Quick update!!
I've been working the night shift for a week now and I must say that I rather enjoy it. We spend most of the 8hrs on the phones now instead of sitting in a classroom reviewing things we learned in training so that we can use them on the phones on a daily basis. Being on the phone really isn't that bad, although the person calling expects you to know what's going on. My only complaint at the moment is the fact that I have given my extension to a number of customers but managed, two days ago, to lock myself out of my voicemail due to not knowing the password! I called IT last night and put in a trouble ticket to get it unlocked but the email I received said it may take until 6/24 for it to be taken care of!! Ah, panic...
On a different note, Neal and I decided to do something a little different this weekend so we're taking a trip to New York City. I'm a little nervous about it, to be honest, due to the fact that the last time I saw NYC I was within a large charter bus and never stepped outside without a chaperone. This time we'll be taking the train in from New Haven and either walking or taking a cab to The Met, where I have never been. I'm excited and terrified all at the same time; New York is NOTHING like Chicago. Also this weekend we'll be spending Sunday afternoon with another couple from the Vineyard, which should be great fun, and on Sunday night we're going out for drinks with Neal's sister and brother-in-law, whom I have yet to meet. They live out of state so this will be my first time meeting them and I've been told that his sister is wild with anticipation...
Work time! Get excited. (God, please don't let me have any angry people today, and if I do, please help me keep them calm and help as much as I can, thank you!)
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Long Time No See!
So, as luck would have it, the slowness of the dial-up my aunt and uncle have at their house did not allow my last blog to be posted. This is annoying, as there was a ton of stuff in there that I do not now remember so I'll just have to update the most recent things that have happened.
First of all, my "friend" Neal and I are now dating and have been for a couple of weeks. We chose not to post it on Facebook because, really, in the grand scheme of things, what does it matter? We know we're official so there's no point in announcing it to the world at large just so I can be bombarded with questions. We have a ridiculous amount of things in common, we think on the same wavelength, and his family is abnormally like mine...
As of yesterday (6/9/09) we at Verizon moved from training to transition. On Monday we spent the morning taking our final assessment, followed by a raucous party for which we had a potluck. My Sunday was spent at Neal's house watching him make pasta salad as I slaved over my potato salad (which turned out relatively well). There was a ridiculous amount of food at our party and we invited anyone who wanted some to feel free to help themselves. That afternoon we were given our scores and our ratings. The rating was merely for the sake of shift bids. For example, I got a 92% on the final assessment which ranked me 6 of 23. Last week we were given a list of possible shifts for once transition is over (Aug 30th) and we were to number the list from what we wanted most to what we wanted least. The person who was number 1 in the class got first pick and so on. Due to being 6th I had a very high chance of getting the shift I wanted (which I did, but more on that later). We had "graduation" and then we took all of our stuff upstairs to our assigned desks and spent the remainder of the day setting up email and the printer and so on. On Tuesday we began the evening shift, the 3-11:30pm shift. It's a bear, especially when you're in the classroom most of the time. For now we are taking the time to review specific procedures and policies that we will need once we take calls... which is from 3-6:15pm tomorrow. *PANIC*
Aside from my job, which I know bores many people (though please feel free to bombard me with technical questions because it helps me learn and helps you), I finally moved into my own apartment! Two weekends ago, the last weekend in May, my dad came up with the remainder of my belongings and he, my grandfather, Neal and I moved everything into my new studio apartment a mere fifteen minutes from Verizon. Dad spent the weekend, came to church with me, and got to meet Neal (whom I had begun to officially date the previous Monday). Since Dad and Neal are both Red Sox fans neither can complain about the other. Plus Dad friended Neal on Facebook, which is always a good sign. As of now the apartment is mostly set up, but I'm in the market for a large bookshelf and searching for material with which to make curtains for the oddly sized windows. Once all of that has been taken care of and everything is unpacked I will take pictures of my apartment and post them here for all to see.
All in all, I'm loving Connecticut. When I first moved here I wasn't so fond, but the longer I'm here, the more people I meet, the more I like it. This does not mean that I intend to stay here for the rest of my life, but it'll do for now. My apartment is cozy and clean and has a balcony and a hanging plant gifted to me by my aunt and uncle and I have healthy food and will have plenty of money in order to live. Just Tuesday I got cable tv and high speed internet, for which I am exceptionally thankful. After a month or more of dial-up or the library I'm on cloud nine. The longer I'm here the more I believe this is really where God wants me to be. The apartment never felt alien to me, even though I hadn't lived here before. I feel safe, and I love living on my own. I found the most amazing church, have a date for lunch next Tuesday with a new friend, was invited and went to a Memorial Day picnic (which was described in the last blog that didn't post), have a boyfriend, love my job, and have been ordered to visit my grandparents once a month no matter what. Though I miss my friends in Ohio (one of whom defriended me on facebook without warning or reason) I am happy and content to be here.
With one exception.
The shift I was given is Wednesday - Sunday, 3:00-11:30pm. I know from my research that Christmas is on a Friday this year. Vacation time is impossible to get when it comes to holidays, so for the moment I am unable to go to Ohio for Christmas this year. However, from what I understand our next shift bid happens in October and goes into effect in November so I still have a fighting chance. If I'm still unable to get home I was invited to spend Christmas at Neal's... but it's just not the same. Neal's family doesn't have the traditions that my family does. I have never once missed Christmas with my family because I always lived at home and I always assumed I'd be able to go home for the holiday but it just isn't so. So my new prayer is that my next shift bid will give me Thursday and Saturday off so that no vacation time is needed. However, one of my TAs told me that I could do a shift swap with someone and change two of my shifts to different days. Though with it being Christmas the likelyhood of that happening is slim to none.
Beyond that one depressing fact, I love Connecticut and am thankful to be here. It's strange to look around and realize that this is the world I live in now, that New Concord is no longer my home... but it's a fact of life. All kinds of changes will happen in my life that are bigger and stranger than this transition, but at least when that happens I'll be ready for it.
First of all, my "friend" Neal and I are now dating and have been for a couple of weeks. We chose not to post it on Facebook because, really, in the grand scheme of things, what does it matter? We know we're official so there's no point in announcing it to the world at large just so I can be bombarded with questions. We have a ridiculous amount of things in common, we think on the same wavelength, and his family is abnormally like mine...
As of yesterday (6/9/09) we at Verizon moved from training to transition. On Monday we spent the morning taking our final assessment, followed by a raucous party for which we had a potluck. My Sunday was spent at Neal's house watching him make pasta salad as I slaved over my potato salad (which turned out relatively well). There was a ridiculous amount of food at our party and we invited anyone who wanted some to feel free to help themselves. That afternoon we were given our scores and our ratings. The rating was merely for the sake of shift bids. For example, I got a 92% on the final assessment which ranked me 6 of 23. Last week we were given a list of possible shifts for once transition is over (Aug 30th) and we were to number the list from what we wanted most to what we wanted least. The person who was number 1 in the class got first pick and so on. Due to being 6th I had a very high chance of getting the shift I wanted (which I did, but more on that later). We had "graduation" and then we took all of our stuff upstairs to our assigned desks and spent the remainder of the day setting up email and the printer and so on. On Tuesday we began the evening shift, the 3-11:30pm shift. It's a bear, especially when you're in the classroom most of the time. For now we are taking the time to review specific procedures and policies that we will need once we take calls... which is from 3-6:15pm tomorrow. *PANIC*
Aside from my job, which I know bores many people (though please feel free to bombard me with technical questions because it helps me learn and helps you), I finally moved into my own apartment! Two weekends ago, the last weekend in May, my dad came up with the remainder of my belongings and he, my grandfather, Neal and I moved everything into my new studio apartment a mere fifteen minutes from Verizon. Dad spent the weekend, came to church with me, and got to meet Neal (whom I had begun to officially date the previous Monday). Since Dad and Neal are both Red Sox fans neither can complain about the other. Plus Dad friended Neal on Facebook, which is always a good sign. As of now the apartment is mostly set up, but I'm in the market for a large bookshelf and searching for material with which to make curtains for the oddly sized windows. Once all of that has been taken care of and everything is unpacked I will take pictures of my apartment and post them here for all to see.
All in all, I'm loving Connecticut. When I first moved here I wasn't so fond, but the longer I'm here, the more people I meet, the more I like it. This does not mean that I intend to stay here for the rest of my life, but it'll do for now. My apartment is cozy and clean and has a balcony and a hanging plant gifted to me by my aunt and uncle and I have healthy food and will have plenty of money in order to live. Just Tuesday I got cable tv and high speed internet, for which I am exceptionally thankful. After a month or more of dial-up or the library I'm on cloud nine. The longer I'm here the more I believe this is really where God wants me to be. The apartment never felt alien to me, even though I hadn't lived here before. I feel safe, and I love living on my own. I found the most amazing church, have a date for lunch next Tuesday with a new friend, was invited and went to a Memorial Day picnic (which was described in the last blog that didn't post), have a boyfriend, love my job, and have been ordered to visit my grandparents once a month no matter what. Though I miss my friends in Ohio (one of whom defriended me on facebook without warning or reason) I am happy and content to be here.
With one exception.
The shift I was given is Wednesday - Sunday, 3:00-11:30pm. I know from my research that Christmas is on a Friday this year. Vacation time is impossible to get when it comes to holidays, so for the moment I am unable to go to Ohio for Christmas this year. However, from what I understand our next shift bid happens in October and goes into effect in November so I still have a fighting chance. If I'm still unable to get home I was invited to spend Christmas at Neal's... but it's just not the same. Neal's family doesn't have the traditions that my family does. I have never once missed Christmas with my family because I always lived at home and I always assumed I'd be able to go home for the holiday but it just isn't so. So my new prayer is that my next shift bid will give me Thursday and Saturday off so that no vacation time is needed. However, one of my TAs told me that I could do a shift swap with someone and change two of my shifts to different days. Though with it being Christmas the likelyhood of that happening is slim to none.
Beyond that one depressing fact, I love Connecticut and am thankful to be here. It's strange to look around and realize that this is the world I live in now, that New Concord is no longer my home... but it's a fact of life. All kinds of changes will happen in my life that are bigger and stranger than this transition, but at least when that happens I'll be ready for it.
Monday, May 18, 2009
I'm Down to a Whisper...
... in a daydream on a hill.
Shut down to a whisper
Can you hear me still?
I have decided that this will be my catch-up blog. I.E. I am adding pictures of activities and places I have done and been since coming here to CT, things I've written about but you, dear Reader, have not yet seen.
I begin with Boston.
I took a trip to Boston about three weeks ago and took various pictures but only of buildings so I chose to not add to Facebook. Not to mention that my internet access is much to slow to bother with adding pics to Facebook. I mean, in my attempt to put pictures to this blog I have managed to write these two paragraphs and one picture is still struggling to load. It makes for slow typing, but so be it. Anywho, I am only posting two of my many pictures from Boston. The first is merely a sign from the site of the Boston "Massacre" to prove that I really was in Boston. The second is the only proof I have that John was indeed present as well. 
This is a photo of my room at my aunt and uncle's house. According to my uncle, that bed once belonged to my great grandmother and I feel somewhat privileged to be sleeping in it.
I have yet to meet someone who did not love great Nanny and I wish she'd lived long enough for me to really know her. As it is, this is my tiny but serviceable room. It currently has odds and ends for my new apartment hidden surreptitiously throughout.
This past weekend was one of the most eventful of my time here so far. A friend of mine from work was kind enough to assuage my usual Friday night boredom by inviting me to join him for dinner. Unfortunately he is roughly an hour from Windsor so by the time we finished dinner it was already 8:30pm but at least I didn't spend that time at home by myself. The same friend, prior to Friday's invitation, invited me to go hiking at The Sleeping Giant in Hamden and I readily agreed. Now that spring is well underway and summer is quickly approaching all of the trees are green and flowers have begun to bloom in full force so this particular hike was absolutely breathtaking, even if it was a foggy, somewhat rainy day. In some ways the fog and mist made the trail even more alluring, as you see in the picture here.
At the top of the path we walked (which was roughly 1.6 mi) was a huge lookout tower where you could see for miles. Or you would, if it weren't so foggy. 
Once again, for the fourth consecutive week, I attended the Vinyard Church in West Haven and continue to love it more every time I attend. However, this past Sunday there were some marked differences beginning with the fact that my Friday dinner buddy/hiking partner was there as well. During the time we spent together over the previous two days the subject of church and God inevitably arose. He explained that though he likes the Lutheran church he usually attends, no one there is within twenty years of his age. I replied that there are plenty of people our age at my church. Hence, his attendance on Sunday. Additionally, one of the many people I have befriended at Vinyard Christian Fellowship invited me to a gathering at his house on Memorial Day! And, because my friend was standing there with me, he was invted also! Following this exciting addition to my forthcoming calendar was fellowship time and a number of people who came up to my friend to exclaim that they, too, were from Madison and where in Madison is he from? The fact that he was garnering more attention than I didn't bother me in the slightest as I was old news and he certainly was not. The most exciting part of the day, for me, was his admission to me that he really felt the spirit at the Vineyard, something he hadn't felt in a very long time, and would therefore be returning to the church regularly in the future. In this I am thankful because, even if I do nothing else in my time here in CT, I was instrumental in God's plan for my friend's life. Joy unspeakable.
I will say that conversation this weekend made it some of the most interesting days of the past month. No elaboration on that subject, sufficient to say that my friend considers me one of the most unique and interesting people he has ever met and that we have an abnormal number of morals, values and beliefs in common. However, as the both of us work for Verizon, we must needs be careful about this friendship we've begun because, as he is male and I am female, it could be taken the wrong way and dating between co-workers is discouraged. So to avoid an HR confrontation I am overly cautious.
Now it is Monday, yet again, and I in my infinite wisdom forgot to change my alarm from Sunday morning's 7:45 and therefore woke at 6:33am instead of 6. Though I wasn't late for work, I wasn't very clean and the outfit I wore was the first thing I grabbed from the closet. That was the beginning of a very dreary day and I am thankful that it's over. I really hope that this morning is not a foretelling of the week to come because if so, I should just go jump out of the window now and save myself the agony. As it is, I think I'll be taking extra precautions this week to make sure it isn't.
I move next Wednesday! :)
Shut down to a whisper
Can you hear me still?
I have decided that this will be my catch-up blog. I.E. I am adding pictures of activities and places I have done and been since coming here to CT, things I've written about but you, dear Reader, have not yet seen.
I begin with Boston.
I took a trip to Boston about three weeks ago and took various pictures but only of buildings so I chose to not add to Facebook. Not to mention that my internet access is much to slow to bother with adding pics to Facebook. I mean, in my attempt to put pictures to this blog I have managed to write these two paragraphs and one picture is still struggling to load. It makes for slow typing, but so be it. Anywho, I am only posting two of my many pictures from Boston. The first is merely a sign from the site of the Boston "Massacre" to prove that I really was in Boston. The second is the only proof I have that John was indeed present as well. 
This is a photo of my room at my aunt and uncle's house. According to my uncle, that bed once belonged to my great grandmother and I feel somewhat privileged to be sleeping in it.
I have yet to meet someone who did not love great Nanny and I wish she'd lived long enough for me to really know her. As it is, this is my tiny but serviceable room. It currently has odds and ends for my new apartment hidden surreptitiously throughout.This past weekend was one of the most eventful of my time here so far. A friend of mine from work was kind enough to assuage my usual Friday night boredom by inviting me to join him for dinner. Unfortunately he is roughly an hour from Windsor so by the time we finished dinner it was already 8:30pm but at least I didn't spend that time at home by myself. The same friend, prior to Friday's invitation, invited me to go hiking at The Sleeping Giant in Hamden and I readily agreed. Now that spring is well underway and summer is quickly approaching all of the trees are green and flowers have begun to bloom in full force so this particular hike was absolutely breathtaking, even if it was a foggy, somewhat rainy day. In some ways the fog and mist made the trail even more alluring, as you see in the picture here.
At the top of the path we walked (which was roughly 1.6 mi) was a huge lookout tower where you could see for miles. Or you would, if it weren't so foggy. 
Once again, for the fourth consecutive week, I attended the Vinyard Church in West Haven and continue to love it more every time I attend. However, this past Sunday there were some marked differences beginning with the fact that my Friday dinner buddy/hiking partner was there as well. During the time we spent together over the previous two days the subject of church and God inevitably arose. He explained that though he likes the Lutheran church he usually attends, no one there is within twenty years of his age. I replied that there are plenty of people our age at my church. Hence, his attendance on Sunday. Additionally, one of the many people I have befriended at Vinyard Christian Fellowship invited me to a gathering at his house on Memorial Day! And, because my friend was standing there with me, he was invted also! Following this exciting addition to my forthcoming calendar was fellowship time and a number of people who came up to my friend to exclaim that they, too, were from Madison and where in Madison is he from? The fact that he was garnering more attention than I didn't bother me in the slightest as I was old news and he certainly was not. The most exciting part of the day, for me, was his admission to me that he really felt the spirit at the Vineyard, something he hadn't felt in a very long time, and would therefore be returning to the church regularly in the future. In this I am thankful because, even if I do nothing else in my time here in CT, I was instrumental in God's plan for my friend's life. Joy unspeakable.
I will say that conversation this weekend made it some of the most interesting days of the past month. No elaboration on that subject, sufficient to say that my friend considers me one of the most unique and interesting people he has ever met and that we have an abnormal number of morals, values and beliefs in common. However, as the both of us work for Verizon, we must needs be careful about this friendship we've begun because, as he is male and I am female, it could be taken the wrong way and dating between co-workers is discouraged. So to avoid an HR confrontation I am overly cautious.
Now it is Monday, yet again, and I in my infinite wisdom forgot to change my alarm from Sunday morning's 7:45 and therefore woke at 6:33am instead of 6. Though I wasn't late for work, I wasn't very clean and the outfit I wore was the first thing I grabbed from the closet. That was the beginning of a very dreary day and I am thankful that it's over. I really hope that this morning is not a foretelling of the week to come because if so, I should just go jump out of the window now and save myself the agony. As it is, I think I'll be taking extra precautions this week to make sure it isn't.
I move next Wednesday! :)
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Long Walks and Unending Days
Day by day nothing changes. Class continues to get harder and evenings are spent in my room reading or writing or thinking... or playing a video game. Depending on my mood. The drive to work is so long that by the time I get there I'm ready to go home. By the time I get home I have been awake for twelve hours already, and after a long, arduous day, all I want to do is be lazy. However, for the sake of my sanity and health I made the long couple of mile walk to the library to search for plane tickets and catch up on emails. Every day I learn more and can explain more and feel a little more confident that I will be able to do my job when the time comes. Rarely do I miss home, but I have my moments... I saw pictures of my younger sister redoing her bedroom and it looked so strange to me. Even though I lived in that room for at least sixteen years. Even though I lived in the house for twenty-three... it was weird.
Sometimes things just dawn on us long after the change has occurred, and on Monday I experienced just that. As I drove home from work (a trial in and of itself) I realized... I'm here. I am a member of the working class, of the 8 - 5ers, one of the millions of people who sit in a cubicle for hours on end wishing and waiting for something exciting to happen. Not that I dislike my job, because I don't. I'm just biding my time until I can move somewhere a little more exciting. Everyone I meet here is always asking me why on earth I chose to move to CT and I'm like, I didn't. CT chose me. And only God knows why. As the summer goes on and things become settled I'm going to find activities to occupy my time. Nothing like going to the beach, or shopping at the mall. No, I want to rock climb, to kayak, to hike, to be active and live an exciting life. I have yet to make friends who are interested in such things. Sadly. However, I am thankful for the friends I have made and love them all just the same.
As previously stated, I have nothing to say really. I finally have benefits, I'm searching for a dentist, I move into my apartment on the 29th (which is also the date I will see my Dad for the first time since mid-April, which seems forever ago), and otherwise, I work. And work, and work.
Peace.
Sometimes things just dawn on us long after the change has occurred, and on Monday I experienced just that. As I drove home from work (a trial in and of itself) I realized... I'm here. I am a member of the working class, of the 8 - 5ers, one of the millions of people who sit in a cubicle for hours on end wishing and waiting for something exciting to happen. Not that I dislike my job, because I don't. I'm just biding my time until I can move somewhere a little more exciting. Everyone I meet here is always asking me why on earth I chose to move to CT and I'm like, I didn't. CT chose me. And only God knows why. As the summer goes on and things become settled I'm going to find activities to occupy my time. Nothing like going to the beach, or shopping at the mall. No, I want to rock climb, to kayak, to hike, to be active and live an exciting life. I have yet to make friends who are interested in such things. Sadly. However, I am thankful for the friends I have made and love them all just the same.
As previously stated, I have nothing to say really. I finally have benefits, I'm searching for a dentist, I move into my apartment on the 29th (which is also the date I will see my Dad for the first time since mid-April, which seems forever ago), and otherwise, I work. And work, and work.
Peace.
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Shock and Boredom... Opposites attract
Hey hey, world! It's Wednesday already, which is amazing in and of itself. Life passes by so quickly, sometimes, and sometimes it feels like you're going nowhere when in fact you've gone further than many thought you ever would.
My week has been fraught with all kinds of craziness. Sunday, which I was so looking forward to, was clouded by rain and the discovery of the death of a girl with whom I attended college. I checked my Facebook (something I can do easily from my new phone) to find status updates about Amy Adams, many of them asking for prayer and wishing that she rest in peace... Not being in the loop anymore, I messaged and sent texts until I found out the truth of her death, information that left me completely lethargic with grief. More than anything I wanted to play the piano but had, unfortunately, left my music at home so I wrote my sisters begging for one of them to please, please scan some music and send it to me! One of them did, finally, but a few days late. Even though I didn't know Amy well, the death of a 20 year old who was thriving and well and wonderful the last time I saw her is a major blow and a huge tragedy. As one friend put it, "The whole school is quiet". Suddenly the worries of my life didn't mean so much anymore. The joy of finding the books I wanted, the annoyance of driving so far to get where I need to be, the indignation of not being fully understood by many of the people I see on a daily basis... none of that really mattered much anymore. Because Amy's death was a tragedy, something that could have been prevented. She was probably looking forward to a hike that day with her boyfriend, a way to lessen the stress of finals, not knowing what would happen. It could have happened to any of us. And out of everyone it happened to, it had to be Amy. Like I said, I didn't know her well, but what I did know was this: she was kind, loving, funny (in her own, quiet way), and passionate about the people in her life and her relationship with God. Out of all the people on this earth, God took Amy, and only he knows why. But that's what my Sunday became, and I fed my grief with a movie and some reading and it lasted through the following day.
Work this week has been SO boring. Monday gave us a new trainer, as we have someone new every week, and it has become very hard to stay interested. Though to some it may look like ignorance, my problem is that it's hard for me to retain information that I care nothing about. We discussed ESNs yesterday (electronic serial numbers) and it was extensive and unalterably boring. When time came to do a group activity, I had to have the trainer repeat the instructions a few times before I began to comprehend exactly what we were doing and even then I lost my train of thought. To some I may look incredibly slow and stupid, but I knew it was because the information left me in a stupor of boredom. Today, on the other hand, we discussed texting and I had slept well for once and felt pretty good and was answering questions left and right and on the top of my game. If anyone thought I was stupid yesterday, they didn't think that today. Most likely it was because 1. I was in an unalterably good mood today for no apparent reason, 2. it was a subject I knew much about and 3. I was afraid of being seen as stupid and was making a valiant effort to stay aware. The benefit is that I learned something new today that I didn't know about texting and it's something I want everyone to try. If you have texting, dial in the number 46645 (or GOOGL, aka google without the E) and type in a question. An area code, a math problem, the location of a place where you can buy a soccer ball... and within moments Google will text you back with the answer. It's amazing! I asked it for places to buy a guitar and it sent me a reply in three separate texts! So everyone should try it, it's cheaper than calling 411 (which costs $1.49 every time. Texting is merely $0.20 to get and recieve, unless you have a text bundle already in which case overage is $0.10. With Verizon, that is) and probably faster too!
See the kind of amazing things one can learn when employed at Verizon Wireless? And it's something I can tell you because it's common knowledge already released to the public, which may not always be the case.
Beyond work and church (which was amazing, yet again) there is the subject of my friendships. On Monday one of my work friends informed me that my problem is that I'm too nice. We were informed before leaving for the day that we'd be assigned new seats the following day. While I could care less whom I sit next to, one of my friends cared very much. That friend is the one who told me I'm too nice. She also told me that she sees me as a country girl in a big world. What's amusing to me about that comment is that everyone in CT who has never visited Ohio automatically considers the whole state of Ohio 'country'. Though I'm a small town girl, I am not a country girl. It's also amusing because people in the small town told me I belong in the city. This leads me to wonder where I really belong. I do NOT belong in a suburb. I really don't belong in Connecticut, to be completely honest.
I discussed the country girl comment with another girl in my class today and she completely disagreed. She said she'd had me pegged as a free spirit, a love everyone, peaceful, hippie kind of person, which, for the most part, I am. She also admires me for my bravery of moving away from the State in which I've always lived to work in an entirely new place. Adventurous, she called me. I've gotten that a lot lately, and I suppose that in a way I am. Moving to an unfamiliar place doesn't seem like adventure to me, but that's just a matter of opinion. I will admit, however, that it's nice to see not everyone from Connecticut thinks I'm a dixie chick.
One thing I will say is that living here in a place where no one knows me at all is refreshing in that I can be entirely myself. That year I spent unemployed and working at the preschool really taught me a lot about who I am, so much so that I can come to a new place and not be altered by the people I meet like the me of old would have. It's a mervelous feeling to know you're set in who you are and to be content with that person.
However, I do know that Connecticut is not my destiny. After a year of work is under my belt I intend to move to Washington State. From the music I've heard and the books I've read that come from people out there, I'll fit in quite nicely. Boy, wouldn't that be a welcome change!
My week has been fraught with all kinds of craziness. Sunday, which I was so looking forward to, was clouded by rain and the discovery of the death of a girl with whom I attended college. I checked my Facebook (something I can do easily from my new phone) to find status updates about Amy Adams, many of them asking for prayer and wishing that she rest in peace... Not being in the loop anymore, I messaged and sent texts until I found out the truth of her death, information that left me completely lethargic with grief. More than anything I wanted to play the piano but had, unfortunately, left my music at home so I wrote my sisters begging for one of them to please, please scan some music and send it to me! One of them did, finally, but a few days late. Even though I didn't know Amy well, the death of a 20 year old who was thriving and well and wonderful the last time I saw her is a major blow and a huge tragedy. As one friend put it, "The whole school is quiet". Suddenly the worries of my life didn't mean so much anymore. The joy of finding the books I wanted, the annoyance of driving so far to get where I need to be, the indignation of not being fully understood by many of the people I see on a daily basis... none of that really mattered much anymore. Because Amy's death was a tragedy, something that could have been prevented. She was probably looking forward to a hike that day with her boyfriend, a way to lessen the stress of finals, not knowing what would happen. It could have happened to any of us. And out of everyone it happened to, it had to be Amy. Like I said, I didn't know her well, but what I did know was this: she was kind, loving, funny (in her own, quiet way), and passionate about the people in her life and her relationship with God. Out of all the people on this earth, God took Amy, and only he knows why. But that's what my Sunday became, and I fed my grief with a movie and some reading and it lasted through the following day.
Work this week has been SO boring. Monday gave us a new trainer, as we have someone new every week, and it has become very hard to stay interested. Though to some it may look like ignorance, my problem is that it's hard for me to retain information that I care nothing about. We discussed ESNs yesterday (electronic serial numbers) and it was extensive and unalterably boring. When time came to do a group activity, I had to have the trainer repeat the instructions a few times before I began to comprehend exactly what we were doing and even then I lost my train of thought. To some I may look incredibly slow and stupid, but I knew it was because the information left me in a stupor of boredom. Today, on the other hand, we discussed texting and I had slept well for once and felt pretty good and was answering questions left and right and on the top of my game. If anyone thought I was stupid yesterday, they didn't think that today. Most likely it was because 1. I was in an unalterably good mood today for no apparent reason, 2. it was a subject I knew much about and 3. I was afraid of being seen as stupid and was making a valiant effort to stay aware. The benefit is that I learned something new today that I didn't know about texting and it's something I want everyone to try. If you have texting, dial in the number 46645 (or GOOGL, aka google without the E) and type in a question. An area code, a math problem, the location of a place where you can buy a soccer ball... and within moments Google will text you back with the answer. It's amazing! I asked it for places to buy a guitar and it sent me a reply in three separate texts! So everyone should try it, it's cheaper than calling 411 (which costs $1.49 every time. Texting is merely $0.20 to get and recieve, unless you have a text bundle already in which case overage is $0.10. With Verizon, that is) and probably faster too!
See the kind of amazing things one can learn when employed at Verizon Wireless? And it's something I can tell you because it's common knowledge already released to the public, which may not always be the case.
Beyond work and church (which was amazing, yet again) there is the subject of my friendships. On Monday one of my work friends informed me that my problem is that I'm too nice. We were informed before leaving for the day that we'd be assigned new seats the following day. While I could care less whom I sit next to, one of my friends cared very much. That friend is the one who told me I'm too nice. She also told me that she sees me as a country girl in a big world. What's amusing to me about that comment is that everyone in CT who has never visited Ohio automatically considers the whole state of Ohio 'country'. Though I'm a small town girl, I am not a country girl. It's also amusing because people in the small town told me I belong in the city. This leads me to wonder where I really belong. I do NOT belong in a suburb. I really don't belong in Connecticut, to be completely honest.
I discussed the country girl comment with another girl in my class today and she completely disagreed. She said she'd had me pegged as a free spirit, a love everyone, peaceful, hippie kind of person, which, for the most part, I am. She also admires me for my bravery of moving away from the State in which I've always lived to work in an entirely new place. Adventurous, she called me. I've gotten that a lot lately, and I suppose that in a way I am. Moving to an unfamiliar place doesn't seem like adventure to me, but that's just a matter of opinion. I will admit, however, that it's nice to see not everyone from Connecticut thinks I'm a dixie chick.
One thing I will say is that living here in a place where no one knows me at all is refreshing in that I can be entirely myself. That year I spent unemployed and working at the preschool really taught me a lot about who I am, so much so that I can come to a new place and not be altered by the people I meet like the me of old would have. It's a mervelous feeling to know you're set in who you are and to be content with that person.
However, I do know that Connecticut is not my destiny. After a year of work is under my belt I intend to move to Washington State. From the music I've heard and the books I've read that come from people out there, I'll fit in quite nicely. Boy, wouldn't that be a welcome change!
Saturday, May 2, 2009
Life Gets Interesting...
I have found an apartment.
Because things are so slow for my aunt at her job due to the amazing economy, which is doing oh so well right now I might add, she has spent the past few days looking online for apartments for me. When I came home from work on Friday my aunt, uncle and cousin were all leaving for soccer practice and she told me as they were jetting out of here that she called an apartment place and we were going to see it tomorrow (today). I'm like, uh, okay... and they left. So I ate alone at the diner downtown yet again, which wasn't so terrible because I had a book and some good food (lemon cake with creamy frosting and raspberry filling and powdered sugar...) and two hours later returned to the house just before the rest of them. When they arrived my aunt told me all about the apartment she had found. It's in a town that is merely six exits off of I-91 from my job, which is amazing, and it's a studio apartment. The first month is completely free, but I can spread that month over the twelve month lease and it makes my rent a mere $610 and some change, not including utilities. If I'm green about my utility use, I can keep that payment down to about $60-80 so that makes for super cheap rent, comparitively. We saw the apartment today. It's in a beautiful location with an exceptionally nice landlady and apparently a bunch of other single females live there as well and feel completely safe. I can definitely see myself living there, too. The other places I checked out didn't feel quite right to me, but this one... this one fits. I'm on the third floor on the end, so I have an extra window and only one direct neighbor.
If this works, that's a photo of the outside of the apartment. Every apartment has a deck, along with some extra storage space. There's a closet the moment you walk in the front door just before the kitchen. The bathroom is directly off the kitchen. Continue walking down the short hallway and you'll get to the main room, which, due to the door to the balcony, is probably close to the size of my room back home. I've already had a million ideas of what I can do to the place with the stuff I have and I'm really, really excited.
Again, if this works, this is a picture of the door to the balcony and the gorgeous tree that graces my view. I intend to grow flowers out there and have a semi-comfortable chair to sit on so I can read out there on warm nights. Over all, it's a beautiful place and I'm really, really super excited! I go to sign the lease on May 27th after work and can move in directly after that! And that's perfect because it gives me a month to stock up on the stuff I need, like a shower curtain and bath towels and pots and pans.
Tomorrow is church again, and I'm making a visit to the Book Barn. West Haven isn't terribly far from Niantic so it should be a decently short drive and a long afternoon of buying books that i don't necessarily need. My idea of the perfect day, in other words.
I have two weeks of work under my belt now and some pretty good friendships. I sit with the same general group of people every day, a group that includes my friend Brandy, a woman named Dawn, and a bunch of guys, Neal, Dan, Dave, Edwin, and Michael. After awhile Jeff joins us as well. Mostly I spend all of lunch listening to the opinions of everyone else in the group without saying anything because I can never get a word in edgewise. It reminds me of family dinners back home (no offense, family, I love you all!). However, this past Friday Neal and I took a trip out to Starbucks (which made us five minutes late after lunch, but it was my first ever offense and I intend to never make that mistake again) and on that little drive Neal informed me that I am one of the most interesting people he's ever met. I find that hard to believe, since I think I'm really boring, but it's probably more because I'm a very different kind of person than everyone else in the class. It might also be because I'm very set in who I am as a person and I don't allow my position or the people who surround me affect that decision. In fact, any time any of my friends at work talks about someone else in the class when that person isn't there, I purposefully don't join in the conversation or settle it by saying that people are who they are and I won't judge them for it and I like everyone in the class anyway so end of story. I'm actually kind of proud of myself, because I do tend to lean in the direction of gossip sometimes, but never at my job. Almost everyone there is aware of my position as a Christian and I really don't want to be considered one of those Christians who are just like everyone else. I'm doing my best, but it's going to be a long haul.
So, anyway, that's where I am right now. I'm really excited about church and having the day to myself tomorrow. Not that I'm eager to get away from the relatives because I'm not. Now that the initial awkwardness has evaporated living here is easy and actually kind of fun. The four of us played pig tonight out in the driveway in the dark! Tons of fun, especially with a black basketball...
Peace.
Because things are so slow for my aunt at her job due to the amazing economy, which is doing oh so well right now I might add, she has spent the past few days looking online for apartments for me. When I came home from work on Friday my aunt, uncle and cousin were all leaving for soccer practice and she told me as they were jetting out of here that she called an apartment place and we were going to see it tomorrow (today). I'm like, uh, okay... and they left. So I ate alone at the diner downtown yet again, which wasn't so terrible because I had a book and some good food (lemon cake with creamy frosting and raspberry filling and powdered sugar...) and two hours later returned to the house just before the rest of them. When they arrived my aunt told me all about the apartment she had found. It's in a town that is merely six exits off of I-91 from my job, which is amazing, and it's a studio apartment. The first month is completely free, but I can spread that month over the twelve month lease and it makes my rent a mere $610 and some change, not including utilities. If I'm green about my utility use, I can keep that payment down to about $60-80 so that makes for super cheap rent, comparitively. We saw the apartment today. It's in a beautiful location with an exceptionally nice landlady and apparently a bunch of other single females live there as well and feel completely safe. I can definitely see myself living there, too. The other places I checked out didn't feel quite right to me, but this one... this one fits. I'm on the third floor on the end, so I have an extra window and only one direct neighbor.
If this works, that's a photo of the outside of the apartment. Every apartment has a deck, along with some extra storage space. There's a closet the moment you walk in the front door just before the kitchen. The bathroom is directly off the kitchen. Continue walking down the short hallway and you'll get to the main room, which, due to the door to the balcony, is probably close to the size of my room back home. I've already had a million ideas of what I can do to the place with the stuff I have and I'm really, really excited.
Again, if this works, this is a picture of the door to the balcony and the gorgeous tree that graces my view. I intend to grow flowers out there and have a semi-comfortable chair to sit on so I can read out there on warm nights. Over all, it's a beautiful place and I'm really, really super excited! I go to sign the lease on May 27th after work and can move in directly after that! And that's perfect because it gives me a month to stock up on the stuff I need, like a shower curtain and bath towels and pots and pans.
Tomorrow is church again, and I'm making a visit to the Book Barn. West Haven isn't terribly far from Niantic so it should be a decently short drive and a long afternoon of buying books that i don't necessarily need. My idea of the perfect day, in other words.
I have two weeks of work under my belt now and some pretty good friendships. I sit with the same general group of people every day, a group that includes my friend Brandy, a woman named Dawn, and a bunch of guys, Neal, Dan, Dave, Edwin, and Michael. After awhile Jeff joins us as well. Mostly I spend all of lunch listening to the opinions of everyone else in the group without saying anything because I can never get a word in edgewise. It reminds me of family dinners back home (no offense, family, I love you all!). However, this past Friday Neal and I took a trip out to Starbucks (which made us five minutes late after lunch, but it was my first ever offense and I intend to never make that mistake again) and on that little drive Neal informed me that I am one of the most interesting people he's ever met. I find that hard to believe, since I think I'm really boring, but it's probably more because I'm a very different kind of person than everyone else in the class. It might also be because I'm very set in who I am as a person and I don't allow my position or the people who surround me affect that decision. In fact, any time any of my friends at work talks about someone else in the class when that person isn't there, I purposefully don't join in the conversation or settle it by saying that people are who they are and I won't judge them for it and I like everyone in the class anyway so end of story. I'm actually kind of proud of myself, because I do tend to lean in the direction of gossip sometimes, but never at my job. Almost everyone there is aware of my position as a Christian and I really don't want to be considered one of those Christians who are just like everyone else. I'm doing my best, but it's going to be a long haul.
So, anyway, that's where I am right now. I'm really excited about church and having the day to myself tomorrow. Not that I'm eager to get away from the relatives because I'm not. Now that the initial awkwardness has evaporated living here is easy and actually kind of fun. The four of us played pig tonight out in the driveway in the dark! Tons of fun, especially with a black basketball...
Peace.
Monday, April 27, 2009
Week One, New Friends, and other News
I found a church!!! On my way home from a day trip to Boston (when you live in CT you can take those) I googled "Vineyard churches Connecticut" on my phone and discovered two Vineyard churches. Since I know quite a few people who attend the Vineyard church back home and have attended on occasion myself I knew that it would be similar to my home church. The closest one of the two churches that popped up was down in West Haven, a good fifty minute drive from where I am. The drive doesn't bother me, since I know I'll be moving south of Hartford soon enough and therefore be closer to the church.
The moment I walked in the front door I was greeted by the pastor's wife, who proceeded to ask me questions and introduced me to everyone that walked through the doors. Before service began I had found a girl close to my age who is originally from Illinois and sat near me during the service. after service they have a fellowship time with food and coffee, and my new acquaintence allowed me to follow her around and introduced me to two other girls and their husbands and before I knew it I had been invited to lunch! On the whole this was an entirely different experience than the church last week and I loved every moment of it.
As aforementioned, I spent Saturday in Boston with a good friend of mine. I arrived around 11:30am and called my friend to tell him I had arrived and accidentally woke him up. Apparently he'd been at his parent's 25th anniversary party until 4am. Even so, he managed to wake up and we took off for food and then to take the train into downtown Boston. J'ADORE Boston!!! The train reminded me very much of Chicago, which was fun, and for the first hour or two we wandered through the Boston Common which was absolutely packed due to the beautiful weather. The rest of the day was spent walking the Freedom Line, a path that takes you to every possible important historical building or graveyard in the city. I saw the Old North Church, the Old State House, the location of the Boston so-called Massacre, walked past Paul Revere's house without even seeing it, and went to two graveyards to see the tombstones of famous people like Mother Goose and Samuel Adams. We did deviate from the path to get some Italian food at this amazing restaurant called Al Dente, but for the most part we walked what felt like miles and just talked about everything and anything. So pretty much, I just had the perfect weekend.
Well, almost.
I discovered that I still can't get a library card. Unless I have an official document to prove I live here I can't get one. One of the other librarians had told me I could bring in any envelope with my name and current address on it and I could get a card, but it's not so. So I'm still stuck without a card and highly annoyed about it.
Other than the above, I finished my first week and work and still like my job! I know, who knew, right? I really enjoy the people I work with, one of whom is actively helping me find apartments, another who claims she would hook me up with one of her fiances friends if any of them were single, and another who is just absolutely hilarious. There isn't a single person in my training class that I don't enjoy talking to, and that's really saying something. We've finally passed the boring stage of the job and have finally begun to learn the things that will really matter, like the intricacies of various phone plans and where to find information about phone accessories on the intranet. Supposedly we'll be on overload by the end of seven weeks but that's awhile from now.
One thing about my new life here that I suppose is a good thing is that I find other things to do besides sitting at my computer checking facebook and chatting because internet isn't readily available.
At some point in the future I will be posting pictures on this blog as well, but we'll see how long it takes before that happens.
The moment I walked in the front door I was greeted by the pastor's wife, who proceeded to ask me questions and introduced me to everyone that walked through the doors. Before service began I had found a girl close to my age who is originally from Illinois and sat near me during the service. after service they have a fellowship time with food and coffee, and my new acquaintence allowed me to follow her around and introduced me to two other girls and their husbands and before I knew it I had been invited to lunch! On the whole this was an entirely different experience than the church last week and I loved every moment of it.
As aforementioned, I spent Saturday in Boston with a good friend of mine. I arrived around 11:30am and called my friend to tell him I had arrived and accidentally woke him up. Apparently he'd been at his parent's 25th anniversary party until 4am. Even so, he managed to wake up and we took off for food and then to take the train into downtown Boston. J'ADORE Boston!!! The train reminded me very much of Chicago, which was fun, and for the first hour or two we wandered through the Boston Common which was absolutely packed due to the beautiful weather. The rest of the day was spent walking the Freedom Line, a path that takes you to every possible important historical building or graveyard in the city. I saw the Old North Church, the Old State House, the location of the Boston so-called Massacre, walked past Paul Revere's house without even seeing it, and went to two graveyards to see the tombstones of famous people like Mother Goose and Samuel Adams. We did deviate from the path to get some Italian food at this amazing restaurant called Al Dente, but for the most part we walked what felt like miles and just talked about everything and anything. So pretty much, I just had the perfect weekend.
Well, almost.
I discovered that I still can't get a library card. Unless I have an official document to prove I live here I can't get one. One of the other librarians had told me I could bring in any envelope with my name and current address on it and I could get a card, but it's not so. So I'm still stuck without a card and highly annoyed about it.
Other than the above, I finished my first week and work and still like my job! I know, who knew, right? I really enjoy the people I work with, one of whom is actively helping me find apartments, another who claims she would hook me up with one of her fiances friends if any of them were single, and another who is just absolutely hilarious. There isn't a single person in my training class that I don't enjoy talking to, and that's really saying something. We've finally passed the boring stage of the job and have finally begun to learn the things that will really matter, like the intricacies of various phone plans and where to find information about phone accessories on the intranet. Supposedly we'll be on overload by the end of seven weeks but that's awhile from now.
One thing about my new life here that I suppose is a good thing is that I find other things to do besides sitting at my computer checking facebook and chatting because internet isn't readily available.
At some point in the future I will be posting pictures on this blog as well, but we'll see how long it takes before that happens.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)