Wooo!

Ben, AKA OTA_Stolinski is the winner of the Dycem giveaway! Congratulations! I see a turtle mat in your future! Email me at otnotes at gmail. I will definitely consider doing more giveaways in the future, (should I have items to do that with) but hopefully there will be more legitimate comments and fewer advertisements for fake universities and/or job search engines.

The Biggest OH NO Moment Yet

Worst moment yet of this job:

We have a high number of kids transitioning out of early intervention and into the IEP system. More than usual. So that has led to tons o' evals, IEPs, and meetings. I've been proud of staying ahead of all that needs done. Monday, I finished up all of the evals and the entirety of the IEPs. And today, at 330pm, I discover everything has been obliterated for 2 IEPs. Completely and utterly gone. And due on Monday.

Tangentially Job-Related Goals

Clearly, with my job in a new field and situation I've never been in before, I have goals. I want to be competent (and if possible, awesome) at what I do. But since there are a whole host of other things going on, here are my goals that are only somewhat related to the job.

• Learn to Navigate the County: I have never been great at finding my way. GPS was essential in Baltimore since I would likely still be driving around North Street trying to get home. My husband does most of the driving when we're together, so I didn't get a lot of practice. Now we've bought a home in a larger-than-I-thought county and I want to know how to get everywhere. Today I went to the extreme East end, and I will regularly be covering points West and South as well. I want to know short cuts (or at least the basics). Ideally, I will be able to out-navigate my husband. We'll see.
• Find Awesome Eateries: I still pack my lunch a good bit, or hit the grocery store salad bar. But I want to find cool little unique small business eateries. I want to be a regular at the best dives in the nooks and crannies of town that can provide lunch in 30 minutes or less.
• Improve Time Management/Job Separation: A major problem at my last job was working extra hours and not being able to "turn off" at the end of the day. A prime factor in our decision to move from Baltimore was to have more family time and take up worthwhile activities during the down time. So this is a crucial personal well being step.
• Dress Like an Adult: I've worn solely scrubs to work for 4 years. This includes not just cute little outfits, but t-shirts, items scrounged from yard sales, and shirts from my Grammy's own collection. Most people would not consider this wardrobe very fashionable, or even always the right size. Now I wear nice pants and shirts... time to be a grown up and look professional! Also, I get to fix my hair nicely on occasion instead of keeping it pinned back constantly.
• Find Time for Physical Activity: It's never easy to fit in everything you want to do in a day. So I really want to focus on making time to be active. So far, I've been able to walk to the school closest to my house, and work in some school laps during lunches/breaks. On days that I am at a "campus" or several nearby schools, I hope to be able to walk or bike. Incorporating the activity at work is something I'd like to do, and it demands that I pack efficiently and prepare well for the day, so it's a lot to work on. Ideally, I will also do some things before or after work, but I'm still ironing that out.