New job

I figured now that I'm in my third week, it's probably time to catch up and blog about the new job. A couple weeks ago--while on vacation actually--I got the call offering me the job as the director of communications at my alma mater, Messiah College. Messiah is literally 2.1 miles from our house (we mapped it to see the exact!) which is an AWESOME change from my 25 mile commute. In this role, I'll be responsible for managing the feature and news content on the website, and in key areas around campus. I'll also be the college spokesperson, manage all media inquiries, manage the College's social media, and serve on the crisis team. 

I absolutely loved my job at Penn State Hershey, but it sure was hard to pass up a growth opportunity like this so close to home! So far, things are going really well. And, I'm not going to lie, I LOVE the option of running home at lunch and starting a load of laundry, the crockpot, or relaxing. I've gone for lunch several times with my new co-workers and I've worked out a few times too. I'm definitely getting into a new routine but it is so very awesome to be home 3 minutes after I leave the parking lot.

Workin' for the Weekend [A Day in the Life]

One of my favorite things to do is read blogs. I just love reading about people who are similar to me and what they do in their lives, getting meal ideas, and reading about raising kids! It is just so fun. Lately, I've been reading a TON of blogs about stay-at-home-moms and their daily routines. Being at SAHM isn't my thing quite yet, plus financially, it just doesn't seem right at this time. So off to work I/we go five days a week!

I thought it'd be fun to record what life is like right now with two full-time working parents, a 14-month-old, and a crazy brown dog.

First, let me say that I do think being a SAHM is hard work, but being a working mom is also incredibly hard too, and being one has given me a whole new level of respect for other moms who do it.

During the week, Seth and I wake up around 5:30 a.m. to start getting ready for work. Seth leaves by 6:10 a.m. and I leave around 6:40 a.m. We get up, I get a shower, do my hair, make-up and all that good stuff, while he gets dressed and eats breakfast. I eat breakfast at my desk each day which allows me a bit of extra time in the morning (and holds me over until lunch). Almost always on work days, Carter is up around 6:30, but I do often still need to wake him up for daycare, which totally stinks because then he doesn't like to sleep in on the weekends either! Boo.

After I'm dressed and ready, I always pack my breakfast and lunch and gather all of Carter's things for school (we provide his breakfast and lunch). Then, before Carter wakes, I load the car, feed the dog, and tidy up the house. Occasionally, if I have a few spare minutes (yeah right), I check e-mail, Facebook, and a few other things. Then, I wake Carter, get him dressed for school and head out.

I usually get to work around 7:30 a.m., and spend my day (until 5) doing all of the things you would expect an advertising professional to do - conference calls, meetings out the wazoo, designing ads and other materials, and occasionally pulling my hair out. :) I almost always take a lunch break because it is a moment of sanity in my day and allows me down time with my friends. Seth teaches all day.

At 5, I leave work and head home. My commute on a good day is 30 minutes, but it usually takes more like 40 or 45 on the way home. Seth picks Carter up Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays and is fabulous about having dinner ready most nights he is home. Since he works a second job, Wednesdays are hectic, and that is a day that I have to pick up Carter and then go home and start dinner. By about 5:30, Carter is hanging on our legs, crying for dinner. We make/eat dinner, and then spend the next little bit doing things like emptying the dishwasher, packing breakfasts and lunches for the next day, doing laundry, vacuuming, and any other housework items that need to be done. During that time, Carter is playing in the living room or wherever we are.

By about 6:15, we are 'free' to do activities - we go outside with Carter and play in the backyard, blow bubbles, go for walks, go grocery shopping, and other errands that may need to be run. By 7:30, Carter is nearing meltdown stage and it is time to switch things up - so it's bathtime or Skype with the family time! Seth and I alternate giving baths so that the other has a few minutes to themselves. Around 7:50, we give Carter his bottle, read a few books (if he's even interested), get him in his PJs, and put him in bed. He is pretty good about going to sleep by 8:00 but sometimes it can be 8:30 til all is said and done.

When he is in bed, we finish cleaning up the house and prepping for the next day. By now, we're both checking work e-mail, grading papers (Seth), and maybe catching a show on TV. (That almost made me laugh just writing it because that doesn't happen too often).

Around 9:30 or 10:00 (yes, we go to bed early) we go to bed.

On Fridays, I only work until 11 but I leave Carter in school until at least after nap and usually get him by 3 or 4. He loves daycare so I know he's having a great time. On these days, I get home around 11:30, so I quickly eat lunch and then clean the entire house. This is when I catch up on tons of laundry, wash our bed sheets, mop floors, and do the 'real' cleaning of the week. I feel very accomplished (albeit a bit stressed/tired) by 5 p.m. on a Friday, but we usually go out to eat Friday nights as some nice downtime.

Anyway, this is life at this stage. We're in a routine, and are used to how things are. It stinks to not see Carter as much as we'd like during the day, but we know he's in good hands, and it is what is best for our family right now. It is allowing us to take him fun places, save plenty for college, have great insurance, and so on.

It's been one of those days

Freudian Slip - A Major One

So the title pretty much speaks for itself. But oh, oh, did I have a freudian slip in my all-department staff meeting on Thursday. There is a point in the meeting where we go around and say what we have coming up during that week and next.

Well, when it was my turn, I was going through the list of press releases that I had/have set up to go out over the next few days.

I said "today, I have the heart failure certification release." And then what I MEANT to say was "And I have Amy's Breast Center accreditation release for Monday."

I'm sure you can imagine what I said.

"And I have Amy's breast on Monday."

Needless to say, my co-workers laughed. A LOT.

Good thing I have a sense of humor, because I laughed until the tears were wetting my shirt.

A Blessing in Disguise

Back in January, I got a promotion. This was definitely a good thing, as it meant more money, a better title, and another aspect of the industry that would be great for my resume. But it just wasn't marketing, which is what I've always considered my strong point.

In as short of an explanation as possible, some things happened in the department back in December that did not create vacancy in a higher-level marketing position, and I switched from my marketing role to a public relations role. I was sort of bummed, since I wasn't too keen on media relations--mostly because, like I said, I preferred marketing, but also because I didn't have much experience in it.

Well, I ended up doing well in it, and really enjoying it for the most part. HOWEVER, due to a resignation in the department, a marketing position that I really want has become vacant.

And awarded to your's truly.

WOO HOO!!! And on top of it all, I get an office with a window (I've had an interior office for the past 2 years)!!! Rumor has it natural light is a good thing. ;)

The sad part is that it is one of my best friends that is leaving; very bittersweet. We are so happy for her, since she got a great job, but very sad to see her go.

There is a time for everything; a season for every purpose.

The Joys of Life!

If you remember, I got a promotion a few weeks ago. It's been a learning process, and I've handled it pretty much in stride. I have some tough to handle days, but that is to be expected when you work in PR. And I've also had some easy days. Today was probably 50/50.

One of the most favorite calls was from one of our media contacts asking me if the hospital has had an influx of babies with the name "Barack" or "Obama." Are you kidding me? I checked, and not only is there not an influx; there are none. Shocking, I know. Because everyone gives some good, long thought into naming there son Ethan Barack Smith or Jason Obama Miller. :)

And top top off the stress, I've been rocking some sinus pressure and headache with a side of temporary peripheral vision loss thrown in for good measure. I'm convinced all of the headaches and eye issues are due to stress, because for as long as I can remember, I've never had one on a weekend. Only at work. Go figure. I'm going to give it a few more days before I get it formally checked out. I tend to be a little bit completely over the top about illnesses, and the thought of having a brain tumor has seriously crossed my mind more than one time in the past few days. Let's pray it's just stress.

AND luckily I made it to work today because I was almost in a really bad accident on the way to work. Good thing someone invented anti-lock brakes. I'm just sayin'.

Phew.

But, in fun, completely stress-less news...it's just a little over one week until we take a little weekend trip to see Matt, Erin, and Logan! Seth and I took off the Monday after the Superbowl so we could stay a little longer. We're looking forward to visiting them!

And I'm talking to one of my absolute best friends right now about our spring break trip to Florida in 2005, and I am laughing so hard. She knows how to break the stress. Here we are on the trip:

Now, to really top off the de-stressing, I'm going to curl up with my new book, make some tea, and chill. And not check work e-mail the rest of the night.

Hope your night is stress free! :)

Promotion

I mentioned to some of you about a restructure in the marketing and public relations department at the Medical Center where I work. We underwent some changes, which altered several positions in the marketing and communications office.

To make a long story short, my promotion is complete and I am now the Coordinator of Media Relations. For those not saavy in the world of marketing and public relations, this basically means that I will handle all of the day-to-day relationships with the media, pitch stories, hold news conferences, write press releases, respond in times of crisis (and happiness!), and serve as the institution spokesperson.

I've always viewed marketing as my strongest asset, but have done PR in my previous role here as well, so I'm taking a leap into doing 100% public relations on this one! Let's hope the challenges are met with rewards!

Wish me luck--and some prayers that the first time I have to handle a major event, I don't pass out.

Kidding, of course.

Priming

Today, I am priming the basement so that we can paint this week. I don't like to paint, and I especially don't like to paint by myself (Seth is at grad school). Add watching Bentley into the mix, and bad things happen.

To keep an eye on Bentley, I brought him and some toys downstairs to play and got to work.

Within 2 seconds of starting, I popped the orange juice container like top to the primer. And now have approximately 7 million tiny flecks of paint covering my body. Curious, Bentley walked over to the primer that was oozing out...and licked it. Excellent.

I am praying that no one rings the doorbell today because, currently, I actually have 2 distinct streaks of primer under my eyes like I mean business. And Bentley's left ear and jowel is white too. I won't even mention what the concrete floor looks like.

I have a fancy Christmas party tonight. I was planning on wearing black and white. I guess now I can just wear my black dress, because I already have the white portion covered.

Happenings and Such

I am beyond glad that tomorrow is Friday, and that it also happens to be my 1/2 day with my new work schedule. Because let me tell you, I am tired. Once I'm awake for the day and actually moving, getting up at 5:30 doesn't really seem to affect me. But by the end of the week, those few hours of lost sleep tend to catch up to me.

Work is absolutely insane. Most people know that when I get stressed, I tend to get itchy. Well, needless to say, I may or may not have scratched off my top layer of skin this week. I'm hoping that within the next week or so, I should have most stuff wrapped up at work for Breast Cancer Awareness month and can actually enjoy the month of October. That's a good thing, because I hear that October is nice.

Right now, I'm in the midst of planning for the Pink Zone game with the athletic and marketing reps at Penn State University. Pink Zone is the name they give to the Penn State vs. Iowa State Women's basketball game on February 15, 2009. Both teams wear pink and the whole day is about breast cancer research and awareness. This year, all the money raised will benefit cancer research being done right here in Hershey at our Cancer Institute, which is very exciting for little 'ol marketing rep Danielle!

Everything else is pretty much same old, same old at the Ran house.

After finally getting some rain, we mowed the lawn for the first time in a month. And mowing the lawn exposed the mysterious cement in the backyard, which means yard repair 101 has ensued. What is the mysterious cement, you may ask?! Well, we have an odd rectangular border about 5" wide around about a 20' x 15' section of the yard. We noticed something was weird because the grass was brown right above it and we had a little piece sticking out.

We have no idea what it is from. The neighbor said it was from a trampoline. Because everyone knows trampolines frequently come in 20' x 15' rectangular sizes for backyard use. My mom suggested that the reason Bentley digs in the yard is because something/one is buried there. I like my idea best--that it is a foundation for an addition to the house that was never built or an old barn from when it was still farmland. That's my story and I'm sticking to it!

Well, we possibly could not go on in life with a piece of cement sticking out. Seth grabbed some weird tool with a hook on each end and went to town.

There is no more cement sticking out anymore!! But we do have a fun, ankle breaking 8" ditch in the yard now! I think that when I break my ankle I'll get my cast in blue. I'm pinked out.

Stand up to cancer.

Not sure if you got a chance to watch, but NBC, CBS, and ABC hosted an event called Stand Up To Cancer tonight. What a beautiful show. I was pretty much teary-eyed the whole time. I think we can all say that we knew or know of someone who is battling cancer, so it touches pretty close to home.

It's unbelievable to think that 1 in 8 women will get breast cancer, 1 in 6 men will get prostate cancer, and 1 person a minute dies of cancer in the United States.

Clearly, this is the marketing person in me because I advertise for several of our cancer awareness and treatment programs at the Medical Center, but don't forget to schedule your yearly screenings.

October is breast cancer awareness month and the perfect time to start on the breast cancer one. And, if you come to Hershey, you get one of the t-shirts I designed for free if you schedule your mammogram. :)

If you want to check out the site, go to http://www.standuptocancer.org/.

I'm sure the researcher who will find the cure for cancer is out there--he or she just needs the money to fund the research.

Oh, the Encouragement.

So, our boss at work was feeling super generous and gave us the ability to work flex schedules--meaning that we can make our own schedules as long as it adds up to 40 hours a week. Of course, it needs to be consistent week to week, so we are being given a few weeks trial period to try out some different scenarios.

I could not possibly work 4 consistent 10-hour days for just one day off, so I am trying 4 9-hour days with a 1/2 day every Friday.

This week is trial week #1.

So, in true morning-bird fashion, my alarm went off. At 5:28 a.m. As in 32 minutes before the crack of dawn. And the "conversation" went something like this:

[Groggy Seth rolls over, squints, and looks at his alarm clock and turns to me] Seth: Is this your new get up time?

Me: Yep.

Seth: Oh wow. [Groggy Seth rolls back over and goes back to sleep]

Ah, the encouragement. :)

He doesn't make a peep until I'm ready to walk out the door. He decides to let Bentley out and put him back in his crate so he can get a little more sleep. I was asking him questions and he was responding with odd answers, so I decided I would just call him later from work to catch up about his trip.

(Disclaimer: Seth, I love you. But I have to share this funny story.)

When I did call him from work later in the morning, he was still clearly dead tired. Granted, he did drive 11 straight hours, deal with a lost birth certificate of one of the kid's at the border, etc. But Bentley has other ideas for when it appropriate to wake up for the day. I asked Seth if he fed the dog. He told me he did. And then it hit me--I never told him that I had switched Bentley's food, and to be safe, was mixing 1/2 of the old and 1/2 of the new food to ease him into it.

Well, sure enough, he gave him all new stuff. Oh well, no big deal. I read up on the food, looked healthy, and Bentley really seems to like it.

I told Seth that what I liked most was the little black beads of vitamins/dried fruit/veggies mixed sporadically throughout the food (Bentley thinks they are little treats!).

"Those little black things were vitamins?!," he said. "Oh, I thought they were burnt pieces of food and picked them out."

I laughed until it hurt.

Tomorrow, Bentley, you will get your antioxidants.

Hersheypark

Today is our team-building day at work. At noon, we are leaving for Hersheypark, where I fully intend to ride the new rollercoaster, Fahrenheit:

It will be a fun day...and a nice break from the craziness of work!

Back to Work...

After 11 consecutive days of no work, I am back into the swing of things today. There were lots of e-mails and voicemails to return, and lots of office "going-ons" to catch up on.

And let me tell you...I am surprised that I have been able to hold my head up all day because that puppy, though cute as a button, has me dead tired already. Heaven help me when I have a child. (Rumor has it they are more exhausting than a puppy!) haha :)

Like clockwork, we go to bed at 10 p.m., and like clockwork, Bentley thinks it's time to play at 5:45 a.m. Over the last 5 nights, I think I've slept a total of 25 hours.

We joke that he is just like me: he loves Seth (like his momma), has a small bladder (like his momma), likes to nap (like his momma), and can be stubborn (like his momma....and daddy). In a book we bought, it says that in order to own a boxer you need to "have a sense of humor or prepare to get one." How true it is! He is SO funny.

The other day, I yelled at him for biting my Pier 1 basket in the living room.

He looked at me, walked out of my arm's reach, and sat down. Facing away from me. And would not look at me no matter how sweetly I said his name or tried to get him to look. It was hysterical. But we now know: he does not like to be offended!

To add to the Boxer fun, when Michelle and Jason went with us to pick Bentley up, they broke down and bought another one. It is out of the same litter, so Bentley's sister, Lexi, is now a part of the family, too!

That's all the dog news for now--I'm sure we'll have lots more.

In the meantime, Happy Anniversary, Ben and Salli. Enjoy your day! :)