Looking Glass

 Well I have been at my new job for close to a month. For the most part, I like it. Despite the sameness and the insanity of the long term care industry, I like the three other staff members and have faith my learning curve is close to an end. I started on call tonight for the first time-another reason to run from the industry. I will be on call for a week. At least here, I will get $60, but not sure how it will always pan out splitting this duty with Bobby, the Admin Assist who has been helping with this piece. I got 7 pages tonight from caregivers within two and a half hours. I'll get 'em trained to utilize the after hours system for urgent situations-not just to complain about a client in general. I got calls from a potential client and a lady who needed someone to come and hook up her TV. She didn't realize you had to be a current client to get services. I told her to call tomorrow if her neighbors were still away and I may be able to connect her with a volunteer progra...

 Well, after a year of futile attempts to break out of the long term care industry and into something new-I had to reopen myself up to that old industry. I received an email from a Tacoma home care agency and a phone call from an Olympia agency wanting interviews-within 24 hours of each other. I accepted the job in Tacoma with a private company-they are so excited to have me. I had to quit smoking to get it too-should make grumpy happy-they only hire non smoking staff and caregivers. Interesting. At least I am employed and this is different enough from my old agency, I am excited. I started on June 4th. More details to come-thought I would check in.

 About a month ago as I was catching up on the reading of my favorite blogs, I ran across bill's blog post titled, "Two Stories". I read the post time after time and was seized by the story and the style of writing in which he used to retell it. The surprise ending made me catch my breath. I eventually copied and pasted it to a Word document then printed it in order to read it, yet, some more.  I recently completed ten more manual speeches in front of my Toastmaster group and was rewarded with the Advanced Communicator Bronze certificate and acknowledgment. This allowed me the opportunity to order and receive two more advanced manuals with project objectives to complete. One of the manuals is entitled; Interpretive Reading. The first speech objective was to read a story authored by someone else and to do it in such a way, it evokes emotion from the audience and brings them into the story. "Two Stories" seemed the perfect one to present. I secured permission fro...

http://www.422.toastmastersclubs.org I hope the link takes you to our club website. You may get an idea why it means so much to so many. PS. There's a link to our newsletters near the top of the page. Feel free to read or check us out.

 The mental typewriter is at it again. I discovered some documents saved in a PC file that I created on 12/19/2012. The document was a twelve page employment, certification & training course for Human Resource Management. I have been looking into this career choice for some time. I have FAFSA and local college material discussing the topic. (Our friend kden is familiar with this. ha!) I know some of my favorite duties were office management, customer relations and working with the caregivers; assigning them work, handling their emergencies, being a sounding board, training staff, completing performance evals, etc...but don't think for a minute it was always fun. I've had to reprimand caregivers, be part of the firing process and fire employees, handle their emergencies (yes, it is twofold because despite helping, it creates more work for me, initially.) maintain redundant paperwork and work within too many processes.  Without clamoring to brag of myself,  I am a lead...

 It is times like these that I wish I had a mental typewriter tapping out my thoughts as soon as they become thoughts...when I simply think them. Sometimes my brain rattles with thoughts and ideas so fast, I don't think a stenographer could keep up with them, if ever possible. It is one of those "moody" days where I am likely wearing my heart on my sleeve. Luckily, I am alone at the house.  I have Toastmaster's tonight, and my enthusiasm for that wears thin. I love my club and the meetings. But tonight, I'd rather be home. I'd rather take a night off from responsibility and wallow in disappointment. I did not get the receptionist job. Can you believe it? This answer comes, even after my friend went to bat for me. The other candidate wasn't hired either. Can you believe it? Derek called me yesterday afternoon with the news. He didn't have a lot of feedback as he was getting ready to run an errand. The directer did not have much to say that Derek shared...

 I had my second interview with the Economic Development Council on Thursday, for the receptionist position. I was interviewed by the deputy director and his administrative assistant. I feel the interview went well, and it was 40 minutes of normal questions and a portion was a, "getting to know me" segment. I was comfortable and the nervousness subsided rather quickly.  Derek text-ed me shortly thereafter and wondered how it went. I wrote back that I felt it went well. At 4:45 PM on Friday afternoon, after not hearing any word of the interview or job, I text-ed Derek and wrote,"Torturing your candidates through the weekend? LOL." I heard no response, so I am on pins and needles wondering what of the situation. If I can't get a job as a receptionist with an organization my friend has a partial decision in making, I am a goner. I dutifully know that he will still be my friend, regardless. But waiting to hear any word of the situation is creating anxiety. I feel d...