged if you know where to look. I could’ve done another coat probably, but I think I got distracted by a more exciting project. I hope this helps anyone with scuffed up or damaged Ikea furniture! Some might think repairing Ikea furniture is ridiculous, but we cheap folk tend to disagree.

Unhappy Phone Calls

Why do we treat the people we love the most the worst? Some days I hear a coworker, let’s call him Bob to protect his identity, answer his phone when his wife is calling. I know it’s her because I can hear her chipper voice through Bob’s phone. I’ve met her a handful of times and she seems to be an intelligent and kind person. However, when Bob answers his phone he always sounds upset in contrast to her happy tone. It doesn’t matter what the situation is at work, good or bad, he always sounds the same and so does she.

So, we know Bob’s wife is great. It’s not her. So what else could it be? Does Bob like his wife? I believe he loves her very much. He speaks highly of her often and in detail to his coworkers. So we know it’s not that.

Next, do we believe that Bob is rude to everyone? No, he is not. He is polite and positive at work the majority of the time. So is Bob rude to everyone on the phone in particular? No. I have heard many conversations during which his tone is positive. Additionally, I have purposely asked him a question after one of these calls and he speaks in a polite tone to me. So does Bob like his coworkers better than his wife? No way, see paragraph above.

Is it a training mechanism? Is Bob trying to train his wife not to call him at work? I don’t think so, because we all have “caller ID” these days so we can see who is calling us and choose to ignore. Bob’s job doesn’t require him to be fully mentally present 100% of the time – like I imagine would be the case for an air traffic controller, for example.

With all of those possibilities ruled out, I can’t really say why Bob does this in particular. I think many individuals in relationships do this to each other because of self-importance or self-esteem. If you doubt that your work is important, you will go to great lengths to cultivate that image – I am at work! How dare you call me! Don’t you have any respect for me or my job? If someone has low self-esteem, he/she may react defensively and may interpret a phone call as a checkup like you might receive from a micro-managing boss.

Maybe we take the people closest to us for granted. It would be difficult for me to be rude to a coworker but easier to be rude to a close friend because we have a certain level of trust and acceptance built in.

I suppose the only way to solve this issue is to be conscious of your tone of voice and discover your own tendencies. Then try to see what you are feeling and connect the dots. A blanket solution that might apply to everyone involves seeing a phone call as something to be grateful for. Someone wants to hear your voice or your advice, or maybe they value you as a good listener. Sometimes the way you perceive something is the dictator of your experience.

For the record, I don’t know anyone who does this to me off the top of my head, but I think I am guilty of doing it to others.

I’m taking Organizational Behavior this semester so I’m sort of obsessed with trying to understand strange behaviors at the moment.

New Windows & Washing Wooden Blinds

The other three windows are going in today! After today all six of my windows will be brrrrand new, which means easy to open, mold and spider free, and well insulated. I got the two big ones in the living room and bedroom along with the bathroom window replaced in 2011 when I first bought the condo because they were extra awful and leaky.

Last night I had to pull all the furniture, curtains, and blinds away from the windows to get them ready to be removed. I was grossed out by how grimy the blinds were, and I remembered vaguely my mom telling me long ago that I could wash them in the bathtub.

I ran a warm bath and added a few squirts of dish soap. Then I laid the blinds in one at a time and cleaned them with a micro fiber cloth, alternating wiping and swishing in the water. The water started out perfectly clean…

And ended up twice as bad as pictured below! It was totally dark grey and murky. And there were quite a few dead bugs.

Now the blinds are sparkly white and ready to go back up when the windows are installed. So far the installer has been here for 1.5 hours and he’s still working on window number one. We’ll see how long it takes!

Masters Degrees for Software Developers: MBA or CS?

If you’re a software developer with an undergraduate degree, you might have considered pursuing a graduate degree at some point either to get a different job or further your current career (maybe for a pay raise or promotion). I’ve thought about this a great deal during my past 3.5 years of my first “career” job out of college.

My Background

Back in 2008 (holy crud) I took the GRE (it’s like the SATs or ACTs for graduate schools) because I intended to go to grad school for a PhD in Computer Science (CS) in 2009 after graduating with my undergraduate degree in CS. Plans changed, and I ended up getting a full time job as a software developer instead (spoiler alert: I’m at that same job today). When I started my job I had 9 credit hours of graduate CS classes. I worked full time for a year, all the while keeping in the back of my mind that I wanted to get a masters degree at some point.

Should I Get a Masters in Computer Science or an MBA?

As a software developer specifically, or any skilled person in a field who also works in business, you might wonder if you should pursue a degree in business or computer science (or whatever your field is). Consider that many (but certainly not all) CS programs are full-time. Meaning that you could not work full time. No way, no how. I knew I wanted to work full time while going to school part time, but since some schools allow part time CS work, I still had a choice to make. So I continued on by asking myself these questions:

1. What will you study on your own time? What skills will you learn more easily and naturally in your job — without a structured classroom environment?
2. What do you want to sit in class to learn about for hours each night after a full day of work?
3. What impact will a specific degree have on your current job or job prospects?

[Special note: If you want to go into academia, you should probably get a specific degree.] I waffled for a long time, but I ended up going for my MBA. The reason being that I study CS almost everyday in my job as a software developer. I have to learn new tech skills in order to do my job well. But business skills? Not so much. And I want to know the business side of things. So an MBA was a clear choice for me when I laid it out that way. I’m 1.5 years into my 3 year program, and I haven’t regretted the decision once. I believe that an MBA makes me more “well rounded” as a computer scientist.

If you’re a software developer, consider the way that a CS degree looks on paper. There are a lot of stereotypes associated with the subject. Developers are often thought to have poor social skills. If you do end up going for a high level CS degree, be sure to develop the other parts of your resume (read: your personality). Make sure you can work well on a team! If you want a “corporate” type job, you’ll have to be able to play nice with others. If you get an MBA, your resume will more easily communicate that you have those skills. Either way, you will have to fight those heavily-ingrained stereotypes.

Tests: GMAT and GRE

The first step to getting into a school is to consider what tests are required to apply for admission. Most all graduate schools require the GRE, and some CS programs require the CS specific GRE subject test. Many business schools require the GMAT rather than the GRE. Since I had already taken the GRE, I was hoping to not have to take the GMAT because these tests are all expensive and time consuming…and who likes to take a test? I discovered that the business program I wanted to attend had recently begun accepting GRE scores where previously it had only accepted GMAT, so I took advantage of that and I didn’t bother taking the GMAT at all. The risk involved is that your application may not be as strong without the GMAT, since its tailored for business school.

School

I went to a respectable undergraduate school, but it’s not one that is famous. I had a good experience, but school is really what you make of it. Work hard, and you will do well no matter what school you go to. However, now I go to a school with a somewhat recognizable name. I do not really like to admit it, but it makes a difference. You will be in class with a higher percentage of quality students (and teachers). The teachers are paid better, and they work harder. I know with certainty that had I gone into the graduate school I chose without a job, I would have one now. Connections are important, and better connected people go to better schools. These are things I do not necessarily want to be true, but they are things that I have experienced.

Pick your school wisely, create  a strong application that shows your personality, and try to land an interview. Then be nice, be interested, have a mission (be able to  explain why you want to be there), and ask questions.

Cost

Any masters degree will come with a pretty hefty price tag. Consider how much you could increase your salary with the degree you’re working to earn and consider the time value of money. The earlier you’re earning a higher salary per year, the faster your money will compound with interest. So if you’re considering school, do it now. I would not let cost stop you. I do not take out loans because I choose to live simply and pay by the semester. Be sure to factor in any support your work will provide. Some companies have some (albeit limited) tuition reimbursement programs. If your company pays for your degree entirely…what are you waiting for? You’re too busy? I always say there are more hours in the day. Whenever I push myself to do more, I can always find more time. You will too if a graduate degree is truly something you value. You can always take one or two classes per semester instead of three (full time).

I hope this helps anyone searching the web with a similar dilemma in their careers. Whatever you choose, be sure to leverage your decision early on. You will not be handed a job or a promotion upon graduation! Always seek ways to improve yourself and do better work. Good luck, and contact me if you have a specific situation you would like to discuss further.

Whoops

It’s been so long since I’ve posted to this blog that I became afraid to look at it, to see the last time I posted. Which was almost a month and a half ago. Today is my last chance to actually post something for the month of April!

What have I been doing this past month?

Working at my job (same old company, new promotion).

Hanging out with my dad and seeing the Georgia Guidestones.

Going to Savannah for a wedding during my birthday, and enjoying the unbelievable art at the SCAD store.

Studying for finals. I took finance this semester which was an entirely new experience for me. End result: extremely useful stuff, and I like it.

Becoming obsessed with ancestry.com.

Oh yeah, and in between all that of course I did a few house projects (Anthony did a ton) and read a few books (Gulp: Adventures on the Alimentary Canal by Mary Roach and Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead by Sheryl Sandberg).

Now I have exactly 14 days off from school (but I still have to work at my job of course) that I can use to run a little more, read a little more, and blog a little more!