Hiring new employees during an international pandemic

 Today I have a new employee starting to work for me, this is my second new employee to start in two weeks, and I am currently interviewing for a third.  

Interviewing/hiring during this strange time in this strange environment was quite an experience.  One of the people I hired was someone who had worked for us before so that was a much less strange interview as were the internal applicants.  Speaking to them on the phone and via zoom felt normal.  But interviewing external applicants was very odd.

Phone interviews for preliminary screening is pretty normal, so that wasn't that big of a deal.  Video interviews for finalist though were a bit more odd.  We normally have 1:1 interviews across the board, but having back to back 1:1 video interviews felt strange so instead we had me and my 2 bosses on a panel type interview.  But then it was odd figuring out how to handle asking questions, so we had to kind of appoint one of the individuals the point person for holding the interview.  We were able to figure it out and things ran fairly smoothly but it still felt strange...

But now for the really strange part...in about 2 hours I will be meeting my new employee for the first time.  I hired someone I have literally never met before.  It all feels so strange and there is no way that this would ever normally fly in my company.   Yet here we are in a world where it would be perfectly acceptable for me to even say "you know what...work from home until January and I'll just meet you for the first time ever then."  

Today is going to be odd...wish me luck!

Questioning Everything

One day last week I was super busy at work so I turned off all of my notifications on my phone and my email.  April 1 is a pretty big deadline for me and I needed to get into a groove because one of my coworkers took a new job and I was flying solo on a project that we would normally be doing together. 
Somehow in the midst of this I missed a pretty important email from my boss about an audit request.  Even tho I was on a tight deadline, requests from our auditors needed to take priority because their deadline was March 29, so technically I had more time than they did.  Around 4:30 I opened up my email to see if there was anything needing attention before I left and of course I saw this email and had a major oh crap moment.  I knew their request would take me at least and hour and a half but I could still be home in time for my Junior League conference call at 6:30 so I didn't stress out too much - that is until I realized that I had saved over the file I used to create the report they were asking about and no longer had the year end version easily accessible to answer their questions...
So at 7:15 I was still working on the audit request while listening into my conference call since I was the only person in the office other than the auditors when I finally said screw it, sent them what I had and promised the rest of the report for the morning. 
This in and of itself wasn't a big deal, I have worked until 7 or 8PM (later when I worked in public accounting) more nights than I can count during January - April in my 12 years as an accountant, it is kind of in the job description.  However at the end of the day I no longer work for public accounting.  I work for a corporation that does not pay overtime, gives limited raises, has enough but not a lot of opportunity for advancement, and generally has no reward system for going significantly above and beyond the call of duty.  More importantly because the reward system is built the way it is I get the same reward for putting in significant extra effort as someone who just does a good job.  So now, I am questioning everything.
Hubby had plans after work so I had already told him not to worry about the dogs, of course now I'm a crappy dog mom because it was after 7:30 PM when I got home and the poor things needed to go outside and potty and wanted their dinner. 
Because I was so busy I only got about 3,000 steps all day and didn't stand up for over 3 straight hours, making me an absolutely horrible human mom since pregnant women aren't supposed to sit for extended periods of time due to blood clot risks.   Also I didn't drink enough water today and ate an entire bag of Cadbury chocolate eggs so totally winning on the healthy decisions for me and for baby. 
By the time I got home I let the dogs outside then just stood in the middle of the living room and cried (like ugly cried, complete with sobs and minor hyperventilating).  I can't help but question how I am possibly going to be a good mom to this precious baby who I have wanted for so long I lack the basic ability to leave work at a reasonable hour to let out my dogs.  If instead of dogs I had needed to go get my kid from daycare then what would have happened? Would I have had to leave work then bring my kid back with me? That doesn't exactly work well since bedtimes and dinners are kind of important? Do I just say fuck it, leave work to take care of my kid and not finish my tasks on time?  I have never missed a work deadline in my life and I don't plan to suddenly start but I can help but question how I'm going to keep all of the plates spinning above my head after this baby is born. 

Inappropriate conversations at work

Wow, just wow.  Why do post-menopausal women think they have a free pass to say whatever they want about other women, especially about the status of their uterus?
A few years ago I had two coworkers who were pregnant at the same time, and a coworker kept asking me when I was going to have a baby.  I was fairly new to the office so I laughed it off and said "someday."
Then about two years ago my boss's wife was pregnant and the questions started again.  This time she made the comment on a day when I was having a rough time on my fertility journey and dealing with an unsuccessful IUI attempt.  So I snapped.  I told the lady the status of my uterus was no of her business and if she didn't stop asking I would be happy to file a complaint with HR.   She got huffy and proceeded not to speak to me for about 6 months (which didn't hurt my feelings at all!).
Now that I'm pregnant she keeps stopping at my desk and asking questions about my pregnancy.  Thankfully she hasn't gone as far as to touch my belly but so far she has:
-Asked me about my appetite
-Commented that I haven't gained enough weight
-Commented on how much weight I've gained
-Asked about my mood swings
and best of all
-Said "Oh you're finally getting boobs!" as my (male) boss was walking around the corner.  Thankfully I don't think he heard but talk about embarrassing.

What would you do?  If you have had kids what were some of the craziest things people said to you?

Motivation

I have lots of grand ideas and things I want to do but somehow 24 hours just aren’t enough in my day.   I think a lot of that probably has to do with lack of motivation to do some of the things I HAVE to do before I start on my wants that leads to procrastination and loss of free time.  For example, I have been at work for almost 3 hours, I have a ton I should be doing but have accomplished exactly 1 thing, which should probably have taken about an hour and am now writing a blog post to email myself that I will upload from my phone about how I’m not doing what I should be doing…funny how that works huh?   

SOOOoooo I am going to make a concentrated effort to work on my time management skills and start plotting out rewards throughout the day for keeping on task.  I have started doing this at home and have been doing a pretty good job at accomplishing household tasks, now just to convert that to the office. 

What are some ways you motivate yourself to stay on task?  What are your favorite self rewards?

Quick and delicious greek salad

This is a great dinner, or easy to pack for lunch at work, cook the chicken in advance and pack the chicken and dressing separately from other salad ingredients.

Ingredients:

Chicken Breast

Cucumber (diced)

Cherry Tomatoes (halved)

Kalmalata Olives (sliced)

Feta Cheese (crumbled)

Red Onion (diced)

Romain Lettuce (chopped)

Dressing:

1/4c Olive Oil

1 Tbsp Fresh or dried oregano

1 Tbsp Fresh or dried basil

1 tsp Salt 

1 tsp Pepper

1/2 Tbsp Garlic powder

1/4c White vinegar

2 Tbsp Lemon juice
1/4 C crumbled feta cheese (the smaller the crumbles the better) (optional)

Cube chicken and toss in oregano and basil, cook on hot pan with oil until cooked through.

Assemble Salad (per serving):

1 C lettuce

1/4 C cucumber

5 cherry tomatoes

1 Tbsp Olives

1/2 Tbsp red Onion

2 Tbps Feta Cheese

2 Tbsp dressing

1/4 C Chicken

For added yumminess serve with whole wheat naann bread, brush with olive oil and sprinkle with garlic salt then toast/grill on hot pan for added deliciousness.  

You're too happy?!?!?!?!??!?!?!

I am absolutely appalled! I got sick yesterday, nothing big--I thought it was something I ate, turns out it must have been a small bug because my boss got sick today with the same type of stuff going on.  Less than 5 minutes after our boss left my coworker walks in my office and tells me she is going home.  I came into work today at noon because I was up most of the night sick to my stomach.  What did I learn?  I learned that if everyone else gets to be sick today so should I!  WTH???????

I do not understand the selfish rude behavior that my coworker exemplifies!  She isn't a mean person per-se, if she was I wouldn't put up with it. but I do not understand how she thinks that some of the things she says/does are ok!

She is flat out mean to her roommate.  And extremely demanding.   Her roommate is a good friend of mine.  We will be out at the dog park or getting ice cream and my coworker will call and ask her to pick up milk or toilet paper or whatever.  Not a big deal every now and then but it is constant.  My friend will be home with nothing exciting to do and the coworker will give her a laundry list of chores--chores I might add that my coworker won't do or neglects until my friend does them like emptying the dishwasher.

My friend is dating a really nice guy.  I like him a lot and enjoy hanging out with him.  I think he and hubby will get along well too.  They are pretty serious and she has said on more than one occasion that she would not be surprised if they end up married.  He makes her super happy and you can tell when he is around she is less stressed.  These are things I want my friends to experience.  I want my friends to be happy!  Last night my coworker told my friend she doesn't like the BF being around all the time because he makes my friend "too happy."  What?!?!?!?! excuse me, how can someone be too happy!   Jealous much!!!

I am biting my tongue because it is none of my business and it would be out of place for me to tell my coworker she is wrong when this isn't happening in front of me but God help her if it does happen when I am in the room.  Am I out of place for telling my friend that she deserves to be treated nicer and that she needs to try and find a place she can live without the coworker when their lease is up?  I have actually thought about sharing an apartment with her but since I don't have hubby's orders yet/know where I will be a year from now I don't want to leave her without a roommate before she is ready to be :( 

Sorry about that I just really needed to vent.  Normally I vent to the hubby but since he isn't here the blogger world is getting it.  I have scheduled this post to publish while I should be at dinner celebrating Cinco de Mayo with the two of them, if the coworker even comes, hopefully venting to the blogosphere will help me keep my mouth shut if necessary.

Tomorrow is Military Spouse Appreciation Day.  Please feel free to shower me with gifts or send me flowers :)  Or if you think I'm a little self absorbed and self righteous and don't deserve that many gifts and flowers :(  at the very lease try to show appreciation to the milspouses around you--even if you are one, thank your friends for their service as well.

Thank God for three day weekends!

I am about to die... my sinuses feel like they could explode any minute and I am exhausted.  I have no clue why but this week at work has been horrible...ok I do know why but I'm not allowed to tell so lets just leave it at I don't know why...
ugggghhhhhgggggrrrrrrrrruuuuuugggggggghhhh

ok rant over.  done complaining I promise.

I went to the gym this morning like a good little girl :) go me.

Hope everyone has a good weekend this is the first time theme park world has been closed on MLK day so we are all super excited.

Wild Turkey = Yummy

As promised here is the Thanksgiving weekend post...

Thursday was spent at hubby's aunt and uncles with his extended family. Dinner consisted of both domistic and wild turkey's and it was yummy! I made a super easy appetizer consisting of sesame seed breadsticks wrapped in bacon and baked (bacon--yummy!) and a warm pumpkin dip that was delicious.

After things started to wrap up at hubby's uncles (about the 4th quarter of the last football game) We headed back to Louisville and played with the puppy for a while and I started wrapping Christmas presents to take inventory of what we already have purchased and made a list of where we might find the best black Friday deals and who we still needed to buy gifts for.

Then we headed for MIDNIGHT BINGO!!!! (yes we are crazy...) It was so much fun. Midnight Bingo is so classy and white trash, if you have never been you must try it at least once, I've only been 2 or 3 times but it was a good way to stay awake and it let out at 3am, giving us just enought time to go home, eat a snack and head out for the crazy black friday deals. We mainly went to laugh at the idoits who were out shopping hard core but we did hit a few good deals. Around 9ish we got tired of shopping and headed to Cracker Barrel then went to the U of L game...I slept through the first half...and the hubs fell asleep once or twice too...we were a bit exhausted. Thank God that Kragthrope is gone...he isn't necessarily a bad coach, I think that on a college level the fact that the players liked him is EXTREAMLY important because at that point his job is as much to teach as it is to win, but if we're going to be opening up a bunch of new seats in the stadium next year we need a coach who can put butts in the seats. The game Friday about 1/2 the stadium looked empty to me, I'm not sure what the final count was though.

After the game we hit McDonalds for the glasses that they were giving away then (and for lunch) then headed home and slept for a couple of hours. We woke up around 8 and put up the Christmas Tree and played with the puppy then it was back to bed until about 10:00 Saturday morning.

Saturday we went to our churches Oyster dinner. I had a hot dog (I don't like oysters) and a super delicous slice of strawberry rubarb pie (I like food can you tell?) Then hubby and I went to walmart and returned our last 2 wedding presents.
Saturday night we decorated the tree and had a chill evening at home complete with leftovers for dinner :)

Yesterday was extreamly uneventful. Hubby wasn't feeling good so he slept most of the day and I wrote a paper. After I finished my paper I decided to start on the diaper cake I am making for a friends baby shower (they are so much fun and so easy! If anyone ever needs a baby shower gift I highly reccommend them!) but I was out of rubber bands so I needed to run to the store. When we left Kmart hubby turned away from our house and wouldn't tell me where we were going. I have the best husband in the world, he decided to surprise me with SUSHI for dinner. I heart sushi!!!!

All in all a great holiday weekend. Now just 3 more weeks of work and then Christmas Vacation!!!!!!!!

Yes I am alive!!!!

I would like to apologize to the two people who actually read this thing for my prolonged absence...I'ave had a couple of very crazy weeks...

Last week was month end at work which always means extra work for me...however some intelligent person at our corporate office (and by intelligent I mean compleate dumbass!) decided to schedule all of the parks "we have great ideas on how to improve next year even tho you won't let us implement any of them even the ones that won't cost any money" meeting on Thursday...Thus taking away an entire day of my time that was needed for month close...I enjoy the meeting because it gives me a chance to catch up with my coworkers who are so crazy busy when the park is open all summer that I never see them, but I really would have rather it been this week, or next week...next week would have been much better since this week was as crazy if not worse than last...


For Halloween the hubs and I went to French Lick and stayed at the resort.  They had a Halloween Murder Mystery Dinner Theater that was part of our package...If we had paid the $40 each to see the show we would have been very disappointed but since the package was only about $10 more than a regular night in the same room it wasn't a bad deal.  The weekend was great and we had some much needed us time.  We went swimming and lazed in the hot tub then went to the casino for a while where hubs found a new favorite game.  He says that the video poker there is set up in a way that makes it highly unlikely that the casino would have any reason to cheat he normally won't play video poker since you are playing against the casino thus giving the reason to rig the computers but at French Lick you are playing against other people at your tabel and there is one "dealer" (employee watching the game?) for four tabels but the casino has no hand in the actual game. 

Back to the murder mystery.  "Dinner" was heavy hour 'devours at best.  It looked like they opened up Real Simple Magazine and Martha Stewart Living for October and just made every recipe in the magizines...it was cute and good but not what you would expect when they are marketing "dinner".  Especially since they normally have a meat and potatoes type buffett at their dinner theaters.  To top things off they had sold out of tickets but had extra room so someone decided to add more tables to the room so that they could sell more tickets...but they forgot to tell the kitchen manager about this so there wasn't enough food...OOPS! :)

The play itself wasn't bad but the who done it portion was a complete guess.  There weren't really any clues that would point to the guilty party...normally I wouldn't necessarily know tho the murder was but after it was revealed I would say "oh that makes sense...not this time! 

Over all a great weekend but a totally crappy theater experience.   The breakfast buffett is to die for tho!  It was delicious!

Sunday we went with Diver Boy's wife to Comedy Caravan and watched Steve Hofstetters improv show (anyone who likes Steve check out the CD from last years improve show in Louisville..."Lobster Girl" is Diver Boy's wife) :)  It feels good just to sit with friends and laugh...I love Comedy Caravan...we need to go more often. 

Monday was a pretty normal day but I was so exhausted by the time I got home from class (thanks Daylight Savings...no extra hour of sleep for me I just stayed up later!) but we had no food in the house so Hubs and I went to Kroger.  I took my handy dandy coupon book with me and hubby went on a scavenger hunt trying to only buy items that were both on sale and we had a coupon for.  I had to veto a couple of his choices (if we won't use/eat it why are we buying it?) and over rule him when he didn't want me to buy anything that didn't fit both categories (sorry but we were out of eggs and the milk was going to expire on Tuesday...)  when we checked out and the total went from $250 to $120 he officially decided that going grocery shopping with coupons is more fun that watching football (as long as the Colts aren't playing) and that he wants me to make sure he can come every time I go on my "big" shopping trips.  It was fun but after I went home and made him put away the groceries, I was exhausted and went straight to bed.

Tuesday was good.  I had a lot of homework to do and a long day at work but it all went ok.  I didn't get to eat lunch until 3 (I had class at 4 and normally leave at 3 on those days) and barely made it to class on time.  then we went to dinner with my mom and went home to do homework.

Yesterday we were doing inventory at theme park world and the outside company we hired can't count.  they had over an 11% error rate so we kicked them out and we are going to have to do inventory again later when they learn how to count...Needless to say I ate my lunch in my car on my way to class last night, and my homework wasn't done...

Tonight is date night.  I have a mystery shop with a $150 spending limit...I love free date nights! :)  especially when they involve yummy food at expensive resturants I normally would be afraide to walk to close to for fear that they would take all of the money I have in my checking account for just walking in the door! :)

Finally Today:
Remember, remember, the Fifth of November, The Gunpowder Treason and Plot. I know of no reason why the Gunpowder Treason should ever be forgot...

Random Rambelings

Yesterday hubby recieved a letter from our friend (we shall call him Diver) who made pretty much the same decision at the same time as hubby and I.  Diver and his "wife" decided to have a civil wedding and not tell their families so that she would qualify as a wife for Navy purposes the same time Hubby and I decided we were really going to do this.  Diver is a fun guy.  He was in our wedding and his wife was my day of stress out person so that people would leave me alone.  Diver has joined the navy for a job that you must be absolutly nuts to do, he wants to jump out of perfectly good helicopters into the ocean...see Diver :)  Anyway it was great to hear from him and he had some great tips for hubby when he goes off to basic.  He graduates next month so hubs and I are planning a road trip up to Chicago to watch him.  Just one delimia...What should I wear??? :)

On an unrelated note:  Today was our open enrollment meeting for insurance at Theme Park World.  I guess I need to have hubby go see his recruiter this week to figure out a better time line for stuff so that we can decide what to do about insurance.  I can't not have it but I don't know if it is worth it to spend the extra $100+ per month to keep him on there when he never gets sick and when neither of us will need it for at least 7 months out of the year...Guess I'll just keep pondering and take the paperwork home tonight...

Back to the coal mines...

Day Shift--Day One

Today is hubby's first day working day shift in a long time.  He starts his new job in about 45 minutes.  Hubby just walked out the door and it was so cute, he looks at me and says "why do I have to leave for work before you are even dressed, you have to be at work before me!"  Which is true, I usually try to get into the office before 8:30, lucky me tho my commute is all of 2 miles and that includes the drive around the ENTIRE complex to my parking lot...Takes 5 minutes, 10 if I stop for coffee which I very well may do today!   I hope that his first day goes well.  We went to bed around 11 last night so that hubby could be well rested, he had been up for over 24 hours at that point so that he would sleep last night...about 12 he got out of bed b/c he couldn't sleep and when the alarm went off at 6 this morning he was still up.  The next two weeks are going to be killer with him working both jobs.  I can't waite until he gets into a normal schedule that involves actually sleeping when it is dark outside!
Weight loss update, as of today hubs has 18 pounds until he is where he thinks his recruiter wants him, and I've lost another pound, that puts me at 19 more pounds before Christmas, and 29 more pounds before Derby! (I have to set small goals, I don't do well saying I want to lose 40 pounds by Derby, I do better with 20 by Christmas then I'll start on the second goal.)
Guess I should get dressed and head to the office.  Izzy the puppy says hi, she just jumped on the laptop trying to get me to play.  She was REALLY confused when hubby went out the door this morning she's been lying next to the door scratching at the bottom of it but now shes on the couch cuddled up with her mommy :)

Quit your night job...please!!!

Hubby got a new job to hold us over until he goes off to basic training/Navy world. He works 3rd shift currently and it was getting to be a real pain in my ass. Luckily a friend of his sister needs some help days and can promise enough money that we will have to cut minimal corners to survive comfortably for the next few months until he leaves. The best part is my husband will be in bed with me at night,  working days, and since it's only part time he has agreed to be a partial housewife which means that I won't have to do dishes, dust, mop, clean the bathroom (ok I’ll still do that one b/c I don't think he does a good enough job) or any other house work that I am currently trying to cram into my obnoxious schedule...All I have to worry about is work and school and loving my husband and puppy!!!!!!!!!!!! Totally worth the temporary pay cut. It's not like we were used to having a combined income yet anyway and I make enough to cover all of the bills, his money is just for food and fun and we can still have plenty to eat and go out with less! :)