I'm still alive

The new job hasn't killed me yet, and even better, neither has living here again. SD is damn cold. That's all I'm going to say about that.

For the record, i started a nice long blog last weekend, had it all ready to go and then somehow lost half of what I had written. So I got pissed and closed out without publishing anything. JB you were so right. What in the world was I thinking not taking a job where I could blog all the time? I'm insane.

So the quest is beginning to find me a 'puter for the home. Something affordable, if possible, but something I work with pics and still blog without wanting to rip my hair out. Anyone out there have a preference: Macs vs. PCs? I've seen the commercials and as funny as they are, I'm looking for some real proof. Help me out if you can.

But anyway, until the 'puter fund is filled then emptied, I have found the library and I intend to use it...hopefully tomorrow. But until then, know I'm still alive and missing the cities, though I do love my job. :)

Musings throughout the day

It's day three and already I'm starting out with a nervous gut-ache. I really need to work on my paranoia. This is a completely different position than I've been in. Here I'm right next to the doors being closed so private conversations can ensue. Today it started at 7:15am as Deaner came in to talk to the big man. Shutting both doors just makes me nervous. And I shouldn't have anything to be nervous about, right? It's only the beginning of day 3. I couldn't have screwed up that much already?

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I'm getting a new computer! YAY!

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Things are getting thrown at me left and right. I'm starting to push things off to next week so I can breathe a bit today, and maybe actually complete some tasks I had set for myself at the beginning of the week that I need to complete at home once I get home tonight. Lately, I've been working a bit later, then going home, eating supper, and crashing. I went to bed at 9:30 last night (though I wanted to go at 8:30). Someday I'll get the hang of this I think.

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I don't like finding files with files of things that say "File" on them. I hate filing but this is ridiculous! I need to set a meeting with Lori at some point to go through the File Plan for this office. I know I need to keep some stuff, and maybe some of this is just back ups or something, but this doesn't make sense. Oh and I need to clean and organize. I feel crowded and I have a big office! Must feng shui if I can.

Sir, may I be excused? My brain is full.

OMG.

I haven't been this tired in ages. And seriously, my head is full. Three hours learning how to cut orders alone will do that to you, but that on top of everything else today is exhausting. I about ran across the base today to kiss Kurt when he said that what I need to learn from him wasn't a priority and was happy to delay it until next week.

But I am happy to report that on top of my tiredness I continued the workout in the gym today, though I didn't do the push or sit ups. The sauna is such a wonderful treat...sweat it out, baby. That's what it's all about. Next week: food plan.

Tomorrow I'll have something fun to show you...but not until then. Stay tuned... for now I'm going to take K's advice and get some sleep.

And away we go...!

First days are exciting, aren't they? Suddenly everything is different, new, invigorating. You're doing things you've never done or haven't done in awhile and fumbling through them.

So my friend told me I need to brag about what I do...so here's a little bit. I work at a military base, which most people know, and I'm now the assistant to the commander. I was in public affairs and we put together a 12-page paper every other month. Well, for awhile I'll be do double duty until they can find a replacement for me in PA. The extra work load is insane but it's good...I can slowly let go of PA instead of slam, bam, thank you ma'am-ing it.

But here's a quick recap of my first day: I got to work and started to settle in to my desk, but really was going back and forth for a bit talking with RAC regarding the paper and getting things I needed from the office. At one point I actually had to stop myself and tell myself to slow down and walk normal. Of course, my normal is faster than most people's but I was actually going faster than normal (if you can imagine). I had to focus on that this isn't a be-all, end-all moment. I have time...more than I could imagine, in reality. Anyway, then my new office's computer decided not to play nice today, so at 7am I'm calling the computer gurus and asking them for mucho amounts of help. Turns out the computer is corrupt so now I'm working off a laptop from the PA office until they can get it fixed. And my boss was traveling today so I didn't see him for much more than 20 minutes. What a way to start the job!

The morning included meeting up with some of our retired members. Once a month there's a meeting of the retirees and today I thought I'd stop by. Good thing since RAC introduced me to them and I got to meet up with 2 of my favorites, 1 current member and I got to meet another who knew my uncle from long ago. The last one has this laugh that is so infectious; it just makes me smile to think of it. I wish I had a way to record it and play it here...believe me, you'd love it.

After working some more, I took advantage of one of the perks of this job: working out during the day at the gym. Suh-weet! I'm so excited for this because I'm really hoping to turn my exercise program around. The eating program has already started, with one set back of breakfast. I had pop-tarts this morning, then one Clementine around 10:30, then worked out and when I got back from running, sitting up, pushing up and sauna-ing, I tried to eat my chicken. I ate maybe half but I wasn't really hungry. Weird. Usually when I'm here I'm eating like there's no tomorrow.

The afternoon was spent meeting with LH regarding my training needs for this position and getting permissions to certain folders and such, and trying to finish up the paper. Nothing like spending extra hours here this week. One co-worker walked by and cracked that "only Linda stays late." And I said, HEY! I'm doing two jobs here...please don't give me crap. He laughed and said, "well, I should have amended that to say that only Linda and I stay late." Yeah, there you go. If I didn't have an article to write I wouldn't stay late either. But, let's face it, I am a workaholic and I know it. I felt a little guilty for spending an hour with the retirees today so I felt like I should work a little extra to make up for that.

But either way, this place is such a great place to work. I'm loving it already. This was truly a good move for me. I do miss the cities and all my friends there, but for my sanity this is truly the best. And just think, friends, you won't have to put up with my bitching about work anymore (or at least not as much).

Baptism by fire

This weekend was a blur. I'm sure I was working and doing many exciting things, but I can't for the life of me really comprehend my memories. But I'll try.

I got to work Friday afternoon and had the obligatory check-in with RAC, which is always good, and then checked in with the new bosses. There was a retirement party so I headed there and ran into two really good friends and countless people congratulating me on my new position and then asking me if I was told I'd be on committees or if I knew anything about so-and-so and such-and-such. Uffda. I finally escaped back to my old office to set some items up for KN to work on while I'd be jumping back and forth the rest of the weekend. Of course it was a paper month so we would have been busier than usual anyway.

Saturday I got in early to add some thoughts to KN's list and noticed that no one was in yet in my new office. So I ran down, grabbed the roll call list and my notes of interest for the group and called finance to see if I was supposed to be doing roll call or if someone else was? Nope, it's me. Is AP in to walk me through this? Yep...thank God. So I had my crash course in roll call and headed in. Our Shirt wasn't there so I ran through a list of important stuff from the bulletin and boom, I was in.

The rest of the day I went back and forth from the new office and the old. I stayed late to work on the old office stuff and of course went in early on Sunday and repeated it all again. Thank goodness I'm still around today to clean up my mess for the paper. We didn't get it done but I can finish up most of it today, get it approved tomorrow and off it can go to the printer.

I'm excited for my new job but scared to death too. It's doing a lot of work I haven't done since I've worked in PA all of my career and a lot of this wasn't needed there. But my predecessor did set up a book of how to do things, and I'll just have to take it step by step I guess. I'm sure I'll screw up, but hopefully not as often as I'm fearing I will. I just need to make sure this week sets my pattern for work - especially the little things: working out everyday, taking 15 minutes at the end of the day to create a to-do list for the next day and cleaning up the desk so I'm not walking into a mess. Slowly but surely, it'll all come together.

Math - we use it every day

What a way to end the cities festivities. This has been a great week of get togethers - helping keep me sane in the midst of boxes and papers and dust and dirt.

• Saturday Debbie and I went to our friend's house for a little bash. That was great, and my! what a house! I would move in their guest room in a second and put up with the boy's' typing forever if I could.
• Sunday was New Year's with Megan, Chris and JB playing a little Guitar Hero, pausing only to watch Dick Clark count in the new year. It was a little sad to see Dick Clark not his usual self, but considering all he's gone through it was great to see him in general.
• Tuesday night I met up with the Y&F DL gang at OC's for a beverage, welcoming them back to LS and just having a quick catchup.
• Wednesday after choir my gay boyfriends took me out to Major's for food and drink. This was a great time and I do have pics of me with the boys (and girl...Debbie was there too!). But those will have to come another time.
• And last night, my last night in the fabulous city, was the perfect end to my stay.

So last night Neil, my friend from TX, and I went to the Chatterbox. (He was in town for the DL program so we had to get together and catch up.) I think I've talked about this place before, but it is truly my favorite hangout in the cities.

First there's the drink - they brew their own and I have found the Chit Chat to be quite pleasant. But if that's not around a tall cider can make the world go 'round. Second there's the atmosphere - the exclectic 60s and 70s motif they have is awesome, mixed in with the nintendo's and Atari's*, of course. And finally, there are the games. YES games. Neil and I are big cribbage fans and since we only get to play once or twice a year this was a necessity. He got the beer, I got the game and we commenced the torture of skunks and pegging and counting 15s to our hearts content. I think we ended up tied in the end, but in reality he probably kicked my ass.

So the culmination of everything - the parties, the cribbage, the beer and of course the fabulous friends made it really tough to drive away this morning. Although, it's still a little surreal. I feel like I've just been preparing for a longer deployment than normal, and it kind of is, except I'm not returning this time. Evenutally it'll kick in, I think. But until then I'm just going to relish in my memories and await the new ones I'll be creating - both here in the new place and as I visit the old.

*by the way, Sarah, I found buried in my stuff an Atari hand game called Touch Me - just like our favorite Simon game. :)

Elvis has left the building

Well, not quite yet. I leave in 2 and a half hours, but I'm taking a minor break here to talk about the wonderful people who have been stopping by today thanking me and telling me they'll miss me.

I woke up this morning not really feeling different. It was just another day, not my last day, just a...well, a Thursday. Other than packing up a few things, burning CD's of my files and hoping to God I haven't forgotten anything, this has been a normal day. Well that and aside from tearing up everytime someone hugs me, or brings me a small gift of gratitude or well-wishes (which, if anyone knows me, throws me off anyway. I'm the gift giver, not receiver.)

But it has been good. It will be weird not being here, but I think, in the end, this will be good.

So I'm moving on. Goodbye, LS. See you on the flip side.

It's starting

Slowly, but surely, it's starting to hit that I won't actually be here in a few days. It's been very surreal, watching my apartment turn from papers and books to boxes and boxes. Little things, like removing the massive amounts of magnets from the refrigerator or even just moving the bookshelf from one side of the room to the other with the piles, suddenly make the room look almost sterile. Granted, the room is anything but sterile since the dirt and trash around my home is just downright scary, but everything is losing it's character. Now the character is in a box.

I worry a bit about this new job. It's going to be great, don't get me wrong, but now I'll be in a uniform four days a week. Bonus: I don't have to think about what I'm going to wear. Bad thing: I'm going to look just like everyone else. Not that the latter is a bad thing. I'll be part of a team, a team I believe in and love to serve with, but suddenly that individuality is slipping away.

But I know this is the right thing for me. While I'm saying goodbye to a lot of great people here, I know I can visit and that we'll, at the very least, keep in touch - the true friends do, I've learned. And hey, I am starting new. I'm beginning fresh. I'll be in a new position, one where I can set my own reputation, despite what others have done before me or will do after me. I can set my own standard for me and rise above it. I can be me.

New Year Notes to Self

• when moving, allow yourself more than one week to pack all your life possessions, especially since you've never actually had to move this much furniture at one time
• when leaving a job, allow yourself time to finish projects, but don't do them while you're actually on vacation
• when un/packing, throw things out!
• if you haven't opened that box since you moved in the first time three years ago, you probably don't need what's in it. sort it and throw it. you'll be happier in the end
  
• don't save every scrap of paper or article you think you'll read later...you won't read it
• buy a shredder
• it's okay to sell some of your books, or give them away
• you don't need to save every piece of memorabilia that friends give you, they'll still love you
  
• it's good to give to good will
• no matter how quickly you want to start your new job, do allow yourself more than one day between positions to clear your head, but if you don't do that, be very thankful for 4 day weekends
  
• if you really feel you need to keep that 'awesome quote', then start a quote journal and write it there...then throw the paper away
• don't take hotel toiletries...you don't use them when you get home, so why take them in the first place?
• Remember to pack your gym shoes and sports stuff for the first week of work. The first week of the job will establish a practice, a discipline of sorts, and part of that must be going to the gym to walk/jog on the treadmill and to start lifting weights. It all starts there.
• sleep when you're tired, eat when you're hungry, but don't do both at the same time and don't overdo it
  
• you're starting new this week - a new year, a new life with a new job and new home - it's scarier than snot, but it will be okay. remember to breathe and to keep your head up.