I finally did it. After AAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLL these years, I finally got off my duff and am moving on. Friday I turned in my resignation. Whew! What a HUGE relief. You know, I think I even had an adrenalin headache by mid-afternoon.

So I knew there was some possibility that my hours would be cut, or my position could be terminated, sometime (really ANYTIME) after the summer. When I heard that I admit I looked for ways to stay. A different position in another dept. was offered me....even farther from the type of work I like to do. But I nearly went for it. Ultimately I didn't because I knew I just needed to get OUT.

While I would have preferred to find something very close to home - someplace I could walk to. Someplace close enough that I could visit my younger daughter at lunch (the older one being in high school would probably be MORTIFIED if did that for her). It is at least slightly closer, and H and I could share a ride once in a while and that would help with gas costs.

Anyway - it's a completely different type of job. I'm a alternately excited as heck, and nervous. Oh, and it's temporary. It's a two year special project position. I figured that was ok because who knows where we'll be in that time after H graduates. As long as it gets me moving in a new direction.

So - as of July 18 I will be done....here.

Answers

Ok - if I wait for other people to guess at them...It'll be never so, here goes:

1. Because they're from Holland
2. The letter S
3. 22 or 220
4. A River
5. The door wasn't locked
6. Someone built a snow man before the snow melted and the carrot was the nose, the coal was the eyes
7. His car is being delivered & he is walking home (Don't ask me why anyone would ever do that, but that's the answer)

Now: Who is this historical Character? "HOROBOD" (Remember - it's a word puzzle)

Positivity?

Julie commented that my post sounded positive - a couple posts ago about my house n stuff. I had to go to the blog to see what she was talking about because I felt like I hadn't posted anything positive in a while. When I re-read what I wrote I had to laugh because - that was the edited version. The first time I wrote it, every topic ended with a downturn or complaint. It bothered me so much that I edited all the negativity out.

Sorry that I can't tell u the answers Julie - cuz not enough people have tried them. But I will soon. The trick is to not think too complicated, think simply.

Weathers nice here. Dry, breezy, and sunny. But the areas around here that have creeks and rivers and flooding - the water's still rising. Travel throughout the state is a bit tough because of detours and closed roads n stuff, thankfully I don't need to be going anywhere.

I MISS my kids. I really really really really wish I could be working closer to home so I could see them, run home at lunch, be available in a pinch, maybe take a break to drive them to their activities once a day. I really feel like such an absentee parent from way over here 40 minutes away.

Next week I have a job interview, which is good. I mean it's a good job, a change, maybe a challenge. But it's NO closer to home. It is in an educational environment though, so that would be a good change. Still I'm applying all over close to home, hoping to find something I can walk to or ride my bike to, but which still pays the bills. I mean I could take a hit of a couple hundred a month if I didn't have to drive to timbuktoo to work.

It will be good to get out of this job. PLEASE let me find a good job close to home! That would not only change my life, but my outlook on life.

Ciao

Warning for Residents in High Water Areas

In late summer, early fall 2007 it was determined that high waters in our area were causing excessive decomposition of organic matter in soils. That in turn created high levels of Carbon Dioxide in the atmosphere and it also pushed through foundations into peoples basements and homes. Carbon Dioxide gets rid of Oxygen.

21% of the air is oxygen. If the air has less than 19% oxygen, a mask is needed. Anything below 14 percent could be deadly. Homes in this area were tested as low as 6, so the occupants had to be evacuated until officials could figure out how to combat or correct the issue.

It came to light when people called to say that they couldn't get the pilot lights on their furnaces to stay lit, and that they were feeling dizzy. They call a Utility Co. Tech who detects high levels of CO2. The Tech calls the Fire Dept. The Fire Dept. calls in Haz Mat! An investigation ensued, and voi la, the cause was determined.

Honestly I don't know how the solution was ever determined, if it was, but thought I would share it as a warning.

Brain Teasers

1. Why are so many painters Dutch?
2. EVEN LE IX I ONE : The same letter is missing five times from this series of letters. What letter is missing?
3. Take away 2 from 222. How many different answers can you come up with?
4. What has a big mouth which is forever open yet cannot utter one word?
5. A prisoner survived ten weeks in a cell without water and with a 20 cm thick steel door between him and a fresh water well in the next cell. How?
6. You are walking along a field in early spring and find two lumps of coal and a carrot. How did they get there?
7. Bob has just bought a new car. On his way home from work he is so excited at the prospect of showing it to his girlfriend that he is not concentrating. He goes past a red light without stopping, bumps into someone in front of him and then turns into a "No Entry" road. A police officer observes his actions, but makes no attempt to arrest him. Why?

Ok that's it. I'll post answers another day.

Other life updates

So....since my last post that had anything to do with work I have learned that my job will be slashed if not eliminated altogether. The walls are finally crumbling and the rubble is landing on me. Figures. Am I bitter? Yes, a bit. Do I own some responsibility? Yes, a bit. Do I feel betrayed? Yes - absolutely. Do I understand when companies downsize? Yes, absolutely.

Anyway I am searching for a new job before the end of the summer, when the Guillotine is scheduled to fall. I don't know what that first fall would mean.

It's probably the kick in the pants I need to get off my duff and move on. I've been here 15 years. That's a ridiculously long time in this day and age. So I'm trying to approach it with whatever positivity I can muster - especially so the kids are aware but don't see it as a life ending occurence. _ _It happens.

I've acquired some great references over the years that I think will serve me well - as well as lots of diverse work skills.

So - what else. We have about five different colors of stain on the back of our house as we try to decide what color to paint the house. It will be dramatically different - from a medium tan/brown to something very dark (grey/blue/green). But we haven't decided what exactly.

All of the nasty dirt in our yard, exposed after evergreens were yanked out and a fence was rebuilt, is finally covered in soft new grass. YAY - it almost looks nice lol. Now if we could just get a handle on those weeds!

We're building a changing room in our garage for people using the pool. It's looking really nice and will have a bench, cubbies, and hooks for people to use. I'm excited about painting that to make it look really fresh and bright. YAY!

The baby is walking and talking. She's trying to say everything! Such a hunger for knowledge. So pleased to see that.

Oh, sad news. 14's ginuea pig died....on the day of her graduation. It was very sudden. We're going to get a new companion for 11's pig, but they won't have girls in stock for another week or two. She took it remarkably well during the day - it was a busy time - but got a little teary eyed later in the day.

My kids are amazing. Have I said that lately? They are so amazing. We are very blessed.

The Cost of Working

I already e-mailed this to Ken, but I think I hadda post it too. I've been hearing about people shifting to four day work weeks to save on gas. That's one of my biggest issues - the rising cost of commuting to work. Especially when I drive the jeep which gets about 17 mpg.

So - I thought maybe I should ask for a four day work week. For me the added benefit would be an extra day I can keep the baby out of daycare and that related savings. But just what would that savings be? Well, with consideration for my cars mileage (the Honda and the Jeep), teh cost of gas, the number of miles to and from work, the hourly and daily cost of childcare, vacation time, holidays, sick days, etc. ALL considered:

HONDA

• 38.66 per week
• 45.86 per week if you factor in that I'd save another 7.20 per week by picking up my daughter 1/2 hour earlier each day from daycare
• 198.57 per month
• 1,700 to 2,100 per year

JEEP

• 43.06 per week
• 50.26 per week if you factor in the shorter daycare days
• 217.63 per month
• 1,980 to 2,300 per year

Right now the cost of just gas to get me to and from work plus daycare is:

• 8,891/yr (HONDA); or
• 9,903/yr (JEEP)

Tell me. Is that ridiculous or what??? That's the actual net cost just to cover the expenses that allow me to get to and from work, and which allow me to work at all by providing child care for my toddler.

Now to do the more involved calculations of factoring the value of work through employer sponsored insurance; paid holidays and vacation time; and whatever other benefits (slight tho they might be) my employer provides.....well that's just beyond me at this point.

Peace