career?

you guys know about my job & my commute.

it's no secret that, while i was thankful to find a job, i reluctantly accepted the position due to the pay cut, part-time hours, killer commute & lack of benefits. it's also no secret that, despite loving the job, i was also very overwhelmed & maybe a little intimidated. after all, this was a bit of a career switch for me {key word being 'career'}.

i'm 99.99% certain i've found my forever job. my career. i don't know where it will take me. i don't know if it will entice me to learn more about the field of work i'm involved in {shipbuilding}, but for now i'm happy doing what i do. and, i'm happy doing it for an employer who appreciates me, who says 'thank you' to me, who tells me that i'm doing a good job, who listens, who cares.

and, what makes me even happier than doing what i do is knowing that i will be doing it full-time!

my boss asked me on tuesday {my anniversary, no less!} if i was still interested in working full-time.

duh!

so, for now, i'm enjoying every bit of having monday's & wednesday's off because starting march 15th {adam's birthday} i will be working five full days a week. yay! i'm still waiting on when they will let me move to the office that is 15 minutes from my home, but i'll gladly keep making that commute throughout the week. for now, the mere thought of having freakin' health insurance excites me {but, this is what happens when you & your family have gone without health insurance for over two months...}. oh, and the paid vacation days, paid holidays & flexible working schedule aren't half-bad either.

psst...remember me?

i feel like it's been an eternity since i last posted when it's only been a few days. i don't know about you, but this week seems to be dragging on...thank goodness tomorrow is thursday. that means the weekend is only a few days away.

a couple things have happened here at mi casa.

best news of all {if you follow me on twitter, you may already know}...

adam started a new job on tuesday. yay!

he struggled with the decision to accept. he was humbled by the pay cut. but, he's absolutely enjoying the stress-free environment and he's very happy doing what he loves. things are not 100% back to what i would consider 'normal' for us, but we're getting there. we still have a long, winding road ahead of us - due to the ridiculousness we're currently dealing with that i can't really talk about here {but some of you know} - but we're going to make it together, hand in hand.

and, just to drive that last point home a bit, adam cracked open a fortune cookie today {leftover from this weekend} and the fortune said:

the road to success is always under construction.

ain't that the truth.

as for me, my work situation changed ever so slightly because of adam's work schedule. i'm very, very, VERY fortunate to work for a family-oriented company. they are okay with the fact that i can no longer come in at the crack of dawn. instead, i arrive to work around 9am...and i just end up working a little bit later in the day. it's been a very, very, VERY long time since i've felt this respected, supported & appreciated at work. VERY LONG TIME. adam and i are truly thankful. and, i, for one, cannot wait to see what opportunities pop up for me along the way as i continue to find my niche with this company.

in unrelated employment news, we have a new addition to our family. however, i suppose it does relate to our employment news because, well, we had to pay for it somehow. we are the proud new owners of an hp touchsmart 300 {we're giving back our current desktop...those of you who know about that unmentionable situation will understand where i'm going with this}.

{source}

i am not ashamed to admit that i purchased this bad boy from qvc who not only participates with ebates {i got some cash back from my purchase!}, but also gave me the option of paying for this sucka in five installments {easy pay is so much easier & better than credit, y'all!}. we're enjoying the computer so far - the picture is gorgie, the touchscreen feature is very cool & i'm loving the fact that microsoft office home & student 2007 {the FULL version} and a 3-year 'script of mcafee antivirus came with the 'puter {among other things}. the computer also came with windows 7...boy, am i lost. but, i'll manage.

another feature we're anxiously awaiting to try out is the tv tuner/dvr feature. qvc offered the computer with the tv tuner feature {it's an upgrade on hp's website}. i cannot wait to see how it all works because i'm ready to call our cable company to tell them 'sayonara' to our stupid cable bill {say 'buh-bye' premium channels!} & dvr box.

hmmm...what else? what else?

that's really it, i suppose.

a new job. a new computer.

other than that, it's the same 'ole, same 'ole around here {oh, yeah...we are lovin' every. last. minute. of 'survivor: heroes vs. villians'}.

oh, and don't forget to enter my giveway. pleaseandthankyou.

the commute.

i mentioned previously that i have a killer commute.

well, compared to the 10 minute commute {from home to work} that i used to have, anything else would be considered a killer commute...but, this - oh, this - is the epitome of a killer commute {well, maybe not, but it is to me}. my fellow bloggers & friends in the hampton roads area will know what i mean. some will sympathize. some will thank their lucky stars that they don't make the same trek daily. my theory is this...no matter where you are in our section of the mid-atlantic...the traffic sucks. it really does.

yesterday was no exception.

the drive to work was a breeze. seriously. not much base traffic {the world's largest naval station thankyouverymuch}. no back-up or delay at the hampton roads bridge tunnel {i drive to & from work through the tunnel that is partially pictured below...yes, i drive under the water}.

{source}

the drive home was the extreme opposite {although i can't complain too much because the tunnel wasn't too terribly backed up}.

{source}

i made it home tuesday evening approximately twelve hours after i left home that morning and i worked an 8.5 hour day. my commute to work yesterday morning was only 45 minutes. you do the math.

yeah. back-ups near the naval base is to be expected. what i wasn't expecting was having to go out of my way to get home because ALL the lanes of eastbound traffic on the particular section of interstate i needed to travel on to get home were stopped. it was one, big parking lot.

but, i made it. and i'll make the same trek again thursday. and friday. and so on and so on.

{thank goodness i keep an extra drink & a snack packed in my lunch for the ride home!}

work it.

today was day two for me.

two days on the job. woo hoo!

so far, so good.

i enjoy getting 'dressed up' for work again. and, this part-time schedule kind of works to my benefit because i only need to get 'dressed up' three days out of the week. ha! it's kind of like a win-win situation because i get a long weekend & i can still act like a professional career woman.

where this job will take me...who knows. i'm hoping it will turn into something more {you know, like a full-time gig}. i think it will. i know it will. i've got breathing room. i've got room to grow. i traded in my own private office and inflated salary for a cubicle, a pay cut & a monster commute.

but...

i'm happy, i'm secure, i'm welcomed, i'm appreciated.

they smile. they say hello. they take time to get to know you. they shake hands. they stop by just to say 'hey.' they are patient. they are kind.

i love that i'm in an office that's full of men & women, young & older and of all different backgrounds & cultures. i love that i have my own space to decorate. i love that i'm not the only part-timer. i love that i'm not the only parent. i love that i'm surrounded by people who value work & family...and recognize that family comes first. i love that i am part of something wonderful.

wow...and i only just completed day two. sounds crazy, huh?

one week.

it's been one week since i left my job.

it's been nice.

semi-stressful, but nice.

things aren't nearly as tense as they were before. we're smiling more. laughing more. hugging more. kissing more.

we're snuggling more. we're helping each other out more. we're sleeping more soundly.

and, by we, i mean me + the hubs.

the kids have adjusted well, too. they know. they know why i left. there are no secrets in our home. they understand that we have to be more frugal & more practical & more resourceful. they are learning that you must follow your heart.

as for me, i'm relaxed. more relaxed than i've been in a really long time. i'm crafting, i'm baking, i'm cooking, i'm cleaning...i'm happy.

in all seriousness, quitting my job was the best thing i could have ever done. really. it's better than being on "happy pills" {and, trust me, i've taken "happy pills" before}.

ohh, i...i will survive!

be thankful - very, very thankful - that you cannot actually hear me singing 'i will survive' because, well, honestly, um...yeah...your eardrums wouldn't survive.

there is cussing in this post, too...so if you have sensitive eyes then i suggest that you read something other than this post.

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anyways...

my BFF is stress. at least it has been lately. stress at work {and that's all i'm sayin' because certain inquiring minds out there want to know too much and, well, everyone gets stressed at work} has been increasing. increasing stress at work has trickled into my home life. into my parenting life. into my life. ick.

so, i was chatting with a wise friend today and she suggested that i create a survival pack. nothing special...just a lil' something i could keep, oh, in my purse or desk drawer that is customized for me & my BFF stress.

the contents of my 'stressed out at work' survival pack would include...

• chocolate {'nuff said}
• a couple of smokes {i know, i know}
• ear plugs {i wonder where my green pair for the nascar races is...}
• cough syrup - because my friend's reasoning is this: you can't drink liquor {at work} but cough syrup might do the trick
• a rape whistle - again, my friend says that i could just blow it loud when people want to talk to me {just in case the ear plugs don't deter people}
• a face mask this way people will be like, "oh, you really are sick." {yeah, sick in the head!}
  
  and, last, but not least...
  
  
• my son's electronic whoopie cushion {don't ask} because, as my friend says, nobody wants to deal with a loud, gassy bitch -- and the bonus of this is...it's got a remote control. yeah.

sooo...if you, too, found yourself in a similar stressed-out position as i am currently in, what would your survival pack include?

Not minding MY P's & Q's

I don't write a lot about work because, well, I just don't. However, every now and again I will say something about work. Just this week I wrote about how I'm fortunate enough to be able to bring my children to work.

Did I also mention how happy I am that school starts next week?

Working full time in an office is one thing. Working full time in an office with kids in tow is another. It's one thing if it's a sick child...a sick child is usually a quiet child. It's another thing if it's just not.

It's just not.

Why is Labor Day so late this year...the kids should be in school already!

It's only been three days, but still...I'm at my wits end. True, I did bring this upon myself because I did not have a sitter lined up for this week. In my defense, I figured, "It's only three days...why not?" This is the LAST TIME I listen to myself!

Fortunately, I work for people who understand, who know, who are parents themselves. We've all been in this predicament at some point. So, for that, I'm thankful. Thankful & lucky.

As for the kids? Well, they're not minding their MY P's & Q's. There's no peace, no quiet. I have no patience...it's nothing quixotic.

Thank goodness all will return to "normal" next week. School will start again and I will - once again - have my days to myself. Well, not exactly, but you know what I mean.

Are we there yet?

We don't leave for Boston until very early on Thursday morning, but I am so ready to go...RIGHT NOW.

It's a short work week for me, but I've been bringing my kids to the office. I'm very fortunate to be able to do this; however, sometimes I question my own sanity {and I also wonder about the mental welfare of my co-workers}.

Let's just say that this week - so far - has been a stressful one for me. Not so much because of work, but because of who is at work with me.

Hey...your phone's ringing...

Adam's cell phone rang at 6:40 this morning. Yes, it's Monday, but if it were any other Monday it wouldn't matter because any other Monday he would be working. However, when the phone rang this morning we were both still in bed. In bed at my parents house. My parents house that is just a little bit over two & a half hours away from our home...and our jobs. We took today off to spend some time with the kids and take them to Washington, DC for the day. Apparently, we took Adam's job with us.

It isn't easy being married to the boss. Vacations or any time off means never really getting a break from work...it just means that you aren't in the office. And, even though Adam's phone didn't stop ringing until we were sitting in southbound rush hour traffic on Interstate 95 this evening, we still managed to have a good day...phone calls about job-related issues and all. I'm not complaining...I'm just saying that for once it would be nice to not ever have to eat, sleep, breathe or discuss work while on vacation - with the kids or not - ever again. Besides, I'm sure it was really hard for Adam to talk about work-related issues while his son was playing with donkey poo at the children's farm area at the National Zoo. (more about the poop later, though)

GEARING UP FOR SPRING...

Old man winter has come and gone in Southeastern Virginia (or has it...I mean, it was freezing cold this morning and the ground was, dare I say, frozen??) and so our yearly yard clean up began a few weekends ago. It started off by getting the patio furniture cleaned off and sweeping the pavers. That led to weeding the flower bed and pruning the different bushes and trees in our backyard. The weeding and pruning led us to basically overhaul our flower beds so we laid down a weed barrier and mulched all of the flower beds in our backyard. It took two yards of mulch, but it was done (yesterday). And, during the process of all of this backyard business, we decided to move around a few plants and will soon start dividing some of the hostas we have back there because they are getting out of control! Oh, and did I mention that we got the garden ready and currently have red onions, rosemary, cauliflower, bok choy and brussel sprouts planted?

So, all of this backyard business is my toot for today because we did it. The backyard is ready for the spring weather, cookouts and horseshoe games that are sure to come once it warms up a bit.

Just a small brag for the moment...

I work with some of the best girls. We are a tough bunch. We have thick skin, but we do have a vulnerable side. We cry. We laugh. We bitch. We moan. But, we always get it together and work it out (walk it out?? LOL) because there is no I in team.

We have our faith. We have our faith in each other. We have fun, but we also know how to get work done. Heck, we know how to have fun while doing work!

I'd say we're a pretty good bunch of girls. Yes, things get catty at times -- blame it on the excess of estrogen -- but when it comes down to it, I would do anything I could for them (well, maybe not anything). ;-)