October 12th, 2009 by Kateastrophe

Ummmm hai.  Missing from Bloglandia much?  That’s me!

I have no time for a real post so here’s a quick catch-up list.  Bullet style.

• Started my new job on Wednesday at 9AM
• Brain exploded Wednesday at 10AM
• Brain began oozing out my ears and nose by Wednesday at 12PM
• Went home at 5 PM Wednesday and died.  After Glee, natch
• Resurrected myself Thursday morning at 6 AM.  WHO GETS UP THAT EARLY?  Oh that’s right, now I do.  SHOOT ME NOW.
• Did it all again Thursday and Friday
• Stayed up way late Friday night
• Rinse and repeat Saturday, add a birthday party for my girl JoAnne (henceforth known as JoJo)
• Lots of church on Sunday
• Lots of naps on Sunday
• Return to the top and repeat for all days of this week.

The new job, so far, is a new job.  I won’t give a lot of detail but I’ve moved from the Retail Technology world to Real Estate and from Marketing to . . . something else, title of which I’m unsure.  No, I’m not a real estate agent.  I’m working on the corporate side.  Think big company.  HUUUUGE company.  Lots of Excel spreadsheets.  Hold me.  I’m overwhelmed, stressed and a wee bit freaked out.  The people are awesome, I just have a whole new language to learn.  Luckily I’m getting a month of training during which I can make every mistake known to man and have someone fix it for me.  Bonus round, I have a fifth floor corner office with a view of Camelback Mountain and I’m close to some great shopping and restaurants.  Good-bye, paycheck, hello Louboutins!

October 2nd, 2009 by Kateastrophe

I think I’m mourning the loss of my job.

I’m sure I’m not the only person who has felt this way after getting laid off, but I think it took me a little longer to figure it out.

The day I was let go I was given about twenty minutes to get my stuff and get out.  There was a meeting in the conference room consisting of those who were being hired on and “they” didn’t want those of us who weren’t staying around causing any “trouble” with those who were.  It was absurd, to say the least.

I worked at this company for five years and 22 days.  10,616 hours.  I spent more time there than I spent at home.  The job took me to Hawaii, Florida, New York, California and Nevada.  My taste buds experienced misery and ecstasy on my business trips.  My feet ached at trade shows as I showed off my hard work and helped create new business.  I participated in some of the biggest deals in eCommerce history.  I sweat, cried, bled, screamed, and laughed my way through my time there.  And now it’s over.  I had 20 minutes with which to consolidate five years of my life into a box.  A BOX.

I tried so hard to keep it together as I was madly trying to decide what to keep and what to let go.  I pretty much failed as the tears overflowed out of my eyes.  I tried to hide them from anyone who walked by or offered to help but I’m sure they saw.

Three weeks later, there are still moments where the hurt is so sharp I almost cry out.  I found a pile of business cards in the purse I was cleaning out last week and I had to sit down to cope with the profound loss I felt as I saw my name and title and realized it was mine no more.  My box of crap is still sitting by the front door and I can’t force myself to go through it because I know every piece of paper or small trinket will remind me of a special moment or experience I had at a place that no longer exists.

I know I’ll get over it and, as my Dad says, they were doing me a favor.  And that box isn’t going to sit there reminding me of my loss for much longer.  I got three offers today and I’m pretty sure I’ve decided which job I’ll be taking.

Employment, I hope you’re ready for me.  Because I’m coming at you with a vengeance.

June 22nd, 2009 by Kateastrophe

I used to think travelling for business was so glamorous. The fancy hotels, the decadent meals, seeing new and exciting places . . . it all sounds so amazingly fun.

I learned very quickly that fun it’s not. What it’s more like is regular work times fifty. And on top of that, you don’t think about a whole world of negatives when you originally think of going on a fancy business trip. Below is a list of my negatives just from this last week.

• Sleep Schedule Issues
  • When you live on Pacific Time and then you head to the East Coast where your trade show starts at 7 AM, that means your alarm must go off at the inhumane hour of 3 AM in your brain.
  • Waking up every ten minutes in a panic that you slept through the opening of the conference
  • You’re Mormon and therefore don’t drink coffee
  • You quit Diet Coke
  • Let’s just say you’ll never feel awake again
  • You come home and wake up on East Coast time. Hello, 5:30 AM. It’s so nice to see you after three hours of sleep. No, really!
• Travel Diet
  • While it really SOUNDS awesome to eat at fancy restaurants every night, the caloric intake of a single bowl of Lobster Mac & Cheese will ASTOUND you
  • It will also astound your thighs
  • I feel fat. Like, a lot fat
  • How can you possibly choose salad when they’re serving homemade GNOCCI??
  • I have zero self control
  • I also love pasta
• Hotel Gyms
  • Um, EW?
  • Too many people vying for the 10 lb dumbbells
  • Inept knowledge of weight lifting terms, causing you to consult your stick figure people to do your workout
  • Other people at the gym make fun of you for said stick figures
• Your husband hates to talk on the phone
  • This causes your conversations with Mr. Prince Charming to go something like this: (for an ENTIRE WEEK)
    • “Hey! How was your day?”
    • “Same”
    • “Anything exciting happen?”
    • “Nope, same old thing.”
    • “Um, eat anything good for lunch?”
    • “Nope same old thing.”
    • “WHY ARE WE EVEN TALKING ON THE PHONE???”
• No washer and dryer
  • Stinky suitcase clothes. Enough said.
• Hotel “Issues”
  • Say, like . . . what are you supposed to do when the plug in the bathroom just doesn’t work and you have ten minutes to blow dry your hair?? It’s not like you can go use another bathroom! You’re TOTALLY SCREWED!
  • Four dollars for a bottle of water? SERIOUSLY?
  • No cell phone coverage in your room
  • Sketchy internet. Not good when you’re paying $15 a day for it now, is it?
  • $4000 for gooey oatmeal breakfast. Even though it’s not your dime, it’s still painful
• Eating alone (which is a perfect introduction into my next thing . . . )
• Travelling Business Men
  • SERIOUSLY? You can’t tell I’m married?? This twelve millimeter band set on my hand with sparkly diamonds doesn’t give you a tiny hint??
  • If you call me a tall drink of water one more time I’m gonna throw MY tall drink of water on your stinking face
  • No I do NOT want a ride to my hotel
  • No I will NOT tell you what hotel I’m staying in
  • No I will NOT drive you to YOUR hotel
  • I think I will start using Regina Felangie as my eating-out-alone-business-name. And I shall always say I’m staying at the Ritz
• Flying
  • OH MY GOSH I hate flying more than once a week.
  • Sometimes your 45 plane flight is delayed five hours. You could have rented a car and driven to your destination in significantly less time. And in more comfortable seats
  • Sometimes you’re surrounded by “The Crazy Family.” This family, returning from a cruise, apparently has restless leg syndrome and cannot sit down EVER. During a FOUR HOUR FLIGHT.
  • Mrs. Crazy? Yeah she’s doing calf raises and yoga stretches in the aisle with her butt in your face.
  • Mr. Crazy? He’s supplying Mrs. Crazy with endless amounts of alcohol.
  • Baby Crazy? She’s chewing on the straps of your Coach bag and her Mom, Daughter Crazy, things you can’t hear her through your headphones when she says “Aw look! She likes Coach! Good thing leather is waterproof.” UM, WHAT???
  • Son Crazy is sharing a funny part of a movie with his whole family . . . over the aisle and over your head
  • Son-in-Law Crazy is unaware of his appendages and during the flight kicks you twice, elbows you once in the face and twice in the head and then literally knocks you over with his backback when he stands up to leave the flight.
  • Baby Crazy is being passed back and forth like a ping pong ball during landing. HELLO??? HOLD ON TO YOUR KID OR SHE MIGHT GO FLYING!
  • Tween Crazy will NOT SHUT UP ABOUT THE JONAS BROTHERS.
  • Your noise cancelling headphones and the blanket over your head do absolutely nothing to help you ignore them.
  • Russian Man next to you isn’t wearing deodorant and insists on stretching his arms above his head then FALLING ASLEEP THAT WAY.

And this was just one week. Today I’m flying to San Francisco to do it all over again and quite frankly? I need a Xanax.

June 12th, 2009 by Kateastrophe

So, Sunday begins my whirlwind of travel.  I’m basically gone for the next three weeks straight.  This is cool for several reasons:

• I get to see Boston for the first time
• I get to go to Dewey Beach with my amazing stepmother, Lisa
• Tax free outlet shopping
• I get to see my brother’s new house AND his fiance’s new bling!
• I get to go to San Francisco
• I hope to finally learn how to beat our new software (that’s seriously giving me a hernia) the beat down.
• I get to see my best college friend, Adrienne
• I also get to see my best guy friend, Dan and his gorgeous wife, Anne
• I get to shop at the H&M on Market Street
• I get to see my bestie, JoAnne, Alli and my baby birthday twin, Nora
• I finally get to see Moses Lake, Washington

This is not cool for several reasons:

• I will miss my husband terribly
• I will not be able to consistently work out
• I may gain back some of the 8% body fat I just found out I lost (but strangely gained five pounds??)
• I will be at a conference on the east coast that starts at 7AM.  That’s 4AM Arizona time.  OUI
• I will be at a conference and on my feet all day
• My stepmother will most likely be doing some complaining about my Dad and their upcoming divorce
• Beach+Kate=Sunburn.  EVERY TIME.

I’m already feeling exhausted, overworked and overwhelmed, and the next few weeks probably won’t help with that, BUT, I do love my job, my friends and my life so I don’t really have anything to complain about.

I’ll be reporting on my trips when I can and reading blogs during down-time via my Crackberry.

Now I’m going to get my adorable snoring husband off the couch and into bed.  Tomorrow is our last day together for quite some time.  Oh how I’ll miss him.

January 8th, 2009 by Kateastrophe

To steal my girl Julia’s phrase, Holy Johnnies I have a lot to catch up on! Sheesh!

So many fun and crazy things have happened in the last week, I’m going to cop-out and pull out the bullets! Wheeee!

• Remember the baby I mentioned in my birthday post? Well, she arrived safely on my birthday and promptly stole my heart – best birthday present EVER. Kate’s bloggy friends, meet Nora. Nora, meet the Internets.

  

   

  Also, just for fun, meet the other gal who’s stolen my heart, Nora’s big sister Alli, showing off her new dalmation. Awwww

   

  

   

• My birthday was awesome. It started out as a total downer but by the end of the day I was loving life. My be-fri Hannah drove ALL the way from Utah with her little family to surprise me (which she did as I was getting out of the shower. That girl’s lucky my towel stayed on!) We had a big New Year’s Eve party at our house and had tons of fun playing Wii Fit and We Ski. Matt got me the coveted Canon SLR flash (soooo fancy) and all in all, it ended up being one of my most memorable birthday’s ever.

   

• Remember that post I wrote about that one day at work where they let a lot of people go? Yeah, let’s just say it happened AGAIN, and I made it through the cuts AGAIN. We’ve basically cut the company down by more than 50% in the last six months. Yikes. I’m breathing a HUGE sigh of relief to still have my job right now – and to top it off got a sort of promotion. No raise to go with it, but increased responsibilities and a better title. In this economy? I’ll take it!

   

• After making it through the gauntlet of cut-backs, I spent the evening screaming my lungs out at the Fiesta Bowl. I’m a HUGE Buckeye fan so the last 16 seconds REALLY sucked, but the rest of the game was so so so much fun. I really thought my Buckeye’s were going to pull off a miracle there for a minute. Oh well. There’s always next year, right?!? I also got an extra special treat at the game. Chris “Beanie” Wells mom accidentally sat in the wrong seats before the game started, so she was directly behind us for a few minutes. After the error was discovered and she went to the right seat, I reached into my gift bag from Tostitos to get my Jalapeno Tortilla Chips and discovered chewed gum stuck to the salsa container! That’s right folks, I think Beanie Wells’ mom spit her chewing gum into my gift bag. If her son wasn’t so awesome (and HUGE and probably MEAN) I might have done something about it. Instead, I shook off the nasty and carried on with eating my chips. But not the salsa. I mean, I don’t like the stuff anyway but EW.

   

• I usually make a big long list of New Year’s resolutions, but I decided on just one this year. Eating dinner out a max of 2x per week. I think this will help me achieve lots of goals in one. Weight loss, money savings, getting more organized at home, getting food storage together . . . I think this ONE goal will at least push me in the right direction for all of those. Wish me (and Matt) luck because OUI it’s hard to cook every night when all these amazing restaurants tempt me with their yumminess!

   

• Have I ever told you guys that I’m obsessed with The Killers? No? Well I am. For several reasons actually. First, um HI Brandon Flowers and his beautifulness. Second, their music is, in my opinion at least, AMAZING, and third, it’s one of the only music groups my husband and I can agree upon. SO, listening to The Killers has become a necessity in our little family for road trips because we have very few choices that don’t make one or the other want to vomit. We’re limited to U2, Eminem (you heard me) and The Killers, and I quite prefer option #3 the mostest. SO, this very long explanation leads me to the BIG NEWS. I’m flying to Denver where I not only get to see my BFFF Brillig (OHMAGOSHSOEXCITED) but we have tickets to THE KILLERS CONCERT!!!! (OHMAFREAKINGSOEXCITEDICANHARDLYBREATHE!!!!) I cannot think of a better weekend. Brillig, her little family of Brilligites, my birthplace of Denver and BRANDON FLOWERS IN PERSON!! There will be squeeeing and screaming and maybe some fainting. By Brillig, of course. I’ll be tooootally cool, calm and collected. Tooootally.

   

• After Denver, I get a two day visit from my amazing and illustrious step-mother Lisa. She hasn’t been to Phoenix since I moved here so I’m VERY excited to see her and convince her sun-loving self that 300 days of sunshine and pools a year are the bomb and she should move here.

   

• After my visit from Lisa, I fly to New Orleans to see my sister, Tofutti!! (Ten points if you can name the movie that name comes from!). We are planning on a swamp tour, maybe some plantations, and of course, LOTS OF FRIED FOOD.

   

• After THAT, I’m in Orlando for a trade show. Yay. Trade show. Wheeeee.

   

• The DAY I get home from Orlando (yup, there’s more) my Mom comes to town. This means lots of late night chats and home décor shopping and I’m jumping up and down just thinking about it.

   

• Then we run into President’s Day weekend. No plans YET, but if I don’t have any, I think you’ll find me passed out on the couch from all the above activities.

   

And that, folks, is my version of playing catch-up. PHEW! Hopefully we’ll return to regularly scheduled posting . . . someday.

December 22nd, 2008 by Kateastrophe

Dear Friends and Family,

Sorry you didn’t get a Christmas card from us this year. We were going to send one. We had the cards all ready to go and even had a blog friend help us out with the editing of the picture . . . and then it just sort of . . . didn’t happen. While we all know the reason is just plain old laziness, if I told you we were going green, would you believe me? No? It’s the fact that I still use paper towels and paper toilet paper, huh? Gives my environment hating butt away EVERY TIME!

This has been a fun and exciting year in the Murphy household. Or just a normal boring one, I guess it depends on your definition of fun and excitement. We worked a lot, played some and (wait for it) still aren’t having a baby. (I know, you’re shocked. We’re getting so OLD, right? We might as well start looking for alternatives NOW. I mean my eggs must have dried up YEARS ago!) I just killed a supposedly un-killable species of house plant so I am seriously in doubt regarding my ability to keep something that bleeds when it falls over alive. We’re getting our first niece, so that should count for something, right?

Matt is still working for the ever evil Homeowners Association Management Company, helping waste budget away your monthly dues (if you live in a dues paying community, of course)on frivolous things like street lights, community landscaping road pavement and security. Despite the housing market crisis, his company seems to be rolling in money but have used the excuse of the bad economy to put a raise freeze on their little world. Ahh the joys of corporate jobs.

My job continues . . . so far my four (almost five) years of working here have included; Twelve boxes of Diet Coke syrup ingested, eleven RFP’s completed, ten different laptops, nine system crashes, eight rounds of funding, seven corporate layoffs, six marketing directors, five different cubies, four CEO’s, three titles and counting, two nervous break-downs and a patridge in a freaking pear tree. I’ve made it through all of that so bring on 2009, beotches.

Our annual vacation this year took us to the Far East, specifically China. We learned many things there, but some of the most life changing were things like how to best stab a won-ton with your chopsticks, the appropriate way to shoot a snot-rocket onto the street, the feminine way to hock a loogie, why to always carry an “f-ing handkerchief”, how to piss off your hired tour guide so she refuses to come back and MOST important, how to turn left into speeding, oncoming traffic and not die.

Christmas this year will find us in rainy Southern California with my Grandparents, Mom and brothers and sisters. This is the first time they will all be together in quite a long time, so we’re excited (and scared). There’s sure to be hilarity and drama all mixed into one big bowl of fun. My family isn’t exactly known for our mellow holiday celebrations. Hopefully everyone will go home with their spleen intact and no trips to the hospital. (Mental or otherwise)

This year for my birthday and New Year’s Eve we’re throwing a little party at our house. I’m inviting several people from church so I’ve already begun working on substituting words like “s**t” with “oh darn.” Seriously. There’s a reason I don’t often invite church people over. I’m preparing myself now for the “sorry I offended you by saying the f-word while getting my a**, er BUTT, kicked playing Wii Tennis” talk now. Pray for me. (Hmm, I smell irony there. Hahah) I blame my father.

There have been a few wrenches thrown into the works of our year, such as my Dad and Step-mother’s thinking they are allowed to get divorced and my Mom and her husband’s thinking they should stay married (I kid. Seriously) but overall we are happy and healthy and that’s all we could ask for. Well not ALL I could ask for, just all I feel comfortable admitting I’ll ask for. (SHOES, I ask for expensive SHOES! And that the Buckeye’s can beat Texas. Neither thing I will get but it doesn’t mean I won’t ASK!)

So, while I’m hoping for a prosperous, cussing free New Year, I’m also hoping that all of you will get exactly what YOU want.

All my love (and randomness)

Kate

December 11th, 2008 by Kateastrophe

Your Blackberry “accidentally” erases FOUR YEARS worth of Contacts in Outlook?

Your head explodes and you die.

The. End.

October 15th, 2008 by Kateastrophe

It was lunch time. I hadn’t eaten breakfast (bad idea when you’re hypoglycemic, just for the record.) and lunch was nowhere close to happening. I was STARVING and shaky. And cranky. BOY was I cranky.

I keep a stash of quarters in my desk drawer just for such occasions. I don’t LIKE using them, because I end up eating something with eight million calories and four thousand grams of fat, but sometimes I HAVE to use them. I grabbed three, which was the amount I would need for a Twix, and walked into the break room. Not paying much attention, I plopped in my three quarters and pushed 43 for a Twix. BEEP BEEP BEEP. Wha??

The display was flashing the number “$0.85″ at me.

EIGHTY FIVE CENTS for a CANDY BAR? My blood boiled. I was being taken advantage of! My need for food was feeding the greedy candy man’s growing empire. I angrily pushed the button to get my quarters back and went in search of a stupid dime. I was too hungry to fight this battle today. I needed food!

After finding my dime, I stormed back in to the break room and plopped my FRICKIN’ EIGHTY FIVE CENTS into the machine. Then I noticed something. A Baby Ruth, teetering dangerously from the metal tooth of the candy machine. HA! I was going to give it to the candy man. Not only would I get a Baby Ruth in all it’s peanutty goodness, but I would get TWO. I really wanted a Twix, but TWO Baby Ruth’s are way better than one Twix.

47. Screw 43, I want number 47.

Then the miracle occurred. The parts of the machine started turning and I heard two plops. Then two more. Then two more . . . and again! And AGAIN! Both the Twix and Baby Ruth sections where whirring away, spitting out not just the two Baby Ruth’s . . . but EIGHT candy bars. Four Twix and four Baby Ruth bars! JACKPOT!

Ignoring the drooling glances of everyone else in the break room, I selfishly gathered up my huge pile of loot and stormed triumphantly to my desk. I had battled the machine and I had won.

That day will go down in history as the day I took it to the candy man – and ate EIGHT candy bars.* I like to think it was a win-win, but my ass seems to disagree heartily. Too bad, ass.

*OK I lied took creative license on that little detail. I didn’t eat all eight that day. I shared one with the guy in the cube next to me and I still have one Baby Ruth left. But not for long.

October 9th, 2008 by Kateastrophe

We just got Rock Band.  FOR FREE.  I love “knowing a guy” and having “the guy” owe me one.

I told Matt he’d love it and laughed at him when he didn’t believe me.  He believes me now.  We just played for two hours straight. 

I have three blisters on my fingers from the drumsticks and I just discovered that Matt?  Can actually sing.  Who knew!

 My own little rocker.  How cute.

September 24th, 2008 by Kateastrophe

Monday morning I showed up at work and saw a chubby security guard smoking near our main door.  I shrugged it off thinking he was from another office in our building and just taking a smoke break away from his main duties or something.  I walked inside and was greeted by two of our senior level employees who were manning the front desk, armed with some sort of . . . list.  I paused, confused, and then asked them what they were doing (and in my head wondered where our receptionist was.)  “Just hanging out,” one said, as he eyed his list.  The other just nodded and checked his laptop.

As I walked back to my cube, I saw through the cracks of the blinds in our board room a bunch of people sitting in some sort of meeting.  It was early for a meeting in our office.  We’re a technology company full of . . . technology people.  We sort of roll in around 8:45 and it was 8:20 or so.  I was early because Matt had a meeting a few blocks from my office and we had carpooled.  I was baffled, but blew it off.  I’m not “in the know” around the office anymore.  Maybe it was a board meeting.

I sat down at my desk and started my computer.

“You made the cut,” said the familiar voice from the next cube.  “I guess we both did.”

That’s when it hit me.  The security guard, the people in the lobby, the early morning meeting. 

Terminations.

Almost 20 people were let go from our company early Monday morning.  I knew and respected all of them.  The decision to terminate these employees was explained later in a company meeting.  It made sense.  They had done everything they could to be fair and help these people find new jobs and move on with their lives.  But it still sucked.  A lot.

My boss said that he knew it would take a couple of days for the reality to really hit me.  Boy was he right.  Right now I feel so many things.

Relief. 

I wasn’t terminated — in fact I was given a raise and somewhat of an unofficial promotion less than a week ago.  My performance review was excellent.  I am learning a lot and my new boss seems to respect and like me (and the feeling is very mutual.)  I am considered a valuable knowledge asset and my opinion appears to be highly valued.  I am about to take two days off for a family vacation, shortly followed by a two week vacation to China.  I feel truly lucky and relieved that I still have my job and all the benefits that come with it.

Guilt.

One employee who was let go has five children.  Several have family members with severe healthy problems.  One in particular had expressed to me their dire financial situation and the stress involved in just making ends meet.  One had just put a deposit down on a new house.  Another had just paid for the first class plane tickets jetting him off on the vacation of a lifetime.  All of these people’s lives have been impacted in a way I can’t imagine.  My husband has a good job.  Our bills are manageable.  We are lucky to have more than enough.  We don’t have children (or anyone, really) relying on us to provide for their existence.  I have connections and people willing to give me a job at any moment.  I feel guilty that I get to stay, secure in my position.

Frustration.

I’m frusrated that in the past four years our company has been thisclose to profitability and stability yet somehow keep missing the mark.  I’m frustrated that my company stock is worth less than it was when I started.  Frustrated thinking maybe I made the wrong decision when I turned down a job offer a few months ago because I truly believed that we could get over the hump and reach our potential as a company.  I’m extremely frustrated with the economy.  I hate the housing market.  Luckily, I don’t have enough money to lose any with the latest financial crisis but I’m pissed at what’s happening to so many.  Gas prices still suck (I sure sold my Civic and traded in my Corolla at the wrong time, didn’t I?) and some of that extra I mentioned has been flushed down the hypothetical economic toilet of death.

Exhaustion.

Myself and everyone remaining at our company has gone into turbo mode since Monday.  It’s like a knee jerk reaction.  We still have our jobs and know the company would have to close it’s doors if it lost another 20 or so, but we’re all working like tomorrow may never come.  My brain is going a million miles a minute trying to get all the things I want to do organized into some sort of system.  I’m in a meetings all day and trying to fit all my tasks into the few minutes between which are usually reserved for bathroom or food breaks.  I’ve come home the last two days ready to collapse with exhaustion, yet I’ve been sitting on my butt all day.  I’d rather put a gun to my head than go to the gym or be active.

Determination.

I’m forcing my brain and body to suck it up.  I am going to work harder.  Prove myself even more.  I will accomplish my goals.  I will get all my work done.  I will not let anyone down.  Despite everything, I still believe in my company.  I know we can be successful and I will be a part of that success.  Just watch me.

I mourn for my friends who lost their jobs.  I’ll miss our lunches and the inappropriate conversations that ensued.  I’ll miss stealing candy from their desks and writing notes on their whiteboards.  I’ll even miss refilling the CO2 tank while they stand there and watch me struggle.  I hope they all find a better place to rest soon.  That they’ll remember me fondly and that we can stay in touch.

As for me, I’m thanking the Lord that I still have my job and that all my different emotions have lead me to the decision to try a little harder.  Just maybe, just a little bit, what happened was supposed to be a lesson for me.  A lesson in gratitude, in empathy, sympathy and perserverence. 

Just maybe I’ll learn.  And remember.  And grow.