Tuesday's child is fair of face

It is September, my most favorite month of the year----I am happy to have it here, I am just wondering where the summer has gone? One day you wake up and it's June, the next day, school is back in session and it's September. However, I'll always take the good and for me, this month is good. :)

Today, I go into my new office and sign the paperwork to begin employment....YEA! I have been off -- being lazy and doing nothing for far too long now, and I have truly enjoyed it, but now it's time to put my nose back to the grind stone and make some money. I am ready this time and really looking forward to it. Except for the tests I have to take, I spent some time studying this past weekend, holy cow---this one's going to be rough. I hope I can start working next week, I do have some required training to do---omg, more training---and maybe I can so some of it this week, I'll know more after today.

I am behind in every one's blogs again, this morning I should have the time to get all caught up--I hope this short work week is a good one for everybody--Later.

Bore alert....you've been warned.

Monday again. Where do they come from and don't you all agree that they seem to come faster than they used to? My weekend was okay, it's kind of a blur right now, believe it or not, I just got out of bed.

My day yesterday didn't exactly turn out as planned. Mark and I had planned to go visit Bill, he's at his sister's house and I haven't seen him for more than a week. I am certain he knew we were going to visit, but after a few phone calls that went unanswered, I decided he wasn't up to having company. It's hard to know whether you are helping someone when they are ill and you go to see them or if you are actually being a pain in the butt....if I were in his shoes, visitors when I am sick is the latter. Generally, I want to be left alone. Bill however, is a bit of a social butterfly, calling him a butterfly makes me giggle, but you all know what I mean. I know his sister was going to be gone all day so I didn't call her, I assumed she didn't know his status. So, after we cleaned this whole place from top to bottom and I got all beautiful and ready to go, I hit the couch. And stayed there. It honestly was a pretty good day...if you count sleeping alot. I don't know why I am so tired recently, old age I presume.

I did ride my bike for a while in the morning, but that didn't turn out the way I had hoped. No matter how many miles I am able to walk, it seems that I cannot get my body used to riding my bike. From the moment I got on, the pain in my legs started and it was just no fun. I am frustrated, by now I should be able to do so much better than I am. I don't get the opportunity as often as I would like, the traffic and general hustle and bustle of shoppers, construction workers, gym members and employees of this whole little compound starts really early and doesn't quit until way after dark. So that generally leaves early early on Saturday or Sundays. Perhaps that is part of the problem but I am able to walk - and when I say walk, understand that I am not talking about strolling, I mean WALK fast-for as long as an hour these days. So, I have no idea. I am trying so hard to get my pre-surgery strength back, and I am getting there, other than on my bike. I have eight more pounds to go---and I will be back into my six's. That is part of my goal, too. I don't feel like I am fat, but I don't feel I look as good as I should. I don't know where the extra fat came from, I suppose sitting all the time when I couldn't walk. I have not changed my diet but the added activity has caused me to lose 16 pounds since I moved here. I am feeling much better about that.

Today, I have no idea at this juncture what I am doing. There is alot of needed cleaning to do at the ICS, but we still have to serve lunch to the local window factory on Thursday, it was part of the annual agreement. It is now closed, this has just not been a good year for that place, I suppose the economy along with some employee problems, had made it such a handful, and I am not unhappy that the year there is now over. I do need to find out my own status on the job situation. A couple of phone calls this morning should take care of that. I would really like to start working this next week, I hope the company has all of my required background checks finished. I also need to begin studying for my series 6 state test (mutual funds), and I can't say I am looking forward to that. Coloring my hair is also on my to-do for this day...you all know how much I love that job.

Whatever you all are doing today, make this Monday a good one. I will catch you all on the flip-flop. What the hell is a flip-flop anyway? :)

Yada Yada Yada

Although it's not set in stone at this time, it looks like I am going to sell cars for a living. I am okay with this, not necessarily excited, but okay. It will be fun to work for a "city" dealership, that is something I have not experienced. I do not have the job officially yet, although I am certain if that is honestly what I want, I could have several offers by the end of the week. I have a couple of reservations about it, mostly physical ones, but I was quite up front and honest with them about my physical past and my limitations, or possible limitations, and they were okay with it. So, we will see. Recently, I seem to have NO physical limitations, I am not saying NO pain, just no limits. I have been very able to walk each morning, and I am up to forty minutes, without putting too much stress on this old body, and that is forty minutes of FAST walking, not strolling. I am hoping I can soon do an hour. So perhaps I am meant to go back into the car business. The only reasons that I had not considered it before was the lack of strength to do the job, and the stress that comes with it. Selling however, really is not that stressful...you go to work, sell a car, go home. That part will be nice, it won't be up to me to make sure that things are running as smoothly as possible, although I know ME, and I am wondering how long it will be until it is up to me, once again. The only part that I am really NOT looking forward to is the man vs. woman thing, and in all my years in this business, it has not changed. NOT. I am frankly too old to have to "prove" myself once again, and they can all suck it. How's that for an attitude before I even have the job? But I am serious. I will not play the games anymore, I have done it too many times in my life, and I frankly don't care if they like me or they don't, you can bet I will just be there to make the dollars, the rest be damned. One thing in my favor in this department - this dealership is just opening, so all of us will be new at the same time. I know this is a bad time to be in this business, but it sure didn't look that way yesterday evening when I was there, there were people all over the place. Another exciting aspect --- this is a Dodge and Jeep dealership, and I have only been involved in a GM place for the past 15 years, so the inventory will all be new to me. I like Jeep, although I have always thought they were horribly overpriced, but what the heck, I'm on the selling side of them now, not on the trade-it-on-even-though-you-are-buried-in-it side. So, all in all...it will be okay. I need to do something and if this doesn't work for me, I can do something different. I will know what's up in the next couple of days...and I will let you all know, so that you can come and buy a car from me...LOL

I had a really good interview with an insurance company on Wednesday, too. I like the company and what they have to offer, which includes group insurance coverage, which is highly unusual. I am supposed to take some more online assessments with them, and I will go ahead and do it, the only issue I have with it is that I will have to take my Series 6, 7, and 23 state tests to do it. The seven is hell. HELL. That one could wait a few months---it is the one that allows me to trade in stocks and bonds...the 6 and 23 would be right away, I seriously don't know if I am up to that right now. The stupid life and health tests about killed me, although I did well. Hell...how is it that I am forty-eight years old and I have no idea what I want to do? Sometimes, too many choices is a bad thing. I have not even been seriously looking for work, both of these positions have found me--or my resume, on the internet. I keep waiting for divine intervention, but so far I have heard no voice telling me what to do...and since I thought I had done the right thing the past TWO jobs I took, I am really confused. The car business, I know. I can do it in my sleep. So for now, I think it makes the most sense.

Things around here are perking along. My youngest has taken a job - HERE - at my apartment complex---and the surrounding business's and he loves it. Maintenance---groundskeeper, he is really in his element. He drives around most of the day on a Bobcat, getting really dirty, doing guy things...he is an outdoor kid, so he is in heaven. Who knew that there was even a job HERE, of all places? Had CrazyDog not needed to pee at six am last week, and Mark not been the kind of talkative fella he is, Jordan would still not have a job....this is a huge property management company, there are many places he can go if he so chooses..so it's all good.

The other two are still breathing, one is really sick with a kidney infection -- which I think is odd...men generally don't get those that often, do they? He spent the weekend at a concert with the youngest and gf, and wound up in this shape. It was the same weekend concert thing that Steph got her infection in--about six weeks ago, and she ended up in the hospital...what the hell kind of bacteria is floating around out there in that farm field? My oldest is doing well, working at her own job and filling in at the Ice Cream Store for extra money. Speaking of the ICS, I have to do my share the next two days...I will be there. And hopefully not today, although with Craig as sick as he is, it wouldn't surprise me. In fact, I am supposed to begin training for the car sales job on Thursday and Friday, and I am also supposed to be at the ICS...so far I have found no clone recipe, so that will be a neat trick. The manager at the dealership was going to see if there was any other way I could do their training, he will let me know today. If not, I have no idea what I will do. We are out of employees at the store---vacations, returning to college, etc and it's too late in the season to hire, we will only be open another three and a half weeks. Mark may have to help---although he is supposed to be at the house down south, working on making it more saleable. UGH. Things can never be simple, can they?

Make today a happy one. :)

Normal ME?

I woke up ridiculously early this morning, it was storming, weather warnings - from severe thunderstorm to flooding to tornado. We're still in one piece. I did bring in the patio furniture off of the balcony and I'm happy I did, I suspect I would have found it two floors below, judging by the wind strength.

Today is the day I return to some sort of normalcy, not that what I am going to be doing is any kind of normal for me. I will be happy when once again, I know what I am doing. That takes awhile, and one would think that by now I would be accustomed to not knowing what the hell is going on, but that is not one of my strong points. And we all know it takes time to learn it...I will be at the agency office all day today however, for the most part I will generally be working from home, once I know what that involves. My manager wants me to accompany him on a couple of sales appointments, that will be helpful. He also wants me to accompany a couple of other agents, and I politely refused. They are young and new to sales, and perhaps they have been selling with this company for a while now, but I have been selling longer than they have been alive. I can do this with little help, believe me. I am well aware I need to learn what to do specifically to this company, but after I learn that, leave me alone and let me work. I hope that I didn't sound like I have a bad attitude, that was not my intention. I merely think that sales is sales, whether you are selling health insurance or widgets...(what the hell is a widget anyway?), and I can do it without someone looking over my shoulder. I do not work for this company, I am not their employee. I am a contracted agent. I will listen to their suggestions and will do what is required, which is little by the way, and then, I will do what I feel is best for my own success. Yes, I am aware that isolating yourself when you are in sales is counterproductive...I know all of that. Particularly when you are the kind of person that lacks motivation and discipline. That is not me...and my once weekly sales meetings that take place on Monday is more than enough to keep me in the loop. Other than that...leave me alone. :) So, it will be a long day today. I will stick around into the evening to make calls, as the telephone is going to be my life line. I am not big on calling, I am a better cold caller in person, but I will utilize whatever means I can. I have spent a while now trying to get my state license applied for online, but as usual with any state website, there is some kind of glitch...and will probably have to call them during regular business hours.

Yesterday was such a nice, relaxing, calming day. Mark and I were the only people in this apartment all day, and I think that is a first since we have lived here. We left for a little while to do some shopping, other than that, it was quiet. I did not go out for the bike ride I so desperately wanted, I knew that I had a choice between that and doing any other thing yesterday...had I chosen the ride I would have been on the couch the rest of the day. So I gave that idea up.

I will look for all of you later tonight. Have a happy day. :)