September 6, 2008
Sep 7th, 2008 by briarthorn
Good gods has this week been insane. Immense highs and ‘knock your feet out from under you’ lows all at once. Someone up there *points upwards* loves filling my plate.
Yesterday, after weeks of self conflict, I finally got the nerve up after 6 years at my job to actually ask for a raise. My raises up to this point have been minimal amounts, normal in-store raises that amount to little extra pay after so many years of faithful service to my company. I might not have gotten the *coughs* balls to do it, but the CEO of our entire chain of stores actually came to our store yesterday to introduce a regional bit shot who was taking over and amazingly out of all the store employees they chose me to stop and talk to and ask me about how things were going. To meet Rick was insane, his face is plastered all over the upstairs private areas of our store so that if he ever DID walk in we’d know who he was instantly *chuckles*
We, he, myself, and the new big shot Darren, talked about garden centers for a moment and about how I felt next year’s numbers would be affected by this year’s disasters (my garden center got destroyed by the storms that happened just before this year’s dreamworld moot). I THINK I gave intelligent answers? I was so in shock I sorta babbled. *laughs* But afterwards I found out there were few they stopped to talk with as they did me, so I felt I’d contributed to our store’s great reputation somehow.
That’s when I realized that I did care about the store more than most. This store that I work at supported me beyond words long ago when I lost my husband to a sudden death. They’ve since then always been willing to work with me on whatever time off I need to be there for my kids. Time and again they’ve let me take off all and any time I need to be there for my family. Few stores would be so willing. And with their willingness to help me, I do all I can to help them.
For two weeks I’ve been trying like crazy to get someone who isn’t him to tell me the proper steps to ask about raises, and got the run around from all the secondary managers. So I finally got brave. Me. Can you believe it? I got done with my shift and sat down with the Store Manager. Tom is an ex-military strong opionated man, but he’s also very fair to all of his employees as long as they are straight with him. We had a long talk during which he DID tell me how valuable to the store I am and that I did deserve to be making more *waves pompoms* I will find out how much more after they have their managers meeting later this month. *smiles* I was so proud of myself, still am, that I finally spoke up for myself. Those who know me can tell you, the only time I EVER speak up is on behalf of my family, friends, or my kids.
I’m trying guys and gals. I promise to value myself more *chuckles*
Doing this had me on a high so up there that when I got home yesterday and found out my whole computer was corrupted with severely nasty viruses I didn’t blink, I just went to my computer experts and said HAAAALP! *laughs*
After Uxian MSNed me the entire new AVG 8 I had to then run it, and that took hours and hours, so I used my energy and adrenalline to work on my house a bit and painted some spots I’d spackled in my plaster walls with paint that was ages old but amazingly still good! Life was looking good at about midnight last night when the walls were painted and the virus scanner had cleaned up about 50 files of corruption and I had my computer back for this morning.
Today’s online time got delayed due to a phonecall from my dad, who the whole family calls Papa since he became a grandfather *laughs* My mother has been reduced to Mamo to go along with that and she’s totally okay with it. My parents are proud of the generations of family they have on this earth. Including all the adopted into the family ones.
Papa wanted to take us all fishing at the family lake. Since we get to spend so little time with him, I said yes without even asking the kids, then had to convince the kids it was the thing to do. I only could convince my daughter, my son wasn’t interested, so he stayed behind with Mamo while the rest of us went fishing.
The lake is so gorgeous. It’s peaceful, its away from the world, and its still over 11 acres large. It’s where we go to swim, fish, iceskate in winter, and just gather as a family when we can. I caught the first fish *grins* But my dad caught the biggest, a 5 pound bass he was laughing happily at as he brought it in. I took a picture of him and my daughter with it, and then we released it so it could make more lovely fish to catch someday.
Almost 3 hours into our adventure, my mom suddenly drove up over the lip of the hill of the pond and parked at the landing and started honking. She got out and started waving her hands as if to get us to come in and I told my father that something had to be wrong, so we hurried up to the dock. I knew, from seeing her face that something Major had happened. Tears ran down her face and my mom rarely cries.
My aunt Jetta, my father’s youngest sister, had been found deceased in her apartment this morning, having apparently died in her sleep several days ago. Frantic to reach her, one of her friends had called the police who knocked in her door and found her. They aren’t sure what caused it, so my father is having to go down with his other sister to answer questions for the police.
Jetta was never expected to live past the age of 20 when she was born, she had several things wrong with her medically that need not be gone into here, as they are complicated, but when she reached the age of 20 and was still thriving in her tiny body, the doctors reassessed and said she wouldn’t likely make it to 40. She physically showed it to them all by living to the ripe old age of 56.
I’m going to miss you Jetta. Your voice raised in song could turn every head in a room, and your stories that came out endlessly of your life will always be in my heart. I hope you and Grandma are up in heaven now, arguing affectionately as you always did in life and that you are as tall and beautiful in body now as you were your whole life in spirit and someday hoped to be.
Yeah… warned you all. It’s been one heck of a week’s end… let alone the rest of what’s going on. I might dump here a bit more now that I’ve learned how to use it better.
If for no other reason than to show everyone how much my dreamworld keeps pulling me away from Norrath, no matter how much I’d love to be there more hosting and taking part in Roleplay events and merriment with you all.
*putters off to have a good look down memory lane in her photo books and a good cry*