Workin' woman

Wow. This last year has been an adventure! I am taking stock and gearing up for spring, time of renewal, time to get things going again...
Sadly, I sucked in the gardening department last summer. Absolutely.  I think I got 10 tomatoes out of the deal.  I also was too busy to tend flowers, which I love doing.  Everything is a trade-off, and I'm okay with it all,  I was having a lot of fun!
It is the time when I start looking for my garden gloves and clippers so I can go outside and put things in the ground.  Primroses have already been purchased and planted and lend a wee bit-o-color on a grey day.
The year:
1. Our guinea pigs, Guinevere and Flambe, can now be visited in the pet graveyard that came with the house. No worries, it was natural causes.
2. I  finally painted my living room!  It only took almost two years, and three color choices spread at sporadic places on the walls before I committed and painted it fully.
3. There is a wonderful partner, friend, man in my life.  And I am having a blast.
4. I was looking at jobs with my daughter, who is going to college, and saw one that I qualified for with a nearby 501(c)3.  I applied and got it!  I was going to look for a job by June, and here I am, a workin' woman again.
5. My "unusual" medical stuff seems to be in a holding pattern.
6. My daughter graduated high school, got a piece of work not-really-sane boyfriend, flailed around, quit college, pushed every button and limit I ever had...put her head back on,  started college, ... and started seeing the same boy again.  Argggh.  Pretty sure she is not going down the same path but if she needs to go, I can't stop her. (Which kills me....but it is all part of life, and making mistakes, blah, blah, blah)
7. Growing more and more gray hair. (see above...)
8. Our son is growing leaps and bounds and achy and grumpy and joyous all within the same five minutes.  Ah, to be 14 again.
8. Bought a new (used) car. It is a little zippy.  I have already been pulled over for zippiness, not speeding.  No ticket, however! Killer gas mileage.  40+mpg.
9.  Almost started working on the upstairs bathroom again.  Then it was decided to sister joists under that bathroom to stop the floor/ceiling from flexing which entails my dining room ceiling coming down.  And, while we are at it, might as well re-do the dining room electrical.  Waiting for that project to become a manageable size again with a firm cost. Oh, and I suppose the discretionary funds to complete it in my savings account would be nice.  I would love a soaking tub again.  Sigh.

Port Townsend, Ft. Worden beach. 

My Big Box Temp Job

I wrote this post a while back about my temp job. I am not sure I am going back to it, at this point I have gotten picky what I spend my time doing. Plus, I am still waiting for my stamina to come back!
The beginning of July when we were on the ferry going to Seattle I got a call from an unknown phone number. I answered it -- turns out it was a pre-screening call for an interview at a big-box store that I shop at All The Time. A couple months ago they had a sign in the window they were hiring, and temporary work at this time is very appealing, so I went online and applied.
I answered their textbook questions : " Tell me about your cash handling experience" "Tell me about a time you gave excellent customer service" and got a call to come in for an interview with the store operations manager. When I passed muster I was set up to meet the store manager to sign off on hiring me. Then there was a background and DRUG test. If you have never had a drug test... it is a strange thing. You cannot wash your hands. You cannot flush the toilet. You cannot bring anything in the room with you like a purse. When you do get to wash your hands, you are watched.
All for a temp job, at a third of my previous payrate. After almost 15 hours of online training, including warnings verbally and in video about unions (this store chain does not have a union) I was on the salesfloor this past weekend. Result?
1. I love working.
2. I am not a very good turn-off-the-brain follow policies to the end of the earth type person.
3. It is an eye-opener kind of job. Positions like this are how people can be working more than fulltime and still need assistance like food stamps... this is not a liveable wage. If they are a family this income would meet the poverty threshold. Plus, how could they hire quality childcare if the going rate is 2/3 their monthly income?
I tried not to sound snarky when a gal my age came up next to me and asked if I had worked anywhere before this. I don't tell my coworkers what I do, I just say I have lots-o-cashiering experience. Working in a store with 150 other employees, there are funky little power and favoritism issues that I already notice one week in. BUT I love working in this store... I will get to learn about all sorts of things I am clueless about, and we all know how much I love learning new stuff!

Options and Identity

Pic totally unrelated to topic: Next to the Edmonds ferry dock is an odd little wetlands of sorts. It is riddled with the noxious weed purple loosestrife in the summer.

This is what it is. I get my identity from my job. When I was an executive director or manager that was it. When I am not working, I still get my identity from my job - my mom job. When I am looking for work, it is a constant see-saw between keeping myself child focused or career focused. I can go for the higher paying fully sustainable income... with the subsequent dinnertime meetings and overtime or the easier less hours job that would require ex-husband financial assistance while the kids are still in school.
I see it has been good for my kids to have a parent more accessible and home as I have been since November (when I quit my job of eight years.) It feels like a pull between screwing my retirement and present independence for their home life stability. I actually have no problem with that at this point, I signed up for this mom job. It is just stopping me from moving forward. I want off the ex-husband gravy train. I spent many years paying to have other people help raise my kids at a preschool or after school program. It did some good things when they were excellent loving people and taught us all positive discipline and alternative ways of bringing up kids, but it was also crappy when they were unhappy gals in dead-end jobs that weren't particularly fond of small people. I see-saw alot on this topic.

Weather, work and life

Two days ago: snow, 20`.
Today : Sun and wind, 50`.
Tomorrow : ?.
At least when it is freezing my window doesn't leak --always thinkin' of the good side of things......
Have been getting calls from my ol' job and the things they are doing. It is hard and difficult to turn off the 'director' button when you no longer work someplace. So alot of times I am very quiet. Which, as anyone who knows me will tell you -- is not my usual state. I suppose it is good for me to learn to be quiet.

Husband and I are finalizing our divorce. It has been drawn out, slow, and amicable. The sticky point is the kids, as I think it should be in all divorces that have 'em involved. We are doing our best with them, since we both love them to high heaven. I am very thankful husband puts them first, also. This divorce thing is a very eye-opening experience. Brings out all your core operating systems as a being. As in what makes you operate and hold yourself together in times of tough. I am fairly sure I will survive this whole thing, but it seems very appealing at times to bury my head in a hole in the ground like an ostrich. But I slog on.
On a house note: I took my first shower today. Probably the first shower that has occured in this house in 25 years. Not including water leaks that shower water into the basement....

My new job -

I haven't actually applied for any jobs. That may be a hindrance and even an obstacle to being hired for one. But what I am going to do for the next month is be the project manager for my house. That way, I can get (the big) cursed projects finished around here. And be a focused mom for a month. Get that lad of ours settled in his educational prospects, keep the teenage gal on her toes. And keep my house clean. Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha

Ghosts!

Photo: Not where I work. That would be creepy.
I am so excited! Tonight we have ghost hunters coming to the museum to find any supernatural beings. I just hope it doesn't creep me out from being in the museum after hours.
We have three stories of (minor) terror while in the building, the hunters will do a survey and see what they can find.
I hope I get to use a plasma gun. My only experience with this sort of thing is the movie "Ghostbusters." I am pretty sure this will not be like the movie.
Two questions:
1. Why do we have to meet when it is dark? If there were ghosts here wouldn't they be around 24/7?
2. Why do we have to turn out the lights? Do ghosts really care if the lights are on?
I guess technically that was four questions.

Crying in public over a job voluntarily given up

Since giving notice at my job, I have had a couple former board members call me asking why I am leaving. The one I answered today was while in Office Max picking up "Age of Empires" for 11 year old Wilder. This guy is an amazing advocate for history and the museum and always generous with his knowledge and skills. As I was trying to be subtle while talking on the phone in a store, I started crying. Some of the folks I have met in the last eight years have grown on me. It is not just leaving a job, it is kinda like leaving a family. Although without the drunken Thanksgiving stories or embarrassing childhood tales. I told him not to say anything at the board meeting tomorrow, since I didn't want to start crying. He told me it was good to cry, there was something wrong with people who didn't. STILL, I don't want to cry at the board meeting.
Yesterday, another gal gave me a farewell hug and started crying, and so did I.
CRAP.
One door closes, another door opens.
One door closes, another door opens.
One door closes, another door opens.

Blogging Hurts

You know what is really sad? I set one of these up for work (a blog.) In two months, it has almost surpassed traffic totals that took me (almost) two years to build.
Sigh.

Jobs

I quit mine. Have been told it is somewhat insane to quit a job without having another. I will let you know when I am working at McDonald's. Last day of work : November 1st. Yes, I am looking for a new position closer to home, at least, not a ferry ride away. Or if it is a ferry ride away, one that pays so well that I can hire a house cleaner and a manure scooper. And someone to brush the dog and rebuild my bathroom. And one not afraid of ladders, like me, so my gutters are always clean. And, someone who can build fences. I am sure there is more I need done, but that is my short list.

Photo: Pumpkin carvin' at the house a couple years ago.

Cursed book is done

Waving fans happy I finished my book... or a pic of the crowds listening to music at Bumbershoot, your choice.
I don't think I need to say more than that. But I will. This book that has taken over my life at intervals since January is finally fully off to the publisher. The proofs have been read, red-lined, corrected, the photos fixed and it all went out by fedex for $47 at 2:30 in the morn. And then I missed all the ferries home so drove around Puget Sound. So arrived when my paperboy was dropping off the morning paper just after 4 am. I didn't care, the Book is Done!!
What is funny, is I bet the neighbors think I am some sort of a party girl. Little do they know everytime I get home after midnight is due to work. I don't know whether I should really be happy about that.....

Book News

For those of you monitoring my blood pressure and cranky levels, I sent the book text off minus the intro last week. Today, as long as the heavens allow and the ferry doesn't sink, I will be sending off all 199 images, minus five pending from another institution.

News Flash: I am in the ferry line, and the police just told someone to turn down their music. For the first time in my life of hearing overloud music, I actually really like that song and was kinda groovin'.

I did not know that was a ferry line requirement to have low volume tunes. Polite, yes, law, no. Live and learn people.

Picture: Has nothing to do with book, but does have to do with blood pressure. How many of these cookies do you think you can eat without it affecting health? I am thinking alot. I will let you know.

Strange Days...Jail Letter Virgin

Last week was special. I received my first letter from a jail inmate out of the blue. (and a double special treat... it included a request to bail him out of jail)
And again, me with the sheltered life. Who knew a professional museum career would lead me to communiques from the "Hotel Graybar". I should have just gotten that pysch degree and practiced. Lord knows I would be a wealthier woman and able to fix my tilting dining room a bit quicker! Heck, I could even hire someone... oooooh.