I know, I know, it's been a long time. ..

Hi. I know it's been s long time since I've written a post. A lot had happened. Good and sad.

God news first, I got a new job!  I start next week but am so happy to be out of my last job. It was awful. My ex-manager is the worst!   Condescending, racist, inappropriate, retaliatory... need I say more?

With the new job I get a prestigious place to work, training, 24 hours pto and a 40% raise. It's located 2 exits south from my old job so further but worth it I think and hope.

Now the sad news, Diamond passed away. I don't want to go into the details but she had cancer and was in absolute agony. She died on November 7th at home. She went very peacefully and for that I am so very thankful.. She was the love of my life and it's been difficult, but I'm what can I say? It was the best thing I could do for her. I miss her every day and feel the loss every day.

I truly believe she is at peace and that her passing some how has a direct correlation to me getting this job. I'm not sure how but I just really felt like she was setting me free from the worrying and running home to take care of her. I didn't realize how much stress I was under until a few weeks later when I slept 14 hours. I had been waking up around 3 am every night to listen to her breathe for months. Anyway, she is gone but her life changed me for the better, helped me when I needed it...

So much to say, yet don't really feel like it...

I haven't been blogging much, just had a 180 change of 'tude and decided to stop bucking the system and go with this new gig and see where it takes me.

 I actually enjoy my new role immensely. It was good once I stopped fighting and thinking that I'm better than this, I'm not. I managed thru a year end month and loved the high stress action of it all. 

I've gone back to Bozeman twice since the first time and find it enjoyable although my plane has a propeller. I am friendly with Ashley and I want to say Kate (but can remember) who are the breakfast waitresses at the Hilton Garden Inn where I stay. They are interesting and fun. I also am friendly with Josh the bartender at Old Chicago restaurant. The staff there, and every one really, are super friendly. 

I like going to into the office there and have become friendly with Chris, tony, Brent, Linda and a few others. They are fun and funny and friendly. :)

All in all not bad...

Bozeman, Montana

Spent the week here: . It's was fun! Stay tuned for the update....

as luck would have it...

I started a new job this week and wouldn’t you know it I have two second interviews at other companies!

I am so excited for the possibilities :o)

One is at a law firm and one is in house at a pharma co.   

The pharma is corporate and securities for an up and coming company.  It’s been around for quite a while but last year was a banner year for them where they were awarded two FDA approvals for their cancer drugs.  Apparently that’s huge in that world and it has been experiencing extreme growth. 

The law firm job is with a prominent firm and is in healthcare M&A.  This role encompasses many of my skills although I have never used them all together in this way.  The firm is well respected and there are no billable hours, which is unheard of for a firm.  I am interested in both so we will see…stay tuned!

New(ish) Gig

I started a new job with my same company this week. Today is day two…

I was not excited at all.  You know how you get excited/nervous before starting a new job?  Well none of that--in fact quite the opposite.  Last week I had nightmares, one where I was mugged in a dark alley and I was so frightened I couldn’t scream, and another where someone was trying to take Diamond from me and I said “over my dead body!” and there ya go, I was killed.  What do YOU think that means?  I have a pretty good idea…I already blogged about the clusterfuck it was getting this role.

But as I said, today is day two and I had to book a trip to meet the team.  I was told that the weather in Montana will be nice but to dress for a blizzard because apparently they form within minutes.  Great.  I live in California, I have no “blizzard wear”.

Anyway, the job is new in that they use different acronyms and terms for basically the same thing I did in my last role.  As my new manager was describing it to me I was finishing her sentences.  She seemed to like the fact that I am familiar with not only what they expect of the person in the role, but of the company’s many hoops.

Day two and still not excited.

Random Friday

Today was a great day. I met a friend in Burlingame at an outside cafe. We had lunch--pork belly and salt cod--YUM!! And a few drinks in the sunshine. It was great! 70 something degrees today in February!! Ahhh love it here!

Then I went home and took ms thing on a looong walk :)

My friend Susan.

What can I say?? I still miss her when I allow myself to. It saddens me greatly because she was not only my friend but she was a really good, decent, kind person. She was intelligent and funny and fun to be around and she made me feel hopeful because she always had a plan to do better--be better...even if she never did anything she planned on doing, she still had the plan.

Miss you my friend. I wish I took a picture of you.

Frank

Good news!!! Frank found a forever home!!!

Thankfully he was only at Rocket Dog for a few days before a woman fostered him and decided to keep him.

I am extremely please with the family that has adopted Frank. They have a fenced in yard, a 5 year old Frank absolutely adores and a submissive dog that's bigger than Frank! Ha! I spoke with his new mom on the phone for like a hour last week. Then we exchanged pictures and funny videos of him when he was with me and him when he's with her and her family.

Last Sunday Diamond and I met them at the farmers market and we got to see him again and meet her in person. Seriously a great match. Susan would be happy. It was funny/odd meeting at the farmers market because that's where Susan and I used to meet before walking the dogs.

Bittersweet.

Fuck-ers

Here I am thinking I'm in a good place because I thought i was negotiating a new position with my current company and I have a final interview with another company next week. Then I find out that the offer letter has been initiated but I have not agreed to the salary. I am not certain why they would initiate the offer if I have not agreed to the salary, other than to force my hand which pisses me off.

I am so fucking pissed I can't stand it and I find sneaky underhanded shady shit like this is a blow to my ego.

My hope is that this other job works out and I can say Suck It!! To my company and move the fuck on....

Back home

I got back from vacation and want to list what I've found so far that irritates me. I had a dog sitter stay in my home with my dog and he ate my food and drank my booze. He smoked weed and used the top to my jewelry box as an ashtray. He fed my dog a months worth of treats, 2 cans of pumpkin on top of her food. She can barely move she's so lethargic over being over fed.

I left written instructions in how much to feed her. What's the problem?? Fuck man!

I'm seriously irritated!

Vacation and shit on my mind

I'm on vacation. I'm sleepy. I'm at my moms house. It's raining :(. I can't get away from work...fuck man!

I've had time to think about the position I have applied for at work. I am beginning to believe that they are trying to low ball me. The original position I applied for was a B3 pos but they closed it and then told me apply for another position and I think it's a B2. Hate them.

Please give me the strength to get thru this.

Vacation

Going away on vacation tomorrow. Need the warmth. Gonna miss the dog.

Sigh...

Wfh today. Got a pedicure. Dark purple polish. Cold and windy. Ran with the dog. Ran. With. The. Dog. Watching traveling pants movie. Love it.

Unfair

I work at a gigantic company in California.  I have been here for about 4 years.  I have been looking for another job for about 4 years because I hate working at a huge conglomerate.  For the past 203 months, I have been interviewing for a position with a different group at my company.  I've had a phone interview with 7 or 8 people that lasted like an hour and a half, then I had an in-person interview with 3 team members for another hour and a half.  Then more than a month goes by and I receive an email asking for another meeting.  I asked them what it would be regarding so I am prepared and was told they'd like to discuss salary.  I am excited thinking they are going to make an offer soon if we are discussing salary.


But no.  What they wanted to notify me of is the company policy that states that if you take a job within the company you have make a lateral move and wait until review time to have your salary adjusted.  Review time is 9 months away!!  I was so disappointed!  I could not believe what I was hearing!  It takes months and months just to get ramped up in this company, so what he is telling me is that my experience working here and doing  this a similar job for the past 4 years, means nothing.  That he would bring someone in off the street at a higher rate and that I would make less than the bottom of the pay range???  And in 9 months there is no guarantee that I will get ANY increase at all???

How about fuck you?