Finally!!!!

Something huge happened to me in my life.  I've been hoping and praying for this day for 7 years and as of Monday it happened.

I realize in our current economic times some people reading this entry may feel I should just be happy with what I have, but are we ever really happy with what we have? 

I work for a company that I love.  Yes Love.  I have invested 10+ years with them, made life-long friends here, am involved in a couple really important (to me) committees. I have seen them grow from a $100M a year to a $3B a year company, but I have been BORED OUT OF MY MIND doing the same job for 10 years.  I came here with approx 7 years experience.  I am an expert in my field.  I do not have any hopes or dreams of being a manager.  I have learned that I do not like to manage people. I like to lead.  Two very different things. I even have a bachelors degree in business management.  However, I am a mom with two young children and I am happy to say I prefer to be an independant contributor. I only have to worry about ME. 

I never wanted to leave the company, I only ever wanted to find something else in the company to do.  Several years ago I interviewed for a couple positions here.  I was over qualified for one and under qualified for the other.  Although I was told I would be good at the latter, the manager did not have the band width (a very over used word here in the Silicon Valley) to train me so she was inclined to hire someone who had already been doing the job for a couple years. *sigh*  There are a also couple positions I know too much about (hellish hours and crazy stress) so I know I do not want to do those. 
I've been very lucky that in 10 years. I've squeaked thru several layoffs.  I'm not the new guy.  It's scary being the new guy.  Seniority doesn't always help but it can't always hurt either.  In these economic times changing companies is not always wise. 

Another reason I have to stay here - when you work here for 10 years you get 5 weeks of PTO (paid time off) AND you get an awesome vacation. You receive an extra week of vacation just for that 10-year vacation along with $4500 to spend for that vacation. They pay for everyone except gifts and souvenirs.  Sweet right?!  Totally.  Now you say, Sandra, you've typed that you've been there 10+ years, why haven't you taken that kick ass vacation yet?  Unfortunately they prorate your time.  I had two children while working here. Maternity leave gets subtracted from your time.  I was off approx 9 months total so my 10 year vacation award isn't really until May/June 2010.  Must. Stick. It. Out. 

It's hard to stick anything out when you no longer want to be there.  It's like nails on a chalkboard.  Seriously. 

A few months ago a part-time (ISO) internal audit position came up here at this company, which would only require me a couple weeks out of every quarter, still enabling me to do my boring regular job. My manager poo poo'd it.  She said it would take me away from my "real" job.  I was upset.  I was frustrated. 

Yes, I did look elsewhere.  I frequented Monster.com and other job sites over the years.  I even sent out a few resume's and got call backs.  The trouble was, I didn't want to leave.  I just wanted a change. 

I finally got what I wanted.  A position was created that relates to what I do, but it's in a completely other section of the company.  I work in finance. This new position was in sales. They needed someone like me and I knew I was their person.  I said many prayers. I tried to do the "Secret" and say lots of positive things like "PICK ME" and "GIVE IT TO SANDRA".  I was desperate!  They interviewed many people. I GOT IT!!!  I start the first week of January.  I'm so happy.  I really am doing happy dances. 

My kids are so sweet.  When they found out they wrote me congratulations notes with big hearts.  My husband just asked if I'm happy.  YES! 

Now the tough part is to not act like a "short-timer" while I finish out the year here in finance. I still have to interact with this department and it's quite possible my new job may some day end up back in finance rather than sales. 

I'M SO EXCITED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Whew!

Yesterday was very stressful. My company laid off approx 450 people. In all the layoffs we've had over my 9 years of being here, this is the only one where I was seriously worried. Thankfully I made it. The image I have in my head for this layoff is a chopping block where a knife is going up and down repeatedly and employees have to pass through. My turn happened as the knife was in the up position.

In home news, Todd's overtime has been eliminated completely which affects our income heavily. I had to cancel our cleaning lady. This KILLS me. I work full-time and hate on my only 2 days home to clean bathrooms and the like. My house is fairly huge. I can guarantee you that there will be lots of dust in my home from now on.

Has anyone ever thrown a cleaning party??? You know, similar to a tree trimming party. Maybe I can start one up. I'm happy to provide wine to anyone who cleans my toilets.
If interested apply here.

Puttin' out fires

Today at work I participated in a fire extinguisher training for my ERT (emergency response team) that I'm on. The fire department came in 2 trucks. The regular fire truck and the hazmad truck carrying the gasoline. We had approximately a dozen fire extinguishers to use.

They put out 2 garbage cans and a shorter can, poured the gasoline in them. A firefighter took a long stick with a flare on the end, lit the flare, then lit all the cans on fire. We practiced pulling the pin, aiming at the fire down at the base then sprayed it side to side a few times getting the fire out.



I HAD TOO MUCH FUN! Yes, you heard me. Putting out that fire was way too much fun. Many of my colleagues agreed. We want to do it again.

Firefighter telling us again what we need to do. We're also waiting for other fighfighter to light cans. I can't be seen. I'm standing next to the white rolling cart.

Die Fire! Die!

Stuart Little

At work yesterday:

Occurrences before the find:

Tina: I heard T.G. a couple days ago talking to someone in facilities asking who he should tell that he saw a mouse.
Janet: Yesterday I was walking the hallway but I didn't have my glasses on. I thought I saw a mouse running down the grey carpet but then I thought, No, it must just be that I can't see well.
Katie: Do you know why there are so many mouse traps? Guess whose office it was seen in first. Judy's! (our CFO) Ed (facilities manager) kept shaking his head asking why it had to be hers.

After the find:
Tina: Sandra, did you see it?
Sandra: See what?
Tina: The mouse
Sandra: WHERE??
Tina: In the cube across from Janet. When we were leaving the meeting it caught my eye.

I walk around the cubes and stand with 4 other people gawking. On the floor by the wall under the window is a small box with a tiny grey mouse dead on his side.
Wendy: There's another box in Roger's cube. Someone should go check that one to see if one is in there.
Sandra: Seriously? (notices Wendy has her cell phone open) Did you take a picture of it?
Wendy: Uh huh. I'm going to send it to Lucy (Lucy's old cube has the mouse but they moved her to a different building recently)

I go to check Rogers mouse trap but it's empty.

Kathy: There's a MOUSE?! WHERE? (goes to see mouse) OMG someone needs to come take that thing. Who do we call? What is the number to facilities? 9, 1, what? Anyone know? They gotta get that thing out of here.

Sandra: It's a dead mouse Kathy. It's not going to hurt you.
Kathy: I don't care. I can't work in here knowing that it's there. Those things give me the creeps.
Sandra: I'll email facilities. Hang on. I'll email Carlos.

2:13pm "Please send someone up here. We caught a mouse in one of the traps. He’s in Lucy V's OLD cube. It’s freaking some ladies out so he needs to be removed quick".

2:30pm Hi Sandra,
Are you sure you don’t want to keep it as a pet, just kidding. We’ll come to get it.
Carlos

Fire Drill goes off. Everyone has to leave building and stand in 90 degree weather.
I've got an ERT flag on my cube but I was gone the week they did the training. I have no idea what I'm supposed to do. I head outside with everyone else. Secretly wondering if the mouse is the cause for the drill. Nah. See Wendy talking to Lucy down the steps showing her the picture of the mouse.
Sandra: Lucy, you're supposed to take ALL your belongings.
Lucy: Laughing.

Walk towards the front of the building outside and spot a few ERT friends with orange vests being told by the security manager that they did a good job. They can tell everyone they can go back inside.

Sandra: Where did you guys get your vests?
Katie: From the file cabinet. Where's yours?
Sandra: I don't know where mine is? I don't even know what I'm supposed to do?
Katie: Did you sweep your area?
Sandra: No, I don't even know what my area IS.
Katie: You didn't sweep your area? What if someone is still in there.
Sandra: I wasn't here for the training. Why they put my ERT flag on my cube is a huge mystery.
We all walk back inside. She shows me her file cabinet and tells me I must have one in my area too.
Katie: Go look for it.

I walk back to my cube.

Kathy: The mouse is still here?! I saw someone from facilities over here before we left. Why didn't they take it? They gotta get this thing out of here.
Sandra: The drill happened so they probably left to deal with that. Someone will be up here. Don't worry.

3:01pm email to everyone from facilities manager:
"A motor on one of our rooftop air-conditioning units exploded, starting a fire, which triggered the building alarm. The fire was put out and the all clear signal was given. The fire department has also inspected the roof and given us the all-clear.

Any smoke you may smell is residual and will dissipate in a few minutes.

The air-conditioning unit is currently down, a replacement motor is on its way, and repairs will take 1-2 hours to complete. Until it is repaired, the central finance area will be without air-conditioning.

Even though few people saw or smelled anything, a real threat was present; thanks to everybody for timely evacuating the building and listening to the Emergency Response Team."

Facilities: 2 men show up at my cube Hi Sandra. There's a mouse?
Sandra: pointing to the window The other side by the corner in the box.
Kathy: Over here! Please come take it.

Sandra receives 5 calendar appointments for ERT fire extinguisher and CPR training. Thank goodness.

Life back to normal....

Punctuation IS important

The purpose of punctuation is to help make clear the meaning of printed or written language.

WHY PUNCTUATE?
Read the following passage, without punctuation..
i would like to apply for a job with your company for two years i have been employed as a sales clerk for the jones store i sold nothing that i did not take pride in i am sure it will be the same if i work for you

Now, look at how much easier it is to read with punctuation:
I would like to apply for a job with your company. For two years I have been employed as a sales clerk for the Jones store. I sold nothing that I did not take pride in. I am sure it will be the same if I work for you.

Here is an real email I received today from a customer who buys product from us. I was inquiring on the status of some invoices which were being short paid. You work in a business people. Use punctuation!

"sorry I did not get this sooner to you. I wanted to let you know invoice
su818031 for po 10135083 balance for 374.80 is hitting the account invoice
su597031 we are sending to buyer for approval on po 10113592 and there was a new case created for the following invoices su597031 and su695770 we are sending these over to the department for processing under new pos they are as follows inv su695770 new po 10124446 for 238.80 and ind su61425a new po
10115043 2043.20 hope that helps clear some issues"

Uh, no! You just confused me more!