I just got back today from a two and a half day seminar for my current sales job.  Call it brainwashing if you want, but I feel like I can make a real difference in people’s lives with what I am doing.  I work for a major home fire and security company, and I realized today that I am really in the business of saving lives.  I know that this may seem like a real stretch for most folks to make, but after what I heard and saw the last couple of days, it is true.

I got to hear a recorded call from our national customer monitoring center yesterday.  The home system called the CMC and alerted them of a sensor reading.  The center immediately called the home, it was 2am.  A groggy woman answered the phone.  The CMC asked the woman if everything was ok.  The woman seemed out of sorts, and said everything was fine.  The CMC told her that her carbon monoxide communicator had notified them of high levels of the toxic gas.  The woman seemed confused.  The CMC rep asked how she was feeling, and she said that she had a headache.  The CMC then asked if there were any other people in the house.  She said that her two sons and sister lived in the house as well.  The CMC asked if anyone else had been feeling bad that day.  The woman stated that her oldest son, a 7 year old, had said that his head hurt after dinner that night.  The CMC asked if the woman wanted us to contact the fire department, the woman siad she didn’t know what was going on.  The CMC said that they would contact the fire department and EMS and dispatch them to the home.  The CMC then advised the woman to gather her family and wait outside of the home until help arrived.–END OF CALL–

–NEW CALL–CMC answers and the woman is ecstatic.  She thanked the rep profusely for the call earlier that morning.  The woman said that when the fire department arrived they tested the basement for carbon monoxide, and the level came up as 39, and that 9 was enough to cause CO sickness.  The rep accepted the praise for the company and was audibly happy about the outcome.  The woman, who was 7 months pregnant, said that had it not been for the CMC the entire family would likely not be alive.–END OF CALL–

These were real calls.  I heard them, recording beeps and all.  It changed my perspective on what I am doing.  Yes, I am in a sales position.  Yes, I do do make money by selling the services and protection.  Yes, the more that is sold the more money I make.  Yes, I believe in the products and the services.  So yes, I do work for ADT Fire and Security, and yes, I do save lives for a living.

Thanks for listening;)

I know, I said I would write more, and I haven’t.  So, I write now with way too much in my head.

I got a job.  It is not the one I wanted, or even one that I thought I would like doing, but so far it has been good.  I have some freedom and latitude in my schedule, even during training, so that is what brings us here today.

My job is a sales job, and is based on commission.  I do get a training wage but it is not much.  I have never worked on commission and I am a little scared about the prospect in these troubling financial times.  I talk about money today because I am really worried for the first time in about 7 years.  I, luckily and thankfully, have not had to worry much about money since about the middle of 2001.  I took my first “real” job in Charlotte, NC that year.  Molly and I have been doing just fine for ourselves since we moved in together in 2002, and married in 2003.  We have been able to live a comfortable life, and have our children in one of the best daycares/schools.  Now we are looking at ways to make ends meet, and make adjustments to our lifestyles to do that.  Ever since I left my last job in July of last year, and the severance ran out, I have been looking for a good job and new career move.  It’s not that I haven’t gotten offers, or been in the running for these jobs until the last decision, but with each week we have reached deeper into our savings.  It would not have been so bad if we hadn’t gone through the same thing for 6 months in 2006.

I am not obsessed with money, but I do enjoy the comforts that come with having what we need, and most of what we want.  I have always enjoyed finding the perfect gift for someone and not worrying about the price tag too much.  I want my children to have all the opportunities that are out there, and to have a solid education.  I now find myself looking at every price tag, and costing it out to the dollar, and where it fits in our budget.  I am compromising my educational ideals to ensure that our daughter will have a safe and learning environment, even with the conflict, because it make more fiscal sense.

I am not sure how most people are able to make the seemingly impossible seem possible.  Single parents with multiple kids are my heroes.  A friend of my sister has 4 kids, and makes it work! How, I have no idea, but she does it with a smile on her face:)

Thanks for listening;)

Yes, it is my birthday.  About 3 hours and 33 years ago I was born into this world we know.  Wow, that seems like ages ago, but in this moment is was just yesterday.

I will start with yesterday, the 4th.  It started fairly normal.  Wake up with the kids running around and Molly getting ready.  I get up and shower, then go downstairs to walk our dog Hattie.  You see, you have to walk Hattie, not just let her out.  We don’t have a fenced yard so that also feeds into the need to walk her.  It was all normal.  The kids came downstairs and I gave Rudolph his breathing treatment and we all watched some TV.  I got up to get my coat on and I smelled something.  I walked into Hattie’s room, this is where she stays when we’re not home and it also doubles as my workroom, and there is Hattie lying down with her head under my stool, a little odd but nothing crazy.  I checked Rudolph, because her often likes to make a deposit before we go to school, if you know what I’m sayin’.  He was fine.  I walked into our office and I smelled it again.  It was coming from Hattie’s room.  I went back in there and Hattie was trying to get up but she was not moving her hind legs.  I tried to pick her up but her legs would not budge.  Her hind legs were splayed out and not moving.  She had pooped and was sitting in it, hence the odor.  I put on her leash and tried to urge her on, nothing.  I called Molly in the room.  We couldn’t get her to stand up.  I opened the outside door to her room, a door that never gets opened, and we pushed her outside.  I tried to pick her up and she snapped at me.  Hattie has never snapped at me in the five years that we have had her.  She is a gentle and quiet dog.  She is protective around other males, but never did that with me.

Molly took her to the vet and I took the kids to school.  Molly called me to say that the vet couldn’t see her immediately, but would call us when he had a chance to see her, we like him, his last name is our daughter’s first name, just a happy side note.

Molly had the flu this weekend and went into work to pick up her computer and some other stuff and then returned home.  I am at home, see previous post, and was planning a trip to Northern VA for some research for a job interview that I was suppose to have today, more on that later.  Molly came downstairs around 12:30 and said that the vet had called.  He had said that Hattie would not let him examine her, and that they were going to sedate her to make it easier.  He asked about any history with this sort of thing.  We got Hattie when she was about 6 or 7, no one knows for sure, so she is a senior in the dog world.  She struggled each morning to get up, and could not hear or see very well.  I would go in her room to get her at night and she would be standing there staring at the wall.  I would give her food and water and she didn’t even move.  She had no clue that I was in the room.  The vet also said that if she had these issues that he could probably get her through this episode, but couldn’t make any guarantees that it would not happen again, or everyday for that matter.  The vet then asked us if we had considered euthanizing her.  Well, not until you just said it.

When I was growing up we had an English Sheepdog named Shad.  I remember her getting old.  I remember her struggles.  And I remember the day that we had her put to sleep.  I was in the room with my entire family.  I remember my sister and mother crying.  I remember how much she was shaking, and I remember how calm she was before she slipped away.

Hattie is with Shad now. 

Part of me knows that she is better now, but a bigger part of me misses her.  Yeah, having a black dog that sheds like a Persian cat sucked at times.  And while cleaning up dog poop and pee is not fun, not to mention the carpet replacement, she was an amazing companion.  Molly and I got her in 2003 right after I moved in with Molly, and right after we got married.  She was such a great pet, especially around the kids.  When Clarice was born she sniffed her a couple of times then laid down beside her.  She was always very gentle, yet protective with the kids.  She will be missed.

I did go to Northern  VA, got my research done, and got to have dinner with my sister.  We walked the entire length of King St. in Old Town Alexandria before we settled on dinner at the South Austin Grill.  Good, but not great.  Thanks for dinner sis!!

Birthday:

So I had planned on sleeping in, but as anyone with 2 toddlers will tell you, “Good Luck.”  I did stay in bed until about 9am.  I had to get up, I had a phone interview at 11am.  So I took a shower, got dressed, had some breakfast, and started my interview prep.

11:00am: Let’s go!

11:05: I’m ready…

11:15: Um, is my phone working?  Call the wife she calls me back, all’s working.

11:25: This is nuts, call the company recruiter.

He is surprised to hear from me.  My interview was with the person who would be my boss, so the recruiter is confused.  He says he’ll check on it and call me back.

11:30:  He calls me back and apologizes prolifically, and asks to reschedule at 9am tomorrow.  OK, I understand, looking forward to it.

I understand getting wrapped up with meetings and such, but I have always been a firm believer in keeping all appointments, and being on time.  I had a band director in high school who use to say, “Early is on time, on-time is late, and late is left.”  Words to live by in the business world, at least for me.  So my potential future boss can’t keep and appointment, that explains alot about his operation, maybe more on that later, and this company who I started interviewing with right after Christmas and then had no contact with me until last week, are not high on my “I want to Work for You” list, but then again, beggars can’t be choosers.

My day did get better when I went to my local drug dealer, Starbucks, and heard some interesting news.  My old boss got fired for filing incorrect expense reports!  I am not surprised, she was a royal PITA$$.  She was the one who drove me to quit.  I had never quit a job in my life!  She was always a little shady, and this just goes to prove it.  She had been claiming mileage and car allowance each month, one or the other not both there TB.(those are her real intials, but also hold true for the other meaning)

After that fantastic news I got to read the paper and finished both crosswords!!

Maybe I expected more from the day, maybe I am just lost in this job hunt, but today was  not a great day.

I am looking forward to being 33 and 1 day.

Thanks for listening;)