A woman's got to make a living

I'm in my final few days of working at my pre-baby job. I've been up there the past few weeks filling in between the time that the interim person left June 1 (she covered for me on maternity leave and then continued covering for me after I (technically) "left" (i.e.., when I went from salaried to consulting)) and the new actual (i.e., non-interim) person started today. I'll be up there some the next few weeks training this person, but it finally looks like it is winding down and I will soon no longer even be consulting for them.

For a little history on the timeline of all this, see below:

Pre-baby: I worked 45-55 hours a week (some weeks much, much more, but this was average) at this job, really enjoyed it, although my boss drove me nuts sometimes and the work sometimes was out of control

Pregnancy: Same hours as above, but with a bigger belly and ankles. I found a trashcan that doubled as a footrest and made it work. I worked until 7 pm the night I went into labor. The two months before I was due, I was up at work 6-7 days a week, 55-65 hours a week, working on two huge projects. One got finished before J was born, the other I was still working on during my maternity leave.

Maternity leave: I work a few hours here and there to finish the project. Once it's done, I don't do anything for work, except check email every once in a while.

Post-maternity leave: I return on a part-time schedule (3 days/week), with the full support of my boss. We start figuring out how to make my full-time job work on a part-time schedule. Two weeks into this, I interview for new (part-time, work from home job in my ideal field that ties much more closely to my long-term goals).

One month post-maternity leave: I am offered and accept dream part-time, work from home, in my career field job. I resign from my other job. My boss was speechless for about 6 minutes after I did so. This was last August.

As compromise, I agree to stay with old job for two more months to help finish a project with an October deadline. I also agree to start new job. One part time job + one part time job = insanity.

September: October deadline gets pushed back to March. Boss nicely asks if I will stay on.

October: J was still not sleeping through the night; I was still not sleeping through the night. Sleep deprived employee = employee who didn't realize that she just agreed to continue at old job for another two months. Oh, and ramp up activities at new job. I wanted to scream. I did scream a few times, in my car.

December: Finally done with regular salaried role at old job. Boss asked if I would stay on and "consult" on project that was pushed back to March. Having had a little more sleep in recent weeks, I agree, but only after indicating that all work would be done from home. Boss isn't in a position to argue; I now have two part-time work from home jobs.

January-March: Finish project, with only a few days up at the office. Enjoy the extra money.

March-June: Nothing from old job. Finally get to start jumping into to "new" job and focus on it.

June: back up part-time, 3 days a week, at old job. Still doing "new" job.

So almost a year after I gave notice, it's finally ending. I think back last August, last December, and even last March, I was a little sad to reach that new stage and transition to my new role with the job. I put a lot of myself into the work for that job, changed alot of things for the better, and had quite a few accomplishments in the job. I feel really proud of what I did in the job, even with it being beyond frustrating at times, and I was having a hard time letting go and moving into this new stage.

Now though, I can't wait for that last day. I can't wait to turn in my termination paperwork. The past few weeks have only reminded me why this job was not my career goal. I also have been shortchanging my new job for the old job, and I want to stop doing that - I need to be able to focus on my real job and make that my priority, or else it won't be around for long! And it's such a great opportunity for me, both professionally and personally (can't argue with working part-time, from home).

So I'm almost done. It's almost time to shelve that part of my life. And I can't wait.

My other blog

I think I've mentioned on here before that I also maintain a non-anonymous family blog that consists mainly of short stories about J and lots of pictures. I had gotten really behind on updating it, so I've been spending the last few nights trying to go back two months and catch up. I hadn't posted anything on that blog since the Palm Sunday Easter Egg Hunt, so it had been a while. I'm up now to May, so only 6 more weeks to go!

One of the new things I added to this blog a few weeks ago was a sitemeter. I've been checking the sitemeter almost every day, because I wasn't really sure if any of our friends and family were looking at the blog or not (we don't have a lot of "blog-savvy" folks, so no one ever leaves a comment). As it turns out, we do have some faithful family and friends that have been checking it regularly even when I wasn't updating it! For most of the hits I was able to guess who they were, or at least it made sense that they were someone I knew based on their location.

Except for one. We apparently have a very regular blog-visitor on the family blog from Uni.versity of Te.nnesse at Me.mphis, who checks the blog almost every day and, on the days when there is a new post, spends a few minutes looking at it. I initially had no idea who this could be - I asked Husband if he knew of anyone affiliated with this University, and he did not. It was kind of bothering me, because this person was checking the blog on a more regular basis than my mother!

And then it hit me. I do know someone who is there - who actually has a fa.culty position there. And if it's the person I think it is, then I don't know what to make of them reading my family blog. Because this person was the BIGGEST mistake of my life. We dated for a very tumultuous 9 months, and I came to find out that he has some serious personal problems. The guy was crazy. And he brought out the absolute worst in me, and during the time we dated I engaged in some fairly negative behaviors (lots of cheating on this guy with random other guys, lots of drinking, lots of arguing, lots of not-so-good stuff). We finally ended up calling things off (after some very heated, public arguments) and we both moved on. We still have mutual friends, which is why I know where he is now, so it may be that he found the blog through one of them. It's possible also that he found it through just a google blog search of my name. And of course, it's possible it's not him.

But if it is, I want him off my blog. Where's the blog police when you need them?

This is the way I live

One of my favorite ways to "de-stress" is singing out loud and dancing in my car. And more often than not, the songs that really make me relax and laugh are hip-hop and rap. I think because the image of me, dancing along to hip-hop in my car, with the bass turned up and the windows down, is pretty funny. And it's a riot when someone in the car next to me notices me trying to dance like a hip-hop dancer! The song that I've loved lately, and that I sing with J all the time around the house (remember the Friends episode where Ross and Rachel sing "baby got back" to baby emma to make her laugh?), is Baby Boy Da Prince's The Way I Live.

I love, love, love this song. I almost have the whole thing memorized, and it's a blast to sing with J while we dance around together. It's also a great sing-along-in-the-car song.

Have you heard this song? I was trying to find a link to a clip online, but couldn't. Oh well.

Here's the chorus:
This is the way I live
Lil' Boy still pushin'big wheels
I stack my money, lay low, and chill
Don't need to work hard that's the way I feel, I feel, I
This is the way I live
Lil' Boy still pushin' big wheels
I stack my money, lay low, and chill
Don't need to work hard that's the way I feel, I feel, I
This is the way I live

Fun day and a random question

We had a blast today! I'm trying to keep all my working during naptime and on MWF, since I now have regular childcare on those days, because it's too hard to work when J is awake and I felt guilty for doing so. So as part of this, I'm trying to make Tuesday and Thursday our days to get out and do some fun activities together. Today we met up with friends at the park to walk (we walked almost 9 miles!), then we let the kids out to play at the playground (they were very antsy after being in their strollers for an hour and a half). The playground had turned on the in-ground sprinklers, which J loved! All the kids were standing around them, laughing and giggling every time one of them shot up in the air! We all were soaked. After this, we went down to the lake and fed the ducks old bread that one of the moms had brought along. I don't think the kids, J included, really liked the ducks that much. And actually, they were kind of scary. There were some cute baby ducks, but most of the ducks were huge, ugly, mean things that were attacking each other for the bread! So we didn't spend much time doing this.

After the park, we went home and J took a good, three hour nap. I got quite a bit of work done, made some yummy breakfast muffins, and relaxed with my lunch while watching "The V.iew". I wasn't sure if I'd like the show as much with Ro.sie gone, because she always made me laugh, but it's actually still pretty entertaining.

J and I met up with another mom and baby at a different park this afternoon - I think by this time, he was a bit tired of being outside! We played on the swings for awhile, but then ended up sitting and talking while the kids ate a snack.

Now, here's my random question - J is going to this new Pa.rent's Day O.ut program, and he still has a little bit of an upset stomach (i.e., dia.rrhea) from the stomach virus that he had last week. Is he still contagious? Should I not take him? If it was daycare, I would still take him, because I know that they have a pretty relaxed policy on sick kids (they can't go if they have a fever, significant cold symptoms, undiagnosed rash, or actively vomiting). But this P.DO program doesn't have a policy on sick kids (that I was provided), so I'm not sure if this is something that they would get upset with me for bringing him with or if it doesn't matter. I get the feeling that they are a little more conservative about stuff like this, since they are more of an "optional" place for kids to go and not really a daycare. Thoughts?

I think part of my uncertainty is that I'm feeling guilty that I'm using the P.DO time to work, when they market it as a place for SAHMs to drop off their kids for a few hours to get a break. But I think if I was a full-time SAHM, then I would feel guilty dropping him off so I could go get a pedicure or something since the teachers are moms who are working and not off getting pedicures!

Since I'm unoriginal today

We had a long weekend - it kicked off with J puking all over the playground, his carseat on the way home, and his bed (all while Husband was out of town) and its just gone downhill from there. So rather than detail out all the misery, I found this really cool Ipod meme at Musings of a Housewife that I'm going to do:


INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Put your music player on shuffle.
2. Press forward for each question.
3. Use the song title as the answer to the question even if it doesn’t make sense.

NO CHEATING!

How do you feel today? Prone to Wander by Chris Rice (yes, I'd like to wander off to the salon for a pedicure, then my favorite restaurant for dinner and drinks)

What's your outlook on life? The Valley by Sarah Masen (actually, I'm a little more upbeat than being in a valley all the time - there are high points!)

What does your family think of you? We Are Not As Strong As We Think We Are by Rich Mullins (hm, interesting.)

What do your friends think of you? You Look So Young by The Jayhawks (thank you friends)

What do your exes think of you? Never is Enough by Barenaked Ladies (I guess that says it all - I think the same about them!)

How's your love life? It's All Been Done by Barenaked Ladies (I have felt a little bored lately!)

How will your love life be in the future? I'll Miss You Till I Meet You by Dar Williams (but even though I'm bored, I don't plan on meeting anyone new)

Will you get married? Give a Little Bit by Sarah Masen (I am married, so this makes no sense)

Are you good at school? Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight by James Taylor (I was good at school probably because I spent a lot of lonely nights studying!)

Will you be successful? Save it for a Rainy Day by The Jayhawks (We probably should be saving for a raining day or else we will find ourselves unsuccessful!)

What song should they play on your birthday? Middle Man by Jack Johnson (again, this one makes no sense to me)

What song should they play at your graduation? Least Complicated by the Indigo Girls

The Soundtrack of your life? Land of Canaan by the Indigo Girls (this song actually is probably a really good one for my life - it was a constant background song throughout college and grad school and I associate it with some of the biggest decisions I made during those years)

You and your best friends are? Closer to Fine by Indigo Girls (yes, we are. Thank you very much!)

Happy times: Hallelujahs by Chris Rice (all good things come from above)

Sad times: Carolina in My Mind by James Taylor (I posted about this song here - it's the one song from the Greatest Hits CD that really reminds me of that night; funny that it would come up as sad though, because I don't really feel sad about that night)

Every day: Since U Been Gone by Kelly Clarkson (I can't think of anyone who's gone that I think about every day, so again, doesn't make sense!)

For tomorrow: Smash by Goo Goo Dolls(what J does to my picture frames and breakables)

For you: In State by Kathleen Edwards

What does next year have in store for you? Stumbling Through the Dark by The JayHawks (this would better have summed up last year as my first year as a mother! Didn't know what I was doing, and I was up alot during the middle of the night!)

What do you say when life gets too hard? Deep Enough to Dream by Chris Rice (yep, I'm dreaming of a beach in Mexico and unlimited drinks)

What song will you dance to at your wedding? Crash Into Me by Dave Matthews Band (we did play this at our wedding, mainly because my college girlfriends and I love it!)

What do you want as your career? The Wood Song by Indigo Girls (ok, this is a strange title. I have to go listen to this song again)

Your favorite saying: One Man's Problem by The Jayhawks (actually, I do like to say "not my problem" that's close!)

How will you die? Better Things by Dar Williams (because we know that what waits for us in Heaven are definitely "better things")

Most of these turned out a little strange and didn't make sense! Oh well, it was fun to do. I started trying to link to the albums, but that was too much effort. I also realized that for some reason my shuffle picked alot of songs from the same artists. I must have the settings set that way. I do have more diversity in my music than just these artists!

I'm tagging anyone that wants to do this. Just leave a comment so I can read your shuffle picks!