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6.28.2006

anniversary

i started working for Buffalo County one year ago today.

the job has definitely changed me for the better and for the worse. i'm more confident in my decision-making skills. i managed a $400,000 budget. i survived the support and reporting responsibilities for two elections. i realized that meetings can actually be beneficial (95% of mine are not a waste of time)! i became very thankful for my past IT jobs because they each had a way of preparing me for this one.

but my attitude definitely needs work. many days, i leave the courthouse mad at the world and not wanting to spend any more time on a computer than absolutely necessary.

o, and i will officially become a boss next week. i have someone helping me 20 hours a week next year! our skills complement each others' wonderfully, so we will both learn a lot from the other. i will be forced to refine my communication skills (this was a significant issue for me this year). i realized that i've become lazy with a lot of things and he's a really ambitious guy, so that will help keep me on my toes. i guess you could say i'm nervously looking forward to this experience. :)

6.17.2006

work is doing weird things to me. i have alot of trouble focusing during the week, whether i'm at the courthouse or not. i've never struggled with focus, so it's been especially frustrating.

once i leave work for the day, most of what i do in the evenings involves calming my mind down -- hoping to focus on something without thinking of something at work i need to add to the ever-growing to-do list. i usually end up watching tv and reading newsweek or reader's digest during the commercial breaks. sometimes phone calls are mixed in, but i don't care for those much during the week after hours of being on the phone at work.

but the weekends are different. if i'm traveling, i listen to books on cd and think. if i'm not, i listen to my ipod while cleaning, doing laundry, catching up on email, and running errands. for some reason, i don't have trouble focusing on weekends. this is such a glorious break from the demands of the rest of the week.

6.11.2006

yesterday

i gained a brother (i like that better than calling him a brother-in-law), 2 nephews (Brian's dogs -- which i get to babysit!!), and a cousin-once-removed (my cousin had a kid right before the wedding).

i also participated in my first wedding since i was an 8-yr-old gift-carrier, wore heels almost all day, drank a lot of champagne, gave a toast at the reception, and watched my shy and insecure brother make a fool of himself in front of k-state fans in support of the huskers (a bribe was involved).

o, and since the wedding, i've gotten 3 calls from the newly-wed's. i think that's awesome...and kinda wierd.

6.08.2006

T minus 2 days...

...until my sister is married.