Week 3

So, I am about to wrap up week 3 at work. It is still going well, but the commute does get long by Friday. The good news is....tomorrow, I am going to work from home for the first time. I imagine I will be fairly productive, both with work and around the house (my goal: laundry will be done before the weekend). I am looking forward to not having to commute and to working in causal gear.

Work is still going well. The group is very diverse, and so is the company. I like being around all the hustle bustle both at Coke and in the city of Atlanta. The other neat thing is that I come home to my quiet little (well, not so little) town each night. The commute isn't too bad since I get an early start and leave right at 4pm. This puts me home at a decent time each night, and we get to have a good evening with the kids. The best part is....this week I get my first paycheck! Very exciting, and I will need it to pay for the clothes and daycare. Going forward, there will be extra, however. After all, that is the reason I'm doing this FOR MONEY! Those who know me know that I have always been motivated by money, now is no different.

In a nutshell, my transition back to work has been easy so far. I don't see this job as mindbending, and I am earning more than enough to pay for daycare, someone to clean the house (horray, I am no longer a self-proclaimed CINDERELLA, and I get to come home to a house cleaned in its entirety every two weeks!!), drycleaning, gas, etc. Remember, I will be working from home two days a week eventually. And, since I haven't spend more than, say, 10 minutes alone in the car in YEARS, the almost 40 mile commute is not so bad-I listen to MY music (no more Wiggles) and drive how I want. Then there is the work. In the past I have been very eager to learn, do, and not be bored at work. Now, I'm happy to learn, do, and be bored at times. There is plenty of work to keep me busy and yet not so much to keep me up at night. For now, this is great. When I'm ready for more, it'll be there. This company is going strong, fosters growth, and will pay for me to get another degree, if and when I choose. For now, they are happy to have me up and running. And I'm happy, too.

And, another thing deserves an honorable mention: I love the cafeteria. It is like the food court at a nice mall, but with free drinks (including frozen COKE from the ICEE machine), but I know a million moms who would love to have a lunch like I do each day. Let me give you an idea of the dialog:
Lady at the salad stand: Hi, what can I get you today?
Me: I'll have spring mix with grilled chicken (or salmon, or flank steak depending on my mood), cucumbers, tomatoes, carrots, broccoli, feta cheese, balsamic vinegarette.
Lady at the salad stand: Would you like some fresh cracked pepper on that?
Me: Why, yes I would.
Lady at the salad stand: Have yourself a wonderful day.
Me: You, too. And that salad looks delicious.

Alternatively, here is the dialog from lunch time for the past three years or so:
J (or T): I'm hungry
Me: Ok, can I make you a sandwich?
J (or T): Yes, I want a peanut butter sandwich
Me: Ok, no problem
J (or T): NO CRUST! I don't like crust.
Me: I know, I'll make you the sandwich
J (or T): I want it now
Me: Working on it.....(I set the sandwich in front of him/her)
J (or T): I want milk.
Me: OK
J (or T): I want another sandwich. No crust.
Me: OK, but how about some fruit first.
J (or T): No, I want a peanut butter sandwich. No crust
You get the jist. Before I knew it each day, it was 1:00 and I'd already consumed enough calories in CRUST to equal a decent lunch, yet I'm starving!! The cafeteria may not have sounded so good to you before, but now you understand where I'm coming from.

I should mention that my awesome hubby has probably had the most difficult transition, as he is the one getting the kids ready in the morning. But, he is doing great, not complaining, and I think he even has a groove going. Its good for the kids to have that time with Dad, since his job is so very busy, he is often consumed by the phone in the evening or not home at a decent time. I am so happy to have a husband who is willing to help with the kids and I think he actually enjoys it. Great job, John.

Oh, and he is looking foward to the first paycheck, too. I mean, there is something in it for him.

Two soccer games and one birthday party this weekend. Go, go, go! I love it, truth is, I've always been an on the go girl.