Moved in and (fairly) settled
Last weekend we officially moved into our new home. I honestly never believed 2 people could accomplish so much in a weekend. We got everything in and mostly unpacked on Saturday, and despite our arms and legs feeling like jelly, even had the energy to assemble a new desk and printer stand before going to bed. We got up early Sunday morning to meet the cable guy, ran some errands, then went back to our old rental to clean the place from top to bottom. Once we got back home, we unpacked a few more boxes and finally headed to bed. After going non-stop from 7:30am until 11:30pm both Saturday and Sunday, I'm honestly surprised we were in any shape to go in to work on Monday.
We've been going pretty non-stop since last weekend. It's amazing how much moving can totally uproot your life. We've got a to-do list a mile long and we're slowly trying to make our way through it. Yesterday we went to Ikea and picked up a new kitchen table and 2 dressers, then proceeded to spend another 7 1/2 hours assembling it all (thank god for excellent instructions). Everything is really coming together, slowly but surely. We still have a good 3-4 weekends of work before I say that we are finally settled, but progress is being made nonetheless. I think what I am most excited about is our new washer and dryer that is scheduled to be delivered next Saturday. It doesn't seem like much, but after having to pay to do your laundry, AND having to lug it back and forth to the laundry room for the last year and a half, going back to having an in-house laundry unit will be much welcomed.
The girls absolutely love their backyard. It's been a long time since they've really had the room to romp and play. Snow is better than new following her surgery a few weeks back, and Gypsy is her regular terror self. Thanks to everyone for Snow's well-wishings. We really appreciated them.
Ok. News on the work-front. As some of you may know, I interviewed for the position of HR Recruiter last week at work. Besides being a nice promotion salary-wise, the new role would have really allowed me the opportunity to gain some really valuable experience. I found out yesterday that despite being the top candidate, the territory had been reconsidered, and they decided to hire a recruiter in Bakersfield rather than in the Bay area. In exchange, I was offered an 18 month developmental opportunity... the first 6 months as a recruiter... the last 12 months as a Claim Representative. My first thought was, "Huh?". It was then explained that knowing more of the insurance business would give me more credibility when working with hiring management on openings (should I later become a recruiter... which also wouldn't be guaranteed once I finished my developmental role). So besides not getting the promotion, if I want to advance in the company I would have to leave the department that I really love for an entire year. Quite the pickle if you ask me. The worst part about it is that if I turn down the offer, it will be viewed as if I'm not serious about my career at the company and will more than likely be black-listed from future opportunities. I think Patty said it best... I have to decide whether I want a career in HR or a career at State Farm. I was hoping to say both, but it doesn't look like our views of how my career path should look align. The one thing I know for a fact is that I'm not going to accept the developmental offer. Not only would it bring about loads of extra stress (and ultimately unhappiness), but it also would bring in no extra money (a small fact I later learned). I'm just hoping that my current job is safe. Time will tell.
The concert season seems to be picking up. The first 2 weeks in October we already have 3 shows lined up. Gwen is coming around again, Kelly Clarkson just re-scheduled her tour, and I also recently found out that Alanis is going to be performing at a fundraiser benefit in NYC. Can't wait! It's been 2 LONG years since my last Alanis show, so needless to say I'm beyond excited. The best part is that we're going to be able to reunite with the old crew again.
Ok... that's a big enough update for now. Gotta get ready and head to Costco and Home Depot for some supplies (a few more fence repairs to do). The fun never ends!
P.S. Dick and Danielle for the win! (for you Big Brother watchers out there)
We've been going pretty non-stop since last weekend. It's amazing how much moving can totally uproot your life. We've got a to-do list a mile long and we're slowly trying to make our way through it. Yesterday we went to Ikea and picked up a new kitchen table and 2 dressers, then proceeded to spend another 7 1/2 hours assembling it all (thank god for excellent instructions). Everything is really coming together, slowly but surely. We still have a good 3-4 weekends of work before I say that we are finally settled, but progress is being made nonetheless. I think what I am most excited about is our new washer and dryer that is scheduled to be delivered next Saturday. It doesn't seem like much, but after having to pay to do your laundry, AND having to lug it back and forth to the laundry room for the last year and a half, going back to having an in-house laundry unit will be much welcomed.
The girls absolutely love their backyard. It's been a long time since they've really had the room to romp and play. Snow is better than new following her surgery a few weeks back, and Gypsy is her regular terror self. Thanks to everyone for Snow's well-wishings. We really appreciated them.
Ok. News on the work-front. As some of you may know, I interviewed for the position of HR Recruiter last week at work. Besides being a nice promotion salary-wise, the new role would have really allowed me the opportunity to gain some really valuable experience. I found out yesterday that despite being the top candidate, the territory had been reconsidered, and they decided to hire a recruiter in Bakersfield rather than in the Bay area. In exchange, I was offered an 18 month developmental opportunity... the first 6 months as a recruiter... the last 12 months as a Claim Representative. My first thought was, "Huh?". It was then explained that knowing more of the insurance business would give me more credibility when working with hiring management on openings (should I later become a recruiter... which also wouldn't be guaranteed once I finished my developmental role). So besides not getting the promotion, if I want to advance in the company I would have to leave the department that I really love for an entire year. Quite the pickle if you ask me. The worst part about it is that if I turn down the offer, it will be viewed as if I'm not serious about my career at the company and will more than likely be black-listed from future opportunities. I think Patty said it best... I have to decide whether I want a career in HR or a career at State Farm. I was hoping to say both, but it doesn't look like our views of how my career path should look align. The one thing I know for a fact is that I'm not going to accept the developmental offer. Not only would it bring about loads of extra stress (and ultimately unhappiness), but it also would bring in no extra money (a small fact I later learned). I'm just hoping that my current job is safe. Time will tell.
The concert season seems to be picking up. The first 2 weeks in October we already have 3 shows lined up. Gwen is coming around again, Kelly Clarkson just re-scheduled her tour, and I also recently found out that Alanis is going to be performing at a fundraiser benefit in NYC. Can't wait! It's been 2 LONG years since my last Alanis show, so needless to say I'm beyond excited. The best part is that we're going to be able to reunite with the old crew again.
Ok... that's a big enough update for now. Gotta get ready and head to Costco and Home Depot for some supplies (a few more fence repairs to do). The fun never ends!
P.S. Dick and Danielle for the win! (for you Big Brother watchers out there)