crap-o-rama

Once upon a time, I was a Director of Administrative Services at a large sports facility. When I was 8 months pregnant the facility closed and I was transferred to the city that owned the facility. I received an $8,500 pay cut and was given a really crappy less challenging job. I went from the second in command at a major sports facility to a pencil pushing, bored, pee-on. With the Michigan economy in the dumps, I was very happy to still have a job.

I worked for a month and then had my baby. I was on Maternity Leave for three months. Realistically, it was a good time for a transition. I had my first and only child and I could concentrate on getting used to Motherhood without the work stress I was used to.

That was almost two years ago…

A few months ago, I started assisting another department trying to get caught up. That department had lost a couple employees to lay-offs and since it is a vital department, the dwindling employee count really had an effect on the department’s efficiency level. At that point I was still performing my pencil pushing, boring, pee-on job and spending a significant amount of time in this other area, helping where I could.

Last week I was promoted to oversee the department I was helping out. The current department head took another position elsewhere in the city. In my new job I am responsible for a very important function of city operations and I over see three employees. My first week was filled with 10 hour days and no lunches, and strangely, I’m happy and thriving.

There is some adjustment for me and my family. My amazing husband has been helping out with Hunter duties, including transportation. We really have been using the teamwork approach to get everyone out of the house by 7:30. I have horrible guilt for the added time Hunter is in daycare. And my brain is just getting used to functioning again. But at the end of the day I feel fulfilled again. I have a great sense of accomplishment.

Don’t get me wrong, I love being a parent and raising my son is very gratifying. However, I’m not stay-at-home-Mom material. I’m much better suited to supervise adults that act like kids, than to supervise kids that act like adults.

I don’t expect the ten-hour, lunch-less days to continue. But until I can get things cleaned out and organized the way I will be comfortable with, we may have to tolerate them for a few more weeks.

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Questions answered:

Orange sweeter-vest, purchased at Target a month or so ago. Hunter looks so cute in orange, we had to have it.

Elmo-bunny Easter basket – also purchased at Target. Are you seeing a trend here? LOL You can pretty much count on Target or Meijers as my major purchase points.

Rhonda, egg dye comes off, but mostly all Hunter was able to do was put stickers on dry colored eggs. Also, Mr. Clean Eraser takes crayon off everything.

Happy Easter from Hunter and his whole family.

Would you like an egg? I colored them myself.

As if there aren’t enough reasons to love a Dyson, I have a few more.

While vacuuming the steps this weekend, I noticed the Dyson was making a funny noise. Not a loud clunking noise or anything. . just a subtle change in hum. I checked it for suction; it was sucking just fine (insert your own dirty joke here).

The change in hum was just bugging me so I turned the vacuum off and turned it over. Everything looked normal. So I started taking it apart. All the diagrams are right on the vacuum, so there is no guess work. At least no guess work once you figure out the whole thing comes apart, anyway.

To take any part of the Dyson off you basically have to push a button or move a lever, no screwdrivers, allan wrenches or even hammers (ha) needed. I took the filter off and there was a piece of tissue in one of the tube areas. I’m not really surprised, that Dyson will pick up damn near anything! Really… keep reading.

After I realized how to get the “U” shaped pipe off the bottom (it’s really easy, I just didn’t even realize it came off). Once I got it off I found the noise culprit: it was a piece of plastic cutlery – specifically a knife. Yes, at some point I sucked up a plastic knife in my Dyson… and it continued to work… and work well.

Now that I have discovered how easily my Dyson comes apart, I have done it two more times. Once to show my Mom how cool it was and once to show my husband. Hunter thinks it’s cool, because it really is so easy; I let him put the pieces back.

A plastic knife, people… it. was. a. plastic. knife. I didn’t think it was possible, but I love my Dyson even more now.

Yep folks, I’m alive. Work has been extremely busy and I have been spending my spare time (what little of it I have) reading about photography lighting. I have also been playing – which is the best way to learn, especially when it comes to lighting.

I ordered a cheapy (but effective) remote trigger for my flash. I have also been doing a lot of reading on strobist what an amazing site. If you are interested in light at all, you need to stop by this site. But only go when you have a ton of time. There is a ton of information there. The people that participate over there have a real passion for light and a real passion for sharing that information.

First test with remote flash trigger. Obviously I didn’t have a clue what the hell I was doing. But I do thing the eerie effect is kinda cool.

Bounced light – nice and even – getting the hang of things.

Back lighting with a quickie hand-made snoot makes some cool effects.

Now for some playing pictures with my favorite subject.

Isn’t this a great pose?

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Lastly… a picture from last month of our beloved Jakey-Jake.

Poor Jake is at the vet as we speak. He has a blockage in his bladder and the vet came and picked him up last night. I know we have 3 other animals, who, by the way, still can’t figure out what Jake did to warrant being locked in the bathtub all day and then removed from the house by THAT guy in a diaper box… like I was saying… I know we have 3 other animals, but I still miss Jake. I know he has to be freaking out. I just hope he will be home with us soon happy and healthy as always.

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Work. Ah, work…

That’s a whole other post.

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Oh yea, one last thing…
To whoever was searching for “like I’ve been hit by a fucking truck” and found my site… I hope you feel better soon.

We went to Toledo this weekend to bowl in the Forty-Frame Game. We do this every year with a bunch of our friends. We leave the little guy with Grandma and party all week-end with our friends. It’s usually a drink-fest, but since I have a sinus infection and a double ear infection I was the designated driver all weekend.

So Saturday morning, I was running around trying to get the last minute packing done (Kev had to work). I was trying to get the last minute cleaning done (my MIL stayed at the house to watch the boy and his dogs). And of course I was doing all this without a list and with what felt like a large bath towel stuffed in my head.

I really thought I covered everything, I even threw my camera battery on the charger.

Fast forward to Saturday afternoon. Everyone’s drinking (except me) and having a good time when a friend of our’s from Petosky says: “Ok Mom, lets see some pics of the little guy.”

Now, I don’t carry pictures around with me (I don’t carry a purse). But I always have my camera and there are always pics of Hunter on the card and they are usually the most recent. So I grab my camera, turn it on… nothing. For a split second I panic thinking what’s wrong with my camera. Then I flip open the battery compartment… empty.

Which brings me to Camera Lesson #1 for 2008…

I have never figured I would need a back up battery for my camera. I’m not even remotely a professional, so there is no way I would use my entire battery life in one shoot. Nope… one battery was fine for me.

I rack my brain trying to remember what I did with that dang battery. I remember taking it off the charger, but after that the sinus medicine takes over. I must have left it on the kitchen table or something while I was gathering last minute snacks. Shit! I had no battery for my camera. I couldn’t show off pics of my cutie-patootie. I couldn’t take pictures of our drunken friends. Nothin! Man was I bummed.

So today I ordered an extra battery. I now understand my need for an extra battery – once I get it, it will forever be in my camera bag.

Incidentally, I did find the battery…. In my makeup bag. I probably grabbed it off the charger (which was plugged in in the bathroom) and stuffed it in my makeup bag. I don’t have a clue why I would stuff it in there. I wasn’t even wearing makeup. I’m such a dork.