Seasonal PT

Okay, so maybe I should have put a little more thought into this no-work plan of mine. I forgot we weren’t independently wealthy with money for me to squander away in the pursuit of a more robust life.

So I kept an eye out for part time work and came across a part time seasonal position and applied. This is not a way for me to become independently wealthy, but it is a way for me to fund my new pursuits and have a four day weekend-every weekend, and be honest, don’t we all strive for that?

Yesterday ended my first week on the job. It’s not a mind bending job, general office work three days a week with random months off during the year. One of those jobs where they need an extra hand periodically throughout the year but not enough to keep a full time person gainfully employed. I have learned a lot in the first few days, but mainly because I had absolutely no idea how elections worked or all of the little moving parts that have to come together for success. And this is at the county level, can’t even imagine what goes into the high level elections. I will say to all those that work on State and Federal elections: you are an unrecognized cog in a mighty machine and bless you.

Until November 2018 I had worked for a hospital in Tennessee for almost 13 years. 8 of those years I worked remotely from Florida, Kansas, Colorado and a bit in Idaho as we moved around the country. So, for 8 years my office mates were 2-3 dogs, and a cat. If I mumbled out loud, they just ignored me or opened an eye momentarily to see if I was making a move towards food or door. If there were strange smells or sounds I could blame it on them…they didn’t care. If I had to vent they would listen and let me pet heads until I calmed down. Time for culture shock!

Let me tell ya, the struggle going from animal interaction to adult human interaction is real! Now when I talk out loud, a human will actually answer, even if I was just talking to myself (which obviously has to stop!). When I make a mistake I can’t just say @#*% out loud because there may be a member of the public in there and I must be professional. If there are strange smells I can’t turn around and say, “Geez Barbara, really?” or pet Barbara on the head while I vent. Not only that, but I have to shower, get dressed, wear makeup again, comb my hair, pack a lunch, etc. I did luck out on the dress code, it’s pretty lax, so I didn’t have to go from working in sweats and pj’s to dresses and heels…thank you God! Jeans and a nice top acceptable….I did have to go get some new shoes though, sneakers and paint-stained hikers just didn’t do the trick.

So while trying to learn all the intricate little details of my new position, I also have to become social again, civilized some might even say, as I interact with my fellow man vs my pack. Wish me luck!