Back to School

I have been busy.

Life has put a wrench in my plans.

I will be starting my doctorate studies in organizational leadership in a couple of weeks.

I'm excited but scared.

I've been at my job now for 13 months...

I survived!

Or rather, I found my place for the time being.

While I have been getting ready to go to school

I found out that we have to move out of our rental house.

I didn't want to spend another holiday in this ugly house anyways.

But I didn't want it to happen right as I am planning on going to school.

I thought it wasn't going to happen because I am not financially ready for the move.

I decided that we couldn't move until a few other things happened.

Well, the fates decided that it wasn't going to wait for us to move.

But we still don't have the finances to move anywhere around here.

So, this is where my fear is stemming.

We will be packing, we just don't know where.

I planned my finances for one major expense: school.

Not school and moving.

It almost seems impossible, especially since I have been catching up for the last 7 years.

It seem like I was finally going to get ahead.

Rent around here is so high and I don't make enough to rent here.

A rock and hard place.

This is why people wind up staying where they are...it's too expensive to move and it's too hard to get out.

If it was after I was done with school, I could see a better possibility.

Whatever happens, it has to be done.

We are packing.

I will be packing.

I also have to get prepared for school-reading books, finishing a 'bootcamp' (which I think has been absolutely useless) and getting ready to travel for a school conference during Labor Day weekend, which I think is stupid. 

Oh, they will hear from me when it is time to ask students, "what can we do to make this better?"

But I am looking forward to this new study and seeing what I can do from this.

I'm full of ideas now!

A Week Without The Boss

Last week, our boss took a week off.  Not a big deal, right?  Everyone takes vacation. 

This was the first time our boss took a vacation since I have been there, since last July.  She takes days off here or there, but she had capped her vacation accrual and needed to take some before one lady takes off on maternity leave.

Being that more or less, I was hired to take her job when she retires (we'll see if that is really the case in two years), it was my job to play 'be the boss'. 

I was very excited and anxious at the same time.  The last time she took time off was Thanksgiving, and it was nothing.  I could have watched movies while I was working for the three days at work.

This time, it was a little different and although I had hoped it would be easy, I knew there would be challenges.

Most of the time, when my boss is around, I keep busy by doing research online, to keep up with employment law, new regulations, and timing of passing of regulations. 

I didn't have much time for any of that, which was good for me. 

I learned that the way I had structured my job and assignments, didn't quite work this time.  I keep a work journal, writing everything I do, everything I have to go, and the time line of my day.  I learned that I had to start doing this because of false accusations about my work and had learned to do this when I was a corporate recruiter.

Every day, a pile of new 'needs' for employees showed up.  I was proud that by Wednesday, I had completed everything on my list for the day and week up until that time.

Each day had it's own assigned due dates.  People were leaving, people were being hired. 

I don't know if that is a good thing.  It's too revolving at this time. 

I was very grateful for our team and the department for their help in critical situations that happened here and there.  I had to ask a lot of questions to understand what really goes on behind the scenes, but I learn a ton of things in one week that I would not have ever learned if my boss was there.

Speaking of which, I noticed something.  My department cannot make decisions without the boss around, and they don't want to, without her say.

That's not a good thing.  What happens if she is unable to come back from vacation?  We have a project that we had to postpone because no one knew what the boss wanted to have done.

Also, we have a new temp coming in this week and none of us knew what was going on with him. 

Lastly, I let the department know of a new procedure that was not told to the rest of the group, which was VERY important for our job.  It was something I had just found out; not announced or told. 

Communication, people!

I learned that while I have been training, I have been following those bad habits, like doing everything because if I feel like if I am not doing something, I am doing nothing.  I need to get over that. This has caused a little problem in that the big bosses have expected me to learn things that only happen every year or twice a year.  Well, that hasn't happened.  I let my boss know even though I haven't been trained in a few of the company procedures in typical HR things, I have experience in
doing some of the same things, in different ways, for other companies. 

There's an attitude problem involved, too.  My boss, haphazardly mentioned that it doesn't take 'rocket science' to do the job.  My response?  Only rocket science is rocket science, and even that is only statistics, math, and analysis...ok, maybe more, but still.

But it does take skills and knowledge to do the job we do, and the desire to do the job.  Both can be learned, but so can rocket science.  

So, my goal is to make subtle changes that will help the team work efficiently and showing more appreciation to those who help me figure out things. 

I looked forward having good and positive attitude about work.

Getting healthy and tired

Sounds like an oxymoron?  Funny how oxymoron has the letters that spell 'moron' in it.

Anyways, so this year is the year to get healthy.

Not really.  It just so happened that the order of my sustainable goals were in the order that health came up right at the time that new years' started.

After working in a very physical job, things started to slow down physically.  After the SF intern job, where I was running around the city, as a gofer more or less, I wound up with a job that had me sitting all the time.

One of the things that I really, really liked about the physical job is that I had the option of working outside the office or in the office, depending on need or my mood, health, or work/life balance.  A dream, right?

But pay was shoddy.

I still don't like working IN an office that much, but technology helps, A LOT.

The company I now work for, is working on a wellness program, which is the buzz of the HR, employee engagement, benefits and more.

I'm quite excited.  I love being active in my own ways and I love being healthy.

One of the things the company has done is installed Varidesk for some of the employees.  Personally, I think if we care about everyone's health, it should be offered to everyone.  Somehow, I got lucky and received one on my desk, although I was hoping to get one of those desks for everyone.  Share and share alike, when it comes to 'things'.

It's kind of cool.

It is supposed to promote healthy office lifestyle.

It does help promoting a non-sedentary lifestyle, which is probably one of the many things I dislike about working in an office.

I had forgotten that I had it and didn't use it for a while.  I'm too busy to get up and sit down.  What I do is when I get into the office, I raise the desk up, since I am already running around, getting my breakfast munchies, water or tea.  So I keep standing until I am too tired OR I have to start writing things.  If I am on the computer doing research, typing something, answering emails or more, there's no reason for me to do those kinds of things sitting down.

After my couple of hours standing, I sit until lunchtime, and then sit the rest of the day, unless I break for personal reasons.

No rhyme or reason.  Just do what the body needs.

Besides, I also workout now...Mon, Tues, Thurs, Fri.  On Saturdays, I am running all over the place doing errands that I come home exhausted anyways.

I used to go to the gym before the recession.  I worked out at home with various equipment I have/had.  I started boxing in 2012, but didn't continue when I had to move out of my living quarters.

I also have been a dancer all my life; just haven't danced since the recession, other than at home when the moment hits.

So for the most part, I have been active all my life.

With school the past 5 years, I couldn't find the time.  Or wouldn't.

And school is wooing me to come back soon.

I am really tired, though.

This new lifestyle that I haven't been for in less than two years is exhausting right now.  I look forward to my bed every night.  Instead of writing or blogging when I get home, I get my things ready for the next day and sleep.

This whole back to the gym thing is going to do something good, right?  I will be energized, feel better, feel healthy, and feel better about myself.

Right?

It must be age, then.

What I Do on My Day Off

I took a day off from work to attend a couple of meetings.

I attended a great training meeting, offered by an insurance benefits company.  I thought it was going to be a networking event. 

But I wasn't disappointed.

The meeting started off with a wonderful, free breakfast: pastries, fruit, breakfast burritos, juice, oatmeal, tea, and other goods. 

I had planned on driving to Oakland, but after looking at the parking costs, it was no for me. 

Took the train, and remembered how much I hate it. 

So happy that I have a car, although no one can ever make me love the color.  

I sat all the way in the front of the meeting.  I wanted to take notes and make sure I could hear and see the presentation.  I wound up sitting by myself, unfortunately.  So much for the networking event.

It started on time, but 3 1/2 hours was a bit long for me. 

First hour plus was mainly benefits information, which luckily, I had already studied.  There wasn't much to offer to me that was new.  I am glad I have had time to research at work.  It wasn't too interesting, and luckily, I was still finishing my breakfast.

But the next section was presented by lawyers who work with the insurance group.  That was a very interesting class.  There were some great interpretation of new labor laws, that have huge effects on companies in CA. 

I had already done a lot of research on the various new labor laws, but there were new interpretations that I had no idea.  I made a list of things that I had to check on, in our company. 

For example, if you have a company in CA, but have people who work outside CA, they should be given the same legal benefits as if they lived and worked in CA, at least that is what the lawyers said.  This is more for disability insurance, paid time off, and other things.  I am not sure I said that right, but it is something the company I work for has to look into.

Also, the whole idea between contractors and employees was explained really well.  I got that down.

A few other important changes such as paid time off was explained even better.  I am all for staying in compliance.

Things are changing all the time. 

The afternoon was spent at a panel at school.  This was a much needed deal for me, plus free dinner.  We were allowed to talk about the good and the much need areas of improvement.  It was a nice evening.

I met the doctor who is in charge of the doctorate classes that I want to take.  I also met someone who is in the classes now.

I was a little put off with the push of studying organizational leadership for education, or the fact that I am not in education.

First of all, someone has to know how to lead all those students when they finish school.

Second, not everyone has to be in education to be a leader.

It was a fulfilling day with a lot of new ideas and opportunities.