Thursday, June 7, 2007

It'll be a great challenge

I'm so excited about the new job. I'll really enjoy the hands-on helping with emergency situations. My first days will be observation in different areas of the commmand center and then after that will follow Training.

Training is rigorous, as will be the schedule. It appears I'm scheduled for 8 straight days and then finally a break. I feel as excited now as I did when I had a chance to return to college a few years ago as an adult, and WANTED to ace everything. Sort of to maximize on the opportunity ...maybe in some way to feel I'm compensating for those foolish first two years so long ago in my teens when I lacked direction and waffled around enjoying myself immensely, but hardly taking my academics seriously.

But I'll really be helping out in all sorts of situations, dispatching immediate response units, and calming panicked folks enough to get help on site. It's almost hurricane season here, and if I can learn all the codes, abbreviations, equipment, etc, then I'll be one of the gang during peak periods. Gosh, I can't wait! I'm realllyyyy going to give it my all, and just see how things go. We needed a way for me to work and bring in extra income towards the giants that need to be slain in the debt category, and now all three of us, daughter included, are all in sort of the same arena...chipping away at training and schooling in the short term to hopefully reap more lasting results permanently.

The one thing I like the most about this workplace so far is the attitude. There is such a striking difference between this particular county and the other I dealt with. I don't know if it's in how it's been organized structurally...it's quite efficient and upbeat...or if it's that the people are rewarded to a point that they actually want to stay there. Most of the people I'm meeting have been there MANY years, in differing capacities...and they want to STAY. They LOVE it. It's been a many-months process, and now I feel like some of the people I've been getting to know through the testing and interviewing process are folks I'll be glad to know for a long time.

In comparison with some of the jobs I've had in the last two or three years, it's such a welcome feeling. They WANT me there...and they want people to succeed.

Well.........YAYYYY!!!

We'll see what this old gal is made of, what with the topsy turvy hours (8 and 12 hour shifts, all hours day and night) and the daunting terminologies and skill acquisition (and testing, eek!). Even though I have butterflies, this feels like JOY, so I do know something is so right.

I'm so so SO grateful to God for this opportunity. Just can't say that enough!

Signed my employment contract today. Oh SO good a feeling to be employed. The day I finish my training phase (Lord willing, passing it!), UP goes the "thermometer" on the wall where we can pencil our progress to see the debt total go down down down.

I'm going to be working on my eating and weight at the same time, too. Boy do I need to. The uniform is tailored, shirt tucked in, etc...no hiding the ugly stuff under discreet "fat girl clothes." :) I look pretty much the same from every angle, ROUND...like a bowling ball in uniform, ha! And nowhere to hide. So I guess these hips will be doing laps up and down the street between salads so I can live with the mirror, and get some health benefits for all that manure-shoveling I'm dreaming of doing in the NOW-POSSIBLE future!

Off to do some more studying.

LOVING this! :)

No comments: