Real World Mom

So, I got some potentially good news at work on Friday (finally).  My supervisor informed me that the woman I was hired to temporarily replace is not coming back.  Barring any unforseen bullshit, the job should be mine, although, I have to talk to human resources on Monday.

Here’s my concern…  I’m currently working four nights a week, 4-8 p.m.  School starts in three and a half weeks, and there is a conflict with one of my classes (it is from 3:30-4:45).  Obviously, I can’t be two places at once!  Initially, I thought I would just switch and take an earlier class; however, that class only has about six people registered for it, so I’m fairly certain it will be cancelled.  I really need to take this class this semester, or it will mess things up quite a bit.

The only solution I have come up with so far, is to ask the woman who works Tuesdays and Fridays if she’ll work an extra hour (hour and fifteen minutes at most) for me on those days, and, in return, I will go in and relieve her two hours early on my day off.  Does this sound somewhat reasonable?  Do you have any other suggestions?  (I’ll take any at this point!)

Edna (not her real name), the other receptionist, is a nice woman, though a bit disorganized, but I’m not really seeing her going for this.  I could be totally wrong, it just seems she’s not the type to go too far out of her way for someone else.  This concerns me, because I can’t think of any other options, and I really don’t want to lose this job because of it.

So, folks, the lines are open, and I’m all ears.  Help!

P.S.  I should have some really BIG news to share early next week!  I can’t wait to tell you all about it!  Stay tuned! 

There was no news at work last night.  Or, if there was, no one shared it with me.  Debbie (not her real name) wasn’t there, so I couldn’t ask her.  And, since she probably wasn’t supposed to say anything to me the other day, I didn’t want to ask anyone else.  So, I continue to wait, not knowing what’s going to happen.

I’m trying to stay focused on the positives.

• Even if I don’t keep this particular job, I may have help finding another one in this huge organization.
• I’ve got a shot at getting a job through the work study program at school (not as much $, but they would certainly be understanding about school-related responsibilities).
• I have met some incredible people, and experienced some things that I may not have otherwise, and nothing can take that away.
• If I’m offered the job permanently, I will either have to try to talk them into adjusting my hours two days a week, or switch a class that I really don’t want to switch.  If I leave the job, I won’t have to worry about that!
• It will be a challenge to work the hours I’m working AND take five classes.  Again, if I don’t have that job anymore, problem goes away.

Either way, I’m going to be ok!

In other news…  If you like candles and/or really cool accessories, please take a couple of minutes to check out my PartyLite show.  If you’d like to place an order, have no fear!  It will be shipped directly to you in a timely fashion, and you’ll love the products (I know because I used to sell it!).  Just be sure to put my name in as the host (Stacey Dadich).

I’m getting a G1!!  Tim received his earlier this week, and I fell in gadget love!  This is the absolute coolest phone I have ever seen!  It’s like a computer, and the phone is just there too!  Soooo cool!  Even though I just got a new phone about three weeks ago, Tim called and was able to get them to do an exchange.  In my defense (if you will allow me to stretch a bit), I have been having some problems with the battery in my new phone, so that is a good reason to get a different one, right?    I’m very excited and can’t wait to get it!  Thank you, Sweetie!!

While I have tweeted about it, and have his logo on my front page, I’ve never mentioned Tim’s web hosting service here on Real World Mom.  So…  (drum roll, please!)  Introducing TimburyDotNet, the best web host in the biz! I’m not just saying that because my other half owns it either–I’ve heard him on the phone with customers, and I know how far he’ll go to help them out.  TimburyDotNet is the ideal host for bloggers too.  He can have your site set up, with a fresh blog  included, in a very short time.  AND, his prices are GREAT!  If you’ve ever dreamed about having your very own website, get in touch with TimburyDotNet, and he can help you make it happen, even if you don’t have a clue where to start!

For Real World Mom readers, TimburyDotNet is offering 25% off the first year to new customers! On the basic plan (perfect for us bloggers), that’s only $37.50 for your first year (that breaks down to $3.13 a month!).  Great price and the best customer service!  Questions?  Contact me or timATtimbury.net.

Happy weekend!!

When I got to work yesterday, one of the other receptionists told me that we should know by the end of the week whether or not the woman I’m filling in for will be coming back.  Debbie (not her real name) said she was pulling for me, and that Paula (not her real name), our supervisor, really wants me to stay as well.

On one hand, this is excellent news:

• I should know in a few days if I will be keeping this job I’ve grown to (mostly) love
• It made me feel really good to hear that my co-worker and my boss want me to stick around

Then there’s the other hand, with the not-so-good news:

• My days there may be numbered
• I will stress more in these next few days than I have been previously

It was really difficult last night trying not to look at some of the residents/family members, etc., that I have begun to care about, and not think to myself, “What if I don’t get to see them anymore?”  As I was telling Tim about this last night, I had to fight back tears.  I would be losing so much more than just a paycheck…

Mr. Winger (not his real name) is a resident that I see pretty frequently.  He is usually accompanied by Mr. Daly (not his real name), and usually doesn’t speak anymore than he has to.  Out of curiosity, I looked at Mr. Winger’s diagnoses.  “Major depression” was one of them.

Last night, Mr. Winger and Mr. Daly came by for their nightly trek outside.  Since Mr. Winger is currently in a wheelchair, and Mr. Daly is somewhat fragile, I offered to get the door for them.  I commented on how tan Mr. Winger is, and said he must be spending a lot of time outside lately.  For the first time, he actually responded to me with more than just a word or two!  He told me I had a tan as well, and then said, “Your name is Stacey, right?”  I heard more from him last night than I think I have in all of our ‘conversations’ combined!

Maybe he was having a good day.  Or maybe he realized I’m nice to him because I want to be.  In any case, it did my heart good.  Now if I could just make him smile!

Mr. Peters (not his real name) is a very sweet man who comes to visit his 50-ish-year-old son every single day.  Sometimes his wife or his brother come with him, but often, he comes alone.  He is always friendly, and always has something nice to say.  When he came in last Friday, he asked why his son’s hair hadn’t been cut, even though he had already paid for it.  I told him I would look into it for him.  Turned out, the woman who had been working the night Mr. Peters paid for the hair cut forgot to put the younger Mr. Peters on the list.  So, I took care of it.  When Mr. Peters was leaving later, I explained to him what had apparently happened, and that it was fixed.  He was happy.  When I saw him last night, I told him that his son would be getting his hair cut today when the hairdresser came in.  Apparently he had forgotten all about it, but was pleased that it would be done, and thanked me again for handling it.

I realize this may sound pretty trivial, and perhaps not blog-worthy.  However, seeing all that this man has to deal with (and I’m sure there’s a lot more I have no idea about), to be able to handle even one, small problem for him makes me feel good, and gives him one less thing to concern himself with.  Just think how much better all our lives might be if everyone looked out for everyone else this way.

I don’t want to leave these people.  I would miss them terribly.  They have made a difference in my life, and, for that, I am very grateful.  Whether I get to keep this job or not, that is something I never have to lose.

I applied for, and was chosen, to be a Peer Leader for a three-day seminar next month, given by the Educational Opportunity Fund at the college I attend.  I’m very excited about this because when I attended the seminar last year, it was a huge help to me.  Now I have a shot at making a difference to this year’s new students!

Speaking of making a difference…  I am really enjoying my new job.  Although I may not be a doctor, a nurse, or a social worker (yet!), I feel like I’m making a small difference in the days of some of our residents and their family members.

The visitors. I see all the visitors that come in, and I always smile, and greet them in a warm and friendly way.  Most likely, they aren’t happy about being there, so maybe a kind word helps to brighten their day just a little bit.  There are quite a few regulars whom I see every day, and we know each other’s names now.  They smile when they come in and see me, and we chat.  I feel good interacting with these folks, and I hope that they enjoy it too.

There’s Marie (not her real name), whom I met on Thursday.  She’s probably in her sixties.  Her fiancee had been admitted earlier that day, and she was feeling exhausted, upset, and unsure if she’d made the right decision to admit him, rather than continue caring for him at home.  He is dying of cancer and has had a drastic decline in just two weeks’ time.  The incident that prompted her to admit him to the nursing home was that he tried to get out of bed by himself, while she was sleeping, and he fell.  She later found him lying on the floor, and somehow managed to pick him up and get him back on the bed.  Her story touched me; she touched me.  When she stops to talk to me–on her way in, and on her way out–I listen and offer words of encouragement.  What I really want to do is give her a big hug!  I think she’s the one making a difference in my life…  Be grateful for all that I have, and don’t waste a moment!

Then there’s Fred (not his real name).  I’m not sure who he comes to visit every day, but I look forward to his arrival.  He’s always got a wise-ass comment or something funny to say.  It’s odd to realize, just two, short weeks ago, we only exchanged hellos.

The residents. At first, I was kind of intimidated by them.  I’ve never liked hospitals, and have never been comfortable around ’sick people’.  Add to that a severe lack of patience (no pun intended) on my part.  This place, and these people, are changing all that.

Brad (not his real name) is in a wheel chair, and I see him almost every day, roaming the lobby or the hallways.  He’s a very pleasant man, and probably about 55 or so.  When I saw him the other day, and said, “Hello Brad, how are you today?”, he smiled at me.  I’m not sure if it’s because I remembered his name, or because I took the time to talk to him, or if he was just glad to see me, but it sure made my day to see him smile!

Mr. Wright (not his real name).  He yelled at me the first time I met him.  The other day, I saw him in the lobby, and I asked how he was.  He didn’t yell; we had a brief, yet pleasant exchange.  From what a couple of other employees have told me, gruff is his usual demeanor, so I think maybe I’ve made a little bit of progress with him!

There are many others I could write about (and maybe I will eventually).  I’ve experienced so much in the month that I’ve been at the nursing home.  Some of it sad, but much of it not.  So far, it has substantiated my belief that I want to be a social worker.  These people are making a difference in my life, and maybe, just maybe, I am making a small difference in theirs too.

Things on the job front seem to finally be going my way!

Right after I started the dreaded retail job, I was offered another one that I had interviewed for about a month prior.  It’s a temporary, part-time receptionist position at a nursing/rehabilitation home.  I accepted it, and planned to work both jobs, at least for the summer.

My orientation for both employers took place last week.  The retail gig continued to be seriously disorganized (it took several phone calls from me to them to find out when I was supposed to go in, and they still didn’t even have my employee number), while the receptionist role was looking better and better.

The nursing home that I am working for is part of a HUGE health care network, including hospitals, mental health facilities, etc.  Since I’m majoring in social work, I decided that I would be much better off focusing on the nursing home position than the retail job that I didn’t want anyway.

I’ve worked two days at the nursing home so far, and I really like it!  My supervisor and my co-workers are extremely nice people, and I feel at home already.

I’m hoping that it will become a permanent position (I was hired to cover for someone who is out on disability), but, even if this particular position doesn’t, it’s very possible I could get something else, either in that facility, or one of the many others.  Possibilities are a good thing!