What was I thinking?

I am SO beat right now. I went to work Friday morning at 7am...worked until 7am Saturday morning. I went home, took a shower, slept for an hour and a half, got up. Drove to Hanover...I was there from 10:30am until 7pm. I was shooting a wedding yesterday. I have to say that it was SO much fun, but I don't feel bad anymore charging $1500 for a wedding. After paying my assistant, and paying for the proof book...what's left of that $1500 is almost not worth the amount of work it involves. After the event I had over 1200 pictures to sort, edit, rename, etc. Luckily I am working today, so I am technically getting paid to edit these pics too...but I am still running calls and am busy at my "normal" job today too. But that's not the crazy part. Oh, no. The crazy part is that while I was at the reception last night my boss called me and said that there was a call-out last night and he could use me for any part of the shift from that time (4pm) and when I come on at 7am tomorrow. I made it clear that I was not going to leave the wedding reception early for it, but I would be in as soon as I could. So I left the reception a little after 7pm for the hour drive home, just in time to catch a shower, change into my uniform, and head into work by 9:30pm last night. Yes, I have technically been working non stop (with the exception of the hour and a half "nap" I took yesterday morning) since 7am Friday.

I am tired and sore. I never thought stooping down to take pictures ALL day long would be so hard on my body! But I can't wait to do the other weddings that I am contracted for this summer! Apparently there were a few people at that wedding that are getting married at some point this year too...so who knows? I also let the bride and groom know that for any wedding that I book off of theirs I would give them $100 in print credit. They were happy about that.

So, I am going back to editing my pictures now.

Excitment...

So many wonderful things are happening right now I just can't even begin to say...

But here are a few.

I work up yesterday morning to find my car waxed, tires rotated, oil changed, and I even had a full tank of fuel! I love my husband, and I love the fact that he can do all of that by himself,and he enjoys is.

We have a schedule that we are going to stick to for our home. In january Nate is going to go down to florida and interview and get a letter of employment. Then during Ty's easter break from school we are going to go down and secure housing. We are going to try to buy a house, so we will try to put a contract one one while we are there, but if nothing sticks out as "we have GOT to have this" then we will just rent for a while so we will sign a lease while we are there.

I had a very long conversation with my atty yesterday and she gave me all the steps that I need to go through to move with Ty. It's actually a LOT easier then I ever thought it would be. It's because of the way our paperwork is written. It kind of screws his father, but oh well. And I know that he will still see him, he will be going up for all the major holidays, so it's not like I taking him away completely...plus we can give Ty a MUCH better quality of live down there then either of us can give him up here.

I am just very happy right now :)

We have a date...

We have a date. We have a date that we are moving. Nate only does what he says he is going to do, and he has spoken of NOTHING but moving, or what it's going to take to move, and all the logistical "stuff" that's incorperated in moving for the past 2 weeks. At first we put the date preliminarily at June of 2010...and then we thought...why so long? Why not June of 2009? We know we want June or nothing....because then Ty will stay with his father while we are moving and getting settled, and I can find a job and whatnot. Nate will have a job before we establish residence in the state, so that's not an issue.

So, if everything goes according to plan, we are outta here in 13 months. It seems like a LONG time, but trust me, it isn't. So much needs to happen in those 13 months, Nate needs to go down and interview and get an offer of employment so I can process that through the courts for Ty, we need to travel down there and find a place to live...we have to coordinate pasking and shipping of all our crap...we need to figure out what the heck we are going to do with our cars. I am so excited and so nervouse at the same time.

I am also delighted to report that Nate's mother will be moving with us. I don't think she will be moving IN with us, but she will be moving in the vacinity...which will be SO nice...that way we arn't down there alone.

So much to do, so much to do.

I only have 2 more weekends after today. I am going to get a part time job at the JCC where Ty's preschool was over the summer in their babysitting room. Ty is already hounding me about going to the JCC again since he knows preschool is over and I can take him with me, to the area of the JCC where he wants to go, I can be there with him, AND get paid for it. Can't beat that. I'll do that once a week for a few hours.

I am shooting a wedding on saturday. I am axcited about that! It should be FUN!

A door closes and a window opens...

SO I picked Ty up from preschool today, but before I did I went to a local country club to pick up an application for a server position. I figured I would fill it out, dress nicer tomorrow and return it then. After I picked Ty us I took him to the park for over an hour and then I plopped him in the car for the 20 minute ride to another country club so i could pick up another application and do the same, return it tomorrow...

SO I walk in and get an application...the receptionist asked me if I was going to stay there and fill it out and I gestured to the way I look and I told her that I would be returning it tomorrow. Well, we went to leave and Ty sat in his seat in the car perfectly so I asked him if he would mind me filling it out and leaving it there right then. I knew I was pushing my time with him and he said he didn't mind so I filled it out. I even pulled my car up front in the circle of the valet area to run in and drop it off...but Ty said he wanted to come back inside with me...so we went.

I walked up the the reception area and the woman was like..."oh let me call Barb and tell her that you are here." I was like "NO!" I am not dressed to meet anyone in management that might have a hand in hiring me. Well, Bard turns the corner and the receptionist was like..."Barb! This woman just filled out an application..." I was mortified.

But she didn't seem to care after I apologized profusely about the way I looked and the fact that I had my son with me. We spoke for a few minutes and asked me if I would take a drug test and then the next thing I knew I was signing tax forms and was handed an employee manual. The BEST thing of all of this is my base pay is only ONE DOLLAR less then what I am making now! Plus I will get tips from the tables I have. I have to wear a tuxedo shirt and pants, but that's okay. They also dictate how I can and can't speak to the members...for example, if someone asks me for something before I offer it, instead of responding with "okay" or "of course" or anything like that I will HAVE to say, "it would be my pleasure" There is a whole list of "proper responses" that I have to "learn." So we'll see how it goes.

Nate has been talking a LOT about moving. Apparently he has even researched hospitals in the Tampa area that he would want to visit and research harder. He even seemed to research what they would offer if he transferred. Sign on bonus, relocation money, housing stipend, the works. To me I feel like this is a very positive sign. I am so used to people talking about doing things, but when Nate talks, he acts. I can't wait to move.

Thank you!

I'd like to thank whom ever it was that returned my sweet sweet son. Today he was a SAINT. I was dragging that boy from pillar to post today and all the while he had a smile on his face. He even cooperated during my 6 week post op visit to Dr. Ballas today...Dr B could not believe he was 4...he said he would have guessed he was 6!

So I got a phone call today from my boss, I let him leave a message so he could set the tone and vibe for all this mess. He seemed in uppity spirits so I thought he might have some options for me...but something tells me my options will be to go per diem, or quit. Also, this other job I thought to be holding out for at the company was technically posted today and...well...lets just say I am glad I didn't get my hopes up. The annual salary would be around $25,000 with no overtime potential. That would be an ENORMOUS pay cut for me, so I think I'll pass...listen to me, talking as if it was offered to me in the first place.

I dropped an application off today at one place and I am calling another tomorrow to see what I would need to do to submit an application there. Nate thinks I should go for a photographers position at like Picture People or something but do you know what they pay? AAAANNNNDDDD I can kiss my photography business goodbye. What a HUGE conflict of interest that would be, plus I hate the quality (or lack there of...) of their pictures, they are so posed...and what they charge people, I don't think I could handle taking people's money for what they charge...so, no thanks.

I am looking forward to spending an evening with Nate tomorrow...it's his ONLY day off this week...we have exciting plans to go grocery shopping! We sure have come a long way since adventurous Fiji. I think Nate is starting to stress out over my job situation. Every time I look at him when he is awake he is calculation something on the Microsoft Money program we have and he hasn't ever really checked it before unless it was while he was actually paying the bills. We really payed off a lot of stuff before this set back. It helps though that Ty's preschool is done and that will save us $290 a month, that's like a car payment, you know? And we just payed off another credit card and with the tax rebate coming we are paying off another. We have a few things around a grand each and then we get into the big bucks...we have a few in the 5G range and then the monster coming in at 16G's..if we can get everything paid off but the 16 grand, we can get that one paid down in no time if we can just transfer all the money that we are used to paying on everything else. Even with what we have paid off we are still paying out the same each month because we use the money that the one that's paid to go towards the next one, and so on...that way as time goes by we can pay off things faster. But my job situation might put that to a halt and we might just have to pay minimums for a while and I HATE that.

Oh well...things happen for a reason right?

Still no answer

So, I still have yet to hear anything from the boss, and since I have sent him the e mails he has replied to another coworkers mass e mail to all of us at the station over her being tired of all the crap at the station. So, i know he has been in his e mail account. I just don't know what to expect.

I am pretty sure though that my last day with the company will be the day that the rotation schedule starts.

Tomorrow I have my 6 week post op apmt with my GYN. So Ty and I are going to head to westminster after preschool. After this week of school Ty has only one week left. :(

I am swim mom on tuesday, my last time as swim mom. It's kinda fun. So I will take my camera with me so I can get pics of Ty in the pool. At least I hope so. His doc said no swimming for 2 weeks, and tuesday will be 2 weeks exactly, so we'll play it by ear.

Randy couldn't get off work monday so since I worked a 48 hour shift and I was off today I got Ty tonight. :) He didn't actually didn't fall asleep until almost 10, but this still works out better because I can make sure he sleeps until 8am and then he won't be exhausted and out of control tomorrow.

The Waiting Game...

So I sent my boss 2 e mails yesterday and still have yet to hear from him.

This is slightly irritating...you send me an e mail that you know is going to alter my entire life and you don't check or respond to any e mails?

I haven't decided yet if I will be staying per diem. I think I will, if after asking for an explanation, since "we always look out for our own here..." he's slightly apologetic...but they can't hold the company back from progressing because of one employee. I mean, I am not expecting a " Oh Stacey, I am SO sorry, I know this affects you, but man am I sorry..."

But if I get a straight laced, "refer to the Employee Manuel that states that I have the authority to change the schedule as I see fit and there is no guarantee...." I just don't think I could manage to do good for a company that treats it's employees that way, you know?

So, we'll see. This delay in response is not a good sign to me.

I am on the back end of a 48 hour shift. In hind site I shouldn't have done this. The last time I worked a 48 hour shift in a row I swore I would never do it again.

Whatever.

In other news I am still awaiting a response from my atty in reference to a response from Randy's atty. They are technically in default. It's been over 30 days since he was served. He seemed really ticked off last night when I called him..I guess he didn't like the settlement proposal my atty sent to his. But it's funny because my atty told me that my offer wasn't unrealistic, and his atty felt the same way, I suspect Randy feels trapped and knows he is screwed. Sorry Dude, but I feel like I am due. I don't know why he's so upset anyway, more then half the time he has Ty he isn't home with him anyway.

I guess it's a good thing I hate my job...

Because effective June 2 (30 days from now) I can't continue. I can't work a rotating schedule and we have set days here. Well, everyone here at the station got an e mail this morning that effective June 2 we will be rotating. Great. Just freakin' great. Now what?

I know I couldn't keep this job past August, but I needed to work this job the entire summer to support our budget. This is a nightmare.