Weekly Update - Feedback and Folgers

Hello all!

I have to say that I have never received as much feedback as I did from my update last week. I really appreciate all of your suggestions on paint and sharing your painting stories, it seems as though everybody has one. I do feel compelled to share one story in particular. This week a friend (name withheld to save any embarrassment caused by sharing this story) called to tell me that it is really hard to pick out paint and said, "At least you only painted a small square and not the entire room before you realized you hated it!" I had forgotten but my poor friend did just that painted the entire room and then realized that she truly despised the color. I have not progressed on the painting project at all this week, except to think about which color area I would like to pursue next. I will keep you all updated on my progress, and when it is all done, you will get pictures!

Work is great! It is getting easier and easier to speak and deal with customers. I have only been in a few situations where I wish I knew the talking points just a little bit better, so I continue to study up on everything. I am also adjusting to working in a cubicle. I was extremely nervous about working in a cubicle, because I tend to be a bit loud (don't laugh) and I wouldn't want to sit next to me in a cubicle. But I brought this up with my co-workers the first week and we made a pact to tell each other when we are annoying and not take it personally. Fortunately, or not, my entire area is marketing types, so we are all loud and all tell each other to quiet down from time to time, so it works.

One things that is really annoying me at work is the coffee situation. First of all, we have a housekeeping rule about coffee, if there is less than 3 cups in the pot after you get your coffee you must make a new pot. Well it seems that every single time that I go to get a cup of coffee there is less than 3 cups there. I think that people purposely avoid taking any coffee so that they don't have to make a new pot. I don't know for sure how many pots of coffee I made last week, but it was a lot. The other point about coffee is that I think that Mr. Coffee and Folgers are in cahoots together. It is impossible to pour a cup of coffee from the coffee maker carafe without dribbling a large amount of coffee on the counter, hence wasting coffee, hence increasing Folgers profits...... The point in sharing this all is that I now realized how spoiled I was to have a coffee cart in the lobby at St. Mark's and never be forced to make a pot of coffee myself.

It rained all weekend here and it was wonderful. A perfect weekend to stay inside and work on projects. I am nearly all settled, just the office remains, and that project is being held up by the search for a desk. I know what I want, but cannot seem to find anything like it, ugh! I promised to send pictures once it is all settled and done.

I hope that you all had a wonderful St. Patrick's Day holiday. I know that my family (especially my mother) makes a bigger deal of this holiday than most, but I was very disappointed by the lack of participation in the holiday this year. There were only two of us at work that were dressed in green and almost everyone had FORGOTTEN! I can't believe it! I did my best to spread the holiday cheer dressed in green and drinking green beer (after work of course!) it was great!

Hope you all have a wonderful week! And, HAPPY EASTER!

Weekly Update - Challenged by picking out paint!

Hello all!

What a week it has been, crazy, productive, busy, scary and fun. I am going to have to pick and choose what to include in my update this week....'cause there is just so much to chose from, here are the highlights.

Work continues to be challenging and fun. I found out on Tuesday that I would be "going live" with customers on Wednesday, which was one week earlier than planned. Needless to say, I was a wreck on Wednesday morning. But, I made is successfully through my first call and the subsequent calls and by the end of the week, I was much less nervous. My greatest fear was being asked a question that I didn't know the answer to, but the fact is that our customers don't know everything and that is why they need us! I continue to work on some special projects including a redesign of the company web page and re-branding efforts.

My apartment is getting more and more settled everyday. We have mandatory recycling in Seattle, which is fine, I am certainly willing to participate, however, for over a week all of the recycling receptacles have been over-flowing and the wrapping paper from my fragile items continues to sit in my apartment waiting for the bins to be emptied. I have now been staring at them for over a week and am getting a bit tired of it.

I still think that one of the best parts about my new home is the view from the deck. I am now able to tell the temperature outside (roughly, of course) by the color of the water in the lake. The more grey it is, the colder it is outside and the more blue it is, the warmer it is. And, watching the activities on the lake is equally fun including sea planes and boats.

My bathroom on the other hand is an entirely different story. When I moved in there was a LOVERLY "under the sea" mural painted on the bathr oom wall. I have included a picture for you, so that you can truly experience it. The super gave me the option of leaving it there (ah, no!), having them paint the bathroom white or painting the bathroom myself, any color that I like. So, I opted for painting the bathroom myself, any color I like. I have decorated this bathroom in the "angel" motif, just like my last several bathrooms and decided to got with a very light taupe brown color. I spend nearly a hour in the paint section at Home Depot and came home with a handful of samples and a "tester" of the color that I had narrowed down to my favorite. I painted the sample color on the walls in three spots in the bathroom and it is horrible. I thought that it would grow on me, but each and every day I just hate it a bit more and I have come to realize that I really suck at picking out paint. So back to square one on that project, I will keep you posted.

One of my co-workers, Barb, invited me out with "the girls" on Friday night. We met at her friend Wendy's home for appetizers and wine and then walked to the Sunset Tavern to see a band called "Weather." Turns out that the band actually started in SLC and moved to the Northwest to work with their new producer who is a friend of Barb's. Their album comes out on April 5th. You can check them out at http://thebandweather.com/ I had a great time, and made some new friends, which just made the night even sweeter.

Saturday I was forced to be home the entire afternoon awaiting the arrival of the Comcast cable installer. Without sharing every detail of this horrible experience with Comcast, I will just leave it to say that I HATE THEM! I will be calling them today to let them know exactly what I think of them and demand satisfaction. I will keep you posted!

The weather has been absolutely gorgeous here, very little rain, lots of sun and mild temps. Unfortunately there are consequences including our Governor declaring an official drought last week and the talk of restrictions on water usage. But while it's beautiful I am going to spend lots of time exploring Seattle. Yesterday I took a long walk and soaked up the sun.

Well enough for now. Hope you all have a GREAT week!

Weekly Update - Spring in Seattle

Hello all!

It's been unseasonably warm here in Seattle, and not much rain for my first week, although we desperately need it. Spring is here! I am looking out the window at daffodils in full bloom, and the trees outside my bedroom window are alive with pink blossoms, CRAZY!

Everything is good, actually everything is VERY GOOD! My first week in Seattle was exhilarating, joyous and exhausting. Here are some of the highlights.

I love my new job! I survived my first week without ending up completely overwhelmed, which is a miracle considering that everything is new to me! I am learning a lot about the company, the products and have jumped into a project for branding the company name/image with both feet. There are only 23 employees including me, so I knew everyone by the end of the 2nd day! It's a big change from St. Mark's, but refreshing. I will continue in training mode for another week or so and then begin my regular duties.

My commute is better than I anticipated it being. It takes me about 25 - 30 minutes, but I travel at an
average speed of 50 - 60 mph. I made a few wrong turns early in the week, but by week's end it was smooth sailing.

I stayed with Dave and Kristen through Tuesday and got to experience a commute via ferry, which was fun but made for very long days. I signed my lease on Tuesday evening and the movers moved everything in on Wednesday afternoon. Once again, my couch tried to be difficult to maneuver around the turns and up the stairs, but I was not going to take it and we managed to squeeze it in! All of my furniture fits well and looks great. My friend Don helped me get the bed, dresser and couches set up on Wednesday night. I have worked hard to get the unpacking done and I am very, very close, I only have a few office boxes left and then it is all done! I promised to send pics in a
future message when everything is put away.

I spent the weekend unpacking and getting settled it. I explored a bit on Sunday and ventured out to Jiffy Lube, Home Depot, Target and the grocery store. I ended up a few places that I didn't plan on, but in the process discovered a few fun places. Last night I took a walk up to the top of Queen Anne hill just in time to see the sun set over the Puget Sound, it was beautiful!

Hope this finds you all well!

Weekly Update - Safely in Seattle

Hello all!

Just a note to let you all know that Mom and I arrived safely in Seattle on Friday afternoon. The drive was great and the weather was beautiful. In fact, as we headed through the last mountain pass on I-90 into Seattle the temperature was 58 degrees, and it is FEBRUARY! Crazy!

It feels wonderful to be here after so much anticipation, I am extremely excited.

Friday evening we spent some time relaxing with my brother and sister-in-law (Dave and Kristen). Saturday all four of us ventured to Seattle and spent some time exploring my new neighborhood. I decided that I needed to "practice" getting to work and ended up getting there after several wrong turns and am fairly sure that there is a straighter, quicker and easier way, but I will discover all that in my adventures the next few weeks. Today Mom and I took the ferry to Seattle and met my friend Don for lunch and then it was off to the airport to say goodbye to Mom. What a trooper she is! She is an awesome truck driver (although I was constantly telling her she was going TOO FAST!) and wonderful for taking the time to get me here.

I will be settling into my new job and new apartment this week and I am sure that next weeks message will be filled with many adventures about all of that!

Hope you are all well and thanks for your many messages!

Weekly Update - On the eve of my great adventure.....down the road less traveled!

Hello all!

Well tonight is my last night in Salt Lake City! It's kind of hard to believe, but I am very anxious to get to Seattle and get settled. I feel like I have been in limbo for the last few months and I am ready to get on with it already!

My family came over tonight and helped move the majority of the boxes from my basement apartment to the garage to make loading a bit easier. We are picking up the truck in the morning, loading it up and then Mom and I will be headed out in the afternoon. We are planning to drive as far as Ontario, Oregon tomorrow and then on into Seattle on Friday. We will be staying with my brother and sister-in-law (Dave and Kristen) and spending the weekend exploring the new neighborhood and playing! Mom flies back to Salt Lake on Sunday afternoon.

I start my job on Monday, February 28th and move into my new apartment on Wednesday, March 2nd. I may be a bit out of touch for the next few days as we are traveling, but I will let you all know how everything is going next week.

For those of your in SLC, I apologize if I didn't get a chance to formally say "Goodbye!" I am not very good at goodbyes, in fact, I hate them. And, I feel in many cases that this is not goodbye, but rather "see you soon!"

As I have spent a great deal of time thinking about change and life's great journey in the last week, and while packing up my books last week I came across this Robert Frost poem that I have loved since I first read it in in an English class at Churchill Junior High. I felt like sharing it with all of you as part of this email tonight, and have included it at the bottom.

Thanks for all your messages of congratulations and well wishes for a safe journey.

=================

The Road Less Traveled

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth

Then took the other as just as fair
And having perhaps the better claim
Because it was grassy and wanted wear
Though as for that, the passing there
Had worn them really about the same

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet, knowing how way leads onto way
I doubted if I should ever come back

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence
Two roads diverged in a wood
And I took the one less traveled by
And that has made all the difference

--Robert Frost

Weekly Update

Hello all!

It has been another busy week for me. Here are some of my adventures for the week.

Last Sunday afternoon, my roommate Lyle and I took a trip up Millcreek Canyon and I asked the fatal question of my postal worker friend, "How do they deliver all that mail?" Well, that prompted him to invite me on a tour of the post office. So on Tuesday at noon, I met him and a class of partially blind students from a local school for a tour of the post office. All I can say is WOW! It is truly amazing all of the organization that goes on there everyday! At the end of the tour, Lyle and his friend Maggie (a doll) reminded the kids to always be very cautious and safe around mail trucks and we all gathered together for a picture. It was great fun and good to know how the mail actually makes it to our homes!

On Wednesday morning I left to fly to Seattle via San Francisco. I completed three successful interviews, including one call back, and should know exactly where I stand with offers, or not, on Monday. I am very excited about the potential opportunities and hopefully next week's message will include some definite news of where I will be working. I spent some time looking at some neighborhoods and exploring Seattle a bit more this time around. I have narrowed down where I would like to live and will continue to narrow this down once I have accepted a job.

My trip was not all work, I did take some time to play and spent some time with my brother and sister in law, Dave and Kristen, and my friend Don. Highlights of my play-time included sampling the famous Seattle micro brews, eating Indian cuisine and shopping at Pike Place Market. And of course, I drank my fair share of coffee! The weather in Seattle was perfect, sunny skies and mild temps during the day! I hear that they get a lot of rain there, but I have not seen a whole lot of it during the last few weeks, so I am beginning to wonder!

I appreciate all of your notes, emails etc. I will continue to keep you updated on all of the great changes and excitement in my life!

Weekly Update - Weekly Update and a Top 10!

Hello all!

Well today marks the beginning of my 4th week of unemployment and although I have managed to keep myself very busy and not have a single "lazy day" I am growing a bit bored with the whole thing and ready fora full-time gig again! So, to keep myself positive I have created my own Top 10 Reasons that Unemployment ROCKS! Here goes....

10. I don't have to punch a time clock!
9. I have more time for hobbies!
8. Reading, I think I am up to 6 books so far!
7. No commuting!
6. Spending time with my nephews!
5. Two-hour or more lunches with friends and family!
4. I can spend time relaxing in the hot tub after a workout!
3. I am my OWN boss!
2. Watching Oprah!
1. I get to wear jeans everyday! (Except, of course, when I am interviewing!)

Maybe not as funny as David Letterman, but still mildly amusing, right?

I picked up my new glasses last Monday! And I have to say that I had a ball with the entire experience. I have never been able to pick out new glasses and choose from every frame in the store, but this time I did. I ended up going with a plastic tortoise shell frame that everyone tells me makes me look smart, academic and sophisticated. I had a tough time adjusting to the progressive lenses, and had a whopper of a headache on Monday night! But by Tuesday I was completely adjusted and now I LOVE THEM! I was going to include a picture, but I have my contacts in today, so look for one in a future email!

I had the joy of applying for my unemployment benefits this week and have to say that I was pleasantly surprisingly how easy it was. I was also surprised how little the benefit is. I qualified for the maximum amount, which as a friend pointed out, equates to approximately $9.25 an hour. Woo Hoo!

My job search is still plugging along and I am leaving for Seattle on Wednesday morning for my second interviews with my 1st and 3rd choices. I have to say that I am MUCH more nervous this time that the last, but also excited that the search may be nearing a conclusion. I will keep you posted on what happens!

I received a couple of requests from people to get monthly updates instead of weekly. If you are interested in receiving monthly updates or no updates, please let me know, you won't hurt my feelings, I promise!

Hope this note finds you all well and I will write again next week, or as things develop on the job front!

Weekly Update - Update on Me

Hello all!

I know that the last communication most of you received from me was notice that my email address was changing, and was somewhat vague, so in an effort to clarify and keep you updated on the latest news in my life I plan on getting back into the habit of sending my weekly updates. If you don't want to receive these messages, just let me know, you won't hurt my feelings, I just wanted to include the majority at this point.

First a bit of history. I was laid off from my job at St. Mark's Hospital on the 30th of December. I was shocked, but determined to turn it into something positive. For some time my goal has been to go back to school to become a Physician Assistant. The program that I would love to attend is at the University of Washington. I still have some prerequisite courses to complete, but would like to make this a focus in the future. So, I just returned last night from a trip to Seattle where I completed 8 job interviews and a meeting with the University of Washington. I also took the time to drink plenty of coffee and have some fun! I have made the next round of interviews for at least two of the jobs, so I will be back up in the greater-Seattle area in the next few weeks to follow-up with those opportunities and find a place to live. So my future days will be filled with packing boxes, sending out resumes and living off unemployment.

I was a bit freaked out about being unemployed for awhile, but have decided to embrace this little bit of"free time" with enthusiasm. Like I said above, I am planning on getting back into the habit of sending out my weekly updates. And I promise they will be filled with wonderful details and typical "Julie Anne" stories of the adventures that only I seem to find myself in.

Please drop me a line and let me know how you are doing and again, if you don't want to be haunted my these messages every week, please let me know.