Category: Work

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Cat Outta Here!!

Well … apparently, abstaining from all those lemon poppyseed muffins for three months was a good thing. Because YAY! I passed my pre-employment drug screen.

As if there was any doubt … well, except maybe for the other prescription meds I’ve been on (good thing I didn’t need that letter). And okay, those two Cokes I had last night … (tee-hee!)

I haven’t told any of my co-workers (except for the three I trust the most) that I’m leaving. And that’s mainly because I wanted to make sure I passed the drug test and the background investigation. Apparently, I should be hearing sometime next week that all is okay. So chances are, the big news will be revealed within the next two weeks.

Late Monday, my supervisor asked me if she could fill our manager in on my impending leave. She was the only leadership person I told, because I fully expected that she’d be getting a call to confirm my employment and ask how I am as one of her direct reports. I just didn’t want her to be blindsided when that phone call came.

Anyhoo … the reason my supervisor asked for my permission is because they wanted to try to get the “OK” from the higher powers that be to fill my position a soon as possible. I told her that it was okay to do so and pushed the thought to the back of my head.

So yesterday, as I’m working furiously at my desk … I suddenly feel this presence over me. And the thing is … I knew who it was before I even turned around. And sure enough, as I swiveled my chair counterclockwise, I’m suddenly facing the VP of our department. The same VP that I have been working closely with on this Process Improvement Workgroup. The same one who asked me personally to reconsider the decision I made to not be part of the workgroup for the second phase.

As I looked up at her face, I saw this very … concerned (for lack of better word) look on her face. And I knew at the moment that the cat was let out of the bag.

Since I didn’t want anyone around us to hear the inevitable conversation, I dragged her into one of the small conference rooms on our floor. As we sat down, she told me that she received an interesting email from my manager about my impending resignation. She wanted to know if it were indeed true … and if the reason I was leaving was because of this job and, in particular, the stress that I had endured while being part of this Process Improvement Workgroup.

So I told her the story. About how this job opportunity came out of the blue. And how it was the perfect time and the right set of circumstances in our lives to make these changes that Hubby & I have been longing to do. And how as the events started to unfold right into our laps, it appeared that this was the natural direction our life would take us on.

And I also told her that no, I wasn’t leaving this company because of the stressor of my current responsibilities. How, if anything I would love to see the things I’ve implemented on this workgroup progress forward. But how could I not follow my instincts? How could I not take this shot at a new path in life?

And my VP was very understanding; expressed happiness for Hubby & me. And she graciously wished us the best of success in my new position.

So there you have it … one of the bigger cats are out of the bag now. All is left is to confirm that I am, indeed a good upstanding citizen. Which, I supposed could be harder then we both might think …

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Short Week

Well … after three days of not leaving the house (and changing out of my pajamas only so I can answer the front door when the pizza delivery guy came), it’s time for me to go back to work.

I’m still not feeling a 100% better, but at least I can stay upright and not be short of breath for more than 15 minutes at a time. I am still planning on heading to my primary doc’s office today (if I can get an appointment), just to make sure that I don’t need antibiotics or something. What sucks the most is that my diaphragm and abdominal muscles hurt so d*mn much from coughing … and I still don’t feel as if I’ve been able to get the gunky stuff out from my lungs. So I guess worse case scenario is that I’ve got reaallly bad bronchitis or early pneumonia. Let’s hope it’s not the latter.

The good thing about this week is that it’s a short work week. And that’s meant both in number of days worked and number of hours. We get Thanksgiving and the day after off (woo-hoo!) as paid company holidays. And since I my normal work week consists of four 10-hour work days, on paid holiday weeks we’re only required to work 8-hr days so the pay equals out. It kinda reminds me of having half-day school days just before the beginning of (in this case) Thanksgiving break. But without the science project or History report that’s due the following Monday after break. (Thank goodness!)

And seeing that next Monday will be December 1st (yeah, I know … can you believe it?!), I will be extra happy. Because this means I would have survived NaBloPoMo!

One more week. One more week … {mutters Emily, under her breath}

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Accepted

(Update 03.19.2009: Now that the cat’s out of the bag, I can finally un-PWP this post!)

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Well … it’s official. I accepted the supervisor position. And at close to the salary I wanted with an added sign-on bonus, too. BONUS!!!

So all that’s left is to complete the drug screen and the background check. And apply for this state’s RN license. And find a place to live. At least those are the most immediate things I need to do. Before my start date which is unofficially January 5th.

I finally told my parents last night. And amazingly, they took it pretty well. I think deep down they knew that there just seemed to be something missing in our life. And as wonderful as our marriage was, we just didn’t seem to be happy. So I think that when I told them how this whole opportunity just seemed to be calling out to us, I think that sold them on the idea.

I probably won’t tell my current employer until I get the official notice; which should happen after the drug screen and background check are completed. But in the mean time … since you guys have been so incredibly awesome and patient with me, the least I can do is tell you where we’ll officially be moving.

Unfortunately, Kara … it’s not California, although it would have been awesome to move out that way. I can tell you that perhaps one day we will move out further west; as that would be both Hubby & my dream to live close to the Pacific. And no, Pam … it’s not Minnesota either. Or Indiana, Io. But where I’ll be will definitely be a closer drive for all of us to visit each other.

Yes, Hubby & I will still be in the Midwest … Chicago, to be exact. It’s a city that Hubby & I have always talked about moving to, even back in our college days. Except the opportunity just never seemed to surface. And then any chance of moving stalled once we took the journey down the infertility road. Because starting our family became our priority.

Now, it appears that this city is calling to us again. And lately, all the signs have been pointing us to that direction. And I am So. Frickin. Excited!!

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"Fortune"-ate

 (Update 03.19.2009: Now that the cat’s out of the bag, I can finally un-PWP this post!)

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Focus on your long-term term goal.
Good things will soon happen.

– Fortune Cookie from Chinese Take-out
(Last night’s dinner, by the way … )

Wow. I mean seriously. Wow. I’m still in a bit of shock over the news I received yesterday, and I’m still completely giddy with excitement.

Wednesday afternoon I received a call. From the HR person I’ve been dealing with. Unfortunately, I missed the call and by the time I realized it, it was way past the time for me to call back. So I had to wait until the morning to call.

In the mean time, I was trying to send out my follow-up letters to both the HR person I finally met face to face this past Monday and the manager of the department I was interviewing in. So Wednesday night, I finished writing the letters and thought briefly about snail-mailing them out. But seeing as if I already received one call, I figured that I could send the letter by email instead … at least for the time being.

So about 11:30 pm that night, I shipped out both emails and thought nothing about it; hoping that the HR person would read it in the morning before I called him back.

Five minutes later … I receive a reply. From the manager that I interviewed with. At 11:30 pm EST. Which means it was still late evening where she was. Yikes … I was totally not expecting that! But basically she said that it was nice meeting me too, and that I should contact the HR rep for “the next steps.”

So I’m thinking that perhaps the call is to set up an interview with the Director of the department for the supervisor position I also interviewed for. Or maybe I was going to be offered the Case Manager position instead; which would have been fine, but then I’d have been concerned about the salary and still having to make the move out of our state. Either way, I was prepared for the call.

So yesterday morning, I call shortly after what I assume is the HR person’s starting time and leave a message. And wait for about an hour. When HR guy finally calls, I’m taken completely by surprise. Because rather than calling to set up another interview, he’s calling to offer me a position. The supervisor position.

That’s right … the supervisor position!

HOLY CRAP!! I GOT OFFERED THE JOB!!!

Okay, so before I get too excited … I still have to officially accept the position and the salary that’s currently being negotiated (which are going good, by the way …). And well, I still have to take the requisite drug screen (no poppy seeds for me). But …

HOLY CRAP!! I GOT OFFERED THE JOB!!!

Okay, so now that I got that out of the way … I can’t believe how, thus far, things have been falling neatly into place. How finding out about my (now ex-) Director’s move to a new company out of state coincided with a very emotionally difficult time in my life (read: niece’s birth). How the opportunity to review my resume and forward it on spurred me to even contemplating such a move. How we got such an awesome deal on lodging that I didn’t realize was right next to the building I’d be interviewing in. How, even though Hubby was sick over the weekend, that gave me the chance to rest up and relax before the big interview. How the manager I interviewed with happened to be Filipino. How her supervisor happened to be someone that shared my views about teamwork and leadership. And how my ex-Director picked the most opportune moment to peak in the meeting room just to say hi to me.

Now, y’all know my stance with my Catholicism. I’m spiritual to a point, but then my scientific and logical reasoning takes over. But let me tell you … right now, I believe that The Big Man Upstairs has been seriously watching over me. That He’s felt my pain and frustration with everything I’ve been dealing with, that He’s noticed all the anxiety and tears I’ve let loose. And that at this moment, when I just needed something to go my way for once, He’s opened a few doors. And I am so grateful for this.

By no means am I completely clear of any obstacles, though. There’s still all the other logistics that need to be addressed. Selling our house in a depressed economy (this is metro-Detroit, after all … the Motor City ain’t doing so good right now). Finding a place to live in the mean time. Paying for both places until our house sells. All those logistics.

Yes, I know I’m putting the cart in front of the horse right now. But haven’t you noticed? It’s in my nature to worry about these things. But I pray that these things go as smoothly as (knock on wood) things have been going thus far.

So again, if anybody has The Big Man Upstairs on their speed dial, would you mind continuing to put a good word in for me?

And now, if you’ll excuse me … I’m going to do the “Dance of Joy.”

_

(Update 03.19.2009: Now that the cat’s out of the bag, I can finally un-PWP this post!)

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