Attitude of Gratitude

I would just like to take a short break from the madness of getting ready and stop to say THANK YOU to all the friends and family who helped make this move possible. Thanks for all the encouragement and moral support, it's lessened my anxiety considerably. I also thank you for the financial support, without which none of this would be happenening. No really, if it weren't for your help I wouldn't be leaving 'til April 2009 and you'd be stuck with me for another year. Hey what a minute! Now I'm questioning your motives again...

But seriously, people seemed to be coming out of the woodwork to lend money or give money... it's mind-boggling how generous some people are and frankly leaves me wondering what I did to deserve it. I am so blessed to have such caring and supportive people in my life, and sad to be leaving them. If for some reason I'm not able to properly thank you or repay your kindness, I will be sure to pay it forward when I'm out in Seattle and feel certain it will come back around to you. (If Justin Timberlake says it, it must be true!) I will post again once I get there and know you surely wait with 'bated breath. Heh!

Sad Friday.

Today was my last day as an ARKRAY employee. (Which also means I am now unemployed, but we're not thinking about that.) There were a lot of ups and downs over the years, but I am really going to miss working there. And I'm definitely going to miss my co-workers - Shout out to my Arkist peeps! I may even miss my customers...well, most of them.

I'm kicking myself for not keeping a journal or somehow documenting the variety of strange calls I've taken over my 3 and a half years there. It would make for a good read and a good laugh.

One call just came to mind - I kept going around and around with an angry gentleman (can't even remember what he was angry about). He was being less than gentlemanly and it seemed he was trying to wear me down but my answer never changed. In the interest of saving us both some time and breath I asked "Since you don't believe me, would you like to speak to my supervisor?" to which he replied "No, you dimwit, I want to talk to YOU!" To his surprise, and my own, I calmly asserted "No, not if you are going to speak to me that way." Often times I am able to de-escalate a customer by calling them on their behavior and making them check themselves, but not this time. He started swearing like a sailor so I tranferred him to my supervisor's voice mail without saying another word. In customer service our job is to please the customer, but that does not give the customers license to be verbally abusive or demeaning. These are lessons we learned in kindergarten, no name calling, no bullying, etc. It's very simple really, so why don't people get it?


Speaking of angry customers, there's the Screaming Termini Sisters. They were always trying to scam free goods and were pleasant enough until you said no, at which point they turned into a couple of screaming banshees, shrieking into the phone at such a pitch I thought my ears would bleed. Truly, it's amazing my hearing isn't worse than it is after 12 years of wearing a headset and having customers yell in my ears.

How did this become a customer service rant?? I can't think of any more funny calls right now, but there's been lots. I'll keep thinking.

Farewell ARKRAY, you were good to me and I will miss you!

Good Friday?

I dunno, I've had better.

Yesterday was all sunshine and kittens and "it's the first day of spring, woohoo!"

Today I wake up, yawn, rub my oh so sleepy little eyes, and gaze upon this




All I know is when I went to bed last night there was very little snow left on the ground and spring was in the air. When I woke up I saw this.


See, even the trees look depressed about it!

Now, if you've been reading my blog you probably have a pretty good idea what I have to say about this turn of events. I will leave it to your imagination.

!#$%^*@ !#$%#^&!*

Oh, and have a safe and happy Easter weekend everyone!

WELCOME SPRING!

In case you didn't know, today marks the Vernal Equinox... or as I like to say, spring has sprung, peoples! (tee-hee, yipee, and other exclamations of girlish excitement) This is my favorite time of year in Minnesota, which makes it a little harder to leave.
But not too hard.


Spring Time in Seattle!
(photo courtesy of StubbyFingers)

I'm trying to ignore the headlines that say early blooming is just another sign of global warming. It's not that I don't believe it, it's that I DO and I have enough anxiety and stress in my life right now without worrying about the world coming to an end. I'm just trying to see the glass half full - it's beautiful outside and dammit, I'm going to enjoy it.

On another quasi-positive note, I scheduled my first job interview in Seattle. Unfortunately it's taking place a mere 24 hours after my arrival. And remember, we are driving straight through so I imagine that's 30-35 hours of driving, and this will be my first time ever setting foot in the city. I'm really challenging myself huh? Well, if Jack Bauer can save the world in 24 hours, I should be able to handle this. Right? This may seem a small feat to some (Jack Bauer and the like) but if you know me at all... well, let's just say I have this little comfort bubble, and I'm not just stepping out of it, I'm taking a flying friggin' leap from a spring board.

Here's hoping I land injury-free. Doh!

Viva Las Vegas 'n Stuff

Hello, Hello to my one subscriber out there! (Hi Mom)

It's been a while since I've updated the blog because not much has happened. Unless you count packing up everything I own in between regular panic attacks, the last couple weeks have been pretty uneventful. I still haven't found a job, but I have my resume out there and my fingers tightly crossed.


But I do have some news, I'm taking a trip to Las Vegas in April after I get settled in Seattle. I planned this trip a year ago using a left over timeshare week I had laying around. Of course at the time I booked it I had no idea how precarious the timing would be. Since the hotel is already booked and paid for and I've never been to Las Vegas, I've decided I'm just going to go for it. Seize the day... and all that stuff. I'm already throwing caution to the wind by impulsively moving across the country, why not add one more adventure to the mix?


No, I wasn't recently diagnosed with a terminal illness. I've just decided to start living like I'm dying like the Tim McGraw song says. Don't ask me where I am getting the money for all this, because I honestly have no freaking clue! But here's something I do know, I am renting a car and driving to the Hoover Dam and Grand Canyon - how cool is that?! I'll be sure to post pics on here.


TTFN!
For the technologically-challenged (Yeah you Mom) that means Ta Ta For Now :)








I heard what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas. Count me in!

Farewell MN ZOO

With 29 days left and counting, I'm trying to take full advantage of my Minnesota Zoo membership. I've been a zoo member and regular vistor for 3 years now and I'm going to miss this place. Julian and I went last weekend when it was 35 degrees and sunny - a virtual heat wave! And as you can clearly see, he loved every minute of it.

Adieu zoo!