So, I've mentioned a lot about my job situation because that is what has bothered me the most about the past few months. It's also what has eaten up most of my time (job dissatisfaction, interviewing for new jobs, deciding on a job, giving notice to current job, traveling, etc). I went in yesterday and I got my TB screening test, turned in about half my paperwork and spoke with the credentialing expert (there's a credentialing expert!). Also, it's been about a year where I have had general work worries because of a military relocation, new state licenses and our overall plan for when Derek retires.
Yesterday, Derek and I sat out together on the tailgate of his truck watching the plumber snake our main line. I was able to pick both kids up from school and the weather was gorgeous. We couldn't decide on whether to BBQ, eat our broccoli & tofu or go out for dinner. No matter what the plumber said, it would never be as horrific as in the state of NJ where they found a repair that needed done on the leach field during a real estate transaction (state of NJ law says the entire leach field needed replaced and no repair was legal -- and anybody who tried to repair a repairable problem during a real estate transaction would be fined $100k). We had to come up with money we didn't have to have the leach field replaced so we could begin to unhook ourselves from NJ.
It wouldn't have mattered what the plumber said ... it never would have been that bad. We were calm and made jokes and. Well. We kind of made friends with the plumber. He gave us $50 off the price he told us at the beginning, but we turned that around and gave him a hefty tip just because he's a nice plumber. And he went above and beyond his work and the charge for his services were nearly nothing, plus he gave us the name of a good general contractor (I asked, because I want to add main level bathroom to this house). Honestly, it exceeded our expectations. Nobody tried to swindle us, take us for more than the job was worth or do bare minimum work. After living in NJ, we now know what good service looks like.
After that, we rounded up the kids and went to dinner and it was just. So. Normal.
It felt really good. I woke up this morning and although I was really tired from not having any days off (I go in for a few hours this afternoon, too), my coffee helped. Strangely, I found a nice shirt to go with my navy skirt and I also found a pair of new flats that will do, too. This week has been extraordinarily nice with sunny and warm weather. The flowers are bloomed, the grasses are green and growing. Chickmunks and birds are skittering across our walkway and ... I have just realized that I made the best decision for my family.
I feel peace that I can dedicate myself to this practice and to my family and that we will all heal from the past 2+ years. Our family has been living in a whirlwind since we made it. I'm dedicated to making it better. I deserve it, Derek & I deserve it, the kids deserve it. Derek and I have worked very hard over the past 10 years to put ourselves in a good position. I feel that everything is aligning for the first time. I just felt this today.
I also want to make note that my weight is what is was when I met Derek over 10 years ago. I am not the toned long distance runner that I was back then. I am leaner and I believe that I probably have another 10lb to lose if I don't exercise. I haven't been able to exercise because of this schedule the past 3 weeks, but I can hopefully restart in July. It feels good to have my values all aligned. We'll see what the body does with the weight.
For now, I need to get dressed to go into work for a few hours this afternoon. It's today that we get to discuss schedules which will help us plan for the future.