What Really Counts

Well, I have quit the census job after three weeks of work. The main reason is not something I want to talk about in this forum, but there were lots of little reasons as well. When I started, they didn't tell us that there was a minimum hours requirement, or that we would be required by our supervisors to work at different times in the day. When I am only available on certain evenings and weekends, it becomes very hard to get 20 hours in a week and some in the mornings! The rules for collecting data were never the same from week to week or even day to day, so when I thought I was doing a good job, I might well be doing work that would be completely invalidated and need to be done over. And you know what's harder than convincing a reluctant person to give information to the Census? Convincing them twice! I am a person who is very concerned with doing her job right, and basically not being able to do so was very frustrating.

Added onto that was the fact that we have some very busy weeks happening now and soon. M has a colloquium this weekend that he is preparing a paper for, and the first part of the week was just miserable, trying to compromise between getting our respective work done. Robert had a doctor's appointment, I've got one tomorrow, and Friday we meet with our pastor about the baptism. Next week all our folks are coming for the baptism, and after that, there is vacation! Trying to work in a stressful, unrewarding job around all that would just have been crazy. And really, it was an at-will job that could've let me go at any minute anyway. It's not like I'm giving up a chance at a permanent position or anything like that. Maybe three or four more weeks of work, maybe less! I'm going to be happy for the money I earned, and leave it at that.

That's really all there is to say about that, I guess. Be kind to the Census-taker if one comes to your door, they are probably having a bad day already. In other news, there is another cat out on the patio right now, and Victoria is very upset about it. That other cat is probably in my catnip! Grrr. I wouldn't mind if it was just the catnip, but they have a tendency to squish my lavender and watermelon plants as well while they are indulging. I may have to dig it up and repot it in a hanging basket. In other-other news, I am still pumping, and tonight I got three ounces in two pumpings, which is still not great, but is at least better. In the morning, Robert will get to nurse, and then will get a bottle that is half real milk, so that's good for him. Now that I'll be home all day, I can keep a more stringent schedule, which will hopefully also be good for milk production. I think that we have the formula situation figured out, but I still want to get as much breastmilk into him as possible. It's a real pain sometimes, but it's good for him, and he likes to nurse, now that he's got the hang of it. I'll keep it going as long as I can.

Oh! I don't know if anyone noticed, but there's a new widget on my right-side blog menu, the Smartypig widget. Smartypig is a savings website where you set savings goals for yourself and then you or other people can make deposits into them until the goal is met. The interest rate is pretty good for a savings account, and I like being able to specifically put money towards a goal. Right now I have one short term goal, saving up the 350 dollars for a small chest freezer from the Sears Outlet store. If I can find the money, I will find a place to put the freezer, and I will start buying more in bulk and doing more freezer cooking days. I have enviously watched the blog posts of women who can spend a long day in the kitchen and make a month's worth of meals for their deep freezers, knowing that my tiny freezer would never be up to the task. Someday, I will have my own! I also have a long term goal, saving up tuition for a preschool for Robert. Right now it's a goal that seems very out of reach for a time that seems very far away, but hopefully by the time preschool rushes at us like a freight train, we will have some money coming in and put away. You have to think ahead about these things! You can keep an eye on my progress by watching my widget!

And I think that's about it for the day. I need some sleep very badly, and Robert never gives me a morning off. Ah well. =)