Job Satisfaction

I have a great job and I find a lot of satisfaction in working for a company that strives to help protect the common man against the big bureaucratic machine that is the IRS. I'm aware there are very nice people who work at the IRS, my best friend's mom is one of them, but there is this big crevasse between the common American person and the IRS that needs to be bridged sometimes.

Which is where the company I work for comes in and it's highly satisfying to help people.

But then there are the clients that blame you for their $25,000 penalties when they don't file their taxes on time, who gives us less then the required amount of information needed to deliver their taxes on time, and who call every five minutes to make sure things get done on time even though they still are with holding information and blame you the whole way through the process if it doesn't get done correctly.

I understand we need to be a bridge for the gap between government and the common person but seriously whatever happened to taking responsibility for your own actions.

Needless to say everything was taken care of and then some but I was a little ruffled by the end of delivering the required documents and walked back to school for the rest of my days classes.

I was thinking about urgency and the line we need to draw with our clients when their urgency becomes irrational. As I mused about this I walked on to the bike path leading back to my campus when I found myself smiling and breathing in the wonderful smells of the foliage next to the river and realized it doesn't really matter. This bike path always does this too me and I found myself forgetting about the frustrating experience of human nature.

If only all jobs allowed you to travel to your happy place when you're feeling low and slightly disgruntled.

The Rock

No actor could claim the title "The Rock" as worthily as a simple man from Idaho could. And that man is my dad. For the last couple days I've been experiencing some pains in my uterus area that gave me cause for alarm considering my baby is only 24 weeks along. I finally was convinced to go to the hospital last night at 10:30 (MST) and finding someone to go with me was difficult.

Everyone I knew needed to be at work the next day including my husband and since emergency visits are expensive we didn't feel it wise to have him take off a day from work. No matter how understanding the situation is Flash does not get sick or vacation pay. So we decided he'd stay home and I called my parents to come hold my hand during a very scary visit that could end up telling me my baby's life was in jeopardy.

I knew my mom would already be asleep and my dad answered the phone and without missing a beat said he's be right there. Now understand first my mom would have been there but she's an insomniac and takes sleeping pills to help her get a good nights rest. She was out for the count and second my parents live half an hour away from me. So both my parents get stellar points for my dad coming to this emergency visit alone.

But then my dad gets to the hospital. I'm already in a hospital gown and hooked up to monitors when he comes through the door and sits by my bed side and waits with me.

And I write this with tears in my eyes, "MY DAD IS AMAZING!!!"

I always knew this but last night he gave me exactly what I needed. He did not go off about how the baby could be in danger, he did not play down the situation either. He just had this calming air of we'll see when we'll see and when we see we will deal with it. He was a total rock. When the pains would come on strong he would coach me on breathing steady and let me chat his ear off when I needed it. When I needed to get a pelvic exam he didn't go running in the hallway, even though I told him he could, he stayed with me the entire time saying, "I've had four kids and been through enough exams with your mom. I'm fine" and stayed put just like the rock he is.

So dad thank you, thank you, thank you from the bottom of my heart. You were a great source of strength to me in a time I felt totally out of control.

Now everyone knows who really is "The Rock".

P.S. For those who are wondering the baby and I are fine. I need to drink lots more water and attend the bathroom more often but everything should be just fine.

The Beginning of My Career

I've been going to school since the Spring of 2002 so minus the 2 years I spent as a missionary I've had about five years of educational experience. By the time I graduate from school I'll have the right to claim super senior status and then some.

I've gone through probably four different majors in the hopes to find something that would bring satisfaction in my life. I discarded a couple because they were unfullfilly and impracticle. Other because it would take me too long to graduate. When I finally settled on Technical Communications it was because it was the quickest way for me to graduate in something that would actually give me a career and generate revenue. It's also something I enjoy ...which helps.

Eventually I decided to try my hand at web design(a part of my major) realizing it was something I could do easily from home. Relatives of my husband offered to help me by offering an internship enabling me to re-design their website.

I started the internship at the beginning of June and for three months I realized how much I still need to learn. But helping Hyde Away Ranch re-design their web site has been a lot of fun. One of my favorite things about this career choice is it lets me have a reason to be a know-it-all.

Learning about miniature horses has been a lot of fun. The website won't be updated until September 26th so enjoy the way it looks now because the difference will be amazing.