Totally my bad for not writing anything in the past few weeks. It’s been a wee bit nuts in T-ville. I started the new jobby-job on Monday, following the traditional trek home to Indiana for Thanksgiving. I could have used a bit more time off before diving in but as usual, I do what I have to do to move forward. In an effort to sprinkle more bullet points on this blog, I have created the top three things I love about my new job and the top three things I miss about my old one. They (like me) are in no particular order.

The new job rules because:

1. I am treated as an adult, capable of handling my own schedule. They expect me to work the standard amount of hours and get my job done correctly, completely, and on time but I am not browbeaten into signing in and out. In fact, I only have to complete a time sheet when I am sick or on vacation. I still feel like I am getting away with something as I leave the office in the afternoon without signing out or saying goodbye to my entire department (or team, as they call it in the private sector).
2. Bonuses! I am not even eligible for them at this point but just saying the word brings joy to my life. I was daydreaming of this very notion while working my second job last night when one of my favorite supervisors interrupted to ask why I had such an impish grin plastered on my face. When I was offered the job, my new big boss mentioned this. I laughed out loud and asked if it was somehow related to the furloughs that public sector employees are treated to during times of fiscal distress.
3. I have a clear path of world domination. I know I currently stand as WAY-low-woman-on-the-totem-pole but I expect that with my charming personality and brilliance, I will shortly rule the universe. I can clearly see (via an hour long training session on the corporate org chart) how many people I have to climb over to reach my rightful position as Top Dog. More importantly, I know that it is possible to move up the chain without having to answer the all-important question: “So where did you go to high school?”

1. My former coworkers are all crazy and they are all my family. I can say that honestly about nearly everyone there. Every so often, I would get irritated with one of them but, hey, it’s family and you get over it. I am sure I will make new friends over time but I know for a fact that I spend five years with a tough group of people who knew how to get things done even when the system worked against them.
2. The Round Table. The Round Table was a gathering place…and the place where I sat all my baked goods when I did not want to keep them in my house. We sat around it to discuss everything from federal legislation changes to Cardinals baseball. It may not have all been work related but it bonded us together.
3. I could pass the time via Gmail and streaming online radio. I know that is probably not the most valuable use of resources but I need distractions to keep me focused on the big picture. If I can sent a quick email to my best buddy in the UK or rock out to a song for a couple minutes, it does wonders to keep my energy level up and running. Case in point: I was working through some required online training today sans Gazz/music and I did not get a perfect score on either follow-up test because I could not stay focused on the content. I just KNOW that if I had the No Apologies Track playing at 4 pm, I would have aced them both.

I woke up this morning with a positive attitude based on nothing at all. The ever-dreaded auditor showed up at my workplace yesterday, ruining my entire afternoon. Ask Gazz how quickly that happened. I went from content with my life to depressed and fearful in approximately .001 seconds while chatting with him. Those auditors must receive significant amounts of training to learn how to make people’s lives miserable. It still impresses me after five years of dealing with them. Even knowing that, however, I rolled out of bed ready to face the day. It may have had something to do with the sunshine peeking out from behind the clouds, so rare these last few days, but I choose to believe that I knew something tremendous was going to happen.

This afternoon, my phone rang with the most thrilling news I had heard in a long time. Exactly two weeks to the day from my interview, I was offered a new job! Apparently, my interviewers unanimously thought I should work with them and I felt the love all the way down the street. I have been crazy happy ever since and celebrating like it’s 1999 all over again. I fully intend to keep the party rolling for the rest of the extended weekend, with a new brewery opening up tomorrow and a Blues hockey game on Saturday in addition to a house party. This weekend promises to be one of the best. I love my life!

I thoroughly enjoy my second job even if I have only worked a few events thus far. I can say I have learned quite a bit already. Important things like such as Aretha Franklin can still bring down the house after all these years and it takes a bit to get used to standing still for hours at a time. At the Widespread Panic concert tonight, however, my knowledge base expanded significantly (or maybe it was my consciousness expanding…), so much so that I feel the need to share. And in list form, no less!

1. I am high. I have been to a large number of concerts over the years but none has ever matched the intensity of the pot haze surrounding this crowd. Once the doors closed, the lights shown brightly through a lovely fog. I can see why the band requires an intermission halfway through the show. Initially, I thought it was so they could refresh their own buzz but now I am inclined to believe that they want to give the room a chance to clear up a bit before the fog solidified. If I had planned better, I would have parked a mobile food truck across the street and stocked that puppy with White Castle, Taco Bell, and Doritos. Personally, I could go for some icing.
2. Widespread Panic fans are passionate people and if they find out you have not been to one of their concerts before, you suddenly find yourself with a new friend and guide. For instance, did you know that Widespread Panic never plays the same set list? Or that the “new” guitarist has only recently begun to find his rhythm with the rest of the band? Mainly, however, these fans just want you tell them how much fun you are having or how great it sounds.
3. I lie a lot and do it convincingly with a smile on my face. Had you seen me tonight, you would have thought I was having the time of my life. My new friends gave me hugs and high fives as we shared in the moment. In reality, jam bands still bore me and I stifled more than one yawn. I wanted nothing more than a large glass of water and a comfy spot on my couch, which I finally got a few short minutes ago. Bed is next. Pure bliss. I am glad I am not waiting in line at the White Castle drive-through.

I believe I have officially entered full-fledged crisis mode in the job sphere. I know I need to find a new position but I do not have the slightest idea what I should be seeking. I am one of those people who tends to bounce from one career path to another in my head and every time I switch, I will sincerely believe that all of them are equally exciting and attainable. Earlier this year, I went back to my alma mater’s career center in a concerted effort to try and find the perfect job for me. I had a great time filling out the personality and interest surveys and exploring the many fields out there. If you want to join me in imagining the possibilities, O*Net is a great place to start. I spent hours on this website daydreaming about being everything from an engineer to a research scientist to a computer nerd. I can be anything when I grow up! The problem is that I apparently need to narrow it down to a manageable amount of options. Drat!

I do have a small but growing list of things that I hope will lead to the Best Job Ever! (Yes, that needs to be capitalized.) First and foremost, I want a job that is meaningful, where I can have a positive impact. I would like to work with energetic, forward-thinking people who are enthusiastic about their work, preferably with a flexible schedule that allows me the freedom to plan my own time.

Here’s where the dilemma lies. I am heading down a path right now that potentially leads to a consulting career and all that signifies: excellent pay, neat corporate bennies (on-site massage? Yes, please), and business travel. Where is the downside, you ask? I would have to move halfway across the country and start over. I also am not sure it would meet the first criterion listed above. However, if I do not pursue this fully, I am not sure where I will end up in this area. I have been browsing the listings and there is not a lot out there beyond this one nonprofit I am desperate to join. Recently, I feel I have really started to become a more active member of the St. Louis community and am uncertain that leaving now would be in my best interest. I have been pondering this for a couple weeks now and the only certain thing is the feeling of absolute boredom that descends upon me every time I step into my cube. I know there is more out there and remain hopeful that I do not have to stumble to take the next step on my career path.

Today, I took an important step closer to paying off the tuition for those web development classes. I had my first employee orientation session this evening and it even featured a really long PowerPoint presentation. I did not receive that kind of treatment when I started my full-time gig for The Man so I know I am really special with this opportunity. This presentation featured a history lesson in addition to the usual guidelines regarding the important of wearing deodorant and avoiding drinking on the job. I also learned that there are many ways to get fired and the list they passed out was not all-inclusive. It remains amazing to me how infinitely creative the human race can be when push comes to shove.

I realize that tonight’s session was the first one but I would like to offer one suggestion for improvement: please cut down the number of slides through extensive editing. I seem to recall hearing a few things over and over and over and over. I am fairly certain we understood the concept by at least the third time through.

In the end, I remain just as excited about getting hired as before. When asked during the interview process why I wanted this job, my answer was simply that I wanted to work in this particular building. I am now and will always remain a building nerd. I love great architecture and working in a spectacular building somehow makes you feel more important in the grand scheme of things. As I stand inside places such as this, I realize that the structure was here before me and if given a certain amount of dedicated care, it will remain standing long after I am gone. It is the most grounding experience and the only way I find history to be personally relevant to me.

Ahem. Sorry. Moving on.

The best part of my night (besides the free fruit snacks) was the fact that they announced that tonight was the first night we were on the clock. I am official! With a PT gig secured, now I can really work on knocking those web development classes out.