Scattered thoughts

I'm ready to blog again but don't have anything special to say. Some scattered thoughts are on my mind so I'll see what comes out!

Work life

Sometimes I feel like my job takes up 75% of my time and I don't have much of a life outside of work. This week has been especially intense and I'm ready for a weekend off. It's been over a month since we had a "normal" weekend at home! This is the time of year when performance evaluations are going on. Each employee rates themselves on how they are upholding the core values of St. Joe's (reverence, integrity, compassion, excellence) as well as job performance. The manager also rates the employee on the same points and has a one-on-one talk to discuss how you are doing in your job. This is not necessarily a pat on the back and "you're doing a great job" type of situation. Mine went well though, and I made it known that I would like to be the main ante room tech. I was told I am one of two people being considered for that position. In the meantime, I'm scheduled to work in the ante room most often. It can be high pressure and very demanding, which I usually like. There's days when I constantly have five or more things to keep track of at one time. In my eval, my manager asked if I had anything to bring to her, and I mentioned the way our schedules our made. It's a complicated process that I feel should be managed a little differently, so I suggested a few things. In the discussion, she said something about "you should try making the schedule" and I said I'd like to! She let me do the next schedule as a trial and had the lead tech look over it. It sounds like I might be doing that more often now, too! It's like doing a puzzle. It took me quite awhile to fit all the pieces in and make it work, but I enjoyed it.

Family life

We've been feeling pretty lonely now that Shelby and Kait moved to Tennessee. Since they lived a couple hundred yards down the road from us, we saw them often and Cliff especially had a lot to do with them. When I'd work evenings or weekends, he'd do things with them, and frequently went to eat ice cream there in the evening.😄 It's kind of painful to drive past their place several times a day and be reminded they're gone. 

Foodie talk

August is Pennsylvania produce month. There's an abundance of fruits and vegetables available, and I'm loving it! There's very few things so delicious as a fresh peach. I cooked up a vegetable soup the other night with fresh tomatoes, eggplant, green beans, carrots, and more. It's so satisfying to make soup.

End of summer

The night is loud with the late summer sounds of crickets/cicadas(?). I love their noise but it also makes me feel a little melancholy because I know summer is coming to an end. Every chance I get, I'm going to soak up the sunshine and warmth while it lasts. Schools are starting, and the nostalgia for teaching is still there, just less intense the longer I'm away from school.

Words that thrill
I had this on my WhatsApp status, but had to post it again because it resonated with me so intensely.

This one I saw on a friend's status and it really made me think. I relate too well to the ones that show regret. I want to do more enjoying and doing.