Summer Rambles

Originally I meant to give this post a much more extreme title, like "Aaaaaaaah!  HELP ME!"  or something along those lines.  But you all know how I hate to over-dramatize things so obviously I decided against that.  (And you all know I hate sarcasm, too, right?)

 

To cut to the chase, this is going to be a rambly, I-don't-know-what-to-call-it post, all about my crazy ridiculous summer and anything else that happens to blabber it's way onto the page.  Usually I like my posts to be well-thought out and organized, but considering that they take me such an enormously long time to write, I'm going to try to be a little more slap-dash about this one because...well because.  I do have things to do, people.   (Seriously. It's not like I sit in front of my computer all day long, you know.)

 

Oh dear.  Now I'm not even sure where to begin. 

Basically this summer has been super fun but super stressful, too.  You all know I got a new job, right?  Well...I actually got two new jobs.   How did that come about?  Well allow me to explain. 

So I started the first job (working as a front desk representative at a Christian retreat center), in June after I got back from the most exciting part of my summer (a visit to this girl here...which was an amazing time, friends, let me tell you!  :)).  The job was going along swimmingly for the first month or so, until we went away on vacation for a week to visit my grandparents.  (This happened in early July.)  Returning to work the day after we got home while being extremely sleep deprived, was not a good combination.  I was so sleepy the whole time I was at work and everything suddenly became extremely overwhelming, and I just knew, right then and there, that I wouldn't be able to do this.  This job just wasn't for me.  I went home with retirement plans formulating in my head.  (Retirement?  Ha.  More like plans for skedaddling as quickly as possible.)

There was another job I had applied for several months previously.  A job at a small café in a nearby town.  I hadn't gotten the job when I originally applied because they'd already hired all the help they needed at the time, but while we were on vacation they contacted me saying they were now hiring again and would be interested in considering me for a position.

So in the heat of discouragement over the one job, I decided to apply for the second job, thinking if I got it I could then work both jobs for a little bit, decide which I liked better, and drop the one I didn't like. 

Well, I got the second job.  I started working.  I recovered somewhat from my sleep deprivation and the first job somehow didn't look so bad anymore.  The second job however was stressing me out!!  It was too much.  It was all too much!  I was so sick of working jobs that were all new to me.  I was so tired of not knowing what to do and having to ask so many questions.  I was quitting.  One day more and then I was going to tell my boss that working two jobs was too much for me.  The café job would have to go.

I was a basket case, a complete basket case that one Saturday night when I got home from a four hour evening shift.  So tired and worn out and stressed, I cried hysterically (but as silently as I could) into my pillow that night, going over and over in my mind how I was going to tell my boss that I was quitting and whether quitting was even the right thing to do or whether I was giving up too soon.  I finally fell asleep feeling that I truly did have legitimate reasons to quit.  That I literally could not handle this much pressure.

The weeping and pity-partying continued into the next day.  I was working Sunday and I was sick of working Sundays!!  I wanted to go to church with my family.  I was feeling lonely and cut off from everyone and I'm afraid I gave my mom a time of it being so moody and dispirited.  Well, I went to work.  Because I had to.  And low and behold, I came home with a completely different perspective.

Had to admit to my mom that she was right all along.  I simply hadn't given it enough time.  It's not that I suddenly loved my job, but due to one thing and another it did suddenly became a whole lot more bearable.  And now I've adjusted my schedule to make sure I have Sundays and Mondays off most weeks and just knowing that I have a weekend is such a relief.  :)

So yeah.  I'm working two jobs.  I'm still in the learning process for both of them which has it's levels of stress.  And I still want to quit just about every other day (because I'm a wimp), but overall I think I'm going to survive it.  It's a matter of getting used to a new normal.  Accepting the fact that I do have less time at home, but that, that's how life goes.  It's a new phase of life and one that I need to embrace and work with, instead of pining for the way things used to be.   I know God opened these doors for me and I need to walk through them with a grateful heart and an attitude of anticipation for how He plans to use and grow me through this.  (There now.  There's your lecture for today, Miss March.  Put that in your pipe and smoke it.)  (But I don't smoke.)  (Details.)

Anyway, enough on that subject.  I'm sure you didn't come here to hear a bunch of boring details all about my working life, now did you?  (For that matter, what did you come here for?  Oh! you stumbled upon this blog by accident.  Well, I'm sorry.  You have my deepest condolences.) 

*****

Summer, summer, summer.  It's almost over.  Did you realize that?  My siblings started back to school this week already.   (And now I will say an original thing.  Like Uncle Benjamin.)  "How time does fly!"

I called this post Summer Rambles, so now I feel I must ramble about something.  But dear me, now that I've gotten all that work nonsense off my chest I'm really not sure what there is left to talk about. 

Give me a minute.  I'll think of something. 

~ Oh yes!  After over a year's length of time I've finally finished reading Great Expectations to my brother.  It's a marvelous book.  Really.  I could find you some excellent quotes from that book, but I won't just now because unfortunately I don't have the time.  We started reading The Blue Castle just today.  It's great having a brother who lets me read aloud to him!  (Because I do love to read aloud.)

~ I also started reading Little Women aloud to two of my younger sisters.  That's been fun so far, though I guess we won't have as much time for it now that they're back in school.  Do any of you dear people like to read aloud? 

~ I cut my finger at work the other day.  That was ouch.  But mostly just annoying because...blood...you know.  :P

~ I'm currently reading Christy to myself, and it's such a good book!  Catherine Marshall has a really lovely style of writing.

~ Watched The Parent Trap (1961) about three times last week.  And ohh, what is it about some movies?  I've seen this one dozens of times before, but IT WAS SO GOOD THIS TIME!  I really, really liked it.  It's a comedy, but even in the midst of the comedy there's so much real, human emotion.  Like when the dad sees both of the twins together for the first time in years...he gets all teary eyed and oh! it's just so sweet!!  (And Sharon's conversation with Vickie?  Haha.  That was priceless.  "Surely you don't think I'd want to marry your father just for his money?"  "If the shoe fits wear it!"  ;))

~ Wow.  I am getting very nice and rambly now, aren't I?  I guess I'd better wrap this thing up before I put you entirely to sleep. 

So long my friends!  I hope you're all have a very lovely Summer! 
Any special plans for the Fall? 

Until next time...

 

I remain yours very truly,
Miss March

P.S.  Please overlook any errors in this post.  I'm afraid I'm in too much of a hurry to read it over as thoroughly as I usually do.  I have to be at work by 5:00 and I still need to get ready.  Yikes!  Must be off!