I Remember!

I remember what I wanted to talk about! And it's no longer important because I've got something else to talk about! Other than football! And the forums are still down! Wait a minute, that last one was a grrrr.

I first wanted to talk about the weather. We went from one of the warmest January's on record to what is starting out to be one of the coldest February's on record. Who knew? There's more snow in our forecast for this week, though I can't really say more, because the last time they were calling for snow we didn't get any! So, there's snow in our forecast for this week. They say it might be a dusting, or it might be a few inches. Here's hoping! Or not, as you like it. Temperatures are in the single digits, if you want to know.

I've been reevaluating my job situation recently. Of all the jokes I make about my coworkers or some of the people who cross my path or my phone on a daily basis, there really was a time when I liked my job. Even annoying coworkers are tolerable more often than not. Tomorrow, and for the rest of the week, the person who I trained to be my back-up (and has been doing that job ever since in my stead) will be moving on to a 4-day trial period of that other position that I talked about applying for but never actually did. This means that I get my preferred task back.

Let me tell you a little something about why I like this task. I've probably talked about it before. The first reason I like it is because I know what needs to be done. I can sit down at my desk in the morning and know exactly what is expected of me. I don't need to be told or instructed, and I start every day knowing what is expected of me. Second is that I found this work very rewarding, as rewarding as a job at OBC can be. Humans make mistakes, and the humans in my department tend to make a lot of them. Unfortunately, these mistakes usually result in someones bill not getting paid; we know this because the check they should be cashing is back in our hands. The department that receives these misdirected and erroneous checks has the task of finding out why they went astray and what we can do to fix it. Once that is done, it is sent over to me (or my counterpart) to do the actual fixing. I know three things when I send those jobs back completed. I know that a check will be sent to the right place, and consequentially, someone's bill will get paid. I know I have corrected an error that therefore improves the integrity of our vast database. And I know that I have brought the error to the proper person's attention so that the person who made it can be coached and corrected. Doing this job, I'm fixing things for a living, things that never should have been broken, but things happen. And while I'm doing this, I'm building a rapport with another department who should work closely with us, but usually do not (and that's the fault of both groups). In its small way, it is a fulfilling task.

And starting tomorrow, it will be mine again! And if my counterpart likes the job, and accepts it if they offer, it will be mine for a long time!

I am a blessed individual. I am healthy, I am active, I have a place to live and food to eat, I have a job that I enjoy on most occasions, and my bills get paid. Sometimes things are never enough, but today, I've been thinking about the little things and about how I can better serve myself and those around me by recognizing that I appreciate them.

What it means is that I am going to apply for another job. One that will be fulfilling beyond what I do now, where I feel I can contribute and it means something. Hopefully where I'm working with people who have similar, more noble goals. It's a hard industry to enter, so I'm told, but I'm going to try. No more details, I haven't finished the application yet! Here is just a start. A place to begin and build and find what works.

So, about that application: one of the questions is about my college GPA. I have no idea! That was six years ago, you want me to remember a 3-digit decimal from six years ago?! Well, I went to the university website, I've gotten an unofficial transcript from there before, but I can't now because I'm no longer a student. The only way for an alum to get a transcript (official only) is to request it by fax or mail. That was on the list of things to do tomorrow, it would delay my application. I didn't really want to do that. So I racked my brain trying to think of where in my home I might have put a copy. My mother was certain we had one, but she also has no idea where. I did a little searching here, a little searching there (anyone who has seen even a part of my home knows that's quite a feat).

Suddenly, I had a thought, and chanced upon a folder filled with my student loan information, under a pile of years-old bills. In this folder, a desk copy of my final transcript! Wahoo!! I really am the Queen of Dig. I can find a six-year-old piece of paper in this house! No more delay!

I just had to share that, and now I'm off to stare at my application and get it submitted in 2000 characters or less (or, was it words?). Wish me luck, and anything else you can spare, gentle readers, because I am totally going to need it.