Archive for the 'It’s a paycheck' Category

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Squeak

Published on Thursday, November 8, 2007 in It's a paycheck and Venting. 6 Comments

My office phone has started to squeak. More specifically, the #1 button on my phone has started to make an irritating squeaking noise. It sounds like plastic rubbing on plastic, and the fact that I make hundreds of calls a week, and nearly all of them involve using the #1 key, this isn’t a surprise to me.

A phone without a working #1 button would be worthless to me.

The relationship I have with this phone has been wrought with peril for a while now. I first got this phone when I started this job in September 2005. Since it was a new job, in my home office, I got a new phone. (The old one I had wouldn’t accommodate a headset easily, and just wouldn’t suffice.)

Things were running smoothly until the day I couldn’t get my speakerphone button to work. (That is how you ‘answer’ and ‘hang up’ the phone when you’re on the headset. This, next to the #1 key, is the most important button on the phone.) I discovered that if I lifted and dropped the handset, I could get dial tone and while on the headset, I could push the speakerphone button to disconnect the call. As cumbersome as this was, it was a short-term solution until Tech Support (i.e. my hubby) could look at it.

Plus, I’d only had the phone a year! What kind of piece of junk phone is this! Granted, I make more calls on it that the average user, but still! Grrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

Stupid, blankety-blank phone. I glared at it every time I made a call. Blasted piece of junk phone. A waste of money, that’s what you are!

So, Tech Support looks at it and decides I need a new phone. After researching, the one that fits all my needs (and is on sale!) is the exact model I have. Fine. We know it’s a piece of junk that will only last a year, but it’s on sale! We order said phone. The phone arrives while Tech Support was at work, and I got it out of the box. I grabbed the instruction manual, and nearly dropped it on the floor when I got to the part about installing the batteries.

Batteries?
In this phone?
Why would my land-line phone need batteries?

Sure enough, my old phone had a place for batteries…so that the speakerphone button and headset would work properly.

Doh!

I called Tech Support, and he confirmed that he slightly remembered installing the batteries last time, and he’d totally forgotten they were there.

I located the super-secret hidden trapdoor on the bottom of the phone and replaced the batteries. Sure enough, my phone worked perfectly.

After accepting my apologies, my phone has given me its all…until now. I can tell that it’s sick, and the time it has left on this earth may be short. I’m not sure how long I can limp it along, but I’ll use it until it’s squeaked its last squeak.

I suppose it’s a good thing that I have its twin waiting in the storage room, huh?

Put on a happy face

Published on Monday, October 29, 2007 in Claire, It's a paycheck, Parenting 101 and Visitors. 3 Comments

Well, PaPa and Daey left today for the long drive back home. They’d surprised us (almost quite literally) with a visit, and they knew they’d only stay for a long weekend. They squeezed in as much time with Claire as they could on this visit, and we all had a great time.

The last time they were here, in June, the day they left and the following day were extremely rough on Claire…and Momma. She wasn’t old enough to know that they’d gone bye-bye as in “we won’t see you for a long time” as opposed to “we’ll be back from the store shortly.” We were going to be seeing them in about a month, but that was no consolation to poor little Claire who wanted to see them right now.

I’m not sure how things will go this time. They just left, and she’s happily playing in my office while I’m trying to get caught up on files. I really think she thinks they’ll be back later today. They won’t; we won’t be seeing them in person until December. I’m not going to dwell on that…but it’s hard not to brace myself for the worst.

I’m trying to put on a happy face, and I’m trying to remain calm, upbeat and positive. Maybe this time will go better than last time?

I certainly hope so…for her sake, and mine.

Snooze

Published on Wednesday, October 24, 2007 in It's a paycheck. 1 Comment

I wanted to get up at 6am today. Let me rephrase that. I felt I needed to get up at 6am today so that I could catch up on some East Coast files. (6am here = 8am there) Plus, Claire usually sleeps until 8:30am or 9am, so having almost three hours of uninterrupted work-time makes me giddy. So, I set the alarm on my phone, like I always do when I have to get up two hours earlier than normal. My brain automatically makes my arm flop over and snooze the normal alarm, and usually the sound of the alarm on my cell phone jolts me awake.

Not today.

Today, I snoozed my cell phone alarm twice and then just turned it off. The reasoning behind my asinine plan escaped me. The thought of staying in bed turned into this warm creature that snuggled down by my feet and then cast a spell over us. Just sleep for a couple more hours. What will it hurt? They’re just files… It lulled me back to sleep.

So, 7:44am rolled around, and I’d just snoozed the regular alarm again. It had started screaming at us at 7:15am, and reminded us every 7-minutes that we really needed to think about getting up. Now, it really was time to get up, and I couldn’t deny it any longer.

My hubby needs to be out the door by 8:30am to make it to work by 9am, but it’s not like he has a strict schedule. He prefers to wake up gradually in the mornings, so the snoozing doesn’t bother him. It’s a requirement. Snoozing used to irk me, but I’ve evolved and adapted and can sleep through most any alarm. Some days, this is a good thing…others, it’s not.

Like today.

What was I thinking? I really should have gotten up when my alarm went off at 6am…but I didn’t. So, now, today gets to be just as hectic as yesterday was. Maybe I’ll get things in gear and be really productive today! (A girl can dream, can’t she?) Or, I know! Maybe I’ll set the alarm on my cell phone and get up at 6am tomorrow. Yep, that usually works.

And, they’re both round…

Published on Tuesday, October 23, 2007 in Conversations and It's a paycheck. 2 Comments

So, I just got off the phone with a lovely woman in an office somewhere in Oklahoma. I was misled by Google, and had dialed the wrong number. She told me in no uncertain terms that I had the wrong number and that I really needed [the same area code]-[the same prefix]-0810.

She said, and I quote, “Ugh! You need ‘oh-eight-one-oh.’” I could hear her eyes rolling.

I smiled sweetly, knowing you can hear a smile, too, and not wanting to further anger this woman, and said, “I just want to be sure I have this right. It’s [area code]-[prefix]-zero-eight-one-zero?”

The woman let out a very unprofessionally disgusted sound and yelled, “NO! IT’S OH-EIGHT-ONE-OH.” Oof, lady. I’m right here. There’s no need to yell. Google must direct a lot of wrong calls to that poor woman.

“Um, okay. Thank you so much. Bye…” Of course, she’d already hung up on me. I was left looking at the number on my notepad, pondering the difference between an ‘oh’ and a ‘zero.’

As it turns out, the answer to the question, “Is that an ‘oh’ or a ‘zero’?” is “Yes.”

Sense of Urgency

Published on Tuesday, October 23, 2007 in Claire, It's a paycheck, Language, Milestones and Parenting 101. 0 Comments

“Hurry, Momma! Hurry! Hurry, Momma! Hurry!”

I’m not sure where she got this, but Claire has started pleading that we comply with her wishes in a quicker manner than normal. (The first time I wrote about it on the blog was when we went to get our flu shots, and she’d just started saying it a couple days before that.)

One of my biggest pet peeves is being told to hurry up, especially when I’m already hurrying as fast as I can. It’s not like I’m just sitting here twiddling my thumbs and watching the butterflies flit about outside my window. If I’m on a task, I’m on a task. Odds are, I’m already telling myself to hurry, so I don’t need to hear it again. And, although there is a fine line, at times, between the patience level of toddlers and husbands, I have found that it wouldn’t matter if I was in the middle of doing whatever it was that I’ve been asked to do; I am still prodded along with the fervent tone and incessant coaxing.

In my professional life, I’ve always had a sense of urgency. I rarely procrastinate. I may drag my feet at first, on occasion, but I really don’t put things off. It’s important to me to be on time. It’s important that I meet deadlines, regardless of whether I’ve set them myself or if they’ve been pre-determined.

I’m an independent contractor, so I get paid for what I complete. Obviously, the more I do, the more compensation I get, so it’s always been in my best interest to get things done. Now. Hurry! I don’t remember telling Claire to hurry, but I must have. Or, maybe she got that from her father. Or, maybe she can hear the voices in my head?

At times, her “Hurry, Momma! Hurry!” pleas are pretty comical. And, even though they are exasperating, it’s hard not to laugh. She’s learning how to express herself and get what she wants in this world, and that’s a pretty cool process to see.

Speaking of getting what you want, we’ve also continued our practice of the Magic Word. Claire has been saying “Please” for a while now, but she’s getting to the stage where she really understands the power it holds. It’s not just a filler-word you say along with something else. It can actually help you get something you want, quicker than you would have normally gotten it. And, if you haven’t noticed, we’re all about fast service around here.

Sometimes, she forgets the most important part of the request…the meat of the issue. What is it you want me to do? “Please, Momma! Hurry, Momma! Hurry! Please!” Please hurry up and do what? You left that part out, silly.

It doesn’t take her long to get back on track, and we move on to the next thing…not nearly fast enough, of course, but we do move on.

Out of sorts

Published on Friday, October 12, 2007 in Claire, It's a paycheck and Venting. 3 Comments

Yesterday was not a very good day. The optimist in me would say that it was a “challenging” day, and that the important things were fine: Claire was happy and healthy. The house didn’t burn down. The kitties are still alive. I didn’t fall down the stairs. The realist in me is screaming about how everything else pretty much sucked, and sugar-coating the truth is a big ol’ waste of time.

I’m not even sure if the following things are related or if they all just happened at once and became intertwined.

It all started when the special program I use for my job barfed all over my computer, desk and keyboard. That’s the only way I can describe the mess it made. I consciously decided not to panic, and I rebooted. That usually works. Not this time. It barfed again, and I didn’t even think there was anything left in its stomach, but I was wrong. This time, it got all over my shirt, pants and my chair. And, I really hate that.

So, I rebooted again.

Now, the program seemed to be working, and it was actually working better than it had in weeks! But, when I went to open an Internet Explorer window, it just sat there and churned and churned, the little green progress bar (that usually goes so fast you don’t know it’s there) was stuck on two little boxes. What the…? Approximately 25 minutes later (27 to be exact, not that I’m counting), it opens, and acts like everything is fine. I can go to numerous sites, all at the speed of light. So, I opened another window to see if the glitch was gone, and nope…it sits there, stalled.

So, I rebooted again. Third time’s the charm, right?

I go to the kitchen and boot up the laptop. Everything appears to be working fine, so I know it’s not our network. I come back in my office, and everything seems to open fine on my computer, and I click on the little blue ‘e’ at the bottom of my screen, crossing my fingers. No luck. Stuck again. Why is this happening now??

So, I bring the laptop in from the kitchen and find a place for it on my desk. All the while, Claire has been asking over and over and over and over for the last 33 minutes to listen to Rollin! And Move it! And Rollin? And Move it? And, I’m beginning to lose my mind. It takes every ounce of my being to not scream at her cute little face. It’s not her fault. I try explaining that Momma’s computer isn’t working right now, but we’ll listen to her music soon.

In the meantime, my Logitech Keyboard decides to have seizures. I can no longer control the sound via my keyboard controls and there is no indication on my screen telling me which mode I’m in. This keyboard is one of those things that I never thought I needed until I had it, and now I don’t know how to do anything without it. I finally figure out how to mute the sound on my computer, but it doesn’t work on Claire. I can still hear her loud and clear. She’s just sure that I’m not paying attention, so her pleas get louder and louder.

So, I try to focus on getting the laptop set up in my office. Of course, I can’t plug the laptop in where I want to, because the previous owners painted over the bottom hole on the most convenient outlet. Yes, we’ve lived here over six years. Your point? I don’t have time to dig out paint from a third hole I rarely need. So, I find an empty spot on my UPS (battery backup thingy). Success! I can now look at the websites I need to (for work) and the websites I have to (for Claire). My work program and email seem to be running fine on my computer, so I proceed with a desk that looks like I’m about ready to launch the space shuttle.

When Tech Support gets home, I waited until he was changed into his sweats and comfy t-shirt before telling him that Claire opted to boycott her afternoon nap, and oh, yeah, my computer is possessed. He worked on it a little bit last night and some this morning and figured out the problem. He also installed Mozilla Firefox, so now I’m going to use that instead of Internet Explorer. Even though IE is fixed, this is the perfect opportunity to install it and start using it. I’ve wanted to in the past, but hadn’t been motivated.

It’s cool, and I use it on the laptop, but it’s not the same. All my bookmarks were imported but they are all out of order. I automatically look at the bottom of my screen for my websites instead of at the tabs at the top of the screen. Everything I do seems to be happening in slow motion because I actually have to think about where things are. Before yesterday’s incident, I could just do. Now, I have to re-learn, remember, and then do. I’m trying really hard to summon the casual side of my perfectionism today, and I’m struggling.

So, I’m a bit out of sorts today. Just writing this all down has helped a tad. Things are starting to feel a little more balanced around here. By the end of the day, I should be feeling a lot better. Now, I should get back to work before these files eat me alive…and if that happened, who would play Rollin’ and Move It over and over and over?

The odds are still in my favor

Published on Monday, October 1, 2007 in Claire and It's a paycheck. 0 Comments

Well, Monday just started, and I’m already feeling behind. How is that possible? Well, I got a little behind last week (extra files + a rambunctious toddler = quite a challenge), and I stuck to my vow of Not Working on the Weekends. So, there ya have it. Monday’s productivity is already a day late and a dollar short. I’ll either be able to catch up, or I won’t. I’m in the process of reminding myself that it’s just a job.

In other news, Claire is happy and healthy. (Knock on wood…) So, out of my daily goals, two out of three are lookin’ pretty good…and, as we all know, two out of three ain’t bad.

Photo Friday – Claire and her hats

Published on Friday, September 21, 2007 in Claire, It's a paycheck and Photos. 2 Comments

Today’s a pretty lazy Friday. I’m sitting in a good place with the files, and my hubby actually has the day off. (His work schedule is very demanding at times, but thankfully, he gets to take days off because of it.)

So, I think I want to start a tradition. Other blogs have cool things they do on certain days of the week, and I think I want to do a Photo Friday. So, we’ll see how that goes.

Here is a picture I just took of Claire and her many hats. In this picture, she has five of them on at once. I was so tempted to crop out all evidence of her belly and inside-out pockets, but decided against it! The secret is out…we’re firm believers in Casual Fridays!

And, I think she’s a little young to wear quite so many hats…I’m sure she’ll do plenty of that in the future!

Claire and her many hats

Have a great weekend!

Stress Reduction Plan

Published on Thursday, September 6, 2007 in It's a paycheck. 3 Comments

I don’t know why, but I’ve been feeling rather stressed lately. The counselor in me wants to get to the bottom of this and also make this better. Finally, no one can accuse me of not using my degree!

Claire goes to bed at a good hour, and she sleeps all night (knock on wood). I’ve been getting enough sleep at night, so it’s not like that’s a stressor. The hubby and I haven’t been fighting (and we never really have…), so it’s not like that’s an issue. I feel loved and wanted and appreciated, so that’s no cause for alarm. The bathroom isn’t done yet, but I’ve lived amidst construction for so long that I doubt that’s an issue.

So, what’s going on with me?

I work from home. This is awesome, and I totally signed up for this job. Most days, I love it. So…why am I so stressed now?

This happened a few months ago, and I implemented a stress reduction plan at that time. The first item on my list was turning the ringer of my phone off. I know that sounds weird and incredibly simple, but when I’m sitting here, I can see the phone flash, so I know when it’s ringing. But I don’t hear it. That way, if I’m not in my office, I’m blissfully unaware if my phone is ringing. I no longer felt the need to break my neck while running to my office. Dinner was no longer interrupted. I realized that people could leave a message and that it wouldn’t be the end of the world.

So, where was this phone paranoia coming from? When I worked at a major corporate company, the rule was that none of the executives’ phone lines could go straight to vmail. EVER. They HAD to be answered by a live person during business hours. As an assistant, my paramount duty was to pick up that phone, every single time it rang. Period. And, I was responsible for covering eight lines! If I had to go to the bathroom, I had to be sure someone covered the phone. The CEO (or his assistant) would often make calls just to check that the phone would be answered. Keep in mind, this “duty” wasn’t written anywhere in the job description and my plate was already full! So…turning off my ringer and NOT answering my phone was a huge step for me in this job. After years of therapy, I can almost let a phone ring without twitching to death. Almost.

After implementing that plan, my stress level was greatly reduced, and I went about my merry way.

Fast forward to now…something is off again, and I have to get it corrected, or I’m going to go crazy(ier)!

I think I have it figured out.

The last few days have been relatively calm in the world of files. Prior to that, I had the most difficult summer ever. I was completely slammed with files, and I got totally overworked. Because I work from home and chase a toddler, I’m always ‘on.’ Because of the backlog of files, I had to work on the weekends to get caught up.

Working every day can take a toll, and I think that’s what’s causing this feeling of overwhelming stress. It didn’t even occur to me until my hubby told me last night that he didn’t want me to work on the weekends anymore. He’s right. My sanity is not worth this. I’m still getting my files done, and done correctly. I’ll find a way to get it all done during the week. I’ll have to.

So, the next step on my “Momma has to be less stressed plan” will be the no working on weekends thing. I can’t believe I didn’t think of that sooner. But, in my defense, because I didn’t used to work on the weekends, it crept up on me so slowly that I didn’t even realize what was happening until it was too late. Well, now I know, and no more!

So…that’s the plan. No more doing files outside the work-week. I’ll still be a full-time Momma, but one full-time job is enough…at least on the weekends.

It’s amazing how much better I feel already!

The View from the Top

Published on Friday, August 31, 2007 in It's a paycheck and Random Thoughts. 0 Comments

What a week!

This week has flown by in the blink of an eye, yet at the same time, I feel as though Friday was taking its sweet ol’ time getting here! How does that happen? I feel like I’ve been on a really long hike, and the summit is just up ahead. This hasn’t been a leisurely stroll. This has been one of those “come on, it’ll be easy!” hikes my hubby used to convince me to take. The journey up the trail is arduous, but the view from the top is amazing.

I’m not sure why this week has been such a struggle. Claire has been really good. She’s made my job quite challenging, but that’s nothing new. I didn’t get completely slammed with files like I have the last couple weeks. It’s funny, but my job always reminds me of Boyle’s Law. It’s that law we learned in high school about how a gas will expand to fill its container. That is exactly what happened with my week! I think I had fewer things to do, but they expanded to fill my time.

So, I’ve been hiking and hiking and hiking, and at around 3pm, everyday, I’d see what I thought to be the summit! There it is! We’ve almost made it! I take another drink of water, tighten my backpack straps, and trudge on up the trail. We get to the top, and see that this isn’t the top. The top is over there! It’s not much farther. Honest. Come on, be a good sport. Stop looking at me like that. I thought you liked hiking. Stop being such a wussy.

This scenario was repeated every day for a week. That’s why I’m so tired.

But, it’s Friday! We made it! I really can see the top from here! I have just a couple of files to wrap up, and then I should be able to enjoy the view.

Daddy is leaving tonight to go on a real backpacking trip (not the fictitious one that’s been taunting me all week). Claire and I will get to have a girls’ weekend! We love it when Daddy’s at home, but having a weekend to ourselves is nice too.

I’m not sure what we’ll do, yet…but I don’t think we’ll do much hiking. I’ve done enough of that already.