Looking forward to restoring the WORK/Life balance

Well, folks, it took a whoooole looooot longer than I anticipated/hoped, but I am pleased to finally announce that (drumroll)...I'll finally be rejoining the working world next Monday. (Pause for a collective "Yaaaaayyyy!" Thank you for playing along...) For those stat-oriented pals (or just, you know, fellow nerds), my tenure as a "lady of leisure" (more like "woman doing errands and getting stuff done and taking care of business"...but whatever) lasted from January through October, although I began scanning the job boards before that, so the actual hunt comprised more like 13 months. (I know, right? YIKES!) By my unofficial count, I submitted applications for about 43 openings. Admittedly, some were more serious than others...and a few were downright unsuitable, but my basic strategy was to attempt to balance my somewhat picky requirements with a desire to keep an open mind about what might be the Next Big Adventure along my ever-evolving career path.

Further analysis revealed (because...well, I'm not even going to try to make up an excuse. If you know me, just nod your head sagely and indulge my whims...as you always do...), the following breakdown of responses: 30% generated no reply whatsoever; about 7% withdrew their posting for one reason or another; 44% selected someone else (but did inform me); for about 7%, we came to a mutual agreement that we weren't the best fit for each other; 14% I decided to turn down for one reason or another--either after additional consideration on my part about specific aspects of the position, or requesting pertinent details not included in the original description that ended up ruling it out, such as salary (too low) or number of hours (too high). (Yes, I'm well aware that doesn't add up to an even 100%. What can I tell you? I promised data, but I never said it would be perfect, did I? Remember, I'm a word-person!) Furthermore, I figured out (by going back and counting, of course...because why not, we've come this far) that my explorations fell into the following broad categories: non-profits (7), businesses (5), arts/leisure (11) and...education (a whopping 20. And who's surprised? Right...absolutely no one...)

Along the way, I interviewed with several of the potential organizations, which--while always admittedly nerve-wracking--felt like valuable experience in every case. These interactions ran the gamut from initial screening calls (the absolute worst, because anyone who's at all familiar with me is well acquainted with how much I loathe talking on the phone) to Skype conferences (tons better in my opinion, because I so very much prefer being able to see who I'm conversing with) to in-person chatting with a committee. (A special kind of terror. As in, "You mean I have to impress not just one person, but a whole group is going to be evaluating me at once? Ack!)

Also, to facilitate the whole..."reinventing myself yet again and trying to figure out what to do next with my life" process...I hired a consultant for a long-overdue update of my resume. I mean, I'd written the current one myself, and it was...fine, I guess...but it certainly didn't scream "professional quality". Besides, I can't claim any expertise whatsoever in terms of how employers deal with hiring in the Digital Age--such as what buzzwords search engines will flag as desirable, or how to get your materials to stand out to a busy HR person looking to weed out documents quickly while elevating others they want to pursue. All of this can rapidly become overwhelming, so I chucked it to someone who knows what they're doing, and let her work her magic. I found that, not only did I get a customizable CV and cover letter, she also guided me in identifying and focusing my objectives, which in turn helped me home in on opportunities that appealed to me.  In summary: money well spent, and I highly recommend it!

So by now you're probably thinking "Enough babbling about the journey of self-discovery, blah blah blah. How about some facts?" Okay, here goes: after 5 years in Chapel Hill, I'll finally be partaking of the Carolina-blue punch...and jumping on the UNC bandwagon. (Memo to my Duke homies: don't hate! I literally live 3 miles from campus, so it's kind of a no-brainer...) Specifically, it's an administrative role in the Family Medicine department. Beyond that, they explained to me that it's a newly identified need for them in this coordinator-type slot, so there will be a certain amount of...making it up as we go along. Which is to say that I can't provide a whole lot of hard info yet--beyond that I'll be managing paperwork, scheduling, and communications, and offering overall support to keep the residency program running smoothly, which will also include facilitating operations during the recruiting season (which is, um..."now") and visiting the 2 off-site clinics periodically, among other ongoing duties.

It's hard to explain--either you function this way or you don't--but through each step that got me closer to this job, it just felt right...in an instinctive way, if you will. This isn't to say that I make all of my major personal decisions based on what my "gut" is telling me...but I've found over the course of my life that when it does speak up, it's usually steering me in a positive direction, and it's in my best interests to listen. So needless to say I'm super-excited to get this old ball rolling. By this time next week I'll be donning my office clothes, packing my lunch, and heading off to vocational fulfillment...or what have you. And then presumably there will be actual details about the tasks involved, my coworkers, etc. Stay tuned for the next Employment Report...yippee!

Autumn wandering and pondering

Last Friday Mother Nature in her infinite wisdom saw fit to gift us with an utterly glorious Fall day. You know the kind I'm talking about, right--when the sparkling sunshine and refreshingly cool(ish) air emit a siren's call, urging you to get the heck outside and enjoy the season while it lasts. My trusty camera and I try not to ignore this summons, if at all possible. Plus, I'd gotten some good news on the job front earlier in the week, which if it came through would mean a temporary suspension of my beloved Friday Field Trips...all the more reason to hop in the Subaru and head out for a jaunt.

Choosing a destination caused me a bit of a dilemma, however. What I really wanted was to peep some colorful foliage...but we're still just a tad early for that in this neck of the woods, so to speak. For reasons not entirely clear to me, my...I don't know...internal compass, maybe?...was leaning toward North for this journey, and I knew I wanted to keep it within about an hour's travel time. (Hey, I'm doing my best to explain my process...or whatever. But you certainly never heard me promise it was going to make all that much sense! I mean, have you MET me?) So without any other firm parameters, I turned to ye olde map--yes, the paper variety--in conjunction with ye newfangled Google to come up with a plan.

Which is how I came to be navigating toward the borough known as (drumroll, please) Yanceyville. Getting there was fairly simple, consisting of 30 miles or so on rural highways. The only real issue I experienced--and it's super-sad, so prepare yourselves to sympathize--was that I witnessed evidence of a tragic local epidemic afflicting a great number of the area's population. I'm talking of course about the dreaded "Pants on Fire Syndrome"...since my fellow drivers repeatedly crossed dotted yellow lines as soon as they spotted the smallest possible break in oncoming traffic to whiz past me, even when I was already clocking in at about 5-10 mph over the limit. I sincerely hope they get the help they need...or a HUGE ticket...whichever.

Besides that, I had ample opportunity to appreciate the scenery...because trust me when I tell you there were few places designated as "towns" along the way...and even with these, you had to infer from a battered sign and perhaps a couple of dilapidated structures that might once have been businesses or homes. Meanwhile, the landscape on either side of the pavement alternated between dense forest and wide-open, rolling farmland--dotted with charming yellow caution signs calling your attention to the distinct possibility of tractors in the roadway!

So I found myself wondering, as I always do when I happen upon these remote locations: where do people work? Do all of the kids go to that ONE school I passed? Related question: how do young people amuse themselves around here? And perhaps most importantly, how freakin' far do folks have to trek to get groceries? (In case you think I might be exaggerating about how removed from civilization I was, I fell victim to one of the unthinkable inconveniences of modern-day explorers...that is, my playlist shut down when I lost any semblance of a WiFi signal. See? Told you!)

And then I arrived in Yanceyville, which at least holds the distinction of being the county seat...since 1792, evidently....and therefore boasts a lovely white stone courthouse, dating from 1861...in the center of its one-and-only block. Seriously, you can stand in front of this spot, turn your head left and right, and capture absolutely everything there is see in the 'burb. Oh, except the arboretum tucked behind the municipal building, which is where I began my leisurely stroll. Not unexpectedly, it didn't take much time to cover the small garden, but it did offer a pleasant interlude amongst the hearty flowers and trees still holding onto their bloom and leaves in late October.

The site also contains a historic jailhouse (built late 18- or early-1900s, in use until the 1970s!) and school (circa 1913), both of which are nicely preserved...but only open by appointment, so I settled for photographing the outside and peeking in the windows. Finally, in the tiny park situated between the courthouse and main street there's a statue. Honestly, I heaved a mental sigh before I approached it, because I was afraid of what to expect. I prepared myself for the emotions that overwhelm me whenever I encounter a Confederate memorial--TOO MANY of which still exist in the South, always stirring up a combination of anger/nausea/disappointment when I encounter one.

According to the plaque, this particular sculpture was, in fact, erected by the Daughters of the Confederacy. The inscription was written by a minister and stresses following God's mandate to do the right thing...but still. Enough with the monuments celebrating those who fought to divide the country and continue a way of life dependent on slavery, for the love of all things holy.

Okay, deep breath, and moving on...otherwise, well...Yanceyville kind of resembles a ghost town. In terms of retail, a cursory glance and a few steps in either direction reveal a bank, a hair salon, a seed store, a bike shop, and a lawyer. Aaaannnd also a bunch of boarded up windows, or abandoned storefronts, like the super-cute coffee joint with the sheet of notebook paper taped to its door, advising that it will be "closed until further notice" in handwritten letters. Overall, a palpable aura of neglect...and decay...permeated what once might have been a quaint little one-horse-hamlet in Caswell County, North Carolina.

Whew! Sorry, drifted slightly off-course, there. Anyway, although this wasn't the most...exciting excursion...it did fulfill my desire to cruise America's byways, spend some time communing with the Great Outdoors, pick up a few educational tidbits, and pleasantly while away a free afternoon. So thank you, Yanceyville, FTW!

Fall Fun (part 2)

For the second half of Derek's Fall Break, I had to make sure we accomplished one group of tasks that has become kind of its own...strange tradition, if you will. You see, last year he showed up after 8 weeks away at school in dire need of a haircut--both because enough time had elapsed since his previous one, just before he left for the semester...and it was easier (or if you happen to have the Parental Translation App running in your brain, which automatically corrected that to "lazier",  you'd be spot-on) to go to the regular place at home, rather than figuring out how to get groomed on campus or in Columbia. Plus, Riley was on the same...shearing schedule...so it made sense to make that the first item on the weekend To Do List.

The second thing added was just as critical, but admittedly less pleasant: annual flu shots for both boys. (Don't worry, though; I'd gotten mine ahead of time, since I have to seek out a provider that carries the egg-free version. Stab-in-the-arm-without-nasty-repercussion, check! Because I could just tell you were concerned...) And last, rounding out the super-fun chores, we had (drumroll) "purchasing some pumpkins, to lend the house a dose of harvest-time flair", FTW.

TBT 2016. Babies!

So, last October, with a stroke of, I don't know...seasonal luck, or something...we stumbled upon a one-stop-shopping kind of deal. There's a retail center a few minutes from our neighborhood that contains both a Great Clips and a Harris Teeter. And we discovered to our surprise that not only did the HT boast an impressive selection of the large orange gourds, neatly arrayed in boxes on their sidewalk for one's perusal...but its pharmacy turned out to be a quick-and-easy place to obtain the vaccine.

Well...since it had gone so smoothly in our prior experience, we therefore decided to return to the scene of the...Autumn victory of 2018...or whatever...and hopefully repeat the process. The only hiccup came (because there had to be one, right?) when I approached Derek to confirm the final details of the plan. "So, we'll go Saturday morning?" I asked nonchalantly--fully expecting this to be Step One, with Step Two consisting of a haggling session over the actual departure time, given the tendency of the college student to sleep in as late as possible whenever he can. However, he immediately replied, "Sure. I need to be back by 11, though."

Folks...I confess that I was...flabbergasted by this revelation. "Um...I'm sorry, perhaps I misunderstood? You'd like to be finished...before you usually get out of bed? How does that even, you know...work?" He shot me an exasperated look and in a tone of mild disbelief answered, "I want to see the end of Gameday!" Then he proceeded to rattle off the "very important matchups" that would be taking place at noon, and 3:30, ending with, "My whole day is accounted for, Mom, so we'd better get this taken care of first thing!" (To his credit, the DUH was implied, but respectfully not stated. And to be honest, he's got a point--what was I thinking on a Saturday during the College Football Season? Seriously, I. Know. Better. But still? Siiiighhhhhh....dudes and sports, amiright?)

Anyway, that's how we found ourselves headed out much earlier than I expected, to whirlwind those errands and return to HQ before whatever the heck happens in the last half-hour of the celebrated ESPN pre-game broadcast. (I'm just being dramatic, as I'm actually well aware of the guest picker, hat shenanigans, and other assorted antics that occur on the show. Let's roll with it, 'kay?) First we took advantage of the online check-in system to eliminate the we-don't-have-time-for-this waiting, and buzzed Great Clips. (Yeah, pun intended. Sorry not sorry...) Freshly coiffed teenagers, D-O-N-E.

Then we motored over to the grocery store to get all protected from...evil viruses and whatnot. The entertainment during this portion of our activities was provided by the machine that measures your vital signs--you know the one found in almost every drugstore. The goofball brothers took turns sticking their arms in and having their blood pressure, pulse--and even weight--recorded...none of which seemed tremendously accurate, but offered them a fresh excuse to laugh at and tease each other good-naturedly while passing the time. Because heaven forbid we sit still and act our ages for 5 freakin' minutes, right? Sheesh...I swear, sometimes when they get together it's like having toddlers all over again, I tell ya... (Yet they do amuse me--though if you tell them this, I promise I will vehemently deny it.)

Finally, it was time to examine the pumpkins and pick some that we deemed sufficiently attractive to grace our steps for the next couple of weeks or so. (Halloween...or whenever the deer get bold enough to come right up to the house and munch on them. True story--they're absolutely shameless where we live...) Riley approached pretty much the first one he saw, grabbed it, and declared that he was satisfied. Incidentally, he was also the one who'd declared to me privately that "You don't have to get pumpkins just for me, Mom. I'm fine if we skip it." To which I responded, "Oh, honey. What makes you think this little field trip is about you kids? I don't care how old you guys get, porch pumpkins are non-negotiable!"

However...I might have reconsidered that stance when Derek hefted the most ginormous one he could get his arms around, turned to me with a wicked grin and a troublemaker's gleam in his eye...and inquired as to whether he could chuck it to the ground and see how much splatter it would create. Ahem...that would be a HARD NO...sweetie. Now put the  20-pound monstrosity down, and focus for 2 seconds, would you? Fortunately, it was only a short time later that he identified a more suitable option, and all we had left to do was haul them inside to pay the nice people. Success!

As the culminating event, once we get our new acquisitions safely home and arranged in position, I always use them as a backdrop for a few photos of my beloved sons. They've been around long enough to understand that their mother is going to require pictures on a regular basis, so they bow to my demands fairly gracefully. Sometimes (see "one year ago" for reference) there is an inordinate amount of horsing around, just to achieve an acceptable shot. Rarely--2019, for example--the weather plays a role, leading to the almost inconceivable scenario of both boys...standing completely motionless...calmly looking towards me...and even smiling (although if Derek could for the love of all things holy keep his eyes open when facing a camera it would be a gosh-darned miracle. I'm just sayin'...) Hmm...apparently they cooperate beautifully when they want to get inside, away from the rain. Who knew? (Tucking that away for future reference, just in case it comes in handy...)

And there you have it...a somewhat odd Fall Break agenda...but I think we nailed it. And with that, I just realized it's mid-October already. That can only mean there's a new job that must be tackled: everyone get out there and start stocking up on all the good candy! I mean, why wait for trick-or-treaters? Nah, let's hear it for...a Fortnight of Chocolate! Whoo hoo! (Patent pending. Feel free to use as desired and/or required to get through the next several weeks of dropping temperatures and fading daylight. You're welcome!)

Fall Fun (part 1, with apologies for the rhyme!)

It's been an...almost disturbingly...uneventful October thus far (hence the radio silence from this little corner of the blogosphere). Normally this month is prime time for cool(er), colorful exploring, when Summer finally begins to loosen its steamy hold, affording Fall the opportunity to reassert dominance over both the climate and the tapestry of the Great Outdoors. Yet this year I suspect--and lament--that the notable lack of rain in our region will result in an uncharacteristically dry, dull Autumn.

Even now, a glance outside reveals an oddly divided landscape. Some of the trees remain bright green and full-canopied. Others have shed their foliage without ceremony--or any variation in hue. And the remainder are covered with limp, crackly, brown leaves that just hang there, looking like they've given up on the whole idea of cooperating with the natural order of things...or what have you. So I guess what I’m saying is: not terribly scenic, as a whole.

Fortunately, an alternative distraction arrived to break up the boredom caused by the lack of leaf-peeping opportunities, in the form of one college kid, returning home for his 4-day Fall Break. (Whoo hoo!) Even better: due to the automobile now in his possession, he was able to ferry himself back, rather than needing a parent to commit 8 hours to the round-trip extraction. Furthermore, since he inconveniently has a class that doesn’t wrap up until after 7 p.m., he could just hit the road when it ended, saving his elders from the unenviable late-night commute. (Phew!)

So he texted me when he left Columbia, allowing me to calculate an approximate ETA. Not unexpectedly, I was the only one still awake to greet him…although he arrived somewhat…earlier than anticipated. (He swears he did NOT drive like the proverbial bat out of hell, but instead chalked his efficient travel time to the lack of traffic during those hours, and the fact that he opted to plow straight through without a restroom/snack break. Hmm…I suppose since there’s no speeding ticket, we’ll take his word for it? Let’s go with that….for now, at least…)

A couple of other things were different than previous visits as well--such as him showing up without any dirty laundry, since he now has a washer and dryer inside his apartment and can easily do it on his own time. Also, I posed the usual question about what errands we should tackle together during his stay, because we’re accustomed to stopping by the grocery store and/or Target, for a mid-semester restock on edibles and household goods.

But he considered for a moment, then shrugged and said, “Nah, I’m okay.” Aahh, right…I’m not yet totally used to this new reality--that having access to a vehicle means he can take care of those supply runs whenever the need arises, without waiting for the Mom assist. (Yay for independence and adulting!)

Not having chores to deal with provided Derek with some well-earned downtime, away from his academic pursuits, as well as a chance to enjoy some leisure activities with his beloved family…like catching up on personal news, watching playoff baseball…and taking a fabulous Fall Break Friday Field Trip with yours truly. The forecast called for a warm, sunny, all-around gorgeous day, so I proposed we pop over to the NC Museum of Art, which boasts not only exhibits inside the buildings, but a lovely campus dotted with outdoor installations along a pedestrian path that meanders throughout the grounds. 

Being the easygoing kid he is, he readily agreed to the proposal, and off we went to Raleigh for an afternoon of culture…and stuff. Now, I won’t claim that either of us is remotely an art critic…or even particularly well-educated in the realm of sculpture, or painting, or any other kind of medium, for that matter. We simply amuse ourselves by walking around, examining whatever catches our eye, discussing pieces we happen to either appreciate or dislike…and occasionally standing in front of a display with our jaws on the floor, stunned by something absurd/hideous/offensive/inexplicable. Hey, art is subjective, right? We sometimes have strong opinions….but regardless of how we feel about the…expression…we never fail to have a great time taking it all in, so….WIN!

 

Besides, after we finished the enclosed portion of the museum, we were able to take a delightful stroll around the outskirts of the park. Then, having achieved our educational--and incidentally, also our daily step--goals, we refocused on a different, but equally important objective: LUNCH! A bit further into the city, adjacent to NC State University, we found one of our trusted go-to eateries…Chipotle. (I didn’t say we were food snobs, did I?)

Well, folks, it was an altogether satisfying outing--the stellar weather, the excellent company…the chance to bond over sharing our unqualified evaluations of artistic prowess. And while it’s true that I am loooong past my own undergrad days, I still say, let’s hear it for Fall Break: good times!