Thank You America, and Goodnight

I'd like to thank my parents for always being there supporting me. While I made my future from the day I was a wee small bit. They were always proud of me. It didn't matter if I was making my bed, making dinner, making a soccer tackle or making a mess - they never hesitated to share their pride in me. They taught me to floss, wear sunscreen, don't worry, be nice, make friends, sing if even badly, hold hands, understand, don't judge, live, try, accept differences and dance the tango. It still means the world to me. I love you Mom & Dad, this is for you!



According to Princess, I get to pass on the award. I need to do it now before I forget. This is my first try at something like this and I hope I've done Princess proud. Here goes:

• For Alli, because she has always cared that she's doing the right thing for everyone including herself [and animals] through being caring, sincere and graceful.
  
• For Emmeline, because, like me, she is a mid-westerner, has a kind heart and will stick up for herself all while telling a great story you're sure to remember.
• For Tink of Pickled Beef, because she's funny, b-e-a-you-tiful, intelligent and has a love of sporks like no other.

Though, everyone's a winner in my book. Just because you aren't listed here, doesn't make you a poser. I had to stop somewhere & wait for future love. I heart you all! Time for the nominee's to pass on their love. . . .

Always Late to the Party

This weeks "Weekly Word Challenge" from our beloved Tink are "inspire" and "create".


INSPIRE

my husband inspires me.


CREATE

creative elk horns.


Next weeks words are "old" and "blue". Bonus sporks for "Halloween". C'mon, you know you want to play!

Don't Worry, No One Noticed

How did I manage to get supine on the couch on my very first day off from employment?

Was it from the boundless mileage on Saturday? Was it from the hours of battling wheat weevils Sunday evening? Was it from the day of yard work before that? Or was it, possibly, from the gym workout with my trainer this morning? No, no, no and no. None of these were the cause of my day of dormancy.

I managed to get myself laid out on the couch by parking my truck backwards into a parking space right before my gym appointment. You see, I turned my head to the left, which was done in order to see over my shoulder. That's when it happened. A snap and a burning of pain in my neck. A muscle spasm so tight, you could play Santana tunes on my ligaments that keep my head attached to my body. I couldn't move my head to the left or much of anywhere, actually, without extreme pain. It brought tears to my eyes.

My trainer's office mate is also a licensed massage therapist. She worked on it as much as it allowed me to complete my workout sans a few weight lifting maneuvers. She also provided me ibuprofen. I made it home. I found the heating pad and laid myself on the couch. For hours I did not move. Any slight head movement reminded me that I. hurt. myself. parking. the. truck.

It's not even a fantastic nor an elaborate story. No box lifting. No 20 miles ran. No passionate night at home. No marathon blog typing. Nothing. I injured myself parking.

Parking.




*I will mention that I did manage to run my required 4.5 miles today through the sheer gritting of my teeth. I walked .5 miles to cool down as well. My neck still feels like a Mac truck ran over it. Ibuprofen is fast becoming my best friend today. As is the couch.

**The husband noticed I was laid out on said couch. With a heating pad. Upon asking a few definitive questions he promptly brought me a couple happy pills and a glass of water asking if there was anything else I needed. These pills tried to knock me out, but I fought them hard. They also made me sick to my stomach. I again battled them relentlessly. Even on my afternoon run. I don't see how people like these things? They are absolutely dreadful.

***Though, this renewed my faith in how much the husband really is my knight in shiny, shiny armor! That alone made my day that much better! Even if it was spent on the couch.

****Another good thing, not as good as the husband, but still good was the fact that HBO played "The Holiday". A very top favorite of mine. Though drug induced, I did happen to watch the entire movie. I heart "The Holiday".



I'm going back to the couch now. That's all you get.

Don't Put Out the Bait Unless You Want the Fish To Eat

It was felt a quarter of the way through. A place I had never received one before. Not that I could remember anyway. The body's own defense mechanism against friction. Fluid continued filling a space in between my two layers. Manifesting on my left sole. It became impenetrable.

More grinding lead to more existence. I still stayed constant. Each stride taken was one more molecule of torment. A constant reminder that it was nowhere near finished.

It will be left alone to heal. Blisters do best that way.






*Six miles of running had called attention that new shoes were in order. Kt's and my Saturday route:

• .4 mile warm-up walk
• 5 miles run
• .5 mile brisk walk up hill and then some
• 1 mile run concluding

I'm keeping honest. It wasn't as difficult as it seemed in my head, but if kt hadn't been with me, I most likely would've taken a walk much sooner. She gets the credit for getting me moving and keeping me that way. Afterwards, I immediately went to Luke's Locker and bought new running shoes. It's a little too late, for my left sole but it just might prevent other little squishy's from joining it's pioneer inaugural buddy.

A History of Moil

big kahuna (to the husband): have your wife send me her resume.

Three days after completing bk's request:

Interview #1
big kahuna: sell, sell, sell, selling, sales, sales and more sales.

4 days later:
moi (on phone): I've had time to think the position over. You have a wonderful company, with great people and philosophies, but I am no longer interested in a sales position. However, I thank you for your time and interest in me, but I am going to decline going any further.
big kahuna: what?! No! You mean you're not interested in the Account Manager position?
moi: I'm sorry. . . . is that a different position or did I misunderstand what the position was. . . .
big kahuna: maybe I didn't explain it right. It's more like handling an account through account management. It's 80% maintenance and only 20% sales, if even that. I need to have you talk to Hatfield. He would be your direct supervisor and he can better explain the position.

10 minutes later my home phone rings:
hatfield: I like Big Kahuna and all but he's a bean counter and doesn't know anything about our job and what we do. ***laughter***
moi: [blink, blink]
hatfield: ***pause*** to explain better, there are 2 halves regarding what we do. There are operations and there are sales. We are both. We have partnerships with national companies. We are basically consultants working with company budgets to meet their needs for yaddy-yaddah advertising. . . . .Bob Loblaw, Bob Loblaw, Bob Loblaw. . . . . I'd like to meet with you myself and really sit down to explain, how does Friday look for you?

Interview #2:
hatfield/big kahuna: so you see it's not really sales. What do you think?
moi: well, I need some time to think it over as I have a few other options on the table right now. . .
big kahuna: you have other options? I didn't know that.
moi: yes.
big kahuna: can you wait in the hall for a moment?

10 minutes later:
big kahuna: we'd like to change our original offer to you. Instead of what we originally said, we'd like to offer you (exponentially more money), plus commission and the vacation time you are seeking. I still have to figure that one out, but we can make it work.
moi: I still need to time to think it over.

Obviously, I took the position. I was happy about it. I got myself back to work. Except 5 weeks later I was still sitting at my desk doing most of the grunt work if any at all. What's wrong with grunt work? Absolutely nothing. It is not beneath me as everyone must take on a dull or a routine chore now and then while under employment. I understand this, but I was constantly stuck with it. Many times I had nothing to do.

I called Hatfield's extension:
moi: remember how you told me to let you know when I'm not happy? Well, I'm not happy. I don't think this is the job for me. I've had no training at all whatsoever. Half the time I'm not sure what I'm doing is right. . . . Bob Loblaw, Bob Loblaw, Bob Loblaw. . . It's a lot to get ready in the morning, drive an hour to work and then sit here all day to do nothing. And, if I do get something it's pretty menial tasks. Not that I can't do such tasks and I understand everyone must do so now and then, but I can do more and want to do more . . . . .
hatfield: I'll be right over.

15 minutes later:
hatfield (handing me a printed piece of paper): it's funny. . . I clicked on Yahoo! this morning and this is the article that popped up. I want to go through this with you to see if this applies to how you're feeling.
moi: - - -
hatfield: so #4 and #5 apply to you. I can honestly say that. But at least it's not 3 warning signs, you only have 2. . .
moi: ***interrupting*** let's say 2 and a half, because I'm half of #8. I'm starting to dread coming to work. I just don't have ulcers yet.
hatfield: that's fair, but if I change the 2 - #4 and #5 - I think that will take care of #8, right?
moi: yes. Definitely.

Except it did not.

Yes, I was handed an account. A nice one at that. It had its problems, but nothing I couldn't tackle and try to make right. But it also turned into sales, selling and sell, sell, sell. I could deal with that. What the hell, I'll give it a shot and see where it takes me. I dug in for almost 3-weeks.

However, upon returning from my Turks & Caicos trip, Hatfield walked into my office and announced that my one account I had was going to be taken from me and handed to "Bob's your uncle", but I would be given more projects. In fact, eleven more accounts I would be given. And therein lies the problem. A single $950,000.00 account was given to me and then taken away from me without an explanation as to why.

Eleven accounts totaling $164,000.00 took the $950K's place.

I'm sorry. . . . . what?!





*Upon further investigation, the person who received the $950K account turned out to be the brother-in-law of the big kahuna.

I still was not given an explanation as to why the account was taken. The upper management returned my question of "why" with a blank stare. I have not the answer. That's a big commission difference. It's also not what I was lead to believe I would be doing. It was time for me to go before I got any further.

Today, was my last day. With nothing to do once again, I made the suggestion that instead of paying me to sit there and do nothing for 2 weeks, let me end it. They agreed.

I'm back at home pondering where life will take me next. Any suggestions?