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February 24, 2005
Teh Job
Teh Job still has maintained a definite level of awesomeness. My boss and co-worker are extremely friendly individuals, helpful and honest. Boss Lady is everything I could ask for in a boss, though I must admit it's a little weird I haven't started on most of my work yet, but I'm getting ahead of myself so let me skip back.
The process of getting access to the necessary screens at my work is a little long, though not terribly involved. There is a submission by the management an employee will work under to get LAN access, internet access, intranet access, and access to the necessary and often restricted screens that I at least will be working in. One of these permissions - internet access - I need in order to set myself up for the 401K plan and select all my other benefits. I was supposed to have had it today, but didn't get it, so if it is not handed over tomorrow, there will be some nagging to do. Again, I digress.
It's taken a while to get these permissions, so I haven't been able to actually hit the screens. Instead, I've been doing a lot of training and a tiny bit of paper work. Our company has it's own internal website, which has a great many articles to read, not only about stuff in general, but about our company, the history, the layout, the people involved, yadda yadda. It's also got an online training section that I've been sticking my head in during the interim. My training today extended to a refresher course on basic and intermediate Excel skills, and tomorrow I will actually be going through basic and intermediate PowerPoint, which I don't know.
My boss has already said yes to me signing up to three other classes, which are held during the work day. This rocks, because A) I want to know what I'm doing and what it's all about and B) there isn't anything but the utmost support for me wanting to learn. Something I'm not used to.
I'm also not used to actual breaks. At the dentist office, if I took a five minute break (even if I didn't get a lunch that 12 hour day) I felt guilty. I was hounded by the Doc, or at least he'd try to shift guilt my way. Now, my boss asks if I want to chill with her and my co-worker, and the whole time (15 mins or so) I'm thinking, "I must be doing something wrong." Even though my boss is right there. Enjoying the time off with me.
Joe said he was the same way, for a good month. I figure it'll probably take me that long to relax too, and not think I'm going to be fired for taking a 15 min. break.
They're also tricksters, but in the good spirit of it all. They love to tease one another - not about mean things, but in ways to get their brains thinking.
Today, my boss pulled me into my co-worker's cubicle, and together and with the help of another friend of theirs, we turned everything upside down that we could. His chair. His papers. His books. The pictures on the wall. Everything we couldn't turn upside down, we turned backwards. This was because she forgot to block her screen when leaving the computer, and he got in and changed her font to 64 black on a black background and then password locked a ridiculous screen saver.
I am sure I'll be the recipient of such pranks. Kinda look forward to it, too =)
Today was treat day. Every Thursday they hand out treats. Today was Reeses peanut butter cups.
Tomorrow is casual day. Every Friday is casual day.
Posted by Kelli Little at 08:48 PM | Comments (2)
February 21, 2005
General Update
(Reposted from LJ, since some of you don't bother there and I'm too lazy to create an entirely new synopsis.)
Thing #1:
My new job is fantastic, Though granted it is only the first day, every indication available leads me to believe this will not change. The people are super nice and friendly, the work environment is relaxed, there is no minute-counting, etc, etc, etc. My I woke up at 6:30 a.m., an hour and a half after I usually did for the dentist office, left at 7:30 and arrived at HR at 7:45 a.m. After receiving my security badge and filling out some remaining paperwork, I was put through a lax 1-hour training session, where I came out Teh Winner. J/k
I was shuffled through the entirety of my building, my building meaning that my office and division is located in Phase II building, and thus a tour of that building. Except, apparently, where
My boss took me out to lunch, which was tres awesome, and we chilled for a time. Came back, finished setting up some of my different accounts, but my internet access and LAN access didn't go through yet for some reason, so I couldn't do the majority of the work. We set my desk area up to my specifications, I did two tasks, and really... didn't do anything else. I was even told to go home early.
Uh yeah. It was so hard. I um.. don't know if I can survive. And stuff. =)
Thing #2:
I had a blast visiting with some Santa Barbara folks over the weekend. Hell, I finally met Carla, a woman that was ranted and raved about as Tres Cool by the gang in Santa Barbara. It was really nice to chill with you guys again. They breeds them good down in Santa Barbara. =)
Posted by Kelli Little at 05:10 PM | Comments (3)
February 18, 2005
Destroyer of ... home decor and kitchen appliances?
It isn't as if I wanted this curse.
It isn't that I desire to purchase yet another can opener, because I broke the first two in a month's time.
It isn't as if I hoped the apartment burned to the ground, even though I inadvertently ended up with the slow cooker's cord over the burner as I cooked hamburger for the chili.
It isn't as if I like destroying a wall for some $120 beautiful shelves that won't hold and are poorly manufactured.
It's noon, folks. I need to do things, run errands, be a responsible adult. And right now, I have a niggling belief that leaving my apartment, at this moment, means that I will destroy everything outside of my apartment in the process of today's errands. Joe recommends I park my butt onto the couch and just stay put until he can come home and do voodoo to get rid of this bad mojo.
I'm inclined to agree. I'll do my errands Saturday. After practice.
Posted by Kelli Little at 11:23 AM | Comments (1)
February 15, 2005
Kung Pow: Enter Destrukto
This weekend Boy Joe and I headed out to California for a little ass whoopin', compliments of this really, really neat man John Poliquin. (I probably spelled his name wrong - my apologies.)
John is 7th dan (correction made from the 6th dan I originally posted thanks to Joe) in the art of To Shin Do, the martial arts I only recently signed on to learn. Suffice to say, he has scary ninja powers that he is invited quarterly to share with the California people and any others asked to attend. (Yes, I'm being a ham, but I figure if I already had to ask for forgiveness once...) He is middle-aged and from Maine, friendly and outgoing, with a great sense of humor and with an air about him that leaves you feeling like close family.
The other members of this particular dojo we were invited to are just as neat. All of them friendly and outgoing, and we were welcomed warmly. Being the only white belt there, the opportunity to be excluded definitely existed - but didn't actually happen, and for that I was grateful. I felt like a story collector too - so many stories of people's lives, so little time.
Friday we scooped and bumped on into the tiny airport of Burbank, flight a wee bit delayed because of the weather, and our road trip prolonged because of two wrecks. A little lunch and a change later, and our first session began, roughly two hours long. (Unless I'm bonkers and it was longer, which is entirely possible.) Afterwards, there was a black belt demonstration and testing, which was really nifty to see - haven't had the opportunity to see it before - followed by some dinner and carousing at a nearby pizza place.
Plunking into bed around midnight-thirty, I passed out. Joe and Michael (our sensei) had a little bit of a rougher time.
7 a.m., bright and shiny, we hopped out of bed, showered, ate breakfast, and met and dressed at the dojo at 9 a.m. for another round of training. With a few breaks and a short bout for lunch, we finished at around 3:30-ish. Afterwards, Michael continued to train with a special black belt session, and after showers, Joe and I were hauled off to our newly acquired friends' house (Kaitlyn and Joe) for some yummy dinner, dog playing, kid-chasing, Spider Man X-Box action, and good ol' fashioned conversation. With cheesecake.
We again arrived home late-ish, passed out, did the morning ritual.
Finished our third bout of training at around 11:00 a.m., had lunch with Kaitlyn and Joe and Marjorie and Mmmm.. Her husband. My brain has been destroyed by work. Bah. Anyhow, a quick packing later, and we were off to the airport. Home at 8:30ish p.m. Complete with bruises and soreness. And dreams it's not polite to discuss. Ahem.
Although again, I lucked out being a white belt, I think. A few injuries, soreness of the wrists that I had to keep taped, a few bruises, and general muscle aches is what I walked away with. Joe and Michael ... well, the higher in belt you are, let us just say, the more they like to wollop on you. I'm sure I'll get my 'just desserts' soon enough.
All in all, I had a fantastic, relaxing time while getting a good workout and learning a lot. I can't wait to do it again. =)
Posted by Kelli Little at 03:38 PM | Comments (2)
February 10, 2005
DocTor T'ings
Well, I went to my third doc's appointment today, had my blood slide done again.
Things are looking better, but my white blood cell count is still down. We were able to see more because the Blood Sludge has officially settled into Typical Rouleau. This is what we discovered:
1. Infection: I do not have nearly as much fungal or bacterial matter in my blood stream, but it is still present. I have gone from a +4 down to a +2.
Getting Better Rating: Good.
2. Blood Sludge: My Blood Sludge has now officially gone down into Typical Rouleau, so now while there are some big ol' masses, mostly it's just strings of connected red blood cells. The doc is concerned, however, because it should have been cleared up after three weeks, and isn't. She's having me finish out on my one med and starting me on a new one immediately thereafter. Rouleau has gone down from a +4 to a +3.
Getting Better Rating: Good/neutral.
3. Spicules (Liver problems): The spicules in my blood have gone down from +4 to a +2.5. The doc is concerned about this as well, and said that there should have been greater reduction. Part of the three things she gave me today is supposed to help with this. Apparently, my spicules should have gone into 0.
Getting Better Rating: Good/neutral.
4. Anemia: Originally, the Doc could only conclude that I have a +3 for B-12 anemia. B-12 anemia looks like squished, almost banana shaped blood cells (not all of them) under the microscope. This has not become any better, and she explained that it would take 6 months for actually any difference to be made, because it is not an overnight process. Furthermore, now that my blood cells are separating enough to take a closer peek, she's noticed that I also have a slight (+1) Iron-based anemia. This shows when your red blood cells are different sizes from each other. I have been instructed to start incorporating meat into my diet (chicken, fish, and red meat). I'm not a traditional vegetarian, I just don't eat much meat. It takes a while to cook properly and with any taste, and diet-wise it's difficult to eat red meat and not gain weight. But ok. She insisted it's better than getting liver injections, and I believe her.
Getting Better Rating: Neutral
5. Misc. Foo:
A. Copper: We can now see (again, because we could get my blood separated just enough to take a real look at things) that I have copper in my blood stream - an excess as it were. Apparently that's typical of people who live in the valley, because it's common in the water supply (due to surrounding mines and natural minerals, etc.) and can't be filtered out through a simple faucet water filter. She didn't express concern.
B. Legs: My leg problem has returned, though not throughout the whole leg. She's concerned about this, because there's a posibility of oxidization happening in my body, and she's not sure what the source is. She's put me on some powerful anti-oxidant something or other to help clear it up. If the symptoms aren't gone by the time I return, then we're going to have to do tests. In the mention, oxidizing occurs when there are cancer problems. The liver problems might be linked. I'm not terribly worried yet.
C. Instructions: Still on a no alcohol diet, which means I can't have the glass of 1995 Special Reserve Silver Oak Cabernet Savignon I've been saving up for the special occasion of getting a new job for at least another two months. Pill instructions I won't go into. She said that it's natural that I'm on a rollercoaster of energy right now, and to expect it to continue for a while.
NV (Next Visit): 4 March 2005
We'll be taking another sample of blood. We're still waiting for me to start my new job and my insurance to kick in before doing any real blood work (allergy tests, hormone tests, symptomatic tests, etc.) If things aren't cleared up by then, those tests and a few others, including an MRI, are in order.
Posted by Kelli Little at 12:26 PM | Comments (1)
February 08, 2005
Mumbo Jumbo
I have the job at Scottsdale Insurance Company. I start 21 February 2005.
In the meantime, I am left to hand off my job duties and training to the people who remain. Which does not include the other person up front. I could go into why, but that'd be redundant, wouldn't it?
Tres Excited about this weekend. Boo-booed my wrist tonight at practice with a lack of aim during hammer fists, but a little glaring at said wrist should make it shape up. =)
Posted by Kelli Little at 07:49 PM
February 04, 2005
And then I was wrong...
I received the phone call from Scottsdale Insurance Company today offering me the job.
And duh, I took it. How could I not? They even are starting me out at $3,500 more than I make currently, plus all the other goodies that go along with it. Ran down and took a drug/pee test today after my doc's appointment for them, and all I have left to do now is write a letter of resignation for Monday. Well, and another letter telling Current Boss things he needs to be careful of so his business doesn't go under. Because he's oblivious. Anyways.
Posted by Kelli Little at 01:31 PM | Comments (3)
February 03, 2005
Huh
I went for my second interview yesterday at Scottsdale Insurance Company. The first session was with two men - Nathan and I am sorry to say I forget the second one - who I would be working with. The other one was actually managerial, so I wouldn't be knee-to-knee so to speak, but Nathan would be my Mentor (please say it with an obnoxious French accent and a dramatic wave of your hand.) He actually was pretty cool. Both were nice, but it still was strange having a panel interview with situational questions. 45 minutes under fire, and the second session began.
The second session was Cindy - the woman who would be my direct boss - and a man I forget the name of. The man in question was putting off some vibes that made me extremely nervous: impatient, to name one, and not really interested in being there or listening to my prattle. Not that I blame him, but it was extremely off-putting.
So. I ultimately did a good job at the interview, but I don't think I'll get the position. I don't feel that I 'wowed' them enough to convince them I'm a better choice than the Internal they interviewed after me. However, I did (with Nathan's prompting) send over a slew of correspondance and newsletter stuff that I did for this office, so hopefully that'll toot my horn a little more.
Back at another day at the grind. Figured I'd start it off good with slacking, since no one is here and since I'm going to be stuck in a two-hour listen-to-Dr session this afternoon. Which typically isn't bad, but this time I know what he has in store, and it all centers around that inane twit I work with. He asked me to give a motivational quote for the meeting, so I went to Demotivators Dot Com and picked up a few doozies. Hee.
Posted by Kelli Little at 05:13 AM