Seeing the Light of Day

I have been a very busy girl. I'm not working more hours -- but I am getting more sleep! It is really nice to see people still checking in on me even though I have been so very vacant from the blogosphere. My computer has been in bits since some time before the beginning of the year, so it has been tough getting computer time to get anything done properly. SSB promises to have the computer done sometime soon. Yep. Any day now.

This year is the earliest we have gotten our taxes done since we quit paying someone to do it (what a waste paying someone else to do it is!). We still did not get them done in time to get in on the first round of rebates. Soon, though. Although I think that the rebates are too little too late to really do much good for the economy, I must say that it is the very idea that I have been preaching about for years -- if you really want to stimulate the economy, don't give money to the rich hoping they'll spend it; give the money to those who will REALLY spend it -- the lower class!

I convinced my boss to let me hire SSB to help me. I tried to get her to let me hire him last summer, but she wasn't having it. No problem this time. And what a great idea that was, I must say! I'm finally getting out from under the HUGE piles of work that have been piling up around me since last summer. It feels so good to finally see the light of day again.

The Planets Are Aligning

--I just got another happy email about our trip this summer -- we will be able to stay at the palace/castle where I went to school! I was really hoping to be able to show my family the place that I stayed, they are going to love it!

--JD got a solo part in jazz band. Just last week he was complaining how there were no solo parts for his position on sax. YAY, JD!

--And finally, It looks like there might be a full-time day opening at the library soon. I may or may not be interested in it -- and it may be out of my hands anyway. Current employees get get first choice. The woman who took the night position (the job that I turned down) has the potential of transfering into that job before I'd even have a chance to apply -- which would leave the night position open again; but we've already established that I don't want that job. SO, it looks like if I had taken that job, I couldv'e been in a day position by the end of the year. And you know what, I really don't regret my decision. So now I KNOW I made the right decision!

"This is what you eat before you eat, to make you more hungry."

I just got the confirmation email on our stopover in Iceland --

We get to stay 5 days! I'm so excited! It's like a vacation appetizer.


--BTW The title is one of my favorite lines from South Park. Click the link to read the script to episode. Hilarious!

Pharmaceutical Reps Are People Too!

When you get enough liquor in them, boy are they a hoot!

SSB and I attended another drug dinner -- with an OPEN BAR!!! SCORE!!!

The food was phenomenal and served family style which made it feel even more like a party atmosphere. We actually didn't talk much about the drugs that each of the reps were hocking. In fact, I almost forgot why we were there in the first place.

Most of the reps gathered around SSB and I as we ate, as we are just that frickin' entertaining! One of the reps preceded everything he said with, "At the risk of a little self disclosure..." Well, come on, you know what follows is going to be interesting! Another overheard us talking about Wii and began picking us for information. He confessed that although he likes video games, his wife says he's too old to play. I pshawed that! We proceeded to get him all drooly over Wii, and when he heard that there was a Zelda for Wii, he got all dreamy-eyed, like he was going back in time, muttering, "Yeah, Zelda is great." Another rep was asking us for computer tips making us feel all geeky -- it was fabulous! Another was complaining how she had to go on the road with this rep that kept trying to pick up every woman he met. Another picked up that topic to concur that the man was embarrassing to be around. He asked us, "How could you work with someone like that. I just want to ask him if he knows how embarrassing he is." I told him that he should audio tape him and play it back to him. He got all giddy with the scenario in his head of the play-back to this guy.

We ate a lot, we drank a lot, we laughed a lot. I don't remember the last time that I had that much fun with a bunch of strangers, let alone drug reps! I can't wait for the next one!

That's My Final Answer

I made a decision today. And that is a load off my mind.

The job situation was far more complex than I could even explain in a post. Most people never get the experience of working at place that doesn't just feel like a place of employment -- but it feels like your second home. I was lucky enough to have TWO! The people aren't just coworkers, but they are like part of your family.

Sure some of the people are crazy and drive you nuts, but then, you haven't met my real family. Same deal.

I have been thinking about the decision I would have to make for months. It was not an easy one to make at all. Each place had something great to offer, and not so great.

I told my bosses at the library one by one from the top down today, before I notified HR. I figured that it just didn't seem right to leave it up to some outside person to break the news. They were each stunned that I would turn down the position, but I feel that in the end they really understood. They are of course heart-broken at the missed opportunity, as I am; but they do have a fair second choice. That was a relief for me, as well as them. She isn't me, of course, but I'm sure she will do. They have already asked if they can keep calling me for fill-in positions and the like. OF COURSE! Nothing else has changed, it's just bad timing for this particular position, I told them.

Ultimately, it came down to flexibility and potential. And even after making the decision, I am not 100% sure I made the right one. But it is done,and I feel better.

One thing that really helped me feel good about the choice I made was thinking about which job I would regret giving up more if I ended up losing the job that I chose due to some event (such as budget cuts or store closure). I realized that if I took the library job and subsequently lost it due to budget cuts, I would regret having given up the pharmacy job MORE than giving up the library job and eventually losing the pharmacy job due to store closure. That feeling of greater regret helped me know that over-all, the pharmacy was where I needed to be.

Ah, RELIEF!
Now where's my damn chocolate!!!