Taking the fact that I am a Libra out of the mix because Libra's can almost never make a decision at least without second guessing themselves (sometimes even third, forth and fifth guessing) and even after we have made our final decision we worry that perhaps option B would have been better. UGH!!!
Anyway, after a year of car issues and just kinda sorta of keeping my eye on the job market for something closer to home because I am determined not to buy a new car until I absolutely have no choice so we can get as many of our house renovation bills paid off as possible I managed to land a few interviews. Some of the interviews were not close to home but at least I would have been able to take the bus unlike working in Arden Hills where the transit website said there was no way they could get me to Land O Lakes between the hours of 5am and 10am from North Minneapolis even if I were to walk several miles.
Is it me or don't most interviews seem to go really well? Every time I interviewed, even if I wasn't excited about the company or the job I always got good vibes but never any offers. Except for the Wells Fargo job, I did NOT get good vibes in that interview at all and in fact I was getting stressed out just hearing about the job. Don't get me wrong, I know many people that work for Wells Fargo and LOVE their jobs but none of them are in payroll.
I wasn't desperate to leave Land O Lakes and my car seems to be running very well so when I got a call from a local Hospital to come in for an interview, I was like "Sure, whatever" and OMG they called me back for a 2nd interview, followed by a job offer.
CRAP!!! Now I have to make a decision and it's not just a Burrito or a Fajita this will affect not only me but Scott because of the benefits. I will also have to change dentists, learn a new computer system, meet new people, new schedule, clothes, etc... What if they don't like me? What if I don't like them, the job, where I am sitting etc... I am in a Libra nightmare.
Live in the moment, Live in the moment, Live in the moment... Breathe....
In the interview the people seemed great, the location is REALLY close to our house, the job itself is what I already do but it's just different enough to keep me from getting bored at least for a while and based on the description of it I actually got excited because it seemed so perfect.
So I accepted the job offer and now I am faced with another nightmare. I have to put in my notice. In payroll you never know if they are going to ask you to leave immediately for confidentiality reasons or if you will have to stay for the duration of your notice. I was hoping for the immediate option which is why I completely cleaned out my desk before I put in my notice so all I would have to do is grab my bag and go. But alas! I have to stay the duration of my notice and I have NOTHING at my desk to keep me occupied.
So yesterday, I received my job offer confirmation letter and everything in it is at it was offered but then you read things that you already know but to see them in writing causes a little uneasy stir like "The first 60 days are a probationary period" and "Minnesota is an AT WILL State so if we hate you we can fire you for no reason at all" that combined with the full medical examination and drug test that I have to do next Tuesday that warns me not to eat poppy seeds or drink excessive amount of caffeine or I could fail. WHAT!!! Are you kidding me? Why is it every time I have to do a drug test I freak out even though I haven't done drugs in years and years? I am going to a BBQ on Saturday, what if they have poppy seed buns?
OK, since I have put in my notice, nobody asks me questions anymore and my job has been dissected and split up amongst the others and although I am required to be here I have absolutely nothing to do except write this meandering blog that is just really a whole lot of nothin. I wish we had a wireless connection in here, then I could at least sign in to Facebook and send people eggs!
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Sunday, July 20, 2008
2008 Red Ribbon Ride
Day#1
So here we are at the Mall of America at 5:30am on Thursday 07/17/2008 ready to start another incredible adventure. Some of us are here every year but every year there are a several new faces as well as a few faces missed.
Opening ceremonies start and finish and we are all itching to just get started so I’m pretty certain the new video was not as appreciated as much as it should have been. We line up to head out the doors of the mall and as I start to roll, my helmet strap broke. I rolled out anyway and stopped at the end of the driveway and tied it together the best I could. We made it out of the MOA at 7am or so, through Pit #1 in Rosemount and Pit #2 in Hastings and we are now 34 miles into Day #1 and am very happy about cooler temps, no head winds, rain or hail so Woo Hoo!!!
By the time we got to Pit #3 in Miesville, MN the rain has begun and it ain't pretty. It's 11:13am and we are still at Pit #3 because I guess there is some rule about riding with lightening. The group of bikers is getting larger and largerbecause they won't let us leave because the route has now been officially closed. I knew I should have skipped this pit and head to lunch because Pit#3 to Pit#4 on Day#1 is one of my favorite routes.
I managed to get permission to leave and head to Pit #4... Uuummm!!! OMG!!! It felt like I was riding in a hurricane with tidal waves and lightening as an added bonus. It was so incredibly spiritual and in that short ride from Pit#3 to Pit#4 it all came flooding into me as a reminder as to why I do these rides, this ride, my ride, OUR ride. I don't think I've had a rush like that in a long time and probably won't again anytime soon because we are all now trapped at Pit #4 which is also lunch. They are trying to decide if they are going to close the route altogether since this weather doesn't appear as though it is going to let up.
We have now been hanging out here at Pit #4 for over an hour which feels like an eternity because we are wet, cold and oh get this... Someone thinks it’s a great idea to wrap wet cold people in mylar (foil blankets) in a lightening storm. LMAO!!!
So we waited at Pit #4 for almost 2 hours when they announced the route was going to be closed for at least another hour so I decided to call it a day and rode the sweep bus back to camp and not 5 minutes later the route re-opened. Although I was initially pissed off I am ok with my decision since the last 20 miles was non-stop rain.
It's now 7:17pm and I am dry, happy but very tired. Tomorrow is another day and we are hoping for a dry day.
I love being on the ride, you can eat as many desserts as you want and still know that your calorie intake is less calories burned.
Good night...
Day#2
We are going on about 2 (Maybe) hours of sleep. It's 6:05am and we just finished breakfast. Who eats this early?
I am at Pit #3 at St Patrick’s Church in West Albany, MN. I opted not to do the shortcut option that I usually take to make up for the miles I skipped out on yesterday. I am 38+ miles into the 73 mile day. No rain but really overcast which is kinda nice because the humidity is nice and cool. The bad part is you can't wear your glasses. The BIG hill is next so here I go...
WOW! It's 11:15am and I am at Pit #4 and past the most challenging part or could I be remembering wrong...maybe the BIG Hills were after lunch.
I signed up this year almost out of guilt but I'm already thinking about next year (which I already swore I would not do) and people have been contacting me wanting to do ride with me in 2009 so who knows? I wonder what Robyn's gonna do when she finds out the Doug wants us to start a "Team Firm" hehe!!! But so far it's been a great ride and considering I basically went on 1 training ride since last year, and I still feel great odds are I will do it again in 2009 unless I find those hills I have forgotten about.
Ok...someone lied and I did forget. The hills were definitely worse AFTER lunch. But still, not as bad as I remembered. Day #2 ended up being just less than 75 miles and I still feel pretty damn good. It's 1:59pm and I have been done for over 30 minutes and I would REALLY like a Diet Coke and a shower.
I got my shower (kind of) because my clothes are in a route marking car I barrowed a towel and a pair of shorts and took a shower with no soap or shampoo so I will take another one later. I still REALLY need a Diet Coke, a massage and the Chiropractor.
Dinner was donated by Chipotle and there were trays and trays of cookies and brownies.
All is good....
Day#3
The day was relatively un-eventful. We started out at 6:30am and we were at lunch at 9:30am and back to camp just after 1pm. We had some great hills and are now sitting here waiting for a massage.
I really need to get more into biking trips and stuff. I feel sssooo good afterwards. Why couldn't I have discovered these things when I was 20?
Ok, I did it. Yes, I did it again. I am now officially registered on "The Firm" RRR Team for 2009. $1500.00 to raise AGAIN! I wish I had the money because I would just pay it myself.
It's friends and family night and
Robyn and Lief came to visit us and I really REALLY hope I can convince them to ride so Robyn will join The Firm team. The speaker tonight was Ryan White's mother Jeannie White. She seems very down to earth and real but and I really want to listen to her for hours but my body is sssooo tired.
Day#4 – LAST DAY
Just rolled into the last pit about 10:30am... The hills of St Paul are probably 1/10 of what we have ridden over the past couple of days but because it’s the last day and we are all exhausted they seem to be almost the most challenging.
Now we wait for everyone to roll in for closing the ceremony... About 2 hours. Oi Vey!!!
Closing ceremonies this year is at the State Capitol and the area we are holding at while we wait has an amazing view. Too me, this is one of the best and worst parts. Everyone is so relaxed and happy to be done and we talk, laugh, eat and we wait. We wait for what seems to be an eternity because we are also tired, sore, sticky and really just want to be home.
It is now 1:30pm and we roll down the hill towards the front steps of the Capitol Building and we line the sides of a chained off area. The crew is introduced and come marching in and we empty our water bottle on as many of them as we can and we applaud them for their work, dedication and commitment to us, the ride and “The Cause” and if it were not for them there is no way we could do what we do.
Closing ceremonies finish and we all start to scatter, wander, look for our loved ones that came to pick us up, head to our cars and ultimately back to our homes.
The 2008 Red Ribbon Ride may be over but the memories, the people, the hills and reason we all do what we do will forever be etched in our minds and that will NEVER end.
Ride on, Laugh long and always remember what you helped create,
Much Love,
Reeeshar
Click here to see all the pictures I took if your interested>>> http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=17es1pzv.6elcekn7&x=0&y=-suvd9k&localeid=en_US
Red Ribbon Ride - Opening Ceremony Video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TeEMEAbTBbc
Additional RRR Pictures will be posted below very soon.
http://www.lifeimagellc.com/EVENT_RRR.html
More Pictures: http://picasaweb.google.com/gerke.benjamin/MinneapolisRedRibbonRideRide2008
http://www.pbase. com/bwlau55437/ 2008_red_ ribbon_ride_ _day_1__4
So here we are at the Mall of America at 5:30am on Thursday 07/17/2008 ready to start another incredible adventure. Some of us are here every year but every year there are a several new faces as well as a few faces missed.
Opening ceremonies start and finish and we are all itching to just get started so I’m pretty certain the new video was not as appreciated as much as it should have been. We line up to head out the doors of the mall and as I start to roll, my helmet strap broke. I rolled out anyway and stopped at the end of the driveway and tied it together the best I could. We made it out of the MOA at 7am or so, through Pit #1 in Rosemount and Pit #2 in Hastings and we are now 34 miles into Day #1 and am very happy about cooler temps, no head winds, rain or hail so Woo Hoo!!!
By the time we got to Pit #3 in Miesville, MN the rain has begun and it ain't pretty. It's 11:13am and we are still at Pit #3 because I guess there is some rule about riding with lightening. The group of bikers is getting larger and largerbecause they won't let us leave because the route has now been officially closed. I knew I should have skipped this pit and head to lunch because Pit#3 to Pit#4 on Day#1 is one of my favorite routes.
I managed to get permission to leave and head to Pit #4... Uuummm!!! OMG!!! It felt like I was riding in a hurricane with tidal waves and lightening as an added bonus. It was so incredibly spiritual and in that short ride from Pit#3 to Pit#4 it all came flooding into me as a reminder as to why I do these rides, this ride, my ride, OUR ride. I don't think I've had a rush like that in a long time and probably won't again anytime soon because we are all now trapped at Pit #4 which is also lunch. They are trying to decide if they are going to close the route altogether since this weather doesn't appear as though it is going to let up.
We have now been hanging out here at Pit #4 for over an hour which feels like an eternity because we are wet, cold and oh get this... Someone thinks it’s a great idea to wrap wet cold people in mylar (foil blankets) in a lightening storm. LMAO!!!
So we waited at Pit #4 for almost 2 hours when they announced the route was going to be closed for at least another hour so I decided to call it a day and rode the sweep bus back to camp and not 5 minutes later the route re-opened. Although I was initially pissed off I am ok with my decision since the last 20 miles was non-stop rain.
It's now 7:17pm and I am dry, happy but very tired. Tomorrow is another day and we are hoping for a dry day.
I love being on the ride, you can eat as many desserts as you want and still know that your calorie intake is less calories burned.
Good night...
Day#2
We are going on about 2 (Maybe) hours of sleep. It's 6:05am and we just finished breakfast. Who eats this early?
I am at Pit #3 at St Patrick’s Church in West Albany, MN. I opted not to do the shortcut option that I usually take to make up for the miles I skipped out on yesterday. I am 38+ miles into the 73 mile day. No rain but really overcast which is kinda nice because the humidity is nice and cool. The bad part is you can't wear your glasses. The BIG hill is next so here I go...
WOW! It's 11:15am and I am at Pit #4 and past the most challenging part or could I be remembering wrong...maybe the BIG Hills were after lunch.
I signed up this year almost out of guilt but I'm already thinking about next year (which I already swore I would not do) and people have been contacting me wanting to do ride with me in 2009 so who knows? I wonder what Robyn's gonna do when she finds out the Doug wants us to start a "Team Firm" hehe!!! But so far it's been a great ride and considering I basically went on 1 training ride since last year, and I still feel great odds are I will do it again in 2009 unless I find those hills I have forgotten about.
Ok...someone lied and I did forget. The hills were definitely worse AFTER lunch. But still, not as bad as I remembered. Day #2 ended up being just less than 75 miles and I still feel pretty damn good. It's 1:59pm and I have been done for over 30 minutes and I would REALLY like a Diet Coke and a shower.
I got my shower (kind of) because my clothes are in a route marking car I barrowed a towel and a pair of shorts and took a shower with no soap or shampoo so I will take another one later. I still REALLY need a Diet Coke, a massage and the Chiropractor.
Dinner was donated by Chipotle and there were trays and trays of cookies and brownies.
All is good....
Day#3
The day was relatively un-eventful. We started out at 6:30am and we were at lunch at 9:30am and back to camp just after 1pm. We had some great hills and are now sitting here waiting for a massage.
I really need to get more into biking trips and stuff. I feel sssooo good afterwards. Why couldn't I have discovered these things when I was 20?
Ok, I did it. Yes, I did it again. I am now officially registered on "The Firm" RRR Team for 2009. $1500.00 to raise AGAIN! I wish I had the money because I would just pay it myself.
It's friends and family night andRobyn and Lief came to visit us and I really REALLY hope I can convince them to ride so Robyn will join The Firm team. The speaker tonight was Ryan White's mother Jeannie White. She seems very down to earth and real but and I really want to listen to her for hours but my body is sssooo tired.
Day#4 – LAST DAY
Just rolled into the last pit about 10:30am... The hills of St Paul are probably 1/10 of what we have ridden over the past couple of days but because it’s the last day and we are all exhausted they seem to be almost the most challenging.
Now we wait for everyone to roll in for closing the ceremony... About 2 hours. Oi Vey!!!
Closing ceremonies this year is at the State Capitol and the area we are holding at while we wait has an amazing view. Too me, this is one of the best and worst parts. Everyone is so relaxed and happy to be done and we talk, laugh, eat and we wait. We wait for what seems to be an eternity because we are also tired, sore, sticky and really just want to be home.
It is now 1:30pm and we roll down the hill towards the front steps of the Capitol Building and we line the sides of a chained off area. The crew is introduced and come marching in and we empty our water bottle on as many of them as we can and we applaud them for their work, dedication and commitment to us, the ride and “The Cause” and if it were not for them there is no way we could do what we do.
Closing ceremonies finish and we all start to scatter, wander, look for our loved ones that came to pick us up, head to our cars and ultimately back to our homes.
The 2008 Red Ribbon Ride may be over but the memories, the people, the hills and reason we all do what we do will forever be etched in our minds and that will NEVER end.
Ride on, Laugh long and always remember what you helped create,
Much Love,
Reeeshar
Click here to see all the pictures I took if your interested>>> http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=17es1pzv.6elcekn7&x=0&y=-suvd9k&localeid=en_US
Red Ribbon Ride - Opening Ceremony Video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TeEMEAbTBbc
Additional RRR Pictures will be posted below very soon.
http://www.lifeimagellc.com/EVENT_RRR.html
More Pictures: http://picasaweb.google.com/gerke.benjamin/MinneapolisRedRibbonRideRide2008
http://www.pbase. com/bwlau55437/ 2008_red_ ribbon_ride_ _day_1__4
Friday, July 11, 2008
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