My New Landscape, Last Week

Shane was away all last weekend at a golf event in Michigan, so I was able to get a few extra things done with the landscaping. I was trying to get a last minute surprise together but it didn't work out. I wasn't ready to execute it, and since it was a holiday weekend most of my friends were not available.

Monday; I picked Shane up at the Airport (a first for me because I was always working), the flight was on-time and all was fine. Later in the afternoon, I had a meeting with my client. I was hoping he'd be happy with my ideas for his business, and he was, so now I can start on the process. It's pretty much a home run since it would be a medically beneficial service offered that can help people, as well as his business. Before you think I'm "selling' you on this, read on.

I'm a little wary of praising someone that I've known for only a month or so, but I'm giving it some time. I have been a patient of his and he is fixing problems I've had in my neck for a little over a month now. It's been a slow process which concerns me even more, but I did a lot of damage to it, so currently I'm giving him the benefit of the doubt while keeping my eyes open.

My client is quick in a few areas and seems to know what he is talking about, but he is really unorganized, and will need to up his game in a BIG way to gain my full confidence. Some glaring and easy fixes are there, which I have been brutally honest to point out. If I can't be honest, then there's no reason for me to be there. I realize it may not be a Marketing / PR persons job to point these operational problems out, but as someone who has been in operations for most of their professional life, I have to do it, and it can only help his business.

I am finding out more regarding suburban life while still doing my job too. Did you know you could get a half sheet cake that serves 48 people for about $18 at Costco (and I hear it's yummy)? There are different themes you can pick AND, they will write what you want on it too. Here's a quick line: http://www.costco.com/service/featurepage.aspx?productno=11213671

I did more pricing, ShopRite has a half sheet cake that serves 25 people also for about $18 they have themes, and will also write on it, or for $10 more they can print out an edible image (picture, logo, etc.) which I think is pretty cool. I thought they only did that in specialty bake shops. Really nice for special occasions. I didn't find an example to link to but I'll take a picture of the result if we decide to go that way. This would be perfect for the business logo, but it would be pricey to do all the time (they will NOT give a volume discount).

What does all that have to do with my job? Well, we are doing appreciations (bringing them food and giving a little speech about how much we appreciate what they are doing for the community), and I suggested starting with the real service people; Ambulance Squads, EMTs, Paramedics, their instructors, Fire & Police Departments, and Volunteer groups. Doing this is just good business, and of course it allows me to fulfill honoring people who rarely get appreciated. Everyone loves getting cake, even though I'm personally against giving away sweets while trying to educate people on their health, but honestly people like getting treats.

It's Sunday the 27th, and a small screening we were suppose to have today has been canceled because our machine needs a little TLC. So luckily I can now use the time to pick up my writing again. The machine should be up and running for our screening tomorrow night at The Club (a gym) in Morristown, so the inconvenience is nominal. More on that later.



Personal Progress Report:
* Tree Moved in Yard - check
* Diet (life eating change - not diet plan) - in place and going well.
* Workout - although I took last weekend and Monday off due to gearing up for my meeting, I jumped back in on Tuesday, and have been going strong with 1 to 2 workouts/day.
* Weight Lost: 4 pounds. Whew!

The Pace Of A New Work /Life - Life

Our pet family from oldest to youngest: Charlie Chaplin - the 15+ yr old dog, Lola (Charlie Chaplin's love) - 3 yr old cat, Spidey (aka Peter Parker) - 1 yr old cat, and Ollie - 6 mo old kitten (named from Laurel & Hardy). They all love each other, which is truly amazing to watch.

After weeks of not being so busy, today was a nice exception.

Shane needed office help, so I ran errands for him early this morning. This was just simply typing up some documents, and running back and forth to the court house to get and deliver the necessary forms. His office is 4.5 blocks from the court house, so going back and forth is fast and easy. By the way, there was literally NO waiting - which made me VERY happy. I never knew it was that easy. I have to say don't bring a big bag with you, the magnetometer check point at the entrance was / is required every time I entered the building . I've put in real estate documents, and litigation documents - seriously - NO waiting.

Also, around the corner from Shane's office, is my new freelance employers office. We went over more of the training he wanted me to finish as quickly as possible, and just as quickly I was out the door. I ran home so I could be there in case the Sears repair person came at the "top" of the 4 hour window - and of course the answer to that is NO he was not. He did arrive 3 hours into the window, but was able to fix the ice maker in short order, not so bad. In the meantime, I was able to read more training literature, write a bit, and experience the purr of Spidey (aka Peter Parker) sitting next to me while I worked, ahhhhh.

The technology for the new appliances is wonderful, but with that comes the glitches one finds in newer digitally run items. The bugs are being worked out; PC Richards easily fixed our Electrolux oven / range last week, and Sears as I said easily and quickly fixed our refrigerator.

Shane leaves tomorrow morning for a long golf weekend in Michigan, so - party at my house - just kidding, well sort of.....

I know it'll be a late night because he's not nearly ready to go, and only partially packed of course. More later...after Yoga.

Extreme Downloading

Ok, Ok, I'm a huge music fan, I spent the better part of Sunday finding a song I had heard but didn't know the name of, I finally found it: Sara Bareilles, Gravity. Here's the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A_U6iSAn_fY - Love it.

And I do have to say thank you, thank you to iTunes for your preview button, I would have never found the song without it.

The other portion of my download obsession was for my new part time gig. This will be marketing. My new employer gave me a website from his marketing partner with TONS of info for the marketing plan. What he needs to be done, is just someone to implement it - and now that is me. Seems like it will be a good fit, although it doesn't seem like he really knows how to express what he really wants or needs, but I think that will come in time. I will be starting on the ground floor so I can only go up from there.

Today's Life Plan:

Yoga - done

Cardio - done

Personal time - done

Work hours - ongoing

Family time - ongoing

Dinner - something I pour milk on in a bowl... don't judge me :)

Any advice on any subject is always welcome.

Wish me luck!

Sundays: A New Way To Look At Them

Sunday was about giving time to my family. I got up early to watch Shane pitch at his softball game. The team won the first game 20 to 10, they lost the second game by 3. This was also a test of my new camera and testing the basic editing program. Please keep in mind I was standing on a riser shooting this over the chain fence which was about 8 feet high. I know it's not great video, but not bad considering the circumstance.

So I did not come back on Sunday to write.

Day Two

Last Night: My husband and I went to a get together with some of his softball buddies. It was a nice little house in the middle of nowhere, but when we got there everyone had clearly started drinking many hours prior to our arrival. So much for meeting new people and trying to actually branch out and have a conversation. We only stayed for a few hours, and the setting could only be described as a reclamation of their pre-graduate selves. The group was a mixed bag of ages which made the scene more alarming instead of less. Sssssslurring beer pong was the game of the evening - lovely, I didn't play in college, and I didn't play last night either.

Fitness: My plan for this morning was to put in a full double at the gym: Cardio-Kickboxing, then Yoga. Well, it didn't quite come to fruition. I never made it to kickboxing because I stayed up too late last night at the get together. So I settled for Yoga, then a 3 mile jog - not bad, I'm used to improvising.

Health: I am doing a 3 month full body; liver, kidney, and lymph detox. I started 4 weeks ago, at first it was crazy, but now it's eating normally. Weight lost so far - not even ONE pound - annoying.

Food & Drink: 2 cups of iced Yogi herbal tea, an egg white sandwich, and lots of water. Dinner was a steak salad, no bread or croutons, some strawberries, 3-1 inch cubes of watermelon, and 3-1 inch pie shaped pieces of pineapple. Yum! I was still craving something sweet so I splurged on a Luigi's Lemon Ice (100 calories), and that finished the meal perfectly.

Job Hunt: I looked through my emails to see what my searches brought in for the day - nothing, literally not one posting, so I started going through my list of specific websites looking as well and ....nothing. Now I realize it's Saturday, but usually I find something posted late on a Friday. So no researching, no targeted cover letter or tweaked resume, it was time to get to the life portion of the day.

Life: Chores I would say for the day. Mowing the lawn used to be novel when we first bought our house, but now it's just a chore that I try to do as quickly as possible. The yucca plants are blooming, the picture of the bloom - taken with my phone's camera is at the top of this writing. Then it was onto weeding the mulch beds, and trimming the longer grass at the edges of the property. After 3 hours, I was spent, dirty, and thirsty. Maybe this should have been my exercise for the day....

Tonight Shane went off to another friend's get together, I opted to stay home so I could write, and watch Ron White, then Lewis Black on TV. Good laughs if you get a chance to see them.

That's it for now. I hope you all had a fabulous Saturday, that is if anyone is reading this. I don't exactly know how I'm going to be shaping my writing, so I hope you'll stick with me while I figure it out.

- Nic

Day One: June 11, 2010

After losing my full-time job last month, I found myself at a cross-roads. I know there are many people out there in the same situation, but I loved what I did, and I did it for 18 hours a day, six to seven days a week for years. So now, for the first time in 28 years I don't have a full time job. When my former company downsized again (for the nth time in the last 5 years) I was out, and even though I knew it wasn't "personal" as they say, it still stung, more than a little bit.

I now find myself trying to navigate the world of interviewing. I know how to network, I have a network, I have my friends and ex-colleagues, and now I have a whole new world of freelancing out there, so I decided it's time to try something new. I have also decided to start writing about the journey here, I can't wait to see where it ends.

For the first time in a month I am re-energized about the future, and about what working in this new environment means. Part of what it means (as I found out today) is that I CAN be at home for a repair person call to fix the ice maker on the refrigerator. That may not be exciting to anyone (not even me) but it is a whole new experience, I can start living outside of my work, instead of living at work (figuratively of course). I have been able to reconnect with old friends, my community, charities, as well as getting back on track with my health and fitness goals.

Tonight I am off to the Spring Fling @The Frelinghuysen Arboretum http://www.morrisparks.net/aspparks/frelarbmain.asp in Morristown. I will let you know how this new found freedom is unfolding.

I hope you will join me on this journey.


- Nicole