Walking with Nature

Walking with Nature



My first attempt at creating a video for my #AdobeGenPro class.

Trials and Tributions Ending?

I’ve struggled with the decision to write about my last two positions for the past 3 months because at least one of my audience still work there. The reason I post today? I’ve finally come to peace with the realization that they have already written their ending to my story. The rub? It may be completely different scenes than the ones I experienced. So here goes nothing…..

The Advertisement

I found the position for Document Production Specialist nestled in a multitude of job emails. I was flabbergasted; this sort of position is pretty specialized, and you don’t see them advertised much. It was for a large environmental engineering firm, a field I was desperately trying to get back to. I remember reading the job description off my phone to Kathi, who was absolutely supportive in her assertions that I apply immediately – now- and wait for the call. “You know you’re qualified for it. When they read your résumé, they’ll know it, too. Just do it. Don’t think about it; act on it.” (Indeed, Kathi had worked with them in Canada and enjoyed her time there immensely, which she sensed was a good omen.)

Of course, as fate would have it, my cell got turned off later that day (it was 3 days late) - thankfully, after I applied online. As a rule, I never checked my email at the shelter, but once I realized my phone was off for non-payment, I started having to check it there daily. Just 3 days later, I got an email; they had tried multiple times to call, but weren’t able to leave voicemails. The email directed me to call to set up an interview. I could not believe my good fortune. After I returned the call and the interview date was arranged, I went straightaway to tell Kathi – she was such a cheerleader and great friend to me.

The Interview

The shelter helped to bolster my confidence which I think reflected well on my recent illustriously hideous job history. As someone who had 6-, 7-, and 3‑year positions on my résumé, these little temporary positions – well, they weren’t easy on the eyes. I was brutally honest to interviewer Sharon and to Faith, an over-40 woman that I bonded with over shared 80s culture and a who’s who of the local environmental personalities we’d both worked with. In fact, I might have even teared up a bit, recalling the horror of the last few months of my life. I remember mentioning that I was looking forward to having insurance again, which took them a bit off-guard, I think.

I distinctly remember feeling “this is what it’s *supposed to* feel like in an interview” as everything I said was natural and unforced, honest, sometimes achingly close to home. I remember relaying how close I was to finishing school – at that point, I was just 5 classes shy of my Bachelors of Science in Communication. I remember that it just felt right. It’s an elusive feeling – one I’ve felt only a handful of times before and since – but difficult to describe. I knew I was hitting it out of the park, a home run. Further proof of how well I was doing was Sharon and Faith taking me into Sharon’s office and Sharon printing out the benefits package. Surely, they wouldn’t have taken the time or effort to show me that if I wasn’t doing well, right?!

I went back to the shelter and told Kathi how it had gone. She was in all-out cheering mode – relaying her positive experiences with the firm. I felt the timing of the job offer couldn’t have been more fortuitous – just over a week left of my short-term position, set to end December 31^st. Then came the wait. I knew it wouldn’t happen immediately – logistically, it was December and they were a large firm. Theoretically, I understood. But inside I was jello, doubting myself and my “feelings” for the next 4 days.

On the 5^th day, Faith called and asked to meet me to give me the paperwork for drug testing. Legally, she couldn’t say anything about whether or not I had the position until I had been drug tested. So I took the afternoon off and immediately tested. The testing facility assured me that the results would be back to the employer within 24 hours.

The very next day – 24 hours to the dot – Sharon called me to extend the job offer. The icing on the cake was the hourly rate – it would start me very close to the money I had made at my longest gig, Water & Air. After I accepted, Sharon said she would print out an offer letter which I would be expected to sign my first day of work, December 30^th. After the call ended, I did the Cabbage Patch dance at my desk in the Adoption Center, drawing raised eyebrows from browsing adopters. Kathi and Janet took me to dinner that night and we celebrated at Applebee’s.

This day last year – this exact date, actually! – I started working there. I was very excited because it was not only back in my realm of comfort – environmental engineering -– it was something I had found on my own, outside of the temporary world. It was a real position, listed as temp- to perm-, and I was going for it. The trials and tribulations of the past 8 months were coming to an end. 

Sooooo Not A Motorcycle.....

At the furniture showroom, during my first week, I met Harley. Harley was a distinguished gentleman....he had a hearing aid and had gray hair, had incredibly funny inappropriate jokes, and I just knew we were gonna be good friends.

Harley was an installer - that means he was one of the guys that loaded the furniture onto a truck, made sure he had all the tools to get the job done, got to the job site, greeted the clients, unloaded the furniture, put it all together, and made sure the clients were happy before he left. And Harley was no spring chicken - but he had amazing strength and a great manner with the clients. (Many of our return clients specifically requested him.) 

One of many things I learned at the showroom was that furniture came in pieces. (Silly me! I thought that chairs, desks, and tables came in assembled. OOO Lordy, was I wrong! A desk can have a dozen or so parts that, together, make it complete. Even chairs - who'da thunk it?! - come in unassembled.) Part of our job was making sure we had all the pieces to put it together (like Humpty Dumpty). ; - )

So my job, as an Administrative Sales Administrator, was to create quotes for clients. Then, if they approved the quote, I turned the quote into an order. Then, as part of the ordering process, I scheduled the delivery for the client. Lastly, I emailed the client to let them know when they could expect to see us on-site for delivery and setup. 

Once the parts were received on-site - generally a week ahead of our install date - they were checked for accuracy against our order. If there were any problems, like parts were missing, or something got damaged in shipment - that week's delay allowed us time to proactively "fix it" before it got to the client. 

Generally, the day of the install, Harley would place his calls to clients - letting them know what his schedule for the day looked like and juggling times if he could. 

I told you all that about the "biz" - so I could relate this. Harley came to see me every morning before he went out on the road and every evening when he came back (unless he was doing a late install). He did it in such a manner that I thought he was just checking with me and the other Admins to say hi.

I didn't think anything of it until one day Stephanie joked with him that he was "just checking on his girlfriend," and shot a look back at me. What? Huh?! The man was older, married, and we were just friends. Period. What was she talking about? Harley didn't bat an eyelash, just threw some attitude back to her. 

Lo and behold, later that same week, Harley asked me if I was on Facebook. I was - and I am - and so, after work we friended each other and that was when I really "met" Harley. Whoa! The guy was hysterical - private as all heck - but lonely. He and his wife had been married a long time - 25 years! I just want to stop this train right here: we were - and are - just friends. 

We talked on Facebook - after work - for hours, about anything and everything. I related my "sob story" as by then, I'd labeled it. He talked about his age in this industry (he was 68) - and the fact that he wasn't working because he "needed" the money - he had built he and his wife a comfortable nest egg. As an ADD/HD sufferer, Harley just needed to keep moving. He told me that he had quit before - all of a month! - but found himself going stir crazy at home so he went back to work. 'Nuff said.

In one of our discussions, Harley said that Stephanie had mentioned to him - more than once - that she knew he liked me and what was he gonna do about it? Harley told her that yes, we were friends, and essentially told her to back off (in a totally polite, yet irreverent way). He gave me a little backstory on Stephanie, too.

It seems our down-to-earth, God-fearing, yet tattooed Stephanie was a reformed "bad girl." In fact, it turns out that her oldest daughter is the product of a relationship with a jailed boyfriend. So Stephanie the bad girl projects her inner badness to Harley by thinking that he is going to throw away 25 years of marriage by having an affair with a much-younger Admin. (Stephanie, by the way, is now happily married to a fellow that she met in bible study.)

He goes on to tell me that he is also getting raised eyebrows, spoken comments, and written comments on his Facebook profile from the other admin - Cyndy - too. It seems that Cyndy is a born-again upstanding Christian woman and worries that he has ulterior motives for his daily visits to us. 

(You remember Cyndy from my earlier posts, right?) The woman who was "much too busy to help me" - *E*V*E*R*...... 

So we nipped them both in the bud. He unfriended Cyndy from his Facebook profile and began stopping by just once a day. We continued our discussions on Facebook, building a friendship - away from prying eyes. 

When I got fired, he was floored. He had no inkling of Stephanie's plan.

But Harley would turn out to be another great part of 2013; a true friend, one of a handful who truly came through for me when I was at my absolute lowest point.

O wise woman, what say you?

At the shelter, Janet was one of three customer service reps. These three women tirelessly answered phones and assisted walk-in citizens with pet-related concerns. These concerns ranged from finding, capturing, and bringing in stray dogs and cats to tagging adopted shelter animals to listening to complaints from angry ticketed pet owners. The shelter's "front line," they receive the lion's share of citizen contact. 

Janet was the newest and friendliest of the three. A consummate professional, Janet answered questions, assisted citizens in filling out pet adoption papers, and was a definite people person. Always with a smile, a good attitude, and a kind word, she was the one people waited to speak with. If she didn't know the answer, she would spend the extra time to find out.

As I often passed through the lobby from Kathi's desk back to my desk at the Adoption Center, I came to recognize her voice, hear the compassion in her answers, and respect the "good vibes" she gave off.  As I've mentioned in previous postings, I'm generally the sort of person to observe first before uttering a word. My cautious nature went out the window last year, however, and I found myself taking time out between trips chatting up Janet when she was free.

Janet was a happy person. That is not to say that she wasn't dealing with her own problems; she was. The shelter paid beans compared to what she had made in her previous career - but she enjoyed the animals, the atmosphere, and the customers. Her extraordinary spirit, good nature, and positive outlook was a ray of sunshine. In short, she made you feel comfortable; I found myself sharing my sob story with her, something I hadn't shared with anyone other than Kathi. And funny! Janet was a hoot - always with a funny anecdote or a sly grin, she made you feel as if she was your own personal comedianne! I kept telling her she ought to do stand-up - to which she responded that the pay wasn't as good as what the shelter paid us. ((wink wink))

I rarely left the shelter for lunch due to lack of funds, preferring instead to eat leftovers at my desk. However, Janet went out of her way to extend invitations to come back to her home with her for lunch. She lived close by the shelter and ate with her three doggies every day. So I brought my leftovers to Janet's home and we "talked shop" about the shelter and some of the personalities we dealt with on a daily basis.

In fact, it was during one of those lunches that she mentioned CONNECT, a sort-of job placement meeting where unemployed people met, discussed placement strategies, compared notes, improved their resumes, and networked with others. At Janet's prodding, I went to the next meeting; networked; had my picture taken; and subsequently interviewed at my current place of employ. (Of course, Kathi had a hand in that decision, too, as I've previously mentioned, but it was Kathi *and* Janet that got me through those dark months last year.)

Janet, if you're reading this, I hope you know this; you have touched my heart and I love you, girl!

Pay It Forward

  

Kathi was the most no-holds-barred, tell-it-like-it-is, supportive, grounded friend and supervisor I've ever had.

That first day, she started me off with a simple assignment. She had pulled old files from their active filing cabinet and put them into a box. My assignment was to write down all the files, alphabetize them, and print her out a list so she could put a description on the outside of the box.

She didn't have room for me to sit at her desk with her, but there was an open desk in the Adoption Center, so she set me up there, making sure I had a username, password, and a working computer. Believe it or not, the computer part took almost half a day, as there was only one computer guy assigned to the shelter and he was busy with other folks. ; )

In the meantime, I had someplace to park my rear and so I meticulously combed through the box, making sure I missed nothing. When I was done, as I had been trained to do in the accounting field, I went back and checked again, finding a few things I had missed. So much better for me to find my mistakes than for someone else!

The next day, the computer was up and running, so I was able to bang out my list pretty quickly. When I brought it to her, she said, "Wow, you're fast! Lemme just doublecheck some of your entries..." Kathi then proceeded to check every single item on the list. That was just her years of accounting background kicking in; doublecheck, then triplecheck *everything*. I settled in to my new digs while she was busy. After about a half hour, she turned to me and said, incredulously, "You didn't miss anything."

"Yeah, okay," I stammered, not really sure what the proper etiquette was here, and continued, "....so what do we do next?" (Where's Billy Talley when you need him?!)

Now she turned to me - and looked at me - really looked at me. "Lou said I was getting you cheap. Now what is it you did before?"

So I gave her a brief synopsis of my work history, ending with the fact that I desperately needed a job so I had taken far less than I was accustomed to.

Some of the confusion on her face cleared up. "Oh, so you're a word processor. *That's* why you were so fast! I was a little concerned at your speed." Then she laughed, "It also seemed strange to me that you weren't at all taken aback by me checking you. With the accounting in your background, you're accustomed to it, aren't you? You probably checked over it before you gave it to me, right?"

I nodded, "Yes, ma'am. Three times. Caught stuff every time." I smiled back at her and said, "But I might have missed something."

"Great! I appreciate that. I'm doing so much, going so fast that I appreciate the fact that you've done some of the legwork for me. I hope you understand that I *have* to check. It's just the nature of the beast." I did understand and I told her so.

She gave me another one of those long looks and said, "I think you're the best temp I've ever had. I'm gonna have to pimp you out!"

Wow - again, I wasn't sure what to say, so I just smiled awkwardly, looked away, blushed, and said, "Good deal."

And that was Kathi - sharp, on it, always making sure she had good information before she made any decisions. All delivered with a sly glance, a glimmer of humor in her eye, and with a wry sense of humor. It was a good life lesson.

______________

Simple assignments gave way to more complex ones, as she tested my skills and we got to know each other. I never assumed to know; I always had questions. In my experience, asking questions *before* you did the project was much better than finding out you did it wrong and having to do it over again, this time the right way. (That was a lesson I had found out early in my career.)

We began to become friends, sharing current and past history. Kathi really seemed to take an interest in me; I was flattered. I think that the way my year had gone was trampling me down, softly killing my spirit. I began to expect the next kick that life was going to deal me. I had begun to feel like I had fallen into a rabbit hole that was just neverending. I was in a no-man's land; everything I had known about myself I was questioning. It was a scary place for me, mentally. Financially, too - for sure. But it was the mental part I think that had worn me down. If I didn't really have *mad skills*, then what had I been doing for 15 years? It was a maddening set of questions that rattled around in my brain like pebbles in an empty bottle.

A painfully shy introvert, I was normally so politely reserved that people had difficulty reading me. Last year's experience changed that; I was being yanked out of my shell - driven by the need to express the anger, sadness, and daily disappointments that had become my life.

Kathi reminded me, in no uncertain terms, that I was a good worker, that I did have skills, that I was fast and accurate, and that I was quickly becoming a right hand to her. I think that she could see how much I was hurting inside, how the questions roiled inside my brain, and even, I think, to see my desperation. She pressed me for details; offered suggestions; and generally, was a shoulder to cry on.

Before I knew it, October was over, and Thanksgiving was quickly gaining on me. Trying to keep up with $300 power bills, groceries, gas for my exceedingly comfortable, but wretchedly gas-guzzling SUV, was killing me, financially. All I can say is *thank God* I got paid weekly at the temporary agency. When I paid all I could, at least I only had to be broke for another 6 days. (wry LOL)

I was rapidly going through my stash of canned goods and frozen veges/meats from Sams Club. I started to worry that not only would I *not* be able to provide Mom and I a comfortable Thanksgiving dinner - I might not be able to keep us in food the rest of the month. I worried; I had Excel spreadsheets full of "what-if" calculations that I regularly updated between tasks.

The week before Thanksgiving, Kathi asked me what I was doing for the holiday. All the stress, worry, anger, and frustration pushed through my wall of introvert and I broke down in tears. I laid it all on the line, snuffling loudly and trying desperately to hide my flame-red eyes and streaked mascara, knowing all too well that tomorrow they would be swollen and puffy all day long.

Kathi suggested a food bank; I shared my story of the peanut butter, packets of oatmeal, and canned vegetable and meat. She was floored; indeed, she started to get mad *for me*! "Well, what the hell?!" I told her I had applied for food stamps and been denied (my mother made too much retirement income). I told her I had applied for electric bill assistance with the same result - between my mother's and my (lack of) income, we made too much to qualify for any assistance. It was a sad state, but I had left no stone unturned. The best thing I had found was a series of coupon websites - SavingsStar, Coupons, and Ziplist, just to name a few. There I could find coupons and/or deals, pick which grocery store I would be going to, and *sometimes* double the coupon.

Two days before Thanksgiving, Kathi presented me with a personalized card with an "owl turkey" she had hand drawn for me. (Kathi was an accomplished photographer and artist in her spare time and ran a website selling said goodies.) Inside her beautiful card was $50 cash and a Visa gift card preloaded with $50. Again, the tears came, but this time it was with immense gratitude. She told me that she had told a few people (and saw the look of horror that came over my face) and that this was the result of those few people wanting Mom and I to be able to enjoy our Thanksgiving. Not entirely sure what to say, I just said thank you – *a bunch* – and asked her how I could ever repay her kindness. Her response? “Just pay it forward.”

I went to Winn Dixie (where I could use the most coupons) and came out with a bounty of food, not just for Thanksgiving. Indeed, I was so overwhelmed that I laid all of it out on top of my freezer, took pictures, and posted to Facebook, with a post thanking Kathi and all the people at the shelter who had contributed. All that is pictured here came to $92, which left me a few dollars for gas. 

The following day, Kathi came in and told me she had a gift for me, but that she wanted to wait until after work to give it to me. I told her no, she had been too gracious, I couldn't possibly accept anything else from her. She brushed me aside and said not to make a big deal of it, but that I would enjoy it.

After work, she pulled out two full grocery totes of canned goods - goods she had culled from her own pantry - to help ease my worry. Even as I write this I am crying. What a wonderful human being! Words alone cannot express how blessed I am to have found such a person....

______________

True to her word, Kathi did, indeed, pimp me out.

As I caught her up on all her invoices, I began assisting the front desk in entering backdated tag information, as well as assisting the vets in entering medical records into the proprietary software the shelter used.

When I had time, I also assisted Susan in the Adoption Center, occasionally running background information on potential adopters but mostly providing people with general information as they wandered around the shelter.

My work with Kathi restored my faith in not only myself, but in all of humanity. Good people do exist. 

Confuscious Say.....

When I went to work for the shelter, it was as an unofficial Accounting Clerk - an oxymoron if one ever existed. Did I work at an accounting firm for over 7 years? Yes, I most certainly did. --However-- I did not have any experience preparing invoices for payment, researching walkie talkies, entering medical records or tags into a database, or running backgrounds on potential adopters.  No matter. I would get schooled - by the best - and learn to love working in a shelter. 

I was to meet Kathi, the Accounting Clerk responsible for making sure everyone in the shelter got paid, paying the monthly bills for the shelter, and "other duties as assigned" by Vern, the head honcho of said shelter. Lou from TempForce assured me that I would love Kathi, that she was quite funny and irreverent and that she and I had similar backgrounds. (Hey, wait - did that mean she thought I was..? Nevermind. LOL)

At 8:30 am, I arrived at the shelter, but the main doors were still locked. A sign said they opened at 9 am. "Just great," I thought, as I cruised around the building to a side entrance where people were freely coming and going. As I was about to act like I just belonged there, a woman outside smoking a cigarette said softly, "Can I help ya, hon?" (This, I would later learn, was Theresa, who manned the switchboard.) I told her I was there to meet Kathi and she smiled and said, "Well, Kathi doesn't usually get in until around 9:30. You might want to come back..." Shocked, I said that this was my first day and that Kathi was supposed to meet me to get me started. She put out her cigarette and walked me inside the office. "Hang on, hon, I'll call her cell." She directed me to a back corner, where a desk with yellow caution tape around it was, "This is Kathi's desk." She *is* funny! I thought. 

When Kathi answered her cell, I heard Theresa tell her that I was here waiting for her. There was some small talk and then Theresa told me to have a seat. She smiled and said that Kathi had forgotten it was today and would be in soon. She patted my arm and said, "...like I said, honey, she'll be here about 9:30..." then went over to her desk (which wasn't very far) and began answering the phones. 

By now, some of the vet staff had begun arriving and I started hearing dogs howling, cats hissing and crying, and the general noise of the shelter began full-swing. The vet's office was just right across the hall from where I was sitting and they left the doors open. Wow. How could anyone concentrate with all that noise?

Curious, I got up and wandered outside to the hallway. Sure enough, there was a cat on the table and the vets were performing some sort of surgery. (Always with a curious mind, I often posed questions to Kathi and learned that the vets spent 95% of their time spaying and neutering the steady stream of strays that came to the shelter.)

Then I decided to walk around - take a look - after all, this assignment was for three months. I might as well get comfortable. I walked out of the office area through the double doors and was in the lobby. I remembered fondly adopting my last dog here - Domino - and wondered if the Adoption Center was still run by the same woman, Susan. To my right was the cat room - a room full of cages of gorgeous kitties mewling and wanting to play. On the spur, I decided to go see them. An avid animal lover, I worried that I would become attached, but still, I had time to kill, right? So I spent an easy twenty minutes going to each cage, speaking to each animal, checking them out, reading their names....

Then, before I knew it, it was 9:30 and I rushed back to Kathi's desk, but thew! - she still wasn't in. I settled into her guest chair and waited. At 9:45, she arrived, looking nothing like I had imagined. For some reason I had pictured her tall, thin, with dark hair - instead, I was met by a 50-something woman with long gray hair in comfortable-looking jeans, a sweat jacket, and sneakers. 

I liked her almost immediately. She had a great smile and said to me, right off the top, "Hi there, I'm Kathi. You're not gonna want to wear those pretty clothes here. See me? Jeans, t-shirt, sneakers. Keep it simple. You never know when you're going to have to assist the vet staff." 

She blushed and said, "Sorry about forgetting you. I'm not too good about punctuality, but I work my ass off. I told 'em when I started not to look for me at 8 am. You know? I'll work until 7 - 8 pm," (said with a wry grin) ''cause I have no life - but don't ask me to be early. I don't do early." And that is when I knew Kathi and I were going to hit it off. 

She was cool as shit, loved animals, didn't play games, spoke highly of her co-workers, and worked hard. What more could a girl ask for?

Confuscious say......You may not get what you ask for, but you definately
get what you need....! 

Yummy For the Tummy.....

For a soup that’s as good for you as it tastes, my black bean soup is high in beta-carotene and fiber.

3 cans of black beans (alternatively you can substitute 3 cans of Northern beans)
  Puree 1 of the cans of black beans to add bulk (alternatively you can add cornstarch to thicken)
2 cans of petite diced tomatoes
1 jar Heinz chili sauce (yes, the whole thing...it's yummy!)
2 cans beef broth
~ ½ pack of celery hearts, sliced into bite-size pieces
1 entire package of shredded carrots, small size from Publix
3 tomatoes
1 red onion
1 bunch of fresh green onions
1 bunch fresh cilantro, to taste
Fresh garlic, to taste

                lastly, 

—EITHER—
10 Chicken tenderloins, cut into bite-size pieces
—OR—
1 ½ lbs of ground turkey
—OR BOTH— (what the hell!)


Cook meat first
Slice veges

I buy frozen chicken tenderloins from Sam’s Club. Using a bacon tray with water in the bottom, I microwave about 5 – 7 (or however many I can comfortably fit on the tray) about 5 ½ minutes each side. (I also sprinkle powdered garlic and lemon pepper to both sides.) After all the chicken is diced, I also dump the leftover water (now chicken broth) into the Dutch oven.

When I used the ground turkey, I threw fresh garlic, extra cilantro, and some black pepper in the pan and cooked it on the stove until the juices were clear. Then, I dumped the entire contents into my Dutch oven – turkey’s pretty lean, and the little bit of fat just adds flavor.

Throw all together in a Dutch oven, stirring frequently. Add lots of cilantro and green onions. Cook for about 2 hours at medium heat.

When ready for serving, dice fresh tomatoes and chop fresh cilantro and throw on top of your bowl – yummy!

Also, when the soup starts getting thin – add fresh cooked pasta to give it some oomph.

"I cook for an army – literally, my Depression-era Grandmother taught me to cook! So if you want less than a huge pot of soup, you’ll want to pare down the contents."

—Enjoy!—