Trying for weekly, really!

Well, this is last Sunday's post. It's been for the best that I haven't posted, because almost everything in my head consists of very angry political rants. So, let's stick to the family, shall we?

David is now working 20-30 hours a week pro bono for the Utah Federal Public Defender. They petitioned to allow him a waiver to practice with his CA license for a year (he takes the Utah Bar in February). He has been sworn in by the court, has clients, has a legal assistant, and has already made appearances. He is thrilled and absolutely loves it. The whole situation is rife with opportunities for the future, references and contacts, and he's getting to do things he always wanted to. Today he got to talk to a real live bank robber! I guess that type of thing will get less exciting with time.

Ben loves school. Can you believe it? After everything we've been through the last two years? He has a great, experienced teacher, he's learning so well. He already graduated from phonics and was put in the Latin class. He loves words. He loves the order and structure of the school also. I drive him and my friend Elaine's kids in on my way to work (It's just at the foot of Capitol Hill), so I get some brief alone time with him then we all listen to and discuss a Book of Mormon Chapter. It's a great way to start the day.

Sophie is loving school also, and always carefully refers to "my teacher" (never "grandma"). She seems happy and is reading well. We've been reading Little House lately again, and she's really enjoying it. She's at the school fair with Dad, Ben and Noah right now.

Noah LOVES his preschool, which is T and TH mornings. He goes to Elaine's MWF and Thursday afternoons and Kims on Tuesday. It is a lot of juggling for a little guy, and although he loves Lincoln (Elaine's son) he's still sad sometimes about missing his family. I miss him a lot too. I was home sick yesterday from work and we had a wonderful (although horizontal) one-on-one day together with lots of books, TV, baths, and snacks. I hope my time away from him full time isn't too long, he is at such a wonderful age.

Lucy also seems to like her daycare, a few houses down the street. She loves the dog "Sassy" and has been talking up a storm all of a sudden since she started. Although her main phrase, since she has a constant diaper rash, is "Bum huwt!" She is just a sweet thing. Again, she's so young, I hope to not miss much. We really only have 2 hours a day, and on Tuesdays with choir, I don't see her for 36 hours straight.

Work is going well. I got the company listed on the Utah 100 and had a press release widely picked up this last week. I have some things in the fire, but no leads yet (I'm supposed to get 110 a month!) Were starting to make headway there on the branding side, though.

Choir is great and hard and fun. Brett and I agree seeing each other weekly is "odd." But we don't always talk, which is fine. I just started studying with the associate choir director, Jane Fjeldsted, and she's just amazing, and seems to understand what I'm trying to do with my life, as it follows a lot of what she felt like she was supposed to do. She's a blessing. The music is very cool.

On that note, I have tickets for our fall concert, which is super intense and amazing, with songs in African, Philipino, Japanese, Tongan, Latin--maybe some English thrown in. But it isn't boring stuff, there are drums and live African dancers--like I said, very intense and cool. I need to sell at least 4 season tickets (4 shows--looking at you, mom and Paw/Maw-in-Law) and 10 others for October. Donations are also needed, as this choir, although it has a very famous, talented director, lives in the shadow of a certain other large choir, which will remain nameless, but happens to be funded by a multi-million dollar organization, so expectations for choirs are high, but our funding is not quite on par with that.

See the show details here. Ticket prices are cheaper if you get them from me--$15 for one show, I think $45 for season.


So, if you live here, please buy a ticket for my choir performance in October. I have just a week or two to sell them, so call me!

Life is pretty good, so very, very busy, but with good stuff. My house is a total mess, which stresses me. And if my garden was this neglected three months ago, nothing would have grown. But I'm still getting tons of corn, squash and tomatoes, now melons even. I know yield would have been even better if I'd had the time in the last month, but I'm fine with that.

Ok, I can't help myself, I just have to get it out. Silly Paylin was making me insane, retarded political banter was making me insane, and now this bailout is making me literally insane.

This huge bailout is handily giving the taxpayer all the irresponsible institutions' bad debt. They say it's for the people, that if the stock market collapses, the people will suffer. That is true to some extent, but it isn't really for the people at all. And we will suffer anyway, both long and short term. Because of this bail out, and because of what led to it.

They are now simply printing fake money, pushing off the bubble bursting, but only making it bigger when it happens. And while the financial industry touts free market and deregulation in good times, they are now part of the most overarching socialization of our economy that has ever been perpetrated on the American people. It may put off the disaster we earned from irresponsibility, but it won't avoid it.

Meanwhile, single working moms and unemployed dads are told they need to pull themselves up by their bootstraps and be responsible for themselves, yet if you are on wall street you can step right up to the free money, and the taxpayer will foot the bill.

I've never been so angry at our government in my life, and can't imagine that this sham is going to go over in the name of our protection--there should be riots in the streets--but wait--there's something good on TV . . .

Day Two

I may have to switch back to weekly eventually, since I can't just say, "Did some marketing stuff at my job today." The job is going great, I see some exciting things happening with the company and they are booming, which is weird, since apparently today the "experts" have finally caught a whiff of reality and realize our economy is officially tanking. Some international banking officials have actually said they expect a Great Depression-esque situation. Made me think I really need to have a cow--by which I mean, buy a cow.

So, there's a paradox between my work and the pulse of the world on that point. I actually did some writing today--some promotional blurbs for merchants. I actually used the words "savings a la mode." Granted, the merchant was pie-related. I'm a hack.

Well, my home time is cut short these days, just dinner, baths, bed, stories, then running outside to weed as much as possible before dark. I've gotta get on that.

My friend Pam is coming to visit tomorrow!! I haven't seen her in years, although we talk often. I'm so excited!

Back to Work

My cherry tree

My first day was fine--forms, HR stuff, orientation. Nice lunch at a hippie place (how did they know?--oh, ya, I guess it could be that they read my blog). The work will be interesting. The benefit of the crazy intense interview process is that going in to a place you've spent several hours in and met everyone who works there doesn't feel very new or nerve-racking. They have a full two weeks of training scheduled, so hopefully I’ll know enough after that to be useful.

I need to get out in the yard and plant carrots, parsnips and radishes and put "scare ribbon" in the cherry trees and on the grape plants. It's a fat, metallic ribbon that easily moves in the air and reflects light to scare off the birds. I hope it works, because bird netting is much more expensive and a pain to put on a 30 ft cherry tree, and the birds are starting to get excited about my cherries.

Thanks for your sweet and supportive comments. Posts may not be long, but I'll try to keep them coming.

Jobs

I start my new job Tuesday. We are spending the day getting ready for the change. David's taking over inside chores, I'm keeping outside chores. It's sad but true, he is much better at running a home than I am. He'll be doing his work at night, and we'll call in the troops when he's out of town.

I think it will be a good job (and I'm not saying that because they have this address, I need to assume they have better things to do than lurk on my blog). Since I am going back to work, it seems like an ideal situation. After training, my schedule will be early, 7-4, the work is familiar stuff, the people seem nice, so it should be good.

I've gotten other calls on jobs, but I'm just going with this one, since everything seems to be a good fit and I've already accepted. The one bummer was that one of the jobs had 100% tuition reimbursement, which would have been sweet if I did the online MBA with Indiana U that I've been wanting. But oh well, I think this is a good situation.

Funny Story

You all know I'm an open person, and my last post was evidence of that. My last post also had the name of the company I've been interviewing with. Also, the company apparently has Google Alerts set on their name, which is actually probably a good idea.

Although my blog has not been searchable until recently because my audience is small and rather private, I made it searchable a few weeks ago because some folks were complaining that they couldn't find it if they didn't have the link handy.

All that comes together to make a really funny story, which you all can probably figure out on your own.

So, Andrew, welcome to my blog. And thanks for giving me the job anyway.

The Real Tuesday

I so appreciate your supportive comments. It really has helped today. I interviewed with another 9 people today--2 higher-ups together, three of the creative team I'd be on together, and then the four other members of the team together. I liked everyone and they liked me. The first meeting, with the President, took a little more than my average friendliness. I eventually broke him with my explanation of why I liked the company. Apparently they were his reasons, too. He was much more engaging after that.

The company is Access Development. My briefest description is that they have a discount network of over 200,000 merchants, including big name folks like Target and Eddie Bauer, and restaurants and such. They sell use of this network to large groups and companies under the client's own brand, for example, the Arizona Teachers' Union Discount Card. Then the teachers carry the card around and use it at the places they regularly shop. Merchants get loyal customers, companies and organizations make their employees/members happy, businesses reward their customers, and the cardholders get things cheaper. So it's not a really hard sell--everyone gets something they want, this company just brings them together.

I talked to two more old bosses today--that's such a trip! My boss from 12 years ago (that I worked with for less than a year) was very nice and said he'd be very complimentary--apparently he's a national laboratory bigwig based in Maine now. And then good old Joe Edward from Sprint--always good for a laugh. Those references were both set up for calls tomorrow.

Before I left today the man who would be my boss, Andrew, asked if I'd be around tomorrow for him to call "in case there's anything I'd like to discuss with you." He and the other management folks are going to a management retreat at noon and I get the vibe he wants things wrapped up before he leaves.

So, my guess is that I'll get a preliminary offer tomorrow. Or, they will call me on one of my answers to a question I got today and throw me out of the running all together--I can't explain, but I've got a little fear that I may be caught in a deliberate omission of fact. I have worked to be very honest with them while not sharing additional info that, although related to my business life, I really didn't want to discuss. I have a completely valid answer for them if it comes up, but I don't know. So, I'm betting tomorrow I'll be hired or prematurely fired.

After the interview I came home and just felt like my world was shaking. This would be such a big change, coming so fast, and so different from what I'm doing or what I thought the answer to our problems would be, so at odds with the identity I'd imagined for myself, and with so many spiritual and logistical challenges. Plus I was a little anxious about my evasive (to put it kindly) answer to a direct question.

I actually needed a blessing from David to calm down. The blessing said that I needed to move beyond the difficulties of the past, that the opportunities that were coming were from the Lord, that I would be given the strength to take on the additional responsibilities and that I shouldn't underestimate my resources or abilities as I go into this. I did feel better, but still a little overwhelmed.

I spent the rest of the day weeding--over 3 hours, and I only did the little garden. The big garden I can weed more with a hoe, so it should be quite so labor intensive. Even though it is something that I'll have to do again every week, I enjoy it. So much of household life is like pushing the rock up the hill only for it to roll back down and be pushed up again. But somehow, the weed thing doesn't discourage me as much as, say, the dishes thing, or the feeding everyone three times a day thing.

I've got to make a menu plan for my family tonight. I have faithfully made and followed different menus for my family so many times in the past eight years, that I can't believe that I'm starting from scratch yet again. I'm ready for bed right now.

Since I pretty much know the group of people who read my blog, I just want to say that I appreciate you letting me dump on you and that you actually take an interest in my life--I feel supported when I talk to you guys on the phone and know that you know what is going on and care. I love that via the blog I am still connected to great folks like "Nordy" (when are you coming to Utah?) and that it motivates me to keep a journal better. Hail the blog!

Busy week

Four generations! That lady with hardly any wrinkles in the middle? Yep, she's 88. Let me tell you about granny's skin care regimen--sheesh! I can't, it's a state secret anyway.

I look like my dad in this picture, which is very, very disturbing to me, but everyone else looked cute, so I'm swallowing my pride and putting it in.

The chickens are getting so big! Here's Lucy at sunset, following me around while I took some pics of the fatties.
All the chickens are the same age, and some of the fryers are girls, so it is not a gender thing here, all about breeding. Fryer's on the left, laying hen on the right (and bottom). Although you can see the bright red comb on top of the fryer, so it is a boy. The girl fryers' combs are pale and smaller, and there are none that I've seen yet on on the layers.So here's the West garden all going green! And Lucy. The hose and my bag of compost make it unkempt, but hey, we're working here. Far left row from front to back, two acorn squash plants and four varieties of potato, beets in back. Middle row front to back: chard, carrots, onions, peas, tomatoes. Right row is all squash and beans with corn in the back.

This is my tallest corn. I just weeded it three days ago, and you can see it is already being overrun, so I'll be on that tomorrow. It's the Sabbath after all.

Here are the tomatoes on the West garden side, they are all of a sudden growing fast, they must like this warm weather we've finally been getting this week.
Saturday was so productive, the coop is almost done, everything was weeded, I thinned the corn (but cheated and took all the extra plants out and replanted them somewhere else). There was organic pesticide sprayed on all the fruit trees, grapes and berries. I still need to thin the fruit on the fruit trees. I am stressing over my compost and going to get some professional advice on that at the garden center this week.


I had a 3.5 hour job interview on Friday for a full time job in marketing for a company in SLC. The position has been open for four months, and I sent them a resume on Monday, they called Tuesday, we did a phone interview Wednesday, I put my portfolio on the web for them Thursday, and then I did the crazy interview (one room, two interviewers, two breaks, three water bottles), and they said when they are ready to make an offer they start reference checks.

Well, they are having me schedule the reference checks for Monday and Tuesday.


It was so weird rehashing my whole life with them. It will also be weird talking to my old Sprint boss--immesshed, educational, intense and all-encompasing are the words that come to mind of my time being what he called his "work wife." A very different time, and that corporate life is such a very different world. But, it was one I was strangely happy and relaxed in on Friday.


David is getting a bit more work from the company he's been with for three years. Last month we thought they'd dried up completely, but now it looks like it will keep us going a big longer. We are still actively looking hard for a regular position for him also. Between the two of us, we will be able to execute a 7-year plan to put our lives back in a good place. I have talked to my Bishop and other trusted counselors and feel very relieved about this plan. I know that being here in Utah will make things easier for the kids.


Plus, this wonderful woman I was working with when I was deciding on doing a day care, she lives three houses down and runs the sweetest little 8-child, all-girl day care complete with French and ballet. I told her I likely need to be on her very long waiting list, and she said she will have an opening in late August and I'm officially on the top of the waiting list as far as she's concerned. That is a huge relief for my concerns about Lucy.

Well, it looks like after all the many, many doors we've pushed on and keep pushing on, one is opening. It is not the door I thought would be the right one for us, or that I thought I wanted to be the right one, but I can see that right now, it is a miracle that it seems to be a very timely solution for us.

Anyway, I'll let you know. Maybe my references will let the cat out of the bag about me and there won't be an offer after all.

But if so, then I'll be a working full time farmer with four kids. That will make for a lot of interesting blogging which I will never have time to do. However, I really like the company and know I'd be good at the job. Plus, paychecks are nice.

PS--if you click on the link about my dad above, you'll learn that he was in fact one of the inventors of the PC. Cool huh? But he's dead now. And he was nuts.