Do you get asked STUPID QUESTIONS?

I admit it, stupid questions drive me crazy!

I was on the phone the other evening, with a telemarketer (they called me) and at one point the person asked for my telephone number! Hold on a second, didn't you just call me?

As many of you know, I am in the final stages of my latest book "Common Sense is NOT Common Practice" and I decided that the stupid question debate would be a good opening. It would explain the premise of the book, as well as provide some entertainment to the opening.

This is where I need your help.

Please submit your stupid questions. I prefer if they are business related, but I will take them all. The shorter the better (I mean without need for explanation if possible), but your stories are great too for the chuckle factor.

Share them here, and who knows, perhaps your stupid question will show up in my latest book!

What would you do?

Have you ever said, "Someday I would love to do that"? We all have. What I find fairly disappointing is the fact that given the opportunity, many people would not actually follow through. Why? Fear? Or because they are afraid of what others would think?

Tomorrow I'm going to put my money where my mouth is, and I'm going to do something I have always said that I would do given the opportunity. I am going to do everything within my power to be a contestant on "The Price is Right". :-)

You're laughing right? Me too, but I'm going to do it. I'm in Los Angeles after finishing a great week of relaxing and golf in San Diego. I'm working on Tuesday in LA, so why fly all the way home to just turn around and fly back? That means I have two days to be a tourist, which is highly unusual for me. So, I am going to be a tourist and do one of those things I have always said I would do!

You've said it too right? Said that if you were ever given the opportunity to attend The Price is Right that you would go? It certainly isn't a difficult game to play, and it looks like fun. So I'm going.

When I told my husband, he laughed and asked if I was serious. Yup. When I mentioned it to Caroline (in my office) she wanted to go with me :-) What would your response be if we were co workers? More importantly, would you go if you had a day all alone in LA, or would you somehow talk yourself out of it?

I know that I'm a little off the wall at times, and do many things that most of you wouldn't do, but I do know one thing - I'm not alone with my willingness to do what other people will laugh at.

So, what have you done, that others laughed at? What are the crazy things on your "bucket list" that you have done? Did you audition for "Survivor" or try out for a game show? What about taken a vacation alone, gone to a movie alone or sent a book manuscript to a publisher?

What about those of you who did chicken out when given the chance? Do you regret it?

I do what to know what you've done, and what you chickened out on, but I want you to really ask yourself if you care if others laugh at your or not? I don't.

So tomorrow, I will be the most excited person in the audience. And even though I'm alone, I will jump and yell and have more enthusiasm for new bedroom carpet than is normal. But I will enjoy it, even if I don't hear Drew say:

"Rhonda Scharf, come on down! You are the next contestant on THE PRICE IS RIGHT!!!"

What NOT to do at Work!

Here is your chance to rant about what thoughtless things your co-workers do. Sometimes others are completely unaware of what they do and the impact that they have on others. Sometimes we think it is intentional, sometimes we are aware that they are innocent (but it is still annoying isn't it?)

Stinky feet, loud talkers, sexy outfits and personal life on display. What else get to you at work?

How do you "get it all done?"

It seems there are just never enough hours in the day. It seems that when I go to bed at night, I still have a to-do list from around the house that never gets shorter. When I wake in the morning my mind is on overdrive with everything that I need to get done that day both personally and professionally.


When I was a kid both my parents worked outside the house. My memory may be flawed, but I don't remember my parents spending their weekend running around getting "stuff" done, nor do I remember them working as many hours as I seem to work.


How do you get it all done? What do you no longer do? Where can we realistically delegate tasks to others (yes, I realize this costs money) and where can we just save time? What am I doing that I should just stop doing?


I confess that I pay someone to plow the snow from my driveway. I get the kids to do regular chores around the house (and no, they don't like it), they also cut the grass. Warren and I share tasks around the house, both inside and out, so this isn't a case of me trying to do everything myself.

What do you do?

Are You Underpaid?

I was reading in HR Reporter this week that more than half of all workers think they are underpaid (according to a Gallop Poll).

Are you underpaid?

Do you really think that, or do you just want to earn more money?

I’m taking a Rhonda Poll this month to find out if you really think you are underpaid, overpaid or paid appropriately for your job.

I would love to earn more money (who wouldn’t?), but I honestly don’t feel that I am underpaid, nor have I ever felt that way. If you stop comparing yourself to others, stop trying to buy everything on the market and realistically live within your means, your attitude, your experience and your education, are you really underpaid for what you do? Don’t take this personally, it is not about “you” it is about the job. You might have more education that is really required, more experience and you might be better than average at what you do, but are you actually underpaid for it?

What would you pay someone to do your job? I have written about this before, so check this article out and see where you fall on my scale.

Ask yourself:
- How much “brain” power is required to do this job?
- Can I do this job on auto-pilot?
- Am I really worth more in the open market?
- Am I happy with the extra benefits (health care, time off, flexibility, healthy work environment)?
- Am I appreciated enough – and if not, do I think that money would substitute for appreciation? (wrong assumption!)
- If I were spending my own money, would I honestly pay someone more than I am earning to do my job?

Please respond anonymously and share with us if you feel you are underpaid (and why), paid appropriately, or even over-paid. Be honest with the answers, and with yourself…. Then ask your coworkers to chime in with their opinions as well.

Let's get busy doing nothing

Let's face it, we are just too busy. Somewhere along the way, we lost time for down-time.  It is the lazy, hazy days of summer, and many of us have forgotten what we are supposed to be doing during the long hot days. We're lost in our day-to-day responsibilities and commitments.

Remember when you were a kid and were bored silly because you had nothing to do?  Wouldn't you just love to have some of that for a while?

I'm the first to admit that I like to keep busy.  I'm typically not a sit-and-around-and-do-nothing kind of person, but sometimes that is exactly what I like to do, and what a I need to do!

What do you do that allows you to stop?  Allows you that time to breathe, the time to catch up on "me" time?

Share what you do that allows you to stop.  How do you arrange it, how do you make it happen, and how do you not feel guilty about it?

We all want to know that there are some people out there who know how to stop being busy ... help us all!

What does "too old" mean?

Face it, sometimes we think we are too old to try new things?  Fear certainly does get in the way, but we need to realize that it can be moved out of the way as well.

What have you been afraid to do, and did it anyway?

I was scared to death when we were at Whistler on a particularly difficult black diamond hill, but I skied down it anyway.  As I watched my kids ski ahead of me, I was determined to get down the hill (preferably not rolling down either) and couldn't admit that I was too old to ski that hill. Fortunately, I wasn't too old.

I've managed to lose that 25+ pounds I've been carrying around for too long, and I've decided I'm not too old to wear a bikini either.  Although my husband does think I'm too old to get my belly-button pierced (I haven't decided yet). :-) 

I'm not too old to learn new things.  I'm not too old to try new things (such as para-sailing, surfing and roller blading).  I'm not too old to be stuck in my ways either - there might be a better way to do things than the ways that I know.  I'm far too young to be stuck in a rut!

Last week my older son got his official driving license.  I felt he wasn't old enough, but I can't be an old fuddy-duddy parent, so I let him drive (my car even!).

Too old is a state of mind that exists only in your mind.  The average life expectancy for men and women is now in the 80's ... I'm only half way there, and even if I was over that average, I try to be better-than-average and would do things BECAUSE I was that old!   

What have you done in the past that you were afraid to do, but did it anyway?  Share your stories with pride and don't listen when someone says you are too old!

Rhonda