The 36 hour mark

Snow on Thanksgiving: will it or won't it? See what the forecast has in store. Then wish me luck!

Whole lotta NADA

HR just sent out an email announcing that they have a job opening for an "HR Consultant". First of all, one of the preferred qualifications is a Masters degree (WTF people!?), and second of all, the posted ad didn't include any narrative regarding WHAT this position does. I tried to tell the person in charge of posting these vacancy announcements that it's an incredibly vague ad, but it totally went over her head - she kept repeating that they were trying to get people to go to the hiring website...which is where this craptastic thing is posted. Hopefully, with a Masters degree, whoever they hire can hopefully correctly advertise vacant positions. And not just spend inordinant amounts of time planning cookouts and fussing over flyers for bullshit events that have no bearing on managing our "Human Resources" while freaking out over every minor little issue that comes up. Jesus tapdancing christ this department is utterly useless.

Holding patterns

Countdown to mental-wellness retreat to the Great (Semi) White North 2009: 19 5 days and counting.

My husband is stressing the possibility that we may have to reschedule the trip because my Great-Uncle has been sick, and has taken a turn for the worse - according to the website where the family has been posting updates, he may not have long. I don't know what I'm supposed to say to my Grandmother about this, but my husband is insisting that I call and find out the status of our trip. I'm getting a little aggravated with him acting a little selfish and insensitive, but I guess I'll call a couple times a week until the day we leave, and if things change, our plans change accordingly. We've been looking forward to this trip for a while, and there might be a little disappointment if we have to delay or postpone it, but we're talking about something bigger than a vacation, and I want to do whatever is best for my grandparents right now. (In the time since this was posted, my Great-Uncle has passed away. His memorial was this past Saturday - the 14th - so, I hope that the trip will serve to help boost my Grandmother's spirits a little...that's my goal, anyway - I just wish the trip was a little longer)

I hate Mondays. You know this, right?

Vacation is sloooowly approaching...you can catch periodic updates over on the "other blog", and I'll be posting weather bulletins via Twitter and/or Facebook during the trip (thanks to the miraculous technology available on my BlackBerry!).

Mixed messaging

Can someone explain to me how there are 9 views of my resume that I have posted on Monster? I want to know who is clicking on it...but then again, considering the responses I've gotten so far, maybe I don't. :/

Duality

I'm caught between two parts of myself: the part that feels the full weight of my obligations and the gravity of my situation as an adult with a family that I need to take care of, and the part that wants a change...the part that, if it could convince the rational centers of my brain to play along, would happily walk into the management offices tomorrow shooting double birdies, so to speak. I'm becoming impatient for the next step, for that golden opportunity to present itself, and it is causing me to be fraught with impatience and anxiety. I see my workload increasing by leaps and bounds - and to make matters worse, there is no consistancy to the levels of work: the projects and tasks are either decidedly clerical (scheduling meetings and filing my managers paperwork, ffs) or the type of work that people well above my level are doing. Instead of feeling like I can have an open dialogue, attempts to broach the topic of getting a better sense of just what my role is are met with "You should feel lucky to have a job", or "We just gave you an increase, what's the problem?", or are, on occassion, outright ignored. This is leading to a certain level of frustration, and my willingness to continue to be understanding of the situation is decreasing at a accelerating pace, along with my motivation and my drive to make any effort whatsoever.

I've started compiling the resources that will come in handy during the upcoming first wave of a very intense networking blitz. I'm thrilled by the prospect of seeing if I get any responses, and at the same time there's an almost overwhelming sense of near terror. What if I get nothing back? Will that mean I'm less marketable than I thought? Less employable, even? Then, of course, there's the fact that I'm really bad at dealing with change. I've lived in the same house, in the same town, for the majority of my life. This is what is known to me - it is comfortable and safe. It is, at the same time, stagnant and camplacent. Here I am, at age 32, with a decent (if aggravating) job that I could easily just coast in practically forver, it feels like, a nice little house that we've put some work into (but needs just a little bit more), a stable and fairly happy family life, and some wonderful friends...and I'm stuck at what what feels like either the proverbial crossoroads or a metaphorical precipice. The next step I take determines the course of my future - and that of my family. I have to make an honest assessment of our collective needs, balance them against our individual wants (which are rather extensive and weighty), and compare the potential outcome scenarios against the prevailing realities of the choices available.

So. My question is - what would YOU do, if you were me (or, better yet if it were YOU)? Take that first step on the easy path you've walked a hundred times, or risk the heart-stopping freefall off the cliff to whatever awaits?