Just so you know

I can't do two things at once.

Oh, I can walk and chew gum. I can drive and talk on my cell phone. I can cook dinner and start a load of wash. And clearly I can surf the net and watch TV at the same time.

I can not, however, have two different careers at the same time.

Either I find a new job or I stick with this one. I am just about to start training a new agent. THIS FRIDAY. (That's in 4 days from now, in case you aren't near a calendar.) I also have 6 disgustingly good leads from last week. I think all will open as new groups by July 1. I have 2 open enrollments this month and 4 next. I will have SIX agents in total that I am training by the end of June. (You know, new agents. The ones I get 5% commission override on.)

All that said, I am not exactly in a position to find a new job. If I am finding a new job, I need to let my boss know now, so I am not in the middle of training SIX new agents when I get one. Also,my boss should know so she can let her boss know that we have to STOP recruiting, because the trainer just bailed!

And speaking of jobs, I have looked. The options......SUCK. I know you think I am qualified for a job that pays 60-80K a year. On salary. With a fully loaded benefits package and 3 weeks vacation each year. And maybe a stock portfolio. I love that you are confident in my skills. But my 'skills' aren't quite 60K a year on salary.

Oh, the 'other' sales jobs. Ummmm, yeah. Those are commissioned positions as well. Perhaps with some bennies, but not the aforementioned benefits of your fantasies. We will still live hand to mouth while I build a client base. Again.

I know this has been a long road. I know I took a huge chunk out of your faith last year when I took 10 months off to do basically.......NOTHING. (Again, I can't be sorry enough for that.) I know we are in the hole. Trust me when I tell you the hole could be deeper. I know of the debt the other agents are in. I know how far behind they are on their bills. I know that it could be worse.

This is the year we turn the corner. This is the year we start breaking even every month. This is the year that we start to get ahead. And next year? NEXT YEAR........we make it to the front. Just stay with me. Heads down. On the path. Charging ahead. Never looking left or right. Focused on one thing, the goal at hand.

Rhinos, baby. Rhinos.

Gone to the dogs

Damn neighbors dogs.

"How are you not awake listening to all that racket? Do you not hear them barking and going nuts out there? What time is it anyway?"

4:30

That is what I woke up to this morning.

As I laid back down, thinking of ways to retaliate against the barking dogs, I heard the distinct sound of chain link fence being climbed. I opened my eyes and saw flashlights dancing off the back of our neighbors house.

ME: "Get up!"

DH: "What?"

ME: "There's someone in the backyard!"

DH sits up and listens to the racket. "It's just someone in the alley."

ME: "No, that's someone going over fences."

DH goes to the window and looks out. "Okay, I'll get dressed and go check it out."

As he goes to find sweats and his shoes, I go to the window and peer out into the early morning darkness. I see little, but hear footsteps jogging down the alley on the gravel. The dogs are still going nuts. Suddenly I hear, "Stop! Get your hands up! I said stop! Right there, don't move!"

So now I am looking for sweats and shoes. I beat DH out the front door and saw cop cars pulling off the curb. As my eyes adjusted to the light I spotted two more on the other side of the street. I walked out to the curb and an officer approached me.

"You the one who called the cops?"

Me: "No, I heard people going over fences and saw the flashlights, so I got up to see what was up."

Cop: "Oh, that was the guy we are putting the back seat of the cruiser."

Me: "That's a good place for him."

Cop: (Laughing) "You don't even know what he did."

Me: "It's 4:30 in the morning and he is hopping fences and being chased by the cops. I figure whatever it is, he deserves to be there."

Cop: (Still laughing) "Good point. He was breaking into cars. You may want to check yours."

So DH and I check all the cars, and our neighbors cars. All was good. Then we walked around the corner and found the kid that lives next door and two of his buddies in front of his buddies house. One of their cars had been broken into. And there was a stolen car parked cockeyed in the street.

In talking to them, we found out that our neighbor Ray, who usually works nights was off last night. He and his buddies had been up all night watching movies and playing video games. They had walked up to the mini mart for snacks and on the way home saw someone in their family car. They called 911 and the chase was on.

So now it is 5:30 and I am still awake. The newspaper isn't even here yet. But at least my car is still in one piece. And I know that I have good neighbors who keep an eye on the hood. Even at 4:30 in the morning.

I have great friends

Yesterday I turned 32.

Not a 'big deal' birthday. Not like 21 or 30 or even 50. Just 32. I told everyone who demanded that I have a party that I wasn't up to planning one. I spent the last two days in training for work, so I was pretty wiped out. Additionally, I am in the middle of a huge project at work and a huge volunteer project a church. I honestly didn't care if I had a party or not.

My friends thought otherwise and spoiled me rotten!

In the past week:

I had a girlfriend take me out to lunch.

Two others take me out to dinner.

Another take me out for a drink.

And yesterday, while I was stuck in training; my boss arranged for presents to be delivered to me at the State Office. My friends and coworkers called and left no less than 8 messages on my cell phone. The best one being a made up birthday song that one girlfriend forgot the words to half way through and then cracked herself up laughing. Then at 3, my boss showed up with cake for me and my entire training class. (My poor class, who was officially SICK of my birthday by then!) and then my husband took me out to dinner. At Sonic.

Now before you think my hubby is a cheapskate, I love Sonic. It just opened up in the Portland area about 6 months ago. We checked it out when it did and fell in love with their tots and Cherry Limeaid. We also love the fact that you order from a speaker, in your car and then a chick on roller skates delivers your food. Too fun! Also, hubby knew that after sitting in training for two days, learning about tax code and insurance law, I was not in the mood to get dressed up and remember which fork went with what.

Today, my best girlfriend is taking me out for brunch and then we are going downtown to Saturday Market and up to the boutiques on NW 23rd to look at cute stuff that we can't afford. Then when are headed back to the house, where hubby is going to have dinner ready (His AMAZING Fajitas) and a couple of girlfriends and their SO's are going to join us for dinner.

So all that said, I think that this 'not a big deal birthday', is going to go down as one of my best birthdays ever. All because I have amazing friends!