My, how the last month has flown by! I got in lots of great time with my nephews, planted an herb garden, spent some long weekends with Ryan, and got a sunburn that won't quit...and then I started a new job, just three weeks after my previous employer kicked me out of the loony bin.
The new job is just a filing job, but it's with a company that has a great reputation in Tulsa and is known for hiring on temps pretty quickly, with good pay and superb benefits. Even as a temp, I'm getting the same hourly pay as my last job, and this new job is easier by far. Everyone I've met is friendly and helpful, and I haven't heard a single person say (or even hint at) anything unfavorable about anyone else in the office. The only down side is that it can get boring, but I offer to help with anything and everything whenever I get the chance. The boss has already given me a couple of projects, and hopefully she'll keep them coming.
The whole experience has been quite a shock to my system, in the best possible way. Sometimes while I'm sitting at my desk alone, listening to music as I put stickers on file folders, I wonder why no one has come along to tell me I'm doing it wrong and that I should do it his or her way because he or she knows all about the most efficient way to put stickers on file folders...
...and then I remember where I am.
It's been a bit of a pain in the ass getting to and from the largest office building downtown, right in the middle of everything. But I kind of like the fact that it's right in the middle of everything - downtown Tulsa actually has its own special kind of charm! I'm looking forward to getting out for some walks to explore it more once this inferno of a summer lets up a little.
I've never worked in a place that didn't have its own (free) parking lot before, so it took me a while to figure out my options. But I've found a really cheap place to park just a couple of blocks away. The walk is literally uphill both ways, as it involves crossing a bridge that arches over some train tracks. Given my history of being never-quite-on-time, it's probably going to be quite a brisk walk most mornings!
It's not terribly strenuous, but--combined with a couple of pretty good treks to the cafeteria (seriously, the building is huge)--it's notably more activity than I'm used to. Hopefully this will have a positive impact on my beer gut.
In other exciting news, last weekend I finally attended a volunteer orientation at the SPCA here in Tulsa...only a short five months after I first filled out my application. It's going to be a little difficult finding time to get out there, because they're not open in the evenings or on Sunday. And of course I'm out of town at least half the time on Saturdays.
But I'm really going to make the effort, because I know it'll be worth it. I was grinning like a fool after the orientation, so the animal time is clearly something my soul craves.
Getting some cat time in won't be too hard. I can just put on my SPCA t-shirt and go play with the cats whenever I have time. To work with the dogs, though, I'll have to schedule some additional required training first. And I'm really eager to do that, because I've been wanting to learn how to handle dogs for a long time. And it's not like you can just go sign up for a class at PetSmart if you don't actually have a dog...
In all, things really seem to be looking up. I feel renewed and refreshed and all that great stuff, and I'm pretty sure it's all because I got out of the most hostile work environment I've ever seen. It was kind of like an abusive relationship...I'd gotten so used to being treated like shit that I got in the habit of keeping my head down and avoiding conflict until it actually started to seem normal.
It wasn't until I got away and came to my senses that I looked back with horror at how much abuse I had learned to put up with.
Never again, my friends. Never again.
