Bon Voyage Corporate World!

I have worked for the same company for 12 years. I started when I was in 16 and a Junior in High School. My friend Melissa got me the job...both her and her dad worked there. Her and I would drive to work after school to fold invoices and stuff envelopes. I thought I was so cool because it was a big company and I got paid more than most kids my age. My Senior year I would leave around noonish and would get a school credit for working and making money! I moved from being invoice girl to sales support. I had a blast with that job....then I got promoted to Administrative Assistant to the Customer Service Manager. That was the year that I met my ex husband, got engaged and ended up leaving that job to move to Arizona (where my ex lived). I got a job at the same company in Arizona and started out as customer service rep/backup receptionist/back up mail room clerk. One day as I was standing by the printer a co worker of mine stopped to tell me that I should apply for the Division Account Coordinator (fancy name for the person who sets up and does maintenance to the accounts). I applied and got the job. I LOVED that job and the people I worked with. Unfortunately I lived about 45 min plus away from the office...fortunately they opened up a sales office about 10 minutes from my house. There was an opening for an assistant to the 2 Sales Managers that would work out of the "east side" office. I applied and got the job. That is when I got pregnant with Kaiya, had her and then decided to move back to Washington to be closer to my family. The first week back from maternity leave I talked to a friend who worked with the company up in Washington. She told me that there was a job opening as a Strategic Account Assistant (which was a step up from the Division Account Coordinator but pretty much did the same thing). I applied for that job and got it! That meant we had to move back to Washington!!! I was so glad to be with my family again. I was back where I started and loved to catch up with the people that I had worked with a few years back. My boss ended up getting fired and they promoted me to the lead....then an Account Implementation Manager. I managed 2 people...1 of them is still a wonderful friend. They did a bunch of lay offs and the president, customer service, accounting/credit, my boss, my friends, and the people I managed got laid off. It was pretty much sales, operations and ME. The company had changed at that point and it just wasn't the same without all the people I had become friends with and who I cared about. At this point since my boss was gone I reported to someone in Colorado. I really loved my job and loved what I did. I spent 3 weeks in Colorado during the spring/summer of 2007 helping out with the migration of a group of people that would take over the jobs that the people that I managed had done. It was bitter sweet.

I had a feeling that the AIM (account implementation manager) job would be going away soon so I applied for an Account Manager in sales. I started my sales job the summer of 07. It was something completely different than I had ever done since I was now out meeting with potential customers. I worked with a great group of guys and had a lot of fun. Last July the company I worked for got bought out by a bigger company. It definitely changed things. They moved the group of guys I worked with to the other companies office and ended up laying off some people including the inside sales team and my boss a few months ago.

Where is this long story of my work life leading to???!?!?!?!?!!?!?



I GOT LAID OFF!!!!



Last Wednesday night I got a meeting request with my boss and his boss for the next morning. At that point I new my day was done. I had been around long enough to know what that meant. I got ready Thursday morning thinking this would be the last day of work. It felt really good. I have been so burned out and my heart wasnt in it anymore. I went into the meeting excited and just like I felt...another girl and I got our 'notice'. I would have almost been bummed if I was wrong and hadnt been laid off. One nice thing is that they gave us 60 days to work and transition our accounts to other reps. I was VERY happy about that because I truly care about my customers and hope that they get taken care of. My last day is March 9th and after that my severance will start.

I feel like a HUGE burden has been lifted. I am truly happy. I am SOOOOO excited to be able to be with Ella all day...and to be able to help out in Kaiya's class! My house will finally be cleaned and organized! I will be able to go grocery shopping and make dinner (or learn to make dinner)! I want to go for walks with Ella during the day and go to play group. I am going to take a cooking or photography class. I was in the corporate work force for so long that I really don't know how to be a stay at home wife/mom. I CANT WAIT!!!!!

Cirdan has been so supportive and wonderful. We are both ready for this new world.

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN!!

Grandma and Grandpa Imbler sent Kaiya and Ella a really cool puppet show stage with puppets for Christmas. Kaiya had a few friends over and was able to put the puppets to work. Kaiya makes up the cutest stories, she is very creative.