& that's the way life goes

I’m taking a break from the San Diego pictures because honestly, I cry a little each time I look at them.  They have sun the majority of the time.  We have clouds and right now, SNOW.

…My job is a little iffy right now.  In reality, it will probably be ok.  Hopefully, we won’t have to take a 5% paycut or whatever else the state is deciding on.  Because 5% is more than I’ve gotten in cost of living raises in the past 3 years.  I did a job search looking for jobs in my area and I came up with nothing in Michigan.  Yeah.  I really would hate to have to take a job I wasn’t going to advance in or learn.   And talking about that, well, I know I can’t stay where I’m at forever.  I get antsy and frankly, bored.

…Thank you to all my guest bloggers!  When are we getting together for karaoke?!  Maybe next month when everyone is back from their vacations?!

…Keeping with the honesty, aerial yoga was not stellar the past couple of weeks before my trip, but last Sunday?  Awesome.  I think it helps a lot the group of people you are with.  I actually was in a group with Sillygrrl again   I know I’ve said it before but the girl is GRACEFUL!

Right before I literally unrolled and fell out…classy

…I prefer the trapeze, there is something about being wrapped up in the fabric that freaks me out.  It’s one of my goals is to get over that because hello, that’s kind of weird.

…My dad is going to be 60 this year!  Jenni has offered to help me plan the party!  Now I just have to save some money and get his friends numbers.

…I’ve been watching Team USA in hockey.  Did you know Rafalski (Dearborn/Allen Park) and Kesler (Livonia) are both from the Detroit area?

…So I twittered yesterday about babies.   I don’t coo over babies like I will over puppies or dogs in general.  Don’t get me wrong I love my friends’ kids and the occasional child will make me say, “oh she/he is so cute” but I guess I’m just not there.  Part of me feels bad about it, even though I know I shouldn’t.

Anything you’d like to share?

This post is about 2.5 months overdue. At the time it happened I was in denial and my feelings about the situation were at opposite ends of the spectrum. On one hand (the selfish one) I was SO sad and on the other I was SO excited.

My co-worker Matt left to take a job at Google. I’ll let that sink in.

Matt was an awesome guy to work with. He always had time to help me with issues that made me want to bash my head against my desk. He encouraged me to get self-hosting for my blog and helped me with design ideas and tweaks. This doesn’t even scratch the surface of all the help Matt gave me. He was also pretty hilarious dancing in the office and commenting with snarky remarks when you were least expecting it.

Somewhere over the 3 years we worked together a gang was formed. Venom, Viper, Vapor & Matt (aka V3M). Matt always complained he never got a good nickname and this was no exception. We used to go to lunch and bitch about work and all the douchebags DBs that the company contained. Though Matt never called anyone a “database” out loud.

At our farewell celebration before Matt left for the Googleplex  he finally earned a nickname.  From now on our historical gang was Venom, Viper, Vapor and Vag.  Yeah, Vag.  Not even sure how we got there now.   I totally expect to have some type of cool invitations for some of the Google stuff that Matt will be producing.  If not the V3’s are going out to Cali to kick some Vag ass.

Our office isn’t the same.  The balance is off now.  We are waiting for the new guy to start.  Keith seems to think he’ll be alright.  I’m hoping he’s not one of the DB’s we used to bitch about at lunch.

Maybe it’s just the mood I’m in.  Or maybe I’m realizing that something needs to change.  Like a lot of people, I have a college degree.  I have a gigantic student loan that I will have until I’m dead (I’ve accepted this).

I’ll admit I’m not highly motivated.  I want a job that will pay the bills and that doesn’t drive me insane.  But I do not want to answer phones the rest of my “career”.    I’m restless.  I mean don’t get me wrong there are many things about my job that I love but the parts I don’t love so much are really getting on my nerves.

I guess this stems from people leaving my office and watching other people move in.

As of this moment (which means that in like 10 minutes I’ll likely change my mind) here are what I think my options are:

1. Not come home from up north this weekend.  Kidding, kind of
2. Find another degree program

Option 1:

There is part of me that wants to drop everything here in the next couple years and just find a small town and try to settle in.  Sure I wouldn’t make a lot of money but things are cheaper up there and the scenery is pretty. Maybe I’d find more time for myself.  Taking long walks in the woods with the dogs, scrapbooking, photography, writing and maybe something new.

Option 2:

I’ve been looking into Graphic Design  and Computer Science.  Graphic Design seems to artsy/creative for me and Computer Science seems to technical and MATH.

Side note: Math.  I don’t know if I actually hate math as much as I think I do.  I did pretty well in Algebra in high school and it’s always nice to have an exact answer.  I also passed the math equivalency to graduate college so I mean at least I know I can do it.   I do know that I HATED, LOATHED, WANTED TO MURDER Geometry.  So maybe my hatred of math is a preconceived notion that isn’t exactly true.  I’m thinking about taking Algebra at the community college and see how that goes.

I kind of need to make up my mind about school though, it is almost August.  Actually the beginning Computer Science Classes are almost full at my Alma Mater.  FUCK.

Something has to change.  I’m kind of just lingering right now.  If I could create my own position at the job I have now I’d do everything happily except:

• answer the stupid fucking phones
• schedule dumbass meetings
• order the office supplies
• reconcile  purchase statements
• attend useless financial meetings

Oh and also I want an office where I can close the door and hibernate without being interrupted.

Obviously this is too much to ask for.

In more happy news, I picked up my new glasses last night.  I think I like them. A Lot.

I had the dream last night.  It varies in the storyline but the same people are always present and one of two things always happens.  I have it quite frequently but it’s been at least a month since I’ve had it last.  I woke up agitated and restless like I usually do.  I wonder if it will ever stop?

…still be upset I got overlooked for the 20sb blog swap for the SECOND time in a row
…think about the basement flooding because our power is out and the sump pump isn’t working
…let C’s crabbiness get to me
…feel self conscious because my hair is a little scary b/c I coudn’t use my straightener or my hair dryer
…think about MA leaving our office to go work at GOOGLE in California (psshhhh)

I will give you some more pictures from our up north vaca (which we will be going on again in a week!!)

Liko found a "suite" in the bow of the boat

Scooby looking out on lake huron in Oscoda

chillin with 'dad'

relaxin on the boat

Nani's driving with C (he's her favorite)

It was a little chilly

Holy crap.

I really like my job most of the time.  I get to learn new things break websites and then teach myself how to fix what I just broke.  Maintaining and updating other people’s code makes for good learning.  There is this one designer who had her head up her ass and since she left and I’ve been maintaining, updating, FIXING her code I’ve definitely learned what not to do EVER.  (ex. hard coding the navigation on EVERY page in a 5,000 page website…ok not 5,000 pages but it seems like that many.  virtual includes people)  Anyhow…

So I have a project list, not quite as extensive as the developers, cuz you know that’s not my job.  But I have this list and it’s keeps growing.  Then I have all this crap sitting in folders that needs to be done.  I’m waiting for content or a file (ahem…Keith).  Then I have to answer phones for another department while they are on lunch and the calls are interrupting my train of thought.  And I think that my head might explode because all I wanted to do was knock out some work so it was more ankle deep, than you know, shoulder deep.  Are you following me?  No.  I don’t blame you cuz I don’t know what the hell I’m talking about either.  (Get to the point)

I was stupid busy yesterday & I didn’t have any time for my blog (boo!).  That is all.

OMG moving on…

So you know I’m leaving to go up north this weekend…SO EXCITED…especially because we are taking the doggies.  Gosh I can’t wait to see them in the water.  They know when they get to go on vacation.   Last week I knew I needed to get them pet tags (I know we are bad canine parents, they don’t have any).  According to The Dog Whisper’s newsletter, the statistics of a dog being returned to an owner is only about 10-12%.  Isn’t that sad?  I’ve been wanting to get them id tags for a long time now and our trip made me realize I had to get them NOW.

I found the perfect ones on etsy, of course.  Unique Tags to be exact.

their names are engraved on one side with our phone numbers on the other

In other catch up news.  Besides the lameness I talked about, the 4th was pretty fun.  Here are a few of my favorite pictures from the night.  My camera battery was about to die so I didn’t take as many pictures as I usually would have.

I’m working on the newsletter at work.  For the last month and for a couple more I’m previewing online photo editing applications.  I love it.   They are all really similar but give picnik and fotoflexor a try.

Here are the last 2 I did.

I used picnik.com

I used fotoflexor.com

It’s a shitastic day at the office.

>:-(

I think I will take the advice of my horoscope and wear my moodiness on my sleeve. Thankyouverymuch.

You normally bounce back quickly, yet now it’s even easier for you to feel as if everything will work out. Paradoxically, the Moon in your sign encourages you to wear your emotions closer to the surface, so others may pick up on your moodiness, rather than your growing optimism. Don’t worry about what anyone else thinks; just stay focused on your long-term goals. Success is probable if you don’t let yourself get distracted.

-tarot.com

The weather and nature seem to be the only positives in my life right now.  Really?  Pathetic?

Just got another metephorical punch in the face at work today.

Lovely.

So there were 2 things keeping me from actually taking steps to moving to a simpler place. Or just becoming a gypsy.  (maybe if I can get decent health care after this election I won’t worry about not working at a big company)

1. work
2. tae kwon do

Now work sucks.

Maybe I should move, wait tables or something else along those lines, spend more time outside and write the book I’ve always wanted to.

I don’t live to work, I work to live.  I don’t have any CEO hopes or aspirations.  I’d work an entry level job the rest of my life it it would pay the bills.  Maybe it’s time to find something new?

let me just quickly recap my big FAILs for the day.

• I completely wiped my inbox…like permenantely deleted everything in it
• I forgot to book the conference room for a meeting
• Said meeting wasn’t canceled when someone went home sick earlier
• I have to make lunch decisions for a staff meeting…ugh
• Minimal amount of work got done because the FUCKING phone wouldn’t stop ringing

Dear My Newest Superior,

I have a meeting with you at 3pm this afternoon to discuss my role in this office.  Let’s just make sure we are on the same page.  I was hired as an Administrative Assistant, but those duties take up less than 10% of my time.  Here is what you should expect from me:

• I will never get your coffee.  If you ask me, there will be something very unpleasant in it.  Depending on my mood it could be arsenic or a very strong laxative.
• I suck at scheduling meeting so let’s keep that at a minimum
• I hate answering the phone, so let’s not make it ring more than it should.  Suggest email.
• Though I’m technically the “face of the department”  I hate that title.  The only people that find us are those lost souls that somehow slipped through the Admins down the hall.
• Please don’t sneak up behind me because I might be doing something inappropriate at work, ie writing a blog.
• I need to sometimes turn my music up to do my work.  I hope you don’t mind.  And if you do, well if I don’t turn it up nothing is getting done.

I’m sure there is more but you have a lot on your plate right now since you moved here from a different state.  I hope you enjoy our office personality.

Sincerely,

Ria