Be Happy Anyway

Be Happy Anyway
From Brave Girls Club

Wednesday, August 8, 2012

Blessed

The other day I went food shopping. When I came home, I had to clean out the fridge to make room for the new food. (Cait and I had been on a cooking hiatus while James was visiting his dad.)

Many of you have heard about my recent adventures in single mommydom and have sent your regards and best wishes. I am very thankful for your kind words of support.

I came down from Missouri with  what I thought were virtually no resources, just a truck full of belongings that I didn't want to part with because they defined who I was - a person who was formerly successful. They were my trophies I could gaze upon when the going was rough, and I could tell myself, "See, you were able to accumulate all this "wealth" before. You will be able to do it again." It was a very self-centered way of viewing things, but it helped me survive the past two months of joblessness/underemployment.

However, as Caitlin completed the real life game of refrigerator "Tetris," I realized how blessed we are. The State saw fit to give me much of what we needed to survive physically (with a big help from mother and underpaid landlord.) I have friends who were willing to tote the load off of the truck, clean the critters out of the cabinets, hang blinds, assemble furniture...the list goes on.


The fridge and pantry "tetrisally" arranged by Caitlin

If you read the book A Framework for Understanding Poverty by Ruby Payne, you come to understand that there are many kinds of resources out there other than financial resources. These include:
  • Emotional - Being able to choose and control emotional responses
  • Mental - Having the mental abilities and acquired skills to deal with daily life.
  • Spiritual - Believing in divine purpose and guidance. 
  • Physical - Having physical health and mobility.
  • Support Systems - Having friends, family, and backup resources to access in times of need. 
  • Knowledge of Hidden Rules - Knowing the unspoken cues and habits of a group.
So although I was financially impoverished, my life was abundant with the all the other resources. I think I sometimes forget these things. However, the light bill doesn't really care whether I am emotionally or mentally well off. :-)

I would like to thank everyone who has personally helped us through this time. The dark times are slowly coming to an end. The kids and I are finally feeling at home where we are because of you.


Friday, August 3, 2012

Who'da Thunk?

Hehehe...bad grammar for an editor and teacher, but I had to do it!

Today marks my 20,000th visitor! Can you believe it?

When I started my blog in March of 2008, I had no idea what doors it would open for me. Four and half years and 20,000+ visitors later I have met so many people both virtually and in real life because of this blog. Since starting this writing adventure, this blog has transformed from a rambling of a bored mom and teacher, to the gallery of a curious artist and amateur photographer, to the rantings of an angry unemployed soon to be divorcée, finally to the celebration station of an employed teacher.

When I came up with the title, "So I Was Just Thinking," it came from a quirky way that I would call my mom and brother. I would call one of them and just jump full force into the conversation as if we had been talking all along: "So I was at the store the other day...." I am sure many people found it odd, but I found that if I started with the niceties of "Hello. How are you?" I usually forgot what I was going to say. This is why I just love this blog. I can just jump right in and have a conversation with no one as if someone has been listening all along.

I am not the most widely read blog in the world, and that's okay with me. Instead, I find that it has become a treasure for me to sort through like old photo albums, which I am horrible at keeping up with by the way. At least now, I have the opportunity to look back and say, "I remember when" and smile.

For example, I remember when:

I used to enjoy using the snooze bar.

or

I ranted about a certain nameless megamart.

or

I described my morning workout

Life sure is different from those days, although not any less crazy, just a different kind of crazy.

I would like to thank those of you have been there since the beginning and stuck around all this time. I have enjoyed getting to know you through your blogs and Facebook and real life meetings. I look forward to meeting many more of you in the future.

I am in the process of refocusing my blog again. Tell me, what is your favorite kind of post from me? Do you like the crazy mom stories, or maybe you like the cooking posts (good luck with that one) or even the crafty, art journaling type posts. Just let me know in the comments below. I can't wait to hear from you.

Let's end with a few random pictures....They seem to have been missing from my posts lately.









Wednesday, August 1, 2012

Pfewww!

I can finally breathe a sigh of relief. I think I had been holding my breath for so long, I didn't even realize it. However, yesterday, I had two interviews at two different schools. They both went well, and I walked away saying I would be happy working at either school.

In order to attend these interviews, I had to take a couple of hours off of my job at a call center. If you have never worked at a call center, consider your self fortunate. If you have...my condolences. Just let it be said that call center work is like working under the constant watch of prison guards...checking to see how long you have been off the phone without marking yourself available, monitoring if you have your cell phone out where people can see it, telling you that you cannot write, draw, do a puzzle or read a personal book when the calls are coming slowly. Instead they want you to be reading something called the KB (a complete database of every issue a caller could be calling about and how to handle it.) When you don't know how to handle a problem, you are asked, "Did you look it up in the KB?" making you feel like you just asked your mom where your skateboard is and she replies, "Where did you leave it?" or even better, asking how to spell a word and being told, "Look it up in the dictionary." If I knew where to look it up in the KB, I wouldn't be asking you now. Would I? Oh, and I forgot to tell you that they even monitor your restroom breaks. Jeez Louise!

I guess my biggest problem with working at a call center was that when I started, I wasn't very good at it. I am not used to being "not good" at something. This doesn't mean I am good at everything. It means I choose to do things I AM good at instead. Why should I put myself through such agony for something I am not interested in? Now teaching...teaching I am good at and that's where we get back to where this story started.

When I finished my interviews, I still had time before I needed to be on the phones at work. So I took advantage of the break away from the center and had some lunch. That's when the first call came offering me a position at interview number one. However, I had just left interview number two and really wanted to know if I was going to be chosen there. Fortunately, the HR person said that I was free to wait for their decision. I am sure glad I did; although, it was a difficult wait because of the call center environment and the "no cell phone" rules. Finally, though, I saw a blink of light come from phone letting me know I had a voice mail. Suddenly, I had to go to the restroom.

Under the cover of the bathroom, which by the way you aren't supposed to have phones there either, I listened to my voice mail. I then went to the break room where you are allowed to use your phone and called HR back. She said I had a choice to make: school #1 or #2. After weighing my options I chose the second one.

I AM GOING TO BE AN ELEMENTARY TEACHER AGAIN!!!! WOO HOO!

I will be working with fifth graders who have been kicked out of their previous school. This is an area I have been interested in exploring for a while. Now, I finally get my chance.

Some of you may still be wondering about the call center. Well, you won't believe what happened. By this point in my brief call center career, I am doing okay. My scores are above average on my calls (yes, they grade you.) I am no longer hating it, but I am trying to figure out how long I can stay working there because the hours are bad and my son is coming home this weekend. (Yay!) So I approach the floor supervisor and let her know that Friday will be my last day. She in turn says to me, "We need people who will be here during our fall rush, so today will be your last day." What??! She needs people to be here, so she is letting me go. Okay. I can't remember the last time I was told I couldn't work somewhere without there being some sort of funding cut involved. Unbelievable, but okay.

Just remember Call Center, I broke up with YOU!
Yes.I.broke.up.with.YOU!
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