There’s No Turning Back Now! 7/23 - Link to my new PTR!

[Tink-erin-belle]

I got some FANTASTIC news this evening! I got a job offer! I'm so excited! I'm going to be working for a nationwide nonprofit in a Junior Management position! This is a huge step up from my last job AND the salary is about the same as what it was back when I worked in sales a few years back! Win - win situation! Funny enough, I'm going to be working for one of my old supervisors from my last job. I'm so excited because he knows my work ethic and I know his management style. I'm beyond happy! I'm ecstatic! I'm also a little nervous but I love that anticipation that comes from starting something new. I don't have a start date yet but I should know as soon as I sign my offer letter. I can't wait because I've been going stir crazy being at home every day! I'm going to miss being home for when my kids get back from school, though. It was nice to temporarily be a Stay at Home Mom, but this Single Mama needs to bring home the bacon and fry it up in the pan! I'm going to make the most of the next few days that I get to be home with the kids I'm so excited about this new job that I can barely sit still!

 

[Victoriasmom98]

Oh Erin....I am beyond excited for you!!!! It almost makes me cry I'm so happy!!! You deserve it, sistah!!!! Now get to Disney planning!!!!!

 

[luvmy2babies]

When I saw there was an update, I started pleading, "Please be a job, please be a job, please be a job!"

I'm so happy for you. I can hardly contain myself. Congratulations

 

[Twoboysnmygirl]

That is fantastic news Erin!!!!

 

[micandminforever]

Great news about the job.

 

[Alysa]

I am so thrilled for you! Congratulations!!!

 

[Tink-erin-belle]

Oh Erin....I am beyond excited for you!!!! It almost makes me cry I'm so happy!!! You deserve it, sistah!!!! Now get to Disney planning!!!!!

When I saw there was an update, I started pleading, "Please be a job, please be a job, please be a job!"

I'm so happy for you. I can hardly contain myself. Congratulations

That is fantastic news Erin!!!!

Great news about the job.

I am so thrilled for you! Congratulations!!!

Thank you guys so much! I’m so happy! I got my offer letter and my official start date is this coming Monday! It is a relief to know that I will be gainfully employed again within the next few days! The benefits package is similar to what I had with my previous employer and it is with the same insurance company. I’m glad about that because that means the kids and I won’t have to find new doctors, dentists and optometrists. The vacation days aren’t that great for the first year of employment, though. It is 10 days off for the first year. It will take me 26 weeks to earn 40 hours of PTO. That will be the first week of December. Funnily enough, when I rescheduled our Disney vacation it was for November 23rd to 30th. Ugh!!! Can I get a break??? I’m continuing to plan that trip just in case – I’ve been making ADRs for the past couple of days – but I have no idea if I am going to be able to take a vacation that soon. I’m not sure I’m going to waste your time by posting the ADRs at this point I was looking at other dates and I was thinking about going in late February after my birthday. It would be nice to get out of this area when it will be so cold here. On the other hand, I would feel super guilty about going for my birthday when I haven’t been able to take the kids to Disney for their birthdays yet! Another option would be just to wait another year and go next summer, but I’m not sure I can hold out for a vacation that long! It’s already been two and a half years since our last official vacation and that is WAY too long! The upside to that would be that I would be able to invite my sisters along again. So who knows? I am really jumping ahead of myself considering that I haven’t even worked my first day yet! For now, I am going to continue to plan for November and then in a couple of months, I’ll try to find the right time to ask my new boss if it will be a good time for me to take a vacation yet! We’ll see. For right now, I am just happy to have a job to go to on Monday!

 

[Lovemy3babes]

Oh Erin, I'm in happy tears for you!!! Congratulations!

 

[-Hope-]

That's great news, Erin! I'm so excited for you.

 

[micandminforever]

I hope you are having a great first day on your new job.

 

[Lovemy3babes]

How's the new job going for you Erin?

 

[Tink-erin-belle]

Oh Erin, I'm in happy tears for you!!! Congratulations!

That's great news, Erin! I'm so excited for you.

I hope you are having a great first day on your new job.

How's the new job going for you Erin?

Thanks, guys! I’ve been at the new job for two weeks now and things are going great! I even got my first paycheck on Friday! I have to say that I am incredibly thankful to have a great new job. Not only that, but a job that I think will actually be fulfilling and challenging. I was much more nervous than I was willing to talk about or write about when I was unemployed. It may have only been for a short time – especially compared to what other people have gone through with unemployment – but it was terrifying because I am a single mother. Yes, my ex-husband is paying child support again, but that is certainly not enough to survive. Yes, I had a severance package, but that wasn’t going to last forever. All I could think about was how I was going to support my kids and myself if I didn’t find a job right away. Weeks can slip into months very quickly and I was worried that I was going to be unemployed for a very long time. Either that, or I was going to have to go back to my roots and become a dreaded telemarketer again! Not only was I going to have to be one of those rude people interrupting your dinner, but I would have to work at night and not have time to spend with my kids. Not to mention that the benefits are usually horrible – if not non-existent – so telemarketing was a last ditch solution that I was really hoping that I could avoid. That being said, my stint as a telemarketer years ago gave me a new respect for that job and I try to be polite when they call my house now at all hours of the night! I still say, “No,” but I’m nice about it I was looking for jobs that were posted online and in the paper, and it seemed like I was either under-qualified or overqualified for everything! One of my coworkers from my previous job sent some job listings to me that were way too technical for me since I had only been working in a technical field for a couple of years. It was nice that he was looking out for me, though. Then when my old supervisor posted a job and I was actually able to get it, it was like a dream come true! I held my breath through the phone screening, the phone interview, the panel interview (with FOUR people on the panel!!!) and up until my supervisor called me to offer the job to me!

As I said before, this is a junior management job and there is so much potential for me to grow there. Not to bad-mouth my old company, but I felt I was never given the opportunity to be in management there. I was given pseudo-power, but I was never actually promoted to supervisor or given any type of title, even though I felt I did the work to deserve it. I did gain a lot of experience there and I am grateful for what I was able to learn because it helped me to move on to a company where I will hopefully be able to advance my career. I know it’s been only two weeks and people still have their game faces on for me but the people seem to be very nice and helpful. Oh, and did I mention we can wear jeans every day??? I love a job where people can dress casually!!! The casual dress doesn’t mean it’s a casual job, though. I was a little overwhelmed the first week when I started to see how much responsibility I would truly have in this position! By the next week, I was able to recognize that the job was going to be very challenging, but I could do it! I am very excited and I am so happy! There are a few other benefits at this job. The main one is the garden!


This is where I eat lunch as often as possible:





This is my view:





There are also a few picnic tables in the sun and one with an umbrella:



It is a native plant garden, so all of the shrubs, trees and flowers are native to this part of Virginia:











Life at work isn’t all roses, though (or whatever all those flowers were!). My commute is significantly longer – another 30 minutes was tacked on to it! It seems like the better the job, the worse the commute! Well, the kids and I will get used to this new schedule soon, I’m sure. The good thing about it is that I can ride public transportation there, so at least I’m not driving the entire time. It is more relaxing to ride the Metro than to drive in gridlock. The DC area has some of the worst traffic in the country, so it is a relief to not have to drive. If I drove, it might shave 10-15 minutes off of my commute, but then I would have to pay for parking and I’m not even going to address the cost of gas! So I guess it all evens out.

Ready for some actual Disney-related news? It’s coming up on the next post!

 

[Tink-erin-belle]

The other thing about this job is that, as a charitable NPO, our busy season is October through March. That means changes for me in terms of Disney planning. No Food and Wine, no MNSSHP, MVMCP, no birthday trip in February and no Spring Break trip! Let me get this out of the way before I go on: Looking back, I fully realize now that I was obsessed with this Disney trip during my lay-off because I needed something to focus on that was less scary than thinking about being unemployed for months on end. It wasn’t a terrible thing to do and it probably helped me to keep my sanity at some moments so that I didn’t start to spiral! I am so glad that this is something I can look back at now and laugh. Anyway, I am going to have to cancel my ADRs for the trip I had tentatively planned for this November. After being forced to view life through the eyes of an unemployed person, I know this isn’t that big of a deal. I am just happy to have a job so that I can afford to take my kids and myself on a vacation someday – oh, and to be able to afford those other silly necessities like food, shelter and clothing Kinda puts it all into perspective, doesn’t it? So, yes, I am upset about having to reschedule YET AGAIN, but things could be worse. So I have a new plan and I floated it by my sisters yesterday. I think that the most realistic plan at this point would be to get a year under my belt at this job and go to Disney World next August with my kids and my sisters. It would be great if Kyle could come too. Maybe even my whole family, but I am getting ahead of myself as usual! The reason I chose August was because I heard that it is one of the slower months since so many kids go back to school then. My kids don’t go back to school until after Labor Day and my sisters don’t go back to school until the week before that. So I am thinking the second or third week of August. We’ll see. I have to renew my subscription to touringplans.com because it expired earlier this month. In order to renew, I just have to order their book Unofficial Guide – so I did that and it is scheduled to arrive tomorrow! Then I’ll be able to see what week typically has the lowest crowds. I’ll also have to rely on the expertise of August and September travelers here on the DIS (like you, Ann! Hope, Karen, have you guys gone during that time too? I can’t remember.) It’s going to be surface-of-the-sun-hot isn’t it? Even when it’s raining, right? I think I will start a new PTR for that even though it is over a year out and I have no idea what is left for me to write about! This PTR has basically turned into my own personal blog. My bad On that note, let me share some non-Disney related pictures!

Here is True and our aunt at our cousin’s First Communion:



I was so happy that True sat still for two hours and let me do her hair in a style other than braids! Yes, it looks like True an my aunt coordinated outfits, but that was actually a coincidence! I really love this picture!

This is the only Mother’s Day picture I have – Kyle prepping the grill for a Mother’s Day Cookout for me and my mom:



True took that picture and I had no idea until I was scrolling though my pictures later

So, back to True, she was on the Pep Squad at her school this year and this was her squad’s last performance:



True and my mom after the performance (and yes, True is wearing shorts under that Tee!)



Kyle, True and Mom:



Me, True and Mom:



Me and True-dee-poo:



You might have noticed that Coy is conspicuously absent from all of these pictures. Here’s a picture I took just now:



He asked me why I wanted to take a picture of him and I said it was to prove that he still lives here Well, he seems to be taking turning 13 seriously because he is spending more time on the phone and with his online friends with his dear old mom. No, it’s not that bad. I was able to get him to watch a scary movie with me yesterday. We were actually supposed to go to a food festival last night but we didn’t make it out there. Luckily, there are a lot of festivals like that in the DC area in the summer, so I’m sure that he, True and I will be able to catch a few. Friday was their last day of school, so I did a little something special to celebrate that, but I think I am going to save that for another post. Maybe even for my potential new PTR! It is at least somewhat Disney related!

 

[Twoboysnmygirl]

Whooohooo! Everything sounds great! I'm so happy for you!

I TOTALLY understand Disney planning keeping you sane during stressful times! I planned and planned in 2010, but I knew in the end we wouldn't be able to go back then b/c we were in financial crisis. We DID eventually get there though and looking back I think the HOPE that planning gave me, kept me sane! (even if everyone else thought I was crazy!)

The later in August, the less busy it will be. I would say the 3rd or 4th week. First off, you may be able to get free dining, secondly, many schools in the country are going back mid-August, so the crowds will diminish that later in the month. Yes, HOT...no avoiding that!

AND...what's cool (and that I haven't talked about yet on my PTR...ahem...BLOG) is that Savannah & I may be taking a quick trip at the beginning of September next year! We can plan together!

I'm glad you are still posting, I wish I could "fix" my PTR, it has so many changes and cancellations that no one is reading anymore!

 

[Victoriasmom98]

Hey you two!!!! My family will be there the third week of August, too!!!! I feel a Dismeet coming on........

 

[Twoboysnmygirl]

How cool would that be Ann?!?!? There is only a small chance that will will go at the end of August instead of the beginning of Sept. but there's a small chance (it's an airfare thing...long story, I'll explain on my PTR sometime!)

 

[Alysa]

We'll be going end of next August too! If we see you, we'll be sure to say hi!

 

[Lovemy3babes]

Wow, your new workplace looks and sounds great! Congratulations Erin! I think an August trip sounds wonderful! And even if it's hot, ya know...who cares? You are still with the ones you love in the Happiest Place on Earth!

 

[Tink-erin-belle]

Sorry I've been AWOL on my PTR, guys. I've been on the boards, commented here and there, but I have neglected my PTR for too long! So let me reply to things you guys probably forgot you even wrote over a month ago!

Whooohooo! Everything sounds great! I'm so happy for you!

I TOTALLY understand Disney planning keeping you sane during stressful times! I planned and planned in 2010, but I knew in the end we wouldn't be able to go back then b/c we were in financial crisis. We DID eventually get there though and looking back I think the HOPE that planning gave me, kept me sane! (even if everyone else thought I was crazy!)

The later in August, the less busy it will be. I would say the 3rd or 4th week. First off, you may be able to get free dining, secondly, many schools in the country are going back mid-August, so the crowds will diminish that later in the month. Yes, HOT...no avoiding that!

AND...what's cool (and that I haven't talked about yet on my PTR...ahem...BLOG) is that Savannah & I may be taking a quick trip at the beginning of September next year! We can plan together!

I'm glad you are still posting, I wish I could "fix" my PTR, it has so many changes and cancellations that no one is reading anymore!

Yes,planning definitely helped to keep me sane! I hope you and Savannah do that girls trip because I'd love to plan with you! September will be a great time to go. But you already know that

Hey you two!!!! My family will be there the third week of August, too!!!! I feel a Dismeet coming on........

Yes, I would love to have a DISmeet! We can send the kids off on an attraction with a long wait while we enjoy a nice alcoholic beverage or two!

How cool would that be Ann?!?!? There is only a small chance that will will go at the end of August instead of the beginning of Sept. but there's a small chance (it's an airfare thing...long story, I'll explain on my PTR sometime!)

For the record, I'm still reading your PTR

We'll be going end of next August too! If we see you, we'll be sure to say hi!

Please do! I'll be the one with the look on her face that says, "Finally! We're here!"

Wow, your new workplace looks and sounds great! Congratulations Erin! I think an August trip sounds wonderful! And even if it's hot, ya know...who cares? You are still with the ones you love in the Happiest Place on Earth!

Thanks! I really do like my new job! You're right about the heat. We'll be able to deal with it because we'll be having so much fun!

I think it's time to retire this PTR and to start fresh! I just posted a brand new PTR: Disney Every Day - August '13 PTR I hope you guys will join me!