An Exciting Week for Me

   I've had quite an interesting week.  First of all I guess I'm what you'd call  a "Fair Weather" employee since I've not been to work since Sunday.  Well, I was officially off yesterday and today but because of our Early Winter Storm, I had an extended holiday.  But I was also going to have the weekend off but since I lost so much time I feel obligated to work on Saturday since it was offered to me.  Our temps got way way down in the teens but today it has steadily warmed up and tomorrow things should be almost normal.  At any rate, I'm proud I survived our first storm and was able to stay home.  Next time I may not be so lucky but we'll not worry about that now.
   The next thing that happened this week makes me very happy.  I did well on the career assessment test and the District manager has found a store for me to manage and the commute is half what I'm doing now.  Like Matthew said earlier tonight, it is the best case scenario. I get more money and drive less, in fact it is the very closest store there is at this time to where I live. I'm not sure yet when it takes effect, really soon I think.  This is such a big  deal for me. 
   IT'S been such a long journey for me to feel somewhat like myself again.  The job helps and the fact that it is a company I'm familiar with makes it all the better.  I've worked some crappy hours, made pretty crappy pay, and drove all those miles but was so grateful to be back to work.  And now I'm not far from being where I was before.  I've never regretted quiting my job, I had to do that.  I wasn't able to work, at least not mentally.  IT was the right thing to do at the time and I'm so grateful to Matthew for allowing me to be able to do that. 
Anyway, I'm rambling now but I am very happy and thankful this Thanksgiving night.  I only hate that I don't get to go with the kids to cut a Christmas Tree! 

My Very First Ever Snow Day

  We've been hit with a really early winter storm.  In fact as I sit here at 4:30 in the afternoon the temp is 27 degrees and snow covers everything.  I did everyone a favor today and stayed off the roads.  I missed work.  And I'll probably miss tomorrow too.  It can't be helped.  But I've gotten such a kick out of watching the snow today.  It is dry fluffy snow for now and pretty as can be.  I watched amazed as people sledded down the street I live on.  I laughed at Sweetie who couldn't quite figure out what in the world all that white stuff was.   
   And...........I'm very close to getting my own store.  I was offered one today but it is a bit too far from me and much to my surprise she said she had a back up plan for me so she is working on that.  If that works out, my commute could be cut in half and I'd love that for sure! 
  The wind is blowing like crazy right now and it looks like a blizzard to me!

   

Where Ya'll From? Peaches & Cream Cottage & other things that make me GRIN

  My accent never goes unnoticed .  Mostly my customers wait until we are done with our transaction and then they'll ask "Where does that accent come from?"  There are those who try to guess and I usually give them three tries.  Nobody ever gets it.  The top three guesses are Alabama, Tennessee, and North Carolina.  And then there are those who leave me with an ever so mild Southern Drawl of their own that they say is quite contagious.  And then there are a few fellow southerners who came here through the military or to follow family.  Those are the ones I share a kinship with and the ones who understand that "ya'll" is plural, not singular.  I had a cute man today who said, "Let's see, where is that accent from, Brooklyn?"  He was kidding me you see and he guessed Alabama and was quite taken aback when he found out he was wrong.  It surprises me that Georgia is so often forgotten or not mentioned.  Georgia  the "Empire State of the South" as I learned in Georgia History.  Atlanta is in Georgia for goodness sakes!   Oh well, it is fun to talk different from almost everybody around. 
   And......Haleigh has wanted me to name my little house for some time now and finally she decided the name for me.  "Peaches & Cream Cottage" because.........this tickles me to death!..........because the outside is Peach colored, the inside is all cream and I'm from Georgia, so there you go, a very smart grandchild I must say!  
  And last but not least,  the district manager that hired me wants me to take a career assessement that all the managers have to take now.  Could I be close to being promoted to management again?  That would be nice for sure.
   So, that's all the news from Peaches & Cream Cottage here in the beautiful Pacific Northwest.   Hope your week is a good one!
  

DID YOU KNOW.........

.......That I have a mountain view from my house?

Feeling More @ Home @ Work

  I don't really know why but when I first started working at the store I'm working in now, I had such a hard time.  Everything seemed so hard.  Everyone's problems were not simple or easy to solve.  This store leads the district I think in managed care which is insurance.  That is hard to say the least, dealing with that.  People seemed unfriendly to me or indifferent.  Slowly but surely things seem a little better.  We had a super busy day today and I love that and it was pretty easy as well.  I especially love easy.  So, I'm not sure what it is exactly but I'm feeling better.
   My accent is always a topic.   One little sweet girl told me she  "loved hearing me talk country", so funny to me.  I guess it does stand out a bit.  I don't mind. 
   Tonight I was invited to go to the kid's for dinner.  It was good and we had a nice visit.  I remember when I was first talking about coming out here that Matthew so hoped I'd get work nearer than I have but that didn't happen.  So we don't see each other so much but I know he is here when I need him and that is a comfort.  I don't feel so alone in the world. 
   And so, here I am, enjoying my job, not even minding the commute much, loving my little cottage.  I am a little scared of the preditions of a very bad winter but I'll take it as it comes. Driving in ice is something I really don't want to do.  Nor snow!  (Don't you laugh my Minnesota friend!")
   Anyway, I'm tired but all is well.  Hope all is well for you too.
Love,
Robbin