Busier than ever...a family update for my Mom

Since being laid off on 9/30, I am busier than ever. I can hardly believe it actually.

When I was on maternity leave with my daughter, I remember thinking, "Gosh, this is really nice! I can't believe all the things that I'm actually getting done. When do the working folk actually get this stuff done?" The answer? "They don't." And I was one of them. I still am, to a degree, I guess. But, suffice it to say that it's been really nice being home.

We're stressing financially, but harmony in the home has never (EVER) been better and I feel like a round peg in a round hole. Aside from Mount Washmore always being there, I feel like the house is truly a home. The trick will be to not let financial stress get the best of Frederer's and my marriage. We need to remain a united front and take whatever comes our way, deal with it, and then move on to the next challenge together.

However, the bliss of being home hasn't precluded me from looking for work. Frankly, I have this nasty little thing called a "work ethic" that translates to other areas of my life, and we have obligations that need to be fulfilled. I really feel responsibility weighing heavily on my shoulders.

I had an initial phone interview with an enterprise software company in San Francisco, and frankly, I'm very well qualified, and I could do the job, there's no question about that. It's comparable pay, and its software -- which I have experience selling. But it would require my being physically absent from the kids, family and home for 12 hours a day and honestly, I'm not convinced it's worth it.

After the first interview, I felt really good about myself, my qualifications and what I have to offer a company, and agreed to the 2nd telephone interview. That went swimmingly, and now I'm on to the VP panel. But again....I'm not sure I even WANT to work in software again, let alone work 60 miles away from my kids each day. Telecommuting is not an option (at least not in the near term but anyone in sales knows that on-target salespeople can pretty much do what they want -- but not initially). So, we'll see where that lands.

The second bit of news on the job front is that a competitor to my former employer wants to hire me.....but.....as a 1099 employee. I could work from home, and it would be selling into the same space I did previously, but the downside is that it's dealing with the same BS in the same industry as before (with all the same players and I can imagine the gossip). The pay would be 50% of what I was making before. And, I'm not sure how a 1099 factors into unemployment, or if it would disqualify me, so, we'll see...

My attorney is still trying to resolve the commissions payable issue. I may have to file a claim with the Labor Commission. It sucks. Frankly, she's not as much of a bulldog as I thought and I find that I, myself, am doing a lot of legwork. I thought that was why I hired an attorney! I don't want to pay $250 an hour for her to just make infrequent phone calls and emails.

Anyway...

I'm volunteering at the kids school more, filled in for the secretary who was on bereavement leave, went on a field trip, helped a friend de-clutter her ever-so-cluttered home, am Chairing the school's Christmas Parade committee, and I joined a women's bible study class. I'm still in my Anatomy and Chemistry classes and I'm trying to regain my A status. I really got thrown this month due to the layoff, and I choked on two exams and two quizzes (not to mention completely spaced Ruby's alphabet packet -- a nice huge packet of blank sheets of each letter to practice writing capitals and lower case. The entire class must have completed it by...uh 10/31. Oops). Hopefully, I won't have all Bs from this experience and Ruby will get a bit of grace from the teacher.

I haven't received my first unemployment check yet, either. However, I'm surprisingly at peace during this financial and occupational storm we're weathering. I suppose I should just take a job to have any income but neither one of those opportunities above get me excited and motivated. But then again, whoever said one must "enjoy" their job?

Frederer's brother and his family leave for Japan -- their next military post -- on Saturday and we're had them over for dinner and pumpkin carving last night. It'll be tough to see them go -- we've gotten used to having them here in the Bay Area and we'll miss them tremendously. We'll try and plan a trip there, but at $2,000 per ticket it would be a $10k vacation (if not more). Frederer said he'd pimp himself out, then reconsidered and said he'd collect soda cans. I think we might just buy a webcam and join Skype. :-)

Tonight, the kiddos will go trick-or-treating around our neighborhood (Hannah Montana and the Dark Knight) and then, if the rain holds, we'll possibly head over to a neighbor friend's church to their Harvest Party. It's kind of nice being on the receiving end of churchgoer's invitations to events.

Speaking of which...the 2nd grade neighbor girl who invited Ruby was just diagnosed with Hodgkins' Lymphoma. Oh, my heart breaks for this family. I can't imagine the pain her mother and father feel right now. It's one thing to endure Ruby's growth hormone disorder -- which, praise God, is not terminal -- and another to receive word from a child's physician that they have a life-threatening disease that could very well take this young one's life. I'm not sure what type it is, or if it's acute or chronic but I'll try and visit with the Mom sometime soon (I have spare time!) and see if I can get an update.

Next weekend, we'll be going to Colorado (yay!) for an early Thanksgiving with my grandmother who is flying in from Chicago. We'll have the whole fam damily there so it should be interesting. It always is with my grandmother around! I love her the way she is though. :-) All of us are looking forward to going, and we are so thankful for my mother's frequent flier points! Thanks Mom!!!! We'll see you soon.

That's it on our homefront for now. As the title suggests, things ARE [wonderfully] quiet on our homefront.

Liberals Have Their Place in This World

I was talking with a friend recently and shared that I pretty much agree with most Republican platforms: 1) pro-guns, 2) anti-abortion (as a means of birth control -- medically necessary ones get morally dicey), 3) pro-tax cuts, and 4) pro-smaller government.

However...there have been a few times when the leftist government here in California has pleasantly surprised me. Normally, our family never "qualifies" to be considered one of the little guys. So, all the help and programs that are "available to help people in need" are usually unavailable to us. You'd have to be near destitute to be able to qualify. Anyway...that's a story for another day.

There have been two instances most recently that I'm sooooo thankful for:
1) in California, it is illegal for companies to enforce Non-Competition Agreements. Companies can't preclude their former employees from pursuing work for which they are qualified. And you know what??? That means, no matter how much one's former employer hopes and prays you won't go work for a competitor, you absolutely can....and, smile all the way into their building. Granted, you must abide by the Confidentiality Agreement and not share non-public secrets but you aren't precluded from actually working for a competitor.

2) a former competitor called me and we're talking.....and, if it works out.....trust me, I'm going after all my former customers with a vengance.

What's the old addage? "Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned."

So...we'll see.

Kreative Blogger Award

Imagine my surprise when I went to read my blogroll and Sassybug gave me the Kreative Blogger award for the creative names for my family! Yay! I love encouragement like this, and I'm just tickled.

Thank you Sassy!!!!

So, the rules of the award are that I need to list 6 things I love, then pass it on to 6 lovely bloggers who will then repeat the love. It's a modern day chain letter, really.

Things I love:

1. The smell of the air after it rains.

2. Being able to explain a difficult concept to someone that doesn't understand it at all. It helps reinforce what I've just learned -- most recent example was nomenclature for polyatomic ionic compounds. Yeah, see? Pretty intimidating.

3. I love the fact that my husband is a Mr. Steady Man.

4. Sitting outside on a sunny day, with a glass of white wine and a plate of cheeses and grapes (I know...I know...very Napa Valley, but we really do DO this!), reading Cook's Illustrated, People or Women's Day, knowing all the while that the kids are safely tucked away at school, the house is totally clean, the beds are made, sink is spotless and the and laundry is underway.

5. I have to copycat Sassy's last item because it's exactly how I feel too. "I love the fact that I have nationwide coverage on my cell phone plan. I can call my mother anytime, anywhere, and for any reason. I talk to my mother almost everyday, and most days nothing profound or even interesting to anyone else is ever really said but it comforts me to know that even though she is 800+ miles away she is never more than a phone call way."

Now, I tag:

Stephanie

Polly

Random Brown

Mama Milton

Life of Liberti

Have fun, ladies! And thank you Sassy!

Curious George, er, I mean Gorbulas

My son, Gorbulas, never stops getting into things and never ceases to amaze me, both good and bad. He's incredibly curious, and pretty much gets into everything that isn't locked down. And, sometimes the little bugger makes his way into things that ARE locked down.

Today, I'm at the computer emailing my former company on their outrageous claim that my $25,000 in commissions isn't payable to me anymore because I'm not a "full time employee." Well, that's a story for another day, but I'm feverishly typing away and Frederor comes up and drops two documents on my keyboard.

"What's this?" I ask. "Where'd you get these?"

"YOUR son," he says.

(as told by Dad, who witnessed this event)
One day, Gorbulas is in his room playing and hears the ice cream truck coming. He dashes to my office and then runs outside. The repeating jingle of the ice cream truck continues on a never ending loop and Frederer goes out to investigate. And, there's Gorby, at the ice cream truck window, handing the man...












a $50 Savings Bond...


...in his SISTER'S name, no less!


*sigh* I'm smiling through this phase. Really, I am.

Knocked down...but thankfully not knocked-up

It's been a week since I got laid off and stopped working. It took a few days to get adjusted to not checking my Blackberry, email and voicemail. The pace of the day seemed to stop as quickly as a river is dammed. Friends and customers were curious and alarmed, but those calls have stopped. My family is wonderful and will always be there for me, I know this.

I'm probably going through the stages of grieving, actually. One day, I'm a mess. The next, I'm surpringly peaceful, hopeful and my outlook is encouraging. The next day, I'm sullen, withdrawn, teary and actually consider things like "bankruptcy", "foreclosure" and "automobile repossession" and the aftermath that would affect our already-spotty credit rating.

Today is one of those days.

I pray for a financial savior to come -- be it a rich, distant relative that I don't know well that dies and bequeeths their fortune to our family, or how about winning the Lotto -- but I know it's not coming. Yesterday, I actually daydreamed that Frederor and I won $1 million dollars. I started to wonder what I'd do with it, and the first thing that popped into my head was that I would build a field and gymnasium for our wee school. They own the property adjacent to the parking lot, but there's no funds to build right now. I'd totally do it too. Oh, the opportunities it would bring! Remember in "Back to School" when Rodney Dangerfield's character dedicated the building to himself? I giggled that we should name it the "[Our Last Name Here] Building" but then, I reconsidered. After all, it is a Christian school. So, I would name it the "Jesus H. Christ" Building. Hehehe. I giggle about stuff like that.

And, then I snap back into reality. Where our mortgage is due, and we have half that amount in the bank and no savings to speak of (whoo...a whopping $1,000). And, overall, I'm scared. I feel like our financial future rides on MY having to find another "professional" job, and I don't like that feeling. I look at our lives like one of the twin towers as it collapses onto itself.

Yep, that's how I feel.