I can finally tell you all, because it was announced at work today, so now it's official, and I don't have to keep it a secret anymore! I bet some of you thought I was pregnant, didn't you? Nope. It's work-related.
But before I tell you, I'll give you a little back story. There was this girl that I used to work with, and then she started working out at our gym, so then we were work buddies and work out buddies. And it was great! And then she found a better job, with better pay, and benefits, and bonuses, and all that good stuff that my company is not able to do at the moment because of the tough economic times. They do provide benefits, but only to permanent employees. I am still a seasonal, and so was she, and she wanted more, and went out and got it.
That was back in February. Ever since then, I've been wondering if I should stay at my job, or try to look for something else. It's not cool that I'm still seasonal, and that I don't have benefits, and that I wasn't getting a raise, despite the fact that my responsibilities have greatly increased. And I found out, not too long ago, that my job was stressing Art out. He thought they were "screwing me over", and he said it worried him to put me on a bus every day. What if something happened to me? I don't have any sort of coverage, like insurance, or work benefits.
So I started praying about it. I felt unsure about what I should do, because I'm really quite grateful for my job. I'm good at what I do, and I keep remembering a year ago when Art and I couldn't support ourselves because I wasn't working, and he only had a part time job. And maybe the corporate people in my company can't give me what I may deserve, but I don't work with them. I work with my manager and my coworkers, and as far as I'm concerned, I've been treated very well. I don't feel that I've been "screwed over".
But if it was that important to Art, then I would pray, and look around to see what else was out there. After a couple of months of this, I didn't really feel that I had heard a definite answer from God, but I felt uneasy in my spirit anytime I thought about quitting. Art reminded me that I don't owe the company anything, but at the same time, I just didn't feel that this was the time to leave. We're gearing up for our busy season, and I still have people to train, and I don't feel that there is anyone who could replace me.
I felt like if I quit now, I would leave them in a bind, and I really didn't want to do that. If I was going to quit, fall would be a much better time. Things are slower then.
So I've been wrestling with this for quite some time now (or so it feels like), but I didn't blog about it because, to be honest, I didn't want any advice. I have gotten some good advice about it already, and though there is no earthly reason why I should stay, I know that God doesn't follow earthly reasoning. If HE wanted me to stay, then HE had a reason, and that is good enough for me. I was concerned that any other advice might confuse what He was trying to tell me.
On Thursday of last week, I got my answer. I had a meeting with my boss at the end of the day, and she offered me a promotion, to officially become a team lead. And yes, it comes with a raise. The raise wasn't huge, but it was more than I had hoped for. And since I already feel like I'm leading a team, it's nice that she has made it official, and that I'm being paid more than a seasonal.
The downside to this is that the position is temporary. It just until fall, until the end of the busy season. That includes the raise. And I'm still not going to be permanent. But this opportunity gets me that much closer to being hired as permanent. It also gives me an opportunity to move up within the company. And it looks great on a resume. If I do decide to quit in the fall, I can feel good about it, because now I can have enough time to train my replacement, and I'm going to be qualified for much higher-paying positions.
I feel so much peace now, because it was really stressing me out, knowing that working there made me happy, but it upset Art so much. He is no longer stressed about it. He's very happy about the promotion and raise, and he supports my decision to hold off on looking for another job until the fall.
I don't know if I will even look for a different job in the fall. I'm keeping it in the back of my mind. But I won't look for another job before that time.
So that's my happy exciting news. I feel ready to be more of a leader for my small team. I have ideas for goals I would like to make, and how to keep them. I know that there will be challenges as well, and I'm ready to face them. I'm really glad that my department is going through these changes, because we have doubled our staff numbers, and it's a much better way of managing things. I'm not the only person to be given a temporary lead position and raise, and I think it's great that I get to be part of a team of leads. This is a wonderful positive change.
April 19, 2010
April 17, 2010
Awards!
Last September I received a blogging award from one of my favorite bloggers, Callie at Through Clouded Glass. LAST SEPTEMBER. And I didn't do a thing about it. Then, in February, my very best good friend, Kat at The Good Life, gave me a blogger award. And I didn't acknowledge that one either. THEN, just yesterday, Callie gave me ANOTHER award, because she is too sweet like that.
Seriously you guys. I don't deserve these awards. I'm the worst blogger ever, not only because I so rarely blog, but because you gave me these awards and I forgot about them! I don't even think I said "thanks"!
So here they are, all in one post:
The Sunshine Award
The Fabulous Blog award
The Beautiful Blogger award
I have to pass on the Sunshine award to six other bloggers, the Fabulous Blog award to five other bloggers, and the Beautiful Blogger award to seven other bloggers. Also, for the Fabulous award, I have to list five current obsessions. For the Beautiful Blogger award, I have to list seven facts about myself.
So here we go.
Five Current Obsessions:
1. The band Muse. I can't get enough of them. I'm listening to them right now. I don't know why I love them so much. I think it's because every single song is epic. I love to lose myself in the awesomeness. My favorite song by them is Starlight.
2. Working out. But you already know that. I'm actually going out for drinks with a few girls from the gym tonight. I'm a little nervous, because I don't know any of them very well, but that's partly what this night is for!
3. Eating real food. But you also already knew that. Here is a recipe for Paleo Butternut Squash soup. I'm hoping to do this with yams as well.
4. Politics. I don't talk about it very much here, mostly because it doesn't seem like the right place for it. But I try my best to keep up on what's going on with our government, and I have very strong opinions about it all. And when I talk about it, I get so worked up that my words come out rather harshly. And though I care very deeply about it all, I also don't want to lose the few readers I have just because I can't find a calm way to write about it.
5. Dresses. I don't own very many, and I almost never have an occasion to wear a dress, but I love them, and I wish I had the kind of life where I had to wear dresses every day. I particularly like this one.
Maybe for Art's work Christmas banquet next year?
Okay, now for Seven Facts About Me:
1. I am exactly 5 feet tall. I managed to achieve this impressive height back in 8th grade, and I haven't moved up or down since.
2. Like my height, my shoe size is 5. It's difficult to find shoes, because almost all women's shoes start in size 6. In some cases I can get away with a 5.5. I'm actually looking for a minimal shoe that I can both run in and lift weights in, and the one I want comes in 5.5, but not 5. So I'm crossing my fingers.
3. I don't like the movie The Brave Little Toaster. I only thought of it because Art is watching it right now. I saw it when I was a child and I thought it was sad and scary. I'm sure I can handle it now, since I'm 24 and all, but I just refuse to watch it.
4. My hair is about 15 inches long from root to tip. I haven't had hair this long since........I can't even remember.
5. I LOVE county music. My two favorites are Brad Paisley and Little Big Town. I love Brad because his light-hearted songs are funny, and his love songs are sweet (and not overly mushy). Little Big Town has the greatest harmonies. The summer Art and I got married, they played an outdoor show at a county fair close to here, and we got to see them. That was a really fun newlywed evening.
6. I never paint my finger nails. It doesn't seem worth the effort, because I mess it up, and then it chips off right away, from dish washing and all that. But I'm always inspecting them and pulling out an emery board to keep them smooth and even and neat-looking.
7. I have really exciting news that I'm dying to tell you all, but I can't yet, because it's not official till Monday, and this needs to go through the proper channels. I can't risk certain people finding out over the internet. Boy, I sure know how to end things on a cliffhanger, don't I? ;)
And since I can't think of 18 bloggers to pass these awards on to, I'm going to give all three of them to my dear sister, Elleah at Moments to Cherish. She and her husband have created the two cutest kids on the planet. I talked to her on the phone last weekend, and I had the immense pleasure and privilege of hearing Blake laugh, and hearing Kiera sing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.
Yes, I think the mother of these two precious ones deserves these three awards, and so much more.
Seriously you guys. I don't deserve these awards. I'm the worst blogger ever, not only because I so rarely blog, but because you gave me these awards and I forgot about them! I don't even think I said "thanks"!
So here they are, all in one post:
The Sunshine Award
The Fabulous Blog award
The Beautiful Blogger award
I have to pass on the Sunshine award to six other bloggers, the Fabulous Blog award to five other bloggers, and the Beautiful Blogger award to seven other bloggers. Also, for the Fabulous award, I have to list five current obsessions. For the Beautiful Blogger award, I have to list seven facts about myself.
So here we go.
Five Current Obsessions:
1. The band Muse. I can't get enough of them. I'm listening to them right now. I don't know why I love them so much. I think it's because every single song is epic. I love to lose myself in the awesomeness. My favorite song by them is Starlight.
2. Working out. But you already know that. I'm actually going out for drinks with a few girls from the gym tonight. I'm a little nervous, because I don't know any of them very well, but that's partly what this night is for!
3. Eating real food. But you also already knew that. Here is a recipe for Paleo Butternut Squash soup. I'm hoping to do this with yams as well.
4. Politics. I don't talk about it very much here, mostly because it doesn't seem like the right place for it. But I try my best to keep up on what's going on with our government, and I have very strong opinions about it all. And when I talk about it, I get so worked up that my words come out rather harshly. And though I care very deeply about it all, I also don't want to lose the few readers I have just because I can't find a calm way to write about it.
5. Dresses. I don't own very many, and I almost never have an occasion to wear a dress, but I love them, and I wish I had the kind of life where I had to wear dresses every day. I particularly like this one.
Maybe for Art's work Christmas banquet next year?
Okay, now for Seven Facts About Me:
1. I am exactly 5 feet tall. I managed to achieve this impressive height back in 8th grade, and I haven't moved up or down since.
2. Like my height, my shoe size is 5. It's difficult to find shoes, because almost all women's shoes start in size 6. In some cases I can get away with a 5.5. I'm actually looking for a minimal shoe that I can both run in and lift weights in, and the one I want comes in 5.5, but not 5. So I'm crossing my fingers.
3. I don't like the movie The Brave Little Toaster. I only thought of it because Art is watching it right now. I saw it when I was a child and I thought it was sad and scary. I'm sure I can handle it now, since I'm 24 and all, but I just refuse to watch it.
4. My hair is about 15 inches long from root to tip. I haven't had hair this long since........I can't even remember.
5. I LOVE county music. My two favorites are Brad Paisley and Little Big Town. I love Brad because his light-hearted songs are funny, and his love songs are sweet (and not overly mushy). Little Big Town has the greatest harmonies. The summer Art and I got married, they played an outdoor show at a county fair close to here, and we got to see them. That was a really fun newlywed evening.
6. I never paint my finger nails. It doesn't seem worth the effort, because I mess it up, and then it chips off right away, from dish washing and all that. But I'm always inspecting them and pulling out an emery board to keep them smooth and even and neat-looking.
7. I have really exciting news that I'm dying to tell you all, but I can't yet, because it's not official till Monday, and this needs to go through the proper channels. I can't risk certain people finding out over the internet. Boy, I sure know how to end things on a cliffhanger, don't I? ;)
And since I can't think of 18 bloggers to pass these awards on to, I'm going to give all three of them to my dear sister, Elleah at Moments to Cherish. She and her husband have created the two cutest kids on the planet. I talked to her on the phone last weekend, and I had the immense pleasure and privilege of hearing Blake laugh, and hearing Kiera sing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.
Yes, I think the mother of these two precious ones deserves these three awards, and so much more.
April 14, 2010
This, That, and The Other Thing
It's seriously 18 minutes till bedtime, but I'm going to try my hardest to smash out a quick post, because it's about time!
Let's see: the weather has been more sunny and warm as of late, so we have been doing some very very very very long overdue yard work. I'm honestly surprised that our landlord didn't slap us with a hefty fine, because our lawn needed mowing a month ago. It got done late last week.
I did a little weeding on Sunday, which my already-not-awesome shoulders didn't appreciate, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. I like weeding. It's like cleaning, but outside. And I ended up letting my mind wander into some pretty deep thoughts, along the lines of how weeds are an analogy of my spiritual state (and not in the obvious way).
Anyway, the weeds are gone, which makes me happy, but the empty patch of dirt almost looks worse. And no, I'm not going to plant anything, mostly because I don't trust the children and pets that live right around here. We have enough trouble with cats as it is. And since we won't be staying beyond July of this year, I can't bear the thought of some college kids moving in here and letting my pretty flowers die. So I'll just keep weeding.
Speaking of my sore shoulders, my workouts at the gym are going to look a lot different for at least the next four weeks. Apparently many people at the gym are experiencing shoulder issues, so our head coach came up with a plan to help our shoulders recover, so that we can a) avoid injury, and b) eventually get stronger. Because if you are trying to push or pull weight around on weak/sore shoulders, your not going to see any improvements. You're just going to make things worse.
To clarify, I am not injured. I am trying to avoid injury. So I'm barely going to be even lifting my arms above my head for the next month or so. I CAN, but Coach wants us to get into the habit of "shoulders back and down". And I want the soreness and tightness to go away. In the meantime, my core and legs are going to be getting a lot stronger, because I'll be replacing any shoulder work with something core-intensive or leg-intensive.
Changing the subject: I'm doing training again at work. 3 new people started yesterday, and they are the last to be hired for our department for the busy season. I really like them, and they are catching on quickly, which makes my job a whole lot easier. We are having company-wide issues with new people logging into their computers, so that kind of sucks, but we're making due. I just have them take turns sitting at my computer, and they do the work/watch each other do the work, and I supervise and coach them along. This works quite well, but eventually they need to be at their own desks, or else I won't get any of my own work done! So I'm praying that the issues get figured out quickly.
Finally, the markets opened up a couple of weeks ago, and I'm LOVING it. There's a public market that's open every Saturday morning, and there are all sorts of local vendors, selling food and produce and clothing and pottery and lots of other stuff. We saw a booth featuring bison jerky and bison sausages, so we bought a big fat sausage, and Art cooked it for dinner on Sunday. It was delicious! I love bison.
We also bought homemade Chai from one of Art's friends. He hasn't even opened it yet, and it's just sitting on our counter, but every once in a while I get a whiff of it, and I'm in heaven. I'm thinking of buying a smaller one to put in the guest bedroom. It makes a wonderful air freshener.
Also, there's a market-type "store" not far from our house that sells fresh produce from March till November. We loaded up on all sorts of vegetables, and we only paid $20! Squash and yams and broccoli and cauliflower and apples and oranges and avocados and asparagus, and a coconut. For little more than $20. And yeah, a coconut. I'm not entirely sure what to do with it, but I'm just excited that we have one.
I think it's so funny and amazing that I get excited about fresh vegetables now. I used to hate vegetables! But no longer. Now I think of all the new ones I want to try, and I think of fun recipes so I can make them taste delicious. Eating real food is so much more interesting than most people realize.
Also, kale chips are delicious.
Okay, it's past my bedtime, and I need my sleep (because great fitness required even greater recovery). So you all have a good rest of the week, and you should also try spaghetti squash. It's delicious and versatile. C'mon. Just try it. I dare you.
Let's see: the weather has been more sunny and warm as of late, so we have been doing some very very very very long overdue yard work. I'm honestly surprised that our landlord didn't slap us with a hefty fine, because our lawn needed mowing a month ago. It got done late last week.
I did a little weeding on Sunday, which my already-not-awesome shoulders didn't appreciate, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. I like weeding. It's like cleaning, but outside. And I ended up letting my mind wander into some pretty deep thoughts, along the lines of how weeds are an analogy of my spiritual state (and not in the obvious way).
Anyway, the weeds are gone, which makes me happy, but the empty patch of dirt almost looks worse. And no, I'm not going to plant anything, mostly because I don't trust the children and pets that live right around here. We have enough trouble with cats as it is. And since we won't be staying beyond July of this year, I can't bear the thought of some college kids moving in here and letting my pretty flowers die. So I'll just keep weeding.
Speaking of my sore shoulders, my workouts at the gym are going to look a lot different for at least the next four weeks. Apparently many people at the gym are experiencing shoulder issues, so our head coach came up with a plan to help our shoulders recover, so that we can a) avoid injury, and b) eventually get stronger. Because if you are trying to push or pull weight around on weak/sore shoulders, your not going to see any improvements. You're just going to make things worse.
To clarify, I am not injured. I am trying to avoid injury. So I'm barely going to be even lifting my arms above my head for the next month or so. I CAN, but Coach wants us to get into the habit of "shoulders back and down". And I want the soreness and tightness to go away. In the meantime, my core and legs are going to be getting a lot stronger, because I'll be replacing any shoulder work with something core-intensive or leg-intensive.
Changing the subject: I'm doing training again at work. 3 new people started yesterday, and they are the last to be hired for our department for the busy season. I really like them, and they are catching on quickly, which makes my job a whole lot easier. We are having company-wide issues with new people logging into their computers, so that kind of sucks, but we're making due. I just have them take turns sitting at my computer, and they do the work/watch each other do the work, and I supervise and coach them along. This works quite well, but eventually they need to be at their own desks, or else I won't get any of my own work done! So I'm praying that the issues get figured out quickly.
Finally, the markets opened up a couple of weeks ago, and I'm LOVING it. There's a public market that's open every Saturday morning, and there are all sorts of local vendors, selling food and produce and clothing and pottery and lots of other stuff. We saw a booth featuring bison jerky and bison sausages, so we bought a big fat sausage, and Art cooked it for dinner on Sunday. It was delicious! I love bison.
We also bought homemade Chai from one of Art's friends. He hasn't even opened it yet, and it's just sitting on our counter, but every once in a while I get a whiff of it, and I'm in heaven. I'm thinking of buying a smaller one to put in the guest bedroom. It makes a wonderful air freshener.
Also, there's a market-type "store" not far from our house that sells fresh produce from March till November. We loaded up on all sorts of vegetables, and we only paid $20! Squash and yams and broccoli and cauliflower and apples and oranges and avocados and asparagus, and a coconut. For little more than $20. And yeah, a coconut. I'm not entirely sure what to do with it, but I'm just excited that we have one.
I think it's so funny and amazing that I get excited about fresh vegetables now. I used to hate vegetables! But no longer. Now I think of all the new ones I want to try, and I think of fun recipes so I can make them taste delicious. Eating real food is so much more interesting than most people realize.
Also, kale chips are delicious.
Okay, it's past my bedtime, and I need my sleep (because great fitness required even greater recovery). So you all have a good rest of the week, and you should also try spaghetti squash. It's delicious and versatile. C'mon. Just try it. I dare you.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)