New Job Update and A Few Other Things

I have finally found some time to sit down and collect a few thoughts to keep you all up to date on the goings-on of my life. I have (obviously) been much busier, but not in the same way as I was a couple of weeks ago, which is kind of a blessing. I don’t think I could’ve held on much longer if things kept on the way that they were. I am starting to get settled, in more ways than one!

Yesterday (Saturday) marked my first complete 40-hour workweek at the quilt shop. I can say with no hesitation that I absolutely LOVE it!!!!! My coworkers are very helpful and encouraging, my bosses are delightful to work for, and the customers are great, too! Okay, so my first day wasn’t quite all roses and sunshine, because it was the shop’s busy day (Second Saturday), when it has its bigger crowds. It was extremely hectic, and I felt a little helpless only because I couldn’t be much help to everyone else. (Thanks for stopping in Debra; that really did make a stressful day much better!!) However, I made it through the fire, and everyone was thrilled to know that I returned on Monday, unscathed.

This week has been much better, and I am now trained to take calls, although I usually have to hand them off to others who can better answer questions, cut fabric for customers as well as fat quarters for the shop, and ring up customers, which will probably cover the gamut of my expected duties during this summer. I am definitely okay with that, only because everyone else has much more experience and will work there longer than I will. I like that everyone pitches in to accomplish a task, and that our boss does a good job of seeing that everyone’s voice is heard. I like her managerial style, and she definitely exemplifies what a good boss should be!

Even better, or worse, if you’re looking at it from a financial standpoint, I have found at least three or four projects that I want to accomplish in the near future! This will be a test of my willpower to not buy excessive amounts of fabric, etc. with my 30% discount, but I think that I will be able to find a good balance, and slowly amass the materials I will need. Really though, the first thing I will buy is a pair of Gingher scissors, because they are the Cadillac of sewing scissors. My mom got hers about 30 years ago, and she says that they are still as sharp as the day she bought them…mostly due to the fact that we were threatened within an inch of our lives if they touched anything other than fabric or thread! (I will probably do the same when I get mine, just saying!) Among the first projects I am going to work on is a car pillow for Andy’s birthday (we just marked down some flannels that would be perfect!), an OSU-themed braided fabric headband, and the most costly of the three, a queen-sized quilt for my bed in my new trailer! And I should probably invest in my own cutting mat, ruler, and rotary cutter. Like I said, not the best for me financially, but I’ll figure it out, and probably live without an awesome quilt bedspread until maybe next year (:

Sadly, since I mentioned that I work a 40-hour week, and since it is the busy time on the farm, between swathing & baling hay, and prepping for harvest, other things have had to take a back seat in my life. Even more sadly, the biggest toll has been my running or an exercise program in general. I really do have a little bit of time at the end of the day to go run before dark, or could wake up early and go, but I have to stand for the better part of my workday and by the time I get home, my feet are tired and I am tired in general. I managed a run last week, but it was nothing too impressive. ( I know, anything’s better than nothing, but still.) Hopefully I won’t keel over at the 5K next week, but I’m not expecting any record-breaking times from myself. It’ll be okay. I’ll live. It’ll be a moral victory. (That’ll be my mantra for the day.) In due time, I’ll get it figured out. If anyone has any pointers on how to keep motivated to exercise in spite of a busy schedule, send them my way! I’d greatly appreciate it!

Oh yeah, yesterday I officially closed on my trailer and we moved it to our new lot. Sadly, the new lot isn’t as well-developed as the original one was, and has a HUGE drop-off. However, Dad and Jeremy have already started scheming up ideas for a deck, which is much needed for safety purposes. My parents and I slept in it last night, and we all enjoyed a peaceful night’s rest. Now we will begin the slow but steady process of bringing my/our stuff down there and getting it settled. On the upside, the clutter from my dorm is slowly diminishing!

It is official. I miss my people, specifically Liz and Tonisha. I’m really not sure when I will see either of them again. Actually, I think I’ll see Tonisha & Mary this week before Toe moves to Wichita. I’m not ready for that, either. I know it is part of life and that we’ll keep in touch, but it makes me sad. Maybe Liz can come visit my trailer sometime!

After work last Thursday, my parents and I made a flying trip up to Burlington to see Jeremy’s daughter, Taylor, graduate high school. She graduated in a class of sixteen, and I prematurely assumed that it would be a short-lived ceremony. The ceremony ended up lasting nearly one-and-a-half hours, all thanks to their long-winded speaker. It wouldn’t have been so bad had there not already been one salutatorian and five valedictorians, but then this lady insisted on talking for upwards of fifteen minutes, and she lost EVERYONE by the end. Oh well. After graduation, Gina, Jeremy, and Taylor’s mom’s clan hosted a little reception for the family. It was much better than the ceremony on all fronts! It was a great celebration for Taylor… Congrats, missy, we’re all so proud of you!!!

While we were there, I happened to miss the airing of “The Office” finale. It’s a good thing I love Taylor, because I wouldn’t have missed the show for much. I’m joking…but really, I’ve waited for it for quite some time! Really though, it didn’t matter since I could just watch it online on Friday. If you haven’t watched it yet and don’t want it to be ruined for you, then you should stop reading now! Everything about it was perfect, from the Dwight/Angela wedding, to the peaceful conclusion of the Jim & Pam love story, to Erin’s reunion with her biological parents, to Michael Scott’s cameo appearance!!! I laughed and I cried, and I felt almost every other emotion possible in between. It was beautiful, and possibly the perfect ending to a great TV show.

I recently started reading Tina Fey’s book, “Bossypants”. Being a big fan of hers, I was excited to read the book, and haven’t been disappointed yet. Okay, so it has some coarse language, but if you are familiar with her, that shouldn’t be a shocker. She has some valid points on being a woman in modern society, and even some good leadership points. I haven’t finished it yet, but I don’t really see that it has some dramatic conclusion, since it is a memoir. I have literally laughed out loud more times than I can count, so that makes it all the better!

Oh yeah, and I passed my OGET with flying colors!!! Onward and upward to better places and things!

So, that’s what I’ve been up to over the last two weeks. I’d love to hear what everyone else is up to these days! Feel free to drop me a line! Have a great week!!!