I Almost Died

Died, as in actual death, might be an exaggeration. But at times I felt like the past 3 weeks might kill me. My new job… holy cow! It took me all of 5 minutes to realize that I started at probably the worst time in the history of the company. And another 10 minutes to figure out that this position was not for the faint of heart. It’s HARD! Did I mention it’s at a large health insurance company? I blame ObamaCare, because that’s where the fault lies. Health Care Reform can kiss it! Crazy deadlines, getting like 45 minutes of training, and in general having no clue what I was doing were a few of the key points.

The girl I was replacing went into labor 2 days after I was hired, and only showed me how to do half of one of the many reports and projects she’s responsible for. And it’s not like I can fake it. It requires using programs new to me, and having to know the “language” to pull the info to compile the reports. Yeah, coding isn’t my strong suit… it’s never been in the deck. And the kicker is that no one in my department knows how to do the job. I have to pick the brains of an uber smart techie guy in the “actuary” department to help me figure it out. I’m sure he loves me… not.

After my first day, I was frustrated, angry, and couldn’t decide if I’d rather punch someone or cry. But I did neither. Each day brought new challenges, but also a lot of learning experiences. In the beginning I had some serious doubts about myself, but it’s all coming together and faith in myself is definitely rising. I’m kind of a genius ;).

Things will still be kinda hectic around the workplace for the next few weeks (months? year?!), but I’m feeling a little more comfortable with everything. AND, I have kind of a sweet cubical/area. It’s huge, and I have a window with a great view.

Hopefully I will be forgiven by all for everything in my house going to pot 🙂

It’s Official

Remember that ambiguous part of my last post? The one where I talked about some possible changes? Well, it’s official, which means I can talk about it now.

About a month ago, I got a call from a friend, asking if I was interested in a possible position… one that she thought might offer some flexibility, but also be full time. That’s a big change going from a seasonal job that required 18 hours of office time per week as well as working from home. It’s been about 15 years since I worked full time in a “real” job. But there were still people she needed to talk to and get some facts straightened out.

A few weeks went by, and I really hadn’t thought much about it. I was busy with work and life, and I know my friend is always really busy with work and her own family. So last week when she called me, it kind of took me by surprise. She had talked to the VP and the other necessary people, and the possibility of a position became a reality.

I officially interviewed for the position Tuesday, got the official offer yesterday afternoon, and officially start today. Whoa! It’s all happening so fast! It’s both exciting and a little (lot) bit scary. I don’t really have a full grasp on what my job will actually entail. It’s one of those things that I will have to figure out as I go along. New software and systems, an industry in which I have no experience, and generally no clue what I’m doing or really what to expect. And this is no entry level position. How this all happened and how this landed in my lap is still a mystery to me. But my friend has faith in me, and I know that I’m a pretty quick study, so I’m trusting in myself that I’ll get the hang of it.

Things are going to be different for me in that I’ll have no Spring, Summer, or Fall breaks. However, there is something awesome about this job I’ve yet to mention.  I will spend the first couple of weeks going in daily for training (4-5 hrs per day), and after that I will be only going in a few times per week for a few hours, and the rest will be done from home. This kind of flexibility is unheard of for a full time position! PLUS, I will get benefits, like actual paid vacation and sick time… something that was not a part of my last job. I literally wasn’t able to leave town or go anywhere from December through March, which kinda sucked. And of course there is another upside to this new gig. Money. Having a job which gives me steady, year round income is pretty fab. Finally, having a college degree actually paid off for me. And while I’m a little ambivalent, this is a really great opportunity for me AND my family.

In my head, this is what I’ll look like at my new job:

The reality will probably look a lot more like this:

Guess it’s time to hit the shower and get ready for the rat race. Wish me luck, cuz I’m gonna need it.

I’m BAAACCCKKK

Not that I ever really went anywhere, and who knows how long it’ll last, but I’ll give it ago.

Where have I been? Was I doing a stint with Green Peace and was trapped under a blue whale for 6 months? Was I finally admitted to a mental institution (although it sometimes sounds good… maybe I’d get to sleep in!)? Or was I kidnapped by a Saudi prince who was just so enchanted with my beauty that he just HAD to have me? Fortunately nothing that exciting or dramatic happened… I’ve just been busy living life, or at lease surviving it.

Even though I’m still not a whale crushed, crazy princess, a lot has happened since I blogged last. I’m not going to do a write-up of everything because I don’t have time, and you don’t have the patience or interest. But here are some of the “highlights” of the past 5 months:

• Cracked tub+complete bathroom remodel=herniated disc (PAIN!), lots of blood, sweat, and more blood, infection in leg that lasted for 2 months due to a piece of tile lodged in my leg. Moral of the story? InstaCare dr’s really suck.
• Mr. Nickel had a pretty significant hernia, had to have surgery, and survived to tell about it.
• Christmas, New Years, Easter, etc… A handful of holidays have gone by. Our kids enjoy them all. Especially the new trampoline the Easter bunny left them! It’s been two whole days and no broken bones. Yet.
• More health problems. Pain, passing out, ER, large ovarian cyst, and then told I was in renal failure (that means my kidneys went psycho). Follow-up shows my kidneys are OK, but still have some “female” issues I’m dealing with. Hoping that they will be resolved soon.
• Work, work, work. Last week was my final week of office time (I still work from home). I’m soooooo glad that the ski season is over. I’m super burned out and super excited that I actually have some free time to do stuff I need and want to! Monday I actually caught up on laundry, Tuesday I met a friend for lunch… last minute!, and having more than 2 days in my week to run errands and get stuff done has been like unicorn dreams. I’m giddy with the prospect of having my life back.

There’s more stuff, but you get the gist.

I’ve been aching for warmer weather and the sun, and this past week has been wonderful! I’ve officially put my winter shoes away, and even if it’s 30 degrees outside, I will not give up my flip-flops until at least November. You would know how serious I am about this if you had seem me tromping through puddles this morning.  Now that my back is OK, it’s time to start some over zealous project. I’m looking at creating a new water feature for the yard, re-vamping our garden, and am busy planning our upcoming family reunion. LAKE POWELL… can’t wait!

I got an interesting call this week, which would create some changes for me. But it’s too early in the game to show my hand… if anything comes of it, and assuming I stick with blogging, I’ll clue you in 🙂

7 Days Ago

A week ago today was rough for me. I’ve lived long enough to have seen tragedy happen not only in my own life, but also in our country and the world. But for some reason, the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary hit me especially hard. I grieved for the people who were killed. My heart broke for the parents of the children slain, and for the children, spouses, parents and friends of the teachers and administrator who had been killed. I mourned for the mother of the shooter, and her family and friends. I also had tears for the shooter, who I believe was not evil like some have said. I believe that he was ill, and despite the efforts of his parents, I think that somewhere in his life, we as a society failed him along with many of the mentally ill who live in this country.

It was a tough day because of work responsibilities, I wasn’t able to rush home after my kids got home to wrap my arms around them and let them know how much they are loved. Hearing their voices on the phone when they got home turned me into a total blubbering idiot. But my dad put it best later that night when he said that it wasn’t stupid to cry about what had happened… it just proved that I was human and had a heart :).

Everything that happened last Friday has made it even that much more important for me to keep my focus on what is really important, especially during the Holidays. Maybe my kids will feel love and the “spirit” of the season through gifts from us and Santa, but I am making it a point to hug them extra each day, and to make sure I tell them how amazing I think they are, how much I love them, and what an important part of my life they are.

While the emotions of this tragedy aren’t as raw as they were 7 days ago, I don’t ever want to forget how I felt at the moment and following hours after I heard the news. I need to remember how fragile life is. How at any moment of any day, those I love most could be taken from me. I don’t want to remember and feel this because I want to live in fear and in a constant state of anxiety, but so that even when these kiddos are driving me nuts, to remember that these little people I’ve created are the best things that have ever happened to me.

Yep

Promises were made to be broken, at least when it comes to sharing my photos.

With that in minds, enjoy this.

http://worldwideinterweb.com/photos/item/1733-the-50-most-awkward-pregnancy-portraits-ever.html

It’s Happening

I haven’t forgotten about Halloween, and I’ll post pictures soon. But since it’s still the weekend and fresh in my mind, I thought I’d take care of this one first.

It’s happening. It’s really happening. Summer is slowly fading away and fall has put her icy grip on my world. While the last few days have been lovely, the chill in the air is unmistakable. I’m definitely not ready for it, but winter is headed my way.

This weekend was really nice. We’ve had the kids so much lately that 2 days off was not only nice but also needed. Both Friday and Saturday nights were spent with friends, and I spent most of Saturday DAY in bed. NICE! Yesterday worked in the yard, and today we both busted our butts and winterized the house.

Looking out my sliding glass door is a little sad. Everything is covered, put away, cleaned up, and it just seems so lifeless… another reminder that I’ll have to wait 6 months to see my backyard in all of it’s glory. It does feel good to have so many things crossed off our list. And it was equally nice to work along side the Mr., as well as relax and enjoy some alone time.

I’m now working at the ski resort a few times per week, plus have a real estate deal under contract. Life is pretty busy, but it’s also pretty good.

Always A Good Time

I’ve watched this at least 10 times, and it just keeps getting better and better. It might be the best thing that’s ever happened to me (don’t tell my kids).

Check out the “Edward & Bella” one as well. And about 20 others that make me laugh.

What You Need To Know

My brother-in-law posted this, and I feel that it is not only appropriate but a necessity for all of the free world.

The Definitive Guide To Trading Halloween Candy

Sense of Humor

The “Universe”, or whatever you want to call it, must have a sense of humor. But not the Pee Wee Herman kind… more of the Alanis Moressette kind. The kind of humor where you have a plan and idea of what you’re going to do, and then everything happens to keep you from actually accomplishing anything on your To-Do list.

When we got back from our vacation last weekend, I had a few projects and chores I wanted to tackle. Clean and organize the laundry/office/workout/storage room, clean out fridge, do a full house clean, organize storage shed, catch up on laundry, put patio stuff away for winter, winterize sprinklers, etc. Guess how many of these things I got done.

No really, guess.

0. Yep, ZERO. A big fat nada. Zilch. Diddly-squat.

Monday I remembered (last-minute) that I was scheduled to volunteer at school. Which was fine, because that left me hours left to get some of my chores done, right? Uh, no. Both of my jobs have been super busy for me all week. I had to set-up an appointment to take some friends through a house Tuesday afternoon, and deal with a lot of prop. management stuff for my other job. But my Tuesday was pretty wide open, so it was fine.

Oh, not so fast there Sunshine. Let’s throw a sick kid in the mix. Oh, and my other new clients wanted to see a house THAT DAY in addition to my friends that I already had an appointment with. No biggie… I can juggle a little. OK, so 2 showings, a sick child, and a volleyball game later that night followed by a team potluck after the game, which I must mention: Baked bree, fruit w/ delicious dip, bruschetta, sushi, yummy cookies, etc… yummm. At least I ate well :). Guess I can get stuff done on Wednesday.

EXCEPT for that dentist appointment in the morning, which I had forgotten about until late Tuesday, followed by a call from Ian’s school stating that he “looked horrible” and I needed to come pick him up. Then a trip to the doctor which left us with a vague diagnosis and still sick kid. Oh yeah, and how about a lot more work stuff that comes up last-minute. And even though I went to bed with a massive headache and a slight fever, there is always hope for Thursday.

However…

Today Ian woke up with a higher fever, looking even sicker, and the rash that looked like this on Wednesday…

  

Looked this THIS today:

And it wouldn’t be a fun morning with out the new added symptom of vomiting.

I was stressing out, asked advice on FB, and tried to self-diagnose him (thanks internet!) for hours until I just threw in the towel and took him to another dr. This one had a completely different idea of what as going on. Side note… it is  a little disturbing to me that two different doctors had two completely different diagnosis. ANYWAY, this dr. said that the rash, fever, and other issues are a result of a drug reaction to a sulfa-based antibiotic that Ian was taking for an infection in his foot. And it was a pretty serious reaction… one that could cause serious problems. Blood tests showed that his organs seem to be OK (the reaction can cause organ damage), but we need to watch him closely for the next few days. He’s on a very strong/high dose of steroids, and I’m hoping that will help him heal. We’re in the wait-and-see phase.

I also had one of the busiest work days I’ve had in a long time… lots of condo inquiries and reservations, PLUS setting up appointments for showing more homes tomorrow. Which helped to me to totally forget about a dinner date with friends, one who is in town from out of state for only a few days :(. But mom’s with sick kids don’t get to go out and play.

And here I sit, taking the time to write this post while neglecting some serious housework that needs to be done. But it’s forcing me to vent and decompress a little, and gives me some extra time to think about what I’ve haven’t done as well as what I need to get done.

So Universe, it’s been a cute prank this week, but how about next week we call it a truce. Me, my dirty laundry, and my fridge thank you in advance.

Bad Bad Bad

I’m bad. Not bad as in Michael Jackson bad. Definitely not bad as in Bruce Willis in Die Hard (but since we’re on the subject, I love him. He’s old, but he’s one sexy hunk o’ burning old love). I’m a bad blogger. Yesterday I had two different people let me know what a crappy blogger I’ve been. Luckily water boarding went out of style years ago.

Where do I even begin. There was a trip to St. George with my parents in September. A couples trip to Lake Powell later in September. A bunch of other stuff. And a trip back to St. George with just our family (minus Alex who was out of town w/ grandparents). Rather than trying to re-live the past month or two, here are some pictures from our little vaca this weekend.

I’ll try to do better in the future, but I know better than to make promises :).

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