So my job has been keeping me busy. I actually like it quite a bit. I am working 30hrs a week...over 4 days. It is perfect for me and I love how EASY it is! At first my feet had to readjust to things...and they daily reminded me of how much they would rather be sitting than standing...but they have gotten back into standing all day shape which makes me a very happy girl. I work as a home and leisure assistant. Really I stock shelves most of the time and help out on the "till" aka register when the lines get too long. Yes...over here when there are lines of 2 or more people they open all the checkouts! I don't think I have ever seen all the checkouts open anywhere in the states...but over here we use all 20 of ours.
It has been really interesting to me to see the ins and outs of behind the scenes at a grocery store. How fast stuff comes in and then goes out to the public...how much people buy of things that you think I only buy this once a month. One of my jobs is to shelve garbage bags...seriously everyday in the morning they are almost empty...who knew that grocery stores stock those types of things daily! Not me! It has also been really interesting to see my near OCD level of cleaning/organizing come out. I am super organized and love making things organized....and well obviously that is helpful when you are putting things out on shelves and making it look nice. I won't lie I am in a bit of heaven cause I like getting it all to fit and to look pretty...it is constant instant gratification for me. Sad as that sounds I really do enjoy it.
What surprised me the most was how much I am appreciated and told that I am doing a good job. In my 9 years of being an educator...especially while I was at District 227...Rich Township...I was very rarely if at all thanked for my hard work in teaching some rough kids, or going out of my way for helping students in need. I don't think I ever got a genuine compliment on my classroom and or a thanks for going out of my way when I spent my own money on supplies. All they wanted was more for nothing and treated me like crap. Here...I do a less important...or less skilled job...and receive more thanks/praise for doing a great job. Sad statement on reality for teachers and sad that it is the truth. I love being a teacher and did it cause that is what it took to do my job I thought well...but to be thanked which takes little time but means the world really isn't all that hard to do. For those of you on the "boss" side of things...it makes a world of difference to those who work for you....to little words that will get you more of what you want for free than anything else....thank you!
Work had filled up my days so the weekends are really great to just kick back and relax. A few weekends ago I went to go see Gemma, a good friend of mine...married to the guy who was are best man. Daz, her husband, is away in Afghanistan so I went to keep her company and spend some long over due girl time together. It was Fabulous! We went to Cambridge for one day and looked around and went into shops that neither of our hubbies would. Meanwhile Mark was chilling with his boys back at our house and got to do boys things...which I am more than willing to let him do all on his own. We both had great weekends and I think made us appreciate the other person just a lil bit more.
With my day off...usually Mondays...I get to catch up on things. Finish washing clothes here, do the grocery shop, clean house...you know do all that kind of stuff. It is great to have a day to get it done without interruption (cause Mark usually has other ideas of how to spend the weekend like looking at cycle stuff and what not). Speaking of cycles Mark is still cycling to work. He does about 25 miles total in a day to and from work...just over 12 miles one way. Because he has proved to me that this isn't just a phase...we bought the most expensive thing we have ever bought as a married couple....Mark's new baby...a Giant TCR Composite 3 bicycle. For those of you who know anything about cycling this is a nice bike. I honestly am impressed with just remembering the name of it there...see I do pay attention...but it is REALLY nice. Mark was like a kid at Christmas...almost shaking when he got his hands on it. I said it earns me best wife status for a good few months...he agreed and lets just say I haven't cooked in 2 days. lol Worth it for us both! So yeah...guess it does pay off to have a second income coming in.
Really not much else is new. The cold weather has come in with full force here....heat is on and coats are needed. Hard for me to believe that I have been here almost a year! If you would have told me half of what this past year was going to contain a year ago I would have laughed...it has been an excellent adventure so far and I can't wait to see what year two brings. Well enough rambling from me...and spelling errors too. Im off to do the grocery shopping. Hope you all are well!
Hey you - glad to hear the new job is going well. And that you are appreciated. I'm sure there is something lovely about feeling good about doing things well, being appreciated for it, AND not having to take any work home with you at night. Whoohoo!! Nice work on the new bike for Mark. Are you going to join him in this biking thing, or are you sticking to running? Glad you're doing well.
ReplyDeleteLove lots,
Sara