Yes, it has been forever since I blogged, but this time I really do have a legitimate excuse. Our antivirus protection expired a couple months ago when we were momentarily really broke, so we didn't renew it right away...and then nothing bad happened, so we didn't renew it later, either. About three weeks ago, our computer became almost instantaneously overrun by spyware, to the point where Internet Explorer would only stay open for about two minutes before randomly shutting down. Then finally, Internet Explorer wouldn't work at all, and Chris couldn't play WoW, and the whole thing sucked so much. No counterspy or antivirus software would eradicate it, and finally we had to start from scratch and reinstall Windows. So now our computer is super-stocked with antivirus and antispyware software that is set to run automatically daily, as well as a firewall router, and so I think we're in business again.
So...new job! Like Chris's recent promotion, this happened really quickly. Chris got word that the Camping Secretary at the Council was moving across the country since her husband got a promotion/transfer. So he asked the Camping Director about it, who is someone we know from camp, and who has been more or less trying to find me a job at the council for almost a year. Well, I sent in my application, and scheduled an interview as early as I could work it in around my work schedule. When I went in, it didn't really feel like an interview--it felt like two colleages chatting about a job opening. So I learned all about the job, and even though it sounded like a lot of one-on-one customer service, it still sounded pretty cool. Then Scott asked me to stick around for a second interview later that afternoon with the big boss. At that point, I figured I was pretty much in, and it seemed the rest was somewhat a formality. And it was. I got the job--they told me immediately after the second interview--and it pays a lot more than Starbucks. Because it's classified as a "support staff" position, I don't make as much as the District Executives and other professional scouters (I make a LOT less than Chris, for example), but the job is great.
I work very regular hours: 8:30 to 5, Monday through Friday. I get an hour for lunch, for the first time in my entire job history. And I get real benefits, once we can get them set up. The online benefits server is a little buggy. It's a desk job, but I do a variety of tasks during the day, and actually not that much time answering the phone. That's a big plus to me, because I get restless if I have to do the same thing for too long (I have the attention span of a five-year-old) and a lot of customer interaction wears me out. So, you may be wondering, what do I actually DO? Well, the quickest way to explain it is to say that my alternate job title is "Program Registrar." So, I register people for camping programs. When people mail in their checks and registration forms, I receipt them and enter them into our computer database. I send statements by mail showing how much people owe still for summer camp. I answer phone and email questions about the camps and about registration and money for the camps. And I file. Oh, how I file. Any of you who know my obsessive love for organization systems will understand how much I love to file. No, this is not sarcasm. I actually love filing systems.
So, yeah. The job is pretty cool. The commute sucks, and I'm totally not used to having so little free time during the week and so much free time on weekends, but I'm adjusting. It's nice not to be exhausted at the end of an 8-hour shift like I always was at Starbucks. And the extra money is going to mean a lot more financial security for Chris and I, provided we save some of it.
In unrelated news, I'm a camp aunt again! Mark and Heidi had their baby, and since they live so close to us, I get to go over to their house and get my baby fix pretty much whenever I want. Baby Andrew is two weeks old and still tiny and squishy and totally sweet.
Well, I'm going to go see if there's a Law and Order marathon on, and if not, try to redeem my earlier pitiful performance on Guitar Hero. I'm about halfway through Hard, and I have to play a lot of the songs several times before I can beat them. Also, I'm trying to unlock the USA guitar, because I think Casey Lynch would totally play it. Yes, I'm completely unashamed of my nerdiness. Oh, and btw, Super Paper Mario for the Wii is pretty great too, if only I had the attention span to stick with it longer than one level at a time.
