Monday, March 27, 2006

Serendipity

Serendipity Part I

Alright, so I haven't spent much time talking about my job lately. Let's just say I've been happier.

It's not the work itself that I don't enjoy, it's the environment. You see, part of me is a Social Worker and part of me is a Technology Project Manager. So, I like to get to the point, but it's important to be respectful of your people while doing so. Which brings me to my current sitch... I like the people I work with, but currently my boss could use an HR intervention.

She is condescending and abrupt. Direct is one thing, insulting me in front of a client is a totally different ballgame. The stories of petty slights are myriad and unnecessary. Suffice to say that my husband has notified me that my attitude has taken a significant turn for the worse since I took this job. While I felt it was a real problem when I started, I believed that I'd become accustomed to the daily unconscious insults on the part of the Boss. Apparently, that was an incorrect assessment on my part.

Do you remember your favorite job? The one where people respected you and you got along with your co-workers and while everything wasn't "perfect", it was good enough to want it to go on forever?

Yeah, I used to have that job. I worked for and with a great group of people. I know a lot has changed in the two years since I've worked there, they've outsourced all their Operations IT people (same people, different paycheck provider) and some of the folks I really liked aren't there anymore. BUT, the woman that I used to work for is still there.

Since my contract ran out in December of 2003, they've tried to get me back in some capacity about half a dozen times but the opportunity just wasn't right. I don't want to work for another consulting company that will send me out of town at the next lull in local business and I was in school for a while thinking my life would be in Social Work (I was wrong).

I was talking with Hubzind about two weeks ago and said, "I would work for L-- again in a heartbeat given the right opportunity. I miss working for someone I respect and who respects me."

Friday evening, while in Galena (which was lovely - but cold, btw) my phone rang and it was L-- calling to offer me a Full-time Management position with the Company (you could have knocked me over with a feather). She said she'd been lying awake thinking about her position and how she couldn't do it alone anymore and she really needed someone with Project Management and Management skills and she wanted me but wanted to ask if I was interested before she went and did all the paperwork to create a Job Desc and a Req (yes, she said it nearly all in one breath, too).

She also said she went to talk to the Sr. Dir. we worked for way back when, with whom she still works regularly (she told me this part about 3 times, she was so excited). Before she even mentioned me to him, he said "So what's Our Girl doin' these days? Is she available?" (He's an older African American man, with whom I get along famously, so I don't bristle at the Diminutive he used).

I was so flattered that they have been looking so hard for an opportunity to get me back. Even if nothing ever comes of it. I am touched as heck that they think so fondly of me. I've been skating since Friday.

Interlude
We came home early from Galena. The shoping was a bunch of little junk shops. The countryside was beautiful but still cold and Winter Grey. DH and I usually love to go on Nature Hikes and see "Natural-Type-Stuff" but we have been working so hard lately that all we could do was sleep and browse not-so-exciting shops.

The new local yarn shop is quaint with a lot of spinning materials (yes, I was tempted, but not so much that I purchased any of the beautiful handmade spinning wheels or drop spindles or extra large looms). The yarn selection was good for a small town and inexpensive (as the shop keeper stated, Dubuque-ians have a tight grip on their dollars and the tourist season is only a few months a year, but I love it here). She has alovely collection of Alpaca with a Twist and some beautiful silks but nothing spectacular. I picked up three skeins of the Classic Elite Imagine that I'm using for the Mom Jacket since I don't know when I'll see it again. [BTW, the grey stone house to the right is the oldest house in Galena, just in case you were wondering.]

So, About 1/2 way through Saturday, Hubzind turns to me and says, "Maybe we should just go home...", we'd been valiantly dragging our exhausted derrieres around Galena in the cold and grey for about 4 1/2 hours at that point.

20 minutes later, I said, "So, uh, why are we still here?" And back to the hotel we went to check out!

I'm sure it's lovely in summer during tourist season, but it was pretty dull in March.

Serendipity Part II
I told you all of that to tell you this.

Sunday night (after we went to the last day of the Pompeii exhibit at the Field Museum), we drove home to find that one of the three houses in my sub-division that I really like has gone on the market!!!

I immediately called the Realtor and left a message inquiring about the property. I ran downstairs to my computer and checked on-line, not even posted yet!!

Woo Hoo! The price is right, the location is right, it's one of the builder's "Premium" homes in the subdivision and it's about 500 sq ft smaller than Hubzind would like, but it's still 3 br with a full finished basement and a beautiful big lot (big for our neighborhood anyway (1/3 acre on a corner lot). I talked to the Realtor today and sent all the info to Hubzind for review and he says we can go look at it this week!

Wow, a Maybe-Job and Maybe-Home all in one weekend! Whew, I think I need to have a little lie down. (Course, you know that now that I've blogged about it none of it will happen, right?) Keep your fingers crossed for me. :)

*************************
GROUP NIGHT has been moved!!
Tonight is GROUP night as usual.
Where: The Cafe' in Border's at Edens Plaza is underconstruction so we've moved 500 ft to the right and we're meeting at the Starbuck's in Edens Plaza
When: 6:30 to 8:00 pm
Hope to see you there!
(as added incentive to attend I'll be bringing the Lion Scarf kit for petting and examination....)

2 Comments:

Blogger Alyssa said...

Sounds like we have lots to talk about at GROUP tonight - see you there!

10:24 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Sounds like you have a lot going on right now. Great hearing about the job front & how much you are rightly missed.

That's the yarn shop that I was telling you about. Looks like you and hubbie got some well-deserved time away from the big city.

12:28 PM  

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