Post Chronology

March 2024
M T W T F S S
 123
45678910
11121314151617
18192021222324
25262728293031

InFullBloom Archives

Categories

Speaking Engagements

UPCOMING
Predict and Prepare sponsored by Workday 12/16

PAST BUT AVAILABLE FOR REPLAY
The Bill Kutik Radio Show® #171, 2/15
The Bill Kutik Radio Show® #160, 8/14
The Bill Kutik Radio Show® #145, 1/14
Workday Predict and Prepare Webinar, 12/10/2013
The Bill Kutik Radio Show® #134, 8/13
CXOTalk: Naomi Bloom, Nenshad Bardoliwalla, and Michael Krigsman, 3/15/2013
Drive Thru HR, 12/17/12
The Bill Kutik Radio Show® #110, 8/12
Webinar Sponsored by Workday: "Follow the Yellow Brick Road to Business Value," 5/3/12 Audio/Whitepaper
Webinar Sponsored by Workday: "Predict and Prepare," 12/7/11
HR Happy Hour - Episode 118 - 'Work and the Future of Work', 9/23/11
The Bill Kutik Radio Show® #87, 9/11
Keynote, Connections Ultimate Partner Forum, 3/9-12/11
"Convergence in Bloom" Webcast and accompanying white paper, sponsored by ADP, 9/21/10
The Bill Kutik Radio Show® #63, 9/10
Keynote for Workforce Management's first ever virtual HR technology conference, 6/8/10
Knowledge Infusion Webinar, 6/3/10
Webinar Sponsored by Workday: "Predict and Prepare," 12/8/09
Webinar Sponsored by Workday: "Preparing to Lead the Recovery," 11/19/09 Audio/Powerpoint
"Enterprise unplugged: Riffing on failure and performance," a Michael Krigsman podcast 11/9/09
The Bill Kutik Radio Show® #39, 10/09
Workday SOR Webinar, 8/25/09
The Bill Kutik Radio Show® #15, 10/08

PAST BUT NO REPLAY AVAILABLE
Keynote, HR Tech Europe, Amsterdam, 10/25-26/12
Master Panel, HR Technology, Chicago, 10/9/012
Keynote, Workforce Magazine HR Tech Week, 6/6/12
Webcast Sponsored by Workday: "Building a Solid Business Case for HR Technology Change," 5/31/12
Keynote, Saba Global Summit, Miami, 3/19-22/12
Workday Rising, Las Vegas, 10/24-27/11
HR Technology, Las Vegas 10/3-5/11
HR Florida, Orlando 8/29-31/11
Boussias Communications HR Effectiveness Forum, Athens, Greece 6/16-17/11
HR Demo Show, Las Vegas 5/24-26/11
Workday Rising, 10/11/10
HRO Summit, 10/22/09
HR Technology, Keynote and Panel, 10/2/09

Adventures of Bloom & Wallace

a work in progress

Counting My Blessings: Thanksgiving 2009

Bloom & Wallace, Silicon Valley 1973

Bloom & Wallace, Silicon Valley 1973

For those of you who haven’t started your list, here’s mine for Thanksgiving 2009: 

  • Ron Wallace — if you haven’t met The Wallace, you’re in for a treat.  He’s smart (and never flaunts his far greater intellect than mine), beyond funny (especially when doing those imitations of all the satellite systems he’s helped design), kind to everyone even when they’re not, 150% behind me in everything I do, an enthusiastic dancer, able to design/fix anything electronic/mechanical/plumbing/etc., infinitely patient, very slow to get anywhere close to angry, doesn’t complain no matter how ill/uncomfortable he is, shares my love of travel/adventure/British mystery DVDs/boating/the list is of shared interests is very long, understands my need for to “fly” solo, never asks me what anything costs (knowing I won’t go overboard even as he’s buying me great jewelry), likes most of my friends and is happy to have them travel with us, provides full infrastructure support so that I can pursue my dream career, still a hunk after all these years (Ron went through college on gymnastics scholarships), and thinks I’m the best thing that ever happened to him.  What more could any woman want?
  • Friends and family who are also friends — I value friendship above diamonds, and those who know me realize that’s high value indeed.  No one gets through life unscathed, no one!  And it’s your friends who not only share the triumphs but will also see you through the really tough times.  You know who you are.
  • Good health and great health insurance — Ron and I have watched the whole health care reform discussion with just one point of view: everyone should be as free from worry about their health care costs as we have been, even as we’ve battled a number of expensive health issues.  I can’t even imagine having to fight with an insurance company in order to get what Ron needed when he was diagnosed a few years back with non-Hodgkins lymphoma.  He’s fine now, but the bills were enormous and would have broken even our generous budget if not for great coverage.  And when my right shoulder rotator cuff repair surgery turned into a case study in rotator cuff fabrication, leaving me unable to work for months while I was first immobilized and then in screamingly painful rehab, again the bills were enormous.  But thanks to Ron’s NASA career, we’ve got the same kind of insurance our Congressmen have.  We’d like to see everyone have this level of financial protection and peace of mind, but what do we know about health care?
  • My career, clients and colleagues — I’ve had an amazing run, and the best is yet to come.  Imagine being in on the very ground floor of the use of computers in business and still being able to contribute?  For those of you worried about your career, and who isn’t in these trying times, please take heart.  There’s always opportunity for those who are willing to work their butts off, invest in their KSAOCs, and do the heavy lifting.  To all the colleagues and clients from whom I’ve learned so much, and those yet to come, I’m certainly grateful for the opportunities and hope I’ve given as good as I’ve gotten.
  • The accident of birth — I come from pioneer stock.  My grandparents were refugees (aren’t all Jews?) from a shtetl in Lithuania.  They came to the USA at the turn of the 20th century to avoid conscription into the Czar’s non-kosher army as well as the pogroms.  Like every American except our native Americans, we’re all refugees of one sort or another, even those who think they’re special because they came first or brought some wealth with them.  Were it not for my grandparents having the courage to leave the familiar behind, to make what was then quite literally a trek across Europe to get bilge (they thought steerage was first class) passage to the USA, to arrive with no English and just the bundles they carried to a gentile American which was still quite hostile to Jews, I would never have had the opportunities that so many of us take for granted.  Freedom isn’t free, and democracy isn’t a birthright, so count your blessings that you’re here.
  • Those who never rest so that we can — our military and their families, our first responders, those who work the midnight shifts in emergency rooms, there are so many who won’t be having as peaceful or comfortable a Thanksgiving as you and I will have.  My thanks to every one of them. 

I could go on, but I think you get the idea.  However you’re spending Thanksgiving, take a few minutes without any media distractions to remember why we’re celebrating the first American holiday — and to count your own blessings.

11 comments to Counting My Blessings: Thanksgiving 2009

  • Pete

    Great blog; happy holidays!

  • Naomi Bloom

    Many thanks to Steve, Bill, Bryon, Russ, Joan, Agi and Trish for your well-wishes. I’m really encouraged to continue with this evolving mix of professional and personal ruminations. I’m interested to see where this takes me.

  • Naomi,
    I absolutely love your blog. Not only do I learn something new about HR Tech, but I get to enjoy all these personal musings complete with pictures. You and Ron were adorable. Please keep sharing all the technology, great personal stories, and the pictures.
    Happy Thanksgiving.
    Trish

  • agi

    Love the hair Naomi!! Have a great Thanksgiving!!

  • Joan Goldenstein

    Naomi & Ron,
    Its a pleasure to be your adopted aunt. I love reading your stories and your good wishes, I send mine back to you both for continued good health and much happiness. Have a good holiday and already, lets have our reunion.
    Aunt Joan

  • Russell Vollmers

    Naomi,you are truly a lucky woman. Your description of Ron is what every woman is searching for. I am glad to hear that Ron is well and over his bout with non-Hodgkins Lymphoma

  • Naomi, Thanks for sharing these stories. You are a woman with a thousand stories and I enjoy hearing them. As for me, I think you know exactly what I’m thankful this holiday season.

    Have a great Thanksgiving and a happy Hanukkah.

  • Bill Kutik

    What a pleasure to read your holiday missives online and not just on paper as in the past. And love those old pictures! You were so cute, and husband Ron really was hot as you’ve contended for years.

    Now if you and I could both figure out how to get our pictures featured next to our comments, like that smart Steve Boese, the experience would be more complete.

    Happy Holiday!

    • Naomi Bloom

      Bill, I’ve learned how to reply to a specific comment or even to a group of same, and I’m hot on the trail of having our picture next to our comments. Lots more coming, but we don’t want to wear out the Wallace over the holidays.

  • As a daughter of 1rst generation Jews from Romania and Germany, I could identify with your sentiment. Indeed, we are all refugees and immigrants. I am so proud of my family, many of whom are no longer alive. My Grand Mother never learned much English, yet she was one of the brightest women I’ve ever met (next to my Mother of course). I am grateful to all my friends on twitter, facebook and linkedin. Wonderful technology has brought so many intelligent and engaging people together. I had the chance to meet many of my colleagues at HRevolution. What a joy. Your comments about affordable healthcare for all Americans also struck a chord. I’m currently in transition. My Cobra will run out in February. I pray I will be employed by then, and am reasonably confident I will. However; no one should ever have to be without insurance. I am inspired to write my own thanksgiving post now.

    Sincerely,
    Margo Rose @hrmargo http://hrmargo.com

  • Great stories and thanks for sharing them with all of us. Have a fantastic Thanksgiving!

Leave a Reply to Steve Boese Cancel reply