Busy

"How was your weekend?"

"OH SO busy! I am so tired! Whew!" She says this to me every monday usually. The coworker who loves to go on and on about how 'busy' she always is, with practically no time to breathe. She will ramble on telling me all the 'busy-ness' and how stressful it is to be that busy and wow, she wishes she weren't so busy.

"Well, stop doing so much," I suggest one day, after enduring yet another countless story about the 'busy-ness'. This seemed like a very simple resolution to me. You are busy and find it stressful. Therefore reduce stress by eleminating all the extra 'stuff'. Its how i operate. So i only assume others would do the same. I take much time to breathe on the weekends. Gather myself. Lay in bed a little longer. Snuggle next to my husband a bit more. Cuddle with my kid. Pet the dogs a little more. and get outdoors. Relax. It is so easy to get caught up in the busy mode of life. We vowed to not do so, no matter what life throws us.

"Pft. Oh, I can only wish!" She states.

"Well... I mean does your son really want to be involved in 3 sport activities at the same time? Does he really enjoy all of them? Plus the music lessons?" I ask.

"OH He loves it. He does! Icouldn't possibly make him choose!"

I considered asking why not. But instead offered a puzzled look, and returned to my work.

Theres her, whom I dearly love but enough with the 'busy' stories. And then there is him. I avoid him. He rambles endlessly to himself about work and other nonsense all day long. He tracks other workers as if he were in charge.

"I can't believe Shea isn't in yet..." He fumes to me, as if he were in charge of Shea.

"Oh. Hm." I refrain from saying more.

"This is ridiculous! He didn't call off so who knows when he'll waltz in here! He comes in later and later... but what are ya gonna do!?" His face getting redder.

I merely nod.

Him. Tracking other coworkers hours. Fuming about work before the day barely begins. When asked a question he yells "Who wants to know?!!!", "WHY?" or he rambles loudly about something ridiculous and then eventually answers after a couple minutes. He has no sense of humor, usually getting pissed at jokes because he thinks its seroius. Him who sits by me. Lovely.

At one point maybe i was a little too obvious in my dislike of him. I know he sensed it. Mean of me, well not mean. But not exactly nice. So while I was pregnant, he began bringing me a water from the store next door.

"Let me pay you for that," I say to him on day 4 of water.

"No no. Its no big deal," he refused.

"I'm okay. Really. You don't have to buy me water. Honest. But thank you. Really. Thank you." I stuttered.

He kept buying the water. Every. Single. Day. I would bring water from home. Yet he still came back from his daily trip to the store at lunch, water bottle in hand. I began to feel uncomfortable with this. I went through a series of thoughts until I went out on maternity leave. I offered to pay him again. He refused. Do I owe him a case of water now? Is it enough to just say Thank you? I wish he would let me pay him. Maybe I should bring him cookies? Will I return from maternity leave, unable to even see my desk because its covered in water bottles?

Maybe he was just trying to win me over. I'm not sure but whatever it was, it worked. I like him now. He's still annoying. But i like him.

My coworkers. Love them and all the entertainment they give, and dinnertime stories i'm able to then tell husband. Sometimes i really do feel like i'm working at "The Office" or am caught up in a Seinfield Episode.

This week, I've been lovingly nominated to the decoration committee... and the competition is getting heated. Judging is today at 10:30. Back to the task at hand.

PS - after desperately needing a quick healthy breakfast to toss in my bag for work, I made the full meal muffins from the vegan lunchbox blogger. So easy, healthy, and a perfect breakfast for me. Husband liked them but asked me to add about a cup of sugar lol. Clearly, he prefers the sugar-laden muffins, which these aren't. "That would UNhealthy them!" I say. He interupts me before i finish with "I KNOW I KNOW. NOT Healthy".

Almost September

Amazing that it's almost September... the weather here has already turned fall-ish and its husbands favorite season. I love it as well and it reminds me of our trip last fall up to CT for kayaking in Windsor. That was before I knew I was pregnant with the boy - our last trip before i knew... We hope to go back to New England this year - but hopefully the second weekend in December for Wassail Weekend in Woodstock, VT. I've always wanted to go and this year we vow to make it happen! 

August has almost passed me by and with the boy in my life, it goes so quickly. He is 14 weeks old now and his growth is amazing. More amazing is watching his little personality develop. His first smile, then now frequent smiles. His first laugh (not that long ago!) which is becoming a bit more frequent. I love being a mom to him - I would never have thought i would say i love being a mom but i sure do. He's amazing... and adorable, and all the fabulous words i can think of to describe him. 

The end of July I made a trip home to see my parents/papaw. Also got to see my aunts and my brother/his family. Had a great visit with everyone and loved the time with each and every one. We also spent two weekends in Waynesburg with husbands family. First for a wedding that Husband was in. Second for a cousins bridal shower. Lots of travel and lots of fun. Now i'm trying to plan one more trip to TN before i go back to work. 

When am i going back to work? Mid-Oct i suppose. Though I would like to push it till the first of Nov. We will see. Financially its a BIG stretch. Mentally we would feel better waiting till then. Staying at home with the boy was an adjustment but now we are into such a routine. My friend Kimberly (just lives up the street) and I walk with our boys. Her boy is 1 month older than mine and we can compare notes, stories, and even complaints. 

Husband is back to school for the fall... three classes. three nights he won't be home. When i work, i don't mind those nights really. Its my time. But being at home all day and him getting home so late those nights, we sure miss him. 

Totally off point here - but i don't like Rachael Ray's haircut. I preferred it long. I also am starting to find her slightly annoying. Especially after she was snippy to that sweet blonde girl on "Food Network Star". 

Laugh

Monday, my lunch got pushed so far back in the work fridge, that by noon it was half frozen. I had to sit out in the sun staring at my delicious quinoa feta salad, till it thawed. No big deal... things happen I tell myself. No big deal...

Tuesday, I took another salad. At noon, I go to the before mentioned work fridge, get out salad, and search for dressing. I placed a bottle of dressing there two weeks ago for exactly this occasion. I fumble past soda cans, coffee creamer, year old mustard - no dressing! Who does this? Mess with other peoples stuff in the fridge? Someone who had a HUGE salad and needed my entire bottle? Someone who just thought it looked good and took it home to test? Someone who thought it was old (it wasn't) and tossed it out? Sigh. Anyway, I ate my salad plain - ugh. Not recommended.

Today (Wednesday), I take a salad again (yes, i should have known better) with the dressing already poured on. Definitely not recommended. Soggy lettuce for lunch - again, ugh. I just had to laugh - and its exactly what i did while shoving down the soggy ceasar soaked lettuce leaves. This made yesterdays plain salad seem like a good idea. Note to self - don't take salad for lunch. Take a sandwich, a frozen dinner, anything but salad!! Tomorrow, I think I'll go out for lunch.

Job

"I just don't feel productive, challenged, or useful!" I say to Husband. "At the end of the day, I have learned nothing new! I'm bored. It's such a long day there..." All this in reference to my current job. I'm finally pursuing the dream job via 2 more years of school but currently am required to have A job so - there I am, a Logistician, for the Dept of Defense no less. Sounds fascinating doesn't it? Ehhh, not so much.

"Look things up on the internet," says Husband. "Surf the web! I love to do that at work. What a timepasser huh?" Sigh. "I do! But there is only so much surfing I can do in a 10 hour day, honestly. There just isn't that much I'm dying to look up online - to fill 10 hours that is. Okay, more like 7 hours. I do work for at least 3 hours per day, on average," I tell husband.

I plugged through college courses with visuals of being a incredible career woman, working in some social work aspect, saving the world, the mentally ill, their children, and many other groups of those who needed 'help'. Ahhh what naïve dreams...

Husband wasn't thrilled with the move to Philly. Being a 'Pittsburghian' (is this a word? Doubt it, but it fits him), I wonder if he just felt an obligation to that side of the state? Or perhaps it was the sting operation he witnessed on my interview day? From the vehicle, while waiting on me on Ridge Avenue, he was probably seeking a nap but was abruptly interrupted as undercover policemen surrounded the vehicle and literally pounce on a male passerby. Turns out, he had robbed a bank not that far away and not that long ago. Interview over - I return to vehicle. Feeling elated from a great interview and a job that pays well enough, I return saying, "this could be a real opportunity!" where he then replied "no way in hell are you gonna work here".

So, obviously we moved to Philadelphia and I worked 'There'. Due to that not so great experience on interview day, we did not however move into the city. We became suburbians, commuters, traffic-haters. Let me back up - I said We. ReallyI meant 'I'. I commute into the city. I am a traffic-hater. I have an 1.5 hour commute. We live in the suburbs. Husband works in the suburbs. Lucky Husband!

I worked 4 years 'There' by moving from Interpreter, to Case Manager aka Social Worker/ Counselor, and onto Supervisor. In the end, I do not believe I saved the world, much less one mentally ill person, any children, or other deaf individuals. And what does it exactly mean to 'save' someone? I realized thru my experiences, 'saving'someone just isn't possible. You can provide them only with tools in which to save themselves. The last year there was something I should never have put myself thru. I should have quit from the moment I woke up feeling ill at the thought of going in to work. Why, self, did you not just quit!? Moving on.

Finally the Government opportunity. The job is really not bad at all. ButI don't want to say that - I want to say "I like my job! Wow, what a day! I did so much! The day just flew by!" I'm not even asking to love my job, just like. But again its really not that bad. There are some fabulous perks - great insurance, a 4 day work week, flex hours, guaranteed pay raises, paying for grad school (part of it anyway), a day care onsite (and in another post, for those of you shocked at my mention of a day care, I'll give you more info on this topic that involves the word 'child'), and so many more perks to name yet, I work to remain grateful for them. Husband says "man, I wish my job had that stuff. You're lucky." I know I know. A girl can't help how she feels though, right?

I now know what I really want to do - thank you Lord. I miss math, numbers, calculations. I move forward to 'Goal'. Stick it out till next August. Then will have two years of government service. Almost done with my Masters in Accounting. Maybe a child on the way?? Friends (or others?), please do not send me emails asking if I have fallen ill or if some stranger has taken over my blog at the child comment. No and No to both of these. Until then, I go to work, work, clock watch till lunch break, eat, read, return to desk, repeat. But like I said, its really not that bad.

All of these points come out in dinner conversation. Husband must be tired of this dominating mealtime chatter, I'm sure of it. "Hey, will you watch Jeopardy with me? Really watch it with me too, you know what I mean." Meaning I normally read a magazine while he plays/watches Jeopardy on his own. "Sure" I say while thinking 'that damn show, ugh'. He dashes his dishes to the sink and body into the living room. The things I do for husband.