Wednesday Fun! : New Job Update - 6 Months

I have now officially reached my 6 month milestone at my new job.  Update on how I am feeling about it today... I Still Love It!!!   This is the first time in a long time that I have felt that my input and opinions are so wanted, encouraged, heard and appreciated.  Good or bad.  My department of 30 people continue to amaze me with how well we can all work together in such small quarters.  No childish actions, or talking behind any one's back.  No high school games and nobody acting like they are better than anyone else.  I have worked in much smaller groups that I can't say the same thing about. Everyone is always eager to help each other even if the work is out of their Division. 
The only thing I find to be an obstacle is not gaining weight with the amount of food that is in this office every week.  These guys REALLY like food and there is ALWAYS something for everyone to munch on.  Donuts are brought in every single Friday rain or shine,  cookies and cobblers are made almost weekly,  chips and crackers and brought in all the time,  candy, nuts and even fruit are supplied everyday.  This doesn't take into account the birthday food every month, the holiday BBQ's and potlucks, the catered lunches, and the welcome and farewell buffets that are organized on our back tables or conference rooms.  Food Food Food.  And great food,  often homemade food.  It's always delicious and plentiful.  So I do get a lot of walking in around the complex to try to burn off all of these extra calories. 

I will be honest though.  As much as I LOVE this new job, new chapter and new adventure, There are a couple of things from my last job that I really miss.  I miss my old boss.  He has always been a great friend and working with him was a great experience.  I will miss knowing a lot about what I am doing.  This learning from ground up again is showing to be a bit more difficult at my age than it used to be.  LOL.

4th of July Forever Changed - RIP Reagan

What does the 4th of July mean to you?  To most people in America it means a celebration!  A Patriotic Moment to embrace and be grateful for the freedom that comes with living and belonging to this wonderful country! Red, White and Blue decorations everywhere!  BBQ's, block parties, get together's, friends and family. Bright sparklers, Fireworks, Strawberry Shortcake, ice cream, watermelon and burgers and hot dogs.  It's a day we all look forward to and often plan for a month in advance.  Yep, 4th of July is a day that brings smiles to our faces and sun burns to our shoulders. This year was a completely different path though.  A path of heartbreak, tears and grieving.  My beautiful and loving Blonde Barbie Doll, Reagan passed away on 4th of July.  An ending to the day that I was not expecting.  Reagan was not feeling herself starting on Sunday, July 3rd.  She was very constipated and asking to go out every hour to try to go to the bathroom.  Struggling for close to 20 minutes each time.  Knowing that just finished switching her to a raw diet and constipation being a common side effect for the first couple of days I didn't worry too much about it on Sunday.  That evening I chose to sleep on the couch though so it would be easier and faster for her to wake me while she was taking her hourly trips out back. I didn't want her to worry about figuring out how to get me up too. By mid Monday morning we were not having any luck and I could see how uncomfortable and miserable the struggle was making Reagan so I packed her up in the car and off to the Animal Emergency Room we went.  My thought was were would go in and get her an enema to make her comfortable and be on our way home again. When the vet came into the exam room I quickly realized this was not the way the visit was going to go.  She shared her suspicion of my greatest fear.  Cancer.  No!!!!!  I immediately start crying. She explains we need to do an ultrasound and x-rays' to confirm, so Reagan and I have a seat on the floor and wait an hour for the ultrasound and x-ray machine to be available.  I call my mom to let her know about the possible cancer and then quickly get off the phone so I could spend as much one on one time with Reagan as possible.  We lay on the floor together and she can see how sad I am so she lays next to me with her head on my lap and stays there so patiently and calmly.  I can't tell if she is doing it to comfort me knowing I am sad or if she is doing it to say "yes momma, I am not well and I am soooo sorry"  Either way, what ever scenario of her thoughts that I had going through my head were breaking my heart. My mom rushed over to meet me at the ER to also spend as much time a possible with Reagan and to also be there for me so I wasn't alone during this inconsolable time. We spent over an hour laying on the floor of the exam room with each other while waiting for the Dr to come in to get her for the X-Ray and Ultrasound. Once the Dr did come in to take Reagan for the tests, it seemed as though mom and I sat in that exam room for days waiting for her to return.  Then just like that she was standing right in front of me with a concerned look on her face.  I didn't even need to hear what she had to say.  I instantly knew that my world just came crashing down on me.  My poor sweet Reagan's body was riddled with cancer.  Her liver and spleen were both full of multiple masses and there was a mass that was blocking her colon which was why she couldn't poop.  It was also quite clear that the cancer had already begun to spread to her brain which was causing her minor head jerks and spasms.  Those would only get worse. I had no choice now,  Though I wanted to be able to take her home and spoil her one last day with a bucket list of things she loved and have her beloved friends (Her vet Judy and Henry) be there to say goodbye, I knew that the fact that she wasn't able to poop at all and I wasn't able to get a hold of Judy and Henry meant that delaying this any more would just be torturing her and I couldn't do that.  They brought her in so I cold hold her and wrap my arms around her and my mom and I both just held her as tightly as possible and cried while we said goodbye.  They have her the injection in her IV and all too soon she took her last breath, in my arms.  I couldn't stop crying. We loaded her body into the back of my mom's Jeep and we took her to the Pet Crematory where I had my last moment to hold her and say my good byes while I made the arrangements for her cremation and urn.  I was in a complete haze my entire drive home and when I walked into my house, my very empty feeling house I fell to the ground and sobbed uncontrollably.  Feeling like I would never be able to stop or lift myself up.  Everywhere I looked was Reagan,  Her air mattress, her blankets, her rugs, her dog beds, her crate, her food bowl that was still full from the food she wasn't able to eat that morning.  Everything was my sweet Reagan. To me 4th of July will never again be that celebratory day with friends and family.  4th of July will be the day I will always remember as the day I had to say goodbye to the sweet girl who saved my life just over a year earlier. I love you Reagan, More than I could every show.  There were no limits to how much mommy loved you and will miss you.

Happy Birthday Sparky!

Today is my feisty alpha girl's 15th Birthday!!  I love you my opinionated girl!

New Job Update - Month One

So tomorrow will officially be 4 full weeks at the new job.  One month down.  Wow!!!  I can't believe it's already been that long. It has really flown by. I LOVE my new job!  My department is in one large office with 4 divisions and 29 people.  Each and every one of them are amazing and kind and friendly... oh... and adults!!!  Not only physically but mentally as well.  This has been such a fantastic change and improvement.  My team consists of myself and 2 ladies that I supervise and they are really wonderful and incredibly smart.  I feel so blessed to work with them and everyone else there. My boss is great.  She is hilarious and so much fun.

I am learning so much already.  There is a lot to learn and I'm not there yet but so far I have taken over about 6 daily tasks from the schedule to do everyday for the repetitive practice and I feel pretty confident in it now.  Time to start rotating some new things in for practice.

I truly look forward to going to work every day and before I know it the day is already over.  I haven't felt this happy about going to work in a very long time.  I am sure that will increase even more once I actually know what I am doing.  The entire learning process is what kills me.  I just want to hurry up and know it all.  Isn't there a pill or something for that?  There should be. LOL

My only downfall is every single Friday one of the managers brings in 2 dozen donuts for everyone.  Every Single Friday! Well, of course I can never turn down or walk away from a donut so that makes my dieting a bit tough.  Of course I make it work.  since I know the routine I plan the rest of my Friday meals accordingly to accommodate for the donut points.  Seriously though.  What a great thing for him to do for the whole office every week.  They really know how to keep everyone happy here.  I LOVE it!  Have I mentioned how much I LOVE my new job?!?!  Hahaha.

Well I will try to make another update and let you know how Month Two is.  If  month One is any inclination, I think it will be great!

Oh, I'm pretty sure these two things make me official now.  ;)

My Washoe County Employee Badge.  They let me have access to the building and the office.  That's gotta be a good sign. :)

Business card order has been sent to the printers! :)

The Kingdom Of The Furever Loved - Family Book

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Fabulous Friday - Bittersweet Goodbyes

So yesterday was the end of an era for me.  It was my last day of my job, life and daily family interactions with a great bunch of people.  I am heart broken to have said my goodbyes and ready, and and willing to step forward into my new life, world and chapter to a great adventure.

As I have described to many, yesterday felt like the day you first move out of your parents home, into the unknown, the new, the scary and the exciting world out there.

In the morning they brought me donuts, my favorite!  I may have had more than my share but they sure were yummy!

For lunch my wonderful boss took me out to lunch.  It was great to sit and BS about all of the fun things we used to chat about when we carpooled together to work.  I'm gonna miss those fun chats. It's hare to believe that my morning routine of putting my lunch in the fridge by his desk and sitting and chatting for a few minutes waiting for 7am to start are now over.  I stood there yesterday morning thinking, this is it.  This the last time for many things I've come to enjoy and have gotten so used to be my normal daily habits here.

I continued to work like a normal day up until the last hour.  I wasn't sure how to handle it being the end so I just kept doing what was normal.  Worked and processed cases till they told me to stop.

At 3pm my boss sent out an email to all of us asking us to meet for a quick meeting in our cave.  Our cave being an empty filing room that is right next to our area, where we would go for private unit meetings. We all piled in there and sat around waiting for my boss to join us.

When he walked in he was carrying an over flowing gift bag.  Oh my god!  This meeting is for me!  I really wasn't sure if they were going to say or do much.  The bag was full of wonderful goodies.  On the very top was a mini "Nothing Bundt Cake". Yum!!  White White Chocolate.  I can't wait to dig into that later. Next were some random joke item that my boss is famous for giving out.  A packet of Wet Ones Wipes and a key chain that said Jamaica.  LOL  OK Sir. It wouldn't have felt right if i hadn't gotten these item. They go well with my Secret Santa gift I got from him a few years ago. A toothbrush. Lol. Next was something large wrapped up in tissue paper.  When I open it my eyes get big!  It's a 49ers Fleece Blanket!  Yes!!!  This Niner Girl can NEVER have enough 49ers blankets or 49ers Anything!  and as they all know my cubicle has ALWAYS been full of 49ers stuff.  Perfect gift guys!

Next were two more items wrapped in tissue paper.  Victoria Secret "Dreams" lotion and scented mist.  It smells incredible and I am excited to use it!

Of course in the bag was a card.  A lovely card signed by everyone in the unit and a photo of our group.  The photo was only about 2 months old but there have already been so many changes made to the group.  3 have also left over the past couple of months and 3 new arrivals that didn't make it to the photo.  But the photo was of a group that I have come to love and cherish over the years.  It was a beautiful addition.

My boss then made a small speech. Of the long amount of time I have been in the unit both as a contracted worker from another agency as well as the recent time as a full fledged member.  I was the person with the most seniority in the unit right below him.  Now the next in line gets to move up.  He mentioned my time in the agency even before coming to our unit and the total combined 13 years I have been there and the vast amount of knowledge I brought with me that will be so very missed.

The words he said were extremely touching. It was great to hear that my knowledge and hard work have not gone unnoticed all of these years. I'll be honest. There were several times I had felt that they were. 

When we were finished and i started heading back to my desk to finish some last case files before the end of my work day at 4pm I hear my boss start laughing.
Evidently when he submitting the request for my access and accounts to be terminated at 4pm he made an error in typing. He received an email stating my access was turned off at 3pm. I still had a case ending and incomplete. Still had emails to respond to. I wanted to send put a goodbye email to those who weren't in our building. I wanted to complete the exit interview survey they  emailed to me. Nope. Nope. And nope. None of that was getting done now. I'm officially done. But with 45 minutes to sit  around and wait. I guess it was a good time top make my rounds and say some goodbyes. 

I loved my job more than anything.  I love what I did and enjoyed every day that I was there doing it. I, of course also had some issues with some individuals but I have already touched on that so I don't want to get into that here.  This post is about the good.  The things I will miss. 

I will miss the jokester of a boss I had. I will miss the dry, quick witted sarcasm and sense of humor from my investigators. I will miss the sweet faces of some of the kindest most living people I have had the pleasure of meeting. 

Now, I prepare for Monday. Monday begins a whole new world. New adventures. New duties. New responsibilities and some new faces. I'm up for the challenge and I'm ready for everything coming my way. 

Bring it on, World! 

Wednesday Fun - Nails

So today I did something for myself that I haven't done in a very long time.  I pampered myself and got nails put back on.  It's been at least 5 or 6 years since I had nail extensions and I have missed them so much.  I have missed they way they feel when I grab for things, type and run my fingers through my hair.  I have missed how much more feminine they make my hand look an dhow much nice and more slender my fingers look with them.  I have just missed them so much.

Now I am not going to lie, it has been so long that I am having to re-learn how to do EVERYTHING! Typing is a bit of a challenge but oh my god, typing on my phone is crazy!  It's like I have no idea what I am doing and have never use a touch screen before in my life. But it's fun giving it a whirl.

I thought that if I am starting a new chapter in my life with this new job then I should start with a bang.  I have a hair appointment tomorrow night and had my nail appointment tonight.  I like to go bold with  my nails normally but I thought that for my first day and my first impression of being someone to take seriously I should go a little more conservative.  I got a beautiful deep red with some glitter on accent nails.

I love, love, love them!  I spent a almost 20 straight years with nails on until I needed to take a break financially from them.  I am so glad to have this opportunity to pamper myself again and to do something that makes me feel pretty.  I hope I can continue to keep them on  because I enjoy this feeling. :)

New Job!!

So I have some really exciting news.  I'm starting a new job!! Woo Hoo!! I am  beyond happy and excited!

So it's no secret that there have been some serious issues that I have been dealing with at work for about the past year.  Issues that have been building and building every day.  It's time for me to close this chapter in my life and move on to opening a new chapter.  It's time to walk away from all their negativity.

Now don't get me wrong.  I LOVE my current job.  I love what I do, I love actual hand on of the work, I feel great about my self and what I accomplish every day and I love my boss.  I am extremely sad to be leaving that behind and the decision to move on has not been an easy one because of those things. I will miss the work and the great boss that I have had for almost 8 years.  The atmosphere just wasn't a healthy place for me to be anymore and it was time to move on.

This new job is with Washoe County Comptroller's Office.  I will be the Collections Supervisor and I am extremely excited about it.  I have vast experience in collections and small claims court and government funds recovery as well as investigations experience for locating people and supervisory experience so this new position is right up my alley.  I feel that I was made for it. New challenges coming my way which excite me and new responsibilities which I am embracing the opportunity for. I am going from one local government (State of Nevada) to another local government (Washoe County) so my PERS will transfer with me, meaning I will keep my government pension.

My first day of work will be this Monday, May 20, 2016.  I'm ready for this!  I've been ready for this for a very long time and it's finally happening.  Hello New Chapter, New Adventure and New Life!!! Watch out! Here I come!

Wish me luck!

High School? Really? I'm 38!

High School Bullies in the Adult World

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Do you ever feel like you are perpetually stuck in a high school nightmare world in your adulthood?  Surrounded by people who find enjoyment in their days by acting like high school bullies?  Nobody should find enjoyment in treating others like they are less than you or stupid.  You are older, and have more experience them them and for some reason they can't be OK with that.  Instead of working hard to improve themselves they choose to break down those around them. It's sad I think. That they are they insecure of themselves but also that they need to being those around them to the point of misery that they are in tears on a regular basis.

I keep to my self and offer my advice or help when I can.  When I am standing a few feet away from a fun conversation spoken loudly that I have a humorous contribution to I join in, just to get dirty looks and stares back.  Raised eyebrows with complete silence.  As if to say "How dare you speak to us, you aren't on our level, now leave."  Exaggerating?  Sure.. possibly, I am.  But I am not exaggerating how it felt. Especially since this was not a one time situation.   Ask to clarify something so you know exactly what your next step or duty is and you get hard tone and attitude as if you are asking because you are too stupid to psychically know something you should know.  Really?  So much for team work I suppose.

Watching this happen to myself and feeling that I should never want to lower myself to their childish antics and just go on with my day and my job.  Let them be children.  Let them be bullies.  Let them be the small, small, tiny insignificant souls they are making themselves out to be.

But to then see them treating someone below them as horribly as they have been treating me....  I couldn't handle it.  There is never a reason that makes it OK to treat someone as less than to you.  Someone new who is starting from the bottom like we all did.  You don't talk down to them and reprimand them for every move the make.  You don't make them suffer and torture them for asking for help from someone else you hate.

If you do something to improve your life, something you should feel proud of yourself over.  Something that makes you feel happy, you shouldn't be then made for feel like you should be ashamed of those accomplishment.  Or feel guilty for them because someone else hasn't made those same accomplishments.  That's not how to treat others and that's not how to treat someone you once were friends with. Friends at the time of these accomplishments.

It's time to close this chapter.  Write an ending to this book of negativity.  It's time to start a new chapter in a new book for my owl life and not allow someone who I once called my friend break me down to feel like nothing.

I am a good person.  I deserve everything I have worked hard for and succeeded at.  Whether it be, work, weightless, health, home I make for myself or my happiness.  I own those things.  I deserve to appreciate them and not regret them.  I deserve to be happy about them.  This is the time to make changes.  This is the time to embrace the good that is coming my way, and let go of those who bring me down because they need to feel like the better one.

It is now time for me to love me again and not worry about what others think of me or let how they treat me effect my happiness.

My Beautiful Barbie Doll, Reagan!

So one year ago, on April 17, 2015 I stopped off at the Nevada Humane Society after work to meet a dog that they had emailed me about.  With Cody's passing being so recent I was struggling with the idea, but I decided to go with the helpful prompting by my mom and my boss.  My mom meets me there and we find the dog that I was emailed about but he was soooooooo  much of a barker and jumper and was trying to climb out of the kennel.  I sadly decided he was a bit much for me, especially knowing that sparky was going to have such a difficult time as it was accepting a new sibling in the house.  She also has a history of beating the crap out of every dog she has ever met, regardless of their size.   As I am walking form kennel to kennel I come across this very calm, timid, quiet blond girl.  I kind of fell in love with her at first sight.  We arranged to go to the meeting area and she was  so sweet and independent.  No interest in playing with the ball though.  No barking, no jumping.  Just very chill.  Well, at that moment I decided that she was a new member of the DarkNite Manor Family.  So Home we went.  Well, actually it was more like to Petco we went, since I had NO Doggy supplies for her.  We spent a few hours at Petco buying everything needed for her new home and then we headed home.

The name the shelter had for her was Felicity.  That was just not suiting for her at all.  So I renamed her Reagan.  Yes, she is named after one of my biggest heroes, Ronald Reagan.  She is a 10 year old girl who had obviously just recently had puppies.  That absolutely broke my heart.  Who lets a 10 year old dog get pregnant?  how could they let that happen.  Then I discover while going over all of her documents that not only was she pregnant and just recently gave birth but she was also found and rescued while living on the streets fending for herself.  Turn on the tears.  This poor sweet girl!  She was so calm and so loving.  Who could do this to her. She will never spend another day in her life ever wanting or needing a thing.  She and I made a deal at that moment that she will have a loving home for the rest of her life and be happy and safe in exchange for me spoiling her rotten every chance I get.

Sparky was not so welcoming.  She stood in the laundry room entrance to the house and screamed at Reagan refusing to let her in the house.  Poor Reagan was more than willing to oblige so she turned around and headed back out to the car.  No, no, no...  Lets move past this now.  So finally, after hiding behind me, Reagan finally scurried past Sparky and Sparky was chasing her down the hall letting her know she wasn't welcome.  Ugh....

Reagan quickly become a fixed member of the family and a fixed part of my heart.  The first week or two was interesting as we adjusted to each other and new routines on both of our parts.  This is when I finally had to accept the reality that my sweet Barbie Girl was deaf.  Yep, Deaf.  She couldn't hear anything... well except for the occasion really really loud noise.  This would explain why she was so calm and never barked.  Not to mention she was soooooo hard to wake up int he mornings.  She fought me like a toddler when it came time to get up.  If I turned the light on she would take her paw and cover her face.  If I tried to egg her on by lifting her head or her paws she would let her entire body go limp so it was like lifting dead weight. then when I let go she would roll over and face away from me  She is NOT a morning girl.... Just like her mommy ;) LOL

There was one time that she actually intentionally barked that was not in her sleep.  About 3 months after she moved in, I had a tree trimmer at the house cleaning up my trees and while Reagan and I were chilling on the couch he walked up to the door to ring the bell.  The blinds on the window by the door were open so she was able to see outside and all of a sudden she went from laying down to sitting half way up and alert and barked THREE times!  in a row!!  But that was it.  She didn't get up.  She didn't move... Just barked three times then laid back down.  LOL  Lets not get crazy with the effort expected out of her.   I was looking at her so stunned and with my jaw on the ground that I almost forgot to go answer the door.

As the months went by she started moving a bit more stiff and slower than usual an her swollen baby belly wasn't tightening up at all. I was a little concerned but figured since she was 10 years old then she probably doesn't bounce back like she used to.  It didn't matter,  every day and week and month that went by gave me cause for more ways to spoil her.  She now has not only 7 beds in the house.  One in the bedroom, One in the Art Studio, One outside in her kennel, one in her crate in the kitchen, one in the kitchen next to her crate, and Serta dog bed in the living room and last but most certainly not least... She has a human twin size air mattress set up in the living room for her.  That is by far her favorite.  A few months ago she stopped being able to jump up on the couch so I thought she deserves to have a comfy bed she CAN get on to.  So she has the bed, pillows and blankets on it all for her.

After a visit with the Vet it was determined she was probably closer to 12 and her swollen belly was actually enlarged organs.  The days we have together are certainly numbered and each day together is a gift.  She has outlasted the time that the vet first estimated we would have together and I think we love each other so much that we will make the best out of the time left.  She is the sweetest girl and the most loving.  Sweet, Calm and such a personality it kills me.  She is so smart and definitely knows how to play mommy, but that's ok.  Mommy doesn't mind it one bit.  :) 



I don't know how long my sweet Barbie Doll and I have together but she will be completely spoiled rotten for every moment that we have.  Every minute and every hour.  She will know nothing but love and safety and comfort.  That is my promise to her.

We have now celebrated a birthday and our 1 year anniversary with each other. Looking for many more reasons to celebrate still.

I love you my beautiful Reagan!  Sweetest girl in the world!