Well, it's official. I just sent my resignation letter effective November 25th. There were a lot of reasons I decided to just go ahead and resign, but one of the most compelling ones for me (not so much for El Esposo) is because now I have to succeed in freelance writing. I have no safety net. Not that we're total idiots--we do have some savings. But, I like the feeling of taking a flying leap. Honestly, it feels more my style than sitting in an office for five years did--though I do think that part was essential to my master plan. But it feels about time to re-invent myself. Why not become a mother and a freelancer at the same time?
I know it is a serious luxury that I get to even try this. I know that we have been blessed immensely to even arrive at this crossroads. I know that even if right now I'm feeling like I believe in the master plan I came up with five years ago it could easily get squashed since I am not really the one that controls my own master plan. But these moments of freefall without a safety net are going to happen in life, and sometimes it's how we know we are alive.
We are getting so excited to meet baby girl D. El Esposo thought he could feel her tiny hand fluttering around in my belly last night.
26 October 2009
16 October 2009
Business Ethics
Due to my academically squandered Freshman year in college (practiced a lot of guitar, watched a lot of movies, took a lot of roadtrips), I will always hear the phrase "Business Ethics" in the voice of Adam Sandler playing the character Billy Madison.
I think a lot of us have brushes with business ethics all the time, but I have recently had a very classic dilemma: to maternity leave or not to maternity leave?
Here's the situation: I have gone back and forth about the merits of my job but I have decided I don't plan to go back. Basically this is my chance to try something I might like a lot more and I'm going to try it, and yeah I also want to be home most of the time with baby girl. I reserve the right to change my mind, but I don't plan on going back to my current job. I'm just over it. It's a good job but I don't like it. Maybe I sound like a spoiled brat.
I recently shared this with my current supervisor, who advised me to not make my decision yet. Wait and see how the freelance thing is going, she said, and in the meantime get your disability pay. Others I have talked to in a more theoretical sense have said the same thing. Take the money, you earned it, everyone does it, etc.
Except for HR. I talked to HR and they told me that disability pay for new mommies is not supposed to be a reward for work you have already done. It is an incentive to retain employees. Also, I know that each person that takes advantage of the situation to "take the money and run" makes it that much harder for the next pregnant woman to be taken seriously.
But, we could really use the money. ESPECIALLY because I don't plan on coming back. And because our house is never done breaking. Though it's not like we're going to be on food stamps. We'll just tighten the budget until things start to take off with ye olde business.
(Side note: I realize the whole "starting a home-based business" is becoming a bit cliche among certain mommies, but luckily my business is going to be based on skills I have a master's degree and many years of experience in, not a trendy thing I can sell on etsy. I am hoping this increases my chances of prospering. And I am already doing it; I just need to expand.)
Anyway I made my decision. But I am curious what my 2-3 readers think about the ethics of maternity leave.
I think a lot of us have brushes with business ethics all the time, but I have recently had a very classic dilemma: to maternity leave or not to maternity leave?
Here's the situation: I have gone back and forth about the merits of my job but I have decided I don't plan to go back. Basically this is my chance to try something I might like a lot more and I'm going to try it, and yeah I also want to be home most of the time with baby girl. I reserve the right to change my mind, but I don't plan on going back to my current job. I'm just over it. It's a good job but I don't like it. Maybe I sound like a spoiled brat.
I recently shared this with my current supervisor, who advised me to not make my decision yet. Wait and see how the freelance thing is going, she said, and in the meantime get your disability pay. Others I have talked to in a more theoretical sense have said the same thing. Take the money, you earned it, everyone does it, etc.
Except for HR. I talked to HR and they told me that disability pay for new mommies is not supposed to be a reward for work you have already done. It is an incentive to retain employees. Also, I know that each person that takes advantage of the situation to "take the money and run" makes it that much harder for the next pregnant woman to be taken seriously.
But, we could really use the money. ESPECIALLY because I don't plan on coming back. And because our house is never done breaking. Though it's not like we're going to be on food stamps. We'll just tighten the budget until things start to take off with ye olde business.
(Side note: I realize the whole "starting a home-based business" is becoming a bit cliche among certain mommies, but luckily my business is going to be based on skills I have a master's degree and many years of experience in, not a trendy thing I can sell on etsy. I am hoping this increases my chances of prospering. And I am already doing it; I just need to expand.)
Anyway I made my decision. But I am curious what my 2-3 readers think about the ethics of maternity leave.
12 October 2009
being a homebody
I am upstairs editing articles written from the perspectives of Jews, Muslims and Christians that all participated in inter-faith dialogues in various countries. They are actually really interesting. This one Rabbi's article knocked my socks off.
Downstairs the neighbor kids are going to town in our music room. I have no idea whether they are being supervised but I think El Esposo is putting up drywall in the next room. I have to admit I have heard some not-half-bad drum beats amidst all the noise.
We love our neighbors. Seriously. A couple days ago for no good reason they brought over their "extra" lunch for us and it was amazing: delicate aromatic rice with tender halal beef and cucumber/tomato/awesome salad and then yogurt sauce on the side to dredge all of the deliciousness in. Why did we not take a picture? Oh, probably because they do this all the time.
Downstairs the neighbor kids are going to town in our music room. I have no idea whether they are being supervised but I think El Esposo is putting up drywall in the next room. I have to admit I have heard some not-half-bad drum beats amidst all the noise.
We love our neighbors. Seriously. A couple days ago for no good reason they brought over their "extra" lunch for us and it was amazing: delicate aromatic rice with tender halal beef and cucumber/tomato/awesome salad and then yogurt sauce on the side to dredge all of the deliciousness in. Why did we not take a picture? Oh, probably because they do this all the time.
09 October 2009
vomit practice
How does this:
Become this?
It's pretty easy, actually. Simply open the fruit cup by the tab facing towards you and angled slightly up (it helps if you are or your belly is a large target). Then just watch in amazement as the juice squirts out as through a water hose that you put your finger over. The result is a beautiful splatter painting all over your shirt.
The bonus here is that if you do this early enough in the day while at work you can also smell like packaged fruit juice all day long.
Become this?
It's pretty easy, actually. Simply open the fruit cup by the tab facing towards you and angled slightly up (it helps if you are or your belly is a large target). Then just watch in amazement as the juice squirts out as through a water hose that you put your finger over. The result is a beautiful splatter painting all over your shirt.
The bonus here is that if you do this early enough in the day while at work you can also smell like packaged fruit juice all day long.
08 October 2009
poised to fall
So, this is me, apparently:
Some people are so good at these things but I am not. My brain is so full with trying to not slack off too bad at work and edit 25 articles for my freelance gig at night and go to childbirth class and read a million books about how to get a kid out of me and then what to do with it when it comes out and keeping El Esposo from going insane with all the housework. I forget little details like making sure the building is reserved for this church activity I am in charge of planning. Or paying our only bill that can not be automated. Or doing the most mundane errands to avoid tax evasion.
Is there some dark cave that I can crawl into that will supply all needed nutrients to me via a tube?
Okay, just kidding, sort of.
The house of cards will probably fall and then I will start building another one. Maybe I should take an engineering course?
Sorry for the whining.
Some people are so good at these things but I am not. My brain is so full with trying to not slack off too bad at work and edit 25 articles for my freelance gig at night and go to childbirth class and read a million books about how to get a kid out of me and then what to do with it when it comes out and keeping El Esposo from going insane with all the housework. I forget little details like making sure the building is reserved for this church activity I am in charge of planning. Or paying our only bill that can not be automated. Or doing the most mundane errands to avoid tax evasion.
Is there some dark cave that I can crawl into that will supply all needed nutrients to me via a tube?
Okay, just kidding, sort of.
The house of cards will probably fall and then I will start building another one. Maybe I should take an engineering course?
Sorry for the whining.
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