Absent - I Know

I know I've been absent. This year is crazy. Besides job stuff there's the stress of COVID, of politics, of school and more. 

We found out Isaak had not a few, but nearly 40 assignments missing. He went from crying about school last year, to just not doing his work at all. Conferences were all done via Teams. Try signing up for all those conferences, while closing a store with funky hours! Travis tried signing up, and he kept getting "This Spot is Full" messages. For the first time, conferences didn't happen. We got Isaak's report card, flipped, and he's been making up work day and night. He had 2 days off last week, but not really because he was doing homework. He gets out of house tasks because he has homework. No other devices because of homework. We all have to be quiet because Isaak is doing homework. I'm ready to pull my hair out! He's not the stress ball he was. He's just slow moving, and not getting his work done. I found out he was drawing in Math class instead of doing his math work. The kid is driving me batty! He's down to missing 5 assignments now. Grades are due tomorrow. 

I got a job at Williams Sonoma. I'm in charge of opening some days, closing other nights, being a cashier when needed, and setting up pretty displays. My job titles are: Key Manager and Visual Merchandiser. 

Yesterday I spent most of the day redoing their electronic section. What did I learn? The job isn't as creative as I thought it would be. 

1. I have to follow a map to the {T}, for product placement. I get it. Not everyone out there knows how to make something look good.  
   
   
2. The only times I can veer from the map is when items are out of stock. Apparently because COVID is a thing... a lot of items are out of stock. KitchenAid is out of stock nearly everywhere. That company must of been hit with COVID bad, or something went down! 
   
   
3. Being late is not ok apparently to the workers manual. They have a 5 minute rule of some kind. I'm always on time, or slightly early. Somehow it's ok for the person that opens the store to be 10 minutes late, which makes all others late. 
   
   
4. Tutorials are extra happy go lucky. We're talking to the extreme. Travis would describe their voices much like elementary or preschool teacher voices. You know, all high pitched, and animated. 
   
   
5. They love trash cans. They have a ton, and not all of them are used. I'm the type that doesn't like to take our own out unless it's filled to the brim. I suggested they do with 1/2 the ones they have. Nope! It will just get busier with the holidays popping up. BUT they don't have near the sample foods they had before COVID happened. I'll have to get over that. I'm the queen of recycling, reusing, and composting. Not everyone is as green as I am. Some people are more so. They do use earth friendly wrapping. 
   
   
6. I need to use my cell phone A LOT! To take photos of what we have on the floor, and go get whatever it is that we need in the back. That's if we have it. 

Along with getting/starting this job I had to still file for unemployment. With unemployment, one has to apply to 5 jobs a week at least to receive it. I applied to more than 5. 

All the sudden I have a college 45 minutes away interested in me teaching a class, or two in the spring. 

I also have a non profit that is really interested in me. I am really VERY interested in them. I'd be doing many creative tasks. They have a designer, marketing person, writer, and I would fill all those shoes to help all of them out. Their goal is to full fill low income schools with having technology. Seems up my ally. I know non profits don't typically have a lot to pay you, but some do. Some are thriving. It would feel good, to do good. 

All these things are happening at once. It makes it hard to know what to do. 

Williams Sonoma is close to home, has 401 K, I can at times take and/or pick up Isaak from school. Everything is so pretty there. I get 40% off their store, and Pottery Barn. The people seem nice. I get paid more than Fresh Thyme, but not as good as my teaching job that I had. The communication is lacking. I had to apply in person, then online, they told me how much I would make, then I was told something else. Maybe they need me to help with that. I totally believe in yin and yang. Where there's a positive, there then is a negative. 

I really hate being the new kid on the block, yet again. I like being in the role of training others because I know the process. I helped so many staff members at the Creative Center. It was a good feeling to be helpful, and not needy. I know that comes with having a new job, but it's how I feel. 

So...all over I am. Do you ever find yourself in limbo?