At this point, it remains uncertain when we will get internet, but as I cannot sleep (and don’t wish to wake Tia) I will compile my thoughts in Word and transcribe them later.
What an intriguing (read: trying) last few weeks it has been. For as much as I like change, I can’t say I am thrilled with the process of getting there. The older I get (I would say more mature, but I am afraid I might get laughed off my own blog), the more stuff that peoples my existence. I have to say, most of it isn’t very nice stuff (a fact I noted more acutely when we were paying nearly $100/hr to have it hauled around). A $20 desk , a free to us TV stand (that was probably a hand me down), a few nicer pieces gotten from CL (which are becoming more and more battered with each move and hence less and less nice), and some Target furniture. I think, honestly, if our place were to burn down tomorrow (presuming all living things were safe), the only things that would sadden me would be losing our mattresses, laptops, and TV. That isn’t to say I would change anything about that presently. It is, after all, just stuff. It serves its purpose. However, I like to think that when we make our next big move, we will just start over. It is a might bit embarrassing to pay to move it after all J
In regards to moving, dear god in heaven what an effing mess! The movers (Thunder Movers…..you have been warned), evidently neglacted to place us on their moving docket for the day. So, when Tia called and asked whether they were coming (at 9:15……..just 15 minutes past when they were scheduled), the woman she spoke with, following a hasty ‘They’re on there way’ prior to even being told who was calling, finally admitted that she never did write us down on the schedule. She then told us she would call in some people and assured us that they would be to us by 11. At 11:30 we called and then were told that one person who said they would come in did not, but that another person would be coming in and they would be on their way, Skip ahead to 2:15 when they actually arrived…….5 hours and 15 minutes AFTER they were supposed to. Suffice to say a move that we had calculated would be over before the time it actually did, did not finish until nearly 8 at night. Thankfully (mercifully) no one else was scheduled to move in that day (you have to reserve the service elevator and loading area), Tia’s mom was off of work and graciously agreed to help out (which freed us up to do our house signing), and as a rare glass half full view presented here, they were able to get some movers to come in on their day off at all. The movers themselves were really pleasant and worked hard but what a damn shame about the company. Our third time using them and most assuredly our last.
House: well, that hasn’t been bumpy aside from our Realtor being less than stellar, but it was quite shocking to find out from our title company that we owed nearly $800 to close. It was shocking because the estimate (the one THEY provided) suggested we would get back nearly $1800. So, as far as the skill of estimating goes, I would say they have a pretty broad margin for error. Eventually we will get back about $1300 (or about $500 once you deduct our $800 outlay……which ought to just cover our moving expenses conveniently enough), but still you have to wonder why they bother with an estimate at all. They clearly haven’t learned the cardinal rule of business…..always ALWAYS underestimate. Had they told us we would have owed $1200 at close and then ONLY had to pay $800, we would have been relatively pleased (as pleased as one can be paying money for selling a house can be). Bah!
The job: so much to say both good and bad as it does undulate between the two so frequently.
Good: Learning a lot. Cannot explain how varied the maladies are, but they cast a wide net. It is almost like going back to nursing school and learning how to be an NP wrapped in one.
Staff is generally quite pleasant as are the doctors. A good mix also between male and female which is rare in health care.
Location is spectacular for wandering during lunch (and I get a real honest to god lunch).
Bad: The job itself can get quite tedious. It isn’t easy sitting on the phone all day staring at a monitor instead of real people. On the upside, most people are quite gracious and pleasant considering what they are going through. On the other hand, there are a handful who clearly just want meds of some kind and to NOT come in to be evaluated no matter what. And, dear god, there are a lot of UTIs in this town!
Five days a week is still an adjustment. The commute (thankfully a thing of the past) made it even harder. Leaving at 7:20 and getting home nearly 6 (with 45 minutes of bumper to bumper bookending the work day) did not make for a pleasant beginning or ending. Hopefully it will be better now.
Overall, I am trying to think of this coming week as a new slate and trying to start fresh. Give it a real eval now that I am nearby, done with the biggest outside work stress of selling the house and moving, and hopefully it will settle out. I am over my first hurdle (the training) and into the continiung process of learning all the details of how to do all the components of how I do the things I need to. The largest hurdle was that my trainer worked very differently than I do. That is hard to reconcile when they are staring over your shoulder while you work. I ALMOST walked out on Tuesday when, instead of doing what I prefer to do (finish each call out before moving to the next) she had me picking up one call after another only to try to notate them all later in the day. Not good. I was not a happy camper to say the least. I felt like I was doing a half-assed job and leaving out way to much info in my notes later on. Thankfully I talked to my supervisor and we all had a pow-wow the next day and things improved markedly (basically she stopped sitting over top of me). Come to find out she is not the most well liked individual because of her rather bruque manner and her my-way-is-the-only-way model. Of course, that isn’t to say she isn’t pleasant enough and a wonderful resource…she is both. I am just glad she isn’t sitting within spitting distance of me every afternoon.
As with any move, the move takes hours, and the packing and unpacking takes weeks. Best to get back to it. More to come.
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