I know I've been bad about updating the blog with our life happenings, but the past two months have been absolutely crazy for us. We are just now getting back into the pace of life and catching our breaths.
Here are some of the major happenings:
Digilent to National Instruments
I don't know if I've even mentioned it on the blog, but long story short, the company I work for, Digilent, was recently bought by National Instruments. The deal closed at the end of last year, but changes didn't start happening until April. Despite all the prep work we supplied NI (mountains of paperwork: benefits, employee stock plan, life insurance, 401(k), etc), they still haven't gotten everything completely figured out and squared away. It has been very frustrating. We are supposed to be getting access to their intranet this month, but that's debatable. I still love my job, though, and am finally feeling confident in my position and have undertaken more responsibilities that will hope my advancement in the company. Also, I'm getting a new chair soon, so that's great.
Zak's new job
Zak recently started a new job as a laborer for the WSU grounds crew. He is already enjoying it; he gets to ride on the 4-wheeler, spend time outside, do physical work, and get paid decent money for it. I am also thrilled because we get to carpool to and from work together! This job will last until mid-August, and then he will return to his school-year job at UI.
Rachel the semi-runner
I decided to give the Couch to 5k program another shot, once the ice had gone away. For the first few weeks, Zak and Penny came along with me, but eventually I went at it on my own. Not that I didn't want their company, but Zak had several other obligations and priorities, and running by myself with Penny still isn't something I like to do (she's so strong! and there was too much for me to focus on), so I went rogue. Last week I finished the program! Today was my first 'free run', and it was my best time yet. I can now run 2.65 miles in 30 minutes and to me, that is HUGE! I am going to work on improving my time, and I would love to do a local 5k run by the end of the year. I have been surprised with how much I've enjoyed getting up early and running through our neighborhood.
First emergency
First off, everything is fine and we are all ok. On the second day of Zak's 2-week camping trip for school, I got a call from him from the hospital in McCall, ID. I quickly left work (everyone was so kind and supportive throughout all of this) and Jenna and I drove to pick Zak up. It was an 8-hour round-trip and I would not have been able to survive that day if my sister wasn't with me. Zak had an urethral stricture and was prescribed 2 types of antibiotics, Vicodin, and had a catheter in for the next week until his surgery day. For a week he basically laid or sat on the couch, depending on what was comfortable, and took his pills and tried not to complain too much. The day Jenna flew back to CA was the same day as Zak's surgery at 6am. Jenna's flight was at 6:40, so after our farewell, I rushed back to Moscow to wait until the surgery was over. It was successful and Zak woke up in the recovery room talking about how his head felt like macaroni & cheese. We actually had a very pleasant experience with everyone at the hospital. The nurses laughed at Zak's jokes, were funny and personable. After an hour or two after the surgery, I took him home and took care of him. He had to have a catheter in until Friday, and once he took that out, everything has been great. He has a follow-up appointment on Wednesday, but he feels great, so we should be good to go.
My sincere thanks for our family and friends for all their help and support with this. Special shout-outs to:
-Reilly parents, who took care of getting the truck fixed (it stopped working 2 days before Zak left), it helped so much to know that was taken care of
-Gabe, for lending us the Jeep for a week
-Jenna, for being incredibly helpful, sweet and supportive. She is truly the best sister anyone could ask for, and I'm so so glad she's mine :)
Jenna's visit
Jenna spent 2 weeks with us! It was a great trip, with lots of fun adventures and food. I was lucky to get several days off, or work 1/2 days when she was here. I especially loved having our friends meet Jenna, who have heard about her for 2 years but have not met her. Likewise, she was excited to meet our friends (& their pets); all the times spent together with friends were fun and I'm so happy everyone loved her/she loved them! She was thrilled to meet Hampton the pig, who is now a PIG (he's so big!) as well. We played games, had a marathon of Daniel Craig as James Bond, went camping, made food, and rode roller coasters at Silverwood. It was really fun for me to have her around, because she is such a delight and always willing to help. After driving almost 9 hours in Gabe's Jeep to get Zak, I collapsed once we got home. She made us dinner and it was amazing. Penny loved her, and loved snuggling with her on the couch. We all loved having her here and can't wait for her next visit!
Wedding season
There are 3 big weddings this summer! Zak's sister Delaney is getting married in Boston in August and a few days later, my brother Kenny is getting married in California. We are still trying to finalize flights and trip details, but it's an exciting time! Our great friends Chad & Bryan will be getting married here at the end of July, and we are both in the wedding party. I will also be helping Chad's best friend Emily with her wedding at the beginning on September--I am going to be in charge of the food, etc. We are so excited to be a part of these weddings, as we love all the people involved!
General/Penny
Penny is about a year old! We still love the crap out of her and she still loves us! With all the chaos in our lives lately, she probably has been acting out a little. We have come home more than once to find a hole (or two) she's dug while waiting for us to return. We've been told it's probably separation anxiety, so we are taking actions to fix that. Now that the weather is nice, we leave her out in the yard on a tether. The cord is long enough that she can rest in the shade by the bushes or the shed and get to her toys, etc. So far it's been a bit of trial and error; we came home one day to her waiting for us at the gate...which is NOT accessible if she's on the tether. She had dug it up. Of course. We've also come home to her wrapped around the bushes or poles by the patio. It's funny because she's a very smart dog, but she can't figure out how to unwrap herself? We have also been working on some new tricks, like balancing a treat on her nose. She has not gained the composure yet to accomplish that, but she is getting good at waiting until we say a command.
Most nights she sleeps with us, sometimes she leaves in the middle of the night to go to her bed. I usually go to bed earlier and will read until I get tired. It's very cute because she will watch me pull and rearranged the blankets and wait until I get into bed and then she hops up on and cuddles with me. She loves to sit/lay next to me, but it's better if she can have most of her butt on me in someway. It's really silly, but sweet. She is getting really good at jumping to catch the Frisbee, it's so fun to watch her! It doesn't seem like her leg is bugging her at all. She runs, jumps, plays just fine. She's a very happy, loving dog.
Other general updates...we are currently working on some ideas for the yard. A few weeks ago I acquired some heirloom tomato seedlings. I was on a run and there was a sign saying they were free, so I ran home with two of them...and then drove back to get a few more. They are in a big pot inside, but we are about to transplant them to the window box by our bedroom. I have seeds for squash, cucumber and lettuce, and while I have hopes for all of them to do well, I'm most concerned about the tomatoes. I have some flower seeds that I'd like to plant in a different section of that yard. Zak wants to build a little stone patio, we have started to look around to get ideas on what will work the best.
I apologize for the lack of pictures. I have a bunch from Jenna's visit, but they are also on Facebook, so you can view them there. I think that's everything for now!
Showing posts with label new job. Show all posts
Showing posts with label new job. Show all posts
Monday, June 3, 2013
Friday, August 17, 2012
Jumping Off Waterfalls! + other fun (3 year anniversary, too)
This has been a really fun & exciting summer. We finally feel like we are 'home'. Our friends are great, we hang out with them often, we love our new place and both have new, great jobs. (Zak just started a new job for the school, he'll be working part-time doing A/V set up. He's really excited about it, and it'll be a good fit with our schedules!)
We have had a lot of fun adventures this summer and made a lot of good memories. A few weeks ago Bryan & Chad got engaged and we had fun celebrating the love they share. We are all really excited and happy for them. The day after the party we went hiking with them and Kandace up in Elk River, about an hour/hour and a half away. It was seriously beautiful and amazing to be in the forests. We hiked for an hour or so and then sat and ate lunch with a beautiful vista of one of the three waterfalls in the park area. We saw some people swimming in the lower falls area, but couldn't figure out how to get there; it was really steep and no clear path. We then decided to go back to the first waterfall and try to get to that to swim in. The hike back was definitely more taxing, a lot of hiking uphill and plus it was still really hot out. But we made it to the upper falls and quickly got in the water.
The water was a lot warmer than we had expected, but it felt glorious. The current from the falls was pretty strong, but there were plenty of rocks and ledges to hang onto. I was having fun just swimming around but then the boys decided to climb up the falls. The next thing I know I was nervously climbing up some rocks, but luckily the guys helped and made me feel safe and got me to the top of the falls, where there was a little pool to relax in. But that wasn't enough, because then they decided to go over the small falls in that area and go into the next pool, where there was a place to jump off. Zak did it, without us really knowing, but thankfully he didn't get hurt at all. He even convinced me to jump off the top of the waterfall. I was fine until I got to the top of the rocks and had to position myself to jump, but man once I did, it was so awesome! It was so much fun and I was really proud of myself for doing something new and a bit scary. I felt like a warrior woman for conquering the waterfall.
We had a great time in the woods with our friends. We are planning on going back sometime soon and hopefully camping overnight. And I definitely want to try jumping off that waterfall again!
On Tuesday the 7th, Zak and I celebrated our third wedding anniversary. Man, the time has been flying! It's hard to believe it's already been three years. Since it was on a Tuesday, we both decided to work and just go to dinner after. It was actually to spend a quite evening at home, and not be somewhere else dealing with a hotel, etc. We went to Sangria, a Peruvian inspired place. It's really good; we've been a few times before and every time we have been there, our food has been great. Zak had a chicken dish with rice, onions, and some other things--it was really yummy. I had two appetizers: crab cakes and a crunchy spinach salad, both were excellent. It was a nice evening.
Zak starts school on Monday, he has a bit of a weird schedule but he is planning on going to the gym or doing homework in his free time. We are hoping to go camping sometime soon. Tonight is the Lentil Fest in Pullman, which we are going to with Chad & Bryan. We haven't been before, but it's apparently really fun and a big deal, so it should be a good time.
We have had a lot of fun adventures this summer and made a lot of good memories. A few weeks ago Bryan & Chad got engaged and we had fun celebrating the love they share. We are all really excited and happy for them. The day after the party we went hiking with them and Kandace up in Elk River, about an hour/hour and a half away. It was seriously beautiful and amazing to be in the forests. We hiked for an hour or so and then sat and ate lunch with a beautiful vista of one of the three waterfalls in the park area. We saw some people swimming in the lower falls area, but couldn't figure out how to get there; it was really steep and no clear path. We then decided to go back to the first waterfall and try to get to that to swim in. The hike back was definitely more taxing, a lot of hiking uphill and plus it was still really hot out. But we made it to the upper falls and quickly got in the water.
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| Kandace & Bryan leading the way |
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| Chad & Zak have a fun bromance |
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| Zak talking about the cabin he wanted to build there |
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| hiking hiking hiking |
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| upper falls, where we swam |
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| middle falls |
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| lower falls, wish we could've figured out how to get down there, but oh well |
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| beautiful vista |
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| you can't really tell, but it was super steep and we foraged a crazy (dangerous) path down to the falls |
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| excited to go swimming! |
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| where we went swimming, we climbed up to the top area |
We had a great time in the woods with our friends. We are planning on going back sometime soon and hopefully camping overnight. And I definitely want to try jumping off that waterfall again!
On Tuesday the 7th, Zak and I celebrated our third wedding anniversary. Man, the time has been flying! It's hard to believe it's already been three years. Since it was on a Tuesday, we both decided to work and just go to dinner after. It was actually to spend a quite evening at home, and not be somewhere else dealing with a hotel, etc. We went to Sangria, a Peruvian inspired place. It's really good; we've been a few times before and every time we have been there, our food has been great. Zak had a chicken dish with rice, onions, and some other things--it was really yummy. I had two appetizers: crab cakes and a crunchy spinach salad, both were excellent. It was a nice evening.
Zak starts school on Monday, he has a bit of a weird schedule but he is planning on going to the gym or doing homework in his free time. We are hoping to go camping sometime soon. Tonight is the Lentil Fest in Pullman, which we are going to with Chad & Bryan. We haven't been before, but it's apparently really fun and a big deal, so it should be a good time.
Rachel's Grown-Up Job
After a few years of ups and downs, it looks like I have finally found a steady, full-time, long-term job! And we both couldn't be happier. I work for a company called Digilent; it was founded in Pullman about 10 years ago by some WSU engineer professors. We sell microchip boards and engineering tools. I'm still not 100% sure what everything is, but I know it has to do with engineering. People can use our boards to make robots! There is an office in China, Taiwan (where everything is made) and in Romania. We ship all over the world, including companies such as Apple, NASA, Microsoft. Pretty neat stuff. Click to see the website: http://www.digilentinc.com/
I am on the end of my third week here and I just love it. I am responsible for processing the orders we receive online. I record them in QuickBooks, and print out shipping labels (I don't pack the boxes). It takes up the morning, and usually by 1 or 2 I've finished and can move onto filing or reading the news. I've been working on typing up my notes and organizing my own, personal desk! It's great. I have two computer screens, a window and a sweet desk. I also have my own email address and extension on the phone AND a name plaque on my desk. It's pretty official. I can listen to my music, have snacks, wear jeans & flip-flops...it's pretty amazing.
Everyone here is really nice, and I am now the fourth woman in the office. I think there are about 2 dozen people, including the interns from WSU, that work in the Pullman office. We ship everything out from here. But we do have some international distributors. I'm still now 100% how it all works, but I know what I do and I'm pretty good at it!
What's been great is that everyone has been nice and friendly, offering me food and advice, and wanting to help me when I ask questions. It's been great. I feel really good about this job, it's so great. The one downside is that now I have a commute (so grown-up!), and while it's only 15 minutes, I'm not looking forward to the winter...I've been checking for carpool info online and we are thinking we'll end up buying a commuter car for me in the next few months.
But other than that, it's great! I'm so happy! It's kind of a strange feeling to not dread going to work! I mean, I do sit all day and my wrists get a little bit tired by the end of the day, but I have a little drawer full of candy and snacks, and I can take it easy if I need. The reason I got this job is because Zak is an excellent job scouter--he sent me a ton of jobs he found on-line. I had kind of forgotten about this job, because I had done so many applications in a few weeks. But I came in, nailed the first interview, and was called back for a second one within three days. I got the job offer call twenty minutes later, just as I was heading into Moscow!
I'm still in my probation period, but no one has given me any reason to be worried. In fact, the girl whose job I now have didn't leave, they had to create a job for her; no one has left the company, really. A lot of people have been here since it started. So there is a great future in store for me here. I'm really happy to have this job, it just makes life so much better!
I am on the end of my third week here and I just love it. I am responsible for processing the orders we receive online. I record them in QuickBooks, and print out shipping labels (I don't pack the boxes). It takes up the morning, and usually by 1 or 2 I've finished and can move onto filing or reading the news. I've been working on typing up my notes and organizing my own, personal desk! It's great. I have two computer screens, a window and a sweet desk. I also have my own email address and extension on the phone AND a name plaque on my desk. It's pretty official. I can listen to my music, have snacks, wear jeans & flip-flops...it's pretty amazing.
Everyone here is really nice, and I am now the fourth woman in the office. I think there are about 2 dozen people, including the interns from WSU, that work in the Pullman office. We ship everything out from here. But we do have some international distributors. I'm still now 100% how it all works, but I know what I do and I'm pretty good at it!
What's been great is that everyone has been nice and friendly, offering me food and advice, and wanting to help me when I ask questions. It's been great. I feel really good about this job, it's so great. The one downside is that now I have a commute (so grown-up!), and while it's only 15 minutes, I'm not looking forward to the winter...I've been checking for carpool info online and we are thinking we'll end up buying a commuter car for me in the next few months.
But other than that, it's great! I'm so happy! It's kind of a strange feeling to not dread going to work! I mean, I do sit all day and my wrists get a little bit tired by the end of the day, but I have a little drawer full of candy and snacks, and I can take it easy if I need. The reason I got this job is because Zak is an excellent job scouter--he sent me a ton of jobs he found on-line. I had kind of forgotten about this job, because I had done so many applications in a few weeks. But I came in, nailed the first interview, and was called back for a second one within three days. I got the job offer call twenty minutes later, just as I was heading into Moscow!
I'm still in my probation period, but no one has given me any reason to be worried. In fact, the girl whose job I now have didn't leave, they had to create a job for her; no one has left the company, really. A lot of people have been here since it started. So there is a great future in store for me here. I'm really happy to have this job, it just makes life so much better!
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| where I work |
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| entrance |
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| up a flight of stairs & through this door... |
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| my desk! |
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| some of the things we sell |
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| my view |
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| fancy! |
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| another shot of my desk area |
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| view from where I eat lunch sometimes |
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| where I eat |
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| excited to be at work! |
Sunday, May 6, 2012
Whirlwind
Our lives have been crazy the last month or so. It seemed like everything happened all at the same time: I got a new job, Zak lost his job, we decided to move, my aunt passed away, my brother came to visit, I went home for a few days, Zak got unemployment benefits, Zak got a new job, we moved, finals week for Zak....It's hard to believe that it's May, and we are in our new place that we just love. April absolutely flew by and we are still trying to maintain any semblance of normalcy and structure in our lives.
Let's see, I've already talked about my new job, which is still going well. I've mostly got the hang of things, but I'm constantly learning something new every day. But I enjoy it for the most part, and it's a good job, so can't really complain.
Zak was told he was let go from his job about two days after I got the final word about my job. I was pretty shocked, and so were all our friends. We initially suspected it was because of Zak's numbers lately, and he had been pretty apathetic for the past few months while he was focusing on finding a job more related to his field and school. I was pretty annoyed, because the company is run so poorly that if it was because of his numbers, why wouldn't they have given him a months' notice or something? Surely, a man who has spent 2 years at the company, got certified in diamonds and gemstones and has been a foundation to the store is worth the company's time. But, nope. And what even angered me further is that Zak's boss, and our ex-friend Mat seemed not to even care or have fought for Zak at all. And Zak was always supporting Mat, defending him when other co-workers complained. Zak was a great friend who always had Mat's back. But it seems like Mat didn't feel the same way.
Well, after a week or so, Zak was contacted by one of the Department of Labor workers, who notified him of the real reason he was let go: Harry Ritchie's claimed he stole about 5 - 6 books of stamps. Ridiculous. True, Zak has used stamps in the past for personal letters, but it wasn't a big deal--even Mat and the former manager were fine with that practice, everyone has used company supplies for personal reasons at one time or the other. It turns out that a few days before Zak was let go, Mat accused him of taking the books of stamps, he said there should be 5 or 6 books and that there were only 2. Zak was closing that night and took a picture of all the 6 books of stamps, and a piece of paper with the date and his signature, and asked the new girl to witness the picture. He sent it to Mat and it wasn't brought up again. So, having found out the real reason Zak was let go, the agent told him if he could get some letters from former co-workers verifying the use of stamps for personal use now and then, he would do his best to get Zak his unemployment benefits. Luckily, we have awesome friends who wrote some great letters backing up Zak, saying he would never steal from the company, and all of that. Two days later unemployment was granted, BOOM. What we think happened is that the branch manager and Mat conspired to get Zak fired, which is actually something they would do. Mat has no back bone and has completely changed in the two years we've known him. Obviously, we are no longer friends with him or Erika, as I am still in rage mode whenever I think about this. They have been crappy friends for the past year and we don't need them. The friends we do have would never betray us and in short are awesome.
So then the day after Zak got unemployment benefits he got the word that he got a job! It is at a seedling nursery that is an extension of the U of I, and will be great for his future career. He'll be growing and taking care of trees and doing forestry-related things. I'm really excited for him. The nursery is about 2 miles out of town, but he will be able to ride his bike there, in normal clothes, so that is good news. They will also be able to work with his school schedule for the fall so he can work part-time. His first day is the 14th and we are really excited!
This past week we moved (I will expand on a different post) so it was another week of craziness for us. We were able to move a day before, so we actually slept at our new place a night before our lease started. We mostly spent the next day cleaning our old place. It's funny how this move has affected me and Zak differently, he was much more relaxed and for some reason, I was really stressed. I think it was because I couldn't control a lot of the packing and cleaning since I was gone all day, but I knew he would do a good job. He did do a good job and I was so glad he took care of most everything. It's like releasing a big breath, unpacking and setting up our home. I can actually go through boxes and get something. I'm still adjusting to everything, mostly the kitchen and bathroom, but I love it here. We both do. I think I did like, 5 loads of laundry our first night, I am so stoked to have the washer and dryer! Pictures and further elaboration will come later this week.
In short, we are in a happy and good place right now. Things have started looking up and it's a good feeling to not have so many things hanging over our heads. Things to look forward include: actual spring weather (beautiful skies, but with wind and 50 degrees simply doesn't cut it in May), bbq with our friends this weekend, Zak starting work and ending school, and planting things in our backyard! Hope this update helped fill the gap in your hearts for information about our lives!
Let's see, I've already talked about my new job, which is still going well. I've mostly got the hang of things, but I'm constantly learning something new every day. But I enjoy it for the most part, and it's a good job, so can't really complain.
Zak was told he was let go from his job about two days after I got the final word about my job. I was pretty shocked, and so were all our friends. We initially suspected it was because of Zak's numbers lately, and he had been pretty apathetic for the past few months while he was focusing on finding a job more related to his field and school. I was pretty annoyed, because the company is run so poorly that if it was because of his numbers, why wouldn't they have given him a months' notice or something? Surely, a man who has spent 2 years at the company, got certified in diamonds and gemstones and has been a foundation to the store is worth the company's time. But, nope. And what even angered me further is that Zak's boss, and our ex-friend Mat seemed not to even care or have fought for Zak at all. And Zak was always supporting Mat, defending him when other co-workers complained. Zak was a great friend who always had Mat's back. But it seems like Mat didn't feel the same way.
Well, after a week or so, Zak was contacted by one of the Department of Labor workers, who notified him of the real reason he was let go: Harry Ritchie's claimed he stole about 5 - 6 books of stamps. Ridiculous. True, Zak has used stamps in the past for personal letters, but it wasn't a big deal--even Mat and the former manager were fine with that practice, everyone has used company supplies for personal reasons at one time or the other. It turns out that a few days before Zak was let go, Mat accused him of taking the books of stamps, he said there should be 5 or 6 books and that there were only 2. Zak was closing that night and took a picture of all the 6 books of stamps, and a piece of paper with the date and his signature, and asked the new girl to witness the picture. He sent it to Mat and it wasn't brought up again. So, having found out the real reason Zak was let go, the agent told him if he could get some letters from former co-workers verifying the use of stamps for personal use now and then, he would do his best to get Zak his unemployment benefits. Luckily, we have awesome friends who wrote some great letters backing up Zak, saying he would never steal from the company, and all of that. Two days later unemployment was granted, BOOM. What we think happened is that the branch manager and Mat conspired to get Zak fired, which is actually something they would do. Mat has no back bone and has completely changed in the two years we've known him. Obviously, we are no longer friends with him or Erika, as I am still in rage mode whenever I think about this. They have been crappy friends for the past year and we don't need them. The friends we do have would never betray us and in short are awesome.
So then the day after Zak got unemployment benefits he got the word that he got a job! It is at a seedling nursery that is an extension of the U of I, and will be great for his future career. He'll be growing and taking care of trees and doing forestry-related things. I'm really excited for him. The nursery is about 2 miles out of town, but he will be able to ride his bike there, in normal clothes, so that is good news. They will also be able to work with his school schedule for the fall so he can work part-time. His first day is the 14th and we are really excited!
This past week we moved (I will expand on a different post) so it was another week of craziness for us. We were able to move a day before, so we actually slept at our new place a night before our lease started. We mostly spent the next day cleaning our old place. It's funny how this move has affected me and Zak differently, he was much more relaxed and for some reason, I was really stressed. I think it was because I couldn't control a lot of the packing and cleaning since I was gone all day, but I knew he would do a good job. He did do a good job and I was so glad he took care of most everything. It's like releasing a big breath, unpacking and setting up our home. I can actually go through boxes and get something. I'm still adjusting to everything, mostly the kitchen and bathroom, but I love it here. We both do. I think I did like, 5 loads of laundry our first night, I am so stoked to have the washer and dryer! Pictures and further elaboration will come later this week.
In short, we are in a happy and good place right now. Things have started looking up and it's a good feeling to not have so many things hanging over our heads. Things to look forward include: actual spring weather (beautiful skies, but with wind and 50 degrees simply doesn't cut it in May), bbq with our friends this weekend, Zak starting work and ending school, and planting things in our backyard! Hope this update helped fill the gap in your hearts for information about our lives!
Friday, April 6, 2012
Rachel the Legal Assistant
So my new job is pretty great, albeit overwhelming still. But I made it through this week, so that's good news! Let's see, let's start off with the basics...The lady I work for is Susan Wilson, she's probably in her early 30's, has 2 little girls and her husband Sean works around the corner at Latah Realty, they often have lunch together. Katie is the other attorney, but she mostly works from home and I don't know that much about her, but she's married and is probably in her late 20's. Annie was Susan's assistant for 2 years and now works at Latah Realty, I think. Jenny was the most recent longtime assistant (it sounds like the last gal they hired only lasted a week or so), but she recently got on the 911 Dispatch. She and Annie trained me the first two days, and hopefully will be back soon -- Jenny can only come in on Monday & Tuesday and Annie's been sick. So I've been on my own for the past three days!
The basic stuff is fine, and I've gotten it almost all down. Come in, turn on the heat and computer, check the voice mail and email Susan the messages. Check emails, calendar, answer phones, copy, scan in documents. I'm great at that stuff. It's the legal terminology and all that entails that is the hardest/scariest part. Oh, I forgot to mention that Susan practices several types (?) of law, except for Criminal and Bankruptcy. But anyways, there are so many types of forms and documents, cover letters, things that need to get recorded or filed at the county courthouse that the first day was really overwhelming. I was writing notes down like crazy! My first day on my own, I typed up my notes, which has really helped. I've been going through documents on the computer and hard copies, to try to get a feel for the differences between family law, probate, real property, etc. Or like, what a warranty deed is and a how that's different than a quit claim. I still don't really know, but after a week, I am starting to recognize some of the things that go with a certain probate case or one woman's divorce trial.
Susan is really nice, but very professional and get 'zoned in'--I'm sure she forgets that I don't know what she is talking about as she dictates what needs to be in a cover letter regarding an Order to Continuing Trial. Or something. But I take notes and ask for her to slow down, ask questions and so far it has taken two drafts before the final one is signed and sent out. I'm doing well, I can have music on if I want, so I made a bunch of Pandora radio stations and go through them during the day. Also, downtown Moscow is 'pedestrian friendly' so that means we have to move our cars every 3 hours, so that's what I get to do. It's not a big deal, but something I have to constantly remember because the tickets are like, $25.
I like it, I have a good feeling I'm doing well; I heard Annie talk to Susan about me and the initiative I've shown, etc. So that's nice. I spent an hour or so reorganizing the drawers with all those fun office supplies. I'm pretty happy. Fridays are casual day, so I wore jeans and my Tom's with a scarf and a simple shirt. But the rest of the week I wore black pants, dressier shoes and a nice top, usually with a little bolero type mini jacket. But it doesn't seem like if I wore jeans on a Tuesday, I'd be fired. I wish the office wasn't so cold, it takes a few hours for it to warm up. And that we weren't in an obscure location, we're the first room on the left after these weird old steps that you have to search diligently for on S. Main Street. But whatever! I took some pictures with the forethought that at least my mom would like to see pictures of the office.
The basic stuff is fine, and I've gotten it almost all down. Come in, turn on the heat and computer, check the voice mail and email Susan the messages. Check emails, calendar, answer phones, copy, scan in documents. I'm great at that stuff. It's the legal terminology and all that entails that is the hardest/scariest part. Oh, I forgot to mention that Susan practices several types (?) of law, except for Criminal and Bankruptcy. But anyways, there are so many types of forms and documents, cover letters, things that need to get recorded or filed at the county courthouse that the first day was really overwhelming. I was writing notes down like crazy! My first day on my own, I typed up my notes, which has really helped. I've been going through documents on the computer and hard copies, to try to get a feel for the differences between family law, probate, real property, etc. Or like, what a warranty deed is and a how that's different than a quit claim. I still don't really know, but after a week, I am starting to recognize some of the things that go with a certain probate case or one woman's divorce trial.
Susan is really nice, but very professional and get 'zoned in'--I'm sure she forgets that I don't know what she is talking about as she dictates what needs to be in a cover letter regarding an Order to Continuing Trial. Or something. But I take notes and ask for her to slow down, ask questions and so far it has taken two drafts before the final one is signed and sent out. I'm doing well, I can have music on if I want, so I made a bunch of Pandora radio stations and go through them during the day. Also, downtown Moscow is 'pedestrian friendly' so that means we have to move our cars every 3 hours, so that's what I get to do. It's not a big deal, but something I have to constantly remember because the tickets are like, $25.
I like it, I have a good feeling I'm doing well; I heard Annie talk to Susan about me and the initiative I've shown, etc. So that's nice. I spent an hour or so reorganizing the drawers with all those fun office supplies. I'm pretty happy. Fridays are casual day, so I wore jeans and my Tom's with a scarf and a simple shirt. But the rest of the week I wore black pants, dressier shoes and a nice top, usually with a little bolero type mini jacket. But it doesn't seem like if I wore jeans on a Tuesday, I'd be fired. I wish the office wasn't so cold, it takes a few hours for it to warm up. And that we weren't in an obscure location, we're the first room on the left after these weird old steps that you have to search diligently for on S. Main Street. But whatever! I took some pictures with the forethought that at least my mom would like to see pictures of the office.
 |
| desk |
 |
| entering the office |
 |
| our weird, lonely hallway |
 |
| just came up those stairs |
 |
| desk and reception waiting area |
 |
| Susan's office |
 |
| Susan's office, cont. |
 |
| storage area |
 |
| Conference Room |
 |
| Conference Room, and through the window is the reception area |
 |
| My domain! |
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Rachel's Got a New Job & Our Ceiling is Leaking!
We have had a wet March around here. And I don't just mean the random snow and then rain and back to snow every few days. Our downstairs bathroom has been leaking a lot as of late. In the past week & a half we have collected almost 9 1/2 quarts of water--I haven't emptied the bucket because I plan on showing our manager and the maintenance worker. Luckily, we do have a great apartment manager who has been helping us out with this. She quickly got the roofers here to get an estimate, e-mailed the bids to her supervisor and now we're just waiting for the contractors to give us a time and date--and have the weather be steadily nice, for once! There are a few leaks, and sometimes near the bottom of the surrounding walls will leak. It could be worse, like when we had the apartment kind of flood about a year & a half ago. It is mostly just inconvenient and frustrating. The manager still has to get it approved, but she said we most likely won't have to pay rent this month, as a way to help us out.
But now for the exciting news: I got a new job! It's at a local, small law firm downtown. And I'll be working 9 - 5, Monday - Friday, with a good starting pay rate & promises for raises once my probationary period ends. Zak sent me the ad he saw on craigslist about a week ago, so I wrote up a cover letter (the ladies said it was the best one they had read for the job!) and sent off my resume. About a day or two later, I got an e-mail back asking for a good time to schedule an interview. On Monday I had my first interview, with the gals who held the position previously. It went really well, we had a good back & forth and it felt very natural. I convinced them I could definitely get the job done and be a great fit for the office. An hour after the interview, they called to set up an interview for Tuesday.
When I got there, the two ladies in charge were still interviewing the only other person for the job. So I sat and chatted with the girl I met the previous day for a bit. When I was called in, I knew I had a good chance of getting the job, they responded really well to my humor, personality and there was very comfortable feeling in the room. We mostly just chatted, they told me I got a glowing report from the other ladies and complimented my cover letter and resume. And told me they thought I'd be a great fit for the office, and how important it is to have personalities that work well in such a small office. So we talked for about 30 minutes and then they asked when I could start! I told them I'd talk to my current manager and then call them back. I could not stop smiling as I drove to the mall to tell Zak. And then I recapped everything that happened. I walked down to Smoky Mountain and told my manager that I got a new job and asked what the procedure was for leaving--I just had to fill out a form that said when my last day would be. He's hiring some new servers and wanted me to help train them this weekend, so I will work this weekend but that's it. I am starting my new job on Monday!
We are so excited. It's pretty much a perfect fit for me. It's a small, quiet office and I actually like office work. I'm only a little bit nervous that I won't live up to the expectations, but Zak has reassured me I will because I am awesome. So now we will be doubling our income, so I can justify buying some new work clothes!
On not-as-exciting-but-still-good-news, Zak is on the reserve list for fire crew. We're not exactly sure how big the list is or how big a possibility of him getting on the crew is, but he'll find out soon. I'm pretty sure training starts in May, so we have about a month to find out, I think. It was a pretty big blow to find that out, especially since Zak did everything in his power to make a good impression and talk to the guy in charge. But it's almost certain that they picked the guys with experience first. So that's been hard to let sink in. But it's not a definite no, Zak still has a chance. He's trying to get some other things in motion, back-up plans and the like. Hopefully he'll be able to find something that will be related to his field.
We've started to look at other apartments. It's not solely because of the recent leak problems, but we feel it might be time to move. We've lived here for 2 years and while we have liked it, we feel like we should let someone else who needs the nice, government-subsidized place have it. My biggest priority is having a washer & dryer, I've gotten really frustrated with the laundry facility here. There are a few places that we would like to move into, so we are putting out feelers for them. We have to give our apartment manager a month's notice, so we are trying to figure something out soon and hopefully move mid-May. At least we have a truck now, so it'll make things easier!
So, a mixture of good and bad news for us. School is still going well for Zak, he is doing great in his classes and all that jazz. I've been good about working out 3 - 4 times a week and eating better. I'm almost to the point where the next size down in clothes will be comfortable and not as tight. So close! And I've gotten a lot tanner, so hopefully by the time I head to California, I'll be brown Rachel again! That's all I have for now, I'll try to write a new post soon--about my first week of work and whatever happens with the roof.
But now for the exciting news: I got a new job! It's at a local, small law firm downtown. And I'll be working 9 - 5, Monday - Friday, with a good starting pay rate & promises for raises once my probationary period ends. Zak sent me the ad he saw on craigslist about a week ago, so I wrote up a cover letter (the ladies said it was the best one they had read for the job!) and sent off my resume. About a day or two later, I got an e-mail back asking for a good time to schedule an interview. On Monday I had my first interview, with the gals who held the position previously. It went really well, we had a good back & forth and it felt very natural. I convinced them I could definitely get the job done and be a great fit for the office. An hour after the interview, they called to set up an interview for Tuesday.
When I got there, the two ladies in charge were still interviewing the only other person for the job. So I sat and chatted with the girl I met the previous day for a bit. When I was called in, I knew I had a good chance of getting the job, they responded really well to my humor, personality and there was very comfortable feeling in the room. We mostly just chatted, they told me I got a glowing report from the other ladies and complimented my cover letter and resume. And told me they thought I'd be a great fit for the office, and how important it is to have personalities that work well in such a small office. So we talked for about 30 minutes and then they asked when I could start! I told them I'd talk to my current manager and then call them back. I could not stop smiling as I drove to the mall to tell Zak. And then I recapped everything that happened. I walked down to Smoky Mountain and told my manager that I got a new job and asked what the procedure was for leaving--I just had to fill out a form that said when my last day would be. He's hiring some new servers and wanted me to help train them this weekend, so I will work this weekend but that's it. I am starting my new job on Monday!
We are so excited. It's pretty much a perfect fit for me. It's a small, quiet office and I actually like office work. I'm only a little bit nervous that I won't live up to the expectations, but Zak has reassured me I will because I am awesome. So now we will be doubling our income, so I can justify buying some new work clothes!
On not-as-exciting-but-still-good-news, Zak is on the reserve list for fire crew. We're not exactly sure how big the list is or how big a possibility of him getting on the crew is, but he'll find out soon. I'm pretty sure training starts in May, so we have about a month to find out, I think. It was a pretty big blow to find that out, especially since Zak did everything in his power to make a good impression and talk to the guy in charge. But it's almost certain that they picked the guys with experience first. So that's been hard to let sink in. But it's not a definite no, Zak still has a chance. He's trying to get some other things in motion, back-up plans and the like. Hopefully he'll be able to find something that will be related to his field.
We've started to look at other apartments. It's not solely because of the recent leak problems, but we feel it might be time to move. We've lived here for 2 years and while we have liked it, we feel like we should let someone else who needs the nice, government-subsidized place have it. My biggest priority is having a washer & dryer, I've gotten really frustrated with the laundry facility here. There are a few places that we would like to move into, so we are putting out feelers for them. We have to give our apartment manager a month's notice, so we are trying to figure something out soon and hopefully move mid-May. At least we have a truck now, so it'll make things easier!
So, a mixture of good and bad news for us. School is still going well for Zak, he is doing great in his classes and all that jazz. I've been good about working out 3 - 4 times a week and eating better. I'm almost to the point where the next size down in clothes will be comfortable and not as tight. So close! And I've gotten a lot tanner, so hopefully by the time I head to California, I'll be brown Rachel again! That's all I have for now, I'll try to write a new post soon--about my first week of work and whatever happens with the roof.
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