T is for Transcription

It’s been nearly a year since I left my stable job at an insurance company for the instability of becoming a work at home mom. Many were sure that I wouldn’t be able to make any money, that any work from home transcription was a scam, and that we would wind up in the poor house.  We didn’t wind up broke and living on the street, and I would like to think that if not for my husband losing his job, I would have been able to continue.

I’m hoping that over the summer I can reduce my hours at the pizza place and increase my transcription business.  I enjoy being able to spend the days with Khaila and the nights in my office.  I would like to find some of my own clients but I’m tired of dealing with lowball offers on freelance sites, scams on Craigslist, and scouring for leads when I could be working.  I need to figure out how to better organize my time so I know that I will devote a specific amount of time to tracking down business, other times I will dedicate myself to transcription, and the times when I’m scheduled to be mommy, the office is closed.

I’m not sure how it will pan out, but I know that my boss can’t afford two of us full-time during the slow season and I would rather not sit in  sweltering building baking pizzas in a 500 degree oven all day.  I would rather be free to take my girl to the pool and swimming lessons than be stuck at work wishing I was doing those things.

One more thing that I thought I had failed at that I now realize I just needed to step back from and re-analyze.  I’m damned good at what I do.  I enjoy it.  I just need to have the strength to say no so I don’t stretch myself so thin.

Customer service

Nearly every day a bubbly blond woman comes in to my work and orders the same thing.  She gets a slice of either cheese or veggie pizza (depends on what the veggies are) and a can of Diet Dr. Pepper.  For nearly a month she’s been a staple of my day.

I’m not sure who is more dumbfounded by our daily interactions.  Every day, she comments on how it amazes her that I remember her order.  Every day it amazes me that she is surprised.  It’s not a hard order, she’s always polite, and she’s in frequently.  Why wouldn’t I learn and remember her order?  Has our world become so hurried that it’s no longer the norm for staff at a business you frequent to remember you?  Are employees too busy trying to get to the next customer or the next task to remember those who treat them well?

It makes me feel good when I go somewhere and they remember me.  It’s a minor validation that in some way I have left my mark on their world.  I’m not just “pump five” when I go to Kwik Trip, I’m the woman who comes in to pay for her gas and gets Mountain Dew, two cheese sticks, bananas, and a pack of Camel Wide Lights.  They know me and know what I want.

Please, if you work in a customer service environment, take a moment to remember your customers as people rather than just another rushed sale or phone call.

Don’t talk back to Darth Vader

My dad posted a great video on his blog.  Anyone who knows a toddler will enjoy this!

Sweater Day

Saw this on MSNBC this morning.  Mr. Rogers was a great show, one that I still sit down to watch when I can.  It’s hard to believe it’s been five years since he passed away.

Diane, Sidney, and Dale

Three names with one thing in common.  They are the lesser-known middle names of some of our presidential candidates.  I felt compelled to find out the answer to a question that filled my head all day today and there is the answer.

Talk radio seemed to be abuzz with discussion about Bill Cunningham using Barack Obama’s full name, Barack Hussein Obama, three times while speaking before John McCain in Ohio. The hot question was “Was it offensive for Mr. Cunningham to use Barack Obama’s full name?”

Well, on one hand, it’s not automatically offensive or malicious.  At the same time, if his name was Barack Patrick Obama, would there be anything said about it?  For some reason, I highly doubt it.  Did Bill Cunningham refer to Mrs. Clinton as “Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton“?  Would he refer to Mr. Huckabee as “Michael Dale Huckabee“?  I doubt it.  He was playing up the fact that Barack Obama’s name contains the name of a very evil man.  He was trying to make sure there was a connection in the minds of those attending the rally.

Furthermore, would it be as damning if a candidate had the middle name of Adolf, Benito, Joseph, etc?

S is for Success?

I started the year determined to blog daily, to devote time every evening to developing my writing skills, and some sort of all around life makeover.  As evidenced by the datestamps on my blog entries, I haven’t kept up that resolution.  My work in progress isn’t making much progress.

It’s easy to get into a negative line of thinking and decide that I’ve failed.  One goal I set for myself was to knock down the negativity and keep trying when I stumble.  Luckily, I think that’s one area where I am succeeding.

I no longer look at my home and view the clutter as indications that I have failed, I simply get up and do something.  Rather than expect an overnight transformation from packrat to Martha Stewart, I hope to make sure that every night is a little better than the one before.

I’ve stopped viewing Khaila’s tantrums as a testament to my shortcomings as a mother.  I’ve started to find other ways of dealing with her and working past the “terrible twos”.  So far, some of the best ideas have come from Montessori teachings.  We have started including her in our daily lives, not as a child but as a participating member of the family.  Once, I would have thought it was too much to expect a two year old to help with laundry, dishes, or general cleaning.  Now I know that she actually enjoys doing these tasks.  We do them together and she beams with satisfaction when we’re done.  Eventually she hits her limit and Rick and I finish the task while she goes off to color or play.

Two months into the year, I think the mental change is greater than any changes on the outside.  The dedication to have a more positive attitude is powerful.  One step in front of the other really is the way to lasting change no matter how corny it sounds.

Balance

Earlier this month, I saw a post at Absolute Write to join the February blog chain. After following along with the January chain as a spectator, I decided to jump in. It has been interesting to see the directions different authors took when describing balance. Some have described balance in life, others balance in writing. Ms. Colby wrote on balance in dancing.

The other night, there was a message from Life in Scribbletown saying it was my turn, she had posted her entry for the chain. The following words struck a chord with me. Okay, so the entire post had me nodding as I read, but this about sums it up:

Eventually, I got my shit together. Continued to work. Watched my daughter learn to talk, to walk, to draw, to read. I learned to trust myself. I threw out the books. My life is not the same pane of glass it was seven years ago. Different, much more up-to-date, but better.

It’s always interesting to read REAL accounts of motherhood from REAL mothers. I don’t want sunshine blown up my skirt. Being a mom sucks at times. It’s also amazing at other times. If you think about it, that is a balance in itself. The bad times ground you from being on a cloud thinking life is always rosy and the amazing times remind you how truly blessed you are.

When Khaila was born, I returned to work after four short weeks. It wasn’t enough time with her but it was necessary. When she was just shy of two, I quit my job, started working from home and thought life would be wonderful. I could be home with her, still earn a living, not feel guilt for having her in daycare, not feel like I wasn’t doing “my part” for the family.
What I learned is that I’m not full-time stay at home mom material. There are women out there who amaze me, their homes run like clockwork, they have it under control. Me, I could feel the walls closing in on me. I had to get back to work. At first, I returned part time, a job in the mall during the holiday season. More recently, I found a new job and I’m working 50-60 hours a week, only off on Sundays.

I’ve learned that everything in motherhood is a balance. Personally, I’ve fought to be myself while still identifying as a mother. There was an evening shortly after Khaila was born when I was introduced to my step-mom’s family. As we left for the night, Rick tired and me grumpy (I had been told to go home and take care of my husband and daughter), Miss Laura called out, “Bye Rick, bye Mikhaila’s mom.”
That moment was a bit of a turning point for me. In the six months prior, I had gone from being Heather to being Rick’s wife and Mikhaila’s mom. On the way home, I lost it. I sat there crying to my husband that my name was Heather, that I was more than his wife and more than our daughter’s mom. In some ways, I’m grateful for that moment. If not for Laura, I may not be so determined to maintain a sense of self today. No matter how many children we eventually have, I will always be both mom and Heather.

Next up is Green Diva

Be sure to check out the entire February chain:

The Writers:

The Unfocused Life

Auria Cortes

Spontaneous Derivation

Organized Chaos

The Writer’s Round-About

Spynotes

Williebee

Even in a Little Thing

Spittin’ (out words) Like a Llama

A Thoughtful Life

Life in Scribbletown

My Path to Publication

For the First Time

Green Diva

Polenth’s Quill

An apology

Michala Riggle, I apologize to you!  It wasn’t until this morning that I realized I had mispelled your name in a blog post I did about your fundraising efforts.

I blame your parents!  Okay, and myself and my husband.  You have a beautiful name and I love the way your parents spelled it.  At the same time, we parents of the Michaelas, Mikhailas, Michalas, Makaylas, etc of the world have to realize what we have done to our daughters by giving them the most commonly altered name.

~Mikhaila’s mommy

R is for Resolute

Saturdays are a slow day at work.  Generally, early in the afternoon I will turn on the TV, find the least boring show on network broadcast, and settle in to finish prep work for the night.  Yesterday, I turned on NBC thinking I would find figure skating, gymnastics, or another equally girly sport.  Instead, I found that I had tuned in to the Ironman World Championship from Kona, HI.

As I listened to Mike Rowe narrate the coverage, it became apparent that the athletes they were focusing on weren’t the leaders of the pack.  As a matter of fact, many of them were closer to the rear than the front.  After watching a bit about Scott Rigsby, a double amputee hoping to complete the race, I took a break and thought how amazing it was that even though he has no lower legs, he was determined to finish the race.

For a brief moment, I thought what it would be like to set a goal like that for myself.  Immediately, my head filled with all of the reasons it would never happen.  Even if I lose 60+ pounds, I’ll probably still have a bad back and bad knees.  I don’t have time.  I can’t afford to join  a gym to train.  The list went on and on.

When the show came back from commercials, they showed the story of Charles Plaskon, a blind man who was competing with assistance from his guide.  As he crossed the finish line, I started to cry.  His grandchildren grabbed on to the guide rope and ran to the finish with him.  Even typing these words, I find myself welling up.  He was competing on behalf of the C Different Foundation.

I missed the segment on Brian Boyle (dang work!) but to read what he has overcome is amazing. His website tells the story very well, but long story short, in 2004, he was hit by a dump truck and was in a coma for two months.

These men were resolute in their choice to be Ironmen.  They overcame obstacles that most of us can’t imagine.  By the end of the program, I was convinced that we can all be our own worst enemy.  These are men who proved it starts with the mind.  When the mind is determined and refuses to quit, we can succeed.

Will I ever be an Ironman?  Probably not.  But I hope to carry these stories in my mind as I go through life.

From the “HUH???” department. . .

My husband and I had a simple wedding.  Yes, it was also a freezing cold wedding since some crazy bride thought that having a park wedding in late April was a good idea.  I think we set a speed record for the ceremony, dinner after, and clean up when we got in and out within and hour.

I would like to think that I learned something from my first time around and wanted simple because I didn’t enjoy my first wedding as much as I thought I would.  My ex and I had the formal church wedding followed by a reception and dance at one of the nicest hotels in Madison.  Everything was beautiful, but the stress was apparent long before the day of the wedding and only grew as time ran out.  That being said, there are some things I would never even consider.  A White Castle wedding would be on the “You’ve got to be kidding me” list!