A Day in the Life of Margie

A lot of people seem to want to know how I wile away the hours of my life. Brian Rice specifically wanted to know what a day in my life is like. I’m taking the optimistic approach in assuming that you all are not planning on making Margie doppelgangers who will begin by befriending me and then will take over the world. As long as we know that’s not your plan, here is my exciting life in a nutshell.

So, like a lot of you, I’m sure, my day actually starts before I roll out of bed. The first thing I do is check my email. It’s a way to sort of preview what the day may hold. Then I check my Twitter mentions and my Facebook stream. Now that I know what is going on, I’m ready (sort of) to get out of bed. All of that is now much more fun, by the way, with my new iPhone, whom I have affectionately named Jorge.

I try to fit in 15 minutes of curating posts for the Blog Library before I get ready for work. I usually can read, add, and tweet out 2-3 posts in that time period. I may also tweet out a post of my own.

At work, my official title is Director of Client Development. I was given that title because one of my most important responsibilities is to help us keep our eyes and ears open for great opportunities that would help our clients. Like many of you, I wear a lot of hats beyond that. I am the production manager for our agency, I am involved in PR and media work, I do some copywriting, I interface with clients regularly, and I am also the head proofreader.

Lately, a day in my life might include going to physical therapy. I’ve been struggling with a condition that my therapist calls “a soft tissue mess” in my neck and shoulders. I guess my years of carrying a bookbag that weighed as much as me, along with scaling grocery store shelves to reach heavy objects like my 6 bottles of diet caffeine-free Pepsi have caught up with me 🙂

I do my best to do some sort of exercise every day. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, my co-workers and I try to do 20 minutes of Yoga at lunch time. On Mondays and Wednesdays I try to do Zumba (on my Wii) after work.

In terms of blogging, there are a few time slots when I try to write those. I usually try to write ahead over the weekends, but lunchtime or after exercise (before dinner) are my favorite times to write.

I don’t watch a whole lot of TV – that’s one thing that has changed in my life a whole lot. Part of it was not my decision. A lot of my shows have ended. I used to watch Lost (over), Friday Night Lights (over), and House (increasingly stupid and annoying). I may watch my Cleveland sports teams but usually I need to turn the games off after awhile. Monday nights I do watch Antiques Roadshow, which is a guilty pleasure.

Probably my biggest challenge during the work week is to make sure I do things that are relaxing and that have nothing to do with work or the online world. I try to make sure I do at least a little crafting. I’m in cross stitching mode right now because it’s too hot to knit or crochet. I enjoy reading, and sometimes I will plop one of my DVDs into my player. Yes, I even have some VHS tapes I still watch. I just can’t quit them.

Of course weekends are a total grab bag, which is why weekends are awesome, but basically, this is a day in the life. What do YOU do on a regular basis?

21 comments

  1. Very nicely written and an enjoyable read. Right now, everyone’s blog (including my own) is news topic related and yours just said “welcome in”, this is who I am and what I am about. It made me want to be a better writer.

  2. I’m wondering why this post does not address the 5 little Margie clones who run around writing great posts ALL DAY???? Clearly you have them hidden away and are keeping that technology from the rest of us. That, or you have dozens of minions in the Clayman Superhero lair. One or the other. For sure.

      1. Darn it – I told you both about that in confidence!!!! 🙂

        I appreciate the sentiment. I just don’t have a lot of free time, that’s all 🙂

  3. Great post. I should have been more specific that I wanted to read about your typical day and that of your alter-ego “SocialGal” because obviously you have the whole Clark Kent/Superman thing down. Either that or has Sean mentions, you have clones.

    1. you’re sweet. I’m afraid this is just me though…even if there was an alter-ego, I’d never be able to reveal THAT part of it here…what Lex Luthor and the Joker wouldn’t give to hear about that aspect of it 😉

      Thanks for the idea!

  5. A very sweet and transparent post. I, too, am guilty of having a VHS (5 children with too many movies we’d have to buy on DVD). I am grateful for the encouragement you bring each day to the social media community and for continuing to inspire others by just being you.

    1. Why thank you so much, Laurie. So glad to know I’m not the only one hanging on to my VHS collection. It took me such a long time to find some of those!! 🙂

  6. I like to drink in my spare time……………..it’s when I am my most creative…………….

    I too have replaced TV w/ reading, writing or social media. Friday Night Lights was the best. My wife really hates that it is no longer on because I would give her a foot rub during it.

    I don’t turn on any electronics until after I’ve been to the gym in the am. On my ride from the gym to work I will see what pops up on the crackberry (not while I’m driving of course………..yikes……). I’m usually one of the first in the office so I can do an hour or two on social media which mainly comprises of me commenting on blogs. Then I do my day job which is front line sales which more times than not has me out of the office and seeing customers, prospects or networking.

    If I’m back in the office around 4ish I will try to catch up on social, make sure my next day or two is planned and then leave the office about 5:30-6:00. Once home I will sit with the wife for about an hour, eat dinner and then go into the man-cave to get social. I’ve been married 28+ so if there is anything else going on, it is a pretty big event…………….:). I know, TMI but I couldn’t resist.

    Probably more than you cared to know but that pretty much sums up my day…….and that’s all I will say about that……….

    1. You’re so funny. You have good discipline to not check anything till you exercise. That’s a good idea, but I mean…if you found something bothersome you could exercise and then it wouldn’t bother you as much. Right? 🙂

      Friday Night Lights was a great show – foot rub or not 🙂 I miss it already =/

      1. You are correct ma’am. Without getting too deep, I have a couple of triggers that help me keep things in perspective. When it seems to get crazy, I compare it to this ‘event’ and most times it pales on the comparison scale.

  7. Glad to know that Margie is human like all of us! Nah, I kid. In fact, I find it amazing that you’re able to keep up with all that you’re doing both on and offline! Much like yourself, nights and weekends are my blogging moments however unlike you, its tough keeping up with tweeps. Have been missing from some great chats and I’m only left with #tweetdiner. Can’t let that go away!

    1. It’s tough to do – there is a lot of prioritizing and not a lot of time where I’m just sitting there doing nothing. In fact, I handwrote this post while I was waiting for my car to get her oil change done, and then I typed it out later. Never a free moment, seldom a dull moment 🙂

  8. Great post! I agree with everyone else – it’s always great to see the human side of a superstar! (And know there are far too many of us who check our phones before opening that second eye!) Having just started my own business, it’s already encouraging to learn from others; keep up the great work!

    1. oh, I’d hardly call myself a superstar, Mara, but that’s very kind of you. Reading email with one eye open is sometimes the best way to get it done 🙂 Thanks for the comment!

  9. Dear Margie –

    I knew it!

    You are a superwoman.

    Now, is this going to replace my request for 25 things you don’t kow about me?

    I kinda follow your routine in the AM. Except worse. I usually wake up at 3 AM. Need to get up and do something to replace my trying to figure out what I can control in the world. Then I go back to bed.

    So, I check email. Sometimes tweet – answer comments.

    I don’t know how you get the rest in. You put us all to shame. Especially the exercise.

    Fortunately, I have a three story house. I keep making that excuse. I am up and down all day.

    1. No no, your post is still scheduled for this month. I need to dig up some of the fun memes I did in the past and see if they meet your standards 🙂

      Glad you liked the post – and yes, going up and down stairs is some of the best exercise you can do. True story!

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