Yes, you read that correctly! I am an emergency room nurse! And I'm super excited about it!! Not just to be working in emerg, but that I finally have a position in Steinbach! It was getting so close to moving time and work details still weren't finalized, and I was getting more than a little bit nervous that I would quit one job and not yet have another. Phew!
A huge sigh of relief. And, I cannot lie to you, I ran out into the hallway and danced around a little at the nursing desk and told anyone within earshot that I had got the position I applied for. Of course, they all were confident that I would get the position, but there was more at stake for me and I was just a wee bit worried.
My first phone call was to my mother, she was the one that asked me at least two or three times a day if I had a job already.
My break time is almost over and I have no doubt that the rest of my day will fly by in my excitement. However, it is bitter sweet in some ways. I absolutely love the Health Science Centre; in many ways it feels like home. You may wonder why I'm leaving? I think I've explained it previously, but this is a brief summary of my reasons in case I haven't. My mother is getting on in years and I need to be there for her, my VBF lives there, I'm tired of city life, its just Kev and me now, and I really would prefer to raise him out of the city where he has more space to run and play. There you have it. Thank you all for reading, and I will definitely keep you posted on the new job details.
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Countdown to Our New Home
The countdown has officially started! I get the keys to my new home on Friday, February 26. The current tenants are vacating the premises tomorrow evening, so theoretically I could start moving in tomorrow night. But, I'm working so, alas, it is not to be. Sigh. The move in dates will stay the same, March 4 to March 6; with the 6th being the day of moving all the furniture, etc.
Is this exciting for me? You bet it is! We're less than 72 hours from moving our first boxes into our new home, and 9(?) days from moving in officially. The wait is over. Finally.
All that remains at this point is to be officially hired by a hospital in the area. Yesterday I had an interview in Steinbach for a 0.4 EFT Term in Emergency. I believe the interview went well, except that I was my normal self and talked waaaaaaay too much! Ugh. You'd think I'd learn to talk less, but noooooooo, I had to talk like I normally do.
The interview took about an hour, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It consisted of some work related questions, and some for focused questions regarding emergency room triage methods. Technically, I think I did very well considering that I am a ward nurse and have learned a different thought process than emergency room nurses. And I didn't even know that nurses in different departments thought differently.
The only negative to come out of the interview is my excessive use of sick time. I have used all my sick time in the past two years, even called in sick when there was no sick time available to me. Let me explain: Prior to Kev's arrival in my world, even prior to me accepting responsibility of him, it was very rare that I called in sick, and if I did I was physically ill. Following his birth, my world was turned upside down, much more than I ever expected it would be. There were times Jen was able to take care of him herself, and times that she was unable to (as her postpartum depression progressed). There were times I was simply too stressed out to even contemplate going to work.
The past two years have been hideously stressful for me. And again I feel the need to stress, although you've all heard it before, Kev is not the source of stress. He makes it all worth it by the sheer beauty of his being. No, the stress stemmed from taking on a new role, the postpartum depression, relationship issues, etc. In general, it was complete chaos.
Evidently things have settled down, as I am able to look back on the time period with clarity and hindsight. Were I still stressed out, I believe I would not be able to see those two years as being stressful. Does that make sense to anyone but me?
There are still stressors in my life, of course. I'd be lying if I said there wasn't. However, they are of a different nature. My role as Kev's mother has been clearly defined, the lines are no longer blurred between his birth mother and I. That was a rather large source of stress, but I did not realize it at the time. To know that I am the only one responsible is both completely overwhelming and totally comforting at the same time. Biological parents, ie. traditional mom and dad families, will likely not understand this feeling, but perhaps I am wrong and they will understand it better than I think.
Is this exciting for me? You bet it is! We're less than 72 hours from moving our first boxes into our new home, and 9(?) days from moving in officially. The wait is over. Finally.
All that remains at this point is to be officially hired by a hospital in the area. Yesterday I had an interview in Steinbach for a 0.4 EFT Term in Emergency. I believe the interview went well, except that I was my normal self and talked waaaaaaay too much! Ugh. You'd think I'd learn to talk less, but noooooooo, I had to talk like I normally do.
The interview took about an hour, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It consisted of some work related questions, and some for focused questions regarding emergency room triage methods. Technically, I think I did very well considering that I am a ward nurse and have learned a different thought process than emergency room nurses. And I didn't even know that nurses in different departments thought differently.
The only negative to come out of the interview is my excessive use of sick time. I have used all my sick time in the past two years, even called in sick when there was no sick time available to me. Let me explain: Prior to Kev's arrival in my world, even prior to me accepting responsibility of him, it was very rare that I called in sick, and if I did I was physically ill. Following his birth, my world was turned upside down, much more than I ever expected it would be. There were times Jen was able to take care of him herself, and times that she was unable to (as her postpartum depression progressed). There were times I was simply too stressed out to even contemplate going to work.
The past two years have been hideously stressful for me. And again I feel the need to stress, although you've all heard it before, Kev is not the source of stress. He makes it all worth it by the sheer beauty of his being. No, the stress stemmed from taking on a new role, the postpartum depression, relationship issues, etc. In general, it was complete chaos.
Evidently things have settled down, as I am able to look back on the time period with clarity and hindsight. Were I still stressed out, I believe I would not be able to see those two years as being stressful. Does that make sense to anyone but me?
There are still stressors in my life, of course. I'd be lying if I said there wasn't. However, they are of a different nature. My role as Kev's mother has been clearly defined, the lines are no longer blurred between his birth mother and I. That was a rather large source of stress, but I did not realize it at the time. To know that I am the only one responsible is both completely overwhelming and totally comforting at the same time. Biological parents, ie. traditional mom and dad families, will likely not understand this feeling, but perhaps I am wrong and they will understand it better than I think.
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
OPTIONS IN THE RENTAL MARKET
My search for the perfect home for Kev and myself took a mere month, but it felt like an eternity. I viewed three homes from the interior and exterior, and two more from the exterior only. Considering the options available, I believe that $950 for what I chose is the biggest bang for my buck. Yes, I could have chosen a cheaper, smaller, less desirable option, and then been unhappy about my choice and miserable living in the home.
Yesterday I scheduled myself to view four homes, and promised myself before 1930 I would have a home for the next year. The search and the unknowing was becoming quite stressful; after all, I’ve been almost completely packed for a few months now. It was getting to the point where I either needed to find a place or stay where I am.
The first place I viewed yesterday is the one I chose. Actually, I’d be more honest if I say it chose me. Its like that perfect outfit that you see in the store and you know it was meant for you. This home was calling my name, loud and clear. I’ve described it in great detail in Our New Home.
Upon leaving the first home, I decided to take a short detour and drive by two of the places that I was to view later in the day. And I am so very happy that I did that! They were both places I chose not to tour based on various concerns. The first one was an 800 square foot ‘cottage’ near the Frantz Motor Inn. The yard was messy, even through the snow, and the area itself seemed generally untidy. From the road I could see that there was cardboard placed in some of the windows, either for warmth or for curtains. Either way, that did not present a good image. I imagined the house, exposed to the elements from all four sides, and visibly an older home, would be cost a small fortune in heating, and quite possibly could be a prime breeding ground for mice. I turned around as quickly as I could and headed down Main Street for the next location. In my mind I already had a location for the 2nd place and I was absolutely correct!!! In my younger years it was known as welfare housing. Now it is apparently known as the whorehouse. Apparently all the women that live there are single mothers and have a continual parade of men in and out of their homes. Wow. So glad I passed on that one! I would have been stereotyped right along with the other women, and that is something I’m happy to have avoided.
The other home, a bilevel in Mitchell, was actually a close contender and choosing one or the other actually caused me fifteen minutes of complete decision making paralysis. The drawback of the Mitchell property was its extremely small square footage and the three microscopic bedrooms on the bottom level. The positive aspects, such as good location and a gorgeous exterior just were ultimately not enough to overcome its downfalls. The owner wanted me to start paying rent on February 1 and begin moving in immediately, which was really not convenient financially or logistically. Plus, tell me how you would feel if you approached a potential home with the driveway buried under two feet of snow and the bald headed owner (sporting a magnificent mullet) said “Looks like you’ve got some shoveling to do!”
Other prospective renters may have made a different choice based on individual criteria. I based my choice on which home best suited my needs and, I’m not gonna lie, my choice was also based on wants.
Yesterday I scheduled myself to view four homes, and promised myself before 1930 I would have a home for the next year. The search and the unknowing was becoming quite stressful; after all, I’ve been almost completely packed for a few months now. It was getting to the point where I either needed to find a place or stay where I am.
The first place I viewed yesterday is the one I chose. Actually, I’d be more honest if I say it chose me. Its like that perfect outfit that you see in the store and you know it was meant for you. This home was calling my name, loud and clear. I’ve described it in great detail in Our New Home.
Upon leaving the first home, I decided to take a short detour and drive by two of the places that I was to view later in the day. And I am so very happy that I did that! They were both places I chose not to tour based on various concerns. The first one was an 800 square foot ‘cottage’ near the Frantz Motor Inn. The yard was messy, even through the snow, and the area itself seemed generally untidy. From the road I could see that there was cardboard placed in some of the windows, either for warmth or for curtains. Either way, that did not present a good image. I imagined the house, exposed to the elements from all four sides, and visibly an older home, would be cost a small fortune in heating, and quite possibly could be a prime breeding ground for mice. I turned around as quickly as I could and headed down Main Street for the next location. In my mind I already had a location for the 2nd place and I was absolutely correct!!! In my younger years it was known as welfare housing. Now it is apparently known as the whorehouse. Apparently all the women that live there are single mothers and have a continual parade of men in and out of their homes. Wow. So glad I passed on that one! I would have been stereotyped right along with the other women, and that is something I’m happy to have avoided.
The other home, a bilevel in Mitchell, was actually a close contender and choosing one or the other actually caused me fifteen minutes of complete decision making paralysis. The drawback of the Mitchell property was its extremely small square footage and the three microscopic bedrooms on the bottom level. The positive aspects, such as good location and a gorgeous exterior just were ultimately not enough to overcome its downfalls. The owner wanted me to start paying rent on February 1 and begin moving in immediately, which was really not convenient financially or logistically. Plus, tell me how you would feel if you approached a potential home with the driveway buried under two feet of snow and the bald headed owner (sporting a magnificent mullet) said “Looks like you’ve got some shoveling to do!”
Other prospective renters may have made a different choice based on individual criteria. I based my choice on which home best suited my needs and, I’m not gonna lie, my choice was also based on wants.
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