Busy, Busy

My workload for my job increased a lot this week, and I feel like I’ve been running around in circles the last few days. We’re also trying to spruce up the house, getting it ready to sell in a few months, so that’s been on my mind, too. But, I still feel victorious because somehow: 1) we still have clean clothes to wear, 2) the house is not a total disaster area, and 3) I have not (yet) lost it. I should also add to that list that we’ll be eating good this weekend. I’m finally going to try making Pioneer Woman’s Pistachio Cake (recipe is here). I’ve been drooling over it ever since I first saw it. I’m bringing it to an event this weekend, or at least I’m hoping to bring it, assuming that there are more than just crumbs left after we sample it. Have a great weekend!

What a difference a day makes

Yesterday was a bad day at work for me. I was traveling out of town on business, and I got hopelessly lost, among a list of other disasters. I realized that I hit an all-time low when I yelled at my GPS, “You idiot! You don’t know what you’re talking about!” The poor GPS is too dumb to know that I wanted to throw it out the window, and she kept giving her calm (but inaccurate) directions. But today is a new day, and thankfully, it has been a great day. The fact that it’s Friday and the start of a 3-day weekend certainly helps. Happy Friday!

Roger that

It’s been 3 years since I got out of the military. Even though I work in a civilian job now, the military lingo hasn’t left me. Yesterday I sent an e-mail to a colleague that I’ve never met telling her about a problem and asking her a question. She wrote back, saying that she wasn’t sure. Then she closed the e-mail with the words that tugged at my military heart, “Roger, we’ll have to look into that.” My mind raced at first, wondering if she had been in the military or maybe was a military wife, too. Then I looked at the cc line of the e-mail and noticed she had sent the e-mail to a man named Roger. Roger that, she’s not military.

Healthy Food Conspiracy

I have very good intentions of eating healthy on my work trips. Usually I make a trip to the grocery store when I arrive wherever I am and buy at least a bag of baby carrots. However, this plan doesn’t seem to be working out so well. On one trip, I bought the carrots and put them in the hotel refrigerator. And that was it. The carrots and I never saw each other again. It wasn’t until I got home that I realized I left them in the fridge. (Let’s hope the hotel maid likes health food.) Total carrots consumed = 0. On this trip, I brought 2 bags of baby carrots and put them in the hotel fridge. The next morning I discovered that the fridge setting was way too cold and everything in the fridge froze, including the carrots. I let them thaw and then ate one. Though it was orange and looked like a carrot, it tasted nothing like one. Total carrots consumed = 1. Clearly, my track record for health food on the road hasn’t been so good. Yet, my mom just gave me a bag of candy for an early Valentine’s gift. Since they’re not in the refrigerator, there’s little chance that they’ll freeze, and because I’m a chocolate addict, there’s zero chance that I’m forgetting them. Is it a still conspiracy if you happily accept the situation?

Busy, Busy

Husband and I both have been working longer hours this week. I feel like we’ve been rushing from one thing to the next. And to give you an idea of what state of mind I’ve been in lately… Today I was running a few errands, and I stopped at a store to buy a farewell gift for one of my friends. I brought the items to the register, paid, and then turned to leave. The clerk said, “Don’t forget your gifts!” Oh yes, the gifts. The whole reason I went to the store in the first place. Sheesh. I’m getting packed up to go on a 2-week work trip. Let’s hope I remember all my clothes, my laptop, and, more importantly, my mind!

Cell Phone

I just got my work cell phone in the mail.

It’s a snazzy, touch-screen phone. I had been calling it the “the poor man’s iPhone,” until I saw its hefty price tag. (Let’s just say I’m grateful that work is paying for it.)

The phone can load your e-mail, take pictures and video, give you driving directions, and tell you the weather.

And it can also humiliate you.

When everyone asked me how I liked the phone, I could only respond, “I’d like it more if I could figure out how to turn the darn thing on!”

I consulted the directions, located the power switch, and charged it for hours. And still, nothing.

Finally, I scooped up the phone and the box with all the accessories, and I brought it to the store. And with my pride decreasing every second, I handed everything to the clerk and asked, “Um, how do I turn this on?”

She told me that I needed to put in the battery first. Before I could process that thought, she had already popped it in and handed the phone back to me, smiling.

And then I said, “So all those hours I spent charging the phone….?"

“…yeah, that did nothing,” she finished my sentence.

I have no shame. But at least I have a working phone now.

Oh, Betty

I’ve had the beloved Betty, our trusty GPS, working overtime recently. While I’ve been out of town on business, Betty has successfully gotten me to countless business appointments, back and forth from the hotel, to the mall, to dinner, and to church. But, I think she’s concluded that she’s worked hard enough to earn the right to pull a few pranks. 1) One morning she had me turn right out of the hotel. Then she had me turn right a few more times. Just when I was thinking, “Hey, this is looking familiar,” I realize that after 5 minutes and 3 miles, she has brought me back to the hotel – exactly where I started. Then she “recalculated” and decided that I should have just turned left out of the hotel. Hmm… 2) Betty brought me through the part of town that I can only describe as the part where you check your doors at least 5 times to make sure they are locked and then say a prayer that your car doesn’t break down. Betty didn’t seem too concerned, as she had me drive around this area for at least 10 minutes. 3) On the way to one business appointment, she decided that I should leave the frontage road and get on the highway. The highway happened to be a toll road, so I paid my $1 and went on my way, waiting to hear her next prompt. Less than a mile later, she had me get off the toll road and back onto the same frontage road. My $1 paid for 1 minute of driving. Is Betty getting a commission?? Silly, Betty. She knows that even with the pranks, I won’t get rid of her. I’d be lost – literally - without her.

Dorothy was right

There’s no place like home. After being gone off and on for the past few weeks, I’m done with all my work trips, and I’m home for a while. I figured I had been gone for too long when the hotel staff that saw me every morning at breakfast for two weeks gave me goodbye hugs on my last day there. And now I’ve grown to appreciate the little things about being back: being able to cook real meals, sleeping in my own bed, curling up on our comfy couch, etc. Of course, there’s one big thing I appreciate most about being home. (I’ll give you a hint: he’s 6 feet tall.)

Business Trip

I’m getting ready to go on a business trip. While usually it's Husband who’s jetting (no pun intended) off somewhere, this time I’m the one who’s leaving. I think the trip will be fun. But, of course, I’ll miss Husband. And I’ll also miss this perfect weather that’s decided to hang around here. In honor of the nice weather, we grilled up some bratwurst this afternoon, which was a great idea. The bad idea, however, was completely forgetting we had put them on the grill. All of a sudden, I heard Husband say, “Oh crap!” and I saw him rush out to the grill to rescue our charred lunch. On the up side, I think we invented a new meat category to follow well-done: Burned to the Point of Almost Being Unrecognizable. You know what, though? They still tasted delicious. Have a great week!

Business Pajamas

I started my new job this week, and so far, so good! The more I learn about the job, the luckier I feel to have gotten it. Everyone I’ve met so far has been great, and they’ve been a big help. I’m also fortunate that I can do some of my work from home. My parents were the first to recognize one of the biggest advantages of this. They sent me an e-mail today saying, “Tootie, enjoy working in your pajamas!” I think the only thing better than getting paid to work in pajamas would be getting paid to eat ice cream. A girl can dream, right? And yes, mom, I’m writing this while wearing (clean) pajamas.

Free at last

Happily, I’m now free to… 1) leave the house. 2) celebrate my new job! I finally talked to them yesterday afternoon, and they told me the good news. I was beyond excited/relieved/grateful. Many thanks to my family who had faith the entire time that I’d get the job, even when I had my doubts. You are the best!

House Arrest

I’ve joked that I put myself on “house arrest” yesterday and today. I’m supposed to get a call soon about whether I got the job. My initial attitude about it was more like “a watched pot never boils,” so I went about my regular routine (going to the gym, running errands, etc). However, as luck would have it, during the short 1.5 hours I was out on Monday, they called (twice!) and I missed both calls. They didn’t leave a message, so I couldn’t return their call. I wanted to kick myself, knowing that I could have heard “the news” about the job and finally put an end to the “am I employed?” limbo. So I’m banishing myself to the house (at least during business hours). On the positive side, I’ve channeled all my nervous energy into cleaning, and the house looks immaculate. On the other hand, I really hope I hear soon because I’m running out of things to clean!

Things are looking Up

1) My interviews (yes, plural!) went well this week. I feel relieved, and I'm confident that things will all work out somehow.

2) I'm excited to see finally this movie with husband this weekend:

Oh, and husband offered to make homemade sushi tomorrow. (Yes, please!)

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Interview

I have an interview today for a job that sounds promising. (I'm trying not to get my hopes up, but it might be a little too late for that.) Although I normally feel reaallly nervous for interviews, I already feel a little at ease with the lady who will interview me. I figure a lady who signs her e-mails with a smiley can't be all bad!

The Job Search

I’m doing another job search. My temporary job ended not too long ago. I’m still so glad I took it because I learned so much and met some wonderful people. And my boss offered me a position again next year. But, at this point, I’m unemployed. It may sounds strange, but I’m actually enjoying this time because I’ve been able to do some volunteer work and become involved in the local community. Thankfully, with Husband’s job, we're financially stable, which I realize is such a blessing. The only time I feel bad about it is during small talk at gatherings when people say, “So what do you do?” I still haven’t figured out a great answer, but I usually tell people simply that I’m looking for a job. The good news is that I’ve applied for a couple of opportunities in finance, and I should hear something within the next couple weeks. If that doesn’t work out, then I’ll try to teach (probably part-time) at a small private school in the area this fall. My friend worked there this past year, and she had great things to say about the teachers and students. Either way, I’m excited because I know that fairly soon I should have a good idea of what direction I’ll be going, in terms of jobs. And I just keep telling myself that I’m going to be an expert on resumes, interviews, and job searches by the time that Husband retires from the military…