My job is awesome

I said in my last entry that there were some things going on with work that I couldn't explain quite yet, but it's all straightened out now so might as well blog about it. I've only been at my current job for three months. I started in mid-July as a temp in customer service. I did well in there, obviously. I've already said in other entries how that went, and how I've gotten two raises and was offered a permanent position at the company. That kicked in this past Monday.

Monday afternoon my department had a meeting in the break room with Brian and Kim. They explained that we would be extending hours to 9pm Monday through Friday. Instead of the 8-4:45, 9-5:45, and 10:15-7 shifts we have now, the new shifts would be 8-4:45, 10:15-7, and 12:15-9. Kind of annoying but everyone would only have to work one of those late shifts per week. However, there would always have to be a supervisor there as one of the people working the late shift. At the moment we only have two supervisors, so Brian mentioned possibly naming 1-2 more supervisors so it would be a bit more even for everyone. If he would have done that there was a very good possibility I would be one of the new supervisors, just going by people who know what they're doing and have been there a while.

However, on Tuesday Kim said they'd worked something out that they didn't need any more supervisors at this time. No big deal, just went on with my day. When I got back from lunch I had an email from Brian titled "Opportunity". It started off saying it was strictly confidential and then went on to tell me about an opening in purchasing that he thought I should interview for. It also said that I could work there until I finished my bachelor's degree in May, and then move directly to accounting.

Problem was I'm not finishing my bachelor's in May, I'm finishing my associate's. Then I still have a handful of classes left for the bachelor's. So I'm slightly disappointed in this, thinking it means I can't get the purchasing job after all. But I email Brian and explain it anyway as I'm not about to leave that rather important fact out.

He responds asking me to come to his office around 4. When I get there he tells me that I can still go for the purchasing job if I'd like. I would just be there for a couple of extra semesters until I finished my bachelor's degree, and then move to accounting. Plus, they'll reimburse me for about $2000 a year in tuition, which means I can actually continue now instead of taking time off to save for a more expensive school.

So I say, of course I'm interested in the promotion, what is it? And he tells me it's for Mike's job, as Mike is up for a promotion to warehouse manager. Mike would be the purchasing manager for half the company, pretty much. I've never done a thing with purchasing in my life. Brian was all, "Well that's okay, you'll learn. I'll set up the interview with Cori (overall head of purchasing)."

I end up having to go for the interview Thursday morning. Because the entire thing was very hush hush, I had to go off-site for the interview. They didn't know if Mike was getting the promotion and didn't want him to know anything about them interviewing his potential replacements. So I went into work Thursday for about 45 minutes and then drove down the street to Bob Evans to meet Cori for breakfast (on the company, while on the clock ^_^). It went alright, but I honestly didn't think I would have gotten the job. The look on Cori's face when I said I'd only officially been an employee for three days...lol. At any rate, she said she had some other people to interview and didn't know what was going on with Mike, so it would be sometime next week probably before I heard anything. I left feeling decent about the interview but didn't really have my hopes up.

Friday rolls around and I'm on one of my few calls as it's dead as hell. Cori pops around the corner and says to hurry up and then meet her in the conference room. I follow her in there...in all honesty I figured she was going to tell me Mike wasn't getting the promotion. She'd said she had other people to interview and I didn't think she'd have picked me at all, much less after a day. But she did want to offer me the job. ^_^

The catch was that Mike was promoted effective immediately, so it starts this Monday. But what the hell, I'm not going to pass up the opportunity. So I accepted, and my supervisor congratulated me and nearly cried that I was leaving, which made me nearly cry. Then I sat in absolute shock for the rest of the day at what had happened. I find it almost ridiculous that I got 2 raises and a promotion by the time I officially worked for the company for four days. Hell, I don't even get benefits until January!

So...Monday then. I'm not sure how it's going to go but I learn quickly so I'm hoping to pick it up. I'm nervous, but really excited to be getting off the phones and into a department much closer to my actual degree. We'll see how it goes!

My grandmother's car is trying to kill me

I swear it's out to get me. First it locked itself with the keys inside. My gran still doesn't believe that story but whatever, lol. I have no idea how it happened and I'm not sure I'd believe me either. Then there was this morning.

Right now the car is out of windshield wiper fluid. Noticed this on Friday. We didn't have any at home so I was going to get some on Sunday, but then Fran dropped a bottle off on Sunday morning. So I go to put it in the car and we can't get the hood open. We pull the lever, nothing happens. It doesn't pop. I went and tried wriggling my fingers underneath to get to the latch, thinking that maybe we just couldn't see it. It was not open. I put all my weight on it trying to pull it up and no luck.

So I tell my grandmother to call the dealer in the morning. We were thinking something got disconnected between the lever and where it opened, no big deal.

Right, no big deal at all. Until I'm going 65-70mph on the highway this morning on my way to work and the fucking hood flies open.

I thought I was gonna die, seriously. I can't remember a time I was ever that scared. Now luckily it did not fly the entire way up and block the windshield or I would have definitely wrecked. As it was, I somehow managed to slam on the brakes and go really slow to my exit which at this point was only a quarter of a mile away. Then when I got to the stop sign at the exit ramp I threw it into park, got out, and got the hood closed. I then proceeded to shake like a leaf the rest of the drive to work. As soon as I got there I called my gran and started freaking out. I'm just grateful that I managed to keep calm enough to get through it and to work in one piece.

Gran brought up a good point though. If it was going to happen I'm glad it happened to me, as my reflexes are better than hers. At least I was able to get through it unscathed, whereas my gran probably would have been in an accident. =\

Anyway, enough of the depressing shit. I'm starting to get excited for Halloween. I've started reading horror books and watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer again. And I'm trying to find a bunch of horror movies to watch over Halloween weekend. Plus the costume thing though I still have no idea what to do there. Apparently there's a contest at work and whoever wins get's the general manager's parking spot for a week. So I might have to think about dressing up for work, if I can come up with anything decent in the next week or two.

Also, I decorated my desk at work a bit for Halloween today. Kerry has sooo much Halloween stuff. She's got about a dozen little miniature scenes and things in her area. Plus a disembodied head sitting on top of the wall that keeps scaring the hell out of people because its eyes follow you when you walk. She's got way too much just for her own desk though, so she's letting a bunch of us borrow some of her miniatures to put at our desks. She gave me a haunted hotel that plays creepy music and flashes lightning.

She also gave me a pirate ship. The pirate ship fires cannons, and plays music. And rocks back and forth like it's at sea. And the pirates yell insults at each other. It's awesome. Yes I'm that easily entertained. I can't wait until tomorrow when she brings me more stuff to add. I have a feeling that by Halloween I'm going to have a hard time getting any work done at my desk...

At any rate, I'm done writing for tonight. I have a lot of stuff to talk about that will be going on with work, but some of that needs to wait for reasons I'll have to explain later. I also have an updated goals list to get up. I've got class tomorrow so I doubt I'll blog at all but I'm hoping to have both of those entries up by the end of the week. Especially the work thing. I'm dying to tell everyone about it but I really can't put it on my public blog just yet. Hopefully by Wednesday at least some of it will be official so I can get it on here. ^_^

Chris and I have the most messed up conversations sometimes...

Denise says:
OH

Denise says:
and I'm entirely too juvenile

Denise says:
but you are too so you'll love this

Christian says:
i think youve looked at enough weird foriegn shit XD

Christian says:
uh oh

Denise says:
I like, choke and die every time someone orders this shit

Denise says:
http://www.englishteastore.com/auspdipu.html

Christian says:
ok seriously

Denise says:
I shit you not

Denise says:
I did not know about it

Denise says:
and this guy calls in and said something like

Christian says:
i just giggled like a school girl

Denise says:
I'd like to check on the status of my spotted dick

Christian says:
and im scared

Denise says:
I DIED

Christian says:
HAHAHAHAHA

Christian says:
oh my gentle jesus

Christian says:
tell me you died on the phone

Denise says:
I half choked half laughed and I was like, "I'm sorry sir, WHAT?!?!"

Christian says:
HAHAHA

Denise says:
Then I told him to hold while I looked up the order and laughed for 3 minutes

Denise says:
This may need chatlogged

Christian says:
i do agree

Christian says:
spotted dick

Christian says:
HA

Denise says:
XD

Christian says:
is it weird that im actually picturing a dick with spots

Christian says:
cuz i totally am

Christian says:
and yet more giggles are escaping

Christian says:
I CANT HOLD THEM IN

Christian says:
HELP

Denise says:
How the hell can I help YOU I haven't been able to breathe for the last 5 minutes

Christian says:
youre in my damn head

Christian says:
TAKE THEM OUT

Denise says:
Take them out? What them? The penises?

Christian says:
THE GIGGLES, WOMAN

Denise says:
oh

Christian says:
THE GIGGLES

Denise says:
Right. I knew that.

Denise says:
>_>

Christian says:
start breathing and chatlog >_>

Denise says:
I just did up to that last thing lol

Denise says:
every time I went to submit we kept being fucking stupid XD

Christian says:
XD

Christian says:
omg

Denise says:
posted

Christian says:
see dick run

Denise says:
run dick run!

Christian says:
run dick run

Christian says:
RUN FROM THE SPOTS

Christian says:
BEFORE THEY CATCH YOU

Today kicked ass, even if it was a Monday...

Monday is usually my least favorite day of the week. I never want to go back to work. Even though I rather like my job and I wouldn't want to be bored all the time like I was when I wasn't working, it's still so difficult to drag myself out of bed at the beginning of the week and get going. On top of that, we're closed all weekend so Mondays are usually busy as hell.

Today was a bit different though. We were still busy as all hell, but just before lunch Brian (the general manager of the company) called me and asked me to come to his office, saying he and Kim (the head of my department) needed to speak with me. I of course immediately start going through my head to see what I could have done wrong that they would fire me for, because I am that paranoid. I know I'm doing well and yet I still automatically jump to the worst conclusion.

Anyway, it's all good news. They wanted to offer me the permanent position as I'm still a temp. Brian had said a month or so ago that they would hire me once my temp time was up, but they officially did today. So as of next Monday I'm a permanent employee. I've also gotten another dollar an hour raise, because I've been kicking everyone's asses in the statistics. Which is awesome, as I just got a dollar an hour raise a month ago, and wasn't supposed to be eligible for any more raises until January. Plus, in January all of my benefits kick in and I am still eligible for another raise. Not to mention, Brian said he can all but guarantee me that I'll be able to change to the accounting department if that's what I want to do, as soon as I finish my degree in May.

Then I get home, and the DVDs I ordered from Barnes and Noble that weren't supposed to ship until October 23rd were waiting for me on the kitchen table.

Yep, today was a great day. ^_^

Halloween

I am apparently going out for Halloween. Or so I was informed last night at the bar. That's fine with me since it's a Friday evening, but now I'm going to have to come up with something to wear. I haven't dressed up in a while and I've no idea what to do. I don't have a lot of time to put something together so I need either something simple or something I can buy online that doesn't suck or cost a fortune.

So if anyone has any suggestions let me know! Legitimate ones only please, I don't need more links to nurse costumes that can't even be worn in public. (Damn you Chris.) ^_^

New car!

I bought a car on Saturday, as many of you already know. It still hasn't quite sunk in yet. Every time I see it in the driveway I wonder who the hell is visiting, lol.

I'd started to think about buying a car a couple of weeks ago, after I got some of my other obligations paid off and was able to finally start saving a decent part of my paychecks. I figured I'd save what I could over the next few months and hopefully find something decent used around the beginning of the year (and actually one of the goals I wanted to add dealt with saving a part of every paycheck for that purpose). I mentioned this to my grandmother, who brought up the possibility of a new car. I thought she was nuts, but she has a GM credit card and she had about $1500 credit on it that could be used for a car. The catch was it had to be new. And the credit was going to expire soon. Since GM was having a big sale this month where all of their cars were being sold at employee prices, I told her I'd look into it at least.

I didn't think much would come of it to be honest, but a decent used car costs quite a bit anymore. I'm not the type who can buy a crappy car and then fix it up. I needed something that would get me around and not need a ton of work and cash put into it. So I thought, who knows? By the time I got employee pricing plus an extra $1500 off it might not be that much more to buy new.

I went last Sunday with Danielle to hit all the GM dealers and see what types of cars they had available and get a general idea on prices. Purposely scheduled it so that I could be there when the dealers were closed and no salesmen would try and pressure me into test driving things or buying cars. I decided I would try and go the next day after work to test drive a few different cars. One of them was the Pontiac G5. I'd seen a red one at one of the dealers I'd really liked.

The next day while I was at work both Mark and Danielle went to that dealer of their own accord and test drove the G5. And then both texted me that I should buy it. I laughed at them, a lot. All I wanted to do was try out a few different cars and then see if there was any way I could work out a payment plan and get my shit together by the 30th when the special ended.

The next thing I know, I'd spent 3 hours at the dealership after work. I'd driven nothing but the G5, never made it to any of the other cars. I took it home to show my gran and she talked to the salesman. And suddenly I'm giving them $200 to hold the car and putting a sold sticker on it.

The rest of the week was spent dealing with the salesman and insurance company and whatnot trying to work out all of the details. My gran gave me a lot more money as an early graduation gift for a down payment. Mark thought I was being cheated (I wasn't, he had misunderstood the numbers I told him) and started calling around to other dealers. I'm glad he did, as it made me realize that with the bigger down payment I would be able to afford some of the extras I'd initially given up on. And still cut the term of my loan by a year.

So I went in Thursday night asking if they could get me a different car. One with the sunroof and sound system, and another package that had cruise control and ABS and better wheels and a bunch of other stuff. The finance lady was SO pissed about it. Apparently she'd spent a couple hours getting everything worked up for the first car and then I wanted to change it all. Oops!

They managed to get it all worked out and actually got the right car in from Ohio the next afternoon. I went in Saturday morning and signed a bajillion papers and it was mine.


Most of the rest of Saturday was spent learning to drive it, as it's a stick shift and I've never really driven one before. Mark, being the jackass that he is, had me out on the road after ten minutes (I thought I was going into another part of the parking lot we were in, but noooo, it was the main road). It must have been hysterical for him to watch me flip out. By the end of the day I still wasn't that great at it but I knew everything I needed to be doing and was getting a lot better. Now it's just a matter of practicing. I'm hoping to take it out with my mom this weekend and be ready to start driving it to work next week.

The downside of this is that I lost an entire week and didn't really study for an accounting exam I had tonight. Oh well...I don't think I did too badly!

And speaking of Mark I have a ton of shit I could write about, but I think I'll save it for next time. Maybe. ;)

Goals Update 15

It's been SO LONG since I actually updated this blog. I've started at least 5 entries and then never finished them. I'll get a goal update in now, at least, and then hopefully I'll get back to some sort of regular updating schedule. If anyone's still even checking this by now. :p

1. Nano novel. Plugging away but not making a lot of progress. I'm too damned busy anymore. Anytime I sit down to write it's like I barely get into it and then I've got to be off to work or class or something.

2. Play flute. My flute is all sorts of fucked up right now. I need to take it and get it fixed, but that's probably going to cost a few hundred dollars and it'd probably be better to just buy a damn new one than to try and fix the one that's nearly 20 years old. I'll figure something out, but needless to say this goal's off the list for a while.

3. Write every day. Been doing rather well with this. It's only usually 10 minutes or so, but at least that's better than nothing!

4. Let other people read my writing. I let Shel read a bit more of my novel. I'm hoping to have enough of this one finished before this year's Nano starts to let other people read it as well.

5. Take some trips. This goal's officially off the list as of now. I managed to do nearly all of the trips I'd planned. I got to DO, Philly, and New York, and I'm going to see Shelly at the end of this month. So I'm happy how all of that turned out.

6. Learn Japanese. I've been slacking on this lately. Before next time I'm going to either buy one of those books at B&N or go get a book out of the library so I can get back into it.

7. Physical therapy. Between work and Tae Kwon Do and writing in class, I've been using that hand and having to bend my finger a lot. It still doesn't bend completely on its own but I'm hoping it'll get to that point. Who knows, maybe I'll just never be able to bend it properly again. At least it's usable now.

8. Start buying less stuff, and finish what I have lying around the house. I've been doing remarkably well with this. I've gotten some more library books and a few games once I got the PS3, but I'm getting through a lot too. I've been averaging about 3 books per weekend and 1 during the week haha. I'm even getting a bit of gaming time in every day.

9. Organize my stuff and get rid of unnecessary clutter. I don't remember where I was supposed to be with this goal from my last update. I'm still working on it though. I rearranged my books again a week or two ago to fit all of my new stuff in. I'm going to need to do the clothes again soon as it starts to get colder and I need to get winter stuff out. But for next time I'm going to work on the couple of boxes I have left. And rearranging my games...again. I need to make space for the PS3 stuff and the DS games I got for my birthday.

10. Get through borrowed stuff. I borrowed entirely too many books from Doug when I went to visit. But I read one already at least, and finished another of Danielle's. I should finish the Indigo series of Corey's any day now. I've also stopped having 12 books out at a time from the library. I'm hoping to have everyone's books back to them in the next couple of months, and then I can start trying to get through games.

I am probably going to have to redo and update the list of goals I'm working on again, but I'm going to leave it for next time. Nano 2008 will be going back on here, as well as a few other things, probably. This is good enough for now, and at last I've finally finished a blog entry!