Count Down to Christmas

Not really a lot to report - finally have the house decorated for Christmas; took me an entire week! But it looks nice, smells fabulous and feels warm and inviting. 

My Correspondence job officially ends Wednesday. Thursday I report to the office for processing training. I am trying really hard to keep a positive attitude but it's hard. Getting dropped down two pay grades, effectively being told what I've done for the last 13 years has been unappreciated and unnecessary - so easy that a computer can do it. I am planning on spending the winter months lining up my ducks so in the Spring I can venture forth to see what might be out there for me. I really liked writing letters, too. 

The weather has turned sour. Snow is on the ground, the temperature is frigid and the wind biting. The cats are restless to get out - until they get out; then they want back in! Bailey can go only so far before he gets ice and snow in his paws and stops walking - then I have to carry him home. I hate winter.

Some sad news - Snicker Doodle has gone to his new hopefully-forever home. The lady worked with Shawn for about three weeks (she's already quit) and was in need of a kitty. She seems to be the exact person I was praying God would send - but it still killed me to say good bye to Snicker. I hope he is happy with his new Mama. I'm pretty confident he is.

That's all I have to report - signing off.

Bye-Bye, Snicker Doodle

Snicker Doodle went to a new Momma today. A lady Shawn works with recently lost her 19 year old cat and agreed to take Snickers. She is exactly who I asked St. Francis to send but it still broke my heart to have to say good bye. I gave her my number and told her to call me if she decides she can't keep him - begged her not to just abandon him. And now Shawn is trying to convince a barkeep to take Checkers. He honestly doesn't care about how his actions hurt me to the core.

I have one more week of Correspondence work and then I head to processing training. I am trying so hard to keep a positive outlook on this - look at it like a new adventure. But I am so dreading the change. 

Going to the Weissenbachs' for Thanksgiving. I would rather stay home and veg in bed but.... Shawn gets what he wants. Wonder if they will have turkey this year.

I'm in a rotten mood.

Home Again - For Now

I can't believe it but Maui is over - what a great time was had....once we made it there! About two hours into the flight from Phoenix to Maui (putting us an hour over the ocean), the pilot came on to say we had to turn back and return to the mainland because the windshield had just cracked. Then he said we were going to drop to 10,000 feet 'just in case the window blew out', drop the flaps and landing gear to burn fuel and head to Phoenix rather than a California airport because we were too heavy to land. The LONGEST two hours of my life! I seriously thought I was going to die that day.

Then three days into the vacation, Shawn and I were sitting at the oasis part of the inn (a lovely location, by the way!) when we heard what sounded like a car crash on the highway right below us. Shawn went to investigate only to find it wasn't a car crash at all - it was a 10-passenger plane making an emergency landing! Amazingly, no one was hurt. When it came time to head home, I was nervous about getting on the plane - I'm glad I have several months before my next trip! 

Count Down!

Counting down to Maui! A week from now I will be settling in at the Weissenbachs for the night before our big trip - very excited! We are going zip lining, on a helicopter tour, on a dinner cruise, hopefully to watch the sunrise over the volcano (currently closed to visitors because of the government shut down) and hours and hours of lounging on the beaches of Hawaii. I'm going fat, but I'm going!

I am also going to see Wicked at the Music Hall before we leave. Very excited about it, even though Shawn is less than pleased. It's on a Tuesday and God forbid we do something on a Tuesday evening. I will need to make it a point to do the driving so he won't have as much to fuss about. I've been wanting to see this show since I first heard of it years ago. (If Shawn backs out he will ruin yet another Hawaiian trip for me, too.)

Expecting a few packages with Christmas gifts any day now. What is it about October that has me spending, spending, spending? I do it every year. Guess with Christmas around the corner, vacation and pet wellness visits, it puts me in a spending mood. I will have to pay the piper (and the credit cards) in November and December (and January and February!) Oh, well.

Three Weeks and Counting

Three weeks from today I will be on the island of Maui reconnecting with my soul. I can hardly wait. I so need a break between the insanity.

Did not get offered the job of Content Writer - and I was so glad I didn't as I had decided I was going to turn it down. I just don't want to give up my home office for a job that didn't thrill me. So, back to the plan of switching to processing in December, taking an online course in Project Management, finding volunteer opportunities (though LCHS never did contact me about volunteering) and maybe next summer check out other possible jobs. One thing I learned from my interview is that I don't know how to interview. So, I have added communications to my list of things to improve on. When I find the job of my dreams, I don't want to lose it because I tensed up during the interview process.

Still need to contact Tom to see if they will take Bailey.

Change of Mind

I'm not real sure how it happened, but I changed my mind about not applying for the Content Writer position. I thought I had everything figured out - switch to processing and continue to work from home, take an online course in Project Management, do some volunteer work to pad the resume and in the Spring start looking for a job. But Melissa kind of coerced me into deciding to throw my name in the hat. She said she would do it if I would do it and I think she really wanted to apply but was afraid to take the leap alone. So, I'm jumping with her. I ultimately asked myself the question 'if I was in the office would I apply' and I knew I would without hesitation. If the drive was the only thing holding me back, that probably wasn't a good enough reason. Besides, after the initial roll out, I would have the option to remote from home two days a week. With Shawn off Wednesday, that would mean Bailey would have only two days a week without someone to take him on a mid-day walk. He can survive that.

So Tuesday I go talk first with my manager and then with the manager the position falls under. Either way, my job is changing - whether I process from home or manage a program from the office. 

And I can still follow my plan to take the course, put in volunteer time and research jobs closer to home.

As so many people say, God's will be done.

30 Days Has September

Getting closer to my Hawaiian vacation! In six weeks I will be packing for Hawaii! Very excited. Have our dinner cruise booked and am looking in to ziplining and helicopter tours. I think those will be the only three 'official' activities for the trip - everything else will be winging it, going where the Hawaiian gods take us.

So they put out the posting for Content Writer - I thought long and hard about it and decided not to apply. Figured I would need a $10,000 raise to make it worth my effort ($5,000 for gas and wear-n-tear and $5,000 for compensation for the ten hours a week on the road.) Instead, I am going to move to processing (so I can still work from home) and take a Project Management course online over the winter months. I've also volunteered with the local Humane Society and hope to start working with them soon. I figure with the certificate and volunteer work, I can put together a more rounded resume and then next summer, check out the Cerner job openings. I'm not opposed to working in an office, I just would rather drive 15 minutes than 60. And Cerner is suppose to be hiring a ton of employees when their campus near Great Wolf Lodge opens. I really think my time with ACI is coming to a close.

Oh, and Breezy is apparently cheating on George (again) with a girl and trying to get some guy to make it a threesome. Some things never change!